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dwimpala-67 · 3 years

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Whatever Happens....

My two cents on the whole Prequel-Gate ...

Warning: The opinions expressed are purely personal and have no bearing on any person and if they do it’s merely coincidental and are without intention. If you choose to read this, it’s solely at your own risk and the writer is not responsible for any consequences thereof.

Jared and Jensen have been at the heart of Supernatural for past fifteen years. J2 - along with the show have been the source of joy for everyone in the fandom. We’ve seen them grow up, seen their friendship evolve and seen the way they interact with each other. We fell in love with them, with the beautiful friendship they share, and their compassion and empathy and strength and understanding. These two beautiful individuals weaved their way into our hearts. Somehow, they’ve become a part of our lives. And we trusted them, like we do with any individual that is close to us in real life.

The end of Supernatural was bitter sweet for many of us, especially the J2 shippers. We could see our beloved show being ruined and we all thoughts perhaps, it was time to end it but secretly still wanted a miracle to happen and the story line to be back to its true canonical nature without the OOC story line that was being fed to us. Then came the announcement that Supernatural would end with season 15. Even if we knew the it was inevitable, it was still a shock. We have a saying back in my culture: “Whatever has a beginning, has to have an ultimate end.” And true to that, it was time for Supernatural to end. It doesn’t mean we had to be happy about it. After all, this was the show that meant a lot, personally to many of us. To see it coming to an end was painful, shocking, even heartbreaking. But we accepted it eventually because life must go on.

With end of the show, we had to accept another reality. To watch our lovely pair - Jared and Jensen- go their separate ways. For 15 years, there never has been a moment where J2 weren’t in each other’s pockets. We saw them refusing to acknowledge personal space, saw them making heart eyes at each other, saw them going on dinner and lunch dates, saw them living together, getting married the same year, saw them grow their family together, saw them living in Austin together, saw them doing campaigns together, saw them golfing together, saw them being there for each other, making each other smile, saw them having each other’s back. We practically saw their love blossoming - for some it was a unique friendship and for some it was more than that. I don’t mean to point anyone out here, but the bottom line is that everyone of the J2 fans saw an ideal relationship between two people we loved the most. We choose to believe in what we saw. And for us to suddenly see them being away form each other was hard to digest. It still is!

But we chose to believe everything was good, because we believed what our eyes saw. The way Jared and Jensen talked about each other in interviews even after the finale, the way they spoke at the virtual conventions, the way they interacted on social media and even the few instances of fans seeing Jared in Colorado exactly the time it was Jensen’s birthday, the way Jared knew about Jensen’s Soldier Boy suit before anyone else, and I could mention countless such instances that made us believe that the relationship these two idiots share was special and perfect. The kinda thing that can be called “made for each other.”

One fine day, we came to know not everything was as we believed it to be. It turned out Jensen did something by not telling Jared anything about it when the latter has been an integral part of the original concept. Everyone was beyond shocked. Each one of us felt betrayed, angered, pained at the way our beloved pair had a public fallout. Some chose to take sides and some decided to leave the fandom while others decided to be angry and disappointed in Jensen. There was despair all around and no one knew what was going on behind the closed doors. The only thing we knew was Jared was hurt and Jensen was the reason behind it.

I won’t go into the what, why and how of the whole fiasco, because by now, everyone has their own theories as answers to these questions. I have mine too. I see these theories as some sort of “justification” from our side to make sense of the situation. It’s not wrong because we’re searching for answers. We’re also searching for answers we will never get. (Unless either of the J’s decide to speak on it.) But there are a few questions that I feel are important to be addressed.

Do we have the right to feel angry and hurt over the issue? Absolutely Yes.

Do we have the right to take sides? Of course.

Are our feelings of hurt and pain that we resonated with Jared valid? Hell yes.

Everyone has a coping mechanism and the initial emotions or reactions were absolutely valid. However, it’s what happened later that has me thinking.

1. Do we have the right to know what happened behind the scenes? Probably but we would never. There lies the uncertain feeling of “how should I proceed from here?” and “How do I feel about it?”

2. Do we have the right to demand an explanation or an apology from Jensen? Absolutely no.

3. Do we have the right to throw vile words at/abuse the people involved? Hell no.

I would like to look at the whole thing in perspective. This has affected many of us and perhaps woken us up with a hard slap of reality.

For all of the 15 years, we’ve been fed with the “happy couple” image and for us, maybe the boys became the image of the “perfect couple with no issues” and when there was a very public spat between the two, there was a serious damage to our perception. This is where people didn’t know how to react. Many spoke out their emotions clearly, many were sad, confused and scared and many decided to be bitter. Few decided to leave I have no problem with it, I don’t judge, as I said earlier everyone has their own coping mechanism.

I feel like the issue is, as fans we are here to celebrate and have fun and not become entitled to know the truth or demand answers from the celebrities. Sometimes we forget entitlement is a delusion based on self centeredness. The demand to know what happened or the demand for Jensen to apologize in a particular manner cannot be the way we deal with the situation.

We need to consider the fact that the people we idealize, in this case J2, are also that - “people” or “Humans” to be more precise. Humans make mistakes. Just like we do in our everyday life. the problem with celebrities is, anything they do feels like “more than life” size. Even a small compliment makes us go “aww” and a disagreement/misunderstanding makes us go “Omg! They’re enemies.” It’s normal reaction because we hold them in the highest regard like “celebs/fan favs can do no wrong.” So, when this happened with J2 everyone had a reaction like this was the end or it has ruined it for me, or I’m done with this fandom. There were also a few reactions like anger and entitled demands. I always say false sense of entitlement always brings you doom rather than happiness.

The fact remains, Jensen disappointed all of us. A huge blow was dealt to the “happy couple” image and we all were left floundering. I was observing the reactions and I suddenly realized I’m far too much invested into the lives of two actors whose lives are already complicated. I mean, after the entire chaos, I too felt sad, angry and disappointed. It was upsetting me more that it should. Fandom is a space where I come to escape from real life. But if Fandom starts affecting my real life so bad as to make me upset, I felt like there’s something wrong. It shouldn’t be the reverse of what I would rather have the fandom to be, which is a happy place or the place where I go too relive my stress. And if the apparent relationship status of two actors affects me this much, it’s time to take a step back, evaluate and then proceed.

the other day, I was reading a twitter thread full of theories and according to the fans who was right and who was wrong and etc, etc, etc. I found, it shouldn’t matter to me to judge who was right and who was wrong. I’m in no position to judge who felt what, because in no way am I the party involved in the conflict. It’s a conflict between J2, who had some issues obviously and they manages to talk about it and even let us know that they are good. Now, I personally, felt like if the J’s claim they’re alright, then why should I doubt or even theorize about how their friendship has taken a toll. If someone tells me they’re fine, I usually believe them to be fine, unless I see something contrary to the fact. In this case, either of the J’s didn’t comment further on the matter and just as I was watching everyone calm down, other elements decided to jump into the muddy waters and splatter it everywhere.

The interesting thing about Kripke’s tweet was “assumption.” This word “assumption” is a very interesting word and has the capacity to blow up even the most calming waters. So, Kripke assumed, and then based on Kripke’s assumption, everyone else assumed. I’m just pointing out what happened, in no way am I justifying any of the J’s behavior. Just a thought. So assuming Kripke was right we assumed Jensen deliberately kept Jared out of the project and the issue escalated even more. Everyone was jumping the gun and then as miraculously Kripke has tweeted, he also deleted those tweets. Then came the damage control.

When Jensen and Jared had tweeted about the “truce” I thought the matter was supposed to be put to rest. Perhaps Kripke deleting the tweets and then Jensen going back to promoting his prequel was their way of brushing off the conflict and focusing more on what was more important to them: The Winchesters prequel. Another theory to add to the already existing million ones..lol.

Does this mean we should be hateful and abusive towards Jensen? No.

Our feelings of disappointment are valid but it doesn’t mean I have aright to be abusive at Jensen. No matter how he acted nothing gives me the right to throw abuse at anyone unless I’m the one who’s directly involved in the conflict. They way I see it, as a fan, I was hurt and caught off guard but I am in no position to judge either Jensen or Jared, especially when they say they’re alright. I decide to trust them. I choose to trust them, just I chose to decide they were the made for each other friends in the past.

There’s this another saying that I remember “To Err is human, to forgive is Divine.” It’s not as if either of the J’s have been flawless as a person. Everyone has some shortcomings and so do they. As a fan, I need to find the same level of “acceptance” that I do when I’m in the similar situation in real life. As a fan I need to accept that Jared and Jensen too are going to have some issues going ahead in life. Just because they are actors doesn’t mean there won’t be miscommunication or misunderstanding. They’re not perfect. They are bound to make mistakes. Just think that because this was a very public fallout, we came to know about the disagreement, try to think that in past 15 years how many times did the J’s had these disagreements and had to deal with them without telling us? No matter how huge fan you are, no one can ever claim that they now what goes behind the scenes in the celeb’s lives and same goes with J2.

We know what kinda place Hollywood is, and the J2 tinhats already have theories about bearding and stuff, and yet the J’s have remained positive throughout. There must have been contracts and papers and the “powers that be” who are involved in regulating their lives. It’s one of the many countless possibilities. We don’t know many things about their lives (even we’d like to claim otherwise). The information we get is just a 0.01% of what actually is happening. All we do is “assume” on the basis of their SM interaction or the way J2 appear in public. It’s all imagery.

They’ve been a source for inspiration for many. So, a public fallout doesn’t mean we should overlook the past. But we choose to look at it in a way that is suitable to us. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that. If some of us feel like siding with Jared, it’s all good and if some of us feel like siding with Jensen, it’s all good. It’s their personal opinion and no one has the right to judge them or call them out for that.

For me, I’ve come to a conclusion that the secured bubble that I was living in has finally burst and given me a chance to look at things objectively. No matter what happens in future, I’m here to stay as long as I enjoy the fandom. If I let it affect me more than is plausible, perhaps then it’s time for me to rethink about the power I give the Fandom over me. Because it’s my choice. I alone have the choice to either let the negativity affect me or see the positive side. There’s a saying that goes, “You yourself alone are your own enemy and your true friend. The choice is yours.”

If J2 claim to be alright with each other, then I choose to believe them. Reason is simple. Because it helps me find some peace. It helps me cool down my emotions and helps me go back to enjoying the little things in fandom that bring me happiness.

Don’t get upset with people and solutions because both are powerless without your reactions.

Let the drama continue....

After this, if you fell like unfollowing me, the door is always open.

In the end, whatever happens, happens for good. If it’s meant to be, then I’ll be the happiest and if it’s not, well, it’s beyond my control.

I love them both.

Peace and Love.

- A J2 fan.

#j2 #winchester prequel #my opinion #j2 tinhat #I believe j2 are going to be fine #supernatural #spn #my thoughts #no hate

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anthonybialy · 3 years

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Counting on Not Counting

Of course our time in Hell hasn't ended. The one certain result is that we're enduring something eternal. Whatever we did to deserve bickering over tallying is rotten enough to be punished for far past our human conception of time. I blame politics, naturally. Governments that can't count are surely careful with your money. I'm calling your mom but not Pennsylvania.

I'd feel sorry for anyone who woke up expecting to know who won the presidency if degenerate insomniacs weren't also left waiting to discover what nobody really wants to learn. We all want an answer to the most reluctant question. Nobody's opened the box on Schrödinger's vote. Even if there's not certainty, it's safe to guess radiation will pour out.

Those conniving thieves entrusted with the supreme civic duty of handing out “I voted” stickers must be trying to steal the election if they stopped counting at three in the freaking morning. Why didn't they hire sleepless darkness dwellers to count votes until the Tim Hortons dining room opens?

Seize the chance to come up small. The incumbent setting himself up to moan about being cheated is the first time he's ever plotted ahead. Naturally, it's not for anything other than his benefit. Donald Trump risibly claiming he already won is so in character that Aaron Sorkin would've called the dialogue too predictable.

Bracing to find out which regrettable option commandeered the Electoral College's chancellorship is like waiting at the doctor's office: we want it to be over but not by hearing the diagnosis. There's pain on the horizon that can only be forestalled for so long. But at least we'll know what brand of suffering is in store, unlike the inscrutable question of why either is good. With options narrowed down to wrestling Godzilla or drinking lava, not knowing who won is a temporary win.

I'm only speculating without information because I'm trying to keep up. Our nation's hobby is the natural byproduct of an election that provokes irritability. Guessing who prevailed during a game that's not televised might get me a cable news gig.

Why not focus on why each potential outcome will bring pain? That'll help cope with uncertainty. Votes are split between two prominent gentlemen who have each been astoundingly unproductive through their respective preening careers. Joe Biden is the prototypical useless federal employee, which makes it wholly unsurprising he's trying to fake his way to the biggest job. As for his similar enemy, everyone should've picked up on Trump's bluster distracting from utter lack of accomplishment by now. But if those unnervingly impressed by the color gold didn't see there's nobody strong behind the curtain by the time the casino-closer ruined the USFL, it's not happening after nearly a full term.

These are the two best humans America has to offer. Why do you deny logic? A lack of answers means just a bit longer to ponder how black holes of negativity were the final celestial objects. Take these extra few moments before fate sucks us in to not let politics reflect who we are. Americans are supposed to thrive without the government's help, as this election confirms before we even know the final score.

Tribes are offended by being compared to present political factions. Venom gets more poisonous as the differences become more slight. Just know you're supposed to despise anyone with a different logo tattoo. Sports fans are reasonable by comparison.

Each will end America, so what's the point? The formality of which bad Teutonic era whose descent we're copying is the only technicality left. Partisans bicker whether America is becoming East Germany or the previous undivided naughty version. No matter whose will triumphs, the letter S appearing consecutively will now be stacked.

In reality, we'll just bust in the more traditional manner, namely by going broke. The final two both think Social Security is a good investment, which shows how this is the worst choice. Entitlements will continue to bankrupt an allegedly free nation while one of two egomaniacs bravely cowers from ever turning them into an investment. Biden's more honest about wasting what's yours on your behalf, which isn't quite a virtue.

Nothing's ultimate about this fight. A slap battle between a lifetime and longtime Democrat has been even less thrilling than anticipated. Hitting after the bell doesn't feel like fun bonus action. Nobody told Biden the bout started.

Free people shouldn't be this upset about not knowing which buffoon gets a jersey from the handful of championship team members who bother showing up at the White House. We're going to be stuck with a nasty geezer whose ambitions far outreach accomplishments as executive soon enough, so relax for a few days.

Uncertain moments provide time to focus on minimizing the president's powers, especially the imaginary ones. Panicking about unilateral enactment of creepy promises gives the winner exactly what he craves. I'd say nominate a woman next time if it'll get me Bumble matches.

Don't nominate a horse's ass next time. The simple yet tricky notion applies to both sides, win or lose. Bipartisanship brings us together. Having to write in someone to avoid casting a ballot for an atrocious human means nobody wins. Voters already chose between one who's a bad president and one who would be. All that's left is adding up golf strokes. Low score should win.

Proclaim victory to create inadvertent levity. Cultivating integrity would've been a good idea decades ago if an executive hopeful would like to convince the public he's won today. That bigmouthed little man is going to end up with the least deserved title in recent memory. It works either way.

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pythonissam-despair · 4 years

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❧ 15 Seconds of Fame | CH.2 Trial End

While Chuubey torturing Yukitori was an unexpected development from the infuriatingly passive rabbit, the moment quickly fell to the wayside with the wave of outrage that came next. What started the arguing could be Yukitori, but maybe it was something far deeper and scarier that had been bubbling inside all of you since the last trial.

Condemning Kohei was exactly what he wanted, some would argue, while others felt entitled to their disgust over his motives. Toki Hikami wasn’t a friend to many, but didn’t their life matter? Wasn’t there a line that had to be drawn...?

But where exactly was it? Where was civility earned and where was it discarded?

A hand rises to reach a podium, then another. Kohei Narasaki’s entire body protests, screaming in pain, but he ignores it. This was his moment, and he wasn’t going to let a stupid Incubator and some punishment ruin it. His show ends when he wants it to, and he says that it’s going to go on. This is his circus.

Slowly, the Streamer pulls himself to his feet, nearly leaning on his podium for support. He raises his head, still smiling.

“Oh, no need to apologize, J4CK4L-san! I’d be absolutely stupid to not know what was going to happen to me! So don’t sound so sad! This goes for everyone, actually! I want you all to kill me with a smile on your face!”

He chuckles, before he turns to Masumi.

“You heard me! I’m not that dumb. And I had to think about that a lot! Being forgotten... is a fate worse than death. If you wanna hear a secret, it’s actually one of my greatest fears! Honestly, I don’t care whether I live or die! But being forgotten... I couldn’t stand that!”

He sighs, admittedly a little disturbed by the thought. However, he brightens up again.

“People outside will forget me! They probably would have anyways. Maybe they even have by now! Nobody stays relevant forever. And hey! If everyone forgets about Kohei Narasaki, then nothing is even lost!”

He spits out the name with venom, nothing but pure hatred in his voice, before he bounces back.

“But you’ll still remember me! You’ll still remember me, because you’ve killed me with your own hands!”

He hums. “I guess I should set the record straight while I’m still alive! But! I kinda lied about my wish, just a tiny bit! “Fame” probably was the wrong way to put it! What I really wished for... was some form of freedom.”

With that, he detransforms, shooting Eleanor a glance as he does. Looking her straight in the eyes, he pulls off his wig.

A beat passes as Kohei Narasaki scans the room, a faraway look in his eyes. He speaks in a level voice,

“Hello. My name is Kohei Narasaki. I’m 18 years old. I attend high school in Nagoya, where I receive good grades. I obey all rules and instructions, and I don’t cause problems for anyone.”

With a quick motion, he puts back on his wig, and like putting a mask back on he’s smiling, carefree Yukitori.

“But, Kohei Narasaki hasn’t been me in years! I’m Yukitori, or Ko, or Yakitori, or Mx. Wig, or asshole, or Witch that we’re about to kill, or whatever you want to call me, but most importantly I’m me! That’s what I wished for. To be Yukitori more! To be myself more! For everyone to see me.”

“I was probably never going to get out of here anyways. So, why not at least try to get something out of it! Because, you know, I’m really, really selfish! I want everything I can get, and I want to be happy. And you can hate me if you’d like! Call me a terrible person, and I won’t deny it! I really don’t care! I mean, love, hate, I’m happy people have such strong feelings about me! But if I get to live and die as myself, no matter how long or short, I’ll be happy.”

He’s here for a good time, not a long one.

There was a bit more time to debate about morality, but everyone was still working on borrowed time. After their initial display of 'discipline' towards Yukitori, the Incubator fell into their normal silence. They nodded at some points being made and preened themself through others.

Truly, they didn't seem to care either way. It's only when they take a glance at the resident Streamer after a time do they pipe up again.

"...It appears time is up. If you were not prepared-" They launch themself off their column and safely away from the doomed Magus, "you may be in for a rough ride, hm....?"

It's then that you notice the change occurring.

Pain shoots through Yukitori’s body, not unlike when he threatened Chuubey. His grip on his podium tightens. He chuckles lightly. He knows what will become of him. That it’s useless to fight it. That in just a few moments, he is going to die, and everyone outside will forget him. His fans. His friends. And it’s just cruel irony that it’s not until right before he ceases to exist that Yukitori realizes that he doesn’t want to be forgotten.

But it’s not like he has control over that anymore. He chose his own fate, and this time he can’t run away from the responsibility.

Well, at least he can go out with a bang.

Yukitori rolls back his sleeve and pushes forward a glove on his hand. His bracelet flashes, before revealing the familiar shape of a Soul Gem. The normal bright teal is gone, replaced with a deep black, cracked around the edges. He chuckles again, louder this time.

“Well… Guess this is the end of the line for me. It was fun while it lasted.”

As his Soul Gem floats, cracking under the pressure, Yukitori steels himself with one last breath, before he breaks out into a smile. Shakily, he lifts one hand in a peace sign.

“Well friends, thanks for watching! This is Yukitori, signing off for the last time! See you all later!”

And then the gem explodes outward, blasting the room with waves of bright energy.

[ CW; Ommetaphobia/Scopophobia ]

. . .

Loud, almost ear-splitting carnival music fills the air and greet you as your eyes adjust. The walls of a giant circus tent surround you. The brightly-colored walls seem nearly reflective, as if you looked hard enough, you’d be able to see yourself in them. If you did look, however, you’d see your reflection has been distorted like a funhouse mirror.

Bright, blinding spotlights shine down to draw attention to the main and only attraction: the Witch himself. A TV head with multiple tendrils stands in the center of the tent, waving his eight legs around, almost goading you to come closer. His screen flickers between scenes featuring screams, audience laughter, static, anything to make you turn your attention or wrath his way.

Surrounding him are 3 Minions , two of whom are rather lumpy humanoids in black and white clown costumes sporting shattered TV screens as heads. They carry change and move with a loud clinking sound. They're joined by one humanoid in brightly colored garb with a megaphone speaker on its head. It sings the praises of the ringmaster across the room for you all to hear.

Kohei Narasaki is no more. All that remains is Leoncavallo, the Broadcasting Witch.

[ The Third Witch Hunt Begins ]

#pythonissam despair #plot #trial summary #chapter two #yukitori #chuubey #leoncavallo #cw; scopophobia #tw; scopophobia #cw; ommetaphobia #tw; ommetaphobia

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what-does-one-affects-the-other · 7 years

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What's your opinion on this robot harry?For me it's so annoying he can't even pretend to be excited for his own tour, his social media presence is such a turn off

Well I’m sort of digging myself a grave with this one, but since I haven’t seen a post I can fully agree with, here we go. Disclaimer, I actually study this at uni. I was the Social Media Manager for the planning and putting together of a fashion show, on all platforms. I just handed in last month a 6-months marketing plan that was based around social media promo. So I do have a bit of knowledge in this area. I am by no means an expert, but this is my future field of choice, so I like to think I’m at least educated.

The situation isn’t as black and white as people have put it so far. All I’ve seen is “he’s horrible at engaging with fans” and “he doesn’t own you shit so stop complaining”. The answer is a very big grey area in which Harry’s actual social media presence fits perfectly in my opinion. First of all, there’s two main templates we studied for marketing purposes this year, Gaynor Lea Greenwood’s promotion suggestions (2009) and Burcher (2013)’s Paid, Owned and Earned media concept. Long story short, the first one is your traditional marketing campaign and the second one relies more on social media and advertising on it. Now, I think Harry’s team went for the more traditional approach, and let me explain why.

Harry started distancing himself more and more from twitter and Instagram ever since the hiatus started.Even before, during OTRA and MITAM promo, most of his tweets were promo stuff, lyrics I’m not sure we fully understand even now, charity work, promoting friends or tweeting about holidays/important days or events. His fan interaction has been low for quite a while, and I’m honestly baffled people are acting like this is news. Looking through his Twitter in 2015, there are some tweets to fans, yes, but they’re very sparse.I counted about 12 in 5 months, most of them in September, when Perfect came out, and around the release of MITAM.His tweets were mostly thanks to fans for various awards and nominalisation, promoting the songs/album, some lyrics and, without fail, after every concert he tweeted a thank you for coming.

It felt more personal than what we have now (tho in all honesty, his tour hasn’t started yet and if we eliminate the OTRA tweets it’s already a different story), but Robot Harry has been a thing then, and people were riding along with it instead of condemning it to the extent they do now.But, the thing is, Harry didn’t have the entire burden of engaging with the fanbase like he has now.Louis, Niall and Liam always took turns in taking the lead in replying to fans and interacting with them, which allowed Harry to do his part and everyone was mostly happy.

And yet, I personally don’t feel this frustration many people feel. I think it’s quite interesting actually. A bold move that wouldn’t work for other artist whose career relies on people who live and breathe social media (maybe Beyonce or Adele, but they are in another league). I was very intrigued by Harry’s statement in the Behind the album video, in which he said that there was a time in his life when people knew everything about him, and he didn’t like it.He has been overexposed since 2012, his personal life splashed across tabloids, fake relationship or not.And now he disappeared for a year (and has been retreating into himself for at least 2) and he wrote this mysterious™ album, trying to see if people can listen and understand it without knowing much about the current him. In this context, having an album that surrounds itself in mystery and then doing 4 Q&As on twitter and 3 livestreams sends…extremely contradictory messages. I can, and will fault his team for presenting a dual image of Harry that sometimes makes 0 sense, for handling a lot of things so poorly, and for the entire Carolina mess, but I will say that his social media fits this old school mysterious rockstar image they’re showing of him. I also think his actual reason is very personal and very real, and I respect the fact that he didn’t compromise this choice he made for promo purposes.

His promo relied on more traditional channels. TV and radio appearances, print magazines, and most importantly, the secret gigs. Now, I’m sorry, but I felt entirely more connected to Harry running across London at 8AM in my pyjamas than by any twitter spree he’ll ever do. I never did this before. This reminded me of the stories my dad told me, of queuing up for days in front of the box office so he’d get the tickets when they went on sale. It was very old school and it worked for me. It was a phenomenal experience, something I will never forget. And he did this for us. All profits went to charity, he didn’t do this for money. And while I know this was for a few selected cities and a handful of lucky fans, it was intimate and it was special and I think everyone, regardless if they were there, or vicariously living through pics and videos, felt a connection to Harry. We got emotional on his behalf when he sang with his idol on stage 2 weeks later, you don’t do that for someone you have no connection to.

Now, the actual reason I’m happy with what we’ve got is that it is genuine from my POV. Liam is the perfect candidate for a comparison, since he also took a bit of a break from social media (not as heavy as Harry’s, but he definitely wasn’t as active as Louis or Niall) and his promo is as textbook as it gets. He slowly, but surely increased his activity since January, a few more tweets, a few more pics on Instagram.A big turning point was April when he posted 13 pics on Instagram, compared to 8 in March, 4 in February and 3 in January. His Twitter went through a similar process.Now, the moment he started posting more, I knew his music was gonna be out soon. It’s pure marketing. You start your campaign weeks before the actual launch, it’s only natural. Unless you want to drop it as a surprise, but that’s another discussion. Actually Harry did it too, with the TV ad, but that was ruined by the info getting leaked beforehand and everyone getting pissed off by that so whatevs. Now, Liam is going for the approachable celeb route. Streams, Instagram stories, snapchat, tweeting fans, loads of pics, videos with popular Youtubers. It’s nice and about as well handled as it gets (apart from that weird video release earlier than it should have been and Liam just generally being a bit…odd?off?idk how to explain it, but a lot of people feel the same way from what I’ve seen). It fits with the image Liam is going for, it aims at the right target audience. He’s not trying to enter a new market like Harry is. He’s consolidating his place in the current market from what I’ve seen (and I’ll admit I haven’t followed his promo as closely as Harry’s). Trying to imagine Harry doing this sort of promo doesn’t really work for me.

Niall has been present on and off social media ever since he came back from his trip last year. Literally, if I pull up the calendars people have been making each month, he doesn’t get more than a handful of days without doing something, so it’s unfair to compare him to the others, since he’s always around and posting and doing stuff.

Louis deserves a better team and I won’t have anyone uttering anything else in my presence, and yet somehow, despite Niall’s constant presence and Liam’s textbook engagement, I’ll never feel as connected to them as I feel to Louis. Louis’ tweets are the perfect mixture of absolutely adorable fan service (“our year” 😭😭) and some of the things he’s passionate about (tv shows, fashion, footie/sports). His promo for JHO was….I have no words for it and I’m gonna have a rage fit if I start thinking about it, but his overall persona is charming and endearing when he’s posting things himself. He created a real communication channel between us and him and he knows how to use it when he needs to send a message (warning selfies anyone?Only you?). There’s an actual analysis of Instagram stats that shows he’s the number 1 male account in engagement and overall likes and that doesn’t surprise me one bit. Louis is a smart businessman, he has a loyal fanbase who is here for him through thick and thin.

And on top of everything I said so far, none of them owe us anything outside the promo bubble. Apart from shoots, songs/albums/tours info and official announcements, they do not owe us anything. If they chose to share a picture from their home, that’s their personal space, and while it’s good for PR, amazingly good in a society that thrives from the feeling of knowing everything about everyone (like what’s your fave’s breakfast and how’s their cat is doing), it’s still a part they can choose to keep private and no one should be entitled to ask for more.

Have you seen Adele’s Instagram? It gives you this illusion of closeness to her, with make up free selfies, funny poses and landscape shots. Too bad literally everything is from touring and other official appearances right? There’s one picture of her home, and that’s to celebrate the end of the tour. Harry sort of did the same with the booklet pictures. He allowed you into his personal space in a controlled manner, just like Adele did. Only he did it in a different way. His promo is just different and you have to think a bit outside the box to see that he actually did a lot of things other artists do. Just a bit differently. Was it perfect?Fuck, no. Was it as bad as many people make it look like?Personally, I don’t think so. It was just different and people are entirely justified to see it as a good or a bad thing. I see it mostly as a good thing. Mostly.

#it accidentally took me 2 hours to write this #and I was very nervous to post it #cause I don't want to offend anyone #but I literally can't agree with any post I've seen so far #so please be gentle if you wanna scream how wrong I am #anons #answered

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mysterolineheart444world · 7 years

Text

Coping with the TVD series finale

I think I’m finally coming to terms with the path they chose with Stefan and Steroline. I had to, it was eating me alive.

Of course, this may not be what you need to be at peace with the ending, but it’s mine and I need this if I am to put this behind me.

Based on Stefan Salvatore’s journey and lack of character growth, Stefan, had he lived would have been bipolar at best. He would have suffered through his life still convinced that one human lifetime is not enough to make up for his sins.

Cade told him that he would spend his life trying to atone for his sins.. and fail. And he believed him. This is reflected in his dialogue to Damon where he puts forward his human existence as a impediment to him fixing his past mistakes.

Stefan Salvatore (8x16): “I’m human Damon, you have eternity to account for your sins… let me do this for me” (I'm paraphrasing - I don't have the heart to go watch that scene again)

No doubt he would have tried to give Caroline the happy life she deserves, he loves her after all, but considering his self loathing, suicidal tendencies, zero self worth and manic depression, he would have failed. Not because he isin��t capable of making her happy, but because his lack of character growth meant he never really got over his inner demons. It wouldn't have been his fault. He was just too damaged and the show kept him this way.

The narrative is telling me that had he lived a human life and even sought out help, he wouldn't have gotten past any of his issues. The guy had 154 years to sort it out, and he couldn’t. One lifetime over-burdened with guilt wouldn't have changed this (it probably would have made it worse).

This would set him back further psychologically and he’d just be more depressed that he was dragging her down with him. Granted, Caroline would have been happy with whatever version of him, but he wanted perfect for her. Something he wouldn’t have been able to deliver because he was just too damaged.

Now, had the finale gone differently, had he let his brother go and respected Damon’s choice to sacrifice in the conviction that he will see Damon again in the afterlife, because he will, with this lifetime, atone for all his sins AND give Caroline the life she deserves, then I could have said without a doubt that yes, the past 154 years has lead up to this moment of immense growth and self realisation and this meant that he would in fact, not only find peace after a human life, but also be immensely happy with Caroline and vice versa.

But that is not what Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson chose to showcase.

Of course this doesn’t mean I, as a viewer and a Stefan Salvatore fan, agree with this route. But it is what it is and will be filed under “abysmal writing choices”. I will 10 years from now, look back at what could have been and shake my head at the one dimensional, stale path the writers took. But I refuse to be upset over it. I cant change canon and make it so that he overcame his issues when he didn’t. All I can do is find a way to come to terms with it.

He’s at peace now. Could be worse all things considered.

This world that he seems to be in right now looks to be a mirror of his old world. They are not spirits. They have their bodies that work like regular human bodies, because he was drinking bourbon. It seems to be just another dimension where they don’t grow old (or fat), where there are no bad guys to ruin their happiness, where his demons are quelled.

He’s happy here. He’s well put together stefan here - permanently. He doesn’t hate himself anymore because he’s found peace, which to him is empirical proof that he’s a good person and deserves to be happy. His mind cannot fight this and does not fight it - that is the nature of finding peace. He is at peace with HIMSELF.

Of course, had Julie Plec let him grow, he would have arrived at this conclusion- that he is worth it; that happiness is something he is entitled to; that he’s not a monster; that there’s goodness in him that trumps the bad deeds - that his sins don’t define him, without having to die in sacrifice. But he was robbed of this.

It’s a cop out, but I’ll take it, I have no choice. Just as turning him human got rid of the ripper permanently, sacrificing and finding peace gave him all the growth he was meant to have and needed to be happy. He is now the best version of himself.

Bonus: he never knew what peace looked like; but lucky for him, it’s exactly like life, only with no conflict, internal or external.

Caroline will take the cure just before Damon dies, live a human life and join him in this dimension.

Caroline made it clear to Stefan that she was leaving him behind in Mystic Falls because she promised Ric that she wouldn't let her children grow up without a mother. This makes me believe that had she not had kids - Steroline would have probably saved the world together and found peace at the same time.

But no matter, they will be together again.

Caroline’s categorical declaration - we WILL see him again to Damon is all the proof we need to KNOW that she does not plan on being immortal.

So yes, I am certain that before Damon dies, she takes the cure from him, lives out the remainder of her human life and joins Stefan in the afterlife when her time on Earth is done.

And Stefan Salvatore will finally have his PERFECT with her. No loss, no pain, only happiness, FOREVER#Tell caroline that I heard her and that i will love her forever, too#Stefan salvatore will wait for Caroline Forbes-Salvatore to join him#He’ll wait forever if he has to#I will wait for you, and when you’re ready for me, I will be ready for you.

#steroline meta #Stefan Salvatore #caroline forbes #stefan salvatore meta #anti tvd #anti julie plec #anti kevin williamson

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fragrantae · 7 years

Text

Dilemma

AN: I honestly don’t know how I feel about this chapter. I might re do it in the future, or merge the next chapter to become one with this. We’ll see~ On a side note, there are French dialogues in this chapter, and if I misused a phrase or something I wrote didn’t really make sense, please don’t be afraid to tell me **Translations are at the end of the chapter

please like, comment/dm/reblog your opinions and feedback for this story! It would mean so much to me :))

pairing: jiminxreader word count: 2.2k

-Third Person-

“What do you mean, ‘he got away’?” Yoongi questioned, venom dripping in his voice. “Her safety is in my hands. I’m not entitled to capture a criminal!”

The other end was silent. Then, the phone was ripped off of the messenger and an autocratic voice took its place. “Listen here, Min. You’re the fourth richest businessman on the globe. You joined this committee last year to become the first. Her safety means nothing to the world. And consequently, nothing to you.

“But if we take the chance to let all twenty of them go, the economic balance in the world will tip. You will see markets plummet. The cost of water and comestibles will rise. Order in conduct will shatter. With great resources Apple Inc. could influence the American government to cut off trades with Southeast Asia, followed by Australia, South Korea, Canada, and the European union to name a few. Millions of people thrown out had they a substantial wage to live by. I won’t stand to see the world crumble. I was never raised to.” Yoongi could remember clearly the days in his past, when he would roam the streets, knocking on doors for leftovers or a roof to crash under. “She will be under my watch the entire time. Find someone else to deal with McCann. You’ve got over five hundred agents on speed dial; pick any but me!”

The growl in his voice was daring, but his superior only cackled. “If that’s how you see it then you’ll get dragged down with her. Put your job before your little feelings and your life will be a blessing. But let me tell you this: you are in a position of power. People would beg on their chins to live the life you do. You’re a selfish man, I see. You think you can change the world and rid it of its faults. That not how the world works!” His breathing quickened just as his anger had risen.

The chief was right and Yoongi couldn’t accept that. The infatuation swelling in his heart blocked the sense of reasoning he once let consume him. He’d care about anyone but himself. At heart he was a saint yet he was never content.

Jimin.

The best thing that ever happened in his life. They loved each other dearly, supported each other through any circumstance. Jimin was his everything. Yet he was far too oblivious to see the pain he had caused Jimin by segmenting his love. Jimin would wait every ticking second for a call, message, notification – anything! – while he was on tour outside of the country. Even when they were in physical reach, he would still feel as though Yoongi’s thoughts wandered elsewhere. It broke his heart.

“I’ll get back to work, boss,” he grumbled, sneering the last syllable as he pulled his phone away from his ear to hang up.

But the voice spoke again before he did.

“I expected better from you, Min,” a low chuckle could be heard, “you aren’t one to get so tangled in your business affairs.”

Yoongi was enraged. He didn’t want to hear whatever the chief had to say. The snickering voice sickened him.

A long pause filled the room, the absence of speech only thickened the tension between the two men. “You aren’t such a faithful man yourself. Do you really think you could have her wrapped nicely around your fingers forever? After all, you still can’t even keep up with Park.”

The line went dead, leaving a restless Yoongi in the stillness of his study.

~ ~

Meanwhile, strolling by a frozen duck pond were Ashley and Jimin. Being immensed in their small talk, Ashley grew fonder of Jimin’s presence. Jimin, on the other hand, could easily see his scheme fall into place.

-Ashley’s POV-

“Are you new around here?”

I asked as the laughter died down. Five minutes had passed and Jimin already had me in a fit of giggles. He told me of the days in his youth, how his friends would constantly tease him for his height, or how he was once a miserable cabbage in a school play. I told him of the things I liked: music, food, hobbies – of the sort. I never thought I’d enjoy the company of a stranger. Perhaps it was the fact I’d spend any moment I had away from work in the solitary comforts of my own home, or how I was never a social butterfly at any common event (if I even attended, at least). Jimin. He was a cool guy, to say the least: laidback, with an easy going aura radiating off of him.

Jimin answered with a shrug insouciantly, “I’ve been traveling a lot for the past five years. I come to visit often to meet some relatives.”

“Oh,” I said. I didn’t understand the emotion I felt. I’ve only met him today, but I’m already wishing to see him again. In the circumstance I was pulled into, I doubted the possibility of Suga allowing me to go out with my ‘friend’ whenever I wished to. I looked up at him as we continued to walk about aimlessly, and I couldn’t help but make distinctions of his profile. The way the soft light twinkled in his eyes, his sultry voice, those plump lips…

“I’ve seen you before…” Before I could catch myself, my eyes widened in realisation. “You’re an international cynosure!”

“A what?”

“Oh- I- I mean a celebrity. You sing, dance and act. People admire you. I’m a fan myself.” I slapped myself (internally) for the use of such complex vocabulary. Don’t ruin this moment with your big mouth, dumbass. I laughed nervously and cleared my throat, hoping not to come off as a psychotic fangirls.

“That’s cute,” he chimed, running the side of his finger down my cheeks, the obvious warmth (from both his touch and the weather) creeping up my neck. “But today, and for the rest of the week, I’m just Park Jimin: your average passer-by.” He put on the cheesiest smile in the world making me melt on the inside.

Just pretend. I repeated those two words to myself and decided not to ponder on the subject of his fame. “I respect that, it’s cool.” Somehow, my feet managed to lead us to a little French bistro a few blocks away from the park. A convenient sub-conscious decision at that, considering I had finished my hot chocolate. Ring, ring. We reached the building. The bell above the door rang cheerfully as we entered the little shop, looking around for a place to sit. The room was mostly empty with a few tables occupied by journalists and amateurs. A warm ambience was prominent throughout, creating a calm atmosphere for people to chat about. We sat in a booth which snuggled nicely in a far, dim corner.

In her skimpy French maid costume, the waitress approached us with two menus. I took in her presentation, a little disturbed to see such a sight at this hour. She looked to be in her mid-thirties. Her hair was pulled far too tightly into a ponytail, the baby hairs around her face sprung out desperately. Her face looked horrendous: her parched lips were poorly concealed by a layer of red lipstick, blue and yellow smothered across her eyelids in a patchy gradient, and her contour made her look like a piece even Picasso could not have painted. She looked like she was awoken by the agitating tone of her ringtone – as though her boss had threatened to fire her if she didn’t come out to work on this cold, snowy day. Making her way to the table in a lackadaisical manner, with her grumpy ‘morning-voice’, she sighed, “What a wonderful day. Please take a look at today’s special.”

She dropped the menus onto the table abruptly, making me jump slightly at the sound. I surveyed the meals hesitantly, my peripheral vision focused on the waitress in case she decided to bite my hand off or something. Everything was a little pricey to my taste, but alas, it was me who brought us here. I decided I’d order a little dessert. My mouth opened to relay my request, but no sooner had I spoken when I was cut off by none other than the man in front of me.

“Je voudrais une part de gâteau au chocolat.”

The words fluently flowed off his lips, him smiling sweetly to the hag. Having several colleagues who had the French dictionary on the tip of their tongue meant I never really required to learn the language. The one time it would be relevant and I hadn’t a clue what he just said. In contrast, the waitress looked down at him in amusement, flattered by his words. Jimin showed no sign or intended interest in her. His fingertips reached for my hand and drew little circles on the backside.

“Voudriez-vous autre chose?” Her mood was perking up, so did her smile. The sentence ended with a light giggle, but to me, all I heard was a hag’s cackle.

Still, Jimin took no notice of her flirting, and casually replied, “Deux thés à la pêche.” A little green critter was growing within me, and I knew I had no reason to feel such a way. How envious I was. The sound of the French syllables flowing in one ear and out the other. To think he would stay to mock me.

The grin on her face was slowly undone as she proceeded to take our orders. She huffed a sigh, “Et pour la dame?” and dropped her jaded gaze on me. All jealousy was seeped out of me and surprise overtook me. What on earth did she just ask me? Had she said what she had in English, I would have beaten her on the pretty beige tiles.

But not like this. No. She was staring into my soul with her hooded eyelids. ‘Please don’t look at me like that!’ I inwardly wailed, thoughts of my past French teacher scolding me flashing in my mind. Intertwining our fingers, however, was Jimin, catching me off guard in the moment, my nervous expression beyond his acknowledgement. In the awkward intensity of the situation, I pulled my hand back in, but sneaky Jimin had other ideas.

“Des macarons.” His fingers curled themselves inward bringing my hand closer to him. I never realised how small the table was until, with little to no effort, my knuckles brushed against the fabric of his black fleece. He turned to face me, tilting his head to the side like a dog, a smug grin plastered on his lips.

“Good choice,” was all she said, before taking our menus and stepping away from our booth. She gave me a quick once-over, narrowing her eyes. Current self-esteem: all time zero. I was probably a tomato head at this point, and all I could think of doing was burying my face deeper into the scarf I wore. One side of her lips pulled up quickly before falling again, and when her back turned to me, she leaned down beside Jimin, making it blatantly obvious how she whispered into his ear. “Elle est magnifique.”

A small huff of a laugh left his lips, and he looked down at our hands. Finally, she left.

Not a moment later, our drinks arrived, a different waitress this time; same outfit, The silence was broken by the clinking sound of our cups being placed on our table. “Do you take just any girl you see on the streets out for coffee?”

He sipped his tea, “Only the ones who I take interest in.” He flickered his eyes to meet mine, his lips still kissed the rim of his glass. “And it seems that I

My cheeks flushed after hearing those words from Park Jimin himself. But I shook myself back to reality. “You were pretty flirty with her.”

“You must really be a lonely person.” He crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. He folded his arms in a way which said, ‘I can’t believe this.’

I opened my mouth to retort but he beat me to it.

“You probably haven’t seen the sun enough to know the difference between being polite and flirting. She looked like she needed a pick-me-up, and I’m pretty sure what I did brightened her day, at least just a tiny bit.”

“By flirting with her?”

“By ordering our food,” he said, as if it was an obvious answer. “Gosh, you’re such a cutie when you’re jealous. I’m here because something about you caught my eye.” He sat back up and tapped the bridge of my nose lightly, my eyes focusing on his finger as he did it so slowly. “I picked up a few words and phrases while I was on my European tour, no biggie. Look – the food has arrived.” The same waitress who took our order placed two plates on our table: one with a slice of black forest, another with half a dozen macarons (pink, blue, and white). “Mercí,” he accepted the dishes from her kindly.

The plates were placed, one before me, and the other Jimin. She took a good look at the both of us, a weak smile broke on her face, “Bon appetit, lovers.” It was at that moment I sensed there could have been more to her than how she presented herself.

A little part of me believed it wasn’t fate which lead me to simply stumble upon him - what were the odds of that. And that she wasn’t the only person whom I needed a better understanding of.

**French dialogue translations

“Je voudrais une part de gâteau au chocolat.” - I would like a slice of chocolate cake.

“Voudriez-vous autre chose?“ - Would you like anything else?

“Deux thés à la pêche.” -Two peach teas.

“Et pour la dame?” -And for the lady?

“Des macarons.” -Some macarons.

“Elle est magnifique.” -She’s beautiful.

“Mercí,” -Thank you,

“Bon appetit,” -Enjoy your meal,

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