#you don't care about his achievements and aren't fans of his 'work'

[dollypopup]

hm. idk, maybe the reason Luke Newton isn't announcing new projects or posting any Bridgerton content is because some of you demons treated him like hot trash instead of a creative that you wanted more work from and he decided fuck it, this isn't worth the stress. you know, like a lot of creatives who get mistreated do?

like this is a man who went from couch surfing in a friend's house and bartending to make ends meet, deciding that the Bridgerton audition was the last one he'd do before he quit, to suddenly being recognized on the street because that last audition propelled him to star in a global show where fans who have zero media comprehension blamed him for his character's actions and literally stalked him at any hotel he happens to stay at. he went from being a dude doing musical theatre and shopping at thrift stores and recording random songs with friends and posting silly memes on Twitter to being harassed on his only social media page and his friends insulted and his partners bullied by his supposed 'fans' and anything he posts being so microanalyzed that he can't do a damn thing without someone coming out the woodwork screaming about how he's the WORST and won't he think of the FANS!?

like damn he can't have a girlfriend without being harassed, he can't travel without being harassed, he can't like or not like social media posts without being harassed, he can't post a fucking MEME without being harassed, he can't take a vacation or cut his hair or hold someone's hand or just live his life without being blamed for some bullshit or another. but yeah, okay, 'when will Luke Newton come back?' as if it isn't your fault he's AWOL now

[solaireverie]

f1 | i'd be the man

summary: [ drabbles ] you're the formula one driver and he's your wag. (aka the toto wolff-ification of the fast car boys)

warnings: mentions of racism and sexism

author's note: i had so much fun coming up with non-f1 jobs 😂 i'm convinced that most of the boys would still be obsessed with f1. considering doing this for other drivers, drop some suggestions? 👀

→ CHARLES LECLERC

Charles is a fashion designer who works for one of your sponsors. You find his designs slightly... peculiar and aren't afraid to tell him. Determined to prove you wrong about his vision, Charles volunteers to be your primary point of contact for your partnership with the fashion house.

Your meetings are contentious in the beginning, neither of you understanding the other. You leave each consultation with a throbbing migraine and a barely suppressed urge to throw something at Charles. If only he weren't so damned stubborn. (At the same time, you know that his passion for his craft is half of why you even deign to meet with him.)

A grudging respect forms between you after months of friction and endless banter about what exactly you want your sponsorship to look like. If hard-pressed, you might even call it a friendship.

Charles has been a Formula 1 fan since childhood and is secretly a fan of yours. You find out after you meet him for a design meeting after a rough race and he suddenly goes on a rant about how the driver who took you out was being ridiculous and how you deserved better. You're completely charmed and interrupt him by asking him out on a date.

He's the absolute best boyfriend that you could ever ask for, following you to all the European races and supporting you from Monaco when he can't make it. Charles delights in being able to provide a bit of stability for you in your hectic life. He puts up photos of your race wins in his studio and proudly tells all of his clients about his girlfriend and her achievements.

(You still won't listen to his fashion advice, though.)

→ MAX VERSTAPPEN

Max runs the cat shelter that you adopt your cat from. You notice how cute he is the first time you meet him but you're too shy to make a move — besides, Max cherishes his quiet life and you don't know how open he would be to associating with a public figure like a Formula 1 driver. Still, he's funny and kind and you somehow keep talking.

It starts out innocuously, just pictures and updates about your new cat (because Max cares about all of the cats that he's ever taken care of, even the ones that have been adopted into good homes) and occasional behind-the-scenes updates when you find out that Max likes Formula 1.

Without realizing it, Max becomes one of your closest friends. He catsits for you when you're out of the country for races, picks you up from the airport after international races, and cheerfully beats you at sim racing whenever you have the opportunity to game together.

Max realizes that you're basically dating around a year into your friendship. You sleep at his place, in his bed, more often than not. Sassy likes you more than she likes him. You have his coffee order memorized and he knows your parents. (Your mother adores him and constantly encourages you to make a move.)

He's patient, however, and waits for you to realize your own feelings as well. Dating comes as naturally for you as your friendship did. Although Max doesn't always enjoy the media scrutiny that comes with dating a Formula 1 driver, he takes full advantage of the attention to defend you at any given chance.

In fact, you've been asked multiple times by your team principal to get your boyfriend to calm down before he offends another driver, but you wouldn't change Max for the world.

→ LANDO NORRIS

Lando is a Twitch streamer with a decent following who specializes in gaming, especially e-motorsports. He gets the chance to visit your team's garage when he wins a e-sport tournament. He's an unabashed simp fan and immediately makes a fool of himself when he meets you, but you find it adorable.

(Lando swears up and down to anyone who'll listen that he didn't mean to blush and accidentally propose on the spot.)

You cheekily tell him to take you out on a date first and he surprisingly gets his act together and actually follows through. Lando is incredibly kind and clumsily charming despite his awkward exterior. You can tell that he genuinely likes spending time with you and wants to hear what you have to say.

Lando switches to Youtube and vlogging when your relationship stabilizes so he can spend more time with you. His fans — and yours — love catching glimpses of his elusive Formula 1 driver girlfriend in his videos. It's a running joke among his fans that Lando is your sugar baby, which Lando finds extremely funny and shamelessly accepts.

Eventually, both of you realize that you've found the love of your life and you start thinking about marriage. You propose to each other at the same time, on the vacation that you each planned for the other, while your mutual friends who knew about both sides die of laughter from the sidelines.

Lando insists on taking your name as well and declares that he's now officially your trophy husband.

("Get it? You get trophies from your job, which brought us together, so technically I'm a trophy now too?" "Yes, Lando, I understand double entendres perfectly well." "Ooooh French, fancy!")

→ LEWIS HAMILTON

You meet Lewis in your childhood. He karts at the same track as you and you bond over the shared experience of being "other" from the other drivers. No one ever bets on either of you to be fast, to win, so you bet on each other. Lewis supports you with his entire being, even when he chooses to leave racing to chase other dreams. You dreamed of reaching Formula 1 together but Lewis, in this world, is happy cheering from the paddock.

Everyone around you is convinced that you're dating Lewis, who has become a highly successful model and philanthropist. Who else would would take time out of their insanely busy life to follow you around the world? The closeness between you doesn't help either — Lewis acts like your partner more often than not.

Despite appearances, however, Lewis is just your best friend, and it stays that way until a PR disaster with your respective relationships calls for extensive damage control. The best distraction that your media teams can come up with is that you fake-date each other: what better to appease the masses with than the ever-beloved tale of childhood friends to lovers?

The fake relationship changes something in your previously stable friendship. Suddenly, you can't stop seeing Lewis in a different light and you find yourself wishing that the romance was real. You're terrified of losing one of the most important people in your life, so you keep quiet about your true feelings for months as things calm down.

Eventually, your manager gives the all-clear to end the ruse and you end up scrambling for a reason to maintain it. By that time, Lewis has caught on to you. He stops by one night with a bottle of wine and your favorite movie. As the credits play, he leans over and kisses you softly — the first time he's kissed you out of the eye of the public.

You're lost for words and he quietly assures you that no matter what happens if you pursue a real relationship, he'll always be your Lewis.

Ten years later, happily married with a couple of championships under your belt, you couldn't be happier that you had chosen to say "hi" to the boy at the karting track.

likes and reblogs are appreciated!

masterlist | taglist: @scenesofobx @vellicora @boiohboii

[harleehazbinfics]

Idk if ur doing cannibal reader but just imagine her and alastor teasing her and her just short circuiting and he keeps flirting with her and she s literally almost dies again lolz (also i love ur work sm)

Trying to Flirt with You

Cannibal chef! reader m.list | Author profile

A/N: THIS GAVE ME OHHH ASHLEYYY GLASHBACKS OH MY GODD thank you for liking my fics hsdshd. I didn't do the request 1-to-1 cause i was satisfied how this turned out hsadas I WANT YALL TO SEE HIM BE AFFECTIONATE UNDER ALL THAT EXTERIOR AND WHAT HE DOES WITH HER BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

"Oh, (y/n)~"

You place your eyes on Alastor as he settles his chin on his laced fingers and smiles at you seductively. You flush and hiccup when you see his heated gaze, your eyes turning to their irregular heart shapes.

The both of you were enjoying a wonderful meal together in his room like you usually would, however he's never called you like this before.

"Yes, sir?" you sputter wiping your mouth with a napkin.

"I was just wondering how your eyes turn that way," he says while smiling at you, "I find it quite cute."

You choke on your own spit at his complements, unsure how to react to his flirty remarks. It didn't help that the radio filter enhanced everything. You covered your mouth and fanned yourself from the massive blush you had on your face.

Sure, you were used to love bombing him and all, but you never outright flirted with him since he seemed to dislike other people's advances on him. So, to not end up on his bad side you settled to a more comfortable area where he won't despise you, but he knows that you appreciate him.

So, this was entirely new to you. He never reciprocated any of your affection so what were you supposed to do?! There was no handbook for this!

"Isn't it getting hot in here? Why don't I open a champagne--" You stopped from getting up when he snapped his fingers, a shadow puppet came and delivered the champagne in their glasses while another shadow pushed you back down on your chair scooted it closer to the table.

"How about I take care of that? We've known each other for so long but I want to get to know the real you better," he replies, "I have known for a long time that you're a fantastic cook! You failed to mention however that you went to culinary school and~ owned a restaurant of your own!"

"That is commendable on itself! Why, aren't you just the perfect partner for a cannibal overlord," He claps at your achievements.

"Partner?" you whisper sweat dripping from your form squirming from the amount of attention you're receiving.

"Why, of course! If not my partner, then what else!" he laughs heartily with a laughing track, "unless, of course, you mean to be my spouse?"

Your head exploded at the thought, your heart squeezed and pulled. S-spouse? to Alastor? That was just a wishful dream you had! You never thought he'd utter the words you only dreamed to hear. Several years of you imagining to his significant other, you never imagine he'd open the possibility of it.

While you head was running around, currently, you slumped on the chair as smoke came from your head as you muttered words to yourself with a dreamy smile with an unfocused look in your eyes that maintained their heart shape.

"Oh, (y/n)?" Alastor tries again to gain your attention and pull you from your daydreaming.

However, he unsuccessful. So, he just sighs in defeat with a chuckle and took your hand that was left on the table and caressed your knuckles with his thumb as his chin rested on the other as he admired your dazed form.

He barely started his conversation with you, and you've already turned out like this. It seems he'll have to be patient with you.

🔗Cannibal Chef!Reader Taglist:

@bonnie-02, @marxo5, @whaatttlaufey, @froggybich, @rybunnie, @midorichoco, @lucifers-silhouette, @kimmis-stuff, @bontensbabygirl, @janey, @akiqvq, @wonderlandangelsposts, @spoiled-slutt, @roboticsuccubus83, @atlas-rin, @yuriohoe04, @azullynxx, @milk-bulb, @rainynyy, @s2tng

[megabuild]

mumbo said in his recent video that he sees etho as someone who "doesnt show a lot of positive emotion towards people " and thats why he kept the mumbo statue that he thought etho built of him even after joel said he was the one who built it and said he made it ugly on purpose and was surprised mumbo didnt tear it down . said he nearly cried seeing it. what do u think about etho "not showing a lot of positive emotion" do you think thats true

i don't think it's necessarily true but i can see where mumbo's coming from (with the obvious disclaimer that this is all just my own personal feelings, and mumbo is the guy who actually knows him in person and has for some time).

mumbo and etho's relationship or lack thereof is generally pretty fascinating to me because while they both have been on the same server for a long time they've rarely, if ever, interacted or collaborated. unsurprising given that both tend to keep to their own respective groups. agonising for me as a big fan of them both but anyways. i think it's also important to remember that mumbo started mcyt pretty young and watched a lot of his now friends before knowing them (eg. in the same clip you mentioned above he talks about being a big fan of joel's!) so i don't think it's a stretch to say that despite knowing etho personally, i think he could still be in that stage of mythologising etho that a lot of creators who collab with him have went through in the past... tune into 3rd life, mcc 33, hell the elybeatmaker among us stream. i don't think i gotta explain how many people look up to him as this unknowable figure of old mcyt. factor in that he has his hand in a lot of early redstone developments and continues to achieve new things with it to this day and i think it's understandable why mumbo might idolise him to the point of dissociating etho the redstoner from etho the guy

this also isn't helped but the fact that while etho does show positive emotion, definitely, his positive emotions towards others often come across in a way that can be hard to recognise if you aren't looking for it.. etho is full of snark and callbacks and if you don't understand the context around those they might not make sense, but his way of showing care is also far from obvious. another recent example would be the tour of bdubs' base where he told people how to set their light levels. a lot of people on here freaked out over that but if you step back and look at it it's not really.. that obvious that it's a sign of care and positivity towards bdubs, because he's just stating facts. etho can be very literal and i think he likes to rely on stuff like that to show his affection, but that might not be obvious to everyone.

ultimately while i get what mumbo means i think a lot of it comes down to etho being very particular, and they just haven't spent enough time working together one on one to figure out those peculiarities yet. despite everyone on hermitcraft knowing each other and being friends to a degree it's undeniable that parts of the server are more split into groups than others, sort of like a fucked up venn diagram of common collaborators, and etho's in particular is pretty small. but i hope they do collab properly someday.. i really really hope they do

[inchidentally]

Um, these 60 seconds of recent content between Lando and Oscar made me realize one thing, are these two really only knowing each other for a year or their whole lives?

the audience does not know !!!

like there's a very specific 'united front' thing I can see in a lot of partnerships and it's founded on different things but ultimately manifests in a feeling of cohesion between the drivers. (and I am so sorry bc I saw in passing someone else made a similar post to this but I cannot remember who so lmk bc I don't want to be ripping off their idea !! I have my own separate feelings about it so it's not a copy but still I wish I could have kept that on my dash long enough to rb)

like most teammates fall in the neutral category of professional politeness and friendliness but also the need to push for their own advantage wherever possible. totally fine and normal. also allows for a few fireworks occasionally which is just as good for fan engagement - sometimes more - than if the drivers were always cool w each other.

aberrations like Senna and Prost, brocedes, and sebmark are not to be included - way too unique. could even throw Esteban and Pierre in there.

you've got consummate professionals Lewis and George who are both careful about cultivating their own separate images and who hold a baseline of genuine respect for each other - but part of that respect being that they both know they'll look out for themselves first. so they're very much similar and equals even in operating very independently. ultimately they want the mess to get cleaned up and to shake hands and do business as usual. I could see them genuinely having to hash out something truly ugly and shake hands and move onto their own lives no problem. which like, they clearly have lol.

then there's a situation like Alex and Logan where the dynamic is so incredibly imbalanced BUT you have someone as humanly decent and warm as Alex (even if he maybe wishes he were less so for competitive reasons) and Logan has already become very skilled at dealing with being an outsider/almost unwanted :( and it's clear that they both see how hard-working they both are and what a massive thankless task they have in trying to just achieve points - undetermined if they're mostly friendly out of trauma bonding or will remain friends after being separated but there's absolute friendliness and respect.

then there's The Charisma Guys of Daniel and Carlos and now Lando (who mooched a lot of his F1 charisma off of Carlos and then Daniel). Daniel and Carlos replicate an almost identical dynamic with all of their teammates and it's predicated on what most drivers are already well versed in, which is: playing gay for fangirls, bromance hugging/camaraderie/ribbing for sports media and fans, and taking care of their own brand and career separately from their teammate. it's a powerful tool to have especially for leveraging the popularity of whatever bromance they're in towards their own image without having to lose power over their own image. individual sponsorships being a driver's second goal after winning races and WDCs also makes this an exceptionally good skill to have. it only starts to break down when the personal fortunes of one of the drivers start to hit hard times (current example being obvious).

the Carlos and Charles dynamic absolutely pulls a lot from the charisma/bromance stuff but the huge difference is that Ferrari would - like any F1 team - not give a shit if they didn't get along and just hitched on a bland smile for the cameras. Ferrari aren't remotely behind C2 being what it is, that's all Charles and Carlos. don't get me wrong Ferrari social media teams are MORE than happy to jump on! and sure, the challenges and content are a fun bonus thing to sponsors but three things here: one is that Ferrari IS the brand and they're a top 3 team like they're not grasping for sponsors asflgaslf. two is that as many partnerships have shown, you really don't need to do that much to satisfy the brief. and third, sponsors are like 99.999999% interested in the team's standings and the drivers' individual popularity with partnership popularity coming dead bottom - the bromances are only worth it if they're engagement darlings like carlando. and charlos doesn't do anywhere near those numbers or that widespread corporate social media appeal. you gotta do major impact with crazed fans for it to at all influence a brand's decision where to put their money. so all of the pop off the screen fun and genuine enjoyment we see Carlos and Charles have is fully legit. when they're being tongue-in-cheek levels of cutesy they literally say so. 2025 onward will see how much of a friendship there actually is, but as far as them being very happy with the partnership and collaborating exceptionally well within it, they're far more rock solid and natural at it than most. and the fact that they're if anything even tighter when there's zero incentive for it ?? and when their families and fanbases and their team principal and garages are constantly feuding ?? like it says everything about how much they respect each other and actually feel affection for each other to remain such a united front and so happy and affectionate. nobody else benefited from Carlos asking his team to tell Charles' team to come celebrate his win with him. nobody else in Ferrari or on the grid made bank off of about Charles rushing to congratulate Carlos while he was still in the car. (especially not when carlando did a quick hug and it got brands and official accounts posting tiktok ship edits to the predictable delight of thousands of fangirls. and for them all to cough cough conveniently ignore the embrace with his gf to push the image further.) there is no PR benefit behind C2 that would justify them hitching on such a dramatic facade - and if anything the people around them would prefer they kept separate so that they could celebrate one without the other. whatever their relationship is after this there will always be that massive respect IN SPITE of what the world around them wants.

but Lando and Oscar are such a major aberration not just in them both being so incredibly young and arriving into F1 so hot and already being so close in ability, but their specific 'history' and personalities. they were already such an easy fit together that it surpassed the professional need for a bromance buffer - and at the same time their bond being partly on how naturally private and shy they are made them poorly suited for a PR machine.

Oscar had already said - and a lot of fans already knew - that there were several friends in common and that the shifts in careers and being separated professionally by more years than their ages is the only thing that meant they'd never crossed paths before privately. as K said back when Oscar originally opened that TikTok acc it was so long ago that he followed Max F but that Lando didn't even have an one yet.

but also as many people close to Lando have said (good example that was posted recently) and that we can often still see in streamer Lando - Lando is very much like Oscar as a person at his core. pretty much all of the 'famous person' stuff we saw him become happened after 2019 and directly because of latching onto the social lives of guys like Carlos, Daniel and Martin. he's always referred to as extremely shy and he's said before he likes for others to lead. but his comfort place is still either hanging out in private with close friends only or to get on stream and laugh with his friends. Lando himself said that he considers Oscar to be very similar to him as a person outside of F1 and for all that in some ways that seems surprising, when you look at who Lando is when he's not in Professional Mode or Party Friends Mode he genuinely really fits in with someone quiet like Oscar who loves spending hours gaming w his friends and not being in public. I don't know enough about Martin Garrix as a person but I rly honestly see that with him as well. yes there's the Party Friend aspect but for them to travel solo for two entire winter breaks in a row ?? clearly Martin is a peaceful, quiet guy on Lando's level <3

and ofc I go onnnnn and fucking on about how while we all hate it bc it means we don't get as much content, the fact is that Lando and Oscar are the type of friendship/partnership where it's quiet and private and not something that translates to a bromance on camera. it's never going to be strategic.

so the fact that they have this "twinning" thing isn't that they are identical or that they even look all that similar, it's down to actually slotting in really well with each other as people! as always who knows how deep these friendships actually go but the whole mind-reading and synchronization and total lack of drama between them as drivers comes from genuinely being similar people and liking each other - that's what we're all picking up on when we watch them together.

the fact that they honestly find it awkward as hell when the media try to get them to "package" their friendship in bromancey soundbites or when they look at the camera a bit like an intruder that's making them dance their friendship around for media, like. that's so incredibly relatable for how any of us would feel with one of our actual friends having to do all that. having a camera aimed at us and some stranger being like "so you two get on really well huh?" and practically leaning in for an expected answer ???? it would be so stupid and weird and the whole way Lando and Oscar work together in unison to dispel how weird that is is so natural !!

idk it's like there's different things to take from different partnerships and literally all of us are suckers for a fun bromance and great professional chemistry. but I think this whole universal 'twins' thing that everyone sees in Lando and Oscar is genuinely two guys who are similar in all the fundamental ways and who actually slot together in ways where they naturally just agree on everything and therefore can predict a lot of what the other person is thinking if that makes sense ??? like yes Lando has Single Guy Party Times and professional motivations where Oscar does not but for a friendship and partnership to work, those are the two least relevant things to need to be similar about y'know ??

[loveandleases]

(Our first character fluff alphabet, and who better to start with than M (arshmallow. Below the cut~)

A = Admiration - M admires kindness.

B = Body - M is a fan of thighs. The thicker the lovelier to them.

C = Cuddling - M is the type to be quite clingy when cuddling and not wanting their partner to move for quite a bit.

D = Dates - M's ideal date would be staying in, just vibing with their partner. Not doing anything. They just want to be able to spend time with their partner, which isn't that important as long as they can be together.

E = Emotions - M can be a bit secretive and hold some emotions back. They have a hard time opening up. Though they always seem to have a smile on their face, something else hides underneath.

F = Family - M is fine if their partner wants a family, also fine if they don't. They don't have strong emotions about it.

G = Gifts - As the only child of their parents M has gotten many presents over time, not even for meaningful days such as a birthday or a holiday. To them, gifts are small ways to show you care about someone and should be given whenever. Not just for holidays.

H = Holding Hands - M will be shy when holding hands but it won't cause them to want to stop. They will just be blushing the majority of the time. If their partner tries to pull away to make M more comfortable they will refuse to let go. It's for the better.

I = Injury - If M gets hurt, they will play it off as if it isn't that serious. Yet internally the amount of swearing they will be saying is immeasurable. They could give a certain redhead a run for his money.

J = Jokes - They aren't fans of pranks, but they do enjoy a good job—especially a dad joke. To them, their quite funny, even dry humor can be admired by M.

K = Kisses - Soft and reserved. However, once they get comfortable it will be firey.To the point that there may be some bruised lips among them.

L = Love - Spoiler

M = Memory - Not applicable, just yet.

N = Nightmare (what is one of their fears?) - M is afraid of turning in their book late.

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?) They love horror but are afraid every time they watch it.

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?) Sunshine

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?) M likes to take walks late at night, especially after they finish a chapter of work. They enjoy admiring the scenery outside, be it alone or with someone.

R = Rhythm (what song do they hum to themselves, when they think no one is listening.) Kiss me by sixpence none the richer

S = Secrets (how open are they?) M is very secretive, though they may let things slip from time to time.

T = Time (how do they spend their time?) More often than not, M can be found working in their apartment. Or asleep at their desk.

U = Upset (how do they act when they're upset?) They plaster on a smile pretending as if they are fine when they are sulking. Will be for a few days.

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?) M is very proud of their achievements as a writer.

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?) M would fight for MC. With a smile on their face the entire time, that is until MC isn't looking.

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?) Not applicable just yet.

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?) They would, once they stop freaking out about it.

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?) Knowing that MC is there, and sitting just enjoying the view. (Which will be MC more often than not.)

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

Cherry Magic has graced anime fans with the first gay marriage in anime history. That coming from a country where same-sex marriage is still quite some lightyears away from becoming legal, is huge. The first spirtually recognised same-sex marriage in Japan dates back to 2016. Although society has becoming more accepting over the past few years and queer activists keep fighting for equal rights, queer people in Japan are still being discriminated (this Wikipedia article on LGBT rights in Japan is quite comprehensive about the legal situation). If you want to know what that's like, read Ryousuke Nanasaki's honest and down-to-earth biography Until I Meed My Husband--he's an LGBTQ+ activist and the lucky guy who, together with his partner, made history as the first gay couple getting married at a shrine.

At present, Japan is the only G7 nation that neither recognises same-sex marriage nor has a law to protect queer minorities. As of 2023, the current ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), regards homosexuality as a disorder and claims it can be healed with spiritual practices and therapy, and that same-sex unions should be discouraged because they destroy the traditional image of family and society.

Please let that sink in for a moment.

But then I see people (mostly on the bird site, I think) screaming "But my favourite gay anime should have been the first to have a gay marriage!!! LOOK WHAT THEY TOOK FROM US!!1!!111!!!1"™

Embarrassingly, most of these people are from my own fandom. And I'm seriously wondering whether these people are okay if this is all they care about.

YOI was very progressive for the time it was made in (it aired in the same year Ryousuke Nanasaki married his partner in a shrine). But when you start digging and read the interviews with the creators and put them into context with the reactions from Japanese anime fans, the reality of queers living there, and the obstacles the director had to overcome to make her vision reality, you can't unsee that YOI was too progressive for it's time.

Sometimes I wonder if growing up in a country that has estabilshed marriage equality years ago, makes people blind to overlook the systematic queerphobia queer people face in countries with a still mostly conservative collective mindset, even more so as seeing a country through the lens of fiction doesn't give a realistic picture of its society and the struggles its marginalised groups face (especially when these struggles aren't portrayed realistically in those works). And this is such a weird ironic since the queer stories we love with all our heart because they paint a the picture of a queer utopia are born from this society.

Progress isn't a linear process and it doesn't happen overnight. Two steps forward can mean one step back. If you push too far before society is ready for it, brace yourself for the backlash. No groundbreaking achievement has the power to tear down the walls of conservative stubbornness, it rather antagonises the people who have the means to thwart you.

If you struggle with accepting this, if you think that your selfish desire to get more of your favourite anime is more important than queer rights, if you are convinced that some animation studio owes you and make it the fulcrum of your very existence, I ask you politely and in all seriousness to please go touch some grass, educate yourself, and come back when you've found the plot again.

Disclaimer: I'm not a Japanese citizen and I don't live in Japan. I gathered these information from people living there (expats and natives), the Japan Times, Wikipedia, translations of interviews with the YOI staff, and my own research.

[sweetkpopmusings]

wonwoo best friend headcanons <3

a/n: posting this for the sweet anon who requested it ! my heart is warmed by the love y'all have for these posts, and it's even more warmed by thoughts of being besties with wonwoo because his existence is so heartwarming :,-) pics not mine <33

content: fluff | wc: 0.8k | warnings: none! | pairing: bestfriend!wonwoo x gn!reader | requests: open

he's the chill kind of best friend who makes your life so much more enjoyable just by being in it

your friendship with him is steady beyond belief

and you bring out the best in each other!!

while it may take him some time to get to know you because he's a quiet and shy guy, once he does, you get to see a different side of him compared to most people

for one, he's SO funny and he's ALWAYS cracking jokes

like he figures out your kind of humor and makes jokes in that style because he loves seeing you laugh

tbh he just loves seeing you happy and enjoying life

so he wants to get to know the things you like and partake in any and all activities you do for fun

but he always asks before doing something with you because he respects that we sometimes want to keep certain things as a solo activity :,-) he's SO respectful :,-)

when you do share things with him, he is ALL. IN.

you want to rewatch your favorite childhood tv show? he's coming over to watch it with you, and, when he's unable to come over, he'll watch episodes on his breaks and text you his reactions

he really appreciates you opening up any part of your life to him, so he treats it with the utmost care

and you do the same for him! because you also know how lucky you are to have a wonderful person sharing the things they love with you

regardless of whether you game, he will teach you how to play whatever he's into at the moment, and he'll give encouraging commentary while you learn

once you're getting better, he'll probably start to make jokes like oh, are you really gonna do THAT? interesting choice there, pal

cut to you both playing the same game for hours on end and you get so emotionally invested you both are yelling at the game and/or each other in excitement or defeat (depending on how well you're doing)

his little bookworm heart will recommend books to you out of his favorites, but he'll curate them to what you like or what he thinks you'll like <3

same with games, movies, food, etc.

he asks a lot of questions about you, your likes, your dislikes, and any trivia about you

because he's genuinely interested!!! he thinks it's so cool he gets to know someone like you <3

like he's the type of person who will ask you "what's your favorite color?" when you've both just been sitting in the same room on your phones in silence for hours someone give me quality time with wonwoo please i'm begging you

he also tells you things about himself that he doesn't share with others

he trusts you so so much and he shows he's grateful to you by giving you special parts of him

sometimes he'll text you in the morning when he wakes up from a strange dream just to tell you about it

he really values what you think, on big and small things

which is why he'll come to you if he's struggling with something, feeling low, stressed out, etc

because he knows you'll listen to all his thoughts and concerns and you'll also take the time to work through things with him

and he is the same when it comes to consoling you. he wants you to live the best life you possibly can, and he's going to do everything in his power to help you to achieve that!

he's just such a sweetheart

but don't get me wrong

with all the things he knows about you, he will use it to tease you when he's in the right mood

i can see him teasing his bestie (you) the way he messes with hoshi sometimes like he won't let you live but it's coming from a place of love lmao

if you aren't a fan of teasing, he of course won't do it, but it's really just a way for him to be playful with you :,-)

i think he'd give silly little gifts too

for your birthday, he'll buy you a trinket that represents something in your friendship

it's heartfelt, but it also makes you laugh ! like he really gave you a small snail lamp because you both had a phase where you obsessed over snails and sent cute cartoon drawings of them back and forth

omg or he gets you a lil fun fact book on something you both like so you can share weird fun facts with him every time you meet up for coffee/food and he'll pretend as though he hasn't read a bunch of them already

all in all, friendship with wonwoo is filled with intention. he's an extremely thoughtful best friend down to the tiniest details because he values you so very much <3

*cries in loving wonwoo* brb gotta go pray to the universe that i can have a wonwoo in my life

[fromtenthousandfeet]

https://x.com/97901_sue/status/1837382052729311473?t=AkNYU_IdWzar_rrDeie5Ew&s=19

Idk if he's achieved the money they were hoping his album would bring but he definitely got more fans than any other members. The songs that were chosen were of general public taste more than any other members'. Of course we know the Maknae line is already more Famous than others but he definitely gained a lot more fans like at least they succeeded in this. There's always some idols or other celebrities mentioning his songs and it's not just seven or not they do mention the b-sides as well. One thing i can say is that if currently there's one idol who's most popular then that's definitely him in general not talking about specific parts. The songs from Golden are known. I know the company pushing him helped A LOT but it's still about his vocal ability that i think attracts more ppl plus the choreo for those songs were also something that gp would love not too complicated not too easy. He Especially gained a lot more in sk cause so many idols mention him.

And i really hope someone won't say that I'm a jjk in disguise cause I'm not. Just saying what i saw. Would have said the same if it was any other member instead of him.

I'm really not convinced Jungkook picked up a ton of fans due to SEVEN or his album. Don't confuse successful marketing with actual committed fans.

Marketing exists for a reason - because it works! HYBE spent an INSANE amount of money marketing SEVEN, and Golden to a lesser extent. SEVEN was basically unavoidable if you were on TikTok. And if you weren't on that platform, you got hit by auto play on Spotify, or forced ads on YouTube. Hearing something enough times makes it familiar. Recognizing a song is kind of comforting. You may sing along even if you don't really love the song.

I get so many asks about Jungkook. Why me??? Stop, I beg you!

Here are my honest opinions about JK:

He's overhyped. At the end of the day, he's just a typical Gen Z dude in an extraordinary situation.

The songs I've heard from Golden sound dated and dull.

His voice is nothing special. I don't care how much training he's had. It's nasal and devoid of emotion. He sounds better when he sings in his lower register, but that doesn't work well in pop music, where almost all the male singers are tenors. His falsetto is unlistenable.

He's a mockingbird. He can mimic famous singers, but he himself has no signature sound or artistic point of view.

I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift. I don't hate her, but I don't actively search out her music. I'm fine listening to her songs when I hear them in public or on the radio. I think it's great that she's so successful. I'm totally fine with her enormous fandom. This is where I'm trying to get with Jungkook. It would be easy to feel indifferent to him and his potential success if all members of BTS were given equal treatment by the company. I would simply say, "congratulations on your success as a solo artist and good luck in your future endeavors." The problem, of course, is the fact that BigHit/HYBE openly sabotages Jimin, copies Jimin, and gives him the bare minimum of tools for success. They aren't really doing any favors for the remaining five members, either.

Jimin has something Jungkook doesn't have, and that's the most dedicated global fandom imaginable. It's an organized fandom who keep him on the charts despite the odds. Jungkook just has lots of tools, including basic pop songs specifically written for a western audience, infinite versions, covers, and remixes, and an unfathomable marketing budget, all of which almost guarantee his success. You just can't compare the two.

Yikes. I'm long winded as usual, but here's what I'd like to end with. I hope Jimin will continue to write his own music. I hope he will continue to dazzle us with his own style of dance, incorporating contemporary and street style. I hope he pushes boundaries. Jungkook can have the huge global pop star title. I am in no way obligated to consume his music or content. Equally, I won't mind if others do.

[alicentflorent]

Why do you like Gale? No hate, I’m honestly glad because I feel like we’re a minority because everyone seems to detest him. What is it specifically about his character that draws you in? For me it’s his endurance despite loss, his devotion to the cause, he’s the flawed rebel that isn’t pure because the system doesn’t allow him to be.

I like him for the reasons you just listed too. His growing hatred towards the capitol and his commitment to ending the oppressive situation is relatable and REAL. He is willing to make the hard choices that aren't always morally right but under the circumstances I can understand why he is willing to use violence, why he accepts that they aren't going to win this rebellion without a few civilian casualties. He was fully committed to the rebellion and was willing to die for Panem to be free and wasn't naive to how that was going to be achieved. I can respect that. Especially given his life circumstances and how much trauma he's been through (something that fans ignore because he wasn't in the horror that is the games, therefore, his trauma doesn't count). We get insight into his view on the people in the capital, the privileged, early on, Before the reaping he says "if they all stopped watching, there wouldn't be any games." in his eyes they are all complicit, which isn't necessarily true for every single peson but you can understand his point. The people in the capitol could at the very least all boycott the games and this would put an end to them because then no one would be profiting off them. We know this to be true as well because the games were not successful and barely anyone watched them in TBOSAS and they were likely going to stop them.

Another reason I like him is because of how loyal he is to his family, the everdeens (he would have taken care of them if Katniss had died and was taking care of them when she wasn't around) and his loyalty to his district. He saved as many people as he possibly could from 12 during the genocide and yet, he still felt guilty that he couldn't do more. It is important to note that it was AFTER witnessing the genocide that he fully became involved in the rebellion and the creation of weapons and was willing to make the tough calls that would've got people killed. He was still a rebel in the making before then but who can blame him? his father is killed in the mines and he has to take care of his mother and siblings and make sure they don't starve to death (yes people in district 12 were literally dying of starvation if anyone is forgetting that fact) and Katniss was the only person who understood this. He resents the fact that some people are living in luxury when his people are suffering so much, he hated the class system and wealth disparity which separates the districts and that is something most of us can understand in todays world. In catching fire, when more people started hating him, he's working 12 hour shifts in the mines that killed his father and yet, his family still don't have enough food to get by, he has siblings who are now getting old enough to enter the games and there's nothing he can do to help them if they get reaped because he's aged out and can't volunteer on his behalf. He acted like a dick at times but he was also suffering and lets not forget that moment when he was TORTURED by peacekeepers and could have been killed had Katniss not stepped in.

I don't agree with all of his decisions but when this war started there was no going back, they either win and create a better Panem or they die, their loved ones die or worse, they suffer fates worse than death and worse than the lives they had before. The first rebellion resulted in the games and further oppression of the districts, imagine how it would've ended if this rebellion was lost? When you're fighting a leader as brutal as Snow you have to fight dirty and be prepared to make terrible moves that Snow thinks you haven't got it in you to make.

Gale is resilient, passionate, a fighter, loyal, smart (disagree with his strategies but they were good and pragmatic war strategies) and just as flawed as any other complex character. It is a shame people hate him so much, and mainly because of a love triangle that Suzanne never intended to write in the first place.

Sidenote: the way the fandom hated on him just made me analyse his character more closely and like him MORE which is a bit of pattern with me and unfairly hated characters.

[pastamansta]

🔥 Tim Burton (him as a person or his aesthetic, your choice!)

"Beetlejuice" (1988) reminds me a lot of another film I watched recently; "Tombstone" (1993). Sold by an aesthetic and a FANTASTIC performance from a side character, audiences were conned into loving a mediocre film. I'm not Lindsey Ellis, so don't expect me to talk about the cartoon.

"Batman" (1989) and its sequel is proof that Burton will not be giving up his aesthetic for God or money. Gotham is heavily disconnected from both the film and its source material, with little reason other than its director. There's a reason no one calls these "Keaton's Batmans," they call them "Burton's Batmans." Jack Nicholson is great as The Joker, but that's no hot take. The hot take is that Devito is too horny as The Penguin, and it makes me uncomfortable for a film that's already so sexual.

"Edward Scissorhands" (1990) is a bitter, bitter film where artist finally meets muse. Not, like, in the plot, but in the production. Depp and Burton were made for eachother... or at least that's what I'm supposed to think. This movie's just too messy, however, and can't decide where its focal point lies and leaves me wishing I had just watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) instead.

"Sleepy Hollow" (1999) leaves me, a fan of the original text, I know that's probably a weird thing to say, miffed, even if understanding. Outside of some pacing issues, it's a bold reimagining that feels like Burton attempting to get out of his comfort zone... but I just didn't need this story to be turned into an homage to B-horror. Go watch that Disney short, eh?

"Big Fish" (2003) is his best film. I am hardly qualified to speak on it, and even if I did, I would cry. So, you know, just go watch that shit.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) is destined to be compared to "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971), and why wouldn't it? In thirty-four years since the making of the original, not a single person worth listening to said "i need this done right," including Burton himself, which is why he tries to add so much, but no amount of additions changes the fact that he casted his muse instead of someone who could, you know, act like Wonka? So, you know, destined for failure and to be loved by everyone who won't watch movies made before 1987.

"Corpse Bride" (2005) is one of only two claymation films that Burton would actually direct, and he uses this time to steal a Jewish story and make it less Jewish. I don't like the ending or the songs and it feels like it could be cut in half and achieve the same effect.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007) literally doesn't have the iconic opening number from the stage play??? Overall, there's rarely a pairing of source material and director that works as well as this one... If only I enjoyed the source material, eh? So dark, so bitter, so edgy, so... nothing. I never think about this movie. When I do, I think of Mrs. Lovett's dream sequence and remember the good old days of "Big Fish" (2003) when Burton liked to use color.

"Alice in Wonderland" (2010) is one of my guiltiest pleasures in all of film. It is the reason why every time Disney announces a live-action remake, my ears perk up. If all of them were as wild, unhinged, original, creative, and inspired as this one... Well, I think Disney might not be fucking bleeding money right now. No one ever even mentions that it's a sequel to the original animated film. A SEQUEL, not a remake. Sometime movie-goers surprise me with how little they think.

"Frankenweenie" (2012) blows. I don't care how unique it is, I do not like it.

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2016) is one of the funniest remnants of the teen dystopia genre. Like, it hardly applies, but is trying SO HARD that it's unbelievable. Also, props to Mr. "Black People Aren't My Aesthetic" for casting Samuel L. Jackson as a dude who eats white babies. (I do not mean that.) Seriously, this is proof that Burton, as a modern director, should no longer be taken seriously.

"Dumbo" (2019) is AAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHA I FUCKING HATE THIS DUDE HOLY SHIT

If I didn't mention, I haven't seen it. Yes, I know I skipped some big ones. I may watch them one day, but I am in no rush.

[unholyverse]

waterparks // kerrang january 2018 #1705

(full article text under the cut)

LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST

The past couple of years have been such a whirlwind for Waterparks that the trio have barely had time to breathe. Beyond all the bluster and bravado, it's taken a private toll on Awsten Knight. On the eve of new album Entertainment, though, the frontman is ready to go again…

Words: Jennyfer J. Walker // Photos: Andrew Upovsky

A few years ago, Awsten Knight dropped out of college to focus on his band, Waterparks. To gain the funds to do so, he spent his time teaching guitar and babysitting. Today, the Texas-based trio—completed by guitarist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood—are one of the most in-demand young bands on the planet. The name Waterparks first became synonymous with more than just being a fun place to hang out in your swimming trunks in 2016, with the release of their debut album, Double Dare. And the three-piece have only gotten bigger since. After forming in 2011, they picked up Good Charlotte's Benji and Joel Madden as managers (and Benji as a producer), toured the world with All Time Low, sold out Camden's Underworld (4,846 miles from their hometown) in under an hour, and recorded second album Entertainment, which is out next week.

There have been personal moments that made Awsten realise he and his band have 'made it', too, like when he was awarded Tweeter Of The Year in the Kerrang! Readers' Poll ("That's literally just all the dumb shit I said on Twitter," he says, baffled as to why anyone would care about his caps-lock musings). Then there was the time a Japanese fan flew to a U.S. show, and turned up to meet Awsten looking exactly like Awsten…

"He was dressed just like me!" the singer says in more disbelief. "He dyed his hair blue and he had my necklace [the rainbow foot one]. He was straight-up me! And I was like, 'Oh my God, some guy in fucking Japan, who doesn't even know my language, likes my shit that much that he's dressed up like me… that's fucking awesome.'"

Ask Awsten to reflect on his band's success, to properly look back and take it all in, and he'll get uncomfortable.

"I don't really look back at stuff as much as I should…" he admits. "I feel like if I stop to think about any of that too hard, it would freak me out. So I think the best thing, at least for now, is to keep my head down and keep working as fast as I can and as hard as I can to keep it going."

And how do you feel when you're forced to reflect?

Before replying, he thinks for a second and exhales, making his lips vibrate.

"It kinda doesn't feel like it happened…When we got back from Japan I was just tired and laying there, and a week later I talked about it in an interview, and they were like, 'You just got back from Japan with All Time Low,' and I was like, 'Oh yeah! We did do that, huh?'" It doesn't feel…"—he thumbs through the pages of his brain dictionary, looking for the right words—"…it doesn't feel real."

The only time Awsten really nods to his achievements is within the blue walls of his childhood bedroom, where he's rested his head for the past 20 years, and is currently doing so while the band take their first proper break in two years. In between shelves crammed with DVDs, books ("because reading's tight") and his bed there's a nightstand. On the top sit a pack of Twizzlers and a pot of vitamins, and in the cubby hole below rests a stack of six or seven magazines, all of which have Awsten's face on the cover. He'll only take them out to properly look at when new ones arrive in the mail- there have been two this week - but he likes having them there, when he's in the room. "Being able to see those things is small," he says. "But it's enough to be like, 'Okay, cool.'"

[Image of the band walking around with the caption, "The gangs of New York aren't quite what they used to be."]

Awsten's aware that few bands take off like Waterparks have. It's a fact people remind him about often, including his friends and mentors Benji and Joel.

"They tell us, 'Your band is extremely special,' and I'll be like, 'Thank you so much!' I'm thankful to hear it…'"

The Maddens' elder brother Josh, meanwhile, has taught the frontman that it's important to take time for yourself in order to survive in any successful band. "Josh told me, There's Waterparks Awsten and there's Awsten Awsten. They're both the same guy, but you need to make sure both of them have the same love and care. It's tough to do…"

He lets out a brief laugh at what he's about to say. It's something he often does.

"Girls have accused me of being a workaholic before. It's still hard for me to answer when people ask, 'What do you do when you're not doing music?' I don't have that much to say…Which isn't a good sign of progress on that front, because it's what I'm doing all the time. If it's not for Waterparks, I'm working on music for somebody." He has, though, taken steps to care for poor neglected Awsten Awsten while he's been off tour. He's learned the importance of getting the recommended eight hours sleep and not staying up all night working on band stuff. He's started going to therapy. And he's training at a small boxing gym in downtown Houston.

"It's definitely a dumb-guy chemical thing, but Otto and I will go through phases where we're like, 'I just wanna fucking fight someone!' Pretty much the entire last tour I was in that mode. I thought, 'I better actually prepare and be good at this shit if it does happen!'" Now, one of the goals on his bucket list for 2018 is to win a boxing match.

Such drive means the frontman's never struggled to keep his eyes on the prize when it comes to Waterparks. As soon as our morning chat ends, Awsten says he'll start working on more music.

His self-assuredness and stronger-than-graphene vision for the band mean he's never had to fight to stay true to himself, either. He's more likely to walk into the record label and tell them what's what.

"Dude, honestly, I'm so fucking good at marketing!" he says, not-at-all modestly. "I've got a vision for us, and I know what we are. I'm aware what works and what doesn't. I'm a control freak, which I guess is a thing I should work on, but it's definitely kept things very true to who we are."

New album Entertainment is saturated with that same confidence, and the frontman says he feels no pressure whatsoever putting it out.

"When it was getting made, nobody knew [since it was done in secret], so they couldn't get hyped or anything. Now, if anybody wants to have expectations, it's already done. There's nothing I can do."

Doesn't a little part of you worry about whether people will like it?

"Not really," he says, shrugging his shoulders, "because I know it's good. Not to be cocky about it…I just think it's a very good album. There were songs I thought would make the record that didn't, which means everything on there is the best of the best."

The most confident man in rock does have one Kryptonite, though: his feelings. That became apparent three weeks before the release of Entertainment, when Awsten tweeted a picture of two pages from a spiral-bound notebook. On those pages was a handwritten letter, in his trademark caps, explaining that he'd gone off Waterparks' second record. The words were fairly cryptic, stating, "the last couple months have [been] weird, difficult, and everything else that sits in the realm of 'bad'. I lost a lot mentally and physically. Certain things happened and to be overly honest with you, Entertainment was ruined for me. I stopped listening to it, and felt weird to hype it in interviews. However, the worst part was the pure dread I felt thinking, 'Fuck. I still have to tour on this and sing these words every night.'"

Yet fans knew the note related to Awsten's break-up with his TV actress girlfriend, Ciara Hanna, the subject of much of the album's lyrics.

"I was glorifying people and things that I really don't fucking like and that really sucked," he says.

How did you feel about the future when those songs were ruined for you?

"Very fucking bleak!" he says. "I was like, 'Fuck, I'm ready to make another album, let's do that instead!'"

Would you have scrapped Entertainment if that was an option?

"There was a time that I would have said yes. But it's a piece of fucking art, and it would be a shame to let certain people or things ruin that."

In order to feel excited about the album again, Awsten had to change the meanings of the songs in his mind.

"My love songs are not about anyone now," he says. "They're just about love. And the dark places I was put in because of certain people or events? Those are stories. Every album is going to be a snapshot of where I was at that time."

Which explains why he thanks Ciara "for filling me with too many feelings" in the CD's thank you notes.

Quiz Awsten about which songs on the album are the most personal to him, and he'll say "the ones that make me go, 'Agh fuck!'" are Lucky People, Rare, TANTRUM, Crybaby and We Need To Talk.

"I try to keep my shit together around other people," he says when asked if there were any breakdowns in the vocal booth, "but the day Crybaby was made, that was one of the worst days of my life…" What was happening that day?

"I don't wanna talk about that, if that's okay," Awsten says meekly. "I feel like I give a lot to people, and some of the stuff that is written about on this album, I haven't told anybody about, 'cause it's just very… low, dark, personal shit. There are certain things that people don't need to know."

One song he is comfortable delving deeper into is diss track TANTRUM. An album highlight, it sees Awsten rant his frustrations away.

"TANTRUM's blunt as fuck!" he offers. "A lot of the stuff's metaphorical, but that one's like, This married guy tried to fuck my girlfriend and I'm gonna kill him when I see him!' I was like, 'I'll put his name in it, fuck it! I don't care."

We point out that when the guy in the song hears it, Awsten might just get that boxing match he's after…

"I just might, but I'm prepared," he says seriously.

As we wrap up our interview, Awsten's pouring his second coffee of the day, ready to resume being a workaholic. We ask how he's feeling after what's been a frankly terrible couple of months, and at the start of what's set to be the year of his career.

"I mean…" he pauses. "If someone has empathy and is able to feel certain things, like a functioning emotional brain- or in my case, maybe it's more emotional than it should be, I don't know yet—everyone is a work in progress."

He lets out a particularly-Texan "GOD DAMN!" and laughs at how corny he sounds.

"But everybody is literally just doing their best. Everyone is working on it. I'm working on it…"

ENTERTAINMENT IS AVAILABLE VIA EASY LIFE RECORDS ON JANUARY 26. WATERPARKS TOUR THE UK IN MARCH — SEE THE GIG GUIDE

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

THE MADDENS AREN'T JUST MANAGERS FOR WATERPARKS. AS AWSTEN REVEALS, THE TWINS ARE MORE LIKE FAMILY

"The Madden Brothers are the fuckin' best! They've taught me a lot. I knew about the idea of having role models and shit, had them and I've definitely h before, but actually seeing them at work, and the way they accomplish things and get shit done [is very cool].

"I wouldn't be who I am right now without them. What's cool is, I'd never in a billion years be like, "You guys are like me…'but we often have conversations about what we want to to accomplish. Last night I talked to Benji, and he said, 'Dude, everything that Joel and I did, see in you.' And I was just like, 'Fuuuuuuck!

"They're more like friends than mentors to me now. Half the shit we talk about is not even band related. We talk about life, how to be different and things I want to be involved in…I want to accomplish a lot. Some of it is musical and some isn't, but I want them to be my team for all of it."

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

You know what, I want a fic where ikran racing is like a super big thing (think like the Pandoran version of derbies and all that) and is a big part of the culture. Nobody knows what to do with Spider who, being a human, doesn't really stand much of a chance but still seems intent on participating, so they just make him the clan ikran groomer to keep him out of trouble. Enter Neteyam, his best friend Lo'ak's older brother who's on the fast-track to take their father's place as ikran racing champion---or at least he was. Recently he's been having major trouble and things aren't looking good.

Imagine over the next few months Spider, who has like a shit-ton of knowledge about ikrans due to the fact that he's been the caretaker of pretty much all of them since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, helps Neteyam in secret to fix whatever's happening meanwhile they sort of fall in love even though they really shouldn't (for various reasons). Think of all of the themes that could be explored! Think of the angst! Neteyam strikes me as a brooder, so think of all the brooding!

And what's even better? This could also work for all you locorro people out there. Picture, if you will, a Lo'ak who's stuck in the shadow of his father (the greatest ikran racer known to Na'vi) and Neteyam, who seems to be following in the footsteps of their father's greatness. Desperate to prove himself, he comes to Spider for help (let's just say he and his ikran don't really. . . vibe) and Spider agrees despite all of his misgivings and fast-forward through a whole training/bonding/falling in love and finding themselves montage and boom!

How would either of these end? Idk. But man do I want this and if I don't get it I may just have to take matters into my own hands. (For some reason I just dig chill ikran caretaker Spider and high-strung, works himself to the bone to achieve perfection Neteyam or desperate to prove himself despite the fact that both him and his ikran are a mess Lo'ak.)

HOLY FUCK this is my favorite ask of all time. Alright that's it new tag folks: the people need this fic we are begging for it (please explore I have gone back and tagged appropriately).

Hey buddy hey fam I am a huge huge Star Wars fan and you are gonna come in here with your fucking Anakin Skywalker podracing au fic and think I'm not gonna sniff that shit out instantly? Ur crazy dog.

-Spider is like, THE guy for the Omaticaya's ikran care. It's tradition that if you want to participate in ikran racing then you care for ikran for a year before you complete your iknimaya, but Spider has been doing this shit for years longer than anyone else.

-He's like an expert all of them love him, he's like the Hiccup of the Omaticaya he knows all their weak spots, their favorite foods, things they're allergic too, plants that bother them, their favorite places to be scratched: kid could probably ride everyone's ikran even without a rider, but only a select few people have noticed.

-Toruk Makto is the most famous ikran racer because motherfucker rides a toruk. He doesn't participate on toruk anymore after a big legendary competition, and the only person that rivals him is his equally legendary wife (who's better than him it's just toruk that makes Jake better lol)

-Neytiri is as good as she is because unlike a lot of other ikran riders, she does all the care for her ikran alone. It is something she has instilled in her family, but, they are busy. Busy running and leading their clan. So sometimes, Spider steps in. But still the amount of time they dedicate to their ikran compared to others means it's hard not to notice Spider's expertise

-I love the idea of Neytiri being like "yeah no one but me or Spider can touch my ikran, hands off"

-it's a slow build but that equal passion is their connection

-OBSESSED with the idea of the Neteyam and Spider version (getting too many asks about them, we gotta make a ship name poll lol), my bad if I focused heavily on that I might reblog later with the locorro one.

-Neteyam and his ikran bonded but have they bonded. He NEEDS to live up to the level of precision and skill that his parents have with their ikran. Hell, flying is how his parents fell in love! They go on date nights once a week still to fly together, bonded through their love of the sky. He just can't figure out how to translate his thoughts into actions through his ikran. His too wired and anxious all the time, and his ikran's thoughts are always a mile a minute.

-He knows Neytiri only trusts ONE other person to care for her ikran, and that person doesn't have anything to lose either so he goes to Spider and begs him to keep this a secret and to help.

-Without tsaheylu, Spider's bonds with the ikran are formed through a building of trust, care, empathy, and affection through actions. If Neteyam wants to build a bond and he can't trust his mind or his ikran's mind; maybe he can trust actions.

-Oops the bond is formed between Spider and Neteyam too, they slipped and fell into trust, care, and empathy born of actions!

-Neteyam like "how do my parents fall in love flying, flying is stupid and stressful and scary" and then Spider's wrapping his hands around his waist to encourage him to make his movements lighter and he's like 😳

-the jeytiri parallels i'll kill myself frfr

-Lo'ak is still in his year of ikran care pre iknimaya, so he's just around and bitching all the time in the background about how annoying Neteyam is and how perfect he is and Spider is like 😶 yeah he's so perfect 🤭 he's so annoying.

-Kiri has her ikran but would rather die than race, she feels it's inhumane to make the ikran race without asking them first. So she's just bitching the entire time, moping around Neteyam like "why do we have to race, who would even want to?" and Neteyam just REALIZES Spider does.

-He becomes determined to help him be able to race as well. I haven't decided how yet...

Anyways this is how it goes when Spider can:

[ultfan]

HOW HOPE MIRRORS DESPAIR.

i always think about komaeda and enoshima as direct foils ——— their two characters very directly oppose each other. not just in their beliefs, but their reasons for them, and even their talents.

enoshima, the ultimate analysts, lives in a constant state of boredom due to her ability to predict everything and anything. she seeks out despair because it's a powerful emotion that makes people — both herself and others — act in irrational and unpredictable manners. people under such extreme distress act in ways that aren't rational, which can briefly alleviate her boredom. she also seeks to make her own behavior unpredictable, deliberately switching up her personality and causing herself despair to help her from growing bored with herself (even though she still does).

to get into komaeda, there's one thing i want to clarify about hope vs. despair: despair is an emotion — anguish, distress, pain, misery, desperation, heartbreak, etc etc etc. but hope isn't. hope is a want — desire, wish, expectation, dream, aspiration, etc etc etc.

komaeda, the ultimate lucky student, lives a life full of unpredictability. in the words of famous komaeda fan song lucky me: "like a rollercoaster that never ends." he can't control his ability, he can't predict it. life happens to komaeda and he is constantly thrown between extreme emotions — the lowest of lows immediately followed by the highest of highs. he's never allowed to sit and process his feelings. this has jumbled up his perception of things so badly that he feels excitement in the midst of experiencing bad luck, hoping something good will follow — knowing that it's the only thing that could mildly be considered "predictable" about his life.

he wants things to end in the way he predicts. to komaeda it does matter whether he wins or loses — or if the people he roots for wins or loses. the only thing that feels reliable in life are those symbols of hope that are destined for success — and he wants to be part of someone achieving their goal. yes, he gives challenges to those he admires to make them stronger, but he expects them to overcome them. he hopes they can overcome them so they'll be able to reach their personal goals no matter what.

those who strongly hope for something stop at nothing to achieve those goals. they try, they work hard, and if they don't succeed komaeda claims that their hope was "too weak." as in, they didn't try hard enough to succeed. he believes you can always get the outcome you want if you're skilled/talented enough and don't let anything get in your way. he doesn't care who wins — whose hope comes out on top — he just cares that one of the desired outcomes happen.

there is nothing productive about yearning for despair, it accomplishes nothing but misery. there is no end goal, no accomplishment, and no way to truly ever be "done." despair is nothing to komaeda because it is, by definition, the absence of hope. it is the absence of goals, plans, desire, dreams, expectations. that is why he believes hope can never lose to despair ——— because hope implies a drive to win and a passion to do so. and despair implies a lack of care, an absence of investment.

they are not two sides of the same coin. there is hope, and there is nothing. that is why he views despair as a stepping stone, just as he views himself and other challenges. you can push off of despair —  overcome despair — to grow stronger. but so long as you have hope despair is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

and, once more, when it comes to parallels between enoshima and komaeda we have to touch upon their behaviors. they both seem to be unpredictable people, but the difference is enoshima is that way on purpose. and komaeda is that way due to circumstances out of his control.

enoshima wants to find herself in unpredictable situations and makes herself jump from personality to personality to very briefly cure her from her boredom. but it's difficult not to analyze everything she comes across — it's a skill she purposely has to suppress. she's too good at reading the people around her to the point that it's hard to form connections; because when you can predict everything about someone they no longer seem fun or interesting.

komaeda, too, is an observant person. but this seems to be a skill he cultivated to combat his own unpredictable talent and offer some stability in his life. he's quick to piece things together, he's resourceful. and while it doesn't stop his luck cycle from happening, it prepares him to handle things when bad luck does strike. komaeda also tends to keep a very cheerful, carefree attitude most of them time — rarely ever changing this even during inappropriate times. he is capable of acting differently, yes, but i can't help but wonder if this is also an attempt at consistency. an attempt that is doomed to fail due to the nature of his diagnosis, making it literally impossible for him to have a proper hold on his behavior or prevent himself from doing strange and unpredictable things. things that confuse him — and that he worries about.

komaeda knows what's wrong with his brain and knows logically it can cause him to act in strange and irrational ways, but the issue is he is incapable of recognizing when that happens. and even when it's pointed out to him he can't process how strange it is. komaeda has become a person that even he himself can't predict/understand, which only furthers his desire to see hope bloom. even if he isn't capable of having things end in the way he wants, he wants to see other people succeed. because at least he can try to predict the people around him.

he has a better read on them than he does himself. and when his expectations aren't met — when they don't act the way he believes they should / when they don't live up to his expectations... he practically disowns them. he becomes deeply disappointed. more than that, i think he feels personally hurt / betrayed. i partially think that's why he's the most upset with hinata out of everyone in ch4. not just because he's a reserve course student, but because he was wrong about him. because he thought hinata was someone special and found comfort in his presence. because he thought he understood hinata and saw a kinship between them.

by the end of dr2 komaeda realized the only thing he can actually rely on is his luck. and even then... he's nervous to do such a thing (displaying the sprite where he's tightly hugging himself, sweating — which always read to me as a "forced reassurance" kind of expression/action). he bets everything on hope at the end of the game — his hope to be rid of all the remnants of despair. and he puts everything on his luck. because the only consistency he's ever had in life is that "good luck comes after great misfortune."

in a way you could say that komaeda yearns for stability/consistency while enoshima yearns for instability/inconsistency. komaeda will use despair as a stepladder to lift up hope, while enoshima will use hope to create despair — because there's nothing more despairing than having your hopes crushed (or having them come to fruition, in some cases). hope can exist without despair, but despair cannot exist without hope. they oppose each other at every single turn — but they are mirrors of each other. so similar, yet so different.

[dlstmxkakwldrlarchive]

i feel like this is a stupid rant but still.

i don't get how taemints can easily get away with saying that taem should've still had jinkis part after he came back saw tweet saying this with over 1k likes n not one person calling this behaviour weird. if any other subfandom said this about taemins part they would start crying but apparently they can claim that this is all fun n harmless even though said member couldn't perform cause he was out sick n nobody even knew how he was doing. do they think that taemin would prefer having that part n not have jinki back like man was ready to do a song like pansy the moment jinki said something about it in jinki jangpan (even though it was a misunderstanding). the way taemints treat jinki pisses me the hell off like genuinely even if i wasn't a fan it would still seem not ok to me. n every jjingu is somehow an akgae like the call is coming from the house its so hard to find taemints who aren't deranged n will drag the other members down when they achieve something over taemin. jongho usually don't get dragged since jjong can't n minhos a nugu to them (+ being the top ships for taemin) so it's fine since they can't surpass taemin but jinkibum get dragged around daily for everything. ntm them coming after blingers for saying it was bittersweet to see taemin sales be more than jjongs or for him to do that high note like its clear they only care about the members when they aren't threatening taemins achievement. also them dragging young artists for no reason n still not learning when taemin literally had to bbl about yeonjun too like he's not like you n wouldn't support bullying others or his members.

honestly, i get why ppl think tm has the right to have a solo fanbase, like his solo work is way older than the other ones, and it influenced in a very significant way the industry is in, like not only musically, he introduced new concepts, a new idea of what an idol should be, want started a new fashion trend that everyone is trying to emulate, the ace title too... but id rather eat shit than divide him from shinee lol

ignoring the sentimental part, shinee influenced tm solo a lot and he talked abt it too like when he said during mttmg that view's choreo made him realize that a choreo shouldn't always be powerful and that idea helped the making of move's choreo or just how his vocal technique is similiar to jjong's, he even mentioned all the members as artists he looks up to next to mj (😭) tm solo music is far from shinee group music vibe like kinda but imo he wouldn't have been able to release music with that kind of unique vibe if he wouldn't have debuted with shinee, like his shinee route is important in his artistry (like even in the smallest things like getting to know staff he liked) AND that's what these ppl dont like.

there's also this silent belief (that a lot of ppl share) that shinee was actually jongtae stepping stone to debut solo and that onmikey were like just there, like yeah I also think jjong doesn't get much hate because he's part of one of tm most popular ships but they see him as some kind of equal too while jinkibum are always looked down as soloists - i don't think they respect jjong fr btw, it's more like charts, music shows etc - and minho siiiiiiiigh.

[whinlatter]

Hi, You mentioned you liked the Tent scene in the DH movie which is very rare for Romione fans and book fans… and so I’m curious if there’s other things you like from the films? I would love to know

me fighting for my life in hinny/romione jail after saying i really like the tent scene

Ok just in defence of the tent scene, which I love for so many reasons in a film series I broadly feel ambivalent about... I love that how plays with the idea of the characters just being kids getting a moment to piss about in a tent with the radio on, while the war rages around them (the song is O Children for a reason, and the fact that the train imagery runs throughout the lyrics... chef's kiss). I think it's a thoughtful twist on that line from DH about them being "three teenagers in a tent whose only achievement was not, yet, to be dead", playing with the teenageness of it all. I also really like how it steps out of being a HP film and plays both with a change of pace but also different forms of media - like, if you're converting something from one form to another (in this case, from a book to a film), you can and should think about what you can do in movies that you can't do in books, and music is so important in that. And I actually really love at the end where movie!Harry and Hermione look at each other and something seems to hang in the balance - I think it works as a bit of a wink and a nod to the audience expectations, but I love that they both turn away from it, because to the two characters there’s nothing of that between them, just deep love and ease with another person that they treasure and are grateful for. And then the song ends, and it’s back to the worry, three minutes of forgetting and back to the hours and hours of waiting and worrying. And although I don't really think of the movie characters as the characters, I do think it works as a way to render a dynamic in book!Harry and Hermione’s relationship by DH, which does have this intimacy, tenderness, and these gorgeous little twinge moments of physical affection:

She hesitated, but recognised the dismissal. She picked up the book and then walked back past him into the tent, but as she did so, she brushed the top of his head lightly with her hand. He closed his eyes at her touch, and hated himself for wishing that what she said was true: that Dumbledore had really cared.

Overall, though, I really don't love the films. I absolutely enjoy rewatching them with friends as a nostalgic relic of my childhood, yes I will re-enact the PS/SS chess scene on request, but I don't think as a series they're very strong, either as an adaptation or as a standalone body of work. My favourite film is probably GoF, because I think it just gets the vibe right: it nails the series shift that happens in book four, in that it delivers boarding school caper vibes immaculately, but then also really nails the political/courtroom scenes (the Barty Crouch Jr trial scene holds up as iconic, oh my god!) and the truly terrifying graveyard scene and the tragedy/agony of the aftermath. But in general I don't think the films are hugely well done, and I think giving David Yates films five through eight was a huge mistake (the man just turns the lights down to show that everything is getting dark and miserable, and directs weak, mannered performances from his actors in scenes that are poorly cut and edited. I will die on this hill). If JKR weren't set to make bank that she's going to pump into toxic TERF lobbying in Scottish/UK politics I'd be excited for the HBO series. Since the films were made we've seen how long-form series television can really be a wonderful medium for delivering quality adaptations and is where some of the most exciting new IP has been coming out of for the past few years, so there's such rich creative energy in that space that could deliver a really quality adaptation. But she is... so I am not!

Other things I like from the films that aren't in the books, after a lot of thought lol:

Burning the Burrow scene — it happened in the wrong film (the Burrow probably was attacked during DH, after Ron is revealed to be travelling with Harry at Malfoy Manor), but I think it’s extremely atmospheric, really chilling and beautiful (the reeds! the water! obsessed) Also it’s basically the best/most bearable Hinny moment in the wasteland of film Hinny........ but I digress

The crackling radio scenes from DH 1 (borrowed these heavily for inspo for Beasts, I love them so much)