#in any case i saw the connection and that's all that matters 😅

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

What if I said this scene with Edwin:

Is visually referencing the first piece of queer cinema, Salomé (1923):

What then?

[yumeka-sxf]

After the previous long arc and then a month break for Endo to work on volume 14, it's so nice to finally have a chill Forger-focused chapter! I missed my fake family so much 😭

This above spread is lovely ❤️

Hilarious Anya and Loid antics right from the get go - I missed that too!

JUST LOOK AT BOND INSTEAD 🤣 This guy...

He also calls her "baka" ("idiot," "dummy") in this panel in the Japanese version 😅

But despite her little kiddy tantrums and demands, I love that Anya still does what's best for Loid by giving up on a TV appearance.

The below scene between Loid and Yor is yet another example of how well they complement each other; how Loid is so intent on his mission that he can't accept any moments of being idle or "goofing off," but Yor is there to remind him that such things are okay...that you don't have to be constantly looking for trouble and it's good to be at peace every now and then.

That thought continues during their conversation at the riverbank. No matter how much he tries to put on a stoic spy face, Yor can tell that he's constantly on edge and needs to relax sometimes, for his own good.

Her comment that he constantly has wrinkles on his brow and needs to be careful about that - that is such married couple talk, just get REAL married already!

Then we have Becky being enamored with Loid again (and calling Yor her "master" 😂) At least she kept herself much more under control. Good girl.

Bond's first meeting with Weisel! And the tear in his eye when Weisel left 😥

This panel of them together is so cute~

As usual, despite this being a cute/funny chapter, Endo slips in some darker forboding...in this case, another hint about Project Apple still being an active threat.

Between this and the short mission about Anya's name, I wonder if Project Apple is indeed connected with whatever lab Anya came from, and if Endo is planning something really big from all this gradual build up about it. Looking forward to it, whatever it is!

And I know some people must be wondering why we didn't continue the "Anya tells Damian her secret" bombshell from way back, but I saw that chapter as ending with Damian not believing her and Anya not pressing on it further, at least for the time being. But it will definitely get brought up again.

EDIT: Thanks to @xxscarletxrosexx and @mika213 for pointing this out! There's a mistranslation in this scene: the English version has Yor telling Loid to be careful about wrinkles, but in the Japanese version, that speech bubble belongs to Loid, who's confirming he will be careful about it (hence the blush mark and sweat drop).

Bonus: It was just confirmed that Henderson will be on the cover of volume 14, which releases on September 4th!

[tobbesdiscordkitten]

i saw your post taking about “this i love” so i want to add that i find it really interesting that axl has always dated people younger than him, i have a little theory that is that, he likes to be in control, and to me, all the people he’s dated, don’t exert a lot of control, or maybe stephanie did, so that’s why he dates younger people(? to ‘mold’ or ‘shape’ them, what are your thoughts?

It’s an interesting theory, anon! Of course, I do have my own differences, but I’d love to share my thoughts with you.

Looking at it from a certain point of view, I can understand why people think Axl prefers to date younger women 😂 His first girlfriend, Gina Siler, was around his age then his next girlfriend, Erin Everly, was 3 years younger. But Erin appeared to be much younger than him, mentally. Moving on. Stephanie Seymour and Axl are 6 years apart while him and Jennifer Driver are 11 years apart, and him and Sasha Volkova are 22 years apart. The ages certainly decrease with each woman.

There’s nothing wrong with having a preference either. Maybe Axl prefers to date younger women? Perhaps he doesn’t like to date older women because he views them as his mother-figure or caretaker? But I also wouldn’t say this is his preference since Gina is closer to Axl’s age. But maybe, overtime, he changed his mind about it? 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s quite common for men to be the older ones in a relationship.

If you look at it a different way - the younger the women were, the less years they spent with Axl. But the older the women were, the more years Axl had with them. In case this might sound confusing, I’ll create a chart down below to clarify:

1. Gina Siler (around the same age) - spent 5 years with Axl (1978 - 1983).

2. Erin Everly (3 years apart) - spent 5 years with Axl (1986 - 1991).

3. Stephanie Seymour (6 years apart) - spent 2 1/2 years with Axl (1991- 1993).

4. Jennifer Driver (11 years apart) - spent 3 months with Axl (1994).

5. Sasha Volkova (22 years apart) - spent 2 years with Axl (2006 - 2008).

At least that’s what it looks like on paper. Plus, I’ve heard rumors Axl has an on and off (FWB) relationship with Sasha. So, the stats might not be 100% accurate, but you can see how the numbers fluctuate with the ages. It just depends on how people see it.

For the control part…it could sound like he was trying to manipulate these young women. Yet, I don’t think that was the case. The “molding” and “shaping” only applied to Stephanie since Axl saw her as his “perfect” woman. She must’ve had traits that he longed for in a partner, ultimately making them click until the Christmas disaster happened.

Axl’s perfectionism can also be misinterpreted as him wanting to control everything when, in reality, he had a vision and he strived to achieve it, whatever it took. It’s important to remember Axl didn’t have any control during his adolescence. He broke his toy planes, so his step-father wouldn’t, and he’d put the broken pieces together, similarly to how he pieced GNR back together after it fell apart.

As for an Aquarius like Axl, it all comes down to having an emotional connection with somebody instead of a physical connection. Meaning: age doesn’t matter to him but the personality does, and so does one’s own personal ambitions as an individual.

If you ask me, Erin exerted more control than Stephanie, and that backfired on her. Scorpios, like Erin, tend to have a natural desire for control which can lead to them being manipulative, vengeful, unyielding, and domineering. This is the complete opposite of what an Aquarius desires who lean towards freedom and independence without feeling restricted by others. On the other hand, Stephanie, who is a Leo, can be controlling due to being in the spotlight but can balance it out with humility and openness, unlike Scorpio’s. Stephanie was busy with her modeling career and had more of a backbone to stand up for herself.

Anyways, I hope this wasn’t too confusing 😅 I know it’s a lot of info to take in. I’ve made other in-depth posts on my blog about Erin and Stephanie if you’d like to check those out! ^.^

[peonierose]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you so much for the tag 🩷@thosehallowedhalls it’s nice to be able to share something I’ve written even though it’s been a while since I’ve actively written fanfic 😅 But I’d love to share some snippets from stories that I plan on posting soon-ish 🥰

Open Heart

”You know the one where the hospital raises money for the children’s cancer ward. It’s close to all of our hearts. And when I saw your name as one of the prizes you could win I was surprised to see you’d offer yourself up as a date. But I figured you love to raise money for a good cause. So I’m really happy and proud you’d participate. Thank you, we all appreciate your sacrifice.“ She winks as if she knows I’m uncomfortable by this.

But her words had me startled, and my body froze and instead of blood I felt ice rushing through my veins.

I realized with a start she was expecting an answer from me as she was staring at me patiently.

”I…uhh…of course I wouldn’t have it any other way.“

Koa & Keiki

”Not the wake up call I imagined but I’ll take it. What are you up to Kei?“

”How about we just skip classes today? And stay here?“ I said as I placed another soft kiss on his chest.

”So what you’re suggesting is we should just what? Cut classes? Today is lab day. I have to be there.“

”Can’t you do it from home? Come on live a little Ko.“ I said before I lifted my head to steal a kiss.

I could feel him smile against my lips, before he broke it off.

”You’re playing a dangerous game Wildflower.“

Crimes of Passion

I’ve been hearing my dads voice in my head when I have to make a tough decision during a case. Or when I’m sad and feel alone.

Grief is a funny thing sometimes. It hits you in waves or even like a freight train. Depending on how far you let it affect you.

I rarely cry if at all. But the times I hear my dads voice? I break down and I’m a crying mess.

It’s as if I’m a little kid again, staring at my dads lifeless body. That was one of the scariest things I ever had to witness. To feel his warm skin turn cold. For his eyes to stare at the sky, lifeless, no longer filled with kindness and love for the people he cared about.

No matter how much I screamed he wouldn’t wake up again.

Open Heart

“Listen to me Luna. Time is what we make of it. You can use it to be miserable and make yourself unhappy, or you can accept the fact that there are hard times and times when we don’t have all the answers to every single question or where we can’t solve every problem. There is a saying in Hawaiian my grandma used to tell me when I was feeling sad and thinking I’ll never be happy again ‘A’ohe pu’u ki’eki’e ke ho’a’o ‘ia e pi’i - No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.”

I smiled against all odds.

“My grangran says that every single time I have a hard time.” I said smiling when I thought of my grandma.

“Your grangran sounds like a wise woman who I should have some coffee with.”

“I think that sounds like a terrific idea.”

I said munching over the words Brenda just said.

“Listen Luna I know we all face tough times, but try not to let it beat you down. You’re a lot stronger than you think and before you say you don’t want to be strong all the time you can ask for help. Go to people you trust and you’ll be surprised that they will actually listen to you and not think of you as a burden. Try to live in the present and be connected to the people you love and you’ll see things will get easier.” She looked me square in the eye when she said that and the waterworks started again, and she hugged me. As I hugged her I smelled her rose shampoo and fresh coffee and it grounded me in a way. Believe it or not when my anxiety is high I need hugs or just touches from people I know and trust.

Tagging:

@cariantha @aallotarenunelma

@thosehallowedhalls @alj4890

@a-cloud-for-dreams @karahalloway

@aria-ashryver @dutifullynuttywitch

@jerzwriter @liaromancewriter

@petalouda85 @bri1234

@kristinamae093 @adri-ja-96

@the-pale-goddess @rosesnink

@princess-geek @missameliep

@trappedinfanfiction

@storyofmychoices @tessa-liam

@tveitertotwrites @lilyoffandoms

@ladylamrian @harleybeaumont

And anyone else who’d love to participate 🩷

[meraki-yao]

I wanted to get your point of view on an issue. I've just been reading you, but your answers are always precise and intelligent, so I'll proceed! I'm not someone who likes to compare different works, or who gets stuck in one thing while denying the rest or what a biased part... but let's face it: the TIOY will probably only be saved due to Nicholas' singing performances. The plot is really obvious and banal (and I won't go into comparisons with Harry Styles because it's a real minefield) and honestly I haven't even seen this incredible chemistry with Anne (which was missing from the RWRB trailer immediately outside). I'll get to the point: I noticed that the two times Nicholas talked about the

project (the last one just the other evening) he seemed not totally at ease, contracted, not enthusiastic in short. The narrative of calling on his co-star Annie to show off the chemistry (I remember he didn't answer the famous question promptly, but said "I should probably say her") is obviously a PR move so I expect them to try to make pass it all off as something it isn't. So I think he is aware of the mediocrity of the product. I also found him cold for M&G but in that case it was clear that the matter had involved him anyway. I won't say anything about rwrb because his eyes speak for themselves. What do you think of all this? Thanks for the reply ❤️

Firstly thank you for the compliment, that's very kind of you 💕

I don't think it would be fair to judge TIOY so soon since the trailer's barely been out for a week, but I will say my own opinion on the project first:

I haven't read the book, frankly I don't have access to it, but while I don't hold any really negative thoughts regarding the premise, it isn't ... that exciting to me? Like it sounds fun, but I've read a fair amount of fics across fandoms with the same/similar premise. Plus from my Chinese celebrity experience, it kind of feels like it's feeding into the "dreamgirl" mindset which I feel iffy about

I also don't see the "incredibly chemistry"with Anne, it's better than what I saw in Cinderella with Camila (that was really freaking felt like besties) and it's there, but it's not what I felt with rwrb (then again I'm not sure how objective I am) but then again, we only have the trailer, so we'll have to wait and see to make a fair judgement

I actually got an ask about Nick answering the chemistry question that I haven't gotten around answering (I've gotten a lot, and I mean a lot of asks these couple of days and I'm also a full time student 😅) so I'll probably answer this point in more detail in that ask, but basically while I don't know it's a complete lie and he did have some genuine connection with Anne, it might be slightly exaggerated because of promo/PR reasons.

Forgive me, but I don't really look too much into how they talk about their work unless it's blatantly obvious, so I won't comment on what you said about him being tenser.

As for M&G:

I don't think Nick's acting cold when it comes to M&G, but also please keep in mind that M&G is something VASTLY different to any of his previous projects.

I actually have thoughts on what M&G means to Nick: it was a really, really hard job, arguably his hardest to date, but he's happy with what came out and has a sense of satisfaction from the work done: Nick often describes the process of shooting M&G as "gruelling", and he got hurt a lot, A LOT on that set. Also a lot was demanded from him in that role: (mild spoilers for M&G till *) a complex character who's recognizable from who he was in the first episode, sleeping with a lot of people, fencing, dancing, speaking French, horse riding, falling off a horse and deliberately running into a tree, filming in a flaming forest, etc. It was a lot, and a job like this doesn't come with entirely happy memories. Like I do believe the cast and crew were great, and Nick made really good friends, but just what entailed definitely took a lot out of him. So I think he's happy with the final product, but if you have him summarize the project, I think he'd say something along "learned a lot", "fulfilling" rather than something like "a joy", what he used for rwrb. So Nick might have a little more complicated feelings towards M&G, but I really don't think it's entirely negative.

But rwrb is something entirely different. It arguably gained the most traction and caused one of the biggest positive changes in his career, and there's also a bunch of personal, private connections and emotions there that we don't know about. So while M&G is a roller coaster, RWRB is a mostly happy experience.

Althought disclaimer, all of the above if my observation from what Nick has said, posted or done, and my own understanding of it. I do not or cannot actually speak for Nick.

I hope this helps? I think I might have gone off a tangent (I'm answering this while taking notes in a law lecture, fuck yeah multitasking 😅) so let me know if I missed something

[sitp-recs]

Hi, please help, I beg!

I just had to rage quit a fic with Draco pining over Harry and going "oh, he doesnt want me, of course", "why would he ever return my feelings", "i should tell him but that will ruin our friendship for sureeee", etc....for 30 chapters (at least! 60 more till the end😅) My fault, of course, I should have quit ages ago. Anyway, can you recommend Draco that knows his worth, knows he's a catch, knows he's hot and smart and most importantly knows that Harry knows all those things too and can see perfectly well that Harry WANTS him back.

Hi anon! I see you have strong feelings about Draco 😂💜 you’re a champion for reading 30 chapters of slow burn, my body literally cannot take it. Personally I adore a quirky, proud Draco but I also think it makes sense to see him a bit wrong-footed and insecure when he’s around Harry, considering his/their past. In any case here’s some sexy and confident Draco for you, I hope you enjoy!

push and pull you down by M0stlyVoid (E, 5k)

Harry's resigned himself to petty, inconsequential cases and no real connection to his job at the Auror department—after all, what else would he be doing with his time? He's not happy, not really, but that hardly matters.

I'm lying when I'm looking away by InnerLilith (E, 7k)

Sometimes it takes a Purim party and a flapper dress for Harry to figure out what he likes. (Spoiler: He likes Malfoy.)

check this hand 'cause I'm marvelous by @lqtraintracks (E, 8k)

Harry's had a crush on Malfoy for months now. But it will take a bar full of his friends, some Firewhisky, wagers made on his behalf, and Malfoy himself to get him to act on it.

Sex on Legs in Six-Inch Heels by Tessa Crowley (E, 9.6k)

Draco Malfoy is a brilliant freelance cursebreaker and the only one who can help the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with a very dangerous case, but more importantly, he's wearing six-inch heels, and Harry cannot handle it, he really just can't.

On Target by @the-sinking-ship (E, 13k)

A charity dunk tank, some sorry excuses for friends, a Slytherin with freakishly good aim, a (mostly) empty locker room, and one very small towel. Because, apparently, everyone is dying to get Harry Potter wet.

An Act of Kindness for One Harry Potter by a Sympathetic Draco Malfoy by 0idontknow0 (E, 15k)

As Draco leaned on the wall to wait for them to get dressed, he could not help feeling like he had done a very kind thing by disrupting them. Someone should give Potter a better rogering than that sorry sod had.

White as Snow by bixgirl1 (E, 19k)

After a quick escape from danger, Harry and Draco find themselves trapped in a blizzard, a small cabin their only refuge from the storm. It's the perfect place to recover and regroup — and to have a long-overdue conversation or two.

Take These Lies by @pennygalleon (E, 20k)

There’s a portrait of his godfather in Draco Malfoy’s potions shop and Harry needs to know why.

Trouble, My Old Friend by Tepre (E, 21k)

Harry goes rogue investigating an illegal potion and ends up at Draco Malfoy's dodgy lab.

We Might Be Too Old for a Bildungsroman by calrissian18 (T, 21k)

Harry finds something he’s been looking for since the war’s end. Admittedly, the packaging’s a bit odder than he expected.

I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor by birdsofshore (E, 29k)

God, he wanted this – wanted it so much he could taste it, a metallic tang of heat and desire. He suspected nothing would ever be the same again – especially when he saw who else was in the room.

Potential Gravity by zeitgeistic (E, 32k)

Draco is not good at Cards Against Humanity, but Harry’s not good at being human, so it all works out. Except for the explosions. And Harry’s inability to live when Draco’s not around.

Here's The Pencil, Make It Work by ignatiustrout (M, 49k)

Harry thinks "Why is Malfoy working in a coffee shop in muggle London?" is a much simpler question than, "Are you going to accept that auror offer and, if you don't, what will you do?"

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by @writcraft (E, 63k)

Harry has terrific friends, an amazing girlfriend and his job as Head Auror enables him to work on challenging cases and Ministry reform. He just wishes he could work out why he’s been so out of sorts.

Can't Sit Still by wilteddaisy (E, 193k)

Five years after the war, Harry finds himself drawn to Draco Malfoy by memories that aren't his own.

[geographicanatomy]

Day 3b: Paris - Stuttgart - Vienna

Second day of travel:

First Train

Operator/Train: SNCF, TGV 9579 inOui

Origin: Paris

Destination: Stuttgart

Duration: 3h 10min (estimated)

Distance: ~500 km

Stops / Changes: 5 stops

Seat Reservation: Yes, required.

I managed to use my first class pass again, which was great because otherwise I feel like I would have wasted those extra £80.

What can one say about TGV? Fast, comfortable, not too noisy, lights not to bright, spacious… Honestly was there only 3h and a half-ish and it was so comfy that I felt myself falling sleep towards the last hour of the journey, but with an overnight train next, I stopped myself. In hindsight, I could have done with an hour of comfortable sleep.

Connection: 39 minutes connection in Stuttgart Hbf. I trusted the French and German operators, because if this was UK there’s not way in hell I would chanced a connection with less than an hour margin.

At the end the TGV arrived 20 minutes late, which still left me plenty of time. And in any case, the second train was 30 minutes delayed on its departure so, even more time stuck in Stuttgart station where everything was already closed. Joy!

Second Train

Operator/Train: IC 461

Origin: Stuttgart Hbf

Destination: Wien Hbf

Duration: 8h 22min (estimated)

Distance: ~534 km (notice the difference in time for about the same distance?)

Stops / Changes: 20 stops (that’s an average of around 2.5 stops every hour and I felt the pain of each and every one of them 😤

Seat Reservation: Recommended but not mandatory. I did get mine but apparently it didn’t show on their system because my seat wasn’t marked as reserved. It’s not like it mattered, the train went mostly empty at the start until Munich. There started filling up but still ok to have 2 seats for each person (at least in the 1st class carriage!). It only got busy in the last hour, I believe because the locals use it as a regular commute train for early shifts.

This was the first sleeper of the journey and I had no idea what type of seat I ended booking because there were no options. I was hoping that even if the seats were chair-like rather than bunks, that they would still be comfy like the TGVs (or the ones I’ve seen in the Caledonian Sleeper or in the Canadian when we did the section between Vancouver and Jasper). I had a first class booking so for an 8h and half journey that runs overnight I was expecting… Well, more than what I got 😅

When I first saw the train I thought it looked like a Renfe Cercania (that’s Spanish short distance trains). Ok perhaps slightly better, like the Scotrail Edinburgh to Glasgow but with two decks. The only noticeable difference between first class and regular carriages was that there were less seats by carriages, the were ever-so-lightly larger and the tables were more spacious, but that’s it. Not even reclinable seats!

If that was all, I think I would have been ok. But the worst part for me was the fact that the light were super bright and constantly on, and that due to having so many stops and those being announced by the cheerful attendant, you pretty much woke up every 30/40 minutes.

So not the best train journey by far, and I should have probably gave up on trying to sleep but I was stubborn and I managed to bag some intermittent slumber for a few hours.

I made it to Vienna (Wien) on time, and that what really matters, And yes, I was pretty knackered after trying to get some sleep curled over myself in a kind of 4-shape , but after a couple of hours resting in the hostel, I felt refreshed enough to go out and make the most of my first time in Wien!

[fandom-18]

Hi! :) How are you? I saw your request post so.. Do you think you could do Julian and Lucio x reader for the Arcana? Headcanons or a short fic idc. I can't think of anything specific for the request so you can just do whatever ig. If you could do it just gender neutral reader that would be great! Thank you in advance! :::)))

Request #2: Oh! Also.. to add to my last ask(sorry) romantic and fluff(maaaybe a little bit of angst......). Pls and thank you. (Just in case you needed a bit more specifications :))

Thank you for specifying, it made writing a little easier. And don't worry, it's ok)

With an s/o who's an Arcana

Type: romantic

Includes: gn reader, fluff, angst

Warnings: some angst, mentions death, mentions and describe traumatic experiences from the past, calling someone an idiot

Julian

Honestly, it doesn't matter to him a lot. You can be any species possible, even a centaur for all he cares. It doesn't change your personality, which was the biggest reason he started falling for you

Although Julian has many questions. Do you have an animal form? Does your body function in a different way? What do you represent? Mainly questions are connected to your health and body. He is a doctor after all, even though sometimes I doubt he's ever been to a medical school.

If you have an animal form, please show him. Especially if you're fluffy. He'll be amazed either way, but will be more likely to cuddle you.

After you two date for a while, he starts thinking. You're immortal and he isn't. What will happen when he dies? Even if he becomes immortal like you, what will happen to Portia and Mazelinka?

He will need reassurance. Doubts start plaguing his mind, and he needs you to help him with it. Even if he doesn't want to admit it.

Lucio

Before his trope

It makes his ego bigger than it already was. I mean, dating a powerful being who probably can destroy him with just one move but doesn't (always) want to?

One of the first questions he asks is if you can make him as powerful as yourself. And definitely pouts if/when you refuse.

He loves showing you off, for example at parties or when he's angry

After his trope

Hey, you idiot! My partner will kick your ass!!! - Lucio, too many times

Later on, he starts to realise you'll live longer than him. But he calms himself a bit by reassuring himself that you love him. And when you love someone, you'll make them immortal and, as a bonus, (almost) as powerful like yourself... right?

Well, this is awkward.

He probably found out when the Great Priestess or someone else referred to you as a fellow Arcana.

At first, he avoids you. He encountered the Devil and he really damaged the image he had about you and your colleagues. Sure, you're still seen as powerful, but terrifying at the same time.

After some time, he stops avoiding you, but still is a little scared. He will need time before he stops flinching from your touch. But when he finally feels better, he'll be as amazed as a child in a huge candy store.

Notes: Well, voilà! Hope you like it) I tried to make a mix of fluff and angst, and this scenario seemed great for it.

Honestly, I didn't expect myself to answer two requests in one day😅

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

What are your thoughts on the ''namjoon's bf'' topic going around now with all the pics on ig and from before? Cause if joon is happily dating this person, I am so so happy for him but people always say not to take shipping to far and turn it into believing yet most people i saw talking about this genuinely think joon has a secret bf and keep talking about it and showing ''proof'' and it feels a bit iffy. Why is it okay when it's not 2 members of the group to ''believe'' and ''prove''?

My take on it is more or less the same as my take on shipping in general: don't overstep your boundaries. But in this case the boundaries are even more important to remember, especially if:

a) that really were his boyfriend, and

b) because it's a non-celebrity person.

Do I believe there is a real chance this could be a mysterious boyfriend? No. And I'm not saying that because I'm a namjinists but because Namjoon is an incredibly intelligent person who's been in this business for more than a decade and he knows how far he can go and what he can and can't show us. Much like they don't show us their families, except for the rare instance where Namjoon showed us selces he took with his mom years ago, or the time where JKs brother used to interact with us, I also don't think that if any of them were to have a partner outside of Bangtan (or in the case of the maknaes, even one within Bangtan), none of them would show that to us.

Not because he'd fear backlash on a more vile homophobic level (though I don't doubt that's part of it on more levels than just fan reaction), but rather because it just wouldn't be safe. It's been years since the tattoo artist incident and there are still people snooping around that girls life and trying to find some kind of way to connect her to JK, so imagine what were to happen with an actual partner instead of a "suspected" one? And yes, I know it likely wouldn't be as bad in Namjoon's case as it were if it were about one of the maknaes, but I doubt Namjoon would want to expose someone he loves to something like that.

Now, as for the jokes, here's the thing: at first it was funny, even I sometimes joked about it with Admin 2, but the joke has run its course and now it's slowly switching into, as you said, some people genuinely believing it and trying to prove it or something, which is plain weird, disrespectful and also very creepy. Also, the jokes themselves remind me of the Namjoon, his wife and their three kids jokes which have long stopped being funny as well. But when it comes to these kinds of things, ARMY have a tendency to be no jams. And that likely won't change.

At the end of the day, if some day in the future Namjoon were to tell us that people were right all along, I'd immediately congratulate him wholeheartedly, more love and power to him. But, as presented in my above reasoning, I doubt there's any merit to the jokes. It's far more likely that he's a friend, a staff member he's gotten friends with (like a manager or bodyguard, for instance), or even a family member. Whoever he is, I hope him, Namjoon and Namjoon's family (whom I assume are with them as well since I doubt they'd fly all the way to LA for the concert just to fly back the next day) are having a wonderful time.

From anon: Hello! talking about the members’ ig accounts…. do you think they’re honest about not knowing how to navigate them? 😅😅 for me it seems like they’re pretending and acting. overall, what do you think about it? why now?

I don’t see a reason for why we should doubt their words, or why we should question it. What does it matter anyway? And what would be the point of pretending? Sure there are reasons to believe with some of them that they’ve used IG in the past, but even if so, so what? Bangtan have been using twt since like 2011 (?) and yet when the update came where you had to go through the quote retwt option, they were clueless to the fact that they could click post without actually writing anything, so even if they’ve used IG before, that wouldn’t automatically mean they’d be pros at it. Most people I know have been using IG for a decade now and still struggle with their feeds and finding reason to post regularly. People would likely think they’ve never used IG before even if it isn’t true.

What do I think about them opening the accounts? I think it’s great. Especially with Namjoon it finally gave him the perfect platform to document his namjooning and to share it with us (to whichever extend he wants to). It came with great timing, seeing as they’re on break now, but if there’s some kind of grand ulterior motive it to the way some theorize there is, I don’t know and I don’t really care much either. Whatever it may be, I’m enjoying their pictures and cute interactions in the comments, the fact that Hobi diligently likes everyones pictures and tried to create a uniform style for his feed (even if he doesn’t seem entirely satisfied with it), how seemingly Yoongi and Jimin have just given up on the app (so far), that Tae can share his Vante photography, Seokjin sharing his meals with us (very socmed AU of him) and how JK has resorted to singing about his boredom in his IG stories. 

How about instead of wondering, questioning and theorizing, we simply enjoy their posts? They’re on official downtime, their first vacation over the holidays in so many years, and they still choose to share glimpses of it with us, how about we’ll be grateful for that instead of trying to find some kind of scheme behind their sincerity? 

[aerisosweet]

Hello again, Rosa! secret santa here - a little later than i actually wanted to answer, but oh well 😅

Oh, you know EXO since debut?! that's so cool!! compared to that i'm a baby exo-l, i joined the fun in 2018 🙊 but yeah.... gushing about chanyeol... i totally get the sentiment... *^*

i'm so glad i asked about the christmas thing tho! i hope it didn't come off as too nosey or insensitive or something. where i am from Christmas is a huge deal and even if you are not Christian it is hard to escape the whole spirit of the deason because it's just so closely connected with our regional traditions, and since a few years ago i sort of keep thinking about how this might feel for people who don't celebrate or celebrate some different holiday. that's why i was interested if that might be the case ^-^ anyway, giving New Year's Gifts sounds like such a nice tradition! It has a very meaningful ring to it, giving someone something to take with them into the new year. ✨

I have listened to Love So Sweet and it's such a cute song!! personally, i only can listen to such very poppy songs when i'm in the right mood for it, but i genuinely enjoyed listening to Love So Sweet 🥰

i like tons of different songs from many different genres and i'm so so bad a picking favorites, it changes every two hours, i feel xD but the one EXO song that i heard i knew i was sold is Overdose - such a bop!!

I also loved the Harry Potter books (i share your sentiment about the movies...) and i just continued loving fantasy novels (i think the most recent bigger series i read was everything belonging to the Grishaverse) and novels of any kind in general - i spend a lot of time reading ^-^ and for movies i like, it's quite the same actually (a recent favourite has to be Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings). my taste is just all over the place, haha xD

It's still autumn, but let me ask about your favourite things in winter! Are there any typical wintery activities you enjoy? Are you more the sporty or the cozy type? I'm gathering a few nice themes for your present~ I can't wait to start working on it 😊😊

I hope you'll have a nice week coming up for you ♡

~ secret santa 💫

Hello, Secret Santa!

No worries, I understand rl can be busy, I just replied to my person as well, so 😅

Yes! I heard about them before they debuted because my rl friends were super SM fans. I thought they were too young (lol) at first and didn’t look into them but watched everything because of my friend! 2018 was such a good year too! I think, Suho has mentioned it doesn’t matter when you started liking EXO but we’re all fans so that’s what matters. I think we find EXO when we need them so 🥰

No, no, not nosy or insensitive at all! I mean, I did choose to participate in this exchange and it is Christmas-themed so I knew what I was getting into! But thank you for asking, that was very sweet of you. I do wonder how it is to celebrate it though when I see everything, so even though I don’t, it’s one of my favorite times of the year! What some traditions you have during the Christmas time?

Oh! Thank you for listening to it! It’s one of my favorites from my other group that I love. It was from one of the dramas a member was in, the Japanese version of Boys Over Flowers (season 2). But I’m glad you enjoyed it! Many people don’t like it as much because they ALWAYS perform it but I love it every single time haha

Overdose definitely was such a good song! Are there any EXO songs you don’t like? Or just would skip?

I just started reading the Percy Jackson series. I’m surprised I’ve never actually read it before because the first book got me hooked! I’m trying to read more (non-EXO fics haha) so I recently started going to our local library and I’m hoping it’ll get me back into reading. I absolutely loved Shang-Chi! I saw it a few weeks ago and loved it! I don’t really care for the Marvel Universe but really liked Shang-Chi. I can’t wait for it to be on Disney+ haha

My favorite things in the winter? Well, where I live, it doesn’t really get the winter feel unless you drive out. But I’m going to be visiting family that it would feel like that! I just like seeing the Christmas lights and hoping it snows. I know my parents want to go to the winter village so maybe when I visit them, we can! But I’m definitely more of a cozy type — I’m too clumsy to do anything sporty. How about you?

I look forward to whatever you make! How exciting!

I hope this week is wonderful!