11 days until the eras tour ends🙌🙌🙌 so ready to stop seeing these stupid posts with generic bot ass lyrics captions

realized earlier I’m back to feeling uncomfortable around someone because why the fuck you say that about me

like I don’t even wanna be around you, but like also I don’t care enough to have a convo because it’s not that deep but it is

Echoes of Suspicion

Synopsis: Two plain gold necklaces sparked curiosity among fans about your relationship with Bada. They made theories, analysed your social media posts, and even noticed patterns in your dress sense. Fans speculated that you and Bada were secretly dating, but you both welcomed the spotlight because you knew your sweet romance would remain a mystery to others.

It all started with two necklaces. You and Bada had exchanged these lovely necklaces to show how much you care for one another. Although they were plain, gold, and without any initials or names, the fans took note. They carefully analysed images and posts, highlighting the striking resemblance between the necklaces you both wore in public.

Hashtags like #SecretLove and #BadaYours started becoming popular on fan forums and social media platforms.  In an attempt to find the truth, fans created extensive theories and analysed each shared image and cryptic message.

One evening, Bada noticed the comments under a photo she had uploaded with you while scrolling through her social media page, her brow furrowing.

@BadaFever: "Hmm, aren't those necklaces suspiciously alike?"

@BadaCharmster: "I've seen [Your Name] wearing the same ring as Bada!"

@YoursForever: "What if they're secretly dating? 😱"

Bada sighed and showed you the comments. "Looks like they're on to us."

You laughed and dismissed it. "It has to happen at some point. Even in the smallest things, love has a way of showing itself, despite our best efforts."

Bada grinned at you, her eyes a mix of love and worry. "Are you OK with all this attention?  If it makes you uncomfortable, we can hide out for a while."

You gently kissed her as you leaned in. "As long as I'm with you, I'm fine. Together, we are able to resolve this issue of ours."

The odd similarities were continually brought up by fans as the days went by. They saw how your common love of a certain flower, your preference for the same restaurants, and the strange synchronisation of your Instagram posts.

@BadaLoveBlossom: "Did anyone else notice that [Your Name] posted a picture of a flower the same day Bada did?"

@Admiring[Your Name]InSilence: "Their fashion sense is so alike! Look at those matching sneakers!"

@[Your Name]HugMeTightly: "I've seen [Your Name] wearing a jacket just like the one Bada wore last week."

The speculation grew wilder with every passing day, and even international fans joined in on the theories.

@[YourNameandBada]: "I saw [Your Name] wearing a bracelet that looked identical to the one Bada wore during Street Woman Fighter!"

You sighed, frustrated and amused at the same time. "It seems as though they are putting our entire lives together."

With her arm around your shoulder, Bada laughed. "They're just fans who care about us, I guess. It's evidence of our relationship."

Your love remained a lovely secret despite the followers' curiosity and speculation.  The fact that even the most observant followers were unable to fully understand everything was a testament to your friendship. The voices of doubt could linger, but the actual extent of your love would always be kept a well guarded secret between you and Bada.

just for fun!

Thoughts, opinions, and a just for fun timeline. Google and a couple tumblr rabbit holes later....disclaimer lots of rumors with receipts for rumors.

I too find it weird that the same people talking about Johanne used to describe MK, Rikke, and Fanny the same exact way. Down to the same wording. Except they used to go after MK'S tattoos like they're a bad thing. People were awful about her, and the rest. Now Johanne and his family and friends are getting it too.

Now they act like a friendship, spanning 7 years, is something "more"  bc he likes her posts. Lol I bet he likes a lot of people's/friends posts, guys and girls. Probably a lot of private accounts too bc a lot of his friends went private bc people kept posting his friends' videos and pics. I don't understand why he can't like any of the accounts he follows without it causing a stir. Lol liking a post isn't a big deal lol. People can be friends, it's not like he doesn't have TON of female friends lol. I doubt he's still pining for her, and probably hasn't for a long long time.

It's not like he hasn't dated since or before (Olivia who rejected him supposedly 2017).

And he's older now and probably has sown his wild oats and wants to settle down with the woman he loves (Johanne). And I think, personal opinion, that now he has someone who matches him, loves him as he is, and let's him be just who he is. All goofy funny husky puppy energy Alex. That's great imo.

Busy boy in 2018.😂😂😃😃 he was young.

Short timeline with receipts:

Threesome rumors:

Jan 13-14 2018

/

/

/

People were also posting about topless photos of Gee with Alex. They're deleted now.

· Mar 9, 2018When she finally responds to your desperate love letter text that you know she opened 35 min.… twitter (while in England)

Strange tea about Alex, take with grain of salt etc

May 17 '18#1310

"Does anyone follow Alex H. on instagram? His story yesterday so much cringe, or the hashtag #phatasswhitegirl = Alicia A.  :eyeroll: she's the white girl that has fame for being a white girl with a big ass after that scene with Ivar, trying to get her attention alluding her? she's way out of your league, kid."

"He is a creep, he follows her even on spotify when she goes under a secret username but she doesn't follow him back :rofl: smart girl."

Lipstick alley source (I google alex hogh gee hirst threesome and it popped up, the above links. And quote/gossip came from there.)

May 29, 2018 the weekend/pics he took of MK were posted. Cryptic post from her around this timeframe.

Jun 17, 2018 alex hogh with rikke westi red carpet its official twitter:

"Alex Høgh with Rikke Westi via alexhoeghandersen: "Rikke has always been too cool for school, but now it’s official. Watch out. She’s special. Huge congratulations my friend"

August 20th, 2018, Anonymous asked:

"What kind of relationship is there between Alex Høgh Andersen and Mary Kate Slattery???"

"As far as I know they are friends. For a hot minute I thought there might be something but that passed"

So they stayed friends it seems. Maybe they just realized they're better as friends? Maybe the rejection was mutual after all? Maybe he wasn't trying to be serious, just seeing how it goes? Or vice versa we will never know. Good for them. That's mature to stay friends. 😊 Her boyfriend type seems different from Alex. Not a bad thing to each their own.

Late 2018-2020 he dated a few others, one I think named Kaja? I've researched enough for a day. 😆 😆  there were blondes and brunettes, several women, one at the Zulu awards. One sitting on his lap at distortion which was posted on tumblr May 30, 2019 (edited to fix date).

That twitter/x post and IG posts don't seem to be focused so much on privacy. As some claim he's all about, I've always thought he was only private when he wanted to be. That's his choice. 😊😊 So I'm still not getting how Johanne ever "violated" his privacy.

So MK only likes his RC posts/posts that have Johanne in them. That's sweet she probably LIKES Johanne too. She's probably happy for her friend.

Seems like what friends do to me! Like posts and Support each other and be happy for each other. 😊😊😊

Another long post, but as ever don't expect it to be read. Just want to say what I want to say. 😊😊😊

PS I don't think it's weird that he's dated around before finding someone serious. You gotta shop around, see how the "clothes" fit before you buy them. Dating is what people do before they find their match. You gotta figure out what you like/want/need and what you don't like/want/need.😃

Awakening Nostalgia: A Glance into the Potential Wake Up Sid Sequel Buzz

In the dynamic world of Bollywood, where whispers of sequels often spark fervent anticipation, the recent social media surge surrounding a possible 'Wake Up Sid' sequel has set hearts aflutter. In a nostalgic twist, fans of the 2009 coming-of-age classic were treated to a tantalizing glimpse of their beloved on-screen duo, Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, in a cryptic post by filmmaker Karan Johar. However, as excitement soared, Johar clarified that the shared snippet was part of an advertisement, leaving fans in suspense about what exactly is brewing behind the scenes. This article delves into the fervor, speculation, and the enduring charm of 'Wake Up Sid,' exploring the possibility of a sequel that could reignite the magic of a cinematic gem from over a decade ago.

Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma Reunion: A Decade in the Making

The recent social media storm surrounding a potential sequel to the 2009 Bollywood hit 'Wake Up Sid' has left fans buzzing with excitement. After Karan Johar's cryptic post featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma went viral, fans couldn't contain their enthusiasm for the prospect of a sequel that would reunite the beloved on-screen duo. Speculations ran high as fans eagerly anticipated the return of Sid and Ayesha, portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, respectively, to the silver screen after over a decade.

Karan Johar's Teaser: An Ad or Something More?

The frenzy began when filmmaker Karan Johar, associated with the original 'Wake Up Sid' under Dharma Productions, clarified that the shared snippet was not a sneak peek into the sequel but rather an advertisement. Despite dashing hopes of an immediate return to the Wake Up Sid universe, Johar's caption fueled further curiosity with hashtags like "#SidWakesUp #SiddyBoy #WUSgang #WhatsBrewing #ranbirkapoor #ad." Johar's excitement and the mention of something thrilling in the works left fans wondering if there was more to the story than initially revealed.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) As the clarification settled in, a day later, footage from a film set featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma surfaced online, sending fans into a frenzy once again. The viral video showcased the duo engaged in behind-the-scenes interactions, reviving memories of their remarkable on-screen chemistry. The sight of Ranbir and Konkona together on set ignited a fresh wave of anticipation, prompting fans to speculate about the nature of their collaboration. The viral video not only captured the attention of dedicated fans but also reignited discussions about the possibility of a Wake Up Sid sequel. The on-screen chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma in the original film was a highlight, and the prospect of seeing them together again after such a long hiatus was enough to create a social media storm. Delving into the nostalgic realm, it's essential to acknowledge the impact of 'Wake Up Sid' on Bollywood and its audience. A coming-of-age film directed by Ayan Mukerji, the 2009 hit explored themes of self-discovery, friendship, and maturity. Ranbir Kapoor's portrayal of Sid Mehra, a carefree young adult navigating the complexities of life, resonated with audiences, as did Konkona Sen Sharma's Aisha, who played a pivotal role in Sid's transformative journey. In conclusion, while the recent developments might not confirm a 'Wake Up Sid' sequel, the undeniable excitement and anticipation generated by the social media buzz hint at the enduring impact of the original film. Whether it's an advertisement or the prelude to something more significant, the rekindling of Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma's on-screen camaraderie have fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the Wake Up Sid saga. Read the full article

The Importance of Using #Hashtags in Social Media Marketing

Using hashtags allows you to reach more people than just your direct followers. You can start, join, and participate in new conversations on social media by using hashtags. Your brand will become more visible the more retweets, comments, likes, shares, etc. your social media marketing posts receive. In addition to making your social media posts more discoverable, hashtags enable social media platforms and users to categorise content. If you are aware that your target market uses social media, you must join them. However, there are literally millions of social media users who are not part of your target market. In order to weed out those users and listen in on the conversations of your target audience, hashtags are a fantastic tool.

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag helps categorise or group contents for your audience, which is more than some people may believe it to do. People can quickly locate a specific piece of content on social media that is pertinent to their interests by adding a hash symbol to a keyword (for example, #SocialMediaMarketing). Using hashtags in online posts makes them more visible, which can lead to a “trending post.” Hashtags were first used on Twitter, a social media platform. However, hashtags are now being used on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Why are Hashtags Important?

On social media, hashtags are crucial because they help the right users find your content. Utilizing pertinent hashtags makes it easier for people to find and access your content, which increases views, likes, and shares. Finding the appropriate ones that complement your content and appeal to users is crucial.

Keep it simple and relevant

The world of social media is littered with numerous hashtags. Long, cryptic, or otherwise challenging hashtags are probably not going to work well for you. A vague, unused, or generic hashtag won’t produce the desired results either, though. Your hashtag needs to be brief, exact, and easy to spell. It ought to make the subject of the conversation crystal clear to your audience. Finding topics that are pertinent to your audience is the key. You must identify the hashtags that are relevant to your content and business and are currently being discussed. Using hashtags on social media can help you organise your content, attract new followers, and interact with a community.

Make Use of Trending Hashtags

Most of the time, people are drawn to or interested in current trends or popular culture. Use trending hashtags in your social media posts to increase brand awareness and reach a wider audience. Of course, your brand must be relevant to this popular hashtag as well. You should look for popular hashtags to use in your post by searching for them. Utilizing the appropriate trending hashtags for your industry can help your brand become more visible on social media.

Know the Right Hashtags to Place

The main advice in this piece is to be careful with the hashtags you use in each post. Not every hashtag is pertinent or acceptable. Use hashtags that won’t be interpreted incorrectly or interpreted negatively by your audience. Do some research on the hashtag and the common language used in posts using that particular hashtag. Consider your post carefully.

Branding and Visibility

Branding and accessibility are basically Instagram’s most powerful use of hashtags. If you’re a new company, you can use hashtags to expand your audience and increase awareness of the brand. When users search your brand, they will see the related hashtags that you are using; or they will see your advertised posts in the results while searching for similar hashtags. This normally leads to new followers and potential customers being acquired.

Power of Hashtags for Businesses

Hashtags are essential when it comes to promoting your goods and services on social media. Using a hashtag increases the number of people who will see your social media post. Hashtags were once restricted to Twitter, but they are now used on all major social media networks, including Instagram, Linkedin, Facebook, and Pinterest. Utilizing popular and pertinent hashtags in your social media posts will help you reach a wider audience, boost post engagement, and improve the perception of your company. To get the best results, you must use hashtags that are specific to your brand.

How to use hashtags on Instagram

On Instagram, hashtag use can broaden audience reach and boost engagement. To reach the largest audience possible, feel free to use up to ten or eleven popular and relevant hashtags for Instagram Stories. On a typical Instagram post, you can include up to 30 hashtags. Although you probably don’t need to use that many, it’s good to know that you can experiment by using more if you wish.

Interactions are highest on Instagram posts with 11+ hashtags (you can use up to 30 per post).

How to use hashtags on Twitter

Twitter hashtags encourage participation in related conversations, and users interact with one another even if they are not followers of one another. Using long and wordy hashtags, such as #digitalmarketingagencyinkochi, in a Tweet can harm your presence even though using hashtags on Twitter can undoubtedly improve your social media presence. This is because hashtags are meant to make content easier to find and interact with others. Using too many hashtags in one post can also hurt your social media presence, in addition to using long hashtags. Your followers will perceive your tweet as desperate if it contains more hashtags than actual content, and the point you are trying to make will be lost in the mix.

How to Use Hashtags on Facebook

Use hashtags to increase the organic reach of your Facebook posts if you want to increase their visibility. It’s important to avoid overusing hashtags on Facebook. Usually, using just one or two is advised. Any more will make you appear unprofessional and might irritate those who read your posts.

As an expert digital marketing agency focused on tangible results, we are always updated about the trending hashtags. This expertise can turn into the top ranking of your Social Media pages/accounts,. CRAB is a full service digital marketing agency in Kochi, that helps brands and businesses to establish a convincing online presence. Here we incorporate the right digital marketing strategies, powerful content, and teamwork to convert your online presence to valid leads and sales, thereby increasing your reach and revenue.

anyway guess i can’t even check my email now; awesome; wow;

2020 is finally coming to an end, and we can’t say we’re disappointed about it. It sure has been a long way for everyone, yet some artists had a lot on their plate. Take a look at Louis Tomlinson’s year. As complicated as 2020 has been for him, he still unlocked achievements and outdid himself in the best way. So let’s take a look at how Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year, let’s go!

Louis Tomlinson Released His Debut Solo Album Walls

After four years of anticipation, and a good two years of teasing, Louis released his debut album, Walls, on January 31st. The record received positive critics and fantastic feedback from his loyal Louies. From the party anthem ‘Kill My Mind’ to the emotional ‘Two Of Us’, with a few sweet escapes such as ‘Too Young’, not to mention the punchy ‘Always You’, the album brought the fans everything they had hoped for. In addition to that, Louis stole our hearts with heartfelt and sincere lyrics that only he has the secret of. Magic.

Louis Started His Worldwide Tour And Gave His First Solo Show

Louis started his worldwide tour in March before it got interrupted. Touring was what he had always been looking forward to, ever since he’d decided to start a solo career. Louis had expressed the exciting feeling and positive stress that he feels right before going on stage. Luckily enough, he had the time to perform twice in Spain at the beginning of March. His first whole solo show took place at Razzmatazz, in Barcelona, and reunited around 2000 fans (sold out). An hour and a half of musical bliss, a performer who shares a lot with his fans, and an incredibly talented band. What else?

Walls Went Number #1 In 53 Countries And Worldwide Upon Release

Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year in the charts too. He always had a dedicated fandom, and that’s no surprise. However, he seemingly wasn’t expecting the global success of his debut album Walls. Indeed, it went number #1 on iTunes in 53 countries upon its release on January 31st, including the United Kingdom and the major part of South America. Not only that, but the album also climbed the iTunes Worldwide Chart to reach #1 in a matter of hours. Legends only.

Louis Released The Music Video for ‘Walls’, And It’s A Masterpiece

January 16th revealed the final single off Walls, the album, which was none other than the title track itself. Louis described it then as his proudest song on the album, with strong influences of Oasis. A few days later, on the 21st, Louis blessed us with the music video, shot in Morocco by Charlie Ligthening. The camera follows Louis through the Sahara desert and traces his path through a ballroom and dancing crowds. Some other scenes show him surrounded by masked people, or behind four silhouettes that he identified as his four former bandmates. The Easter eggs, the quality of the video, and the suit (yes, the suit, don’t you lie) made it a fans’ favorite, for it now counts more than 12 Million views.

Louis Reached 1.4 Billion Streams on Spotify

It looks like the fans’ streaming parties paid off this year. With only one album, four other songs, and remixes or edits, Louis reached the milestone of 1.4 Billion streams on Spotify this year. Additionally, he also made it to 4 Million followers on the platform. The numbers speak for themselves, and the achievement is huge for an artist who only received little promotion for a debut album, stopped on its way due to the pandemic. Here’s to his first billion, and some more soon! Overall, Louis knows he can count on his devoted Louies to increase the number of streams significantly with new challenges, the way they did it in December with #12DaysOfWalls. (Original idea by @miss_always_you).

He Launched Only The Poets Internationally

If you’re a Louie, there are big chances that this name rings a bell. Only The Poets, a band coming from Reading in the UK, literally skyrocketed this year. After their first performance as Louis’ first act on stage at Scala in February 2020, their popularity started increasing. And Louis confirming them as his first European act only made it better for them. They continued their year with live-streams, private Zoom calls, and pre-listening sessions of their singles with fans. They ended it with a social distanced show in Banbury and a Zoom Tour in a few European countries and South America. And the mutual support Louis and these lads give each other is heartwarming.

Louis Decided To Part Ways With Syco

This one is for the fans. After ten years of collaboration with Sony’s label, Syco, Louis decided to part ways with them for a new adventure. He officially announced his decision with a tweet on July 11th that took no time to break the Internet. Soon enough, hashtags related to the news trended around Twitter, other artists, and radios congratulated him on his decision. Louies celebrated with funny memes and GIFs but made sure to surround Louis with love and support through it all. Now we wait (for the new label announcement).

Louis Didn’t Only Postpone His Tour, He Made It Bigger

Another proof that Louis Tomlinson made 2020 better. Not only did Louis pursue his dream and goal to tour, but he also grew it out. After postponing the tour three times, the newly announced European dates include a few more stops, including Reykjavik (Iceland), Warsaw (Poland), Prag (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), and an additional date in Paris (France)! The shows sold out in less than 40 minutes, making it more than 15,000 tickets purchased. Due to the high demand in Zurich, the venue changed and 500 more tickets went on sale! In Argentina, a wild mobilization of fans on Twitter led him to open the whole Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires. Some additional tickets went on sale for the Chilean show as well. And guess what? They all sold out.

Louis Was Crowned Artist Of The Summer With 13 Million Votes

Still, doubting that Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year? A radio station from Philadelphia, @965TDY, launched a Twitter award ceremony last summer to crown an artist ‘Artist Of The Summer’. Many polls, 13 Million votes, and 26 Billion points later, Louis was elected and was all over Twitter thanking his fans for their dedication. Louies had acquired the absolute record of 26 Billion points thanks to their votes on the radio station’s website, and thanks to their mass voting parties. Another proof that Louis and his fans are unstoppable altogether. The support is always undeniably strong, and so is the bond between the artist and the fans. Happy days.

Walls Magically Rises On The Itunes Charts In October

Indeed, nine months after its release, a new wave of fans bought the album on iTunes and made it rise in the charts. The magic truly happened after @UpdateHLD (a Twitter update account), reminded new fans to purchase the album if they had not already. Considering Louis gained a certain amount of fans during the global lockdown, the initiative went successful, and soon enough, Walls was climbing the charts just like it did on January 31st. As incredible as it seems, it even received its first #1 on the USA iTunes chart. Louis didn’t miss on thanking his fans for their continuous support, expressing how amazed he was by the chart climb.

Louis Offered An Online Live-Stream Show, #LTLivestream

Early December, Louis announced his first live-stream show from London for December 12th, entitled #LTLivestream. He promised a very special show, hosted by the platform Veeps, and didn’t lie. The general sale for the tickets (of course) crashed the website, making everyone panic. Louis then confirmed that the tickets were unlimited. The show was as incredible as originally announced, with an orchestra, fans participating through a digital wall, and a new haircut that conquered the fans. The numbers later revealed that Louis had sold over 160,000 tickets. #LTLivestream is the most sold live-stream for a male solo artist in 2020. Being the generous philanthropist that Louis is, he has given the $2.8 Million raised to many charities and his touring crew. The charities benefitting from the funds are FareShare UK, StageHand, Crew Nation, and Bluebell Wood. And they wonder why we love him.

Louis Surprised His Fans With A New Song Called ‘Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy’

Last but not least, after spending a year on a rollercoaster, Louis revealed a brand new song during #LTLivestream. He had been hinting at it through a teaser for the live-stream and via a cryptic tweet that made everyone think he was referring to ‘Copy Of A’ by Nine Inch Nails. However, he proved everyone wrong during the show with a brand new song. ‘Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy’ reminds us of the general sound of ‘Walls’ (the single), and stole everyone’s heart and soul once again. Immediately after the show, the fans asked Louis when the single would be out, to which he replied that he wasn’t sure about it being one. The disappointment faded away when he said it remained an option and would put it on the second album. We’ll take that.

And that, folks, is how Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year for us! We have so many memories of Louis this year and can’t pick a favorite! What would be yours? And what do you think is yet to come from Louis next year? 

feelin lit abt this summer. i have no real reasoning just getting a good vibe. will be a #workinggal and collecting that bread, got a cutie bathing suit that gives good under-boob, and i know i’m a baller bitch with an epic taste in music. livin life and lit abt what’s to come. i’m happy to be alive i guess😊

Cancel the Act - the Theorist Movement Arises June 10th

Note: reblogs help a LOT MORE than likes, so we’d appreciate it if you reblog instead of like. Thank you so much and have an amazing day! 

Hello there, theorists! Thanks to all our old supporters and new fans that have come in the past few days. Coinciding with the events that have happened the last few days, the little telltale tidbits of information are perfect timing for the moment we’ve been waiting for: a full spread of our ideas and our definitive theory (linked here if you haven’t read it yet, we highly recommend to as if clears up some things we’ve claimed: https://canceltheact.tumblr.com/post/645017728134103040/cancel-the-act-the-definitive-theory-of-lunky)

If you support our theory and would like to spread the word, this is your chance to help out and bring this information to light. 

Introducing the #CancelTheAct movement for June 10th, where we will attempt to popularize our theory using the hashtag across Tumblr and Twitter (we do have a Twitter in case you’d like to do a double promo https://twitter.com/CancelAct). 

What can you do?

- Reblog and link our definitive theory!

- Discuss some of the evidence about 3 Scary Games, Actor, Lunky, Lixian or chromatic aberration our beloved - bring in some evidence of your own or talk about the stuff we’ve brought up

- Get creative if you like! We adore this community’s amazing creative powers, so express the lore in a meme, a drawing, or a cryptic poem!

- Definitely link the hashtag to #markiplier as well, along with any others you like

What to NOT do 

- This is NOT a real example of “cancel culture” or dissing on Mark as a human being. This is simply in the name of the lore, and in good fun - please be respectful!

This has been a long road, folks...but it’s almost time to pull up the curtains. He’s not the only one that can put on a show. 

Back, finally, with Word of Honor, Episode 11, which involved a lot of waving my hands around over precious button Zhang Chengling and his concern about whatever ridiculous argument between his Murder Dads left his shifu in a snit and must be solved right this minute. I really think if he could’ve just pushed their heads together like two Ken dolls to make them kiss and make up, he would have. Didi, I could eat you up with a spoon, although not in the creepy way that Du Pusa threatens. I promise.

First, though, due diligence: Spoilers, possibly likely for the entire show, not just this ep, so scroll away and come back later if you are still, at this point in the game, trying to watch the whole 36.5 eps unspoiled. Also, this is hella long. Strap in. Hashtag long post (remorseful).

First thing I actually want to do is point out a couple of scenes that I found particularly striking for various reasons. The first one is not quite the opening scene - which is super-brief and involves Yueyang’s prep for the Heroes Conference, Gao Shan (AKA Chengling’s bully-in-chief) being smug about Yueyang’s upcoming ascendance (oh boy, are you in for a surprise, you little schmuck), and Gao Chong’s extreme weariness at the idea of Yueyang’s upcoming ascendance. Gao Chong is very tired, y’all. It’s been a long 20 years. There’s also a ginormous sword on display, like Yueyang is now having a dick-measuring contest with who they think is the disciple of the Changming Sword Immortal (and oh boy, are you guys in for another surprise. I’m not sure what part of “immortal” y’all don’t understand). But I digress - as I said, this is a very brief scene, and then we cut back to Luo Mansion, where we left Ghost Valley and Lunatic Wen at the end of the last ep. Everyone is gone except for Wen Kexing, who’s still plotting, Beauty Ghost, who’s trying to stay tf out of this current shitshow as much as possible (good luck with that), and Tragicomic Ghost, who is totally and completely Done With This Shit. She berates WKX for acting crazy, he gets snappy back – I feel like their relationship is maybe a little bit fraught at this point – and Beauty Ghost attempts to soothe the waters, leading to an eyeroll from Tragicomic Ghost with a directive to stand the hell up and stop being scared of this idiot child throwing his weight around. WKX dismisses Tragicomic Ghost so he can plan a Very Secret Mission for Beauty Ghost in secret. WKX is … he is super-tired at this point. Painfully, achingly tired. I would almost say weary. We can see it in Gong Jun’s face. It’s a nice subtle bit of acting, and it definitely says something about WKX’s relationship with these women that he’s willing and able to show it in front of them, even as he’s still throwing his weight around.

Anyway, Liu Qianqiao proves her smarts by showing her hand just enough for WKX and us to see that she’s seen through the Lunatic Wen act to the utility of chokin’ out a dude as a warning, to try keeping Changing Ghost in line (good luck with that), but she also assures all of us that she only wants to serve the Ghost Valley Master and has no agenda of her own. WKX assures her that he has everything under control (Uh … huh. OK, my dude) and tells her he has a task for her, before detouring into a quiz about her disguise technique (learned from Qin Huaizhang, Zhou Zishu’s shifu at Siji Manor, and this is probably a tipoff that the Very Secret Mission will involve disguising herself), about Siji Manor, and about why she never visited there. We get some interesting vague hints about her past, including the fact that she met Qin Huaizhang when she was “little” and he took pity on her “disfigurement,” according to both the Youku and Netflix English subs. @coralcoloratura pulled out 童年时 (tóngnián shí) from the Chinese subs for me, which does mean “childhood.” Given that the going story is Yu Qiufeng’s wife threw acid in LQQ’s face over their affair, this opens up some questions about how old LQQ actually was when all that happened. Viki subs, per @janedrewfinally, add that she says she treated Qin Huaizhang to a meal, so she couldn’t have been too young. But Qin Huaizhang dies when ZZS is just 16, and LQQ can’t be any older than ZZS, and is likely younger (good lord, I just checked actor ages, and Ke Naiyu is 7 years younger than ZZH, so that’s probably not a good age gap to port over to the show, because just. No.). All this leads me to place LQQ at somewhere between Zhang Chengling’s age and Gu Xiang’s age (at most) when this whole tragic backstory happened, which is still pretty freakin’ young, and I can see why she would consider herself a child, at least metaphorically, in terms of naïvete, if not literally. I don’t know how much exploration has been done about this, on the fannish side of things, but it seems like an area rich for exploration. Also, I CANNOT TELL YOU how much I now want to read the AU of WKX and LQQ both actually being brought to Siji Manor at various times by Qin Huaizhang and staying there. I suspect that with those two shidi backing him, ZZS might never have had to go to Prince Jin in the first place. (Clearly this makes some things problematic, including A-Xiang, but I keep thinking about ZZS, WKX and LQQ growing up together … And anyway, I’m ALSO willing to read the AU(s) where WKX’s storyline stays the same, but LQQ does come to Siji Manor – both the AU where she and ZZS together manage to save the sect, and the AU where she goes with them to Jin, and the kind of weapon she could be for ZZS there, as he runs Tian Chuang. Who’s writing all this? Anyone? Anyone?) Anyway, when WKX asks why she didn’t visit Siji Manor, LQQ tells WKX that she’s a ghost now and doesn’t want to think about the living world anymore, which is probably a way of saying she wishes she had gone there and doesn’t want to talk about her many and varied bad decisions back in the day; it also acts as an unknowing reinforcement of that bright line WKX is desperately trying to maintain for himself between the world of ghosts and the world of humans. Plus it gives him the chance to speak the very portentous line that “Yes, we’re ghosts, and ghosts disappear in the light,” pulling the theme of light back in, again and giving us all kinds of foreshadowing. Cut away as he leans in to whisper her mission to her.

The other really striking scene, for me, happens near the end of the ep, when Gao Chong visits the shrine room, with the memorial tablets of his various brothers and friends. This hit me not just because of Hei Zi’s acting (which is great, don’t get me wrong) but also because this is a scene that reflects both backward and forward in the show - back to ZZS in Ep 1 and forward to the two scenes that Zhao Jing will have in this same room – as well as giving us all sorts of subtle clues about relationships throughout the show. So first of all, we see, in a shot that will mean more the deeper we get into the show, tablets for Zhen Ruyu and Gu Miaomiao (or, “his wife,” as the Youku subs call her, and this is me, rolling my eyes), who were apparently close enough to Gao Chong that he keeps memorial tablets for them on his home altar - which helps explain why WKX is so incensed that none of these Five Lakes Alliance assholes helped his parents when they were turned out of the Healer’s Valley, although that’s not something we would have known yet on a first watch through the show. Gao Chong lights some incense and apologizes to the tablet of Zhang Yusen for letting Zhang Chengling get kidnapped. He talks about waiting 20 years to learn the truth – which is kind of cryptic, but probably means the truth about who poisoned his sword before the spar with Rong Xuan, which we hear about in a later scene this ep – and gets a little bit salty about the fact that it doesn’t matter if everyone else doesn’t believe him, but why didn’t Zhang Yusen believe him? Again, I’m assuming this is about Gao Chong’s protestations that he’s not the one who put poison on his sword. We also learn in this same ep – from Chengling – that Zhang Yusen’s break with the Five Lakes Alliance seems to have at least started that far back, and that Yusen would have been at Mount Qingya to stand with Rong Xuan against his other Alliance brothers, if Yusen’s shifu hadn’t broken his legs so that he couldn’t travel there. (Yusen clearly had some strong feelings about this, if that’s what it took to get him to sit still for it. Also, it makes me wonder how Ye Baiyi’s feelings about Chengling might change if he ever learned that Chengling’s father intended to defend and stand with a guy who Ye Baiyi considered his own child, as well as his disciple.)

Gao Chong then proceeds to have a little crisis of faith – he’s very tired, y’all, it’s been a long 20 years – and talks about how no one understands him, and he’s old, and everyone’s dead. He also yells at Rong Xuan’s tablet, calling Rong Xuan da-ge but also saying he’s sorry he ever met him, but then there’s this brief little moment after, when he seems a little bit shocked at himself for saying it out loud, which reminds me, honestly, of the moment in CQL (we’ve all seen The Untamed, right, I don’t have to put spoiler warnings for it, right?) when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are in the Yunmeng Jiang memorial hall and Wei Wuxian talks about Yu Ziyuan’s punishments back in the day, then pats his own mouth and says “My fault, my fault, my fault” before bowing to her tablet. Like, yes, their relationship was multiple levels of fucked-up, and his reaction is not out of place given some of his continuing neuroses, but also, this is just not a thing you do, speaking ill of the dead to their faces. I’m sure Gao Chong does regret ever meeting Rong Xuan, and the way that led to the building of the Armory and the Five Lakes Alliance to guard it, and the position that ultimately put Gao Chong in - not to mention that if he never met Rong Xuan he never would have accidentally killed him. But you can’t say things like that OUT LOUD to the MEMORIAL TABLET. Then contrast this to Zhao Jing, who literally takes a piss on the tablet in one of the later episodes. Because he’s the worst. And THEN, Gao Chong kneels and talks to the tablets of Zhang Yusen and Lu Taichong, his dead Five Lakes Alliance brothers, saying they must have met again in the netherworld, and that they’re probably swearing about him right now, and this is the point when I sit straight up and exclaim, out loud, “Fuck. Me. This is Zhou Zishu’s breakdown at the mirror in Episode 1.” When he talks to Jiuxiao about how Jiuxiao and Jing’An must have met again in the afterlife by now and are probably discussing what an awful shixiong ZZS is, right? And then Gao Chong even laughs bitterly like ZZS, and cries like ZZS, and I just. OK. FINE, show. I’ll try to go a little easier on Gao Chong, because you’re clearly linking him to ZZS, here, and I’m willing to forgive ZZS for anything. I suppose I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t try to extend just a little bit of the same grace to Gao Chong.

So, that’s a lot of verbiage, and I haven’t even gotten to Wenzhou yet, but trust me, I have some things to say about them. While WKX has been terrorizing the troops, ZZS left Han Ying’s place and immediately started drinking again, because that continues to be the best way – in combo with his Nails – he knows to kill himself by increments, but so sad, he’s run out of wine as he wanders the marketplace, alone and zhiji-less. Inside Yueyang, Chengling finds a note purporting to be from “Xu,” instructing him to meet at the North Gate that night, and like the little idiot they keep calling him (he really is too pure for this world), he takes it at face value. On his way that night, he runs into Gao Shan, who inadvertently almost saves him by interrupting his sneaking around to try to bully him back to his room. Something something food as bonding, because the lie Zhang Chengling comes up with is that he’s hungry (he’s not eating Yueyang’s food, and it’s not nourishing him), and he’s on his way to find something to eat (because he and his Murder Dads are in a mutually nourishing relationship, and that’s who he wants to be with). Also, no, he would prefer going to find something to eat for himself and not eating whatever Gao Shan will bring back to Chengling’s room. (A little bit, I’m sad there’s never any place to fit in some canon-complicit long-form enemies to failboats to lovers fic for these two. I have to admit, I would read it. Someone should do something with the tension between them, although I don’t really want it to be anything that will make Best Boy permanently sad.) Anyway, A-Xiang shows up just as Gao Shan is about to frog-march Chengling back to his room, and Gao Shan never sees her coming before he’s knocked out on the ground. A-Xiang is confused about the note but nevertheless helps Chengling get to where he’s supposed to meet “Xu,” whereupon she gets beat up and gets her didi took by the Scorpions. (There’s an interesting moment here where Pretty Arhat is fighting with A-Xiang and asks what her relationship is to Beauty Ghost, which whaaaaaat? THERE’S some backstory I need more on. I’m assuming this is based on A-Xiang’s hand-to-hand fighting style, which I think is the only thing Pretty Arhat has seen at this point, and exactly WHEN has she gotten so familiar with Beauty Ghost’s fighting style? Also, I like the apparent nod to Beauty Ghost’s influence in raising A-Xiang (and we’ll see more of this).) Meanwhile, ZZS has been inexorably drawn to the place he left his child disciple child and is moping right outside of Yueyang, so he sees Pretty Arhat fly away with Chengling. Murder Dad 1 springs into action.

Yueyang disciples run around like ants whose hill has been kicked over, looking for Chengling in town, and two of them encounter Wen Kexing, out for a midnight stroll in a fetching pastel blue and green combo. They ask him about seeing a guy. With a pipa. Or maybe without a pipa. So maybe just a guy. Wen Kexing correctly deduces they’re asking about Phantom Musician Qin Song, who covered Pretty Arhat’s getaway by incapacitating everyone with his magic music. YY disciples are excited and tell WKX yes, this dude was involved in kidnapping Zhang Chengling! Y’all. WKX’s face when he hears that. He is not happy. Almost immediately, he spots Qin Song on a rooftop. Murder Dad 2 springs into action.

So, WKX the Ghost Valley Master finds Qin Song, asks him where Chengling is, crushes his playing hand, threatens to break every single bone in his body one at a time (meanwhile dropping the tidbit that he learned the number of bones in the human body from his dad), and tells him a little story about a time when – apparently – he asked another guy the same question (about WHO? has A-Xiang been kidnapped in the past, because that’s about the only other person I can imagine him being like this about?) and only had to break 80 bones before he got an answer. Meanwhile, ZZS actually finds Chengling, in the Scorpion lair where Du Pusa and Pretty Arhat have variously been molesting him (srsly, I feel like I should probably say something to a trusted adult Murder Dad), torturing him with unpleasant magic pixie dust, smacking him around (he loses a tooth, y’all), and waterboarding him. During all this, Pretty Arhat says she’s yet to meet a man who can stand up to waterboarding, and I’m kind of reminded of WKX’s scene threatening Qin Song, and I don’t know if that’s on purpose or not. Chengling literally spits in her face and proclaims that he’s the son of Zhang Yusen, none of whose sons are cowards, and about then, ZZS busts down the door like he’s WKX (by throwing Monster Jiang through it), tells the Scorpions he’s their daddy, and gets into a big fucking fight with all three of them. He flags a little bit somewhere in here as he starts having some Nail pangs (which, yeah, it must be getting about midnight, which is when that’s supposed to happen) and spits some blood, but he reassures Chengling and then tells the Scorpions no one can stop him from killing who he wants and getting what he wants (OK, Wei Wuxian …). Then he shoots some projectiles from some little contraption up his sleeve that we get a quick look at that I did not remember AT ALL from my first watch of the show but is literally like the gun hanging over the mantel in the first act. Huh. Anyway, he kills Monster Jiang, and Du Pusa (who didn’t give a shit about Monster Jiang OR Qin Song earlier), wants to capture him alive, supposedly so she can get revenge for them by teaching him how it feels “to want to die more than live.” Joke’s on you, lady – too late! That’s literally his constant state of being!

About this time, Qin Song comes flying through the doors – or what’s left of them – gasping his last breath as WKX makes his dramatic entrance. Chengling not only calls him “Wen-shu” but also has already figured out exactly how to manipulate Murder Dad 2 and tells him that in addition to kidnapping him, they also hurt ZZS. WKX is predictably murderous, and Du Pusa and Pretty Arhat run away and hide behind the skirts of Xie Wang’s robes as the Zombie Drug Man Army approaches. WKX tells ZZS to take Chengling and leave, ZZS refuses, and Xie Wang LITERALLY SAYS “IN LIFE AND DEATH YOU WILL NEVER PART. WHAT A TOUCHING MOMENT.” and I am DYING. Also, this will not be the last time ZZS/WKX will exhibit what Xie’er wants from his Awful Yifu. Anyway, Xie’er calls ZZS “Leader Zhou,” then tells WKX that he’ll tell them who he (Xie Wang) is if WKX tells them all who he is first. ZZS is Very Done with all of this and smoke bombs the Scorpions to escape. Xie’er shows he actually does know who both of them are – even though each of them doesn’t know everything about the other’s identity yet, and won’t for a while – by telling Du Pusa and Pretty Arhat that they’re the leader of Tian Chuang and the leader of the Ghost Valley and wondering “How did these two devils end up together?” Like calls to like, I guess.

OK, this is getting super-long, so I’m going to attempt to wrap up with the actual Wenzhou material. We cut to Murder Dads and Chengling sitting in the forest, around a campfire, and Chengling is in heaven, back with his family. He’s super-emotional, and ZZS is all, come on, be a man, don’t cry (OK, crybaby). WKX gives some campfire-cooked rabbit? maybe? to ZZS, who starts a precedent by passing it to Chengling. Please, A-Xu. WKX wants to feed his laopo, will you eat something, ffs? Chengling, still emotional, tells them that he knows they’re the only ones who are sincerely kind to him, that Five Lakes Alliance has all kinds of agendas and none of them care about him, and nobody has asked him what he wants. (I know, bb, they were awful.) ZZS asks what he wants, and Chengling says he wants to learn martial arts, to get revenge, and to not be a useless child anymore. Oh god, the cut to WKX here. His face, y’all. He is not cool with the fact that Chengling thinks he can’t be a child anymore, and probably with whatever role he (WKX) had in it. He is so sad. It’s killing me. However, it’s not as if WKX has lost his edge, and he also pounces, asking Chengling if something happened that made him suspicious of the Alliance. Chengling spills that his dad already didn’t trust them and also told him not to trust anyone ever, but he trusts his Murder Dads! This kid, I tell you. He tells them that his dad hid the Mirror Lake Glazed Armor in his stomach and starts getting ready to cut it out for them before ZZS stops him. He tells them Yusen gave him a letter for the Changming Sword Immortal detailing Rong Xuan’s injury (and we get our first iteration of the story of the battle between the Five Lakes Alliance brothers and Rong Xuan, the poison on the sword, and how that turned Rong Xuan evil). Per Chengling, the original argument was about the Combined Six Cultivation Method. Also per Chengling, the Alliance bothers should have been responsible for Rong Xuan after that, but no one stood up for him – I mean, Zhang Yusen would have, but his legs were broken. We learn that the poisoned sword that injured Rong Xuan belonged to Gao Chong. ZZS looks taken aback, but this all just CONFIRMS WKX’s SUSPICIONS.

Cut away for another scene. Cut back. ZZS has suddenly remembered that he’s pissed off and that someone (else, not him) is sleeping on the couch tonight. Earlier, they were sat in order of Chengling, ZZS, WKX. Now Chengling has been put between them. WKX asks for wine, A-Xu is being passive-aggressive and ignoring him before finally handing the wine gourd to Chengling to pass to WKX. He won’t even look at WKX. It is hilarious, particularly as he only remembered he was mad after they’d all eaten dinner, which WKX cooked, and the pair of them made sure their child was OK. Chengling wants to know if they fought and tells them there’s nothing confidants can’t resolve. He’s in full puppy mode. He tells WKX to hurry up and comfort ZZS, because you know he looks tough on the surface but he’s got the softest heart! Didn’t you teach me that tough women can’t resist clingy men? ZZS’s indignant little face at this is a picture. Chengling offers to apologize for WKX. WKX’s face is all fondness for Chengling, except for the eyebrows, which are doing the Tragic Sadness Eyebrows at ZZS. ZZS is all, OK, fine, although he immediately changes the subject and starts talking about the kidnapping attempt. He tells Chengling that the world is dangerous right now, and the safest place for him is Yueyang Sect. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS? Chengling sadly nods. My little dude, c’mon. ZZS’s Nails are bothering him and WKX takes the chance to feed him qi, which ZZS accepts – might I note - without complaint. WKX waxes rhapsodic about A-Xu’s shoulder blades, and says he once saw a dead body with beautiful shoulder blades. Smashcut to a flashback of two people who we don’t yet know are Zhen Ruyu and Gu Miaomiao dead on the ground. Although this takes place immediately after the scene of Gao Chong at the altar, when the first tablets we see are Zhen Ruyu’s and Gu Maiomiao’s, we also don’t know yet to connect those names to these bodies. Tricksy, show. We see Zhen Yan place his hand on Gu Miaomiao’s back, and WKX’s voiceover talks about how he could tell she was a beauty despite the blood everywhere. ZZS interrupts this morbid tale to say they should let the past stay in the past, and then tells WKX, “My condolences,” even though WKX hasn’t actually mentioned anywhere in the story about this dead body that it was even anyone he knew, let alone someone he was related to. Because A-Xu isn’t stupid. Immediately after this - after saying they should leave the past in the past - ZZS asks WKX who he is. WKX goes into his Philanthropist Wen evasion spiel. ZZS shakes his head, visibly steels himself, and apparently comes to the decision to model the behavior he’s trying to encourage by coming clean about his real name, his relationship to Siji Manor, all of his bad decisions, his choking guilt over the deaths of all the Siji Manor disciples, and his reign of state-sanctioned terror as founder and leader of Tian Chuang. Notably, the very first word Chengling speaks to ZZS after hearing this rundown of supposed and actual crimes is to call him “Shifu” again to get his attention before asking for more info about the Scorpions. THIS CHILD. MY HEART.

ZZS tells them both, “I spent half my life alone, doing things I didn’t want to do and killing people I didn’t want to kill,” and I literally want to reach into the screen and shake WKX, because OMG LAO WEN. You are reflections of each other, and he’s baring his soul, and you’re going to continue to be so afraid that he’s not going to accept every part of you that it’s going to be episodes and episodes before you open up, and even then, only after he figures it out on his own. :hands: To make things even more OBVIOUS, ZZS then asks Chengling if he still wants ZZS to be his shifu after learning all of this, and Chengling doesn’t even hesitate, he says “Of course,” and ZZS and I are both about to cry. UGH. Zhang Zhehan, your face. It’s killing me. This is a man seeing the hope of resurrection for the sect he was convinced he had ground into dust. ZZS and Chengling are both so busy being emotional at each other that WKX has to take matters into his own hands, encouraging Chengling to bow, and we get a real bow to shifu this time, in a scene that once again mirrors the later scene when Zhen Yan makes his bow to Qin Huaizhang to become a Siji Manor disciple.

ZZS tells Chengling, all right, then. You are the first disciple of the sixth generation. (SHIXIONG. NO PRESSURE.)

End ep.

It didn’t take a detective long to realize that someone in Rolla, Missouri, was throwing a massive party—even before it was deemed a potential superspreader event.

Sailing-themed invitations were screen-shotted on Snapchat. Parents wrote cryptic Facebook posts. Pink formal dresses popped up on Instagram.

But the Rolla residents who saw those posts likely didn’t put the full picture together. Nor could they have predicted the extent to which the event—an unsanctioned homecoming dance at a local steakhouse—would affect the community, forcing the health department to devote all its resources to one fiasco and nudging the high school back to full-on virtual learning.

This week, Ashley Wann, health director of the Phelps-Maries County Health Department, told The Daily Beast that up to 200 Rolla High School students—and “numerous” parents—gathered indoors at Matt’s Steakhouse on Saturday, Nov. 7. Wann called it “a parent-organized event,” and the department has said students from the freshman through senior classes were present.

“The individuals that we have been in contact with all report no masks were worn and that masks were made optional by the event organizers,” Wann told The Daily Beast.

When the inevitable COVID-19 cases started popping up, Wann said her department’s job was made harder by the fact that there was no list of attendees.

This wasn’t an accident: The health department was told “by community members and those in attendance” that organizers intentionally hid the number and identity of those in attendance to avoid contact tracing in the event of an outbreak, according to Wann. That account of deliberate epidemiological obfuscation was bolstered by a handful of accounts from residents.

As of Friday, there were seven cases tied to the event and several others at Rolla High School among students and staff members, Wann told The Daily Beast. She was not optimistic about her department’s ability to link all relevant cases.

The story out of Rolla mirrored many others throughout the country, where health departments face an uphill battle against COVID-19 skepticism and the politicization of mask-wearing—and the potential for one event to spark massive outbreaks. But it stood out for what residents described as a purposeful effort to ward off health officials’ scrutiny even as the pandemic’s third wave breaches new frontiers of horror nationwide.

“We know that we will not be able to obtain a true picture of the impact this event had on our community,” Wann said. “Some individuals will choose not to report symptoms, some will choose not to be tested, and some may remain asymptomatic and spread it to others unknowingly, so a link back to the dance will not be made. Unfortunately there will be individuals that will be untruthful and intentionally withhold information, which is not unusual to contact tracing in general.”

Photos tagged at Matt’s Steakhouse on Instagram this week showed high schoolers in formalwear—black sequins, vests, and heels—smiling wide without masks in a room decorated with gold and blue balloons. One caption read: “Had to get one last party in before we go back to lockdown.”

But who would plan such an event in the middle of a pandemic, with local cases already overwhelming the public health department and superspreader events making news all over the country? Interviews with residents and a review of social-media posts suggest this was no simple case of kids being kids.

“So my friend and I did a thing yesterday,” local parent Cory Coates posted on Facebook after the dance. “We did a REALLY big thing. And we had a lot of support. And a lot of help. And a lot of really happy kids. And it was kind of amazing. And I really want to recognize and thank these people but I can’t. But my heart is full and I think the kids are happy and it was worth it. I would do it again. I’m happy and sad at the same time and I want normalcy. I think we delivered this for one night. #HOCORHS2020.”

That hashtag appeared to mirror the slogan “HOCO: Sailing out of 2020,” which was featured in a screenshot from Snapchat shared with The Daily Beast on Friday that showed details of the event over a nautical motif and asked parents who wanted to contribute or help with organizing to contact Coates.

“Let’s do this thing!” said the post.

In a text exchange with The Daily Beast on Friday asking about the event, Coates said she didn’t “have any comments at this time.” She neither confirmed nor denied planning the event herself but added: “If you are going to do the article, I do suggest you look into all the HS activities the week leading to the dance and community events.”

Coates noted that several events, including boys and girls basketball and wrestling tryouts, powder puff practice, and games happened the same week as the dance.

As of Friday, Rolla’s Phelps County—pop. 44,789—had a cumulative total of 1,214 confirmed cases and 34 deaths from the coronavirus, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard. The county had an average of 28 new daily cases over the past seven days, a figure that appeared to be increasing. The most recent dates for overnight cases were Monday and Tuesday, which had 70 new cases and 30 on each day, respectively.

Craig Hounsom, Superintendent of Rolla 31 School District, announced in an email to staff and parents on Thursday evening—hours after news first broke of the dance and the related cases—that Rolla High School would switch to “full virtual learning” from Nov. 16 through Nov. 23. The email, obtained by The Daily Beast, cited “a sharp increase in COVID positive cases, high numbers of student quarantines due to internal and external contacts, high school absentee rates due to sickness, and the increasing number of quarantined staff members.”

While teens are less likely than older adults to die from the virus, they can still deal with long-term, debilitating health complications and are just as likely to transmit it to others. And large events can kill those who aren't present, like a notorious August wedding in Maine that led to 170 infections, killing at least 7 people who did not even attend.

And even if the dance didn’t cause all the new infections, it has thrown a serious wrench in local efforts to keep the town, which calls itself “the middle of everywhere,” from drowning in cases of the deadly virus.

“All case investigation and contact tracing efforts have been forced to focus solely on this event, pushing us even further behind with contacting new positive cases,” said a statement released this week from the health department. “This event has the potential to be a superspreader event with more cases expected over the next several weeks. Actions and events such as this are reckless and go against all public health mitigation strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the entirety of the community.”

Highlighting that tension—and the difficult task facing the health department—one local woman claimed in a series of Facebook posts that her daughter “did not attend the dance” but that she had added the health department number into her phone in order to avoid their calls.

“I’m sorry, but if you’re OK with your kid ratting other kids out to the health department for attending a private event, you are the bigger problem… SMDH SOCIALISM,” she wrote. “I don’t have to answer any of their questions. F#%* them.”

“This is how it all starts,” she continued. “Dividing, labeling. Your home raided in the middle of the night. Don’t think it could happen here? Think again. The difference is, our citizens are armed, according to their constitutional rights.”

As for Coates, when asked about whether the parents who planned the event opted not to keep track of attendees in order to make contact tracing harder, she responded that “the event was planned following what the HS typically does at dances. A list of students who attend is not a normal practice for the HS.”

When pressed on whether she or other parents engaged in an effort to mislead or evade the health department, she replied, “I’m not going to respond to accusations.”

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Despite nearly 600 voice roles in her prolific voiceover career, Loki star Tara Strong still had to audition for her fan-favorite character Miss Minutes. Strong was initially tasked with bringing the Time Variance Authority’s animated mascot to life in its Jurassic Park-inspired orientation video, which brought Loki up to speed on his current predicament. But in episode two, Miss Minutes even took the form of a hologram that briefly interacted with Loki. So despite her vast resume, Strong was more than happy to audition for such an enigmatic character.

“It’s actually quite surprising for many people to learn that most voice actors — even ones who’ve been in the business for 30 or 40 years — often audition for parts they’ve already had,” Strong tells The Hollywood Reporter. “You have to constantly keep proving yourself in auditioning for new studio people and new showrunners even though they may have hours and hours of tape on you for a character you’ve already done. So I’m happy to audition, and thankfully, it worked out.”

While she can’t say much about Miss Minutes’ future, Strong can confirm that we haven’t seen the last of her.

“I can cryptically tease that you’ll see her again,” Strong shares. “There’s much more to be revealed, and it’s fun to watch that unfold. The beautiful thing about this character is you don’t really know who she is, where she’s from, what her origin story is, how sentient she is, if she has a horse in this race at all, and what her intentions are, if any. Like any good, exciting adventure, TV or film, you are left wondering that all the time. So she’s an intriguing character, and that will continue.”

When Loki director Kate Herron revealed to THR that Miss Minutes’ introduction video was inspired by Jurassic Park‘s Mr. DNA cartoon, most viewers assumed that Strong’s Southern accent was paying homage to the Southern accent of Mr. DNA, but that wasn’t the case.

“I didn’t even know that until I saw Kate Herron talking about it in an interview,” Strong reveals. “I didn’t even make that connection initially when I first started seeing some of the footage. But it is a fun comparison because they both have this juxtaposition of very high-end, modern technology with very basic, classic ’60 and ’70s animation.”

In a recent conversation with THR, Strong dives even deeper into the audition process for voice roles, and then she explains why she wants more synergy between live-action and animated comic book properties.

Since you have a few voice roles [nearly 600] under your belt…

(Laughs.) Just a couple.

I have to imagine that you just got a phone call for Loki‘s Miss Minutes.

I had to audition! It’s actually quite surprising for many people to learn that most voice actors — even ones who’ve been in the business for 30 or 40 years — often audition for parts they’ve already had. You have to constantly keep proving yourself in auditioning for new studio people and new showrunners even though they may have hours and hours of tape on you for a character you’ve already done. But this character, since it was new, needed an entire audition process because I think they were in search of what felt best for this character. So I’m happy to audition, and thankfully, it worked out. (Laughs.)

How much did they tell you?

Normally, for an audition, they’ll give you a drawing of the character, a character description, sides and some backstory into their world, but we really got very little information. I called my agent after I received the packet, and I was like, “Um, can you tell me anything else about this character? Is she sentient? Is she A.I.?” And my agent was like, “I don’t really know.” So nobody knew what it was because it was so top secret. In fact, I didn’t know what it was until I booked it, which, of course, was very exciting. So based on the information that I had, I laid down three different versions in my home studio. I always do the preliminary audition in my home studio. Sometimes, it’ll take me 5 minutes, and sometimes, it’ll take me 3 hours to get it exactly right, knowing that there’s hundreds or thousands of people vying for one role. So I’ll think about what’s going to separate me from the other people and how I’m going to give them something special that they’ll glom onto. For this one, there were three different versions: one of them included an accent, one was a little bit more A.I and one had a little more emotion attached to it. Obviously, once I saw what it was, it made sense that they were keeping it on the DL.

Did they inform you at some point that they wanted an homage to Mr. DNA from Jurassic Park?

No, they didn’t! In fact, I didn’t even know that until I saw Kate Herron talking about it in an interview. I didn’t even make that connection initially when I first started seeing some of the footage. But it is a fun comparison because they both have this juxtaposition of very high-end, modern technology with very basic, classic ’60 and ’70s animation. So it’s this beautiful mix of things that just somehow seem to go together to create this visually stunning and exciting world, as well as the voiceover behind it. It just all seems to go together to create this enigma. Who is she? Where is she from? What’s her origin story? Why does she look like she’s from the ’70s but she knows everything from the future. It’s really cool.

When it came time to record in earnest, you must’ve been baffled by what you were reading, but then again, you’re probably used to it.

Yeah, and I’ve done several voices with similar descriptions and similar varying levels of A.I. I was the voice of the singing refrigerator [Bridget] on an episode of Modern Family, and initially, they wanted it very Siri-like. And then we added a little more attitude to it. So I’ve done that sort of thing several times, and I know how to manipulate my voice enough to sound like A.I. It’s that sound where you question whether there’s actual emotion behind it. Miss Minutes is such an interesting character because initially you think she’s just someone who’s giving exposition on what happens to you when you get to the TVA. But by episode two, you realize she’s got a little attitude. So she’s a lot of fun to play with.

Before live-action comic book stories became a global juggernaut, animated comic book movies and shows were a primary frame of reference for a lot of these characters. So I’ve always felt that there could be more synergy or crossover between live action and the animation/voice acting community. Are you hopeful that your role as Miss Minutes can help bridge that gap?

That would be pretty wonderful. It is true that voice actors and legacy voice actors — who’ve been at it for so long and are so brilliant at bringing characters to life just with their voice — get passed over for on-camera celebrities that maybe the casting director wants to meet or because someone thinks they’ll bring big box office. If you were to record two very big animated features, one starring on-camera people and one starring people who’ve been doing voiceover for a while, you would definitely hear the difference in the little idiosyncrasies and other things that we know how to do in order to bring this action to life. Overall, there certainly is plenty of crossover when you look at someone like Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, or my favorite, Mark Hamill, who’s brilliant at doing both on-camera and voiceover. But then you do have the A-list celebrities who will come in for an animated session and freak out when they see what everyone else does. Of course, it’s still acting, but it’s a different form of acting. It’s like asking a tap dancer if they do ballet. It is wonderful that the Internet has given voiceover actors a lot of love that maybe their predecessors never knew existed. Now, people can look up who their favorite voiceover actor is, and when I go to a comic con, I’m treated like a superstar who people know. It’s wonderful to be able to give back to those fans, and give hugs, and hear stories about how shows shaped their childhood or brought their family together or got them through a depressing time. So that kind of stuff has been really nice. I certainly didn’t anticipate Loki being so huge, and the reception to Miss Minutes being so wonderful and so loving right out of the gate. So maybe this will give networks [and studios] pause, so they think, “Hey, let’s give one of the voiceover actors a shot at this role. Maybe it’ll be more fun than so and so from The Office. Just for this time, let’s see how this goes.” (Laughs.) If somebody suits the role and does a great job, they should be granted that role regardless of how many Twitter followers they have or how many episodes of an episodic they’ve done.

Loki director Kate Herron said that Miss Minutes is about to go on an “interesting” journey. So what can you cryptically tease about Miss Minutes moving forward?

Well, I can cryptically tease that you’ll see her again. (Laughs.) There’s much more to be revealed, and it’s fun to watch that unfold. When you see the first episode, you think perhaps that she’s just a recording on a screen, but in episode two, we see that she can become a holographic form and interact with Loki. He even responded to her and asked, “Are you a recording, or are you alive?” And we still don’t know. The beautiful thing about this character is you don’t really know who she is, where she’s from, what her origin story is, how sentient she is, if she has a horse in this race at all, and what her intentions are, if any. Like any good, exciting adventure, TV or film, you are left wondering that all the time. So she’s an intriguing character, and that will continue.

She got her own character poster, so that’s usually a sign of importance.

She did! And she has her own Twitter! She also has the cutest emoji hashtag I’ve ever seen in my life. (Laughs.)

When Morgan Freeman gets hired for voiceover work, he’s hired to do Morgan Freeman. So what percentage of your jobs ask you to invent a voice, versus using something that’s trademark Tara Strong?

That’s a very good question. Like I said before, they’ll give you a drawing of the character and some backstory into who they are. And then you, as the voice actor, have to try and imagine what production had in mind for this character. With that said, you have to be free to let something organic come to you and take chances. Sometimes, things don’t happen until the very last minute. My favorite example of that would be Teen Titans. When I first read for that, I was already doing five tragic teenage girls: Batgirl for the same network, Ingrid from Fillmore!, Kylie from Extreme Ghostbusters and Shareena Wickett from Detention. I was like, “Gosh, I have to make each character different, but I’m not sure how to make Raven stand apart from the other similar descriptive personalities.” So when I read for Raven, I just put myself in the acting mindset of where she was, and I read the part. And when I walked out of the studio, I passed the booth where the engineer, director and writer were sitting. So I turned to [casting director] Andrea Romano, who I’d been working on Batgirl, and said, “I just had this other idea. Can I try something else?” And she said, “Sure.” So I went back in and that’s when I had this idea that Raven had this weird little roll every time she spoke. So that was not something I planned when I first walked into the studio. You have to be unafraid to try something new and different, and to also be malleable to what production wants. Sometimes, they’ll really love what you did, but then they’ll want her to be older, or missing teeth, or have headgear, or Southern. (Laughs.) So you have to be ready to jump right in and try all kinds of different things until it lands right into the pocket of what works for that voice.

Would you perform your voice roles the same way in live action? Or would you use less inflection?

More than likely, it would be less broad because the cameras are there. On an animated show, if the line is “Whoa!” and your character sees a hot guy or is falling off a cliff, you have to know how to bring that action forth with your voice. When you’re watching something on-camera unfold in front of you, you don’t have to tell the audience so much with your voice. If you’re doing a sitcom, it’s going to be bigger than if you’re doing a single-camera drama. I just worked on a series for 6 months in Toronto, and my character was basically an on-camera Harley but as a drug-dealer mom. It’s a show called Pretty Hard Cases. And it wouldn’t have worked if I played her as broad as animation. With that said, if I got to play actual Harley Quinn as a mom, it would be bigger than that, but probably not as big as an animated thing. It would be somewhere in the middle. Even within animation, you tweak your level of performance based on the world. For instance, I’ve done many iterations of Harley where she’s the high school girl, or in some cases, she’s even darker than Joker. So you have to know the world around you. Some of the best actors that sustain long careers are very highly aware of what environment they’re in at each moment. So the show or the movie really dictates the level of performance.

Hi - I am excited for all this teasers for the #wondermundicollab. Still very confused about what it is though. Can you share anything more or an update pls? I'm dying for the content

Hi!

First of all, me and @wonderbatwayne just wanna say how happy and excited we are that people are interested for what we have in store for them and are eagerly waiting! It makes us giddy and hyped up even more!

I know we've been very cryptic about all of it with the teasers but it's part of the fun! And those teasers are a part of a larger plan so better keep an eye out on our hashtag because there will be more to come! Treat it as a... countdown 😉

As for the plot... Clues are in the teasers. We might be taking a page out of the showrunners book with how we tease and reveal it, but unlike them we won't be spreading any lies 😆 The more teasers come, the more clues about the plot you're gonna get, and these clues might get bigger in time. With the way this fandom can break apart the content to look for answers, we figured it'd be nice to give you guys a chance to play detective 🕵

So no details on the plot just yet, sorry. You're gonna have to wait a little bit longer, but I promise, the wait won't be long.

And as a treat... Here's a little extra hint just for you 😄 a little 'thank you'

HCBBS Theories and Stuff

This (potential) plotline has been occupying a lot of my headspace lately, and I just wanted to put out some of my initial ideas and theories on it, as well as perhaps some potential connections the whole thing has. Most of these ideas were stormed out on random infodumps to anyone who would listen, and on the HcHc discord. 

I should say for the record, I expect many of these to age poorly as we learn more.

Mumbo-

Mumbo absolutely built it. He was the first to show it in video, it’s got his building style all over it, he tweeted about it, he even put a hashtag in his description. This is absolutely a Mumbo Jumbo concoction, which is both exciting and worrying, for the same reason: Mumbo doesn’t really do plot stuff. Or at least he doesn’t start it. This means there’s a higher possibility it’s just an elaborate marketing stunt (more on that later), or going to wind up in some anticlimax. But conversely, it could mean we get something new and exciting in the way of plot, and the complete lack of knowledge we have is half of what makes this exiting, since it’s totally out of the left field. Not to mention Mumbo is a filmmaker, the guy knows how to do plot.

Cub-

It’s pretty probable that Cub is involved, although the extent of his involvement isn’t really clear. I don’t think he built it, but since it borders pretty heavily on his Origin shop, he at least knew Mumbo was going to be building it there, and gave permission for it to be there. That could be the extent of his involvement, but it’s very hard to tell with Cub, he handles lore very nonchalantly. Things that point to him having more involvement are the intro of his latest episode deviating from the norm and him claiming he was told about The Object being there by other hermits, but the Hermits who found it after him were seemingly clueless about the whole deal. He also makes a point of calling it a countdown clock like Mumbo does, rather than comparing it to the button like Grian and Keralis have done.

If Cub is involved, then that has some pretty fun repercussions. Even aside from a potential Concorp return (which would also mean Scar is involved, so we’ll just have to wait for him to see it) or vex stuff, he is good at doing fun plot stuff, and a weird mysterious alien fae thing is right up his alley.

Pacific-

It’s possible this whole thing is an elaborate marketing campaign for Pacific. Which would be one hell of a shame! However, I don’t think it is. When I said I expect this to age poorly, this is what I meant-

The colour scheme isn’t the same. It’s more akin to that of the button, and seems to be a fairly generic futuristic/sci-fi build pallet. The warped wart blocks in item frames are often citied, but they aren’t really part of the build’s pallet, just an ominously named extra on the floor. They look weird and otherworldly, perfect for a weird, mysterious, otherworldly mystery. There’s no stripped warped stems either, and those are a big part of the pacific pallet. As well as this, the gradient they use in the logo isn’t present either, even though it could be used in actual countdown clock.

Mumbo is acting clueless. Usually marketing strategies are fairly transparent on the server, or at the very least make sense from the perspective of the person who owns the business, however this is different. Even Mumbo doesn’t know what’s going on. Seems like a weird marketing strategy to me. He makes a point of saying he didn’t put it there and doesn’t know why or how it got there. As well as this, he put his own name in it. If it were a way to bring people in, why’d he put his own name into his advertisement, whilst acting like he doesn’t know what it is, and making it about as cryptic as possible? It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Iskall isn’t around. He’s working on an episode, but he’s also busy working on Vault Hunters and hasn’t quite been as active in Pacific and on Hermitcraft lately. Seems a weird time to run an advertising campaign when your business partner is busy, partially absent, and potentially not even aware of it.

The timer is progressing too fast for it to be counting down to the opening of pacific. There is still a lot to do. They have no floors, no stock, one module of the banking system done, a quarter of an elevator, and the island still isn’t terraformed. That’s a lot to do and honestly unachievable with the rate at which the countdown is progressing. (It’s already lost two lights, and I’d think it’s safe to say that the time between Mumbo and Grian being there was probably a day at most)

That’s all for now, although I’ll probably add more stuff as  I think of it and as the whole thing develops. This is a long rambly post and not at all like what I usually do, so apologies. This whole thing has just got me VERY excited. As of right now, I have no idea where it’s going. It could really be anything.

Big K.R.I.T. - So Cool (Official Music Video)

“The Mississippi rapper announced he’d finished a new album”... read the story via Fader below:

https://www.thefader.com/2022/01/21/big-krit-returns-in-style-with-so-cool

By RAPHAEL HELFANDJanuary 21, 2022

Big K.R.I.T. has an album on the way. Since departing from Def Jam in 2016, he's released only two full-length projects: 2017's 4eva is a Mighty Long Time and 2019's K.R.I.T. Iz Here. But the long-independent Mississippi rapper shared news of a new project in a Tuesday Instagram post with the cryptic hashtag #DRDD, a possible reference to the new record's title.

"So Cool" is a new single that appears to be a sample of the forthcoming LP. In classic K.R.I.T. form, he sing-raps soulfully over a funky beat replete with pocket drumming a mellow synth, and tasteful horns.

The track is under two minutes long, but it comes with a four-minute music video set in a newsroom, where K.R.I.T., Trinidad James, and fellow MS native Akeem Ali engage in one-upmanship in a fight for the anchor seat after Atlanta radio DJ Wally Sparks tells them its theirs for the taking, as long as they "stay cool."

Source: https://www.thefader.com/2022/01/21/big-krit-returns-in-style-with-so-cool