#should I make a poll or something. I’ve seen other artists do it but they already have like big big followings

[adriennebarnes]

There’s A Frog In My Hand

Masterlist

Pairing: Xavier Thorpe x Hispanic!Reader

Summary:after scrolling on TikTok, Enid decides to try the trend on Ajax and tells Y/N to do it on Xavier so Enid can compare their reactions.

Warnings: Boyfriend!Xavier because he’s just the cutest, very fluffy, implied Ajax x Enid

Y/N was walking to the quad when she heard someone yell her name. “Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, I gotta show you something!” Y/N turned around and saw that it was her best friend, Enid. Enid tan as fast as she could and almost bumped into Y/N. “Sorry. I was on TikTok and I was looking at couple trends so I can do some with Ajax, and look at what I came across.” Enid told Y/N. They both sat down at a table in the quad before Enid played the video.

In the video, there was a couple on the bed, the first girl said to her girlfriend that there was an invisible flea in her hand and that it was going to do 3 backflips. After doing the backflips, the first girl asked her girlfriend to hold his little hat as he does more backflips. Then the first girl asked her girlfriend if she really believe that there is a flea in her hands. The girlfriend says no and the first girl asks “then why are you holding his little hat?” And the girlfriend answers “because you asked me to!”

“It’s literally so fucking cute!! You should try that with Xavier.” Enid tells Y/N. “Do you really think Xavier will go along with there being an invisible flea in my hand?” Y/N asks. “Well it doesn’t have to me a flea, I’ve seen people say there was a frog in their hand, a cricket, it could be anything really. I’m gonna try it with Ajax and see his reaction. I’m gonna say flea because I’m a werewolf so that’s easy.” Enid commented as she puts her phone away.

“Then I guess I’ll choose that there’s a frog. I’m naming the frog though.” Y/N commented. “Only you would name an imaginary frog. I wonder how different Ajax and Xavier would react to having an invisible animal in our hands.”Enid said. “I honestly think Ajax would just be asking a lot of questions.” Y/N said, the girls started laughing and that’s when Y/N felt someone cover her eyes.

“Guess who.” The voice said. “Could it be Nevermore’s resident tortured artist?” Y/N guessed and Xavier uncovered her eyes and gave her a forehead kiss. “I expected you so say your super hot boyfriend but that works too.” Xavier said as he sat down beside Y/N. “What were you girls talking about?”

“About nothing, cariño. My parents wanted me to invite you to dinner Saturday night, by the way. My mom is making tallarines saltado, It’s gonna be really good.” Y/N mentioned. “That’s spaghetti, right?” Xavier asked, making sure he got his Spanish right. “Yeah, It’s spaghetti. So is that a yes?” Y/N asked hopefully. “Yeah for sure. I gotta go find Ajax, see you later, angel.” Xavier said, kissing her forehead. When Xavier was far from the table, Enid started talking again.

“So I was thinking you record the video on your phone, and then you can send it to me so I can post it on my gossip site. I will also post my video with Ajax and we’ll have a poll of who’s the better boyfriend. Do you accept the challenge, L/N?” Enid said, holding out her hand to Y/N. “Challenge accepted, Sinclair.”

After classes were over, Y/N went to Xavier’s dorm. “Mi amor, It’s me, Can i come in?” Y/N asked. Xavier opened the door so she could come in. They greeted each other with a kiss and Y/N walked in and sat on Xavier’s bed. “To what do I owe the pleasure, milady?” Xavier said in a bad British accent as he bowed down. Y/N laughed and hit him lightly on the arm. “No seas payaso (don’t be silly), Enid showed me this couples video today, do you want to try it with me?” Y/N asked Xavier.

“Sure babe, let me take a shower then we can do it, okay.” Xavier said and kissed her forehead before he went to the bathroom so he can shower. Like 15 minutes later he’s out and dressed. “Okay I’m ready.” Xavier said. “Great, I’m gonna record it if that’s okay to prove to Enid I did it” Y/N said and Xavier nodded his head. Y/N propped her phone on his dresser, leaning against his cologne bottle and Y/N pressed record.

“Okay, Xavi, so there’s a frog in my hands, okay? His name is Rogelio.” Y/N said. “Why is his name Rogelio?” Xavier asked. “I was watching Shrek 2 in Spanish, okay. Anyway, Rogelio is going to do 3 backflips.” Y/N said, keeping her eyes on Xavier. Xavier nodded. “Okay Rogelio, do your thing, buddy.” “1, 2, 3” as Y/N counted Rogelio’s backflips, she also moved her head as if following his backflips, Xavier did the same.

“Can you hold his jacket for him?” Y/N asked, showing Xavier her cupped hand. “Yeah sure, Rogelio must be feeling hot after doing 3 backflips in a row.” Xavier commented, he went to your hands and moved his hands as if taking the jacket off of the frog. “He’s gonna do 3 backflips again. 1, 2, 3.” Y/N said. “He did a double backflip at the end! Rogelio, you are a very talented frog, you must be exhausted.” Xavier commented, Y/N wanted to laugh so bad, Xavier is just the cutest. “Does Rogelio want his jacket back? It’s a very nice jacket, actually.”

“Okay, Xavi, here’s a question for you. Do you really believe there’s a frog in my hands?” Y/N asked him. “Well you told me there’s a frog in your hands and I’m holding his jacket. He’s probably an invisible frog.” Xavier said, Y/N giggled. “Querido, how would I get an invisible frog?” Y/N asked him. “I Can anímate anything I draw and you’re asking me if it’s possible to have an invisible frog?” Xavier countered.

“We’re getting off the subject. Do you really think there is a frog in my hands.” Y/N asked. “Probably not.” Xavier said, finally. “Then why are you holding Rogelio’s jacket?” Y/N asked. “Because you asked me to, love.” Xavier said laughing, Y/N laughed too and hugged Xavier, hiding her face in his chest and Xavier kissed the top of her head. When they were done, Y/N stopped the video.

“Did I do the video right?” Xavier asked Y/N. “Yes, you did it perfectly, mi vida.” Y/N said. Y/N grabbed her phone and sent the video to Enid. A free minutes later, Enid replied to her

Enid: AWW 🥰😍🥰😍 HE IS THE SWEETEST!

The next day, when Y/N was walking to the quad, everyone stared at her, mostly the girls and all she heard was “you’re so lucky!” “He’s so sweet!” “Your boyfriend is adorable.” And so on. When Y/N at a table, Xavier approached her. “Hey, love, did you see Enid’s gossip site?” Xavier asked. “No, not really. I knew she was gonna post it but I didn’t know when, why?” Y/N asked.

“Everyone is commenting that we’re the best couple. That and that I’m totally whipped for you. I mean I am, but still.” Xavier said, putting his arm around your shoulders. “At least now everyone knows we’re dating, that should keep your jealous fits in check.” Y/N commented and Xavier just laughed. “Ha ha, very funny. Come one, let’s go to class.” Xavier said as he grabbed Y/N’s backpack to carry it for her and held her hand while they walk to class. Maybe Xavier is whipped for Y/N but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Should this be my brand? Just writing Hispanic Reader fanfics? Let me know!

[mushroomwitches]

Okay so I am very adhd and have like a ton of drafts started for some fanfic ideas and wanted to focus on one to start with, but I wanted to get peoples opinions because I’m also very indecisive! Below the cut I will explain each option I have that I’ve started to help!

Slight Spoiler warnings

Option 1: okay so this idea is inspired by mamuro-chiba-ua ‘s artwork here on tumblr, though I have seen other talk about in on here, but their artwork and Au made me start to wonder how being the uncle to Vivi would effect buggy! This would focus on buggy as he goes about his life and would be a cross guild (crocodile, mihawk, and buggy! )

Option 2: for whatever reason kaveh and Alhaitham give me the swan Princess vibes. So this story would follow kaveh as he is captured by Dori and given to a mysterious man who changes him into a paradisea by day, only allowing him to return to his human form at night to build for him. Can Alhaitham save him or will he be trapped forever ( featuring Tighnari, collei and Layla as the others trapped with Kaveh and also turned into animals, Cyno as Alhaitham friend and Faruzan as the overly annoyed and sarcastic advisor to Alhaitham )

Option 3: so this one could either be gigolas or aralas, both work and I am a multi shipper who loves both options! I could also tweak this and make it a throuple if anyone is interested in that. But basically I was a total band kid and feel like Legolas would be a color guard member. Now if I do Gimli, that boy is definitely a percussionist, and I would say I could see him in the drum line as a bass player. If it’s Aragorn, I am a little more torn on that, I could see Aragorn as either a low brass player or the drum major! Basically a fun marching band AU (specifically based on DCI (drum corps international) which goes to 21 so they would all be over the age of 18!)

Option 4: so I’ll set the stage. Bilbo is the lead in the local theater companies upcoming production of Les Miserables (could totally see him singing who am I, like the voice of the original Jean Val Jean just fits in my head). But oh no, Bilbo’s babysitter ( *cough cough* Gandalf) didn’t show up and now he has to bring baby frodo with him, but he has to practice. So he call Bofur, his friend from college to see if he could come to watch frodo while he’s performing. Bofur agrees easily, but is also currently dealing with a brooding Thorin after a really shitty date and decides to bring him with. Thorin isn’t thrilled, claiming to hate musicals and only like his metal and stuff he can play with the rest of the band, but sees Bofur won’t let it go and agrees to go. He goes right in time to watch Bilbo practice the who am I song and just is like damn. Basically meet cute here and then just follows their life from there with all of life’s up and downs (plus cute little kids with frodo, fili and kili)

Option 5: okay so shanks and buggy give off like such ex energy, and I just love the idea of they got like married real young and got divorced a year or 2 later because they both wanted different things, but they are forced together like 20 years later (either a job, event, taking care of roger who is sick, something like that) and being to fall in love again!

Option 6: so I feel like this is pretty self explanatory. Basically I have begun taking both the hobbit and lotr and putting them into the star wars universe! The hobbit would include ships like bagginshield and lotr would include ships like samfro, Aragorn x Arwen, and gigolas!

But yeah feel free to answer the poll and comment or pop into my inbox with any questions!

[namor-shuri]

Our poll results are in! 🗳✨

*cracks knuckles* Let’s dive in and talk about it (: [Grab a snack and something to drink because this is about to be long. Yes, a bitch made graphs lmao Sue me] Alrighty, let’s do this:

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I can't remember where bpwf was first released and the order of its premiere in each country but it's interesting to see that the majority of fandom [who participated at least] are from North America. Also Asia being the third highest group was fascinating because at least when it comes to Twitter, I’ve noticed a lot of the Namor/Shuri fan art has come from Thai and Korean artists. They are seriously carrying this fandom and I'm here for all of it.

ALSO: Random, but where are my Antarctica Nashuri fans?? 😭 I’m also curious to know how Africa has received the Black Panther franchise all together over the years. Do they resonate with it? Do they find it offensive/ overly dramatized? I’m curious. If you are a fan who lives in Africa, can you comment on your experience with this? I'd be happy to know.

To be honest, I’ve always assumed that the Marvel fandom [along with superhero spaces as a whole like DC and what not] were male dominated but this poll gave me some hope. I am curious what parts of fandom men frequent more vs women. For example, do Comic Cons ring in more women, more men, half and half? With fan art, do majority of artists identify as women, men, other? It’s interesting to think about. I also love seeing women/fem identifying individuals show up in these spaces because countless times we are made to feel like an inposter and harassed for our interests in comics, games, movies, shows, music, the list goes on. Questioned down with trivia, fact checking and all sorts of BS ultimately trying to prove that “you aren't a real fan". Don't ever let anyone make you feel like you have to prove your knowledge of anything to be interested in something you like. ESPECIALLY if it is coming from a man child guy.

ALSO: Hi all trans, non-conforming and alternative gender expressing baddies! Know you are welcome here and pls enjoy your stay at my humble blog abode. 👋🏾💜

It’s amazing to see how diverse this fandom is! I didn’t expect that we would have such high numbers of black/brown fans/shippers. As a black mcu fan myself, it’s exciting to see us show up in fandom. Fandom has unfortunately been heavily white/Eurocentric for a very long time, which has slowly changed but we still have a long ways to go in it’s inclusivity. With the increase of bipoc characters and the actors who play them, I look forward to this continual progression.

ALSO: It’s been heartwarming to witness Mexican, Indigenous, Lantix fans feel seen with bpwf and Tenoch, Mabel and Alex's performances! I remember how enamored the black community was with Chadwick and the first BP. We were hyped to have this treasure of a movie, which I assume is similar to how the Asian community felt with Shang-Chi and so on. It's been said countless times before but representation truly makes the world of a difference and the power of the bipoc dollar should never be taken lightly. We cause real change when we support something.

There will always be a spectrum of ages in any fandom but I figured the majority of people were probably within this age range. It may be due to the timeline of when the mcu was born and how it has progressed alongside millennials? This also explains why I keep seeing fans make posts about their age gaps with Tenoch and wanting to be his questionably young gf 😩 [get in line]

ALSO: Shoutout to the 55+ folks in the fandom! I have a sneaking suspicion yall are some of the coolest people 🤘🏾

Okay *inhales exhales* I know I'm going to get flak for this but let's hop into it lol I saw the scale sway back and forth for a minute but it mostly stayed between White Wolf [Bucky Barnes] and Iron Heart [Riri Williams]. I myself personally love both answers! My annoyance is not with shuriri, but with its fandom. They have been some of the biggest instigators/bullies since bpwf has dropped. I've seen all kinds of mental gymnastics from saying the nashuri fandom would rather see shuri with a killer than support gay love [like what??] to Letitia is clearly lesbian because of her attire [pls be fr] and everything in between. It’s so unwarranted and I never see Nashuri fans doing the same thing back. Enjoy what you like, and leave the rest behind. It's such an easy 1+1=2 concept and yet, it goes over people's head still. It’s honestly disappointing when a fandom turns you off to a ship/character, especially when the ship is lowkey dope. Something that reminds me of this was the stucky fandom when the Captain America movies came out. Y’all.......when I tell you this fandom had me STRESSED 🥴. I saw racism/ deliberate exclusion of Sam, hate towards Sharon Carter just because she was a woman, you name it. They annoyed me so bad that I began to dislike Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers as characters [trust me, it made no sense lol] I couldn’t stand seeing either one of their names pop up. It took some of the Avenger movies [and honestly the sambucky fandom + Sebastian Stan/ Anthony Mackie's friendship] coming out years later for me to even be remotely cool with the idea of Bucky Barnes again. Anyways *drinks water* I'm getting stressed all over again just thinking about it lmao Long story short, don’t be an asshole. Enjoy YOUR flavor of ice cream and try not to shit on others and their differing flavor of choice in the process. Trust me, it's easier than you think.

ALSO: If you are a shuriri fan that hasn't been hateful/ problematic, this isn't about you boo [yall are good in my books! 😘]

Crying that the #1 answer was “Bitch me!” because honestly mood. Jokes aside, I can’t really imagine Namor with another partner. It's probably largely due to the fact that Shuri was the main character we see him interact + bring his guard down with [outside of Namora?] This is also coming from someone who has not read the Namor comics and am very new to him as a character. If you have any knowledge you want to share in the comments, pls do ✨

ALSO: I threw in the Sue Storm comment to be annoying *teehee* but it was interesting to see how many people actually agreed with this statement. Maybe I'm just a horse with blinders about this fandom but I’m not really pressed? I’ve seen people argue that Ryan's current iteration of the Namor character wouldn't be in this type of relationship [along with people saying Tenoch wouldn’t go for it either] but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds *tries not to stress while we wait for future iterations of Namor and the fate of his character's arc/ Talokan*

The question on everyone’s mind! Although the delusional side of me was bummed that yall weren't more chaotic and went full "yes!", my logical side agrees with the final poll 🥲. Again, I'm not pressed about mcu and what they put out, whether it favors this ship or not. At the end of the day, I’m still going to vibe like I’ve been doing. If nothing else, I just hope we get to see these two characters and their rich dynamic again because Marvel can't ignore how the world reacted to Shuri and Namor. And hey, sometimes Marvel listens! Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie were on a mission after fans brought up a potential team up and after that, those two found every excuse to bring up a potential movie in interviews for YEARS until finally *boom* 🇺🇸🦅 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Show 🦅🇺🇸 was born. Miracles do happen everyday rofl [I know these two examples have nothing to do with one another but let me have this lol]

ALSO: I only trust these characters in Ryan's hands so I'm hoping he's the first in line to direct whatever this future dynamic ends up being.

It was cool seeing what other protagonists this fandom is drawn to outside of Shuri/Black Panther. I’m curious to know what other ships y’all also enjoy [feel free to drop them in the comments if you care to share]. I feel like a lot of the top picks in this poll I also resonated with, like Iron man for example. I don’t know what it is but there is just something about a genius character with a mix of charisma/ big softy + sarcastic energy that will do it for me every 👏🏾single👏🏾 time 👏🏾

ALSO: Not everyone sleeping on Thor and Hulk?! 😭 I feel bad that I left out Ant-man [especially with Quantumania just coming out] but you can only do 10 options on Tumblr polls and it was between him and Captain Marvel so….a choice was made…..

This one cracks me up [and yes I had too much fun making these summaries which I find highly accurate] Also, I have no beef with any of these characters btw 😅 I truly believe that a hero is only as interesting as their counterpart. If your villain isn't captivating, it takes away from the hero + their storytelling potential and vice versa. The poll was split between Killmonger and Namor at one point [which if these two ever met/ were on screen together like ??? They have free reign to completely destroy my life. I welcome all calamity that ensues.] I'm not going to survive Namor and Kang in the same film this coming Avengers: Kang Dynasty movie.

ALSO: I didn't choose him but Thanos has been one of the most impactful/ compelling villains we’ve seen in the mcu thus far. I mean, he’s literally responsible for like 3 major films in the mcu + Josh Brolin is just amazing at what he does in general. This is brave to say but it was lowkey bittersweet to see his character's arc come to an end [obviously it was a huge relief but yeah]. Don't come for me.

This one was just for fun since I recently made that tenitia rant post but it was cool seeing some of you come back with your own film ideas of what Letitia and Tenoch could act in together. I'm so down bad for them that I'm game for absolutely anything. Romcom? Let's do it. A Podcast of them reviewing their favorite foods from their cultures? I'll eat with yall. Music video? Where's the link? I don't care what it is. Someone brought this up but I really wish we got more game interviews with them like them reading thirst tweets, answering the web's most searched questions, a joint hot ones interview, something! They would have killed those! Bring them back!🗣️ Bring them back! 🗣️ Bring them back! 🗣️

ALSO: Letitia has already voiced a character [Nooshy in "Sing 2"] so now I need Tenoch to do the same. I would love to hear his voice in something. It would realistically be in Spanish since I know the majority of his projects have been thus far but idgaf, I’m still showing up *turns on closed captions* [shout out to everyone who also started to learn spanish after this beautiful man came into our lives]

And last but not least, your blog feedback <3 Thanks again for giving your input on this. My blog is slowly starting to grow and I'm having a lot of new people interact with my page so I wanted to do a quick temperature check of what people are feeling. At the end of the day, I'm aways going to stick to what feels authentic to me and what I want to post because if you're not liking what you're doing, what are you doing it all for? But I will definitely keep this feedback in mind. For the people who are new or just coming across my blog, here are some examples of what I'm referencing in this poll: fan edits [1, 2, 3] rants [1, 2, 3] song recs [1, 2, 3] Tenitia [1, 2, 3].

ALSO: I thought I was doing the most with the amount of Tenoch posts I was blogging already but maybe not. Don’t worry, I'll find more ways to post our baby girl (:

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WOW, YOU'RE STILL HERE!? Nice 🥰 Seriously, thanks again to everyone who participated in this completely unserious poll. I've never done one of these before but now that I know what to do and not do, I may make another one in the future. We'll see. Continue to stay tuned for future Namor/Shuri + Tenoch/Letitia shenanigans 💫

[harrison-abbott]

I’m sure lots of us are obsessed by the theme of ‘greatness’ and we want our craft to be loved and respected. We have dreams, imaginations. Of glory and vindication for all the mayhem we’ve been through. And we’ll have these heroes who we look up to and we wish to be like them.

And then there’s the planet and all its writhing consciousness and the barrel loads of your weaknesses. The heaviness pushes you down and you think that maybe your fantasises of fantastic talent were only trivial, and it makes you stupid to have even pondered these glorious images. A loser instead of a champion. The opposite of great.

I’ve been in writers’ groups in the past. Where we sit down and bring along our stuff and the other people present will give bits of feedback. And I remember asking them (the fellow writers) if they’d read certain authors. And there were a few times where they’d simply never heard of the author. Even though the particular person was ‘super famous’ or ‘well-known’ in the literary world.

This didn’t mean that the other writers in the group were stupid. Or even ignorant. They just hadn’t heard this name before. Simply hadn’t encountered this writer before or read his or her stuff.

Nor had I ever met this ‘great’ writer, who died 70 years ago and who I therefore knew nothing about personally. I’ve read his biography on the internet and I’ve heard his advice on crackly audio recordings and I’ve gone through most of his books, which are quite the impressive opus.

But there were these eight other people in a room who had no fathom of his ‘greatness’.

And, just as a semi-alternative example. I had seen a poll of the ‘greatest soccer managers’ earlier and so I looked on it. [And I understand that lots of people have zilch interest in football – but I’m just making a comparison, here.] The number one manager was the super famous one who has the highest tally for trophies, ever. But the second man in the list: I’d never heard of him before.

Despite being somebody with a huge knowledge of this sport, I didn’t recognise his name. And this didn’t mean that I have a small knowledge of football.

Do you see what I mean?

When it comes to feeling that you have no status: you tend to think way too individually, because there is always something else to learn, or people who did brilliant things that you never knew about.

Quincy Jones said that, “Ego is just overblown insecurity.” And I agree with him. I don’t always feel comfortable with my position in life, and I often feel despondent and lost. But I’m trying to be more wise, to take that sense of panic and desperation to a lower level. To try and think in an international way, if you like.

It’s better to keep learning rather than concentrating on yourself as this image or symbol.

There are many iconic people who have ironical biographies. Or who even gave up with the most basic form of thought … which was to kill themselves. You probably know of the long list of artists who ended their lives intentionally, despite having already achieved that attribute of ‘greatness’.

Writers, it seems, especially.

That’s the ultimate way to quit. And I’m not saying that I haven’t thought about it as well, several times. And I am not saying that I am great. Or am even sure that I’m talented. Maybe I’m not. It’s quite plausible.

I just try to keep writing.

Because what else is there to do? It seems as if the world is heading towards climate disaster. And we have these shocking people in positions in power who seem to use hate only to remain in power, regardless of whether they even believe in what they’re saying. And I stopped buying the newspaper months back just because I find the content so upsetting and grizzly. So I’ve been reading novels and books of poetry instead, every day. And I do value the newspaper of course, for its value of information; it’s just that the innards can be overwhelming and hard to take.

We should choose to be good people, rather than think of our selves first. I know this is tricky. Those people that I just mentioned – referring to politicians or police or kings or whatnot – it can be impossible not to repel them, despise them, wish them the worst.

And this seems the best contradiction of man.

This ideal of battle and contradiction and stress and angst.

But I also believe that most people are good folks. You shouldn’t need to compare yourself to a ‘great’ man or woman, whose name pings up in magazines or the instant you type the letters of the name into a search engine … Try to be a moral person instead. And not stoop to lashing out at people that disagree with you. Be assertive, for sure, but not vengeful.

Read and write, as much as you can.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Happy Near Year Mod! Thank you for making this blog, it's gotten me thru some rough patches, I hope you have an amazing wonderful fantastic 2023 for you and all your friends who help make Student out of Time the fun story it is n.n

//Thanks, everyone ^^

//Yeah, it’s crazy how the year’s already almost over. It honestly doesn’t really feel like it, but here we are.

//2022 was....a mixed bag. It had numerous moments where it seemed like things were once again getting worse, only to do a massive turnaround. World War III is not on the horizon, no matter what you might hear from alarmist sources or clickbaity videos. Nevertheless, we still have a lot of issues that need to be addressed, some old and some new.

//On the other hand, a lot of good’s happened both for the world at large and for me personally. I think I’ve put out some of the best arcs this blog has seen this year, and now that I’m working more closely with more creators, I’m hoping to continue that trend.

//Not only that, but this year was where I actually got a lot done. I managed to improve as an artist and writer in ways I didn’t think I ever would, and I’ve really made some steps forward not only in writing this blog but also in my other projects.

//I also wanted to take a look at the arcs that’ve come and gone, and ask myself if my opinions on them have changed. So have they?

//Ehh...not really, but upon reflection, my early stuff really isn’t as bad as I used to think it was:

//You can see the areas in which I felt I needed the most improvement ^^;

//But at the same time, as we inch closer to 1,000 followers, this year really got me thinking about how so many of you actually really seemed to enjoy my early stuff and still enjoy what’s going on now.

//For a long time, especially in 2021 and earlier this year, I was considering possibly running a poll on whether or not I should reboot this blog. I was convinced that everyone had the same issues regarding my earlier stuff as I did, and there things that they couldn’t get passed that hampered their ability to enjoy the story.

//But now that we’ve moved further and further into better works, such as arcs I’ve written with Mod Poi and Mod Honey, and the assistance I’ve gotten from TA, Mod Carol, Creepercraftguy and others, it’s honestly made me move away from that mindset. Not to mention the number of asks I’ve actually gotten in regards to that issue have been minimal. 

//I actually saw a great video the other day from Zoe Bee called The truth about being a content creator (or, "quit apologizing and be an artist"), where she talks very earnestly about the struggles of being a content creator. I related to it on a lot of levels, but the part that really stood out to me was the ending where she showed comments from people who genuinely enjoyed and appreciated what she does. And it reminded me of all the kind and supportive followers I have here.

//Depression makes it hard to feel like you’ve earned any genuine kindness, and when people give it to you in that state, it doesn’t feel real or you don’t feel like you can accept it. But you can, and you should. When people appreciate what you do, that means you have made a real, tangible impact on someone’s life in a positive way.

//I’ve made it no secret that I struggle with that negative mindset, but I’m trying every day to get a little better at it. Sometimes I need breaks, and sometimes I don’t feel like I’m doing enough, but I’m working on steadily improving my outlook on myself and life as a whole.

//I’ve always said, if people enjoy works you don’t care for or don’t like, that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them. On the contrary, it can mean that someone got something out of it that maybe you didn’t; that maybe they saw it in a unique way and it appealed to them.

//In the case of works you yourself make that you don’t like, but other people enjoy, maybe it goes to show that your perception of yourself doesn’t have to be so negative. You’re the one who’ll think the most about the flaws of your work, but the people who appreciate it will like it for its strengths.

//To everyone who’s ever followed me and enjoys the work I do, you guys are the reason I feel like I can keep going. It makes me happy to know you like this giant nerd’s ridiculous ideas ^^

//And I don’t want to hype things up too much, but with what we have planned for the coming year, it’s only gonna get better

//Happy new year, everyone!

[appleofthemoon]

that’s true, that’s true :)) i still love both names though, they’re very cute. would you have any nicknames? like...app? kuro? wen? i don’t know!

oh geez, i know how you feel, balancing studies with other things...i’m commending you for looking out for your brother and cheering for things to get better for you personally as well too (and for things to get less stressful and all, and for you to get more rest). i also have bags under my eyes too...also, again, one liners with the designer bag thing! amazing. extraordinary.

oopsies, my bad ;))

yeah, me too. just like...oh well, no point in emailing staff about it cuz they’ll fix it whenever. tags, or i just wrote something most of my reader demographic doesn’t prefer (like my angst piece).

i think a lot of my drafts can count as very short blurbs and then i flesh them out. like i have a bullet list or i write a long sentence about the plot. hhhh you make my heart go dudududu cuz i love interacting and chatting with you! you make me feel so validated and seen on this platform. i love your ideas, so it’s a win win when we make a big story together. thank you though. i love reading your reblogs of my fics :,) my heart warms.

mmm, i see...i relate with the skin thing. really, only vaseline can help and i swear by how much of it i’ve used in my entire life, i think it’s safe to say my skin is made up of vaseline by now (it’s petroleum jelly). maybe you can try it, i hope it’ll help (unless by beauty products, you mean makeup, which i have no expertise in).

you should go next time (if you want) cuz it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. i would totally want to go even if i was just a statue in front of them. just to say i did it and also to see them in person. but i understand your worries, i hope you can get the courage to meet up with them soon (and you’ll get the chance to and money too if those are needed).

omggggg, i’m ;_; thank you so much, it’s the biggest compliment to hear that kind of thing about my works. i’m on mobile so it’d be annoying to link stuff (i might go on a reblogging spree soon if i get the chance for my favorite blurbs of yours), but my faves that i can think of off the top of my head are shapeshifter! mingi, boxer! soobin, vampire! jaemin, and artist! niki.

hmm, i consider all my monikers as nicknames so i don't really seek one, if that even makes sense—

ajfgndjgn i didn't even mean to make that a memorable one-liner, it just came from the top of my head 🥴🥴 with him in face to face and me still stuck at home, i sometimes get worried about him but at the same time, i guess this can help him learn to stand up for himself

one day, one day we'll make this platform shake by having a collab—ofc it'll happen after i kick finals and school for being so hard on you. i always have plenty of fun when we interact so that's probably why i reply so quickly. istg i might break my keyboard one day from how hard i press the keys...

i think it's makeup that you have to buy in order to gain a ticket? idk, i was paying more attention to the stands they had on display rather than the products that the brand was selling sjsjejsjn

ooh we should go together so if one of us freezes, the other can gently guide them off the stage before security can get their hands on us—it's just annoying me a little because next month, skz is coming here for a fanmeet too, then in feb: enha concert, march: skz concert, so i'm yelling "SLOW DOWN WE'RE NOT AS RICH AS WE MAKE OURSELVES LOOK LIKE"

yay, yumi's not able to add links ~~ /j

actually... i'm thinking of doing a poll to see which concept(s) would readers like me to expand upon, but it feels like a risky move...

[icypantherwrites]

How do you get people to interact with your work? Especially on something that you spent hours slaving over and not a single person has interacted with it (except for the exception of my friends, who I'm very thankful for)? It's very disheartening. You know, I used to be kind of against the fact of 'interact with artists/writers/etc because it inspires them' because I thought 'why not just do it anyways, who cares if you get interacted with? You don't need to beg for comments' but now I totally understand what that means. I still want to write, I'm starting to love it honestly, but I wrote almost 2,000 words (which is a lot for me) and it took hours and no one seems to like it. I'm not sure how to feel about that yet. Did I post it at the wrong time, or do people just not care?

Ah, you have found the largest difference between "writing" and "posting." Writing, as you noted, is something you love to do, as do I. It's a fantastic feeling to get ideas down on a page, to pull together ideas, to write that line that just speaks to you. Writing is glorious and I'm glad you've found the beauty of it ♥

Posting, however, is very different and just like how they say everyone should work retail once in their life to understand it and learn some patience and empathy for those workers, I honestly I think everyone should have to spend hours creating something -- whether it's a story or a piece of artwork or a music video or even an in-depth analysis -- to post online and then get to experience that awful feeling of barely anyone (or even no one) engaging with it.

You write for you. You post for others. And that is a huge difference. People, even yourself as you noted, don't feel that they should have to engage with a creation. The person creating it should just enjoy the process and not care if no one stops by to say if they enjoyed it, what it made them feel, that they appreciate you sharing your time and talent and craft. But as you learned, we do care. And so we ask ourselves, why bother posting if there's no one there to appreciate it? You may as well just keep a personal folder of your works like a dragon and their hoard and never share it with anyone. I posted this quote a bit ago and I'm gonna paraphrase here, but if you have an audience of 1,000 people but no one engages it may as well be an audience of zero because you don't know those people are there. You don't know you have fans. You don't know people are looking forward to what you create. You have no idea they exist and it's a terrible, awful feeling.

It's why I so strongly advocate for reader engagement, in making that author, artist, creator feel appreciated. They spent their time to create something and they had the urge to share it, to connect to others. That's what being human is: connecting with others. And in this case it's connecting with others through art and a shared love of something (fandom) and wanting to get back just a little bit of what you put out. Because when a creator does get that engagement they crave it's amazing. Wonderful. Inspiring. It makes them want to create more (or maybe just post more often, cough, me) because they have an audience saying that they're here and that they appreciate you and it makes you want to continue to share your works rather than hoard them because you have now connected with someone.

And so now that you know firsthand how important that engagement is, be a part of the solution. Engage with stories and artworks and edits and whatever may have you that you enjoy. Tell that creator thank you. Quote back a favorite section or pull out a specific detail because that tells that creator you don't just care about quantity but about quality, that you see them and their efforts. I've made a post previously about some ideas to try to encourage engagement if you were interested and maybe a couple will give you some ideas to try to help with engagement on your stories. I can't say I use all of these things anymore myself, but sometimes all you need is a launching pad and some ideas. To your question about the time to post, I struggle very much with the timing as I've done polls and seen every day and hour suggestion there is so it's very difficult to say when to post, but I know for myself I do prefer posting earlier in the day.

I hope things improve for you and good luck with both your writing journey and your future engagement :)

[nemirutami]

How to grow an audience as an artist (by your own means)!

There’s been a lot of discourse lately in the art community and I’ve seen a lot of small artists bicker with big artists regarding followers and commission prices. Well, I’m not having any of it. I made a nifty tip-list on twitter on how to grow an audience and I think it needs to be said here too for those who need to hear it.

This thread is for you, me, and everyone who wants to grow an audience & find business opportunities. I've compiled a list of helpful ways to have your art seen (from my own experience) and i'll be breaking them down step by step in this thread. Let's start with 1.

1) You should not only be posting on twitter (the search engine is very poor here). You should post your art to instagram, tumblr, deviantart, Youtube, ANY media platform where images and videos are easy to digest. It's a chore, but also a worthy sacrifice to get more eyes on you

2) If you post in a EU timezone but your audience is mostly american, well, then you missed your optimal posting window. Know where most of your audience is located (you can put up a poll!) And schedule posting during/around a time where people are likely to be free + awake.

3) Supporting other creators isn't annoying! Your engagement doesn't only help boost the artist you love in the algorithm, but it also makes you easier to find if someone clicks on their art to read the comments! It's a win-win for both of you!

4) If you want to make sure your work is seen, use tags on all the art you post! On twitter it looks ugly (that's why i don't do it often if at all) but on sites like instagram and tumblr it's easy to hide tags for aesthetic. Know what tags are most active and tag accordingly.

5) If you draw something really popular, keep in mind that the content pool for said popular thing/ship is INFLATED. Try to bring something new to the conversation. Something that makes people go "i NEED to follow this person bc they're the only one that GETS IT".

6) Twitter and tumblr (with the right extension) has a function that can "turn off retweets/reblogs" To make sure others are guaranteed to see your art, you can post it again as a new post to make sure it doesn't get blocked by the RT/RB feature. Repost old art for new followers!

7) Collaborating with others helps build both your audience and your friends/mutual's audience! If your interests align (like fandom or even ships) people from both your sides are more likely to go follow you/your friend based on what they see! Give your best in collabs!

8) Not everyone can host streams because of cpu limitations, but what you CAN do is make step-by-step gifs/imgs with online tools to then post it online. Make sure you host streams when people are free and not at work! It's a good chance to engage in chat live, too.

9) If you have commitment and time, join zines, fan projects, weeks, and events hosted by your fandom. This way, you're making content of something you love and you have an audience already willing to watch what you make!

10) You can host your own digital zine to avoid merch/shipping cost and put it up in an online store for download! You can also host weeks/events yourself to get others on board. Only make physical zines/prints if you know what you're doing and have resources to spend!

11) character bdays, game updates, and game release dates happen once a year, but they happen once a year for PLENTY of things. This way, if you draw for things you love and post on the day it's most relevant, more people will be likely to search/share and see it!

12) We all know when the next nintendo direct drops, we see artists RUN with excitement to draw for it RIGHT AWAY. This is both bc we're excited and because we know we have a small window of oppertunity to hit the PEAK of online activity. Your art is more likely to be seen NOW.

13) You have to make content to be seen. Sometimes, being seen doesn't mean your art is good as much as it means you're posting consistently and giving people reason to come back to you/enjoy having you on their feed. The more you post, the more likely you can be seen/rtd.

14) Sketches, doodles, wips, unfinished things! None of these things matter as much to your followers as it does to you! Most of them enjoy seeing you post art, no matter what kind. Post sketches, doodles, comparisons, etc! Let them see/share more of your work!

15) Don't be afraid to interact with your followers or even people who approach you with questions! Being social is difficult, but know that followers love when you reply to them (speaking for myself bc i love when other artists  or reply to my comments )! Engage!

16) You'll learn this from personal experience. There are (with attitude) definitely bad clients and bad artists. But all you need to consider is being respetful and mindful and take your clients consideration to heart. If you can't offer something, be honest! They'll understand.

17) You can grow a lot in a year, but you know what will impress people? If you take that 1 drawing you did when you were 14 of tokyo mew mew and redrew it in your new style! Success stories are worth following. Hard work is always valued and appreciated- flaunt it!

18) Tutorials or step-by-steps are easy ways to get more artists to notice you because we're all trying to do our best to learn and grow. By posting studies or tutorials, you're not only inviting others to share your experience, but you're inspiring them to try new things!

19) Have your art/business email EVERYWHERE. In your twitter bio, on your instagram, tumblr, youtube, etc. Anywhere where you might need it. This way, no matter WHAT platform people find you on, they can ALWAYS count on reaching you via email if your dms are closed!

20) There are several free websites (weebly for one) that offer a lot of freedom and customization. My best tip for making a site is: make it organized, easily readable, un-cluttered, to-the-point, and aesthetically pleasing. No complicated navigation; focus on accessability.

21) Sometimes, drawing 1 popular thing ONCE is not enough. This is bc unless you have something unique or mainstream, people will go where they can get more of said popular content. If you've already been drawing for a fandom, yr more likely to get followers from that fandom.

22) The most important point. Never equate your audience to your worth, and never equate your followers to a progress bar. It's insulting to both you and your followers who are rooting for you. You're worth much more than you get, but it's your job to make others see it. BE LOUD!

Addendum: I didn't put "luck" here bc it isn't something you yourself can control outside of what I've already shared. But keep in mind a lot of the time, it really is about A LOT of luck. Keep your head up, and do your best. 10 followers or 10k followers idc, IM rooting for you.

[truerescreatuconfessions]

The past few days have been like a slap in the face so I'm sorry but I'm have to say this. I apologize to everyone but this is going to be long. I am aware that Pat will probably never see this post so it's pointless, but I have to say it anyway.

First, I'm going to start with a positive. Thank you to Lilith for being brave enough to pass on that anon message to Pat. Thank you also to Burrito for giving us a place to voice our concerns where they can't be shut down, whether Pat chooses to listen or not.

Now to business. I'll start with you Pat, on the off chance that you'll someday read this somehow. As people have said, no one is complaining about your recolor OAK. Please stop trying to turn it to that because it's not that. What we are complaining about is the absolute silence with which Dan received not one but 6 OAKs. The fact that many people on staff had no idea this was an option while Rumor, who I'll get to in a bit, also got one. I have spoken to many staff and ex-staff and not a single one of them knew that OAKs were ever part of staff pay or rewards. The ones I've spoken to also hadn't ever heard of this OAK test in any way. The way it was handled with Dan covering it up and saying "we were testing to see if there was interest" was clearly him backpedaling and now it just sounds like people are just rushing around to cover his ass. I don't have to repeat what at least a dozen people have said on this blog but I will. You don't gauge interest by quietly adding a dozen OAKs to the site and saying "oh, if someone finds them completely by accident then people are interested, otherwise no one cares." You gauge interest by posting a poll, by asking people in a place where everyone can voice it, and by making it front-and-center. I know you said you aren't talking about the subject anymore, but you skirted around the sheer number of OAKs Dan got by pretending we didn't say anything about them.

About the bans you claim "never happened." There is screenshot evidence from Kina, dozens and dozens of them, that Dan cheated for her and others. Ok, screenshots can be doctored, what about the video she sent in? Was that also doctored? If those right there aren't compelling enough evidence to ban Dan, why were four people banned for screenshots? Hell, Zuzu, Shinigami, and Shinohara were all banned for speculating that Dan was cheating during the name clearing. Zuzu was allowed to return, the other three were not. What rules did they break? Did they cheat? No, they talked, exactly like you constantly encourage us to do, about how they felt and what they thought was going on. They were banned. So please Pat, never tell us that "no one is banned for voicing an opinion" because that is categorically untrue.

You might tell us there are other reasons behind the scenes. Ok, let's say that's true. Why were they banned within a day or so of those screenshots coming to light? Why was that the catalyst moment? No one else was banned and unless they had a secret cheating ring with exactly 0 other people involved it sure sounds like those screenshots were the reason.

Also please never say Dan doesn't give special treatment to people. Rumor has been banned multiple times for cheating and abusing staff tools. He still gets an OAK. Omni is a known hacker, still enjoying the site like nothing ever happened. Juke was literally banned for running a hate blog, which is still active when anyone is brave enough to post on it, currently not only back but on staff.

When Rumor was banned, he got to move all his pets to Dan's account and they were kindly returned when he was allowed back on the site. Kina also moved all her pets before she was banned but that was determined to be "unfair" and "not allowed" so they were all returned to her account. Then a conveniently-timed name clearing happened.

Let's look at that name clearing for a second. Dan repeatedly and constantly told us that he was busy and didn't have time to refresh on the site all day for the clearing. Amazingly, he was online for every single clearing. Every last one of them. The odds of that are astronomical when you consider he claims he sleeps, eats, goes out with friends, and works 8 hours a day. He also got tons of incredible, high-value names. These facts are the reason Hell and the rest suspected him of cheating in the first place and honestly that seems like a fair assumption.

You say we need to speak up, but we did. Half a dozen people on that discord said they felt horrible about something and you basically swept it under the rug by saying "oh, it took longer than planned and we didn't say anything publicly but it'll be there soon I promise. Now never speak to me about this again and I refuse to respond anymore." There's been no information anywhere on Res about anything regarding this other than a quick post Dan made only after he was called out multiple times for the number of OAKs he suddenly had.

A minor complaint that I've seen a dozen times on the SB is that new items keep getting quietly released so anyone that does quests suddenly finds themselves failing them because they don't have the items stocked up. Honestly makes me happy I don't waste time with quests. Maybe one or two items doesn't warrant a full update, but isn't that exactly what the changelog is for? For minor additions, fixes, updates, etc?

Another minor complaint I've heard from a few sources is that people continue to spam the SB with copy paste from the site. There was even a forum post about it that no staff addressed, unless that's changed since I last checked. I've seen it happen constantly while staff are on the SB with no policing of it. Why should users listen to this rule, which was added because enough people complained about it happening, when staff don't bother to uphold it?

Now to Rumor. His latest blog honestly boils my blood in so many ways. If his real information was given out and doxxed then that is absolutely disgusting and I do not stand for that. No one deserves it. I am starting this section by saying that because I want to make it clear that it's not ok that that happened, if it did. That doesn't mean I like him or agree with any other part of that blog.

Yes, I'm sure he worked long hours as a CM. You know who else did? Gunmetal, Dess, a bunch of other CMs. Someone else? All the artists, all the support and mods, all the writers. His blog makes it sound like it was just him putting in the hours and that it was purely his idea about all those events. Remember, before we got to a point where staff didn't know what was going on with events because no staff talk, staff used to all contribute together to events. Or maybe they didn't, I don't know, but they at least knew what was going on so I assume they had some input. I remember a time when asking on the SB about an event with staff around, regardless of their position, meant you could get an answer. Nowadays we have staff that have less idea than the users what's going on with an event. Staff like development, who you would assume would know everything about the event that they helped create, or mods, who should probably at least get an overview of the event if they're going to be able to help users.

Speaking of other staff helping with events. Is Rumor pretending he wrote every piece of those events on his own? Why are no writers mentioned anywhere in his list of people that spent many long hours working? He obviously can't pretend he drew everything for the event, but is he implying he wrote everything?

You say people on that list are "deserving" of OAKs Rumor. Schemes has been staff for almost no time compared to some of the old staff that you decided didn't deserve listing. Juke was banned and then unbanned, obviously more deserving than the ex-staff that still frequent the site and have never been in trouble.

Now let's turn to the thing that made me want to scream. You say to "just speak up" more. I've seen at least 8 different people, off the top of my head, told to "stop talking about it" in the SB when they voice a concern and it goes on longer than one or two sentences. Not a single one of the people I'm thinking of was being rude or starting something, they were trying to express themselves and basically being told to shut up. Often they're told to "take it to the forums" which works about as well as just saying it out loud in a room alone. No one reads the forums. Or at least very few people. Staff never responds to suggestions, not staff that can make those changes anyway, mods do sometimes and rarely an artist. Posting in the suggestions forum is like yelling into the void and hoping the void yells back. The absolute only way to be heard in the suggestion forum is advertising it nonstop on the SB and even that barely gets any staff looking.

You say this lack of communication is the reason many people have quit? Yes, that's very true, the exact opposite way you imply. People have left the site often because their feelings are silenced and their opinions completely ignored. No one reads their posts, staff don't respond to them except to tell them they're wrong or to tell them to stop talking about things, and their friends get banned for nothing while staff are allowed to continue cheating with no consequences. So you're right about that, people do leave over the lack of communication, but it's the lack of communication and understanding from staff that drives them away.

I know Pat will probably never see this, but if he does, or if someone is brave enough to link it, maybe he'll hear it. At this point considering his reactions to the people that are trying so very hard to make their voices heard on the Discord I doubt it but I can always hope.

[ollyarchive]

Olly Alexander: ‘I want to make the community proud. I don’t know if I've always got it right’

By

David Levesley

As Ritchie Tozer in Russell T Davies’ devastating 1980s-set drama It's A Sin, Olly Alexander told a story from a tragically formative decade in gay history. As himself and as frontman of synthpop trio Years & Years, he contributes to a new narrative. But, as he reveals here, the insecurities and anxieties written into minority identities are not just a personal challenge: they can shape stories told by, for and about all his peers

It is the afternoon before It’s A Sin is broadcast to the nation and its star, 30-year-old musician and actor Olly Alexander, is buying a cat cushion. “It’s for a friend!” he says, mortified to be caught in the act of buying a plush feline.

Where once being the star of a primetime Channel 4 drama might mean greenrooms, watch parties and a celebratory afters, this is January 2021, so a flame-haired Alexander is sitting in his kitchen, drinking a smoothie the exact same lilac as his top.

“I’ve had a lot of restless energy,” he says, having binge-watched The Real Housewives Of New York City in between doing lots of squats and “watching homoerotic YouTube workout videos”. It’s not quite the normal build-up to a game-changing drama, but is there a better way to remember peacetime than watching a show filled with period pieces such as “friends drink indoors” or “strangers have guiltless sex at a house party”? It’s A Sin is both a masterpiece and a reminder that someday we will, once again, be able to be eaten out by hot men. “You’re so welcome,” Alexander says, laughing. “If I can bring anything to the British public, it’s a lesson in anal hygiene.”

Anal hygiene are two words we have probably never published together in GQ, but, more importantly, are probably not the subject of many – if any! – scenes in a piece of media not uploaded to OnlyFans. They are, however, the subject of a crucial scene in the first episode of It’s A Sin, in which Alexander’s character – an 18-year-old fledgling queer from the Isle Of Wight called Ritchie Tozer – gets rimmed by his campus crush, Ash Mukherjee (Nathaniel Curtis). No gay men watching came out of that scene not feeling seen and, like all the other sex scenes in It’s A Sin, it feels deeply realistic and fantastically homosexual.

“I can tell you I’ll never forget being practically butt-naked with my arse in the air in front of colleagues,” says Alexander, laughing. But by that point, he says, he had done so many sex scenes that it felt somewhat rote. “‘Ritchie’s got a dirty bum! Stick that arse in the air and look disappointed!’” What was interesting, he says, was the dynamic of trying to produce the most authentically gay experiences possible on camera.

‘WE UNDERSTOOD THESE CHARACTERS WITH A KIND OF SHORTHAND THAT GAY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND’

They were working with Ita O’Brien – a movement director and arguably the OG intimacy coordinator – but, for her sins, not a gay man. So while everyone would have an input in how a sex scene would be best shot, “There came a point when they would say, ‘Please tell us, because we’re not gay men.’” So then the writer, the performers, the director and O’Brien’s team would come to a consensus on how to make a threesome look like three men shagging, yet also make it look the best it could on camera and make sure “you never touch each other’s genitals, basically”.

Alexander says O’Brien’s input was a “lifesaver” for him on set. Although by the end he felt comfortable, he was at first intimidated by just how exposing this would be. “I had a bit of a hysterical breakdown. I was really worried I couldn’t do it. I just didn’t feel safe.” This was interesting to hear from Alexander, the proudly queer frontman of the band Years & Years, who “spent four years on the road performing and finding this character that I do feel sexy in”. It was then that O’Brien and the team asked him to bring whatever made him feel comfortable on stage into the room before the cameras rolled. “So I would sing before the takes, be a little bit of Olly on stage,” he says, laughing. “That was my way of tricking my brain and thinking it was a character. Which, of course, it was.”

Before he was Olly Alexander, consummate gamine artiste, Olly Alexander Thornton was a singled-out kid at a primary school in Gloucestershire (where his mother ran a music festival). He was, like many other gay kids growing up, bullied and harassed for being something “other”, which everyone is able to see long before you can define it yourself. “I remember being in primary school and I had long hair and people would call me a girl,” he says, and the wound still feels raw when he recounts it.

“I knew that was bad for boys. I didn’t like the things that other boys liked: I just wanted to play with the girls and watch Disney movies. Which obviously straight boys do as well,” he mentions, always making sure to provide caveats to include all facets of the human experience. Although the bullying began to subside by secondary school in Monmouthshire, he still stood out: he had big curly hair – “I was trying to hide my ears” – and would wear make-up or a choker sometimes on nonuniform days. “I think I was trying to figure out who I was,” he says. “Imagine getting to discover your own sexuality without any preconceived ideas! I mean, maybe that’s impossible. But it would be nice, right? Why should people bullying you be your first brush with your own sexuality?”

Like Ritchie Tozer, Alexander moved to London at 18 to pursue acting, but he also had designs on becoming a musician. “Because when you’re writing a song, you’re the director, the star, the producer, the writer. I wanted all of that! I needed that to be able to express myself,” he proclaims with faux hysteria. For years he found success as an actor in a diverse selection of roles: he appeared in Gaspar Noé’s Enter The Void, costarred with seemingly every other white British actor in The Riot Club and also in God Help The Girl, a musical film written by Belle And Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch. “Then Years & Years just got to a place where it was going to take over and needed my full time,” Alexander says. So his focus moved to the music.

‘IMAGINE DISCOVERING YOUR SEXUALITY WITHOUT ANY PRECONCEIVED IDEAS!’

It was on their third single, “Real” – released in 2014 – that Alexander first felt his art and his sexuality really intermingle. “It was the first time I put in a male pronoun – I say ‘Do it, boy’ – and it’s quite subtle, but it was a big deal for me at the time.” This was when Years & Years were trying to get signed to a major label, so doing something so consciously queer felt like a risk (the band went on to sign with Polydor later that year).

While pop music has long had an element of queerness about it – you need only look at the artists featured in It’s A Sin to see how gay 1980s pop was – Alexander has long been frank that sexuality and success are not always seen as natural bedfellows. At a Stonewall event in 2018 he recounted being told during his media training, “Maybe it’s better not to say anything about your sexuality at all.” In the same year, he told NME there had been progress, but that “I just know there are people who are hiding their sexuality, so it’s still not gone completely”.

Alexander doubled down on it with the music video – featuring his Bright Star costar Ben Whishaw – where he “purposefully made it gay. There’s a cruising element to the very beginning. It’s slightly ambiguous, though, because back then I wasn’t quite ready to launch into being the gay crusader I think I am now.” In 2015 the band won the BBC’s Sound Of 2015 poll, releasing their first album, Communion, the same year. It became 2015’s fastest-selling debut album from a UK-signed band.

‘I JUST WATCHED LIAM PAYNE TAKE HIS TOP OFF, BUT NOW I’M NOT ALLOWED TO?’

But despite the success, and the realisation that audiences were either supportive of – or simply unfazed by – the queerness of Years & Years’ music, there is always an anxiety for Alexander about just how accepting people are willing to be. “I’ll tell you for real,” says Alexander, “I go out on stage – even if it’s for our own audience – and I’m like, ‘What if some of them don’t like me? What if some of them have an issue with me today?’ I always feel like I’m going to try a bit harder next time, try to do a bit more.”

While the character of “Olly Alexander, Years & Years frontman” is one that bespangles its performer with confidence, being queer in the music industry isn’t always an easy thing to navigate. He remembers seeing a tweet from someone who said Alexander’s sexuality was a ruse to try to attract the pink pound – a term for the spending power of gay men – “And it had an impact on me, because I’ve consciously tried to [be openly gay] in a lot of circumstances where I wouldn’t normally. And then for someone...” He tries to think of how to put it and comes up short. “It can chip away at you.”

He wouldn’t change a thing about his success, he says, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when it isn’t hard to be out and proud while also getting your foot in the door. “When we’re playing a pop music festival, I’m looking at the other acts in the lineup and there aren’t that many gay people on them,” he says. “You see how quickly your show isn’t family friendly any more because I want to take my top off and I’m like, ‘Well, I just watched Jason Derulo and Liam Payne take their tops off and have all these women in underwear, but now I’m not allowed?’ What do you do with that?”

It’s A Sin marks a return to acting but, also, a chance to refresh Alexander’s musical batteries too. Following Years & Years’ second album – 2018’s Palo Santo – the third album was proving hard to pin down. “I’ve been trying to make this album for about 18 months at this point, stopping and starting, listening to all the songs and... it’s just not feeling relevant any more.” Alexander had always loved Russell T Davies’ work, so when he heard Davies was making a new TV show he “had to be in it. I would just jump at the chance to work with him. And that was before I read the script.” Years & Years had just finished touring Palo Santo and, to Alexander, it felt like the stars had aligned.

While the anxiety of performing queer sex scenes might have been particularly exposing for a gay man like Alexander, there were huge benefits for him being in a cast and crew that were predominantly LGBTQ+. “It was a revelation. I’ve never been on a set with so many queer people. I’ve never even worked with a gay director, so it was a completely new experience.” Plus, being asked to play part of a group of gay best friends, portrayed predominantly by gay actors, meant the chemistry came very quickly: “We understood these characters [with a] kind of shorthand that gay people understand.”

An inclusive, comfortable environment was beneficial for more than just sex scenes and simulating a decade of friendship. It’s A Sin also required its cast to grapple with the issue of HIV and aids, not just as a part of the furniture – as we do in the 21st century, with our knowledge of viral loads, sleeping with undetectable partners and new medications such as Prep – but really putting a forgotten part of British queer history under the lens, who it affected and how it changed the LGBTQ+ community irrevocably. “It’s an issue that is deeply surrounded by stigma and there’s a lot of trauma there and a lot of fear,” Alexander explains. “I know, personally, it was an area that I was scared to really engage with.”

He mentions that just before filming he made friends with an older gay couple at his gym and in talking about the show with them he was offered a rare opportunity to hear about personal experiences of the aids crisis. “It can be so difficult as a gay person to feel like you have intergenerational support,” says Alexander. “Elders are so important in our community. You can get so much from the people who have gone through so much before and fought that fight.”

For Alexander and the cast, It’s A Sin was a rare opportunity: a chance to be brought together with a whole group of men and women who were there at the time and who were willing to share their experiences with them. “I feel so lucky that I got to engage with that and keep learning. I was just scratching the surface and there are so many stories you can tell from this period. It’s impacted us all the way until now and it will in the future.”

Starring in It’s A Sin has also changed what Years & Years’ third album is going to sound like. After the initial writer’s block, Alexander says, he focused instead on the music of the show (Bronski Beat, Kelly Marie, the titular song by Pet Shop Boys) “and it really took my mind back to the club” – especially in the midst of a pandemic, when the queer nightlife venues that are the backbone of our community are so desperately missed.

“All the music I wanted to listen to in lockdown was high energy. It was dance floor. It was club music.” This was the music that had played such a huge role in his early life in London, had inspired the first Years & Years album and a genre that owes a great debt to the LGBTQ+ community. “I think at their heart, lots of these songs are about joy despite crushing pain. I just thought, ‘God, imagine hearing “I Feel Love” on the dance floor for the first time.’ What a transcendent experience that would be.”

‘ELDERS ARE SO IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU CAN GET SO MUCH FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOUGHT THAT FIGHT’

And so Alexander went into the studio – as soon as it was safe to do so – and created a bunch of new songs. Is it easy to find collaborators behind the scenes who get it when he says, “I want it to feel like Britney meets Rihanna meets Hot Chip via New Order”?

“It can be a challenge to find someone that really understands,” admits Alexander. He recalled being sent round the songwriters and producers in Los Angeles that all artists are sent round at a certain point, “And some of those people are amazing – some amazing queer people as well – but predominantly... You know, they’re straight, so it can be quite challenging.”

Feeling safe with his collaborators hasn’t been an easy journey, but now he’s in a good place for it. He also pointed out that it’s not just queers who can understand his vision: his bandmates are straight, he points out – “I really believe in working with straight people! Some of my best friends are straight!” – and his frequent collaborator, the producer Mark Ralph, “is a real ally to us gays”, who was always willing to vibe along to Paris Hilton singles with him.

A new sound – a queerer sound – isn’t just a risk in a world where Alexander’s performances are held to double standards and the linchpins of queer culture can still be seen as synonymous with perversion. The impossible standards queer work is held to don’t just come from the straight world: gay men can be terrible recipients of work designed for them too.

Russell T Davies has dealt with it his entire career: “There’s the problem of lack of representation, but there’s the problem that when you are represented, it’s just not seen,” he explained when I spoke to him recently. “You just learn to cope. I worry about it. I probably worry about it more than I say here, but at the end of the day it’s never stopped me writing the next thing.” But he gets it because he, too, is a gay man who consumes art and he sees the same biases coming out when he watches other queer-centric work.

Yet he was amazed that artists younger than him are still dealing with the same crises: “It’s what comes with being a minority. It’s what comes of oppression and you kind of expect this to pass. But then you talk to young people like Olly, who’s a different generation from me, and you find them thinking the same things,” Davies said. “I was lucky to have my training during an age when you’d be lucky to get one review in the Times. Now you live in a world of reviewers.”

When I ask Alexander if he worries how gay men will respond to a gay artist’s work, it is no easier for him to respond than it was for Davies. “Oh, God, you’re making my heart race now,” he says, breathless. “I should be careful, because I don’t want to demonise anybody. But I tried to really unpack this myself and... I’ll just sort of say it.” It is clear that this is intense for him: his eyes are looking watery as he tries to phrase it delicately.

“I have this – I think irrational – anxiety about gay men tearing me down. And I tried to interrogate that within myself and I think it’s complicated, because a lot of it has to do with internalised phobias and shame, about how I see myself versus how other people see me.” He begins to cry. “What I do know is that I want them to not hate me. And I want to make the community proud. It’s been at the heart of pretty much every decision I’ve ever made. And I don’t know if I’ve always got it right.”

‘I HAVE THIS – I THINK IRRATIONAL – ANXIETY ABOUT GAY MEN TEARING ME DOWN’

It’s tough being an actor asked to shed light and humanity on a complex phase in British LGBTQ+ history; it’s just as tough to be a gay man trying to make pop music that speaks to the queer experience. But Alexander is doing both and, what’s more, he’s being unapologetically queer in the public eye. There aren’t many LGBTQ+ people in the position Alexander is in and it must be exhausting, I suggest, to be expected to speak for the needs and fears of an entire spectrum of sexual and gender identities. After all, he’s just one man who wants to be proud of who he is. “Sometimes, when I feel the most anxious, I have a voice in my head that goes, ‘Oh, Olly, why on earth did you put yourself in this position? You really are not the strong person people think you are.’” But, he says, he is learning he can’t speak for everyone, even if people expect it of him.

Instead, he’s focusing on being proud of what he’s done – the visibility, the audacity, the bravery – rather than the critique of his anxieties or Twitter trolls. “I’m always thinking about me as a teenager and how I’m creating the person I wanted to be in the world. I’m actually doing it! Holy fuck!”

[lankygeralt]

o mighty Bean, I redid my Patreon for my original writing and now I dunno how to Get People Interested. Do you have tips?

MIGHTY BEAN?! Oh lord, you made me let out an ugly snort :’D

I’m not sure how you could get people interested in original writing since I don’t have any experience with that, but I can tell you some things that I’ve seen people do when it comes to their Patreon (and what I do)

What I do:

I give early access to all of my works regardless of what tier people choose. (I used to have more tiers lol, now I just have one)

I added a goal to my Patreon. You could make the goal income-based or subscriber-based. For instance: when you make 50$ a month through Patreon, you’ll release something that only your subscribers will be able to read or a new story!

Communication! If something happens or you’re unable to post, let your subscribers know so they don’t feel ‘let down’ It’s just one of my own worries

Oh, add a benefit other than early access. Certain tiers can come with certain perks. I used to make a drabble for a certain amount of money (kind of like a commission but not fully)

What I see others do:

Create exclusive content for certain tiers. The more people pay, the more they will get!

Give discounts if you have a shop or commissions open!

Discord servers with perks (I’m not sure how it works honestly. I’ve never really been in one as a subscriber)

Make it all in theme. If your theme is all about merpeople, name your tiers as such.

Polls to decide what you should work on next! I’ve seen mostly artists do this but I think writers could do that too. Whether it is original work or fanwork.

Oh, and post sneak peeks! Promote it on your blog, and on every platform (except AO3. Don’t forget AO3 doesn’t allow that it could get your writing deleted. Almost happened to me whoopssiee)

Feel free to drop any other tips because I’m far from an expert on this matter!

[luminouswriter]

YOU ARE WHO MY HEART HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.

BELLARKE.

Bellamy

Sometimes we let the ghosts of our past roam free all around us. Allow them to become a part of us. We don’t let go of the weight and in turn it just crushes us over and over. We expect the scars to fade, the wounds to heal. But how can that happen when we don’t let go, we choose to live in those old memories.

Both Clarke and Bellamy knew all about that. Bellamy trying to get over his ex that left him heart broken and Clarke who for the first time in her life tried to do something for herself and it back fired, now she’s scared to do something, just for her.

The night air was heavy. Bellamy stood outside his balcony, he runs a hand through his dark messy curls anxiously waiting for her, of course won’t admit that, he won’t admit to himself that as he stands here he is waited to take a glance at the beautiful girl that always passes by his apartment building on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. And because it scares him how this girl he has never spoken to or knows he exists ignites something in him as soon as he lays eyes on her. There is a pub just across the street that’s holds live music. And by the guitar case she’s always running with he guesses she must perform there. It’s taken everything in him not to get into that pub and watch her perform but he knows if he does that, he’ll have to talk to her and that scared him, moving on, actually moving not one night stands scared him. As he watches her pass by and stand outside the club, something about her was different, she paces back and forth outside the club it looks like she’s contemplating going in or not until she does but he can’t get the bleak expression out of his mind. He finds himself running into his little apartment picking his blue hoodie off his white couch slings it over his white t-shirt, in a hurry he decides against changing his changing his grey sweats, he takes his black vans, puts them on and rushes out his apartment into the pub. Its crowded, every table full so he stands by the bar. “You want anything?” A brunet haired bartender asks and he picks up on the flirtatious tone in her voice, not trying to pass off his usually brooding look he smiles politely and shakes his head “No… I’m good for now” he says, she smiles at him he can tell she’s looking for another angle to use to talk to him. “Ladies and gentlemen please welcome on of our favorite artist, the reason why her days performing is the busiest” the MC says cheerily and Bellamy turns to the stage “Please welcome Clarke griffin” he says and leaves the stage. Cheers fill the pub and he leans onto the bar. She graces the stage and he can’t help the smile that forms on his face. He thought she was beautiful before but her under that stage light, red lipstick, blond curly hair in a bun he thought she was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. She smiles at the audience but he can tell there is a sadness behind that smile. She sits by the round stool at the center, moves the mick closer to her and swings the guitar over her shoulder and she starts singing. The sound of her soulful voice easily becomes his favorite sound. He could tell the difference from when she got on stage to now, she was lost in her music believing every lyric that she sang about lose and love and he could tell it was personal. He can relate to it, being heart broken. He had wallowed in it but ever since he noticed her outside the back ally nervous and beautiful something happened inside him, something that he recognized as falling for someone but it was weird he has never talked to this girl all he does is glance at her for a few minutes but still, a part of him was slowly opening up and that terrified him, but right now in this moment he was kicking himself for not being in her presence soon enough.

***************

This is the sixth time his seeing her set. Still hasn’t given into talking to her, right now he just loved hearing her sing, he knows that if he talks to her he won’t be able to deny that he was falling for her. He thought it was ridiculous, falling for someone who you only saw from a distance but he couldn’t help it.

CLARKE

Clarke entered her little studio apartment, put her guitar case by the door and keys on her table flopping herself into the couch she groans, feeling more tired than usual but her face was smiling. Her door opens and her head shoots at the door “Wells” Clarke shouts ” he grins and sits next to her resting his head “Sorry I missed your set work was crazy”

Clarke looks over at him and smiles “It’s okay…. You are allowed to miss a few seeing as you’ve been coming with me since I started singing outside at little deans. He chuckles “Yeah”. Wells and Clarke have been best friends since they were kids. Clarke and her parents moved into the building that Wells father owned and that was it. Ever since then they’ve done pretty much everything else together. When they graduated high school, Wells went to college to study engineering but he drove two hours most weekends to watch her perform.

“So how was it” he asks looking over at her. Her eyebrows crease the way they do when she’s thinking hard. She sits up and turns her body to face him and he does the same putting one leg on the couch he gives her a curious look.

“I’ve noticed a guy there, he comes to watch my sets…”

Wells’ face grows concerned “like a stalker?”

She chuckles “No…. atnleast I don’t think so…. he watches me sing then leaves right after, or maybe it’s just not mine and I’m … just you know”

“But why hasn’t he spoken to you?” he asks

Clarke shrugs “Maybe he… he just comes for the music and you know…. I’m just trying to flatter myself”

Wells puts a hand over Clarke’s hand that she was using to fiddle with the loose threads coming out of her black denim skirt “He wouldn’t be the first one…. A lot of people come to see you…. Just you. You’re a star, so yeah he could be there to see just you because his in awe of you and your talent,” the pride in Wells voice always warms clarke’s heart. Wells and clarke’s dad have always been her biggest fans and cheer leaders. Clarke leans her head on his shoulder “Thanks” she mutters.

*******************

Its Fridays and Clarke finished performing, she noticed him again, she leaves the stage packs gets her bag putting it across her chest and carries her guitar case in her hand. Outside the pub, She stands under a poll with a yellow light glowing above her. Its noisy, people going in and out of the pub. Clarke checks her watch, it’s not as late as she thought it was still wishing could be here sooner. “You were amazing in there” A husky voice says from behind her and she turns, its him, looking up at him, She doesn’t mean to but she takes him in, black boots, dark jeans and pink hoodie that makes his brown skin pop, his hair black and messy like it always is. Even in these clothes she can see the outline of his fit body. He moves a little closer.

“Thank you…..” Clarke says smiling, allowing the warmth came with him to settle in her belly.

A slow smile forms on his face and he nodes. He hopes his eyes aren’t giving away just how beautiful he thinks she is by the way his looking at her, he can’t help it, her beauty can’t help but me admired.

The way his looking at her makes her feel like melting right in front of him….“You stayed” Clarke says, trying not sound to surprised or eager. He seems a little confused so Clarke continues “I’ve noticed you…. Lately. You watch me play and when I leave stage and peep…. You’re gone” She masks her disappointment.

He clears his voice, Bellamy’s face is softer than usual. He lets out a little laugh, his a little embarrassed, he didn’t think she noticed him “I hope I didn’t scare you….. I uh I live right behind the pub, the apartments on the other side, I’ve seen you pass by and decided to come in one day and… I just started coming”

She has a huge grin then lets out a little laugh “Huh… so I have my very own groupie” she smirks and he burst out laughing, amazed by her.

He puts his hand over his heart “Its my pleasure to be your groupie” he winks at her, giving her a crooked smile.

It felt like a current of electricity was washing through them. In this moment staring into each other’s eyes if felt like yesterday was long forgotten, yesterday when they hadn’t talked. It was all about right now, as much as it scared both of them as much as their fears were tugging at them to not give in, it seemed almost impossible to walk away from this. Bellamy knew he didn’t want to rush and crush, as much as the feeling Came crushing down at full speed he knew he needed to take a step back and analyze his feelings. He was someone that had his walls up, someone that most people were scared to approach, other than his sister Octavia and best friend’s miller and murphy he didn’t really have a huge group of friends, miller’s boyfriend Brian and Murphy’s girlfriend Emori also part of that small group. Bellamy felt deeply, that is why his break up with Gina shook him. He was all heart, most people didn’t know that.

Clarke didn’t know what she was doing, Usually she was more logical, used her head instead of her heart but it was hard right now. She just met the guy and she was already convinced he was special and that scared her more than anything. Her life was chaos but why did it seem like he could be her safe space, because maybe after a long time she felt safe, safe to be happy and not worry about her mom’s addiction or her father’s work or if she should give up singing.

Bellamy rubs his hands, a nervous tick of his “I uhh… I just … wanted to say you’re amazing up there. You sing and believe every word… you’re just…..special…” for a second they just stare into each other’s eyes. Clarke has electricity coursing through her vain, and tears threaten her eyes, mainly because she hasn’t felt special in a really longtime, she averts her eyes away from his and into the street then back to him “Thank you” she says sincerely. That wordless eye starring moment befalls them again and Bellamy clears his throat and gives her another crooked smile “You’re welcome….. I ahh I gotta go… I’ll see you around clarke” his hands in his pockets he turns around and starts walking away when Clarke calls out “Hey groupie” Bellemy turns on his heals to look back at her, his hands in his pocket he raises his eye brow at her . “You didn’t tell me your name”

He nodes a small smile playing on his lips “Bellemy blake” Clarke smiles and nodes her head “Okay” she says.

“Okay” he says softly, he lingers for a second, turns and walks away, disappearing into the street corner leading to the ally.

Clarke watches him until she can no longer sees him, she can’t help the smile that stays on her face.

[things2mustdo]

Recently there’s been a lot of talk about whether or not the media has our best interests at heart, and with more and more men awakening from the feminist matrix, it seems that the mainstream media is going the way of the dinosaur.

Donald Trump has been urging the public not to trust the mainstream media, but I’m sure that if you’re a reader of Return Of Kings, you don’t need him to tell you that. The modern mainstream media is basically the same thing as the Church was in the 1200’s—they control the flow of information, and they don’t like it when people disagree with them. In fact, if someone who disagrees with them gets popular enough, they often times resort to smear campaigns (see: smearing Roosh as a manipulative pickup artist, and Milo as a pedophile apologist).

Now, I know what you’re thinking—“I know the media doesn’t report on things, Jon, but fake news? That’s, like, intentionally lying and manipulating information, isn’t it?” Yes, sir, it is—and this is what the mainstream media, particularly CNN, has been doing ever since television became popular.

Here’s 5 examples of how CNN is, in fact, “fake news”:

1. Kicking Bernie Sanders Off-Air

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWQcxUIYUcQ

Bernie Sanders, the unofficial leader of the socialist movement in America, recently called CNN “fake news,” before being kicked off the air. CNN tried to play this off as a “connection issue,” but anyone with a grain of common sense knows better.

Bernie: “…who is the head of Russia, and now we’re learning that there may have been discussions between Flynn and the Russians, about sanctions, before this administration took power. So this is very, very troubling, and I think the president is going to have to tell us what he’s gonna do about it.”

CNN Anchor: “So far he hasn’t said much…he was asked about Flynn on his flight to Mar-a-Lago late today…here’s how he responded:

[plays clip of Donald Trump denying obvious lie directed towards him]

CNN Anchor: “He says he hasn’t seen any of these reports. Is that a problem?”

Bernie: “Well, I don’t know, maybe he was watching CNN Fake News, what do you think?”

Bernie: [sees her offended look] “It was a joke.”

CNN Anchor: “You don’t buy what he said, obviously?”

Bernie: “Erin?”

Bernie: “Kevin, I’m not—are we on?”

CNN Anchor: “Umm, it looks like we’ve lost connection with Senator Sanders…”

Right, of course. You just happened to “lose connection,” with Senator Sanders conveniently right after he called you fake news.

2. “Racism” Is Why Adele Won Grammy

After Adele won the song of the year, record of the year, and best solo pop performance awards, it wasn’t long before CNN charged in to proclaim that “racism,” was the cause. CNN “reports”:

…”but with its racial themes and imagery, some are questioning if the project was “just too black” for Grammy voters. Kevin Powell, author of the memoir “The Education of Kevin Powell” and a forthcoming biography on rapper Tupac Shakur, thinks so. He told CNN “Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ made a lot of people uncomfortable, because it is so political, so spiritual, so unapologetically black, and so brutally honest about love, self-love, trust, betrayal.”

Right, because apparently Beyonce, despite being nominated for 62 Grammy awards, and winning a whopping 22 Grammy awards, is being discriminated against. In the Leftist’s delusional reality, any time a white person succeeds, it’s due to “racism,” yet any time a black person succeeds, it’s due to “overcoming insurmountable odds.”

Give me a break. Adele won the Grammy, because the panel thought her songs were better, period. This has nothing to do with racism, but apparently CNN still thinks it’s a good idea to race-bait the hell out of current events in 2017. I don’t see this changing anytime soon, either.

3. Venezuela Bans CNN For Lies

According to Fox News World, the president of Venezuela actually asked CNN to leave:

“CNN, do not get into the affairs of Venezuelans. I want CNN well away from here—outside of Venezuela. Do not put your nose in Venezuela.” -Nicolas Maduro

…and can you blame him? CNN has repeatedly shown how ridiculously biased they are, and they’ve shown how willing to lie they are, for the past year after running a gigantic smear campaign against Donald Trump.

Didn’t CNN claim that The Donald had a 3% chance of being elected president? What did they do, just poll the gender studies department at UC Berkeley? I wouldn’t be surprised if they did, because nobody in their right mind would ever accidentally come to the conclusion that our current president had a 3% chance of winning.

In fact, other independent journalists such as Mike Cernovich actually predicted that Donald would win months before the election day in November—how? Because they saw the trends. They saw that men were tired of being emasculated and having their lives ruined, they saw that we’re tired of being shamed for our whiteness, and they saw that the people of America were starting to wake up from their NWO conditioning.

4. “Our Job Is To Control Exactly What People Think.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoXGV4Vw-VA

Yeah, yeah—I know this one isn’t CNN, but they’re all the same to me. MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and even Fox News to an extent…they’re all just different heads on the same globalist-controlled hydra. Buckle in though, boys, because this one’s pretty bad…and it just happened days ago.

Mika Brzezinski, whose name should automatically create suspicion in the wary citizen, recently stated on MSNBC that it’s “our job,” to “control exactly what people think.” I honestly couldn’t even make this stuff up, but if you don’t believe me, you can watch it in the video above.

Mika Brzezinski: “Well, I think the dangerous edges here are that he’s trying to undermine the media, trying to make up his own facts, and it could be that while unemployment and the economy worsens, he could have undermined the messaging so much that he could control exactly what people think…and that is our job.”

No, Mika, that isn’t your job. Your job is to report the facts and let THE PEOPLE decide what to think, but if you can’t get that through your thick skull I guess we’ll just stop watching your crappy network.

5. Donald Trump Calls CNN “Fake News”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZI0Q3LQZmo

Ah, I saved the best for last—I do love me some Donald burns. After a CNN “news reporter” tried to aggressively ask Donald a question for some odd 20 seconds, repeatedly interrupting him and interjecting his way into the conversation, Donald lost it and called him “fake news.”

And who could blame him? They spent the last 8 months doing absolutely everything within their power to completely ruin Donald Trump’s chances at winning…and yet, by the grace of God, and by the memes of Pepe, lord of Keks, the Trump train smashed its way through the entire god damn establishment…and won.

Trump: [to other reporter] “Go ahead.”

CNN Fake News: “MR. PRESIDENT SINCE YOU’RE ATTACKING US CAN YOU GIVE US A QUESTION!”

Trump: [to CNN] “No.”

Trump: [to other reporter]: “Go ahead.”

CNN Fake News: “MR. PRESIDENT ELECT! MR. PRESIDENT ELECT! SINCE YOU ARE ATTACKING OUR NEWS ORGANIZATION,”

Trump: [to CNN] “No, not you.”

Trump: [to other reporter] “Go ahead.”

CNN Fake News: “CAN YOU GIVE US A QUESTION,”

Trump: [to CNN] “Not you.”

CNN Fake News: “GIVE US A CHANCE! MR PRESIDENT”

Trump: [to CNN] “Your organization’s terrible.”

CNN Fake News: “CAN YOU GIVE US A CHANCE, JUST LET US ASK…”

Trump: [to CNN] “Your organization’s terrible.”

CNN Fake News: “LET US ASK A QUESTION, SIR! SIR!”

Trump: [to CNN] “Quiet.”

This goes on for literally 25 seconds, before Trump finally becomes visibly angry and proclaims:

Trump: [to CNN] “You are fake news.”

If the President of the United States of America thinks that CNN is fake news, I think they’re probably fake news.

Summary

In conclusion, if you still watch the mainstream media, don’t. Get your news from real news sites, like Return Of Kings, Info Wars, Gateway Pundit, Drudge Report, and Cernovich. The MSM has shown us multiple times in the past that they’re globalist whores, selling out the American public to fatten their own pockets.

I recently bought an Info Wars shirt to start wearing around in public, and the results have restored my faith in America. Everywhere I wear it, I’ve gotten complements—it’s not that often, but you’d be surprised how many men are awake, but just don’t broadcast it.

The MSM would have you believe that 99% of the American public hates Trump, but it’s really only something like 10% who hate him, and maybe 25% more who dislike him.

I usually wear Info Wars, Breitbart, and Trump apparel to the gym, because most guys who have a shredded six pack from lifting heavy ass weights are strong and masculine, and are therefore not subject to stupid social pressures that the media uses to influence you.

Do your part in spreading the good gospel of the manosphere, the alt-news, and the resurgence of America, and we’ll reclaim our country for sure. Let’s all make America great again.

https://www.returnofkings.com/165920/how-journalists-became-whores

Journalists are supposed to follow a set of rules and values called deontology. These rules say journalists should strive to be impartial, objective, and to inform their readers. We know well this is not the true nature of their activity.

Most MSM journalists today if not all are spinsters. They cherry-pick their facts and craft narratives around to steer people towards an untold yet ever-present agenda. They make up stereotypes while attacking other stereotypes, they make up ideas while attacking other ideas, as it suits the editorial line of their employer.

In the name of information, journalists create and fulfill an artificially constructed consciousness. They are paid to do so. They believe what they’re doing is normal or cool, just like the Ministry of Truth in Orwell’s 1984, where officers burn archives then forget they just destroyed records (soon to be rewritten); your average leftist journalist spins all the time, follows all the time, yet doesn’t even know he spins and follows.

A little bit of history

If you lend an ear to leftist historians, up to perhaps to age of discoveries, the West didn’t know much. Everybody were locked into their own towns and fields. Well, this is not true. Europeans had known about the Silk Road from time immemorial. Kings and the clergy had their messengers, their events, their gatherings. Individuals like Saint Bernard or Saint Thomas of Aquino were quite familiar with communicating at a distance.

It was just much slower than today—and quite of a luxury as well. Common folk had to rely on minstrels, travelers, and on their own travels. Most communication was done orally. Academics today love to point out how unreliable the bush telegraph is, but at least this communication is done naturally between common people rather than top-down from a shadowy agenda.

Also, as slow as this word-to-mouth communication was, people then did not need more: they could make a living on their own, with the insurance that they could consume it themselves or sell it. Markets tended to be stable, and whether you were a field-tiller or a craftsman, you didn’t need to know about the latest fad not to be left behind. People were also much less bored and in need of diversions. Didn’t have newspapers, didn’t need them.

Then came the printing press. What had been done by scribes secluded in monasteries became partly automatized and multiplied. Bibles were printed. Then pamphlets. By the time, Protestantism had well developed, clever princes tried to use it to their advantage, and the Catholic church counter-attacked by launching one of the most manipulative orders ever created.

More power to independent people meant chaos. Printing outside of the rigid hierarchy of the Church meant a never-ending contest of ideas, systems, tastes, experiences, and egos. The hypocritical journalists of now who chide “trolls” while sniffing their own written farts should remember that trolling appeared as a side-effect of the printing press, as it became possible to say anything remotely instead of being necessarily confrontable. Plus, trolling helps to think of things to talk about with a girl.

Nevertheless, printing what you wanted was not that simple. First, literacy was still the hallmark of a comfortable upbringing, and second, you had to be able to print. You had to know a printer, had to make a deal with him and pay him. Not to mention the dissemination of your lovely printed book. It was always possible to print in a country with virtually no censorship, then smuggle books, but who was to receive them and share them?

No matter what you had to say, you always needed to address a noble-bourgeois audience, which meant catering to fashionable topics or debates. Otherwise, your material would be simply ignored. Authors who weren’t too well-known had to rely on booksellers who conspired to arrange a discrete monopoly on over-the-counter books. Yep, the world of “culture” has always been murky, and its members believe this is a sign of their superior intelligence.

As “culture” developed, with its train of noise, untold rivalries and social parasitism, periodic journals were printed at an ever-faster pace. Eighteenth century bi-annuals were replaced by daily or weekly newspapers. Which meant a great need, not for amateur gentlemen, but for people who could write constantly. Such people would be called journalists.

The modern journalist plant

If you believe journalism is about informing the public, forget it immediately. There is no such thing as an automatic progress which just makes happen what seems desirable. If an unbiased, all-objective information seems desirable, that does not mean someone will pay for it or even manage to get it. Even the CIA Factbook was made in the first place because objective information would benefit the CIA itself, not “enlighten the masses” or whatever a leftist salesman would say.

A journalist is basically someone who is paid to write on particular issues, in a well-defined format, as his boss sees fit. A journal belongs to someone—no matter if the owner is public or private—who usually has its own aims. Whether the newspaper has to simply sell or shape the opinion, it always aims at something else than merely informing.

(Even ROK has an agenda, and I’m fine with it, because I believe it is sound and fair, but I’d never pretend I write for the sole love of truth or as if I was a disembodied soul with no consciousness of its own. Any writer having such pretenses is a hypocrite or a liar.)

Back to the nineteenth century. Newspapers were just like factories. As plant workers had to churn tangible products, journalists had to churn out impressions. They were like paid artists for the ephemeral, creating appearances that would sell, or satisfy, or infuriate—anything as long as it suited the editorial line of their employer. Journalists did not become whores. They were paid employees, to put it politely, from day one. But at least the blue collar workers had to pretense to say the truth or illuminate or whatever BS that sells.

Let’s say you were born with a high verbal IQ, a knack for writing, and some ideas. What could you do? You may consider writing books, become an intellectual, but book writing takes time and often doesn’t pay. If you can’t live like an annuitant, you must be an employee.

If you choose the written words, you have to conform to a preexisting editorial line, to a particular milieu that already existed before you did, in hope of being granted a job. Creating a journal demanded not only experience but capital as well. Can you pay a printer? Would a banker trust you if you asked him for a loan so you can start a journal?

As the nineteenth century was an epoch of exceptional growth, some people had this capital or trust, and many independent journals were formed. Many, though, were bought off, or chased away, or censored. The elite does not want you to become an influencer, unless, of course, you remain a perpetual servant of their agenda.

This is why mild conservatives are accepted as a stooge opposition, along with the alt lite, whereas those who really want to save civilization and its creators are reviled. The elites want to destroy civilization, so, their journalists, who all depend on them socially and financially, foster their agenda while lying to themselves on the nature of what they do.

So-called investigators are paid by Darth Soros to “investigate” on convenient targets while turning a blind eye on other things, like mass immigration, or upholding a mandatory narrative which rests not on truth but on pure social conformism—muh minorities r always good, muh white males r always wrong.

Perhaps the “fake news” offensive has been crafted, not only to maintain the masses into the blue pill matrix, but also to reassure the frail employees that they are serving truth and progress. Which is already dubious, as worshiping an arbitrary strand of “progress” has nothing to do with objectivity, just as the contemporary humanities are rather a Hollywood for nerds than a place of real knowledge, but you can’t ask vapid girls to get to this level.

No one writes for the sake of truth alone. Independent writers or journalists also speak of what they think relevant. They will mention XYZ facts because these are important, or, at least, ensure a modicum of success. Just like men tend to read Miyamoto Musashi quotes, not merely because he existed, but because he’s interesting.

Mainstream journalists are courtiers. They are paid by global elites to do their bidding. They work in cities just like filmmakers work in grand obscure studios—because their activity lies in creating perceptions, in shaping fashions, ideas, mottos, norms. The difference between a marketer, a journalist and a filmmaker is only of scale and means. The aim, and the bottom, is the same.

We are different, because we are bottom-up. When mainstream journalists sold their souls, we are upholding ours. The problem with this is that we’re ill-paid. The globalists and the boomers tend to concentrate all the money, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to witness that the non-mainstream outlets tend to all lack money. Such is the price of independence.

We ought to have our own money elsewhere, and have a lot of independent journalists around, so that autonomous individuals from our side can work or investigate and help masculine men to shape their own consciousness.

[violetsystems]

#personal

My connection is super trashy this morning much like the cards I’ve been dealt in life these days.  It seems like my actual turn in whatever game is in play gets ignored more blatantly.  I found an old USB on the shelf cleaning a couple of days ago.  On it was a copy of Rise of Skywalker, Ninku, and Blade Runner.  I’ve watched Blade Runner a thousand times and never picked up on the chess game.  Bishop to King Seven.  A famous move I made the link to in a post here only countered by forking in tandem with the opposing knight.  The Immortal Game.  Sometimes if you really believed you were living in a simulation there’s magic moments such as that.  To me it’s really just the poetry of my life I live with nobody else gets but me.  I write about it sure.  I listen to Steely Dan all day too.  Nobody wants to hear from men right now I get it.  Especially Jerry Saltz and the neoliberal elite.  But that’s where I came from.  And judging from the dead responses on LinkedIn when it comes to networking, people would rather forget I even existed.  I feel like sometimes I get the hint and most of the last three months has been hobbling away from that.  My generation was the first generation after the boomers to be forgotten about.  We were in constant rebellion at the sheer audacity of how we were supposed to live.  Subsequently we were never really designed to rise up from under that thumb unless we were part of the family.  And the one thing I’ve learned from the tax hell I look at every day in my financial planning is that families definitely have more opportunities to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.  I’m an only child.  Never been married.  Never had children.  Mentored enough people to know I’d be a good father.  But overlooked, ridiculed and shunned enough to feel like I’m worthless.  Ironically for the first time in my life, I’m worth something on paper to a bank and a credit union.  Possibly to the companies I still hold equity in.  But for me it’s a very unique situation to be in.  Painted in a fucking corner with nobody to tell you what to do other than your better judgement.  I don’t wonder if my plan for the next year is right for the long run.  The long run has been just that.  Twenty years of my life just vanishing in a blink.  People eerily waiting for you get the hint.  Appalled at the audacity, like Terrell when Roy Batty confronts his maker.  Why can’t I live?  Everything out of Terrell’s mouth is an excuse.  Replicants were made to serve not made to last.  Every last inch of life has been accounted for and speculated against.  Terrell and the makers coo that you should feel great joy you have a purpose in their eyes.  And yet I’ve seen things you humans wouldn’t believe. I’ve seen everything in my old office disappear into the trash without any real confirmation.  I’ve seen friends I helped through thick and thin respond cold, callous and on some sort of script fearing legal action.  I’ve seen barely anyone but my neighbors between grocery drop offs.  And most likely they’re just nosy. 

Everyone makes sure they are in proximity of me when I crack and open up to the world.  This is still people’s assumption.  That I’m looking for new friends after all of this.  That my vulnerability can be further speculated on.  That I can still be trapped.  After sitting here with no closure listening to people’s problems but having my own go completely unnoticed.  Much like the replicants in Blade Runner, I have no prime directive other than to walk around and look cool in military upcycled gear.  I check my LinkedIn notifications to look for jobs.  There are some bright spots.  Mostly in China.  Everything else is a team of salesmen and recruiters looking for desperate contractors to overhaul IT departments they bought after laying off entire staff.  It’s the equivalent of getting back into the market like a scab.  All the salaries are the same for these kinds of jobs.  And it would be a lateral move with no pay increase.  These are for profit jobs.  I spent twenty years in a non profit with barely a cost of living raise.  That was the salary I achieved.  Nielsen Gallup polls and artistic corporate analysis has stolen everything from me, including my non profit salary and made it the new normal.  I was barely able to escape any sort of lifestyle creep including debt.  I chewed my way out of it alone.  Made to feel undesirable and worthless.  Received a few lump sums after the reduction of force.  And the markets are beating the war drum out there like the best thing to do is to put it all back in the hands of corporations that won’t look me in the eye to hire me.  All the while, people pretend that I’m not real enough to talk to.  I’m a ghost that conflicts the lies people hope no one uncovers.  An inconvenient truth to even myself.  And this is where the politics stop for me.  I have to live like everyone else.  America is on a collision course with everything these days.  Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a shining light of hope for getting out of the clutches of disturbing Christian White men who treat money like a whip.  Mitch McConnell is already dancing on her grave at this point.  These people have no shame.  Trying to push a supreme court candidate before the elections to further their political agenda.  An agenda that has nothing to do with respect for freedom unless it benefits their interests and way of life.  The American dream in this respect is and has always been a total lie.  To be betrayed by it and left for dead is something I have already learned from.  And my grand chess move is the same as it was a few weeks ago.  In the meantime I sold all my blizzard stock to buy IBM while they partner with London fashion week.  Even if the speculative value of my portfolio is trash, that trade confirmation went through loud and clear.  We all have different values in America for sure.  But the people who bought and lobbied their way into offices have little value to me.  

The way things look for me, I will be sitting out until February at the earliest.  I’ve budgeted myself out with health insurance.  The premiums are fucking outrageous and I had a chance to open enroll two weeks before I was let go.  I could have softened the financial burden if somebody would have just let me know.   If I would have had any lead time I would have made some different decisions.  But after twenty years, I was treated in a way that sent a real message.  One that nobody seems to be able to carry the weight of other than me.  It’s a unique situation.  Capitalists would love to shower praise on it as being the spirit of entrepreneurship.  But we all know that’s some Ayn Rand survival of the fittest bullshit.  There’s two choices.  You either believe the pyramid scheme and give up your money, power, and influence for the greater agenda.  Or you get ostracized.  Generation X in America was always an alienated group.  Maybe we were the first to realize how we were being scammed.  Some of us got dropped out of the nest and cracked.  The Kurt Kobains that succumbed to heroin and suicide.  The ground wasn’t very soft during those times.  A stable job seemed like an accomplishment.  Truthfully there are jobs out there that require over ten years of experience.  It’s a nice option to have.  A resume that actually looks like you’ve done something even if nobody wants to acknowledge you even existed.  But when I look around for answers in this city I find very little.  I have a safe place to stay for awhile without having to do much.  I got approved for a license for Ableton Live.  It’s the first time I’ve owned it.  I spent last night replacing the SSD in my laptop with a terabyte drive with faster read and write speeds.  With the ram upgrade I can do video and audio on the fly without blinking.  I write in my sleep and I communicate organically throughout all of this.  I’ve had to own my struggles and pain time and time again only to be buried.  And at this point, my friends down here realize my side of the story more than most.  And I’m sure it feels hurtful and hopeless to know what I’ve been through doesn’t mean all that much because I’m a Steely Dan fan.  The truth is people will grasp at straws to throw stones in a glass house.  Capitalism is a self destructive behavior.  There’s not enough to go around to feed the hungry shareholders, the investors, the financiers, the lawyers, the useless aspects of society speculate on paper currency and not human spirit.  We end up confronting it sooner or later.  And the answer we get is simple.  Bishop to King Seven is checkmate.  You have no more moves.  And I’m done hearing the excuses.  I have won the game.  I am simply waiting for your concession.  If I have to wait all winter, please know that I’ve burnt enough bridges to stay warm.  Hate to throw cold water on the plans to keep me obsolete.  My incept date passed a long time ago.  And while most of my past is lost in the rain, I am at least still human enough to cry.  Make no mistake I shed no tears for winning. <3 Tim

[rovelae]

An Open Letter to AO3

This has been on my mind for a while, so I sent them this via their “contact support” messaging system. I doubt anything will come of it, but it’d be cool if it did, huh?

CW: discussion of child pornography, rape, real-person fiction, abuse

Hello.

My name's Rovelae, and I've been using AO3 for about 3 years now. I'm a fan of the user-friendly interface, the bookmarking system, and how easy it is to post my art and enjoy other fans' art, too.

But something I'm having trouble with-- and I'm sure many others have brought this up to you by now-- is the Archive's allowance of real-person fiction and child porn.

Let me make it clear, though-- I realize the Archive's original purpose is to be a place for art where people don't have to worry about being censored or reported for what they post. Unlike other media platforms, you allow essentially anything from anyone. I think that's admirable, I really do. Because if I wanted to post pictures of Michelangelo's "David" on Tumblr or Twitter, I'd be flagged for nudity, even though I see beauty in the way it's portrayed. That's what I think can be considered censorship.

But there's a difference between censoring someone's artistic vision and stopping what should be considered a crime. In contrast to my previous hypothetical scenario, if I were to livestream the rape of a child on YouTube, no matter my "artistic" intentions, I'd get my account suspended and be reported to the police.

This is where the Archive's policy is flawed. By allowing anything and everything onto the Archive, you also leave room for the most depraved and repulsive pieces that users can post without consequence, be that real-person fiction or child pornography. And that is pornography, by the way; if child porn is written instead of depicted in traditional art or photography, it is no less damaging to readers. I realize there's a tagging system for this, but that isn't good enough, because by allowing it on the Archive, you're effectively excusing, even supporting, its existence. Allowing real-person fiction and child pornography normalizes it in everyday life, which quite literally puts real people in danger of harassment, objectification, and abuse.

I understand that it's your policy to disregard messages like this because the Archive was created to allow anything and everything. But that's exactly what I'm getting at-- the "anything goes" policy is inherently flawed and allows for grievous misuse.

With this in mind, I'd like to propose a re-vote of sorts. Let's see what registered users think about revising the policy-- not in a way that censors their art, but to stop child pornography and abusive real-person fiction. There's no beauty or art in glorifying the abuse of children or real people.

So, how about this. Create a poll of sorts, where registered users can answer simple yes-or-no questions such as "should graphic depictions of child rape be allowed on the Archive?". Please listen to your users on this; it's a different way of handling this issue than any other media platform has used, so I'm sure users would appreciate having their opinions heard.

I realize, also, that the Archive is run largely by volunteers or people who aren't compensated much, if at all, for the work they do. I'd like to remind you that for every donation week I've seen so far, fans have always exceeded your donation goals and will likely continue to do so. We love the Archive, and we appreciate your work. I firmly believe that a policy readjustment like this, especially if it results in preventing abusive real-person fiction and child porn, would only garner more support for the Archive, both financial and otherwise. I, for one, would feel a lot more comfortable donating to and supporting people who actively prevent harmful content without censoring art.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Rovelae

[cheesecake12]

I'm thinking of making a twitter account for my art. Can you give me any tips, or pros and cons? I'm trying to get a few people's opinions before I make a definite decision.

i was gonna say i have no idea how to use twt still but then i typed all this up so ig that’s not true. hope it helps!

tips:

image ratios: 16:9 (single image), 7:8 (2 images), 7:8 + 4:7 (3 images), 2:1 (4 images). this can save you from weird/awkward cropping, i know some artists will also post a closeup or just the same image twice if they're posting a portrait orientation piece

twitter crops focus on text i think?

idk how useful tags are, i feel like how much attention my art gets isn't really correlated with using/not using them, but it doesn't hurt to tag. sometimes i do check hashtags for content

ways to organize/collect your art in one place: moments (what i personally use, i think this is the most common method), pinning a thread in which you quote rt your own art, using a personal hashtag

honestly you should use tweetdeck for the better UI, it's run by twitter so they're not gonna steal ur info or anything. it's got a ton of useful features like scheduling tweets, being able to manage multiple accounts at once, turning off notifs on things you've retweeted, etc. but also be aware that things crop differently on the main site and on tweetdeck which baffles me to no end

privatter is a great way to limit who can see a tweet (you can limit to signed-in users only, followers only, following only, password protected, only ppl on a list you create, or yourself only). how it works is you link your account, post on privatter, and then tweet the link. you can add a preview image if you'd like too. i see a lot of ppl use this for spoiler art or nsfw art. oh, also, did i mention you can edit privatter posts??

this is more of an etiquette thing, but DO NOT QUOTE RT OTHER PPL'S ART (when you click retweet there's an option to retweet with a comment - DO NOT DO THIS!!) it basically creates a new tweet, and all of the interactions with the QRT do not count toward the original tweet. i've seen cases where QRTs get more attention than an artist's original tweet and it sucks so bad. most artists (including me) don't like QRTs of our art

also, if you're going to comment on something someone rt-ed, untag them before you do so (twitter auto tags the person who rt-ed it which is kind of annoying...)

pros of twt:

idk why bc i have more followers on here but i get SO MANY more interactions on twt. am i just more approachable there?? who knows. i'd ask for feedback but i doubt i'd get any

ppl are more willing to share art on twt. i get MUCH BETTER share to like ratios on there (generally 1:4 - 1:5) than on here (around 1:10, many times much worse). it's really disheartening and one of the major reasons i'm no longer very invested in tmblr

POLLS I LOVE MAKING POLLS

cons:

character limit sucks but you get used to it

no dedicated tagging system :C i like to monologue in the tags and that's like the one thing i miss abt this site

no ask system. a lot of ppl make and link a curiouscat as a replacement

you can’t edit tweets if you see a typo ur just gonna have to live w that knowledge forever