#compared to Some Other Streamers in the past

[shadeswift99]

Hot take: How chill an MCC streamer is about possibly having to replay a game due to technical issues is a pretty accurate indicator of how fun they'll be to watch overall

[poetka]

Why is it such a shitstorm of a day today... so fucking draining and none of it has anything to do with me personally

[genevawrenn]

I have so many thoughts surrounding what Fit and Bagi discussed about Phil on stream today, then Fit's realisation it might be the Ender King.

First of all; FitMC, you chef above the rest, you fucking cooked today.

Second I think Fit was our best chance of that connection being made because he is the one Phil has confided in the most besides his own kids. Fit was the person he grabbed when he was convinced he was seeing things. He told the anarchist about the birdhouse plot. He brought him *again* when he saw things his kids didn't see.

Fit, is quite possibly, the only one outside his immediate family that knows the most about the crow and he knows something is wrong.

And of course this is happening the moment before he is also being dragged off to his own mission, but he can't help but worry about Phil's kids alongside Ramon and Pac.

Because Chayanne seemed genuinely worried and Fit took it seriously. He knew something was wrong the moment he saw the duckie-wearing dragon child and how he was snarky but sorrowful with responding where their father is. Tallulah told him she's had better days, and you can tell the moment he focuses up.

[And its delicious. Whenever those cc's focus in, I sit up straight cause its so impressive.]

Fit has some of the most regular content on that server. He sees things and records them, filing them away for later in case he needs that knowledge.

So the moment it clocks in that Phil is being weird enough his children are being outspoken, he engages. They took him aside, especially, and opened up more to their Tio Fit than I have ever seen [except maybe Tallulah with BBH, who now has amnesia, and Bagi, though misguided has a good heart (thinks Phil is a Federation experiment)].

And he's made the best connections using his past knowledge and experiences.

Bagi helped with showing the crying obsidian and comparing it to the markings that spread across Phil's shoulders and back where the backpack hung, and I think that's when it clicked for Fit.

But he didn't want to tell Bagi because he isn't certain and perhaps he remembers Phil stressing this 'him' is dangerous. But the similarities have started to snap into place; especially with crying obsidian being a marker of the End Dimension, or at least drawing his thoughts that way.

Basically at the end of all of this; Fit had the best damn shot of making the connection based on lore from months ago and I am so fucking glad he did cause at least another Islander finally has a name for the fallen god chasing their crow.

I hope to God he or Ramon share this knowledge with another trustworthy source if an emergency comes up [Hoping on Bagi, Etoiles, Cellbit and Pac]. I have never been more proud to call that beautiful bald man one of my streamers, Veteran's Duo understand each other on a level no one else comes close too.

Yes they have their own important secrets. But, when they are themselves, they will trust one another to protect anyone effected if it becomes dangerous. It's been them since Day 1, between the regular visits and missions Fit is the closest brother in arms Phil has.

Despite the crow believing no one will care nor want to get involved due to the danger, Fit, Pac, Bagi and their families are all ready to prove them wrong. Phil sees himself as removed from the rest because he can be rather blind to affection and fondness, his self-blame not allowing him to acknowledge he is cared about.

But he is. And by Goddess will that server prove it, with Fit and Ramon at the front of the pack.

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Ghost of Christmas Past

[Ghost x Reader]

Warnings: Implications of Ghost’s past (spoilers, in a way), fluff, FLUFF, angst for maybe 3 seconds (very brief), Reader being the best™ gift giver ever, Ghost being a little jealous, implications of romance, no pronouns used for reader except ‘You’.

Wordcount: 1,892

Summary: You try to get everyone into the Christmas spirit and show your love and appreciation, but not everyone seems willing to enjoy the festivities...

You stood watching everyone watching you, a comically large smile making your cheeks ache. Beside you sat a bag, woven with a stiff material and bulging in certain areas, some sharp, some round. The common room was vaguely decorated to resemble a sliver of Christmas, some streamers hung by nails and a wall hanging of reindeer.

"So?" Alejandro said, arms crossed over his chest and a smile threatening to break out across his face. "What did you call us all here for?"

"Good question, my shiny-haired friend!" Alejandro smoothed back his hair, a smug look crossing his features. You wanted to build suspense. You eyed everyone, gaze shifting from soldier to soldier, friend to friend. At the very edge of your vision loomed a figure who hadn't spoken all day. Your eyes passed over him, his stare, holding it there before flitting away.

"Come on, (Y/N)!" wailed Soap, throwing his hands up in the air. "Tell us what's going on! It's obviously something to do with that sack you bloody well made me carry here since you couldn't do it yourself."

His tone was joking, but what he said wasn’t a joke; he and everyone else already had a delighted suspicion that what lay in your bag was a rare delicacy in the force.

Presents.

You couldn't hold it for much longer. You cracked.

"Alright, alright! You win," You bent down and opened the sack, keeping the mouth wide open. Taking a step back you looked expectantly at everyone.

The boys just looked at each other, seeming to exchange their uncertainty. You sighed loudly, reached into the sack and withdrew a brightly-coloured something coated in wrapping paper. "They're gifts!" You said, making an excited motion with your free hand. "For you!"

Some went slack-jawed, followed by cheers and ‘thank you’s, a swarm of large men encircling you. Others showed stoic appreciation with a brief hum and a barely-contained smile (Price).

Despite their shadows encapsulating you, the room felt brighter, light. Cheery. Someone ruffled your hair, another picked you up and twirled you in their arms. When you regained your footing and the room stopped spinning, you smiled. Then faltered as you noticed a shadow of a man still sticking to the wall, not having moved since everyone first arrived.

"They're all marked with nametags so don't go opening anyone else's presents!" you called back to the group, trying not to let Ghost’s dark stare freeze you or your Christmas spirit.

"Presents - plural?" John's soft accent piqued, showcasing a childlike excitement usually stamped out by the very foundations the likes that the 141 worked for.

You nodded, and the room seemed to brighten more.

"And this is why you're my favourite soldier," said Price, patting your shoulder.

"Aw, that's not fair," said Gaz, smirking. "I thought I was your favourite."

"That was before (Y/N) showed some initiative."

Between the conversations, the rustling of wrapping paper, the passing of gifts, Ghost's silence drew you to him. The complete vacancy of his presence was...eerie compared to the joviality filling the room. You looked at each other, gaze interlocked, unable to look away. You offered him a smile, your heart pounding as it always did when Ghost was near.

The sound of tearing paper drew your attention away from him. Tailing it was a gasp.

There stood Alejandro, mouth agape and eyes wide with wonder. In his hands lay a jumper. But not just any jumper.

"This is-"

"A genuine, signed, 1986 limited edition The Who concert jumper ," you finished. You'd hand-picked each and every present, tracked them down and emptied your bank account to ensure that they came to the right people, their true forever homes.

Alejandro didn't say anything - couldn't say anything. He took broad steps towards you and threw his arms around you, pulling you tight against him. Warmth spread through you, filling you. You felt like a lava lamp long after Alejandro pulled away and pressed a soft kiss to your hair.

It might have been your imagination, but you swore you could see Ghost's grip on his forearms tighten, the fabric of the sleeve bunching.

After seeing how made up Alejandro was with his gift, everyone else tore into theirs. A wave of gasps and proclamations of "Just what I've always wanted!" and “Where did you get this?!”, followed by more ‘thank you’s and hugs filled the room. Soap got a vintage hardback collector's edition of Dracula, Gaz received a candyfloss maker (which he seemed marginally embarrassed about yet entirely grateful for), and Price, shocking no-one, received combat boots. Steel-toed, banned in 93 countries, super grip, compartmentalised combat boots. You showed him the secret sections in the heel and wherever else, perfect for hiding whatever suited him at the time.

The room buzzed with ecstaticity.

"Ghost!" Soap called, "Come and 'ave a look!"

Your heart dropped into your stomach.

Oh no.

Ghost shifted, pushing off the wall and taking slow steps towards the sack. The room quietened as he drew closer, watching expectantly with bated breath. The reveal of the present would be an indicator of Ghost's nature, his wants and desires.

Or, that was what everyone thought would happen. Everyone but you.

Ghost's eyes remained half-lidded, as if he were trying to hide something behind the guise of disinterest. He peered over the lip of the sack. His demeanour didn't change.

There was nothing left inside.

When it became clear that Ghost wasn't reaching inside not out of stage fright but out of a sheer lack of need to, everyone turned to look at you. Rather than displeasement or anger, there was...confusion?

You looked at Ghost, not wanting to face the crowd behind you. But that made it no easier to face the behemoth before you. His eyes almost didn't meet yours. He was unreadable and unequivocally terrifying.

The room tensed, air thickening like lard. You had to cut the silence. Act now.

"Ghost," you squeaked, voice thin and weak. "Step outside with me for a minute, please?" 

After what may have been deliberation, he gave a slight nod, and with you power-walking ahead and throwing open the door, followed behind.

He wouldn't admit it, but he felt embarrassed. He hadn't expected to receive any gifts this year, as he'd never received one any other year, but something about being excluded made something in him stir. Uncomfortably.

His childhood had been a piss-poor one, each Christmas a punishment rather than a time for celebration, a reminder that he had nothing while every other child had something whether it be gifts, love, or just a family.

The door closed behind him, drawing him from his contemplation. His hulking form cast a long shadow over you. You swallowed thickly, then turned to look at him.

"I-"

"Did I upset you."

Ghost's question (or statement), oddly genuine, took you off-guard.

"N-no!" you said.

"Then what inspired you to display your disliking of me so publicly." This wasn't a question. It was an interrogation.

"Ghost,  you've done nothing to upset me." You wafted your hands in front of you as if trying to clear the tension thickening around you, suffocating you.

"Then explain that little stunt of yours-"

"I'm trying!" Your voice came out much louder than you'd wanted it to and you knew that the boys had heard it, too. You cleared your throat and looked down.

"Sorry," you mumbled. You reached behind you and, from beneath your shirt, you withdrew a package. It was neatly wrapped as all the others were, but this one was different. It had ribbon tied around it, creating a neat little bow at the peak. An envelope was held against the present by the ribbon.

"This is for you," you said, quietly. Your eyes flitted from Ghost's eyes, trying to gauge his reaction, to the present, scanning it for imperfections.

Too late to turn back now.

"I didn't want it getting squished or hurt by the other presents, so I kept it safe with me."

Ghost said nothing for a moment. Then: "You've had that up your shirt all day?"

He wouldn't admit it, but the urge to hold the package, to feel your phantom warmth radiating from it, flashed in his mind.

You nodded, swallowing.

"I didn't want to embarrass you by having everyone else asking you questions about..." you motioned with the package.

You held it out to Ghost, the weight of all it implicated too much for you to bear anymore. Your face burned under Ghost's gaze and silent judgement.

He seemed to hesitate, or rather made no attempt to retrieve the gift he was not yet certain was truly for him. Was this some cruel joke? The second chapter of a novel of cruelties you had bestowed upon him as his true gift?

You gulped, then decided to take some initiative, as Price had said. You reached for Ghost's hand and slipped the package into it.

“I didn’t get you anything.” Ghost said. It came out before he could stop it, as if dissuading you from giving him the gift. You just smiled.

“Doesn’t matter.” You folded your hands behind your back. “Merry Christmas, my favourite ghoul.” You cast Ghost one last soulful, smiling look before retreating into the common room, shutting the door behind you.

Your scent followed, vaguely tingling in Ghost's nose, just permeating the fibres of his mask.

He looked down at the package in his hands. It felt soft, malleable. Curiosity nipped at him, a branch of hope, something Ghost had long since assumed to be dead alongside the rest of him.

With mechanical hands, he pulled on one of the ends of the bow, watching the ribbon unfurl. He kept ahold of the card in one hand and undressed the package.

Soft material lay amongst the second skin. Upon closer inspection, Ghost saw that they were gloves. He moved onto the card. His breath caught in his throat as he read it.

To Ghost,

I remember you saying that your hands always got "bastarding cold" during missions, so I wanted to try and stop you complaining all the time, hahaha (I'm joking)!

Anyway, I took up three months' worth of crocheting classes to make these, so I hope you'll find some use for them!

Thank you for always looking out for me us,

Merry Christmas!

Love From (Y/N) x

Ghost looked over his shoulder, expecting you to be there. When he saw he was truly alone, he allowed the warmth exploding in his chest to hold his cheeks as he imagined you would, your hands soft and warm.

The icy loneliness of the Christmases he'd endured every year before now felt a little less daunting, the phantoms of his past unable to penetrate the shield you'd cast around him.

The human touches, the love and consideration you'd poured into these gloves, was palpable, as if you would be holding his hand every time he wore them. And every time he would wear them, he'd hear you, see you, feel you with him, soothing him in a way nothing and no-one else ever had.

Ghost re-entered the room soon after that. And beneath his heavy-duty, military-issue gloves, were yours, warm and snug against his skin, flesh beneath his shell.

Your eyes caught his, a shock of electricity fired between you. Something unspoken, but budding.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

Masterlist Masterlist [Continued] Masterpost Modern Warfare AI Masterlist

AO3 Wattpad

I made the collage for the post, but I don't own the pictures (screaming and crying)

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Drabble-A-Thon Prompt #12

Pairing: Shigadabi

Rating: Explicit

Prompt: Freestyle!

Contents: Age play, cam boys, live stream, daddy kink, feminization, corruption kink, intoxication kink, Consensual Non-Consent, hand job, cum eating, implied blow job, implied anal sex.

Dabi is already nervous when Tomura has finished setting up the cameras. He knew what he was getting into when he started seeing someone who worked as a cam guy. He wanted him anyway, and if Duster had turned him down when he'd asked him out after seeing him at V time and time again, then he probably would have just been a pathetic simp spending money on his streams trying to get him to degrade him, or really get any attention he could. It was lucky for him that he thought it was cute when one of the bouncers had approached him hesitantly after his shift to ask for his number. He didn't expect Shigaraki to take one look at him, say he wouldn't need that until later, and then be pulled into the center of the room and told to get on his knees. He had bruises for a week from how hard he'd dropped to do exactly what he was told. That was the first time he'd ever done anything at the club, though plenty of his coworkers had been in similar positions during their off hours. He'd cum so hard just from the humiliation alone that Tomura had cooed at him for ages afterward and decided to keep him. 

His personality was just as measured when he was off the clock as when he's working, and he did keep working. Dabi doesn't have a problem with that, he's not the kind of selfish bastard who would want his partner to leave his job just because they started dating. Maybe some of that was because he still watches all of his streams, getting more and more worked up, and when the cameras cut, it means that Tomura gets to use Dabi's body to his heart's content. He'd gotten so hot during Tomura's Halloween stream when he'd been dressed as a demon that he'd accidentally started smoking up their apartment, which the stream thankfully bought as just being a fog machine to enhance the vibes. Tomura had teased him past the point of coherence for that one, but it was more than worth it. 

It was only after a year of dating that he'd asked if Dabi would want to be on stream with him. He's worked with other streamers before, properly fucking subs on camera and usually also cross posting those to a few different amateur porn sites. He just hasn't done that part since they got serious and he collared Dabi. He thinks he has every right to be nervous about this, especially because they're... playing in a way that Dabi hasn't ever shown anyone that he likes before. And of course his lover couldn't do anything halfway. He has his cameras all set up, and hired one of his friends who is a makeup artist to come over to make sure that Dabi was perfect for his debut, while he redecorated his entire filming room. If Dabi didn't know better, he would guess that this wasn't even their apartment anymore.

"Are you ready, firefly?" Tomura asks, ready to start the cameras. 

Dabi is already blushing so badly that the quirk-repression bands at his wrists are doing their best to keep his temperature down. "Yeah, green, Tomura." It had taken him months to go forward with this, and he wants to start to get it done. When they start, it will be okay, it's the anticipation that is killing him. 

He turns on the cameras, starts the stream, and then moves over to the bed. Dabi can see how they look from one of the screens in the corner of his eye. He's wearing a sweet lolita style dress, cupcake shaped, and covered in lace, all pale pink and white. The style is so counter to what he'd expected Tomura to want him in compared to their usual play, his legs completely covered in stockings, and his arms in long sleeves with big ruffled cuffs that leaves him more clothed than he is on a normal day. Tomura promised he would like it when they got into things though, and he lets himself take a breath and then pretend the cameras aren't there. 

"There you are, baby girl," Tomura shuts the door softly to give the cameras something to pick up on before he starts to move towards the bed. He's wearing one of his full suits in a delicious blood red that always makes Dabi hot. 

"You're home, Daddy." His voice trembles a little from his nerves. 

"And I get to stay with you all night, princess. Doesn't that sound nice" 

Dabi does his best not to squirm on the bed. "Yes, Daddy." Tomura comes and perches on the edge of the bed with him.

"What's wrong, baby? Aren't you excited? You always want to spend time together." Dabi never thought that so much of their scening felt like improv before, but now he’s struggling to come up with anything to say as he is left desperately trying to not look at the cameras. Tomura doesn't have that same nervousness though, and he stops undoing his tie so that he can reach a gloved hand out towards him. Dabi takes it gratefully and scoots closer to him on the bed. Tomura pulls him into his side, and presses a kiss to the top of his head. "Is my baby girl growing up so much he doesn't want to spend time with his daddy anymore?" 

Dabi shakes his head, tangling his fingers in his shirt. "I'll always want to spend time with you, Daddy." It earns him another hum and then a second kiss against his hair.

"But you are growing up. Maybe it's time I showed you something special that we can do together." 

Dabi thinks he knows what that means and tries not to look too over-eager. "Really?" 

"Yeah," He's not expecting Tomura to let go of him and reach over to the minifridge instead of starting to touch him. When he pulls out three bottles of soju. He normally doesn't drink with his quirk suppressed, and he normally goes for something harder than this because of that, but he doesn't know how alcohol is going to affect him when he's got it turned off. Besides, it wouldn't keep the illusion if Tomura came back with whiskey, because then he couldn't take off the bottle cap and bring it to Dabi's lips with the gentle encouragement of, "Here, princess. Why don't you try some of this grown-up juice." 

He lets the other tip it into his mouth, taking a little swallow first and pulling away as he swallows. "It's hot, Daddy." 

"It's sweet too, baby. Here, try a little more, I know that you're going to like it." 

Dabi doesn't know if this is working for other people, or if this is just an elaborate fantasy of Tomura's that he wanted to ask him for, but over the course of the next... however long. Dabi ends up sitting in his Daddy's lap, sipping at the soju. He feels floaty and hot, unable to pay attention to anything but how nice it is to be cozy in his lap, and have the little kisses and sweet words murmured against his skin as he keeps giving him bottle after bottle of the sweet drink. He is starting to get hot though as the alcohol makes up for his repressed quirk and he starts to squirm a little in the restrictive clothes. 

"What's wrong, baby girl?" 

"'m getting hot, Daddy." He doesn't think he's ever gotten drunk off of soju before, but he feels it hitting him hard and making his head spin. 

"Okay, baby, why don't I help you cool off?" Daddy shifts him, taking off his shoes and then slipping Dabi's stockings off of his legs. That helps a lot and Dabi settles back against his lap. Tomu also gives him a fresh bottle of the peach flavored drink, so cold against his palms that it feels really nice. "Is that better, sweetheart?" 

He manages a hazy little nod. Everything feels a little distant until Tomura starts to pet along his thighs, tracing his staples and teasing his fingers up the hem of his rumpled skirt. Daddy is barely touching him, but it feels good. "'s nice, Daddy." 

"Good. I want you to feel nice, princess." It earns him another kiss against his temple and Dabi likes that a lot too. "You're getting so much bigger, do you think you're ready to try other things that feel nice?" 

His brain is swimming, but he recognizes that tone, figures out what Tomura means, and is more than ready to get out of these clothes and have his lover's cock deep inside of him. "Okay, Daddy." 

"Don't spill your drink, precious." He warns, and then his hands are moving up Dabi's thighs, higher and higher until his skirt is pooled against his stomach and he's starting to pant as anticipation heats his whole body. Tomura is the only one who's ever seen him like this, but he thinks there must be people watching. They must be seeing him getting hard in the delicate pink panties that his Daddy got for him. "Look at that," Tomu puts his hand over his cock and squeezes him lightly. "Still my little girl everywhere it counts," he purrs. "Your little clit is getting so cute and hard." 

Dabi can't help but mewl with embarrassment. Daddy always likes to call his cock and hole other things when he's being his little girl, but it's so humiliating when he can't pretend not to like it. And he can't hide how much he likes it now because he's getting hard so fast. He doesn't know if he's ever felt this desperate after just a few light touches, but he is feeling dizzy from how badly he needs it, and his panties start to get wet far faster than normal. 

"Daddy--" 

"It's okay, baby girl, I promise I'm going to help you feel so good." Tomura brings his other hand to the bottom of the bottle and makes Dabi bring it back up to his lips. "Finish your juice, princess." He makes him drink the rest of the bottle and Dabi is sure that if he tried to stand he wouldn't be able to get his feet under him. It doesn't matter much to his aching arousal though. He drops the empty bottle on the bed as Tomura sneaks his hand into his underwear and starts to stroke him in all the ways that he knows bring him over the edge quickly. Dabi tries to pull at his wrist to make him slow down, not wanting to embarrass himself even more by cumming so fast on stream, but Tomura's mouth goes against his ear. "Don't fight it, princes. You're going to be a good girl for Daddy, aren't you?" 

Dabi doesn't think he has a choice with how quickly his body gives in to the pleasure that his Daddy is giving him. It only takes a few more strokes for him to forget to pretend. His head is just back against Daddy's shoulder, his hips moving up into his touch, chasing that pleasure again and again until he can't help it, and lets out a loud moan as he cums far too quickly and soaks Tomura's hand and his panties. He's still gasping and trembling when he slips his hand out from his soiled underwear and brings his fingers up to his lips. 

Dabi's face heats even more. "Don't, Daddy-- it's dirty!" 

Tomura licks his spend from his skin and hums softly. "You're sweet, princess, and I like making you so happy. I want to make you happy, sweetheart." He says. Dabi has a hard time focusing through the intoxication and the aftershocks of his orgasm, but he feels like he should have seen it coming when Tomura levels him with a calculating look. "You want to make me happy too, don't you, baby?" 

"Yes, Daddy." 

"That's good," he praises gently, stroking his hair with his clean hand. "Come here, I'll show you how to make me happy." Dabi is glad Tomura mostly moves his body for him because he would not have managed otherwise, but he moves to put him between his legs, palming the clear outline of his cock in his pants, before he opens them up and pulls himself out when Dabi is eye-level to his cock, his mouth already starting to water. "It makes you happy when Daddy gives you kisses, doesn't it?" 

"Uh-huh, like Daddy's kisses." He slurs immediately.

"It would make me very happy if you could give Daddy kisses here." Dabi hesitates because he's not sure how this is supposed to work in this kind of scene, but Tomura takes the lead, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and drawing him in closer. "Give me a kiss, baby girl." 

Dabi lets himself be guided closer and timidly presses a kiss to the tip of his cock. 

"There, Daddy is going to show you how to be a good girl, okay, princess? If you do a good job, then Daddy's going to do one more thing tonight to show how much he loves you. Won't that be nice, sweetheart?" 

"...Okay, Daddy."

"Good girl. Now stick out your tongue, precious." 

Dabi doesn't know how this wasn't on the list of things he thought he would be doing when he asked an adult content creator to date him, but no matter how much he complains about having a hangover for the first time in his life the next morning, the truth is that he knows that he's never going to stop getting hard watching how completely Tomura took him apart throughout the rest of the session. 

Thanks so much for participating! If you're interested in joining in, consider checking out my Ko-fi here! Drabble-A-Thon ends 9/15!

[qsmpbutwithsignlanguage]

Okay. Let's talk, QSMPblr, because I want to talk.

The Brazilian side of this fandom is actually insane. If nobody else has said it yet (which I highly doubt, but I'll put it out there anyway), then I will.

You guys are some of the smartest, most die-hard, committed fans I've met. And you're insanely positive, which might seem like a weird thing to say, but I feel like I've seen it anyway. On that note.

I've talked about this fanfiction in the past, so if you saw that post, you'll know what I'm getting into here. But I want to delve into this a bit more.

'The Reason' by Nan_Yelo is the most kudosed work of fanfiction in Brazilian Portuguese, period. It is in a fandom that has only existed since March of 2023, up against the translated version of the most kudosed fanfiction on AO3 (All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 translated into All the Young Dudes by wolfuckingstar) and multiple other fandoms and fanfictions that have existed far, far longer. Every time I find the fanfic again, I am continuously flabbergasted that it got to where it was.

However, its placement in kudos is not its only astonishing accomplishment. I've talked about it's kudos. I've lamented and waxed poetry about its kudos until the night turned to day and I reached my mental QSMP limit (which is astonishingly high, might I say). But the kudos are not the only place where 'The Reason' has done astonishingly well.

Clocking in 88,844 words, 128 comments (including one of my own, awkwardly gushing about the fanfiction in English because my Portuguese can let me say the word 'cheese' and 'I don't speak Portuguese, sorry'), 143 bookmarks, 35,035 hits, and probably most notably, 1,628 kudos, 'The Reason' is honestly a record-breaking fanfiction in more ways than one.

It is about a fandom that has only existed since March of 2023, and about a duo that really only came around in April of that same year.

It is the tenth most kudosed fanfiction under the QSMP tag, which I think is actually insane. Officially, the QSMP has thirty-four streamers displayed on its members page, plus Quackity's Spanish channel and the straight up QSMP streaming account. Of this five are Brazilian. Slightly more than 1/7th of the total streamers. One former member was also Brazilian, so adding them into the mix would bump that number up to 6/35, or a bit more than 17%. Not half, not a quarter, not even a fifth of the total number of streamers.

And despite this fact, in spite of this fact, fanfiction about the Brazilian members of the QSMP has been some of the most popular in the fandom.

That out of the way, not only is 'The Reason' the most kudosed Brazilian Portuguese fanfiction, it is also the most kudosed Portuguese fanfiction period.

Compare it to the most kudosed European Portuguese fanfiction available to a user logged in on AO3, 'E Depois do Adeus (And After Goodbye)' by Palacios_Modernos.

244 kudos, and the most kudosed European Portuguese fanfiction. Then look at 'The Reason'. 1,628, meaning that 'The Reason' is the singular most kudosed fanfiction in any type of Portuguese published on AO3. (I have checked Uncategorized Constructed Languages and the other language tabs for any other registered types of Portuguese, and none exist, meaning that European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese are the only two out there to look at).

It is the second most bookmarked fanfiction in Brazilian Portuguese, at 143 bookmarks, which is only 15 below the most bookmarked fanfiction in Brazilian Portuguese (Rainha de Sothoryos by MarVermelho), which has has less than half the kudos and 10,000 less hits.

Comparing these two fanfictions to the most bookmarked fanfiction in European Portuguese, which clocks in at 33, this can also claim its title as the second most bookmarked fanfiction in Portuguese period.

And when it comes to hits, 'The Reason' clocks in at fourth out of all Portuguese fanfiction available to a user signed into AO3.

This fanfiction is six months old, part of a fandom that has been around since March of 2023, up against three fanfictions from Harry Potter, a franchise that has been around for decades (yeah, I'm going there, I'll make everyone feel old if I feel like it). And it is genuinely record breaking in every definition of the word.

Is this post long as fuck? Yes. Is it entirely deserved? Absolutely.

Go read it, because 'The Reason' is actually insane. It has been fully translated into English and partially translated into Spanish as of February 19th, 2023, and it's honestly beautiful.

[meteorites-and-forest-fires]

Since rt has done some more Minecraft stuff recently I’ve seen a number of posts that hypothesize if there’s a possibility of him joining up with other mcyts or not and thinking realistically, I really couldn’t see him committing to a long term smp like hermitcraft or anything else, just because he doesn’t tend to stay in one place very long. I COULD see him joining the life series though, or other short series like that. He could commit to something for 8 weeks, that’s reasonable enough, maybe less even!  But now that I’m thinking of the ‘what ifs’ of that scenario I’ve encountered a specific problem

Rt isn’t a mcyt. He’s a /streamer/. The life series isn’t designed for streamers. So scenario one, he’s forced (forces himself) to conform, and record then edit without live chat. But that’s not really his medium, though there are other people there, and he gets along with people fairly easy, maybe he pushes through. But personally I prefer scenario two- he is the only streamer in a group of YouTubers. Everyone else is talking to themselves, but RT is talking to an ethereal, ineffable, HIVEMIND that only exists for him, but can tell him information that he wouldn’t know otherwise (other lifers past vids, which Dan wouldn’t watch because of spoilers). 

Already isolated from not having the same history with everyone that they have with each other, now he becomes even more isolated because he is constantly talking to himself, and responding. Not ‘I’m talking to you (the audience) in the future’ but ‘I’m talking to you, and you’re talking to me’

Not to mention the natural implications for watcher lore. After all, the watchers are the audience. Dan isn’t one, but he can communicate in real time with them? Changes the game a touch, doesn’t it? Not to mention the reign he has on his chat compared to some streamers. Imagine rt telling off the watchers in front people who have been trapped by them for so long. ‘No, chat, I’m not going to kill so and so just because you asked. And if you keep spamming me, I’m turning comments off. Okay fine, I promise that if I don’t kill anyone today, I’ll buy you McDonald’s’ 

[mllenugget]

"Well you know what they say, Antoine dear" "Tell me" "I've got strong bones !" [Clip]

----------

To all my mutuals who I've been around for 6+ years who have "MCYT" in their Discord servers' blacklists, I am geniunely truly sorry, I have failed you

Here's your warning

[Feat me kind of ranting below, talking about discourse and comparing roleplaying in Minecraft with your usual roleplaying in GTA since it's the topic of my fanart, even though noone asked for it and I'm not even trying to spark a discussion i just need to get it off my chest]

But I have to be honest : for the past two months I've been pondering whether or not I should publicly share any fanart of the kind because I didn't know if I wanted to be associated with the fandom Which like don't get me wrong, I enjoy a lot of the fan content that's being shared around, I am geniunely impressed- I mean dude look at my main account, look at this mess, look how much qsmp I'm reblogging I am as obssessed as you are But I'm talking about the "you know " part of the fandom The "I have been part of the Warrior Cats fandom for 10 years and this hits a new low in terms of cyber harrassment being done in the name of fiction" kind

Also also the other thing that makes me unconfortable is that, back in my GTA RP days, the line between the characters and the streamer/content creator is clear, it's a wall, they are absolutely not the same. I've had times where I would follow the VODs of one character and it took me a whole year to figure out what the CC looked and sounded like. Because when in roleplay the character and the CC don't share the same name, or voice, or personality, or opinions, or background. Streaming with a webcam showing the CC's face is uncommon during rp scenes, some of them don't even interact with their chats, metagaming/OORP is a(n even) big(ger) no-no. Like you can't even say that your game is lagging, instead you say that your character has got a headache or else it would break the immersion of the roleplay And I get that there are pros and cons between those differences, the players feels more at ease when it's less strict rp (imagine having to mute your mic when laughing for the sake of the immersion of the other players, that's some GTA RP rules for you)

But my biggest con imo is the line being so blurry between the character and the CC. Not the CCs' fault oviously, but it doesn't help that some people would take it too seriously and too far and merge the character and the person behind the screen into the same entity. Which they aren't.

[theredwritingwitch]

Soulmate Fic- A Heavy Handed New Years

Pairing: Jack “Whiskey” Daniels x fem!reader

Soulmate AU: soulmate’s touch will leave an imprint on their soulmate’s skin

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: guns, alcohol

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ballroom was lively and obnoxiously loud, painted in glittering streamers and floating balloons, but all that didn’t deter Jack from stalking his target. Everyone was dressed to the best to ring in the new year, including one Agent Whiskey; he confidently strided into the glitzy ballroom dripping in a fine and expensive black velvet suit. He had combed his hair back, more kept than it usually looked, and decided to keep the glasses in his breast pocket for the time being. The cowboy hat stayed on though, maybe some people would think it ridiculous to wear at a party, but honestly it was the weirdest thing to wear compared to the giant glasses people wore that stated the year that would begin soon.

And speaking of soon, Jack had to get this target taken care of before the new year. Snaking his way through the ballroom, past dazzling dresses, wrinkling tuxedos, and tired staff; Jack made sure he was only a few steps from the target. Leading him through the party, the target made his way up the grand staircase of the ballroom, pushing his way through couples already celebrating through their lust and groups of people who definitely drank their weight from the open bar. As it was well into the night, no one seemed to have any concept of space or decency as Jack and his target pushed and huffed their way up the stairs and through the tipsy party goers.

You had tried hard to watch out for the long dresses that carelessly cascaded down the stairs. Honestly you didn’t know how anyone walked the steps without tripping. Your own short flapper dress in all its fringe glory was easy to move in, but the stairs and those who lurked with their sticky booze didn’t budge as you made your way slowly down.

It didn’t surprise Jack one bit when someone who just carefully passed by let out a loud gasp as you tripped and began falling. The agent’s instincts kicked in as you held your hands up to the railing, grasping for anything that could stop her from tumbling down the stairs. Quickly, Jack’s two hands reached out and grabbed your hips, tightening around them as you clung to the railing still. Jack realized the several pairs of eyes were on them now, including his target’s eyes. Time for the charm, Jack smirked to himself.

“Woah there darling, easy now,” Jack's southern accent echoed through your ears as he steadied you back up. “Don’t want a pretty lady like yourself starting the new year with a tumble down the stairs, now do we?”

You laughed off your erratic beating heart, “No we definitely don’t want that. That for sure has to be an omen for how the rest of the year would go.”

“Well, if that’s an omen, then I’m the messenger of good fortune.” Jack spoke excitedly. One of his hands stayed settled on your hips as his other hand was held out. You grasp his offering hand, wrapping your fingers around his long fingers. When you finally straightened yourself out and turned to thank your savior, you felt the words in your mouth jumble together.

Jack stared down at your dolled up hair and face, you looked quite stunning for the coming new year. Part of him was yearning to not be on the job currently, he wished he had let another agent take it instead. Maybe then he could actually enjoy the celebration like people were meant to, but that wasn’t happening tonight. Jack pushed the thoughts out of his mind as he caught his target moving away from him out of the corner of his eye.

“Thank you…I was pretty scared for a moment there…listen maybe I could…buy you a drink…or well I guess it’s an open bar so that’s not possible…but maybe we could grab-”

“You alright walking on your own now, right sugar?” Jack interrupted you as his eyes left you and back to where he last saw his target. “I’ve got to catch up with a friend who was right ahead of me.”

You could help but look disappointed but quickly covered it up as you spoke, “Oh, yeah I’m good.” Letting go of his hand, you gave him a small yet fake chuckle as you waved him off. Not bothering to watch him leave up the stairs, you wandered down to the equally crowded floor. This new year was supposed to be different. No more what ifs, no more should haves. You were determined, as best as you could, to not be disappointed, to stay motivated. Losing the interests of the handsome cowboy was the last disappointment of the year, you told yourself as you straightened your back and walked through the lavish and happy groups of party goers, you weren’t letting disappointment linger any further tonight or next year.

Bounding up the stairs and pushing past people, Jack certainly didn’t let the thought of you linger, his mind was set on the target. Not far ahead of him was the man in question, Jack’s steps took him straight through the rowdy crowd. The countdown had started as Jack neared the closing door his target had just entered. Echoes and yells of TEN, NINE, EIGHT could be heard as he caught the door before it closed. Jumping through, and closing the door behind him, he smiled and spoke to the whole room with his two matching pistols trained on the four men before him.

“Now I hope you weren’t trying to exclude me from this lucrative party, boys. That would be awfully rude.”

All four men before Jack jumped out of their chairs and began threatening him. Some of them showed off their own guns, one cursed and pointed his fingers towards Jack, just as the final man seemed to slowly walk back behind his chair.

SEVEN. SIX. FIVE.

“Hold up now boys, I just came here to party. Can’t we all be friends, I can teach all yall how to be a twister in a trailer park. It ya like, we can just…” Jack’s train of thought trailed off as a mark on his hand took his attention. Deep in the skin of his hand, trailed down the top of his fingers, were long red marks. Jack flexed his fingers as he let the men before him rant and rave about their great plan. He noticed that once he placed his fingers together, the markings matched together in long lines, then suddenly he saw it. On the bottom of his pinky finger was the marking of someone’s fingerprints. 

A wobbly smile worked its way on Jack’s face, something he thought would never happen to him again, that he would never get back again, or ever feel. After the loss of his late wife, he thought he wouldn’t see a soulmate mark on his body again. Just as the soul mark from his late wife on his shoulder had disappeared, the workaholic agent had given up on that part of his life. But new year, new beginnings right? Jack tilted his gun and opened his palm. He let out an exasperated huff as he looked down at the print of a thumb lay bare on his palm.

FOUR. THREE. TWO.

Quickly Jack turned his attention to the room, under the yell of the men’s constant threats, and the echoes of the new year’s countdown, Jack heard none of it.

“Excuse me for cutting this meeting this short, But here’s my parting farewell gentlemen.”

ONE.

Fireworks lit up the sky in front of you. The night seemed to sparkle and boom to life as the couples around you laughed, kissed, and cuddled into each other. You smiled as you drank up your cocktail, you could be happy for them, you were happy for them. Alone on the balcony, buried between couples and friends, you looked up starry eyed at the sky, your new year would be different, better. You knew it would be. 

Even as a large hand settled on your waist, you stayed still as fireworks bloomed through the sky. Another hand reached for yours and gently held it, circling a thumb to your palm.

Jack had watched you for a minute before he walked up to you. It didn’t take him long to find you, something of an intuition guiding him to your location. He walked slowly to you, his guns were emptied out yet his fingers still twitched. But his hand stilled as he took your hand in his. He could see the colors of the fireworks bloom in your eyes as you turned to him with a perked eyebrow.

Jack smiled and nodded down to your hand.

“That’s not where your hand goes darlin’.” 

You looked at him more confused as he adjusted your hand to cover over a set of marks that appeared on his. Before your eyes, you watched as your hand fit the marks perfectly. Flabbergasted, you looked from your joined hands to the man before you, feeling his hand fall right into the right spot of your waist.

Smiling, you leaned into Jack, “Guess you were right. You are a sign for good fortune!” 

You and Jack laughed as more dazzling fireworks shot off into the night and new year.

[guckies]

Wouldn't Bad's availability make him the best babysitter? Like he's the one always stepping up to do so when he could be spending his time on the server doing other things. But he likes taking care of eggs (and parents often DO explicitly ask him to babysit on top of this) and has the time to do so. And he does a good job at it. Which,, makes him the best babysitter doesn't it?

Roier hasn't been babysitting multiple eggs in over half a year. He may have been the first to do in the first month of the eggs being around but he never kept up with it (for understandable reason, but it doesn't make him a reliable egg babysitter) and isn't really comparable to Bad. I'm not sure by what metric you are determining babysitters at tbh

This could be about several posts so I’m assuming you’re talking about this post but if not lmk anon (time to break out the read more cause we got a lot to say 😞(this is so fricken long and basically includes all my thoughts on the “bbh is the best babysitter” thing))

I’m not sure if you missed this on the post but anon did speak about the fact that Bad isn’t the first choice for the egg parents.

For foolish, he is sometimes the first choice because he’s aware of how often Bad is online but Foolish rarely asks anyone to babysit because he knows Leo will get on and whoever she’s most comfortable with she will ask to take care of her (and most of the time Leo chooses Roier if he’s online). Then Fit who always makes sure, that he can take care of Ramon; Pomme and Richas have like 6 parents so they just hangout with different people because they don’t need to worry about tasks like the og kids; and then Phil has a myriad of people(Tubbo, Forever, Fit, Niki & ect) he asks to babysit before Bad.

Really the only way Parents ask Bad to take care of their kids is when they know their usual go to babysitters won’t be online or if the egg admin cannot get online early enough to play with the parent or someone else they would typically ask. Like the night the eggs went missing, Leo’s admin could only get on really late (which Foolish couldn’t predict because he spent all day waiting for her) when only really 2-3 people are typically online so Bad and Tubbo took care of her because they were the only ones left online and Foolish couldn’t get back on again because of preplanned stream content with friends that he can’t just drop suddenly.

Sorry this might sound a bit blunt but not all of qsmp members are strictly minecraft streamers. Some of them are variety content creators and have lives outside of the qsmp so therefore cannot spend 6-12 hours everyday playing qsmp. (This isn’t saying Bad or tubbo don’t have a life but the others clearly have more strict boundaries of how long they will “work” for ie Phil rarely plays over 6 hours because it’s will end up being 2am for him or cellbit who doesn’t stream on mondays or Tuesdays )

Lowkey though I’m sick of using the term best babysitter because it doesn’t mean anything past just being an available babysitter cause literally anyone can do the tasks. So I am going to stop using it when talking about this. But when people are using this term to make Bad seem like this great person on qsmp is a bit wild. Cause saying he is “good at babysitting” or the “best babysitter” is kinda of like saying he’s the best parent which is discrediting the effort other parents genuinely put in for their egg children. Although y’all may not mean it directly like that, it is what y’all are saying cause babysitting really only involves doing the tasks, keeping the child alive and hanging out with them which is what the parent also have to do.

Like some bbh defenders will talk about bad being available to babysit as if he’s the only single parent and he’s working 3 part time jobs on top of this which he isn’t. He and Dapper just have more free time to play on the server and he doesn’t struggle with egg tasks cause of this. Like when he babysits he does the tasks and then hangs out with the eggs like everyone else would. That doesn’t make him the greatest babysitter alive it just makes him a decent person like everyone else on the qsmp who has and would do the tasks for any egg.

So when y’all say bbh is the best babysitter you are kind of blurring the lines between actually meaning babysitter and really saying he’s the best parent. Which is a stupid thing to argue cause none of them are the best, they are all just trying their hardest to keep their child that they love and care for alive.

Also I was talking about Roier mainly in the past since I’ve only really compared him and Bad babysitting Leo. But what I’m trying to point out is the inaccuracies when people talk about Bad babysitting. Like saying that Bad’s the only one that does it or that he’s the best because he gets on with all the eggs. When literally everyone gets on with the eggs and Roier who has done babysitting exactly like Bad has. Also Roier is still active on the server and babysits Leo & Richas (although it’s more Richas and Roier hanging out). I could say the same for Tubbo who took care of Chayanne and Tallulah for a week or the odd time Foolish or Baghera pick up an extra egg when taking care of their own egg. But I choose Roier because his experiences babysitting from the past are incredibly similar to Bad’s. Although I could argue about how it is different because the eggs that Bad does babysit are very independent now and he only has to do the tasks while the eggs roier took care of back then were way more dependent and needed constant supervision but I won’t because that’s useless.

Plus part of my argument about all this is that the eggs being babysat is completely dependent on who the egg is most comfortable with, who is online and who is with the parent that has to leave; which again isn’t always Bad.

So no I don’t think Bad is the “best babysitter” because any “sacrifices” bad puts in for the eggs are his own free will/doing. Anyone could do the same as him but the only reason he can make those “sacrifices” is because he has way more free time then anyone else on the server apart from tubbo so it’s an unfair judgement. Plus there really shouldn’t be the best of anything on the qsmp cause when y’all argue about there being a best of anything, it just puts down the other members who do honestly try their hardest when doing anything on the server.

If y’all wanna talk about the worst of everything but playing the villain, I could make a post about Quackity (/j!!)

[blackmoonlightexpress]

TTEOTM is the most viewed non-dangai xianxia drama since Ashes of Love 😮

With the conclusion of Yunhe (云合)'s airing period on Jun 11, we can officially say that TTEOTM is the biggest non-dangai xianxia drama since 2018, with 68M views/episode!

2023 Yunhe Playback per Episode - #1 is The Knockout, #2 is TTEOTM

Kuyun (酷云), a different data platform unaffiliated with any online streamer, also put TTEOTM at 70M views/episode, but its data only go back two years, so we use Yunhe to compare further back.

This makes TTEOTM the #2 show in 2023. Since 2023 is not yet over, if it aired in another year, it would overtake #2 in 2022, #4 in 2021, and #6 in 2020. (Viewership used to be higher in past years, more on that later)

Just to provide a bit context on why this is so insane, so beyond anyone's expectations:

TTEOTM aired exclusively on Youku, the weakest of the big 3 platforms. Youku only has 1/3 to 1/2 of iQiyi and Tencent's daily active user base. If you look at the top 10 dramas in 2018-2022, all of them aired on iQiyi, Tencent, many of them on both or even all 3 platforms. Before TTEOTM, Youku's biggest web exclusive drama is Who is He, police mystery featuring Knockout Star Zhang Yi at 44M views/episode. And before 2023, the highest a Youku exclusive web drama has ever ranked on the annual list is #15 (The Blue Whisper).

The xianxia genre is thought to have a limited audience (young women) even though it generates a lot of fanfare. This might be surprising given how well it travels abroad. However, if you look at the top 3-4 shows each year, it's usually a mix of historical family dramas, crime/thrillers, modern/urban dramas.

April is considered a shit airing slot, especially for xianxias which rely on students on break. Almost all of the top shows in previous years aired during summer or winter holidays. The #1 show in 2022 aired in Nov-Dec, but that was when everyone in China was stuck at home with Covid...

TV viewership has been on the decline with share of attention shifted to short form content and other forms of entertainment. Since 2019 there have been very few mega hits at the same level of Eternal Love or Yanxi Palace until Knockout came along. Very few costume dramas are able to land a coveted TV slot, and web dramas now tend to air on one instead of multiple platforms.

Therefore, most of the data observers thought that 35-40M would be a win and 50-60M near impossible. It's fun to see people bumping up old posts/polls to see how far off predictions were (especially when commenters start backtracking and raising the bar for an explosive hit.) Most people, like myself, benchmarked against Youku's 2022 xianxias: Blue Whisper (37M) and Immortal Samsara (36M). Both featured dual dinglius and the latter aired during the summer.

There are also a few other things stacked against TTEOTM's playback numbers:

Yunhe is affiliated with iQiyi (created to provide data to advertisers). It tends to discount views more harshly when it comes to Youku & Tencent dramas.

Youku has weaker "long-tail" effect again due to its smaller default user base. The drama is bringing users to the platform, not the other way around. After the big promotional push and buzz dies down, it's harder for new viewers to discover the show.

Immediately after TTEOTM finished airing, Youku pushed users towards Back from the Brink and stopped promoting TTEOTM on its main page.

In fact, Youku locked most episodes unusually quickly (such that people have to purchase VIP to watch older episodes) and only unlocked it for the last few days of the airing period. (Some fans argue it's because TTEOTM is a "copyright" drama. This means Youku only has the airing rights and may even have to pay Otter a bonus for high playback volume)

That's why it's a pretty exciting/shocking that TTEOTM is now just behind Ashes of Love, which aired during the summer on all 3 platforms and 2 TV channels back in the heyday of 2018. (Basically we just love watching LYX being bullied and spitting blood)

Online playback volume of non-dangai xianxia dramas, 2018-2023, *Year not over yet

(Before 2018, there's also Eternal Love and Journey of the Flower which are definitely bigger hits, but I don't have the data and the industry landscape is too different back then for fair comparison.)

====

TTEOTM seems to have attracted a group of "data fans" who enjoy watching expectations blown apart. (Some don't even rate the story or the actors. They just like the idea of data prevailing over fan wars.) It's especially fun when the drama is strong in every dimension possible. Here's a compilation (and a bit of explanation) of the drama's achievements:

Commercial Value

1. Viewership

This is the most important & direct measurement of a drama's success in general.

Opening - good indicator of how much drawing power the stars have, but not how well the drama does overall (big debuts often flop while dark horses emerge)

>5.4M reservations ahead of the premiere, highest of any drama in Youku history

Reaches Youku's maximum heat index of 10,000 in 29 hours, fastest in Youku history

23.74M views on its premiere day, highest of any drama in 2 years (Yunhe) - In fact, it's nearly double the views of other dramas led by bigger stars

22.76% market share on its premier day, highest of any costume drama in 3 years (Dengta)

Top Dramas by Opening Viewership, 2021-2023

Market Share - how well the drama is doing compared to other shows airing at the same time

33.2% peak daily market share, highest of any xianxia drama in history (Yunhe)

24.39% peak daily market share on Kuyun (very high considering that it includes TV)

#1 drama in Dengta (everyday), Yunhe (all except 3 days)

Playback Volume per Episode during Extended Airing Period - how well the drama retains its viewers till the end and performs overall; since it's per episode, it penalizes shows where viewers drop midway. Because the airing period ends X days after the last episode airs, it's also an early indicator of whether the drama will have a long tail (which is key to becoming a classic)

67.98M views per episode during airing period (Apr 6-Jun 11), #2 in 2023 (see above)

70.06M views per episode during airing period (Apr 6-Jun 8), #2 in web drama since 2022

Most number of days at heat index of 10,000 for the full day (Youku)

2. Platform new user acquisition 

Arguably what matters most, at least to online streaming platforms, whose income mainly derives from members. Youku is the underdog, so I'm sure customer acquisition is their #1 KPI and why they've invested so much in promoting TTEOTM

TTEOTM has generated the highest number of Youku iOS app download in 5 years

Highest premiere day viewership, new user count, and membership income in Youku history

Youku App Downloads, 2018-2023

3. Advertisement

A major income for platforms. Brands can place ads on specific shows (should be cheaper if you bet right) or pay for random, dynamic placement (you can tell based on whether the drama's title is on the ad itself). The earlier the brand buys in, the cheaper the rates, which I believe is a fixed amount based on production class. Often big IP, big stars, modern dramas get the most upfront, especially if the star brings in their own "brand daddies" (sorry, that sounds naughty).

Some shows start out with nothing, but as more and more people watch, advertisers place more ads in subsequent episodes. The opposite also happens. That's why it's also an indicator of how well the show is performing according to the industry. Advertisers have access to proprietary data and are putting a lot of money on the line.

TTEOTM has 27.6 seconds of ads per episode, 2nd highest of any costume drama in 2023

This includes 26 brands, highest of any xianxia drama in 3 years

It is only one of 12 dramas this year so far with ads in every single episode

Big brands like Huaiwei and Master Kong placed ads as the show progressed, with ad time peaking in episodes 26-30. This is a big stamp of approval from advertisers.

After the drama finished airing, a brand "chased" the hype by placing more ads, which is quite rare

4. Merchandise Value 

Beyond being supplementary income (more here), this is also an indicator of fan engagement. Expect this to become bigger going forward as platforms perfect the process of commercializing IP and fusing e-commerce with entertainment.

TTEOTM has broken the merchandise sales record for TV shows, selling >25M RMB to date (this number does not include Shi Shan Yu costumes and other co-branded products like the ice cream, video game, and photography studio)

>10M RMB came from the bracelets alone, with 3M RMB worth of Ancient Demon God bracelets sold within 24 hours (it's likely a new record but no one has kept track before)

Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu's costumes were auctioned off for charity for 170K RMB and 100K RMB respectively

=====

Buzz-worthiness

In addition to commercial value, another major dimension of success is buzz/heat -- whether fans are talking about a show, whether the general population knows about the show. This gets into subjective territory, but there are three broad types of data sources:

5. Heat Indices

Heat indices such as Maoyan, Datawin, VLinkage, pull data from the social media platforms like Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou and have their own proprietary methodology to assess how "hot" a drama or a character is based on views, likes, comments, trending topics.

Maoyan (tends to peak on the first few days)

Peak daily index of 9898.15, highest of any drama in 3 years

Heat index of >9800 for over 20 days, on par with historical record

Most popular character in the weekly ranking for over 6 weeks

Datawin (penalizes for negative sentiment)

Avg index of 2.188, #1 drama in 2023

Peak index of 2.669, #2 drama in 2023 behind Knockout

6. Social Media Platforms

This is where fans congregate, so more a measurement of how much fan engagement and discussion there is, or fan intensity in general.

Douyin (biggest platform by daily active users right now, and the new battleground for marketing)

>29B views on the official hashtag, highest of any costume drama and 2nd highest behind Knockout (~60B views)

Heat index of 120M on the platform, a new record for dramas

35 clips with >1M likes (of which 11 were from the official account)

More importantly, TTEOTM inspired a lot of user-generated/led trends & memes on the platform (e.g. the Black Moonlight dance, Bengbu tourism) which engage viewers in a deeper way than just watching clips from the show.

Read Douyin's own "battle report' here.

Weibo (China's Twitter, where different fandoms congregate)

5774 ranked trending hashtags, highest of any drama in 2022-2023 (TTEOTM is differentiated in having a lot of low-ranking trends in the "rising" and "trending outside fan circle" tables. These are not bought but truly user-generated)

>30B views on Weibo, #3 highest in 2023

TTEOTM's official account has the highest number of followers (622K) of any drama that aired in 2023. It'd be the third highest if including dramas from 2022.

Read Weibo's own "battle report" here

7. General Indices

Not entertainment specific and mostly pulling data from parts of the internet that are more functional, where the show doesn't even have an official presence. Good indicator of general population interest and awareness. Difficult for fans to manipulate and "manufacture data"

Baizhi (Baidu search, equivalent to Google): Heat index of 790K, highest of any xianxia in the last few years. TTEOTM is also #5 drama in 2022-23 combined, behind Knockout (1894K), Sword Snow Stride (936K) (both aired on CCTV), Dream of Splendor (913K), and Reset (892K)

Weixin Index (WeChat, equivalent to Facebook & Whatsapp): Peak heat index of 166M, #1 drama in 2023 (even in front of Knockout) and highest of any xianxia or costume idol drama in the last few years. (Note Weixin is owned by Tencent)

Baike Page Visits (Wikipedia): A bit random, but if you take it at face value, it's just how many people have heard about the show and looked it up. A good indicator for general awareness. Note that this is cumulative so we cannot fairly compare across years. TTEOTM is #1 costume drama (likely #2 overall) 2023 and even ahead of some of the dramas from previous years

====

Socio-economic Contribution

8. Tourism GDP

Finally, people are starting to look at tourism GDP as TTEOTM unintentionally generated a lot of interest in Bengbu (literally "clam town"), which has sculptures related to Mingye and Sangjiu. According to the local government, Bengbu gained an incremental 1.5B RMB in tourism GDP during the May 1 holidays thanks to interest from TTEOTM fans. (I feel like this might be a post for another day)

[mariacallous]

When a new episode of AMC’s Interview With the Vampire aired the Sunday before last, a particular sort of fuse was lit in online conversations around the show. The fifth installment of the second season, “Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape,” was an impeccably written and acted horror film in miniature—the sort of thing you watch with your mouth hanging open, before pointing at your TV and saying, “Are you seeing this, too?!?!”

Yet when thousands took to social media to ask that very question, much of the commentary was underscored by confusion, even concern, that people were, in fact, not seeing it, too—that they weren’t seeing Interview With the Vampire at all. For a show so good, many said, it was criminal that more people weren’t watching and discussing it, and that more critics weren’t covering it. “This is the best show on TV right now,” New York Times culture reporter Kyle Buchanan wrote in one widely shared tweet. “I feel gaslit that you’d all rather talk about mid or bad shows rather than watch the golden standard!”

Some fans had already noticed the diminished critical coverage compared to the first season, which was met with near-universal acclaim and earned the show and the performances of its lead actors, Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid, places on many end-of-year best-of lists. If anything, the show’s sophomore season had received an even higher percentage of glowing reviews, but the big splashy event coverage that other lauded shows often receive (and are receiving as we speak) was absent from notable mainstream outlets.

Plugged-in fans had also noticed a drop in viewership from the first season, at least according to publicly available metrics, and in advance of the June 9 episode, Slate published an article titled, “Interview With the Vampire Is the Best Show Almost Nobody Is Watching,” which laid out the those numbers plainly. Word started to spread—especially on up-to-the-minute platforms like X but also fanning out to places like Reddit, TikTok, and even my home base, Tumblr, which is far more likely to host gifsets, shitposts, or graduate-seminar-level analyses of the show than discussions of terrestrial television ratings.

AMC had announced IWTV’s second season before the first even aired, but halfway through the second there hadn’t been a peep about a third—and with a narrative brewing about “the best show nobody’s watching,” especially in the wake of an episode that so many were raving over, fan anxiety started to ratchet up about its fate. On X in particular, that groundswell quickly started to focus on AMC’s marketing efforts—and fans’ accusations that the network wasn’t doing enough to promote its own show set off a firestorm that brewed for days. “The marketing choices AMC is doing with Interview With the Vampire is self destructive,” one fan wrote. Or, in the words of another: “So mad they got me googling who is head of marketing at AMC.”

There can be a huge range of reasons why a show in 2024—this one or any other—doesn’t have the reach it deserves; endless pixels have been spilled on streamer fatigue and fractured audiences in the past few years. AMC, a darling of the prestige-TV-on-cable era, is in an especially strange position: Even when Interview’s first season was a hit on its streaming service, AMC+, it was still held up as an example of a troubled industry in transition. Two years and two Hollywood strikes later, the situation is even more complicated. As the industry restructures and changes who can watch what where, a disconnect has emerged between what viewers like and what critics do. At the same time, social media platforms—the loci of 21st-century word of mouth—continue to implode, fracturing the conversation of an already dispersed audience.

Amidst this, IWTV faces specific hurdles due to the nature of the show. An adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel that pulls heavily from the many Vampire Chronicles books that followed, the show racebends many of its leads—its titular vampire, Louis du Pointe du Lac, is now Black—and goes all in on the queerness of the books. And it is, of course, about vampires—specifically, vampires who do terrible things. “IWTV has so much that a modern audience could want from a series but, unfortunately, some people won’t receive it solely because it’s a queer horror show with majority BIPOC leads,” says Bobbi Miller, a culture critic who recaps the show on her YouTube channel. “Genre TV is always going to have to jump through more hoops for success than a standard drama.”

For the converted, the idea that more people aren’t watching Interview is maddening. One could certainly argue that the show, with its dark, twisted Gothicness and emotional maximalism, isn’t for everyone. But in an era of unceremonious cancellations—even of shows that execs touted as hits—and with an absence of information about the show’s future, it’s understandable that its most dedicated fans would be pushing for more viewers. Interview isn’t the only show whose fans question its marketing efforts; it’s a common accusation leveled at streamers of all sorts, especially when a show is canceled. But in this conversation, Interview fans pointed at specific decisions made by the network that many feel have made this season’s rollout feel so much more muted than the last.

“It’s been a conversation that fans have been talking about for a while now, but I think what really set them off was the comment made by Film Updates,” says Rei Gorrei, a fan who dubs herself the “Unofficial Vampire Chronicles Spokesperson.” A pop-culture aggregation account with nearly a million followers, Film Updates revealed they had been denied interview requests with the show’s talent—and since fans were worried no one was hearing about IWTV, they couldn’t understand why that reach wasn’t being capitalized on. “I think the combination of these things along with little marketing leaves fans in a word-of-mouth scenario where we now feel like it’s up to us to campaign for the season three renewal,” Gorrei says.

Many questioned the promotion the network had been implementing, too, like the decision to never have Anderson and Assad Zaman, whose characters’ romance is one of the main focuses of the season, interviewed together. Episode five in particular, with its explosive fight scene between the two, would have been a prime opportunity. (AMC did not respond to emails seeking comment for this story.) Other fans raised concerns about the unceremonious cancelation of the widely admired official podcast, whose Black female host, Naomi Ekperigin, felt like the perfect interviewer for a show with Black leads and nuanced racial storylines. Then there was the fact that too few episodes would air in time for Emmy consideration—not the fault of marketing, but yet one more source of fan worry.

As the conversation directed at the official X account got heated, the AMC social team replied, sparking a dust-up that evoked the heady days of mid-2010s Twitter fandom, which regularly saw official accounts (remember Teen Wolf?) doing battle with—and sometimes capitalizing on the rancor of—contentious fans.

To be clear, AMC’s team did not engage the way those accounts once did—they instead wound up spinning it as a joke, poking fun at itself with a series of memes riffing on a line from the latest episode. But some fans continued to make comments about wanting to “take away” the show from the network, invoking one of the common paradoxes of modern fandom, where fans seek to divorce the thing they love by from the thing they think is harming it, like a showrunner, a director, or a network (the people who are, of course, the reason the thing they love exists).

“It is complicated,” says Bobbi Miller. She understands both sides of the equation: She's a fan, but she has also worked on social campaigns for film and TV. “I do think some of what the fans want from social [media] for this show is not always realistic.” Based on her experience, she says it’s likely that posts are part of a specific plan with approval processes—and it’s usually done by a whole team, not some lone intern as people on social media always suggest. “Not to mention that some things,” she adds, “especially ones that involve talent directly, aren’t always possible.” And in the flurry of conversation about the show’s promotion, many fans did acknowledge this—suggesting the social team was being stymied by the network itself.

Even with her sympathetic eye, Miller has also been confused by some of the decisions—though she stresses it’s all still a part of this balancing act. “Ultimately, no one’s ever going to be happy with the social coverage of the show because the objectives of a social campaign for a series are different than the objectives of the fandom,” she says. “I do want the show to get the major social and promotional push that it deserves and I’m not totally sure why that hasn’t happened, but I hope the network is taking note that the audience does want to see this show and its cast everywhere.”

That sort of symbiotic relationship between marketing and fans—where acolytes essentially act as ambassadors for their thing—is a thorny part of the fan labor conversation. But while some of Interview’s devotees worry that there’s too heavy a reliance on word-of-mouth, a lot of fans are still spreading the word—some even treat it like a full-time job. A lifelong Vampire Chronicles fan, Gorrei had watched AMC’s struggles with The Walking Dead fanbase and some of its smaller franchises, and decided to do whatever she could to help IWTV succeed. “I had basically made my own personal marketing strategy for this show,” she says.

But even the most enthusiastic evangelists don’t actually work for the shows they love—and the entire push and pull of this situation underscores one of the biggest things plaguing television fandoms in 2024. Amidst the chaos of the industry and without the transparent signals of earlier eras like ratings or the seasonal calendar, fans don’t know the levers they need to pull to try to keep their favorite thing on the air—and sometimes, there aren’t any levers to pull at all. Long gone are the Bjo Trimble letter-writing campaigns of yore.

The broader atmosphere is one of fear and panic: After a decade of having the streamer rugs pulled out from under them, fans—and audiences more broadly—are afraid of getting invested in a show. Once invested, they’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Despite all the furor at the start of last week, fans did get some strong signs of hope by the end of it. While there still hasn’t been word that the show will be picked up for a third season, showrunner Rolin Jones re-upped a multiyear contract with the network on Friday. The next day, AMC announced a deal with Netflix to offer several of their titles on the streamer, Interview included. The show has always been framed as tentpole of a broader interconnected universe based on Anne Rice’s work, and despite the mixed signals of the past few weeks, it also seems like AMC is still all-in on that bet—the network also recently greenlit a third series based in the “Immortal Universe,” alongside The Mayfair Witches.

Miller agrees that these signals are very encouraging—and notes that AMC is famous for giving high-quality shows it believes in multiple seasons to find audience footing (see the eventual popularity of Breaking Bad or the continued renewal of Halt and Catch Fire—notably both projects of IWTV’s executive producer, Mark Johnson). And these sorts of investments go hand-in-hand with the dedication and commitment of long-term fans. “IWTV’s greatest allies,” Miller says, “are a dedicated fan base and a network that seems committed to giving the series time to blossom,” Miller says.

[lyranova]

If you're still doing the salty ask game, can you do 4, 9, 12, and 19

Hiya Luce! Yep i’m still accepting requests for the salty ask game, and I apologize this took me a bit, I kind of went on a rant for number 19! Also I answered two of these for Black Clover and two for FFVII! I hope you enjoy!

4 Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?*

I’ve answered this a couple of times for BC already and I don’t feel like repeating myself again so I’m going with FFVII this time 😆; and my biggest NoTP is Cloud x Aerith, and yes they are a very popular OTP 😅. I just really like them as friends, family, or platonic soulmates whose love is different then that of romantic partners love! Also right behind that is Zack x Tifa and thats because it feels like people are just “pairing the spares” 😔.

(As I always say; if you ship these ships then good for you, and I fully support you in loving these ships!)

9 Most disliked character(s)? Why?

Hmm…in Black Clover? I guess aside from the usual suspects (Sekke, Auggie, Alecdora, etc) it would have to be; Jester, Sally, and Damnatio.

Jester…I like him in fanon, but dislike him in canon. In canon he’s annoying to me and not in a fun and “gremlin” way like in fanon (or at least, in mine and my mutuals fanon 😆). I really just didn’t vibe with him in the movie and couldn’t wait for him to disappear 😔.

Sally is also more of a “i don’t vibe with them”. She’s just very…extra? But not in a good way. And imo she takes things too far and comes off as annoying like Jester. I’ve tried to like her, i really have, but she just doesn’t vibe with me at all.

Damnatio is amazing in fanon! But in canon? He comes across as a bit…boring when compared to other characters in the series, at least to me. Maybe it’s intentional on Tabs part, or maybe its because we don’t see him very much, but to me he is very blah and uninteresting as a character (even tho his magic is kind of cool)!

12 Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

Hmm…I guess the Devil Believer arc in BC? Thats really the only unpopular arc i can think of 😅. To me the concepts and ideas it introduces are interesting (such as showing us what happened on the ground during the elf invasion, showing us directly how those with very low mana are treated in the country, etc;) even tho they weren’t executed very well. I feel like that arc had/has a lot of potential in it, so I do enjoy it despite its many…many, many faults!

19 What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom?

Since there isn’t anything in the BC fandom that I hate, I’ll go with another fandom that I lurk in which is FFVII! The thing I hate most about it is the toxicity, ship wars, and character hate!

My poor mutuals have had to hear me complain about it many times recently, but its just…so freaking bad rn! I’m trying to find cute art, fics, and headcanons but instead all I see are people arguing about song lyrics, words and meanings and context in scenes, and even going as far as to threaten and argue with the writers and developers of the game (hell and even some going as far as to argue and threaten streamers and gamers over their freaking fan theories)😭! Like I get it, this happens in every big fandom, but maybe its because I’ve been in a small one for so long…but this is just a bit much and kind of took a lot of the joy I had for the game away (There is a lot of good and fun in the fandom too, its just a little harder to find these days)!

And the ship wars are just, really, really terrible (it doesn’t help that they’ve been going on for nearly 30 years!)! Again, I understand this is in every big fandom with a bunch of popular ships, but really is it that hard to scroll past or block and ignore 😭?? I just don’t see the point in arguing about them; you like what you like, i like what I like, and let’s just agree to disagree! This is another one of those “I’ve been in a small fandom too long” because most of the mutuals and people I follow either scroll past when they see a ship they don’t like, or they go “I may not like it, but I see how much you do, and I support you in that!”.

The character hate…*sigh* again, I get it and I know not everyone is going to like the same characters…but there comes a point where its too much! When you have to mischaracterize them completely, or point to scenes that the writers have gone back and changed/retconned/removed in order to “prove how much of a terrible character they are”, or you have to focus on this one “terrible thing” that particular character did while ignoring the terrible things that other characters did…just shows me that you’re willing to make up whatever you want in order to excuse your useless hate for that character! (You can literally just go; “eh I don’t vibe with them/they’re not my cup of tea” and leave it at that 😭!!)!

[lesferatu]

I have read a lot of Welcome to Tumblr posts for reddit people and I agree with most of it but something I haven't seen has to do with tag etiquette. I've seen people say "do whatever" and I don't completely agree with that specifically. What they should say is "there is no specific tag for each community, so don't worry too hard about it and if you want to talk in the tags, that is more than encouraged" but there are a few rules

So here's some tagging guidelines:

Only tag what is relevant to the post at hand. If you have specific tags for organization of your blog, then you can use those. If you tag irrelevant stuff, not only is it super annoying and clogs up the tag but you will be reported for spam and that can get you banned. So chat and keysmash all you want but don't tag something that's trending to get more attention and dont mention characters in the thing you are talking about who arent mentioned in the post. The search function barely works as is on a good day, don't make it worse

If you are unsure what to tag, search what you are posting about and look at what other people are tagging. Keep the above rule in mind. You can save your post as a draft if you are in the middle of writing and can't search

If I remember correctly, the first 5 tags count for the search feature and the first 10 tags (? Could be 15) count for filtering tags, which is important for tagging spoilers and triggers, if you do that

On that note: Tag Spoilers for new media

If you do chat (which again is greatly encouraged and is, in fact, half the fun) remember that the person you reblog from and the original poster (or OP) will get a notification and will be sent your tags, so be respectful. You *are* yelling into the void but some of the void can read

I wouldn't use "prev tags" right now, since staff broke the ability to follow reblog chains easily, so it's hard to find what you are referring to. If you must talk to the person you are reblogging from, do something like "prev tags: [insert prev tags here]" or "[insert prev tags here] <- prev tags" in your tags then say what your going to say

And just cause I know this has been a problem in the past, if you are here for minecraft youtubers/streamers, Do Not tag your posts as "minecraft" or "mineblr". That tag is for people who play the game normally to share their builds and the like. Again, you can search the specific youtubers/streamer/smp to get the tag that most people use for that specific community or use "mcyt" to find the general stuff

And last but not least, you do not have to tag! It is a personal choice. It'll get your own posts to the people who might like it, some people like to organize their blog (not me lol,) and tagging spoilers is just common decency, but reblogs dont show in the search, only the og post, and you don't have to tag if you don't want to; the people who follow you/look at your blog will see your post and nobody else

Edit cause I just remembered this one: don't main tag hate. If you hate a ship and want to post about it, don't tag the ship. At least tag it as "[ship name] hate" or "[ship name] discourse" so people who like that ship don't have to stumble across it on the main tag and can filter it. Doesn't have to be a ship, could be a show or a hobby or a book. People who enjoy a thing have just as much right to have a good experience on here as you have a right to hate that thing. Stay civil, it's the only way this place is as chill as it is now (and I say that as someone who's been here since the beginning. Whatever drama you find on here now is Nothing compared to what it was on this hellsite (affectionate) before)

If you can think of anything else, please add, and if you have any questions, just ask!

[lawlznet]

Formatting is strange because I'm pasting this directly from the version on Bluesky

Read a long tweet by Doki of her explaining how she got to where she is and expressing the importance of big vtuber companies (probably Vshojo) looking into "hidden talent;" she herself was an average Apex Legends streamer who didn't do much beyond being good at the game before being hired. 🧵

By her own admission, she started actually trying to be a better content creator after that big break, but would have never gotten to where she is now were it not for the original hiring; which she suspects was solely because of her skill at Apex.

That got me thinking, she ticked off all the-

-usual nonos; Going on unannounced hiatuses, barely interacting with other streamers. She claims she only really started cooking when she realized how lucky her break was.

I admire her shrewdness, but it made me think, how many of us put in so much more effort and will never get picked up?

Isn't this proof that this whole industry is largely luck?

No matter how many thousands of followers you get over years carefully portraying a personality, studying hostile algorithms, and burning hours of every day shoving yourself out there, you will never compare to some hiring manager's whimsy.

...I guess that's not too different from employment in general, really.

You aren't guaranteed anything in this life for your efforts. All you can do is recognize what you have and do the best that you can while you have it.

That's why Selen may be dead, but Doki is more alive than she ever was.

[boundlesschaos]

"I fooound you—Happy Birthday!"

From behind her petite frame, Emma pulls out a large box, presenting it to her friend with a (sort of clumsy) flourish and a 'da-da-da-daa'! "I bet you thought I'd forget, didn't you? No siree! Emma's been taking on odd jobs for the past few months juuust for this!"

The uneven and sort of messy way the box is wrapped gives it an unprofessional, but nonetheless homely and heartfelt appearance. If opened, it contains an assortment of local fruit and treats that are very clearly high quality. It seems her words about part time work are no exaggeration.

(For all that she has her air-headed moments, Emma has picked up on Niamh's tendencies towards curiosity. She would want to try each local delicacy for research, wouldn't she?)

Once her hands are free, she pats the messenger bag slung around her shoulder, proud, "I got party poppers and streamers and games too! We're gonna make a whole party out of it, right?!"

"A party..." Niamh repeats quietly, as she takes the package that Emma has presented to her and carefully undid the wrapping. Her eyes sparkle at the wide variety of treats inside, her attention drifting from one to another as she accounts for what's present in the box.

It keeps her occupied for quite some time. She can't help but take one or two out to compare them, return them back, and then examine a few others, as she attempted to narrow down what to have first. She could probably there all day if Emma let her, but when Niamh reminds herself about what Emma has said, she manages to pull herself out of her extensive focus.

"Yes. Let's party..." she lets the box rest in her lap, and she clasps her hands together. "We should try these together sometime too..." Not only would it allow her to collect more data, but many of the treats that Emma collected could be easily shared if she split them in two.

Until then, she glances to the message bag. "But I'm ready. Whatever the game, I'll do my best..." Her eyes now have a different kind of sparkle in them. She's determined to do her best, no matter the challenge the games that Emma has in mind presents her with.