#photo op advice

[laf-outloud]

I don't think you need to get in front of Jensen. Everyone who's responded has indicated there's no fatphobia going on, but you do offer another perspective as to why there may not be as many smiles. I took a look at the Liverpool pictures and you're absolutely right! It's a few expressions repeated and the only times it changes are when people have a specific pose or reaction shot that they're looking for.

Thank you for the great advice! Especially this: "...take a breath, enjoy the moment and have a nice memory with a great photo!" It really does go quickly and the photo is really there as a reminder of the moment. There's no need to put pressure on yourself for the perfect photo.

(Also, I may resemble the self-critical remark, but just slightly, lol!)

"I can tell you one thing, though, that no star likes. Polyester shirts worn for hours without deodorant!" Hear, hear!

Links to Monopoly event photos (in case you want photo op ideas, or to see which ops are more likely to get smiles). Jared at Scotland Comic Con (Unfortunately, their watermark is much darker.) Jensen at Liverpool Comic Con

Thank you, again, EU anon and I hope you have a wonderful vacation! As for your offer, I'm good with the knowledge I currently have, but I hope you don't mind if I extend your offer to my other followers and anons... "Should you be interested in me writing a little more on the general background of contracts, expirations, or anything else convention relevant, feel free to let me know."

[revenantghost]

Oh my god oh my god oh my god

There's a Vash and Wolfwood dog papercraft

[caniscorvidae]

this was for his last set of vaccines two weeks ago. tomorrow he’s cleared and going to run around the park on his own two feet for the first time and i can’t wait.

[leatherbookmark]

i said the first concept photos look cheap and they said

you don't know shit.

[windvexer]

Witches don't owe you mundanity, actually.

Discussions about "mundane before magic" are important. I'm not against them.

When I was working full time, for half of the year I woke up before sunrise, worked all day indoors, and drove home after sunset. Being able to experience the weather felt like a truly magical event. Feeling the sun on my skin felt like a kiss from the gods.

And it's very handy for there to be awareness that, no, Apollo wasn't calling to me to be a devotee because the one day I was really stressed in December the clouds broke and it was sunny in the outdoor seating area.

Clouds just move sometimes.

But I am against people's need to come into conversations which are specifically about real magic that is happening, and say, "hold on! What if it's not happening, though? Rule out mundane first!"

It's actually fine for witches to have conversations that assume the reality of magic without people needing to barge in and say, "wait! What if this isn't magic at all?"

These conversations are not inherently unsafe or irrational.

The people participating in them are not automatically mentally ill or in need of medical treatment.

"Mundane before magical" is not a talisman that needs to be hung on conversations before they can be rational and useful.

It is not up to you to decide the route other practitioners want to take in order to explore their own experiences.

Sound bites about "ruling out mundane" aren't helpful if people do not understand how to practically apply that advice.

People are not obligated to trot out a list of their mundane discernment techniques before they make a magical post about magic in the magical community, and declining to do so does not mean that they failed to take those steps.

For heaven's sake. If you cannot comfortably exist around magical conversations without assuming that everyone else is engaging in irrational thinking, you are the problem.

Conversations about developing discernment of mundanity itself are very good and healthy.

But these talking points do not belong in every single conversation. Much less in personal posts where a person is just sharing cute photos of spells they did!

Look, practitioners do not owe you mundanity.

Practitioners do not owe you an explanation of the mundane shit they've done in conjunction with a spell.

Practitioners do not owe you an explanation of the mental health counseling they've received as part of their spiritual journey.

Practitioners are not obligated to tack on lip-service "mundane first :3" disclaimers onto posts that are clearly discussing the reality of magic within their own paradigm.

Magical practitioners do not owe you mundanity.

Please, make your own posts about mundanity discernment. Do research, ask practitioners, make well-rounded masterposts. Share and reblog these posts. Link them when appropriate. Be a part of the conversation that highlights these important issues and discernment skills. Contribute resources when people ask for help with their magical discernment.

But don't think that walking into any random post and asking OP why they assumed they had a magical experience is helpful in the slightest.

[davidtennantgenderenvy]

Things That Happened At Dallas Fan Expo Day One (P2)

I kept waving my bi flag at people when I liked their cosplays Lauren your autism is showing Jodie Whittaker called me darling oh my gosh she’s precious

I asked her what advice Thirteen and Beth would give each other! She said “never give up hope” and “cherish every moment you get” and I also complimented her on her singing which made her very happy

My first meeting with David was team photo op with Jodie and the second I saw him I kind of collapsed a bit a the next thing I knew he was kind of catching me and holding both my hands and looking me directly in the eyes just beaming down on me the kindest, crinkliest, most sincere smile I’ve seen in my entire life and for all of 20 seconds I felt like the specialest person on the face of the planet

at some point I said “hi I’m Merlin’s girlfriend!!!” And he’s like “oh that’s wonderful!” and then this absolute dork just says “WELL DONE TEAM” David Tennant the man shaped being you are

it was so fun after the photo was taken seeing other people who were doing and about to do the same thing and also going insane and being like “I KNOW RIGHT” like the effect he has on people is unparalleled

met a few tumblr mutuals and people who’ve seen the video essay which was just so cool, thank you so much to everyone i got to see!

things started to go a bit downhill around late afternoon, David’s stuff got incredibly behind which resulted in Jodie’s solo op being incredibly behind, luckily there were loads of lovely nerds to chat with like I’ve never been in a room where this many people are this insane about the same dude

when we FINALLY got in line for David’s autograph he took forever to show up and god bless his poor sweet heart I have no clue how he ever got through all of those people there had to be like a thousand, all of whom stayed after the con had technically closed just to see him. Unfortunately he really couldn’t take his time like he wanted to which meant the questions I had meticulously planned ended up being completely useless and when it was my turn I was a stammering bedraggled mess and the poor thing was too confused to say more than two words at a time and then before I could ask him anything else I was shooed away before I even could process it happened

obviously I was very sadwetpathetic afterwards and my feet were KILLING ME but it’s okay, I get another shot tomorrow! And of course I have to commend David for his incomparable generosity, he is a DIAMOND for staying so long even after the con closed to make sure everyone could get what they paid for.

oh and I kissed my boyfriend for the first time :))) @elsinore-and-inverness

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Top 5 fave Dick, Mary, and John Grayson family moments?

Funnily enough there’s so many moments I can think off yet ironically so little moments overall involving those three that don’t involve Mary and John doing that fateful performance at Gotham canonically lol

Here’s some Flying Grayson 1.0 moments that stand out for me the most

5.

While this moment will most definitely not save Taylor’s writing at all, it’s still a nice one (Nightwing Vol 4, #83)

4.

That’s actually sound advice Mary, boosting your son’s confidence while tampering with the fact he can be too ambitions for his own good

(Batman Vol 1 #339)

3.

To think this one photo op will set both Dick and Tim(my)’s going forward in a path that makes them both heroes for the innocents of Gotham to be inspired by yet also names the criminal underground fears…all because Janet wants to make sure her baby boy had a fun day at the Circus

(Batman Vol 1 #436; Year Three Part 1)

2.

Really nothing else to say much here though I guess Dick might be either at a tender younger age or Mary just likes saying that to him cause that’s how Moms are like. Even over a great height, she can’t help but baby him a bit despite probably no doubt Dick going in his head, “Not a Baby, Mom”

(Nightwing Vol 2 #7)

1.

Really these guys’ entire dynamic summarized in a nutshell. Mary can only lose count of the many times when her husband and little boy taken all sorts of risks, whether on or off the ropes, and she can count pretty high. But damn it all, she love her two favorites no matter what.

Plus even this is further evidence of Dick being just a baby faced menace of a kid; good heart and soul yet he laughs and beams in the face of danger. He welcomes it if anything

(Secret Origins Vol 2 #13)

Quickie Honorable Mentions:

All these wonderful moments from the elseworld story The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Novel

Thanks for the ask @spider-jaysart It’s appreciated 💙💜💙

Tagging: @celaenaeiln @meara-eldestofthemall @camo-wolf @northoftheroad @sbd-laytall

[rebelspykatie]

RWRB Steddie AU - Part 1

Wayne Munson who accidentally won the presidency running on a progressive working class ticket. Eddie Munson, the first son that causes international incidents without even trying. Like the time he made a crude hand gesture towards a foreign dignitary thinking he was saluting them. Or the time he connected his phone to the speakers during a dnc event and blasted Metallica through the entire arena. Or the time he knocked over a child on the lawn of the White House during the annual Easter egg hunt and had to issue an apology to a five year old for stealing their eggs. 

Wayne has reprimanded him more than he’s spoken in front of Congress. The secret service hates him, especially Hopper, who has to drag him back inside when he tries to escape down the trellis and cockblocks him from flirting with the barista at the Starbucks right outside of the White House. 

But nobody hates him more than Prince Steven. He doesn’t even understand why Steve hates him, only that their first interaction was disastrous, leaving Eddie fuming and confused. He remembers seeing Steve all over those teen magazines before Wayne had any political aspirations, his now gorgeous locks once too big for his tiny head and hazel eyes staring back at him from the glossy pages. Gareth never let him hear the end of it when he found those magazines tucked away under his bed, a collection that only grew over the years as Steve got more attractive.

The frosty reception from Steve had Eddie doubting every good thing those magazines ever said about how charming the prince could be. Sure, not a single hair was out of place on his stupid head and his polos were ironed within an inch of their lives, but his smile was fake and a bitchy retort slipped out of his mouth before Eddie could even introduce himself. 

He gave up on playing nice after that, not heeding his Uncle’s advice to stay away and not cause another international scandal while he was trying to make a deal with their prime minister. He practically begged Eddie to keep his big, dumb mouth shut.

Which is of course why The Incident happened. Eddie was a bit too drunk at a dinner for diplomats and their families. He approached Steve and started going on about the monarchy, a bit too loudly, where a very nosy reporter could hear. And that reporter wrote a scathing article about the first son not believing in tradition and how he was trying to undermine the authority of the crown, dredging up old tweets about how useless monarchies are and how Steve is handed things on a silver spoon. 

Wayne’s deal is in jeopardy, so he’s sent to smooth over international relations with the crown, which is a horrible idea considering Eddie’s track record. Staged photo ops have always made Eddie uncomfortable, but he sucks it up for Wayne. He winds up enjoying himself more than he thought possible in Steve’s presence because one of their PR stops is at a teen center where a group of kids regularly plays dnd. 

If it weren’t for a swift tug on the back of his suit from Hopper, Eddie would be standing on the table flailing around about a campaign, having already forgotten about the swath of reporters following them around on this tour. Steve doesn’t appear to know anything about dnd, but the little curly headed boy with an infectious toothy smile keeps tugging him around, talking a mile a minute while Steve fondly rolls his eyes. It’s the most relaxed Eddie has ever seen him. 

He learns that they’re both insomniacs during that trip, stumbling into the kitchen at 2am only to find Steve already there, riffling through the pantry. It’s the first time he’s ever seen Steve without the ramrod straight posture, notices the circles under his eyes and the way he’s always got a line of tension in his jaw. They come to some kind of truce in the dark of night over twin bowls of cereal. Something inside of Eddie unfurls at that, lets go of whatever weird grudge he was holding after their first interaction. 

It starts with a text. Steve sends him an article with the most ridiculous picture of Eddie, asks if he wakes up looking like that every morning. They’re teasing each other, taunting remarks about their status, realizing they have more in common than they thought. All summer, Eddie’s eyes are glued to his phone, anticipating texts from HRH (his royal hairiness), late nights dedicated to learning everything about Steve. Chrissy, the vice president’s daughter, corners him before the annual Halloween Party, forces him to invite his new friend Steve. She says it with a tone he doesn’t really understand, but it’s one that brooks no argument.

Maybe he learns all too well what Chrissy meant when it’s close to midnight and Steve pushes him against a tree outside and kisses him so thoroughly Eddie’s lost all oxygen to his brain. It changes the course of his entire life. He can’t stop thinking about it, feels the phantom taste of Steve on his tongue, but Steve isn’t answering his calls and Eddie doesn’t get a chance to corner him until a charity event almost a month later. 

They take each other apart that night, spend hours learning each other's bodies. Confessions spilled into the sheets they’re tangled in. Steve admits that his father arranged for him to be seen with Nancy Wheeler, who he has no interest in. They decide to try something casual, see each other when they can, get some much needed relief from the public eye. But Eddie’s never been the casual type, and he doesn’t think Steve is either, not after their nightly talks. He falls hard and eagerly hopes for more every time they meet up, wishing that Steve wouldn’t flee from his bed the next morning. 

Wayne’s pretty busy, running a country and all, but he eventually puts the pieces together on Eddie’s disappearances and his trips coinciding with events where Steve is present. His uncle knows him better than to think they’re just friends. Eddie never really had to come out to his Uncle, but they do have an intense talk on whether he’s ready to be perceived in that way by everyone in the world, Wayne apologizing for putting him in the spotlight. 

But Eddie feels forever about Steve. And Wayne’s presidency brought him to this man, to the love of his life, so there’s no way he could be upset about any of it.

If only Steve felt forever about him.

Part 2

[bogkeep]

grousing about ai art stuff

every time i open twitter (my mistake) there's a new thread on how to spot ai art or ai photos by finding all the mistakes in it, and like obviously this is useful and it's good to watch out because they kEEP SHOWING UP EVERYWHERE AHHH HELL WORLD HELL WORLD, but it's also a little depressing that we're training ourselves to nitpick all kinds of details within a piece of art.

like even before the artifically generated image boom randos on twitter would reply to fully finished illustrations with the most asinine unsolicited advice possible. art's gonna be flawed sometimes! i'll draw someone in a weird pose because of vibes! i'll wing a hand! i don't fucking know what a house actually looks like!!! like yes of course the way a human artist creates flawed art is different from the way an algorithm doesn't actually know what anything looks like because it has no mind. it doesn't know shit. so it's not that it's UNRELIABLE but it's like. it's like... i've been telling myself and others every time i'm struggling to make something look Just Right that actually nobody i going to be staring as hard at my art as i am while making it. if i don't point it out people aren't likely to notice unless they are going through it with a fine toothed comb BUT NOW WE ARE DOING THAT APPARENTLY. WHICH IS ANYONE'S PEROGATIVE AND FAIR ENOUGH! PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT MY ART HOWEVER THEY WANT IT'S FINE

but it's ALSO so depressing to consider having to analyse every single piece of art you come across like that my goddddddd i just wanna enjoy it!! i wanna enjoy art!!!! i mean the main reason i finally stopped going on twitter regularly was during the NFT boom and i got so tired of having to vet every single artist i came across to make sure i wasnt retweeting nft stuff. like that really ruined my previously enjoyable experience of LOOKING AT NICE ART ON MY FEED WITHOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE.

god another thing that happened during the dark nft times was how certain art styles tended to be nfts. and i don't mean the ugly apes and stuff, like of course there's those, but there were a lot of artists who sold their souls to crypto and there was just a certain Vibe to a lot of those styles. like i got a sixth sense for it, i would see a piece of art by an unknown artists and when i checked - yep, that was a crypto guy now. and you know what!!!! i hated that!!!! i hate that it ruined entire art styles for me!! AND NOW ARTIFICIALLY GENERATED IMAGES ARE DOING THE SAME!!!!! like what tends to tip me off is less because i spotted some wonky hand or a weird flap but because the style is a popular one for the ai bros to imitate. you know what i mean right!!!!!! it's kind of how the ai photos look a bit too clean and crisp and smooth in an unsettling way. it just pings the brain a bit.

ULTIMATELY the absolute main method i have for filtering away ai images isn't so much looking for mistakes, but by checking sources. it's the same way i check that i'm not reblogging from reposting accounts Because That's A Thing I Care About Too - if there's no description or the description seems off and i don't recognise the OP, i check the original post/blog to see what's up. if the image gives me a weird vibe, i check where it comes from and who posted it. oftentimes the comments on posts with ai images will point it out - they're not always accurate and there's definitely been times where people are a little too trigger happy to accuse art of being AI... but it can be a good lead or confirm suspicions. on one hand, i don't want to do detective work while im having chill scrolling time, but on the other hand - i already had this habit for other reasons, so it's less disruptive to me than the alternative. it also helps that it's very rare for ai shit to turn up in my tumblr feed. i don't want to keep looking over my shoulder!!

(also for anyone who wants a little bit of optimism in the middle of all this, here's an episode of Better Offline podcast that outlines how it's very unlikely for generative ai to actually get much better. here's the part two also.)

[drewharrisonwriter]

Lifeline - Ch. 4: Restarting

Pairings: Dieter Bravo x Female Reader, referred to as “Honey” 

Series Summary: After basically being dropped and rejected by every PR agency in Hollywood for being such a huge liability, Dieter Bravo must work on resetting his public image in the most unexpected ways.

Author's Notes: I have been working on this fic on and off for the past year, and this story is a little personal to me. Yes, I am trauma dumping in some scenes lol but I also want to say that there will be so many unrealistic things about Hollywood, actors, and PR/Marketing agencies here, to which I apologize.

Warnings: Angst, a little drama, lots of flashbacks. More warnings to come as the story progresses.

Read this on AO3 | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Dieter stepped into the bustling community center, the sound of children’s laughter and clattering art supplies filling the air. The place was alive with energy—kids of all ages crowded around long tables covered in paper, paint, and glue sticks, their eager voices blending into a cheerful chaos. The scent of acrylic paint and the faint undertone of cleaning supplies lingered in the air, grounding Dieter in a reality far removed from the sterile sets and glitzy parties he was used to.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to tamp down the unease simmering in his chest. He felt out of place in his worn jeans and plain black t-shirt, like an imposter stepping into someone else’s life. He’d agreed to this only because Honey had insisted it would be a low-pressure way to start repairing his public image. No cameras, no staged photo-ops—just him, some kids, and a couple of hours where he’d be seen doing something halfway decent. But as he stood there, Dieter couldn’t help but feel like everyone was staring at him, judging him for who he’d become.

A young volunteer approached, a bright smile on her face. She was in her early twenties, with colorful streaks in her hair and paint smudged on her apron. “Hey, you must be Dieter! I’m Sam. Thanks for coming out today—we could definitely use the extra hands.” She gestured to the chaotic tables behind her. “We’re making Mother’s Day cards, so it’s a bit of a mess.”

Dieter forced a smile, trying to match her enthusiasm. “Yeah, sure. No problem. What do you need me to do?”

Sam handed him a stack of blank cards and a box of markers. “You can help the kids decorate these. They’re going all out today—glitter, stickers, the works. It’s kind of fun once you get into it.”

Dieter nodded, glancing at the kids who were already knee-deep in their projects. He could feel eyes on him, a mix of curiosity and recognition that he’d grown accustomed to but never quite learned to embrace. He pulled up a chair at one of the tables, sitting down between two boys who were arguing over a tube of glitter glue.

“Hey, guys,” Dieter said, trying to inject some warmth into his voice. “Mind if I join?”

One of the boys, a freckle-faced kid with a gap-toothed smile, looked up and stared at him for a long moment. “You’re that guy from the movies, right? My dad says you used to be really famous.”

Dieter chuckled awkwardly, unsure how to respond. “Yeah, something like that. You got a name, buddy?”

“Ethan,” the boy said, then pointed to his friend. “And this is Jake. We’re making cards for our moms, but he’s hogging all the good stickers.”

Jake shot Ethan a glare but shoved a handful of glittery heart stickers toward him. “Fine, you big baby.”

Dieter watched the exchange, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, it felt almost normal—just another day, just another table. He picked up a marker and started doodling on a blank card, his lines shaky at first but growing more confident as he lost himself in the simple task. The boys chatted beside him, occasionally asking for his opinion on their creations, and Dieter found himself giving advice on which colors looked best or how to draw the perfect smiley face.

Art had always been Dieter’s secret refuge, a talent he rarely showed publicly but took great pride in. He could lose himself in a sketch for hours, finding solace in the simple act of creation. He hadn’t picked up a pen in weeks, maybe longer, and it felt strangely soothing to be doing something that wasn’t for show, just for the sheer joy of it.

Half an hour passed, and Dieter was surprised at how quickly he’d settled into the rhythm of the activity. He helped a girl struggling to cut out a paper flower and showed another kid how to draw a puppy that didn’t look like a potato. It was mundane and messy, but it was real in a way that Dieter hadn’t experienced in a long time. For a brief period, he wasn’t Dieter Bravo, the scandal-ridden actor—he was just a guy helping kids make cards for their moms.

Ethan watched as Dieter drew a quick sketch of a sunflower, his eyes widening with admiration. “Whoa, that’s really cool. You’re good at this.”

Dieter shrugged, trying not to let the compliment go to his head. “Thanks, kid. I’ve been at it a while.”

Ethan leaned closer, his curiosity piqued. “Did you ever think about doing this instead of movies?”

Dieter paused, caught off guard by the question. “Yeah, actually. Once upon a time. But life had other plans.”

The boy nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, and went back to gluing glitter onto his card. Dieter watched him, a bittersweet smile on his face, and for the first time in a long while, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t entirely lost. The world outside could wait; right now, he was doing something that mattered, even if it was just to a group of kids with markers and glitter glue.

–

The weeks that followed Dieter’s first volunteer gig at the community center were a blur of carefully managed appearances, low-profile events, and calculated steps to rebuild his image. Honey had planned every detail meticulously, curating opportunities that would put Dieter in the public eye without overwhelming him—or giving the tabloids more ammunition. Each event was a test of Dieter’s resolve, pushing him to engage without losing control, to be present without falling back into old habits.

One of their first few outings after the community center was at a local soup kitchen. It was an early morning, and Dieter showed up half-awake, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes and a hoodie that did little to hide his tired demeanor. The kitchen was already buzzing with volunteers, and Dieter felt the familiar pang of self-doubt creep in.

Honey was there, clipboard in hand, already talking to the staff and making sure everything was set. She spotted Dieter and gave him a quick once-over, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Rough night?”

Dieter shrugged, trying to muster a smile. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

Honey handed him an apron, her expression softening just a bit. “Well, let’s keep it together today, alright? The cameras might not be here, but people still talk.”

Dieter nodded, tying the apron around his waist. He spent the next few hours serving meals, exchanging small talk with the other volunteers, and gradually finding his footing in the repetitive tasks. It wasn’t glamorous, but it felt purposeful. Honey watched from the sidelines, her eyes never straying far from Dieter, noting every slip and every small triumph.

As they wrapped up, Honey approached Dieter with a bottle of water. “Not bad today,” she said, her tone approving. “You looked… genuine.”

Dieter took the bottle, unscrewing the cap. “I was trying, you know. Not to screw it up.”

Honey smiled, a small, rare thing. “You didn’t. Let’s keep it that way.”

—

Dieter stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie for what felt like the hundredth time. The suit Honey had chosen for him was sharp—classic black, tailored to perfection, and a far cry from the disheveled, carefree style he’d grown accustomed to. He tugged at the collar, feeling the fabric tight around his throat, as if it was trying to choke the confidence out of him. This was the first real event Honey had lined up, and it felt like a test he wasn’t sure he’d pass.

Just as he was about to grab his jacket, Dieter’s phone buzzed with a message from Honey: Be there in ten. No surprises tonight.

Dieter smirked, grabbing his keys and heading out to the lobby to meet her. When he saw her step out of the car, his breath caught in his throat. Honey was stunning in a sleek black dress, simple but elegant, her hair loosely pinned back. She looked every bit the poised, professional woman she’d grown into, but there was something in the way she glanced around that reminded Dieter of the girl she used to be—the one who would wait for him at the stage door with that same mix of nerves and excitement.

As she approached, Dieter gave her an appreciative once-over. “Damn, Honey. You clean up nice.”

Honey rolled her eyes, but there was a faint blush on her cheeks. “I could say the same for you. But remember, we’re here to make an impression.”

Dieter shifted on his feet, suddenly feeling the weight of the night ahead. “About that… I was thinking, maybe you could, you know, be my date.”

Honey raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Dieter, I’m not your date. I’m your PR manager.”

Dieter’s grin turned boyish, the kind that always used to make her laugh. “Not like that. I just meant, you know… for old times’ sake. Make it look good, keep me in line. You’re the only one who knows how to.”

Honey hesitated, the words catching her off guard. There was a softness in Dieter’s eyes that she hadn’t seen in a long time, and it stirred something in her. “This isn’t a date,” she warned, but her voice lacked the usual firmness. “I’m just keeping an eye on you.”

Dieter nodded, his smile never wavering. “Deal. Just keep me from jumping out of my skin.”

As they walked into the venue together, Dieter couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of calm with Honey by his side. The grand ballroom was filled with soft lighting and low chatter, the clinking of champagne glasses mingling with light jazz that played in the background. Dieter’s anxiety spiked as they stepped further in, his gaze darting around at the familiar faces—some friendly, some not. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at his tie again, feeling like the walls were closing in.

Honey noticed immediately, her expression shifting to one of quiet concern. “You okay?”

Dieter shrugged, trying to mask his discomfort. “Yeah, it’s just… a lot. I haven’t been in a room like this in a while.”

Honey nodded, stepping closer and lowering her voice. “Just breathe. You’ve got this. Remember, you’re not here to perform. Just be yourself—well, the best version of that,” she added with a teasing smile.

Dieter let out a breath, her words grounding him. “Yeah, thanks. It’s just… you know, I used to own rooms like this.”

Honey gave him a reassuring smile. “And you will again. Tonight’s just a start. Think of it as practice.”

Dieter laughed softly, her encouragement calming his nerves. They drifted to a quieter corner, sharing light conversation. Honey slipped easily between friend and PR manager, checking in on Dieter’s mood and making small suggestions—“Smile when you’re talking, it reads better,” and “Don’t grip your glass so tight; it makes you look tense.” But there were also moments of genuine connection, where they talked about the little things: the absurdity of the silent auction items, the hilarity of the overly fancy appetizers, and the nostalgia of being in a setting that once felt so natural to Dieter.

“You remember that one movie premiere?” Dieter mused, his eyes distant with memory, when in fact it was just a few weeks ago where he was invited to attend a premiere of a former castmate’s latest movie. “The lights went out and you tripped over the red carpet? You were so mad.”

Honey laughed, covering her mouth. “Oh my God, yes. I was mortified. You just kept telling everyone I was making a dramatic entrance.”

Dieter chuckled, a warm, familiar sound that pulled Honey back into their shared past. “You were. Best part of the night.”

They fell into an easy rhythm, the conversation flowing effortlessly between the past and present. Honey kept Dieter engaged, nudging him to mingle with a few key people, each time offering a subtle nod or smile of encouragement that helped him push through his hesitations. Dieter found himself more at ease, moving through the crowd with a confidence he hadn’t felt in months, buoyed by Honey’s quiet presence beside him.

As the night wound down, Dieter lingered near the exit, Honey by his side. He looked at her, the soft lighting catching the glimmer in her eyes. “This was… nice,” he admitted, his voice lower, almost shy. “It’s been a while since I felt like I wasn’t completely drowning.”

Honey nodded, her expression softening. “You did well tonight. This is just the beginning.”

Dieter hesitated, then took a small step closer. “Hey, why don’t you come over? We could catch up a little. I’ll make coffee. You can chew on all the ice you want.”

Honey laughed lightly but shook her head. “I can’t. I have somewhere I need to be.”

Dieter frowned, a flicker of disappointment flashing in his eyes. “Well, at least let me drop you home.”

Honey opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. A tall, handsome man with a perfectly tailored suit stepped out, his presence commanding but casual. He rounded the car and greeted Honey with a warm smile, wrapping an arm around her in a way that felt both familiar and possessive.

“Phil,” Honey said, her tone brightening as she introduced him. “This is Dieter. Dieter, this is Phil.”

Dieter’s stomach dropped, his earlier confidence evaporating. He forced a smile, shaking Phil’s hand with just a touch too much force. “Nice to meet you,” he managed, though his voice sounded hollow even to his own ears.

Phil grinned, seemingly unaware of Dieter’s internal turmoil. “Likewise. Honey’s told me all about your work together. You’re in good hands.”

Dieter nodded stiffly, feeling the sting of the moment. He watched as Honey and Phil exchanged a look that spoke volumes, one filled with an unspoken history Dieter wasn’t part of. His chest tightened, like he’d taken a punch straight to the gut. He couldn’t help but feel like an outsider in his own story, like he was watching a scene he wasn’t meant to be in.

Honey turned back to Dieter, her smile kind but distant. “I’ll see you Monday, okay? And remember—no parties, no social media… for now.”

Dieter swallowed hard, managing a tight nod. “Yeah. See you.”

He watched as Phil opened the car door for Honey, their laughter mingling with the soft hum of the city night. Dieter stood there, feeling the weight of everything he’d lost and the ache of everything that could never be. As the car pulled away, Dieter’s heart twisted painfully, a mix of jealousy, regret, and something deeper—something that felt like hope slipping further out of reach.

Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

[prismalmelonman]

Hey I would like some advice please. I consider myself an inclusive trans gay man. Emphasis on gay. I do not identify as bisexual at all, and have never been attracted to women. My very debate happy friend asked me to look at some vids of people and say how attracted I was. Ok. Well it turns out a LOT of the people I said I was attracted to could be proven to identify as women, all amab and usually trans women oddly none of the afab non-binary or afab very gnc women. My friend then says “ok so you see, EITHER sexual orientation is based on sex, and you are attracted to amabs only” (which admittedly is the pattern 😣) OR you are bisexual for being attracted to cis men, trans women and amab nb/queer. I just don’t know what to say. I am not bi. But I am attracted to trans women unless they pass 100% and even then if I know they still have a cock, I’m kinda interested. But then to say that feels transphobic. How can I articulate my sexuality in an honest but inclusive way?

I'm gonna be honest I don't know how to answer this? I'm not an arbiter on what is bisexual and what isn't bisexual, or what is and isn't transphobic. I'm not transfem, but I guess if it was turned around and someone was only attracted to me as I am now and only attracted to pre-op trans men it'd feel kinda scummy? At least to me. Or it'd feel like they're just attracted to androgynous/masculine ish women or enby folks and they're getting the fix via a pre-op trans guy. But I'm not entirely sure about other ppl.

I'd say you just gotta figure it out for yourself. Maybe you do discover you're bi with masc preferences, maybe you're still gay.

Again i'm really not the best person to answer this because I'm having questions about my sexuality lately myself (discovering I have a heavy preference to men, both cis and trans, but still wanting to be pansexual cause I do like women just to a lesser extent and I'm getting confused about labels).

Sexuality can be really complex and hard to figure out for yourself. It's a journey between you and it. I'm sure you'll figure it out with time, as will I. Till then though, queer always works too.

Edit: also your friends shouldn't be quizzing you on your sexuality and making you anxious about whether or not you're transphobic or bi or whatever. That's weird. If you're just gay then you're gay. If you're into only men, including feminine ish men (THIS IS NOT CALLING PRE-OP TRANS WOMEN FEM MEN DO NOT TAKE THIS AS THAT PLEASE) then that's what you're into. And your friends shouldn't be trying to go "gotcha actually you're bisexual cause these photos of random people whose genders you didn't know say so" like that's weird as fuck.

[hanasnx]

if i were to buy photo op to go get a photo with hayden christensen, does anybody have any advice? i’ve never gone to a con of any kind before

1) do i pack light essentials like water, granola bars? anything else? deodorant? mints?

2) what should i wear? do these buildings run cold or hot?

3) is it accessible to someone like me who doesn’t know how things work? are places labeled? will i know where to go? are there people to help?

[accio-victuuri]

I was so curious about the red string bracelet ( clearly seen in airport photos shanghai > singapore ) and charm XZ is currently wearing. i’ve been using mine for more than 3 years now because of him among other “charms” here and there. i’m referencing this post by FlowerField_博肖拾光机.

The bracelet composition itself is a red rope, similar to his old one. This kind of red string has different meaning depending on the culture but for XZ i would think it’s more of having a personal instrument of luck and protection. tied to a belief in Buddhism that this bracelet can ward off evil spirits. These bracelets are handmade. While making knots, they ( buddhist monks ) repetitively recite mantras for the goodwill of the wearer.

now for the charm, there are two meanings as both sides have 2 different designs. the first one being “fu” which means luck. traditionally it symbolizes goodwill & happiness— placing the character upside-down symbolizes it 'pouring out' or 'arriving. ' and upside-down fu character on your front door is a clever way to invite luck's arrival at your home.

the other side is a horse. i was wondering why, cause i’m 90 ( year of the horse ) and ZZ is 91 ( year of the goat/sheep. literally greatest of all time lol. it suits xiao laoshi ) so he should not be wearing it.

the OP suggested to use the 十二生肖 3合6合生肖 查询表 table. as per the grids, the match for sheep for “6” is horse and this is possibly why the charm he uses is this.

okay, let me try and explain it further…

Ancient Chinese sages believed that human life is destined, but destiny can be changed. One’s fortune is closely related to the mutual growth and restraint of each person's zodiac signs. Therefore, there is also a mutually reinforcing relationship between people. Finding the zodiac who is compatible with your own sign will be helpful to your life's fortune, interpersonal relationships, marriage and family.

The so-called Sanhe (3) and Liuhe (6) are the attraction and concentration of the power of certain elements among the Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). It can be seen from this that unity is the attraction, affinity and cohesion of the five elements. It is mainly based on the three combinations and six combinations of the earthly branches (i.e. "zodiac signs") of the year of birth.

In the 3 part of the table, for example in XZ’s case, sheep/pig/rabbit zodiac signs form a good triad together. Think of it as a kind of "bright combination", one that is fair and upright. It is the auspicious match of the three zodiac signs.

The three-in-one combination not only has a good fit, but also has thoughts, values, habits, actions. These people are usually so in tune with each other. The three-in-one zodiac signs are four years apart. As the saying goes, getting married four years apart is a match made in heaven. This is based on the "three-in-one".

As for the 6, known as your zodiac’s Liu He ( the six directions hence marked as 6 in the table even if there is just one match ). This is more of a secret alliance to that particular zodiac.

They may give strong support to the zodiac sign at work, or give timely advice/help the sign of the zodiac sign in terms of wealth, interpersonal relationships, or provide spiritual comfort. They co-exist harmoniously.

It makes sense. That luck charm added with the the strongest sign that helps the sheep which is GG ❤️

[transmascissues]

Hey hope you're feeling better and getting lots of affection. I would like some advice if youre up for it? I'm going to be getting no nipp top surgery in two months and am having a hard time finding pictures to show my surgeon what I want. What was your process like? Did you collect pictures of other people's no nip top surgeries? If so, where did you find them? Thank!

i personally didn't have to show my surgeon pictures because the fact that she already had experience doing that kind of top surgery was actually one of the reasons i picked her, but i do know of a few places you could look for pictures!

i would absolutely recommend checking out the subreddit r/FreedTheNips for pictures and honestly anything else regarding people's experiences with no-nip top surgery. it's dedicated to sharing pictures of and information about top surgery without nipples, and there are a ton of people sharing their post-op pictures on there, so you're pretty much guaranteed to find at least a few that match the kind of results you're looking for.

you could also check out Transbucket, a website where a lot of people share their surgery results. there are a few filters you can use to find people who have gotten top surgery without nipples – the ones i'm seeing just looking at it now are "bilateral mastectomy with chest wall reconstruction and no nipple retention" and "double incision without grafts".

some surgeons also have before and after photos on their websites, so you could check out a few surgeons' websites and see if they have and before and after photos of results without nipples. my surgeon's website has a few pictures like that. the gender confirmation center also has some; you just have to scroll through for a bit to find them because they're not separated out from the others. the same goes for align surgical associates, though it seems like filtering by "nonbinary top surgery" brings at least a few of the no-nipple photos to the top. i'm sure there are others, but those are the ones i could find from a quick search.

between those three places, i think you should definitely have enough of a selection to find some pictures that match your body type and desired results pretty well!

[darkshrimpemotions]

Jensen on Destiel

Okay! So we're always getting "Jensen doesn't like Destiel and said it wasn't real one time years ago" thrown in our faces by bitter no-lifes who can't just let other people enjoy things. So I thought it'd be fun to compile a list of all the times Jensen talked positively about Dean and Cas's relationship!

Right now it's just a list of things I remember from being in this fandom since 2011. Eventually I will add links to sources, video sources wherever possible. Watch this space!

(Also, if there's something that isn't referenced here, feel free to reblog or reply and I'll add it to this post! I want to grow this post as big as possible so we can always remind ourselves how little the one or two comments antis constantly reference actually matter, especially given how much of this comes after those comments were made, indicating Jensen has long since changed his mind.)

Straight from the Jackles Mouth

Jensen talking about Dean and Cas's relationship and how important it is to Dean.

"Dean has no taste, clearly."

"What are you looking forward to tackling this season?" "Cas."

Jensen talking about the confession scene, Castiel's goodbye, and he, Misha, and Dick improvising the handprint.

Jensen talking about he and Misha watching and sharing fan reactions to the confession.

Jensen talking about asking a crew member to film the confession on his phone so he can remember it as Jensen and not only as Dean.

Jensen talking about a lot of his reaction being cut out of the confession scene's final edit.

Talking about Dean and Cas's relationship transcending human understanding (yes I do count this, he was trying to do damage control after Jared's homophobic rant).

Saying Dean wasn't making any decisions in the confession scene, which emphasizes that Dean was not rejecting Cas by not being able to say anything back in the moment.

Saying after Cas was gone Dean was thinking "I didn't give him anything. I should have said "I love you, too."

Saying if s15 Dean (who was LITERALLY SO MAD AT CAS HE COULDN'T LOOK AT HIM for half the season) could give s4 Dean any single piece of advice, it'd be to keep the weird angel around because he'll be the best friend Dean's ever had.

Talking about Dean and Cas's reunion and how he hopes we'll get to see it someday. It would be a big hug and then "can we talk about that good-bye a little bit?"

-

Fan Encounters

"I live it" in reference to Destiel fanart and calling Destiel kissing art the paparazzi shot.

Signing Destiel fanart, switching his pen to match Misha's where he'd already signed it.

Choosing the Lovers tarot card for Destiel

CasDean 4 Lyfe photo op

[mejigay]

MEJIBRAY MiA is chewing on his ribcage bone

Keeping up with MEJIBRAY: The Series

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

Hello to my favorite bitches, long time no see! Ready for a classic mejigay gossip sesh?

If you were anything like me, you started a Tumblr blog about visual kei very young (I've posted about vk on this blog since I was 16) and now you're an adult. MEJIBRAY broke up around 6 years ago now I think right? I am now 24, have a masters degree and planning on moving to Japan in spring. Crazy how time flies right.

Let's refresh our minds a little bit okay? Now I'm assuming you remember everything from those 6-ish years ago. The MEJIBRAY label/contract issue with Tsuzuku and Koichi, Tsuzuku's borderline disorder, the refusal to do encores during the last tour, the charcoal face paint and the result of it all which was 8p-sb. If you want a recap on that specific semi-disbandment drama there's plenty of posts that I made about it while it was happening so feel free to check it out! (keep in mind I was like 18 and very dramatic writing those posts lol) There's also this great summary from a redditor in the comment section here

The same redditor even filled me in on stuff I felt out of the loop about in their reply to the OP. I know 8p-sb is gone and Koichi does Trembling Bambi solo stuff while Genki (Tsuzuku) is a vocal coach, is in the band 30 seconds certain victory, and revives VanessA occasionally. But this has also happened:

Yeah what the fuck Koichi? Now, I do remember starting that yakuza theory here on Tumblr back in the MEJIBRAY semi-disbanding days. I read it on tanuki and told y'all about it and got soooo much shit for it at the time lol. Looks like Koichi kind of confirmed the theory! (take that rude anons in my asks back then lmao). However, Koichi staying in the same industry he claims is rotten and run by the yakuza is definitely weird. Why talk all high and mighty while benefitting from it one may ask. Either way, for those wondering what Koichi is up to, there's your answer and an explanation to why he got backlash. About the VanessA stuff, one can conclude that our favorite duo, Genki and Koichi, doesn't seem to be that involved with each other anymore.

I would also like to take time to talk about Genki's well being, as some of you might know he has a youtube channel in Japanese. From my so-so Japanese skills I can still keep up with a lot of what he's saying. Good news, he's doing better now than the MEJIBRAY days from the looks of it. In this video he talked about how the photo from the MEJIBRAY days was him being unwell and the picture to the right is him feeling much better!

(TW for this paragraph: self harm) In another video he talked about various topics/gave advice such as about self harm/cutting and how it annoys him when people say he shouldn't hurt the body his parents gave to him. He thinks that's an incorrect way to tell someone to stop cutting and seems in general to be very open to talk about this topic while smiling and not getting angered. So he seemed very stable, mature and content to me.

What about Meto/Yutaro? Well, he seems to be a happy chef! As for MiA... I've seen him hang out with hosts like Roland and in general seems to live that bougie life. Roland is a top host who aims for the prince vibe just like MiA, and is open about his plastic surgeries just like MiA. Now let's get into a really recent topic about Mia!

Just like me, you might still follow our MEJIBRAY boys on various social medias. And just like me, you might have seen MiA's picture where he chews a bone. "Huh, weird" you might have thought as you scrolled past it. Well here I am, resurrecting this blog once again, just to tell you that the bone is MiA's fucking ribcage bone. I ain't posting that picture, find it yourself cause it's gross.

As MiA poses in the same costumes from his MEJIBRAY days and posts them on Instagram, you'd think his life and social media posts were a bit mundane. Then, a fucking picture of him chewing a thick ass bone pops up. The bone in question was taken out during a ribcage surgery, that MiA claims was done in order for him to create a custom guitar with his BONE INFUSED into it. Yeah I know. What???

In general you could either see it as him being a massive attention hungry person, or as unhinged and putting his life in danger. Bone surgeries are very harmful and anyone with two working eyes can see his shaved jawline bone already. So adding a removed ribcage bone to that... It's dangerous.

That's it for the gossip sesh! I'm thinking of making this "Keeping up with MEJIBRAY: The series" a thing whenever I think there needs to be a big gossip update like this.

To anyone still here in the MEJIBRAY Tumblr tags and to anyone following this blog, thanks for reading all of this and I hope we can laugh at this absurdity together! <3

xoxo mejigay

(feel free to read that sign off in the gossip girl voice lmao)