#(a new start for these two just in time for the new year lol)

[maudie-duan]

Series Summary: Harry has been fighting to keep his relationship with Olivia afloat for nearly two years. At what point do you choose to either endure or let the strain of the world defeat his ambitious hopes of a lasting relationship? Or will a single night and a fleeting encounter be enough to change the projection of Harry’s path? Maybe our ‘Mystery Girl,’ Shiloh, will just happen to be in the right place at the right time. 

All Chapters Here <-

A/N: Shiloh and Harry are a little messy, but I think most of us are here for their bullshit, lol. Anywho...enjoy catching up with Shiloh.

Tag List: @howling-wolf97 @sassamanda77 @babegoalsreads @palmettogal508 @indierockgirrl

@lizsogolden @sexymfharriet @pologoonies

Word Count: 3.6K

Warning: Strong Language, Major Angst, Eventual Smut, Emotional.

I took your advice and became obsessed with my therapist. Maybe by the time you read this, enough time will have passed between us, and you’ll be able to forgive my previous idiocy.

Ps. I thought of you in the sun when I made this collection. I hope it brings you joy during your warm holidays.

All the love—H

I slid his note inside my phone case before leaving for New York. Now, he’ll be a secret I carry for miles, a tiny piece of him with me everywhere I go.

I guess I should clarify a few things. I, in fact, did kind of get back together with my Ex for the briefest of moments. In all honesty, it was just sex. The media chalked it up to way more than it needed to be, of course, and I got a few laughs along the way. It’s funny, even though it hadn’t been that long since we dated, a lot more of the press forgot about our past. The whole thing really put my life into perspective—it was a shit I’ve come a long way moment, and damn, life can humble you real quick.

I’ll openly admit that I did creep my Ex on Instagramz I needed to figure out where he was, and then I sent him a text pretending like I had no clue he was in South Africa, finishing up part three of a movie series I had never even watched. The question was simple:

Hey, are you still in California?

And boom, as soon as he messaged back, the door was open. He told me he was wrapping up a movie and was moving back to LA to start a series for HBO and that he would love to catch up. I just wanted to catch up with his dick because after Italy, I needed something easy, and we were still friendly, and I didn’t want to have to go through all the work of getting to know someone new, and yes, I know I don’t have to explain the details, but a lot has happened in the past six months.

It was strange hooking up with him again; a lot had changed between us, both in life and physically. I had forgotten how hot he was, tall and muscular; he couldn’t be further from Harry, but still, I was comparing the two, maybe looking back on it now, trying to fill a “Harry” void that no one else could fill.

For starters, my Ex is five inches taller. I found myself climbing his body in a manner I was too shy to act on in the past, constantly trying to push away the memory of how Harry and I fit, our bodies perfectly aligned, it would have been the perfect give and take, and there I was—laying there with my Ex, his dick buried deep inside me, yet I only thought of Harry, his face floating across my vision every time, seriously every time, it was pathetic.

It all started with my Ex wanting to see my new place and where I was planting roots. He said he had been keeping up with me, finding it effortless since I was becoming more “famous” than him, which was a joke; I thought we were at least reaching the same playing field.

The second he walked through the door, his stare was palpable, as if he knew exactly why he was there. When he bent at the waist to hug me, he wrapped me in strong arms, his big hands gripping me tight. He drew in a long breath, nestling his face into the crook of my neck, dragging a breath through his nose like he was pulling me in.

I thought of Harry the moment we locked lips, the photoshoot, that weighted breath that gave him away, a chased burst of desire that sent a tingle down my spine—and here was my ex, so familiar, and I knew it would be good. I wouldn’t have to guess at cues because he was already sending them, and when I said, “I’ll show you my room first,” and turned away, he circled his arms around my body and pressed his lips to my neck—Okay, so, it was mutual, and we would spend the next two months fucking like we were making up for old times.

It was all fast, we were both just horny. When he eventually told me he wasn’t looking for anything serious and needed to focus on work, his Aussie accent fell heavy, laced with nerves, a mournful look filling his brown eyes. I was more than happy to let him go; of course, I would miss the easy dick, but I guess I could try and put myself out there—I thought…

And then the photoshoot dropped, and what I thought would be a slow burn flipped my life upside down. I knew Harry’s fandom was loyal; I had my best friend, Annelise, to prove that.

The thing about it was that when they revealed a sneak peek, you couldn’t even see my face. They only saw my tattoos, my brown skin, and curly hair. I could have been anybody, but the one thing that sent them pecking away at their keyboards was a close-up of Harry’s hand on my hip, his fingers spread, gripping my flesh with a pang of obvious hunger, and there peeking through was the tattoo of the word ‘Honey’ inked into my skin—They loved that one the most—It only took them a couple of days to figure it out—Now, cue the flood of new followers.

But what got fans the most was that Harry recorded a new song specifically for that campaign. It give the world a sample of his upcoming album, and with this, he could have played it off as, you know, just fun, just fucking around in the studio, and that’s where the magic began, but then, he had to go and slip up.

An interviewer asked him about the photoshoot shortly after the buzz started swirling, then he had to go and blab his mouth—and this part truly threw me for a loop because I’ve watched many of the interviews he’s done in the past, and he’s usually good at skirting around questions, always inconspicuous—a poster board for Aquarius’s everywhere, always aloof in the many plans and projects he has in the works, and I applaud that…I do.

So when said interviewer asked, “So where did you draw inspiration for this new song?” He literally said:

“Hmmm…don’t know, really. My last trip to Italy was really memorable, and I remember doing that photoshoot and feeling really inspired afterward…” a corky, lopsided smile playing at his lips the entire time, an unmistakable shift in his mood. It was like he was recalling a pleasant memory of the past.

And let me tell you. I’ve watched this interview every night before bed for the last four months straight, no lie—Then someone clears their throat in the background of the video. Harry’s face drops ever so slightly like they’re bringing him back to the present, keeping him in line, and the way his eyes shift to the person off the screen, with that, Oh shit, kind of look on his face is so apparent it aches, then he attempts to play it off with one of those charming smiles, and he changes the subject in seconds, barely covering his ass, except he didn’t.

Because fuck, everyone was on my ass after that, shipping us even before he and Olivia had even officially split. It made me want to stay as far away from him as possible and be even more vigilant with what I said or how I reacted in front of the camera. It made me hate him and want him at the same time, and yes, I do want him. I always have, but look at where we are, and after that stupid drunk dial. I wanted him even more, to be able to pick up my phone and hear that fucking voice like velvet, the way it crept up my spine and wrapped itself around my insides like a warm hug.

The thing is…I’ve had full access to Harry this whole time. I could have picked up the phone and called him whenever I wanted, but I wanted to rid him from my system. Yet, it was nearly impossible. I thought maybe if I put myself out there, all of the “Harry noise” would die down, but it seemed to only make the fan more stir-crazy.

I guess I’m not free of blame if we’re being honest. After I shot that live with Timothee, I followed ‘Pleasing’ on Instagram, which I thought I could preface with me just being supportive; they did send me merch after all but on the other hand. I know Harry had to have sent them dilerabately, to get my attention, the handwritten note, not only did he create a new launch with me in mind. There was also a song floating around, one that was really good actually, and as I’m shoving my headphones into my ears right before the plane takes off, it’s the first song I play, and now ‘Daydreaming’ has become my theme song, and somehow I can’t even be mad about it.

New York would be fun. I was only there for a few days, and everything was already lined up. There would be more free time than business, and I wanted to fit in as much as possible because I had only been to New York once. This time, I could actually be part of the hustle and bustle of everything, or at least feel that way, having a purpose to be there. I also got to spend more time with Timothee.

The first day was the only business I had on my schedule. I had a guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show, which I was looking forward to. It wasn’t as painful as I thought, and although he did ask a shit ton of questions about Harry—I think I managed to sideline them easily—The only thing that tripped me up were his random questions about Timothee, and how Howard seemed to be unusually intrigued by him, becoming more interested by Timothee than me toward the end of the interview and I was his guest.

That night, I had dinner with Timothee and his family, and somehow, we managed not to be photographed, not a single picture floating around. I did get pictured with his sister the next day when she took me around the city, showing me all her favorite vintage/thrift shops scattered about, hooping on the subway, and filling our stomachs with junk food. Even though she grew up here, Pauline took on the role of a tourist, which was greatly appreciated.

That night, we hung out with T at his place, ordering takeout and binge-watching Sons of Anarchy, starting from season two because Timothee insisted it was the best season. He ended up explaining more of the show than necessary, which resulted in me missing more essential parts, so we turned the show off to turn on a movie.

When Pauline left part way through the movie, I took to the internet. I was trying to be polite and stay off my phone, but all night, I could feel my finger twitching to be on my screen. The cast of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ was spotted landing in NYC yesterday, and I wanted to see if there were any new pictures of Harry out on the town.

This was the first time we had been in the same country, in the same town, since London, and the feeling of seeing his feet hit the pavement on a street I might have walked on only hours before had my heart racing every time I pick up my phone and typed in ‘Harry Styles’ on every platform that made my life easier to track him.

Yes, I think I’m obsessed, but I have a feeling it might be mutual.

“What is that look on your face?” T asks, smiling over at me. I’m sprawled across his sofa, Timothee on the floor with his back resting against the couch, and every time I shift my knee, it nudges the hollow space in the middle of his back.

“Nothing, I’m just—” I trail off because that clip of Harry acting dodgy toward Olivia at their Venice premiere is all over my feed, and the site of the two of them makes me fucking cringe.

The whole situation is odd. I’ve been keeping up with all the gossip, taking it with a grain of salt, but shit, a lot of it seems creditable, and it’s not a good look for either one of them, not that I’m judging by any means, but hell, I would not want to be either one of them right now or be stuck hanging around the other. Harry almost came off as childish, which kind of turned me off, and I wish I could call him up and be like, bro, what was your deal? But something tells me that would be embarrassing for both of us.

Timothee’s head falls back on my leg, and I shift my eyes from my phone to catch a yawn forming at his mouth. Then I yawn, reaching forward to tassel his curls, eliciting a soft smile as his eyes drift shut, and I fight the urge to caress his cheek.

As I pull away, he opens his eyes, and we both smile. “Did Flo text you?” he asks, slicing through the silence. Then, he stands to gather the dishes. “She said they’re having an afterparty tomorrow, and we should come.”

I force myself to lock my screen and focus on the conversation, “She called me, but I didn’t answer…”

“Oh, I bet that’s why she was calling—” he shouts from the kitchen.

I ponder this for a few seconds, thinking of all the possible outcomes of me showing up at their cast afterparty: First off, Harry will be there unless he doesn’t show, but wouldn’t that be highly unlikely?

I would be showing up with Timothee, and that might look weird. Harry and I are both single, and while he might be in close proximity to his Ex right now, they don’t seem to be interacting very much, but I can only see what everyone else sees. I’m sure I could ask Florance, but she’s not really a fan of either one of them right now. It seems like they were even lucky to get her there in the first place—The whole thing is one big shit show.

Plus, if I go, I want to be there to support Flo, not be another girl getting googly-eyed over Harry right now. He has had enough of that already. I mean, they must have known that was going to happen when they hired him. It was smart on their end, but damn, I really want to go, just to be in the same room as him, and I would be on my best behavior, not even giving him a single glance unless he was in my line of sight and by that, I wouldn’t be able to avoid him, and I could just think the heavens later.

I, for one, don’t want any chance of us being photographed together; I have no intention of stirring the pot unless my pot is getting stirred…

“We should go…” I smile, and then T matches my smile, and I feel like I know what he’s about to say.

“You just want to see Harry…” He laughs, lifting my legs to plop down onto the couch, and I scoot myself up, drawing my knees to my chest.

“I mean…I would be there to support my friend. I can’t help that he’ll just happen to be there…” And I know my smile is giving me away, but I’m just so excited to see him, just a glimpse, just to know that, yes, he was real, and that maybe I’ll see that look in his eye—the want, the need—even if it’s fleeting, it would be enough.

I need to know if this is real or if I’m so caught up in the rumor mill that maybe I’m starting to believe the chatter.

“Have you talked to him since that photoshoot?” he asks, and my heart drops, the memory causing a dull ache in the pit of my stomach. I haven’t told anyone about the drunk dial, not even my best friend. I didn’t want to tarnish Harry’s name for her.

I exhale, my lungs heavy with gloom, “Honestly…umm…he kind of drunk dialed me one night, like after the shoot…” And it’s spilling out of my mouth, and the thing about Timothee is that I trust him. He’s already trusted me with so much of his private life, so it feels safe and freeing at the same time.

“Okay…so you saw that note the other day, right?” I pick up my phone and pop the case off, the note falling in my lap. “That day when you read this…that was the first time I had heard from him since that night.”

“He called me after the photoshoot, I think…maybe the next day or the day after…I don’t know, I’ve been trying to forget about it, but he kind of confessed his feelings for me…”

Timothee sits up then, “Wait, what? I thought you didn’t know him?”

“I don’t—I guess…ummm…I mean it’s kind of hard to explain, I guess it’s like a feeling or something. I saw Harry at the Gucci Show, then the next day, we did that photoshoot, randomly, and there was just this crazy connection…”

He laughs, “No shit, dude, look at you both…” And I shake my head, smiling down at the note.

“It’s not like that…I mean, I’m sure it could be like that…but I think it’s more than that…?” I shrug my shoulders, shaking the thought from my head.

“It’s honestly so confusing, and that fucking photoshoot blow everything up…”

T shakes his head and laughs nervously, “Dude, it really did…”

“I think I get it, though… “ he says after a beat of silence. “It makes sense…your avoidance.”

My head falls back against the arm of the couch with a thud, and I force out a deep breath, “Is it that obvious?”

“No—definitely not, but I’ve been around you, and also, I could tell by the way you navigated that live the other day…you’re pretty good at that. It’s really shocking that you haven’t had media training.”

I laugh, “Yeah…it just seems like common sense…”

“But a lot of people don’t have that. I’ve had a lot of training. I feel like I was a lot more open in the past, but I feel like I’m getting better at leaving some stuff for me.” He explains.

“I’ve always liked your interviews…as long as you’re you at your core, then you’re golden. Those fans are always going to swoon over you.”

Timothee swallows, his adamapple bobbing, “Yeah…but sometimes you just want the right person to swoon over you…” Them his eyes flick to me, making my heart pick up, the comment hanging in air between us. What does that even mean?

He smiles, looking down at his hands, suddenly shy. “So..what do you want to do?” he asks, and when he looks back at me, there’s something contemplative about his gaze, like maybe he wants to say more, so I wait for him to continue, and when he swallows, his green eyes trained on me, for the first time I’m starting to second guess what this friendship might be because his face is so serious and when I say:

“I want to go…” I watch his chest deflate, a low exhale as he scoots forward on the couch cushion, and when he clasps his hands together and lets his head drop, I’m holding my breath, the sudden shift in his mood making me wonder if that was some sort of test.

Then he says, “I think you guys will be good together…” Oddly enough, it even sounds genuine and thoughtful. A smile spreads on his face, but it doesn’t seem to reach his eyes. When he looks away, pulling out his phone to end the conversation, the air is thick with questions, making me reconsider everything, like maybe Harry was just the push I needed to get myself back out there.

A/N: Hmmm...is Shiloh actually going to consider Timothee?

All Chapters Here <-

My Tiny Masterlist Here<-

[decafdino]

Wip Wednesday! And just under the wire too lol. Thank you to @nisbanisba @henrygrass @carlossreaders @whatsintheboxmh @lemonlyman-dotcom and @emsprovisions for the tags. So happy (nervous?) to announce that I’m starting a new wip for bthb, my superhero au (which I have no outline for and am flying by the seat of my pants lol)

With Jonah momentarily out of earshot, Carlos feels himself slump slightly. His shifts as a Texas Ranger are a different breed from when he was a cop, but that doesn't mean they're any less tiring. "I had not one, but two foot-chases today. You'd think white collar criminals would know better."

"Oh?" TK murmurs, wrapping his arms around Carlos' waist. His hands thankfully stay above the fabric of his shirt.

"You'll never guess how the second one ended. I ran into the Blizzard. Again." It was a whole thing. Carlos is thankful he didn't slip on the ice this time, because Sam never would've let him hear the end of it. Over the years, Carlos and the Blizzard kept running into each other, but he figured he'd probably see a lot less of him since his switch to the Rangers. He now knows that is not the case. Sometimes, Carlos swears the Blizzard is magnetized to him.

TK chuckles. "Don't act like you don't secretly love the thrill of it."

"Working with a vigilante? Yeah, I love cleaning up his messes." He sighs, the weight of day falling heavier on his shoulders as he recalls it. "And now my captain is on my ass about arresting him."

[milklovesbyler]

HOW AND WHY AND WHEN DID THE BYLER REALISATION HIT ME - RANT

okay this is long so skip to S4 section for the more interesting stuff/when i found out about byler!

hii okay my first post on this blog! im still pretty new to tumblr but learned that u can have multiple blogs and my mind is blown. i also have an art blog i post on once a millenia @milkymetari !

Ive been a stranger things fan since 2019 when i was 13!

So i started watching stranger things in 2019 after season 3 had came out and the series peaked my interest, ive always been a fan of scifi stuff and oh boy stranger things is so cool and (mostly) well written!

When i say i LOVED mileven im not kidding, I WAS OBSESSED. On the outside theyre a picture perfect cute teenage couple, and my idealisation of that (and cmon guys eleven is like the coolest character ever) and els badassness and powers, i loved mileven.

I mean as a concept their relationship is really cute if we read it as that but yeah i do NOT ship them anymore like that 😭

Yeah i remember myself sometimes wondering about the weird things in their relationship (the way they dont share almost any interests, only kiss and mikes weird actions) but i think due to heteronormativity (toxic ships are wayy too normalized also in lgbt media) and how poorly usually female characters (but in this case mike lmao) and their relationships are written in media so i guess i had just grown to try not to care, and yeah i was just 13.

So honestly i didnt see/know byler back then AT ALL! I grew up as a semi homophobic kid because thats what i was taught, but around the time i started watching ST i grew as a person a lot and i realised maybe my ass isnt as straight as i thought ☠️ Honestly wish i did know about byler since i think seeing mikes struggles (and wills) wouldve helped me a lot! 💔

I didnt think too deeply about any media i consumed at that age, and i was already used to just not care about bad writing so i thought flaws in mileven were normal writing mistakes etc. Or how the byler fight was clearly more intense than the mileven break up 😭😭

But again i did not catch onto it.

ST 4 in 2022!!

So the year is 2022 and i excitesly watch season 4 part 1. I usually try to avoid spoilers etc on the internet so i kept myself away from st tiktok and other platforms. After i finished it i saw like a shit ton of edits of all the characters and speculation about the last 2 eps.. THEN somewhere around that time it happened, i stumbled upon byler.

okay first, i need to talk about mileven a bit, the first few episodes it was sweet, but it was obvious el was lying and unhappy, i was hoping that mike would grow and learn to be a better boyfriend and theyd end up back together.

so about byler, first i thought it was like any other ship as usual and i wasnt as blind to homoerotic chemistry anymore so it wasnt anything new or surpricing.

well, what was surpricing was HOW FUCKING BLIND I HAD BEEN TO HOW MIKE AND WILL ACTED

i mean i was confused while watching part 1 for the first time but closeness between the two was nothing unusual, and mike lashing out on will had already happened in s3 too, but yeah i was so flabbergasted and embarrased how i hadnt noticed 😭 like girl, the lip staring, yearning gazes and awkward conversations

down the rabbit hole i went and hehe😈 i got my bestie into it too and she was like omg ur so right we both agree they are endgame bbecause like theres so much evidence its not a coincidence.

ill probably make a separate post on some of the genious thoughts we had about mileven and byler in 2022 lol

i hope someone read this all, thank you <3

[spinchip]

Never the dark 7, 10 [dareth x Cyrus, it's not a pairing I've seen before and it humors me in a good way], and 11?

[ask meme]

YAAAY THANK YOUUU

7: Where did the title come from?

Bury Me Low by 8 Graves! I was listening to this song a LOT when conceptualizing the fic and I feel like the whole thing kinda describes Zane in the fic. In retrospect, I do kinda wish I had named it something smoother, I had a few ideas for what I might change it to (Inside the Dark, Forsaken Dark, and [redacted because i might be using it for another project teehee]) but I do like Never the Dark and I think i'll keep it lol

the funniest thing about this song is that I played it so much I got sick of it and now I wont listen to it

If I die today, it won't be so bad I can escape all the nightmares I've had All of my angry and all of my sad Gone in the blink of an eye I've seen the devil. I've shaken his hand I've seen the evil that dwells in a man For all of my wisdom, I can't understand ...... If I die today, it won’t be so hard Everything scares me, but never the dark

10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Polyninja because I love them and the fucked up relationship dynamic post zanedeath called to me.

Pixal/Skylor has always been awesome but I included it here specifically because of how I view their character actions in the three year time skip. Skylor joins the ninja a few month after Zane dies and despite the fact that they don't harbor any ill will towards her, Zanes absence is a fresh wound that it feels like she's trying to step into. It makes everyone bleed. No one is coping well and things get messy and tense between skylor, the ninja, and pixal until Skylor has a mental breakdown and removes herself from the team (trauma response due to the nature of how her father raised her.) Skylor was never part of the team- she's not been there from the beginning, so she's an outsider. And so is Pixal. (Not intentionally of course, but the others share a different kind of grief that the two don't.) Cyrus eventually convinced Pixal to go to therapy where she gets some clarity on things and reaches out to Sky to apologize again for any role she played in the teams tension with her. She invites Skylor over for dinner and they accidentally end up talking for 6 hours- and the rest is history

(Skylor IS on good terms with the ninja btw. they apologized and hashed things out- but she won't rejoin the team for a lot of different reasons.)

Coppershipping my beloved. new-ish in the ficverse! They were starting to be more friendly with eachother after zanedeath, and that progressed post s11. Dareth took his grief at losing Zane as motivation to get in better shape and actually try and train, so he hits the gym and puts on a lot of muscle. takes up boxing. He wants to be able to do more to help if something happens again. He ends up putting his new skills to use protecting Cyrus from something or another and Cyrus asks him to be his bodyguard. They spend a lot of time together and fall in love teeheehee

also, fun fact for you, Dareth handmade all the ninja suits they wear in NTD!

11: What do you like best about this fic?

oh man. Is it bad to say the fact that it's almost finished? I'm just really proud I've been able to stick with it and put in the time and effort. I've got a pretty spotty track record with chaptered work- i lose motivation and drop things a lot, unfortunately. But i'm still dedicated to finishing NTD!

and im really proud of the wordcount! 100k!!!!!!! WAOW

[jeonscatalyst]

Hello there, I am new to this platform. I am so happy I found your blog. I love the way you write and tackle different topics in regard to Jikook. I also appreciate how you never put any other members down just to prove your point.

I started out as a Taekooker, and that was because I spent most of my time on tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube. I had no idea that what I was watching was heavily edited stuff, and most of the edits even Incude fake text. Stuff that neither Tae nor Jungkook even said. I was so convinced the edits were real. Then, somehow, I stumbled upon jikook videos. My stomach sank, there was something, I felt something but I couldn't explain it. It was a gut feeling. I, however, didn't want to admit Jikook was real. So I gave up on shipping all together. Then, one day, I stumbled upon a Jikook analysis on YT. Then GFC in Tokyo. That was a done deal for me. I went back to the edited videos of Taekook, researched original content, and realized it's all been lies. On that day, I gave up Taekook, and don't get me wrong. I love their friendship. I just gave up on the possibility of them being a couple. But after GCF in Tokyo, Saipan, and Are you sure (this is just to name a few). There is plenty of evidence pointing at them as the real deal. I 1000% believe Jikook is the real couple.

Hey anon,

Welcome to tumblr and I really hope you are enjoying it here so far.

Many fans were first introduced to shipping through heavily manipulated videos shared on YouTube and other platforms by Taekookers. When new fans join the fandom, they often turn to YouTube to learn more about the members, and the algorithm is very effective at pushing Taekook edits their way, making them hard to avoid. While Taekookers may lack in many areas, they excel at editing videos to push a particular narrative.

For years, Taekookers relied on those tactics to sustain their theories, even when there was little to no interaction between Taehyung and Jungkook. Ironically, they now claim to hate (or pretend to hate) company content, yet for years, company content was the only way they could see Taekook interact. They would overanalyze and sensationalize every small interaction captured in official content because they had no other material to work with. The solo era atleast for the first time helped them take a little break from making up numerous outings and sightings of Taekook lol.

Taekookers are also master storytellers. They skillfully weave angst into their narratives, as it seems to resonate deeply with their audience. Their recurring theme often portrays two helpless individuals, deeply in love but trapped in a homophobic society, suppressed by a company intent on keeping them apart. One of them, they claim, is forced into unwanted fanservice with another member, while the other suffers silently, watching in pain. Stories like these evoke strong emotions, draw people in, and create a sense of duty to “support their love.” Many Taekookers are simply misguided, and those who direct their hatred at Jimin often do so because they genuinely believe he is an obstacle or even malicious….beliefs fueled by manipulative YouTube videos and the indoctrination of their “cult leaders.”

When people describe Taekookers as cult-like, they’re not exaggerating. Many behave as though they’ve been brainwashed. Whenever an outsider or even a BTS member says or does something that could challenge the reality of Taekook, they immediately create excuses, even going as far as calling them liars. What’s most baffling is that none of them seem to step back and question these contradictions. For instance, the entire Taekooker community firmly believes that, in documentaries showing moments when Jungkook was ill or injured, the company deliberately prevented Taehyung from being by his side and instead sent Jimin to “feed shippers.” They genuinely believe this and even provide so-called “proof.” It’s remarkable how quickly they come up with new ways to reinforce their beliefs, even twisting narratives or calling Tae and Jungkook themselves liars when their version of events doesn’t align. This is how they’ve coped for years, and much of it stems from YouTube and manipulated edits.

In contrast, those who believe there may be something more between Jimin and Jungkook tend to approach things more logically. And I’m not saying this just because I’m a Jikooker. Taekook is easy to fall into. Their interactions are light, straightforward, and wholesome…there’s nothing particularly complex about them (beyond the complications added by shippers). Their behavior doesn’t align with the dramatic, secretive love story Taekookers promote. There’s no visible panic, hesitation, or anything that suggests they’re hiding something. Taekook’s dynamic is effortless, which is one of the main reasons I’ve never believed there was anything romantic between them.

Jikook, on the other hand, is far more nuanced and layered. Their interactions are filled with complexities and subtleties that require experience and logical thinking to fully grasp. When you consider their circumstances and everything they’ve likely endured over the years, their dynamic and actions make so much sense. It feels deeper and more meaningful. Personally, while I’m not 100% certain that Jikook are a couple, I’m certain their relationship..whatever it may be, hasn’t always been purely platonic.

[brainrot-yumm]

hello, dogman enthusiast/fellow overthinker here who owns a lot (but not all) of the books, and I have very few answers but still that's better than nothing aint it

I'm very sorry if at any point I start coming off like i'm "um, actually"ing you, I'm just having fun treating the questions like puzzles

There are significant spoilers below so I'll block it to be safe

one) ''silly and unrealistic unless they're projecting'' is crazyyyyy

two) I'm pretty sure the implication is that Greg the dog is significantly more sapient than Knight. It was emphasized a whole bunch that Greg had a ''supa smart'' brain (at least one that was smarter than Knight by a lot). And despite having dog instincts, he still is fully capable of making plans and understanding complex conversations and gestures (ex. he becomes Chief's wingman after a certain point so he understands human displays of romance enough to help replicate them) so I'm like 95% certain that if Knight's head had been decapitated juuuust a little higher up for Greg to have the human vocal chords, that would've been a talking dog. if he had opposable thumbs he woulda been the one driving the cop car.

two point five) THE MOST SPOILERS HERE. the Petey redemption arc takes a lot longer in the books. like in the book that the movie took most inspo from (tale of two kitties). they don't team up at all. Petey just watches and goes "eh, I'm evil, whatevs". He still sacrifices himself by going in 80HD but he isn't pardoned at all, it takes like 5 more books before he actually turns to good and starts properly coparenting Lil Petey. Movie just had to super quickify it for runtime reasons. So is Dogman a little dumb for befriending the murderer of his bestie? maybe. but at least it wasn't an instantaneous thing

three) You're so right he absolutely does not see that human body as his. Lol to him. But also, while animals absolutely can experience loss, being able to understand the why's and specific memories of his past to grieve over should absolutely be counted as a sign of intelligence. Also buying a doghouse from the real estate lady. Dogman pays taxes. Dogman DOES taxes.

four) thinking about it, I'm pretty sure he does most things via muscle memory. Cause the thing with Knight was that he had kung-fu skills, right? that's a very mental thing to be able to do. He had to be trained for that. So if Dogman can still do kung-fu or whatever, than either it's because there's a little chunk of Knight still left in his head, or the muscle memory of the body carried onto the dog. I'm sure he probably still needed physical therapy of some kind though, cause like, as you said, brand new body he's working with. My guy has a new center point of balance. He doesn't even have a tail to balance with, for pete's sake. poor dude. It makes more sense as time goes on and he gets used to the change, though

five) George and Harold are reading stuff like Wuthering Heights at this point. If they were allowed to canonly age any more we would be subjected to the most thought provoking psychological material ever. They're gonna make it big in their world.

six) what's Dogman's lifespan looking like? Will he age by human years or dog years?

seven) what about illnesses? How did Dogman's immune system not reject an entire new body? How did Knight's immune system not reject a new head?! Is he more likely to contract dog diseases or human diseases? Could he potentially accidentally be the best place for viruses to mutate?

eight) what would be the most ethical, if Dogman fell in love with Knight's ex-girlfriend, Petey, or Sarah Hatoff's dog Zuzu? That's a fun puzzle to think about.

nine) no idea about the food one. I just. ionknow. Dogs and people are both omnivores. Das all I got

that is all

I've never wanted someone in-universe to look at a character and go "what the fuck did they do to you" until now

(Minor dog-man spoilers but nothing that wasn't seen in a trailer until stated otherwise)

I'm pretty sure everyone's gone through the "I just thought of the concept of dogman for more than two seconds and have decided it's fucked up" phase but its destroying my mind at the moment

Now I know I'm not supposed to read too into it because George and Harold's writing is generally silly and unrealistic unless they're projecting but i'm going to do it anyways.

How does dogman even make noise?? Are the stiches attached by the top of his neck or the base?? Because that drastically changes his vocal range if it's one or the other. I'm assuming it's he's attached to officer knights body at the base of his neck so it makes sense that he can't speak.

Does he need physical therapy??? I'm pretty sure the human body isn't supposed to move like a dog's. We've all seen him move like he would if he was still normal but no matter how natural it feels we're bipedal and he's forcing his body to do quadruped. Would he have to curb his dog behaviors in order to not harm knight's body? (Note: In my eyes, he 100% doesn't see officer knights body as *his*, even though he controls it. It is one of the last things he has of him after all.)

But he does have moments where he just doesn't do that at all and walks and runs like a human should + whatever fighting style he uses. Is he doing these things off of muscle memory from officer knights body?? If so, what the hell happens if he wants to learn something new??

What does his diet look like? We've seen him eat dog food but I'm pretty sure that's not healthy in the long run for a human's body. I don't know anything about serious about biology, but dogs can't eat chocolate because of their stomach, no? So can he taste chocolate for the first time? Does he inherit Knight's allergies??

[Spoilers below the cut, but the general idea is questioning if he can be counted as sapient or not, so buh bye if you haven't watched it yet!]

Most importantly to me, because I really want to enjoy the Detey ship but there's always this question ringing in my head, did he get smart enough to be counted as sapient? The procedure was vague as George and Harold fumbled the specifics but there had to be some neural surgery from his brain to his body right??

It was cute and all, but his interactions with petey, especially after becoming his friend after he recently killed his best friend was a bit concerning in the mental department. I know most of this can be boiled down to "the middle schoolers aren't Shakespeare" but come on lemme overthink about this

I NEED ANSWERS THAT I WONT GET GAAAAAAAAAH

[multifariousmediums]

Closeups and process video under the cut!

[Video: Timelapse of the piece, starting with a rough sketch, then a m more detailed one. Clothes are added on in a third layer, and then the piece is lined and colored in. End description.]

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Taylor has a song about how a dry spell (among other things) lit the fuse about her fantasizing about a man she would come to despise and about her realizing her long-term relationship was dead and some pearl-clutchers think she’s offended that her boyfriend accidentally implied that they cannot relate to that feeling anymore lmao

[still-breathing-au-p3r]

Ken lingers slightly behind the doorway to the kitchen. Aragaki-san is inside, rolling up his sleeves and tying an apron behind his back.

He has a plan. And he’s going to see it through this time. 

They can’t just keep dancing around things forever, but it’s pretty clear that Aragaki-san isn’t going to be the first one to say anything. He’s probably waiting until Ken seems like he’s ‘ready’ to talk. 

But the thing is, Ken doesn’t think he’ll ever be fully ready for this. Even after trying twice, even after practicing what he wants to say a million times in his head, he still feels like he needs to go over it a million more. With this conversation looming around like it is, even just the sight of Aragaki-san casually getting ready to cook something makes him more nervous than any shadow ever has.

There’s also a sharp, angry piece of him that’s still fighting tooth and nail against the idea. This is the guy that killed his mom– how can he even think of playing nice?

The logical side of him knows that’s not fair. He knows the whole story now. He knows that what happened that night hurt Aragaki-san too– knows how sorry he is and how far he went to punish himself for it.

But knowing doesn’t make it easier. The angry little voice doesn’t care about any of that, and it doesn’t care that Aragaki-san jumped in front of a bullet for him either.

Sometimes Ken almost wishes he could go back to not knowing, because at least back then it had felt like everything made sense. Everything had seemed so simple: a clear goal in mind and a clear end in sight. 

But pretending he can’t see what’s in front of him is the coward’s way out, and Ken has already vowed to himself that he won’t do that anymore.

The problem is…he has no idea how to start. But he has to do it soon– only he and Aragaki-san are in the dorms right now. This is the first time it’s been just the two of them alone, and since Aragaki-san is starting back at school tomorrow, it’s probably going to be the last. He only has this one chance, so he’s got to take it. He just needs to will himself to speak up.

Ken shuffles fully into the kitchen, a little mortified about getting caught staring. This is already off to a terrible start. 

Aragaki-san turns to face Ken, putting his hands in pockets. At least he doesn’t look mad or anything.

His own stomach cuts him off right in the middle of his sentence, growling loudly. The only thing that lets Ken cling to any little shred of pride at this moment is that he doesn’t run away in absolute shame.

Aragaki-san doesn’t laugh or make fun of him. He doesn’t say anything about it at all. Instead, he turns towards the sink and starts washing his hands like he hadn’t even heard.

Omurice? Why did omurice have to be the first thing he thought of? How does he expect Aragaki-san to take him seriously if that’s the kind of thing he asks for?

Dammit, this isn’t how he’d planned this to go– somehow it’s ended up completely backwards. Ken is supposed to be the one making a peace offering, not asking Aragaki-san for things.

He’s so frustrated with himself for clamming up again that he can’t even move. When he stays rooted to the spot instead of listening, Aragaki-san turns back to regard him softly.

He has the same look on his face as he did back in the hospital, the last time that Ken had chickened out. The one that says ‘I get it,’ but isn’t pitying.

Aragaki-san’s giving him a chance to retreat again. He probably wouldn’t even judge Ken if he took it. But that’s a big part of why he can’t take it. He takes a deep breath and lets Kala-Nemi’s comforting hum steady him, and finally he manages to force the words out.

[monotone-artist]

[id in alt]

wanted to try doodling him in the normal canon way

[snowflake-sage]

Pretty proud of how far I’ve come this year

[julykings]

new shorts + early morning hike

[mortellanarts]

Today I am posting my ZTD Aftermath fic on the only thematically appropriate day I could think of, the first day of a new year! Especially fitting since it took almost exactly a whole year to write these 45k words lol happy 2025 everyone ♡

[saline-coelacanth]

Storm Vessel Jay has two modes. I usually refer to them as purple mode and blue mode, but I think this is a better distinction lol

[simplyghosting]

I’ll be honest, for as many years at I’ve seen October art/writing challenges (and art challenges the rest of the weeks/months of the year), I’ve only attempted a few and never finished any.

That being said, I think what I’m going to do for my umpteenth attempt this new October is to just.. do. Just do something every day. Any challenge, any prompt, any event, even if it’s mixed and mismatched. Doesn’t matter if it’s finished, though I will try for it. A few well-typed sentences, a sketched drawing, an unfinished study, I’ll still label them a success. I want my goal for this month to be to make improvements in my art and passions and to make an effort. Not bogged down by perfectionism or despair or lack of motivation or whatever else may stop me. I want to make the challenge of this month for me to live my life thoughtfully and love and respect what I bring into it again.

[sysig]

Coming in to play! (Patreon)