#but at the same time... do i want them to subject themselves to the industry for round 2? not sure

[mobiused]

life imitates art anon and yeah you're absolutely correct about respecting the girls as real people sorry i didn't want to make the original ask super wordy so i didnt clarify that i meant like it's interesting/heartbreaking that their storyline as a commentary on the industry is proving to be so true. like in a way it almost sours the story, even tho i know it wasn't the girls writing it its just like. damn they did all that and it changed nothing in the end. even all along as theyre preforming this commentary on the industry in the bg the very company producing it is treating them in the exact same devious way. At the end of the day i am manifesting wins for the real life girls and maybe the fictional story of loona deserved to be killed anyways

If you want to read it one way, there is something depressing about how LOONA in real life weren't able to be the exception in the industry and ""save themselves"" as it were, despite being equipped with the knowledge of stuff like agency and freedom. But of course they were never going to. I think a lot of times people expect that "intelligent" women, especially ones whose bodies of work discuss feminism and independence, should be able to magically uninvolve themselves from misogynistic restrictions because well, "You're a smart girl, you should know better." But they don't and they can't, because that's the whole point of industry grooming. It is straight up cult like and no matter what themes are brought up in their work or how beautifully empowering the narrative was at times, nothing about the narrative could have ever helped the girls in real life. Which is sad. The only way to win the game is by not playing, and then I feel sad that they ever did.

The other way to look at it is how brilliant such an unresolved conclusion to their narrative this is. What better way to have a story about breaking free from convention and "getting off the track" than to have it end unfinished, in an entirely unsatisfying and UNCONSUMEABLE way, that leads to the members achieving their freedom and agency in real life. Nobody gets to profit off their story anymore. Isn't that actually really profound?

[sh0tanzz]

RIIZE OT7 LOVE LIFE READING ~ based on tarot

so glad to be doing tarot again tbh

reminder this is based off of my interpretations of the energy and cards I receive and is not exact fact unless said so by the members themselves; energy is subject to change or manifest differently so my reading may differ from others

note: while doing the reading the members seemed ok speaking on their love lives (lowkey seemed like they wanted to vent) but the phrase “can this stay anonymous” kept coming up so instead of outright saying each member I’ll keep it vague on who I’m speaking of

Member A:

he most definitely has been involved with someone as of late and this person is most likely new or it’s a more recent romantic development for him (AoW, 2oC, PoC). the pacing of his dynamic has been pretty fun and lighthearted which he really does enjoy but it may be moving a bit faster than he expected/intended to making him anxious (the fool Rx, 8oW). the person he’s seeing might want to make things more serious but he might not 😭 he’s been deliberating on a decision of how he wants to operate, he’s very indecisive on committing to anyone rn (2oS, 2oW, 2oC)

Member B:

dating is lowkey out of sight out of mind for this member, he could date and has opportunities but is more focused on bettering himself (KoS, ace of cups Rx, 7oC, 8oP) . he isn’t outright refusing the opportunities he’s just not that concerned with them. he might’ve broken up with someone however this breakup isn’t exactly recent [or he’s been thinking about past relationships] but it made him reflect on some things. (2oW, 4oC, the hermit) he’s concerned about figuring out how to let go of some of the baggage and bad behaviors he has plus to be a better person with more to offer. (the devil Rx, 8oS Rx, temperance, 6oP) he essentially wants to heal himself before dating anyone.

Member C:

he’s interested in someone, like has a small crush it’s probably another idol or someone who works in a similar/same field and might be someone older or debuted before him/been in the industry longer (KoW, QoW, 3oP, the hierophant) but he’s lowkey suspicious of the person and may feel that they’re deceptive or may not have the same intentions as him (7oS, QoS Rx, the magician Rx). in his personal life he feels like he’s finally seeing the success and and results of him working hard as an idol and will be very intuitive and on gaurd romance wise to ensure that maybe a dating scandal or bad relationship doesn’t sour his good work life. (the high priestess, 9oW, 9oP, 7oW)

Member D:

this member in particular isn’t really fond of how they look currently; and is very caught up in a personal illusion of not being as desirable as he “used to/could be” (Empress Rx, Moon, 9oC Rx). his more deeper insecurities regarding his appearance is hindering him from pursuing or moving forward in relationships out of fear of rejection (5oS) as well as being too caught up mentally about his physical dislikes to even consider love opportunities (5oC, 9oS) he wants to wait till he’s confident again

Member E:

very simplistic, he’s honestly more worried about other relationships in his life outside of romantic ones so his family and friends plus he’s looking forward to adding new friends to his circle cuz he’s lowkey been bored social life wise (3oC, 10oP, 4oC, 3oW). similar to member b he isn’t outright against dating at the moment but he isn’t actively pursuing it, he’s satisfied where he is (9oC) but if an opportunity comes he won’t mind it exactly..he has a very “if it happens it happens” mindset about it for now (the hanged man, the wheel of fortune) he might be finding many people attractive at the moment or having talking stages here or there or getting to know someone but that’s really it (AoW)

Member F:

he has a lowkey urge to date because he’s very available at the moment but at the same time he has other matters to tend to which is holding him back. he might currently be studying and working on a new thing he’s recently gotten into. (8oP, 3oP, PoP) this reading is a bit ironic because he has so much free time yet still might not be in the position to date again for now, he might have a small urge to put himself out there since he can but he’s nervous that it’ll go left and end up making his current dealings more complicated. (the lovers Rx, 9oC Rx, the world Rx, 2oP, 9oW) he may have had a woman/fem figure in his life aiding him through his current processes and have an admiration for her I’m not sure if I’d call it a crush however (the star, the hierophant, QoC)

Member G:

ok this one is funny bc I can’t even tell if he’s in a relationship or not but what I do know is this member is STRESSED and it’s impacting his relationships not just the romantic ones 😭. (10oW, 2oC Rx, 7oP, the sun Rx). the stress is causing imbalance because he might be a bit more abrasive or could be a bit snappy at people lately from being so burnt out maybe even a bit rude (the emperor Rx, KoS Rx, 5oW) however he knows he needs to correct these behaviors for his relationships in general to flourish (8oP, 9oP)

[wanderinginksplot-writes]

Gar Cyare Chapter Thirteen

You and Alpha have a conversation with the Null ARCs.

Word Count: 3,700

Warnings: minor descriptions of peril, minor descriptions of threats, continued threats, descriptions of a city under lockdown

Previous (SFW) | Next | Masterlist Previous (NSFW)

---

Morut (Stronghold)

General Shaak Ti did not seem surprised to see Alpha the next morning, a sentiment that Commander Colt shared.

“Captain,” General Ti greeted with a graceful nod. “Welcome back to Kamino.”

“Knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away for long,” Colt told him, grinning. “Hope you didn’t get your fill of excitement out there.”

“Seems like there’s plenty going on here,” Alpha said. He didn’t sound entirely put out by that, either. “I’ll be glad to help any way I can. How sure are we that it wasn’t Pender?”

“Alpha!” you chided.

“That was my thought, too,” Colt admitted. “But I looked into every angle of his story. It all checks out.”

“I thought we had already decided that?” you asked.

General Ti looked thoughtful. “I was under that impression as well.”

Colt shrugged, remorseless. “I had nothing better to do on lockdown. Seemed like a good idea to recheck our work.”

“You didn’t look hard enough,” Alpha muttered.

You didn’t bother admonishing him a second time, trusting that your displeased look would do that for you.

“What is our focus for the day?” Alpha asked, and you tried not to gloat. Your face must have worked if he was trying to change the subject.

“Unfortunately, we can do nothing at all,” General Ti said, a hint of regret in her peaceful tone.

Colt nodded. “The kaminii have locked us all out of the system while they work on analyzing their data. They can track what was copied. Until they have a final tally, we’re on standby waiting for an attack.”

Alpha’s eyes slid to you, the motion so quick that it was nearly imperceptible. “How likely is it that the Separatists will attack?”

“There is no evidence that the Separatists are behind this infiltration at all,” General Ti reminded.

Alpha and Colt both gave a derisive snort at that, and in such quick succession that it could have been timed.

“Respectfully, General,” Colt said, “Who else would try to infiltrate Kamino? There’s nothing of interest here for anyone but the Seppies.”

“Cloning technology,” you countered. You paused briefly when everyone turned to look at you, but you pressed on. “Kamino is leading the galaxy where cloning is concerned, but there are others working on the same process. Yes, Kamino is the only lab with a government contract, but this could have been industrial espionage. Especially since the Kaminoans are trying to exempt themselves from fees associated with belonging to the Trade Federation.”

“How do you know all of that?” Alpha asked, frowning deeply.

“I read the news,” you told him, frowning right back. “There hasn’t been much else to do for the past two days and it’s good to know what’s going on in the galaxy. Other than the war, of course.”

“Wise,” General Ti remarked, cutting off whatever Alpha may have said. “Whether Dengar was a Separatist spy or an agent of industrial espionage, we must be prepared in case of an attack. When the Kaminoans have finished reviewing their information, we will meet to hear what they have learned. For now, we must be certain that the cadets are prepared and that all incoming troopers know where they can be of the most use.”

“Yes, General,” Alpha agreed. Colt gave a nod as well. The general smiled at all three of you and swept gracefully from the room.

When Colt moved to do the same, Alpha stopped him. “Keep an eye on the Nulls, ner vod. They’re here for a reason, and I don’t think that reason is keeping the planet safe.”

“You’ve never been their biggest fan,” Colt said, a wry smile crossing his face, “but I agree. Skirata’s never been one for having them protect Kaminoan interests. They’re here for something else. Between the three of us, I’m sure we can keep an eye on them.”

“I don’t want her around them,” Alpha argued. “They’re dangerous.”

“I can hear you,” you reminded helpfully.

“Or you’re feeling overprotective,” Colt countered, ignoring you other than the wink he directed your way. His comlink rang and he waved a quick goodbye before turning away, answering the call even as he walked off.

Alpha muttered something that sounded uncomplimentary. “Let’s get you to your office.”

“No.” Alpha’s brows shot upward, but you held firm. “I can be more useful helping with the cadets and troopers. Besides, the best way to keep the Nulls from getting to me is to make sure you and I stay in the same area.”

Alpha’s forehead creased. “I don’t-”

“I don’t want to get pushed to the side, Alpha,” you admitted quietly. “I want to help.”

“Hey.” Alpha took a step closer, close enough to take your hands in his. “Neverd’ika, I never want to make you feel like you’re not capable. I’m worried, yeah, but I want to go check out your office. Then I promise, we’ll go help with the other preparations.”

“Oh.” You relaxed as Alpha’s thumbs skimmed over your knuckles. “What do you think is happening with my office?”

He sighed. “I think there are good odds that the Nulls went there as soon as you and I had left. They probably went through your datapads to see if you had gotten any information from Ko Sai’s files.”

“I told them that her records were unduplicatable.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he told you. “They probably thought you were lying. Or, if they did believe you, they might be trying to retrieve any trace data left from when you viewed the documents. Either way, I don’t want you going to your office until I check it out, and I figured you’d rather be there when I do.”

“You figured correctly,” you agreed. “Let’s go.”

A lesser man might have said something along the lines of ‘I told you so’, but Alpha just looked grimly understanding as you slowly realized that your office had been carefully combed through.

Oh, they hadn’t left anything a mess. Your datapads and notes and personal belongings were roughly where they had been before. They just weren’t quite right.

“They’re not making a secret of their investigation,” Alpha remarked, rotating your favorite mug back to face the right direction.

You took it from him, glancing at it briefly as you wondered if you should clean it before you used it next. “Do you think they’ll be back?”

“No way to know for sure,” Alpha said. “I wouldn’t be surprised, though it seems like they got a good look at everything in here. And you’re sure you don’t have copies of anything from Ko Sai’s notes?”

“Don’t tell me you’re fascinated with her work, too.”

It came out more waspish than you meant it to, but Alpha only gave you a look. “No. But if you secretly have a copy of something, it’ll make the Nulls harder to keep away.”

You sighed, rubbing at your forehead. “No. Like I said, Ko Sai locked the records - no edits, no copies, nothing. The only reason I spent as much time reading over them as I did was because I though about adding those records in as part of the clone trooper report.”

“You actually read her notes?”

“What did you think I was doing with them?” you asked. “I didn’t understand much of it. She wrote with a lot of scientific notations and concepts I’m not familiar with. I just scanned over most of what I read.”

“Do me a favor,” Alpha suggested, folding his arms. “Don’t tell anyone else you read those notes. If anyone asks, you saw the files and exited out.”

“Having read them makes me more of a target?” Your tone was probably overly skeptical, but you couldn’t help it. “I told you, I don’t remember much of anything.”

“Still.”

There was a polite knock on the door and Alpha went to answer it. You had just the right angle to watch his face darken in thin profile. “Go on. Tell me this is a coincidence.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Komr’k replied innocently, trying to step around Alpha.

Alpha blocked him with one shoulder. “No. You can’t come in, not after everything I heard last night.”

“I’ve come to apologize,” he explained, glancing past Alpha to look at you. “We crossed a line.”

“So you brought two of your brothers to apologize?” Alpha asked, peering out into the hallway without moving away from his spot between you and Komr’k.

“We’re all sorry.”

Alpha hummed skeptically. “You want to speak with them, administrator?”

It took you a moment too long to respond. Alpha never called you ‘administrator’, and you wasted time wondering who he was talking to. “Uh…”

Komr’k snorted. “Administrator? Not neverd’ika? Yeah, we’ve heard plenty about your new little soft spot.”

“Go on,” Alpha invited, straightening as he pushed his shoulders back. “Think you see a soft spot? Ne shab’rud’ni.”

“Alpha,” you entreated, rounding your desk. “I’d like to speak to them. One of them. Preferably Jaing, if he’s out there. He seemed to be the most level-headed last night.”

Alpha gave a sharp whistle. “If you’re looking for an invitation, Jaing, that was it. Get in here. Komr’k, ba’slanar.”

Komr’k sent Alpha a dirty look, but left without further argument. A moment later, Jaing was inside your office, waiting patiently as Alpha closed the door between the three of you and the other two Nulls standing outside.

“Please, come in,” you invited when Alpha had finished, gesturing Jaing toward the chairs on the other side of your desk.

Jaing inclined his head, settling in one of the chair as Alpha loomed behind him.

“Alpha, you can sit down, too.”

Alpha shook his head and you sighed. He had that tightness in his jaw that said he wasn’t going to let you talk him down. You sent an apologetic look at Jaing, who looked mildly confused.

“What can I do for you?”

Jaing studied you for a long moment before he answered. “I want to apologize for last night.”

“Of course,” you acknowledged with a nod.

Jaing exhaled slowly. “No, really. We spoke with our sergeant last night and he explained that civilians operate on a different set of rules.”

You believed him, oddly enough. Not that the Nulls didn’t understand civilians - that was clear nonsense - but that his apology was sincere. Behind him, Alpha looked distinctly grumpy, so you decided to cut through whatever civilian comedy of manners might be happening.

“Was going through my office part of the apology?” you asked, keeping your tone and expression steady. “Or is it one of the things you’re apologizing for?”

Some of the tension eased from Jaing’s brow. “You noticed.”

Alpha snorted. “Lemme give you some advice: she notices more than you think. More than most civvies and more than some troopers I’ve trained.”

“High praise, from you,” Jaing noted. He looked back at you. “Yes, we did search your office. There was a chance we could have recovered some of Ko Sai’s notes from the device you used to access them, but none of your datapads showed signs of recent use.”

You nodded slowly, thinking about the datapad you had taken to your quarters. You felt a surge of guilt at first, but then you remembered that the Null troopers had intended to get rid of you and the guilt disappeared.

“But we did find your report,” Jaing added. You glanced at him in shock and he nodded slowly. “We read it. At first, we meant to check whether you were really sent by the Senate. We were all under the impression that the official report was submitted months ago.”

Your lips flattened into a thin line. Your voice was tight when you said, “I’ve been busy.”

Jaing nodded. “I saw why. It was much more in-depth than any of us expected to find. Are you really going to add in a ‘specifications’ section?”

“It was a concept I was developing.” Jaing was talking about the section you had outlined when you were reading Ko Sai’s notes. “I was going to display the Kaminoans’ original designs for the clone troopers, then contrast that with examples of times that troopers went above and beyond those specifications.”

“Was?” Alpha asked.

“Was,” you confirmed, gesturing at the datapads on your desk. “My source material has self-destructed.”

If you were expecting Jaing to look sheepish, you were disappointed. “That’s the other thing we wanted to talk to you about.”

“I knew it,” Alpha growled.

You exchanged looks over Jaing’s head. Both of you had known full-well that the Nulls didn’t want to apologize. Or, if they did, it was just so that you were more likely to agree to whatever else they needed from you.

“Well, I am utterly shocked,” you countered dryly. “What else did you want to ask?”

“We still haven’t managed to recover any of Ko Sai’s files,” Jaing told you. You nodded - the file deletion had been on the lines of a total purge. There would be no recovering the documents that were lost. “But we think it’s possible that someone made copies of some of the documents.”

“No,” you denied. “Like I told you, the files couldn’t be copied.”

“The data couldn’t be duplicated,” he pointed out. “But that doesn’t mean that someone couldn’t have written down pieces of the information in hard copy format to keep it from being deleted when the rest of the files were. In fact, we believe that happened at least once.”

“And what makes you believe that?” Alpha asked, sounding bored. You had never wished to share a psychic link with someone quite so desperately as you did just then.

“Because we found a partial trace indentation on the administrator’s desk,” Jaing answered, holding up a piece of flimsi. It had been carefully shaded to reveal part of the code from Ko Sai’s files. “We’ve already managed to decode some of this, but we need the rest of the message for it to make sense.”

You kept your face as expressionless as possible as you weighed your options. Alpha kept his eyes trained on Jaing, but they occasionally darted to you.

You only had one copy of the code. You had made sure to take it down on flimsi so it couldn’t be erased, but you hadn’t thought to write it down in another place. Admittedly, you had been more than a little distracted between the Nulls and Alpha, but you were still kicking yourself. Giving Jaing the code would mean losing any chance to work with it yourself.

A refusal started forming on your lips, but then you saw a flash of expression on Jaing’s face. You could have ignored disgust. Anger had long ceased to bother you. Even suspicion, wariness, disappointment… all were easily pushed aside. But the microsecond of hope on Jaing’s face was something you couldn’t brush off.

With a light sigh, you rummaged in your bag and found the piece of flimsi. Jaing’s expression was shuttered by the time you offered him the page, but his eyes were gleefully anticipatory.

When his hand reached for the paper, you paused, holding it out of his reach. Jaing’s jaw set and you understood. He probably expected you to demand something.

Instead, you gave him a firm look. “I need you to understand that you haven’t scared me into this. I’m not giving this to you because of the threats you and your brothers made or because you went through my office. You can have this because it means so much to you. I don’t know why you want Ko Sai’s notes so badly, but I’m not going to stand in your way.”

Even when you offered the flimsi again, Jaing sat still. His gaze was trained on you, intent as he analyzed you posture, your body language, and every expression on your face. Slowly, he nodded and took the flimsi.

“Anything else you can tell me?”

Alpha scoffed, but you hummed thoughtfully. “Ko Sai’s files didn’t allow for duplication, but there were vague references to physical copies that had been stored somewhere safe. I think this code is a reference to where that safe place is.”

Jaing nodded, briefly scanning the coded message and glanced up at you. “You were on the right track with your decryption. Ordo and A’den have been working on the part of the code we did have.”

It was a little offensive that he sounded so surprised, but you shrugged that off. “Thanks. Feel free to work on the rest of it. You already know my door code.”

He stood, but paused halfway to the door. When you looked at him curiously, he said, “The Kaminoans don’t like us much.”

When you didn’t answer, Alpha said, “Can’t imagine why.”

Jaing smiled ruefully. “They don’t take kindly to products that don’t die quietly when asked. But that’s not the point. If what you say is true, Ko Sai has another set of notes hidden and I’m willing to bet it’s on Kamino.”

“You could be right,” you agreed. “Ko Sai probably couldn’t imagine a future when she didn’t have a secure place here.”

“They aren’t going to let us stay, but we need those files,” Jaing reiterated, lifting the flimsi slightly. “If this is any indication, we could use someone like you helping us on the inside.”

You gave him a skeptical look. “Four translated characters and you’re willing to bring me into your super-secret mission? Either there’s something more going on here or your mission isn’t going to stay secret for long.”

Jaing laughed softly, glancing at Alpha. “You weren’t exaggerating.”

“I never do.”

“I’m not offering based on some half-finished decryption,” Jaing agreed. “But we weren’t working on that all night. We spent a lot of that time digging into everything we could learn about you.”

You stayed silent, simply tilting your head at him in mute question.

“We spoke with Sergeant Skirata.”

“I don’t know who that is,” you admitted freely.

“You will.” Jaing moved on quickly from that ominous promise, and started to tick off sources on his fingers. “He told us to dig into your records. We spoke to Omega Squad and a few brand-new ARCs. We read your report. All of it backs up what I said: We could use someone like you staying here on Kamino and helping us.”

“Alpha?” you asked, looking over at him.

His expression was disgusted. “Do you think you can trust these kyramude?”

“I trust you,” you said. “And I trust your instincts. Is this a trick or a trap of some kind?”

Alpha walked a tight circle around Jaing, ending in front of him. A slight duck of his head was all Alpha needed to stare Jaing in the face. Jaing watched him steadily.

The quiet stretched longer than you were comfortable with, but Alpha eventually shook his head. “If the Nulls wanted you dead, they'd do it themselves. Skirata didn't train them to do anything by halves.”

“Jaing, may I have some time to consider this?” you asked politely. Manners never made a situation worse.

“Yeah,” Jaing agreed, finally breaking eye contact with Alpha. “Just try not to take too much time. Like I said, the kaminii won't let us stay on their planet for long after the lockdown is over.”

“I will get you my answer as soon as possible,” you agreed.

“One last thing,” Jaing said, starting toward your desk. Alpha was in his way before he had taken his third step. Jaing held up his hands. “Udesii, Captain. I just want to make sure you both get to keep a copy of the message.”

You took the sheet of flimsi from Jaing. “You can keep the original if you want. I'll work on this as much as I have time for.”

“If you have time, that would be helpful. If we both decipher the code, we can compare to double-check the results.” Jaing tucked the flimsi into a pocket and was at the door in a moment. When he turned back a final time, there was mischief in his dark eyes. “Just be sure not to shirk your assignment with General Ti and Commander Colt.”

Alpha growled, taking a single step forward before Jaing disappeared down the hallway.

You sighed, scrubbing at your eyes. “Is there anything the Nulls don't know?”

“They got a triple helping of the trooper gene for being meddling pains in the shebs,” Alpha confirmed. “And Skirata didn’t help get them under control.”

“I feel like I’ve heard a lot about him, but I still don’t know who he is,” you admitted. “Jaing called him a sergeant. Is he the one in charge of the Nulls? Their commanding officer?”

“That was the idea at first,” Alpha told you, sounding weary. “He came here as one of the original Mandalorian bounty hunters meant to train the troopers. But one thing led to another and now, he’s their father in every way that matters.”

“Excuse me?” You were flabbergasted. Not that someone would adopt some of the clone troopers - you had considered it more than once with the Bad Batch - but that the man everyone spoke of with such great respect wasn’t another clone. “He adopted them?”

“Sure.” Alpha’s shrug was far more casual than you would have expected for the topic. “Adoption is a lot easier in Mando culture.”

You shook your head, standing from your desk. That was a lot for you to take in at once, and you needed to do something else. “Enough about the Nulls. Let’s go help with the lockdown.”

“Sure, neverd’ika,” Alpha agreed. “But you’re going to have plenty more to do with the Nulls. You’ve just agreed to work with them.”

“I only said that I’ll think about it,” you protested. “I haven’t decided anything yet.”

Alpha gave you a skeptical look. “Haven’t you?”

That was difficult to argue, so you kept your mouth closed.

---

Author's Note - I've read the Republic Commando novels, and Jaing always struck me as the most chill. Also the kindest (he offers to adopt Mird if it's owner dies in battle or otherwise can't continue to be a good pet parent.

[fellominaarcher]

GOT MARRIED - YOO JIMIN; KARINA

1, An Agreement

word count: approx. 1.5k

SM CONFERENCE ROOM

"WHAT?!"

That cry caused the entire building to tremble, ranging in magnitude from 2.5 to 5.4, which was enough to cause some minor damage.

The girls and the other room staff members clung to each other for dear life.

Karina's mind was spinning with a moment of scepticism.

The producer bowed his head. "Yes, Karina, as I just said," he said again.

"We chose Jang Y/N as your spouse in this new WGM show, and our staffs also discussed it with her group," the conversation continued.

The girls' expressions of disbelief remain unchanged.

Winter let out a sigh. "But this is also good because it will bring Aespa to the forefront because her girl group is a little older than ours," the lead vocalist suggested.

Another member of staff stepped in. "If Jimin refuses, we may have to choose other girls," the staff informed.

The staff and the producer exchanged glances as they raised their shoulders.

Only the girls and Jimin knew why she sighed in frustration.

"That's all for today; hopefully your management will call us once we've reached an agreement," the producer spoke as he stood up.

The crews from We Got Married had already left, leaving only the girls and their staffs in the room.

Ningning looked at her leader "So, how's now unnie?" she queried.

"I believe MYs are supportive," Karina responded, her hand was massaging the bridge of her nose.

Giselle caressed her back. "We should talk more with our management because we know this industry," the Japanese girl suggested.

"We definitely don't have options," Giselle concluded.

In the same conference room

Unfortunately for Aespa, today is the last discussion before they meet YN's group, DayDream.

The subject of death or whatever else. This is the type of discussion where the final decision will be made.

Aespa's leader sat cautiously in her chair, but her heart was racing the entire time.

The surface simply does not meet.

After a few minutes of waiting for the crews to arrive with DayDream, they're finally here.

Maybe that's a good thing?

Minjeong said to Karina, "Hey, look at there," and she alerted the older one.

Karina's gaze was drawn to DayDream, where she hoped to find the previously discussed Jang Y/N.

The first impression.

Mr. Producer presented DayDream excitedly, and the girl group bowed and introduced themselves.

Aespa got to their feet, bent down, and introduced themselves as well on Karina's cue.

DayDream took their seats, which were opposite Aespa's.

The producer began, glancing at Y/N. "So, DayDream, do you want to change the participant?" Y/N sat across from Minjeong.

They exchanged a few whispers before nodding in agreement.

"We haven't yet decided about changing the participant," Yurim, DayDream's leader, stated.

"But, we agreed for Y/N to appear on the show," the DayDream leader stated.

"Because she's one of our most popular members, so that's the decision." Oh Yurim concluded.

DayDream nodded in agreement, Jang Y/N, the group's second visual and lead vocalist.

"So we thought she'd be perfect with any of the Aespa members, because they're all incredibly gorgeous and talented," the leader continued.

The producer, Mr Seung Sik, nodded as he listened to them.

He exhaled deeply. "I completely agree on this one," he said, looking around.

"Since Aespa hasn't decided which member they'd send over," appears to be a continuation.

While reading the page in his notepad, he swirled his pen.

The man in his mid-forties coughed asked, "Why not, either Karina or Winter?" while pointing at those two.

When this happens, they usually choose the most beautiful and popular members of a kpop group.

Giselle sighed, remembering how difficult it was for the chosen members.

She held hands with Winter; strangely, the four girls appeared nervous and tense.

"I'll do it," Winter offered, raising her hand to volunteer.

Y/N was taken aback, but she nodded in agreement.

Karina grabbed Winter's hand. "No, let's give it some thought first!" She quickly stepped in.

Her face was flushed with worries. "Give us until 11:59 p.m., and I'll call you personally," the girl spoke as she stood up.

She sighed and walked out of there as quickly as she could.

Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected mini-outburst.

Aespa was excused by Giselle as they all exited the room simultaneously.

NIGHT TIME

Aespa's dorm

Ningning shook her head and looked at Karina. "Geez, understandable girl," she muttered as she chewed.

Winter nodded as well.

Karina groaned in frustration as she buried her head in her arms.

Giselle rolled her eyes and walked over to Karina.

She knelt down. "I understand you're still struggling with your sexuality, which is why you're acting this way," she patted the girl's shoulder.

Everyone nodded and agreed silently, knowing that their leader is a young woman struggling with her sexuality.

WGM was completely responsible for her agitation.

"It's fine, unnie. Perhaps this show will allow you to dive deep." Minjeong stated her point of view.

Karina's head jerked up, startling Giselle as she stood up and fished her phone from her back pocket.

"This girl, tch..." Giselle reprimanded in hushed tones.

Later that night...

She typed the name of the person she wanted to call while her hands trembled. Her breath does as well.

Fuck it. She thought to herself.

She pressed the button and held the phone to her ear, waiting for it to ring.

The PD finally answered the phone after about 7 seconds of waiting.

"Oh Karina!" he exclaimed, laughing.

"Hello..." she sighed from the other side.

"I decided that I would be in the show," Jimin said of her desire to appear on the TV show.

A second of silence "Wow- this really surprised me!" he exclaimed.

The man laughed happily, "This is really great, I'll inform SM and the other related staffs," he explained the process to her.

"I hope I don't come to regret my decision," the beautiful woman said.

"Don't worry, I promise you won't regret it!" he sighed, still pleased with Karina's decision.

"We'll get started next week, as scheduled," the PD said.

To acknowledge him, she simply nodded and hummed.

That's it, see you," she said hastily, her tone turning icy.

Her mood completely changed, and she abruptly ended the call, while three mouseketeers eavesdropped behind her.

They immediately rushed to her and gave her a group hug when she turned around and stared at them with a defeated expression.

Hours later

12:38am

DINGG!!

The girl was alerted by her phone, causing her to awaken from her somnolent state of slumber.

She grunted, realising she had forgotten to turn off her phone before going to bed.

The girl took her phone from the nightstand, which caused her eyes to widen.

There will be no more sleepyheads.

She stared at the text for a moment, not knowing who it was from.

typing...

Woah, who is this and why is Yoo Jimin being referred to as a goddess?

She took a deep breath and tapped out her reply.

When she realised who she was speaking to, she groaned loudly while rolling her eyes.

But the girl also feels terrible about acting like this to her supposed future wife.

For the sake of the fans, this is the person who will engage in all of the romantic activities with her.

Can't be helped because Karina has a rather rocky past and fell in love with a former close friend from school.

She quickly falls in love.

That is Karina's issue; as a result, her friend have traumatised her.

The read receipt that Y/N had left on the screen caused Jimin to pause for a moment as she gave it some thought.

Is it possible that I offended her?

She was still staring at the unsaved number as she went to edit and save it in her phone.

Jang Y/N?

She saved her phone number with a question mark at the end of her name.

The girl exited their chatroom; Y/N is still active, but she hasn't responded.

Jimin was literally left on read.

She let out a sigh. "Perhaps I did that," she murmured, referring to the fact that she had offended Y/N.

She decided not to care, as much as she wanted to.

The girl muted her phone and set it back on the nightstand.

She closed her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

Got Married chapters

[longing-for-rain]

Hi I'm curious what would you define as "postmodernism" and "degenerates". just curious

Postmodernism:

This is a political ideology characterized by the idea that everything is subjective, everything is a social construct, all knowledge is created by humans so therefore there is no real concept of truth. In general, I have a very negative opinion of this ideology because it has a tendency to isolate people both from each other and from themselves. It obfuscates and deconstructs everything to the point where vaguely defined ideas (that can’t really even be defined, because under postmodernism, everything is subjective) take precedence over material reality.

I know that’s a lot to chew on, but I’ll illustrate why I dislike this line of thinking through a few examples.

You’ve probably heard people say things like “race is a social construct” and similar; this is postmodernist thinking. And while that’s technically true in the sense that how we define race is somewhat subjective based on visible traits rather than actual genetic difference (did you know that there is so much genetic diversity in the continent of Africa that two Africans from tribes who historically lived within miles of each other can be more genetically different than an African and a European?), dismissing the concept of race is dangerous because it also dismisses racism. Sure, maybe the way we classify race is flawed. But that doesn’t change the fact that very real and very dangerous oppression based on race has and still is occurring worldwide. The same is true for oppression based on sex, ability, sexual orientation, etc. We have to acknowledge material reality to address these forms of oppression, and postmodernism won’t do this because it’s too fixated on trying to prove that the concepts of race/sex/sexuality/ability/etc. aren’t real.

Another example is the concept of moral relativism. Since postmodernists believe everything is subjective, they don’t believe in universal moral standards. Which is dangerous—because this is how you get people defending things like incest, rape, and pedophilia. They will often argue that not every culture has the same standards (nevermind that in regions where such things are still legal, feminists are advocating against them just like they did/are in the west) and therefore it isn’t immoral to rape, legalize child marriage, etc.

Postmodernists also tend to be extremely individualistic. Everything is about them and what makes them feel good—who cares about how their actions affect anyone else. They focus their energy inward and are obsessed with personal identity to the point of micro-analyzing everything about themselves, rather than focusing energy outward and connecting with other people and the world around them.

In general, it strikes me as a very narcissistic mindset that is fundamentally detached from reality and real world struggles. I think it’s so prevalent on the internet especially because it’s appealing to people who want to live in a fantasy rather than engage with the world in a meaningful way, and recognize that their actions have consequences both to themselves and the people around them.

Degeneracy:

I feel like the way I use this word is different from how many other people do, but it me, it represents the ultimate mindset of hedonism and selfishness. In my mind, a degenerate is a person who prioritizes their own pleasure above all else, even the suffering of real people. Nero fiddled while Rome burned, basically.

I would call a person who abandons their family in a time of crisis to go on vacation a degenerate. I would call a parent who takes money that was supposed to be for their kids’ college fund and gambles it away a degenerate. I do consider porn use degeneracy, because it’s common knowledge at this point that the industry is fueled by rape and human trafficking and there is no way to guarantee the content you’re consuming isn’t that—you simply don’t care, because a few minutes of pleasure is more important than widespread abuse and suffering (especially given the violent nature of most internet porn, you’re literally deriving pleasure from the pain and suffering of a real human being). And on the flip side, I also consider conservative trad men degenerates—because they’re perfectly fine with treating another human being as a slave if it means creating this archaic fantasy life they have in their heads.

[darkstar225]

Twice's 10th member is Le Sserafim's Sakura little sister

A/N: Heyyy, I'm back fr lol! Sry for taking so long to post but finally the semester ended :D I hope that my friend Thira_Harris that gave me this idea on Wattpad likes it! :)

The request: Hi I want to request again where y/n is little sister to le sserafim sakura and twice saw le sserafim babying y/n and they also want to babying you as they don't want to lose to them and y/n said they all can have her and don't have to fight about it. Thank you ❤️

PS: Tysm for everyone that reads what I write, I hope I can bring a smile to your faces every time I post! I'd like to thank whoever sent me this idea 'cause I loved to write it <3

__________________________________________________________

Once upon a time in the enchanting world of K-pop, a talented group of young ladies known as TWICE took the industry by storm with their mesmerizing performances and infectious music. Among them was the youngest member, Y/N, who held a special place in the hearts of her fellow members. But little did she know that her position as the baby of the group was about to become a subject of competition among her beloved unnies. The maknae, adorable and spirited little sister of Le Sserafim Sakura, was not only cherished by her older sibling but also adored by the rest of the TWICE members. They couldn't help but be captivated by her sweet smile and infectious laughter, often finding themselves gravitating towards her whenever they were together. However, Y/N's unnies couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy when they witnessed Sakura and the other Le Sserafim members' doting affection towards her.

On a bright Friday day TWICE and the members of Le Sserafim gathered together for a joint practice session. As the girls mingled and caught up, Y/N's unnies couldn't help but notice the other members of Le Sserafim showering her with their own brand of love and adoration. The sight of this sparked a newfound competitive streak within TWICE.

Jihyo, the strong and caring leader of TWICE, watched as the members of Le Sserafim fussed over her child, playing with her and making her laugh. Feeling a twinge of envy, Jihyo turned to her fellow members and spoke up. 

Jihyo - Hey, have you noticed how the girls from Le Sserafim are all babying our girl? Shouldn't we do the same? We don't want to lose to them!

Nayeon nodded eagerly. 

Nayeon - You're right, Jihyo. We can't let them steal all the babying moments with Y/N. Let's show them just how much we adore our maknae!

The other TWICE members agreed wholeheartedly, and their competitive spirits ignited. Momo, Sana, Dahyun, and the rest of the girls hatched a plan to outdo Le Sserafim and win their youngest's heart with their own brand of affection. The following day, as they gathered for practice, the TWICE members put their plan into motion. Jihyo approached Y/N with a wide smile, scooping her up into her arms as cooed, showering the girl with kisses and cuddles.

Jihyo - Oh, cutie pie, my adorable baby sister! You're so precious to me!

Not to be outdone, Nayeon quickly joined in, tickling TWICE's angel's sides and making her giggle uncontrollably. 

Nayeon - Honey, you're the cutest maknae in the world! Unnie loves you so much!

The other TWICE members, unable to resist the friendly competition, followed suit. Momo danced around the kid, making funny faces and silly noises, trying to elicit the loudest laughter from the young girl. Sana showered her with compliments, calling the girl their little angel and the sunshine of their lives. Dahyun presented Y/N with a colourful bouquet of flowers, exclaiming that these were for the most precious baby sister in the world. As the members of TWICE competed for Y/N's attention, they couldn't help but notice the glances exchanged between the members of Le Sserafim. It was evident that their friendly competition had not gone unnoticed. Feeling a mix of amusement and a touch of guilt, the TWICE unnies momentarily paused their efforts to baby Y/N. Taking a step back, Jihyo gently set her child down on the ground, surrounded by TWICE. 

Jihyo - Kiddo, we love you so much. We wanted to show you just how special you are to each and every one of us.

Y/N looked up at her unnies, her eyes shining with innocent wonder. 

Y/N - Unnies, you don't have to fight over me. I love each and every one of you, just the way you are. I don't want anyone to feel left out or sad. Can't you all baby me together?

The TWICE members exchanged glances, realizing the truth in Y/N's words. In their quest to outdo each other, they had momentarily forgotten the strength and unity they had as a group. They had lost sight of the fact that their love for their sunshine was not a competition, but a shared bond that made them stronger. Jihyo smiled warmly and nodded. 

Jihyo - You're right, lovebug. We shouldn't fight over you. We are a family, and our love for you is boundless. Let's all baby you together, as a united group.

With those words, the members of TWICE encircled Y/N, each showering her with their unique brand of affection. They hugged her, played with her, and filled the room with laughter and joy. At that moment, they understood that their love for Y/N wasn't about winning or losing, it was about creating a supportive and nurturing environment for their cherished maknae.

The next day as Y/N settled down on the couch, she noticed that each member had prepared something special for her. Momo had set up a mini tea party with adorable stuffed animals, while Jeongyeon had a pile of colourful storybooks ready to be read. Sana, with her bright personality, had a collection of cute outfits for dress-up, and Chaeyoung had a box full of art supplies for their creative efforts. Touched by their thoughtfulness, her eyes welled up with tears of joy. She never expected such an outpouring of love from her older sisters. Looking at their eager expressions, Y/N realized that TWICE stopped competing with each other but they did not want to lose to Kkura's special bond. With that in mind, she began to explain her feeling, her voice filled with genuine affection.

Y/N - Unnies, no need to fight over me, I belong to all of you. You don't have to worry or compete. You're all my family, and I love you equally.

TWICE members exchanged glances, their hearts melting at Y/N's words. Kkura, in particular, felt a deep sense of pride for her little sister's maturity and understanding. She scooped Y/N into her arms, hugging her tightly.

Y/N - Kkura unnie, thank you for being the best sister in the world. You've taught me so much about love and compassion.

Kkura smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling with tears. 

Sakura - No, my dongsang. Thank you for reminding us of what truly matters. They are TWICE but we are all family. We'll always be here for you, through thick and thin.

With those heartfelt words, TWICE and Le Sserafim embraced their girl, forming a circle of love and support. They spent the rest of the day engaging in their individual activities but always including Y/N in every moment. They read stories, sipped imaginary tea, dressed up in silly costumes, and created beautiful artwork together. The years passed and TWICE and Le Sserafim's baby grew up surrounded by the love and support of her extraordinary sisters. She blossomed into a remarkable individual, carrying the values of kindness, compassion, and unity within her. In the end, it wasn't about competing for Y/N's affection. It was about the unbreakable bond that TWICE and Le Sserafim shared, a bond that would withstand the test of time. And they would never stop telling her something that always made her feel warm inside:  

We are proud of our dear family.

A/N: I apologise for any errors, English is not my first language. Pls, let me know if there's something wrong, ty for reading <3

[thewolfprince]

Okay so got a reply from Teecupangel on something I submitted and it gave me a wonderful idea.

Desmond in the Ready Player One universe.

Now if you haven’t read Ready Player One it’s about this guy (Wade) who takes on a challenge from the creator of the OASIS, a network spanning the entire world with virtual reality, in order to try to keep it out of the hands of a Corporation that wants to basically capitalism the fuck out of the OASIS.

Sooo my brain went “oh shit. Oh shit we could turn this into AC AU easy.”

Desmond, our lovable protagonist blorbo boi, takes the place of Wade. He lives with his father and mother and a few other families in a secluded location called The Farm. Once the world went to shit, Desmond’s parents decided to isolate themselves from humanity as a whole for safety.

Now, Desmond was raised in The Farm so… all his experience with the world outside of it is on an old console that runs The Gray [Name pending], created by Isu Incorporated.

One day there’s a message for every single user in the world (seeing as [Name Pending] is the world’s default coping mechanism to a slowly dying planet, it’s basically to the whole world).

FINAL ISU CORP LEADER FOUND DEAD, LEAVES BEHIND PUZZLING MESSAGE

Desmond is shocked when the message appears on his visor, he presses play on the video.

It’s Juno. She explains The Contest, a hunt for different artifacts around the multiverse of [Name Pending]. The first person to get all the artifacts and open the Grand Temple will be the new Heir of Isu Corp and the sole Admin of [Name Pending].

So for a few years, everyone dives into the hunt. Including rival company Abstergo Industries and its special Artifact Team.

As months go on, people start to quit. Except Desmond because his father is pushing him to find the Artifacts for him.

And Desmond soon crosses paths with a player named ‘Subject_16’. His avatar wears clothes that look like a prison uniform, and he’s often accompanied by ‘Overseer_Stillman’, a woman who is dressed in a sharp Abstergo uniform with a badge.

These “Subjects” are people indebted to Abstergo Industries and often used for free labor. And now they’re being used to look for the Artifacts.

And one day a new pop-up displays on everyone’s visors.

“Team Masayf— 10,000 points” with a small golden sphere emblem to the side. The first Artifact has been found.

And everyone is pushed back into the frenzy of the hunt.

A few weeks pass and William tells Desmond that they are having a guest over. Desmond is very confused. The Farm isn’t supposed to have guests. No one is supposed to know they exist.

An old man who everyone calls ‘Al Mualim’ leads a young man about the same age as Desmond into The Farm. They are both welcomed warmly and with great respect. William tells Desmond to “make a friend” and Desmond realized he’s being used to try to get information out of the other boy who looks a lot like him.

But Desmond obeys and leads the other boy, Altaïr, to his console and offers to let him play with. Altaïr agrees and the two log into their accounts.

Altaïr asks what they should do and Desmond suggests a small world dedicated solely to parkour and free running. They both head to the world and spend the day trying to beat each other on various parkour tracks.

As they play, Altaïr and Desmond talk. They talk about their experience with the hunt so far. Altaïr seems guarded so Desmond quickly changes the subject.

When William and Al Mualim come to get them, they part as budding friends. They meet up in [Name pending] almost every day, and Desmond slowly forgets about the artifact. He has a friend.

One night William rips the visor off and yells at Desmond for “neglecting his duties”. Berates him for not getting any info out of Altaïr and wasting time and The Farm’s limited resources on “playing around like a child”. Desmond shoots back that he gets nothing from The Farm, not a coin from their sales nor the visor that he wears.

Enraged, William tells Desmond to cut contact with Altaïr. Another person in The Farm will monitor his account and “if he even thinks about talking to that boy again he’ll regret it.”

And enter Rebecca and Shaun. They are told to be around Desmond 24/7 and report everything back to William.

Desmond initially distrusts the two but Rebecca calls up Altaïr for him and scrubs the recorded footage, winking and claiming there must be some sort of malfunction in Desmond’s terribly old, like seriously how do you use this Desmond it’s fucking ancient equipment.

Shaun mostly sticks to his own thing and doesn’t bother Desmond.

And then one day, the three make a breakthrough. Shaun figures out the meaning of first message Juno left, Rebecca hacks into another person’s console, and Desmond is told where the first Artifact is located.

And then an SOS comes. But it’s delivered to Desmond instead of his father on accident.

Lucy Stillman, a mole for The Farm planted in Abstergo Industries, says they need a rescue team for Clay Kaczmarek—Subject 16–because his mental state is rapidly deteriorating due to the strain of constant Artifact hunting.

Desmond, Rebecca, and Shaun decide to tackle the problem by themselves (though not without a little help).

And then once they do they have a team of five. They decide to call their team Team Eagle to obscure their location.

And then, Team Eagle jumps to second place on the leaderboard.

[bandsanitizer]

I don’t like the idea of regrets or wanting to change things in the past when ultimately it leads you exactly where you are, y’know? but there are times where I think about 5sos and their start and their sound and I wonder how much different their art would be had they’d taken off within the pop-rock/pop-punk scene instead. if they didn’t spend the first half of their career needing to prove they weren’t a “boyband” while also not making a big deal about it either way.

because I think, they’d have been too pop for the genre of a lot of the bands they covered, but at the same time they were a touch too rock influenced and “real instruments” for the pop scene they were invited into. and I think that notion, to start off with the idea that there’s something to prove about who they are as artist… I think it set the tone that has always sort of stuck to the presentation of their music. hence all the self-titles. it’s like this search for self, but applied to the band. there’s the push and pull to the different parts of the industry their influences and leaning have caused and while it makes for interesting music and all the differences in the albums they’ve released, it does make me wonder how they would’ve grown differently as artist had they not been set on their pathway to fame by a louis tomlinson tweet, but more along the lines of them having toured with hot chelle rae.

this isn’t to say I have negative feelings about their whole story, etc. but there’s just the curiousity towards alternate timelines, of parallel universes, of existences that split because of one moment. and while I know there are obstacles and hardships whichever way, I do wonder if they would’ve escaped the very real conflict of trying to discover their sound, or if that same struggle would’ve been just as present, just appearing different.

and it makes me want, so badly, for them to be able to find their sound. as a fan, I do believe they have to an extent—bc there are 5sos songs I’ve heard that do not sound like a 5sos song. and 5sos5 really showcases a sense of the band’s identity that’s been a long time coming. but as each member is still growing and figuring out themselves, there’s also this sense that this isn’t just quite yet their sound? if that makes any sense. like that hint of wfttwtaf in some of the tracks? it’s the feeling that while the band is all four of them coming together, and maybe there’s no need for them to try to hone down a singular Sound together (and I mean they don’t have to LOL), there’s aspect that go “oh that’s a luke track” “that’s a michael track” etc etc not un similar to “oh they listened to all time low” or whatever present in their first two albums. that while naturally you will hear each of them in the music, I’m always excited for the blend of them all in the sonic. and maybe that’s subjective, but to me as great as 5sos5 is and all, there’s part of me that think it’s leading to the next album that just fucking… blows the rest of their discography away.

[insipid-drivel]

Hi, I just saw your big post about horse behavior myths and how to write horses properly and I’m curious if you know more about carriage horses? My story doesn’t really feature horses in any super prominent way but carriages are the main mode of transportation for my characters and I want to make sure that when I do mention the horses, I’m being accurate in my descriptions.

I took riding lessons for a short time when I was younger so I know a little bit about horses (one of the ones I learned on would do the “take a deep breath so you can’t tighten the cinch properly” thing lol), but I don’t really know much about the kind that do heavy pulling jobs aside from the fact that they’re gorgeous and I love them. I’d love to know more :3

Thank you!

I actually really, really wish I had more hands-on carriage horse experience! My favorite breed of horse of all time are called Vanner Horses (they used to have a different name, but it's the racial slur for the Roma people, so I just use the term "Vanner").

Carriage horses are a really interesting subject, because they're actually pretty meta? While specific breeds of horses meant for pulling carriages are very new to the horse world (most formal Western horse breeds are only about as old as the Victorian Era when it comes to formal breeding and genealogical standards), horses have been pulling us from place to place for thousands of years!

Before we ever rode horses, they pulled us on carts and chariots, because that's actually the easier and gentler way for horses to travel with humans. Horses really don't have a lot of muscle and fat around their spinal columns, and so sitting and riding them is comparatively much trickier than when you've got a carriage or chariot that the horse can pull instead. Horses can only handle carrying riders/weights flat on their spines if the passenger or cargo is less than 30% of the horse's body weight. Any more than that, and the weight of carrying a rider or payload on their backs can cause serious spinal injuries that result in a horse's death or early retirement. Pulling allows them to disperse much more weight across much stronger muscle groups that were already built for moving at high speeds on steep or bumpy terrain.

Carriage horses, like Friesians and Vanners, are generally bred for their pulling ability and gentle, steady natures. Vanner Horses, Shire Horses, and Percherons are especially renowned for their trustworthiness around small children, with Vanner Horses actually specifically bred for that behavioral trait.

A quick digression just to gush about Vanner horses: Vanner horses were originally bred by the Roma peoples to pull brightly-colored, elaborately-decorated wagons that commonly served as small houses for Roma families that couldn't settle permanently due to racist and xenophobic cultural policies for the past hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years.

Because these horses were the primary way of moving the wagons, they had to be rock-solid when it came to trusting them and their huge, heavy hooves around little kids and pets. The Roma people bred the Vanner Horse in order to have sturdy, reliable horses that were trustworthy not just with their families, but with their homes themselves. Nowadays, you'll likely see Vanner Horses as carriage horses thanks to their iconic feathery hooves, big bodies and colorful coats (they often have heterochromia and very bright, husky-blue eyes). They're a very popular choice for wedding parties and carriages, since there's lots of hustle and bustle and noise associated with weddings, and Vanner horses tend to handle that kind of activity well when raised to tolerate it. A well-socialized Vanner horse isn't as likely to spook and bite/step on a small child playing around its legs the way an Arabian might in the same situation, for example.

Carriage horses in general, as a subclass of breeds, are also in large part a product of the firefighting industry and one of the reasons we have such a wide variety of breeds today! Like Dalmatians, carriage horses were an essential part of the burgeoning firefighting industry during the housing boom brought about by the Industrial Era. Large cities like Chicago and London especially needed advanced firefighting technology due to their rapid growth and overpopulation.

With firefighters, they had 3 classes of carriage horses based upon the size of the fire and the tools they believed they'd need to get it under control:

Lightweights, which were 1,000lbs or less, and used for transporting firehoses on what were called "hose wagons".

Middleweights, which were at least 1,400lbs, and used to pull steamers. Steamers, in firefighting, were portable steam engines that used steam power to propel water out of a firehose, especially if the fire was high above the ground (such as an upper floor in an apartment building or hotel).

And finally, there's Large. Large-class firehorses were the firetrucks of their time. To qualify as a Large, the horse had to weigh a minimum of 1,700lbs. Large firehorses were needed for towing heavily-loaded carriages full of essential firefighting equipment for the time like fire hooks. Fire hooks were extremely long, heavy, metal hooks that firefighters used to literally pull houses and buildings down in the event of a huge fire like the Great London Fire of 1666 or the Chicago Fire. Tearing down structures to deprive a wildfire of fuel is known as forming a "firebreak", and was essential to saving London itself in 1666 when the Great Fire threatened to swallow the Tower of London. At the time, The Tower was London's primary storage center for gunpowder, and if the fire had reached the Tower and ignited the gunpowder stores inside it, the explosion that would've resulted would've been on the scale with a small-grade nuclear warhead.

Sometimes, Large horses would also be carrying loads of explosives, themselves. As with the Great Fire of London, when a wildfire in a populated city would break out, the only way to both form a firebreak and eliminate enough fuel to stop the fire was with explosives if fire hooks left behind too much debris to do any good in slowing the path of an inferno. A high-impact explosion with something like gunpowder or TNT would produce concussive explosions that don't produce large amounts of flame, but rather concussive shockwaves that obliterate rather than incinerate.

When it comes to controlling carriage horses in general, I've heard from owners I've encountered in the past that a big part of how they can precisely command their horses is through naming practices as well as deportment with reins and crops. As with oxen, if you have a team of two or more horses, having each lead horse's name be distinctly different-sounding can help a lot with turning and controlling the carriage as well as the horses. I've seen oxen and horses instructed to turn by calling the name of the animal assigned to their specific side. So, say you had 2 carriage horses, and named the left horse Jim, and the right horse Ben, when you'd want them to turn left or right, you might call "JimJimJim!" while giving the rein command to go left to help confirm to the horses "Yes, we need to turn Left, which is Jim's side," and "BenBenBen!" to go right.

I don't know if it's an industry standard for paired carriage horses to be trained to respond to specific commands specific to the direction either one is yoked to (yoke: the U shaped neck ring that goes around an ox or horse's neck and shoulders to give them a solid surface to push against as they pull a wagon or carriage), but it's something I've seen specific owners do before.

[miashyperfixations]

THE GOOD WITCH - MAISIE PETERS ALBUM REVEIW

23.06.2023 • Pop/Alternative • 15 songs • 47 minutes • 2023 Gingerbread man records, Warner Music Group

★★★★☆

FAV SINGLE: Run 

TOP 3: Coming Of Age • Wendy • Watch

Maisie Peters is a British singer-songwriter, based in London & originally from West Sussex. Peters emerged into the music industry in 2017, signing to Atlantic Records shortly after, Under which, she released two EPs & other singles as well as writing the soundtrack to the Apple TV+ series ‘Trying’. In 2021, Maisie signed to Gingerbread Man Records, releasing her debut album that same year & now, releasing her sophomore album ‘The Good Witch’.

Something I love about this album is that she doesn’t shy away from production. A lot of emerging pop artists tend to go for an acoustic sound now, recording songs at home in their bedroom or closet with just a laptop & a mic and sending them off for mixing. Whilst Maisie has some of that sound in her songs, they still have complex elements of production & her upbeat pop songs reign above with the layering of all kinds of instruments: drums, synths, vocals, the list goes on. She perfectly combines the two sides of pop music into her discography whilst remaining a lyrical genius. She’s also broken the mould of female pop artists having to re-invent themselves with every album cycle & finding a new sound. In reality, there’s nothing wrong with continuing to produce music of a certain sound, especially if it works for the artist. In my mind, ‘The Good Witch’ is a more mature older sister to Maisie’s debut album ’You signed up for this’.

‘Wendy’ is without a doubt one of the most lyrically beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. The album’s 9th track, written around the concept of Peter & Wendy, is a song about knowing your own worth & choosing the right path (even if it’s not what the heart wants) to avoid becoming invisible & regretting life later on. It shows that wanting to see the best in others isn't always good because you become blind to the truth as it becomes an unreachable reality. Even if you know it’s right, things can still feel wrong in the moment & you have to make the sacrifices that are best for you. In a heartbreaking way, the song is an uplifting ballad about taking control of your own life & not waiting around on people who might not even  be there in the end.

The week after the album was released, on the 30th June 2023, ‘The Good Witch’ debuted at number 1 on the UK’s official album charts which gave Maisie her first ever number one album. Additionally, at 23, Maisie became the youngest British female solo artist to do so in almost 10 years, the record was previously held by Ella Henderson who achieved number 1 with her LP ‘Chapter One’ in 2014 at 18 years old. Maisie’s first album, ’You signed up for this’, peaked at number 2 on the official album chart when it was released in 2021.

Alone, Maisie has built up a large fanbase, having been dubbed one of Taylor Swift’s industry children & thus, attracting hordes of British swifties, but she has also done so through her relationship with Ed Sheeran. Sheeran signed Maisie to his record label 'Gingerbread Man Records’ in 2021 after she burst into the music industry & the two have a very close & public mentor/mentee relationship. A key part of building her fanbase has come from opening for Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics Tour’ for almost all of the UK/EU dates, all Oceania dates & a few of the American dates. As an incentive for ‘The Good Witch’ to reach number 1, Ed claimed over social media that he’d release a fan-favourite demo of hers if the album did so. And true to his word, Ed leaked ‘Girl’s House’ the evening the album charted via a link on his instagram story & fans went mental. 

Overall, I think that I personally prefer Maisie’s first album (as a body of work) but this is subject to change as time goes on of course. She is, without a doubt, one of the next big pop girls on the scene & her neverending talent just solidifies her position in the music industry.

[sh0tanzz]

RIIZE ENERGY CHECK ~ based on tarot

reminder this is based off of my interpretations of the energy and cards I receive and is not exact fact unless said so by the members themselves; energy is subject to change or manifest differently so my reading may differ from others

Note: Are they allowing me to do this reading ? (Temperance) that is a confirmed yes. The only member who was more private and didn’t share specific details was Seunghan, which is understandable !

Shotaro: alrrrrr it seems like as of late Shotaro has been putting more effort into taking care of himself and his wellbeing (KoP, QoC, The Empress) he may have recently recognize that he falls into intermediate work cycles that aren’t balanced (The Devil, 2oP Rx) of him working himself thin and pretty hard and then having a rest period but not really fully rejuvenating himself during the resting periods. (8oP, 4oS, QoP Rx, Temperance) also recently social life wise he may have a mature individual that he holds respect for and wants to better solidify their dynamic or add them into his social life (could be an earth sign) (4oW, KnoP, Strength) [channeled song Self Care Mac Miller]

Eunseok: hm so the energy is pretty chill here. Eunseok recently is still more comfortable and optimistic about his future with being in the kpop industry than he was during December. (3oW, 9oC, AoP) but he lowkey feels like other aspects of his life especially his social life is being lowkey hindered by it (3oC Rx, The Hermit.) he also might feel like he’s not pushing himself to his full potential (The Magician Rx) so recently he might be exploring or learning other talents and skills so he can be more satisfied with his abilities (7oC, PoS) the phrase “I’m good but I can always be better” is coming up, the energy doesn’t seem like he’s degrading himself so there’s no need to worry.

Sungchan: SO ! in my last energy check sungchan was excited for an upcoming project or event of sorts that was exciting for the members and briize this was before their recent promotions and after boomboombass promotions so maybe it was referring to their japanese release lucky ? for the recent reading he doesn’t have much to share (energy seems hectic or busy) . I do however think he’s planning or has a specific goal of sorts that he wants to execute after all of their traveling is over (The World Rx, 2oW, 7oP). He also might be feeling nostalgic lately or comparing how different his earlier days within the industry were vs how things are currently; it’s a more positive comparative energy however (6oC, 2oP, The Lovers) he also might be trying to befriend, hang out or collab with his seniors currently (KnoC, The Emperor, 3oP)

Wonbin: This reading’s energy was a bit strange because the energy doesn’t seem super fresh and might be more of an older thought or situation. There was a mental conflict he’s had (AoS Rx, 5oW, 2oS) he has a very particular opinion about how briize views his interactions with them, and he’s for some reason very concerned about whether or not he appears genuine or sincere it seems like he’s worried about being seen as fake or being misjudged (Judgment, 7oS Rx, KnoC Rx) However I do think he’s aware that this is essentially in his head and doesn’t reflect his actual connection with fans (The Moon, 2oC) It’s lowkey ironic that this theme came up around the time they do fancalls and the fancalls being reposted, maybe he’s focusing how he’s perceived .

Seunghan: This reading will be short and sweet because only 4 cards came out (Death, 8oP, 4oC, The High Priestess) hes in a state of contemplation and transition. He’s realizing that he needs to have better discernment and needs to build his prospects from the ground up, the phrase “if you keep carrying the same bricks you’ll build the same house again.” is coming up. With this realization and acceptance he can finally have an easier transition to the next phase he’s trying to reach, he may have a specific plan he’s following. He also could be being lead by a person (or multiple) who has the knowledge and discernment to guide him to a new prospect for his own benefit.

Sohee: He’s opened up recently and is giving more of his internal self to others (4oP Rx, 6oP, 8oS Rx, PoW, PoS, PoC) SOO MANY PAGE CARDS 😭. an event possibly around the winter time made him feel a need to wall himself up or to be more careful with how close he gets to people or how much of himself he should share (5oW, 5oP, 9oW) he isn’t secretive in a sneaky sense he just wanted to be more intuitive and selective of who he got close to. He also has a desire to be able to separate and divide between coworkers that he just works with and genuine friends and peers (The Lovers Rx, 7oW, 6oW) he possibly has realized that due to being an idol in itself can be a tumultuous journey he doesn’t have to endure it without support from outside the group (8oC Rx, 2oC)

Anton: He currently feels like he’s getting the full scope of benefits and struggles that comes with being an idol, he’s always essentially knew or had an understanding but now he’s beginning to fully see the dichotomies within the industry (The Sun, The Devil). hes very aware of how he’s being viewed in the media/online, the phrases “if you think I know, I most likely do” and “gotta be in the know to know.” he for sure has a general idea of how he’s perceived (KoS, PoS, 7oP, The Heirophant) However it doesn’t seem to be shaking the confidence he’s recently gained and some of it may even be adding to it (The Emperor, KoW). He might have a personal project or something that he’s working on solo that he may have to show or get reviewed by a higher up or someone with more experience (KnoP, KoP)

[haggishlyhagging]

According to Google Trends, the word "empowerment" hit a high in 2004 and 2005, as it became more deeply entrenched everywhere—feminist discourse, consumer marketing, corporate culture. "Empowering" joined "synergy," "scalable," and "drill-down" in boardroom conferences, vision statements, and business plans, and was eventually called "the most condescending transitive verb ever" by Forbes. It's become the name of a range of businesses, a national fitness event, and an almost mind-boggling number of yoga studios. It's become a company-jargon fave at Microsoft, with former and current CEOs Steve Ballmer and Satya Nadella both using it to impressively vague effect in memos and public talks. (At Microsoft's annual Convergence event in 2015, Nadella told attendees, "We are in the empowering business," and added that the tech giant's goal was "empowering you as individuals and organizations across every vertical and every size of business, and any part of the world, to drive your agenda and do the things you want to do for your business.")

Elsewhere in discourses and debates around sex as both an activity and a commodity, "empowerment" has become a sort of shorthand that might mean "I'm proud of doing this thing," but also might mean "This thing is not the ideal thing, but it's a lot better than some of the alternatives." Feeling empowered by stripping, for instance, was a big theme among moonlighting academics or otherwise privileged young women in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and you can find countless memoirs about what they discovered about themselves in the world of the sexual marketplace; the same is true of prostitution, with blogs like Belle de Jour, College Call Girl, and books like Tracy Quan's Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl. There was a point in the mid-to-late 2000s when you couldn't swing a cat through Barnes & Noble without knocking a slew of sex-work memoirs off the shelves: Lily Burana’s Strip City, Diablo Cody's Candy Girl, Jillian Lauren's Some Girl, Michelle Tea's Rent Girl, Shawna Kenny's I Was a Teenage Dominatrix, Melissa Febos's Whip Smart, and Sarah Katherine Lewis's Indecent among them. The crucial thing these often incredibly absorbing and well-written books had in common? All were written by young, white, and no-longer-hustling sex workers.

I want to be clear that standing with sex workers on the principle that sex work is work is an issue whose importance cannot be overstated, and also clear that my complete lack of expertise on the subject makes it well beyond the scope of this book. But I am interested in the idea that "empowerment" is so often used as a reflexive defense mechanism in discussions of this kind of sex-work experience, but less so in describing the less written-about experiences of people whose time in the industry is less finite and less bookworthy—transgender women, exploited teenagers and trafficked foreigners, men and women forced into sex work by poverty, abuse, or addiction. And I'm fascinated by the fact that we see thousands of pop culture products in which women are empowered by a sex industry that does not have their empowerment in mind, but far fewer in which they are empowered to make sexual choices on their own terms, outside of a status quo in which women's bodies are commodities to be bought and sold. Indecent author Sarah Katherine Lewis has written that, during her time as a stripper, "I felt empowered—as a woman, as a feminist, as a human being by the money I made, not by the work I did"; but hers is just one story. Belle de Jour and other sex workers have written about truly enjoying their work. If the market were just as welcoming of narratives in which young women were empowered by their careers as, say, electricians—if personal memoirs about a youthful, self-determining layover in the electrical trades were a thing publishers clamored for—then a handful of empowered sex workers would be no big thing. Until that's the case, it's worth questioning why the word is so often the first line of defense.

-Andi Zeisler, We Were Feminists Once

[rollercoasterwords]

porn anon again (a sentence I never thought i’d write). I see now that I worded that question badly, I was really just referring to pornhub / other porn streaming platforms. I agree with you for the most part, but for a lot of women it feels like our business too, not just that of sex workers. I will never shame sex workers, but being sexually active with a generation of boys who have grown up watching videos involving beating / assaulting women and being led to believe that those are normal things to be getting off to is incredibly scary. Yes, those things will always be available on the internet, I think the problem is that it’s being celebrated as sexual liberation for women when a lot of the time it is quite literally the opposite. When I think about the damage of porn as a whole, while I do care for the safety of sex workers, I’m mostly thinking about the overall normalization of abusing women during sex and wrapping it up in a pretty little package labeled ‘kinky’. With that all being said, my reading on the opposing argument is much more limited and my opinions might change after looking further into it.

lol hello again sorry it took me a bit to get back to this i wanted to make sure i was giving a response proper time! i understand where ur coming from + honestly i used to think pretty similarly to what ur describing here, so i'm gonna go through what ur saying line by line + try to ask some questions that shifted my own perspective on this subject [v long post + potential tws so putting a cut]

i was really just referring to pornhub / other porn streaming platforms

i figured this was probably what you had in mind, but i want to reiterate that it's important to be specific about what we're criticizing if we want to make a critique. even here, grouping together "pornhub/other porn streaming platforms" is a very broad category that is not necessarily going to be best served by a uniform approach to critique. in terms of my personal feelings about pornhub, i'm not a fan for the same reason that i'm not a fan of any large corporation that can only exist + profit through exploitative labor practices. in terms of other porn streaming platforms, i simply don't know enough to give you a specific answer about my personal feelings, and i'm not sure that every platform operates in a similar enough way that i'd have the same critique for each one.

I agree with you for the most part, but for a lot of women it feels like our business too, not just that of sex workers.

nobody is saying sex work isn't your business--in fact, i think that everyone should support sex workers' rights and activism. however, if what you're getting at here is the idea that everyone, and not just sex workers, should be given equal voice on these issues, then i disagree. i think that sex workers themselves are best equipped to speak about what will make their lives safer and more equitable, and we should prioritize listening to them if our goal is to make sex work safer.

I will never shame sex workers, but being sexually active with a generation of boys who have grown up watching videos involving beating / assaulting women and being led to believe that those are normal things to be getting off to is incredibly scary.

there's a lot to unpack here! first, to your point that "i will never shame sex workers"--i would really, really encourage you to read that book i recommended in my previous response. i understand that this is a well-intended sentiment, but the idea that you can be vocally anti-porn without shaming sex workers simply doesn't ring true to me. if you believe that porn, as a whole (even if you're qualifying it as "the porn industry" or telling yourself that maybe there are some kinds of porn that might be okay, but most of it is bad), is so exploitative that our political goal must be its elimination or increased policing of its production (the typical goals of anti-porn lobbying), then that leaves sex workers in one of two categories: either they are abject, voiceless victims with no agency in their own exploitation whom we should pity, or they are willfully complicit in their own exploitation and harming themselves + others by participating in a corrupt line of work. even if this is not explicitly stated, it is the effect that comes through, and it contributes to the shame + stigma surrounding sex work. melissa gira grant summarizes it thus: "They [sex workers] are at once blamed for contributing to the objectification of women through being objectified themselves and, through their occupation, for sexualizing all women, and for profit."

and then, to the second part of what you're saying here--the idea that porn normalizes sexual violence against women. this is the crux of many anti-porn campaigners' arguments, and i understand how it can feel like a very intuitive conclusion. but i want to challenge what you're saying here a bit, so bear with me.

first off--sexual violence does not stem from porn. it has always existed, regardless of what kind of porn is available or being produced + disseminated. there's really no way to try and 'objectively' measure whether sexual violence has increased in correlation to the proliferation of easily-accesible hardcore porn, and even if there was it would be even more difficult to move past simple correlation and somehow prove direct causation.

personally, i don't find it compelling to argue that getting off to violent porn can directly cause people to become sexually violent, for a few reasons. one is that i think there is an important difference in representation and fantasy versus real life--many people get off to things that they would not actually want to participate in or do, so to argue that violent porn has some sweeping power of mythic proportions to turn young boys and men into sexually violent predators seems reactionary to me. i also don't think sexual violence is about getting off; sexual violence is a means of establishing power. this is a pretty central tenet of addressing rape culture--for example, the idea that it doesn't matter what someone looks like or what they're wearing because people don't commit sexual violence just because they're overcome with lust.

porn also isn't created in a vaccuum; if we're concerned with what sort of depictions appear in porn, it doesn't make sense to me that the response to that is a crackdown trying to eliminate pornography (which almost always has the material impact of making life more unsafe for sex workers)--i think it makes more sense to turn our activism to other sites of cultural production where the attitudes underlying potentially concerning depictions grow from. like; if we're concerned that easy access to violent porn will make young boys think this is the standard (not a fan of 'normal' as a qualifier) way to have sex + base their expectations around such depictions, then it seems to me that rather than trying to ban violent porn it would be more effective and useful to advocate for increased sex education and more portrayals of varying types of sex + sexuality, to encourage the idea that there are many ways to have sex and the most important thing is to make sure you're communicating with your partner(s) + respecting their boundaries.

Yes, those things will always be available on the internet, I think the problem is that it’s being celebrated as sexual liberation for women when a lot of the time it is quite literally the opposite.

i'm assuming that the "it" you're referring to here is violent sex/s&m, but it could also be sex work/making porn, so i'm going to respond to both.

first - regarding the idea that becoming a sex worker is celebrated as sexual liberation. i think this is perhaps a skewed view of what's actually happening in broader culture, and i would encourage you to think about why you hold this view--what sources is it coming from? what specifically has given you that impression? because broadly speaking, sex work is still very much stigmatized, and many sex workers are completely realistic about this stigmatization and the fact that sex work is work, and deciding whether it's something you want to/have to do isn't a simple decision. i know there's this idea that a handful of sex workers talking about how much money they make online is like...influencing young girls to think that sex work is 'empowering,' but in reality that is only a handful of people--many of them young women themselves, who i don't think should be villified for wanting to portray their jobs as glamorous when they are heavily stigmatized by wider society. if there actually are large numbers of young people being coercively persuaded to become sex workers when they otherwise wouldn't, then the primary conditions of coercion there are economic and would be best addressed with anticapitalist politics, not antiporn politics (which, again, will likely only serve to further stigmatize + endanger sex workers!).

regarding the idea that s&m is celebrated as sexual liberation--again, i don't know how broadly this applies. there are still certainly many voices that decry sex + especially kinky sex as shameful and degrading, even if there are also voices claiming that it is unilaterally empowering. and even to the extent that someone claims getting choked during sex is feminist or whatever, the issue i'd take there is not the actual act itself--i think rough/violent/kinky sex is morally neutral, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying it--but rather the terms in which we are framing 'empowerment.' any argument that feeling personally good translates to broader 'empowerment' under patriarchy is a flawed premise to me, as i'm more concerned with focusing on 'empowerment' in terms of material conditions. it's the same issue i take with people who call wearing makeup 'empowering' or seeing a depiction of 'female rage' in movies 'empowering'--which is that simply feeling good is not a feminist action. when it comes to rough sex/s&m, i don't think it's helpful either to act as though such acts are inherently degrading or inherently liberatory. instead, i think we should just encourage people to explore whatever kinds of sex they want to explore without assigning moral weight to specific sex acts.

When I think about the damage of porn as a whole, while I do care for the safety of sex workers, I’m mostly thinking about the overall normalization of abusing women during sex and wrapping it up in a pretty little package labeled ‘kinky’.

gonna just point back to/echo a lot of the stuff i've already said--first off, "porn as a whole" is doing a lot of work here and sort of saying the quiet part out loud; despite clarifying at the beginning of your message that you mean pornhub + streaming sites, we've now come back to the idea that all porn is bad. i would really challenge you to ask yourself whether this is something you actually believe, and if it's not, why you're defaulting to this position. if you care for the safety of sex workers, then you must understand that the history of antiporn activism is one of increased policing + danger for sex workers, not making them safer. the idea that porn is responsible for normalizing sexual violence against women is something i already talked about, so i won't repeat myself at length--but again, i'd emphasize here that i don't think just getting rid of porn is a feasible or even useful political response to sexual violence. and i am wary of the conflation here between abuse and kink; people who participate in consenual s&m are not inherently abusive, and plenty of 'vanilla' sex acts can be abusive or part of sexual violence.

With that all being said, my reading on the opposing argument is much more limited and my opinions might change after looking further into it.

i would really, really encourage you to read melissa gira grant's 'playing the whore' and try to branch out a bit in terms of your thinking on this subject! again, i used to think similarly to you and i understand that a lot of antiporn arguments feel very intuitive, but it's important when developing a politics to focus not on whether that politics feels like it makes sense, but the actual, material impact that it has. and the material impact of antiporn politics has been, by and large, not the prevention of sexual violence, but increased danger + stigma for sex workers.

[heretherebedork]

I just read your post about Step by Step BL/ship commentary and I do believe it was poorly made by the show. Now I am not sure what was their goal, was it to really start a conversion around this topic with the viewers or it meant for Pat to have a bad take ? I mean he was not impartial, it was personal for him, his ex boyfriend is a BL actor with a ship and it must have affected him in his life and relationship. However if it was indeed to criticise the BL industry, I thought the scene was too simplistic. Like you said, there are multiple people in front and behind the camera that are part of the community and what exactly is an “lgbtq identity” and in what ways do you take advantage of it ? You can’t have a clear answer because people have different opinions. For exemple, what attracted me to BL is the fact that it was kind of unrealistic : meaning that you had a bunch of characters at the same place that realised at the same time that they were same sex attracted, also that a lot of a time it’s normalise and there was discussions of mariage and even kids. As an European who grew up with a bunch of gay couples in series where it was always the same coming out story and the “I hate that I am gay and I wish that I was not gay and I suffer so much because of my identity” BL were a bowl of fresh air, even thought the execution is not the best, far from it. While I know some people that want realistic portrayal and see the coming out process and discrimination based attacks because it’s not a fairytale land for them. Even if I do feel that nowadays BL are in a twilight zone, they are still keeping the “unrealistic” part but at the same time they are trying to make commentary on it or have characters bringing up the fact gay is not accepted when you didn’t get that feeling in the beginning which is kinda getting me out of the experience because as I said I do love the normalisation of gay in BL and for me I consider it should been like that in the world.

I didn’t expect my message to be that long but to conclude, I would say that BL are currently in the twilight zone where they adapt stories from novel where gay is kind or is normalise but then they realised that BL reached overseas and that people had a different image and opinions on what a LGBTQ couple or identity consist of (Like me who grew up with gay couple being treated like otherworldly) and I feel like BL production started to do commentary on it while they might not be super educated on the subject and so had a simplistic approach to it.

I mean, let me be honest, the commentary Pat was making wasn't specifically about the shows.

It was about the actors.

And the actors often selling skinship and a fake relationship but in real life rather than fictionally in the show.

Which is actually my favorite kind of commentary because it's not about the show itself but rather the fandom surrounding the actors in the show and the way they are sold to the world.

But this also changes the criticism.

This isn't about the shows (just like Lovely Writer wasn't about the show.)

This criticism is about the way the actors are sold, the way the fans react, the use of the identity in real life that is commodifying the queer identity as part of their payment and part of their selling point.

Different criticism, different reaction.

While I understand, and myself added my voice to some of the discussion of representation, the main point of the criticism is a good one. And that's that the selling point and selling price of an identity by someone who isn't is... well, right now, it's a huge part of the actor fandom, actor interactions and not doing it is considered to be niche and unusual because they won't sell themselves as something they're not.

Now, does this go back to talking about if Put, a gay man, can sell his identity or if he's representation? Sort of? Because the thing is that what he's selling is still a fake relationship with someone he isn't with for the fans.

Honestly, though, i don't go to that side of the fandom. I don't do the actor side of the fandom beyond a few 'ooooo, that guy is good' so... you know... s'all good.

(This is also about how many people say 'oh, they're not in character there, that's just how they are' and me going 'but I don't want that, I want their characters'. Them being themselves is not a selling point in a show they're supposed to be acting in!)

[truthseekerthedragon]

Status Update + Thoughts on Media Analysis

Hi there, folks. For those of you wondering what I've been up to recently, my next big project is a thoughts post, kind of like the TFoH one, but instead of covering a Wings of Fire book I'm talking about a video game instead: SANABI, an excellent Korean indie game that came out recently. I'll be talking positively about it, which is a nice change of pace from the TFoH post where it was mostly me seething in rage at how awful it was.

The post is gearing up to be extremely long. Unlike for the TFoH post, where I only had to talk about the story and prose and such, in SANABI's case I need to talk about the animation, visual design, soundtrack, and gameplay on top of the story itself. After all, video games are a fundamentally different medium from literature (but still art). Honestly, I'll be lucky if I can get the post out in time for February 10th, Korean New Year's. Hello there to all my fellow Koreans, by the way.

Not only is this game absolutely fantastic—I can think of very few complaints I have about it, and the positives greatly outweigh the negatives—it's not very well known, at least not in the Anglosphere. One reason I'm typing up a thoughts post about this game is because I want more people to learn about it and check it out for themselves.

Spending time writing about SANABI while listening to the game's banger OST also means I've gotten contemplative thinking about the nature of media analysis. Analysis is always going to have a subjective element to it—there are definitely people out there who hate SANABI as much as I love it—and we might even have differing opinions on the same element.

Take cutscenes, for instance. SANABI has a lot of them, utilized to show character interactions and advance the story. While I love the story with all my heart, I'm sure there are people who don't give half an iota about the (excellent!) characters and hate cutscenes with all the wrath of a thousand stampeding buffalo since they interrupt gameplay. As a writer, I'll always be more inclined to see a video game as another medium for storytelling, as opposed to the interactive side of things, so there's always a personal element in these analyses.

We also have the good ol' industry wisdom: "Cutscenes are objectively bad, you should have as little of them in your game as possible!" And while I can see why cutscenes can be detrimental to gameplay, I don't see cutscenes as the spawn of Satan, but rather as a tool used to enhance the video game. They're a tool in the same way that tropes are; when used well, they can make for an excellent experience. Okay, lemme try and figure out what the point of my rambling was... um, tropes and elements are tools, and don't trust anyone who tells you that you should never use semicolons, period.

I've also thought about media comparisons, which I see a lot in the realm of analysis. While I really enjoy things like case studies where similar tropes or story beats in two different stories are examined (heck, I did this in my TFoH post), it's possible to take this a little too far, especially in the realm of expectations. For instance, I've heard about people criticizing Rain World because they played it expecting an experience similar to the Ori games. Well, guess what, Ori and the Blind Forest and Rain World are completely different games. Ori is a platformer and puzzle game, while Rain World has platforming elements but can be described much more accurately by the term "ecosystem simulator."

While digging around, I found out that people often compared SANABI to Katana Zero, another indie game. And the two games do have similarities, but every game offers a different experience, and if you boot up SANABI (a grappling hook platformer with action elements) thinking it'll give you the same experience as Katana Zero (a hack-and-slash game with platforming elements), then of course you'll be disappointed! So maybe don't walk into a game, or stories in general, expecting it to be exactly like another story you like. Every experience is different.

I think I'm done rambling, at least for now. SANABI is cool, go play it or watch a playthrough. (But please avoid spoilers! It's best to go in not knowing anything.) And happy winter holidays, everyone.

[wily-one24]

For the character break down, either Emma Swan or Regina Mills

Well, this is not a fair ask. Because we all know if given the choice I'm going to choose my lady love, Emma. Like, I know who usually gets the most attention in fandom, but my heart lies with the socially awkward goof with Disney Princess curls.

I am who I am and ain't nothin' gonna change me.

Onto the questions!!!

--> How I feel about this character:

I mean, other than that I love her? I think she started out strong (like most of the OUaT women). She was fully fledged, she had character and weakness and vulnerabilities and strength. She said the wrong thing, but she tried to do right always. She didn't care what anyone thought and was desperate for everyone to love her.

She wanted family her entire life and, ultimately, she let them destroy her.

Emma started strong, like most OUaT women, and then the show... changed. It was less strong female characters and character driven, it began focusing on developing and introducing male characters, often at the expense of character growth and development.

The show was made in the liminal space of female/female shipping becoming more popular, but the industry shying away from it. When it became very clear very early on that Swan Queen was a thing, they overcorrected, tripping over themselves to introduce very male love interests. ("Look how much dick these ladies love!").

And it became less about the women we love. Emma's lifelong search for family and the struggle she had with giving up everything for them, to become the saviour they wanted, and STILL never being good enough, because ALL they wanted was a saviour and they rejected her as a daughter... all of that, became lessening herself, making herself palatable, for Hook.

From this:

To this:

It's barely even the same character.

I want heartbroken little girl who longs for a family, who so desperately wants to believe Henry's tales because it gives her a family, but she cannot dare. Life has kicked her down so many times that even the thought of believing in hope was a terrifying thing.

Only to find love and acceptance in a small town and later finding that they were family.

The woman who gives everything, who becomes their saviour and sacrifices everything, only to be told it's not enough and her mother wants a real child.

I want the woman who laughed and loved and joked and played and broke the law to uphold it. Who threw fistfights in a cemetery. Who took apart kettles in her apartment. Who left her life to follow a small child who claimed to be her son without any shred of proof whatsoever. Who thew herself down a mine. And took up a sword to fight a dragon she didn't believe in.

Okay, wow, that was question one? Let's move on.

--> All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Regina Mills, obviously. I mean, their story was legendary. It was more of a Disney story than Snow White and Prince Charming. Divorced parents that were never married. Enemies to lust. Enemies in lust. Two lost little girls. Emma internalised her pain. Regina externalised it. But it was the same. They taught each other, they supported each other, they knew each other more than anyone else.

With all my fandom lady loves, I am quite generous and liberal with my Emma shipping. Emma/Regina, Emma/Ruby, Emma/anyone, basically. I tend to stay away from Emma/Hook, because I find that side of fandom a little toxic, but that's just my preference. I didn't mind her with Graham. Throw in a little Emma/Regina/Ruby, or Emma/Regina/Graham, or even Emma/Regina/Evil Queen for some fun. But basically Emma/anyone is my jam.

My preference is Regina, though.

--> My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Emma/Henry?

Emma/Mary Margaret (before she became Snow ful time).

Emma/David.

--> My unpopular opinion regarding this character:

Unpopular? That's subjective.

One side of fandom would not like that I think she deserved a lot better than Hook.

The other side of fandom would not like that I believe she's more Bisexual than full on Lesbian (in the closet).

--> One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character?

It would be too easy to say I wish that her and Regina had found happiness ever after.

But... honestly... I wish she had been able to stand on her own two feet at the end, instead of playing Polyester Bride with Hook.

I wish she had been accepted at the very start as the daughter she'd always wanted to be, instead of having to fight for approval and give up all the "unpalatable" sides of herself to please those around her.

I wish she had kept the light that shone out of her in the first two seasons.

If she hadn't ended up with a woman (which, I get why it wouldn't have happened then), then at least with someone who respected her, who didn't ridicule her, who didn't attack or demean her every chance he got, who put himself first in most everything he did.

She deserved better.

They all did.