#and it doesn't mean i don't love the country and its people

[mbta-unofficial]

Gonna actually talk a little bit about the Great Mosque of Djenne, which has one of the coolest folk traditions around it in the world. The building itself is both at least 700 years old and incredibly fragile. It's made of adobe, and requires yearly resurfacing with fresh clay in order to prevent it from cracking structurally. It's incredibly distinct visually because of the planks which are a kind of permanent scaffold allowing access to every part of the structure for the purposes of annual maintenance.

Now, when I say "reject tradition" as practical advice for opposing fascism, I don't literally mean "abandon the centuries old practice of restoring this beloved building to its pristine condition," right? This building is gorgeous and also a house of worship used daily. Well, for one thing, I'm not a Djenne muslim. I've never been to Mali, although I would certainly like to visit. But even if I were, I certainly wouldn't say that we should just let this symbol of my faith and country and nation rot right?

WELL,

no. This is a genuinely beloved act of community and a wonderful tradition and

also less than 120 years old

and what you need to understand is that

FASCISTS LIE ABOUT HISTORY ALL THE FUCKING TIME

Did you catch that? The 700 year old mosque was demolished and reconstructed from scratch in 1906. It spent an unknown amount of time between the mid 1600s when the towers were built and 1800s rotting after it was abandoned.

I love this building. I really do. I don't want to pretend that 120 years is small potatoes either, that is a really long time. And I think it's a beautiful symbol of the way that keeping what we love about the world beautiful and present takes work, and that you have to love something to keep it around and that keeping things around is a form of love. But once you ask "how long have they really been doing things this way?" suddenly the mystique of the 700 year old mosque that has always been preserved starts to crack and become ugly.

In 2006, men inspecting the roof had to flee the city to avoid being lynched after they were accused of vandalizing it. They were literally paid by an international islamic cultural society to do restoration work and had to flee because their actions were misinterpreted as malicious. The story and the mystique of the building and its sacred untouchability (except in the festival where we all touch and fix it) could have killed them.

The point is that buildings change over time. The great Mosque of Djenne was a mosque, then a palace, then a mosque again, then a ruin, then a school, then an empty lot, and then a mosque again. And, arguably, it's still the same building. There has only ever been one Great Mosque of Djenne and it maybe moved around a bit or didn't exist or was some rich guy's house or had another Great Mosque of Djenne next to it but there has still only ever been one Great Mosque of Djenne and every year the whole community comes together to fix it except when they try to lynch the guys trying to fix it and it's beautiful. I mean that. It is beautiful that they have been doing this for as long as they have.

And you have to remember that The Great Mosque of Djenne is a story we are all telling. And, when you tell stories, things like "it was a ruin for almost 200 years" get left out because "every year for at least 700 years people have come together to fix it" is a better story. It makes it seem like the building has only ever been just one thing, immune to history and politics.

That what fascists want. Because they are people. Awful, small minded, incurious people, but people who like you, love stories and wish, desperately, for a world with buildings that don't change for 700 years. Because, if something doesn't change for that long, it must be Worth something, you know, cosmically. Everything is always changing, especially in politics, and in history and it's so fucking scary to just be Alive when everything keeps changing like that.

So it must be that the reason It didn't change is because We didn't change. We didn't let Them change it because They are new and aren't interested in keeping the 700 year old tradition that We all know and care about that makes us Us and them Them. When you lie about history, you don't need to face that We were Them and They changed Us and we were better for it. We don't have to think about the fact that the tradition isn't as old as we say it is.

But also the Great Mosque of Djenne is a rejection of that idea. Because it changes every year. You can't argue that it doesn't. You just have to pick up your bucket and change it into the future you want. Because if you do nothing, it will crack and crumble and fall into rubble in just a few decades. It isn't invulnerable. It's intensely human because it is a real actual literal sandcastle that people have been in the process of building for more than 100 years. The story changes. The building changes. Slowly, imperceptibly, and then suddenly, all at once, and then people act like it never happened. But that's just the story. And if you read the history you can see the truth which is that people are beautiful and creative and also sometimes riot because they think someone is touching their story wrong.

[lowkeyrobin]

helloo!! i was wondering if maybe you could write a Five Hargreeves x Reader when five just absolutely ADDORRESS the reader? it doesnt matter whats the situation, whats the backstory for it, i just NEED a lovesick fool five🙏

I ALSO ABSOLUTELY LOOVVVEEE YOUR WRITING ITS SOOOO GOOODD!!!!💞💞💞

nah I agree with this it's slightly ooc but idgaf he would be lovesick if he didn't experience so much trauma in his life TELL ME IM WRONG. /hj ; and thank you!!! I appreciate it <3 ; thanks for requesting, hope you enjoy! ; I tried to make this as long as possible so I'm sorry if it's short as hell 💔

FIVE HARGREEVES ; lovesick

summary ; five is lovesick as hell

warnings ; language

word count ; 345

masterlist

Five adored you. He was completely infatuated, head over heels for you.

"I want you so badly it might kill me"

That's how he asked you out.

You could never do wrong in his eyes. You were a work of art in them. You were the Francoise Pilot to his Pablo Picasso.

He's even worse when he's drunk. Especially when there's no hope to save the world one last time. He's a touchy drunk around you, acting like a cartoon character with bubbles popping out of his lips when he burped.

He's a fool for you, even when he doesn't want to be.

But it's alright.

man he just fell in love at first sight

he couldn't help but admire everything you did, you moved smooth like butter

when he's not busy saving the world, he's surprising you with gifts / being very lovey dovey

he's a big physical affection person when he's lovesick

he literally daydreams of kissing you all day

he's actually obsessed

and it annoys his siblings

"y/n-"

"shut the hell up, five"

he's very overprotective of you

but not in a like stalker weird way, he's just concerned mostly

he doesn't wanna lose you cause he knows shit can flip at any second

he's genuinley the sweetest

yall have that old people love (cause I mean u kinda r old ppl cmon)

you sip hot tea on the porch swing in the morning to watch the sunrise

you live in a little cottage core home in middle of no where pennsylvania

he built your dreams dude 💔💔

think those few lines in miranda lamberts the house that built me

"mama cut out houses of pictures for years, from better homes and garden magazines. plans were drawn and concrete poured, nail by nail, board by board, daddy gave life to mama's dream"

if you get it you get it

I live / grew up in rural PA don't ask ab the country music

cause you'd definitely listen to the soft country type of music when baking in the kitchen or picking strawberries in the greenhouse together

[luludeluluramblings]

LoungeSinger!Reader??? Can you tell us a little bit about that,please🥺🥺🥺?

LoungeSinger!Reader x Yandere!Bat Family Member (Romantic)

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

A/N: I had this in my head rent free for all of November after listening to Hozier. More specifically, Too Sweet and Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene. This has so many different directions it could go in and I'm having a hard time picking one.

Warnings: GN!Reader, incarceration, possible manipulation

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

You had gotten it into your head that you could handle it. That you didn't need that small town mindset. And, that you were going to do something about it.

Now, moving to one of the most dangerous cities in the country to sing at some smokey bar might not have been the brightest of all your ideas. But, fuck the light, it hurts your eyes anyway.

You knew you got lucky when you found some decent paying bar that hired your naive ass. You knew you were good when you sang and made people fall in love with you. You didn't know how fucked you where when you made the wrong people fall in love with more than just your voice.

It had started innocently enough. No one in Gotham would blame you for falling for it. Not even your judgmental family back home would've blamed your for it. The devil is a charmer after all, and he looks like an angel as well. Sure, you were a seductive thing. But, you bit that apple not realizing it was a pomegranate in disguise.

The Bat Family were all about helping people from what you understood. You hadn't exactly expected to run into them. Not with how cautious you tended to be. Just because you were brave enough to move to Gotham of your own accord doesn't mean you were stupid enough not to take precautions. Avoiding dark alleyways. Carrying pepper spray. Taking a taxi even if it was only for two blocks.

But, they came to you. More specifically the bar you worked at. Asking questions from the busboy first. Then the Bartender. Then the waitress. Then you, the singer.

You were fully prepared to help them with whatever it was they were investigating. Wanting to do your part to help. However, you may have been beguiled by their first question.

"What's someone as pretty and as talented as you doing in a city like this?"

Of course, even with your flushing cheeks, you had figured that they were just being charming for kicks. That it was just in their nature and that they weren't really as captivated by you as they had sounded.

Still, they threw in flirty lines every now and then when they had asked you questions about the area. Things you had seen. Things you had heard. Where you lived.

Simple, investigative things.

You hadn't expected it to have gone on for multiple days though. Night after night, week after week of them coming back to talk.

When you had asked around your bar, they hadn't done that for anyone else. And, the people you did mention it to told you to keep it hushed with a cheeky grin and a knowing gleam in their eyes at the sight of our blush. You didn't need everyone in Gotham knowing you were flirting with one of its vigilantes.

It continues on like that for weeks, then months. Flirting and heated rooftop rendezvouses.

But, not years.

Because it suddenly comes to a bone rattling stop when the very bar you work at is shut down by the Gotham City Police and everyone is arrested. Including you. All

Everyone you know and trust, on the inside of those cells with you.

You'd contact your masked lover, but you don't know how. And, you don't want to. Not when you hear the officers talking about how they got all the information about your boss apparently laundering money for some local small time gang. Not when you hear their alias being mentioned.

No one blames you for what happened, thankfully. In fact, you received a substantial amount of pity for your situation. Poor thing. Manipulated and used and tossed aside.

Or, were you?

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

A/N: Did we do something to have them throw us in there? Did they think we were about to leave Gotham? Was is all a big misunderstanding? Is the GCPD just corrupt? Are they going to bail us out? Who is our masked lover? SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!

[erwinsvow]

little sad bitchy!reader moment: her and rafe are at the country club with topper and kelce and some other friends of rafe and one of the guys starts saying how she would be a horrible wife and mother (bc of the way she is) and she honestly is so hurt by it and i think she would almost try to change the way she is around rafe a little just so he wouldn’t think that about her…

sobbing thinking about it and listening to this (https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLX2Pdcv/)

hi my love this was so amazing and wonderful to write! im sorry its kinda long, hope you like it ♡

in all honestly, you stopped caring what people said about you a long time ago. you weren't the way you were because it was funny, or to get a reaction out of others. that was just the way you've always been, and there was nothing you hated more than letting people walk all over you and get away it.

that must be why the comebacks would fly out of your mouth before you could stop them, if you even wanted to stop them. why you never stopped to think twice about the people who didn't want to talk to you again or the boys who didn't want a second date.

you weren't easy to handle, not that you wanted to be, but you knew you weren't.

it seemed easy enough for rafe though.

he never seemed to wish that you'd bite your tongue or tell you to act differently, behave a certain way. no, he'd laugh and fire back something, or agree with you and say something you remember to add to your collection of insults.

rafe liked you as you were. that's why he fought so long and hard to get you, something that you didn't take lightly. you were committed, and the more days that went by, you found yourself softening up more and more with him.

rafe knew a side of you that a select few had ever seen, much less engaged with. you liked it this way, having a boyfriend you could be yourself around and be a little soft around.

until you overhear a boy at the club talking about you. in all your years of life, you've never let a boy make you feel upset, and you didn't want to start now. a comeback brews the second he mentions your name—of course it's the idiot one, the one whose parents pay for his grades and doesn't know anything besides losing at pong and scaring away girls—but it dies in your throat when you hear the words that follow.

"i mean i get it, she's hot, but i don't know how cameron puts up with her."

"what're you talking about? she's just like him," kelce says, and you feel briefly grateful for him.

"dude, she's a bitch. i've never heard one nice thing come out of her mouth. totally untamed. you can't bring a girl like that home to your folks, they'd hate her. especially his folks. and don't even mention long-term. imagine coming home after working all day and your girl is bitching at you? i mean, no offense but what kind of kids is she gonna raise?"

you hear laughter, and when your face feels wet, and you're confused for a moment. you look up at the ceiling, wondering if there's a leak, when your eyes flood again and more tears fall down.

crying, and that too over what one of rafe's friends said about you. this isn't like you. frankly, it's pathetic. those idiotic boys don't know the first thing about you or your relationship with rafe—they don't know the conversations you have and all the things you both agree on and the way he laughs when you fire back at him.

but somehow, feet leading you outside and to your car, fingers texting rafe some excuse for why you went home early, you end up letting it affect you.

rafe comes over the next morning—he texted you something but you didn't reply. worried for a moment about something you've never been concerned with before, you think a nicer girl would have texted him back right away, that you should have texted him back.

he doesn't knock, never does. your parents aren't home but he has your spare key, letting himself in and up to your room. he stops at the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"hey. what happened last night?" he asks it like he doesn't know what happened—which is good, you want it to stay that way. the thing you would have said yesterday bubbles up, coming to your lips. maybe if you'd gotten your head out of your ass, you'd see my text.

"wasn't feeling good. came home."

"you feelin' okay now?" he gets closer to you, and you look up at your boyfriend. i'd be fine but that asshole you already hate ruined my mood. will you run him over in your truck?

"better." you stop for a moment, you don't want him to think something's wrong. "how was your night?" he looks at you a little confused.

"it was fine. borin' without you. kelce asked where you went too."

"y'know i always liked kelce," you say, smiling again. you think you can get better at this.

rafe takes you out for lunch, and then you wanted to go shopping in the afternoon and get your nails done. it's a whole day, and you like spending it with him. you swallow down what your mind usually thinks and opt for being nice instead, polite questions and trepid commentary.

the waiter brings you the wrong drink—and though you're not so much of a bitch to hurl insults at teenager servers, you're normally annoyed enough to say something and get your correct drink. instead you sip it quietly, waiting for rafe to start the conversation. when you don't, he looks at you in that confused way again.

"you okay?"

"yeah. fine. you okay?"

if he thinks something's wrong, he doesn't say anything. at the mall, nothing looks how you want and even the things you like don't feel right. you'd let rafe buy you whatever you want, normally giving him a twirl in the dressing room and thanking him very sweetly.

"you want that dress?" rafe asks, his arm resting on a rack while you comb through mindlessly.

"no, it was too short."

"that's never been an issue before." ha-ha. pervert. looking up my skirt aren't you? knew you were desperately horny for me but this is down bad even for you.

"trying to dress better. and it'll be cold soon."

"hey, look at me." rafe uses his hands on your shoulders to turn you from the clothes, facing him. "you okay baby?"

fuck, you know you messed up. he only calls you that when he's being serious—the rest of the time it's princess, angel, sweetheart. all things that you are definitely not.

"i'm okay. i just don't want it. but thank you." you don't know it, but he thinks you're upset with him, spending the next hour in the nail salon racking his mind for the reason why.

your nails are fine, they look pretty enough. shorter than normal with a clean french manicure, you admire them from a distance. you suddenly feel like crying again, wondering why you didn't get the pink acrylics you like, rhinestones and bows and all the other things that were pretty to look at when you flipped people off.

in rafe's passenger seat after, you keep staring at your hands, feeling another tear slip down. rafe's not looking at you, he's looking ahead, still unsure what was going on.

"baby, if i did something you gotta tell me, i don't like seein' you like this-" when he turns his head to glance at you, you're looking back at him with your pouty face and wet cheeks—two things he's never seen before. "hey. what's wrong?"

you couldn't stop the downpour if you tried—tears falling quick and fast. you hate that anyone's seeing you like this, especially rafe.

rafe is nice to you, and you soften up around him. you didn't really realize that he softens up around you too. he wipes your tears away, keeps a hand on yours the whole time.

"can you talk to me? what's goin' on?"

"yesterday.. one of those guys said that i was a bitch-"

"which one? to your face? when? i'll fuckin' kill him-"

"no, he didn't know i was there. it's not that, i know i am. i don't care about that. he said that-" your voice cracks, something else you hate, that you don't want rafe hearing. "sorry. he said you couldn't bring me home. and that you would hate coming home to me-me being all mean. and that our kids would be mean too."

yes, you're mean. but rafe's mean too, and none of your friends have ever said anything like that about him. you like that he's mean, that he's like you—you think he's the closest thing to a soulmate you could ever find.

"don't fuckin' listen to any of them for a second, got it? they don't know anything."

"rafe, i-"

"no, seriously. they yap because i wasn't there to knock him out. and he says it when you're gone 'cause he knows you'd make him cry if you were there." you sniffle, though you already feel better.

"but i didn't. i started crying instead." you hate even thinking about it.

"s'okay, it happens. but don't believe a word of that shit. i wanna come home to you everyday. hear everything you say. i want all of it."

"really?" you ask him, wiping away your tears, appreciating the hand on your thigh and how sincerely he's looking at you. "i thought you'd be mean if i cried in front of you."

"it's hard enough to be mean to you."

"you're such a sap. should we go get ice cream and braid each others hair after this?" he laughs, and you laugh. "thanks rafey."

"no problem, kid."

"don't call me that." rafe groans, and you smile.

[phossiii]

｡𖦹°‧⭑ monsters: chapter ten

synopsis: batman comes for a visit. and phosphorus makes a rather "heartfelt" confession.

cw: reader is a monster, mature themes, violence, profanity, innuendos, phosphorus is phosphorus

a/n: anon... this is for you ;) you know who u are

One month later.

"Let me get this straight... you want to stay here in Belle Reve?"

"Yes."

"And you don't want to go back to Arkham?"

"Nope."

Taking in a deep inhale, Batman let out a long exhale through his nose.

"I don't suppose this has something to do with Alexander Sartorius?"

"Whaaaaat? What makes you say that?"

His brows flattened, and you realized his gaze wasn't on you, but rather on something outside of the window behind you.

Warily, you turned around, only to see Phosphorus fighting against a swarm of guards trying to detain him.

"You're not taking her back to Arkham, Batman!" he exclaimed, using his head to bang against the glass since his hands were cuffed behind his back. "I'll burn this whole place down!"

Your eyes shot wide.

"Don't say that, you idiot! They'll add to your time!"

"I don't think a few extra years is doing much to his triple life-sentence..." Batman assured in a monotone.

You could practically hear the judgement in his voice, its presence distinguishable from a mile away.

With a sigh, you turned around, leaning back in your chair and crossing your arms over your chest.

"Alright... maybe it does have something to do with him... so what?"

"He's psychotic."

"It wasn't too long ago that the shrinks at Arkham thought I was psychotic."

"Demonic possession is not recognized by any court in this country. It was either that or be declared as legally insane. And if that were to have happened, they would've—"

"Locked me up and threw away the key? Believe me, I know."

With a huff, you slumped slightly in your chair, your gaze falling to the floor, before slowly gliding up to him.

"He's charming."

"Most psychopaths are."

"Do you think I would be anywhere near him if I thought he was a threat to me?"

"Love can make sane people do irrational things, (y/n). I've seen it before, and I've seen the road it leads to."

"I am not Harley Quinn."

"And he's not Joker?"

"This seems very hypocritical considering you-know-who..."

At the mention of Selina, Batman cleared his throat, quickly shifting the conversation by sliding a manila folder across the table.

"This is not what I came here to talk about."

Glancing at the file, your eyes quickly landed on the JL insignia printed boldly on the cover.

"...You're joking."

"I think you would be a good addition to our ranks."

"You gonna open a Belle Reve chapter of the Justice League? Start recruiting inmates?"

"You're not an inmate. You haven't committed a crime."

"I've murdered and cannibalized hundreds of men, women, and children."

"That wasn't your crime."

"Oh, yes, civilian! Let me save you from this burning building! Oh, no! I bit your arm off. Try again next week?"

"According to your psych evaluation, the demon has repressed herself with no signs of returning in the near future."

"Mahalat may be docile now, but I can't promise that when the stakes get high, she won't return to her old ways," you stated, seriously. "I may have placated her into not eating everything in sight, but that doesn't mean she won't eat period. And with the Justice League's no-kill motto, I'm sure I'd be nothing but a social pariah."

"You shouldn't have to spend your life behind bars because of the mistakes your parents made."

Slowly, a small smile cracked onto your lips, heart warmed by the hero's declaration.

Batman had always been so kind to you, no matter how frightening or menacing you could be.

He made it a point to make sure you were well-taken care of, covering everything from your legal fees to your original, self-admitted stay at Arkham.

He was a gentleman—with nothing but your best interests in mind—and the kindest person you had ever met.

"I'm a danger to the public, Bats... And myself," you started, softly, resting a careful, reddened hand over his gloved one. "If staying in here means I don't harm another innocent person, then I'll do it, no questions asked."

Expression firming, you stood from your seat.

"But I'm no hero."

Memories flashed behind your eyes, images of dead bodies, half-eaten limbs, screaming children.

You were far from innocent in this whole endeavor.

"The people I've hurt... the lives I've taken... that can't be redeemed by saving cats from tress..." you stated, seriously. "Each and every one of them deserves justice... and I'll be damned if I get off scot-free."

Unable to catch it, a stray tear rolled down your cheek, forcing Batman to stand up.

"So don't worry about me, alright? I'm sure you've got more important things to be doing than checking up on some—"

Before you could even finish your sentence, you were enveloped in a hug.

A surprisingly warm, surprisingly tender hug.

From Batman.

'No. Way.'

You could hear Phosphorus going absolutely ballistic in the background, shouting something along the lines of "Get your hands off her!" as he beat against the glass.

But you were too taken aback to even notice.

Just as quickly, as he came, Batman pulled away, resting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"You're a good person, (y/n)... Don't torture yourself with the past."

And with that, he picked up his file and exited the room, enduring a few seconds of beratement from Phosphorus before making it past and continuing on down the hall.

Exiting yourself, you were instantly bombarded with questions by your irradiated lover.

"What did he say? Is he taking you to Arkham? How soon? We have time to make an escape plan? Waller won't let this happen, right?"

"I'm staying here, Alex," you giggled, amused. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, thank, God."

"Alright, lovebirds. Chow hall. Now," one of the guards barked, quickly un-cuffing the man before shoving him toward the entrance to the dining room, allowing you to walk over.

"Why the hell did he give you a hug?" Phosphorus asked, muttering a few curses at the guard under his breath as he rubbed his wrists. "Bastard's known for being a hard-ass, but the moment he comes around you all of a sudden he feels like handing out hugs?"

You chuckled, entertained by his jealousy.

"You're crazy."

"I'm right," he corrected.

"Y'know, I never took you for the possessive type."

"I don't like people touching what's mine."

At that, you stopped in your tracks, raising a brow as you poked a finger in his chest.

"And what about you? You have this my my my, mine mine mine thing going on. But what about me? Are you mine? Or is this ownership a one-way street?"

"'Course I'm yours, doll face," he answered, smoothly, as if it was the simplest thing in the world, sending a ripple of warmth through your stomach. "I thought that was a given."

"Alex, how the hell is that a given?"

"If I say you're mine, it's obvious that the same goes for me to you."

"No. Not obvious at all."

"It's totally obvious!"

"Nope... but now that I know, I wanna hear you say it."

"You wanna hear me say it?"

"Yup."

"And you wanna call me possessive?"

"I can always ask G.I."

"Yeah, good luck getting anything outta him."

"Leaving..."

"I'm yours," he caved, quickly grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you back. "Your guy, your man, I still don't give a shit what you wanna call it."

He let out a quiet sigh, lowering his voice so only you could hear.

"I'm yours. And you get to touch me and hold me and kiss me whenever you like... in exchange for mind-blowing sex."

You grinned, giving him a knowing nudge.

It sounded even better when he said it...

"See? Now was that so hard?"

"On the contrary, I think I felt an artery harden."

"Asshole!"

"You know you love me~"

"Fuck off."

"There she is."

[valiantothello]

I often see the sentiment of "Dick grayson has a temper/is a huge asshole" percolate across this fandom and I want to talk about a few panels people typically use to show this.

Here's one from his New Titans days:

"YOU SEE THAT? "PLAYBOY POWS PAPARAZZI!" I CAN SELL THIS ONE TO EVERY PAPER IN THE COUNTRY! "I THINK HE BROKE MY JAW!" "PRINT THAT PHOTO AND I'LL BREAK SOMETHING THAT WON'T HEAL!" "I'LL SUE YOU, GRAYSON! I GOT IT ON FILM! I GOT WITNESSES!"

New Titans #97

But most people like to omit the previous panel:

"KORY, DON'T! KORY! YOU KNOW I DON'T CARE FOR HER. I WASN'T PAYING ATTEN-- I MEAN, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SLEEPING WITH HER. I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU! OH, GOD--KORY, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU. KORY!?!"

"MAN, IT WAS A GOOD THING WE WERE FOLLOWING HIM!" "'PLAYBOY SLEEPS WITH GIRL-FRIEND'S TWIN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT!'" "MAN, IF I HAD A GIRLFRIEND LIKE THAT, I'D NEVER NEED TO LOOK AT ANYONE ELSE."

New Titans #97

Is Dick, who is being mocked and goaded for his own rape, lashing out and showing his "temper"? Or is he showing a reasonable reaction to the horrific things that are happening to him?

Another example is the time Dick killed the joker:

"ALL THE DEATHS! ALL THE PAIN! WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH, JOKER!?"

"AW... JEEZ.. I HIT JASON A LOT HARDER THAN THAT. HIS NAME WAS JASON, RIGHT? SHUUH- SHOULDA VIDEOED THIS. OOOOH."

People often forget about this guy:

"WHATEVER STOKES YOU UP, PRETTY BOY... WHATEVER FEEDS THAT YUMMY-TASTY HATE BUBBLIN' UP INSIDE YOU."

Joker: Last Laugh #6

This is a classic moment of Dick Grayson being brainwashed, mind-controlled etc. The character creeping on Dick is called Rancor - a white supremacist meta who has the ability to dramatically increase the anger/hatred someone is feeling. Yes, Dick was furious that the Joker "killed" Tim, but there was no guarantee Dick was out to kill the Joker.

"NO ONE HATES HIM MORE THAN ME. NO ONE WANTS HIM DEAD MORE THAN ME. BUT THIS ISN'T THE WAY. "I KNOW, BABS. GOD HELP ME, I KNOW."

Dick admits to Barbara that he knows that he shouldn't kill the Joker despite expressing clearly that he wants to. But immediately after, Dinah says this to Barbara:

"I TRIED TO STOP KIM... BUT HE SUCKER-PUNCHED ME AND TOOK MY BIKE. HE DID APOLOGIZE THOUGH... STALWART TO A FAULT, YOUR GUY."

This panel immediately picks up after the last one. Dick fights with Dinah off-panel and apologises for it. We also know that Rancor was following him the whole time. Its reasonable to assume that Dick was lashing out at Dinah because of his altered emotions via Rancor's mind-control. Is it really fair to assume that had Rancor not been there, Dick would've went through with killing the Joker? I don't think so.

Another infamous one is Dick's fight with Donna:

"ON TOP OF ALL THAT, KOLE'S DEAD, AND WHAT DID YOU DO WHILE ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING? WHAT MENACE WERE YOU FIGHTING? WHAT WAS DISTRACTING YOU FROM FOLLOWING UP ON RAVEN'S "PLEASE, DICK--DON'T SAY IT."

"DISAPPEARANCE OR MENTO'S INSANITY? YOUR HUSBAND NEEDED HELP WRITING SOME COLLEGE PAPER! THE WORLD GOES TO HELL IN A HANDCART BUT YOU STAY AT HOME HELPING SOMEONE WRITE A LOUSY STORY!"

"STOP IT, DICK... STOP IT!"

New teen titans Vol 2 #19

The panels before it:

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GIVE UP, DICK. KORY MAY BE MARRIED, BUT IT'S NOT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE. NOT FOR HER OR FOR YOU. AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU TAKE OUT YOUR FRUSTRATIONS ON THE REST OF US. DO YOU HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING, DICK?"

"DONNA, YOUR MISTAKE IS YOU ASSUME I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I DON'T. MOVE ASIDE, PLEASE. I WANT TO GO OUT." "NO. I'M NOT DONE." "I SAID I DON'T CARE, NOW PLEASE... MOVE." "NO."

New teen titans Vol 2 #19

Notice how Dick repeatedly tells Donna to let it be. He clearly didn't want to discuss the Karras-Kory marriage because he was also being ACTIVELY BRAINWASHED in this moment and is canonically lashing out at his friends and girlfriend because of it. Donna refuses to leave Dick alone, even adding a defiant "No." after he asks.

After Dick snaps and starts yelling some very, very harsh truths at her, Donna starts to violently lash out at Dick.

Notably, Dick doesn't hit Donna back despite his altered mind state. Whilst I'm not villifying Donna for having this reaction at all, she wasn't in the right either. Despite Dick telling her to back off, she did not. Despite knowing Dick was volatile at that moment - the whole reason she wanted to have the talk- Donna still couldn't handle Dick's anger without responding with violence. As such, this isn't; a show of Dick "losing his temper" due to him actively fighting brainwashing, a particularly good representation of their friendship or a girlboss moment for Donna.

There are other moments I could point out that fandom uses to display Dick's "temper" or him being "an asshole" (🙄) and the more I see, the more I notice how out of context these moments are displayed to be.

There's something very disingenuous about deliberately posting panels of Dick acting a certain way with zero context which leads people to believe he is acting that way with no provocation - which is usually not the case- all in the name of giving him a "character flaw". If you can't find said flaw without the character being mind-controlled or literally out of their mind in grief, is it really a character flaw or just fanon?.

[bunbun-mochi]

In every love interest in Love and Deepspace, you always have to read the lores in order to understand why the character is the way they are. It is alright to dislike a love interest. I have a couple that isn't my favorite. But don't go online and talk trash about a certain love interest if you don't know their story, nor should you attack anyone who loves that love interest.

"Xavier is so lazy, I don't want him as a partner." "Xavier is such a pushover." Do you know why he sleeps so much? A pushover? For MC, yea, but for everyone else? No.

"Zayne is so cold." "Zayne is such a workaholic." "Zayne is so mean." Do you know why? Have you realized why he can't show affection? Have you read his story?

"Rafayel is so childish." "Rafayel needs to grow up." Again, did you read HIS backstory? I have seen the most negative comments about Rafayel, and this fishball doesn't deserve it.

I did not find many negative comments about Sylus. The few I found are that he's a red flag, which again, read his story.

Caleb has the second-highest number of negative comments on my page, and they sadden me. Especially after his release, people had come after Caleb's girlies, calling them inc*st and such. If you don't understand a country's culture and its use of certain words and go after people with just limited knowledge you have about that certain word, you just proved the definition of ignorance. Just because your culture doesn't use the word "brother" for anyone who isn't your brother doesn't mean another culture doesn't. Spoiler alert: Your culture or language isn't the only thing this world has. (BTW, ever read TGCF? Heaven Official's Blessing? Hua Cheng also calls Xie Lian "gege". Now, are they brothers? no. Do they see each other as brothers? no.)

Anyway, just play and enjoy the game. No need to ruin someone else's experience just because they liked a character that you disliked. Thank you.

[goldfades]

PARDON MY EMOTIONS / I SHOULD PROBABLY KEEP IT ALL TO MYSELF ── 𝐉𝐁⁵

❪ requested -> "jude angst to fluff WITH PLOT!" ❫

─ pairing | jude bellingham x fem!reader

─ word count | 1.7k

─ warnings | lots of angst to fluff, miscommunication (kind of), jude being an ASSHOLE but making up for it.

─ ev's notes ! | i'm now in my football kick due to the euros and copa america so please send in requests!!! 🤗🎀

⇨ missing out on updates? check out my masterlist!

BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP with England's star football player had its ups and downs.

You got to be a WAG, enjoying the glamorous lifestyle that came with dating Jude. From attending high-profile matches and exclusive events to traveling the world and mingling with other footballers and celebrities, life was never boring. The media attention was overwhelming at times, but you learned to navigate the spotlight and maintain a sense of normalcy.

However, that was the problem. You longed for a sense of normalcy, that was all you wanted was for your relationship. The glitz and glamour of being a WAG was only fun for a bit, not it seemed like you never got a moment to yourself. This was the root of all your relationships, somehow ─ Jude never understood why you wouldn't like all the media attention.

"It's overwhelming," you muttered as you played with the bottom of your of your coffee cup, the warm ceramic providing little comfort. Jude sat across from you, his expression both of concern and confusion.

"What do you mean, overwhelming?" He replied, his gaze locked on you. "This is part of the life we have. The attention, the media... it's just something we have to deal with."

You sighed, looking out the window at the city outside. "But that's just it, Jude. I never wanted this. I love you, and I support your career, but I miss having a private life. I miss being able to go out without cameras following us or people recognizing us everywhere we go."

"Overwhelming for you?" He sighed, his expression hardening. "How do you think I feel? Look, I'm not asking for much ─ I've given you the best life I can,"

You scoffed, he wasn't listening to what you were saying. "This isn't about you or-or what you've given me. I'm grateful, I really am-"

"Doesn't sound like it," Jude cut you off, his voice rising in frustration. "It sounds like you're not happy with anything I've done."

You felt a surge of anger, the words bubbling up before you could stop them. "That's not fair, Jude," you sighed. "I've been by your side through everything, and all I'm asking for is a little understanding. I need space, I need to feel like my own person, not just an accessory to your life."

Jude stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "So, what? You want me to quit football? Give up everything I've worked for?"

"No!" You stood up as well, your heart pounding. "I don't want you to give up anything. I just want you to see things from my perspective for once. I'm losing myself in all of this, and I feel like an accessory you just get to show off."

"Well, you know that's not true," his eyes softened for a moment, but then the frustration returned. "I thought we were a team. I thought we were in this together. But it feels like you're just... giving up."

"I'm not giving up," you said, your voice breaking. "It's hard for me too, like I'm just a pretty face with no dreams or aspirations. That's what they think-"

"Who cares what they think? I know you're more than that, everyone you care about knows that." Jude let out a huff as he glared at you.

"Well it's always just been about you, Jude," you didn't mean it to come out so harsh ─ your tone hard and cold. "Moving to Spain and-and all this, it's hard on me too."

That seemed to hit a nerve because Jude's eyes went wide before he scoffed. "You think this has been easy for me? You think moving to a different country, dealing with the pressure of a new team, and trying to keep us together is all about me?"

You flinched at his words, but your frustration was too strong to back down now. "That's not what I'm saying, Jude. I just want you to see that I'm struggling too. I left everything behind to be with you. My friends, my family, my life — everything."

Jude's face softened slightly, but his jaw was still tight with anger. "I need you to understand that this life comes with sacrifices. We both have to make them, this is what you signed up for."

"I know that, Jude," you said, tears welling up in your eyes as you sniffled. "But sometimes it feels like I'm the only one sacrificing. I feel like I'm losing myself, and I don't know how to fix it."

You wiped away a tear before continuing, averting your gaze from Jude. "I just need to feel like I'm more than just your girlfriend. I need to feel like I have my own purpose."

"You are!" Jude snapped, before sighing.

You sent him a glare as you sighed loudly, getting tired of not being heard. "Don't raise your voice!"

"You're being ungrateful, I've given you everything! A nice house, a nice car, you know how many girls would kill to be in your position?"

That was the last straw. Your mouth was slightly agape as you took in his words. Ungrateful? How could he say that after everything you've sacrificed to be with him?

"Fuck," you sighed as you looked up, meeting his gaze. "Is that how low you think of me? Fine, then. Let them have my position, since apparently, you think I'm just here for the perks," you said, your voice trembling with a mix of hurt and anger.

Jude's face fell, a mixture of regret and panic crossing his features. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just frustrated. I love you, and I want us to be happy."

You shook your head, taking a step back. "That's not enough, Jude. Love isn't just about the nice things or the glamorous life. It's about understanding each other. And right now, I don't feel understood."

"That's not what I meant," Jude sighed as he began rubbing his temple. "Jesus, I need some space from you."

You glared as he grabbed his keys from the counter and you watched him walk out of the room, feeling your stomach twist in anxiety and hurt. The sound of the door closing echoed in the silence, leaving you standing alone in the kitchen. Tears streamed down your face as you sank into a chair, feeling the weight of the argument pressing down on you.

You sat there for a while, trying to process everything that had just happened. The love you had for Jude was undeniable, but the constant feeling of being misunderstood was taking its toll. You needed to find a way to reclaim your sense of self, to feel heard in your relationship.

After a few moments, you wiped your tears and took a deep breath. You needed to do something, anything, to clear your mind. You decided to go for a walk, hoping the fresh air would help you think more clearly. Grabbing your jacket, you stepped outside and started walking aimlessly through the streets of the city.

As you walked, you reflected on your relationship with Jude. There had been so many beautiful moments, but lately, it seemed like the challenges were overshadowing the good times. You loved him deeply, but you needed to find a way to communicate better, to make him understand how you felt without it turning into a fight.

After a while, you headed back home, feeling a bit more centered. When you entered the apartment, you heard the TV and sighed. You took off your jacket and made your way to the living room, your gaze landing on Jude was too immersed in the show he was watch to realize you'd come home.

He finally met your gaze and instantly muted the TV, the tension palpable as you walked toward him.

"Hey," you whispered as he gave you a small smile.

He tapped to the spot next to him, inviting you to sit down. You hesitated for a moment before joining him on the couch, the silence between you heavy with tension.

"Hey," he said softly, his eyes filled with regret. "I've been thinking about what you said."

You nodded, your heart aching at the sight of his earnest expression. "Me too. I just... I need you to understand how hard this is for me."

Jude took a deep breath, his hand reaching out to gently take yours. "I know I've been incredibly fucking selfish, and I haven't been listening to you. I didn't realize how much you were sacrificing and how it was affecting you until now and... and I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in your eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief. "I appreciate that, Jude. I love you, but I need to find my own way, to have something that's mine."

He nodded, squeezing your hand. "Yeah, I get that. And I want to help you find that. We can work on this together, maybe you can look into things that interest you here, find something that makes you happy."

A small smile tugged at your lips. "I’d like that. And maybe we can set some boundaries with the media, try to keep our private life a bit more private."

"Yeah, absolutely," Jude agreed, his eyes shining with determination. "I'll talk to my manager and see what we can do about that. Your happiness is important to me... you are important to me."

You leaned your head against his shoulder, feeling a sense of reassurance. "Thank you, Jude. I just want us to be happy together, without all the pressure and stress."

He kissed the top of your head, his arm wrapping around you protectively. "We will, I promise."

"I love you, a lot," Jude continued, his voice soft. "I didn't mean anything I said earlier, I was just angry. I don't know..." He trailed off, before pausing. "I don't know what I'd do with you, baby."

You looked up at him, your eyes meeting his brown ones, and you could see the depth of his feelings for you. "I love you too, Jude," you whispered, your heart swelling with emotion.

As you cuddled together on the couch, the warmth of his embrace enveloping you, you felt a sense of peace.

"How about we start fresh tomorrow?" Jude suggested, his voice gentle. "We can spend the day together, just us. No media, no distractions. Just enjoying each other's company."

You nodded, feeling a wave of relief. "I'd love that. It sounds perfect."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling with affection. "Good. It's a date then."

↳ make sure to check out my navigation if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[neil-gaiman]

So. I read the article by NME that you shared. And like, a lightbulb went on in my head. Can't believe I didn't even connect it before this. A few days after watching GO season 2, I think I was in the middle of my second or third rewatch, when my brain made a random decision all on its own without any input from me- if none of my friends or family can see me as queer, I'll just look for people who are queer. Like a switch went off in my brain, after it made some kind of connection? I mean, you wrote it like non binary people and lesbians and other queer people were so normal and like. All my life I've buried that part of myself along with a few other unpalatable parts deep down. Past few years I've been working on who I am and how I want to live my life- but there was this queer part that I didn't really know what to do with so I just, ignored it? I even got into a relationship just so that my friends would stop worrying I was lonely or something (the person in question had been asking for a year, I got tired and said yes because I should at least "try"- it didn't last long)

I love my friends, they've literally saved my life, but no matter how much I tell them, they just can't understand this part of me coz they don't have any context. I'd never even met another queer person until last month and I'm 27. But like. It's normal to be like this, right? and maybe what I need is to meet more people like me instead of burying it so much. I loved the new season so much more than the first. It's like the show is telling you how normal it can be. It's silly but that's all I can think of, you wrote them like people- complex and weird and lovely, and the show doesn't treat them like a joke or a horror thing- not in that degrading manner like in the mainstream media of my country. I know that's not the main theme of the show, but it's pretty significant for me. Also it's a really really good show. So thank you for writing it, you're genuinely amazing.

My heart aches for you. I hope you find whoever you need.

[jmdbjk]

Well...

I've always harped on their "chemistry" and its no exaggeration. They fit together so naturally. They are so very in tune with each other, when you are with that person and you feel like everything is right and it doesn't matter what you are doing, where you are going or if you are doing anything or nothing at all.

This episode was completely different than any of the previous episodes.

By the end of November they both knew what was going to happen and embracing the idea that they were about to "go in" and they were doing this together. They flat out said they were making memories to take with them while they served their military obligation.

Jimin and Jungkook clearly see themselves as just ordinary people living extraordinary lives, and they want to and expect to experience ordinary things.

The convenience store visit.

They ran like kids sliding on the ice, stomped in the snow, threw snowballs at each other, even though occasionally, Jimin's pragmatism burst their cozy little bubble:

Jungkook: "When it snows during our military service I think I'll recall this moment."

Jimin: "Right now, we're watching the snow from a hotel window but soon we'll have to sweep it up."

Ever the romantic, that Jimin...

Walking on the street with the general public, getting coffee, making their way to the train station... just like everyone else...

Yes, they had a crew with them, leading them and following them through the streets of Sapporo. But everything they did was ordinary.

When they are ordering food or drinks, their attempts at reading and speaking Japanese are endearing. They just dove right in. I love them. See? Don't let language be an obstacle when traveling in a foreign country!

I don't know if that's his personal little round furry money purse or if the staff used that for this trip's spending money and just handed it to him... but it was cute as fuck.

There is nothing pretentious about them. Yes they can whip out the black card to pay for expensive whisky but Jungkook took pleasure in choosing what he wanted himself, carrying his armload of 18 year old whisky to the counter and paying the $4000 for it himself at the distillery. He could have had someone else do it for him.

We saw these purchases in his refrigerator during his live on Dec. 8:

As ordinary as it was, there were still some very WTF moments that everyone has already pointed out:

That moment from the car ride on the way from the airport to the hotel at 11 o'clock at night, no seatbelts, Jimin practically sitting in Jungkook's lap and both smushed against the door. Jungkook looking like he is about to get lucky or just did.... man, I don't know what that was all about and how it stayed in this episode instead of getting edited out. I mean... there is a cut so we are not seeing the entire thing but what they left in was... ok?... I guess?

The train ride sequence (even though it was highly manipulated in post-production to wipe out all the other people)...

That culminates in this... we hope it ends up being a selca in the photobook. The moment was so sweet.

At the distillery, cosplaying their pickup lines at a bar...

Jimin's moment of clarity when he envisioned himself a girl dad and Jungkook thinking "uhhhhh... ok, Jimin, whatever you say"...

Gotta say though, Jimin envisioning himself a father at some point in the future was very sweet.

They reminisced a lot, talking about how much they and the other members have changed over the years and still remarking to each other how young they both look when back outside in the cold air, cheeks flushed from whisky and beer and a hot meal.

Their point of view regarding their looks, "they enjoy watching us gradually get raggedy and fat."

Yet, their age difference is exactly what makes them click. Jimin being older, caring, watchful, responsible in the early years, and Jungkook, so young, still socially awkward, always watching Jimin, always sticking close by him, learning how to maneuver the situations they faced in their profession. Through the years they evolved and matured personally and professionally into the men they are today.

If they had been same-agers, the outcome may not have been the same.

Again, props to the staff for everything they did to make this happen for Jimin and Jungkook. It appeared that some of the time they remained outside in the cold while Jimin and Jungkook were indoors eating or getting coffee.

This trip was their final trip before that "rite of passage" that every Korean male is obligated to fulfill. There was a poignant edge to a lot of this episode, in what they talked about, in the imagery. Jimin has always seemed to want to hang on to his "youth" and now he was about to cross that line and he knew it.

I also keep harping on the fact Jimin and Jungkook are together as we speak and I am thankful for that every day. I firmly believe they are thankful for each other, even if they are not same age friends.

Two more episodes.

[milessunflowers]

Hiii I have been meaning to request with you but I keep forgetting (adhd suck sometimes) anyway I have had a strange hyperfixation on hockey (I live in a country where ice hockey isn't a thing so i have to watch from my websites) anyway could I get a franco x hockey player trans!reader where like franco is just supporting them though out a few games and stuff totally cool if not and am I able to grab the

🍄 anon?

FRANCO AND HOCKEY PLAYER READER YES YES YES YES YES i love franco and hockey and think abt the video of him on the ice during last seasons lv gp and it's literally my favorite!! so much inspiration for this!

franco colapinto x trans!hockey player!reader

synopsis: franco lives out his wag dreams with his hockey player boyfriend

author's note: mushroom anon, you have spoken my language. i love franco and hockey so mushing the two together really sparked creativity. this is more going to be like headcanons if thats alright! there are just so many ideas and like i couldn't just put it into one fic (maybe i should write a multi part fic of franco being a hockey wag lmk what yall think). like always, feel free to request! i might have gotten a bit carried away but its okay bc franco <3

when he can finally attend your games, he is over the moon excited

goes all out with like dressing in a jersey with your number, face paint, everything

he is 1000% the loudest out of everyone in the stadium

depending on your role (e.g. enforcer) he'll cheer even louder if you get into a fight

he definitely doesn't find it to be hot and sexy

absolutely loves watching you celebrate if you get a goal (but if you're a goalie, it makes him happy when your team celebrates you)

goes all out when you win a game

full on party mode

like balloons and everything

and if you don't win a game, he still will celebrate you (do with that as you please)

lots of hugs and kisses when you leave the locker room

your teammates find you guys adorable (if not a tad bit annoying)

your teammates are also totally chill about you being trans

they think you're the coolest

franco thinks you are the coolest

during the las vegas gp when he's invited to the rink, he is so excited

tries to show off but absolutely fails and falls on his ass

you tease him relentlessly for it afterward

he pouts and so you make it up to him (also do with that as you please)

every time he was the chance to go to one of your games, he takes advantage of it

just like when you can make it to his races

when he's at the rink, he isn't formula one driver franco, no he's full on wag mode

even if he is shown up on the jumbo screen or anywhere else, he is known as your boyfriend

he lives it up to the fullest because it takes the pressure off of him in a weird way

if anyone asks, he loves hockey more than f1

he's insane when watching you

literally your number one fan

and vice versa

you are his number one fan

when either one of you have an event, plus one immediately

so lovesick that you can spot the heart-eyes from space

when given the chance during your interviews, you bring him up

you guys just are so supportive of each other and love each other, people wouldn't be surprised if you guys got secretly married during the las vegas gp

TAGS! (if you would like to be added, lmk!)

@op-81-lvr-reblogs, @koalapastries, @justaf1girl, @ghostking4m, @spoonfulofmilo

[bad-system]

henry & foils: markvart von aulitz

i was rewatching the henry & dying von aulitz scene and i'm always startled by how incredible this game's theme and messages come through in this scene. i think i would call it a culmination of KCD1 & 2's story, even more so than henry's and istvan's death scene. it truly sets us up with KCD3.

the theme that is so interwoven with henry is revenge.

henry's master is revenge, and his secondary masters are the nobles who serve an idle king, who is established as bad both for the country and its people. the only reason henry is aligned with wenceslaus is because sigismund torched his village, and thus begins his story of revenge. otherwise, his beliefs are flimsy, and i believe if you asked henry about his actual convictions at any point of KCD2, even at the end of the game, you would get a defensive answer at best- because he himself doesn't know what he stands for yet.

you could argue that hans capon is where his true loyalties lie but then we circle back again to henry not having beliefs of his own again. and while that might be a reason enough to some people, i don't think a protagonist of the story should be left on such an unstable moral ground.

but! this is a good choice narratively actually. it drives his character towards a point at which he MUST decide what he believes in, not only who he wants to follow. it would mark the next chapter of henry's story.

i believe it's what the game has been trying to tell you since hans nearly got hanged; it's about chamberlain ulrich playing at judge. even von bergow sees this and tells him to stop that immediately.

and then we have the semine's.

the game has warned you about playing the judge, like ulrich, and now like hashek. hashek wants to enact his revenge in blind fury, sparing not even the innocent. it shows how revenge can grow so blind in its lust.

you are even given the option to burn the village at maleshov for the sake of your cause- something that literally happened to henry. at this point the player realizes just how far revenge has gotten henry; it has gotten him to the point where he is the one with the hand on the torch, at the precipice of something truly awful.

and if you do that- ha! you're just like istvan indeed. istvan; an orphan turned glorified royal bandit who did not stop at repeating the very tragedy that took away everything from him. i love henry's foils.

so whichever choice you decide to pursue in case of von aulitz, i believe the story the game is trying to tell you is that this is a moment where henry should realize the gross weight of revenge he's holding onto, and that this is the moment of realization that cracks the flimsy foundations he's been building on up until now. that he cannot keep being the Judge, Jury and Executioner.

this would also be the perfect mirror to istvan toth's erik- someone henry had wronged so terribly, that it is hinted at even in KCD2 that erik is unlikely to let go of that and that we definitely haven't seen the last of him. while henry lets go, erik begins the same cycle of revenge. and isn't that a tragedy?

this would also mark the moment where henry decides to take a side not out of fear, like istvan, but out of courage.

as for the choice of song during markvart's scene.

did the writers mean for the meaning to run this deep? maybe. maybe not. but i chose to cover this anyways because of how perfectly it falls into place.

lacrimosa, the last part of dies irae, is a poem about a sinner looking for his own salvation. it is a plea, but it ends with the sinner asking for salvation of others rather than himself; a voice that asks for eternal rest rather for the departed than for the petitioner.

henry, the guilty man, the judge, the fire!

markvart's scene is set in front of a fireplace! in front of the guilty judge's flame!

and what does henry do when markvart dies in the chair?

he crosses himself! for markvart von aulitz, not himself!

— "Therefore spare him, O God, Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest. Amen."

absolute cinema.

and thus the judge's verdict moves past the living and the dead, and he prepares to judge the world with fire anew.

why do i highlight the word 'world'? henry's horizons are about to vastly expand past the current horizons, both geographically and metaphorically, in the next installments of the story. the world- maybe hussites? it's time for him to look at the bigger picture!

and finally; something that occured to me while writing this.

i believe istvan toth to be henry's foil in fear. during henry's and istvan's conversation before their duel in trosky, istvan reveals he is an orphan too, thanks to turks. and tragically, he reveals that he sided with the stronger dog- because standing behind someone strong will protect you from being harmed again. however, where istvan engages in the cycle of violence by inflicting the same violence on people that was enacted on him, you as the player have a choice- to stop henry from allowing a massacre to happen. you have a choice to prove istvan that you're NOT like him.

i also believe markvart von aulitz to be henry's foil in guilt. hence; in regards to the semine massacre. if you let henry enable hashek, you watch as the guards kill every man and woman on the estate. and then remember aulitz's words;

"And are you sure you didn't kill someone's father? Or Mother?"

and you get to prove him wrong. you get to prove him wrong because you watched ulrich play at judge, jury and executioner and you realized that henry would not enable it.

oh, and finally; erik. the biggest wildcard foil of them all. while henry has a chance to put a stop to hashek's and von aulitz's foils reflecting in him, in erik you are actually the one who creates the foil by killing istvan! like i mentioned previously, you enable erik's cycle of revenge. why?

you killed his lover. out of revenge.

this is not an outcome the game allows you to avoid. it is a purposefully constructed narrative. why? well, the one event i kept repeating was chamberlain ulrich. the first. and likely- the last.

it's the only scene left that makes sense for the third foil. the only time where you don't get to stop it from happening, except watch helplessly. henry watches on as his lover is about to be executed without being able to prevent it. just like erik hadn't had a chance to prevent istvan's death. so, imagine the final foil, of revenge, being reversed by the promised return of erik. what if erik exacts his revenge by killing henry? lover for lover.

________

sorry for this. i'm highly caffeinated and enjoy the conveniently placed narratives by warhorse. these games truly are a sandbox that allows so much creativity. this would probably be better off as a fic, but i'm not a good enough writer for that so it ended up as one post. I'm just playing with the tools we have been given and no, this isn't the one and only true definitive reading of KCD's story. i'm just connecting the dots we were so generously presented with. you can go connect your own dots if you want tho, here the red string 🧵. let's become delirious together.

[captainpikeachu]

So a post discussing new Thunderbolts promotional arts appeared earlier today in the John Walker tag trying to single out John as the odd man out of this Thunderbolts team, saying how everyone in the team deserves to grow and heal but John deserves to die and never be redeemed because he's not like the others.

I'm here to explain why what you see below is totally wrong and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of John and the Thunderbolts movie.

"this man willingly joined the military"

I don't know if the poster is American or not, but this claim ignores the very important context of how John joined the military and when he joined the military. You see, John is canonically stated to have gone to West Point for college, that is a military academy, which means that during high school when John was underage, he would already have been preparing for his application process, getting letters from his congressman or senator or even the president. The selection process is incredibly stringent. You don't decide to go to West Point and apply on a whim like you do regular colleges. Attending a military academy is a long term commitment because after you graduate, you are automatically put into active duty service as an officer, your contract is signed by you agreeing at 17/18 years old to go to this military college.

Some people may not understand, but America has a hugely active military recruitment system that targets children, especially kids from disadvantaged communities. Military recruiters are literally legally given access to high schools across the country, they're allowed personal contact information of kids, they get to show up at career fairs and other activities to actively recruit children to be soldiers and lie to them about all the good things they will do and the opportunities and benefits they will receive. And THIS IS NORMALIZED in American society. The exploitation of children and turning them into soldiers is NORMALIZED. Even celebrated.

So tell me, in an environment that already normalizes and praises the idea of being a soldier and protecting your country and giving yourself for true heroic service, is it that illogical and surprising that a young underage John would have bought into the idea of service as so many other young kids do? Not to mention we don't even know if his school had a mandatory JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) program that funnels kids straight into military service. Or if the MCU follows John's comics history and his father and his older brother both have served. Either way, John lives in an environment and a country that idealizes soldiers to kids, actively recruits and exploits kids, and heavily showers them in heroic military propaganda. A propaganda that even Steve in the 40s buys into and is eager to serve, and Steve was already an adult in his 20s. Meanwhile John was a young teenager when 9/11 happened, when the country was actively rallying its citizens through lies and getting people to buy into a war to defend freedom and protect our loved ones. If people older than John bought into this, then why is it surprising that a teenager surrounded by all this rhetoric and propaganda would buy into it, thinking that he is doing a good thing to help?

Just because indoctrination is normalized by society doesn't mean it's any less harmful indoctrination. Just because John wasn't kidnapped or forced into being a weapon doesn't mean he wasn't turned into one by the military industrial complex as a teenager. And just because he willingly signed up for something that his at best 18 year old self wouldn't have ever properly been mature enough to fully comprehend, doesn't mean he was not abused by a violent system that doesn't care about him beyond using him as a tool. The same way that violent systems of control used and abused the other members of the Thunderbolts team.

We all understand abuse and exploitation and power imbalance when an 18 year old is dating a 35 year old. When abuse happens in that context, we don't say "well the 18 year old willingly got into that relationship so who cares", so why is this kind of dismissive tone taken with John? If a domestic abuse victim stays in a relationship because of complicated feelings, do we blame the victim? What's happening here with John is a form of victim blaming. A very easy kind of victim blaming because the illusion of choice makes some people, like the above poster, think that John asked for it. So John can't be like the others. Nevermind that John's experiences likely mirrors Alexei's yet this poster never seems to call out Alexei for anything.

Yes, John willingly joined the military, but pretending that there isn't a more nuanced context of why and how he joined is to be ignorant to exploitation and indoctrination beyond just the garden variety kidnapping and forced brainwashing, and the insidious nature of that kind of trauma and exploitation. And it also ignores that John's decision was likely made when he was underage and under the influence of a hugely active military recruitment and exploitation apparatus. The creatives behind the Falcon and the Winter Soldier even once stated that the military was John's only family, which implies that he was a vulnerable and lonely child looking for a home, and the military took advantage of that so that they would ensure John would be loyal and grateful to them. They groomed him to be their weapon, no matter how "willing" he made that decision as a teenager.

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"willingly decided to try to become Captain America"

This comment shows a lack of understanding of how the military works. John didn't ask to be Cap, he didn't even know what the government and military was doing until they showed up one day to give him a new job duty two weeks before they were gonna officially unveil him. There is no willing or unwilling in the military when you're a soldier, you follow your orders. Sure, you can disobey unlawful orders, but guess what, being the next Captain America is not an unlawful order. John didn't get to choose. The military made the decision and it was his job to obey. Because if he didn't obey, he would end up in court martial and in jail. There is no agency in this. You are not an individual, you are property of the US military to do as they wish. And if you don't obey, they will make your life and your loved ones' lives hell.

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

"willingly killed people in a way that everyone knows Steve never would have"

What people? John killed one person. One person in the heat of the moment in the middle of grieving his best friend who he just watched be killed right in front of his eyes. If anyone would have understood why John did what he did, it would actually be Steve. Yes John doesn't have Steve's restraint, but let's not act like Steve doesn't know the anger and rage that comes in those moments. And if Bucky had watched Sam be killed, he would have done what John did. In fact, most of the MCU would have done what John did. Tony did. Thor did. Wanda did. Peter Parker and Peter Quill did. Yelena did. Clint did. T'Challa did it twice even after learning the lesson of letting go of revenge. Are all those heroes irredeemable and deserve to die?

Hell, in a post that accuses John of not being like the other Thunderbolts, John does the same thing that Yelena and Ava have both done, wanting to hurt and kill and lash out in pain and revenge. Yelena was going to kill Clint for revenge. Ava literally did not care if her actions would have killed civilians if it got her what she wanted to fix herself, was even ready to threaten Scott's young daughter Cassie. Both of them were no longer under the control of their abusers at that point, yet what makes their chosen rage and lashing out okay and understanding but John's somehow the most evil thing a person has ever done? What makes his pain and loss any less than theirs? In fact, in the Thunderbolts trailer, we watch Yelena just gun down guards left and right, does it make her irredeemable for choosing to still do killing when she no longer has to? Why is all this hypocritical judgment only against John?

And if we even want to address the people John killed in war and how Steve would never, let's just remember that in the Winter Soldier movie, Steve specifically states to Fury that he and the others during the war did somethings that weren't so good, that made them not sleep so well at night, but they thought they were doing it for people to be free. Yes, freedom, the same thing that the US military has been peddling since its conception. So why is it okay when Steve does terrible things in war for freedom, but John is a monster for also doing the same?

John wasn't running about happily wanting to shoot every bad guy. He never had any intentions of hurting anyone, only arresting them, even though the Flag Smashers tried to kill him and Lemar from day one. Even after Karli blew up a building with innocent people still inside it, John wasn't going to kill them but only arrest them. He only killed one Flag Smasher in the heat of the moment because he just saw Lemar die. You know what T'Challa said to Natasha after losing his father and thinking that Bucky did it? He said he would kill Bucky himself, even though Natasha pointed out that there was due process and a task force would arrest Bucky.

Why is it that violent desire for revenge is understood when other MCU heroes/protagonists do it, but John is somehow uniquely evil and not-like-the-others because he lashed out in a very human way? Why is John not allowed his humanity?

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

I will be the first to say John is flawed, he is imperfect, he did make mistakes. But he is not this willful evil monster that this poster tries to paint him as. He is someone whom for essentially 20 years has been trained and groomed to be a perfect weapon for a violent and abusive system that he thought of as his only family. And when this system no longer had any uses for him, it threw him out like trash and left him to drown. This poster talks about other Thunderbolts members rebuilding themselves and their sense of identity, yet this is John's struggle too. Who is he if not a soldier?

The showrunner of TFATWS literally stated that John and Bucky were two sides of the same coin of a veteran's story, of what happens when you give everything for a cause that abandons you and doesn't care for you back. Even the writers of this show understood and deliberately wanted to link John and Bucky's mutual struggles as veterans. Yet this poster wants to exclude John, because the illusion of choice made his trauma and indoctrination and grooming less "real" than the others somehow. This isn't trauma olympics. John is a broken and abused and abandoned weapon, just like every member of the Thunderbolts team. And quite frankly I'm sick and tired of people ignoring this reality because their own hate of the character blinds them to nuance and context.

Death is not the only acceptable character arc for John. He can grow to be a better person and learn to stand up against the system that harmed him and many others. And they can and will redeem him, you know why? They already did. Because John already in TFATWS finale chose to walk away from easy revenge so he could save lives. He has already proven that he could be worthy of that shield and title even if he no longer has it. And the Thunderbolts movie is about ALL of this team learning to overcome their past trauma, of learning to love and accept each other, yes even John. He isn't the exception. He is a integral part of this new team and family. And if you think that Thunderbolts is just gonna be a movie that is designed to kick John out and otherize him, then you've missed the point of this story that the cast and director have stated many times in interviews already. Hopefully Thunderbolts will teach you some important lessons about bias and judgment.

The poster of the comments says that they need to still rewatch TFATWS, and I would say to that, yes, yes you do need to rewatch, preferably rewatch with your eyes, ears, brain, and heart open, because you have missed many important contexts and nuances in your desire to only see John as some unforgivable monster.

By the way, Alexei and John are literally characters sharing the same background, Alexei is just as willing of a participant, yet the fact that those comments never once judge Alexei for actively participating in child trafficking and letting the abuse of little girls keep happening, and somehow Alexei still isn't so irredeemable and could be counted among the others who should get to learn to heal and grow is certainly a choice.

Anyways, here is hoping that when Thunderbolts finally releases, people will learn a lesson about John and how wrong some of yall are.

[midnight-in-town]

A part of me thought that Anya would stay in the same classes as Becky, Damian and his two bff. I'm not sure I see why Endo wanted them separate, what do you think ?

Hi ! Ah, I see your point Anon and I'm saddened by it a bit too, but I think it makes sense !

First of all, within the narrative, it may serve as a goal for Anya herself.

Besides world peace (aka trying to help Twilight because she loves him and is afraid "to be returned back"), Anya doesn't have any real goal to study. Don't get me wrong, that's natural since she's like 4 years old, but being separated from her friends may help her find motivation to get better grades, simply to be in the same classes as them again. :))

It might also help Anya recognize how much she came to care for all of them as friends, beyond Becky.

I mean, getting close to Damian was primarily seen by her to be helpful for World Peace. However, I'd say it's definitely gone beyond that, because she truly became friends with him, just like it's evident she trusts him a lot, otherwise she wouldn't have told him about her powers.

In turn, Anya getting friendly with other kids (read : other boys) will also probably help Damian realize that he's friends with her, too. Obviously they're young kids, so their cute dynamic full of banters is probably not going to change soon, but inwardly they're probably going to be more honest with themselves, which is a good thing ! :D

Secondly and most importantly, I think this change of classrooms is very important for the plot. Beyond Damian Desmond, Twilight had Anya enrolled at Eden Academy because...

...many students have very powerful parents who reunite there. Donovan Desmond on his own is not a real threat, the war he seems to be planning according to WISE is, but he definitely cannot plan a war alone, even with mind reading powers.

So the more kids Anya meet, the more we get hints as to who their parents are and how they might be involved with Donovan Desmond or a war project. Here are some posts explaining some previous examples we had so far, like Becky and George and ch95 overall.

Just in ch112.1, we met Prince Tertius who comes from another country besides Ostania and Westalis, which not only broadens the universe's world building, but might also expand on geopolitics and the consequences of the previous wars on additional countries.

Finally, Arnold Crowley, who's also back (see here for more details about why I think he's plot relevant for now), mentioned that it's not rare for "foreign dignitaries to study at Eden".

In general, I find Eden Academy is a shady institution, not because of its educational purpose, but rather because

they once preached war propaganda (back when Donovan was a student),

they are elitist

they allow powerful adults to reunite together

lastly they might even have ties to organizations like Project Apple and "Garden"

Ultimately, Eden Academy so far best illustrates the whole "knowledge is power" theme of the story and, while the kids are innocent and unaware of what's going on, they are still akin to windows through which readers (and Twilight) might glimpse at a darker reality where war is brewing.

So ch112.1 telling us that kids from elite families from Ostania but also from other countries can study all at the same place can be a good thing, but maybe also hints at a dangerous reality. As always, Endo-sensei tells us in a humorous tone...

...but beware the harsh reality beneath the comic relief. ;)

Lastly, it simply is realistic when you're young to change classrooms every now and then and to meet new friends, so let's wish that Anya will also have the opportunity to befriend new people !

I hope it makes sense ? Have a good day Anon. ^_^

[demon-of-the-ancient-world]

Occasionally I see the same (annoying) discourse around both Eowyn and Katniss and I need to talk about it.

Let's talk about Eowyn first. What a lot of people don't realize especially if they've only seen the movies is...in the books Eowyn is essentially suicidal. She doesn't want to fight in the war just because she's Not Like Other Girls and wants to use a sword, she wants to fight because 1) in her eyes that's the only path to glory that is actually valued by her society (this is another thing about Eowyn: she's proud. And not without reason! But it is a trait of her character that tends to go unnoticed).

2)Rohan is in a pretty shit situation when we're introduced to it, and has been for some time. She's been forced to watch her father die, then her mother, then witness the slow degradation of her uncle the king, the banishment of her brother. The state of her country shames her, because of how much she loves what it was and could be. She doesn't see any hope. She's depressed and lonely and angry and is watching the slow, sad death of her country and family. In her mind, death is the only way out, and death in battle is the only honourable way out. In ROTK Aragorn (or was it Gandalf?) says "she looked for death in battle" -- a sentiment reiterated re: Eowyn a couple times in the trilogy. She goes to war because she's hoping she'll die a hero's death, which is the only greatness she can see herself -- or any of her people -- achieving at this point.

And then...she doesn't die. She survives, injured, grieving, traumatized, and for the first time in a long time witnesses healing instead of sickening. And decides her time as a warrior is done, because there's no place for it. She's gained hope by the end of ROTK, and in absence of despair there's no place for a longing for battle.

So. There's my take on Eowyn. But the take I've seen -- luckily only once or twice in her case -- is that her ending weakens her. That by turning her back on war, by marrying Faramir especially, and choosing healing and the tending of growing things she's diminished.

And I hate that perspective. Because the point of Eowyn's ending isn't "strong badass woman settles down with a man and decides to tend gardens instead"; it's "a woman who never allowed herself to have more ambition than 'die in battle' because the world she lived in provided nothing else for her survives into a world that is healed and with any luck holds no place for war and warriors, so she chooses to heal with it." And it should be noted that Tolkien's message on the whole was "we would all be better off in a world where war wasn't necessary, courage is good and building a better world requires it, but once that world is built ideally no one would be going to war at all." And the male characters exemplify this too. Eowyn doesn't "settle down and become a tradwife" or whatever, she settles into a society where everybody is learning to heal, and tend growing things.

Now we move over to Katniss. By this point you can probably guess where I'm going with her too, and it's unfortunately a bit more of an unpopular opinion. But I'll say it: I wholeheartedly disagree with people who think her ultimately having kids with Peeta is a disservice to her character.

Katniss does say a number of times that she doesn't want kids, yes. But it's pretty clear from the very first time she says it that the reason for this is the fucked up society she lives in. She's from the poorest district where raising a healthy child into adulthood is hard enough on its own, and then having to send them to the reaping every year on top of that? Of course she doesn't want kids.

Which...honestly makes the fact that she eventually has them more poignant to me. And I mean eventually -- the epilogue says "it took me five, ten, fifteen years to agree" -- if she's roughly 18 at the end of Mockingjay she'd be in her early 30s by the time the first one is born. A traumatized and seriously impoverished 16 year old living in The Dystopia Of Dystopias and a 30something woman who's living in a world where many of those old problems no longer exist will have very different mindsets.

And yeah I know Tumblr is super intense about taking young people seriously when they say they don't want to be parents, and I agree when it comes to real people whose opinions really matter, but Katniss isn't a real person. Katniss' changing opinions on being a mother aren't really about her - like Eowyn choosing gardening and healing over fighting, they're about her world.

Last year I reread all of the Hunger Games trilogy for the first time since middle school. And was struck by how much the last few pages of Mockingjay really are about healing. The survivors of District 12 come together to plant a meadow over a mass grave of their people. Katniss goes to therapy (!! literally). Peeta spends his days baking bread. And it's hard, the book doesn't shy away from that either. But they do it as a community. And over the years it gets easier.

One of the first things we learn about Katniss, in the very first chapter, is that she never wants kids in the world she lives in. That the last chapter in the final book shows her finally raising children of her own is a show of how healed her world is. We as readers get to see that, from the eyes of a highly cynical protagonist no less, she now considers her world safe enough that another generation can thrive.

[jikooklove9795]

What's your personal input of like crazy?

Is it related to jikook any way?

Before we get into the discussion I wanna remind you that whatever I'm gonna share here are my own observations and thoughts.

Now let's start, shall we?

Jimin himself has mentioned that he got the inspiration of his song, Like Crazy from the movie Like Crazy.

Like Crazy is a romantic movie which tells the story of Jacob and Anna and how the rules and laws of a country keeps them apart, poses a threat to their love and holds them back from having their happily ever after.

Now let's come back to Jimin. He's in love with a man in a homophobic country. Just like how in the movie the laws of the country are against the love of the lead characters Jimin may feel he's in a similar situation cause his country is against LGBTQ relationships. I think this is the main concept from the movie which inspired him. However, he doesn't want to give upon his love for Jungkook even if he knows the consequences cause their love is crazy like that. He knows this is his greatest chance at love and will not be able to feel what he's feeling for Jungkook with anyone else. This is clear from the line "Forever you and I" in the song. He wants his forever to be with Jungkook.

Now let's get to the MV. I'll speak about LC and a little bit about SMF pt2 and Letter here.

I think in LC Jimin is talking about a much younger version of him. The young Jimin who realizes that whatever he's feeling for Jungkook goes way beyond friendship. He knows the consequences. But he doesn't want to hold back. He's tempted and he takes the plunge.

You can see how thrilled Jimin is in 2015 when he notices Jungkook showing a romantic interest in him. He enjoys it, he's happy about it. But that doesn't mean he's not afraid of the threats which could break their love. So, he chooses an escapism to be removed from the real world and to live in the moment with the person he loves ( Jungkook). There's references to alcohol and sex in the song. And I think these are his ways to stay removed from the reality. We all know about his drinking. And there's sex. Don't get the wrong idea. Its not with other people but with Jungkook. Cause again he's stressing about exclusivity in the song using the lyrics "Forever you and I". He's not ready to give upon his love for Jungkook even if he knows its something frowned upon in their society. So, instead he chooses escapism to disconnect from the real world and stay in the bubble with Jungkook. The bubble he refuses to come out from.

We all saw how Jungkook promoted the hell out of Jimin's solo album, FACE. But there's a difference in his approach to LC and SMF pt2. He knows LC is about Jimin's struggles. Being the bf he must have had a hard time watching Jimin struggle. And I think he was constantly by Jimin's side, reassuring him that they'll be fine. There's this conversation at the start of LC which can be read as a conversation Jungkook and Jimin already had in their real life.

Jungkook: I think we could last forever

Jimin: I'm afraid that everything will disappear

Jungkook: Just trust me

(This is just an example and not the real conversation between Jungkook and Jimin)

From this conversation we can assume that Jungkook is the one who is reassuring Jimin whose afraid about the threats to their love. I think LC reminds Jungkook of the dark times Jimin went through. But when it comes to SMF pt2 its clear he's a fan of the song. Why?

Cause SMF pt2 is about Jimin finally setting himself free. I think in SMF pt2 Jimin's talking about a later version of himself who is embracing the real him. The society can't hold him down. He's not afraid anymore. I think this is why SMF pt2 is Jungkook's favorite song. He's happy seeing that Jimin has overcome his struggles and proud to see his bf being brave.

Now there's Letter. I think here Jimin's talking about the recent version of himself. Through this song Jimin is conveying his feelings for Jungkook who stood by his side and held him while he was struggling. It felt like he was answering the conversation at the start of LC. Here, Jimin's the one saying that he has trust in their love, he will hold onto Jungkook's hand, wants to give back the love he received, asks him not to be afraid and reminds him that they'll always be together.

But is LC all about Jimin talking about his relationship with Jungkook? Not really. As Jimin said FACE is autobiographical. Its about himself. I think through LC he wanted to talk about the real him and also about his love life. Both are intertwined.

Let's see how through LC Jimin expresses the real him. This analysis makes great sense to me:

We all have noticed how queer coded the MV for LC is. Jimin's choice of makeup for the MV is also interesting. There's this scene in the song where he comes face to face with a girl and then the screen pans out to a bathroom where Jimin is facing his own reflection thus making it clear that the girl is a reflection of himself.

This becomes more clear in the dance video where Jimin and the girl are mirroring each other.

We all remember this video right?

And also the other times when he's questioned what is it to be masculine and portrayed in that way.

I have another interpretation to LC. This is mostly about how he was struggling during the pandemic when he couldn't perform for the audience like he's used to. He uses alcohol and sex (I repeat not with other people but with Jungkook) as an escapism. Jungkook is there by his side watching him struggle, trying to help him.

I think Jimin has layered LC using the 3 interpretations I stated. However, if Jimin hadn't mentioned anything about the movie my only interpretations would be 2 and 3. And again both interpretations 2 and 3 very well leads into SMF pt2 where he talks about overcoming his struggles.

As I said earlier these are my own views and opinions. You may have a very different interpretation. Thats the beauty of art. Jimin did a marvelous job with his album. The way he captured the emotions and delivered it beautifully was amazing.

Credits to the owner of the video