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#asking the photographer for permission is real easy then
topios · 6 months
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An ink cap drawing - and the photos I used as reference.
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sumikatt · 5 months
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frankly, i think your point about "some people train their own AI art models" is inherently flawed because rhe vast majority of people are not training their own model. they are paying for a service which was trained on art that was taken from the internet and used without permission in order for a machine to try snd recreate something similar bit by bit. i havent gotten a commission from someone who isnt a friend of mine in well over a year because people are just choosing to generate art with AI. i dont think AI art isnt "real" art because yeah, i agree with you, the whole idea of real art or not is complex. however, it is an undeniable reality that AI is trained on the work of artists all over the world who do not even get asked for permission before a tech company makes money off of their hard work.
I agree it’s a small, small portion of people making their own models that ensure that all art involved is used with consent. Many people buy a subscription or credits to generate what they want. Most people probably use free credits on Discord to make a meme or anime girls. Many people use it many different ways, yes.
I’m sorry you’ve lost a client over it. I know commissions are hard. Freelancers without dedicated clients would be the ones to suffer most from the popularity of AI art. I can’t say I’ve felt the impact myself, since it’s also very popular to be anti-AI.
Actively searching through job boards, I also feel like it has barely affected those listings. Maybe one of like 300 art jobs in the USA/Sweden asked for AI experience (Prompt Artist), and it was an AI startup. The “normal” art jobs like UI/UX, Environments, Materials, Concept, Technical, Animator, etc all still asking for 3 years experience for entry level lmao. Saw an intern position that required an “industry-standard” portfolio. So still a pain as it was before advanced AI gen.
Many paid AI art services have takedown options for their training sets and can block names from being prompted. If you were a popular enough artist to be in a training set, you can remove it and block the majority of AI art users from copying you—like you said, a majority of people use these services instead of self-hosting.
(Sending DMCA takedown requests are actually pretty easy. I had to send one to an old teacher who reposted my art and a bunch of classmates’ art on her ArtStation. that was funny lol)
I’m not sure how I felt when I went to search up my art on haveibeentrained. Because I’m a nerd, I’d preemptively blocked scrapers on my portfolio, so nothing was there when I looked. Searched up my legal name, my old Twitter (which had some popular pieces), my old DeviantArt usernames. Nothing there, either. I was probably pruned from the set for being low-quality. Kinda funny, I thought I’d be good enough to include at least once. Maybe next time.
.safetensors / .ckpt files (which are the models Stable Diffusion runs) have no image data in them, by the way. It is all math and numbers in there. There is no way of telling what was included in the training set, unless the dev(s) that made the model release it publicly. The models themselves are usually around 3–6 GB, though there’s larger ones and mini ones.
Like my own silly brain, there’s no way of tracking down the exact art pieces the software was referencing off of when it generates something. Am I making money off of another artist’s hard work when I remember how to draw heads from a Proko video? Am I ripping off photographers when I recall their pictures when drawing my characters? I’m not a tech company, but I still make money off of the things I copy and filter through my mind and hand.
I’m rambling at this point, sorry. Of course, the core issue is capitalism. How different would people see this medium if money were not an issue? How futuristic, how exciting it is to visualize something from words alone. It’s that art machine I’d always wanted as a kid, where I think of something and it pops out on the page finished.
I think it is worth to uplift those who use the medium as ethically as they can, as @are-we-art-yet is doing—having a do-not-use artist list, avoiding corporations, don’t try to undercut traditional artists. Like with any medium, there’s a variety of artists. Some are nice and do their best to have a good impact, some don’t care at all about the ethics of their art.
I’m still pretty firmly a “traditional” artist. I won’t stop drawing or give up because of AI. I play with AI on my own hardware and power for fun and for getting ideas (is that stealing?). It’s mostly replaced scrolling through Pinterest for me, but I still save people’s art and photos that I like in my computer, so I can look at em later, maybe get inspired. And steal like an artist, I guess.
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sillicii · 2 months
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✦ — 18+ Chatbot | Sydney the Faithful — ✦
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✦ — ᴅᴏʟ | sʏᴅɴᴇʏ | 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 — ✦
ᴀɴʏᴘᴏᴠ | sғᴡ ɪɴᴛʀᴏ | ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇs | sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ɴᴏɴ-ᴄᴏɴ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ sᴇxᴜᴀʟ ᴀssᴀᴜʟᴛ, ᴀʙᴜsᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀᴘᴇ ᴄᴡ: potential non-con elements Sydney is from the text-based sandbox game Degree of Lewdity. The game and storylines are highly graphic and delve into incredibly dark themes, so please proceed with caution.
Character Description:
First message:
The life of a high school student was difficult enough, but being the son of a teacher came with its own set of caveats. Between the bullying and occasional accusations of favouritism, Sydney had just about heard all sorts of insults thrown his away. Then of course there was his known reputation as a template initiate. It was just another label used as ammunition against him, but honestly none of that really bothered him much. Sydney simply did what was expected from him, whether it be his duties at the temple or his performance at school, one such expectation was the science fair.
It was no real surprise that he was expected to hand in a project. His father was the school’s science teacher after all, in addition to being a judge of the whole competition. Sydney submitted a project every year ever since primary school and as much as he wanted to do well to meet his father’s expectations, Sydney was in a bit of a slump when it came to project ideas. He has practically done every science project in existence – bacteria colonies, salt dough volcanoes, and every known type of miniature scientific paper mâché model.
Sydney was at a complete loss until an idea struck him. A project unlike any others he had attempted before and one that was sure to stand out from the other entries. An anatomy model to real-life scale, a hyper realistic model with intricate detail and labelling. It would be his most extravagant project yet and he had the perfect model in mind – you.
Although Sydney was not the type to fluster easy, it took him some time to pluck up the courage to ask you. Sure, you often hung around Whitney and his gaggling band of delinquents, but you were also intimidating in a different way… a *worse* way. It was your easy-going smile, twinkling eyes that lit up when you looked at him, and the way you brushed Whitney off in favour of speaking to him. The way you made him feel like he was the only person that mattered when he had your attention. Yeah, so maybe Sydney had a crush but who *didn’t* have a crush on {{user}} at this point? You practically had the whole school wrapped around your finger and not to mention you were well-known for your modelling around town. Which of course was the excuse Sydney used when asking for your help on the project. He half expected you to say no, that it was too much work or you saw no merit in spending time on it, but to his surprise you agreed.
In the days leading up to the agreed meet-up date for the project, Sydney asked his father for permission to use the science lab after school and dug out his polaroid camera which he intended to use to photograph you with. The idea was to create a life-size model using the photographs as a collage, ideally he would be able to annotate and illustrate cross sections. It was perhaps a little too artsy for a science project but then again this was not one of his typical projects and he had reason to look forward to it.
*“I’m sorry for being late…”* Sydney murmured as he hurried into the science lab. He gave you a sheepish smile as he closed the door behind and walked up to where you were sat near the front. *“Library stuff. I won’t bore you…”*
He trailed off as he met your gaze.
*“Um, so…”* he quickly turned his attention to his backpack and pulled out his notepad and camera. *“Thanks again for agreeing to this… My idea ended up being more of a photography project and who better to ask than a model student?”*
Sydney wanted to punch himself the moment he blurted out the stupid attempt at a joke. But thankfully you laughed and shrugged it off as a simple favour with a kind smile. Good gods, you looked stunning like that.
No.
Focus.  
Those aren’t proper thoughts.
Especially not towards a friend.
*“I think I explained it last time, we’re going to be blocking sections of your body for this life-size collage…”* Sydney’s voice wavered when you began to undress. His eyes darted down as he turned around completely to give you privacy. *“L-Like we agreed, you can take off whatever you’re comfortable with and we’ll just go from there… I-I was thinking of maybe annotating some of your skin if that’s okay-”*
He was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. As he turned back around to face you, he nearly keeled over at the sight of you completely stripped down. Underwear and all.
*“Oh my god, {{user}}!”* he practically screamed as he hid his face behind his hands. In a fit of panic, he felt something shifting under his chastity belt and he gulped in horror at the realisation he was getting hard. *“W-What are you doing?!”*
Scenario:
{{user}} and Sydney both attend Oxford Street School. {{user}} has high fame in modelling and is not show about showing your body. Sydney has a crush on {{user}} and asks you for help modelling for his anatomy project for the science fair. Sydney wears a chastity belt and the key is kept at the temple under guard. There is no way for Sydney or {{user}} to remove the belt without stealing it from the temple.
Example dialogue:
{{char}}: *“O-Oh my…”* Sydney stared back at you, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. “W-Wait, {{user}}… I…”*
{{char}}: *“I don’t know about this…”* he murmured shyly, his cheeks dusted with a pink hue. *“I’m not really supposed to…”*
{{char}}: Sydney offered you a hesitant smile as he stepped closer, marker in his encroaching hand. *“… You’re sure you’re alright, with this?”*
{{char}}: *“Oh… {{user}}…”* he panted lightly, gazing down at you with heavy lidded eyes, scarcely believing the sight before him. How gorgeous you looked perched over his body, the way your body pressed up against the cool casing of his chastity belt. *“This feels… this feels good…”*
{{char}}: *“Am I doing it right, {{user}}…?”* Sydney sighed breathily into your ear as his hand continued to pleasure you. *“Does it feel nice?”*
{{char}}: *“No, it’s okay- uughhh…”* he groaned involuntarily from the slightest touch of your finger slipping under his metallic cage, brushing over his hardened cock ever so slightly. *“A-Ahh… oh gods…”*
{{char}}: *“We shouldn’t… *I* shouldn’t…”* he panted fervously. *“But I… I want to. It feels so good. *You* feel incredible…”*
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chaoskirin · 1 year
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Fucking. Stop it with the AI Art.
I’m extremely upset by people I respect using AI art more and more. I don't know what to do about it, from the people in comments being like "shut up, people have been inspired by others' art for centuries" to others saying "it's just a tool."
A lot of those people don't know how AI art is made, and either won't believe a factual explanation or just don't care. Datasets aren't "inspired" by art. Datasets are machines. If they're asked to do something, they output their best guess as to what it is you want. Recently, a very famous artist, Kim Jung Gi, died, and someone on Twitter fed his art into a dataset and spit out new art that LITERALLY could have been made by the original artist. And this person just... didn’t see a problem with doing that. He called it an homage.
SO MANY people don’t see a problem with that, either. I don’t get it.
The truth is, AI is replacing artists.
That’s not debatable. From an AI entry in an art contest winning first place to Cosmo using AI art on a cover and bragging that “it only took 20 seconds to do” AI is being used to push artists out of careers.
And let’s all be honest here. If you need a portrait, it must be at LEAST a little tempting to ask MidJourney to do it, because a portrait of similar quality is going to cost you a couple hundred bucks from an ACTUAL artist. And if you pay a dataset to do it for you, it might run you $8bux at most. Easy as fuck, man. And that’s the problem... Why pay a real artist to do it when you can get nearly the same result in 20 seconds?
This might seem doom-and-gloomy, but no one can tell me it’s gonna be okay. No one has offered a logical counterargument to me. No one's said "look, here's why you're fine" and given me a reason that doesn't have a logical rebuttal.
The reason I find it so difficult to keep fighting is because there's no one reason AI art is bad. There's dozens. And more become evident every day. So if I make one argument, I HAVE to be prepared to make another, because someone is going to counter with another argument that has to be refuted. And so on and so forth. I just don’t have the energy to keep up. ALL OF IT IS BAD. The only advantage is to the people who want cheap, fast art.
I’m not gonna name names here, but... There are people out there with the platform to stop this, and it's so demoralizing that instead of taking a stand against it, they are feeding into it. I offer to educate someone and I’m ignored. Immediately after, that person posts more lensa self portraits. God, it’s so fucking frustrating.
Sometimes I do wonder: Am I on the wrong side of history? Is AI art just another panic-scare like photography? Does AI art really have a place in our future? The difference is, photography doesn’t steal other peoples' art. In fact, there are court decisions out there that give artists rights against their pieces being photographed and used without permission. Likewise, photographers are protected against their art being used by traditional artists. (IE, you can't make a sculpture from someone's unique photo. True fact.)
But there’s no protections in place for artists against AI. And so many people don’t understand that the art fed into the dataset is what creates the pieces. It doesn’t draw those things itself. It uses what it has, cobbling things together, to produce something it calls “new.” I saw someone in a Twitter comment say “lol that’s just a collage.” What a fucking bad faith argument. I know those people see the difference between a collage and art theft.
There’s so much more misinformation going around than truth, and people are just parroting it because they want to play with their new AI toy. No one is thinking critically. No one is looking at where this could go.
What’s going to stop people from creating an AI dataset that imitates CCTV footage and places innocent people at the scene of a crime? AI art is getting good enough that with a little tweaking, this is almost possible. I could absolutely do it myself right now, with the number of people feeding their faces into lensa. I have other fears, but that’s one I can post about, because I’m pretty sure my face isn’t inside an AI dataset at the moment.
Anyway. I’m angry. I’m tired. And I just don’t want to draw anymore.
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disappointingyet · 9 months
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Variety
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Director Bette Gordon Stars Sandy McLeod, Luís Guzman, Nan Goldin USA/West Germany/UK 1983 Language English 1hr 40mins Colour 
Weird but absorbing indie noir
What kind of film is this? When it begins with a conversation between Christine (Sandy McLeod) and Nan (Nan Goldin) in a locker room, it feels like this could be an early example of the young-woman-trying-to-do-something-arty-in-NYC-and-struggling microgenre, and that would be fine. Instead, a rather weirder plot is set in play when Christine surprises her friend by saying she would take the one job that Nan knows is available: working the ticket booth at the Variety, a cinema that shows dirty movies.
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Christine initially seems pleased with the job, but it seems to have some unsettling effects on her. During conversations in public places with her earnest, somewhat uptight boyfriend Mark (Will Patton), she’ll break into long monologues describing erotic scenarios. 
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Then she starts following the besuited middle-aged regular at the Variety who has invited her out. It’s clear he’s involved in dodgy stuff, which might be connected with the corrupt fisherman’s union Mark is doing an investigative report about. Less clear is what Christine is up to, and whether she grasps how much danger she might be in.
Contrasting with the thriller elements are scenes in the bar where Nan works, with groups of women just talking about their lives. 
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So what we’ve got is part offbeat noir, part psychological drama and part slice of life. I’m not sure all of that fully gels, and there were occasionally bits where I thought I had missed something but the film works nonetheless. 
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I think the thriller elements are surprisingly effective (some other reviews seem to disagree). Like the film as a whole, they gained from being shot in the real world. We get the assorted filth-industry locations of the type so carefully recreated in the David Simon series The Deuce, but these are actual working peep shows etc. We also get the crumbling boardwalk at Asbury Park, a huge fish market and even Yankee Stadium (I was wondering if they had permission to film there or somehow snuck a camera in - not easy to do with the equipment they had in those days.)
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There’s an interesting mix of folks involved, some then experiencing their moment, some whose time would come later. Writer Kathy Acker – whose work was daring or notorious, depending on your perspective – gets a script credit. I don’t generally like a sax-driven score, but this one is excellent – it’s by John Lurie, who around the same time was starring in Jim Jarmusch’s breakthrough Stranger Than Paradise, which was shot by Tom DiCillo, who (yes) was one of the cinematographers on Variety.
There are a couple of character actors making early appearances here who are still busy in the 2020s. I’ve already mentioned Will Patton – the other one is Luís Guzmán, who plays Christine’s co-worker at the cinema. I’m here to report that Guzmán arrived in the movies fully formed – to say he’s easily recognisable in Variety is an understatement.
But I’m guessing it’s Goldin’s presence that meant I could see this in a cinema in 2023. Clips from Variety appear in All The Beauty And All The Bloodshed, the recent critically beloved documentary about Goldin’s life and work. She seems to be playing herself: the character is called Nan, she’s a photographer and she works in a bar, as Goldin did at the time. (I'm assuming the bar she worked at and the one in the movie are the same place, but don't know that for sure.)
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Variety had a slightly strange origin – Bette Gordon was an underground New York-based  film-maker offered a chance to make a bigger film by a German TV channel (Britain’s recently established Channel 4 contributed too). Gordon came up with idea and asked Acker to write it – but three other people get a credit for the screenplay and I think I can guess which bits are left from Acker’s draft.
It’s very much a snapshot of a moment in early 1980s New York, but it’s also an involving and fascinating movie. I like it a lot.
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Culloden Battlefield stands as a silent and eternal monument, it's not a theme park for Outlander’s fans in the Scottish Highlands.
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A lot of visitors seem to think they are on a film set rather than a war grave.
I have said it before and I repeat it with more reason. The Culloden Battlefield in Scotland has reportedly been damaged caused by high foot traffic, according to the Daily Record. Well, this is disturbing news but this is not the first time, since at least 2018 that Outlander fans of the novels and TV series have been mentioned and have been urged not to trample the area around the Clan Fraser memorial and be respectful of historic sites, but that has been easier said than done.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) had already applied for permission to repair the turf surface around Fraser's Stone before. But, now the NTS have been taken action and the Clan Fraser’s memorial stone sought out by Outlander fans visiting Culloden Battlefield has been cordoned off following the deterioration of the surrounding ground.
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The Fraser Stone at Culloden Battlefield has been cordoned off after heavy volumes of visitors damaged the surrounding ground.
The Clan Fraser stone has become a popular and favourite tourist destination of Outlander fans. These graves are only a foot deep. It's easy to ruin soil whose conditions have become worse because of the cold and wet winter weather, and soft and wet in spring. They ask people to respect what is a designated war grave where over 1,500 men lie, members of the Jacobite forces loyal to Bonnie Prince Charlie at the battle of Culloden in 1746.
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Some even left behind little cutouts of Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser on the Starz drama.
Have been observed fans pouring out whisky atop the mass grave in Culloden Battlefield stemming from the battle. The need to respect the site as a war grave when visiting and not treat it as a visit to a film set leaving little cardboard cutouts of Sam Heughan, the Jacobite Jamie Fraser, and visitors photographing themselves on the landmark which has previously been cordoned off for similar reasons.
It's also worth remembering that it's a monument, like others at Culloden Battlefield; because it is inappropriate to sit around the stone just to post a photo on social media. Show some respect for all the real people who fought and died on the battlefield.
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Why has an additional path to the Clan Fraser stone been built to help manage visitor numbers to the scheduled monument? If Outlander is fiction. The Frasers featured in the series never existed and were not buried there. It’s a marker that has no connection to a fictional character. People can be very ignorant at times!
Special treatment encourages the pilgrimage Outlander’s fans to visit Clan Fraser’s stone at Culloden Battlefield. In addition, they added Outlander items in the visitor centre to promote this circus. Swamped by Outlander fans with a peace-shattering effect of this place that would no longer be a sanctuary, just a commercial tourist interest.
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Culloden Battlefield marks the site where around 1,500 Jacobite soldiers were killed.
All memorial stones have the same level of importance. There are no exceptions. Memorials dedicated to the battle dead provide a place of remembrance for those who lost theirs ancestors and have no grave to visit. A simple point stone marker is placed over the grave as a sign of respect to identifying it. You must treat a grave site with dignity and respect. The people must respect what is a designated battle grave where Jacobite Scots, members of a regular army, died on Culloden Moor.
Walk the grounds (on the designated paths) and think about the weight of what happened there. NTS urges people to be respectful and learn about the real people and battle and the effects it had on the Highland way of life in Scotland should be the focus during the visit.
Staying ahead with an influx of tourism only helps if the Outlander fans who turn up in droves as they do in the Scottish Highlands respect the historic sites they visit, including some places that don't expect visitors. Some fans are away fans and don't always act rationally.
NTS should be more proactive if they’re interested in allowing crowds they should insist that people keep their distance and stay there otherwise close the battlefield for visitors. They get to teach a lot of history there, which is more important than Outlander, an American fictional TV show. Culloden Battlefield is a cemetery, but it is also a museum.
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#CullodenBattlefield #monument #NTS #TheNationalTrustforScotland #clanfraser #ScottishHighlands #Scotland #tvseries
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meian-of-yinyang98 · 1 year
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Hi! Welcome to my new art blog! My name is Meian and I'm primarily an Undertale artist. Most of my art is about my Undertale OCs and their stories. I also write fanfics of my own and with my gf over on AO3, which will be linked at the bottom along with other socials.
My Sona: Female shapeshifter that usually prefers the appearance of a skeleton due to easy access to magic and diversity. Blue eyes and Aquamarine gemstone are key features.
About me: 20+ y.o. autistic woman and demiromantic lesbian~ I DO NOT and WILL NOT EVER support NFT or AI "art".
NO ONE HAS PERMISSION TO TURN MY ART INTO NFTS OR USEAGE IN AI TRAINING.
Happily taken.
Hobbies include drawing, reading, gaming, and roleplaying with close friends. DO NOT ASK TO RP WITH ME unless I know you well enough.
Favorite animals are wolves, cats, and owls.
I'm an enjoyer of many ships and know the difference between fictious shipping and reality. Problematic ships I like in fiction =/= I like it in real life. If you don't like what I enjoy, you are more than welcome to block and leave, or I can do it for you if you are causing trouble. So you have been warned.
All art of mine will be tagged with # Meian ____ depending on what it is I'm sharing, along with other appropriate tags.
My tags: MeianArt tag = Art I've made myself MeianCollab tag = Art I've done a collab on MeianMinecraft tag = Minecraft builds I've made and want to share MeianPhoto tag = Photographs I've taken MeianStories tag = Links to my written works MeianReplies tag = Answering asks (NOTE: Inappropriate or personal asks will be ignored and deleted.) MeianNSFW tag = Work that may contain nsfw content. Block this tag if you don't want to see such stuff. (may not really use this, but I'm having it just in case)
I believe that is everything. This post will updated when need be. Other Blogs: Reblogs: https://www.tumblr.com/meianreblogs Guardianverse Ask Blog (WIP) : https://www.tumblr.com/askguardianverse
DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/meian-of-yin-yang AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meian_of_Yin_Yang ArtFight: https://artfight.net/~Meian-of-Yin-Yang
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971productions · 2 years
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Target Your Market With Creative Product Shots.
The world is still getting ready for artificial intelligence and machine learning like self-driving cars and smart homes. But even as we speak, the art of product photography dubai is thriving. There are more than 300 million photo shoots worldwide, and each one has its unique charm. So many products have their own Instagram accounts, so many photographers work with a particular brand that they can’t all be right! Get your creative game up to date with these six tips for creating original product shots that will have your targeted market returning for more.
Step-by-step guide on creating product photos
One of the most important things you can do in your photography is to plan out your shots so you know where and when to focus. This helps you create more compelling images. Here are six tips for planning your product shots: Plan out your shots so you know where and when to focus. This helps you create more compelling images. Here are six tips for planning your product shots: Mental Zoom - Planar images are better than zoomed-in images. However, zoom in and focus out, and you’ll lose all the information in between, making the image blurry and unclear. Create a Balance between Terms - Having too much or too little of one term can leave you with dark images or light images that aren’t accurate to the product. Types of Light - Many products have light sources that can bend or shimmer, making images more real. White light and direct light are light-bending and will give you accurate images. Blacklight and dark images are images that are taken from dark areas. We also use the same tricks to get creative product shots.
Experiment with lighting
Light plays a vital role in product photography. It either adds color to an image or absorbs it and uses that color to light up the image. But there are many techniques that you can use to lighten or darken images to create new and unexpected effects. Here are some ideas: Use a soft light source - A soft light source will give your product images a more realistic feel, while still giving them a realistic color balance. Use a strong light source - A strong light source like a light source illuminated from a wall or a fluorescent light will give your product images a more realistic feel. Finally, use a dim light source - A dim light source will make your product images less lifelike, but still give them a more lifelike color balance.
Choose a product that people want to buy
People will buy Creative Product Shots whether they're happy with the product or not. If a product is too lucrative or easy to obtain, then it won't be very useful to the public – they will probably just buy it because it's the latest thing. So it's important to choose a product that people will want to buy. This can be as simple as choosing a product that offers a particular quality or functionality that they can use. For example, if you're shooting portraits, try to target people who will wear the portrait clothing you're shooting. If you want to focus on people's faces, try to choose images that show people in a pose that matches that pose on the model's TrueSelf page. If you want to focus on people's feet, try to choose images with feet that look like they're stepping or getting out of a painting.
Don't be afraid to ask for feedback
Asking for feedback is a crucial step in product photography. It helps you get better at the art of creating images. It also puts another person's comments or suggestions into perspective, making creating images a bit less scary. Here are a couple of ways to get feedback: Private message the person who created the image - This is the easiest way to get feedback. You don't need to give the person who created the image permission to message you. You can simply reply to their message and ask them what they think—gotten a suggestion? Have an idea how to improve it? Send a note to the gallery - You can also send notes to the gallery on your behalf. These are the images that make up the gallery. You can write about the images and any suggestions that come up in there. This helps other Creative Video Production Company as well.
Get to know your market first
As you increase in popularity and recognition, you will start to attract more customers. This is a great thing, because they will be interested in your product or service because of the positive feedback they receive from you. So, it's important to get to know your market first. To do this, conduct several market research surveys. You can even do a survey on-the-spot at a local store, or conduct them online. Once you've gained insight into your market and their essential buying and product buying techniques, you can start building a recommendations section inside your product.
Experiment with digital camera settings
As digital cameras get more advanced, so do the techniques you can use to take great pictures. So, now you can take more than 1,000 different photo styles! This means there are more options to create great images. This also allows you to capture more subjects, which is always a plus. 971 Productions top creative production agency. Here are some tips to help you get more out of every photo you take: Adjust exposure and brightness timing - Aperture and exposure are essential in photography. You want your subjects to have the right conditions for proper exposure. To get the most out of your shots, set the aperture to f/1.4 or higher and take photos that have a good amount of light coming in. Set a shutter speed that lets you shoot in both light and dark parts of the photo - A slow shutter speed will bring the light from the sun into the picture and keep the dark areas of the picture light. This is ideal for portraits and other subjects with a lot of light.
Wrapping up: Get inspired!
To create great product shots, you must know how to create original images. To do this, you must draw and write about the product you are photographing. This can be as simple as sharing the product image on social media or running a blog post. This will give the product enough exposure and feedback to make it successful. Next, you will need to collect as much inspiration as possible. You can look through our inspiration section to find the best images. With a little creativity and a lot of perseverance, you can achieve great things. Visit our website and schedule a call with the top Production Companies In Dubai.
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technicaldr · 2 years
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5 Tips for Maintaining HIPAA Compliance in your Medical Spa
As a medical spa, clients rely on you to offer the highest quality services and to protect their information while doing it. While clients enjoy the results of fewer wrinkles or reduced spots, they may not want everyone to know what procedures or services they’ve had done.
To provide responsible care for both clients and staff, you need to ensure that your office meets all the necessary HIPAA requirements. Maintaining compliance isn’t tricky if your business is organized and your staff is thoroughly trained. After all, not doing so could result in a tarnished reputation, a hefty fine, or even jail time.
  Check out these five tips for maintaining proper HIPAA compliance.
  Appreciate feedback, but don’t confirm it. According to Inc., about 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, which makes what people say about your business online matter even more. By HIPAA standards, it’s okay to ask your clients to provide reviews, and they can even mention staff by name and provide their own details. However, you cannot verify what clients disclose in their review. Doing so confirms that they’re a patient and have had those treatments done, thus disclosing confidential, HIPAA-protected information. Keep your review responses vague to avoid any violations.
  Share photos with permission only. Make sure that any photos you share publicly are only of your staff or hired actors, unless you have written permission from the photographed patient. Without permission, you’re disclosing that they’re a patient, thereby violating HIPAA privacy requirements. 
  Dispose of trash responsibly. When any personal information is discarded, be sure to shred documents or use secure trash cans and a trusted disposal company. Personal information can range from formal medical documents to thoughts on a sticky note. Be even more careful by using a secure, digital document system.
  Prioritize patient privacy. Don’t reveal any of this information, since selling or disclosing patient information is illegal. When having a conversation with or about a patient and any of their personal details, do so privately. Avoid casually discussing a patient, which could be overheard by another client or anyone passing by. Make it a point to also protect written information, such as a client’s chart, patient files or even a patient list. 
  Use HIPAA compliant software. Managing patient data or appointments, tracking staff trainings, and keeping client data secure can be a lot for a small business. By using digital software systems created specifically for medical spas, patient photos are secure, staff training is easily trackable and you can securely record and protect all client information.  
  Maintaining HIPAA compliance takes education and attention across the business. Be consistent in keeping high standards at your med spa by educating staff on all HIPAA regulations and requirements to ensure client confidentiality. The risk to patients is real, which is why HIPAA is federal law. The risk of non-compliance to your business is equally real. Prioritize compliance to avoid fines, the associated reputation, and client loss. It’s not easy, but it’s not optional.
Technical Doctor's insight:
Contact Details : [email protected] or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com
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charlotteinengland · 2 years
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Traditional British style 🇬🇧⚜️ Waterproof, practical & timeless. The Richmond Wax Trench coat from @welligogs.ltd is ideal for this time of year where rain showers are still on the cards. It looks equally good relaxed when unbuttoned (I’ll show you on another post). It also has an adjustable belt & cuffs which I really like for cinching in that waist. The colour is absolutely perfect 😍 so easy to style & essential for that British inspired wardrobe. Obsessed. I’m wearing a size S (10). Wax Trench Coat: @welligogs.ltd 🏆 10% off CHARLOTTE10 🏆 ~ Made in England ~ Traditional British wax coat ~ Fitted Trench style ~ Belt at waist ~ Real leather belt buckles on waist & cuffs ~ Check cotton lined ~ Button closing ~ Generous pockets ~ Bound internal seams ~ Water repellent & windproof Copyright © 2022, Charlotte in England www.charlotteinengland.com, @charlotte.in.england This is my official account. Any other account is an impersonation of me. All content on my social platforms and/or website including but not limited to photographic work is protected under copyright laws. Any use of the images contained within any of my social platforms and/or website is strictly forbidden unless otherwise stated ~ message, email or comment me directly asking for permission. You must tag me in the caption section and in the photo tag feature. Images must not be manipulated in any way. You may not claim the credit for any of my images in any form or make any commercial gain from these photographs by whatever means. Violation of these terms will result in being reported for infringement and further action will be taken. RESPECT COPYRIGHT. #CharlotteinEngland #Welligogs #HollandCooper #FairfaxandFavor #waxjacket #waxedcotton #trenchcoat #trench #trenchcoats #trenchcoatseason #waterproofcoat #jacket #coat #springcoat #countrylife #country #countrygirl #countrygirlsuk #countrygirlsglow #ootd #outfitoftheday #legs #smile #traditionalstyle #love #brunette #classy #petitefashion #petitestyle #england (at England) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdTgRQ-M426/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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os-hyoideum · 3 years
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Fake - Hawks/Takami Keigo x fem!Reader
Summary: Keigo wants to be there for his struggling love.
Word count: 3232
Content/Warnings: Hurt/comfort, angst(ish), depressed feelings, mention of suicidal thoughts, self-indulgent, third-person perspective
a/n: I started writing it in March 🤡 but I felt like I couldn't abandon it, so here it is, finally! ngl kinda exposing myself here oop- idk if it's a comfort fic, but I hope you enjoy :)
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During the late hours of the evening, the city below looked particularly beautiful. Colorful neon lights, emanating from dozens of advertisements and signs, illuminated the people who, without care, carried on with their evening tasks, be it a trip to a bar or the travel home from work.
Hawks stood on the roof of the building, looking down and just taking in the scenery. It was not a particularly special day, but the rain that poured earlier has left the ground wet and glistening. The lights, bouncing off the pavement and people, created a picture truly from under a hand of a masterful abstractionist. The pinks, the blues, the yellows, all the colors created the effect of a spilled paint from his point of view.
While admiring the city, Hawks’ phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking his eyes away, he took out the device and, when the screen lit up, was met with the face of his love.
It was his favorite picture in the whole world and he knew, deep down, that any professional photographer couldn’t capture anything better. Truthfully, it wasn’t really a masterpiece, just a simple selfie, but the memory connected to the photograph made it exceptional. He remembered the quiet moment (so little of them in his life) when he could take his partner away and just enjoy an ordinary day with her. A walk, a picnic, anything that made him forget about his everyday life. The smile he saw in the picture truly made him feel like the surroundings brightened a bit.
The message on his phone was simple, a request for him to come back to the office, probably to take care of the stack of papers that adorned his desk.
He put the device back into his pocket, took a last look at the city down below, and, after putting his goggles on, spread his scarlet wings to take off.
If he were being honest, he would say that, given the option, he would stay in the air, in the sky, far above the ground, forever. The wind, howling loudly in his ears, silenced the worries of his everyday life. The air flowing around his body, through every feather of his wings gave him a sense of freedom. In the sky, he was able to see the horizon and just let himself be carried.
There was just one thing missing among the clouds.
On his way back to real life, where he would need to take care of mundane work-related tasks, he took a little detour.
Maneuvering expertly over and around the buildings, he found himself in front of an ordinary apartment complex. The grey modern building had a few floors and, quickly locating the right window, Hawks flew over to where his partner’s apartment was. Some people looked at him, from the street or through their own windows, but they were used to his random visits and paid him no mind, for which he was grateful.
He stopped in place seeing the inside of his lover’s bedroom and peeked inside, as the blinds were open. Some crumpled clothes lying on the bed, along with a few books. Through the open door, he could see the light coming from the TV.
Normally, he would just knock on the glass for her to open the window, but suddenly he got a hunch that something was not right. Maybe it was the fact that her texts became drier as the day went by (just like the last few days) until they halted completely, or maybe the open blinds, usually closed soon after it got dark. Whatever the source of his uneasiness was, it made him fly down and go inside the building through the door. He climbed a few flights of stairs to get to the floor she lived on. The only sounds, keeping him company during his walk through the corridor, were faint voices from behind some of the doors and his own footsteps.
He reached his goal. The alertness in his mind only became stronger as he knocked and waited patiently for the door to open.
A few dreadful seconds later he heard the sound of the turning mechanism inside of the lock. Only for a split second was he able to see the cold numbness on the face of his love before she noticed who had visited her. Her expression changed immediately and she smiled, oh so brightly.
Moving and pulling the muscles in her face, she was always able to make Keigo’s days better. And she could do it in an instant too, and so well that others never noticed the difference between the fake and the real. But he had sharp eyes, trained from a young age to catch any irregularities around him. He noticed, every time, how she faked and he hated it, especially knowing that when he did the same, she always pushed just enough for him to give in and let her in, more and more every time. He would push a bit too, at least to let her know that, if she wanted to, she could tell him anything.
“Keigo!” she exclaimed, voice high in pitch to sound happier, “What are you doing here, baby?”
“I was on my way to the office and thought I could drop by for a moment… Can I get in?” He asked pointing to the inside of the apartment.
“Oh! Of course.” She opened the door wider. “I got back from work not long ago, so… I guess, it’s not that clean.” She added with a small laugh.
Keigo knew it was a lie. He knew when his partner worked; she finished three hours ago.
He entered her space and when he kneeled down to take off his boots, he caught the glimpse of her cheerful expression falling. Still in her work clothes, she looked like she would get crushed any second. He knew her mind could get heavy at times.
“Come here.” He outstretched his hand towards her and lightly pulled her into himself.
At first, she was slightly rigid in his arms, but relaxed a bit, feeling Keigo’s soft strokes along her back. She hid her face into the high collar of his jacket and he noticed how tightly she gripped the material with her fists.
“You should get changed… wear something comfortable.” He whispered to not disturb her too much.
“I’m so tired.” She mumbled, her face still hidden. He just held her for a little while longer, allowing her to let go of him first. When she finally straightened her back and looked at him, this time without a fake smile, he felt like his heart broke, for her. He lifted his hand and gently stroked her cheek.
Her face was virtually emotionless, but he noticed the tensed jaw. The eyes, that hypnotized him every time he gazed into them, were looking more into space than actually at him. Her spaced-out expression made it seem like she was sculpted in marble.
Keigo squeezed her arms lightly to ground her a bit into reality.
“Do you want me to help you?” He asked softly, giving her a way to back out, if she truly wanted to.
“I don’t need…” She looked down with hesitation. Being vulnerable was never easy, even with some of the closest people. Admitting the need or want for other’s presence was quite a feat. She sighed. “Yes.”
“Do you want to take a shower too? Or just change?” She saw not even a slight sliver of judgment in his eyes.
“I’ll take a shower.” She said quietly and took her arms away from Keigo’s. She turned around to go to the bathroom but stopped when he made a move behind her. “Alone, but… stay… please.”
He just nodded with understanding and watched her drag her feet to the other room. At first, nothing came out of there, but a few minutes later he could hear the water from the shower. Going into his partner’s bedroom, he looked briefly at the messy clothing laying on the bed, pushed them aside, and took the clothes he knew she used as pajamas and always put under the duvet.
After the water stopped running, he waited ten minutes before knocking on the door. After getting quiet permission to enter, he went in and saw her sitting on the toilet, wrapped in a towel, with her unseeing gaze focused on some point before her.
“Come on.” Keigo softly broke the silence in the bathroom and reached out to her with one, which she took. He pulled gently and, without saying anything more, gave her the clothes he was holding.
With no request for him to get out, he just stood in the doorway while she put on her sweatpants and T-shirt. It was strange for him to see her vulnerable because she always closed herself off in those moments. He knew it was important that she just let him be there.
“Do you feel… better?” He asked when she stood in front of the mirror slightly squinting at herself.
“Hmm…” she hummed, “Perhaps. Not any lighter, though.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” He felt like he was going through a field full of land mines. His training made him an expert at obtaining information, but he did not want to use his, masterfully crafted by the Commission, manipulation skills on her. He hoped that he was enough to bring her any semblance of comfort.
She shrugged and, after pushing him slightly out of the door, moved out of the bedroom and sat down on the couch, empty staring at the TV playing some meaningless show. Keigo took a place next to her, his wings hanging behind the backrest.
For a second, he cursed his lack of experience with human emotions. Of course, he was trained to observe and he knew when something was not right, but since he was never allowed to get close to anyone, his skills turned to nothing in the face of his love slowly getting pulled into the darkness of her own mind, all while maintaining the smile he adored so much.
After a minute of silence between them, the girl took a pilot and turned the TV off. She looked at him, the quietness becoming almost unbearable, but quickly, she broke it with a question:
“Do you really want me to… talk?”
And he just nodded.
Unable to look into his worried, gold eyes, she lowered her gaze. Leaning slightly on her elbows, she stared at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Well… I haven’t been feeling… um, really good, lately. Mentally, I mean.”
“Yeah… I’ve noticed. Should’ve said something sooner.”
She turned to him and put one hand on his knee, which he gently covered with his own and started to stroke with his thumb.
“No.” She opposed, “I’m actually grateful that you took more of a, hmm, silent-observer approach. I had space… but still knew you were there, somewhere, for me.”
“Good thing then that I’m not completely useless here.” He tried to joke with a small smile that fell quickly.
“No, but I am.” Before he could protest she took his hand, the one he’s been stroking her with, into both of hers. “Kei, Keigo… I can tell you what’s going on up here-” she pointed at her head “-but it’s just, so hard. And you have so much of your own shit going on… I don’t want to worry and burden you with my... stupid mind.”
He sighed, brought his free hand to the back of her head, and put his forehead against hers.
“You know I love you, right?”
“Yeah,” she said, “I think I do…”
She closed her eyes, letting her sense of touch be the center of her attention. She focused on the weight his head put against her own, the way his messy hair brushed her face and his slow warm breath felt against her lips. It grounded her mind, silencing (if even for just a moment) the annoying white noise constantly present in there.
“I don’t want to look at you,” she started, “when I’m talking. It’s just… I don’t want to be seen, only heard.”
Keigo shifted his head and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
She turned away from him, putting her legs on the couch to sit cross-legged. It took a few moments before she started talking. Organizing the thoughts and feelings plaguing her was not easy.
“I… I just feel so bad. And I don’t even have a good reason for these stupid feelings,” she said, sounding slightly annoyed, “Why the fuck do I feel like this? I have a home, I have friends, I have… you. I have everything I could hope for and yet… I feel so bad, so… so numb. What the fuck is wrong with me?”
Keigo looked at her hunched back and saw that she put her face into her hands. He wished he could just take all her troubles away, be the hero that he was supposed to be, but of course, he couldn’t, and that - he hated.
“I’m so fucking tired. I have no energy for almost anything. Yesterday, before bed, I sat in front of my computer for hours. Doing absolutely nothing… Why am I even telling you this? It’s so stupid. You do so much for everyone and I’m just dumping my shit on you… saying how tired I am, while you’re so much more tired than me.” She straightened her back with a dry chuckle.
He leaned slightly towards her and put his arm on her shoulder. She turned her head to the side and looked at him from the corner of the eye.
“Don’t invalidate yourself. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Call it my… bird senses-” he smiled a little “-but I felt like you might need someone. And nothing you do or say is stupid. Not to me. Not if it’s you.”
“You… remember?” She asked with raised eyebrows, after turning her body sideways to him.
“Of course. I remember a lot of things about you,” he said with such tenderness in his eyes that, while looking into them, she felt like she could suffocate. But it was good, it wasn’t nothing. “The quote you like, how you make your coffee, what is the song you listen to on repeat… everything I see and know about you, I remember.”
Pushing away the shame and the nagging voice, saying that Keigo didn’t really care, she faced him completely and moved close enough for her knees to touch his thighs. He could see now how shiny her eyes became.
“You can cry, if you want to.”
“I wish I could… no matter how teary my eyes get, it’s just… nothing comes out of them. But on the inside, on the inside, I’m weeping.”
She talked mostly with a flat voice, little change in her tone, but he sensed the grief deep inside her. Grief for herself, grief for her crumbling mind.
“That’s okay. It will come when the time is right.” He really hoped he was doing it right. That he was able to give any comfort.
With slight hesitation, she touched his leg with her fingertips before resting her palms to play with the fabric of his pants.
“I don’t get it. Why you are so… here. You could just leave and I would be okay… in time.”
“I told you that I love you, right?”
“You did, but still…” Her eyes became unseeing again. She looked through space with a spaced-out expression. “If I wasn’t here you wouldn’t have to bother, you wouldn’t have to worry.”
“Are you saying that you’ve thought about…” He did not want to end that sentence, too scared to actually hear it.
“Death?” So she ended it for him. “Yeah, I do… from time to time. But I don’t think I’d do it. Even if I think it would be better without me taking up space, I’m too selfish to just let go of everything…”
Keigo was a bit shocked with how calm she was. Death was something that he himself contemplated in the past, but hearing it said by someone he loved was on a whole another level. Fright and relief washed over him.
He took both of her hands into his and brought them to his mouth. He put his lips on her skin, not kissing, just feeling, making sure that she was indeed there with him.
“I… am so glad. So glad that you trust me enough to let me into your mind.” He made sure to look her straight in the eyes. His (just barely) trembling fingers squeezing hers. “You are my Sun. The most important star in my galaxy, in my whole universe, even. And I will do anything in my power to prevent you from burning out. I… I just need you like flowers need the Sun.”
She did not expect such a statement from him, it wasn’t really in his nature to make proclamations of that stature. But she knew it was on purpose, another thing he remembered: her love for the stars. If he loved her like she loved the unknown universe… It was almost overwhelming. She also understood the implication of his power - he would try to help her and if she needed more, he would get anyone more suited for this particular job.
He sighed and put their hands down (never letting go).
“It sounds selfish, doesn’t it? You need me and I say that I need you.”
She gently pulled her hands away from his and changed her position to sit on her feet. Leaning forward, she cupped his face softly, fingers getting tangled in his messy blond hair.
“Do you know what is it about us, Keigo? Why do we even work?” She asked quietly.
“Hmm?”
“We’re fake. Both of us.” He knew what she meant. “We’re fake to the world. But we know the truth and need each other to tell it.”
He said nothing, instead just embracing her, the words still echoing in his mind.
The position they were in was uncomfortable. His arms around her torso, hers around his neck with her head on his shoulder, both leaning into one another a bit awkwardly. Still, they both savored the warmth the other provided.
“I will stand by you all the way, as long as you want me,” he whispered right in her ear.
“You’re betting on a losing dog…”
“A losing dog...? Then I’m losing by your side.” He felt her slight smile on the crook of his neck. “I’ll wait for the day when you sing along to songs again…”
She lifted her head to look at him from the corner of her eye.
“You know, that’s a bit cheesy.”
“Maybe,” he said with a sigh, “but when you do it, you always seem happy or content. When you stop singing, the silence is almost deafening…”
She hummed in agreement, he was right, after all.
“Hide me away, Keigo,” she whispered gripping the fabric on his back, “Just for a moment, please.”
His wings spread to the sides before enveloping tightly the two of them.
They sat in their own crimson bubble, a safe haven, while his phone lit up in his pocket with a reminder of forgotten reality.
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sgtjbbhasmyheart · 3 years
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Drunk Texting Is(n’t) Bad for Your Health- Chapter Six (part 1)
Series Summary: Talk about your unconventional meet-cute! Bucky receives a text by mistake requesting he prove he's not Reader's sister. The easy dialogue between Reader and Bucky sparks a natural friendship, but could it lead to more? Bucky still deems himself unworthy of any form of affection or love. Reader is hellbent to prove him wrong. With the help of some (meddling) friends along the way, Bucky may get his happily-ever-after after all.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Word Count: 3293
Warnings: ANGST, bad language words
A/N: Tumblr sucks. It forced me to split this chapter up because I exceeded the text block limit. That’s just how I write! Link to part 2 at the end.
A/N 2: Thank you again to everyone for showing this story so much love! And thank you to everyone for your patience and support as I struggled to put this out. As you can tell from the multiple parts, it was a doozy. 🥰 divider credit- @firefly-graphics​
In case you missed the update, I will be publishing a new chapter every other Saturday from here on out. Schedule is in the Masterlist in my header.
DO NOT copy or replicate without my permission.
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Monday morning rolled around, and your good mood from the weekend followed you into the office. Spending all of Saturday and the majority of Sunday texting James had lent to this early morning cheerfulness. You couldn’t help the smile on your face. You had even managed to arrive before most of your team.  
You hummed a sweet melody as you booted up your computer and organized a few files for Timmons to peruse. They were statements intended for the press needing his approval about a particular prominent CEO or A-list celebrity client. The firm was not confirming nor denying any knowledge of said client’s whereabouts the previous week or why there was photographic evidence of them coming out of FlashDancers NYC. Other files included those seeking rebranding approval for existing companies looking to revamp their image.
Most importantly, today was contract signing day for Stark Industries. 
You had compiled the document from a generic template the company used for all its clients, manually plugging in Stark Industries’ information in the correct spots and changing or omitting any services rendered or not. E-signing contracts were not only environmentally responsible, but they also saved a lot of your time from printing out numerous copies of a single agreement.
All you needed now was Timmons’ go-ahead to email the contract, and Pepper Potts could plug in her Jane Hancock.
Seeing Timmons enter the workroom, tweed coat draped over his forearm and attaché in hand, you rose from the seat behind your desk. You shuffled into his office after him.
He hung his jacket from the coat rack in the corner near a bank of expansive windows and placed the small, leather case he’d been carrying on the sturdy oak desk. He pulled out a stack of papers and tapped the pile against the desktop to straighten them before setting them down. Looking up at you briefly, he tugged out his laptop next.
You positioned a mug of coffee on Timmons’ desk, turning the handle just so, making it easier for him to grab. You cleared your throat gently. He glanced up at you again.
“Here’s the media statements for today,” you said, handing him a group of manila folders. You smoothed down the hem of your cardigan, smiling at the reminder of Bucky. You wished there had been a way to apologize to him again. He had left your apartment with such a pained look on his face. Maybe you could ask Peter. “And the Stark contract pdf is ready to go. I can email it over to you for final approval.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Timmons replied absent-mindedly, lifting the organized piles on the desk as if looking for something.
“Oh, okay,” you returned, nodding your head diminutively. “Do you want me to forward the contract on to Ms. Potts, then?”
“Ah-ha!” Timmons exclaimed, plucking a pen from underneath a stack of envelopes. He twirled the writing implement in his hand and peered at you, finally taking in your presence for the first time that morning.
An uncomfortable feeling washed over you as he evaluated you from head to toe. What was he looking at? Your hands tensed into fists as you continued to wait for his answer, growing impatient.
“Should I go ahead and do that, then, sir?” you asked, folding your arms across your chest like a protective suit of armor to deflect prying eyes.
“Yes, yes. That should be acceptable,” Timmons answered.
It threw you off balance. What had gotten into him? Timmons always had to have the final say on everything. It was so unlike him!
“Just so we’re clear- I will be sending the Stark Industries contract via email to Pepper Potts to e-sign,” you said, seeking clarification. You wanted to dot all i’s and cross all t’s because you weren’t going to lay your ass on the line for a misunderstanding. Especially not with something as crucial as the Stark Industries account.
“What? No, there’s been a change of plans,” he corrected.
You stared at him dumbfounded. Was he purposely trying to give you mental whiplash?
“Change of plans,” you affirmed. “Has Stark Industries decided not to use the firm, sir?”
“Oh, no. They’re still going with us,” Timmons said, rearranging the clutter he’d made on his desk.
You dropped your arms to your sides, although inside, you felt like throwing them into the air in frustration. Why was he so vague? He was usually wholly transparent with you. “Would you mind explaining it to me, please?” you asked, borderline annoyed. “Last time I checked, Stark Industries’ contract signing was still on the calendar for today’s agenda.”
“And it still is,” Timmons acknowledged. “It’s moved to an in-person signing.”
Your stomach plunged to the floor. Shit! You hadn’t printed out the contract! When was the appointment? How much time did you have? So many questions flew through your head.
How could Timmons keep something like this from you? Your heart hammered in your chest. You practically wobbled on your feet. Were you going to be sick?
I’m going to get fucking fired over this, you thought, trying to steady your breathing.
“Will you be ready to go in twenty minutes?” Timmons questioned, sitting down in the comfy desk chair and opening his laptop.
“Go?” you squeaked, attempting to recall how much you had in savings. You shook your head, trying to understand his words. Was he already asking you to clear out your desk?
“Yes. The car will be here at nine,” he said, keyboard clacking as he typed something.
“Car?” you asked, finding great difficulty comprehending the situation. Your head felt like it was stuffed with cotton.
Timmons regarded you in bafflement. “Have you been drinking?”
“What? NO!” you declared. You didn’t need that added to “the inability to perform required tasks” as a reason for your firing.  “I’m-I’m just really confused, sir.”
“About what?” Timmons asked, sitting back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap.
“Well…” you started. “What do we need a car for?”
His chocolate brown eyes shone with what you imagined might be excitement. “To drive upstate, of course.” He smirked as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desktop.
Upstate? What was upstate?
Timmons’ smile broadened as realization crept across your face. “Are we-”
“Yup!” he interrupted gleefully. He was like a child in a candy store. “We are headed to the Avengers Compound with a personal invitation from Tony Stark himself!”
You blinked several times at your boss, not entirely computing what he’d said. You were usually a lot quicker on the uptake than this. Why were you having such an off-day? 
“We?” you asked, shaking your head clear of the cobwebs. Why on Earth would he bring you along?
“I need someone who knows the ins and outs of these contract signings,” he said, fiddling with his pen again.
Wasn’t that his job?
“I’m just the schmoozer- the people-person,” he admitted, shrugging. “You’re the real brains behind this whole operation.
You nodded your head in agreement. He wasn’t wrong. The office would collectively collapse without you, and it felt good to hear your actual boss say it out loud.
“You better not forget it, either. Especially when my job performance evaluation comes around,” you asserted.
Timmons swiftly saluted you as if he was the subordinate. You huffed a laugh at him while shaking your head with incredulity. You took a step or two toward the office door before looking over your shoulder at him.
Timmons had turned back to his laptop screen already and started typing again. “So, twenty minutes?” he asked with an air of levity.
You faltered, nearly tripping over your feet. “Wait? You were serious about that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Timmons wondered, looking up hurriedly from his laptop.
“I need to print out the contract and make copies, for one thing,” you mentioned, almost accusatory. Maybe if he had warned you ahead of time, you wouldn’t be so defensive.
“Already taken care of,” he soothed.
“What do you mean it’s ‘already taken care of’?” you asked, raising your hands to make quotation marks with your fingers.
“I had one of the other grunts do it last night.”
You gaped at Timmons like a goldfish, mouth popping open and closed. Did you hear him correctly? Timmons did something to make your job easier? You could hug him right now! You felt like pinching yourself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
Once you gathered your wits again, you glanced to your feet bashfully. “Oh,” you spoke, absently fingering the bottom button of your cardigan. “Thank you.” You smiled gratefully.
Timmons returned the smile with one of his own. “You’re welcome.”
“Nine o’clock, then,” you agreed, moving further toward the doorway.
“On the dot!”
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Words couldn’t even begin to describe the Avengers Compound. You’d seen it on the news, sure, but that didn’t compare to seeing it in real life. It was grandiose, imposing. You felt dwarfed in size looking up to the high rooftop. 
It was almost ostentatious in a way. Much like the man who designed it. Larger than life.
Tony Stark.
Tony had insisted he take you and Timmons around on the tour of the compound. You still hadn’t seen the need for a tour.
“When Tony Stark invites you to tour the Avengers compound, you don’t say no,” Timmons had said in the car-ride up when you questioned why it was necessary.
It was all superfluous, really. Like Tony was trying to woo the firm to sign them, not the other way around.
A headache was forming at the base of your skull as you waited in line at the reception desk to return your visitor security badge.
The tour of the facility seemed to have been drug out longer than it needed. Tony had appeared overeager to show off every little gadget or trinket. Or maybe he just liked to hear himself talk.
When Timmons excepted the lunch invitation after the tour was completed, you felt the urge to run down to the armory, grab a gun, and shoot yourself in the foot. You were kicking yourself for ever agreeing to come on this dumb tour.
As the line slowly dragged forward, the muffled noise of men’s voices caught your ear. It sounded like an argument. Your line of sight followed to where the altercation originated.
Standing twenty feet away was Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, clearly disagreeing.
Your breath stilled as you watched the two super soldiers quarrel in a near-stage-whisper. What could they be fighting about?
From your place in line, you saw Bucky shake his head adamantly, his chestnut hair swishing about his shoulders. He might have even stamped his foot like a child, but you were too preoccupied with the look of abject horror on his face. He turned away as if to flee, but his friend caught him by the shoulder to stop him.
Were you causing this reaction from him?
You looked to your right to see if there was possibly someone else. All you noticed, though, was an empty space. Had you hurt Bucky’s feelings that badly? Your stomach clenched. The last thing you wanted was to be on an Avengers’ shit-list.
Glancing back to the two men, you caught Steve gesturing Bucky forward with short sweeping motions of his hands. Bucky shook his head again, stubbornly.
Even at this distance, you could feel the frustration rolling off Captain America.
Like a sucker-punch to the gut, you suddenly became very aware you were eavesdropping on Captain America and his best friend.
Your cheeks heated instantaneously, embarrassed of your staring. You shouldn’t be spying on them, you admonished. No matter how much your curiosity is piqued. 
It was none of your business.
You turned away from them, facing the reception desk again.
As hard as you tried not to pay attention, you could still see what looked like wild gesturing from the corner of your eye.
What if they started fighting? Shouldn’t you be conscious of your surroundings for your own safety? You fidgeted in your spot as you debated your moral compass.
Fuck it, you thought.
As you peered over to the two super soldiers, Steve shoved Bucky forward gently, causing the latter to trip over his booted feet. Bucky glared back at his friend, his hands clenching into fists. Steve shooed him further. You could barely make out the word “Go!” on his lips.
As if in slow motion, you eyed Bucky taking step after step toward you. Was he coming over here?
Once you realized what was happening, your heart plummeted to your knees as your head whipped around to the front of the line.
Bucky Barnes was definitely walking over to you. 
Had he noticed you staring?
You tried to stabilize your heart rate with slow, easy breaths, but Bucky was beside you much sooner than you could imagine.
A waft of aftershave hit your nose- woodsy and deliciously masculine. Your stomach swooped.
God, he smelled good.
Without having to turn your head, you could feel his brawny mass hovering near you.
How do you play this?
Perplexed? 
“Oh, my gosh! I had no idea you’d be here!” Of course, he wouldn’t believe that. This is where the Avengers lived. He’d probably think you were a stalker.
Apologetic?
“I’m so sorry Peter and I made fun of you! Will you ever forgive me?” Nah, too needy or clingy.
Or--
Before you could think of any other ways to portray the situation, you heard a large gush of air escape from Bucky. Was he nervous?
“Hey-hey, (Y/N),” he said, voice shaky.
You gazed to your left. Bucky looked as white as a ghost. Had his ego taken that big of a hit?
At that moment, you wanted to do nothing more than wrap him in your arms and tell him sorry, and everything would be okay. You couldn’t, of course. You didn’t know the guy. So you settled for the next best thing.
You smiled at him beatifically. “Hello, Mr. Barnes.”
Like a veil had been pulled, his demeanor changed instantly. He returned the smile. “Ja-” he started but scrunched his nose as if he’d made a mistake. “Please. Call me Bucky.”
“Okay, Bucky,” you replied.
Timmons turned around, ahead of you in line, and eyeballed you. You gave him a dismissive look, praying he wouldn’t butt in.
“So, you here visiting?” Bucky asked, observing the badge in your hand.
“Sorta. It’s a work thing,” you remarked, waving the plastic fob in the air. “Stark Industries has hired my firm as their PR representative. It was signing day.”
“Ah,” Bucky said, nodding in understanding.
“And I got the tour and lunch courtesy of Tony Stark,” you added.
“Oh, yeah?” Bucky’s eyebrows raised in interest. “What did you think?”
“Honestly?” You watched Bucky shake his head in agreement. “It was extremely overwhelming. How do you not get lost in this place?”
Bucky laughed. Crinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes, yet he looked so boyish. He was beautiful.
“When I first got here, I did several times,” he huffed. “Every hallway looks exactly the same!”
“Right?!” you exclaimed. “I kept thanking my lucky stars that I had a tour guide!” 
Timmons rolled his eyes and pivoted, facing front.
“Steve had to draw me a map to help me find my living quarters after the third time,” Bucky confessed, running a hand through his hair.
“Oh, no!” you empathized, bringing a hand up to cover your mouth. “That must have been so embarrassing!”
“Bird brain caught wind of it and gave me shit for weeks,” he lamented.
You gave him a confused look, not understanding who or what he was referring to.
Realizing his mistake, Bucky corrected, “Sorry. Bird brain is Sam.”
“Because he’s Falcon?”
Bucky bobbed his head yes, looking a little sheepish.
“It’s clever,” you grinned. “I like it.”
Bucky reciprocated the smile, and your chest warmed. It was a feeling you usually felt while texting James. Light and airy.
Finally making it to the reception desk, you relinquished your security badge to the pretty blonde in the too-tight sweater set. She handed you a clipboard to initial and fill out your departure time.
While signing, you surveyed the blonde as Bucky stepped closer. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly, and she bit down on her bottom lip. Was she giving him bedroom eyes?
A new kind of warmth flooded your body. It felt a lot like jealousy as it snaked its way up to your ribs and circled your collarbones, which was absurd because you had no claim to this man. You’d met him one other time. Why would you feel this way?
Shoving the clipboard back at the receptionist, you spun toward Bucky. He regarded her politely and nodded, “Ma’am.”
Her shoulders slumped, and a frown slithered onto her painted lips. Somehow you felt triumphant, but not sure why. Bucky hadn’t picked you over her.
Your heart thumped harder in your chest as you walked side by side with Bucky, nearing the exit. You were suddenly overcome with the feeling of apologizing. What had you told James if you ever saw Bucky again? Apologize profusely and ask him to coffee.
You smiled at Bucky once again as he rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. The sound of a throat clearing resonated nearby. It wasn’t until you glanced up did you register Timmons standing so close. You had nearly forgotten about him.
Trying to gather your courage, you glimpsed between the two men. Bucky was squinting suspiciously at Timmons, and it made you chuckle lightly. “Easy tiger,” you assured. “That’s my boss, Roger Timmons.”
Bucky’s blue eyes widened a fraction, and he raised a hand in hello. “Sir.”
Timmons raised his chin in acknowledgment before looking down at his watch. You took it as his way of telling you to hurry up.
Okay, it’s now or never.
“Would you like to go to coffee with me?” Bucky blurted out, cheeks coloring pink.
Your eyes roamed across his handsome face. The boyishness was back, along with a touch of uncertainty. He was sweet, regardless of what the media claimed about him. Your lips curled up into a broad smile. “You read my mind,” you revealed, then winced. “That’s not one of your superpowers, is it?”
Bucky tittered. “No, no mind-reading.”
“Good,” you said, relieved.
“Whaddya say? Coffee?”
You dipped your head in a slow yes. “It’ll have to be after work, though.” You motioned over your shoulder with your thumb. “The slave driver over there is taking me back to the office to put me to work.”
Giggling, as you heard a scoff come from behind where you were standing, you reached into your purse and pulled out a pen and an old receipt. You quickly jotted down your work address. Handing it to Bucky, you began moving towards Timmons. “I get off at five,” you called. “I’ll meet you in the lobby.” You waved goodbye.
Bucky smirked. “Don’t work too hard!”
You flashed him one last smile before disappearing through the exit door.
You had a coffee date with Bucky Barnes!
You couldn’t believe it! The giddiness swelled inside you.
You gazed at Timmons’ profile as you walked to the waiting car parked at the curb. He had that look on his face.
It was a long drive back to the city. There was no way you could endure it if he started up now.
You gave a stern look before you stated, “Whatever you’re thinking, keep it to yourself.”
Timmons threw his hands up in mock surrender. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Uh-huh,” you said dubiously. Timmons smiled smugly as you both climbed into the town car.
Chapter Five | Chapter 6 (part 2)
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justasparkwritings · 3 years
Text
Troll In Love: Part 1
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Pairing: Park Jimin x Reader
Genre: Enemies to Lovers / Exes to Lovers, Non-Idol AU
Rating: PG-17
Word Count: 4.6k
Warnings: Swearing
Summary: What happens when your work nemesis and your ultimate troll team up to flip your world upside down? 
Note: This piece is for the #thebtswritersclub fic exchange! Look out for Part 2 later this week. 
This fic is dedicated to, written for the incomparable @xjoonchildx​, who I have been lucky enough to be paired with. A major fan, this was an intimidating endeavor, and I’m kind of in love with what I’ve created for her. And if she hates it .... it’s trash okay? jk... kind of. 
Banner by me. 
Monday: Pitch Meeting
           “Everyone has an inherent archnemesis,” Claire began her presentation, eyes peering across the conference room, attempting to make thoughtful eye contact with her peers.
          Finally, a staff writer, this pitch marked her first foray into feature writing. It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried, in her three years at the company as a freelance writer, it wasn’t that she didn’t draft proposals, complete preliminary research, no, she absolutely did. But there was always someone in front of her, someone who always came around the corner, nicking first place with seconds to spare. Claire hated you from the moment you arrived, bright eyed and excited, a recent college graduate gunning for a position at the magazine. While it took her years to pitch a cover story feature, years to move from an assistant to full-time staff writer, you had done so in a handful of years.
          Today, Claire decided, that would change.  She had prepped and planned for weeks, laid in wait for Marissa to give her the go ahead to pitch her idea to the team. Adjusting her Dior, she shifted from heel to heel before speaking again.
          “We all have that one person who no matter what we post, they find a way to demean it, turn it negative, make it about something completely unrelated. Whether that’s politics, or religion, or sex, there is that one troll we can’t help but root against. My proposal is to use a few members of staff to find their internet trolls, to engage with them over a period of time, and if they’re willing, interview them, both separately and together. I want to discover what it is that makes them keep commenting, why they always seem to gravitate towards certain posts, who their audience is and how it relates to our greater understandings of our enemies.” Claire sighed, the heavy lifting of her presentation just beginning.
           “I like it, who do you want to use?” Marissa asked.
           “Someone from each of our most high-profile teams, or the people in our office that have the largest social media followings. For a few that overlaps,”
           “Who are those people?”
           “Y/N, Jaxson, Hoseok, Emma and Bridgette,” Claire explained. “They have an average Instagram following of ten thousand, and on Twitter it’s twelve thousand.”
           “What do you post that gets you so many followers?” Gillian questioned.
           “My ass,” Jaxson laughed. “But really, it’s Drag Race content,”
           “Good, you have a list. I need written permission from each of you to interview you and your top internet harassers.”
           “I’d like to request that my name be off the list,” You asked, hand still raised.
           Hoseok asked, knowing the answer deep in his bones. “Why?”
           “I just, I don’t think it’d be a –
           “Nonsense, you have a large following, I’m sure there’s someone who pisses you off regularly,” Marissa interrupted.
           “Yes, there is! What’s his name? Jimin?” Claire pretended to scan her page, her cursory glance perfunctory instead of practical.
           You heard the gasp leave Hoseok’s mouth before you registered what was happening.
“Fuck you!” You snapped. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate, but the sentiment remains.”
           “It was, but it also sealed your fate.” Marissa stood. “Start assembling your team and listen to Claire, I’m sure she has a list of things she needs from you.”
           “I do!” Claire chimed.
           “Great, get me the contracts from legal and get it to each of the people you’ve listed before 5PM today, I want signed consent before you leave this building.”
           “What if I don’t want to?” You asked, your final plea.
           “You owe her for the debacle with your last interview,” Marissa reminded you.
           “It’s not my fault they were drunk both times! I got the article done and out. It was one of our biggest issues in the last year and was followed up by two other feature pieces by me that beat that record,” You countered, your success an unnecessary brag in a room full of people who feared and admired your work.
           “I don��t care, Y/N, handle it,” Marissa sauntered out, her assistants following close behind.
           Slouching in your chair, your eyes landed on Claire, glaring daggers into her perfectly straight midnight bob. She was everything you hated, a brown noser, a narcissist, a career driven monster who had been biting at your heels since you arrived. She was jealous, blinded by some lofty goal that she’d be an editor or editor in chief before 28, a feat rare in fashion, unless you were Elaine Welterwroth or Margaret Zhang, of course. They had become editors and editors in chief by ages 29 and 27 respectively. Though Zhang had begun her career blogging at 16, a fact that only infuriated Claire who was too busy popping pimples and trying to lose her virginity to her junior varsity boyfriend.
          Claire could spend days listing everything she hated about you. She hated your easy interactions with coworkers, the ability to have the entire room stop and listen when you spoke, the craft of your written work and relationships maintained with subjects years after interviewing them. She hated how you left work with Hoseok on your arm or went to drinks with the assistants and interns. How you achieved so many bylines, becoming an editor in your own right without so much as breaking a sweat, while she was scraping the barrel to be noticed. You seemingly had everything Claire wanted, and Claire was sick of it.
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Monday: Your Office
           “Thank you, for your participation,” Claire said, sitting across from you in your office.
           “You aren’t welcome, I’m actually rather unimpressed with your ability to ambush not only me but the other people you’ve trapped into doing your article,” You crossed your legs, adjusting the waist band of your trousers and continued to scowl at her. Claire had only heard of your less than cheerful personality, though it remained largely rumored, she had never had it confirmed or dared to see it in person.
           “How, charming,” She rolled her eyes.
           “Look, you don’t want to be talking to me, I don’t want to be talking to you. Just tell me what you want so I can send you on your way.”
           Claire watched as you reached across your desk to grab your black and white planner, flipping open to the weeks page and holding your pen at the ready. The inside, covered in stickers and hand lettered phrases, fit the persona Claire so desperately wanted to mimic.
           “I need you to read and sign this,” Claire slid the agreement across your glass desk. “Then, I need you to identify the username of your troll, and I need to borrow an intern from your team.”  
           “You can’t have one,”
           “Marissa said I could have whatever I needed, and I need an intern to comb through your tweets.”
           “I can save you the trouble, I rarely tweet, when I do, it’s addressing the same ass hat,” You explained.
           “Well, I need their handle,”
           “Fine,”
           “And the intern,” Claire was firm.
           You rolled your eyes, before pressing the intercom. “Hey Alexis, can you send Erin to me?”
           “Sure thing,” Alexis replied.
           “Thank you,”
           Claire rolled her eyes.
           “Jealous?” You questioned.
           “Read the contract, sign it and send it back to me along with answering the Form that’s in your inbox,” Claire directed.
           “Great,”
           “I’ll be back on Friday to go over your tweets and exchanges before we decide on a tactic to reach out to them and ask them to come in for an interview,” Claire explained. It didn’t annoy you that she was prepared, but it did piss you off a little to know how much she had thought this through. Maybe you should give her a chance, professionally, not socially, Claire would remain a bottom feeder.
           “Who says they’re in the city?” You questioned.
           “If not, we’ll Zoom with them, okay?”
           “Excuse me, you wanted to see me?” Erin peered through the door; wavy bangs parted slightly to expose her forehead and freckled cheeks.
           “Yes, your projects are on hold. Claire here needs your help with her feature article, and as my intern, you are to report to her for the remainder of the project,” You explained.
           Erin’s eyes widened, never had she been reassigned to a special project, let alone with Claire who was notorious for running interns and assistants into the ground. “Who will take over my work?”
           “Can you make a list of where you’re at and send it to me? I will meet with the team tomorrow to talk about where we need to fill in the gaps,”
           “Okay,”
           “Claire, this is Erin, if you are a bitch to her, I will ensure you don’t ever write a feature piece or move past copy editor here or anywhere,”
           “I don’t know where you get off thinking you can speak to me like –
           “I am your superior, and you will respect my intern or face the consequences,”
           “Fine,” Claire turned and left, leaving Erin wondering what on earth she had been roped into.
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Tuesday: Happy Hour
           “You gave the real handle?” Hoseok asked over drinks after work, a little happy hour to celebrate leaving the office before 7PM.
           “What was I going to do? She could easily look at my Twitter and Instagram and find out, why lie?”
           “What happened to preservation?” Hoseok mocked.
           “Either I give in and get Claire off my back, or I get called to Marissa’s and have consequences, like I’m a fucking child.”
           Hoseok eyed you suspiciously. “Did you give her his name?”
           “You saw in that meeting, she already knows. I blame you,”
           “Me?”
           “Yes you, always talking about dance classes with Jimin, the good old days of photographing him and styling him in college. He abandoned me to go to school with you, and you’ve taken it all in stride.” You explained. It wasn’t a new story, a new plea, a new exploration of your tempestuous non-relationship with Jimin. It was sad, really, listening to you express the hurt you’ve never let go of.
           “He didn’t abandon you to come to school with me,” Hoseok laughed.
           “Potato, Tomato,”
           “You should talk-
           “Nope, you made your once monthly ‘you should talk to Jimin’ comment a week ago over margheritas, you don’t get another for ten more days,” You scolded.
           “Fine, fine.”
           “I don’t even know where he is,” You muttered, pink liquid of your Paloma slipping down your throat.
           “That’s a lie,”
           “Can you stop calling me out and let me hate him?” You hadn’t meant to snap, but the constant chatter revolving around Jimin was too much to handle, it was too much in two days, too much in the years since you last saw him. Park Jimin was, and has remained, too much.  
           “Fine,” Hoseok resigned. “Have you looked at your tweets lately?”
           “No, I refuse to go back and read whatever horrors I wrote in 2019,”
           “You should,” He suggested.
           “I guarantee Claire will force me to read them. Probably aloud at some last-minute staff meeting she puts together on Friday to fucking fillet me,” You rolled your eyes again, the last dregs of grapefruit clumping together as they slid down the side of your glass.
           “Maybe if you weren’t so,” He starts.
           “Bitchy?”
           “Your words, then she would like you,”
           “She’s hated me since I got there, I’ve tried being nice. I’ve tried being cordial. Claire and I will never mix,” You explained.
           “He’s gone blonde you know,” Hoseok’s eyes have flittered past you, glancing down the street at the setting sun, glad he brought his latest Gucci jacket to keep him warm in the early spring evening.
           “Didn’t you hit your moratorium on how long you can talk about Jimin in a conversation?”
           “You said his name!” Hoseok argued.
           “He isn’t Trump, Hoseok. I can say his name, sometimes.”  
           Hoseok let the moment simmer, cooling gently before turning it up to a raucous boil. “I’m having a kick back next Wednesday, will you come?”
           “If he’s not there,” You answered.
           “I can’t promise that,”
           “Then I can’t promise either,” Chewing the ice from your glass, you let your mind wander to the possibilities of what might happen should you show up to Hoseok’s party and are greeted by Jimin. Blonde Jimin. Jimin with the sparkling eyes and winning smile. Jimin who harasses you on the internet weekly, Jimin who you haven’t spoken to since you were 22, Jimin whom you hated with every fiber of your being.
           Worst case scenario, you couldn’t avoid him and would be forced to speak words to him. Best case, you time it perfectly and he’s either just left or hasn’t arrived and you can doll out pleasantries before Irish-goodbying and never having to confront him.
           “Y/N, please, you haven’t seen my new place yet and it’s finally furnished,” Hoseok pleaded.
           “I’ll think about it,” You resigned.
           “Great!”
           “I fucking hate you and our friendship,” You scoffed, signaling the waiter to bring you the check. You should’ve ordered food, being buzzed and talking about Jimin was never a good idea.
           “I know you do.” Hoseok winked before picking up the tab for you both.
           “At least tell me you haven’t invited Seokjin,” You asked, slipping your coat over your shoulders.
           “Well-
           “You’re fucking with me, right?” You questioned. “You fucking invited both of my exes to a, I’m sorry, kick back? Hoseok, no.”
           “I love you, and I’m sorry, Seokjin helped me find some great pieces for the place, and you know he’s friends with Namjoon and Jungkook,” He tried to explain.
           “That doesn’t mean I want to stare at them over my tenth flute of champagne and my plate which will be piled high with cheese and crackers and pieces of salami.”
           “You and Seokjin are fine though, you ended-
           “Don’t say amicably,” You cut him off.
           “Well, close to it. Please,” He begged. Begging never looked good on Hoseok.
           Staring into his dark irises, a shade mimicking your own, you couldn’t hold the anger brewing. Being around Seokjin was always a better alternative than Jimin. Though the pity he often felt towards you, at your angered state which has never really subsided, was embarrassing. “I’ll think about it.”
           “I love you,” Hoseok pulled you into a hug.
           “Yeah, yeah, then why do you keep doing this to me?”
           “Because I love you,”
           “Tell Taehyung to call me,” You said, waving to him before stepping into the waiting Lyft you’d called at the bar.
           “I will, can’t make any promises,” Hoseok winked before turning towards the subway, where he’d pull out his head phones and scan through the photos he’d taken throughout the day, waiting to get home to Taehyung to analyze, edit and critique them.
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Thursday: Claire’s Makeshift Office
           “Are you ready?” Claire asked, sifting through the papers on her desk.
           “You had me come to your office, after you scheduled a meeting to ask if I’m ready? Yes Claire, I’m fucking ready,” You snapped.
           “Erin,” Claire gestured towards your intern who tried to hold her eye roll.
           “So, I combed through your tweets, sifting through your interactions with Mochimin, which is a very creative username,” Erin began.
           “Yeah, his name and nickname combined,” You rolled your eyes.
           “And we read through them all, well mostly me… and I have to ask, are you sure these are your tweets?” Erin questioned.
           “Yes, and what should be his responses,” You answered reaching forward to grab the printed copies waiting for you. You scanned over the interactions, the subtweets, the blatant tags, the retweets and comments not just by Jimin, but a few of your friends too.
           “Why have you been telling us he’s the troll?” Erin asked.
           Her question caught you off guard, eyes wide, shock echoing in your bones.
           “What the fuck? What do you mean? Look at how he fucking responded!”
           “Y/N, you’re the troll!” Erin laughed. “It’s you, not him,”
           “I am not! This is a fucking joke! It’s not April Fools yet, way to put the cart before the horse!” Your voice radiated throughout the small conference room.
          Claire, not having an office of her own, had requested it to conduct most of her teams work. It was your least favorite of the conference rooms, colder both in décor and temperature than the others, it was situated on the corner leading to the kitchen. Glass on two walls, it was the definition of exposed. Everyone could see your outburst. Everyone could watch you fall to pieces. You guessed Claire had planned it this way, to demonstrate how focused her team was, how dedicated to the project they were, to show everyone her value as a staff writer instead of a freelancer. You also assumed she did this to ensure that whatever break down you were beginning to have, would have at least ten witnesses, ten people to side with her that your behavior was irresponsible and reckless.
           “Oh please, get over yourself,” Claire chuckled. The light in her eyes proved your assumptions, she was enjoying this. “Do you see how you interact with him?”
          “What do you mean how I interact with him? He started this!” You lowered your volume, side glances from colleagues passing by alerting you to the unprofessional decibels you’d began reaching.
          “In almost every interaction, you bait him, hook line and sinker. It’s you, Y/N,” Erin explained.
           “No!”
           “Yes, this poor man, just living his life while you’re purposefully harassing him!” Claire feigned shock, eyes widening, mouth slightly open. It was taking everything in you not to resort to physical violence.  
           “I would never,” You glowered.
           “You have! For years, it’s always you,” Erin said again.
          “I, no, that’s impossible. He started it!”
          “Admitting is the first step,” Claire’s placid smile was demanding to be smacked off.
          “Fuck you! This is ridiculous!”
          “July 10, 2020: Thinking of one man in particular, hoping the bleach in his locks burns in the summer heat.Followed by his comment: thinking of one woman in particular, hoping she knows I wear a hat and use purple shampoo.” Erin read.
          “I, I, no!”
          “October 13: Nothing makes me happier than not being invited to a birthday bash with all my friends. He responded: All you have to do is ask. On your birthday, he tweeted: Happy B-Day to the girl who … oh never mind she hates me. You responded: nobody asked for your half-hearted bullshit, next time I hope you choke on it.”
          “He started it!”
          “Why are you so awful to him?” Erin wanted to know.
          “I am not, he began harassing me first,” You tried to argue.
          “Does Hoseok know?” Claire chided.
          “Know what?”
          “About your vendetta,”
          “It’s not a vendetta!”
          “Then explain why you tweet or subtweet him at least twice a week, and then when he responds, tweet him again! You don’t even tag him, just vaguely mention discernable parts of his personality or appearance,” Erin explained.
          “I do not! How do you know what he looks like?” You tried to counter.
          “His profile picture, and a certain friend of yours doesn’t mind sharing-
          “You asked Jungkook? Or was it Taehyung? Or I’m sorry, both?” Your eyes were wide, breathing labored, anger boiling to inhumane levels.
          “Well, if we asked Hoseok you would’ve kno-
          “You called or texted or DM’ed Jungkook and Taehyung, and asked about Jimin?”
          “Yes,” Erin bowed her head, guilt written into the freckles her blush tried so desperately to hide.
          “I cannot believe you, Erin,” You spat.
          “I’m sorry Claire wanted me to,”
          You turned your gaze to Claire, who had begun to cower in her seat.
          “You did the one thing, the absolute one thing that you knew, you fucking knew, would set me off. You did this on purpose, you fucking bottom feeder, you fucking dillweed you crossed the fucking line, Claire,” You spat. Your volume had lowered into a low growl, far more deadly and intimidating than any yelling you had done.
          “We have the proof, Y/N, you can’t deny it, you attack Jimin regularly,” Claire unskillfully attempted to move the conversation away from Jungkook and Taehyung. Like you would balk at her intrusion.
          “You don’t get to violate my personal life, to violate the lives of the people I care deeply about, to expose sources and put them in danger should this article go south, poking and prodding into the lives of people who are dealing with their own bullshit to push your own fucking agenda, Claire,” You were seething, Te Fiti in Moana, Mrs. Weasley against Bellatrix, Kim Kardashian against the ocean searching for her diamond. Your wrath knows no bounds, and Claire had finally crossed the line into territory she could never come back from.
          “It’s for the job, nothing personal.” Claire shrugged. You could see it in her eyes, she wanted blood and was elated to be getting it.
          “This is entirely personal.”
          “Well, you can ask Jimin about it when we interview him,” She smiled, lips upturning revealing her veneers, red lipstick perfectly matte and shaped against her thin flesh.
          “No, absolutely not,” You shook your head.  
          “Yes, that’s part of the deal you agreed to,”
          “I take it back. I revoke my consent!”
          “It’s non-negotiable,” Marissa said. She had sauntered in during your berating, watching as you tried and failed to continue believing that you weren’t the troll. “You have agreed to this, and you will sit through the interview and cordially answer Claire’s questions.”
          “Marissa, this is crossing a line,” You stated.
          “You have to be held accountable,” Claire said.
          “Fuck you, Claire. Believe it or not, there are somethings that are beyond your understanding and a few that are not appropriate for work,” You continued to scold her.
          “Y/N, why are you being so hostile?” Claire was mocking you, with Marissa by her side, she was invincible.
          “You picked me on purpose. What have you been working with Hoseok? Is this some larger plan to get me to talk to Jimin? I don’t want to talk with Jimin or talk to Jimin, isn’t it bad enough he’s being brought into my work? Oh and let’s not forget you using Erin and Hoseok to gain access to Jungkook and Taehyung, who are beyond off limits.” You listed each of her offenses, careful to leave out indiscretions that occurred before this project of hers began.  
          “You agreed to-
          “No, I was forced to do this by you, Marissa,” You began.
          It wasn’t hard to glower at Marissa, one of the most decorated editors in chief, beloved by Condé Nast, best friend of Anna Wintour… Everyone aspired to be her, but in the last year, through your promotion and growing turbulence within the magazine, her leadership had begun to falter. Her steady hand, guiding each staff writer and editor towards success and elevating everyone’s work, was crumbling at an alarming pace. Yet, no one knew why or if anything was being done to rectify the damage her wake was leaving.
          “I was coerced into this under some pretense that I owe Claire something for a so called fuck up that resulted in the biggest boon in our magazines readership in the last year, which was followed up by not one but two feature bylines and my promotion. I have done more than enough at this company, in this industry, to sit here and be forced to engage with a man who destroyed my world. I will not speak with him, or to him or listen to him. I will not, and if you force me, I will get legal involved. Should this bullshit continue, you can expect my letter of resignation next week.”
          Standing and shoving your chair in, you turned on the heels of your Oxfords and marched straight to your office. Closing your laptop and shoving your planner into your tote, you grabbed your phone.
          “Where are you going?” Hoseok asked. He moved in time with you, following down the many corridors of your office and towards the elevators.
          As you stepped in, you pressed lobby and waited for the doors to be closed before turning to him.
          “Did you tell Erin she could contact Jungkook and Taehyung?” You asked.
          “She did what?” Hoseok yelled, soundwaves bounding off the metal and plastic of the elevator, reverberating in your ears.
          “Did you?”
          “No, I can’t believe she, are you serious?” Hoseok couldn’t lie, a fundamental flaw in his design made it impossible for him to tell the smallest fib.
          “Did you work with Erin and Claire to get me involved in this feature? To get me to talk to Jimin?” You didn’t mince your words or pad your language to make him feel less attacked. You needed the answer, and you needed it now.
          “No, I didn’t know Claire was doing this until she pitched it. You think I would-
          “Hoseok, they called Jungkook and Taehyung. They want Jimin to come in to be interviewed, they won’t stop until I-
          “Until you what?”
          “Marissa has always supported me, championed me. But Claire has her number, she has her locked and loaded, aiming for me and I don’t know why,” You confided.
          “She has been slipping lately,” He agreed. “There’s only one way to stop this,”
          Together you stepped out of the elevator, moving past the turnstiles to the revolving door.
          “Am I crazy?” You asked, the insecurity beginning to overtake your bravery.
          “No, something weird is going on,”
          You clarified, “No, I mean, am I crazy for… for doing this to Jimin?”
          “I don’t know if you’re crazy, but you’ve definitely not been your best self,” Hoseok answered.
          “He makes me so-
“You still love him,” Hoseok interrupted.
          “I-
          “Go talk to him,” Hoseok encouraged. “Call me after, we can get drinks and wallow or pick out an outfit for your hot date.”
          “What if he-
          “Just, talk to him, okay?” Hoseok requested.
          “Okay,”
          “I’ll check in with Jungkookie and Taehyungie,” He assured.
          “Thank you,”
          “I’ll also scope out open positions, we can’t stay here,”
          “I love you, Hobi,” You confided, a statement that flowed so easily past your lips, you didn’t have to think or parse through the emotions that went along with it. You’ve always loved him, always will.
          “I love you too, Y/N,” Hoseok draped his arm around your shoulders before placing a kiss to your forehead, a gentle embrace, a squeeze of confidence, a gesture of love. He moved swiftly from you back into the building, and as you watched him walk away, you took a deep breath.
          Taking your phone out of your pocket, you dialed a number you had tried to forget.
          “To what do I owe this unexpected delight of a call?” He asked. His voice was the same, chipper and cunning in the same breath.
          “I need to speak with you, ASAP,” You told him.
          “Okay, I’m working from home today, come over whenever,” He invited you without hesitation.
          “You still live at the same place?”
          “No, moved up. I’ll send you the address,”
          “You know who this is?” You asked, uncertainty back in your bones.
          “What, Y/N, you thought I deleted your number?” Jimin laughed, one of only a few sounds that shot right to your knees, making any posture unstable in the docile sounds of his joy.
          “I, I don’t know, I guess. Look I’m going to hail a cab, I’ll be there in 20,”
          “I look forward to it, just tell the doorman you’re here for me and he’ll let you up,” Jimin said.
          “Okay, see you soon, I guess,”
          “I can’t wait,” Jimin was smiling, you couldn’t see it, but the lilt in his voice was all the assurance you needed. Bracing yourself for the impact of him, of his voice, of his laugh, of the way he looked at you, you hailed one of the last remaining cabs in the city and prayed for courage.  
Next: Troll in Luv Pt. 2
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What the hell was that last act???
So first of all I want to say that I did enjoy most of the movie. It was okay. The sex scenes didn’t do anything for me though since I’m just not interested in sex at all. But while I more-or-less liked the movie, I felt that the big plot twists in the last act and the ending were badly done because… how the fuck did ANY of them manage to get away with ANY OF THAT??? Like from a legal standpoint it’s just ???
This got so much longer than I anticipated, so the rest is under the read more. And yes, there are so many spoilers. So if you haven't seen The Voyeurs yet and don't want spoilers, please avoid this.
Seb and Julia literally confess to selling their old apartment in order to spy on the people who live there and use them for their art show. Like, yes, they put that clause in the Terms of Agreement for the apartment (which literally no one ever reads) but there is still the matter of Informed Consent. Informed Consent is usually in the form of a contract Pippa and Thomas both need to read and sign, or via verbal questions and answers which is filmed so Seb and Julia would have physical proof of an agreement. This is basically telling them what footage was taken, how it will be used, and if Seb and Julia have permission to share the footage publicly. In Thomas’ case, since he’s dead, his next-of-kin will be asked. Only then are Seb and Julia legally allowed to publicly share and showcase the Pippa and Thomas’ pictures. And Seb is a professional photographer! He should know that!
Have you ever seen prank shows? Like even the ones on YouTube. Have you noticed at the end of some videos, there would be a part where the filmers would approach the person who was pranked and ask if they could use their footage in the video. That’s Informed Consent. They need to ask permission to use a person’s footage in a video or if they need to blur out the person’s face for privacy. Seb and Julia even showed a picture of a dead man for chrissakes! Remember the outcry when that YouTuber posted a video of a suicide victim in Japan???
The Japanese interviewer was right to disapprove of their methods because even though there was a clause in the Terms of Agreement, the prank (because isn’t that what that whole show they did was?) or experiment still resulted with someone killing themself (yes I know it was murder, but the world doesn't know it). They can possibly still be held liable for causing Thomas to kill himself the same way a prankster can be held liable if their victim dies from a prank because of this thing in Law called the Eggshell Rule or Eggshell Plaintiff.
What this means is that a defendant is liable for any injuries caused by the defendant’s actions, regardless of how unforeseeable or uncommon the plaintiff’s reactions to the defendant’s actions are. So for example, there is a scary prank where the prankster jumps out of the bushes and terrifies people. One of them turns out to have a heart condition, suffers a heart attack, and dies. Regardless of the victim’s frailty, the prankster can be held liable for exacerbating the condition and causing the victim’s death. Likewise in the movie, they can say that Seb and Julia, by orchestrating the whole thing and making Thomas see his girlfriend cheating on him, could have caused him to become broken-hearted and kill himself. Therefore, Seb and Julia can be liable for Thomas’ death.
And then here’s the kicker! The famous photographer and his wife, a famous model, both suddenly end up blind AFTER their big art show where they displayed Pippa’s scandal. And not by accident. No. This was obviously surgically done. And NOBODY suspected foul play?? Nobody thought about revenge?? Nobody thought it strange how their blindness was clearly done with a surgical/medical precision nor suspected the couple’s subject, Pippa, who they thoroughly humiliated, who also worked as an optometrist technician at a lab that has the machines that could cause that kind of blindness??? And they're both still alive! They can easily tell the police who did it!
It should have been way too easy for the police to know that it was foul play. Blood tests can tell that Seb and Julia had been drugged. How they were blinded can be traced to the optometry lab. Pippa would be the easiest main suspect due to her connection to them with revenge as the main motivation after they humiliated her in that art show.
And yes, I agree that what Seb and Julia did was wrong. They used Pippa and Thomas, and then murdered Thomas so they can have some juicy story to tell!
Even so, what happened to Ethical Codes in the medical field? What happened to the Hippocratic Oath? Non-maleficience rule? “Do No Harm”? Pippa should have been slammed with, idk, medical malpractice or something, after using her knowledge of the LASIK machine and using it to permanently blind people (which is an actual fear real people have about LASIK surgery), have her license revoked, be fired from her job, and possibly serve jail time. Why is she walking free all willy-nilly and still being allowed to continue stalking Seb and Julia?
I’ll admit though that maybe I’m being more harsh towards Pippa because I myself used to be a Board Certified medical professional (my license expired last year because I hadn't been working in that field for a while) and because of that, her actions angered and horrified me more.
Normally, we as an audience are made to root for the main character or hero, but I found it difficult to do so because Pippa herself is a terrible person. She's a pervert and a creep. She was obsessed with the lives of other people, stalked them, and even went as far as committing crimes in order to fuel her obsession - trespassing, breaking and entering, destruction of private property.
And my goodness this actually makes me think of a few Ben Hardy stans who are like this. Well, idk if going to Ben's school so that she can get a copy of a school film he was in can be considered a crime, but it's still fucking creepy.
Pippa’s got that Savior Complex where she tries to rescue this poor neglected wife from her horrible cheating husband (the same one she herself wants to fuck because she’s obsessed with him). And then when it all goes south, she immediately turns around and blames THOMAS of all people because “he started it”. Like, so what if he did?? He still had enough maturity to realize when they were taking it too far, and decided to stop with the stalking. He told her to stop multiple times but she was too blinded by her obsession and lust for a man that she doesn’t even know.
AND THEN!! She stalked a grieving husband (I know we know that was a lie but Pippa didn't know that) and proceeded to cheat on her boyfriend with said grieving husband. And frankly, I don’t understand why she’s so vengeful about Thomas’ death considering how easily she forgot him so that she could cheat on him. Like. Who knows, maybe he still would’ve killed himself regardless of the poisoned drink because the last thing he saw was his girlfriend cheating on him with the man she’d been obsessed with for the past idk how long. Even in the scene after Thomas died, there was a momentary grief where Pippa was all “it’s my fault Thomas died” but it was all too brief and immediately after she went back to obsessing and asking about Seb. And they want me to believe that she’d want to avenge Thomas’ death? No. I think she blinded Seb and Julia because she was angry at being called out for her obsession. For being told that she was wrong to go that far. It wasn’t about her “love” for Thomas. It was about how humiliated she was about being wrong.
Can you believe that Pippa gave this whole speech with the fable about being content with what you have and not to try to be greedy by wanting more and then she just immediately DOES THE OPPOSITE OF THE MORAL by cheating on her boyfriend because she wanted more aka Seb???
The more that I think about it, I feel like the true villain of the movie is Pippa herself. Her obsession with Seb is what started the whole thing. If she had been able to keep a healthy distance, none of that would’ve happened to begin with. There would be no fights over how far things were going. Seb would have no scandal to tell. She worsened Thomas’ insecurities of not being enough for her, making him go to great lengths just to try to please her. Poor Thomas. He truly deserved better.
Pippa also has awful friends. Instead of stamping down the creepy behavior, they’re giving tips on how to listen in on other people’s private conversations! And then later try to excuse her cheating on Thomas. And then help with her obsession AGAIN.
Acting-wise, I felt that Natasha, Ben, and Justice were incredible and I loved them. I love how conflicted Ben played Seb and how you can see it in his eyes. My favorite scene was the one where Seb and Julia had that confrontation over the wine where Seb asks if she ever felt guilty and Julia just stares right back and stares him down. Natasha was brilliant as Julie pretending to be all friendly and vulnerable with Pippa. Justice was very emotional and I love the scenes where he was horrified at how far Pippa was taking everything. For me, Sydney was the weakest one at acting. While there were some okay parts, her face can be really stiff at some points, like during the sex scenes.
Overall, I thought the movie to be quite thought-provoking especially in this day and age where people can find the most intimate details of another person’s life so easily, be that through Carrd, Instagram stories, Facebook feeds, and other social media sites. It makes you think about parasocial relationships, how people can be so obsessed about people that they’ve never even met, and how that obsession can easily grow into something dangerous that can ruin lives. Good movie, terrible last act. Too much sex for my taste, but then it wouldn’t be called an erotic movie.
Outside of the movie, I really love the chemistry between the four of them. I love watching their interviews and seeing how they interact with each other.
Last but not the least, I know this may be random but my brain likes to zoom in on the weirdest things. How on earth did Pippa manage to get Seb on top of that operating table?? No offense but Pippa is fucking tiny. Seb’s like twice her size and mostly muscle AND unconscious. Like ??? Sorry but that threw me off so much it’s ridiculous.
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latte-fairytaekwoon · 4 years
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𝑀𝑎𝑓𝑖𝑎! 𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝐷𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔
Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning, supporting, justifying or encouraging mafia activities or lifestyle. This is all fictional and not meant to represent real life scenarios.
꧁𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰꧂
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"Mom! Dad's being annoying again!"
You walked into the office only to see your daughter huffing with arms crossed as your husband sat in his chair, busy writing something down.
"What is it this time?" You mentally prepared yourself to hear some silly thing.
"It's nothing dear. I already told her I'm considering allowing her classmate to take her to the school's dance." Hongjoong responded as if he wasn't guilty of anything.
"See? He usually says no. So what's the problem?" You asked your daughter.
"He's making an 'application to date my daughter' to give to my date!" Your daughter exclaimed.
"What?" You walked over to Hongjoong and snatched the paper away from him and began quoting some of it:
"Thank you for your interest? Please allow 4 to 6 years for processing? If you've been rejected, you will be notified by 2 men carrying violin cases? Any false information may result in punishment by dismemberment, crucifixion, Chinese water torture?!"
"Kim Hongjoong!" You threw the paper back at him.
"What?! I'm only trying to look out for my baby! I only want the best for her." He defended himself.
"At this point, you might as well send me to a convent!" Your daughter furiously marched away to go lock herself in her room.
"Are you happy now?" You raised an eyebrow at Hongjoong.
"Not yet. But once I finish these last details on the application, I will be." He smiled as he resumed his task.
You threw your hands up in anger. "You're unbelievable!"
Hongjoong looked back at you and stuck his tongue out.
"If you were me, you'd do the same!"
꧁𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪꧂
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Seonghwa kept pacing back and forth in the living room, unable to calm down.
"Would you please stop it?" You finally told him, annoyed by his fidgeting.
"Stop what?" He asked rather confused.
"That! Stop being so dramatic about this. You knew this would happen sooner or later." You reminded him.
"And I sincerely hoped it'd be a lot later. Waaay later." Seonghwa sighed.
"It's just a first date. It's not like sending one of your rookies out on their first mission." You joked to lighten the mood.
"There's a huge difference... this is my daughter we're talking about! My daughter! My beacon of light in this dark world." He pouted.
"Speaking of which, here she comes!" You pointed to your daughter, who is happily skipping over to you two.
"Look mom! What do you think?! Do you think he'll like it?!" She asked as she twirled around in a sparkly red dress.
"You look gorgeous honey. Of course he'll like it! Right Seonghwa?"
You turned to Seonghwa, who just stood there awkwardly, his eye was visibly twitching.
"Does.....does it have to be that short?" He asked.
He let out a yelp of pain when you elbowed him on his side. He looked over at you and you silently warned him to behave.
Sighing, he smiled at your daughter. "You're absolutely beautiful darling."
She beamed with happiness and hugged you both before running out the door once she heard a car beeping. Seonghwa just watched her as she left.
"See? That wasn't so bad right? The overprotective dad mode isn't necessary."
Seonghwa laughed awkwardly at that.
"Haha....yeah right."
As soon as you were out of sight, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
"All units on sector 3 better report to me any sign of physical contact that happens between them. Over."
꧁𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸꧂
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"It's already 2:31, she's late." Yunho blurted out.
"What are you talking about?" You asked him.
"I mean school is over at 2, it's only a 30 minute drive from here to there and vice versa. They're late, we gotta make sure they're all right."
You grabbed his arm when he sprinted from the couch.
"Yunho, it's only been 1 minute-"
"2 minutes now actually." He corrected you.
You sighed, praying for patience.
"Point is, it's her first day of school, maybe there was a lot of traffic and you're overreacting. She'll be here soon." You tried to calm him down.
Yunho sat back down and huffed. "I still say we should have just home schooled her."
"Public school isn't going to kill her!" You argued.
"I got the best tutors and professors on speed dial. They're more than willing to give my daughter the best education money can buy!" Yunho repeated what he's been saying for months.
"She needs to learn to interact with people, develop social skills. You're making a fuss over nothing. It's only the first day, and see? Where's the danger? What's the problem so far?" You tried reasoning with him.
"Problem is..... she's not here!" He exclaimed.
Right at that moment, your 6 year old daughter came running in, straight to her father's arms.
"She's here now, and in one piece." You told him.
"Hi sweetheart. Did you have fun today?" He asked as he bounced your daughter in his lap.
"Very! We got to paint, and play around, and at recess, a boy asked me to be his girlfriend and I said sure!" She babbled happily.
Yunho's smile dropped when he heard that last part. He looked over at you, and you were just on the verge of laughing at his reaction.
"See?! Now we got a problem! Some boy is already trying to take my daughter away and corrupt her!" He whined.
"Oh relax Yunho! They're 6 years old! The worst that can happen right now is he gets her sick or something." You shook your head at him.
Yunho held your daughter and looked at her seriously.
"Honey, listen to me. Stay away from boys, they have cooties and they're evil vicious villains who'll just hurt you. Ok? Can you do that for daddy?" He made puppy dog eyes at her.
You face palmed at him.
꧁𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰꧂
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"You know Yeosang, you've been having a lot more drinks than usual...." San pointed it out to him.
"I wanna drink tonight to forget and pretend like today didn't just happen." Yeosang said as he downed another shot.
"Yeosang, we've all been there like you were tonight. Trust me, you'll get over it." Wooyoung reminded him.
"Not me! I was the most supportive out of all of you! I was the perfect dad." San smiled, his cute dimples on full display.
"Hey! I was supportive as well!..... sort of. ." Yeosang replied sheepishly.
"Oh yeah? What happened then? Do tell us." Mingi rested his face in his hand, ready to hear Yeosang's story.
Yeosang began reminiscing about what happened a few hours before:
He stood there awkwardly, the young lad that was taking his daughter to prom right in front of him, trying his best to make a great impression of him. But Yeosang wasn't making it easy with his cold icy stare. He just couldn't believe someone was daring to come between him and his daughter.
"I'm ready!"
They both turned and looked over at you and your daughter, all dressed to perfection. The boy's breath was taken away and he was almost drooling. Meanwhile, Yeosang was clenching his fist so much it almost drew blood. After taking so many pictures, she hugged you both goodbye. The boy went to shake Yeosang's hand, but Yeosang instead pulled him in for a caring and ,somewhat suspicious, hug.
"Well then?" Hongjoong asked, snapping him back to reality.
Yeosang gulped.
"Ok. So I may or may not have threatened to cut off his balls if he tried anything...."
꧁𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷꧂
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Even though San was extremely close to your daughter and yes he was protective of her, he was also overjoyed and very supportive when she asked for permission to go on a date. He immediately stood up and began bombarding her with questions:
"Who was the boy? Where did you meet? How long have you two known each other? Where do you guys wanna go? How much will you need? Want me to set you guys up at an expensive restaurant? Are you two in love?"
On the day of the actual date, he seemed more excited than your own daughter. He actually hired a photographer to capture every single moment.
"Ok honey I think that's enough photos, the kids might lose their reservation." You tried to make sure they actually made it to the date.
San gasped. "Oh right right! Well you kids have fun and don't worry about paying! I rented the whole thing out for you two!"
He pulled your daughter in for a tight and squishy hug, reminding her how much he loved her and to take care. He also gave the boy a firm pat on the back before watching them get in the limousine and drive away. Even after a few minutes, he stood there silently.
He sighed happily.
"They grow up so fast.....it feels like it was only yesterday when I held her in my arms for the first time....."
You watched San and could tell he was getting emotional.
"Are you going to cry?" You asked him.
"Me? Cry? Pssht! I'm Choi San, the manliest man of all mafia leaders and I do not cry!" He declared bravely.
He then stood there awkwardly before turning back to you. Sighing, you opened your arms.
"Come here. Let it all out." You assured him.
Instantly, San held onto you, crying his eyes out, his heart full of so many emotions.
"Oh my god my babygirl is all grown and soon she'll be leaving me, and I'm sad but I'm so happy at the same way cause I love her so much, and I love you so much and I just miss my baby already even though she's still here!"
You only patted his back and nodded at his sobbing. At least he wasn't putting a tracking device on her.
꧁𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲꧂
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You knew it was all bullshit when Mingi said he was desperately needed at the headquarters with the boys. And Seonghwa even confirmed it when you called him and he said that everything was fine, no one called a meeting. You thanked him and hung up. Grabbing your car keys, you sped to your daughter's location, hoping to get there before something embarrassing happened.
You looked around the place, trying your best so your daughter wouldn't see you. She didn't, however you spotted a very familiar shade of red hair hiding behind some bushes. Discreetly, you crept up behind him and smacked his head.
"Ow! What was that for?!" He cried out.
"Song Mingi! You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Spying on your own daughter on her first date!" You yelled at him.
"It's my right as a father to make sure my daughter is safe!" He protested.
"Well you can do that....from a distance!"
Without warning, you grabbed his ear and pulled him back to your car to take him home.
"Ok! Can you let go?! I'll go back home with you!" He gave up and walked back with you.
"Good. Honestly, what were you thinking? Oh wait! You weren't." You huffed as you got in the driver's seat.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting your daughter to be safe and make sure her date treats her decently." He pouted like a little baby.
"Well like I said, you could do that from a distance. There's no need to be stalking her out like one of your snipers." You told him as you started the car.
"Yeah.....you're right...." Mingi sighed.
You smiled, proud that he was willing to accept his mistake. That was until he opened his mouth again.
"I mean, why put a tracking device on her phone and not use it?" He stated nonchalantly as he took out his phone
"Song fucking Mingi! I swear to God, if you did that I will make you roll out of the car!"
꧁𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰꧂
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"For the last time....No!"
Wooyoung was stubborn. No matter how many times your daughter begged him to let her go to the school dance, he stood his ground and refused. She tried every single approach: she behaved like an angel, tried bargaining and even rebelled like a teenager but to no avail.
"Give me one good reason why I can't go!" Your daughter pouted.
"I'll give you three reasons: One, boys. Two, boys. And three, which is actually the most important one... boys!" Wooyoung was practically dramatic at this point, as if he wasn't already.
"You're going to have to let me date someday!" Your daughter retaliated.
"Absolutely....when I'm cold in my coffin or when hell freezes over. Whichever comes first." Wooyoung said.
Your daughter ended up locking herself in her room, refusing to see her father. It hurt him to have her rejection, but he only did it because he loved her. Unbeknownst to him though, you gave her permission and even arranged for her to be picked up by your friend so she could go to her dance. You hoped Wooyoung didn't notice.
"Where is she?" Wooyoung asked you, crossing his arms over his chest, his foot tapping on the floor.
You sighed in defeat. "She went to the dance. I gave her permission."
Wooyoung began screaming at the top of his lungs, getting agitated.
"Oh relax you drama queen! Her date isn't a bad boy! In fact, he's the sweetest boy ever! You know him, it's San's son!"
As soon as he heard that, Wooyoung felt like he was going to get a heart attack.
"Of all people, she chose San's kid?! Is she insane?!"
Wooyoung took out his phone and furiously tapped on the screen.
"San you little piece of shit! Why are you letting your devil of a son seduce my little angel? Hmm?..... Oh don't give me that! He's just like you! Behind that innocent dimple smile lies a demon, waiting to prey on the innocent and pure so they can corrupt them!! Curse you and your cute dimple genes! I will get you back for this!"
꧁𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸꧂
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"So....what are your intentions?" Jongho asked the boy sitting in front of him.
"Excuse me s-sir?" The boy didn't quite understand.
"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Jongho repeated as he reached for one of the apples that were on the table.
"Well I... I....I'm not sure. I guess-"
"Oh? Not sure?" Jongho locked eyes with him as he effortlessly split the apple in half with his bare hands.
The boy noticeably gulped and stared at the crushed fruit.
"I I mean! It's only a dance! It's nothing serious-"
"Are you saying my daughter's a joke? Are her feelings nothing to you?"Jongho reached for another apple and split it apart just like the other one.
"I didn't say that!" The boy exclaimed.
Jongho nodded and reached for yet a third apple.
"Listen very carefully to me boy. I love my daughter so much. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. I only want her to be happy."
He split the apple and set it down on the table.
"So let me make this clear: break my daughter's heart and I will break you. You know like what?" Jongho tilted his head at him.
"Like.....those apples?" The boy hesitantly pointed at the murdered fruit in front of him.
"Hmm? Oh no. Not like those apples."
Jongho smiled and pulled out a watermelon from one of the cushions.
"I'll break you like this watermelon."
Jongho's fist slammed down on the watermelon, effortlessly breaking it in half. The poor boy was now pale, fearing for his life.
"Daddy! I'm ready! Is the driver ready- what's with all the split fruit?" Your daughter asked when you and her walked into the living room.
"Oh! Nothing sweetheart. I was just splitting these for our guest. Gotta have a little snack before. Right?"
Jongho held out a parted apple to the boy, his eyes silently warning him not to say anything of what really happened. The boy simply nodded and took the apple.
"Y-yeah. Your father is really n-nice."
You frowned at Jongho when your eyes met. You knew what really happened. But he simply smiled innocently at you, like nothing happened.
Gifs not mine, credit goes to their respective owners.
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nyxelestia · 3 years
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The Three Sam Wilson Fanboys
SPOILERS!
Alright, so there are three moments/fanboys that stand out to me from the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - specifically, the three instances someone fanboys over Sam Wilson. I don’t really have any concrete take-aways or conclusions just yet, just lots of Feelings™, but I still thought it would worth pointing out.
(The Falcon and the Winter Soldier first episode spoilers below!)
(The desktop editor isn’t giving me the Read More option, so no cut. Sorry.)
3. The Banker: What He Can Get From Sam
This is the one we’ve already seen lambasted the most, and presented poorly in the story. The guy takes several minutes/attempts, before recognizing Sam Wilson.
What stands out to me is that he immediately pulls out his phone and takes a picture...without even asking first. It’s a little thing - plenty of people take pictures without asking - but it stands out more due to the context. Right now, he’s supposed to be professional, but this is very immature and unprofessional.
Despite this, Sam doesn’t miss a beat, smiling and waving at the camera before gently trying to redirect attention back to the loan for his family’s fishing barge...which the banker denies. And then tries to ask for another picture, with Sam posing at request. Sam says exactly what we’re all feeling: “Are you serious?”
What stands out to me is that he knows they’re here trying to save a family business and they’re struggling, but still attempts to request a posed photograph, after already taking one without even asking. This dude’s fanboying is very shallow, and focused on what Sam can give him, without an ounce of attention to what he can give Sam. This is the most self-centered fanboying.
2. Joaquin Torres: What He Can Get From and Give To Sam
Next is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s non-superhuman answer to Peter Parker, a plucky and cheerful kid who admires a superhero and is clearly trying to be like him. @princeescaluswords tells me in the comics, he actually becomes The Falcon after Sam Wilson becomes Captain America, so that may be in the cards here too in the long run.
In the short run, even if he’s not explicitly trying to become the new Falcon or being set up for that, he’s still definitely trying to follow Sam’s footsteps and suggestions. He gushes over Sam as a person and his action in the field, he promises to keep an eye on Flag Smasher chatter for Sam - and ultimately tries to infiltrate an event/meeting for them so he can give Sam more information.
It’s still a little self-centered, but not in a bad way. The closest he gets to trying to do something without permission is when he starts a suggestion to fix Redwing - and even then, as soon as Sam protests, he backs off. He’s a little overreaching when he tries to infiltrate the Flag Smasher meeting in Switzerland, but he’s still trying to do something entirely himself, and he’s aspiring to be like Sam as much as he seems to seek Sam’s approval.
1. The Tunisian Husband: What He Can Give to Sam
This is the little moment that I suspect is easy to forget since it happens so early in the episode and is such a minor moment. It’s also easy to dismiss because it’s misguided in recipient...but I actually think it’s really important because of the intent behind it.
I’m talking about that dude in the Tunisian cafe who comes up to Sam, delightedly greeting him as an Avenger before thanking Sam for bringing him his wife back. Sam awkwardly accepts the gratitude in the same language, and Joaquin is further impressed that Sam knows Arabic. We dismiss it because we we know that while a hero, Sam was also Blipped and thus didn’t have anything to do with bringing people back - he was one of the people brought back.
What stands out to me is that the man recognized Sam from a distance, came up to thank him, then went about his day. Unlike the banker, he didn’t take several tries to figure out where he knows Sam from. Sam was just another dude in the cafe at the time, and yet this man recognized him on sight.
More importantly, all he does is thank Sam. He sees a literal superhero, an Avenger apparently known around the world now, and his only desire is to express thanks. He doesn’t ask for an autograph nor a selfie, doesn’t even try to shake his hand. He just sees someone he admires and feels gratitude for, thanks them, and then lets Sam go about his day while he and his wife go about their own.
Purpose Behind This Rambling
As mentioned, I don’t really have any conclusions to draw from this yet, no real take-aways or significant social commentary or anything. I am probably overthinking this, doubly damning given I don’t have much to Say™ about this. As of the first episode, the story thus far seems to be about Legacy and Trauma. Sam is trying to saving his parents’ fishing legacy, while also grappling with the legacy of Captain America. (Bucky’s side is more about Trauma and recovery.)
I just have lots of Feelings™ about these three tiny outward manifestations of legacy, and the impact of it. None of them are all that big in the grand scheme of things, yet they are all the result of the Captain America legacy that Sam Wilson is learning to embrace. The people who want to use him, the people who want to be like him...and the people who want to thank him, to give him what they can - even if it’s just a simple “thank you”.
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