#in general their dynamic as a group fascinated me but like also their individual dynamics…

[apotelesmaa]

My fave thing about the WxS dynamic is that emu/rui/miku are always like tsukasaaaa it’s 3pm it’s time to make you do incredibly dangerous and life threatening stunts!!! & tsukasa is just like ok 😔 into the cannon I go 😔 while nene (arguably the most normal and sane person in WxS who could easily put a stop to this) is like yeah see you later idiot. Bye. (Not looking up from whatever game she’s playing)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I was reading through Leona's Playful Land card lines and a certain line jumped out to me. (btw I'm using mysteryshoptls translations!)

 "Fellow is a typical omnivore. He’ll wag his tail at both the carnivores and herbivores, just to swipe the tastiest morsels he can."

I don't think we've ever seen Leona refer to anyone as an omnivore outside of this moment. I know it's been established that he calls people herbivore's because he doesn't exactly respect them. It does make me wonder what the distinction is between an herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore to him.

Interesting 🤔 “Herbivore” is general term Leona uses to refer to several other individuals or groups of people. Here is one example—note that "herbivore" is not capitalized, and is therefore a general noun, and the plural form is used, meaning it is not exclusive to Yuu:

But yes, "herbivore" is not meant to be a cute silly ha-ha endearing nickname in spite of how commonly it seems to be utilized as one in the fandom; from how Leona implements it (often when he is annoyed at others for forcing his hand or in that languid, arrogant tone he usually takes), the phrase is derogatory and implies "herbivores" are weak and passive. And he, a carnivore, is above you in strength and in the literal food chain. In doing this, Leona is basically looking down on everyone.

It's fascinating to see that Leona refers to Fellow as an omnivore; the implied definition here also serves in the carnivore-herbivore dynamic we've become accustomed to up until this point. According to Leona's voice line, an omnivore is someone who caters and kisses up to both carnivores (the strong) and herbivores (the weak), switching it up when it best suits him and his needs. Fellow is an opportunist willing to do what it takes for his own survival. He's adaptable, someone whose strength lies in the middle—and that's what makes an omnivore. Whether Leona actually respects them more than an herbivore or not... That's yet to be determined since we've seen him use the phrase so little compared to herbivores.

I’m surprised we haven’t heard Leona use “omnivore” for Ruggie?? Because Ruggie too is someone who kisses up to whoever will best serve his needs (and Leona is aware of this, as he mentions Ruggie sticking with stronger people as a means of survival on book 6). Maybe it’s because Leona knows Ruggie on a personal level so he doesn’t even bother with anything but his actual name. He generally gives a “nickname” to people he doesn’t like, such as “lizard” for Malleus, “octopunk” for Azul, “radish sprout” for Idia, “Azul’s henchman” for Jade, etc. Personally, I'd also like to think that a part of Leona at least respects how Fellow makes up for his magical deficits with his quick-wittedness (y'know, putting aside all the objectively heinous shit Fellow was complacent to and participated in). Man's just making the best of a shitty hand of cards he was dealt, not much different from Leona's own circumstances or even Ruggie's. And hey, Fellow's aware of his own strengths and how to maximize them, something that Leona often stresses the importance of in vignettes, events, and the main story.

Those are my thoughts, at least! ^^

[enquire]

Hello again! Dunno when you’ll be back online, but when you do return, could you tell me of any potential DRA ships you have? Additionally, do you plan to make them canon or ship-tease them in your pony AU?

Hello again! :D

I hope you're ready for an info dump because I have a lot of thoughts about class 79!

Ships... the age old question...

I'm honestly not the kind of person who gets heavily invested into a lot of ships. That being said, I do enjoy them a lot, especially when it involves a cast I am as attached to as class 79! And one of those handful of ships I am highly invested in is a DRA ship, lol. (It's Kinjomae... and to be honest, a really big part of my DRA special interest is filled by those two characters, and Utsuro, in general if not together)

Kinjo and Yuki tend to end up being with central roles in most of my DRA related thoughts, art, and writing, it just kind of sneaks in, regardless, somewhere.

I like interpreting them in a queer platonic or more ace-leaning relationship as well. Not always, but I've made a habit of it. So yeah they're going to have a relationship of some sort in this au too.

To specify, I am referring to DRA1 Yuki; I don't really ship the real Yuki and Tsurugi together. To me, they are two very distinct characters with different personalities from each other despite their similarities, not just memories... I won't get into all that (a post for another day perhaps) but in context of Kinjomae, only one of them is his Yuki, who knows and cares for him.

Exploring the relationship between Tsurugi and (actual) Yuki Maeda is still super interesting though, and I can understand why people ship it, there's loads of interesting places to go with it.

Also, I'm the kind of fan who can be swayed to accept almost any pairing or headcanon, especially in the context of the respective work (art/writing, etc) I really think it's possible to execute pretty much anything in a convincing manner if done well, and that applies to ships and stuff. Are there some ships and/or headcanons that give me the ick? Yup. Are there some I just don't like? Yeah. It just takes a lot for me to really get to a level where I hate something.

Uh, let's see... there are a few other ships I tend to immediately think of, even if I'm not as invested!

Ayame/Akane (may or may not be teased or explored in the pony au)

Satsuki/Haru (they'll probably be canon, I mean... it's satsuki and haru)

Rei/Teruya (I love their dynamic, regardless of the type of relationship they have)

Utsuro/Akane (they are super fascinating and it would feel remiss not to include this one in some manner)

I'm not sure yet what I'll do in this AU with everyone, we'll see. Including friend groups: I want to make more 'mane 6' type groups from the rest of the cast but I haven't finalized any of them besides the main one yet.

That's one of the things that makes me love class 79 so much; they feel very real to me, individually and how they all interact with each other. I'm invested in them as a group, and in all the little friendships and groups within the class. So I might spend more time thinking about them in terms of friendships and other relationships than pairings, except for Kinjo and Yuki of course.

My favorites of those are:

☀︎ haru, satsuki, and teruya

tsurugi, yamato, and mikako

teruya, tsurugi, and rei

best siblings yamato and mikako

the if only group: teruya, tsurugi, rei, yuki, akane, yamato, and mikako. (who also happen be most of the mane 6 for my pony au, and are my favorite characters along with Utsuro, pretty much.)

I love this cast a lot if you couldn't tell by now.

My least favorites are Mitch and Kizuna, though. I don't dislike them, but Kizuna in particular I am really neutral toward compared to everyone else.

I feel like I just... don't have a grasp on what kind of character she is at all? Her story in the game combined with her FTEs left me pretty conflicted about her. It feels like there were many opportunities to give more insight into her, but none of them worked for me.

I mean, we get to meet her mom, and even that didn't give me any more insight into her childhood or personality at all... which is kind of hard to ignore when the time we spend (or being told about via FTES) with Ando, Keisuke, Ryutaro, and Midori all give their respective family members more context and anchors we didn't have before. Plus the tiniest whiff of Juu we get speaks volumes for Tsurugi's upbringing, it is very easy to fill in the blanks.

As much as it is a tradition to hate on Mitch, I don't really hate him as a character: he works perfectly well for the kind of role he's meant to fill, (I mean, he's designed to be a case 1 killer first and foremost) and personally, I find it a lot easier to add layers to him than Kizuna because he has a base I can wrap my head around, unlike Kizuna, even if it is a really simple one.

Anyways...

As a bonus, here are some of my favorite rarepairs:

mitch/uehara

teruya/uehara

teruya/haru

almost any rei pairings (I usually pass on the very gloomy and incoming divorce vibes of tsurugi/rei though) maybe partially because I (personally) have difficulties seeing Tsurugi being in relationships with women. Sorry, but I can't undo it. He's just gay in my eyes. And/or ace and homoromantic.

I think that's the end of my thoughts for now. Thanks for prompting another ramble I appreciate it.

⋆⁺₊⋆ see ya later ! ⋆⁺₊⋆

[pinkyjulien]

I finished No Coincidence and I have some THOUGHTSS

Heads up for potential spoilers 👁👄👁

You can read my condensed, spoiler light impression on Twitter also 👀

GODDDD.... What a book man fhjfg

Gotta say, the start was a bit slow? To me at least. I wasn't too interested in the individual characters, who I thought were another group of gonks like Edgerunners

At one point, I did not want to even continue; the romances between Ron and Melina, and Zor and Aya felt forced, "he's a boy she's a girl" kind of deal. "They're around each others so of course they fuck"

A lot of moments around Melina and Aya were focused on their physics, how sexy they were and how the men were attracted to them; they made it a force and used it to their advantages of course, but this felt like I was reading an old book, yknow?

Aya being the poor girl forced to sell her body to live, and Melina being the sexy corpo doing everything to stay young. It's like, aren't we past those tropes for female characters in 2024 deadass??

They eventually grew on me as we dived more in the story, they got way more interesting once the book stopped focusing on how the men felt around them; when the book stopped using the two female characters as tools to move the male characters backstories and trauma

(making it clear its nothing against Milena and Aya, as I said I really liked them and the main gang in general, just a bit of eeeh heteronormative writing, boring to me)

Once the romance "build up" was over, I really got into the story and the characters; the dynamic between the group was interesting 👁👄👁 You can tell there's more to it all, you can tell it's No coincidence if they're together

Even if you can sniff the twist coming, they still hit HARD AND GOOD, made me look away from the book with an audible Oooooooh multiple times

I did not expect Albert to be present throughout the whole book, but I loved the deep dive into the netrunning word and the cyberspace in general oof... made my brain goes bbrrrbbrrrrrr it's so good 👁👄👁 without getting too spoilery, Albert's storyline was probably my favorite; that finale is insane, got me on edge, both fascinated and terrified

ANOTHER THING I LOVED. Seeing familiar faces! I loved to see Pepe, Dum Dum, and hear about Royce. Dum Dum actually have a big place in the book, which was fun!

We also get to see Dum Dum friends, or should I say Dum Dum's partners? I really doubt they'd categorize their relationship, but that trio obviously love each others in the most *Maelstromish* way

Karla and Dixie were fun characters, adding new flavors to what we already knew and saw of the Maelstromer gang 🤌

Talking about gangs, we also get to meet with Animals, who have actual animal features in the book compared to the game! Tusks, fangs and whiskers, with actual animal head even 👁👁 wish we had that in game

Knowing everything I know, I might want to revisit it again in the future 👀 cause its def a book you wanna re read once you get all the keys AAHHH

GOOD SHIT GOOD SHIT. Recommend it if you wanna have more of Night City and of the Cyberpunk universe ⭐️

[maxdibert]

If you dislike Sirius what are your opinions on his family members? Are any of them likeable to you? (The sisters, Regulus etc.)

It's not that I don't like Sirius, it's that it frustrates me so much that he was such a horrible bully. If he hadn’t been, I would have loved him, and the fact that he was makes it impossible for me to fully appreciate him, which I really resent. He has such an explosive personality, constantly makes dark jokes about his own issues, and has a very twisted sense of humor—things I do all the time. It annoys me that I can't like him more as a character because he’s a disgusting bully. Seriously, I just flat-out hate James because he’s such a flat character who only exists to bully someone and get his high school girlfriend pregnant. But Sirius is more complex, and I hate disliking complex characters.

Also, honestly, I once dated a guy who was very similar to Sirius in terms of his family background—coming from a very wealthy family—and he turned out to be an asshole too. I think rich kids with ideological issues with their parents end up being disasters by default.

That aside, I find the Black family fascinating because I went to an ultra-Catholic school with a lot of people from Opus Dei families (which, for those unfamiliar, is like a Catholic cult for wealthy, influential extremists). Literally everyone I’ve met from such families has had loads of problems and drama. I love stories about dysfunctional families that seem perfect and exemplary on the outside but are rotten to the core.

I’d love to read something CANON about the Blacks that delves deeper into their family dynamics or what their relationships were like before two of them left the family.

The last generation of the Black family reminds me of those epic family sagas where a great clan eventually falls into disgrace after generations of glory. It’s very The House of the Spirits, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Sartoris, or Broken Mirror—stories of families with great legacies whose final descendants end up adrift, the family name disappearing or the lineage fading entirely. It has that magical realism vibe. It would’ve been great if Rowling had explored that angle more because there’s so much potential there.

I’m not speaking about individual characters here, but about the concept of the Black family as a whole and the tragedy of the end of their line. From that perspective, they’re incredibly interesting. Individually, it’s a different story—Regulus is barely explored, Andromeda even less, and the ones we know most about are Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Sirius, though canon doesn’t show much connection between them.

If I have to choose one of the three, I’d pick Narcissa. She has that high-society, cold, and refined aura—someone with horrible ideas but intelligent enough to avoid becoming an active participant in the groups that promote them. In the end, she manages to save her husband and son precisely because she stayed out of the front lines. That, and I really relate to her description of always looking like she’s smelling something foul because I kind of have that resting expression myself.

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Adam Parrish + 2 😈😈(for the ask game)

How would you rewrite this characters canon arc?

Partially answered with my tag rant on this reblog https://www.tumblr.com/adanseydivorce/751040074340286464?source=share

I don’t really have much I would say about changing his trc arc because I think overall it’s a very good arc one of my favorites. I did reblog a meta post about both trc and tdt and how Adam generally isn’t allowed to *fail* in a sense, when he overworks himself in a variety of ways manually academically magically etc. and that feeding into the weird way he’s a sort of capitalistic success story when you take in all seven books, and I think they’re right and there are places in both trc and tdt where that could be interrogated or altered a bit. But the emotional beats of his arc are well handled imo and I wouldn’t really change them. I would have liked some additional resolutions to some of his relationships in TRK but that has more to do with issues I have with TRK in general and less Adam’s role in it specifically (although I think if I could change one thing there I would have him actually apologize to Blue for some things about how he treated her; but also I partly feel that way more for fandom reasons than in text ones since in text I think their bitchy Ninos argument is a fun resolution. And then the Adansey shovel talk scene is the opposite: I’m not a huge fan of the scene itself as resolution / would prefer Gansey to actually voice his feeling hurt by Adam so it could be unpacked, but fandom was overdramatic and annoying about the scene so that’s pushed me to acceptance.) much more to say about td3 for obvious reasons so moving on:

Basically I like the set up in cdth of him wanting to reinvent himself, of course being who I am I love the fucked up trying to be Gansey 2.0 part of it lol and I don’t think he should have a smooth sailing path to success / suddenly be content at Harvard so him being a bit miserable there and the whole crying club thing made sense. I do think we should have gotten more details about the crying club like I said I think some actual characterization from them could have helped the storyline. But my problems are largely after cdth, how this never really leads to him reckoning with his identity issues the way we need to see on page for this arc to be satisfying (that one pov is good, but it is not nearly enough to carry that to conclusion).

I think I would have written him trying to explicitly reflect or invert his individual relationships with the Gangsey with the Crying Club, maybe he gravitates towards one character who is a mirror (lol) for Blue that could be really fascinating, there could maybe be one character in the group who is a scholarship student and he projects onto them / tries to kind of reverse engineer his dynamic with Gansey with them to work through some things. That’s a way to explore a kind of complicated dichotomy of him feeling victorious he made it out of Henrietta while also missing “the things that were important to him in the past”, it would also effectively mirror some of what Ronan was doing with Bryde and Hennessy since he transposes elements of Niall Adam and imo Gansey onto Bryde + recreates parts of his dynamic with Kavinsky with Hennessy. (I’m torn on whether Ronan should have an explicit mirror in this version of the crying club because on the one hand I feel like the ‘you were the place I stored all that reality’ would hit harder if he’s the one person Adam didn’t try to replace there, on the other hand it could compliment the Bryde plot like I said… (also ik there are a lot of people who don’t like the Bryde plot at all I’m kind of neutral on it tbh I don’t love or hate it but anyway this is not a post about changing Ronan’s arc so writing this assuming that’s p similar to canon and only changes in response to Adam’s). Yes maybe part of this is self indulgent because it plays on some themes it’s well documented on my blog that I’m obsessed with but also this series is literally largely about clones and doubling and this verse has been concerned with identity/mirroring/masking since trc, so I do think it would fit, self indulgent or not! Also getting to see Adam be crazy like this would make him and Ronan ‘forgiving each other’ seem a little less unbalanced at least to me… I still would want like. Actual resolution to the Pynch arc where they talk, break up for at least a week (I would prefer more, but bare minimum that), work through the issues MI poses… particularly I’d want them to have an actual conversation about Ronan’s insecurity about the role Cabeswater played in their getting together and Adam could respond with the fact that Cabeswater is a separate entity from Ronan in the same way Mathew and Bryde are or how Jordan is separate from Hennessy; the deal he made with Cabeswater was of his own volition, is a separate one from their relationship though it may have played a role in it (at least I think this is what we’re supposed to take from that dropped thread?

I just think it’s something that should be discussed). ((I do realize a big part of why Adam’s arc feels off is the audience feedback loop influencing both Maggie’s willingness to write his pov and in how Pynch was ultimately treated, but this is how I think I would want it written)). In terms of the resolution to the Harvard thing it matters less to me if he stays or transfers like I said on that post but I would like a resolution for the crying club either he came clean and was rejected or accepted by them either one would I think be better for that arc than him just ghosting them (at least I think that’s what he did?) And whatever happens with him and the I would want him to actually develop a community outside of the Lynch brothers + The other Gangsey members to some degree, also obviously he is not going to be a cop in this… idk what specific profession I’d want him to have but I would like to think he actually finds something he wants to do / a new goal to be ambitious about rather than just winning at capitalism. Maybe that latter part is wishful thinking… but anyway. Not a cop at the end that’s the number 1 change I would make obviously everything else is of a lower level of importance than that. Pynch can break up then work through their issues and get back together or they can have a proper divorce arc either one works for me but they can not go on Like That… I mean I think Maggie also feels that way but again Audience Feedback Loop (I rbed a really interesting post about how break ups are treated in ya adjacent lit so I do think if nothing else this got me thinking about that on a meta level in a way I didn’t before… still don’t think it was worth it 🫤. Also this is all a word vomit / theoretical, want to remind ya’ll that I first read Greywaren like a month and a half ago, after a reread spiral of the all the other books in the verse (which basically was a first read of td3 since I read cdth and mi for the first time with High Quarantine Brain and remembered basically nothing about them due to that) so maybe some of these thoughts could change … but currently these are my takes xo!

[cousticks]

(im not sure if I asked this alr. please excuse my fried brain TT)

What top 5 bsd relationships do you find the most interesting/appeals to you? (can be platonic/familial/duo/etc)

no pressure btw 💗

oh gosh. top 5 most interesting??? i was rotating this in my mind at work all day and was still struggling. so here's five character interactions in no particular order

i'm always down for dynamics among the "big 4" aka the two younger soukoku generations. dazai chuuya atsushi akutagawa. both in their pairings and among each other--observing the different ways dazai interacts with atsushi vs with akutagawa will always be interesting to me as its a measure of dazai's own growth. i like the respect akutagawa and chuuya have for each other as coworkers and powerful ability users. atsushi and akutagawa......... they. them. those two. there's so much there. i think we're robbed of chuuya and atsushi interactions because there's SOOO many parallels between them that i like to chew on. and of course there's dazai and chuuya. which i have a lot of thoughts on, all the time. but... all four of them together and each respective dynamic is really interesting. the way being powerful ability users all shoved together on the front lines of every major catastrophe of the city messes with them each individually and together is fun.

this one is more recent for me but oda and dazai's friendship is really interesting to me, and the way oda's influence has followed dazai through his life (and multiple timelines). oda has grown on me as a character a lot recently, and i'm usually obsessed with dazai, so its natural for me to gravitate towards interactions between them.

i can't make a post about pairings without discussing rimlaine. rimbaud and verlaine and all their fucking problems. stormbringer is such a book. i could ramble for days about those two and it would never be enough. how rimbaud never stopped trying to understand. how verlaine didn't realize anything until it was too late. they're tragic and make me miserable. i'm obsessed with them.

the ada dynamics in general! i love seeing all of them come from all the wild pasts they do and coming together to be such a powerful group, to the point they can brush the entire mafia aside without much of a struggle. i love them all dearly. especially kunikida. but... all of them, really.

chuuya and his pseudo-siblings! like kouyou. i love their interactions a lot. i also kinda assign him the team older brother. kyoka? she was kouyou's charge. she's chuuya's little sister now. can't get around it. q? weird kid locked up in the dungeons? that's his little sibling. and verlaine goes here too because sure, they don't have an amicable sibling relationship, but they still have some kind of interaction, i believe. all the chuuya siblingships are fun to me.

there's so many more that i find interesting, honestly. like, i know i said the ada in full, but specifically ranpo and fukuzawa will always be fun to look at in their silly little family dynamic. katai hanging out in his futon shouldn't be ignored, someone (kunikida) has to check on him. whatever the hell steinbeck and lovecraft have going on? fascinating. the way dazai and fyodor go back and forth? the dead apple triumvirate?? every dynamic in bsd has its place in my heart honestly this was REALLY difficult to even think of a top 5. so this is more like a top 27 lmao

[bendteyckermans]

Installation shots of my exhibition ‘Love fulfilled’ with Carlos/Ishikawa in London.

Love fulfilled

Painting has always fascinated me in how it has the possibility to represent, change and guide the way how people would observe their world. It is a tool of materialising an individual’s way of perceiving their “objective” reality. And by depicting it as their set definition (at least as an attempt). I think it visually influences— and has influenced— people more than we think.

For example, I don’t think we have an idea about how influential those prehistoric cave drawings must have been in the evolution of our consciousness. I can imagine that the first humans perceiving those murals invoked an awareness of concept in them. It started out with basic depictions like trees, the moon, sun, hunt, sex, death, etc… and this conceptualisation of our physical world into images and logos, caused by the acknowledgement of those facets of life, must have been a major step in the evolution of consciousness because of this.

Of course, the creation of those murals probably originated out of some form of function or practicality within these proto-societies/communities. But that’s the beauty of it, that its creation by these individuals probably functioned to unite and socialise a group of people into a community.

By saying this, I am not trying to eulogise painting as some high form of art or anything (because clearly it is also not the sole way of expressing our world). But today I hope it can do a somewhat similar thing by functioning as a unique glimpse into a person’s perception and world view. A perception that hopefully could unite (in the social space; a gallery)— and most ideally inspire some people, who feel an affinity towards this individualistic way of perceiving our shared reality.

In essence, painting for me is a depiction of life and exteriorisation of the intimate being, a display of interests, in whatever way one wants to express and visualise theirs. Influenced by a perpetual stream of consciousness, a great river of contents in a succession of different conditions which I have been taught to call thoughts, images, memories, interior dialogues, regrets, wishes, resolves, all interweaving with the constantly changing pageant of exterior sensations of which I am selectively aware.

Filmmaking is a medium for which I have always had a strong affinity, and towards its possibilities of visualising our world’s narrative. For me it is an endless source of inspiration out of our image cultus. I think what attracts me most is the possibility to depict movement— because painting is frustratingly anti-kinematic and portraying movement on a canvas is something that rarely translates well. The possibility to think in movement and dynamics with film have been a new spark for my creative thinking about imagery and storytelling.

The tools of the filmmaking process has seeped in into the painting vocabulary because of my own personal search in how to facilitate this as a way of expressing my perception or interests. As a continuation on this family legacy (I am a descendant of a sculptor’s family of five generations), I manipulate their hoarded information (this physical materialisation of a memory; sculptures, objects, ornaments, etc.), to collate, classify, compose, and sort it in order to create new ideas, or maybe deconstruct old ones, into painting imagery and storytelling— and as an addition to it, filmmaking has become an entity inside its vernacular.

‘Love fulfilled’ is a title of which I hope that it “speaks” to the mind’s eye. It is an attempt to give the viewer of the exhibition a set directive. Which is intended to cause a search for meaning onto the visual vocabulary, setting verbs in motion and turning sensations into metaphors by inviting us to live it figuratively. Like logos to perception— because of course, every painting has a personal intention, but I do hope that an individual’s mind makes more of it than what the limitations of its figuration depicts.

This title was chosen because of how I feel about it; that it is like a sentimental lie. Its wording could announce romance and as well desperation. Desperate because when will a love ever be fulfilled? Perhaps only when it is looked at one from a future life?

And that’s what I hoped to achieve by adding this marble sculpture of a heart, carefully placed in side a rope nest on top of a Flemish Art Deco carpet. I want to invoke the feeling that this assembly was found and not created, to insinuate the impression of observing, or reminiscing, from a distance towards a life lived.

Anyway, this former life I then imagined, interweaved with elements of my own- and staged in the convenient interior setting of my studio space.

Please take note that whatever I write about the works, there is never an intention for me to give an absolute reasoning or meaning about its narration — ideally they invoke a quest in the spectator’s mind space onto a search for meaning and structure by the own’s associative reading and thinking of the painting.

[veethepeople]

Relationships

Hi Guys,

This is my first post!

The topic I have selected is very interesting and fascinating among all of us, as it concerns each and every living organism on this planet and the whole universe maybe!? (as I've never been to space yet 😃) unless great people like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk make it affordable for us.

My first blog is on "r e l a t I o n s h I p s ".

Trust me, you will enjoy reading it!

Relationships: A relationship is a connection or bond between two or more people. It involves mutual trust, respect, and communication. Relationships can be of different types such as romantic relationships, friendships, family relationships, and professional relationships. The nature and dynamics of a relationship depend on the individuals involved, their personalities, values, beliefs, and goals. Healthy relationships are characterized by mutual support, empathy, understanding, and a willingness to work through challenges and conflicts together.

Relationships generally refer to the connections or interactions between two or more people, entities, or things. In the context of human interactions, a relationship is typically understood as a connection between two or more people, often involving emotional or social bonds.

There are many different types of relationships, including romantic relationships, friendships, family relationships, and professional relationships. These relationships can be characterized by various factors such as communication, trust, respect, mutual interests, shared experiences, and emotional intimacy.

Relationships refer to the connections between individuals, groups, or even countries. Here are some common types of relationships:

Romantic relationships: These are intimate relationships between two people who are attracted to each other and share emotional and physical intimacy. Family relationships: These are the connections between family members, including parents, siblings, and extended family. Friendships: These are relationships between individuals who share common interests, values, and experiences. Professional relationships: These are the connections between individuals in a workplace setting, such as between colleagues, supervisors and subordinates, and business partners. International relationships: These are the connections between countries, including diplomatic relationships, trade agreements, and international alliances. Effective communication, mutual respect, trust, and empathy are essential elements in building and maintaining healthy relationships, regardless of the type.

"I love you more with each passing day."

Romantic relationships refer to intimate relationships between two people who share a romantic or sexual connection. These relationships are typically characterized by emotional and physical attraction, affection, and a desire for emotional and physical intimacy.

"Every moment spent with you is a treasure."

In romantic relationships, individuals may engage in various activities together such as going on dates, sharing personal stories and experiences, engaging in physical intimacy, and building a life together. The level of emotional intimacy and commitment in a romantic relationship can vary, from casual dating to long-term partnerships or marriages.

"You make my heart skip a beat."

Communication, trust, respect, and mutual understanding are important factors in maintaining a healthy and fulfilling romantic relationship. It's also important for individuals in a romantic relationship to prioritize their own personal growth and development while supporting their partner's growth as well.

"I cherish every moment we spend together."

Like any relationship, romantic relationships can face challenges and require effort and commitment from both individuals to maintain a strong and healthy bond. However, a strong romantic relationship can bring joy, support, and companionship to both individuals involved.

"You are my soulmate, my forever love."

In romantic relationships, for example, individuals may form a deep emotional and physical connection with their partner, while in a professional relationship, individuals may work together to achieve a common goal or share knowledge and expertise. Ultimately, relationships are important for human connection and can bring a sense of meaning and fulfillment to our lives, ultimately signified by our happiness. Thus an individual's identity, reputation, obligations, and responsibilities are deeply connected to their family. "Being with you feels like coming home."

Romantic relationships can be complex and fulfilling at the same time. Here are a few key things to keep in mind:

Communication is key: Effective communication is essential to building and maintaining a strong and healthy romantic relationship. It's important to express your feelings, needs, and expectations openly and honestly with your partner.

Respect each other's boundaries: Everyone has different boundaries, and it's important to respect your partner's boundaries. Make sure you discuss these boundaries and communicate your own clearly as well.

Spend quality time together: Spending time together doing things you both enjoy is important for building intimacy and connection. Whether it's going for a walk, watching a movie, or having dinner together, find ways to create special moments together.

Be supportive: Show your partner that you support them in their goals and aspirations. Encourage them to pursue their dreams and be there for them during difficult times.

Work through conflicts: Conflict is a natural part of any relationship. Instead of avoiding conflicts, it's important to address them in a respectful and constructive manner. Try to see things from your partner's perspective and work together to find a solution.

Remember that relationships take work and commitment, but with mutual respect, trust, and communication, you can build a strong and lasting romantic partnership. That words are just one way to express your love and affection for your partner. Actions, such as showing kindness, giving thoughtful gifts, and being there for them during difficult times, can also go a long way in strengthening your romantic relationship.

In conclusion, romantic relationships can be one of the most fulfilling experiences in life. However, they require effort, commitment, and effective communication from both partners to thrive. By respecting each other's boundaries, spending quality time together, supporting each other's goals, and working through conflicts constructively, you can build a strong and lasting romantic partnership. Remember to express your love and affection through both words and actions and cherish every moment you spend together. With patience, understanding, and mutual respect, a romantic relationship can be a beautiful journey that enriches your life in countless ways.

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn

[roobylavender]

i was going thru old posts & found where you said you only like zootara in the specific context of like... zuko dissolving the monarchy + devoting himself to reparations & it's an unrequited love think and lost my mind bc it was exactly what i felt but had never seen anyone say! i HATE any kind of firelady katara content but still find zootara’s dynamic fascinating. anyways from this i was wondering on if you had wider thoughts on katara, on both how she exists in canon and anything you'd change

i think re-watching avatar when they dropped it on netflix a few years ago was eye-opening for me in a lot of ways like sooo many of my opinions radically changed and not even necessarily in a way where it was an outright polarized switch but more like.. added depth to how i felt. which makes sense bc i mean i was seven years old when i watched the show and i'm twenty five now lmao. but with katara i kind of found myself on the fence between the two camps that were so vehement about justifying why katara worked better with either boy that i think they more or less forgot about her. like i don't entirely disagree with zootara shippers that katara's role being so diminished in post-canon was irritating but at the same time that's not something it makes sense to blame kataang being canon on. kataang is probably one of the most obv ships ever in retrospect like the buildup was so palpably there and katara was never going to choose anyone else but aang. but i also think it can be admitted that her post-canon storylines were just.. super boring? and that it had to do a lot with bryke being resistant to radicalism in their material in general. keeping the gaang together or taking them on group adventures for marketability purposes was obv impt but i feel like katara was one of the members who like really needed to do her own thing after the war was over. like there were so many times in the series where it seemed like she was having her moment to shine and there would always be some caveat or wedge to throw so she could move on with the gaang and for central narrative purposes i get that but why did that have to apply to whatever she did after (also this doesn't even get into the fact that bryke's liberal politics affected her individual storylines so much like the jet and hama stuff. very bad vibes). like i already said i think kataang was pretty much inevitable and the build up in seasons one and two and even the confusion of feelings between them at the start of season three were great but i also don't think they needed to be in a relationship by the end of the series personally like it felt so rushed and honestly very corny. like they're thirteen and fourteen years old they have so much time. i like the gaang a lot as a concept but the overwhelming feeling i was left with when the series was over was that the fallout of the war would be so significant it wouldn't realistically make sense to have them all in one place like there are so many things each of them would need or want to do. and ig bryke kinda acknowledged that like the gaang did have some individual gigs. but it all felt so tame. katara was potentially the most radical member of the gaang i really do not think she would have ended the war being in some honeymoon phase she would have been ready to get working on uprooting all of the bad and where they'd found it and aggressively reconstructing the society she worked so hard to try to save. but also on the most simplest note i could leave here i genuinely think every avatar character needed therapy / soul searching more than they did romance by the end of the series so ig this is my very roundabout way of saying that..

[soup-for-ghosts]

Roland Glenbrook and/or Temenos Mistral for the character ask meme?

I’ll do both!

for roland:

How I feel about this character

he’s one of the first characters I immediately latched onto when I played tristrat. the game’s start is a little rough in my experience as I find it a tad boring (after chapter 4 it picks up plenty though), but since his appearance in chapter 1, I knew I would like roland. he starts out very carefree and he jokes a lot in his first appearance, which initially caught my attention, and then his development throughout the game is just excellent. he’s a well-written, incredibly nuanced character, and I like those.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

none, I give him the honorable title of “aroace”

My non-romantic OTP for this character

serenoa is the obvious answer here, but I’m also gonna say that him and frederica’s friendship is so fun to me. morality was my first route and their friendship and dynamic after you know what makes me think a lot…

My unpopular opinion about this character

I don’t think I really have any? again, I can’t always tell if an opinion of mine would be considered unpopular, and the tristrat fandom is pretty small anyways, so I haven’t a clue

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I haven’t played every route yet so no comment on this yet!

for temenos:

How I feel about this character

he’s genuinely one of my favorite characters of all time. I chose him when I was giving the ot2 demo a spin (I had played some of the ot1 demo but nothing more for the entire series) due to his story being described as a murder mystery (I consider myself THE ace attorney guy of my friend group sooo /j) and also my general enjoyment of playing healers tbh. I was IMMEDIATELY fascinated with his character, I mean… I’m an atheist myself and I have a… complicated relationship with religion sometimes, so it was pretty easy for me to latch onto the witty priest who’s first introduction is getting bullied by children for forgetting the lines of the scripture and then minutes later proceeds to say something that might be considered heresy. as his story went on I also found him uncomfortably relatable! so that’s fun pff- but all around, he’s a very good character, I like him a lot if you couldn’t tell pf

All the people I ship romantically with this character

take a guess, I don’t need to write another essay about why I like the dynamic of the devout knight and the doubting cleric /j

those simplistic descriptions aren’t doing them justice really, their individual characters are MUCH more complicated than that, but again, I don’t need to type another essay about that pff

My non-romantic OTP for this character

take another guess, I’m a sucker for the surprisingly talented detective duo that is a trained assassin and thief and a cleric

My unpopular opinion about this character

again, don’t really know, sorry

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I have SEVERAL notes on the parts of his story that I have gripes with, most if not all being in the latter half (including crackridge actually, but that’s more about me wishing reiza actually got to be a character)… but that’s probably too long a talking point to put all here, and it’s more about his supporting cast than about him, his writing was excellent

[msenvs3000w24]

The Balance of Nature

It took me a while to think of an answer to this week’s questions. As much as I think that nature as a whole is impressive, pinpointing a specific aspect of nature that I believe is above and beyond the others, was difficult. The idea that finally won me over was the way that plant and animal species adapt to their ever changing environments. I know it is not a conscious activity, but the idea that everything in nature around us evolved from single celled life, through what was ultimately accidents, is truly amazing. 

Picture this. A group of rabbits find their way into a new area. Their old home was green and lush, but this one, due to multiple circumstances, is white and snowy for a large portion of the year. Unfortunately, not all of the rabbits will survive this new environment. There are many factors that contribute to this but one of them is predation. The rabbits that have darker coats are easier for the predators to spot and are killed at higher rates. By the end of the snowy season, the rabbits have on average lighter coats. These lighter coats are then passed on to their offspring making future generations more fit for this new environment. This is just a hypothetical obviously but it is based in real processes. 

This is just one of many examples of how organisms and nature as a whole can change over time to suit the environment. However, change in nature is not always beneficial. The random nature of that change means that mutations can occur that kills a lot if not all of a population. When that happens, the one individuals that survive can pass on their genetics and their descendants might be better equipped to survive if faced with the same issue in the future. 

I find this whole balance so incredibly fascinating. When looking at it on a small scale it may look like dangerous outside forces are bad for a species, but when some individuals can survive the forces and pass on their potentially beneficial genes, they become better suited for this force in the future. 

I’m not sure how anyone can deny that this is an interesting dynamic. It shows that where there is danger and negative forces for a species or populations, there is also potential for benefit or improvement. Obviously, on an individual scale there is no benefit, but species wide there can be a benefit to these opposing forces.

That is one of the things I find so interesting about nature.

[homo-sex-shoe-whale]

Online shipping, the fetishisation of gay men, and the romanticisation of queer trauma

An essay by me!

Word count: 2.8k

A link to the Google Doc version of this essay.

A big thank you to my friends Nathan @themeerkatnate, Mav @not-mavv , and Duke @dukedark-ness for reading this essay and giving me their thoughts as mlms on the topic. Make sure to check out their blogs and give them a follow!

So I was on a lovely website by the name of Twitter.com yesterday, just scrolling through while having my afternoon cup of coffee, when I saw that viral post of a girl reading a Larry fanfic through a classroom projector. I'm sure most of you have seen it. It's gone viral on Instagram, TikTok, and likely Tumblr too, and if you haven't come across it I'm positive you will soon.

Now, after getting through my initial reaction to that post which was, holy fuck, that's so embarrassing, I had a second reaction of... wait, this ship is still around?

And after I had some thoughts on the incredible permanence of some online ships and the weird obsolescence of others, I did get to thinking of how lots of these popular ships seem to stem from the same types of perceived relationship dynamics and homophobic stereotypes.

These online fandoms often seem to have an obsession with objects of queer trauma, such as having to hide a relationship, lying about sexuality for self-preservation, and even social rejection. So, after some opinions from my followers and the great archive that is the internet, I've decided to discuss some of the most popular examples of online shipping and the particular nuances they came with.

NOTE: Out of respect for all these people, I won't be sharing viral images or videos of them in perceived romantic proximity (or even kissing, as is applicable for some examples), but I will be describing certain moments I deem to be relevant. So even if you're unfamiliar with them, you won't be confused as to what I'm talking about.

NOTE 2: Although not all people within these fandoms were/are toxic, this essay is focused on the overall toxicity of the fandoms, and how they are toxic more so as a "hive" than as a group of individuals. When I refer to a fandom I don't mean every person involved in the fandom, but rather the collective impact of the group.

 1. Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson 

This is arguably the most popular example of online shipping. The absolute permanence of this ship, and how its fandom never seems to fully die off even beyond the lifespan of One Direction as it once stood, is downright impressive.  

I'm going to be the first to admit I was never in the loop with this fandom. My childhood best friend was actually a massive Larry shipper and asked me to beta read one of her fics, but that was before I even knew who tf Harry and Louis were! Not because I avoided the fandom or even because I rejected the online shipping, but just by coincidence, I delved into the world of pop punk music right when One Direction began gaining its popularity. I bought my first ever album, Riot by Paramore, in 2011- only a year after One Direction made their X-Factor debut. So, this fandom just bypassed me by a sort of weird coincidence.

But I don't need to be in the loop with this fandom to know the astronomical obsession with these two men, no, these two BOYS, was extremely toxic. In 2010, when One Direction made their debut, Harry Styles was only 16 years old. And Louis Tomlinson wasn't much older at 19! This made the two of them incredibly young when this unprecedented wave of shipping hit the internet, and although that must be traumatising for anyone, I cannot even fathom how overwhelming it must've been for two boys that young.  

I'm 18, almost 19 now, and I cannot begin to imagine how scary it was for the two of them to have their every interaction nitpicked within an inch of its life by thousands upon thousands of people online. I do not know this myself, but from numerous recounts by some of my followers, this massively impacted Harry's and Louis' nondescript relationship in real life, seemingly driving the two previously close friends apart. 

Now, before we move on, there's something we need to talk about. And that is the obsession with the dominance/submission dynamic within the world of gay shipping. 

With almost every popular mlm (an acronym meaning man-loving-man) ship based on real people, it seems that fandoms have a particular fascination with power imbalances in these relationships. You don't even need to look at the insane amount of fanfictions based on BDSM to figure this out. In almost all of the examples I'll be citing today, there is an age gap within the perceived relationship and a person the fandom has seemingly decided to be the top/dominant figure. 

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are 3 years apart in age. Although it isn't all that relevant now, an age gap of 3 years when you're in your late teens is a lot more significant. In 2012, for example, when this shipping really started gaining traction, Harry Styles was 18 and Louis Tomlinson was 21. That power imbalance, albeit not that significant, is enough for a fandom to latch on to. We'll see this a lot more in the coming example with Dan and Phil.

 2. Dan Howell and Phil Lester

It's impossible to have a discussion about internet shipping without talking about Dan and Phil.

 Dan Howell and Phil Lester, although being popular YouTubers individually, are arguably one of the internet's most iconic duos. The two creators published their first videos together in 2009, and while their relationship was already a motive of speculation back then, the peak of the "Phan" shipping definitely came in the 2013-2016 era of Tumblr.

Now, I'm going to admit… I was actually on Tumblr when that happened. 

The 2013-2016 period perfectly aligns with my middle school days (I started middle school in 2013 and high school in 2016), and I was not only on Tumblr back then, but I was on Wattpad too! Again, this wasn't a fandom I had much contact with as I had a huge anime phase in middle school and I was on Tumblr posting mainly photography and Soul Eater content more than anything. 

But I did watch some of Dan and Phil's videos! And the occasional "Phan" content did not completely evade me as one of my closest friends in middle school had a fanchat for them. I wasn't involved in the fandom myself but they were actually one of the few English-speaking YouTubers I watched once in a blue moon (back then I watched mainly Brazilian YouTubers). One thing I did in fact notice over the years, around 2014ish perhaps, was that the two of them seemed to grow increasingly "awkward" around each other, in a way that many folks on the internet thought was reminiscent to Markiplier/Jacksepticeye, two YouTubers who also dealt with extraordinary amounts of shipping.

I'm not the only one who thinks this. The change in Dan and Phil's relationship, at least to the outside world, was clear to almost anyone who watched their videos for a while. I cannot blame them at all. The shipping was nuts. Between the countless fan videos, speculative comments, and insurmountable number of fanfics, there's no way the two of them didn't feel the weight of the shipping. The term "demon phannie" made its way into internet vernacular and there it stayed for years. Even Shane Dawson, who was one of the largest creators on the platform at the time, made several videos speculating on the nature of Dan and Phil's relationship and their sexual orientations. 

There was even porn made in which actors with similar appearances to the creators were made to have sex on camera. 

Now, this is actually a rare example where the two people involved in the ship actually came out as gay once the shipping seemed to die down. I'm incredibly happy Dan and Phil both reached a point where they were comfortable being publicly out, but I hate to say I'm shocked this day ever came. If I'd gone through what the two of them did, I don't know if I'd ever trust the internet. 

And again, this ship's fandom definitely had an obsession with the power dynamics they thought existed between the people within the ship. Dan Howell is 4 years younger than Phil Lester, and was only 18 in 2009, when they started making videos together. From my personal understanding, the shipping was often quite focused on this dominant/submissive dynamic especially in discussions from their early relationship. And this is in no way exclusive to Dan and Phil.

This general fascination with the older man/younger man dynamic, in my opinion, plays into the homophobic stereotype that gay men are predators. The idea that gay men usually seek younger men, and somehow "convince" them to engage in homosexual relationships, is popular homophobic rhetoric. The popularisation, exaggeration, and fetishisation of these power imbalances, in age and/or in relationship dynamics, is directly harmful to the mlm community. 

Not only that, but the romanticisation of a "hidden/forbidden relationship" is also detrimental not only to gay men and the mlm community, but to queer people as a whole. Queer people face huge trauma having to hide their relationships; queer attraction is already a societal taboo. And acting like this is good, or even desirable, is harmful to queer people as a whole, regardless of whether or not it's actually applicable to the people being shipped. It normalises this trauma not only to cisgender, heterosexual people, but to impressionable queer youth who grow to believe this type of trauma is to be expected. 

3. Frank Iero and Gerard Way

This is another example where the perceived power imbalances between the two subjects of the shipping were directly exploited online. Now, this ship did precede the others mentioned above. If we're looking at this topic chronologically, this particular ship did come first in the shipping timeline. It's closer to the origin of the shipping extended universe, if you will.

In case you aren't familiar with them, Frank Iero and Gerard Way are both members of the American emo band My Chemical Romance. This ship is the first one here of which I don't recall the full popularity. It really peaked in popularity around the late 2000s, circa 2008. And I don't remember this moment online as in 2008, I was only 6 years old and believe it or not, I wasn't really all that concerned with rumoured homoeroticism as a first grader. 

However, the popularity of this ship did carry over into the 2013-2015 Tumblr shipping boom. The emo fandom (or "bandom" as it was called) involving not only My Chemical Romance but other similar bands such as Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and Pierce the Veil, found its hub on Tumblr. 

During this time, I did in fact listen to this style of music, but was focused a lot more on the anime side of Tumblr as mentioned earlier. Of course, I wasn't 13 years old like, "hey, this type of content might be harmful and can inadvertently perpetuate homophobic stereotypes," I just happened to care more about my silly little anime and ended up not getting involved. 

This ship does involve a discussion that the others don't, however. With Frank Iero and Gerard Way, there is quite often a certain sentiment of, "Oh, they brought this upon themselves!" as the two band members very famously kissed during a show in 2007. In my opinion, though, this doesn't really justify all the obsessive shipping. If you look at Green Day, a band often grouped in with MCR as another famous pop punk group, the members don't follow too different of a trajectory. Billie Joe Armstrong has, on numerous occasions, kissed both of his fellow band members onstage- particularly Tré Cool, the drummer. And Billie Joe Armstrong is openly bisexual, which none of the members of MCR seem to be but some, or even all of Billie's bandmates, are too. 

You'd think Green Day would face a lot more shipping as the more persistent onstage homoeroticism and Billie Joe's openness about his sexuality would warrant more "substantiated" speculation. However, Green Day faces nowhere near as much shipping as My Chemical Romance. Why is this? I actually don't know. It might've been because Green Day has been around for over a decade longer and generally has an older fandom, but I really am not that sure. 

 It could also be because of the lower lack of potential for forced relationship dynamics. The members of Green Day are all less than a year apart in age and are even similar in height. However, Frank Iero is 4 years younger than Gerard Way, who is not only the frontman of My Chemical Romance, but also considered to be the group's intellectual and creative "leader". Even beyond that, Gerard Way is quite visibly taller, and the perceived power difference between the two of them definitely did not elude their fans. 

This difference could even be partly due to the lack of a "mystery" with Green Day. There's not as much to speculate as, well… the members of Green Day are already open about their sexual orientations. It might be that shipping in the Green Day fandom has less of a forbidden appeal for most people. 

Of course, I won't just keep repeating myself, but my previous points about forced relationship dynamics still stand.

4. Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch

Better known for their roles in BBC Sherlock as Sherlock and Watson, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch unfortunately had their roles follow them well into real life. This is the example I know least about, so have these thoughts from a follower by the name of @indubitably-a-goblin, who had the following to say:

"the main issues i had with it were:

a) they were both married at the time, freeman to amanda abbington and cumberbatch to sophie hunter (in which both had children)

b) the main reasoning for it was their chemistry in the many projects they've done together. which is, shockingly, their Whole Job. They're actors! That's what they're supposed to do! if they weren't good at interacting then they wouldn't be good actors! i don't know how people can't understand this.

c) they're real people. we don't know them. we aren't friends with them. we aren't their family members. we have zero right to be pushing this onto them and ruining their friendship by doing so. (this one relates to most of the ships you've mentioned though)

d) healthy friendships between two men are ignored so plainly in most medias and in fandom. its obvious that these two men have a relationship, but that doesn't mean it's a romantic one.

e) its fine to ship their characters, but actors shouldn't be treated as less-than-human or some sort of prop. they're doing a job, and once they are off-screen, they aren't here for your entertainment."

I believe she did a great job of summing it up on her own, and for the sake of avoiding redundancy, I'll leave it at that!

5. Corpse Husband and Sykkuno- an emerging yet subtle example

I am absolutely positive you remember how popular the game Among Us was a couple of months ago. And with the popularity of this game, some of its most prominent content creators became the targets of online shipping- as is the case with YouTubers and streamers Corpse Husband and Sykkuno. 

Although the shipping involving these two creators is nowhere near as strong as it was/is with the examples above, I do think there is once again a reemergence of a common theme here. Whilst Sykkuno is known for his happy-go-lucky, almost "innocent" persona, Corpse Husband is the antithesis of this, known for his much darker and moodier personality. 

Do I even have to mention what the common theme seems to be?

Again, although the popularity of shipping - at least with real people - seems to have died down a bit since the Tumblr shipping boom of the early to mid 2010s, I do believe this example is worth mentioning. Even though the creators are still close, they have in fact expressed discomfort regarding the shipping, and I can only hope the internet as a whole lets their friendship blossom and exist naturally without obsessive speculation. 

My final thoughts

As explored in the essay:

The romanticisation of objects of queer trauma as a part of online shipping normalises queer trauma to both cishet and queer youth. 

Online shipping, especially at a high intensity, can end up negatively impacting the very relationships they pine over. 

The relationship dynamics often forced on mlm ships perpetuate homophobic stereotypes about non-heterosexual men. 

If anyone else has thoughts on this matter, do share! This essay is moreso an opinionated observational piece and isn't meant to be taken as fact but rather just as my thoughts on the matter. I hope it was useful as a reflective piece regardless!

Date of posting: June 16th 2021

[leoalvarez-clowncarcommittee]

How about Carl Hendricks for your ask game? 🙂

Flynn Moore:

Flynn and Carl's dynamic is so deeply interesting to me. They two have been basically lifelong friends and their eventual budding sex/romantic life is just as complex as the two are individually. Flynn being the first person Carl is open with ('irl' at least) his queerness with (there's an argument for Chase but I'll cover that in another Ask Game Response) and then going further and experimenting with said queerness: is fascinating to me. Carl trusted someone enough to express something that (practically) had no downside expressing with his friend group, and Flynn expressing and returning some semblance of romantic feelings for Carl is both signs of growth and attaining something he desperately wants at the time being. Flynn being the responsible one and taking care of his friends when they need it, and Carl needing ~someone~ there for him, but not overly baby him, lets both of them get what they need out of the dynamic. The two have the most potential to grow and develop and become better people together, as well as the highest chance of succeeding.

Jenna Begay:

Jenna holds contempt for Carl for a multitude of reasons. From his position of wealth, family history, and Carl's outlook on life. Due to Carl's position of privilege over Jenna, she looks down on him harshly for how he chooses to cope with his trauma as well as his general outlook on life. The two are at each other's throats a lot, even before the possessions, and I think is a nice explanation/thematic bridge to why the Echoes of their ancestors tried to manifest through them. We don't see a ton of their interactions (or even hear of them) from before the friend group fractured. Their relationship being almost strictly negative (in face to face) interactions is something this game doesn't do a whole lot within the friend group, so it’s a unique dynamic. In the end, both Carl and Jenna do care for each other when it counts... even if it probably can't go back to amicable. 

Jeremy Begay:

Carl's dealer and former bully. The two presumably pushed back the fairly intense bullying of their past and have a symbiotic relationship. We only get so much of the two interacting, but from snippets and short stories, the two have grown closer over the years. Carl seems to be hanging out with Jeremy as much if not more than Flynn even, and definitely interacting more with Jeremy than any of his other friends online. The two being the chubby characters of the game definitely activate the brainworms, but I believe Jeremy is also Carl’s Jasmyn Street mirror (like Micha/Heather are Chase/Jenna). I definitely think Carl’s route would be vastly improved by replacing Raven with Jeremy, but Jeremy is almost completely relegated to Jenna’s route and Route 65. And it’s a shame because he can easily be as integrated as a more central character (just like Micha TBH). Jeremy’s cowardice (albeit EXTREMELY understandable) with Carl during Jenna’s route about being kidnapped by Brian is a mark on his character, but I think there’s enough there to show that he’s apprehensive and doesn’t wish that on Carl at the very least. Jeremy deserves more screen time, and a lot of it can and should be centered around Carl.

Leo Alvarez

    These two do not fucking talk to each other more than like three sentences throughout the entire VN. It is actually insane. They both served as Chase’s best friend/confidant at different times in their lives, both are gym bro-esque, both messed around with Flynn, and both NEED that musky Otter-bod. I believe their lack of interaction is either a major oversight OR manufactured because the two SHOULD talk to each other a lot and that happening would ruin how broken/stuck the two are. Even a few throw away lines about them trying but not being able to would help fix this IMO. Like Leo should be at Carl’s house on that gym equipment like all the time and the two just vibing while working out. Maybe it’s on purpose, and Leo just shut out any semblance or reminder of Chase, or Carl could ~never~ bring himself to ask Leo to hangout, despite being desperate for people (Chase n Flynn) because of the GHOST. I think the two would get along very well, and could be there for each other in a really positive way. Anyways, my copium is that they were both suckn n fuckn hardcore sloppy style and that it would be awkward with Chase coming back, so they just didn’t talk to each other to avoid slipping up/the awkwardness because they both wanted the Chunter.

 Raven:

    This himbo husky is the best boy and a TRUE homie. When he noticed Carl and Chase were flirty with each other, he gave up the bed and curled up on that futon thing (CUTE ON ITS OWN!). Ya it’s kinda weird Raven was just at Carl’s house. Ya it’s weird they just hung out so fast. Yes Raven is a fem/crybaby/little bitch-boi in the Silent Hill-Native American-Explotation hellhouse-cabinboi cabin. But like, he isn’t used to traumatic spooky shit like Chase and Carl. He doens’t have spirit fucking shit up. Yes, Flynn or Jeremy or literally anyone else from the main cast would have made it more interesting/more thematic. But Raven tries. He doesn’t know Carl THAT well. But when shit is going down, he tries to stay positive, he’s there for Jenna at least in comfort, and he gets sent to hell for hanging out with homies so like I cut him SOME slack (interesting parallel with Brian there BTW. Don’t hang out with the country bumpkin mlm’s is the message I’m p-sure). I also think Raven can be ‘fixed’ by adding in one line along the lines of “Ya, me and Carl play on xbox live all the time together, cool guy!” But other than that… Raven’s introduction veers Carl off his growing outward affection towards Chase (the scene where they’re at the mall and Carl has to run and go smoke bc it was getting to gay after Raven asked for a Sloppy-Tornado blowie). Carl was getting more and more comfortable with his queerness (and presumably without James I influence in Payton/whislt high), and Raven’s outward display of sexuality both makes him jealous and spurs him on to kiss Chase (even though he has to get high to do it). It’s one of the few times there’s outward and overt romance between the two before going to Silent-Hillhouse and I think would be a VERY interesting take to delve more into. Someone as bubbly and outgoing as Raven, ‘moving in’ on ‘his man’ he was too slow to get with first (re:Leo and how Carl basically came out to Chase but Chase completely missed it). Classic closested best friend trope that would be fun to explore in a less supernatural timeline/possibly be more integrated into Metaverse Mine.

[why-this-kolaveri-machi]

it’s a fucking metaphor!

Titans 3.08

i’ve finally gathered the mental and emotional resources to do this thing, so let’s go! as always, i’m typing this up as i see the episode.

SPOILERS AHEAD

1. on watching this opening scene, i was thinking back to how gar was in s1, or even the early bits of s2. the way he idolised the others, particularly dick, and his readiness to go along with whatever they said, and the way he practically bled the need for acceptance. and here he is now, openly defying dick, fully open to and aware of the flaws of the people he loves and admires, knowing he is accepted no matter what and extending that generosity elsewhere. it’s a remarkable bit of character growth that’s... sort of blossomed in the background and so rewarding to see and acknowledge. 

1.25. i guess what i really love about this conflict over how to respond to jason--as clumsily as it is sometimes written--is how their histories and individual traumas inform each character’s reaction. dick is torn between his guilt over what’s become of jason and his drive to do what batman had essentially given up on doing: he is motivated to track down red hood at all costs but there’s a sense that he’s not completely sold on the idea that the only way to stop him is to kill him. (he might go the comics route and try to put him in arkham? god, imagine if the season ended with jason in arkham.) kory’s never had much of a connection with jason in the first place, and jason has done one of the worst things he could do in her book: track and kill a member of her newfound family and is threatening to kill more. 

and gar... sure. look. the idea of jason and red hood as separate entities appeals to him; that red hood emerged when jason was drugged to the gills by scarecrow and lost his usual inhibitions. gar’s struggled with what he becomes when he’s pushed to his limits, too--he did rip open that experimenting scientist with his teeth way back in 1.07, after all, and he was brainwashed by cadmus in s2 into becoming a literal monster. he needs to think, to know, there’s a dichotomy, a line that can only be crossed under extreme duress or by outside influence. 

and he says--and we say--that he was accepted back into the titans in spite of what he’d done, but was he really? gar’s always struggled with his footing in this group; relegated to the caretaker, the tech guy, the gatekeeper, and sometimes punching bag even though everybody’s paying lip service to how much of a family they all are. perhaps gar reaching out to jason and offering acceptance is aspirational on his part: perhaps this is the effort he hoped the titans put/or will put into getting gar back, even when it would seem like he’s too far gone.

1.5. anyway my point is that i don’t think it’s worth discussing this in terms of right/wrong decisions because all of their reactions make a lot of sense given their backgrounds/personalities. gar is doing a fine job here of tracking down jason’s friends and trying to find him that way, but we the audience know that jason is ultimately going to end up an anti-hero/eventually-hero character, so with that knowledge in mind we know that gar’s reaction is the right one. it’s knowledge that the other characters don’t have, so to judge them on it is... uh, unfair.

1.8. also, molly is awesome, yay!

2. dick and barbara flirting over the phone is so cute! i love to see this side of dick: lighter, peppier, willing (even if somewhat reluctantly) to put his mission aside to go out on a date with his girlfriend. and i love how easy this makes his dynamic with kory too: it’s all very domestic and utterly delightful. 

(also, re: the water leak in barbara’s office--you’re saying GCPD could afford fancy-schmancy table-wide touch screen computers and evil-lair lighting but needs its frickin’ commissioner to catch leaking water from above her desk with mugs and fishbowls????)

2.2225. this is probably a teeny tiny thing and i’m not sure i want to bring it up at all BUT. the fact that dick feels compelled to lie to barbara about not liking fancy gala food and eating something more substantial before the date? not a terribly great sign, though i wouldn’t call it a red flag per se. 

“this from a man who forced his students to eat cauliflower crust pizza...”

3. so.... conner and kom are a Thing. huh.

in theory i really like the idea of them bonding over an innate alien-ness and longing for a place they could really belong. both of them are alien twice-over: conner a mix of kryptonian and human, practically generated in a test tube, and kom being somebody that was born different and rejected by her own people, now stuck on a planet dominated by an entirely different species. i even like them exploring this bond physically. i guess it’s the sense of... uneasiness around what we do and don’t know about kom that makes this scene land slightly left of centre to me. i think titans, especially through s2, has cultivated in its audience a sense of distrust even until the final episode, just in case somebody vital to the season is suddenly revealed to have had ulterior motives (i’m even low-key suspicious of leslie). i really want to see this kom-conner dynamic play out but the anticipation of watching the other shoe drop is sucking out the enjoyment.

4. for fuck’s sake dick, gar’s not your gatekeeper.

TIIIIIIIIMMMMM \O/

4.5. i love this nod to tim’s origins in the comics, the way he just comes in and lays out all his evidence and makes it clear to dick that he needs tim’s help as robin. the fact that he was there at the flying graysons’ last performance, he was obsessed with their acrobatic moves, and was observant enough to connect those moves with that of robin and later nightwing... all of this came together to put him where he is right now.

(i also love how he can’t contain his giddy excitement when talking about the day dick grayson’s parents died... to dick grayson. even if dick weren’t nightwing, that would be a deeply uncomfortable thing! yet tim can’t help himself, and i love him for it.)

4.8. it’s a testament to how much dick’s caught off-guard that he can’t come up with a better response to tim’s allegations other than “uh... he stole my moves! as you know, no two gymnasts in the world are allowed to do the same moves. now, let me escort you out while pretending poorly that i’m not at all shaken by this...”

4.9. i’ve talked about this before, but i find the logic around secret identities in this universe utterly fascinating. the titans don’t make much effort in keeping their identities secret: everybody seems to know that kory is starfire for instance, or that gar is beast boy. dick grayson is seen hanging out with kory a lot, especially at crime scenes. it won’t take a lot of sleuthing to find out that the titans are currently camped out at wayne manor, and to put two and two together.

my theory was that superheroes and villains have become such an integral part of daily society that it’s almost not worth it to seek out their secret identities, or that it’s just not a big deal anymore. like politicians or diplomats, not everybody bothers to look into who exactly their local politician is, but the people who know just... know. it’s a sort of unspoken social contract.

tim’s broken this contract by confronting dick about his identity, and dick’s not ready to deal with it. not entirely.

look at him! *pinches his cheeks*

5. ngl, it was quite satisfying to see jason knock the scarecrow out like that. 

5.5. i guess... the question of jason’s culpability is always going to be a thorny one and would make for a great courtroom drama spinoff. there are a number of factors to consider: jason’s personality, the rough circumstances under which he grew up, his undoubtedly stressful transition to being robin, bruce wayne being... well, bruce wayne, never feeling accepted by the titans and having most of them turn on him, being roundly defeated and almost killed by deathstroke, alfred’s death, a fuckload of ptsd, his violent death, crane’s manipulations, coming back to life, crane plying him with a drug. but there is no easy line to draw between any of these factors to his actions. i think it would be a disservice to jason’s character to attribute his actions entirely to these things and rather irresponsible to do so. i think jason has to reckon with the fact that when he took crane’s drug, he wasn’t reckless and chaotic like the thugs he gave it to; the planning that went into hank’s death was meticulous and the way hank died--dawn essentially tricked into pulling the trigger that blew her lover into bits--is so drawn out and cruel. 

5.75. it’s occurring to me that crane might have given jason a placebo. maybe jason’s dependence is psychological, and he’s externalised his fears in such a way that he believes crane’s drugs literally wipe them out, however temporarily.

in any case, the boy needs (more) therapy.

6. “he walked like robin...” fuck, tim

“gait recognition sweep” god, this show. i don’t know whether to laugh or cry. hey, once we’re done doing this gait recognition thingy, can we get a goddamn plumber in the house??? or move the commissioner’s desk so that sewage water isn’t dripping on her head or the million dollar touchscreen desk???????

6.5. oh no dick!!!!!! i am delighted that you got hurt but i feel ashamed about it! that looked like it really hurt!

he’s really not having a good time of it, is he. from being shot by a sniper to slamming at full speed into an suv, he’s got to be really fucking battered by now. and that’s just the physical side of it.

“can you believe that just over a week ago i was sitting in san francisco eating cauliflower crust pizza and feeling good about myself for the first time in five years...”

7. kory’s having visions again! now that she’s figured what they are, do you think the show’s just dropped justin? it’s curious that HPG hasn’t been brought up in a while after featuring relatively heavily in the beginning. hmmm.

8. dick’s in hospital but... he looks remarkably whole for someone who took a spill like that. you’d think he’d at least have a bruise to show for it. on the other hand, i love that the first thing he says is ‘i need to call home’. reminds me of season 1 dick and his clumsy attempts to explain away his found family as an ‘alliance of necessity’ or some bullshit. what a long way he’s come!

*gasp* dick’s hallucinating again!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m doing the dick’s hallucinating dance! can you believe that we’re carrying over these huge honking issues unearthed in season 2 onto season 3? can you believe?!!! all that time and effort i spent talking about dick’s mental health from last season has not gone in vain!!

... ahem. anyway. more on this later.

“hold on barbara, i think kory gave me the number to this therapist that she kept calling Hot Psychiatrist Guy...”

9. just an interlude to say that i’m barely halfway through the episode and i’ve already written 2k+ words... ugh. i’m going to try and be more concise.

10. man i fuckin love it when titans goes all out with its weird mindscapes and i’m extra glad that kory’s the focus this time. is that baby kom or maybe a secret sibling that neither of them knew about? was that lady luand’r? and is this place where kory was circling where the secret sibling is? it’s all very intriguing. 

(if justin turned out to be that sibling... we’ve a real luke/leia situation on our hands.)

11. aw, i knew that nice security guard was going to die, but it still hurt to see him go :(

12. this show is so bizarre. like i get the mindscape as a narrative device, but jason using sex workers to try and vocalise his guilt about killing hank was just weird. like. i have to use tamil, sorry: idhulaan yaaru pa room pottu yosikara??? some things just can’t be translated into a second language.

i guess one way to interpret jason’s reckoning with what he did to the titans as a sign of him coming off crane’s drug, but i think it’s more to do with the disillusionment of realising that he was a mere pawn in a more sinister plan, and not, as he thought, a player in control of his destiny, rising to the purpose of liberating gotham of its fears in a way batman never could. along the way, he’s done some truly irreversible damage. it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

13. another hallucination! it’s really intriguing that it’s a young dick(?), younger than we’ve ever seen him, wearing an early-era robin costume from way before he even became robin. (this is also interesting in that it gives credence to the idea that ‘robin’ is an identity that dick created entirely on his own, and as a possible homage to his family.)

“old road, old house... it’s all gone.” i wonder what it all means.

13.5. it’s entirely likely dick’s hallucinating because of a brain injury from the accident, though just hallucinations without any other focal neurological deficit is unusual. he might’ve been microdosed with fear toxin at some point, though i wonder when... did jason do so after dick’s accident? did he get dosed at the factory from last episode? 

it’s also possible it’s a continuing manifestation of dick’s issues from last season--which, if you remember, he never told anyone about and therefore never properly addressed. maybe he was hallucinating bruce wayne in a psychotic episode accompanying an acute stress reaction and maybe that’s what’s happening now. nobody’s denying that he’s under an extraordinary amount of stress right now. another way to look at it is that this is how he externalises conflict that he can’t bear to suppress anymore; if in s2 halluci!bruce manifested his insecurities and self-loathing, then these hallucinations... something to do with his fears, no doubt.

yet ANOTHER way to look at it might be: rachel is reaching out to him through their, well, psychic bond. after all, they were able to use that bond unconsciously last season to get the titans back together; maybe rachel has learned to gain a degree of control over it in themyscira and is sending across warnings? it’s all very intriguing.

anyway:

“i hear you skipped over the discowing suit in your evolution to nightwing... how could you??”

14. can you imagine, gar did all the work of reaching out to jason via molly and jason wants to meet dick? smh.

14.5. “i’m just a regular guy doing regular things” he says, standing at the opening of a secret old tunnel, like a secret person doing secret things, confronting someone who can now officially be called his stalker. neither of you guys are ‘regular’

14.8. ‘my dad was a cop and he taught me how to investigate’ - hmmm. i guess they’re trying to Explain Tim but i don’t think that’s really necessary. so he’s smart and he’s obsessed with batman and robin--that should be enough, imo. 

15. that scene with scarecrow and his mother was... wow. i’m just laughing here helplessly, because what the hell? for a while i thought it was an extended dream sequence and i’m still not entirely sure that it isn’t...

anyway. i still love that titans is happy to throw out its plot in favour of extended character-exploration sessions.

15.5. it seems to me that this scene with crane and his mother (i have no idea if there’s anything in the comics similar to this) serves to move forward this season’s theme of harmful legacies and how parents can damage their children in the name of their mission. in a way it’s been the underlying message of the entire show but we’re really seeing it being reinforced this season. the titans, serving as a foil to scarecrow, are using the damage to rebuild themselves and actually work through their issues together, instead of spiralling further and further into the morass of their issues.

other than that... god, that scene was painful to watch. i can’t say i like this version of scarecrow or how this actor plays him at all.

16. i wonder what’s jason’s play here. i think he’s smart enough to realise that the titans aren’t going to just forgive him and let him be a titan again after what he did, and that dick agreeing to it is just a bid to pin both him and crane down. maybe it’s a ploy to trap them, get back on scarecrow’s good books so that he can have the drug again. who knows.

17. i absolutely felt dick when he said “we’ll bring him in and then re-assess the situation.” what the fuck else is he going to say? the priority is to get him.

so kory and dick are both hallucinating while potentially trying to rehabilitate their murderous siblings. CONFIDE IN EACH OTHER ALREADY

18. TIM NOOOO! you beautiful, reckless fool!

18.25. just to quickly address it here because i know it’s been brought up before: i think it’s perfectly justified to not have conner take tim to the hospital via superspeed because a) i don’t think we’ve seen conner do that with anybody so far and b) it’s probably not a good idea to submit tim’s body to that kind of stress without knowing what it would do to him. the paramedics with actual equipment and experience would be there in a few minutes, so on a risk assessment, i would say dick and conner absolutely made the right call.

18.5. i guess we won’t know what jason really intended to when the titans came to the pump to see him, but this is definitely going to set a big wedge in his relationship with crane. then again, crane got what he wanted--using starfire’s powers to blast through to the underground pipes--so jason can argue that this is exactly what he was working towards, too. 

anyway, mortal peril, hallucinations, murderous family members, creepy visions and robins sprouting left and right. time to get rachel and donna on the scene, i think.

[bluemoonpunch]

I just discovered your website and fell in love with your readings! I love how you give your insights and your approach to the reading. One thing I want to ask is does the group energy reading represent the energy of the group at the time of the reading, or just the energy as the group exists? This is mostly towards the Stray Kids group reading. I'm curious, because as a fan watching them from afar, I think there has been a dynamic shift among them. (1/2)

(2/2)This is not me asking you to do another reading for them though, and I also believe it's not the time yet. They are still in the middle of a shift that is not yet ripened. They are going to join a survival show with big exposure this year too, so they might drastically change as a group after that. On a totally unrelated note though, I let out the ugliest wheeze as you refer to page of wands as the Signature Jungkook' Card.

📕 Referencing:

Stray Kids Group Energy Analysis Part 1 (2018)

Stray Kids Group Energy Analysis Part 2 (2021)

A: Yes, any reading I do should be looked at as more of a "snapshot" of the state of things there at the moment of doing the reading, which is why I always provide the date that the reading was performed as well as when the reading was posted as I can sometimes do bigger readings a week or so in advance. I've done two different group energy readings for Stray Kids and there is a noticeable change between them, but, for example, before the first group reading for them I posted, I had done the reading a couple of times before that and got a lot of negativity which didn't really change that much between those first couple of readings.

It's good to keep in mind that with group energy readings, I look at what the individuals project into the group, which is sometimes a lot different from the general energetic projection of the individuals separate from the group. I then look at how those projections mix together, how they interact with each other, which can vary between conscious level interaction and energetic interaction. Then, after all that, I look at the overall projection, the general ~vibe~ of the group as a whole, how they function as a unit, what they are able to produce physically or energetically through the group projection. It can be quite complex and fluid, but there are many factors to take into consideration, so just because some things seem different doesn't always mean that things have changed in terms of their energetic balance and connection.

Of course, major changes in career or how things are done superficially in relation to their work and routine, as well as any dynamic changes with members leaving or even changes in contracts, can alter the energetic projection of the individuals and change up the overall balance of the group. So, for sure, in the future, I'll probably look into them again if there's a demand for it, but yeah, they do need some time to settle into new things before anything would come up as being different.

XXXX

Q: thank you for the reading!! I'm glad that there has been progress for them personally, that was good to see. I've been getting that vibe from them and it seemed like taehyung's core was no longer split so I'm glad that it actually isn't. I hope that even with the not-so-good energy that they'll be okay. the end of the reading had me feeling kind of 😔 it would make sense if it has something to do with any kind of enlistment. im hoping it's not disbandment. im aware it could happen but it'll still hurt lol i just want them to be happy either way =( but thanks again -Anonymous @ BMP Tumblr

📕 Referencing:

BTS OT7 2021/2022 Outlook Reading

A: Yeah, the reading was a bit of a bummer toward the end, but overall things were relatively balanced for them as individuals on a more personal level. However, I do think we're seeing a lot of that general tension now with how a lot of fans are responding to the new music, specifically their last three releases. I'm sure that's stirring up some debate and conversation behind the scenes both with the group and the company overall. So, it seems like one of those things where work-life can be a bit stressful going forward, but personal work and personal life for them can be relatively smooth and enjoyable, which can be more rewarding in the long run.

XXXX

Q: oh wow, I did not expect ur 2022 outlook to hit me that hard lol, I was hoping for something more positive for BTS but on the other hand they have been doing all this for over a decade so it's natural for it to finally come to close. still feeling emotional tho hahah -Anonymous @ BMP Tumblr

A: Same, honestly. 😥 But yeah, it tends to be a natural progression for a lot of artists that get that big, almost as if their careers grow past them and they just ride the wave the rest of the way. Still, a fascinating thing to watch play out over the years, definitely something to appreciate and be proud of.

XXXX

Q: love love love your dream and georgenotfound reading! I agree dream's reading is especially interesting, and an individual analysis on either of them would be amazing!! -Anonymous @ BMP Tumblr

Q: This might sound crazy but I read your tarot reading on DNF and remembered you mentioning Cecil? I'm watching their geoguessr stream happening live rn and just saw them go past a sign that said Cecil. I thought that was a funny coincidence -Anonymous @ BMP Tumblr

Q: Hi! All of your readings are so well written and I loved your reading you did on Dream and George and I was wondering if you could do a reading on Dream. You mentioned maybe doing one. -@glimmercherr

📕 Referencing:

How do GeorgeNotFound and Dream connect?

A: Yes, most likely I'll be doing an Elemental Alignment reading for Dream at some point and maybe I'll include some stuff about his birth chart as he has some underlying cosmic imprinting that I think is really interesting. And yeah, coincidences like that are my favorite, just the little things that pop up that seem to tie things together in a funny way, lol. I'm sure there's always some underlying meaning to it somehow.

XXXX

Can you do a mini reading on jimin and jungkook? Whether it’s more equal now? Idk maybe because I am a Pisces I have been able to read other people’s vibes (I call them ) better I am no expert but I feel jimin thinks of jungkook as like an individual grown-up but still would always see himself as a protector kinda like powder siblings too? Also because this doesn’t show up consciously Like they always seem like equal and above sand all in behind the scenes too? Can you explain or clarify if I am right? -Anonymous @ BMP Tumblr

A: Yes, things are definitely more equal now. There's a very interesting progression for them that plays out energetically and even as deeply as on a soul level, lining up with their personal development and separation from the Soul Body. Of course, with Jimin being older and having had known Kook for so long, I have no doubt that no matter what, some part of him would always feel protective of Kook, the only difference is that Kook is in a headspace now where he can be protective back, be more of an equal support for Jimin right back. And, I agree, behind the scenes when they're not performing and not "in character," they can definitely display more of that equalizing push and pull, more so reflecting their energetic connection on a conscious and physical level, which tends to show a very strong soul bond that is being supported on both sides.

If you haven't already, I recommend reading these readings in order as they can really display that development between them over the past few years:

Relationship Reading for Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook P1 (2018)

Relationship Reading for Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook P2 (2020)

The Internal Alignment of Park Jimin (2020)

How do Jimin and Kook connect? (2021)