#i don't need shaky cam for no reason

[ouchiewawa]

If they ever do make a Janeway show, please know that I do not need them to bend the entire star trek universe just to recreate scenes I could go back and watch on dvd.

[curio-queries]

Are You Sure?!

(Is this the end?!)

It's finally time for my AYS wrap-up post! (goodness knows I've rambled on about this show enough, maybe there'll be more to say in the future but this is likely where I'll conclude this series for now)

Link to my AYS MasterList

Promotions/Finances

One of the points we discussed quite a bit while watching this show was how paying attention to promotional content and financial implications can help us discern a little regarding the inception of the show and how that influences the final product.

I'd assume this methodology is similar for all of the content Hybe produced but I admittedly don't watch much that's outside the scope of BTS. If any of you have any insight on how this is structured for other groups, I'd definitely be interested to hear about it! Anyway, regarding AYS, we've been theorizing that the US episodes were filmed on speculation and could then have been used to shop around to brands for sponsorships which would continue to fund more trips.

Product placements:

Ep.1 (USA): None (edited to add Nike, check out the reblogs for more on this)

Ep.2 (USA): None

Ep.3 (Jeju): Clothes

Ep.4 (Jeju): Vitamins & Hydration Spray

Ep.5 (Jeju): Perfume

Ep.6 (Sapporo): Sunglasses

Ep.7 (Sapporo): Sunscreen & Skiwear

Ep.8 (Sapporo): Perfume

Something else that stuck out to me during my initial watch-throughs as well was the progression of including establishing shots of the businesses they visit. There were basically none in the US episodes but by the time we get to Sapporo, these shots linger for long enough to me to notice. The signs and logos are blurred out as expected to bolster BTS's brand power but it's interesting to me that these shots just weren't included at all in the US portion.

The crew brought some very skilled operators with them to Jeju and Sapporo as evident by the gorgeous cinematography. I'm not saying they didn't have the same level of skill in the US, but there may not have been the same directive to focus on this or the level of equipment needed for the crew to really show off.

Sidenote: I KNOW I'd made some notes also on the blurring of the various vehicle logos as there were some inconsistencies and we know BTS as a whole has previously partnered with Hyundai but I can't find my notes and I'm not rescouting the episodes right now for this. If any of you happen to remember, please share!

Bonus Footage

Something I was really looking forward to was seeing if there was any obvious reasoning behind what footage would be saved for the bonus release instead of included in the official episodes. Afterall, access to this footage was likely the main reason many decided to purchase the photobook at all so there had to be some fulfillment for the perceived value. I wondered if they might take a similar approach to Run BTS's bonus footage where there is regularly a dedicated camera capturing footage specifically for this purpose. Now that I've finally received my photobook and been able to watch these clips, I believe most of footage was separated for the bonus content for a few specific reasons:

Footage quality: There's a good portion of the bonus footage that was captured via handheld cameras with less-than-stellar quality. I'm not trying to disparage the operators' skills but there's a specific tone that non-steady-cam footage brings and it wasn't necessarily in-line with the overall tone much of the edit required. It also reminds the audience at least subconciously that our guys are being followed by a camera crew which typically isn't the intent of BTS content and definitely was minimized as much as possible during AYS. More on this concept in the next point. Example: JK packing his suitcase in USA. That footage is very pretty shaky.

Fourth-Wall Breaks: Is this a phrase y'all still understand these days? Again, the idea of reminding the viewer that this is footage being captured by cameras and microphones and we're not just a fly-on-the-wall. There were plenty of moments in the Bonus footage where JM/JK call attention to the fact that they're filming a show or where the crew interacts with them. Quite a few of these were specifically to highlight photo ops (another subconscious reinforcement of the value delivered with the photobook purchase. the viewer can see footage of JM/JK taking pics that only appeared in the photobook they just flipped through and feel a further connection to the moment). Example: JM and JK taking each other's pics in front of the restaurant in Sapporo.

Pacing: I would categorize the rest of the bonus footage as micro-moments or extensions of scenes we did receive in the full episode but if included as-is, would have broken the desired pacing of the episode. There's no flow to worry about with the Bonus footage rather than chronologically so they're welcome to throw everything together and it doesn't feel like a storytelling misstep. Example: Jimin actually eating and chatting with V and JK at the seaside restaurant in Jeju. Including this would have broken the flow of the edit where they had the sped-up footage of JM describing the history of Jeju while the others just ate.

I was honestly surprised by the amount of editing present in the bonus clips. I'm sure there was always a plan to release some extra footage some way but it wouldn't surprise me if this decision was made early enough that they left much of it in queue for the first rounds of edits because they knew they'd be charging for access to it. Having at least some basic editing again helps justify the value.

Sidenote: there is no reference to 'keep going' in the photobook. So we have no further clues there. There's a couple of 'Go JK' or 'Go Jimin' captions but not 'keep going'.

Title Cards

Y'all I had been so confused by these from the very beginning but probably not for the reason you're thinking. I made note of which scenes had title cards and exactly what Jimin's voiceover line stated with each one. Mostly, WHY they decided to include the ones they did and the inconsistencies with what activities got a title card and which one's didn't.

Ep.1 (USA): We're having our first meal in America

Ep.1 (USA): It's fun to ride kayaks

Ep.2 (USA): We enjoy a yacht ride

Ep.2 (USA): We're eating our final meal

Ep.3 (Jeju): We're going climbing

Ep.4 (Jeju): A three-way split is fun

Ep.5 (Jeju): We are going for a swim

Ep.6 (Sapporo): We're on a train

Ep.7 (Sapporo): We are at a ski resort

Ep.8 (Sapporo): I love the convenience store

We know from the bonus footage that Jimin recorded many more than they used. Episodes 1 & 2 have two each and the rest only have one. Now, I'm not trying to say that they were trying to make those episodes seem more full than the others...but I'm not NOT saying it either...

It's just also very interesting which ones they decided to use as well. Prior to the footage of Jimin recording it, I'd wondered if they'd just asked Jimin to make something up about whichever activities were the most memorable for him but that definitely wasn't the case (thank goodness, our guys do NOT have the best of memories with things like this).

Follow-ups

Queries from my first AYS episode post:

Will there be any tonal shift? Specifically, now that JM and JK have some uncertainties about the viability of their US adventure. Will it seem like they're compensating?

I don't think so, not for this reason at least. It seemed more like this production was naturally growing into what it would become. There were definitely some tonal variances, especially how 'action-packed' ep.3 was but I still feel like it was not too far of an outlier and more just helping them find what works best for this type of show.

We know Tae is going to be in at least the next episode. How is this going to handled narratively and will there be any visible contradictions from that narrative in the production?

I mean, there was definitely some variance in the story from the episodes to some of the bonus footage but I think that was generally just the guys being their entertaining selves.

At what point was the final quantity of locations and shoots locked down? And when/if will JM and JK make mention of this.

Genuinely, I think this was only finalized when they couldn't actually schedule anymore trips! It's definitely an interesting approach when you consider how intense the BTS production engine must be, especially in the lead-up to the members' military service and trying to prepare all of the releases that we would get while they were away. It's also one of the things I think JK was referring to in that clip from the US where he says he's never travelled so freely before. To start a shoot of this magnitude and not have some firm deliverables for the end result nailed down is pretty wild. I'm so glad it worked out for them as well as it did.

If/How will the music promotion narrative shift? It's clear that this episode could not have been released until after MUSE's release once they decided to keep the footage of JK listening to Who. But when was that decision made?

Interestingly enough, I think this show was never really designed with music promotion in mind. Yes, they definitely couldn't have released it until after MUSE's release with the inclusion of that Who-listening session but that easily could have been removed or included in the bonus footage if a delay was needed. I think the timing did work out great for it but yeah, overall, music promotion was not likely one of the main drivers of this show.

On a somewhat-related note though, one thing has had me wondering from the beginning. Y'all remember the end of ep.1 when JM says he doesn't think this footage will air? Just what experiences does he have with content they've filmed that we DON'T get? Just what else have they hidden back from us? haha, we want it all!

The End

Okay, that's enough from me on this topic for now. I'm sure there's more we can chat about with this show and I absolutely can't wait until our guys are back and can travel again! I hope they're able to use this show as an excuse to do things they want that they typically wouldn't.

Thank-you to everyone that's been joining me in these chats. It's been so lovely to chat with many of you about this show and it's beyond humbling that people are at all interested in my random observations. I'm so happy y'all were here with me experiencing this great show together.

[squided]

I know some people may think it's extreme but I think that any police officer who shoots someone and has their body cam off should be automatically charged with first degree murder regardless of non-video evidence found at the crime scene. We have the capability for every law enforcement officer to have a body cam and there is no reason it should be turned off. Police kill for no reason because they know they'll get away with it and even get paid time off. If we're gonna have people with deadly weapons walking around with a license to kill, they should at least be required to justify every death they've caused with clear video evidence. If the body cam is too shaky and doesn't catch everything, mount a cam on the gun. Make them wear multiple cameras. I don't give a shit. If they are gonna use deadly force, they need to have undeniable proof that they had absolutely NO other choice.

[purposefully-lost]

It was freezing. Alex huddled on the steps of Cameron's front porch, his t-shirt and a pair of boxers much less than adequate for the November night. His cheeks stung from the cold where they'd been wet with tears when he'd first stormed outside and slammed the door behind him. The air puffed in front of his lips with every shaky breath he pushed out, but he refused to give in.

If Cam had been worth even a little of his time, Alex thought, he would've opened the door by now. At least offered to let Alex grab his things, or even just throw them down on the porch between them. There was a hot, frustrated ball of fire in Alex's chest at the fact that he'd wasted anything at all on him. He'd been cute when they'd met, a little awkward, but friendly. Alex had thought he'd had a nice smile. It'd turned out he was just a prick who'd only thought of his boyfriend in terms of usefulness.

Alex's phone buzzed in his hand. He glanced down at it, sniffling and finding that it was just a weather alert-- but it did finally push him into pulling up Andy's contact. He'd been avoiding it, just like he'd long since been avoiding any questions as to how things were really going with Cameron, but he couldn't sit out here all night and he wasn't going back inside. Andy picked up on the third ring, his voice tired. Alex could immediately tell he'd been asleep.

"Hey, buddy. What's going on?"

"I need you to come get me," Alex said, and he winced a little at how weak his voice sounded. He hadn't had to call Andy like this since the last time he'd gotten drunk at a high school party. "I'm at Cam's place."

Andy's voice was immediately more alert. Alex could hear movement on the other end of the line, presumably as he got himself out of bed. "Yeah, I'll be right there. Did something happen?"

Alex didn't answer. After a moment, he heard Andy sigh. "Just give me ten, okay? I'll see you in a bit."

-----

Alex had really started to shiver by the time he watched Andy's car pull into the driveway. It wasn't as if it was a far walk from the porch to the car, but before he even had the chance to stand, Andy was jogging over to him and slipping his own jacket off to offer. Alex accepted it without a word as he was pulled to his feet.

Andy dragged him close in a tight, brief hug. Then he pulled away to let him tug the jacket on, his gaze darting towards the front door. "Did you leave anything in there? You want me to go get it?"

"No." Alex frowned at him as tugged the zipper up. "I'll get it later."

"You sure?" Andy asked, and he looked like he was close to storming in anyway before Alex shook his head.

"I'm sure. I don't wanna bother with it right now. ..Just take me home," he said, letting the exhaustion seep into his voice. Andy didn't hesitate a moment longer to throw an arm around his shoulders and escort him back to the car, where he cranked up the heat as soon as they were inside. Looking behind him to back out of the street, Andy's hand found Alex's and squeezed hard, for just a moment. Alex caught his gaze when he looked over.

"You know he just lost the best guy in town?" Andy asked him, a small smile on his lips. Alex snorted and looked away, staring out of the passenger window as he fought down more of a laugh. Some of the tension in his chest seemed to bleed out.

"Shut up. And start driving before he comes out here to start shit."

"Your place or mine?"

-----

Alex had wanted to go home. He'd thought Andy might just bring him back to the apartment anyway, like he sometimes did when he knew Alex needed some space away from his mom, but tonight they'd pulled up in front of the house. Milly was already long gone at work and Andy had his own key to let them in with, so there wasn't any reason not to. Alex let him drag him upstairs, where he shoved him into the bathroom with the insistence that he get a hot shower.

By the time he'd done as he was told and walked back out to the bedroom, Andy had been waiting to pass him a pair of clean clothes and had only just chosen a dvd from Alex's collection to slip into the player. Alex dressed, turned off the lights, and pulled himself into bed next to him. He settled against his chest while Andy fumbled for the remote to turn the volume down to something they could fall asleep with.

"Was Jurassic Park a good choice?" Andy asked, half-whispering into his hair. Alex broke into a soft laugh against him and nuzzled against his chest. He was just glad to be somewhere warm.

"I don't care." His fingertips tapped on his back a couple of times. "Thanks for getting me."

Andy's voice was sincere in a way that Alex had always appreciated, when it was directed at him. "Always, man. Don't worry about it."

[therealslimshakespeare]

I don't know why but when I was thinking of this scenario I was thinking of Sarge specifically. So, we all know how open and loose with religion Elvis is, so I could imagine Sarge, being close friends with a couple who recently had a child and happen to be Jewish. And they tell him about a big bash they're throwing for their child, and Elvis being the honorary uncle he is, must be in attendance in his best wear.

But what he doesn't know is that the party is a brit milah (the circumcision done by a member of temple a few days after birth), and at those things the families usually film it because it's so special, so when he sees everyone gathering and a film camera pop out he makes a dive from the punch table to get in on what's going on and as soon as he pops his head through the crowd his eyes just bug out of his head at what they're doing to his (not actually) godson.

I could also imagine if it was Jesse there he'd offer to film the bris, without actually knowing what it is because he's just being the polite young man he is, and only when it actually happens does he realize what he's filming and maybe get a little woozy, then again he's got the willpower and mental strength of a veteran so it might be him worrying about whether his father is still standing or not 😂

I'm not sure if Elvis was there to watch the circumcision of his own children, I assumed not since it wasn't for religious reasons, so I thought it would be a funny visual for him to actually see how it happens.

Gosh this was a Fever dream to read and I actually felt like I was watching a movie and I could see it all and part of it switched to shaky cam from Jesse’s no longer steady grip and -just wow, you got me good, ha!

Call me uneducated in the extreme but I had no notion there was an entire ceremony for it when in a religious context, how fascinating, makes total sense. And I do visualize in the Sarge universe that with so many friends of his children and children of his friends around, he does collect godchildren like most men would business cards. Turn out a pocket and there’s some more, under the mail there’s another, on the floor board “Whatcha Doin’ there Bobby?” they’re everywhere and he just takes it in stride and with his remarkable memory knows each one by name and keeps track of their interests and shows up out of nowhere at important events. So I can entirely see this happening. 

Poor man is in for a surprise with this one, though, he’s gonna need to be swaddled that night just to get the trauma out and Elaine has to get him to convince himself he didn’t go through it personally. 

[bloggingbrin]

DigiThoughts: Mju Mini/Stylus Verve

I've been shooting with a cam that sort of has some cult status in digicam community for a bit, here are my thoughts.

0. The camera

This camera is the digital cousin of Olympus Mju point and shoot analogue cameras the prices of which exploded after analogue photography youtube evangelized it. This one is in a very Y2K friendly alien shape and is ripe with potential to make tiktok go crazy at some point due to its physical, and not just photographic, aesthetics factor. In the digicam discord I was told that this is a camera that people love due to its form factor (cult status, barring its own emoji in the server) but also the pictures it can produce. I got it as a, stylish, replacement for a Canon Ixus 40 I was taking photos with before with the hope that it can be a replacement capable of good all around photos.

It took me a bit to adapt to the camera, but I think im in a stage where I feel comfortable with it now!

1. Shaky

My first impressions were that every picture I take is quite... blurry.

Shooting mostly in the evenings and just starting with using AUTO everything the camera tried to compensate for the lack of light with long exposure times. The previous Ixus I had handled automatic shooting quite well but decided to dig a bit into the shooting settings.

2. ISO + Ev to rescue

ISO 400

EV: -0.5 or lower

Smacking ISO up high helps a lot already, adds some beautiful noise to the picture and made it lighter. The EV definitely needs to be hit into negative if shooting in lowlight otherwise the camera leaves it's shutter open for too long and you end with blurry pictures. Maybe a tripod could be interesting to use with it.

Anyhow, this lead me to nicer, noiser photos at a day trip to Rijeka with friends. Importantly tho, I felt like I needed to do some post corrections to "pull out" the colours id like. It's something I'd like to avoid, not necessarily because its bad - it's completely valid - but I work so much with a computer in my day-to-day that I'd rather not make my photography hobby depend on it too.

3. Cuisine Preset

A few weeks later I had the chance to visit my good friend Luka in Italy and this is where I feel like I hit the stride with this camera. With the quest to reduce the amount of editing work I tried out the "modes" the camera offers for shooting, like "Night Time", "Nature"... I don't know what exactly these modes change as its not clear, but I believe they act sort of like a colour filter as they don't seem to override the ISO/Ev (which seems odd for some modes like Night Time).

I found that for the warm, noisy photo style that feels very fuzzy using the Cuisine preset alongside the high ISO made for fantastic results. I guess it fit cause everyone I was shooting was a snack hehe.

Rambling on pricing

Last thing I'd like to note is, I love how gimmickry this camera feels in the hand. It has such a weird shape. However, I think the regular price of this thing, 100€ on Ebay, is outside of what is reasonable. I got incredibly lucky and found an almost pristine one on an Austrian second hand site for 50 with shipping to Slovenia. If your goal is to shoot nice photos, i don't think this is worth it.

What I want to say is that you can take photos of this style on cameras way cheaper as well. I also believe that the digicam spirit is to pickup something cheap and make it work. Another part of the digicam spirit, to me, is finding weirdly shaped things. In an era of glass slabs seeing some weird angular designs like this is exciting and harkens to a wild west of electronics design and this one is definitely in that category and it feels like this is being abused by sellers a bit. I don't know man, scarcity and collections are a weird thing.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

And were back with... A Will Smith cop movie? Oh boy...

Yeah this trailer looked pretty bad. It was a lot of screaming, stupid jokes, and Martin Lawrence sounding really weird. Plus a movie as violent as this seemed where the main characters are cops seems in poor taste for me. Plus plus, the original two movies were made by Michael Bay! I've never seen a Michael Bay movie, but he's got a reputation alright.

Wait, I thought you were going to skip sequels that you haven't seen the original to. Did you fucking lie to me Roan? Well Buggnutz, I've been thinking. The reason I added that rule was because I was afraid of overloading my schedule, which doesn't seem to be an issue because the year is kind of light on releases. Also, I was concerned about being confused by what was happening in the movie, but that doesn't really seem to be an issue so far. Thinking about it, a good sequel should stand on it's own to a certain extent, right?

What's The Movie About?

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are cops who are framed by a different crooked cop, and need to get Will's son to Miami to turn evidence and clear their names.

What I Like.

This movie is insane, but in a good way. The action is incredibly frenetic and the plot goes a mile a minute. Some crazy person will show up and mug at the boys, then the situation will get resolved in a fun, action packed way. The jokes are dumb, but they are way funnier than the trailer made it seem. The trailer didn't misrepresent the movie necessarily, but they definitely edited out bits of the scenes showcased that makes the movie better quality. I don't know what was up with Martin sounding weird in the trailer though, he sounds completely fine in the movie. The acting as a whole is pretty good, although the emotions of the film is pretty simple. I thought the bad guys were pretty scary, and pretty effective until they need to make the climax happen. The best fight in the movie has to do with a tertiary character and I feel like long time Bad Boys fans will get a major kick out of it. I'm mixed about the cinematography in the movie. There is a lot of shaky cam and quick cuts, but I also never felt disoriented because the movie still makes it clear where everyone is and what is happening. I guess I give it a pass.

What I Didn't Like.

The movie is the worst kind of manly shy of being full misogynist. The emotional moments of the movie don't seem to be fully realized because either the filmmakers or the actors didn't want to look weak. Like you can't have a heart-to-heart to connect with your felon son Will Smith, what if the audience thinks you're a pussy? (Movie's tone and vernacular, not mine.) This comes to a head with the resolutions of Will and Martin's personal arcs, where the solution to solving their mental issues is violence.

Final Summation.

You know what, I am pleasantly surprised once again. I like Bad Boys: Ride or Die. It's by no means my favorite movie, nor do I think it is a movie for everyone. But it you think you might be interested give it a shot. And if you are a fan of the series, I think you'd like this one as well.

A good start back from that week off. What's next on the docket?

SHIT!

[imaginesbymonika]

Confessional Cam

Prologue

Pairing: Chris Pontius x fem!Reader

Plot: Y/N and Chris have been hooking up with each other for months now. And the young woman was convinced that they both weren't catching feelings until a confession caught on tape changes everything.

masterlist

"You have to to delete my tape from last night."

Johnny who brings the spoon of colorful cereal up to his mouth merely shakes his head at his request:”Now leave me alone.” But Chris shifts his chair closer to his friend and a nervous fake laughter escapes his lips: "No, you don't understand. I-."

"I understood you very well the first couple of times."

"What's going on over here?", Bam inquires as he sits down on the other side of the table, he eyes the two men in suspicion. At that Johnny just makes a quick hand gesture, suggesting that their conversation wasn't important at all. "Chris, are you okay?", Ryan asks and moves a chair next to Bam to sit down: "You look... really pale."

"He probably drank too much alcohol last night... you were drinking tequila like it was water."

Chris feels as if he suddenly cannot breathe properly anymore. And when he sees how Y/N steps into the breakfast room with Steveo by her side, the room around him begins to spin. Rather fast.

"Listen, buddy.", Johnny declares after wiping his mouth: "At this table, everyone has said something in front of that camera that they ended up regretting. But just because you are embarrassed we cannot change the rules like that. You know that. Rules exist for a reason."

Bam nods his head in agreement: "And also, admitting something embarrassing - that's like the entire purpose of that stupid tape."

"Try not to think about it too much."

The Confessional Cam. Whenever the guys went on vacation together, which happened twice a year, Johnny kept a tape recorder in a separate room of the hotel. The concept behind the whole game is rather easy. At the beginning of the trip, everyone in the group receives one keycard. Those open up the doors to the room with the tape recorder in it. They are allowed (and encouraged) to leave messages on the tapes: the so-called confessions. All members of the group can visit the room day and night, whenever they think they have something they need to get off their chests.

And when the group arrives back home, Jackass would have one hell of a special episode. Every time they would have a viewing party at Johnny’s place. Because when the world sees those tapes, the group sees them for the very first time as well.

"Johnny!", Y/N who made her way towards the table softly smiles at everyone before her attention shifts to the unofficial leader of the group. He simply whines: "Can't a man simply eat his breakfast? What do you want?" The young woman looks at him apologetically: "I really need to speak with you. In private. Please?"

He lets out a deep and annoyed sigh as he slowly gets up from his seat to follow her outside onto the big patio, which reveals a gorgeous view of the beach below. The guys all watch them talk for a bit, and while Y/N seems to be in severe distress Johnny solely shakes his head at whatever words were leaving her mouth.

Chris isn't watching them. Instead, he is staring at a fly that is crawling around on the tablecloth. His face is still very much pale. No one seems to care much about it, only Steveo is eyeing his friend with furrowed eyebrows.

After a few minutes, Johnny walks back inside and leaves the young woman standing by the railing. Bam who takes a bite of the bacon creases his forehead. He watches how their long-time friend is running a hand down her face and takes in one last shaky deep breath before she walks back into the building as well.

“What were you two talking about?”

"She wants her tape from last night deleted. I told her the same thing I told Chris: rules are rules. This worked so well the past couple of years. Can we perhaps say it all together, as a team, so no one forgets it again? Rules are what?"

"Rules."

"Exactly. Thank you. Jesus. Now, no one talk to me until I finished this bowl.”, he announces and proceeds to eat his breakfast cereal.

[dojae-huh]

I think among neos, jeongwoo is the one that I can’t seem to understand how his mind works. Others i can sometimes understand them.

And how is it in life, we can understand other people’s action? Is it because we find it relatable or maybe we can make sense of the action when we know the reasons? Why do want to understand others?

Jungwoo plays a role for the camera, and his role is shaky, he still tries this and that, looks for ways to appeal. He is getting better at variety and the balancing game, but it's still work in progress. Notice how many neos say "Jungwoo is more charming/funny off stage, I wish you could see".

Jungwoo was added several years after debut, he had to quickly find his own spot, win over the fans. Freshly debuted idols are not ready to be themselves, in Korea people are not praised for being unique individuals, speaking their own mind, on the contrary. And an idol has to be a perfect being: funny, pleasing, talented, etc. Remember how during MarkWoo's relay cam Woo said he is afraid to come off as boring. He is still surprised when he is approached and recognised on the streets. He doesn't think he is famous as Kim Jungwoo.

Read on "theory of mind". We assume another human has a soul and a mind (like us), and as a result this human does what we do in the same situation. It is a common trap, people attribute motives and thoughts to other people taking themselves as originals (I will do this and this in this situation, so he must do this and this).

Because we have this programme of putting a soul/mind in objects, we anthropomorphise animals and rivers, create gods of trees, give personal names to cars and swords.

To understand another person you either have to be very similar in brain anatomy (look how musicians or geeks "get" each other), experience the same event (like an earthquake) or study people like a species and document motives and reactions, behaviour, the reasons for this behaviour. For example, everyone is looking at current Russians (take interviews, write down events, the evolution of propaganda, etc) to try to understand how and why Germans in Nazi Germany supported fashism.

That's why I say learn neurobiology, it will help in real life, the science will give you tools to understand human behaviour and will explain how different types of brains function.

As to why we want to understand other people. We are social animals, we have to live and work with other people. To do this we need to have mutual understanding, people around us need to be predictable, reliable. We need stability of our environment, we want simplicity. We can't do anything if we are afraid for our safety, for example. We need to get close to a new person first, to start to trust him. That's why there are so many biological and cultural mechanisms. Greetings, polite speech, smiles, hierarchy, having dinners together, small talk, going to karaoke, getting drunk together and what not. Everything to make sure that another person isn't interested in killing or exploiting you.

When people don't understand another person's behaviour, they can't predict that behaviour, which makes them feel uneasy, fearful, they start to dislike that person.

[babytstark]

Mayday - S. Rogers

Based on the song Mayday by Cam

A/N: i am a monster ngl

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader

Word count: 1k

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: breakup, angst, crying, fighting

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

"You are overbearing, I'm not in love

But, I don't wanna tell you.

We've been contemplating how to give it up,

But I can't convince you."

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

It had been a hard couple of months, that's for sure. Between helping Wanda deal with the loss of her brother, dealing with the consequences of Ultron, and your now failing relationship with Steve, you were exhausted to say the least. You and Steve had been drifting for weeks. It had started with less sex that tapered off to none. His newest thing was no longer sitting next to you in meetings or at dinners. This one had stung the most, was he now embarrassed to be seen with you? 

Then there were the little things he did daily that hurt you. He spent his time critiquing your clothing choices. 

"Are you sure you should wear that out? Isn't it a little revealing," he asked you as you exited the bathroom.

Your eyes glanced down at the black dress you were wearing, "Hardly? It's just a little cleavage."

"I just wouldn't want anyone to think you're trying to catch their attention," your heart stung at his comment. 

You had tried to reason with him, hoping he would see that you were falling apart. He refused to give you the time of day, saying, "We are fine (y/n), I don't know why you're worried." And with a peck on the forehead, he left the room. You stood there in shock at how blind Steve was becoming to the world around him. Sure, he was focused on saving the world and maintaining peace, but he was neglecting his home life, mostly you. 

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

"You gotta let me leave.

I'm lying here, inches away 

But you can't hear me call mayday."

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

Things between the two of you had finally come to a boiling point one night after Steve had returned from Lagos. You had heard what happened from F.R.I.D.A.Y., and your worry for the super soldier grew with every passing second. When he finally slumped through the door, he looked like absolute hell. Tear stained cheeks, bruises littering his skin, and dark circles caused your heart to clench. 

"Steve, listen..", you began.

"No, (y/n), stop. I don't wanna hear it from you either. I know this all got messed up and it's mostly my fault," He snapped at you.

Your mouth gaped open before you spit back at him, "I was going to offer you some words of encouragement, but forget it. I'm sleeping in my room tonight."

As you stood, his eyes shot to you, "Don't you dare walk out that door, (y/n). I'm not joking around."

"Or what, Steve? Or what. What are you gonna possibly do? I've been sitting here alone trying to fix our relationship before it goes to shit and the best you can offer me is a forehead peck and a dinner later that week? This is pathetic. I deserve better than this," the tears were free falling at this point.

"Is that all you can think about is you? The world is constantly needing a hero to save it from the next danger. I have to be there for the world. It's my duty."

"You know what? Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved with you. Look at what it did to my dad and mom. Superheroes will never be able to have happy relationships. I'm done Steve. Save the world, but I need someone who can be there for me. All I asked for was a little attention and some quality time when you can."

"Fine. Walk out the door."

You took one last shaky breath and gathered your things, before walking quietly out the door. 

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

"It's either sink or swim.

We tried so many times, for worse or better.

It tears my heart in two to leave it all behind

And say goodbye forever."

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

You barely left your room, the darkness of the world around you seeping into every crevice of your soul. The world seemed so much happier and safer with Steve. Wanda came by a lot with food and forced you up to shower and brush your hair. Nat stopped by occasionally with well wishes from the group and little treats for you. 

It was nice to have all of your friends living with you to help get you through this. But, how were you supposed to ever leave your room again when you lived with your reason for crying? Your dad suggested building a floor just for you like an apartment. You declined, and promised him you could still be professional.

The days were spent laying in the dark, crying until your head hurt. Your mind flashed with all the happy memories you had with Steve. The time you went to the orchard and picked apples in the fall. The first time he told you he loved you. The first night you spent completely together. It came and went in flashes, each leaving you more heartbroken than the last.

Then the news came from Wanda that Steve and your father were at odds over some accords. The plan was for there to be a full civil war between your father and people on his side, and Steve and his people. Your heart clenched, knowing your father was holding against the super soldier. Your mind flashed to their safeties as Clint entered the room, looking for Wanda.

"I'm sorry (y/n), Cap didn't ask me to grab you."

"It's fine Clint, I think it best I just stayed here and out of the way."

"Okay, Wanda we better get going. Cap needs our help."

With that, the two left, leaving you alone once more. Your mind couldn't stray from the fact that Steve sent for Wanda, but not you. You knew it best you not get involved, but he doesn't even seem to be hurt at your split. Your head hit the pillow as you spent another day crying until you fell asleep. 

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

"Mayday, mayday

This is an emergency.

Mayday, mayday

You've gotta let me leave.

I'm lying here, inches away,

But you can't hear me call, mayday."

[rinisbowen]

As a rina, it’s def our fandom who talk about the show not tell. The show does have a habit of telling rather than showing which can be frustrating, but it is what it is. I think that’s what turned a lot of us off of rini. We were randomly told that they knew each other since kindergarten in episode 8 of season 1. Random memories were brought up in Ricky’s confession that were never talked about or shown prior. It all just fell flat for me personally because all I really saw were two people who argued and upset one another but wanted each other back because of how they ended and the comfortability of the relationship. At least with rina (and portwell), we get to see their relationship develop from the beginning.

hi thank you for confirming!

but okay cool yeah i thought so, i just didn't want to say it entirely with certainty when i wasn't 100% sure.

hsmtmts is a show, like i was saying before, where the diegetic storytelling is the norm. and like you say, it makes us miss out on a lot. it's harder to be invested in stuff that you don't see happening. like- they did what minimal flashback stuff that needed to happen to set up that first episode, but they didn't go beyond the minimum in that sense. something kind of neat and less relevant to this ask is that the rini flashback scene in the first episode is actually filmed differently than the rest of the show, they use wider sweeping shots instead of the handheld shaky cam style, it's not just a different time, but it's a whole different animal.

--

i think a big reason for all the diegesis is that the run time on these episodes is so short... so they don't want to waste time on stuff that they could easily just tell us about.

as sweet as the kindergarten thing is, and i'm personally a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, i do get what you're saying about all of the memories like in his i love you speech not hitting so much for you and rinas in general. i think though at the end of the day, it's just the style of the production.

seeing rina from the beginning is totally an understandable selling point. people like to be able to watch something develop from the start for sure, because it allows you to get invested on the ground floor.

i think the rina-specific show not tell aspect is neat to think about, in part because it leaves so many more things open to interpretation. that's why on some levels, it's probably easier to have confidence even with so little information right now. you can read so much in between the lines, because we don't know with certainty what was intended.

i know people say that rina shippers can be delusional, but i almost think it's easier to do the more broad sweeping inferences when you don't have as much that's necessarily off the table. like you could be way off, but you could be spot on too. and no one can prove you wrong necessarily, because nothing's been said. and so much of the show is about what is said.

like- for people who are focused on any other ship on this show, so much of it is textual information that there's not typically as much room to mess around in. and that's a pretty neat spot to be in.

[frizz22]

uhh can i request a prompt of hilda comforting zelda with her ptsd post the caligary spell and like... sabrina and ambrose don't know whats going on but they know something happened

This one took me a little longer because I wanted to make sure I got it right. Because I doubt the show will, considering they’ve breezed over pretty much all the trauma these characters have been through. Read on a03

POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING

Hilda knew. She could tell, no matter how good Zelda was at hiding pain, at wearing a mask…. She could tell her sister wasn’t the same. Not since that abhorrent spell Blackwood cast on her.

She was ashamed to say it took her a little longer than it normally would have to notice. But with everything else going on, Ambrose’s near death, Sabrina nearly causing the apocalypse, losing Nick, saving the coven and Zelda taking over as high priestess… well, to say she’d been distracted was an understatement.

But Hilda had a feeling that the events had distracted Zelda as well, giving her something else to focus on and it was only now, that things had calmed down—relatively, that Zelda was coming to terms with what she’d been through. 

It was only little things, at first. Zelda took to wearing multiple protection charms, ones that prevented magical attacks and unwanted spells. This, in and of itself, wasn’t a big red flag. Most of the coven had picked up the habit after the hunters and the attempted poisoning by Blackwood.

Next, she noticed that her sister flinched at the sound of small, melodic tunes—like those preprogrammed as alerts in phones and computers. Zelda asked Ambrose to change all of them to no nonsense beeps, claiming it was more business like and therefore better suited for a high priestess. Though skeptical of and confused about the reasoning of the request, Ambrose complied. Hilda suspected the reason Zelda was so adamant about changing the sounds was because they reminded her of the music box Blackwood used to enchant her. Still, it wasn’t anything drastic and Zelda seemed fine otherwise, so Hilda let this go without comment as well.

And then, then there’d been the time Hilda came home from the bookstore and smoke was raising up from behind the house. Rushing around to the garden, Hilda had been stunned to find Zelda standing in front of a large fire with a look of grim determination on her face.

It wasn’t until she edged closer that Hilda realized her sister was burning every piece of clothing she owned with any sort of floral pattern—she’d never had many to begin with, but this purge left Zelda without a shred of floral fabric in her closet.

Hilda tried to talk to her right then, knowing this was in response to the ridiculous dresses Blackwood forced Zelda to wear. But a staff member astral projected onto the property just then and called Zelda away for an emergency at the academy. Her sister having taken it upon herself to act as interim headmistress as well while they searched for a replacement.

Sighing, Hilda carefully put out the fire and disposed of what was left. As she did, Hilda scolded herself for not picking up on how much Zelda was struggling sooner. Though everything was 20/20 in hindsight, wasn’t it?

After that fateful afternoon with the fire, every time Hilda attempted to talk to Zelda a coven member, Sabrina’s antics or Lilith herself would interrupt. That, or Zelda would quite literally run from the conversation.

Then, something happened that even Ambrose and Sabrina couldn’t miss.

They’d all been in sitting at the kitchen table after dinner, chatting and Zelda reading her paper while pouring herself a cup of tea. Sabrina had asked her aunt if she could top off her cup while she had the kettle in hand. Zelda turned without completely looking up from her paper and held the kettle out only to stiffen, hand frozen in midair, the kettle partially tipped but not enough for anything to come out.

Confused, Sabrina looked at Zelda, brows furrowed. “Aunt Zee?” But Zelda was far away, eyes locked onto something in the middle distance only she could see. “Auntie?” Sabrina reached out carefully and touched Zelda’s arm.

Recoiling from the touch, Zelda dropped the kettle, eyes a little wild, and fled from the kitchen without a word.

Hilda followed several minutes later, having had to convince Ambrose and Sabrina to stay downstairs. But the door to the bedroom was locked and Hilda knew how important control and space must be for her sister right now, so she simply knocked gently.

“Zelds?” She called out softly, “can I get you anything?” Silence greeted her offer, before she was brusquely told to go away. Sighing, Hilda did as she was bid and went back downstairs to find the kids hovering at the bottom of the steps.  

She did her best to distract them, and herself, but Hilda knew she wasn’t very successful. All of their eyes drifting up to the ceiling where they could hear Zelda relentlessly pacing.

Later that night, after Hilda somewhat forcefully made Ambrose and Sabrina go to bed, she heard a muffled crash come from Zelda’s room. Hurrying to the door, Hilda knocked but heard nothing in reply.

Then a scream.

Hilda forced the door open and shut it again, sealing it magically against her well-meaning, but intrusive, niece and nephew, before finding Zelda sitting up breathing hard. “Zelds—” She reached her sister’s hand, heart sinking when Zelda wrenched away from her.

“No!” She exclaimed, almost falling off the bed in her hasty attempt to increase the distance between them. Zelda’s eyes were a bit wild and unfocused. “It’s not safe, I’m not safe. I’m not in control. I could hurt—"

Hilda held up her hands, hoping to placate her sister. “You are in control, you are. It was a dream. You’re safe, you’re home. I’m here and you’re in control.”

Taking gulping breathes, Zelda focused in on her voice. “Hildie?” She whimpered, visibly trembling.

Hilda nodded and managed to give Zelda a small smile. “Yes, love, I’m here.” She climbed onto the bed slowly and made sure not to touch her sister again. “Tell me about it?” Shuddering, Zelda shook her head and sniffled. Swallowing, but knowing this was likely her only chance, Hilda pressed on. “Zelds, you can’t keep holding this in. It’s unhealthy.”

A long silence followed her statement, and then. “I—” Zelda started hoarsely and licked her lips. “I dreamed you or Sabrina got in my way when I cam for Leviathan.” She whispered, picking at her nail polish—a new nervous habit Hilda had noticed. “Blackwood, he, uh, he’d instructed me to not let anyone get in my way.” Zelda informed her, tears starting to trek down her cheeks. “I prayed I wouldn’t encounter anyone. I knew I’d hurt Sabrina. Hurt you. And I wouldn’t be able to stop it.” Taking a shaky inhale, she continued. “In my dream, you both tried to stop me. And I killed you both.” Her voice cracked but she kept talking. “Which meant I condemned Ambrose and he lost his head. I killed you all and it was all my fault.” Zelda finished, gasping and clenching the comforter in her hands.

Carefully, and very deliberately, Hilda placed a finger under her sister’s chin and lifted it so she could focus on her. “None of that was your fault or under your control. None of it. You hear me?”

And out of nowhere, Zelda slumped against her and sobbed, Hilda tentatively brought her arms around her sister and when Zelda pressed against her harder, Hilda tightened her embrace significantly.

“You can put on a brave face for Sabrina and Ambrose, but I know. I never should have let you go back. Never should have made you keep up that disgusting charade.” Hilda muttered, guilt washing through her at the admission. At the time she’d thought nothing of it, Zelda had acted so blithely about it, flipping her hair over her shoulder and making a snarky comment. But Hilda could see the damage now, how awful it must have been for Zelda to march back into that situation and pretend.

But Zelda shook her head, “it was the only—”

“No.” Hilda clung to Zelda harder, “I never should have let you go back. I should’ve gone and killed Blackwood right then and there. He’d have been caught completely off guard. And I could—” she faltered, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I could have protected you from some pain.”

More sobs wracked Zelda’s body and Hilda ran a soothing hand up and down her sister’s back.

Swallowing her own tears, Hilda rested her cheek on top of Zelda’s head. “Tell me the rest? Better out than in, yes?” She asked softly, knowing she might be pushing too far, but also knowing her sister couldn’t internalize this any longer.

Zelda shuddered against her, “I was, was aware the whole time. Trapped. Trapped inside my head, banging against the sides, trying to speak, to control my body… but nothing was under my control. I had a front row seat to my life, to seeing myself used like a puppet. I was sealed inside, with no say in anything and Faustus he still, he—” she gulped, unable to finish and for several minutes they sat in silence.

“He took away my choice, Hildie.” She managed, now picking at her cuticles, some of which were beginning to bleed. Hilda gently released Zelda from her hug and took her hands into her own to stop the action. Zelda blinked and looked at her hands, unaware of what she’d been doing, but nodded minutely in thanks before leaning heavily against Hilda once more and resting her head on her sister’s shoulder. “He took and took and took. We’d always, at least in the bedroom, same page. But then he took it all away and took what he wanted still.”

Something dangerous sparked inside Hilda, though Zelda wasn’t forming completely coherent sentences, she understood what her sister was unable to say…. What she’d likely refused to truthfully label until now. Blackwood was a dead man, well, he’d already been that, but Hilda would make sure she got some alone time with her former brother-in-law before they put him to death. But fantasies of torture could wait, Zelda needed her. “Oh, Zelds, I—”

“When does it get better, Hildie?” She whispered wretchedly, “how does it get better?”

Gently wiping her sister’s face and tucking some hair behind her ear, Hilda bit her lip, unsure. “Well, tonight I’ll make you some tea with a little foxglove in it, you’ll get a good night’s sleep. And when you wake up in the morning, you’ll go to work, talk with other teachers and coven members, break up stupid teenage witch fights and then you’ll come home. And we’ll all eat dinner together, maybe read or do puzzles afterwards before going to bed. And I will sit by your side until you fall asleep. And the next day, we’ll do the same and it will hurt a tiny bit less. And the next day after that will hurt even less.

“Oh, Zelds, I hope that’s true, I do. I pray to Satan or Lilith or whoever we’re supposed to worship now that that’s true. But I don’t know,” she breathed, hating that she couldn’t give her sister the definitive answer she likely craved. “I’ve never been where you are.”

Zelda gave her a tremulous smile, “that’s alright. What matters is that you’re here.” She whispered, lacing her fingers with Hilda’s and exhaling shakily.

A few more tears leaked down Hilda’s face, “and I always will be.” She promised fiercely, vowing to never let anything or anyone hurt her big sister again.

[bittersweetsongbirdsworld]

I'd Take A Bullet For You- Yoonmin Social Media AU

The crashing of the waves and the soft breeze seemed to calm Jimin's nerves. With all the anxiety and anger Jimin has been feeling for the past week finally disappeared. If he had a choice, Jimin would just stay by the ocean shores and live the rest of his life out there.

But, Jimin knew he couldn't stay out there forever. Since Jin was the one watching him, Jimin knew he wouldn't have a chance to escape. So, he just soaked in all the scenery before he would be locked back up.

Everything was-.. How did Jimin want to put it? Strangely quiet with Yoongi. Ever since the ambush and the destruction of the enemy's hideout, Yoongi hadn't left his room since. Well, to Jimin's knowledge anyways. Yeah, he was told about Yoongi's night terrors and something about having an awful past, but it just didn't make any sense to him. How could a man like that be scared of simple night terrors? It's not like he had them everytime he tried to sleep.. Right?

Jin cleared his throat, grabbing Jimin's attention. As he waited anxiously for Jin to start his traumatic story, Jimin's mind raced. He thought of every possible thing Jin could have possibly been through before he had met Yoongi.

"My looks are what brought all the terrible things in my life." Jimin watched the lump in Jin's throat bob up before setting back in the middle of his throat. "I.. My parents got divorced at a early part of my life. I wasn't much older than.. Four? I really don't remember. So, I grew up with my father. Since my father was an alcoholic and was abusive towards me and my siblings, we tried to keep our distance from him. But unfortunately, when I turned sixteen, my looks were above the average teenager, I was given a job opportunity." Jin's breathing staggered, his bottom lip trembling with a shaky exhale.

"I.. It wasn't a job I wanted, but my father needed the money. I.. I became a cam boy at the age of sixteen and up until my eighteenth birthday. When I was officially eighteen, I became a gay porn star. So many years of being raped and used really brought my self esteem down to an all time low." Jimin noticed a big fat tear trickle down Jin's cheek and onto his hand. Jin then wiped away the tears then formed in his eyes before he looked out at the dark lake.

"Jin hyung, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say," Jimin sighed as he grabbed for one of Jin's hands. He knew it wasn't much, but he knew he would be there to tell Jin that it was going to be all right.

"Thank you, Jiminie-ah, but that isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Since I was concerned to have 'above average' looks, my father's friends often corner me and raped me. Everyone one of them. Even my own father raped me. I couldn't even look in the mirror without a feeling of pure disgust. I had many scars that littered my back and face, but we'll talk about that in a little bit," Jin sighed before he made himself comfortable.

"I was famous all around the world for my excellent acting skills. I could do so many things that involved a dick or anything sexual. So, when I went out, I had someone with me. Well, the night I met Namjoon and Yoongi, I was with my father. I had just turned twenty one and was on my way to a shoot when I ran into Namjoon in the bathroom." A fond smile pulled a tie corners of Jin's lips, happy tears glistening in Jin's wide eyes.

"Is that how you met Namjoon hyung?" Jimin asked quietly, curiosity laced in his voice. When Jin nodded his head, Jimin let out a sigh of relief.

"I had just gotten done relieving myself when he walked in. Well, let's just say he caught my eye. It wasn't like the other men I had met before shooting, it was like a spark in the air. But, the moment was short lived when my father burst through the bathroom door." Jin's voice became hush as he tightened his grip on his jeans. "The old bastard grabbed me by the wrist that was red from the bondage. They had just started bruise, so I let out a cry of pain and tried to reason with him. Of course he didn't listen, so I started to struggle. I knew if I caused a scene, I would be free from my night shoot with an older man. Nothing was working until a deep voice boomed over my own voice. I was shocked to see that Namjoon had been the one to stand up for me," Jin beamed as he put his hands on his cheeks, his smile impossibly wide.

"My father told Namjoon to go fuck himself and that he shouldn't put his nose into other peoples business. Being the short tempered person he once was, he pulled out his gun and shot my father, right in front of my face. Of course I screamed because I wasn't expecting it. Before I could run, Namjoon had a hat atop his head, covering his eyes, and a face mask to cover his mouth and nose. He grabbed me by the hands and pulled out of the bathroom, his fingers tangled with mine. He yelled something in a different language and a short man with rose gold hair jumped over a counter and ran up next to Namjoon's side. Once I saw who the man was, I nearly passed out. It was Min Yoongi and Namjoon was one of his men." The smile never faded from Jin's lips. The fondness that Jin radiated made Jimin feel at peace.

"They brought me to the safety of Joonie's truck while Yoongi annihilated the bar. He killed so many people just for me and I have never been so grateful for that. With all my scars, Yoongi took them upon himself and now bares my scars. You know all the scars on Yoongi's face and back?" Jin whispered as he grabbed Jimin's hands. With a small nod, Jin continued.

"Those were all my scars. Yoongi had a power that takes wounds upon himself, so others are healed and happy. He took away all the scars on my body so I could love myself again. And.." Jin chuckled sheepishly as he scratched at his neck.

"I often offered my body to them and they always turned me down. I was so use to giving up my body that I throught everyones wanted me for sex. So, when I started falling for Namjoon, I panicked. I offered my body to him the most, but he turned me down. He told me that he didn't love me for my body, but for my personality. Well, now Joonie and I share and unbreakable bond. Yes, we make love, but Namjoon shows me so much love that I know he isn't with me for my body; he's with me because he actually loves me," Jin smiled as he looked up at the night sky. A silence hung in the air, Jimin still stunned by Jin's back story.

"That was.. Intense," Jin breathed out as he looked at Jin. He was more shocked to see fat tears streaming down Jin's cheeks. "Jin hyung."

A deep voice made both boys turn their heads in the darkness of the forest, bright amythist eyes looking back at the two.

"Let's go you two, its late. Come along, hyung, Namjoon isn't far behind. Come," Yoongi muttered as he held out a hand towards Jin.

Jimin was shocked to see Jin grab Yoongi's hand. He was even more surprised to see Jin get up and hug Yoongi, but was even more surprised to see Yoongi return the gesture.

Once Namjoon was in eyes view, Jin pulled way from Yoongi. He ran right into Namjoon's arms before he pulled Namjoon in for a passionate kiss. They soon pulled away, love clear in Namjoon's eyes as he lead Jin back to the mansion.

Jimin stood there, a small smile placed upon his lips as he watched the two. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder before he was carefully pushed forward.

"Let's go, Dove. You'll catch a cold if you stay out here all night."

─────────────────────

Most feared man in Seoul, South Korea bit off a little more than he could chew. With the police hot on his trail, Min Yoongi could only do one thing: Kill all his men, burn the building down, and relocate. With Min Yoongi "dead", he is given the chance to slip amongst the shadows of Seoul and build up his once unstoppable army of blood thirsty thieves, criminals, and murders.

Jimin was a sweet, caring, kind young adult when he first met Min Yoongi. It was a simple bump of the shoulders and a string of apologies before the other could open his mouth. A simple "sorry," was exchanged before they parted ways.

The second time Jimin ran into Yoongi was in a dance studio, Jimin practicing his heart out; while the other watched.

The third time Jimin ran into Yoongi was the day Jimin dreaded. With the most feared mafia leader standing in front of him, things chanced for Jimin. Jimin was now a puppet for a man he couldn't even side eye without receiving a harsh punishment.

Will Jimin plan an escape plan, or will he find love in a cold, blood thirsty bastard?

🍻20/?

[camsthisky]

So if you are still accepting prompts, maybe you could write something, maybe a moment when lil Dick Grayson feel safe or at home with or loved by Bruce? I don't care if it's angsty as long as there is some comfort :) See I just read a fic where Dick had been kidnapped by a villain and basically got Stockholm syndrome and ended up adopted by the guy and A. The author seemed to think it was all great? And B. Bruce was made to be a TERRIBLE batdad and I just have a sick taste in my mouth

I’m behind on fics, prompts, and asks, but I promise I’m working on it. I just finished up a final yesterday, and I have a bunch of fics half-finished, so I’m going to try my best to get what I can done. Thanks for being so patient.

Thanks to @crazysnake19 for donating! Also, I’m so sorry that you read something like that, Monica. I wouldn’t be able to handle that. Here’s some Dick feeling safe with Bruce around. I hope it makes you feel a bit better! And I want to do a part two to this, but no promises.

“Shit,” Dick mutters under his breath, knocking away another attacker. Thereare dozens of them, all over the warehouse, all out for his blood. And theyjust keep coming. Shit, indeed.

He doesn’t know why there are so many. According to heat signatures, thetraffic cams Oracle had hacked into, his informants, and his own detectivework, there were only supposed to be ten men here to protect the shipment ofguns. Instead, Dick’s fighting thirty.

He’d planned to call for backup as soon as he’d slipped into the warehouseand seen that he was so outnumbered, or at least cut his losses. He can usuallytell when he’s in over his head, but he’d been snuck up on, and he’d beenforced to show himself.

Dick has taken out ten men before he realized that they were ready forhim, and by then, he’s too busy to press the button on his comm. to contact theothers. He’s going to have to hit his suit’s panic button.

That’s, of course, when he gets hit in the face.

He rolls with the blow, sweeping out the feet of another man, andstriking upwards. The man groans in pain, and that’s eleven down. He fights likea whirlwind, but in the end, it’s not enough. He hits the button. And then someonetakes a tire iron to the back of his head.

He drops to the ground.

Still conscious, but just barely, Dick hears murmuring, and then thereare hands on him. He doesn’t have enough sense to shake them off, and even ifhe did, he doesn’t think he’d have the strength. They’re dragging him.

“…rid of him,” someone’s ordering. “The river…enough…kill him…the evidence.”

The river. They’re going to throw him into the river.

Dick thrashes, startling whoever’s ragging him into dropping him. Hetries to roll over, to push himself to his feet, but he gets another blow tothe head for his efforts, and he drops back to the floor. Everything’s muffled.He can’t see anything, voices sound like they’re talking to him from a tunnel,and he feels a sort of numbness settle over him.

And then he plunges into the icy depths of the river. He eyes shoot openfrom the shock of it, and the water engulfs him fully. He’s sinking, too cold anddisoriented to do more than weakly struggle his way towards what he thinks might be the surface.

His lungs burn. He can’t breathe.But he has to hold his breath until he gets to the surface. Until he gets air—hecan’t—he has to—breathe. He has to breathe.

Dick reflexively takes a breath, and water rushes into his lungs. Hiseyelids flutter, and he finds himself drifting. He can’t breathe, he can’tcough it up. He doesn’t have enough oxygen, and the numbness is settling overhim again. This is it.

And then, hands are tugging him upwards, and Dick doesn’t fight them.Everything goes dark, and Dick lets it.

The next thing Dick knows, someone is turning him over, and he’scoughing up a lungful of water. He coughs and coughs and coughs, until hisburning lungs can’t take it anymore, and he chokes on his first breath.

“Easy,” a voice tells him. A voice he knows That’s—

“Bruce,” Dick tries to croak, but it’s lost to the desperate need to breathe.

Bruce’s hands pull him closer. Dick flops his head onto his dad’sshoulder immediately, and Bruce lets him. Kevlar is uncomfortable, but Dick can’tfind it in him to care. Especially when Bruce’s gloved hands tangle in his wethair and curl around him protectively. And Dick—he doesn’t try to move. He justsits there and tries to breathe.

“You’re okay,” Bruce murmurs. “You’re alright, Dick.”

“Names,” Dick tries to joke, but it comes out a rasp, and Bruce husheshim, clutching him that much tighter. Dick buries his face into Bruce’s shoulder.He’s not comfortable, but he doesn’t think that there’s anywhere else he’drather be right now.

Finally, Bruce says, “Let’s get you home.”

Dick’s voice is still barely there, but he has enough strength to say, “Yeah.”

He still feels shaky, but with Bruce here, helping him to his feet, thenumbness isn’t quite as prominent. He feels—safe. Bruce leads him to the Batmobile,and it takes a moment, but finally Dick finally settles into the passengerseat, eyes sliding closed in his exhaustion. He lays his head on the window, wrappinghis arms around himself, and just lets himself be.

“Here,” Bruce says, and when Dick forces his eyes back open, Bruce iscowl-less and holding out his cape to Dick. Swallowing past a growing lump in histhroat, Dick takes the proffered material, and wraps it around himself the besthe can. When he falters, Bruce helps him wordlessly.

For some reason, Dick feels like crying.

After a moment of just sitting there, Bruce tells him, “Don’t fallasleep yet.”

Dick nods and then they’re speeding off towards the Cave at high speeds.Dick can feel exhaustion aching in every bone of his body. His head pounds, hislungs and throat still burn with every breath he takes, but he keeps his eyeopen. He stays awake. Bruce is next to him, Bruce’s cape is around him, andthey’re going home.

[cowgirlmilkers]

There are times when remakes are just plain unnecessary, though, and in those cases I think it's perfectly fair to be put off them no matter how well they turn out. In your examples, movies that rely on special effects will always get a clear benefit from a remake, movies like "It" had a lot of potential and mass appeal but failed to take advantage of it's new medium, but some things just don't NEED that update. They feel forced and cash-grabby, and that's what we've been seeing too much of.

It’s a trend, sure, but trends in movies always have the good and the bad.Every single Disney/Pixar movie has the same general plot (Two unlikely heroes meet up, halfway through they fight, three quarters of the way through they realize they were wrong and meet back up again to stop the Big Bad), but most of them are still good. Everyone hates shaky cam films but I really love Cloverfield and As Above/So Below.I’m just saying, Xena should have gotten a reboot and I’m pissed that it was cancelled. No, what I’m really saying is that remakes should be given a chance before you blast them because one of the characters is a woman instead of a man or a stupid criticism like that. Sometimes that critique makes some sense (Stephen King was playing with the cowboy trope and the Gunslinger was a racist white dude, so it would’ve made more sense for the Dark Tower to have him remain white if you want that plotline), where sometimes it doesn’t (all-female ghostbusters is an interesting twist and it could have paid homage to ghostbusters and made it about the working woman, the reason the movie is bad is because it isn’t funny).Slow down with the instant “I fucking hate this!!!” of remakes, realize there’s only been like one remake every few years while there are hundreds as many original movies, and take a breather and give them a chance.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Alien Review

"What?! You've never seen Alien!? How can you call yourself a sci-fi fan?" Yeah yeah yeah. Shut up Buggnutz. I've never engaged with the Alien franchise at all. I've heard all about them, of course, but unlike a bunch of other famous franchises I don't actually know the plots of any of the movies. All I know is Ellen Ripley, and the xenomorphs. Actually, now that I think about it, I have seen two Alien movies. I've seen both Alien Vs Predator movies. The first one was okay.

What's The Movie About?

A commercial space freighter called the Nostromo receives a mysterious signal, and by contract they are forced to check it out. And just like every time anyone is forced to do something by contract, something really bad happens. Also, this was the special 45th anniversary rerelease, sO dOn'T fOrGeT aLiEn: RoMuLuS iS cOmInG oUt.

What I Like.

Not to sound like an old person, but man. They do not make them like they used to. This movie is really damn scary. I spent the entire movie with my toes clenched against my feet. The tension built is masterful. And it's not even that gore-y or disgusting. With the exception of that one scene that everyone knows, I don't think there is any gore. The xenomorph is kinda icky, but you barely see it throughout the film. There's very little in the movie itself where, by itself, you would be scared or disturbed. But the use of music, close-ups, and shadows makes the horror and tension permeate every inch of the film. Even stuff I wouldn't like in other movies is great in Alien. This movie has the most effective jumpscare I've ever seen. Seriously. Alien is so scary that it has the only jumpscare that I like. There's a lot of shaky cam and close-ups obscuring the action, but it just makes the actions scenes more tense. (The close-ups/shaky cam also mostly happen when the action has already been established and isn't that interesting. Like we already saw Ripley running down a corridor, so making that part shaky isn't a big deal.) Hell, I could only understand half the dialogue in the movie, and it just added to the atmosphere of the ship. Speaking of which, the sets in the movies are awesome. I really like how the Nostromo looks. I like that the cockpit is really busy with buttons and old monitors. I like that the living and eating quarters are covered with a fake, white plastic shell. All the rooms are small and cramped, it feels like what real space shuttles and space stations are like. I also like the way the android looks on the inside. I dunno, looks really fucked up, I love it.

What I Didn't Like.

I already kind of implied it, but there was a special intro for the 45th anniversary of the movie that basically just a big advertisement for the next Alien movie. I wouldn't even bring it up honestly, but they spoiled one of the deaths in the movie during it. What the hell? I also don't care for the ending. Not that I don't appreciate young Sigourney Weaver stripping down to her skivvies, but they are constantly flashing bright white lights over and over during the entire thing. Also I praised how the close-ups where utilized throughout the movie, but I felt like the overstayed their welcome by that point. I already know what the xenomorph looks like and what Ripley's sweaty forehead looks like, there is really no reason for them anymore. My final complaint is I don't like the amount of smoking and the use of flamethrowers in the movie. I praised how realistic the Nostromo felt, and this relates to that. Wouldn't the fire burn what limited oxygen they have on the ship? I dunno, that just keep popping into my head every time I see someone light up.

Final Summation.

This movie is damn good. I think I need to see the sequels. Even the ones everyone says are bad.