#hello hi i dont even know the last time i did a Full Effort piece hope u enjoy

[bbeelzemon]

☀️

[blackrabbit-megapig]

Hey i know this is super random but could you talk a bit about why you did not like dark rise? i was about to buy it when i saw your reply to an old post and now im like... very curious. money's tight rn and i dont want to spend it on a book that might disappoint me :(((

Hello,,,

I would like to apologize in advance if this response feels a bit off. I haven't communicated with anyone via Tumblr for a good long while. Hence, I just noticed this question sitting in my DMs. Again, sorry!

You asked about Dark Rise. I want to be fair to C.S. Pacat because I like her and I think her stories can be fun. However, Dark Rise... just wasn't my thing.

I'll start with the characters by saying that I didn't particularly care about any of them. Pacat introduces a large number of characters right off the bat but doesn't really give the reader time to become attached before she starts killing them off. The book shifts POV chapter to chapter, but even that doesn't rectify this problem. In fact, there's a character that felt like they only existed just to be a mouthpiece for the plot, listing off exposition when necessary before he's killed rather abruptly.

The main character, Will, is rather bland in my opinion, and doesn't fit the great, tragic destiny that's bestowed upon him. In the last two (?) chapters, he goes nearly full Sauron and it feels weirdly out of character. Maybe his development in the next two books will flesh him out for the better, but I don't believe Pacat did a good job of setting him up.

I will not speak on James. I liked James. Pacat certainly liked James. Will DEFINITELY liked James. James probably has the most potential for a good, satisfying character arc out of everyone in this series. However, the way he's written makes it seem like Pacat only really knows how to do ONE archetype of character with a compelling backstory. That's why I agreed that her fixation on bitchy, slightly cruel blond men is starting to feel off. It's very much giving one-trick pony.

The pacing was also an issue for me. The training the characters go through happens so fast, and then people just start dropping like flies. Everything about the world is given to you before the second half of the book and gives you zero opportunity to discover and speculate. Will's full descent into his villain arc feels like it should've happened later than it does. I don't think we should've discovered his true heritage in the first book, nor do I believe that we should've learned the truth of his parentage as early as we do.

I know this setup exists probably to cut the fat and get to the meat of the story, but it makes everything feel so rushed and sudden in the last half. What's the point of a good fantasy story if you don't slow down and bask in the world you've created? It doesn't have to be go-go-go from start to finish!

Now, my ultimate beef with this book: the world-building. Look, the math isn't math-ing in my head and despite having this premise of taking place years after this great, magical war, the world feels so...empty? I know people make the joke that if a fantasy novel gives you a map at the beginning of the book, then you know it's going to be good. Dark Rise is not that book. If anything, the map makes the story even more confusing and disappointing. Characters hop around the map like it's nothing, arriving at destinations within sentences. As I said, why was Pacat rushing? Why didn't she take any time to flesh the universe out?

There's randomly this whole lore piece about unicorns that only exists to explain ONE character and one scene. Now, I wouldn't have an issue with this if it didn't feel so janky and bloated.

I've been pulled through the high fantasy genre's asshole so many times that I've become accustomed to a certain level of finesse. I expect so much effort to be put into world-building because I figure that if you're going to tell this epic tale with fantasy creatures and magic and all this really cool stuff, why wouldn't you spend the time to make sure that all of it makes sense? Why wouldn't you make sure that locations and creatures and people feel tangible? I know that Pacat did the best she could with this first book, but it reads like so much of the world is missing. Dark Rise's world-building feels like it was created after the premise of the story was drafted out rather than the other way around. It feels like this world only exists to tell this specific story rather than existing as a setting where these characters and events could just so happen to exist and occur.

Even the made-up ancient language is baffling and makes me want to grind my teeth. I don't know if it's based on an actual language, but Pacat didn't do it justice.

As I said, this book just wasn't for me. I think it might have something to do with me going into it with high expectations and all these ideas about what a good fantasy novel should be, but my opinion is my opinion. I'm an adult now, and YA fantasy is a genre that I think is starting to just feel too juvenile for me in general.

I will say that if you're into cliche, chosen one narrative YA novels, this book is certainly for you.

Also, if money is an issue, I will say that there are ways of getting ahold of free ebooks online without surrendering your computer to malware. You can also download those books onto a Kindle now (who knew?! Not me!). I just checked a certain website and Dark Rise is on it. I'm not saying I'm explicitly endorsing pirating books, but it is an option you can consider until you're in a financial situation where you can start buying books again.

Hope this helps!

EDIT: I came back to this and added some non-spoiler examples for the points that I was trying to make. Please take my opinions with a grain of salt and read whatever books are interesting to you and make you happy!

[tangerinegod]

Hello! I am sorry to bother you but I am a senior getting ready for college this year. I am in the US and I wanted to major in the same thing you did, do you have any possible tips for me? I still haven't even looked for colleges that would be best for animation majors so I figured if you were up to giving out any tips/saying any basic ideas if you wanted to/if you had the time to then maybe I'll have a better idea! I apologise for if I sound weird! I'm tried to word it correctly but I can't 😿

hi!! i’m totally down to share my experiences! someone else also had some questions so i’m going to put them all together in this post haha, hopefully this helps! it’ll get pretty long so apologies ahead of time but art school is a lot to think about so i wanna be as helpful as i can around it, its a lot of time and money. I’m gonna put it all under a read more cus it is really really long!

i wanna start off with the fact that I had the privilege of attending school in a financially stable environment, my parents were/are really supportive so w merit scholarship i only came out with around 20-30k in debt and i also had housing support my entire time in school. they were ok with me focusing on academics so i didn’t hold a retail job unless i was out of school like summer/winter break. Ofc though i regularly take commissions/do merch/cons to try and pay for all bills that arent rent cus i did want to be financially independent where it was possible. I also did try and work during the semester but everytime i did my body would deff start to breakdown from the fact that i didnt wanna compromise schoolwork with jobs.. so just read ahead know this experience is from a student who was able to attend focusing only on school work for most of the time!

the biggest thing is knowing art school is not required to become a professional in either freelancing or industry! there are a huuuge amount of online tools and classes these days that provide the exact same education and for cheaper too. i think it depends on what experience you prefer/can handle/want but it’s definitely possible to make art/animation art your living without higher education. the thing that college will for sure give you though is the ability to meet deadlines, work even when you dont want to, and connections with peers+teachers. i think the connections part is invaluable because you’re basically coming out with a network of people you already know and who know you! 

also its good to know if you want to attend/can handle art school! it’s a lot of time and energy and students get burned out really fast. the best piece of advice i got before going was ‘if you draw every single day, even if its for only like 5-10 minutes or a doodle for a whole year you should be fine’ consistency is super key because you’re attending school to draw, and you’ll have to create work for stuff you aren’t excited for at some point or another. burnout is extremely real and the only reason i didn’t experience it was probably because i got super into drawing naruto fanart again inbetween sophomore and junior year! it helped give me something to draw seperated from school which is the only thing i was drawing for since i had entered rip. a heads up id also consider myself a workaholic so i fit in ok with the ‘art school’ environment but it is suuper unhealthy. if you are fantastic at managing your schedule then it’s definitely possible to take care of yourself! freshman year i got 8 hours a sleep a night and only pulled all nighters for some second semester finals at the end. sophomore year + up though i ended up prioritizing hw over sleep and like for sure, definitely shortened my life span. there’s another q down below where i’ll go more into detail but ya, be careful w ur work balance!

another tip especially for animation is knowing for a fact what type of animation you’re looking to go into, and what the school is offering. I didn’t think i’d get into art school at the time so i only applied to two places + decided if i didnt get into either id attend community to get credits out of the way while building portfolio. honestly? i did not do a lot of research LOL but like i did end up having the chance to tour and stuff! just know that each school will have a very different curriculum. The main differences are schools that prioritize 3D (cg animation, cg modeling, ect) and 2D/traditional (hand drawn, ‘oldschool’, digital or traditional based) this is a huge difference so make sure you do research for it! in most cases a 2D/traditional program will also offer 3D since it’s at the forefront of the industry animation wise rn. My school taught 2D but like hand drawn on physical paper 2D, frame by frame. while it was a good experience it’s super outdated because digital tools make it way faster + easier! i’d recommend looking for a program that is digital 2D over traditional 2D. 

if after your senior year covid is still affecting campuses in the US to keep them shut down i’d recommend attending a community college to get credits and then transferring into school. one of the negatives is paying money for gened classes when ur not there for them; if you can get them out of the way sooner and cheaper there is absolutely no negative + you could graduate earlier or use the extra time for better work or to work a job! 

these are all the general tips i think i’d give on like a broad basis of attending or not to think about? let me know if u have more q’s! someone asked q’s im answering below that go more into personal experiences + work culture so heres those:

- how many hours a week do u spend studying, in class, otherwise making art? like how much of ur life does it consume?

I was basically working on art.... 24/7! since i wasnt working a job at the same time i crammed as many credits as possible into my schedule so on avg i did 18 credit semesters (around 6 classes) art classes go for 6 hours and non art go for 3, so i’d spent around 30-35 hours in class a week! hw wise it varied on the class but combined it would be around 35-50 hours a week... im guessing? on average studio classes would have 8-10 hours of hw, maybe 5 for a light week, and gened classes 5 hours w them all combined. or this was probably how things were before junior year? junior+senior year i had thesis + everything else ontop.. i’d spend around 30-40 hours on thesis a week with other classes ontop of that bc my film was super long cus im a dummy! 

- is it hard going to art school n realising that altho u were probably quite talented… so is everyone else? Like. all of a sudden. ur not special and everyone seems as good as u, you know? More generally, how do u deal with comparison?

kinda?? i think instead of the idea of like you vs others it feels more of like a competition at first to be the best. this varies hugely on school culture though; my animation year was really friendly with each other and get along extremely well, so my answer to this is v different than some others who attended different schools. i think that the idea of ‘comparison’ only lasts a portion of the first year because at some point you realize that it’s not a who’s better as much as its a ‘these are my coworkers’ type thing? like healthy competition 100% because we’re all working to improve but i think most of us learned pretty early on that viewing each other as peers going into the same workforce helped a lot. also at some point everyone develops their own style/starts to develop their artistic preferences so there isn’t a way to compare whos 'better’ anymore? i dont think there ever is tbh because style is appealing based off of an individuals preferences. If anything realizing everyone else is also amazing makes you wanna work harder ig? or thats how i felt! it’s inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who create such amazing work. 

- is there a lot of workaholic culture? all nighter culture?

100000% there can be a workaholic and all nighter culture. i know people who avoided it and thats honestly fantastic because i fall super easily into that pit. sometimes i’ll pull all nighters on a personal project just because i really want to finish it... i am definitely considered a workaholic all the way through and its not healthy rip... i’d estimate at the worst i was pulling 2-3 all nighters a week and only 4-5 hours of sleep on the nights i didn’t? that was only for one year tho, after that i was like yeah ok this is really bad for my health in the long run LOL so i tried to cut it down to one all nighter a week and around 5-6 hours of sleep the rest of the week! by senior year my decision to cram in full semesters paid off and i was able to consistently get around 7 hours of sleep a night + no all nighters minus finals since my schedule was lighter despite thesis 😭 while there is that culture i don’t think people view it as like a badge of honor or something to be proud of anymore which is good, we mostly view it as a flaw of the art school system and something that needs to be fixed!!

- are you glad u did it? how did u know it was what u wanted?

i am glad i did it! i’m definitely in a limbo right now of if it was worth both my time, money, and my parents money rip but i think with what i got out of it i definitely wouldn’t be as far skill wise or knowledge wise when it comes to the art industry. i would say it was only worth it for be because i had so much support going in though so i was able to focus so much on improving. if i had only been able to put in part of the effort and not make full use of the resources provided i would honestly have a different answer.. 

i knew it was what i wanted when i realized i really couldn’t see myself pursuing a different profession happily! despite all the bumps and stuff im fully in love with drawing still and feel honored that it’s a field that can provide a living. my second profession choice was to go into culinary school? and third option i think going was into music cus i was also a band kid hehe.  

- how do u cope with ur hobby becoming ur job? how do u deal with art going from something u do for fun to something u do on command constantly?

i think seperating work art from personal art is important! in my case im doubling naruto into being personal work so i have something to fall back onto that isn’t work related. its been a hyperfixation for 12+ years? so drawing it at this point is just like personal art imo. some people have hobbies outside of art and only draw for their job! i think after attending classes for so long the idea of hobby turning into job feels extremely natural? also i enjoy doing it so thats a huge plus! 

sorry this is SO long but i hope i answered your guys’ questions! if you have more just lmk!

[ill-skillsgard]

Omg, I love your Axel! Can you continue the last one..? Maybe she and her friends decides to mess with him just because he is such a prick. Thank you ☺️

You decide to have a get together of your own the weekend after you had complained to the weird neighbor about all the noise. It never sat right with you, the way he had eyed you up like you were a piece of meat that he wanted to carve a slice out of. You couldn’t get the memory of those strange eyes out of your head.

Alas, no matter how many of your friends came over, you would never match the rambunctiousness that had pounded through the walls from the neighboring apartment. Your party consisted of wine, food and games. Not hard liquor, yelling and screaming metal music. Your friends were respectful and nobody came to your door to complain about the noise.

The next day you were on the elevator and a hand stopped the door from sliding shut. Attached to the hand was a long, tattooed arm and then a torso and other lanky limbs. A lax face with dark circles under the eyes lit up when he realized it was you.

“Oh, hello little bunny.”

“Bunny?” You scoffed.

“I decided your name was bunny, because of your slippers and you didn’t give me your name.”

“Nor will I,” you decided that you didn’t like this man even though you had been giving thought to the suggestive things he had said to you last week.

“You didn’t invite me to your party last night,” he pressed on as if he didn’t hear you snub him.

The elevator door slid shut and you both went to press the button to your floor. He smirked and jabbed the button with his thumb.

“I don’t know you. Why would I invite you over?”

“Still not down to have a sleepover with me, huh?”

“You better stop or else I’m going to... This is harassment.”

“I’m Axel, by the way.”

“Good to know,” you pressed yourself into the corner of the elevator away from him.

Never had the ride up to your floor seemed so long. You both stood in silence until the elevator shuddered to a stop and opened with a ding. You rushed out and made your way down the hall, grievously aware that his footsteps were right behind you. His legs were incredibly long and he could keep up with you without much effort.

You fumbled with your keys to open the lock but a breath of wind tickled the back of your neck. Stunned, you realized that he was standing right behind you. With a glance to the side, you caught a whiff of him—deodorant and motor oil mixed with cigarettes.

“May I fucking help you?” You seethed, turning around to catch him grinning.

“There are lots of things you could help me with, bunny.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Tell me your name then.”

“Why? You’re just going to continue bugging me whether I do or not.”

“Smart girl.”

“What do you want?” You attempted to square your shoulders, showing him he didn’t intimidate you even though your pulse was throbbing in your neck.

“I want to know if we’re gonna fuck.”

“Are you crazy?” you scoffed.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

You stammered and felt your tongue begin to dry up. There was no preparing for the response he gave to you.

“Think about it honey bunny. If you want to have that slumber party tonight, I’ll leave my apartment door unlocked. Nobody but me will be home, I promise. You can come find me and hop on my di—”

“—Wow! You are totally insane! Get away from me!”

“That may be so but... I can tell when someone is making sex eyes at me. So... The offer still stands. The door will be open for you, little bunny, if you want it. You know where to find me."

Axel took two long strides back, easing up on you, giving you one last devious smile before turning to his door. He twisted the door handle and pushed the door open. "See? Always open. You just remember that."

He entered his apartment and left you mentally reeling in the hallway. When his door shut you turned back to your own and opened it as quickly as you could. Once you were inside your own apartment, you locked the door, dropped your bag on the table and went to your room to pace and attempt to metabolize what had just happened. The look he gave you rang in your head like church bells and you swore the smell of him had clung to your clothes.

Not even a hot shower could rid you of the dirty feeling crawling up your back, spilling down your arms and chest, running down your stomach to your inner thighs. The vision of his naked body sprawled on a filthy mattress played automatically in your mind's eyes and there was nothing you could do about it. You thought about what he would look like, what he would say to you if you stepped into his room and saw him there ready for you. What other manner of vulgar tattoos decorated his body? What would he say to you in the event you refused his offer and ran into him afterward?

You had dinner with your roommate and watched a movie until the sun went down. It was 9 PM and your eyes had stayed glued on the TV screen but your mind had registered nothing about what you were watching. The thought of your neighbor had nested inside your brain and hatched all kinds of profane scenarios that had you clenching your legs together and subconsciously biting your lip. Your roommate left for bed after the movie credits rolled and you remained on the couch staring at the carpet, wondering to yourself if you were really going to do what you feared would happen eventually anyway.

Every defensive instinct you had screamed for you not to leave the apartment, begged you not to pad toward his front door, nagged at you and called you an idiot when you reached out and twisted the door handle.

His apartment was much too quiet. There wasn't even a gentle din of music, only the smell of weed. It wasn't too late to turn around and flee, you thought to yourself. But a hunger guided your step and you looked around the apartment. The couch against the wall, 80's metal band posters adorning the walls, a messy kitchen and the glass doors leading out to the balcony were all oddly still and unfamiliar. Off to the right was the hallway that led down to the bedrooms and the bathroom. You started down it and saw one of the doors open a crack. The scent of pot was coming from that crack and you gave the door a little push.

Axel was laying on his bed with a book hovering above his face. He only had on a pair of purple boxer briefs and your eyes were immediately anchored to them. The groan of the door hinges caught his attention and he smiled before he even set the book down to look at you.

"I knew you'd come, little bunny," he said with confidence.

"I didn't," you murmured.

"Yes, you did. You know what you want and what you want... Is me."

He folded the corner of the page he was on and set his book on a small table beside the bed. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat up and beckoned you over. Like a charmed snaked, you obeyed and went to him, stopping right in front of him so he could look up at you.

"Take your clothes off?" He suggested.

Again, you listened to him. There was no argument and by the time you had peeled your shirt off, he was already hard beneath his boxers. With a lick of his lips, he let his palm run over his swelling shaft.

"That's right, bunny. Get naked for me."

Axel leaned over and opened the drawer of his bedside table and retrieved a square packet, tore it open with his right incisor and spit the plastic out onto the floor. He hooked his thumbs into his waistband and pulled his underwear down, revealing a substantial erection that made your eyes glisten.

"Don't look so frightened, bunny."

"Sorry," you whispered.

"Don't apologize either. C'mere, baby. I know you've been thinking about me... Thinking about my cock. Wanting to get fuckin’... Split. Open."

Axel leaned back and gripped your hips after he rolled the condom onto himself. When you slid down onto him he circled your waist with his arms and moaned happily from the penetration.

"Oh fuck, bunny. I knew you'd be tight but not this fucking tight. You're not a virgin are you?"

"No," you breathed, feeling the delicious stretch of being full turn your body on like a light.

"Okay... Good. Just snug, huh? How's that feel, then? Just couldn't resist coming over for our little sleepover, could you?"

"No, sir," you groaned as you hopped up and down on his lap.

"Sir? Oh... I like that, bunny. I really like that."

His arms tightened around you, helping you lift and drop back down until he was chewing his bottom lip and unable to open his eyes more than a slit.

"Fuck, honey. You're gonna have me coming soon," he warned.

Axel grabbed your chin and kissed you roughly. The stubble on his face scratched your skin but the taste of his mouth and the luscious dance of your tongues made the entire sloppiness of it endearing.

"Bunny, I'm gonna come. Keep doing that. Keep riding me, sweetheart. Don't stop."

You had no intentions of stopping or slowing down and when he clamped himself around you and thrust up as hard as he could, you smiled. The smirk was quickly wiped off your face though as he tossed you onto your back, pulled the wet condom off his cock and tossed it in the trash.

"Now I have a question for you," he said.

"Yes?"

"Do you like having your pussy licked? Or do you love having your pussy licked?"  

[beesartandstuffs]

Shot in the Dark: Bittersweet- Chapter 3

(AND WE’RE BACK. The story is far from over, folks. Lets take a look into the past once more.

Read the previous parts HERE!

Dont forget to LIKE, REBLOG, and COMMENT!)

~~~

Abe put the car in park and settled back to look at his companion. “You ready for this, kid?”

The dark-haired individual shrugged, staring straight ahead.

“Yeah. Me too.”

It had only been a year since Damien and Emma had gotten married. It had been a small affair, with only a few friends and family present and one of Emma’s lawyer friends as an officiant.

Normally, Abe didn’t care for weddings. He hadn’t been there for Mark’s and he considered that a blessing, especially after what ended up happening. He preferred to keep a clear head when it came to picking sides in such important matters.

For Emma and Damien, however, he made an exception.

Which is why he now sat in the car in front of their house, preparing to make the long walk to the door and change their life, for better or worse, possibly irreparably. “C’mon, kid. Let’s go.”

From the absence of Damien’s car in the driveway, Abe assumed the man was getting overtime at the retirement home. He had hoped that they would both be there, and he nearly turned back at the notion of confronting Emma without her calmer half at her side.

However, when a set of small, tentative fingers wound around his, a glance to his diminutive companion reminded him of his mission.

Emma was there at the second set of knocks. Her dark, curly hair was past her shoulders now, and the sides were pulled back with a blue ribbon. Abe noted the silver rings on her ring finger.

Her first expression was that of shock, and suddenly Abe wished he had given her more preparation. But then she smiled. “Abe. I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

He managed a returning smile. “Yeah, uh, sorry about that, I had to uh… you know.”

She didn’t, by the looks of it. Abe cleared his throat. He tugged gently on the small hand clasping his, pulling it forward. “I, uh, have someone for you to meet.”

Emma’s eyebrow quirked, then her eyes fell to the small boy at Abe’s side, seeming to finally notice him. Her eyes rounded. “Oh. Hello, there.”

"Small" was rather generous, to be honest. He was positively tiny, with an unruly mop of jet black hair dwarfing his head even further. He was wearing his Sunday Best, which truly wasn’t that impressive, but he wore it with dignity, which was more than most five-year-olds could say, Abe thought with pride.

Emma knelt carefully. “What’s your name, kiddo?”

The boy hugged Abe’s leg. He mumbled something into the coarse fabric, and Abe ruffled his hair affectionately. “It’s Liam,” the detective said when the boy fell silent. He waited for Emma to look up before he continued. “His full name is William J. Barnum, Jr.”

She shot to her feet in an instant. She opened her mouth, attempting to speak, but it seemed she was unable.

Instead, Abe offered gently, “Let’s talk.”

Young Liam was busied with cookies, two pencil stubs, and a legal pad. The two adults sat on the couch as he worked seriously on the coffee table.

“How old is he?” Emma asked quietly, not taking her eyes off the boy.

“Almost six,” Abe replied.

“Does he know? About…?”

“He knows.” They watched Liam carefully trace one of the cookies onto the paper before Abe spoke again. “He didn’t know either of them very well, though. Colonel visited him occasionally. Barely remembers his mom.”

“I see.”

The two fell silent once again. Liam took a bite out of a cookie, then traced the bite mark onto the paper with remarkable precision.

“Is he very shy?” Emma said at last.

Abe snorted. “Only with strangers. Kid can be a chatterbox when he feels safe." He glanced at her. "Which— I'm gonna be honest, partner— isn't very often." He looked back at the boy. "Took me a while to hunt him down— the Colonel had trouble remembering where he was. Sometimes even who he was. So I took the bits of what Colonel said and pieced them together with the paperwork. Led me right to him."

"An orphanage?"

Seems being a bank teller hadn't dulled her wit any. "Bingo. Sixth one in five years, I heard. They kept kicking him out."

"Did he get in trouble?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Nah. Trouble got him, according to his caretakers. His parentage got to be a hot topic among his peers. Calling him a witch and such. Guess some gossipy adults had loose lips." He shook his head. "They didn't want to make the effort to put a stop to it, I guess."

"Poor kid."

"Yeah. He's a tough little guy, though. Smart as a whip, too." He waited for Liam to look up, then grinned. "Might want him as a partner some day."

The boy smiled. It was the first time Emma had seen him do so.

She cleared her throat. "So, Abe. It's… nice to have some kind of closure on this matter. But I have a feeling you aren't here to close out this chapter of our lives."

Young Liam grew still, his smile disappearing. His eyes darted between the two of them, nearly hidden behind the curtain of his wild hair.

Abe shifted uncomfortably. He folded his hands in his lap and sighed down at them. "The Colonel wants you two to take the kid in."

"Wh—" Emma glanced at the boy, then back at Abe. "What?"

"I was hoping to catch Damien while he was home, but…"

"He'll be back soon." She blinked and swallowed hard. "Why us?"

"Ironically enough, you're two of the only people the Colonel actually trusts," he snapped. He lowered his voice. "Emma. He was lucid. For the first time in months. I had told him you were getting married, and he lit up like a poorly maintained gas station. He knew you were the only hope for his son!"

"What about the orphanage? Surely you can take him back—"

"I am never taking him back there." His tone was cold, but fury bubbled close beneath the surface. He took a breath, and continued. "He will never set foot in that place again if I've got anything to say about it." Across the coffee table, Liam's shoulders relaxed.

Emma bit her lip. Her knuckles were white on the polished arm of the sofa. "I… I need to talk to Damien, I…"

"I know. Take your time." He nodded toward Liam, standing and picking up his hat. "He's staying with me while you decide."

Emma stood as well. "Are you still staying for supper?"

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Am I still welcome?"

"Of course."

"Then do you mind setting out another plate?"

~~~

~~

~

Tag list: @mayor-damien-protection-squad@markired@blackaquokat@pleaseletthisjimbetaken@gravitykaz@jojored22@neverisadork@withjust-a-bite@221biotchplease @gmcfyuffins @the-asexual-reaper@satansladydoor (If I’ve tagged you and you don’t want to be tagged, please tell me! Inversely, if you would like to be tagged in these, don’t be afraid to ask!) 

[snipsnsnailsnwerewolftales]

Bloodlines - Part 8

A/N: Based off of the song “Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots, this will be a multichapter fic with either a lyric being a chapter title, or the headers to break down the thought process of the chapter. None of the lyrics are mine, and they are all in bold - Again, I do not claim to own them, all credit where credit is due.

I do not own Teen Wolf or it’s characters. Sadly.

Word Count: 2,094 (Not including lyrics.)

Warnings: None that I know of. Mild language?

Beautiful people who helped me when I came to them with this crazy idea and said to run with it: @wheresthekillswitch @obsessed-withthe-hales @aworldmadeforme @life-what-life-i-dont-have-one @xteenwolfwritingsx

Coming back to Beacon Hills was supposed to be uneventful. Yet somehow, you are now stuck in the middle of two worlds you didn’t even know existed yesterday. Now between both worlds, but not belonging to either, you try to forge your own way, finding out that some ties are stronger than bloodlines.

Series Masterlist

Xxx

All my friends are heathens. Take it slow

Life as a werewolf was overwhelming.

Not only were you already feeling ninteenhundred and one emotions at once, now each and every one of them was multiplied to the power of fifteen. You were never one for math, but of these numbers you were certain.

School was a fresh hell, filled with bells that sounded like the screams of the damned, lockers slamming shut sounding like thunder right outside your door, and locks spinning sounding like an electric drill bit at full speed. Pens clicking, gum chewing, zippers zipping, pencils sharpening, papers jostling- You were lucky all you did was crack the desk you sat at in the back of the class in half.

The splintering of it’s faux wood composition the only sound left before perfect silence surrounded you, making you smile softly, and you almost got lost in the blissful peace before pounding heartbeats bombarded your surroundings. Whispers filled the air, one by one, all pointed at you. Talking about the freak, asking what was wrong with the new girl, what was her problem, how long had she been a student here, and where could they get some of what she was on?

Whispers curled around you until they all abruptly stopped with one sound, a voice directly in front of your desk, er, what was left of it.

“What the hell- You kids break more- How am I gonna-” Coach mumbled to himself, rubbing the back of his neck as he crouched in front of your desk, before abruptly standing with his war face once again painted on his features, glaring daggers at the other students. “The rest of you! Shut it!”

Only one sound was left, which was your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. Glancing around some looked back at you unabashedly, while others quickly averted their gazes. It was all too much. You could smell it all - fear, disgust, intrigue. The weight of the remaining gazes felt like a thousand pounds on your shoulders, and the fact that you could hear things meant to be left hushed, smell things left to be unspoken, and see things meant to go unnoticed…. Looking back down to the splintered pieces of the desk in front of you, you couldn’t help but feel a lot like that desk.

Broken, and ragged at the edges. Sharp, and unavoidable pain from being handled too heavily. Ripped in half from too much pressure on opposing sides.

Torn at the seams, you felt exposed and vulnerable, not knowing which threads needed to be cut, and which needed to be mended.

Wait for them to ask you who you know

Your parents knew about the pack, and about your involvement, but they didn’t know you had shifted.

Despite one being a werewolf and one a hunter, how are you supposed to tell your parents, “Hey! By the way, I get extra hairy sometimes, too!”?

You felt different, like there had been a shift in your personality. They were suspicious that something was going on, but they just didn’t know what. For some reason your father didn’t smell the change, and it wasn’t like your mom kept wolfsbane, mountain ash, or mistletoe just laying around the house. Not that you really knew exactly what any of those things did, just that they were werewolf no-no’s.

Regardless, the full moon was coming again soon, and you still couldn’t find a source of control. The mantra Derek had taught you worked just a little, but only if you started it in time, and even then, your eyes still stayed yellow, and you felt your claws and fangs poking painfully from the inside just itching to come out.

If you couldn’t find an anchor in the next few days, your parents were about to have all the dots connected and shoved into their faces, snarling and all.

Please don’t make any sudden moves

Your parents were supposed to be out. It was date night. You were supposed to be able to shift in peace in your room, alone, hoping the familiar smells and location would help calm you down.

“Mom, why are you guys still here?” You rushed to her where she stood in front of her doorway down the hall, fastening an earring as she smiled softly at you.

“It’s just me, honey. Dad’s running a little late at work.” She scoffed, peering out the window at the end of the hallway beside the two of you, smirking as the full moon came into view. “Between you and me, I think he just wanted to go for a run. That man will always be a puppy at heart.” She shook her head fondly, turning to go back into her room, almost over the threshold before she spun back around to face you, eyebrows knit in question. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” You glanced at the moon through the window, taking a deep breath as it disappeared behind some clouds, before turning quickly and making your way back to your room.

Your mom followed you, hot on your heels as you got into your room, her eyebrows still knit, eyes narrowing at you. “What’s going on?”

Just then the clouds parted and your room was bathed in bright, pure moonlight, making the monster inside of you stretch with a yawn before trying to claw it’s way out again. Turning to your mom, you looked her dead in the eyes and spoke as evenly as you could, holding back the shift as long as possible. You could already feel your nails elongating and biting into the flesh of your palms as you kept your hands in fists at your sides. “Get in the hallway, and no matter what I say, don’t come in my room.”

Her eyes were wide, her expression now concerned, and her voice sounded almost panicked. “Why?”

It was coming. She needed to get out of this room, hunter or not, married to a werewolf, or not, it wasn’t safe for her. “Get. Out.” Your voice didn’t sound like your own, it sounded twisted, demonic, and low. And you knew without a shadow of a doubt that your eyes were glowing bright yellow before you slammed the door shut and locked it before curling into a ball on the floor as the pain washed over you, both from shifting, and the pain in your heart as your mother pounded on the door, repeating your name in a heartbroken and scared cry.

You don’t know the half of the abuse

It had hurt that first time, but you had been told that was only because it was the first. This was more painful than the last, and it felt different. It felt wrong.

You knew some of the pack would be nearby, but you wouldn’t put it past your parents to have soundproofed the house, so you didn’t even try calling out for help. Instead you shot Stiles a text.

Y/N: Shift is oddly painful.

It wasn’t long before you got a reply.

Stiles: But at least your sense of humor is still intact. ‘Oddly painful’? Someone’s been studying.

You laughed, and felt a bit of the pain subside.

Y/N: Ha-Ha. But I’m serious. Something isn’t right.

Just as you sent off that message, you felt an excruciating wave of pain wash over you, and you began to shudder, like you were being shaken from the inside. A scream of pain tore itself from your lips, and once you started, it felt like you couldn’t stop.

Your phone vibrated with a call, distracting you momentarily, enough for the yelling to subside. Gritting your teeth, with great effort and a low growl you hit ‘accept’ when you saw Stiles’ face, barking out a “What?” without waiting for a hello.

“Y/N? Are you okay? I’m almost there,” you could hear the Jeep’s unmistakable rattling roar in the background, “just hold on, okay? Try the mantra.”

“It’s not working,” you seethed. “It’s too late-” Your words died off on another cry of anguish, moaning, screaming, everything came out. Growling, snarling. God, you hoped your parents had soundproofed the house, otherwise your neighbors would think you were into some extremely kinky stuff right about now.

You heard the tires screech to a halt through the phone, and outside the house simultaneously. “Derek? Peter? What are you doing here?” Stiles’ voice came through the phone.

“Oh, God, they are here?” You bit out the words and huffed, rolling your eyes.

Derek’s voice came over the line. “We’re all here, Y/N. We heard you screaming.”

Great. No soundproofing. Oh, well, the neighbors would have to get over it.

“We can’t get in, though,” Peter’s voice came next, and you realized you were on speaker.

“What? Why not?” You groaned through the next wave.

“Mountain ash,” Stiles said absently, shortly followed by Scott’s voice mumbling a question, then a weird ‘woosh’ sound. “What, I had to test my theory before jumping into action,” Stiles said to what you assumed was a scowling Scott. “Y/N? You still with us?” You growled. “Okay. Good. I’m coming in.”

“Stiles, no! What if I hurt you?” You reached for the phone, holding it to your ear now, grimacing through the pain.

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do.”

“Stiles-”

“Just trust me. Please?”

You let silence be your answer.

Soon you heard Stiles outside your door, talking your frantic mother down, telling her to go downstairs and everything would be explained. After she finally walked away, hesitantly at first, then reluctantly dragging her feet along, you heard your doorknob jostle.

“Hang on. Gimme a minute. I’ll unlock it for you.” Slowly you made it to your feet, biting the inside of your cheek through the pain, only to stop when you heard an odd scraping noise, followed by more handle jostling, and your door opening to reveal a beaming Stiles.

“Did you just pick my door?” You asked after a moment.

“Yup,” He grinned, but his eyes carried his concern.

Nodding in defeat, you went to roll your eyes at him before you collapsed to your knees, all the energy suddenly zapped from your body.

“Hey, hey, hey! I got you.” Stiles rushed in, scooping you up in his arms bridal style, and you did the best you could to help by wrapping your arms loosely around his neck, smiling almost imperceptibly, your eyes nearly shut. “For some reason I thought you’d be heavier.”

You felt the smile grow slightly, and let your head loll against his chest. “For some reason I thought you’d have more trouble carrying me.”

He laughed, and the vibrations from it made you feel like energy was starting to pour into your veins again. Opening your eyes a little more, you saw your mother looking on with a face of realization as Stiles carried you past her, taking you out to the front yard and laying you down in the grass, where you saw the rest of the faces of the pack surround you from overhead. Concern was on all their faces, as well as relief, but no one held any amount of fear.

Your head no longer pounded, and you could think clearly. The urge to shift right at your fingertips, but you kept it held in. Letting out a relieved but tired sigh, you looked up to Stiles who stayed close to you after setting you down, your hands held in his after he removed them gently from around his neck, the soft movement of his thumbs back and forth against your knuckles keeping you grounded despite the freakout you felt brewing.

“Why do you have so many keys if you just pick the locks anyway?”

Stiles burst out laughing as you felt an easy smile climbing up your face, the rest of the pack joining in, and you looked around at all their happy faces, committing this moment to memory.

Yeah, life as a werewolf was overwhelming. But it was also full of awesome moments like this. Awesome people like these. And awesome stories to tell for years to come, like everything that had just happened leading up to now.

You sobered up at that thought, looking up to the doorway to see your mom looking somber, her gaze leaving yours to look at the end of the driveway where you saw your father’s car just parked and shutting off. Stepping out of the vehicle in jeans and a white t-shirt, you noticed a few stray twigs and leaves in his hair, and that made you want to smile, but the look in his eyes made you remember.

“What the hell is mountain ash?”

Xxx

Tags: @palaiasaurus64 @ohphillip @sammyrenae68 @abbytheninja @storytelling-reader @evyiione @mayahart02 @impala-moose @justdreamstars @twilight-loveer @ajlly @jazzrivera27 @i-never-said-a-pilot @night-thinker23 @misguidedconqueress What’s this?

[allofbeercom]

Can Adele fix the broken music industry?

Unless you fell into a post-holiday food coma, you know that Adeles album25just sold more copies in its first week than any album, ever. The average human being had been conditioned to believe this was not possible in 2015.

Remember that narrative?Napster destroyed the music business, the iPod stopped the bleeding, digital and streaming services are still nascent, and a Google search can find anything for free, so the good old days of multi-platinum records are pretty much gone.

On the heels of her first single “Hello,” Adele waved goodbye to that doomsday line of thinking, crushing decades-old sales records by such a distance that, if she were an Olympic athlete, wed immediately assume she healed her damaged vocal chords with PEDs. Putting aside certain idiosyncrasies of Adeles album buyers (it turns out old people still buy CDs!), getting more than 3.8 million people to doanythingin the same week is a triumphant feat.

The ripple effect of Adeles astonishing sales figure is already visible. This past week, Rihanna and her management made a last-minute decision to postpone the release of her new album,Anti, at the apex of the heaviest consumer spending moment of the year. It turns out the shadow of Adele is the one umbrella Ri-Ri wont stand under.

And who can blame her? Between Adeles album sales and Taylor Swifts cultural and touring dominance (FYI: She played to a stadium full of 76,000 people in Sydney last weekend), its tough to stand out at the moment, even for Rihanna, one of Forbes top 10 grossing female artists. Despite working in a music industry with a dearth of women in meaningful executive positions, the strength and power of female artists has never been more profound. And unlike Hollywoodwhere thanks to the North Korean email hack of Sony and a courageous Jennifer Lawrence, we now understand the starkness of the gender pay gapfemale musical artists get paid on par with their male counterparts. In music, the entire ecosystem earns a sizable percentage of whatever the artist makes; record labels make a percentage of album sales, promoters make a percentage of ticket sales, merchandisers make a percentage of T-shirts sold, and so forth. Which means we are at a unique moment in history where A-list women hold much of the real power in the music business.

The strength and power of female artists has never been more profound.

So what will they do with it? And how does their massive success shine a giant spotlight, for better and worse, on everything thats happening with the music business and the streaming business and the concert business and artist representation right now?

Adele and Taylor started this upheaval by each flexing a particular muscle that belongs to them and them only. Taylor used her pen as the sword, bringing the mighty Apple to the bargaining table to pay artists for streams during the free trial for Apple Music. Adele turned herback on streaming services to break an album sales record that had stood since Justin Timberlake was fronting a boy band with Britney Spears on his arm. But beyond the PR success and ego boost thats generated from seven-figure first-week sales numbers, these efforts did little to make a lasting impact on the business of music.

Like the rest of the news cycle, we celebrate heroic outliers, write think pieces, marvel at the numbers, and move on within the confines of the same old structure. As President Business from The Lego Movie would have us believe, everything is awesome. Only it isnt. While artists have done much to break through decades of exploitation and capture more of the value they create, the fan experience in most facets of music consumptionlive and recordedremains unconscionably broken.

Nowhere is the dysfunctional tension between Los Angeles/New York-based content creation and Silicon Valley-based technology more on display than in digital music services. In the Valley, we scoff at companies that ship their org chart in a product. (Note: Microsofts Steve Sinofsky who coined this phrase for mass appeal, and for some time it was Microsoft who was guilty of this en masse.) You can tell when groups within or outside a company arent working well together based on the way the products features play wellor dont play wellin production. This is displayed everywhere in digital music from convoluted hardware options and endless interconnected devices in the home to cutting-edge software that never seems quite ready for primetime. In particular, Apple Music still feels like a house built on the foundation of an old home that the owners never wanted to fully tear down for tax purposes. The compromises and technical debt are palpable.

The fan experience in most facets of music consumptionlive and recordedremains unconscionably broken.

But those issues pale in comparison to the evolving royalty structure in musicbasically, the agreements for how much artists, labels and songwriters get paid when you buy or stream a song. Without hit music from the Taylors and Adeles, those subscription music streaming services are essentially useless. Even if they have the best user experience for fans, without music that matters, their core proposition (the music you want for a flat monthly fee) becomes completely hollow. Disappointed fans know theyre being misled, especially when YouTube and BitTorrent offer even the mildly unscrupulous a holiday table cornucopia of free access to all the music on earth.

We know the economics of music streaming are still being sorted out, but we also know this happened with video content a few years agoand, eventually, major players like Netflix, YouTube and Hulu figured out how to window content, present it exclusively,and generate their own product. If music follows that model, then the biggest artists will sell their exclusivity to distributors like Spotify, Apple, YouTube/Google, and others. Our best asset to help that happen? Just keep complaining about this stuff.

What we are seeing and (not) hearing now as fans is the very public sausage making of a new recorded music revenue model, the loudly creaking rusty hull of an antiquated ship turning a bit too quickly in a swift current. For most of us downstream, it creates a suboptimal listening experience and never-ending frustration.

And its only worse with live music, where artists now make 70 to 90 percent of their income, despite a gallingly offensive fan experience.For one thing, the industry continues to lie to fansblatantlyabout the price of tickets until the very moment of purchase.An upper deck ticket for the Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas tour in Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 2016, is currently available on Ticketmaster for $49.95. After a $15.30 service charge, the actual price of that ticket is31 percent higherthan advertised. At StubHub, where between buyer and seller fees the ticket is routinely marked up 25 percent, the company tried to show pricing all-in. But after competitors didnt follow suit, StubHub reverted back to the draconian way of tricking fans into moving down the purchase funnel by baiting them with a lower price point, before dropping fees on buyers at checkout. Most artists are consciously (or navely) complicit in this dirty game. Many touring deals for large artists stipulate that artists are paid more than 100 percent of gross ticket sales. How can this be? Its because the promoter and venue make their money off of parking, beer, sponsorship, and importantly, service fees.

This wont change until fans start pressuring the artists to facilitate that change. Artists are intensely sensitive about their brands. With social media giving loud voices to all, artists are hyper-concerned with criticism for high ticket prices even though they have historically enabled a service fee system that exploits their fans. Its why so many good tickets often make it into the hands of brokers from venues, promoters, and artists directly. Ever wonder why you see so many VIP packages for sale? Theyre designed to charge market price for a ticket with a few low-cost add-ons attached. So why cant artists own their income desires and get paid what they are worth, or alternatively restrict transferability of tickets to ensure that fans get in at an artificially low price? Service fees are an extension of the ticket price, so why arent they presented as such up front in the buying process?

Apple Music still feels like a house built on the foundation of an old home that the owners never wanted to fully tear down for tax purposes.

All of the carnival barking about ticket prices comes against the backdrop of a swelling period of time between the onsale of a concert and the actual show date. For the concert example above, a fan buying four mid-level tickets would be putting down more than $400 of his hard earned money10 monthsbefore the show. That same week the tour plays a Wednesday night in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Who the heck knows what theyre doing on a Wednesday night 10 months from now in Albuquerque? The answers fall into three categories:

I dont.

Im one of the few passionate fans who will move my schedule around this show and give you my money ten months in advance.

Im a ticket broker, and Im buying bunches of tickets now to arbitrage and capitalize on all the people in #1 above.

This practice of ridiculously early sales has been expanded by the industry to bank money early, test demand, and reduce risk. Do they care that the best tickets go mostly to brokers, that fans pay more money than they otherwise would, and that the most passionate fans lose out on 10 months of interest on their money? Of course not. Were moving backwards.

The big question: Is all of this a calculated plan by the music industry to keep things as unfavorable for fans as possible, or can we chalk it up to sheer incompetence?

The recent Paris tragedy reminded us that the music industrys obligation to provide a better experience for fans are growing ever more urgent. The attacks on fans at a concert hall and a sports stadium were the manifestation of a longstanding fear we had at Ticketmaster about live eventscrowds are so much more vulnerable than we want to believe. We already learned this in air transportation after 9/11; 14 years later, we collect loads of data and restrict transferability of tickets between passengers boarding a 200-seat airplane. But with 80,000-seat stadiums, we continue to do almost nothing. With the use of cash, paper tickets, ticket reselling, and an average of almost three tickets-sold-per-order, upwards of 90 percent of individuals entering an arena or stadium can be unknown to event organizers.

The entire paradigm of music distribution is staring down the barrel of an evolutionary leap.

There are common sense solutions that would make live events safer for fans. By reimagining a ticket as a digital access credential replete with identity, payment, and location metadata, we could do the forensic work before and after events to identify bad actors. This need not restrict ticket transferability or resale; it simply means maintaining a centralized system of record where tickets can be sold and the data associated with buyers and sellers infinitely logged. Existing and emerging technologies, including blockchain, are candidates for handling this challenge. They can also prepare us for the dawn of virtual reality in live events, ensuring this technology becomes incremental and not cannibalistic to the artists live performance. To do so fully requires sunsetting the idea of a ticket as a piece of paper; identity and access can be tied to a phone, a card, or a fingerprint.

Guess what? This is precisely the course of technology across most consumer products today. Like other products, these advancements have the happy consequence of actually improving the consumer experience. This data can serve to personalize the live experience for each fan before, during, and after the event. It could allow artists to over-deliver on an experience for which they are charging astronomical sums, up to a year in advance. As usual, we fell way behind the curve in the music business. So maybe this is about incompetence over anything else.

Indeed, the entire paradigm of music distribution is staring down the barrel of an evolutionary leap. Twitter, like its many mobile social messaging peers from Snapchat to WeChat to Line to Instagram to Facebook, is really a direct-to-consumer distribution channel that could fundamentally transform the relationship between artists and fans. Katy Perry has 78M Twitter followers, Taylor Swift has 67M, Rihanna has 53M, and Adele, essentially without even trying, has 24M. Roughly half of the 100 most-followed accounts on Twitter are artists, and the technology is now in place for artists to commercialize their follower relationships by selling songs, tickets, and T-shirts directly on these platforms. Twitter led this effort; others followed suit. Its the fastest way to remodel the entire music industry. Any artist who pined for more control over the distribution of their art, as well as the artist-fan covenant, have the powers at their disposal to take command.

Which brings us back to what we learned this week, and this yearthat the biggest artists (including these stellar women who showed their might) have real leverage and real power right now. If they wanted, they could change a sedentary, broken industry. Conventional wisdom is that Adele is an outlier, capable of holding out for her own good but not much more. What if Adele, Taylor, and other elite artists united to force progress for all? Athletes in major sports leagues banded together. Actors held their own. So did screenwriters, directors, producers, and show runners. Music seems to be the only branch of entertainment where the collective voice of creators is mute.

The underlying driver of this silence is artist fragmentation. It is the key environmental factor upon which the 20th century music business was constructed: allow rare stars to extract their pound, but keep the bulk of the talent uncoordinated. Beyond the occasional telethon, its rare to find examples of artists working collaboratively for a cause at scale. Why is that? The leading culprit is that artists have traditionally outsourced a lot of their business decisions to their managers. Now that the time travelled from anonymity to stardom has shrunk to mere months, and artist-as-entrepreneur is a near requirement for success, the role of the artist manager has taken on increasing importance.

Sadly, management remains as fragmented and cutthroat as the days when Colonel Tom Parker was shepherding Elvis. In many cases, the speed to stardom brings along in its slipstream a relatively unsophisticated crew of hangers-on surrounding the artist. Cousins, classmates, boyfriends and the like, with little to no experience become entrusted with decisions that can impact decades of an artists revenue streams. Because most managers are paid on a percentage of the artists revenue streams, near-term money is usually prioritized ahead of long-term career value for an artist. Partnership and collaboration gets lost in fears and insecurities about acts being stolen away by other managers. Even the more sophisticated and professional managers suffer from the epidemic of the shark tank. Irving Azoff (Front Line Management) and Coran Capshaw (Red Light Management) are the two managers who have assembled artist management companies with meaningful scale. Ive apprenticed for them both, and they are excellent at what they do. But competition for the artists they manage (or would like to) remains high, and for their own business self-survival they are perpetually on alert. They do not operate in an ecosystem that fosters cooperation.

Music seems to be the only branch of entertainment where the collective voice of creators is mute.

Even the law works against artist representatives working together. California passed a law in 1978 called the Talent Agency Act that effectively says a person cannot be a manager and also book an artists tour. In practice, artists must carry both a manager and an agent, fragmenting the power of decision-making (and also the artists income). Entire cottage industries have been built on this church-state separation. Alliances are routinely built and broken between agencies and managers, further fueling the lustful competition and mistrust between artist representatives. One can surmise this is generally the scene that inspired the late Hunter S. Thompson quote: The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. Theres also a negative side.

Yet the opportunity for artists in the music business today is wonderfully beyond what even Thompson could have imagined (or hallucinated). And so it rests, finally, on the shoulders of artistsand the biggest ones, at thatto wrest control of this shallow trench of an industry away from those who have kept it in a state of morass, and give it depth. All that stands in the way of advancing the industry forward is overcoming the fragmentation within the artist community today.

And thats why Adeles eye-popping success last week is so confounding. Why, exactly, did she show her strength? The cynic will tell you it was for the money. But just as she could care less about what you think of her weight (somehow I dont expect the press to repeatedly address Chris Martins post-breakup body fat when the Coldplay album drops this week), she seems unmoved by the chance to make a few extra pounds. Which leads to the conclusion that like the rest of us, she falls somewhere on the scale between competitive and vain: She withheld her music from streaming services explicitly in search of setting a mark that none of her peers or predecessors ever did.

Having vanquished them now, will she flex her muscle for more than just the charts? She seemingly has willing partners in this effortin Taylor Swift and many of her now powerful female counterparts, as well as popular artists like Jay Z who have made recent business strides around artist empowerment. In so many ways, Adeles sales figures are less about her, and more a reflection of the continually crescendoing role of music in peoples lives.

In spite of all its dysfunction and fan neglect, our follower graphs on social networks hint that our accelerating interconnectivity is still threaded together most tightly by music. By following suit and binding together in this moment, Adele and the artist community can move the business and experience of music forward for all of us. As the Beatles knew: Come together, right now. Records are made to be broken. Adele and her peers have the chance to be indelible.

Nathan Hubbard is a former touring and recording artist, former CEO of Ticketmaster, and current head of commerce at Twitter. A version of this story was originally published on Medium and has been reprinted with permission.

Screengrab via AdeleVEVO/YouTube

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/can-adele-fix-the-broken-music-industry/

[survivorelsalvador]

EPISODE 1 - An Army Of Porn Pete (TM) - Josh (Camp)

(If a confessional is just a gif or a picture then it was most likely Veronica, winner of Jeju Island, uwu <3)

WILLA

One world? This is going to be an iconic mess and I can't wait to see how this turns out.

WILL

Will she decapitate me or will we work together: The Regan/Will love story begins all over again (for when these go public I have nothing against you Regan you're a queen in my eyes)

DANA

How quickly are you trying to kill me. First of all: I literally know 99% of these people and am playing in Athena with them right now, which makes my game in each more complicated. On my tribe: Me, Chris, Willow, Willa, and Austin The only person I don't know is Austin. I'm aligned with Willa in another game and was aligned with Chris in the same game. Willow and I were friendly in Solomon Islands. Hopefully this puts me in a good spot. Other than that, going through the rest of the cast on other tribes: Playing with in Athena right now: Adrian, Kai, Lily, Jaiden, and Nicholas. I'm in an alliance with all of them except Adrian (who might not like me after tonight). From Solomon: Zakriah, my literal child and snapchat streak buddy. He's also vv close with Willow, so this is good. Potential alliance? From Great Lakes: Kyle and Ashton. Idk Ashton AT all. We were never on a tribe together. Heard he's pretty good at orgs though. Kyle and I didn't super get along in GL. I voted him as first merge boot, he voted me, and I went home. I've also heard a lot about Regan and i'm excited to meet her. Basically I know/ have a relationship with half of the cast, so this should be INTERESTING. I'm excited.

JAKE

So the game hasn't even officially started yet and I formed a tight bond with Kyle and Lexi. I feel that we all relate to each other pretty well, so I like where this is going.

LEXI

Ok so i already have an alliance with ribsor and jake. I know jake from a mini we played together and we bonded right away. I also know regan,austin and jaiden from the other tribe. I have a good relationship with all 3 so that made me happy seeing them. I hope they can stay and fight until merge. Heck i hope i can stay and fight until merge. this is a small tribe so thats alittle scary. Also this one world crap aint working for me. I cant talk to that many people and keep up. I'm in another tumblr game and hosting a skype org...so its hard to keep up. But i try my hardest and im just glad i got in an alliance already.

WILL

I actually feel pretty good so far like I think I'm on the good side of mostly everyone on my tribe - two of them played with me before two of them don't know me - and I'm already sensing some tension between certain people so like... this will be a good one lol. Plus I have Nicholas on my side through one world and I've made some other lowkey connections so it's all going great for the first day

KAI

Been a pretty quiet day, no ones really spoken much so kinda worried but oh wwll

JOSH

OKAY.  Hello.  I'm here to confess and such for the round since I haven't just yet.  I'm feeling pretty okay on my tribe so far?  I know Regan from previous experiences and we're friends and I think that Jaiden knows he isn't super popular so he'll rely on me to kind of keep him safe?  I"m talking with Will a lot and I enjoy him so I'm glad to have him here.  The only person I'm not feeling really great about is Zakariah so far?  I'm not sure how close he is with other people, so I have to wary about just throwing his name out.  But, if I had to choose someone to be at the bottom of the totem pole on our tribe.. It'd be him.  He's not super active.  I can also see Jaiden being a bit of a flop and being first to die, so I'm just going to kind of figure out where people STAND here right now and figure it out later.  Because I don't imagine us being on these tribes of five for too long, so I just need to make sure that I do my best to survive here while I still can. I'LL HAVE MORE THOUGHTS AFTER I TALK MORE STRATEGY BUT I NEED TO WORK ON IMPROVING MY SCORE

DANA

my new aesthetic in games is to just talk to the hosts in host chat instead of the players because i love them more. <3 Rob

WILLOW

I'm just gonna do a cast assessment rn bc why not Dana- Ahh we played in Solomon together and I love her, she's so sweet! Austin- We talked a lot last night and he's really nice, and has a good taste in survivor opinions Chips- Hasn't messaged me back yet and has only talked in the tribe chat twice Willa- Seems cool, but didn't talk to me for very long Also I'm confused about what happened during the "fight" in One World Also One World is too much at the beginning so I might just stick to talking to the people on my tribe first, and then once theres a swap I'll start talking to the other people idk.

ADRIAN

Whew El Salvador! Que tal chicos y chicas? Me llamo Adrian y yo soy no esperando nada mas por el juego para comenzar! Like this tribe a lot and really, I see 2 people from other games that are running side by side on my tribe, and really its cool to see that people are willing to work with me. But there is the downside of having people being inactive on the Apopa tribe, and really I'm not ready for shit like that to happen so quickly. 

Of course it would be One World this season. I see alot of familiar names and faces and I'm already thrilled to start this game, until I see Regan. Is it possible to hate a bitch because of how negatively she rubs people upon meeting them? Wait, hold that thought. Yeah. Its very possible. 

Its not even the end of Day 2, and already this bitch is asking for me to rip her head off. Like I don't give a flying fuck. Don't slander my name when you don't know me either. Fuck. Seriously, don't go preaching shit you won't practice. Regan's asking for a verbal beatdown, in English and in Spanish. 

Keep it up Regan, and I will end you before you have a chance to be on a tribe with me. I am not someone to fuck around with and I don't care how many people would say that I should apologize to her. I guess I can't play more subtly now cause I just ended the living shit out of her. Oh btw, she can have her wig back. There's like pieces of scalp like attached to it. 

(Note: Each paragraph was its own confessional)

DANA

My tribe is killing me with this challenge. Why did none of them start until like 7hrs before it is due when none of them know any Spanish and this challenge is semi-all about putting in time. Me right now: trying to make up for literally everyone's scores on my tribe. Quick assessment of my tribe? (Even though I knew everyone except Austin before we got here) Austin: Putting in a lot of effort to be friendly, which is good. Probably will want to work with him honestly but betraying someone I am already friendly with to do this will be hard. Chips: Isn't speaking to anybody. Why? Idk ur guess is as good as mine honestly. Willa: Honestly a fav. He better want to work with me here. Willow: My queen. My thoughts on one world? IT IS HYSTERICAL. Pls bring Regan back so she and Adrian can fight more and I can intervene with lighthearted comedy. Honestly I love problems and drama, sign me up pls. 

LILY

Hi! So I don't know what I'm doing playing two games cause it ain't my style but I'm trying. So far I really like jake on my tribe because he is also a Michigander and that makes you awesome. I also like will a lot but he isn't on my tribe sooooo. Yeah. Also I suck at Spanish. So yeah.

AUSTIN

I know nobody on my tribe. So far I want to work with Willow and Dana!! Honestly I'll probably be the first boot but my goal is to make the tribe swap I guess. I know Lexi ribbons and Jake I hope I play with them :)

WILLA

Dana is a lesbian? oh cool

JAIDEN

I have nothing to tell the world about my experience... yet.

MICHEAL

Dana is a lesbian which is not a suprise i mean have you seen her profile pic anyway in the game i made no connections i know what a great way to start the game but tonight i plan on making them

NICHOLAS

KAI

WOOO! WE WOOONNNN! That's pretty awesome!

RREGAN (That’s how she spelled it in the confessional hehe)

im perfect ill send one after bbhell ty

ASHTON

Well ugh life is good. This game on the other hand I have no idea what's going on. I've talked to richie cuz i knew him already but that's about it. Overall i'm happy im not gonna be first boot but pretty sure i'll be gone soon lol

RICHIE

who am i if i dont start off the game with my first confessional saying "i hate this fucking tribe!!!!!!!!" i've been out doing things for the last 3 days so i havent gotten a chance to do anything or really talk to anyone but i just played the duolingo immunity challenge before i went to sleep and when i was on the bus and train going to my friends lmao i didnt realize that i was the only one who was actually putting effort into it and thats sad because i really didnt play much but i guess the rest of my tribe is just full of flops!!! ashton i played with before we didnt talk much and we voted for eachother but i like them hope we can talk kai i talked to a little but like..... that needs to be worked on michael is the biggest flop ive ever met they are perfect first boot material if i leave before them i'm never playing another game and nicolas seems cool thats it! uneventful first week my social game is weak nothing happened not much to report but whew

KYLE

this host sucks

NICHOLAS

hello i am excited for this game but my tribe is dry as fuck besides richie 

[snipsnsnailsnwerewolftales]

Bloodlines - Part 1

A/N: Based off of the song “Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots, this will be a multichapter fic with either a lyric being a chapter title, or the headers to break down the thought process of the chapter. None of the lyrics are mine, and they are all in bold - Again, I do not claim to own them, all credit where credit is due.

I do not own Teen Wolf or it’s characters. Sadly.

Word Count: 2,500 (Not including lyrics.)

Warnings: None that I know of.

Beautiful people who helped me when I came to them with this crazy idea and said to run with it: @wheresthekillswitch @obsessed-withthe-hales @aworldmadeforme @life-what-life-i-dont-have-one

Coming back to Beacon Hills was supposed to be uneventful. Yet somehow, you are now stuck in the middle of two worlds you didn’t even know existed yesterday. Now between both worlds, but not belonging to either, you try to forge your own way, finding out that some ties are stronger than bloodlines.

Xxx

All my friends are heathens. Take it slow

First day back to school and you were late. Great. Running in just as the bell rang, you paused for just a second to look down at the slip of paper that had your locker number scrawled on it, looking back up quickly to scan the nearby numbers until you landed on yours. Jogging down the familiar hallways, you stopped in front of the locker designated to you, sighing as you swung it’s blue door open, smirking at the creak of protest it gave at the motion. Believe me, I agree with you, you grinned as you had an internal conversation with the cubby hole. That’s the exact noise I made when my alarm went off today.

The locker door to your left that had been wide open and obscuring the person rifling through it’s contents with muttered curses just a second ago slammed shut, and you were brought face to face with your new locker mate.

It took a moment, both of you blinking repeatedly in shock until you finally found your voice again. “Stiles?” It was smaller than you intended, disbelieving, but happy.

His eyes wide, your old friend stared at you blankly for a moment too long before shaking his head, a grin climbing up his face. “Y/N?” His voice mirrored your own.

The two of you were just smiling like idiots, unable to do much of anything else, staring at one another. He had been your best friend, after all. Even after falling out of touch a few months back, you shared the type of bond you could pick right back up where you left off with minimal effort.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked finally, scratching the back of his head in what looked like nerves. “I thought you moved-”

“We did, yeah. But dad got a call from your dad- er, the Sheriff, sorry, and said they had some openings as of recently, and could really use someone who knew the area. You know how my dad is in those woods, and my mom missed her old home town too much, so, tada!” You smiled wide, holding your hands out to the side with a flourish on the last word.

“Do you know anything in particular he was called back for?”

You raised your eyebrows at Stiles’ sudden intensity and interest. “Um, something about animal attacks? You know my parents,” you rolled your eyes with a chuckle. “Just wait, pretty soon my mom will have a petition to help the animal, catch it humanely, maybe even keep it in a zoo, and my dad will be leading the rangers through the woods tracking the darn thing, wanting to do the exact opposite.” Huffing out a laugh, you looked at your shoes as you spoke. “Beacon Hills is about to get very interesting.” You looked up at your friend through your lashes, keeping your face down to hide from the figurative embarrassment you were already beginning to feel from their impending antics. “They won’t know how to handle my family.”

Smiling a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes, and even seemed somewhat sad, Stiles hummed in what sounded like agreement. “Well, Beacon Hills has changed a lot since you have been here. One more family with old blood can’t do too much damage. Seems the only sane people these days are the people with roots already in this town….”

“Nothing ever happens here! Did Hell freeze over? Did I miss some zombie apocalypse that has left this town one of the only surviving cities? Or was it even more drastic?” You gasped playfully, reaching a hand out to put on his forearm. “What, did Lydia Martin finally give you the time of day?”

He laughed softly at this, patting your hand on his arm before playfully shoving it away, looking over your shoulder distractedly. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Turning to see what he was looking at, you saw another familiar face, Scott McCall, standing in the doorway of the entrance of the school, door propped slightly open as he gestured Stiles over while the warning bell rang again. “Skipping already, Stilinski?” You looked back to your friend in front of you, one eyebrow cocked sarcastically.

“Ah, no- Yeah- Wait.” He looked back to you, holding a finger up to Scott asking for just a second. You had to bite back a laugh as you heard the grunt of impatient frustration from the doorway behind you. “We have a free period, and Scott likes to get to the donut shop before it closes, really, it’s an addiction of his, it’s horrible, powdered sugar everywhere, we may have to have an intervention soon, but anyway, only I have a car….”

He was rambling, not bothering to take a breath, which meant he was up to no good, and it made you smile. Picking up right where you left off.

Looking back at Scott with a smile, he waved at you gently, looking at you curiously, like he couldn’t quite place you. “He doesn’t look like he is having a problem with pastries.” He was in damn near perfect shape, if you were being honest.

“Metabolism thing….” Stiles said offhandedly, waving his friend off again as he gestured to Stiles more urgently, and you could picture the eyeroll that must have accompanied the grunt Scott let out yet again. “Look,” he said seriously, turning back to you, and putting a hand on your shoulder, which you turned to look at questioningly before meeting his serious gaze with one of your own. “I think I know why your dad was called in. I can’t explain right now, but Beacon Hills is way different than when you left. Please, for my sake, try not to talk to anyone unless you have to, and meet me after school. Our old hangout spot. I’ll try to explain.”

You chuckled. Surely he couldn’t be serious. “Stiles, that’s a little extreme-”

“I’m just trying to keep you safe. Trust me.”

You studied his face before nodding once gently. “Okay.”

You watched as he jogged toward Scott who was now completely out the door, mumbling about ‘finally’, before you couldn’t help yourself. “Why can’t I talk to people if this is all about animal attacks?”

Stiles stopped in his tracks and turned to face you. “Because the world is full of lunatics.” And then he was gone, leaving you alone, confused, and seriously questioning too many things.

Wait for them to ask you who you know

You were waiting at the coffee house after school for Stiles when the man approached you. He had a black leather jacket, and dark denim jeans. Honestly, he looked like a bad guy in a movie, and you would have made some sarcastic remark had he not pulled out a badge to show you that he worked with your father. “You’re the new guy’s kid, right? Y/N?”

“Yes, sir, but you’d be better off asking my dad anything you need to know, seeing as he hasn’t told me much of anything.” Something felt off, his smile a bit too broad.

“I just wanted to get to know a little bit about his background, you know? Make a good first impression. It’s not everyday we get transfers.”

You cleared your throat, nodding with a small smile just to keep the creepy dude calm. “Well, uh, all I have heard in bits and pieces is something about animal attacks, and how they needed his tracking skills to find whatever is doing this. They kept referring to it as ‘packs’, so I guess they are looking for some kind of wolf, or dog, or…. I don’t know. Like I said, officer, I only hear a little every now and then, you really should just ask him, he doesn’t bite, I promise.”

The man nodded, gesturing to your cup of coffee you were fiddling with. “Thanks. Enjoy your coffee.”

He wasn’t gone two seconds before Stiles slid into the seat opposite you, startling you. “Why were you talking to them?”

“Geeze, Stiles! Hello to you, too!” You put a hand over your heart. “I’m beginning to think coffee was a bad idea.”

“What did he want?” Stiles pressed, and both of you being children of law enforcement, you knew his concern and sighed.

“It was just a friendly coffee, Stiles.” You fiddled with your cup some more, spinning it clockwise absently as you watched your friend. “Why?”

“He didn’t seem off to you?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, he was dressed like a comic book villain, but he had a badge, so I can’t really argue with that in the middle of the coffee shop. Especially if he is not who he says he is, because then, if I ‘resist’ and get ‘arrested’ by ‘Officer NoGoode’,” Stiles snorted at the name you gave, “I could end up who knows where.” You studied him a moment longer. “He wanted some information about my dad, and I told him all I knew which is something about animal attacks, and something about packs, so-”

“Wait, you told him all that?!” Stiles was wide eyed.

“Yeah! I don’t see what the problem is!” You slumped back in your seat. “And I would really appreciate it if you wouldn’t keep me in the dark here, Stiles! We both grew up with cops for a dad. You know what it’s like to be afraid each time they go to work, or are late coming home, or when weirdo guys with badges come and question you before your dad’s first day.”

Stiles sighed, holding his head in his hand for a moment before nodding in consent, turning so he cradled his temple in his palm, elbow resting on the table to support his head as he met your gaze. “They are dangerous, and they don’t like my friends…. Just….. Next time wait for me, yeah?”

You nodded, knowing this was the best you were going to get. “Yeah.”

Please don’t make any sudden moves

Stiles wasn’t answering his phone, so you hacked into his GPS and got an address. You rolled your eyes. Of course he was in an abandoned building. Where else would he be? Not lacrosse practice.

Sliding the door open to the top room in the abandoned warehouse where you heard voices coming from behind, you stopped in your tracks.

The whole room froze. Vaguely you registered this was a loft, filled with several of your classmates including Lydia and Stiles, and a few other faces you had seen talking to Stiles earlier in the day in the halls. The main thing was the action in the center of the room, where Scott was being held close in a tight grip of one fist in his shirt, the other guy using his height to his advantage and bending down close to Scott’s face.

What you weren’t expecting was for that man’s face to turn toward you and it be a face you recognized. “Derek?”

“Y/N?” He sounded like he’d seen a ghost.

“Y/N!” Stiles proclaimed loudly, coming over to you and trying to pull you out of the loft.

“Stiles, no!” You tried to yank your arm free of his grip, pulling your way back into the space. “I want to see-” You made one step back over the threshold before you were cut short by the faces of your classmates you still didn’t have names to morphing into something with glowing eyes of all different shades, fangs growing past their lips as a few growls slipped by, too, and claws extending from their fingertips.

Stiles stumbled in to get in front of you, slowly backing you back out of the loft, his shoes squeaking on the cement floor. “She’s a friend, guys! Whoa! Cage the fangs!” He sounded so nonchalant.

“What…. The….Hell….” You had no other words.

“Stiles, get her out of here!” You heard Derek say. “I’ll deal with them.” Suddenly his eyes were glowing, too, bright blue, and he released Scott, who had glowing red eyes. The two of them turned to the others, letting out a loud roar, Derek having to hold back a few challengers, but Scott only had to send them a warning growl for them to stop.

Packs. Animal attacks. This was all making sense.

Stiles started backing up again slowly, reaching an arm back to make sure you were still there. “Y/N, just stay behind me. We need to talk. …..Away from their territory.”

You don’t know the half of the abuse

“Being a werewolf sounds awesome!” You smiled, setting your coffee cup down rather forcefully.

“No more of this for you,” Derek mumbled, reaching from his spot across the table and lifting the coffee cup away from you, setting it on the empty table behind them.

Stiles sighed. “Y/N, yeah there are perks, but…. It’s a curse for a reason.”

Derek grunted. “It’s a gift, not a curse.”

“Oh, bite me,” Stiles snapped back.

Scott massaged the spot between his eyes as he sighed. “It’s both you guys, okay? Like so many things, it has it’s perks, and it’s downsides. Like your dad’s being cops. Sure, we get law enforcement, great. But it’s a high risk job, and it comes with dangers that could otherwise be avoided.”

“Did you just finish your practice essay for the test during English today?” You asked Scott after a moment.

“Yeah, why?” Scott seemed hesitant.

“That was the most diplomatic and put together thing I have ever heard you say.”

“Oh, shut up,” he lightly pushed your shoulder. “Now I remember why I didn’t miss you.”

“Ouch,” you said, hand held to your heart in mock insult.

The two of you had always been like this. You only really knew one another because of Stiles, but there was a friendship there, hidden in quips and jabs.

“Derek, why did you never tell me?”

Derek opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Stiles. “Why did you never tell us you knew Derek Hale?”

You shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important.”

Trying once again to respond, this time Derek let a loud breath out through his nose when Scott interrupted. “Wait. You’re a year older than us, right? You stayed back a year for family reasons, or something….”

“Yeah….” You raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Please don’t tell me you two dated. It feels like Derek has dated half the town. That we know of.”

You laughed loudly at the death glare Derek sent Scott’s way. “Our families were friends.”

You nodded, realization hitting you like a ton of bricks. “I’m sorry about your family! Laura, Cora, Peter-”

“Thank you,” Derek cut in. “Cora actually made it, I found out a bit ago, and as for Peter…. No need to be sorry-”

Suddenly someone sat next to you at the table, arm around the back of your chair casually. “Now what are you apologizing for on my behalf this time, Derek?” You heard a voice you hadn’t heard in years.

“Peter?”

He grinned maniacally. “The one and only.”

Xxx

Tags: @palaiasaurus64 @evyiione @trashy-for-teen-wolf What’s this?