#(I just invented my own hashtag)

[hussyknee]

Not entirely sure how I'm expected to respond when I point out something is white as fuck and the person I'm criticizing goes "I'm literally PoC!!" Okay? Good for you? Get well soon??

I literally live in South Asia, a place still nursing the world's worst colonial hangover. That's like one billion brown people desperately in need of joining Bootlickers Anonymous. If I had to respect the rancid takes of every yahoo that lives here I'd have to drown myself in the sea.

Living in white countries does something odd to diaspora brains. If you call yourself BIPOC in your own head long enough you end up forgetting you're just a garden variety idiot mainlining white supremacy like everyone else.

[mapofthemazeinthemirror]

I finally own a Tomorrow by Together album! Can you guess which version of Tomorrow I went for? :3

[hammill-goes-fogwalking]

Sorry I innoissani kun kuulin että you're learning finnish. Have fun - may this be helpful for you!

ITS AMAZING HOW FINNISH PEOPLE INTERACT WITH ME ITS A DREAM COMING TRUE

[thewater]

genre i love: queer sports

examples:

Haikyuu!!

Creator: Haruichi Furudate

Sport: Volleyball

Medium: Manga + Anime

Queer coded to hell and back with no explicit canon. A popular anime that's very engaging. Whenever I watch it I feel like I should get my life together. It's super good, but fanbase can be a lil weird.

Fence

Author: C. S. Pacat

Sport: Fencing

Medium: 5 collated graphic novels + 2 novels

This one changed my life. I discovered it and haven’t been the same since. It’s cute, the two main characters are oblivious wee things, but there is canon representation in the older characters. Almost (if not all) of these characters are Queer As Hell. It’s brilliant. If you like Golden-Retriever-Sunshine-Boy-with-Troubled-Past x Grumpy-Black-Cat-with-Emotionally-Distant-Parents trope, then you’ll love this!

Check, Please!

Author: Ngozi Ukazu

Sport: Ice Hockey

Medium: 2 graphic novels

I saw this in my local public library once, picked it up, and never (emotionally) put it down. These books started my craving for 2D queer sports. This is what put me onto “Fence” in the first place. It’s canon, it’s sweet, the main character is a cutie, what more could you want?

Free!

Creator: Kyoto Animation

Sport: Swimming

Medium: Anime

I’ll be real, I didn’t finish all the seasons of this,,, the first two seasons slay the house down. But I dunno, guess it just didn’t keep my focus. I also don’t think anything gets canonized later,,, so it’s still just hashtag queer coded :( which is not slay.

AFTG

Author: Nora Sacavic

Sport: Exy (??!)

Medium: 3 novels

Now, you might think, “Exy isn’t a real sport” and you would be correct. Nora invented it for the novel. It’s like if the basics of lacrosse met the violence of ice hockey and it was played on a football (soccer) sized field with a balance of genders on the teams. This nonsense altered my brain chemistry, for better or worse, we will never know. However. If you seem intrigued, and want to read, PLEASE google the trigger warnings. Anything you think could possibly be triggering is definitely in this book. If you don’t want to google for fear of spoils, feel free to message me. These books are simultaneously the best and worst things I've ever had the (dis)pleasure of reading. I love them. They’re terribly written. They’re a mastery of metaphors set on a background of college sports with a mafia subplot. It’s like if a crazy fanfic got published. ALSO short king representation. Main man is 5’3, second main man is 5’0. I love this to pieces and I hate it to nothings.

Yuri on ice

Creator: MAAPA

Sport: Ice-skating

Medium: Anime

You know this one. If you don't, it’s not technically canon, but they buy each other (engagement) rings and kiss (sort of) on screen. Slays. Victor Nikiforov has my heart.

SK8 the infinity

Creaotr: Bones

Sport: Skateboarding

Medium: Anime

This one makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside i love it so much. There's angst and love and found family and tragic backstories and funny characters. Not canon though. Hashtag Japan Definitely Doesn’t Have a Homophobia Problem and That’s Definitely Not Why All of The Anime’s on This List Aren’t Canon. Anyways, it’s really cute and I watched t when i was in my own skateboarding era so i loved it so much.

If i remember more, or watch, or read more, I will add them :)

[bambamramfan]

Weird

I have to say, only 8 days into her campaign for President of the United States, and Madame Harris has given us the best lesson in French existentialism since Stuart Symington in 1960.

She and her many meme-surrogates have launched an attack on "being weird."

(This isn't an on the spot invention. When asked, months ago, how she would debate Trump's meanderings, she said she would just ask "Why are you being weird?" She is truly committed to this line of attack.)

Obviously this has serendipitously synchronized with Trump's VP nominee, JD Vance, who condemns "childness cat ladies", thinks step-parents aren't real parents, and has written more rural weirdness in Hillbilly Elegy than Harmony Korine put in "Gummo."

(Trust me, that joke kills among film nerds.)

Hark! That is mean towards marginalized people, cries the side of Trump and white supremacists. How did you let meanness raise its head in a presidential election?

Hark, somewhat more convincingly, the left has plenty of weirdos running their henhouse, they tweet with pictures of transgender parades and whitedudesforharris zoom calls. (I have that zoom call open in my other tab, just to keep an eye of them.) Did you know they say A MAN CAN GET PREGNANT!!!?? Not much weirder you can get than that.

Well, the moderates surmise, since the "vibe shift" the left-wing weirdos (and their cancellations and microaggressions and Defund Hashtags) have been declining, and hopefully this is a expensive commitment signal to not put weirdos in power. Besides, the Democratic party has never let its own nuts hold actual political power (please ignore 2016 thru 2020 and the state of California.)

But no, #TeamMomala is deeper than that. We already know the truth: we're all weird. Anyone who has ever tried to actually defend their ideological stance in the face of thorough interrogation, has found themselves biting all sorts of bullets, standing on all sorts of unquestioned premises, and hand-waving all sorts of empirical data into "everyone knows that." There is no such thing as a normal human - in fact too much normalcy is one of the biggest signs of weirdness #StepfordWives #Pleasantville #2.3Children.

The rallying cry of "stop being weird" isn't an attempt to exile one set of too online Republicans. It's a message for the entire world. To return to repressing our weirdness. Everyone from JD Vance to Dennis Kucinich and his freakishly tall wife to Youtube and 4chan to Jared Leto to Ella Emhoff to the entire nation of France. Your time has run out and it's no more Mrs. Nice President Step-Cop!

Shape up. Get a haircut. Stop making up new words. Find fulfillment in crushing your inner self.

Or else we'll never beat Trump.

[bl-bracket]

Horny on Main Round 1: Boston (Only Friends) vs Nont (Playboyy: The Series)

[Submitted Reasons Under Cut]

Boston: "Literally the slut of the show even if they could have had him score more ass not gonna lie still he got 5 on screen sex partners with sex scenes with all of them, needless to say more? that boy is horny 24/7 and only thinks with his "magical dick that turn everybody gay" as invented by my friend Joni literally the main conflict of the show starts cuz this horny bastard cannot deal with his ex hook up actually liking his nerdy virgin friend

So I think this is enough as a presentation and if it isn't look up his tumblr hashtag to see for yourself"

"Sabotaged his own friendships just to get dicked down by someone who wasn’t even interested. Will approach any guy without shame. Slept with 4 guys in 12 episodes, made out with an additional 2, and propositioned another one for a threesome before being interrupted."

Nont: no propaganda submitted

[theweirdestroller]

Weapons and War Hammers

Giving Nightshade their war hammer back in a surprisingly canon compliant way! Warning for spoilers for the whole show. This takes place after season 3.

It had been three days, cycles as Tarantulas and Wheeljack would say, since anyone had seen Nightshade. The youngling Terran had been holed away in their lab, working on something unspecified. It was not unusual behavior by a long shot, but the Maltos were starting to get worried.

Given the near death experience at the hands of the Quintessons, it probably wasn't good for Nightshade to be so isolated. Nightshade being Nightshade was good enough reason on its own not to leave the Terran to their own devices.

Since the barn had remained intact, no one had tried to interrupt their work. Perhaps they should have.

---

The owl emerged after much toiling. The soot and ash covering their frame did nothing to quell any of the adults' fears about what Nightshade was up to. Neither did their wide smile. Wheeljack was perhaps the only adult who was excited about what Nightshade had been working on.

"Hello friends and family!" Nightshade cheerfully chirped, hiding several objects behind their back. Gathered in front of them was their family, as well as the Cybertronians. Hashtag and Jawbreaker were sitting in the ground directly in front of their scientist sibling. Twitch and Thrash were standing a bit behind them next to Mo and Robby.

"It has come to my attention with this latest brush with danger that some of us are woefully underequiped for combat. To remedy this, I have made several weapons for us to use!" Nightshade stepped to their left, revealing three cloth-covered objects of varying shape and size.

"Nightshade..." Dotty started, but sighed and let her child continue.

"Don't worry, nothing I have made is any more dangerous than the weapons already present on Twitch and Thrash,"

"Wait- Does this mean we're not getting anything?!" Twitch's voice was a mix of shock and disappointment.

"I'm okay with that,"

"Of course you are."

"Yes it does. However! Much like your own weapons, these can be incorporated into our alts and our root forms, but the latter might take more time to work with," Nightshade had an almost manic smile.

With a flourishing sweep, Nightshade removed the first cloth and revealed.... Actually, no one was quite sure what it was at first.

"For Jawbreaker, I have constructed a flamethrower!"

"YOU WHAT?!"

"It is meant to match Grimlock's fire breathing ability! While it may not have the same range, it certainly has the same power!" Nightshade looked so very proud of themself.

Jawbreaker, just a bit confused, allowed Nightshade to pull him up and snuggly attach the new weapon to his root mode.

"I will gladly show you how it works once we are outside!"

"Thank you!" Jawbreaker toddled back to his seat.

Nightshade straightened and revealed the next of their inventions. It appeared to be much lower tech than the flamethrower, but knowing Nightshade, that shouldn't be assumed.

Hashtag sprung up from where she had been sitting and rushed to Nightshade's side.

"Ooh! What's mine! What's mine!"

The inventor handed their sister a staff of some sort, long and shiny, fitting perfectly in Hashtag's hands.

"This is a staff! I call it, a tech-bo!"

"Isn't that a thing from the Ninja Turtles?" Hashtag questioned as she gave the staff a twirl.

"Any similarities to innovations past or present is merely coincidental." They twisted a part of the staff, which transformed the components into a spear. "Twisting here in the center gives it a sharpened point!" They twisted it again, returning it to its stick shape. "There is another form it can take, but for now, with present company, it it ill-advised,"

"Nightshade! What's that supposed to mean?"

"So cool!" Hashtag cheered, spinning the staff in her hands before slamming one end into the ground and posing dramatically. She giggled gleefully and returned to her spot next to Jawbreaker.

"I'm almosy afraid to ask," Alex started, speaking up for the first time. "But what did you make for yourself?"

The grin on Nightshade's face was not comforting.

"I thought you'd never ask!" The owl plucked two of their razor sharp feathers and held them together at their ends, fusing them into a longer feather. Nightshade turned around and fiddled with the feather a bit out of sight. When they faced their audience again, they were holding the feather like it was a handle, clearly attached to something on the ground.

They heaved the object on the feather-handle over their shoulder and slammed it into the ground in front of them.

Now in front of Nightshade was a dense block of shining dark green metal at the end of a sharp glowing green handle.

Nightshade had such a proud yet terrifying grin.

"A war hammer!"

[milesonthenet]

Earthspark has the potential to do great things.

Welcome to the House of Milesverse, and today we will be reviewing Transformers: Earthspark. Releasing in 2023, Earthspark is a 3D-animated Transformers cartoon. Like many series before it, it takes place in its own continuity. Interestingly, it is also not that far removed from the first series.

First, i have to apologize for putting it off for a while. I was set to do this earlier, but another topic just grabbed me at that moment. It felt more interesting to pull my thoughts together for that one. I hope you guys are still able to bear with me through this, though.

And without further ado? We jump in.

What is Earthspark about?

Earthspark is a unique Transformers series, in a way. Earthspark addresses the creation of the first 'earth-born' transformers. These are called Terrans, and they are the first of their generation. They are quite the anomaly, even gaining a different power source, as well.

Earthspark's story is also remarkable for adapting a post-war setting. Unlike prior series, it is not just an "Autobots versus Decepticons" story. Optimus Prime won, and now he's working alongside Megatron. Most of the 'conflict' in the series stems from escaped decepticon criminals, or other monsters of the week.

Or you know, Doctor Mandroid, the aptly named cartoonish villain. This second-rate Doctor Arkeville is the series' main antagonist. He represents the hatred against Transformers taken to the xenophobic extreme. After all, he's the type of guy to replace his arm with a cybertronian arm. I still do not know how he manages to lift that thing.

The series is also similar to the Generation 1 universe. The flashbacks do a lot to showcase the similarities, right down to animation styles. It is easy to see it as some sort of offshoot sequel, but I do not imagine there's much to actually focus on beyond being an homage.

Meet the Terrans:

As mentioned above, The Terrans are the evolution of Transformers. They are a new generation that's only just recently been born on Earth. They also act as the main viewpoint characters in the series. They are the fresh eyes from which we, as the audience, see the Transformers' stories unfold in a post-war setting.

The Terrans are the product of two children: Robby and Mo Malto. They act as usual human characters who tag along with the Transformers. Their contact with the Emberstone created the five main Terrans.

It's important to note that the Terrans are very 'human-like' in a sense most cybertronians are not. Their experiences make them more akin to awkward, giant robot children. This is important with how they play off with Robby & Mo. The two children act like their 'older siblings' in a way, which helps them learn about the world.

There are at least five Terrans we see in the series. All five of them have their own distinct personalities. The Maltobots is a recurring name that they have, and frankly? It is adorable.

The five Terrans are:

The competitive spy drone, Twitch.

The carefree motorcycle-and-sidecar, Thrash.

The extremely online SWAT truck, Hashtag.

The serene and calm owl, Nightshade.

The big-hearted stygimoloch, Jawbreaker.

Of the five? I believe Thrash is the one who needs the most development. Jawbreaker, Nightshade, and Hashtag have had major focus episodes based around them. Twitch also had this earlier on, including an episode with Wheeljack, her 'father'(he invented the drone she uses as her alt-mode). Thrash is rife with potential for storylines, and I hope season 2 takes a crack at it.

The Evolution of Megatron:

This series is, for a lot of people, the first time that they get to see a "good guy" Megatron.

Megatron is iconic for being an 80s menace with his various kooky powers. He's Optimus Prime's rival, a consistent thread between the two that is prevalent in every incarnation. Megatron's entire history has, for the most part, been him being played as the bad guy.

IDW is one of the most prominent examples of Megatron making a path to redemption. He's still committed numerous acts of hatred and destruction. He's ruined lives for the sake of conquest. Yet, that version of Megatron is content to face his path, and still believes he doesn't deserve true redemption.

Earthspark Megatron is, like IDW, a villain who's chosen to reform. He believes in a peaceful future for Cybertron, in spite of what many others think of his past tendencies. Megatron believes in the terrans as the future of what Cybertron can be. Megatron cares for his troops and detests the treatment and abuse that rogue decepticons are given.

Earthspark's Megatron is off to being a wonderful character already. The way he interacts with the humans, and Terrans, is a refreshing sight for fans only familiar with the cartoons. I am excited to see where his path goes. I would hope that the franchise does not decide to twist him into being a villain.

How Earthspark tackles human hatred:

One of the biggest pulls from Earthspark's history is its focus on war. It's hardly the first piece of media that has adopted the "War is obviously bad" stance. Other series have shown the damage and destruction that war has caused. With Earthspark, I just think it's taken an interesting approach to it. The way the world is set up, it's just brimming with potential.

Earthspark starts off with an interesting status quo for the Autobots. They are working together with the secret organization G.H.O.S.T. to protect the world from rogue decepticons. G.H.O.S.T. was on the frontlines helping stop decepticons during the great war on Earth. They formed an alliance with the Autobots, and saw much of the havoc that followed from the war.

On the surface, G.H.O.S.T. seems fine, but their ethics are morally dubious. They incarcerate decepticon prisoners with devices that lock them into their alternate modes. They basically control the autobots and how they act in public. G.H.O.S.T. are not the conventional "good guys" you would expect.

This leads us to Karen Croft, a high-ranking agent, and a real piece of work. Yes, her name is Karen, get it out of your system. Karen Croft is a driving presence in the war against cybertronians. She's the one who teamed up with Doctor Mandroid to accomplish her goals. All Karen wants is payback for the destruction wrought by the war. And how is she going to get that? Through conquering Cybertron, obviously!

Croft's genuine hatred of the cybertronians is played out over the course of her appearances. Her willingness to use her brother, and G.H.O.S.T. to get what she wants is frightening. Croft proves the angle that humans can be the real monster when they let their hatred blind them.

Speaking of Mandroid? He's no saint in the park either, he's just as bad. Mandroid, originally known as Doctor Meridian, lost his arm in the conflict years ago. Since then, he's become a delusional monster who seeks to destroy the cybertronians on Earth. Mandroid envisions himself as a defender of humankind.

Mandroid is a monster, and over the season, he becomes more monstrous. At first, he simply stole the arms off of cybertronians to make himself stronger. This causes him to require energon for sustenance. By the season finale, he's become an advanced, alien war machine. Mandroid goes even further when he kills Croft, by disintegrating her alive.

Mandroid and Croft stand out as being such visceral depictions of hatred. Their willingness to abuse and experiment on Cybertronians - even Decepticons, is cruel. Yet, I find that quality makes them fascinating for what they represent. They are what happens when humanity brings out their worst qualities. They are greedy, selfish, hateful, and full of spite.

The Transformers are often to blame for all the things that the war caused. The Home two-parter does a good job at displaying this. In the first half, Robbie Malto, one of the main protagonists, visits his old friend Stevie.

Stevie's first encounter with Twitch and Hashtag is meant to come off as insensitive and hurtful. The group comes across a graffiti piece that reads "TRANSFORMERS GO HOME". Stevie tries to play it off, indicating that the graffiti probably meant 'Decepticons'. The last straw for Robbie is when Stevie says that his father told him the Transformers "invaded" the planet.

Stevie is innocent, and he genuinely sees nothing with anything he's saying. However, it's easy to see how that mindset can influence people. In the end, Stevie grows, and he changes the graffiti to read "TRANSFORMERS ARE HOME".

It's likely that a lot of humans out there have disdain for the Transformers. I like the way that this story is structured. I feel like more focus on this could have been interesting to look at. What other stories could they have spun out of this plotline?

And why Transformers are people too:

That's enough focus on all the negatives. Now how about we focus on the positives?

As I said before, I think the 'maltobots' as a nickname is hilarious. It also is doubly fitting for the Terran cast. They are just as much a part of the family. This is heartwarming, even for Alex and Dot Malto, the parents. They adopted a bunch of sentient earthborn alien robots into their family.

The series really hammers in how close the Terrans are to the Maltobots. They are literally connected to Robbie and Mo, even emotionally. Because of this, the Maltobots can feel the humans' own reactions.

What i also love is the dynamic that the Terrans have wih the Cybertronians. Optimus Prime doesn't look at them and think that they are not real 'people'. He treats them just the same as any other cybertronian. He accepts them as they are, even in spite of them being untrained.

Megatron sees them as the future of their species and embraces their hybrid nature. They are lucky to be born in this current era, where they would not suffer from the effects of Cybertron's long-drawn war.

The series makes its effort to show how not all Cybertronians are 'bad' guys. This is even true of the Decepticon characters. Some of them are especially sympathetic in this iteration.

Tarantulas is a name usually related to laughing mad spiderbots who also might eat people. Earthspark reinvents him into being a reclusive spider bot with no interest in evil. Or eating people. All Tarantulas wants is to just be left alone so he can start a new life. Tarantulas may have been a decepticon, but he does not carry the usual lust for war that's commonly associated with them.

Tarantulas makes good friends with Nightshade, and the two are able to bond over science. They helped Tarantulas create his holographic projector. Tarantulas in addition, helped expand Nightshade's mind on what their alt-mode could be.

Starscream is a name everyone knows, as he's one of the most popular characters. He's typically portrayed as a treacherous force working to undo Megatron's reign. Any abuse that he suffered through those incarnations was warranted, due to his incompetence.

Earthspark's rendition of Starscream is notably tragic. Compared to his other incarnations, Starscream's abuse is played straight. Megatron's actions traumatized Starscream, and he's still deeply scarred. Starscream is able to find a sympathetic ear in Hashtag, who believes his stories. This act endeared Hashtag to him, and the two of them bonded.

Breakdown is a Stunticon, and the Stunticons are all generally crazy. Breakdown's usually the paranoid one, whose always superstitious of others. In spite of his scaredy cat nature, Breakdown is not a threat to be trifled with.

Earthspark's Breakdown humanizes him and gives him a relationship with Bumblebee. The two of them are old friends from before the war began. Now that the war is over with, they spend their time racing together.

Breakdown chose to sacrifice himself to save Bumblebee from being detected by G.H.O.S.T. This was during a race that Breakdown wagered with Bumblebee. If Bee won, he would lay low and hide. However, if Breakdown won, he would get Bee's energon suppressors. Ultimately, he lost, but he managed to help Bumblebee escape from their trackers.

These there are stand-out examples of Decepticons who aren't just "villainous". They might have joined the wrong side, but they always step up for their friends. I'm hoping that we see any of the three in the next season. It just seems natural to want another appearance.

Conclusion: Earthspark is one heck of a road, but one worth paving.

Earthspark's ideas are certainly worth exploring. However, I feel like there's more depth that can be explored through the series. I want to see them really engage with the cybertronian hate in later episodes. I want to see the Terrans get more acquainted with Earth's interesting customs. I want to see so much happen with this series and watch it blossom int osomething amazing.

I am hoping that Earthspark finds a way to tie Cybertron into it's storyline. It just feels like a natural path to take with the series. I am just curious on how the residents of Cybertron would react to the growing life on Earth. You could even make a divide between the Cybertronians and the Terrans.

Earthspark is filled with so much potential for a Transformers series. I hope that it's not squandered over the course of it's series. Things are just starting to heat up, after all. We have another season or two to deal with. Even more, there were some funny allusions to the iconic Quintessons in the last few episodes...

What's next?

That was my review of Transformers: Earthspark! I hope you enjoy it. I will try to keep up the pace with these Tumblr posts. I'm trying not to get lazy on ya'll with my next few.

I'm going to finally start dealing with Moon Girl season 2 (Hallelujah!), do a top 10 on the X-Men's 'silliest' mutations, and maaaaybe dip into some of my favorite Moon Knight moments? Look forward to some more Unseen Stars as well!

And while we're at it?

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, TRANSFORMERS!

Seriously, turning 40 years old for a franchise is a really big achievement for them. We have been watching these Robots in Disguise for the last 40 years. I'm glad to have been a fan of the franchise. I'm even more excited for what the future will hold.

[violation72089]

HI HELLO TUMBLR DOT COM. I’M JUST A SILLY LITTLE MAN AND I HAVE WRITTEN THIS FIX-IT FIC FOR LOKIUS BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN OKAY IN LIGHT OF S2E6

i made this literally to soften the blow of this season’s last episode. it’s literally a “thank u” to the entire Lokius fandom for making this season so good for me. y’all are both FUNNY and hashtag RELATABLE here on tumblr, and many of you are super talented as well!!

if you like this story, please re-blog OvO if not, PLEASE KEEP SCROLLING and don’t be mean >:c i’m not here for the “tHaT’s iMpOsSiBle iN tHe TVA” WHO CARES. JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY.

ANYWAY HERE U ALL GO

A Bond at the Center of Time

Loki finally had his throne. For his entire life, he had coveted this power that he now held so delicately in his hands.

All at once, Loki felt differently than he’d expected. He knew by now that this wasn’t the power he thought he wanted. Now, sitting at this throne of time, he began to consider how much he had changed.

In the past, Loki was a destroyer. He was easy to blame and easy to hate. Even arriving at the TVA, he had his walls built high and was ready to stand tall to defend himself.

But with one conversation, Loki had quickly realized that his past aggression was all an act.

As he considered that fateful encounter, Loki’s heart sank.

Mobius.

His right-hand man. The person he trusted.

Loki looked down, taking in the sight of Yggdrasil. He had certainly aligned the multiverse as it needed to be, but he knew in his heart there was some things still left unsaid.

He stood up, still conscious of his magic to stabilize Yggdrasil. Simultaneously, his slender hand reached for a particular branch in the timeline.

It glowed, and moments passed while Loki seemed to be looking for something.

His eyes closed, and his head dipped down once he finally felt the energy he needed.

Slowly, he sent a rush of his own energy through the timeline. It was definitely the right one. The link clicked.

If he wanted to, Mobius could respond.

“W-what?” Mobius was saying. “What’s going on?”

Loki could only chuckle, small tears forming in his eyes at the sound of his voice.

He was still alive.

“Mobius.” Loki choked back tears.

“Loki? I— hang on! Just hang on.”

Mobius seemed to be getting away from something, and now quickly headed to somewhere with less noise.

“Loki?” Mobius said breathlessly, “Is that really you?”

“Mobius!” Loki exclaimed. “It’s me.”

“It really is you.” His voice was full of wonder. “How are you even talking to me right now?”

Loki wiped his tears away. “I-uh… I’m a God. I guess I have my ways.”

Mobius laughed. “Still the man of mischief! Wow! How are things going up there in the treehouse?”

Loki laughed now, glad to hear his bad jokes again. “I was hoping you’d come here and see it.”

“Now, look,” Mobius protested, “I personally think risking to get my skin peeled off once was enough. As much as I’d love to, I think I’ll pass.”

“I’m sure there’s a way,” Loki assured him. “Let’s ask O.B.”

———

As time passed, Mobius worked alongside O.B. to create a way to safely visit Loki. After many long hours spent in Repairs & Advancement, they finally invented a type of time box that could travel through multiverse branches. Even with only one coat of paint, the mechanism would surely get the job done.

Mobius was all suited up, moving around impatiently in his bulky attire. He waited for O.B.’s signal, running the plan through his head one last time.

“Alright,” O.B. chirped, “it’s ready to go. All you have to do is think about where it really is that you want to be.”

After a few clicked computer buttons, Mobius braced himself and thought of Loki. The interrogations, the outings, the pies, the talks…

Before he knew it, he was gone.

Mobius woke almost instantly, seeing that he was standing inside in a glowing green box. It was much like the orange time boxes in the TVA— but, this time, this box was meant to protect.

Mobius looked up, seeing Loki from outside the square. He had a fixed smile on his face from his spot on the throne.

“I guess it worked,” Mobius said awkwardly, chuckling.

Loki stood up. His cape trailed behind him as he entered the green box with ease.

They held eye contact, slowly walking toward each other.

“It’s safe in here, you know.” Loki gestures to the radiation suit. “You won’t be needing this.”

“Ah, I guess not.”

They were silent as Mobius stepped out of the giant protective suit. To his pleasant surprise, this green space was just as safe as Loki had said.

When Mobius finished, he stood in his brown suit with his hands folded in front of him. He looked at Loki expectantly, watching him come closer.

“Um…” Loki started, finding his words. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Mobius answered, obviously confused. “What made you want to bring me all the way here?”

Loki lifted his hands carefully, slowly placing them on Mobius’ arms.

The God looked down. As much as he had done to save the multiverse, this somehow seemed like the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.

“Mobius,” Loki said finally. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’ve sorted through our memories, reliving all our old experiences. To me, I feel a lot was left unsaid.”

“You think?” Mobius quipped, smiling.

Loki exhaled a small laugh, meeting his eyes.

“When I met you, I wouldn’t shake your hand,” Loki began. “You prodded my brain like any other criminal. You even went so far to throw me into a time cell.”

Mobius knitted his eyebrows. “Hey, I thought we made it past all that.”

“It is in the past,” Loki agreed. “But I’m not finished just yet.”

Mobius opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again.

“I came back to the TVA and you didn’t know who I am,” he continued. “But… I never forgot who you were. You helped me fix my time slipping, and since that day I felt things start to change.”

Loki paused. The two of them kept looking at each other.

“There was something I wanted to say then,” he continued, “do you remember?”

“If you didn’t make it back?” Mobius laughed nervously. “We see how that ended though, didn’t we?”

“For sure,” Loki nodded, looking away once more.

This was it.

“What is it?” Mobius’ voice was a whisper now.

Loki cautiously glanced back up at him. The tug came again at Loki’s chest, and this time he knew what it was.

“I love you.” Loki paused. “That’s what I wanted to say.”

Mobius’ eyes grew wide. Then, he smiled.

The two of them naturally closed the distance between them. Mobius started to grab Loki’s cape, but the God took his hands gently instead.

“I love you, too,” Mobius answered, looking down at their hands intertwined between them. “Wow, I… who would’ve guessed? You almost wish this had better timing, though, don’t you?”

Loki laughed softly, small tears of joy forming again in his eyes. His hands grabbed Mobius’ face, and he pulled him in for a kiss.

This surprised Mobius, but his eyes fluttered closed. He kissed Loki back, moving delicately against his lips. His hands found their way to Loki’s sides that he always loved to touch.

When the kiss ended, they both caught their breaths. The kiss had been tender and slow, but all the emotion they’d built up for an immeasurable amount of time had finally sparked and started to burn.

Now, they couldn’t let each other go. They held each other, feeling like everything finally made sense.

“What now?” Mobius asked, leaning against Loki.

“The same thing, I’m afraid,” Loki answered sadly. “I have to focus constantly on preserving this tree.”

Mobius frowned.

“It’s harder to do when you’re here, but… I still can.” Loki kissed Mobius’ forehead. “What do you say you come up here to see me sometimes?”

“An occasional trip out to the cosmos? I’m in,” Mobius said. “I admit, with this now I’m sure you won’t be able to keep me away.”

“Not a chance I’d ever try.”

Mobius and Loki backed away, looking each other now with a sense of knowing.

“Let some time pass, and come back to me soon. I’ll miss you,” Loki said softly, just before exiting the time cell.

Mobius looked down, holding back his tears. “I’ll miss you too.”

In an instant, Mobius was safely returned to the correct moment on his timeline. His life looked the same— his same suburban house and unkept lawn. Even so, he knew nothing would feel the same to him ever again. Not after today.

Loki felt the same way, now sitting on his throne with a smile on his face. He realized now there was nothing wrong with wanting something.

[jessaerys]

just read in one of you hashtags smth about your thesis being about the 'platonic lover theory'. colour me intrigued <.< could you maybe explain a bit what that entails or which books one should consult to get into the theory? or is it perhaps your own? thanks 😊

thank you the designation #platonic lover theory is my own invention but it’s meant to encapsulate something quite simple really: its when you are friends and chosen family and sometimes enemies but more often partners in crime, it’s when you say “we” and not “i” it's when the lines are so blurred they aren't even there anymore. you may be siblings (literally but most often symbolically) and mother/father/sister/brother/husband/wife /teacher/pupil messiah & worshipper to each other all at the same time though you can take turns depending on what's required of the situation. it’s recognition of the self through the other (holy) and recognition of the self through the other (derogatory). it's when whatever our souls are made of yours and mine are the same but mostly its whatever is deeply wrong with you is also deeply wrong with me. it’s when you are homebase in attachment theory it’s very importantly not exclusive: it’s about experiencing the world with other lovers but always returning to each other because of the bone deep security that u cannot be replaced. it's like when my friend's parents adopted a kitten from a litter and he was close to death and not thriving until they adopted his sister too and he miraculously got better and now all they do is fight. it’s when the feelings are so good u accidentally catch sexual desires but u are also kind of the same person so sex is more like masturbation really.  it helps a lot if both of you are gay and opposite genders. hope this helps 

[shit-talk-turner]

I don’t necessarily think mods agree with every bullshit anon says. I know you don’t. But you choose what’s gonna be the topic of the day and it’s highley opinion-forming. (mostly negative) You don’t say much and still influence others. Provoke and wait. Share and get other people to spread it. „Smart”. That way it’s never your fault. „Oopsie”. No remorse whatsoever even though you’re responsible for a lot of weird comments on a different platform and some really creepy profiles PRETENDING to be „fan accounts”. (they’re getting blocked for a reason, another long story) Because being annoying on here is not enough. But what can you do? Admit it? It’s easier to shift the blame and call people crazy. Oversensitive, of course. Looks like someone who cares is a big turn off you. 😜 Into bad boys much? Get well soon, honey. (Sorry, bad joke, we don’t romanticize it here, I know….unless…)Anyway. A lot of blogs are problematic but this one is the final boss? Probably the most active one? Not sure. But it’s famous for sure. Even for people who forgot Tumblr existed. Apparently it’s not just „a shit chat” here?

Manipulating younger, more naive fans it’s easy. A bunch of fake screenshots is all you need. Little minions will eat that shit up and spread it for you.

What a hero. Girl „ended” racism but invented a whole new genre of misogyny. Did we just end old misogyny to replace it with a modern, more subtle, yet still effective one? Like it never went away, you just got better at hiding it. Eh. If you want others to grow and apologize for their mistakes, how about you do something different once and use your platform for good? Boo. Boring 🤣 I know I’m crazy for asking that. You’re clearly way more influential than you claim to be. So own it. How about one thing that will make someone smile, for a change. SINCE YOU’RE SO OBSSESED WITH SMILES. Such a waste of potential. Smh.

Also tell me, how is it that you’re always against taking it from here to harass people on other platforms? And little minions still come back here with „Hey. I sent them a DM.” LOL! Saying that only out of guilt and then again, my personal fav: „I didn’t advise that.” Wow, thank you but it’s clearly not working and you’re aware of it as it’s been proven many times before and that, right here, makes you a part of the problem. Btw. Being able to read someone like an open book by one facial expression would be a great superpower. I absolutely agree! I guess we all dream of that one from time to time. We can joke about it, that’s for sure. But if you take joking/humor to like, seriously diagnose? a „toxic relationship”, now that’s something I’d call a stretch. Sorry, I laugh every time you say but they’re just „famous people”so it’s okay - that’s even worse. Maybe with people you actually know in real life you’d be at least slightly more accurate, so you’re only digging yourself a deeper hole, eh. Now say you don’t do that, look up the comments some people leave and tell me you never „kinda agreed” on that here. Yup. I’m not saying this blog is the worst thing that happened to humanity just because I say some things here 🤣 Yeah, there are bigger problems. Lol. I think the root of the issue here is that a lot of you are desperate for answers of things you’ll never get answers for which only leads to frustration. :(

A friend somewhere posts a comment and you’re all like „it has to be trolling”, if a friendly, wholesome, completely harmless comment is trolling to you - then what the fuck is this? Everything that’s NOT cruel to her can’t be real, smh. If you wanna troll, make it clear it’s a science fiction blog then? We are all hypocrites to some degree, yeah. I’ve made peace with that long ago. But the level here…. PS. delete your little #alexturnerwouldyoumarryme cute, innocent hashtag from all the „fan” accounts you have while you still can. Cause who knows(JOKE) maybe, one day, you’ll date him(no) and his whole fanbase will try to cancel you for it. 🤣Well, not cancel-cancel but them twisting it and using it against you at some point is inevitable. I think you often use this one here to prove…dishonesty? Whatever. All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg 🤣 TLDR.

So this is the last time we’re going to post your mania rants so if you want to continue this discussion we can do it off anon or you can start your own shit talk blog about us to post your manifestos. We appreciate that you think we’re the big bad boss of the AM underground or something, but we really don’t have that much power. There is no manipulation or cancelling happening here, just gossiping. We don’t care what other peoples opinions are as long as we can all play nice and keep it to some light hearted shit talk. We do not hate Louise like you seem to think we do and I guess you missed how often we do defend her (or delete unnecessarily hateful, disgusting asks about her). It seems you are genuinely misunderstanding a lot that is happening here or mistaking us for fans elsewhere or accounts elsewhere and are clearly having some kind of obsessive episode where we are concerned. We recommend you step back and do something else with your time because this is absolutely not healthy.

[coldboysrarepairweek]

COLD BOYS KINK MEME PRESENTS: RARE PAIR WEEK 2023

Celebrating the Terror & general polar ships which need more love, this fest will run from April 21-27 in three parts:

For the first 3 days of the fest (April 21, 22, 23) all ships with under 100 fics in their pairing tag on AO3 are eligible.

For the next 3 days (April 24, 25, 26) you've got to work a little harder and find a ship with under 10 tagged fics.

And for the final day of the fest, a.k.a Be The First day, you've got to INVENT A WHOLE NEW SHIP TAG!

🫧💞❄️ AO3 COLLECTION HERE ❄️💞🫧

FAQ:

Does it need to specifically be a pair? If the ship tag has less than the eligible # of fics in it, you're welcome to use it, even if it includes 3 or more characters!

What if the ship I picked for Be The First day gets a new fic during the fest week before I post mine? Or one of my <10 pairings goes over 10? Consider the cutoff to be the day before the fest starts (April 20). If the numbers change that week, as long as they were eligible beforehand, you're fine.

What if the ship I picked for Be The First day has a fill up on the kink meme already, but it's not on AO3? Then it doesn't count! We're just going off AO3 for eligibility.

Are there prompts this year? None for the event itself, BUT since we are affiliated this year with the Cold Boys Kink Meme, we encourage you to peruse the bounteous pages of prompts to find something that inspires you for the fest!

What's the word count minimum? None! Be free!!!!!

Can I do art? If so, where do I post it? You are absolutely encouraged to do art for the fest! You can post it on AO3 as its own work, and/or on Tumblr or Twitter using the hashtag #CBRP23.

Are you affiliated with last year's Terror rarepair event? Yep, consider this a direct continuation of TRPW22 and 21.

[cunni1inguistics]

speaking of pretend is real like. haha yeah right so anyway you all have no idea how deep my delusions go and id literally rather strip naked in the towns square than open up to a therapist about this but theres this person i made up but like i kinda didnt invent them i just uncovered their presence bc theyre not a character since i know theyre out there somewhere but then theyre not actually real real bc theyre serving as a projection of my own desires however i know them intimately bc i see them in my dreams every night and sometimes i can touch them and fuck them and be them and also theyre hashtag unachievable gender goals but actually it feels like theyre the only person i could ever truly fall in love with and at the same time they are kinda just me if i slayed but also they are me in such a deeply confessional and embarrassing way that i would melt on the spot if i investigated this any further but then again theyre actually just someone thats been waiting at my side ever since i can remember and that i know will never ever leave me like any other person might. no once again i will not speak to a therapist about this

[twilit-creature]

-sees the hashtag "I won't elaborate unless asked-

....I ask :D

What humans ? In what story ? Is it part of the OG Moon lore ? Or is it in the TES lore ? 👀

I have had these furry guys for quite a while. I could not really decide for a name and nothing stuck. I started to develope a world with them and at least 2 other intelligent species, how they interact with one another and so on...

While I was still into the old fandom(which I really dont want to talk about lol), before TES, I had developed another story and added my own ideas to it and lore all came naturally. But then I left that fandom and sat there with a concept that was not even really recognizeable for that fandoms source? So I was like "But how about I merge that?"

So I did.

Fast foward and we have the three gods that watch over the world. Thanks to the gods in the depths of the ocean, high in the sky and on the land 3 species evolve. The other two don't matter for this so we only focus on what happened on the land.

Humans evolved kind of similar to what happened here on earth. They came from apes and had their little civilization. They did however evolve very differently when it came to their civilization. They were actively forbidden and suppressed from evolving said civilization by the nature/forest goddess who had created them. They could only dream of the things they could achieve while stuck in mud houses with simple farms and a few domesticated animals.

Like they were mentally progressing but were unable to express it because of the nature/forest goddess keeping them from doing so, telling them these dreams would lead to the rot of nature and even herself. That it would destroy them all eventually.

Humans being humans, however, do what they think is right because no one tells humans what to do. They create a profane ritual, a sort of hunt to destroy the nature/forest goddess so they could be the judge of whether its a good idea or not to invent paper and other neat things. Doing this ritual however had it's price - an eternal curse which would turn all humans into animals. By extension even turn apes into something else. That way the goddess ensured humans could not even find a scientific way to turn to what they were before.

Now here we have our average Burnard. He did not even know some people decided to do this profane ritual and kill a god for their own liberation. He may have just been standing in the field, being glad all the potatoes have been planted - then suddenly - fluffy. However I can't really decide wether this change was gradual or instant.

The new humans are closer related to felines and bunnies. Their fur colors are a wide variety of purples and violets. The backside of their ears is the part that is used hear, being like eardrum. The fur pattern and color on the guy above are generic and very common. The purple can range from really greyed and dark purple to bright pastel lavender colors. It can also have white, grey or black pattern. Hair colors are more reduced because now hair only works on a grey scale. You either got white, grey or black hair. No more blondes, no more red hair or brown - its all gone. Claw colors are in the same kind of range as hair.

The present day for these new human is somewhat akin to the clockwork city or industrial revolution england. Lots of steamy and brassy machines. Lots of cogs, flying airships, you get it.

Their history has been very well documented from that point foward. There is a small splinter group of humans that turned into a sort of bug people and those people also have stopped calling themselves humans at all. They have accepted the judgement that has been passed and live in ways the nature/forest goddess would approve. They are also not welcome in the society of the others and get generally treated as outcasts. They are the ones suffering the consequences of the profane ritual the most.

I think I should also mention, when the civiliation intially came to be, it was not like on earth with many different ones. It was just one made of many different kinds of humans, all with their unique ways of thinking.

All this lore is really recent because - someone will stab me for this but - I don't like humans? And I don't want them in my works? You will never see me choose human when I have any other option. This is a thing with me since forever. I can't even really tell you a real reason for my dislike bc there is none- So I was very reluctant about this choice.

But then again, humans existed for a much, much shorter time. Maybe like 500 years at best and since 200 years no ape human has been seen. So they got to enjoy 300 years of being hairless apes before being turned into Felinoids with fur they can't ever get rid of.

Some stuff needs some ironing out but this is like- the basics.

As for story...

I have a story for all this in the works but its - its basic and I am not sure what to do with it. But I'm working on it. I have generally a lot of original characters for this still unnamed world and I think about making stories for them too. Bc I can't involve Nestor for example in the story I am planning- He is a fry cook in the middle of the city with 4 children, he ain't gonna go on adventures. Man's got responsibilities.

[ashisgreedy]

What is #Thirsty Hours ?

It's where I will post smutty snippets of sexual concepts in my own post or respond to thirsty asks. The times and days are unplanned at the moment and stem 100% from my current mood.

They are all tagged as #Thirsty Hours.

Can I send in a thirsty ask?

YES! You can send a full concept or provide me a character and context and I'll try to create a thirsty post out of it.

These may be sent to me at anytime. On Anon is fine.

What will you post?

Sexual situations, kinks from mild to extreme ones, fetishes, ot3, ot4, vanilla, and occasionally h*nd h*lding.

Who do you post about?

Only Garreth, Sebastian, and Ominis at the moment

What will you NOT post about?

Pregnancy, children, breeding kink, underaged, scat, religious/cult stuff.

Can I use the thirsty post as a prompt for my own creation?

Yes! Feel free! And you don't have to credit me or ask permission.

Can I reblog your post with my own take?

Yes! Please do! Even if you a different take on my HC or just want to delve deeper, by my guest!

I have a blog, can I join in/use the hashtag?

Yes! You can use #Thirsty Hours or your own. I didn't invent this concept, copy me or make it your own ❤︎

------------------------------------------------------

If there are any other questions, feel free to shoot them my way. ❤︎

How to block a tag: Go to settings> content you see> filter tag

[xuenstrugglestoblog]

You may be a keyboard warrior, but I still don't think you should mess with the BTS Army...

Yeah... The BTS fans are the scariest kind in all of K-pop fandom.. But we're gonna talk about K-pop fandom and how it (kinda) took over the world! Before that, K-pop is a genre of South Korean pop music that gained massive popularity internationally in recent years. You must have scrolled through Twitter, TikTok or Instagram and came across names such as BTS, BLACKPINK, IVE and etc. I think we can say that K-pop isn't just about music itself or the pretty idols- it's a culture itself.

I can say that's true because I was once neck deep in the BTS fandom to the point I went from reading those Jimin x YourName fanfictions to writing my own (lol I can't believe I'm just exposing this right here BUT FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES RIGHT? #screwdigitalfootprint). We're gonna talk about how the K-pop fandom has grown into a global force that's changing the world on how we think about music, community and even social causes.

Can we just appreciate Felix's visuals, voice and part in Chef's Menu for one second before we go through the boring things.

Yup. That's enough.

1. The K-pop Fandom as a Cultural Powerhouse

Like I said previously, K-pop isn't just about music and idols anymore, it's culture, people. Fans don't just listen to K-pop now, they even embrace the Korean language, learn about Korean culture, have personal names for their fandoms (eg. Blackpink fans are called Blinks) and made slangs that are only used an known within the fandom. This may all seem so sudden this K-craze but honestly, it's no accident. Jang & Song (2017) noted how K-pop fandom encourages worldwide to connect with Korean culture, creating what's known as the "Korean Wave" or the "Hallyu". Most neck deep K-pop fans don't just listen to Korean songs, as I observed- they'd go all out to watch Korean dramas, eat Korean food and even downloaded Duolingo just to learn Korean for free (me. I did that. Now I'm on my 437 day streak). Thanks to the invention of the internet and social media, fans can join in this wave from anywhere in the world, creating a virtual space where cultural exchange happens every day.

Also, we should probably give K-pop fans kudos because if they are anything, it's organized and dedicated. Liu (2023) has observed that K-pop fans often organize streaming marathons, trend hashtags, and launch coordinated efforts to boost their favorite idol's visibility. This isn't random enthusiasm- K-pop fans are dead serious on making an impact and they know exactly how to do it. I know as well because in Korea when an idol has gone and finished their mandatory military service, fans would arrive in hoards at the entrance with signs and banners just to welcome their biases back into civilization (see this article of J-hope from BTS finishing his mandatory military service). Fans' dedication to make their idols trend and win awards is a huge factor of why this fandom is so powerful it's almost like a cult at times.

GIF break with this cute clap of J-Hope's Dreamworld MV.

OKay done.

2. Resolving Identity Crisis and Connecting with K-pop

For some fans, K-pop cured identity crisis provided them a sense of identity. Laffan (2020) explored this idea from a social identity perspective, noting that being part of a fan community can lead to some amazing psychological benefits. When fans connect over shared values and interests, they get this feeling of belonging. Imagine this : you feel out of place in your hometown but you found an online community where people just "get" you. That's what this K-pop fandom does for millions of people all over the world. However, it's definitely not just about connections, it's also about shared joy. Celebrating a comeback together, streaming the latest album release and commenting in real time via X, all this gives fans a collective experience. They celebrate together, go through things together and even at times, be there for each other when times are tough. Through these experiences, K-pop fandom creates an emotional bond that's hard to break.

Jang Won Young may have her fair share of haters but we can't deny those visuals, God Bless her mother for bringing such beauty into this world.

Moving ON,

3. The blue bird app X, Fandom Activities and the Digital World

Social media, such as X (formerly Twitter, RIP), is where K-pop fandom comes alive. I mean, yeah, they are other platforms out there such as Weverse and Instagram, but we're mainly going to focus on X. Maros & Abdul Basek (2022) observed how fans use platforms such as X to build strong online identity, sharing fan art, memes, fancams and more. X isn't just for you angry rants no more; for fans, it's a digital space where they find their people. I think I've mentioned that K-pop fans are extremely talented, organized and dedicated so you get so many cool things such as fan art, translations, fan-made lyric videos, fanfictions and etc. which strengthens their bonds with each other and their favorite groups. Plus, fandoms can overlap and co-exist such as Individual A loves Aespa and Le Sserafim so she makes a fanart that's like Aespa x Le Sserafim and it's really original and interesting, you can't really get things like that elsewhere.

I should probably mention as well that each K-pop group will have their own official fan club that works almost like a mini-organization which adds to my point that these fans are really organized. These fan clubs at times will coordinate global events (on and off line), set up streaming parties and even fundraise for relevant charities. Maros & Abdul Basek (2022) praised how these fan clubs show a level of coordination that goes way beyond casual fandom. These fans were willing to spend not just their money, but time, effort, blood, swear and tears (a little cheeky BTS slip right there) to make sure their idols succeed and stay visible globally.

I hope this makes you feel SPECIAL.

We're towards the end just a little more, please hang on.

4. The Good, the Bad, and the Banter

Like any big fandoms, the K-pop fandom has its challenges. I mean, it's pretty similar to how when a friend group gets too big, there's bound to be more disparities and fight breakouts. So there's this thing called "fan wars" which are rivalries between different fan groups, which can sometimes get a liiiiiittle bit intense. Liu (2023) points out that this competitive spirit is partially due to the way the industry ranks groups based on chart numbers, awards, and sales. While yes, competitions does spice things up, it can also create friction between fans who are each rooting for their favourites... Especially, those passionate ones...

Another known challenge is burnout. I myself, personally, experienced it, which is why I left the K-pop fandom back in 2019. The burnout is so real. Keeping up with the nonstop flow of content such as new albums, live streams, social media updates, new groups debuting, who has left group, who is dating this idol and who broke up, all this information can take up too much brain space at times. However, the new generation of K-pop fans are more open-minded, since I do noticed too that some within the fandom are starting to openly discuss these issues, advocating for balance, self-care and put your mental health first among other things. This is quite healthy and it shows how adaptable and self-aware the fandom can be. They're learning how to handle the pressures of fandom life and are even creating mini support systems within their communities (Laffan 2020). However, for my case, I do think I'm a little old for this since I juggle school, work and personal life balance (I play 3 sports) so I don't have any extra spare time for this but I still keep up with news from time to time (can you tell by how knowledgeable I am in this field?).

Why did NewJeans have to disband I'm so sad because they were the first band to made me reconsider hopping back in the pits of hellfire fandom.

Look how cute Hanni is hehe (she's a minor and you're going to jail if you smiled and agreed).

5. The Future of K-pop Fandom

Okay we're at the conclusion now. Thanks for making it so far and reading till this point. So to conclude, it's clear that the K-pop fandom isn't just a passing trend and it's here to stay for a while. It has become a global community that changed lives. Jang & Song (2017) discuss how the influence of K-pop goes beyond the music itself since it also acts as a bridge for cultural exchange and even social impact. From stream parties to donating to charities in the name of their idols, K-pop fans are using their passion to make a difference which is great honestly. With a blend of cultural appreciation, a touch of social bonding and a splash of online presence, K-pop fandom represents a new kind of community that brings people together across borders and different backgrounds. As long as there are fans eager to connect, I can say that this fandom will only continue to grow. Which is quite awesome since this fandom can inspire others and redefine what it means to be a "fan" in today's digital age.

Here is xuenstrugglestoblog checking out with her last blog :)

References

Jang, W & Song, JE 2017, The Influences of K-pop Fandom on Increasing Cultural Contact, National Research Foundation of Korea Grant, viewed 14 November 2024, <https://barnettcenter.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-08/the_influences_of_k-pop_fandom.pdf>.

Laffan, DA 2020, ‘Positive Psychosocial Outcomes and Fanship in K-Pop Fans: a Social Identity Theory Perspective’, Psychological Reports, vol. 124, no. 5, p. 003329412096152, viewed 14 November 2024, <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0033294120961524>.

Liu, CY 2023, ‘The Research on the Influence of KPOP (Korean Popular Music) Culture on Fans’, Communications in Humanities Research, vol. CHR Vol.4, no. 1, pp. 63–68, viewed 14 November 2024, <https://chr.ewapublishing.org/article.html?pk=f9ac124f75f94d07afd869e60bd5d9c9>.

Maros, M & Abdul Basek, FN 2022, ‘Building Online Social Identity and Fandom Activities of K-pop Fans on Twitter’, 3L The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 282–295.