#keep the conversation going

[gmaiadmaib]

Other allegations of sexual misconduct are slowly coming out.

[letsplaythermalnuclearwar]

I love Suffering animatics/art where Odysseus has a chain or rope around his ankle, connecting him to the mast. not only is it a great reference to the source material, but it implies that someone on the ship was worried that the mere sight of Penelope might convince Odysseus to jump in the water, even though he knows its a siren who will kill him

and that they were so persuasive in this argument that Odysseus actually agreed to it

[soldrawss]

I revamped my DADrius au on Instagram and need to share it here

[humanuser0613]

I have thoughts. (😮‍💨I always have thoughts. That's why I was up all night writing posts instead of sleeping. 🙃)

But I saw something when I was writing my recent posts:

This was the moment in the fandom where I had seen the most engagement and discussion on something jikook related and...it's still trending less than taekook.

Taekookers outnumber ot7 ARMY, jikookers, namkookers, taejinners, etc.

It gets me thinking about how the bad stuff just spreads so much faster than the truth or happier things just in general as human behavioral habits. It also makes me think back to when taennie were having their privacy violated and the thing the ARMY and taekookers and Tae solos did was to trend "bangminreal" or how "freejungkook" became a huge trend TWICE for things jikook actually did.

Ot7 ARMY never defend or report. They block and mute. I understand the desire to stay in safe spaces. Truly I do. I block all the time. But it's weird how there's nothing being put out into fandom spaces just as equally positive. Taejin will trend for Tae kissing Jin or for them holding hands between a ball sack and it's considered funny, cute, and harmless. But jikook hold hands and everyone looks away. They're not even involved and Jimin gets ugly and hateful hashtags trending against him.

The focus is always on something negative when it comes to those two. And the lies just spread so much easier than the truth does. We have them enlisting together and that showcases such a positive and happy interaction between two members and it only got negative trends on Twitter showing up and ot7 ARMY basically ignoring it.

Is it jealousy of Jimin, or of jikook's bond in comparison to the other members, or is it fear of acknowledging what that bond could mean, or just fear of the attacks that come from so many directions within the fandom itself? Because why do people who defend their friendship get labeled as shippers or solos? They're not considered to be ot7 ARMY just for speaking up.

The other thing I notice about certain fandom spaces is that toxic solos will trend anti hashtags in retaliation. They'll make some shit up out of the blue if they feel *their* fave is being attacked. JK and Tae solos attacked Jimin for something recently and there were many of us reporting the tags and posts and asking for ot7 help in taking them down only for JM solos to then retaliate and make hateful posts against Tae when reporting alone wasn't enough. It was absolutely bonkers. The hate spirals people get stuck in are truly addictive. And social media fuels these constant negative feedback loops.

But why don't fandom spaces push out equally positive content? Because the other thing I've been reading in studies is that the best antidote to hate is to get that injection of positivity and truth first. But the OT7 fandom doesn't talk about jikook, their bond, anything they're doing together and they're always telling baby ARMY to avoid shipper spaces. Not every duo space is a shipper space. Not every space is negative. But then there's no space they are creating to combat those negative spaces baby ARMY get sucked into on Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, IG, etc.

I mean, that's how I see some of how this all goes down. I watch a lot of it happen in real time.

I wonder what can I do? How can I help? Am I actually helping anything? Who might be willing to listen and help address what I see? Am I even making sense out here?

New year, same shit. Will it ever change?

What is the problem this fandom has with Jimin and Jungkook TOGETHER? And now it's not only this fandom and the subgroup but also their supposed Solo Fans. What is the fear, the problem these people have with Jimin and Jungkook being together in the same shot, picture, or moment? Why does it bother them that Jimin and Jungkook just like being together? Why do they keep ignoring or denying that their decision to join the army confirms the bond between them? Why so much damn hatred, so much rejection towards the friendship, the bond that they OBVIOUSLY HAVE? I've seen posts from Jungkook-centric accounts covering Jimin's face. I've seen posts from Jimin-centric accounts covering up Jungkook's face. I've seen posts from the subgroup and Solos "celebrating" that Jungkook is super close to another soldier because he's next to him and Jimin? He doesn't exist. It's ridiculous, I know, but at the same time, it's disturbing how the fandom in general keeps allowing such things.

And then we have the OT7 fans. The ones who have always denied the importance and magnitude of the relationship between Jimin and Jungkook and who reduce all the hate they receive for that relationship to mere 'ship wars' and thus wash their hands of a problem that could have been over long ago if they did something. These are the worst fans anyone can have. They are the ones who celebrate your victories because it makes them feel special, but abandon you when you need them. That's what happened with Jimin and Jungkook. The OT7 fans abandoned them on this. Obviously not all, but those who see the hate they get and decide to keep quiet. They decide to do nothing. And the funny thing is that the few times some of them have said something, it's to insult jikookers. The bloody irony.

It's pathetic, sad, funny and annoying all this. It's not about jikookers wanting others to think like them anymore. It's never really been about that if we're honest. It's about people, supposed fans of Jimin and Jungkook HAVE to respect Jimin and Jungkook. They have to respect their bond. Their friendship and decisions involving each other. And they don't. No matter what Jimin and Jungkook say or do.

This situation will never change? And now, Jikookers are the only ones fighting a battle they can't seem to win. Jikookers are the only ones demanding respect for Jimin and Jungkook. They are the only ones reporting everybody. They are the only ones doing something and yet they are the most hated. The most ridiculed. The most excluded in this fandom.

Jimin and Jungkook don't deserve that. This isn't about whether you think they have a romantic relationship or not. This is not about you becoming a jikooker. This is about respect. It's about accepting that Jimin and Jungkook have a great relationship. That they like to be together. This is about accepting and RESPECTING the fact that Jimin and Jungkook DECIDED to join the army TOGETHER. This is about being a decent human being. Is that so hard?

If you hate Jimin or Jungkook simply because they are together you are a piece of shit. Jimin and Jungkook would be ASHAMED OF YOU. They would NEVER give you the time of day. Jimin and Jungkook will always choose the other over either of you. And that's a truth that I know deep down inside you, you know too.

I'm excited to see whatever Jimin and Jungkook filmed for us, but I'm also terrified of how this fandom will react when it's finally released.

[puppyeared]

horrible truth bomb dropped on my head 20 min ago

[dangans-ur-ronpas]

happy pride month

[technically-human]

Ooh, now that we’ve seen N!Edwin and DP!Edwin talk about Feelings could we see the same with N!Charles and DP!Charles?

As simple as that.

Edwins version

ko-fi

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

My biggest fear when I was younger was forgiving those who have wronged me, because it meant I moved on.

[the-ineffable-dance]

Just a little reminder... this is the way Aziraphale looks on the way back into the bookshop at the beginning of the Final Fifteen.

The Metatrash has just told him to "Go and tell your friend the good news," and Aziraphale is headed back to convince Crowley to return to heaven to be an angel again.

That is not the face of a happy angel.

THIS is the face of a happy angel...

Or this one...

Especially this one...

No... what you have as he returns to the bookshop after whatever was said with the Metatron is not happy. That's the look of a man shaped being desperately coming up with a plan. Who knows that danger is staring straight at them, and suddenly he's in a perilous dance that he must do perfectly in order to protect Crowley.

He doesn't want to go back to Heaven. He has to.

[royaltea000]

This man has no idea how close he is at all times to being attic wifed

[gmaiadmaib]

The story of a new victim just came out: maybe now people will stop defending this man once and for all.

This thread goes a bit into detail of what is talked about in this episode: there is some serious talk of abuse, as well as mental manipulation. He said to Claire:

"I'm a wealthy man, I'm used to getting what I want".

"I don't know what I see in you: I'm an award winning best selling author, and you are..."

This is who Neil Gaiman really is.

[skunkes]

[lucabyte]

I don't know how everyone isn't also always constantly thinking about how burial rites seem to be potentially one of the few things Siffrin instinctively remembers about their culture. But rest assured. I am in fact always thinking about it.

Textless version where they're just hanging out. It's fine!

[saltpepperbeard]

gnawing on my arm because i think there's something to be said about how stede not only dreams about himself with a beard, but ed with his full beard back too. like, the dream seems to be riddled with imagery that he thinks ed would want.

and i say this especially because of how stede reacted when ed had to shave his beard. he freaked out on his behalf. he shrieked in horror whereas ed was entirely unbothered. he feared he had ruined him, had dragged him down to some despicable level, when in actuality, ed was completely content to shed that part of his persona.

and then there he is dreaming about ed with that part right on back.

so there's very clearly still a part of his mind that's convinced that's what ed wants. because why wouldn't he? everyone else seems to. and why would he want the softness and femininity stede had been bullied for his entire life?

which in turn plays into his own imagery too. bearded, masculine, fiercesome, rugged...

because how could someone love what everyone has hated him for? how could someone want what everyone has tried to quite literally beat out of him?

[eddis-not-eeddis]

How To Stop Killing Conversations

Talking is hard. People are confusing. Making friends is difficult, and interacting with coworkers is tortuous.

You want to make friends, you want to reach out, but it's hard and every time you start a conversation it dies, or limps along until both you and the person you're talking to are looking for excuses to kill it and put it out of it's misery so you can both escape the increasingly awkward situation.

As an introvert who has suffered a lot of social anxiety in my time, let me share a few tricks I've learned over the years going through hundreds and thousands of excruciatingly painful conversations until I found something that works. I've kind of distilled the process.

ALWAYS ASK A QUESTION!!!

The first thing is to always leave your partner an opening. You need to let each other talk for a conversation to get off the ground, but it's more than that, really. You need to actively encourage each other to talk. The best way to do that is to ask questions.

Here are two examples of an introduction: Example A

You: Hello.

Them: Hello.

You: Nice to meet you.

Them: Nice to meet you too.

Example B

Y: Hello, nice to meet you, how are you? T: I’m doing well, yourself?

Y: I've been really well. How are you liking the weather?

T: I'm so happy the weather's finally getting cooler, I'm looking forward to pumpkin spice season. Do you like lattes?

Do you see how in Example A the conversation wasn’t going anywhere? It just kinda died, because there weren’t any openings for new topics, whereas in Example B, there were openings to keep the conversation going.

But what do you do if your conversation partner is as socially inept as you were two minutes ago and doesn't play along? All is not lost.

Example C

Y: Hello, so nice to meet you, how have you been doing?

T: I'm doing well.

Y: That's great, are you enjoying the nice weather, then?

T: Yeah. I'm glad it's finally fall, I'm looking forward to pumpkin spice lattes.

Y: I love pumpkin spice lattes! Pumpkin spice anything, really. I recently got the best pumpkin spice candle at the shop down the road, have you been there?

Even if they don't leave you an opening, you can usually make one. It may be difficult, especially when they don't give you much to work with. This is where having a go-to script is a life-saver--me, I always default to talking about the weather, so when in doubt, you can do that.* The important thing right now is to keep fostering the conversation, so once you bring up the weather, segue into a question. When they answer the question, make a brief comment or observation from your own experience and build off of that comment or observation to ask another question.

"But I don't want to make it about me. Doing that's bad, right?"

This is why that questions are important. If you haven't been asked a question, you kinda have to make it about you, you don't have a choice. But to keep from being an attention hog, follow up your shared experience or anecdote with another question.

Example D

T: I love pumpkin spice lattes

Y: Me too. I had the best pumpkin spice latte the other day at the cafe down the road, have you ever been there?

Now you've circled the conversation back around to them again, and you aren't taking the limelight. Sharing an experience is so important, you're trying to show that you understand, that you sympathize, that you relate.**

This really is the most important element of being a good conversationalist. You have to keep asking questions.

The one other thing I will touch on is introductions. DO NOT get into turn based combat.

Example E

Y: Hello

T: Hello

Y: Nice to meet you

T: Nice to meet you too.

Y: How are you doing?

T: I'm fine. You?

Y: Me too.

This will kill any possibility of continuing a conversation. Instead, get it all out of the way all at once, if at all possible.

Example F

Y: Hi, it's nice to meet you, how are you doing?

This is good, but this is better

Example G

Y: Hi, nice to meet you, how are you liking the weather?

Don't ask how they are doing, or if you do, before they can answer, follow it up with your placeholder (weather etc.) so they have to say some thing like

Example H

T: I'm fine, and I'm really liking the weather.

or

T: Not so great, the weather sucks.

Either of those options are much easier to work with than your basic "I'm fine."

Usually, if you can get past the introduction, you can get a conversation going. And then, even if you don't end up hitting it off with the person you're talking with, you at least don't leave the conversation feeling like you've died a thousand tiny deaths.

In fact, if you get past that introduction, you may have just made yourself a friend.

Remember folks, basically everyone around you is more afraid of you than you are of them, and in this benighted age no one has been taught conversation skills, so we are all pretty much in the same boat. (Unless you were born an extrovert, in which case we are all deeply envious and would probably kill you if we didn't need you in our sad and lonely lives so much.)

Have grace for one another, and for yourselves because talking with people is difficult.

Go forth, and stop killing conversations.

*If you are one of those awful people who likes to brag about how you hate small talk and only want to talk about important and meaningful things, I have one question: Do you ever have a conversation that lasts long enough to become meaningful? I thought not. Small talk is an important skill. Develop it.

**This is how you deal with sad or difficult situations too. When you want to show you sympathize with someone going through a hard time.

Example:

Y: How are you doing?

T: Not very well. My dog died last week.

Y: Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. My own dog died last year and I still miss her a lot. How are you handling it?

Now you've circled the conversation back around to them again. You aren't making it about you.

If y'all want, next time I can share how to extricate yourself from a conversation.

[ruporas]

studies from the finale