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redsixwing · 8 months

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Trick or Treat Letter

Hello, ToT author! Thank you for writing for me! <3

I hope you enjoy creating something for the challenge. I am certain I'll enjoy seeing it!

Overall Trick Preferences

I like scary and tragic scenarios, although I'd prefer a dash of comfort with the hurt. Body horror, gore, evidence of past trauma, all good stuff. I love themes of decay over time and regrowth in the ruins.

I'm a big fan of horror with some dignity to it. If we matched on Elden Ring, Dark Souls, FMA, or MoE, writing in a similar tone to those canons will make me a very happy camper.

Overall Treat Preferences

I enjoy nontraditional relationship structures, intimate friendships, and kind words from strangers every bit as much as romantic ships. Sexual scenes are welcome but never required.

I really REALLY like loyalty under pressure, depictions of faith (in another character? in a force beyond comprehension? it's up to you!) and intimacy in all its myriad forms.

If you're writing something on the sexual side, I quite enjoy a focus on what the participants are doing with their hands, as well as the emotional dynamics between the characters. I like monsterfucking, displays of passion, and enthusiasm between partners.

DNW

dubcon or noncon; scat/watersports/emeto; setting-change AUs (coffee shops, high schools, etc); y/n fic; a/b/o; pregnancy. Please see AO3 for fandom-specific DNWs, but that's 90% of it.

The following section collects all of the prompts written for all my fandom requests.

Fandom-specific Ideas

Elden Ring

For Tricks: I'd love to see Rennala's slow descent, or her knowledge of what's happened to her children vs what's going on in her cloistered academy with her sweetlings. Elden Ring has a LOT of horror in its DNA, and I'd love to play around with that some.

Anything Rykard and Tanith may blur the lines between trick and treat, and that's GREAT.

Who's under the crucible knight armor? How changed are they by exposure to their power of choice?

For Treats: Sweet scenes and kindness between Radagon and Rennala, or between Tanith and Rykard (or between Tanith and Rykard and the Knight? hoo hoo)

Likes: LGBTQ headcanons, genderbending Radagon, good mom Rennala. Rykard before or after Eiglay. BAMF Tanith. Cameos of other canon characters entirely welcome. Worldbuilding and details.

Dark Souls 1

Whether it's a Trick or a Treat is going to be all about focus, here, and DS1 being what it is, the lines may blur. I'm good for that.

I'd love to see some pre-canon scenarios, with or without the Chosen Undead (time being stagnant and convoluted, it seems possible they pay a visit!) Artorias before Oolacile; Ornstein and Gough vs the Dragons? Ciaran at her duties? Gwyndolin stepping up so that Anor Londo can endure past the loss of the Sun?

If you want to write during the canon timeline, how does the Chosen Undead react to meeting these heroes of old? How do they react to this upstart undead? How much do they remember of what they were?

Likes:

LGBTQ headcanons. Friendship among the Knights of Gwyn. Death, tombs, occult weirdness, time shenanigans, the creeping horror of the bonfires, the Dark, the curse... Characters of faith. Other canon characters entirely welcome.

Compilation of FFVII

I'm familiar with the original game, and a bit less familiar with Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. If you pull in material from other parts of the Compilation, I'd love to know where it is from in a note :) I'd like fanwork about the Turks, or the Turks and Rufus, or the Turks and Sephiroth, or the Turks and the world around them...

For Tricks:

Show me your character(s) of choice at their skullduggery - is Reno finding a new way to aggravate someone? Is Tseng planning the abduction of a presumed Ancient? What if Sephiroth has an assignment that will require some subtle and quick-thinking backup? There's so many monsters in the world, and Shinra is making more all the time. Has it made monsters of them also?

Jenova transformations, weird science, terrible working conditions, and monsters all welcome.

For Treats:

How about the Turks on vacation? Characters supporting one another after an assignment gone wrong (or gone right?) Quiet moments in the Shinra building, or perched somewhere in Midgar's soaring heights - or in its depths?

Likes:

LGBTQ headcanons. Friendship amongst the Turks. OG Sephiroth, quiet and contemplative and not so human. Jenova-based weirdness. Bad people making bad systems better for their own reasons. Nobody taking President Shinra seriously (and nobody forgetting he is dangerous).

Spy x Family

For Tricks: Yor as the Briar Princess, showing her thorns. Loid up to spy shenanigans. (Perhaps they both have the same target? Someone's going to have a bad day.)

Exploration of their dreary, oppressive society is welcome, but I'd prefer the family to have a safe zone at home. Hurt/comfort VERY welcome.

For Treats: Are the Forgers doing anything fun for Halloween? Has Bond ever met a cat? What does he think of Halloween costumes? What if Bond saw a ghost, and only Anya knew?

Likes:

LGBTQ headcanons. Intimacy and good parenting from unlikely characters. Good people prevailing against bad systems. Bad people making bad systems better for their own reasons. Poking fun at terrible authorities.

Machineries of Empire

I'm very fond of Jedao, Yeren, and Ruo as a trio; of Jedao and Mikodez fencing wits with one another; of Cheris and Jedao being stuck in their get-along body; and of Istradez and Mikodez being awful together.

For Tricks: The hexarchate is a terrible place, full of terrible calendrical effects and horrifying remembrances. How do the characters react - internally, as showing an external disagreement is dangerous in the extreme? How do they hide their heresies?

Is Mikodez as awful as he thinks he is? Is Cheris as okay as she thinks she is? And what of the Immolation Fox?

The only thing worse may what lies outside its calendrical control.

For Treats: Sweetness (or spiciness!) with Jedao, Yeren, and Ruo! Istradez and Mikodez being good to one another, duplicates externally but so unalike inside. Cheris and Jedao at a truce, or collaborating.

Likes: LGBTQ headcanons. Games, be they board games, mind games, video games, or games of deceit. Body horror and examination of personhood. Monstrosity. Shuos being Shuos. Shuos being Kel. One lost Kel at the Shuos party. Explorations of hexarchate culture. Spaaaaaace! Mad science, bad science, extrapolation of your favorite weird science fact into hexarchate space.

FMA Brotherhood / Manga

I love Roy and Riza in pretty much every permutation - good friends, lovers, pining. So long as they have one another's backs, all's well in the world. I like Olivier, but she doesn't like Roy - she makes such an excellent foil for the other two.

Kimbley is a terrible, terrible person and he is SO MUCH FUN. Playing with the contrast between him and the Amestrians who are at least attempting not to be walking atrocities is a good time.

Greed has been one of my favorites for quite a while, be it his attitude of making everything better (because it's his by right) or his various attempts to get out of the role he was created to occupy.

For Tricks: FMA has a lot of horror in its DNA. Whether it's human transmutation, chimaera, or the horrors of war, there's lots of room for angst and scary stuff.

Solf J Kimbley is a warning in himself. So is Roy Mustang.

Oliver Armstrong is not far off, even though she may think she is.

If you write Ishval War fic, please also include an element of Riza and/or Roy determined to make a world where the things they do never have to happen again.

For Treats: Does Amestris have an All Souls' Night? How do the characters celebrate it? Or, someone gives a small sweet treat to your choice of the characters - what is it? How do they accept it, if they accept it at all?

Likes: LGBTQ headcanons. Alchemy, occult nonsense, weird science, bad science, your favorite science fact made into a plot point. Body horror and examination of personhood. Monstrosity. Good people prevailing against bad systems. Bad people making bad systems better for their own reasons. Poking fun at terrible authorities.

Thank you again!

#find later #trick or treat exchange

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icantspeakspanish · 3 years

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Being Seijoh‘s queer manager - Headcanons

Ship: Platonic!Oikawa x Platonic!Reader / Platonic!Iwaizumi x Platonic!Reader / Platonic!Hanamaki x Platonic!Reader / Platonic!Matsukawa x Platonic!Reader

Warnings: actually none. It’s just fluff and maybe the 3rd years flipping of some mean people

masterlist

A/n: I recently can’t stop thinking about headcanons to that, so enjoy I guess🕳🚶

Coming out to them

Oikawa Tooru

Okay listen

Oikawa pays SO MUCH attention to his friends

Like, if you’re looking at a person longer than u look at other people, this mf will notice that right then and there

Don’t worry, he wont just point that out

Maybe he‘ll drop some dumb comments like the dumb clown he is, but he wont spill anything

Oikawa is going to be more observing

One day you just hang out with him

and this shithead has a fucking plan

I do not kid you when I‘m telling u he has a whole maSTERPLAN??😀

both of you are on your own phone, you scrolling though Instagram liking memes about ur closeted sexuality and laughing inside, I see you

Then Oikawa plays on purpose one song

„Me and your girlfriend playin' dress up at my house..“

You immediately freeze

🎶👹Don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious👹🎶

You literally try so hard to sent a gaze on Oikawas phone without him noticing

LMFAO NOT U FAILING

Anyways

You see in the upper corner of your eye how Oikawa is grinning SO BOLD AT YOU BYE

Brb, just getting a tomato to complain it to your face❤️

Tbh, he wasn’t even sure till you turned red like there ain’t no other choice

You just acted obvious as fU-

Oikawa will deadass laugh at your confused face, but then hug you

„Why didn’t you say anything? I could‘ve get you a significant other so much earlier???“

Slap him pls

After you tell him that you just felt really anxious or something like that, Oikawa will hug you again

He will tell you that he loves you no matter what and that he‘s sure the team will too

Oikawa will absolutely get you like a pride flag to surprise you

He‘s so proud of you and happy you told him🥺

Oikawa will literally look in public out for a partner for u 💀

Put a leash on that piece of crap, or I will

If you’re part of the asexual spectrum, Oikawa will make sure no one is making you uncomfortable and to know your boundaries about jokes, touching, etc.

Will text u things like

„Y/N PLEASE DON‘T TELL ME U DATE THEM?? IS U BLIIIIIIND?????!“

Hit him

„If you have to reject this dipshit one more time, I‘ll let Iwaizumi and Kyiotani go WiLD😐“

Love him

„If you wont make a move on them, I will🤨“

Throw him off a bridge

Oikawa is always going to be there for you, ready to let his fangirls flip off everyone who just looks the wrong way at you

He just loves you and wants u to be happy🥺

HE‘S STILL RUDE ASHSDJDN

Iwaizumi Hajime

Iwa isn’t suspecting anything

Sure, he cares about you, but he doesn’t care about which gender u love

He doesent think that is any of his business, he just wants u to be happy and treaten well and taken care of

Pls I love him

since Iwaizumi wont suspect anything, you’ll have to make the first move into this conversation.

So when you and Iwa walk home after practice it seems like the perfect time

You don’t know how to start, so you sorta just blurt that shit out

„Iwaizumi?“

„What‘s up?“

„I‘m ____“

„Okay.“

Your legs stop moving

You look at him like 👁👄👁

he be having the audacity to stop walking and ask you what’s wrong

„Did you understand what I just said?“

„Yeah, why?“

Y/n.exe stopped working

„WHY DO YOU JUST SAY „OKAY“ LIKE A FOOL?!“

„EXCUSE ME?“

Iwaizumi.exe crashed too

„What else am I supposed to say?! You’re my friend, I don’t care which gender you having sex with!“

He ain’t good with words I‘m sorry🧑‍🦯

Will ruffle you��re hair and tell you not to worry, he can beat up any gender😩👌

I actually don’t think he‘d ask you questions. He doesen’t want to make you uncomfortable and just googles about it if there’s anything he doesen’t understand. Iwaizumi is actually pretty invested and wants to learn about your sexuality since one of his closest friends just came out to him.

If anyone is being rude to you, Iwaizumi will pop off

If he’s shopping or smth like that and sees something with pride colors / your flag colors, he will buy that and give it to you

Definitely ready to beat up anyone who tries to insult you because of your sexuality

Radiates big protective dad energy and wants to meet your partner before y’all go out

Iwa just wants you to stay safe

10/10 would recommend marriage 💯

Hanamaki Takahiro

„Are you gay?“

You look pale into his face

„whAT?!“

LMFAO I‘D BE CONFUSED TOO

„Is that a yes?“

„MAKKI!“

I don‘t even know why, but he would definitely know

Not your sexuality EXACTLY, but he knows you ain’t straight

Makki also uses that as an explanation and tells you you didn’t looked hetero from the start

Excuse you-

He‘s just a natural i guess

You tell him then what your actual sexuality is and Hanamaki is so chill about it

Will smile at you and tell you that he‘s proud of you and maybe apologizing for blurting that shit out of the blue

If someone is making you uncomfortable in anyway, Hanamaki will hunt them down to make them apologize

he will sent you some lgbtq+ memes and capture it with „That reminds me of u“

Matsukawa Issei

Hear me out

He makes jokes often

and since you (as seijohs manager) hang out with them often, both of you joke often

like y’all have some insiders, you give joking answers to his jokes

so when you and Mattsun went out to get drinks, he was joking as usual

„He/she’d be a great fiancé. dont you think?“

U look in the direction he’s pointing and see a friend group who’s chatting

„Naaah. His/her friend looks hotter“

u actually said that without thinking and as soon as you realize u started to blush and look to him

Matsukawa still looks into that direction.

„you’re right, they got that dumptruck“ BYE

„Matsukawa Issei, I knew youre an ass dude!“

pls y’all are so casual

after that he asks you if you meant that and really are interested in this gender

„wait that’s ___, right?“

you nod a bit surprised because you didn’t expect him to know the name of your sexuality

WOULD SENT YOU MEMES TOO AND ASK PEOPLE OUT FOR YOU BYE

Matsukawa looks intimidating like Iwaizumi, but he‘d joke around with your date tbh

but if they’re being shitty to you, Matsukawa won’t hesitate to sent them to hell

as long as they won’t hurt you physically, he will make so mean jokes, always pick a fight with them and is SO sarcastic towards them💀

mattsun also made you a playlist with like pride songs

Going to a Pride parade with them!!

OIKAWA IS SO EXCITED JABSNFBXB

He will absolutely wear a pride flag and be SO proud

he‘ll tries to make some friends for you so you have some people who‘re like you

hes a dumbass, sorry<\3

when you ask Iwaizumi to come with you and the team, he will firstly act annoyed and like he doesen’t want to go but Oikawa drags him anyway dw

if there’s like rainbow ice he will buy it for you what a sugar daddy

Iwaizumi will act annoyed and bored for most of the time, but as soon as you look two seconds away from him and turn back around, this men has rainbow flags on both of his cheeks🥺

someone also gave him a small pride flag and he’s swinging it since then the entire time GOD I‘M SO DOWN FOR SOFT IWAIZUMI PLEASE

some guys talked to him because they thought he’s 💅🏻 and hot and Oikawa let out a scream BAHAHA

Iwa explained himself so politely tho<3

Hanamaki found SO MANY FRIENDS GOODBYE

ofc he and matsukawa bought this thing with what you can draw those rainbow flags on your cheeks and they put it on Oikawas, yours, Iwaizumis and their own face

actually they have now rainbowflags all over their body because they think they look cool🧚‍♀️

and they will protect you from creeps <3

remember when I said Mattsun made a playlist for you? Oikawa‘s blasting that shit and dancing to it ofc he danced with you duh

after that day, Hanamaki changed y’all’s gc name to „y/n‘s protection squad“

#seijoh #haikyuu x reader #seijoh x reader #oikawa toru x reader #iwaizumi x reader #hanamaki x reader #matsukawa x reader #haikyuu headcanons #aoba josai headcanons #queer pride

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vellichor-virgo · 3 years

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on hiatus

—about me:

hi, i’m meghna! i often go by meg or m online; i’m fine being called any of those :)

i’m 22 years old, indian-canadian, and i use she/her pronouns!

i started this blog in january of 2021 and i’ve been having a great time ever since

my favourite thing to read and write is fantasy, but i also adore anything to do generally with magic, fairytales, mystery, friendship, and dark academia.

aside from this blog, you can find me over on my main blog @song-of-elfhame, which i’ll be following/liking from, and my aesthetic sideblog @whitethcrn.

i cannot stress enough how free you are to shoot me a message or an ask any time. i love making new mutuals, getting to know other people’s WIPs/OCs, and talking your ear off about my own stuff.

i also absolutely adore tag games — send ’em my way!

keep reading for stuff about my WIP and OCs :)

—my writing:

most of my writing consists of excerpts from my WIP night’s daughter, but there are some excerpts from other pieces sprinkled in here and there as well!

here’s my masterlist for my longer pieces/excerpts (not including excerpts from tag/ask games)

all of my writing is also tagged my writing !

with my writing, i include content/trigger warnings before potentially triggering content -- please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask me to include warnings for specific triggers!

—about my WIP:

my current project is night’s daughter, a YA, LGBTQ+ fantasy novel, and the first in an envisioned trilogy!

i began writing it way back in late 2014/early 2015, and began rewriting the first draft in 2020.

the intro post linked above is a much better summary, but in short: night’s daughter tells the story of Celena, a strange teenage girl who discovers that her own mysterious past is inexplicably linked to a series of dark, ancient secrets, and that the key to warding off the coming evil threatening her kingdom lies within her missing identity.

if you enjoy courtly intrigues, magic, mythology, astrology, LGTBQ+ characters & pairings, and the enemies/rivals to lovers trope, you’ll enjoy night’s daughter.

i’m always happy to add people to my ND taglist! feel free to request any time :)

—other projects:

this blog centres around night’s daughter, but you’ll also see plenty of content featuring other mini-projects and OCs of mine!

most prominently featured is a group of characters affectionately referred to as my magic gang: a group of teens who attend a boarding school for magical creatures. they aren’t part of any real WIP, but i often post stuff about their various shenanigans. you can find these in my masterlist and under the tags magic gang and circle of hurt (the latter being an ongoing piece about them that you’ll see me mentioning quite frequently)

i’ve got a little magic gang taglist going as well — feel free to ask to be added if you’d like updates about them!

i’m constantly coming up with new OCs, so there are way too many to list here. in general, if you’d like to know more about a particular character, everything to do with them will be under the tag ch: [name] (or, you could shoot me an ask! nothing would delight me more)

—blog navigation:

(WIP tags are here)

main inspo tags: inspo: setting | inspo: fashion | inspo: gen

tags for my writing: my writing | night’s daughter: excerpt | circle of hurt

OC tags: about my OCs | night’s daughter: main characters | ch: [character] | ship: [character x character] | friendship: [character x character]

writeblr tags: writing advice | just writing things

if you made it this far, i appreciate you a lot. thanks for reading; i hope you’ll stick around! :) 🌙✨

#night's daughter #writeblr #new writeblr #fantasy writeblr #fantasy writing #writeblr introduction #writeblr intro #writers on tumblr #lgbtq writeblr #lgbtq writing #lgbtq wip #fantasy wip

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adler-obsessed · 3 years

Note

Hi! I'm new in the fandom and wanted to ask why everyone seems to be hating Derek Landy? Yes the books are pretty brutal and he's low-key sadistic with the characters, but aren't most book authors? I just finished book 6 and I'm really enjoying them so far. I'm just curious and don't wanna offend anyone.

oh boy buckle up - I just want to first of all say welcome to the fandom!!! Although it may seem a bit negative sometimes, it’s mainly because we love the series and characters so much!

There’s a lot of people who know more about + have details on Landy’s problematic statements/actions so guys/fandom if you could add that onto this post, I’d appreciate it.

A short summary:

problematic representation in books

the disaster of Phase 2

attacking fans (bonus: his gf attacking fans)

problematic relationships with young fans

But I’ve been meaning to do an analysis of why Landy’s representation of queer people and the LGBTQ+ Community has been problematic for a while and I have examples so buckle up everyone:

So, as a brief introduction, there’s several reasons why people aren’t the biggest fan of Landy - one you won’t be aware of for awhile is Phase 2, which starts after Book 9

Phase 2, I think I can say confidently, has not been as well received as Phase 1. Lots of the characters we liked in Phase 1 don’t appear or have lost all their character development from Phase 1. There are so many side plots that are very confusing and most people aren’t particularly interested in them so large parts of each book are quite boring for most of the fandom.

But onto my main argument (edit: in a reblog below, Faceless has linked many of the examples I discuss if you are interested)

Landy has had quite a bumpy ride when it comes to representation: in the Demon Road series (outside of SP) there was a very problematic portrayal of a wlw relationship. He claimed that everyone is eventually bisexual, and then there is a wider issue of representation in the actual Skulduggery books.

Firstly, those characters that are in the LGBTQ+ community tend to have that aspect of their life continuously pointed out/or mentioned (like Landy is trying to show how ‘diverse’ he is) but then have very little character development/or mention of anything other than that.

There is a supposedly major wlw ship in Phase 2, but it is so underdeveloped it feels more like a main character and her cheerleader. In the last book we finally got some development only for them to then break up (although I somewhat liked the realistic reasons behind it, it did disappoint me)

Linking from this, there is a general difference in how Landy treats non-canon queer ships versus straight ones

When asked about the possibility of a non-canon straight ship, he said he didn’t like to dismiss the fan’s ships. In comparison when a fan asked about mlm ship, he immediately said no to it (keep in mind there was no dubious relationship between these two in the books, they are super close so it made no sense for him to completely refuse it)

Landy also likes to point out his queer characters like China and Tanith, who are both canonly bisexual/pansexual (he confirmed to a fan that China and Eliza were a thing) and yet, whenever the two are romantically involved with someone, it’s a man.

Now, before I get people attacking me saying they are still bisexual even though they’re in straight passing relationships, I AM bisexual, I hate it when people invalidate my sexuality just because I am in a relationship w a guy or girl.

But eVERYTIME, these two end up with a guy, and the only time Landy has confirmed they aren’t straight are either in blink and you’ll miss it moments or outside of the books (sort of like Rowling claiming characters were gay on Twitter, and yet these characters were never seen expressing these identities in the books or in later media)

So why is this representation problematic? Because writers like Landy seem to think they’ve actually done a good job - stating once that a character identifies/or has a certain sexual orientation, and then never elaborating on it again, as if that somehow wins him brownie points.

I’m not going to talk to much about Never - for context this is a gender fluid character in Phase Two - because I myself am not gender fluid, so I would not want to speak for that side of the community incorrectly. In my personal opinion, having several genderfluid friends, Never’s characterisation is bloody weird.

For context, in the books, Landy changes the pronouns that Never uses and others use to address him/her practically every sentence. At times it feels less like a portrayal of a genderfluid character, and more like a mockery (one of my aforementioned genderfluid friends stopped reading the series at this point because they found it too close to the mocking insults their grandparents would use e.g. changing pronouns every sentence as if making out that their gender identity was some absurd thing)

Again, rest of the fandom feel free to interject in here, there are definitely people more qualified to speak on this than me.

I also want to talk a little bit about the problematic way Derek handles female members of the LGBTQ+ community in comparison to the male ones. I’ve mentioned above a bit of the problems with China/Tanith but I want to go a bit further into the issue with the male ones: namely, there are barely any.

While the three main female characters are all canonly bisexual, none of the major male ones are (if I’m wrong, please correct me!) and the only one who could possibly be considered major is Anton Shudder and his boyfriend who are confirmed to have been in a relationship, oh wait, when they are both dead. Apart from that, there is not one major male member of the LGBTQ+ community in these books that Landy claims are so diverse.

I think it is also slightly worrying that so many of Landy’s female characters are bisexual, characters who Landy also constantly describes as pretty/gorgeous/attractive etc. because it just feels like that typical thing of men fetishising wlw women (particularly bisexual women) hence why I also think the fact that two of these women never have a relationship with another wlw in the actual books is very problematic, as these sexual orientations feel more for show than actual canon most of the time.

There is a very big problem with the way Landy goes about queer representation in his books, and the worse part? He thinks he’s doing great.

#skulduggery pleasant #Derek Landy critical #apologies for the mammoth essay but I had feelings

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annetteblog · 3 years

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Intro & My take on KM

Hi!

I’m new around here so it’s supposed to be (not so short) introduction, since I don’t know how to start a blog heh. I hope to sprinkle my 0.5 cents into the KM conversation and maybe to bring a new perspective from someone, who is not a part of the typical English-speaking West.

Who /the hell/ Am I?

(please, consider it to be said with NJ’s voice from Intro: Persona :D)

I was born in Siberia (it’s in the Asian part of Russia), currently live in the European part of the country while studying at a Uni (European in terms of geography, not in terms of everything else i’m definitely not shading rn lolllll). English is not my first language, I’ve just kind of learnt it to some extent. Due to this it takes me more time to write a post; and I may (and will) make some grammatical & other mistakes. Plus I’m lazy AND busy with Uni, so I won’t even promise to be consistent in posting smth lol. But I thought I need more practice in terms of writing in English, so here I am, actually scribbling something. This feels weird, because I’ve been around stan Tumblr since 2015, but never ever interacted, just read.

How I ended up around Jikook/Kookmin (and BTS) & My (long&messy) take on this matter

Although I had heard of BTS before, I became an Army only in October 2018. I had kinda avoided them, because you know... boybands.... sing songs about romantic love and how they love girls.......... (+I had been around Twitter when 1D been at their peak and I remember a quite toxic community of fans, whom always had scared me). Shortly, hello stereotypes. Obviously, after I got engaged I felt terribly sorry that I had been sleeping on them, but what is done cannot be undone.

Someone I knew back then reposted one of their MVs and I, during my sad hours of procrastination, decided to watch it. Then I saw their live performance with the same song. And I thought “wow these guys can sing and dance and the music is kinda cool, i need to check this out maybe??”

Then a funny thing happened. One of the next videos I watched (the same person had it added to their page) was a 2016 BangtanBomb where JM and JK practiced their Coming of Age dance.

Do you know this moment with Gina from the 1st episode of Brooklyn 9-9:

Well, that was precisely me after I watched it. I don’t even know how to explain this, it was kind of a gut feeling? Whatever you call it, I started to get suspicious and couldn’t even explain to myself why. /actually now a do have questions to this vid and the main one - why does everyone cringe that much? if it’s a girly choreo than they had done some “girly” moves before. why is there such strong reaction??/

I started to get deeper and went to some ru-shipper communities. Shipping culture among Russian speaking fans is... well, weird to some extent, but I maybe address this topic some time later. You need to consider that (as far as you probably know) Russia is quite homophonic country and sadly is not the greatest place for LGBTQ+ community at the moment. The non-frienly influential attitudes hanging in the society + the general shippers’ weirdness = the result is not that nice honestly.

I struggled for some time in order to find more mature people (not just in terms of age but in general sanity), failed, ended up with some EXTREMELY toxic ru-fans of TK, which was/is the most popular pairing here, spent among them like 15 minutes and ran away horrified. After that I didn’t even try to engage with shippers or believers or whatever of any pair and just decided to enjoy the music and the content (which is a great idea, highly recommend!)

After a couple of days I discovered that JK makes videos. I love video, films and visual art so I immediately found them on YT, saw the titles with names of different cities from all over the world and was like “Oh that must be so cool, he’s visited so many outstanding places I’ve never been to, so I really need to watch it! I shall enjoy some beautyyy”. Then I clicked on GCFt.

Well, what can I say. I did enjoy some beauty, but not the type I had initially anticipated. The biggest clickbait in my entire life. JK should be proud of himself.

/as I said - the beauty/

I had already known Troy back then and I known the song’s lyrics so it would not be an underestimation to say - the video just blew my mind. I was like - hold on is this real? seriously?? no really really????? he manage to get away with something THAT obvious?????? dude how

As a person who edited videos AND is not a native English speaker, I don’t buy the explanation “oh he mustve didnt get the lyrics lmao”. You just don’t do that. You don’t. DON’T. You google and translate every shit you don’t understand, every word and idiom you’ve never encountered, because otherwise the possibility of an epic failure is very likely. You wouldn’t want to give your mum a video as a birthday present and then discover that you used a song with WAP-ish lyrics, right? (well maybe that would be okay in your family, I don’t judge, but that’s not the case for people I know). So don’t you dare to degrade JK’s intellectual capacities; such assumption is really offensive. He is a smart boii, he knows exactly what he’s doing in terms of his art.

So I was shocked, but decided to look for the context - maybe I missed some previous events regarding this Tokyo thing (another great idea - always check the context). Well, apparently I didn’t, because the whole narrative with the trip for two, lovely selfies etc. made my poor brain lowkey explode. (I still don’t buy the rings theory thing though)

But I didn’t give up lol! I’m a bit stubborn and it’s very hard to convince me in anything, so I decided to search for more context, more of their interactions, moreeee. Remember, the late October 2018, there were no swan lakes, RB, and even MMA18 hadn’t happened yet.

This time I ended up watching content in more or less consistent way, and when I saw all of these scenes with affectionate JM and a cool badass i-don’t-care-about-anyone-i’m-a-manly-man-with-no-feelings-whatsoever JK, I just hysterically laughed.

Homophobic Russia, remember? I recognized this. Growing up here being LGBT myself, taught me the same type behaviour during my high school days. When a girl I kinda liked but didn’t what to admit it to myself was nice to me or (oh god) flirted with me, I did something similar. It’s like a huge panic mode. Being an introvert doesn’t help either. The funniest thing is that you may not entirely realise what exactly is going on in terms of your own feelings, especially at that age (16-18ish). In my personal case, I thought I liked her but as a friend, only later to realise that well not as a friend oops :DDD The second thing (already not so funny) is that you actually consciously or unconsciously try to avoid the subject as much as possible, as long as possible and pretend that nothing is going on. We’re just bros. Stop doing this stupid gayish thing and don’t look at me like that, you’re annoying. If you ever do this again I (gently) kick you. I’m straighter than a straight line in my math textbook. IDK, but probably that’s your brain is somehow trying to protect you. Again, in my case&position I knew that the consequences for any non-straight person being outed would be bad (TW not to the point of being killed bad, but to the point of being excluded from a big part of society). So for me it was a mixture of the internalized homophobia + lack of self reflection + just being a bit emotionally slow + very! straight community around. Shit happens, I was a teenager and made my share of mistakes, but that experience helps me to recognize the same pattern of behaviour up to this day.

So coming back to KM, because the post is already waaay too long and I just ramble. It’s been 2+ years for me being a part of this fandom, and what can I say... Things become more intense and eventful with every year passing by ;) Funny how I felt that vibe from the 2016 dance practice video. Seeing the Black Swan performance a week ago almost had me choked, no joking. They are amazing.

Pure Art

However, and I would like to emphasize that, I do not incline that KM are 100% romantically involved and/or gay or whatever. I tend to treat people with respect and not to make too much assumptions about their private life. That’s not my business. However, I’m also not a fan of heteronormativity, so I’m just sitting here and observe everything that’s going on putting some distance and not forgetting being generally polite and critical thinking. But if they are just straightest besties please give them an Oscar before Grammy

Anyways, I hope this blog won’t kick the bucket from the very start and I will post something every now and then. You can always ask me questions about some BTS/Jikook related stuff or something about Russia and a Russian view on mass culture topics, since I’m pretty sure some of you have very stereotypical view of what is going on here :) However, do note that I’ve never been to America or Europe, therefore I may not be aware of something verrrry obvious to you or just have a completely different experience.

P.S. And yeah, I’m used to say Jikook, since it’s the name which is used much more frequently in Russian. i like it better and what will u do haha

#jikook #kookmin #what am i even doing here #i'm gonna regret this #long post

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nafeary · 3 years

Note

I have seen you fetishizing gay ships, and I’d politely ask you to stop. This fandom has many fujoshi, and we don’t need another one. It’s deeply insulting to the lgbtq+ community.

Considering that you’re accusing me of fetishising gay ships politely, lemme try to be as polite as possible, too.

Well, I actually had to search up what a fujoshi is first, and???? Courtesy of urban dictionary:

Uhm... I wouldn’t consider myself a fujoshi, but what’s so bad about liking and enjoying gay relationships? I seriously hope I’m not misunderstanding anything here, but you saying that this fandom has too many fujoshi... is not a bad thing? Why would it be? Ikemen Vampire is a game with 15 amazing guys, and some of them are bound to have great compatibility.

Also, about me fetishising gay ships—

Sure, I ship Vincent and Arthur, Napoleon and Jean... but I’ve never fetishised it. I simply enjoy the dynamics of their relationships.

And on that note, I’m going to answer some anons that have felt the need to tag these gay ships specifically as gay.

I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. No. No I will never ever include “gay”, “bl”, or anything like that in my tags. I’m not saying you shouldn’t, nor that it’s a bad thing—my blog is still in its renovation phase rn too, so I have to fix some a lot of tags anyways. If you want to use these or use these tags, that’s totally okay, and I don’t have a problem with that. But I still won’t label the same-sex ships that I myself post about and reblog as just that on my blog.

Why? Do I tag things as straight? No. I don’t think I do, so I don’t see the need to tag other sexualities. What is that? You don’t want to see content based on other sexualities? That’s fine, you can unfollow and block me. If you have issues with any of my decisions, morals, etc. and you’d rather not talk to me about it, I understand that you’d want to unfollow/blog me.

I don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but I’m also not going to give you the ability to censor something that’s completely normal. nsfw and angst/trigger warnings are a different story. Once I fix my blog I’ll tag everything I could find in my archives brrr. It’s 2021; if you haven’t learnt to accept and tolerate things you don’t like, then please, follow Squidward.

Take care everyone, drink your water, and try to catch your 8 hours of sleep 💜💜💜

#just me ranting #like...why #am i misunderstanding anything???#????????#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikemen series

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itssamfcknwinchesterbtch · 3 years

Text

just in case i didn’t make it clear in the tags of my previous post:

on this blog we support

canon ships

non-canon ships

straight ships

LGBTQ+ ships

poly ships

popular ships

rarepairs

crack ships

and any other type of ship, so long as they do not promote or condone

abuse

rape

sexual or romantic relationships between a minor and an adult

incest

any other kind of morally wrong element a relationship could have

and before anyone comes at me for something they don’t appreciate in this post, i'm not getting or gonna get all holier-than-thou on anyone who enjoys reading, writing, or otherwise producing or consuming fanworks that include any of the things in the second list, nor am i criticizing or bashing anyone who ships anything that include any of those things.

if you ship two characters in an abusive relationship, like darklina (as i said in the tags of my last post), then that’s fine as long as you don’t try to excuse the darkling’s behavior because ~he’s attractive and misunderstood~. i don’t care if he’s desperate or trying to protect his people or whatever the arguments are about, nothing gives him the right to take away the agency of another human being as a method for reaching his own goals. that is wrong, and so long as you know that and don’t think it’s okay or try to excuse it, then go right on ahead! read some angsty fics! write some aus and some fluff! draw stunning fanart, you’re doing great!! just don’t try to excuse abusive behavior!! it’s not that complicated!!!

for instance: i love the character of billy russo on Netflix’s The Punisher! do i think what he’s done can be excused in any way? nope! do i think he’s a bad person? yep! do i still enjoy his character and fanworks about or including him? yes i do! but does that make me a bad person? i'm pretty sure that if anything makes me a bad person, it’s not going to be the fact that i like billy russo.

now, back to the matter at hand: for those of you who don’t want to see anything about the ships you do not ship, then?? ignore them?? filter the tags, scroll really quickly past the post, i don’t care - but why post things or message people to shame or criticize liking those ships? it doesn’t help anything and it won’t magically convince people that you’re right and they’re wrong, i promise you that.

for those of you who have trauma or triggers that cause you to be negatively affected by any ship or anything from the above second list, then please, filter out the tags related. don’t follow, unfollow, or even block people who post about things that trigger you. do what you have to in order to stay safe, but don’t expect other people to stop or change what they post and talk about because of your personal traumas. the filter tags button is there for a reason. the block user button is there for a reason. don’t attack people for posting things you’re uncomfortable with seeing instead of doing your part to keep your tumblr experience safe for yourself.

if anyone thinks something needs to be added to this post, feel free to message me and tell me what! i'll either politely disagree or edit the post to include your addition! i don’t mean to come across as rude or judgmental in any way, and i will say that i do avoid certain ships that i don’t feel comfortable with and i do enjoy reading and writing fics and posts about ships that can definitely be considered problematic, so i don’t think i'm better than anyone else on this awful hellsite (said affectionately). but i think it’s important to adopt a sort of live-and-let-live mentality, especially on the internet, because so many people fight about their conflicting opinions instead of just acknowledging that they have differences and moving on in their lives. it’s not healthy for any of the parties involved.

(also, completely unrelated - i'm having some Struggles™ with replying to people who message me about my posts. any time i try to click on the notification it either takes me to their blog or to the post they commented on, and i don’t know how to reply without making a whole ‘nother post, but i don’t want to ignore them! they’re being so nice! can anyone tell me what i'm supposed to do to reply to messages and comments??)

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sam-winchester-wears-makeup · 3 years

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Not to go off but can y'all on tumblr stop dragging Jensen Ackles through the fucking mud he doesn't deserve it. He's an LGBTQ+ ally and has been for years. A lot of you didn't even see the show let alone the episode in question so you shouldn't be blindly accusing Jensen of being a homophobe. Jensen has as mentioned in another post played a bisexual man who had threeways with Marliyn Monroe and his character was also a lover to Patrick Dempsey's character in the same show, a 2001 mini series called Blonde. Jensen has been nothing but supportive and kind to members of the SPN fandom who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community when interacting with them. Just because he personally doesn't ship Destiel doesn't make him homophobic. I don't ship it and that doesn't make me homophobic either. I don't say that because I'm pansexual but because I don't hate on the ship or those who enjoy it or y'know anyone who isn't cishet whether they're fictional or not.

On the topic of Dean he had many things on his mind when his best friend gave that confession before being taken away by the Empty. There was literally someone outside the door of the room they were in trying to kill them and he was having a hard time processing the fact that a lot of the people he knew and cared about got snapped out of existence. Regularly he has a very hard time dealing with his emotions and it takes a few episodes for him to open up because he tends to keep his emotions bottled up inside so processing something like that in under a minute when he has to worry about keeping the two of them alive while he's also grieving would be kinda hard.

May I also point out Castiel has told both Winchester boys he loves them. They are his found family and showed him he could make his own decisions instead of being heaven's loyal dispensable little soldier. The boys treated him with kindness and compassion, taught him how to feel emotions and be his own person, watched his back, stuck with him through thick and thin, taught him to enjoy the small stuff.

Whether Castiel meant he loved Dean in a romantic way or not is up for debate but the SPN fandom should keep in mind that the showrunners did not give him a set sexuality so you cannot strictly say he is gay or bi or pan and decide for the entirety of the fandom what his sexuality is. Having your own opinion on the matter is perfectly fine but forcing your opinion onto others and hating on the people who do not share your opinion is not okay. People can continue to write their Destiel fics with renewed vigor if they so choose to and people who write Castiel x reader insert fics or Dean x reader insert fics can continue on as well because Cas has no set sexuality and the whole fandom can continue to enjoy writing him as they wish.

Castiel's sexuality is probably going to become a topic of great conflict in the foreseeable future because there will be those who argue he is gay due to his confession to Dean while there will be those who argue against that. I would like to point out angels do not view gender and sexuality as humans do. An angel is basically just a soul inhabiting a human vessel, they do not care what gender they inhabit, a vessel is a vessel. Castiel did not care whether he inhabited Claire's body or Jimmy's he just needed a vessel and being a vessel is a familial trait that only certain lines carry, he only left Claire's body because Jimmy's dying wish was for Cas to inhabit his instead of his daughter's so she wouldn't go through what he went through. Angels basically see each other more or less as souls inhabiting vessels so why would they care about a human's body or gender identity if they liked said human for their personality. What is on the inside is what matters. If a human has an attractive body but personality wise is an unsufferable cunt why would an angel or anyone for that matter like them? Angels or at least Castiel are more likely (in my mind at least) to be attracted to someone's personality and their soul rather than just their physical attributes because angels don't really naturally have physical attributes they can judge each other on up in heaven. Yes a few other angels told Castiel that they preferred his female vessel better than Jimmy which shows they do judge physical appearances of vessels but is Castiel the same as other angels? No. Are all people the same? No. Does physical attraction influence attraction to someone on top of their personality in most cases? Yes. But that does not mean people or angels solely like someone based on their appearance or gender. Really the only people who can confirm Cas' sexuality are the show runners but that hasn't happened so everyone is still free to write and interpret him how they please. If they do assign Castiel a sexuality in the future some people may also choose to ignore that which is also completely fine.

#Destiel #Dean Winchester #Castiel #Supernatural #Supernatural Season 15 #Jensen Ackles #Misha Collins #Supernatural Spoilers #SPN

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blarhiv · 5 years

Text

Pre-Debut Fan on Shipping and KM

Guys,one wonderful Anonnie decided to bless us with so well written article.So,please,read it <3

Anonnie,thank you for sharing with us your thoughts!

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BE WARNED VERY LONG SHIPPING/KM POST AHEAD!!!!

First of all, I just want to clarify that I’m a KM supporter. By my current understanding and my own personal definition, this is to say that that while I believe in the possibility of these two individuals being in a real-life relationship, I am at peace with the reality that it is also conceivable that they are merely very close, wonderful friends. I will get to KM a bit later, but I first want to go through some general commentary on the statement of the fandom in regards to shipping first. I’ve tried to be as respectful as I could and so, things have gotten quite lengthy indeed.

PART 1: Shipping and Fandoms

Shipping Wars

My first point of major contention lies in shipping wars—in quick and easy summation, I truly really fail to understand shipping wars.

It doesn’t quite make sense to me that there are individuals warring over which ship is real when, no one in the band has ever confirmed a heterosexual relationship, never mind an in-band relationship. So, why fight about it when we can enjoy the lovely bonds between human beings and celebrate good, ostensibly healthy relationships?

If shippers were really into their “ship” (for lack of better terminology) for the bond between those two people, I feel that it is imperative to acknowledge what complete injustice one is doing by participating in something so meaningless and hateful as shipping wars.(Now, despite my refusal to get involved in shipping wars, I do empathize and understand those combating the wretched comments and criticisms these toxic individuals in the fandom say about undeserving band members. But I still do implore people not to argue over with some of these hyper-volatile, toxic individuals about why their perspective is inherently flawed because these people are highly unlikely to entertain a healthy, open discourse about a difference in opinions.)

And at the point where shippers are determined to evince the realness of their ship, I think their intentions are automatically highly suspect.

Why?

If one is truly trying to celebrate the connection, the supposed love, and the affection of said ship, there absolutely shouldn’t be a pressing need or compulsion to prove others wrong for not sharing the same perspective as yours.

At that point, it becomes less about a celebration of love and more about selfish gratification—whatever it is that may be incentivizing said shipper (And there are, unfortunately, a plethora of self-serving reasons people ship which are not limited to the fetishization of gays/Asians, the determination not to have their dreams of being with a band member to be shattered by their significant other being a female, the egotistical compulsion of needing to be “right”, etc.). And if one is shipping with the genuine intentions of supporting a potentially LGBTQ band member or generally supporting two humans demonstrating great love (whether it presents itself in a platonic or romantic expression), it needn’t matter what the label or status of that relationship is.

So, if one is supporting with selfless intentions and a sincere desire to see members happy, there’s no point of arguing about the “realness” of a ship because at the end of the day, all the ships in the band are real—because they all have honest, genuine relationships with one another as friends. Shipping Real People

This is also a highly controversial subject and I believe it is mainly due to the lack of boundaries people have set in place when they participate in shipping real people.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with real people ships—but only under great constraints and self-monitoring. Most people who ship real people do so because human beings are naturally drawn to and attracted to love—that is to say, people love love. That’s why people enjoy romantic movies and relationships between characters on television shows. That’s why writers like to write about love and photographers take pictures of things and people they love.

However, the problem lies in people who take liberties with how seriously they can invest into a real person ship or how entitled they begin to feel towards someone else’s life.

This is where para-social relationships come into place—through the use of social media, fans are given ultra personal ways to interact with celebrities causing them to believe that they’re connected to their idols despite the reality that it is a one-way relationship. These celebrities do not know you—and therefore, they owe you absolutely nothing in regard to their personal life. And so, I absolutely do not condone writing or tagging or demanding things from any real-life ship (ie. VLives, Twitters, fan meets, InstaLives, etc.) where one could be causing the human being distress or pressure. They are, at the end of the day, real people with real feelings and real lives—and we, as fans or spectators at best, are simply entitled to no components of their life.

I think there are instances that you can comment on a celebrity’s life and have it be a perfectly innocuous encounter. For example, it’s quite alright to appreciate and feel second-hand joy at seeing two people whom one respects and follows as a fan looking happy with their potential partners (as in the case of KM) or commenting supportively on a confirmed real-life couple’s Instagram photos (Justin and Hailey Bieber, Michelle and Barak Obama, Hyuna and E’Dawn, Cara Delevine and Ashley Benson, etc.). Feeling joy at seeing someone else happy or commenting something cute and chill on a real-life couple’s picture doesn’t cost anything nor does it harm anyone. But if you, as a fan, begin to demand things from said people if the real life couple breaks up (Justin Bieber-Selena Gomez, Cole Sprouse-Lili Reinhart, etc.) or you hate the real significant other after one half of a popular ship is revealed to be dating someone else (Zendaya-Tom Holland-anonymous girlfriend), that’s when you’ve got a real problem and you need to reassess what you’re doing. If you are going to ship a real-life ship, do it sensitively—don’t personally bother these people with your unsolicited advice and woes, they don’t care about your ships, they just want to live their lives.

Fetishization and Homophobia

Another deeply problematic that comes with the shipping territory is the fetishization.

There are, unfortunately, many fans that like the idea of a real ship right up until the point there’s a possibility where the members might actually be part of the LGBTQ community. It’s sexy and sensual, a “guilty pleasure”, to imagine the idea of gays, but the actual concept of homosexuality as a real part of someone’s identity is somehow unacceptable to many fans. This is definitely a problem in the Asian music industry.

While girls fawn over the boy-boy interactions on stage, these same young women are equally likely to be disgusted by the existence of actual homosexual men trying to celebrate their love on the streets—and the KPop industry feeds into this by via methods like encouraging fan service between members or the Pepero game.

This is deeply disheartening as there are, without doubt, LGBTQ members in this industry—we may not know them by name or face (aside from Holland), but they certainly do exist. And how sad is it to imagine that the closest to acceptance these human beings will ever attain for their sexual preferences is on stage for the gratification of fans who won’t even support them if they actually come out? If you only enjoy same-sex interactions on stage, feeling repulsion or deterrence in supporting a gay or lesbian idol based on their sexual preferences, you probably have some soul searching to do.

Another thing I’ve noticed is the tendency of same-sex shippers to modify a harmless interaction between members as they make jokes or innuendos that splatter a hue of raw sexual essence onto the moment—this is, in part, some fetishization. We should try to avoid this as gay men are trying to escape the sexualized view a large majority of people have about them.

And KMers are guilty of this—after all, sometimes when a boy says he wants to do his laundry, he really just wants to do his laundry.

So, this is something else to keep in mind.

General Homophobia

How many times have bloggers received comments about how X members can’t be gay or how if X is gay that the anon can’t be a fan of that person anymore? I’ve definitely read several too many in my time and these are all exemplifying comments of people who house internal homophobia.

Unfortunately, the need to explicitly state and prove homosexuality will always be a symptom of the heteronormativity of most societies—and I do understand why it happens and it’s not always a malicious assumption.

What I peacefully and regretfully do not understand are aggressive fans who flagrantly deny the possibility of any other sexuality aside from being straight—these instances really make me suspect these are mainly female fans that can’t stomach the possibility of their idols not being into their gender or are straight up homophobic without any other reason. (That being said, I also don’t encourage any same-sex shippers/supporters to make assumptions about sexualities either. It’s fine to support and to suspect the possibility of a same-sex relationship, but there should always be that margin for error since none of these idols are definitively out.)

Conclusion to General Shipping

TLDR; my basic point in the first part of this ridiculous essay is that, we should really all respect one another as members of a single fandom. And beyond that, we should all respect the people whom we are shipping, taking great care and using our sensibilities to ensure we aren’t making real people uncomfortable.

PART 2: KM

History as a Fan of BTS

So, I just want to clarify that I am a pre-debut BTS fan. I literally read about JM and JK a couple days before they were due to debut and as a huge hip-hop fan, I was immediately interested in their concept. I instantly fell in love with JM’s voice and JK’s multi-faceted talents (and live vocal skills)—that is to say, I was most interested in these two members from the very beginning. As of recent days, I have detached myself from the fandom, preferring to keep a great distance away due to the toxicity and negativity I’ve unfortunately been privy to as the fan base grows bigger and bigger—and it really does make me incredibly sad. I’ve always been into BTS for the music—they were what I listened to bussing up to school as I admired the Cyphers by the rap-line, the gorgeous fluidity of JM’s melodic voice, the deep resonance of TH’s voice, and JK’s talents as a quality, consistent singer despite his age.

And now, sometimes the ship wars and solo stans are louder than the positive members in this community. Luckily, I’ve found a small niche of BTS blogs and KM blogs that have made this experience a lot easier (for KM blogs, many thanks to people like blarhiv, slowlybutobvious-jikook, gaja-aegiya-gaja, chaotic-jikook, singwriteluv, jiminkoo, etc.)

Shipping as a Whole

Now, as for the shipping component. I want to clarify I’m a very selective real-person shipper—I don’t look for mere skin ship or overt proclamations of love or popularity of ship.

Of course, these are initially the easiest features to discern a shippable “ship”, but I’m well practiced in the KPop industry and know these factors between members are virtually useless in discerning romantic interest.

On top of being a selective shipper, I also think it’s safe to say I’m pretty respectful about shipping as I always try to maintain reasonable skepticism and I’ve never commented anything about shipping on any forum that could make the involved individual uncomfortable. With all that being said, the beginning of BTS, I did not see ANY SHIPS that I could’ve deemed suspicious enough to be considered real. They were all just young kids that were trying to pave their path to success and just boys messing around on their early television appearances whilst trying to promote their albums.

And even when YM and TK began to gain traction as the fandom’s decidedly largest ships with some believing them to be “real”, I still didn’t see it—and this is said with utmost respect to their closeness and respect for one another as teammates, colleagues, and close friends.

Undoubtedly, their interactions were playful and adorable, but there was nothing in how they interacted to rouse any suspicions whatsoever. I would view their interactions as commonplace as any other men in regular friendships—with their culture and their age and their jobs in consideration. Again, I never understood people who truly believed in the validity of these ships.

Now, to be fair, I have, of course, also participated in casually shipping a few members for fun too. For example, I thought Sope was cute and I was drawn to VM’s friendship as well—JM and TH were so ridiculously cute and close, it was nearly impossible not to casually ship them. In the earlier years, since I believed there to be no "real" ships, I was on board with other casual shippers but was greatly confused by those who believed the big three ships (YM, NJ, and TK) were actually real.

My View on Early KM

I first started tuning into KM when I saw a particular Bomb clip of JM and JK messing around with a phone app where their voices were autotuned. Whilst JM was laughing, JK just had his face crinkled up with the softest look on his face. I was like, “huh”—but it definitely wasn’t enough for me to begin thinking it could be real.

Since it was one isolated incident, caught directly on camera, it wasn’t nearly enough evidence to make any logical inferences. At that point, I’d just be jumping onto the train of delusion. While on the subject of early KM, I also want to take this opportunity to quickly give my take on this malicious narrative that JK doesn’t like JM—as a pre-debut fan, I’ve never bought into this.

Between JK’s self-proclaimed shyness towards JM’s unadulterated fondness for him, JK’s proclivities to drop honorifics on camera even from the beginning, JK telling JM he teases his hyung because he likes him—I was almost flabbergasted when I first caught inklings of it.

This is such an outrageous vilification and outright character assassination of a young kid in his teens who didn’t know how to deal with his hyung’s affections, despite having always confirmed and reassured JM that he does, in fact, like him.

The fact that so-called fans to this day still try to drive this narrative despite the fact that JK has set fire and gasoline to this toxic roller coaster ride of lies and delusions is actually unfathomable to me. Never mind the exact type of relationship KM have, it’s just so distinguishably clear that JK really, really likes JM judging by the amount of time they spend together and how beautiful JK’s smile is when he’s around JM.

The Shift

Essentially, I casually shipped Sope, VM, and KM at some point—they were my favourites to see interact and I was always cooing over how adorable their bonds were with one another. And if I’m being frank, I was especially partial to the latter two ships because of how attentive and caring JM is to his younger members.

JM’s kindness has always touched my heart.

I find JM’s interactions with people the most fascinating based off the fact that he is just an enthralling, ethereal human being with this gorgeous voice and enormous heart—and for that, he was my very favourite member always.

But, of course, I am a KM supporter.How did this happen?

Well, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head at the infamous back hug at 2015 KBS Music Festival—especially since it was JK being so unusually expressive and forward with his affection. But perhaps this was a cultural thing? I definitely felt some cognitive dissonance as I tried to explain the strange, almost romantic aura of the moment using logic despite sensing that this string of reasoning didn’t sit quite right with me. But again, one isolated incident is a whole lot of nothing in the world of skin ship and KPop.

But as we all know, at this point, we got see KM get closer and see their relationship develop and I was really all for it as I was incredibly pleased by that personal growth in JK as a maturing adult and the joy it conversely seemed to bring JM with this newly matured JK.

JK’s Development

A large part of my transition over from casual to serious “shipper” is actually because of JK. I’ve always viewed him as a talented individual, as aforementioned, but other than that there was certainly other larger personalities that caught my eye quicker—between JM’s big heart, JH’s enormous personality, and TH’s quirks, he was definitely quietly existing in the background when he wasn’t performing. But he really just grew into himself and I think any fan can see that.

There’s all the general ways he grew up, his physique and his facial structure and his height, but more than anything my heart softened immensely when I began to see what a beautiful soul this boy had always had. I’m not saying that he’s not without flaws—because another a huge problem in the industry is the fans’ tendency to idealize their idols past the mortal realm of making mistakes or having character flaws—but anyone can see he’s clearly matured.

The way he treats JM only gets better and better with each year.

And I genuinely don’t feel that it’s delusional to say the way that he treats JM is vastly different from any other member. He is kind-hearted with a dreamy view on the world and he’s good to his hyungs after everything they’ve done for him when he’d been a child, but he’s that in tenfold around JM. To say he doesn’t play favourites when JM’s involved is being willfully ignorant because there’re so many recent examples alone (the way he splashes water on SJ vs. JM, the way he roughhouses other members vs. JM, the way he gives JM a big pancake because of an impending punishment vs. SJ in same predicament, the attentive way he watches JM in interviews over other members, the way he monitors JM's health via food and drink, etc.).

I also want to mention as a disclaimer that these comparisons aren’t made in any type of malicious way or with the intent of discrediting relationships between JK and other members. It’s simply instrumental in understanding why such a large population of non-shippers have been drawn to KM as a potential real pairing versus any other pairing. If everyone stopped inserting their own captions and interpretations of JK’s actions and only had the source material in front of them, no misleading historical content to waylay new fans with a tired and counterfeit narrative, it’s pretty clear that JK displays incredible fondness and tenderness towards JM in a conspicuous manner.

It doesn’t make his relationships with the others any less, it just makes his relationship with JM just that little bit more. It’s not about putting down or undermining the other relationships, it’s just about acknowledging the reality of JK’s obvious magnetism towards JM. If a fan really cares for JK, it’s almost cruel to disregard the fact that his face lights up when he’s with JM (WeVerse picture, JM punching him on the shoulder, FaceTime picture, VLive, etc.) and his voice softens when he speaks to JM (Run episode with JK slating, Run episode playing palm game, Run episode asking JM if he’s ready, etc.).

These examples aren’t delusions, it’s reality—the evidence are quite literally in photographs or videos. As a longtime fan, I honestly and sincerely mean this—JK has become a handsome man in my eyes not because of his appearance (though he’s undeniably good-looking) but because of the way he treats JM and others he cares for. As the years pass by, his heart and soul has become more and more beautiful in my eyes. I can’t attribute it fully to JM, but I can certainly say that my heart melts when I see his interactions with JM—not because I am a shipper/supporter but because as an empathetic human, I am viscerally drawn to humans with kindness in their hearts. The man treats JM so, so well. I know I keep repeating this but it’s just a grave injustice to ignore how much JK cares for JM. Never mind your projected desires and your biases, just look at what’s in front of you and just appreciate that enviable, lovely bond. Even if people will choose to disregard romantic overtones in GCFt or the meaningful lyrics during the times JM shows up in GCFsai or the fact he has the most screen time overall (which is fine), it'd be prudent to at least acknowledge the fact that JM is incredibly treasured by this young man.

JMs Shift

Another thing that made me suspicious was the transition of JM’s behavior as well.

I find it harder to read JM than JK in many ways—perhaps it’s just an introvert relating with follow introvert—but there are differences in his behavior that also made me question things as well.

It’s obvious that JM used to be a little much for shy, introverted JK in front of the camera and that that behavior tapered off as the years went by. I do think a large part of it is due to JM growing up (although I do suspect some part might be due to vicious fans who might’ve hurt his feelings about his personality) and reigning himself in. But even then, he was still visibly touchy and affectionate with JK—just as he is with all his other members—whether he was petting his head, openly calling him cute, or what have you.

In my view, the most telling thing about JM is how careful he seems around JK—something in his behavior feels tailored in a way that’s still affectionate towards JK but in a way not to rouse suspicion even if the body and eyes don’t lie.

I’m not sure if it even makes sense, but I do sense a certain sense of caution about how JM treats JK in the public eye in comparison to JK who reliably wears his heart on his sleeve. He seems to be more aware of cameras and the public eye than JK does. It’s really hard to verbalize, but I’ve sensed a discernible change in how JM treats JK—it’s not bad or worrisome, it’s just different.(Although, they’ve gradually become a lot more carefree this year.)

Time Skip

I don’t want to bore everyone anymore than I already have, but the point of how I became a more serious supporter compared to my origins as a casual shipper is based off suspicious trends and continuous patterns in the boys’ behaviours over multiple years.

Even now, I continuously try to translate the boys’ body language, vocal tone (when speaking to each other vs. another member), facial expressions, and constant mentions of one another as a platonic demonstration of affection. And some interactions are pretty harmlessly adorable, just a little something to wet the lips of any casual shipper, but with the surmounting amount of moments it becomes really hard for even the most logical person not question the nature of their relationship.

KM and Ship Wars

Clearly, the progression of their relationship has been the target of incredible hatred and frustration on the parts of hostile members of other ships and it’s gotten to a point where they’ve resorted to subterfuge to try pilot a plane missing a wing—that is to say, they’re trying to keep an aircraft based on intentional mistranslations, vicious lies, and carefully crafted stories of events that have been disproven afloat.

The incredible discrepancy between what sorts of behavior can be categorically classified as fan service seems to conveniently shift based on whatever is keeping the fragile balance of their dreams alive despite evidence to the contrary.

The moment we try to discount or negate the relationships a member has with another one in the name of a ship, there’s absolutely a problem that needs reassessment—this goes for all fans including KMers.

KM and Coming Out

I want to clarify very firmly that if you are a true supporter of KM, one who selflessly wants their happiness above everything (which includes everything from the potential of KM having other significant others, KM being single, KM being involved in a fling, etc.), you absolutely do not want or need them to come out.

If they do come out, of their own choice and volition, you can happily support them, but you do not need or seek this from them.

And may I carefully remind people that if you want them to come out for the sole purpose of feeling vindicated against other shippers, you’re not a true supporter and you’re in this for selfish reasons. So, if you imagine your first instinct will be an outcry of “I told you so, I’m right” with the express purpose of throwing it in another ship’s face, please evaluate your role and incentive in being a KMer. It doesn’t matter if you’re right or if you’re wrong—all that matters are these incredible boys who inspire people on the daily are happy, healthy, and well. I honestly want their happiness and safety over a confirmation of a relationship any day and I really encourage all supporters to feel this way as well. In a conservative Asian society, it wouldn’t be easy to maneuver as an openly homosexual man. I implore you to consider the occurrences of hate crimes in more liberal countries. It’s not going to be an improvement, only likely to be a far more isolating experience, in a more traditional country with homophobic tendencies as the majority sentiment. So, while I know most reasonable supporters feel this way, this is a reminder to toxic shippers to stay in your lane and stop demanding things from other human beings that owe you nothing—they don’t owe you pictures of WeVerse, they don’t owe you selfies with one another on Twitter, and they don’t owe you a coming-out story to prove your ship right.

Conclusion

To sum up, I’m not saying that KM is real for sure.

No one can know that except their personnel, their friends, and their family—or sadly, in a conservative country, perhaps even just themselves. The point is, we as fans, absolutely cannot know for certain.

And this is mainly why I'm not too concerned or bothered about timelines or specific dates. We don't know and there's no point (for me) to delve this far into the realm of speculation. But to each their own as long as you're not being invasive to KM!

However, I’m not unconfident in saying that if they are not real, the likelihood of any other same-sex relationship in the band is highly unlikely—though not impossible.

I also want to reassure everyone that I love the bonds between all the members and encourage everyone to understand that even if you favour or don’t favour one member over another to realize that your opinion really doesn’t matter in comparison to how BTS feels about one another—they love one another.

And at the end of the day, shipping isn’t so important that we need to fight over it.

After all, if all we’re trying to do is support love, then shouldn’t we be doling it out to?

And with that, I’m out!

Thank you to anyone for reading and keep well and healthy everyone!

PS Thank you very much to Blarhiv to allowing me to use her blog as a platform! This very, very special individual we should all treasure in the KM community!!!❤️❤️❤️

(omg anonnie this is too cute тттт Thank YOU).

#jikook #Kookmin #jungkook #jeon jungkook #jimin #park jimin

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bl-reviews · 5 years

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Killing Stalking: a review

image sources for banner: lehzin/koogi

To start off, as this is my first post on this blog, my reviews are precisely just that, it’s how I feel and my thoughts about this series and all the other series that I’m going to review (this is also just for fun!!). I might be a bit late for this (even though it recently finished?), but this feels like a good start.

THIS IS ALSO VERY SPOILER HEAVY SO IF YOU HAVEN’T READ KILLING STALKING COMPLETELY, PLEASE STOP NOW!

I originally started reading this when it came out and from the start, it took me aback with the concept, since at the time I was about 16, but I ended up not finishing it and only originally got through half of the second “season” of the comic, but I picked it back up and reread from the beginning in one sitting about a week ago.

It was a goddamn trip. The art, beautiful. The story, interesting. The after feeling. An absolute, and very big oof. The story itself with all the twists and turns and reading as both Bum and Sangwoo progressively add on to their insanity because of each other is a good punch to the stomach.

The ending is what’s still sticking with me, and there’s a good reason why. The buildup to both Sangwoo and Bum’s demise is most certainly great, after everything they went through together, but I have some feelings about all of it, specifically about Bum’s death. I’m going to put it simply: I don’t think Bum should have died. Controversial, I know, but this is why I believe that: Bum went through, well a lot (both of them did, and that’s beside the point), and the fact that he was actively a victim from before the webcomic even started is what sits wrong with me. Bum was manipulated in more ways than one by Sangwoo, from killing three people to believing that he’s “in love” with Sangwoo and many more. Quite honestly, I sympathize with Bum, as I see it, Bum could have healed and actively gotten help once Sangwoo was gone, even if it meant that he wouldn’t have actively been able to do much in society afterward because of the mental health stigma in South Korea, but he deserved his own slice of what normality feels like. I know not everything needs a happy ending, especially Killing Stalking, I never expected a happy ending for the webcomic, but I think Yoon Bum deserved some sort of peace and justice after the events of Killing Stalking. Yoon Bum getting help doesn’t mean a happy ending, it means he’s on a long path to recovery after traumatic events, which can lead to a sort of more open ending, leaving the reader to decide and interpret how they think Yoon Bum would live his life with help, instead of well, hallucinating, walking into traffic and getting hit by a c a r.

Now you’re thinking “What about Sangwoo?”: fuck him. Honestly, I believe he got what he deserved. Getting burned severely in your childhood home and then dying in a hospital, calling out for someone he “loved”, or I guess the only person he had left and then dying? Perfect *chef’s kiss*, love it. Sangwoo almost had a more fucked up childhood than Bum, you know, with his mom trying to kill him several times, his mom cheating on his father right in front of his face, his father becoming abusive, being blamed for his father’s death. The list goes on! Sangwoo became the way he was directly because of his mother and how she treated him and raised him, a good old “nature vs nurture” scenario. The only way that I appreciate Sangwoo as a character is for his dumbassery and I thought he was a little funny, but that might just be because I’m desensitized to this stuff.

Sangwoo’s “relationship” with Bum is something that bothered me too. As someone who is in the LGBTQ+ community, their relationship scared the absolute hell out of me. It is by far the worst representation of a gay relationship, which of course is part of the point of this webcomic, but still. If I had been more gullible while reading this, I’m sure that when things were going “well” for the two of them I would have been very ship heavy for them and enjoyed more ship content (now it’s just memes of their relationships that I enjoyed, specifically tik tok cosplay memes of it), but I didn’t because I knew from the very start that their relationship wasn’t healthy and not something that should be wished for, so for anyone who would question “Do you support this abuse trip of a webcomic?” No. I don’t support the abuse in this webcomic, but what I do support about the webcomic is the compelling story and the gore.

To continue talking about their relationship, let me bring up Sangwoo’s sexuality since I’ve seen a lot of back and forth between other readers about Sangwoo being straight. I knew he was straight from the beginning, that might sound bad, but it’s true. I knew there was no way in hell Sangwoo was gay, it wasn’t about how he was drawn, or anything, it was how he acted towards several characters that set it in stone for me that he was indeed very straight. That brings it to “What about the NSFW scenes between Bum and Sangwoo?”. The answer is simple, it’s not hard to fake things, especially when you’re a good actor like Sangwoo was, motherfucker had everyone around him fooled about who he was as a person! Sangwoo was even hesitant to go down on Bum, which is an obvious sign, at least to me. It was all to play to Bum’s fantasy of Sangwoo and we all should know it, especially since he said directly to Bum’s face that he wasn’t gay and that he imagined Bum as a woman when they had sex. I understand where the confusion can come from, but you don’t need love or anything really to fuck someone of any gender or sexuality and have seen several occasions where straight men pretend to be gay and this is another example of something like that.

Overall, Killing Stalking is a great read if you can stomach it, but is terrible with representation for the LGBTQ+ community. Despite most of my thoughts being negative about, well a lot of the series, I really liked it, especially for the writing and the art style. Killing Stalking is going to stick with me for a long time and I’m glad it will because it can open some good conversations about a lot of things for people who have read the series.

Now that you’re at the end, go ahead and send in asks and start up conversations about my thoughts or your own thoughts!

#killing stalking #oh sangwoo #yoon bum #killing stalking review #boy love #bl-reviews #alex.txt #review

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malexfan10 · 5 years

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What is it about Malex?

I was playing around on my phone at work (when I should have been working lol) and came across some article about the best TV couples. It was published in 2018 so Malex wasn't in it lol

But I was going through the pictures in the article and I saw a lot of the couples I've liked & enjoyed over the years listed. Pacey & Joey, Captain Swan, Haleb, Stydia, Kurt & Blaine etc.

I started thinking...what is it about Malex that makes them extra special for me? What is it about them that made me join Tumblr and Twitter for the first time? I never had either before this year. What is it about them that made me write more fan fic in the span of 3 months than I have in years of watching other shows? And I'm someone who studied English Lit in university and have written many novels, hoping to finally pursue publishing this year with one of them. But the amount of fan fic I've typed out the past 3 months? My hands seriously hurt!

So why is Malex so special?

(I made a collage below)

Is it because they're an LGBTQ pairing? There have been other LGBTQ pairings I've rooted for. Malex isn't the first and they won't be the last. Times are changing in TV land and we're seeing more and more representation. It's progressing slowly, but it is changing.

Is the reason Malex is extra special a shallow reason? The actors are both incredibly good looking. No getting around that. But I loved Haleb too and Tyler was one half of that ship. I adore Joshua Jackson and Dylan O'Brien. I think Holland Roden is beautiful. In the couples I've followed over the years, all the actors & actresses have been attractive in their own ways.

-- side note -- I know I put Destiel (SPN) in the collage below even though technically they're not a couple but some of their lines over the past decade, I mean come on! It's so obvious! --

Anyway...

Is it the chemistry between Tyler & Michael? I thought Katie & Josh had amazing chemistry. Only reason I watched PLL was for Haleb and the friendship between Tyler & Ashley. Some of the couples I've rooted for really sizzled on screen. Do I think Vlamburn has better chemistry than all the others? Not necessarily. I think they tie for first with some of my other faves (although I would probably rank them above right now just because they're current).

So what is it about Malex that made me so emotionally invested that I joined social media like this? That I've written a bunch of fics and have so many other concepts cooking in my head.

I think it comes down to the angst at the end of the day and how the story has been written.

I've directed a lot of disappointment and anger towards Carina and the writers since that finale because I'm afraid the triangle will grow and span multiple seasons. I'm afraid the writers will show Michael really starting to have deep feelings for Maria the longer M&M exists (I know Vlamis said in those last interviews that his feelings for her are already very deep but sorry Vlamis. I love you but I don't see that yet.) I'm afraid now that they know they were renewed, they'll drag this storyline out, pursure M&M and then Michael with other relationships if/once M&M ends with Alex just waiting in the sidelines, moping and heartbroken.

But despite all my fears and disappointments after that craptastic finale (seriously, I can write a 20 page essay), I have to give the writers their credit.

The story they wrote, the beauty they created in Malex, with that amazing angst and history and love is the reason I'm so invested.

"Where I stand, nothing's changed"

"I never look away"

"That I loved you and I think that you loved me."

"Cosmic"

"But you are mine"

"I don't look away Guerin"

"I love him. I probably always will"

I mean, these lines all exist. No one can take those words away. Yes, the writers can try and diminish it by shoving another relationship down our throats & attempting to give that relationship the same level of meaning and importance (sorry, not buying it. Hardly anyone is). But those lines will always be there.

The epicness of Malex will always be there.

That beautiful first kiss in the reunion will always be there.

Their connection in senior year, bonding over their painful childhoods and living situations will always be there.

Caulfield, although bittersweet, will always be there.

Michael Guerin wanting to be Alex's hero will always be there.

The angst and love between them is just unbelievable. I don't think any other couple I've rooted for over the years has had the same amount of angst or history. Their story is just beautiful.

I don't cry too much in movies or TV shows unless there's a really sad death that hits me hard. LOST was one of those shows where I sobbed constantly (Jin & Sun's death, Juliet's, Charlie's...I could go on).

But I cried after that last scene in episode 6, when Jesse destroyed such a beautiful and pure moment 🥺

I cried at that moment in Caulfield 🥺

I cried at the finale, watching Alex just waiting there while Michael....let's not remind ourselves 🤨

So yes, the chemistry is unbelievable between Tyler & Michael. How close they are offscreen shines through their performance and this is in a cast where everyone's close. But with Vlamburn, especially from Michael, he's so unfiltered when he talks about Tyler's eyes or the way he kisses or just how much he loves him. What can I say, they make me love Malex more ❤

Yes, they're both incredibly good looking but that's a miniscule, shallow reason. How good looking a couple is in no way compares to how much their emotional connection matters, at least for me.

So really, it's the story. It's the history. It's all that profound, made for each other, soulmates love that they share. It's the incredible angst that makes me root for them even more.

And yes, as much as Carina and crew have angered me after that finale and after their insistance of shoving this triangle down our throats and in our faces, they did create Malex so I have to be grateful for that. Vlamburn perfected it and made it epic but the concept came from Carina (trust me, it hurts to give that credit).

So as much as it still hurts with what happened, as much as seeing the M&M promos bothers me, as much as I'll be a sobbing mess once season 2 hits and Alex realizes what happened, I have to believe that this much care and heartbreaking angst was given to this couple for a reason. That reason has to be that Malex is endgame.

Can Carina change her mind about Endgame Malex? Sure she can, if she wants to lose a substantial percentage of the fandom. But I can't believe she'll do that.

I can't believe that Malex is anything but each other's ending.

I can't believe that this beautiful love story we've seen between 2 men who started as scared, lonely boys and are now broken men trying to put themselves back together is anything short of EPIC.

I can't believe that M&M, however painful and ridiculously unnecessary, is anything but a bump in this road for Malex.

All that matters is how the writers take us from point A to B.

Does their separation last for 4 more seasons (pending renewals) and Malex reunites in the series finale, season 5? God I hope not. I need to see them existing as a couple together on screen, not just a kiss and makeup moment last episode and assume they made it. So once this teenage level of triangle nonesense has been dealt with (please let season 2 be the end of it!!!!), I really hope the writers realize the amazing couple they created and give them their due justice by bringing Malex together for good.

Episodes 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, last Malex scene of 9, beginning of 10 and all of 12 point this show towards one inevitable ending with Malex and that's reuniting (did I get the episodes right?). Just keep your fingers crossed it happens sooner rather than later. Right now, that's where my main fears lie.

This fandom has been super great about lending support to one another when things get tough. Unfortunately, things will get even tougher next season so it will be good to have this great support.

As far as the promos and interviews we'll be getting between now and 2020, I'll try to only watch interviews that Michael & Tyler give together and avoid anything that seems like M&M promotion (outside of full cast interviews or festivals etc). I love all the actors on this show. They're all wonderful and talented and deserve our love and support (not commenting on that Nathan instagram thing).

But as a Malex fan, I have no place in my life for unnecessary stress from a TV show because honestly, as invested as I am, it's still just a TV show. No need to give myself more heartbreak before season 2 even airs by watching pro M&M interviews like yesterday. I'll just stay in my happy Malex bubble until then (and then die when I see M&M next year 😭).

In the end of this long post, all I wanted to say is that Malex is extra special, head and shoulders above others ships I've rooted for and that's mostly because of the beautiful story I've seen on screen but Vlamburn defintely plays an imortant part in making it epic ❤

I'm a Malex lifer. Nothing will ever change that.

❤

#malex #roswell alex and michael #alex manes #michael guerin #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #long post #sorry

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thesydneyfeminists · 5 years

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A Feminist’s Review of Avengers: Endgame

** Warning: Contains Major Spoilers **

I want to preface this review with another warning: while I am a self-confessed nerd who has long enjoyed comic book movies and geeky pop culture, I was quite disappointed in this film. In my criticisms, I'm going to be honest as to why. If you are on a high from the film and just want to enjoy it without having somebody rain on your parade, then it is probably best to skip this review. However, if you’re curious about this feminist’s perspective on why Endgame fell flat for her, please read on.

Image Description: Film poster for Avengers: Endgame. It shows all the main characters, including Iron Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Thor and Thanos (among others) in their full battle gear against a dark night sky. At the bottom of the poster, the title of the film is written in large, blue and gold letters. The Marvel Studios logo is just above the title. There is undiscernable text at the top and bottom of the poster. The release date (April 26th) is written in white at the very bottom center. The “a” in “April” is the Avengers symbol. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers:_Endgame

When my partner asked me for my first impressions, I said the movie should’ve been called “Iron Man 4 (and Some of the Avengers”). The entire film felt like a swan song for him, a requiem for the character who started it all. It was made clear that Iron Man was the film’s emotional centre, the person whose stakes viewers are most meant to care about. While I don't mind Iron Man as a character, I am aware he is the favourite of most of the franchise’s fanboys. It really felt like that was the crowd this movie was aimed at. In contrast, women and other minority groups did not fare so well in terms of representation or importance in this film.

The writers had choices on who do they decided to turn to dust at the end of Infinity War. There was ample opportunity to leave behind a more diverse group of heroes to carry out the tasks in Endgame. For example, instead of Antman, we could have had Wasp. In the comics, Wasp is the female avenger, not Black Widow. It would have been such a nice nod to the canon and added an additional female character to the core cast. Instead, we ended up with a majority-white team of mostly men. The two women who were involved were treated in a frustrating manner.

While Black Widow essentially leads the Avengers at the beginning of Endgame, she (nobly) throws herself off a cliff halfway through the film, essentially ending her story. This plot point was vexing for a few reasons. First, the writers/directors got rid of one of the only women on the team, turning most of the rest of the film into a sausage fest. Second, Black Widow’s sacrifice was not given the same weight or gravitas as Tony Stark’s. At the end of the film, we see a beautiful funeral for Tony. But there are no moments of remembrance for the other characters who gave their lives (Black Widow, Vision, even Loki). They are only briefly (and quietly) mentioned by Clint and Wanda. Outside Endgame’s main storyline, the timing of Natasha’s death is also awkward sinceMarvel is supposed to be making a Black Widow movie in the next few years.

Image Description: Close up photo of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) from the neck up. She is looking above and to the left of the camera with a serious expression on her face. Right above her eyebrows, the words “avenge the fallen” are written in a white to light-purple gradient. The “a” in “fallen” is the Avengers symbol. At the bottom of the photo, in the center, is the Marvel Studios logo. The release date for Endgame (April 26th) is written in bold, white letters beneath the logo. Image source: http://collider.com/endgame-black-widow-death-explained/

As for the remaining female character, Nebula, she proves to be the “weak link”. While all members of the team had their struggles in trying to obtain the infinity stones, it is Nebula who gets captured and ends up compromising the entire plan. While I don’t have an issue with Natasha and Nebula’s scenes in and of themselves, they do come across as problematic in a film that gives little limelight to its female superheroes in general. Right from the beginning, Captain Marvel is sent off-screen for most of the film, a major disappointment for those who were hoping to see her involved. I suspected this would happen and sadly I was right.

As I mentioned before, at the end of Infinity War the writers could have kept some key figures to make a more diverse remaining team. However, even with the characters they chose to leave behind, there were missed opportunities. One of the biggest missteps for me was Valkyrie.

When Bruce visits the village of New Asgard to find Thor, he first encounters Valkyrie. In the film Thor: Ragnarok, Valkyrie had a drinking problem which she overcame by the end of the story. This time around, it is Thor who is battling alcoholism. She tells them about his drinking, and, rather than asking her to come along and help on their mission, they bypass her completely. I was really upset Valkyrie did not feature in Infinity War and felt doubly irritated that she was sidelined yet again in this instalment, for no good reason. Had they included her, she could have been the one to rescue Thor and use his hammer, instead of Captain America. Given that she is an elite Asgardian warrior, this decision would have made much more sense and been a great moment for her fans. She is also one of the very few openly LGBTQ+ characters in the MCU. Including her would have given the filmmakers opportunities to better represent this marginalized group, rather than their paltry attempt at the film’s beginning.

Then there’s Thor, who, in my opinion, was treated so poorly in the film. Other feminist writers have already explained why the fat jokes and cruelty directed towards Thor’s substance abuse and mental illness were extremely problematic. They turned one of the most damaged characters into mean-spirited comic relief, rather than addressing the serious issues he was contending with. I really felt sorry for Thor the character, but I feel worse for the real-life people who were triggered by his horrid treatment.

Image Description: Photo of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) from the waist up sitting in a chair. He is looking to the left of the camera with a serious/ angry expression on his face. He is wearing a light-blue t-shirt and dark grey, zip up hoodie. With his right hand, he is picking up what appears to be a donut from a wooden bowl. Next to the bowl is a can of soda. The background is mostly wooden walls and one hallway table with decorative vases. Image Source: https://www.screengeek.net/2019/05/02/avengers-endgame-thor-changes-explained/

Given so much needed to happen in this movie, I was also annoyed by how much time the directors dedicated to trivial things like Captain America’s ass and Thor’s beer gut. I’m all for comedic moments in a heavy film, but I wanted to hear some more speaking lines from characters who appeared toward the end, ones we had not seen for the last 2 1/2 hours. The final battle scene felt bloated and confused as writers tried to squeeze in nods here or a glance there to the rest of the crew. At least, however, the greater ensemble was back, fighting together side-by-side. That is until Captain Marvel showed up.

Now, I am a fan of Captain Marvel. I enjoyed her origin story and was excited to see her in this movie, even if it was late in the game (no pun intended). When she made her arrival and took down that ship, it was the first time I cheered during the whole movie. And then it all went pear-shaped. When Captain Marvel was given the gauntlet by Spiderman there were so many creative choices they could have made. Anyone who knows the canon would be aware Captain Marvel is more than capable of handling the power of the infinity gauntlet and could have done what the Hulk and, ultimately, Tony Stark did. Instead, they came up with this convoluted plan for her to fly into Antman’s quantum machine. I mean, the woman can fly at the speed of light so she could have done that in the blink of an eye. But, somehow, Thanos stopped her by flinging a heavy metal object towards the machine faster than Captain Marvel can fly.

Image Description: Two photos laid side by side. The one on the left is a close up of Captain Marvel from the chest up. The one on the left is a close up of Thanos from the neck up. Captain Marvel is looking below and to the right of the camera with a serious expression on her face. The star on her chest is glowing. Thanos is looking slightly above the camera, also with a serious expression on his face. Both backgrounds are cloudy skies. Image Source: https://mashable.com/article/captain-marvel-avengers-endgame-theories/

While that act alone was infuriating, it’s not the scene that most annoyed me. It was the moment when, for no apparent reason, many of the female superheroes crowd around Captain Marvel stating she had their help. I didn’t like the scene for two reasons. One, it felt unnatural and contrived. Many of these characters didn’t even know each other and were all preoccupied fighting on an enormous battlefield. There was no reason why they would all suddenly have a 90s girl power moment and gather around one woman at that particular moment in what was an incredibly chaotic struggle. And two, even with the backing of all Marvel’s strong heroines, they could not get the job done. No, that glory was saved solely for one man: Tony Stark. The takeaway seemed to be, even combined, women can’t do the job properly; they need the men to step in and show them how it’s done. Maybe this sounds like a stretch or too harsh a criticism, but this was the very visceral reaction I had during the film. Marvel’s filmmakers have a long history of utterly depowering their female characters and this scene just seemed to follow in those footsteps.

I was also very disappointed by how small a role T’Challa and many of the amazing Wakandan characters had in this movie. As the leading tech hub in the world, I don’t know why the Avengers weren’t going there to ask for help in creating a time travel machine, or why they couldn’t have made it the new HQ, given Tony Stark had retreated to a log cabin somewhere in the woods. There were so many ways the writers/directors could have included these fantastic and important characters.

Image Description: The Marvel Studios logo set against a blurry, close up shot of a comic panel. The panel is blurry and undiscernable. It is tinted entirely red. Image Source: https://marvelstudiosnews.com/2017/12/10/marvel-studios-highest-grossing-superhero-movie-8th-consecutive-year/

The only glimmer for me at the end of the film was that it established the old guard were retiring or moving on to other things. We had something of a handing of the baton moment: Captain America gives his shield to Falcon, making him his successor, and Thor finally, officially makes Valkyrie the leader of Asgard (or what’s left of it). It is my hope that in future Marvel films, the creators will focus more on their characters of colour, female characters, and LGBTQ+ characters. They have an opportunity now to start a fresh wave that will resonate with so many more people than the classic, white, fanboy nerd. After all, you don’t make $1.2 billion in one weekend just because white millennial guys went to see a film. Many people love superhero films for a variety of reasons. It’s time we started serving them, too.

By: Tessa Barratt

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sydney Feminists. Our Blogger and Tumblr serve as platforms for a diverse array of women to put forth their ideas and explore topics. To learn more about the philosophy behind TSF’s Blogger/ Tumblr, please read our statement here: https://www.sydneyfeminists.org/a

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fangirlunderground-blog · 6 years

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Fic Rec Friday

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 Last week, I made a giant list of Overwatch femslash recs, including the actual canon couple Tracer and Emily among the many ships. Which got me thinking... it’s about time we have an entire list dedicated to an actual canon couple, from a creator who includes actual canon representation in their work. And, because it’s pride month I wanted something positive: no deaths, no pointless breakups, and none of my usual high-angst and tragedy.

So, that’s how I fell into a Check, Please! hole that kept me up until 4 am every night this week, reading one sweet, soft story after another. I’m behind on work again, but my heart’s grown several sizes, so it’s totally worth it. We can all probably use that right now.

Don’t forget to comment and let the authors know you enjoyed their work, even if it’s just something short and simple like “I loved your story!” It’s as easy as pie (you knew a pun was coming somewhere) and means a lot!

Check, Please! - Bitty/Jack

Calendar Boy by @darter-blue, It was supposed to be totally innocent. A friend of Lardo’s was putting together a little project, compiling a calendar of some of the openly gay athletes on campus, fundraising for the LGBTQ+ community outreach programs at Samwell. Bitty hadn't really even been reluctant. Excited about the prospect of a fun photo shoot and a chance to dress up a bit, do something glamorous. And he thinks it's a great photo (if not a bit more revealing than what he was expecting…). And when the calendar comes out it’s nerve racking but exciting. Until one by one the team finds a copy (Jack may be hiding one under his mattress), and then it's pandemonium. or the one where Bitty is Mr August and Jack finally loses the battle of his hard fought control over a harmless little calendar. (Mature, 15k)

Cover Me by @poetry-protest-pornography, Jack has never been so invested in making his partner come as he is with Bitty. He’s always tried to be a considerate lover, tried to be certain he wasn’t selfish, that sex was mutually enjoyable. It was all always a little bit about the anxiety of not being good enough, not being able to prove himself between the sheets just as surely as he did on the ice. (Explicit, <1k)

Get Out of Your Own Way by @annathaema, "You didn't go right to Bitty and tell him you want to come out. You came to me instead, which means you're planning something, you asshole." Shitty’s eyes get bigger and a little too bright. "Jacques. You delicate spiderweb of human emotion. I want to cradle you against my bosom and whisper lost secrets into your hair." Jack groans. "Please tell me you're high." (Teen, 8k)

I never saw the signs by @biblionerd07, Bitty gets asked out on a date, but he's already spoken for. It wouldn't be a problem, really, except he didn't know he was already spoken for. (General, 3k)

“Kiss me,” Bitty says. by @softzimbits, And Jack says yeah. Yeah with conviction, a surety that presses in his chest and in his throat. The only other times he’s felt like this have been with Bitty - their first kiss, their tentative but assured touches in Georgia and Providence, the I love you that tumbled so easily out of Jack’s mouth, we’re a team. Bitty and I are dating. (NR, 1k)

Not to Win by @foryouandbits, The most important thing is not to win but to take part. Eric Bittle, 2014 US National Champion, is selected to compete in the men's individual figure skating competition in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Jack Zimmermann, Captain of the Providence Falconers, is selected to the hockey team for Canada. Eric and Jack meet in Sochi and form a quick bond in a place where emotions and adrenaline run high. Can it last when the games are over, or are they just another Olympic hookup? (Explicit, 66k)

Positive Feedback by @jedusaur, Eric’s never had a postgame breakdown of sex before, but he’s not particularly surprised when, before they’ve even caught their breath, Jack says, “Tell me how I can do better.” (Explicit, 1k)

shine for you by @spockothy, There are whispers. There have always been whispers. Jack doesn’t hear them, doesn’t care to listen. He goes home to his apartment and climbs into his bed and kisses at Bittle’s shoulder before tucking his knees up behind Bittle’s and exhaling. The sound of Bittle’s soft snoring is better than any noise Deadspin could make. (Teen, 3k)

the slow pace of geologic time by westernredcedar, Jack looks at her and then puts her luggage down and leans in, grabs her into a full-body hug, right there on the sidewalk, holding her so close. She can’t remember when he last hugged her this hard. “He told his parents. About being gay. About us,” he says into her shoulder. “They were awful.” (Teen, 4k)

We Can't Afford to Be Afraid of What We Fear by @annathaema, "Dicky?" "Hi, Mama." (Teen, 14k)

#fic rec #fanfiction #zimbits #eric bitty bittle #jack zimmermann #check please!#m/m #Fic rec Friday #fangirlrecs

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janusthesneakysnakeboi · 6 years

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Florida Prep Host Club Part 1

(Ouran High School Host Club AU - but gayer)

Ships: Prinxiety mainly (for this part at least)

Warnings: Anxiety, panic attack, deceit mentions, self harm mentions (from a song)

Words: 1652

Note: This AU was based on a post @could-always-be-gayer-2 wrote and I jumped on it. Also I know Florida Prep Academy is a legit place, I didn’t realize that when I was writing this, and this has nothing to do with the actual school. This is also my first Sanders Sides fic so… yeah. (Song used (in bold) is Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued by Fall Out Boy). Enjoy! :)

Ok, first day was pretty good. I mean people stared at me, but what do you expect from these too happy rich kids who now share a school with someone poor, like me. I mean, I wouldn’t have been able to even come here had it not been for my academic scholarship. Speaking of, I should find a quieter place to study than that library - who knew, the place where you’re supposed to be quiet is probably the loudest place in the school. I didn’t know my way around Florida Prep Academy yet, but I guessed I’d be learning quickly. If this place is anything like my last school, I better start scoping out the hiding places now.

I put the hood of my hoodie over my head and turned on some music that always seemed to calm me. What can I say? It’s something about dark - aka “emo” - music that really kept my anxiety in check. I guess the screaming was it - too loud for any thoughts to enter.

I turned my music down as I got to what appeared to be a vacant hallway - I don’t even think I remember seeing any classes down here. I paused my music as I approached Theater Room 3, figuring if there were any theater clubs here, they’d be in the first 2 rooms. I pressed my ear up to the door, and couldn’t hear much of anything. So, I opened the door, and went to press play on my very old and outdated iPhone 5s - which was pretty much out of the 16GB of storage it came with in 2014, and only really good for music, messaging (not like I had anyone to message though) and internet occasionally - when I heard 6 masculine voices start to speak in sync, as if they rehearsed it millions of times already before I walked in. It took me a minute to process what they all just said, but when I did, I almost dropped my phone in shock.

“Welcome to the Florida Prep Host Club!” The six people I was faced with all said at once.

“Umm… What is this? This seems like a sad little club,” I mused, looking around and realizing it was just the 7 of us in this large theater room. The one wearing a crown - why? - looked really offended by what I had said, and I could tell I was going to get a dramatic introduction to this club or whatever I walked in on.

“I apologize, you must not be familiar with the concept of a host club. The basic premise of a host club is that lovely people, like me, who have way too much time on their hands volunteer to entertain even lovelier people, like yourself, who also have way too much time on their hands. This one in particular is rather special you see. As the prep school with the highest number of LGBTQ students, we took it upon ourselves when making this club that we would be very accepting of that community, and find most of our hosts and guests are in some way part of the community themselves.”

I felt my eyes widen in shock. How did I not know this was a rainbow school? You probably just expected everywhere you go to be Transphobia City, located in the great state of Homophobia. I didn’t realize the crown guy was still talking, until he was introducing the club members to me.

“Take your pick. We have the hard on the outside, soft on the inside guy, who also happens to be very gay, and bigender, if either of those strike your fancy,” when the crown dude spoke, a guy wearing a sweater and a yellow tie - probably a code for their gender identity of the day - waved awkwardly. “Don’t worry though, they are much less awkward once you have a conversation with them.”

“Wha-”

“Well, if you’re not into them, maybe the lovable, childlike one? Or how about the mischievous twins? Or the calm, cool, and collected, organized nerd over there? They may be straight, but they are very kind.” As he spoke, various people greeted me, and I tried to associate personalities with faces, until I realized I knew 0 of the 7 names I needed.

“Who even are you people!” I shook with nervousness, and became even more on edge when I realized I shouted at all these rich people who could end me in one second. I saw the “calm” one with glasses walk towards me, his blank, unreadable expression setting me off even more, and I broke into a run away from all of them on the far side of the room. I shakily tried to open my phone to put some music on when the shorter, “childlike” member came running towards me, slipping underneath a cautionary hand to race toward me. I panicked and, without looking behind me, I backed up rather quickly, and tripped on a cord that was probably either not plugged in or connected to microphones or something. To my misery, I fell back into a little table that had one thing on it.

Emphasis on had.

I heard a crash behind me and immediately curled into a ball, pressing play on a random Fall Out Boy album - the last thing I had open on my screen, and heard the title track to From Under the Cork Tree begin to play, and felt a cautionary hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see all the host club members looking on edge, but like this wasn’t unusual. They probably all pity you. Because they know you tr- written on my wrist says ‘Do not open before Christmas.’ We’re only liars- they are all lying to you. They just want you to have a false sense of security and hope. I mean it’s not like they have any pride flag- Then I saw it. The whole wall was covered in almost every pride flag imaginable. I look at the other wall, and noticed they are separated by gender identity and sexuality, so you wouldn’t be confused as to where your flag was. I looked to the left and right, and saw my flags. I smiled, and the person sitting in front of me smiled, realizing I had changed my expression from I imagine pure panic to a calmer one.

“Hi there. Are you okay? Are you feeling overwhelmed?” Patton’s voice was calm, trustworthy, nice. I smiled at him, and shook my head.

“I was before, but I think I’m better now. Thanks…” I bit my lip, looking away, embarrassed at myself for my actions. Patton helped me up off the ground, and when I stood up I remembered the crash, and looked behind me. “Oh no… was that valuable?” I turned around, and one of the twins was standing directly behind me.

“Oh no, it wasn’t extremely valuable at all. It was very inexpensive, barely cost us a penny. It also holds zero sentimental value.”

“Yo, don’t listen to them. They’re completely pulling your leg. But yeah sis, this was going to be auctioned off at the Grand Florida Auction for $420,000. That was just the starting bid.” The other twin with blue sunglasses on was now behind me, standing very close to the shattered porcelain. Seeing it all shattered and hearing the price for it made me wince a little.

“And, as you are so rich, we know you’ll have no problem paying us back. In fact, don’t even worry about it! I’m sure there’s no other way to repay us for that cheap glass you broke.”

“Hey, lay off! Give ‘em some time to get used to this all before confusing ‘im.” The sunglasses twin scolded.

“Now, if you would like my input, I would say that as we do not expect someone like you to have that kind of money, as you cannot seem to afford a school uniform. However, there are many ways one could repay debt.”

“Yes! Beautiful work my dear pocket protector! And I have just the idea. You are now officially the Host Club’s dog!”

Oh no, what did I just get myself into…

I nodded solemnly, and then the smallest one came running up to me again. “Yay!! I’m so glad you’re a host with us! Logan! We should all introduce ourselves!” And then I saw someone - Logan I would assume - nod.

“Ah yes. Maybe not all at once, as to not overwhelm our newest host more. However yes, I am Logan, they/them pronouns please. And yes, as mentioned I am a heterosexual, and feel attraction towards females. And-”

“- I’m Patton! He/Him pronouns kiddo, except on the rare days where I might ask you guys to use they/them, but those days don’t happen often.” Patton smiled at me, and I looked around to see everyone staring at me.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” Then, I saw the crown guy come next to Patton, and smirk. “What Princey?” I sneered. I didn’t know what it was about him, but something didn’t feel right, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to- no, it wouldn’t make sense but of course, when does anything I think ever?

“Princey? I kinda like it. However, my official title is King of the Florida Prep Host Club, but you can call me Roman. He/him pronouns, por favor~” I would never admit that his wink had any affect on me at all. Never.

“So? What’s your name kiddo? At least tell us your pronouns, so we don’t upset you!” Patton spoke, and I shrunk into my hoodie, hoping I could disappear into the grey and black threads. “Oh, I’m sorry kiddo, are we overwhelming you again? Everyone, give the poor kiddo some space-”

“I’m not your kiddo. I’m no one’s kiddo.” I mumbled, turning to walk away. “I’ll be back tomorrow, only to repay my debt.”

Taglist: @could-always-be-gayer-2 @the-incedible-sulk @nymphaedoratonks @eatinglilies214 @side-for-sides

I’m probably gonna continue this, so let me know if you’d like to be tagged in the future!

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