hey guyyyys guess what :) um. porn bots are starting to wizen up now. the one i just caught still doesn't have a convincing tag, but not only do they have an semi-'realistic' icon and a banner, but they also have a header and bio that conveys realism

and not just that, but they also have a pinned post full of selfies that (while strange sight for a veteran tumblr user), seem very convincing for a tumblr newbie

their smoking gun was the same one that it was with the old vet bill scam posts from last year; go into their archives and see how long they've been posting for.

just this month, huh? interesting. at the very least all the posts weren't reblogged on the same day minutes apart from each other, but one week or so's worth of posts and nothing else isn't any less suspicious.

they've been burring their sexually explicit posts beneath more innocent looking ones. unfortunately, that means we're gonna have to be more alert than we already were. haven't seen anyone bring this up yet, so figured i would

People be like "it's OK to take a break from everything!!" without realising that it's not a break for fans who were following the french ccs. It's a permanent leave.

Like, imagine that your favorite egg(s) and cc(s) left because of mismanagement overnight. Really, imagine it for a second. Your faves don't show up anymore. Quackity doesn't even acknowledge they're gone despite the fault lying on his studio. Imagine having to "take a break" after that. Truly put yourself in our shoes for a second.

You need to realise that right now, "Taking a break" feels more like "accepting that we're being kicked out without a word"

It is. Deeply. Deeply. Frustrating. Especially since the problems in question were consistently pointed out by fans and ccs.

Also, for the record, I DID try to take a break. And then literally the next day Pomme's and Dapper's admins left. So yeah I'm done waiting. I want solutions to the problems we've been screaming about for months.

If not for us, then at least for the rest of you.

Sorry if you think im being impatient. That i don't give Quackity enough grace. But the problem with the integration of the french community started day one. It's normal for us fans to assume the best, to assume that surely, those were just one-off errors and that they were being resolved behind the scene. But it's not normal for Quackity to do the same.

How tf did Quackity let it slide for so long without investigating the cause? Did he even notice/care that we were consistently left out? How did he not know that Lumi was the only french admin on the team? Why did he seemingly not talk to any of the admins in private even ONCE in an entire year ?

Say what you want, that he's young, that he's overwhelmed, that he never managed such a big team, that he blindly trusted the management he put in place, all that is true... but that doesn't erase the fact that he himself took these risks. It's his own fault for creating such an ambitious server without the necessary skills to oversee every aspect of it. And im sorry if his mental health takes a toll because of this situation but it is NOT hate to point these facts out.

Mike understanding Will vs. Mike being oblivious

Evidence that Mike knows what Will is talking about in the van:

Will: "I didn't say it", Mike: "You didn't have to" - You're telling me that after they say this, Will is now going to have to spell out his feelings for Mike to understand? They wrote this line for a reason.

Mike has always been very emotionally aware of Will. We see that this season at the skating rink when it seems like Mike is ignoring him. He lists all these things Will's done (rolling his eyes, etc.). He pays attention to Will. We've seen this in past seasons, too. The only time he was shown to not be aware of Will's feelings was briefly in season 3 was when him and Lucas were making fun of him over D&D. The second Mike realizes he actually hurt him, he runs after him to apologize and he never does this again. Mike was so busy pretending to be all grown up and like Lucas he missed what was happening with Will. But he figures it out quickly and fixes it.

Will: "You make her feel like she's not a mistake". Will says this line when he's giving Mike the painting and pretending his feelings are El's. Mike knows this isn't true. Him and El had a fight in Lenora and El said "You looked at me like I'm a monster". This fight happened a few days before Will says this. Mike didn't forget. He knows what they fought about. He knows he makes El feel like a monster because she told him.

Mike: "I care for you so much". This line is so platonic and self-aware. She wants him to tell her he loves her and deliberately avoids saying it. He knows what she wants him to say. He blurted out he loves her at the end of season 3, makes a confused face after he says it, tries to awkwardly talk to her and explain that he loves her while avoiding saying the word and confuses her in the process. Then when she brings it up later, he pretends like he doesn't remember and says "that was just heat of the moment stuff". She says it back to him and he's confused and doesn't respond. Then he spends the next several months avoiding saying it the letters he writes her. This is again, very self-aware. It would be very easy to write this. Especially if he already said it out loud. He recognized at the end of 3 that he didn't mean it and didn't say it again.

He throws away 2 of her letters that we see. It's implied he isn't keeping them.

He flirts with Will twice in Lenora. Not to mention how flirty they were at the end of season 3 when they are packing up they Byer's things.

Mike's emotional intelligence has been on display several times throughout the series. Not only does he take care of Will but they have many heart-to-heart conversations where he is empathetic and understanding. He listens to Will. But we also see him do this a little with El in season 1. When they first find her he acknowledges that she's scared and gives her a place to stay and food. He didn't have to do this. It shows emotional maturity. He is aware of other peoples feelings. He doesn't register that Lucas is jealous of the time he's spending with her because he is honestly not spending a lot of time with her. I just rewatched season 1. Their time together is limited. So when Dustin calls him oblivious for not realizing why Lucas was jealous, it really just doesn't add up logically with what was actually happening. Which is why Mike doesn't register this. It's not obliviousness. Dustin and Lucas are misinterpreting the situation.

He looks like he's in physical pain giving his I love you monologue to El. He is more than capable of listing things he likes about a person. There is a reason Will calls him the heart. He connects emotionally to people (Will specifically) but he can't do that with El. He knows he is lying. All of his behavior up until this point suggests he knows this.

Him and El aren't speaking at the end and are rolling their eyes at each other. He isn't even attempting to talk to her. If he believed anything he said he wouldn't be acting like this. He would be trying to talk to her or comfort her when she's clearly upset. When they get to the cabin he just completely ignores her and walks ahead and leaves her behind at the car without a second glance back. This isn't obliviousness and a lack of emotional awareness. We see him 2 minutes later talking to Will and telling him she's upset she lost and then comforting Will about Henry. He knows and understands what people are feeling and what the correct responses are to emotional situations. He doesn't comfort El because he doesn't want to and he knows she doesn't want him to. He is aware of this. She's rolling her eyes at him, too. The only time they aren't stand offish with each other is at the hospital. She leans her head on his shoulder in a very Harry and Hermione like way. He lets her. It's what she needs in the moment. He's not confused by this or shoving her off. (Edit: I want to add here that Will is crying after he gives Mike the painting and Mike sees him. Why would Will be crying if he's talking about El's feelings? If Mike believes what Will is saying is actually El than he would have asked about what upset him because it doesn't add up. Will wouldn't be crying over another couples feelings. It only makes sense if he's crying about his own. Mike doesn't ask him what's wrong because he knows. He knows Will just confessed and it was hard for him so he doesn't have to ask. He also can't say what he wants to say with other people in the car so he gives Will space. Also just look at Mike's face in this scene. It says everything you need to know. Especially when you compare it to his face during his monologue to El. He's so happy when Will is talking to him and he never looks at El like that.)

Evidence that Mike is oblivious:

Mike is never actually SHOWN to be oblivious, we just have characters saying that he is. Dustin and Lucas say it in reference to the way that he acts TOWARD EL. Not towards Will. He doesn't respond to El the way that someone who has a crush on her does which is why they say he is oblivious. He doesn't act like a boyfriends is supposed to so they help him. They are realizing he isn't acting that way for a reason. Mike has never be called oblivious in reference to Will.

Finn says Mike is oblivious and clueless. Of course he does. He can't say that he knows what Will is talking about. It's a spoiler. I don't know why people take these interviews so seriously. The actors can't say anything. They frequently say things that aren't true because they were instructed to. Interviews are to promote the show. And the audience is in the dark about Mike's feelings so he can't say more than this. The oblivious excuse is so easy. It allows people to dismiss a lot of other things that are going on. It's superficial. But the show is never what it seems on the surface. They like to show and not tell. So if they are TELLING us that Mike is oblivious, then we need to pay attention to what they are SHOWING us. They have never shown us that he has no idea what's going on. They have shown us the opposite. It's a misdirect. They want people believing he's oblivious so that when they show us the truth it's completely unexpected. Most of the audience has the wrong perception of him. And honestly, a lot of the insistence that Mike is oblivious is coming from people who desperately want him to have romantic feelings for El at some point even if they think Byler is endgame. I don't understand this need for these two to be romantically involved. There is the bare minimum being done with the way they interact. They are being intentionally written to not understand each other or be good for each other and it's been consistent since the beginning. Just because one is a boy and one is a girl and they are cute kids doesn't mean they need to be crushing on each other. It isn't being SHOWN.

Waiting for Love

Pairing : Cyno x Gn!reader

Synopsis : Cyno unintentionally neglects reader due to being busy.

Warning : angst, no comfort

You knew better that dating General Mahamatra came with its dangers and risks.

However, you still chose to continue dating him, even though you were well aware of how dangerous his job can be.

For instance, if his enemies were to find out about you, they might be bold enough to break into your house at night, especially knowing that Cyno is busy and won't be there to protect you.

Yet, you loved Cyno and were willing to endure all the dangers just to continue loving him.

He was a man worth loving, even if he was initially reserved. All it required was patience, and he would eventually warm up to you.

However, you couldn't deny how much you hated his job. It took away all the time you could spend with him.

When was the last time he came home to check up on you, saying he missed you? It felt like months had passed, and you missed his warmth.

You also stopped receiving letters from him, with the last one arriving three months ago. It felt like an eternity since then.

You heard that a friend of his, Tighnari, had been receiving letters from him, but when you visited Tighnari and asked about them, he refused to disclose any information.

This made you feel restless and worried.

"When is he coming back?" you randomly questioned the fennec fox, whose long ears perked up upon hearing your question.

"Time will tell," he bluntly replied.

You sighed. "What about that letter he..."

"[Name], we've had this conversation several times, and as I've already told you, I cannot disclose any information."

"But why not? He's my boyfriend, isn't he?" you said, feeling annoyed and anxious at the same time.

He was about to say something, but when he looked up to address you, you had already left.

That night, you cried yourself to sleep. Was he cheating? You didn't want to believe it, but it might be true.

Especially since he chose to send letters to Tighnari instead of you, his lover.

You had been waiting for months, your patience unwavering until now. You grew tired of waiting for him, feeling completely exhausted.

As far as you knew, all you could do was hope that he was happy, even if it meant you weren't by his side.

Thanks for reading !

Špancirfest and Joker Out: Interview with Kris for Radio Maribor's 'Musical radiogram'

On 1.09.2023, Slovenian radio station Radio Maribor broadcasted a program about Špancirfest in Varaždin, where Joker Out opened for Franz Ferdinand. The program also featured an interview with Kris Guštin, which you can listen to in the audio file above, or at this direct link from 28:30 to 38:00.

English translation below:

This is the radio show 'Glasbeni radiogram' ('Musical radiogram') in which we checked how our Eurovision representatives are doing. A few months after Eurovision we saw them on the main stage of a Croatian music festival "Špancirfest" where they performed as the opener for the group Franz Ferdinand. We spoke to the guitarist, Kris Guštin.

Kris, today I caught you at the concert in Varaždin, how are you feeling after the concert?

Kris: Well, I'll say unbelievable, for multiple reasons. Because, well, for us it's always surprising and an honour when we come abroad, even if it's just across the border, that people come to our concert and especially that they sing our songs in Slovene. It's incredible, on the other hand, this is the first time we opened for a... global name, global stars. Up until now we were openers only for Yugoslavian bands, which is of course an honour on its own, but today was the first time we introduced ourselves as an international opener. So a great memory for sure.

Have you met Elvis Costello in person or only through a video chat?

Kris: Unfortunately only through video chat, I'm pretty sure that since the collaboration happened he hasn't crossed the Atlantic ocean, so there hasn't been any time.

It seems that after thirty years, this border for musicians between Slovenia and Croatia finally opened.

Kris: Yes, it seems so, although we don't want to say too much right now because everything is still new. We need to know how this is going to work in the long run, but we couldn't be on a better track right now and that's what's currently guiding us.

In Croatia you have two concerts coming up in Zagreb, concerts in Rijeka... it seems as if this concert in Varaždin is the perfect springboard for Croatia.

Kris: It's true, we've never preformed in this part of Croatia, but I'd say the perfect springboard for us was at Šalata in Zagreb, where we opened for Buč Kesidi. I'd maybe say that it wasn't so much of a physical springboard, but it did change our perspective, as we saw and realized for the first time that we can attract an audience in Croatia and can afford to have a concert such as Tvornica kulture, which was something we were scared to do before.

With Slovene lyrics?

Kris: Also with Slovene lyrics. We do currently play all of our songs in Slovene, except for the two songs which are already in Serbian

It seems like yesterday when we played your song for the first time on Radio Maribor. A few months later you won at the festival Frišno/Fresh. This year Frišno/Fresh is coming back, but this journey has been, there are no other words than just unbelievable, dreamy.

Kris: By all means, the first Frišno/Fresh was a nice memory for us. At that time, our song was performed by a big band for the first time. Winning was a great honour as well, of course. I can also say that just today I voted for new nominations for Frišno/Fresh.

Should we reveal who you voted for?

Kris: I mean, I don't have any reservations about it if you don't. I voted for our really good friends and excellent musicians, MRFY, because 'Tobogan' ('Slide') was definitely one of the best songs from last year.

I talked to your audio engineer, Sandi, about how concerts at home or close to home are different from those abroad. You were in England, concerts in Sweden and elsewhere in Northern Europe are still to come.

Kris: I am going to say that the audience abroad is different in the sense that even if they don't know you, they gladly and really quickly give you a chance and they listen to you. If you have something to give, they figure it out quickly and they take it. On the other hand, maybe we dare to do more on stage, we go out of our comfort zone, because we are put in an unknown situation and it brings out our animalistic side, our more energetic selves.

A lot of times it seems that the home audience can act stepmotherly.

Kris: Well, not on our concerts. I think that for us, Slovene audience is always great and irreplaceable, for sure. I can't really say which one is my favourite, each has their own charm.

Now a guitar question, we are both guitarists. Sandi told me that when you are abroad, a long way from home, you rent at least the amplifiers. But playing on your own amplifier is still the best, no?

Kris: Definitely, performing when we can provide all of our gear is the best. This is sadly not possible abroad because of the flights. But we are lucky to be playing on relatively standard gear, which we can get anywhere in Europe and everywhere really. These are Fender, Vox amps and Ampeg for the bass, so it's not like we are suffering abroad because of this.

You could say classic gear, for a modern sound.

Kris: Yeah, we've always kind of gone from retro, from retro stuff, to modern sound.

You're about to play a sold-out concert in Stožice; Stožice may seem like a small milestone from the outside, when you've already conquered international stages.

Kris: Maybe it looks like that at this point, but we definitely don't see it that way. Stožice is the biggest thing an artist can achieve in Slovenia, apart from the Bežigrad stadium, which is unfortunately no longer available.* And the fact that at our age, at a relatively young age, as a young band, we managed to sell out this venue, is an incredible achievement for us, regardless of what's happening abroad. It's a great honour and for two, three months now, since I've realized that it's coming around the corner any minute now, I've been waiting impatiently for the moment when we can finally go on stage.

You yourself grew up in Ljubljana or close to Ljubljana. What would it really mean to you, to perform in the Bežigrad stadium?

Kris: There has been talk for years about its revitalisation, the reopening of the stadium, especially for cultural events. It really is such an iconic place, where, let's say, world famous names have performed, but also Slovenian ones. In fact, the Bežigrad stadium is of particular importance to me, because I don't just come from Ljubljana, I come from Bežigrad, and the Bežigrad stadium is definitely the most important symbol of our city's district. We are all very attached to it. And I have to say that I feel really, really sad because for us, for me and for Bojan, who are proud to call Bežigrad home, there is no longer an option for us to perform there.

If you were here today as a listener, and not as Kris Guštin, if you were just a listener from Bežigrad, who would you come to listen to, Franz Ferdinand or Joker Out?

Kris: Yes, definitely Franz Ferdinand. I've asked myself that a number of times. If I had heard us play, and I weren't in the band, whether I would have liked it or not. When we make music I love it, but you never know what it would be like on the other side. Franz Ferdinand are, of course, a legendary band, even if we didn't really listen to them that much, they've influenced our sound because they're one of the main creators of the British sound of the twenty-first century.

Franz Ferdinand are, I mean, famous, but with every new album, even though they haven't released a new album for five years, still modern; despite, let's say, adding an electronic sound, they're still authentic and you can still hear their sound, can't you? How do musicians manage this? Your third album is coming up soon. How to maintain your sound, but still be progressive, different, modern?

Kris: It's hard for me to give one single answer to that, because I don't really know myself, what is the deciding factor. I think it's easier to stay true to what you've always done, and it's harder to upgrade it every new album, every new cycle. We're always trying to push ourselves out of our shell, out of our comfort zone, with every new single, with every new album, that represents a new chapter in our sound. And here we are, we were in the studio two weeks ago, and we recorded a new single, which is going to be quite different from the previous tracks, and we've also indulged in some new instruments.

Kris, thank you.

Kris: Of course, thanks to you too.

*Bežigrad is one of Ljubljana's districts. The stadium in Bežigrad is the oldest stadium in Ljubljana, built by famous architect Jože Plečnik, and used to host Slovenian national football team's matches, as well as musical and other events. It's in need of renovation, but due to disputes about the current owner's renovation plans, it has been closed and falling apart since 2008. In 2003, Slovenian band Siddharta famously performed a concert there for an audience of about 30,000 people (in comparison, the Stožice arena has a capacity of about 12,000 people).

Translation cr: drumbeat, @joyridinglove, and another member of jokeroutsubs

You're right about speaking up thing. I remember that time when that bangtan bomb or whatever that is dropped from the day of BTS's at white house and im the video they used a word which is actually used by jm's korean antis so kpjms got mad and others explained that things to international pjms and then we started tagging them and trending. I was in jkkrs space more than pjms back then but i still used to follow some pjms and when we got to know all pjms and jkkrs i know we were tagging them asking them to correct the subtitles and hrs later they changed the subtitles and since that day i know that if something is wrong you gotta speak up. There's this account on twitter @/NoabsNolife something they're either a k-pjm or they do translation and all, i have been following them for yrs now and from that account i actually got to know about them using anti word in subtitle. I remember many armys saying it's not a big deal and trying to shut us down but we didn't listen and made them change the subtitles.

We have done that multiple times, the recent one was how they made jm look insecure in that BTS game and we made them change the subtitles and they even apologized for using those.

About the RIAA idk if it's because of the trucks or not cause kpjms sent those trucks just 15-20 days before ig and this RIAA certification thing takes atleast a month(idk how true that is but i read it on twitter during jk's RIAA). But i as a pjm do not at all feel emabrrased for the truck thing. Atleast we're asking for clarification and not why our fav is dating xyz so I'm not at all embarassed no matter what others say.

Embarrassing companies and putting them on the spot has always seemed to me like the most logical thing to do idk 😭

We literally got abortion rights in my country by protesting and demanding for it.. I'd say historically everyone has had to ask for their rights.

I know this kpop thing is not even close to being as important as human rights, but my point is... Whole laws get approved because people complain and protest. It does make a difference.

Of course, yeah, nobody really knows if it was because of the trucks or not. I think most people (me included) are just connecting the two events because they happened in more or less around the same days; another song getting the certification (which meant that the company was asking for those only for one member), and the trucks. Because the truth is that we've also asked for other stuff and they didn't comply with that, so. Maybe it was because of the trucks, maybe not.

They definitely didn't do it before getting Jungkook's, and we know why. That in itself is problematic, even if it happened now; it should've happened earlier. As someone pointed out a while ago, Jimin gets his song on Spotify #1 and the versions get split. Another member is given MORE versions added together so he can get that #1.

It's not embarrassing, especially considering that there really aren't many ways for the fandom to get in touch with the company. Mailing doesn't work. Tagging didn't work. Trending hashtags didn't work. Stuff that has worked when it came to a different member's release, mind you. So what other choice was there?

I'm honestly so tired of having to constantly be in this "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" mindset when it comes to Jimin and the company because none of what they did for him should ever be considered a gift. If anything, he's gifted the company more than they've given him; they're just paying him for his job with the same money he's earning them. They should be giving him unbridled support and should be doing all the paperwork in proper time and work just like they're capable of doing for other people.

What's your most outlandish theory for how they could write Hailey out?

So I'm not sure how outlandish this is, because it's actually something we've seen happen before in the Dick Wolf Entertainment Universe (20 years ago now on L&O: SVU, which just saying that makes me feel really fucking old, so enjoy that fact other fandom olds I guess), but Hailey going into WITSEC...preferably with Jay alongside her.

There are a few different ways they could play that, maybe with a new villain or by bringing back an older adversary, like Sean, again. Personally, I'd prefer the latter, but the likelihood of that is what may be a little outlandish.

But hey that's what you're after so we'll roll with it. Maybe Sean escapes from prison and goes after Hailey. I highly doubt he's any less obsessed with her after months of being ignored. And Jefferson White played him so well. He was truly creepy to watch, and it was great. It's why I say Sean over nearly anyone else.

It's dramatic and can be traumatic, and let's face it, the writers have really been digging into the trauma lately. But it can also have the benefit, if written correctly, of being 1) a storyline that can easily continue past Tracy's departure. and 2) a storyline we've not really seen before: Intelligence losing.

We've never seen Intelligence not get their man before. One way or another, they get caught. This is doubly true when it cost them a teammate. And IDK maybe it's wrong, but I'd actually like to see them lose.

Imagine the fallout of that. Especially if - unlike on SVU - no one knows that Hailey (and Jay) is alive and in WITSEC. And there are so many other potential layers, too, that they could add just to really drill home the effect that something like this could have on the team.

I have had his song stuck in my head for two days now and I just. Okay. I need to gush about Ken. Heavy spoilers for the Barbie movie here, which would best be experienced unspoiled if you haven't already.

"When I found out that the Patriarchy wasn't about horses, I lost interest." Ken says this at the emotional climax of the film, when he's finally breaking down and being emotionally vulnerable. It's a funny joke, but it's also a wild statement to make, given that Ken bringing Patriarchy to Barbieland has been the main point of conflict for half the film.

But that's it. That's exactly how Patriarchy spreads.

Like other Alt-Right groups, the Manosphere recruits through fandom spaces. They show up wherever they aren't explicitly barred from being. They're in Star Wars spaces and Marvel spaces and fucking My Little Pony spaces, offering comforting rhetoric. Telling boys that the reason they're unhappy isn't their fault: It's them. It's the women holding them back.

And they're hearing this from people in their shared fandom spaces, people they effectively have community with and whose opinions they've come to trust. I think Spider-Man is cool, you think Spider-Man is cool, so I might be inclined to trust your opinion when you say that girls not liking me is a personal failing on their part. Especially if we've been having lively conversations about Spider-Man for weeks/months, and we're only discussing this now because I'm confiding my insecurities in you.

That kid just wanted to talk about Spider-Man. Now he's in a cult and doesn't even realize it.

Throughout the film, this is the only time Ken actually expresses that he wants something he hasn't been conditioned to pursue. Even before he knew about Patriarchy, his insecurity and pursuit of Barbie was driven from purpose more than anything else. The thing the film keeps bringing up is that he's "And Ken".

It's not that Ken wants Barbie. It's that Ken feels his purpose is to be with Barbie. He believes he isn't valid unless he's acting in his intended role as Barbie's Boyfriend. And for anyone who's had similar struggles with identity and masculinity, this rings so incredibly true. He's hurting himself and hurting Barbie, not because he wants to be a lover, but because he thinks being a lover is the only way he can be valid as a person.

And the Manosphere offers him... Not ways to achieve that illusory sense of validity, but harmful and hostile excuses for why it isn't his fault that he can't.

The real breakthrough? It's right here. It's this joke. Ken doesn't want to be Barbie's boyfriend. He doesn't want to be King of the Manosphere. He just wants to be a horse boy.

It's okay to just be a horse boy. I need everyone to understand that it's okay to just be a horse boy. You are valid for pursuing your interests regardless of what you think society expects from you. It's okay not to follow the roadmap that someone else made and gave to you. It's okay to be a horse boy.

That can be Kenough.

These last 2-3 years have been hard on us jkkrs. jkk acted like different people, it's like they don't know anything about each other anymore, they don't meet up, they're not even close. It was so tiring and depressing and regretted that I shipped them. So after this jk rumors, i didn't feel sad or betrayed or anything, I was actually relieved that all this "are they, are they not" will be over soon and i can finally have some peace.

These past years, there was just a lot less content than in the past. For example, this year, we didn't have Memories, which in the previous year was a major source of insight into the boys' interpersonal relationship through the past 12 months.

As a whole, we've seen much, much less BTS interactions than ever before. There are people who've never even seen together or heard of being together, except when it was necessary (JK and Suga , for example). This doesn't mean they didn't meet, but we just don't know if they did. I think the boys meet each other much more often than any of us know. There are simply no cameras. For example, JM said that every time he goes to runs , he meets Namjoon there, and this has been going on for a while , yet we only heard of it now. There was only one instance of JK saying in a life that he brought Bam home early, but JM has left for London and JM showing up at the airport all scratched up, just like he would be from a dog. Had JM worn long sleeves or had JK not mumbled about Bam during the live, we never would have known.

I do agree that there were maybe a shift in 2021-2022 between jjk, but it's not like they stopped being friends or close to each other. Regardless of their romantic situations, they really do enjoy the other's company and love each other in whatever capacity. That has always been true and still is. It was true last year during the PTD concerts, when JM said JK kept going to his room morning , day and night. It was true when they kept watching each others lives and commenting sweetly. It's true still, post NY.

The time they were probably interacting the least amount is between Festa last year and the Busan concert , as well as after it, but that is also the time JM was actively working on FACE.

I would give this advice to you: if shipping them is causing you to feel hurt/ depressed/ disappointed, you should leave this ship behind IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait for any confirmation that one of them is dating (it may never come). Just stop consuming their content. Distance yourself and go live your life. Shipping is a fantasy, a mirage. Some ships have more truth to them than other, but too many things will always be not known and left to the imagination. Especially with queer ships in homophobic countries. Shipping should be an afterthought, never an active part of one's life.

I'm tired.

I'm so tired. I'm actually deactivating my twitter acc because everytime I come back from that app, I'm messed up emotionally and mentally.

The only time I've ever hated twitter this much was in 2018, when BTS was this close to disbandment.

Like I don't understand, I never thought being a fan of jimin would be this hard. It's like Hybe is trying to discourage us, because this is tiring me mentally and emotionally, I'm not in the right space and all this bull shit it just piling up on top of my stresses, like being a fan is not supposed to be this tiring. I'm tired. It's like they want jimin to lose fans because we're fighting a losing battle.

We've been raising the same issues over and over again but they are falling into deaf ears. Recently fans complained well armies complained about something related to seven and BH responded immediately. When we've been begging them to restock like crazy for three months now.

I'm not bitter. But I won't lie and pretend I'm happy for jk and his fabricated success, maybe in the beginning I was because he was one of my favourite members, but now it's too much, we've been begging them to restock like crazy and they've decided to release cds for sevens remix I mean what the fuck?!!!

I'm feeling sorry for y'all armies especially those who think BTS will still be BTS in 2025. They might not disband but trust me it won't be the same. As much as this second chapter has revealed a lot of solo stans, it also made me see the members true colours, who they really are.

This is scooter braun the man whose ass armies are licking. This is him explaining how 2NE1 was CL's biggest obstacle. CL was a member of 2ne1, she was a rapper and scooter brainwashed her into leaving the group. He made her believe that she was bigger than the group, she didn't need the group the group needed her. She was a give a solo contract that promoted her debut successfully but the success didn't even last a year, and he left her like a used condom, when fans questioned he gave useless reasons.

This is the reality we're all facing.

Jk has been feeling really big lately, eversince he debuted. Now alot of people mistake a person having a huge ego for confidence. There's a huge difference between an ego and confidence.

And jk has been talking like someone who's got their ego polished. He's talking about himself being big, giant pop star, the first, the only one and so on.

I mean there's a difference between having goals and being arrogant.

It's like he already sees himself bigger than his group, bigger than his group mates. I've said this before and I'll say it again.

They did not choose jk because he's the youngest, the golden goose, the most talented, the most marketable in the west.

Because jimin is by far the most marketable in the west. This man has Hollywood in wrapped around his little pinky. His Pandora streams are massive, bigger than BTS' own. He's been stable on the charts with no promo so you do your math.

They chose jk because he's the most gullible, the greediest maybe idk, he's always wanted more, he's never satisfied and he's always been competitive, wanting to stand out, wanting to be "the one and only". He was the easiest to manipulate and he fell right at the palm of scooter's hands.

The awards that they are gunning for with all these restocks won't even belong to jk they will decorate scooter's office.

Honestly I'm tired like really tired it's not even funny.

There's no reasonable explanation for this behaviour from jimin's agency's except for the fact he might have not renewed his contract yet and they are showing him he's nothing without them. Or jimin has signed with a different agency for his solo activities because why would they go to such lengths to sabotage one of their own it makes no sense.

And pjms have been losing their minds some think that jimin might not be aware of what's going on but I think he knows. I know he doesn't have twitter and he's been inactive for about a year now?

But jimin has friends who see this and probably tell him, the members like jhope who have his back probably see stuff like this and tell him. Jimin has producers who worked with him on LC and are keeping track of LC so they see what's going on with the sabotage and all and they tell him. So he knows he def knows but Idk what they expect him to do.

I know he's working on something. He is working on something and it might be what we all want and that is him being free form BH and Hybe.

I just need him to release new music as in yesterday. Or give us a clue, a sign because wtf!!!!! 😭😭😭😭

:)) As another new fan, when you reposted just now a post about Armand and saying his love for Louis and a lot of people in the comments sound really excited for it, I feel a bit 😞 as will it be a case of they will be s1's version of Loustat? As in people will be raving over the chemistry of Armand and Louis? I just, idk, feel confused bc being a non book reader, I feel like we've just had Loustat and now it'll be gone? 😅 😭

Okay, anon, I'm so sorry. I went to answer this, had a ridiculously lengthy and detailed answer, and as I went to hit 'post now' tumblr deleted it all and said 'our servers aren't cool enough to handle your post right now!' and I was so nauseous, I spent so much time. I'm afraid this won't be as good, but I remember most of what I said, so I'll try to rehash it all best I can.

So, first of all, welcome to iwtv/tvc! it's always been chaos here. second of all, let's spend some time discussing the Armand-Louis-Lestat relationship, particularly in context of the first book and of the show, in turn!

Armand-Louis-Lestat has always been incredibly interesting and the show is, obviously ("the love of my life!") setting us up for continued interesting vibes. Here's what I will tell you about Armand and Louis in Interview (the book). As the show is setting up as well, Louis meets Armand in Paris following the "death" of Lestat. Up until Armand, Louis had been in an incredibly depressive episode (moreso than normal) because of Lestat's death. Meeting Armand fills Louis with this infatuation, and Armand, like all vampires, immediately falls deeply in love with Louis and his beauty and his remaining humanity. It's a beautiful couple of weeks/months, and I have no doubt that the show is going to capitalize on that and show us many many many cute, loving, sexy, and tender moments of Louis and Armand's relationship. What I will also tell you, without trying to spoil too much of the book, is that the period of happy and loving in Louis and Armand's relationship is very limited and, by the end of the book, Louis is so numb, so distant, so cold to Armand.

Now! I feel like I need to clarify that, in later books, Louis and Armand always reconnect, but I very much have always viewed it as a true friendship/companionship. I think, in a lot of ways, they both saw each other at their worst and have a trust that will always let them find solace in the other, even if it's just platonic.

With all that in mind, I actually have two passages from Interview (the book) that I'm going to type out and that I think are exceptionally important to Louis and Lestat's relationship, especially in comparison to Louis' relationship with anyone else.

In my version of Interview, the first passage is on page 123. It takes place immediately following Louis and Claudia "killing" Lestat:

"Claudia had wrapped Lestat's body in a sheet before I would even touch it, and then, to my horror, she had sprinkled it over with the long-stemmed chrysanthemums. So it had a sweet, funereal smell as I lifted it last of all from the carriage. It was almost weightless, as limp as something made of knots and cords, as I put it over my shoulder and moved down into the dark water, the water rising and filling my boots, my feet seeking some path in the ooze beneath, away from where I'd lain the two boys. I went deeper and deeper in with Lestat's remains, though why, I did not know. And finally, when I could barely see the pale space of the road and the sky which was coming dangerously close to dawn, I let his body slip down out of my arms into the water. I stood there shaken, looking at the amorphous form of the white sheet beneath the slimy surface. The numbness which had protected me since the carriage left the Rue Royale threatened to lift and leave me flayed suddenly, staring, thinking: This is Lestat. This is all of transformation and mystery, dead, gone into eternal darkness. I felt a pull suddenly, as if some force were urging me to go down with him, to descend into the dark water and never come back. It was so distinct and so strong that it made the articulation of voices seem only a murmur by comparison. It spoke without language, saying, "You know what you must do. Come down into the darkness. Let it all go away.""

The second passage is just a few paragraphs later, on page 124:

"...'He deserved to die!' she [Claudia] said to me.

"'Then we deserve to die. The same way. Every night of our lives,' I said back to her. 'Go away from me.' It was as if my words were my thoughts, my mind alone only formless confusion. 'I'll care for you because you can't care for yourself. But I don't want you near me. Sleep in that box you bought for yourself. Don't come near me.'

"'I told you I was going to do it. I told you...' she said...'Louis, I told you!' she said, her lips quivering. 'I did it for us. So we could be free.' I couldn't stand the sight of her."

The reason I think these passages are really important, especially in context of the show, is because this is Louis when he wasn't telling us everything. According to the show, Interview (the book) has already happened, at least up to a point. Louis has told Daniel this story before, but is doing so now with more truth, more nuance, more history. He kept out a lot, namely the depth of his relationship with Lestat, out of hatred or disdain or repression or something, towards himself, towards Lestat, towards life, etc. And yet these passages highlight something so so incredibly important, which is how much Louis loved/loves Lestat.

Lestat's death haunts Louis. In Europe, he talks about his grief in the narration, and it appears that in Claudia's diaries in the show, she discusses his grief too, namely that he is worse than ever following the death of Lestat.

Have you ever heard of how the opposite of love isn't hate, but apathy? I've heard it a lot in my life, never understood it until I got older, and I think Louis and Lestat, and Louis and Armand, are perfect examples of that.

Lestat drives Louis crazy. He lights fires in him, both good and bad, and, no doubt, damages Louis' blood pressure (if vampires have blood pressure to worry about, I guess), but he makes Louis feel, he makes him be alive. He drives Louis so crazy that Louis interviews TWICE about his relationship with the man.

Louis and Armand, while sweet in its own way, and will, undoubtedly, have its sweet moments, is going to fizzle out. And I think the show will very much do that on purpose to show us how any relationship Louis has (and Lestat has) pales in comparison to what he has with Lestat.

I've talked about it in a couple of asks before, about how I think the show is going to take a slightly different direction than the books re: polyamory and re: Loustat as a whole, and my general consensus is that Louis and Lestat are endgame in the books, but it's going to be so much more apparent, and will happen so much quicker, in the show. The show has so much content to work with re: storylines that there is no need to play relationship will-they-won't-they with Louis and Lestat. They can stabilize them (to a point -- any relationship with Lestat is always going to be slightly unstable) and have the actual plot (Akasha, Memnoch, Amel, etc.) be the main problems to work through versus relationship drama 24/7.

To sum up, I think Louis and Armand are going to get their light, yes, in season 2. But I think it is only going to set it up for us to get an even more passionate Loustat, an even more loving Loustat, an even more present Loustat, come end of season 2 and into season 3.

Jamie didn't hug fans at the convention, but he was kind to everyone, but fans were disappointed that they didn't get the experience they wanted. In addition, there are other things happening: some fans have not yet received their merchandise, they have been waiting for a response by email for months, but they are being ignored. And at the convention in France on Sunday, he will leave early, so some fans will be left without the "photo or autograph" they paid for in advance, again some were left without the expected experience.

What I want to say, besides Jamie's different behavior, his appearance, and it seems like he no longer has control over his social media, it seems like he no longer has control over anything, his fans are important to him, we have no doubt about that. and any problem with merchandise or something like that, he would intervene to resolve it himself, as we have seen before, but at this moment it seems that it is not within his reach.

What do you think?

As I've said about the hugging/distancing it's his choice. I understand the disappointment of the fans who expected a different experience but at the same time, I have to side with Jamie since he's allowed to draw those boundaries for whatever reason he feels he needs to draw them for. I don't think he's necessarily given the true reason yet (I think he's given excuses) but he shouldn't have to. He should just say he doesn't want to and that's the end of it. People should respect that and not ask anyway and they certainly shouldn't grab him and hug him after he's said not to (and some people will still do this).

In regards to the merch, that's very annoying, frustrating, and unprofessional. I was lucky enough to get mine promptly (much faster than I expected going off of what people were saying) but he or someone needs to address that. You can't have paying customers (especially not at those prices) also not getting what they paid for and waiting this long to get it.

Leaving early is also unprofessional. I suppose there is a chance that something in his scheduling changed for filming (perhaps it's for Stranger Things?) but typically when an actor does these sorts of engagements they know their schedule in advance. I'm sure the people who paid for photo ops will be refunded (for the photo ops at least) but they won't get ticket refunds. If that's the only reason someone is going they've now paid for travel and expenses and a ticket to the convention only to not get the one thing that they wanted to get and now they are out that amount of money which certainly won't be refunded.

I do agree that it seems that Jamie doesn't have much control over his social media anymore (if he has control at all) but with the way he's being forced to work even when he also seems uncomfortable with doing it is strange. I know that he doesn't want to disappoint his fans and that he really loves his fans but working himself half to death isn't going to leave a good impression on them and only hurt him in the long run. I don't know what's going on with him because I don't believe we've ever seen him do so many back-to-back conventions over this long of a period or why he feels he needs to do so many. It's as if someone else has control over his life and is making him do a bunch of things he doesn't want to do. Unfortunately, unless he explains it himself we're not going to get an answer. I just hope he's okay and not overworking himself because he's being forced to or afraid of the consequences from a third party if he doesn't.

Not to mention that this info is coming months after his departure, during the blood origin pr which doesn't go well, when fans are against the writers bc we all saw s2, plus he and millie where basically the face of the promo for enola, plus the love scene he cut was with triss after geralt thought he lost yen forever, people wanted to see that? A love scene with triss when the love between geralt yen wasn't even established thanks to Lauren cutting their scenes and backstory. And the love scene with Anya it was before yen's betrayal. He didn't denied a love scene with her, they both wanted a romantic and not an animalistic, sex scene (isn't what anti yenralt said during s1, that their bond is pure sex and not love?) and imagine if we had a love scene and then she went on with the betrayal according to Lauren's script, how much more hate yen would get, "she lead on geralt for her purposes" , "she used him" etc. And what scenes he rewrote? Roach's death or he added a campfire scene with ciri at the first episode. Wow what bad decisions! Tell me one guest star or ex producer who isn't on Lauren's payroll that said anything bad for him. In fact the actress who played his mother in s1, in an interview about Valhalla in an unrelated question he said cavill is an example of how a list actors should behave on set. He gave her space, he asked her if she felt OK with her lines or wanted anytbi g changed etc. But there are many ex worker of Lauren's who say how egomaniac is and doesn't listen to anyone. And in the end no matter what info are coming now, blood origin will be released soon and then s4 of the Witcher and we'll know.

i get that changes to the script must be awkward for the writers, but they were good changes. i'd go as far as to say they were changes that made s2 bearable. i can't imagine if they had gone ahead with geralt/triss sleeping together, and then yenralt together when she knows she's about to betray him. or if they'd made a joke over roach's death. and i really do understand how someone behind the scenes would go 'this makes life harder for us' but also, it's making a better show. we don't know what's happened with s3, and if henry fought for more changes there, but as a fan looking at s2 i damn well trust his judgement more than i do the writers at this point. labelling him as a misogynist because he didn't trust lauren's vision is one huge leap. also lauren very recently said they left things amicably, which would not be the case if he was truly being rude to her on set as the rumors suggest.

according to this rumour, his behaviour shifted in s2, so s1 he would have behaved correctly. which can happen, we've seen it happen before with tv stars where they behave well because they feel they're on a probation period and then act up when they know the show is a hit. but honestly it just sounds more like henry felt more comfortable to put his foot down about things he was uncomfortable with? especially the shirtless scenes thing, that man had to dehydrate himself for days before filming the shirtless scenes in season 1, i can understand why he wouldn't want to do that again. being uncomfortable with shirtless scenes and sex scenes is something the writers should be taking on board for all actors, especially when they're not necessary to the story and are just being added in so the show can get some gratuitous nudity for viewers.

i can see some things within the rumours being true, but a lot of it reads like an overexaggerated account of one side of the argument. like if you had been ranting to a friend about the things that had pissed you off, and that friend had then given a statement about it. there might well be grains of truth within it, but a lot of it reeks of exaggerated bias. i do genuinely think there was a disagreement between him and the writing team that left to him leaving, but netflix 'firing' him seems like a stretch, it seems more like they both decided that the best thing to do was for him to leave the role.

NATH~~~😭😭😭😭😭

THE RUGGIE FIC IS AN ABSOUTE HIT TO MY HEART I CAN'T I'M NOT FINE I'M NOT FINE MY MIND ISN'T READY FOR THIS!!!!!!🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉 especially not when ruggie is reminding me of someone I know irl rn🙈🙈

Anyway, I genuinely adore how you write Ruggie🥺🥺🥺 Like his whole personality isn't only circling around food, money and work. In general, I think he's a pretty chill guy and seemingly the type of person that live in the moment (that, when he isn't occupied) And, the vibe depicted in this fic is so well-done👍👍👍

About the dynamic of Reader and Ruggie...SUPERB!!!!!🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 Their teasings+the synchronization in their act I luv🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 The Reader is so~ smooth🤭🤭 Also Ruggie being nervous in some moments (e.g. when he thinking how he should compliment the Reader, or the instance, that he ALMOST wanted to blurt out his true thoughts), but smooth at the same time (as he natually says, "I always feel comfy around you") dbslqkvzkakahsjslslwksnamwkkwwkkwkwwa🤌🤌🤌

Other fave lines highlight🙈

1)"So our, y'know, our usual---do we have to do that there too?"

"Hm? Do what, Ruggie?" you asked, feigning forgetfulness.

2)...Regardless he lowers his eyes to watch the movement of your hands, only a little bit mesmerized by how gently you treated him like this...

3)"Who, Me? Your Ruggie? Never!" excuse me?!?!?! the "YOUR"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!🙉🙉🙉🙉 "So go on, might as well ask me for a few things while I'm in tge mood to be all sweet with ya~"🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

4)"Because we're fools, and we've been acting as the other does all this time without stepping out of line."

"Is there even a line in the first place?"

5)"What the hell?" "I think I might have fallen in love with ya all over again." HELP THE IMPACT OF SEEING UR FAVE CHARA NATURALLY CONFESS/SATING THE LOVE in fics Lkterally can't English at this ppint ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

-🃏 anon

[ referring to: CRUSH x CRASH (ruggie x reader) ]

"asked jan 12, 2023" not another one 😭 sorry for being two months late anyway THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK!! i always enjoy reading your asks, i love all compliments but i won't deny yours make me kick at air they're always so sweet!

thank youuu! looking back at the fic now i still really like the dynamic the most, i guess there's just something about the mutual teasing that gets to me!! and ofc the fact that they're not just friends, but sources of comfort as well hihi

anyway if ur still around, have a good rest of ur march! 💖💖💖

Jess, honey, hey! How are you?? I'm so happy you're back!!! ❤️

Your post about Kim popped up and I'm gonna say that... yeah. Actually the longer time passes, the less right the final episodes sit with me. I mean they TRIED to give us the most hopeful possible ending, and the first time I watched it seemed really good, but now I just don't know. It truly seems like Kim became the ghost of her former self, like she is gone and I don't know if she's ever coming back. I'm happy that both her and Jimmy are alive and, who knows, maybe they have a shot at rebuilding their relationship, maybe Kim will become a lawyer once again, maybe she'll find herself and shine in her true light, but we will never know. I just want her to come back. I just want her to become brilliant and dedicated and passionate and larger than life again, she's honestly one of my two MOST beloveds female characters EVER, and thinking about her arc and how she appeared in Waterworks especially makes me sad.

Which also makes me think (I'm sorry for going off-topic here) final seasons and specifically the endings are hard, and the more we love the story, the more we love and connect with the characters, the harder those endings hit and the more difficult it is for them to be truly satisfying. I got into one show a few months back (as in podcast), and I fell in love with it so much and especially fell in love with two main characters who are also in love with each other. They became my number one favorite OTP (kid you not, even more than Kim and Jimmy, which surprised me.) I'm close to the final season and the anxiety levels I have about this and the actual finale are going through the roof. I've never actually talked about this, but I do worry. What if they destroy my boys? What if the whole thing ends up in a big tragedy and that is it? What if it's never gonna be okay? What if the final episodes are just... bad? It's been STELLAR so far but I know how shows in their final seasons can get.

Like, so far I can name only two shows whose finales really, fully satisfied me, and the others were either just plain awful, or sort of okay-ish, but I have my issues with them (BCS is the latter.)

Anyway, sorry for this rant and I would really love to hear your thoughts about Kim (that is, when your wrist is doing okay and fully healed.) Btw, you can call me Ellie!

ELLIE!!! omg it makes me so happy to be able to use your name because i have been too shy ALL these many months to ask what you like to be called?! HI! ILU!!! and i always love your long messages, rants or otherwise! my hand/wrist are healing a bit and not as painful, though i'm still trying to be careful, thank you for asking! <3

i have had many emotionally overwrought private discussions about kim and the way she was ultimately treated, and it's a couple of mutuals who have had me wanting to mull it over and work through it a bit more recently too, because they've expressed some thoughtful criticisms that have hit me hard.

it's curious, because i think we maybe had a bit of an emotionally shell-shocked reaction to the amount of things they threw at us in S6B, and while i did express some feelings of hurt/being disconcerted at the time, it has also gotten worse for me the further we've gotten from the show. they tried, but they also kind of...didn't?...and it leaves us in this odd liminal space where it feels like they 1. were painted into a corner because of brba and could not find a creative way around that; 2. they forgot the key principles that the show was built upon because they, at that last hour, prioritized plot over character; 3. they wanted to have their cake and eat it too by serving us both wrenching tragedy and some sense of hope, so ended up with a lukewarm mix of both while not entirely serving either.

i'm going to quote @boboodenkirk because she wrote such astute replies that i don't think i can phrase it better, i hope she doesn't mind (bold is mine): "as for me i guess at first i felt such need for comfort from the show, that i just tried so hard to find the good and forget the bad about 6b. i liked the ending at first because from 609 on i'd been feeling like every new ep was…painful for pain's sake. the breakup was so messy and rushed, 611 to me felt like "propaganda" trying to convince you jimmy's a monster, 612 was heartbreaking, so i guess 613 at first felt like breathing again. but then i look back at it from a "safer" distance. and i realized that there were to many things that just seemed rushed, forced and contradictory to me. and as you said, as time passes, the feeling of disappointment just gets more and more intrusive. maybe i'll try and voice them? you've got a break up that somehow doesn't sit well with me, maybe because it was too abrupt, maybe because parts of the script in 609 just seemed a bit… melodramatic. but i could accept it, i guess, if that was kim running away from herself as fast as she could…but the divorce scene? that is angst p*rn ffs. why would she stick around? why would he "become saul" so quickly? i know this is my personal taste, but still…it feels different and worse. which brings me to the characters arcs being suddenly dictated by the plot and not vice versa. after the messy and rushed breakup (followed by a divorce scene that just seemed a bit sadistic), you've got them trying and trying to paint jimmy as THE villain. don't get me wrong, saul is awful and did plenty wrong, but this universe was never about balancing morality and choices with the justice system. it was about balancing those choices with yourself those you love, and those you hurt. in my eyes, they went on a mission to demonize jimmy so you'd feel okay with him being 86 years in prison. but i don't. the rampage he goes into after kim's phonecall makes absolutely no sense to me, because that's not him. they made him worse and worse and i think it was just so that his final good deed would look "cooler". while kim? kim annihilated herself. and 612 is another perfect example of pain for pain's sake. and instead of, dunno, having her trying to figure out how much she's """responsible""" for jimmy's becoming the worst version of himself (which is something i'd have loved to see) and dealing with guilt, vince said hey!!! let's make her bf a misogynistic asshole but somehow funny!!! let's turn doubtful consensual sex into a meme!!! and, eventually, she almost felt like a means to an end. she was there so jimmy could "repent", but where was the depth of her new storyline? you can't show that level of complete and utter self loathing and sabotage and think that "yeah, but see? she's volunteering at a legal aid center now" will somehow be the right answer to all of the deep questions her annihilation raised." <- i legitimately feel like she plucked this from my brain.

one of my biggest problems was, and continues to be, the way they very quickly tore the characters apart and then tore them down, in a way that vilified one and utterly destroyed another, for...misery? to prove a point about morality? part of the strength and even genius of these shows was that they never moralized AT us, they were so brilliant and intelligent and challenged us without talking down to us in regards to the justice system, in regards to human failings, in the deep, murky gray of destructive choices and hurt/harm and the interplay of that with empathetic connection, and how those terrible actions and downfalls happened, and what the legacy left in the wake of that was. where the humanity could possibly remain. how "justice" doesn't necessarily lie in a system, and isn't equated to revenge. how certain amends can never be made, but where the decisions lie within that tragedy, and what one can do (if anything) to change, to look at those shifting sands and make something of them. it's why the end of breaking bad works so well - there is no absolution for anyone, but there is the heavy consequence and the hope of slowly building something else.

they were aiming for that in a way with bcs, but it didn't quite get there. all of us know logically that hope is absent in those 86 years, but we keep trying to convince ourselves it's there and a release is possible. we get hardly anything with kim because she is utterly stripped of her agency and her strength and she barely speaks. (as i've said, it's beyond my understanding why kim doesn't even get a flashback when she is literally the center for jimmy. we get those scenes between all the main men that verge on the cynical and yet...nothing with her to provide some realized meaning? really?) which is what makes her depressingly feel like a means to an end - they built up this incredible, empowering female character only to CRUSH her, force her to annihilate herself and run from everything she was, surrender her agency (which was the key to her character's existence), and never return any of her power to her. she's left to her silence and her paralyzed inability to decide anything and then to jimmy's whims - even though what jimmy conclusively does is for her and a kind of reclamation, she has no say in the matter, no ability to affect it. she's barely recognizable, but in a way that doesn't work for me. it just...it makes me ache a bit that such a brilliant, wonderful, complex female character was diminished in such a staggering way. that she's basically a plot device, when she was NEVER that. her existence boils down to being the catalyst, abandoning jimmy to force him into the final descent of becoming saul, and then having no power or arc of her own to lead to the ending. she deserved to be more than a ghost. she deserved to be an active participant, like she always was. and i can't get over the fact that it feels like a uniquely female punishment, to silence and make her smaller the way that they did.

It truly seems like Kim became the ghost of her former self, like she is gone and I don't know if she's ever coming back. I'm happy that both her and Jimmy are alive and, who knows, maybe they have a shot at rebuilding their relationship, maybe Kim will become a lawyer once again, maybe she'll find herself and shine in her true light, but we will never know. I just want her to come back. I just want her to become brilliant and dedicated and passionate and larger than life again, she's honestly one of my two MOST beloveds female characters EVER, and thinking about her arc and how she appeared in Waterworks especially makes me sad. <- you also could've taken this directly from my thoughts. :(

endings ARE very hard, no doubt! and i have immense respect and regard for vince and peter and these actors and this creative team, and deep, abiding love for this show, which is another thing that's made it hard to criticize. it's not a violent shock and horrific wound in the way certain other endings have been (you KNOW what i'm referring to). it's difficult to get a story to a right and fulfilling conclusion - i can think of a handful of shows that managed it and all are shining little exceptions to the rule (ironically, i still maintain brba is undoubtedly one). far more often, they're either disappointing, saddening, or utterly ruinous. it's challenging to get them just right, and maybe it's nearly impossible to satisfy everyone when our connections to stories are so subjective. sometimes we're forced to accept sort of okay-ish because at least it's better than irreconcilable pain and destruction, but i feel like we still have the right to criticize things that don't ultimately sit well with us. it's been harder for me to process with bcs because i did trust peter and vince so much and it was hard to realize how let down i felt, and because i just wanted to cling to the comfort i got from the show and the way i loved it, but the more i've stayed quiet, the more discomfited i've been and that hurt has festered a bit.

the more we love and connect with the characters, the harder those endings hit and the more difficult it is for them to be truly satisfying. agreed.

never apologize for your thoughts and rants! tbh i could talk about kim forever, and despite what happened, it doesn't take away how vitally important she is to me. i truly hope your show ends well and is satisfying and doesn't take anything away from the characters you love. let me know!!! *hugs you tight* 💙💙💙

Let's Play Getting to Know Hala (Stolen from a TikTok)

Footballer who made you fall in love with the game

First Favourite Footballer

Footballer who brings you the most comfort

Footballer who's smile lights up your day

Footballer you miss seeing at your club

Footballer you miss the most

Footballer You Would Defend Your Life for

anon this is soo sweet 😭 thank you for asking! Answering now to distract my mind.

1 & 2: the first ever ever was Milito. I was around 11 years old when he started to play for Inter. I had childhood heroes before, but he came in a moment I was old enough to understand the game and cherish the times I would watch matches with my family. He's both the player who really made me think "wow" and my first favourite footballer so really the two things goes together.

3: honestly, as predictable as it is but that's Hakim. Because he came to me at a moment of my life (2015) where I think I really just needed a moroccan representation in football. Some players were there already but nothing came closer to the way I related to him. I grew up in a immigrant, working-class environment. Because we have cousins in the netherlands, I came to know a lot through them. He is a grown man now and an established player, but at that time he had to establish himself as a moroccan player in an hostile european country. What people see of him today (the "resting face" or the fierceness) is just a result of a process of construction and deconstruction of himself as a moroccan person. A lot of straightforward interviews were poignant and resonated much with me. He looked like this then, and that was a true moroccan working class diaspora realness to me but I don't know how to explain this feeling. He even played moroccan. It was magic and he chose Morocco a few months later.

4 well the above obviously especially these days :) But these day I'd also love to see Lukaku smiling. He's another one who suffers racism and racist narratives too much, sometimes they are clear, other times so subtle and that's enraging.

5 at inter I really miss Perisic rn. khoya thought it was smart to join spurs but I bet he's regretting everything. he was outstanding last year and we've been garbage ever since without him. I even kind of miss that mess of Icardi sometimes. And with Morocco I miss NORDIN Amrabat like I feel physically hurt when I think of him !

6. Milito, Özil, Ronaldinho!!

7. (as in defend with your life?) see point 3 because truly he's the only one ! for the reason stated and many more. the turning page of my generation for moroccan youth, chose Morocco when it was not a trend and when we were at the bottoms of worldwide rankings. Nobody can say anything bad about him ever bc I say so.