#and I already said I don’t think that’s an accurate assumption

[yourqueenb]

You said I came off as defensive, but it seems like you’re actually the defensive one considering you typed all of this because you were mad about the way I expressed my opinion. Regarding the things you said about Trystan and MC, I already responded to a lot of them in my reblog that shows here, another one in response to jerzwriter, and in my tags.

Regarding how you took my response, I did try to place a small disclaimer in my tags and, in my eyes, the conversation was never about shaming people for their opinions and ended on a good note. Now you’re coming in over 2 weeks later at this point with a lot of assumptions about me when everybody’s already moved on. Like I said, I did try to add a disclaimer of sorts on my reblogs, but maybe it wasn’t good enough because really and truly I feel like I shouldn’t have to. My opinion is my opinion. And if you feel personally attacked by me saying that I dislike or disagree with something, that’s completely your own issue.

Does PB really, really, REALLY make us want to believe our Crimes of Passion MC has no idea how royalty works? ESPECIALLY when we're dating the HEIR to the throne?

[navybrat817]

Soak Up the Sun

Pairing: Neighbor!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: It's a beautiful day and Bucky has to pay you a visit.

Word Count: Over 1.6k

Warnings: Oral sex (f. receiving), semi-public, flirting, Bucky Barnes and he's crazy about you (he's a warning, okay?).

A/N: Welcome to my Beach Fun Nonsense! Hope you lovelies enjoy. Anon requested neighbor!Bucky to Go for a Swim (smut) with prompt #37 in bold. Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Bucky was not being a creepy neighbor by looking into your yard. Not at all. It was a nice day and he merely wanted to see if you were outside so he could pay you a visit. Spending some time with you would be the only thing to make the day better.

He groaned when he spotted you on your lounge chair. Your exposed skin glistened in the sunlight, the rays practically kissing every inch of you. He adjusted the front of his shorts when he realized you were wearing the same bikini he tore off the last time you two went for a swim. The little whimpers you made when you tried to keep quiet only made him want you to be louder. Holding you close after, his heart raced even faster than it did when he was inside you.

He was whipped and didn’t give a single fuck about it.

Quickly shedding his shirt so he was left in only his shorts, he walked through the gate with a confident smile. “Hey, Beauty,” he called out. He didn’t want to startle or bother you. Well, maybe he wanted to bother you a bit since he liked having your attention.

Something about you made him needy in the best possible way.

Glancing up from the book in your hands, you acknowledged him with a nod. “Hey, neighbor. Or should I call you Beast?” His stomach did a funny flip when you smiled. How was it that your smile could disarm him so easily? “What's going on?” You asked, shifting in your lounge chair.

His eyes followed the strap of your bathing suit top as it slid off your shoulder. Did the motion cause it to slip or did you do it on purpose? It wouldn’t have surprised him either way. You enjoyed teasing each other. It was what made part of what made your relationship so fun.

Yes, relationship. In his eyes, you two were unofficially together. It wasn't like either of you were seeing anyone else. Why would he want anyone besides you? When was the last time he felt that way about anyone?

Never.

He never had.

He cleared his throat to regain his composure. “How are you?”

“Can't complain. It's a beautiful day and I’m enjoying the sunlight. Also catching up on my reading since I don’t have to deal with work. Maybe I can finally finish this book so I can give it back to you.”

Bucky leant you the book only a few days ago and had heard work was giving you a bit of a headache. He was more than willing to help you relieve some stress. “Keep it for as long as you want.”

“Thanks,” you said, closing it and setting it aside so you could give him your full attention. “How are you?”

He bit his lip and made a show of looking you over. “I'm actually really hungry,” he said.

You raised an eyebrow. “You stopped by to check on me even though you're hungry? Were you being a friendly neighbor or were you hoping I'd cook for you?”

He chuckled. The feigned innocence may have fooled him if he didn’t catch your subtle smirk. “As much as I love your cooking, I was really hoping I could eat your pussy instead,” he said.

Your mouth fell open slightly before you laughed, a breathless sound that he loved to hear. “And you thought you'd just interrupt my reading and I'd spread my legs and give you what you want? That’s a bold assumption.”

“Bold and accurate. You think I can't see that your legs are already further apart? Giving me a front row view? And I know you’re wet for me. Bet you were the moment I walked over here.” He nodded to the juncture between your thighs. “It's not just about what I want. You want it, too.”

You gasped this time. His confidence bordered on cockiness, but it was for a good reason. You two were moths to each other’s flames that couldn’t be extinguished. Magnets that couldn’t be pulled apart.

He wouldn't deny it and neither would you.

“Okay, so maybe I wouldn't mind if you ate my pussy since you like it so much,” you said after a moment, laying back more. “And it would be rude of me to deprive you of a delicious meal since you’re so hungry.”

“I’m starving. It’s also a good stress reliever for you, so we both win,” he winked, leaning down to grab you by your thighs and pull you closer to the edge of the chair. As fun as it would be to get in the chair with you, gravity would likely push his end down and he didn’t want you to go flying or get hurt.

“I don’t know. I think our stargazing was a pretty good stress reliever,” You smiled, your breath hitching as he sank to his knees.

Reaching for your bikini bottoms, he let a hand settle on your hip as the other reached for your hand. “Yeah? You enjoyed it?” He asked. That was another stressful week for you and it broke his heart to see you so exhausted. He wished he could quit your job. They didn’t deserve you.

“Yeah, I did.” You sat up, keeping hold of his hand. It fit there so well. “It was perfect,” you whispered.

He met you halfway, two forces drawn closer until your lips touched. The collision was soft at first, warmth spreading like inside until it fueled his hunger and passion. He wasn’t sure if he deepened the kiss first, but your lips parted for him to let his tongue explore. The same way your pussy would open up for him and let indulge.

He pulled back to let you breathe, his hand finally untying the bottom half of your bathing suit and pulling it away. “Lay back,” he murmured, his gaze dropping your exposed pussy with a groan. “You’re fucking soaked.” It glistened even more than your skin and he was dying to get a taste. You were always so sweet, warm, and wet. How could he not want to spend as much time as he could between your thighs and keep you in his arms like you were the most precious gift?

How did he get lucky enough to have you move in next door?

“Bucky…” you breathed at the first lick of his tongue, your fingers tangling in his hair.

He moaned your name before he dragged his tongue along your slit again. “You’re so sweet,” he whispered, bumping his nose against your clit in an almost affectionate manner. Sweet enough for him to wreck. Sweet enough to make him smile.

It didn’t take long for him to stab his tongue deep and make you writhe, losing himself to you as he used a hand to keep you in place. He smelled and tasted your sweetness, felt your wetness and perfect cunt, heard your beautiful cries, saw your chest rise and fall. You surrounded him and took over all senses. You were everywhere. It was beautiful.

You were beautiful.

“Bucky, fuck!” You moaned unabashedly as he slipped a finger in with his tongue. If you cared that the neighbor on the other side of your place could hear or see anything you didn’t let it show. He didn’t give a fuck either. Let everyone see him on his knees worshipping at the altar of you.

He’d never get enough.

Your thighs trembled and you tugged on his hair, your breaths coming in harder and faster. “Bucky… I…” Your words died on your tongue as his tongue set your body on fire.

“Let go for me, beautiful,” he whispered. He wanted the coil inside you to snap so could catch you when you fell.

He added another finger just as your pussy pulsed, your back arching as you cried out his name. Groaning as your release soaked his mouth, he lapped up every drop and helped you ride out the waves before you whimpered. He grudgingly left the haven of your quivering walls so he could lean back to look at your panting form. Your skin glistened even more than before as you caught your breath. But what made his heart twist was the smile you gave him when your eyes met.

His heart pounded so hard he wondered if you heard it. He really wanted all of you. Nothing was going to change that.

“Wow…” you said, your breathing evening out more as your hand reached for his again. “Did you get enough to eat?”

Licking some of your lingering sweetness from his lips, he smirked and squeezed your hand. “I don't know. I think I’m still a little hungry.” He fixed your bikini bottoms and brushed his thumb along your clit through the fabric just to tease you again. Watching you squirm was quite the sight. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“What I do to you? What about what you do to me?” You whimpered, grasping his wrist. You sat up with dazed eyes and nodded to the impressive hard-on he was sporting in his shorts. “I think I may be hungry, too,” you teased, sighing as you rested back again. “But maybe we can take this inside and cuddle after? More comfortable there.”

His smile softened at your suggestion, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around you and never let you go. “Cuddling sounds nice.”

And maybe after he gave you another amazing orgasm, he’d ask you out on a proper date like you deserved.

A date with our neighbor would be so sweet. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[galactic-rhea]

You’re so right when you said that Anakin and Padmé are actually really good at communicating! This is an aspect of their relationship that I never see being discussed! And it’s so unfortunate! In the Rots novelization, this is actually shown more so with how Padmé doesn’t even ask Anakin to open up about his fears (his visions) because she trusts that he will, on his own. Proof that he lets himself be vulnerable around her and confides in her with everything. (this part of the book was said from Anakin’s POV.) Even in the scene where Bail asks the senate group not to utter a word of the Rebellion to anyone and Padmé basically having a meltdown over having to keep a secret from her husband now. (She literally says the words “don’t make me lie to my husband! It’ll break his heart.”) keeping secrets and not communicating obviously isn’t a thing they’re use too, and that’s why their issues in ROTS becomes even more tragic, Sidious really did everything to turn them against one another. I do wanna elaborate more on a more accurate and ‘in character’ way Anakin and Padmé would’ve handled things during the Clovis arc, but that deserves a separate post 😭 I don’t wanna dump that in your inbox!

I do think there's miscommunication and some problems and insecurities because they both come with such complex tangle of emotions and traumas, and because they barely ever get time at all to like, actually spend time together.

But yee! When it comes to their feelings they're fairly open, imo. The whole AOTC had them (particularly Anakin) being painfully honest. Even Padmé, after spending what, one day with him was already saying stuff like she didn't actually want that much to be senator or that she was too young to be queen at the time. And Anakin does quite literally confess child murder, even without reading the comics and novels I think I'm safe to assume that neither of them is that closed.

In ROTS everything is a mess, but even then he does outrightly tell her his dream, and the "I'm not the jedi i'm supposed to be, i want more and i shouldn't" etcetc, Padmé is perhaps the person he can be the most honest ever.

With Padmé sadly we get less examples in the movies (not counting deleted scenes), but she is a politician and a more experienced and mature, she knows things need to be talked, especially when Anakin is involved. And likewise, she feels like she can be honest with him the most, because only he does know her (all her other friends are work-friends).

So yep! That's my assumption about them! Glad you agree, and since you have read way more material that's very validating <3

also if you ever want to dump lots on info on my asks be my guest dsfndfjsdfdf

[myobsessionsspace]

This is an assumption. But why do you think JK bought his property in Itaewon out of all places ? And now building a mansion there which means that will be his main house he decides to settle. I've seen all korean stars buying their homes to love with their family in more decent and high end areas like Gagnam, Hannam etc. No one really buys property in itaewon with an aim to settle there with family as it's like the party spot of SK. Itaewon is known for clubs, brothels, parties, drugs and prostitution, most only go there to party, have one night stands or do illegal activities. Someone visiting Itaewon often is eye brow raising enough so building a whole mansion there is sus af isn't it ?

Hey,

I understand tone can’t be accurately interpreted with written words, so I just want to make my tone clear first and foremost.

I’m speaking with no harshness, judgement or condescension.

DM me and we can delulu cutely together with no air of authority on the matter, cos we should know we don’t know shit, but can still want to coo and dream with others 🤗.

We’ve seen and been outraged by sasaengs and their stalking of members and called them out at times. We’ve literally seen Jungkook on live entering his apartment and being annoyed with sasaengs loitering outside of his building, he has even said in that same live that he knows people knows where he lives and posted online.

Put yourselves in their shoes, who wants millions knowing your full address and being able to turn up unannounced? Because they’re fans of your music, of your image? I’m gonna leave that there.

I will say in regards to Itaewon, I’m not Korean, I don’t have a Korean father, a Korean brother, a Korean bff who works at Hybe, nothing. I do have a friend who went on a program, studied there and lived there for years but that’s it. I don’t know anything about Itaewon apart from the Halloween tragedy and a K-Drama. So guess what I did, yup you guessed it, I GOGGLED💪

No one really buys property in itaewon with an aim to settle there with family as it's like the party spot of SK. Itaewon is known for clubs, brothels, parties, drugs and prostitution, most only go there to party, have one night stands or do illegal activities. Someone visiting Itaewon often is eye brow raising enough so building a whole mansion there is sus af isn't it ?

Incoming cheeky tone…I thought I said ‘genuine asks’? This right here sounds like laying down the groundwork to paint a certain picture of Jungkook?🤔🤨

Itaewon

You said: ‘I’ve seen all Korean stars buying their homes to live with their families in more decent high end areas like Gangnam, Hannam etc’.

I say: That’s a pretty bold, blanket statement 😬

Famous idol Rain and his actress wife and children have a home in Itaewon as do many other celebrities with their spouses, partners and families

Actor Song Joong-Ki and his British wife, who was pregnant at the time, moved to his Itaewon mansion along with her family from the UK. They welcomed a baby girl in 2023.

Chaebols like those belonging to the Samsung family also have homes in Itaewon

Doing my googles, Itaewon is known as ‘a multi-cultural commercial area located in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul, known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants.’ ‘Seoul's International District’.

I know some other places that sound like the above.. London…New York…Paris…

I wonder where the prostitution, drugs and one night stands come into it for people who wanna buy or build houses in those cities?

Jungkook is currently a 26 year old multimillionaire, who is a member of one of the biggest groups in not just South Korea, but the world, so I guess he’ll have lots to do when he’s not working his ass off with his intense more than full time job. Settling somewhere with family…I’m sure he’ll take Bam into consideration in his plans, wherever it may be.

Something I did find cool when doing my googles 😁

‘Korean singer-songwriter JYP (Park Jin-young) and Yoo Se-yoon's hip hop duo UV released the song "Itaewon Freedom" in April 2011. The title alludes to (and the lyrics celebrate) a common Korean perception of Itaewon's "open atmosphere", in contrast with conventional Korean culture, which is more conservative.’

LGBTQIA+ ‘haven’ Itaewon

‘The 2020 South Korean Netflix television series Itaewon Class is set in Itaewon. The drama was praised for its diverse and inclusive cast and its realistic portrayal of subjects such as prejudice and discrimination against foreigners, ex-convicts and the LGBT people, as well as the portrayal of misbehaviors by chaebol corporations.’

Sounds like Itaewon is a cool, diverse, inclusive place, full of sites & attractions, shops and good food. If a 26+ year old man that’s been working and in the public eye since 13/14 wanted to build a home there, Itaewon sounds like a great place and a good investment.

I’d love to visit there, if I ever had the time AND money 🥲

Thanks for the ask, it caused me to learn something new!

💜

[dearweirdme]

Hi 👋

First, I wanna thank you for being honest with me. I'm not the best at reading social cues so unless you are direct with me I'll be thinking "I think we're getting along!" and go on completely oblivious to any implications lol So your honesty is greatly appreciated, I'll keep everything you said in mind in the future.

On a second note, I'm really sorry for how my words came off 🙏, that really wasn't my intention. But now I see exactly what you mean, it really wasn't my place to tell you how to run your blog, it came off really bad. I sincerely apologize for that.

Now, to be real with you, I don't see you as delusional or wrong, or to be more accurate, both our opinions are based on pure speculation and personal interpretation, so I don't see you as any more delusional than I see myself.

In my perspective, I don't see Jikook as a real couple because they have never confirmed themselves to be one. And as long as that question lies unanswered, I'll only truly believe what they have described their relationship as, which is close friends. There's a part of me that suspects they're a couple but I don't see it as a fact.

So, keeping that in mind, I'll only believe you are actually delusional if there's not a single fiber of your being that believes you could be wrong, you are 100% sure Taekook are a couple. But that wouldn't be because you're a Taekooker, it'll be because you, a complete outsider to their life, believe your speculations to be a fact. And that's just a dangerous mentality to have in general, and unfortunately, I see it frequently in both jikook and taekook circles.

I don't come here to try to change your mind about Taekook, I come here cause I like reading your takes. You give very grounded opinions and debunk many biased assumptions I have of jikook, showing me different perspectives I couldn't see in my little bubble.

Moving on, I wanted to ask you: what really sold you on taekook, that made you go "they're dating"?

One thing I see as suspicious is the weird tension they have with each other, I don't see any other members having that same tension.

I think it's this very tension they have that makes Taekookers believe that taekook prioritize hiding their relationship to protect themselves, and Jikookers believe that taekook really did grow distant and got closer after In the soop.

Taekookers: tension = sexual tension and hiding relationship

Jikookers: tension = distance and awkwardness

I understand both of these takes, but I have some different interpretations of it, but ain't nobody reading all that. This shits WAY too long already lol.

Borahae 💜

(the more you look at him the more beautiful he gets, we can't blame Jungkook for getting a little lost in him kkkkk)

Hi @moo-mood!

I’m glad you understand.

As for your question about Tae and Jk, I think your ask really shows how people outside of tkk fandom don’t really understand where we are coming from.

We don’t generally focus much on sexual tension I believe. I’m sure there corners in our fandom that do, but in general sexual tension between Tae and Jk is not that often a point of discussion. There are moments that I feel classify as that, or at least as strong attraction.. but we don’t really get to see much of those. We also don’t expect to, because the last thing we would be privy to see between a closeted couple is obvious sexual tension. They hide that, and I think they hide it well. We see flirting, we see tenderness, and we did get some more loaded moments.. but imo not as much to be able to say Tkkrs generally explain the tension between Tae and Jk as it being sexual.

Sexual tension is only one part that might clue us into wether two people are in a romantic relationship though. What clued me in was how Tae and Jk are just a level up in closeness when compared to the other members. Imo they are closest physically and emotionally. There’s a reason why despite efforts to show Jk and Tae as less close (and yes, imo it’s been efforts) there are still soo many who never believed that. It’s because all throughout the period that Tae and Jk were deemed to be distant, their bodies and their interactions showed us differently. We often get laughed at because of our words on stares, looks, touches.. but those things are actually the hardest for people to consistently fake and to consistently hide. No other duo is as aware of each other as Tae and Jk are. No other duo gets each other as easily as Tae and Jk do… and that is actually something I am quite sure of… regardless of wether that means they are in a romantic relationship.

So it started with me believing Tae and Jk are closest. And what made me believe they are more than friends is basically everything else around them. The way they are the biggest ship, and yet Hybe does not commercialize them. The way they get jealous and/or annoyed because of the other. The way they are at times possessive of the other. The way the other members react to them (wether in a good way or in a way that they’re afraid of discovery). It’s all supported by my belief that individually speaking I feel Tae and Jk are possibly queer.

All in all, when I think of how I feel a closeted idol couple within the same band would be dealt with in SK.. it’s just basically what I see happened with Tae and Jk.

[10yrsy]

I am curious about somthing. are you familiar with the parachuting baby thing where you're skydiving with a christian baby who suddenly speaks and say "I will not open my parachute unless you renounce atheism and accept jesus". like, I feel like jesus would save you and the baby if you dont renounce atheism cause if he truly loves someone, he would help someone regardless of religion.

this scenario is riding on a whole bunch of false assumptions. for one, babies cannot understand/ choose salvation, so they’re automatically protected under God’s grace and go to Heaven.

second, to make this scenario accurate: Jesus was in the plane explaining to all the passengers that they needed to use His parachutes to jump or they would die. but some people still jump out of the pane without His parachute, expecting to be just fine as they plummet down. Jesus already spent the money and spread the word explaining the danger, so why are the people not accepting His safety gear?

it’s ridiculous to say that if Jesus “truly” loved someone, He’d send them to Heaven even if they believed in a different god. if someone hates you, would it be loving to force them to be with you for eternity? God respects our freewill and choice to accept His forgiveness or not.

lots of people seem to think getting to Heaven is just for people that are “good enough”. so they see people of other religions that are nice and think, “surely these people are good enough.” they don’t understand that Heaven is God’s Presence and only sinless people can be there. we have all sinned and broken the Law. Jesus, the Son of God, never sinned and died in our place. He rose again, and His sacrifice is attributed to us legally in the eyes of God when we accept Him. legally there is not other way but through Him.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.” (John 14:6)

[awrkive]

[TEASER] LOVE LESSONS, pt. 2 (M) — JJK.

jungkook and you talked about the deal more, escalating it to new heights.

PAIRING jungkook x (fem) reader

GENRE smut, kind of fluffy tbh, r18+

WORD COUNT 816 words for this teaser but the final chapter word count is 8.9k 

WARNINGS/MISC virgin!reader, kinda spoiled brat!!reader lol, childhood friend-ish!jk, college!au, jk college course reveal 😁 explicit sexual content. again, (awkward?) first times 

NOTES  im so excited to be posting this! i also did not realize that its been almost a year since part 1 was posted lol. click read more to see important note in the end!!

[ READ PART 1 HERE ]

FULL VERSION OUT NOW. READ HERE !

"Uhm, do you really wanna do it?" You asked. Again. For the second time that night. "Because, it's totally okay if you changed your mind."

Jungkook arched his brow. "I already said I would do it."

"Yeah, but maybe you were just saying that to get me off your back."

He rolled his eyes. "You and your assumptions…"

There was a fat pout on your lips after hearing those words.

"I said I'll do it and I will. I was just thinking that maybe we can establish some rules? Some boundaries, for you and I, both. Just so we know that there's no one taking advantage of the other. Like, I don't want you to think that I'm in on this because I'm some – perverted guy preying on your lack of experience, you know?"

Your heart melted at that. Jungkook was fairly annoying at times. He was such a perfectionist, a stickler to rules, always playing your bodyguard, always telling on your father of things you did that he disapproved of. But thinking about it, he never really overstepped. Yeah, he was a perfectionist. But that was because he knew exactly what he wanted and that was great. He was a stickler to rules but he was never a killjoy. He only stuck his nose to business he was personally involved in… and admittedly, he only ever told on your father when you did (again, admittedly) stupid things. It was even more accurate to think that maybe, you were the annoying one. Always pushing at his buttons… being stubborn… and he tolerated that. A lot of times throughout the years you've known each other.

"That's really sweet of you, Bunny."

The nickname earned you a groan from him. And it was perfect! Because you were feeling mushy all of a sudden but you didn't want to and so calling him the nickname he loathed gave you the opportunity to ease the mood again.

Jungkook grunted your name and rolled his eyes, and you only laughed at the scrunch of his face because it was always funny to see him so disgruntled by that nickname. And he looked extra cute with his fluffy, overgrown hair and prescription glasses. He wore it often nowadays. To add, the nickname was just as adorable, so you never really understood his demise. You, on the other hand, would like to be called bunny…

But anyway, he made a pretty important point.

"I don't think you're taking advantage of me. Do you think I'm taking advantage of you?" Because it was more accurate to put it that way. You were the one who came to him suddenly proposing something crazy.

He shook his head. "Definitely not. So, about rules? Do you have suggestions?"

You leaned back and passively watched the scenes playing out before you on the television.

"All I can think of right now is that you can stop it any time soon. Like, if you wake up tomorrow and think you don't want this anymore, then just tell me. Or like, you're dating someone…" Like, maybe, Eunseo? That was what you thought of after you said the word date. You chose to omit that part. You looked at him. "Okay?"

Nodding, Jungkook mirrored your action on the couch. "That's a good one. You can, too."

You hummed. "Also… I don't really know anything. I wasn't kidding when I said I never watched porn, not until now, anyway. I'm actually, really, serious when I ask you questions, even though they're kind of stupid sometimes."

Ah, there it was. Even though you liked to believe that this was all lighthearted for you (which is, for the most part, anyway), it was kind of a sore spot. Your lack of experience was an insecurity, although you try to hide it a lot. You didn't want to tell Jungkook that, afraid he might think it was stupid. Or laugh. Like he did sometimes… you were 20 years old.

But it was like he read your mind and then suddenly, he took a hold of your arm so he could look right into your eyes.

"Hey, they're not stupid. I'm sorry if I laughed at them, you can, like, punch me anytime if I do that again. Deal?"

You looked away and sighed. "You're patronizing me." You pouted.

"Okay, sorry. I'm not. Just saying I don't mock you for not having sex yet," you still weren't looking at him and so he continued, "Alright, I'm going to be honest. I really was genuinely shocked when you told me you haven't done it before."

You finally looked at him, confused. "Why?"

He let go of your arm and smiled. "You're attractive, is all. So I just thought…"

Arching your brow, you crossed your arms. A defense mechanism because you liked being called pretty and he can't know that. "Really?"

"Yeah," he looked down. Unintentionally. "And you have nice boobs."

YOU CAN NOW READ THE FULL VERSION OF PART 2 ON MY PATREON PAGE !! heres the post about the tiers and the link to the part 2 of love lessons <3 to my followers, it is def not an obligation to avail any of the tiers as i will still post my stories publicly. on the other hand, to anyone who subscribes, thank you so so much!!

© 𝐀𝐖𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐕𝐄 2022. all rights reserved. copying, editing, reposting and translating any of my works are not allowed.

[bestworstcase]

What do you think Salems goal is, exactly? It's obviously not ending the world to kill herself, but honestly I feel like she has ulterior motives than just "overthrow the gods".

I personally wouldn't be surprised if she wants to rule in the Gods stead after overthrowing them. She's already brought up replacing the gods, and seems to believe that humanity "needs" gods/guidance, but specifically Not The Brothers. I only say this because she was the one who said that humanity was more divided than ever without the gods and that they need guidance (and essentially replacement gods), not Oz.

It's hard to say whether she Still believes this, but since she parallels Darkness (to an extent) and destruction is essentially taking out the old to make way for the new, I definitely wouldn't be surprised. The Brothers are the old, Salem is the new n all.

I just find it hard to believe that all she wants is to overthrow the gods and do... nothing afterwards. I believe characters like Cinder have stated that they're going to be high up in her new world?? I'm not sure tbh.

Plus, I think her goal being that she wants to rule the world after killing(?) The Brothers would be an interesting dilemma for the main characters. Overthrowing the gods? A good idea even Oz would agree with. Salem ruling? ...Well that might not be such a good idea (she *did* immediately go to "let's spread our word and destroy anyone who goes against it" in the Lost Fable, but I have different opinions on whether or not it's reliable so it likely doesn't matter to you). Either way, it'd make things interesting for our heroes. At least, that's how I'd write it.

Thoughts?

to be clear. my stance on the reliability of the lost fable is that jinn answered with absolute honesty exactly the question ruby asked, which was “what is ozpin hiding from us?”—i think she obeys the same rule ambrosius does. you get EXACTLY what you ask for.

so ‘the lost fable’ includes:

information ozpin knows or sincerely believes to be true, AND

actively chose to hide from team rwby, oscar, and qrow.

the reason jinn frames it as a fairytale (“once upon a time…”) is because she is conveying specifically ozpin’s perspective, and fairytales, stories, are fundamental to how he sees the world. she is telling his story in his words, because that’s what ruby asked her to do!

but the lost fable doesn’t include:

anything ozpin doesn’t know

anything salem told ozma that ozpin believes to be false, except when a synopsis is necessary to provide context

anything that ozpin knows but wasn’t actively keeping a secret (for example, the story omits her answers to his questions about the other relics because neither their original locations nor their powers were something ozpin was hiding; he told them what the lamp could do, when they asked, and if they’d asked about the others he would have told them that too).

so jinn herself is not an unreliable narrator per se, but the question ruby asked necessitated that jinn tell only ozpin’s side of the story, without filling in any gaps in his knowledge or correcting his misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions. the lost fable is therefore honest (in the sense that no part of it is a deliberate lie) but biased and limited (because ozpin is fallible and doesn’t know everything.)

which is something ozpin himself points out in his commentaries in the fairytale anthology—on the infinite man: “no one who wasn’t there could know what really happened. and even then, they would only have a small part of the story,” for example.

all of which is the long way around to saying that i do trust the dialogue in the lost fable to be accurate to what the characters actually said, and the scenes to be accurate depictions of events as they happened (if he was there) or as ozma imagined them happening based on what salem told him (if he wasn’t). the parts i don’t trust are the narration, because that’s the part colored by ozpin’s perspective, and the elisions of ozma’s dialogue in the key ozlem scenes, because things salem says in response to ozma lack the context of what ozma said.

(think about what listening to someone make a phone call is like; if the conversation is about a complex subject, it’s difficult to follow along and easy to misunderstand what the person you can hear is really trying to express.)

and on the topic of those elisions: if salem wanted to rule the world herself, i think she would have made an effort to do so before ozma returned. she is demonstrably capable of both merciless conquest (razing vale) and inspiring awe (slaying the nevermore). she’s immortal. she cannot be killed. before ozma returned there was absolutely no one who could have prevented her from, like, taking over a kingdom and expanding it into an empire with herself as the eternal god-queen.

but she didn’t. she lived alone in the woods, in a miserable hovel. given the well-maintained path leading to her doorstep, she had to have been visited on a regular enough basis for whatever community lived outside the woods to go to the effort of paving the way to her shack. which says… village witch.

left to her own devices, that’s what she did with her life: found some village or town at the edge of a forest and built herself a little house in the woods, just close enough that the townspeople could find her when they needed her but otherwise isolated.

and then once ozma found her, they fixed up her house together and lived happily for… apparently quite some time before ozma brought up “humanity seems more divided than ever” as a problem.

there’s nothing in the lost fable to suggest that salem wanted anything more than the life she had with ozma in that cottage. everything she says about bringing humanity together is specifically in response to OZMA telling her he wasn’t satisfied. she’s supporting HIS stated ambitions.

and like… she’s not… wrong? her phrasing is extremely blunt, but… you can’t bring people together without giving them something to believe in—a cause, a creed, a faith, a purpose—no one is going to unite for the sake of being united. ozma despairs that “humanity seems more divided than ever,” and salem goes… well yeah. the gods killed everyone and fucked off. people just need help. we could help. we have the will and the means to change the world, make it better than before.

but.

the problem is.

the task ozma was given isn’t to help people or make the world a better place; it’s to prepare for the final judgment by uniting the whole world—the god of light instructed him to end conflict full stop. ozma needs everyone to unite in submission to the brothers.

and salem is absolutely correct that you cannot achieve that except by conquest. you cannot, you cannot, you cannot unite the whole world under one creed without genocide. it is impossible.

this is why i say the divine mandate is a fundamentally genocidal ideology: the premise is that humans as they are now do not deserve to exist and must be ‘redeemed,’ and the only way to achieve ‘redemption’ is through genocide. the logical end of any ideology that requires universal adoption or universal acceptance of a certain belief or creed is genocide.

salem understands this intuitively; when ozma asks her “are we sure that this is right?” she spells it out to him in plain terms that it’s what is necessary to achieve his goal. her implication is that if the end does not justify the means, he needs to reconsider the end. i don’t think she cared either way as long as ozma was happy, until she learned the truth about what he wanted to do and why.

as i’ve said before, i believe her final statement—why spend our lives trying to redeem these humans when we can replace them with what they could never be?—a) reiterates her longstanding dream of humankind overthrowing their “old masters” and claiming the power of creation for themselves to “perfect their own design” and b) quotes/paraphrases the closing lines of ‘the shallow sea’ to express this idea because she’s trying to communicate in ozma’s language, through stories.

and i think ozma understood her perfectly well, he just doesn’t think her third option of rejecting the mandate is possible. in the present, oz only suggests salem is out to destroy the world when he’s trying to scare hazel into turning against her; what he tells his inner circle is that salem’s after the relics because she wants to “change the world.” he believes she’s doomed to fail.

anyway, as to the question of what salem wants now: it’s revolution.

pretty… overtly. “your so-called free world.” her protégée was an enslaved child who grew up wearing a shock collar in the gilded heart of ozpin’s crowning achievement some sixty years after the vytal accords abolished slavery, and the huntsman who found her in that situation used her suffering to groom her for the huntsman academy instead of using his authority to help her by enforcing the laws against slavery.

watch WOR: kingdoms. compare the almost tender tone with which salem talks about the democratic councils that represent the people to the utter disdain she has for the huntsmen academies that exist solely to train “the next generation of defenders who will fight and die to protect the lifestyle that they’ve become so accustomed to.”

she wants to defeat the god of light, yes—or at least prevent him from ever returning, i do think Plan A might be “destroy the relics”—but she also wants to tear down the systems ozma built to uphold the divine mandate, systems that turned a blind eye to slavery and injustice and abuse. she wants the whole world to know the truth.

i think she also probably wants humans to coexist in peace with the grimm, and i suspect that will be the biggest sticking point; but salem clearly feels affection for the grimm, and—gestures at menagerie’s lack of a grimm problem—coexistence between people and grimm is possible, and because salem herself is grimm she’s never going to have peace or freedom until the existential war between humans and grimm is ended.

and i think she does intend to make good on her promises to her inner circle, in some form. hazel believes she’s planning to create a “new world order” (which, definitionally, a world with no huntsmen academies and no everlasting war is) and mercury says she’s “promised [them] everything,” which he takes to mean that they’ll be “top dogs in her new world.” but the one thing we know for certain about what salem offers to her followers is very vague; all of them project their own desires to fill in the gaps and come away with wildly disparate ideas about what this ‘new world’ will look like.

what salem has always wanted is freedom. she’s never shown any personal ambition to rule—even her rebellion, she isn’t the one who leads the charge, she walks among them. before ozma returned, she was… just the village witch somewhere. i do think it’s really quite likely that her plan is to tear down everything ozma built, destroy the relics or defeat the god of light, participate in rebuilding from the ashes to ensure that the new world isn’t founded upon lies or subjugation or eternal war against her existence, and then just… find a place where she can live. all she ever wanted was to leave the tower. i don’t think that’s changed.

[originalaccountname]

i loved your post about dazai's relationship with chuuya vs oda. regarding this section:

"But Chuuya also serves as Dazai's wake up call (cue Dead Apple soundtrack) and keeps him from slipping too far. Yes Chuuya punched Dazai square in the face, but it was because Dazai was seeing an ally's death as an opportunity for him instead of a death. And it worked! Because Dazai then got into action not 2 days later to start on ending the conflict that had already been ongoing for over 2 months!"

i was always under the impression that Dazai didn't really care about reaching executive status (pretty sure i read it in canon somewhere, just can't remember where, but correct me if i’m wrong), & my assumption was that, even in that interaction with Chuuya, he was already setting his plan into motion (planting the microscope reference, maybe trying to get Chuuya out of the way so Dazai could confront/get captured by Shibusawa? etc).

plus, Dazai brought up letting mori plan things, & i don’t think mori would let Dazai just do nothing to help end the feud. he gives pretty free reign as long as if benefits/doesn’t have negative effects on the PM. i read that punching situation as Dazai lying about not caring & letting everyone die, but i’d love if you could expand on your thoughts!!

ps: thank you so much for your bsd analyses & meta... i consider you one of the best sources for accurate, unbiased, factual, canon compliant literary analysis of bsd & i appreciate your insight & research so much :)

🥺 that is both flattering and a reminder for me to always fact check myself hdsgfsj

First, plugging the complete Dragon's Head prologue by Asagiri again for everyone to read.

This is interesting and not an angle I really thought to look at it from!

I don't think Mori was actively planning to end the feud because they say the PM didn't suffer many losses in Fifteen and the SB epilogue specifies they mostly kept away from the fighting:

According to the prologue's timeline, there are 9 days between Dazai meeting Oda in a slight panic after a close encounter with Shibusawa (day 61) and Chuuya punching him for his comment (day 70). It's two days later (day 72) that Dazai confronts Shibusawa and vanishes. Chuuya finds Dazai and unleashes Corruption 15 days later (day 87).

What I would have said happened is that Dazai did not consider the conflict his problem for the most part, though he was aware of the recent developments. Then, the newly released Shibusawa got the Colonel, and his attempt at a joke about Chuuya and his' ongoing rivalry while telling Chuuya about the Colonel landed him a punch in the face. Chuuya was actually mad at him (rare) and announced he'll be doing something about the conflict, even without Dazai. Two days later, Dazai has a whole operation ready to go.

In this scenario, Dazai just dropped the microscope joke for fun and later used it because Chuuya would be able to recall their last conversation and find the tracking device and understand what he had to do. Chuuya's punch was a wake up call to recenter his priorities, because Dazai does care about people, but grew too detached in this case and had to be brought back.

Now, the scenario you're suggesting I understand like this: Dazai passively keeps track of the events of the conflict to be ready just in case. Then, they release Shibusawa into the fray, things go from bad to worse, and the Colonel is a casualty. Dazai starts planning to stop this guy before he becomes an even bigger threat, and antagonizes Chuuya as part of said planning. He shows Chuuya the Colonel's death to put him up to pace, and the open seat comment was to purposefully make Chuuya mad and push him away.

This second option could also give a new meaning to Dazai anxiously going to Oda, when Oda inadvertently met Shibusawa days earlier, either because Dazai was already neck-deep in planning, or as one of the moments he realized everyone he knew could be the next victim:

It would also make Dazai a bit less random here:

Maybe the real scenario is somewhere between the two. Maybe Dazai really was trying to make Chuuya react like usual by making him realize one of them would probably be granted the title shortly, but it was too much too soon. Maybe telling Chuuya about the Colonel's death was also his way of warning him that everyone was at risk out there.

We don't know when the Colonel died, but it had been 9 days since his scare with Oda, so perhaps Oda being so close to this threat made him really conscious of the danger. Maybe the short jokes with the microscope really was Dazai setting the scene for when he would soon confront (and probably lose to) Shibusawa, as he had had enough time to plan his next move by then.

There's also Ango we need to plug somewhere in there, with his records of the deceased PM members during the conflict, and Dazai who was accompanying Oda on cleanup duty for said deceased members. He had seen the dead, he had seen someone record them as people (and decided to befriend him). Dazai said he joined the PM to witness death, and he was basically neck-deep in it, perhaps it made the idea of seeing his close ones in their position too real, especially once Shibusawa showed up.

I think there's plenty of room for interpretation in all this information actually, if you bother to try to make the pieces fit. Asagiri is always going on about how ~mysterious~ Dazai is when he's not that complicated, come on, but there are times like this where the nebulous character motivations make that ~mystery~ shine because there could easily be more than one answer, depending on the reader.

[strqyr]

i spent way too much time on this—like, "wrote it in google docs first" amount of time—but, uh. team strq ages let’s gooooooo!!!

first things first, some assumptions™ that i’m basing this on:

1. the remnant school year follows the japanese school year, i.e. begins in april, and ends in march the following year.

2. the years are split based on birth year, nice and clean, since blake (who’s born in january) says ruby is “only two years younger” than wby. this would mean that blake had already turned 18 by the time of V1 (she would have been 17 during the black trailer), while weiss and yang turned 18 during V1-2 and ruby 16 during the small timeskip at the end of V3. (this is also what i’m used to, so it’s easier on my brain. don't @ me.)

the second point isn’t super relevant, but it does keep things simple since we don’t know strq’s birthdays; basically, the year students start their first year, they’ll be turning 18, 19 for the second year, 20 third, and 21 for fourth, with the possibility that some may have already turned 22 by the time they graduate.

so. the year strq graduates, they’re 21-turning-22 years old. since yang is born on july 28th, raven would have gotten pregnant some time around november / december (if i did my math right. i did count with my fingers.) since the school year ends in march, and i’m doubtful raven was already pregnant while still at school, at earliest yang could have been born was during the same year raven would turn 23.

and since yang is currently 19, 23+19=42 <- the youngest strq could possibly be in the present day.

(that is, assuming they were all 17-turning-18 during their first year. depending how you interpret raven’s “and qrow and i were the perfect age”, they could have been either exactly the age they should be to attend beacon (17-turning-18), or close enough for the tribe that they could pass as the right age.)

anyway! next part: figuring out how old they were during the V9 flashback.

first, the kiddos. if we are to take what yang said literally about ruby not being able to even talk yet when summer disappeared, ruby being a 2-year-old at the time is probably the safest bet. does she look like a 2-year-old in the flashback? eeeehhh… while i’d be willing to give a little more leeway there since it’s a short scene, to be extra safe, let’s say ruby is about 2-3yo, with yang being 4-5yo. if the members of strq were 23 the year yang was born, they would be about 27-28 at the time of the flashback.

which, if i’ve done my math right (knock on wood), is cutting it pretty damn close for raven becoming the spring maiden—even more so if she didn’t get pregnant the soonest possible moment after graduation—since as per miles: “As for ‘too old’, we don't like having super hard-fast rules for certain things, but we've sort of unofficially figured that 30 is probably around the cutoff point to become a maiden.” [source]

to be honest, i do think the math checks out. in before the dawn, according to yatsuhashi, theodore is “likely in his forties, maybe older”, and ozpin “had been younger [than theodore] but seemed much older.” per raven, ozpin was already the headmaster when team strq was formed, and prodigy or not, if as the headmaster of beacon he had a seat at the vale council (likely, since both lionheart and ironwood had council seat in their respective kingdoms as headmasters) i’m somewhat doubtful the rest of the council would have been super fine with someone who isn’t even the age of a huntsman graduate being in charge of what is essentially the main defense of the kingdom. so, if theodore is likely in his forties, maybe older (let’s translate that into late 40s-early 50s), and ozpin was younger than him but older than strq by at least 4 years, that would put him at ~45 in V1, and ~47 if he were still alive. maybe subtract a year or two, as a prodigy discount if you so please, but all in all, it fits rather nicely: yatsuhashi’s thoughts about theodore’s and ozpin’s ages are accurate-ish, and raven is just the right age to inherit maiden powers if she did get them during summer’s mission—and similarly, if / when summer joined salem, they’d still have to search for a maiden host since summer is going to reach the unofficial cutoff point of 30 very soon.

[kimopele84]

It's common for us to jump to conclusions about celebrities' relationships based on photos, and there are several reasons why this happens. First, human nature plays a big role; we love creating stories, and seeing two people holding hands or looking close easily fits the romantic narrative we’re familiar with. The media also thrives on sensationalism, often suggesting a romance to drive clicks and views, even if the evidence is thin. A single photo doesn’t tell the whole story, and without context, it’s easy to misinterpret what’s really happening. Additionally, if people already think two celebrities might be dating, they’ll see any interaction as proof, even if it’s not, due to confirmation bias. Celebrities often keep their personal lives private, leading to more speculation and assumptions. As for why people don’t do more research, there are a few reasons: reliable details about celebrities' personal lives aren’t always available, not everyone wants to dig deeper and many are content with surface-level info, and in today’s fast-paced world, people often accept quick, easy answers. Plus, for many, celebrity gossip is just fun; the mystery and speculation can be more entertaining than the truth. In short, assumptions about celebrity relationships are driven by our love for stories, media influence, and the nature of available information. Encouraging critical thinking can help us be more discerning about such content.

While photos of Chris Pine holding hands with someone might suggest a romantic relationship, it's not definitive proof. People often look for visual cues to make assumptions, but without a verbal confirmation from Chris Pine or an official statement, it's just speculation. Holding hands can be a sign of affection, but it doesn't necessarily confirm a romantic relationship. For a more accurate understanding, it's important to rely on direct information from the individuals involved rather than just interpreting photos.

Then you have the fact that he is working on a new project the Italian movie so it shouldn’t surprise anybody at these shots would come up. They also want to attract people to his current project as well.

With that being said, I just wanna make people aware that sometimes not everything is what they seem to be unless it comes from the person themselves or their management team statement. The photos were not candid photos.

PR photos and candid photos differ mainly in their purpose and execution. PR photos are planned, staged, and professionally shot to promote a celebrity or event, often released through official channels with controlled messaging. In contrast, candid photos are spontaneous, capturing genuine, unposed moments without the subject's knowledge or preparation. These can vary in quality and are typically shared without the subject's consent, offering a more unfiltered glimpse into their lives. Essentially, PR photos are about image control, while candid photos focus on authenticity.

[dream-phantasm]

Leona Kingscholar x Reader: Love Letters (6)

motivation flopped :(

Rook shows up as well as a surprise guest...

Hope you enjoy! No spoilers or warnings for now but this might change in future installments :)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 [!] | END

"Beauté! How merveilleux!" You squint, shielding your eyes.

"Fygaa! He's so shiny dazo!" Grim grunts. "You've finally decided to seek me out, a smart decision, Trickster!" Rook Hunt was a very bizarre student. As a Pomefiore student, an NRC student on top of that, he was naturally eccentric and beautiful. 

Yet he has that edge to him that makes you want to run far, far away from him. "Uh, I'll just leave you all to it…make sure Rook doesn't blow anything up." Trey quickly closes the door behind him. 

"Trey, don't leave us!" Ace whines, placing his hand on the door. "Tell me when you're done." They could hear Trey's voice getting further, he has definitely ditched them. "It's not time to be a coward, Ace!" Deuce nudged him. 

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hunt." You decide to wave as he stood up and took you by the hand. He gives a light peck to your hands and looks up at you with those cunning green eyes. You squeak and flinch. 

"Oh my great sevens, ew." Ace groans, covering his eyes. Deuce stands on the side awkwardly watching the interaction. "You smell funny dazo." Grim sniffs the air, looking warily at the Pomefiore vice dorm head. The more accurate assumption was that Rook Hunt simply did not smell, at all. 

"Don't be rude, Grim." You scold him. "I've already known about you for a while, mx. It's merveilleux to meet you in person! My name is Rook Hunt, at your service." Rook introduces himself properly. "You can just call me Rook, Trickster." He adds with a smile. 

"Okay." You simply nod, this guy weirded you out. From the way he had spoken to you, you could already assume he knew of your situation. You are fairly sure Rook was stalking either your admirer or you. 

"So, you know about the thing…?" You ask just to confirm. "Oui! You've come to the right person to find your prince charmant!" Rook nods eagerly. "Good! Then, spill! Tell me who it is!" You also eagerly lean forward. 

"Fufu! But I cannot expose one's secrets as le Chasseur d'Amour!" Your face freezes before it turns into an empty expression of despair. You slowly sink to the floor, you wish to become part of the floor.

Life might be easier if I were the floor. I could just exist all day…not needing to worry about any overblots or secret admirers. I could get stepped on all day by hot- Wait. I don't want that… You blinked blankly.

"[Name], are you okay!?" Deuce shakes you frantically. "Why am I here…just to suffer?" You weakly grunt, flailing limply in his arms. "Henchman, you owe me tuna dazo!" Grim joins in shaking you, the best he could with his little paws anyway. 

"Oh my! What a tearful display of peine d'amour!"

"Alright, enough being dramatic! Hey, you! This is your fault." You hear Ace snap. "Oh, how your compagnons care for you." You spot Rook wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "Ugh." You grumble.

"There's no need to worry, Trickster! As Monsieur Dandelion said, he indeed has eyes the colour of emeralds and he is indeed a student of Savanaclaw as you merveilleusement guessed!" Rook finally provides you a few hints. Deuce stops shaking you as you slowly get up. 

"Ace, I think we are going to be looking into every Savanaclaw students' eyes." You turn to face Ace, with a serious look on your face. He scrunches up his nose. "No way, you can do that on your own." Ace rolls his eyes, looking away from you. "Maybe we should ask Cater again…" Deuce suggests. 

"There's no way he would keep track of something like that, idiot." Ace scoffs. "Oi! I don't see you making any helpful suggestions!" He glares at Ace. "Aghh, I'm getting hungry again from thinking about our lost sandwich dazo!" Grim groans, rolling on the floor. "I'm sorry!" You wail, you really didn't mean to give Ruggie the sandwich. 

"Excuse me." The door to the alchemy classroom opens suddenly, a tall man with teal hair and mismatched yellow eyes stepped into the room. 

"Monsieur Prémédité!" Rook greeted him cheerfully. "Hello, Rook." The new student smiled politely in response. His eyes did a quick scan of the room, those heterochromia eyes landing on…you?!

You wave awkwardly. Ace slaps your hand down. You give him a questioning look but he continues staring skeptically at the student. You look to Deuce to find he looks a bit unsure as well. This might've been some weird dorm tension so you observe the student's armband. 

Octavinelle? You try your best to recall what Cater and Trey had told you that day. It's based on the Sea Witch and its main trait is compassion. Probably has a lot of mermen, right? You still don't understand how this relates to beef with Heartslabyul or Ace. You swear to the Great Sevens, how did he get into the bad graces of so many students already?

"Oh, are you busy at the moment? I could come back later." He turns back to Rook. "Hold on a moment, Trickster. What are you here for, Monsieur Prémédité?" Rook asks, turning his attention to the Octavinelle student. 

"Just the special fertilizer for mushrooms. Are they still in the cupboard?" He asks politely, staring at the cupboard behind you. 

You quickly shuffle aside nervously. The Octavinelle student notices this and you hear him chuckle quietly. Please hurry up and leave. The audacity of these guys. 

"You've gotten Crewel's permission, oui?" Rook tilts his head. "Yes. For my alchemy project this week." He nods. "You're working on luminescent fungi, correct? It's in the cupboard, Monsieur Prémédité." He gestures to the cupboard. 

"Fufu, yes, that's correct. I wonder how you figured out already." The Octavinelle student laughs, he walks toward the cupboard and crouches down.

"If I may be so presumptuous, your name is [Name], correct?" He suddenly asks you. You weren't that surprised. You're rather infamous due to the welcoming ceremony incident and then the chandelier one. 

"Yeah, it's uh, nice to meet you, Mr…?" You trail off awkwardly. "Jade Leech. Fufufu, I saw you were running around campus, asking for someone." He smiled, amused. You flushed. You probably did look like a headless chicken, huh?

It was too late for your dignity here anyway. "O-Oh, uh, yeah." You nod. "Do you by chance know a Savanaclaw student with green eyes, Leech?" Deuce asks hopefully. "Hey, don't go asking everyone, it's too vague anyway, stupid." Ace scoffs, he's still staring skeptically at Jade. 

"A Savanaclaw student with green eyes, hm? Why exactly are you looking for them, if I may ask?" He tilts his head, still rummaging through the cupboard. "Reasons…?" You offer unconvincingly. "Fufufu, well, if you don't wish to tell me, I wouldn't want any student getting into trouble because of me." Jade replies, pulling out a bag of fertilizer. He easily pries Grim away from trying to get into the bag of fertilizer.

"Fygaa! You're too crazy strong dazo!" He scowls, shuffling to your side. "Can you even eat fertilizer…?" You squint at him doubtfully.

"We don't need your help then." Ace snaps, yanking you further from Jade. "Fufu, there's no need to be so wary. I'll offer you a free hint. He's an important figure in the Savanaclaw hierarchy." Jade smiles, standing up to his full height. 

Important position? You weren't quite sure what that meant. The only thing you could think was either the dorm head or the vice dorm head. You don't even know if this information is to be trusted. Before you can even thank or ask him about that, he turns toward Rook. 

"I'll be taking my leave now, thank you for allowing me to borrow this." Jade thanks Rook with a nod. "No problem, Monsieur Prémédité! Just be sure to return it when you're done." Rook beams back. 

"[Name], if you ever need any assistance or advice, the doors of Mostro Lounge are always open." Jade offers before shutting the door behind him. His heterochromia eyes twinkle with amusement and you're definitely freaked out by this guy.

"Ugh, that guy gave me the heebie-jeebies dazo!" Grim declares rather loudly. "Ah, watch it! Don't say stuff so loudly like that, you're gonna get caught!" Ace hurriedly glares at him, still glancing warily at the door. "Um, that was…interesting to say the least." You laugh nervously.

"We won't take up any more of your time now, Rook. Thank you for the information." You want to leave as quickly as possible to collect your thoughts. "Thank you so much for the help!" Deuce adds as well.

"You're welcome, Trickster!"

"I don't wanna be here any longer…" Ace grabs the both of you by the wrist and drags you out of the Science club room. "Fyga! Wait up dazo!" Grim growls, scampering after you three.

Ao3: HERE If you see it posted anywhere or by anyone else, it's not me.

[multifandom-onigiri]

honestly I think the fandom makes assumptions with darkmilk that aren’t necessarily true

(and I’m now mostly saying this because I have been in other fandoms where I have encountered literally the same type of pairing as darkmilk and more people there are literally accepting so at this now I’m slowly dying inside for all the mental spirals I’ve gone through over the past two years)

I think darkmilk suffers from milk having 0 relevancy whatsoever so they haven’t bothered to actually write him as a full fledged character and just has the one quirk of “oh he really wants to find dark choco and he is very much a big fan.” So I think that’s why people end up making assumptions about milk cookie, especially about that one character trait, that isn’t very accurate

(ex. milk cookie would stalk dark choco cookie <- kind of bonkers when his original goal in CROB was to find dark choco cookie but after meeting Mala Sauce and finding out what’s happening, he’s the one to propose to help Mala Sauce while Purple Yam only wants to focus on finding Dark Choco. Meaning Milk was very willing to sidetrack to help someone )

This also applies to Darkmilk as well. One of the biggest assumptions is that Milk would not be able to let the past be the past, and Dark Choco would be really uncomfortable with Milk due to this (and that of his association to the past).

I’m not really here to debunk the first half because truth be told, I don’t know what Darkmilk’s dynamic would be like. I don’t know how Milk would react. None of us do. And it’s kind of the #1 thing I hate the most because people tend to just… assume darkmilk has to turn out completely awful no matter what even when nothing has happened at all. And it’s frustrating to me because 1) I feel like my thoughts and my voice and my story gets completely shut down (and it’s even worse because I honestly don’t think I agree with most people in this fandom about them anyways sooo…)

1.5) that assumption has been used for the past two years for people to hate on the pairing and honestly after I’ve kind of drifted away from cookie run and found other pairings like darkmilk? I’m just tired.

However, I am going to debunk “Dark Choco would be really uncomfortable with Milk” because the game actually kind of says otherwise through the Young Prince Ch 14 portrait (probably the best thing and only thing I’ll get because at this rate I’ll be dead before I get anything else)

Here’s the entire conversation between Dark Choco and Milk Cookie for reference as you read but here’s a recap to segueway into my point: Milk and Dark Choco are in front of the portrait. Milk starts talking about how the portrait inspired Milk to be the type of person and at the end of it, he calls Dark Choco a hero. In response, Dark Choco tells Milk he’s not a hero but also proceeds to thank him.

I’ve already written an analysis on this cutscene already and why Dark Choco responds the way he does but there’s something I realized and was reminded of when I found a different follow up analysis (that I’ll link a bit later) which is that actually this conversation between Dark Choco and Milk goes much better than what I or probably anyone else expected.

My initial expectation was that oh Dark Choco would have probably just said nothing or he would actually express clear discomfort from being around Milk. That’s what I was reminded of.

However, I realized while I was rereading that the last time Dark Choco has technically seen Milk was through a flashback during that Dark Mode scene. He was forced to rewatch his past memories and relive him slashing his father through Pomegranate’s magic. And because of that, he had a mental breakdown (more specifically it triggered his PTSD).

The most realistic expectation and conclusion based on what the game has provided us up to the release of Ch. 14 would be Dark Choco shouldn’t have even been standing in that room not just because Milk is there but because the Young Prince Portrait is hanged up on the wall and he’s standing in that very room. And don’t try to tell me “Oh what if Milk dragged him-“ Dark Choco wouldn’t be a pushover over his own trauma just because some guy he saved whatever amount of years ago really wanted to see it. He doesn’t hesitate to say how it is (and you can see that by how he immediately corrects milk when Milk calls him a hero.)

But if he wouldn’t want to or wouldn’t be comfortable in that very room, why is he there now with Milk? My answer to this which is more of a theory is that this portrait conversation takes place at an unknown time in the future where Dark Choco had already started to heal and most likely was able to make peace with however amounts of his past.

A point in time where Dark Choco willingly makes the choice to stand in front of the portrait and acknowledge that it still exists. The portrait still exists. The past can’t be erased but they have healed and can now acknowledge it without breaking down. I think the same thing goes for being in the same room as Milk. Remembering how he saved Milk was part of the flashbacks in Dark Mode. So realistically if he wasn’t ready, Dark Choco would just be avoiding him and probably wouldn’t have visited this room in the first place.

But yet there he is in the same room as Milk. Looking at the same portrait of himself with Milk and talking about it with him. The energy in the room is awkward and tbh that’s probably expected but if Dark Choco had truly been uncomfortable with Milk he would have left the room already and he certainly wouldn’t have thanked him for what Milk said.

I don’t actually know how to end this post. I’ll just throw in that Milk could be like 5x worse with his admiration but he’s not and he’s also *mild* when put next to the other two non cookie run pairings that’s been in my head recently and yet both of those pairings literally get development with them acknowledging aspects of their relationship and what they want out of it while *also still exhibiting the same intense admiration*. And they’ve been more accepted by their fandoms than darkmilk so like… I’ll just stare at my ceiling

[corinthianism]

i know places | the corinthian

pairing: the corinthian/gn!reader tags: forbidden love, friends to lovers warnings: minor oc death(s)

Contrary to popular belief, Dreams and Nightmares were not mortal enemies. There was no reason for them to be when they were made for the same purpose: to serve humanity and to aid Lord Morpheus, their king, in fulfilling his duties as one of the Endless. What was unheard of, however, were Dreams and Nightmares falling in love. Morpheus believed it to be a hindrance to his creations’ work, so he went to great lengths to prevent it but no matter what he did, love always seemed to slip through the cracks. All of his creations were complex, like humans, and they were reflections of their master. If Morpheus was able to love, so did they… but his ego was too great. He forbade romantic relationships between Dreams and Nightmares unless they wanted to be sent into the Darkness for an unknown amount of time. Some were fortunate enough to be brought back after two years, some five, some a hundred, and others were still there even after a full millennium.

The most notorious of these lovers were previous members of the Major Arcana. Morpheus noticed their absence in the minds of dreamers and was shocked to discover them trying to bargain with Destiny so that they might be able to live in the waking world, permanently. Belleza and Yadju were disintegrated together in front of all the residents of the Dreaming as a warning as to what would happen should Morpheus’ rule be questioned. In the end, he thought he was protecting them from the dangers of love, but a dream without love was no dream at all. 

You were there that day, and so was the Corinthian. 

Dreams and Nightmares weren’t enemies, but that didn’t mean they acted as one unit. After all, they had different things to do. However, the Corinthian just couldn’t stay away. It seemed like you couldn’t either. He was a Major Arcana, and you… well, you were a minor dream. Even if your jobs were completely different, he was still very much like your boss in a way. A boss that loved to flirt with you, get on your nerves, or both.

It was your job to make sure humans saw animals in their dreams. You trained creatures of all sorts, from dogs to dragons, to do what they needed the dreamers’ to see in their mind's eye. You were grateful that Lord Morpheus created you for this purpose, so not once did you ever question his rule. The Corinthian, on the other hand, frequently talked about his doubts without fear of the consequences. You weren’t sure why he came to the stables so often. Someone like him probably had better things to do. Or maybe he didn’t. Either assumption was unsurprising.

“You ever wonder what it would be like not to have to be covered in animal shit all the time?” he asked you one day out of the blue—the horse you were feeding neighed in offense. If you were a horse, you probably would’ve done the same thing.

“Uh, I don’t think so. You ever think about not having eye-teeth?” you retorted, going back to your job. He nodded his head and pursed his lips as if to say touché . “And besides, if you were so worried about the poop then just go somewhere else. I didn’t ask you to come here, y’know.” 

“Ouch, sweetheart. I’ve been here for five minutes and you’re already turning me away?” he placed his hand over his chest.

“That’s five minutes too much around you.” 

Safe to say, you weren’t a stranger to these conversations that might get you imprisoned for treason. You never said anything in agreement anyway and you hoped that that would be enough for you to get away with it. These conversations, or more accurately… rants, from the Corinthian continued for over a century. But nothing would come out of it. You were still you, he was still him. One change did happen and it was in those moments the two of you shared: constant insults turned into affectionate teasing. Playful pushes turned into the brush of your hands against his. Heated staredowns turned into appreciative glances. Scoffs turned into poorly-hidden laughter at inside jokes. 

That century didn’t change either of you, just what you were to each other. And it was terrifying. Belleza was one of your friends, despite the differences in your position. She was an inspiration to you: she was everything a Dream should be and you watched her die along with everybody else in the Dreaming. As traumatic as it was for everyone, you knew Morpheus was not a cruel ruler by any means. You knew he meant well, you just couldn’t understand why he felt the need to ban love in a kingdom of dreams and of hopes. You were lucky to have him as your king compared to most... but his decisions were too extreme. This intensity would put a dent in your loyalty and sometimes, a dent was all you needed to break a whole wall down. You thought about Yadju, the greatest Nightmare Morpheus ever created, and the Corinthian’s predecessor. Yadju was supposed to be the amalgamation of all of humanity’s darkest fears. but he fell in love and it killed him. It killed your friends. Every time you looked at the Corinthian, you can’t help but see their reflections in his shades. Would that be your fate as well? Had you doomed yourself to the Darkness because you chose to follow your hear?

In your little cottage at the edge of the kingdom, you sat by the fireplace. In the Dreaming, residents got everything they could ever need or want. It was a privilege you knew humans didn’t always have.

“But we’re not free to love,” you thought. It was a dangerous game to play in this realm, so you kept your thoughts to yourself.

There was only one other person who thought differently and you knew he had just entered your humble abode. The Corinthian approached you slowly and sat next to you.

“Well, isn’t this comfortable?” he teased. 

You rolled your eyes, “Oh, shut up.”

He laughed and took your hands in his, letting you lean on his shoulder. You sighed deeply and closed your eyes. Moments like these were rare nowadays. Morpheus had been giving you more work recently, and as always, you couldn’t really complain.

“What’re you thinking about, sweetheart?” he asked, humming as he pressed a kiss to your head.

“I just…” you paused. “Do you ever think about what it would be like to be human?”

“All the time. I probably wouldn’t have to wear these damn shades if I was human.”

You sat upright and looked at him, “No, I mean… do you ever think about how much freedom we would have?”

“You know what would happen if we tried to leave,” he frowned. “Morpheus would have us exiled for just escaping to the waking world. Imagine if he found out we’re…”

“We’re what?” 

“If he found out that I love you.”

And there it was: the sweetest, purest admission a Nightmare could ever give. The same admission that just might send you to your death. You slumped against him once more and kissed his cheek. He smiled. As long as you managed to make everything look normal, you would be safe. You were okay as long as you had him.

The year came and went, and with it, so did your hope for a new life with your love. You would continue to tame animals for the world's dreamers, and the Corinthian would continue his work as the wake-up call humanity needed from time to time. One day, he proposed an idea to you so blasphemous that you froze in fear of what Morpheus might do if he even heard of it. As soon as you came to your senses and understood what your lover was trying to do, you could only do your best to stop him from going. Even if you knew you couldn’t.

“I’ll go to the waking world—” “No!” “—And I’ll find us a place, yeah? I’ll find a way to keep us safe. I’ve always been very good at that, haven’t I?”

You tried to shut him up, hands trembling as you gripped his shoulders and looked frantically at your window because you never know if somebody might already be listening.

“ We managed to stay safe by keeping our lips shut and I think you forget we’re made out of the same stuff as his tools! His helmet alone would be able to track us down no matter where we go!” 

“Then I’ll find a way to get rid of it!”

You laughed bitterly. Not only was it dangerous; it was impossible. It just couldn’t be done and knowing the Corinthian, he’d rather die trying than not try at all. You, on the other hand, would rather have him here with you alive instead of trying to escape and inevitably failing. It was stupid to think that you’d have a chance against Dream. You knew your lover knew this too so you wondered why he even considered the possibility. He knew something, then.

“...Why are you so adamant about us leaving? You’re smart enough to know we don’t stand a chance against him.”

“I already went to the waking world,” he admitted quietly, lowering his head.

You felt your eyes go as wide as saucers, “You WHAT?! Is that why he left today? I heard from Merv that Dream left to go find someone, I didn’t think that would be you! Of all people!”

But before you could continue your scolding, you realized one thing: why was he here and not at the palace?

“Why… How are you here?”

“Dream didn’t send me back. He got… I don’t fucking know. It’s like he was being pulled back by something. I came back here to see you. He isn’t around to bother us anymore,” he said, one hand going down to brush against yours resting at your side, the other cupping your cheek. “We can be free, sweetheart. You and I don’t have to keep hiding anymore. I don’t have to be covered in animal shit just to talk to you and you don’t have to watch me chase humans around. I know you want it as much as I do.” 

What you didn’t know then was that he already talked to Roderick Burgess. He instructed the old man to build what would become your creator’s prison for the next century, and all you knew was that your lover got lucky. 

“But… the Dreaming. The work… the animals! Oh my god, what would we even do? I don’t know the first thing about being human,” you panicked. He only chuckled and kissed the spot between your brows. 

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, sweetheart. I got you. I always will.” 

He led you outside of the kingdom: to the endless sea of sand that comprised most of Dream’s realm. Your heart was racing. In anticipation? In fear? You weren’t sure. It was an odd feeling to have. Every second outside the gates only made it more intense. The Corinthian, on the other hand, seemed as cool as a cucumber. He donned that grin that first drew your ire, and then your love, and then you knew he would never let you get into harm’s way. He never seemed the type to let go of what was his and boy, were you his.

“Nervous?” he cooed teasingly. You frowned at him but could only sigh in defeat.

“I’ve never been… to the waking world, I mean,” you whispered. “What if… he catches up to us? There aren’t a lot of things in this universe that can contain an Endless.” 

“Then fate is in our favor then, but don’t get me wrong, honey, whatever happens next? That is entirely up to us. I’m not letting some fucking guy, especially not him, take you away from me. No,” he seethed, all while holding you close to him. He separated from you to take a good look at your face. “You, my dear, are gonna get everything you will ever want and need, everything that you’ve ever dreamed— hey, don’t laugh —dreamed of.” 

“All I could ever need is you,” you said softly. “Home is wherever you are.”

As if on cue, sand swirled around you and the last thing you saw was his smile that told you everything he needed you to know.

—

On Earth, life was incredibly fast-paced. So different from everything you’ve ever known. The first few months made you incredibly homesick, but there was no turning back once you received word that the Dreaming started deteriorating in your master’s absence. You couldn’t help but feel as though that was your doing. There was this guilt gnawing at you every second of every day, reminding you of your previous obligations. Even the Corinthian had trouble soothing you when the worst of it came. Perhaps your loyalty to Dream was an inherent thing you’d never be able to overcome. You were glad to have your lover with you; ever-present and ready to whisk you away from your troubles if he couldn’t completely eradicate them. 

Before you knew it, a decade had passed. One of your main concerns was homesickness, but as always, the Corinthian found a way. He gave you everything mortal life had to offer… but the most cherished gift he gave you was your own home in the countryside: surrounded by greenery and a constant gentle breeze. It was your home with him, with pieces of the both of you in one space. It was beautiful. Perhaps too good to be true. 

As if on cue, he was there again. He wrapped you in a warm embrace from behind as he peppered light kisses all over your neck and shoulder, “Hey sweetheart.”

You hummed, “Hi, honey.”

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“Oh, uh,” you cleared your throat. “Nothing much, just the usual, y’know. What to feed the chickens, where to get a-”

“You’re rambling again,” he said matter-of-factly. In one swift move, he turned your body to face his. “Tell me what’s on your mind, baby, maybe I can do something about it.”

“You spoil me.”

He gave you a look and you knew then that you had no choice but to cave in, “It’s Dream.”

“What about him?” he raised a brow, his hold on you loosening just a bit as he sat a little straighter.

“I… I can’t stop thinking about what would happen to me. To us. God knows what happened to him but I just… what if he comes back? If he’s dead, shouldn’t we be dead as well? That would mean he’s alive somewhere!”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Baby, we already talked about this. We’re not dead, yes, but there’s that sleepy sickness going on that’s probably because of him. Why can’t you accept the fact that maybe we can be our own person?”

“Because we never were in the first place! Don’t get me wrong, I want to be one. I want to be one so bad, but every day I wake up and I remember that I’m made of fucking sand!” 

The Corinthian frowned. He enjoyed many things; arguing with you was not of them, especially if it was about that emo twig they call their creator. He let out a deep, deep sigh, and took of his glasses. Even without eyes, you knew he was looking right at you. His hands, rough and calloused from centuries of hunting-killing-repeat, cupped your cheek. It was a gentleness that he would’ve otherwise not have if it wasn’t for you. In the dim light of your living, he wished he could stay in the moment forever to soothe your worries. To knead away the soreness in your muscles. To kiss you until your cheeks hurt from laughing so much.

It was all he could ever want and he certainly didn’t appreciate the fact that the reason you were so stressed in the first place was Morpheus, “Sugar, when have I ever lied to you? When we first came here, I told you we would be safe. That has not changed. I just need you to trust me. I’ve never failed you before, have I?” 

You shook your head, eyes glued to the floor. The Corinthian lifted your chin so that your eyes would meet his, and he smiled at you. All three sets of pearly whites telling you, “we’re gonna be okay.” 

His lips met yours then; it was a tender kiss. Like how two children might just try it out at the playground. It was love in its purest form, so much so that the Corinthian almost thinks he should stop and turn away, in fear of ruining it all. But surely… surely, he must’ve done something right to be here in the first place? Nevertheless, whatever the two of you had was real. Something even Morpheus couldn’t take away. This love was divine and it would be protected for as long as time exists. Nobody was taking this from you or your lover. 

Somewhere in England, a cage has burst.

[rainbowsky]

Hello, rainbow! hope you’re doing well!

i feel really silly asking this, but how do you view dd’s relationship with his fans? what do you think about it?

i’m new to the fandom so i’m kinda confused, and really don’t know if this has been addressed already.

i feel like every time i see him interacting with fans he looks really annoyed? maybe fed up?

i know lately there has been a lot of instances where he got his privacy invaded by “fans”, and that strains the relationship. but i don’t really know how it was before.

i really really like and support him in everything he does, and i know my thoughts might be misplaced. but i wanted to know your thoughts, if you’re willing to share.

Hi Anon, hope you're well too! 😊

Sorry that I'm so late in answering some of these asks. I've been very busy IRL and haven't had much time lately for Tumblr. I'm trying to get to the ones that are still somewhat relevant.

I got a few asks along the same lines of this one, after DD's recent Chunzhen live (more on that event here).

Disclaimer: This response is for all the anons who asked me this question, not just the Anon above. In fact, the above ask is the least judgmental/critical version of this ask I could find, which is why I'm answering it and not some of the others.

This question comes up a LOT whenever new fans see DD in interviews or at fan events, and especially at live endorsement event fan meets, which I believe he mostly hates (because they're boring and contrived and call upon him to be fake, and he's not fake).

Here is the Chunzhen event with Eng Subs.

People seemed to have an especially big reaction to his response (at 50:15) when he was asked if there's anything he wanted to do with his fans and he said, "Nothing." Which is just a very honest answer, quite typical of the DD we know and love.

And let's face it, what a STUPID question. What on earth would DD want to do with his fans? They don't treat him like a human being. What does he even have in common with most of them? As a star, what's he supposed to want to go camping with them or something? They'd spend the whole time screaming and fawning over him.

Anyway, this sort of response always gets negatively interpreted, and fans read a lot into it and often he gets painted as harsh, ungrateful and mean.

I think a lot of it comes from the toxic positivity that is rampant in most cultures - the idea that we have to come across as exuberantly pleasant or else we're being negative or bad.

DD is a very honest, straightforward person who tells it like it is. That means that sometimes he comes across as harsh to some people, but that's just the cultural judgments/assumptions talking - it's not an accurate assessment of who DD is or what he's really like.

There are expectations around how people should look and behave, and when those expectations aren't met, their behavior is interpreted as negative.

As an autistic person I get this a LOT in my life, and I absolutely hate it. It's one of the things I most loathe about interacting with neurotypical and mixed groups of random people who I'm not familiar with and don't have a trust bond with.

Because I don't have a lot of facial expressions, because I don't deal in subtext and I am forthright and honest, I very frequently get interpreted in negative ways - as 'harsh', 'cold', 'rude', 'blunt' or 'intimidating' - when in fact I'm just talking normally, and when in reality I'm actually happy or cheerful about what I'm talking about. People misread me entirely and take everything I say as having a negative tone, and project all these negative ideas, motives and subtext onto me about what they think I really mean or what they think I'm thinking about them. (More on all that here).

It even happens here on my blog.

It's a big part of why I identify with Lan Zhan so much. In fact, that's how I first learned about GG and DD - because my sister saw The Untamed and thought Lan Zhan was just like me, and urged me to watch the show.

We can hopefully all agree that Lan Zhan isn't a hateful, mean, harsh person. We can agree that he's actually a kind, loving, noble person with a lot of deep emotions and a compassionate heart. It's just that his way of expressing that is different from most other people's way of expressing it. Wei Ying is one of the few people who can see and accept Lan Zhan for who he is, and in return he gets the gift of seeing how funny Lan Zhan really is, how soft-hearted and kind.

DD is like this. He's sweet, charming, funny, kind. And he's also very unique, not like everyone else. He has his own way of expressing himself, and he has never been one to put on a fake face for fans - at least, not in his solo career where he's been at liberty to be himself.

We shouldn't read anything negative or judgmental into this.

Whenever DD has a live fanmeet for an endorsement brand my inbox fills with asks about his supposedly being 'off' or 'upset' or even 'angry', and I think if he is any of those things, it's not about what fans seem to assume. It's not some personal thing or some beef he has with fans. It's quite simply discomfort about being put into an event he doesn't enjoy and feels bored by.

DD isn't a salesman. He's not that kind of guy. And these events, they really call upon those kinds of skills and behaviors. They call upon the star to be a cheerful, up-beat shill for whatever ware is being hawked, and that's not something DD seems to feel comfortable with.

If it was a cool Lego set or some skateboard parts and accessories or a motorcycle helmet he'd probably light right up and knock it out of the park. He'd probably sell the shit out of those things. But drinkable yogurt or massage equipment or facial masques - not really something he's going to get fired up about.

DD isn't fake and isn't really capable of pretending to be interested in something he's not interested in. That's a feature, not a bug. That's a good thing, not a bad thing. HE'S SINCERE.

Once you've become more familiar with DD as a person you'll start to see that it's just his personality. And his fans - the ones who've been with him for a while and know him well - they see him for who he is and they love him for it. They know that he's not going to blow smoke up their ass or give them a bunch of fake sweetness. They appreciate his honesty and accept him for who he is.

Someone is likely to ask me if maybe he was upset about the way Chunzhen was handling the event/the situation with turtles, or if he was sticking it to solo fans after the fucked up demands they've been making and the way they've been abusing his team, so I'll address that here as well:

I doubt it, but it's possible.

Whether solos accept it or not, DD does care about turtles. At the very least, turtles are an important part of DD's fan base (and are not involved with the demands and other BS), and I doubt he would appreciate seeing them mistreated by one of his brands.

Turtles aside, I doubt he enjoys dealing with controversies, or with fan demands or with the way they've been slandering his team online. It's possible either one of those issues - or even both - impacted his demeanour in the event.

But like I said, I really doubt it. He was behaving how he usually does at these things - bored and eager to get it all over with. I didn't see anything unusual to suggest he was particularly upset or angry. He was just doing his job, earning his pay. Nothing more.

[sivavakkiyar]

I don’t disagree that this is often what occurs with the use of the term genocide, but I don’t think it’s an accurate descriptor of what’s going on in this tweet. As said an agreement on sheer material facts being granted, this comes out of a discourse that very seriously argues that mass enslavement *is* inherently genocidal, regardless of whether or not the bodies (and here, the rendering of them as primarily *bodies* is what’s significant—-that this has occurred already, assumptively, before literal death) have actually been wasted, that their sheer disposability is already inherent in the situation. There’s a body of work on this and the unique analytics of Black people post-humanism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, etc, the particular form of the colonization of Africa and it’s effects that I think can’t be kind of easily dismissed. It is true, I think, that this involves recontextualizing our concept of ‘genocide’, but that’s also quite literally what the discourse overtly claims to be doing, with a generally very good amount of historical backing and material specificity (and you know…it’s a discourse).

It’s complex, as complex as the debates and engagements we have over ‘indigeneity’. I’m not sure it’s a simple case of being able to say ‘Genocide is Not A Metaphor’ to.

(putting this in a seperate post because I want to be clear I’m kind of generally thinking, not responding to or characterizing)