#i've seen so many toxic things in this fandom it's hard not to remember them. and sometimes i just don't know how to ignore what other

[watercolor-hearts]

.

[obae-me]

I saw your post about the characters with a traumatized MC and the part about the angels made me start thinking about how they'd handle an MC who has religious trauma (because I thought that was where it was going in your post)

MC avoiding Simeon and Luke because everything related to heaven creeps them out (they're legit scared of angels, god, etc) and feeling way too comfortable living in the devildom and being around demons because they "always knew they were going to end up in hell when they died" because that's what was hammered into their head growing up or something

that would sure change the cast's views on human religion huh?

Yes, absolutely. I can't remember if I mentioned it before or just kept that brainworm tucked safely inside my skull, but I think about this a lot. Namely, because I have SO much religious trauma (yippie!).

I've thought a lot about how the Celestial Realm harbors a lot of the same toxicity that certain organized religions have the tendancy to exhibit here on good ol earth. I mean, we've seen some things in game that suggest that things aren't all rainbows and roses up there. The way that Luke talks early game suggests a lot. And so I'm sure a religiously traumatized MC would have SUCH a hard time around the angels at first. (I actually had my own reservations with the angels when they were first introduced and I even kind of disliked Luke a ton before I eventually took a step back and thought about the fact that he's just a BABY who is just spitting out ideals that were shoved into his head. It's not his fault, and I think his character development is something that the fandom does not address enough. I'm so proud of him!! Having your expectations of the world be broken and then having to relearn everything you thought you knew is actually SO hard.)

MC getting along well or feeling more comfortable with demons because they don't feel like they're being judged or under the watchful eyes of others.

MC talking about "not being as afraid to come back" VERY early on in game and the other characters taking WAY too long to realize they mean come to purgatory after they pass, and the demons themselves don't feel good about knowing that.

MC avoiding certain sins/pleasures/temptations due to the fear that's been embedded in them over it. Even if those things are COMPLETELY normal and harmless to enjoy.

All of the characters being extremely patient and understanding about this sort of thing and very slowly chipping away at certain stigmas they still hold onto, making the human feel safe while they do.

MC avoiding Simeon because of mixed feelings of shame and maybe a bit of resentment and then eventually learning that he's actually such a down to earth and sweet guy and spending more time with him just to learn that he's been in many similar situations is so...so good to think about. Learning that he'll never force certain ideologies onto them, that he doesn't see them as someone who needs to be "saved". A human and an angel sitting together and discussing what being "good" really means. Sharing confessions to each other that they've both held on their backs for such a long time because they've been too ashamed of themselves and confused to heal from it alone. They're not a sinner and a Saint, they're just normal people who make mistakes and want to do good in the world.

I do have many thoughts on this clearly...

[sawyer-is-eepy]

goodbye campfire fest!!

this has been so so much fun- i'm so happy i got to be able to be a part of this wonderful event with so many talented artists and writers- it's been so beautiful seeing everyone's interpretations and writing and i've loved seeing everyone come together to create something unique. being so excited to open tumblr everyday and see what people's contributions are has been the highlight of my days this week, and it's so cool to me that i can be a part of this for the first event, and even though it was a teensy bit stressful, i'm so glad i've been able to hit all the prompts.

i can't wait to see what people might post during late submissions!! gonna keep checking every day to see. I've found many new talented artists and writers I had never seen before through this event, you all are seriously so nice and have been so sweet to me and to each other, this event has made me so happy.

I can't wait to see more from all of you. happy fest and much love!

@outerwilds-events

some more doodles(base game and eote spoilers) + random sappy rambling (positive vent?) below cut

some other random doodles from this weekend <3

yes I gave prisoner ears. I'm sorry I'm too much of a furry for this fandom aha

on a serious note, this fandom and this game have been my favorite thing about this year so far. Seriously, I was actually having a really tough couple months around the start of this year. I was dealing with a really really toxic friend in November and December and I was struggling to get over them. I was having a hard time letting go of my hurt and of the memory of them and our friendship- I was hurt and angry and I missed how great it was in the beginning. It was really tough for me, I didn't have any way to distract myself and I didn't have a way to let out my feelings. I felt stuck and trapped with a horrible memory and I didn't have the motivation to let it go. Then comes along this silly little game, that I remembered trying to play forever ago. I decided that I should probably try to play it again, and god it was the best decision I've ever made. This game, it has brought me so so much joy. I finally felt like I was able to let go and learn to move on and just enjoy the good memories while still remembering that they're in the past and while I can't change what happened, I can look forward to the future and hope. this game helped me cope with the grief, it helped me learn how to take care of myself and recover. It affected me so much in many ways, I will never ever forget it. This community has also brought me so much happiness, I've met so many wonderful and kind people, and I've became friends with some really cool people(one person in particular has been especially swaggers, you know who you are you weirdo /affectionate /plat). campfire fest has been great and I'm glad I got to be a part of it!! When I was thinking of what to draw for today, all I could think of was the immense amount of support I've received and given, and seen being passed around. So I figured it should be something to express that love!! Much love, and goodbye to campfire fest!! Can't wait to do this again next year <333

[bigtittiecomitte]

Hiya!! So, I've got a question..so with Murder Drones coming back and the next upcoming episode (EP 7) coming out next Friday, do you have any worries and concerns for episode 7, including for how the entire show might end as a whole? I've seen some express their concerns mostly because they aren't sure how long the episode is gonna be.. I honestly hope the episode is long enough to where it doesn't feel rushed, (like 30 mins or so) they mentioned how EP 7 will have so much revealed but they can't do that in 20 or something minutes, because it could end up leading to disappointment similar to what happened with Episode 5, especially since we all waited months for the continuation after EP 6's cliffhanger.

(btw, I didn't hate EP 5. I know that episode is mixed with the fanbase, but I just thought it had so much potential and could've been much better)

Also, there's a possibility that V is gonna be returning in some way or so because when the trailer released over on Twitter, Nola Klop (Voice Of V) retweeted the trailer and such, I'm not sure if that's much but it's something, plus in the trailer we don't ever see V's body so it's a possibility she's still alive.

Also, this is totally off topic..but I'll admit that the fandom and some of the shipping wars have honestly ruined the show and experience for me, this is mostly due to experience and such. I've vented my frustrations with both the ship wars and the fandom itself before so I won't go into detail, but mostly from the Envy shippers and how horrible most of them are (NOT ALL) has kinda ruined my enjoyment..it's hard to fully enjoy my love for MD and the ship I've got comfort for, when in the back of my head the fandom and how poorly it treats others is bothering me inside. It's sad and also, it's gotten to the point where I barely care about who'll get with who..I know that's not the point of the show but still. It also doesn't help that YouTubers such as Vanitymoth and others aren't making things better..I'll also admit to something else that the MD fandom (mostly V stans) have kinda ruined V for me, she's not my favorite, but she is a character I've always been pretty invested in and I do love how complicated she is and she's also very interesting and I do hope we see more of her character growth whenever she comes back, wether that's in the last two final episodes of S1 or the future of the show.

But, ever since between EP 5 and especially EP 6..the fans have ruined V for me and it's made it hard for me to fully love her and be a fan, especially as many of them are insane, also can't separate V from N most of the time, seeing her as NOTHING but N's love interest or use her as a way to shit on Uzi and Nuzi 24/7 (especially on Twitter) + always defend her actions and never see her in the wrong. Yes, she has trauma and she's been through a lot..but it doesn't excuse how she acted, especially how she treated N and often mistreated and threatened Uzi.

And not only that, but the V stans and insane toxic Envy shippers have also made it hard for me to fully like Envy..I'm someone who's kinda natural on the ship and mostly only like their mansion counterparts and don't think they'd work in the present, but it could work now possibly since V has gotten some development + her sacrifice but I'm still not sure. But anyways, I'm into other ships in the fandom and although Nuzi is my main ship..I'm still in support of other pairings and love many other things in the show (unlike some fans) but It's been hard for me to fully embrace and like Envy due to how damn toxic and horrible they are and how they do nothing but spread misinformation, talk shit about Nuzi and just act horribly..remember that Envy shipper over on Twitter who threw a tantrum and cried over the Nuzi scenes in EP 6?

[Anyways, I'm sorry for getting off topic..but am I the only person who feels this way?? I've got my worries and concerns for the next episode but I've wanted to vented out about how I've been feeling lately about MD and the community..the show has changed me and still means a lot, but lately it's been hard to feel excitement and feel happy when this fandom at times can be so damn horrible and the shipping wars have also drained me so much. Once again, I deeply apologize for this ask being too long and just being all over the place. 💗)

Thanks for the ask! No need to be sorry for anything, I get off topic a lot too so we’re in the same boat lmao. All of your feelings are completely valid about any worries about the show and the fandom. I’m the same as well

I’m obviously very worried about how the show will end. I really don’t want a bad ending, especially for a show where a season 2 hasn’t been completely revealed yet. I’m really worried about N or Uzi dying the most though, you’ve seen these guys go through some shit, it would generally hurt if N or Uzi die. I feel like I would be in peace if they died together at least cause I’m weak for one dying and the other having to go back to the beginning of loneliness again

I’ve mentioned this a bunch of times but I do hope that V doesn’t appear this episode, I feel like it would just be pointless to make her have this big sacrifice and just suddenly appear the next episode. I don’t think she’s completely dead but you never know, Liam could surprise us lol

About shipping wars. It definitely ruined the fandom, the Nuzi vs Envy war is really stupid. I believe that you can criticise a ship and not the shippers (only ok if it’s a proship ewwww) Unfortunately from my time at the beginning of this fandom, it was already a hellhole with the shipping wars, it just got bigger as time goes on and they slowly went for Nuzi. I definitely can understand Envy shippers pain when Nuzi became the endgame ship. I’m someone who is a huge Nuzi shipper (I quite literally live and breathe Nuzi) and if another ship with N or Uzi was endgame, I definitely would be really hurt but a lot did take it out on Nuzi shippers that are just enjoying the show and the ship even before it became endgame due to the whole proship thing

Even if Envy became endgame, even if any other ship became endgame, it shouldn’t matter. People should be there for the show, not the freaking ships, this isn’t twilight

I will admit that I didn’t really like V, I never saw the appeal that everyone had about her but I do like her character growth. She didn’t deserve to be not only mischaracterised but also heavily sexualised

Maybe I would’ve liked V if her fans weren’t such obsessed weirdos that would literally send death threats over her existence but unfortunately they exist and there’s nothing to do about it

Her relationship with N definitely gets misinterpreted as well. I mean thank god for N being the way he is because if he was aware on how V treated him, he probably would’ve left her because V treated him really shitty. They don’t have a toxic relationship but they do have a dysfunctional relationship and now thanks to the fight in Episode 4 V has been treating N and Uzi nicer

And yeah I did see a lot of Envy Shippers hating on Uzi for getting in the way of N and V’s relationship but…what relationship? They didn’t have one before Uzi even showed up. Sure N did have a crush on her but V just completely ignored him and let J abuse him. Would that even change if Uzi wasn’t in the picture? It’s more likely it would be rinse and repeat if Uzi didn’t go out of the colony, N would continued to be abused and V would continue to ignore him, only focusing on the workers

In fact, they actually have Uzi to thank because N and V started their platonic relationship again thanks to her. N and V had a fight because of her which made V change and have her character growth. Uzi showed N that it’s ok to stand up for yourself and be more assertive in scenarios where it’s appropriate, which is what made N lose his shit at V at Episode 4. They’re only mad because Uzi got in the way out of their romantic relationship BUT unfortunately to disappoint some people, N and V will quite literally never have a romantic relationship in the present and that’s been shown numerous of times 8n the show that N and V could never work out in the present. It’s only in the past

I think N x V is definitely a good example of a lot of things in relationships and tropes. They’re a good example of loving someone who changed into someone you’re not fond of. They’re a good example of how trauma can affect relationships. But most importantly they’re a good example of the “right person, wrong time” trope

Think about it. They were happy in the manor together, they drew together, they read books together, they were in love with each other, and that would’ve stayed the same if the absolute solver wasn’t there. If the absolute solver came at a different time in the future then it would be very different for N and V but the absolute solver just had to be there and that’s how they turned into Disassembly Drones

So if there’s someone to blame for ruining N and V’s relationship it’s definitely not Uzi lol. N and V can only have that romantic relationship in the past, not the present, not the future. Despite their romantic relationship being gone that doesn’t mean that their relationship is completely gone, they can slowly build up to become friends and still have a bond. It’s not the end of the world and hey, if you still want them to get together romantically then there is fanfiction and AU’s

Coconut 🥥🥥🥥🥥🥥

[cloud-somersault]

I've been following this fic since the start, and reading each chapter. We are so incredibly lucky to be enjoying this series at all, let alone for free. I appreciate all the work you’ve put in a lot of effort to create something that brought so much joy to so many people. Thank you so much for writing and remember you don’t owe us anything because you are incredibly talented and impeccable, and this story has me in a chokehold like no other and I would be more than happy to read more about what you have planned for this series.

It's great that your fics inspire such strong emotions in people because these characters are very nuanced and have a lot of depth and reasoning behind their actions, but sometimes it seems really hard for readers to remember, before writing any critique, that we have a lot more information than the characters in the story. We can see the same event from the perspective of different characters and even hear their internal monologues. But characters are limited to what they themselves can figure out, so of course they will make mistakes and do things that don't make sense at first glance. Sorry to hear you’re dealing with some drama in the comments. Hope you’re taking care of yourself! I know that must be pretty stressful, so maybe stepping away from a series for a while and then coming back later is a good choice. Your stories are completely worth the wait. Have a nice day or night! ❤

Thank you for sticking with this fic and this AU from the start! It's almost been 2 years. Thank you for reading and enjoying. I really appreciate that!!

That's very true. We, as the readers, have SO MUCH INFORMATION compared to the characters themselves. The only person who knows more is me, the author. And, something else I think is forgotten so much in this fandom in general is that Wukong and Macaque are immortal beings. The things that hurt us physically? Do not hurt them. The things that we think are egregious and out of this world? Are not to them. They have fought monsters and all that; they don't care about a quick squabble. They also know magic. We have to put all of that into context because, yes, in the real world, their fights and everything would be seen as wrong and dangerous. To them, though? Who have seen and been through so much? They don't have that same threshold that we do. I incorporate that into my writing.

And yes, the characters will do things that don't make sense! They will do things that will make you go "Aw, hell. This is gonna blow up in his face later." That's the entire point of fiction. Is seeing these characters grow and change or even fail to grow and change in some aspects.

That's also something we need to keep in mind. These are immortal beings. It takes them more time to understand something or learn a lesson or unlearn a toxic behavior compared to mortals who only live for so long. Wukong is nearly 4,000 years old; it's gonna take some time for some lessons to stick.

But thank you very much for sharing your opinion and kindness. I am defineitely going to take a step back once the epilogue is finished. I was going to stop here, at chapter 12, but I don't want to do that for my own personal reasons. I want it to be finished and in one place so that I can read it without opening a 300 page google doc and crashing my phone. It's mostly for ease of access right now.

But thank you!! Thanks for sticking with me. If you've been here since the start, wowie, you've seen it all. Thanks for seeing it through to the end with me. 💖

[rainbowsky]

Hi Rainbowsky

Hope you are doing well.

Happy Halloween!! Hope you enjoyed your day well!!

Few days back, I was reading a fanfic where the plot was OOL shooting and some photo leaks BTS causing ripples in yizhan relationship..

I know it's a fic, but the plot is so real.. I just wanted to know was there something like this back then...

Coz in those times I was not into turtledom so I have no Idea..

Hi Anon, Thanks, I did enjoy my Halloween! I hope you did too! 👻

Fake, fan fiction, CPN.

There were some set photos (props for the show) that were 'leaked' at one point and caused a stir among some turtles, and often held up by antis to try to hurt turtles. HOWEVER.

That does not mean they caused any stir at all in GGDD's relationship. Remember, they are both actors and know full well what that entails. IMNSHO there is zero chance that DD was upset in any way by the photos.

Perhaps you don't need this reminder, Anon, but just for the sake of it I want to reiterate that fan fiction is fiction, even - and I'd say especially - when the plot seems real or follows the real timeline of events.

Fan fiction about GG and DD is totally invented, and authors have no special insight into GG and DD's feelings, thoughts or real life experiences. It's their job as writers to bring stories to life and make them seem credible, but no matter how credible it seems, it's still entirely fictional.

I know that sounds lecturey and obvious, but you have no idea how many times during my years in this fandom that I've had stories from fan fiction reported to me as 'things that actually happened', and seen fans vehemently argue that fictional events were real.

Fan fiction is an open frontier. People can write whatever they want. But the more a story follows real events about real people, the more it stresses me out. There are unfortunately a lot of people who have a hard time distinguishing between fiction and reality.

And this is something that can creep up on just about anyone without their realizing. Turtles are faced with a TON of information from various sources, so much that it's hard to keep up. The more fandom information we take in over time the easier it is for us to forget where we saw or heard something, and to accidentally mistake something we read in a fic for something that actually happened.

This is why I vastly prefer AU stories over ones that try to build a narrative around actual events and fictionalize GGDD's real lives. I 100% support people's right to write 'fandom timeline' stories if they want to, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy them or recommend them.

So while you read these stories, Anon, please keep in mind that very important point:

Fan fiction is fiction. Always.

It's also very common for turtles, including fan fic authors, to glamorize or romanticize jealousy. There's nothing romantic about jealousy. It's a very toxic emotion that can lead to bad - even dangerous - behavior. I personally believe it's insulting toward GG and DD to paint either one of them as 'the jealous type'.

There's a huge amount of disinformation floating around about the OOL photos, including claims that DD was wildly jealous and totally freaked out over them. I find that notion absurd and even offensive. It is insulting to DD's level of emotional intelligence, and makes uncharitable assumptions about his level of trust and respect for GG.

As I said, GG and DD are actors, and they know what that entails.

More on that here.

You can read more about the photos in some of my past posts.

The photos and turtles reactions

Confirmation they were fake props

Why some people believed they were real

[ihateliterature]

I'm really sad. Let me tell you why I'm sad

So this whole debate is going on over on twt about wlw content and I see a lot of people giving their experiences with the wlw fandom and it's really disheartening. And from what I see the problem is not that the rest of the queer fandom is overwhelmingly mysoginistic or lesbophobic, it's that the wlw fandom is unbearable

No, really, there are so many people talking about how they've tried joining the wlw fandom but it was too toxic or they were afraid of doing it in the first place because they've seen people who had to deal with them. And the people saying this are not only gay men and transmascs, they are overwhelmingly other queer women

And I understand this, hell, I am one of those ppl afraid of the wlw fandom. That's because every time I've witnessed it they were harassing and dogpilling people for the most minor of things. I can still remember one particular occasion when the author of Percy Jackson tweeted that he sees Artemis as ace and qrts were full of people borderline threatening him and being aphobic until he backed down on it

And this is not the only time. I've seen people getting threats for headcanoning a character as bi or pan, shipped a character with a man or headcanoned a character as ace/aro. I still remember how it was in the SU fandom with Peridot

I wish it wasn't like this. I know for a fact there are nice and civil wlw fans, but a large number of people, myself included, can barely fucking find them behind all the assholes

The explanation, which I gathered from queer women active in the fandom or who used to be part of it, is that the wlw fandom is INFESTED with radfems top to bottom. Which created a hostile environment for EVERYONE including some queer women, especially bi women. All of it leading to a space dominated by radfem ideas, exclusionism and antis. And also to a very stifling creating environment, as many queer women with experience in the fandom I've seen talking about it have said that anything straying from wholesome is heavily policed

And I find it horrible, because so many queer women felt the need to distance themselves from a fandom that is FOR them, because of how toxic it is, depriving themselves of what should have been a wonderful fandom experience alongside other people that can understand and relate to them on that level. I hate it how radfems have infested every corner of the community, warping it and creating conflict. To a point where many of us get red flags when seeing someone with a lesbian pfp because of past experience. It should not be like this. I don't like doing it this, doubting my own family, but I feel like I have to, for my peace of mind at least. And yes, I mean family, because as hard as lesbian separatists tried to drive us away from each other, to make lesbians as insular as possible, to paint transmascs and bi women as traitors to womanhood, lesbians are still my family, just like any other queer out there, and it breaks my heart seeing them becoming the boogie man of online queer spaces and a shield for TERFs

Idk where I am going with this anymore it's just that. . . I'm sad, I wish it wasn't like this

[alarrytale]

Hi Marte, this is just a rant because I don't plan on going anywhere as I'm addicted to twitter lol but what is going on with Nick's fanbase? I knew it was too good to be true when rwrb came out and everyone got on so well. There were some toxic ph fans but they were such a small minority that everyone ignored them. It was really nice with everyone getting on and everyone making memes and jokes. Now people are fighting every day and policing each other, especially bullying fans into watching tioy and speaking well on it. There was someone in the fandom who said they didn't like it and fans were harassing them. They're getting big heads after the rave reviews and they're even starting to turn on rwrb fans for not wanting to watch a really het movie. So many of them are teenagers too and that's unusual for a man almost 30, that most of his fans are teenagers. They are really really ageist to people in their 20s+ but karma will come around because they'll turn that age. Then they'll be on the receiving end. They've just become so toxic. There is also a small section of his fandom who are rwrb fans who claim to be a fan of him but they're clearly not. They keep up with him but they're going out of their way to twist things he says and they're trying to get him cancelled. I think they're more Tzp fans. But some Nick fans have been toxic to Tzp too. It's just really different to how it was some months ago. There isn't often a day without drama.

Hi, anon!

Rant away! I've seen it too. I think it's a couple of things. One, he's currently promoting a very, very het movie and it's attracting a lot of new het fans. Second, his fandom has grow rapidly, explosively over the past six months. He is everywhere and doing stuff like roundtables with other great actors. His team is pushing really, really hard and working overtime to make this his break-through. Remember he's 30, he isn't that young anymore. This is his shot. He seems very ambitious and willing to do almost anything and be anything to grow a fanbase and get those oscar worthy roles. It's hard to remember he only shot to fame eight or so months ago.

To me it seems like they want him to have an ambigious image, like Harry does. He's not as straight passing as H is, so maybe he'll get away with it without having queerbaiting accusations. But they're also pushing the het and teasing his fans to create engagement. It's working. It's fucking annoying that it's working. His fans shouldn't be that young and naive, when he himself is almost 30yo. He's lucky they are. But it's not fun for the rest of us who have to deal with a fandom going from being harmonious to being factured and fighting.

Anyways, bullying isn't cool, fan policing isn't cool, ageism isn't cool and people are allowed not to like something or not support something without beeing peer pressured or ostracized if they don't. His fans need to grow up.

[hopefulsapphic]

miscellaneous tag game

tagged by @searchingfortheuniverse! tysm i love these things <3

A band you don’t like that many others do: uhh i'm really not a hater and i genuinely do not have that strong of opinions about music and bands, so i really can't think of any right now

A childhood memory that you remember vividly: god i have so many vivid childhood memories it's hard to pick just one. my most vivid memories are probably the ones i have of playing with my twin when we were pretty little. they all tend to blend together, but i can still picture so clearly the castles we built out of soft blocks and the little lego people and toy cars we moved around them like dolls and the stories and scenarios we made up and acted out and the dragon costume in his closet he always tried to scare me with

Least favorite animal and why: insects probably, but only the really annoying little flying ones that buzz so relentlessly and never take the hint when you shoo them off. also whatever wretched little bug bit me in my sleep the other night

Hot fandom take: idk if this means like for a specific fandom or just fandom in general, but either way i don't really think i have any? then again i didn't think that that "steve harrington wasn't a bad person/boyfriend he was literally just 17" post i made a little while ago was a hot take either but apparently it was a little more reactive than i expected

Do you wear any jewelry, if so, what’s your favorite piece: i'm literally always wearing jewelry; i've got two hands full of rings that i basically never take off like ever, and it's rare to see me without earrings in and necklaces on. my favorite piece at the moment is probably my little silver bat necklace i got at an antique mall about a year ago

A movie others liked but you didn’t: guys i'm really not a hater. also i tend not to watch movies i just don't have the attention span tbh

Three things you love about yourself: my creativity, my perseverance, my sense of self-expression

A place you hope to visit in the future and why: everywhere, there's so much of the world i haven't seen. more realistically though, i hope to visit my twin in washington sometime this year, probably in the summer

An actor that gets on your nerves and why: again i'm. really not a hater. i tend to be utterly indifferent to like 95% of all celebrities, i just can't care about them enough for them to even be able get on my nerves

Things you’re excited for in the nearby future? there are a few alternative music club nights (emo, goth, metal) coming up over this next month and i'm very excited to dress up and go to those with friends!

Least favorite ship in a fandom you’re in: okay now i'm a hater. it's harringrove 😬

What’s the most toxic fandom you’ve been in? all fandoms are toxic if you venture far enough or have the misfortune of landing in the wrong corners of the internet, but i think my worst experiences have been in areas of the percy jackson fandom (in the mid 2010s especially; ik it's probably kicking up again now with a new wave of toxic fans but i am living in blissful ignorance of that discourse) and, in more recent years, the stranger things fandom (i've had to narrow my involvement down to basically only one specific ship fandom within it and even then only seek it out on tumblr; tiktok is rancid)

List three things you find beautiful about life: human connection, the art of words and stories, the joy of flowers in the spring after a particularly desolate winter

Any dreams for the future? just the typical stuff really: graduate university (i have one semester left that's insane), move out (for realsies, not just for school), and find myself a solid job and make myself a solid home and be able to be self-sufficient and successful and happy in this world. ideally i also dream of actually finishing and publishing a novel one day

How are you really feeling today? i have not had even three consecutive hours of sleep a night for the past week and it's making me feel just a little bit insane, and i'm a bit anxious about school and about meeting up with a newish friend tomorrow, but overall i actually feel pretty good. i finally feel like i've got real proper friends here in this city and i've been seeing them a lot lately, so that's been buoying an overarching sense of positivity despite my sleep deprivation and anxiety

tagging @turquoiseorchid and @rainbowteri if you feel like it! and if anyone else wants to do this too, consider yourselves tagged also; live your dreams, overshare on the internet 🫶🏻

[blue-listener]

Blackpink's rumored disbandment is such a disappointing thing to me. But at the same time, I cannot say I'm shocked.

Blackpink is an insanely talented group. They are attacked a lot by other fandoms, but that's quite normal when you reach the level of fame they did.

Yet no group is meant to last. Yes, they're a girl group, and can be active a lot longer than a boy group can because of the mandated military service, but with as long between the break points in YG's promotion of them, they're bound to start either losing faith in the company or want other things to do.

I do not agree with people calling Jennie or Jisoo "lazy" or "stiff." I would love to see these people try and do half of the things Blackpink does while surrounded by thousands and thousands of people.

I'm not even a blink. I just occasionally listen to Blackpink's music on the side, but I know their impact. And yes, their impact is something many people debate, but you cannot discredit them for their achievements.

People talking bad about Lisa for her French boyfriend (I do not remember his name) is wild. "Oh, he's not even that attractive." So what? If she likes him, and in a lot of her newer pictures she seems a lot happier, then so what? As long as she's not visibly unhappy with him or being mistreated, is it really any of your concerns?

I do not believe Blackpink has to or should disband like so many K-Pop fans have been saying. But it's been seven years. Most groups don't continue after that. The idol industry is a hard place to survive and the conditions are not great.

But if they chose not to resign, it is their decision. It is certainly sad to see such a beloved group leave, but what you should do is support them.

Because why should they have to continue something that they don't want to?

People have talked so poorly about members for years. K-Pop fans love to use Blackpink as a punching bag, especially Jisoo and Jennie. That is bound to take a toll on the member's mental health. And there is only so much one can do. When the toxicity goes so far, the only thing you can do is cut it out.

K-Pop fans love to bash idols and then get upset when their actions start to show consequences.

And the fact that I've seen people on TikTok complaining about this? Blaming it on the company or certain members? It's as if people cannot understand that Blackpink are all adults. They're all adults who have actual lives outside of the persona they play as an idol. They're actual people who deserve to have freedom.

Shouldn't you be happy for them and supporting them in their future endeavors instead of bashing them in the moment for showing even a bit of supposed hesitance?

tldr; Blackpink's rumored disbandment is sad but is not something that people should attack the company or members for. Each member should be supported for whatever they chose to do going forward.

[kimtaegis]

Maybe you just don't want to talk about this with anyone, so feel free to ignore it, I'm glad if you only read. Please please take control of the people you follow, the people you interact with and have on your blog or in any other site or social media that you use to share your interest in BTS... Our experience in the fandom will depend 100% on that, the way you see armys will be entirely affected by it. Don't follow anyone just 'cause they're nice if what they say upsets you, don't be afraid to block or unfollow anyone who makes you uncomfortable. There are many types of armys and accounts you can engage with, there are fanbases sharing beautiful projects and kind actions from armys around the world, there are artist armys (just like you!) who show their creations, armys focusing on gathering votes and streams (this will be forever important) and overall many many armys who just care about what BTS have to say, trusting their messages and trying their best every day. I'm afraid that you may start to see armys in a negative way, I'm afraid that you can believe that this fandom isn't a good fandom, that this doesn't feel like home... This is not true, please remember that? Ever since I becamy army I never thought bad of this fandom and I always could understand why BTS love armys so much, 'cause armys have been comforting me too and I don't even have friends... I'm comforted just by "strangers". Even on Twitter, where things are much bigger and easier to trigger us, I've found my "safety zone". It's all a result of whom you follow. This doesn't mean I haven't found mean people, stalkers or antis, I did and sometimes I kept looking for them, even knowing how it made me feel, but I do my best to control what and whom I search for. Please take care of this ♡ life is already so hard, this part doesn't need to also be. Our fandom is the biggest in this world and of course that it means there'll be more toxic and obsessed people, the bigger it is it can be scarier, but I hope you can always see that this number isn't even close to all the kind armys who learn a lot with BTS, all the armys chasing for their future and trying to be better human beings. You're one of them!

oh you’re very sweet for sending all this, I appreciate it. I just think that it’s pretty much impossible to avoid any of this simply because of how today’s social media works; I have a tiny twitter account, only follow a very small bunch of fans (mostly mutuals from here and editmys/fanartists); the algorithm still suggests super problematic tweets to me. Which is sad in itself because those tweets get so much traction that they’re suggested to me, do you know what I mean? I do block and mute every single one of these accounts, have a mile-long list of muted words, and yet. And just leaving or disabling these functions would let me not see the stuff I would like to see anymore, so that’s also not great. Tumblr is comparably fine but is also absolutely deserted and boring. I’m sorry to say this but ever since I joined the fandom two years ago, I had my opinion on the general vibe of armys and this didn’t change at all. I’ve never seen this fandom as a healthy community or a home, I’m only in it because I love the group. Yes there are definitely amazing (and sane) people I’ve met here on tumblr through the boys and I’m so grateful for that, but unfortunately it’s really just a very small number of people who I truly get along with (probably my own fault but yeh). Also it’s not just the negativity by the way, but also the infantilism, or the other extreme, sexualisation of the members, the absolute obsession with chart and streaming numbers, awards and records, the “quantity over quality” way of thinking, the list goes on. There’s just so much I can’t vibe with, don’t want to. I’m trying my best to keep curating my own fandom experience and I don’t see myself not following bts’ career at any time soon, but it still sucks that such a big part of loving them feels so.. corrupted at times.