#it’s not just media it’s real life too

[inkskinned]

you know, you know. no gods, no masters, no kings on pedestals. everyone is fallible. death of the author. you know! you are balanced about your intake of media - you allow the wiggle room, the grace, the gratitude, the skepticism. nobody above criticism.

but still. a weird gut-punch feeling, something akin to betrayal. you read the article. surprise! an author you love is actually: a serial fucking predator.

well, shit. what now. no, you knew he was a person (all people are), but now you're wondering - what have i overlooked by accident? what messages have i internalized that are strange and cruel? and also, like, what the fuck?

his actions lay a thick glaze on top of everything. like each place is now ruined, opaque in a new way. but okay, fine, you've done this before. you knew better, right? you've been betrayed by many a cherished childhood author.

still, this stickiness. fuck. can you pick up that book again. will you read it to your children. you've recommended it to others - will you ever do that again? and of course, of course, no parasocial relationships. you were theoretically above this kind of sentiment. but the artist informs the art, right.

so it's not something as clear-cut as feeling he owed you, specifically (a stranger) better behavior - just that you kind of, in a distant and odd way... sort of trusted him to do better. it's not like a real trust or something speakable, just the faint hope that the product (good books) was a thin representation of the soul. now it feels like the product (good? books?) was a mask. in some small or insignificant way, your previous support of this person lent them power. your money and your time and your laughter.

and the thing is - you have this terrible, echoing sensation. how many times will this happen? over and over. you find out that the singer you love is actually a predator. you learn over drinks that your favorite high school english teacher is in jail for what he did to her. you listen to the news idly and suddenly discover that a woman you used to idolize has been abusing her kids for an actual eon.

what can you touch without the static melting off. you can't even really complain about it too much (you were supposed to know better, and besides, you don't want the same re-split "it's not your fault, love what you love" basic advice), but now it's here. somehow, it feels like - you let him into your life.

it's not that things need to be pure or an artist has to be like, endlessly perfect, mindful. demure. it's more just this terrible truth that has been replayed through your veins so often it feels criminally vain. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. did you want any one person to be worth that power?

it's just that he wrote books where he seemed to understand that. he seemed to know about hierarchies and unfair systems and bigotry and privilege. you thought they were books about what it means to struggle. you thought they were about having power and still using it for good rather than for control. he spooned you a narrative of being a good guy, a kind soul. you fucking bought what that fucking monster sold.

maybe that's why they were fantasies, after all.

[irreverentworm]

You underestimate the extent to which men think about cuckolding. Getting cucked is literally one of the Most common Straight Male insecurities, especially in right wing circles. A significant portion of right wing politics stem from sexual insecurity: incels, framing immigrants as rapists, cuck jokes, etc. The women rarely face consequences because, in this framework, women are 1) property/status symbols and you shouldn't damage your own property and 2) incapable of agency, mere automata, slaves to the instinct to want a more masculine man (evopsych bullshit). Getting cucked is humiliating because nature (acting through the automaton woman) has declared that you are less masculine than this other man. Everything is about sex, except sex, which is about power.

Tarantino's foot fetishism is gratuitous because it serves no narrative purpose, whereas cucking in GTA V is used for characterization. It's played straight with Floyd, Johnny, and the real estate guy, who are framed as "weak" men compared to Bob and Trevor, but inverted with Michael and Fabien. Under the cuck framework, you'd expect that Amanda no longer likes Michael because he's "gone soft" after leaving his life of crime, and once he returns to the criminal (aka masculine) life, he wins back her heart, but this is not the case. She dislikes how emotionally distant (aka not soft enough) he is, cheats on him with someone even "softer", and pushes Michael even further away because of his criminality. In this instance, cucking serves to characterize Amanda: it indicates her agency and preferences (which certain people might think are irrational, as it contradicts the "alpha fucks, beta bucks" idea). This is the root of much of the ire directed towards her stems from this (not unlike the way Breaking Bad fans hated Skyler). In the end though, Michael reasserts his masculinity over Fabien through (masculine) violence, specifically at Amanda's behest, so I think the point was kind of lost.

Trevor, too, calls out Michael for being emotionally distant and unable to express affection except through snarky quips like he sees in the movies—a direct critique of Michael's emulation of toxic masculinity in media. Michael is the stoic man to Trevor's emotional woman ("You sound like some bitch he ain't called. Like, Ooooh he lied to meee." "I am some bitch he didn't call. For ten years!"), and the narrative frames Michael as in the wrong for it.

However, I genuinely don't think Trevor would have been accepted by the fanbase if he weren't also literally insane (and a man, but that goes without saying). They root for him when his emotions are expressed through (masculine) violence, and laugh at him when he is just plain emotional (too womanly). His mental illness provides plausible deniability for the emotional parts they don't like. His bisexuality and affinity for dresses are often similarly dismissed with "lol isn't that so funny because he's crazy."

There's a lot more that can be said about masculinity in the game, but this has kind of gotten off topic, so I'll leave it here.

So I randomly fell down a GTA V hole and I want to write a long post about how this game from 2013 about hyper masculine violent men made for teenage boys surprisingly tries to teach it’s players to be more accepting of people but also I want to know who on the game developer team has a cucking fetish because men are getting cuckolded left right and center followed by them being humiliated by the lover.

The yoga scene with the fit young instructor rubbing it in Michael’s face that he’s sleeping with his wife but also kinda flirting with him while talking about Michael being impotent culminating in Michael ending up in the pool? That might as well be cuckold porn.

Then we have poor little Floyd who sits at home in his fiancé’s apartment worrying about his penis size while she’s off fucking some guy named Bob.

And if you’re into some really hardcore stuff you’ve got Trevor cuckolding a biker, then talking about fucking the biker instead and finally killing the biker by stomping on him.

And you know it’s kink because the women never face any consequences (Debra only died because she shot Floyd) As in all cuckold fantasies it’s the men’s own fault because they couldn’t satisfy their woman. It’s like watching a Tarantino movie and knowing all those shots of feet aren’t innocent.

[cuverale]

can we have us as Lee Byung Hun wife?? pretty please🙏😭 (idk if I'm write it's right, srry, I'm not good in english)

ᯓ bliss — lee byung-hun.

note: loved the idea!! enjoy <3

────────── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ──────────

tmz_tv

liked by ynmybaby, byunghunspookie and others

tmz_tv Actor Lee Byung-hun and his wife, Y/N L/N, recently celebrated their wedding anniversary in style, and fans can’t stop gushing over their heartwarming photos. The couple marked the special occasion with a romantic photoshoot, capturing their timeless love and undeniable chemistry. Known for keeping their private life low-key, the duo gave a rare glimpse into their relationship, sparking admiration from fans and media alike. Their elegant yet intimate celebration was a testament to their enduring bond, proving that their love story is truly one for the ages.

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kissmeyn they’re the definition of couple goals !!

iloveoldermen the way he looks at her 😭

ynmybaby how do they manage to look even more stunning with each passing year? absolute perfection!

randomuser he’s too old for her tho

byungswife nobody asked for your opinion, hope this helps!

ynsluvr proof that true love only gets stronger with time. happy anniversary to the most iconic couple!!!!

number001 alexa play that should be me by justin bieber ✋🏻😭

simpforfictionalmen Lee Byung-hun and Y/N L/N are the real-life ‘happily ever after.’ Disney, take notes!

mrandmrslee GOD I LOVE THEM SM !!! 💗

leebyunghunswife can we just talk about how these photos are better than half the wedding shoots i’ve seen? iconic.

yourusername

liked by byunghun0712, from_jjlee and others

yourusername wifey wifey wifey wifeyyy

view comments

byunghun0712 my love ❤️

liked by author

yourfriendsuser i’m the sniper btw

yourusername stop😭

ynmybaby MY PARENTS

delulugirl happy wife happy life

from_jjlee happy anniversary to my favorite couple!

yourusername love youuu!!

kissmeyn you’re glowing mrs.lee 🗣️

byunghunspookie the chemistry is unmatched

dilflover look at my man with his wife

ynswifey look at my girl with her husband 😞

mrandmrslee their love story is like something straight out of a movie. wishing them many more anniversaries to come!!

inhosimp these photos made my day 😭💗

byunghun0712

liked by yourusername, hoooooyeony and others

byunghun0712 Every moment with you feels like a new beginning, and every year, our love grows stronger. Thank you for being my rock, my joy, and my greatest blessing. Here’s to many more years of laughter, love, and unforgettable memories. Happy anniversary, my love.

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yourusername i love you i love you i love you

liked by author

yourusername literally crying rn

byunghun0712 let me cuddle you then

ilovebyunghun SIR ME TOO PLS

hoooooyeony 💘💘

ynspookie may this type of love find me

wifeofinho relationship goals? more like LIFE goals. can I just be their third wheel forever??

leebyunghunfan their love story is so wholesome, i might have to start writing fanfic. don’t judge me anyone!

ynmybaby LMAO SAME

inholuvr girl you better hurry up i wanna read that now

byunghunswifey Lee Byung-hun out here setting the bar way too high for all husbands. noted, sir, very noted.

iloveyn someone check the dictionary—pretty sure their photo is next to ‘soulmates.’

byunghun0712’s story

[darcytaylor]

Theorizing vs. Facts: Let’s Talk

One thing that keeps popping up in fandoms (and life in general) is the mix-up between theories and facts. Let’s break it down:

A fact is something we know for sure - confirmed, verified, undeniable. A theory is a guess - sometimes informed, sometimes wild, but it’s still a guess. It’s when we take what little we know, add in what we think, and arrive at a “what if” scenario.

Here’s how this applies to some current discussions:

Nicola and Jake

Nicola and Jake hang out.

They go to events together.

They are in the same friend group. These are all facts.

Is Nicola dating Jake? There’s a possibility, sure. But since neither of them has come out and said they are, that’s still speculation. You can talk about signs, actions, or what you think it all means, but until the main players confirm it themselves, it’s still a theory (maybe even an informed one), but not a fact.

Luke and Antonia

Luke and Antonia are in the same friend group.

They have gone on vacations/traveled together.

Antonia posted a video at the same restaurant Luke was at in Rome. These are facts.

That’s what we know (and yes, there are other facts). The rest - whether they hang out one-on-one, whether Antonia was in Rome specifically to see Luke, or anything else - is speculation. Saying they’re in a relationship might be informed speculation, but it’s still not fact until the main players say so.

Luke and Nicola

They are on the same show and play each other’s partner.

They did a world tour for the release of season 3 of Bridgerton.

They have a unique relationship (and no, I’m not saying it’s romantic) that nobody in this world will truly be able to understand. These are facts.

We don’t know whether they hang out in private - they might, and they might not. All of that is speculation. And honestly, they have no obligation to share who they do or don’t spend time with in real life. Who they are dating or not dating.

(Obviously, with all of the people I mentioned above, there are more facts out there, I just named a few)

Now, here’s the part that’s been on my mind:

Sometimes people say they’re just “looking at the signs” and piecing things together because they’ve been in the fandom for a while and have the “information.” But what information do you really have? Things posted on social media, where everything is curated and never shows the whole picture?

I’ve been in this fandom for a long time, too. Most of that time, I wasn’t posting - I was a silent lurker. I’ve followed the actors since 2020. Some might think that gives me more knowledge about what’s going on, but it doesn’t. I’ll never claim to have insider knowledge, because I don’t know any of the people involved personally.

Do I maybe have more context about the wild speculations and in-fandom fights that have happened? Sure. Do I get sent things in private messages and asks because I now have a blog? Yes. But I really don’t have more facts about these people than anyone else, because most, if not all the facts are easily attainable. It’s the speculations people cling to that make them feel they have more information or insight. But guess what? Fan theories and speculation aren’t facts.

Now, I know what I’ve written here is very black-and-white, but that’s what facts and non-facts boil down to. It’s in the grey areas that theories and speculations are born. And while I do think there can be some value in exploring those grey areas, we have to remember - they still aren’t facts.

Look, I get it. People like to feel special. They want to believe they have unique insight into celebrities’ lives because they’ve followed them for years or been in the fandom for a while. But that doesn’t make you more knowledgeable than the next person. It doesn’t mean you have insider information or a clearer picture of what’s really going on.

And honestly, it gets weird when people start putting labels on others they don’t even know in real life. Relationships - even friendships - are nuanced. There will never be a pretty little box that all relationships in this world will fit into. When you label people based on limited knowledge, you’re creating a parasocial dynamic that’s both extreme and invasive.

A problem comes when speculation gets repeated so often that it feels like fact. Suddenly, a harmless guess becomes “proof,” and then people start arguing over something that was never confirmed in the first place.

So, here’s my little PSA:

🌟 Speculate responsibly. It’s okay to guess and wonder, but make sure it’s clear that’s what you’re doing. Also, there are things that just shouldn't be speculated on. Have some class. Have some empathy. Have some grace. 🌟 Acknowledge what’s real. Facts are facts. Theories are theories. Let’s not blur the lines. Nobody - and I mean nobody - has more information about people they do not know than the rest of us. We are all just fans of people in a TV show. 🌟 Stay grounded. The truth might not always align with the most entertaining theory - and that’s okay.

Let’s keep theorizing and speculation fun, don't stress. ❤️

[nothoughtsjustfic]

Wild Goose Chase - W.JH

🛸Who: Wen Junhui (Seventeen) x reader 🛸What: Sci-fi. Humour/low-key crack. Established relationship. Alien Junhui! 🛸Wordcount: 2k 🛸Warnings: One mention of intentionally hurting someone, but it doesn’t happen. I think that’s it! 🛸Summary: “ During an overnight campout with your friends, Soonyoung admits to his true reason for gathering you all tonight; to hunt down the alien spaceship he somehow just knows is in the woods.  

All you can do is follow along and hope that your boyfriend succeeds in his plan to mislead your friends so they don’t find out that it’s his ship they’re looking for. ”

Masterlist

It seemed like a good idea at first, but you should’ve known better than to trust an idea suggested by Kwon Soonyoung and backed by Lee Seokmin.

You adore the pair, you truly do, but they have about two braincells to rub together between them and frequently forget to put them to use, resulting in all sorts of chaos; which, unfortunately, you often find yourself a part of.

And tonight is no different.

You truly thought it was just an overnight sleep out in the woods with your friend group, and it definitely did start that way. Setting up tents, building a firepit and cooking dinner over the flames to share with a few drinks and lots of laughter.

Until, when the sun was truly down and moon was high in the sky, Soonyoung got up and declared he had gathered you all to search for an alien spaceship.

Which, in of itself wasn’t surprising; Soonyoung is a huge alien conspiracy theorist and consumes any and all media portraying aliens, insisting that they have to be at least a little accurate in their depictions. Though you only need to look at your boyfriend of the past year to know that the movies are utter bullshit.

Sure, Wen Junhui looks otherworldly, but that’s just because he’s endlessly beautiful, gorgeous, a piece of natural artwork you could spend forever and a day admiring and never grow tired of his pretty lips and cute moles and silly expressions and…well you get it.

Your boyfriend is utterly divine, a real treat for the eyes, but he looks like any other unfairly attractive human man. Except he’s not, because he’s an alien from a planet you can’t even pronounce the name of, who crash landed over a year ago in the very same woods you’re in tonight with your friends.

Which is where the problem comes in.

For the first time in perhaps his entire life, Kwon Soonyoung is actually in the right place to get the proof he so desperately wants and somehow, you and Junhui have to stop him.

“Do you think some really big branches will do the trick?” Junhui suggests to you in a whisper as the pair of you trail at the back of the group with your hands swinging between you contently as you walk.

“Like cover your ship in branches?” You question, giving your boyfriend a look as if perhaps he’s the idiot here and not Soonyoung. Oh how the tables turn.

“Yeah, like in movies where they need to hide their car from bad guys in the jungle and they use pieces of trees and plants to do it!”

“Oh, my sweet, innocent, darling,” you coo and lift his hand connected with yours up to press a kiss to his smooth, warm skin. “Even Soonyoung wouldn’t fall for that; he’s not that absent to miss a spaceship because of some leaves, baby.”

“He hasn’t noticed me for a year and he’s literally seen me almost skinshift,” he points out, reminding you of the first time Junhui went drinking with you all.

It was before Junhui was used to human alcohol; his skin had shimmered and wobbled at his first taste of vodka. Luckily, only Soonyoung had seen it, other than you, and he was too drunk to think it anything but his eyes playing tricks on him.

You never thought you’d say it, and it’s the only instance you have so far, but thank fuck for Soonyoung’s low alcohol tolerance.

“He was drunk,” you remind, and Junhui makes a noise to show his acceptance of your words.

“Okay, no to trying to camouflage the ship,” Junhui agrees. “What do I do then? It’s not like I can move it; someone will definitely notice that.”

“I have no idea,” you admit, pulling a face at your own uncertain words.

“Trip Soonyoung so he hurts his leg and can’t walk around all night? If he’s out, then the hunt is over; he’s the one making us all do this.”

Although you should probably not encourage your boyfriend to hurt your childhood friend, you don’t dismiss the idea. It could definitely work.

“Okay,” Junhui takes your silence as approval and uses his free hand to rummage around in his pockets until he pulls out a bundle of knotted yarn. “I just need to get these knots out then I can titty trap him.”

“Booby trap.”

“That’s what I said.”

You think you should probably say more, explain to Junhui that this is not a time when you can interchange terms for breasts, but honestly, you think “titty trap” is too funny and you really want him to keep using it, so you move on.

“Why do you have knotted yarn in your pocket?” You wonder, curious as ever about how the alien’s mind works. You’re not sure he even knows, which is very understandable.

“So I’m always prepared!”

“For what?”

“Anything! This is so versatile, you know, as I will prove when I trip Soonie and end this hunt, just as soon as I get these knots out.”

You leave Junhui alone for a few moments as he focuses hard on trying to remove the endless amount of stubborn knots in the yarn, but when he almost trips for the fourth time, you reach out to grab the bundle and put it in your own pocket.

“Hey, I almost had that one,” he pouts at you, far too cutely for a grown man/alien/beautiful bastard of a boyfriend.

“It was more danger to you than him, baby.”

“Oh…yeah, you’re right. Maybe I should give it to him and ask him to unknot it for me.”

“That…could actually maybe work, but later; he’s too focused on looking right now to care about anything else. He’s not even begging for snacks.” You motion to the front of the group where you can just about make out Soonyoung leading the way with Seokmin and Chan just behind him and sharing a bag of giant marshmallows.

For the pair’s sake, you hope Mingyu doesn’t notice because you’re positive those are the fancy marshmallows the tall man bought specifically to cook over the fire and you all know how sensitive and pouty the man gets about his food being used “incorrectly”.

“Oh,” Junhui exhales with widened eyes as he takes in the way Soonyoung isn’t hovering around the snacks and silently asking for some with rounded eyes. “He really is focused.” You hum in agreement. “So, next idea; diversions.”

“Diversions?”

“Yep. Whenever we start getting close to my ship, I’ll run off and create something to block the way.”

You truly have no idea what exactly Junhui intends to do, but you don’t have a better idea yourself so you just nod and hope that things will go to plan, whatever that plan is.

For hours, you trudge along with your friends through the woods, guided by Soonyoung with your boyfriend intermittently rushing off when no-one is looking to take up his apparent new job as a cartoon specialist, based on the increasingly ridiculous ways he diverts Soonyoung and your group away from where his spaceship his hidden in the woods.

From hiding behind trees where he makes menacing sounds like a wild beast, to creepy little figurines made of twigs and random items he has in his pockets placed ominously in paths, which thoroughly freaks out enough of the group when they realise that the little voodoo doll looking items appear eerily like some of them.

Honestly, you’re very impressed that your boyfriend manages to do such a good job with the figures considering his limited time and items and tell him as much when he slides back into place at your side while the others are convincing Soonyoung that you all need to leave before you collectively get cursed by whatever, or whoever, prowls these woods.

“I think you should take up making stick figures,” you comment in a whisper to your boyfriend while leaning into his side comfortably and wrapping your arms around his waist as his arms go around your shoulders.

“What?” He looks at you bewildered, sweat dappling his hairline from all of his running around tonight. “What are you talking about, babe?”

“Those voodoo doll looking things you set up to scare the guys.”

“I didn’t do that,” he declares seriously, though the second your eyes widen a little, he breaks and starts to laugh. “I’m joking! I definitely did.” You swat at him and try to move away but he laughs harder and reaches out to pull you back to encircle you in his arms. “Noo, come back my favourite being to have ever existed in the known universe.”

“What about the unknown universe?” You hum, glancing at him from the corner of your eye, where he’s now pressed against your back and swaying you both from side to side.

“That’s a real big ask, babe. I don’t know what kind of hot piece of ass is in the unknown universe.”

“Okay, good point,” you concede and nod in understanding while turning to look over at the group standing a little away with a few talking heatedly, still trying to convince Soonyoung to give up on his search and let them go home where there isn’t someone stalking them through the woods and making creepy dolls of them.

“I’m going to make them all life sized ones for their birthdays and leave them in their homes for them to wake up to,” Junhui decides, plopping his chin on your shoulder.

You cackle at the thought. “I’ll help you break in and leave them.”

“Forget the hot piece of ass in the unknown universe, you are the best being I could ever be blessed with the attention and affection of.”

“I am. I’m glad you’re aware of that.”

“I definitely am very aware.” He plants a kiss on your jaw. “Now tell me how great I am too.”

Just as you’re about to comply and start waxing poetic about your boyfriend in a way that you know will lead to him taking you off somewhere to do wildly inappropriate things in between a couple of trees, there’s a cheer.

“What’s going on?” You call, speaking up loud enough that your friends can hear you, which draws their attention.

“He’s agreed to give up the alien hunt!” Seungkwan enthuses, clapping happily and already trying to urge the group to turn and head back in the direction you came to get here.

“For tonight,” Soonyoung reiterates, pouting in disappointment as he reluctantly trudges across the dirt when Jeonghan takes his hand to pull him along with you all. “We’ll come back another day; when you’ve all forgotten about the creepy dolls.”

“Another night of pointlessly walking around in the woods?” Seungkwan complains. “No way!”

“There is an alien spaceship here, I just know it!” Soonyoung replies. “And I’ll prove it.”

“At least pick one area to look, not the whole woods; this place is huge!”

“I don’t know which area the ship is in though; I just know it’s here.”

“Why don’t we just ask Jun?” Hansol pipes in casually, making everyone stop to look at him puzzled. “What?”

“Why would we ask Jun?” Jeonghan questions while you and Junhui exchange a quick, panicked look.

“Because he’s an alien?” Hansol replies, while looking around the group as if they’re all idiots. “You seriously never noticed? The dude’s way too weird to be human.”

All at once, the group turn to look at you and Junhui where you stand hand in hand with matching wide eyes, too dumbstruck by the knowledge that it seems that Hansol has known your secret for some time yet never said a word because he assumed everyone knew already. Funny how things work out.

“Well?” Seungkwan prompts when the pair of you just stare dumbly in shock.

Once again, you and Junhui exchange a look, silently communicating before turning to look back at the group as Junhui grins sheepishly. “Surprise?” He offers with a cute shrug.

There’s a moment of stunned silence before Soonyoung’s betrayed yell fills the night air. “What the fuck?!”

Don’t forget to reblog if you liked to help spread the story and let others read it too! And don't be shy to leave comments or send an ask so I can see your thoughts 🥺 💖

Permanent taglist: @okiedokrie, @tusswrites, @svtiddiess

[42ap]

The only difference between the original story and a modern AU is that the internet would’ve been popular during their childhood. Ford, without a doubt, is the type to log onto his computer at exactly midnight every Saturday to stalk Stan online. A few years ago, he deleted all their contact information in a fit of rage, blocked all of Stan’s social media accounts, and now he has to rely on tireless “research” (read: obsessive searching) to find any traces of Stan’s life.

Stan, on the other hand, doesn’t seem like the type to care much about the internet. His Instagram account is probably still under his real name. He casually posts pictures of his daily life and promotional ads for his work, blissfully unaware that somewhere out there, in a dark room, someone is brooding over a glowing screen, zooming in on his candid shots to scrutinize the background of his room.

Ford also checks who keeps commenting on Stan’s posts, then clicks into their profiles to figure out who they are. He convinces himself that it’s all just out of spite and jealousy—that he’s only doing it to make sure he’s still doing better than Stan in life.

One year, in November, Stan casually mentions that he’s preparing some special gifts for someone. “Not sure what he’ll like—I’ve been searching around and just hope he doesn’t reject it,” says the caption. It’s so obvious it’s for him, right? After reading it, Ford immediately starts rehearsing lines in his head about how he’ll reject Stan’s apology. But December rolls around, and then January, and… nothing happens. He eventually calls home and learns that Stan had quietly gone back in early December, bringing small souvenirs for everyone—except for him.

That night, staring at family photos posted on his mom’s Facebook, Ford finally loses it.

Then, one early morning, Stan posts a new photo. In it, he’s grinning brightly, holding a glass of booze, his face flushed from drinking too much. With one hand, he lifts up his shirt. The caption is clearly meant for some girl he’s trying to flirt with.

At 4:12 a.m., Ford accidentally becomes the first—and only—person to like the photo. Two minutes later, his message inbox lights up with three new messages.

[spade-riddles]

Anonymous said:

Gosh I have so much to say about this, but first I think it’s instructive to look at the masters heist timeline of 2019:

June 15: Taylor’s surprise Stonewall performance. June 17: Taylor releases the YNTCD video, further increasing speculation about a coming out. June 20: BMR shareholders, including Scott Swift, are told there will be an official shareholders meeting on June 25. June 24: the Joshlie second wedding occurs in Wyoming. Scooter and Yael attend, while Taylor does NOT show up to the party. This fuels continued speculation that she and Karlie are feuding. It’s important to note here that at this point, Scooter Braun already knows he is purchasing Taylor’s masters. June 25: BMR informs its shareholders of the impending sale of the label and its assets to Ithaca holdings. They have 3 days to go over the details and decide their votes. June 28: Karlie posts *sips tea* and Taylor posts “Friday calm,” insinuating that the coming out is still on. On the same day, BMR shareholders vote to confirm the label’s sale to Ithaca Holdings. June 29: Taylor receives a message from Scott Borchetta informing her of the sale of her masters. This happens while she’s flying home to NYC (presumably for pride). June 30: Tay skips pride and chooses violence. (We gather here, we line up weeping in a sunlit room, and if I’m on fire you’ll be made of ashes too —> her team deciding to drop the CO and go to war for her masters) July 3: Ash Avignon (and later Clare Winter) likes a Perez Hilton tweet claiming Taylor and Karlie are feuding is bc Karlie was telling things about Taylor’s life and career to Scooter. (I talk shit with my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honor) July 22: a blind item is released saying Yael Braun publicly called Taylor a c*nt and a d*ke at a presidential fundraiser (lock broken, slur spoken, wound open, game token, I didn’t know you were keeping count).

During July, Karlie was also making some posts insinuating Kaylor was struggling but still very much in touch (boxing gloves, out of the blue, wearing a cold shoulder top, randomly taking a rare social media break in late July/early Aug).

Looking at this timeline, it makes one wonder if Scott and Scooter planned the masters heist for the specific purpose of keeping Taylor in the closet, believing that her coming out would tank the value of Taylor’s masters. They assumed (rightly) that she’d pivot her plans when her life’s work was threatened.

Re: the Kaylor feud, depending on how you interpret these events and the lyrics Taylor has written about The Great War, you could think one of two diff scenarios happened:

1) Taylor really did think Karlie betrayed her for a time, even though that wasn’t the case (got the *sense* I’d been betrayed // telling me to punish you for things you never did). The reality is, even if Karlie knew nothing about the masters heist, she was partying with Scooter and Yael the very same weekend he already knew he’d made a deal with Scott Borchetta for Taylor’s masters. This increased Taylor’s sense of distrust and perhaps put a temporary rift between them (you knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart, but what you did was just as dark.) 2) Taylor and Karlie were mostly fine but constructed the feud narrative (tore your banners down, took the battle underground) to keep the public’s eyes off of them while Taylor created a battle plan on the masters.

Either way, we know Ash and Claire were used to push the Kaylor feud narrative. Being non-celebrities, they are often used to sell the “real” story to Swifties. Them liking the Perez tweet was the first time anyone on Team Taylor had confirmed a rift between Kaylor.

We know from Taylor’s lyrics that Karlie never actually betrayed her:

-telling me to punish you for things you never did

-looked up at me with honor and truth

-my hand was the one you reached for all throughout the great war

-it’s like I’m wasting your honor

-your integrity makes me seem small

-put you in jail for something you didn’t do

-hey it’s all me in my head, I’m the one who burned us down

-I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked

-I can’t make it go away by making you the villain

-you would break your back to make me break a smile

-dreams of your hair and your stare and your sense of belief in the good in the world, you once believed in me

-dark side, I search for your dark side

I think we can glean from these lyrics that Taylor perhaps regrets her rash decision to paint Karlie as the bad guy. Yet it also stands that the feud has given them cover to live their life under the radar.

Karlie coming to Eras tour was a really interesting shift in the narrative. But even more notably, Taylor herself has never acknowledged it. We can conclude that leaving it open ended is serving Taylor in some way. Perhaps allowing her to have her cake and eat it too (Karlie being there to support Taylor for the Eras movie filming and the announcement of 1989TV, but Taylor still not acknowledging Karlie publicly).

[phoebebuggers]

modern party high school/college headcanons that will maybe kind of end up in my text au if i ever go back to it

mike is a tote bag user and a letterboxd fanatic!! he listens to alternative rock especially weezer but he's not a music elitist he likes pop and stuff too. he still plays dnd and i feel like he probably reads like classic fantasy book bro books u know (brandon sanderson, GOT, LOTR, prolly also like steven king and stuff which the rest of the party also like.) cat person. he is such a film bro it's obnoxious and he has to shove his letterboxd account down your throat every 5 minutes after meeting you. says he's bitter and evil but would do anything for his friends (canon.) video essay watcher. dirty-ass pair of falling apart converse at the end of their life begging for mercy that he refuses to replace. ADHD diagnosis.

will loves thrifting and coffee shops and museums but not in a performative pinteresty way he just genuinely likes these things. had an art hoe aesthetic phase around 2020 and will never live it down. subverting all gay stereotypes by not knowing anything about gay/stan twitter and being happier for it. kind of a music elitist ('can i see your spotify wrapped??') but not as much as jonathan who he learned from. still loves the smiths, the cure, etc but i think he would also be into modern indie nowadays. i feel like he would have a huge chapsticks/lip balm collection bc his lips are chapped all the time and it's just like a running joke atp. major art kid draws all the time we been knew listens to podcasts while he does art. goes to therapy

lucas is still kind of a jock but i'm kinda anti jock lucas because he will never truly fit in with them he will always be a nerd first!!!! still plays basketball tho and runs cross country (all men who run cross country are a little bit unhinged and free.) wears a hairtie on his wrist in case max needs one. kind of matches will's evil music complex from the other side with objectively good music def likes tyler, brent, frank, SZA (max likes the same their music taste kind of bled into each others.) very good social media presence like color coded feed, highlights, pinterest worthy pics etc (digital camera user.) likes to cook. chronic notes app list user. wanted to be a youtuber as a kid. type of guy to say "um, guys, that was awkward!" etc etc and everyone clocks him for it

dustin is a reddit user but not in a weird incel way in a genuinely helpful and knowledgable way. he also wanted to be a youtuber because he fucking loved matpat as a kid. he also would love the green brothers. a sneakerhead. keeps his keys on a carabiner (max tells him he looks like a lesbian.) also very up to date on pop culture like max is, probably quotes that one baron trump suitcase video daily among other things. does a few very good very niche impressions. i feel like everyone in the party is a good student but dustin is definitely the best a genuis future engineer or smth. he's the friend who always has those party games but can't read a cards against humanity card without laughing (max has to read for him)

el knows it's trash but loves reality TV (real housewives) and also glee. probably volunteers a lot. she was probably like the most boy-crazy fictional man/celebrity obsessed tween but ended up being bisexual/questioning lesbian. chronic story liker and responder so everyone thinks she's in love with them but she's actually just really nice and maybe doesn't 100% understand the social cue. she was also in theater because i want her to be her own genre of nerd maybe not in big roles because i don't see her as someone who loves being the center of attention but in ensemble. type of person to make goals like "try a new type of apple every week for a year".

max is up to date on tiktok/internet memes and kind of speaks fluent reference. probably watches real housewives and dance moms with el (will will join in occasionally for glee.) she also thrifts a lot of her clothes and has very cool style in kind of an idgaf what anyone else thinks way. huge flannel collection. does stage crew. i know she skateboards in canon and she still would but i feel like she would also do roller-derby or like speed skating or something. similar music taste to lucas but also a swiftie from a young age. had a panic at the disco phase and did crazy 2020 eyeliner (it's not a phase, mom) and will never live it down. keeps a journal. goes to therapy

bonus:

mike and max never shut the fuck up during class and always have to whisper something objectively hilarious to each other/one of their friends while the teacher is talking

will el and max have a book club where at least someone lies about having read the book every month and they spend the whole meeting gossiping and eating snacks

will forced them all to get airbuds and airbuds reacts mike listening to mcr with mildly disappointed faces and cat emojis

mike and dustin had a phase where they were really into like conspiracy theories and UFOs and cryptids and stuff

lucas bought a stanley cup with no shame because 'it's so functional'

el is an ex-larry

[blu3b1rd]

dropping random au art on a tuesday, uh, just random stuff from the past couple months, go digging through my old posts if you want story or explanations. easy answers if you're too lazy. No, no one's evil, none of these guys are suddenly evil, just stupid. No binglegorp mcshlorpus is not in the au, I'm just throwing in whoever I like.

this is a couple random pieces from a couple MONTHS of real life time, I'm a busy college student, and I dont really have time to use social media anymore.

[hermanoga]

I relate to Lu Guang a bit too personally. And whether that's for better or for worse I don't really know.

For me, timeloop and timelines are metaphors for how we cope with PTSD. Lu guang's character flower is forget-me-not. It's about remembrance. Even though the object of melancholy is cheng xiaoshi, I think it's more about lu guang's perception of his personal grief that's being portrayed here.

Talking from my experience and the meagre knowledge I have about subjective perception of time, reconstructive memory is the most significant tool to negotiate with one's trauma. While coping with PTSD, we

1. Continually revisit the same traumatic memory again and again even though it's traumatic enough to immobilize us to the point of causing physical agony

2. We dissociate. Even though fundamentally our cognitive system functions in such a way that constantly blur the division between reality and imagination (meaning that none of us in any state can have a concrete sense of absolute, objective and non-fragmented reality, our sense of reality is a version of reality which we subconsciously create, hence our subjective biases are mixed with the version of reality we create), post traumatic encounters with this cognitive function feels jarring.

The multiple timelines we have seen so far may really have been the overlapping of different lines/stages of reconstructive memories Lu Guang has created so far for himself. Two poles of the spectrum of extreme grief are the death of the person grieving or the person finally being successful to manage to overcome the loop of trauma.

With some amount of needed sobriety, I can say...Cheng Xiaoshi really died. And his death is really unchangeable. Up until Yingdu episode 3, this is my most honest theory. I hate to say this but...it is a doomed love story that was doomed even before the narrative began. Or probably it was never about love at all, but about grief and reconciling with our grief? Omg Given vibes.

If the storytelling shifts in a way where I will feel : wait, the timeloop is actually happening and it's beyond lu guang's mindscape and memories and it is really fantasy and supernatural so I should change my spectacles and DIVE IN...then it's a different story (which I personally yearn for)

what should I say? Lu Guang reminds me of a phase of me I have already left behind and grown out of it for good. It will be realistic to make it a story of grief and reconciliation but...well that's just too sad. There is no other justification, it's just sad. I know good literature/art is not escape from real problems but rather poses a mirror to it but...it's just...sad...

...

was it my fault that I came here expecting an epic Achillean love story? maybe. And that will be... *sigh*. I'll think twice before choosing any media which is not 'canonically' a love story.

I came to watch link click with those expectations. Like mdzs? there are impossible perils and inhuman agony of separation but somehow...they get their deserved happy ending at the end.

The rhetoric of "probably...in the next life, we will meet each other again" is well good and fantastic but the problem is I will not be the same person in my next life writing this Tumblr meta. I am a fragile human, I only live for once. (I also dream that in my next life I will overthrow capitalism but ykw that's saved for the next life and I can't really have full authority over what my next meal will be)

Vulnerability and acknowledgement of vulnerability is central to link click and honestly it gives it the most power. Fragility of human existence, mundane or grand, is portrayed in a very poignant way. And love is just an emotion that somehow persists in remembering our deceased loved ones ...*me getting all cranky when love is not a metaphor for revolution that defies the rules of the universe*

well, honestly, ugh, I don't have much hope for Shiguang sailing. So much focus on Lu Guang's grief makes my chest heavy and tired to some extent (I am NOT criticising link click and calling it bad, NO). Love is so central to link click that if I have to reconcile with myself at the end saying : it's ok, it's a good show, great show, everything is good just don't ever think about shiguang...but HOW THE FUCK AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO THINK ABOUT SHIGUANG. Why did you make them obviously gay and so hamlet-horatio coded in love. tragic chinese time traveller boyfriends?

[mossiestpiglet]

I have a very specific kind of rage when something has amazing potential and then is executed like absolute dog shit and unfortunately that rage comes with stomach cramps

[icewindandboringhorror]

A little costume with eyebrow whiskers again.. making their return lol..

[katerinaaqu]

For real and in my opinion this is why all the Epic Cycle characters are sympathetic because of their emotions but Achilles seems the definition of these.

Oh he definitely can be lost completely in emotion but yes I definitely feel like just like other characters like Agamemnon or even Odysseus they are terribly misunderstood for their complexity form modern media. Achilles has many peaceful scenes too (his silent moments with Patroclus for once which I have mentioned here):

So I am surprised how often people either demonize or idealized his character because his complexity as well as everyone else's is massively misunderstood. And I agree he definitely seems an odd one out in a way I feel the same goes with Odysseus which is why the prophecies mention "the strongest" and "the smartest" of all Greeks to go to the war and ironically both get somehow excluded from the general mass. But the difference seems to be that Odysseus is the chameleon, trying to do anything he can to maintain the appearance of blending in while Achilles is the untamable one the one that has his own line of thought. Ironically both these characters end up separated by the mass after all but it seems that Achilles and his emotions are always speaking loudly

Well as to "why should he" that is a whole talk about it. The way that he directed his rage to an entire army of people solely for his own greed for power and reparation (I am kinda Agamemnon devil's advocate and I wouldn't call him "greedy" to the point of that being his only characteristic because arguably all kinds and characters were greedy at some point. I wouldn't call Agamemnon "unjust" to his totality. Just like Achilles became unfair in his anger so did Agamemnon. Ironically Agamemnon made the first move for reconciliation even if his ego stopped him from going himself and ironically that was also part of the power dynamics given how his status was important among the Greeks to keep their union) but yeah one definitely recognizes why he SHOULD change some parts of himself but as for why he cannot or doesn't do so it is because he is him. Just like any other character is who they are.

Also arguably part of his tragedy is that he DID CHOOSE this bloody fight. He did choose to have the glory and the battle. He chose to be there. Ironically he does say so that he fought for the cause even if none of the people he met did anything to him. It took him the loss of many people and at the end of this his own life to realize how pointless and meaningless it was (someone can see his speech to Odysseus in the Odyssey). Yes I think he DOES respond irrationally up until one point but then again the reality all of them lived in was irrational. But that absolutely makes him human

Hahaha I find it kinda funny that you name Odysseus "cool" and level-headed because arguably Odysseus has no chill hahaha he definitely can be very patient when he needs to but "cool"? Nah the dude screamed the hell out of Agamemnon when he accused him of cowardice and he beaten the hell out of Thersites hahaha but yeah totally different energy especially since they belong to different age groups.

But I absolutely see how you mean it.

Also my analysis on his relationship with Patroclus here:

I believe that what is going on with Achilles in the stories is that he is always on the edge; he cares too much, he angers too much, he avenges too much, he loves too much...

Throughout the stories he participates his emotions are always on the edge. He loses his prize of honor a thing already important to him, much more someone beloved to him. He falls in depression. He cries at the beach and calls his mother. The edgy feeling of sorrow turns into anger that is directed against his own nation. His anger will not subside until he loses arguably the most precious person in his life. Then his sorrow hits and his sorrow is as extreme as it cannot be more to the point of not parting with the dead body. The sorrow turns into restless blind rage. The blind rage directed to one person makes his vengeance be edgy to the point of sacrificing people at the funeral pyre and mistreat and disrespect his dead opponent. Thankfully he is also showing compassion by giving him back. His emotions strike again when he falls for Penthesilia and when he develops strong emotions for Antilochus. Both losses drive him to the edge leading to his doom. His behavior of feeling all the time to the extremes led him perform all types of violent atrocities as crimes of passion and eventually leading to his inevitable doom.

It doesn't matter if we talk on Achilles's romantic feelings or platonic relations. No matter what, Achilles's true edge is that he feels TOO MUCH.

A slightly more serious continuation of this and I believe you will get an idea on how @artsofmetamoor and I deal with our beloved nasty boy Diego

[lunarharp]

fwee top 5 things i had fun with this year :-)

[bluebobatea]

if sasuke was the main character then he probably would've been a LOT more sympathised with than he is now (which is to say rarely). like the narrative wouldn't even need to change to show his pains or 'his side of the story', bc it does that plenty. it's just that he is not the main character. and idk what it is about our human minds but we tend to sympathise with main characters automatically (unless ofc you go off the rockers insane and do something like obliterate almost everyone from the planet *cough* eren yeager *cough*)

an instance that comes to my mind where this does happen is with lelouch from code geass. while i don't agree with his character motivations, people generally do sympathise with him as he is the mc and as viewers we know he isn't inherently evil. sasuke's goal towards the end is slightly similar but ofc people love to hate him so they don't even try to understand where he is coming from.

my point is, most people while engaging with the naruto story don't read between the lines and so don't see how traumatised and in pain sasuke is and hence don't understand his character motivations. heck, they don't understand a single bit about him and so they automatically hate him, as he is supposedly going against the main character's goals.

which is really sad given all that he has been through.

[cas-poisoning]

The way people write John in fic bothers me so much sometimes. Not to judge other people’s writing specifically, just the general fanon characterization of John Winchester. Yes he’s bad a father. Horrible. So much to unpack there. Yet I find it so disappointing when I go to read a fic and he’s like. Cartoonishly villainous. Excluding the fans that actually like John (which is even more crazy), it feels like everyone treats him as like this big bad one dimensional monster which imo is a disservice to the complex relationship Sam and Dean have with them. It’s also a symptom of a broader pattern in media, or even real world events. It’s so much easier to flatly paint anyone bad as inhuman, one dimensional, and just plain evil. Monstrous. But the reality is, every horrible person is still a person. Humans are capable of the evil we do, not monsters.

So when it comes to John, like yes, he is deeply deeply flawed. He really hurt his kids. But often when people write him, it feels like he makes all of his terrible decisions for the sake of being mean and terrible and abusive, which undermines the dynamic because the reality is people can be abusive or neglectful or toxic without being a complete monster 100% of time. It would almost be easier for Sam and Dean if John had actually been like that. But he was their father, who did what he thought was best, and loved them even if he didn’t show it. They have fond memories with him. He’s their father. Which is what makes it so hard for them to actually unpack the trauma they have, because it is so so difficult to realize a person you love is actually actively hurting you. Harder than realizing a villain in your life is just being a villain.