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tricksters-captain · 3 years

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Weasley Twins/Cedric Diggory Imagines - Accidental Meeting - Part 9

AN: Thank you for all being patient with me! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday!

Overall Summary: (Y/n), is a young witch who always kept her head down due to her complicated past; one day she bumps quite literally into one of the most popular boys in Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory, and that’s when (Y/n)’s plan of keeping her head down seems to go up into the air. Things only seem to worsen when two redheaded twins start to take notice too...

This Chapter: (Y/n) spends time with Cedric just before the Christmas break before getting a Christmas surprise...

(MASTERLIST HERE)

Pairing(s): Cedric Diggory x Reader, (Eventual) George Weasley x Reader, (Platonic) Fred Weasley x Reader, (Platonic) Oliver Wood x Reader

Word Count: 4,134

Warnings: None, lots of fluff

“Slow down, Lauren!” A couple of first years shouting at each other ran threw you and Oliver as you walked down the corridor.

“Got to love the Christmas excitement.” Oliver chuckled at their behaviour and you just rolled your eyes.

The whole castle seemed to be filled with excitement. Christmas was right around the corner and so was the upcoming Quidditch match between Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor.

“Meanwhile I can’t wait for this castle to empty out.” You admitted as you shifted your scarf tighter around your neck.

“You know, when everyone leaves for the holidays so does lover boy.” Oliver smirked, referencing to Cedric.

“I really hope Ravenclaw wins tomorrow.” You changed the subject to purposefully annoy the boy.

“That’s slander, you know. You could be kicked out of the house just for thinking that.” Oliver retorted.

“Oh calm down, Wood.” You linked arms with the boy to draw some of his warmth. “The game may be cancelled due to the heavy snowfall anyway.”

“That would be even worse.” Oliver frowned, turning his head to look past you at the falling snow.

You spotted Cedric up ahead and he smiled brightly at you to which you returned.

You were meeting up this evening to spend some time together before the Christmas break, not that Oliver knew that.

“Remind me to hide the mistletoe.” Oliver teased you as he caught the direction of your smile.

“You are worse than Fred and George and that’s saying something.” You pulled your arm away from the boy and he quickly relinked your arms laughing at your irritation.

“They’re still not over your last snow fight, you know?” Oliver reminded you of the snow fight at Hogsmeade and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Sore losers.” You chuckled, shaking your head at the memory of them drenched in snow.

Then just on cue, the twins came up behind you both.

“You excited for Christmas, (Y/n)?” Fred asked as he joined you and Oliver.

“I can’t wait. I won’t have to see your ugly faces.” You retorted to the twins with a wink.

“You’ll miss us.” George shook his head at you.

“Yeah! Just wait and see how boring it is around here without us.” Fred added.

“Did you mean how peaceful it’s going to be?” You teased the boys as you came to the Gryffindor common room entrance.

Inside the common room was crowded.

The snow and cold weather had driven everyone inside and with the holidays right round the corner, all the students were eager to spend time with each other before they have to leave for a couple of weeks.

“Where you off to, (y/n)?” George asked as you went for the girls dorm stairs.

“You really don’t want to spend the last few days of term with your favourite people?” Fred took hold of your arm to stop you.

“Haven’t you guys got practise for the quidditch match tomorrow?” You cocked your eyebrows at the boys.

“Can’t practise until the snow slows.” Oliver grumbled.

“It’s heaving out here.” You gestured around to the surrounding students.

“You’re not scared of a little social interaction, are ya, Seyler?” Fred teased you, pulling you towards some free chairs in the corner of the common room.

“(Y/n), not Seyler.” George nudged his brother, correcting him since you were in a large group of people.

“Thank you, George.” You pulled your arm away from Fred and linked arms with George instead.

“So, has your uncle sent your presents over yet?” Oliver changed the subject as you all sat.

“He sent a couple of owls over the past couple days with parcels. I’ve tucked them under my bed for now.” You explained.

“Wood won’t tell us what he’s got you.” Fred whined as he looked in between you and Oliver.

“Thinks we’ll tell you.” George laughed.

“You probably would.” You defended Oliver as you looked up at the red headed twin, his brown eyes staring straight back down at you.

George rolled his eyes and looked up over at his twin who wore a similar expression.

“Look, guys, it’s so loud in here. I want to get changed before supper too.” You rose from your chair and peered over at the stairs.

“Got a date or something that you’re not telling us about?” Fred wiggled his eyebrows and you shoved his shoulder lightly with your elbow.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” You then excused yourself to go get changed.

You spent longer than you would have liked trying to pick something to wear. You ended up going to supper with Oliver and the twins as per usual and you walked back to the common room with them as you and Cedric weren’t due to meet until 8pm.

“Where are you running off to?” Oliver asked as you packed up your parchment and books. You had been studying with him in the common room as you waited for the time to pass.

“The library.” You lied quickly before you rushed to dump your stuff and leave.

You checked your hair one last time in the mirror before escaping the dorms and the common room.

“Hi.” Cedric smiled widely as the door closed behind you.

“Hi.” You smiled back.

“Come on... I have a surprise.” Cedric offered his hand and you took it, furrowing your eyebrows at him with curiosity.

“Where are you taking me, Mr Diggory?” You laughed quietly as he lead you forward down the stairs.

You felt yourself drop Cedric’s hand when you spotted a couple of young Gryffindor students coming up the stairs.

Cedric looked down at where he had lost your hand but didn’t say anything.

You walked slower behind Cedric as you carefully watched the students disappear.

“Shit.” You cursed as the stairs below your feet started to grind to move.

“Jump!” Cedric was already on the other set of stairs.

“What?” You scoffed in disbelief at the boy.

“Come on!” He encouraged you as the stairs started to move.

You were already in the air before you realised what you were doing.

Cedric’s hands caught your forearms as you felt yourself collide with the boy.

“I can’t believe you actually jumped.” Cedric chuckled in amusement as he held you against him to keep you sturdy.

“I trust you too much.” You groaned as you pulled away from him, your cheeks burning from the previous closeness.

“Good. Because I’m gonna need you to trust me tonight.” Cedric took your hand and lead you away before you could argue.

Cedric lead you outside the castle to which you were very confused by this time as it was dark and you knew you would both be in trouble if caught, prefect or not.

“I need you to drink this.” Cedric pulled out a small bottle from his pocket.

“Cedric, the last person I know who drank an unknown substance by the male species ended up blacking out and not remembering what happened.” You stared at him flatly.

“You said you trust me?” He rose his eyebrows at you before taking a swig himself then handing it over.

“What is it?” You asked, raising it to your lips slowly.

“It’ll let you see in the dark.” Cedric told you.

“Why do I need to see in the dark?” You asked.

“Why do you ask so many questions?” Cedric responded as he took the empty bottle away from you.

It felt weird as your eyes started to adjust and the night suddenly became much lighter.

That’s when you spotted the ice skates.

“You’re kidding right?” You looked at the frozen lake and then up at Cedric.

“Trust me.” He put on his own skates then watched as you slowly laced up your own with a worried expression glued to your features.

Cedric stepped onto the ice and started to glide with ease but you fell over the moment you stepped on.

“Steady there.” Cedric skated over and helped you up.

You were wobbly for the first few minutes but Cedric’s grip on you soon eased up and you could skate beside him without slipping.

“Are you warm enough?” Cedric asked as he watched your breath from your lips.

“I’m just lucky I decided to bring outdoor stuff with me.” You smiled through the night as you wiggled your gloved fingers at him.

“It’ll be strange. Not seeing you for a few weeks.” Cedric admitted as he picked up his pace.

“I bet you won’t even think of (Y/n) Seyler the moment you walk into your house.” You rolled your eyes but Cedric’s smile dropped.

“I was going to write you.” Cedric confessed as he came to a stop.

“It’s only a few weeks, Cedric.” You started. “You don’t need to write me. Just. enjoy the time with your family–––”

You shifted your weight wrong and your skate slipped under you, sending you crashing into Cedric’s arms. Again.

“Sorry!” You squealed as you gripped tight onto his coat.

You both stayed there, your hot breath tickling his cheeks and his yours.

You looked at his eyes. They were so bright in the moonlight.

That’s when Cedric started to lean towards you.

You pulled away immediately and skated to the side of the lake, trudging through the snow in your skates.

“Hey! (Y/n)! Wait!” Cedric raced after you as you fled.

You sat down on a nearby log and immediately went to put your boots back on.

“(Y/n), I’m sorry.” Cedric caught up with you and tried to apologise.

“I’ve never done this before.” You cut him off with your response.

“What?” Cedric was confused to what you were talking about.

“This!” You gestured between the two of you. “I’ve never done the boyfriend thing, I’ve never done this with someone, spend all this time together.... Except Oli, of course, but that’s different. I don't know what we are doing, Cedric but I don’t know how to do it!”

“Woah... Hey, hey, hey!” Cedric sat down beside you and searched your face as the words spilled out.

“I still don’t truly understand what this is. What’s going on - I - I...”

Cedric’s lips met yours to stop the word vomit.

All the anxiety and nervosa suddenly left your body as you tasted the mint from Cedric’s kiss.

His lips were soft, warm and it felt... right.

Suddenly, you heard someone clear their throat.

“Lumos.” It wasn’t hard to guess which professor had interrupted your first kiss as soon as they spoke.

You pulled away from Cedric and looked down in embarrassment.

“Miss Seyler. Mr Diggory.” Snape’s stare bored down at you both.

“Professor, it’s my fault.” Cedric stood as he started but Snape rose his hand to silence him.

“If it wasn’t so close to the Christmas holidays both of you would be in detention for all the rules you’ve broken this evening but instead 20 points will be taken from both Gryffindor house and Hufflepuff.” Snape explained as he looked between you both. “Now back to your common rooms. Now.”

You didn’t tell anybody about what had happened when you returned to the common room.

You laid awake longer than usual thinking about the kiss.

Your first kiss.

You shook your head and tried to stop smiling as you covered your eyes with your hands.

What just happened?

The next day the snow had stopped falling and the quidditch match was allowed to go ahead.

You wrapped up warm and followed the rest of your house to the stands to support the team.

George and Fred flew over to you on their brooms as the teams awaited the match’s start.

“You look happy.” George commented on your smile.

“That makes a change.” Fred teased you and you just stuck your middle finger up at the boy.

“Cheer us on, (Y/n).” George told you.

“If we’re lucky we may get a winning kiss, Georgie.” Fred smirked.

You felt the colour drain from your face.

They knew.

You suddenly realised they knew about the kiss.

Snape had caught you and Cedric, of course people knew...

How many more people knew that you and Cedric Diggory had been caught by the lake...at night...

You felt your happiness slowly fade as you tried not to look around you to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.

The match went by agonisingly slow but Gryffindor fortunately won.

You immediately rushed back to the common room before the twins or Oliver could catch up with you.

“Hey (Y/n)!” Cedric caught you just before.

“Cedric, I kinda have to go.” You tried to leave but he caught your hand.

“I just wanted to apologise for last night.” Cedric told you. “Not for.. You know but for getting caught.”

“It’s okay, Ced but I really have to go.” You looked past him to see the teams colours through the crowd which meant they were close.

Cedric nodded and started to walk away.

You internally groaned at his sad face and tugged on his coat to pull him back round to you.

“I’ll see you later.” You kissed him very briefly before continuing your way to the common room. Hiding in your dorm.

“Fred sent me to tell you that you can’t hide forever as you need to say goodbye to them and explain how you lost the house 20 points last night.” Angelina entered your room with a smirk on her face.

“I’m sure everyone already knows, Ang.” You cringed at the thought of everyone talking about it.

“All I’ve heard is that Cedric Diggory also lost 20 points last night.” She replied with a wink.

“Sure.” You scoffed, folding your book over and sitting up on your bed.

You watched her gather her chest and a small bag from her bed.

“All I’m gonna say is you’re lucky this happened just before we broke up for Christmas. Hopefully this news won’t still be making the rounds when we come back in January.” Angelina tried to make you feel better but it didn’t work.

“Have a good break, Angelina. Merry Christmas.” You wished her farewell and she wished you a Merry Christmas back.

You finally gathered the courage to slip your shoes on and descend the stairs.

“Finally.” Both Fred and George said in unison.

“You’re lucky I even came down at all.” You told the two as you approached them.

“Then you wouldn’t have gotten this.” Fred pulled out a small brown paper package from behind his back.

“What’s this?” You looked between the two boys.

“Just something small.” Fred admitted.

“Ginny writes home to Mum and well, she’s mentioned you once or twice.” George started to explain as he took the package and handed it to you.

“He means he asked mum to make you one––” Fred was cut off by a punch to the side by George.

“She then wrote to us and asked if you wanted to stay for Christmas to which we knew you’d be here with Wood.” George cleared his throat, his face bright red as he spoke.

“That’s very kind but completely unnecessary. Tell her I thank her anyway.” You pressed a smile onto your face as you thought about the red headed older woman who could’ve raised these two.

Then again, you looked around the common room at Ron and Ginny saying goodbye to their friends. And even Percy...

You started to open the present to see it was a knitted sweater. You opened the jumper up to see your first initial knitted onto the sweater just like the sweaters you’ve seen the boys occasionally wear.

“You don’t have to wear it.” George laughed as he watched you study it.

“But if you ever meet our mother you do. Scary that woman is.” Fred laughed along side his twin and you just smiled.

“I love it. Thank you.” You embraced the boys and they hugged you back.

“No sarcastic comment?” George looked confused. “Are you feeling okay, (Y/n)?”

“It’s the honeymoon feelings. Got her all giddy after locking lips with pretty boy Diggory.” Fred immediately moved back as you went to swat him for his comment.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/n)!” The twins fled before you could throw any books at them for their teasing behaviour.

“You’ll be glad to get rid of them.” Oliver came up beside you as he watched the whole Weasley family leave and slung his arm over your shoulder.

“I have a terrible feeling I’m now stuck with them for the rest of my time in this Godforsaken school.” You leant your head on his shoulder and folded over your arms with a sigh.

“Let’s see if you can survive that long without cracking their skulls together.” Oliver smirked and you groaned playfully.

“Merlin help me now.” You looked up at the ceiling which only made Oliver laugh once again.

“Speaking of goodbyes though... Isn’t there someone you should be seeing before they leave?” Oliver asked.

You had almost forgot.

You excused yourself and rushed to the basement near the Hufflepuff entrance.

“I thought you’d show up eventually.” Cedric was leaning against his trunk when you showed up.

“I was seeing the twins off. I’m sorry.” You confessed.

Cedric said it was alright before pulling you into a hug.

The soft blue wool of his sweater was soaked in his scent and you breathed it in sweetly.

“Have a good Christmas, Ced.” You whispered as you held onto him.

“I’ll write you.” Cedric told you. “Even if you don’t write back.”

You pulled away from the boy a little so you could look up at his face.

“Guess we’ll see.” You shrugged, knowing full well that you were definitely going to write back.

Cedric peered up and down the corridor before planting a soft kiss on your forehead.

“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me this year.” Cedric admitted.

“What? Above becoming Quidditch captain and a prefect?” You rose your eyebrows at him with a smirk.

“Yes.” Cedric chuckled with a little shake of his head.

You reached up behind the boys neck with your hand and brought his lips to yours. Kissing him softly.

“Merry Christmas, Cedric.” You flicked your wand behind your back and a vine of mistletoe grew above you both.

Cedric kissed you once more before you pulled away and left. A warm glow on your cheeks.

A few more days went passed and the quiet bliss of the castle kept you in a calming spirit.

You and Oliver spent most of your time playing wizard chess or reading in the common room or even out on the quidditch pitch.

You didn't fly much but you helped Oliver with his batting skills.

On Christmas Eve, you both sat in front of the fire with hot chocolates and a mince pie each.

“I can’t believe this is my last Christmas at Hogwarts with you.” You sighed quietly as you nuzzled into Olivers side.

“You know I don’t die after I leave Hogwarts.” Oliver said as he took a bite of his pie.

“I know that but you’ll be working. You’ll be busy. You won’t have time for some school girl whenever she has an issue she can’t solve herself.” You pouted.

“(Y/n).” Oliver adjusted to look you in the eye. “You are one of the strongest and bravest people I know. I will always be here for you when you need me but I know you will survive here without me and you will finish Hogwarts just like me and you will enjoy it.”

“Oli...”

“I’m not disappearing of the side of the earth. I will still be here, I just won’t be here.” Oliver assured you as he gestured around the common room.

You just pulled him in for a hug.

“I know. It just scares me.” You confessed against his shoulder.

“I know.” Oliver stroked your hair before pulling away to drink his hot chocolate.

The night went by quickly and soon you were tiptoeing up the dormitory stairs in your fluffy socks to get some sleep before Christmas morning.

You had already placed all your presents underneath the tree the common room in a bag with your name on and you had put Oliver’s there too.

Your dorm was empty which meant you didn’t have to worry about anyone one else as you tucked into your bed and turned out the lights.

Even through the dark you could see the snowfall outside the window. The moon reflecting on the tiny snowflakes.

You don’t know when you fell asleep but you did know you wished you hadn’t.

Images flashed through your head of Christmas years ago. The alarms. The snow. You being dragged through a dark alley by your parents. Your cloak dragging behind you. You tripping. A slap. Screams. An inn. Blood. Darkness.

You woke up panting and soaked in sweat.

You didn’t know how you remembered these memories.

You were only 4/5 when it happened.

It was when your parents had escaped the ministry during a hearing about their crimes as Death Eaters a couple years after the Dark Lord had fallen.

They had broken into your uncles house and stolen you in the night. They didn’t bother with your uncle that night because they were without their wands but they managed to snatch you quite easily despite Demetrius’ efforts to keep you hidden.

You touched your cheek as if you had felt the slap all over again.

Outside the birds were chirping happily and a plump robin sat on the window sill without a care in the world.

You slipped out of bed and managed to squeeze in a shower before Oliver woke up.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/n).” Oliver wore his pyjamas and dressing gown as he engulfed you in a tight hug.

“Merry Christmas, Oli.” You returned the hug before lurching towards Oliver’s gift and thrusting it in his hand.

“I hope you like it.” You smiled as you fiddled with your hands nervously.

Oliver handed you your own present and then sat down to open his small gift.

You watched him open it carefully and this his eyes grow wide in surprise.

It was Oliver’s favourite Quidditch players autograph on a quaffle.

“How did you get this?!” Oliver asked as he jumped up to hug you.

“Demetrius has his ways.” You laughed as you winced from how tight his hug was.

“Open yours now.” Oliver sat back down, the quaffle sturdy on his lap with his hand on it.

You teared the wrapping paper back to reveal a small photo frame with an old moving photo inside of it.

“Oliver Wood!” You gushed as you realised it was a photo of you and Oli during your first year.

“Me Mam found it tucked away on an old photo album during the summer. I remember she took it during the Christmas holidays when you first ever visited mine.” Oliver explained as you watched the awkward yet undeniably cute photo move.

“Thank you, Oli. I love it.” You hugged him once more before turning to open the presents from your uncle.

There was only four small separately wrapped presents but you were extremely curious to find out what he sent you.

The first present was a photo album.

The second was some new socks which you and Oliver laughed at since it was so typical of your uncle.

The third was a dream catcher. He always seemed to know.

The final gift you unwrapped was a enchanted camera for moving photographs.

“Oli! Look! We can take a new one!” You felt your chest warm as you realised just how thoughtful a present this was from Demetrius.

You made a mental note to write a letter as soon as possible.

Oliver moved beside you and wrapped his arm over your shoulders.

He smiled widely as the photo was taken and ruffled your hair just as the flash went.

“Hey!” You squealed as you moved away.

“Anyway, Wood, what’d your mother get you?” You flattened your hair back to its original state as you nodded your chin towards the tree.

“Let’s find out.” Oliver knelt by the tree and pulled out his gifts.

You watched him unwrap his presents before you both decided to change and head to the great hall for a Christmas lunch.

You came down in the sweater the twins had given you and Oliver’s draw dropped.

“Are you really going to wear that?” He asked, his disgust shining through his accent.

“Bugger off, Wood. I think it suits me.” You shrugged, “It was a Christmas gift after all.”

“Next you’ll be moving into their home.” Oliver teased you about looking like a Weasley but you chose to ignore him.

The rest of your Christmas just seemed to fly by...

(NEXT PART SOON)

TAG LIST

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#George Weasley x reader #Cedric diggory imagines #cedric diggory #cedric diggory x reader #george weasley #George weasley imagines #fred weasley #fred weasley imagine #fred and George weasley #Harry Potter #harry potter imagines #Oliver Wood #James phelps #Oliver phelps #robert pattinson

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fansplaining · 4 years

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A Note from Fansplaining

If you’re subscribed to Fansplaining on iTunes or another podcatcher, you’ve probably seen that we put out a short statement this week in lieu of a new episode. Because we’re committed to making all audio we release fully accessible, we’ll transcribe the clip at the bottom of this post, below the cut. But fwiw, it’s mostly just explaining what’s in this post:

Black lives matter. We condemn white supremacy in all its forms. We believe the police should be defunded and dismantled. And we want to make sure everyone who listens to our podcast knows about ways they can contribute to this fight, and ways they can support the Black community (please note that these are U.S.-centric). We’ll be back with a new episode soon, but this is more important than anything we could say right now.

Places to donate

If you’re out of work or have lost hours in the past few months, you may not have money to spare. But even small donations—$5, $10—add up. A few organizations we recommend:

House of GG, a Black-led organization, is fundraising to build a permanent home in Little Rock, Arkansas where trans and gender-nonconforming people can both be housed and receive leadership training.

G.L.I.T.S. is fundraising to buy two buildings to create a permanent place to house and support Black trans people in New York City, as well as sign leases for space to use in the interim.

Sista Afya, a Chicago-based organization, is fundraising to keep its therapeutic services, social events, and wellness experiences under $15 and to hold large scale events like a free arts festival.

For a larger crowdsourced list, see suggestions here.

Ways to get involved if you can’t physically or monetarily participate

If, like us, you live in New York City, here’s a great resource for actionable things you can do from home. Here’s a national list, though for more granular detail for your town/city/region, you should search social media. Some great google doc action happening right now!!

As a reminder, when contacting elected officials:

Always write your own email, rather than use a form. People who work or have worked in these offices strongly advise this, and report that form emails are regularly filtered out, often directly into the trash.

Always write a postcard rather than a letter. Letters are scanned for things like anthrax and can get held up for days; postcards go straight through.

Ensure you know the official’s position on whatever you’re asking about before you call or write. If they’re already supporting or sponsoring a specific piece of legislation, call them anyway and thank them. They use constituent numbers to show that their positions have a lot of public support.

Particularly for white and non-BIPOC: reach out to your family members, as much as you feel safe doing so, and speak with them about Black Lives Matter and the issues of the day. If you have language barriers with your family members, or just need a place to start, Letters For Black Lives is a great resource that includes material in many languages.

Stream this video—all ad revenue will go to bail funds, families of victims of racist police brutality, and other Black-led organizations.

Resources on anti-Blackness and racism in fandom

Because we are a fandom podcast, we encourage white fans in particular to continue to listen to Black fans and other fans of color when it comes to racism in fandom. If you’re new to the podcast or haven’t dug into the full back catalogue, we recommend prioritizing:

Our pair of episodes on race and racism in fandom—especially anti-Blackness in fandom—featured eight different guests. Episodes 22A and B: “Race and Fandom Part 1” and “Race and Fandom Part 2.”

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas was one of our earliest and one of our most recent repeat guests. You can listen to her talk about race, children’s literature, and fandom in episode 7, “The Dark Fantastic” and episode 120, “Ebony Elizabeth Thomas.” Once you’ve listened to these episodes, buy or request that your library purchase a copy of her book, The Dark Fantastic.

Tanya DePass is the founder of I Need Diverse Games. In episode 42, “Fresh Out of Tokens,” she discussed fan/creator interaction and intersectionality in the context of games specifically.

Rukmini Pande is a well-known scholar of race and fandom. She first joined us in episode 29, “Shipping and Activism,” to talk about the ways that ships intersect with politics; then, she returned in episode 89, “Rukmini Pande,” and discussed her academic work. Once you’ve listened to these episodes, buy or request that your library purchase a copy of her book, Squee From the Margins.

In episode 48, “Con or Bust,” we interviewed Diana Pho and Mark Oshiro, two board members of Con or Bust, an organization that raises money to help fans of color attend conventions.

For further reading, Fan Studies Network North America has put together a great list of resources.

Transcript

[Intro music: “Awel” by stefsax]

Flourish Klink: Hi, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Minkel: Hi, Flourish.

FK: Welcome to not an episode of Fansplaining. Um, we almost completely canceled recording at all, but we decided that we wanted to record a short thing, because we know some people only receive us through their podcatcher or whatever and don’t ever go to our website or our social media. So it felt important that we actually record something short today.

ELM: All right. So, just off the bat, at the risk of sounding like a terrible brand black .jpg with white letters, I think it should be obvious to everybody right now but it’s always worth restating—Black Lives Matter. We strongly support everything that is happening right now. We both strongly believe that the police should be…what word are we gonna use? Dismantled?

FK: Yes.

ELM: Dismantled. Like, we, like, you know—and like, strongly condemn white supremacy, which is the foundation of our country and much of the world.

FK: Right. So…

ELM: Very broad statement here, but like, you know, it’s definitely worth stating in explicit terms and not couching it around, you know, just to outright state support for Black people and the fight that is going on right now.

FK: Completely. And we really struggled with whether or not to record an episode because, on the one hand, there’s a lot of topics that we think would be really good to talk about that are within the purview of this podcast—stuff like the way people are using social media to organize, stuff like the entire conversation around K-pop fandom and the way that’s been going down. There’s like five things.

ELM: Spoiler, spoiler: It’s been going down poorly.

FK: Yeah.

ELM: Wait, side note: just anyone, please please please, cause I know a lot of people listen to this podcast and are in fandom but are not in K-pop fandom, if an article that you’re sharing about K-pop fans mobilizing doesn’t acknowledge the, like, rampant anti-Blackness happening within those spaces right now, they haven’t done enough research.

FK: Correct. And also, it’s both that and also if you see the narrative that K-pop fans are only bots, that’s also the other flip bad side of the coin.

ELM: Well, we should—now we’re gettin’ right into it. We’re not actually doing an episode. We’re not actually doing an episode. Yes.

FK: We’re actually gonna talk about this at some point in the future. Right now it feels like, you know, just being two white women talking about this stuff feels like not the thing to do right now? And we also don’t want to right now ask Black people to come on to our podcast and talk about things in a deeply traumatic and horrible moment. So we’re going to put a pin in the podcast and we’re gonna come back with all of those topics and a bunch of guests and basically begin to address this stuff, hopefully in a moment that’s less fraught. Is it ever gonna get less fraught? I don’t know if it’s gonna get less fraught.

ELM: That being said, let’s play it by ear! Because I could not tell you what’s gonna happen two weeks from now, but like…

FK: [sighs] Yeah, I really don’t know either.

ELM: Just, we’ll see. So in the meantime, we are going to put a post on Tumblr so it’ll be shareable, and we are going to include resources—places to donate, in particular places that aren’t getting as much attention. More grassroots stuff that we’re seeking out right now. And also ways to be active and involved for people who don’t have the money or physical ability to be protesting right now, because I am very aware of the narrative of “You should be in the streets! And if not then you should donate!” And it’s like, well, what happens if you are unemployed and also physically unable to get out there? There are so many ways that you can really be, actively lend your support right now.

So we’ll put those in there, and then also, we shared on Twitter a thread of great resources about anti-Blackness and racism in fandom, and since this is a fandom podcast we’ll be sharing some of those in that post as well, because it’s all connected.

FK: Absolutely. All right, everyone out there, stay safe, stay strong, if you’re in the streets stay in the streets, and we’ll be back when we can.

ELM: OK, bye Flourish!

FK: Bye, Elizabeth.

[Outro music: “Awel” by stefsax]

#fansplaining #fan culture #fan studies #fandom

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dimitribelikov · 3 years

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The Belikov Chronicles: The Tasha Conundrum Pt.1

✶ I was curious about Dimitri’s past with Tasha, so here’s a rewritten scene from Frostbite in his POV, but with added background of how those two met. ✶ notes : All dialogue between Dimitri, Rose, and Adrian are straight from Frostbite, chapter 13. The rest is mine, based on characters written by Richelle Mead. ✶ warnings : mild language ✶ ships : romitri, hints of Dimitri/Tasha ✶ more one-shots featuring my version of Dimitri can be found here

✶✶✶

Everything was chaos. Complete and utter disarray. Strigoi attacks like this were unheard of. I wasn’t sure what was more infuriating though, the attacks themselves or the way the Moroi would rather talk out of their asses and argue for hours instead of actually doing something about it. The meeting was going in circles and I could feel my frustration steadily growing with every new, outlandish proposal made. It wasn’t until Tasha flipped the script with her little display that I actually felt a bit of hope. No way would people get on board with her stance of fighting quickly, but it was a step in the right direction. Watching her talk with such passion, the heat of the argument alight in her eyes, it was overwhelming. She was beautiful and the kind of leader that these aimless, rich, assholes needed.

My friend was pretty amazing, I had to admit. Though despite the heated climate around me, I could help but wonder for a moment if she was my friend. Did that term still apply? Since she’d come back into my life, she’d been not-so-subtly pushing for something more. It could be easy to go along with, but something still held me back. A something that I suspected was sitting next to me at that very moment.

Thankfully, I didn’t have much time to ponder my upside down love life. Fire lit up in the audience and with it, panic erupted. I stood to my feet immediately, ready to jump into action if the arguments turned physical. It was a worry in vain, though, seeing as the entire point of the argument was the Moroi’s refusal of fighting with their fists and magic. Surveying the scene only irritated me further. No decisions were going to be made and I wanted to get away from the crowd to see if any more insights were made from the attacks. “You might as well leave. Nothing useful’s going to happen now,” I told Rose and Mason who had stood with me.

As I started to leave, I realized that my only companion was Rose. Mason was too fascinated by the scandal, apparently. As I fell in step with her, letting the sounds of the arguments die away, I realized how strange it felt to suddenly be alone with her. I last saw her at Tasha’s Christmas gathering, but that was a strained time. The memory of our kiss was still fresh and I was doing everything I could to ignore the effect it had on me. Since then, she’d been downright cold towards me. I wasn’t entirely sure why. I suppose because I canceled the rest of our lessons? It didn’t really make much sense to me, though.

Almost as if she could read my mind, Rose provided the answer herself. “Should’t you be in there protecting Tasha? Before the mob gets her? She’s going to get into big trouble for using magic like that.”

I arched an eyebrow at her, picking up instantly on the tone of her voice. Rose actually sounded jealous. Of Tasha. I had been spending a lot of time with the Moroi, but I couldn’t quite place where this newfound vehemence was coming from. “She can take care of herself,” I commented. I found myself wanting to pick at this wound more, to find out exactly what was going on inside her head. Yet at the same time, I was definitely afraid of what I might find.

“Yeah, yeah, because she’s a badass karate magic user,” Rose continued on, letting her emotions lead the conversation. “I get all that. I just figured since you’re going to be her guardian and all . . .”

That brought me to a halt. I knew gossip at the Academy traveled like wildfire, yet somehow, I always felt like I was exempt since I was a guardian. Apparently not. This was exactly what I didn’t want. I still hadn’t given Tasha my answer but it was already dictating my life. Was this the reason Rose had been so cold? Had been avoiding me like the plague? Had been all over Mason? I quickly pushed the last thought out of my head the moment it had sprung up. Mason was a good guy. I knew better than to make this about me. And if Rose had a chance for some happiness with someone deserving of her, then I wouldn’t stand in the way.

But me and Tasha . . . That was an entirely different matter. I didn’t really know how I felt about the woman still defending her political views in ballroom. We first met when I had just turned nineteen. A bunch of the royals were on a winter getaway in Aspen, Colorado. Snowmass, to be exact. It was a small enough town that made it easier to guard. Plus, there’s a Moroi run ski resort in the mountains there, just like the one in Idaho. My charge, Ivan, had a few friends going for what was sure to be a rowdy, fun packed weekend. I was working, of course, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t have a bit of fun, too.

The first night there was a small gathering in the suite belonging to a Drozdov. Tasha had been invited, though I can’t really remember why. She was clearly an outcast, not quite fitting in. I’d heard the stories, and saw the truth of them in the scar that marred her otherwise flawless complexion. Just because she wasn’t popular, didn’t mean she shied away from the conversations. She was a bit older than me, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward around her. Such beauty and strength wrapped up in a “I don’t give a shit” attitude had caught my attention right away.

The topic of fighting was brought up. One of the Drozdov guys was boasting about “easy” it was to be a guardian. He’d had more than his fair share of vodka shots at that point, which made it hard to actually take offense. He balled up his fist and punched the air for emphasis.

Tasha laughed, bringing everyone’s attention on her. She set down the vodka bottle and stood up. “You’d break your fist instantly, Nik. You have to wrap your thumb like this.” She demonstrated and threw a punch to the air. This was met with whoops from the group, encouraging more. It was every bit as taboo a subject to talk about Moroi fighting then as it is now. There was something scandalous about the conversation topic and the drunken Moroi wanted to encourage more of it. I exchanged a glance with a fellow guardian. We hadn’t been drinking and I could tell that he was as amused as I was.

"You couldn’t break through a sheet of paper with that punch,” Nik laughed.

Rolling her eyes, Tasha responded, “So I don’t have the strength you do in my stick arms, but at least my bones will stay in tact.”

“The power doesn’t come from your arm.” It was me who had spoken, moving away from the wall as I approached her. I tried to push the awkwardness aside, wanting to seem “cool” in her eyes. I’d always had something of a show-off nature and couldn’t help but join in with the taboo conversation. “It’s your hips,” I told her. By now, the entire crowd had fallen to a hush, watching a very unprecedented display with rapt fascination. I got into a fight stance and slowly showed her how to rotate the hips. “Turn like this, use your back foot to put all your weight into the punch, and that’s where you get your strength. The hips. And your hips look more than capable to me.”

The loud cackle I heard belonged to my friend. “Oh Dimka! Beware ladies, he slays more than just Strigoi!”

I dropped my hands and shot Ivan a look. It was Tasha who had pulled my attention again. “Dimka?” she asked, tilting her head to the side as she studied me with curiosity.

“Just a nickname,” I answered with a little shrug.

“I like it.”

Her smile was infectious and I soon found myself forgetting about Ivan’s teasing. We dropped all notions of fighting after that, but Tasha remained at my side the rest of the party. The next evening, we even found time to sneak off together and talk the whole night away in front of a large fireplace in one of the common rooms. There was nothing illicit about it, though. She was pretty and I admired her spirit, but the more we talked and got to know one another, I found something more valuable than a vacation romance. She was someone I could be myself around. Ivan was really only other person I’d ever felt that way about. She even liked my outdated taste of music. We could talk about everything from superficial, amusing topics, to the more serious things such as Moroi politics and even her darkened past. There wasn’t an ounce of judgement from either of us. Even though we’d only known each other three days, at the end of the vacation, it felt as though I’d known her my whole life.

Tasha was a true friend, through and through. We’d kept in contact over the years, but our relationship never seemed anything more than friendly. It wasn’t until she’d showed up at the Academy for her nephew, Christian, that she started hinting at wanting more. Did I want more? The first time we had kissed had been Christmas night, after her party. It was nice, enjoyable. We know each other so well already that there was no fear, no apprehension. Kissing her was comforting, and safe.

But what was safety what I wanted? Or was it danger that always appealed to me more. When her lips had met mine, I couldn’t help but think of Rose’s kiss in the gym just days before. Every part of it was wrong, but there was no denying the passion of that kiss. While under the effects of Victor’s lust charm months before, I had grown a new appreciation for her. Of course the feel of her half naked body underneath mine would light up my dreams for years to come, but it couldn’t compare to that kiss.

There was no charm or spell to dictate us. It was driven solely by Rose’s passion . . . and as much as I don’t want to admit it, mine as well. It had set a fire inside me, making my mind beg for more. Rose was unpredictable, even by my standards, and not knowing what she’d do next thrilled me. Of course my logic had caught up and I put an end to it at once, but the truth was still there. Rose’s kiss had left far more an impression than Tasha’s ever could.

Yet my old friend had offered the perfect solution. Rose could never be, no matter how much my heart yearned for her. Tasha, however, was proposing an ending that would not only keep Rose and Lissa safe and happy, but allow me to live a dream that most dhampirs were never given. Surely I could learn to love Tasha without any difficulty, right?

Either way, I still hadn’t come up with an answer, which made it all the more frustrating to hear the topic from straight from Rose’s mouth. “Where did you hear that?” I asked her.

“I have my sources,” she replied enigmatically. “You’ve decided to, right? I mean, it sounds like a good deal, seeing as she’s going to give you fringe benefits. . . .”

My patience had just run out. I didn’t even know what was going on between myself and Tasha, and I didn’t want to have to explain it to anyone else. Least of the very girl who had tormented my mind into making this such a difficult matter to begin with. I set her with a stern gaze, hoping that she got the message that the topic was off limits. “What happens between her and me is none of your business.” I couldn’t have this conversation with Rose. Not yet. I wasn’t ready. Yet she pushed on in typical Rose fashion. She really was going to be the death of me, I was certain of that.

“Well, I’m sure you guys’ll be happy together. She’s just your type, too –– I know how much you like women who aren’t your own age. I mean, she’s what, six years older than you? Seven? And I’m four years younger than you.”

If I had wondered whether or not Rose was jealous, all doubt was instantly removed. Yes, there was a selfish part of me that took pleasure in knowing that I could get her attention like that, but I quickly pushed it aside. Rose was intoxicating, but we could never be. She’s still only seventeen, I’m her mentor, we’re both set to be assigned Lissa’s guardians. I wasn’t a total asshole and refused to mess up her life with my own selfishness. Reason upon reason stacked up against us, and I felt my control starting to slip as frustration began to seep in. That frustration only doubled when I realized it was exactly the point Rose had made in the gym. My control was always a battle for me.

"Yes,” I finally answered. “You are. And every second this conversation goes on, you only prove how young you really are.”

Shit. Ok, that was a hell of a lot more harsh than I wanted it to be. The problem was, I was feeling cornered. What I wanted was right in front of me but I couldn’t have her. I was mad at the situation, not her. Unfortunately, the more she pushed, the more she became the target of that anger.

My heart raced as I realized what I had done. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe I could still take it back and––

“Little dhampir,” a new voice interrupted. When I looked up and saw Adrian Ivashkov approach, I felt my moody emotions return. Though I wondered if I was only annoyed because he’d interrupted me, I quickly realized that wasn’t the case at all. It was lascivious look in his eyes as they swept over Rose’s body. It was gross, and I wanted nothing more than to smack the smug grin from his face. I did my best to control my expression, but judging by Adrian’s greeting as he continued to talk to Rose, I had a feeling my disgust was pretty obvious.

Was I being a hypocrite, I wondered. I was pissed off that Rose had acted all jealous over Tasha, yet here I was, wanting to explode because she was talking to Adrian of all people. No, that wasn’t it, I quickly realized. Mason was good. I would have been happier if it was him that she was walking away with. Rose deserved someone who could treat her with respect and compassion. I wished it was me, but such wasn’t in the cards. As it were, I silently seethed as I watched her leave with the slimeball, confident that she had no idea who Adrian really was.

With no where else to go, I went in search of Tasha to see if she was free yet. Though part of me suspected there was a more petty reason for suddenly wanting her company . . .

#ᴏɴᴇ sʜᴏᴛ ✶ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴋᴏᴠ ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄʟᴇs #dimitri belikov #vampire academy #rose hathaway #tasha ozera #romitri

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tessandscottforever18 · 3 years

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How Camila Cabello Advocates for the Planet and People Everywhere

When you think of Camila Cabello, you likely think of the confident pop star who holds the world at her fingertips. After all, she’s a powerhouse in the global music scene, snapping up music awards for dance hits like “Havana” and “Señorita” year after year.

But focus only on her music career and you may miss out on Cabello’s personal side, the one you can glimpse not only in the cute videos she and boyfriend Shawn Mendes share on social media, but also when she uses her platform to speak out on global issues, encouraging others to take action for the good of the world.

At the beginning of 2020, for example, Cabello was gearing up for her Romance Tour — scheduled to take place in countries throughout Europe and North America in support of her second studio album, Romance. But as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, Cabello canceled the tour.

"We can't start rehearsals without putting people at risk and with so much up in the air with no real and definitive end in sight, I feel this is the responsible thing to do," she wrote in an Instagram post.

Instead, Cabello participated in Global Citizen’s Together At Home Instagram Live concert series, encouraging fans to take action and help stop the spread of the coronavirus. She and Mendes performed together, connected with fans to ask how they’re doing while social distancing, and even discussed proper handwashing technique.

“This is a crazy time, and we're all going to come out of this together, we're going to pull through, and we're going to try and connect and make each other smile in the meantime,” Cabello said.

A month later, in April 2020, she and Mendes joined Global Citizen's One World: Together At Home global broadcast special to honor frontline health care workers, performing a cover of "What a Wonderful World."

When she’s not releasing new albums, starring in the new Cinderella film, or taking over the streets of LA with an impromptu musical number, Cabello is just a regular person who knows the importance of doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, to generate real change in the world.

That’s why she’s joining Global Citizen Live, a once-in-a-generation, 24-hour global event on Saturday, Sept. 25, and performing in New York City’s Central Park as part of our campaign to defend the planet and defeat poverty.

And by advocating for sustainability, as well as demanding equity for people everywhere, Cabello wants to normalize taking action for her fans, too.

How Camila Cabello Defends the Planet

The pop singer knows that climate change is a serious threat to all people — and that the most vulnerable among us are going to suffer unless we do something to curb our CO2 emissions.

That’s why she’s taken it upon herself to pay attention to how her individual choices impact the environment. She also uses her voice to uplift eco-warriors around the world who are educating the public on the climate crisis.

The fashion industry generates at least 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, from manufacturing to disposal. But as long as consumers continue supporting fast fashion, these numbers aren’t going to go down and can have devastating consequences.

Cabello took to TikTok to share her love of sustainable practices, featuring a pair of Allbirds tennis shoes. Allbirds are crafted from eucalyptus tree fiber and Brazilian sugarcane.

"Shoutout to my new Allbirds, a sustainable shoe brand,” she captioned the video. “Not an ad, I just love sustainable clothing."

With a loyal fan base and massive platform, Cabello’s ability to spread the news about eco-friendly clothing items can influence people around the world to pay attention to their own consumer choices. But she also uses her social media clout to support the work of world-renowned climate activists.

In 2017, Cabello tweeted at followers to tune in to An Inconvenient Special, a televised town hall that featured former United States Vice President Al Gore in conversation with young people about climate change. Connecting the climate crisis to her home city of Miami — which is especially vulnerable to extreme weather events — Cabello raised awareness about the TV special to engage Global Citizens in climate action.

Outside of caring for the planet and all of its inhabitants, Cabello takes action on other issues affecting people around the world. She starts by advocating for herself, speaking up about the importance of mental health and how she’s learned to heal.

Advocating for Mental Health Awareness

Amid months-long lockdowns, social distancing regulations, and a shared grief as the world mourns over 4.5 million people lost to COVID-19, the pandemic has taken a serious toll on mental health.

Celebrities like Cabello have the opportunity to speak up about taboo subjects like mental health that don’t get enough attention due to stigma and ignorance. By sharing her own struggles with mental illness, Cabello has chosen to advocate for others and let them know that it is OK to not be OK.

“Before lockdown I was burnt out. I was living with a really high amount of anxiety. It was too much and it was not sustainable. I felt like I was running with a broken leg but I wasn’t really listening to how I felt,” she said during an interview with Page Six. “I know now I have to take care of myself. No one is going to know when I’ve reached a limit other than me, so I have to take care of myself in that way.”

The singer has also made a point to advocate for others. She teamed up with nonprofit Movement Voter Fund to launch the Healing Justice Project, an initiative that provides funds for mental health and wellness resources to support youth activists and organizations making the world a better place.

Cabello shared the work of the 10 grassroots organizations on Instagram to introduce the project earlier this year.

“These organizers work tirelessly to create a positive impact, but the work can be exhausting,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “Over the next few months, these incredible activists are going to come on my page to share about their work and how they are prioritizing self-care and healing during these really challenging times.”

A Role Model for Girls Everywhere

Utilizing her platform for good has always been a central part of Cabello’s fame. Her hard work and social impact make her an ideal role model for young women, which is why it was an easy decision to cast her in the new Amazon film adaptation of Cinderella.

In this adaptation, the princess is looking for more than marriage; she's a talented clothing designer who wants to travel the world. Determined, hard-working, and passionate, Cabello’s Cinderella focuses less on love and more on living the life she truly desires, fighting gender stereotypes to inspire girls.

Cabello also understood the responsibility her role held, particularly as a Cuban Mexican American woman playing a traditionally white and blonde character.

“We’ve never seen that representation before,” Cabello said in an interview. “It’s just an honor.”

The singer has had to battle judgments from others concerning her looks and personal life. But she hasn't stayed silent or let the haters influence her self worth. Instead Cabello consistently stands up for herself to show women and girls that they are beautiful and worthy in their own right.

After fatphobic headlines and comments targeted Cabello’s body shape, she posted a video on TikTok to remind people that “being at war with your body is so last season.”

“I am grateful for this body that lets me do what I need to do,” she said in the video. “We are real women with curves and cellulite and stretchmarks and fat, and we gotta own that, baby!”

No matter where her career trajectory takes her — from promoting her solo albums to representing women in movies and on stage — Camila Cabello won’t forget to advocate for others on today’s most pressing global issues.

That’s why she’s taking the stage with other all-star musicians and activists in New York on Sept. 25 for Global Citizen Live.

Join Cabello in taking action to defend the planet here.

#camila cabello #global citizen live #global citizen

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theritualofourexistence · 3 years

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Clarity in the Cancellation Crusade

After posting multi-paragraph comments on a couple different things that have popped up in my feed recently, it seemed like I should probably just sit down and write this out.

“Cancel culture.” Crazy shit, right?

The recent onslaught of cancellations includes Mr. Potato Head, Pepe Le Pew, a handful of Disney movies (Peter Pan, Dumbo, The Aristocats), and *audible gasp* Dr. Seuss. The Muppets also got a newfangled Disney+ content warning, though I’ve seen significantly fewer headlines about that.

The thing that inevitably happens when the news media decides to publish a headline about a children’s toy or book being “canceled” is a veritable parade of social media complaints about how sensitive people have become. I saw this particular post over 10 times in the period of a couple hours one day last week…

The question I’ve been asking recently when I see posts like that is this: “Who do you think cancel culture is?”

Because “cancel culture” isn’t real. In the majority of the cases currently making headlines, the choice to remove a character from a movie or stop publishing a book has been made by the company responsible for that character or book… and that is very much a normal thing companies can choose to do.

No one I’ve posed the above question to has overtly mentioned “Libtards,” but it’s certainly implied. People who haven’t read a Dr. Seuss book in 20 years are now suddenly all up in arms (literally?) because “the Liberals” are coming for “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.”

The Liberals are not coming for Dr. Seuss. They do not care about a potato toy. Also, nothing is happening to the Cat in the Hat. I repeat: NOTHING is happening to the Cat in the Hat.

The choices to stop publishing that book and to market a vegetable toy in a less gendered way were made by the companies responsible for producing those products… not the Liberal “cancel culture” ghoul. In fact, it’s really, really hard to find public outcry about any of the things that have been recently “canceled.” There was a single NYT article that recently discussed the problematic nature of the Pepe Le Pew cartoons… that said, Warner Bros hasn’t aired that show in decades and it is not clear whether that article had anything to do with the skunk’s scene being removed from the new Space Jam movie.

Even growing up I remember things like political correctness needlessly becoming a partisan issue. When we fall into that media trap, all we’re doing is watering the plant of an already poisonous and ineffective two-party system. Be bigger than that temptation. Push back against media intended to further divide Americans. If something stinks, it’s probably rotten. Sure, there are certain topics that fall under the umbrella of political correctness that sound alarm bells for censorship issues… but didn’t everyone’s mom tell them that if they didn’t have anything nice to say, they shouldn’t say anything at all?

Again, though, the most important thing to remember about this recent wave of “canceling” is that censorship concerns are moot. A person who owns a thing is legally allowed to do all the censoring they want. It’s not the government that has decided to stop publishing 6 books written by Dr. Seuss… if it were, we could have the censorship conversation. These changes aren’t happening because there is a Democrat in the White House. They’re happening because the company who makes these products, has for whatever reason, decided to take a different approach.

In the case of the Dr. Seuss books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises re-evaluated their choice to publish 6 books based on racist themes and images. I have only heard of two of those six. The image below is, in my opinion, objectively problematic:

The fact that a major company behind such a well-known name has seen that something is problematic and has decided to stop publishing the books containing overt racist images is awesome. It sets a great example that we can all learn from. Humans have an amazing capacity to learn… that’s one of the only reasons we are in charge here on Earth. If we fall on ice once, we are often more careful on ice the next time. When we see that something is racially problematic, it’s a good thing if we can take action to get that thing out of rotation. More on that later.

Fundamentally, what is happening right now in Media Land is gross sensationalism.

“Cancel culture” isn’t real. Should people face consequences if they say or do racist things? Yes. We should all agree on that. Should we stop publishing books that perpetuate racist stereotypes? Yes. There are plenty of non-racist books that provide an education about racial differences without the added (exceedingly inappropriate) zing of Asian characters being painted yellow and African characters being given monkey features.

If you’re not convinced that some of Dr. Seuss’s material is racially problematic, I encourage you to pop on over to Google to check out the series of ads he did for FLIT in the 1930s. Yes, it was the 1930s. In the last 90 years, we’ve learned that images like that are not okay… let’s use that knowledge to let old racist graphics die.

Still can’t accept that “cancel culture” isn’t real? Still feeling like there’s something in the air now that is different and worse than before?

Okay, then, let’s consider it further.

Things have been “canceled” by people for millennia… this isn’t new. Being all for cancel culture when Colin Kaepernick kneels for the anthem (a perfectly legal form of peaceful protest considered respectful by many veterans) but opposing cancel culture when it’s threatening to eliminate an obviously racist thing is not exactly a moral stance. Burning your Nikes in the street but then turning around and spending $400 on a copy of “If I Ran the Zoo” on eBay after Dr. Seuss’s own family has pulled it from publication due to racist imagery is… silly.

The same people who seem to be so vocal about “cancel culture” now are part of the same communities who tried to cancel plenty of things in my lifetime. Things like trick-or-treating, Harry Potter, school dances, books and movies with LGBT+ characters and themes…

History absolutely bubbles over with things that have been canceled… often for good reason! Some examples that come to mind:

DDT

the Catholic Church (see the 16th century Protestant Reformation)

doing our everyday poopin’ in outdoor holes

polio

hoop skirts

phrenology (new science cancels old science like every damn day)

Ford Pintos (not to mention cars without seatbelts)

telegrams and rotary phones (replaced by easier and better ways to communicate)

lead paint

asbestos

Four Loco

Y’all remember when we all did the ice bucket challenge to cancel Alzheimer’s?

Learning that something is problematic and moving past it is LEARNING… not cancel culture. Learning and growth are good things. We all benefit from them.

Another thing worth commenting on from that Cat in the Hat post that circulated in my Facebook feed: why do we consistently demonize sensitivity? Racism feels like something we should all be sensitive about. If being sensitive about something results in meaningful change and a less hateful country, isn’t that… good? Why do so many Americans seem to place so much value on their “freedom” to hurt others?

And don’t get me started on comparing this stuff to Cardi B. It boggles my mind that that’s happening at all. Why is there suddenly so much outcry about one song that features female genitals in a literal ocean of songs that feature male genitals. I grew up knowing every word to songs about sex well before I even knew what sex was. Your kids are only desperate to listen to WAP because they know it makes you squeamish. And take a second to think about why it makes you squeamish. Genitals are human and scientific and we literally all have them. If you have more of a problem with WAP than with any of the other 10,000 songs about dicks and sex, you need to spend some time examining why that is.

Here’s another post I’ve seen bouncing around the social media feeds:

Something about this is just plain hilarious to me. Like what are racism and rape culture if not THE REALEST issues? This country’s problem with systemic racism runs so, so deep and is reflected very plainly in centuries of cold, hard numbers. It’s not that I *think* systemic racism is a problem. The data very clearly shows that regardless of what white people think about race in this country, systemic racism absolutely IS a problem. Racism and rape culture, arguably at the root of the most recent canceling spree, are not just real issues, they’re real American issues. They’re cultural issues. And solving cultural issues is not easy. We know that these issues have been passed down through the generations so maybe changing children’s toys and books and shows isn’t such a bad thing to try. There is SO much work to do to address racism and rape culture in the United States, but small steps are still progress.

If choosing to stop airing a show that blatantly perpetuates rape culture means one less young person is stalked or assaulted or raped, that’s worth it, no? What if that one young person who doesn’t become a victim is your daughter?

If choosing to stop publishing a book with racist themes and images leads to even one kid understanding more about the nuance of race in America and the breath-taking extent of white privilege, that’s worth it too.

Would I rather the media spend time and money to bring American attention to bigger issues associated with this nation’s racism and rape culture? 100%. There are ENORMOUS fish to fry. Dr. Seuss is not an enormous fish. Potato head toys are not enormous fish. Pepe Le Pew is not an enormous fish. They’re not even big fish. They’re small. They’re tiny fish. They’re anchovies. But frying some fish is better than frying no fish.

Canceling Pepe Le Pew is not hurting anyone. Warner Brothers owns Pepe Le Pew. Warner Brothers owns nearly everything; they are not hurting for money. And canceling Pepe certainly isn’t hurting American kids. There are plenty of other kids’ shows to watch that are significantly less problematic. Just because you watched Pepe Le Pew and went on to be a properly respectful adult doesn’t mean there aren’t other kids out there who did internalize a harmful disrespect for consent. No, Pepe Le Pew probably isn’t single-handedly responsible for anyone’s decision to stalk or rape anyone else. But could a show reinforce the groundwork that ultimately leads a kid down a path where he is unable or unwilling to respect the boundaries of others? I mean, it’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard this week.

Canceling six total Dr. Seuss books that are already pretty obscure is not hurting anyone.

Changing the name of an already genderless potato toy to reflect that genderless-ness is not hurting anyone.

A brief recap: racism and rape culture are very real, very American issues.

If the decision to stop doing a thing doesn’t hurt anyone and may even save someone some hurt, why does that decision bother you?

Also, in all your frantic Facebook posting, make sure you are differentiating between “cancel culture” and consequences. When the media tosses around the phrase “cancel culture” it has this tone of finality that is, plainly, not realistic. Fads and trends move so quickly in the internet age that the idea that a group of people could “cancel” something permanently is just not possible. People who do or say racist things, though, should face consequences. People who do or say transphobic or homophobic things should face consequences. Consequences are one of the only ways we learn to do better. And again, that’s not my opinion, it’s science.

One of the consequences that can have the most impact is, you guessed it, losing money! In this capitalist hellscape, money talks. Boycotting and choosing how we spend our money are some of the most engaging ways to combat racist and homophobic garbage. When you have your temper tantrum because the company who owns a book with overtly racist imagery decides to stop publishing that book, that speaks volumes about your priorities. If you respond to that company’s decision by buying the book in question on eBay for $400, that speaks even louder volumes. What are you doing? WHY are you doing it? I’m guessing you don’t even know, and you should probably spend some time thinking about it before you flush away a chunk of your stimmy on a freaking RACIST KIDS’ BOOK.

All actions have consequences. All of our choices never affect just us. How we vote affects other people. How we spend our money affects other people. Spending our money on things that are problematic perpetuates the problem… whether it be racism, rape culture, homophobia, or transphobia… or so many other things this country desperately needs to address.

It’s human to not like change. Change is going to happen, though, regardless of whether or not we’re comfortable with it. In the information age, we have a remarkable opportunity to steer that change. Leaving behind racist relics is change, so it may be inherently uncomfortable. But change that moves our country away from racism and rape culture is GOOD change.

I am begging you. Use critical thinking… if you’re seeing a headline about something being canceled, look up WHY. Some of these headlines are absolute bunk… they’re shared just to get people all riled up and create American division. However, just like we *should* cancel lead paint, a children’s book with overtly racist images shouldn’t be published anymore and it’s weird if you disagree with that. Disagreeing with that decision, as silly as it may seem, perpetuates racism. I know how triggered y’all can get when someone suggests you might be perpetuating racism, but it is what it is. Do your research. Don’t spend your money on racist garbage. Be better.

I feel like this post is me just barking the exact same thing in different ways, but I also feel like there is so much more I could say.

I’ll leave you with this:

What will it take for Americans to weigh the threats of racism and homophobia the same way we weight the threat of lead paint? If it’s a matter of costing lives, well, the numbers speak for themselves.

#cancel culture #cancellation #racism #rape culture #the muppets #pepe le pew #dr. seuss #seuss #consequences #change #mr. potato head #potato head #cancel culture isn't real

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rhomsfanfic · 3 years

Text

A Wish Come True

A lovely commission for the awesome @lesbiansportsanime with their OC Silena ♥ Thank you so much for commissioning me, it was so much fun working with you!

No warnings apply, just a very fluff day!

First impressions mattered.

They mattered when meeting a new employer, your spouse’s family, the person you’ve been set up on a date with by your friends. Every one of those people had expectations and anticipated something from you, mostly good behavior. However, the same concept also applied to many more situations than just the ones stated formerly. It also applied to traveling and meeting someone you thought you knew better than anyone else but never truly ‘knew’.

Those were the thoughts that kept Silena busy as she stepped out into the forest-y wilderness outside the Wild Area Station for the first time. Immediately, she was greeted by a gust of wind, ruffling through her hair and clothes, almost like an embrace coming from the nature around her. The sun seemed to shine a bit brighter as its rays tickled her skin, and thanks to it, even the mild climate wasn’t bothering her as much as Silena anticipated. Galar did its best to change the first impression it left on her quickly, so it seemed.

Having her connecting train be canceled when she was supposed to meet up with her friend in Hammerlocke was not only unfortunate but also an annoyance. The train conductor at the station had suggested she’d be faster walking to the nearby city, Motostoke, and take a Flying Taxi from there, a concept Silena wasn’t used to from her own home. However, if it would get her to Hammerlocke quicker than the train, which approximately would take another three hours to be ready again, she preferred following the conductor’s advice.

It wasn’t like she shied away from some walking; after all, she had wandered seemingly endless routes before, and as Champion, that little bit of exercise wasn’t going to kill her. The only thing she was concerned about was if she would still be looking as presentable as she was once she reached her destination. Looking at her reflection in one of the station building windows, Silena brushed aside some stray hairs and flattened out her hoodie dress, which had wrinkled from the long travel by train.

She still looked nice, and she hoped it would stay this way until she reached Hammerlocke.

Whipping out her phone, she decided to let Raihan know she arrived in Galar and about the delay in meeting up with him. Surely, it wouldn’t leave a good first impression to be tardy, but at least she’d be able to let him know about it. A spurt of nervousness went through her as she typed out the words, almost feeling bashful. Even though it felt to her like she knew Raihan for years, they had only been in contact for a good handful of months, telling each other good morning and good night, and sharing most of their days through messages and photos. Yet, knowing she was so close to meeting him for real, it was like a dream come true, even if it made her hands shake from nervosity.

There were so many things Silena could think about that could go wrong now. Perhaps it ended up as a scam, and the person she was writing wasn’t the charismatic, enthusiastic Gym Leader she came to know after all, but really it had just been a PR-Manager who went out of his way to talk her up. Or if not that, maybe even worse, perhaps now that they’d meet in person, Raihan would end up not liking her anymore. Of course, it was a farfetched thought, but what if he liked her better when they still were only writing, hiding behind that little bit of anonymity after all? Everyone looked different over text, so what if the ‘real Silena’ just wasn’t what he expected?

It was a painful thought to her, having long registered the feelings that started to bloom for him. Even if he was nothing but a text buddy, Silena had started to become as comfortable talking to him as a best friend. She anticipated his messages every minute she was awake, and she hoped that he felt the same. That she was in love with him, she had kept secret, but she couldn’t lie to herself the same way. It undoubtedly would be complicated to be with him, but some part of her still hoped for it to happen even after everything considered.

Taking a deep breath, Silena encouraged herself to think positively. There were endless possibilities, but she always wanted to hope for the best. She was just about to send the text she wrote when she heard a loud, “Oh! Hey!” coming from her left, making her look up from her phone. Her eyes could not have widened more in surprise as she watched a very familiar, tall man jog into her direction, lifting his arm in a wave.

“Raihan?!” Silena uttered, flabbergasted, staring at him as if she had just seen a ghost.

“The one and only!” he laughed as he slowed down and closed the distance. “But… How?” Silena asked, glancing at the unsent message, making sure she hadn’t hinted before that she’d be stuck at the station. “There’s been problems with the train all morning. I was hoping they’d resolve it before your train was due, but eh… no luck with a hoard of Tauros running lose.”

Raihan spoke of it as a matter of fact, but just as quickly, a brilliant smile reappeared on his lips, shining her way. “So I came to fetch you, and here you are!”

For a moment, surprised silence fell between the two as they took in each other. Silena couldn’t help but look over Raihan, noticing that he… absolutely looked like the photos he kept sending. There was nothing, from his clothes to his facial features, that differed, and her heart picked up the pace as she met his eyes after he inspected her too. It was only for a moment before the two started to laugh, sympathetic remorse being shared between the two that skepticism had crossed their minds despite neither of them being fake after all. Even if it was left unspoken, it took away the awkwardness that Silena feared would build between them when they first met.

But this way, the first impression was good despite her worries, and no words could describe how relieved Silena felt as the thought settled in her mind.

“I’m… really here,” she bubbled, some sheepish chuckles following her words, as she couldn’t hold back the grin spreading on her lips. “And you are here too!”

His shoulders relaxing, the maw of the hoodie he was wearing sunk a bit, Raihan’s smile only grew wider, as if this was a contest between the two about who could smile more. Despite his pose, with his hands sinking into his pockets, he didn’t seem haughty or arrogant. Really, it was just like she imagined him to be. Naturally cool. A trait that dragon trainers usually shared amongst themselves. “It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it? We’ve been writing for so long, and yet meeting up in person is still so different,” he noted, and Silena agreed with a nod and a hum.

“Ah, but I don’t mean it in a bad way,” he was quick to add, bringing a hand up to the back of his head in embarrassment as he realized that his words could have come off weirdly. “I’m thrilled you made it. It’s nice… meeting you,” he explained, sincerity in his words even though he struggled to phrase them.

“I’m glad too! Thank you for inviting me, Raihan!” Silena was quick to chime in, letting him know she understood what he meant to say, and now there really wasn’t anything holding her back anymore, as she told him about her travels and what she had seen while looking out from her window seat.

For a while, the two simply enjoyed the conversation, even with the topics being rather superficial, like nature and weather. But whenever Silena looked him in the eyes, she was glad that he always looked right back at her. There was no fake attentiveness, and he laughed along or questioned her words as they came. The talk flowed naturally, even as they turned towards the open fields of the Wild area, ready to make their way towards it.

In hindsight, it was just like when they were texting, but Silena experienced this as even better. Now she was able to look at his face as they talked, see his expression change, and add to the conversation. There were hand motions and eyes shining in responses to her words, and she found herself smitten with the way Raihan held himself, easily filling out her thoughts when she struggled to form them into words and adding on to the ideas she shared.

There was just one question burning on Raihan’s tongue that caught her off-guard, hand lowering to point at her shoes. “I did mention the part about camping, didn’t I?” he asked, and Silena looked down in confusion at herself. Only then did she realize that probably not everyone thought that platforms and high heels were suitable for a camping trip. Though a wave of embarrassment came over her as she hoped it wouldn’t put her in a bad light, Silena looked up quickly, grinning and letting him know, “Of course you did.”

Raihan’s brows furrowed in confusion as she announced it so confidently - Thanks to standing so close, Silena didn’t miss the change in expression, even if his hat covered a lot of space from his hair down. She couldn’t help but think about how cute he looked with his head ducking into the oversized hoodie of his jacket whenever he was thinking about something. - while Silena merely adjusted the strap of her bag before taking the first few steps around him with a cheeky grin. “That’s why I’m wearing my outdoor heels!”

Easily conquering the ever so slightly uneven dirt road, Silena took off a few steps ahead while showing off that she was more than capable of walking with them. Raihan’s gaze followed her, slightly impressed, and he cooed an appreciative, “Oh? Look at that,” before laughing and walking after her, the two having a lot to talk about as they made their way to Motostoke on his lead.

In Raihan’s eyes, Silena was a ray of sunshine.

It was what he had always thought about her, even when they only had been texting each other in the past, but now he felt confirmed in his beliefs. On all her pictures, in all her endeavors, everything she did simply told tales of how passionate she was and how she put her heart into every movement she did. Even now, walking through the green together on their way to Motostoke, it was a contest of who was shining brighter - she or the sun?

They had met under such weird circumstances. Raihan simply had browsed his Pokégram and encountered her account that showcased her journey from the start as a trainer to the end as she became the champ of her region. He still remembered how he had looked in awe, yet with hints of jealousy, at the picture of her being crowned as the Champion of Nyklia. The picture itself, of her radiant smile, the tear stains on her cheeks as she waved to the crowd, something in it had really riled him up. Admittedly, not in a good way at first.

After all, Raihan was no stranger to the feeling of being so close to snagging the title, but in the end, never succeeding. Of course, his strife came from wanting to win against his forever rival Leon, and it was just as childish as it was fun to him. Still, that one picture of Silena he encountered gave away so much of what Raihan always expected himself to look like once he won. But for him, this dream never came true.

He remembered that he put away his phone after finding her account, not wanting to dwell on the frustration that came from it. But as the announcement of a new champion being selected in another region made its rounds, he more or less got forced to help out prepare a gift to send over. Alongside it, his trainer card had been put in with his handles, and as he looked at his phone in a break in between his training a week later, there her name was, Silena having sent him a thank-you-message which probably was more courtesy than a desire to write him.

But from his reply, one of hers followed, and then another one from him.

Soon, she wasn’t just a person he felt jealous of. She shared her struggles as much as the good days with him, and he - though silently - began cheering for her more than he envied her. It was a tough job, even if Leon made it seem so ridiculously easy, and Raihan’s respect for her grew as well as his feelings for the sunny champion who lived so far away from him.

At first, he didn’t know if he could do it. Meet up with her and not make it awkward. It was hard enough talking to Leon, and Raihan knew him for years - what if it would be the same for her? Until she arrived, Raihan didn’t notice that the two of them may have the same title, but that only showed their strengths as trainers, not their personalities.

And now she was here, and he felt as if she brought her radiating shine into his life now, replace any negative emotion he ever felt towards her before.

For a while, the two watched as a Xatu glided through the air peacefully, and Raihan noticed her relaxed, though focused eyes. “In Nyklia,” Silena spoke up, a hand raised to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun, “we know that the Pokémon are everywhere around us, but we rarely see them so clearly like I’ve seen them in Galar up till now.”

“Hm, maybe it’s because they are more used to people here? The wild area is always filled with trainers, so they might have become less shy.”

“That might be the reason,” she agreed, nodding to herself. “It would be nice if I could help Nyklia be more balanced like this too.”

Those were the words of a champion, how Raihan found. Looking out for her region, taking note of differences, and thinking of how to apply those to what was entrusted to her. Still, he appreciated the fact that she hadn’t behaved boastfully yet, only pleasant and calm. It was almost like when the two of them were texting only, and it made him feel at peace that he was able to have a normal conversation with her without always coming back to their titles or strengths as trainers.

On the way to Motostoke, they had encountered a lot of friendly Pokémon, the area filled with small groups of Oddish and Budew who looked at them curiously as they passed. A Bunnelby had even come close enough for Silena to pet its head, which she did with the uttermost respect and affection for the creature. It truly showcased her character, and Raihan found himself smiling alongside her as she was cooing and complimenting the tiny Pokémon.

Tearing his eyes off of Silena, who was still watching the psychic Pokémon in awe, Raihan too glanced back to the Xatu, which was peacefully swaying in the winds that were carrying it. To his surprise, he noticed its gaze on the two of them, more specifically, on Silena. Grinning to himself, Raihan thought about how fitting this was, considering he himself experienced Silena like the sun, and Xatu’s always looked into the direction of the grand, illuminating fireball too. Bumping his shoulders into hers, he motioned for them to keep walking since they were so close to the next station on their travels.

Raihan would not pass up on the chance to enjoy his time with Silena much more than he already was.

Browsing the shelves in the boutique of Motostoke, Raihan would occasionally glance back at Silena, who was experiencing her first height in Galar as she went through a shopping rush. “How about this?” Raihan smirked, pulling out a cheesy tourist shirt with “I LOVE GALAR” written all over it in a bold font. Silena’s face scrunched up as she tried to stay polite, replying, “I don’t think that suits me,” but her expression gave away her real thoughts about the shirt. They chuckled amongst themselves as they knew both of them were thinking the same thing, but Silena was quick to take her fashion revenge at him as she found a shirt saying, “Dragons are cool but not as cool as ice!”

“A bold lie,” Raihan disagreed vehemently, but under laughter, Silena made sure to tell him that it would look splendid on him. They both agreed that it would be too funny and too ironic to pass up on, putting it on the small pile that had assembled from Silena’s previous picks. Spending a while longer at the store, Raihan got a good taste of what kind of clothes she liked, Silena showing off a few things she changed into.

For a moment, Raihan caught himself thinking of how this was similar to accompanying a girlfriend, but he was quick to shake it out of his thoughts, not wanting to get ahead of himself. Even if he thought about these things quietly - and now that she was here, more than ever - it wasn’t a decision he could make by himself. Even though he had to admit, it was a thought that spread pleasant warmth inside him and the hints of hope that it might become a reality someday.

He wouldn’t mind it if it was Silena.

He wouldn’t mind at all.

With a deep yet satisfied sigh, Silena sunk onto the cushioned bench, putting her bag and the goods she recently acquired through Raihan’s support - by showing her all the chic little shops that were a must-see in the city - next to her. From her spot, she could watch Raihan standing at the counter, ordering drinks, chatting merrily with the barista. She loved seeing how excited people were to see him, and they had stopped to take selfies more than once on their way to this café. It wasn’t a bother per se, and she understood it better than anyone that, as a public figure, Raihan had to keep face even if he was out with her.

Still, a small part of her felt jealous of the girls and trainers he had humored.

The way he put his arm around their shoulders and made faces with them was sweet, and it was just like she expected him to act, appreciating his fans a lot. He didn’t do anything indecent that would have made her raise her brow at his behavior. He simply was attentive, sweet, and fun, just how she had experienced him so far too. It made her wonder if she was anything different to him than his fans were, and though she should have known the answer to that, she simply felt a little bit discouraged as she feared asking him directly.

“One latte for the lady~” Raihan’s voice tore her out of her thoughts as he presented her drink right in front of her, the milk foam on top of it resembling a little Pikachu sticking out on top of the glass. “How cute!” Silena gasped, watching the foam wiggle as he set it down, and Raihan chuckled proudly.

“They don’t usually do that, but I know the barista, and he was happy to create something special for a very special visitor. I hope you like it?”

Raihan’s smile was unmatched to any she had seen so far, so soft and sweet, as he glanced from her drink up to her face, trying to catch a glimpse of her reaction. Silena hoped her expression matched the way she felt, adoring the extraordinary drink. “I like it a lot,” she assured him, and her heart jumped as she met his eyes, Raihan grinning excitedly, knowing it made her happy.

“Ah, I’m glad,” he sighed, leaning back and bringing his own drink to his lips. Only now did Silena realize he had been anticipating her reply tensely, leaning forward and biting his lip. Immediately, she felt butterflies partying in her stomach as the only reason she could think of why he’d do that was because he was trying to bring her joy. The thought of the other trainers he made happy with his presence crawled back in her mind, but she asked herself: Would he do that for everyone, or just for me?

“Is it good?” he asked curiously, after watching her take a sip at the metal straw sticking out from the side of the glass. “Very,” she replied, returning his smile. Raihan nodded, and Silena watched as his shoulders relaxed, enjoying the view from over the table of a man at peace.

“I hoped it would come close to the gorgeous ones you always get at your favorite café. That’s why I wanted to go here!” Grinning a little wider, he admitted, “I’ve been searching the web forever to find out which place had the best reviews.”

Looking from him back down to her glass, Silena felt the warmth emitting onto her hands. The coffee was made just right, not too bitter and not too sweet, and it dawned on her that if she had ordered it, she would have asked for the same kind. As if traveling from her hands to her heart, the warmth began to spread as she recognized the work he put into finding spots she’d like, not only this café but all the boutiques and parks they had visited so far.

And against a rational judgment, Silena wanted to believe that he, in fact, only went to so many troubles for her alone.

“And this goes… here! Tada!”

Standing up, Silena got to watch as the tent basically erected itself after they connected the last rod missing with the tent peg. “Oh!” she exclaimed, their shelter for the night being definitely handier than the ones she used back in her travel times. “I can’t believe that I needed to sleep under the stars most of my nights, while Galar literally had self-building tents.”

Raihan laughed, his hand falling to her head. Silena was just about to scold him for ruffling her hair, but he simply patted the back of her head before letting his hand slide off. After a whole day being together, this probably was the closest the two had been, and Silena felt herself fall into a state of shock, her heart trying to break out, while Raihan didn’t miss a beat to proceed to go back to the fire. Perhaps it was only affecting her, but on the other hand, she couldn’t see Raihan balling his hand into a fist as he realized what he did.

“I-It’s good we are set up,” he chuckled nervously, clearing his throat and getting back his composure. Silena felt frozen in place, but even she realized that she’d have to act, or it might raise suspicion. So she laughed wryly, followed him to the campfire, and took the seat next to him. “Still hungry?” he asked, holding out the leftovers from the curry they made, and Silena was quick to hold her hands up, claiming, “I can’t eat another spoon, or I might burst!”

Raihan chuckled as he put it away, and Silena’s eyes shot up to watch their Pokémon still up and active, running in big circles back and forth the camp area. It made her a little nervous letting them all out to play, but she trusted that Raihan’s Pokémon would keep them from running too far or misbehaving. At least for now, they seemed to get along very well.

“I think letting your Pokémon roam is probably one of my favorite things about Galar,” Raihan mumbled, his eyes having followed hers to the creatures playing. “I hope it makes them happier to get out of their balls, and not just for fighting.”

His words were the end of this conversation, but Silena let out a contemplating hum. They didn’t look unhappy, that’s for sure, and though they were rough-housing with each other, she sure hoped they’d be worn out enough later to sleep through the night peacefully. “So…” Raihan picked up his words again, and this time, Silena dedicated her attention back to him, the flames of the fire flickering in his eyes that were fixed on her in return. “What’s your impression? Of the day… Galar!” he asked, voice lowering a little as he added, “Me?”

“The trains being canceled for a whole day because of a hoard of Tauros really sucks if you live here,” Silena said, straightforward in a serious tone, and the two stared at each other in silence before she burst out laughing at his bamboozled expression. Raihan followed suit as he realized this wasn’t as serious as she made it out to be, having a real good laugh over it before they could calm down.

“But I had a lot of fun,” Silena admitted, and Raihan nodded approvingly. “Galar might come off as very industrial, which I have… opinions about,” she chuckled, not being able to phrase it better than this at the moment. “But there are a lot of good things, like the wild area, and the many nice people like the barista and your fans that were so sweet. I truly feel good walking the streets and the countless paths you can take, and I think Galar has a lot to offer if you are open to exploring it.”

Having watched the fire for a bit as she talked, Silena looked back at Raihan, who anticipated every word she was willing to share with him. For a split second, she felt bold as she put her hand beside his, their fingers grazing each other as she put hers into the gaps of his. “And then there’s you, and you are… well…” Her words faded out as she struggled to find the right ones.

There were so many compliments that she’d have liked to tell him. How kind he was, how sweet his smile was. That the way he acted and behaved was so cool, yet he was approachable and pleasant to the people around him. How he made her laugh and understood her humor, and how attentive he was, even knowing what kind of coffee she liked to drink. But how could she put that into just one word to let him know how she felt?

“I think you’re amazing,” Raihan filled the quietness that built quickly while Silena fidgeted for words. This time, he avoided her eyes as she looked up, warmth spreading on her cheeks from the surprise. “You’re lovely, and you look out for Pokémon and your home. Even when you are so far away from it, you always carry it with you and think about ways to improve it. I don’t think anyone ever made me laugh as much as you did today, you always have a clever reply, and conversing with you feels like you are returning my thoughts to me - but ten times better!”

Taking a short breather, Raihan looked down at their hands. He couldn’t help but laugh out quietly, as he felt the hints of embarrassment creep up on him, before he shook his head, knowing he spoke only the truth. This time, it was him who closed up more of the distance, embracing some of her fingers with his own, as if he was still asking for permission to hold her hand. “You’re down to earth, but you are a true original. Confident and strong, just like I got to know you. How I came to.... like you.”

“Oh,” Silena whispered as she listened to his words, unable to keep her pulse from racing and her lips from smiling as she looked down, returning the grip he had on her hand with her own. “I… I think I understand,” she chuckled, biting her lip shortly before continuing. “And I feel the same.”

For a moment, it got quiet between the two. Only the hold on their hands remained, a soft squeeze pulling at Silena’s attention, and she looked up at Raihan bashfully, who pointed to the sky instead with a smile on his face. Confused, she looked up, catching a small miracle as she saw a couple of shimmering shooting stars pass over the horizon, and her mouth opened in a wondrous gasp as she watched them in awe.

“What did you wish for?” she whispered as the shooting stars slowly faded out of existence, only leaving their twinkling siblings behind that covered the whole sky.

“That next time, I can come to visit you without trains that get delayed.” Nudging him with a playful grin, Silena chuckled, happy as she noticed he never let go of her hand. “And you?” Raihan asked, and she brought her free hand up to her lips, faking a thoughtful moment.

“Can’t tell! Or it won’t become reality!”

“No fair!” Raihan complained jokingly, nudging her back and making her laugh in return. Catching her off-guard, Silena felt her lips being pushed back, and as she opened her eyes, she noticed Raihan’s face so close, making her lean into the kiss. Even though her heart was still raising long after it ended, Silena never managed to wipe the grin off her mouth, now knowing that these feelings of hers weren’t for naught.

There were still many things left unsaid, but the day had smoothed the way for their relationship to grow. One night wouldn’t have been enough to let each other know about everything they still wanted to tell, and so, they merely enjoyed that they could sit together closely, even if no more words were spoken. Before her eyes closed to sleep that night, she thanked the stars quietly, Raihan by her side, his hand now holding on to hers fully while she rested in his safe embrace.

Silena would thank them for many years to come, for making her wish come true that very same night.

#Raihan #Raihan pokemon #pokemon #commission #writing commission #Raihan x oc #pokémon #pokemon oc #pokemon writing #pokemon fanfiction #pokemon scenarios #pokemon oneshot #pokemon headcanons

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mjj-news · 3 years

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MJJNews Provided By Anji~Justice240

MJJNEWS, PICKING -UP- WHERE WE LEFT OFF…

In Loving Memory Of Michael Jackson 1958-2009

♥ You Know That L.O.V.E. Survives ♥ ** ♥ So We Can Rock Forever ♥ **

★January 2021★

MJJNEWS, PICKING -UP- WHERE WE LEFT OFF…

MICHAEL JACKSON – 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

January 1, 2021

If someone had told you at the beginning of 2020 that the year was going to be spent mostly at home and online, you’d probably have laughed it off. However, in arguably the most challenging year of our lifetime, that’s exactly what happened. Thankfully, we’re fans of the King of Pop and that means that no matter where you are in the world, you’re part of an active community that engages fans and always finds ways to celebrate no matter how challenging.

So, before we turn the page to 2021, Here is MJVibe’s top picks for Michael Jackson 2020 – Year in Review!

Thriller appears in the Top 10 vinyl sales of the decade in the United States at number 6, having sold 334,000 copies between 2010 and 2019. In 2019 alone, 88,000 copies of Thriller on vinyl were sold across the U.S.

A pair of Louboutins designed exclusively for Michael to wear during ‘This Is It’ go on display in Paris France at the Palais de la Porte Dorée as part of an exhibition focusing on the world-famous designer Christian Louboutins. The sparkly shoes offer a subtle nod to Michael’s Triumph/Off The Wall look and were displayed as if Moonwalking.

- Bad in Wembley and Dangerous Live in Bucharest are once again made available for streaming on YouTube through Michael’s official channel in an effort to encourage the ‘stay home’ order given to countries around the world.

- After 11 years at the Lyric Theater, Thriller Live closes its doors for the final time. The show had been scheduled to complete on April 26th 2020 and leave the Lyric to find a new home. However, the UK-wide lock down as a result of the pandemic saw the show close earlier than planned.

- The MJ Estate donated $300,000 to Corona Virus relief efforts in Michael’s name. Broadway Cares, Three Square Food Bank (Southern Nevada’s largest hunger-relief organization) and MusicCares each received a $100,000 donation.

The Estate release ‘Heal The World 2020’, a new short film to accompany Michael’s 1992 hit of the same name. The film focused on the Covid-19 pandemic and was produced to unite Michael’s fans virtually during an almost global lock down.

In response to the release, fans ensured ‘Healtheworld2020’ trended two weekends consecutively. As of December 2020, the short film has 4.3 million views on YouTube.

View the video here!

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- As a result of the pandemic, MJ The Musical’s debut is once again delayed to September 2021. Originally planned to open in Chicago in the Summer of 2019, the launch was cancelled with a plan to head straight to Broadway in early 2020. After three rescheduled dates, the decision was made to push to September 2021.

- Michael dominates Smooth Radio’s All-Time Top 500 Songs with the most entries by a solo artist. With 20 entries, Billie Jean and Man In The Mirror placed inside the Top 10, with George Michael being the only other artist to do so. Averaging four million listeners a week, Smooth Radio removed Michael from rotation in 2019, however, this poll as voted by the public, ensured Michael returned to the station’s regular playlist. #MUTEWHO?!

- HIStory turns 25 and while fans around the world mark the album’s monumental status and timeless appeal, the Estate chose to release apparel and a badge set, which mostly amounted to, what some fans considered an overpriced, bad quality, poorly designed, late delivered collection.

Judge for yourself, Ilia Mizani and Pez Jax sat down to review some of the products here.

- Marking the 25th Anniversary of the album, the HIStory teaser is added to YouTube where it has since been viewed 1.5 million times via Michael’s official channel.

- It’s been over 50 years since the Jackson 5 performed on the Ed Sullivan show. As part of a full library upload, the performances are restored and uploaded to YouTube for future generations to enjoy. You can watch the iconic performances here!

- Sixteen11 Media Group announces the release of a new book titled, ‘The Story of HIStory’ by Pez Jax. The book charts the creation and release of HIStory and marks 25 years of the album’s release. Including interviews with many people who worked on the album and short films, Jax called upon HIStory Statue sculptor Diana Walczak to help create the cover of the book. By the end of 2020, the book was released in special gold hardback and has been shipped to over 30 countries around the world. Several of Michael’s items from the era were placed on auction through Julien’s Auctions. Taking place from the 15th – 19th of June, listings included the three Olodum outfits worn by Michael in ‘They Don’t Care About Us’, the black trench coat from Stranger In Moscow and the handwritten lyrics to D.S.

- Author Damien Shields releases ‘The Genesis of Thriller’, a special audio documentary that takes listeners into the studio to discover how the world’s biggest-selling album was made. HIGHLY Recommended!

You can listen to this insightful audio documentary here!

youtube

- SiriusXM launches ‘The Michael Jackson Channel’, a radio station playing nothing but Michael Jackson music for a strictly limited time. The station also featured a special playlist titled ‘The Now More Than Ever King of Pop Playlist’.

- UK Nationwide Radio Station ‘Smooth Radio’ host their annual ‘Top 100’ poll to find out who the number one Icon is, according to listeners. With an overwhelming number of votes, Michael comes in at Number one.

- Following global demonstrations in relation to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, Spike Lee teamed up with the Estate to release a new version of ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ for 2020. Mixing together both the Brazilian and Prison versions of the short film, Lee also incorporated footage from demonstrations around the world, which once again proved just how timeless Michael’s music is when used as the backdrop to current affairs.

Watch it here!

youtube

- Chinese fans celebrate Michael’s 62nd Birthday with the unveiling of 10 statues across the country. Created by MJJCN, the statues were installed in prominent locations including Nanning and Beijing and serve as a wonderful dedication to Michael.

‘Loving Neverland’ is released on YouTube as a five-hour compilation of footage and information that details Michael’s life, challenges and career in great detail. Compiled by fans Nandita Raghav and Deboleena Aich, Loving Neverland serves as a powerful reminder to what Michael experienced for anyone looking to understand who he was. You can watch it here!

youtube

- Finally, and after many years of asking, the Estate decided to do something with Michael Jackson’s Ghosts, announcing it would be free to stream on YouTube from 29th October until the 1st of November. To mark the Halloween period, which Michael ultimately rules, the mini-movie was uploaded in better quality than the previous uploads.

- Walmart release a limited edition 2x colored vinyl of the Jackson 5 greatest hits album ‘The Ultimate Collection’. Available only in the U.S, the album was issued through Universal Music.

- In what’s almost yearly fashion, more of Michael’s personal items were placed up for auction including the 2006 Japan VMAs jacket that marked Michael’s first official red-carpet appearance since his 2005 trial.

Also on auction were platinum record awards, signed items, photographs, drawings and a glove.

- Cirque-Du-Soleil announced that despite being closed for most of 2020 due to the pandemic, Michael Jackson ONE is one of five Las Vegas residency shows to receive a contract extension. Originally signed as a 10-year with five years guaranteed at the Mandalay Bay, the show has been so popular that both Cirque and Mandalay want to keep it going past its 2023 end date. The new end date on the contract extension has not been announced.

- On November 16th, the legendary Bruce Swedien passed away. Having worked with Michael as Engineer on all his Epic solo albums up to Invincible, Swedien continued working in the industry up until his passing and became an inspiration to many upcoming producers and engineers. Rest in Peace Bruce!

- Michael once again topped Forbes list of the Highest-Paid Dead Celebrity. Coming in at number one with $48 million earned, he beat Dr Seuss who came in second position with $33 million. FYI, Elvis came in 5th.

- To cap off another year of insightful interviews and important documentation, the MJCast episode 126 was a special featuring TJ Jackson. TJ speaks about growing up a Jackson, working with Michael and how the last few years of negativity have affected his family. You can listen to this deeply personal episode here!

- On Christmas Eve it was announced that Neverland ranch had officially been sold. Purchased for just $22 million by Billionaire Ron Burkle, the final price was a huge reduction from the overzealous $100 million asking price when the property was first put onto the market. However, there is hope as Burkle was a former business associate and friend to Michael, so while it may not be a ‘Michael Jackson Memorial’, it will hopefully be treated with the respect and history it deserves.

As we begin 2021 with hope and optimism, it may take a while before we can all be back with our favorite MJ friends; throwing down dance moves on his birthday and lighting candles on his anniversary. However, with the 30th Anniversary of Dangerous and the 20th Anniversary of Invincible at the tail end of the year, it’s likely we can look forward to some exciting coverage from a variety of different places and hopefully some more chart-topping achievements throughout the year.

⭐༺★༻ ༺🖤༻ ༺★༻⭐

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tessmontyart · 3 years

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2020 year in review

It’s funny, last year I never actually got around to doing one of these. I didn’t think it was overly interesting. Oh 2019, how I miss you so 😭Such an innocent time ....

I’ll do a quick recap, cause hey no-one but me reads these anyway. 2019 was a glorious time. I went to Italy for the first time, went on an awesome Hunter Valley trip with my friends, had a 100th birthday celebration for my pop, I got to see the show I worked on air on TV, we saw the Lano and Woodley apartment in Melbourne .... Good times!

I didn’t give a rats about being unemployed and took matters into my own hands by making loads of new merch and selling at the most conventions I’ve ever been to. I tabled at Sydney Supanova, Adelaide Avcon, Sydney SMASH, Coffs Nexus Con, Sydney Oz Comic Con and Brisbane Supanova! I did so much travelling and events, it became my full time job. It was exhausting, but it was loads of fun, it paid the bills nicely, and it was wonderful to meet followers and mutuals in person.

My partner was very invested in counting up the numbers of what was selling and what wasn’t, and taking note of what was inconvenient with my setup and how to make it better. He even made a powerpoint presentation on what I could focus on for 2020, what kind of merch I could focus on and adding more conventions to my list. We were both excited about the idea of trying out Armageddon in New Zealand, which would have been my first overseas convention!

Cue 2020.

It started off uneasy. There were still bushfires everywhere and smoke hanging around, but I was optimistic they would die soon and the rest of the year would be fine. I booked a bunch of conventions early as usual. Got a whole bunch of new things made and ordered for the first convention of the year, Melbourne Supanova in early April. Some Acrylic charms didn’t make it in time because of COVID, but I thought that’s ok I still have a whole years worth of conventions to sell them at!

COVID-19 was just a spooky mysterious thing that was happening overseas at that point. I think there might have been 1 case in Australia, so all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer was sold out, but we were still able to do our usual travelling for the event. Little did I know, Melbourne Supanova was the first and last event I could do in 2020.

COVID hit Australia hard, Melbourne especially. There were lockdowns, quarantines, planes were grounded, airmail was halted, the cases kept multiplying, rules kept changing and changing and it was all so new and such a headache. Seeing every single convention I had booked cancel one after the other was hard to process. This was my main source of income in 2019 and now it’s up and vanished. Everyone were losing their jobs too, so the idea of getting a new job was completely out the window.

I tried to cheer myself up by drawing ‘Toilet Paper Chan’, my new magical girl character who has the ability to summon toilet paper in a time of need 😅

I made it into a Draw This In Your Style challenge, seeing as everyone was bored out of their minds in quarantine I hoped it was something people could pass the time and have fun making.

(here’s a handful of my favourites) I had a few entries which were all very adorable, but I admit not as many people joined as I expected. I don’t blame them though, this whole pandemic was very soul sucking and demotivating, especially hearing the constant stream of bad news when it all started.

I also made some lineart of a cute Easter girl, encouraging people to colour her in if they are bored in quarantine.

That was really fun, and I planned to do more, perhaps whole colouring books for a small price to download.

Then, out of nowhere, my friend from the last animation studio I worked at in 2018 contacted me. “Hey Tess, are you looking for work?”

“Um .... yes?”

Work? In 2020? What?

It turns out the animation industry is one of the only industries that are doing fine in the pandemic. Literally the only change is that animators have to work from home instead of at a studio. If you have the animation software and an internet connection you have everything you need.

So my good friend had recently scored this job for a studio which outsources all their animation for their animated TV series. The role is just fixing up any animation errors inhouse to minimize the amount of back-and-fourth between studios. It doesn’t sound like much but it became too big a job for just one dude to handle, so he contacted me and 2 of my other animation friends to help out. We had a ball!

It was loads of fun, and the contract lasted the whole year!

It wasn’t just fixing up errors either, I got to animate walking/ running / jumping / flying cycles for the overseas animators to use, which was great practice for me, and we even had a whole episode to ourselves to animate from scratch which I really enjoyed.

And then ... the year just flew by, because I was busy working the whole time. It was really quite surreal!

There were a few highlights, such as being a bridesmaid for my best friend’s wedding and organising her hens party, which is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things.

(Hens Party - it was yellow themed (her favourite colour) and High Tea.. it was adorable!)

(The bridesmaids and the bride on the Wedding Day)

Unfortunately there were some lowlights too ... This was the last year I got to see my aunt.

She was the craziest, funniest aunt, and still far too young to go. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be the same without her.

As always, drawing is the only way I cope with anything. My family chose a plain wooden casket, encouraging everybody to write a message or draw something on it, before it would be sent to the crematorium. I drew Spotty, her awesome horse I remember from my childhood, surrounded by her favourite flowers. Monty draw Mingus, her awesome ferret we also remember from our childhood.

That wasn’t the only bad news either. Pat’s Grandpa passed away later in the year, and a handful of my friends had relatives who either passed away or were diagnosed with cancer or some other horrible life threatening disease. A musician who collaborated with favourite artist collaborated passed as well, and even though I didn’t know him personally, it was still horribly devastating. Not to mention all my friends/relatives pets who didn’t make it through 2020. There was just so much loss this year, and I’m still grieving my cousin and my friend’s mum who both passed last year, it’s getting harder and harder to cope. It’s gotten to the point where I’m paranoid about who the next person will be because I haven’t finished grieving the last ...

All I can say is I hope 2021 is a little kinder when it comes to my loved ones. The small light at the end of the tunnel is; any suicidal thoughts I used to have frequently have all completely vanished, because I’ve been faced with the reality of it all. You really don’t realise how many people love you, people you don’t even know.

...

That was very dark, but it’s definitely something I needed to get off my chest.

Lets go back to a much lighter note.

More highlights:

🌻Animal Crossing New Horizons came out this year! I used to play Wild World back in the day so it was wonderfully nostalgic, and me and Pat have made the cutest little town with all our favourite villagers. It’s a nice way to escape from it all ^_^

(Monty’s island when we started)

🌻Speaking of games, the brand new Crash Bandicoot came out this year too! It was actually jaw droppingly amazing seeing all the awesome new ideas and mechanics they came up with while still keeping it classicly Crash. I loved it and I’m so excited to see if they give Spyro the same treatment!

🌻2020 brought about new and interesting ways to still enjoy Live entertainment. Lano and Woodley did a Zoom show which was absolutely hilarious, and Lights did an amazing online Dead End show which had me so pumped!

🌻Pat and I continued our anniversary High Tea tradition, this time trying it out at the Hydro Majestic hotel in the Blue Mountains!

🌻Speaking of Pat, his sister got married this year too, despite the pandemic. Congratulations!

🌻Pat randomly bought a Miku figure for himself, out of the blue, completely unravelling years of unnecessary ‘shame’ I’ve inherited caused by a pushy mother and a crappy ex. I used to love figure collecting but was convinced by certain judgy people that it was stupid and I needed to sell them all. I kept my very favourites in a cupboard ‘just incase they increase in value’. But now I can finally display them all again knowing Pat loves them just as much as I do!

We also added a ton more to the collection to make up for lost time (and because there’s SO MANY CUTE MIKUS NOWADAYS)

It’s a bit messy because we recently got new ones and need to make more space for them. The shelf with the Vocaloid nendoroids were my original ones hidden away in the cupboard, the rest we got this year ^_^ They make me so happy!

🌻Speaking of Pat unlocking things I’ve always wanted to do in the past: I am now planning to revive my old OCs Yui and Lotto! They were just characters of mine back in the day, but since I’m not good writing I never really came up with a story for them. But with Pat’s writer wisdom and my kawaii art style, I’m now planning a webcomic featuring the two cuties ^_^ It’s still in the very early planning stages but I’m super excited, and forever grateful for Pat, for believing in me ;w;

🌻This year I drew 31 more Owl City songs in copic markers, to go towards my ongoing project to draw every song! I’m actually getting quite close to my goal now which is exciting!

🌻This year I went to a Drive-In movie theatre for the first time to see the new Bill and Tedd movie, it was glorious and now I wanted to try more drive-ins. Going out to see a movie on a big screen *without* being able to hear smart-asses or screaming babies? Yes please!!

🌻How could I forget, this was the year my idol noticed me!! Lights shared and retweeted my Deadend fanart! Life = made.

What to to look forward to in 2021:

This is the first New Year where I actually have an idea of how 2021 will go! I managed to secure another animation job at a new studio starting January, ending January 2022 😊So thats the financial security for this year sorted! :P

As for general goals for 2021;

I’m hoping to have a decent plan, concept art, chapter ideas and hopefully even a script done for my new webcomic! I also wanted to make some cute simple animations of the characters just because c:

I’d also like to just do more of my own animation in general ... I animate every day for work but I never get to do my own animated projects. It will be hard with a full time job, so maybe this can be a 2022 goal ... but hopefully I can do at least one little animation of my own!

I suppose another goal is to make a social media accounts for my animation, too. Even if I don’t fulfil my goal, I still would like a page to showcase everything I’ve done so far.

And if all else fails .... Another goal is to draw more Miku. It’s crazy that I love her this much and haven’t drawn any fanart!

I think I’ll leave it there because I’m babbling now. 😅

I’ve done so many of these now o_o

[2018] [2017] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012]

#2020 #year review #cw: death #cw: pet death #cw: suicide

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theresnosuchthingasmonsters · 4 years

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(Prompt: “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy,” with Ainsley and Martin, sent in by Anonymous)

Ainsley Whitly thought that daddy’s ‘new home’ was very big, and very dark, and very scary. Her mother had been right about that. The five year old worried that her mother had been right about all the other things she’d said too. That daddy was a monster. That daddy was evil. That daddy was a ‘bad guy.’

‘Go see for yourself,’ her mommy had said. It was the same thing she’d told Ainsley’s older brother when she’d sent him to visit daddy’s ‘new home.’

‘It’s not that scary,’ Malcolm had mumbled upon his return. Ainsley had wondered if he was telling the truth, or if he was just acting brave and trying to comfort her. ‘There’s a really nice guard there. He’s tall, and he doesn’t have hair, and he has a special badge that makes the doors go click and open up --all by themselves, like magic.’

Her brother had been telling the truth about that. Ainsley hovered beside the tall guard’s legs and his hand hovered behind her shoulder, gently guiding her through the long, cold hallways. At the swipe of his badge, doors clicked and beeped as they automatically opened up for them to pass through.

They came to another red door, but this one did not open. The guard placed her in a spot off to the side and told her to stay there. He looked at his watch, pressed some buttons on it, then opened the door, poked his head in, and said, “You have a visitor. Three minutes. That’s it.” When the guard motioned for her to come, the girl hesitantly stepped over and walked with him into the room.

Her father was wearing orange pajamas that were unfamiliar and harsh on the eyes. But he did wear a familiar, welcoming smile. His chestnut hair was sprawled in the way it was always sprawled in the mornings before the sleep was brushed from it. It was probably difficult for him to brush his hair with handcuffs on. Especially when the handcuffs were also attached to the chain belt around his waist. Ainsley struggled to decide which feature to focus on; his smile, or his chains.

Or the giant cage that he was stuck inside.

“Ainsley!” he beamed from behind the bars. “My little angel.” He lowered himself to her height, kneeling at the front of the cage. “Hello, sweetheart!”

She didn’t say anything. She simply held her stuffed animal tight with both arms and stayed next to the tall guard’s legs.

“Oh, you brought Mister Giggles with you,” her daddy grinned, pleased to see the plush creature again. “How is Mister Giggles doing?” he asked with a colorful voice. He spoke as if they were playing in her bedroom, not as if he was in a very big, very scary prison.

“Good,” she mumbled, her tiny voice taking up a very small amount of space in the wide, foreboding room.

Her father’s smile remained as he asked with slightly more awareness of the situation, “And how are you doing?”

She nervously shifted her arms around Mr. Giggles. “Okay,” she mumbled again, burrowing her face in the animal’s synthetic fur.

He shook his head with a longing look. “I miss you so much, darling. I want to hug you so desperately.”

The truth was, she felt the same. But she didn’t respond, only hugging Mr. Giggles tighter. The child wasn't as talented at hiding her emotions as her father was at hiding his. He saw them, and asked, “What’s wrong, angel?”

“Everyone... keeps telling me... you’re the bad guy,” she struggled to admit.

He hesitated before inquiring, “Do you think I’m the bad guy?”

Ainsley didn’t answer.

Martin waited.

Still, she didn’t answer.

He blinked and lowered his gaze to his cuffed hands for a second. “Sweetheart… I may have done some... bad things, but…” he struggled to admit. He renewed his smile and shone it at her, reminding, “I’ve done a lot of good things too.” Lifting his brows, he tilted his head and added, “In fact, I’ve done a lot more good than bad.”

She thought about that, and asked, “How much?”

“How much more?” he clarified.

The girl nodded.

He glanced to the wall. “Well… they’re saying I… hurt twenty people, is that right?”

“Twenty three,” she mumbled. It was nearly as high as the young girl could count. Mommy had told her that it was all of her toes, and all of her fingers, plus three. That was a lot.

“Yes, so…” Martin eased, “If I’ve done twenty three bad things, can you guess how many good things I’ve done?”

The girl thought deeply, making a face similar to that which Malcolm made when he thought deeply about something. “Thirty?” she guessed, knowing that was the next highest number from twenty.

“More,” he encouraged warmly, prompting her to raise her number.

She chose the next biggest number in her head and winced, “Fifty?”

“Hundreds,” he grinned, professing, “I’ve done hundreds of good things, Ainsley.”

She didn’t seem to believe him, or at least, she didn’t seem able to wrap her head around that big of a number.

He shifted on his knees, gesturing gently with his hands in their limited range of motion. “Think of every day that I went to work at the hospital. Each of those days, I helped probably five, sometimes ten people.” He held two fingers in front of his chest, the highest point at which he could lift them. “So, in only two days of work, I helped just as many people as I hurt,” he told her, as if his virtues canceled out his sins. “You could think of it as; I had two bad days. But all the rest were good.”

Ainsley thought about that. Two was a much smaller number than twenty three. And everyone had ‘bad days,’ didn’t they?

“And I worked a lot of days,” Martin nodded. “I’ve been going to work --doing good work, as a doctor-- for longer than you’ve been alive,” he explained, putting it into perspective for her.

She felt a lot better, hearing that. Her daddy was right. He had done plenty of good things. Much more good things than bad. In fact, when he put it like that, this was all starting to seem almost unfair, to the little girl. “Then why do they still say that you’re a bad guy?” she asked, confused.

“Well,” Martin tipped his head and explained, “Sometimes people like to only focus on the bad, and ignore the good.” He made a face and teased, “It’s a terrible injustice of society.”

The girl didn’t know what those big words meant.

Above the child, Mr. David shot a look at his patient. Dr. Whitly caught it, and refrained from preaching further. He kept his attention locked onto his daughter.

“Have I ever done anything bad to you?” Martin asked her, feigning worry.

Ainsley thought about that. She thought very hard, and then she shook her head.

“No. Of course not,” Martin grinned affectionately. “You’re my little girl, and I love you very much.”

Ainsley curled her fingers around her stuffed animal.

“I would never hurt you, sweetheart. Do you know that?”

She nodded.

Mr. David’s watch beep-beeped, beep-beeped.

The girl looked up at the device as the guard silenced it, and Martin’s smile fell from his face as her eyes were briefly averted. He quickly concealed his dash of panic as Mr. David murmured, “Time to go,” and told them both to “Say goodbye.”

With a grin big enough to disguise the pain glistening in his eyes, Martin re-equipped his cheerful facade and urged in a fond rush, “Ains, you can come back again whenever you want. Alright? I’m always going to be right here, waiting for you.”

Mr. David placed his touch on the child’s shoulder, but did not usher her out yet, giving her a moment to respond. She did not. She was too consumed by the overwhelming thought of her father, being there, in that cage, with those chains, for always.

“Okay?” Martin prompted fearfully. “Ains?”

“Okay daddy,” she mumbled distractedly, staring at the chains around his wrists.

Mr. David murmured a low reminder as he guided her toward the door, “Say goodbye.”

Operating on auto-pilot, she did as she was told and followed his guiding hand. “Bye daddy.”

Her daddy’s smile crumbled. “Goodbye, my angel,” he whispered, moving his hands to hold onto the cold iron bars in front of his knees. He wanted to say so much more. He wanted to say everything except ‘goodbye.’ He was dying to tell her so many things --anything to make her stay. Anything to keep her, there and as his own.

He yearned to scoop her up and ball her body in his arms and hug all of her, so tightly. He yearned to kiss the thin, blonde, baby hair on her head, and smell the faint scent of applesauce and peanut butter that naturally perfumed her scalp. But he knew that if he ever did those things again, then he’d never let his child go. Nothing in the world would be able to pry her from his arms. They could kill him, and he still would not let go of her.

Perhaps they knew that too, and that was exactly why it was forbidden.

Ainsley kept turning around to look over her shoulder. Her daddy forced a smile to remain on his face, but she could tell that it was a difficult, heavy smile to bear. It threatened to break and he was doing everything he could to remain strong, despite his anguish. He was hurting, maybe even enough to cry after she left.

The girl squeezed Mr. Giggles. He made her feel better when she hurt and when she wanted to cry. But her daddy had nothing to squeeze.

She glanced back one last time, then faced forward as the guard led her through the door. But she couldn’t leave, yet. In a blur, she slipped under Mr. David’s arm and ran back into the room, straight to the cage. The child reached out and pushed Mr. Giggles through the bars, and then she ran back to the guard so she didn't get in trouble.

She moved so quickly that her father didn’t have time to react. She darted so close, but he didn’t know what to say. The soft toy fell into his hands and he glanced at it before staring after her again, slow to realize she was giving it to him as a gift. It made him smile again, like a syringe of happiness had been stabbed and injected into his dead, dried-up heart.

The girl looked back to watch her daddy’s expression mend, and it bred a small grin of her own. Mr. David tossed Martin a look that promised a discussion about that stuffed animal later, and then closed the door. Martin continued to smile as he held that silly toy in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over its synthetic fur before pressing it to his chest.

--------- Hope you enjoyed it, Anon! Want me to write a short scene? Send me a prompt with a pair of characters! Check out my #starter and #prompt tags for more ideas and responses!

#ainsley whitly #martin whitly #prodigal son fic #prodigal son fanfic #ainsley and martin #starter #prompt #my writing #mine #ainsley #martin #little ainsley #young ainsley #young martin #fic #ficlet

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wolfpawn · 4 years

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I Hate You, I Love You, Chapter 100

Chapter Summary - Tom and Danielle enjoy their holiday, Tom ensuring it is as pleasurable as possible, in every manner. SMUT

Previous Chapter

Rating - Mature (some chapters contain smut)

Triggers - references to Tom Hiddleston’s work with the #MeToo Movement. That chapter will be tagged accordingly.

authors Note - I have been working on this for the last 3 years, it is currently 180+ chapters long. This will be updated daily, so long as I can get time to do so, obviously.

tags: @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @jessibelle-nerdy-mum @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer @hiddlesbitch1 @winterisakiller @fairlightswiftly @salempoe @wolfsmom1

If you wish to be tagged, please let me know.

Danielle sighed as she began to feel herself waking up. Part of her did not want to.

The day before, Tom admitted to a little secret he had withheld from her. He had cancelled their booking at a run of the mill hotel Danielle had booked in their next destination and instead booked a five-star hotel for them as a treat. She was unaware of the change and asked Tom to type in the name of the hotel she had booked into the GPS on his phone, Tom gave it the name of the hotel he had chosen and said nothing, simply instructing her as the device dictated. When they arrived at their destination, Danielle looked at the hotel confused and bewildered. When she turned and asked Tom what name he had put in, he answered the hotel they were at.

“Why did you do that, it’s the wrong place?” Tom simply grinned wickedly back at her. “What?”

“I did a thing.”

“What thing?” She sounded more like an exasperated mother than a girlfriend.

“I cancelled our booking elsewhere and booked this place.”

“Tom!”

“No, please listen; you paid a small fortune for this holiday, you booked the flights, the accommodation, the car…”

“You already changed the car.” She pointed out, her hand indicating to the blue and white symbol of the German brand on the steering wheel.

“And it was a great idea.” He stated assertively. “And so is this, come on Elle, you deserve it.”

“You are so bold.” She scolded as she parked the car properly.

“You’re not even going to argue?”

“No, I have decided to pick my battles, and a five-star hotel is not one to argue…as long as they have nice food.”

“We can drive into the town if it doesn’t, but it is the best hotel in the town apparently.”

“It’s not in the town, the town is six kilometres away, we are in Fossa.”

“Wait, really, this is Fossa?”

“Yeah, why? Why would Fossa register with you?”

“I know someone from around here.”

“Fair enough.” Danielle thought no more of it and got out of the car.

They had gotten changed and gotten something to eat before driving around the different parts of the scenic area that surrounded the town, finishing off the evening with a meal and a glass of wine in the hotel. Again, they were spotted by eagle-eyed tourists who seemed to be actively looking for Tom as he had been seen not too far away the day before in Clare. It was almost as though people were trying to guess where he was. They took a few pictures from a distance but did not interact with the pair, which suited them.

That night they fell asleep contently after receiving a text from Luke that simply confirmed their thoughts; people were guessing where the pair were going to turn up and those who spotted them simply bragged that they had, nothing more of note.

“What are you doing?” Danielle’s voice was heavy with sleep.

“Nothing, just relax.” Tom’s voice was sharper, he had been awake for a half an hour and was pressing his body against hers.

“Tom!” Danielle stretched as she shifted her backside slightly, rubbing it into the crotch of the actor. “Don’t be bold.”

“I am nothing of the sort darling.” His hand snaked down her body before making its way to her hip, silently asking her permission to continue; when Danielle moved herself slightly to allow Tom better access to her body, he gently used his hand to lift her leg up and over his own one, spreading her legs wider yet not forcing her to have to hold it up herself. “Have I mentioned recently how much I adore you and your salacious body. I fear you were sent to torture me with it.” His hand went to her core, gently toying with her sensitive folds and the bundle of nerves just above them. “How I love being in bed with you.”

“Tom,” Her voice was more of a gasp as he circled her clit languidly.

“Yes, my beautiful Elle, what is it?”

“I…”

“What do you yearn for?” His lips brushing against her ear as he spoke, “Tell me.”

“You.”

“But you have me.”

“Stop teasing me.” She warned, though she lacked the bite needed to enforce her words.

Gently, having already used his hand to ready her by making her moist, Tom aligned his hardened manhood with her opening and pressed in. “Like that?” Danielle moaned pitifully as her body was filled so perfectly, her every wish granted as slowly and leisurely, Tom began to move, his motions soft yet touching everywhere that felt exquisite in her, his hand ever so lightly gliding over her clit to allow her to feel more as he moved. “I love your incredible mind, your untameable sass and your delicious…FUCK!” she used her muscles to grip him tighter. “Elle, I fucking love that, I do, but don’t do it again because I will finish as soon as you do and I want to please you as I never have before and it will be hard when you have me dopey from an incredible orgasm.” He focused on getting himself to rub her inner areas to get her closer to her release.

“What are you gonna do to me?” she questioned, her breaths becoming shallow as she felt herself succumbing to the pleasure that was quickly engulfing her.

“I am going to have you, again and again, until you fall back asleep from exhaustion,” His own breaths becoming harsher as he focused his efforts on the task at hand. “I am going to have you nothing more than a moaning mess, your body alight with the pleasure I have given you, until you cannot take any more, then when you wake up, you will be so stiff, every last person we meet today will look at you and wonder why you are groaning as you move, some thinking of what caused it and grinning.” He nipped her ear and pressed himself into her as deep as he could as he felt her tighten around him rhythmically and her orgasm took over her, her moans stifled by her biting her lips together, but her nails dug into his thigh as she did her best to back herself onto the stiff organ filling her. As soon as she ceased moaning, Tom pulled himself from her immediately, knowing he would not be able to stave his own orgasm if he remained in her, her pussy pulsing around him as he did so.

Hardly waiting for her to catch her breath, Tom forced himself onto his knees and shirked down the bed, under the covers to between her legs. “Tom?” Her voice was slightly husky, “What are you…oh fuck, you were serious.” In the time it took her to ask the question, Tom had begun to lick and lap at her exposed clit. “Tom, I need…”

“What you need is more.” He insisted, pursing his lips around her and beginning to apply light pressure to it, gently grazing his teeth over the nerves as he toyed with it. When he felt her push her groin up, as though pleading for more attention in the area, he grinned and added two fingers to her, her body was more than able for such after her recent orgasm. On doing that, he pressed in so only the first and second knuckles were visible, as his long dexterous fingers easily found their way to the spot he had learned so well in her and stroked the little bundle of nerves within her as his lips assault the ones on the outside of her body. Danielle yelped in pleasure and her hand went to Tom’s head immediately, fisting his auburn hair as she ground her body into his face to get more friction, the sensation of him attacking both her greatest pleasure points simultaneously was too much for her. “Play with your tits.” He ordered, his words slightly muffled by not taking his lips off her.

Though she felt like holding him to her, for fear he would stop, Danielle did as she was instructed with one hand and toyed with her erect nipple, the other unable to remove itself from him, loving the feel of her hand in his hair, instructing him to continue. It only took a few moments more before the attack on three pleasure points on her already sensitive body became too much and Danielle found herself gasping for air as her back bowed and she moaned loudly, another orgasm racking through her, more intense than the first.

When she was done, she was gasping for air, her body telling her that the two releases she had drained her considerably. “Jesus Christ.” She declared between breaths.

Tom came up from under the covers, grinning in delight as her release covered his chin and lips, glistening in his short beard. “Did you like that?” Danielle nodded, her features almost dopey. “How about one more?”

“Tom.” She whined. “I can’t possibly…”

“Now my darling Elle, you have just set me a challenge.” His grin grew wider as he gently coaxed her to turn around and go on her hands and knees. When she did not physically or verbally argue, he slowly placed himself to her now drenched entrance. “Can you try?”

“Please.��

Hearing her plea was the only encouragement he required, so Tom pushed in with ease and put his hands on Danielle’s hips, slowly starting a pace as he stared down where he could see himself impaling the woman in front of him. “Fuck Elle, you look so good with my cock in you.”

“Feels so good.”

“Yeah, you like having me in you, showing you how incredible you make me feel?”

“Yes.” She moaned as he angled his thrusts to rub her almost sore channel. Though she was exhausted, Danielle could not bring herself to want him to stop, she loved the way Tom was making her body become almost overwhelmed with pleasure. “Please.”

“Do you want me to make it feel even better?” He asked, a hand making its way to her breasts which were swinging beneath her as Danielle bounced forward and back on him.

“Not possible.” Danielle pushed off her hands so that she was leaning back on Tom’s chest as they both knelt on the bed, their movements were sloppy but with purpose, to bring them both to release as quickly and pleasurably as possible.

Vaguely aware that there were other patrons in the other rooms connected to theirs, and not knowing how loud Danielle would be on her third release, Tom moved a hand towards Danielle’s mouth but not covering it as the other made its way to her now exposed and tender nerves, which was incredibly sensitive and painfully pleasurable. “I think it is, I’ll prove it.” He thrust up as he forced her body down on him, the feeling of his own release coming warning him to hasten before he failed to make good on his promise. The sounds Danielle was making telling him how close she was to her peak, spurring him on. Though he tried, Tom could not stave his orgasm any longer as Danielle’s tight warmth gripped him and her noises spurred on his ego, causing him to groan in frustration and pleasure as his teeth pressed into her shoulder, an action which was all that was required to throw her over the edge of her own orgasm and join him, her body becoming overstimulated and her mind going blank as she fell over the edge once more, pressing her mouth into his hand to prevent herself from screaming her pleasure.

As both came down from their highs, Tom realised that Danielle could only lean against him like a rag doll, her limbs incapable of movement from everything they had just done. Slowly, he manoeuvred them so that he could gently place her lying on the bed once more and pulled the covers over her. “You win.” She conceded, her face one of exhausted pleasure.

Tom grinned and lay beside her, noticing there was a considerable wet patch in the bed from where they were kneeling; gently, he moved his hand between her thighs and realised just how much pleasure she had endured. “I think you were more than happy to be wrong with that one.”

“I never did that before.” Danielle’s voice was heavy with tiredness, Tom’s prediction of her wishing to return to sleeping proven correct. “M’Sorry.”

“Don’t be, I take pride in knowing I did something like that to you.” Tom kissed her shoulder before Danielle turned around and curled into him, sighing as she fell back asleep, Tom feeling incredibly proud of himself as he began to drift off also.

#I Hate You I Love You #chapter 100 #tom hiddleston #Tom hiddleston fic #wolfpawn

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afrobeatsindacity · 4 years

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AFROBEATS CITY MEETS DOCTA DEE

No stranger to the music scene and especially the UK Afrobeats scene, Docta Dee has been blessing us with nothing but hits since he first entered the music scene in 2012.

Afrobeats City caught up with Docta Dee to find out about his new mixtape The Antidote, how he stayed positive during lockdown and more.

Who is Docta Dee and how did you get into music?

Docta Dee is a songwriter who grew up in the church and grew up around music. Everyone calls me Docta Dee, it is a nickname I grew up with in my area. I originally grew up in Blackheath but moved to Kent.

Docta Dee also comes from my Dad being a Pastor with a Doctorate and the nickname stuck with me for the rest of my life. It has been hard to shake off but it has served its purpose in terms of helping people and trying to provide a solution to my music.

In 5 words how would you describe your musical style?

Good vibes, positive, reflective, fun, and vibrant

You recently released your new album “The Antidote”, how did you come up with the name for the album and what was the creative process behind the album?

The Antidote is a very special project for me because during this time of COVID and the pandemic, I thought about me being Docta Dee what can I do for my people. So many people lost their jobs or are going through a lot of things with their family, what can I do to try and lift their spirits and provide hope so that is what The Antidote is, it’s reminding people that the solution comes from within themselves. I put a bit of my story and pain so that I can try to influence and have an impact on someone else’s life.

My favourite song off the album is “For A Bit”, what is your favourite song off the album?

“For A Bit” for me is a banger, I like it because it’s different, it’s trap. It was actually a freestyle I was messing around with so I’m glad you said that.

My Personal favourite is “Smile”, it hits home and touches the surface of what I have been through during this lockdown as well. I also sampled an old school church song in there “This Little Light Of Mine”. Stuff like that makes me want to listen to the song every single day.

Do you think growing up in the church influences you in terms of music, I know you don’t do gospel music but in terms of the way you incorporate your faith into your music?

Yes big time, my faith is very much my everyday life and struggles. All the pros and cons that comes with living, I try to reflect that in my music, even though I do not solely do gospel music, I just try to uplift people through my music. I know my parents would love me to do gospel and my dad will promote me widely, but I am just trying to find my own feet and take it as it comes.

Your new single “Sidekick” featuring Ka’Reema gained over 50k views in the first week of its release which is amazing, was you expecting that sort of reaction to the song?

I was and I was not because I knew that I was going to release it on my own channel and push it myself. I tried to use all the resources possible so when I released the first video “Payroll”, I kind of engaged that people were not expecting me to fire them with visuals. I went abroad to shot the video and two weeks late I dropped “Sidekick” and I knew that song was that radio, Afroswing type of song that is strong at the moment.

Ka’Reema is an amazing artist who added that extra vibe and we have just been pushing it and pushing it and thankfully I’m seeing good views on my own channel and I am going to keep pushing it until everyone is playing it. I am happy that we can pat ourselves on the back, but the work continues.

Did the recent lockdown affect your music plans for 2020 or do you feel that you were able to still achieve your plans?

It affected my plans in a good way, I normally release one single a year traditionally or like a major video. I pushed an EP at the start of the year called The Life Of The Party and then I thought I was done but being on lockdown and losing my job, I was able to make the best out of the situation. I went to the studio, I was able to song write and then I produced the video for, “For A Bit”, “Payroll” and “Sidekick” so in all there are about 4-5 visuals that have been out since January. I saw myself being more pro-active and hungry. All my friends in the music business are doing their things and it inspired and encouraged me to do it at my pace. I realised I was doing it at my pace but putting in a lot of work as well.

Due to lockdown rules you currently can’t do any live shows but have you done any instalives or online shows?

I have done a few lives called The Consultation in the theme of going to your GP or Doctor and the response and feedback was real good so I am going to keep doing that. I would love to throw a little live party once we get all clear in terms of the lockdown. I might do a few intimate live shows and put it out there, they are some ideas that I have in the pipeline.

What is something you learnt early on in your career that has helped shape your career?

“Don’t Wait For Nobody, Don’t Sit Around”. Do not expect anything and have a clean heart. You might do something for someone they might not do it for you but it doesn’t mean there is beef or no love. I know I have been designed and created in a special way to always go over and beyond for people and it may not be returned but just have a good heart and wish everyone well.

Understand your audience but give them what they want. I love R&B but when I asked the question on my Instastories a lot of my followers love the Afroswing stuff, I have to find the balance. For The Antidote, I made sure there was a balance of R&B, Afro-fusion, Trap and Drill. I was able to give them a dose in that project.

What is one message you would give to your fans?

A message that has saved my life is “Learn To Dance In The Rain”. No matter what you’re going through just find the positive and appreciate what you have, dance in the rain. If you can dance in the storm with the cloud over, then you will celebrate in the sunshine when the rain goes out. I try to stay happy and smiling especially during this time.

What is next for Docta Dee?

I have a single outside of the project, it should have been on the project but I wanted to take my time so it should be out in a few weeks. Visuals to follow as well.

I have also been writing for other people so their stuff is coming out and then I have another project at the end of the year. I thought 2020 was cancelled but God has other plans for me, so I’m going to keep working and keep going at my own place

Just for fun, fill in the blanks…

Without music, I would be…Stuck in finance or have my own business

My current favourite song is…Docta Dee – Smile

My favourite song to perform is… Flex N Finesse ft AdeJosh

My dream artist(s) to collaborate with is…Konan - his amazing on hooks and an ear for melodies. But I work with so many artists that I work with and respect. AdeJosh is one of my favourite artists of all times. That’s my bro

Support Afrobeats because… Its authentic, it’s raw, energetic and it’s home. That is why it’s key to support it especially being from the UK but know your roots, it’s so important. I’m happy that we have the UK Afrobeats chart and there are so many opportunities and so many people that are pioneering the movement. So as an African, Nigerian in the UK especially with a lot of Caribbean friends I have never been so proud of our music, the quality of the visuals, the sound even from Nigerian artists and artists here. The progression since 2012/2013 has been massive and to be a part of that I am so proud.

Follow @Officialdoctadee on Instagram | @DoctaDee on Twitter

This interview was conducted by Shade A (@shardeya) / Afrobeats City doesn’t own the rights to the image used.

#Afrobeats #Afrobeats City #Docta Dee #Afrobeats City meets #Afrobeats Interview #Africa #African music #Afrobeats UK #Nigeria #Nigerian music #Music Interview #Adejosh #Konan #Docta Dee Smile #The Antidote #Docta Dee The Antidote #Music #UK Afrobeats #London

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orisamerica · 4 years

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7 Necessities before Sending Your Workforce Remote

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies are considering work from home options to facilitate social-distancing and keep their workforce healthy. However, it’s not as simple as sending your employees home, firing up personal laptops and getting back to work. Here are seven things you need to have lined up in order to successfully deploy your remote workforce.

1. Secure Remote Access: Employees should not have open access to everything on their work systems from their personal computers. This keeps company data protected. In order to be productive through this pandemic, however, employers will need to provide a secure connection utilizing VPN or remote access software. These solutions will mirror the employee’s work desktop without housing all of the data on the individual’s personal system, allowing them to seamlessly continue work.

2. File Sharing Capabilities: While people will be working in isolation, they must still be able to collaborate. File sharing/group editing software will be critical to moving forward creative or documentation projects through real-time editing, commenting, and versioning. Software like Dropbox for Business, Microsoft Teams/Sharepoint or Google Documents fill this need securely.

3. Enterprise Level Antivirus: Basic home-level antivirus is not sufficient, particularly in secured industries. Extend your enterprise-level antivirus to home systems that will be accessing your network to create an added layer of protection. You may also consider deploying firewalls on top of individual’s home networks to create the same secure connection employees experience in your office.

4. Video Conferencing: Meetings must go on while people work remote; however, voice-only leaves much to be desired in terms of tone and context. We highly recommend putting in place video conferencing options. You can implement something as simple as Google Duo/FaceTime, or something more feature intensive, like Zoom or GoTo Meeting.

5. Messaging Software: You can’t just spin your chair around to talk to your co-worker when working remote, yet it’s not efficient to always pick up the phone. We recommend implementing a messaging software like Microsoft Teams or Slack to open communication channels and allow employees to continue to interact quickly and accurately. Utilizing these tools, you can set up one-on-one conversations or set up channels to facilitate team communication.

6. Phone: A strong VoIP solution will allow employees to take their phone numbers remote to their cellphones without giving out their cellphone numbers. Office calls will transfer seamlessly to the employee’s cellphones, voice mails will be sent via email, and the employee can dial-out using a phone application to maintain office functionality.

7. Remote Access Policy: Prior to providing access to your employees, put in place a clear access policy that acknowledges that your company monitors whatever they do while connected. Employees should be encouraged to act as if they are on site even while working remote and reminded that punishments for doing something illegal/against company policy will apply.

The COVID-19 situation is ever-changing. Schools across the nation have been closed and events have been cancelled. While it may make sense to keep your employees on-site for now, we believe it’s important to have a plan should you need to close your physical offices. Getting these seven pieces of the puzzle in line will prepare you to take your workforce remote. Hope you will find this information helpful in this pandemic situations. Visit our website to know more about Oris America.

#COVID-19 #7 Necessities before Sending Your Workforce Remote #work from home #remote workforce

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theonyxpath · 4 years

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Lunars: Fangs at the Gate art by Yihyoung Li

Hello, everyone! This is Dixie doing the Monday Meeting notes this week, so expect 89% fewer puns. We had a pretty short meeting this week, and focused mainly on what we and our freelancers are doing during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. As far as our day jobs go here at Onyx Path, it’s business as usual since we work from home, but we know that’s not the case for everyone. We have freelancers who work in healthcare, some who are immunocompromised or otherwise susceptible, and then others who have to take care of older family members or small children as cancellations continue.

In addition to anyone directly impacted by the outbreak, there’s also the spate of conventions being cancelled, and many people have had to postpone/cancel trips and events. this is very much still a developing situation, and we encourage our freelancers and fans to take measures to keep themselves safe and healthy. While some people may think, “Oh, this will mean everyone can get a lot of their freelance work done while they’re self-isolating!” that’s not always going to be the case (childcare, housemates all being home, etc.) but we’re working with our freelancers as best we can.

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate art by Gunship Revolution

The Onyx Pathcast hosts in particular would like to apologize if anyone thought we were making light of the COVID-19 outbreak in last week’s episode. I assure you, everyone here is taking it seriously.

That said, self-isolation can be difficult if you’re used to being around people, including gathering for tabletop games, so our friends at Astral Virtual TableTop are giving everyone their paid features for free during this time! There’s a post about it here: https://ift.tt/2TTFS5O, but your account should already have the features unlocked.

That’s all well and good, you might say, but I don’t have any new games to try out! Well, we’ve got you covered on that front, too. Today, you can pick up V20 Dark Ages for free at DriveThruRPG, and we’re putting up a new free corebook every day this week. They’re only up for one day each folks, so make sure you grab the ones you want!

You can get V20 Dark ages here today: https://ift.tt/2QjDtiw

Tuesday we’ll be offering the Werewolf 20 core here: https://ift.tt/38RNqdL

Wednesday is Mage 20: https://ift.tt/2IU0dBE

Thursday is Changeling 20: https://ift.tt/3b2fJr8

And we’re wrapping up the week by descending into the Underworld with Wraith 20: https://ift.tt/2vwtfEA

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate art by Gong Studios

In other news, the Legendlore Kickstarter is ongoing, and we’re close to halfway funded! I, personally, am a big fan of the setting. As Ian A. A. Watson put it on Twitter:

Do you like El-Hazard, Alice in Wonderland, Labyrinth, Wizard of Oz, Chronicles of Narnia, Neverending Story, Magic Kingdom of Landover, Apprentice Adept, Castle Perilous, or the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon?

@VonAether

If so, this book is for you. Check it out and read manuscript updates here: https://ift.tt/2x03Pzp

Another cool thing you can do while you’re home is to attend Gehenna Gaming‘s VirtualHorror Con April 4-6. From the website:

VirtualHorror Con is a two-day virtual horror tabletop RPG convention that can be experienced on any screen no matter where you are. Many of your favorite events and conventions have been canceled, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the convention experience. This event will give fans and players the opportunity to connect with the game developers, artists, and publishers they love. No lines. Safe social distancing. Horror-themed actual play streams, live panels, and digital tabletop RPG one-shot sessions running the whole time!

All ticket and raffle sales will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization to support the development of vaccines, tests, and treatments for the coronavirus pandemic.”

For more information, check out https://ift.tt/2TTwcbC

There isn’t much else that came out of our meeting, as people are just buckling down to get some work done and continue monitoring the situation. We’re still working on the Dragon-Blooded surprise and will have that out to backers as soon as we can! So stay safe, wash your hands, and as always…

Many Worlds, One Path!

Blurbs!

Kickstarter!

As noted above, Legendlore is in its first week of Kickstarter! Please go check it out; it’s a truly awesome book, compatible with the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game!

Onyx Path Media!

This week, we’re talking Scarred Lands with Travis Legge!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

Despite everything in the world right now, or maybe because of it, we’ve got a massive number of shows for you on Twitch this week. Please tune in for an enjoyable distraction! We’re going to have three games of V5, as well as Chronicles of Darkness, Pugmire, Hunter: The Vigil, Changeling: The Lost, Mage: The Awakening, Scarred Lands, and a Dark Eras Werewolf: The Forsaken chronicle!

This week sees the finale of Blood City as well as the finale of Uptown Shadows. I would like to give major recognition to both streams for their fantastic work in bringing our games out to the audience. Thank you! You can subscribe to our channel over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath to catch up with any episodes you missed! (Another great idea for social distancing!)

Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:

Scion: Behind the Screen: https://youtu.be/v9Wo38rl5-Y

Changeling: The Lost – Littlebrook Reunion: https://youtu.be/hxSbemynBLs

Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale: https://youtu.be/gKAm-zGxTW4

Even more Scion: Behind the Screen: https://youtu.be/QDSIS_ClFbE

Pugmire: Paws & Claws: https://youtu.be/Ddm-cl48OR0

And even more Changeling: The Lost: https://youtu.be/dqM0ZdeS88s

Do subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!

The Story Told RPG Podcast reaches the penultimate episode of their excellent Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition chronicle right here: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/the-78-laments-episode-4-passenger

And if you missed it, here’s The Story Told’s review of Trinity Continuum: Aeon http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/episode-40-trinity-continuum-on-overview

Red Moon Roleplaying’s V5 Cults of the Blood Gods “The Family” chronicle continues on their YouTube channel, Spotify, their website redmoonroleplaying.com and everywhere else good podcasts might be found! https://youtu.be/PDPZyy-ZHNw

More new Occultists Anonymous for all you Mage: The Awakening fans out there:

Episode 88: Arms and Armor – Wyrd has a terrible premonition about the strike on the vampire Prince. The cabal helps ready Songbird when she is called to action by the Adamantine Arrow. https://youtu.be/WPHjGDGwRmQ

Episode 89: Tactical Yeet – Songbird enters the vampire Prince’s haven with a small team of Adamantine Arrows while the rest of the cabal scrys on the proceedings. Things don’t go according to plan, in several ways.https://youtu.be/r5zuU4UglYs

Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

Update: the devs are working on the updates for the roller in both Android and iOS; here is the rundown from them:

1) Redo the UI for system for Android. It will look the same as the current design. My goal is to have something ready by Saturday to send out to the Facebook users, asking them if this fixes the issues. This will be a beta type thing. This will break several of the fancy dice.

2) If the above worked out and the android users give all the clear, we’ll redo the graphics system to fix the fancy dice that got broken. We’ll do another Android beta through Facebook. This might take up to two weeks, as my schedule allows.

3) If everything worked well, we’ll release to Android for real at that point.

4) Port all of the existing stuff to iOS and release on that.

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

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As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This week, Geist: The Sin-Eaters Second Edition will be available on Studio2, IPR, and DriveThruRPG! Yay!

Conventions!

Though it’s subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s our current list of upcoming conventions:

UKGames Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/

GenCon: https://www.gencon.com/

Tabletop Scotland: https://tabletopscotland.co.uk/

Gamehole Con: https://www.gameholecon.com/

PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

And now, the new project status updates!

(We know why you’re here.

Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)

Scarred Lands – RUST (working title)

TC Aeon – Under Alien Suns

TC Aeon – Mission Statements

TC Aberrant – Novas Worldwide

Exalted 3rd – Adversaries of the Righteous

Exalted – Exalted: Essence Edition

Deviant the Renegades – The Clades Companion

Deviant the Renegades – The Devoted Companion

Scion – Saints and Monsters

Mage: The Ascension – Rich Bastard’s Guide to Magick

Scion – Wild Hunt

Redlines

Exalted 3rd – Dragon-Blooded Novella 2 (Roy)

TC Adventure – Adventure!

Exalted 3rd – Hundred Devils Night Parade

Mummy: The Curse – The Book of Lasting Death

Chronicles of Darkness – Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters

TC Aberrant – N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment

Second Draft

Exalted 3rd – Exigents

Exalted 3rd – Crucible of Legends

Exalted – Many-Faced Strangers (Lunars Companion)

Changeling: The Lost – Kith and Kin

They Came From – They Came from Beyond the Grave!

Trinity Continuum – Assassins

Development

Exalted 3rd – Heirs to the Shogunate

TC Aberrant – Aberrant Reference Screen

Exalted 3rd – Across the Eight Directions

Chronicles of Darkness – The Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks

Mage the Ascension – Victorian Mage

Manuscript Approval

Scion – Scion: Dragon

Scion – Masks of the Mythos

Scion – Scion: Demigod

Post-Approval Development

Scion: Origin and Hero LARP

Geist the Sin-Eaters: One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart

Editing

Legendlore – Legendlore

Realms of Pugmire – Pirates of Pugmire additional adventure

TC Aeon – Terra Firma

Exalted – Lunars Novella (Rosenberg)

Realms of Pugmire – Buried Bones: Creating in the Realms of Pugmire

They Came From – Tales of Aquatic Terror

Mummy: The Curse – Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition

Scion – Titanomachy

Chronicles of Darkness – Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle

Chronicles of Darkness – Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart

TC Aberrant – Aberrant Jumpstart

Trinity Continuum – Jumpstart

Post-Editing Development

Hunter: The Vigil – Hunter: The Vigil 2e

World of Darkness – Ghost Hunters

Deviant: The Renegades – Deviant: The Renegades

TCfBtS! – Monsters of the Deep

Indexing

They Came From Beneath the Sea! (TCfBtS!)

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

Scion Titanomachy

Tales of Aquatic Terror

TC Aeon Terra Firma – Contracted

V5 Let the Streets Run Red

Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs

WoD Ghost Hunters – Getting KS artwork going

Aberrant

Pugmire Adventure

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Mummy 2 – ADing that out post Aberrant AD

Deviant

Legendlore – Kickstarter in progress

Technocracy Reloaded (KS)

Cults of the Blood God (KS) – Contracting

In Layout

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad

TCFBTS Screen and Booklet

Contagion Chronicle

Vigil Watch

Scion Companion – Artwork in progress.

Proofing

Trinity Aeon Jumpstart

Pirates of Pugmire

TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – Inputting proofing comments

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate

At Press

Ex 3 The Silence of Our Ancestors (Huggins Novella)

TC Distant Worlds

Scion Mythical Denizens

Night Horrors : Nameless and Accursed – Errata gathering

Dark Eras 2 – Errata with Aileen

VtR Spilled Blood – Josh wrapping up inputting changes and tweaking layout to account for any shift in the text

Geist 2e – Out this week

Dystopia Rising: Evolution

DR:E Screen & Booklet

DR:E Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties

Geist 2e Screen

Memento Mori

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Indexing

Chicago Folios – Awaiting PoD proof

Geist 2e Anthology – Errata gathering

C:tL 2e Oak, Ash, & Thorn – Errata gathering

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Yesterday was the Ides of March and tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day! Please celebrate either one responsibly and while practicing safe social distancing. Also, today is my stepmom’s birthday! I don’t usually get to do shout-outs on the blog, but since I’ve taken over today I’m indulging myself. Happy Birthday, Laura! Hope you and dad are having a blast (still while practicing safe social distancing).

#Onyx Path Publishing

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blapisblogs · 4 years

Photo

Oh god... Yeah, right after the in-video ad break, we’re hit with this: Doug Walker dressed like a Nazi with a smudged dotted line around his face and the words “person you hate” written on his forehead in sharpie. Dude, if this moment didn’t make you stop and wonder what the fuck happened with your life to bring you to this moment, then it damn well should’ve been.

Before you ask if this was based on something from the film or album, yes, but as usual there’s context for it. It’s difficult for me to explain, but in short the idea is that Pink’s attempt to build a metaphorical wall between himself and everyone else is making him more and more mentally unsound, right up to the point where after he’s forced to be drugged up for one of his shows he hallucinates himself as a fascist (the very thing his father died fighting against), the fans his zealous followers, and his concerts rallies where he encourages violence against marginalized groups. This goes on for a few songs with the violence and threats escalating in each one, and by the end of the last one he’s ranting and raving incoherently on a megaphone until the hallucination ends as he shouts for it all to stop, finally realizing how dangerous the things he’s been doing to himself are. It’s disturbing, and intentionally so. That’s what I got out of both the album and the film anyway. I have no clue what Doug Walker got out of this part of the film, though, because these next two parody songs have almost nothing to do with it. The first one mentions it so people will know that it’s a parody of something from the film, but that’s about it, and the second one doesn’t mention anything about the film or album at all.

The next two parodies are of “In the Flesh” (the reprise), and “Waiting for the Worms”, neither of which I will post links to based on what I explained earlier, but if you want to look them up yourself I will warn you that there are things said there that are identical to things the Nazis have said and done, and use words like “queers” and others that I dare not say nor want to. (Also, yeah, they didn’t include “Run Like Hell”, presumably because Doug couldn’t think of another full parody’s worth of “fuck you, haters” for it.) In the parody of the former, Doug addresses his crowd of followers, which are the same five people copy-pasted onto the screens of multiple devices (I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be intentional commentary or Doug didn’t have enough people willing to work with him to pull off what he wanted for this), in a place called the “Echo Chamber”.

Yes, really.

It’s supposed to be commentary on how bad callout/outrage/cancel/purity/whatever-we’re-calling-it-this-month culture can be, but considering who this is coming from, what his own fans are like, and the rest of the presentation in this “review” it comes off more like “technology bad” and “social media bad”. Worse than that, the latter parody song is still about callout/outrage/cancel/etc. culture, only now it’s even more apparent that this is his way of commenting on the Change the Channel movement. This isn’t just me saying this either, other people have taken note on it as well, including people who didn’t even completely hate Doug Walker after the Change the Channel thing happened. I’ve seen one person try to (rather weakly) argue that it wasn’t trying to mock the Change the Channel movement, but even if one were to give them the benefit of the doubt and they weren’t making fun of that, then 1: they still should’ve known that doing something like this was going to get people to draw comparisons to said movement whether it was intended or not, and 2: it’s still absurdly over-the-top and out of touch with why “outrage/cancel/callout/whatever culture” has become a thing. It’s about as subtle as, well, a hammer to the face. (Speaking of which, the hammers for this parody are used to make hashtags instead of an ‘x’ and instead of chanting “Pink Floyd” or “Hammers” the fans chant “hashtag”. I’ve been sitting here for five minutes trying to think of how to comment on this, but all I can do is put a hand up to my face like Captain Picard in those memes, I think that says it all.)

This message of “technology and social media bad” is so ridiculously passé at this point that it’s laughable, and yet it seems like Doug Walker is under the impression that he’s saying something new and brilliant. This is also a truly bizarre message to be hearing from a guy who had so much success with his internet career that he quit his previous job to pursue it full-time. You know, that career that’s dependent on technology. (Also, Doug, social media itself didn’t cause those problems with said internet career: that was all you.)

The sad part is that for this sequence we get some brief scenes with actually good CGI of things like marching smartphones (identical to the original’s marching hammers) and a decently-animated 2-D(-ish?) sequence of a six-fingered hand coming up from the ground and forming into a hammer much like something that happened during part of the film (not this part specifically, but a part). It’s weird in context, but these animated parts look far better than any of the other effects that were used earlier. I’m guessing the guest person who made the effects I’ll talk about later also animated this (at least the CGI bits; as I said earlier, the 2-D-ish parts look so suspiciously close to the original that I have to wonder if they were traced over for this). While it is good, that just makes me wonder that if they were hired to make the animation in this part then why didn’t Doug let them animate the black eagle scene for the “Goodbye Blue Sky” parody section too? He clearly had the time and budget to get a talented animator to do this stuff for him, so why not fully use them?

Also, I swear one of the visuals looks more like a mashup between something from the opening of Phantom of the Paradise and The Wall than anything actually from The Wall alone. Maybe Doug and/or the person animating this got their rock operas momentarily mixed. Maybe they did this on purpose to mess with people. Maybe my brain’s making up this shit because a Phantom of the Paradise/The Wall double feature sounds infinitely better than this “review”. Maybe the headache I’ve gotten while watching this dumpster fire is fucking with me. I don’t know.

[Lyrics (and snark) below the cut]

Oh yeah, I’m the P-Person you all think you know That sucks up all your angst and confusion I’m that nameless foe, huh!

[Oh, so you are trying to do an impression of Bob Geldof. ...It shouldn’t take me over half-way into the “review” to figure out for sure that’s what you’re doing. Or did you choose to only actually do an impression of him for just this one part? I can’t even fathom almost any of Doug’s thought process for this “review” anymore.]

I’ve got some weird news for ya, sunshine, This was dissin’ Thatcher’s administration

[So I have seen Wikipedia mention that at least some people have either interpreted or used this part as commentary on Margaret Thatcher, and I don’t know enough about UK politics to dispute whether it was intentional or not. What bothers me is that if this was intentional, then how did Doug pick up on this? That would mean that he either caught this but somehow didn’t pick up on any of the other, more obvious things in this film that doesn’t have “the slightest bit of subtlety”, or he researched this and only this. Or it was a random guess he made that happens to coincide with what some others have interpreted from this part. Who knows.]

But it’s vague enough to put anyone you fear - Politician, showman - just put their face here!

[Uh... Are you talking about how someone edited this part of The Wall so that it was Drumpf in there because of how much he talks about his stupid wall? ...You are aware that the entire point of the film and album is that those kind of walls aren’t good and should be broken down, right? You know that Roger Waters himself openly despises Drumpf, right? ...Right?]

Are there any authority figures in the crowd tonight? Well put them in The Wall! (Get. Them. All.) That one’s looking stressed, he wants to feel oppressed Put him in The Wall! (Post. His. Balls!)

[Oh yes, The Wall - a film about the cycle of abuse and the effects it has on people and how taking self-isolation to its most extreme is unhealthy for the health of one’s self as well as those around them, among many other things - is something that adults don’t take seriously, not like this web video that has lines talking about people posting some dude’s balls on social media for shits and giggles. (In case you couldn’t tell that was sarcasm.)]

And that one looks sheltered, like she never leaves her room I’ll be that friend that you can blame for all your gloom That one looks like he really wants to be outraged! Now with social media, you have the stage!

[...You know, as awful as the previous songs in this “review” were, at least they were about the film and album. This, however... What even is this?]

(This is the part where the five-person audience starts chanting “hashtag” which goes on until Doug and his two goons run outside, run back inside due to it being too bright out, and then start the next parody. There’s not much to comment on for that, it’s just stupid.)

[End “In the Flesh” parody, begin “Waiting for the Worms” parody]

(One, two, three, post it!) Ooh, you can’t convince me now Ooh, I’m too far on my side Goodbye, nuance I never will abide

[You are not one to talk about nuance, not regarding this film or album, and certainly not about the Change the Channel movement, which this parody is pretty transparently about as we’ll see soon enough.]

It’s us vs. them, I don’t even know who us or them are

[“Us and them, and after all we're only ordinary men.” Come on, man, I know it’s not from The Wall, but the opportunity was right there. Actually, since Rob Walker is there as the Charts Guy (a recurring character in Doug’s reviews), you could’ve even thrown in a “Have a Cigar” reference if you wanted (also not from The Wall, but still). I know at this point I’m nitpicking, but I’m forcing myself to watch a “review” where a guy dressed himself like a Nazi to make a blatant “take that” statement against his “haters” without understanding and/or caring why the Nazi comparisons were there in the original; if Doug Walker doesn’t give a shit about those kind of details, then why should I.]

I just wanna be angry so I can be (Tweeting) About those who hate me (Tweeting) I need their attention (Tweeting) Love me or hate me, just look at me more

[Sadly one can’t say that this train wreck of a “review” didn’t make at least some people look at Doug Walker again even after they didn’t want to.]

(Tweeting) Whatever side you choose, just don’t ever wane (Tweeting) Waiting for the point

[I’d joke about how that’s how most people felt about the video at this point, but everyone has made that joke already. Everyone.]

Don’t fear that you’re wrong Just fight until the end, my friend

[At this point I could just say “Okay, Boomer” at every line in these two parody songs and it’d be about as meaningful as all of Doug’s comments about the actual film. Remember, the film he’s parodying here and supposed to be reviewing (allegedly)? The film he’s not mentioned once in this particular parody?]

All you need to do is fight off something Don’t worry! As long as you don’t see me as human, You can hate me all you want! Because remember, this can never happen to you! I’m bad! You’re good! The more extreme you can get the more happy you’ll become! They’ll put that person whose face you hate here, and tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!

[...Doug, please tell me you didn’t have these parody songs in mind first as a sort of rebuttal against your detractors and then used it as an excuse to make a “review” for the actual film in this style as well as a whole parody album of it...

Also, this may be another nitpick, but towards the end the guys aren’t even “marching” in time to the music. Because of course they’re not.]

#Blapis tears down NC's The Wall #Nazi mention //#long post #bold text warning #eye strain //

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ricekilla · 6 years

Text

u.s. hip hop artists must learn from bad bunny

There’s a nobility to watching someone speak a second language in public—especially on live TV, as Bad Bunny did in his performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. It is that cringe-inducing reality of imperfection; of the accent, the mispronunciations, the stuttering, that can leave a human so vulnerable. You’re watching a young man who knows his grip on The World’s Most Important Language is far from perfect. But rather than quietly accept this and avoid speaking it altogether, rather than resting on his native tongue and his many native successes, in a moment of exposure wherein most young artists would understandably reserve their vulnerabilities to avoid ire, Bunny decides to go for it. He speaks English, and it’s not perfect; but it is powerful. In his first televised American performance, El Conejo Malo spoke on the natural disaster that ravaged his home of Puerto Rico, including a barb at Donald Trump, all in accented English.

Yes, everyone’s got a Trump take, and most of them are Trump Bad. And yes, we need more than just cute speeches, verses, and social media posts. We need real activism; the activism that can actually send an impoverished child to school and help a sick mother pay for her health care. We should expect that Bunny put his money where his mouth is and work to fight against white supremacist leaders like Donald Trump as well as continue to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. But there’s something special about Bad Bunny’s words in particular; unlike your safe American (and Latinx) stars, he’s not necessarily supposed to be speaking out. He could easily just be Lil Pump Puerto Rico for some years before his stature expands to the point of political expectations. He could easily just be the ignorant Latino rapper, or the ignorant Latino star, and not be expected to empower the world his art illuminates.

There is an ignorance associated with Latinx rappers in comparison to their influential American counterparts. The mainstream American musical lexicon only knows Daddy Yankee and Don Omar; Calle 13 is not even a footnote for your average hip hop fan. People are just beginning to take Latin “urbano” seriously as being led by artists that do more than make bops for your friends to slur-sing at high school dances. Bad Bunny sat with Colombian reggaeton king J. Balvin for an interview with Complex magazine, in which they announced a potentially seismic collaborative album. The two discussed and affirmed their place as trendsetters shirking norms; Balvin describes Bunny’s nails as a “very beautiful thing”. He tells Complex in Spanish that the message of expressions such as these is to “Be yourself. …If they say, he’s crazy, or he’s gay or whatever, who cares? If he’s gay, then he’s gay! When they see that, they say ‘Okay, if Bad Bunny isn’t gay, but he feels comfortable with what he’s doing, why won’t I come out of the closet and say it’s okay?’”

And in this moment wherein the ostensible Drake of Latin hip hop is encouraging defiance towards gender norms, I have a realization: somehow, the artists that do not even perform in English are the ones whose words should be most important to us in American hip hop right now.

How many American artists put themselves in a position to be vulnerable or ill-equipped for the sake of trying to say the right thing? It’s easier for G-Eazy to drop Donald Trump diss verses; he’s rich, established, and white, and he’s got little to lose. It’s easier for a rapper like Logic to plead for everyone to get along. It’s easy for Soundcloud rappers to dye their hair, rock their satchels, and tat their faces; how many of them are going to tell you about what social standards made those features shocking in the first place? How many of them are going to speak out against traditionalist aesthetics that they’re breaking? How many of them have something important to say?

We should, of course, be careful to exalt El Conejo Malo as some sort of feminist hip hop icon. Though he’s shown remarkable qualities as a public figure, he’s still a work in progress like the rest of us; often his music is charged by hints of debaucherous misogyny that is understood as the genre standard. It’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but that doesn’t make it ideal. And in this moment of hypertense political stances and, of course, Cancel Culture, seeing Twitterers post quips like “we stan an artist that is against toxic masculinity and gender norms 💅🏽” causes me to cringe; it feels like we’re setting ourselves up to be let down whenever Bunny makes a mistake.

Bad Bunny has not been cancelled yet, but he has been tested. His encounter with a salon that refused to paint his famous nails caught some flack from commenters. Many were angered by his reaction, in which he told doubters of his sexuality to “bring their women to his house” to watch them “have his babies”. In response to this, he clarified his sentiments in a classically defiant way (as translated by Remezcla: “’I was saying that I’d have sex with their wives, get them pregnant (which is wrong) and the men would raise my kids,’ he wrote, adding, ‘It was only a nice and exaggerated way of saying, no, I’m not gay and I love women. That’s all.’”) Eventually, the Latin trap star deleted his Twitter account.

Like the Fallon performance, this was an instance of Bunny using his words even at a point of potential vulnerability. He started by doing a typically millennial thing in calling out a salon for being decidedly unwoke and refusing him nail service because he was a man. He affirmed his gender expression as a straight man painting his nails because he wants to, understanding that there’s nothing wrong with that. Yet, in trying to say the right things, he said some wrong ones. There’s an obvious tint of misogyny in the “I’m gonna fuck your girlfriend” approach, particularly in this case, even if it is so hip hop and so inane that your average person would hardly bat an eyelash to it. Regardless, it was a failure on his part; he was a bad Bad Bunny, and it’s important that we acknowledge that.

It’s not to say that we should totally overlook the misogyny in Bunny’s lyrics or any other rap artists’, which both result from and contribute to a society that sidelines women as objects of desire, existing as complements to a man’s journey. I just want to write some nice words in Bad Bunny’s obituary before a Twitter storm eventually comes and gets him. He’s made mistakes and he’ll make more; unfortunate word choices and collaboration choices will get to any rapper’s resume in this toxic landscape. But what Bunny has decided to do so early in his career is remarkable for the fact that he is being abnormally, bravely thoughtful for someone in his position; someone who is young and misunderstood.

He is misunderstood because of the way he rebels against gender norms. He is misunderstood because his music isn’t in the right language; he’ll always be a Spanish rapper and not simply a rapper to the average hip hop head. He is misunderstood because of his drawl, his sluggishly opened vowels both as an intended stylization and as a natural result of his speaking voice and accent. He is also misunderstood as a young Latino from an island ravaged by natural disaster and poverty; overlooked by world powers, mocked by their cultures. He is misunderstood within that Latin American culture that physically and emotionally beat down young men who express themselves in “feminized” ways. If we know anything about mumble rap, or even music in general, it’s that the misunderstood artists have the most to add to the conversation.

Some of our misunderstood artists beg to be misunderstood. Kanye West went on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in a MAGA hat, highlighting a Yandhi press tour which we may otherwise know as Crazy Kanye 2: Electric Boogaloo. What’s most insulting about his whitewashed whimpering is that it’s become boring. We already know that none of us will completely understand his actions; he and his stans will equivocate that with us not being able to criticize him, which, no. The ignorance of his political speech is staggering, almost purposefully so. Rather than work to validate his perspective through an informed compassion, he manufactures a plastic one to hide behind when critiqued by the likes of known Chomskyites like Lana Del Rey. It’s a circus sideshow that only exists to benefit TV executives, Kanye West, and to some degree, Lord Voldemort himself.

Let’s compare that to another performance on a marquee NBC program. In his television debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Bad Bunny gave a speech to the opening chords of his trap banger “Estamos Bien”. In his gravelly Borinqueño drawl, he preached with efficiency: “After one year of the hurricane there’s still people without electricity in their home. More than 3,000 people died, and Trump is still in denial, but you know what? Estamos bien!”

Rather than simply make fun songs and letting the rest of us intellectualize his place in this crazy world, Bunny is telling us what he’s fighting for. Rather than benefit himself through latching to causes, Bunny is benefiting causes through testing himself. And although his message is still a bit surface level and his songs sport the occasional (frequent) shallow lyric, his choice is important. He is putting words to his rebellion; substance to his style. Rather than settle for iconicism like young American rap stars, or navel-gaze with conjecture like some of our living (dying) legends, Bad Bunny is fighting for goodness that should be much simpler to see than it seems to be.

#bad bunny #j balvin #kanye west #snl #jimmy fallon #puerto rico #latin trap #machismo #latin masculinity #hip hop masculinity

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