#the way the entire British acting industry Knows

[ingravinoveritas]

Love like that will surely come my way...

[theabigailthorn]

Have you considered moving to america? you know there are a lot of blond americans in america, and most of them would be absolutely enchanted by a tall lady with a fancy-pants british accent

I've thought about it, for career reasons rather than romance!

It's a difficult question. If I were to move to the US, right now L.A. would be the place to go: I have contacts there and I'm developing projects there. It's likely I'd be able to have a better standard of living out there too. There's also the political angle: if the Conservatives win the next British election there's a nonzero chance I'll have to leave the country because if they pass a national bathroom law and I can't use a women's toilet, I can't go to work on a set or in a theatre! I know the US is worse in a lot of places, but at least over there some politicians are standing up for trans people, some politicians are trans, some cities are refusing to comply with discriminatory laws... There seems to be a better line of defence over there, in some places? The sorts of places I would be going to live anyway. It feels like in the US the extremes are more extreme: some states are worse than Britain, but some are actually better. I think the US entertainment industry is in some ways ahead of the UK on trans issues - I've had British people straight up refuse to work with me cause I'm trans even though that's illegal, and string me along for ages cause they think I'll be a diversity checkbox for them. Whereas in my (admittedly limited) experience American producers are more willing to give me a shot and don't see my transness as an obstacle. The producers of [SUPER REDACTED] are American and they gave me that role even though the character is written as cis and cis women auditioned alongside me! I thanked one of them like, "Hey, this sort of thing has never been done and it's not the sort of thing trans people are usually allowed anywhere near!" and she was like, "Bwuh? You nailed the audition, why wouldn't we give it to you?" I said to her at the wrap party, "The idea that a trans woman could be a [PERFORMER OF THIS TYPE] has not yet entered the minds of anyone outside this room, and when it does it's going to be a gamechanger for all of us." See also Nebula! I pitched Dracula's Ex-Girlfriend to them and they greenlit it 15 days later. Contrastingly, I emailed a pitch deck and pilot episode for a trans-led TV series to a bunch of British production companies back in August and a lot of them haven't even read it yet. I like working for Americans because they just seem to get it on a level that a lot of Brits don't, yet.

On the other hand!

The entire US entertainment industry is about to move to Britain! So, maybe the smart career move is to stay. My family are here, my home is here, and despite everything I do love this country. I would be sad to leave. But we'll see. The next few years are likely to be a little... unusual. My plan right now is to have one foot in both countries, and then perhaps at some point the acting industry will make the decision for me.

[leohttbriar]

Someone brought an overhated character poll to my dash about Kai Winn and im literally so sad about the responses. I knew there were people who hated her but it's really baffling to me how maybe 10 people tops acknowledge her past and the reasonings behind her choices, they just see a space Karen.

oh dude, i'm sorry that sucks. and "sad" really is a simple but fairly complete word when it comes to the character of winn adami, huh.

like. i think a lot about how she's the most normal-looking woman on the show. she is also, simply, normal. she is faithful and political and appears and acts in ways far more familiar to us than most characters. even the fact of her alien-faith hardly serves to alienate, given that she is faithful in the way we might be--without true expectation of ever meeting the divine in this life. while kira can seem more like a fictional character when she speaks of the prophets, due to her proximity to them, winn sounds like the person accosting you on a street corner to talk about the rapture.

that's the thing, though, isn't it. about the "karen" phenomenon in general. there is nothing uniquely bad about middle-aged white women--nothing that makes them uniquely ungovernable in social spheres in ways men aren't. in ways everyone isn't, in some way. (merely anecdotal evidence, but my own experience in the service industry made me far more wary of men in their 30s wearing patagonia vests over dress-shirts). winn adami is a normal sort of frustration to people. one they encounter in the day-to-day. the political conservative who stands outside of planned parenthood and tells girls not to throw away their everlasting souls. the pentecostal women speaking gibberish in church, gesturing to the heavens with their out-of-fashion french manicures, who brought a tater-tot hot dish with extra kraft cheese to the pot luck. the women with cross-walls. with like. so many crosses. the women with leathery tans on the aging skin of their arms and neck. the women who quietly walk into voting booths around the world and choose "safety" over anything else, whether or not that "safety" is real.

at least. that's who people think winn is. setting aside the fact that most people don't truly know the kinds of women listed above, that it's unlikely they've spared a single ounce of pity for women like that ever in their entire lives, winn is not exactly pitiable in this way. she is awash in power. she is intelligent. she thinks. she would stand in a voting booth and choose "safety" (whether or not it's real) but she's not the lady wearing a t-shirt that says trump could grab her pussy if he wanted. she's not one of the many blonde women on fox news. she's not even sandra day o'connor or any other female conservative intellectual. because she's a metaphor.

we don't know her real-world politics because she's a fictional character in a fictional universe leading a fictional world. we know she's a conservative because fights very very hard to maintain the status quo regarding her bajoran religion and its teachings. but we don't know how any of that can be truly allegorized to conservative policies in the real-world. the main tension being: conservatives in the real-world base a lot of truly evil policy on a made-up divine figure interpreted through thousands of made-up hermeneutics and it is materially all Not Real. in ds9, the prophets are actual beings who affect reality. winn's said and done things on the show that sound like something an annoying woman with a turquoise-cross around her neck would say at a utah city council meeting about creationism and "inappropriate books." she also says things that a woman would say at a protest against the racist and paternalistic policies of the british museum. all we know of her as a political figure is that she is conservative. and like, power-hungry and desperate, but those aren't essentially related. she wants to conserve. and that encompasses more than one thing.

which means that people, when they see her, simply aren't thinking. they react to a woman who looks as she does. who speaks like a politician. who makes decisions that are unfair. but, exactly as you said, the show grounds her. they give her a past. they richly flesh out so much about her. they have her acting too rationally sometimes for someone of her professed faith. they have her acting completely irrational as her gods reject her again and again. all while she clings to them with a faith that endured actual torture at the hands of violent imperialists who yet attack her planet and yet attack her and yet she has to speak with as the leader of bajor.

and it's hard to see (beyond the obvious) why this character receives so much vitriol when you have characters like garak and dukat and kira who all are considered charming and beloved in some way or another, while still being as complex as they are. (and i don't even think dukat is all that complex.) even sisko has some moments that, if i lived in his world, i would be somewhat repulsed by--like when jake begs him to let the prophets go and sisko embraces the cosmic over the request of his son. (again: the prophets are real though, so my "repulsion" is more a reaction against people i see as priests, who i find in the real world, as a rule, awful.)

so. it's definitely sad. because the level and kind of hate bestowed upon this character really does seem to be a symptom of a much larger issue: of course, misogyny.

also that people don't tend to think.

[piratefalls]

i don't have a snarky opening line this week. have fic instead.

masterlist.

(make me) misbehave by r_holland

Alex Claremont-Diaz has done it again. The Texas-born singer-songwriter released his fourth studio album second skin Thursday at midnight. Full of Claremont-Diaz’s signature lyricism, critics are praising the album for the cohesive image it paints. second skin is the result of a young writer at the top of his game, and every lyric depicts for the listener a picture of a sun-drenched secret romance. Fans are clamoring to be the first to uncover the mystery girl at the center of it all, although Claremont-Diaz remains tight-lipped on the subject… -- Or: Alex Claremont-Diaz is a singer-songwriter rising up in the music industry. Henry Fox is the shining star of an acting empire. This is a love story.

NFWMB by cricketnationrise

5 Times Alex Fights Customer Service for Henry + 1 Time He Doesn't Have To

falling in love (in the cruelest way) by coffeecatsme

“Alex?” The name makes Alex stop halfway to the register and look back. Henry is standing in the same spot, shifting from foot to foot, before he juts his chin out. He meets Alex’s eyes. “Where are you traveling to?” Or, Alex picks up a stranger on a road trip, only to realize too late he's the missing Prince of Wales.

We've Got To Stop Meeting like This by everwitch

Alex books an Airbnb studio with a shared bathroom. The other studio is occupied by a man with lush pink lips and impressive personal hygiene — really, he’s super diligent about lathering and rinsing. Alex would know, seeing as the lock to the bathroom is seriously unreliable. Or: the Airbnb romp you didn’t know you needed.

quad shot americano by saintlynomenclature

Like always, Henry’s made it perfectly—the espresso is rich, decidedly not burnt, and the cinnamon tastes like it’s been infused rather than sprinkled in. “How the fuck do you do this?” Alex demands, taking another sip as Henry laughs at him. “If I tell you, you won’t come back.” Henry smiles, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. Alex lets his eyes follow the line of Henry’s shoulders, falling down to the veins in his forearms after the ends of his bunched-up sleeves. The ring on Henry’s left pinky doesn’t reflect in the lowlight of the back corner—without the sun glinting off of it, Alex can finally see that the surface of it is engraved. “If you think coffee's the only thing keeping me around, sweetheart, then I need to try harder.” The blush coats Henry’s cheeks again. He dips his head bashfully, eyes skating away from Alex’s face. “Whatever will I do with you?” he murmurs under his breath.

- Or, Alex spends an exorbitant amount of money on coffee.

Not So Silent Night by inexplicablymine

Sure, Alex can admit in the deepest recesses of his mind, at two in the morning, when the Liszt is playing forlornly like some kind of bugle call for grief, that whoever the fuck lives next to him is on another level with the keys. Or Alex has no idea who his piano playing neighbor is, but Alex knows one thing for certain… This means war.

Airplane Mode by clottedcreamfudge

Getting into an argument with someone in the airport lounge had probably been a mistake, in hindsight; Alex knows this. But with so many fucking delays and the fact that the signal on his phone is currently making it about as useful as two paper cups joined by a piece of string, he’s kind of on-edge. It’s not entirely his fault that he snaps. Attractive people with perfect hair who take the last almond croissant before Alex can get to it probably just need to understand this. Alex is at the end of his tether, and he will not be swayed by, “Well, I was here first,” in a British accent so smooth it could butter bread.

something more, something right by rizcriz

Alex blinks at him, seemingly entirely unimpressed. “So, you’re just going to pretend we’re not in love with each other?” 

here the whole time by HypnosTheory

Alex frowns, massaging Henry’s scalp. “It feels like you’re getting headaches more often babe. Anything wrong?” “It’s nothing,” Henry says, melting under Alex’s fingers on his scalp. “My suppressants are just killing my head. Think I’ve been taking them too long, I probably need a break soon.” Alex hums thoughtfully. “Or you could get off them for good.” -- Married and bonded, Henry and Alex decide it's about time to get off suppressants and start enjoying their bond fully.

Of Who I Am (Golden) by MayQueen517

There's magic and Henry is hiding something. Alex is determined to figure it out at all costs.

Dependence is a Childhood Illness by aubsoluteaudacity

As he stands by the counter and waits for the kettle to boil, Henry goes over his illness management tactics in his head. Drink lots of tea and water. Take more medication whenever he reasonably can. Never, ever, let anyone see how sick he is. He has been following this mantra since his late teens. Royalty isn’t allowed to miss an event because of a cold. It simply isn’t done to stay in bed when there are hands to press and ribbons to cut.

pictures of you (pictures of me) by yeolocity

alex keeps polaroids.

If You Love Something by allmylovesatonce

Alex calls Henry to tell him a funny incident from his day. When a miscommunication sends them both reeling, both of them are questioning if the other is wanting to end their relationship. Their friends take things upon themselves to get them to see eye to eye.

An Amateur's Guide to Piping That Cream and Beating That Meat by firenati0n

Alex invites Henry to his Extremely Specific and Ethnic Friendsgiving dinner, issuing a stern warning—no beige foods and no colonizer behavior. So basically, Henry's screwed. In an effort to find the perfect recipe, Henry stumbles upon a popular TikTok chef who thirst traps from the neck down and flusters Henry to his core. But his food is banging, along with the bod. A recipe for feral disaster. Or, Alex is an anonymous thirst-trapping chef on TikTok. Henry is an amateur cook who needs a recipe for Friendsgiving. Alex knows Henry's watching. Henry doesn't know it's Alex. Shenanigans ensue.

it's midnight in Texas by viciouslyqueer

When Henry mentions a charity polo match in Connecticut, Alex doesn’t think much of it. When Henry asks him on a date and puts him on a plane to Paris, Alex smiles and lets himself be romanced. When Henry says he wants to do it right, Alex is too in love to protest.

we should get married by smc_27

He’d spent most of the week sitting on the floor with his laptop open on the table, typing away about absolute nonsense in between sessions and phone calls with immigration and a lawyer trying to see if it’s possible there’s any way in the world he can stay in America while this gets sorted. The good news is this doesn’t bar him from trying again and just returning when it all gets sorted. Not that that will be easy, but still. It’s a possibility. He makes the absolutely foolish mistake, after pouring his second drink, of googling ‘marriage visa’ as if that will be the answer to any or all of his problems. Allows himself a brief, excruciating moment to imagine he has someone to marry and make that a reality. But then…he does, does he not? OR, a greencard marriage AU

i need that charles dickens by @whimsymanaged

Henry’s flatmate (and crush) Alex is suddenly obsessed with Charles Dickens. But when Henry asks to borrow Alex’s Dickens, he quickly learns that Alex hasn’t, in fact, been talking about a book.

Amazed at How We Talk (Once, Successfully) by @sparklepocalypse

And, well. Fuck that guy. Alex isn’t about to rub elbows with people who can’t even stand to be in the same room as him. Alex isn’t sulking when he sidles up to the bar and steals a man’s whisky. He also isn’t sulking when he obtains a second glass, this one neat. Or when he snags a large plate of canapés from one of the waitstaff and nonchalantly strolls out of the room. (Movieverse; a riff on the trope that asks, What if Cakegate didn't happen?)

like a bridge over troubled water, i will ease your mind by anincompletelist

And then— relief. So palpable that it sends more tears springing to his eyes, a sob at his lips that Henry quiets with a kiss. Everything from the past week was so much, had been building up pretty much from the moment Henry first left, and leaving him teetering on the edge of fine and definitively, very much not fine, one more useless appearance or shitty headline away from breaking into a million pieces. And shatter he had. But somehow, by some miracle, he’d been able to wait until Henry was here, was back with him in their home, to do it. His safety net, his safe place, his everything; the only one capable of holding all of his broken shards and figuring out how to piece them all back together again in the aftermath. The only one who has asked for the privilege of being there to do it.

Truth by cmere

Alex always does this, hauls every base fucking instinct that Henry has out into the open between them, plain for both to see. And every time it happens, Henry expects him to laugh it off or give him a hard time, but instead he just encourages it with soft, pliant lips and greedy fingers until Henry gives in to himself and his desires. Alex has never made him feel bad, or odd, or disgusting, always treats him with the utmost patience and care. Henry loves him so fucking much. It's just past midnight on Alex's birthday and he's going to get what he wants. Which is, of course, to give Henry what he wants.

as always, if you want me to tag you in future lists just let me know!

@starkfridays @stilesgivesmefeels @midnightsfp

[louisupdates]

Review: ‘All Of Those Voices’ proves Louis Tomlinson has always been the coolest member of One Direction

WE GOT THIS COVERED

Francisca Tinoco | Mar 23, 2023 10:50 am

Everyone loves an underdog story, and it doesn’t get much better than Louis Tomlinson‘s. Often ignored in the first few years of One Direction’s short-lived run, the singer had a point to prove from the jump, and he hasn’t stopped chasing that “gotcha” moment since. The former boy bander’s documentary All Of Those Voices is a testimony to Tomlinson’s no-nonsense approach to fame, and how he has always been the most interesting artist to come out of the British pop sensation.

The doc doesn’t waste any time in addressing the aspect that surely drew in most of the audience, the One Direction breakup. It doesn’t reveal much that isn’t strictly related to Tomlinson’s perspective and lived experience of the events, but within those limits, it goes deep nonetheless, effectively setting the tone for the remaining hour and a half.

Back in the heyday of 1D, you could always count on Tomlinson to be the one to tell it like it was, and it’s warming to see that that hasn’t changed one bit. If anything, the freedom now of not being as high-profile as he once was has allowed Tomlinson to relax into his identity as a good-natured troublemaker willing to be vulnerable enough to sit in front of a camera and talk about his most profound insecurities. At one point, the singer’s voice coach, Helene Hørlyck – with whom he is shown to work extensively – in what is a reflection of his commitment to exposing all his sorest points, says “he’s so gentle, he’s so sensitive on the inside.”

Only those who have followed the artist closely can know exactly what Hørlyck is talking about. Life toughened Tomlinson up by dealing him more than a few tough hands, and the excitable, sensitive, bubbly teenager he was at the start of his career can only be found now in specks when he’s hanging out with his son Freddie, looking at old photographs of his mother with his grandparents, or in private videos from his closest friends. On the outside, he’s built a very lad’s lad image, always down to party, with a beer or joint in hand, but the way his feet have always been so firmly planted on the ground is entirely connected to that core gentility Hørlyck mentions, which in turn is largely a result of his relationship with his mother.

Johannah Deakin passed away in 2016, followed shortly by her 18-year-old daughter – and the singer’s sister – Félicité Tomlinson. Obviously, these losses had to be referenced in the documentary, whose purpose was to document Louis’ evolution as a solo artist; an endeavor that was seriously altered by the untimely passing of the two women in the first year after One Direction’s breakup. The tone in which the events are addressed, however, is never melodramatic or sensationalist as it could have easily slipped into at the hands of another director.

Charlie Lightening crafts a film that perfectly reflects the artist and person at its center. It’s genuine and open but doesn’t ever wallow in the misery – and there was plenty of misery to be wallowed in. Tomlinson’s family and friends praise his ability to keep his head above water after so much heartbreak, but for the singer, there was never any choice – that’s what his mother would have wanted, and the only thing she would have accepted.

With all the cautionary tales in the industry, All Of Those Voices becomes a fascinating music film purely because it documents the life of someone who managed to stay focused and humble, not only throughout being a part of the world’s most popular act at one point but also through immense personal tragedy. Tomlinson’s ability to survive temptation and stay focused on the music, with no intentions of becoming famous or necessarily filthy rich is refreshing.

There’s a piercing moment that perfectly encapsulates this duality, where Tomlinson reflects on the contrasting aspects of the life he has kept in the small South Yorkshire town of Doncaster – where he still lives for the most part – and the pop star mode he has to turn on when he attends talk shows and promotional tours. He admits to struggling with it and feeling easily overwhelmed, because that’s not at all the life he leads the other 90 percent of the time. Still, if that’s what he has to concede to be able to tour the world and play live music – the favorite part and driving force of the job for him – then so be it.

“I need you, and you need me, and I f*cking like that ” – a spur-of-the-moment declaration made by Tomlinson in one of his first solo shows – has become a sort of motto among his fandom. The truth is, fans of the underdog are always more protective and loyal. So, even though it came as a surprise for the former member of One Direction that, even after taking four years to release his first solo album, he was still able to sell out arenas, it made complete sense to anyone paying close attention to his trajectory.

Even after all that, Tomlinson had to deal with an agent who told him he wasn’t sure he would be able to sell tickets in Mexico – a moment he proudly wears on his sleeve after proving him wrong. He knows he’s the perpetual underdog, and while that used to bother him in the past, now he treats it as his biggest weapon.

All Of Those Voices very effectively documents this journey toward self-discovery for Tomlinson, both at a personal and an artistic level. What it lacks in behind-the-scenes exclusives of his songwriting process, it makes up for in heart, authenticity, and plenty of footage from the singer’s time on tour, which he prioritizes anyways.

On stage, by his own admission, Tomlinson feels like a “god,” but once the show’s over, he invites the band around to the back lounge of the tour bus for some beers and mischief, or takes them on a helicopter ride to a private yacht in the middle of the Brazillian sea. Even if the former might feel a lot more attainable than the latter, his presence always makes any party feel like a get-together with old friends at the local pub.

[myfandomrealitea]

Idk if it can be considered as fandom stuff, but I really want to know:

Why children acting in films isn't discussed as something wrong to do?

Like, if it's important to fight to end child labor, why almost no one bats an eye on it?

I can assure you plenty of people bat an eye at it.

While discussions about things like child labor laws and protections in regards to underage performers may seem drowned out by subjects like the SAAG strikes and the crew-company strikes and rights actions right now, child labor laws and protections for underage performers is still very much a prominent topic in the industry, especially as more and more past-child-actors come forward with their stories.

While we are far from a perfect state regarding the protection of child actors and their obligations and abilities within the industry, we have also seen several improvements and changes. Restrictive changes to how many hours they can work within a certain timeframe, changes to how they are represented and advocated for and changes to conflicts between performing and education are all things we have seen in the last decade.

Backstage.com - Child Actor Laws NNCEE - British Child Performer License Library of Congress Blogs - A History of Child Actor Laws

I don't view children being employed as actors as inherently a "wrong thing to do." However I absolutely and firmly acknowledge that child acting is a fucking minefield of exploitation and expectations. We are absolutely nowhere near a point where we can say that the majority of our activism for child actors has been fulfilled.

Often, expectations for child actors fall victim to the same pressure and demands of the entire Hollywood industry; churning out content as fast as possible on minimum cost. Crews are pushed to work 90 hour weeks, actors are pushed to work 14+ hour shifts, deadlines are made as tight as possible. The issues many child actors face are not necessarily exclusive to underage performers; they are broader issues faced by employees and workers within the industry as a whole.

There are still many groups and individuals campaigning for better protections and quality of treatment and advocacy regarding children in the film and performance industries, however. And like with any cause there are always ways you can support them to help further the cause. I suggest looking up the child performer laws in your area and seeing where you can lend aid.

[getlancered]

welcome to my 1 million turnabout bigtop headcanons

russell berry:

actual personality description because in the game he just kind of dies. stoic, generally serious man. bit of a blank slate to talk to. secretly TERRIFIED of confrontation, will do just about anything he can to avoid every problem in his life. this is not to be confused with avoiding responsibility, because he is the bossiest motherfucker around besides maybe trilo. runs the circus with an iron fist. no problems to fix if you never let them happen in the first place!

AUTISM

british weirdo

actually pretty connected in the entertainment industry

when he’s not wearing a suit he usually wears sweaters

takes first impressions so so seriously

DEAD wife that hes still not over

her death is unrelated to the circus because i think he wouldve shut that down in one singular second if it was

the circus was a passion project of her and moe’s, but russell was the only one competent enough with money and people that he ended up basically running it. neither of them wanted to do the technicalities

he wont consider his sexuality because he only loves his dead wife

moe:

nickname comes from highschool and the shit he used to get into, fabricated an identity to some stranger after vandalizing their house and it just stuck

took “class clown” a little too seriously

used to be an actual stand up comedian but being a party clown is just wayyyy easier

manchild. very silly and not serious all the time. completely aware of it by the way and encourages whimsy in the world

most insufferable case of hyperactive ADHD in the world

cannot sit normally anywhere ever

has many little odd hobbies

owns a bunch of really stupid graphic/text tshirts that do not apply to him in the slightest

likes to carry around those little plastic toys with the metal ball and a maze that u tilt around to solve. also those little water games where u push the button to try and get the rings on the hook. do u guys know what im talking about

can and will juggle any 3 items he can get his hands on

clings to russell all the time. follows him around. absolutely hates being alone so russell is his solution

gay as fuck for russell berry. this is not a secret. at all.

helped russell out with regina quite a bit, esp after his wife died

fine at confrontation unless it is of his own emotional issues

max galactia’s #1 hater

regina berry:

AUTISM

british loser too but fakes a french accent because it’s cuter and more posh

very good at imitating accents!

absolutely not mentally 16. very ditzy and carefree and childish

is not at all prepared for genuine reality because she was raised and surrounded her entire life by the members of the circus

very athletic!

has personalities for each of her animals and talks to/treats them like people

her mom died when she was 6, this is where her belief of dead people being stars comes from because russell genuinely could not tell her the truth

also why she wasn’t that upset about her lion or bat

closest to acro in the circus and still considers them to be best friends despite acro genuinely despising her

automatically assumes everyone is her friend unless they do or say something that shows otherwise

moe calls her “tiger” because she got facepaint as a kid and kept it on for days while acting like a tiger

amazing gift-giver

crow girl. drawn to anything and everything sparkly

enjoys those really elaborate lego sets

ben/trilo:

ft my backstory headcanon for how he entered the circus because its never established

AUTISM

trilo is ben’s non-loser persona essentially

ben has had severe social anxiety since childhood

^ where the stutter comes from

met moe as a teenager at his little sisters birthday party, was genuinely curious about how he can just go up on a stage in such a ridiculous get-up. talk to people. be social. he did not get it

when russell started the circus, he wanted to join and gtfo from his house

probably the neglected child to his little sister i think

joined the circus shortly after regina was born and was kind of the de facto babysitter so he considers regina his actual little sister (LIKE A NORMAL PERSON.)

trilo was created for regina when she was born. ben was kind of like a babysitter to her and made up a gag with this puppet and slapstick comedy to keep baby regina entertained. the whole circus loved it and trilo stuck!

what was once a coping mechanism became a depedancy. the only people he can speak to without trilo are the circus members

because he and the circus treats trilo like a completely separate being for his act and for regina, he never worked up the nerve to talk to people. there was no practice there because trilo isn’t him

doesn’t absolutely despise max because max is essentially like if moe was less obnoxious. flamboyant and outgoing and actually helpful!

great impressionist

max galactica:

entered the entertainment industry as a teenager after being scouted in high-school

genuinely does not give two shits about what other people think about him because he knows theyre all wrong. self-centered asshole

BAAAD anger issues. frequently smashes plates over dinner arguments. raises his voice quickly

only person spared from his eternal rage is regina berry

not getting his way makes him like genuinely upset

loves to threaten to quit to make everyone do what he wants

probably some sort of personality disorder

in a beautiful world he goes to therapy

he does actually genuinely want them to all be better performers but he’s literally terrible at showing it LMAO

lover of really obnoxious and clearly fabricated reality TV

massive drama whore. gossiper like no other.

the worst cook you’ve ever met in your life

drag queen!

into loser men (benjamin woodman)

acro/ken:

AUTISM

would both kill and die for every single member of the circus

including regina. not the kind of person to ever hold such a deep grudge so this is a first for him and he has very mixed feelings about it all

he gets physical therapy and his life is better ♥️

very emotional but great at regulating his feelings and self reflection. also great poker face!

terrible at accepting anyones act of kindness no matter how big or small. feels like he always has to pay everything back

tends to hide himself away if he is genuinely upset enough to the point of not being able to hide it

extremely observant person. in both behaviors and physical settings. always knows what to look for and what is out of place

very blunt but not. rude. just sort of speaks his thoughts and feelings. either honest about what he feels or dead silent

terrible liar

“will listen to anything” music kind of guy

actually quite prideful but like. in a healthy way.

tanktop wearer duh this we know but just generally a hater towards long sleeved shirts

decent artist! fun little hobby for him

[theinfinitedivides]

being british is not "a fast track to being not decent". if you're not living in britain then your perception is being altered by the fact that the only ones you ever fucking see on screen were born into the 0.1%.

also how did you miss the entire point of that post, the point is that any english actor allowed to have any kind of career these days is the opposite of representative of the majority of citizens. hopefully you're just a kid but if not jesus christ learn to fucking read

i was going to start this with the traditional pleasantries but it seems my general use of sarcasm (humorous or otherwise) on this main for the past 3+ years is lost on you (even though i am trying to give you the benefit of the doubt by saying that you're coming across me for the first time), so let me make it very clear: my ancestors were f*cking enslaved by the UK. there are ancestors that haven't been confirmed except through word of mouth that were most likely f*cked over by the UK in various ways. i think then, in this circumstance, that i have the right to say that the British government in general has done f*cking horrible things. the British themselves have done f*cking horrible things. i am not talking about individual people on the streets and in the countryside just trying to live their lives, i am talking about the entire f*cking system that enables sh*t like this. the British system is not decent. not at all, and if you're steeped in that like a mf*cking teabag for God knows how long, i've found it hard to discover exceptions to the societal bedrock that is racism, classism and white jackassery since we're talking about the same place that, despite giving us Shakespeare and Rickman and Princess Diana (landed gentry aside) also gave us Churchill (took the UK through WWII but engineered a f*cking famine in India bc according to him they 'breed like rabbits'), the f*cking Fiennes clan (Ralph is a JKR supporter), and Charles and Andrew and the rest of the royal f*cking family, so if that isn't a fast track to being not decent then idk what is.

that being said, sure, as cynical of a bitch that i am maybe my perception is less than ideal bc of the 0.1%, but if all of the f*cking people in charge are part of the 0.1% then how tf do you expect me to say otherwise, exactly? the reason there isn't representation is bc the industry sucks ass, which is why the only actors i'm interested in are Welsh and Irish and Scottish—the status quo rn is not concerned with allowing people with a regular 'English' background to have their time on screen, let alone LGBTQ+ and POC. and so yes, the nepo babies are going to continue to have a career, even if they act worse than f*cking paint on a drywall, and the cycle will start all over again, and we can forget about having a f*cking accurate portrayal of the average citizen any time soon, and this goes for the British film industry and Hollywood and Bollywood—contrary to your belief, i am privileged enough to have been able to learn in such a way that i was able to pick up the necessary comprehension skills needed to function meaningfully in this society without being disenfranchised. (PSA: others, i know, have not been able to. that does not make them worth any less.) i didn't know, however, that i was supposed to write an entire essay in the f*cking tags??? to explain that i did, in fact, comprehend??? and to reiterate what was already f*cking there??? i'm sorry??? just bc i chose not to address the aforementioned info and instead indirectly acknowledged that it was correct by emphazing what i did doesn't mean i didn't see it—i literally put a qualifier for the first point you brought up (something like '... if the ancestors minded their f*cking business #and lived their lives like normal human beings'). generational tendencies and traits are a thing, that's why we have a whole subset of American citizens who still think it's alright to use the f*cking N word to refer to Black people

look, i really don't know what side of the bed you woke up on and i'm sorry you felt the need to come into my inbox and bitch about this, but i hope you felt better after sending this and didn't put any of this toxicity into anyone else's space, OK? ty <333

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: What’s the harm in a pseudonym? Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author R. F. Kuang in the vein of White Ivy and The Other Black Girl. Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena’s a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn’t even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

Review:

What would you do if you found yourself with a manuscript to a book that you know would be an absolute gem... and you could... say it was yours... would you take it? Juniper Hayward is an author who wrote one book but never really made it, but the thing about her is that she is best friends with the best selling and talented Asian American author Athena Liu. Athena and Juniper have an interesting relationship, they both went to Yale at the same time, they had the same debut year, but they both went on completely different paths with Athena becoming a star and Juniper remaining a nobody. Athena doesn’t have any real friends except for Juniper... but Juniper is steeped in her jealousy. So when a night of celebrating Athena’s newest deal with Netflix and Juniper ends up reading some of Athena’s newest unpublished book, a masterpiece experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during WWI.... but then Athena dies in a freak accident and Juniper impulsively steals her manuscript. She takes it home, edits it, and sends it to her agent as her own work, because technically she did edit it and make it hers... right? Next thing she knows she is being rebranded as Juniper Song, a new name to make her seem more racially correct... along with an equally racially ambiguous ethnic author photo. Juniper is now leaning into the success, but someone knows something is wrong and there is evidence that threatens to bring down June’s stolen success. June is being haunted by Athena, she can’t escape her, and the accusations are mounting. How far will June go to claim what she thinks she deserves, how much will she justify? This was such a thrilling read, it kept me completely engrossed and absolutely at the edge of my seat as what was going to happen. Everyone in this story was morally grey, June, Athena, and the entire industry. Juniper and Athena were both complex and had a complicated relationship, the things they did to each other, the friendship they maintained despite being so different, the way they hurt one another. It truly had me captivated and I definitely enjoyed reading this one. I love the way R.F. Kuang writes and this one definitely was a fun one to read. 

*Thanks Netgalley. and William Morrow for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[singemall-stayallnight]

Positive Encounters with Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

"When I lived in Brighton, in the late seventies and early eighties, I met Jimmy Page and Philip Hale at a private musical event in Hassocks where I played piano for a small invited gathering. I chatted to Jimmy and briefly to Philip. I was invited to Jimmy's home at Plumpton shortly afterwards where an engineer was mixing Robert Plant's vocals on the album "In Through The Out Door". It was lovely, atmospheric; a truly beautiful place. There were guitars everywhere, even nine in the tiny WC. It was a charming place and Jimmy was a gentle, compassionate host. I recognised Philip Hale's photo in a local paper a short while later and recognised him immediately. It was so sad to read of his passing." Reply

Anonymous25 May 2017 at 13:15

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/29920183-who-are-the-nicest-rock-stars-classic-rock-edition#29920857

"Jimmy Page was nice when I met him."

by Anonymous reply 6 December 19, 2021 4:05 AM

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/34120072-have-you-ever-embarrassed-yourself-in-front-of-a-celebrity-

"Yes, and I worked in Burbank (Hampton’s) which was an industry restaurant so met many, many celebrities and never acted a fool.

But when I met Jimmy Page in London ten years ago, I mumbled some gibberish, rolled my eyes at myself, then we stood staring at each other for what felt like an entire minute then I said, “anyway, I’m a really huge fan” and he yelled, 'awww!' And gave me a big, tight hug.

He was actually so sweet and I’m sure he got that idiotic behavior all the time but I was just the biggest dork."

by Anonymous reply 7 March 14, 2024 12:09 PM

"Wow R7! That's so cool. I probably would have reacted the same way. Who goes to work expecting to meet Jimmy Page!"

by Anonymous reply 8 March 14, 2024 12:37 PM

"R8

Oh, sorry. I didn’t write that properly - was still waking up, I think.

I didn’t meet Jimmy at Hampton’s in Burbank but in London where I was on vacation. I saw him walking with another guy and introduced myself."

by Anonymous reply 17 March 14, 2024 7:44 PM

This quotation by Pamela Des Barres about Jimmy is (partly) positive. Jimmy was a player. While we're on the subject, Robert was a player too.*

https://www.loudersound.com/features/pamela-des-barres-my-stories-of-alice-cooper-robert-plant-jim-morrison-and-more

"Jimmy Page

'My other true love that I thought I was really, really in love with. And he sure led you to believe it, man. I found out later from three other girls that he said the same things to all of us. But the best lover, the best talker, the best line giver, the best everything. He was it. He was the supreme catch if you were a groupie because he took you on the road, he bought you things, he whispered sweet nothings all the time. He led you to believe you were the one. And it really felt good.

He was the epitome of British royalty. I haven’t seen Jimmy in years. Although, you know what I hear now, he’s let his hair go grey and he’s sober for years. I think he’s a completely changed guy.'"

Here are a few threads with nice stories about coming across/interacting with Robert.

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/i-met-robert-plant-last-week.709197/

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/robert-plant-30-years-ago-1988-now-and-zen-album-poll.747966/

"I'll post since may be interesting for some of you guys who like this album.

I was assistant engineer on the recording. I was just 18 years old at the time. It was recorded at the 3rd Studio I worked at, Marcus Music, Kensington Gardens Square, which got demolished to make way for the rebuilding of Whiteleys :(. That was a great studio. I also assisted on ABC's Alphabet City there.

I loved working on this album. I volunteered because I had grown up with Led Zep. My best friend's uncle was Led Zep's roady and then did some live sound for them, IIRC. Led Zep IV was my fav album when I was 14. So, I volunteered for the Robert Plant session when I knew he was coming in. I hit it off with him straight away because of the indirect connection. Such a great guy. I got to sleep at normal times since he started at 10am and finished at 8pm, which is unheard of. He would buy us all curry EVERY lunchtime. I got to record some of his vocals in the upstair studio, which was a real privilege as a trainee engineer.

He would mercilessly tease Tim Palmer who was the producer/main engineer. Tim had done work with Texas. We took days getting a drum sound and RP was really digging TP that they recorded Led Zep IV in a week, or whatever it was, and the drum sound then was way better than he was getting now!

I remember Doug Boyle, quite a young guitarist, buying this supposedly super-duper guitar amp from the States. Trouble was it just sounded **** in the studio. Plant really gave him good teasing on that as well. Of course the great guitar amps are Marshalls and Vox AC30's.

The real icing on the cake was when Jimmy Page came and did some guitar over dubs. I was, and still am, such a fan. He used Vox AC30 amp and Les Paul. The sound was just amazing, and the way he played just had that great sound. When he bent just a single note that guitar just sang.

So, working on that album was one of the BIG highlights of my career. RP gave me £200 at the end too!! That's unusual. Assistant engineers/Tape Ops got a pittance, so it was well appreciated. RP's knowledge of music was amazing. He was playing REM, who I hadn't heard of at the time."

-Timbo21, Sep 2, 2018

&

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1271389-to-be-wondering-a-lot-what-Robert-Plants-first-date-with-Liz-Jones-would-be-like susiedotcom · 02/08/2011 13:26

"I'd never heard of Liz Jones before now, but I do see Robert Plant out quite frequently in Worcester (well, DH does now that I never go out after dark…) He's the loveliest, coolest, friendliest guy ever and I can't believe he'd go out with the woman I've just been reading about. I'm quite pleased (and a bit surprised) to see so many RP fans on here though."

There seems to be a good amount of positive and negative experiences posted online when it comes to Robert. Here's a few of the negative ones:

This one in particular is from a Q&A thread hosted by men who work in the Nashville music business.

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/16819213-country-music-gossip-ii

"NG1 here. I know the engineer who has worked on many of Allison Krauss' records. I love how natural and unforced her voice sounds. He said that is partly because she barely whispers when she sings, and they have the volume tuned up high to catch her voice. Her voice is beautiful."

by Anonymous reply 319 June 12, 2016 5:05 AM

"R 319 take a listen to Alison's first couple of records -- she was singing in her "real" voice then. Her current whispery, throaty, style, while lovely, isn't natural and has lead to a few bouts of vocal rest and forced time off the road. And while she can be charming, she can also be, shall we say, difficult. That second album with Robert Plant will never see the light of day, she drove him nuts in the studio."

by Anonymous reply 326 June 16, 2016 4:40 AM

"NG1 here.

Patty Griffin is not a Nashville artist. She's from Maine, and started in the folk scene in Boston. She moved to Nashville for a very brief time, where she recorded her first two albums, them moved to Austin, where , I believe she still lives. I see her around some, but I don't think she spends that much time here. She and Robert Plant live together -- or at least used to, I don't know if they still do -- which seems like the strangest couples. I've met Plant many many times, and he is the world's biggest ass."

by Anonymous reply 344 June 18, 2016 4:04 AM

"To NG1

Thank you for mentioning to us about Robert Plant. I always thought he was an ass. He thought his crap didn't stink. I wouldn't be surprised if Patty Griffin kicked him to the curb.

Like you have said on here before is Country music is where any artist can be forgotten or be pushed to the side at any time. Dang, that sucks."

by Anonymous reply 345 June 18, 2016 10:02 AM

"Oh, and Patty and Robert split up more than a year ago." by Anonymous reply 347 June 19, 2016 6:37 AM

https://forums.ledzeppelin.com/topic/15152-robert-plant-band-of-joy-tour-2011/

Posted February 16, 2011

"The Show Must Go On?

Locals comment on the Band of Joy turmoil in Tennessee:

dropshadow 8:50 AM on February 14, 2011

'Try waiting on him sometime, and you'd never buy another ticket to one of his shows. He's a complete ass.'

There was also a thread on Datalounge that had a comment about how wait staff members working in various restaurants in Austin "hated" Robert, but I can't find the thread, nor do I remember the title. I'm pretty sure the thread was from the time he lived there with Patty or shortly after he'd moved back to England.

Here's more DL threads on LZ, for anyone interested:

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/14519026-led-zeppelin

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/25295397-let-s-talk-about-lez-zeppelin! (Lez is just a typo, it's not a reference to the cover band.)

There's other mentions of Jimmy and Robert in non-LZ threads on DL. You can use the search feature on the site, but theirs is not the best. Another option is to type a name and site:datalounge.com into a search engine. There have been other LZ threads & threads that contained LZ stories on DL, such as the one below, but they've expired.

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/8208701-rock-roll-royalty-70s-style!

Random Robert stories:

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/robert-plant-solo-recommendations.953836/

"Dreamland 2002: would get my vote. Saw him on that tour. Small venue of less than 2000 people. I was standing about 4 deep as there were no seating except the balcony. He kept smiling at this hot girl off to my right. As the show drew to a close, security came out and escorted her backstage. Guess a good time was had by all."

-JFSebastion, Dec 14, 2021

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/jimmy-page-what-really-happened.503865/page-18

"Jimmy (Page) had an upward curve until LZ IV,followed by a downward spiral from there on. This point of view was confirmed to me by none else than Robert Plant at Copredy in 1995 when discussing LZ! Twenty years later I still hold to this opinion."

-joachim50, Mar 4, 2016

"I actually did not like to be misunderstood and misquoted:

Please note that there is a difference betweeen curve and spiral.I will not elaborate on either. I described "the upward curve until LZ IV,and the downward spiral as a "point of view that was confirmed (to me)by Robert Plant at Copredy in 1995 when discussing LZ.

So this was MY opinion at the time which I put across to Robert Plant,and he agreed to MY opinion.So I label it as his confirmation.

The background is that I got into talking with him at the bar at Copredy when I was chatting with Dave Pegg and Simon Nicol and was introduced to Robert Plant.During the course of our chat he(RP) asked me for my opinion about the albums of LZ to which I replied,that I regarded the" First Four" as monuments having an upward curve especially as Jimmy Page's contributions were concerned,and that afterwards an increasing number of cracks were to be noticed until ---in my opinion---the whole thing collapsed with Presence.

Robert Plant looked at me and told me that he agreed,and gave as reasons "too much money,too many birds,too many hard drugs,and too many personality clashes."

He also said that during the last 5 years of LZ his heart had not been in it anymore,and that he had been coerced by management to continue.He also said,that he regretted not having stopped working with LZ since especially the qualities of Jimmy Page and John Bonham had vaporized more and more dramatically due to their complete immersion into the Rock'n Roll lifestyle."

-joachim50, Mar 4, 2016

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/robert-plant-the-early-solo-career-1982-1993.1194809/

"I really enjoy all the albums up to and including Fate Of Nations, with the exception of Manic Nirvana, which is okay, but not much more. I have to be in a 1980s mood for Shaken ‘N’ Stirred, but when I am, it’s a real blast. I saw RP on the tour for his second album and I remember a girl shouting out, 'I love you Robert', to which he replied 'You wouldn’t like the real thing at home.' That gig was a lot of fun."

-The Bishop, Feb 8, 2024

----------------------------------------------

There are a lot of Zep threads on the Steve Hoffman Forum, as well as specific ones on Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham.

----------------------------------------------

Does anyone know which interview this poster is referencing?

This is a comment from a thread on the Steve Hoffman Forum but I can't remember which thread. I copied the comment but forgot to copy the link:

"Occam's Razor - Okay, thanks. I get it now. To tell you the truth from my perspective, I think Robert thought Alison was more capable in a wider genre of music and could adapt to more of his style. I knew the first time I heard/saw the "Please Read the Letter" video it wasn't exactly right. He was restaining his voice to match her style and adapting to her style. I knew it would only be a matter of time. When I read, remember this, that he wanted her to "moan" on a particular song, and she responded with "I'm not black", she just blew it. That statement was wrong on many levels even if she couldn't "moan" as he wanted. Totally "ignorant" thing to say in my opinion. Anyway, I DO love his current project very much and think Patty is just perfect. I think Robert finally found it. Also, LOVE the fact that he's doing more of a SOLO project rather than "duet" style. I do think though that Patty's voice and ability to adapt to Robert's style enhances his singing in a very positive way. His voice is sounding amazing.

BTW when you are a talent like Robert, yeah, four days is enough time to KNOW just where the thing is going or not going. I totally agree with him on that."

That response from Alison was indeed wrong. I'm curious to know who told this story. If it wasn't Robert, it was probably T Bone Burnett. If anyone can link to the interview that mentions this, or remembers anything about it, please let me know. I'd appreciate it.

*Just to give one example of this, from Lisa Robinson's Vanity Fair piece on Led Zeppelin, "Robert's tour amours were girls he managed to convince that he was, at any given moment, about to leave his wife, Maureen, the mother of his two young children."

[recentlyheardcom]

The famous late-night lives television variety show in America currently on its 44th season has jazzed up the attention of its audience by posting the line-up of its first 3 shows on twitter.  The post showed that the SNL host for this weekend would be Adam Driver with Kanye West as the musical guest. FIRST ASIAN WOMAN TO HOST ‘SNL’ IN ALMOST 20 YEARS The weekend of October 6th would be hosted by Awkwafina and Travis Scott as the musical guest. And the third show as mentioned in the post would be hosted by the late-night show host Seth Meyers with the musical guest Paul Simon. What really has caught the attention of the viewers is the host for the October 6th show. Ocean’s 8 and a recent hit movie, Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina would be the first Asian woman to host SNL in almost 20 years. The last time SNL saw an Asian woman was when Lucy Liu hosted the show with Jay-Z in the musical act back in 2000. With two hit releases and making history by hosting SNL, Awkwafina has made sure that 2018 be her year and that she isn’t stopping anytime soon. The said rapper and comedian had worked very hard and deserves every bit of attention and respect she is getting. For the record, SNL is not the only platform where the said star is a part of history. She recently starred in Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast and Asian-American lead in 25 years. The movie was a huge success both critically and on the box office. The movie was highly praised for removing the Asian stereotype portrayed by Hollywood as is believed to set a new and a progressive path for Hollywood and eventually make way for many more talented Asian actors to get an equal opportunity like an American actor. After the release of the film the actress told the Hollywood reporter “this is an entire ensemble cast of talented Asian and American and British and Australian individuals that are doing things and changing the industry in their own way and we’re out there and we exist”. The movie opened better than any other rom-com since 2015 release trainwreck. And by the second week, the movie had gained another $25 million almost the same as its first weekly gain. “People didn’t believe we’d make as much as we did in the first weekend. In Hollywood they might have thought minority movies can’t bring it in,” said the comedian. When asked how Hollywood can improve the representation of Asians on-screen, the actress came up with a powerful response saying,” representation starts both in front and behind the camera. I think the big reason there aren’t a lot of our stories reflected is that people don’t know how to write for us or think they can’t write for us. So I think for any minority group you need to have writers who can reflect those stories and tell them honestly. It’s important to give people a chance. Take a chance on opening up roles even leads for actors of color.” Movies like Crazy Rich Asians, Black Panther and Girls trip have surely opened the gates for minority communities to Hollywood but Hollywood still has to go a long way to remove the stereotypes set by themselves and come up with equal opportunities for the actors of color.

[silver-moon1]

Economic Impacts of Tourism

The 2004 Thailand Tsunami had a major effect on the housing and tourism industry. After doing a quick Google search I learned that over 400 villages were impacted, and 47 destroyed (including tourist destinations). It is absolutely insane to think about how families had to relocate, rebuild, and mourn their dead during such a tragic time.

It made me so devastated when the movies discussed missing children. As we saw in The Aftermath an entire family had been separated, but when the parents found one another again they suffered immense pain and suffering because of the loss of their child. It was heartbreaking when the mother couldn't process the grief of losing her daughter so when she found a little girl similar in age to her own she clung onto her and decided to keep her. If I was her I don't know if I would've been able to cope the death of a child either. No parent should ever have to experience that pain, let alone the trauma of experiencing an natural disaster such as the Thailand Tsunami.

When the monks in The Aftermath took the unidentified bodies and burned them to reduce the spread of disease at first I thought it is understandable to do so, but what about the families? I understand that there are differences in culture and religion and the protocol for an event like this is unimaginable, but I feel for the families that didn't get to say goodbye to their loved ones. It was interesting, however, that they mentioned that monks believe that the soul is laid to rest along with the body and that it is nothing more than a vessel. Typically, though, many like to have a farewell for their dead and so I believe this act was very damaging for those who lost someone in the event. It would have been very difficult to determine who was missing or who was dead. Rather than burning the bodies without identifying them first, I think that the monks or the press should have at least took a picture of the individuals face to be able to identify loved ones for the families.

In what seemed like such a short amount of time representatives from all over the globe came to assist families in trying to make sense of the disaster and the steps to follow. I thought that the British representative in The Aftermath was extremely overwhelmed (and rightfully so) by the amount of people needing assistance. I could not believe how the press was acting during this movie. They were so incredibly invasive and somewhat disrespectful at times. I understand that there is a need to update the world on current events as they happen, but the two guys in the movie were somewhat aggravating. One of them was Thai and didn't want to take a picture of the bodies being burned as it is disrespectful to the culture. The other wanted to profit on the story being published and that taking the picture was a key factor, so he did it himself. This can be seen as disrespectful or necessary. I think it is a mix of both. It is disrespectful to profit on the stories of the deceased, but I think that they should have taken pictures to inform the families.

As I watched the second movie, called The Impossible, I thought it was very sweet and helpful of such a young boy to make the most of things and try to set things right for some of the families missing their children. He took names of missing kids and searched for them in the hospital. I couldn't help but smile when he reunited the german boy and his father. Additionally it was very touching when the other little boy (that Lucas' mom helped save along the way) found his dad. These scenes gave a glimpse of happiness throughout the darkness of the story. What frustrated me the most during this movie was when Lucas and his ENTIRE family were in the hospital at the same time and no one knew for a few minutes. Lucas and his dad were wandering the halls, his mom in critical condition, and then the two other boys in the truck. When they all found each other it made me so happy, but also when they went to see their mom I couldn't help but cry when she said "I can rest now" and "I'm dying". It was like she wanted to wait until her husband was there to let go because she knew the boys would be taken care of.

I think natural disasters happen all the time, maybe not to the extent of the Tsunami, but they do happen so it was interesting to see the scope of it all and how it was "handled". I don't think it was handled amazingly, but in a situation as chaotic as this I don't know if it could have been handled any better. Everyone in the films were doing their best in helping out those hurt in the situation. I think that is the most that could have been done. It was organized chaos.

As a society, helping others creates social change. I believe that this event tested the waters for how a devastating event can turn the entire world upside down. Together, with the help of governments, religious organizations, and volunteers assistance a lot can be accomplished in a short amount of time. I thought this quote really sums up the effects of the event on tourism:

"These conditions resulted in a significant decline in tourist bookings, arrivals, and revenue following the tsunami, causing a severe downturn in the tourism industry in some of the tsunami-affected countries."

[veeveex3]

Songs that the Twisted Wonderland students would sing at Karaoke

Tags: crack, suggestive (?) (more like in a jokey way + some of the songs are mature / explicit), my uncreative ass song choices (I'm sorry lol)

AN: i just thought this would be funny and a nice break from the longer fics lol

Heartslabyul

Riddle:

First Love / Late Spring by Mitski

mainly due to that one part of the song (hopefully you know which one) and also because he just thinks the song hits a little too close to home

might cry a little and / or scream the lyrics

his form of therapy

Ace:

Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley

he thinks he so funny that he just laughs half the time

doesn't even finish the song

no one laughs btw

deuce boos at him off the nonexistent stage

has one of those cane things too to drag him off

Duece:

Balls in your Jaws slowed + reverbed

this was not of his own choice

was gonna genuinely pick a song he liked but looked away from the little tablet thingy for a second and ace picked this instead

tries so hard not to throw the mic at him he's so embarrassed

Cater:

CPR by Cupcakke

mainly for shits and giggles

probably genuinely likes Cupcakke so he tries

probably laughs mainly cuz everyone is laughing though

Trey:

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by The Beatles

british (affectionate)

yeah I feel like trey's the type of guy to listen to older music

also seems like the type to be a nice singer

idia says something along the lines of "OMG IS THAT A JOJO'S REFERENCE??? POGGERS" when the title shows up

Savanaclaw

Leona:

As The World Caves In by Matt Maltese

ruggie forced him to do karaoke there's no way this man would do this of his free will /hj

he just picks this up at random

a good singer if he tries

sadly he doesn't but he's still nice to listen to

Ruggie:

Industry Baby Sus Remix

i just remembered that one time my friend showed me this and I thought ruggie would sing this as a joke

another one who thinks he's funny but doesn't get boo'd off

Jack:

We Will Rock You by Queen

another one who i feel like listens to older music

also i think this song sorta fits him

tries not to show how happy he is when everyone does the stomp stomp clap thing

Octavinelle

Azul:

Jiggle Jiggle by Duke & Jones and Louis Theroux

half ironically and half unironically

probably another one who didn't really wanna come but the tweels forced him to sing a song so he said "fuck it" and picked this mainly as a joke

probably sits down immediately after and starts doing work nerd lmao

Jade:

Camel by Camel by Sandy Marton

floyd probably picked this for him to see who would react and to laugh at them

another good singer so he just has fun while floyd's giggling in his seat

Floyd:

the home depot song

that's it

Scarabia

Kalim:

Levitating by Dua Lipa

idk this was just the first thing that popped in my mind

probably because the songs so upbeat and bubbly to me so it fits him

definitely gets other people to sing along (ESPECIALLY jamil)

also the supportive friend who hyped you up when you sing :>

Jamil:

Blinding Lights by The Weeknd

yet another one who was forced to be here

and another one who chose a song randomy

and another one who would be a great singer if he tried

would give more energy than leona though cuz he knows he can sing

probably makes that smug face after if people like it

Pomfiore

Vil:

Boyfriend by Dove Cameron

i don't really know much about vil's character other than that he's insecure and flashy (i mean this in the nicest way possible btw!)

so i hope this song fits??

yeah, but is probably moves around and dances while he sings

gives a whole ass performance

Rook:

Ave Maria by Franz Schubert

puts his entire heart and soul into this

trying way too damn hard for karaoke

doesn't really move as much as vil but still just seems extra, y'know

gives a little wink at the end

probably blows a kiss too dhsjsjsjsk

Epel

Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

this is an act of defiance against vil

also probably one of the only few songs he knows well enough to sing

probably coughs at lot since he's trying to make himself sound deeper

same

Ignihyde

Idia:

Hikaru nara from Your Lie in April

fucking weeb lmao

now that I got that out of the way, idia only has two moods when he sings

mutters the words or screams the lyrics

if he sang normally, he'd sound really nice

Ortho:

The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku by Hatsune Miku

idia asks if ortho could sing this cuz he physically could

honestly, ortho would be happy singing anything

he's just here for a fun time, y'know

Diasomnia

Malleus:

Two Trucks by Lemon Demon

lilia said that if he sang this, people would enjoy it

sorta stiff cuz he's embarrassed but he's trying his best, alright

leona is losing his shit though someone needs to calm him down

Lilia:

Fingers In His Ass by Sans Undertale and Nagito Komaeda

grandpa's just trying to have fun, ok?

another one who encourages people to sing along but everyone is either laughing, complaining, or trying to calm everyone else down

Sebek:

Electric Love by Børns

let's just get it out of the way he is a bit too loud

not like, screaming loud but just like, a bit too loud

another one who tries too hard

immediately tries to get malleus' approval afterwards

he's fine with anyone praising him though but he'll never admit it

Silver:

rises the moon by Liana Flores

i also don't really know silver's character that much either other than that he's sleepy and that lilia adopted him

so yeah, probably keeps the tablet away from him at all costs

i mainly picked a low energy song that i think fits his voice and energy, y'know

Ramshackle

Grim:

MOOO! by Doja Cat

i just thought this would be funny

that's literally it

[bastart13]

I’ve had a lot of fun recently coming with with female mercenary characters for TF2. I really liked where the concept art was going with making them all individual characters rather than simply “if the characters were women”

The design style is fantastic for distinct simplicity so I tried limiting myself to basic colours and shapes to make these

and I’m pretty confident they pass the silhouette test!

Character names/bios under the cut!

Heavy

Name: Marie Jarrett

Age: Mid 30s-40s

Height: 6’5

Nationality: American (Hawai’i)

Bio: Raised in Hawai’i, growing up she developed more and more drastic measures to fend off the tourists swarming her home. Land mines, electric gates, guard dogs, none could stop them for long until she picked up her trusty minigun to send her message. But even still, she hears the click of cameras in the night.

Eventually, she left her home to explore the world. Enthralled with the image of seeing different wonders across different countries, she’s always disappointed. She’s travelled every continent and still finds nothing that lives up to her expectations. No place, no person. She’s outgoing and open to new experiences, only she usually hates them.

Mercenary life is a great opportunity to earn money, see sights, meet new people and kill them after they don’t meet your expectations. She hates New Mexico and takes every opportunity to destroy the buildings and insult her employer’s tastes. She finds some people she tolerates within the mercenaries as she hasn’t yet visited where they live. However much she hides it, she has a deep, instinctual fear of the Engineer.

  Soldier

Name: Linda Smith

Age: Early 40s

Height: 5’10

Nationality: Canadian

Bio: Canada’s perfect woman… or so she claims. The star of war propaganda posters and clearly decided for the role because of her great tactical assets. She’s there to motivate people into the fight. To spread the glory of Canada and inspire her allies. She believes she has higher orders than anyone else she’s working for (ignoring the fact she hasn’t heard from them for a good few years) and is determined to follow them to the letter. She may have lost the letter but she remembers it good enough.

She represents the ideals of Canada: polite, friendly, apologetic, and pacifistic. None of these are contradicted by how she throws around rockets. That’s not what Canada means. She’s superior to everyone around her and graciously educates them on how to improve through example. She loves her French and British allies and will kindly tell the Americans how to be better.

She’s motivating and actually fairly competent, it’s just that competency might be misdirected. She’s damn good at rocket jumping, shooting her shotgun, and supporting her team, it’s just that you really need to get it in her head when she’s meant to be doing it.

Scout

Name: Patricia “Pat” Herald

Age: 50s-60s

Height: 5’4

Nationality: English

Bio: In her years, Patricia has learnt fear… and she’s learnt to laugh in its face. She wakes up at the crack of dawn, ready to leave at the drop of a hat, boots polished and laced the night before. Her years have taught her that with a gun and Jeremy by her side, she can survive!

The postal route of Appleby-in-Westmorland.

She’s been chased by geese, dogs, cows, elderly ladies, and when her postal route had her delivering post during the war, she developed a taste for blood. Nothing will stop her from delivering her post on time. Every day before 6am, every postbox will have their letters and parcels. One chucked across barbed wire, another house jumped over a river, another house miles into the country with dogs on her heels, she WILL get there and she’ll get there FAST.

But after a couple of decades, she needs a change of scenery, and the Gravels wars are just the holiday she’s needed. With her trusty black and white cat by her side (ignoring the yowling and scratches) she reckons it’ll be great time to enjoy herself.

Quotes: “Oh, hello, Human Jeremy.”

“Bloody fucking Ethel! Building her house out in the country… surrounded by bloody hills and rivers!”

Pyro

Name: Nikephoros Papadopoulos

Age: Late 20s

Height: 5’11

Nationality: Greek

Bio: Survival of the fittest. Nature gives and nature taketh away. If you’re not prepared for that, well, Pyro is more than happy to teach you the lesson. They embody the old values of the Greek gods: f*ck or fire. She indulges her every whim and unfortunately for the people around her it often involves arson.

One year for the Olympic games, she was given the noble title of torchbearer. On complete coincidence, the Olympics shifted to primarily water sports. Underwater sprints became the hot new trend!

She’s merry and chatty, never missing the opportunity to talk to other people about herself and her world view. She can’t wait to spread her gospel to help other people improve themselves (though she always gets a laugh out of those who go out screaming in the flames). She can’t help it if she has a sadistic side.

Engineer

Name: Mikawo Kojima

Age: Early 20s

Height: 5’0

Nationality: Japanese

Bio: Japan’s early-rising industrial revolutions in technology are best exemplified in Mikawo, a young upstart determined to rise to the top, learning everything she can and building the best of the best. Unfortunately, she’s never been the most creative but when you happen upon other people’s blueprints and happen to construct them first, what does it matter who came up with the “concept”?

At first, she appears to be every bit the quiet and demure young woman people expect, only when silk hides steel, that steel is a massive automatic sentry gun. She’s motivated by a distinct contempt for the people who get in her way. Especially those who try to be better than her. She enjoys the flexibility of English, especially the cusses, and she has no reservations about swearing up a storm, even if she still refuses to give a straight rejection, preferring instead to give a small “I’ll think about it.”

Quotes: “This GUN is fair use on your head!”

Demo

Name: Qingzhao Zeng

Age: Late 40s

Height: 5’3

Nationality: Chinese

Bio: The Zeng family has a long-standing family trade in demolitions and explosives, traced down the line all the way to the Song dynasty. Luckily, Qingzhao has sisters so, you know, it’s not all that important. She doesn’t even have to stop smoking and drinking. She hasn’t blown herself up (that much) so clearly, it’s working. Precision is for other people to worry about. She’s apathetic to a T, having seen everything. Measurements come from the heart. A pinch of gunpowder there, a splash of paint there.

Her family has a deep-seated rivalry with the DeGroots. Long ago in ancient China, a Zeng matriarch woke up in a cold sweat, a message from the stars to let them know of their Scottish rivals. Due to being a continent away from each other, the families have actually met each other only a handful of times, but the hatred needs to be kept up because, what if?

Turns out, Qingzhao has met Tavish even before finding employment under the Mann brothers. One drunken night, the two of them had a short, whirlwind friendship, sharing secrets and declaring each other to be their best friends. Luckily for them, they both forgot the night, merrily hating each other as tradition dictates. However, headaches and flashes of this terrible night haunt them both. Could they really get over centuries of hate and become friends?

Absolutely not.

Sniper

Name: Ansa Aaltonen

Age: 27

Height: 6’2

Nationality: Finnish

Bio: Snow. Sugar. Cocaine.  Her life is run by many white powders. Ansa is a professional sniper, with a sharp eye and a steady hand… when she isn’t also high as a kite, lost in the snowy wilderness of Finland and screeching to the sky. When you’re up in the dark and cold, you need something to give you a little pep in your step. It just so happens Ansa liked having a bit more pep than most.

She’s there for a THRILL. There’s nothing better to get your heart pumping at 200 beats per second than a good headshot, embracing the chill, and a hit of sugar. She no longer feels the cold or heat or even pain, shrugging it off until she collapses. It just makes her feel alive. She’s efficient, fast, and determined to get her kicks.

She has an unusual taste, living off fermented fish and tree bark. To most people around the Finnish wilderness, she’s nothing more than an urban legend, but she’s very real and she’s looking for some excitement, happily found in employment in the Gravel wars.

Spy

Name: Yvonne Pleshette [Real name N/A]

Age: 30s

Height: 5’8

Nationality: American (California)

Bio: The silver screen calls to his woman and she’s happy to answer. She trains herself to act in every possible role she can, having a wide range of accents, body languages, and backstories. To truly test herself, she gave up her identity long ago. Lately she’s been going by the name “Yvonne.”

The world of Hollywood is cutthroat and full of backstabbers so she learnt to cut throats and stab backs. While some people tell her the terms are metaphorical, nothing else has given her more roles. Living the mercenary life is simply gathering research for her roles (and earning some much-needed money in the process).

She presents herself as a classic film star, despite being a minor name at best, mostly because she’s always changing it. She has high standards but a cheapskate personality. She’s a bit of a bitch, happily criticising others, especially if they’re working with her. What can she say? She’s a diva.

[Slutshames other spy]

Quotes: “Ugh, actors these days, they know nothing about getting into character. They still have names.”

“’AHHHHH—’ Wait, no. Once more from the top. Scream in agony.”

Medic

Name: Susan Monks

Age: 30-40s

Height: 5’7

Nationality: American (New Jersey)

Bio: The American Healthcare system. Is there a more glorious sight? The exploitation of pain. The money. The debt. The fear it strikes into the entire population it’s designed to help. To Susan, there’s nothing better. She squeezes every last drop from the people she helps, working on a purely transactional lifestyle. She’ll never help someone unless she has all of their insurance information and the payment secure in her bank, and god forbid she ever accept help. It’s not like she can afford her own prices.

She’s very self-aware of her own corruption and proud of it, though she refuses to be exploited in the same way, suspicious of anything “free” but also doing her best not to pay for anything.

That said, she doesn’t much care for how good a job she does. In her eyes, asking for surgery is one thing. Asking for successful surgery is another. She has a variety of skills in both cosmetic and military medicine. She just wishes the license board would stop sending her “malpractice” letters. Ugh, stick to your own business. “Disappearing” all their messengers is becoming a pain.

Quotes: “Why get someone else to do something for you when you can scrounge a way to do it yourself?”

[vendettaparker]

Tom Holland x actress reader

Where are there in the same movie together and the cast goes out and Tom and reader really likes eachother maybe smut and after it’s really awkward between them fluff with a sprinkle of angst

Not In Love [T.H]

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: sexual themes, cursing, slight angst, probably some typos

a/n: hi hi! i’m so sorry but i don’t write smut, so i hope it’s ok that i just implied it! i will probably start writing smut in the future but for right now i find it a bit awkward for myself to write. also, sorry that this took so long to get out, i planned for this to only be like 800-1k words, and obvioulsy, it just kept going. hope this works well for you!

                             ✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

     (Y/N) (L/N) does not fuck around with co-stars. Ever since you started acting at the young age of eight, you were always told by your mom, manager, and others in the industry to avoid casual, co-star related hook ups. As your career progressed, even through puberty, you remained faithful to your vow. No mingling with co-workers in a non professional manner. Sure, some of your previous co-stars and you remained good friends, even after filming. But the main internal lesson always stayed the same: don’t fuck your co-stars. 

     In your long and glorious career, the only hindrance to your resolve was Tom fucking Holland. His stupid British charm and playful wiles always had your knees buckling and the butterflies in your stomach going haywire. And when he called you darling? In that stupid, yet honey-like accent? You were done for. 

     Tom had the absolute pleasure of working with you in The Devil All The Time. He watched all of your movies and practically grew up watching you on Disney Channel. To say he was simply starstruck would’ve been an understatement, he was enamoured. Practically in love. And when he got to know how kind and sweet you were in real life—not just on screen— he just had to turn on his British charm, just to watch you squirm. 

     Every little comment he made caused your skin to tingle. Your stance on co-star relationships had never been so harshly challenged. He would constantly call you whatever cute pet name he could think of at the time, and unluckily for you, they always seemed to just roll right off his tongue. He even went out of his way to grab you a coffee if he went out to get one, or he’d ask his brother to make sure to bring back your signature order: caramel macchiato with almond milk, two pumps of vanilla, and extra caramel drizzle. How he knew that was your go to order was a mystery to you. 

     It’s not like you didn’t retaliate with your own antics though. Sometimes during his scenes you send him a wink and a smile, just to watch him lose focus. Or maybe you’d tease him about the way he says croissant, but then also say it in the over pronounced way he does, just to bug him. On days when the sexual tension between you two was especially palpable, you’d kiss his cheeks after his scenes and say “good job, babe” or something else to rile him up. So no, you weren’t innocent in this matter at all. 

                   ✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

     This build up of tension was bound to boil over at some point. But why the fuck did it have to be during the fucking full cast and director dinner?

     You all arrived at the fancy restaurant, all 40+ of you. You sat next to Eliza and secretly hoped that Sebastian, Harry, or even Robert would take the seat next to you, anyone but Tom. He had been especially touchy that day, and you knew if he continued his ministrations, especially under the cover of a table, your resolve would surely fade away. 

     Unfortunately for you, Tom practically bolted to the seat next to you. You scooted a bit closer to Eliza, who nudged your shoulder playfully. 

     “You should just give in.” She stated, smirking the whole time. “Look at him, poor thing just wants some love and attention.” she giggled, nodding her head to where Tom was whispering with Harry on the other side of him. 

     “Stop it, you’re insufferable.” You rolled your eyes, but still smiled at the joking banter. 

     “(Y/N), hon, he’s one of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood right now, and he wants you.” Eliza pinched your makeup covered cheek, “you’re telling me you don’t wanna just jump in his pants? Do you not find him hot or something?” 

     You smacked her hand away, “No, I do find him attractive, I just d—”

     “Find who attractive, love?” Tom interrupted, smirking at the comment he heard. No, he didn’t know for sure you were talking about him, but one can hope. 

     “Nobody,” you dismissed, “I was just telling Eliza here that I think her dog is cute, right Eliza?” 

     “Sure.” She mumbled, rolling her eyes dramatically, then winking directly at Tom, just out of your view. 

     “Ah, I see.” He chuckled, “Yes, you find her dog attractive then?” 

     “No!” You defended, red faced from being backed into a hole, “I didn’t even use that word; you’re just hearing things.” 

     “Don’t worry, love. I find you absolutely, without a doubt, drop dead gorgeous.” Tom winked, before returning back to his conversation with Harry. 

     Eliza pinched your side, causing you to yelp. “See, I told you!” she whisper-yelled, a knowing smirk dawning her face. 

     “You didn’t tell me shit.” 

     “Ugh, whatever, you’re hopeless.” She sighed, just as the waiter was coming around to take your orders. 

     The majority of the evening went by just as simply and smoothly as possible, it was when dessert arrived that Tom stirred up trouble once again. His damned British charm made him the perfect devil in disguise.  

     “Darling, you have some cake right—” he licked his thumb before drawing it over your bottom lip, slowly, “here.” 

     He smirked at your surprised gaze and wiped the chocolate cake from your rose-painted lip. Never breaking his gaze, he drew his thumb back to his mouth and sucked on the digit, gently humming at the sweet taste of chocolate and strawberry lip gloss that flooded onto his tongue. This bitch. 

     You cleared your throat and ceased your—more than obvious— gawking. He wasn’t going to win this time. You sat quietly, smirking as he watched your every move, simply waiting for retaliation. And it came soon enough, when you knocked your water off the table into his lap, on accident, of course. 

     He jolted up the second the cold water hit his slacks, cursing, yet still keeping that charming smirk on his lips. You immediately started the steady stream of apologies, a faux look of remorse etched on your face. The rest of the cast simply looked on, none the wiser. 

     “Oh Tom! Gosh, I am so sorry.” You stood up as well, taking the napkin from your lap and dabbing his torso where the water splashed up. “I’m just so clumsy, forgive me.” You looked up at him with false serenity in your eyes, but a devilish grin. 

     “No worries, love.” He mused, “I’m just going to go dry off in the washroom. Could use some help though; it’s the least you could do.” The rest of the cast went back to their desserts and conversation, so they failed to notice the hidden glint in Tom’s eyes or the lustful insinuation behind his request. 

     “Sure.” You smiled up at him, determined not to lose this game of cat and mouse. You followed him to the large family restroom in a dimly lit corridor. He opened the door and gestured for you to go in first. What a gentleman, hm?

     He closed the door behind him and locked it before undoing the buttons on his dress shirt and removing it. His toned torso also damp with freezing droplets of ice water. 

     You sucked in a shaky breath, taking in his less than professional, disheveled look. “You gonna come help me, princess?” He reached for paper towels and grabbed a handful, dabbing the wet spot on his lap, right over his crotch. 

     “I—um, sorry,” you snapped out of it. Following his movements, doing the same but to his wet torso. 

     “You’re okay, love.” He looked at you, the close proximity of your bodies creating the most delicious heat in the bathroom. Tom leaned in slightly, just until your noses were brushing against one another. “Though, I’ll admit, the fact that you're not giving me an apology kiss right now, makes this a little less than okay.”

     You didn’t even process your actions completely, the second those words left his mouth yours lips were on his. You held his face in your hands, rough passion seeping through your entire body, and he was just the same. He kissed you fervently, holding your waist with one arm and the back of your head with his opposite hand, tangling his fingers into your hair. The tension and desire that had been building up for almost as long as you’ve known him finally boiling over. 

     Tom gingerly inched his hand up the side of your leg, under your dress. 

     “Wait, wait,” you pulled away, breathlessly, “we need to get back, they’re probably wondering where we are.” 

     Tom was about to concede when a knock rang through the room. 

     “Hey guys,” It was Eliza, “Seb paid for all of us, so we’re gonna head out. Take your time! Oh, and use protection!” You could practically hear the smirk on her face.  

     Tom stopped your little scowl by returning his attention to kissing you, “How lucky are we?” he mused, repositioning his hands, starting to fumble with the zipper of your dress. 

                   ✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

     The next Monday at work was hell. You spent the whole weekend internalizing your little rendezvous in the bathroom. Tom texted you nearly fourteen times over the two day break period where you didn’t see each other, and you ignored every single one of them. The first ones were simple ‘hey’s’, ‘hi’s’, and ‘good morning’s’, but they soon progressed to show Tom’s concern over you not responding. The last message being, 

Tom: I hope you know, I don’t regret it, but I’m sorry if you do.

     You didn’t mean to ghost him, but your feelings were so confusing. You liked him and the things he did to you. But you had a code. And maybe the ‘don’t date your co-worker’ was a bit old school and shitty, but you’d been able to stick to it for this long and your work has never been better. Then again, all your previous boyfriends have been assholes; constantly upset over how busy your schedule was. Maybe a fellow actor would be more understanding? 

     The second you arrived to set Harry was on your ass. 

     “(Y/N), hey!” He called to you from the snack table where he was talking with Tom. You gave him a small smile and wave, but proceeded to your makeup chair. He motioned for you to join them, but you waved your hand in dismissal and gave him an apologetic look. Whether or not you regretted your night with Tom, you were absolutely not ready to confront it just yet. However, you didn’t miss the disappointed look on Tom’s face or the way Harry gave his brother a reassuring shoulder squeeze. 

     Harry even came up to you asking how your weekend was and if you were busy or not, no doubt trying to gauge your mood for Tom. You were friends with Harry so you didn’t mind talking to him, but when it was becoming apparent that you weren't giving much away as far as how you were feeling, Harry resorted to more ‘less than subtle’ questions. 

     “So… are you seeing anyone, currently?” He asked, playing with his fingers, the question struck you as extremely off-putting, especially since Harry said it with little to no confidence, like he really didn’t want to be asking that. 

     “Why? Are you trying to ask me out?” You teased. Watching him squirm was almost as fun as when it was Tom. 

     “No! No, I mean— I’m not opposed, you’re very pretty—no wait, I don’t mean it like that, I just—uh, I think you look nice, but not too nice—I’m gonna go.” Harry painfully stuttered out. Cursing under his breath as he walked away, back to where Tom was standing, watching on. These idiots were the most obvious divs in the whole world. 

     After you finished with your stylist, you were ready to start running lines for your scene. You have the majority of your scenes with Tom, so as per usual, you were acting opposite him. As the director was explaining how he wanted the scene to go, Tom kept glancing over at you, raising his eyebrows a bit, obviously wanting to clear the air. 

     The scene went by fine, but it was clear to many of the people around you that you were not on the top of your game today. It even got to the point where the director needed to ask if you needed a break. You said you didn’t and persisted. The scene was finally done to perfection, but it took almost double the amount of time it usually would for you. 

     Tom noticed you struggling the most and couldn’t help but feel guilty. He was quick to give you words of encouragement between takes, but you only responded with a quick ‘thanks’ and moved on. 

     When lunch time came around, the caterers were all set up and prepared on a different part of the lot. You quickly made your way over, running into Eliza on the way. 

     “Oh, hey (Y/N)!” she beamed at you. “Did you finish your scene?”

     “Yeah, are you going to set right now?” 

     “Mhm, I’m shooting the scene at the church with Robert.” 

     “Well, good luck.” You smiled at her, about to move along when she grabbed your wrist. 

     “Wait, did something happen between you and Tom? He’s at the lunch table moping, even Seb is trying to cheer him up.” 

     “Um well no, I mean, maybe? I don’t know, I guess I’ve been avoiding him a bit.” You shrug, now not really wanting to go to lunch, but you know you have to. If you don’t show up then it’d be all too clear to Tom that you were definitely avoiding him. 

     “Oh, well, maybe just talk to him?” Eliza comfortably put a hand on your shoulder before walking away to set. 

     You continued to the lunch set up, seeing club sandwiches, soups, and cupcakes set up. You grabbed what you wanted and went to sit by Tom and everyone else. Yeah, you may have been avoiding him, but you didn’t want to make it that painstakingly obvious. 

     As soon as you sat down, Tom put his arm around you like he always did when you had lunch together. Only this time you stiffened up, not because you hated it, but because the action felt so different after what you both had done, it felt like it meant more. Tom noticed, of course, and removed his arm, frowning. 

     “Can I talk to you, (Y/N/N)?” he whispered to you, the rest of the table in their own little world, too caught up in their interactions to notice yours. 

     “Um, sure,” you mumbled in response, “but maybe when I have free time later? I’m just really hungry right now.” you gave him a small smile, trying to keep up the amicability. 

     He nodded and continued his conversation with Seb, who looked completely uninterested, but still continued responding since he could tell Tom was feeling shitty about something. 

     Later that evening, the entire cast had a one hour break since the next scene they wanted to shoot needed to be done at night and it wasn’t dark yet. That’s when Tom took you to his trailer to talk. 

     “Look, (Y/N), I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I can’t help but feel like you’re avoiding me.” He stated, once the door was shut and you were already seated on his couch. 

     “I’m not.” 

     “But you are. I can tell. You didn’t talk to me at all today, even when I made a joke that I knew you’d have the perfect come back to.” He sat next to you, but kept more of a distance than usual.

      “I don’t have to talk to you, Tom. You can’t rely on me to keep you entertained.” You rolled your eyes, annoyed that you’d been caught. 

      “That’s not what I’m saying, (Y/N), and you know it.” Tom pointed a finger at you, equally annoyed now. 

     “Fine, so what if I was avoiding you? You’re a grown man, you can handle rejection can’t you?” You spat. The argument was quickly becoming more heated. If there was one thing you hated the most in the world, it was being called out, especially if you knew you were in the wrong. 

     “What the fuck is your problem today?” Tom asked, exasperated at how defensive you got so quickly. 

     “Tom, I’m sorry, but I don’t do this,” you motioned between the two of you, “I don’t do the cliche Hollywood, sleeps around, one night stand scenario, so back off.” 

     “So you regret it.” Tom looked down, trying to keep his emotions at bay. He really did like you, but maybe it was naive of him to assume that sleeping together would open the door to something more. 

     “No, I just—it shouldn’t have happened. I liked it, but I’m not that type of girl. I’m a relationship type of person. I never wanted to be another girl for you to mark down on your list of possible hook ups.” You sighed. Tom wasn’t necessarily notorious for random hookups, but he was a famous actor who just so happened to also be single. It was hard to not go there with your thoughts, so in your mind, you had him pegged. 

     “I’m a relationship person too, though. I wanted all of this. All of you.” Tom inched closer, gingerly taking your hands in his. “I may have gone about it wrong, I should’ve asked you out first or something.” 

     “Tom, stop.” 

     “No, (Y/N), because you’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t flirt with you or spend time with you just to get in your pants.” Tom pulled you closer. “I surrounded myself with you because I wanted you. And I think you want me too.”

     You looked in his eyes, searching for any sign of insincerity, small as it might be, but Tom was being the most sincere he could possibly be. Tom cautiously leaned closer, just wanting one more kiss, even if it was the last. However, you were the one that took the final plunge and pulled him in, kissing him. You both moved together so fluidly, like you were made for each other. 

     When you did pull apart, Tom was the one to break the silence, “So does that mean you like me or…” 

     “I kissed you, didn’t I?” 

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Facebook vs Robert Bork

Unless you're a certain kind of conservative, you probably haven't heard of Robert Bork, but he's one of the most important people you've never heard of. The best way to understand Bork is that he was Ronald Reagan's court sorcerer.

Reagan was an empty vessel with the hands of ruthless plutocrats shoved up his asshole*, operating him like a hand puppet for their collective will to power.

He served as a kind of dowsing rod for policies that would transfer wealth from the 99% to the 1%.

*Hence the polyps

That dowsing rod pointed straight at Bork. Bork was an alternate history writer, a fabulist with a unique and wildly improbable theory of antitrust statutes: that if you studied the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act with Qanon-style fervor, you'd find hidden messages in them.

Specifically, you would discover that the lawmakers who drafted, debated, amended and passed these laws thought monopolies were good, actually. They were only concerned with a small and possibly mythical minority of monopolies that were "harmful."

Not just any harms: Bork said that these ancient sages were worried about *consumer* harms, which, practically speaking, means monopolies that use their power to raise prices. This, he said, was the only thing that the government should step in to prevent.

Since it is nearly impossible to prove that a given merger or tactic would result in higher prices before the fact, and *also* it's nearly impossible to prove that a price rise after the fact was attributable to monopolism we should probably just forget about antitrust.

Reagan loved this. By shifting antitrust's focus from *democratic* harms (like reducing choice, distorting regulation, hurting workers, etc) to *consumer* harms, he could demote "citizens" (who have a role in shaping policies) to "consumers" - mere ambulatory wallets.

Reagan tried to get Bork a seat on the Supreme Court, but there was a little problem. Bork had committed a string of disgusting crimes while serving as Nixon's Solicitor General, and the Senate refused to confirm him for a seat.

(Conservatives were outraged that committing crimes at the highest level of government disqualified you from the Supreme Court and coined the term "Borked" to describe rich, powerful people who had to face the unfair prospect of being held accountable for their actions)

But Bork - along with the Chicago School economists - went on to completely revolutionize the world's conception of anti-monopoly enforcement, as neoliberal leaders all over the world (Thatcher, Mulroney, Pinochet, Kohl, etc) took up his theories and tuned them into policy.

Bork was a fringe figure, but he was preaching a gospel that stood to make the richest people on Earth *so much richer*, and they bankrolled the hell out of his theories.

For example, 40% of US federal judges have attended "continuing education" seminars at an annual lush Florida junket where they are initiated into the bizarre world of "consumer harm" theory.

https://crookedtimber.org/2018/10/18/law-and-economics/

40 years later, monopolism has surged in every industry, from bottlecaps to pharma, from poultry to pro wrestling, from eyeglasses to emergency rooms, from oil to car parts, from music to publishing to movies to online services to telecoms.

All driven by mergers, all resulting in higher prices (so much for "consumer harm") all wildly distorting of public policy (the decision to let Boeing self-certify the 737 Max is repeated in thousands of ways across hundreds of industries), all brutal news for workers.

It's a disaster, but it's one that we have been powerless to avert or address for so long as "consumer harm" ruled antitrust enforcement.

Finally, that's changing.

In 2019, Dina Srinivasan published a landmark paper: "The Antitrust Case Against Facebook," which made *incredibly* clever arguments showing that FB's democratic harms were also consumer harms, meaning FB could be sued without first undoing Borkism.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3247362

But the magic of this work was in revealing the poverty of the consumer harm standard: she laid out the innumerable ways in which FB is bad for society and showed how a sliver of these harms were technically illegal, raising the question: why isn't *all* this stuff illegal?

Today, Facebook was hit with *two* antitrust suits, one from the FTC and the other from almost every US state (including California!).

The complaints say that FB's acquisitions of Instagram and Whatsapp were anticompetitive.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22158483/facebook-antitrust-lawsuit-anti-competition-behavior-attorneys-general

Of course, they *were* anticompetitive. We know, because Zuck - who specializes in tripping over his own dick - sent out memos extolling the acquisitions' anticompetitive advantages, proving he hasn't learned a thing since he traded incriminating IMs about founding FB.

https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a19490586/mark-zuckerberg-called-people-who-handed-over-their-data-dumb-f/

The complaints build on Srinivasan's work and they carry the same flavor: claiming "consumer harms" in the acquisitions, but winking and nodding toward a broader, more democracy-focused (and less consumer-focused) critique of monopoly.

It's a weird tightrope act: they want to win, so their argument is designed to balance on the single, fragile hair that borkism stretches across the chasm of monopoly enforcement, but they wanna make sure we see that big sturdy bridge of nonbork antitrust right there.

If there was any doubt, it was erased by the remedies demanded in the complaints. The prosecutors aren't asking for money damages - a fine is a price, after all - instead, they want FB to sell off the companies it bought for illegal purposes.

And they want FB to get regulatory approval for future acquisitions (though the states will let it buy companies for less than $10m without approval). These are not "consumer harm" remedies - they're "democracy" remedies, aimed at removing the company's source of power.

Facebook has stood up a website explaining why it's a cuddly mom-and-pop business that's being bullied by mean government meanies:

https://about.fb.com/building-to-compete/

The argument's pretty similar to the one laid out in a leaked memo in October:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/10/05/florida-man/#dnr

Basically: it would be really hard for us to unwind these illegal, anticompetitive mergers. Seriously, it would cost a bundle and take so much work!

This is an unserious argument, and it shows how badly FB has misgauged the mood.

All of FB's arguments are garbage, really. Take the line that ex-British-Deputy-PM-turned-FB-salesdroid Nick Clegg has been peddling: "STOP TRYING TO BREAK UP FACEBOOK OR THE CHINESE WILL WIN!"

https://www.cnet.com/news/facebooks-nick-clegiden-must-unite-global-powers-to-shape-internet-amid-china-threat

The company's best arguments are about "market definition" - to claim that they don't have a monopoly because of all the competitors they face, provided you define FB's market broadly enough.

Like, "Here at Facebook, we are in the 'using computers' business. Now, just think of how much time you spend using a computer without interacting with FB! Your car has a computer and it's not on FB! How can you say we have a monopoly?!"

If you want to see someone making this argument as well as it can possibly be made and literally getting laughed at by a University of Chicago (!) audience, check out this debate from 2019:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Jp-GJ9LM0

Forcing FB to divest itself of Whatsapp and Instagram is a no-brainer. The company lied to secure those mergers, broke the promises it made to get permission to make them, and the penalty for that should be unwinding those mergers.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/dont-believe-proven-liars-absolute-minimum-standard-prudence-merger-scrutiny

And if FB fights this for a decade the way IBM fought its antitrust action, fine - IBM outspent the entire DoJ antitrust division every year for 12 years (Bork called it "antitrust's Vietnam"), but even though Big Blue wasn't broken up, they had their spirit broken.

It was fear of another tangle with antitrust regulators that caused IBM to sit idly by while Phoenix cloned the PC ROMs and created the PC clone industry, which became the US computing industry.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/ibm-pc-compatible-how-adversarial-interoperability-saved-pcs-monopolization

And it was the same fear that caused IBM to hire an outside company to make the OS for its PCs, getting a couple of nerds named Paul Allen and Bill Gates to supply one for them.

IBM's 12 years of antitrust hell focused the attention of every tech giant of the age, letting them know what was on their horizon if they acted like IBM had. It created the US tech industry.

Today, VCs call the businesses that Big Tech dominates "the kill zones" because they know that monopolists have the market power to destroy any startup that tries to compete with them.

There is an entire - better, more pluralistic - tech industry that's been suppressed by Big Tech. If FB and Goog and Apple and the other tech giants spend the next decades throwing billions at the FTC and the states attorneys general, it will be money well-spent.

Because it will be money that these companies don't get to spend destroying the next wave of tech companies, co-ops, and platforms.