#bts overall ships

[asgardian--angels]

BTS from Samba's baking class

Samba talked about a lot of cut scenes from ofmd s2 during his baking class today!!

First and foremost, the original concept for Calypso's birthday was for it to be Lucius and Pete's wedding crashed by Ned Low. Roach and Wee John were going to play matchmaker to get Ed and Stede to hook up because there was too much sexual tension on the ship. Ed and Stede WERE going to dance. Roach is a huge Ned Low fan and there's a cut scene where he says this to Ned and in return Ned gives him a little extra torture as a reward. Con was originally going to sing 'At Last' by Etta James

The thumb war was improvised, as well as Con's 'rude' in ep5, and the sandwich throw that hit Lucius was planned between Samba, Rhys, and Taika but no one else knew so that's why you can see Nate laughing in the background

There was a cut scene (or multiple) where Buttons kept trying to go feral and escape to the sea in ep1, this is why he has a rope tied around his waist

There was also a scene in ep 1 where they are first looking at their money jar and everyone pitches in what they were able to scrounge up or steal, and they imagine what their 'dream ship' would be like - Pete dreams of a ship where Lucius is alive, Roach dreams of a ship with a big kitchen

There was a cut scene that confirmed the polycule, with Olu, Archie, and Jim all coming out of the bedroom together wearing just boxers

The post-credit scene with Roach and Fang was going to be longer, and end with them drinking wine at Spanish Jackie's prior to the bar fight

Overall, a lot of Jim & Olu scenes were cut, and Ed & Stede material from ep 6 was shifted around and put in eps 7/8.

If I missed anything please add on to this!

[tevanbegins]

The only people thinking that Bucktommy's storyline is ruining the show are the B*ddie fanatics and the homophobic fans who are disappointed that Buck came out as queer. However, the rest of the viewers don't think that way at all. Even if you put aside the BT fandom, the general audiences still enjoy the show. The improved viewership ratings reflect that.

BoBs don't want Buck to end up with the first ever man he has dated (this only bc said man isn't Eddie); they believe he needs to 'explore' his bisexuality more. The GA, on the other hand, is happy to see that Buck is finally settling into a stable, healthy relationship with a caring partner who respects him and reciprocates his feelings equally. Apart from many queer fans who are celebrating this crucial LGBTQ+ representation, most of the GA probably doesn't even care that Buck is with a man and the queerness of it all. They just like seeing a beloved character finally finding true love, after seasons of stumbling through a series of failed relationships.

Buck and Tommy's love story not only sustained the existing viewership, but boosted it further by drawing in plenty more new viewers to the show. This is apparent through the impressive ratings, and the fact that the show's renewal for season 8 was confirmed not long after 'Buck, Bothered and Bewildered' aired.

Another thing that BoBs don't realise is that the GA also comprises casual watchers and people who might not care about Buck or Eddie at all. The show has an Oscar & Emmy-winning actress among its main cast - Angela Bassett. It also has another beloved veteran actor like Peter Krause. There are people who are watching this show for them. There are people who may be far more invested in Bobby-Athena, Maddie-Chimney, or the Hen-Karen storylines than whatever the hell's going on with Buck or Eddie. Or there may be audiences who appreciate the platonic friendship between Buck-Eddie the same way they like Hen-Chimney or Hen-Athena with zero expectation of it turning romantic.

The only reason why it seems that B*ddie is the most popular thing about 9-1-1 is that their fandom is a loud and hyperactive majority across social media. Other fandom stans and GA/casual viewers may not be as dominant on socials, but they exist in a lot higher numbers than BoBs can ever imagine. BoBs overestimate their clout.

Bucktommies obviously love Tommy Kinard with their whole hearts, adore how good he is with Buck, and so would love for them to be endgame. But BoBs don't realise that even the audiences that are not hugely invested in Tevan as us BTs, are not losing sleep over the fact that Buck is with Tommy and not Eddie. They watch the show for other characters and storylines and all the drama and action. Buck's love life doesn't hamper their enjoyment of the show; they may be neutral to it. Even if not all of them maybe loving Tommy, doesn't mean they hate him either.

Again, the reason why Buck or Eddie's past relationships with their female LIs weren't popular even among the GA the way Madney, Henren, or Bathena are, is not because they wanted Buck and Eddie to end up together. I believe it's because those romantic storylines were half-baked or poorly-written, not making the casual viewer care enough. If Buck ever had a female LI with as much potential as Tommy, or if Eddie could treat a partner decently, those hypothetical ships could become popular too. People enjoy Bucktommy because of how beautiful their love story is overall, not simply because it's a 'queer' love story. Their storyline has the potential to be long-term, and Tommy being well-integrated with the rest of the characters solidifies the possibility of him and Buck going a long way.

What excuse would the BoBs who want Buck to experiment have had if Buck hadn't come out last season and Tommy were a woman? What if that storyline would still show a positive romantic development for Buck where the new female LI put in an equal amount of effort into the relationship, like Tommy has? Yes, a lot of the initial hype around Bucktommy was because it's a queer love story, but even if you replaced Tommy with a female character and made her care about Buck the same way that Tommy does, or have Buck be as smitten with her as he is with Tommy, many audiences would still dig that.

The same-sex aspect of it is just icing on the cake; the cake would still have been delicious if baked well (but the icing is significant for queer fans who crave good representation on TV.) But integrating Buck's bisexuality arc into a thriving relationship with a pre-established character is a welcome development for queer fans and GA alike. The viewership stats prove that Bucktommy is definitely not damaging the show, but contributing to making it more successful if anything.

So the BoBs need to know that all their constant whining, cyberbullying and Tommy/LFJR slander is not going to scare ABC or the showrunner & writing staff into giving them what they want. B*ddie fanatics are too tiny a portion of this gigantic equation (that exists far beyond the confines of social media), and losing them is not going to affect the network or the people making the show.

Even in the unfortunate scenario that Bucktommy doesn't last, most of the GA/casual viewers will still not stop watching the show. We BTs will be heartbroken and cry for a few weeks and then move on, because the show's writers can do what they want and owe us nothing. But we're not going to spend years bullying and threatening them for not making our ship endgame. That's the power of GA and the show will continue for as long as it has the ratings and network support to back it up, regardless of who Buck ends up with.

And for now, the GA is enjoying Buck with Tommy, so luckily things aren't looking too shabby for the BT fandom and the storyline should stay its course unless the writers decide otherwise, which they don't really have a reason to given the largely positive response reflected through the ratings. Even though we can't predict what happens in the future, we'll cherish every small or big Bucktommy win that comes our way until then! BoBs can keep screaming into the void as usual, but things wouldn't change because they think they can make it happen. That's all.

___

[smolsleepyfox]

Okay so, I attended a VERY local event where Falk was a speaker. By very local I mean there were maybe 20 people in a refurbished bar and he hung out with us after the Q&A.

Things that he mentioned in no particular order:

- PW didn't have a crew on tour until around 2008 and it didn't include a sound tech, that came way later

- they used a refurbished truck they bought in ye olden days and one time Matthew said he smelled fire. They told him it was his croissant. It was not his croissant.

- Falk is the organizer and logistics guy for the tour because (my interpretation) he can't stand not knowing if everything is going okay. Including checking the weather constantly during festival season

- he's also super nervous about his keyboards not arriving when they take a flight. Apparently they have been hidden to prank him before.

- the band knows exactly how to push each other's buttons by now and it is being used lmao

- his favorite video shoot was We don't wanna be no saints because his slimy (his words) character was really fun to play and it was a great location

- the tennis video was just a spur of the moment thing. The biggest issue was actually getting a tennis ball because the location is in the middle of nowhere. Roel had to drive to several stores.

- Yes the staff broke, but they fixed it again lmao.

- Falk has murdered at least four harmoniums by now. Most of them were from eBay. One instrument he actually refurbished himself, he showed us photos it was great.

- Also, the guitars in the Sinners of the Seven Seas video were the original stage guitars. They had to have their entire wiring redone after.

- the water corpse pose in Sinners was something he made up because standing in the water, his legs couldn't move the way he wanted them to for his usual poses. Apparently the entire shoot was very physically demanding.

- rain scenes are fine but My Will Be Done was hard because they used water AND wind, and looking chill while being pelted in the face with artificial rain is rough. Also, there were just literally people standing on the sides throwing leaves into the wind for the scene, which is hilarious to me.

- Falk was HORRIBLY seasick during the filming of Sinners. The ship apparently didn't actually move much but the difference in motion patterns to modern ships and the slanted deck was not fun. He was however very appreciative of the ship itself and the crew that worked it.

- Falk forgot the name of Demons are a girl's best friend during the interview lmao

- when i said i liked his tattoos he got excited to show them and seemed almost annoyed that he started so late in life. He's planning a full sleeve apparently (good for him!)

- I was a bit surprised but even when speaking to people who did use heavy dialect, Falk didn't switch from standard German. Some phrases still slipped out certainly and some pronunciation struggles (ch pronounced as sch are an easy tell) but otherwise nope, nothing. I've heard Attila speak more dialect in BtS videos.

- Falk for his perspective on fandom especially in contrast with Ghost and Sleep Token (I answered an ask about that recently) since I was curious if he had an idea why three bands with similar themes have such a different type of fandom around it. His best guess was that Powerwolf are kind of approachable (case in point that I'm writing this) whereas Sleep Token and Tobias from Ghost are more at a distance.

And lastly, not only did I get a picture, I got the title page of my thesis signed (in green marker because I didn't find anything else at my brother's house). And Falk got a copy of my thesis, since he seemed genuinely happy to read it. I really do hope he likes it!

Overall he was an incredibly down to earth, funny, and kind person even four beers in and very very tired. He said bye to us with a hug as well 🥺

[bomber-grl]

Hiro + Fanfic reader/writer

Pairing(s): Hiro Hamada x Gn!Reader

He obviously knows what fanfiction is

He’s always online so it’d be a surprise if he didn’t

Hiro probably found out when you casually mention liking to write and how you have a blog

Either that, or you casually mention loving to read something from a specific blog

Hiro wasn’t suspicious and fanfic didn’t immediately come to mind, he was just curious and kept asking you about it

Honestly? You lied about it. But then you started to think about why you’d even bother to lie to him of all people

He’s literally an abomination and says the most rancid, cringe things that’d put bakudeku wattpad fanfics to shame

Either those or BTS shipping fics, those are truly another kind of atrocious ai could never replicate that

The only reason you tolerate him and his cringe ass way of speaking is because he says it purely ironically

After you thought about it, you finally decided to just tell him

And the look bro gave you…

He gave you the worst stink eye bruh

Yknow that “somebody smells like shit” trend? Yea that’s his reaction to you

Lil bro is horrified

To the point he pulled out the 100 yard stare /j

Nah but fr he’s a bit weirded out cuz of karmi and her weird self…

Overall he doesn’t rlly care unless you write about his superhero persona (if u don’t know) and Or about real ppl

If that’s the case, he will give u a side eye

If that’s not the case he’ll just laugh at you being nervous to tell him

Eventually tho, he really starts to get curious and begins to pester you about what your blog/ fanfics you read

The best thing you could think of was to just ignore him

But then one faithful day you get a notification that reads-

“Fnafl0v3r6 followed you”

The horror and dread you felt was beyond me

It was honestly too late to consider blocking him, he had already liked/ reposted your fanfics, and even reposted the ones you already had

Might as well consider committing because there’s truly no coming back from them

You ignored him for so long, his messages and calls alike until you quite literally couldn’t anymore.

So finally after awhile of not seeing hiro, you meet up with him

He doesn’t say much at first but then goes on a annoying ass rant about your fanfics and how could you ignore him and i don’t even know anymore

You started ignoring him after the first five minutes

Despite not rlly liking it because of the weirdo (aka karmi and I will not tolerate anyone denying it, I will die on this hill)

He eventually decides that maybe it’s not that bad as long as no one’s getting hurt and there’s nothing weird being written.

So if you’re a writer he immediately starts stalking your page

You even start to wonder if he’s constantly refreshing because he reblogs and likes all your work

He may or may not make some weird requests under the guise of being funny (ex: Trump x Biden, Shrek x Kermit)

Anyway, the worst thing about this (aside from him doing the above) is that he’ll sneak behind you like a gremlin-

It doesn’t matter where as long as there are people in ear shot and he asks, very loudly, what fic your reading

He’s so Loud bro it’s not even funny

If cass knows you wouldn’t even be surprised, hell, if everyone in that cafe knew you wouldn’t be surprised either

[chevelleneech]

While I do not mind BuckTommy, I wish their shippers and anyone more partial to them than Buddie, would stop lying about what their relationship is.

Tommy does not prioritize Buck, he simply revolves around Buck. It is the whole reason why them having zero development this season was so stupid, because it left way too much room for fans to make their own decisions on what the relationship is or isn’t, and claim it as canon. It’s why people are already saying they’ll be mad of BT break up, because Tommy is Buck’s healthiest partner, when he’s not.

Tommy is not a character who has a storyline, let alone one who makes decisions that impact the overall story. Everything he does is a result of what the writers need Buck to feel or where they need Buck to be, and that does not make him a healthy partner. They just haven’t written any conflict for them, good or bad.

Thus far, their biggest issue was Buck stumbling through his first date with a man, where Tommy did in fact mock his nervousness then leave him standing in the curb alone. Now, I’m not hung up on that, because I can see why it happened. Buck was extremely nervous and being awkward and likely made Tommy feel bad a little bit, but at the same time, it was wrong of him and he didn’t apologize. And since snippy remarks is all we really know of Tommy, it does become canon that he isn’t actually that nice to Buck. No matter what Bobby said, because as I said before, I strongly disagree with the writers writing in their own cop-out as an excuse for failing to develop Tommy or BT during the season. So yes, Tommy is attracted to Buck and doesn’t treat him like shit, but none of Buck’s exes ever did either. Pretending otherwise is y’all trying to rewrite the show to uplift your ship.

All that to say, Buck and Tommy dating is canon, yes, but them choosing each other or making sacrifices for their relationship, is not. We have been shown quite literally nothing. Everything BT shippers claim for BT, does not actually exist in canon. Not a single bit about love, lust, infatuation, commitment, relationship goals. Nothing, and I wish more “on the fence” fans pointed that out instead of piggy backing as if it’s true. Y’all are hopeful, and that’s fine, I am too. I want Buck to be happy, but I also don't want to give Tim and co praise for doing less than bare minimum.

Buck coming out overshadowed the entire season this year in terms of press and social engagement, but the amount of story and screen time he got in comparison is abysmal. By lying about canon, y’all are giving credit where it is not due. I mean honestly, if someone were to put together a compilation of out!Buck, it would not amount to anything. More so, they’d have to pad it with Buddie scenes, which speaks for itself even if they never go canon.

Anyway, my point is, stop lying about canon, and stop hyping Tim, the writers, and ABC up for what is currently a pretty poorly written storyline. Be happy we got bi!Buck, but also want more for his queer relationship. Especially when his relationships with women came with various small scenes to build their foundation, and him talking to his loved ones about how much he liked them.

[notyoureve]

Well, what can I say about my feelings after LiS:DE...

First of all... I still believe in the Chaseprice supremacy, yay!!! Even tho I didn't get the same impression of flirting in their conversation in the comments as the others😅 But at least they talked! My faves since 1st game! What a blessing to a shipper!

2) Thanks for the Caulscott content — not in the ways we as the MxN shippers could ever expect, but still🤣🤝 I just knew one of the D9 crew is one of us since that little background scene in BTS — what can I say, hinting twice (if not thrice) is almost canon to me🤪😁🤭

3) Vinh, freaking, Lang... The moment I saw Vinh in the sneak-peak before the release I predicted him to be the male love interest😜 I'm so grateful I was right — their progressing relationship was so beautiful... Even though their kiss was shorter than the kiss with Amanda, but damn... butterflies in my stomach were enough to say it was one of the most romantic scenes in the whole franchise. And the way he didn't want her to leave? Oh, my man, she has a way with leaving her almost boyfriends after kisses😭 And how happy he is after the game events when he finally sees her? And their hug? I'll never recover... I also believe in the DE Langfield supremacy, their interactions were absolutely one of the best parts of the game for me!!!

4) The pretty barista I didn't expect to love❤ I liked Amanda somehow, but I don't see her with Max at all... I'll say a very controversial thing, but the girl deserves so much better than Max😃 I would rather ship Ms Thomas with Ms Chen, and yet — they have some very nice scenes together. But even as a die-hard Caulscott shipper I'll say that Pricefield>>>Caulmas, especially after the way D9 just pushed the romance with her from the very first scene... The pushing was so cringy that I literally thought I would never like Amanda🤔 But here we are! She is fun and I love her, so she's my girlfriend, not Max's, okay?

5) Safi and Moses!!! Ooh, I loved them so much💔 Didn't like what they did to Safi by the end of the game, but she's a very great character besides all the other shit. And Moses is simply one of the best characters in the franchise, beat me. And his friendship with Safi is sooo dear to me🥺 Tbh, I expected much more from his role in the game and I believed at some point that he was helplessly in love with Safi. Not sure if this is for the best it turned out absolutely differently... And IMO Max x Safi/Max x Moses still have a better chemistry (even as a friends) than she and Amanda romantically😅 But there were definitely some sparks with Safield, yeaaah (it's very funny btw that it's the only sounding acceptable name of their ship, lmao)

6) The plot... What plot? Was it there? I missed it? Ah, it was so little and hasty it didn't deserve to become a BIG game... And yet! The game was much better in some ways I didn't expect, and so much worse at the same time((( There were some great ideas I truly liked, because they resonate with some of mine, but all the same they were ruined by some plotholes and inconsistencies — ooh, disappointment is strong here. But overall I liked the game! The music — one of the best parts of the finished product indeed🔥 The narrative was very lazy in the start and too rushed in the end, and it was the main reason what ruined the full experience to me😟 As for the characters... Well, most of them were cool, but there are so few of them comparing to the previous games. I honestly expected more of them, or at least more interactions with them... But let's end here!) Even if the plot wasn't perfect, there were plenty of moments I truly enjoyed.

7) The whole Chloe thing. I didn't expect much from the start (and I mean announcement), but was quite surprised we didn't saw her in the game besides photos. Breakup wasn't unexpected for me, but I suppose I can understand the feelings of the die-hard MxC fans. I won't say that I'm fully on their side, but still I understand what it's like🙏 And btw I had no problem with revoicing her by Rhianna since announcement, but... um... Something went strongly wrong — I absolutely fell in love with her work in BtS, and was absolutely shocked with what I've heard in DE🤯 She doesn't even sounds like herself((( What they did with her..? And why did she sound so emotionless? It was the only disappointing thing with Chloe for me. But perhaps there was some reason, if some theories will turn out to be true, who knows... But her haunting the narrative in the start and in the end was delightful in some ways, I won't lie.

8) The whole NOTMYMAX thing. Well, I can agree with some statments, but I do not see anything contradictory in her actions or her design. Even if it's Max-fkn-Caulfield, it doesn't make her less human and does not forbid her to grow and change, and especially doesn't forbid to become more serious and pathetic at the same time😃😆 Aaaand... Jesus Christ, Hannah Telle gave a simply outstanding performance — I missed her so much💔💔💔 Her returning to Max is also one of the best parts of the game and it's so heart-warming that her voice hasn't change at all🥺 And in the end: the bisexual queen returned — Max still is so Max it made me involuntarily smile throughout the game)))

I can endlessly speak of everything I think about the game, but there's so much to say I won't say no more at all😆😆 But all cringe and weak plotlines aside, some sides of DE were really great to explore! And since I'm more of an optimist, I will not rate the game just to not upset myself🤣

[sunflowerdigs]

"Buddies are using evidence that Tim wouldn't even think of or that is too convoluted to support the ship going canon" and the evidence is Eddie being physically present for or brought up in conversation in nearly every scene between Buck and Tommy.

It's fine if you don't like Buddie or don't want it to happen. But don't try to convince people they're crazy for actually doing some analysis of the material instead of deliberately taking everything that happens at face value only. When Buck and Taylor toasted to restraint in Buck, Actually did you really think they were going to have a pleasant conversation and then go home alone? Or did you deduce from the lighting, their proximity to each other, Taylor's styling, and the overall themes of the episode that regardless of their stated intentions, they were going to fuck that night?

Visual media isn't just words on a page played straight for the audience, that would be boring as hell. TV shows communicate with the audience using lighting, costumes, blocking and colors, and yes, sometimes all of those things are used to contradict the characters' scripted words, or foreshadow future actions. Picking up on those things and theorizing based on them is not a hostile act nor is it unexpected by the folks bts, even if the theories aren't what people want to hear.

[magenta-embers]

My Jikook Journey

Part 2 of my intro.

From "multi-shipper" to "...wait a goddamn minute."

This will be a messy and detail-lacking overview because I could easily do an individual post on each thing I mention here and delve deeper (AMA!).

When I became an ARMY in 2018, I was excited about the treasure trove of fanfics now available to me. The ship didn't really matter, but my bias was/is Jimin (bias wrecker Tae then) so the very first fic I read was a vmin camping one (there was only one sleeping bag, gasp!). For me, shipping meant I'd read fanfics or save fanart of certain pairs together because in a fictional sense/in another universe, they make a good couple. I think this is a healthy approach, keeping that boundary between reality and fiction.

When I mentioned to my k-pop fan step-sister that I was reading vmin, she gave me a weird look. She said taekook is THE ship of BTS, which confused me because vmin seemed to be closer and have better chemistry than Tae and JK. Turns out, she was right. Searching by most kudos on ao3, you get a shit ton of taekook. I accepted it readily and just thought I must be missing something since I was a baby ARMY, so I read those super popular fics and started to enjoy taekook too. I started to focus more on them because... it felt like that was what I was supposed to do.

It's a common problem, isn't it? Baby ARMY who are open to shipping are quickly found and "guided" to taekook before they have a chance to glance in another direction. If they try, taekookers, who are the majority in the shipping sphere, will convince them that taekook is THE ship. Even if they aren't ARMY (my step-sister), they know that much. As a new fan, you just want to fit in, so you'll go along with what's most popular. Some people eventually find their own way, but many don't. Asking questions is vital, but if you do it aloud, you risk getting attacked by a small but extremely aggressive portion of the most infamous fanbase.

Even back then while just innocently reading any well-written fic I could get my hands on, I noticed that Jungkook was usually portrayed as a lot edgier and darker than he really was (manifested the 2023 JK aesthetic) and Taehyung was constantly portrayed as... Jimin. Especially in fan art. For some reason, a lot of the time, the appearance/vibe/personality of Taehyung was truer to Jimin than to himself, and that confused me. "Why not just make it Jungkook x Jimin?" I kept seeing them trying to force Taehyung into the dynamic that Jimin has with Jungkook when their own dynamic was perfectly fine.

Slipping down the pipeline, I started to watch taekook moments/analysis videos because I thought gotta be missing something, right? That's how I found out people are convinced they're dating, and it wasn't just a fun fic/art thing. The videos themselves were... something. There were just way too many red circles, too much slow-mo, and too much mind-reading going on for me to take any of it seriously. Plus, the moments that weren't exaggerated were just close friend skinship. Hell, Taejin were doing more sus shit together than taekook.

And yet people insist on taekook even when taekook do nothing to insist on themselves.

At this point, it was deep into 2019. Jikook were wilding in 2019. Even I was noticing all the... little things that made me raise an eyebrow. The touches that lingered just too long in rather intimate areas, the fond/awed looks at each other, the shameless flirting, the complete lack of physical boundaries, and the normalness of it all between them. That's telling. Even though I was mainly a taekooker with a shit ton of fanart and fics saved to my phone, if you looked at my liked YouTube videos around that time, I had jikook moments videos saved, not taekook, because their moments were just more fun/juicier to watch overall. They just interacted differently than they did with other members.

A quick example would be a video compilation of taekook holding hands. Sure, they're holding hands, maybe even interlocking fingers, but they're usually standing side by side and looking in different directions or just having a neutral expression. But if you watch a jikook one, not only is it much longer, but it's just different. I feel like I'm interrupting sometimes. Even in such a simple action like holding hands, there's a softness, an intimacy there that doesn't exist in taekook. Jikook wouldn't just be holding hands (usually for absolutely no reason), they'd be looking into each other's eyes, smiling sweetly, fully turned toward each other, attention completely captured by the other. How can I explain the look in their eyes? It just doesn't exist with vmin, yoonmin, jihope, etc.

Sidebar: All of those pairs have flirty/sus moments as most really close friendship dynamics do, but they're lighthearted to me and never invoked a true sense of.... whoa whoa whoa, hang on. If Jungkook and Jimin were my close friends IRL and I saw the way they are together, my alarms would go off. As either, "Oh my god, they're fucking," or "Oh my god, they wanna fuck each other." People always say, "Oh, Jimin's like that with everyone." No. No, he's not. Pay attention. Really pay attention to the differences in the dynamics between members. None of them have the "same" relationship. Especially pay attention to how the rest of the members react to Jikook.

Anyway,

So here I was noticing this... deeper intimacy in simple interactions with those two (because I'm a human being with eyes and life experience), and yet my Twitter timeline would just dismiss them entirely. "I love their friendship," "Wow their brotherhood is so beautiful," and "They're all so close," and normally these statements wouldn't bother me because technically they're true, but I started noticing that taekook or yoonmin would brush shoulders and everyone would be like, "Omg taekook/yoonmin married/boyfriends/real," over nothing. Their moments are cute/sweet/funny, but never more than that. The blatant hypocrisy did frustrate me a little, but ultimately I didn't overthink it; I didn't want to be delulu or look too deeply into anything because I still thought I must be missing something. Taekook is the most popular for a reason, right? Right?

But Taekook died for me when Tae told Taekookers to get out of their imagination. I respected that from him and took it at face value. It was the most aggressive shutdown of shipping we've ever had. I couldn't brush him off. It's disrespectful. He's uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, over the next couple of years, Jungkook and Jimin only got more suspicious in the minor interactions and in the big staple moments. Rosebowl. Hickeygate. Etc. Everyone was bending over backward trying to explain away the things these two did with each other, and it's always the same excuses. I was also trying extremely hard to think of any reason other than the simplest one because I didn't want to be delulu.

Because there was no way two members of a boyband were actually in a long-term relationship together. Especially in a conservative country.

Ridiculous. Unrealistic. Delulu.

I was basically telling myself in a mirror that they were just extra super duper close friends with muddy boundaries that meant sucking ears and giving neck hickeys was okay. I did allow there to be the thought that, maybe they're friends with benefits and that unavoidable intimacy now bleeds through into their regular interactions.

That opinion carried until 2023.

Isn't that funny?

2023.

The year so many jikookers gave up and bemoaned that those two weren't close anymore or had broken up is the year that finally convinced me.

What tipped me over?

Jungkook's vlives.

The way he kept watching videos of Jimin when he could just phone him. It reminded me of me watching Jimin, but I'm just a fan; I watch those videos because it's the only way I can appease my yearning to be close to and connected to Jimin, and absorb everything that he does or says or is.

Jungkook doesn't have that limitation, so why's he sitting there like a lovesick puppy with the fondest/most loving eyes when he could have Jimin over with just a call? Why's he sitting there looking like he's also yearning for something he can't have like us, the fans, when he can have it? He has Jimin's number. You don't need to watch yourself tease Jimin. You can just go do it. Just text him, bro.

It felt like he just wanted to bask in Jimin without interruption, without distraction, without having to force his attention elsewhere. Beyond being incredibly sweet, it also felt like Jungkook was making a statement, a point, because he kept doing it. Why? Is he somehow obsessed with his friend and bandmate whom he's seen almost every day for over a decade? If it was to promote him, he really didn't have to do all that? He didn't do it for the others, not to that extent.

Watching Jimin, talking about Jimin, singing Jimin's songs, fkn playing Letter on guitar. (The naked vlive flirting session? Lord, what.)

The man kept having vlives with a significant Jimin focus. He insisted on it enough times that it felt like he was trying to slap some sense into me. His insistence bothered me enough for me to finally do a deep dive into jikook.

Down the rabbit hole, I went. The more I learned, the more my jaw dropped. Where the fuck was all this info on my timeline when these motherfuckers were celebrating the most basic kpop boy interactions as if they were wedding vows? I even ended up seeing pictures/info we as fans were never meant to see at the bottom of that hole. If you know, you know.

Eventually, I ended up on this video (bless this fucking channel).

I want everyone to understand that I had zero knowledge of established relationship timeline theories. I went into this video blind, just trying to find the point in time when JK started to warm up to Jimin. That's not what I found. I found something so much better.

Especially 2013-2015 had me in awe. I think I cried. Jimin and Jungkook had a fattest, cutest mutual crush on each other. Absolutely. And because they were young, not that famous, and still rookies with media and camera training, we get a lot of insight into those two that we wouldn't get in later years when they learned how to mask and behave more "idol"-like. Jimin was especially loud, almost sadly loud. If you haven't watched the timeline of at least those early years, I implore you to. It actually blew my mind and broke/healed my heart. It's really bittersweet to see two teenage boys with little to no experience in anything romantic trying to come to terms with themselves while also coming to terms with each other. It's like watching a coming-of-age romance movie.

I saw clear shifts from when the relationship hit turning points in certain years. I proposed a timeline in my head based on that. Imagine my fucking surprise when I found out other people have also come up with timelines, and more surprising yet, they were all unbelievably similar to mine, down to what changed in what half of the year. I, who had no previous knowledge that this was even a thing. I just noticed it all on my own. We were all seeing the same thing. The same changes. No red circles, no slow-mo, no mind reading. It's all in the body language.

I panicked a little because overall it seemed too good to be true, so I reached out to a taekooker friend to send me her best evidence videos and receipts because I just had to make sure I wasn't going totally delulu here. I needed to see that the other biggest ship had interactions and moments on the same level with that same consistency, maybe even their very own relationship timeline to bring me back down to Earth. But... there's nothing. Really, there's nothing between taekook. Not one moment where I was like, oh? You'll find hours-long jikook content videos that are absolutely jam-packed with content, significant content, but that sort of depth just doesn't exist for taekook. Instead, you get conspiracy theories.

I watched most of the videos on that best of jikook channel and several other staple channels. It wasn't as if I bought into everything presented. I still rolled my eyes at many things that were blown out of proportion by some creators, and jikook isn't free from red circles and slow-mo and bullshit. And yet, I was still overwhelmed by the mountain of crisp receipts dumped on my head.

Jikook have much, much more solid evidence supporting the theory that they are together than evidence against it. I took the facts as they are, took my social experiences for what they are, took my psychology background for what it is, and concluded that they are most likely together, probability-wise. At the very least, they are the ONLY pair in BTS that have ANY legitimate possibility of being romantically involved. If jikook isn't real, then none of the other ships have any hope whatsoever, let's not kid ourselves. It's them or none of them.

They also have much, much more evidence that they are together than with any random man or woman you wanna throw at them. There needs to be valuable evidence or a total shutdown for me to tip the scale. I'm going to need Jimin or Jungkook to state, "I am not dating anyone at all," or "Get out of your imagination," or a bighit relationship announcement, or a clear video of lip-on-lip action or very intimate interaction with someone else.

Frankly, I don't give a single fuck about a grainy pic/video when it's 2023 and there's no excuse for that. I don't give a fuck who owns the same vase or cooking pots. I don't give a fuck if either of them hugged a woman. These are not evidence. These aren't even as good as the worst Jikook evidence.

At this point in time, Jikook is still the only viable option with the information we currently have available to us. This is my opinion and I stand by it.

At the end of the day, the thing I want most is for Jimin to be happy. Currently, it seems that Jungkook makes Jimin the happiest (as Jungkook says). As long as that holds true, I'll be here. If that changes at some point in time, I'd accept it.

But until that day comes, what the fuck else am I supposed to think?

E.

[azaharinflames]

Just wanted to make a short post to, first of all, wish you all an incredible 2025!! I hope next year brings you all everything you wish and more!

Personally, 2024 was a weird year so I am eager to see it end lmao. I hope 2025 it’s better than this year was, which is easy to accomplish, so we’ll see!

Now as for my post. Just a small remark, but I can’t help but dwell over it a little bit, and the easiest way to stop it from conquering my whole mind is to share it.

But it’s just. I find it so curious and a bit funny the difference between Buddie, Bucktommy, and the different publications that actively like them. Because for Buddie you will find a lot of publications very in favor of them, but if you look into it?

95% of these publications are from sites that are either a bit sketchy, have questionable professionalism (if any), and is self-funded and online based. The journalists who kiss Bobs’ asses on twitter are usually the ones who co-founded the publication, and they usually don’t fall into actual, serious media.

For Bucktommy, however? Sure, we have our fair share of self-founded publications taking about the ship as well, but they also get a fair lot of good publicity from publications like Entertainment Weekly. Which is normal, as BT is the only couple who actually is canon and not entirely fabricated by fans.

Overall, I just think it truly goes to show how the show is perceived outside the fandom bubble (outside the buddie bubble especially). EW is a publication intended for a wider audience - members of the fandom, sure, but also members of the wider audience who will occasionally check those things. To me, these publications are the ones that truly matter and that really reflect the message that wants to be told - and that, my friends, is incredibly BuckTommy positive.

Anyway, just a thought to end the year. Once more, happy new year! If 2024 was good for something in this fandom, then it was to bring us BuckTommy and this space!

Happy New Year 2025 ♥️✨

[soujux]

DMD Friendship The Reality — Thoughts

The year is yet to end, and Your Sky is airing, so I think I still have the time to talk about Domundi Friendship The Reality.

Totally not a dating show, by the way, but kinda functions similarly, which is perfect for a bored aroace girl in a limbo during holiday break. I also have no idea who these people are, so that adds to the experience.

DMD Friendship The Reality is a reality show by Domundi where they have 8 of their talents live together for several days. They do missions, get rewards, bond, and search for a partner to potentially win the Best Couple Award and become the main leads to a new series. There are 6 episodes of the actual show, and 1 episode of them doing a Q&A. In retrospect, it's basically an acting, performing, and chemistry workshop, because the missions all revolve around the contestants honing their skills in the areas relevant to their careers as DMD artists.

The participants are as follows according to the introduction:

Keng (24)

FirstOne (23)

Namping (22)

Latte (23)

Teetee (18)

Kong (20)

Thomas (22)

Gems (19)

I honestly thought it was too calculated to have 8 contestants—an even number—when they are supposed to each choose a partner at the end, and DMD probably thought the same after awhile, because in episode 3, they introduced Tle (25). Overall, the show had 9 contestants.

First Impressions on the DMD Artists

FirstOne is the lovechild of Mix (GMMTV) and Seokjin (BTS). He has very soft, but manly features, and his mannerisms are very boyish.

He moves a lot during interviews. When he talks, he smirks and grins almost in a playful way. He looks like the popular naughty kid in school. He has a face of an it-boy.

Also, I don't know if it's him or Keng, but one of them kept saying "Annyeong!" and it was kinda funny.

I find Kong to be so cute. I adore his braces, but what really sold me was his fudanshi tendencies.

He knows more than me, because he obviously clocked KengNamping really early in the show. There was a conversation around the authenticity of the show, because Keng and Namping was fairly established upon entering, but more on that later.

It was so interesting for these celebrities to introduce themselves by their educational attainment, because I don't see that everyday. Most of the contestants are degree holders, and Kong, for example, is a sophomore taking up engineering. He balances work as a DMD artist and his studies. He even talks about it twice with Thomas later on.

I really enjoy the premise of the show. Just chill guys in a chill mansion doing chill missions. We don't often see a reality show that doesn't isolate or restrict its contestants from the world. I love to see them use their phones before going to bed.

KengNamping as Contestants in DMD Friendship The Reality

Starting this show with no background was confusing. Did KengNamping work together before entering the show? Did they have a project lined up together? I felt like being in a new friend group and I don't know the inside jokes, so I just have to go along.

So, starting off, I had to establish that:

Keng and Namping are KengNamping.

They are always together and making Tiktoks together. (Source: FirstOne)

They will be one of the couples by the end.

Kong is the captain of the KengNamping ship.

However, I did enjoy the drama in the first episode. Absolutely nothing prepared me for the shame and disappointment awaiting Namping, but I appreciated Keng's reasoning behind it.

Context for those who don't know or forgot: Keng won the first mission and was rewarded a fancy dinner with a partner of his choice. Everyone and their mothers expected him to choose Namping, but he ended up choosing Teetee, leaving Namping embarrassed and disappointed. Teetee was so shocked and confused, but neverthelss, grateful. In Keng's defense, Teetee is a new addition to the company, and the dinner was his attempt to get to know his junior (in this context, his nong.)

Although, I have to admit that I got "salty" over it. I wrote a long rant about it in my notes, and it goes a little something like:

"Keng and Namping entered the show with the contestants having this preconceived notion that they are the KengNamping. That's why it was a big deal when Keng chose Teetee over Namping for a dinner date, despite his good intentions, because they are expected, almost pressured to always choose the other when they win special awards. Otherwise, it's an act of betrayal."

All of their interactions after that, especially the one in the suite, to me, felt a little forced. I kind of felt bad for Namping, because I saw it as Keng feeling sorry for him. I'm sure they do care for each other, but the dynamic between them and the contestants was not a wise set-up. If Keng and Namping were given a little more independence; it would have been interesting to see them interact with other people, like how Keng dined with Teetee, before seeing them actively choose each other.

FirstLatte and ThomasKong Dinner Dates

May I introduce my favorite dinner "date" in the entire show?

Everything about this dinner was perfect—yes, even the mosquitoes! From the announcement, the arrangement, the editing, and the results. It was well-thought of, and underappreciated.

After Teetee departed to eat with Keng in episode 1, the remaining contestants are given the chance to also have a fancy dinner with a partner. But here's the catch.. the dinner can only happen if you choose each other mutually.

These were the results:

Thomas chose Kong.

Namping chose Kong.

Latte chose FirstOne.

Gems chose FirstOne.

Kong chose Thomas, and FirstOne chose Latte. They have dinner in the garden.

The editors did such a great job at this, because they didn't reveal Kong and FirstOne's choices until during the announcement. It was so well-thought of.

It was one of those moments where I was sure ThomasKong and FirstLatte was gonna be a thing. The aspect of the dinner happening because you both chose each other in secret is very romantic. No fancy dinner in a cruise or suite could ever match up to it.

At this point, it's obvious that I forgot to stop treating this as a dating show. I started to get delusional the moment FirstLatte declared that they'll choose each other as partners over and over again. I began kicking my feet when Thomas said that he found the partner he was looking for.

Althought FirstOne eventually ended up paired with Tle in the future, the moment he shared with Latte in this dinner remained special. FirstOne will go on ahead and choose to spend his next dinner rewards with Keng and Tle, but it is not a dinner that rewards you for choosing each other.

I Guess, I Really Like the Implication of Being Chosen (ThomasKong)

I lied. I actually had a surface level idea of who Thomas and Kong were, because I watched 6 episodes of Your Sky before watching DMD Friendship The Reality. In my defense, I only knew them as Muenfah and Teerak! So, I did not really lie about not knowing who they are as DMD artists.

But oh, ThomasKong. What a couple. Watching them in the reality show felt like watching two people in your friendgroup that are obviously dating, but didn't tell you.

I didn't know that they were close before the show (or off-camera). They don't really talk, even though you always see them sit beside each other. So, I was honestly surprised when Thomas sent his postcard to Kong, and Kong to Thomas.

Not only that—they constantly chose each other all throughout the show.

We talked about the perfect dinner™, where they had the cutest "date" that felt so spontaneous and earnest. Although they never really explicitly said that that they would choose each other as partners, the qualities they mentioned when describing an ideal partner ultimately referred to.. well, each other.

"I want someone I'm comfortable talking to, and someone who is older."

Kong said this while talking comfortably with Thomas, his Phi.

"Just someone I'm comfortable with. Someone I can be my true self and be happy with. I think I've found him."

Well, do we even need to discuss Thomas' response?

It is quite a popular comment in each episode that Thomas locked-in on Kong from the get-go, but I honestly believe that Kong is no better. Kong also sent Thomas the postcard, chose Thomas for dinner, and it's Kong who chose Thomas during the acting mission.

The acting mission was one of my favorite episodes, because I was thrilled to see a script interpreted in several ways. My best pick in acting from the show were Gems, FirstOne, and Thomas' performances.

Thomas and Kong won this mission, and I think it's a pretty significant win. While they still lack in the acting department, they were the only group that leaned into the romantic subtext of the script, and delivered. They delivered it so well that the judges (and I) were left giggling and blushing after the scene. They were capable of selling a character to you, and it was an immersive experience.

They were rewarded with a night together in a suite. Then the dinner, mosquito bite joke, and the exclusive video happened.

I am absolutely fond of how comfortable they are with each other. They gave us several swoon-worthy moments, but I am the most at awe when Thomas checks up on Kong, when Kong trusts Thomas with everything, and when they feel safe enough with each other to talk about personal topics.

Their conversation about choosing each other and being 200% certain is very important to me. They make a promise, and it's a promise for years and years to come.

Issues With DMD Friendship The Reality

I'm not surprised that there are scripted interactions. I honestly think the entirety of episode 5 is scripted, if not, orchestrated by the staff to happen.

They revealed quite a lot about it in DMD Friendship The Reality Last Ride, and it was kinda funny, because they weren't even hiding it.

Some of the confirmed orchestrated moments in DMD Friendship The Reality:

Teetee and Kong's conversation in the rooftop. The conversation (probably) was not scripted, but the location and the timing was decided by the staff.

Thomas' "jealous" reaction to Teetee calling Kong. Thomas admitted that he was curious, but the staff told him to act a certain way. He thought it was funny that it made him look mad.

Tle interrupting Latte and FirstOne's conversation.

Keng and Namping talking about being each other's partners by the pool.

Scenes that I think are either orchestrated or scripted, but not confirmed:

Teetee and Thomas talking about Kong.

Thomas and Kong talking about being each other's partners on a random deck. However, I don't think the polaroid joke was scripted, because that's something only Thomas can think of.

Thomas and Kong's exchange after the red string journey. The blockings and the "From now on, please, take care of me, Mr. Kongpob," "Please, take care of me, too, Mr. Teetut," felt too unnatural. Plus, Kong was obviously acting.

I also heard a rumor about KengNamping and ThomasKong being fixed from the very beginning, and that the show was made to make them sell, but I'm not entirely convinced. I just think it's a waste of time and money for DMD to conceptualize and create a whole reality show for that purpose. However, it's also not far-fetched. After all, both couple won Best Couple Award, because they apparently tied.

Anyway, In Conclusion..

I really enjoyed DMD Friendship The Reality. I think it did a great job at fostering healthy bonds between colleagues, and developing DMD artists in several departments. It also did a great job at presenting male friendship as something that shouldn't fear closeness and vulnerability. I enjoyed watching a bunch of friends go on dinner dates after missions, and share beds without being scared of it seeming inappropriate.

As an aroace person, I adore the exploration of profound connections between ThomasKong and KengNamping. Actors in partnerships like this got to be my favorite queerplatonic relationships.

[dalekofchaos]

The bastardization of Life Is Strange

I thought things couldn't get worse than the D9 Predatory business practices, toxic work environment, rampant misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and protecting a fucking Nazi Expose.(this apparently wasn't the red line for some folks and still insisted on buying the game anyway)

Well, it's not worse than that, but now?

The entire game has been leaked.

You can't make this up.

They made Life Is Strange, a Indie developer's passion project into MCU Lite.

Safi is a shapeshifter and the final choice in Double Exposure is "will you join forces with Safi" and Max joins the dark side or some stupid shit like that. Or refuse like the Max Caulfield I know would actually fucking do. Who wrote this fucking shit???

“i'm going to find other people like us, max, people with powers. i spent my whole life thinking i was the only one, knowing i could never tell anyone because they would look at me like THAT. but now there's you. you... and me... time traveler and a shapeshifter”

literally why is there even an option to side with her in the first place, she's clearly out of her mind, if there ever was a "morally bad and morally good decision" like d9 wants to assign to the endings of lis1, THIS WOULD BE THAT what a crock of shit.

How did Life is Strange go from melancholic, artsy slice of life to fucking Avengers? HOW!?

at the end max gets a nightmare just like in LIS 1

Texts are assumed to be apart of the nightmare

Silver lining. One final Chloe message after alienating the core fanbase and D9 think scraps will make up for it?

In hindsight.....they warned us what they were planning.

Dude took the "Elsa join the X-Men" meme a little too serious and literal.

But wait, it gets worse.

....I FUCKING APOLOGIZE. I once dreamed of all the protagonists coming together. But not like this. NOT FUCKING LIKE THIS!

BUT WAIT. IT GETS FUCKING WORSE!!!

Life Is Strange going from one studios passion project to the fucking Avengers is the biggest fall of grace I've ever seen.

There was a charm, chemistry and likability of the original game.

It was never about a character having superpowers. It was about finding oneself in the world, friendship, love, tragedy and making the hard choice. LIS 2 is about brotherhood, family and learning to make the best possible choice to give your brother the best life. TC is about trauma, family, finding a better life, corruption. It was never about the powers. That was a background noise and a small part of the overall story.

You know, the worst part of all this is that Hannah Telle sold her principals and credibility for DE.

Thinking about things better and from certain comments I've read about her, such as the nervous breakdown, it leads me to believe that Hannah is a hypocrite just because she's nervous.

Think about it: early 2016 she says she likes Grahamfield. But in 2018 for Farewell she says she likes Pricefield and her favorite ending is Bae because she knows Max couldn't live without Chloe (and Farewell made her come to that conclusion) and now saying she couldn't think of anyone else doing Max... dude... better say you need the money, and you didn't want to deal with the angry fandom and that's why you changed ships.

It bothers me (or rather I see it as hypocritical) that they say "nobody bothers Hannah, poor thing" poor thing? But she accept all that! She's accepting not even saying "Chloe" in interviews anymore. Poor thing, why? I mean, they can attack the other AVs but not Hannah? What the hell privileges does she get when NO ONE DESERVES to be harassed. Damn, even Max's Japanese AV is afraid of being harassed when she goes to play DE!

At least Ashly Burch has some principals. She knows her worth and when the direction of the story is shit. She stands up for her fellow VA and the only reason BTS was remotely successful is because she was a story consultant and Farewell because she stood up gor her fellow SAG VAs.

Ashly even said that she prefers Bay and sees Chloe more with Rachel. And there she is, living with her principles. It makes me think that if Hannah accepted the whole DE disaster, it's because she agrees that Max is like that and she liked everything and that to me is worse, that Hannah sees the complete bastardization of Max Caulfield and Life Is Strange as a whole and went "yes, this is the complete direction I can see for Max and I completely accept this superficial soulless garbage, why no I am not a complete and utter hypocritical sellout".

I take back what I said about the Pricefield breakup being realistic because it was done out of malice to hurt Ashly Burch for standing up for herself and having an ounce of self-respect and principals and alienate Chloe's fans. Fuck SE and fuck D9.

Anyways I stick with my headcanons.

Post-Bay. Max and Warren are successful Photojournalist and Science Professor, married and living their best lives while keeping in touch with their friends from Arcadia and visiting Chloe's grave on her birthday and the anniversary of her death.

Post-Bae. Time shenanigans happen which results in Max saving Rachel and because of saving Rachel she saves Chloe and Arcadia Bay. Max, Chloe and Rachel ride off in the rainbow and get their happy ending. Max is a successful Photojournalist, Chloe is a mechanic and owns her own Tattoo Parlor and Rachel fulfills her dream as an actress and model. They often visit Arcadia to visit old friends, run into Alex and Steph, even join their band for a few gigs and are just living their best lives.

[buffyfan145]

The s2 "Rings of Power" finale was great!!! 😀 A lot happened that I expected, and actually was leaked again, but still had some surprises too. Overall, I really enjoyed the season and what we got, including for Haladriel. All the spoilery things behind a cut, but also we're getting great interviews with the cast/writers now too with more insight, especially from Charlie, and about s3 and I'm so excited for that even if we likely have to wait 2 years again. LOL But so much to talk about.

Have to start with Haladriel and honestly I'm totally fine with what we got. I know wanted more but again I had low expectations for the season and we got so much more than I expected. This finale did confirm to me that Sauron does love her, but it's now twisted like a lot of other enemies to lovers ships. They had him tell her back in Halbrand form that again he didn't lie about everything and that what he felt and they had was real. He also again told her about how they do have things in common and she felt it too. Then about how he was going to have her as queen and that he was going to serve her had she said yes. Also being happy to see Nenya and how beautiful it was, even though like an angry ex-fiance/husband he wanted it back. LOL Seems to confirm that in the show he and Celebrimbor designed it for her. Then even though he stabbed her with the crown it was in the shoulder and he even told her he didn't want to kill her. I'm also certain he helped slow her fall (which was part of a now true leak a few days ago about Galadriel jumping and Gil Galad & Elrond healing her) as he was shocked she jumped off the cliff and a fall from that height would've killed her instantly. They showed mostly her falling and didn't show him after he first reached for her, so that seems intentional.

Plus, I agree with others that she likely isn't fully healed from Morgoth's crown stab wound either and that it'll connect her further to Sauron. I noticed she kept touching it and was still weak and recovering. And we got to see Sauron talking with her telepathically now too. Charlie also in interviews this morning brought up how there will be more with Sauron and Galadriel too and that he never wanted her dead. We all knows this fits with the books too and he never stops trying to contact her and see her till the One Ring is destroyed by Frodo, so we're going to get more and show that this is one of the big dynamics of shows.

Also loved seeing Morfydd and Charlie hug and laugh in that bts video after the episode aired too. Those scenes had to have been hard to film, and with Charles Edwards too.

Still so sad about Celebrimbor even though I knew it was coming from the books. Loved though that he foresaw about Frodo too and the One Ring being Sauron's downfall, including that he would never go to Valinor again and being a prisoner in Middle Earth as that is exactly what happened as he's supposedly still stuck as a formless spirit to this day for those that think Middle Earth turned into our world. Really hope at least both the Charlies get Emmy awards as they deserve it.

Very happy they finally confirmed that The Stranger is Gandalf!!! 😀 I figured he was this whole time and now it's finally out there. Curious what will happen for him next and for Nori, as I saw the writers say she'll be on her own journey in s3 too. They writers also confirmed now The Dark Wizard is not Saruman, so he's likely the first Blue Wizard that went evil. So likely Saruman, Radagast, and the 2nd Blue will show up too.

Then happy Arondir is still alive, Elrond realized the rings are good, and the elves founded Imladris/Rivendell and are starting the war on Sauron. Also loved Isildur and Estrid kissed, and that was the most passionate kiss I've ever seen on the show so far. Was hoping Elendil and Miriel would kiss too but loved she gave him Narsil, and he's on his way to find his other son Anarion, who I still wonder if Tom Taylor is playing as his agency is still tagging him on posts and maybe the show cut his scenes till s3. Adar's death was so well done too and I'm glad Nenya healed him too and he was able to reconcile with Galadriel before that. Loved Durin III realized the rings were bad too and went after the balrog to save the others. Now Durin IV is king and his brother is coming to dispute it, which might be another reason they hired a writer from "The Crown" for s3.

I can't wait for s3 and already have seen Charlie teasing that him giving out the 9 is the main storyline for him. I still think he'll switch back to Halbrand or a more regal form of him to recruit the 9 men to his side. He also teased about making the One Ring but isn't sure yet when that happens and if it happens before Sauron goes to Numenor or after. And we know Numenor will be a huge part now that Isildur is going back and Elendil & Anarion will lead the Faithful. Hoping too Galadriel gets more screentime too and Morfydd's schedule is clear so her other projects don't interfere like this time, and since there is a gap in her storyline in the books that the show could add to. And I've got some fics ideas and I'm sure we'll get a lot of fan content till it's finally back.

[ceoandslutler]

I admire how the death threats and mean comments dont get to you, you're so strong for that

i wouldn't really say i'm strong as much as i am lucky, fortunate and privileged enough to have an enriched life where i have so much good in it that a death threat or some online insults don't really do much to me.

anyway my tips on not letting this shit get to you:

1) go out w friends, family, anyone you know, etc... i know not everyone has the freedom to do that but a free/cheap outing with someone you like hanging out with is a life changer! if you don't have anyone, go out and try to find people. volunteer, speak to classmates/coworkers, invest time into new hobbies, join clubs/hobby groups, etc...

2) we all have people we look up to, right? see how they deal with hardship. i was watching a salon drip ep with bts member jin in it and he said something along the lines of: "i just say, 'it's okay/it's bound to happen because im a superstar' whenever something bad happens." that's my mindset. it's okay because i'm happy, healthy and doing something with my life. bad things are bound to happen if i put myself out there. i have people online who like to read my bullshit. i have friends who go out with me. i have a family who love me. i don't need to care about what some anti shipper says. the fact they compared me to p diddy when i literally just go to uni, work, do assignments, eat, sleep and play all day is crazy. can't take it seriously when i examine my own life and i just see a normal person.

3) try to win the dgaf war. i am not kidding. do not give a fuck. i say to myself: "whoever is writing this shit is more miserable than you will ever be because you haven't reached the pathetic point in life where you tell people to die because they ship something." then i move on and listen to seaside rendezvous and drink some cheap wine.

overall, just live life with your heart full, i know mental illness, physical illness, chronic issues keep a lot of people tired and tormented but just trying to live is enough. keep pushing, don't listen to sickos. just say "it's okay because i'm a human being" and this happens to everyone. we all have people who don't like us, will be mean to us for practically no reason and bad days that bring us down. what's important is just trying to live, love your life as much as you can and usually life will try to love you back.

[louisjude]

“lol no lou bts, no one likes bucktommy, lou hasn’t posted, oliver hasn’t posted any bts with lou, they all hate lou”

have you considered y’all viciously harassed the man for simply doing his job as an actor, proceeded to make a hate campaign against him, as wishing for not only his characters death but his real life death, call him ugly on a daily basis, flood instagram comments with “ew tommy jumpscare” and are overall bullies to fans, cast and crew over ships and that’s why lou isn’t posting? that maybe oliver doesn’t want his comments flooded with anti hate when the official accounts already get them? he already dealt with your toxic asses before bucktommy and deleted his twt account over it. maybe perhaps they’re keeping their peace, at least until y’all can learn some fucking manners and basic human decency. and you can laugh and say im stupid for thinking this but it’s honestly not that unthinkable, from a man that used to be fairly active on social media he’s been pretty much radio silent besides liking bts posts since y’all berated him day and night for weeks and i don’t fucking blame him. it’s time for some self reflection to how you act online, oliver doesn’t think you’re cute for bullying his costar.

[jmdbjk]

Thinking too hard.

I was having a delusional episode while talking to my bestie:

Here's my wild concept for the BTS comeback MV: a Star Wars-like spoof where they are the rebel underdogs fighting the evil empire.

The song would need to have an overall "together we will overcome and save the world" theme. Or it could be a "fuck you evil bitches time to die". Either/or.

They are in those X-wing fighters and those huge land walker thingys.

Jimin can have smeraldo flower decals on his X-wing and JK can have tattoo graffiti looking decals on his. Of course both of their light sabers would be purple. Duh, right? It gets hot in those fighter space craft, they'd be shirtless of course.

Tae can be riding one of those two-legged horse/kangaroo looking things, wind blowing in his hair. Hey, I just googled what they are called... Tauntauns... tan tans? The universe is universing here. Stick with me, I might be on to something.

Yoongi can be operating one of those land stompers. Googled what those are called (can you tell I'm not a hardcore Star Wars fan? But I did see most of the theatrical movies, except maybe one... anyway) All Terrain Armored Transport or AT-AT Walker because at one point in Yoongi's life, he worked as a motorbike delivery person. Universe, stop it! While delivering more troops and weapons to the front lines, Yoongi can crush people who look like k-media and fake media... or MHJ. For sure kpoppies. Crush 'em all, Yoongi.

I don't want to say it but its a no-brainer: Namjoon is a wise and philosophical ancient being who can slice an enemy in half using only his words. May the force be with you. Slash.

That leaves Hobi. He's the commander of course. Perfectly fitting uniform (designed by LV of course) manning the war room.

Jin, since he's the oldest and the most hardcore gamer, would volunteer to be the one to fly into the heart of the evil empire's ship/vessel/planet/egg/brain/bowels/whatever and blow it to bits before he zooms out safely, escaping obliteration. I guess that would also lend itself to having a slight astronaut touch to it wouldn't it? Kinda also ties in with military stuff.

Cue the close up of Jin winking to the camera and blowing a WWH kiss.

At the end of the MV the evil in the world is destroyed and everyone cheers. The whales in the ocean rejoice.

A bit violent but in a sci-fi fantasy way. Hybe can spend a lot of money on special effects and make it very sparkly and over the top cinematic.

At least you can’t say I don’t have a sense of humor along with this wild imagination.

Time to exit the emo angst school boi era and enter the mature hunk oppa hero era guys. Universe! Get on it!

[eddiediazismyhusband]

Can I just say how exhausting it is to tag fics in this day and age with this fucking shipwar going on? I get that it's frustrating to read about a character you despise. Totally get that. But I seriously don't understand what we are supposed to do at this point. Having the "minor BT" tag means that the ship is definitely there, but it's not the focus of the story. How else are you going to show that?

Some people are mad when you tag all the involved ships no matter how small their part. Other people get mad that there aren't enough ships tagged.

There really is no winning here, man.

When a ship takes up (quite honestly more than in this instance) 2/3 of the entire story as a central part of the plot then it is in no way “minor” anything. It’s not just about the ship being there- it’s about it literally being the plot with a spoonful of buddie at the end.

If a fic is tagged “minor bt” i am not expecting to read a bt fanfic where they have a full-blown graphic sex scene in the middle, and then have some little last minute ‘feelings realization’ for buddie in the last chapter when the story has had no buildup to buddie or any other indication that it’s a buddie fic otherwise.

it’s not impossible to tag. if you fic prominently features a ship then tag it with that ship. if your fic includes a ship that is very much in the background and has very little influence on the plot, THEN tag it “minor x/y”

i’m also sick of people coming into my inbox phrasing things like it’s somehow my own fault that i don’t like a character that has been explicitly shown to be racist, misogynistic, dismissive, arrogant, and just overall unbearable— so yeah, i’m gonna be upset if i click on a fic that’s tagged as buddie and implies that the story is going to be about buddie and it’s actually about bt.

people aren’t getting mad about ships being tagged when they’re there. people are getting mad when they’re clicking on a fic expecting it to be about one ship when in reality it’s about an entirely different ship altogether that isn’t tagged. I have the bt tag filtered out for a reason— i should not be getting fics where that is a major central ship. If it had actually been a fic where bt wasn’t the focus then i wouldn’t be this annoyed but this issue is constant

so no, anon, there is a way around this— and it’s called correctly tagging your fics. if you find that taking the time to carefully tag your fics is “exhausting” then you are probably part of the problem

i am not responsible for this “ship war”. i did not ask for time minear and abc to bring back a shit character for a love interest, nor did i ask for half the fandom to jump ship at the drop of a hat snd start sending death threats and violent hate asks to people who have valid qualms and criticisms of this character- to the point where they are harassing actors for not acknowledging the ship or harassing crew members for being pro buddie and then wondering why they’re getting blocked by people involved in the show.

all im asking is that you properly and thoroughly tag your fics so that i don’t have to read bt fics disguised as buddie fics when i have so many tags filtered out already that i should not realistically be seeing that ship playing a major role in the fics that are left.