#netflix got two for the price of one

[flythesail]

I think a lot of what people were saying happened "too early" in s2 of shadow & bone was really the writers saying s3 is unlikely, so this is our chance to give everyone some of what would be to come :(

[cleolinda]

I’ve read a few of the umpteen thousand upset comments about the paid Watcher service, and I’ve read comments angry about the upset comments. There’s one thing I want to point out, and it’s that this isn’t, or shouldn’t be, “You’re saying people don’t deserve to earn money for their work.”

The Watcher guys do deserve to earn money. I already give them money. I give them $5 a month on Patreon, not because I think they do or don’t give me $5 worth of media, but because I want to support them. I canceled Netflix for pissing me off with its price hike/ad tier, but I give Watcher Entertainment money.

They’re saying now that the Patreon will be solely about the podcasts, and they understand if people leave. I’m perfectly happy to switch the support I can afford to the streaming service. With the early adopter 30% discount, I’d actually save money. In fact, I tried to subscribe, but the site didn’t work.

Watcher wanting to profit from their shows isn’t the problem. It’s that they’re now discovering that their fanbase is young and broke in a terrible economy, judging by tens of thousands of comments on multiple platforms. I can throw them $5/month, so I do. But the Patreon only has (checks notes) 5874 paying followers, and there’s a reason for that. $60/year upfront would not be “accessible.” Patreon is literally patronage from the people who can afford it.

If the guys had said up front, “ONLY new shows and episodes will be exclusive to the service,” I think we’d be having a different conversation right now. But at first they did say, “We’re pulling all our content from YouTube,” to the point where Variety had to issue an update. Like, that’s in print and I’m pretty sure it was on video. Now they’ve backtracked to ONLY new etc.—but most people haven’t heard, and they feel crushed. And the trust is probably gone regardless.

So now four years of back catalogue will stay public. And now, you’re paying $6.99 a month for one episode, maybe two, of something a week, and now, not an exclusive back catalogue. I would pay for Watcher shows before I’d pay for anyone else, but I just don’t think the company is big enough yet for a SVOD at that price. They’re not Dropout size. They needed to build more programming and get a higher follower count first, or at the very least, charge less.

The international price/exchange rate situation is a nightmare and I don’t know what it is they’re not doing to make it… not… be like that.

I don’t know what they should have done instead of a full streaming service, but surely there were alternatives? I’ve seen comments from people suggesting they GET a Patreon. Lean on that more! Do the shows exclusive for a month and then let them roll onto YouTube! I don’t know! Anything but One More Fucking Streaming Service, which enraged me, and I was willing to move my support to it!

And I shouldn’t say this, but I will. In the “Goodbye YouTube” video the guys posted, they say that setting up the streaming service has allowed Steven to do a remake of Worth It where he and his cohosts travel the world and eat expensive food. This is the first new show they announce. Not “We have always been committed to diversity and we’re now able to bring on new creator(s) to expand our programming.” No, a redo of an old show that by definition has got to be expensive. Commenters are saying they can’t pay for the streaming service because they can’t make ends meet in this economy. The optics are terrible. I genuinely question what the thought process even was here.

I love the guys and I still watch their shows. I want to see Watcher succeed. I started watching Buzzfeed Unsolved in 2018 while recovering from surgery—as with a lot of people, their shows got me through a tough time. I’m as attached as anyone. If I can continue to afford monthly support—this is not a certainty—I’ll give it to them. I’m not a ~hater who doesn’t want Watcher to make money. But I am absolutely BAFFLED by every single decision here. I want them to figure out how to turn this around and go in a better direction, because right now, this ain’t it.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Big Tech disrupted disruption

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/08/permanent-overlords/#republicans-want-to-defund-the-police

Before "disruption" turned into a punchline, it was a genuinely exciting idea. Using technology, we could connect people to one another and allow them to collaborate, share, and cooperate to make great things happen.

It's easy (and valid) to dismiss the "disruption" of Uber, which "disrupted" taxis and transit by losing $31b worth of Saudi royal money in a bid to collapse the world's rival transportation system, while quietly promising its investors that it would someday have pricing power as a monopoly, and would attain profit through price-gouging and wage-theft.

Uber's disruption story was wreathed in bullshit: lies about the "independence" of its drivers, about the imminence of self-driving taxis, about the impact that replacing buses and subways with millions of circling, empty cars would have on traffic congestion. There were and are plenty of problems with traditional taxis and transit, but Uber magnified these problems, under cover of "disrupting" them away.

But there are other feats of high-tech disruption that were and are genuinely transformative – Wikipedia, GNU/Linux, RSS, and more. These disruptive technologies altered the balance of power between powerful institutions and the businesses, communities and individuals they dominated, in ways that have proven both beneficial and durable.

When we speak of commercial disruption today, we usually mean a tech company disrupting a non-tech company. Tinder disrupts singles bars. Netflix disrupts Blockbuster. Airbnb disrupts Marriott.

But the history of "disruption" features far more examples of tech companies disrupting other tech companies: DEC disrupts IBM. Netscape disrupts Microsoft. Google disrupts Yahoo. Nokia disrupts Kodak, sure – but then Apple disrupts Nokia. It's only natural that the businesses most vulnerable to digital disruption are other digital businesses.

And yet…disruption is nowhere to be seen when it comes to the tech sector itself. Five giant companies have been running the show for more than a decade. A couple of these companies (Apple, Microsoft) are Gen-Xers, having been born in the 70s, then there's a couple of Millennials (Amazon, Google), and that one Gen-Z kid (Facebook). Big Tech shows no sign of being disrupted, despite the continuous enshittification of their core products and services. How can this be? Has Big Tech disrupted disruption itself?

That's the contention of "Coopting Disruption," a new paper from two law profs: Mark Lemley (Stanford) and Matthew Wansley (Yeshiva U):

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4713845

The paper opens with a review of the literature on disruption. Big companies have some major advantages: they've got people and infrastructure they can leverage to bring new products to market more cheaply than startups. They've got existing relationships with suppliers, distributors and customers. People trust them.

Diversified, monopolistic companies are also able to capture "involuntary spillovers": when Google spends money on AI for image recognition, it can improve Google Photos, YouTube, Android, Search, Maps and many other products. A startup with just one product can't capitalize on these spillovers in the same way, so it doesn't have the same incentives to spend big on R&D.

Finally, big companies have access to cheap money. They get better credit terms from lenders, they can float bonds, they can tap the public markets, or just spend their own profits on R&D. They can also afford to take a long view, because they're not tied to VCs whose funds turn over every 5-10 years. Big companies get cheap money, play a long game, pay less to innovate and get more out of innovation.

But those advantages are swamped by the disadvantages of incumbency, all the various curses of bigness. Take Arrow's "replacement effect": new companies that compete with incumbents drive down the incumbents' prices and tempt their customers away. But an incumbent that buys a disruptive new company can just shut it down, and whittle down its ideas to "sustaining innovation" (small improvements to existing products), killing "disruptive innovation" (major changes that make the existing products obsolete).

Arrow's Replacement Effect also comes into play before a new product even exists. An incumbent that allows a rival to do R&D that would eventually disrupt its product is at risk; but if the incumbent buys this pre-product, R&D-heavy startup, it can turn the research to sustaining innovation and defund any disruptive innovation.

Arrow asks us to look at the innovation question from the point of view of the company as a whole. Clayton Christensen's "Innovator's Dilemma" looks at the motivations of individual decision-makers in large, successful companies. These individuals don't want to disrupt their own business, because that will render some part of their own company obsolete (perhaps their own division!). They also don't want to radically change their customers' businesses, because those customers would also face negative effects from disruption.

A startup, by contrast, has no existing successful divisions and no giant customers to safeguard. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain from disruption. Where a large company has no way for individual employees to initiate major changes in corporate strategy, a startup has fewer hops between employees and management. What's more, a startup that rewards an employee's good idea with a stock-grant ties that employee's future finances to the outcome of that idea – while a giant corporation's stock bonuses are only incidentally tied to the ideas of any individual worker.

Big companies are where good ideas go to die. If a big company passes on its employees' cool, disruptive ideas, that's the end of the story for that idea. But even if 100 VCs pass on a startup's cool idea and only one VC funds it, the startup still gets to pursue that idea. In startup land, a good idea gets lots of chances – in a big company, it only gets one.

Given how innately disruptable tech companies are, given how hard it is for big companies to innovate, and given how little innovation we've gotten from Big Tech, how is it that the tech giants haven't been disrupted?

The authors propose a four-step program for the would-be Tech Baron hoping to defend their turf from disruption.

First, gather information about startups that might develop disruptive technologies and steer them away from competing with you, by investing in them or partnering with them.

Second, cut off any would-be competitor's supply of resources they need to develop a disruptive product that challenges your own.

Third, convince the government to pass regulations that big, established companies can comply with but that are business-killing challenges for small competitors.

Finally, buy up any company that resists your steering, succeeds despite your resource war, and escapes the compliance moats of regulation that favors incumbents.

Then: kill those companies.

The authors proceed to show that all four tactics are in play today. Big Tech companies operate their own VC funds, which means they get a look at every promising company in the field, even if they don't want to invest in them. Big Tech companies are also awash in money and their "rival" VCs know it, and so financial VCs and Big Tech collude to fund potential disruptors and then sell them to Big Tech companies as "aqui-hires" that see the disruption neutralized.

On resources, the authors focus on data, and how companies like Facebook have explicit policies of only permitting companies they don't see as potential disruptors to access Facebook data. They reproduce internal Facebook strategy memos that divide potential platform users into "existing competitors, possible future competitors, [or] developers that we have alignment with on business models." These categories allow Facebook to decide which companies are capable of developing disruptive products and which ones aren't. For example, Amazon – which doesn't compete with Facebook – is allowed to access FB data to target shoppers. But Messageme, a startup, was cut off from Facebook as soon as management perceived them as a future rival. Ironically – but unsurprisingly – Facebook spins these policies as pro-privacy, not anti-competitive.

These data policies cast a long shadow. They don't just block existing companies from accessing the data they need to pursue disruptive offerings – they also "send a message" to would-be founders and investors, letting them know that if they try to disrupt a tech giant, they will have their market oxygen cut off before they can draw breath. The only way to build a product that challenges Facebook is as Facebook's partner, under Facebook's direction, with Facebook's veto.

Next, regulation. Starting in 2019, Facebook started publishing full-page newspaper ads calling for regulation. Someone ghost-wrote a Washington Post op-ed under Zuckerberg's byline, arguing the case for more tech regulation. Google, Apple, OpenAI other tech giants have all (selectively) lobbied in favor of many regulations. These rules covered a lot of ground, but they all share a characteristic: complying with them requires huge amounts of money – money that giant tech companies can spare, but potential disruptors lack.

Finally, there's predatory acquisitions. Mark Zuckerberg, working without the benefit of a ghost writer (or in-house counsel to review his statements for actionable intent) has repeatedly confessed to buying companies like Instagram to ensure that they never grow to be competitors. As he told one colleague, "I remember your internal post about how Instagram was our threat and not Google+. You were basically right. The thing about startups though is you can often acquire them.”

All the tech giants are acquisition factories. Every successful Google product, almost without exception, is a product they bought from someone else. By contrast, Google's own internal products typically crash and burn, from G+ to Reader to Google Videos. Apple, meanwhile, buys 90 companies per year – Tim Apple brings home a new company for his shareholders more often than you bring home a bag of groceries for your family. All the Big Tech companies' AI offerings are acquisitions, and Apple has bought more AI companies than any of them.

Big Tech claims to be innovating, but it's really just operationalizing. Any company that threatens to disrupt a tech giant is bought, its products stripped of any really innovative features, and the residue is added to existing products as a "sustaining innovation" – a dot-release feature that has all the innovative disruption of rounding the corners on a new mobile phone.

The authors present three case-studies of tech companies using this four-point strategy to forestall disruption in AI, VR and self-driving cars. I'm not excited about any of these three categories, but it's clear that the tech giants are worried about them, and the authors make a devastating case for these disruptions being disrupted by Big Tech.

What do to about it? If we like (some) disruption, and if Big Tech is enshittifying at speed without facing dethroning-by-disruption, how do we get the dynamism and innovation that gave us the best of tech?

The authors make four suggestions.

First, revive the authorities under existing antitrust law to ban executives from Big Tech companies from serving on the boards of startups. More broadly, kill interlocking boards altogether. Remember, these powers already exist in the lawbooks, so accomplishing this goal means a change in enforcement priorities, not a new act of Congress or rulemaking. What's more, interlocking boards between competing companies are illegal per se, meaning there's no expensive, difficult fact-finding needed to demonstrate that two companies are breaking the law by sharing directors.

Next: create a nondiscrimination policy that requires the largest tech companies that share data with some unaffiliated companies to offer data on the same terms to other companies, except when they are direct competitors. They argue that this rule will keep tech giants from choking off disruptive technologies that make them obsolete (rather than competing with them).

On the subject of regulation and compliance moats, they have less concrete advice. They counsel lawmakers to greet tech giants' demands to be regulated with suspicion, to proceed with caution when they do regulate, and to shape regulation so that it doesn't limit market entry, by keeping in mind the disproportionate burdens regulations put on established giants and small new companies. This is all good advice, but it's more a set of principles than any kind of specific practice, test or procedure.

Finally, they call for increased scrutiny of mergers, including mergers between very large companies and small startups. They argue that existing law (Sec 2 of the Sherman Act and Sec 7 of the Clayton Act) both empower enforcers to block these acquisitions. They admit that the case-law on this is poor, but that just means that enforcers need to start making new case-law.

I like all of these suggestions! We're certainly enjoying a more activist set of regulators, who are more interested in Big Tech, than we've seen in generations.

But they are grossly under-resourced even without giving them additional duties. As Matt Stoller points out, "the DOJ's Antitrust Division has fewer people enforcing anti-monopoly laws in a $24 trillion economy than the Smithsonian Museum has security guards."

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/congressional-republicans-to-defund

What's more, Republicans are trying to slash their budgets even further. The American conservative movement has finally located a police force they're eager to defund: the corporate police who defend us all from predatory monopolies.

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[newkatzkafe2023]

B**ch I Just found out about the Jéssica Rabbit ask and now I'm wondering... How the f*ck no one yet asked for a Wukongs X (Y/N) Morticia Addams X Gomes Addams??? (Anjelica Huston & Raul Julia incarnation)

I mean It literally! Can you imagine? Wukong don't have only one hot goth-horror partner but **two** goth-horror hot partnets! They are teasing, they are flirting, they are romantic! I mean, HOW woul the Wukongs react with such intense affection from two people at the same time?

Oh boi NONE of Buddha's Forced Teachings will ever prepare him for the BI-PANIC he will receive From both😳🤯

(Lmk Wukong) Noooooooooo because you right he Fairly survives you, but now he has to deal with your boyfriend Gomez!!! the man would Romance Circles around him!!!! Gomez will have many pet names for him in many languages, and you would translate so he would understand. Then don't get me started on the cuddle parties as you would purr in a gentle tone, and Gomez would kiss him on his paw and up his arm. If it wasn't for his immortality, Wukong would be dead by now for all you guys teasing.

(HIB Wukong) WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO HIM?!?!?😆 he would have met you after the fight with Hun Dun and his army, and what got his attention was that you caught Luier when he was knocked off the cliff. You ask him, "Is this little boy yours dear?? Which he was grateful for and said yes, but then he noticed that silly girl was missing, and that's when your boyfriend at the time, Gomez, stepped in, holding silly girl Securely in his arms. Wukong was grateful to both of you but wondered what both your attentions were, and he was quick to learn them. He didn't expect Gomez to flirt and attack him with nicknames while receiving cuddles and weird gifts from you. Oh man, This was a trap wasn't it😮

(NR Wukong) He still refuses to this day to admit that Gomez had him blushing a lot. He was flirting with you at a club first as you were a hot goth lady. He was trying to woo you over, but a few minutes later, a just as hot goth man came and out flirts him speechless. Then you introduce Gomez, your boyfriend, to him, and you both flirt and romance him with drinks and pet names, and you have then have the nerve to tease him. Man, he did not expect any of this tonight, and he's now wondering if this was a good idea in of itself.

(MKR Wukong) You and Gomez would be his to hot goth cheerleaders, always cheering him on in his battles. The two of you would even join him in the fight to aid him and offer assistance since he couldn't be having fun by himself😆. He normally expects affection from you, but then comes Gomez, your boyfriend, and he was head over heels in love with Wukong. Wukong was buffering terribly as Gomez didn't waste time romancing him, which he didn't expect. He would be in so much unknown territory that it wouldn't be funny anymore.

(Netflix Wukong) He doesn't know how any of this happened. I mean, he tends to get into all sorts of trouble, but none of it ever lends him to really hot goth. Slightly-older demons. Wukong would at first bask in your attention and care as he should. Then he goes and meets your just as hot boyfriend Gomez, and he's back to being confused and wondering if you were some kind of honey trap. In the end, he had 2 for the price of one as you and Gomez romance, teasing and smothering him in love.

FEEL FREE TO REBLOG🌹🗡

[callmearcturus]

@vmprsm replied to your post “Raw MKV rip of Mission Impossible: Fallout:...”:

Theoretically, if one wanted their own copies of the MI movies safely on a hard drive....where would one go?

​I mean, there is a site where you can acquire a lot of movies via torrent. I tend to use (rot13) 1337k.gb and I got a heavily discounted Windscribe VPN subscription that I use on almost all of my devices.

But my thing is that... I want commentary reels and special features, and sometimes you'll download a movie but the fucking subtitles are either bad or they become desynced over time and I haaaaate it.

So I've been gathering bits and pieces over the past year to get a Plex system going in my house and it works like a fucking DREAM. But it requires some investment. If you just want to have a few local copies of your favorite movies, this is way overkill. But me, I am canceling all of my family's streaming services and pivoting to our Plex.

So what I have for actually getting the files:

I don't have this model but it's similar to this, a Pioneer External Blu-ray Reader. It sits on a little shelf and is connected to my PC by a USB cable. (I think I got mine for around 68 bucks so you can wait for a sale.)

I use MakeMKV which will rip the big honking raw files from a Blu-ray and leave them as matroshka (.mkv) files.

Because these raw files are ENORMOUS, I compress them in Handbrake. Handbrake is wildly powerful, can convert file formats and make them super small. I have my Handbrake set up special to dump all the non-English language subtitles and audio tracks to save space.

(SUPER BONUS TIP FOR HANDBRAKE: If you have a dedicated GPU, you can give Handbrake permission to use it, and it'll compress shit literally 10x faster, love it.)

At the moment, I am using a Western Digital portable 5TB external harddrive because it was one sale and I couldn't beat the price. Eventually, I want to upgrade to two 10TB HDDs so I can keep a full backup of everything I'm ripping. Because this is a bit of a time and energy commitment and I don't wanna lose all my progress here!

At first I was running Plex off my desktop PC and that worked totally fine, but my family hates having to touch my desktop to wake it up every time, so I very recently grabbed one of these guys:

This is a Beelink Mini PC S12 Pro. It is small enough to fit in my hand but it is a speedy little demon that runs Windows 11. (And eventually I am gonna use it to firewall out ads from our entire home network, I'm pumped for that project but ANYWAY.)

The upside of these mini boys is that instead of being a hefty workhorse like my main computer, this is small and has a low-power draw.

So I moved my Plex Media Server to the mini PC, plugged in my 5TB drive of movies, and now everyone in the house can easily stream anything I have added to the library.

This is what it looks like, if you're curious. Any device in the house that runs Plex and is signed in can select any movie or TV show I have and just watch it like it was Netflix or something.

A month ago, I has like.... 65 movies? Now I'm ripping a few and we're gonna break 100 soon.

"But Arc, where do you get so many blurays!"

My local library.

When I lived in Broward County, FL, I had an extravagantly wonderful library system. Tax dollars at fucking WORK, y'all. Now I live in Georgia and the library system is not nearly as good, but I have still gotten my hands on a frankly ridiculous amount of blurays. Every week I'm picking up 3 to 10 movies or shows, taking them home, making good copies, and returning them.

All of this is an investment and it is work. But as someone who built my computer, built my keyboard, cracked my 3DS and PS Vita-- this is fun to me! This is what I love to do. And through doing it, I've seen more movies in the past year than the last ten years put together.

So yeah, I can't recommend this to everyone, but if you wanna get out of your subscriptions and to just have high quality shit on demand, this is what I'm doing.

Cannot stress this enough tho, if this seems interesting to you: wait for sales. All the components here go on steep sale if you wait patiently. Take your time assembling the parts and keep in mind that shit is modular, you can upgrade parts later.

[athena-studios]

ָ࣪ 𓏲⋆.ָ࣪ 𓏲⋆.ָ࣪ 𓏲⋆.

treasure.

Simon Riley + preteen!daughter

tw: none(?)

a/n: im basically writing what i wanna read. honorary mention to @chaosandmarigolds for giving a bit o' help:) pretty long, don't know how many words but probably around 1k?

this idea has been in my head for AGES now, so glad i finally wrote it💗

Simon's girlfriend died. the 141 knew that. his girlfriend died that night along with the rest of his family. except for his one singular gem that he treasures the most. you, his daughter that the killers that night did not see nor hear because you were at the neighbor's house. that was when you were 5 years old, since then, Simon has done everything in his power to protect you. even as far as not telling anyone but Laswell about you.

you're now 12 years old. having gone through alot already, you're more mature and sassy than most of your peers. which leads you to this situation...

you were on the couch with your laptop open when you hear a knock. you walk to the door and open it to be greeted with three bulky men, one looking seemingly older than the other two.

the one on the middle has a...Fishers hat? he also has a beard, which is, what you assume, makes him appear older. "this dude could be a grandpa..." you thought.

the one to your left has a weird mohawk. yeah, thats all you can say about him. the one on the other side looks more tolerable, but his cap does wanna make you laugh your ass in front of him for it.

"Hi, who are you?" the grandp— the one in the middle asks. "I'm sorry, shouldn't i be asking you that? there are three, large, bulky men on my doorstep. none of which who are familiar to me." you replied, in your sassy voice, ofcourse.

your dad told you not to talk to strangers, they're strangers, aren't they?

"sorry—I'm Johnny, but i prefer to be called soap. this is John and Kyle. now can we know what yer name is, bonnie?" Johnny speaks up. you scoff. "fine. its y/n. y/n riley. that's all I'm telling you. and what the hell kinda name is soap?"

at that, the three of them glance at eachother in both shock and confusion. "what?" you ask. "your last name's Riley?" Gaz asks. "yeah, what about it?" you cross your arms, getting slightly defensive.

behind their back, you see your dad's truck pull up the driveway, the three men in front of you also noticing. you speed-walk to your dad and point to the three men. "Dad, these guys are tryin' to kidnap me." you say nonchalantly. he looks behind you and sees his captain and his two sergeants. "honey, they weren't tryna kidnap you. those guys are my teammates." he says as he walks to the trunk of the car and hands you two grocery bags. "now, bring these inside and I'll talk to 'em. 'kay?" he pats you head as you nod, walking back to the house.

"so, simon. when were ya gon' tell us ye got a daughter?" soap's scottish accent rings out. they glance at simon's balaclava-less face, because they don't usually see him without that damn balaclava, but also because they await a response from him. "to keep her safe...only Laswell knows abou' her. she's the only thing i have left. my treasure." simon clears his throat to ease the silence. "so, why are you guys 'ere anyway?" simon asks.

"i actually came here to ask for advice, and then i saw soap already standing at your door, saying something about a teatime catch-up? but anyway, he called price over, faking that your pipe was broken. and when he came up, we knocked on your door and y/n answered it." as gaz finishes his explanation, you walk back out the door. "so...are you all gonna come in or not? because i didn't stop binge watching heartstopper on netflix for nothing." you say as you chew on a french fry Simon had got for you, per your request.

they all walk in, and take a seat on the couch, Simon quickly preparing drinks for them. as Simon takes a seat next to you, Price speaks up. "so y/n, how old are you?"

"I'm 12." you answer blatantly. "y/n, be nice." your dad whispers to you. "you got any hobbies?" Soap tries to make conversation.

you playfully glare at your dad before answering soap. "i like to play the guitar, i like to paint, and crochet sometimes." you answer again, trying to put a less boring tone to your voice.

it goes like this for a few minutes, everyone just exchanging laughs and conversation. maybe they're not so bad after all...

[princehee]

The Wrong Guy Pt.2 || Lee Heeseung

Pairing: heeseung + fem reader

Warnings: Making out, angst, psycho Hee. Do not continue reading this if you're expecting a happy ending

Synopsis: A wrong swipe on the wrong guy on the dating app made you pay the price

Word Count: 1.3k

As the cab pulled over slowly by the parking lot, you tapped your phone screen again to make sure you arrived at the right location.

It had been only a week since you moved to this town, so you had no other option than resorting to taking a cab to get to your date's place.

Of course, your date, Ethan Lee had offered to pick you up, but you just thought it was a better idea to do some exploring on your own, after all of the nagging you got from your parents for being so dependent while your older sister took care of all her business on her own.

516 B, You whispered to yourself as you got on the elevator and started taking in every detail of your surroundings. Never in your life did you know that an elevator could be that fancy.

No wonder he went to an Ivy league school to be able to afford a place this grand!

You stood right outside his door, a little hesitant to ring the bell. You were excited for sure, but you kept internally screaming at yourself for deciding to meet a random stranger that you barely even spoke to for a few minutes. You started feeling a little queasy, footsteps receding further away from the door.

You texted his address to one of your closest friends from that town to keep tabs on you in case she didn't hear from you in a bit.

What are the chances of me being the inspiration for Netflix's next documentary?

In your five minutes of contemplation, your phone buzzed with another notification.

"You having any trouble finding my apartment?"

"I'm here"

And in less than a minute, you were greeted by the boy who made you cover fifty miles in an unfamiliar town in less than a day's time. Looking at his big, glassy brown eyes and the way his eyebrows rose as if he were in some kind of a worry, made your heart find its peace again. He sure looked just like he did in the photos, the perfect boyfriend material type that you've been searching for in your whole 22 years of life.

You stood there awkwardly blushing away while he confidently extended his hand to pull you in. You had no idea what to say to him, quite contrary to your online persona. But lucky for you, Ethan seemed to have a relaxed composure and a friendly demeanor, and his place seemed welcoming and soothing, your racing heart found its usual pace now.

You stood in the middle of the living room, awestruck by the interior decor, it was definitely like one of those houses they always show on the TV. As you kept looking around, admiring the paintings on the wall, you felt his hand stroking your back gently.

You flinched internally at sudden physical touch, but tried to keep your cool on the outside as you nonchalantly turned around only to be met with his dreamy eyes again, but this time, inches closer...

You couldn't believe how quickly things were escalating between you two, but you couldn't complain.

As his other hand grabbed your back pulling it closer to him, you slid your arms over his neck, ruffling his hair, earning a deep moan from him.

It took him seconds to connect his lips with yours, being gentle all the way through. He remembered you telling him how you'd never been kissed before, so he kept pulling away every five seconds just to check if you were doing okay.

He tried to check one more time, but your hands didn't let him. You pulled him even closer if that was even possible as you two stuck like glue at this point.

His soft lips grazed over your ear, down your neck and you could tell that he was switching from being gentle to rough with each kiss but your mind remained clouded for the most part as he hit your sensitive areas with ease.

One of his hands slid beneath your shirt, resting over the buttons of your pant. You nodded into the kiss and he swiftly started undoing them and pulling the zipper down.

You got out of your pants while still maintaining the physical touch and jumped into his arms.

"Let's take you inside, yeah?"

You responded with a hum and soon enough, you were dropped on his bed, almost whining at the loss of touch but it wasn't long before he hovered over you, touching your forehead with his and picking up from where you left off before.

Your hands grabbed his shirt and rolled it up in an attempt to get it off of him but Ethan sternly held your arms in place, making you stop what you were doing.

"My house, my rules. Okay baby?"

Although his face turned a little serious, his voice remained gentle and soft. You could only nod along and follow his commands - it was as if you were tongue tied and your body went numb.

He got off of you, making your eyebrows raise in suspicion. By the time you could say anything, he was already off the bed, moving closer to one of his drawers.

You tried peeking a glance at what he was doing but his broad shoulders shielded the view, you thought of getting up and seeing for yourself but by the time you almost touched the floor with your feet, Ethan turned around and started walking closer to you.

It was hard to see what he was holding in the dim light but the silvery glare off the metal gave an outline of something that looked like handcuffs.

You scoffed at his choice of pleasure but knew that you had to go with it no matter what, judging from his stern, poised look.

As he inched closer to you, you found yourself moving further away till your back hit the bedrest.

"Be nice, okay?" He spoke softly as he grabbed your hands and cuffed them to the bed. "Good girl" he said before he dipped his face in your tummy, leaving wet kisses and making you moan like a mess.

"Ethan, kiss me" Your voice came out as if you were pleading which turned him on even more.

He brought his lips back to yours and you thanked the heavens for being able to feel him against you again.

His teeth nibbled on your ear and slowly dropped to the strap of your bra, dragging it down and under your shoulder.

As his palm drew circles around your clothed but now wet area, your phone buzzed with a notification, pulling you out of the trance.

You twitched your eyes in an attempt to read the notification but Ethan soon grabbed it and turned it off.

"Hey! What's that about now"? You inadvertently raised your voice at his sudden move.

"I hate to repeat myself but I believe I told you this before. My house, my rules"

And with that, he left you all on your own, shackled to the bed as he walked out of the room with your phone in his hand.

[sgiandubh]

Hi there. I enjoyed your post about Sam’s brand and it got me thinking. I feel like he’s stuck between trying to do what other people tell him he should to “make it” and trying to do it himself. Other people: you’re hot, show it off, do action movies, date blonde floozies. Himself: I want to be a good person and a decent actor, but what if I’m not? Guess I should work a lot, build a non-acting brand just in case I get fired, but try not to pay too many people to market it, I can do that myself; the liquor has the added benefit of getting his name out there and hopefully giving him another income stream if acting goes to shit. Where this all becomes problematic is that he’s not the person others tell him to be, so he comes off as fake, inconsistent, disingenuous, contradictory. I worry though that he can’t break away from these “advisors” because of whatever hole he and caitriona have themselves in with Starz and their bosses. We may not all agree on what happened in 2016 or why, but it’s obvious something did. The difference between them both since then is stark. The light has dimmed. They’ve aged exponentially. They’re guarded. They’re not the effervescent dynamos they started out as. She looks pissed all the time, like she’ll trot Tony out if necessary, but she won’t look like she enjoys it. She’ll go to awards ceremonies, but she won’t look as gorgeous as she easily could. She won’t be their ingenue. I don’t know, I think they’re stuck and are limited in what they can actually do for themselves, as much as they might like to. I can only hope there is an end in sight for them and they can persevere until then!

PS, I watched She Said last night. Highly recommend for anyone who doesn’t think a network executive could or would force their tent pole stars to deny a relationship.

Dear She Said Anon,

I liked your submission so much, I have read it three times in a row (and damn the late hour!). I have very few things to add to your excellent assessment of what I think is a very complicated situation. The proverbial Scottish parsimony could explain the choice of a minimally budgeted, all hands on deck sales and advertising approach. But we are quickly passing this stage and he should seriously think of hiring true professionals, if he really wants to make a financial lifebelt out of SS.

Yes. There's a price to be paid for all the games they are being served to play (and yes, something terrible happened in January 2016, of which we will probably never have the full details). Both of them are now striving to show us they can (scantily, painfully) exist without the magical Other. She, with that colorless, wrist-grabbing, fist-clenching literally dumb person (strictly meaning that we never hear him). He, with that (forgive me, Father, for I am about to sin) questionable, loud and tacky Oriental consigliere (it is high time I should write that paper on the Persia I know and love, lest you or other Anon think I am racist, or something). You can't figure out more opposite add-ons to Those Two, both serving, I believe, the same purpose: to deflect, at all costs, any attention given to the real state of play.

I haven't watched She Said yet and I welcome and thank you for the suggestion. On a lighter note, I trade for it Call My Agent (I have already mentioned this very, very witty French series, dealing with the life in a Parisian talent agency) - it shouldn't be a problem to find it on Netflix.

Good night, Anon. This one below is me thanking you for your trouble and time writing this wonderful post. Just look at Mitsuko Uchida's genuine Joy while playing Beethoven - same energy as Two People We Know, back in 2014, right?

[spamsmcgee]

Hey. Could I request Zhou dating a paramedic student. Anything you can come up at for that please. Only when you get some free time though 😊🫶🏻

Thank you thank you, first request! Anon you hold a special place in my heart. 💕

I went ahead with a paramedic candidate, I have a second idea for this as well, so it may end up being a two for the price of one type thing, stand by.

I apologize for the hold Chicago Fire has on me.

Fc: Hanako Greensmith, who plays Violet in Chicago Fire, please watch it. 😐

Also, Chicago gp early in the season instead of the Vegas gp later, using the Chicago street track.

ynbaybee • Private account

Liked by lilymhe, zhouguanyu24 and others

Ynbaybee Shout out to the man’s for the shots 🫡🫡

Tagged: zhouguanyu24

yourbestieee I tried for three years. A man did it in a week.

zhouguanyu24 I work fast

yourbestieee not fast enough mr. barely p10

ynbaybee That’s too far yourbestieee

lilymhe So been looking forward to catching up 😭😭

ynbaybee Me too bb. You still in town?

zhouguanyu24 🤌🤌

ynbaybee You have such a way with words

Tuesday Morning rolled around. A hectic shift change later and you were on the road back to your apartment. Your PIC’s voice steady through your speakers, detailing every high and low in your performance throughout the past 24 hours.

“Really, you did great,” she said, her soft voice full of the kind of confidence you could draw from.

“Thanks Burkhart,” You said, focused a little more on pulling in to your parking spot, right next to a dark green Aston Martin.

A sore thumb next to your cute little baby blue Hyundai.

The two of you said your goodbyes before hanging up and leaving you to hurry on into your apartment.

“Zhou”

“L/N”

Guanyu had made himself at home, a still warm breakfast on the stove and coffee brewing. It filled your home with a kind of sweet and comfy scent that you would miss once Guanyu hit the road again.

“I have a flight at four tomorrow morning,” he organized two plates as he spoke. Low, but energized. “I wanted to spend some more time with you before I left.”

The two of you settled in to your couch, tucked off into a corner adjacent to your TV, ready with Netflix pulled up.

zhouguanyu24

Liked by pierregasly, ynbaybee and others

zhouguanyu24 points in Chicago, off to Barcelona 🙏🙏

ynbaybee gg brah

zhouguanyu24 you got to watch??

ynbaybee life it uhhh finds a way

f1fannn Zhou soft launch???

Liked by ynbaybee

formulawhat Ayo????

valtteribotas When are you bringing her to a race?

ynbaybee Once I’m not a probie anymore I’m making time 🫡🫡

You woke up with Guanyu, 2:30 in the morning. Too early for breakfast, plenty early for a Redbull.

“I love you, but next time maybe don’t.”

Guanyu rolled his eyes, ever the morning person to your slow moving night owl.

His hand found your waist as the two of you left the apartment, checking pockets for his belongings. You ran through his checklist again before waving your hand for him to get moving again.

The drive to the airport was quiet. While you could never fall asleep too easy in a car, it was still too early to be too talkative. You shifted your attention from the road ahead, to Guanyu. One hand in yours, the other steering.

He stayed just as quiet, not taking his eyes off of the road. Even after full minutes passed I’d you staring as him.

You held his hand in both of yours, running your thumb along his wrist.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, shooting you a glance.

“Next shift we’re having a meeting to determine wether or not I’m staying at the firehouse,” you said, “I’m pretty confident, but still nervous.”

Guanyu had pulled into a parking spot, next to where his team had just arrived moments earlier. He pulled your hands into his.

“They love you,” he squeezed your hands, “Chief Gonzales wouldn’t let you go if he wanted to.”

“Sometimes I think they like you more.”

“They like anyone who will feed them”

The two of you had drifted closer together, everything outside of the car drifted further away. Your hand found itself rested on his cheek, his on your arm.

“I love you,” his voice barely hit a whisper before his lips were on yours. The kind of soft, tame kiss that would never hold you over until his next visit, but it would have to do.

The next kiss just a quick peck, followed by an exchange of “good luck” and Guanyu jumping out of the car and running to catch up with his team. Leaving you alone to make your way back to your apartment. Hopefully to recover some sleep.

zhouguanyu24

Liked by ynbaybee, chicagofirehouse83 and others

zhouguanyu24 my love made it out of her probationary period, definitely Chicago’s finest. 😌😌

formulawhat A Y O??

f1fann Zhou can you fight?

ynbaybee I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am.

fyrefyghter Always knew you were what’s missing zhouguanyu24

zhouguanyu24 what do you want me to bring next time?

fyrefyghter Just your handsome self 🫡

ynbaybee Cruz. Don’t make me get the hose

logansargeant We love our first responders

ynbaybee of course we do. Yee yee lookin

logansargeant cmon I’m being nice

lilymhe For once.

valtteribotas Time for you to start on making that race

ynbaybee Yessir 🫡

[blingblong55]

Hello! I am new to your tumblr, so I would like to give you a request

So the one TF141 had come back from a real rough mission and reader gave them gifts to cheer them up (price and his cigars and ghost and his bourbon) what if that was reversed?

Reader had a solo mission and it was rough and draining and she comes back to the base almost looking lifeless and the 141 boys decided to come up with something for her. Either all together or on their own.

yessss this is what feeds meeee

Antidote- 141

Three days ago you had been assigned to a solo mission. Price would be on comms but all of your skills and training had to be on display. It was by far the toughest mission you've had to yourself, so many hours spent on the woods, hunting. When you encountered the enemy, it was far from being over. For two days you fought. Giving the enemy no rest.

Today everything was over, you eliminated the target and left no witnesses. "let's get you home kid." price's voice over comms interrupted your short nap.

You got back to base around 8 in the morning. The team waited for you at chow hall. But you never showed up. When price went to check on you, you had disappeared from your room. Eventually Gaz spotted you doing drills with some rookies.

Soap and Ghost didn't believe you were running around with rookies, they checked for themselves and there you were. Running along side, you a few steps ahead. "she needs to rest, c'mon tell 'em." Gaz nudged at Price. "I have something better." The three men followed price. They went to your quarters and started to fix you room, soap left to clean your equipment. Gaz had to go out and get some of your favorite meals,(snacks and what not) he had a whole list that the other men filled out.

Price was organizing your room, he knew how much you hated when everything was a mess, but then Ghost had the idea to build a fort, he had remembered that one time on a tough mission, you had told him how you and your siblings would build forts, eat snacks and watch movies. "it was our safe place. Free of everyone." Your eyes teared up and he for the first time ever, hugged you.

When Soap came back, he helped build the fort, he knew how to build them, unlike Price and Ghost. "you two get on her netflix account and start looking at films." he instructed.

Then Price with the help of Soap, snuck the projector and more pillows into your room. Gaz soon arrived, bags of your favorite foods, snacks and your favorite drink dragged his arms down.

The four men organized the pillows never leaving anything of the floor under uncovered. Gaz and Soap went to check on you, while Ghost was still deciding what movie felt appropriate for your mood today.

"C'mon, you can't tell me you don't have a favorite movie!"

"fineeee, its Matilda."

"thats a sad one." Gaz commented,

"its a comfort movie!, I love it for the fuzzy feeling it gives me,"

Matilda it is, Ghost thought. He and Price found their spots and waited for the other men to lure you in.

----

Back with some rookies, you stood there. Your soldier mentality still giving its last moments of life. It was all your training, once you had set your mental state to a soldier, it was hard to snap out of it. That's why you ran, did drills and sparred with them. Because deep down, your own mentality was awaiting to cry out for help.

Soap tackled you, then Gaz tried to grab you by your hips, but you fought back. They looked at each other, and made the perfect plan.

Gaz held you by your underarms, meanwhile Soap had a hold of your feet, and they walked back to your room. "seriously this isn't funny, put me down!" you said,

----

After a minute of struggle they made it to your room. You were let down, and as you slowly stood up they all watched you.

"What is this?"

"its r/n's day!" Soap hugged you from behind. His chin rested on your shoulder, "I don't understand."

"You always said you wanted a r/n day, where we pamper you and well, the day finally arrived." Price answering you.

And for hours until dusk you all stayed in your room, watching movies, telling stories and laughing at something the other says.

----

You never needed forts, or mountains of pillows, all you needed was your boys. Them being there for you. You did cry a little, the attention to detail they all had to your old memories was immaculate. You for once understood Ghost actually listened to you when you blabbered for hours on end.

"Thank you." you whispered as your eyes slowly closed. Gaz tugged on your waist as your settled around them all. Soap was there, his hands on your hair, so delicate, so sweet. "Anytime." Ghost said, his raspy voice, making you finally close your eyes.

Maybe it was the comfort they all brought to your life, or maybe it was the fact that you were sleeping in the most safest room in the world.

REQUEST ARE OPEN!!

Tags: @technically-not-a-loner

A/n: I have to confess this is made my sad little heart jump with joy, I just need someone to illustrate the four men around reader...pleassee

[sstormyskyess]

Your Biggest Fan

author's note: pretty self-indulgent, but hey, what's fanfiction for if not to self-indulge? this is a shoutout to all my artists and writers!!

cw: nothing, just pure fluff

word count: 870+

John Price / GN Artist!Reader

♡ When Price first saw you making your art, he was absolutely stunned. He was so surprised that you hadn’t already shown him your beautiful work. How could you hide such a wonderful talent from him?

♡ If you make fanart/fanfic, he’s ready to learn everything about the show, movie, game, or whatever else that inspires you. It’s just an excuse to sit and cuddle with you on the couch and watch something that makes you happy.

“You’re gonna love this show, honey. It’s right up your alley!” Your smile while you move to sit next to John on the couch warms his heart. You hand him the bowl of popcorn and he holds an arm up for you to settle yourself under. He tosses the blanket over your lap and holds you by the hip, fingers tracing circles over your shirt. “Is that so?” He kisses the top of your head, watching the screen while you pull up Netflix to find the show that’s been consuming your mind for the past few weeks. “For sure!” You laugh, leaning your head on his shoulder.

His eyes shift between you talking about the context behind the show and what’s happening on the screen as each episode plays. He can’t really make out half of what they’re saying on the screen over your giddy voice speaking over it and sharing your thoughts with him, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Somehow, he manages to hold back his middle-age urge to fall asleep, his head fallen back against the back of the couch. In fact, you fall asleep before he does; when he notices that you haven’t said anything for the past episode or two, he looks down and sees you completely passed out on his shoulder, your eyes shut and your face peaceful. He smiles and carefully picks you up, wrapped in the blanket and takes you both to bed.

He frowns a bit when you stir as soon as he’s laid next to you, but his frown quickly turns to a soft smile when he realizes you were murmuring about the show in your sleep, quietly chuckling and pulling you into his warm embrace.

♡ If you make your own stories, he’ll have you sit down with him and tell him all about it, no matter how winding and tangential your ideas may be. He may not understand everything you’re talking about but he’ll listen to you chatter on and on about it just to listen to your sweet voice.

♡ Sometimes when you both have the free time, he’ll take you out to the nearest park or beach to have a picnic and watch you sketch or write whatever’s on your mind. Seeing you put your pencil to paper completely mesmerizes him every time.

♡ Price is so damn proud of you all the time and will 100% ask you to make something for him just to bring it to his office on-base. He loves to show off your work and will take every chance to brag about how talented you are.

It was rare for John to bring you with him to base, but the holidays were coming up soon and he thought it would be nice for you to see the rest of his team. It had been about a year or so since you got to see them all, after all. He held your hand as he walked you to his office to stash away your things there, occasionally greeting a familiar face when you passed by.

Once you made it there, he opened the door for you politely and let you set your things down. When you finished putting your bag away in one of his drawers, you came back to follow John back out to the common room to relax, notebook in hand. Before you get to the door, you notice the framed picture on the wall: it was the piece that he’d asked for a month ago. You always wondered what he did with it.

Your cheeks flush and you peek out the door at him with your brows furrowed. “You didn’t tell me you were going to hang that sketch up in your room, John! How many people come in and out of there?” John raises a brow and tilts his head. “Why?”

You groan and run your hands over and hide your face. “I could’ve made it so much better! It was just a sketch!” You squeak. John gives you his signature smile and walks over to pull your hands away, holding them in his. “Darling, your art is gorgeous. Sketch or not.” He kisses your knuckles and chuckles quietly. “To answer your question, though, at least three or four people pass through daily.” He laughs aloud when you groan his name and playfully slap his face away.

♡ But, as much as he adores how dedicated you are to your creations, have no doubts that he will drag you to bed if you end up overworking yourself. If it’s 2 a.m. and you still haven’t put your hands to rest, he won’t stop pestering you until you do and come to bed and let him hold you to his chest and sleep.

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

[trivialbob]

Today is my Friday. My Monday won't arrive until Wednesday.

Work was excellent. Over the last few weeks I'd been toiling away, meticulously updating tables with tens of thousands of lines. There's some automation involved, but if you make a mistake or two, the automation multiplies errors. A lot.

First thing this morning I saw message from the guy who had the job of double checking numbers and running tests with them. I had butterflies in my stomach as I clicked that email.

Everything was good. Whew! It was a terrific way to end my work week.

Sheila and I are taking the trailer to a lake we like. Up north, ya know. That lake stays shallow quite a ways from shore. Walking way out my head is still above water. You actually have to watch out for boaters.

We're bringing the dogs. Ella enjoys swimming. This will be Sulley's first chance to swim off leash. I bet he's going to like it.

We scouted out restaurants with patios so we can bring the dogs with us if we go out to eat. However, we'll be staying around other people we know. Some are in trailers, others in cabins. It's a pot luck atmosphere at times, with each family making or bringing things to share while we all sit together. I love it. In the past those were the evenings where my then little kids played, swam and fished all day. They then fell asleep on a couch or the floor, and not even fireworks could wake them.

This evening I ran errands, getting ready for camping. Grocery store fuel points saved me $0.50 per gallon. I've been waiting for the tank to be fairly empty, to get the most benefit. 20 gallons is the limit of discounted gasoline. I reached that, then started over for more at full price.

While I was out I stopped by Taco Bell. The new Cheez-It Tostada has been calling me. It was good, though the big Cheez-It broke easily. Now I'm thinking I might make my own taco salad with Cheez-Its under the other ingredients.

After dinner I packed a bunch of stuff tonight in the truck bed. It's much easier when the trailer isn't attached yet.

Goldfish crackers were on sale when I got groceries. The store even had pizza flavored ones. They pair well with the martini I'm going to enjoy while I watch Black Sails on Netflix and pet my dogs (Sheila is at class). Lately I've been interested in reading about and watching shows with pirates in the 1700s. Black Sails is perfect for that.

[ericdeggans]

Why you should care about the TV Critics Association Press Tours, even if you are not a TV critic

Back in the day, years ago, it happened with regularity: A snarky story in one of the entertainment industry trade magazines taking a shot at the Television Critics Association’s twice-annual press tours.

Before we go on, a bit of inside baseball for context: the TCA is a group of critics and journalists who cover the TV industry, and two times a year we hold a conference of sorts in Los Angeles. Loads of major TV outlets participate, rolling out press conferences, receptions, set visits and interview opportunities to promote series and projects rolling out over the next six months or so.

The most recent TCA press tour, which I attended in Pasadena, Calif. (the picture above shows me giving the group's Heritage Award to Twin Peaks during the TCA Awards July 12), concluded in the middle of last week. And, predictable as an afternoon rain shower in Florida, The Hollywood Reporter rolled out a tough piece describing “The Incredible Shrinking Press Tour.”

“Frustrations with a staid press conference format, accelerated by Hollywood belt-tightening and the COVID-era shift away from in-person gatherings, to say nothing of severe budget cuts across the media landscape, have taken a visible toll on the press tour,” read the story, which quoted unnamed publicists of TV programmers sniping about having to participate. “An event that once stretched more than two packed weeks wrapped its latest cycle on July 17 after a thin eight days. Powerhouse streamers such as Netflix, Apple and Amazon were absent, and not a single programming executive took the stage to face down the press.”

(cast of Brooklyn Nine Nine at a TCA set visit)

True enough, this year’s press tour was smaller than previous outings; the event has struggled to return after COVID sidelined much of the TV industry. But Hollywood has also been buffeted by the impact of two strikes last year and concern – so far averted – that there might be a third this year.

A surplus of TV programming, increased production costs and caution about this year’s climate has led some big projects to be delayed until next year – more than one person in the industry joked to me about the phrase many are repeating in Hollywood, hoping to “survive until 2025.” Downsizing in media has also made it tougher for journalists to find the time and financial resources to attend press conferences at a swanky hotel which stretch out over more than a week.

Turns out, there’s lots of reasons why the tour has slimmed down this year, as the industry itself recalibrates and refocuses amid lots of institutional change.

But, as someone who has attended TCA tours since 1997 – yes, I’m THAT old -- I’m here to say that the tour remains a relevant and useful part of covering the industry, despite the anonymous sniping of assorted industry types.

(Yours truly visiting The Price is Right set during a TCA tour.)

When I first began attending tour, as the TV critic for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, the event was filled with critics like me from regional papers from across the country. We were trying to give our local readers insight into an industry which came into their living rooms nightly for hours at time. And for me, the TCA tour was an invaluable crash course in modern television.

Over the years, I got to know publicists who arranged exclusive visits to the sets of ER, Six Feet Under, Sex and The City and Law & Order. I quizzed industry leaders at on the record receptions, including former CBS head Les Moonves, Fox News founder Roger Ailes, Survivor and The Apprentice executive producer Mark Burnett, FX head John Landgraf and Scandal/Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes.

When the late, lamented UPN network created a sitcom that felt a bit too close to being a veiled comedy about slavery – the show was called The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer, look it up – I was there to challenge the network’s executives and its producers. When Ailes and the Fox News anchor Chris Wallace tried to deny the way the cable newschannel favored conservatives, I was there, again, with access I would never have gotten any other way.

Most recently, in February, I asked producers from The Bachelor franchise why the show has struggled to handle racial issues – leading to losing its longtime host Chris Harrison and, possibly, the show’s creator Mike Fleiss. Their eight seconds of silence before a roomful of TV critics spoke volumes and sparked headlines nationwide.

There are few other major industries in America where the people who run things are expected to regularly face a group of journalists asking questions, sometimes pointed, about the decisions they have made. Given that media is occupying an increasing portion of our lives, having a forum where the press can interrogate the work of newscasters, documentarians, reality TV producers, media executives, series showrunners and big stars in public is incredibly valuable – both to journalists and the general public.

(former ABC entertainment president Jamie Tarses faced tough questions from reporters at TCA in 1997.)

The TCA tour has drawn lots of barbs over the years, from complaints from TV outlets about how much it costs to present press conferences, receptions and special events, to criticisms about the value of promotional items given to critics (that’s been severely toned down from the time, decade ago, when one network handed me a free cellphone after a press conference. I handed it back, noting it was far too valuable a gift to accept.)

But, as a former TCA board member from many years ago, I think what really rankles some in the TV industry is how little control they have over what happens at tours. Despite loads of coaching from experienced publicists, it is tough to predict what questions will be asked during a 40-minute press session, and an off-the-mark response can resonate for a while (Besides The Bachelor producers, I remember stars like Roseanne Barr, Katherine Heigl and even Donald Trump earning lots of critical coverage from bad press tour appearances.)

Entertainment trade publications have also often cast shade on the press tour, which regularly invites legions of less powerful and more removed journalists into the kind of access they usually enjoy.

What keeps the tour going, beyond its value to TCA members, is the ever-increasing need for publicity to punch through a media environment filled with more noise, distraction and competition than ever. Those who make TV need more ways to reach consumers, and the TCA tours still offer programmers the opportunity to reach journalists who connect with millions of consumers every day.

If the TCA press tours go away, what will be left is overly stage-managed press conferences wholly controlled by the TV outlets, with access severely limited to journalists and critics in big cities like New York and Los Angeles.

I hope that doesn’t happen. Because my time at the TCA has been among the most rewarding experiences in a long career, offering a window into the TV industry that is unparalleled and always enlightening.

[emberenchanted]

For Keeps (2/3)

Pairing: Dark!Carol Danvers x Female Reader

Summary: Carol sees you. Carol wants you. Carol gets what she wants. 

Series Warnings: extremely dubious consent, strap ons (r receiving), sex (oral, vaginal), fingering, anal fingering, Dom!Carol, orgasm denial, spanking, violence (not really towards reader), manipulation, forced relationship, rough sex

18+ ONLY

Link to Chapter 1

Chapter 2

As you drag yourself up the stairs to your studio above the bar you reflect on whether living at home with your parents had really been that bad. This kind of thing didn’t happen where you were from and it had you thinking that perhaps it was time to revisit your long term plans. Coming back home after three months was kind of pitiful, but even that might be better than getting pulled into a world you have no business in. One filled with casual violence that made your stomach turn. 

Especially since you were now dreading the inevitable phone call from Carol. You knew she would call and you knew you wouldn’t be able to say no to her. That was a dangerous road to start down. Better to nip it in the bud ASAP. 

Calling an ambulance for Mel and closing down the bar mostly by yourself made for an extra late night and all you could think about was taking a hot shower (your meager attempt to wash the violence off of you and out of your mind) and climbing into bed. You wish you’d given yourself a glass of wine “on the house,” but after Carol’s display, it seemed like Mel really couldn’t spare the extra cash. 

When you awake late the next morning it’s with a pounding headache and two missed calls from an unknown number. You also see a voicemail notification. Your mind quickly flashes over the events of the preceding night and you immediately wish you were still sleeping. For some reason you feel like you should be sitting up while you listen to Carol’s message, so you throw your legs over the edge of your sofa bed and drag yourself into an upright position. 

As you suspected, the message was from Carol and she sounded like sin. 

Beep. “Hey, baby. It’s me, Carol. I had such a good time with you last night, and I can’t wait to see you again. How about I pick you up tonight at 7pm for dinner and a show? Call me back with your address as soon as you get this. Ok, bye baby. Talk to you soon.”  

You squeeze your eyes shut and press 7 to delete the message. You never should have given her your number. And you definitely couldn’t go out with her. She’d hurt Mel! In the three months since you’d moved to the city, Mel had been--well, not a friend exactly--but a stable acquaintance. He’d given you a job and a place to live, and only price gouged you a little. But the commute to work was unbeatable. You generally liked Mel and wanted him to be ok. Carol, or whoever she was representing, could have offered him some kind of payment plan. From what you could tell from his tearful blabbering while you waited for the ambulance, he’d made an honest mistake. 

You also knew that while you might be telling yourself you were refusing to call Carol back out of some source of solidarity, the simple truth was that Carol scared you shitless. She also didn’t seem like someone who handled rejection well. And you aren’t interested in standing up to her and risking her undeniably brutal wrath. You don’t think that she would hurt you like she’d hurt Mel, but you also don’t think she’ll simply accept your answer and leave you be. So, to your bleary brain, ignoring the problem is the next best thing. You busy yourself with laundry and tidying your small apartment; your distractions work well until Carol’s next two calls at 5 and 6pm. She doesn’t leave any more voice messages and you hope that she got the message that you weren’t interested and that she would lose interest in you. You spend the evening with a bottle of cheap red wine and Netflix. You tumble into bed around 2 am and fall into a fitful sleep. When you wake up in the early afternoon the next day, 6 hours before your 7:30 pm shift at Mel’s, you nervously check your phone for more messages. To your relief, there are none. 

Carol’s good mood fizzles in the 24 hours after meeting you. The morning after Mel’s Tavern she’d woken up in high spirits. After a quick 6 mile run, she’d showered, eaten a hearty breakfast, and started planning her date. She’d settled on a location for dinner, made reservations, and bought tickets to a popular live show. She’d called Y/N to tell her all about their night, then called again to leave a message. By 5pm, Carol was irritated, and by 6pm she was worried. She’d even driven by Mel’s around 6:30pm to see if you were working. If Carol had known your address, she wouldn’t have hesitated to drop by. By 7:30pm Carol was back in the gym, sparring just a bit too viciously with Natasha. 

“Damn!,” Nat huffs out as Carol puts her on her ass for the fifth time that evening. She sits up while rubbing her side and looks at Carol through the red sheet of hair that has fallen over her face. “Did I happen to do something to you? Because, if so, you should know I’m very sorry. Can you please stop beating me up? ”

Carol sticks out her hand to help Natasha off the mat. “Sorry. I’m a little distracted today so I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Natasha, now standing, looks quizzically at Carol and then laughs, “I feel like I should be insulted.”

Carol smiles. “Never, Nat. You always give me a good fight." The next moment her smile turned sour. “I’m just frustrated and a bit pissed. I met this woman last night and she gave me her number, but then started avoiding me. She won’t answer her phone and stood me up for a date. That’s actually where I’m supposed to be now. But I know she likes me. I saw the way she looked at me and reacted when I touched her. But, she’s just too nervous to admit it.” 

Carol rolls her eyes and throws her head back as she releases a frustrated grunt.

“Ok, woman troubles. Now that I can help with,” Nat chuckles. “If she’s too shy, then you need to be bold enough for the both of you. Don’t let her say no.”

“You know what Nat?,” Carol grins, “it’s like you read my mind.”

Carol strides into Mel’s Tavern at 9 pm the following night. She walks directly to the bar, ignoring everyone around her and heading straight to you.

As she approaches, your heart starts racing and the room feels much hotter than it had moments ago. She was just as breathtakingly beautiful as you remembered and your mind empties for just a moment. She didn’t look happy, but she also didn’t look like she was about to fling a knife into your heart or drive a fist into your face. That had to be a good sign, right? 

“Hey, Carol,” you choke out quietly. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, Y/N. But I would very much like to speak with you.” Carol states calmly, hands braced against the edge of the bar and body leaning over the counter towards you. “Why don’t you take your break now?”

You gesture aimlessly to the few scattered patrons in the bar. For the second time in as many shifts nobody would look at you. They were all suspiciously interested in the glasses in front of them, even if those glasses were empty. You grit your teeth and say, “Someone might need me.”

Carol frowns, looks around and asks the room loudly, “Anybody here need anything?”

A chorus of “nos” come back to her.

Carol raises one of her perfectly arched eyebrows and beckons you over to her with a softly crooked finger. 

You scoot to the section of the bar directly in front of Carol, cross your arms and look down. Carol reaches across the bar with her right hand and, taking your chin between her thumb and forefinger, pushes your head up until you meet her eyes directly. 

Your brain races through excuses frantically. You knew it was a possibility she’d show up and you should have prepared better. Maybe you could say that things have been a little crazy in your life and you don’t have time to pursue anything... with anyone? Not just her? It was a pitiful excuse, but the best you could come up with.

Carol looks at you, head tilted slightly, brows furrowed, and eyes narrowed as her thumb gently strokes your face. Her expression could only be described as frustrated yet determined. “Baby,” Carol began slowly, “I’m confused. When I came in two nights ago, we had an instant connection. That doesn’t happen often, does it?”

Your head jerks quickly back and forth, signaling no.

“Ok, that's what I thought,” Carol continues. Her voice hardens slightly, as does the hand holding your face. You wince at the sudden pressure. “So why didn’t you call me back? Why did you make me call you four times with no response?”

Your head feels dizzy and your lips stay glued together. You're on the verge of a panic attack and all you could think of is getting her to let you go. 

“Answer me, baby. Now,” Carol commands, as her grip on your chin tightens further. 

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. Your eyes squeeze shut and your upper body is leaned back as far as you can while your face is still being held by Carol. 

Carol abruptly releases your face and you have to take a quick step and set your hand on the bar to rebalance your body. 

Carol’s hand snakes out and grabs yours, holding it firmly so you can’t walk away. Her voice softens some, but still sounds slightly harsh .“Ok, I’ll forgive you this time. But don’t let it happen again.” From her back pocket she whips out a piece of paper and a pen. “Write down your address so I know where to pick you up tomorrow.”

Once Carol pockets your address, she reaches for your hand once more. “How much longer do you have on your break, baby? Let’s go outside.” 

After walking you outside, Carol immediately presses you against the brick wall and pushes her lips against yours in a forceful kiss. Her tongue slips across the seam of your lips until you open to allow her entry into your mouth. She sets to exploring every bit of you, sucking your tongue into her mouth and nibbling on your lips until they are tender and you are breathless and dizzy. Then she’d promptly untucked your shirt, unbuttoned your jeans, and slid her hand down to your slippery folds. When you try to move away, her free hand tightens on your waist and shoves you back, making your back scrape against the wall. 

“Mmmm, is all this for me?,” she murmurs, nuzzling your ear, as her fingers part you and begin gently rubbing from your clit to your slick opening. You squirm on Carol's fingers, and Carol slides her thumbnail over your sensitive clit harshly, making you yelp. “Did I tell you to move?”

“No,” you whisper.

“When we're together like this you call me Ma’am,” Carol growls. “No, who?”

”No, ma’am” you gasp out while trying desperately to stay still. She slides two fingers into you and your walls flutter furiously around Carol's fingers, searching for relief. “Sorry, ma’am.” It comes out as a whimper. 

Carol pushes her fingers deeper up inside of you and you choke. Her free hand slides under your shirt, over your waist and ribs, before spreading and tightening under your breast, fingernails digging into the hollows between your ribs, scratching your soft flesh. Carol thumbs your taut nipple, and a moan bubbles up in your throat as you fight your every instinct in your attempt not to move. Her warm breath fans over your neck as she shifts your body flat against the wall, caging you in. 

Carol pinches your nipple sharply as her fingers begin to push into you harder and faster. She  focuses her thrusts, curling her fingers inside you to rub your spongy flesh until she hits that exquisite spot that makes you moan and shiver. The slick sound of her fingers pumping in and out of your pussy fills your ears. That and Carol’s murmuring are all you can hear. Her voice pitches you higher as she calls you her good girl, her sweet girl, her hot sticky tight little girl. 

Your heart pounds in your chest as you feel the relentless rising in your core. You approach the edge of a wicked orgasm, and just as you feel yourself begin to teter over, Carol slides her fingers out of you and starts slipping them, in a whisper soft motion, over your clit, just barely brushing you. The abrupt emptiness has you whining sharply. 

“No, no, no,” Carol whispers in your ear. She presses her body firmly against yours,  “No coming for you. You were a bad girl. Do bad girls get orgasms?”

“No,” you gasp.

Carol pinches your clit sharply once before going back to her soothing motion, “No, who?”

“No, ma’am,” you whimper. 

“Good girl. We’re going to do that a few more times while you apologize to me, ok? Hold on, baby.”

Feeling lost, you loop your arms around her neck and drop your head into the crook of her neck. Carol’s long slender fingers push roughly back inside of you, furiously rubbing you as you whine and squirm against the wall. Before long you hear yourself apologizing for not answering her calls, for worrying her, for standing her up. 

She tortures you throughout your broken apologies, bringing you to the edge over and over only to force you back down. 

Finally, finally, she must decide you’ve apologized enough, and she whispers in your ear as her fingers pick up again, “Shhh, now, I’m going to let you come baby. You’re being such a good girl and you apologized so nice. But don’t you ever ignore my calls again. No matter what.” Her voice hardens and her slippery fingers pinch at your clit gently--making you jump and yelp--before pushing them back inside you, “You understand me?”

Your brain is fuzzy and can’t seem to string together enough words to form a sentence. When you first saw Carol enter the bar you definitely didn’t intend for this to happen. You’d hope that you could somehow weasel out of a date with her without her getting mad. Things had obviously not gone according to plan. You must take too long to respond, because Carol’s free hand reaches to twist your clit harshly, making you howl. 

“Answer me. Now.” The fingers inside you don’t stop. 

The sharp pain from her twist radiates up your body, and temporarily mutes your rising orgasm. “Yes,” you sob pathetically. “Yes, I understand, ma’am.”

Carol uses the entirety of her body weight to push you up against the wall. Your back scrapes the wall as her fingers pick up speed and she coos softly in your ear. Her fingers push you violently over the edge, and you buck harshly between the wall and Carol's solid form. Carol’s fingers fuck you through your orgasm as she nuzzles your neck, licking and nipping at the tender skin there as you come down.  

Carol watches as you readjust your clothes and wipe at the mist in your eyes before she walks you back into the bar. She drops a possessive kiss on your mouth before heading toward the door. At the last minute, she turns and looks you dead in the eye. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Right, baby?” 

You look back at her and nod. “Yes, ma’am,” you whisper under your breath. 

After dropping you back at work, Carol walks to her car with her lips curled into a smile. She is sure that she’s on the right track with her sweet, shy little baby. She's even hopeful that she might be able to trade in her unused tickets for show credit that she could use for her date tomorrow night with you.

Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for reading and for any feedback you give. Please do let me know what you think so far. It's much appreciated. Also, I know need to work on my dividers.. haven't quite figured those out yet. Thanks for bearing with me.

[trutown-the-bard]

Gundam Xi complete per @ask-the-toy-box ‘s request. This version of the Xi Gundam was featured in the Netflix exclusive Gundam film Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway (Hathaway’s Flash in Japan) based upon the novel trilogy of Hathaway’s Flash. The big difference between this version and the version in the novels is that the novel version has a red and blue colored chest.

This is a beefy kit that looks really cool but is let down by the lack of articulation. The ways in which I articulated it here in these photos is about the limits of its articulation. Not sure why Hathaway Noa would get a mobile suit that can only turn its waist about 20 degrees.

Size comparison time! All size comparisons use the same 1/144 scale. Here it is with the OG RX78-2:

Here it is with the Nu Gundam:

And here it is with the Unicorn:

Do not zoom in too much on the Unicorn. It was one of my earliest kits and I made almost every first timer mistake with it.

I also tired my hand at painting details in by painting the thrusters red for accuracy.

Now, should you buy this kit? Maybe. If you really think it’s cool and really want it on your self go ahead, but the price tag is ridiculous for what the kit can actually do. I got mine for 40% at Hobby Lobby and even then felt like I overpaid when I built the kit and tried posing it. Maybe I’ll change my mind when the other two movies come out if they are good enough to create an emotional attachment with the suit.

[zorasthoughts]

some thoughts for the holly jackson fandom

so, some people have been wondering about when the agggtm show might be coming out and i've been thinking *deeply* about it. also, the universe is laughing at me, because i had an urge to check ig last night, and holly had posted a reel joking about everyone wanting to know when the trailer is coming out, which makes me think that she knows that everyone is (im)patiently waiting, but it might be still be a hot minute before we get anything. anyway, these are my thoughts. this is all speculation, with a little bit of logic, so don't take this as gospel

on the show's release

first things first: a couple of weeks ago, holly reposted a reel from one of the bbc accounts on her ig story where we got our first look at pip (she's in a dark room with lots of pink and blue led lights, i think this could be from the calamity party). this reel was a montage of clips, that you also see on tv that the bbc show during the holiday period to advertise shows coming out in the new year. from memory, these are usually for shows that are coming out in the first half of the year, so the show might come out in the spring, like april

why april? well, if you've read the book then you might remember that it all starts in april (the andie & sal case happens in april 2012), so if the show came out then, it would be a neat tie-in to the book

another reason why i think it could be april is because of another tv show: heartstopper

obviously, there are differences, hs is a netflix show, so is available to watch all over the world, agggtm is made by bbc so is only going to be available to watch in the uk (and i think also the us). it may become available to stream elsewhere later on, but that's another story

anyway, hs and agggtm are both ya book-to-tv show adaptations set in britain. hs had eight episodes per season with episodes being roughly 30 minutes each. agggtm is going to have six episodes, roughly 45 minutes each. so hs totals around 4 hours of content, agggtm will have 4 and a half hours of content in total. pretty similar

i did some further research (a lot of scrolling through instagram) to try and calculate when we might get some content. the hs ig account posted some stills on 1 march, just giving a first look at the main characters

on 16 march, they released some more stills, with some of the other characters, and also released the teaser trailer later that day

the full trailer came out 13 april, and the show came out april 22

sooooo, this is all speculation, and bbc will probably have different ideas from netflix to promote their show, but if the dates are similar and agggtm were to come out in late april like heartstopper (again, this would put it around the dates of the andie & sal case from the book), but i reckon we could maybe expect content to start dropping in march. we will see.

a final thought, which i'd forgotten earlier: if the show is successful, which i think it will be, then it would probably get renewed for a second season, then they'd want to film over the summer (the majority of events in ggbb happen in april/may, after the andie & sal memorial, which happens around the six-year anniversary of their deaths, which happened in, oh yeah, april)

some other thoughts:

holly posted on her ig grid a few days ago, mentioning stuff that will be happening this year, and i have a couple of ideas about that

her new book, the reappearance of rachel price is coming out on 2 april (this made me wonder if the show would come out later so that one isn't overshadowing the other, but the people deciding when a book is published and when a tv show comes out are going to be two different groups of people, and if i'm right with my guess, then start of the month and end of the month releases gives trorp enough time to get the hype it deserves)

book tour for trorp/holly doing appearances at book festivals this year. holly and her books are popular, and this popularity is probably going to increase after the show comes out, so i could see this being pretty likely

lastly, and there is no real evidence to suggest this, but it could happen: film adaptation of five survive. i'm not the first to say this, but it would be a great thriller, and as people have joked, would be pretty low-budget given that most of the action happens in an rv with just six people. if we do get this though, it would be probably be much later in the year