#I am really enjoying this really complicated narrative

[tanely]

What’s really cool about C3 is that Matt is really introducing a commentary on institutionalized religion vs faith, Cult tactics and how it can mimic moderate views, And how those in high places of power will often use whatever they can to maintain it as a sense of control.

Bor’dor went under radar for so long because he was saying the same thing as Prism and Deni$e. He sounded like a person with moderate views! “aren’t you tired?” feels wrong to ask but even Prism goes “no one would blame you if you stopped”. Deni$e and her “they never did anything for me”

The belief that everyone should be allowed to worship what they want. This includes EVERYONE including those with complicated views on the current pantheon. but that with large religion comes power and those in the institution want to perserve their power.

Matt compounded it by having the dawnfather intervene on that one scenario (a limited experience across 3 campaigns), it made everyone go “wait so they CAN intervene they choose not to” when likely the intervention was cause a member of the cult was attacking his temple. But this allowed for even more “the gods don’t care” talk from the limited knowledge of PCs.

Picking the Dawnfather is also a great choice. He’s the most stoic/more straightforward of the pantheon and one of the most revered by the cast plus his involvement in the calamity. He has the greatest impact if he intervenes because it MEANS something.

The way Ludinous has twisted things into the idea that the gods should be intervening at EVERY whim and that they don’t so its a flaw. When in reality if they intervened it would be the removal of freedom of any kind. He doesn’t think the gods SHOULD intervene, he also doesn’t want others ‘free’. he wants control! as Ashton says “I don't know if that's the person I would like around if there's a vacuum”.

The reason for lack of Pro God PCs is because we already have two campaigns of Pro God PCs (or at the very least ok with them). The point was never about “are the gods good or bad” or “should the gods die or not”. The wrong questions keep getting asked.

The point is the person on the other side is willing to control, murder, manipulate, and straight up LIE to people in order to use them for their own means for their own reasons with no consideration to ANY collateral damage and to maintain control. And that’s the problem. This man has done everything to consolidate power. Would you trust that person to make the best decision for an entire world? 

[violetwolfraven]

Wait wait wait remember that post about how Team Starkid/the Lang brothers are going to be comparable to Shakespeare 500 years from now and it was mostly played for laughs like yeah lol you’ll need a paragraph of footnotes to explain the zefron poster but like

I don’t think that’s actually far off from how Starkid’s place in theatre history might play out and here’s why. Just hear me out

Why is Shakespeare so popular today when he definitely wasn’t the only playwright from that era? When he’s not even the only playwright from that era from England that we have surviving works from?

Two main reasons:

1) Shakespeare’s work is (relatively) universally relatable. The characters do things that are so fundamentally human. They make jokes at their friends’ expense. They complain about being awkward in front of their crush. They have daddy issues. The plot lines of the plays aren’t too complicated. The dick jokes land whether you’re watching in 1611 or 2024, and they probably still will in 2637. Shakespeare’s works are timeless because he didn’t try to outsmart his audience. He wrote about things everyone could relate to rather than trying too hard to peacock his intellect in front of the nobility. This is not true of every playwright.

2) Shakespeare was really popular right around the time England started colonizing everything in sight. Copies of his work got shipped all around the world, translated into dozens of languages, performed probably thousands of times. Setting aside the moral implications of this, the important thing to note is that Shakespeare was about the most easily accessible English playwright during a time of rapid, intense globalization.

Meanwhile, Starkid:

1) Invests hard in meaningful, relatable character arcs instead of spectacle and expensive sets or costumes. Also, lowbrow, immature humor and dick jokes that make A Very Potter Sequel funny and enjoyable regardless of if you’ve ever seen any other Harry Potter media in your life.

2) Posts professional recordings of their musicals to YouTube FOR FREE, making their shows about the easiest, best quality musical theatre you can get pretty much anywhere in the world, regardless of if your area has an active theatre scene. Proshots from other companies are rare and usually not free. Bootlegs are all well and good, but even if the video quality is alright (and that’s a big if) the audio is usually garbage. Starkid has been posting the best quality free recordings they can afford since 2009, shortly after the birth of social media, another time of rapid, intense globalization.

In short, I’m not saying that theatre historians in 500 years won’t remember any our current Broadway faves, but I am saying that in my opinion, Team Starkid is probably going to be more accessible for the general public. If you’re a 26th century English teacher trying to teach your class about narrative structure in 21st century theatre, what are you going to show your students? A bootleg of Hadestown with blurry video and garbage audio? Or the professional recording of Twisted, parts of which they will probably even enjoy, because even long after no one remembers Disney’s Aladdin anymore, your class of 26th century 16-year-olds are still going to laugh at “No One Remembers Achmed.”

[spicymancer]

So just wanted you to know, "yellow" is a common slur against Asian Americans and so Huang Feng, being a Bruce Lee (whos an Asian man) clone and all could raise some eyebrows to your intentions. And before i get accused of white knighting, i am Asian

Thanks for reaching out! This is honestly something that might be important to discuss and I appreciate your attempt at broaching the subject delicately. More after the jump.

So to start. I am also Asian. Specifically Chinese American.

As an American born Chinese, I have a weird relationship with my Asian heritage. I have a bad accent when I speak Chinese and most of my upbringing and cultural understanding is very American and western-centric. So I have certain biases at play here that I fully acknowledge. My experience is not universal. But these characters are drawn from that experience.

Huang Feng is a reference to Bruce Lee's performance as Kato in the Green Hornet. Dà Huángfēng being a Chinese term for a hornet.

The character is also narratively implied to be a secret moonlighting identity for the Yellow Ranger in my made-up sentai team. (Who, due to my own decision to always refer to the characters by their Ranger color, is literally just called Yellow by the other members of the cast.)

This is also a reference. Specifically to one of my greatest inspirations, Thuy Trang (Rest in Peace), who played the original Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger. She was one of the first "Cool Asian Characters" that I encountered in media targeted at me as a child, problematic color choice aside. I sincerely adored her and her giant robot Saber-Toothed Tiger.

To be honest I have a complicated relationship with "Asian Themed" characters in media. So often saddled with cliché stereotypes: Martial Arts, dumplings, nunchucks, etc etc.

But the thing is, even as I roll my eyes whenever I see the Fighting Game character that is The Chinese One who wears a rice hat and a qipao. Or when one is literally just Bruce Lee. I do also immediately main that character. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure. Taking what representation I can get with mixed feelings. Similar to my enjoyment of sexy anime girl art even though it's all rooted in pretty uncomfortable sexist and objectifying aesthetics. A lot of my work comes from a place of exploring my own sexuality/identity. These characters are, partly, my own attempt to explore Asian themes and ideas for myself.

I would love to say that I'm trying to "reclaim" the term or something but I'm just some internet artist drawing cute anime girls and monster smut. For me, playing with these clichés is just another way of being self-indulgent.

Not really defending these creative choices so much as explaining my perspective on them. I totally understand if all this turns folks off! I fully respect those who don't vibe with my work and wish them all the best. It's a big internet and I'm sure they can find something super great to enjoy elsewhere!

Anyway, sorry for the long rambly post. Despite the fact that I'm posting this on Tumblr, I am not super mentally equipped to engage in Discourse, so forgive me if I don't respond to the tags on this.

So I'll just leave y'all with a neat article by Kat Chow discussing the history and usage of the color Yellow in regards to Asian Identity.

[coalballbaby]

One thing I've noticed when people talk about Prowl is that they tend to have a very black-and-white attitude towards liking him. The most common two things I've seen are either a) people feel too guilty about actually enjoying the character that they shy away from going beyond summaries of his actions + a vague feeling of treating him as just a morally-corrupt-character-they-enjoy, or b) they really, publicly like him, but tend to make extremely individualistic takes that reduce his character from a nuanced part of a larger narrative to a guy misunderstood by the cast around him. Of course, I'm not saying individualistic takes are inherently bad-- it can be fun and thought-provoking to think about the more personal elements of character, what they believe, why they might do it-- but it's easy to come up with excuses for a character this way.

I think it's important to consider that Prowl's just... not written as a likeable, glup-shitto-ifiable way. He's not meant to be taken that way, and he does genuinely shitty things to innocent people while wrangling his own sense of responsibility for the future of all things Cybertron. Of all depictions of Prowl, IDW's version is the clearest criticism of the police force and how easily power can be misused under beliefs of serving a "greater good"-- I'm not saying that you can't like him because of this, (for one it be massively hypocritical, as I am. a notorious and huge Prowl enjoyer), but I am saying that this is something important to keep in mind when engaging with the character critically, especially if you're going to talk about him publicly. Prowl isn’t just morally gray or "misunderstood", he’s a deliberate allegory for institutional rot, for what happens when someone fully buys into the idea that the ends justify the means, that it may be necessary to endanger innocent people if it preserves a controlled future. His actions aren’t accidents or unfortunate side effects of good intentions; they're the result of a belief system that values control, hierarchy, and long-term strategy over individual lives. When people detach Prowl from that context-- when they talk about him purely as a burdened tactician doing his best-- they risk replicating the same logic that real-world systems use to excuse harm. I know saying this kind of sounds insane from a Transformers IDW standpoint, but IDW itself is a very political story, and sometimes, well. I like to think about it. (I also realize that I'm taking a lot from specifically Roberts, Roche's, and Barber's interps, which are a lot more focused on this morally complicated Prowl-- but those just happen to be my favorite takes on him, and I tend to focus on those a lot more. Personal bias, I know, but I do have thoughts on the many other Prowl portrayals in the IDW run.)

Okay er. I'm getting distracted. Liking a character like Prowl doesn’t mean you have to soften his worst actions or reframe his motivations into something more sympathetic. He isn’t compelling in spite of being deeply flawed, he’s compelling because the narrative doesn’t let that shit slide lmao. Things/people bite him in the ass for it and that's awesome. He's boiling in his own sweat and fear and anger after putting the onus on himself to make a thousand contingency plans with him in control, because he's a deeply paranoid man who tends to use others' inaction as an excuse. We can all hold hands and think about it... promise?

[thirstkanaphan]

A Shipper's Perspective on SanSang

The San/Yeosang relationship receives positive and negative attention from the fandom. The majority of us find their bond really sweet! We coo when San clings to Yeosang and declares his love; we chuckle when Yeosang nods his head in shy acceptance.

On the extreme ends of the fandom spectrum, you encounter discourse that generally falls into two camps:

Yeosang is a hostage to San's overly-demonstrative affections

Yeosang is a homewrecker who broke up WooSan

These arguments are not new, but they increased in volume within the last year or two. I felt compelled to explore these arguments and put into words some of my complicated thoughts and feelings about this particular relationship. I also believe I'm in a unique position to comment on these arguments because...

I am a shipper. I've been in fandom spaces since I was a preteen (nearly 20 years!) and I am primarily drawn to a fandom when there is great potential for shipping. I was in the Hockey RPF fandom from 2012-2015 and wrote/consumed stories where NHL players kissed each other and sometimes got each other pregnant. These are my bona fides.

Everyone in the Hockey RPF fandom knew the rules. Don't break the fourth wall. Don't make it weird. Don't get delulu. We all understood that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were not secretly lovers pretending to be good friends and teammates (👀). We were there to have a good time and, more importantly, we all enjoyed hockey! I seriously got into hockey through fandom and attended many games. I still feel a huge swell of fondness when I catch the Pittsburgh Penguins on TV. THOSE ARE MY BOYS!

Before I found Ateez and joined this fandom, I was heavily into the BL genre and specifically Thai BL. The thing about Thai BL is that many of the most popular shows have nothing to do with their writing or directing or acting; they are popular because they star a "branded pair" of good-looking young men who perform fan service outside of their shows. While there are actual queer actors in the Thai BL genre, very few have the same level of global popularity as branded pairs.

ZeeNuNew, the hottest branded pair of the moment

Branded pairs are deliberately modeled on the kpop idol industry, which similarly encourages its young female audience to project m/m fantasies onto their faves. There's actually a whole Korean BL called Bump Up Business about two struggling idols (OnelyOneOf's Mill and Nine) who are paired together in a new group with instructions to appeal to fans through BGP: Business Gay Performance.

The key to a successful branded pair is to emulate as closely as possible m/m archetypes rooted in early '00s Japanese yaoi, which is the primogenitor for modern BL and remains a dominant influence in kpop fan-service.

Here are the main archetypes, as defined by the expert on the subject, AbsoluteBL:

seme: the active pursuer in the narrative (from the original attacker meaning of the word)

uke: the passive resistor in the narrative (defender)

AbsoluteBL clarifies: seme/uke is about who is in CONTROL of the relationship's story, as opposed to top/bottom, terms which come from the gay/queer community and pertain to sexual preference and (should) have nothing to do with narrative power dynamics.

Traditionally, the seme is physically larger and conventionally more masculine in appearance, while the uke is smaller and more feminine in appearance. The uke is often considered "pure" (yes, I know, problematic), which makes them all the more desirable. Female consumers project themselves onto the uke to enjoy a romantic fantasy without having to fully engage with the patriarchal bullshit baked into traditional m/f romance (AbsoluteBL calls this "heterosexual dysmorphia").

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Out of all the pairs in Ateez, SanSang are the most seme/uke-coded.

San is the pursuer. He wants to protect Yeosang because Yeosang is "cute" and "pure." San uses his size to put Yeosang into physical situations he must tolerate/endure for San's pleasure. San preens whenever Yeosang acknowledges him, compliments him, or initiates contact. San wants to take Yeosang to "Paradise" (Single's Inferno) and feed him steak in bed. Only San can kiss Yeosang, which he repeatedly tells atiny. We cannot have Yeosang, he belongs to San.

On paper (or on tumblr), this description would make anyone raise an eyebrow. For the anti-fans of this relationship, San is a bully who routinely takes advantage of Yeosang's gentle nature. I've even heard an argument that San's physical transformation prompted KQ to "reassign" him Yeosang as a fan-service partner in order to maximize their seme/uke appeal to fans. As evidence, fans point to Yeosang's tendency to flinch whenever San gets too close and his hesitancy to reciprocate when San boldly declares his love in front of the cameras.

I have a few responses to this characterization of their relationship.

Quick note: fan service is a feature, not a bug, of kpop. The HYBE internal docs that leaked last summer explicitly mentioned different ships among various Big4 groups and cited strategies for promoting certain ships among their own groups.

Ateez excels at fan service, and this is partially to do with their natural chemistry with and genuine affection for each other. But also, as a smaller company, KQ did not have the means or resources to provide media-training to Ateez in their early years AND they gave almost unfettered access to the members via the vlive app, which is how many kpop fans got to know smaller and newer groups.

The sale of vlive to HYBE, who proceeded to shut down the app and replace it with their own company-managed app, terminated that kind of easy and unrestricted access to idols.

From what I gather, Ateez's growing popularity can be attributed in part to how much the members charmed fans by being unscripted and candid in their live videos, often about their relationships with each other. Sometimes we saw too much, i.e., the Woo-San-Sang intervention during their Christmas live.

I think fans got used to a certain kind of fan service from Ateez, a kind of fan service that seemed to tease fans with a genuine "what if?" about their relationships. This was helped by the built-in narratives surrounding the members: Yunho and Mingi meeting in ninth grade; Wooyoung and Yeosang being trainees together; Seonghwa being inspired by Hongjoong to pursue his idol dream.

And of course, WooSan, but I'll get to them later.

Going to back to SanSang: if you watch their early content, you'll see that San was drawn to Yeosang and the feeling was reciprocated. You can find multiple examples of them cuddling, hugging, and being affectionate with each other going back to 2019. It's been going on since San's "twink" era!

However, while fan service comes naturally to San, it is not the same for Yeosang. In fact, while he excels at all other aspects of being an idol (such as vocals, performance, dance, visuals) he arguably lacks the instincts for fan service. He is different from someone like Jongho, who abstains from fan service unless he's in the mood, or Hongjoong, whose tsundere persona (another Japanese romance archetype) is part of the Matz appeal.

My fellow ateez meta writers have offered their thoughts about Yeosang and how he often suffers for lack of "killer instincts" within the group (they clearly adore each other, but they also fight each other for our love and attention). What is the cause of Yeosang's passivity? Is it lingering trauma from his trainee years? Is it his general tendency to be forgetful or oblivious about events happening around him? Yes, Yeosang is smart, clever, and has a dry sense of humor, but he's also the child that Hongjoong said was hardest to parent.

Then there's a Yeosang that we almost never see and we once glimpsed in a cute exchange between him and Mingi. It's implied that Mingi and Yeosang forgot they were being filmed and Yeosang spoke differently than he normally does on camera, which San observes in surprise. I am not a Korean speaker, but he sounds extra sweet and soft. If that's how he is at home, no wonder he inspires so much cuteness aggression in the members.

I'll also note that Yeosang's "flinch" response to fan service is similar no matter who handles him, whether it's Mingi, Wooyoung, or Jongho. Yet, San is his most persistent suitor and his actions draw the most attention, positive and negative.

Let's Talk About San

San's shiftable personality is something the members observed in an early vlive with Hongjoong, Mingi, Seonghwa, and Yunho.

Mingi: "which member has the most behavioral gap with and without a camera?"

Hongjoong suggests that Yeosang and Seonghwa are pretty much the same with or without a camera. But San behaves differently.

Hongjoong: "Seriously. In the absence of a camera...how should I put this...I'm having trouble putting it in a nice way...he has a pretty extreme character...his mood changes a lot...whenever we all gather for a conversation, he's like...it's fascinating! How does someone think like that? He acts like a normal person with a camera...he's very abnormal with us."

While Hongjoong is talking, the other three see San approaching and they all visibly get nervous.

San: "I heard you dissing me!"

I recap this live because I think it strengthens my interpretation of the SanSang relationship as informed more by San's personality than company mandates. I think San's extreme personality and his ability to shift into "character" in front of the camera enables him to similarly adapt to certain dynamics. He is very perceptive about what his members need out of fan service with him. He's Yunho's sweet boy; he's Seonghwa's pesky little brother; he's Jongho's favorite hyung; he's Mingi's goofball bro. We'll get to Wooyoung.

Thus, one theory is that San becomes the "seme" for Yeosang because he recognizes a need in Yeosang that isn't being met.

Let's revisit the 2024 Off The Record interview between San and Yeosang:

San: There's something I want to ask you. Did anything I did upset you?

Yeosang: Actually, for me, instead of being upset, I feel more like I owe you an apology. Because for example, when you say things like "I love you", you show your love and affection, for me it's not easy to reciprocate, so I feel like I owe you an apology. Sometimes, when you try to kiss me... how can I say it... my body's reaction to avoid it is automatic.

And when San replies that Yeosang has done nothing to upset him, Yeosang continues, unprompted:

Yeosang: Nothing upsets you... Thinking about it another way, this feeling of being upset, I don't think it's entirely negative. I feel like the closer the person is, It's easier to get upset about something. I often wonder if I'm not doing enough (also about taking care of San). It's a bit of a stretch to say something like "I'm going to do something to upset you," but I'm going to do my best to do it.

Let's go back a year earlier to Yeosang's message to San during San's 2023 birthday live:

Sometimes when san shows affection to me, I...hahah...because i’m a little shy, yes...so i really, i really like, i brush it away/discard it but still...to me who cannot express (affection well), Sanie approaching me like this first is (something) i’m always grateful for, and because i feel like i won’t ever be able to express that gratefulness well, so i’m sorry too, but still, i am always thinking very thankfully to Sanie who approaches me first like this.

After listening to this, San smiles softly and says, "You're mine."

I think a more cynical person could read these exchanges as Yeosang apologizing for not giving back enough to their fan service, but I think Yeosang is really saying that he wants to be an active participant in his relationship with San. He wants to be able to genuinely upset San, which he sees as a marker of close friendship. While there is still a part of him that remains uneasy with San's excessive physical affection, he wants to be more to San than just a pretty doll to play with. (Interestingly, this is how Jongho described his relationship with Wooyoung earlier in the ep: “am I an accessory to you?”) I don't think for one second that San feels anything less for Yeosang than intense care and adoration.

Given all of this, SanSang "should" work as a major ship!!

Fans should be falling all over themselves to romanticize the gentle, dominant seme coaxing the timid, traumatized uke into accepting his care and affection!

Yet instead, many in the fandom have a hard time accepting or appreciating the fan-service SanSang provide. It comes off as particularly inauthentic for them. Almost too much like a manhwa/yaoi manga.

The primary reason? WooSan.

Many folks have already written about the WooSan ship and why they find it so exciting and compelling. A lot of the reasons boil down to this: it could actually be real.

My non-shipper kpop friend, who listens to everything but doesn't participate in the fandom, told me at their concert that there was a time when she genuinely thought WooSan were in love.

The image above sums up fandom's perception of WooSan: Wooyoung leads, San follows. Wooyoung pushes, teases, pressures, initiates, while San watches him with the fondest look in his eyes. Wooyoung demands, San gives: his attention, his praise, his own flesh. For narrative purposes, Wooyoung is the seme, San is the uke.

This is an exciting dynamic for shippers, refreshing for its lack of traditional yaoi archetypes. Big, strong San getting pushed around by bratty Wooyoung and loving it. San wrote tragic fanfiction for their characters in Bouncy. San is so confident in Wooyoung's love for him that he jokes Wooyoung will "always come back" even if he strays to another members. San is Wooyoung's home.

The biggest Yeosang antis claim that SanSang is an insult to WooSan. They claim San only acts like he's close to Yeosang because the company separated WooSan after they got too close for comfort during Bouncy era. Fans point to fewer WooSan appearances and promotional activities; no more shippy moments during the logbooks; they rarely filmed tiktoks or tagged each other in instagram photos; there was less "soulmate" talk on lives and during interviews. To add insult to injury, they didn't even get a unit song: It's You is a three-man performance with Yeosang.

Another theory shared by a not-insignificant faction within the fandom is that Wooyoung would not permit himself to be put into the role of the passive, submissive uke, so KQ made the call that San should be more attentive to Yeosang.

I am sure there are multiple factors for why WooSan distanced themselves/were distanced after Bouncy-era (cue Oprah voice "were you silent? or were you silenced?"), and I do think some of that has to do with the meteoric rise of Ateez after Bouncy. I think all of them were savvy enough to realize that they could promote the group on more than just being yaoiteez, and San's skyrocketing fame contributed to that shift too, along with Wooyoung's own self-described internal character arc away from being the "sexy" member towards someone with more mystery and maturity.

I would argue that their "distance" had the result of redirecting our attention to how affectionate San already was with all the members. Suddenly we're noticing how clingy he is with Yunho, Seonghwa, and Jongho. Same goes for Yeosang. Their dynamics are nothing new, but I would argue the fandom's attention and scrutiny made it seem new.

While this cannot be an accurate measurement of anything really, compare how many fics are written about each pair:

San/Wooyoung: 7,525 works on Archive Of Our Own

San/Yeosang: 1,345 works on Archive Of Our Own

As a shipper, there are really interesting observations to make about why the SanSang ship does not work compared to the WooSan ship.

My main theory takes us back to those classic seme/uke dynamics that the SanSang dynamic reproduces through their fan service. When compared with WooSan, SanSang comes off as inauthentic because it's too obvious, too easy, too much like shipper bait. It's traditional yaoi-coded appeal is actually the turn-off!

Here's my other theory: many are uncomfortable with SanSang because it forces them to reckon with the very real Business Gay Performance scaffolding all idol fan service. Because if SanSang is obviously manufactured for attention, are other unit pairs the same?

A Final Few Words About Yeosang

Yeosang is the unfair recipient of a lot of hate by the fandom, for shipping and non-shipping reasons. It's awful and it needs to stop.

I also see a worrying trend among his staunchest defenders of infantilizing Yeosang, stripping him of agency in their battles on his behalf, whether it's for better line distribution, more solo promotions, and fashion week schedules. There was even talk of organizing protest trucks outside of KQ, which I personally find mortifying.

I sincerely hope that in the future Yeosang has more opportunities to shine as a singer, dancer, and performer. I also hope that he comes to a place of comfort and confidence in his abilities to give and receive affection from the people who love him the most, a struggle he's voiced publicly. I truly wish him the best!

A Final Few Words About Me!

As someone who was introduced to Ateez via shipping my initial understanding of these relationships was refracted through the lens of the fandom. It's rare for me to move from "fanon" to "canon" like I am with Ateez, where I'm catching up on all their content, vlogs, and interviews and trying to understand them as "real" people, to the extent that anyone can ever know an idol. I am now streaming and voting in addition to reading fic! I'm no longer lurking but actively participating as a fan! This is a whole new phase for me in my 15+ years of being in fandom.

The interesting thing about my journey is that while I entered the fandom through the side door, I've actually become more interested in their IRL relationships and dynamics. I still read fic of course, but like my Hockey RPF fandom days I am able to compartmentalize the part of my brain that goes "oh these pretty boys are in love and should kiss!" and the other part that goes "these enormously talented artists deserve my support and attention."

That being said, I still enjoy shipping and I enjoying talking about how RPF ships work in the context of the idol industry. SanSang is a great case study to think about these topics, and I hope others will respond and with their own meta.

Thank you for your time!

[mightybog]

I am once again on my soap box about @camlannpod

The heroes of this podcast are actively running from their fate, from the myths and stories attached to their names. They are trebucheted into a world of royalty, knights, monsters, enchanted forests and magic. But the thing about our heroes is they are irredeemable nerds and even while trying to escape the narratives laid out for them, they:

Get excited about the prospect of historical reenactment clothes/costumes

Enjoy being able to exercise their nerd-knowledge in this new world (e.g., Perry and how the iron in the electric fence repels the Fair Folk)

Talk about how the mythical names they were either given or chose are still special to them.

But there's more.

On my fourth listen, it really stuck me how much this podcast is about defying the path laid out for you, especially when it comes to who you love.

It's also about the complicated beauty of families of choice, the communities of love and support we build with people who we don't share blood with.

And lastly (but certainly not leastly) it's about the power of names, what it means to take, keep or let go of them.

Might have to go back and give it a fifth listen.

[hirachat]

LONG POSTT i wanna ramble ab illustrhater for a bit dont mind me

i infamously live for filler so i had a blast with the premiere episode :) i wanted to breifly (lmao) talk about this ep bc oh my goodness i have faith in the writers this season bc they understand our characters so well

the way mari wants to initiate casual intimacy with adrien but doesnt know how bc shes never played that role before in a relationship (luka initiated most of it honestly) was genuinely so cute. plus shes obviously not really scared of *him* but is scared to not be *enough for him* which is where i predicted any conflict between them would go. and i dont see this as regression but more as a realistic timeline for growing up with anxiety. bc mari isnt just anxious sometimes, she has anxiety!! shes an anxious person who over thinks everything, so it makes sense that she would over complicate the smaller things in life too. im so glad theyre staying true to that aspect of her character while still keeping some of her confidence.

mari then switching to ladybug every time she got overwhelmed by trying to be close with her “perfect boyfriend” was actually so funny. bc here she is manufacturing problems in her personal life, only to then go to her alter ego where she has so many other things to worry about, but because she didnt create the problem herself she wants to fix it! 😭😭 i loved that

and chat noir staying with her was so funny, he was just watching her spiral for so long im sure he was nervous for her. and adrien hesitating to leave the date 👀 im keeping tabs on that hehehehe. adrien in general was super chill and was very much not used to initiating intimate contact with mari, to the point where he didnt even pick up on their lack of casual closeness. i blame that on the trauma honestly.

and then the kwamataga, oh my god. i strongly believe that alya would be an amazing guardian and she was the most obvious choice (no i will not argue ab this, i am a chat noir is an equal truther to the bone but this is just different shhhhh). HOWEVER, i hate the role of the guardian. its just so sad. your memories being wiped? having a target on ur back until u are taken out or renounce your role? thats so heavy, and im sure mari deliberated over it for a while. but damn. i was hoping that mari would find a way to avoid the fate of the guardians before her. and now that burden is being passed over to alya…. my heart hurts for them. the brutal cycle continues.

and then the silence after they mentioned something happening to mari was SO LOUD. GOD SHES SO DOOMED. poor babies theyre ab to go through hell.

i also loveeee chrysalis down. there was also mention of a “them” and “us” and now im just really scared 🤣 that could mean anything!!! im so excited but im also shitting myself we are not prepared for act ii of this season 😭

basically i loved it and im kinda scared for the actual lore eps bc they will hit us like a bullet train. im choosing the easy choice of enjoying life rn and avoiding the obvious impending doom looming over the narrative bc im TERRIFIED 😭

[ixloom819]

So I recently started getting into LADS and I do like it - the lore is very interesting and I’m excited to learn/figure out more. So I want to talk about the LIs and my thoughts on them, mixed in with my opinion about the story.

Rafayel

First off, Rafayel. I’ll be honest, I don’t like Rafayel, so I don’t have a lot for him. Yes I know he’s an interesting and complex character, but his bratty/dramatic attitude is a deterrent for me. For what it’s worth, since they’re both reincarnating beings and seem to fall for each other in a lot of timelines, I would ship him with MC as an entity, just not necessarily the main game MC. He’s probably the best out of the has-a-past-life-with-MC group.

Xavier

Next, Xavier. Xavier is adorable, and he does seem like a sweet, loving boyfriend. I can totally see him enjoying lazy days together and just being comfortable with each other. However, I do think he would want to take things pretty fast. While I’m sure he’d ultimately respect what you/MC wants, I also think he’d do everything he can think of to change their mind. Also the jealousy thing is cute at first, but it would become exhausting trying to convince him that just because a male was nice does not make him a threat to his relationship.

Do I ship him with in-game MC? Not really. From what I can tell, he’s known and loved different MCs as she’s reincarnated, definitely at least the one that gave him the star tassel(?). But it’s Queen MC that gets him to actively try to stop the cycle of sacrifice, and while he’s trying to find a solution to save both, I think it’s clear that he would choose to save Queen MC over Philos. But then he gets stranded in the past and while he’s trying to find a way back, he’s also falling in love with main game MC, which for how devoted he seemed to be to Queen MC makes it feel like a bit of a betrayal.

Sylus

Sylus is honestly the LI I’d prefer, but I ship him with MC the least. He meets MC for the first time in the main timeline and expects her to be like Sorceress MC, which as I understand is more self-serving and wicked (I could be wrong, sorry if I am). That’s why he’s so forceful at the beginning, with trying to force the resonance and making her shoot him. It’s only after he realizes and accepts that she’s a different person and she’s not going to remember that he starts becoming more of the soft, loving Sylus he is now.

And THAT Sylus I want for myself - the one that has the thrill, charisma and magnetism of a dark romance lover, but we see that once you break through the barriers he puts up, he’s such a gentle and loving man. He does everything for his beloved’s comfort and pacing and would never dream of making them do something they didn’t want to, let alone hurt them in any way. But with game MC? I’m sorry, narratively he’s the least satisfying match-up, especially since he only had one life with her.

Caleb

Caleb is a very interesting blend of a character. He’s got the fluffy growing-up-together childhood friend trope, the angst of his backstory and the whole pretending-to-be-dead-for-a-year thing, and the yummy yandere content. Caleb doesn’t have a myth yet, and I’m kinda hoping he doesn’t get one. I’m all for equality with LIs, but it’d be nice for MC to have someone who falls in love with her for the first time in this timeline. Plus I feel like Caleb and MC’s shared backstory along with the memory loss stuff fills the role pretty well.

At first I was thinking “good but not for MC” because of how toxic he was acting. But after seeing MC’s behavior with him later on- yeah no, she’s just as bad with him. And if I understand it right, the memories MC has with Caleb from their childhood show that she canonically liked him romantically as well, but was afraid of messing things up. And now things are complicated with his personality change. In my eyes, Caleb is the one MC wants. They strike me as a blaze-of-glory kind of couple, one that would rather hide away from the world and keep the other for themselves. This post explains it better than any way I can think of, but Caleb’s solution is to take away the problem to make MC happy.

Zayne

While that’s good and all, I think loving someone means that you feel safe being yourself around them and you want to become better for them, and that seems to fit MC and Zayne very well. The whole reason Zayne pursued medicine was to be able to save MC, and from this post, we can see that they’re constantly checking in with each other to make sure they’re okay. This post does a better job at showing how proactive MC is with Zayne versus reactive with the others (and how husband-wife coded they are), but regardless MC is the joy in Zayne’s otherwise work-centered life. They look out for each other and improve each other - they need each other. Zayne, rather than taking the problem away like Caleb, helps MC address the problem, get over it, and grow into a better person from it.

Regarding his other lives… Zayne’s a special boy. Unlike the other LIs, he seems to be existing in multiple alternate universes, and he doesn’t really think they exist. We know for sure that he sees Dawnbreaker’s universe as dreams, so I’d guess that he sees the other versions of him the same way. He probably thinks he’s seriously down bad, because why else would he be having all these romantasy dreams about MC? (He doesn’t realize he’s the romantasy) Regardless, he loves MC for who she is now, not for who she is in other universes.

Extra

Maybe controversial, but LADS has revealed an ick for me: reincarnated lovers. In theory it’s cute, “Oh look, these two are in love across timelines”, but in practice it just feels… off.

Sure, there are probably some points that stick with a person as they reincarnate, but circumstances and environment does affect a person. The MC we play as lives a much different life than Sorceress MC or Queen MC, so there’s going to be some changes in how they act and think. The important part of this is that main game MC is not the same MC that the LIs initially fall in love with.

If I were MC, I would be totally weirded out by this. Imagine you meet someone who’s a total stranger to you (and you are as he’s getting to know this new you) and yet he seems to know you very intimately, maybe things you don’t know yourself until he shows you. He has this knowing look and a nostalgic fondness that doesn’t make sense. It would drive me crazy and make me feel uncomfortable.

This is why I like Zayne and Caleb best as romance options for MC: because they love her for who she is in this timeline, while the others love a different version of her who lived very different lives. If I found out the truth, I’d constantly be doubting which version the man I loved cared for the most and think he was trying to find traces of other-me in me. Heaven knows I couldn’t take that blow on my mental health, and think about MC who’s life is a whirlwind right now. Girl does not deserve that kind of stress on top of everything.

[cyren-myadd]

James Cameron has written Neytiri and Spider's relationship before...

Recently I went on a kick of rewatching old sci-fi movies, including the James Cameron ones of course, and I noticed an interesting little pattern in JC's storytelling:

In Terminator 2 we have our protagonist Sarah Connor. In the first movie she was almost killed by the first terminator, so in the second movie, when she meets the new terminator, she's understandably distrustful of it even though her son, John, trusts it. However, the new terminator proves itself to be loyal to John, so she realizes she doesn't have to be distrustful and even comes to rely on it in the end.

Then in Alien 2 we have Ellen Ripley. In the first movie, Ripley was almost killed because of the android Rook, so in the second movie, when she meets a new android, Bishop, she's understandably distrustful of him even though the other human characters trust him. Just like the new terminator, Bishop proves himself to be loyal, and Ripley realizes she can trust him and they become friends by the end (and stay friends for the rest of their lives because I like to pretend Alien 3 didn't happen 😭)

Now we have the Avatar sequels and Neytiri. In the first Avatar, Neytiri was almost killed by Quaritch, so in the second movie, when she's around his son, she's extremely distrustful even though her family members trust Spider... hmm I wonder how James Cameron is going to resolve that conflict? 🤔

Obviously, Neytiri/Spider's relationship is more complicated and ugly than Ripley/Bishop and Sarah Connor/the second Terminator, but the story beats are still lining up the same. We don't know the conclusion to Neytiri and Spider's relationship conflict just yet, but looking at James Cameron's other works, I think he may be setting up to follow the same pattern as Alien 2 and Terminator 2.

Having a main protagonist realize she was wrong about someone and change her views on them is a story beat James Cameron seems to enjoy writing, and it's one that works really well. Giving a character flaws and having them grow and change is what creates compelling character arcs!

Avatar co-writer Amanda Silver even commented on the narrative purpose of Neytiri disliking Spider in an interview: "Neytiri is a fully fleshed-out character. She’s got flaws. So it’s okay to let her have flaws, we think. And that’s where Jim was coming from."

All this is to say that no, we are not going to see Neytiri murder Spider in Avatar 3 like many young fans hope, that would be a horribly depressing conclusion for her character arc; to never be challenged on her biases and never have to reflect on her views and grow. I for one am really excited to see how James Cameron and co resolve their conflict since their relationship has a lot more bad blood than the other two examples did!

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Sorry if you’ve already answered this, but what are your thoughts on Wicked? Have you seen the new movie? Any impressions?

You're in luck, anon, I've seen both the play and the movie.

Thoughts on Wicked

Wicked is a very excellent musical and it's not shocking it's survived on broadway and the west end as long as it has and been such a sensation. It has a soundtrack with multiple hit songs, memorable and interesting characters, a compelling story, great set and costume design, and it leans on (in a generally tasteful way) one of the most iconic films American cinema has ever seen.

It is a very good show and I enjoy it immensely.

However, that is to preface, it is also one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in my life.

Wicked is, to those who are unfamiliar, essentially what happens if a Wrong Boy Who Lived fic (in which some other twerp is called the Boy Who Lived, instead of Harry, and Harry is very upset about this for an entire fic) becomes a smash hit musical sensation.

The entire plot is just "but what if Wicked Witch of West never did anything wrong and everyone else is just meeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn" this requires making Glinda vapid, shallow, power hungry, while also being less talented than Elphaba at magic (read has no magic) because Elphaba has to be her superior in every way now, the Wicked Witch of the East is actually just a bitter old hag who blamed her sister for everything, the Wizard has gotten an upgrade from sleazy con man to sleazy ineffectual dictator, every single character in the original story (except that boring twerp Dorothy) has a deep and complicated history with the Witch of the West, that funnily really doesn't make sense given none of them ever mention knowing who she is (looking at you especially, Fiero the Scarecrow, what the fuck man), and well, I could keep going.

We also get songs to justify the bad things Elphaba did in Wizard of Oz, which we won't show on screen because they were bad, but we'll allude to them. Vaguely. Very vaguely. So, what we're left with is several numbers where Elphaba says "I really fucked up" and her fucking up is... she was tricked into creating Flying Monkeys.

It's a ridiculous show in which we have to explain that everyone sucks to Elphaba/sucks in every way because they're just so stupid (read the Munchkins who are constantly celebrating dead people).

Now, that said, it does have a very compelling narrative about racism via Elphaba as well as the treatment of the animals--but that doesn't also mean it's not about how Elphaba is the most special person alive and even the animal narrative is made secondary to the fact that she is the most specialist person ever.

The Movie

Fantastically done movie, one of the best movie musicals I've seen in a very long time. Casting was spot on, singing was great, choreography was extremely well done, I loved the sets, the costumes, and even the parts that were added in in addition to the play's original material, I thought seeing bits of Elphaba's past and such as well as explaining a little more about how the Wizard got where he is really added to the film.

I recommend seeing it and am looking forward to part two.

[confusedmothboy]

im scared to ask how you feel about lottie as a character

i have a very complicated relationship with lottie and ive been DYINGGG to talking about her because shes more interesting than shauna can ever dream of being. SHE'S the complex female character we need more of.

okay so to preface: i have multiple scales for character appreciation in my mind. there's writing (how well they're characterized and their role as a narrative decive), personality (how much i would fw them as people), action defendability (self explanatory, how willing i am to ride for their defense), and treatment in the fandom (how contrarian i wanna be)

yall know how it is yapping under the cut

lottie. ohhh boy.

writing: oh no notes. 10/10 she is one of the most fascinating characters in the show. her setup and descent is so well done, and her motivations are beyond complex, like you have her trying to do the best for everyone, but also her whole "the wilderness will choose" mindset. she contrasts herself in the yummiest ways possible. her role in the story is absolutely the most relevant and important for the narrative to progress the way it does. as a character, shes's so well done it makes me wish that i could be objective about the whole thing

personality: unfortunately im not able to enjoy characters simply from a robot analysis objective scale. lottie's personality is -while interesting- absolutely INFURIATING to watch. i personally cant stand characters that i call "progress blockers". she repeatedly forces her belief system (deep psychosis) onto the rest of the team, at the expense of escape or actual rational thought. this is where i have to admit: i root for morally sound, logical characters especially in shows like this. "but you can't watch the cannibalism show and complain about the cannibalism" first off. who said im complaining about the cannibalism. im just complaining that shes tormenting my favs (ben, travis, akilah, nat). i do like that she plays a complicated role as the group's mediator, except her mind is so warped, she does an awful job at it (drugging travis, letting shauna beat her up, deluding her followers). i think that shows how much she cares for these people deep down, and i can respect that. more on that later in ther actions section.

actions: so lottie, like i mentioned earlier, has a really interesting internal conflict of wanting to do whats best for as many of the team as she can, while also not being against sacrificing them for the wilderness's mercy. she very much believes that the ends justify the means. however. i can't ever look past her scenes on doomcoming. and im hoping that the people who made it this far aren't illiterate fucking troglodytes who want to debate on what actually happened to travis that night. because it was s/a, actually, it was attempted gang rape and then attempted ritualistic murder. "you cant watch the murder show and hold it against the murderers" we all know damn well that thats not what was most upsetting about that scene, and im allowed to hold certain crimes over eachother in terms of severity. and quite frankly i just cant bring myself to like a character who engaged -ACTIVELY LED AND RATIONALIZED- in that. lottie's whole schtick is that she just doesnt fucking understand or respect boundaries, literally and metaphorically. moving on from doomcoming, she's weird and culty about shauna's baby, which shauna has full right to be freaked out and pissed about. she becomes the leader of the group in s2 and then can't make proper decisions. she lets shauna almost beat her to death instead of trying to mediate the situation rationally, setting up shauna's vengeful nature we see in s3. thats something i could talk about for hours, how shes partially responsible for the shauna we all know and hate. her drugging travis and akilah is a page straight out of misty's handbook, and i dont think i have to explain why it's wrong. her killing edwin?? denying them all escape, causing a chain reaction with shauna and tai also staying behind??? that elevated my blood pressure to a level dangerous to my health. i cannot stand progress blockers. yes, i know she thinks everything she does is right. that doesn't make me (a rational bystander) like her actions any more. again, there are rational people in the show, so im just gravitated towards them sorry guys.

fandom: lottie has two types of people rooting for her in the fandom. theres the "omg my lord and savior she can do no wrong" group and the "omg crazy ass schizo mental illness queen" group and neither of them get her. she's flawed. but her flaws shouldn't all be attributed to dehumanizing conversations about her mental illness. let's not forget that she was a 17 year old going cold turkey on antipsychotics after living the last decade on them, in a situation that's beyond stressful, mind you. no fucking wonder she turned out that way. whatever. i feel like there arent a lot of her fans who recognize the absolute gray nuance in her character. or maybe im just on tiktok too much and everyone on there is fucking rotted beyond belief.

conclusion: i love her. i hate her. im neutral. she scares me. i blame her for all the problems out there and she's doing her best. that's the point

guh

[pomefioredove]

i was wondering if you could do Duece, Leona, Ruggie, Azul, Jamil x Christian S/O headcanons? like reader used to be a preacher back at their world, and still kinda preaches in twst (i think rollo believes in God?) like they do all the things Christians should do but still kinda chaotic? their very respectfull and kind yk? sorry for making this a bit long and confusing lol

twst's relationship with religion is so vague and complicated and yet. I cannot imagine rollo as anything BUT catholic. look at that guy. so I believe there's some kind of similar belief systems happening there

summary: religious reader type of post: headcanons characters: deuce, leona, ruggie, azul, jamil additional info: platonic or romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader yuu, short and not proofread author's note: writing these on the basis that religion does exist in twisted wonderland and parallels religions of our own. I am catholic and admittedly unfamiliar with preaching to others, I think that's more of a protestant thing, so I kinda just winged that part?

𝐃𝐞𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐞

if there's anything for him to admire, it's your dedication

I mean, you're sticking to your beliefs and passions in an entirely different universe

with a bunch of strangers, no less!

whether or not some version of your beliefs exist here, you're committed! and quite knowledgeable, too

it's pretty impressive to him

Deuce's family doesn't seem particularly religious, though he probably just enjoys hearing the stories

the narratives of change and redemption catch his eye

𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐢

he's big into all those "it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God" verses

even if he doesn't necessarily believe in all that heaven stuff... it's a little funny

(he might use that one in the future, actually...)

if religion which parallels our own does exist in Twisted Wonderland, I can imagine his granny being religious

she seems like someone who'd cover the walls in symbols and art

maybe (likely) not Christian in origin, but enough for him to recognize that what you're going on about is a similar deal

he's practically used to it already

𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫

literally just falls asleep while you're talking

it's not that he doesn't care, it's just that...

wait, no. he doesn't care

sure, he participates in traditions and such with his family, but that's more for looks

Leona doesn't really see the point in blindly following something that hasn't helped him out at all

and hearing about miracles and blessings just annoys him

but, hey! you make for a great sound machine

these are basically all just bedtime stories for him to doze off to, anyway

𝐀𝐳𝐮𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨

merman religion is... tricky, to me

the existence of Hades in implies (confirms, even, if we take into account Yuu's dreams) the existence of Poseidon

but, like King Triton, these figures aren't necessarily worshipped. they're depicted as monarchs, not gods

but, then again, our knowledge on Coral Sea culture is limited

in any case, Azul might tolerate preaching

he really sees no use for it, and he's a busy man, but he doesn't really mind the company

if anyone, it's Jade who would be really interested in hearing alllll about these human stories

Floyd might tag along, too

and, suddenly, Azul finds himself wedged between the tweel's shoulders on the floor while they eagerly listen to you

...there goes his afternoon

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫

to me, Jamil is not religious or superstitious by any means

he doesn't mind listening, but don't expect him to change his mind about any of that

(especially while Kalim is begging for more stories)

though, even he admits that having you around is as refreshing as it is entertaining

you're just always so... hopeful

and it's much different from Kalim's version of optimism (in his eyes, at least) simply because, in this world, you're at the same disadvantage as Jamil is

your autonomy is constantly in question, you're living at the mere goodwill of others...

and yet, you're hopeful!

it's strange, but Jamil can't help but crave that presence in his life

[m1ssunderstanding]

If Paul can't be who he is, or talk to people, keeping it in him who's to blame for this. If he has problems he doesn"t talk about or we older fans see him the way we do, whom is he hiding from? Is it really fare to blame his fans for thinking like he's happy and got it together. Do the younger generation see things differently? I care and adore Paul and don't want to think he isn't. Is that it? Or do we need to feel he's lying and all pr I know pretty much everything public about Paul. I dont mean to be rude or disagree with you. I enjoy seeing new fans and sees him from your pov but I wanna know what you think what he feels he can't share.

Hi! Okay, let's break this down.

Question one: Who is to blame for Paul not being more open about his private life?

Jim McCartney. Next question. No, it's a lot more complicated than that. Besides it being just a natural part of his personality, the foundation of this trait was formed through the whole context of his upbringing which laid the groundwork for how Paul would react to fame, as opposed to the other three. Then, because he was already set up to do so, fame and its side-affects and consequences made Paul double down on closing up. Then during the breakup, John's diarrhea of the mouth syndrome and Linda's encouraging Paul to lean into his home life and let his public life be, put Paul further into a pattern of craving privacy.

Question two: Is it fair to blame older fans for taking Paul's public self as his private self?

Firstly, I don't see the point in talking about blame in the first place. A) being a private person, putting on a face in public, is neither bad nor uncommon. (Maybe nobody really does it to the degree Paul does it. Maybe it does have some negative outcomes and does point to a lack of self-assurance and a strong tendency to emotional avoidance) but to some degree, Paul's cagey and fake public self is normal and healthy. B) blame is the least interesting mystery here.

Secondly, no one is trying to blame older fans for Paul's behavior. What I personally am frustrated with is what such a large group of people taking the surface as the entire ocean does to Paul's character as a historical figure and to the Beatles narrative as a whole. However, this large group is certainly not limited to older fans, nor does it contain all the older fans. Additionally, people can do, think, and say what they want. It's not some pressing humanitarian concern if people misunderstand Paul McCartney and the Beatles. It does seem to indicate and contribute to a large-scale cultural deficiency which may negatively impact more important social issues, but it is certainly far from a life and death situation.

Question three: Does the younger generation see things differently?

I'd actually never thought of these views in terms of generations, but yes, I guess many younger fans do look beyond the surface more than many older fans do.

Question four: Do we need to assume Paul is lying and all PR?

Again. Nobody needs to do anything. Do what you want. But. If you are looking to gain a more serious understanding of one of the most influential people of the twentieth century, then I suggest you don't take every word from his mouth as one-hundred-percent truthful as you should with anyone. This is absolutely not to say Paul is a liar and only cares about looking good to the public for business reasons. In fact, I believe if he was completely open about a lot of the things he guards against fully sharing, he would come off a lot better.

My personal rules of thumb with the Beatles are these: 1. John (and to a lesser extent George) often speaks from a place of strong emotion and uses talking about his experiences and feelings to regulate and soothe. Therefore, his statements are often extreme and often emphasize the negative. Paul (and to a lesser extent Ringo) cannot express strong emotion and fears talking about his experiences and feelings without disguising them or softening them. Therefore, his statements are often evasive and often emphasize the positive. If John says "I was going through murder," he means, "my mental health struggles were particularly difficult at that time even with all the good things I had going for me." If Paul says, "but it wasn't all, you know, great," he means, "Despite what I've made it seem like, that period of my life was not even safe, let alone perfect." 2. Take into account the culture these men were raised in and the attitude that culture would've pushed on them about certain topics. None of them are going to be particularly open about anything they would've been in any way punished for during the bulk of their life experience.

Question five: What do you think Paul feels he can't share?

If you were internationally famous, would you share absolutely everything about your personal life, innermost thoughts, politics, desires, regrets, hurts, and loves? I don't think so. Now, imagine you had most of your ability to be emotionally vulnerable beaten out of you as a child, you and your three best friends experienced death threats and permanent career damage due to one seemingly innocuous comment, and the person you trusted most in the world turned on a dime and exploited all your insecurities and the entire world followed suit for decades. I imagine there would be galaxies filled with all the things you feel you can't share and that you would use whatever protective measures necessary to keep yourself sane.

[louisisalarrie]

I am relatively new to this fandom and I am already struggling with some things and I was hoping to get some perspective in the midst of feeling a bit discouraged. Do you ever struggle with admiring these artists who you know are lying to you and basically using manipulation tactics with the fandom? I have empathy for what these guys have gone through and can’t even imagine, especially so young. But especially with Louis, realizing that the Larry fans have stuck with him through so much and even through bbg (the ones who saw it for what it is), to just continue to be fed crap and seemingly pitted against other fans is just exhausting. And beyond a great super expensive concert, Harry seems completely disconnected and checked out. Concert Harry and public Harry are two totally different people (probably neither actually the real Harry) because of narratives and marketing and it just seems like everything is meant to be dissected and figured out and nothing is probably what it seems. And it really sucks to completely believe these are really great guys and believe that the situation is way more complicated than I can ever understand, yet still like I am just being fed bread crumbs that are supposed to be appreciation. I know as fans we are not owed all of them and they are absolutely entitled to a private life, but it just feels a bit like say nice things when we are convenient and spending money to attend shows and buy albums and leave us to deal with all the bullshit that goes with it on our own. Does this make any sense? I feel like it may sound a bit dramatic but it has been a long day :) I am just wondering if I am alone or being way to parasocial in sometimes feeling like this.

Heya!! no you’re not alone in this at all. And welcome to the fandom! <3

A lot of larries left when bbg happened. a lot of folks stopped tapping into any theories of Larry because like… it was harming their view on the boys and draining them of energy more so than just being part of the fandom which is meant to be a happy community supporting our faves. The disgust and clear closeting and stunts we’ve watched these boys go through just… makes my heart ache for them. But I can understand the frustration because it’s like… why can’t they do anything about it? Why are we still being lied to? When will it end? Why can’t I just enjoy my fave’s music without all this extra stuff on top of it?

And that is probably one of the biggest things about ending stunts is that you feel lied to. You’ve been sold a story for no other reason than money. You’ve been presented with this “authentic” image but really…. There’s more to it. It’s frustrating. Authenticity is just such a massive thing for artists these days. I know I keep hammering on about it but fr, it’s one of the best things an artist can do for their image, and for their wellbeing.

Rest assured though, we’re standing by their sides. We’re shouting from the rooftops. We’re reading laws and contracts and digging right in and learning and sharing info and it’s sooooo fucking cool. Obviously, a horrible circumstance, but do you know how many larries I got to know during 1d who now work in music? or are very well read in entertainment law and want to make a change? or are inspired to create safer spaces in fandoms? it’s a really cool thing off a very bad situation. but nonetheless, we have a community here, fighting for them.

Ending these stunts is no easy feat, either. It takes a lot of paperwork and a lot of damage control (depending on the story you’re going for), and a lot of convincing and maintaining relationships and losing money etc., and while artists are better without it… it’s just always gonna be there, one way or the other.

Larry was, and is, such a massive curveball to the industry. While yes a lot of artists have been closeted over the years, Larry was major in a turning point because of the fandom, the rise of social media (those two boys having access to their accounts and being sickly in love), and the rise of a different artist to fan relationship. Everything was recorded, gifs were made, we could directly message/tweet the boys, it was just… such a massively wild time, so the closeting came down really hard because it was unprecedented. SC was in entirely new territory, freaking out because they weren’t really aware how to take on alll these fans + social media. It was a mess. He panicked.

And every famous person has an image, a brand. It’s again, that fight on authenticity that people are yelling for now more than ever. Down goes the days of a whole fandom accepting something for what it is - we see through the bullshit, but it won’t just end. It makes money.

Anyway, it’s shitty but I’ve been here for a million years now and I, personally, can’t give up. I see a lot of yucky things in this industry firsthand, and when this all comes out, everything changes.

[reveriebae]

No friendship

pairing(s) : Jung Wooyoung x reader

word count : 3353

summary : Wooyoung and you share a complicated connection, caught between desire and reluctance to start something serious. After a night of tension and flirty moments, things heat up between you and him, pushing your boundaries and complicating the friendship you two don't want to risk. The chemistry between you and him is undeniable, but both are hesitant to cross that line.

genre : slight smut

warning(s) : includes moments of intense physical attraction, sexual tension, and consensual encounters. There are elements of emotional conflict surrounding the characters’ hesitation to enter a relationship, mixed with steamy moments and explicit language. The narrative also explores the blurred line between friendship and desire, as well as the complications that arise from it. Let me know if I missed anything!

part of Songfic

Minors do not interact, 21+ only!!

🪐smut under the cut 🪐

The night was still young when you found yourself in the club, music thumping in the air, heavy with bass that vibrated through your bones. You weren’t looking for anything, not really. You came for the freedom that the lights, the noise, the crowd gave you. A temporary escape from the mundane.

But then you saw him.

Wooyoung. His smile wide, his eyes gleaming with that playful mischief. The guy you knew but didn’t know. He wasn’t a stranger; you’d shared too many late-night conversations, too many moments that bordered on something more, but neither of you had ever crossed that line.

You thought maybe it was for the best. No complications. No messy feelings. Just… friendship. The type of bond that meant you could laugh about anything, but never get too close.

But tonight? The way he was looking at you, leaning casually against the bar, something felt different.

He locked eyes with you, a flicker of something undeniable passing between you. Your heart skipped a beat.

You didn’t know why you’d let it get this far. Why you were letting yourself want more. You didn’t want a relationship. You couldn’t. You weren’t built for it. But there was something about him, the way he moved, the way his confidence and charm clung to him, that made it hard to ignore.

You pushed through the crowd, making your way over to him. Wooyoung’s smirk was quick as he saw you, as if he’d been expecting this. He was never one to shy away from a challenge.

“You look like you’re up to something,” he teased, his voice light, but the way his gaze lingered made it clear there was something beneath the surface.

You leaned against the bar next to him, not quite touching but close enough for the heat between you two to crackle. “I’m not sure if I am. But you definitely seem like you are.”

His laugh was low, almost dangerous, as he turned to face you fully, his shoulder brushing against yours. “Maybe I’m just enjoying the show,” he murmured, eyes flicking to your lips for just a second before he pulled away.

The words hung between you, heavy with unspoken meaning. There was that line again, that line neither of you wanted to cross. The one that could make everything too complicated.

“Or maybe you’re waiting for me to make the first move,” you shot back, unable to hide the edge in your voice.

He paused, his expression flickering for a brief moment before he grinned, that devilish charm back in full force. “Maybe. But I wouldn’t want to mess up what we have.”

You weren’t sure what you were trying to prove. Maybe it was the alcohol in your system, the way the music pulsed in your veins, or maybe it was just the sheer attraction you couldn’t deny. Whatever it was, you weren’t about to back down.

You moved closer, your breath brushing against his neck as you whispered in his ear, “We’ve crossed plenty of lines already, haven’t we?”

Wooyoung’s breath hitched slightly, but he didn’t move. Instead, he shifted, his body pressing just a fraction closer, enough that you could feel the heat radiating off him.

“You think so?” His voice was a whisper, barely audible over the pounding music. “Maybe. But I don’t think you want to get caught in this with me.”

His words were heavy with something that could have been a warning, but you weren’t backing off. Not now. Not when the pull between you two was so damn strong.

“I don’t know what I want,” you admitted, your voice low and shaky as you looked up at him. “But I know I’m not afraid of this.”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then Wooyoung’s hand slid onto your waist, pulling you just a fraction closer until you could feel the tension between you two becoming unbearable.

“I can’t do this, you know,” he said suddenly, eyes darkening as he looked down at you. “I can’t be the guy who ruins what we have. I don’t want to mess this up.”

The weight of his words hit you, and a mix of frustration and desire swirled inside you. He was right, in a way. Neither of you wanted anything to change, yet there you were, caught in the middle of something that felt too real to ignore.

But there was no turning back now. The pull, the heat—it was too much.

“You won’t ruin anything,” you said, your voice barely more than a breath. “You want this just as much as I do.”

Wooyoung’s grip tightened, his eyes dark and intense as he leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear. “You’re sure about that?”

You didn’t answer. You couldn’t. Because you didn’t know. You didn’t know if this was a mistake or if it was the beginning of something neither of you were ready to face. All you knew was that you wanted him.

And when his lips finally met yours, there was no hesitation. No holding back. It was a kiss full of need and something darker, something you couldn’t define.

You both pulled away after a few moments, breathless, your chest rising and falling in sync. Neither of you said anything, but the silence spoke louder than words.

Neither of you was ready for what this might mean, but you both knew there was no turning back.

You weren’t sure what this was going to be, but you weren’t going to let it go either. You weren’t the kind of people who played it safe.

“You don’t have to do this,” he whispered, his voice rough, the tension thick between you two.

“I know,” you replied softly, but the smile on your face was almost predatory. “But I want to.”

Wooyoung’s eyes flashed, and he closed the space between you again, pressing his lips to yours with an urgency that told you both that no matter how hard you tried to deny it, there was no escaping what you were about to step into.

The kiss broke, but neither of you moved away. The space between you was charged with an intensity that neither of you had expected. Wooyoung’s breath was quick against your lips, but his eyes didn’t leave yours. There was a quiet battle in his gaze—want versus restraint. He wasn’t the type to fall into anything without thinking it through. But here you were, tangled up in something neither of you could deny.

“You don’t have to be so serious about it,” you teased, pushing back the wave of emotions crashing in your chest. “It’s just one night.”

But even as you said it, you could feel the weight of your own words. One night? That wasn’t all this was.

He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into that devilish smirk you had come to know too well. “Just one night, huh?”

You nodded, trying to make it sound casual, but your voice betrayed you. There was a crack in it, a hesitation that made Wooyoung pause. He didn’t take his eyes off you, as if trying to read you, to figure out if you really meant it or if this was just the heat of the moment.

“I don’t want to mess things up between us,” he murmured, his fingers gently tracing the edge of your jaw, making the heat between you two even more unbearable. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”

His words sent a shiver down your spine. He wasn’t wrong—neither of you were looking for anything serious, but there was no denying the chemistry. And the way he was touching you now, the way his fingers lingered on your skin, made it impossible to ignore how badly you both wanted this, wanted each other.

“You think this will ruin everything?” you asked, your voice soft, a little unsure, but filled with that same pull that had led you here in the first place.

Wooyoung stepped back slightly, looking you over carefully. He was fighting himself—fighting what you both knew was right there. The desire was there, raw and undeniable. But the question was: what would happen when the morning came? When the high of the night wore off and reality set in?

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug, though his voice held a bite to it, like he was trying to convince himself. “But maybe I’ll regret it. Or maybe you will.”

His words hit differently, sharp and full of uncertainty. You understood the risk. You both did. Neither of you wanted to open the door to something that would only make things messy. But here you were, standing on the edge, staring into the unknown.

“You’re scared,” you whispered, leaning in again, your lips grazing his, just barely enough to feel the heat of his breath.

“Maybe I am,” he admitted. But then his lips curved up into that signature smirk, the one that told you he was done fighting it. “But maybe I don’t care right now.”

With that, Wooyoung pulled you into another kiss. This time, it was more urgent, deeper, his hands moving to your waist, pulling you closer until you could feel the heat of his body pressing against yours. There was no more talking, no more questions. It was just the two of you, caught up in the pull of the moment.

But even as his hands roamed, as he kissed you with a hunger that made everything else disappear, there was still a flicker of doubt in the back of your mind. Neither of you had said it out loud, but the thought was there—what happens after this?

When he pulled away, breathless and panting, he didn’t say anything. His eyes locked onto yours, dark and unreadable. The same questions were floating between you two, unanswered. You weren’t sure if you were ready to face them.

“So, what now?” you asked, your voice low and teasing, but the uncertainty was there.

Wooyoung didn’t answer immediately. He took a step back, his gaze lingering on your lips for a second before he looked you in the eye, his expression still tight, as if he was trying to keep control of the situation.

“Now,” he said slowly, a crooked grin playing at the corner of his lips, “we figure out what the hell we’re doing.”

You felt your heart race again, the tension building up between you two. You weren’t sure what was happening, or what would happen next, but there was one thing you both knew: neither of you could turn back.

“You sure you want this?” he asked, his voice soft, yet laced with that same dangerous desire that was starting to consume you both.

You didn’t hesitate this time. “I don’t want anything else.”

And with that, the game changed. Wooyoung stepped closer again, his lips finding yours once more, but this time, it was different. No more words. Just the two of you, lost in something neither of you were prepared for but both of you wanted.

The tension in the room was unbearable, and it only grew when Wooyoung’s lips trailed down your neck, sending sparks through your body. His hands were everywhere—gripping your hips, your back, pulling you impossibly closer until there was no space left between you. You could feel the hard length of him pressed against your thigh, and you couldn’t deny the heat pooling between your legs. The craving was undeniable now.

“Tell me you want it,” Wooyoung breathed, his lips brushing your ear. His voice was husky, thick with desire, and you could hear the challenge in his words. He wasn’t going to just give it to you; you had to want it, prove it.

You slid your hands over his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin, the hardness of his muscles. His body was pressed so tightly to yours that every little movement sent waves of electricity through you. Your breath hitched as his lips found your jawline, nibbling and kissing his way down until they hovered just above your chest.

“Say it,” he urged, his voice almost a growl now, sending shivers down your spine. “Tell me you need it, that you need me.”

Your hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt, tugging him closer, desperate. You wanted him so badly, wanted to feel him fill you, take you like you both had been aching for. “I want you,” you whispered, barely able to breathe as your heart raced. “I need you, Wooyoung.”

A feral smile curled at the edges of his lips, and in one swift motion, he undid your pants, pulling them down along with your underwear, leaving you bare before him. The cool air hit your skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat that surged through you the moment his fingertips ghosted over your thighs, tracing patterns that made your entire body tense.

He leaned in, his breath hot against the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, teasing you. His lips brushed over your skin so lightly it almost felt like a promise of something far more intense. “You’ve got no idea what you’re doing to me,” Wooyoung muttered, his voice thick with need. “But you’re about to find out.”

Before you could respond, he pulled you toward him, his lips crashing into yours with a hungry force that left no room for hesitation. His hands gripped the back of your thighs, lifting you as he pushed you against the wall. You moaned into his mouth, feeling how his body pressed against yours, the hard outline of his cock straining against his pants. The friction made you ache.

Without breaking the kiss, Wooyoung’s hands slid between you two, and you felt his fingers against your most sensitive spot, teasing and stroking with expert precision. You gasped, your hips jerking instinctively into his touch, craving more, needing more.

“God,” you moaned, unable to control the sound of pleasure that spilled from your lips. Wooyoung smirked, clearly enjoying the effect he had on you. His fingers worked you expertly, making you dizzy with the mix of pleasure and anticipation.

“You’re so wet for me,” he whispered, his lips brushing your ear as his fingers pushed deeper. You gasped at the sensation, your body arching into his hand. “Let go, baby. Let me take care of you.”

The way his voice dropped made you shiver, the heat inside you building as he worked you closer to the edge. Your hands slid down to undo his pants, the need to feel him inside you overwhelming. When you finally freed him, he was already hard, his cock standing at attention, dripping with desire.

With no more words needed, Wooyoung positioned you, one hand gripping your hip, the other guiding himself to your entrance. His eyes met yours, searching for hesitation, but there was none. The need between you two was too strong.

Slowly, he slid into you, the initial stretch leaving you breathless as he filled you completely. You gasped, your nails digging into his back as the pressure inside you built, every inch of him sending waves of sensation through your body. He stilled for a moment, both of you gasping for air as the intensity of the moment settled over you.

“You feel so good,” Wooyoung groaned, his voice raw with pleasure. Then, without warning, he started moving, slowly at first, building a rhythm that had you gasping and gripping him even tighter. Each thrust was deliberate, pushing deeper, harder, until your body was trembling under the force of his movements.

His lips were on your neck again, biting, sucking, marking you as his as his hips slammed into yours. Every sound, every sensation was amplified by the intensity of it all. You couldn’t think anymore, couldn’t process anything except the feeling of him, the heat, the desperate need to keep going.

“You’re so tight,” Wooyoung murmured against your skin, his hands gripping your waist as he pushed into you harder, faster. You moaned in response, your body moving with his, matching the rhythm, chasing the high that was just within reach.

The way he fucked you—raw, primal—pushed you over the edge. You felt the coil inside you tighten until it snapped, your orgasm crashing through you like a wave. You cried out, your body shaking with the intensity of it, and Wooyoung followed right behind, his grip tightening on you as he came with a low groan, his thrusts stuttering as he filled you completely.

You both stood there for a moment, breathless, the world around you nothing but the sound of your heartbeats and the occasional whispered curse. You were both tangled in each other, skin flushed, and the space between you two thick with unsaid things.

As Wooyoung pulled out, he kissed you softly, almost tenderly, as if to erase the fire that had burned between you moments ago. “You know this... this can’t happen again, right?” His voice was quieter now, softer, but the edge of caution was unmistakable. You swallowed, your chest rising and falling in uneven breaths as you tried to process his words.

“I know,” you whispered, looking into his eyes, the heat between you still smoldering despite the air cooling. “But it just did.”

His lips quirked in a bittersweet smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He pulled you back in, his hand cupping your cheek as he kissed you again, but it was slower this time, more lingering, like he was trying to figure out where the lines between you had blurred. When he pulled back, he kept his forehead pressed against yours, the intensity of his stare leaving you a little breathless again.

“You know what I want,” he murmured, his lips grazing yours as he spoke, teasing with the closeness. “But I don’t know if I can give you what you need. I don’t know if I can be what you need.”

You closed your eyes, your fingers tracing the outline of his jaw, feeling the stubble under your fingertips. It felt familiar now, comfortable, despite everything. Despite the mess you both had just made.

“I don’t need anything, Wooyoung,” you said softly. “Except for this, right now. What we just did.”

He exhaled deeply, almost like a quiet laugh, but it held no joy—just frustration. “That’s the thing. This moment? I can’t stop thinking about it. And that scares me.” His hands moved to your waist again, his thumbs brushing over your skin in absent motions. “I don’t want to mess up everything we’ve got. This... us. I can’t.”

You lifted a hand to his chest, pressing lightly, feeling the steady beat of his heart under your palm. It was as though he was trying to hold onto something more than just the physical right now—something deeper, maybe even more fragile than what he’d let himself believe.

“It’s not about messing things up,” you said quietly, locking your gaze with his. “We’re not crossing lines we can’t uncross. We’re just... figuring it out. Whatever this is, whatever we are.”

Wooyoung’s eyes softened at your words, and for a split second, you saw a flash of vulnerability—something he rarely allowed anyone to see. His usual confident demeanor flickered, replaced by a quiet longing that made your heart skip.

“You’re right,” he whispered, and then his lips were on yours again, this time softer, more like a promise than an act of passion. He was still figuring things out, just as you were. But this... this wasn’t over.

[yuechihua]

fic: the boy who chases the wind

This was a difficult fic to write! I think it's the one I struggled the most with, because I just kept adding more and more sections and ideas and my outline ballooned to a much bigger project. Fun fact, I actually wrote snippets of section vi and x first! Initially, this was only meant to go from sections i to v, but as you can see, I ended up writing way more... It also didn't help that I burnt out halfway through, but I was determined to finish this one!

This is a character study first and foremost, even before it's a x reader fic, because I wanted to explore every facet of Harumasa. He's a complicated character, so I deliberate over how I wanted to characterize him, and which aspects of his thought process to dig into. It's a love letter to him, which meant I didn't want to leave out the ways each member of Section Six is important to him, either, and I enjoyed writing both his insights and his particular relationship with each member, and how precious they are to him.

I am a firm believer Harumasa doesn't have a normal relationship with intimacy, and would have a difficult time verbalizing his feelings regarding the idea of "love". He's cunning and pragmatic, but also selfishly selfless and holds a lot of love for humanity in his heart. It's why he and reader don't have a lot of scenes together physically, but the scenes they do have are meant to be explosive and overwhelming and intimate. It makes sense to me that Harumasa, who is guarded with his affection and keeps people at a distance, wouldn't know what to do when he finds someone who slips into his heart.

I try to write every Harumasa fic as a standalone, but also as pieces that could be read together to enhance each other. That's why reader has a established personality and dynamic with Harumasa that carries over every fic; I think it's more interesting when reader can be their own person, so I hope reading the other fics about Harumasa beforehand enhances this one and the dynamic I wanted to build.

Reader is compared to the moon and cats on various occasions. The moon was chosen as a symbol because I love how gentle it is, and how it guides people during the night. And cats were chosen because Harumasa loves cats (which, in game, he has a cat which took a while to warm up to him... much like reader lol), but also because they remind me a lot of the idea of freedom and doing what you want with your life, ideas which Harumasa is drawn by.

I decided to split this fic into fragmented sections, just because it was difficult for me to write a coherent narrative for Harumasa in one seamless go, and I figured someone who has so much on his mind and who hides a lot would suit a more disconnected form, too, haha. Form reflects function, and I think this fic would have been 100000 words more long if I really wanted to write all of Harumasa's history...

We also get a little less insight into reader than usual, just because this is focused on Harumasa's perspective alone. It's actually fun writing someone so perceptive, but who keeps his cards close to his chest, and it was a nice opportunity to delve into a mindset I usually don't get to explore in fics! He jokes so much in dialogue, but actually is sharply aware of the world around him. But on the other hand, reader's thoughts are left unknown, because even though Harumasa tends to understand everyone in Section Six, he holds back from looking deeply into reader because he's afraid that he'll become too attached. So they're a bit of a purposeful mystery to him.