#sheep was made in...2016

[vampiricsheep]

hey uh

[adallinda]

Tobias Rogers mischaracterization

As we know, the creepypasta fandom is one hell of a place. Jumping from a joyous place to Satan's spawn. People switching like a light when it comes to opinions and if you'd see to speak up you don't know if you're gonna be okay or get jumped and doxxed.

Well that thing isn't only to the people in here, it also accuses to the characters and one for the biggest mischaracterized character is Tobias Erin Rogers / "Ticci Toby" .

As we know from the creator of Toby, Kastoway, Toby was described to be diagnosed with Bipolar syndrome, CIPA (Congenital Insensitive To Pain) and Tourette Syndrome.

The character Toby was said to be jumping from one emotion to another. Especially at the start of the story, he was basically numb and depressed due to the death of his sister, although this fact changes thorough the story it shows us that his emotions changes frequently. He was described by his creator to be "Upbeat and hyperactive. However, he can occasionally be a very sarcastic person, he will uncontrollable due to his mental instability". He is also mentioned to be frequently fidgeting and twitching because of his disorder, hence why he got the name " Ticci Toby ".

We can see from the start of his story that he can't feel pain, it is not mentioned directly that he has CIPA but it is very hinted at. As we move forward we can see that he usually stepped in, and take the beating, when his father abused his wife and daughter, because he can't feel pain. After his sister died, and the operator appeared in his life, he can be seen self mutilating by biting his fingers until there's almost no skin around the nails. This is a very important fact that many seem to forget, that he canonically is a cannibal ( the creator stated he wanted to make him one but was scared that his story would be too similar to Jack's one) .

The forgotten details

Let's start with every single one and explain them thoroughly.

Bipolar syndrome : Many people forget he is bipolar. One of the factor caused by this is because many don't read his story but another one is because some people follow each other's opinion like a herd of sheeps. There is nothing wrong with being incorrect but spreading false information can make a character be heavily mischaracterized and that's something no author wants.

At first it was that he was ONLY upbeat. The meme "Hey masky! " was very popular in the fandom in 2016 and it only intensified by Ieatpastaforbreakfast, which many people interpreted him as a ray of sunshine and that he was like an annoying little brother towards Masky. Also let's not forget the "Toby loves waffles" jokes that only made him look more of a child than he was mentally and physically.

NOW I'M NOT SAYING ANY OF THIS IS BAD. This was very popular in 2016 and it wasn't only hurting anyone. It was just us who had fun. But I'm mentioning these factors here because this also falls under the mischaracterizarion umbrella. I, myself, love the fanon much more.

Though as years went by, the fandom died and it only kinda revived last two years. Now people are more matured than they were back then and they have tried to make him more realistic. Which is not a bad thing, it brings nostalgia back and all but I am not sure we have the same meaning of realistic. Some people made Tobias seem like an abuser, a predator and many went as far as calling him a r4pist. He is NONE of that. Calling a character that, evil or not, is very disgusting on your behalf.

CIPA : Many forget he can't actually feel pain and it is not a big thing but I wanted to point it out if I already mentioned it in the first part.

There's nothing wrong with forgetting or not knowing, but knowing and spreading lies about a certain thing is something shitty to do. Especially to new fans who are willing to learn about a potential "new favorite" character only just to be lead by false information.

Tourette syndrome : Another syndrome forgotten by the fandom. This is not a new thing, it also was present from the start in 2016 but it only intensified.

Toby twitches and tics very often. Not only with his head but with his tongue too, messing up words and whistling very oftenly. This is very overlooked and in every early fanfic you read there is no mention of any tics or twitches.

This happens less now, people writing it or mentioning it frequently now. And almost in every fanfic you read now, there is at least one mention of his tics.

In my opinion, I don't really care of they're written or not. It's all the same for me, but I get why some get irritated when they're not mentioned. Especially people who have these disorders.

The ships

Tobias is a very popular character, he always has been and many people adore him. Now every character has ships, and it is a normal thing to ship character, but there are good ships and bad ships.

At the time, the creator of Toby, Kastoway, was in a relationship with the creator of clockwork, "Soffbois", and because of said relationship they also made the characters be in love which I find a cute thing.

Tho many people didn't agree and didn't find it cute at all, in fact, many started spreading hate towards the creators and we don't know if it's because of that or if it's for another reason but after a while the creators broke up, and so did the characters.

Unfortunately, many people were pleased with this outcome. Now I get some of them were children and just followed what the others were doing, spreading hate towards them mindlessly and not understanding the consequences of their actions but some were teenagers with maturity development in them and could understand what they were doing was fucked up. Sending hate towards two people who were happy with what they achieved just because you didn't liked your fav character was taken, was fucked up. Like very.

Others started shipping him with some other characters. Since he is a legal adult, he can be shipped with almost anyone but some took it far and created horrible and disgusting ships alongside fanart, fanfiction and many other things of said ships. Most of these ships are " Toby x Sally ", " Toby x Ben " ," Toby x Masky "

I hope I don't have to explain why they're horrible, illegal and shouldn't exist at all. Sally and Ben drowned are kids and Masky is a decade older than Tobias.

People in this fandom don't seem to understand that " Tobias x Masky " is in fact very much weird. Despite them being both adults, Toby is (now) 30 and Masky is somewhere in his 40s. Also Tim ( The creator and person who plays Masky ) is asexual.

Fanon vs canon

There have been some instances where a debate was created, is fanon better than realism or the other way around? There is no right nor wrong opinion to this. If person A loves the fanon ideas and person B loves the realism, well I can't do anything about it. Just have fun, this place should be a safe space (no weirdos) for all and we all should have fun in here. Losing the whimsical of it all brings no purpose to this fandom.

Conclusion

Tobias is a very complex character who has a tragic story and suffers of many disorders, and many took advantage of that and destroyed and remodeled him. And keep in mind his age when making ships.

[hussyknee]

Made in the USA: Wage Theft, Fraud and Hidden Sweatshops

Unrolled twitter thread by derek guy (@dieworkwear)

4 Oct 24 • Read on X

ALT enabled on all images. Video has closed captions but is not transcribed.

Not trying to create a pile-on here. But let's talk about why something might still be made in unethical conditions even though it bears a "made in USA" tag. 🧵

The first thing to understand is that not all workers are covered by US labor laws. You might assume that workers get paid a minimum wage (after all, it says "minimum"). In fact, many garment workers in the US toil under what's known as the piecework system.

Piecework means you get paid not by the amount of time you work but the number of operations you complete. This system should be familiar to many of you. As a writer, I get paid per word. The pay is the same whether it takes me 100 or 10 hours to write a 1,000 word article.

My situation is fine bc I get paid enough to eat. But for a garment worker, the pay structure can be peanuts: three cents to sew a zipper or sleeve, five cents for a collar, and seven cents to prepare the top part of a skirt. These are real numbers for LA-based garment workers.

Piecework is how companies skirt minimum wage laws. Among labor organizers, the term "wage theft" refers to the difference between what a worker should have earned under min wage laws and what they actually earned through the piece rate system.

This system is incredibly common. A 2016 UCLA Labor Center study showed the median piece-rate worker in Los Angeles scrapes together $5.15 per hour—less than half the state’s mandated minimum wage. Labor conditions are also very bad: poor ventilation, dusty air, rats and mice.

A Federal Department of Labor investigation the same year found that 85 percent of Los Angeles garment factories were breaking labor laws. In 2016, these violations amounted to $1.3 million in back wages owed to 865 workers in a sample of 77 factories. This is wage theft.

In 2021, labor organizers won a fight to get piecework banned in California. But two years later, it's still incredibly common. I interviewed an LA-based garment worker who toils 12 hrs a day for $50. She sleeps in the corner of a kitchen. From my article in The Nation:

Currently, there's a new fight get piecework banned nationwide through the FABRC Act. I would link, but Twitter throttles threads that have outbound links, so I would prefer if you Google how you can support this legislation. Or follow @GarmentWorkerLA for more info.

The other reason why a "made in USA" tag may not mean much has to do with how the label is applied.

When you see this label inside your garment, what do you assume? Think about this before moving on to the next tweet.

The Federal Trade Commission has pretty strict rules on who gets to apply that label. For clothes, the item has to be cut and sewn in the US using materials that were made in the US. The FTC tries to match its rules with the common understanding of what "made in US" means.

If you're a giant company like Levi's or LL Bean, you may have lawyers who are advising you on these rules. This is why you see labels like "imported," which means the item was made abroad. Or "made in the US from imported materials" when they can't meet the MiUSA standard.

But it's incredibly common for companies to violate FTC rules. In 2022, the FTC fined the pro-Trump brand Lions Not Sheep $211k for labeling their t-shirts "made in USA" when the shirts were actually imported from China and other countries.

The company was basically importing blanks from China, ripping out the "made in China" label, screen printing the shirt in the US, and then applying a new screen-printed "made in US" label. CEO Sean Whalen claimed he was being persecuted for his pro-Trump views.

But the whole thing started bc Whalen made a video about how his customers are price sensitive, so he imports blanks from China. That's what kicked off the FTC investigation. So while this mislabeling is common, it's hard to get caught unless you make a video about your crimes.

The truth is that making a t-shirt in the USA according to FTC standards will result in a relatively expensive garment. Heddels and Velva Sheen both produce shirts in the US from US grown cotton. The first is $26; second is $90 for a two-pack.

Once you add things such as screenprinting—or if you want a more unique cut and not just basic blanks—the costs go up. This is why Bikers for Trump sourced their merch from Haiti. They knew their customers would not pay an extra $8 for true made-in-USA production.

Today, there are countless companies that make merch for other organizations. They source their t-shirts from a variety of places—some made in the US, most not—and then screenprint a design and fulfill orders. This way, the other org doesn't have to do any work but marketing.

When you see a screenprinted t-shirt for $20, ask yourself: Where was the material grown? Where were the yarns spun? Where was the cutting, sewing, and finishing performed? Where was the screenprinted done? What were the wages and labor conditions along these steps?

I'm not a nationalist, so I don't prioritize American jobs over foreign ones. But I do care about fair wages and labor protections. Just because something was made abroad doesn't mean it was made in a sweatshop. Just because it was made in the US doesn't mean fair wages.

Paying more for a garment is also no guarantee of ethical manufacturing. But when the price of a garment is so low, you leave little on the table for workers. Just because you see a $20 t-shirt that says "made in USA" doesn't mean it was made fairly.

Please don't harass the person who posted that original tweet. My intention is not to cause harm or stress for anyone. Only to help shed light on what goes into garment manufacturing, fair labor, and labeling. Hopefully, you will consider these issues when shopping.

For the inevitable question: "How do I make sure my clothes were made ethically?" This is very difficult to answer in a thread. My simplest answer is that we should elect pro-worker politicians, fight for pro-labor laws, and empower unions so workers can advocate for themselves.

--------------------End----------------------

TL; DR: Doesn't matter if it's the US, if it's not union it's probably a sweatshop. And not all merch is priced high because of fair labour conditions (looking at Taylor Swift and Beyoncé). Look for supply chain transparency.

[najia-cooks]

[ID: Seven yoghurt balls on a plate drizzled with olive oil. The one in the center is plain; the others are covered in mint, toasted sesame seeds, ground sumac, za'tar, crushed red chili pepper, and nigella seeds. End ID]

لبنة نباتية / Labna nabatia (Vegan labna)

Labna (with diacritics: "لَبْنَة"; in Levantine pronunciation sometimes "لَبَنَة" "labanay") is a Levantine cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk yoghurt that has been strained to remove the whey and leave the curd, giving it a taste and texture in between those of a thick, tart sour cream and a soft cheese. The removal of whey, in addition to increasing the yoghurt's tanginess and pungency, makes it easier to preserve: it will keep in burlap or cheesecloth for some time without refrigeration, and may be preserved for even longer by rolling it into balls and submerging the balls in olive oil. Labna stored in this way is called "لبنة كُرَات" ("labna kurāt") or "لبنة طابات" ("labna ṭābāt"), "labna balls." Labna may be spread on a plate, topped with olive oil and herbs, and eaten as a dip for breakfast or an appetizer; or spread on kmaj bread alongside herbs, olives, and dates to make sandwiches.

The word "labna" comes from the Arabic root ل ب ن (l b n), which derives from a Proto-West-Semitic term meaning "white," and produces words relating to milk, yoghurt, nursing, and chewing. The related term "لَبَن" ("laban"; also transliterated "leban") refers to milk in Standard Arabic, but in Levantine Arabic is more likely to refer to yoghurt; a speaker may specify "لَبَن رَائِب‎" (laban rā'ib), "curdled milk," to avoid confusion.

Labna is a much-beloved food in Palestine, with some people asserting that no Palestinian home is without a jar. Making labna tabat is, for many, a necessary preparation for the winter season. However, by the mid-2010s, the continuation of Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip, as well as Israeli military violence, had severely weakened Gaza's dairy industry to the point where almost no labna was being produced. Most of the 11 dairy processors active in Gaza in 2017 (down from 15 in 2016) only produced white cheese—though Mustafa Eid's company Khalij had recently expanded production to other forms of dairy that could be made locally with limited equipment, such as labna, yoghurt, and buttermilk.

Dairy farmers and processors pushed for this kind of innovation and self-sufficiency against deep economic disadvantage. With large swathes of Gaza's arable land rendered unusable by Israeli border policing and land mines, about 90% of farmers were forced by scarce pasture land and low fodder production to feed their herds with increasingly expensive fodder imported from Israel—dairy farmers surveyed in 2017 spent an estimated 87% of their income on fodder, which had doubled in price since 2007. Cattle were thus fed with low quantities of, or low-quality, fodder, resulting in lower milk production and lower-quality milk.

Most dairy processors were also unable to access or afford the equipment necessary to maintain, upgrade, or diversify their factories. Since 2007, Israel has tightly restricted entry into Gaza of items which they consider to have a "dual use": i.e., a potential civilian and military function. This includes medical equipment, construction materials, and agricultural equipment and machinery, and impacts everything from laboratory equipment to ensure safe food supplies to packaging and labelling equipment. Of the dairy products that Gazan farmers and processors do manage to produce, Israel's control over their export can cause huge financial losses—as when Israel prohibited the export of Palestinian dairy and meat to East Jerusalem without warning in March of 2020, costing estimated annual losses of 300 million USD.

In addition to this kind of economic manipulation, direct military violence threatens Gaza's dairy industry. Mamoun Dalloul says that his factory was accused of holding rockets and subsequently bombed in 2008, 2010, 2012, and again in 2014, resulting in repeated moves and the loss of the capability to produce yellow cheese. The Israeli military partially or totally destroyed 10 dairy processing factories, and killed almost 2,000 cows, during its 2014 invasion of Gaza, resulting in an estimated 43 million USD of damage to the dairy sector alone. Damage to cow-breeding farms in 2014 reduced the number of dairy cows to 2,600, just over half their previous number. Damage to, or destruction of, wells, water reservoirs, water tanks, and the Gaza Power Plant's fuel tank exacerbated pre-existing problems with producing cattle feed and with the transportation, processing, and refrigeration of dairy products, leading to spoiled milk that had to be disposed of. Repeated offensives made dairy processors reluctant to re-invest in equipment that could be destroyed at any time.

Israeli industry profits by making Gazan self-sufficiency untenable. Israeli goods entering Palestine are not subject to import taxes, and Israeli dairy companies are not dealing with the contaminated water, limited electricity, high costs of feed, out-of-date and expensive-to-repair equipment, and scarce land (some companies, such as Tnuva, purchase milk from farms on illegal settlements in the West Bank) with which Gazan producers must contend. The result is that the local market in Gaza is flooded with imports that are cheaper, more diverse, and of higher quality than anything that local producers can offer. Many consumers believe that Israeli products are safer to eat.

Nevertheless, Gazans continue building and rebuilding. Despite significant decreases in ice cream factories' production after the imposition of Israel's blockade in 2007, Abu Mohammad noted in 2015 that locally produced ice cream was cheaper and more varied than Israeli imports. In 2017, the amount of dairy sold in 74 shops in Gaza that was sourced locally, rather than from Israel, had increased from 10% to 60%. Ayadi Tayyiba, the region's first factory with an all-woman staff, opened in 2022; it produced cheese, yoghurt, and labna with sheep's milk from affiliated farms. However, demand for sheep's milk products has decreased in Gaza due to its higher production costs, leading the factory to supplement its supply with purchased cow's milk.

The current Israeli genocidal offensive on Gaza has caused damage of the same kind as—though to a greater extent than—previous shellings and invasions. Lack of ability to sell milk that had already been produced to factories, as well as lack of access to electricity, caused an estimated 35,000 liters of milk to spoil daily in October of 2023.

Support Palestinian resistance by calling Elbit System’s (Israel’s primary weapons manufacturer) landlord, donating to Palestine Legal's activist defense fund, and donating to Palestine Action’s bail fund.

Equipment:

A blender

A kettle or pot, to boil water

A cheesecloth or tea towel

Ingredients:

1 cup (130g) cashews (soaked, if your blender is not high-speed)

3/4 cup filtered or distilled water, boiled

1-3 vegetarian probiotic capsules (containing at least 10 billion cultures total)

A few pinches sea salt

More water, to boil

Arabic-language recipes for vegan labna use bulghur, almonds, or cashews as their base. This recipe uses cashew to achieve a smooth, creamy, non-crumbly texture, and a mild taste like that of cow's milk labna. You might try replacing half the cashews with blanched almonds for a flavor more similar to that of sheep's or goat's cheese.

Make sure your probiotic capsules contain no prebiotics, as they can interfere with the culture. The probiotic may be multi-strain, but should contain some of: Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidus, Lactobacillus acidophilus. The number of capsules you need will depend on how many cultures each capsule is guaranteed to contain.

Instead of probiotic capsules, you can use a speciality starter culture pack intended for use in culturing vegan dairy, many of which are available online. Note that starter cultures may be packaged with small amounts of powdered milk for the bacteria to feed on, and may not be truly vegan.

If you want a mustier, goat-ier taste to your labna, try replacing the water with rejuvelac made with wheat berries.

You can also start a culture by using any other product with active cultures, such as a spoonful of vegan cultured yoghurt. If you have a lot of cultured yoghurt, you can just skip to straining that directly (step 5) to make your labna—though you won't be able to control how tangy the labna is that way.

Instructions:

This recipe works by blending together cashews and water into a smooth, creamy spread, then culturing it into yoghurt, and then straining it (the way yoghurt is strained to make labna). It's possible that you could skip the straining step by adding more cashews, or less water, to the yoghurt to obtain a thicker texture, but I have not tested the recipe this way.

1. If your blender is not high-speed, you will need to soak your cashews to soften them. Soak in filtered or distilled water for 2-4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. Rinse them off with just-boiled water.

2. Boil several cups of water and use the just-boiled water to rinse your blender, tamper, measuring cups, the bowl you will ferment your yoghurt in, and a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir. Your bowl and stirring implement should be in a non-reactive material such as wood, clay, glass, or silicone.

3. Make the yoghurt. Blend cashews with 3/4 cup just-boiled water for a couple of minutes until very smooth. Transfer to your bowl and allow to cool to about skin temperature (it should feel slightly warm if dabbed on the inside of your wrist). If the mixture is too hot, it may kill the bacteria.

4. Culture the yoghurt. Open the probiotic capsules and stir the powder into the cashew paste. Cover the bowl with a cheesecloth or tea towel. Ferment for 24 hours: on the countertop in summer, or in an oven with the light on in winter.

Taste the yoghurt with a clean implement (avoid double-dipping!). Continue fermenting for another 12-24 hours, depending on how tangy you want your labna to be. A skin forming on top of the yoghurt is no problem and can be mixed back in. Discard any yoghurt that grows mold of any kind.

5. Strain the yoghurt to make labna. Place a mesh strainer in a bowl, making sure there's enough room beneath the strainer for liquid to collect at the bottom of the bowl; line the strainer with cheesecloth or a tea towel, and scoop the cultured yoghurt in. Sprinkle salt over top of the yoghurt. Fold the towel or cheesecloth back over the yoghurt, and add a small weight, such as a ceramic plate or a can of beans, on top.

You can also tie the cheesecloth into a bag around a wooden spoon and place the wooden spoon across the rim of a pitcher or other tall container to collect the whey. The draining may occur less quickly without the weight, though.

Strain in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, depending on the desired texture. I ended up draining about 2 Tbsp of whey.

6. If not making labna balls: Put in an airtight jar, and add just enough olive oil to cover the surface of the labna. Store in the fridge for up to two months.

7. To form balls (optional): Oil your hands to form the labna into small balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They may still be quite soft.

Optionally sprinkle with, or roll in, dried mint, za'tar, sesame seeds, nigella seeds (القزحة), ground sumac, or crushed red chili pepper, as desired.

Optionally, for firmer balls, lightly cover with another layer of parchment paper and then a kitchen towel, and leave in the refrigerator to dry for about a day.

Place labna balls in a clean glass jar and add olive oil to cover. Retrieve labna from the jar with a clean implement. They will last in the fridge for about a year.

[dilfluvver4eva]

Finn Is the real black sheep

This is my Roman Empire:

Lost His Older Sister, Freya (10th Century)

• As the eldest Mikaelson child, Freya was taken by Dahlia as part of a magical bargain their mother, Esther, made.

• Finn, who was very close to Freya, grew up believing she had died of the plague, which deeply affected him.

Turned into an Original Vampire Against His Will (10th Century)

• After their youngest brother, Henrik, was killed by werewolves, Esther turned all her remaining children—except Freya—into the first vampires.

• Finn hated being a vampire and viewed it as a curse, rejecting his new nature from the start.

Betrayed by His Family & Daggered for 900 Years

• Finn was the only Mikaelson to fully agree with Esther’s belief that vampires should not exist.

• His brother Klaus, viewing him as disloyal and weak, daggered him and locked him in a coffin for over 900 years.

Briefly Revived Only to Be Manipulated (2012 – TVD Season 3)

• Elijah undaggered Finn after centuries, but Finn’s freedom was short-lived.

• He reunited with Esther, who convinced him to help her wipe out all the Original Vampires—including himself and his siblings.

Killed by Matt Donovan (2012 – TVD Season 3)

• Esther linked Finn to his siblings with a spell, making them all vulnerable.

• Matt Donovan stabbed Finn with a white oak stake, killing him.

• Since all Originals were linked, this nearly killed Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah too, but Bonnie broke the spell in time to save them.

Trapped in the Afterlife for Years (2012-2014)

• Finn’s soul was stuck on the Other Side, a supernatural limbo, after his death.

• He remained there, suffering in isolation.

Resurrected & Enslaved by His Mother (2014 – The Originals Season 2)

• Esther resurrected Finn in a new witch body, possessing a man named Vincent Griffith.

• She forced him to work against his siblings and help her eradicate vampires.

.

Trapped Inside His Own Mind (2015 – The Originals Season 2)

• Freya overpowered Finn and locked his consciousness in a pendant, rendering him completely powerless.

• He remained trapped while his siblings ignored his pleas.

Briefly Revived, Only to Die Again (2016 – The Originals Season 3)

• Freya resurrected Finn into his original vampire body to help fight Lucien, but he still despised being a vampire.

• Lucien, the first Upgraded Original, bit Finn with his lethal bite, which had no cure.

11. Permanently Trapped in the Afterlife (Post-2016)

• Unlike Kol and Elijah, Finn was never resurrected again and remained dead.

:l

[abyssalzones]

You mentioned in ur Transfem Stan stuff (really good btw. Love it) that it made you appreciate Stan as a character more, and I was wondering what held you back on her character before?

shrugs..... I think I might've been largely influenced by prior negative experiences with gf fandom. which is Never something you want. but essentially the way stan's characterization often gets flattened for the purposes of angst or comparisons to ford, where she's the one who was "right" all along in their conflict and always has pure of heart intentions... is not something I find very interesting. so I suppose I forgot about the actual nuance of the character! whoops.

then again, I've also just never been the type of person to get attached to male characters with a strong "I have to do this for my FAMILY" angle. interpreting stan as transfem and butch does largely 'fix' this for me because I find it puts a lot of her behavior into perspective in a way that's really interesting (she has to be the protective Man of the house but feels like a fraud when trying to perform traditional masculinity, family is immensely important to her but she's still the black sheep of her own family, etc) but I did also just naturally come to appreciate stan as a "family oriented" character whose behavior and motivations are extremely messy Because of that. often the family "man" in fiction is a noble, paternalistic savior figure who enacts violence against perceived outside threats as a necessity to protect the structure of The Family, and you do actually see this in stan but interestingly you also see how damaging this family-first mentality can be when it comes to her relationship with ford (and projecting their problems onto the younger twins).

basically stan suffers the role of "fandom favorite whose writing gets flattened like a pancake in popular interpretation" and being a fordliker since 2016... jades you......

[alarrytale]

What bothers me the most is not the blame falling on larrie, but the hypocrisy of the sisters and especially Louis. Did he forget that he made a documentary and exposed that kid? Did he forget that he made the kid go to his shows and stay in the audience just to be seen? And I won't even mention the circus that was in 2016. He never protected F, and now once again he is gaslighting his fanbase and of course it is larries fault.

Hi, anon!

Yep, he's banking on his own fandom forgetting all this, and respecting his sudden need for privacy for F without everyone going:

He's got his own fans so gaslighted and wrapped around his finger through intimidation tactics and threat of personal attacks that he will get away with it. Larries will be blamed and he's made sure the fandom polices itself through harrasing and bullying those who question things and point out the inconsistancies. He's losing a bunch of fans over it though and will at a point end up with only having the sheep left. It's a sad state of affairs.

[rpmemecollection]

Ghost's Meliora Sentence Prompts

A series of prompts taken from Ghost's 2016 album Meliora (Deluxe Edition) Change bits and bobs as needed.

01 Spirit

❝Throw yourself into the vessel of possibilities.❞ ❝There's no return from this excursion of possibilities.❞ ❝You're at the seventh gate.❞ ❝Let none of this earth inherit.❞ ❝This vision of my spirit.❞

02 From the Pinnacle to the Pit

❝You have the power. You wear the crown.❞ ❝From the pinnacle to the pit, it is a long way down.❞ ❝You wield the scepter. You wear the gown. From the pinnacle to the pit it is a long way down.❞ ❝In your empire, they stare and frown.❞ ❝You are cast out from the heavens to the ground, blackened feathers falling down.❞ ❝You are cast out from the heavens to the ground.❞ ❝You will wear your independence like a crown.❞ ❝You stand your ground.❞

03 Cirice

❝I feel your presence amongst us.❞ ❝You cannot hide in the darkness.❞ ❝Can you hear the rumble?❞ ❝Can you hear the rumble that's calling?❞ ❝I know your soul is not tainted even though you've been told so.❞ ❝I can feel the thunder that's breaking in your heart.❞ ❝I can see through the scars inside you.❞ ❝You and I see eye to eye.❞ ❝Can you hear the thunder?❞ ❝How can you hear the thunder that's breaking?❞ ❝Now there is nothing between us, from now our merge is eternal.❞ ❝Can't you see that you're lost?❞ ❝Can't you see that you're lost without me?❞

05 He Is

❝We're standing here by the abyss and the world is in flames.❞ ❝Two star-crossed lovers reaching out to the beast with many names.❞ ❝He's the shining and the light without whom I cannot see.❞ ❝He is insurrection, he is spite, he's the force that made me be.❞ ❝We're hiding here inside a dream and all our doubts are now destroyed.❞ ❝The guidance of the morning star will lead the way into the void.❞ ❝He's the force that made me be.❞ ❝He is the disobedience that holds us together.❞ ❝We are falling over the precipice.❞

06 Mummy Dust

❝I was carried on a wolf's back, here to corrupt humanity.❞ ❝I will pummel it with opulence, with corpulence, and greed.❞ ❝In God, you trust, my mummy dust.❞ ❝Your cavalier of crapulence to this feast of rapacity.❞ ❝I'll bury you in treasures just to feed your incapacity.❞ ❝You're the possessée of avarice.❞ ❝I'm the ruler of the earth.❞ ❝I will smother you in riches 'til you choke on sordid mirth.❞ ❝You are summoned in cupidity, purulence, and lust.❞ ❝I'm the magnet for stupidity and divine.❞

07 Majesty

❝A higher power underground from seraph skies and now to chaos bound.❞ ❝He's sitting sacred and profound in midst of sinners looking up to kiss his crown.❞ ❝Pathetic humans in despair. Defaced, deflowered, now to death devout.❞ ❝A fallen angel in his glare in midst of sinners kneeling down before his clout.❞ ❝All beauty lies within.❞ ❝Old One, Master, all beauty lies within you.❞ ❝This oasis is a poisoned well of rotting carcasses that clog the deep.❞ ❝A prince in exile here in hell in midst of sinners flocking up like soulless sheep.❞

09 Absolution

❝Ever since you were born you've been dying.❞ ❝Every day, a little more, you've been dying.❞ ❝Over corpses to the prize you kept your eyes on, trying to be the chosen one.❞ ❝All those things that you desire, you will find here in the fire.❞ ❝Put your hands up and reach for the sky, cry for absolution.❞ ❝You'll be down on your knees and you'll cry for absolution.❞ ❝Even now when you're here you are moving hysterically seeking out what needs improving and you're still asking for the sun.❞ ❝Cry for absolution.❞ ❝You'll be down on your knees and you'll cry.❞ ❝You'll cry, you'll cry, you'll cry.❞

10 Deus in Absentia

❝In this, your time of need, you're turning to the light. You had just begun to explore the dark.❞ ❝The world is on fire and you are here to stay and burn with me. Our funeral pyre.❞ ❝We are here to revel forevermore.❞ ❝You're so goddamn frail.❞ ❝You just had to know all about the world but you will never know.❞ ❝Cause no one ever told you how.❞ ❝The world is on fire.❞ ❝You are here to stay and burn with me.❞ ❝The world is on fire and we are tied as one eternally.❞ ❝All of your imaginations are now running down your face.❞ ❝Oh, you are looking good, bareback in disgrace.❞ ❝You're doing fine worshipping your lord, standing in his grace.❞ ❝We are here to revel forever.❞ ❝We are tied as one eternally.❞

11 Zenith

❝We conquered the magic, we counted the stars, deciphered the clockwork, enacted this farce.❞ ❝Devoured by shadows, we cling to the light.❞ ❝Deluded by wisdom, the bringer of night.❞ ❝Now and for always, a perpetual rise. A fall of illusion, your zenith fades into eternity.❞ ❝Time will soon be gone.❞ ❝Right will turn to wrong.❞ ❝Winds come on strong, so help you God.❞ ❝Come unleashed, you're set free.❞ ❝A martyrdous rapture, a vision to soothe. Devoured by shadows, we cling to the light. Deluded by wisdom, the bringer of night.❞ ❝A fall of illusion, your zenith fades into eternity.❞ ❝Time will soon be gone. Right will turn to wrong.❞ ❝You're set free, yeah.❞

12 Square Hammer

❝You call on me to solve a crooked rhyme.❞ ❝As I'm closing in, imposing on your slumber, you call on me as bells begin to chime.❞ ❝Are you on the square?❞ ❝Are you on the level?❞ ❝Are you ready to swear right here, right now before the devil?❞ ❝You're ready to stand right here, right now?❞ ❝Hiding from the light, sacrificing nothing. Still, you call on me for entrance to the shrine.❞ ❝Hammering the nails into a sacred coffin, you call on me for powers clandestine.❞ ❝Are you on the square? Are you on the level?❞ ❝Are you ready to swear right here, right now?❞

13 Nocturnal Me

❝In our world of wire, ignite our dreams of starry skies and you and me. As realized our bigger themes.❞ ❝Oh, take me internally. Forever yours, nocturnal me.❞ ❝Take me internally.❞ ❝Do or die, what's done is done.❞ ❝True beauty lies on the blue horizon.❞ ❝Who or why, what's one is one.❞ ❝Whatever burns, burns eternally.❞ ❝So take me in turns internally.❞ ❝When I'm on fire, my body will be forever yours.❞ ❝Ignite our dreams of starry skies and you and me.❞

14 I Believe

❝It's the same old song that I always sing each year.❞ ❝Just because it's perennial doesn't make it less real.❞ ❝I believe that you could be what I need to believe.❞ ❝I believe.❞ ❝Oh, it just keeps coming 'round again.❞ ❝It just keeps coming 'round again.❞ ❝The conclusion I need is easily reached with you.❞ ❝You have given me all and there's nothing left to do.❞

15 Missionary Man

❝Well, I was born an original sinner.❞ ❝I was born from original sin.❞ ❝If I had a dollar bill for all the things I've done there'd be a mountain of money piled up to my chin.❞ ❝My mother told me good, my mother told me strong.❞ ❝Be true to yourself and you can't go wrong but there's just one thing that you must understand. You can fool with your brother but don't mess with a missionary man.❞ ❝Don't mess with a missionary man.❞ ❝He's got God on his side. He's got the saints and apostles backing up from behind.❞ ❝He's a man with a mission, got a serious mind.❞ ❝Stop what you're doin', get down upon your knees I've got a message for you.❞ ❝Well, I was born an original sinner. I was born from original sin.❞

16 Bible

❝May fruits be created and seeds take root as they may.❞ ❝No crimes were as yet committed.❞ ❝Now, who will pray for Babylon?❞ ❝Beat that drum because Babylon is falling.❞ ❝The walls were reaching so far, no one knew where they ended.❞ ❝Now, no one heard that voice anymore.❞ ❝No walls can stop such a rain that keeps on falling forevermore.❞ ❝I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created, and with them the animals, the birds, and the creatures that move along the ground, for I regret that I have made them.❞

[foxalade]

Things I saw/heard on my 2 week holiday that reminded me of the Marauders

in a diner a little thing where you could pick Music and there was 30 Bowie songs

a street called "Grant"

Grant Grove Village & General Grant Tree

a shaggy black dog (x3)

forever 21 (x3)

Sirius.xm (radio)

A t-shirt with [something] McKinnon

2 gay ppl were talking to us in McDonald's and they said they were the Black sheep of their families and that's how they found each other

deer warnings + deer lego sets

an old man (cleaner) who told us his tragic life story when we said he was doing a great job at cleaning, his name was James

a deck of cards with various constellations (my mother was gonna buy it for me but didn't 💔(I don't own Dollars so I couldn't buy it myself))

the radio guy who's name was Grant

Man on the Moon (song by R.E.M.)

James Road

Dune 2 posters, Wonka dvds

they both die at the end (book)

T-Shirts: I'm not gay, but 20$ is 20$ I ❤️ sluts Accepting sugar daddy applications Daddy's little slut

Wolf statue

Sirius, Regulus & Arcturus (the stars)

Under pressure ON THE RADIO!!! QUEEN AND DAVID BOWIE!!!

Alaric Saltzman from TVD (he's so Remus to me idk???) (I love him (I'm beginning of S3 don't spoiler me please it's already breaking my heart))

Vampire Diaries in general

Deer (alive and dead (roadkill and on the walls))

Song: C'est la vie (always 21)

the words "Sunseeker" on the back of a caravan (idk if it was the make or what it was but my heart stopped for a second)

the words "seriously", "regularly", "oh dear"

one of those 2016 Wolf T-Shirts

the full moon

a woman asked where we were from (she wanted to compliment our accent (Northern British)) and said she's been to England too and then when asked where she said Wales and Scotland. And I think that would have made Remus go mad

misread "Porters" as "Potters" (x2)

Matt Chapman (baseball player I saw on Telly)

Yellow (Coldplay) is so Jegulus. "For you I'd bleed myself dry" James Potter would. James Potter absolutely would.

A boy out running, who looked like James (I nearly walked into him)

multiple ppl that looked like Remus or James

a girl sat behind me on the plane with a "Have you seen this wizard" top on with Sirius Blacks face on it (very handsome boy, prettiest mugshot I've ever seen)

a tik tok about funny bird names (Marlene would have cackled)

tik tok in general

I was reading a book for school and the father was doing experiments and died bc of and explosion (sorry Pandora)

[nvexe]

MY TOP TEN GAMES OF 2024

1. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

2010 // played on DSi

Just play it. Timeless perfection.

2. Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma

2016 // played on 3DS

Definitely not for everyone and has its flaws but I absolutely loved it. Worth slogging through the second game for. Pretty bloody.

3. Baldur's Gate 3

2023 // played on PC

Really felt like playing a TTRPG. Hard to understand the freedom you have in this game until you play it.

4. Professor Layton and the Curious Village

2007 // played on DSi

I've already played the second and third games, but this was the first time for this one. The story isn't as fantastical but the puzzle difficulty is just right.

5. No Case Should Remain Unsolved

2024 // played on PC

A different type of text-based crime mystery game. Short and precise. Excellent.

6. Helltaker

2020 // played on PC

Simple and effective puzzle design with excellent character designs and art style. Wholesome fun with demon girls.

7. Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

2023 // played on PC

Isn't really able to deliver on its key concepts but it's really nice to play a visual novel that's trying some new things.

8. Silent Hill

1999 // played on PS1 emulator

Not really my type of game so I couldn't appreciate it fully, but it was easy to see how it launched the series. Made me eager to try playing horror games.

9. Horizon: Forbidden West

2022 // played on PS4

Very good but the first is still peak. Adds some really fun things but mostly more of the same. I platted the first but don't think I'll plat this.

10. Tiny Glade

2024 // played on PC

I like ducks and sheep.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … November 13

354 AD – Early Christian writer St. Augustine was born on this date (d.430) Following the example of St. Paul, Augustine set the standard for confessional literature that was to flourish in the centuries that followed. The pattern, of course, is a detailed listing of one's sins, followed by a narration of some event or events that made one long for salvation, and then an enunciation of the pains and joys of penance with the hope of future redemption.

Augustine confessed not only to having fathered a son, but to friendship that was classically homoerotic. When he was a young man, his closest friend died and Augustine contemplated joining him in death. "I felt that his soul and mine were `one soul in two bodies'; and therefore life was to me horrible because I hated to live as half of a life; and therefore perhaps I feared to die, lest he should wholly die whom I loved so greatly. My longing eyes sought him everywhere." Augustine, of course, cast off all sins of the flesh and becoming one of the great founders of Christian doctrine, admonished us all to do the same.

1759 – In the Netherlands, minister Andreas Klink is banished for life for having committed sodomy. He defends his attractions as natural.

1879 – Marcus Behmer (d.1958) was a German writer and book illustrator, graphic designer and painter.

Marcus Behmer was a son of the painter Hermann Behmer. His uncle Rudolf Behmer, known as a breeder of Merino sheep - was the twin brother of his father. His brother Joachim Behmer was also active as an artist.

His artistic beginnings came with his first major success with the illustrations for Wilde's Salome in 1903. The early works show the influence of the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley.

On 1 October 1903 Behmer entered military service, was appointed a corporal in 1904 and promoted in 1907 to sergeant. From 1914 he participated in the First World War (in Flanders and in Poland). In the summer of 1917 he fell ill "after an operation in the field" and was six weeks in the military hospital of Jarny . During his time in the army, many so-called "comrades' portraits" emerged, usually reduced, although finely crafted profile views of young soldiers

From 1902 Behmer produced illustrations for books, designed initials and writings, and was responsible for carefully planned publishing facilities. He worked for the Cranach Press of Count Harry Kessler and illustrated numerous articles for the monthly magazine "The Island."

Behmer had been since 1903 a member of the first homosexual organization in the world in Berlin. Because of his homosexuality, Behmer was sentenced in April 1937 by a court in Konstanz to imprisonment of two years. At times he was given the opportunity to work as an artist in prison. The works produced in this period are mostly calligraphic tablets with Greek text (prayers and Bible quotes), and drawings full of bitterness and irony.

1950 – Charles Kaiser is an American author, journalist and academic administrator. In 2018 he was named Acting Director of the LGBTQ Public Policy Center at Hunter College. He is also a nonfiction book critic for The Guardian (US).

His book about one family in the French Resistance, The Cost of Courage (2015) received enthusiastic reviews from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor, among many other publications. It also won the grand prize at the Paris Book Festival (2015). In 2016 it was published in France by Seuil as Le Prix du Courage.

His blog about the media, Full Court Press, originated on the website of Radar Magazine in the fall of 2007. He continued it at the Columbia Journalism Review and the Sidney Hillman Foundation until the spring of 2011.

The son of a diplomat, Philip Mayer Kaiser, he grew up in Washington, D.C., Albany, New York, Dakar, Senegal, London, England and Windsor, Connecticut. He has lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for many years.

He is the author of The Cost of Courage, 1968 In America, and The Gay Metropolis. The Gay Metropolis was a Lambda Literary Award winner, as well as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He was a guest on the Colbert Report, where he discussed a new edition of The Gay Metropolis. He wrote the afterword for a 2012 edition of Merle Miller's landmark work, On Being Different: What it Means to Be a Homosexual. That afterword was excerpted on the website of the New York Review of Books. In 2015 he was inducted into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame.

1955 – Caryn Elaine Johnson, best known as Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host. She is a strong supporter of the LGBT community.

On April 1, 2010, Goldberg joined Cyndi Lauper in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination of the LGBT community. The campaign is to bring straight people to ally with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community. Other names included in the campaign include Jason Mraz, Elton John, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Kardashian, Clay Aiken, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne.

Goldberg's high-profile support for LGBT rights and AIDS activism dates back to the 1987 March on Washington, where she was one of few celebrities participating.

1969 – Today is the birthday of bi-sexual Scottish actor Gerard Butler. He is best known for his portrayal of King Leonidas in the intensely homoerotic film about the Spartans, 300. He also portrayed the Phantom in the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the Opera. He is slated to portray the iconic Scottish poet Robert Burns in an upcoming biopic.

In the gossip mags, there have been numerous stories of his romantic involvements - including several of romantic and/or sexual involvements with other male stars.

In a 2004 Movieline interview he said:

"I talk about my sexuality, but it's always glossed over. People seem to shy away from the issue. Whenever it is discussed, it's distended and exaggerated. Gerard Butler is Gay. No I'm not. I don't know myself what I am so it can be bewildering to see that being plugged. I have been in relationships with women. And men. That doesn't make me Gay. That doesn't make me straight. It's hard enough to go through these things in my mind without being scrutinised about it so there are times when you want to close the door and say my sexuality is my own personal business."

1999 – Josh Cavallo is an Australian professional association footballer who plays as a left back and central midfielder for Adelaide United. Cavallo has represented the Australian under-20 national team.

Cavallo was born in Bentleigh East, Victoria.

Cavallo represented both Melbourne Victory FC Youth and Melbourne City FC Youth. Western United. On 15 April 2019, Melbourne City announced that Cavallo would leave the club at the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2018–19 season.

On 24 June 2019, new A-League side Western United announced that Cavallo would join the club ahead of its inaugural season. He made his debut on 3 January 2020 in a 3–2 loss at his previous club. On as a 71st-minute substitute for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, he earned a penalty when fouled by goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, which was converted by Besart Berisha. Western United announced that Cavallo was leaving the club on 10 February 2021.

On 18 February 2021, Cavallo signed a short-term contract to play for Adelaide United. After a successful stint in the 2020–21 A-League, he signed a two-year contract extension on 11 May. He was rewarded with Adelaide United's A-League Rising Star award after a successful 2020–21 campaign, in which he started 15 games and made 18 appearances.

Cavallo came out as gay in October 2021. At the time, there were no other openly-gay male footballers playing professional top-flight football, in the world. In becoming the first to do so, he said in a statement, "I hope that in sharing who I am, I can show others who identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community."

[miquellah]

✧ After Elden Ring: What Next?

This is intended as a condensed, spoiler-free guide for people who have played Elden Ring and no other Soulsbornes, but are very curious about the rest of the genre. If you were enamored with Fromsoft's game design or lore, and are otherwise new to things, I'm here to peddle you some other potential starting points!

I'll give a lowdown on systems available, DLC available, and some thoughts in regards to each as a starting point post-ER. And just because I like him, also whether or not each game contains our favorite little guy: Patches!!!!!

DARK SOULS 1 (2011) Systems: Playstation, Xbox, WIndows, Steam, Nintendo Switch DLC: purchaseable intact with special editions or purchased in online store (intact: Artorias of the Abyss, Prepare to Die, Remastered)

With slower combat than Elden Ring, and no fast-travel for a good portion of the game, this is often a tough sell for many. Nonetheless the entire Dark Souls saga is a shining gem of its own right, and it all starts here. The setting is somewhat similar to Elden Ring, albeit striking far further into Low Fantasy than High. You may or may not have some growing pains, but don't let that deter you; determination is all very much part of the experience. (And, it's got enough cracks in the code you can sufficiently cheese a lot, should you get fed up and stuck.) Contains Patches, the Trusty.

DARK SOULS 2 (2014) Systems: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, Steam DLC: purchaseable intact with special editions or purchased in online store (intact: Scholar of the First Sin)

Considered by many to be the black sheep of the DS trilogy, given its abrupt change in development direction; nonetheless, it's still a VERY worthwhile title, and a very apt inclusion into the Dark Souls story. Certain mechanics such as a gradual, incremental loss of HP bar per each death MAY seem daunting, but for a mediocre player like me it actually wasn't all that big a deal. You COULD jump into this one as a starting point, but you may as well just go for DS1. Does NOT include Patches (but has a Patches-like).

DARK SOULS 3 (2016) Systems: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, Steam DLC: purchaseable intact with special editions or purchased in online store (intact: The Fire Fades Edition)

Faster-paced in combat than the previous two titles, it serves as a decent starting point from Elden Ring, if only for the relative similarity in feel and mechanics. It also has just a bit more hand-holding that the previous two, though nothing to sand away the bulk of challenges. But as the final title in the trilogy, and intended in and of itself as a send-off, though, if story is your priority then you're best off starting with DS1. Contains Patches, the Unbreakable.

DEMON'S SOULS (2009/2020) Systems: Playstation Only DLC: no expansions, only items

Alright so I haven't played the remake, which also may very well be the most accessible to you unless you have a PS3 and the original discs. Nonetheless, Demon's Souls in and of itself was the predecessor to Dark Souls, and the beginning of the Soulsborne formula itself. It seems a bit simpler on the surface, but there's a lot of brutal charm here all the same, and unique lore you could still dig through for years. Contains Patches, the Hyena.

The remake is most easily available, and has a higher graphical fidelity if you're into that; nonetheless, there's been a lot of understandable qualms about the changes made in much of the art direction from the original, so if you want the true, ORIGINAL intentions in full... well, find yourself a letsplay or a PS3.

BLOODBORNE (2015) Systems: Playstation Only DLC: must be purchased intact in special editions or purchased in online store (intact: The Old Hunters)

Everyone's favorite. Bloodborne is a standalone Soulsborne that gave the genre that latter half of its name, and takes place in a horrific, Victorian-era England. Its primary focus is on offense over defense, and there's a bit less customization available in builds... nonetheless, the trick weapons are fun as all hell. It's got a unique, dreadful atmosphere unlike anything else, and a feel I've been craving to see again anywhere. Contains Patches, the Spider.

SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE (2019) Systems: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, Steam, Stadia ?? DLC: no expansions, only items

While NOT a true Soulsborne, it's considered by many to be within the fringes of the formula. I personally still have yet to play this one, but the combat is apparently fast-paced, and primarily focused on deflections, with a story centered in fictionalized Sengoku Japan. It's been praised consistently and highly by many, but may have a bit of a learning curve. Does NOT include Patches, to my knowledge.

ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON (2023) Systems: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, Steam DLC: none. yet?

.... Okay this one isn't a Soulsborne at all. It's actually the long-awaited revival of Fromsoft's Armored Core series, and it's a mech game. But do you like crazy customization in builds? Do you love Fromsoft's lore and stories, and want to see their unique writing in a fresh, yet still crazily strong take? Do you LOVE critiques of hypercapitalism and want to see it all burn? Please play AC6. Please. It was so fucking good. (Doesn't contain Patches, but he DID appear in AC4: For Answer)

_________________________________________

And that's that! If you feel I missed anything, or have any further questions, don't hesitate to add anything on or shoot me a message. Elden Ring has brought sooo many new people into the fold and there's so much more for you to discover!!! Don't ever be afraid to try out the rest, challenge yourself, and fall in love!! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

[fcble]

( n. ) a confidential agent, especially: one exercising unsuspected or unofficial power In which Jaeseop pulls the strings. FEATURING: Lee Jaeseop, Lee Taein WORD COUNT: 5.7k NOTES: This is related to/has ramifications in a lot of other major plot points and pieces that I was unfortunately too lazy to link. Get re-contextualized?

2016

Jaeseop stops dead in his tracks at the sight of his uncle's white Mazda idling on the side of the road in front of his dorm. He considers turning around and going back to campus. Taein-samchon wouldn't stake him out here all night, would he? He's been avoiding his uncle for days, ever since he was told to break up with Seoyeon. He's not doing that.

He is tugging on the door handle of the passenger side until Taein-samchon unlocks it. "I have a shift in fifteen minutes," he says as he gets into the car. He shoves his backpack through the small space over the center console and into the backseat.

His uncle doesn't look at him as he pulls away from the curb. "You swapped shifts. You're working two back-to-back on Saturday."

Jaeseop doesn't bother to ask how he knows that. He doesn't think he wants to know. There's no way Taein-samchon frequents the surprisingly upscale Chinese restaurant a mere three blocks away from Jaeseop's university campus. He stares straight out the windshield and doesn’t deign to respond.

“We certainly have our differences in perspective,” Taein-samchon muses out loud. “I would like you to try to do your best to understand where I’m coming from.”

It’s going to be another lecture. It’s always a lecture with him, about how he’s not living up to his full potential, how he’s always shifting and shirking his responsibilities, how he really should break up with his girlfriend.

“A campus couple is not meant to last forever. You may like this girl now, and think you want to spend the rest of your life with her. I implore you to think about your own future, both as a person, and when you become an idol. There will be severe consequences, if the news of your relationship ever becomes public. Your obligations, once you debut, will be to the fans, first and foremost.”

Jaeseop sits there silently, watching the afternoon sunlight filter through the trees and cast their fractal shadows onto the road. He shouldn’t have switched shifts, though that would only have prolonged this inevitable lecture.

“You’re not my dad,” he says. His heart isn’t into the snarky response. He’s also unwilling to take romantic advice from the mann in his second marriage.

“No, I’m your keun appa,” Taein-samchon says with a chuckle.

It must sting him, at least a little, that Jaeseop continues to call him Samchon, rather than the “big dad” term he should have started using during Taein-samchon’s first marriage. As far as he knows, his dad has never been close with his brother. Taein-samchon was a black sheep, to leave behind the family hanok guesthouse business to forge his own path through the entertainment industry. That must make Jaeseop at least a little similar to him, to have considered and then agreed to work with him.

He doesn’t laugh. “I’m not breaking up with Seoyeon,” he says resolutely, turning back to the more pressing matter. He’s already made up his mind. He plans on completing his education alongside her, not postponing it for his mandatory enlistment, like many of his friends are. It’s not that he’s worried about serving, or about leaving Seoyeon alone. It’s more so that he wants them to have the same experiences together and ignore thinking about that part of his future until he can’t make excuses anymore. To a lesser extent, he also doesn’t want to be in her graduation photos with a buzz cut.

“I am afraid this is a decision you may come to regret,” Taein-samchon says, turning into the familiar entrance of the parking garage nearest to his company’s building. “I only wish to make you aware of the possible consequences. Think carefully before you act.”

Jaeseop doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He always looks before he leaps. He’s the least likely person to make rash, snap judgements. And yet he’s here, in the passenger seat of his uncle’s car, half a block away from Seoul Copywriters Incoroporated and Zenith Entertainment, which doesn’t bode well for his future decision-making skills.

“I’ll consider it,” he says, before belatedly realizing it’s one of Taein-samchon’s favorite phrases.

Taein-samchon-samchon turns the car off. “Good. I expect updates on all of your progress later tonight.”

Jaeseop suppresses a groan. It’s like more homework, and he knows he already has enough. He doesn’t have the vocabulary Taein-samchon expects of him to talk about music and business, leaving him to bumble through sentences he just made up to sound like he knows what he’s talking about. He planned on spending a few hours working through it in Intak’s company, the two of them sitting in silence in one of the many rooms that remain unconverted office spaces. “Yes, Samchon.”

He reaches one arm into the backseat and gropes blindly for his backpack. It takes him a few seconds to find one of the straps. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I look forward to it,” his uncle says with a warmth Jaeseop can’t hope to match.

2018

“We need Mingeun.” Jaeseop speaks before the door finishes closing behind him. He hates fighting Taein-samchon. Lately, he’s started to feel more and more like Taein-samchon’s employee, rather than his nephew. Taein-samchon talks down to him and looks down to him, and Jaeseop’s even started thinking of him as just Taein, and sometimes even Taein-nim, in his head. Maybe that could have come from spending hours and hours with the assortment of idol trainees Taein-samchon found somewhere.

Taein-samchon gives him a bored once-over. “‘We?’ Sit down, Jaeseop.”

Jaeseop refuses. He stays standing, because he’s taller than Taein-samchon like that, and he needs the illusion of having at least a little negotiating power. He wishes he was a little more like Andrew, with the steel in his spine he turns on and off at will. He launches into his only slightly prepared speech.

“Mingeun almost has more experience than all of us combined. He’s the best dancer—you should know that, Samchon—and he can sing. I know you want me to be the leader, but Mingeun leads practices much better than I ever could. He’s not afraid of criticizing others, including me, when we’re older than him and I’m related to you.”

Taein-samchon doesn’t speak for some time. The seconds stretch out into minutes. Jaeseop shifts his weight from foot to foot, wondering if he should have made a PowerPoint presentation to go along with his speech, and whether or not he’s overstepped his position. Actually, Jaeseop knows he’s overstepped. But what’s Taein-samchon going to do? Fire him?

“You like him a lot,” Taein-samchon says finally.

“Yes,” Jaeseop says, suspicious. He does like Mingeun. He thinks he might be the only one. Mingeun is hardworking and dedicated, sure, but he doesn't get along with anyone except Eunsu. He's the type of person who refuses to settle until he gets what he wants, and Jaeseop admires that about him. He's like Andrew, if Andrew was more straightforward and lacked his veneer of niceties.

"He's a risk," Taein-samchon says.

Jaeseop scoffs. "This whole thing is a risk. You love taking risks. What's the difference between betting on him and betting on the rest of us?"

His uncle kneads his forehead. "Jaeseop, sit down. There is more at stake here than you know. This group is fulfilling an extremely specific concept and image. The simple fact of the matter is that there is no place for Mingeun."

Jaeseop sits, though reluctant. The edge of the plastic seat cuts into the backs of his thighs. "There's a place for Haksu but not for Mingeun?"

"Interesting. You don't like him, but you like Mingeun."

Sitting was a mistake, because now he feels rooted to the spot, his every word scrutinized for a sign of weakness. He pushes down the urge to defend himself and instead says, "I don't dislike him personally. I dislike how suddenly he was added to the group. I wouldn't remove Mingeun in favor of him."

"Then," Taein-samchon says, "if there can only be seven members, who would you eliminate?"

It occurs to Jaeseop that the rest of their conversation might have been the prelude to this question. If he wants Mingeun to debut so badly, then he has to be prepared to remove someone else. He doesn't want to hold their futures in his hands like that. He has a gut reaction with a name, but he thinks it over anyway, just to be sure.

He can’t recruit friends and then take it back, so that eliminates Kiyoung, and by extension, Intak. Andrew is, well, Andrew, and despite Taein-samchon’s animosity towards foreigners, Jaeseop can tell his uncle is so charmed by Andrew’s alma mater, especially in comparison to the rest of their mediocre universities, that he’s willing to overlook his citizenship. Haksu sings circles around the rest of them, and even if Jaeseop dislikes him, that’s not enough to cut him. Eunsu and Mingeun are a package deal, but his uncle doesn’t seem like he wants to remove Eunsu as well. And Byeonghwi, the youngest of them all, who’s likely there because he’s the youngest of them all, is cute and innocent and a mini Mingeun in the making, talent-wise.

“Me,” Jaeseop finally says out loud.

Taein-samchon frowns. “I’m not going to do that.”

He’s incomprehensible. Jaeseop doesn’t understand a single thought in his uncle’s head, and he doesn’t think he ever will. “Why not? Mingeun-ssi is a better dancer than me. He’s a better idol than me. Why am I so important?”

Across from him, Taein-samchon silently aligns a few of the papers scattered on his desk. “Your parents worry about you a lot, likely more than they should.”

His mouth twists into a grimace, though Jaeseop can't understand why. Parents are supposed to worry about their children, especially when they only have one. He's lucky to have people who worry about him, people who care about him. 

“I’m doing my best to alleviate those worries. Many would be grateful to be in your position. It would be a mistake on your part to simply throw it away.”

Jaeseop pushes back. “I don’t see why I have to be an idol.” He’s never wanted the spotlight, not like Mingeun or Haksu or Andrew or anyone else. He’d rather be behind the scenes, a perfectly anonymous figure content to hide in the shadows.

“It will give you a different perspective. I don’t expect you to fully understand now, but I hope you’ll thank me in the future. I’m trying to give you everything you need to succeed. All you have to do is agree.”

As much as he doesn’t want to, Jaeseop thinks he understands. “You want a successor.”

His uncle nods. “It would be ideal. Dasol is going to get the family business, and you don't want to wait tables forever, do you?”

He references one of Jaeseop's two second cousins, who might as well be his first, because he has no first cousins. Dasol is the eldest of his generation, currently demonstrating an aptitude for the modern hotel industry by graduating with a hospitality degree from a slightly less mediocre university than Jaeseop’s.

“It’s not forever,” he says, because it’s not. His job is something to tide him over while he's studying, to give him an illusion of independence, as if he won't disappear into Taein-samchon’s business as soon as he graduates. 

“You should quit.”

First he has to break up with his girlfriend, and now he has to quit his job? 

“Someone else could do it. Like Haksu, since you like him so much.”

Taein-samchon seems to consider it. “He’s a possibility. I would rather it be you. I know I can trust you more than him.”

Naming Haksu was a mistake. He’d prefer if he could limit Haksu’s influence, and in the best case scenario, find a better reason to get rid of him entirely. He knows Mingeun would agree with that assessment.

Jaeseop stands. “If I’m going to be your heir, then I want a say in the group, and I want Mingeun.”

He bows politely, not as Taein’s nephew, but as his employee. “Good night, Sajangnim.”

2021

Jaeseop's day is immediately ruined when Taein calls. His grand plans of spending the weekend at Seoyeon's house and impressing her grandparents with his potential as a grandson-in-law come crashing down. He excuses himself from the seotda game, which might be one of the rudest actions he could take in the moment. Seoyeon shoots him a questioning glance, even as she reveals her winning hand and takes the pot.

He shakes his head slightly and answers the phone, heading for the silence of the empty bedroom he sleeps in when he stays at her house. It was her older sister's, until she moved in with her own husband. Even now, the paint peels in perfect squares where posters were taped to the walls, and the pink headboard at the head of the bed is a mainstay.

He shuts the door behind him and sits on the bed.

Taein doesn't bother with greetings. Instead, he sounds more tired than he normally does when he asks, "If you could start from the beginning, who would you choose as the center?"

His tiredness isn't really a surprise, given that he's in the beginning of his divorce proceedings. The question is more of a surprise. It could have been a text message. If it was 2017 or 2018, and he didn't know any better, his first choice would be Mingeun. But he knows Taein has always disliked him, and so he wouldn't dare make that suggestion at all. That, and Fable would already have imploded by this point in time, with Mingeun's scandal and all.

They're quickly leaving their rookie years, and that means Jaeseop knows better. He weighs his options. The first people he eliminates are Mingeun and Andrew. Taein would never let either of them hold the center position, no matter how well Jaeseop made his case.

"Today, if you would, Jaeseop." His uncle's words slice through his thoughts.

There's really only one answer he can give. "Byeonghwi."

No matter what way he looks at it, it makes sense. Byeonghwi is young, he's personable, his public image is flawless, he'll never have a girlfriend, and he's good at what he does.

"An interesting choice. You are allowed to choose yourself."

"I do not want to be center," Jaeseop says fiercely, adjusting the way his phone rests on his shoulder. The years have done nothing to make him crave the spotlight. He daydreams about Seoyeon’s anonymous corporate job, just another cog in the machine. He envies her for that, though he'd never admit it.

"It would be a very good opportunity for you." He rambles on a bit more about how Jaeseop has potential, and if he has these talents, he should really put them to good use, and it's a waste if he doesn't.

Jaeseop picks at a loose thread on the comforter until his uncle finishes speaking. "I don't want to do it," he says again. It might be selfish of him. Even if he does have a natural inclination for music and rhythms and dance, does that mean he's obligated to hone it and show it off?

"Byeonghwi-ssi doesn't want to be an idol."

Jaeseop tucks away that piece of news, and says, "I never wanted to be an idol. He'll do a better job than I ever could. Haksu does well enough already."

That isn't true. What Haksu is good at is hogging the spotlight. When he's the center, he might as well be the only one on the stage. Jaeseop has tried to broach the subject before, gentling poking and prodding to try and uncover the reasoning behind Haksu's iron grip on the center position and every solo opportunity that comes their way. It was a steep slope: once he landed the first few gigs, he was the only one requested.

Taein is silent for a few seconds. Jaeseop checks to make sure he didn't hang up. "He may not have been the best choice. It might be time for a change."

It might be because he lives near Haksu and works with him every day, but Jaeseop finds Taein’s observations a few years too late. He knew that from the day Haksu arrived. "If you insist on a change, it should be Byeonghwi. I've got one foot in a retirement home." He says it lightly, despite being perfectly aware of the online conversations of his age, and how half their group should never have debuted in their mid-twenties.

"You're still young," Taein says dismissively. It's funny, coming from a man who once convinced teenagers to audition for SM Entertainment. He didn't scout Mingeun, but Jaeseop is mostly certain that he would have, if he was presented with the perfect timing.

"Byeonghwi is younger." He does feel the slightest tinge of guilt for trying so hard to push this on their youngest member.  

"Convince me."

Jaeseop suppresses the urge to sigh and runs his hand through his hair. Taein doesn't do this because he hates him. In the beginning, that might have been true. Now, it's the opposite. It's to push him to think through his decisions, to consider each and every outcome before he makes a choice. Jaeseop might be the one making the bed, but all eight of them—and the company—will have to lie in it.

“He's the youngest. That gives him the most time to act as our center, and puts him in a more relatable position to our fans. His age also makes him the most malleable for you.” The words leave a bad taste in Jaeseop’s mouth, like Byeonghwi is less of a person and more of an object. It’s precisely because Byeonghwi is the youngest and knows little else other than school and idol life that gives him both an air of innocence and makes him susceptible to Taein’s—and now Jaeseop’s—puppeteering.

“He’s the most well-behaved. He hasn’t found himself in any major scandals yet, and I think it’s unlikely there will be any in his near future. I know the same thing can be said about Haksu so far, and that’s why they’d make a good match. Between the timeline and his public image, he’s the best choice you have for the highest ROI.” This is a business conversation, so he adds the last part as an almost second thought. He pauses for a breath, and to let his uncle interrupt. Taein doesn’t say anything, which makes Jaeseop uneasy. With no facial cues or body language to guess at how he feels, Jaeseop forges on.

“He works well with Haksu,” he says, though that isn’t quite the full truth. Haksu doesn’t work well with anyone, and Byeonghwi works well with almost everyone, and so that has to count for something. Besides, Taein doesn’t know everything about their interpersonal relationships, and Jaeseop would love to keep it that way. “They have a good dynamic that no one else matches with Haksu. He’s the only one that can stomach and even compete with Haksu’s favorite soulmate lines he says multiple times a shoot to the cameras.”

Eunsu is right there, but his act with Haksu has always been that—an act. Jaeseop doesn’t want to push him too far, before he puts up more walls to along with the walls he already has.

“Where does skill become part of this conversation?” Taein asks.

The question takes Jaeseop by surprise. He pauses to reconsider, because skill wasn’t part of his decision at all. Byeonghwi is skilled, but only enough to get by. “If I name Mingeun instead, would you hear me out?”

“No.” Taein doesn’t even have to think about it. 

“Then it doesn’t matter,” Jaeseop says. “There are other important aspects of being an idol.”

“And do you think those other aspects would help convince Byeonghwi-ssi to think he wants to be an idol?”

“I don’t know,” he says, carefully and honestly. He doesn’t want to be an idol either, and being center would exacerbate those feelings, not improve them. But he’s not Byeonghwi, and so he hopes their youngest member’s reasons differ.

“Very well,” his uncle says. “I want you to convince the board of the same thing. I’ll introduce you to them next week, and you’ll have as long as you like to make your case.”

Jaeseop nearly recoils. This conversation is taxing enough already. And isn't convincing his uncle the important part? Why does he have to convince the investors as well?

“Isn’t this your decision to make?”

Taein makes some kind of incomprehensible noise. “They should be involved this time. I made the executive decision with Haksu-ssi, and very few of them agreed. Seobum-ssi wanted Byeonghwi-ssi from the beginning. I expect it won’t be too difficult.”

Call him a skeptic, but Jaeseop doesn’t believe him.

Four days later, he sits in the only Zenith Entertainment conference room and makes a few extremely minor changes to his presentation. He rehearsed it yesterday in front of just his uncle, who deemed it not good, but acceptable. Even Jaeseop himself is capable of recognizing it as a rather weak argument. He had few other options.

The first arrival is a man roughly Taein’s age. Jaeseop spares him only a quick glance, and his main impression is brown, from his jacket to his pants to his belt to his shoes. 

“That seat is reserved for today’s guest,” Taein says, and Jaeseop looks up to see him motioning the man away from the chair directly to his left. 

Jaeseop is the guest. Dread settles itself deeper and heavier in his stomach. He alternates between the left and right arrow keys, trying to figure out where exactly in his slide the center is.

“Your presentation is as good as it can be. Have a seat.” Taein’s words are more command than suggestion, so Jaeseop returns to the opening slide and sits reluctantly between his uncle and his uncle’s company’s investor.

“Cheolhwan, this is my nephew, Jaeseop. Jaeseop, one of my good friends, Cheolhwan.”

The introductions are succinct. The idea of Taein having friends is one Jaeseop never even considered. Not to mention he’s Taein’s nephew now—not his employee, not a member of Fable, but Taein’s flesh and blood. He wonders if that knowledge was less common than he thought. 

Cheolhwan starts a sentence, but falls silent when the door opens again.

Jaeseop twists in his seat, and this time, he recognizes his uncle’s business partner, Jinguk. It might be his middle-class upbringing speaking more than anything else, but Jaeseop has never liked him. He doesn’t understand how his uncle came to work with him, or how it’s an even partnership at all. 

“Some of us have other obligations. I trust this is as pressing as you made it seem,” Jinguk says. 

“You, of all people, might find it the most enlightening,” is Taein’s quick response.

Jinguk’s sentiments are echoed mere seconds later.

An obscenely large handbag enters first, followed by the woman behind her. Her gaze locks on to Taein as she says, “For your sake, Taein-ssi, I sincerely hope this is necessary. I postponed a meeting with an important client for this.”

Almost immediately behind her is another man, much younger than everyone else, to Jaeseop’s surprise. “I agree with Gyeongwon-ssi on this one. I’m looking forward to the day you decide to join us in the twenty-first century and hold a virtual meeting, Taein-ssi.”

Unlike everyone else, he alone takes stock of Jaeseop. “Jaeseop-ssi? What a pleasant surprise.” 

When he speaks, it does sound like he’s pleasantly surprised. Jaeseop is supposed to minimize his interactions with everyone else and let Taein do most of the talking for him, so he simply nods. 

The man crosses the room and sticks out his hand, and this time, Jaeseop has no choice but to stand and accept. “Jung Seobum. Daehan Ventures. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Jaeseop is an idol, and therefore something of a professional at polite, surface level conversation. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d like to say I’ve heard a lot about you, but unfortunately, my uncle loves his secrets.”

For some reason, that gets a laugh out of Seobum. “I see the resemblance.”

Taein interrupts. “It would be best for all of us if we begin shortly.”

Chastised, Jaeseop takes his seat again.

The next hour passes in a blur. He does his presentation: much of the same notes he hit over his phone call with Taein, but from a more practical perspective, with numbers and figures and future projections to back up his claims. He stumbles once in his introduction, and then again later on, when he accidentally makes eye contact with Jinguk. It could have gone, he reflects, much, much worse.

The questions turn out to be much, much worse. Jaeseop buckles under the onslaught. Why not Eunsu? (Jinguk, because his public image is too intertwined with Haksu to ever separate them.) Is there something wrong with Haksu? (Cheolhwan, no.) Why not Jaeseop? (Taein again, because Byeonghwi is simply better by every metric Jaeseop chose.) Who picked Haksu in the first place? (Gyeongwon, Taein answered this one with a terse, “Me.”) Will Byeonghwi really increase album sales by twenty-five percent? (Seobum, yes, if he splits Haksu’s solo opportunities.) Are there any other reasons that place Byeonghwi over the rest of them? (Jinguk, no more important ones.)

Taein is the one who puts an end to it, likely when he tires of Jaeseop’s fumbled answers. “I assume we’ve all heard enough. All in favor of Jaeseop-ssi’s proposal?” He leaves Jaeseop himself standing at the front of the room, in front of the slide asking for questions that Jaeseop now regrets adding.

To his surprise, the vote is unanimously in his favor. Gyeongwon makes one quip about his presentation sounding like something Taein would put together, but agrees with him anyway.

The polite parting conversation has more thinly veiled barbs than Jaeseop would have thought, though the reasoning for it all remains unclear in the fog of his mental exhaustion. He’s thankful to have a seat again, at the very least. 

“Was that all so terrible?” Taein asks once they’re alone again.

“No,” Jaeseop admits. 

“You’ll improve in the future. It was acceptable for your first time.”

He nods. The idea of repeating that experience remains entirely repulsive, despite knowing he survived it once and he could survive it again. He thinks he should feel proud, like he accomplished something. He feels mostly tired and relieved, more than anything else.

“Is there anything else you need from me?” he asks. The unspoken question is more along the lines of asking permission to leave.

Taein dismisses him with a flick of his hand, like Jaeseop is just another task he crossed off his to-do list. “You’re free to go. I’ll let Byeonghwi-ssi know the good news.”

Jaeseop nods again. He hopes the news is good.

2024

“Your friend Jinguk is scouting Andrew,” Jaeseop says without preamble, squeezing in next to Taein at the table.

A few of the other participants glare at him, and he glares right back, irritated by Andrew and tired from sprinting for trains to get here as fast as possible and annoyed by his uncle's habits.

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” Taein says, lifting the corners of his cards for only a few seconds before laying them flat again. He pushes a few poker chips into the center to match the man on his right.

This is all so illegal, Jaeseop’s skin crawls. “You invited me here. This is serious.”

Taein divides his pile of chips into a neat stack and pushes it to Jaeseop. “If you’re here, you need to play. A few rounds, and then we’ll talk.”

Jaeseop pushes them back. “I’m not interested.”

“Don’t cause a scene.” His uncle’s voice is frigid, so he gives in.

He loses all three games he plays. The other participants play fast, betting chips and accepting cards according to some rules Jaeseop doesn’t understand. He learns to fold on the second round, after watching Taein do the same, and then gives up on the third before he can lose the rest of Taein’s chips.

As soon as his three rounds are done, he gives them back to his uncle, who simply hands them off to the current round’s dealer and politely excuses himself.

“They have no monetary value. Gambling is illegal,” Taein says by way of a shitty explanation as they approach the bar.

He flags down the bartender and orders a vodka sidecar.

Jaeseop, who knows full well he isn’t vodka’s greatest fan, fears desecrating his good image in front of his uncle more than a bad drink. “I’ll have the same.”

Two glasses appear in a matter of seconds, and Taein takes a long sip before he says, “You’re overreacting. Andrew-ssi won’t leave.”

“He might. He’s considering it, and he didn’t tell you anything about it.” He doesn’t know if he expects Taein to be hurt or surprised by that news. It just seemed like something he should mention. He wishes Andrew never found himself caught up in this situation, stuck between a rock—an offer he shouldn’t turn down—and a hard place—Taein’s extremely hard head. Of course he had to go and attract the attention of the richest, most powerful person in the room.

He tries his drink and does his best to hide his displeasure.

“He won’t,” Taein says firmly. “I assume you spoke to him about it.”

“I did.” Jaeseop is loath to give up that information. He didn’t talk to Andrew because he was worried about the future of the company. He talked to Andrew because Andrew is his friend, and he brought it up first. 

“Then there’s nothing to worry about.” He looks like he might say more, but Jaeseop speaks first instead.

“You don’t know that. You don’t know him at all. You don’t know all the promises Jinguk made to him for everything you refuse to give him.”

“Jaeseop. We are in public.” Taein’s voice slices through his tirade, and he stops.

He wasn’t shouting, but he was louder than the quiet hum of the rest of the room. He lowers his voice. “You don’t know what decision he’s going to make.”

“And you do? You know Jinguk-ssi won’t keep his promises.”

“I know that. I can’t say the same for Andrew.”

Andrew is smart, but also incredibly stupid. Jaeseop knows everything he was promised is too good to be true: the solo debut, the promotions, the attention, the ability to go home. That doesn’t mean Andrew recognizes it.

“You said you spoke with him. Did you not emphasize that to him?” Taein drains the dregs of his drink.

Jaeseop isn’t sure when that happened. His glass is still nearly full. He takes another sip. He doesn’t want to answer that, so he counters with a proposal. “You should give him a solo before your so-called friend does.”

“And why,” Taein says slowly, every inch a businessman, “would I do that?”

“You’re closer to losing him than you think, and if you lose him, you lose all of Fable. He writes our music. It’s his name that’s synonymous with our sound. He should have the opportunity to develop as a musician on his own.”

“I would think that after all these years, you would have a better understanding of how decisions are to be made.” He’s infuriatingly smug. “You should have tried, say, to make a case for increased visibility or as a return on investment. It’s unfortunate that neither of those possibilities will turn out to be true.”

Jaeseop has one more trick up his sleeve, another trump card he doubts his uncle paused to consider. It has nothing to do with profits, and everything to do with Taein’s flagging relationship with Jinguk. He holds his uncle’s gaze. “I’m not an idiot. I know Jinguk doesn’t want Andrew because he thinks he’s talented or he could be famous. That’s your job, not his. He wants him to undermine you, or something similar. You shouldn’t give him that opportunity, because you can give Andrew whatever Jinguk has to offer.”

In the past, speaking his mind like this would overwhelm Jaeseop, no matter how confident he was in his ideas. Of course, his uncle's constant disparaging of him was a major contributor. They rarely saw eye-to-eye on any topic. Now, he's not even supposed to be here, cleaning up the messes everyone else leaves behind, and so he cares much less about what Taein will say. He's pissed at his uncle for making him spell out all the details, and he's pissed at Andrew for catching Jinguk’s attention in the first place, and he's pissed at Jinguk for threatening to ruin the tenuous compromise between Andrew and Taein for Andrew's creative freedom. 

“You make some astute observations,” Taein says after a long period of silence, and Jaeseop burns with the almost compliment.

“If that were to happen,” he continues, with a heavy emphasis on the if, “certain sacrifices would have to be made.”

Jaeseop can't imagine a sacrifice that would be worse than Andrew's departure, and he tries hard to think of one. Images of headlines and news articles and countless social media posts speculating theory after theory of the disagreements behind Zenith Entertainment’s closed doors swirl through his mind instead, no matter how hard he tries to banish them.

“It's fine,” he says, hoping the rest of the group can weather whatever he just signed them up for. 

“Very well,” Taein says with a finality Jaeseop has been waiting just about forever to hear. “I'll speak to Andrew-ssi about it.”

“Keep me out of it,” Jaeseop suggests. “He knows as well as anyone I'm not supposed to be working.”

“He'll guess you had a part in it. You're too involved now to back out.”

Jaeseop knows this, but he hopes Andrew can have one slightly less perceptive day or week or month and not bring him into the conversation. He nods, and then tries—and fails—to agree with Taein's choice of alcohol for the third time.

Taein makes an exaggerated show of checking his phone. “I have a match to return to.”

It's a dismissal Jaeseop is only too happy to hear. He slides easily out of his seat. “I'm looking forward to Andrew's album.”

Taein grimaces, but doesn't say anything in return.

By the time Jaeseop leaves, his uncle has already resumed his position at the table, as if he was never there at all.

Less than a week later, Andrew sends him a text. I didn't know you were a snitch. Thanks, I guess.

[spider-xan]

That there are Canadians slobbering all over themselves to praise Trump will never not baffle me. As much as they like to talk about how Americans are all brainwashed sheep they sure do eat up maga yankee propaganda.

Yeah, I know Trump is very popular in outright conservative areas of the country like white rural Ontario and the entirety of Alberta, but even in a 'liberal' (lol) city like Toronto, a lot of people love him - like, back in 2016, I didn't see this myself bc I was working, but my co-worker witnessed a massive crowd of white supremacists taking up two floors of one of the mall's entrance to chant, 'WHITE POWER' to celebrate his election (my co-worker was white, but she came back shaking and scared); recently, I think I forgot to write about this, but I was on the bus, and this white guy was wearing THE MAGA hat, albeit a new one that said said 45-47, and it's like, first, you are not even in the US, and second, this was like, an alt queer guy, but I guess he's white and racist first.

The sad thing though is that the anti-Trump crowd in Canada sucks just as bad bc they are also racist white supremacists who are only mad at Trump bc he said mean things about Canada and tariffs, which basically made Canadians (and not just the white ones either) turn into turbo nationalists and fascists in return, while acting like they are not fascists - but like, lol those people are running around in black shirts emblazoned with Canadian flags, screaming CANADA FIRST and ELBOWS UP (I still don't know what even means and I don't care), yelling at people to eat Canadian maple cookies and use Canadian paper towels to protect Canadian sovereignty from the US invaders, and it's like, man, I hope both imperialist white supremacist settler colonies just kill each other, and the land and real sovereignty is returned to Indigenous people.

[hannahwatcheshorror]

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (2016)

It is just a social experiment, bro, calm down, bro! But seriously this movie is a trip of an experiment and I am glad I am only watching and not participating. Interesting premise and execution (ha). Worth a watch if you are a sick ticket like the rest of us who are fascinated with what kind of folks are going to work with “trackers” in their heads. So put down your copy of Lord of the Flies, it’s Belko Experiment time.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Our movie begins with “I Will Survive” playing in Spanish. Very cheeky. We meet a new employee who just did her onboarding by having a tracker placed inside her because of how often people are kidnapped in Columbia (where this movie takes place), yikes. One day there is extra security with guns and such, a voice on the loudspeaker tells them all that there are 80 of them and in half an hour two (2) of them have to be dead. This starts a bit of a panic in the office, this can’t be real, right? But just in case let’s all get the fuck out of here anyway. Nope, they can’t do that either because the building is decked out in these armored doors that cover the entire first floor (even the walls) and every window going up the entire building (wack). This way our workers know they are good and truly fucked. 

Thirty minutes comes time and boom, four (4) different people have their heads imploded by the trackers that they have implanted in the backs of their heads/necks. Now everyone is really scared. The next task given to them by the evil voice over the intercom is to have 30 people dead in two (2) hours. YIKES. If the workers do not succeed the evil overlords will kill 60 of them. WACK AND A HALF. This movie went from zero (0) to 60 in no time at all. Now people are really starting to divide on what they think is right to do. Some think it is best to make a banner that maybe cars will see but others are starting to think about hunting their friends… Couple Mike and Leandra struggle with the opposition.

Without much warning the three office workers who are keen on killing stab the security guard, hit Mike in the head, and take Leandra hostage. It was pretty rude. They wanted the keys to the armory though so they could get the guns and go on a rampage, I’m guessing. I’m sort of right! They herd the workers to the lobby like sheep, lambs to slaughter. The boss divides up who lives and who dies and then starts blasting away but our new hire doesn’t agree with this so she cuts the power. Everyone starts running around like crazy and shots are being fired in the dark hitting random people. But they never get to kill 30 people before the time runs out so 60 total are killed. Big bummer. The final task is to be the last man standing with the most kills tallied (fucking yikes). This flips a switch very quickly in some of our workers who right away get to hacking up their fellow man. 

The new girl who had made it to the very end (and only accidentally killed one person) gets shot directly in the head by the boss, it sucked, but then we get down to it just being the boss and the couple left. Oh no! The boss shoots Leandra and she dies! Mike goes on a rampage now because that was his girl. He brutally defeats the boss with a tape dispenser (yeah, yikes) and then is declared the winner because he is the only one left. Congratulations. Mike is then grabbed by guards and ushered out to the airplane hangar where the base of operations for the bad guys is (whoever the fuck they are). They want to survey him on his experience. But here is the thing, some of the nerdy characters throughout the movie were taking the implants from the back of people's heads who didn’t get their implants exploded and Mike took them so he has a pocket full of bombs WHICH he planted on every person in the room with him now. There is a mad dash for the switches and Mike detonates the bombs, killing the bad guys and just avoiding setting off the bomb in his own head… What a lucky guy. But then we zoom out and he is still being watched, there are even bigger baddies than the ones Mike just killed. This was only the first part of the test. Womp womp. End of movie.

-----------------------HANNAH WATCHES HORROR--------------------

[jasminarts01]

Rachel's Character Sheet (Redo/2025 UPDATE)

WARNING: There may be themes that could trigger so please be careful while reading (Mentions: Mention of Bullying)

Face Claim: Ella Purnell

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Name: Rachelle (Rachel) Aria Jones O’Neil

Meaning: It’s a French name, meaning “Lamb”. Often people assume that because it looks and sounds a bit like Rachel it is the same name and the same meaning, but this is not so. The name Rachel is in Hebrew for female sheep or ewe and, although it is the root name for Rachelle, they do have differing meanings. Often people need to be reminded that the extra ‘I’ and ‘e’ are not just for decoration.

Age: This all takes into the TMNT 2014/2016 timeline in this au I have made April and Casey a bit older so it would mean that April was with the baby turtles at the time even longer, as Rachel starts at 15 years old in 2014 film, later on, she is 17 years old during the 2016 film (As the film is declared to be two years after the first one), and 18 years old on the aftermath of the 2016 film; Future AU aftermath they would be in their 20s.

Birthdate: December 4th

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Physical Traits:

Height: 5’2”

Hourglass body 

Soft Ivory Skin, light rose cheeks

In the 2014 film, she had medium/long semi-wavy hair golden brown hair with bangs always in a ponytail but in the 2016 film, she had short/medium shoulder length, straight golden brown hair with bangs in a ponytail, etc.

In the 2014 film, she has brown hazel eyes but in the 2016 film; her eye color can change between completely light gray or her original eye color after succeeding in her powers and training

Has many small beauty marks all over her body and a few on her face (Two under the corner of her right eye and one under the corner of her left eye)

Style: She’s always in a shirt with pants/shorts but if she’s feeling it; performs she’ll wear skirts and dresses.

2014 film: 5 different outfits shown

When April comes home about remembering the turtles: Gray hoodie, black shorts, knee-high socks, two low ponytails

First encounter with the turtles: White shirt, navy high-waist jeans, black Converse, high ponytail w/bangs

Performance after stopping Shredder: (Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson/Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne/Heart Attack by Demi Lovato) White polo shirt, black cargo pants, Timberland boots, Dutch braid w/bangs

After the performance, meeting up with the turtles: Black hoodie, wavy hair w/bangs, dark gray leggings, black Converse

(Performances are from her high school and mostly are the careers of the girls)

Aftermath of the 2014 film: TBA

2016 film: 6 different outfits shown

This would take a few days before the 2016 film starts) High school uniform: Navy blue blazer w/school logo, white short sleeve button shirt, navy blue with multi-colored white/orange/yellow outlined pleaded skirt, multi-colored white/orange/yellow tie, and shoulder length hair w/bangs

Exposes her powers in front of April when the turtles come back from the Knicks game; Splinter and the turtles already know about her powers btw: Red t-shirt, light blue high-waist skinny jeans, red Converse, hair down lose

Performing while being grounded for keeping her powers hidden but Raphael helps her sneak out and perform with her best friends, it goes into Shredder’s escape: Cheer Up by TWICE (Sana’s light teal/white dress outfit)/4 Walls by F(x) (Luna’s red top navy blue pants outfit) /Me Gustas Tu by GFRIEND (yerin's blue jumper outfit)/Gold by Britt Nicole (Pastel pink off the shoulder shirt, white high-waist skinny jeans, white Converse, hair down)

Shows up with the turtles when the turtles meet Casey/also when the turtles come back from the police station exposed: Lilac/white pleated dress knee length, white Converse, hair down

Fighting with Jax, Shredder’s son during Krang fight -Story later on-) -Just think about Winx Club Believix outfits but in hues of red and her hair is down just during her form- -I still don’t have an official art of it so ye TvT-

Update:

Turtles get rewarded the key to the city: Cream/light beige sweater, black knee-length skirt, black leggings, timberland boots

Future AU: TBA

Personality: Rachel is a nice person by default, April and Casey showed her how to care a lot for her family and friends, she was bullied at a very young age (4-5 years old) but she didn’t let it get to her (until 6-7th grade) as her best friends (Masami, Taliana, Leah, Millyanna, and Oliver) where there for her as she would be there for them. She respects everyone (especially Splinter and her parents) unless they lose that respect because she WILL show the same attitude to that person.

But she also brings herself down if she can’t understand a situation which makes her panic and have extreme anxiety because she doesn’t want to let anyone down. She has a very good memory as she can remember things at the age of 2 years old and at times it scares Casey because she says it with high details, April got used to it since Rachel helps her with her reports and would say the most random things that may or may not concern others.

Her anxiety has made it difficult for her to connect with people (especially when she met the turtles) and whenever it has to do with a project at school, she’ll panic for days but it all goes away when she is reminded that she can do it. If someone gets her in a bad mood, she’ll lose it and start being rude to others around her so at times she just stays in her bedroom so she won’t hurt anyone with her words (later on her powers that were getting out of control).

She has always wanted a relationship with her special someone, who turned out to be a huge, short-tempered turtle. She still loves him, though, as she has found ways to calm him down. She has become more open to him and the other turtles and talks as if they have known each other since childhood. As time passes, she’ll always have them as her family and forever be grateful for them all.

Some of Her Favorites:

Color: Pastel colors, Red, and Gray

Music: K-pop, J-pop, Lofi, and Pop

Book: This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

Hobbies: Scrapbooking, Singing, Dancing, Reading, Spending time with Raphael, and Being a menace to Leonardo cuz why not

Relationships with Others:

Mom, April O’Neil: She is very close to her mom as she has been with her since birth and is very protective of her, at times she would take her journalistic duties the majority of her time and not look at Rachel for days which she has regretted doing but it did make them distant for a long time as until meeting the turtles. Later on, when she found out about Rachel’s powers; she felt like Rachel didn’t trust her to even explain to her which led them to have a huge argument and they didn’t talk to each other for days until Rachel found out she was in jail because of the turtles breaking into police headquarters; they regain their trust in each other and start to have that mother-daughter relationship that they started with

Key Dynamic: A loving but firm mother who refuses to let her daughter doubt herself.

Leonardo: Leo would be a pillar of stability in Rachel’s life. As someone who understands pressure and responsibility, he’d see a bit of himself in her struggles with anxiety. He’d encourage her to breathe, focus, and take things one step at a time whenever she panics. When Rachel doubts herself, Leo reminds her of how much she’s already overcome. He’d also respect that she doesn’t give out trust easily and would patiently let her open up in her own time. Rachel, in turn, would help Leo let loose once in a while, reminding him that it’s okay to take breaks and not always be the one in charge.

Key Dynamic: A mentor-like guide who helps her find confidence, while she reminds him to embrace life beyond leadership.

Raphael: As Rachel’s love interest, Raph would struggle with balancing his protectiveness and personal temper. He wouldn’t always know how to handle her anxiety, especially when she spirals into self-doubt, but over time, he’d learn to be patient and reassuring instead of just telling her to “toughen up.” Rachel, on the other hand, would be one of the few people who can calm Raph down when he gets angry. She’d have ways to soothe him when he’s frustrated, whether through gentle words, physical contact, or simply knowing when to let him cool off. Raph would also be fiercely protective of Rachel, even when she doesn’t need it. If anyone disrespects or hurts her, his first instinct would be to throw hands—but Rachel’s presence would remind him to handle things more maturely. Despite his rough exterior, Raph would soften significantly around her, even if he pretends not to care in front of the others.

Key Dynamic: Passionate, fiery love with deep understanding and mutual protection

Donatello: Donnie would be fascinated by Rachel’s ability to recall memories with extreme detail, often asking her random questions just to see how much she remembers. In return, Rachel would be one of the few people patient enough to listen to Donnie’s long-winded science explanations. Since both of them tend to overthink things, Donnie would help Rachel organize her thoughts, while Rachel would remind Donnie to take breaks and not overwork himself. When Rachel is having a panic attack, Donnie might try to analyze it scientifically at first, but he eventually learns that sometimes, people don’t need logic—they just need comfort.

Key Dynamic: A friendship built on mutual intelligence, patience, and emotional support.

Michaelangelo: Mikey would instantly adore Rachel, seeing her as someone who needs more happiness and fun. Whenever she locks herself away because of anxiety or a bad mood, Mikey is the first to show up with pizza, a goofy joke, or a movie night plan to pull her out of her funk. He doesn’t force her to talk; he just ensures she knows she’s loved and not alone. Rachel might get frustrated with Mikey’s carefree nature at times, especially when she’s stressed, but she’d eventually realize that his energy is exactly what she needs to keep herself from spiraling. Mikey also loves teasing Rachel and Raph’s relationship, constantly making jokes about their “angry but adorable love.”

Key Dynamic: Her emotional sunshine who reminds her to smile, even on the darkest days

Master Splinter: Splinter would immediately see the emotional weight Rachel carries, and he’d make it his mission to guide her toward inner strength and control. He’d teach her meditation techniques to help with her anxiety, giving her a way to calm herself when emotions spiral. Splinter would also offer wisdom when she doubts herself, reminding her that strength comes in many forms—not just physical, but emotional as well. Over time, he’d come to see her as one of his own children, offering quiet but firm support whenever she needed it. Rachel, in turn, would look up to him with deep respect, always seeking his advice when she feels lost.

Key Dynamic: A mentor-student relationship where Rachel learns to control her fears, while Splinter helps her see her true strength.

Dad, Casey Jones: She has made it possible to be daddy’s baby forever as she would do anything to be with Casey when she was little (calling him from elementary school to take her out cuz she is “too smart” which was true). Even with his job as a police officer/vigilante, he made it possible to not miss anything that was going on in Rachel’s life; he just didn’t expect that a 6’5” ninja turtle would become his daughter’s boyfriend, now that made him lose it. But he just wanted to make her happy and let her know that he was happy for her. Also, didn’t expect his daughter to have powers which he was chill about but still cautious.

Key Dynamic: A reckless but loving father who reminds her that she’s tougher than she thinks.

Masami & Jax: Both of them are Shredder’s children and twins but they are still close to Rachel as they also have powers and even fought with her against their father besides Jax as he was secretly following his father’s wishes

Leah & Oliver: Also twin siblings and Rachel’s friends with powers, they help as much as they can so Rachel wouldn’t have to stress too much as Rachel is the “Chosen one”

Taliana: Also friend with powers, she and Rachel have been friends since 1st grade when Rachel found her getting bullied but after that, they have been very close. Taliana also helps Rachel a lot with her calculations and other materials that seem too complicated for her

Millyanna: Millyanna and Rachel have a sister relationship as Rachel helps her so much and helps her with her confidence. Even though she is just like Pinky Pie from My Little Pony, she also has her serious moments with her powers while fighting alongside Rachel

Miscellaneous Information:

Rachel has been diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety Disorder but isn’t talked about as much in the storyline

She has fire powers (Fire flames, lava, magma, etc.), telekinesis, gravity powers, voice changer power (Lets her talk like someone else’s voice) and the weapon that she uses is a bow and arrows which she can light on fire and a Scythe

She does use she/they and is Bi

Songs Matching Her Character:

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Tag List: @miss-andromeda @tinkabelle24