#so what we see on social media might just be what he is barely willing to tolerate

[ingravinoveritas]

regarding the post today about Anna's nasty comments, "jokes" etc about Michael's appearance in the last few years. Do you think there is genuine reason to feel worried about him and what it may be doing to his mental health overall? What I mean is I am starting to worry and then it makes start to spiral a bit and think that if he stays with her longer that the possibility of her "soft bullying" will escalate into actual abuse and I really don't want to think like that but it really makes me worry for him. Please tell me what you think and should I just take a step back and not think on it too hard (am I?) If you agree with me though, what do you think can be done to help him? Like as in a safe way for him to break up with her? I appreciate whatever you can do to help ease my mind at least.

martinsharmony replied to your post "So for those who haven't seen, AL posted a new..."

I have to wonder about Michael's state of mind. He has said he has his own body issues and has struggled with depression etc. The fact that he is "letting" her do this makes me worry about him a little. The fact that he's not standing up for himself and setting a boundary. From my own experience, all of this is okay, until it's not. My heart goes out to Michael. Of course I don't know the real truth. But I see a little of myself there. I recognize it.

(Grouping these two together due to having similar themes.)

First, I am glad that you felt comfortable enough to message me about this and share your thoughts. But I think there are a few things going on here, and it's important that we have some perspective. When I started responding to asks and questions about AL on my blog four years ago, it was largely as a counter to what many of us were seeing the fans do, which was idealizing Michael and AL's relationship and making it into some sort of fairy tale romance. Many of us could see things that did not seem to hold true to this narrative, but were afraid to discuss it openly. So the discourse became about open and honest conversations and speculation, and since GO 2 came out, that discourse has only seemingly increased (if the Asks and Anons in my inbox are anything to go by).

To your comments, @martinsharmony, these are some very good points you are raising, and I'm sorry that you see yourself in Michael's shoes. I think there's a chance many of us do, and is part of why we have the strong feelings we do--one way or the other--about this situation. I think a lot of us see Michael's visible unhappiness and are jarred by the sharp contrast between that and the narrative of him and AL being "madly in love."

I do, however, think there is a real risk of taking that line of thinking so far in the opposite direction. That is, if it's not okay for fans to assume that everything is perfect and wonderful and the absolute best with Michael and AL's relationship, then it is also not okay to assume everything is the absolute worst, because extremes in either direction are not a good thing, and reality often exists somewhere in the middle. Reality and relationships are also infinitely complicated, which means that there often are no easy answers.

Also, because things are not ever truly black-and-white, I think it's important not to conflate being an unpleasant person with being an abuser. There tends to be an assumption that an abuser is mean and nasty all the time, every day, but so many abusers are viewed as "the nicest person you ever met" by everyone but the victim, which is how they are so often able to get away with what they do. Conversely, someone (such as AL) might be self-absorbed, immature, and annoying, but that does not make them an abuser.

Again, in no way, shape, or form am I saying that it is a bad thing to care about Michael, or to want him to be happy. But what we are ultimately talking about here is Michael's agency--that is, his right to make his own choices, and to deal with and feel whatever he feels about the consequences of those choices. By either romanticizing or catastrophizing his relationship with AL, we are unintentionally removing that agency. We have to remember that Michael is an adult man who has been in many other relationships in his life, and has navigated those (with varying degrees of success) on his own. So while we can have conversations and engage in discussion here, it is very much not appropriate and not our place to intervene with any of this personally or to try and facilitate the breakup of Michael's relationship.

Remember, too, that Michael has people in his life that he can trust and confide in--his parents (who are still alive and live near him, bless them), his sister, his friends. And he has David, of course, which we know is a beautiful thing. He and David have gotten immeasurably closer over the last four years and it is genuinely heartwarming to know that he can turn to David. The point here is that while we are fans of Michael's, we are not his family nor his friends. But Michael is not alone in this, and has support available to him, and that is something to be grateful for.

Going back to my previous comments about agency, one of the things that I know I love about Michael is that he is always going to do what he wants to do. He has reasons for doing those things, which means that if he is still with Anna, there is a reason for that (even if it is, as many of us believe, due to wanting to be there for the kids). And if/when Michael should decide to break up with her, there will be a reason for that as well. The most important thing, however, is that it's his choice. That if he decides he's made a mistake, it's his mistake to own, and not something for us to save him from.

I hope this has helped to put your mind at ease. I also want to make it clear that I absolutely do not have all the answers, and this (like all my posts) is my own opinion. Taking a step back might still be a good idea, as we can all find ourselves becoming too invested from time to time, and it is good to take a breather on occasion and find perspective. Glad as always for my followers to share their thoughts on this post as well...

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

I am Sage's mother, better known as Nana. I adopted Sage after my son died when she was still a baby. She's been through six foster homes by then, but we loved her and she blossomed into a joyful, lively girl who made music and art.

Puberty began and COVID hit, and she was treated for depression and anxiety, at times very severe. Her teachers shared any concerns with me so her treatment could be adapted.

The transparency ended in August of 2021 when Sage started high school. She started a public high school and she told me that all the girls there were bi, trans, lesbian, emo and she wanted to wear boy's clothes and be emo. Because I saw it as just a phase, it was fine with me.

But at school, she told them something different: she was now a boy named Draco with male pronouns. Sage asked the school not to tell me, and they did not tell me even though I informed them of her mental health history and medication. If I had known, this would be a much different story.

She was terribly bullied. No one told me. But boys followed her, touched her, threatened violence and rape. Something happened in the boy's bathroom but for two days, the school told me nothing. They kept meeting with Sage alone and she became so distraught they called me to pick her up.

That evening, I found a hallpass labeled 'Draco' and Sage told me she was identifying as a boy, and that her counselor said she could use the boy's bathroom. She'd been jacked up against the wall by a group of boys. She was crying, terrified. I said just stay home, we'll figure it out. That was my last conversation with Sage for five months.

The night she ran, she thought, to a young friend she'd met online, she left a note saying she was scared of what would happen if she stayed. The sheriff, FBI, search dogs were called in. I dropped to my knees in prayer. Nine days later the FBI found her in Baltimore. My baby had been lured online, sex trafficked by DC then Maryland. She was locked in a room, drugged, gang raped and brutalized by countless men. It was night. The FBI told us to pick her up in Maryland the next morning.

We packed our cars with blankets and stuffed animals and arrived by 8 am, but we were told we couldn't see her, and were summoned before Judge Robert Kershaw late that afternoon. They didn't even tell Sage that we came for her. We finally entered the courtroom and Sage appears on a huge Zoom screen from a prison cell. She looks tiny and broken, and I cry out 'I love you Sage.' Sage responds 'I love you too, Nana.' But attorney Anisa Khan rebukes us. She is a 'he' and his name is 'Draco' not Sage. We were floored.

Khan accuses us of emotional and physical abuse, that we are misgendering her, even though we just learned she claims to be trans and we're willing to use any name and pronouns to bring her home. My husband was so tearful he kept forgetting the new pronouns, so the judge had the bailiff remove him from the courtroom. I was pleading for my child to be returned and treated for her unspeakable trauma. Judge Kershaw told me, if I use the word 'trauma' again, he would throw me out too.

For over two months, he withheld custody. He housed Sage in the male quarters of a children's home. Sage told me she was the only girl and repeatedly assaulted. She was given street drugs by the other kids and Khan told her she didn't care. She just wanted to win the case and all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Khan tried to prove abuse, but we were eventually cleared by both states of all charges.

Sage later told me Khan had told her to lie that we hit her. Khan even had Sage's school counselors testify against us, though they barely knew Sage and they didn't know us at all. Khan told my precious child I didn't want her anymore. I found out Sage never received any of the letters I sent her.

Sage ran from the Children's Home and disappeared for months. They told me she might already be gone forever, but I couldn't give up and I finally found a tip on her social media that led the marshals to her in Texas. She had been drugged, raped, beaten and exploited. This time I was able to be with her for the traumatic rape exam, and to bring her home.

Back in Virginia, she entered the mental health facility that Judge Kershaw had ordered, as it would affirm her as a male. The therapist began pressuring her to have her healthy breasts removed. Sage was too scared to protest, but she asked me to secretly buy her girl's clothes because she wanted to be a girl, but keep them in the car. It took a kind lawyer, Josh Hetzler to secure her discharge.

After almost a year. Sage was finally home. Safe. Alive. Sage is receiving professional trauma care. The first trafficker has already been convicted. Sage has nightmares, panic attacks, rape-related medical issues, but there's hope. I tell her she's not broken she's just scarred. And part of that hope is that in courageously sharing her story, others will be saved.

Sage said she doesn't know who she was back then. She wasn't a boy, she just wanted to have friends. But her school, the judge, the attorney and the doctor were all blinded by their ideology. The consequences for Sage were unspeakable.

Please don't let ideology harm another child. Let parents do our jobs. We know our children best and we love them a million times more.

Thank you.

==

Jesus Christ. This girl was exploited by everybody, except for her parents, who were villainized for literally nothing. It's opposite world.

And the fact that everybody with authority prioritized stupid shit like pronouns and trying to coax her further down into a fake identity, even against her will, and other ideological bullshit over her actual wellbeing is disgraceful.

The judge and attorney need to be disbarred, the therapist stripped of their license, and everyone who conspired to separate Sage from her parents fired.

[chiikasevennn]

(this has topics of murder and yandere.....and stuff PLS DELETE IF URE NOT COMFY IM SORRY HUHUHU)

haia omg i have no idea if you're still open or no but i really like whenever writers dive into the more darker aspects of a character or how especially when a process of basically ascending to something what you would consider non human (monarch in this case) and how this affects a character like does this make them less humane or posssiblllyy twist their morals??

like as we can see with jinwoo his morals is err well yeah there but we can see times where he is willing to commit crimes if the time calls it (often the system forcing him to it) but like what happens when he finally swallows the system as a whole?? LIKE since now there is no third party to force him to do murder or what not will his way of thinking change too? like i imagine when he first murdered the guys in the cave very early on in the series you think that maybe he thought that it wasn't that bad..??

I can honestly see it more if it was another scenario and we add in the aspect of the reader or I'll call [name] whwhw.. I feel like Jinwoo is the type to actually lose his sense of humanity just for the sake of [name] or keeping them safe like the two probably was close but had to separate in their own ways but when they meet again [name] can barely recognzie Jinwoo and i dont mean physically or what not it's more like he lost his warmth and seems more... unsettling.. like do you know the feeling of watching those analogue horror or watching anything eerie and you get that feeling that somethings off in a scene that seems normal but you know something is OFF. yeah i feel like that's what [name] would feel ✊.

I just wanna hear your opinion on a more screwed up Jinwoo because as muchhh as i love the fluffy cutie jinwoo i also love delving into the topics of jinwoo just going batshit insane 🤯🙏

-🌟🎀

ABSOLUTELY!

Jinwoo x Reader

Your wish is my command, pookie bear.

Warning(s): YANDERE, nothing much, maybe too short? Not a fic or oneshot lol js my crazy thoughts

Also guys ples comment and say something ...

^⁠_⁠^

Jinwoo himself was already prepared to walk through fire just for his family, and that was just platonic love. Imagine how insane he'd be for a significant other that he loves way too deeply.

Hello???? Like I feel his dedication and love for darling would be higher than the heavens especially if they're already there for him during his lowest part in life.

My hunch is he's a chill yandere; he adores you and wouldn't pull any outrageously crazy stunts directly at you. Instead, he might convey lessons through various means, like allowing uncomfortable scenarios to set up, then emerging from the shadows he casted beneath your silhouette to rescue you.

Like a "savior" yandere. Your knight and sole protector.

He'd be more possessive ig if his crazy fans found out about you, particularly if they desire him to be romantically involved with Hae-In in the name of being a power couple. Jinwoo literally and genuinely didn't give a damn when they trash-talked him.

But hey, fans can be krezi

ALSO HELLO LIKE WHAT IF THOSE CRAZY ASSHOLES START HARASSING YOU ON WORK OR IN SOCIAL MEDIA (like leaving you death threats or rudely demanding you to break up w him bc apparently according to them, you don't deserve him)? Lol he'd be willing to do something about them, so good luck reasoning against him if you don't want bloodshed!!!

He'd convince you to not work anymore if that was in store for you.

"... Woo, you know I can't just quit work like that and have you become the breadwinner for the two of us. You're getting financially better and I'm proud, but I can't jus—"

"Shh," He'd tenderly cup your cheeks with his eyes overflowing with love and concern, every bit of his attention dedicated to you. "Is it so bad for me to want no dangers coming to you?"

"You're also being unintentionally put into unavoidable situations whenever you're in public. Love, you remember what happened last time, right?" He'd add. With a kiss on your forehead, he said, "I'll provide for you, you don't have to work. I can't stand how they're looking at you."

Jinwoo would mumble the final words gently before pulling back. He'd whisper them solely for your ears, aware that you wouldn't interpret that knowledge negatively anymore—it would now simply reflect his worry for your welfare and highlight his character as the tender and loving partner he was.⁠ ♡

[rarepears]

i don't know why but i really REALLY want to see an AU where endeavor is the japanese prime minister's wife (also we need more fanfics talking about Japanese government outside of the hero public safety commission)

Actually, would be pretty funny if Endeavor is still the husband in this scenario. No malewifing Endeavor here. He marries a woman.

In fact, he finds a better ice-quirk user to marry - someone with stronger ice powers than the top candidates that he was considered (ahem Rei). It is "unfornuate", as Endeavor concludes after their first blind date, that this woman is steadfast determined to continue her career trajectory (a degree in politics/policy/policy science?) and most assuredly not willing to be a housewife, but it's fine, Endeavor decides. It means he'll either have to arrange childcare or do it himself but that also means he can influence the child more directly and train the kid more.

Everything seems all good and dandy... Until he discovers, after the birth of Touya and Natsuo, his wife girlbossing too hard and had managed to complete college, grad school, and now had a full time position in the Japanese government. While juggling two pregnancies by the way. What agency he didn't know or care since it wasn't anything related to heroics. She's still doing her job of popping out more babies for him. So he stayed out of it.

When she decided to quit her job as staffer to some member of the National Diet (when did she start such a position? Endeavor wonders how he didn't notice it.), Endeavor blinked in surprise when she said she was gunning for something more ambitious. But he still didn't say anything. She stayed out of his work so it was only fair that he did the same to her career. Their partnership was good. (Duh, it's two workaholics who barely spend any time at home and say very little to each other if it didn't involve kids.)

And then one day Endeavor wakes up to the news that the prime minister of Japan was assassinated and his successor was predicted to be... his wife. A fact which none of the public seemed to be aware of by the way until this emergency election was announced. But now it was released... without Endeavor or his agency being made aware of such an announcement - bah, a "leak" the media called it. Endeavor was experienced enough in PR after all his years of heroics to know when a leak was planted.

It was unsurprising to see his wife win the election later that night. Especially unsurprising after the, now former and deceased, prime minister being assassinated by a villain (rumored to be connected to All For One who appeared to just gone off the grid a couple weeks ago from what Endeavor's intelligence team told him).

But now Endeavor has a wife who's the Prime Minister. And they have 4 kids - the youngest which is 7 years old. The nanny he had been using (named Rei) just had a mental breakdown after seeing the estate being besieged with reporters and the public and Endeavor was pretty sure she wasn't coming back to work ever. Oh, and he can kiss his dreams of defeating All Might and becoming the new No. 1 hero goodbye because even if he does become the new No. 1, he's never going to feel like he earned it himself - he's going to always wonder if it's a reflection of how popular (or not popular) his prime minster wife is with the public. And considering how, historically, prime ministers usually don't have such high approval ratings with Japan's regular villain attacks among other social problems...

Oh boy.

[azucarmorena97]

Money Ties (Jungkook Love Story || Pt.11)

Pt.10 || Pt.12

Your parents have worked hard to get to the top and have made sure to teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this business: from tough but lucrative financial decisions, down to the right ball gown for any given banquet. A promising and extravagant future awaits you- that is, if you agree to one teensy detail...

Son of Mr.Jeon Sr. and heir to June Company, Jeon Jungkook is an immature playboy with nothing to offer a woman but good looks and a crap ton of money, and he stands to inherit much MUCH more, so long as you both enter into the arranged marriage contract that was drawn up before the pair of you were even born.

You're more than willing to try, but you're not sure you'll be able to stand each other long enough to inherit a single penny...

Series Warnings: There will be smut in the near future and I will label those chapters as such. As I say before most of my pieces- I do not endorse any themes, ideas, or behaviors in this series. This is all purely fiction/fantasy! Feel free to inbox me suggestions/ideas/what you'd like to see in this series and I'll see what I can do! Enjoy <3

Recap: Suddenly, it's as though the world was set to slow motion; Frame by frame, you watch as Jungkook lifts your veil, the last barrier between you and destiny.

He wraps his arm around your waist and brings you closer to him until your faces are centimeters apart, "To the ride," He whispers, drawing back to the night where you both shared a toast at the bar. "To the ride."

His lips collide with yours and eventually, you don't know where you end and he begins- as now, and forevermore, you are but one flesh.

When he pulls away, he looks at you under hooded eyes, lashes barely exposing his beautiful brown irises. You'd give anything to stay like this...

But of course, it comes time for the both of you to turn to everyone: friends, family, and receive their love and cheers. He grabs your hand and then the both of you are running out of the ballroom, the crowds muted by the double doors closing behind the both of you.

For a moment, you and him are alone again, as the photographers haven't made their way out to take your photos.

"You look so beautiful..." He says, his own cheeks blushing slightly. "Thanks...They-they found a dress," You say, adjusting your shoulder straps nervously, feeling quite shy yourself under his gaze.

"I can see..." He can't take his eyes off of you, meanwhile, you're looking everywhere else but at him; you might just burst if you do.

Finally, the photographer comes out and leads you both out to the courtyard of the hotel; the perfect spot for photos. There's a tall fence around the perimeter of the courtyard, along with a tall hedge full of beautiful flowers. You do, however, spot a few cameras being held high on the other side of the fence in order to capture a few lucky pictures of your groom. "Are those...paparazzi?" You ask. "Yeah...a lot of people really care about our wedding." "I can see."

It does make you a tad uncomfortable, but you try to shake it off; this is something you'll have to get used to. Back home, no one really recognizes you- although, you do typically keep a pretty low profile. Jungkook, on the other hand, has a slew of loyal followers ranging in the thousands- as confirmed by his social media.

"Okay, Mr.Jeon, can we get one of you hugging her?" The photographer asks. Without hesitation, Jungkook pulls you in from your waist, pressing you close to himself. You blush, not used to such public displays of affection...not used to affection very much at all, considering you've never had a boyfriend. This is gonna take some getting used to.

"Mrs.Jeon, a little more to the left."

That's gonna take some getting used to, too.

"Ah! Mr. and Mrs.Jeon!" B/f/n's voice travels over to the both of you as the bridesmaids and groomsmen all trail behind her into the courtyard.

"Shut up," You laugh. "My man!" One of the groomsmen come up to Jungkook and hugs him, "I'm happy for you- for the both of yo." He turns to you and extends his hand for you to shake.

"Thanks, uhm...?" "I'm sorry, I know we haven't formally met you. I'm Felix," He says with a sweet smile. He's quite handsome, as is typical for Jungkook's friends. "I'm Y/n," You say with a slight bow.

"That's Mrs.Jeon to you," Jungkook cuts back in, wrapping his arm around your bare shoulders, though his smile is playful.

Suddenly, Jungkook is abruptly pulled of of you, "Kookie! I'm so happy for you!" Lisa exclaims, throwing herself on him before he gets a chance to react. He doesn't hug her back, just keeps his arms open, "Lisa- I- uhm, thanks."

She pulls away slightly, though she doesn't let him go, "Look at you all grown up and mature now."

You didn't think she'd stoop so low, but here she is blatantly flirting with him in front of you and everyone else. "Yeah...thanks," Jungkook says, clearly uncomfortable. He gently pulls her off of himself, which is clearly a move she didn't expect from him because she immediately goes into clean-up mode, "And you- you make the most beautiful bride, Y/n!"

"Thanks." You can't even be bothered to say anymore than that because if you do, these cameras are gonna catch you pummeling her into the ground in your wedding dress.

"Anyway!" B/f/n cuts into the conversation, emphasizing how awkward the interaction is, "Time for pictures!"

And, as though someone has flipped a switch, everyone is back to their excitement and merriment.

Except, of course, Lisa.

All things considered, the time spent taking pictures was a breeze. Everyone got their chance to pose with you and Jungkook, and you're sure even the paparazzi must've gotten a few good shots.

Now, you're all standing outside of the dining hall waiting to be announced upon entry. Pair by pair, each bridesmaid and goormsman walks in until it's only you and Jungkook.

"Ready?" He asks, a smile on his face as he takes a deep breath. You nod, "Ready."

"And now, I'd like to present, for the first time ever as man and wife, Mr. and Mrs.Jeon!"

You and Jungkook enter into a room teeming with cheers and shouts, a few tables being banged on in excitement.

Of course, unable to resist the applause, Jungkook take an exaggerated bow and then pulls your hand straight up in the air in triumph before leading you to the table where all your court is already sat, with two large empty seats in the middle, saved for the both of you.

Slowly, guests come up to congratulate you both personally, their smiles genuine and warm. All this time you spent dreading your wedding day; you never thought you'd feel so at peace in your new role- of course, it's only been about an hour and a half.

You spot Namjoon walking around from table to table recording people, "Wanna say a few words to the bride and groom?" He looks quite happy for being "Jungkook's babysitter", as he'd put it that night at Jungkook's birthday party. You chuckle. "Namjoon's funny, isn't he?" Jungkook asks, as though he's able to read your mind. "Yeah...very much so." "You know he's totally in love with B/f/n, right?" "Totally." You watch as B/f/n follows him around with a small ring light.

Soon, people start making their way to the dance floor, having had their fill of food and drinks. "Come dance with us, Mr. and Mrs.Jeon," B/f/n says, pulling on your wrist. You look at Jungkook who is aggressively noding his head, "Oh, absolutely." He puts his drink down and then grabs your other wrist, the both of them leading to the dancefloor with the rest of your court- except Lisa, who you spotted only moments ago, seething, sitting at a table with Rose, arms crossed.

You all dance together in a cluster on the dance floor, Jungkook and Felix are clowns, of course, and soon they're pulling their pant legs up so they can get in a "twerking stance." "They're a little too good at this," B/f/n laughs, "Oh, you should see him twerk on a door," Namjoon cuts in, bringing his drink up to his lips as he sways slightly. Jungkook looks at Namjoon, clearly already a little buzzed and he puts his hands square on Namjoon's shoulders, "You were the best ring bearer that ever...beared rings." "And you were the best groom that ever...Yeah, let me not finish that sentence." "Aaaay! The wedding man!" You all turn to see Jin coming up and throwing his arm on Jungkook's shoulders, "You sly devil, how'd you manage to nab a girl this fine," He says, motioning to you. Jungkook's tone gets immediately more serious, "Yo, that's my wife." "Of course, of course. I'm sorry- you know how I get when I get a few drinks in me. I say whetever comes to mind." "Oh, we know." Namjoon rolls his eyes. Jin says, "I'm so glad there was a wedding after all." "The wedding was never off, dweeb," Namjoon looks annoyed whenever he has to interact with Jin- I wonder if it's because he's almost always intoxicated. Jin furrows his brows, "I know, I meant after the whole dress thing." You all look at each other in confusion, "What about my dress?" You ask, narrowing your eyes at him.

As far as you know, your mom and B/f/n didn't tell anyone about the dress except Jungkook and it was right before the ceremony. The dress you're wearing now is one they'd previously considered at the bridal shop weeks ago that they'd held on to in case you didn't like the first one. How the hell did this bozo know anything about your dress?

Unless...

"Oh- uhm, your dress? I- I didn't mean to say that," Jin's eyes widen and he starts trying to backtrack. Jungkook gets in his face and takes Jin's arm off from his shoulders, "No, too late. Say what you were going to say." "It's nothing, man. Like I said, I say anything when I'm drunk." "Jin." With Namjoon and Jungkook both standing so close to his face, Jin has no choice but to give in to the pressure. "LisatoldRosethatshewasgonnaruinY/n'sdressbforetheceremony!" He blurts. "What?" Jungkook asks. "Ugh...Lisa told Rose that she was gonna ruin Y/n's dress before the ceremony. She's been planning it since Mrs.Jeon asked her to be a bridemsaid..."

Your heart is pounding in your chest. Of course it was her. How could you not have known? The nerves and adrenaline of it all completely clouded your judgment before. You and B/f/n immediately start looking around for Lisa. Wedding or not, you're gonna beat this bitch's ass.

"Do you see her? I don't see her," B/f/n says, still looking around. "She was just there, what the hell?" You groan. When you turn back to say something to Jungkook, you realize he's not there anymore. "What- where'd he go?" You ask Namjoon, who only points in the direction of the dining hall doors.

You see Jungkook walking over to the security guards standing at their posts. You pick up the skirt of your dress and follow after him. Once you get over to where he is, the bodyguards immediately walk in the directions of the tables. "What- what are you doing?" He doesn't answer, just stands there watching. The goofiness from minutes before is gone and he seems completely sobered up. You both watch as the security guards approach a birdesmaid over at the punch bowl- It's Lisa.

They exchange a few words, her face going from confused to irritated, her eyes immediately darting to Jungkook, and then settling on you.

All three of them walk back toward where you are, right in front of the doors, and you see some people who were sitting in that general vicinity are now staring, whispering to each other. Everyone else seems completely oblivious.

"Kookie, what's going on?" She asks, her eyes switching from snake to deer in the headlights, but you know better than to fall into it. Does Jungkook?

"Cut the shit, Lisa. Jin told us everything," Jungkook hisses. "What- what are you talking about?" She starts playing with her fingernails, getting more and more nervous but trying to play it cool. "The dress, Lisa. The fucking dress. How could you do this to me? To Y/n?" "Are you insinuating that I had something to do with her dress?" She narrows her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know, so many people have tried to warn me over the years, but I ignored it all. I ignored the warnings, I ignored the cattiness, I ignored the childish games- this ends here."

Her eyes get wide again, "Kook, come on. It's- it's not that serious. She found another dress- Y/n, come on. Can't fight your own battles so you got my best friend to turn on me?-" "Don't ever talk to my wife again." "Jungkook-" She puts her hand on Jungkook's arm but he swiftly pulls it away, "Get her out of here." He doesn't even stick around to watch her go, just grabs your hand and leads you out of the double doors and back out to the courtyard where you'd previously taken pictures with your court.

Once you're outside, he lets go of your hand and just leans against a pillar, putting his face in his hands, "I'm so sorry, Y/n."

"Jungkook, it's okay. I-" "No, it's not. You tried to tell me again and again and I didn't listen. I couldn't protect you even from something so petty. I'm so sorry-" You step toward him and take his hands off of his face, "Hey..." You say gently, looking up at him. "Hey..." He says, sadness melting into a small smile.

You hadn't noticed it before under the dim lights of the dining hall, but his cheeks are flushed the perfect shade of soft pink, the drinks having caught up to him, despite how soberly he was talking only moments ago. His hair is just messy enough to fall in his eyes, but still neat enough to hold an entire photoshoot for Calvin Klein if he wanted to, especially with his loosened tie and slightly unbuttoned dress shirt.

Again, Michelangelo's David comes to mind.

You stand in silence for a bit, basking in each other's presence; the first time you've been alone as husband and wife. It feels the same...and yet different. Jungkook's called you his wife twice tonight. Both times, it made your heart stir in your chest. You're his wife...

"You're my husband now," You say shyly, putting your hands behind your back and looking down, your smile practically cramping up your cheeks,

"I am," He chuckles, staring at you.

He takes another step closer and lifts your chin, your eyes locking once again, though just as you think he might kiss you, he's pulling your arms onto his shoulders and snaking his around your waist, beginning to sway with you. You only now notice that they've begun to play a slow song inside, the distance making the melody barely audible...but you don't mind.

You're in his arms again.

You lock your hands together behind his neck, letting him lead you, and you just let your head rest on him. After a moment, you realize he's humming. "You know this song?" You ask. "Mhm...She is Love by Parachute." "It's pretty." He doesn't respond, choosing instead to sing the words softly to you.

"It was all the same, all my pride and shame, but she put me on my feet... They call her love, love, love, love. She is love and she is all I need. She is love and she is all I need. She is love, and she is all I need."

His voice so angelic, you wish you could record this moment.

But that's the thing about these beautiful moments; we always wish we could capture them somehow, though if we could, they might not be so special anymore.

Maybe what makes them so, is their inability to be bottled up.

You and Jungkook are back at the dinner table chatting it up with your court, the only empty seat being Lisa's. Funny enough, Rose and Jin seem perfectly settled in and comfortable despite the fact that their bestie has been swiftly kicked out. You're sure Rose's mission is now to relay everything to Lisa.

"Excuse me everyone, may I please have your attention! Before we wrap up the party, the father of the groom would like to say a few words to the Bride and Groom." The DJ says, the lights brightening just a bit as Mr. and Mrs.Jeon Sr. come up to stand by the booth.

"Yes, hello everyone," Mr.Jeon bows, "I'm so happy that everyone came to support our family on this momentous occasion. Truly, an occasion we've looked forward to since the day our son was born," From where you and Jungkook sit, it almost looks like Mr.Jeon's eyes are watering.

"As you all know, this wedding will mark the beginning of the merger of our family companies, with my son and new daughter-in-law being the heirs. We cannot begin to express how incredibly proud we are of them- so, as a gift to express our love, my wife and I, along with Mr.L/n and Mrs.L/n, have gotten the bridge and groom a gift."

He waves you and Jungkook over, to which you both respond by looking at each other confusedly. Jungkook helps you out of your seat and you walk up to them. Mr.Jeon hands an envelope to Jungkook, who quickly opens it and pulls out its contents.

A paper, and two sets of keys.

"Wait-" Jungkook says, brows furrowed. He passes the paper to you and then looks at his dad, an expression of complete disbelief. "Congratulations, son."

A house. They've bought you a house.

Everyone begins cheering at every table, as though they've instantly understood the gift.

Jungkook immediately hugs his dad, and then his shoulders start shaking violently- he's begun to cry, and so has his father. You hug Mrs.Jeon tightly, and then go over to your parents who are sat at a table a few feet away, hugging them with all of your strength, your own tears falling onto their shoulders.

You rejoin Jungkook after he's had his moment, and he takes the mic from his dad, "Wow, I cannot tell you all how shocked we are. This was truly unexpected. I think I can speak for my wife-" He glances over at you, a smile on his face as he says it, "- and myself when I say that we are so grateful for the support our parents have given us, and also for the support you've all shown us. Not just today but every day leading up to this and even before. Friends, family- we love you all so much.

We couldn't have done it without you."

The rest of the party was a blur after that moment; more food, more drinks, more laughter and joy, and before you know it, it's all come to an end. "Okay, let's get you back to the hotel and get you out of this dress so you guys can pack your suitcase for the honeymoon!" B/f/n says, grabbing her purse and walking over to Namjoon really quickly. Jungkook looks at you, his soft eyes taking you in; you'll only be in this dress for a little while longer...he's not so eager to end this night yet. "Wanna go somewhere?" He says quietly. To which you smile and respond, "Sure."

"Ready?" B/f/n says, bright eyed and bushy tailed for someone who had thrown back at least 5 shots in the last hour and a half. "Uhm...I'm actually..." You don't quite know how to say it. "I'm gonna take her to the hotel," Jungkook interjects. "What? But you still have to-" "That sounds just fine," Namjoon says, coming up behind B/f/n and lightly pushing her along, giving the both of you a knowing smile. "Wait-" "Let's go, B/f/n," He coaxes. You and Jungkook share a little laugh and then walk out hand in hand to the car.

This time, rather than having a driver, Jungkook is behind the wheel. His arm is extended past the center console and resting on your knee, his thumb stroking the fabric gently. Your heart skips with every touch, and suddenly you feel like a shy teenager; maybe this is what Madonna was talking about when she sang, 'Like a Virgin'.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks, glancing at you. It's only just dawned on you that you've been quiet the entire car ride, which has been about 20 minutes. "I...I don't know." "Liar," He smiles. "I guess I'm just...taking it all in." "Me too." He pulls into a gas station and turns the car off, "Come on." "What? Where?" "Into the unknoooown," He sings. "Never took you as a Disney Princess guy," You laugh. He doesn't acknowledge what you'd said, just exits the car and walks around and opens your door, "My queen." His exaggerated bow elicits another laugh. You gather your skirt and somehow manage to jump out of the car. One arm hooked around his, you both walk into the gas station store. The few people inside turn to look at you and just continue staring. It was probably a strange scene: a bride and groom strolling in casually, walking over to the chip section. You almost wanna laugh imagining it from their perspective. "Pick anything you want," Jungkook says, excitedly picking up a few bags of chips for himself. You carefully examine the wide selection. He walks away to, you assume, look at more things- but when he comes back, he has a basket full of things. You toss a few bags of chips and a candy bar into the basket, along with two drinks; one for hydration, one for pleasure. "Done." He nods and walks over to the counter. "Will that be all?" The cashier says sarcastically. "Wait, wait..." Jungkook tosses in a small pack of gum, "Done."

You ride in happy silence, windows down, your hair falling out of the once-elegant wedding hair style, though you look just as beautiful- at least, that's what Jungkook thinks. You finally drive into a parking lot set on a hill, overlooking the beautiful cityscape. The businesses that would normally be bustling with clientele are closed for the night, so it's only the two of you there.

"Wow...it's beautiful out here," You say, dazzled by the way the lights twinkle down below, cars going back and forth, weaving in and out of sight between the buildings. "Yeah. I first found this spot a few years ago during one of my...not so bright moments," He chuckles, grabbing the bag with all the snacks and taking out his banana milk, "and I've just been coming ever since." "Hmm," You nod, thinking about what he's just said. Not so bright moments... "What does that mean?" You ask. You would've normally left suuch a vague statement alone, thinking if he wanted to expand then he would, but fuck it. That's your husband now, right? You deserve to know...you want to know. You want to know him so badly, now more than ever.

"What, did Namjoon not do a good enough job telling you all my business?" He smirks, causing you to roll your eyes playfully, "Shut up." His smile fades slightly as he sinks into deep thought; as though he's carefully selecting what words to use. "Well...after I came out of rehab, I kind of didn't know what to do with myself. I knew I couldn't go back to how I was living before, as far as the heavy drinking and the drugs- I had done a lot of damage to my family, you know? I couldn't bear to disappoint them like that again," He sighs, taking a sip of his drink, "So, I would spend hours- some times all night- just driving and driving. I drove everywhere, all alone. I drove angry, I drove sad, I drove numb, I drove happy...not that I had many happy moments at that time." You turn in your seat (as best as you can in this big ass dress) and look at him as he talks.

"Did you...ever ask anyone to drive with you?" He furrows his brows, a confused expression on his face, "No, I...I guess I didn't know that I could." Without another word, you reach over and grab his hand, squeezing it lightly. "You might just be the only person in my world who can relate to this feeling," He says in a low voice, looking down at your hands; you do the same. You know exactly what he means.

When you look back up, he's already looking at you; his eyes are low, dark obsidian pupils flickering back and forth from your eyes, to your lips, "Y/n..." "Yes?" You whisper, heart so loud you hear it in your ears. "Can I kiss you again?"

You nod, chest rising up and down as your breath catches in your throat. Not even at "You may kiss the bride" did your heart beat so fast as it does now.

His lips press firmly against yours and slowly, you feel both yours and his head moving rhythmically together.

When he pulls away breathlessly, you can see a tiny bit of your makeup on his nose and mouth, causing you to let out a little laugh.

"What?" He smiles, "Nothing..." You reach over and grab the side of his face, and this time, its your thumb stroking his cheek.

You could look at him forever...

Thanks for being patient in your wait for the next part! Let me know what more you want to see going forward into their married life! DM me some juicy drama to add in :)

[the-barricade]

magazine matchups

vil x reader

you and vil were supposed to just be colleagues, but as your work kept pushing you closer and closer together, you couldn’t help but fall for one another.

a/n: this is another repost of a previously deleted fic I posted. also can’t believe i ever deleted this, this is like the funniest thing I’ve ever written (imho)

—————————————

His absence was something you barely noticed, just as his presence. You weren’t oblivious to it, however. It started out as a coincidence, the two of you ended up modelling for a few projects together, which had the internet going wild. Soon enough, it turned into free advertising, and your managers were intentionally pulling the strings so that you’d be working together. If anything, the nonsensical rumours that came out of it were kind of annoying - other than that, you had no strong opinion about working with him, or his personality.

He wasn’t exactly a constant in your life either, that’s why you almost didn’t notice his unannounced break from the public eye. You remembered him after seeing a now slightly old article about the SDC, ah that’s right, he’d taken a break from almost all of his work to focus on the competition, which had ended a couple of months ago. Despite this, you can’t recall him coming back to the limelight since.

Might as well check his magicam page, you thought. He still posted there, would it be weird to follow him out of nowhere? Eh, who cares- you did it anyways, and then went to bed.

As always, it felt like the sun rose far too early to wake you from your slumber. Your alarm hasn’t gone off yet, or you hoped it hadn’t at least. You checked the time, and you were fine, you didn’t oversleep.

In the meantime you should probably check the texts you got from Neige, your certified best friend who doesn’t usually text you at six in the morning.

“Hey, Y/N! You’re trending on magicam, so is you and Vil’s ship-name, did you know?”

Um, what? That was… strange? Honestly, you really wanted to see what was going on, but you’d be late for school if you let social media get a grip on you right now.

Break time. It felt pretty exciting to hear the bell ring this time around, since you’d been itching to find out what had you on the trending page, it’s not like you did anything either spectacular or offensive recently.

Damn, Neige really wasn’t lying, then again, you couldn’t recall any time he ever has. Your expression died down comically quick, as you kept scrolling through the tagged posts. Your fans were literally insane sometimes, to the point were maybe following someone new on your public account was a bit of a mistake. Basically all of your conjoined fandom was trying to theorise over Vil being added to the list of people you follow, which was otherwise only Neige and your manager. Really, it was a slight disappointment, but it was also kind of funny, at least the internet didn’t decide it was time for a dose of unjust cancel culture just yet.

A few days later, after school had let up, you went to hang out with Neige in town. It was a tradition between you two, a way to keep in contact despite your busy schedules. The two of you often cycled round different attractions or areas in the city, sometimes just opting to walk around and talk. This time, you were headed to the local museum. It was interesting to read about all the history loaded behind what seemed like a simple piece of pottery, or learn about how certain things were used to supplement both the lack of technology and magic of the older world.

It was mostly things you’d seen here before though, but you’d never paid much mind to the modern art section, you realised after thinking about it. “Hey Neige, should we go look over there? Who knows, they might have your portrait framed or something.”

Your joke was received with a light laugh and, “Sure, let’s go take a look!”

This section of the museum felt a lot smaller, but there were even less people willing to marvel at the paintings that adorned the walls. Coincidentally, the one other person that was there happened to be someone both you and Neige recognised. You wondered if he visited the place a lot, people don’t tend to look so blank whilst visiting a museum by themselves.

Neige turned to you, excited to ask if it’d to be alright to approach him. That’s right, you’d somewhat forgotten that those two knew each-other. “Yeah sure, I don’t mind.” As soon as the sound of his name filled the room, his head turned, and his expression looked mildly annoyed. Did he look like that before? God, you’d have to hope the two of you weren’t upsetting him. Your friend however, didn’t appear to notice anything out of the ordinary as he continued to make small talk.

Gradually, said small talk came to close, and Neige had invited him to spend more time with the two of you, though Vil politely declined. He was rather curt, but he didn’t seem like a bad person, if anything your opinion hadn’t changed since you first worked with him.

Before waving goodbye, you rushed to scribble your phone number down on a crumpled piece of paper to give to him. Momentarily, you pondered wether that was a good decision to make, as he almost stayed silent, but soon put on a smile and thanked you. It was an awkward first meet.

Vil turned away after the two of you had left, it was due time to head back to his dorm, despite his visit to the museum serving a different purpose than intended. For Vil, he had hoped to come about some inspiration in preparation for returning to his work but meeting Neige was a frustration in its own right, considering how a large part of his break was dedicated to self improvement after realising his envy was severely holding him back.

Regardless of his efforts, it was disappointing to see Neige thrive under the same conditions as him and yet thwart all the hardships that Vil faced. Whilst his perfection was his pride it robbed him of approachability.

You however, offered him your number despite how out-of-reach he often is to people through your slight uncomfortableness. He thought it was folly of you, but it was a rare boldness that wasn’t unbeffiting of you - having only experienced similar things from Rook, who sometimes took it to an extreme.

Maybe it came from you also being in the industry, but he found himself thinking fondly of it. When Vil arrived at pomefiore once again, he decided to follow you back on magicam, not unaware of you doing so a few days back, although he made no effort to add your contact to his phone. You were still asleep by morning, enjoying the extra time the weekend was granting you. When you did wake up, you checked your phone, a part of your usual morning routine. ‘Oh, he doesn’t hate me’ was what came to mind after seeing that Vil had followed you back.

Not having any plans today you thought to message him on the app, curious as to wether he’d reply. “Hey, how are you doing? Hope we didn’t bother you yesterday.”

After sending that short message you looked through your feed for a bit. Reasonably soon you got an awfully formal response back. Apparently he didn’t mind your presence the other day, which was nice to know. Now however, you were in a position of not knowing wether or not to continue the conversation or what to say. Reaching out to someone over something so minuscule without making an attempt at getting closer with them proved kind of useless, so the two of you briefly discussed your musings about school and work before cutting the conversation.

That was the last time either of you had talked to one another until the two of you inevitably crossed paths again, outside of the internet. This time, the two of you met at a more understandable place, a model’s holy grail, the skincare section.

Another thing to note was that this time, he was not unaccompanied, unlike you. His purple-haired friend was actually who drew your attention away from the ingredient list on the bottle you were looking at. Being a bit louder than intended, he was complaining about this excursion being a waste of time and effort. When you did turn around, you saw Vil glaring daggers into the poor boys soul. Maybe they weren’t friends as you’d initially thought?

Ignoring it would’ve been your best bet but as you heard Vil sigh and mutter something along the lines of ‘I thought we were past this’ you realised he was dragging himself and his possible-friend in your direction. The two of them started looking at the labels of product after product, after Vil had scanned the shelf for a short while. Vil looked quite nonchalant while doing so, but his friend seemed awfully confused when absentmindedly staring at the product. Considering you knew one of them, you thought it might be good to offer up some advice, and recommend a couple brands.

Vil was actually quite thankful for your help, due to him only using products that he’s created himself, he was only aware of what was currently popular rather than beneficial. And this wouldn’t have been the best way to teach Epel how to pick out certain products without any good examples. He thanked you, and invited you to hang out over coffee some time as a thank you.

It was perhaps a little overboard, but neither of you really minded, considering how it was starting to seem that you could become decent friends. And that was how you ended up here, finally settled in to a popular cafe, that at first proved to be a bit of a poor choice, specifically due to its popularity.

When the two of you met up, the people already around the place started to form a crowd around you. It was reasonable, after all people don’t see celebrities everyday, and whilst you were used to it, it could prove to be rather bothersome. Of course, both of you handled the situation well, but there was something so enchanting about how graceful he was with each and every person who approached him, and how he was able to express his appreciation all the while making sure his air of perfectionism never slipped.

When you eventually got a moment of quiet together, you made sure to learn a lot about each other. He wouldn’t say it out-right, but you could surmise that the purple-haired boy from before and a huntsman named Rook were his set of friends. It sounded like an interesting group, but cute nonetheless. You also figured out that a lot of his personal life revolves around his work, or maybe it would be better to say that they happened to coincide.Despite that, he still seemed less daunting now that you’d got to know him a little.

Naturally, you two hung out a lot more after that, and it was fun as you got more comfortable. You even got to do things like convincing him to pose for you to draw him because, “come one, it’ll be extra practice!” He didn’t look amused at all, but he still let you.

Sketching Vil was enjoyable, but he wouldn’t let you notice how he got increasingly anxious as time passed. Vil normally had no reason to feel anxious around anyone, he usually felt confident in himself, but the issue was that his confidence was surprisingly conditional.

It was strange though, the only person to ever make him feel insecure before was Neige, yet you didn’t make him feel threatened. He could only come to one conclusion as to why he was becoming increasingly sensitive to your opinion on him, and being as self aware as he is, the answer didn’t come as a shock to him. But acknowledging that he was in love was a scary revelation to make.

As you finished up your drawings and showed them to him whilst raving about how pretty he was, he calmed down. His appearance was the main factor in his confidence, and reminding himself that he would always have power in that regard soothed his anxiousness, but what really relieved him this time around was the fact that you weren’t judging him.

The next time you were on-set participating in a photo-shoot together, you’d known beforehand. You were both affiliated with the same company, and had managed to put two and two together when discussing your work schedule.

Things felt a lot more light-hearted than all of the other times you’d worked together. Seeing him there as you’d entered the room put a smile on your face.

As you’d taken your last shot together, and everything was getting cleared up, you went to take your arm of Vil’s shoulder, but as you were doing so, he grabbed your hand. You could feel him tense up, and the walls started to feel slightly closer than before. “What’s wrong?” You couldn’t help but be worried. You saw him take a second to compose himself, before he leaned closer to you and whispered a short confession in your ear, “I’ve happened to find myself loving you… Would you be mine?”

That was… unexpected.

But when you said yes, Vil found himself experiencing a joy he hadn’t felt in a long time, and enveloped you in a gentle, heartfelt hug. The two of you stayed there for quite some time, ignoring everyone else around you because they didn’t matter.

[heeheesang]

ₕᵢgₕ ₛcₕₒₒₗ cᵣᵤₛₕ! ₗₑₑ ₕₑₑ ₛₑᵤₙg.

twelve -> risks and chances. ( written + texts )

“cold night, hm?” i said as i stood up in front of the black haired male after trying to find him. a wide smile appeared on his face as he stood up and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly as i returned the hug.

“i’ve missed you. alot.” heeseung cried as he buried his face into my neck, letting his sobs out as i let a few tears roll down my cheeks, “i missed you too, hee.” i smiled widely, letting him pick me off floor and spin me around.

pulling away from the hug, i placed my hands on his cheeks and wiped his tears away, “don’t cry handsome prince, you make me cry.” he smiled and wiped my tears, “it’s been a month since i saw my pretty princess, let me be.” we laughed and sat down on the bench, “how did you know i was missing?” heeseung asks as he took my hand and plays with it, “jungwon texted me. said a certain someone was going for a walk and disappeared into thin air, what happened hee?”

“alot. i’m just super stressed. coach won’t let me play this seasons’ matches unless i get my grades up, my next test is in two days, i barely studied half the chapter. gyuri’s on my back the whole time, riding off my money and threatening me to never talk to you, to my friends. she’s a sick psychopath. i’ve been working part time to get my money back ever since my parents left korea for work and i’m aloen with my grandma.” heeseung started and tears started to cloud his eyes again. i moved closer to him and hugged him, letting him cry on my shoulder.

“let it all out heeseung, i know how hard this can be on you… here’s what, i’ll help you.” i said and he immediately stopped crying, “you.. you can’t. she’ll hurt you princess…”

“lee heeseung. i’m done seeing you suffer alone, as someone close to you i’m not letting you go though all these alone. i don’t care about gyuri anymore, so what if she’ll hurt me? i don’t care, i’m done ignoring you, even i cry at home because i can’t talk to you. this is your last year here, you’ll pass your tests and win all your games and graduate with sunghoon. i’m willing to take the risks and chances if there are any.” i sternly said as heeseung smiled, “you cry at home alone? because you ignore me?”

my eyes widened, did i really say that… “anyways..! first let’s settle your studies! what subject is it?” he sighed and looked down on his lap, “english… yn i know you might not understand year two english—“

“are you looking down on me, lee heeseung?” i asked as i leaned closer to him, “and what if i am?” he leaned even closer, our noses almost touching each other. “i’ll have to kiss you then,” i joked and we both smiled, heeseung placing his hand on my chin as he closed the gap between us. our lips met in a matter of seconds and we both smiled into the kiss, melting even in the cold, windy weather.

i quickly pulled away and covered my face with my hair, “aw my pretty princess is all shy now,” heeseung joked and i slapped his arm. soon enough we got started on a plan, we were going to study at my house the whole day tomorrow, so we had to write a letter for our absence. i taught him everything he needed to know and even tested him like how jay tested me, with papers.

“you have exactly ten minut—“ “done!” no surprise it was all correct, he is ace lee heeseung anyways. now going onto our next problem, we came up with a solution to meet every evening at our place. we will pretend to not know one another in school but he found a way to send me home from school when i’m unwell, which was on his motorbike, while sunghoon distracted gyuri.

our last issue was his part time job, he worked as a barista at his aunt’s cafe. since the people i’m usually with have a huge fanbase or are popular, i asked them to come and take pictures of the cafe and upload it to social media to help them gain more customers, i was a regular of course.

so far, i was playing with my risks. i mean what were the chances gyuri would catch us anyway?

masterlist | back | next

taglist! @haechansbbg @saranghaohoshi @rosas-in-the-garden @yourssincerely-mimi @dimplewonie @jwnghyuns

hhs’ notes! soooo heeyn’s back! don’t get confused, they’re back to talking to actually in a relationship yet… also heeseung isn’t cheating on gyuri since he’s technically being forced into a relationship with her right..? the next few chapters will be more of heeyn and a special special appearance! as always, thank you for reading and supporting my smau🥹 i love each and everyone of you🤍 here’s a rose!! 🌷

[slayerkitty]

Narrative Frameworks in Only Friends

Something I have been tracking as part of the ongoing discussions about Only Friends is the use of the narrative framework for each episode.

So, I’m making this list specifically for tracking purposes, to note which framework was used for which episodes, if they repeat, and what they may be paying homage to. The goal is to update it every week. Due to suggestions, I am also tracking the end credit scenes, as well as any specific visual or audio formats used in the episodes.

Frameworks so far:

1. Voiceovers: gives the audience specific insight into a characters thoughts and feelings; also a great way to provide exposition. It’s more of an audio than visual framework, as we don’t always see the character doing the voice-over because it plays over other scenes.

2. “Talking Heads” (is there a better descriptor for this?): The characters talk directly to the camera, interview/documentary style. We get to see exactly how they feel about a given moment because they are reacting to it at that time. Audio and visual. Homage to Love8009 (per P'Jojo).

3. Social Media (ft The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook): Not as insightful as the other two frameworks but does give context and a way for interaction, commentary, and exposition on a given plot. Visual. Probable homage to Together With Me, one of the first spicy BLs starring our kings, MaxTul.

(Side Note: I was re-watching some scenes from Never Let me Go and realized P'Jojo uses yellow text on the screen in it too. So maybe he just likes the yellow text or maybe it means something, idk, idk.)

Discussion: It appears the frameworks are dead. Long live the frameworks. We barely knew ye.

Honestly, part of me is glad they dropped them all together. One episode without them, maybe two, before bringing them back would still work. Bringing them back now does not work. The show has moved beyond them at this point. As sad as it is that we didn't get anymore of them, I'm still glad for what we did get.

I am willing to be we'll get some kind of framework next week because it's the finale and will feel like a book end to the premiere. Potentially, I could see the voice over coming back. But if we don't , we don't.

Episode 1

Framework: Voiceover

Title: What’s Your Role in a Bar?

Narrator: Mew

Visual Moment: Yellow title cards listing everyone’s “roles” as well as the month and days of the week

End Credit Shot: Mew sitting on the floor in front of his fish tank

Episode 2

Framework: Talking Heads

Title: M.F.M. My Favorite Man

Narrator: Everyone

Visual Moment: The talking heads scenes

End Credit Shot: Ray driving

Episode 3

Framework: Social Media (Twitter and Instagram)

Title: What Am I to You?

Narrator: Nick and Boston

Audible Moment: Nick listening to the TopBoston sex audio

End Credit Shot: Nick listening to TopBoston sex audio

Episode 4

Framework: Voiceover

Title: Emergency Contact

Narrator: Ray

Visual Moment: The flashback of RayMew is in 4:3 ratio; meaning it looks like recorded footage versus a memory, yellow text onscreen indicates flashback

End Credit Shot: Ray driving (repeat from episode 2)

Episode 5:

Framework: Voiceover

Title: The Extra Hour

Narrator: Sand

Visual Moment: Intro and Outro are animated; black and white (made me think of the Take on Me MV by A-ha but I’m open to suggestions on what this might be referring to)

End Credit Shot: Sand driving his motorcycle

Episode 6:

Framework: None

Title: Happy Fucking Birthday

Narrator: None

Audible Moment: Ray listens to the TopBoston sex audio; Mew plays the TopBoston sex audio for Top

Visual Moment: Top draws Mew sleeping/gives Mew a book of drawings he did of Mew 

End Credit Shot: Top in his bathtub alone looking angsty

Episode 7:

Framework: None

Title: After Effect

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Mew setting the drawing on fire; Boston’s sex tape; the “super zooms”

End Credit Shot: Mew sitting on the floor in front of his fish tank (repeat from episode 1)

Episode 8:

Framework: None

Title: Save Me

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Facebook party invite/everyone’s reactions to the invite; Everyone’s costumes at the party

End Credit Shot: Boston looking angsty at the hostel

Episode 9:

Framework: None

Title: The Return

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Boston’s photo of Atom; Top recording SandRay kissing, BOEING (I had to, lmao)

End Credit Shot: Top in his bathtub alone looking angsty (repeat from episode 6)

Episode 10:

Framework: None

Title: Redemption

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: The “I will never leave you”/“I will never love you” neon sign; Boston’s photos of Atom; Nick’s photo as Boston’s lock screen (I’m fine!); Boeing’s Instagram

End Credit Shot: Ray driving (repeat from episode 2 and episode 4)

Episode 11:

Framework: None

Title: Move On Move In

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Boston taking pics of Nick/Atom

End Credit Shot: Sand driving his motorcycle (repeat from episode 5)

If anyone can think of anything else to add, please let me know! If you would like to be tagged in this post or any other meta, let me know and I’ll add you.

Tagging the Ephemerality Squad: @lurkingshan, @waitmyturtles, @wen-kexing-apologist, @chickenstrangers, @ranchthoughts, @twig-tea, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming, @thatgirl4815, @elizabethsebestianhedgehog

Tagging @sandrayy by request

Apologies to anyone I forgot!

[undergroundbillions]

RARE needs your help!

For years we’ve been looking at the Kennedy Center archives for materials and possibly footage from Raggedy Ann. Unfortunately it wasn’t until recently that they were organized enough to give us an idea of what they might have. This week one of our members, Drew, visited the archives in person and was shown press materials and photos that we haven’t seen before. He also heard of the existence of some VHS tapes from the production.

These materials have been barely touched and not considered for digitization, as the archive prioritizes based on what they think will be the most useful and popular. With only a couple requests for these materials, they don’t find them worth the effort

and are even considering throwing them away.

This is where YOU can help!

The Kennedy Center archives has a very simple request form; most of the options are drop down menus. It will ask you to make an account first, but they are free, easy to create, and won’t send spam to your email.

We have already recovered what little of their collection that has already been digitized, so each request is unlikely to see new materials. However, through sheer numbers, we can convince them that more preservation is worth the effort. From there, our members will handle gaining access and sharing anything that is saved. The form only takes five minutes, and we’d really appreciate the time and effort! We’ve even made a step-by-step guide (below the break)! Link to the request form here

Link to a Google Doc with this same info & guide

Make an account.

Select the “Archives” button

Select “General Public”

Select “Public Inquiry”

Fill out the form:

Summary

Simple, have “Raggedy Ann Musical 1986” somewhere in there

Affiliation

This is a drop down menu. If applicable, choose your current place of education. If not, choose “Independent Researcher.”

Use for Information

Choose Preliminary Research or Private Archives, or Website/Social Media if you like.

Due Date

Pick something over a week but under a month. You want them to get to your request soon, but there isn’t a real due date.

Description

Politely request to see any materials from the Moscow, Kennedy Center, or Broadway production of the show.

Press releases, photos, or footage

Be specific, the show ran from August 23 to September 21, 1986

If you are able and willing to contribute to a digitization fee, let them know.

End with a “thank you”

Now just hit “Send” and you’re done!

[alarrytale]

Hands down to the anon who hit the nail with H’s semi-manufactured success because I feel the same about it.

Look, I love him deeply, I find him one of the most attractive man on earth while I never had any need to project my sexual fantasies into him (and trust me, I have done it with literally every male crush while Harry/Louis are the only exceptions). I really really wish he can show us more from his personality, be more open to us and in what he is interested. I also think he’s a little weirdo sometimes and maybe a shy introvert when he’s not feeling 100% comfortable - as much as he can be arrogant with his confident, he’s awkward sometimes and I adore him for that.

But while as much as I love him I just don’t like those charts of his popularity and his achievements, awards or how much money he made with LOT etc etc etc. Because what does it actually mean? Does it make him a better person? Does it make him a God? Does it make him immortal? No, no, no, no. It’s unpopular opinion but icons/legends has been made in the past (80’s - 00’s) because those were the times when there were something to discover and something new to create but now everything is just recycling and update of something that has been already created.

To be honest, Harry is known for his “old soul” inspirations, he’s mix of Bowie//Mercury//Elton John and his image is the same as it was with Ricky Martin or George Michael. As much as I love him I doubt people will rememeber him as much as they remember those names I wrote above in like 10-20 years. And no numbers and how much money he made won’t be remembered in the future. Look, people barely remember Backstreet Boys and Nsync now - iconic boybands without who there won’t be any 1D - while first one is active simply because of nostalgia and second one just announced a reunion and I’m curious how it will go.

Also IMO one of the reasons why he is so extremely popular is that there basically isn’t any active singe who is making music without following any trends (read that his songs go against actual trends in music) and who is willing to tour the world while fitting the het fantasies. There was Justin Bieber but is he active? No. Shawn Mendes? He isn’t active as well and who knows if his career will be the same as it was pre-pandemic. Ed Sheeran never had an image of sex god for obvious reasons. Singers like Robbie Williams or Justin Timberlake are way too old for teens. So who else is there to compete with Harry? Rest of boys from 1D as media likes to make this artificial rivality between them claiming Harry is the best one? The most popular artists right now are all females starting with our popular TS or Beyonce, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish. And they won’t take away Harry’s popularity made by het harries.

And the last note - look how popular Harry was during Grammy’s. He won the most important award while people were yelling at him during his speech because they felt Beyone should win it. And then there was that hate after on every social media. And he clearly was very uncomfortable that night because he might thought he simply doesn’t really belong there but his management made him this popular and so he had to be there and face bigger singers and their fans.

Hi, anon!

Yes, kudos to that anon for hitting the nail on the head as you say!

I wish we got to see more of his personality as well. But he needs that blank canvas for everyone to project onto and get popular. At the same time, showing so little of yourself won't get you icon status. So it's tricky. He is doing exceptionally well because of lack of competition. There will be a day where competition will come, and that's why I think they are striking while the iron is hot. I'm still not sure if they are going for longevity here. Doesn’t seem like it right now.

And yeah, the grammy's. Not good. The grammy's are all politics and the azoffs are powerful people. Harry was awkward and unprepared for that speech. He put his foot in his mouth. I cringed. The heckling from the ones yelling for Beyoncé and the social media backlash was a bad combination. I think it put some people off him. I can see their point of view. Harry needs to wise up, and the azoffs needs to stop buying him his fame and start trusting his talent. Awards, achievements, numbers and records mean nothing in the grand scheme of things if it isn't well earned.

[mightyflamethrower]

SARAH WEAVER

SOCIAL ISSUES REPORTER

October 06, 20238:36 PM ET

A “tidal wave” of detransitioners have sued their doctors over the transitions they received as minors, with many more to come, lawyers told the Daily Caller.

The law firm Campbell Miller Payne was established in 2023 by lawyers Jordan Campbell, Ron Miller, Josh Payne, and Daniel Sepulveda. The lawyers represent detransitioners in a number of high-profile cases, including Prisha Mosely and Soren Aldaco. Despite the newness of the firm, Campbell tells the Caller that they “average about one potential new client a week.”

“And that’s barely having gotten off the ground.” 

“I think, frankly, we’re at the front end of a tidal wave coming the other direction,” Campbell told the Caller, “which is part of the reason I was willing to put my career on the line and go after this.”

Aldaco sued her medical providers for performing a botched mastectomy which left her “nipples literally peeling off of her chest” in July. Mosley alleges that a doctor concluded she was undergoing a “gender identity crisis” after one visit to the emergency room regarding an episode of self-harm, despite multiple comorbidities, such as an eating disorder and depression.

The stories of detransitioners such as Aldaco and Mosley lay out a pattern of alleged medical neglect carried out by doctors who are reportedly too quick to diagnose patients with underlying mental disorders or a history of abuse with gender dysphoria. Patients are often fast-tracked, even at a young age, to irreversible sex change procedures such as cross-sex hormones, genital surgeries, and mastectomies.

“It’s just such flagrant violations of every possible standard of care, from a legal perspective of liability,” Campbell said. “So their stories are powerful because they’re the truth about what’s actually happening.”

Campbell Miller Payne was formed in 2023 by lawyers who were drawn to the stories of detransitioners they were seeing on Reddit and in the media.

“I found myself throwing my hands up and saying well somebody needs to do something I guess. And I felt like, very candidly, like God was saying, ‘hey, that’s why I showed you all this stuff.’ So I got the idea to start a firm, the only firm as I’m aware of, in the country to just represent these people.”

After recruiting Ron Miller to his legal venture, Campbell met with Daniel Sepulveda, a former NFL star with the Pittsburgh Steelers who received a law degree after retiring from the sport. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rob Gronkowski Gives Outright Hilarious ‘No’ After Question On Men In Women’s Sports)

“I just wanted to catch up with an old buddy,” Campbell explained. “So we got on the phone and I said, ‘Well, it’s interesting, here’s what I’m going to be doing.’ And he said, ‘Well I want to hear more.’ So w e talk a couple more times and he flies in later that week to meet the team and by the end of the week, he said, ‘Okay, I’m.’ And that’s how we came together.”

“I was very eager to jump all over it because it takes every criterion that I was evaluating for what God might have for me next,” Sepulveda said, “an opportunity to work with people I really enjoy working with, on a cause that had a ton of purpose and meaning behind it.”

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Hello JALEBI, how r u doing?

Want to discuss something about Barun Sobti🌝We used to see him as a very fun loving guy, his face was so innocent that it seems he didn't understand the world yet at then. Bt now whenever I see any of his pictures, videos(which is rare) he looks tired,lifeless, I can't feel any joy in him. For me(may be I am over analyzing or something) it seems, he losts the willings for living on its full. He seems as a very numb guy now. I know there is many difficulties in this world which can change people totally bt this is really very sad to see him like this🙂

I want to share one more thing(which is actually pointless) that whenever I become tooooooo much lost into Arnav, Khushi's chemistry🥺, I unwilling start to blame Barun's wife🌚. My over thinking stupid mind likes to think that, Barun's wife was jealous of Sanaya and start to pressurize Barun to quit the show. Cz it's really very foolish reason which Barun used to give. He is an actor by profession so he can't quit or blame his job in order to spend more time at home. U know, bcz he have to go to the shooting today or tomorrow. So why he would want to quit a show which was so successful,otherwise to pacify her wife🙄. Or if it was a true excuse😒, then why he continues to be an actor bcz now he has a child also!!🔥Then my mind says that,does Barun's wife is the reason for his silent mood?!🙂

Person me, if my msg shows that I'm a terrible person🙃. It's midnight, and I can barely think rightly at this hour,just wanted to share these thoughs and clr my mind so sending u this msg. U surely can ignore this msg, if it's inconvenient.😞

Again sorry to bother you

From,

Smiley Anon😁

I don’t know where to begin. First of all I have a set strict rule that -

I do not discuss actors’ personal lives here

Second, you have to draw the line at parasocial relationship. “A parasocial relationship is a long-term attachment to a media figure (a blogger, an idol, or even a politician) based on what a person “knows” or understands about that figure over time. We develop parasocial relationships based on repeated interactions with these figures on social media or on television that make them seem relatable and accessible rather than far away from us “regular” people.”

This can be good or bad. The good is that the people who likes Barun’s/Sanaya’s works bond over loving those actors capabilities.

The bad is when someone assumes their life and marriage without even knowing them in real life.

Can you make a comment about Barun not keeping the best of appearances compared to his contemporary actors (for example Arjun Bijlani)? Sure, but-

(1) Barun is a normal human being who might be going through a plethora of things (the human body and mind are extremely unique)

(2) it’s none of our damned business to figure out why he doesn’t look the way he did ten years ago with makeup and good lighting.

Maybe he has aged? Maybe he hates posing for cameras so he always looks a bit uncomfortable? Maybe he just didn’t get sleep last night? Who knows and who cares?

Also I’m baffled at you heaping blame on his wife when he has been very vocal about just how much he loves her and that she’s been the most important person in his life. Like this isn’t even an assumption. In the little he has spoken it is evident how much his marriage means to him.

Yet to override what your favorite actor says to believe a twisted version of events is… sigh c’mon don’t do that. It’s the biggest way you can disrespect the actor tbh.

Also btw Barun was working 16-18 hours a day, daily, for two-three years by the end of ipk. It’s insane. Tv actors often fall ill due to these extreme working conditions!

What he did then is what we now call a mental health break (which is when people step back from their jobs/duties for the sake of themselves and their mental health). And Barun is neither the first nor the last one to do it. There’s Prince Harry, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, Olympic human simone biles, global KPop sensation BTS, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, etc.

Also Deepika Padukone was diagnosed with depression at the height of her career.

These people have taken a pause from working because they were burned out.

Just like Barun was.

You can be curious as to how do stars get burned out, it’s their job right? Yeah but no job is fun when you don’t get a break.

Imagine being hours under hot lights, being sleep deprived and barely being home to sleep, memorizing pages after pages of lines on the day of shoot and then when you’re unable to deal with pressure you see fans commenting “oh his wife is the problem,”

I hope you have the sense to see the stupidity in this. Also burning out is an individual experience. Just because we can’t understand why a successful actor would leave a show, it doesn’t invalidate his reason!

He wanted to leave, he left. Period.

He loves acting, but not to the point where he doesn’t even see his family and is forced to play one damn character to its death.

Dude I’d give up writing fanfics if I was forced to write sixteen hours a day without a break for a year.

He got his break and he’s carefully choosing projects with proper time commitments (music videos, movies, web series).

TBH I don’t even know where this whole “blames the wife” comes from. If you love the actor, watch his interviews! He literally blames the crippled working system of TV.

Like it’s no surprise we’ve never gotten Barun and Sanaya to work together again simply considering this toxic discourse where his lovely wife is dragged in every now and then, although I don’t think it bothers them as they’ve plainly stated that multiple times.

Also he was 25/26 when he shot IPK. Trust me at that point everyone knows what the world is and they’re far from innocent. He was a fully grown man. Married with a few solid years of work experience. He knew the world well enough to prioritize his mental health and family over any money producers would throw at him.

There’s a very thin line on how to talk about the decisions you think actors are taking based on parasocial relationships with the said actors and I literally only replied to you because:

- you dismissed mental health

- you’ve been on my blog before and you’ve been very sweet

Anyways, I will not be engaging anymore in this kind of discussion.

I sincerely hope you won’t fall for these delusions any more. And if you truly love an actor, respect them. And respect includes respecting their choices and believing what they’re saying within a healthy line.

Too much of anything isn’t good. Not even IPK.

Hoping the best for you,

- jalebi

[morganupstead]

I just wanted to touch on something you’ve mentioned in a previous response, the power we have as viewers. I work in research at a TV network and networks (and probably the writers too) don’t care if you are hate watching a show or miserable, they only care that you are watching. What people are saying on social media isn’t going to change anything, in fact networks only care that you are talking about it, regardless of whether comments are good or bad. The way to get them to take notice and rethink things is to stop watching (on NBC or peacock). For me it’s an easy decision with the last episode, they have completely ruined my favorite TV character and gone against 10 years of character development. And not only can I not buy what they are trying to sell which is literally their job to make me believe the storyline, I am getting angry and depressed watching it. And yes the ratings have gone down throughout the season but that is the case for nearly every show these days (Rookie being an exception and we all know why that has been seeing atypical week to week ratings increases). PD is tied for the season’s top broadcast drama so unless it falls from that rank to say #5, it is not going anywhere anytime soon because it’s a top program in relation to its competition.

I actually appreciate your expertise in this, because a lot of what I've said in the last few days has been purely based on my own gut instincts. I know what I know from a fan's perspective and my own experience.

I think that the *hate watching* term you mentioned really sticks with me because for this entire season, I've just been watching this show like I'm going through the motions. Compared to the past I've never enjoyed this show less than I have in the last few months. Since 10x03 I felt very conflicted because it felt really jarring to just stop watching my favorite show. Despite having so much anxiety and nervousness every single Wednesday just to watch a tv show, I still continued to do it because there was a part of me (however small) that still had hope that it would get better.

Watching Voight berate Hailey every chance he gets, and her work herself down to nothing was not easy to watch for me, mostly because the idea that a woman has to bury her feelings in work in order to cope with hard times is a stereotype I'm just never going to be willing to stand by. This is like the bare minimum of things that have bothered me this season.

I think we have this mental block at times because we love this show and everything that we have seen over 10 seasons so we feel tied to it. I know it might be strange to say but when you love a show and it becomes a comfort and escape, walking away from is jarring. Even if it's hurting you more than it's helping you, and over time I've had to learn this myself.

I think I've made the decision to not watch live, at least for the time being. I will keep up here and on Twitter and maybe watch on a streamer at a later date if I feel like it but I'm not going to go out of my way to make sure I'm home to watch it anymore. The cost-benefit analysis doesn't come out in my favor right now however I manipulate the data.

Not everyone is going to make the same decision as you are me, and I think that is entirely fair. But right now I find it extremely important for everyone to really think about your power as a viewer and how you are choosing to use that power. We aren't as powerless as we are made to think we are, and we certainly have more of a choice than we remember.

[khodorkovskaya]

From now on.... men can go their own way.

Fuck men, we can all have better times with our friends anyway.

If a man sends a half arsed message or a shitty one, then shame on him for being an absolute dick head. He can fuck off. Honestly it only shows their own worth so they might feel hard done to or like theyve done nothing wrong at the end of the day, but in all honesty it's just a true reflection if them and their morals and standards. It says a lot more about them than it ever will about any of us hurt girlies.

It takes nothing to be kind, kindness is free

Friends are forever and always

yess let's gooooo

speaking of messages and how it reflects guys' morals, i wanna tell you something else really frustrating about my ex. so you know how i said that he was really bad at replying to messages, didn't care about my social media and stuff?

side note just to explain why him being on social media was so important to me: i have a food reviews account and it's a hobby of mine, it's v silly and i used to make little videos of me trying different foods. it was a whole thing and i always got a lot of comments from my friends about it. but my ex never cared! and i get it, not everyone has instagram. but i was really passionate about this food blog and put a lot of effort into the silly little videos i used to make. and id often be like "did you see my new video?" and he would sigh and roll his eyes. and then sometimes id show him my videos and he would be so annoyed. he literally had no respect! and yeah, it was all very silly and stupid, i never claimed that this food reviews blog was like deep and artistic or whatever. but it was important to me!!! he could've at least pretended that he cares, you know what i mean?

another side note: i grew up on social media so im very used to chatting to my friends all the time and posting instagram stories as i go along my day and stuff. and a part of social media culture is sending memes and funny/cute photos to people to show affection, right? like we always send things to each other like "haha this made me think of you". again, it's stupid, but it's a thing people do. and i would sometimes send him cute photos of kittens or bunnies or whatever like "hey, this is us <3" and again, he didn't care. and he never made an effort to maybe think like "huh, this is important to her, this is how she shows affection, maybe i should be a little more considerate instead of dismissing her stupid cat pictures". like it's the bare minimum!

anyway, whatever.

so back to what i wanted to say. when i left him, he suddenly started being active on social media and he would reply to my messages instantly. all of a sudden he started sending me cute photos of animals and even photos of foods to try like "hey, this would be neat for your food reviews blog". like he immediately did a 180!!! turns out showing basic human decency and basic respect towards my hobbies and communication style wasn't that hard after all, huh?

so naive little me was like "ohh maybe we could get back together". so i invite him to the cinema to test the waters, yknow. and after the movie we had a talk. and he was like "yeah, look at how much effort i put into trying to get you back these past couple of weeks". and that's when it hit me. showing interest in my hobbies is an "effort"? enjoying talking to me is an "effort"? and the way he showed that "effort" was by simply liking my instagram posts and replying to my messages in less than 24 hours. the tremendous "effort" he was talking about would take him 2 seconds of his time. and that was already more than enough and too much for him???

so yeah, the amount of effort a guy is willing to put into communicating with you really says a lot. replying to your text is too hard? double-tapping a meme you sent him is too hard? sitting through a minute long video of you is too hard? well fuck that! as you said, kindness is free. respect is free. caring for your significant other and making an effort is free! and if that's too hard? well fuck that!

[gwenvergado]

Vulnerability, One Element of Humanity: Parallelism of the Anthology “Lockdown Litanies: Countless Untold Stories” to the different song genres

An Essay by Ma. Gwyneth Adrielle M. Vergado

Hoarding. Quarantine. Social Distancing. Hearing these words never fails to bring my memories back to March 2020. Wherein the Covid ’19 is about to spread here in the Philippines. I can say that this is a kind of bumpy ride. This so-called “lockdown” changes us, physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally. The sad reality of this, many of us have an untold story related to lockdown. Some enjoyed the lockdown, but many suffered. Whatever your side is, as an individual, you still have a rant or maybe you heard or read some stories regarding lockdown wherein you can secretly relate, just like this collection of Poems entitled “Lockdown Litanies: Countless Untold Stories.”

The first poem entitled “Dear Diary,” emphasizes the suffering of teenagers during the lockdown. It’s hard to see the world stopped, but the changes in us happen quickly. The lines “Barely breathing. Deeply drowning. I was told of a place where pain flees to nothingness. I’d like to disappear too in the darkness,” shows that many people have been through a lot of problems, sad to say some weren't able to make it through. I associate this poem with the song entitled “The neighbourhood“ by Softcore. The song has the line “Are we too young for this? Feels like I can't move,” that shows that even younger ones like me have a battle, a battle that I am too young to fight with, and I have to fight it alone since we are in the middle of lockdown. No physical backup from friends and colleagues, but at least I have my kind of diary, social media, and online friends. Though not having physical backup from people outside our household. In addition, I chose to connect that song in the poem “Dear Diary” because for me it explained the experience of the teenager or every person who has a problem in life very well. We all know a lot of us are experiencing being stressed, experiencing panic attacks, some are confused, and having a lot of problems in life during those days or even today. For me as a teenager, it's just sad how our generation is having so many problems in life.

The second poem “The Tale of a Modern Sisyphus” mainly focused on reducing the burden by not carrying the burden alone. Sometimes, as an individual, we fail to appreciate the people that surround us and are willing to help and support us, just like what is being said in the poem, “To the human condition, we are not inherently alone. A burden is less felt when carried together. Yielding a boulder collectively on our shoulders.” A song expressing how having someone in our life is important. A song with the line, “So maybe it's true, that I can't live without you” is entitled “ Two is Better Than One” by Boys Like Girls and Taylor Swift. This song can remind us that it’s actually okay to ask for help and that is much better if we can help others.

Have you ever wondered if the people you treasured the most will remember you for the rest of their lives? A prose poem included in Lockdown Litanies entitled “O’ Yayi” shows how possible it is that someone that we love the most, can forget us someday. I can relate this poem to the song “August” by Taylor Swift because this song is for the people who are showing their true love to the person they really love, where the person is willing to do anything and everything, willing to take a risk even without the assurance of the person they loved. I assumed that in this poem Yayi, the wife of the writer, is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, a condition wherein people will lose some of their memory. The sad part of this poem, Yayi doesn't remember her husband but he remembers Dante. The husband is scared that in the next life, Yayi will choose Dante as you can see in this line, ”if ever I run out of time here and reach the other side, whose arms would you run back again, mine or Dante’s?” This line shows that spending our time or even our lives with us doesn’t guarantee that we’re the only ones. Yes, we might be the chosen ones, but we are not always the first ones. Taylor Swift once said in one of her songs, “But I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, 'Cause it was never mine,” this means that sometimes there’s a big part of their lives that is being held and kept by someone and that someone, is not always us.

On the other hand, “Two Red Laces on the Wonderwall” the fourth poem in Lockdown Litanies shows how grateful the writer is for having someone willing to share their life with but suddenly died. The poem has the line “But you felt like home, where I belong, Two red laces are woven on a wall” which means being safe and secured with the person. That being in love is not just the romance and the butterflies in the stomach that we can feel, but it is also about the security we can feel from that person. I chose to relate this poem to the song of Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers” which says, “I hope that I see the world as you did 'cause I know, A life with love is a life that's been lived.” A song that reminds us that we should be grateful for all the endless love that we received and keep receiving, and this love is the love of God, that not all surrenders are a sign of defeat, because it’s also a sign that we are trusting.

As we speak about love, the fifth poem “Umbilical” discusses the upcoming birth of a child. A poem from the point of view it was very difficult to give birth, the mother of the author died. “The pain she suffered just for me to see Lilom, Lilom, I beg. Spare her for me,” It means that the child seems to be under his/her mother. If the mother dies, the child will also choose to die because the child won't be able to handle it. Personally, I do relate to the point of view of the poem because we all know that living without a mom is very hard. But, not everyone has that kind of mindset, some of the children are going to choose to be strong for their mother. In addition, Enduring the pain during pregnancy is undeniably hard. That’s why I will be relating this poem to the song entitled “Tears in Heaven.”by Eric Clapton. The song has a line, “I must be strong, And carry on, 'Cause I know I don't belong, Here in heaven.” A line that shows eagerness to live and continue living. That we must be strong so others can live and sometimes, sacrifices are not always needed, because what we need the most is to be strong.

Moving on, P!nk in one of her songs entitled “What About Us?” once said, “What about us? What about all the plans that ended in disaster?” a song with a lot of questions and queries... And I could relate this song to the sixth poem of Lockdown Litanies “RE: Paper (I’m Red, IMRaD)*” a poem that talks about the poor education system in the Philippines. From questioning the K-12 Curriculum, “Parents are certain, K to 12 is a burden,” to lack of resources but expecting too much, “To squeeze resources from thinking hats and pockets, To produce something sterling from bare minimum.” Indeed the Department of Education has an excellent goal for the learners but has a hazy vision for implementation. Discussing the poor quality of education, the major victims of this situation are the students and the seventh poem of the Lockdown Litanies expresses the idea of the suffering of the students and is entitled. In addition, I related this song to the “RE: Paper (I’m Red, IMRaD)*” because for me, there are so many students and parent are asking the same question “What about us?” Just because some of them are not financially stable. I believe that the K-12 curriculum is not beneficial for all because some students are capable of studying, but some of them are not because they want to help their parents financially so that instead of studying they find a job just to help their parents.

For the seventh poem, The “3 A.M. Awakening ”, This poem shows how to pull yourself together during the toughest times and darkest days. A reminder that there’s always a way for us even simple breathing can save us and pull us from desolation. A song by Coldplay has the same thought, in a world full of struggles and failures and never-ending disappointments, there are still ways to help ourselves, this is entitled “ Fix you.” In our toughest times and darkest days, there’s still a “Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you.” As I grow older, I can see massive changes in how society is more accepting the fact that women nowadays are empowered. For me as a person, everyone should think that it's okay to fail but don't forget that at the end of the day that failure or mistakes is the biggest lesson in our lives and there are always better days ahead. Personally, I do relate to this poem and also to the song because I always try my very best just not to make a mistake but I suddenly realize that everyone learns from their mistakes. Every mistake or disappointment is helping us to be better, grow stronger and smarter to help ourselves now and in the future.

Being empowered can be considered as beautiful but in the poem included in Lockdown Litanies, “My Frail Lady“ shows the beauty behind vulnerability. That it’s not always the strong ones who are attractive. “Such a frail, frail lady Bookkeeps her internal screams. Soon she will be found—” a line from “My Frail Lady,” that makes me assume that all the unspoken pain and thoughts will someday find their way to be discovered. And having this kind of vulnerability doesn’t mean that you’re not empowered. It means that you’re aware of your limits and awareness is also a form of empowerment. A song entitled “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston expresses the same view. The song goes, “See it's very defined. you're one of a kind. but you mash up my mind, you have to get declined,” and it shows that it’s not always about the physical aspect and being strong, but it’s all about accepting your truth.

These poems are full of symbolism, figures of speech, and many gimmicks which leads to my perception that this compilation is full of mysteries. Just like the last poem in Lockdown Litanies the “Major Arcana.” It’s ironic how a poem can describe a mystery. This poem talks about the struggles that an individual might encounter while achieving their goals and dreams. It emphasizes the mystery of our future, that even though we don’t know what’s going to happen we still choose to take the risk. “And so you went in wonder and surprise, for you have seen what lies ahead, through your palm into my eyes.” These lines might pertain that we are taking risks because we already envisioned our future selves. I can relate this to the song “The Climb”, a song by Miley Cyrus that talks about how achieving dreams is not going to be easy. “The Climb” has the line “Always gonna be an uphill battle, Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.” Showing that people who are trying, striving, and taking risks do not always succeed but at the end of the day, they still learned something during the process.

In conclusion, “Lockdown Litanies: Countless Untold Stories” is not even the surface of the struggles and stories of people during the Lockdown. I am going to associate this whole compilation with the word Vulnerability. Even the strongest people that we know were challenged during the lockdown, which means that all of us have faced hardships during this process. Some of us managed to survive, but some didn’t. Many people are able to express or share their stories, but some are just writing it down just like the writers of “Lockdown Litanies: Countless Untold Stories.”

[therealvinelle]

I've always wondered this, but what do you think the Cullen's political viewpoints would be, given their individual backgrounds? if vampires don't change after they turn, then surely they would all be extremely racist (especially Jasper). would this not come up at some point? they aren't like the Volturi because the Volturi are too old to care, but the Cullens are young enough that they have been brought up with opinions on stuff like sexism, racism, homophobia and the like.

Oh fuck.

You get an early answer because otherwise I'll just chicken out and delete this one, pretend I never saw it.

UMMM.

Since I'm guessing you meant American political viewpoints, we need a disclaimer. I am not American, and not too knowledgeable about your politics. Not just in the sense that I don't follow the day-to-day drama, but as I am not an American citizen there are several things I don't know, can't know because I've never lived in your country and therefore can't know what the effects of living in a country ruled by American policies is like. What I do know is based off of the news in the foreign section, social media (by which I mean tumblr posts), and Trevor Noah's Daily Show.

I am an outsider looking in.

Which is really rather appropriate, since the Cullens are too.

The Cullens go to high school and college, Carlisle works, they pay taxes, they own real estate, and submerge themselves in American culture. Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Bella are young enough that this is in many ways their world, and apart from timeouts they've more or less spent their entire lives, human and vampire, integrated into American society.

Not fully integrated, mind you, they do what they need to to fit in and get to school or, in Carlisle’s case, to work. They go no further. No extra-curriculars for the kids, no book clubs for Esme, no game nights for Carlisle. They walk parallel to humans, not among us.

In addition to this they're obscenely rich, which puts them another thousand miles from the experiences of your average American. They won't deal with the health system, which means healthcare is a non-issue, they're not going to need welfare or other social programs, unemployment is another non-issue. Name your issue, and the Cullens don't have personal stake in it. Even the climate crisis won't be a problem for them the way it will for us.

What I'm trying to say is, American political issues are a concept to them, not a lived reality. Just like they are for me. So hey, you made a great choice of blog to ask.

I'll also add here that you say the Volturi are too old to care, and I agree- from an ancient's point of view, racism is a matter of "which ethnicity are we hating today?", and it all looks rather arbitrary after a while. Same with every other issue - after a while it all just blends together into "what are the humans fighting over today? Which Christian denomination is the correct one? Huh. Good for them, I guess."

I can't put it any better than this post did, really. The Volturi are real people, humans are nerds and tumblr having Loki discourse. Aro thinks it's delightful and knows entirely too much about Watergate (and let's be real, Loki discourse as well), but the point I wanted to get at is that politics really don't matter to vampires.

And I don't think they matter to the Cullens either.

So, moving on to the next point while regretting I didn't put headlines in this post, I'll just state that I don't think vampires' minds are frozen. Their brains are unable to develop further, and they can never forget anything, but... well, this isn't the post for that, but in order for this to be true of vampires they would barely be sentient. They would not be able to process new impressions, to learn new things, nor to have an independent thought process. Yes, we see vampires in-universe (namely, Edward, who romanticizes himself and vampires) believe they're frozen and can never change, but there is no indication that this is a widespread belief, or even true. Quite the contrary - Carlisle went from a preacher's son who wanted to burn all the demons to living in Demon Capital for decades and then becoming a doctor and making a whole family of demons. Clearly, the guy has had a change in attitude over the years. Jasper, in his years as a newborn army general, slowly grew disenchanted with his life and developed depression. James initially meant to kill Victoria and hunted her across the earth, then became fascinated and changed his mind about it.

Had these people been incapable of change, Carlisle would still be hating demons, Jasper would be in Maria's army, and James would still be hunting Victoria.

It goes to follow, then, that they are able to adapt to new things.

The question is, would they?

Here I finally answer your question.

So, we have these people who don't really have any kind of stake in politics, who keep up to date all the same (or are forcibly kept up to date because high school) and are generally opinionated people.

Where do they then fall, politically?

(And this is where you might want to stop reading, anon, because I'm about to eviscerate these people.)

Alice votes for whoever's gonna win. She also makes a fortune off of betting each election. Trump's 1 to 10 victory in 2016 was a great day to be Alice. MAGA!

The actual policies involved are completely irrelevant, she does this because it's fun. Election means she gets to throw parties. Color coded parties for the Republican and Democratic primaries, and US-themed parties for Election Night! (Foreigner moment right here: I at first wrote "Election wake" before realizing that's not what y'all murricans call it.)

Alice loves politics. Doesn't know the issues, but she sure loves politics.

Bella votes Democrat. She actually knows about the issues, and cares about them. This girl is a Democrat through and through.

Carlisle doesn't vote. I can't imagine it feels right. Outside of faked papers he's not a US citizen, this is meddling in human affairs that he knows don't concern him.

More, this guy has never lived in a democracy.

In life, Carlisle lived under an absolute monarchy that, upon civil war, became an absolute theocracy. From there he learned that vampires live under a total dictatorship.

For the first 150 years of his life, democracy was that funky thing the Athenians did in history books thousands of years ago, no more relevant to him than the Ancient Egyptian monarchy is to me. Then the Americans, and later other European countries started doing this.

Good for them.

There's this mistake often made by those who view history from a... for lack of a better term, a solipsistic standpoint. A belief that the present day is the culmination of all of history. “My society is the best society, the most reasonable society; all the others had it backwards. Thank god we’re living in this enlightened age!”

The faith in our current system of government is one such belief. We (pardon me if this doesn’t apply to everybody reading this post) have grown up in democracies, being told this is the ultimate form of rule, and perhaps that is true - but remember the kings who have told their subjects they had were divine and the best possible ruler based on that. Remember also that most modern democracies haven’t actually been democracies for very long at all, America is the longest standing at some 230 years (not long at all in the grand scope of things) and they have a fracturing two-party system to show for it.

Every society, ever, has been told they’re the greatest, and their system of government the most just. Democracy is only the latest hit.

This is relevant to Carlisle because he’s immortal and decidedly not modern. Democracy has not been installed in him the way it was the rest of the Cullens, Jasper included. To him- well, it’s just not his world. He has no stakes in our human politics, and as he is older than every current democracy and has seen quite a few of them fall, he’s not going to internalize the democratic form of rule the way a modern human has.

I think the concept of voting is foreign to him.

It requires a level of participation in human society that he’s simply not at. He does the bare minimum to appear human so he do the work he loves, but nothing more, and I find that telling.

As it is I think he'd be iffy about his family doing it. He won’t stop them, but in voting they’re... well it’s kind of cheating. They’re not really citizens, none of this will affect them, and by voting they’re drowning out the votes of real human voters. He does not approve.

Edward votes Democrat. He's... well he’s the kind of guy who will oil a girl’s bedroom window so he can more easily watch her sleep without being discovered, justifying it to himself as being okay because if she were to tell him to get lost he’d stop immediately. Same guy is so sure that he’d leave and never return again if she wanted him to, except this is the man who returned to Forks to hang around his singer, knowing there was a significant chance he might kill her. To say nothing of his Madonna/Whore complex, or of the fact that he tried to pimp out his wife twice, and was willing to forcibly abort her child.

This guy is very much in love with chivalry, with being an enlightened and feminist man who supports and respects women, while not understanding the entire point of feminism, which is female liberation.

He votes Democrat because he’s such an enlightened feminist who cares about women’s rights.

Emmett doesn’t care to vote, but if he has to he votes Republican. The guy is from the 1930′s, and has major would-be-the-uncle-who-cracks-racist-jokes-if-he-was-older vibes.

Esme doesn’t vote, that would require getting out of the house.

More, I just... can’t see it. I can’t see her being one to read up on politics and The Issues, period, but if she has to then I doubt she’d be able to decide.

Jasper doesn’t vote. Alice can have her fun, he does not care.

There’s also the whole can of worms regarding the last time he went to bat for American politics.

I imagine he stays out of this.

Renesmée doesn't vote. She has no stock in the human affairs. Who would she vote for, on what grounds? When Bella tries to pull her to the urns, she points out that she's three years old.

Rosalie, guys, I’m sorry, but that girl is definitely gonna vote Republican. Perhaps not right now as it’s become the Trump party of insanity, but the Mitt Romney type of Republicans? Oh yes.

And for the record, yes I imagine she does vote. To step back from politics would be another way she was relinquishing her humanity, and that’s not allowed to happen. So, yes, she goes to the urns, less for the sake of the politics involved and more because like this, she’s still a part of society in some way.

Now, onto why I think she’s Republican, I think it’s both fiscal and social.

This girl was the daughter of a banker who somehow profited off of the Depression, and who then became part of a family with no material needs that would soon become billionaires thanks to Alice. Poverty to Rosalie is a non-issue, as it is I imagine she views it as a much lesser issue than what she’s had to deal with. The humans can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Rosalie’s infertility is forever.

Rosalie’s empathy is strongest when she’s able to project onto others, and she won’t be able to project onto the less fortunate at all.

Then there’s the fact that the Republican party is all about traditional family values, and pro-life.

Rosalie, a woman from the 1930′s who idolizes her human life and who‘d love nothing more than to get to live out this fantasy, is down for that. And as of Breaking Dawn she’s vocally pro-life, so there’s that.

This all being said I don’t think Rosalie cares to sit down and fully understand these politics she’s voting for, the possible impact they’ll have- that’s not important. What’s important is what voting does for her.

TL;DR: I bet anon regrets asking.