#let’s see what people think of each other from their limited online interactions

[dragonpyre]

In the tags write smth you think/headcanon about prev. Literally could be anything

[shinayashipper]

Puzzleship role-reversal AU following Egyptian boy Atem who transfered schools to Japan because of his father's job. As a son of a busy, high political figure, Atem constantly changes schools and have very little friends aside from Mahad and Mana who are the children of his father's close colleagues. (The other kids also got scared of him because his father is a powerful figure / only attempting to befriend him to gain benefits).

Atem grew up with strict lessons and pressure. Always have to be the best in everything. He always tried to maintain an aloof, cool-headed, always reliable leader persona, but in truth he's very shy and anxious. His only comfort was playing games, but it's very lonely to play alone (and he's not so fond of online games) (Mahad and Mana play with him but Mahad is older and doesn't have time to play childish games with him and Mana has other interests)

Atem had changed schools a lot, but it's the first time he moved overseas. He didn't know anyone in Japan and only spoke the language a limited amount (even tho his lessons back in Egypt always drilled the language into his brain but with no one to talk to it's pretty hard).

He instantly became The Talk at Domino High as "The cute/cool foreign transfer student from Egypt" and he didn't really like the attention. He became closed-off and only interact with his classmates a minimal amount, even tho he had always wanted to make more friends. (Now people thought he got a Mean Look, because of the frown 😂). Anzu was the first person who greeted him in good-faith because she purely wanted to get to know him and make him feel accepted in class (but he always brushed her off too). Jou and Honda are still part of The Delinquents(TM) and Jou just hated Atem's guts because he thought Atem is "snobby little Rich Kid". Kaiba is still Kaiba and he just Doesn't Care much.

One day, Atem got some free time and decided to visit a nearby game store: Kame Game. It's kind-of old and there's more board games and puzzle games instead of the ever-popular digital ones. But this is how Atem loves his games. (And there's always a weekly little tournament where kids can play Card Games against each other. Very Fun!).

When he came in, the store was empty and dark, but the store still has the "Open" sign at the door so Atem just kept going. There sits an open wooden box with silver carvings on one of the small table where kids play. Atem was intrigued to get closer and he saw some... wooden blocks. Maybe a Puzzle? Atem loves solving puzzles. Because this is just left alone on the play table, it means he can try it right? So he tried Solving it...

And as if the Puzzle itself was calling and urging him to Solve it... he's assembling it very smoothly. He can finally see that it's forming some kind of pendant, just a few more blocks but Grandpa Sugoroku suddenly appears and surprised him 😂 Gramps saw him with the Puzzle/Pendant and you know I really like the idea of him Knowing More than he lets on, he told Atem that this Puzzle was an artifact from The Gods' Time and whoever solved it will get a Wish come true. He urged Atem to take it home and solve it in peace. It might help you in some way, he told him.

So Atem brought The Puzzle home, thinking how that grampa was kind of Weird, but he's also intrigued with the Puzzle- so he's going to solve it. And a wish coming true doesn't sound bad at all...

Atem had solved it Perfectly, and it was a pendant. But nothing happens. Ha! What wish... Atem thought it's probably just Sugoroku's attempt to make him come back to the store and buy something. Atem was kind of Sad tho. But nevermind that, he got a new pendant now, so he wear it immediately and went to sleep. (Having strange Dreams about Storms and a boy with white robes and wearing The Pendant Facing Them... but he's not going to dwell with it- he must be Tired)

[kanmom51]

What’s interesting is how jimin is taehyungs “soulmate” but Tae never mentions jimin in lives, never really comments on his posts or lives.

Taehyung will mention Jungkook any single chance he gets on posts & live like if he doesn’t he will lose his community.

Jungkook will mention jimin any chance he gets, comments on posts & comments on his lives but rarely Taehyung.

Jimin will rarely mention any of them maybe once in 2-3 lives. Only comments on jks lives, no tae’s. (Only mentioned Tae twice in like 6 lives) (Jungkook once or twice if asked to say he hasn’t seen him/comment about watching his live ect) He mostly talks about suga, Jin, Hobi.

The dynamic is confusing and interesting. It’s like….

Taehyung > Jungkook

Jungkook > Jimin

Jimin > Jin, Suga, Hobi (+ JK)

Jimin hasn’t met up with Taehyung twice now (didn’t wait at the airport, didn’t text or call, randomly posted on weverse instead of just texting Taehyung + didn’t show up to work out with him)

Like is V desperate for JK to appear his best friend but JK seems to only talk about jimin and wanting to hang with him and jimin is mostly spending time with members at hybe & working on stuff. So it’s like what are their dynamics as of now.

I feel like this one is going to be long and wordy and perhaps all over the place. It is what it is. Lol.

Ok, so let's start with your base line @malecsma1a , which to me is wrong when it comes to JM. JM does mention JK. He seeks out comments about him to have a reason to, but also talks about him or listens to his songs or comments on his lives (actively seeking JK out). JM is way more careful than JK, who in an essence doesn't give a flying fuck what people think of him. The only reason JK hasn't done more at this point is because he's respectful of his partners wishes. A partner that at this point in time is not ready to make that move yet. It's their current contracts with the company, it's their looming military service, it's their families, it's the fandom, it's who knows what it is, he's just not ready for that yet.

So JM is cautious and he goes with the easy subjects to talk about, initiating talk about, Jin and Hobi. Suga not so much (unless it was during their promotional period). I'm trying to think when he talked about RM last, and the only thing I can think of is during his Billboard #1 live telling us RM congratulated him. I might be wrong.

Anyway, JM initiates talk about them cause they are easy. Easy subjects, easy connections, just easy. Or, more like safe.

As for JK, ooh he wants to talk about him, he's itching to talk about him. You can see it in this pre-release lives when he seeks out the comments about JK and answers them or he listens to Euphoria and doesn't stop talking about JK. Did you see how happy JM was during his post recording live when JK spammed his comments? It's just that JM needs a reason to be able to talk about JK, cause you know, Jikook are kind of a taboo subject. Brining up JK out of nowhere for JM is a landmine, a ticking bomb, so he's careful. I just wanted to clear that up. If JM doesn't mention JK it's not for lack of wanting to. JK is on his mind just like JM is on JK's.

That's the JM baseline.

Now let's please move on with another baseline statement that you haven't mentioned, one that HAS to be said time and time again.

Not seeing it or hearing it happen, most certainly does not mean it isn't or didn't happen.

That one is lacking in your ask.

It feels like you are making assumptions on relationships based on the very very limited public interaction we are getting from them.

Many a times we hear from the members about messages they have sent each other on their chat group or privately, messages we would have zero knowledge about if not for them telling us about them. How many interactions like that don't they tell us about do you think? I can tell you without any doubt that 99.9% of their interactions with each other are unknown to us. Online and off. And this definitely includes JM and Tae and most obviously JK and JM.

You mention 2 interactions between JM and Tae. The first we wouldn't even know about if not for Tae telling us during his live. The second we wouldn't have know about either if not for JM's cheeky Weverse post and Tae's snappy answer. How many more interactions are there that neither shared with us? We have no way of knowing. As for the airport Weverse interaction, it's obvious that they weren't going to be riding home together, as there were 2 cars waiting for them. So maybe say hi at the airport on the way out or something like that. JM had a skip in his walk, he was excited to get to the car and home (to someone else that was probably just a little more important to him) so he decided not to wait for Tae. Oopsy. These conversations they have on Weverse are for our benefit. They are done for the fans, period. Because again, we all know they have their group chat and each other's phones. Maybe they do it to show all's well between them, because of the buzz about things not being ok, maybe another way of keeping in contact with the fans, Idk.

I digress.

Your bottom line question was about the dynamics. How they have changed? Have they changed?

Vmin

Idk what is going on, if there is something going on, between JM and Tae.

We know about two times they didn't end up getting together. But we know they were planning to, and at the same time we don't know if there are other times they did meet up.

We can also deduct from those two times that they are obviously on speaking terms.

You are right to say that Tae barely mentions JM. He didn't even congratulate him publicly on his solo album nor his Billboard #1, and that is strange for someone that is his supposed soulmate. But this could be something done in agreement with JM. We just don't know. I do not want to make assumptions about the state of their relationship with near to no information. JK is obviously ok with Tae. And dare I say that I don't think he would be so ok with Tae if Tae did something to badly hurt JM? Because even without seeing them in one frame for months now, JK has made it abundantly clear who his no. 1 priority is, and that's JM.

Taekook

JK has clearly gotten closer with Tae since their 2020 issues. It's taken some time, and I do think that JM being less available during his preparations for the album and promotions brought them closer still. But when I say close, it's by no means as close as he is with JM. Dare I also say that the kind of closeness is also different. It's a matehood kind of closeness. It's them being those friends that play online video games together, that go out once in a while with friends, for fun, for company. I really don't think there is more to that friendship. Tae is not someone JK finds solace in. The people he would turn to would be first and utmost JM, then perhaps Hobi and Jin. Tae is fun and games. A good distraction when there was no schedule, when he was off quilter, when JM was gone (in a sense, not really, but also not as available to him as he was used to up until not too long ago).

And we have Tae and his ever so often one sided mention of JK (one sided cause like you said, we barely have the same from JK). Is JK the only member he's in touch with? I doubt it. I have 1001 things going through my head right now as to why Tae is doing this. Sadly, none of them are him being genuine. I'm sorry. I love him, but this thing he's been doing, the one that even the best of ours (and I'm not including myself in that group, cause I was seeing it before and not loving it too much) are starting to question his motives about, it feels wrong. And it's not because of him championing his friendship with JK, which good for them, I'm happy they had each other to fall to when everyone else was super busy. It's the timing, it's the way he does it. Maybe if he wasn't so damn obvious about it, maybe if he was more suave, sophisticated in the way he was doing it. But he's not. I think he needs to take a lesson or two from JK, Mr. JM spoiler king and champion fan and supporter.

So, friends yes. Nothing more nothing less. Oh, and did I talk about what the company might be pushing here? No? Maybe I better not at this point. Maybe I better wait and see how things turn out, cause even if this is what the company wants, the big unknown here is just how much JK will comply.

Jikook

As for Jikook. Those two are as good as ever. Good as gold. They are doing private right now. Here we come to that ever so important baseline you forgot about: not seeing them doesn't mean they aren't there nor does it mean that they are not happening.

Here's one of the times I've talked about what we aren't seeing and why it means absolutely nothing:

I've talked about this multiple times, but this is the one I found on the run.

Remember back in mid 2022, after they went on a very long break, when there was all the talk about Jikook not interacting on SM, not being seen out together? Remember that? "Jikook have broken up" was all over the place (just like it was a second before JM's album release and JK's "have no mistake I love JM" lives) . Including coming from the usual insecure Jikookers that need the two to prove time and time again they are in a relationship (cause that's how life is isn't it? We have to prove to our surroundings that we are together otherwise we aren't?). Anyway, then we had the Seoul concerts, they were more than fine, LV, omg they were on fire, new tattoos included. Got back from LV and again that roller coaster of them not being seen together not interacting was in a loop. Good thing we had our president of the Jikook fan club to post from Washington showing us them out together. Good thing we had the JITB party BTB to show us the talk about them not interacting in the party were bull crap. Once again, seeing that content should have taught us a lesson - not seeing them initially in the clips and photos leaking from the party (well almost not seeing them, cause we did have that clipet (clip + snippet) of them in the corner JK's hand on JM's waist) doesn't mean they weren't doing their thing. You know, in the dark corner JK embracing JM's hand and all... and there was more. Believe me there was so much more that went on in that party that we haven't seen on tape.

Not seeing it doesn't mean it's not happening.

And before Busan, and then after Busan and before JM's album release, see the pattern?

JM and JK they are intimate. We kind of know it, let's not kid anyone. They have been together for years, they are sexually active, they are a long term couple. Yet, we have never seen them even so far as kiss have we? Does that mean they didn't or don't? I don't like talking about this stuff here, cause it's private, it's theirs, and that's why I'm stopping at the very innocent example of kissing, but I'm trying to make a point here. We don't see what they do 99% of the time, and I'd say since the hiatus it's already 99.9% of the time.

And yet, JK in the past few months, since Feb 2023, and even more so since mid March 2023 (his white day live) is telling us everything (in the way that he can at the moment). He's telling us they are still very much ok. He's telling us he knows stuff that we don't, stuff that he wouldn't know if they were not still very close. He's showing us just how much he cares for JM, how much he loves and supports him. He's telling us they are seeing each other, even if we don't know they are.

And JM in one song, in which he included JK, told us (so yes, the song is for us in the essence of him wanting us to know, but the letter is addressed to JK) how deep his feelings are for JK and that they are forever. JK joined him on that one.

They are good.

They are forever.

They both told each other and us that.

Look, I know you miss them. Miss seeing them. Miss seeing their interactions. I do too. So so much. Cause they are just happiness and hope all in one. Seeing their interactions, seeing how much love there is there it's precious and I miss it so much. But I'm not making the mistake, and don't you either, of concluding that not seeing these interactions means they aren't happening. They just aren't showing them to us, in the content that is.

There are a few reasons that come to mind as to why the company is doing this, although sorry but they are just being stupid. The lack of Jikook content at this point is more suspicious than any kind of content they might have had together under official supervision. For two obviously very close people, whatever label you want to attach to them, the lack of official content is screaming "why the fuck aren't they paired together?"

Not to mention the irrevocable fact that they are the two with the most electrifying chemistry. There is a reason that they used to be constantly paired together. They just work.

The company are the ones pushing these units and they have done so since the hiatus. It's Jihope and Yoonmin on the one hand and Taekook on the other.

The rhythm of Korea with BTS was one of the more obvious to see this agenda and the fact that it was JM and Suga chosen to champion Busan, yeah, felt weird to me.

Was there supposed to be chemistry? If there was, I didn't see it.

Side note: Notice how JM is wearing his special necklace in this official content. He doesn't do that. They are styled for these kind of clips. I do think that was a statement. Maybe not one necessarily for us.

In any case, that is one example.

You want another one?

JM's dance practice BTB is another. We wouldn't have seen JK there if not for JM's comment during his live about JK coming to see him practice. That BTB felt rushed and the JK part of it was evidently highly edited. Take what they show us there, less of a minute of JK being there, not even showing us his arrival (which means not showing us JM's reaction to his arrival), and compare it to the edit of Hobi coming to visit JM during the Like Crazy MV shoot. One pairing obviously being highlighted (oh, for months), the other downplayed.

There is more. All in the name of Hybe's end game. Yes, I really don't think this is being done to protect them. And I also don't think this is coming from them. If it was, JK wouldn't have rebelled the way he has against the company. JK's a good boy, he's compliant as a whole, but he is also a non conformist, and has his limits and he is being held back for too long. There are things they want to do and they aren't allowed to, and what we've seen in the past couple of months from them is their form of rebellion. What they are allowing themselves to do at the moment. JK deleting his IG. Make no mistake, that was his big fuck you to the company. His lives, not giving a fuck. Him supporting JM in the way he can being the loudest that he can under the circumstances. JM showing up in JK's comments but not only showing up, openly flirting with him. This was them saying "absolutely nothing has changed between us".

I told you this was going to be unnecessarily long, didn't I?

Well, bottom line is that I don't think the dynamics between JM and JK have changed, they are same old same old.

And to be truthful, I don't think that the dynamics between JK and Tae have changed either. Yes, they are closer in the sense that when JM is away JK is spending more time with Tae (either online or meeting up). They spend more time together but make no mistake, the dynamic is the same as it always was with those two, you could clearly see that in that Feb live when Tae showed up in JK's comments and then they went live on IG.

There are those that don't like me comparing, but I love to compare, cause that's how you know it's different, right?

The silence moments between JK and Tae in that live were outright awkward.

Then take the last time we had Jikook in a live together - JM's birthday back in October 2021, a Jikook masterpiece, lol. Their silences are electrifying.

It's the difference between staying quiet cause you have nothing you really want to or know to say and staying quiet because you want to say everything but are worried it will be too much.

Those dynamics were there before, and they are still there.

Did I forget someone?

Oh yes, Vmin.

Yeah, I have no idea. Those two are keeping us in the dark. Many think there is something weird going on with them. Could be. Could also be that everything is fine and they are just not talking about each other.

[dizaryswrites]

I have a confession to make!

I don’t know how obvious it is, but I actually haven’t read any comics 😅 I know, I know haha, it’s just I haven’t had the time! Luckily, I mostly follow blogs that I know are comic readers so I know what’s fanon and canon mostly. But since I will have free time in the summer, I was wondering if you have any recommendations on what to read and where to start?

Oh man I WISH I could be one of those blogs who snaps out the long scroll that just rolls down the hallway with a concise cross referenced list of top hits from every era and where to start with each character! But I am a book hoarder with not enough time on my hands so I haven't even read half of what I have, let alone all the back issues 😅

Here's some stuff that I really enjoyed as a new-to-comics-and-DC reader and in general (in mostly chronological order because that's how I arrange my comic books):

Batman: Dark Victory

I really enjoyed the mystery and early Batman days, plus Dick Grayson's debut! He is a delight. I didn't read Long Halloween which comes before this so I missed some context but I picked it up easy enough (also according to some reviews the mystery can be repetitive if you have read Long Halloween sooo win for me ig?)

Robin: Year One

I am determined to read this one soon. I've heard great things about it though so it's being added

Batman: Prodigal

I read this without reading a single page of Knightfall because I was getting interested in Nightwing and this was the earliest book that my library had available (I have given up on a chronological reading order since those early foolish days). I knew nothing and still really enjoyed Dick!Bats and Robin!Tim together. I need to reread this soon

Formerly Known as the Justice League

A limited run, 6 issues I think. Honestly I should just say Justice League International in general but I started with this mini for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle after seeing some funny panels online and I fell in love with that whole cast of losers (affectionate). It's not BatFam but so so fun to read (and JLI has some really poignant moments too)

Young Justice: A League of Their Own

SO FUN. Tim and friends dealing with just ridiculous scenarios LOL I'm only halfway through but it's great

Batman: Hush

I haven't read a lot of just Batman titles but I enjoyed Hush. It had some good character moments for Bruce that helped me understand the way he thinks a little more. I also hear Bruce Wayne: Murder/Fugitive is very very good but I haven't gotten around to it yet (a running theme)

Batgirl: Point Blank

Cass is a treat. This was the first volume I found of her's, haven't read the others yet, but even lacking context I really enjoyed her as the main character and her interactions with Steph, Babs, and Bruce.

Teen Titans (Geoff Johns)

This was one of the first series I started reading and it was a good intro for me, a completely new DC fan. It's Tim and his friends but more serious than YJ. I've read vol 1-2 and part of 3

Under The Red Hood

Classic for good reason. I haven't finished it yet (teehee) but the first half has been entertaining. Jason has had some um... interesting writing in his time. But I really enjoy the way he's written here. It's a good baseline imo. I've heard Lost Days is also good

Nightwing (Tomasi run)

I love Tomasi and this run was a lot of fun. Dick is funny while not losing his serious, capable edge, he interacts with people in his circles, and has some interesting introspection moments. There's a weird part of the plot about midway that definitely uses bad Asian stereotypes which is so disappointing. But after that it gets normal again 😅

Batman & Robin

This comes right after Tomasi's run and it's a mixed bag for me. It's definitely interesting seeing Dick and Damian learning to work together but I was still new to DC with little context for things and was also *so* put off by the art style that I don't remember it well. But I thought I'd add it anyway since it's an iconic moment for Dick!Bats

Batman and Robin (Tomasi)

I adore Bruce and Damian struggling together to discover what being father and son looks like for them. I adore Damian having growth. That's volumes 1-3. 4 is post Damian's death (and damn issue 1 is a well written look at grief), I haven't read 5 or beyond yet.

Nightwing (Rebirth)

The first Nightwing title I read. Looking back, the characterization is a bit weak in some areas, doesn't quite match how he's written in older runs, but it had good moments and kept me entertained. Especially!!! In vol 3 with Humphries's Judge arc

For more current runs, I'm really enjoying World's Finest. Waid's writing is good and Mora's art is just *cartoon heart eyes*. Bats, Supes, and teenage Dick Grayson are a fun trio. Amid other runs that had me tearing my hair out in disappointment or frustration, WF is a breath of fresh air.

Titans United: Bloodpact is a 6 issue limited that was also a really nice read. It's Dick's Titans but Tim is there too and I enjoyed everyone's writing.

The Human Target (Tom King) but honestly I was just losing my mind over Greg Smallwood's art and paneling the entire time. A masterpiece. I want to frame every page. I cheered when he posted inspiration threads on Twitter.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen

It's not Batfam but hear me out!!!! This comic had some of the sweetest moments between Supes and Jimmy and I wanted to grab literally anybody by the shoulders and shake them until they looked at the Lois, Clark, & Jimmy in the helicopter panel and GOT IT!!! Also it is so delightfully wacky and funny, I was genuinely laughing out loud. Steve's Lieber's art is the perfect pairing with Matt Fraction's writing.

AND SPEAKING OF!

This isn't DC at all but it's the series that made me (and so many others) really love comics and their storytelling potential. Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run, volumes 1-4. Between his writing and David Aja's artwork and color theory (and Steve Lieber's guest issue that literally gut punched me and changed how I saw later parts of the story, it was never just a filler issue to me, Steve) you get a great story that says so much with so little (in the best way) and is a visual treat as well. Chef's kiss.

Some other non-DC comics I really enjoyed are Die (imagine Jumanji but D&D and novels and oh look the consequence of your actions has grown up), Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 (I am not a horror girly but I really enjoyed this, in no small part because of Dell'edera's art), Eight Billion Genies (the world population hits 8 billion and now everyone gets a genie, what could go possibly wrong), and Paper Girls which I'm about 2/3 through (picture stranger things but with time travel, spaceships?, and oh shit is future me lying??)

Damn, I guess I really did have a scroll's worth. 😭 Anyway, my recommendation for where to start with this list is...what does your library have available? Don't forget about the Hoopla app too, that's where I read some of these digitally. Or the used bookstore which is where I got 90% of my comics from.

But seriously! Just pick whatever sounds the most fun or has the character(s) you're the most interested in and go from there. Skip around on the timeline or go in chronological order. Whatever floats your boat! I think that's the really unique thing about comics. Plus if you can't figure out the context of what you're missing or what is happening simultaneously (because writers & editorial used to care a little more) you can do a quick google or (and I wish I had this with Batgirl) @cephalog0d has a pinned timeline master list. Incredible.

[darlingdawnauryn]

How I Use Technology in My Practice

I know we've all been watching the online world disintegrate in real time -- and the rise of spiritual psychosis on Tik Tok is something I definitely don't want to think too much about -- but I'm here to tell you that it's not all doom and gloom and modern-day technology can still be utilized in a beneficial way. Here are some ways I use it to aid in my practice.

Music for Meditation and Ambience. There are a lot of premade playlists to help people meditate, consisting of binaural beats, eastern inspired zen music, and instrumentals and chants to help connect to a specific deity -- and that's probably only scratching the surface. But what I like about the modern-day landscape where anyone can post anything is the specificity: we're not limited to what could previously only be found on a CD your mom might've gotten from the back of a magazine; instead, there are playlists like "you're taking a bath in ancient greece," "2 AM," and one of my personal favorites, "T h e D r e a m p o o l s." There are people who post their own compositions too, like in the case of help me.'s channel! Most of the time I don't even use it for meditation; I put it on in the background when I write spells and hypersigils, when I work my herbal magick, when I feel like working energy by dancing, etc.

Liminal Portals. Speaking of the poolrooms, I use liminal spaces a lot in my work. Due to my mobility issues and my inability to drive, I can't exactly visit a cemetery, a crossroads, or even an abandoned house whenever I want. So I do the next best thing: pull up a picture of a liminal space and meditate on it however I see fit. Similar to the wider variety of music, this affords me the opportunity to pick a specific, sometimes niche location to harness a specific energy -- it's not like you can go to a funzone midday and expect it to be vacant, let alone expect to work magick with all the kiddos running around. I also like using the images as portals: something to focus on before I sleep so I can conjure it in dreams and do work in the astral.

Inspiration and Motivation! Like a lot of people who came of age alongside the Internet, I now spend more time on Youtube than I do watching TV or even using other streaming services. I use it for shits and giggles as much as the next guy, but I also try to be conscious and intentional with my screentime. I find more and more that I use Youtube for a place of inspiration: magickal as well as mundane. As I've said in previous posts, journaling and writing are serious hobbies of mine. I watch a lot of junk/journal Youtubers, so this video popped up in my recommended the other week -- decidedly un-witchy and completely separate from anything magickal. But I ended up using it to make a journal for my hypersigils, and it feels so much more personal that way. As far as witches go, I'm way more intrigued by Q&As and those in the community interviewing each other; I find the candid conversations more practical than short little how-to videos. Plus, they're a great go-to when I feel disconnected from my practice. Listening to a back-and-forth between two people who are clearly passionate about their Craft gives me the kick to get back into mine again!

Mapping Out the World. This one is a bit headier than the others, so bear with me. First and maybe most importantly: I've been a supporter of the New Age movement since before I knew what it was -- I've always been in contact with spirit guides, fairies, and other nature spirits, and I've always had an affinity for crystals and Hippie Culture (TM) and seen firsthand how the Law of Attraction can be both beneficial and detrimental to one's overall health. While I don't interact much with that side of the Internet anymore, owing to the alarming turn to far-right mindsets and some other problematic beliefs in that community -- as well as my pseudo-disillusionment with the movement at large -- I still think there's something to be said about some of those principles -- particularly the LoA. In a sense, the algorithm as we know it is a mini version of our lives. Do I think every word, thought, and emotion should be policed in an attempt to achieve the myth of ~high vibration~ and enlightenment? Of course not. But let's look at an example that's completely free from any kind of spiritualism: if I ask you to look around the room you're in right now and count as many red objects as you can in ten seconds, that should be a relatively easy task, right? But if I ask you to then conjure up the number of yellow objects without taking another look around, you won't be able to. Why? Because you were focused on the red ones. And in my experience, the world works much the same way and technology exists to reinforce this belief: what we watch, read, and give our attention to online will multiply; it's up to us to curate our experience.

The second thing I'd like to touch on is something that's completely personal -- what I've taken to calling Small Living. Maybe this was brought on by collective nostalgia for the aughts, but lately I've been preoccupied by early-days Internet (web 1.5?) and how much more contained everything felt back then. People can make their filtered edits and try to recapture the vibe by creating bygone-feeling analog horror, but it truly was an experience, going on Youtube and watching "ghost caught on camera" videos or logging onto Quizilla to read anything from local urban legends to proto-creepypasta. It goes without saying that a lot of this stuff was bullshit, but there was something exciting and transgressive about semi-hidden forums dedicated to paranormal and occult information -- back when nothing was monetized yet and people were earnestly either trying to spread knowledge or scare the shit out of unsuspecting viewers and readers.

In a way, getting into the Craft has brought me back to that smallness. Despite the paranormal boom that happened twenty-odd years ago, it was still rare to find people who actually took it seriously: ghost hunters, fellow witches, and the like. Now that "alternative spirituality" has gone mainstream, books about opening your third eye and connecting with nature spirits and high frequency diets are a dime a dozen, meaning it's the same handful of points regurgitated by people who are most likely just looking to make a quick buck. (And don't get me started on the bastardization/commercialization of metaphysical shops.) Thinking about this objectively was one of the biggest things that led me to starting this blog: compared to Insta, Tik Tok, Reddit, and even the cesspools that are Facebook and Twitter, Tumblr is almost a dying breed. I like to think I'm not too far off in feeling like those who stumble across my page looking for first-hand experience and/or potential pointers had to do some digging in order to find it. I'm also getting a kick out of older, secondhand copies of occult books for the same reasons. (Related sidenote: turning my attention to helping my immediate community instead of giving myself IBS flare-ups stressing about every worldwide issue has helped my mental health astronomically. Another pro of Small Living.)

[tjmystic]

Before I say anything else, let me be clear that I support trans, nonbinary, and otherwise queer people. I support and want to validate the ways that they choose to present themselves and the things they need to make themselves feel like humans instead of weird dolls that someone slapped a gender onto arbitrarily. This is not a TERF post, I'm not interested in anything TERFs have to say.

Now, with that out of the way, I'm going to do a "woe is me, poor little privileged person" thing, and I'm well aware that it's going to sound dumb, but this blog is basically a virtual diary at this point, and, if you followed me, you signed up to sneak into my room with little flashlights and creep through the pages.

It is SO difficult to hold so-called "normal" or mainstream identities when, in large part, you don't want to have a community with any of the people who also hold such identities. And not just because of them. It's also because of people who are deemed transversive or abnormal. I recognize that this is a purely online problem and that most people who don't match the norm have to hide themselves away in fear lest they be attacked, but I'm not really interested in meeting or doing things with anyone in person, so virtual interaction is what I do. And because I reject everything fascist, white supremacist, evangelical, and misogynistic, most of my curated online experience is very queer. Usually, that's great. I'm not queer myself, but I usually feel like I have more in common with queer people than I do with other cis straights.

But not always.

Here's an example. I get that a lot of people hate the gender binary and find it oppressive. I completely agree that arbitrary gender roles are stupid. I also understand that gender isn't completely binary because, otherwise, nonbinary and agender people wouldn't exist. But people lose me when they say they want to abolish gender entirely. I am a woman and I like being a woman and I have always identified as either a girl or a woman. (Discounting one day when I was 4 and tried drawing hair on my chest with my mom's mascara because I COMPLETELY missed the point of Mulan and thought it meant you couldn't do cool stuff if you were or looked like a girl. My mom clarified things for me.) Taking that away from me would be taking away a big part of who I am and how I define myself. I don't even like the idea of anyone ever asking me about my pronouns, because the idea that someone couldn't be able to tell at first glance that I'm a woman makes me feel gross. Not because being anything besides a woman is gross, but because me being seen as anything other than what I am is. I already feel unsexy and ugly and unattractive on a daily basis, being mistaken for anything but a woman would just make that even worse.

On a similar note, I'm a monogamous person. I like the idea that other people have so much love to give that they don't want to be confined to a single romantic pairing. Sometimes. But, most of the time, hearing people openly describe their relationship goals with terms like, "I don't want to limit myself to one person" and, "It's stupid to think that one person can fulfill all of your emotional needs" is deeply depressing for me. It plants that seed of reminder that even people I think I have a kinship with would never think I'm enough in a relationship, that they would eventually get bored of me and want more because I just can't do it for them on my own. That is devastating to me.

Final example: I'm Christian. Literally no one needs me to explain why Christians are pretty much always the bad guys. Even I have a tendency to cringe away from or otherwise dismiss anyone who calls themselves Christian or talks about Jesus because I know the behaviors and attitudes associated with my religion. But it's still my religion. And seeing people call all religions cults, say we should do away with religion entirely, or claim that religion is the main source of people wanting to murder each other makes me want to bash my head against a wall.

But it doesn't feel like there's an alternative. I'm not talking to people who want to oppress or even murder trans and other queer people. I'm not participating in anything with people who think that enforced monogamy is a good thing. I don't actually see any kinship between myself and predominantly white nationalists who use Jesus as an excuse to do whatever the fuck they want. But it sometimes feels like the only alternative to that is being stuck in a weird "other" box.

I'm not expecting a reward for doing the bare minimum of rejecting the stupid and cruel parts of society. I'm not comparing my "struggle" or whatever to the genuine fear of assault and death that queer people have to deal with on a daily basis. It would just be nice if there was any kind of community that doesn't want to kill or hurt people but is also cool with liking some of the societal constructs we've been born with.

[systematicallycapricious]

Capri’s Guide to Sho Minazuki Content — Masterpost

Disclaimer: I don’t know, nor care to hunt down, every last piece of official content for him, as especially with the merch stuff can be really obscure. But I’ll list anything I do know or other people inform me of here.

This will also be updated if I get around to making new posts, new content comes out, or I learn of content I haven’t listed here before.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Games:

Persona 4 Arena — (indirect appearance)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax — (the game all about him)

Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight / Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight — (DLC dance & limited character interaction voicelines)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art Books:

[P4U2 Official Design Works]

[P4U & P4U2 Super Official Design Works]

P3D & P5D Official Visual Book — (character graphic & screenshots, Japanese VL transcript, potentially mentioned in the interview but I haven’t checked yet. No concept art or art pieces)

Shigenori Soejima & P-Studio Art Unit: Art Works 2 — (art pieces)

P4U2 Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold Stage Project Visual Book — (seems like a photoshoot of the actors in costume?)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manga:

[P4U2 manga adaptation by Rokuro Saito] — (Eng fan-translation)

Udon Entertainment publication of the P4AU manga adaptation — (official Eng translation; will finish releasing by February 6th, 2024; has an exclusive edition with new cover art and a standard edition with the original cover art)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Comic Anthology (published by DNA Media Comics) — [Eng fan-translation of a couple comics here] — (~4 non-comic art pieces, 1 koma, 5 multi-page comics, and small cameos in 2 multi-page comics)

「タルタロス劇場」 Vol 3, 「ワイルド」 Vol 1 & 2 — (AKA “Tartarus Theater”; a couple to a few komas in each volume, appears on the cover of Vol 3)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Theater:

Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold Stageplay — (prominently featured. For a list of screentime timestamps, see [here])

Persona Super Live P-Sound Wish 2022 (concert) — (Day 2 I think, but I haven’t watched it yet. There’s also photos of the actors in costume online, for example [here], [here], [here], and [here])

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Merch:

To be honest, I don’t particularly seek out merch, nor do I always remember to document it when I come across it, so if anyone has information on this, I would be very grateful!

As well, if any of the active shop links are discontinued, let me know and I’ll add their screenshots to the merch documentation folder.

Folder of documented merch [here]

Ultimax Stageplay list of merch [here]

“Rule Smashing Pun Machine” embroidered cap [here]

P4AU box art poster (normal version) [here]

P4AU box art poster (Shadow version) [here]

A Tumblr user’s keychain & pin collection [here] — (note: no clue how much is official and how much is unofficial)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Etc.:

Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold The Complete Guide — (an official game guide from the original release, going into mechanics for each fighter, from what I can tell. I don’t own a copy though, so this is just estimations from internet pictures)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Resources:

For resources uploaded to the internet like VL files (Jap&Eng), sprites, understanding the Cyrillic script on Sho’s armband, etc., see my page [here].

[dawncry]

The Whitlocks have graciously extended their hospitality, providing you a safe haven from the dangers you’ve entangled yourself in.

Now, you face a decision:

Will you leverage this opportunity to ascend to a higher social climbing?

Will you remain loyal to the mafia, accepting the protection they offer, but also the risks?

Or, perhaps, you'll choose to part ways. Seizing the first chance to escape once your threat is gone, and leave for an unknown extent of time.

Each path can shape you and your characters in ways you hadn't thought of before.

Your choices will have consequences. Those you helped will remember, the mafias you crossed will document this, the betrayals never leave. You are now on your way into questions, mystery, and death. With each step, you find another awaiting, the rest, hidden by the darkened future ahead. Will you let the wool be pulled over your eyes, or will you turn around to see who's done it?

The choices are endless.

But they all have consequences.

There are no redos, there are no apologies.

This is the mafia.

The Whitlock Mafia.

Welcome to our ranks.

~/~/~

The Whitlock Mafia is a role-play centric server, similar to other events hosted before. It'll be a 24/7 open server, with specific hours where you can do fully interactive quests. Think a text adventure, but you can respond freely.

There are dozens of NPCs to interact with, and even more Players to befriend. Each NPC has personal opinions on you, and you can have your own as well.

With stats, money, and murder, what more could you want?

All we ask is that you first audition.

Auditions are made specially for each person. They're to make sure you're debriefed on the rules, have a good character for it, know the mechanics, and can run into the story freely. (Also to make sure that we don't invite too many people).

This will be hosted on Discord. If you do not have a Discord account, and cannot make one, then this is not for you. This is a mafia, if you are sensitive to guns, violence, and other mafia-related activities, then do not join. This is limited to 13 and older, we do not have explicit scenes, and it is kept fairly PG13.

You will be required to make a new character to join unless you have a human character you'd be able to use.

Now that that's out of the way.

How auditioning works: You can send me a tumble message, I will send you a message with my discord user, you will friend me on Discord and I will basically run through the lore and everything of this world, and how it will work, to assist you. You will then join, and go on with the game.

What will you do in the game?

You will go on interactive missions, talk with NPCs, climb social ranks, gain friendship status with NPCs, gain money, and help the mafia against their enemies. You can choose to be a good member, helping out the mafia and creating allies within it; you can betray those who trusted you, by being a mole; you can climb social ranks within it, gaining knowledge and power as you go; or, you can get your money and leave, off to venture to who knows where.

This is a self-made mission. You can hop on whenever you please and interact, with plenty of friends to go around. The NPCs are open whenever I am, and you can interact with other online players when the NPC interactions are done.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope we have piqued your interest.

The Whitlock Mafia is still in the works, and it would be greatly appreciated if you could consider joining, or send a friend who'd like it. Thank you, and good day.

[crimeronan]

I feel like I would consider myself polyamory agnostic in a way, like I would maybe like for it to happen but I often fear that I don't have the ability to manage even one partnership, let alone multiple relationships, since I am often. So tired. I often find myself idealizing the "late" stage of a relationship when everyone already has settled into what to expect of each other and knows not to take it personally if someone falls asleep mid movie, for example. All this to say, how do you handle your relationship structure as a disabled/chronically ill person? Do you have any advice/thoughts on how it works for you? (I feel like perhaps you have posted about this before and I am just forgetting...)

oh this is a really good question! i'm not sure how relevant my life experience will be to you, particularly given that i started dating all three of my current partners before becoming disabled/crippled. but i am happy to share!

first off -- i 100% get romanticizing the late stage of relationships, sometimes you just need things to be chill and flexible. but i also don't think that this stage necessarily Needs to be reserved for Late Relationships?

like.... the older i get, the more upfront i've decided to be about my needs, especially with new people. granted, a lot of the people i meet these days are either disabled themselves or Get It -- my social circle is mostly queer spoonies in their 20s and 30s + much much older retirees that i hang out with at the local pool.

some people prefer not to be so open so quickly about their limitations, it is hard and scary to be visibly disabled, harder still to ask for help & admit that you might be inconvenient / a burden / take up extra space. this USED to be me until i said. eh. fuck it. after a certain point, wounded pride is just a mental construct

basically, like. when i'm online these days, you'll see me be clear about my limits with strangers - i'll say that if i stop replying to chats or asks, it's not bc i hate you, it's bc i'm tired or forgetful. that i can't guarantee responses to ppl, even people i'm already friendly with. that if my mood is bad or my pain levels are high, i won't engage in much social interaction at All. that my capabilities fluctuate wildly depending on the day and that i cannot be relied upon for consistent scheduling or posting or creative output

i'm similarly open with people irl. it helps that i'm often using mobility aids when i'm talking to people. the mobility aids sorta strip the possibility of pretending not to be disabled. it's kinda the elephant in the room. but it means that i can be like, "as you can see, i am very crippled. i may need flexibility with any plans that we make. due to being very crippled."

if people get upset by this or simply don't have the capacity to deal with it, that is fine! that's not either of our faults, no one's done anything wrong, we're just not in the right circumstances to mesh. i don't get hurt by that personally. i've honestly found that it saves SO much time and hassle and potential drama/heartache to set expectations right away. the only other option is to exhaust myself and end up failing to meet expectations regardless and losing the friendship after burning up a bunch of energy and social bridges. painful and bad!

so like... i can meet a new person, and if they're cool with My Whole Deal, then there's no waiting period before we're familiar enough for flaky behavior. i can be like, "i'm not sure i'll be able to walk tonight, is there a place to sit down at the event?" or "i'm flaring a little, is it okay for us to be kinda flexible about tomorrow's schedule?" or "hey, i'll get back to you as soon as possible i promise, i'm just fogged TO SHIT today [peace sign]" from day 1. it's great

i'm not saying that you Have to do this; i am aware that it breaches like seventeen laws of general social etiquette. i'm just saying that i have met many people who are totally chill about this! as long as you're chill and respectful of the other person as well, you can do whatever you want forever

that was not even relevant to the initial ask, so. AS FOR MY PARTNERS.

i actually don't find that my illness makes it harder to navigate my relationships at all. like i mentioned, i've been with all three partners for Many Many Years now. we know each other Extremely well, we're all extremely turbo autistic, we all have blunt communication down to a science. so saying "i'm not up for doing [x thing] tonight, can we take a rain check?" is super easy.

in fact, my partners can basically intuit a flare from just my physical movements and tone of voice, even before i say a single word. we are VERY familiar with each other.

.....and, alright. after fighting the urge to longpost i've decided to put the rest under a cut. YOU'RE WELCOME 4 THE RETURN OF YOUR DASHBOARDS. "why didnt you put it under a cut so much earlier" read my posts boy

anyway. click readmore to hear me expand upon just how fucking incredible and awesome and kind and generous and loving my People are

there ARE some ways that the illness has made it more difficult for ME to be the kind of partner that i want to be -- for example, i often lack the energy to provide proper emotional support during stressful situations, i have a shorter threshold for pain/irritation than i used to, i can't give 100% of my energy anymore and there have been times when that has resulted in hurt feelings in my partners.

(there have been far more times, though, when nobody's feelings are hurt and it's literally fine.)

in every case where feelings DID get hurt, we've talked stuff out and fixed it within like an hour. bc we all trust each other and know that we don't WANT to hurt each other's feelings. i never ever Ever say things with the intention of wounding my partners, and they know that. they never say things with the intention of wounding me, either, which is why our very blunt "hey, you need to change something you're doing" convos go so well. there's no need to tiptoe, it doesn't hurt me to know what they're thinking or feeling or needing.

sometimes things are just hard and shitty and we're all doing the best we can. this is just part of adulthood i think. especially adulthood in late stage capitalism, etc. the Biggest key to my polycule is that we are all much happier as a family than we would be without each other. the relationships are about as wholesome and healthy and non-toxic and openly communicative as they can get

the Other key aspect when dealing with my illness is that.... being polyamorous has actually been... SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER than being 1) alone, OR 2) in a monogamous relationship EVER WOULD BE?

it is Extremely Stressful for my family to deal with me being this sick. i am aware of that. but i haven't had to bear the brunt of it. not only do they support me, but they also all communicate with and support each other. so no one person is bearing the entire weight of the stress or pain or fear. and i don't have to comfort people over my own symptoms, which most disabled ppl i think would agree is.... exhausting

when i'm too fucked up to speak aloud, let alone support my partners the way i usually do, they ALWAYS have EACH OTHER as a safety net.

this safety net has been beyond vital for me personally, too. round-the-clock care from a single partner is insane and exhausting and leads to unraveling tempers. but when you live with two partners who can help cover your chores and cook and make sure you don't die of your Symptoms (TM)? that's much more doable.

it's HARD, bc literally everyone in the house is disabled to some degree, but it's doable. (it being hard is part of why my QPR is going to move in with us soon. extra hands!)

a few weeks ago, rafi (partner of 7ish years) went on a short vacation to visit family in california. and justice (QPR of 3ish years, best friend of 8ish years) booked an impromptu next-day plane ticket to come stay with me and vi (partner of 11ish years) while rafi was gone. because i was Very Sick. i was flaring horribly the whole time she was here, and she made meals and cleaned and ran errands and picked up medications and returned phone calls and lay in bed with me watching low-stakes tv shows and made sure i didn't stroke out without anyone there to help.

this meant that i basically got to stay in bed the whole time, which was very very Very needed. and vi -- who has a bad back -- wasn't unduly taxed with Literally All of the household upkeep in rafi's absence.

the same principle has applied when i've needed my partners to help cover my share of bills or my household chores or my errands or whatever. since there are three other people involved, the Immediate Support Net is much wider than in a monogamous relationship. especially bc all three of them have their own familial and friend support networks to reach out to!

having more people around is actually awesome for me. i don't feel like i'm expending a lot more energy than i would in a monogamous relationship, but i AM receiving a TON more support and care and love than would be possible in a monogamous relationship.

i guess the conclusion i'd make is: no man is an island, humans are hardwired to build large social support groups, and in a good relationship, you'll receive At Least as much as you give. right now i'm receiving a SHIT TON MORE than i give, and i do often feel pretty bad about it despite knowing it's not my fault.

but these people have chosen to be my family. and if they ever want to stop choosing me then they absolutely can. and if they need more from me or they need something Different from me, then they'll literally just tell me.

(i know they will literally just tell me because all three of them have literally just told me in the past. they're three people i can implicitly trust to say things like "hey, this thing you said made me sad / was unhelpful" and "hey, i'm really stressed out about [x thing], can we make a plan to deal with it?" and "hey, this situation is pretty serious and i know that you don't want to face it but i really need you to. i will take on whatever i can for you and support you the whole time")

so: yes it has been hard to some extent, managing three relationships while also being sick. but it is also a wonderful setup with a million unthought-of advantages & i am much better cared-for and much better AT caring because of it & i fucking Shudder to think how horrific being sick would be without them.

i love my family so much.

[acrazybayernfan]

After speaking about gambling in the tags of a post I saw a few people interact with it and what they said made me realized that many people don’t know what’s going on with betting in sport which is totally normal because it’s not something a lot of people talks about. So here some information about the subject: approximatively 50% of the European population bets on sport, a little bit less in Assia (around 35%) and 20% in America (Africa and America Latina have very low percentage) so it’s quite an important phenomenon. The number of bets has increased massively over the last years thanks to online bet. Gambling isn’t bad in itself as long as it remains in certain limits, gambling must stay a divertissement, something you do for fun, with extra money. It can’t be considered as a way to get money to live. It must also remain something occasional because betting can easily turn into an obsession which will generate dependence just like drugs, mental issues (self-isolation) and of course important financial problems (x). A considerable amount of people when they lose a bet goes on Insta or Twitter or any other social medias to send insults, threats, even death threats to the players whom they consider to be responsible for their lost (x especially the second part). A lot of the hateful messages that sportsmen and women (and as usual it worse for women) received are due to betting. When this sort of attitudes happen I think that it’s already a sign that the persons doing that are too much involved in gambling and their friends and family should encouraged them to see a specialist. Those are what I call the exterior bad consequences of betting, the consequences that doesn’t affect the sport but the persons around it.

            But there are also internal consequences, the most dangerous and important one being fixed matches. The number of fixed matches has dramatically increased over the last years in many sports not only football. Most of the fixed matches are matches from the inferior divisions because it’s easier to bribe a player who earn 1 000 € each month than one who earns 100 000 €, logical. In football the main targets are goalkeepers, defenders and referees (sometime coaches) because they’re considered to be the ones who have the most influence on the game. Fixed matches are extremely lucrative, to the point that a few criminal syndicates who did arm trafficking switched to the organization of fixed matches because it’s more lucrative and less dangerous (and very useful for money laundering). If a syndicate bribe a goalkeeper for 10 000 € with the instruction to let his team lose by a margin of two goals (2-0, 4-2…), for an exact goal difference the odds are usually around 3, so if they bet 30 000 € on a defeat of this team with a two goals margin they will earn 50 000 € (30 000 x 3 – 10 000). But if for the same bribing sum this game is between the second of the championship and the last, the odds of the defeat will be high (let say 3), the odds of the goal margin will be higher because it’s less expected (let say 5), plus they can give the instructions that one goal has to be scored in the first half and one in the second half (the odds of this being let say of 7). So, for a combo of the defeat plus the two goals margin plus a goal scored in each half the odds are of 15, for the same bet of 30 000 € they will earn 450 000 € (minus the 10 000 € for the goalkeeper they gain 440 000 €). As you see it’s quite easy to earn a lot with match fixing (it’s even easier in tennis). People always assumed that match fixing are due to sportive reasons (winning a tittle, not being relegated...) but nowadays the majority of fixed matches are due to gambling because in football sport is not as important as money.  

Here are a few links about the most famous cases of match fixing due to gambling :

The Bochum scandal : x and then x

Charlton and the Malaysian saboteurs : x

Atalanta- Pistoiese 2000 (with a certain Maximiliano Allegri) : x

Norwich- Derby County and Singapore : x and x

The China scandal : x

The Turkish scandal : x and x

Operation VETO : x

Word Cup 2006 : x and linked to that x

[beautifulpersonpeach]

You can post this later…because I’m going to be the party pooper…why is he commenting now? There’s been a whole day of save Jimin and respect Jimin trending. It’s not been good for her company. Can’t we have one small doubt as to why now? Fanservice maybe? Company sponsored fanservice?

***

Hi Anon,

I'm going to use your ask to go on a bit of a rant here. It's nothing personal on my end.

"There’s been a whole day of save Jimin and respect Jimin trending. It’s not been good for her company."

...it's not been good for Jimin either. I mean, is that possibility not obvious? That he wouldn't want his professed fans making a spectacle of him on Twitter? This is going to sound pretentious and ranty but I have no other way to express it in English: too many solo stans have such one-dimensional thinking. I mean, think about it. HYBE is a corporation and the only reputation they worry about is their reputation of generating cash. They don't care if you line a bunch of trucks on the side street or trend hashtags on Twitter. Think of the endless months solos did this for in 2020 and they received no response from the company. Likely none of the people actually calling the shots will ever see you make a racket on Twitter. The people who will see it though, are the members. Their managers and lower staff too. And the other stans in your k-pop space who already have no sympathy for him.

Solo stans are too wrapped up in righteous outrage to consider - Do any of these people actually know how Jimin feels and what his plans are with his team and company? No. None of them can actually answer that question affirmatively. They have their hopes and dreams that he'll change his mind on what he's already committed to, but he's had many chances to do that over the years and hasn't yet. And if he ever does, fine. Because he'd only leave when he wants and needs to, and that's all that matters. If Jimin needs to leave BigHit, he will. I doubt the members will ever let it come to that, but if it does, if they realize what they are is no longer tenable, none of them will stay on a sinking ship. They’re all much too selfish for that. Or you could say self-respecting. Either way if he needs to fire his manager, he will. If he needs to do whatever, Jimin is not a vegetable, he'll do what he needs and be done with it. As I've been saying, fans are free to kick up a stink to the company, but reflect on what's most effective vs what your bias will be coming online to read.

And well, if it's really just the company that was miffed, Jimin wouldn't be happy about having to do damage control either.

*

"Can’t we have one small doubt as to why now? Fanservice maybe? Company sponsored fanservice?"

Of course whenever the members interact like this there's a good chance it’s fan service. But even if that’s the case, that doesn’t mean they have no choice in the matter. It doesn’t mean their fundamental relationship changes anyway. And just as I don’t absolve them of responsibility when they do things like accept song/promo choices I don’t like, I won’t absolve them of responsibility in how they interact with each other too. If we don’t limit the blame to the company when faced with scenarios we don’t like, recognizing that Jungkook for example is responsible for his actions acquiring and promoting Seven, and that Jimin is aware and responsible for his choices, then why should jikook’s interactions on WLive be a purely company-sponsored affair? Why is fan-service the most accessible explanation for why his friend and bandmate of 10 years would banter like that with him after a day like today? Why do we absolve them of any real responsibility for their words and actions in this case?

Call me delusional, but I think they have a pretty good relationship. I think Jungkook loves Jimin and it’s mutual. And I think they’re committed to their team and have the means to get what they want out of their company. If this WLive is scheduled fan-service, it certainly had the desired effect. And if not, then guess not. Overall, I don’t really care tbh.

[matchamenace]

Who are some of your favorite Mileven blogs and why? Let’s spread some positivity and smiles on this fine Friday🌻🐛🌼 then tag 3 other blogs to keep the smiles going.

Oh goodness!! Let's see here agsjsksksk

@dxncingwithastrxnger ABSOLUTE KING 👑🔥🔥🔥 Nothing but good vibes and the fluffiest fics and headcanons you'll ever read!! 🙌 They put SO much thought and care into their posts and are just such a pleasure to interact with 😋💕 Honestly my go-to if I'm looking for lighthearted, feel-good content. (ILY ALEX!!!!!!!! 👋)

@purpleangelsele ACTUAL CINNAMON ROLL ✨ (Sweet with a hint of spice 😎👉👉) Probably one of the friendliest people I've met online lol! Doesn't matter what I post, I can always count on Sel to give me some sort of engagement and I fkin love it!! 🤣 As for their content it's mostly fun and cute headcanons, but they definitely don't shy away from the occasional hot take or petty post 😌 Tons of personality. Great sense of humor. LOVE THEM!!! 💜💜💜

@mikes-pineapple-pizza Incredibly articulate and astute observations!! 🙌✨ Has a knack for breaking down a variety of ST topics (including, but not limited to Mileven) in a way that's intelligent, but also very chill and unpretentious. Idk. Their content just really speaks to me and I think they're super cool. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Fr tho, this person could make a podcast just analyzing anything in the show and I would EAT IT UP!!!! 🔥🔥🔥

@claire-de-lune Ah man the duality of Claire.... 🤣🤣🤣 Deliciously petty, but simultaneously has some of the sweetest and unique headcanons to offer! 🥰 A VERY passionate Mileven defender who won't take shit from nobody, but an absolute delight to have on your side 😜💕

@lenorahills @fricchead @rllybritrlly @pumpkingface BITCHIN' ARTISTS!!! Each have such cute and unique illustration styles, and it's ridiculous how excited I get everytime they post new content asksksk 🙈💕 As an artist myself, I could not recommend them more 🙌

Anyway I think I'm gonna end descriptions here, but here's some other Mileven blogs I adore:

@truessences @teafiend @flamingfalcon3 @bcyoureallthatmakessense @pjo-fan17 @elsmike @crisperia @reganx2 @mikewheely

It definitely doesn't end there, but I'm feeling lazy today, so I sincerely apologize to anyone I might've excluded! I still love and appreciate you all!!! 😘

[llondonfog]

fic writer asks!!! 🌈 🎀 💝 🍭 💎 ☯️ (i got. a bit excited ahfbsjfn)

Let's Get ((REAL)) fic writer asks

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

the upcoming zine fic my god i just wanted it to be so perfect because this was my first time committing to a word limit way above what i normally write, and it would be illustrated by someone i really admire— i really agonized over every word of that fic and kept deleting pages of it because i doubted it so much lol overall though, if i'm struggling with a prompt, i'll just delete large portions of it and rewrite entirely, if not from scratch until the flow finally kicks in and the words start to piece back together

💝what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

there are quite a few that i wrote as throwaways that spiked in notes which left me thoroughly bemused, but i have to say it's the potion!au one!!! that was a completely isolated prompt that i didn't expect to touch again after the twstober writing event, and i STILL get asks on it today!! it blows my mind how that resonated with so many of you- it wasn't one i was intending to world-build or even write more about, so i'm really happy that i've had the chance to explore it with everyone<3

🍭why did you start writing?

this is so lame, but i honestly can't recall. i've just always loved stories and i've always enjoyed writing/essay prompts for school when i was younger- pretty much all of my english classes would have us free-write for about 10 min of the period starting from when i was in 3rd grade, and that definitely fostered my joy for exploring new prompts and ideas. i think i was around 13 yro when i discovered fanfics, and that opened an entire new world where i learned that if i didn't like a scene in a book or how characters interacted.....i could just rewrite it and that completely blew my mind lol

💎why is writing important to you?

funnily enough, most of my writing could be considered vent pieces. i write to purge my emotions (positive and negative), and to validate for myself that i can still weave a story after abandoning the practice for a few years. it's a way of expression, and i enjoy having a partner along for the ride to grow with and from as we explore ideas together

☯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

i personally think the positive engagement outweighs the negative- i love being able share work from the community and go wild with praise in the tags, i think that everyone deserves to hear how their artwork/story/post touched their audience. in that same way, it's how we all get to trade ideas and build off each other's premises that gets fed back into the community until they take on lives of their own. it's amazing to see what a thriving fandom can create when there's so much affection for the content and those creating, it's something i've not been a part of before when most of the fandoms i've joined have been dead ones lol

i can't say that i have social anxiety, but i am a highly forgetful person when it comes to engagement ; A ; i'll see that someone reblogged my stuff or left a message with a highly insightful and sweet comment, and i'll get all excited to respond to them later.......and then later turns into several days because it completely slipped my mind and it's too late to acknowledge it now ; A ; im really bad at that, i can only keep a conversation up with like two people online before i get completely overwhelmed and neglect everything else ailfjiafd

[ofmermaidstories]

Hi Mermie! I’m a longtime lurker, and I finally gathered the courage to let you know how much I love your writing! Thank you for sharing all your stories with us :)

If I may, can I ask your thoughts on something? I’ve been wanting to start my own writing blog for years now, but I also one day want to traditionally publish an original novel of my own. Do you think the risk of being found out as a “fanfic writer” is worth? A lot of popular authors these days got their start writing fanfic, but I’m curious what your think.

Thank you again! <3

This was the first of two asks I got within a day asking about the fanfic-writer-to-traditionally-published-author pipeline, lmfao, so I’m gonna answer them back-to-back! Like neat lil bookends. 📚

I think it can be! Are you embarrassed by the idea of your fics and your original writing being connected? 🥺 I know people like to weaponise the idea of the fanfic-to-pubbed-author pipeline against writers and books they don’t like, but to be honest I always see it as an inevitable next step for a lot of people LOL. People love the idea of telling stories! I have friends who aren’t writers naturally, that pine about wanting to publish a book—so the fact that so many fic writers find their way into publishing original content doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. I do have mixed feelings about filing the serial numbers off of a fic, LOL, but I don’t think there’s any real risk to being discovered as a fic writer these days (unless someone is a plagiarist, of course, which case there is a very big risk and maybe that plan should then be reassessed LOL). It’s so popular! It’s getting normalised, or at least is taking up enough space that involvement in it doesn’t have to be career-ending. There might be legality problems, maybe, but I don’t have the qualifications to comment on that because I honestly have no idea about it. 😭

It just depends, I reckon! On several things! How comfortable you are with your fics and original writing being associated with each other. What genres you’re writing them in. How you write them. How you act on your fanfic blog, vs. how you eventually act online as a traditionally published writer. Like, if you wrote anime boyfriend smut and then write non-anime boyfriend smut, and acted the same on your tradpubbed accounts as you did your fic ones, I don’t see how being pinged for writing fanfic could be that bad. It’s more about consistency, I reckon, than what you’re doing. People love the excuse to be a hater, and under that mentality everything is fair game, so sure, maybe one day someone will try to use your fanfic against you—if you’ve been consistent with how kindly you treat people and the things you like to write, the most it will be is annoying.

And honestly? Unless you are absolutely zealous about keeping your identity private, you should always just assume that someone out there will eventually connect you and your fanfic account!! People are nosy and the internet is surprisingly shallow; it holds everything, just under the surface. You either have to make peace with the idea that your writing will be compared (and maybe used against you, because people can be jerks!), or you protect yourself and your future stories and keep a sparse presence, or go ao3 only. 🥺

Ultimately though?? I think it’s worth writing fanfic anyway. Even if you have to take a few extra, cautionary steps—being part of a healthy community is fun!! Especially a writing community. Being traditionally published seems like it can be quite lonely, really; it doesn’t seem to have the same kind of interaction, especially if you start off as a smaller author. In fandom we’re all apart of the same space—we exist as readers and writers together, and we talk to each other fittingly. In the published world that real-time feedback is limited. The spaces readers can gush about a book are reader-only spaces—they’re not for you, as a writer, because now you are separated from them (and rightfully so, tbh, so many authors are proving why the distance is necessary). I know social media now means that publishers like (and expect) their writers to be online and gather and maintain an audience, but that can backfire so easily. Look at how authors shoot themselves in the foot by lashing out a bad review on goodreads! There’s worse things to happen to a writing career than being outed for writing fanfic. As you said, so many popular authors got their start with fanfic! I mean, the Reylo community is thriving, for instance—and the Dramione kiddos are beginning their trickle over, with writers like Olivie Blake.

Even if you have to be vicious about protecting your identity, I reckon fanfic can teach you a lot. Like how to handle (or not, lmao) the rudes; how to refine what you’re writing, and what you’re good at—and what people will respond to, in your stories. The hard part for all writing, fic or original, is finding your people—your audience! Because they need time to learn to trust you and trust the stories you tell, and that can be hard when you’re trying to do it with the weight of a publisher’s expectations behind you, making you do little tiktok dances—or whatever—for attention. 🥺 If you start a fanfic blog and you get popular enough, you’re at the very least giving yourself options, because you’ll have people there that already like your writing, and you. People who might be interested in reading whatever original material you publish, beyond fic (people who might like watching the tiktok dances!!!).

I’m (very clearly lmao) not an expert in the publishing industry, or the general attitude to fanfic-writers-turned-authors. There very well might be an unspoken convention that means they’re more likely to be distrustful of a fanfic writer. Maybe there’s some really severe expectations in monetising that pre-existing readership that was originally there for the love of the story, and the fandom it came from. All this casual gluttony, when it comes to fanfic, might already be effecting (affecting? I can never remember) the industry, as more and more fanfic readers and writers hit adulthood and get Big People Jobs in imprints and as editors or agents.

The only thing you can do, Anon, is a) decide what you’re comfortable with, and b) how best to tell the stories you wanna tell. Whether that’s on AO3 or tumblr or a manuscript in an submissions inbox. I hope you get to write lots of stories, Anon—and that they find their people, no matter where or how you’re telling them. 💕

[redbangle]

Mastering Campaign Success: Integrated Marketing Solutions for Unmatched Excellence

Hungry for Success? How Brands Grab Your Attention with Integrated Marketing

You know those catchy slogans like “Hungry? Grab a Snickers,” or “Red Bull gives you wings,” right? Ever wonder why you remember them so easily? That’s the magic of great marketing. Everywhere you look, brands are trying to catch your eye and connect with you. But how do they do it? How do they create a bond that makes you stick with them?

The answer is Integrated Marketing Campaigns. It’s not just about selling a product; it’s about giving you an experience and making you feel part of something bigger.

Here’s a simple guide to help you understand how Integrated Marketing Campaigns work and why they’re so important in today’s fast-paced digital world.

What Makes a Good Marketing Campaign?

A successful marketing campaign is a mix of strategy, creativity, and something that makes the audience say, “Wow, that’s for me!” Think about it like cooking a meal—each ingredient matters. Good campaigns use social media, emails, and online platforms to deliver a message that not only grabs attention but also gets people talking.

Why does this matter? Because it’s how brands make themselves visible, generate leads, and boost sales. In fact, a report by HubSpot shows that 75% of marketers use campaign results to prove how they directly impact revenue. Learning how to create effective campaigns is key to success in today’s business world.

Key Ingredients of a Marketing Campaign

Before you start, ask yourself: What’s the goal of your campaign? Are you trying to get attention for a new product? Maybe you want to refresh your brand’s identity or reach a specific audience. Your goals will guide the kind of strategy you use. Let’s take a look at some popular strategies you can mix and match.

1. Digital Marketing Campaigns

Social Media Campaigns: These are campaigns on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter, where brands create engaging videos, photos, or stories. It’s all about connecting with people where they hang out online.

Email Marketing Campaigns: Brands send personalized emails to target customers. These emails are designed to feel personal and get customers to engage, like clicking on a link or making a purchase.

Content Marketing Campaigns: Brands create blogs, videos, and other valuable content on websites and social media to keep audiences interested and coming back for more.

2. Traditional Marketing Campaigns

Print Ads: Remember those ads you see in newspapers or magazines? That’s print advertising, which still works for some brands.

TV and Radio Ads: You’ve probably seen commercials during your favorite TV show or heard ads on the radio. These are great for reaching a lot of people at once.

Outdoor Advertising (OOH): This includes billboards, posters, or ads on buses and trains. It’s all about catching your eye while you’re out and about.

3. Influencer Marketing

Brands work with popular social media personalities (influencers) to promote products. For example, Nykaa, a well-known beauty brand in India, heavily uses influencers to showcase its products on social media. It’s a smart way to connect with an audience who trusts the influencer’s recommendations.

4. Event Marketing

These campaigns create excitement around events like product launches, trade shows, or even live online events. Event marketing helps people interact with brands in real life, making the connection more personal. According to WebinarCare, 95% of marketers say live events help people make real-life connections.

5. Sales Promotion

These campaigns focus on boosting sales through discounts, special offers, or limited-time deals. Ever been tempted by a “Buy One, Get One Free” deal? That’s sales promotion in action.

Why Integrated Marketing Campaigns Matter

In today’s world, people are bombarded with ads from all directions—TV, social media, emails, billboards, and more. That’s why Integrated Marketing Campaigns are important. They make sure that all the different ways a brand reaches out to you—whether it’s a Facebook ad or an email—are sending the same message. This helps create a consistent experience and makes the brand more memorable.

When done right, these campaigns make you feel like the brand understands your needs and lifestyle. It’s not just about selling a product; it’s about building a relationship.

Wrapping Up

Integrated Marketing Campaigns are all about using different strategies to reach people and make them feel connected to a brand. Whether it’s through social media, print ads, or influencer marketing, each part of the campaign works together to create a bigger picture.

Next time you see a catchy ad or a cool brand event, you’ll know there’s a well-planned strategy behind it, designed to grab your attention and keep you engaged. After all, it’s more than just marketing—it’s about creating a bond between you and the brand.

[existotherwise]

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 6:54pm

I promise I'm not being dramatic. I don't think anyone really cares for me, or maybe I haven't allowed them to really love me other than in person or over the phone, and any admiration I had stirred years ago, when I was more active, has dried up due to an infrequent presence online.

I'm at one of the worst places in my life thus far, and almost everyone I've developed attachment to over the years has frankly disposed of me, as in factual evidence and not a flare of drama.

I could sit staring at the walls and letting my time blindness unfold into the infinite void of the present, but I try to only feel the ocean waves pummeling my corporeal spirit when consented.

Since top surgery, I've felt more myself than ever before. I took time away in the woods over the winter to allow myself to fully embrace my new range of embodiment. I felt more myself when I was living alone for 4 months in a cabin on a hill in the forest than I do when I must interact with people within hierarchical resource economies for support.

There seems to be some very hidden very subconcious difference in the way that people with resources see me vs. the way that I see myself and how I value my offerings to them. It's as if I believe I am worthy, and they do not. As each domino falls however, I become more desperate... reinforcing a disillusioned banishment from cisgender society.

The base of this alternate reality is a predisposition to being "fully self sufficient" (as one of my friends, an elderly southern aristocratic cis gay man has told me bluntly). Allyship only goes so far to say: "If you can't provide for yourself the same way that I can, than I'm passing the buck to the next person down your already limited list of contacts that believe your reality is more than likely plausible."

Haven't they ever heard of the bystander effect? If Kitty Genovese got a chance to become elderly, she'd puke in disgust, but alas... she lies in dust in Lakeview Cemetary.

So, I'm arriving at a point of legacy-building....

One of my dearest trans friends died in 2018 in the ocean, drown to death, didn't know how to swim and got caught in a rip current. They were one of the brightest lights I still to this day have ever experienced. I went to the memorial. I went to the funeral. The loss of vitality of trans people happens more frequently to suicide or violence, but nevertheless Mother Nature scooped them up and the loss was felt heavily on me and the other trans people in our crew.

I'm haunted by not knowing how to advise a grieving mother on how to gender her baby correctly when the casket is open and the heart wound fresh. They were not gender in the way they wanted to be remembered, but what haunts me more is there is only a small trace of their legacy accessible to the public.

Their art hasn't been archived like Francesca Woodman's or Jimmy DeSana's. Their family did not start an estate, nor did I make them privy to my friend's last words to me ("I have so much more new shit I'm excited to share with you.").

.

.

This is the crux of my soul-death -- If I do not leave this realm with everything already archived and in order for someone to find... If I do not entrust my archive, my storage unit, my computer, account, hard drive passwords with someone who understands me and knows how hard I worked at this shit, knows how I felt intimately about my practice... then nothing was worth it. I'm just a spring cleaning away from the record of my creative mind decaying next to fast fashion in a landfill.

And in this same sentiment, I've recently felt like my present existence [this bodybag that doesn't have a job, can't pay rent, and is barely eating] is ultimately devalued by anyone I have ever felt like I'd write down as my Executor in my "After I'm Gone Organizer" (I neurotically impulse-bought a few months ago when all of this started) or trust with signing over my Google account to or given a spare key to my storage unit.

The only things that keep me going are Archive Fever, my kitten, the motto my dad signs ["I'm Still Standing Ya Ya Ya" (Elton John)] and surrounds with stickers on his letters to me, the discourse on suicide from Heathers (1988), and "Don't Try Suicide" by Queen.

[Pray for us]