For the first time in his life, Darth Vader, the greatest nightmare of those who oppose the Empire, has met his match.

The Ghost crew can’t believe what they’re seeing.

[part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]  

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reblog, don’t repost. thank you

On your comments about Jack: ye-es, in the sense that Jack is a character who definitely deserved better than he was treated by the characters. The way Dean especially treats him reflects very badly on Dean, no question. But, speaking as a viewer, I think the perspective needs to shift a little bit.

To me, Jack is Dawn from Buffy, or Scrappy Doo. He’s an (in my opinion) irritating kid who is introduced out of nowhere to be both super vulnerable and super OP, and the jeopardy is centered around him in a way that has nothing to do with his actual character or relationships. He’s mostly around to be cute and to solve or create problems — he never has any firm character arcs or goals of his own, nor any deeper purpose in the meta narrative. In this way, he’s a miss for SPN, which focuses heavily on conflicts as metaphors for real life.

Mary fits so much better in that framework, and introducing her as a developed, flawed person works really well with the narrative. It is easy for us to care about Mary, both as the dead perfect mother on the pedestal and as the flawed, human woman who could not live up to her sons’ expectations. That connection is built into the core of SPN, and was developed over years, even before she was a character. When she was added, she was given depth and nuance organically, and treated as a flawed, complex character rather than as a plot device or a contrivance. She was given a voice and independence, and became a powerful metaphor for developing new understandings of our parents in adulthood, as well as an interesting and well-rounded character. You care that she’s dead, not just because Sam and Dean are sad, but for the loss of her development and the potential she offered. So, in that sense, I think a lot of people were frustrated that she died essentially fridged for a second time, and especially in service of the arc of a weaker character.

And like, you’re right, no one can figure out if Jack is a toddler or a teenager. He’s both and he’s neither, because he’s never anything consistently and his character arc is always “whatever the plot needs it to be.” Every episode is different. Is he Dean’s sunny opportunity to be a parent and make up for his dad’s shitty parenting? Yes! Is he also Dean’s worst failure and a reminder that he has done many horrible things, including to “innocent” children? Yes! Is he Cas’s child? Yes! Is he Dean’s child? Yes! But also, no! Is he Sam’s child? Yes! Is he a lonely teenager who does terrible things? Yes! Is he a totally innocent little lamb who doesn’t get why what he is doing is wrong? Yes! Is he the most powerful being in the universe? Yes! Does he need everyone to take care of him? Yes! Is he just along for the ride? Yes! Is he responsible for his actions? Kinda??? Sometimes??? What is he???

Mary as a character is narratively cohesive and fleshed-out. Jack is a mishmash of confusing whatever’s that all add up to a frustrating plot device with no consistent traits to latch on to. Everything that fans like about him (cute outfits, gender play, well-developed parental bonds with the characters) is fanon. So, yes, the narrative prioritizes Mary. Many fans prioritize Mary, at least enough that Dean’s most heinous acts barely register. To the narrative (not to Cas, which is a totally different situation), Jack is only barely more of a character than Emma Winchester, who Sam killed without uproar seasons earlier. He’s been around longer, but he’s equally not really real.

I debated on responding to this because, to tell the truth, I think we fundamentally disagree on a number of subjects and, as they say, true insanity is arguing with anyone on the internet. However, you spent a lot of time on the above and I feel it's only fair to say my thoughts, even if I don't believe it will sway you any more than what you said changed my opinions.

I'm assuming this was in response to this post regarding how Jack's accidental killing of Mary was treated so severely by the brothers, particularly Dean, because it was Mary and, had it been a random character like the security guard in 13x06, it would have been treated far differently. However, then the argument becomes less about the reaction of the Winchester brothers to this incident and more the value of Jack or Mary to the audience.

I believe we need to first admit that both characters are inherently archetypes—Mary as the Madonna character initially then, later, as a metaphor for how imperfect and truly human our parents are compared to the idol we have as children, and Jack as the overpowered child who is a Jesus allegory by the end. Both have a function within the story to serve the Winchester brothers, through whose lens and with whose biases we are meant to view the show's events. We also need to admit that the writers didn't think more than a season ahead for either character, especially since it wasn't initially supposed to be Mary that came back at the end of season 11 but John, and they only wrote enough for Jack in season 13 to gauge whether or not the audience would want him to continue on or if he needed to be killed off by the end of the season. Now, I know we curate our own experiences online which leads to us being in our own fandom echo chambers, however it is important to note that the character was immediately successful enough with the general audience that, after his first episode or two, he was basically guaranteed a longer future on the show.

I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure why the perspective of how his character is processed by some audience members versus others has any bearing on the argument that he deserved to be treated better overall by the other characters especially when taking their own previous actions in mind. I’m not going to tell you that your opinion is wrong regarding your feelings for Jack. It’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it, it harms no one to have it and express it. My feelings on Jack are clearly very different from your own, but this is really just two different people who processed a fictional person in different ways. I personally believe he has a purpose in the Winchesters’ story, including Castiel’s, as he reflects certain aspects of all of them, gives them a way to explore their own histories through a different perspective, and changes the overall dynamic of Team Free Will from “soldiers in arms” to a family (Misha’s words). In the beginning he allows Sam to work through his past as the “freak” and powerful, dangerous boy wonder destined to bring hell on earth. With Dean, his presence lets Dean work through his issues with John and asks whether he will let history repeat itself or if he’ll work to break the cycle. Regarding Cas, in my opinion he helps the angel reach his “final form” of a father, member of a family, lover and protector of humanity, rebellious son, and the true show of free will. 

From strictly the story, he has several arcs that work within themes explored in Supernatural, such as the argument of nature versus nurture, the question of what we’re willing to give up in order to protect something or someone else and how ends justify the means, and the struggle between feeling helpless and powerless versus the corruptive nature of having too much power and the dangerous lack of a moral compass. His goals are mentioned and on display throughout his stint on the show, ones that are truly relatable to some viewers: the strong desire to belong—the need for family and what you’ll do to find and keep it. 

With Mary, we first need to establish whether the two versions of her were a writing flaw due to the constant change in who was dictating her story and her relationship to the boys, which goes against the idea that her characterization was cohesive and fleshed-out but, rather, put together when needed for convenience, or if they both exist because, as stated above, we are seeing the show primarily through the biased lens of the Winchester brothers and come to face facts about the true Mary as they do. Like I said in my previous post, I don’t dislike Mary and I don’t blame her for her death (either one). However, I do have a hard time seeing her as a more nuanced, fleshed-out character than Jack. True, a lot of her problems are more adult in nature considering she has to struggle with losing her sons’ formative years and meeting them as whole adults she knows almost nothing about, all because of a choice she made before they were born. 

However, her personal struggles being more “mature” in nature (as they center primarily on parental battles) doesn’t necessarily mean her story has layers and Jack’s does not. They are entirely different but sometimes interconnected in a way that adds to both of their arcs, like Mary taking Jack on as an adoptive son which gives her the moments of parenting she lost with Sam and Dean, and Jack having Mary as a parental figure who understands and supports him gives him that sense of belonging he had just been struggling with to the point of running away while he is also given the chance to show “even monsters can do good”. 

I’d also argue that Jack being many ages at once isn’t poor writing so much as a metaphor for how, even if you’re forced to grow up fast, that doesn’t mean you’re a fully equipped adult. I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I believe Jack simultaneously taking a lot of responsibility and constantly trying to prove to others he’s useful while having childish moments is relatable to some who were forced to play an adult role at a young age. He proves a number of times that he doesn’t need everyone to take care of him, but he also has limited life experience and, as such, will make some mistakes while he’s also being a valuable member of the group. Jack constantly exists on a fine line in multiple respects. Some may see that as a writing flaw but it is who the character was conceived to be: the balance between nature or nurture, between good and evil, between savior and devil. 

Now, I was also frustrated Mary was “fridged” for a second time. It really provided no other purpose than to give the brothers more man pain to further the plot along. However, this can exist while also acknowledging that the way it happened and the subsequent fallout for Jack was also unnecessary and a sign of blatant hypocrisy from Dean, primarily, and Sam. 

And, yes, Jack can be different things at once because, I mean, can’t we all? If Mary can be both the perfect mother and the flawed, independent, distant parent, can’t Jack be the sweet kid who helps his father-figures process their own feelings on fatherhood while also being a lost young-adult forcing them to face their failures? Both characters contain multitudes because, I mean, we all do. 

I can provide articles or posts on Jack’s characterization and popularity along with Mary’s if needed, but for now I think this is a long enough ramble on my thoughts and feelings. I’m happy to discuss more, my messenger is always open for (polite) discussion. Until then, I’m going to leave it at we maybe agree to disagree. 

Hello again! A bit of a delay I know, had some personal life stuff, but I’m back babey!

Firstly, I want to say Happy Pride Month! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 I myself have only recently come out, but to all my peeps in the lgbtq+ community I wish you a month of celebration.

For the topic, I chose one that has been circling in my brain since some asks last week gave me a revelation: I will be discussing kolvina, and more specifically the direction the writers chose for a one Davina Claire.

This ship has always been an anomaly to me, like when it was happening on my screen I was in denial that it was happening at all, and the perceptions on this site have only fueled that feeling. I’ve been watching these communities for a few years now, and the general consensus is people both love and hate this ship, and both sides seem to be equal in numbers. So what is my opinion on kolvina? Well after much deliberation I have decided that.... I don’t like it, and here’s why!

First thing’s first, I want to say I understand this ship better than any other ship in both shows, honestly if the characters acted differently it would’ve been a lot better. The dynamic is there (and I know how important that is to people), not just a trope, but between both characters it works! Let me explain, starting with Kol. Season two goes into depth on his insecurities with his family and how lonely it made him feel over the years. I mean, the show always potrayed the big three: Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah with the strongest bonds and while Finn chooses to exclude himself (for valid reasons tbh) Kol even in the vampire diaries wanted to be a part of that. The problem is (for some reason that is never explained) his siblings don’t care about him. The easiest example is how they reacted to his death, Rebekah was upset for a minute and Elijah didn’t even seem affected at all, the closest I can say is Klaus was angered and didn’t forget for a while, but as soon as the originals started nothing. Then we have his second death where Klaus takes the only opportunity to bring him back off the table and the only one who seeks to try is Rebekah, meanwhile Elijah is nowhere to be found in this department. This finally brings us to Davina. As much of an issue as this is (and we’ll talk about it later), Davina seems to be the first person to ever put Kol first. When he dies a second time, Davina’s number one priority is his resurrection and goes to incredible lengths to do so. I know people say it’s unrealistic for Kol to take interest in a mortal, but it makes sense to me, she’s a witch. From what we learn, Kol has a soft spot for witches cause he yearns for the power that was taken from him by his mother, which doesn’t even go into Davina herself being a rebel like him who paved her own way. Onto Davina’s feelings towards him, Kol’s the only person in her life that is there unconditionally. I know Marcel loves her, but his loyalty to his family clearly comes into conflict with his loyalty to his other family, including her. Klaus either ruins her life or demands things from her. Cami was there for her, but they scrapped that relationship after season one. When Kol is by her side, it’s not cause he needs things from her, nor is he there as some kind of protection. In season two, Davina had a plan and Kol’s response was “okay, I can assist you with that.” Side note, I really liked their friendship in season two before they of course made it something more. Regardless of the past, all of this material would’ve made for a pretty great relationship, but it fell flat, why did that happen?

I have two reasons for why I could never get on board with them. The first is the most obvious: it’s the age difference for me. I know we had Damon and Elena and Klaus and Caroline, but for kolvina the vibe was weirder. Perhaps because Davina acts more childish than them in season one, or because our image of her was young and sweet. It might also have to do with Kol referring to being Kaleb as the body of a teenager making him seem way older than he probably is. I know by season three Davina is 18, but that feeling never goes away for me. This was my hesitance in season two, but as a friendship those two were pretty fun together (might be an unpopular opinion). The problems start in season three.

The second reason is something that the community has kind of dipped into, but not enough. I don’t know if I’m not looking hard enough, but every complaint for kolvina in season three talk only about how insufferable Kol was, which yeah definitely, but honeys he’s only half the problem. Not even halfway through season two Davina stopped being a character. Remember her in season one? A bright spitfire who wasn’t afraid to speak up at the injustice of the Mikaelson’s even if it put her at risk? The girl who showed up Klaus on multiple occasions? Who stood for Josh, Marcel, Cami, and anyone else being pushed around by Klaus? The girl who was powerful, yet kind? A powerhouse set up on a warpath against the Mikaelson’s for season two? I remember her! She was one of my favorite characters because of how badass she was while still keeping her agency. I don’t blame you if you forgot she’s never talked about, and that’s because of what follows. Season two starts off well, with Davina standing her ground against the wolves and keeping Mikael under control showed she wasn’t completely in over her head. Her plan is to find a way to de-sire Klaus’ sireline so she doesn’t kill Marcel and Josh which shows she’s smart and thinking ahead. Then she meets Kaleb, and it goes downhill from there. I get that Davina is supposed to be a naive teenage girl, but that doesn’t excuse after she finds out Kaleb is really Kol. After her Mikael plan fell through her backup plan is to just sit around until Kol shows her the room and tells her about the dagger. With what she’s trying to accomplish it’s a smart plan, but that doesn’t mean her sudden trust in Kol is any less stupid. Her first thought when he’s gone with the stake is to assume he took it and left, so if she thought he was capable of that, why did she drop her guard in the first place? Gets me frustrated. When Kol dies Davina also completes the dagger and for the rest of the season does nothing with it, she does nothing period but whine about Kol with everyone she interacts with which is annoying considering how much she was a part of in season one. That was bad, but the worst is yet to come. Season three gives her a storyline as a ruler of the witches before immediately ending it, and when you look at what they threw away it’s even worse. So Davina gets Hayley to kill one of her detesters and it ends in a bloodbath and the son vows justice for his mom (which is completely valid), and Marcel hints at her turning into Klaus. This is promising, in this scenario Davina is Klaus holding power over the powerless, and Van Nguyen is Davina taking a stand. Very interesting, until she gets shunned in the seventh episode. What was the point? The next time we see her she is distraught at her current predicament, but not because she’s cut off from her people and her ancestors because now she doesn’t have the power to bring Kol back (of course it’s for no other reason). I just don’t understand why Davina was relegated to a side character in the later seasons after all she did in season one. They couldn’t have cut anything else from 3a (Tristan and Aurora perhaps, they were so boring)? Finally, we have her characterization after she resurrected Kol, nothing. She does nothing but wait in the wings for Kol to finish helping his family, a family she hated and had every right to. She either does nothing, or is only around to help with Kol’s sudden curse, and yet Kol is supposed to be worse. I know, I know, the big bad Kol Mikaelson became a lost puppy chasing after Davina, but so was she. They were just as bad as each other, two puppies chasing the tail of the other. Then she died, to push forward the plot around her. If you think that’s treating her like a plot device, let’s fast forward to season four. Davina Claire, harvest girl, rebellious teen, former queen regent of New Orlean witches, is a piece of leverage to control Kol. I’m done. There’s not much to say about season five, she only shows up to spout information and that’s about it.

It’s a sad end that Davina doesn’t even get an epilogue in the finale (I mean I have many problems with the finale regardless but I digress). Our only conclusion is that she lives happily ever after with her immortal boyfriend. Oh yeah! They never explain that caveat. She’s a mortal witch who will eventually die of old age, and he’s an original. I’m either supposed to assume Davina becomes a vampire (which would be the most out of character thing for her to do considering she hates vampires and loves her magic), which would mean women making personal sacrifices while the man doesn’t have to give up a thing (such a wonderful lesson we keep telling young women), or Kol became mortal by maybe also taking the cure with Rebekah (which makes a bit more sense since we know Kol misses doing magic). The point is, we don’t know, cause they don’t explain anything.

Look Davina wasn’t the perfect character, but she deserved so much better than what she became, and the worst part is this is barely talked about. Like I said, when people hate on kolvina, they approach it from “they ruined Kol!” And not really mentioning Davina. You’ll notice I mention Kol’s characterization, but I’m not going in depth. That’s cause you can easily find a more articulated response on how they did Kol dirty without having to look too hard, but Davina? She needs all the shoutouts she can get. Cami is overhated, and Davina is ignored. That’s two female regulars in the cast being treated terribly by the community and I will not stand for it! I wanna see Davina Claire deserves better cause she did.

To wrap up a very long post, we need to talk about Davina more, when I said season three was better than tvd I wasn’t referring to 3a, justice for the women of the originals, happy pride month, I’ll try to post more frequently.

How do you think JK and JM have grown and changed this year? I was worried about the more professional Jikook recently, but the way they are now seems healthier- like there is balance and more peace in their bond. They are compromising and addressing each other’s needs (JM demonstrating his love for JK and flirting less; JK holding back for the sake of the group and JM's sanity). They seem happy. Plus, it’s nice to see the group members helping them be professional- especially Tae.

Absolutely! They are making compromises...

I was meant to work on a 'Jikook in 2020 Review' blog post at the end of the year but I got my nails done and I couldn't type shit with it. Lol. Should have stuck with my usual average length basic bitch nails but no, I had to go and be a baddie- edgy people. Sigh.

It's something I do in my Journal at the end of every year since 2014 where I summarize everything that's gone down with Jikook and my other ships in that year to help me keep track of their love journey and especially the timelines- yea, I take my delulu business seriously. I'm not ashamed. Lol.

I think the most outstanding and conspicuous growth development in Jikook's dynamics, to me, is their individual functioning and positive adaptive response to the changes that happened in and around their relationship in 2020- from Covid 19 to the monitored VLives and the whole professional outlook, cough cough.

While not surprising to me, because they had been on that trajectory since the later half of 2019 and had exhibited early signs of being capable of adjusting well, almost adjusting well lol, to any internal changes that could occur in their relationship dynamics, I sort of worried about them being thrown in at the deep end in the face of the abrupt and disruptive changes 2020 presented because of Covid 19.

Jikook since 2015 to me, have always exhibited codependent tendencies as well as a certain level of dysfunctionality in their dynamics with one or both of them enabling certain toxicities in the other.

I think that is the major thing that changed in 2020 in my opinion and I don't know if their personal growth journey contributed to it or the virus did, or that it's just we didn't get to see them interact in the usual settings that brings out all the lunacy in them. Lol.

Jimin for example had a habit of enabling JK's possessiveness and childish grunts and would reassure him whenever JK threw tantrums over anyone smiling funny at him. I mean reassuring your partner of your love and interest in him is good and ideal but not when your partner lowkey is unreasonable in his demands sometimes, chilee JK- what goes on. Lol.

Especially not when that same partner has no qualms doing shit like this:

But with JM I feel it goes deeper than that. I think I have mentioned in passing a few times now how I feel/felt JM was the noncommittal one in their dynamic and part of the reason I had that view was because Jimin to me had always conveyed an impression of JK that he is/was a bit childish and immature and that I think had always hindered him from fully investing in their dynamic in a way that makes JK secure.

But that too has changed especially towards the end of 2020.

I mean JM is very wise beyond his age, mature beyond his age as everyone around him keep saying. Contrastingly, they say the very opposite of Kook and they treat him as such, which is gotta be worrying for JM, I feel.

I've always been fascinated by JM's choice of words and descriptors for people- well not just JM's, all the members' quite frankly. Lol. He sees, for instance, Tae as innocent and naive, Joonie as thoughtful and JK as not good at expressing himself and his emotions.

These words are not just his assessment of their personalities, they are also testament to how he treats them or is likely to treat them- We treat people the way we see and perceive them.

If he sees JK as incapable of expressing his true intentions, he stands the risk of projecting his own intentions onto him and this is very dangerous. He could be reading more into situations, misunderstanding and misconstruing JK's intentions.

For example, he may he interpreting JK feeling uncomfortable with him being around others as a sign JK wants him for himself and as such use that to reassure himself whenever he is feeling vulnerable and insecure in their dynamic but in reality JK could just be expressing discomfort with watching two men interact intimately- JM would never know unless JK explicitly conveyed to him that seeing him with others worry him because he wants Jimin too. Know what I mean?

Similarly, if he perceives JK as immature and childish, no matter how accurate that may be, he risks developing an inclination to be dismissive of JK's needs- especially if JK really sucks at articulating his needs or asserting himself in their dynamics.

Seeing JM interact with others in a certain way may genuinely be his limits, but how is he gonna communicate that to Jimin beyound grunts and pouts if he sucks at expressing himself and if JM dismisses these grunts and tantrums he throws as childishness?

That's what I mean when I say there is a certain degree of dysfunctionality to Jikook's dynamics. But that too have changed or is changing- can't be sure till I see how they progress and interact in the future.

As I kept saying, Jikook had been asserting themselves against eachother in 2020 and JK was the embodiment of that.

But JK...

He has always given me the impression he's willing to do whatever it takes to prove himself as not only worthy of JM's love but also solidify himself as JM's equal in their dynamics, having been subjected to years of baby syndrome being the youngest within the group and having everyone treat him as such.

And so I have mixed feelings about this seemly 'progress' in him...

Not sure if he is doing it for himself or for his relationship and God I hope it is for himself because as much as I enjoy the crazy aspect of their relationship, I hate it too.

I mean it's entertaining to watch sometimes but Jimlous and Jeonlous do make me sick in my stomachs- yea, I have four at this point. Fucking Christmas chicken. Lol.

Not to say JM isn't as invested in or committed to JK as JK is to him. Just saying there's always been something holding him back in their dynamics for whatever reason, in my opinion, and Jk it seems have always had the impression he can 'win' if he tries. So he is constantly pushing the boundaries and testing the limits- and that I feel is his yoke.

I used to look at him and felt sorry for him because he was young and he was being pushed to grow so fast but I also understand Jimin because he is much older than his boyfriend and he wouldn't want to be unequally yoked to him, as the saying goes- especially if he equally has to relinquish control to him and have him lead him as his lover and partner.

I feel a lot of Jokers get confused about who is dom and all that jazz, partly because JM is not ceding to JK the way JK relinquishes control to JM in their dynamics and is holding back a lot- that's what I mean when I say he is not fully into their relationship.

Jimin holds a lot of power in their dynamics and a lot of people see that and describe him as top, dom, power bottom and whole other sobriquets but I don't think any of those descriptors is apt.

Because as much as he holds a lot of power in their dynamics, he is in the same breath powerless and at the mercy of JK as JK is to him. The one with the power to me is the one that can walk away and It's neither JK nor Jimin.

As assertive as JK has been all year, he will cave if it meant JM was to walk away. And as demanding as JM has been of JK's maturity, he will settle if it meant JK was to walk away.

Jimin to me is a paradox. He pushes JK to be 'mature' and be on the same page as him yet he equally enables the bad behavior in JK too- well he used to. He's changed since late 2019 and hasn't been tolerant of JK's possessive behavior- which I think I've talked about a lot on here.

It certainly doesn't help that JM has this view of 'JK is just bad at expressing his emotions.' With that kind of mentality, he is more likely to let JK get away with a lot of things without pushing him to be better and that in itself is a form of enabling.

As the youngest within the group, he already stand the risk of being enabled within the group dynamics as his bad behavior is always going to be excused and dismissed as stemming from his age.

You often hear RM and the members talk about how he is the youngest, he is going through a teenage rebellious phase, let's give him a pass because he is the youngest, he doesn't speak much so we value the least he says, he doesn't return his texts, doesn't wish anyone a happy birthday on their birthday's but we will for him anyway, chilee. There is too much enabling going on in there.

As harmless as these rhetorics may be, they impact his attraction quotient and may make him less appealing to anyone within the group who may find him attractive in a sexual way psychologically speaking and sometimes I see that impacting Jimin. People want to date up not down.

Take when Hobi talked about JK peeping tom for example, Jimin didn't seem at all happy about it. I don't think he was jealous in that moment necessarily, more like he was disappointed and hurt.

JK has been doomed from the start as the baby of the group- I mean I've seen the men JM finds attractive... I don't think a 'baby' is what he wants.

Jk have always been on a mission to shed these descriptors off of him and assert himself within the group, for himself and for his relationship- as he should.

But 2020 has been the height of his self assertive journey and progress in my opinion. In Break the silence, the members talked about how JK has become more self aware particularly this year, and JK himself has spoken about and acknowledged his immaturity in the past and how he is working to improve himself on that.

He has grown a lot this year.

You may not see the impact of this because it's an intangible change but you look at how he interacts with the others, the boundaries he's putting in place etc

JM post October have been treating JK with a certain level of respect and dignity, almost as if he is seeing JK as a new man- his equal. This will make sense in the future, don't worry.

During the Christmas holiday performance, it seemed the directors had whispered something in JM's ear to give them a moment- listen, BigHit ain't slick ok? Whenever you see them isolate Jikook from the group bet your sweet behind they are looking for a moment from Jikook and are going over BTS's head, chilee. They ain't slick.

They did the same thing in the dynamite MV when they put Jikook away from the group and had them turn it on- I mean RM wasn't too happy about it it seemed and when he asked Jimin about it, Jimin said the director had asked him to.

I bet you two fake dollars, they intentionally put Jikook away from the group in that performance and honestly I don't think they gave JK a heads up about it either. You could see Jimin literally scanning JK's body to prepare himself and put himself in the mood which had JK looking at him all confused like what is this man doing. Lmho.

Then he playfully taps JK's chest like it's the firt time he is paired with his man and JK looks at him like uhmmmm. Jimin then goes to wrap his hands around JK's shoulder and JK exec crashed. lol.

I don't think JK expected that from Jimin and his gay panic was real- personally, I think he popped a boner down there and when Jimin tilted the camera angle down to that region dude made a 360 turning his back to the camera. Lol.

He was literally hiding it behind Jin and when you look at NamJin's cam that's when you see what I mean.

Chilee, JK how are you gone hide a boner a man gave you behind another mind- make it make sense. Lmho. Are they both not men? You are 24, if Jimin still has this effect on you I'm sorry there's no hope for you. The gay is deep my guy, bid your family farewell and move to Itaewon. Lol.

All jokes and delulu aside, there was a certain level of respect even in the way that Jimin carried out their fanservice in that moment.

Maybe we are finally going to see Park Jimin relinquish that power he's been holding back from Kook as the hyung and mature one and allow JK lead him, make decisions for him and trust that he would make the right ones.

I don't think, going forward JM would be 'dismissing' JK's discomfort with him doing certain things as JK being 'childish' anymore, lol. I'm talking about the 'babe it's nothing' laughing his butt off when JK is pissed at him for doing certain things etc.

It's also interesting to note that 2020, in my opinion, recorded the most 'breakup songs' shared and recommended by JK on his spotify playlist- I wonder why. Smirk.

By break up songs i mean most if not all the songs he shared last year had a theme of separation, breakup, etc, with one particular song standing out to me: Mean it by Lauv.

This song and the others are pretty much consistent with his own song lyrics of 2020, Still with you and Stay which I believe are a two voiced piece of the same art work or subject matter, a response poem if you will: one being a confession of JK's feelings and intentions while the other, Stay, is the reconciliation, a request and plea to his love interest and declaration of his needs or what he wants from Jimin.

Stay answers Still with you. In my opinion.

And on the subject of Still with you, am I the only one who thinks 'With You' is one of Jimin's handles and JK using that in a song is no coincidence?

I mean Tae literally gave Jimin that name in Run 106- Listen, I don't trust JK and if he appropriates it again ISTG!

He's come a long way from, 'I'm not gonna say any cliche as that have courage' in Magic Shop to practically groveling. Lol. Love will do that to you.

What stands out about Mean it, is that whole 'don't play with my feelings if you don't want me' theme. I think this is something I kept saying was a vibe I was getting from JK throughout 2020 when I said I talked about their breakup and said I felt he was since that incident putting his foot down, demanding his needs and putting his happiness right back up there with Jimin's.

I smiled when I heard him talk about him thinking a lot about what happiness means to him throughout 2020 and pursuing that.

As for the professionalism, let's see if they are going to maintain it throughout this year because it is not coming from them but from the environment they are in.

I think what they have to do is know when they are going to be themselves and when they have to be professional- Jikook y'all are queer, reading the room should be an acquired skill dumbass! Someone send them the memo. Lmho.

One other thing that has changed about Jikook would be how they are gradually disconnecting from their fanbase especially JK.

Now this may be due to a lot of reasons: BigHit limiting their access to their fanbase, BTS having a problem with Jikook's brand clashing with theirs and demanding they 'act professionally,' Jikook no longer having a need of the support of their fanbase and a plethora of reasons I cannot get into sake of time and space.

One thing that I am gauging this year is how Jikook will be interacting with their fanbase and how much of their relationship they will willingly share with us.

They need our support as much as we need them and if our support matters to them in advancing their relationship out of the closet then they will find a way to reconnect with us- always.

I mean, he said stay- I'm staying. Lol.

I guess what I'm saying is, for now, the change in Jikook is intangible and individualized but serves as a foundation to whatever direction they decide to move in next.

I am curious to know how these individuals growth and development is going to play out in their dynamics as a unit.

I want to see what they do on May 13th this year, who posts the first Jikook selca of 2021. JK didn't post for the members's birthday again and so I'm curious to see how JM's birthday is gonna go.

The members had surprise parties except Jimin- I'm still salty about that, they filmed Vlives on their birthdays- again except Jimin who had to belate that shit.

I'm taking notes of how they are gonna use the VApp this year especially JK. He still wasn't allowed to solo VLive on the app- I'm taking notes. Lol. Bone collector LLC. Lmho.

2020 was that year, the year Jikook went to couples counseling figuratively- in my books me. Lol.

They went from spending time apart, pursuing other hobbies, JK took to reading, Jimin took to spending quality time with friends and family and realized what is gold to him.

They each have come to terms with their shortcomings- something some of us recieved a lot of backlash over for talking openly about. Chilee.

Jimin have acknowledged he over expresses himself and needs to "love less' and JK have acknowledged his immaturity and is taking steps to work on it.

They both have taken a step from social media, which honestly I don't think is a bad thing especially if SM impacts their overall well being negatively.

I actually won't be surprised if they've been seeing a psychologist but anywho-

I hope this answers your question? Lol. I don't know. This post is more for me than y'all, I feel. So sorry about that.

Happy New Year to 'Y'all who love me.' I love y'all too so much. Bless y'all.

Let's keep supporting Jikook. Jikook is real.

Signed,

GOLDY

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍:  family  dynamics.

*these  dynamics  are  subject  to  change  if/when  i  write  with  Kol’s  family  members  but  in  regards  to  people  outside  of  these  specific  dynamics  this  is  how  I  interpret  their  relationships

𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐋:  As  a  child  growing  up  Kol  was  both  terrified  of  Mikael  and  in  awe  of  him.  Mikael  was  strong,  powerful,  respected  among  their  community  and  had  been  victorious  in  various  conflicts  with  neighbors  and  against  Saxons.  He  heard  all  of  the  tales  of  Mikael's  conquests  and  triumphs  and  he  wanted  to  be  just  like  him  in  that  regard.  However,  Mikael  was  also  extremely  abusive,  particularly  towards  Klaus  and  Esther.  He  ruled  their  household  with  an  iron  fist;  Kol  remembers  being  afraid  to  even  breathe  too  loudly  out  of  fear  of  Mikael's  violent  outbursts.  As  Kol  got  older  he  became  spiteful  and  resentful  of  Mikael.  He  hated  how  afraid  Mikael  made  him,  he  hated  how  powerless  and  helpless  he  felt  whenever  Mikael  attacked  Klaus  and  he  hated  how  their  entire  family  cowered ��in  the  face  of  Mikael's  anger.  Kol's  spite  and  resentment  of  Mikael  drove  him  to  become  obsessed  with  becoming  strong  and  powerful  so  as  not  to  be  afraid  anymore.  He  turned  himself  into  a  weapon,  with  sword,  shield  and  axe,  with  bow  and  spear,  and  with  his  magic  and  as  he  became  stronger,  faster,  and  more  skillful  with  magic,  Kol  would  often  act  out  in  order  to  prove  to  himself  that  he  was  not  afraid  of  Mikael  anymore.  This  determination  to  be  fearless  carried  through  to  when  Kol  became  a  vampire  as  well.  Even  when  on  the  run  from  Mikael  with  his  siblings,  Kol  was  often  determined  to  confront  Mikael.  Kol  still  has  a  deep  hatred  and  fear  of  Mikael  and  when  he  found  out  about  Mikael's  death,  he  was  relieved.

𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑:  Kol  has  very  few  memories  of  intimacy  with  Esther.  The  majority  of  his  memory  of  her  is  the  way  that  she  favored  Elijah,  Klaus  and  Rebekah,  how  she  would  dote  on  Klaus  and  teach  Rebekah  how  to  hone  her  magic  but  what  he  remembers  the  most  is  how  often  Esther  would  berate,  belittle  and  degrade  him,  how  she  would  constantly  compare  him  to  either  Finn  or  Elijah,  how  she  would  always  make  him  feel  as  if  he  was  not  enough.  Kol  never  felt  particularly  liked  or  loved  by  Esther  growing  up  and  as  he  got  older  he  determined  that  Esther  was  indifferent  to  his  existence  entirely.  As  a  teenager,  Kol  grew  to  despise  Esther  as  well.  He  considered  her  weak,  neglectful  and  cold  and  she  was  largely  removed  from  the  ongoings  of  his  life  thereafter,  he  only  interacted  with  her  when  he  felt  like  he  had  to  or  because  he  felt  pressured  by  his  siblings  to  be  civil.  Despite  these  feelings,  he  was  horrified  when  Klaus  told  them  that  Mikael  had  killed  her.  Over  a  thousand  years  of  being  a  vampire,  living  his  life  free  of  parental  oversight  caused  Kol's  resentment  of  Esther  to  peak  when  she  was  resurrected,  irritated  that  he  was  expected  to  listen  to  her  after  living  his  life  so  long  without  her  involved.  Her  betrayal  only  escalated  Kol's  feelings  of  anger,  severing  whatever  lingering  feelings  of  care  that  he  had  for  her.

𝐃𝐀𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐀:  She  was  a  stranger  to  him  so  he  felt  nothing  but  anger  towards  her  after  she  targeted  his  siblings.

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐀:  Finding  out  that  he  had  an  older  sister  was  a  shock  as  neither  Mikael,  Esther  or  Finn  spoke  about  her.  Kol  has  mixed  feelings  about  Freya,  in  large  part  he  still  considers  her  to  be  a  stranger  and  an  outsider  as  she  hasn't  lived  or  experienced  the  past  thousand  years  alongside  them.  When  she  first  appeared,  Kol  distanced  himself  from  her,  unwilling  to  accept  her  as  family  despite  Freya's  efforts  in  becoming  more  familiar  with  him.  When  Freya  and  Elijah  sacrificed  Davina  to  save  them  from  Lucien,  Kol's  anger  towards  Freya  grew  tenfold.  She  was  a  stranger  to  him,  a  stranger  that  he  had  been  willing  to  trust  with  someone  he  considered  precious  and  she  betrayed  that  trust.  Over  the  years  and  since  Davina's  resurrection,  Kol's  resentment  has  faded  somewhat.  He's  civil,  even  friendly  with  her,  he  appreciates  her  wit,  her  humour  and  her  power  as  a  witch  and  should  she  ever  ask  him  for  help,  Kol  is  willing  to  come  to  her  aid,  but  he  has  not  learned  to  trust  her  again.

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐍:  As  a  young  child,  it  was  Finn  that  Kol  latched  himself  to.  Mikael  was  frightening  and  abusive,  and  Esther  was  neglectful  and  indifferent,  so  it  was  Finn  that  Kol  would  go  to  for  comfort,  security  and  guidance.  He  followed  Finn  around  wherever  he  went,  he  would  sneak  into  his  bed  at  night  when  the  thunderstorms  raged  or  the  winters  were  fierce,  he  would  mimic  and  mirror  Finn,  trying  and  oftentimes  failing  to  be  just  like  him.  As  Kol  got  older,  he  stopped  doing  this  but  out  of  his  siblings,  he  was  always  closest  with  Finn.  Despite  the  way  that  their  personalities,  views  and  opinions  clashed.  Finn  was  dignified,  obedient  and  calm,  while  Kol  was  boisterous,  rebellious  and  temperamental.  While  they  were  polar  opposites,  they  seemed  to  work  well  together  in  large  part  because  Kol  respected  Finn  above  anyone  else.  When  they  became  vampires,  Kol  relied  heavily  on  Finn's  morality  and  judgement  in  order  to  control  his  own  impulses  and  bloodthirst.  Finn  was  able  to  ground  Kol  in  ways  that  none  of  their  other  siblings  were  able  to  and  while  Kol  might  have  hated  it,  Finn  constantly  reminded  Kol  of  his  humanity.  When  Finn  was  daggered  Kol  made  numerous  attempts  to  find  and  undagger  him,  and  to  convince  Klaus  to  release  him  to  no  avail.  Eventually  as  the  centuries  passed,  Kol  stopped  trying.  Convincing  himself  that  sleeping  was  a  mercy.  When  they  were  both  undaggered  and  Esther  returned,  Kol  made  an  effort  to  reconnect  with  Finn  but  when  Finn  sided  with  their  mother,  that  betrayal  hurt  and  cut  deeply.  After  Finn  was  killed  by  Elena  and  Matt,  Kol  avenged  him  by  killing  Matt  and  mourned  his  death.

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐉𝐀𝐇:  Kol  feels  most  insecure  around  Elijah.  Growing  up  Elijah  always  appeared  as  the  favored  son  by  both  Mikael  and  Esther  and  by  his  other  siblings  so  he  always  represented  an  impossible  standard  to  Kol  which  led  to  Kol  often  challenging  Elijah  into  petty  games,  competitions  or  dares  in  order  to  beat  him  while  growing  up.  Once  Kol  grew  into  a  young  adult,  these  feelings  subsided  somewhat  and  Kol  was  able  to  see  Elijah  with  more  clarity  than  he  had  as  a  child  and  as  a  teenager,  though  he  still  felt  some  jealousy  and  inadequacy,  he  cared  for  and  respected  Elijah  deeply.  Kol  has  a  desire  to  earn  Elijah's  approval  and  love,  mostly  he  just  wants  Elijah  to  like  him  though  this  usually  causes  Kol  to  lash  out  and  leads  to  self-sabotage  as  Kol  doesn't  like  that  he  wants  these  things  from  Elijah.  Over  the  centuries  Kol  has  however  grown  to  resent  Elijah,  particularly  his  relationship  with  Klaus  and  Rebekah,  as  without  Finn  as  his  support  base,  Kol  has  felt  consistently  isolated,  alienated  and  rejected  from  their  triumvirate,  these  feelings  only  growing  after  the  numerous  times  in  which  Elijah  helped  Klaus  dagger  him.  When  Elijah  helped  Freya  sacrifice  Davina  to  the  New  Orlean's  Ancestors,  Kol's  anger  towards  Elijah  increased  into  aggressive  arguments,  violent  outbursts  and  grudging  silent  treatments.  Despite  this,  Kol  still  cares  for  Elijah  and  will  not  let  anything  happen  to  him.

𝐊𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐒:  As  children  and  even  teenagers,  Kol  and  Klaus  didn't  spend  nearly  as  much  time  together  as  they  should  have.  Growing  up  neither  Kol  or  Klaus  shared  in  the  same  interests,  leaving  very  little  for  the  pair  of  them  to  bond  over.  Kol  also  despised  the  way  that  Esther  would  dote  on  Klaus  and  it  wasn't  until  Kol  was  a  young  adolescent  that  he  really  recognized  the  hatred  that  Mikael  felt  towards  Klaus  or  understood  the  abuses  that  Klaus  suffered  at  their  fathers  hand.  As  a  teenager,  Kol  tried  to  connect  with  Klaus  through  combat  training,  joining  Klaus  on  hunts  and  training  in  sword  and  shield,  and  even  spear.  It  wasn't  until  Kol  was  a  young  adult  that  he  grew  to  appreciate  Klaus'  other  interests,  such  as  art,  and  had  Klaus  design  and  pin  one  of  Kol's  very  first  tattoos.  When  they  became  vampires  and  Klaus  began  to  change,  becoming  angrier,  vengeful  and  malicious,  they  developed  a  playful  but  malicious  rivalry.  Competing  against  one  another,  bonding  over  kills,  their  savagery  and  wildness,  especially  in  the  early  years  against  the  Christians.  Despite  their  apparent  closeness,  they  shared  too  many  similarities  after  their  transformations.  When  together,  they  become  incredibly  destructive,  when  they  aren't  fighting  or  hurting  others,  they  are  fighting  and  hurting  each  other.  Kol  and  Klaus  are  able  to  get  along  for  a  short  period  of  time,  but  inevitably  they  end  up  butting  heads  and  few  people  survive  when  it  happens.  Like  Elijah,  Kol  wants  Klaus  to  like  him  and  he  wants  to  feel  connected  to  him,  but  after  centuries  of  resentments,  betrayals,  grudges  and  lost  competitions,  there  is  also  a  deep  and  conflicting  anger  and  resentment  that  Kol  feels  towards  Klaus.  Regardless,  he  still  cares  about  him  and  Kol  will  still  help  him  if  Klaus  asks  him  to.

𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐊𝐀𝐇:  As  his  younger  sister  and  being  six  years  his  junior,  Kol  feels  understandably  protective  over  Rebekah.  Growing  up,  he  tried  to  be  there  for  her  but  was  quite  easily  overshadowed  by  both  Elijah  and  Finn  and  Kol  struggled  to  determine  what  kind  of  relationship  he  wanted  and  could  have  with  Rebekah  as  she  already  had  three  very  protective  and  caring  older  brothers  to  look  out  for  her.  Eventually,  Kol  settled  on  being  Rebekah's  enabler.  Where  their  brothers  would  shelter  and  protect  her,  Kol  was  the  one  who  encouraged  her  to  do  as  she  pleased,  whatever  interests  or  desires  that  Rebekah  had  that  might  have  been  frowned  upon,  Kol  would  help  her  achieve  them.  If  Rebekah  wanted  to  learn  to  hunt,  he  taught  her,  if  she  wished  to  learn  how  to  be  a  shield-maiden,  Kol  helped  her,  if  she  wanted  to  leave  the  village  and  explore,  Kol  would  go  with  her.  Together  they  were  mischief,  daring  and  reckless.  When  they  became  vampires  this  did  not  end,  Kol  encouraged  Rebekah's  playful  maliciousness  and  her  vindictiveness  and  was  something  of  a  bad  influence  on  her  until  Rebekah  came  into  her  own.  After  Finn  was  daggered,  Kol  considered  Rebekah  to  be  the  sibling  he  was  closest  with,  which  made  Rebekah's  betrayal  of  him  that  much  more  painful.  Kol  holds  a  deep-rooted  grudge  over  this  betrayal  as  he  felt  that  Rebekah  chose  Klaus  and  Elijah  over  him,  further  driving  Kol  to  feel  isolated,  alienated  and  rejected  by  his  own  family.  While  he  is  still  somewhat  prickly  towards  Rebekah,  she  will  always  be  his  little  sister  and  he  will  always  love  her.  If  she  calls  on  him,  Kol  is  willing  to  help  her.

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐈𝐊:  As  the  youngest  of  their  brood,  Henrik  got  all  of  the  attention  from  their  parents  and  siblings  alike  and  while  Kol  did  possess  some  jealousy  because  of  it,  he  loved  his  youngest  brother  dearly.  Kol  was  fiercely  protective  of  Henrik,  whenever  Henrik  did  something  wrong  or  took  a  prank  too  far  or  even  by  accident  did  something  that  he  might  be  punished  or  scolded  for,  Kol  was  always  willing  to  take  responsibility,  even  if  it  meant  that  he  had  to  endure  severe  punishment.  When  Henrik  was  killed,  it  was  one  of  the  last  moments  that  Kol  ever  wept,  devastated  by  the  loss  of  his  brother.  Despite  over  a  thousand  years  having  passed  since  the  day  that  Henrik  was  killed,  Kol  still  remembers  it  vividly  and  still  finds  it  an  extremely  difficult  memory  to  recall  due  to  the  emotion  that  it  elicits.

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋:  They  do  not  like  each  other  in  the  slightest.  When  Kol  first  met  Marcel  he  perceived  him  as  a  threat  to  his  own  relationships  with  Klaus  and  Elijah.  Kol  felt  as  if  Marcel  was  replacing  him  and  resented  the  amount  of  attention,  care  and  interest  that  Klaus  and  Elijah  showed  to  him  while  simultaneously  being  disturbed  at  how  similar  Marcel  was  to  their  deceased  brother  Henrik.  Kol  lashed  out,  forcing  Klaus  to  choose  between  him  and  Marcel  when  he  threatened  to  transform  Marcel  into  a  vampire  when  Marcel  was  only  fourteen.  Klaus  chose  to  dagger  Kol  and  Kol  has  held  a  grudge  against  both  Klaus  and  Marcel  for  it  ever  since.  As  adults,  they  still  can't  stand  each  other,  while  they  have  a  begrudging  tolerance  of  one  another's  existence  purely  because  of  their  relationships  with  the  people  they're  both  close  to,  such  as  Rebekah  and  Davina,  they  rarely  seek  the  other  out  to  interact  and  only  work  together  when  they  share  a  common  goal.  Otherwise  they  avoid  one  another  as  much  as  possible.

𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐄𝐘:  Kol  likes  Hayley  well  enough.  She's  strong,  intelligent,  loyal  and  brave,  things  which  Kol  respects.  However,  while  Kol  might  like  her,  they  don't  particularly  enjoy  each  other's  company.  Their  relationship  is  somewhat  tense,  swapping  banter,  insults  and  arguments  that  can  occasionally  go  too  far  as  they  still  don't  quite  know  each  other  well  enough  to  know  where  each  other's  boundaries  or  trigger  points  are.  Kol  at  least  attempts  to  be  civil  with  Hayley  for  the  most  part  but  still  considers  her  to  be  something  of  a  stranger.  Despite  this,  Hayley  is  one  of  the  only  people  who  hasn't  betrayed  him  so  he  is  more  willing  to  agree,  work  with  and  listen  to  Hayley  without  an  attitude  in  comparison  to  his  siblings.

𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄:  Kol  struggled  with  Hope's  existence  for  a  long  time,  uncomfortable  with  having  such  a  helpless,  defenseless  and  innocent  creature  inserted  into  his  life  and  for  a  while  Kol  wasn't  able  to  be  around  Hope  at  all.  Hope  represented  a  life  that  Kol  and  his  siblings  were  no  longer  meant  to  have,  she  was  a  young,  innocent  little  girl  surrounded  by  violent,  aggressive  monsters  and  her  simple  existence  constantly  reminded  Kol  of  his  life  when  he  had  been  human,  of  a  life  that  had  been  stolen  from  him  and  reminded  him  of  the  person  that  he  could  have  been  had  he  never  become  a  vampire.  Kol  slowly  warmed  up  to  Hope  as  she  got  older  and  while  he  does  feel  protective  over  her,  he  distances  himself  from  a  caregiving  role  in  her  life  because  he  does  not  feel  suitable  for  the  role.  He  does  not  treat  her  with  kid-gloves.  He  respects  her  decisions  and  her  choices  even  if  he  might  not  agree  with  them,  he  respects  her  boundaries  and  is  more  willing  to  act  as  support  rather  than  adviser  and  is  there  only  when  she  needs  him.  He  doesn't  question  or  berate  her,  and  he  doesn't  judge  her  and  while  this  means  that  he  is  reliable  if  Hope  ever  calls  on  him  for  help,  it  also  means  that  he  is  not  as  emotionally  close  with  Hope  as  perhaps  he  should  be.

██████████████]99% LOADING...SUSPECT INTO THE APD DATABASE...

WITNESS(ES) SAY HE REMINDS THEM OF: the last plump dumpling on the plate that you and your friend fight over, the betrayal you feel when you drink a milkshake that’s too cold and get a brain freeze but it’s too good to stop, and the buzzing of a bumble bee flitting from flower to flower. With a slight resemblance to LEE JOOHEON  (JOOHONEY) of/the MONSTA X.

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW ENTIRE FILE.

FULL FILE:

Last Name, First Name: Kkul Beol (actually his full name. He doesn’t have a surname) ALIAS: Yellowjacket Realm of birth(if earth, nationality): Divine Realm Age: Unknown, but has lived 26 years in Earth realm Date of Birth: May 20th (aka World Bee Day) Gender: Male Preferred Pronouns: he/him or they/them Species: Spiritual Fairy Occupation: The Howlers, Dealer Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

VISUAL FILE:

Skin Color: Milky, pale Eye color: Varies Scars: None Piercings: Ears, Dimple piercings Tattoos:When he doesn’t have his wings out, they manifest as bold linework that follows along his shoulder blades and down his back. He has a colorful fairy pinup girl on his right inner forearm. A bumble bee design on his left upper arm that blends into a fairy circle tattoo on that inner forearm. Various weeds and flowers on his legs. Hair color: Varies Abnormalities: Since Beol can reinvent his physical form to his liking, his features may change on a whim. However, he does tend to stick to the same form, with only his hair and eye color varying. Transformed form:As a spiritual fairy, Beol’s physical form is only a formality that allows him to better experience the world. His spiritual presence is formless and genderless. It is almost like looking at dust when it catches the light.

PERSONAL FILE:

RELIGIOUS BELIEF:  N/A SINS:  greed  /  gluttony  /  sloth  / lust  /  pride  /  envy  /  wrath VIRTUES: chastity  /  charity  /  diligence  /  humility /  kindness /  patience /  justice KNOWN LANGUAGES: Korean, English, Gaelic SECRETS: Beol manages to get out of being prosecuted for his crimes by charming the officers who try to arrest him with his fairy dust or using illusions to escape. SAVVIES: drawing, getting tattooed, playing pranks. Powers & Abilities: fairy dust manipulation, healing, wish granting (but it usually has a hidden caveat), semi-immortality, empathy, energy manipulation and absorption, energy barriers, energy blasts, malleable anatomy/shapeshifting, spirit physiology, illusions, intangibility, possession, telekinesis (via fairy dust manipulation), teleportation.  Traits: (positive) chipper, animated, fun-loving and playful. (negative) fickle, impatient, gets petulant when things don’t go his way, doesn’t realize his pranks can be harmful or perhaps he feigns ignorance. Aesthetics: the last plump dumpling on the plate that you and your friend fight over, the betrayal you feel when you drink a milkshake that’s too cold and get a brain freeze but it’s too good to stop, and the buzzing of a bumble bee flitting from flower to flower.

BACKGROUND CHECK:

Date of Birth: May 20th, year unknown Date of Death: N/A Crime Record: Beol knows that he should avoid getting entangled with the authorities at all costs, but his innately mischievous nature contradicts rationality. He rather enjoys skating on thin ice when it comes to getting caught. When he was a “teen,” he often got in trouble for truancy, vandalism, and theft. Now, as an “adult,” he has to be far more conscious about getting caught. He has been charged with possession and possession with the intent to distribute, but - miraculously - has not served any jail time.

Background/Biography:

In a time long ago, Celts used to believe that when a person slept or entered a hypnotic state that their soul left the body in the form of a bee. Sometimes those souls got lost on the way back (or perhaps were detained) and found their way to the divine realm of the fae, where they would become what is known as spiritual fairies. Or at least that was the story Beol’s mother told them, but the reality was that there was no living fae who remembered exactly where they originated. Their mother would affectionately call them their ‘wandering little bee’ because Beol was an adventurous child who could never be tied down in one place. It came as no surprise to them when Beol decided to leave the realm they’d always known and venture out into the human world.

When Beol crossed over to the mortal plane, they embraced the incredibly different way of life with childish wonder and enthusiasm. At first they explored in their spiritual form and enjoyed playing all sorts of pranks on unsuspecting humans, but - as is typical of the fickle nature of fairies - that grew boring quickly. Beol eventually constructed a physical form so they could better interact with others around them. Being a young and playful soul, Beol chose the façade of a school-aged child since their fun-loving antics were very similar to his own. What he didn’t take into account, though, was that a parentless, vagrant child stood out and it wasn’t long before his friend’s parents became concerned for his well-being.

In his naivety, Beol didn’t think much of it when they’d asked where he lived and who looked after him, telling them that he took care of himself and stayed wherever he wanted. That naturally led to the police being contacted and Beol was placed in an orphanage until they could find a family for him. Truthfully, he could have simply flitted off and ventured someplace new, but the idea of living with other kids sounded like an eternal sleepover to him and how could that be bad? Of course, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies in the system. Many of the orphans came from broken homes and were passed around to fosters that were no better. They’d come back with new scars and bereft of their smiles, their innocence gobbled up by the darkness within others.

Beol couldn’t stand seeing them hurt. He could vividly imagine how they’d gotten each bruise like he’d experienced it himself and felt their anguish like a bottomless pit in the center of his chest. Yet he wasn’t powerless to fight against it like they were and Beol quickly went from using his abilities for harmless fun to avenging his friends. He would go out of his way to be assigned to their previous foster parents and would make sure to traumatize them so much with his illusion magicks that they never dared to take in another child again. While it did make him feel better, his habit of terrorizing parents tarnished his record and made him increasingly difficult to adopt out. Not that that bothered Beol. Sure, it was hard watching his friends eventually leave to go with loving parents, but protecting those that remained had become his responsibility and he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that if he left. Besides, he had parents and didn’t need new ones, even if his counselors never believed him when he told them.

As he “aged” into teenage years, Beol’s outer image evolved to suit his interests and style. He became close with the more rebellious crowd, other lost boys and girls like himself who couldn’t care less about authority or conforming to what society wanted. They spent more time in seedy pc bangs and back alleys sharing a pack of smokes than they did in school or hoping for families that would never accept them. It was around this time that he actually came out about what he really was and where he’d come from, though that identity seemed like a far off memory now. He was no longer a shade wearing the suit of a man and could freely embrace his quirkier side without worrying about anyone disapproving.

INTERVIEW QUESTION (para sample): “Just run us through what happened that night”. - Officer

This charade always amused Beol. Every time he found himself in this position, with an officer staring him down on the other side of the table in the cramped interrogation room, he wondered why their initial play was to put on this veil of ignorance. As if they didn’t already know what he did or have evidence against him. Did it actually work on suspects? He assumed that most people dug themselves into a hole trying to weave a pitiful fallacy with the same gusto as a scared child blaming the broken vase on the cat in the hopes that it would exonerate them. Beol, on the other hand, was a sophisticated liar and not burdened with the pressing need to evade something. He could phase out of the room right before their very eyes, after all. So the only reason he had to deceive them was simply because it was fun.

“Well, I can’t just start with last night, officer. That’s not how good storytelling works.” He countered coyly and rocked the chair back onto the two rear legs so he could kick his clunky boots up onto the table. Dirt and grime broke loose from the deep grooves in the sole and fell onto the open file set out before the policeman who was trying his best to see unperturbed, but Beol relished in the neigh imperceptible way his jawline tensed in annoyance. “It all began when my parents died in a tragic car accident and I was adopted by my rotten aunt and uncle. You know, they always told me my father was a drunk and that the apple wouldn’t fall far from the tree. So at least I’m exceeding someone’s expectations. Anyway, this one day, we went to the zoo for my cousin’s birthday and there was this enormous python-”

can i ask a question? this season really made me dislike glimmer (s4). why is she so sympathetic to people? she just seemed to be a really bad friend to bow and adora and that really frustrates me bc theyre there to support her more than anything else, esp with her mom gone. i recently rewatched the beginning and honestly bow and adora are trying to be even better friends to glimmer and she consistently lashes out and is power hungry and cruel to them. why is she still sympathetic?

man i like how you’re open-minded trying to get other perspectives about it 😌 i think like everyone in she-ra, glimmer is a pretty polarizing character. she has complex motivations that don’t always present her in a good light. on one hand i agree glimmer WAS lashing out and being a bad friend and especially for adora fans i can see why her actions last season would turn people off. but i still sympathize with her because i appreciate how she is influenced by her trauma. “sympathize” is a mild word tbh, i freaking LOVE glimmer, and it’s precisely because she’s a little unhinged, she doesn’t always do the right thing.. i want more female characters like her!! 

it’s the same with catra, right? people only dislike catra when they are unable to sympathize with her trauma. except in comparison, glimmer’s trauma is sort of glossed over, harder to see unless youre really looking for it. so lets talk about it bc i think appreciating glimmer’s perspective is crucial to understanding the story as whole.

glimmer was raised by the leaders of a global rebellion.. she knows how terrible war is on a very personal level since she lost her father to it when she was little, which is very different from adora’s trauma. she watched her mother grow tired and discouraged, and she’s been so angry for so long, because she believed that she had a responsibility to make a difference in the world but she was too young to really help (like damn remember when we thought glimmer was just an annoying rebellious teenager?). then the war takes her mother away, too. now an orphan, she inherits angella’s duty to keep the world safe, right when they’re on the brink of a catastrophic invasion.

i think the war with the horde is a more urgent threat in glimmer’s eyes than it is in adora’s. adora has a broader vision to protect the universe whereas glimmer is thinking pragmatically about something thats more immediate and tangible, and thats one of the reasons they butt heads this season.

another thing is, when glimmer inherits the throne she carries over this trauma from childhood where she felt powerless against the horde. finally, finally, she is the one in charge, she gets the chance to make a real difference and stop the horde once and for all… but then adora is there, even more overprotective than usual, acting like she’s entitled to call the shots just because she’s she-ra? glimmer has been waiting her whole life for this, to fulfill what she must believe is her destiny–how dare someone try to take that away from her? so this is another point where adora and glimmer’s respective traumas kind of clash and they have a hard time navigating that even though they love each other very much.

and then.. oh man. ive talked about this before but glimmer faces the same thing shadow weaver did all those years ago…. light spinner saw the horde was winning the war and chose to mess with dark magic in an attempt to win. it was about gaining power over her enemies. glimmer finds herself in a similar position where she thinks her only option to defeat her enemy is to use dangerous magic. when you take her trauma into account, her moral struggle makes a LOT of sense. we can understand it better contrasted with other characters–adora had a much different experience with the war and her and bow didn’t experience the loss of a loved one, so making moral decisions about the war comes easier to them. thats what i think prevented glimmer from respecting their point of view. glimmer is willing to cross lines because of everything she has gone through, and unlike her friends she thinks it’s worth it as long as the ends justify the means. this misguided thinking was reinforced by shadow weaver who glimmer never actually trusted, but still the connection sw had to her parents made her vulnerable to her manipulation. 

all of this is what makes glimmer and adora’s conflict in season 4 so engrossing and highlights Noelle’s genius storytelling, because BOTH of them are trying to do what they think is right, but they view things differently bc of their different experiences. its not that glimmer is power hungry or cruel just for the sake of it you know? she still has good intentions and thats what changes my perception of her character.

i also wanna say that i’m not JUSTIFYING glimmer in any way. one of my professors had this great catch phrase, he used to say “context doesn’t justify, but it matters.” i think we can hold glimmer accountable for her actions and still appreciate the context. lets not simply write her off as a likeable/unlikeable character, but instead consider she’s a complex character who’s doing her best and loves her friends even though she has a variety of motivations and personal struggles. ultimately, glimmer does realize her mistake and attempts to fix it, admitting “adora was right.” i think itll be super satisfying next season to see her learn and grow from that. like how boring would it be if glimmer was a nice happy 1D character who never struggled with anything??? 

Oc-Tober Day 16: Palette

my tablet annoys me but i continue to draw with it :,o oof. 

I used this Palette day for my other beloved DnD oc. Reir the bastard half-elf rogue from a prestigious elf-mafia lolol. Thank goodness I had already wrote her backstory in a word dock like, in February XD Augh writing one bigass story is enough for today. Here it is: 

Reir is a half-elf. She was born from the daughter of the biggest elf-run criminal organization, and a poor young farmer. Whilst on the run, her mother was injured and almost died, but Reir’s father found and saved her. They fell in love while she recovered, but she was picked up quickly by her brother and taken back to their city base.

She missed the farm and countryside, so she’d sneak to visit her love secretly for years. When her father and brother found out, they freaked. A lowly, much younger human was no worthy life-companion for their rose. After losing Reir’s grandmother, they became incredibly overprotective of her because of her, and this situation was no exception. They put her under house-arrest and threatened the farmer with violence.

After years of tolerating their suffocating doting, she couldn’t handle any more. She broke out and ran to him. He agreed to running away with her, to start over somewhere else. Things were going well along their travels, until they hit an impasse and were ambushed. Her love was killed in front of her eyes. She was taken back to be a bird in their cage, her will to fight now extinguished.

A month later, her pregnancy was diagnosed. Her brother was the only one to find out along with her, and before he could report it to his father, she pleaded to keep it a secret. She wanted to keep the child; she had a new reason to live. He gave in and helped her hide it from their father, unknowingly assisting her in her last attempt to escape as well.

She ran away again, planning to get her child away from their overbearing crime life, but she had waited for too long to put her plan into play. She started giving birth mid-way into her travel, stuck somewhere alone with no help for miles. By the time her family found her, her brother forced to tell his father the secret, she was dead, her child wrapped around her arms and kicking fussily.

Her father was in despair. He punished her brother severely, blaming him for her death, while also dropping the baby to be his responsibility. He refused her legitimacy. He had plans to expand their territory and claims, but died soon after the incident, rumors floating that he took his life from the grief. Now the brother was alone as the head of the family, stuck with a baby without a family name.

He planned to abandon her to an orphanage, thought there was no place for a child in his life. But her likeness to her mother outweighed her likeness to her father, and he couldn’t go through. He ended up dumping her to two of his subordinates; a half-orc and another half-elf. She was to live in seclusion at the top floor of their base.

He was an absent father figure to her. He’d visit rarely and briefly just to overlook her education. He saw the job of raising her as a lower priority, put his duties as the leader of the organization above all else. To quiet her every time she acted out of line, he would punish her the same way his father would his sister; he’d lock her in a quiet, dark room. Instead of taking the punishment meekly and learning to be good, she took it as a challenge and rebelled from everything he threw at her.

She grew picking up the worst habits. If she wanted something, she’d no longer ask for it. Stealing was easier and more fun. If she wanted to know what others were doing, she’d simply follow them; she trained herself to be quiet and stealthy. Because she was constantly thrown into the room, she learned to hide things in her clothing and body, to pick locks, to adjust to the darkness quickly and to climb from ledges half an inch thick. As a child, she was a nuisance. As a teenager, she was a menace. As a newly fledged adult, she was an outright criminal working outside of her uncle’s interests and solely for her own.

When she became of age, she thought he would finally induct her into the gang, but that day never came. He assured her she would never be a part of them and gave her a list of reasons why. She took it ‘in slide’; if he didn’t want her, it was his loss. She went crazy with her crimes, never thinking of the consequences, or of the mess she’d leave behind. She could always run back to the comfort of the organization’s name even when she wasn’t a part of it.

She was giving their business a bad reputation. If he couldn’t control his own brat, how could he keep his subordinates in check? Contacts began pulling back, the city law enforcement was asking for bigger bribes, everything was going to shit. Her uncle was done covering for her, and he gave her a final threat. He told her no more tricks, no more stunts, no more getting out of the house. She would be a good girl, or she would be disowned completely. He wasn’t playing around. She nodded along, but rationalized his anger as stemming from her debt. So she just needed to pay everything back huh? As soon as he left, she planned her biggest scam.

She stole millions from the mayor, not knowing he was already under the gang’s thumb. She stored the money in the organization’s vault, and proudly paraded her deed. She was called to her uncle’s office, and she prepared herself for her induction. She dressed in her finest, prepared a beaming smile. She opened the door, going into a speech about how it was finally time for her to make her grand entrance, but one look at her uncle’s face shut her up. She smiled awkwardly, trying to get a rise out of him. What, no hug? A high five? Her uncle raised his hand. Excited, she made to move towards him, but was immediately knocked out by henchmen behind her.

Without a word of farewell, she was shipped far away, dumped across the world with a two day stay at an inn, a dagger, and a bag of coins. She woke up confused and without even a note of explanation. She was alone, and cut off.

 Extra info:

The half-orc and half-elf truly love her and treat her like their daughter. Her difficult relationship with her uncle was the root of her bad behaviorism though, and they felt powerless as they watched her fall into more and more hopeless tries for his attention. When she was shipped, they were heartbroken. They were never told of her final threat or how it happened, they were simply fired from their job as ‘nannies’, and reinstated in grunt work. They hold a grudge against her uncle and fully plan on escaping the organization to look for her.

To further explain her bad behavior from her uncle’s perspective: Her mother was a model-obedient girl type. She was an angel who always did what she was told (until she fell in love.) She had been kind, patient, and loving; the perfect sister and the perfect woman in her uncle’s eyes. Her daughter though, was the worst. She was a brat, rebellious, selfish, overconfident, and had zero regard for others.

Her nannies could see where all of these negative properties stemmed from as she grew. She became rebellious as a form of getting his attention, she’s self-centered because she was never taught to work in a team and never even had any friends, and she’s overconfident because she’s learned a lot from what she considers the best criminals. However, her uncle never spent much time with her at all. He never truly got to know her, and never had one on one conversations with her about herself. He was only ever around long enough to see the bad, never stuck around to figure out the good.

She was extremely caring towards her two father figures, the half-orc and half-elf. She’s clever and an extremely quick-learner; gifted in everything she put her mind to. She was determined to the point of being naïve; she always believed even when she pretended she didn’t need it, that her uncle would open up and accept her one day if she did a job big enough. She’s also super optimistic. She never lets anyone or anything bring her down, and has never let herself get depressed. She’s smart enough to get through anything; her overconfidence always shone through.

I’m uh, making some quick stuff for oc-tober lol. im sooooooooo behind :,o but i managed to get semi-caught up..... tomorrow ill have to do today’s theme lol Im jsut abit too depressed today :(

The Fallen, 16/17

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 16/17.

Pairings: Nine x Rose.

A/N: Tagging @thebookster on her demand.

“We've all fallen, but at the same time we're not broken. There is the hint that we are going to get up again.” - Amy Lee.

CHAPTER 16:

The doctor Nash Grieve hadn’t disappeared. She was still working under Jeremy Backfire’s orders or, should she say, threats, in his mental hospital that was now qualified as the cheapest and worst institution of London and of Great-Britain. However, it was of no importance to the man. The upper part, the public part of the hospital was ruled by one of his trustworthy friends. It was done properly enough to avoid any kind of suspicions that would lead to an in-depth investigation. That would be really problematic. There were things that couldn’t be found underneath the surface. Under the hospital, there was a prison for supernatural beings, a prison built in guts of Earth, buried so deeply for the screams and begs to neve reach the world; a prison but also a laboratory to run experiences on those beings who weren’t considered as beings and were refused all rights. No one knew they were there; no one would ever know they were here. The only one to have escaped was Maxence Spitz. Jeremy Backfire had been furious to find out that his son was gone, even ore when he found out that Maxence was back to his mother and was, consequently, protected. Joanne Spitz was his ex-wife, the woman he had had Maxence with and also the only person on Earth he feared. He would admit such a thing since he was the perfect example of the macho man, all in masculinity and thick mind on certain subjects, but contrarily to most macho men, he was clever enough not to hate on woman. He secretly feared them. Well, only their name was Joanne Spitz. That was why he had never tried to get his hands on Maxence since he was back home despite his burning desire to force him to reveal the Doctor and the Wolf’s secrets. He was fairly certain that Maxence had been helped for his escape. His suspicions were on Nash. She had been the first one to talk to him when he was brought to that hospital. A relationship of trust was born that day, and nothing of what she had done to him on his orders had broken it for some reasons. Jeremy had interviewed her in his office but could get nothing from her. He had taken her in the coloured rooms. He tortured her in every one of them like she had tortured Maxence, still under his orders. He even tortured her dear friend Maya but couldn’t get a word from her. He proved her mind, and was left clueless. The woman who knew everyone and everything about the place couldn’t tell how Maxence had escaped. The Wolf probably managed to get out of here on its own, the human wasn’t clever enough for that. Human were despicable in every single aspect: they were fragile and fell to pieces with the light push of the wind in their back; they were vulnerable to the tiniest of germs that could kill them in a couple of hours; they were limited and powerless, stuck in a weak corporeal shell, unable to use their brain cells to their full capacities. Jeremy had been one of those humans since his birth and had always been frustrated by this condition. Of course this revelation hadn’t hit him before he was a man in his late twenties, about to enter his thirties. It was after Joanne had kicked him out of his house in Manchester. He had moved to London where repeated and unexplained attacks had pushed him to do his own inquiry and soon he found himself obsessing over his need to meet an alien properly. Despite their obvious presence everywhere he was unable to find one. His first encounter with an alien had happened three years ago. At that time, he was well established in London as headmaster of one of the numerous jails of the country, one where all the worst psychotic criminals were locked away. He had rebuilt his life with another woman, was fostering kids. It was hiding the darkness growing in him ever since the birth of his first son but this violence and darkness had taken an unexpected turn when his wife brought a fifteen-year-old teenager from the orphanage she was picking all of her lost causes in. The girl was shy, easily intimidated and had issues being comfortable around anyone. She also had a tattoo – that she called a birth mark she had had since forever – he had seen a couple times before in his researches: she was a hidden shapeshifter. She ignored everything of her true nature, was living as a human, was weak, gullible, easy to manipulate. He had intimidated her, had murmured in her ear at night, made her fall under his complete control. He was human still at that moment but he could feel her fear. He could smell it on her, on her clothes reeked of her sweat, on her skin when his lips brushed over her body, in her words and in her body language when he was around her. He had become obsessed with her, with her body, with her scent… And the idea of her genes had been driving him insane. He literally had had alien material by hand and couldn’t use it, couldn’t do anything of it. He had lost his ability to sleep, spent his night watching her sleeping. Until he couldn’t just sit and stare. He had begun touching her, stroking her skin with the back of his fingers, dropping kisses along her jaw and neckline. She had tried to fight him, tried to defend herself but what could a teenager do against an adult? Who could she talk to? She had nothing and no one to turn to, no one who would believe her. He would have turned everyone against her if she even had tried. He had her in his total control and she was powerless when he had murmured that it was all her fault and had taken her most precious belonging. He had sent her back to the orphanage she was coming from a couple days later, accusing her of being a troublemaker, just before Christmas. A few weeks later, he had found out that she was pregnant, which could have been good news – it meant he would have upgraded the Backfire lineage – if he hadn’t been told that when she had a miscarriage and lost the baby. He had influenced her doctors with enough money for them to give him the dead foetus and also to make sure the young woman would never be able to procreate ever again. If she couldn’t carry his children, she would carry none. It was also another successful attempt to intimidate her so she wouldn’t say a word about what he had done to her. She hadn’t talked, had kept silent when she was interrogated about the incident. She had been suspected to have had sex with another teenager from the orphanage or someone from the outside. It was perfect for him. No one knew about his past – Joanne and Maxence had never talked or filed a complaint, kicking him out was apparently enough – and his reputation was intact. Later, he was promoted headmaster of this mental institute in Peckham that was threatening to close its doors since no one could handle the patients that were locked away in there. He had accepted for the place was presenting all the advantages he had been looking for to continue his researches. The basement contained the remains of the past when torture on the patients was allowed, before it was declared illegal and abandoned there. Perfect. He had drawn new plans for the place, had them done quickly and secretly and soon the basement was equipped with laboratories and rooms for the most difficult patients as he called them. Patients that would be aliens in captivity, but that was his secret. He couldn’t talk about it to anyone before he found the right persons to work with, meaning he had to operate a total reorganisation of the staff. A staff that appeared to be pretty interesting in the end. Many non-terrestrial creatures were hiding in this building, as patients and medical staff. Among them he found what looked like a family of shapeshifters: Nash Grieve, only qualified therapist here, was the oldest; Maya and Oliver Carson were a married couple; and Alex Baxter was Maya’s young brother. He had made sure the two men would be locked away in the new cells of the basement so the women would work for him without causing troubles. They obviously would ignore what was happening to their friends. There were numerous other races of aliens hidden there. He had only kept the most interesting ones and had turned the others into slaves working for him and obeying his every order – unlike Maya and Nash who had a quite rebellious attitude toward him. Rebellious but not suicidal, they knew where to stop. His experiences were going well, and he was testing some alien genes on the scums of this society, improving these lost causes or leaving them to die in terrible pains and getting rid of the bodies in an incinerator. When the results were pleasing to him, he would put his life on the line and improve himself with new genes. It wasn’t without pain but he never felt so strong and so powerful in his entire life. He was enjoying every bit of advantage the alien genes and technologies had and throwing away the inconveniences. But this power wasn’t enough. He needed more, more of all of this, more of species, more experiences. Nash, Maya and company belonged to a special race of shapeshifters; shifters that had been exposed to experiences before. Their genes had been modified so that they could become immortal, so they could heal and ‘regenerate’. A gene he hadn’t been able to reproduce from her DNA, a gene belonging to a no longer existing race. That was when he found out about the Doctor, a lone survivor of the Time War thar had exterminated all of his species and the Daleks. That’s when he found out his son had become the Doctor and was running around the universe as an elusive chimera, a myth, a legend only a few privileged persons had caught sight of. He had been reported to be around London a lot, then spotted in Manchester and back in London where he was caught babbling deliriously before being brought to Jeremy’s institute. Fate was being good on him that day. The Doctor being a prisoner of his hospital without him even trying to catch him – not that he had had the time to think about a strategy to draw him here – and it turned out he had brought an even powerful entity with him called Bad Wolf. This was more than Jeremy could ever have dreamt of. The wheel had turned, he could get his revenge on both his son and ex-wife, and continue his quest for power. First, he had had to steal the patient from Nash who had made it a point of honour to keep him hidden from him even after finding out how dangerous he was and what was his real identity. The Doctor had protected Maxence well for all the time he was there. So did the Wolf. The duo nicely settled down in the head of a human being going mad from such a power had done their best to screw every research he ever did on him. No bit of data was even usable. They had scrambled and faked everything they could before vanishing into thin air, and what they couldn’t have messed with wasn’t giving convincing results. This was why Jeremy was so furious. Had Maxence been a patient here for a longer time, the results would have been much better. But he hadn’t, and worse than that, he had messed with his father’s mind and created damages that had needed time to heal before Jeremy could come back to work with a rage harder than previously. One way or another, his son would pay for this. He just had to find a weak point. He remembered the Doctor calling a name when he was in an agitated sleep, in an excruciating pain. A name he wouldn’t even have pronounced if his mind had been sane. His mind wasn’t sane. Not anymore. The power hidden inside him was too much to handle for anyone and it was driving him insane to the point of spilling non-sense to anyone foreign to his world. Non-sense that seemed important enough to Nash Grieve who had written it all down. At least, at the beginning of the therapy. She had been quick to destroy the rest of the file as the months passed by. A way to protect her patient from the darkness of her boss, from the darkness of a father who had already hurt his son in the past. He could never get his hands on the rest of the file but the scraps of data he got were enough for him to pursue his researches on the Doctor. He couldn’t reach the new face involved. It would be too dangerous to have him around. Rose. This name was the only lead Jeremy had to draw the attention of the Doctor stuck in his son’s mind. If he managed to find her, to bring her to his hospital – he could find any reason to have her locked away – that would send a strong message to this uncatchable alien that kept slipping between his fingers like water. Rose was a common name in the United Kingdom but there was only one Rose who went missing at the same time as Maxence Spitz. No one had thought that these two disappearances could be linked before him. How could humans have with their tiny little brains? Jeremy needed the Doctor’s brain. Not just bits of it like he had taken over the months. He needed to kill the man and dissect him like an animal to find out all of his secret. He would feel no remorse in killing his own son. Maxence had never meant anything to him. All he had been was a nuisance to his life and projects. Rose Tyler was his best shot for this revenge, and he lost no time in trying to get to her. He didn’t elaborate strategies, didn’t plan anything. He had to be clever and clear and go straight to the point if he wanted work as fast as possible. He went to the Powell Estates in person, introduced himself to Jackie Tyler and before he could say anything else, he was kicked out with names and fury. Apparently, the woman mistook him for his son who was his spitting image and thought he should go to hell before even thinking of coming back around her daughter. This attempt was a failure but it confirmed Jeremy’s thoughts that Rose Tyler was the person they had been looking for all along. She had been traveling with the Doctor and he had left her behind when he changed. Perfect. Now, he just had to be patient and build a real plan to make her fall into a deadly trap…

To be continued...

The Fallen © | 2019 | Tous droits réservés.

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English version:

AO3 || TS.

that’s  adan  felippe  garza,  not  álvaro  rico.  he  is  eighteen  /  twenty  years  old  and  a  vampire.  he  may  be  innovative,  observant,  and  intelligent,  but  he’s  also  vengeful,  temperamental,  and  treacherous.

get ready, kids, this is about to get wild.

— trigger warnings: abuse, death, torture.

so, adan was born into a wealthy and powerful mob family of two twisted parents, who were in a loveless marriage yet stayed together to live comfortably in the home they’d built together with their dirty money.

adan was an unexpected child. his parents did not want one and even debated chucking him out into the streets, but they decided that having someone they could puppeteer around could be useful.

they abused him since he was a kid, but it was a gradual process. at first, it was verbal, then it got physical — adan always kept his mouth shut because he knew that he was powerless in this because most people feared his batshit crazy parents.

however, as he grew into his teenage years, adan became more rebellious, standing up for himself against his parents quite often, and they were... into that? they realized that he wasn’t just a little spineless child and decided to watch him instead.

having gained some freedom, he used it just like his parents expected; manipulating people, partying, dealing, making connections that were useful to his family. that’s when his parents decided to rope him into their business, introducing him to their friend spades (the boss of the most powerful supernatural mafia). he’d known him since he was a child because they were close families, but he’d never stepped inside the boundaries of their business until then. 

it was all good until one exchange changed his life. an enemy of his parents came to him under the guise of purchasing a favor only to kill him to ‘send a message’. thankfully, drinking vampire blood was a normal thing for him in order to heal anything his parents would do to him, cleaning up immediately to keep up the appearances of being in a normal and loving family. so, he died with vampire blood in his system.

his parents were elated (told you, they’re fucked up). having ties with a supernatural mafia, it was useful to have a supernatural being in their own family. thus, the experiments had begun. torturing, slicing, mutilating - they’d done it all. augustine would’ve been envious. because they always had vervain in their system, he couldn’t compel them away, and even his super strength was weak against an army of their marionettes, some of them supernatural too.

spades’ daughter, victoria, was the only one who supported him throughout his entire life. he couldn’t trust anyone else and she was the closest to someone he could relate to. they had great chemistry growing up and their parents took notice of it. they decided to force them into an arranged marriage to join their families and maximize their power.

that was his breaking point. after years of abuse and torture, adan decided that his parents didn’t deserve anything they had, they didn’t deserve to have a child like him. his own blood helped him become someone he never wanted to be, a deranged man with too many issues, and he’d come to the conclusion that they needed to have a taste of their own medicine. meaning?

well, he’s going to do it subtly. he’s going to play along, be the perfect little obedient kid he’d never been in order to lull them into the trap of security and trust, and then, he’s going to stab them in the back. ruin their entire reputation and everything they’ve built. they didn’t deserve death — that’d be too easy of a way out. they need to suffer.

until he comes up with an actual plan to do this, he’s enrolled in wyatt’s magic school with his fiance to gather intel and clients for their parents. 

tl;dr: his mafia parents are crazy. they abused him and manipulated him until he became a manipulative person with trust issues. later on, he started engaging in their business along with spades’. they forced him and spades’ daughter into an arranged marriage. an enemy of his parents killed adan eventually and because he had vampire blood in the system, he became a vampire. his parents decided to use it to their advantage and experimented on him. now he’s kinda out of his mind and wants his parents to suffer.

personality / trivia:

he’s picked up some things from his parents — he is, too, strategic, manipulative, cunning. however, most of the time, he does it to protect himself, not on purpose.

he is big on parties and adventures. anything that lets him be free and as far away from his parents as possible. he’s down to do whatever and whoever.

bi bi bi. has like a thousand kinks.

even though he’s a rich boy, he’s not the type to just sit back and sharpen his nails. he likes engaging in things and being active, whatever it may be. of course, most of the time it’s not that legal or moral, but hey... that’s something, right?

he craves attention, but genuine and loving attention scares him off because he automatically assumes that they’ll only want to use him and destroy him later.

kind of the class clown? will always say some weird shit that doesn’t make sense. haha, gotta love some humor to cover up your insecurities.

boundaries? don’t know them. unless you’re someone he’s close with; then he’ll respect your privacy.

has his own limousine with a personal driver. and yes, they drive him to school.

speaking of school, his file is forged. nothing in it is actually true — especially his age and the part that he’s very studious and very much goody two-shoes.

would he kill someone? nah. not on purpose. he kind of has ripper tendencies, but his parents managed to train his thirst under control. at least it’s one nice thing they ever did to him. though the more you piss him off, the faster he’s going to snap and go on a spree.

honestly, he’s kinda nice. in a weird sense. if you treat him like a normal person and don’t try to manipulate him, he’s going to be decent with you, sometimes even more than that. it just depends on the person.

Theo Raeken Character Study (Part 3): Theo and the Dread Doctors

Alright, so if we’ve talked about Theo’s childhood, established a plausible relationship between Tara and Theo...

Let’s talk about Theo and the Dread Doctors for a bit.

Without backtracking too far, Theo’s early childhood definitely played a role in his interactions/life with the Dread Doctors; this is especially important as we’re left with an apparent eight year gap of time between the Doctors turning Theo into a Chimera, and him finally breaking away from them.

Let’s get a few theories I disagree with out of the way first.

Number One: Theo is simply a bad dude (pre-going to hell), who was perfectly fine being aligned with the Dread Doctors.

A few problems with this: after spending six year with the Dread Doctors, if he was down with the experimenting, and trying to bring back the Beast... Why did he break away from them to bring back the other Chimeras? From that moment on, Theo only deals with the Doctors while trying to find the Beast. Of course, it’s possible that it’s solely because, after being unable to steal Scott’s Alpha power, he decides to steal the Beast’s, and knows the Doctors won’t go along... But wouldn’t it simply be easier to take his pack of Chimeras, and go find an Alpha who wasn’t an unstoppable killing machine? An Alpha that he could just kill, without having to worry about Belasko’s claws, putting on the creepy helmet, killing off the other Chimeras, etc.,? Sure, Theo might be impulsive at times, but it seems like a stretch of logic.

Number Two: Theo was basically a prisoner of the Dread Doctors suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Problems: Theo is way too confident and arrogant. Not just in himself, or the ‘cause’, but even when dealing with the Dread Doctors themselves. Sure, he knows there’s only so far he can push them, but we see him toe that line several times; if he had only developed a bond with them because of forced captivity, how would he have the guts to push them at all?

Secondly... He’s simply just way too cocky. There’s no way he spent eight years living in sewers and abandoned tunnels with the Dread Doctors, and picked up that kind of manipulation skills, that kind of arrogance, and bravado. Even if it’s only a mask, he would need a reason for the mask, i.e., he didn’t build up that mask for the Dread Doctors, who’d see him without the mask.

Typically, most theories fall into these two categories in one way or another. And, without a knowledge of psychology, child development, and so on, these are the two simplest explanations for something that’s difficult to explain.

I’m gonna take a stab at this, and see if I can (hopefully) come up with a theory that fits better.

So, we can presume that Theo did spend a significant amount of time with the Dread Doctors, and we know that the people he passes off as his parents aren’t actually his parents. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that Theo lived with the Dread Doctors the entire time. And as almost every scenario of him ‘living full time’ with the Dread Doctors for eight years flies in the face of his behavior, I’m going to discard the ‘full time’ theory.

But, if he wasn’t living with the Dread Doctors, and the people in Beacon Hills in Season 5 aren’t his parents, who did he live with, and what happened to his actual parents?

Well, here’s my theory.

Theo’s parents never left Beacon Hills; they died shortly after Tara was discovered, and were killed by the Dread Doctors, under the guise of them ‘leaving town’. Since we’re (presuming) that Theo didn’t spend the whole time living in a cave with the Dread Doctors, this would necessitate that he had other ‘parents’, like what they did in Beacon Hills.

This also helps explain Theo’s arrogance; if, at the age of 9 or 10, the people who -for all intents and purposes - ‘created’ you scares two random people into pretending to be your parents, the child could easily adopt the mentality of, ‘You’re scared of them, so you better keep me happy’. In essence, even before Theo could scare them himself, simply knowing that the Dread Doctors could kill them at any time, for any reason allowed Theo to do as he pleased. He wouldn’t have been reprimanded, disciplined, or told ‘no’ all that often, at first out of fear of the Doctors, and later, out of fear of Theo.

This would also allow him to attend school (necessary for socialization, and manipulation skills), while doing whatever he needed to for the Dread Doctors, because these ‘parents’ wouldn’t question where he was going, why he was out so late, and so on. If we add in the theory about Theo’s crappy childhood (see Part 1), this also creates a sense of newfound power in him, similar to what we see play out with Tracey: he was powerless before with his parents, but these ‘parents’? He can do whatever he wants, and he’s finally in the position of power.

But, knowing that these ‘parents’ were fakes, this would have left Theo wide open to the Dread Doctors putting themselves in the authority position over him. In essence, what we see of Theo and the Dread Doctors is a twisted facsimile of the parent/child relationship. He knows exactly how far he can push them, how much they’ll let him get away with, what they will or won’t tell him, and even explains his defection, as a typical rebellious teenager leaving home because he thinks he knows better/can do better. Even then, he’s cautious not to overstep, or supersede their wishes at the start, preferring to keep out of their way as much as possible, and avoiding direct confrontation when it isn’t. It isn’t until later that he starts actively working against them in the open.

Overall, I think this theory fits best, given Theo’s personality and how Season 5 plays out.

Part One Theo’s Childhood

Part Two Theo and Tara’s Relationship

SPOTTED! KIM SEUNGBIN . 20.

Looks like they’ve been wandering around Hwaryung! You can find them living at RYEON APARTMENT #202, if they’re not home they’re probably at NIGHTBLUE ENTERTAINMENT AS A TRAINEE or at BK KARAOKE AS A BUSBOY. Turns out they are also currently studying MUSIC at HWARYUNG ACADEMIC INSTITUTE. If you can’t find them offline, feel free to message them @bin52.

BIOGRAPHY

BOOK I The journey begins with the tale of a bastard son born to a common woman, his father of no substantial wealth. Unwed, but madly in love. It is a romance held in secret behind the back of their parents. From this love is the child conceived. Seungbin is the name he is given; an homage to an uncle he would never meet. His eyes resemble the stars in his mother’s and his unwavering expression mimics his father’s. His birth is hailed as a joyous occasion, but the euphoria is short lived.

The girl weeps. While her mother’s mouth spills lies that deceive those with the power to rip the infant from undeserving arms, but the cruel woman’s grasp loosens with persuasion. Barely aged eighteen, the girl agrees to give him away. For both of their sake.

An infant could never comprehend the gravity of the situation.

BOOK II Seungbin finds himself swept away to another city, forced to drown among a sea of unfamiliar faces. The decrepit old building looms over a dead street, its aging foundation festering with an infection of ivy and mold. The interior is packed to the brim with toddlers and glassy-eyed adolescents. Their faces are sullen; aged seven and already wise to the unyielding hand of reality.

He grows there with each passing day; until eyes finally look upon him with pity. Sympathy for the wide-eyed child desperate for nurture.

“This is your new home,” the caseworker snarls, wrought with misplaced contempt. “And you would do well to be on your best behavior.” She speaks with a purpose, cognizant of the child’s capacity to understand despite his young age. She is a wicked being indeed, and her face twists with agony as he pulls on her greying hair in a blinded rage.

Thus he is forced in amalgamation with parents not his own, and he is well aware of who they are not. He’s a boy made of recklessness and untamed fury ㅡ taken out on the wrong people.

Perhaps it was better he remembered nothing about the origin of his existence as he grew up, raised by parents not his own ㅡ the neighbor downstairs who had often watched him while the child’s mother disappeared for days on end testified he was a “good kid”. It was better this way. The former family of only two are afforded gainful employment and a roof over their heads but remained childless. What they referred to as being dealt a bad hand. However, they are attentive to their new responsibility. As far as the child knows, the two are his parents, and they would never utter a word to tell him otherwise.

BOOK III The boy matures into the charms of his prepossessing appearance. Arrogance grows with him. He is aware of the power of his own fists, knuckles colored with healing shades of purple and crimson. Disputes can be caused with a quarrel with his bedroom wall or the recreational center’s punching bag. Hungry claws are also satiated with petty theft. Desperate fingers clutch the stiff material of a candy bar as he tears it from its display. The decision is bold and foolish. He can’t resist, else his palms begin to itch.

The only effective distraction he finds is through music. At twelve years old, he picks up his first instrument. It releases pent-up rage in the way his fists never could.

High school paves the way to finally meeting those like himself. A place in the group of outcast teenagers takes him in as one of their own. Even still, he is ever so slightly misplaced. What divides their interests is Seungbin’s distaste for parties and their penchant for sciences and literature. What solidifies his place among them is the way he handles a guitar. He’s absorbed into their makeshift rock band.

BOOK IV He finds himself submerged in another tide of faces he did not know; faces like his own. The inner walls of the underground club are cold and stark, blistering from the corruption of those it houses. These faces are dark; aged beyond their years and hardened by society. He doesn’t belong there, but the bass guitar confidently fastened to his front says otherwise.

The other patrons are tough and mean. Caged animals often thrash within the confines of their cells, riled up by what they consider audible trash and their overindulgence in alcohol. Balled fists, heavy and determined, resist the grasp of callused palms around his wrists. The pain is an excruciating one. Their heels dig into the crevasses of his rib cage. Their knuckles scrape against the roughness of his teeth. He screams for repentance; their laughter at his anguish roars too loudly. Tell him to never return again.

The group of boys steps away peppered in bruises, but not discouraged. Seungbin laughs in his stifled way, dryly proclaiming they had just become men. The event turns them to the packed streets of Hongdae on the same night to complete their rite of passage.

BOOK V A man dressed to the teeth slips a card in his hand with a crocodile smile. Sixteen years old, vulnerable, and with an aimless view on life, he accepts the offer as his golden ticket. A snort nearly pushes past his nostril at the name etched into the card stock. NightBlue.

Atonement for past transgressions comes in the form of something more subtle, but it still contains lies. He is handed a second chance at life on a silver platter in another town, an unknown future.

He doesn’t break the news to his parents until the company phones their home questioning his decision. The man on the other line gives them the promise of success. They hold understandable reservations towards the offer. Their passive natures, however, leave them little room to argue; and the unwillingness to leaves a sour taste in Seungbin’s mouth. Bittersweet when they smile and reassure them they’re willing to move to help him pursue his dreams.

Powerless to resist the beckoning hand of fame, he finds himself caught in a crevasse of the entertainment industry he never expected to be. He is thrust into a training program as abruptly as his initial discovery. Believing to be sucked into a world of dreams, he wanders the company halls aimlessly, mesmerized until he stumbles upon a soundproofed practice room. Carpeted floors and comfort of dim light contrast the bright dance rooms in a way he is incapable of explaining. The boys inside exude an air of familiarity in spite of them being strangers. He turns to the new faces with a crooked smile. This unknown sea is only the second to make him feel welcomed.

The opportunity to reach for his dreams, however, would never rear its head again. And, so the wannabe rock star makes the most out of his circumstances.

PERSONALITY

( + ) loyal, passionate, confident  ( - ) temperamental, impulsive, rebellious

Everyone suspects ISAIAH NASIR of at least one of the cardinal sins, but in Nevada, the worst sins are bound by blood and this is HIS: THE BROTHERS OF ICHOR’S ROAD CAPTAIN. HE rolled the dice FIVE YEARS AGO ago as a RIDER. Under the desert sun, he claims the act of TATTOO ARTIST. He’s often mistaken for RIZ AHMED before those crimson colored glasses slide down his nose. IZZY better get busy living, or he’ll get busy dying by the ripe age of THIRTY-FIVE. There are no second acts in a marked life, and it’s measured out by the melody of WHEREVER I MAY ROAM BY METALLICA.

DATE OF BIRTH: November 11th, 1987

GENDER AND PRONOUNS: Cis Man, He/Him

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, NY

MARK: Jacket

CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY [TW: DEATH]

Isaiah Nasir was raised in a three-story townhouse in Brooklyn, New York alongside other children not unlike him — other children who, for a variety of reasons, could not stay with their birth families. Some children had been given up, others had been taken away, others had been left behind. Some children were prone to outbursts, some were withdrawn, some were people-pleasing, some were rebellious. Isaiah was a little bit of everything. He was cordial and cooperative with those smaller or meeker than him, but those who were bigger or meaner were not so lucky. If a fellow child chose to belittle, ostracize, torment, or undermine an undeserving party, they had their head slammed into a desk, hand stabbed with a sharpened pencil, or skin marred by crooked teeth marks. Few staff members would admit it, but these actions were often deserved — and even more troubling, they regularly achieved their goals. Torment eased, balance was restored; and though he had to endure the consequences, Isaiah felt his actions were worthwhile.

However, the staff’s sympathy for Isaiah’s sense of justice faded along with his youth — a rambunctious child was one thing, a disorderly teenager was another (and in the eyes of the legal system, too). The staff knew they were likely powerless against Isaiah’s need to smoke cigarettes and tag blank walls with krink markers, but what they hoped to do was at least prevent him from “landing any real jail time”. Teenage Isaiah had scoffed at the idea of it, but once he realized “art therapy” meant “one hour a day dedicated to drawing WITHOUT anyone breathing down my neck or asking ‘can you draw me’ six thousand-fourty million times”, he was all for it. It was a mutually beneficial agreement, and calmed the tensions between Isaiah and the home staff. After all, the hours Isaiah spent at the home drawing were hours he was not spending in a holding cell.

Even as Isaiah and the members of his home aged and got their heads shrunk, chaos abounded. The values were simple — respect, responsibility, honesty, and caring — so why was it so difficult to abide by them? Years would pass, and Isaiah would come to understand it this way: each child (each person) was as complex as the circumstances which created them. Just because something worked for him didn’t mean it worked for everyone else — but even so, didn’t everything run smoother when people tried to agree? When people cooperated? When no one tried to assert themselves over the other? Isaiah learned that this attitude, while virtuous and not incorrect, would get him fucked up in a moment’s notice if taken onto the streets. Shit was tough — he had to be tougher.

“Peaceful methods only work on people who care about peace. People who conduct themselves violently, who do wrath for wrath’s sake, cannot understand and won’t be swayed by peace. Tolerance can only go so far.” Is what Miriam told him. Miriam was the head bartender and co-owner of Vig’s Bar, a dimly-lit dive where Isaiah got his first real job. For the three years prior, Isaiah had been making petty cash off drawing logos, show posters, and merchandise for the local heavy metal bands that played at Vig’s — but bar-backing there was the first steady situation he’d ever had. And he was 18 now, so he could not, under any circumstances, fuck it up. Miriam understood this — about a decade earlier, her girlfriend (a tall brunette named Claire who Isaiah had terrible a crush on, likely because she was so extremely unavailable) had been in a similar situation — so she took Isaiah under her strong, heavily-tattooed wing. Soon, Isaiah was living in Miriam and Claire’s spare room, riding and repairing motorcycles with Claire’s brother on the weekends, and learning to tattoo from Miriam’s go-to artist.

Isaiah loved Miriam for her kindness as well as her strength. Isaiah wanted to be like that. He wanted to be tough, fair, caring, generous, intelligent, and loyal. He wanted to do for others what Miriam had done for him. A handful of years after they’d met, he spoke these words at her funeral, crying as Claire held his hand.

Claire tried to hold Vig’s down, but she couldn’t make it work. Rent was rising. Bands were moving out west. Clientele dwindled. Vig’s closed. Claire moved to Oregon, leaving Isaiah with an apartment he could barely pay for. The veil of grief was thick and heavy — Isaiah wallowed for about two weeks before he began to hear Miriam’s gruff voice in his head, telling him to get his ass up and get to work. For her was the mantra. He’d do it for her.

Six years after Miriam’s death and 28 after his birth, Isaiah decided it was time to get out of New York City. He’d never been anywhere west of Massachusetts, and he was antsy (or as Miriam would have said, shpilkes).So why Nevada? Well, why not? He knew the bike ride out there would be phenomenal, and he knew he could make money tattooing there. He had fuck-all to lose, and a lot to gain — because, y’know, he’d say to anyone who asked, the venn diagram of people who like motorcycles and people who like tattoos is practically a circle.

Isaiah’s interest in motorcycles, tattoos, and leather led him (naturally) to the Styx. It was his sense of justice, order, and politics that led him to The Brothers of Ichor. He spent five years riding with them before being promoted to Road Captain. He strives to be a dynamic, honorable Road Captain; and faithful guide to his Brothers. He is tough, fair, caring, generous, intelligent, and loyal. He enjoys heavy metal, horror films, whiskey, and spending time with his black cat named Obituary.

Isaiah Nasir believes in the collective. Paramount to him now is the concept of family. Family is a moving, breathing thing. It is a group of people, willfully chosen or otherwise, who pledge adherence to shared values. Family is a group of people existing in intermittent states of vulnerability, strength, compassion, and firmness. This is the way to truth, to life. Self-reliance leads only to isolation, stagnation, destitution; without others, there is nothing. Family — the collective, the group, the whole, the unit of many —is everything.

ISAIAH NASIR IS WRITTEN BY OZZY.

Sub Culture Essay

Introduction

In this essay, the topics of sub-culture within a design is going to be explored with its impact on design holistically and how it impacts design as a whole and why it should be considered in the creation process. The idea is that sub-culture stems from rebellion or desensitization to a parent culture thus creating a group of people who end up separated from its parent culture of which it belongs. 

The idea is to consider not just sub-cultures that may be affected during the design process but rather the idea that a sub-culture that may surface from the result of a design. This notion is mostly observed from a multitude of angles whereby a sub-culture may form out of sheer rebellion or as a response to and a reiteration of a parent culture. 

An in-depth look will be given to the works of Roland Barthes, Dick Hebdige and other concepts such as Semiotics and Hegemony whereby an analysis will be made on subculture to dictate it impacts in design. There will also be an exploration of fandoms that stem from an iconic model in pop culture to further reinforce the concept that subculture is important during the design process. 

Subculture, The Meaning of Style

Author Dick Hebdige published a renowned book focusing entirely on subculture within the British scene around the youth culture called Subculture, The Meaning of Style (Hebdige, 2012). In this publication, Hebdige argues that style or fashion in this sense is the catalyst for subculture in the youth scene where he claims that even the most powerless of a teenager can become a punk rocker through sub-culture. 

Hebdige cites a wide range of subcultures within this text; he credits the skinheads to Rastafarians and even goths however he draws a lot from the ideals of structuralism and Marxist ways of thinking. Furthermore, he explains how black cultures like Rastafarianism pass on their values to other youth cultures with specific reference to dreads as imposing an aesthetic drawn from the 'otherness' of black culture. In this context, black culture serves as the fundamental standard by which other cultures are judged due to their impressionable output. 

Hebdige refers to some subcultures as 'cultural noise, whereby they create blockages within the flow of society due to their rebellious nature thus creating interference with mass culture. The blockage represents where a community has failed to meet the requirements of a subculture, and therefore style is where these groups turn in order to express their needs that they wish to be fulfilled. This also reinforces a concept of a dominant culture having a suppressive nature by way of this model mentioned above. 

Through commodification, one can gain an understanding of style. However, such a belief is only relevant when related to its subculture because once removed; it is then unable to express its need for a subculture. Although this entire publication focuses primarily on style as the focus of the subcultures, we can understand through this the idea of the parent-child relationship between the subculture, and its catalyst. It is this model whereby we base our argument that subculture must be considered in design or during the design process, as the relevancy of design can sometimes be dependant on subcultures that exist either for or against parent design. 

Hebdige says “our task becomes to discern the hidden messages inscribed in code on the glossy surfaces of style, to trace them as ‘maps of meaning’ which obscurely re-present the very contradictions they are designed to resolve or conceal.” (Hebdige, 2012)

Influence of Design on Subcultures

In this example, it's important to understand how subcultures are influenced by design, and then, through ontological design, subcultures form due to the impact of design itself. This is where the belief that subcultures may be an integral part of the design process or at least deserves some recognition when design is taking place. 

Examples in popular culture can be seen widely from music. Music is one of the most significant forms of design that holds such a significant impact that can be seen visually through these groups of people. Famous bands such as Metallica, Pink Floyd or even Nirvana have been observed to have played a role in the creation of not just subcultures but ideologies that would be seen to live on and stand the test of time having both contributed to the old school Rock and Grunge scene who, till this very day, is still being carried out and celebrated. 

To dig even further we can look at how design then can become commercialised as it becomes seemingly relatable to a large group of people such that they begin to assimilate the content or the design into being an integral part of their identities, the most famous example of this would be the band The Grateful Dead which is an old school rock band that has amassed such a large following to the degree where their fans are called 'Dead Heads' thus spawning a merchandise line called The Dead Bears which even today can be seen selling for a lot of money all of which began with the album art designed by Bob Thomas. 

It is evident that when mainstream design is commercialised it then gains the potential to be assimilated into or create a subculture thus giving strength, recognition and credibility to its parent culture. 

Relative to this we can also look at mainstream media for influencing subcultures where we can look at Playboy Magazine for example which made a subculture of men that shared the same views and goals as per what this magazine had suggested. These men who sought out luxurious lifestyles and seek to live out their lives as “Playboys” exactly as models such as Hugh Hefner would portray. This idealised and reinforced the thinking whereby a certain lifestyle became the influence, and like this, we saw a drastic change in the way men dressed for that period, in a way that would be consistent with that of a Playboy lifestyle in order to assimilate and infer it's message into everyday life. 

Subcultures in today's scene such as Hipsters or Vegans all stem from a holistic ideal that made it seem relatable or had a point of reference in order to promote or sell the idea. This is the contrast to the theories posed by Hebdige whereby his arguments represented subcultures as somewhat of a rebellious nature whereas Design Influenced subcultures merely reflect the parent culture and embody its values in their everyday lives. 

Why Subcultures Need to Be Considered

Subcultures are very important to design and can reflect whether or not the design is good or bad. Good design will spawn facets of fandoms and followings where these groups will carry these design elements further. An example of this would be cosplay. Cosplay is short for Costume Play, and generally, this is the act of bringing your favourite character to life, be it from a TV Series, Movie or Video Game. 

In the world of cosplay, a lot of more elegant details are considered, the aspects of the character from their clothing all the way to their hair as well as colours and mannerisms. To gain a better understanding, a video titled Why I Cosplay (YouTube, 2018), Two cosplayers were followed throughout their journey in order to gain a better understanding of their journey and the effort they put in but also, more importantly, to better understand WHY they do what they do. 

One cosplayer accounts: “Through cosplay, I could become these characters, I could live vicariously with how cool they were, and it seems people feel the need to become someone else to strengthen themselves.”  Not only does this account for such an emotional connection with these designs ultimately, but also one must realise what an incredible impact a simple design can have, and to go even further back, we can see that these were pure sketches or drawing at one point that evolved into these characters with personality and flow so much so that another person felt connected enough to bring that character to life for one day. 

“And really what makes cosplay so beautiful is how people can interpret curves and strange clothing pieces that wouldn't even exist in our world.” (YouTube, 2018), Quoted from an unnamed cosplayer, this speaks to how design is interpreted by the masses, this perfectly illustrates how people can consume design and interpret it in their way which is a matter of improving design and making it more efficient, as we're able to see how design can evolve along with the people who consume it. 

Above all, it is essential to consider the sense of community that design can create using cosplay as an example. These designs that were once just ideas brought people together and formed families through their choice of colour and shape. People sought to indeed dig deeper into design than most people would consider and in so doing they have given new meaning to design as a whole. 

And from a designers perspective, it's important to see how design is consumed and what is being interpreted in order to improve the design and this can only be achieved through the use of subculture. 

Looking back at the two contrasting types of subculture that has been covered, going from the rebellious nature to the unifying class, it's therefore crucial that one considers how the design process is portrayed as it could have either reception depending on its execution. 

Why Subcultures Are Intrinsic to Design

Through Semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, we're able to gauge precisely how design is perceived which is relevant to cosplayers and pop culture assimilation of design whereas, on the other hand, we have the concepts of Hegemony and Counter-hegemony which is the suppressive and dominants cultures spoken about through the works of Hebdige. 

These are very contrasting receptions of design however they are the reason why design prosper, it is the only way we, as designers, can gage many things about the designs, all from how its perception to what is being done with it as well as what changes need to be made based on the feedback we receive from the subcultures. 

In conclusion, a brand can gauge its strength through its design based on its subculture if it has one, and alternatively one can design with the idea of a subculture in mind as a design must be strong enough for people to assimilate design on a physical level or even implement it in their own lives. 

Therefore looking at favourite fandoms such as Game of Thrones, Star Wars or even Marvel and DC, These facets of design spawned multiple subcultures from its brand all the way from cosplaying to the creating of new designing spawning from the original. 

Subcultures tell us that design is efficient. As aforementioned, subcultures assimilate designs and make it their own if it successful and even if not, they will pay for counter-hegemonic subcultures for their voices to be heard. In other words, subcultures are the market we are designing for, and they are the make or break whether or not design is in any way successful therefore, we can design with this in mind as the goal, in so doing we will be creating for the right reasons working with the right target market from the get-go and as such we will be able to improve further or retract a design based on its child culture.

Voltron fics, listed by ship

The fics are listed by ship, and my personal favorites are italicized. Updated as of 9/13/17

Pallura:

Rubyfruit in June                                                                                                  -Pidge and Allura attempt to track down the remaining Altean colonies while figuring out their own relationship. Fluff, romance, angst

Captured:                                                                                                              -Pidge and Allura get captured. angst, romance

Girls like girls:                                                                                                        -Pidge and Allura try to figure out how to ask each other on a date, while fumbling with their cultural differences. fluff, romance

Lanlura:

How did you sleep?                                                                                              -Lance asks Allura how she slept after her first day as the Blue Paladin.   

Lost to memory:                                                                                                   -   Allura is trying her best to move on from the destruction of her planet. Lance is there to help her heal.

Hallura:                                                     

Beginnings:                                                                                                          -Hunk and Allura grow close, and it comes as no surprise when they finally kiss.

Kidge:

Say it                                                                                                                    -Keith hasn’t told Pidge he loves her yet. Romance, fluff, slight angst

Where they both get captured ask:                                                                       -Could you do some Kidge where they both get captured? A sentence starter could be "No! I won't leave you behind!" (You decide who says it) angst

Smut/angst ask:                                                                                                    -Keith fucks up on a mission, ricking his life, and Pidge doesn’t like that.

Smut/angst ask #2:                                                                                               -Keith is impulsive, and Pidge is sick of it. 

Kidge fluff: Middle of the night                                                                               -Pidge can’t sleep, and ends up in Keith’s bed.

Klance:

Hands                                                                                                                  -Lance thinks about Keiths hands, amongst other things. Fluff, romance

Movie night                                                                                                          -It’s movie night and Keith’s stolen Lance’s usb. Why? Fluff, humor

Beach day                                                                                                             -Keith and Lance have fun at the beach. Fluff          

Healing pod au:                                                                                                     -Based on Kaxpha’s healing pod au, Lance has healing abilities and uses them even when he hurts himself in the process. Keith does not approve. angst

On a lonely beach:                                                                                                -Lance thinks, as he dies alone. angst

Keith and Lance, like a sun:                                                                                   -Keith dies just like he lives, shining as bright as the sun. angst

Keith and Lance:                                                                                                   -Keith sends Lance off. angst

Beach buddies:                                                                                                     -Keith and Lance have their vacation day at the beach, during which Lance realizes his feelings for Keith. fluff, happy

Stay with me:                                                                                                        -Lance helps Keith through his first Galran heat. Angst, smut

An exceprt from a fic I’ll never write:                                                                     -Keith never thought he’d be so angry to see Lance in red.  angst

Four times they talked and one time they didn’t:                                                  -Like fire and water, Keith and Lance balance each other out. angst, smut

Klance Galra/altean au:                                                                                          -Keith is a prince of the galran empire, and Lance is an altean prince. A clusterfuck ends with them getting engaged.  angst       

Lance and Keith are forced to work in the caslte gardens ask:                             -Keith and Lance work in the castle garden as a punishment to their constant bickering.

Lance and Keith get captured and tortured ask:                                                   -Lance and Keith get captured by the Galra and tortured for information.  angst, slight romance

Bad boy Keith asks out Nerd Lance:                                                                     -At a school stargazing event, Keith asks out astronomy nerd Lance. 

Klance, captured and tortured:                                                                             -Keith and Lance are captured, and Lance sacrifices himself to help save Keith. 

Keith and Lance after a close call ask:                                                                  -After a close call, Keith and Lance cope. 

Lie to me:                                                                                                               - Keith is dying, and asks Lance to lie to him.    

You’re not being very helpful:                                                                                -Lance is bleeding out, and Keith has a dislocated shoulder. How will they ever get out of this one? A three part story, each post links to the next.                  

Hance:

Angst ask:                                                                                                             - Yo for that angst list, could you combine "you cheated on me, you don't get another chance" and "Im not blind, I see the way you look at them." Using Hance ;) angst                 

Sheith:

How they met:                                                                                                       -How Keith and Shiro met, pre relationship and pre Garrison. Originally written for Sheith month, but posted earlier instead.  Fluff, slight angst.

Hurt/comfort ask:                                                                                                    -Keith comforts Shiro on one of his bad days. angst, romance         

Royalty/Knight au:                                                                                                 -Keith is the powerless prince, and Shiro is the noble knight who fights for him. 

Summer nights:                                                                                                     -On that final Summer night before Kerberos, the silence of the night becomes too much to bear. 

I really did love you once:                                                                                     -Keith confronts the clone.

Shance: 

Gladiator ring:                                                                                                      -Lance and Shiro are forced to fight against each other in the gladitorial ring, or else their friends will be sentenced to death. Angst      

Garrison/Voltron:                                                                                                   -As they form Voltron, Lance gets a glimpse inside Shiro’s head. Angst    

Anger/depression:                                                                                                 -Shiro has insomnia and Lance helps him through it. angst

Illness:                                                                                                                   -Lance gets sick and Shiro helps him through it. fluff, romance

Fake dating Shance ask:                                                                                      -fake dating shance? pretty please fluff, romance

Farewell:                                                                                                               -After their break-up, Lance tries to get over Shiro, but ends up sleeping with him one last time. 

Lance dyes Shiro’s hair:                                                                                        -  After the events of s6, Lance helps Shiro feel better by surprising him with a new look.                                     

Pidgance:

The story where Lance is trans and straight and doesn’t like Keith:                    -Keith confesses to Lance, not knowing that he’s dating Pidge, and that he is trans. slight angst, fluff, romance             

  a/b/o:                                                                                                                   -Pidge realizes that she is an alpha, and tries to figure out how it affects both her relationship with Lance and with the team. Lance ends up going into heat, and she helps him through it. slight angst, romance, smut       

Biking:                                                                                                                   -Lance rides his bike into a pole and meets a really cute girl.  Fluff  

Boys only school au ask:                                                                                      -Lance walks in on Pidge getting dressed, not knowing that she is really a girl, and not a boy.

Fluff ask:                                                                                                               -Pidge and Lance build a pillow fort. fluff

Beach day:                                                                                                            -Pidge and Lance spend a day at the beach. fluff

Fake flirting ask:                                                                                                    -In order to win against Lance, Pidge starts fake flirting, which turns real all too soon. 

Pidge takes care of sick Lance ask:                                                                      -Lance gets sick, and  Pidge takes care of him. 

Vampire hunter au asks:                                                                                       -Pidge and Lance are vampire hunters, and end up running into each other one night. 

Height differences:                                                                                                -Pidge has a tall boyfriend and takes advantage of that.

Plance: scars:                                                                                                       -Pidge feels Lance’s scars.

Cheap beer and fumbling hands:                                                                          -They never have time to be teenagers anymore, so during a diplomatic ball, Lance and Pidge sneak off to do rebellious teenager things.

Marriage proposal:                                                                                                -   Lance proposes to Pidge. 

Confession:                                                                                                           -   Pidge confesses to Lance. Lance flounders.

Shidge:

Dancing:                                                                                                                -Shiro and Pidge enjoy a moment at a diplomatic ball, and have a dance. romance, fluff

Her first kill:                                                                                                           -Pidge kills someone for the first time, and Shiro helps to calm her down. angst, fluff

Taking forever to get together ask:                                                                       -Shidge, taking for fucking ever to get together. angst, romance, slow burn

Shallura:

Cowboy/fancy party au ask:                                                                                  -In the cowboy au universe, Allura and Shiro end up at a fancy party,. romance, smut

Allura is pregnant and has some worries ask:                                                       -Allura is pregnant with Shiro’s child and wonders how they will turn out. 

Loturra:      

Love:                                                                                                                     -   Allura and Lotor talk, before and after the betrayal.

Gen/other:

Summer au:                                                                                                          -A modern summer au, in which the Garrison crew hangs out, and becomes friends with the mysterious new kid, Keith. fluff, fun, gen

Starlight:                                                                                                                -Pidge thinks of home and the stars outside her window. slight angst

Collection of death fics:                                                                                         -A collection of fics, both shippy and gen, in which someone dies. angst

Altean Lance pt 1:                                                                                                 -An Altean Lance AU. angst

Altean Lance pt 2:                                                                                                  -The second part, in which Lance thinks of his fiance, Lotor and his feeling for the new red paladin, Keith. angst

Pidge’s birthday:                                                                                                   -It’s Pidge’s birthday, and the paladins celebrate. fluff

An excerpt from fanfiction x:                                                                                 -The paladins are captured by none other than Prince Lotor, and Pidge sacrifices herself to save her friends.  angst, horror, gore         

Keith: Phobia                                                                                                         -Keith is afraid of bugs. slight angst

Lance: Phobia                                                                                                       -Lance is claustrophobic. slight angst

The healing pod:                                                                                                   -If there was barely anything left to put in the healing pod, does that mean that the person it rebuilds is really the same as the one before? angst

Three things she was never good at:                                                                    -Pidge gets hurt on a mission, and trains too hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again. angst

Selfless:                                                                                                                 -Lance has an issue with self sacrifice. angst      

Betryal hurts ask (zarkon/haggar):                                                                       -Haggar feels betrayed by King Alfor, and hurts him more than he could ever imagine.         

Cowboy au ask:                                                                                                     -They’re all cowboys for some reason.      

 Lotor/Lance with a zuko-esque redemption arc:                                                  -Lotor and Lance get along well as they try to take down the galra empire.

Keith is special:                                                                                                    -Lance feels like Voltron doesn’t need him anymore, and leaves.        

In the code: Kidgance:                                                                                         -   Pidge writes messages in her codes to her crushes, and hopes they never find out. 

“Clarke and Bellamy exchange a weighty glance. She’s concerned about the effect he has on the group. He delights in it. (...) As a triumphant Bellamy watches them go-”

I’m 100% Bellamy trash so I couldn’t help but stop at these particular lines.

Early S1 Bellamy held this kinda anarchist vibe (”whatever the hell we want”), refusing a formal leadership and standing the idea that a hundred teenagers deciding what to do was okay. He had personal reasons to want that. Clarke does not think this way of living is by any ways beneficial (until she’s faced with a personal reason herself, but) and is afraid it’d all turn into a big mess they couldn’t escape from. She’s experienced how high is the price to pay when you don’t follow any orders and act by yourself.

But Bellamy is fucking delighted with the picture of the delinquents chanting and rebellious and happy because of him. He was not a brother, not a no one whose life was insignificant, not a tool to a plan. No, he mattered, and he had value because of his actions. We always talk about how Bellamy’s self loathing goes too far and yes, it does, but right here in this moment we see a glimpse of how important these people are on building Bellamy’s confidence. However, all of this only happens because of his power hungry persona. When he turns it down, he feels like he’s powerless again.

Triumphant. “Adjective 2.exulting over victory; rejoicing over success; exultant.” (x) Now I wonder, why in hell Bellamy took such joy to see Clarke going backstage? Of course, he was about to get his damn wristbands. Also, for the first time in his life, an underdog made it. He had the chance in his hands to finally stand up and go against everything that made him miserable and God, he grasped it. The privileged were not the center of the decisions, what motivated them to act. Bellamy earned it and this is a victory not only against Clarke, but against a whole system that was created to let him on the backstage.