#but seems like now art community has very different relationship with video making and now it's a great tool to gain new followers | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram · 1 year

Note

An unpopular take, maybe, but I simply don't find the Matty Healy / Taylor Swift discourse interesting or useful. I get the critique that modern political culture overvalues speech acts (a very trenchant critique I've heard in the past is that now people believe posting on the internet is activism), I get Matty's meta critique of consumption in the internet era, I get the ironic humor of The Adam Friedland Show podcast, I don't think Matty is vile or antisemitic or racist or whatever. I just, personally, find the way that those critiques are made and who they're turned on to be so navel-gazing. If you strip away the layers of meta commentary and irony, I feel like you just wind up in a place where you're saying, oh, the problem is that these people in marginalized communities who didn't understand that my statements were made in the context of an ironic meta commentary on performance of values on the internet are terminally online and got too upset on the internet. And like, honestly? sure. true to a certain extent. People have certainly gone way overboard in their responses to these things. But in the broader context of our current political state, it feels like it's just contributing to the Left once again eating itself, unable to distinguish between an imperfect ally and an enemy. Is the problem really terminally online teenagers who wrote a cringey, boundary-less open letter to Taylor Swift? Is that what we want to spend our time and mental energy calling attention to and critiquing? Or is that mostly just a problem for famous people who are slowly being driven crazy by having to see people constantly misunderstand them on the internet?

For what it's worth, my opinion is driven at least in part by my assumption that this attention and backlash is at least in part intentional. For as much as everyone has been talking about these two people, I guess not very many people have actually paid attention to what Matty Healy/The 1975 are currently doing, but they've been releasing a series of videos called "A theatrical performance of an intimate moment". In the second video in the series (ironically dropped the same day as the Taylor/Joe breakup news), Matty decides he wants to be transported in a suitcase to avoid attention (something Taylor Swift famously did) because the fame is getting to him, he doesn't want to be touched, and he "doesn't want any more bracelets that say that I'm gay", said while pointing to a bead bracelet that looks like the friendship bracelets that people are making for the Eras tour. And in a later episode, he specifically talks about needing to find a girlfriend. So, real relationship or not, it seems kind of clear to me that there is at least some level of performance/performance art occurring. I'm open to being happily surprised by whatever the point of this art turns out to be, but I'm not optimistic.

Lots of really interesting thoughts anon - and I think we come from slightly different perspectives, but I'll try and tease some of the points out.

I loved your summary - I don't quite agree, but it makes it very easy to discuss. You think these sort of discussions boil down to people saying: "The problem is that these people in marginalized communities who didn't understand that my statements were made in the context of an ironic meta commentary on performance of values on the internet are terminally online and got too upset on the internet."

And I have two different thoughts about that - which address quite different aspects. The first is that I would always reject the idea that it's a problem that people don't get 'ironic humour'. There is nothing more tedious than people wanting to be edgy, but also wanting everyone to love them. I think people can and should have whatever reaction they want to the Adam Friedland Show (I listened and I fucking hated it - quite boring on top of everything else). But that in order to do useful politics and understand the world there has to be a gap between someone's personal reaction and someone's political analysis. That's what I find the Gary Younge article 'racism is a system of power not a series of gaffes' so useful at articulating.

The other point is that I don't think it's useful to characterise the fandom response as coming from 'marginalised communities'. Some of the people talking are from marginalised communities, but nowhere near the majority. And I think it's really important to push back against fandom's tendency to paint itself as a whole as marginalised in some way (this is a much bigger issue that I was talking quite a lot about with the Niall and fanfic debate).

I do think that part of the problem of this discussion (and why I find it interesting - even if I agree that there are very tedious elements) - is that there can be so many different views and assumptions that underlie where people end up that aren't articulate.

I really reject the idea that this is the left eating its own - or that it has to be. Partly that's because I see this as being much more about fandom and how fandom operates than about politics. But it's also because I think there are really basic answers to the question of how you distinguish between the enemy and an imperfect ally. It's incredibly important to both solidarity and coalition building that we are able to say 'I disagree with this argument' without that automatically meaning 'the person who is making it is bad and wrong'. Collapsing the two together is fundamentally unuseful - and ultimately individualising.

You ask both what the problem is and what the stakes are - which are great questions. I don't think fans without boundaries are a political problem (although there are many political elements). I absolutely wouldn't write about this or draw attention to it in any other space but a fandom one.

But I do think the stakes are much higher than you do. If I thought this discourse was only having an impact of Taylor Swift and Matty Healy then I wouldn't think it was worth talking about. One of my opinions that I haven't necessarily spelled out - is that it's really important within fandom to understand that the objects of fandom and what people think of hte objects of fandom are not that important. I sometimes do get annoyed/frustrated/upset with other people's views about 1D members, but I do try and make sure that I remind myself that it's OK that people disagree about celebrities.

If there are stakes in fandom behaviour, it's not about the implications for the objects of fandom, but the implications for the fans. And I guess one thing that I assume, is that people are unlikely to treat themselves, or the people around them more generously than they treat celebrities. That a culture that encourages polarised thinking and responding to polarised thinking by attempting to control others - has an impact on the people who are participate. Now that's not necessarily evidence based - it's just a vibe. But it's the reason that I do think the only useful response to this is to emphasise that this isn't the only way to navigate the world. And anything else is just talking about the issues because they're interesting.

But I do think it's worth saying that the idea that you get a say in who someone else dates is really fucked up and can have really fucked up implications for people who believe it. Not just because of how they might treat people - because the corollary is that other people get a say in who you date.

Having said all that - I won't go fully into the second point. I'll just say that one of the things that I find interesting about both Taylor and Matty Healy is that they're both very aware of their image, but it manifests itself in different ways (Taylor is very controlled, Matty Healy is much more chaotic, but often more meta). And on top of that I think in this circumstance what we're seeing is also influenced by the fact that we're all people as well as images - and being human is a pretty messy reality.

#Thanks for letting me know about the videos #I found them (and the timing)#really interesting

5 notes · View notes

waveofstars · 4 months

Text

FINN "SULLY" SULLIVAN: bio + stats.

LINKS

stats playlist pinterest

traits:

Sweet, sensitive, self-deprecating, affectionate, funny, insecure, thoughtful, hard headed, charming, honorable, loyal, dedicated, impatient, playful, anxious, defensive

aesthetic:

disposable cameras, long hikes, plants everywhere, cuddles with his cat, boxing gloves, random thrift stores, vintage cameras, video games, graphic design, mountain sunsets, tattoos, overpriced coffee, taking pictures + videos of his friends, road trips, flowers

BIO:

Born and raised in small town Woodstock, Vermont, Finn Leigh Sullivan, or "Sully", grew up in an old modest home surrounded by beautiful foliage come autumn. His mother was a florist, his father worked in construction, and Sully was the first born. His parents were hard workers, which ultimately caused Sully to grow up a little too quickly in order to take care of his younger siblings. His relationship with his parents was complicated, at best. He was very close to his mother, often helping her in the floral shop whenever he could. Though he and his father weren't on the greatest terms, Sully always strangely respected him. His father had lost dreams of becoming a professional boxer after an injury in his twenties sent him on a different path. It seemed that failure had a lasting impact on the man. If he wasn't being bitter, he was normally drinking his sorrows away. Sully and him often butted heads, his father often pointing out that Sully was far too soft, but there were rare moments in between where they connected to one another.

He was a sensitive child who rather spend his time curating floral arrangements with his mother, laughing till his sides hurt, and being kind to those around him. The only thing he and his father ever bonded over was his father's record collection. When Sully was younger, he often drew him pictures of his own versions of album covers. In his teen years, it seemed as his father's depression and addictions grew, so did Sully's. He took to drugs, partying, and fighting just to prove he wasn't the soft kid he once was. It was a miracle at all that Sully managed to finish high school by the skin of his teeth.

The day everything changed for him and his family was the day his father passed. Suicide. Though he had all the signs to see it coming, Sully was shocked. He never realized how deep his depression was, though it started to all make sense when Sully thought back on all the nasty parts of his late father. None of the family got along perfectly with his father, but that didn't stop their grieving. Sully took a hard look at himself and knew he needed to get his life together in sudden fear that he had the same fate as his father.

Though he suffered the loss of a father, he gained a new perspective on life and now knew there was nothing wrong with being soft. He ditched all the drugs and cleaned up before getting some community college under his belt. He took his passion for art and design and turned it into a freelance graphic design gig. He eventually moved out of his childhood home, but simply opted for a small apartment just a few blocks away. He has dinner with his mother and siblings almost every night he could and spent most of his free time in his mother’s floral shop, tending to patrons and creating pieces for her to sell. He's a lover at heart and not a fighter like his father hoped he would be. Maybe there was nothing wrong about being soft.

#stats: sully #about: sully #remade this muse 500 times in the past few years but this time its actually sticking I SWEAR

0 notes

pinkykats-place · 2 years

Text

College AU BakuDeku

AO3 Fanfic Recommendations

No Quirks AU

Disclaimers!

None of the stories linked below are mine.

Some contain mature content, read ao3 tags.

Amazing art work done by YukarietD {twitter}.

Note: If you read any of these works and like them please let the author know with a kudos and/or comment!

jock/nerd by imnotpoppunk

Summary: Bakugou Katsuki is a self-proclaimed nerd entering his first year of community college. He's determined to stay at the top of his class, even when he gets partnered with a popular jock he knew in high school. What he finds is that he doesn't know nearly as much about Midoriya Izuku (or himself) as he thinks he does.

Complete | 26 CH | Mature Content

F.U. by warschach

Summary: Izuku smiled; Katsuki understood why people warned that the devil wore a Sunday hat and fine clothes because deception worked better if no one expected it.

Not anymore. He knew Izuku’s evil ways, and his ass might be a 20 on the hotness meter but Katsuki held grudges.

“Izuku,” he sneered; he too could be evil right back.

(OR football player Katsuki and cheerleader Izuku)

One Shot | Mature Content

Indulgence by silentsongbird

Summary: Katsuki is annoyed that even in his second year of art school, he still has to take classes with stupid Deku. He had hoped to be rid of him after high school, but of course, Deku just had to get accepted into the same college as him. At least it's only one class. Unfortunately for him, it seems Deku has a bit of a reputation and his team mate, Denki, is very fond of him. Katsuki overhears a conversation he really wishes he hadn't because now he can't stop thinking about it. He has to see what Deku's videos are all about.

Incomplete | 8/? CH | Mature Content

Last Updated January 2023

Truth or Treat by kyramidoriya

Summary: Izuku was having a wonderful Halloween, spending time with his friends in dorm room. But then, a game of Truth or Dare goes awry and Izuku ends up at the upperclassmen apartments getting a little more than he bargained for...

One Shot | Contains Smut | Age Gap

It’s not really a blind date if you grew up with the guy by Hazelarmy7

Summary: In which Katsuki and Izuku's friends set them up on a blind date with each other, only to find out they’ve known each other for ages!

One Shot | SFW

Series: rooftop romance by elmasam

Summary: Popular Bakugo and shy, nerdy Midoriya meet on a rooftop.

2 Works | One Shots

Feel It by ReadOrDie

Summary: Bakugou tags along to a party at Kirishima's Fraternity. Horny things ensue.

— —

Senior Deku gives Freshman Baku a lap dance....and other things.

One Shot | Contains Smut | Age Gap

Dark Side of the Sun by Synnie

Summary: Staying up too late playing video games, Kirishima wasn't expecting to get an urgent call begging for help. Next thing he knew, he was letting his classmate Izuku Midoriya take refuge in his apartment - without consulting his always angry roommate.

Complete | 20 Chapters

Contains Mature Content

The Lie by @mirachadoodles

Summary: Even now, Izuku looked so damn sweet, so fucking innocent and embarrassed at his lie. He was abusing that full and tempting lip, and Katsuki really wanted to abuse it himself.

One Shot | College Athlete AU | Smut

I Like You, Dude (No Homo) by mynameis152

Summary: Izuku Midoriya is new to the college scene. From a small town, he lacks the know-how on making friends with all the strangers he comes across. So, when a good-looking blonde boy sits down beside him in class, he's excited to strike up a friendship.

Although, this friendship seems a bit different from his others. For instance, why does his heart flutter when they talk? What's with the weird comments Katsuki says to him?

He doesn't get it, but he wants the friendship.

— — —

Or The biggest No Homo, where Izuku finds his way into a relationship without ever seeking out to find one (particularly with his guy best friend)!

Complete | 6 Chapters

Rated - Mature

The Frat Boy and his Keeper by Plusultrabaka

Summary: Midoriya Izuku was obsessed with a certain blonde in his classes. They had taken chemistry, biology, and even some electives together. He needed those burning red eyes underneath him and finally figured out a way to get the elusive blonde's attention.

Act stupid.

One Shot | Has Smut

alone together by nezuminooh

Summary: Bakugou goes to a party only because he heard Deku would be there. Spoiler alert: he's there.

{One Shot}

Rated - Mature

Wicked and Divine by Fawn_Eyed_Girl

Summary: Bakugō Katsuki hates reporters. Hates them.

So why is he currently in a stall in a public restroom, letting the school paper's newest sports reporter suck him off?

Because hell yeah he likes doe-eyed freckled bottoms!

That’s why he's there and he maybe wants this repeated...

{One Shot}

Rated - Explicit

In with the pink! by Direct

Summary: “Okay Kacchan. One,” Izuku holds up the first top, chin high, before switching it out, the second top more revealing than the last. “Or two?”

And Katsuki, being the ever supportive boyfriend that he was, gestures to the top in his own hands, this one practically a thread compared to the ones Izuku had picked. “This one, baby. Show your tits more, yeah?”

— — —

OR: Katsuki adores his stupid, ditzy bimbo bitch of a boyfriend so much.

One Shot | OmegaVerse

Rated - Explicit

Professor Midoriya by Mikacrispy

Summary: The professor is the cutest and sexiest thing Katsuki has ever seen, with his adorable expressions, fat ass, and awful nerdy-grandpa clothes. Bakugou was instantly captivated and horny, that must be what love at first sight feels like.

Complete | 11 Chapters | Age Gap

Rated - Explicit

235 notes · View notes

mintjasias · 2 years

Text

calamity trio post-amphibia hcs

marcy doesn't get to stay with them for very long after they all return to earth :'( thanks to the new job and the move and all that

sashanne have study dates (and probably video call marcy in on them) while they have to catch up on the school stuff they missed

in the beginning, they video called constantly, while acclimating back to/reintegrating into earth society again

after everything that happened, though sasha and anne did hang out at school and stuff for a while after, it just wasn't the same (1. without marcy, 2. not in amphibia, so also without their amphibian friends 💔) -> by the time they got into high school, it was easy for them to fall into other friend circles (instead of their old dynamic of doing Everything together)

they have a group chat going, but as they made more new friends and grew into other interests, the less they relied on the gc for their sole source of friendship and companionship; now more a space for sporadic updates and maybe coordinating a video chat or two

they do have a movie watch party or two where they watch marcy's fave movie though, and share how they had remembered the strategy in the first part when rescuing her (though darcy unfortunately also knew about it lol)

...

entering college meant they got a lot busier, so updates became even less frequent (& they made more new friends in college too: lots of growing and finding yourself in college lol)

i imagine anne stayed more local and may even still live with her parents (since their relationship only got stronger since amphibia, and so she also stays connected to the thai community. also b/c rent in socal is expensive), or she went to a school with a strong bio program and visits home frequently; sasha i can see moving out/farther away from her home asap; marcy maybe wherever she got a scholarship (and/or if she applied to an art school)

anne makes friends with other ppl in her major (and also probably with like, any clubs she joins), but no one can really understand what these frogs and amphibians mean to her (only sasha and marcy can, because they lived it too) (and the select few who've met and know the plantars, but none of them are really her peers)

...

now, after graduating from college and being more financially stable, sasha asks if they had any plans on/around anne's bday and if they'd be down to catch up sometime (around anne's bday since ppl may have plans and it's hard to coordinate these things as adults with responsibilities imo LMAO)

they set a date to meet up (after work for anne, marcy has a flexible schedule as mostly a freelancer (maybe she has a side gig alongside her webcomic, unless she's able to do her webcomic full time), and sasha made space in her schedule (maybe just making sure she didn't have clients)), and they do 🥺

as they chat, in some ways it's like nothing had changed (in how easy it was to talk to each other, like no time had really passed) and yet like everything had changed (because it had - they were all subtly different after all those years, even if they were somewhat prepared for the changes from their sporadic updates over the years)

marcy has the lowest alcohol tolerance out of the three of them and becomes a v happy drunk (and surprisingly seems less clumsy?? while drunk), anne has decent tolerance and is a more emotional drunk (she knows her limits and doesn't usually try to get drunk though), sasha has the highest tolerance out of the three and just gets even louder when drunk

anne was sasha's bi awakening way back when (but when she thought about marcy, she realized she felt the same way about her as she did with anne, so.)

(we've seen how marcy saw both anne and sasha in her mindscape lol... not to mention how gay it is to want to go on adventures with your two best friends forever,) (though maybe it took some self-reflection and making new friends to fully realize that those were Gay feelings)

i think anne probably had some mixed feelings about both sasha and marcy for a while, just with everything that happened (but still the overwhelming love and care she feels for them too, no matter what had happened); having some space from what had happened and making new friends is probably a part of what Clicked for her in realizing the depth of her feelings for them vs with other friends

also a bit of that sapphic questioning if how she feels for marcy and sasha is really romantic or not LOL. but also, with everything that's happened and changed between them all, she was happy to like... let it go (/not try and pursue them, just let it be how she realizes she likes girls)

but reconnecting and catching up just rekindled those old feelings again :')

also falling in love with the... newer versions of them, so to speak (since they're not the same as when they first fell in love,)

at some point, they talk about moving in together (you know, for manageable rent.... maybe sasha's current apartment complex kinda sucks and she wanted to find somewhere else, marcy has a full remote job and maybe misses CA weather, anne had been thinking about moving out at some point but things hadn't worked out until... now...?)

...

whenever they all live together. at some point marcy gets sick but tries to still work on her webcomic and pulls a nozaki ("my hand still remembers...!" but the lines are all shaky LOL), so sashanne force her to get some rest and feed her porridge and such

it's almost surprisingly easy for them to live together, even after all this time (it's because they've lived with college roommates and know how to communicate their needs better)

they each have their own bedroom but eventually some rooms become more of like. an office space, or a gaming/tv space, and they pile onto one bed at the end of the day

cooking: anne makes the best thai food and is all-around the best cook; marcy is more accident-prone but is great at instant pot recipes; sasha is v good at watching nutrition and efficient meals

they have dinner nights and sometimes cook together (depends on their schedules)

i like to think that sashannarcy realize they're basically dating some months in to living together LOL

...

at some point, anne hits up terri and they see about if another portal can be made, even the small one without the gem's power, if only to pass along a message or two (with sasha and marcy, of course)

it's hard to say if the portal ends up anywhere near someone to like, find the message, or even if by then sprig and co. are off to explore the new continent, but still

(or if the portal was only ever able to exist because the gems were in existence lol, like cross-dimensional interaction only existed while the deity allowed it with the gems?? but /shrug tbh. idm this outcome because i think they've made peace with it, even if it hurts 🥲)

they're happy. they'll still run into some problems here and there, as will happen with close interpersonal relationships, but they'll work things out

after all, they still have much of their lives ahead of them :')

#sashannarcy #was thinking a lot about these last night and decided i should write them down #might have more hcs later but these are some of my thoughts about the immediate post-amphibia time #and on how moving in together might come up 🤔#also based a little bit on how some of my friendships have been (through the years and college but adding romantic feelings LOL)#amphibia #calamity trio #.txt #sry for all the text. i have a lot of thoughts

147 notes · View notes

arotechno · 3 years

Text

Jughead (2015), Issues 7-8: Discussion and Commentary

Boy oh boy am I excited to talk about this arc!! These two issues hold a very special place in my cold little aro heart.

(By the way, do you see that? I managed to get a digital copy from my library via Hoopla, which means you are spared from my shitty phone grabs. I’ll fix the previous post, don’t worry. Try clicking on the screenshots if tumblr blurs them. And try Hoopla, if you’ve got a library card and have been looking to read these.)

Fed up with him sitting around the house playing video games all summer, Mr. Jones forces Jughead to get out of the house and do something outside. Jughead finds Archie at the pool where he’s working as a lifeguard, and convinces him to take time off to go camping in the woods with him at their friend Dilton’s cottage.

They take Archie’s car out to the woods, only to find that the lake is overrun with Reggie’s over-the-top relatives at the Mantle family reunion. Horrified, Jughead and Archie go out on a hike to get away. This is where things go downhill—literally.

Jughead calls Archie out for his growing fixation with Veronica Lodge, whose father is the one trying to clear out Fox Forest. Archie immediately goes on the defensive, but Jughead, understandably, really doesn’t get it. And here’s where we see that this is a divide that has been brewing between them for quite some time, even if Archie seemingly had no idea it was happening.

The boys end up getting lost, which only serves to fuel their frustrations. It occurs to Jughead, some time later, that the lake they’re camping at is not that far from Camp Lucey, an all-girls summer camp. Shocked and hurt, he accuses Archie of only agreeing to go on the trip to pick up girls, and not to hang out with him. He tackles Archie and they tumble down a hill into the woods below.

This is a really interesting story, from an aro’s perspective. Jughead can’t relate to Archie’s teenage obsession with girls, and it isn’t something they can bond over like other friends may have been able to do. On a simple level, all Jughead really wants to do is hang out with his best friend, just the two of them, just like old times—back when they were younger, before Archie’s interest in girls seemed to take over his every waking moment. Importantly, Jughead never objects to Archie’s romantic pursuits on principle (he does have an issue with Veronica, but that has to do more with her father’s actions than her). It isn’t that he wants to stand in the way of Archie’s happiness—he just feels left behind, and that’s something I think a lot of aromantic people, teenagers especially, can resonate with.

Eventually, Archie and Jughead run into Mr. Weatherbee of all people, who begrudgingly offers to help lead them back to camp. It’s at this point that we get one of my favorite moments in the entire series, one that I have waxed poetic about on this blog before and probably will again.

Archie insists that he is in fact here to hang out with Jughead, and that he’s just being dramatic. Jughead, on the other hand, insists that Archie’s the one being dramatic with his love triangle problems, to which Archie replies:

“Look, I’m not going to apologize for being a normal guy, I—”

And Jughead’s reaction to those words has stuck with me since the first time I read this. He’s shocked, hurt, and clearly a little angry that Archie would say something like that. And it’s a subtle moment, one that you might not even feel the gravity of if you didn’t know that Jughead was aro. What’s most important here, though, isn’t Jughead’s reaction, but the fact that Archie is clearly in the wrong, and he knows it. He tries to backtrack immediately (“Jughead! I didn’t mean it like that! Wait!”), but Jughead ignores him, as Mr. Bee has already gotten them lost again.

This singular page is, to me, a deeper and more nuanced portrayal than many works with “on-the-page” canon aromantic characters. This arc isn’t about Jughead being aro (in fact, none of the comics particularly are). But this is a meaningful incorporation of Jughead’s orientation into his daily life and his relationships with other people—namely, with his best friend. Although Jughead is being somewhat harsh with Archie, never does the narrative place him in the wrong for feeling abandoned, hurt, or angry because of Archie’s words and actions. Even Archie, his best friend, is capable of saying things that hurt him, and his words in this scene are never excused or justified by the narrative.

It also means a lot to me that Archie apologizes the second he gets the chance to, and that Jughead is quick to forgive him and explain that he just misses the time before Archie was so obsessed with girls. I wouldn’t want the story to just turn into a feud between them. You know when you’re on a trip with your friends and you get lost and you’re tired and frustrated you just end up airing your grievances and coming out of it with a new understanding of your friendship while trying to solve the mess you’re in? That’s what this arc is.

Anyway, after a run-in with Reggie’s relative and Mr. Weatherbee’s old high school bully Ted Mantle, the trio manage to make it out of the woods—after several hours of walking until the sun has come up. There, they find that Camp Lucey has actually been renamed, and is now a camp for elementary school girls, where Betty happens to be working. So after all of that, Archie just ends up making a fool of himself, like usual. Mr. Bee’s wife drives over to rescue them and brings the boys back to Dilton’s cottage, where she remarks that she’s heard a lot about Archie and Jughead, and that they’re inseparable.

At its core, this is a story about friendship. It’s about the difficulties that come with realizing you can’t always relate to each other, and you can’t always read each other’s minds, and you sometimes say the wrong thing without meaning to. It’s a story about growing up, but not necessarily growing apart, and being able to reconcile your differences.

Archie assumes that after all of their bickering, Jughead would just want to go home and not hang out with him anymore. But turning back now would be contrary to what Jughead wanted in the first place, which was just to hang out with his best friend.

All’s well that end’s well, and Jughead and Archie patch things over and vow that they will always be best friends. It’s a wholesome moment, and reflects a common struggle for aspec teens that I rarely see addressed in media, if at all. Sometimes, it feels like your friends are all moving on without you, and sometimes they don’t even realize it when they’ve been neglecting your friendship. It takes communication to work these things out, and I’m happy to see that illustrated here.

This arc is my favorite, I think, and there’s reasons for that even outside of the aspects I’ve already detailed here. The kids getting lost in the woods on summer vacation is a fun way of framing the deeper story, and there are a lot of funny and endearing moments in these two issues. (Archie falls on his face, a lot, and Mr. Weatherbee is stoically exasperated with both of their antics.)

These are the last issues written by Chip Zdarsky. So shoutout to him for some of the most nuanced representations of aromanticism in fiction to date, even if he never wrote the word down on the page (I’ll get to that, don’t worry). But these are the first issues illustrated by Derek Charm, whose art style I love (no offense Erica Henderson), and the rest of the volume has a lot of other good aro moments in store. Until then, here’s himbo Archie:

See? Pure of heart, dumb of ass. You can’t be mad at him for long. (He falls into a hole later on the same page.)

Yeah, me too.

#woo!!!#techno's jughead reread #aro #aromantic #aro jughead #ace jughead #aroace jughead #jughead jones #jughead comics #long post #op

283 notes · View notes

glowingbadger · 3 years

Note

Can I pls get some Yuri and Felix modern au with reader nsfw and SFW content?

I'm so hyped to work on the handful of modern AU requests I have lol let's do iiiiit~ Oh, and if you want the base premise I had in mind for each of these lovelies, Felix is here and Yuri is here <3

Yuri, Felix x GN Reader - modern au headcanons

SFW (nsfw below the cut)

Yuri:

- dating Yuri is honestly a lot of fun. He'll always have some hole-in-the-wall restaurant he wants to try with you, or a strange, artsy little shop he's been meaning to look into. Plus, at half of the places you go to together, he "knows a guy" who gets you a great deal, or a reservation when they were supposedly fully booked, or some other perk. He somehow always knows of a new art exhibit, or a classic movie screening somewhere nearby, so you'll never be without some way to spend an evening together.

- That said, he can come across as flippant and non-committal. While he's certainly flirtatious, he's not going to drop the word "love" for quite some time into the relationship, and you may find yourself wondering from time to time how serious he really is about you. But the more time goes on, the more you'll grow to understand that this is more of a subconscious self-defense for him. With time and understanding, he'll find ways to assure you of his commitment- but he's always going to need a level of freedom and independence.

- One point of reassurance is that Yuri's friends (our other Ashen Wolves) can immediately tell how different he is around you compared to anyone else. They have a hard time putting it into words, but they'll all assure you that, make no mistake, Yuri absolutely adores you. There's a certain soft, warm smile that he only wears when he talks about you, and he fusses about your comfort and safety in a way he's never come close to with another. Plus, he may have blackmailed or threatened a few people who were rude or forward with you... not that you'll ever find out about this.

Felix:

- he's very cat-like in how he chooses to show his affection. He'll almost never verbally express it, and to many, he comes across as cold. But if you know what to look for, the signs are incredibly obvious. The mere fact that he goes out of his way to just be near you, the fact that he'll jump to your defense the moment someone dares to give you a hard time, small gifts that he'll give with a carefully neutral, "It's not a big deal, it just seemed like the kinda thing you'd like."

- Once you've been together for a bit though, he's extremely physically affectionate in private- only in private, mind you. Alone in your dorm or apartment, he's very cuddly, holding you close to him at any chance he gets and resting his chin on your shoulder, or nuzzling against your neck. Sometimes he doesn't even realize he's doing it, but he'll run a hand along your back or your waist when he moves by you, or his thumb will rub little circles along your thigh when you're sitting together. Don't call him out on it though- he'll lurch away immediately and be too shy to touch you for an hour or two.

- His friends definitely know he's developed a thing for someone very early on. He tends to be notorious among his friends for never checking his phone or responding to messages, and when he does respond, it's in five words or fewer. Once he's started getting close to you though, he keeps his phone in his hand while he's hanging out with the other Blue Lions, glancing down at the screen every ten seconds, and completely impossible to communicate with when he's thinking of what to send you when you do message him.

NSFW 18+ v

Yuri:

- I feel like I keep coming back to this with Yuri, but he's a big fan of teasing, or even outright sex in semi-public and risky locations. He'll absolutely finger/jerk you off in the back of a movie theater (or traditional theatre, for that matter), leaning in to murmur against your ear, "go ahead and moan for me, babe- show everyone here how good I make you feel..." He'll also totally send you lewd photos of his body when he knows you're with friends or family.

- Yuri owns an impressive range of toys, and can't wait to try out every single one with you. You're a sinfully gorgeous sight working a fleshlight or a cockring down onto his length, and he gets a bit of a "corrupting" thrill out of introducing you to something you've never tried before. Goddess help you if you have a class with him- he'll push a small vibrator inside of you before a lecture one day, then sit a little ways away from you and fiddle with the remote in his pocket. Once class wraps up and you're finally back in your room together, you're so desperate for him that you practically beg him to fill you with his cock- which is, of course, exactly the result he'd hoped for.

- Funnily enough, the first time Yuri is really 'tender' with you in bed is when you're both coming back from a party with friends. You're both a bit buzzed, and from the way you were dancing together that night, it's obvious that you want each other desperately. But once he has you to himself at last, his hands are slower and gentler than usual, and when he pushes the length of his cock into you and feels you warm and squeezing so nicely around him, he moans unabashedly, murmuring, "Damn, you're so good to me, Y/N... I love you so much, it drives me fucking insane..."

Felix:

- he's the type to feel most comfortable initiating sex when you're just relaxing in one of your rooms together. In the middle of a movie or playing video games together- or even just sitting quietly and studying together on his bed- he glances over at you and it just hits him that you're his, you chose him, and damnit he's just so crazy into you. He leans over and kisses you without a word, then slides his tongue past your lips, pulling you closer until you can very evidently feel that he needs you now.

- His roommate (Sylvain) is quite the renowned flirt on campus, and likes to tease Felix by openly hitting on you in front of him. All three of you know that it's genuinely in jest, and that Sylvain would never push things TOO far... but that doesn't stop Felix from fucking you extra hard and deep once you have the place to yourselves again. He's generally not very vocal during sex, but if his insecurities have been prodded a bit, he'll lift your legs into a mating press and pound his cock into you, groaning out, "tell me you're mine, Y/N. C'mon- again, louder-!"

- Overall, isn't much one for intimacy in public places- but once or twice, you'll encounter a bit of an exception. Gym dates with Felix are generally common and comfortable enough, and he's actually very helpful in improving your technique and efficiency when working out. But he won't let on for quite some time that it also turns him on immensely to see your body moving like this, and the scent of your sweat and pheromones drive him near feral. If it's late enough at night and there's no one else to overhear you, he'll drag you into one of the changing room showers and fuck you breathless against the wall, his tongue dragging along your neck and his hands groping every inch of you he can reach.

#fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fe3h #yuri leclerc #felix hugo fraldarius #fire emblem smut #yuri x reader #felix x reader #fire emblem imagines #modern au #fire emblem headcanons #spicy headcanons #feh

146 notes · View notes

pinkponyclubb · 3 years

Text

young royals: wilmon and their zodiac signs

so, instead of working on my term paper i started thinking about what could be wille's and simon's big three. feel free to disagree with me, but i thought i'd share my thoughts!! this is all in good fun and isn't meant to be taken too seriously, so don't come at me lol

･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

a little explanation about what these placements mean in case you don't know: the sun sign builds one's identity and kind of serves as the blueprint for a person, a.k.a. the core. the moon sign is responsible for emotionality and rules how we deal with our moods and feelings. the rising sign is what many view as the mask we present other people, and it's responsible for how we react to our environment.

･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Wilhelm

virgo sun / libra moon / cancer rising

virgo sun - people with their sun in virgo are constantly looking for ways to improve themselves and tend to don't ever think of themselves as good enough. this may cause a common state of anxiety, which we see wilhelm suffer from in very obvious ways throughout the entire season. he doesn't think he's good enough at being a prince (or, later, the crown prince), and his family literally making him say that he's the family disappointment in episode 1 probably didn‘t help. although virgos are willing to work hard, they might still feel like a lost cause because they tend to set unrealistic expectations for themselves and can't help but compare themselves to others. before they make a decision, people with their sun in virgo have to think everything through over and over again and due to their urge for perfectionism they might need a lot of time - final and definite decisions feel super difficult to make, and under pressure, they tend to crack under outside influences. moreover, virgos are not known to be very sociable. wilhelm even says once that he dislikes having to talk to a lot of people, even though once he does it, they don‘t react to him negatively.

libra moon - wilhelm seems to heavily rely on another person to share his emotions with. in the beginning, that person is erik, but later we see simon become this person. after erik passes, wilhelm tries to stay away from simon for the sake of the crown, but then realises he needs him to hold on to. now, you might question this, because aren't people with their moon in libra also meant to be super charming? yes, and hear me out! indeed, wille is suffering from anxiety and also explicitly said that he doesn‘t enjoy socialising, BUT have you seen him talk to linda at the parent's day lunch? he immediately tried to make sure she'd feel comfortable in an environment she wasn't used to - maybe it's his manners and his upbringing, and of course he wants the mother of the guy he has a crush on to like him, but he seems to charm her with ease. another completely different thought i had was that when he gave in and denied it was him in the video after all in the final episode, he possibly did it to avoid another fight with his mother. librans crave harmony at all times and cannot stand people being mad at them or disappointed in them, and we have to consider that at this point, wille doesn't fully realise yet that this would be a dealbreaker for simon - so to wille, following his mother's wishes probably seemed like the best compromise.

cancer rising - despite being a prince, wilhelm doesn't really portray stereotypical characteristics. he's shy, easily flustered, and emotional. when faced with conflict, he withdraws completely (e.g. when he asks simon to delete all of their texts instead of coming to him for comfort). cancer ascendants are known to be kind and sensitive, and they are careful about who they want to open up to. this leads to some cancer ascendants feeling rather lonely at times. they long for people they can feel safe around. when they are in love, they give their all, and they wear their heart on their sleeves (wille really sucks at hiding how much he likes simon, i think we can all agree on that). also, one of the typical cancerian's love languages is physical touch! once they manage to open up, they are good communicators (one thing that‘s so great about wilmon is that! they! talk! and i blame their immaculate zodiac placements).

･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Simon

pisces sun / scorpio moon / libra rising

pisces sun - honestly, one of my favourite zodiac signs, and i say that as someone who does (unfortunately) not have a single pisces placement in her chart. people with their sun in pisces tend to be very sympathetic. very. they always try to understand each side of an argument, and are known to be incredibly open-minded. however, this ability to adapt might make them feel like they have to hide a part of themselves around certain people, and to other people they might seem a little like a push-over. they don't really dare to dream big out loud. pisceans are also prone to get into the arts one way or another - and as we all know, simon loves music and is a great singer! people with their sun in pisces would never intentionally hurt anyone, and always put their loved ones first, even over themselves (sara fittingly pointed this out in episode 6). saying 'no' is a hard task for them (remember in episode 5 when simon is very obviously still mad at wilhelm for what he did but forgives him anyways because wilhelm says he needs him?). pisceans like to ignore harsh realities, so when it comes at them, it hits hard. some even claim for pisceans to be a little masochistic, e.g. when they are getting into situations that will very obviously hurt them just for the sake of trusting another person.

scorpio moon - now, i know that scorpios don't have the best reputation, but honestly, i think they're misunderstood. people with their moon in scorpio value emotionality unlike any other sign. they feel everything at the fullest, even if they're not necessarily sharing it; however, they are always up for anything that will grant them (negative or positive) emotional intensity, e.g. a passionate relationship. they don't do things halfway, it's all or nothing. to other people, they radiate strength, and scorpios are not scared of honesty - in fact, they value it.

libra rising - i feel like this is the most debatable one, so feel free to disagree with me. libra ascendants are usually very likable. they are kind and fun to be around, because they care about everyone around them being comfortable. they also care deeply about fairness and equality (we see this in simon a lot, starting with him speaking up for lower classes in class in the very first episode). librans are known to be a little indecisive, but mainly because they want to make sure they made the best choice for everyone around them. they sometimes forget to put themselves first, and tend to feel guilty if they do so.

i hope this makes sense to you. it was really interesting to think about, and: bonus! it gives us an idea of what their birthdays could be. according to this, simon's birthday would be either the 10th or the 11th of march, 2004, and wille's birthday the 14th or 15th of september, 2004. like i said, this is obviously just wild guesses based on what we see in the show, but i'd love to hear your thoughts!!

#young royals #young royals netflix #wilmon #wilhelm x simon #wilhelm and simon #prince wilhelm #simon eriksson #edvin ryding #omar rudberg #zodiac #zodiac signs

43 notes · View notes

kaisa-ryo · 4 years

Text

Itadori Yuji NSFW Alphabet

Warning: English isn't my native language!

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*

A = Aftercare (What he likes after sex)

Itadori likes to chat for a long time. Topics for communication are usually very diverse: from listing the different sex positions he wants to try, to discussing brands of cars, televisions, types of soaps and colors of underwear. In parallel, Yuji will stroke your back, causing your body to creep. So the love attraction that you already experienced with him before suddenly takes on a special intensity. When he has a need to receive your affection, he will begin to sink under the covers until he rests his nose against your chest or stomach. By this action, he asks you to play with his hair. At this moment, he may stop talking altogether, because instead of chatting, he will hum with pleasure. In addition, he will try with all his might and in various positions to snuggle up to you with his strong male body. And you will begin with great skill to stroke his hair and gradually increase the pressure in order to induce real ecstasy in him.

B = Body part (His favorite body part)

Obviously the hips and butt.

It is a blissful feeling when he squeezes your buttocks as he continuously enters you. And in the morning, when you start looking in the mirror, you notice that your thighs are scarlet. As you examine yourself, Itadori in the next room sees your stunned expression in the mirror and smiles proudly.

C = Cum (Everything about sperm)

He usually ends up on the aforementioned body parts. Although he experiences no less high pleasure when he watches how his hot semen flows down from your vagina. Or the mouth. And if you also swallow his seed, it will completely discourage him. It's so awkward and at the same time arousing when a girl literally lets a part of you into her. It's like you start making it a part of yourself. The part of his soul that passes through your body, moving on to the next stage of orgasm.

D = Dirty secret

To tell you the truth - there are a lot of them. Despite the fact that he almost always speaks with you frankly on intimate topics.

He often thinks about how he will kick you through the school desk and fuck you under the light of the graceful sunset that falls through the half-open blinds.

About how madly tempting it would be if you suck him off somewhere in the closet.

How to fuck you by the sea on soft sand.

There is no limit to these secret desires. Someday he will definitely tell you about all of them. And, of course, it will.

E = Experience

The highest level of experience in intercourse is masturbation. Yes, he has seen a lot of different videos on porn sites and instant messengers. And of course, he remembers them every single one. He has a lot of sexual fantasies. And they are all related to you. But they need to be implemented.

It will also ask you about your experience. For example, can you do a blow job. If you do not know about any sexual arts, he will certainly show you a video, explain how and what to do, ask if you like this objectively.

You can even say that he has much more indirect experience than you. But Yuji likes it. I like to teach you everything that he himself knows from the erotic videos he has watched.

F = Favorite position

In general, you have tried an innumerable number of poses all the time, but none can compare with the one when he presses you into bed from behind. When your penis plunges into the innermost and holds you so tightly that it begins to seem as if it has completely absorbed you.

G = Goofy (Are you serious at this moment?)

In most cases, yes. Even if this is not the first time you have been doing this, this does not mean that intercourse may not go well. But sometimes passionate excitement can outweigh all expressions of seriousness and turn it into entertainment or stress relief.

H = Hair (Is the hair ok?)

Not that he regularly tidies them up, but tries to make sure that both of you are comfortable. Maybe he prefers not to show it, but Itadori is really worried that you will be uncomfortable. Although the hair itself does not really interfere.

I = Intimacy (Romance)

Yes. And a lot.

Itadori literally melts when he sees you smile, the reason for which is his sweet and romantic actions. For him, there is no line between "boyfriend" and "spouse". And, of course, he regularly scrolls in his head how you have a large shared apartment, wedding rings, children ...

The guy is ready to even get you the moon from the sky, just to see your charming smile once again, to feel how you jump on his neck and say that you love him with all your heart. Sometimes he gets carried away - and then his hand reaches out to you to stroke your cheek, circle around your neck, say some banality, without which it is difficult for you to live. And sometimes you think that at such moments Itadori... looks a little more naive. But he does not see anything wrong with this and continues to cherish you, like the most priceless treasure on earth.

J = Jack off (masturbation)

It happens. And even after the start of your relationship.

In moments when you are far away, he records your telephone conversation, asks you to throw off your photos, turns on a home video taken once secretly from you ... then he starts "playing with his snake", quietly moaning your name. And if you start writing or talking on the phone, how much you want him now, it will just go crazy, imagining how he is fucking you on the bed right now. After all, it is such a pleasure to realize that your body receives only what you so passionately dream about and what you want.

— Mnh... yes, y/n... please continue...

K = Kink (Kinks and fetishes)

As mentioned earlier — home video. Yuji prefers to do this in secret, since he knows it will embarrass you. And besides, you will immediately guess why he does it.

He also has one fetish that you know about. Namely — voyeurism. When you change clothes, stand in the shower, or try on a swimsuit, he closely monitors your actions while standing outside the door. So he initiates you into his intimate world, where you can become his muse.

In addition, he has several types of perversions that he considers esoteric. For example, he really loves to admire your naked body and inhale its aroma, starting from the neck. This also applies to your personal things — your scent is also felt on them, and Itadori constantly examines and sniffs your things, hoping to feel your scent. It's kind of like a drug for him, and he likes to wake up in the morning and feel that your hair is still felt on his neck. And if you put on his clothes... it seems like some kind of new fetish. Now on his things your next smell. It's fucking exciting...

L = Location (Favorite places to have sex)

It makes no difference. The place does not depend on the amount of pleasure received from the process. True, you still have to find compromises. Because if it is convenient for him to hold your legs, simultaneously entering your bosom again and again, then it is quite problematic for you to be in the air, holding on to his shoulders. Thus, you get less pleasure. But do not think, he is not a rabbit, to fuck you wherever he wants, the guy will definitely ask if you want it. And yes, he does have a line between "normal" and "too public."

M = Motivation

All your movements are in clothes, which emphasizes the whole aesthetics of your body. As if hypnotized, Itadori watches your curves, how they change when you change posture or movement. When you are in your underwear, you specifically approach him and start to flirt playfully. When you wear his things, as mentioned by the way earlier. And oh shit, how turns him on when you show yourself a new swimsuit and ask to rate.

N = No (Which won't do)

Anything that will harm you. It doesn't matter whether it's big or small. If Yuji feels that he can be rude to you, then he will definitely warn you to tell when it hurts. After all, on the verge of orgasm, he may not notice that you are uncomfortable or unpleasant.

O = Oral (Likes to receive or to give)

More is to give. His head is blown away because you are moaning his name sweetly and loudly, demanding more. Your morning kiss and praise for being amazing last night will give him confidence. And then, perhaps, your next night will be even better than the previous one.

Although one should not ignore his desires with needs. The guy will be very upset if, for some reason, you do not give him pleasure with oral sex.

P = Pace

In this he is a real professional Yuji knows perfectly well how to stretch pleasure and orgasm as much as he wants. A small effort of will is enough for him, which he has at least a spoonful.

At first he will start with smooth movements, and then gradually accelerate. At the same time, it will be easy to prolong your pleasure, because you will feel the strongest sexual charge directed in your direction. And with each strong orgasm, you will experience not only physical, but also mental pleasure.

Q = Quickie

From slow and smooth thrusts to wet and hot suddenness, it makes you feel your own intoxication, as if you are high. Superhuman abilities do give good results. As it turned out, not only in sports.

R = Risk (Ready to experiment)

In other matters, he is unlikely to refuse, since he himself has long wanted this. But Itadori is a responsible person, so he will think a hundred times and make sure that you accept the offer accurately. Do not be surprised that he will act agitated during such sex. He, like you, understands that this risk is serious and can create real problems.

S = Stamina (Stamina)

You should prepare caffeine and energy drinks, as this machine will squeeze everything out of itself, despite the fact that you yourself were exhausted already in the third round. He will not be enough all the time, and if you ever start to black out from fatigue, the guy will scream that he has not finished yet. It even forces you to limit the number of your intercourse per week, as his stamina is exhausting. And you've told him about it more than once.

T = Toys

In this regard, Yuji is more cunning and impudent. He always refuses to have toys for himself, although he himself does not mind tormenting you with a vibrator or even slipping it into your panties, justifying this by the fact that he does this to keep you close, at the same time showing his concern for you, flickering his ghost in your head. But he's not lucky that you're not such a naive fool. Despite this, the guy gets hit on the head, with a very convincing request never to do this again.

U = Unfair (Does he like to tease)

Very much not even against, but not much into it. Over time, it bothers both you and him, and all actions cease to be unpredictable.

V = Volume (How loud is it)

Pretty loud. But in the volume of your moans, you take over.

They start with stifled growls, to groans because of how fucking amazing and sexy you are. And it all ends like a sugary, but trustworthy silence. Your loud moans of pleasure are a sign that you both were good.

W = Wild card (Random headcanon)

Once there was a case where Yuji could not come. He felt that he could not come even if he wanted to. His arms and legs seemed to be glued together, and he himself froze. I started to panic, think of reasons in my head. You, in turn, noticed this too, and when you asked what was the matter, Itadori turned pale and speechless. After that, he sat down on the bed, and here you started to worry. It turned out that he had masturbated too much over the past month, which has formed a habit of certain stimulation of the penis. At the news, you laughed, and he blushed. But at the same moment he exhaled with satisfaction. The guy was glad that the reason was not in you and not in his health.

X = X-ray (What's under the clothes)

16 cm. During erection ± 2.5

Y = Yearning (How high is the sex drive)

Sex serves him for several purposes: relieving stress, sexual tension, just as a way to prove his love for you... Sometimes the beginning of sexual intercourse depends on his arousal. But for your sake, he's trying his best to hold back. Resorted to masturbation instead of sex, but as you already know, even this has its own problems. Seeing him so depressed, you also do not bypass the mutual concern. Even if you don't really want to do this or you are not in the mood, you will never refuse him. Although you will never let him relax and stop controlling himself. Do not miss the opportunity to talk to him about this, because, of course, he also needs it - to get rid of an inferiority complex and so on...

Overall, ± 8/10

Z = Zzz (How quickly falls asleep)

Quite surprisingly, even in spite of his endless chatter before going to bed, as soon as he put his head on the pillow and lean on you, he falls asleep instantly. You feel him in your arms like a small hyperactive child who constantly wants to tell you something or, out of habit, make a row. And myself in his arms — protected by a large and strong wall.

#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk imagines #jjk x y/n #jjk #jjk x you #jjk itadori #jjk yuji #itadori yuuji imagines #itadori yuji x reader #alphabet

142 notes · View notes

everythingthemoontouches · 3 years

Note

Hiii Jahn!🌙 I’m just a new follower. I discovered you while searching for D9 asks. I was amazed by your in-depth explanation on each placements. 🤍 I’d like to send in my D1 & D9 charts also for future spouse reading to understand more about it.Thank you so much!!🤍 Please take your time. I’ll patiently wait. 💕 Hoping you’ll have a lovely day/night! 🌹

Hello there

This, my love has been a longtime coming. First off I'm gonna introduce you to an intuitive read and then present it in a more formal, bulleted manner. You seem to ha e chosen quite a challenging path in this lifetime. Props to you for bravery. And a hug + some tea to help you brave it 💕 your life could be a beautiful movie on love, healing, growth, spirituality and personal power.

Future BAE seems to be stable, practical reliable with service being his love language. He is down to grow together, and help you walk in your power.

Taurus rising.

Scorpio 7th house. + Pluto + moon.

Wow. Lots of shadow work involved when it comes to close personal relationships. You need to turn that critical eye inwards.

Untill you work at managing or integrating your inner child issues, any partners you end up with will continue to trigger you. At its best, this is someone who helps you work through your feelings. Breakdown. Confront reality. Breakdown and rebuild yourself stringer than ever. A hades and persephone kind of love. Lots of sexual allure. Strength, protectiveness, passion, push and pull, makeup sex? Specially since the ruler of the 7th house (Mars) is in the 5th house. You're not the kinda person who'd be happy to marry just for stability. Passion and mutual attraction, love is a must.

Mars and rahu. Service. Over exerting for those you love. Days spent in bed. Service kink. Lady in the streets, freak in the sheets.

You're definitely attracted to people who help you better your place in the world. They have to have a little bit of ' I wanna do good / change the world in them'. A friendly leader kinda figure. Disciplined.

Your darakarka Mars is retrograde. Controlling. Dominant. Future BAE is definitely gonna overthink themselves into a worry when it comes to dating and wooing. Or they could think that only their way is the right / best way to do soemthing. Poor lil baby( I say baby, but as a Virgo Mars they're probably the person who takes charge, plans, overanalyzes things has a set way of doing things.) this could be someone who is an advocate for universal free education, teaches children for free or some such. Could second guess themselves when it comes to taking action.

Mars Rahu conjunction: sub kink. They'd want a lot of adulation. Could be from a different culture from you or have studied in a very different environment.

I think your fs gets better at dealing with overthinking after you guys tie the knot. They learn to be more at peace with themself, letting their intuition guide them instead of focusing too hard on trying to do the logical thing. Okay with being messy. May like to act and arrange things behind the scenes. Imagine coming home tired to find that they've already called the restaurant, arranged for your favorite food to be dropped off, warmed, alid out on the table. Gives me the vibes of a puppeteer(katputli - a rajasthani folk dance)pulling the strings. You can't see them, but the show goes on.

From being ficusssed on accumulating wealth your focus goes towards doing things that boost your sense of Self confidence. You could also grow more tactful as you learnt to seek out harmony. You probably become more direct and assertive as a result the peopep you attract are more easy going / Libra like.

I'm seeing a house for a wedding present? Or moving into your spouse's ancestral home. They could also come from a matrilineal lineage.

Your household could be supported by one or both of you working in tax, insurance, financial industries. There could also be soemthing related to life insurance.

Pluto and Saturn in the 7th is a tad concerning. There's a very heavy sense of some kind of karmic duty. Saturn is exalted in Libra.

Way too controlling. Narcissism. Moon Mars mother. Karmic ties. Moon 8th house.

U must learn to stand up for yourself.

If you're meant to have any babies in this lifetime, they'd probably visit you in a dream or a psychic trance before they come down to earth. Call it mothers intuition. This is just a gut feeling wrt your moon in 8th house in Scorpio in the D9. I say this because the moon rules the 4th house of home, and children are an important part of the house if you're a mom. The 4th house is also the home/ heartland what you'd protect.

You suppress your emotions. Emerges as a volcano. But a cold one. U turn to ice and grow aloof.

Out of body experiences

You need to learn to be more dominant and combative. I'd suggest watching the teal Swans video on creating a zero sum game in relationships. Strengthened by Aries ascendant in d 9. This life u gotta learn to fight for yourself, and not sit quietly because people attacked u or kept u under their thumb when u were younger by a strict dad.

OK, now let's look at the placements and aspects

D1 lagna (ascendant) VS D9 lagna

You go from comfort stability minded to taking more risks and initiative. Self Confidence increases. Assert your needs better.

Vargottama Moon

The moon is quite dominant as it does not change signs between d1 and D9. You're super cooperative and hate to disappoint people. I'd suggest reading up more on Anuradha Nakshatra.

Moon - Pluto - 7th house

Could indicate karmic ties or past life connections to FS. You work through a lot of your own inner insecurities, self doubt, lack mindset related issues in close romantic relationships. There could be some mother wound related issues. You can only love as deeply as you allow yourself to love yourself. In order to attract people who inspire positive growth in you, you must first sit with your shadow, examine why people trigger you, and make peace with yourself or, perhaps your mom?

Mars Rahu - sextile moon

Mars and Rahu are both impulsive action oriented Planets. Them sextile your Pluto and moon could lead you to feel quite triggered and attacked by the slightest hint of advice or suggestion from someone else. Sex with the wrong people can really mess with you. In a better manifestation good sex has you feeling liek you can change the world and also that you're super safe and secure.

Venus combust - 10th house

You need to feel appreciated for your uniqueness. Ego battles could arise and get in the way of finding, expressing love.

Saturn- Ketu Pisces

The ruler of your 7th Nakshatra this is someone who loses themself to community service, could do too much for the wrong cause. Money could come in from fish farming. Seduments or other aquatic culture.

Anuradha 7th house

This is a Nakshatra that focuses on achieving success by working with a group. Your fs is collaborative and good at managing people. Someone who shares success. And is hence likely to go far ahead in life. Major success may come later in life.

Mars 7th house

Expect healthy amount of frank, direct communication. Some arguments with FS. But there's also protectiveness, concern, and the will to do the best by someone. Mars and moon aspects indicate a healthy sex life. They're probably enamored by you. You in turn would find them super sexy.

7th Nakshatra lord and Ketu

Your fs and relation with FS is a highly spiritual one. You could both be looking for a soulful connection. There is love, there us duty there is a need to help each other value time, focus on the future. They could have been a strict disciplinarian figure Ina past life. You both probably have a knack to look down at your phone just in time tos ee an email / message alert from them? Perhaps you two run or help/volunteer at an institution for the mentally challenged.

7th house relation to pieces

OK, so this is where we have a lot going on. Mars opposes saturn. And is placed with Rahu. Mars here feels restrained. Your fs could feel blocked in their creative gifts. In the sense that all they want to do is focus on it, create, post, gain fame but saturn and Ketu try to restrict their creative time. They could be perfectionists. Having to redo things. Since Rahu is also in virgo there's a focus on creating things with the hands and fine tuning every single detail. Directed towards you, this is someone who is always encouraging you while trying to micromanage a lot of details because they think they're being helpful. This is sosmrhtinf you two could have in common so

Mars Darakarka: they teach u to fight for you. Opinionated. Honest. Perfectionist. Service before self. Hardworking. Have integrity. Very active mind.

Mars conjunct Rahu-venus D9 creativity

The 5th house rules creativity and with your venus in the 9th house in D9 your fs is someone who encourages u to be more creative and follow or take up a course to be better at your hobbies. It's like full creative freedom to be you and do you.

D9 Exalted Saturn

Justice. Duty. Not very affectionate but they make sure you have everything you need. Balanced approach. Someone thoughtful. They're fair in a fight.

Libra, venus ruled 7th house

Beauty, peace and harmony in thr relationship. You're not gonna feel like you're being taken for grated. They will treat you to nice things and probably have a schedule for dates and other such romantic leisure activities.

Jupiter rules 9th, in 2nd house

Philosophy. Art. Culture. Museums. Travel coudk be a key focus in your married life. This is something you two bond over. Could also strike God fortune when u do travel or go on pilgrimages. Luck and money via foreign sources.

Rahu in aquarius

Social media influence or you get better at making friends just make sure that they're not provoking you into taking uncalcukated risks or actions that are wya too bizarre. Could denote some kind of breakthrough with technology, a love for a high end gadget driven spaces. An interest in Photography. Any couples pictures posts would be well received. Like you're the couple that looks exotic in their photos. Radiant. Aloof, intellectual, stimulating and even more appealing together.

Jupiter Taurus in 2nd house of D9

Debilitated Jupiter 9th house- religious issues - venus 9th house - conversion?

You may have struggled with religious ideologies being forced on you, or the one you were born into didn't quite feel right. Your fs may follow a different religion or show you that being religious does not mean you feel bad about some of your lifestyle choices.

Pisces Mars d9: he is either tactful and charming or a bit manipulative. You may feel like you prefer to act behind the scenes. It may be a little hard to be recognized for the things you do untill you get really really angry.

D9 Cancer 4th house: the home is a serious source of pride. Beautiful interiors and you'd be quite guarded about who you invite over. The best meals. Soothing interiors.

Pilgrimage within the 1st year of becoming a mom ( Jupiter's aspect on the 9th house)

Venus in Sagittarius D9: future BAE is gonna love his freedom. He could be a workaholic.

Alrighty, that's all I've got today. I hope this helps. I wish you the best on your healing and integration journey

#Shadow work #Mars saturn Pluto 7th house #Future spouse astrology #Future spouse reading #D1 and D9 analysis #Navamsa analysis

26 notes · View notes

sanstropfremir · 3 years

Note

I’d love your thoughts on BTS and their current image and music if you have them and aren’t afraid of the mindless internet hoards.

Personally, I liked a lot of their older stuff, but haven’t liked anything since I think the Fake Love promotions 3+ years ago. They’d started losing their personality and soul before that album cycle, but it feels like the sanitization of their image and artistry really kicked into hyperdrive after that. Now most of what they do seems like a sterile money grab driven by the Hybe hive mind which is a shame.

ok alrighty (cracks knuckles) let's get into it.

now that i've fully given myself a headache watching the majority of the bts videography, here are three points i'm going to cover:

performative character and the lack thereof

interesting aesthetics and the lack thereof, and

the inevitable cracking of perfection

ready, set, let's begin.

idol music is very clearly definited by spectacle based aesthetics. and it's had that structure for its entire existence. so i gotta hand it to hybe for this one, because they managed to revolutionize being utterly fucking average. the triumph of bts is that they're just some guys and they look like just some guys. hybe found a niche in the system and then gamed that system to the tune of one of the largest musical acts in the world. they're not marketing bts as a romantic parasocial relationship, they're marketing them as your friends. and that is just as insidious to lonely kids as a run of the mill romantic fantasy. but that's not what i'm here to talk about today.

there's a pattern i find very interesting with bts mvs and that is that i don't remember anything about them. specifically, i don't remember the stuff that's happening IN the video; not the styling, not the setpieces, if i didn't know the members i doubt i would remember them either. what i DO remember, is how expensive the production is, and specific shots. i couldn't tell you what a single member was wearing, but i sure as hell remember that first upward angle shot of jungkook and the rusted park ride in spring day. or every single time they do that birdseye shot of jin in like every video. honestly as far as i'm aware jin has only ever worn a loose fitting beige longsleeve shirt.

it took bts a long time to establish any kind of consistent visual character. and the character they did establish.... i don't know if you can call a family-friendly-style clean aesthetic 'character'. they debuted as a hip hop group to little (comparative) success, and then made a switch to doing an early version of where they're currently at right now. if you've seen any of the mvs, you know that this is a pretty significant visual change. i don't think it is inherently a bad change, since the visual branding for hiphop based groups always tips over into iffy terrritory, but it is dramatic enough and early enough that it doesn't strike me as a natural evolution. concept switch ups are common, but they usually work because the members have established a bit of character for themselves, used their performance abilities and presence to fit into a niche in the group. the idol mould is perfect for showcasing the performers; that's its function. the groups that are the most fun to watch are the ones with stage presence, the ones who know how to perform, who can act all the parts they need to play. and bts? 4/7 actual performers on a good day. in my personal opinion it's 2/7.

i'm gonna expand on what i said about jimin here (this is technically the first part of this series), because it does apply to the rest of the group on the whole:

and i think here is where we see the main crux of the difference between taemin and jimin as performers: taemin has both an artistic and an idol persona. we know and understand him to do solo work that has a separate artistic meaning to just him being an idol. even though this performance was pre-move, i would still say this applies, because he's hot off press your number, where he's acting in a story based mv. jimin on the other hand just has his idol persona. he's not known for creating the same kind of storytelling that taemin is.

bts has been very insistent on the image of the group as a single unit. despite having the size of fanbase and the revenue that would make any official solo debut a massive success, none of them have done any substantial solo work. this isn't artistically a problem, and i think it's very admirable of them to be so dedicated to the image and the legacy of the group, when that can be an uncommon trait in the industry. i do however, think it starts to become an issue when we want to discuss what the artistic visions and images of groups are. shinee taemin and solo taemin have two distinct artistic representations, and taemin himself will attest to that. it's the same with all the shinee members that have solo careers, and the same with other groups. jackson, bambam, yugyeom, and jaebeom's solo work is all very different from got7. yixing's solo work is very different from exo's. even the subunits within exo all have their own character (cbx and sc). kpop groups all ostensibly are trained under the same system, so why the disparity with bts? mostly, it's their brand of "authenticity." it's impossible to perform authentically, by the nature of performance as a medium it is unnatural, and tragically, not everyone is naturally interesting, or suited to performing: that's why the performing arts even exist in the first place. it required painstaking training to be good at performing; it is a complex set of skills and those skills are not learnt by "being authentic." being an idol is not just the singing, dancing, rapping; that's only half the work. you need to be able to act to be a compelling performer. pulling your true self and emotions out on stage every night is a fast track to burnout and psychological issues, there's plenty of evidence. the only member of bts of whom i can say for some certainty has a persona and a stage presence is jhope/hoseok, a) because he's kept up a very specific brand in the solo work that he has done, and b) he has actual dance training, not just kpop dance training. the rest of them may have the kpop dance and the kpop vocal training, but what they do not have is the ability to market themselves as compelling performers on stage. taehyung is the only other member i would hesitantly give a semblance of persona and ability to, but i think he stumbled onto that mostly by accident. and if all the pieces don't each have a distinctive colour, how can the whole machine be visually interesting?

bts may never have been able to establish an aesthetic brand, but what they did establish is an intellectual one. if you talk to a fan, the schtick they give is that "it's about the lyrics." as noble as having an intellectual or cerebral message is, what does that look like? how do you portray intellectual on stage, on film? what about intellectual is interesting to watch? cerebral, by it's literal nature as a descriptor, is very difficult to communicate in visual language because it is internal. to successfully communicate cerebrality and intellect in a short form medium like music videos requires a deft hand with metaphor that can elude even an experienced designer. and honestly? i don't know whether to applaud hybe's visual team for being the most successful subtle contemporary designers i've every seen, or to decry them as worst kpop designers i've ever seen. maybe both. regardless, i don't think they're able to cross the gap.

there are exactly four mvs where i actually remember the content of the mv and not the frame it sits in, and those are dna, idol, the singularity comeback trailer with taehyung, and war of hormone. and of an eight year career......that's not very many. these four mvs have at least an inkling of interesting spectacle and character, but even then, it's still a stretch. there is absolutely nothing to write home about in the styling for dna, other than it's well colour matched. I don't even know if I should include singularity because it involves none of the other members. idol is probably their most interesting mv because it actually has alternative styling and varies (at least a little bit) from the standard hybe boom crane shot-that-shows-off-how-we-can-afford-big-studio-spaces-and-locations. the company and the group would be loathe to admit it, but war of hormone is a well designed and interesting mv for the time it was made, with a well crafted gimmick and some actual showing of character from the members. it was the start of a potential that they squashed quite quickly because it wasn't picking up in the hiphop-group-saturated market of 2014. but the rest of their mvs? remarkably uninspired styling. like it's truly impressive how boring the styling is. and like i've said, that is the triumph in their aesthetics: they all look like normal dudes (if you had professional skin + makeup techs looking after them for the last 8 years).

all of this is a carefully crafted image that's tailored to hooking an audience, especially an international one. the mvs are boring in the relative scale of kpop, but they're just different enough from a western pop mv to catch attention. and once you do sink a hook, there's a direct clickfunnel of content that bills itself on these men being "authentic" and "self-producing," which is a huge draw to international fans, because people are racist and believe that the kpop industry is a factory that produces idols like clones, where none of them know how to do anything other than sing and dance and all the music is just handed to them by companies. and they have SO much content that there's no way a new fan can get to it all in a timely manner, so they'll never have to engage with any other kpop artists' work if they don't actively seek it out. but that's another essay for another time.

that brings us to current day, in which at least the last five bts releases have been in the same aesthetic vein of positive, sanitized, and pristine. i said it in one of my txt responses and i will say it again here: money scrubs the humanity from the aesthetic of living. minimalism is for rich white people. hybe and bts may have pivoted their style and brand directly into the lane of mass appeal, but when you pair that with the amount of money funding them, there's a cognitive dissonance between the message and the aesthetics in which it's portrayed. some people do like the clean cut looks, and i won't say that they don't work, but as you've likely gleaned from this response, it isn't my style and if you've been around and reading my writing for longer you'll know that my tastes runs much closer to the messy and the weird, so very little about any of bts' visuals have appeal to me. i do find the contradiction of applying the appeal of radical relatability with the aesthetics of expansive (and expensive) minimalism interesting; it's an extremely fine line that hybe is walking and eventually they are going to tip over, the porcelain mask will not hold forever. maintaining the all ages aesthetic is going to be difficult now that all of them are grown ass men. with other groups of this member age and generation there's very obviously been a shift to a more adult tone, and not necessarily explicitly. got7, mx, nu'est, btob, shinee, 2pm, and groups that have older members like a.c.e and sf9 have all made slow shifts in tone that are undeniably aimed at a maturing audience: they know their core fanbases are aging with them and they (the fans) are not as interested in the 'boy' in boy group. and most of them have telltale visual styles, enough so that i can distinguish a specific group's mv. the last year and change of mx mvs have a very distinctive character; got7 too, since easily as far back as if you do. i can always tell an a.c.e mv by its impeccable fashion and formic styling, and although shinee has always had a more experimental aesthetic edge, their sound and voices are unmistakable.

honestly, i can't predict what bts is going to do in the future, but i personally don't believe they can keep up their clean aesthetic indefinitely without some fallout. part of the fun of following bands is watching them grow musically, and the last couple of years of bts haven't felt like growth. there are fans that have already started realizing it, and there's likely to be more soon.

---

the third part is here, which is a short followup about some of bts' industry influence.

#this is long one dear readers #a very long one #strap in #i've sat on this for probably a week now in the hopes my brain can make some interesting connections but honestly?#not a lot about bts is interesting in comparision to the rest of the kpop industry #personally i am of the opinion that lyrics do not matter in idol music and i am not interested in them in the slightest #and bts videos ARE extremely bland visually #unless you like looking at expensive production. whatever floats your boat i guess #they make a lot of sense as an entry kpop group but once you get actually into the industry there is SO much happening #which i talk about in the third part a little bit #this is way too long i am so sorry anon and everyone else who has been asking about this topic #im not entirely sure it's coherent at this point but whatever. its out there now #i wanted this to be under 1k and that emphatically did not happen #it is double that. why am i like this #875 #kpop questions #kpop analysis #group analysis #text #answers

42 notes · View notes

moonstarinfinity · 3 years

Text

✨TXT Group Astrological Chart Analysis✨

What is TXT like as a group? How does their group astrology affect their music, their relationships within the group as a whole, and how they harness success and popularity?

Lets explore their group chart, and find out!

💫 Chart Patterns

First their chart patterns: TXT has a bundle chart concentrated in the Western Hemisphere of their chart and basically this means that they have a very focused and intense energy around them. This energy is likely felt when they perform on stage and helps them attract opportunities for their group. They tend to be exceptionally resourceful and talented, and reap a lot of awards. This can be seen in things like being the highest charting debut group at their time of debut, and their exceptional amount of award nominations and wins as a rookie group. Most recently their comeback is scheduled for May 31st, 2021 and it was reported that they sold more than 520,000 pre-orders for their new album within just 6 days of it being announced. No doubt they will continue to reap rewards and be successful based on their chart patterns alone.

💫 Personal Planets

Sun in Pisces - 6th House

Let me preface this with: Holy heck this placement makes a ton of sense. TXT has a tendency to create other worlds and they are fantastic story tellers. They use metaphors and imagery to connect to their fans, and Pisces Suns are all about being in the world, but not necessarily of this world.

They literally have a song about imagination called "Blue Hour" and Pisces is all about imagination. This placement is the heart of TXT and you can see it's influence heavily in their music and concepts.

Pisces Suns tend to connect to alternate dimensions and explore them to bring back information and understanding. This allows them to connect and help humanity heal, and I know this is more on the metaphysical side of astrology, but I agree that TXT uses their bring colors, stories, and imagination to help people feel understood and to help others see things in a different way.

Now Sun in the 6th is all about routine and health, and this placement displays in their desire to improve the world around them. Pisces is a very nurturing energy in this space, and the Sun is about illumination. It's a very selfless placement and can indicate a massive desire to help others and is also seen as a spiritual placement. One could say they connect to people on a spiritual or soul level through their music.

Within the group this placement helps them to work together well and they all are very caring and helpful with each other. It helps to form a stronger bond between members, and they often times help each other heal while performing and creating. It's a very team oriented placement, and very selfless, which is great for a group. They tend to put work first, which makes sense...because this is a chart for their group.

Moon in Aquarius - 5th House

UNIQUE. That is the definition of an Aquarius. In the 5th house this is especially noticeable because this is the placement that expresses their uniqueness. There's just something about TXT that makes them seem so different...and this placement is part of that.

Aquarius in the 5th can be a rebel, and often times is not afraid to do what feels right for them, even if it feels out of the norm, or is somewhat of a risk. We can see this in TXT's unique sound and dualistic approach to their music.

The 5th house is also about creativity, and there is ZERO lack of creativity for TXT. The Moon being here allows for them to use creativity to express their emotions, as well as help others feel their emotions that are placed into these creative outlets.

The moon in Aquarius loves to be around friends. There is nurturing in feeling a part of the team for each member of TXT, and this is a tight knit friend group that is much more than just coworkers. They feel free and comfortable amongst each other, and this vibe also makes their fans feel cared for like they are their best friends.

This placement can be seen as a trailblazing and independent placement that allows for freedom of expression and emotions in unique and vibrant ways. It creates that friendly, bring, and sometimes even hilarious nature to TXT as a whole.

Ascendant in Virgo - 1st House

Organized. Reliable. Grounded. This is how the group operates. They tend to be very good about making sure that they are doing what is needed, when it is needed. They also are a support system. Not only for their fans, but amongst themselves as well. This creates a really strong foundation. Virgo generally rules the 6th house of routine, health, and coworkers. This really helps ground and bring a down to earth vibe to the team. With their high energy and placements that can tend to be in the clouds a lot, this helps to bring their ideas back down to the ground.

Sometimes the group can have a hard time with trying to maintain their expectations of perfection with this placement. Virgo tends to be perfectionistic and almost too structured when it's in the first house. Thankfully their sun and moon placements DEFINITELY balance this out. They often times have to lean more into those placements to offset the stress that this ascendant can bring.

They are likely VERY hard on themselves when schedules don't go as planned, mistakes are made, or they are in a rut. Time is really important to this placement, but thankfully it also helps them create plans and stick to their schedule.

They are honest and extremely stable because of this placement, which sets them up to be around for a long time. Which is exactly what we like to hear and see when we look at group placements. They also LOVE to work with this placement, and because they are living their passions it's a very harmonious placement as a group.

Observant, intelligent, and love to share knowledge and wisdom. This displays in their music. They are clever with their lyrics, concepts, and sound. This placement really supports their Moon's need to create new things, and creates a stable feeling when experimenting.

Mercury in Pisces - 7th House

This is the placement that shows what their content is about and how they like to communicate, and what they like to communicate about. First of all let me just say this is the 7th house. Mercury in the 7th is all about communicating love, commitment, partnership, and beauty.

Mercury in Pisces as a group expresses through lyrics and sounds that are soulful, deep, intuitive, and compassionate. In this case extremely compassionate.

Pisces is DEEP and it's usually about your inner world, so as a group they have a deep understanding of the inner workings when it comes to relationships, love, and beauty.

This is a naturally artistic placement and is SUPER conductive for art and music. It's like a supercharge for their sound. This creates melodies, lyrics, and visuals (music videos, concepts, art, etc.) that are extremely attractive. Think about how "Runaway" was so catchy right out the gate and how the music video was super aesthetically pleasing.

This is why their music videos and concepts are so visually stunning. This is why their songs are so catchy. This is why you can listen to the same song over and over.

As a group they also may be less likely to be direct with their lyrics (hence why they use storytelling and metaphor) because Mercury is technically muted in Pisces. I don't really see this as a negative for a musical group though, because honestly it just makes them that much more magnetic.

Venus in Aquarius - 5th House

ENERGY. This is a placement that exudes energy, and we can see this reflected in their upbeat and catchy music style. They love to make songs that are high energy, and that you can dance to.

This is a very good placement for love and in Aquarius this is the love of a team, of the group, and a love for their fans. It's all about love and living life to the fullest.

They have a HUGE desire to create ultimate happiness. They use their music as a way to spread positive vibes, and to help people feel pumped up, or cared for.

This also brings a very playful nature to the group. This placement can be seen in songs such as "Cat & Dog." Bright colors, childlike wonder, humor. It's all a part of this placement.

They love to work as a team, and they find that in their team they are more inspired and create more freely than when they are on their own. It brings them energy and drive and passion to work together.

This placement also makes sense with how young they all were at debut, and even as they get older, their music will continue to draw in people that are younger than them. They are fresh and playful. Think the flirting with a crush vibe, and that's what this placement is for them.

Mars in Taurus - 8th House

Mars in Taurus is all about strength and stability. But in the 8th house this can almost come off as overly aggressive. Sometimes their passion can be very strong and this can cause there to be a lot of fire under them.

This is actually good for the most part because it can help them be expressive, and they actually have a great outlet for all of their passion. It simply means that as a while they have a lot of passion and as long as they channel it into their music and art, then it's a powerhouse placement.

They do need to make sure they are keeping any materialism and greed in check, but thankfully it's not really just their choice as a group when it comes to what they do. Ultimately since this is a group placement they are less likely to give in to the shadow sides of this placement.

It can actually benefit them to communicate about struggles with materialism, drama, and their outspoken nature through their music. They generally HAVE to share these things, and they will find that the more that they grow the more that they transform, and this is something that they find is necessary to communicate.

They can be influenced by those around them, so pressure from society or other groups can be a little hard to navigate at times, so there is a challenge to stay true to themselves, and to let go of styles, and people that aren't meant for them.

This is another HIGHLY spiritual placement. They love to explore the occult, mysteries, puzzles, paranormal, and the spiritual world. Just look at their entire collection as a whole and you can see these influences playing a HUGE part in their work.

They are led to follow their instincts, and their instincts are usually right. Their purpose as a group is to live authentically as themselves and to use their power as a way to live their fullest potential. To follow their passions and to let themselves transform as a group over time. This is what will keep them going and will give them the greatest success as a whole.

Jupiter in Sagittarius - 4th House

This is so lucky. Like I'm jealous of this group placement honestly. Jupiter is at home in Sagittarius and it is the planet of luck, abundance, and expansion. Think BIG. They attract luck, opportunities, and abundance.

Confidence, positivity, enthusiasm, optimism. This brings all of those things too. Yet another placement that helps them with that energetic, upbeat sound.

The 4th house is all about family, and this means that they value family and with this being Jupiter and Sagittarius they see the whole world as home. They see their fans as their family, and their music as their creations.

Speaking of creations they are aspected to have a LOT of creations. They probably are constantly creating, even when they are not having a comeback. These creations tend to also continually bring more and more people to them.

This placement makes them appealing among a worldwide scale and for large crowds because they make people feel like they are a part of their family. They love seeking the largest scale of possibilities for outreach, and this is part of why they are recognized around the world.

They have boundless energy, and this is wonderful for them, but they also need to make sure that at times they are taking a step back and looking at the big picture. They need to respond to their intuition, but they also need to make sure they are taking calculated risks.

Saturn in Capricorn - 4th House

This is all about ambition and making your mark. Saturn is not necessarily happy in the 4th house, and it can feel overbearing sometimes for the group to go the traditional route.

This placement directly conflicts with their needs and desires to go against the grain and be unique. It can be very difficult for them at times to ignore what other people expect of them, and they may feel like the weight is on their shoulders as a group sometimes.

This is a challenge in the sense that they often have to break away from making things appealing based on what they already know. They need to challenge this placement and be nurturing towards their creations. At times they may find that they are drawn to play it safe when it comes to emotions and their stability.

A challenge for them is definitely to go with the flow, and to not give in to their perfectionistic ways when it comes to safety. Things in life constantly change, and playing it safe will often times make them feel trapped or uninspired if they let it.

Saturn is helping them to build maturity, a foundation, and a "family" with their fans slowly over time. We will see their music develop and mature as they get older, along with them as people.

They will always have a sense of responsibility, and they need to make sure they don't take that feeling too seriously. It's about learning to be responsible, while still staying nurturing and loving as a group.

All of this development is also seen on a global scale, as far as they will continue to grow in fan base size, and this will increase their feelings of responsibility, and continue to challenge them as a group. (This is due to Jupiter being here.) Thankfully they have so many lighthearted and loving placements to lean into, that this is a beneficial grounding force for them as a whole.

One piece of advice for TXT: You are already loved and appreciated and successful. Allow yourselves to be children at heart. Keep expressing your inner children in your music, and know that your fans are here to support you. You are not responsible for the world, or for everyone else. Find happiness and fulfillment by continuing to express your hopes, fears, dreams, and emotions through your creations.

💫 Transpersonal Planets:

Uranus in Aries - 8th House

This is a boss placement! This is the placement that drives them to go where nobody has gone before. They are visionaries as a group. They are instigators of change, and they love to blaze their own path as a group. They may partake in using new technologies, diving into projects that have never been seen before, and creating new ways of doing things.

They NEED their freedom. They are courages, brave, daring as a group. They don't fear much when it comes to change and being different.

They have strong view points as a group and sometimes can be a little stubborn when challenged, but ultimately it's because they are meant to go their own way and be different. They are meant to defy tradition and go against the grain.

They may at times break taboos or traditions, and this can be a challenge for them if they either let their Saturn placement stifle them, or on the other end, if they don't observe before acting. Their impatience could potentially cause them to jump too soon, or to do things in a rush, so they need to make sure to slow down sometimes, but to continue to chase the new.

Neptune in Pisces - 6th House

"'Cause imagination, in that moment. Can you feel the rush? Freeze this moment." - Blue Hour. This is exactly what this placement is about.

Neptune in Pisces blurs the lines between imagination and reality. They have a way of bringing dreams and imagination to life. Really this is their entire chart basically. Like it's just part of who they are.

This is what brings the magic to their music. It allows them to really infuse their music and work with imagination and dreams. It's an ideal placement for working in art, music, emotions, and the subconscious. It's another spiritual placement, so again they may speak on metaphysical things or show imagery related to the spiritual side of life and the inner world.

They will not likely create music that has to do with normal life things. They don't generally do the "normal" stuff and their topics will always be very deep and transformational.

As a group when relating to their careers as a whole, they need to make sure that they take care of the practical stuff sometimes. Thankfully they have managers and staff that help them with this, so they have a lot of freedom and less challenges when it comes to the more difficult parts of this placement.

Pluto in Capricorn - 4th House

This is a beautiful placement honestly. It gives them the drive to be efficient and bring their ideas to life. This is the placement of determination and achievement. This is resourceful and will give them an organized approach to success.

The downside is that they may tend to clash with authority and control. They may need to find ways to slow down, and build over time instead of trying to do everything at once. They need to be careful not to cut corners, and they need to make sure they are doing things one step at a time, instead of trying to rush to the finish line on projects.

They can find that they have exceptional focus and are able to harness their ideas and energies and emotions and use them to propel their group. They have always, and will continue to, skyrocket in success, especially if they can continue to ground their ideas while allowing themselves to be creatively and emotionally free.

Their music will help people break free from societal norms when it comes to control and power. It encourages people to be free, childlike, and to express their own viewpoints and feelings.

💫 Aspects:

Cancer North Node - 11th House

For group astrology this tells us the group's impact on the world and what the purpose of the group is.

This placement tells us that TXT has a destiny to nurture themselves and their fans and to help people to trust their intuition. To express their emotions and dreams, and to find a place within themselves that feels like home.

Let go of control and know that the earth is still beneath your feet, even when you allow yourself to fly. Believe in wonder and imagination, encourage your inner children and don't always try to be the responsible one.

They encourage people to soften and be playful and loving. That's their ultimate purpose. To create a safe space and help people heal and connect to themselves emotionally, and to be their own home regardless of what is going on in the world.

Finally they teach the world about loving, and authentic friendships, about what real community is, and how to find your tribe of people.

Aries Chiron - 7th House

Basically with this chiron placement the group gives people a place to feel a sense of inclusion. They help people feel as thought they have a purpose. To make those who feel like outcasts, feel like they belong. As a whole the group is inclusive and has a childlike energy. This energy attracts the inner children. This can attract other people with Chiron in Aries in order to help them heal. This is how they use this placement to their advantage.

Now as a group they may also seek approval at all costs, and they rely a lot on MOA to support them. They are very sensitive to bad feedback and criticism and would have a hard time if their group took a hit in any way via media. They may get discouraged sometimes as a group if they don't feel like they performed well, and this can cause tension within the group, but if they channel this into their music it will give them the boost they need to move forward.

Aries is very upbeat, so their music is naturally upbeat to offset the Aries and 7th house Chiron wounds that they attract. This can help people by getting them to dance and expend energy that is no longer needed, and their lyrics are usually about growing up and fitting in, while learning how to be yourself, which is exactly what the Aries Chiron needs.

They also have Chiron in the 7th house which means that they attract the energy of people who feel like something is missing. Which means that TXT as a group treats their fans like their best friends or relationship. MOA literally is TXT's significant other. that's what completes them and allows them to continue making music and helping others heal these wounds.

They have a strong focus on friendship (see North Node in the 11th, and their Aquarius placements in the 5th) and this can also help those with the 7th house Chiron to feel included and to fill the void they feel just a little because it shows that someone else understands them, and their need to feel included in a personal relationship.

Midheaven (MC) - Gemini

It should come as ZERO shock that this placement indicates a career in public influence.

They are meant to drive others and inspire passion when it comes to their world views and interests. They are meant to communicate their thoughts and feelings and emotions on a large, public scale.

Global change through their music. Their lyrics, sound, and aesthetics reach on a global scale in order to inspire and change the world.

💫 SUMMARY:

Hopefully this gives you an idea of who TXT is as a whole. They are a transformative, upbeat, passionate, and impactful group. They connect to childlike, playful, and energetic personalities. It's their purpose to help people become inspired, imaginative, and to connect to their inner worlds on an emotional and transformational level. They are extremely talented and lucky as a whole, and as long as they keep following their passions and hearts they will continue to grow and be a game changing group. We've attached their group natal chart below for anyone who is curious as to what it looks like.

Now go Stan TXT, listen to all of their albums, and enjoy their new comeback: "0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You.)"

youtube

🎶✨💜

#TXT #TXT Astrology #Kpop #Kpop astrology #Astrology #Tomorrow by together #Group astrology #event astrology #Group chart #MOA #TXT MOA #Tomorrow by together astrology #yeonjun #soobin #heuningkai #beomgyu #Taehyun

98 notes · View notes

immaturityofthomasastruc · 3 years

Text

IOTA Reviews: Lies

You guys ready for almost twenty straight minutes of Angstdrien Depreste? Neither am I.

Let's get into the third (chronologically the second) episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Lies (Oh, I get what they did there).

We open with Marinette struggling to decipher the grimoire she inherited from Fu, before two of the Kwamis screw around and play a video about Adrien.

Jesus Christ... it hasn't even been an episode since she broke up with Luka, and the writers are already back to making her simp over Adrien again. And this part of the episode takes place during “Truth”, where she's still dating Luka. This is supposedly meant to show her conflicting feelings regarding both Adrien and Luka, but it just comes across as yet another joke about Marinette simping over Adrien because the writers have forgotten she has other interests outside of her hero life.

And here we go. The writers are going to go out of their way to make the audience feel bad for Adrien in this episode by showing how tough his life is. What do we see him do that is allegedly so exhausting? He models for another statue, goes to a photoshoot, and then goes to some drama class where he repeats some phrase (I think it's supposed to be a warmup, but it's never explained why he's there in the first place). That's it. This is his definition of an “endless day”? Oh yeah, his life must be soooooooo hard.

Adrien is a rich white boy who is the son of one of the biggest names in fashion across the world, has legions of fans, an honest education, and is also one of the most beloved superheroes in the city while not having to struggle with the same responsibility his partner has. But no, Adrien's life is much harder than anyone else who has suffered this past year. It's yet another trick the writers are pulling to make people feel bad for Adrien instead of criticizing his behavior. I'm sorry, but I find it a little hard to relate to someone whose biggest problems amount his diamond shoes being too tight.

Good lord, I'm not even a minute in...

So Adrien transforms into Cat Noir and heads off to patrol. Keep in mind that the first part of this episode takes place during the events of “Truth”, so we see how he reacts to Ladybug not showing up for patrol. He waits for a while before he starts, but not before leaving a message for his partner.

Now, this moment honestly could have worked. What doesn't make it work is the air quotes Cat Noir starts off with. If he had said something like that honestly and kept his feelings a secret, it could have shown he understands the burden Ladybug has to bear now that she's the Guardian, but doesn't want to worry her. The problem is that the way he phrased the first sentence coupled with the air quotes make it seem like he doesn't care about what Ladybug has to deal with now, and only wants her to spend time with him.

You think I'm being overdramatic or I'm just jumping to conclusions? In the very next scene, Cat Noir actually tries to see if Mr. Ramier is emotional enough to get akumatized into Mr. Pigeon again just so he can see Ladybug.

This is just... why? Why would any of the writers expect the audience to feel bad for Cat Noir here? It's one thing for him to miss Ladybug's company, which is natural considering how much time they spend together, but wanting to start a life-threatening situation just to see Ladybug just isn't cool. What makes this any different from Chloe causing a subway to go out of control so she can save it herself, or Lila intentionally akumatizing herself and working with Hawkmoth just because she hates Ladybug? If you can find a reason other than “because the plot says so”, I'll want to hear an explanation.

So Cat Noir goes to Le Grand Paris to drown his sorrows in alcohol with his favorite drink, a White Russian without the vodka and coffee liqueur. Also, instead of cream, it's skim milk. And speaking of Chloe, we see her get into a brief squabble with Sabrina over missing a bag she has underneath her shoulder, and Cat Noir gets excited again at the prospect of getting to fight an Akuma, but thankfully, the situation is resolved fairly quickly.

Ignoring how unheroic this makes this supposed “superhero” look, I have a quick question. SHOULDN'T CHLOE BE IN PRISON RIGHT NOW? She essentially committed treason against her country by willingly conspiring with a terrorist. I get that everyone in Paris was paralyzed at the time, but did Ladybug not tell anyone what happened? How is she not in trouble? Did her father pardon her or something? Is she not even going to do any community service? You would think given how much Astruc hates her, Chloe would be forced to face more consequences for her actions other than losing her Miraculous permanently. Hopefully, “Queen Banana” will shed some light on Chloe's situation, but I'm not exactly holding my breath on that.

But yeah, Cat Noir actually gets excited at the prospect at fighting an akumatized Sabrina, while ignoring how cruel Chloe's being to her, because I guess it's a day that ends with a “Y”. Remember when Adrien actually called out Lila and compromised with her in order to get Marinette back into school? Good times.

Cat Noir keeps calling and leaving messages for Ladybug, but changes his mind as soon as he sees Kagami, because he has the attention span of a puppy looking for someone to play with. Adrien stares at his phone's wallpaper of Ladybug, implying he still has feelings for her, and is then informed by Nathalie that his fencing class with Kagami was moved back by an hour. In reality, it was a trick by Kagami to get the two to spend some quality time together.

They choose to hang out in the art room because, get this, Kagami has always had a passion for drawing. Of course! That explains why it's never been mentioned in any earlier episodes, not even the one where she attended the premiere of an animated movie, which is a similar form of art. It's almost like the writers wanted to have Kagami do something that doesn't involve swinging a sword around. It's a good reason, mind you, but maybe if it was foreshadowed more, I would be more open to it.

Kagami says that she loves drawing because “art never lies”. Because it's not like someone can draw something completely inaccurate to what's actually being depicted, much like a certain character who likes to make up stories of people she knows to get others to like her, right? Kagami also says that her mother doesn't let her draw because she doesn't think her art isn't good, even though she's blind. Because when it comes to parents in Miraculous Ladybug, they're either amazing people who love their children, or they're emotionally abusive pieces of garbage who make you wonder why they even had kids in the first place. There is literally no middle ground. Maybe some of the writers have daddy issues?

So Kagami decides to draw a picture of Adrien, but wants him to give her a more “natural” pose instead of the standard model poses he usually gives.

Okay, this scene is raising so many red flags, the dialogue might as well be in semaphore. Where the hell did this side of Kagami come from? Why is she so controlling and forceful all of a sudden? In fact, why is she so obsessed with Adrien being “perfect”? The two made jokes before in the past (Desperada), and even spent half of the Season 3 finale playing around with Marinette? Why is she now Little Miss Serious?

Also, Kagami is really overstepping boundaries with Adrien here. Like, to a seriously uncomfortable degree. I get she isn't good with social cues, but how can she not see how anxious Adrien looks while she forces him into a pose, all while saying how wrong he is for doing what he sees as “natural”? This is not what a healthy relationship looks like, and spoiler alert, this isn't exactly why they even break up at the end of the episode.

Before the two can kiss while they're actually at fencing practice, Adrien is forced to leave Kagami to help Ladybug fight Mr. Pigeon (which means the narrative basically gave him what he wanted for no reason), leading to the same scene where Ladybug almost kills him, while he jokes about how he likes how angry she gets, and she apologizes for something that wasn't her fault. Just remember, he flirts with Ladybug right after he left his girlfriend to join her for an Akuma battle. The same montage from “Truth” happens, only it's Adrien missing opportunities to be close with Kagami, culminating with the little Kitty Section concert that happened right before Luka got akumatized.

While the two wait for their rides, Adrien accidentally drops the charm Marinette gave him all the way back in “Gamer”, which Kagami picks up. When he sees an Akuma flying, Adrien soon heads off to fight him, saving Ladybug from blowing her cover. After the events of “Truth”, Adrien apparently heads to Prince Ali's birthday party (yet Rose isn't there for some reason), meaning the second half of this episode takes place immediately after the previous one, even though it's been established that Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth needs time to recharge.

youtube

After Cat Noir flirts a little with Ladybug again, he heads off to the party to meet up with Kagami. When he had to leave to fight Truth, Adrien claimed that he left something on the Liberty, which Adrien later claims was the charm Marinette gave him. Kagami soon realizes he's lying about something, and doesn't take it well.

There's a good performance from Kagami's voice actress here, and it's a nice parallel to Luka, who also feels a sense of betrayal when Marinette can't be honest with him. But this scene does tie into the problem with Adrien and Kagami in this episode, and I'll get into it towards the end.

Kagami storms off, and is immediately akumatized by Shadowmoth, turning her into Lies.

Like Truth, the design here is really forgettable. The design is all white and gives Kagami a haircut that looks like it belongs in The Jetsons, but that's it. The one thing I like about her is the way her powers work. Instead of going from victim to victim, Lies creates an energy dome that slowly grows and paralyzes anyone has lied before in the past, which is basically everyone who comes into contact with it. It's a pretty interesting idea, and it means that Ladybug and Cat Noir have to rely more on strategy while avoiding any contact with the dome.

Adrien transforms into Cat Noir and charges into action, with Jagged Stone offering to help out.

I don't think you can say the same for your family, can you, Jagged?

Cat Noir tells Jagged to get to a safe place, but much like his one night stand with Anarka, he refuses to pull out, so he gets paralyzed by the dome, along with everyone in the building.

Ladybug meets up with Cat Noir and immediately summons her Lucky Charm, a remote control drone. Since it hasn't lied, it can go into the dome and be used as surveillance while Cat Noir distracts Lies. While it seems like nobody inside the dome can touch Lies, Ladybug realizes that Fang, Jagged Stone's pet crocodile, hasn't lied either, so she uses the drone to lure him out of the building.

Cat Noir thinks of a way to distract Lies by doing what he always does to increase the tension.

You know, I thought of a little game we could play. Why don't we count how many times Cat Noir sacrifices himself this season? So far, the Cat Noir Self-Kill Counter is at 1, but I'm guessing it will be higher the longer this season goes on.

So while Lies is distracted by Cat Noir's unconscious body, Fang runs over and breaks her corrupted object, Marinette's charm. So after using Miraculous Ladybug, Ladybug runs over and, for good reason, I may add, scolds Cat Noir for recklessly sacrificing himself yet again.

youtube

You know if this plan failed, not only would Shadowmoth get your Miraculous, but Ladybug would be all alone, you idiot! And we're supposed to find this reckless endangerment funny!? Seriously, Ladybug smiles at Cat Noir's stupid little quip as he still flirts with her right after he got into a fight with his girlfriend.

The next day, Adrien apologizes to Kagami, but she says she can't trust him, not as a boyfriend, and not as a friend either. And here is the problem with the Adrigami breakup. Like with the Lukanette breakup, it chooses to focus on one detail instead of the other, and glaringly obvious detail. The episode is trying to say that the whole reason Kagami and Adrien can't work as a couple is because of Adrien keeping his life as Cat Noir a secret. In reality, both of them have problems that they need to work on before they consider dating. Kagami has shown herself to be a massive control freak in this episode because of her own vision of what Adrien is like, showing she doesn't respect his boundaries or beliefs.

And Adrien? Where do I begin?

Adrien clearly shows several signs that he hasn't moved on from Ladybug with how much he flirts with her, even before he and Kagami got together, and there's the fact that unlike Marinette who realizes how she can't have a love life, it doesn't feel like Adrien actually learned that lesson.

We are supposed to see Adrien focusing on his secret life as Cat Noir as the responsible thing to do, and that like Ladybug, he needs to prioritize being Cat Noir over dating. The thing is that this episode has only showed how he doesn't take any of the hero stuff seriously. Throughout the episode, he treats being Cat Noir as a fun pasttime, when it comes to craving Ladybug's attention to the point where he's just short of causing an Akuma attack out of desperation until he sees someone else to spend time with, constantly flirts with Ladybug despite how annoyed she can come across, doesn't understand any of the stuff she has to deal with now that she's Guardian, and will sacrifice himself all so Ladybug can do all the work for him. He doesn't care about anything unless he gains something in return. It doesn't matter if lives are in danger, he thinks his personal feelings are more important because his civilian life is sO hAaArRd.

At one point when we were all kids, we all wanted to be superheroes because we all thought the idea of having superpowers and the freedom to do whatever we wanted sounded awesome. But that's not what being a hero is. We never thought about the responsibility that comes with being a superhero. One of the main themes of superhero media that we all watched growing up was that they would help us to learn right from wrong, and that sometimes, personal sacrifices have to be made for the greater good, and our feelings just aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. Whether we learned this lesson from Superman, Spider-Man, Sailor Moon, the Power Rangers, or even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, what matters is that by the time we reached the age of these heroes, we would have a similar moral compass so we would understand why these heroes would make some of the choices they did, and we would be able to make similar choices if we encountered situations like the ones they went through.

Part of growing up is realizing that being a superhero isn't all fun and games. Sometimes, you need to put your own personal desires aside to make sure nobody gets hurt because of something you did or didn't do. We are currently in the fourth season of this show, and after 82 episodes, Cat Noir has still failed to learn that lesson. He doesn't understand that even if his “true self” is clowning around, that's not how a hero acts. You don't see Batman or Captain America acting this way, and you don't see real life soldiers or emergency workers acting this way either.

And that's not even getting into the fact that this is the same problem the Lukanette breakup had. Even though Marinette had a valid reason to break things off with Luka because she realized being Guardian was more important, the narrative framed it like she was still into Adrien, no matter if she was making an effort to get over him. Likewise, even though both Adrien and Kagami have issues the narrative refuses to actually acknowledge, they frame it as Adrien's hero life was ruining their relationship, when in reality, the reasons for both the Adrigami breakup and the Lukanette breakup should have been flipped. “Truth” should have been about Marinette coming to terms with her new responsibilities as the Guardian, and “Lies” should have been about Adrien realizing he needs to work on his own personal issues before he considers his feelings for Kagami or Ladybug.

So the episode just ends with Ladybug and Cat Noir saying that even if they have to keep secrets about their identities, they can still trust each other. Also, before Kagami dumped him, Adrien reaffirmed his feelings for Ladybug (the only time they were actually referenced outside of flirting and his phone's wallpaper), which implies that Adrien is going to continue to pursue Ladybug, having learned nothing from this whole episode.

You know, after watching both this episode and “Truth”, and seeing how it undid two of the major changes from the Season 3 finale, does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all? Does it almost feel like you've been here before? How am I gonna be a optimist about this? Hell if I know, this episode's honestly worse than “Truth” was.

Put aside your feelings on the Adrigami breakup, the pacing here was awful. Because the writers thought it would be interesting to have some continuity for once by having it take place right after “Truth”, the timeline is incredibly confusing. Can Shadowmoth just create more Akumas at once without having to recharge? And shouldn't Ladybug and Cat Noir be exhausted from having to fight two Akumas and a Sentimonster in one day?

Even then, about half of the episode was spent following Adrien as he whined about how hard he supposedly has it, proving despite what Astruc continues to state, he is far from perfect, and like what he loves to say about Chloe, refuses to change. Wow, that's so interesting. And we're supposed to feel bad for Cat Noir and be mad at Ladybug for missing their patrol, forgetting everything she's been going through in the last week, considering how Gabriel just fixed the Peacock Miraculous, suggesting that the events of “Truth” and “Lies” happened not too long after “Miracle Queen”. Even the Akuma fight wasn't that interesting because it was crammed into about five minutes thanks to everything else going on in this episode.

In an attempt to make the audience sympathize with him, this episode only made me loathe the way Adrien is portrayed even more. Seriously, he reaches “Frozer” levels of unlikability in this episode. Maybe he'll get some much needed character development, but given how much Astruc will put him on a pedestal and ignore his flaws, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon.

But I still don't see the point of spending so much time building up this relationship for two seasons just to end it as soon as they hook up. At the end of the day, all Lukanette and Adrigami amounted to was filler. It was a way to get in some romantic scenes for the fans while the writers continue to drag out the Love Square drama like a taffy puller. And now that Luka and Kagami have served their purpose, watch as Astruc and the other writers start to slowly remove them from the narrative until they appear about as often as Nino does now.

After all, why care about anything in this show that isn’t related to the Love Square? It’s clear none of the writers do.

133 notes · View notes

staurora · 3 years

Text

My Thoughts on OnlyOneOf’s New Music Video

Ok so I don’t usually post stuff like this (I don’t usually post anything lol) but I’ve been thinking a lot about OnlyOneOf’s new comeback and I thought as a queer man (bisexual with a preference for men to be exact) I could offer some perspective into the situation. This is going to be a very long post though, as their are lots of factors and I like overthinking shit so. Bear with me. Also, remember that I can’t speak for the whole LGBT+ community. This is all just my opinion based on my own experiences. If other queer people are uncomfortable with this, they have every right to be.

Firstly, I don’t stan this group. I’m definitely considering it now, and I have looked into them a little before, but I don’t know a whole lot about them. I actually just saw people talking about the teasers and when I went over to YouTube, the MV had just been released. I watched it and at first I had very... mixed feelings.

I loved the song. One of the reasons I had looked into OnlyOneOf before was because I came across their music and was immediately in love. Their music feels different from other kpop artists, more experimental if I had to describe it. The choreography was gorgeous and well executed, and the music video itself was just art. It really told a story with every shot. The very sexual, mature nature of the song paired with the mostly soft visuals in each scene really made it feel like the story of a teenager hanging out with his crush. The two could be doing very mundane things, but his desire for the other makes his mind wander. There were lots of shots that zoomed in on points of contact, such as the thighs touching with the two riding the motorcycle or one guy touching the other’s hair, and they really reminded me of that feeling when you have a crush on someone and suddenly every touch between you and them is magnified. Basically, I loved it and it reminded me of my own experiences.

Despite how much I liked it, I was still very on the fence about it for a while. I love most things that involve queer representation and stories I can relate to, but I’m also usually extremely guarded because most “representation” I encounter is done to either capitalize off of gay people without actually helping us out or to sell a fetishized version of us to horny straight women. I also was worried that the members could potentially have been forced to do this concept by the company and gay or straight, no one should be forced to do sexual things they don’t want to do. But the more I think about this music video, the less uncomfortable I get.

First of all, I don’t think this is queerbaiting. I’ve watched so many shows that queerbaited the shit out of their audience but this isn’t that. Queerbaiting is when a fictional story hints at a queer relationship between two characters but doesn’t actually deliver. In the story that OnlyOneOf tells, I think it’s hard to say they aren’t delivering. I think it was very on the nose in every scene that this was a story of a group of friends who are interested in each other.

I think where the confusion comes in is the fact that it feels less like a modern story queerbaiting viewers for money and more like an older story hinting at queerness but not delivering simply because of a restrictive social climate. For years, queer people in America, for example, had to censor their own stories and could only hint at what was going on without showing it. Now that it is more widely accepted here, those stories can be told more frankly. But in many countries, telling an explicitly queer story is still the equivalent of throwing your career down the drain. I’m not from Korea so I can’t truly speak on the political climate, but I do know that queerness is still not very acceptable in their media.

Basically, in my opinion, this is not queerbaiting. This isn’t two characters growing closer and closer, getting queer fans hopes up until they say “You’re a great friend!” and the story ends. This is an idol group sharing a queer story and keeping it just vague enough for them to continue making a living off of their music.

Second of all, from the research I’ve done, it looks like OnlyOneOf tends to have a fair amount of freedom when it comes to their music. At the very least, I found that KB produces some of their songs and Rie choreographs at least some of their dances. With this in mind, I find it hard to believe that idols who regularly participate in the making of their songs and dances were forced into this concept. I watched the behind the scenes video for the Libido MV and none of the members appeared uncomfortable. I’m not saying their company 100% didn’t force them to do this, but it seems very unlikely to me.

Now, I certainly think it’s okay to worry about whether an idol is comfortable with the content they’re making, but I feel like everyone who has should ask themselves whether they worry an equal amount about other idols doing sexual concepts. I have seen plenty of idols do choreography that is just as sexual as the choreography for Libido, but very few people ask if those idols are okay with what they’re doing unless they get very clear warning signs that they aren’t. But when a boy group has a queer music video, when fans stop thinking that they’re singing about women, suddenly you’re worried? It’s an obvious double standard, no two ways about it.

In conclusion, I like the song. I like the music video. I was worried at first just like plenty of other queer people, but I think whether this was a cash grab or not, it was handled with grace. With the backlash OnlyOneOf is now facing, it seems less and less likely that this was just for marketing though. Either they did this for the art, or it was a marketing choice that backfired drastically so they’re still not profiting off of queer people, because this choice wasn’t profitable. Either way, it’s good music, it’s beautiful, and it tells a story that I and probably many other queer people could relate to. I’d call that good representation.

#onlyoneof #libido #long post #my eight page dissertation on libido lol

56 notes · View notes