#were anon theorists now lol

[ep2nd]

@anxious-anon-time sorry for being late, was really busy this weekend

I'm very sorry this is 2 weeks late, had to board a plane, then was relaxing on Vacay, then had to catch up in school the next week

"What do you think of the Ink Scroll arc"

I absolutely stinking loved it.

Now here's the essay you ask for (or didn't, I just want to write an essay)

1. Love the foreshadowing/self awareness. Ex. When MK says "Maybe this the part of our journey where things get DARKEE" the poor boy- also love how the word Journey was used, foreshadowing how it was about the Journey to the West

2. Everyone had good arcs, except Pigsy? Like, MK beautiful, Meis opposite nature to Ao Lie, lovely, Sandy fighting the monster allegations, been his trauma since the beginning (when he references he's changed since meeting Pigsy last), showcasing the difference between Tang and Tripitaka qns for Tang to get more development?! Woo!!! But Pigsy?? Having the same plot/character development of Sandy, where being a monster doesn't matter Yada Yada Yada, it just didn't make sense.

There was no part beforehand where Pigsy EVER questioned that part of him, unlike Sandy who's been afraid of hurting someone, yes I enjoyed the episode, the Cook references from previous (and also Freenoodle crumbs) were amazing. What I wish they had done was something like Pigsy questioning his family, or chosen family in this case. THEY EVEN WENTOF THEIR WAY TO MAKE THE "MONKEY KINGS NOT MY DAD PIGSY IS" MOMENT. Like- I just Pigys arc was more family/friend centered, definitely would compliment whatever jumbo shrimp mess MK had going on

3. Talking bout MK- the trauma and angst were GORGEOUS we love it. My boy been through so much. And we learned more of his past?! The theorists were going CRAZY. Love the Sunburst and Soysauce moment, MMMMMMMM, this boy needs to stop trusting people so quickly oh my gosh AZURE WHEN I CATCH YOU-

4. Really good villain. Love how they went with a villain who thought HE was the hero, and main character I guess lol. Was he a turned villain? Yes but he was a good one! Kinda wish the foreshadowing was better, instead of that one episode where Tang just watched and realized it. He's a complex character, who just wanted to help people, and yeah his ambition wasn't even bad, the Jade Emperor isn't great even, but he took it too far

5. Great job yall, you guys made a character everyone hates, Peng, Revalis brother from another mother

6. Yellow Tusk was ehhh, wish we saw more of his character, seemed interesting, loved his loyalty

7. Now LMK is very special from other shows I've watched he'd because well, I'm willing to rewatch many episodes, even if I know what will happen, I tend to not rematch ANYTHING because of this problem, but LMK is just different. For some reason the Scroll arc is the exception, I like it, but for some reason I don't see myself rewarching it, don't know why

8. Ink MK was a beloved, his voice?! Design?!? DIALOG AND SPEECH PATTERN!?!? BRILLIANT. really love all Ink people moments, mostly just Ink MK, and Wukong.

9. Glad Wukong got development, man is facing the consequences of his actions and its really getting him, I'm glad he's getting really good development.

10. Master Subodhi. Do I need to say more?! Loved him dearly. Wish he and Wukong remet. :( liked his character very much, I like how he wasn't even real in the Scroll and still had omniscient abilities. My only question was what else did he know?! On that note, is anyone going to talk about how the girl is just, like immortal?! The Acolyte as yall call her. Now I don't think Subodhi just GIVES out immortality, I feel like he saves it for special people, like Wukong, no I have theories and headcannons for her but that's another day.

Also I'm a suckered for any JTTW character appearance. LMK GIVE ME ERLANG SHEN, GOLD STAR OF VENUS, GUANYIN, ANY OF NEZHAS BROTHERS, AND MY LUFE IS YOURSSSSS

11. The only thing I can think of left is how in the world did the Scroll worked?!? Like, it didn't teleport them to the past, I've been making a simulator almost? But then why does the characters inside feel so real, and how did Wukong trap Peng and Yellow Tusk, and where and hwt have they been doing?! AND HOW DOES THE OMNISCIENT POWER OF SUBHODI WORK. MAN CANT HAVE THAT MUCH PLOT REASONS POWER. AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE HOW DID THEY GET THE OLD PILGRIMS WEAPONS LAST TIME I CHECKED TRIPITAKAAS STAFF WSS IN WUKONGS CAVE

[beesmygod]

old hunters DLC also highlights some themes of colonial violence and exploitation too, imo. what’s been done to the fishing village and kos ties the beast thing up with this idea that like, the impulse to Conquer and Dominate another leads directly to the Curse. It’s not enough to understand the old ones and the blood and all that, they needed to control it, to take it for themselves, and exploit it however they can. And now there’s wolfmans everywhere.

And this is in the core gameplay loop itself, we extract all the vials and blood echos and blood gems that we can in order to become strong enough to conquer more and more powerful prey. When we’re hit, we hit back harder and take back the life that was taken for us. Sure it’s ostensibly to Break the Curse and seek Paleblood and all that, but we know why we’re really doing it. Because it’s sick as hell, and feels awesome to best these monsters. The old hunters knew that too, and it turns them into giant horse creatures unable to do anything besides violence. That thirst for violence and power makes hunters turn into beasts, now only functioning as a cog in a perpetual violence machine. They lose their humanity not through repeated death like in Dark Souls, but through taking life. It turns the characters into monsters, and the players into wiki editors and lore theorists (aka monsters) bc we also can’t let go of the feeling Bloodborne gives us.

Tl;dr: Bloodborne is like if Spec Ops had any subtlety or desire to leave itself up to interpretation (probably helped by the fact that very little of what I’m talking about is likely intentional and I’m just insane)

OKAY im back from my appointment and finished my little treat. anon ("anon" @chicknparm who should get credit for these good thoughts) i could not agree more. i mentioned this in a previous post but finding a strand of commentary about the evils of colonialism made me worried i was becoming dangerously online, but it's a relief to see someone else mention this idea. i think you are absolutely right that one of the overt messages in bloodborne is that spilling blood for your own benefit leads to ruin. its actually kind of shocking how, in spite of the combat being the draw to these games, the message of most fromsoft games is a message of anti-violence. like, how many times do we end up fighting something that, in hindsight, needed to be put out of its misery. oh. shit. thinking about it, our player character is explicitly an outsider. the role of hunter of hunter is filled by outsiders...

also lol you are so right about the wiki based insanity but i think that's the consequences of insight poisoning. literally every once in a while while trying to edit this stupid bloodborne doc i think to myself "oooeergg too many eyes" and take a break for a few days

anyway, turning this back around to the colonialism theme, hear us out ok: watching/reading the sekiro lore videos/posts by shetani of shetani's lair helped introduce a lot of esoteric buddhist and shinto concepts that were totally novel and unknown to be as a baka gaijin. now these ideas are impossible not to see in all of from's other works.

i did a few days of research on "shinshi" (mostly a lot of stuff that turned out to not be relevant, but interesting) after becoming aware of them and found they shared a lot of qualities with the augurs (or "phantasms", invertebrates that act as intermediaries to the great ones) of bloodborne. realizing this, i thought about the great ones not in the context of a christian god, as the MODERN yharnam does, but as kami. kami are numerous, everywhere, hidden, and are thought of as actively controlling or influencing the terrestrial world. the re-translation reveals that the "great pthumeru chalice" had some nuance lost in translation: "祀る - Means to enshrine or worship, but has connotations of doing it to appease spirits so they may reach nirvana or Buddhahood and avoid becoming evil"; this is simply translated to "deify" which is technically correct but the original feels like it's much more pointed about finally revealing to the player that the "gods" as we've been lead to believe them to be are not what they seem.

the healing church, a product of georgian to victorian era western beliefs, razed pthumeru, loran, isz, and the fishing village (and probably yahar'gul too) in the quest to become like their newly discovered gods. the framework by which they related to pthumerian culture was completely wrong and misunderstood the nature of "gods" as all knowing or all powerful and, thus, something aspirational. the reality was more that they are just another type of creature in the world with different limitations than a human. and they're still mortal.

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/760352758766485504/ive-been-scrolling-through-your-ask-for-a?source=share

I've struck a nerve here didn't I? Since you thought your answer sooo smart let's break this sht down a little bit k?

"Maybe because jikookers are busy with the show and have more to talk about than arguing with taekookers who don’t even know what they believe? Don’t compare the time when we had enough time to spare because of no content to now when we actually have something more worth our while than arguing about ships with a bunch of conspiracy theorists / flat earthers."

So you do agree that apart from arguing with tkkrs yall have nothing else to do in your life right? You do agree that after this show is done and you find yourself having nothing else to do you're still gonna come back and use the same fckass argument that nobody wants to listen to right? And stop lying by saying jkkrs are focusing on the show. They are not😭. They are busy hating on Taehyung and "debunking" some taekook moments that present in the show.

The projection💀. Coming from a bunch of people who for years have made it their duty to call Jikook “fanservice” on one day, “barely even friends” on another and then “brothers” on the next. You see what I mean when I say it is useless arguing with people who don’t even know what they believe? Nobody has to say that about taekook because it is and always has been clear from day one what the nature of their relationship is and the only ones who cannot see it or maybe can see it but are refusing to accept it is tkkrs.

Projection of what???? "Fanservice" because yes that's what happen when you wanna entertain fans. "Barely even friends" jikook are close friends in the same group I thought that was clear for all of us. " brothers" 😂 I hope you didn't think we mean blood Brothers. Because yes those two love each other and have been relying on each other for years and call themselves family. So....brothers. And see how you brought it back on taekook? This is what I'm talking about anon. When we confront yall about something concerning your ships that make you insecure you try to spin it off on the other ship as if it's going to change the reality. You can't even answer it without using the same dang comparison.

Lmoo! Sure Jan. Convincing yourself that in the big year of 2024 any jikooker is still insecure about taekook is really cute. Alot has happened within the past two years to clear any doubt about that from any jikooker’s mind lol. Quiet honestly, some of you think Jikookers are insecure about taekook but it’s honestly not taekook that is jikookers problem but it’s taekookers that Jikookers find annoying. No jikooker is cracking their heads about two friends. So yea it is abundantly clear that taekook are just friends and the show once again confirmed that us.

When you started answering my ask the FIRST thing that you said was that yall jikkrs had nothing to do back then before the show was released so that's why you were on our ask. Doesn't that scream insecurity?? If you don't believe in taekook and you think we're sooo over our head, get over it!! Why are you on our ask trying to convince us?? If there's something that your community has been doing is cracking their head about something that don't concern them🤣🤣. Hence them going around and mocking us, focusing more on our ask then theirs and being the biggest insecure mfs around here.

What is funny is the way y’all always end up telling on yourselves and what you really feel without even realizing it. So pookie, Jikook is obvious even to you? Jikook is so obvious that it just has to be “cinema worthy videos”? Jikook is so obvious and that is why they keep catching fanservice allegations left and right? Jikook is so obvious that bighit has become the award winning screenwriters and directors for the jikook love story? Pookie, what does it say about your ship if you think Jikook is that obvious? What does it say about your ship if Jungkook who is supposedly in a relationship with Taehyung has no issues putting on an award worthy performance being in a relationship with Jimin that even you thinks Jikook is so obvious? You can continue brainwashing yourselves all you want talking about how the company is playing tricks or trying to portray them in a certain way but at the end of the day, when you log out of tumblr and are not trying to get a one up over jikookers, even you know that, that is bullshit. Just like what I have always known, you lot see exactly what jikookers see but you have coped with it by convincing yourselves that it has to be an act because they are too “obvious”. Well if it has all been an act, then maybe your ship’s relationship isn’t as perfect as you thought it was. 🤷🏽‍♀️

What I find funny is you not being able to recognize sarcasm. When did I mention them being obvious rq?? Them being on screen and "flirting" just like yall love to call it, doesn't make them real. Why would I start my ask talking about them being friends and end up by saying they flirt??? Make it make sense. Cinemas worthy is what is displayed on screen for a certain audience to get entertain with anon. Read that again. And what award are you talking about???😅 The one where he spent the entire 2023 year with taehyung instead of his supposed boyfriend??

Saying this right after saying how obvious they are is wild don’t you think? Because how can you say people are too obvious which means that even you can see things but in the same breath you claim that the ship u just said is too obvious to be real is filled with imaginations and speculations? Also, a taekooker talking about imagination and speculation is funny considering the fact that, y’all are the ones who hear breathing sounds from Tae’s bed at 3am. Y’all are the ones who see taekook post a picture and conclude that they booked out an entire restaurant by themselves to go on a date. Y’all are the ones who coo and get soft from imagining Jk serenading Tae with “to find you”, y’all are the ones who see a ring on Jk’s finger and conclude that his lover gave him a ring he shares with his friend group. So tell me pookie, who is the one whose ship is filled with imaginations and speculations?

I BEG you to read my ask again. Jikook is NOT and will never be obvious to me. What I said is that the moments you claim "truthful" would have been too easy for a couple in South Korea. Let's take the military as an example. Simple as that. Nobody outside of your little contracted bubble thinks jikook is a couple. And I know it burns you bad to see that first episode where they talked sooo casual for a couple that haven't met each other and missed each other a lot. They drop sentences saying how they thought doing this show was a good idea because of how absent they were in each other lives.

So anon is jikook real or not? Forget my ask and forget about taekook I want you to write the reasons why you think two guys who has been in a relationship for years wouldn't spare time for each other in the entire year of 2023? Especially during the time where apart from his album era jungkook had a lot of free time? Why would the supposed boyfriends spend an entire year with their "friends" instead of each other?? And then on top of that go to a military camp where as a celebrity they are watched 24/7?? Answer this without mentioning taekook or tkkrs and you'll see how empty you sound.

Your group has been shaming tkkrs, trying to convince themselves that we are the worst out there and that how imaginations lead our ship but the moment we point out that your ship isn't real you get all defensive and start comparing things that has no business together. As a jikooker why do you think two MEN would go to a military as a couple?? Please answer fast and do NOT mention taekook or taekookers. Challenge go!!!!

No… NOOooo anon! Do not call them back 😫!!!

CHALLENGE CANCELED! Abort mission! Do not engage!!!

I do agree ofcourse 😂

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello🤗! It's the anon who has a geeky mom!

Made it through chapter 5 and here's my Mama's thoughts. Warning: she cried A LOT.

She's kind off curious about Mickey and wondered if he could be important in the future. She got upset when no one knew who he was lol. "Mickey Mouse was my childhood! How could they?!" She cried. She also got really worried for Yuu and the Overblots. She's surprisingly quick to guess that Vil was about to overblot because of the epilogue from last chapter.

She was excited that the school held festivals because her school did that.

My mom screamed when she saw Riddle and Kalim again. She wanted to know if Riddle was able to get through with his mom. I should mention she wants to adopt the overblot victims.

She kept on roasting Vil throughout the chapter, especially whenever he acted mean towards Epel. "I'll show you who's a potato you Bratz doll rip-off!". She legit said that.

She thinks Rook's creepy 🤣. She also wanted Leona to sing.

She instantly fell in love with Ortho.

My mom, ever the music lover, started jumping excitedly during the audition. She even clapped and cheered for all of them.

She thought the songs were bops.

Neige and the Dwarves are adorable to her.

During Vil's overblot and flashback, her disgust towards Vil turned to empathy. She especially felt bad when Vil was being bullied. On a lighthearted note, she wished my dad was like Vil's dad.

She's so proud of Deuce she literally cried tears of joy.

She thought that Malleus and Yuu's friendship was cute. She wished there was an option where we could call Malleus MalMal instead of Tsunotaro.

She was kinda down when NRC didn't win but was happy for RSA nonetheless. She called it karma that Vil was forced to sing with Neige. She felt bad for Jamil though.

My mom legit bursted into happy tears when she saw Mickey in the flesh but that joy turned to fear and worry when Grim attacked us. "What happened?! Is Yuu alright?!"

And now she thinks Idia is sketchy. She refuses to believe Ortho is in on this. "Nooooo, not the cute robot boy!"

As a sidenote, she said that if I ever went to NRC, she's pulling me out immediately 😂.

[Here’s the other installments for the Mom Anon: Ep 2 / Ep 3 / Ep 4]

Don’t ask where Ep 1 is; I don’t actually recall having received an ask specifically about that—

Good, feed TWST your tears 😊

Your mom can join the rest of the TWST theorists on the true nature and meaning of Michard Mouse who has lost all of his fame and extensive media empire in this world 😩 I think at this point the pattern for OBs has been well established (though the festival setting is certainly new and provides an added element of public exposure to the threat). djsvwjxnkss Imagine being some happy-go-lucky festival goer and you witness a celebrity causing chaos 😅 I think you’d just drop your cotton candy and run for the nearest authority figure at that point… Good thing the NRC boys were able to keep the OB contained though!

Yeah, it’s always exciting to see old characters return in later episodes your mom’s in for a treat with episode 6. We can see how they’ve changed since we last saw them. Unfortunately, we don’t get to hear of the aftermath of the conversation Riddle had with his mother, but it’s nice to just catch up with the dorm leader that started it all. (And, of course, Kalim is also present being a good boi 😌)

Mmm, I don’t think Vil acted the nicest (especially not this episode) but 🤔 I do think it’s interesting to observe how much harsher the criticisms made at his expense can be. I get the sense that people think it’s okay to call Vil out for his cruelty, but hesitate to do the same for others (such as Riddle), even when those characters have all done/said abhorrent things. I wonder if that justification comes down to Vil being the type of person who doesn’t like to show when he is hurting or being affected by negative comments (versus other characters, who are more overtly emotional or reactive). It comes with the territory of being a celebrity: you need thick skin to survive in the entertainment industry, where everyone will be judging you at all times of the day. It must bring him a lot of distress, and it also leaves him in a tough situation where he often cannot outwardly express his frustrations.

I don’t know, it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable seeing Vil in particular receives certain kinds of vitriol from the fandom, because I’m sure he’s also getting that in-universe from his “haters”. No matter where he exists, he must be facing intense public scrutiny (sometimes on very superficial things too), and I don’t know how he manages to deal with it. Like, even in the comment quoted, it’s not Vil’s character being insulted but his appearance (even if his appearance is totally unrelated to the situation). I guess it’s easy to roast celebrities when you only really get to see slivers of them in various media or maybe they’re seen as living “perfect” lives, but I don’t agree with being mean to them (or to anyone, really 💦). Confident people can still be hurt, and those in seemingly glamorous positions have valid issues. That isn’t to defend their missteps, but rather just me being sad about a general lack of empathy 😔

Let Rook beeee 😭 I won’t stand for this huntsman slander— Funnily enough, the game has teased Leona singing a few times before (most recently in Endless Halloween Night), but we’ve never actually heard him do it.

The VDC auditions were so cuuute 🥰 I really enjoyed the variation in their performances, as well as the characterization of Rook and Vil that we got through it. Rook is the positive judge that can see the charm points in each individual, but Vil is the more critical judge that can really “read” what is at the core of each person’s performance. For example, he mentions that Cater’s performance doesn’t seem to have heart behind it and that Lilia’s performance makes him seem older than a high school student. MY FAVORITE ONE WAS ORTHO THOUGH, his was so cool!! They patched his scene so that he sounds like a Vocaloid while singing, which was an excellent touch 🎵 (Great job with that one, Idia!)

Mmm, I personally don’t care for the songs in episode 5 (with the exception of Piece of My World, if that counts), but I’m glad that others enjoyed them so much! I feel similarly towards Neige and the Dwarves; there’s nothing offensive about them, they’re just a little… bland for my tastes. Cute, yes, but ultimately bland.

Vil and Azul have similar backstories in that they involve being bullied and then using that experience to fuel their efforts to better themselves and to prove their worth to their peers. I think this is why those two are able to garner sympathy (but not always empathy) from the fandom. Oddly enough though, I usually see people not forgiving Vil for his actions while also exonerating Azul for his. This… has always been weird to me, because I see Azul as someone who has done much more damage over the years than Vil has—and what’s more, Vil is one of THE most apologetic OB boys of the cast and clearly owns up to his wrongdoings. I think this difference comes from the perception of each boy; again, Vil is often viewed as harsh and overly critical, and not a lot of the general public can relate to his being a child star, so he earns less empathy overall 💦 Some of this perception also comes down to a misunderstanding of his reasons for Overblotting; I've seen many label it as shallow or driven by vanity when... well, that's not entirely true. He's ultimately looking for approval and validation of his identity and the work that he does, and that's something I think everyone wants. I just wish more people were open-minded when looking over Vil's backstory. Just because he had a successful career and a supportive father doesn't mean Vil didn't struggle to get to where he is today. Even then, he's not entirely happy with himself. That's not Vil being spoiled or entitled, that's Vil thinking he can be even better. It's that ambition and drive that defines him.

aiudbaidbabsd Vil's dad though 😫 the real OG... It must be hard for a big star like him to make time for his child, and yet he still manages to do it. It's also just nice to see a supportive parent for once in these flashbacks instead of people like the Viper parents and Mama Rosehearts (or not really involved in or aware of the formative trauma like the Kingscholar parents and the Ashengrotto parents).

When I first played through episode 5, I wasn't expecting Deuce to get his unique magic at all. Now that it's said and done, I think we can all share in his pride and excitement. We've followed him on this journey for so long, and he finally gets this big payoff and he gets to rub it in Ace's smug face.

Episode 5 is a big turning point in terms of Malleus and Yuu’s relationship; this is when his true identity is revealed to them and everyone else becomes aware that they know each other. As I’ve said before, I don’t find myself convinced by their friendship due to how little they interacted during the main story, but I guess that’s just a consequence of the writers trying to keep Malleus “mysterious”. I’m sure plenty of people find him and Yuu endearing in spite of that.

I believe the significance of Malleus being called “Tsunotaro” even after his true name and title are revealed is that it calls attention to Yuu just treating him like a normal person. There’s no option to call him some variant of his actual name because “Malleus” is inherently associated with big titles: the dorm leader of Diasomnia, crown prince to the Briar Valley, one of the strongest mages in all of Twisted Wonderland. These isolate him from others, and it’s of great importance that Yuu is an exception to this and treats him like an equal.

Haha, there’s always that initial hit of disappointment when the results come out. It’s good that your mom didn’t linger on the sadness and the defeat for too long and was happy that the nice RSA boys cinched the victory. Everyone singing and suffering together at the end was the perfect way to conclude the Pomefiore arc~ (Jamil’s deadpan tone and face were 👌)

cbssksnsn That’s a first 😂 I don’t think I’ve seen many people get excited at the idea of meeting Mickey; I feel like most TWST fans (myself included) are quick to meme on him or theorize, or they’re just put off by his presence at all. It certainly feels a little “out of place” with the aesthetics and the world (at least until it gets further explanation).

I was worried about Grim attacking Yuu too but 😔 it ultimately just amounts to nothing more than a cat scratch, which I found disappointing (as it’s really low stakes despite how serious the situation is framed). That’s probably a relief to others though, I can’t imagine that most would be eager to see Yuu and Grim in pain.

… Since when has every end of episode preview for the next ever made the next OB boy NOT look sketchy?? 👁 👄 👁 It’s okay, no matter how sketchy Idia may be, Ortho’s there to balance it out with his innocence.

Isekai’d into Twisted Wonderland with your mom?? 😂 I don’t think the main story would be able to happen if any sane, responsible adult was actually present long enough to keep the kids out of trouble looking at you, Crowley.

[cantquitu]

That long anon about being a Larrie was really interesting. I am not and never was a Larrie, in fact I only got into Harry during Fine Line times. But what the anon said about feeling lonely is really true and I think is at the heart of fandom in a way for many people.

I am married, with children, and a job, and friends (who don't know I write things to anonymous people on Tumblr!) but at that time of my life, late 2019, I was depressed. It wasn't an outward loneliness. It was entirely inside myself. I had never been part of a fandom, just because I wasn't that online, so it was all new and exciting. I became absolutely obsessed with all things Harry, and finding that there were other people my age feeling the same was incredibly distracting from the realities of my unhappiness. (Exacerbated by the pandemic I suppose!)

It never got to a level where I couldn't function, but there were a few times my husband would take the kids out and rather than do something healthy, I'd think 'Great, I can watch Harry on YouTube!' Is that unhealthy? It was some sort of a coping mechanism. Better than drinking, I guess?

I'm a lot happier now and actually still as obsessed. The hrought has calmed things down for all of us, I think, but I know it's temporary. As secret hobbies go, it feels harmless. I think I'm lucky in that I don't have conspiracy theorist tendencies, because I can see exactly how it could consume a mind that's feeling in need of...a little more of something.

Yes, this resonates with me too! I totally use fandom as a coping mechanism. For the most part, it's a healthy one which has enriched my life and brought me wonderful friendships (some of which have lasted decades).

Unlike you, I've been a lifelong obsessive music fan, and at times in my teens it definitely was not healthy. I learned a lot from my extreme, unhealthy early experience of fandom which I took into all future fandoms. But there have definitely still been times throughout my adult life where I've relied too heavily on fandom as a distraction from difficult things in my life. Times where I've been really preoccupied by things that just do not matter in the wider scheme of things. And like you said, there are times where I've thought, "I should probably really be doing something else right now" :) But at the same time, as distractions from difficulties go, I agree it's pretty harmless!

For me, online fandom is a welcome respite from all the noise and activity of my regular life - fandom is something that is just mine. Like you, I have a pretty busy life and it's very social (sorry to disappoint my remaining trolls lol). I've got a big extended family, I'm lucky to have lots of friends, and I have a socially-demanding job which often feels very performative (I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that - whether its customer-facing jobs, sales, or being a teacher or lecturer or whatever; that sense of having to "perform" your role in order to engage people).

All those interpersonal interactions are vital but there's no doubt they can be exhausting. You can control your interactions online and decide when you want to "talk" and what you want to talk about. Whereas with friends or family or colleagues you can be ambushed by questions or conversations that you just might not have the emotional bandwidth for at a particular moment. "How is your [family member] doing since their operation?"/"OMG have you had that meeting with your supervisor yet? How did it go?? Did you come up with a plan??"/"Do you still fancy that thing we promised we'd do? We really need to book soon, can you decide and do it? What day?" ... And that's without factoring in the endless demands of parenting!

When you feel low or you're depressed or struggling with something, it's such a respite to retreat to the online space where everyone is focused on that one thing that makes you happy, and you can control what you want to share and when you want to share it.

This was especially true for me in this fandom. I was seriously depressed when my fascination with 1D and 1D fandom started. In all my previous fandoms, I shared my obsessions with my real life friends and involved them in everything (whether they liked it or not! :)) With 1D/Harry Styles, it was my little secret, and I fiercely protected it. Not just because it would have been misunderstood (it was - my friends just assumed I was joking or being funny about it), but because it was mine. Just mine! It took five years before I agreed to meet any Harry Styles fans in real life and far longer until I contacted them outside Tumblr. I'm so glad I did, but I completely get the impulse to protect your "secret hobby". And I'm also very, very glad that - so far!! - I'm not susceptible to conspiracy theories. It's always wise to stay on your toes, though ;)

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vxUZLsV422ADWWMz6Wqer?si=QILY-o37R6ivjsF24X8uCQ&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A46YhDy5hnzDzGbzguPEHKD&t=2327

I don't know if it's been shared here before, but I Just found this kind of new-ish podcast from last year about Ryan Murphy and his problematic muses (Emma, Lea) and I'm really grossed out by all of these rumours. Some of it is hearsay but some of it seems to have actually happened. Like the way Murphy apparently made fun of some actors natural features and bullied them for it? I am now kind of starting to think that he did that to Evan which is why he decided to get a nose job. I would hate to think that he was. And then the blinds about him being the most notorious to coerce gay white men into sex acts to be cast, basically being the equivalent to Harvey Weinstein. Call me conspiracy theorist but i kinda believe it. And we do also know from Evan how he's made him be unnecessarily sexual for a scene just to not include it in Pose. There's also never been a season Evan wasn't naked. I would be 0% surprised if all these blinds were true and even worse

27:40 is about Evan and Emma. (props to them for treating the dv thing with respect and for hating on her ass lol)

thank you very much for sharing at the timestamp anon! i don’t remember if i listened to this one before. but there’s definitely no shortage of content on this topic, i’ve said it before but i fully believe one day there will be an extremely long expose that comes out about ryan murphy as a person and the working environment he fosters with his projects. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[mecachrome]

anon asks thing

ur so smart fr. there's just a lot going on in ur head and i find that impressive and sometimes scary jfskljalkfjlksjfsafjs

i am an op81 -> rbr conspiracy theorist and i am curious to get ur view on that too if ur willing to indulge me

hi anon <3 i can assure you i am the stupidest person alive haksldfh i just overthink everything because of the neuron divergents 🥲

anyway i've talked about it a biiit here but basically tl;dr i don't really think it makes sense right now and i firmly believe mclaren is the best place oscar can be for the remainder of his contract, but i also don't necessarily think it could never happen either!!! there are a lot of people involved at rbr whom i don't like at all but the team has many positive aspects too and it depends majorly on how the grid shifts and who wins out with new regs amongst other things... honestly max could be like fuckit i want to go into endurance in 4 years so who even knows what the politics will look like at red bull by then 🤷‍♀️ LOL i mean i don't believe oscar has any particular emotional attachment to red bull outside of faint vestiges of aussie loyalty during seb's glory days but i also believe he'd be willing to go anywhere if the circumstances were right :') he's a pragmatist ultimately so Anyth is possible!

[ask-serendipity-sky]

"you'll finally see the light"

Lol, interesting phrasing. Anon you sound exactly like a conspiracy theorist/cult member.

I get your frustration Sky. Jimin is my bias. I have also taken my distance with Jikook multiple times over the years. I advise anyone who’s feeling overwhelmed with the ship to do so. I’m also not particularly satisfied with what’s been going on during Chapter 2 and more specifically with what happened during Jungkook’s solo which was clearly not in alignment with BTS values in my opinion. I have a tendency to be protective of Jimin, like many of us, but Jungkook is certainly not this villain some people make of him. We are just fans, we should know our place and respect Jimin’s close relationships. It’s getting ridiculous really how Jkks and now even Pjms are pitting against each other, constantly fighting in some sort of piss contest. Do you all hear yourself? Take a step back. Some of you all should really get some air, pick up a new hobby, find some greater meaning to your lives than stupid fights on social media all day long. We can’t even have adults talks anymore on this app, it always end up with anons coming with bs after bs. Tiring.

Hello,

Yes, you are completely right.

When it comes to jikook, Jimin, and Jungkook, it is necessary to take a step back often.

There are too many emotions involved with them and we naturally get too attached.

I thought that solo projects were going to give us some time to have peace and catch up but it's gotten crazier and people have lost the plot of everything...of jikook, of taking a stand for Jimin, of what it means to support an artist.

Maybe one day when it's all over people will think "Hmm. I should have enjoyed those times more instead of going crazy online all the time."

Enjoy these times because one day they will be gone. Just like the good times in the past are gone and we used to have it so easy back then!

I hope people take your advice, anon.

Thanks for sharing.

[tayfabe75]

Hello :) Things have been so confusing lately, so I was wondering what your take on recent events is? (surprise songs, engagement rumors from both sides). Do you have any theories about where this is going and what will happen next? Yes, I'm entertained, but I'm also tired lol. Every day is some kind of roller coaster. Any guesses when this circus will end?

Hi anon! So, the last time I tuned in, there were 50k viewers there for the acoustic set. Why is that? Virtually every subsection of Taylor's fans are waiting for those songs and mashups with bated breath each show, just itching to theorize about what it all means (myself very much included!)

You've got football fans romanticizing lyrics from Fifteen, queer fans insisting the 1989 color combos are reflective of this or that pride flag, and suckers like me clowning over what a mashup of Glitch with a song from Red might imply timeline-wise… lol

This is exactly why Taylor is a Mastermind. Worst part is, we all know we're suckers (I hope) and we keep going back for more! I think we're all curious to see whether our personal intuition is right (I know I am!)

A roller coaster is a great way to describe it, though! Genuinely, I believe Taylor is gearing up to break everyone's favorite toy (her love life). What I do know for sure is that something fiery awaits us in the Rep vault (and oh my god, if you want to talk about clowning… the Rep TV theorists are probably the #1 consumer of clown makeup worldwide! I'm very much including myself here, too lol) But, each vault has been incredibly enlightening thus far, chiefly the 1989 vault (in which we got confirmation of a lost collaboration with Matty).

I think the best clowning dates are the two Friday-the-13ths this year in September & December (as is customary to preface, now, this is not me chanting 'MORE!', I just see potential around her favorite number falling twice on Fridays and that she'd benefit most from releasing these albums while still on tour - I will be personally happy to receive the final TVs whenever we are blessed with them!)

Apart from that, it seems likely that fans following Taylor closely will be trapped in football purgatory (full shade to the NFL) until at least September, based on fauxmance guidelines set here (this guy has partnered with the publicist of Taylor's current partner, btw - sorry if that's worded poorly, I just don't want to type his name!)

Those are the most realistic sort of goalposts I have to offer right now. I do suggest either tuning out if you are emotionally affected by anything and if not, then kick back and enjoy the show! (and by show, I do not mean Taylor's love life, I mean the media spectacle that follows as a result, but most of all, those glorious acoustic sets!)

Thanks for the ask! 🍿

[yxstxrdrxxm-a]

From the newest "..." post, we know three things by now, well i haven't gotten the real real answer from those three things, buuttt we have new clues! (Say 'yay' with me guys lol)

"Ah, and not to worry— I've gathered the documents regarding of you and your friend, ██e. I'm sure that she's someone you hate to see in harm's way, so I'll spare her for your birthday."

_ _ e : real name of eros. Well, we encounterered the use of their real name before, but i wasn't sure if it was really eros or not. Anyway, after this post, i'm sure it's eros!

Ngl for fun sake and to just joke around, i've been imagining eros' name as lee 😭 (probably not the real name guys)

"Speaking of... I do hope you consider my offer, ██e███. I know you're planning on leaving the company when your contract is up, but if you ever plan on working with me at the Hearth..."

_ _ e _ _ _ : real name of cupid. Hm, it's not navina, so then who is it? Well, i've been thinking it's ansy's other name, briseis or something like that (i hope i didn’t get the name wrong ;-; i just woke up and is very tired lmaoo) but the name doesn't seem to align with the clue.

Hmm, makes me wonder if cupid is an oc, a genshin character, or the real navina but in a different name. Anyway, it's three in the morning and i cannot think straight right now, so i'll just save these three clues for both future me and al the other theorists!

"Leave the rest to me, my darling client."

From this words alone, we can deduce that cupid was once or still is a client for one of the guys (?). It could be from a different batch of guys as well. Or could it be dainsleif? But, there's just no way, though.

Maybe the darling of pantalone? Err, i doubt that guy would join in on the fun of match ups and all that stuff. So, conclusion: still confused, but there are three new clues 🎉

- 🍀 anon

...

"So, you have contacted... Her?"

"... Yes. I spoke to her back then. I'm sorry if I kept you in the dark, Eros."

Eros knew Cupid well, but sometimes, she didn't knew if she really knew what her friend was thinking.

Now, to be clear, the two all have their secrets. They never like to talk to her about the things they've done before they became a matchmaker, and for her, she didn't want to say anything for it can be... Questionable at best.

Both don't have the best upbringing, and that's fine. Justified, even. But to hear that her friend had decided to be tied with the house of Hearth simply because they wanted out is...

...

Well, one may say stupid. But to her, he saw it as admirable.

Even if it would only damn them both in the long run.

Cupid shifted in her seat as they settled in the couch back home. She knew that they were expecting her to blow up, and she should. She found out that her friend has kept such a secret for a long time, and she's expressed how much she hated it.

But now that she's witnessed the lengths they had to go through, the documentation, and the way they still held on in hopes that she will help them both out unscathed... It made Eros feel conflicted.

...

"... Don't be sorry, Cupid."

Cupid's head seem to rise.

"You were desperate, weren't you?" Eros asked, raising a hand to gently pat their head. "And I can't exactly blame you for that. Boss has put all of us through the wringer, especially you."

Tsk. To think he wants them to take my job...

"Just... If you're going to do it, would you mind telling me next time?"

...

Cupid's eyes seem to water.

".. I will," they whispered, sniffling. "Thank you, Eros."

"Hah, you're so sappy," she retorted, chuckling as she wiped their tears away. "C'mon, where's the Cupid I've known, hm? You're always so honest with me when you're going to do something so impulsive. I thought you would've told me sooner!"

The ex-matchmaker laughed, this time sounding genuine.

"I... I couldn't. It's part of the contract we had, so I couldn't tell you before Valentine's Day. But now... I'm finally able to tell you what I've been doing for us."

Hah... How sweet.

"Yes, yes... Well, I suppose that you're more prepared than I am," the red-eyed senior sighed. "I did a few things when we were still at the company, actually. Maybe I can tell you all about it later when we get back home from our group date."

"... Group date?"

"Don't tell me you— ah, whatever. It's with Clover and the others. It's your birthday, after all. Why don't we celebrate it with them?"

...

"... I don't mind."

Eros could see them smile for once, and she looked happy to see that it was the brightest she's seen from them.

"Let's go see our friends, Eros. Let's celebrate our freedom while we still can."

[ Happy Birthday, Cupid. Happy Valentine's to everyone else, too. <3 ]

[https-chaos]

hey do you remember my theory/headcanon on states and Stuff. it's here https://www.tumblr.com/https-chaos/734895685183422464/unhinged-conspiracy-theorist-voice-ok-so-the?source=share <-if you don't remember. but um erm um. i think when they chose a guy for texas they found out too late that he had DID and they didnt know what to Do about that so they waited until austin was fronting and were like "HEY. do you want to be the capital city" and he was like "damn ok yeah" so now hes like that. a lot of Weird State Quirks are mostly just because the State Choosing Force just recruited them and then found out they were Mentally Ill and then just. modified their symptoms a little bit and hey cool now it's a state thing. anwyay

This is fascinating and I didn't even know it was here until I got anon hate for reblogging a poll LOL anyway that's a really cool idea I love it! Idk much about DID and I wouldn't be able to portray it faithfully enough to write it but I know a lot of people hc Texas as having it so I love it! And I love that the state choosing force is so whatever they're just willing to adjust to whatever mental illness they have lol

[sinbinfamiliar]

Hello! Its the fellow Homesick-theorist anon again!. After hearing that the newest fastpass ep has you making theories, I just had to fast pass so RIP my wallet lol

I am now in the same boat as you: Theorizing Brain go brrrrrrr. I am already rereading S1 episodes and I have connected dots that I didn't know were even there. There's definitely some things about the house arc that make a ton more sense now. I'd love to exchange theories if you want!

THE NEWEST FAST PASS IS EVEN BETTER THEN THE LAST. I am so sorry for screeching like a wild animal but HOLY CRAP DUDE.

I’m so gleefully pleased at the outcome i just saw and it’s spawning even MORE ideas.

As for the last chapter though, seriously there’s a lot in the house arc that’s being connected slowly more and more, and I think there’s gonna be some wild revelations soon actually. I mean this newest chapter has a big one already lol but I feel like there’s gonna be even more.

Though my original theory from last weeks fast pass still has me wondering if there’s some sorta… relation between mr new man himself and Gressil. But I cannot say for certain of course. But it’s weird how similar they are visually.

[papirouge]

That poster is onto something - I do think there was some bigger player making sjw content to weaponize in politics. However, moids like Steve bannon who did do that didn’t think this through enough where you radicalize angry men so much they turn on them eventually. The quote “the man who mounts the tiger dares not for dismount it” is true here. They took the power of sjws and anti sjws, radicalize them then realized they (low level rightoids) can’t control it. It causes chaos which I believe was exactly what the high level elites wanted. The anti NWO rightoids and political conspiracy theorists practically gave the elites exactly what they had wanted - a quick and easy way to destabilize societies. I think also that’s why they didn’t create a world ending virus, just covid. It was enough to cause disruption but nothing like we were pre programmed for (ie zombie apocalypse) they didn’t need that. We were already fractured

You're right on the money anon

For people who see conspiracy EVERYWHERE, Conservative for sure seem to ignore how much of the 'woke' movement is actually a psyop which aim is to breed even more horizontal chaos and divert the masses' focus off their real enemy (NWO elites)

I mean look at them taking the bait at every Black washed stunt (I successfully avoided any discourse or post about that Black Cleopatra movie lol). Not one moment any of them ponders where the end goal of it ultimately lies on.

When a crime happens, the first thing to think about is WHO profits off it. Well, applying the same logic to the wholle 'woke' thing, anyone with eyes can see that in the end of the day, it does NOT benefit the demographics it pretends celebrating and promoting.

The way companies have been using Dylan Mulvaney bred even more transphobia. Those Black washing movies made people direct their anger at Black people when not a single of us ever asked for a Black Ariel or Black Cleopatra movie and gave them even more opportunity to spit their foul racism on social media..... I'm not saying racists didn't exist and that a fringe of White people will ALWAYS seethe at non White (and Black especially) getting more visibility, but it definitely bred a radicalization that wasn't there to begin with.

Society has never been more divided. Even in Christian circles, dissing "leftists" as the ultimate source of evil in society has become too common.

And what's crazy is that Jesus precisely warned us off about not letting our heart get hardened. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Hate, disdain, contempt have never trendier online. I mean, Christians are now calling some churches "woke" for not going hard enough on targets that are highly encouraged to dunk on (LGBT+, BLM, Liberals, etc.). Where's Jesus mercy and love in all of this? Instead of being a light in the darkness of the world, Christians/church community actually highly engage into worldly hateful behavior.

It honestly makes me glad I never belonged in any church congregation and learned to walk with Christ alone ; not cruel pharisees engaging in worldly chaos.

[bylertruther]

as a fic writer in this fandom, can confirm that I'm posting stuff under an entirely different account + feel super confined by what I "can" write for byler. still gonna do it but I wish people were less mean to content creators because most of the good ones I knew are gone now

you know what's sad? there are plenty of people that feel they have to do the same in this fandom, and considering we're now at "uh-oh i may need to rethink adding this normal kiss to my fic.." territory, it's only going to get worse lol. people bitch n moan about how the tag is dying, there are "no good fics", and this, and that, and it's like.... you do realize YOU'RE the problem, right?! the tag isn't dead. there are plenty of lovely fics uploaded every single day. there are plenty of artists, editors, theorists, and so on and so forth that upload content every. single. fucking. day. like. shut up <3 for the love of fuck please stop trying to make this miserable for people who are only trying to have fun <3 if you don't like something then literally just click off the fucking page <3 i just. GRRRRRRRRR. 😡 biting, killing, ripping, tearing, etc. and then clearing my throat n clasping my hands together bc im so normal. anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!! i, too, wish that people were less mean, anon. :/

[octoagentmiles]

calico jack for the bingo mayhaps?

ohOHOHHHHDODHSOHHBOHOH you poor sweet summer anon asker, do you know what beast you've awakened?

i LOVE Calico Jack 👁️👁️

i have so many gosh darn thoughts about him. he is in my opinion unironically one of the most interesting characters in the whole show- he is SO Mysterious™ so you KNOW my lil theorist heart adores him 💕‼️

i rotate him in my mind 24/7. he consumes 97% of my thoughts. he is literally my sad little meow meow but in a serious he is probably depressed and has anxiety and needs therapy way. i need canon backstory on this old catboyman asap.

the "everyone else is wrong about them" is about the people who say he's a bad grandfather- he loves Kwazii so so so much and it shows in literally every interaction they have. he himself doesn't believe in all the monster stories he told Kwazii as a kitten, but he continues to go along with them anyway because he doesn't want to let him down. he would rather let Kwazii sound a false alarm octoalert, for "shaggy sea apes", than ruin the magic for him. you CAN'T tell me Mr. "It's just coastal erosion!" didn't know what a sloth was.

sure, he left Kwazii when he was a kitten, but I don't think he had any other choice. We know CJ and Kwazii aren't like other pirates, but they were from a huge family of em- if Jack had never left, then Kwazii would've never left either, and never would've become an Octonaut. and now Jack is trying to catch up on all the years he missed with his grandson, and trying his best to be a good agent, too. he was terrified of Barnacles finding out he made a mistake- and I just.... I think about that a lot.

I also love his design; I know he's just Kwazii But Older and To The Left A Bit, but that works for me. it works really well. Calico Jack is a famous pirate, his real life counterpart literally designed the skull and crossbones logo—which adds all the more depth to Kwazii's whole "being recognized as a pirate before an Octonaut" problem.

I really like his peg leg, too. they could've just gave him one for the aesthetic, but they actually take it into consideration for a lot of small details: he leaves behind unique footprints in sand or mud, you can hear the sound of the wood hitting the metal of the Octoray when he walks in or on it, he hobbles on it slightly now and then. there's a whole episode in season 5—that I won't spoil, but it's really good, definitely one of my all time favourites.

I could probably say so much more but I'm gonna end this here lol <3 ✌️

[skepticalarrie]

Hi

I'm the anon who sent in the ask about the Louis recording. Please help me understand a bit more. I understand what your link talks about, how the fans during 1d were pitted against eachother, how larries have been vilified etc. I understand the bullshit tweets etc. I get all that. But this recording is from 2019. Why would Louis willingly go along with it and "organically" record it while at the same time releasing an album with the princess park line that screams larry. I'm very confused about this. Why would he shit on larries and call us delusional conspiracy theorists while at the same time writing a song that alludes to him being gay (church of burnt romances and I'm too far gone to pray) rendering us right. I'm not getting this...

Hi anon!

The answer to your question is very simple, love. And it's kind of the same as why he still plays along with the stunts (although barely). If he was openly writing about Harry and not playing along with his heterosexual narrative and with the stunts and all of that, he would be out and we wouldn't be having this discussion. He needs to do the bare minimum otherwise there's no reason to be in the closet in the first place.

When he writes stuff like princess park and other songs that, as you said, screams larry, there's always - 100% of the time - plausible deniability involved. There's always an excuse to be brushed off as something else or simply a coincidence. Larry Stylinson wouldn't be a thing if it wasn't for antis, for people who are willing to think it's crazy. So cheers to them lol As long as they have a narrative most people are buying into (which in this case is larry is a load of bullshit), they're good.

I know it's frustrating seeing that kind of stuff happens in more recent years, but he needs to keep playing along, the same way he's playing along with babygate in fucking 2021. I get asks about this phone call probably once a week, it seems to really bother a few people and it's something often used by antis. Which is crazy. Louis would never say anything like that to any fan, c'mon. But yeah... it apparently happened - it was never proved it was not him and it seems like a perfect set up so- and it will keep happening as long as they're closeted, they will keep denying Larry and trying to reaffirm that their stunts are real because that's how it is. Although his actions tell us exactly the opposite. It sucks for us, but we have no idea what exactly is tying Louis to contracts and what kind of old obligations he has and for how long. So it is what it is, they have been saying larry is bullshit come so far from princess park all in the same breath for years now.