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mostlysignssomeportents · 9 months

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When the app tries to make you robo-scab

When we talk about the abusive nature of gig work, there’s some obvious targets, like algorithmic wage discrimination, where two workers are paid different rates for the same job, in order to trick occasional gig-workers to give up their other sources of income and become entirely dependent on the app:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

Then there’s the opacity — imagine if your boss refused to tell you how much you’ll get paid for a job until after you’ve completed it, claimed that this was done in order to “protect privacy” — and then threatened anyone who helped you figure out the true wage on offer:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/07/hr-4193/#boss-app

Opacity is wage theft’s handmaiden: every gig worker producing content for a social media algorithm is subject to having their reach — and hence their pay — cut based on the unaccountable, inscrutable decisions of a content moderation system:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

Making content for an algorithm is like having a boss that docks every paycheck because you broke rules that you are not allowed to know, because if you knew the rules, you’d figure out how to cheat without your boss catching you. Content moderation is the last place where security through obscurity is considered good practice:

https://doctorow.medium.com/como-is-infosec-307f87004563

When workers seize the means of computation, amazing things happen. In Indonesia, gig workers create and trade tuyul apps that let them unilaterally modify the way that their bosses’ systems see them — everything from GPS spoofing to accessibility mods:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

So the tech and labor story isn’t wholly grim: there are lots of ways that tech can enhance labor struggles, letting workers collaborate and coordinate. Without digital systems, we wouldn’t have the Hot Strike Summer:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/02/not-what-it-does/#who-it-does-it-to

As the historic writer/actor strike shows us, the resurgent labor movement and the senescent forces of crapulent capitalism are locked in a death-struggle over not just what digital tools do, but who they do it for and who they do it to:

https://locusmag.com/2022/01/cory-doctorow-science-fiction-is-a-luddite-literature/

When it comes to the epic fight over who technology acts for and against, we need a diversity of tactics, backstopped by tech operated by and for its users — and by laws that protect workers and the public. That dynamic is in sharp focus in UNITE Here Local 11’s strike against Orange County’s Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa.

The UNITE Here strike turns on the usual issues like a living wage (hotel staff are paid so little they have to rent rooming-house beds by the shift, paying for the right to sleep in a room for a few hours at a time, without any permanent accommodation). They’re also seeking health-care and pensions, so they can be healthy at work and retire after long service. Finally, they’re seeking their employer’s support for LA’s Responsible Hotels Ordinance, which would levy a tax on hotel rooms to help pay for hotel workers’ housing costs (a hotel worker who can’t afford a bed is the equivalent of a fast food worker who has to apply for food stamps):

https://www.unitehere11.org/responsible-hotels-ordinance/

But the Marriott — which is owned by the University of California and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality — has refused to bargain, walking out negotiations.

But the employer didn’t walk out over wages, benefits or support for a housing subsidy. They walked out when workers demanded that the scabs that the company was trying to hire to break the strike be given full time, union jobs.

These aren’t just any scabs, either. They’re predominantly Black workers who rely on the $700m Instawork app for gigs. These workers are being dispatched to cross the picket line without any warning that they’re being contracted as strikebreakers. When workers refuse the cross the picket and join the strike, Instawork cancels all their shifts and permanently blocks them from new jobs.

This is a new, technologically supercharged form of illegal strikebreaking. It’s one thing for a single boss to punish a worker who refuses to scab, but Instawork acts as a plausible-deniability filter for all the major employers in the region. Like the landlord apps that allow landlords to illegally fix rents by coordinating hikes, Instawork lets bosses illegally collude to rig wages by coordinating a blocklist of workers who refuse to scab:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/10/company-that-makes-rent-setting-software-for-landlords-sued-for-collusion/?comments=1

The racial dimension is really important here: the Marriott has a longstanding de facto policy of refusing to hire Black workers, and whenever they are confronted with this, they insist that there are no qualified Black workers in the labor pool. But as soon as the predominantly Latino workforce struck, Marriott discovered a vast Black workforce that it could coerce into scabbing, in collusion with Instawork.

Now, all of this isn’t just sleazy, it’s illegal, a violation of Section 7 of the NLRB Act. Historically, that wouldn’t have mattered, because a string of presidents, R and D, have appointed useless do-nothing ghouls to run the NLRB. But the Biden admin, pushed by the party’s left wing, made a string of historic, excellent appointments, including NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, who has set her sights on punishing gig work companies for flouting labor law:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/10/see-you-in-the-funny-papers/#bidens-legacy

UNITE HERE 11 has brought a case to the NLRB, charging the Instawork, the UC system, Marriott, and Aimbridge with violating labor law by blackmailing gig workers into crossing the picket line. The union is also asking the NLRB to punish the companies for failing to protect workers from violent retaliation from the wealthy hotel guests who have punched them and screamed epithets at them. The hotel has refused to identify these thug guests so that the workers they assaulted can swear out complaints against them.

Writing about the strike for Jacobin, Alex N Press tells the story of Thomas Bradley, a Black worker who was struck off all Instawork shifts for refusing to cross the picket line and joining it instead:

https://jacobin.com/2023/07/southern-california-hotel-workers-strike-automated-management-unite-here

Bradley’s case is exhibit A in the UNITE HERE 11 case before the NLRB. He has a degree in culinary arts, but racial discrimination in the industry has kept him stuck in gig and temp jobs ever since he graduated, nearly a quarter century ago. Bradley lived out of his car, but that was repossessed while he slept in a hotel room that UNITE HERE 11 fundraised for him, leaving him homeless and bereft of all his worldly possessions.

With UNITE HERE 11’s help, Bradley’s secured a job at the downtown LA Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, a hotel that has bargained with the workers. Bradley is using his newfound secure position to campaign among other Instawork workers to convince them not to cross picket lines. In these group chats, Jacobin saw workers worrying “that joining the strike would jeopardize their standing on the app.”

Today (July 30) at 1530h, I’m appearing on a panel at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, CA, to discuss the wonderful, award-winning “Ghost Post” Haunted Mansion project I worked on for Disney Imagineering.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

[Image ID: An old photo of strikers before a struck factory, with tear-gas plumes rising above them. The image has been modified to add a Marriott sign to the factory, and the menacing red eye of HAL9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' to the sky over the factory. The workers have been colorized to a yellow-green shade and the factory has been colorized to a sepia tone.]

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

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

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ultralightpoe · 3 months

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High Infidelity - Coriolanus Snow

Authors Note: Yup. I wrote for him. Hate me for it. (This was also the first time I wrote him so it’s not the best characterization, but hey. It’s been sitting in my drafts foreverrrrrr)

Word Count: 5642

Warnings: Prostitution. Lmao. And really bad writing so be prepared for that.

Apart of the Midnights Album Event

My MAIN Masterlist is here!

(Thank you for the gif @youremyvioleta )

Enjoy!

Lock broken, slur spoken

Wound open, game token

I didn't know you were keeping count

Rain soaking, blind hoping

You said I was freeloading

I didn't know you were keeping count

Your mother had always warned you away from him, warning you of the terrible terrible things that came from his family, she used to sit you at the table and plead with you to stay as far away from Coriolanus Snow as you could.

“Everything with that family ends with bloodshed.” She had warned you, telling you to stay away.

You hadn’t, and you never would….. well at least you never thought you would.

You had grown up with Coryo, known eachother since you were just children and had survived a war together. Had gone through starvation together. Back then you hadn’t understood why your mother was so afraid of him, this was the boy that had shared a can of beans with you when you had nothing. And now that the Capitol was back you were still as thick as thieves.

“I’m sorry.” You rush out, staring at your best friend right now, tears sliding your cheeks. “I don’t understand Coryo.”

It had been months since you last saw him, his hair was shorter and whiter now, and his face set into a grim glare. But it was the eyes that were different, they were cold and dark, just making eye contact made you shutter.

You had rushed to the train station to pick him up, an expensive flower in your hand and a wide smile. That had promptly been wiped away the second he got off the train and snapped at you.

The words fuzzed a bit, but it was something along the lines of “I’m warning you to stay away from my family, you freeloading wretch.”

“Do I really need to repeat myself?” The smile he gives you is anything but warm. “What? Now that I’m back you want to tag along all the time? Steal my family's fortune and pretend you’re not a starving leech?”

“Starving Leech? When have I ever taken anything from you?” You bite back, hands curling into fists.

“I can give you an entire list of everything you have taken from my family.” He laughs. “And I promise you that there will be no more favors.”

“You….. I hadn’t realized helping eachother from not starving was a favor. You ate from my table to need I remind you.” You snap, a heat crossing your skin, casting eyes towards a pair of on lookers.

You didn’t have time for this, you had a shift at the med wing.

You said as much to him, enjoying the way his eyes narrowed as he finally took in your medical garb. “We’ll talk later.” He scoffs, and you walk off after that, set on never talking to him again.

High infidelity

Put on your records and regret me

I bent the truth too far tonight

I was dancing around, dancing around it

High infidelity

Put on your headphones and burn my city

Your picket fence is sharp as knives

I was dancing around, dancing around it

It was nothing but sobs the night your mother passed away, cuddled on the floor of Coryos floor with his arms wrapped around you, trying to keep quiet just in case his grandmother woke up.

She hated tears, always thought them a sign of weakness.

“Shhh.” Coryo whispers, petting your hair back. “It will be okay.”

“What will I do?” You sob, feeling like your chest was caving in. “How will I survive?”

“We’ll find a way.” He whispers, using the pad of his thumb to rub the tears from your cheeks. “I’m sure Tigris can get you a job, and you can move in here if you need. Just take a moment-“

“I can’t. I can’t breathe.” You panic, hand snapping to his jacket as if he could keep you planted to the earth, your breathing ragged panting as your vision begins to blur.

“No. No.” He breathes, fingers snatching your jaw to make you look at him, digging into your skin. “Focus. Breathe. You’re stronger than this. Take. A. Breath.”

You listen, breathing in the same time he does, deep and open, breathing out when he does. Your nerves calm a bit, and you close your eyes as the tears keep falling. He pushes your head until it is laying on his chest. “Your mother just died. Don’t focus on the future, just let the pain settle. You’re safe here. I promise.”

And so you did, letting the sobs free as he held you all night.

Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?

Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?

“Did….. did you see her?” Tigris asks, keeping close to the doorframe of his room, hugging her arms close to herself as she watches him work at his desk.

He feels himself tense, spine stiffening so much a wave of pain passed over him, doing his best to seem natural about it all. “She will not be coming around anymore if that is what you want to ask.”

He would make sure of it, he would make sure no one took from him or his family ever again. Not that bitch from 12, not Highbottom and not….. you. You whose face filled his brain with sunlight and warmth, you who made his chest melt and hands shake from nerves.

He loved you, always had.

But that couldn’t be anymore. He was set for a pristine life now, he could not let his weakness get in the way. He already risked it more than he should have.

“She missed you. A lot.” Tigris sighs, moving a little closer. “And she…. Well she helped us scrap together money for care packages and rent.”

“I’m sure there was something she could get from it. Don’t worry.” Even as he says it his gut clenches. He didn’t believe it for a second, but this needed to be done.

“She….. Coryo she-“ Tigris seems to stutter over the words, closing her eyes as if just thinking about it dragged her into a wave of pain. He tries not to laugh because what did she have to hurt about? Living the plush life here as he fought for them in 12, fought for them in the games. Risked his life to make sure that girl survived.

“She. What?”

“She….. well once she found out we were short on rent and she had nothing to offer she…. Slept with someone…… for us.”

“How would whoring herself out help us?” He already knew, his heart beating through his chest as his hands began to shake, clenching them into fists so it wouldn’t show. He was going to be sick.

You wouldn’t have. No.

“For money. She made us-“

“GET. OUT.” He sneers, standing quickly. “Get out right now.” He watches his cousin dash from the room with tears sliding down her face, his own kings constricting at the news.

You couldn’t have. You couldn’t have.

Regret laces through his stomach, your face flickering through his mind. Of course you would. You would do anything for him and his family.

Storm coming, good husband

Bad omen

Dragged my feet right down the aisle

At the house lonely, good money

I'd pay if you'd just know me

Seemed like the right thing at the time

It had been a fools dream long ago that you would marry for love, nothing but a dream of a child that didn’t know better, hadn't let the world destroy her yet.

Now, you knew better. Staring at your soon to be husband, Festus Creed, with a small smile playing at your lips. You were trying to make it seem like you actually loved him, like you actually cared what he was saying as cameras flashed at you both. The light of it blinded you a bit, and you tried not to flinch while he merely laughed and gripped your hand tighter.

He saved your ass and the Snow’s asses. Playing pretty little fucking wife is a small price to pay. You remind yourself when he kisses your cheek. Just pretend. Smile and pretend.

You had sold yourself to Festus in the months that Coryo…. Coriolanus was gone. When you were barely making ends meet and his cousin and grandmother weren’t making it. You had known that Tigris sometimes sold herself to people that wouldn’t really know her last name, but she hadn’t ever been able to get the primary houses due to her family's nobility.

You could.

So, you offered yourself to Creed, a classmate of Coriolanus’ and one that he had warned you to stay away from. “A viper wearing human skin.” How ironic how things turned around.

You tried not thinking about Snow at all, tried to get his face out of your mind, but every time you got close to winning against your memory, he somehow managed to pop up. Every. Single. Time.

It had been months since that initial argument the day he returned. You had been a fool who planned on confessing your love to him, planning on asking him to marry you. Then he called you a gluttonous leech, and Festus proposed a week later. It should be history.

And yet, right on cue, you spot a light blonde head of hair making his way through the crowd quickly as you and your fiancé stand quickly, the crowd of cameras dispersing at the engagement party resumes its flow.

You tried not to sneer about the sheer amount of money these people threw at everything. Just a couple months ago you had been starving, and now you can only watch as dozens of tables were set up with ludicrously decorated desserts that wouldn’t actually be eaten. “Never eat the food in front of them. Makes us look bad.” Festus has told you before your first party with all of them.

“Might I go to the restroom really quick?” You ask him, trying to move around with his arm tightly wrapped around you.

“Of course.” He smiles, giving your hip a tight squeeze before his eyebrows pinch together. “Let’s greet Snow first. I’m sure your old best friend would love to see you.”

Wish I could say the same. You bite back the remark on the tip of your tongue with a pleasant smile, allowing Festus to lead you to where your old friend was finally cutting through people. He had a grim look on his face, he always did these days, and if you didn’t know better you would assume he was upset.

“Snow.” Festus smiles, “glad you can make it. I know game keeping has been keeping your attention these days.”

Something in your stomach clenches at the words, no matter how many times people spoke of it you still could not believe that he was helping with the games.

You feel his stare in the side of your head, but you keep your eyes firmly on Festus, playing with his hair a bit as you play the role of lovestruck girl. Festus glows at this, eyes lighting up as he looks at you.

Whether or not he knows you’re using him as an excuse you can’t possibly care, he likes that you’re rubbing it in Snows face all the same.

“How could I miss this…. Joyous occasion?” Every word is clipped, and you try not to roll your eyes. “It’s wonderful that you’re family is able to take the young medic in.”

You know the underlying meaning beneath the words, snapping to glare at him. A smirk slides onto his lips as his eyes spark with excitement, it takes you a minute bro realize you had just fallen into a trap he laid out. To get you to look at him.

“Well I’m no freeloader.” You bite out. “I’ll obviously keep working in the hospital.”

Festus barks out a laugh at this, hand tightening on your hip as his other moves to hold his stomach, pure humor on his face. “Oh darling. How outrageously funny that was.”

“How was that funny?” You ask, blanching a bit.

“You’re not going to work! How would that make my family look?” Festus laughs, leaning to kiss your lips. You try to kiss back, something tightening in your throat as a sharp sting begins to form in your eyes. Do not cry. Do not cry.

“I’m going to go grab a drink. Keep our friend entertained will you?” Festus smiles, squeezing your hip once more before moving to walk away, leaving you with Coriolanus.

You risk one look to him, already seeing that he was staring right at you, and take a small sip from the Champagne in the flute as you think about how to get away. You decide on “I do hope you enjoy the party. I’m going to make my way to the ladies room.”

And for a second you think you’re brilliant, turning on your heel to walk away quickly but he is fast, taking three easy steps and cutting into your path.

“I was hoping we could talk.”

“We just did.”

“Did we?”

“What do you call that whole conversation with my fiancé if not talking?” You put on an airy smile, and fear freezes at you at the sheer anger in his gaze. Panic settles in, and you stand straighter, choosing to play offense. “Besides. You’re the one that warned me to stay away. What was it you said? ‘Or suffer the consequences’, wasn't it?”

His eyes shutter but otherwise he does a good job of playing calm, using one hand to pull imaginary lint off his jacket. “I believe so. But maybe I’ve decided I was wrong.”

“You weren’t wrong.” You snipe. “I was a freeloading wretch and now I’m not. Problem handled. We can go our separate ways and never speak again-“

“Festus was the one that paid you, wasn’t he?” His voice is low, but his eyes are screaming at you as he leans closer. “To help pay for rent. It was Festus.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” You did. And he knew it, which was answer enough.

“I’m sorry you-“but you’re gone, dashing to find the bathroom.

You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love

The slowest way is never loving them enough

Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?

Do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?

The door to the Snow Mansion caught a little, letting some of the winter air in with you, your teeth chattering as you did your best to shut it. Managing to push all your body weight into the door to finally get it closed before you puffed hot air into your palms, the sack you carried heavy in your hand as you hear someone call your name.

Then he’s there, surrounding you in what little warmth he had, arms wrapped around you as you try to ease the shivers.

“Come in. We are burning some of mothers old romance novels for warmth.” He smiles, grabbing your hand and leading you to the fireplace where there were indeed pages from novels burning quickly.

“I brought this-“ you smile, holding up the bag of the goodies you managed to smuggle out of work. “It was someone’s anniversary and they had tables of food. I grabbed what I could before they threw it all out.”

A smile breaks out across his face as his cousin and grandmother both gasp and move to surround you. Before you know it you are all huddled close to the fire, eating quickly to try and ease the hunger, Coryo sitting close to you.

Once all the food is gone his grandmother retires to bed and Tigris goes to heat up water, leaving you with Coryo by the dying fire.

“I…. I always imagined small family dinners. Always wanted it for my own family, eating close together rather than a large table.” You admit, pulling your legs close to yourself. “Never did I imagine this though.”

“One day I’m going to get us out of this.” He mumbles, one hand reaching to hold onto one of your own. “And we will have that.”

There was that feeling of happiness rising in your chest as you looked at his determined face, leaning to kiss the corner of his lips softly. “I look forward to it.” And you believed he could make it happen, you truly did.

High infidelity

Put on your records and regret me

I bent the truth too far tonight

I was dancing around, dancing around it

You could learn to love him, you were sure of it. Somehow someway you would fall in love with my Festus, provide him a child that would inherit his families vast fortune and you would see to it that your kid never had to worry about starving.

You would rake yourself over coals before letting your child do any of what you had to do.

Like right now, fake moans filtering from your lips as Festus had his way with you on a random desk in a study room you did not recognize. Not that it was surprising, this family liked their secrets.

Once he was done he smiled at you, kissing you quickly as he fixed his pants and tucked in his shirt. “Fix yourself up. We have an engagement party to get back to.”

And with that he was gone from the room, leaving you to fix the skirt and sink to the floor, using the side of the large oak desk to lean on.

The sound of the door opening barely draws your attention, sighing out as you stare at the bookshelf, trying to piece your nerves back together as you always did after Festus.

“Are you alright?” The tone was a mix between your old friends comforting voice and the new Snows voice, and you tried not to roll your eyes.

“I’m fine.” You snap, your spine stiff. “Go back to the party.”

“I should be saying that to you.” He mumbles, moving closer and sliding to sit next to you. “It is your party after all.”

“Yeah? Is it?” You mumble, scooting over slightly to get away from him. He merely follows you, sliding right next to you once more.

Before you can yell at him he is holding out a cloth napkin, filled with those crème cookies that filled the tables out there. Macarons, Festus had called them. But you hadn’t had one. Rich people liked to starve.

“Come on. We both know you want one.” He smiles.

“Does it have poison?” You snipe, remembering the reason he had been sent away in the first place. He had given that Lucy girl an advantage in the games. Poison.

“No, not for you.” He smiles, like you hadn’t just completely tried to chase him off. Then he grabs one and shoves the entire thing in his mouth, making a small laugh slip from you before you bite it down, rolling your eyes. “Do you remember my 13th birthday?”

“No.” Yes.

He had stolen sandwiches from his school lunch and you had somehow managed to steal chocolate chip cookies from some party you had been working at. You ate together in the park, huddled by a tree so no one would see you, whispering all the things you wanted to see in the world.

“It was by far one of the best birthdays I had ever had.”

“One of?”

“Well my favorite birthday was the one before the war. I got so many gifts my parents made me a playroom.” He smiles.

You try not to let the words sting, what were measly cookies to a playroom. That was the life he belonged in. Luxury.

“You won’t be working then?” He asks after a moment of silence. “I always thought you liked being a medic.”

“I haven’t been an actual medic for long.” You sneer, you had only earned the honor while he was gone. Before that you simply volunteered every morning before your actual job, taking lessons whenever you could scrounge up money.

“A short lived career then.”

“What do you want me to say? My husband won’t allow me to work then I won’t work. It’s simple.”

“I would need my wife to work.” He shrugs.

“Why? You wouldn’t want a freeloader?”

“No. I would be running for president of Panem. And I believe that a medic for a wife would help my votes.” He states bluntly, eyes catching yours as your own widen.

“I’m sorry?” But he doesn’t respond, instead he holds out that damned napkin of cookies again. And you snatch one quickly, turning away the slightest bit to eat it.

“You’ll think about it?” He asks, eyes never leaving you.

“Think about it? There is nothing to think about.” You laugh, wiping sugar from the corner of your mouth before using the desk to help you stand and stepping over him.

Before you could fully escape his hands snatch your calf, pulling you down until you unceremoniously fall into his lap. “I told you to stay away from Festus. His family is not-….. he won’t give you what you want.”

“He’s paying my rent Snow. I’m just fine.”

“What happened to family dinners? Or the 6 kids running around.”

“I can have that with him.”

“Can you?” He lets you go then, knowing his words hit the mark when your face falls.

You leave the study, trying to pretend things are fine for the rest of the day, but his words cling to you like a skin of a snake.

High infidelity

Put on your headphones and burn my city

Your picket fence is sharp as knives

I was dancing around, dancing around it

You would have loved the atmosphere of District 12’s underground space, the dancing and music, laughter falling through your ears and the best of their dancing jolting down your spine with every stomp and clap.

Though he never understood your fascination with the districts back then, during the games he was beginning to understand slowly, and seeing this he could.

“Let’s go get a drink.” Sejanus laughs, pushing him to the bar as he imagines you twirling through, stomping and clapping at the right times.

It’s that night, drunk and a bit out of it that he lets the words he had been holding back for years slip. Sejanus had been grousing on and on about how he knew Snow was a good guy by the fact that his closest companion had been a young student healer rather than a Capitol clone and Snow tried not to bristle as how easy Sejanus laughed off your history.

You had worked for everything, and yet the man in front of him made it seem like you had chosen the healer life out of pity, rather than your hardwork and dedication.

Then the words slipped, “She’s a rare one and that’s why I love her.”

His friends eyes widen, and so does snow, both breathing in for a second before a wave of laughter fills them as Lucy’s voice fills the room.

Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?

Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?

You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love

The slowest way is never loving them enough

It had taken you 10 minutes to sneak out of the Creed mansion, and another 15 to walk to Snow mansion where he had asked to meet you.

He being Coriolanus, through a telegram sent directly to you earlier in the day.

The door sticks a little, just like it used to, but the rest of the place had been professionally cleaned and you kept to the front rug in the entrance so as to not drag mud in.

“What are you doing?” He asks, coming around the corner to look at you in the entrance. “I’m in here, let’s go.”

He doesn’t wait to see your panic at the clean floors, so you rush to take off your shoes before tiptoeing to the main sitting room he was in.

“You said it was urgent.” You mumble, looking around at all the papers strewn about. Some designs of outfits and dresses, some of creatures and set ups. “What is all this?”

“This, my dear, is the 11th annual hunger games.” He smiles, and you try not to shudder at how easy he says dear.

“Oh I see, you’ll be making the tributes wear extravagant gowns in the arena then?” You hold up a sketch of what looks to be an evening gown designed for district 3.

“Tigris will be styling and dressing them before the games now.” He explains, moving closer to you. “For if they wish to be performers then we shall let them. Give them all a fighting chance.”

“Like Lucy?”

He doesn’t answer, instead moving to pick up another sketch. “And now, once they are in the arena they will all wear the same uniform.”

“They won’t die in their own clothes?”

“They’ll die at the Capitol wills it.” He sneers, taking a second to regain his composure. “But this isn’t why I have brought you here today.”

“Okay….” He grabs your hand, pulling you to the desk and showing you plans and sketches. “I need your medical advice.”

“For?”

“For a poisonous sea creature.” You rear back at that, but he is quick to snatch your hand. “I just need to know how to prolong the death.”

“I’m not helping-“

“Please. I need you.” He admits, his hand still on you. “I always need you.”

“Coryo-“ it’s the first time you’ve called him that in forever, and he can’t help but rush to you, pressing his lips to yours quickly.

You kiss back, although your common sense is screaming at you to stop. And soon enough the kiss is deepening, and he’s shoving all the documents off the table to place you upon it, making quick work of stripping you down while trying to keep his lips to you at all times.

And you were ashamed to admit you found pleasure for the first time that night, allowing him to pull that pleasure from you over and over and over.

High infidelity

Put on your records and regret meeting me

I bent the truth too far tonight

I was dancing around, dancing around it

“He’s a mad man….” Festus mumbles, hand clenched on your knee. “A mad genius but a madman.”

He was right of course, you could do nothing but blink as the games unfolded before you, surrounded by his peers and coworkers as they all cheered and booed at the tributes.

You couldn’t pay attention, the gore beginning to get to you as well as the fact that Coryo kept glaring over at you and Festus from his podium in the center, eyes narrowing as a sneer coated his mouth.

You hated these moments, when you were anxious about the affair and when Festus was in the same room with the two of you. Don’t do anything stupid, you silently plead.

But when has Coryo ever played stupid? No. Everything he did was smart, three moves ahead.

“How about a wager?” He smiles to his friends, and you bite your lip. That scheming look not good.

“Yeah?” Festus smiles. “My moneys on district 2. Girl.”

Vivi, was her name. She had 2 sisters at home and was playing viciously. She would not win though, she had been bitten by a snake with slow killing venom, you would know since you helped Coryo make it.

“No. Money is far too boring.” Coryo smiles, ever the Capitol player. “How about we wager…… the healer.”

Festus freezes, hand tightening on your thigh in a searing grip that you know has Coryo seething under his calm exterior, those blue eyes lighting with a challenge. He hated when Festus was rough, which was more often than not.

Coryo preferred to be…. Rough in the sheets and gentle every other moment.

“You want my fiancé? Don’t you have whores for that?” Festus laughs, but there is no humor behind it.

“I don’t want a whore. I want a wife.” Coryo smiles, holding out his hand. “District 4, Mags.”

People begin whispering and smiling at the challenge, and you realize why Coryo had been talking too loud then, because Festus would look weak to back away now.

Festus risks a look to you, narrowing on your shocked look before taking Coryos hand. When the blonde walks away your fiancé leans in, “we will be discussing this later.”

After he won, if he won. He would make your life hell.

High infidelity

Put on your headphones and burn my city

Your picket fence is sharp as knives

I was dancing around, dancing around it

“Your mood swings make my head spin,” you admit, laying on the mattress lazily as Coryo sits leaning on the headboard, tracing his finger across your exposed back. “One moment you’re rutting into me like you hate me, the next your murmuring love sonnets.”

“Do the Creeds actually have money?” He murmurs, fingers dancing across your ribs. “Or are they pretending just as I had been for awhile?”

“They have money, loads and loads of it. So much that they burnt some of it for fun the other day to see how long it took to burn.” You mumble, keeping your eyes closed.

“Then why do you still look starving?” He asks, moving closer to curl around you.

“Because they only eat one meal a day, and it’s more of….. well they don’t like gluttonous people.”

“Surviving is gluttonous?”

“The rich have never made sense.” You admonish. “They starve themselves to prove they can, no sugar or dairy. No this or that. They don’t know hunger like we did.”

“I thought you were marrying him to stop that hunger.” He mutters, a bit of anger in it.

“I also have a roof over my head and warmth. There is more to it.” You sigh, not wanting this to be another argument as it was every week. “There’s nothing we can do Coryo. I get married after the games.”

“They talk about you like you’re a pet.”

“To them I am.”

Oh, there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love

And it's never enough, it's never enough

“So this is what he does now?” Festus sneers, whipping his tie off as he storms into his room, dragging you in with him.

The games would last another night it seemed, and Snow sent everyone out as he was getting ready for the big finish.

“He is making it all one big game. Placing wagers and gambling. It’s bullshit!” You try not to roll your eyes at his outburst since he had been all about it before Coryo called him out.

But apparently you still somehow rolled your eyes and his face falls into pure rage as he begins charging for you. Fear coats your system as his hand latches around your neck, cutting off oxygen.

Before it could get worse there is a knock on the door.

“YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!” His little sister calls, turning on his screen to reveal the games, where many of the players are fighting a very large creature in the body of water.

“What is that?” Festus gasps.

“A sea monster.” You breathe out, watching with a small amount of excitement mixed with disgust as Mags plunges her spear into its eye.

Lock broken, slur spoken

Wound open, game token

I didn't know you were keeping count

Rain soaking, blind hoping

You said I was freeloading

I didn't know you were keeping count

But oh, you were keeping count

You married him on April 29th, a year later he ran for president and to no one's surprise he won.

You became First Lady of panem. And would of course bear tons of children.

He kept his promise, eating close together every night, making sure all his kids were well fed and never knew the hunger you both did. And when your youngest was blasted in the tabloids for her ‘pudginess’ Coryo made sure to send the writer and his family to District 7 and the very next year the oldest daughter of the family was chosen in the reaping.

You lived in constant disgust and amazement, the battle never ending.

You helped him come up with ideas for creatures and implemented healing and medicine into the games to at least give some of those kids a fighting chance.

“Remember when I warned you to stay away?” He asks one night, watching you from his spot on the bed as you get air at the window.

“Quite vividly.” You laugh, breathing in the night scent in his shirt as he lay naked save for a sheet. “Said I was a freeloader.”

“I was trying to push you away.”

“Gathered that.” You nod, watching him extend a hand before shuffling across the floor and climbing across the bed until you reach his hands where he pulled you in for a warm kiss.

“You are a freeloader.” He teases, his lips still against yours. “You owe me so much.”

“Oh do I?” You laugh.

“Yeah! You owe me a can of beans, never got paid back for that.” He smiles and you can’t help but laugh.

“I’ll go get the dirtiest can of beans, expired, and it will be just like old times.”

Before he can say anything else you are pushing to kiss him again, falling into his warmth with a hum and letting him drag you under the sheet.

(Yeah. It stayed in the draft because I never quite liked how the story worked….. something always seemed off. I rewrote this 10 times back then, but since I am releasing my old drafts this baby is out now. )

#coriolanus snow #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus x you #coriolanus smut #coriolanus imagine #coriolanus fanfiction #Coriolanus angst #Coriolanus fluff #snow smit #snow smut #snow angst #snow imagine #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #Coriolanus snow smut #Coriolanus snow angst #Coriolanus snow fluff #Coriolanus snow imagine

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josie-and-the-pussycats-2001 · 10 months

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I’m seeing a lot of information being passed around about the SAG-AFTRA strike and have already seen this line of questioning on Twitter so I thought I’d address what this means for Broadway actors as I understand it;

Many of your favourite Broadway actors work in film, television and other fields of acting outside of Broadway and do have SAG memberships and thus ARE currently on strike

HOWEVER

Broadway actors are also apart of the Actors’ Equity Association - typically known as Actors’ Equity or just Equity - this is a SEPERATE union

Broadway actors apart of Equity are signed and working under Equity contracts for the productions they are starring in

As they are working under different union contracts, if you see Broadway actors going to their jobs, performing as usual, promoting upcoming theatrical work, etc. - They are NOT scabbing or crossing the picket line as they are not under SAG-AFTRA contracts

Broadway actors are complying with their Equity contracts and to not do so would put their jobs in jeopardies

Remember, the people who comprise Broadway productions are not just famous names but are comprised of many hard working actors who do not have the status or recognition of their more notable co-stars and should NOT be shamed under the guise of false information

HOWEVER

If you see Broadway actors signing onto new screen productions, promoting upcoming screen work, and breaking any of SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules, then it is up to your discretion if you want to bring this to people’s attention

I would like to make it clear that I am NOT an expert nor a professional working on Broadway, this is all information I have gathered from discussions from people involved in the industry. I am only making this post as I have yet to see anyone else address this and have seen some people be confused about what Broadway actors are currently doing in this moment so I hope to help clear things up.

If there is any information I have misunderstood, failed to share or falsely spread, please feel free to correct me and I will update this post.

TLDR: Broadway Actors are not crossing the picket line by continuing to perform in their current theatrical roles as they are under Actor’s Equity Contracts which is a seperate union to SAG-AFTRA

#broadway #broadway musicals #musical theatre #theatre #sag aftra #sag aftra strike #actors equity #wga strike #wga solidarity #sag aftra solidarity #also tbh actors equity should strike but 😗

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writergeekrhw · 8 months

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What made you guys decide to write Worf as crossing the picket line btw? Was it just that you needed someone to and he was the most likely character? Also you didn't mention Garak... I think he wouldn't have crossed, since he grew up in the Space GDR so he likely believed all the propaganda about how good the state was to the workers etc. and distrusted Quark's way of doing things. Or maybe I'm being too nice. Maybe it would've been Bashir threatening to cancel lunch that week that convinced him

Worf seemed, of all our characters, to be the one that would most likely side with a business owner's rights to dictate employment conditions to his employees. To him that seems like freedom (for the owner) and lawful behavior (rules are rules). A strike, to someone like Worf (or Odo) who values order, is a chaotic, unnecessary mess.

It was also a good way to put him in conflict with the rest of our characters.

As for Garak, yes, he grew up in the Space GDR, but he also generally believed in the Space GDR. Obeying a superior's dictates, no matter how unreasonable, is the Cardassian way. At least publicly. So he probably wouldn't have supported the strike. Unless there was an advantage in it for him, and then his support would have probably involved skullduggery more than publicly honoring a picket line.

Of course, if pressured by his favorite doctor, and/or an authority figure like Sisko or Kira, he'd probably act differently.

#ask me anything #tv writing #ask me stuff #ds9 #star trek ds9 #star trek #deep space nine #star trek deep space nine #deep space 9 #star trek deep space 9 #worf #garak

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prince-liest · 30 days

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asdfGH STOP alastor was SO fucking mean in the last 666 installment lol. that ruined orgasm had me cringe in sympathy... however the fact that vox left this one absolutely unsatisfied in some ways (and completely fulfilled in others!! A-plus for effort on the aftercare alastor sadfg good job) makes it stand out all the more that at NO point is there the suggestion that alastor "owes" him something (like finishing him off properly--"I'm not having sex with you again."). like idk, something about vox bitching and sulking without ever actually implying that what alastor is offering isn't good enough and that he's being lead on or whatever? making my aroace heart sing <3 - ✨

Congrats, sparkle emoji anon, you've earned enough investment points from me that I'm willing to publish this ask despite my usual allergy to posting outright explicit words on my blog. Yes, I'm aware that sounds insane considering [gestures the actual fic you're referencing]. Still putting it under a cut, though.

It is so fucking funny to me every time people comment on how mean Alastor is because fundamentally it is me. It's me, I'm mean! That person having a bit of a sadist awakening in my comments in one of the earlier episodes of this series? You're welcome, that came from the heart. The folks that are gently but enthusiastically surprised that Alastor followed through on his threat? Alastor and I are in fact shaking hands about "suffering inspires not mercy but more cruelty." The "set up to fail" tag on AO3 has three fics in it and they're all mine. I'm on the front picket lines for Team "There Is A Fucking Difference Between Delay And Denial Actually!"

That said, I think it's a fun way to write Alastor and Vox specifically because Vox is consistently delighted to be the subject of Alastor's sadistic appetites. While Alastor is certainly projecting a little when he mocks Vox for enjoying being made to suffer through things he's not fundamentally that into (since "forcibly cross my boundaries, thanks" is also an Alastor kink in this series), he's also not wrong. Vox is out here hitting home runs for team Holy Shit Alastor Likes Doing Things To Me. The psychosexual obsession tag is not being retired any time soon.

And I'm glad that it lands well with the subject of Alastor's aroaceness! I'm actually going to tackle that a leeetle bit more in the next episode because despite their dynamic on this subject often including Vox begging specifically because they both like it when Alastor tells him 'no,' it's still, like, a thing that most of the time they've been spending together has been contingent on either sex or grievous injury. Vox is fairly well managing being pushy to vent his frustration without actually being entitled, both as a kink thing and wrt actual hard line 'no' boundaries! Unfortunately, Alastor starting to care about the time they spend together means he's still picking things up that haven't, like, 100% been put down. They continue to be better at rugby-tackling heavy topics than talking like normal people.

Anyway! Thank you very much, hahaha, I'm glad you enjoyed both the sexy bits and the hints of feels!

#ask #personal #sparkle anon #nsft #t #hazbin hotel

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nerdyvocals · 9 months

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9 People to Know Better (except I'm not tagging 9 people)

I don't normally do tag games, but I got tagged in this twice (by @jealous-kippen and @remmixx, my beloveds <3) so here I am! (also as I'm writing this out I am realizing that while both posts were titled the same way, it looks like they had different question prompts??? So I'm just gonna combine the two)

Favorite Color: Purple! Any shade will have my heart but I am partial to more red-toned purples. (PV, if that means anything to anyone who sees this other than me, you know who you are)

Currently Reading: Three things! In terms of actual books, I've been slowly making my way through the Riordanverse since my university did The Lightning Thief in my second year (first school in my state to do it once the rights were released!) since I somehow never got into Percy Jackson as a kid, and I'm currently on Son of Neptune. I'm also one like my third or fourth re-read of Eurydice by Sara Ruhl, since that's the play I'm designing the costumes for for my senior project. And in terms of fanfic, I woke up to a notification about this yesterday and Actually Screeched.

Last Song: Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan (ft. Post Malone), which was a bit of an accident. I use siri to request music while I'm driving and I asked for Dial Drunk and was singing along until I got jumpscared by the slight difference before Post Malone's verse. Although if you look at my spotify, the ROTPL album has been on repeat for weeks.

Currently Watching (Series): I've been hyperfixated on ROTPL and have watched it over a dozen times at this point, which is probably not healthy, so I put on NCIS last night for background noise while I ate dinner and accidentally watched like six episodes.

Currently Watching (Movie): Saw the Barbie movie the night before the actual opening with my coworkers (We don't cross picket lines people! I was not asked nor invited by any company, and I paid full price for my ticket. There's a one-screen theatre in the town where I'm doing summer stock, this relic from the 50's, and they were able to get access to the film a day early and did a special first come first serve premiere.) and we all sobbed the entire way through.

Current Obsession: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Full stop. I'd seen clips of it when it first aired in April but I was iffy on it in spite of how good it looked. Like most, I'm a little tired of reboots and remakes, and while I did clock Cynthia as being queer within two seconds, (I believe my exact words were "That's either a very butch lesbian or the eggiest egg to ever egg.") I was Convinced it was a queerbait situation. Plus I was nearing finals and didn't have time to get into a new show. But then Crushing Me was trending on tiktok and I realized this was not queerbait, so I put it on to have something playing while I packed for summer stock and it's been the only thing I can think about since mid May. It got me writing fanfic again for the first time in years, if that tells you anything. Speaking of,

Currently Working On: A follow-up to my previous fic, Steady, Steady! I wanted to have it up this week, but it is a behemoth. I'm a little over halfway through my plot outline and I'm at 10,441 words. Fun fact, this will be my longest single-chapter fic so far. Not just in the fandom, not just on AO3, but ever (so far!)

No-Pressure Tagging: @merely-a-player, @penguin-writes-books, @el-fandom-birb, @marley-barnes112, @isweartheyregayyourhonor, and @look-at-those-niceass-rocks (since I've already dragged you back to tumblr kicking and screaming)

#tag game #this was fun #and also longer than I expected

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stevethehairington · 11 months

Text

just,,,,, nancy/carol enemies to lovers college au

i'm thinking about nancy, who has a plan — who has had a plan for years now. to go to college, to pursue her dream in journalism.

i'm thinking about carol, who doesn't have a plan. not really. just sees college as a way to push off the inevitable — a husband, a white picket fence, a house full of kids — a few more years.

nancy is ambitious, she's studious, she takes it seriously.

carol is not. the only thing she's studying are the boys, and the only thing she's taking seriously are the parties.

nancy is shocked to see carol, but she figures that she'll be easy to avoid; after all, they aren't part of the same social circles, and there's no way their schedules are going to overlap.

except, to nancy's annoyance, she keeps running into carol despite wanting nothing to do with her. she sees her in the library, at the campus coffee shop, in the quad. they see each other in the concession line at the football game, they bump into each other in the bathroom, they walk past each other at the club fair.

carol's not surprised to see nancy here — she always knew she'd end up at a place like this, if there's one thing nancy wheeler is its persistent — but she is surprised that in a campus this big they keep crossing paths. it annoys her too.

and the thing is — carol thinks, and has always thought, that nancy wheeler is such a priss. that nancy is so drastically different from her — and not in a good way.

but, really, underneath it all, the two of them are so much more alike than either of them could ever think.

the biggest similarity being that they both have this preconceived notion of what their life is Supposed to look like — a husband, kids, a career as a wife and a mother and a homemaker, not anything else. it's one that's been forced onto them, by society, by their parents, by everyone else around them.

nancy has obviously rejected that. but carol is still very much stuck in that thinking, and she doesn't necessarily see a way out of that expectation (whether it be because of familial obligation and parental pressure or the fact that she just doesn't know what she wants to do with her life in the first place).

that is just another reason why carol is so bitter towards nancy and "hates" her so much — because nancy has done what carol hasn't, what she can't.

and, nancy is the same as she was in high school — driven, focused, precise — but she's also soooo different too — looser, more confident, more self-assured, still sweet but she's sharper with it, like she knows what she wants and knows how to get it now.

and carol is (still) outrageously jealous of that too.

so they keep seeing each other on campus, and i haven't decided how it happens — perhaps there is some sort of confrontation? one that happens at a party maybe? where both of them have had a little too much to drink maybe? — but one thing leads to another and they end up angrily making out eith each other.

carol's not gay — she's never given being with girls much thought, any thought before. not for herself anyways. but theres something so magnetic about nancy wheeler that she just cant help but tug on that thread.

and then keep tugging on that thread. because it keeps happening after that. and it keeps escalating too. kissing leads to touching and touching leads to falling into bed together. only its not anything sweet or nice or lovely. it's fiery, it's clashing, it's rough around the edges.

it's hate sex through and through.

it becomes a release for them both, something to do when the disdain becomes too much and bubbles over. something to get all their animosity out.

there is, of course, some flavor of denial that gets thrown into the mix from carol — an "im not into girls just because im sleeping with you. it's just sex, you're just a convenient body to me" type of sentiment (one she learned from tommy, evidently, because it's one he used back in high school to excuse his attraction to men and the times he'd fool around with them behind the bleachers or in the locker room after everyone went home).

nancy, though, has already gone through her denial -> self acceptance phase — she and robin had a brief fling at the end of high school after they'd started getting closer and robin, who knew she was a lesbian and was pretty secure in it, helped nancy realize it herself and figure it out. things didn't work out between them romantically, but they're still good friends.

and this thing with carol — nancy's just in it to have a little fun. to fulfill that part of her that wanted to be more out there in college, to be more experimental. and, well, carol's a good lay. so she goes along with it.

and maybe they end up hanging out a little more outside of their hookups. instead of leaving right away, carol loiters, going through the things on nancy's desk, because she's always been nosey like that. she sees some of nancy's flash cards, and what do you know? carol's in that class too, just a different section of it. so they end up studying together. and that turns into grabbing lunch on occasion, or sometimes coffee. and they start to talk more, in between the studying, in between the screwing. they start to learn more about each other. they start to peel back the incredibly complex layers.

and, naturally, ✨️feelings✨️ start to get involved — feelings that aren't just hate.

then, of course, things all come to a head at some point. conflict must arise (most likely something to do with nancy going after what she wants (which is carol) and carol having to face the music here — the double whammy of having feelings for nancy wheeler, who is, in fact, a woman.) and it gets resolved eventually (the two reconcile and decide to give things a go).

i haven't thought much further about that part of this yet and how exactly it would play out. but. y e a h. just, nancy/carol.

(also important to note that carol goes in undeclared, but eventually changes to pre-law because nancy helps her realize that she would make a damn good lawyer, and the idea of that sparks a fire inside of carol because she has finally Found Her Purpose.)

#nancy wheeler #carol perkins #stranger things #nancy/carol #nancy wheeler x carol perkins #nancy x carol #nancy wheeler/carol perkins #mack writes #ty swissh for putting the concept of these 2 (& the college ETL idea) into my head back in april i have NOT stopped thinking about it since

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mimiatmidnight · 10 months

Note

I think I’m in the minority but I don’t really care if I see them picket or make a statement but I better not see them cross the picket line. Like I think after Spotify I began to understand that… M&H don’t have that much power/ good will with certain executives. And no one besides Sussex fans and defenders are checking for a statement. Like if they made a statement tomorrow, would people really care or would it just be seen as posturing? That being said, I really hope they are helping in the behind the scenes type way. And that they don’t cross the picket line (like literally lol but also not try to work on projects. Heart of invictus can get a pass in my books because it is meant to be released this summer. But no promo that could cross the picket). There are A LOT of big name and consistent working celebrities who have not said anything about the strike, but I believe are acting in good faith. I would like to see more of a balance of vocal and physical support along with back end support, but idk the past few months have made me much more realistic (but not always supportive) of how M&H will actually operate.

Well, overall, I definitely see what you're saying. First, I agree that the most important thing here is honoring the actual strike procedures. But I'm not sure how meaningful that is in their case, given that Harry is not a member of either union (as far as I know lol) and Meg is highly unlikely to be involved in any acting at this time. There's definitely much more danger regarding their roles as producers, but we haven't even heard a WHISPER of them having any unknown projects in production. So just speaking honestly, them refraining from scabbing themselves is really not enough. Even for the one project that we know of on the horizon, HOI like you mentioned, the opportunities to sort of "spiritually" break the strike and promote the documentary are scant given that all the normal avenues like talk shows and late night TV are on pause anyway. So I was never really worried about them on that front. But of course there could always be projects going on behind the scenes, so yes, just for good measure: our fervent prayer that they at the VERY least do not cross the picket line.

Now, in terms of showing their support publicly. I see what you're saying about how the world doesn't necessarily need a Sussex PR statement on this movement, and I agree that no one is, like, specifically waiting for Harry and Meghan™ to take a stand. But . . .

1) Does that really matter? It's what's right, and it's clearly something of which Meghan is a strong believer and supporter. You could argue that the world doesn't really need their thoughts on/support of ANY movement, but that hasn't stopped them before. The unions are up against an enormously powerful machine, and I don't think anyone with even a passing relationship to the industry (which is basically every public figure on the planet) is above showing their support. And Harry and Meghan at this point are way more tied up in the industry than merely a passing relationship, as @mmarkle detailed in her post. And . . .

2) There are more ways to take a stand than releasing a statement. They have shown their support for many different causes before on several occasions by sending food, water, supplies, or even just money to workers and volunteers. They could easily do the same thing for the strikers. And honestly, if we're worrying about how they come off to the public (which I am not lol, but I understand that some fans still are), direct action is a great way to show "authentic" and "genuine" support for a movement. This is a huge story that they (for better or worse) have a lot of ties to. Both morally and strategically, I would expect them to take a stand here.

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destinyc1020 · 4 months

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Great point about Tom’s agents!

Also, Tom DECIDED to take a year off, and then we had a six-month strike, so obviously he doesn’t have 10 projects lined up at the moment, but some people act as if he will never work again 🙄

Also, contrary to most actors his age, Tom wants to be an Executive Producer for his projects now, and he is actually very involved in every step of the process, from writing the script, to finding a director, to casting, to editing, to post production and marketing (many actors get the EP title for their projects, but their involvement is basically 0, it’s just a way to get paid more money, but Tom is not like that).

This means that Tom works on each project for 2/3 years at least! People like Timothee or Austin are not that involved in projects. They film for 4/5 months and then move on to the next project.

But I love that Tom wants to be more involved. He is learning a lot about the industry and that will be very useful for his career.

(Mind you, Tom was involved in pre and post production for NWH as well, despite the fact that he wasn’t even listed as an EP. And we know he is very involved in the making of SM4 as well, which is why I hope they will give him the EP title for the next movie).

Also, Tom DECIDED to take a year off, and then we had a six-month strike, so obviously he doesn’t have 10 projects lined up at the moment, but some people act as if he will never work again 🙄

Right!?? 😂 I don't understand that logic at all honestly.

MOST actors couldn't work much last year. Not even to promote their films. Hollywood was basically shut down for MONTHS!! You couldn't even work on writing stuff, because that would have been considered "crossing picket lines". Do people have selective amnesia about the writers and actors strikes from last year?? The LONGEST ever in Hollywood history? 😅

Exactly! 💯 And I love that for him! 👏🏾😁 A lot of actors are being Executive Producer for their projects now because it allows you to have way more creative control over your work and to have more input.

IIRC, Z was Executive Producer for the first time with KC Undercover. 😊

This means that Tom works on each project for 2/3 years at least! People like Timothee or Austin are not that involved in projects. They film for 4/5 months and then move on to the next project.

Actually, Timothée was Executive Producer for "Bones and All".... his first film with EP credits. 😊

And Austin will be Executive Producer for his upcoming film, "City on Fire", the first film for him which he will be Executive Producer on. 👍🏾😊

So, other actors around Tom's age are also EP's on their projects that they're starring in because it allows them to have more creative input and control on the films they will be filming. 😁

I think you're referring to the actors who aren't actually acting in the film, but who want to provide their money and backing towards a project in order to ensure that it will be made. 😊

There are different types of EP's. Ones who just want to financially back the film, but don't necessarily need to be on hand for creative input, and those who are actually starring in the film, and would like to do BOTH.

But I love that Tom wants to be more involved. He is learning a lot about the industry and that will be very useful for his career.

I love that too Anon! 🥰 I love that Tom is going to learn a lot! Zendaya always said that he has a director mindset, so I'm sure he's taking in everything that he can in order to make sure that things run smoothly, and it might help him (and Harry) in the future if they ever want to direct that children's film together 🥰

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ninadove · 5 months

Note

For the spotify thing, 47!

Damn Boops you are FAST

Some Clemmy for you, of course 💙💛

“… And then they chased me off the property,” Emmy grumbled, her irritation clear on the other side of the line. “Can you believe the nerve of those guys?”

“Unforgivable.”

Clive smiled to himself as he tucked the phone between his shoulder and his cheek — carrying the pile of weary textbooks to its rightful place on the shelf.

It was not the first time Emmy went… Above and beyond on an investigation. Then again, he too had been forced to kick doors open during his days as a journalist-turned-vigilante.

“All that talk about the freedom of the press goes out the window pretty quickly when you cross their white picket fences, doesn’t it.”

“Politicians are the scum of the Earth,” she sighed, defeatedly. “I’m starting to think you had the right idea all along.”

“You don’t mean that.”

At least, he hoped she did not. He had not forgotten how far she had once been willing to go for her own convictions.

He admired that about her, as much as he loathed it about himself.

“When are you heading back?” He knew the exact spot each of the volumes belonged to by heart now — maybe it was a sign that he was finally home. “The Professor’s hoard is getting more and more out of control by the day. I could really use a hand.”

“Just admit you miss me, bird brain.”

People had never been his cup of tea, especially on the phone, but Emmy’s voice was different — Emmy’s voice was what he imagined sunlight would sound like.

“Who knows,” he teased, gripping the device once more to stare at her contact picture. “Maybe I do.”

Now also available on AO3.

Ask game here!

#professor layton #clive dove #emmy altava #clemmy #ask games #spotify wrapped 2023 #writing #nina writes

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pa-pa-plasma · 8 months

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okay, I didn't see this until now (& op turned reblogs off apparently) but I'll address some stuff under a readmore just to clear stuff up.

"one piece has multiple queer characters" One Piece literally has a gay club that hands out free transitions to transgender people. I am not making this shit up. Also, Luffy is asexual & aromantic. "multiple" doesn't really do it justice

"the whole "tumblr crossing the picket line" thing in promoting it (i think? i've heard people talking about it at least)" tumblr didn't cross a picket line. tumblr is allowed to advertise, as they (as in the website & the people who run it) are not planning to be part of the writer or actor unions. this is just regular advertising that other movies & shows have done & are doing.

"the strangeness of what things tumblr decides to promote and in what intensities they do for which things" again, tumblr was paid to promote One Piece. yes, there are problems with what tumblr pushes & what it hides, but it was paid to do this. it isn't favouring One Piece for no reason. it is favouring One Piece because it was paid to. if Our Flag Means Death wanted to advertise on tumblr, they could.

"the fact that what little i know about the original one piece is sexism" the series started in the 90's in Japan, so yes, there is a lot that isn't great, but for a lot of us it was our first experience of seeing openly queer characters & women who can beat the shit out of you. for the bad stuff (basically just out of date shit) the live action series does fix this, but I think it would be good to consider that it was 90's Japan when Oda wrote it with queer & strong (as in, power level type shit) women in mind. this isn't fucking Harry Potter we're talking about, where all the bad shit is a fundamental part of the creator's worldview & personality. this is like, some old shit that didn't age good like everything else that exists ever. his art style is kinda fucky & I won't defend it but like. we're talking about the live action which negates all that. also, as someone else pointed out, the women are drawn sexy, but so are the men. have you seen Zoro's massive tits?

"and the fact that netflix remakes in the past usually aren't well received." the One Piece Live Action series not only has fans involved, but the creator of the original series working on it. they also made the physical sets (most of which are ships on the water) & only used CGI when they literally couldn't use practical FX (Luffy stretching, for instance). if you looked into it at all, you would've seen that this is not the same as, say, The Lion King. people tend to forget that it isn't the "live action" itself that is bad, but the execution. One Piece Live Action was executed very, very well with what it had to work with, & we could see this ahead of time, not just when the show came out. I literally teared up at parts because I felt like I was watching One Piece again for the first time. All the important scenes were 1:1 with the original, & they even played the original theme song We Are (instrumental version). That is how good it is. It was made with love & you can clearly see it.

I appreciate the apology, but the fact that you didn't know anything about it (you're allowed to look stuff up) before putting this post in the main tags is like. why. people (not just the op in the screenshots, as I've seen this multiple times in different fandoms) need to learn that if you hate something, block the tag, don't go into tag complaining about what you think the series is. this is how you ruin the experience for fans--& yourself. you are doing the exact thing you are complaining about tumblr doing, except worse, because you're just ignorantly shitting on it, & not even in a funny way.

anyway, go experience some childlike wonder & watch OPLA, or don't. I literally don't care.

#hey look look at me down here look what i'm gonna do: not tag this so my rant doesn't end up where people who just wanna have fun can see it #crazy shit huh?

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loveisbraveandwild · 9 months

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hi! i see you as someone who is able to articulate your thoughts very well, and i wanted to ask you about the hotel worker strike in SoCal and their request for Taylor to cancel her upcoming 6 shows. I feel very conflicted about it. On one hand I am for the strikes and can very much understand why they are asking her to cancel... but on the other hand I'm unsure if that would actually help things? Maybe I just don't fully understand. i know strikes are meant to be disruptive but would her not cancelling the shows be crossing the picket line? i totally understand if you do not want to answer this, i'm just very lost and can't seem to find a good answer to what this all means.

this is interesting and a huge ask of them to make of taylor. though, it would make an impact and difference. after reading the letter , it would be crossing the picket line for her to have her shows. and for concert-goers to book through the hotels w employees striking. that being said, i think its interesting the letter is coming from politicians and not the workers themselves, who are otherwise on the frontlines of the strike (maybe im confused by this part and whos involved tho). i also think that it puts taylor between a rock and a hard place- either she fucks over the literal HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of people (re: workers) who depend on these shows happening when theyre scheduled or she fucks over the strikers. im continually frustrated by the way people think taylor does this whole thing by herself when it literally would not be possible without the people whose names we dont know

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saltywinteradult · 10 months

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i think the hotd actors being forbidden from joining the strike is some bullshit

Are HBO allowed to do this? Are HBO continuing to film shows in the US or are they taking advantage of hotd being filmed in the UK?

I don't know the situation but if the actors all refused to work what could HBO do? I know I'm probably being naive and there are lots of things to consider. Has GRRM said anything? I'd be so disappointed in him if he's hiding behind the excuse of hotd being a UK production especially as he's voiced support for the writers strike.

I just hope the actors don't face any backlash from the industry due to this.

Yes, they’re allowed to do this. They’re taking advantage of HotD being filmed in the UK and having a majority British cast and thus being subject to different labour laws. You can read up on it here and here. Quoting from the statement from the local union, Equity:

”A performer joining the strike (or refusing to cross a picket line) in the U.K. will have no protection against being dismissed or sued for breach of contract by the producer or the engager. Likewise, if Equity encourages anyone to join the strike or not cross a picket line, Equity itself will be acting unlawfully and hence liable for damages or an injunction.”

That’s the long and short of it. It’s simply not legal for them or their union to strike in solidarity. It’s some bullshit, but it seems that’s the unfortunate reality of UK labour laws. (And considering who’s currently in government, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.)

I can only guess at what would happen if the HotD cast all refused to work, but I’d wager the actors would all lose their jobs and/or be sued for breach of contract. I also find it likely that they’d be excluded from their union, which I imagine would have much, much more serious consequences for their careers than any backlash they might get if they keep working. You’d hope that anyone who cares about this stuff would know to look up the reason why the HotD cast have to keep working and not give them any grief for it — that should be directed entirely at the AMPTP and the UK’s fucked up labour laws. I still hope GRRM voices his support though, which as far as I can tell he has yet to do. Considering his support for the WGA I can’t imagine he’s not supporting the actors’ strike as well.

I also wouldn’t put it past HBO to recast the show or cancel it altogether. Keep in mind, their parent company had no qualms about cancelling the $90 million Batgirl movie for the sake of a tax writeoff. All in all it seems like a very ugly situation.

#hotd #house of the dragon #sag aftra #sag aftra strike #sag strike

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justforbooks · 2 years

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While having lunch one day in the 1990s with Lewis Lapham, the editor of Harper’s magazine, and discussing whether it was possible to live on the lowest wages, Barbara Ehrenreich, who has died aged 81, leaned across the table and told Lapham: “Someone ought to do the old-fashioned kind of journalism – you know, go out there and try it.”

Lapham smiled, perhaps thinking about the exploits of earlier US writers, Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair, and George Orwell with his 1933 book Down and Out in Paris and London. He suggested the person who should do it was her.

It seemed an interesting idea for Ehrenreich, who had a fair share of academic honours, and a PhD in molecular biology, but was at the time carving out a new kind of radical journalistic career. Lapham warmed to the idea that she should try living on the wages available to the unskilled in prosperous America.

Out of that lunch came Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed: Undercover in Low-wage USA (2001). It proved to be a bestseller, and the following year Granta published a UK edition with an introduction by Polly Toynbee, whose books following a similar path in Britain appeared in 1971 and 2003.

Ehrenreich’s quest began in Key West, Florida, in 1998, and ended in Minneapolis in the summer of 2000. Proposing to spend one month in different locales, she presented herself to potential employers as a divorced homemaker re-entering the workforce. Then aged 57, she was rather older than the other women who were also seeking work as house cleaners, waitresses or shop assistants. Her PhD would not exactly help, and so it had to be suppressed.

She knew that she was only visiting the world that others inhabited full-time. But she made it clear in her book that hers was not an attempt to “experience poverty”. She was certain that there would be no Shazam moment when she revealed her “true” upper middle-class self. She had advantages, of course: she was white, a native English speaker, and she had a car. But she learned that the only thing which made her “special” was her inexperience.

What emerged from her research was an impressive and heartfelt analysis of the dilemmas confronting American women as she encountered them working in dead-end jobs for $7 an hour, and an appreciation of why they did not fight for higher pay and better conditions for themselves and their fellow workers. She came to understand why poor, undereducated women, often carrying heavy debt burdens, could not risk their families being placed in a worse financial position by being summarily sacked for demanding more money or seeking representation by a union.

Born and brought up in Butte, Montana, a blue-collar mining town, she came from a family whose gospel had only two rules: never cross a picket line, and never vote Republican. Barbara was the daughter of Isabelle (nee Oxley) and Ben Alexander. Her father studied at the Montana School of Mines and took a PhD at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He was a copper miner who became a senior executive at the Gillette Corporation. By the time the family had settled in Los Angeles, her parents had divorced.

Barbara studied physics and chemistry at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, graduating in 1963. Five years later she started on her PhD at Rockefeller University in New York City. With her husband John Ehrenreich, whom she married in 1966, she authored an account of the worldwide student movement, Long March, Short Spring (1969). It was followed by another co-authored study, The American Health Empire (1970).

In 1970 she gave birth to a daughter, Rosa (two years later she would have a son, Ben), finding herself the only white patient in the public clinic. Her labour was induced, she felt, because the doctor wanted to go home. That experience made her a feminist.

She found work in New York as an analyst in the city’s Bureau of the Budget and moved to an assistant professorship at the Old Westbury campus of the State University of New York. The move from being a graduate student to a proper academic job, baby in arms, brought Ehrenreich into contact with other women similarly trying to balance parenting, academic research and full-time teaching.

Increasingly she turned towards the experience women had of the American health system. It became her primary research interest, and a collaboration with Deirdre English, a feminist journalist and academic, proved fruitful.

For the remainder of the 70s, Ehrenreich began to carve out a presence at conferences, and she was able to place essays, op-eds and feature articles in leading American newspapers and magazines, especially those, such as Mother Jones, with a radical readership. On campus and at events sponsored by the US government, she felt increasingly confident with her marketable mix of scholarship, advocacy and activism.

The women’s health movement was attracting wider interest, and Ehrenreich’s For Her Own Good: 150 Years of Experts’ Advice to Women (1978) was detailed and written with passion.

Ehrenreich wrote or co-authored more than 20 books, on a wide range of topics. Virtually no feminist advocacy group founded in the 70s could do without her presence. When Michael Harrington formed the Democratic Socialists of America in 1982, he invited Ehrenreich to serve as co-chair.

It was in the pages of the Nation, and among the editorial board, which included Ehrenreich, Eric Foner, Lani Guinier, Tom Hayden, Toni Morrison and Tony Kushner, that the left’s stalwarts engaged with the most pressing issues of the day. And it was in the pages of the Nation that Ehrenreich published Rediscovering Poverty (2012), in which she argued that Harrington’s influential and much-admired work on poverty in the US, The Other America (1962), was designed to comfort the already comfortable and blamed those who were most disadvantaged by the US welfare system.

Ehrenreich argued that there was a double message in Harrington’s book: “we” – always the presumptively affluent readers – needed to find some way to help the poor, but that opened the floodgates to the idea forcefully urged by Daniel Patrick Moynihan in an influential report in 1965, that the heart of the problem lay in the “Negro family”, “clearing the way,” Ehrenreich argued, “for decades of victim-blaming”. Her relations with Harrington were difficult.

It was also in the Nation that in 2000 Ehrenreich published the essay Vote for Nader, which became one of the signal moments in the civil war between the American left and the Democratic party centrists, whose candidate, Al Gore, was in the process of losing his presidential bid to George W Bush.

In 2007 Ehrenreich donated an extensive archive of her career as an author, including correspondence and notebooks, to the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library of the History of Women in America, in the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University.

She was divorced from John Ehrenreich in 1977. A second marriage, in 1983, to Gary Stevenson, ended in divorce 10 years later. She is survived by Rosa, Ben, three grandchildren and two siblings, Benjamin and Diane.

🔔 Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and activist, born 26 August 1941; died 1 September 2022

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS #Barbara Ehrenreich #in memoriam

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