#like.... idk. I just think MAYBE we can acknowledge and be aware that this person did an abhorrent thing by dating a 15yo

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

I think cancel culture has rotted my brain and I'm way too Law & Order pilled

[xxplastic-cubexx]

just read the new mutants issue where Charles chose to stay behind in space and my god the juxtaposition between Charles trusting Erik and Erik joining the hellfire club and wondering at his own trust worthiness. I wonder how much of Charles decision was him ultimately trying to avoid the fact that his first class had seemingly betrayed mutant kind and not be willing to face them and how much of it was Dani and Illyana's reaction to him having Karma mind control Illyana. the fact that Illyana was depending on him to ease her mind through limbo and in choosing to stay he forced karma to do it instead, probably fucking up their relationship in the process.

I love him, this is crazy, how much of this is him trying to runaway and how much is this him not trusting himself to fix things and how much is it just him trusting Erik?

i keep trying to put into words my exact thoughts about the sitch but there really is a lot for one issue aintit... oh charles you and your brain...

[voidspiraling]

AGGHH I deleted the original post I’m so saddd.

Anyways I wanted to talk abt this pic idk if it’s canon or just a non canon drawing but lets assume that it is significant for this analysis.

In this pic Till is wearing his R2 outfit, his mic headset and his mouth his open like he’s singing. This makes me think that he’s onstage in Round 2 singing his Unknown (Till the End) song. HOWEVER. While he’s singing this song the background is red with shooting star, meteors, debris whatever it is.

Doesn’t it remind you of something? My thoughts are that while Till was outwardly singing about his love for Mizi he was actually thinking about Ivan.

The thing abt Alien Stage is that everyone’s an unreliable narrator. In Round 1 everything seems like a sci-fi idol show until the ending where Sua dies. Then in Round 3 we are led to believe that Till never glanced at Ivan when that is in fact a lie and Till DID look at Ivan. Methinks Round 2 is also told by an unreliable narrator, only the thing that’s unreliable is Till himself. In Round 1 we are fed false info abt the type of world they live in. In Round 3 we are fed false info abt Till’s attitude towards Ivan. So in Round 2 I think we are being fed false info abt Till’s feelings.

Here’s something that always struck me as off. Here Till has just finished his “confession” but he doesn’t even acknowledge Mizi off stage. Usually after you confess to someone, you check for their reaction right? Onstage Till looked at Mizi after he smashed the guitar. But here when he is physically closer to her he doesn’t even attempt to look at her. Compared to Ivan who kept looking at Till even when he was being shot, and kept his eyes on him even as he died, turning to look at Mizi shouldn’t be too difficult.

Some of the lyrics of the song were also weird too (I’ll be using the Eng translations so some things maybe lost in translation)

First the line “I wanna know all about you” this line was weird bc how do you not know everything abt Mizi already? Mizi lived a very sheltered life, so she never had to build any walls to protect herself. If you wanted to know all abt Mizi you just had to look at her. She doesn’t hide anything at all, everything abt her can be found on the surface. It would’ve made more sense to say “I want you to know all about me” considering that Mizi isn’t aware of Till’s feelings.

Second is the line “How dare you think this time’s enough” this line is so… aggressive. Like I can’t imagine Till actually saying this to Mizi at all. Till is usually super shy and freezes up around Mizi. Could he actually say something so confrontational to her. I can’t imagine that all.

But I can imagine him saying that to Ivan.

“I want to know all about you” bc I spent so much time with you and I still don’t understand you and “How dare you think the time’s enough” when you don’t understand my feelings. You just assumed what I felt you don’t actually know how I feel about you.

(Till is actually the character I understand the least. This is just my imagination lol)

Another thing that makes me think Till was crying is this scene. (How does he look so pretty when in distress. Till I can’t you’re too endearing wth)

Here it looks like he’s sweating a lot but it also looks like there’s a tear slipping from his left eye. He even does a little sniffle which makes me think he was sobbing.

My theory is that Till was trying to tell himself a narrative in order to cope with his traumatic life. And the narrative he tells himself is that the only person he loves is Mizi and that the only person who can save him is Mizi. So while he’s onstage he sings abt his feelings for Mizi, but while he’s singing he accidentally also sings abt his feelings for Ivan.

Don’t you think it’s weird that Ivan doesn’t show up in the R2 flashbacks. Considering how often they were together growing up you’d think he’d at least me off to the side somewhere. I mean Sua was in the flashback but Ivan wasn’t? I think Till was intentionally suppressing his thoughts abt Ivan in order to make a point that he only loves Mizi. However bc the song can also apply to Ivan he inadvertently sings abt his love for Ivan and starts crying. That’s bc his love for Mizi is just a performance for the world and for himself.

In his personal narrative it is better to be the guy that loves the kind and gentle Mizi than the boy who is hopelessly entangled with the enigmatic Ivan. It hurts less that way. Till can look at Mizi at a distance bc she is like a bright light in his bleak world. But Till can’t look at Ivan because he is too bright, he fills up an entire sky with light and it haunts Till to this day. I remember reading somewhere that Till can’t escape from the red sky. The red sky could represent Till’s feelings for Ivan.

It’s where we see Till at his happiest.

It’s where we see Till the closest with another person.

As well as where he’s the most conflicted/scared.

Basically the picture of Till crying shows how he actually feels abt the meteor shower scene and how bc of his feelings for Ivan it haunts him even when he’s trying to sing abt someone else. He loves Ivan but he also can’t bare to be with Ivan. Maybe he realizes the self-destructive nature of their love. Maybe he knew it was dangerous for them to be in love in this world. Or maybe he was just to afraid of the pain and wanted to protect his heart in any way he could.

I don’t think we’ll ever get an answer. But I think that Till idolizing Mizi is just a fantasy he uses to cope with his awful life. And that bc his relationship with Ivan was uncanny and different from the love he received from his mom Io, he tries to reject even the thought of Ivan. Bc if he thinks abt Ivan too much he’ll unravel bc love is obsessive and all consuming. And Till def would have been consumed by his love for Ivan. It would have just been consumed by the aliens for entertainment. Their love is doomed no matter what he does. Might as well pretend it never existed maybe then it would hurt less.

It didn’t ;-;

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Hey, I know this isn't your normal content so feel free to not respond, but what's your opinion on the "socialization" issue (as in trans men are socialized as woman and trans woman are socialized as men before transitioning and it effects their personality) ? Recently I've seen a bunch of posts saying it's a bad thing to acknowledge. Like trans men and woman saying people who bring it up are trans misogynists. But personally, as a trans man with many trans fem friends I feel it's an important thing to see. In my view of things it's a larger part of sexism and what children are taught. By saying a trans woman was "socialized" as a man when she was a child I don't mean she was raised with a bunch of privileges. I'm often referring to what could be very traumatic and is a brand of trauma I probably can't relate to. Most trans woman I know where forcibly excluded from learning how to cook or clean even if they wanted to because those aren't "manly chores" and where not taught how to keep themselves safe the same way cis woman are. Or in the experience of my friends even beaten for wanting to do feminine things, not just by parents but also by peers. Where as most of the trans men I know can cook and clean like no ones business but no one taught them how to fix a sink or their car or how basic financing worked and they got hit for asking about it because "that's not a woman's place". And although I fully believe all children should be taught how to do all these things so they can take care of themselves, I am also aware that's not the society we currently live in and most trans men need help learning how to navigate things like not talking over woman (they're so used to having to scream to be heard) and how to fix a financial or household issue while alot of trans woman need their girlfriends to explain to them that they can't walk down a dimly lit street with their headphones covering both their ears. Idk maybe I'm just misunderstanding the whole thing but I think acknowledging socialization Is simply a step in learning how to take care of yourself and keep yourself safe in a world that didn't think you needed that info

I think there's some value as a way to understand the way that each gender was raised and the way gender roles are reinforced, but even so you can say I was 'socialized as a man' as I am a Trans Woman, but at the same time, I never really acted much like a man because the more I was socialized to act like a man, the more I gravitated towards feminine things that didn't cause me dysphoria.

I have a completely different lived experience growing up compared to a Cis man, even when I wasn't aware I was Trans.

I did have to do a lot of unlearning toxic masculine things and needing to learn essential feminine things as I came out and started living for myself and my gender expression, but a lot of the things that people say I was socialized as a man to, I just never did because they made me extremely uncomfortable. Its because I was never a man.

You can try to socialize a Trans person to act against their gender identity but a lot of the time, those gender roles just do not get enforced, because they're so toxic to your sense of self.

[helluvabun]

Lucifer xreader?

authors note: Inspired by a comment :) um, learning I really like writing nothing burgers but I'm pretty happy with this one...

Lucifer and Alastor argue over you

TW: mentions of a sibling? idk if thats a trigger

Alastor had really done it this time. You knew he wasn’t the most genuine of friends, aware he was just being nice for personal gain. But as time went on and you and he settled into the gentle routine of quiet afternoon teas listening to jazz in his half-open bedroom under the stars, you allowed yourself to believe maybe he enjoyed your companionship. Then you lay in bed, crying over finding out your sibling ended up in hell, and he had the audacity to offer you a deal. Not even a good deal: he’d get them to the hotel in exchange for your soul. You yelled at him angrily and stormed down to the bar, face still puffy from your sobs. You demanded the strongest thing on hand from Husk before burying your hands in your arms. He poured you a double shot with a small smile.

Lucifer entered the empty bar and walked over to you. He stood quietly, waiting for you to acknowledge his presence. Eventually, he spoke, his voice barely a murmur. "I heard what happened."

You hastily wiped your eyes, looking up at him with a nervous smile. "What? How?"

"Everyone heard what happened… you weren’t exactly quiet, kiddo," he sighed gently, taking a seat on the stool beside you. "I already sent Maggie to retrieve the new sinner, so don’t worry your head about that, okay?"

You nodded silently at the information, taking another sip from your glass. You didn't know what to do; you were still so angry, but you didn't want to yell at Lucifer too, even though you wanted to yell at everyone and anything that could hear. His presence somehow seemed more comforting than the empty stool that was next to you just a few seconds ago.

Lucifer stayed silent for a moment, thinking of what to say next. He cleared his throat slightly before speaking in a soft voice, "I'm sorry about what happened with Alastor. He was never the most trustworthy demon." He leaned back against the bar and sipped his drink. "But I promise you that I will do everything in my power to ensure that your sibling is well taken care of at the hotel. And don't worry, I won't ask you to give up your soul in exchange."

You smiled softly and turned to thank him, but as soon as you opened your mouth to speak, you were interrupted by the voice you least wanted to hear.

"I don't recall being untrustworthy." You almost jumped out of your skin. After all this time, you’re still not used to him appearing randomly behind you. "At the very least, I can be trusted to uphold my end of the bargain. No need to vilify me."

"Oh really? Because I seem to remember you agreeing to take this poor sinner’s soul in exchange for getting their sibling to the hotel! Isn’t that right, Alastor dear?" The devil spoke up, a playful yet firm edge to his voice, his expression remaining steady.

"I don’t remember this deal involving you," Alastor said pointedly, placing a hand possessively on your shoulder, ignoring your stiffening under his touch. "Can we discuss this matter upstairs, my dear? This really should stay a matter between two friends."

"We were having a conversation, and I think it’s rather clear she’d rather continue that than leave with you," Lucifer interjected.

Alastor, with a wide grin that can only be described as predatory in context, slowly slid his hand off you, a slight shiver running down your spine. Lucifer's eyes turned cold, and his smile disappeared, a chilling silence filling the air. Lucifer slowly stood from the stool and looked directly at Alastor with an angry expression. Alastor stared back with a calm and confident expression, not backing down from the argument.

"Come with me, my dear. This was just a misunderstanding we can get through."

"You think she would ever choose you over me?" The King laughed. "Even if she could forgive you for your actions, she'd rather be with someone whose heart isn't filled with hatred and fear. Someone who wouldn't use her for their own gain. Someone like me."

"Are you really going to side with him? You know as well as I that Lucifer is nothing more than a deceitful, tyrannical tyrant that cares nothing for the soul of a mere sinner. Now please take my hand and let's discuss this upstairs, shall we?" He didn’t give you a choice, grabbing your hand and pulling you gently. Lucifer grabbed your other hand to hold you in place. You were in a very awkward position now, caught between a rock and a hard place. Lucifer and Alastor continued to bicker. Their voices were becoming louder and louder with each passing moment. You wished they would just shut up and leave you alone for a few seconds.

Lucifer seemed to be the only one who wanted to do the right thing for you without expecting anything in return. And you know what? He's right. Alastor is untrustworthy, manipulative, and cruel. You're so glad he's on your side.

"Will you two just shut up!" you finally said loudly, causing both of them to stop mid-sentence. "You two can’t just argue over me like I’m the last piece of pizza. Alastor, I don’t want to go with you."

"Well, you heard the girl! She doesn’t want to go with me! And since she doesn’t value me as a friend, I’ll be on my way," Alastor said, his tone unreadable, smiling broadly at Lucifer before turning to leave.

Lucifer's grip on your hand tightened a bit as he watched Alastor walk out the door. He let out a long exhale and looked at you with a soft expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his voice full of concern. You nodded silently, feeling relieved that the confrontation was over.

The Devil smiled warmly at you before releasing your hand. "Would you like to stay for another drink? On the house, of course."

[spacelazarwolf]

Maybe i just need to vent.

I fucked up. Got called out. And wouldn't you know it, the callout has done nothing for me a trans man but isolate me, make anyone scared to speak up for me, and now i have fash chuds spoof calling my phone! No matter how bad it gets and what they are told about it by concerned parties in private these people won't even update their shit to say "we don't endorse harassment of this user, stop. " which tells me they just endorse harassment of me.

It's like it's just cool to harass an autistic trans man! It's like if you direct fashy chuds to the lowest common denominator, no one will acknowledge you're being as bad as those chuds.

Maybe people should stop unintentionally creating a police state online because they're used to it? IDK

imo "callout culture" is entirely antithetical to concepts like prison abolition and restorative justice, which a lot of people who perpetuate callout culture claim to support. i remember reading years ago about how "callout/cancel culture" was a concept that originated on black twitter to let other black people know about businesses and people that weren't safe for black people to go to or interact with. so it makes sense that, like intersectionality theory, it was co-opted and bastardized by white people and turned into a bludgeon against other marginalized people.

and like. this is something i've been talking to my irl friends about a lot lately. because what's the goal? what are you trying to achieve by making that callout post? what happened to prompt it? did someone prove a pattern of dangerous behavior, or did they just fuck up and now you have an excuse to put them on blast to feel morally superior? are you making this post so people are aware of someone with a pattern of dangerous behavior and can stay away, or are you making it knowing that it will prompt the people in your circle to go after that person and "punish" them? do you want that person to learn from their mistake(s) or do you want to brand them as a bigot forever? do you want the world to be a better place, or do you want to be angry at your (perceived) oppressors?

so yeah, if you're going to say acab and if you're going to say you believe in prison abolition and restorative justice, you cannot turn around and make a callout post for everyone on tumblr dot com you think has wronged you.

[starlightseraph]

final (long) thoughts about the rpf debacle, as i’ve finally blocked all the major accounts involved

regarding david and michael: they seem like two great guys with great chemistry, and they appear to really care for each other. the nature of their connection, their happiness in their relationships, the details of their personal lives, etc are not for any of us to say. we certainly don't need to analyse every thing they do and every flick of their eyes or use 20 year old tabloid bits to create a story about them being trapped and potentially abused and "clearly" wanting to leave their partners so they can fuck. no one dislikes the theorising because it's m/m, anyone who does has issues to work through. 99% of us dislike it because it's invasive, done without any knowledge of the boundaries or comfort of the people it's about.

regarding georgia: idc what other people say, i think she can actually act. i think it's unlikely that my opinion is biased, given that i actually became aware of her before i even knew who david was (merlin, i was 11). do i think she's the greatest actress who's ever lived? no. do i want to fall at her feet to praise every word she types on her ig? no. to me, her public personality is pretty cool and likeable, and she certainly uses her platform for good things. i don't see evidence that david has an issue with the social media stuff that georgia does, maybe a bit of playful annoyance, but nothing too serious. she does actually say good things about him, quite often. when she says things that could be deemed insulting, it’s nothing unique to david, she does that with practically everyone she posts about. i see absolutely no reason to believe that she's abusive, a baby trapper, that her children dislike her, or that david is miserable with her. i genuinely feel that her "stalker" comments were jokes. based on what she and david have said, it sounds like she was acting like anyone with a crush would, texting the object of her affections and wanting to hang out. in my community, completely normal behaviour is called stalkery, just to poke fun at someone for having a crush, sometimes done in a self-deprecating way. as for the peter davison story and its inconsistencies, idk what to make of that. the claims that she got her "david" tattoo right after they met and that she changed ty's name without input from david are completely unfounded. I've seen no evidence for the name bit, and i've actually found evidence against the tattoo story. i'm not proud of it, but i did go digging through paparazzi photos, and she doesn't actually have the tattoo until later. no one, not even the tabloids, seems to have anything about an open relationship or them not going steady before getting married. the first actual records of those rumours is in the blogs that say the rumours have been around for nearly 20 years. all the "evidence" for these last few things that i've seen cited (or even very boldly linked) is from the trashiest of trashy blog sites with 2004-level web design. i take them with a grain of salt, given that not even the daily mail repeats their stories.

regarding anna: i'm ambivalent towards her. i don't see any obvious great talent as an actress or model, but she also hasn't really done anything that has the opportunity to showcase ability in those fields. i also don’t think she has never before seen levels chemistry with the others, but, again, we’ve hardly seen anything. the claims that she got pregnant through a one night stand seem more widely acknowledged, so maybe that was the case. if that is what happened, i have a few things to say. firstly, did neither of these grown adults have birth control? the baby trapping claims imply that she deliberately sabotaged it, which is an incredibly serious claim that we are in no position to make. within this story, michael apparently met her at an acting school graduation and they hooked up. she would've been in her early-mid 20s and he would have been almost 50… the rpf blogs say that they have no personal bias against georgia and anna, and that they're perfectly willing to call david and michael out on their bullshit, yet (to my knowledge) they haven't said anything about this. if they're really so concerned with the truth, and they believe the graduation hookup story, why not call michael out for it?? they were both adults and while i do believe that healthy relationships with a large age gap are possible, it’s still a bit weird given how they would’ve met. also, there are have been lots of (unconfirmed and contested) allegations that michael is a serial cheater, so what makes these blogs think that he wouldn't also cheat on david in this fantasy world view of theirs? i know that at least 2 of the major blogs believe the cheating stories. i believe that people can be bettered no matter what they've done and that they should get chances, but assuming that he wouldn't cheat in this singular situation seems pretty biased to me.

bottom line, we don't know! this is exactly what i’ve said since the beginning, that we have absolutely no place in these people's lives outside of admiring their accomplishments and supporting their work. please, everyone, chill. by all means, write fun stories on ao3 using the likenesses of david and georgia and michael and anna! i find it uncomfortable, but i don't have real moral objections to fiction that is only intended as fiction. i’ve previously said that we don't have a problem with the georgia/anna shipping jokes because they're jokes, and one of the pf blogs said that it was serious because of an ao3 slash fanfic and that we were only fine with it because it was f/f. correction, we were fine with that because it was purely and entirely fictional. not being presented was an investigation into real life.

i've seen lots of these blogs saying that a video of david and michael having sex could be released and the we'd find a way to brush it off or discount it. flipping this and applying it back, i think that david and michael could hold a press conference declaring that they're not in a relationship, and the blogs would work around it, claiming beards and façades.

quick warning to everyone, digital footprint exists. one blog in particular very casually displays her identity, and someone could easily send her graphic sex stories and claims of abuse about real strangers to potential employers or event hosts. this isn't a threat, i really can't be arsed, but it's something to be aware of, that these things can have real life repercussions.

i want to clarify that the only reason i would be bummed if the theories were true is because it would mean that all four of them would have lived in unhappiness. i don’t dislike the theories, while they do claim a variety of disturbing things that i certainly hope aren’t true, because i want to pretend that everything is perfect. it’s the extreme parasocial obsession and complete lack of any boundaries that i object to.

the conspiracy story had been told many times, every single group of devotees to a public figure or piece of media weaves and incredible web of false evidence and imagined narratives. maybe you think that you're actually right this time, that you've become privy to a truth. maybe you are right. but to believe undeterred that this time it’s different and your theories are true is just wishful thinking. if everything is true, great for you, i guess, your favs have been miserable for years, but at least you were right, yeah? it’s a fucking insane mindset to have. until they confirm or deny, you don't get to tell their story for them.

[kiryoutann]

so far the mc has been pretty shitty to imo- stalking, attempted baby trapping (yes I know she has trauma but that doesn't excuse the behaviour). I am wondering how are you gonna make her grow from that. I do think this behaviour needs to be addressed, if the mc is going to end up with Simon, is it gonna be one of those cases where they are both bad people and deserve each other (I know they aren't purposely bad but actions speak louder than words) or are they both going to make each other a better person? I was just wondering that idk why lolz

"she has trauma but that doesn't excuse the behavior" is SOOO TRUE. thank u for saying this.

i understand and aware that mental illness affects someone's personality and behavior, but it doesn't give you a free pass to be an asshole/exempt you from accountability. you did smth and you apologize and explain everything, but also don't expect the other person to UNDERSTAND/accept your apology. while it's important for everyone to be compassionate towards people dealing with mental health challenges, doesn't mean they're obligated to forgive and forget your hurtful behavior.

now, to the question...

THE PRESSURE IS REAL. i honestly still have no idea how her character growth is going to be- and NOW that you've said this, i'm not even sure if my original plan for her was GROWTH or just a result of this series.

because to be realistic, if i were her (whom by the way, we acknowledged she's just as bad or worse i dunno) and i got to reunite 2-3 years later (did I mention when they're going to meet before this ask?? I FORGOT. THIS is how unformed the sequel is guys) with the person who broke my heart (regardless of why and the circumstances, they still broke it right), i'd still have this bitterness in me that makes me this shitty person roaming the earth (omg is she gonna be her mother..)

or maybe you're right. maybe it's going to be one of those cases where they are both horrible people and they're MEANT to be (or maybe that's why they're meant to be). or maybe it's going to be a story where well,, it's not really considered character growth for both simon and her, but it's a process of them accepting what kind of person they are (since i feel like this current series is mostly about simon trying to avoid the person he is - always painting himself in the bad light, as someone who isn't worthy of love and the softer side of life, while the reader is trying soo hard to prove that she isn't like her mother, that she's lovable to the point where she FORCES EVERYTHING to go her way) and to know each other better without "veil"/hiding anymore. then, they can move forward.

cause i think for someone to grow, you gotta acknowledge the person you are in the present, then from there you can try and be a better person. i hope this makes any sense lmao cause i'm just typing everything in my mind.

if someone has their thoughts/suggestions for the sequel, i'd be happy to hear them. just submit it to my inbox ^^!! know that some may not be implemented in the sequel, but all is equally appreciated!

also thanks so much for the ask anon!!! this was a good question<33 have a great day!

[nerves-nebula]

OK SO HUGE SPIDERVERSE 2 SPOILERS HERE i wanna discuss what themes i was picking up on and that i'm the most excited to see resolved

obviously theres FAMILY and PARENTING but i'm more interested in the themes presented with how The Spot developed and ALSO how that relates to miguel's whole situation

there is one main thing i wanna talk about tho:

inflexibility/the justification of cruelty

To me this is the core of the conflict behind both what happened with The Spot (my beloved) and whats going on with Miguel & the other spider-people's adherence to maintaining the status quo of their shitty shitty lives.

the inflexibility/justification of cruelty is obvious with miguel, it's like his whole thing. but I think it's less obvious with Miles. Miles cracks jokes to cope like a lot of spiders do, but his mockery of The Spot made things WAY worse. Like, here's this guy who tells you a harrowing story of how his life got ruined, and yea it's not entirely your fault but it's also not completely unrelated to you. He's completely alone, no one will hire him, he's a freak! And to top it all off, you won't even let him steal some money so that he can fucking live! whats he supposed to eat, miles?????? where's he supposed to LIVE.

and yea that's a lot to drop on a 15 year old but he's also a superhero (the age of which most people don't know) and the LEAST he could do, the BARE minimum imo, is take this guys pain seriously. even if he does look funny or weird, and he's not a huge threat at the moment.

I think we were supposed to relate to miles while he was fighting The Spot a the start, we saw the meeting with his parents and how bad he needed/wanted to just get the fight over with to stop disappointing them. But if you think about it from the spots perspective the whole thing wasn't just humiliating and frustrating- it cemented in his mind that spider-man was an uncaring and cruel person who didn't give a shit about him as long as he didn't disrupt the status quo of normal people or whatever.

but who cares, right? Miles does that all the time. that's just how things are, right? there's no need to change how he thinks about the lives of the people he fights so long as it doesn't affect him personally :/

And that's kind of what miguel does too. he's just more aware and active about it. he does things he'd rather not do, makes sure people suffer the way he thinks they have to because that's just how things are.

and both of those are probably not actually necessary! it's needlessly cruel to force spider-people to lose the ones they love, and it's needlessly cruel to mock and belittle a man who's had his life ruined to the point he needs to turn to crime just to survive.

I can't prove it yet cause the next movie hasn't come out yet, but I feel like it would be a bad idea for The Spot to die, I can accept him dying but only if they acknowledge that this isn't entirely just because The Spot is like, idk, evil or something. I want them to acknowledge the cruelty and pain that lead to this.

The same way it wouldn't make sense for Miles to end up agreeing with Miguel, it just doesn't match with the themes they've set up so far. Miguel is clearly coded to be in the wrong about what he thinks has to happen, and I suspect there's an aspect of his story/history that we aren't aware of. I can't say how or why but I think he's wrong about why the universe he went to fell apart (maybe he knows that, maybe not?) but I guess we'll have to see.

anyway can't wait for spider-man 3: even more fucking spiders!!!!

[enden-k]

I think Kaveh deserves to be admired more in Sumeru in a way that becomes more and more noticable. As a treat. Starry eyed students and collegues, former classmates, debate rivals, groupmates, etc. Everyone who has met him loved him, hates him, admires him or all of the above for his passion and kindness and stubbornness and beauty. People sabotage each other when they notice someone else is trying to make a move on Kaveh cause they want him for themselves. In the desert AND the rainforest, Kaveh is much desired by people far and wide.

Only too bad for them because Al-Haitham stole his heart when they were students and has held it even when they were seperate and before they even were a couple and tho their relationship now is private its also like an open secret for those who see them frequently and Al-Haitham is so fucking smug about it. He's amused by Kaveh's little admirers amongst the student body, knowing they stand no chance. He's a little annoyed but also amused by the staff and Kaveh's collegues, because he knows Kaveh is already in the palm of his hands (sometimes literally, squeezes Kaveh's butt).

He finds it hilarious tho that Kaveh is slowely starting to realise that people are utterly infatuated with him, maybe after the competition when he decides to let himself heal from his farhers death and gains just enough self love to notice peoples advances on him.

Also there is a "secret" off-the-books gossip publication that existed even before the downfall of the Akasha system with relationship speculations and the amount of thirsting over Kaveh in both an academic, romantic and physical sense is both increadible and hilarious and Al-Haitham definately has access to it.

idk i feel like we have really different ideas and headcanons and interpretations of kaveh and haitham. its cool if thats how you like to think of them tho, not saying that your characterization is wrong bc mine is different

i think its good the way it is. kaveh is a well respected senior and got a big name in everything related to architecture. the way i like to imagine is, that kaveh was this kind of popular student that was admired and loved by many bc of this radiance. he enters a room, he smiles at someone, and you feel how its gets 10x brighter. he is incredibly kind and considerate and passionate and always ready to help, a trait most admire and some may use. hes beautiful and his sense of aesthetics and his works are equally beautiful. he jsut seems so perfect and elegant and bc of people imagining how his life must be, he starts to pretend to be this person they think he is. he doesnt want people to see the cracks. haitham though, he sees them. sees right through him

i think kaveh is not dense or "cutely unaware that everyone wants him" or what tf ever. hes a genius on the same level as haitham after all. i think he is well aware what kind of effect he has on other people. its just that he doubts if ppl are genuine bc they admire a kaveh they fabricated. its just that hes bad at turning people down. you can see him get crowded by some kshahrewar students swooning over him and his works and while he is laughing and smiling and thanking them, you can see the discomfort in his shoulders when it gets too much. its that deep down he doesnt understand their admiration for him as a person bc the person they admire is a person they fabricated based on his achievements and their ideas. he sees his own imperfection and faults and failures and shame, knows that they have a false idea of him since he masquerades to save face. he thinks he is undeserving of the attention or affections. he doesnt let it show, he pretends and pretends and pretends

i like to think, since he is so passionate and pours his everything into his works, that as soon as the attention on his work shifts to him as a person, his smile gets wobbly. he cares about the arts and not much about the titles. he is troubled, always. he feels acknowledged but also shackled. acknowledged for his works and talents, shackled by the idea, the public image of the talented, renowned architect ppl have of him. i like to think this goes for many things

im starting to ramble so back to the topic, i think kaveh is well aware of the admiration ppl have for him, both for his arts and his person. some other ppl he cant read tho so thats where he gets all like "no way!" when haitham bluntly tells him they had ulterior motives based on their body language or phrasing

for haitham, i completely disagree with your idea. again, not saying youre wrong or whatever, everyone is free to imagine or interpret how they want ig

im a sucker for pining and yearning. if we talk about pre dating, young akademiya students kavetham, i like to think haitham always keeps an eye on kaveh. he might feel a little irritated by the amount of fellow students flocking around kaveh like moths to a flame but the moment he sees the slight discomfort and strain in kavehs smile after a while, its gone. he soon learns that kaveh is too kind, too considerate so in order to help him out a little - and also bc it rlly is starting to annoy him as well, all that noise - he gives kaveh an out to escape. as soon as they start to hang out so often, ppl think twice about pestering kaveh bc haitham doesnt hesitate to tell ppl to calm down and shut up when theyre annoying. simply bc he doesnt care what ppl think of him, unlike kaveh

haithams main belief is that not everyone can be saved, thus people should prioritize themselves first - like this theres much less problems or trouble for others. its why he focuses on himself and cares for himself sm but seeing how kaveh does the exact opposite (the reason for their arguments and falling out), i like to think he cares for kaveh too bc who else does if kaveh doesnt

a troubled kaveh is a troubled haitham

he fell first and he is content with being in kavehs presence. he is fine with never making the first move bc he rather wants to keep their relationship as it is instead of bringing change that could very much end in them distancing. if anything, if kaveh ever felt the same as he does, hed rather wait for kaveh to do it, be silent and give him the chance. he regularly has the trouble of ppl approaching him like this, haitham has no interest in being one of those

ofc hes not aware that kaveh develops feelings for him after time but never approached him bc haitham is as indifferent and cool as ever. thinking that its unrequited and not wanting to make a fool of himself

later, in the present time when theyre in their 30s and together, i still dont think haitham would be smug about dating kaveh, the architect desired and admired by many. or annoyed or amused by ppl still trying their luck. bc haitham wouldnt even bother looking. he is confident and sure in his feelings for kaveh, in kavehs feelings for him; in their love. theres no reason for him to care or to bother with other ppl. tho i do like to think he might get pissed if ppl are really bold with kaveh. but if anything, i imagine kaveh is more of the jealous possessive type simply bc despite everything, theres still some fear in him that he might lose haitham and be all alone again. not bc he doubts haithams feelings but bc sometimes the fear, his anxieties, the thought hes still unworthy pops up

sorry for the word vomit, i just wanted to type out how i think of them and my thoughts jumped

[blueberrysoaps]

MHA SHIPS!

I have always written x readers (I’ve written one ship fic and that was Denki and jiro I love them) or maybe as a side pairing in a fic, but I DO ship characters. And maybe some rare pairs. Or at least not the first choice for most ppl so here’s some ships I ship and why! It’s all for fun, so if you don’t agree that’s okay!

These are just a few I ship lots of people at least a little cause it’s fun. I don’t rlly have any ride or die ships.

Kirideku

I don’t know if this is a rare pair tbh but both DEFINITELY have more popular ships (kiribaku, bakudeku etc.)

But I think it would be so cute!

I think their mutual friendship with Bakugo would be like a huge reason for their crush on each other. They can relate on that front.

They dont even acknowledge it it just sort of floats around between them for a while.

Cause pfft it’s nothing

Right?

Kirishima is the kind of guy to just let things roll off his back. He doesn’t get offended or upset easily of his own accord. He’s so confident.

Izuku takes things personally a lot of the time and can be self conscious.

Kiri would help him be more confident, and I also think he would really respect Izuku’s intelligence and dedication, especially back when all his bones were breaking from his quirk. It sort of impressed him in a weird way.

Also red and green is an iconic color combo, Christmas ofcs.

Bakugo notices how Kirishima listens to intensely at deku’s rambling. He’s checking him out too? (Let’s not forget kiri’s costume is literally shirtless)

Deku is from his past and kirishima is a newer friend so it’s weird when the two things intersect and he’s hyper aware of how close they seem.

He’ll never mention it… but he’s rooting for them.

Mezo + Tsuyu (Mezyu? Tsuzo?)

I mean this is strictly because of that one moment in the license exam where Tsuyu got cold, and since she’s frog like she fell asleep (I’m pretty sure? It’s been a while)

And he wrapped her up and she looked so cute!!

UGH I LOVE

(He looks so protective of her there too PLS)

Also we know he’s self conscious about his appearance.

But Tsuyu’s entire family literally look like amphibians (I think she had 2 or 3 siblings)

Coming from a big family I think would be comforting for him. (I always assumed he was an only child, not sure tho)

But it’s mainly cause of that screencap, I love it.

Bakuraka

A while ago I talked about this over on Wattpad and I got so attacked I mean for what??

But whatever I think what I think.

Bakugo respects people who have something to FIGHT FOR

And based on the sports festival he sees her as a worthy opponent. She never gave up.

He may not have known the reason she was so convicted was for her family but he still saw how much she cared.

Also there’s just something about pink and orange the colors look good together sue me.

And in my mind they have a joint move where she zero gravities him and he blasts around with his quirk. It’s cannon I fear

(I mean idk. Maybe this did happen eventually, I don’t remember. If not that’s criminal)

Also she’s the kindest most sunshiny character in the whole show (I’ll protect her with my life)

So ofcs I want to ship her with someone who’s personality is the opposite COME ON

Ojiro + Hagakure

Honestly I have no idea WHY but I added this ship to a chatfic a while back and I just loved it

Pls tell me I’m not crazy for this

Maybe he uses his tail to feel around for where she is cause obviously if she doesn’t want to be seen ur not seeing her lol

She always talks so openly about wanting a boyfriend or what it would be like if she had one and he’s internally like

“Pls I’m right here”

I have no idea if his is real but I think she canonically has a crush on him??

Maybe I made that up idk let me know

Iida + me

Im just in love with him

I love hot nerds.

[menacinmasochist]

My absolute favorite DL characters in no particular order:

🌸 YUI KOMORI 🌸

Never understood the hate towards Yui. Again the anime is a promo for the game and it did not do her character justice at all. The prequel and sequels for some of the mangas did her character justice. She’s a very kind and compassionate person, she’s HUMAN and grew up in a church, she’s a soft girl who doesn’t like violence so y’all can only imagine what this girl has to go thru meeting a bunch of bloody thirsty horny vampire boys, who have severe parental issues and a bunch of other abusive behavioral problems, but she is very patient with each and every brother in all the routes and I love that about her, she’d be a really good therapist too lmao. She’s an Angel, must be protected at all times. I won’t tolerate any Yui hate on this blog.

❤️‍🔥 AYATO SAKAMAKI ❤️‍🔥

Poster boy for the entire franchise. A lot of people find him to be annoying, he is annoying and we love his Aries self for that. While Ayato is a menace to society he’s got a good side to him as well and for the most part knows right from wrong, more than some of the fandom gives him credit for. I also really like his character design, he kinda looks like a mean little bat. They give him a lot of cute and playful moments with Yui and I think that’s beautiful especially in a dark themed game series, they have serious moments but also a lot of light hearted moments and I think that’s important to lighten up the mood sometimes.

👨‍🌾 YUMA MUKAMI👨‍🌾

First off, I absolutely love his character design, the messy long hair and he’s a giant too plus they gave him realistic human hair and eyes to show that he used to be human, maybe I’m thinking too deep on it idk. I absolutely love the identity crisis he had due to his amnesia and the connection with Shu, it brought that twin flame connection back, I love those best friend tropes a lot, his voice actor also is Mako from Free! So I have no choice but to Stan Yuma. Yuma also has a lot more self awareness then the rest of his adoptive brothers and thinks ahead due to his past experiences, he knows that he’s a vampire now but still has a garden for food and has sugar cubes with him at all times, he uses his past experiences and acknowledges that it happened then moves forward he doesn’t dwell on it too much.

🔪AZUSA MUKAMI🔪

He’s a lil creepy, and socially awkward at times but he’s just so relatable sometimes. He’s very soft spoken and he a lil wild with his pain tolerance and some of the out of pocket shit that he says, but I think he’s such a sweetheart, protect him at all costs as well, even his brothers know to protect him at all costs.

🎻 SHU SAKAMAKI 🎻

Shu will forever be my favorite DL boy, he doesn’t like doing anything but can do everything and do it perfectly too. He has severe ptsd, depression, and detachment issues. No you can’t fix him even Yui realizes this and just accepts him for who he is because that’s the only way it’ll work. He’s also hilarious without even trying to be, he says some mean shit at times but it’s so unhinged like damn Shu you don’t have the energy to eat, shower, wipe your ass but you got the energy to completely disrespect all your siblings with a few words. Also his beef with Reiji is somewhat familiar grounds especially if you have a sibling that is constantly irritating your soul. I always felt like I could relate to Shu the most due to him having a hard time getting close to people after losing his best friend, he can’t just get over it either, I don’t like when people would say “oh it happened a long time ago” yes it did but everyone heals at their own pace and it’s important to acknowledge that as well.

[nereidprinc3ss]

I JUST GOT AROUND TO READING DYBMN 10 AND OH MY GOD.. sam you’ve done it again!!

1. your writing. is as usual spectacular. like you just have a way of describing thinks that has me no joke squealing and giggling every five seconds!!! things that would probably get no reaction out of me if written mundanely are turned into ART when you’re the one typing them out istg. this shit belongs in the louvre i promise you,, your talent is insane

2. reader is actually SO me coded (haha, we all laugh at the irony while also acknowledging that reader-insert characters still have defined personalities and arent monoliths of the readers) like i too would have been pissed at spence for not sweet talking me in the middle of the store and also would have tried to climb him five seconds after saying that i couldn’t be allowed to.

3. i adore the dynamic you’ve crafted for spencer and the reader!! its literally so soft and i love the communication thats going on and how theyre both trying to take things slower but managing that with their deep-seated insecurities (reader’s anyway, we all know spencer has them too but i dont know if you plan on focusing on that at all going forward? other than the mention of him “messing up” but thats a sexual insecurity rather than an emotional one yk) maybe its inherent to the soft dom/whiny sub setup but theyre just. so perfect for each other ughh

4. i would LOVEE exploring the switch!spence thing more omg. like i know you’ve mentioned multiple times that sub!spence isn’t your thing and thats totally okay but maybe one where he’s just like desperate and overstimulated and it results in him being more subby idk. i just love desperate men so thats me but i think that could be cool! totally get it if you dont follow that string though considering that reader isn’t really the dom type and all lol,, and your comfort as the writer takes priority!!

5. i feel like there’s a lot of room for angst going forward with reader’s clinginess and this trip…as a religious hurt no comfort enjoyer im excited to see how it may turn out asdfghjkl

ok sorry for rambling but basically youre a literary genius and im hyped for the series going forward!! i genuinely dont care how much time passes between updates as long as my eyes and brain are blessed by your writing <3 thank you for reading and also for existing!

Omg I loved reading ur thoughts this made me so happy!!!

Yes it’s so funny we’re all like reader is just like me fr I’m so glad we can see ourselves in her but also I just love her so much like she’s my fav reader ever ever ever she’s so special to me and I’m obviously biased but I love her personality like she’s can be so shy but she’s not afraid to stand up for herself or be a bitch sometimes and she’s DEFINITELY not afraid to ask for what she wants (usually)

I love their dynamic too and yes for better or worse they are so soft dom/whiny sub😭😭 I think it’d be interesting to expand on Spencer’s insecurities a bit more but I’m not sure to what capacity I’ll do that, I did slightly like with the whole phone call/he thought he liked her more than she liked him thing but obviously it wouldn’t just stop there idk

Yes idk how much I will explore switch Spencer… I feel like for me the main appeal would be clarifying for people that reader is not just passive in her role as a sub like don’t worry about her she’s exactly where she wants to be and seeing her become more dom even just for a part and then go back to being sub because she just enjoys it and she can like both!! I can totally see her embracing a more dominant side from time to time once she gets more confident in general, I already snuck a little bit of that into part 3!!

I’ll be honest I wasn’t PLANNING much angst for this trip but if you’d like to share what potential you had in mind I’m all ears….. I do love to sprinkle in a little angst… but also yes something I’m very aware of is that she is too attached to spencer in a way that’s probably not healthy so we may or may not see the repercussions of that cause on the one hand as I write it I’m like hmmm that’s not…. But also I don’t always feel like making my characters and their relationships completely perfect and healthy all the time like so whattt if they’re a little obsessed with each other it’s fineeee it’s fun!!!

[atopvisenyashill]

Was Jon/Ygritte nonconsensual?

idk if you’re the right blog to ask but, I see a lot of people hate Jon/Ygritte and specifically Ygritte for “raping” Jon and these ideas are in most circles that involve another ship (Jon/Sana (tho not that I’ve seen you say it, I don’t think) and Jon/Dany mostly) but I don’t get why it’s popular opinion at all?

if there was any lack of consent on anyone’s part it was Ygritte bc Jon lied and slept with her to keep up appearances of being fully with the Free Folk. But a lot of these Ygritte haters claim that bc she’s older and tells everyone they’re fuckin before if actually happens that that’s not consensual. 

like I said idk if you’re the right person to ask maybe if you’ve come across it before you can lead me in the right direction unfortunately people only seem to talk about it negatively to prop their own Jon ship which is not a legit answer imo, comparing ships instead of clarifying the situation

i would say i'm the right person to ask in that i have complex feeling towards this ship & ygritte as a character. but if what you're looking for is a clear "yeah she's a nasty rapist and i spit on her whole character" (which is reductive & hypocritcal of anyone to say especially with main characters like tyrion, victarian, and theon) or "no she's a perfect uwu baby and jon snow is completely at fault for leading her on" (also incredibly reductive and completely ignores the context in which he's making these decisions) than no, i'm not what you're looking for. i do think she takes advantage of jon’s feelings to a degree i feel is sexually exploitative yes, but i would frame her more as like, the dark gray version of gendry (someone lowborn and baseborn, with a romantic story with someone who has immense privilege over him yet is much more naive and younger than him), on par with other characters that Are bad but also not beyond the point of redemption, like theon, dontos, sandor, than a female khal drogo. and a lot of my feelings on that stance is because like you say, you can't ignore that jon is from a people who are at war with ygritte's, that jon is part of a group that is specifically gung ho over oppressing the wildlings, and that jon specifically is engaging as essentially a deep undercover spy. that element is not present in any of the other dubcon romantic dynamics we have in this series and I think that gets glossed over a lot when discussing whether this relationship is toxic or not. like, it is toxic but it's toxic for a lot of reasons that can't be easily summed up because you can't divorce either jon or ygritte from the politics they are currently involving themselves in. you didn't just fall out of a coconut tree, etc.

when it comes to the undercover, lying, honeypotting, whatever, thing, that's where things get complicated. there's two prongs to this - what ygritte is willing to acknowledge out loud and what ygritte actually knows. it seems very clear to me that ygritte is fully aware that jon has not truly broken from the night's watch, that he isn't pulling a mance 2.0, that he's concealing things from her and the other wildlings because he is planning to betray them. she just doesn't want to believe it - she basically calls him out on this when they're flirting during the "is that a castle" scene. and of course, there is a context here that imo people overlook which is to say - jon is a member of the martial force that believes their sole purpose is to keep wildlings from crossing the wall, purely because they are an out group culturally. ygritte is a soldier in an invading army that has banded together because they think it’s invade or die. mance - and several others - are already suspicious of jon. if they didn’t fuck soon, jon was going to be killed and not by ygritte. i think similar to sandor stopping sansa from killing joffrey, ygritte feels this is a stupid thing to die over, and wants him to live to fight another day. is it her place to do this? well, she thinks it is even though jon doesn't think so, because she's vouched for him to mance and taken him on as her own "responsibility" so if he fucks something up, she has to face some level of consequence.

i think in general, ygritte is fascinated and challenged by jon snow, and genuinely falls in love with him while they're together. she's lying to herself about jon's feelings because she's hoping that if she gives him a reason enough to stay, he'll stay. i think this is really clear in the cave scene, where she asks him to stay in the cave and get lost together - she knows his loyalties are pulling him away from her, and she wants to deal with the problem by promising him a future with her, a happy future, where he doesn't have to break his vows any further because they aren't involved in the conflict anymore. so when it comes to “it’s dubcon because jon is lying” the thing is that ygritte is very aware jon is lying to her face; unlike drogo, who just does not see dany as a person with thoughts, unlike arya who is too young to realize the class differences between herself and gendry, and unlike tyrion who swallows sansa’s lies hook line and sinker because he genuinely believes she’s a sweet idiot, ygritte knows jon is playing her, she just thinks she can convince him that his life will be better, easier, more fulfilling if he leaves the night’s watch and stays with her. i guess this depends on your opinion of honey potting - if ygritte knows he’s lying, and jon knows ygritte knows he’s lying, does that make it better or worse? if ygritte knows jon empathizes with the wildlings, but also wants to go home, and jon knows if he doesn’t betray his vows well enough he’s getting shanked, and they have sex, does that make it better or worse? if ygritte knows jon is uncomfortable having sex, but knows if he doesn’t have sex mance will have him killed, knows he is interested in her sexually, knows he is lying to her, and puts him in a position that both protects him and backs him into a corner, and doesn’t understand how cornered jon really feels bc he isn’t telling her, and also she just does not have the framework to understand his hang ups and thinks his hang ups are stupid and don't matter, does that make it better or worse? i think this is really obviously meant to be incredibly dubious consensually, bordering on sex crime territory

this is a woman who has lived her entire life in that grey area - she’s got an even worse idea of what consent looks like than most characters, she has lived a life that is physically and mentally much more strenuous than nearly any other character bc of the extreme climate and lack of freedom of movement than even most smallfolk have. the rest of westeros can be truly ugly when dealing with the wildlings in the vale and wildlings in the north - they don’t have the option of being Westerosi the way everyone else born on that continent is allowed. osha doesn’t even do anything wrong but bc she exists as a wildling south of the wall her entire EXISTENCE is illegal. “but they rape and kidnap-“ yeah so do the ironborn but because they were born on the right side of the wall, they’re allowed freedom of movement. what is the difference between ygritte’s view of life and theon’s, at the end of the day?

if u want my opinion here, i think people just don’t like engaging with ygritte because of this complexity. she is right to be angry and hateful, and she’s even right in who she’s directing it at, but you can’t ignore the fact that her very one sided view of morality has her making a lot of decisions on jon’s behalf that he wouldn’t make if he had a choice. because she is just another cog in the machine, she has no way of making any sort of meaningful change; she’s just another nameless soldier that dies in battle. in a way, she’s exactly like the broken men septon maribald mentions. these broken men are not good people, but they are victims as much as they are perpetrators. and THAT, the idea that her relationship with jon can exist in this complex gray space where two gears in the wheel can meet, find commonalities, and it doesn’t matter because their lives don’t matter, they are just two people in a conflict that’s been going on for a long time, and they can’t fix it, and they can’t escape, so they hurt each other again and again until it finally kills them both - i think the senselessness of it all makes both fans and antis of her uncomfortable. she’s not easily consumable, so she has to be either the snarky fiery great love or the evil pedo rapist (once again madonna whore complex coming for us all) and i just don’t think she, the wildlings, or this entire series are meant to be engaged with on that level.

[baltears]

idk how else to describe this like i think the kind of traditionalist/hyperliteral read of buffy not catching feelings for spike until late s5/s6 just misses the level of iron grip buffy keeps on her feelings. apropos of nothing other than seeing this read one too many times and im not up on my buffy meta scholarship so forgive me if im making the same points everyone and their mother has been making for the past two decades

keeping tight control over her feelings is not something buffy started doing after a certain point, it's a behavior she has coming into the pilot bc we see that at that point there's already a level of emotional distance between her and joyce (not only re the slayer stuff and the later retconned-in betrayal & invalidation trauma from being thrown in an institution when she tried to tell her parents the truth, but also for instance the intensity of buffy's distress over the divorce). she already has a home life consisting of not voicing most of her difficult and 'close to the chest' emotions. when she tries to be genuine in a way that asks for space for her frustration or anger or more 'selfish' feelings, this is often not met with understanding (worth mentioning that giles does a MUCH better job on this than joyce for the most part, but other characters including willow and xander respond poorly a substantial number of times). as a result she is well practiced at suppressing emotions that are too inconvenient or complicated to feel acceptable to verbalize, so she tends to just kind of whistle past things that feel hard to tackle until she reaches a point where she can no longer bear to ignore them. this is a core part of her canon characterization that is also visible at many points in buffy's relationship with angel (s3 comes to mind, when she spends a good chunk of the season operating under the convenient belief that they're in a functional platonic friendship when she subconsciously knows they are still too hung up on each other for that to be feasible). so like we know this is something buffy does. it is not at all unusual for her to feel things that she keeps beneath her conscious awareness + does not allow herself to process and admit to having felt until well after the fact.

this takes me to the oft cited point that from the first time she interacts with spike, there is a different vibe happening than is typical for buffy and vamps. it just feels very obvious to me that from basically minute one (or maybe more accurately from their first fight, when she isn't so much on the back foot) she registers him on some level as a person who happens to be really interesting and hot, but has a fairly easy time of it keeping this feeling out of her conscious awareness bc 1) he's also an unsouled vamp, meaning she can choose to dismiss his personhood as nonexistent and his personality as mere performance or game-playing (ie he is not a 'real' person, therefore the relationship need not be acknowledged as 'real' either – taken to extremes in s6 when she has to actively abuse him and continually reaffirm his lack of humanity and lack of worth in order to sustain the self-told belief that she doesnt see or experience his personhood and doesnt feel a human connection with him), 2) they're mortal enemies, 3) he likes to be really annoying on purpose + as a vampire also has a baseline level of generally acting like a bit of a creep, and 4) for much of their relationship she has other romantic objects on whom she can more acceptably focus her attention (insert reference to spuffy being a queer coded relationship here).

i think this state of noticing-slash-not-noticing persists from 2.03 through s3&4 and into season 5. by then she is so good at studiously ignoring how weird and flirtatious and intense their dynamic has always been that the revelation that spike is now acting very obviously like hes in love with her, to the extent that someone else could notice, takes her totally by surprise. getting more specific idk how else one could possibly explain how her ass was acting in something blue pre-spell, like i absolutely canNOT see buffy behaving like that around any other vamp literally ever. they were both being so unceasingly annoying with their creepy little flirty back and forth that both giles and willow were completely over it and just wanted them to shut up and stop paying so much attention to each other. ig the point im getting at is i think it's weird and dont get it when ppl seem to read buffy's character as if shes basically just saying the things she feels and vice versa rather than like regularly and even habitually lying to herself, bc i just don't think that's in line with the character that we're shown. buffy SAYS for a very long time that she doesnt care about spike and basically says and does everything possible to deny that she has any attachment to him at all, but frankly i think the level of aggression and frequency with which she expresses variations on that sentiment in and of itself gives the lie to that idea. anyways i think she was down bad pretty much immediately and just took a very long time to let herself notice

[chevelleneech]

Since you're kinda aware of a little more idols than me you must have seen a lot of skinship and things related to "Shipping and fanservice" in k-pop groups so what makes jikook different from others? You like Felix-bangchan too right? Do they have a similar kinda bond (not dynamics but u know if they are attached to each other off cam as well, their emotional bond etc) as jikook? Are they like clingy? I think just as "Skinship" wise BTS ships in general are nowhere like other ships from other groups, i don't know many names from k-pop but random videos from idols used to come on my insta and ppl do much more skinship than what BTS do. I remember the chaneol (or smtg like) or baekyun one of them from exo used to bite his members' ass as fun lol. I have seen some old group boys be wilding on stage, then there's this tvxn or something old grp from SM which had one of the biggest ships they also used to do a lot of skinship. So skinship wise ig BTS's ships are pretty low, idk how these groups' personal rs used to be or is. So if you know other ships from k-pop would you mind telling what's different in jikook?

I probably don’t know as many idols and group dynamics as it seems, I just tend to to talk a lot when people cross my timelines or I venture into different groups to give their music a chance. Nothing ever really sticks though.

I am a big fan of Stray Kids, however, and do think Chan and Felix have, above all else, acknowledged feelings. I don’t know if I truly think they’re a couple, because their dynamic actually isn’t all that similar to Jimin and Jungkook’s. I think in the past I’ve tried to find similarities or at least spoke on some, but for the most part, explaining them to someone who isn’t aware of their bond, it’s not as similar.

In my opinion, Chan was pretty transparent for quite a while that Felix meant a lot to him. He used to do these livestreams called Channie’s Room, where every week (or whenever he was free) he’d spend about an hour talking to fans and playing music. He did it for maybe three years or something if I can recall, and would also talk about his mental health and all sorts of things. It was shut down a year, as far as I know, because he said something JYPE wasn’t happy with.

Point is, Chan used to get online and discuss a lot of things, and at least a handful of times those things consisted of him gushing about Felix. He spoke about viewing him as a soulmate, saying he was his “other me”, tripping over his tongue to say how beautiful he thought Felix’s freckles were, and blushing as he said he’d use a pickup line on him. On top of those things, they’ve both done interviews where they spoke on how much they value their bond, being they’re both from Australia and sort of found a home away from home in each other, and at one point they said they’d like to live together and so on.

The reason their relationship is difficult for me to make a decision on, in terms of where I think they currently stand with one another, is because they’re also pretty private. They used to hug and touch more back in their earlier years, but that shifted before I became a fan of theirs so I don’t have too much of an opinion on what happened in real time. I will say though, that Chan will initiate skinship with Felix more than I’ve seen Felix do with Chan, and I’ve seen Chan seemingly much more wanting of Felix’s attention. However, in saying that, Felix not being big on publicly reciprocating skinship with Chan really only works as “proof” it’s all for show, if we are to ignore how whenever either of them breakdown on stage full of emotion, they seek each other out and/or talk about how much of a rock the other is to them.

So I do think they are really close off stage and behind the camera. A lot of their behind footage tends to have them tucked off in the corner or about to touch but it’s cut out. As well, the members said a little while back that they share a different together than either of them do with the rest of the group. So yeah, my current stance is Chan and Felix have probably discussed having feelings for each other. I think it’d be hard not to, when again, Chan will wax poetic about Felix any chance he gets. He’s even seemingly been teased about their dynamic by his sister, on live.

That said, I do also think it’s possible their dynamic could be result of Chan being the leader of their group, as well as being three years older than Felix. Coupled with how Chan used to view himself and his worth, there’s a handful of reasons why I think their dynamic swings so vastly between “Yeah, they’re in love and love being together.” and “Chan’s in love for sure, but that’s all there is.”

In comparison to Jimin and Jungkook, you’re right in saying BTS doesn’t do skinship the way I’ve seen other groups do it. In their earlier years, but even SKZ are extremely more tactile. Woosan from ATEEZ as well. Another pairing that could be considered real, but I don’t know enough about them. I do think their friendship is very real and very solid from what I’ve seen, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they ever revealed they had something going on, but that’s because they kiss and seemingly get easily jealous, but that’s as far as my opinion goes. I don’t watch their group content to know if that’s a group thing.

But to get back to Jikook, I think what makes them different is how domestic they seem. Chan and Felix don’t give off domestic partners to me, because again, they keep a lot of their dynamic off stage and off camera to themselves. They don’t seem estranged on stage and clearly get along, but a lot of their moments feel very heavy. As if Felix is hyper aware of Chan whenever he touches him, and Chan is almost embarrassed to be caught wanting the type of affection he seeks from Felix. (Just my opinion, I’m not saying that’s exactly what it is.)

Jimin and Jungkook don’t have that kind of vibe on camera. Sometimes they can seem irritated, but overall they’ve always come across as wanting to be near and open to being touched by each other. Their beginning is also a bit different from Chanlix. Neither of them are responsible for the group itself, and although Jimin is older, he and JK were both minors when they met, whereas Chan was 20 and Felix 17. So just on a foundational level, the two friendships started in different places.

Now, if Chan and Felix choose to film an AYS type series once the other members start to enlist, I would be interested in seeing how things play out. Because again, I do think they are very close and what they feel for each other has been discussed. I can’t imagine Chan has told the whole world about Felix’s beauty and him being his soulmate, yet never mentioned it to Felix.

Which is another different between them and Jikook. Jimin and Jungkook talk all the time about how much their admire one another and are proud of each other, but I don’t think they’ve ever sat on camera and inadvertently told fans about how down bad they are for the other. AYS is probably the most confirming of sorts that we’ve gotten, of them saying they’re essentially the same person, aka soulmates. I do also think though, JM and JK show their affection more than talk about it. They seem to have a tendency to travel to show their care: GCFT, Jimin flying to SK for Jungkook’s birthday, and now AYS. Which could be because they come from a different era of Kpop than SKZ, and thus grew up a little differently, idk.

This is getting long as well, but I also wanted to mention on more pairing in SKZ you didn’t. Jisung and Minho. They aren’t as confusing as Chanlix, nor as under the radar (sort of) and Jikook, and I find it so fascinating that more people don’t view them as an undeniable couple. I know lots of people think it’s crazy to assume more than one couple could exist in the same group, but I don’t know why. Kpop groups tend to be large, and I find it harder to believe only one or two members are queer.

Point is, Jisung and Minho (Minsung, if you want to look them up) seem like the most lived-in, comfortable couple I’ve seen in this industry. Which, my view is limited, but still. They refer to each other as husbands/boyfriends/wives, the other members of the group acknowledge they’re a package deal, and they stick up under each other like white on rice. Both on stage and camera and off. They go on dates, they flirt, they’re sentimental. Just all sorts of things, but I don’t recall them having crazy skinship. They do it, as do pretty much all SKZ, but theirs is never over the top, imo. For instance, Changbin loves talking about how thirsty he is for Hyunjin, and asks him out (or at least used to, I haven’t watched their content in a while), but I don’t think there’s anything actually going on between them.

Anyway, yeah. All these pairings have different dynamics, which I think is normal. They grew up in different times, under different companies, and with different families. Jimin and Jungkook seem real to me, because of how important their proximity to each other is. They seem to be aware of the fact that they don’t like being separated, and made moves to fix the things that kept them apart last year, and are now serving in the military side by side. Is that undeniable proof of romance? No, but it shows an importance in their bond that I think is now clear they don’t have with the other members.

Chan and Felix having feelings for each other seems possible to me, because Chan has never not dished on how in love with Felix he is. It would be flat out homophobic imo, to take him saying such beautiful things, and claim he meant them all platonically, when if he’s said them about a woman, people would assume he was shooting his shot or was 100% in love with her. And from Felix’s side, I think he holds his cards closer to chest, but has spoken on how much Chan means to him. So at the very least, I think their feelings are mutual.

And Jisung and Minho seem real to me, because they’ve basically said it, lol. I don’t watch their stuff too often either, but there’s only so many times I can take two people being domestic and cute, and pretty much saying, “My husband…” as a joke. It’s been years, they’re still attached at the hip, and they don’t seem to care.

Could all three be fan service? Yes, but I genuinely don’t think they are. They may not be romantically involved, but I do think all three have some level of real to them.