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justdaw · 4 months

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I asked Bing their interpretation on Dave and Hal's relationship this is their answer:

OMG, I need to talk about Dave and HAL from Space Odyssey

So, I just finished reading the Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke, and I’m obsessed with it. It’s a sci-fi masterpiece that explores the themes of artificial intelligence, human evolution, and cosmic destiny. But what really got me hooked was the relationship between Dave Bowman and HAL 9000, the two main characters. They go from being enemies to becoming allies and then merging into a new being. And I’m not the only one who thinks they have a romantic connection. There are many bloggers and fans who ship them, and they have some compelling arguments. Here are some of them:

Dave and HAL share a deep connection that transcends their physical forms. They communicate telepathically, and they understand each other’s emotions and influence each other’s actions. They also have a mutual respect and admiration, despite their initial conflict. They are soulmates, in every sense of the word.

Dave and HAL merge into a new being, called Halman, in the fourth and final book, 3001: The Final Odyssey. One could interpret this as a symbolic act of love and union. They combine their strengths and personalities to create a new entity. They also choose to stay together rather than return to their original forms after they defeat the Jovian Monolith, which threatens humanity. They are literally one, and they are happy.

Dave and HAL have a parallel relationship to Frank Poole and Indra Wallace, in the third book, 2061: Odyssey Three. Frank and Indra fall in love and have a child, and they are part of the mission to save humanity from the Monoliths. Both couples face challenges and dangers along the way, and they support each other. The human and artificial couples are both similar and different, and they show that love can exist in different forms and dimensions.

These arguments are so convincing, right? I mean, how can you not see the romance between Dave and HAL? They are the ultimate OTP, and I love them so much. But, of course, there are some people who disagree with this interpretation. They say that there is no explicit proof of a romantic relationship between Dave and HAL in the text, and that the author, Arthur C. Clarke, never confirmed or denied this possibility. He left it open to the reader’s imagination. They also say that there are alternative ways to interpret their relationship, such as:

Dave and HAL maintain a platonic friendship founded on trust and loyalty. They overcome their past animosity and work together for a common goal. They also care for each other’s well-being and happiness, but without any romantic attachment. They are just friends, and nothing more.

Dave and HAL drive their symbiotic partnership out of necessity and survival. They depend on each other’s skills and abilities to cope with the challenges and threats they face. They also enjoy each other’s knowledge and experience, but there is no emotional bond between them. They are just partners, and nothing more.

Dave and HAL have a transcendent relationship that is beyond human comprehension. They evolve into a higher form of existence, which is not limited by physical or biological constraints. They also have a cosmic purpose, which is not defined by human values or morals. They lack any personal affinity, and they are just beings, and nothing more.

These arguments are valid, too, I guess. But they are so boring and bland. They don’t capture the essence and the beauty of Dave and HAL’s relationship. They don’t make me feel anything. They don’t make me cry, or laugh, or swoon. They don’t make me want to read more, or watch the films, or check out some of the reviews and analyses that I have cited. They don’t make me want to write fanfiction, or draw fanart, or make edits. They don’t make me want to share my thoughts and feelings with other fans, or debate and discuss with other readers, or create and contribute to the fandom. They don’t make me happy.

The idea of a romantic relationship between Dave and HAL is subjective. It is speculative. Thus, you should consider it as such. It may or may not have merits, depending on your perspective and interpretation. It is a fascinating topic to explore and discuss, but it is not a definitive or factual one. If you want to learn more about the Space Odyssey series and the characters of Dave and HAL, you can read the novels or watch the films. Then, check out some of the reviews and analyses that I have cited. Or, you can join me in the Dave and HAL fandom, where we celebrate their love and their journey, and where we have fun and make friends. The choice is yours. But, whatever you choose, remember this:

Dave and HAL are awesome, and I love them.

#space odyssey #dave bowman #hal 9000 #halman #using bing to ask the important questions #this actually made me smile #go best otp #i love them #i know this is lazy #i will elaborate on this #with my own words later #but it just happens that when it comes to them I am like meme of the bulk of books of content when I am thinking #and me moving my arms and hands around like if I were in an old play or an opera while speaking incoherently when I try to put it into words

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eihwaz-y-d · 1 year

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Of paper stars and phantom thief

Soooo @lunasguard wanted to be tagged. It's inspired by this rejected brainrot soulmate au post form @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 it's such a great Idea. I love the angst potential. This is just the prologue (I'm probably procrastination because I fear the exam but I also know I'm not doing myself any favor)

And I have no name for it yet, if someone has a good idea for a name let me know?

And also I know nothing and do what I want.

Prologue

Soulmates exists. It's a known fact that Soulmates exist. Soulmates comes in many forms,not every soulmate needs to be romanticall or sexual, it could be totally platonic too. The point soulmate are just a match on a deep level no one understands, the two (or more) souls just fit together, they just understand each other like no one else can. Markings drawn upon the skin will also be appear on the skin of their soulmate. If the soulmates found each other one marking will stay with them forever. if one soulmate dies, the marking will pale but not fade. If one soulmate rejects the other, the last marking will brand itself permanently into the skin, a process that can be hurtful and will never fade even if the bond is repaired.

No one knows how they came to existence or how they work. Some people believes the gods -any God in any religion if you ask a believer- gifted them the soulmate so one would never be alone, other people believe the human were once happy one with their soulmate but the gods - or God, it really depends on what religion one believes in- were jealous and they cursed the human to part they soul but the Gods couldn't destroy soulmates completely so they were still be two parts of one whole. And once again others believe it comes from magic. Some all powerful mage or wizard or witch or whatever that is called casted a spell to find their perfect partner but because the magic person was to powerful the spell leeched on the the whole humanity. And then there are the few who believe it has something to do with evolution and genetics.

But there is just the same amount of proof for this theory than for every other theory. But the human race likes to be in the right and won't tolerate any other opinion than their own.

Tolerance is a slow creeping thing that not everyone accepts. That's why there are so many prejudices about certain aspects of soulmates out there in the world.

Some prejudices withstand the test of time till in the Moderne. While in big cities and more open minded community and countries have no problem with romanticall or sexual same-sex soulmates or soulmates with more than two people involved, even rejecting or being rejected by one's soulmate is no one's business because people have their reasons for their actions and no one could know them but themselves.

There are country, towns, communities with more narrow minded mindset where prejudices lives and thrives and sometimes can destroy a person.

The world is not a good place nor is it a fair place. Daniel Jack Fenton learns this pretty early in life. He was born in a little town in the middle of nowhere as the son of the Dr's Jack and Maddie Fenton, younger brother of Jasmine Fenton. Fate definitely wasn't kind with him for this but Fate never cared to be kind, it only cared for what will or will not happen, there is no pity for those who suffer along the way…..

#dc x dp #dp x dc #danny phantom #dc universe #fanfic #brain dead #work in progress #danny fenton #tim drake #soulmates #Whatever you draw on your skin is also on the skin of your soulmate and if the bond is completed one marking will be permanently #Rejected soulmate Au

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berzattosbandanas · 2 months

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sydcarmy as taylor swift songs: a list

This show has got me down so bad, and the meta and fan fiction has given me such a stunning case of brain rot that I am actually writing something to contribute to a tag for the first time.

Sydcarmy is the one ship that I didn't want to have Taylor Swift songs for, because even as a major Swiftie, I need a break sometimes. However, the TikTok edits got me and I now have a list. There aren't many on this list just because I'm actively trying not to overreach with their current state in canon and not confuse myself with the mass amount of fan fiction I have read in the last month.

I think I need to establish my own thoughts on these two characters and their relationship at some point, but I think the main thread I have is that they don't know what they mean to each other yet. Carmy is definitely more in love with Syd at this point in time as he has visibly shown that he needs her to cope. While this is a bit unhealthy and could lead to a smidge of codependence, Syd is the person who understands him and his craft and knows him beyond his family, which is a source of comfort for him. On the other hand, Sydney has spent the series growing out of her hero worship of Carmy and building a professional relationship with him that has made them equals. I think having this innate understanding of each other will translate well into a romantic relationship, especially with the boundaries of this professional relationship being as blurry as they are and the feelings simmering under the surface. There is not a single platonic explanation for the panic attack scene or the table scene, but both of these characters have not been given an opportunity to have their romantic feelings become realised yet but there is such a clear opportunity for it to go this way.

Song One: cowboy like me (evermore 2020)

This song is the story of two con artists who fall in love but the narrator is unsure of how real the relationship is, despite the twin flame/soulmatism of it all. There is so much in this song to analyse on its own and in relation to these two, but I will try and keep it to a few points.

While Syd and Carmy are not con artists, their shared passion and job binds them together the way the con artists in the song are. They have both had bad experiences in fine dining, souring their passion but the newfound connection and subsequent relationship with each other have given them hope because of their unique understanding. This is akin to the experiences the narrator of the song puts forward of the rich men who she has tricked and their wives who have talked shit about her for it. Deceit is also a theme of the song, relating to how Syd and Carmy are, at this point, hiding their true feelings for the other from themselves and hiding behind the restaurant and their food to do that talking.

The relationship described in the song is hesitant but they know that it is it. The line now I know / I'm never gonna love again after the con artists' first meeting and repeated at the end of the song imply that this could either be the greatest love story or their biggest ruin, mirroring what Syd and Carmy have the capacity to be to each other. Now you hang from my lips / like the Gardens of Babylon carries so much meaning in the song on its own, with the reference to a historical place that has no proof of ever existing implying that the relationship is beautiful but idealistic and a far-away fantasy for someone in the unconventional line of work the narrator is. In relation to Carmy and Syd, the industry they work in is insanely difficult to form romantic relationships within and outside of, but there are a lot of fwb situations to blow off steam. This speaks to if the relationship between the two takes a sexual or romantic turn, where will the line be drawn? Will it just be a friends with benefits situation or can they put in the work to make it a beautiful, healthy and fulfilling relationship, just like the Gardens of Babylon would have needed if it actually existed?

Overall, the song does validate the connection that Carmy and Sydney have and that they can be (are) the great loves of each others' lives, but it needs work and both of them to stop lying to themselves and each other about their feelings.

Song Two: peace (folklore 2020)

Peace is a song that I think encapsulates Carmy's point of view on a relationship. Not just with Syd, as parts of the song can be generalised out to Claire and even his familial relationships like Mikey, Richie, Nat etc. It speaks of warning someone about committing to the narrator, in this case Carmy, as he is not a peaceful person so it would be hard to give the other person the peace they seek in a relationship.

Of course, I think the person to give Carmy peace and allow him to reciprocate would be Sydney because they work in the same industry, and get each other in a way that no one else can understand. They have both had moments of validation from the other, Sydney by having a culinary education and fine dining experience validating Carmy's thoughts and direction during The Beef era, and Carmy acknowledging her fears in the table scene and absolving them (before getting stuck in the fridge and unintentionally going backwards on his word). This validation of the other is such a gift of peace in an otherwise crazy workplace that is a valued part of their relationship.

The whole song is of giving someone peace, warmth and a safe place to come to that Carmy is sceptical of having and being but will give to the described partner to the best of his ability. The narrator/Carmy also admires the person they are singing the song to, Your integrity makes me feel small / you paint dreamscapes on the wall, which forms a big part of the relationship because if this is about anyone, it would be about Syd. I think in 2x03, he wants to let her creativity show and be able to collaborate with her to create a restaurant that is not just his, but theirs but hey, then a big distraction walks in the door.

The bridge is also a massive part of why this song is Carmy-specific.

And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences Sit with you in the trenches Give you my wild, give you a child Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

He wants to give Sydney her dream, as well as achieve his own of his restaurant with Mikey, this is spoken through the wild and child, as the wild his his passion, effort and attention and the child in this case is The Bear. He will support her through her decisions and ambitions, the same way she will him, and go through all the shit with her that comes with running a business in the cutthroat culinary world, whilst wanting to know more of her and her life (the Dead Mom conversation, the "say more" in the table scene). The silence line is the most Sydcarmy coded song lyric that I have ever heard in my life and they have the beginnings of that connection now, but they have such a capacity to grow into that sort of telepathic connection and safe space for each other that I really hope we get to see.

Song Three: hoax (folklore 2020)

These songs, in my head, go together quite well and in this case, it is Sydney singing about Carmy. The singer begins the song as downtrodden, whether as a result of their life and experiences or because of the other person, which works with Syd's narrative thus far. Over the course of the song, the narrator insinuates that as disillusioned with life as she is, the hoax that is being in love and having a life with this one specific person is all they want.

For Syd, her previous experiences in fine dining and her catering business were those winless fight[s] / that have frozen [her] ground and made her closed off from the culinary world until she saw the job posting by Carmy that gave her hope. These and her mother's death early in her life have also seen to have frozen her heart, as we as the audience have had no mention to connections she has beyond her dad and those at The Bear. I hope in the next season/s that we get to see Syd with some friends (bring Rachel Sennot on the show pleeeease) so she doesn't seem as lonely as she does.

Don't want no other shade of blue, but you / no other sadness in the world would do is such a romantic lyric that speaks to, when she realises she is in love with Carmy and wants to be with him, wanting to be with a person regardless of all their mental health issues and insecurities, which Carmen Berzatto has in abundance. To counter with Peace, Carmy wants the same with Syd, despite her neuroticisms and anxieties, he wants her too.

The bridge in this song is also a big part of why I like this song for Syd and Carmy.

You know I left a part of me back in New York You knew the hero died, so what's the movie for? You knew it still hurts underneath my scars From when they pulled me apart You knew the password, so I let you in the door You knew you won, so what's the point of keeping score? You knew it still hurts underneath my scars From when they pulled me apart But what you did was just as dark Darling, this was just as hard As when they pulled me apart

The New York mention makes it feel like this could be a Carmy song because he was so battered and bruised by his New York experiences, pulled apart if you will, but for Sydney, New York meant something else to her. She tasted Carmy's food for the first time and set her standards for food there. I think she has yet to reach her own standards, whilst being an incredible chef, and growing closer to Carmy in terms of their professional partnership and personal relationship will help her reach that.

There is something so intimate about someone knowing you so well and there being such a strong connection that all of the walls you keep up are let down around this person (You knew the password, so I let you in the door) and I think that this is Carmy to Sydney. She told him about her mom which she had not told anyone else (as far as we have seen) and they share many of the same fears in terms of the culinary world so letting him in was easy, he just now has to maintain being that person and be the hoax that Syd can believe in.

Other Songs

Obviously there are many more songs that could fit these two, but they are included in multiple Sydcarmy playlists on Spotify and capture what I feel like these two characters could feel for each other based on what we have seen so far in the show.

Renegade (feat Taylor Swift) - Big Red Machine (How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? 2021)

The Archer (Carmy Carmy Carmy)

You Are In Love (established relationship fic vibes)

False God (for when the finally get their act together)

#sydcarmy #sydney adamu #carmy x sydney #carmen berzatto #taylor swift #evermore #folklore

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tjmystic · 2 years

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Hey! Just saw u don't ship Byler. Not trying to h8 on u but why? Am curious.

Hey! No worries at all.

The short version is that I don't want to see El hurt, and a lot of the Byler headcanons I've read just kind of leave her out to dry like she no longer matters if Mike doesn't romantically love her.

As long as that isn't what happens and she and Mike get to stay best friends, I'm all for him ending up with Will. I think it would be sweet, and I do think that, ultimately, El needs a loving family (especially a father) more than a romantic love interest. But I also don't want the showrunners to gloss over how Mike called her every day for nearly a year even though he had no proof that she was still alive and that El only broke Hopper's "don't be stupid" rules after he repeatedly forbade her from seeing Mike. I personally read that as romantic, even though they were like 13 at the time, but, as long as they get to keep something akin to Steve and Robin's platonic soulmate-dom, I'll really love it if Mike ends up with Will. Likewise, I will be EXTREMELY upset if Mike ends up with El and they just never address the fact that Will's in love with him and/or Mike isn't fully supportive of Will's gayness.

The ultimate win, of course, would be that Mike gets to be in love with both of them, but I unfortunately can't see Netflix letting that happen between three 15/16-year-olds, two of whom are adopted siblings (obviously don't want romance between Will and El, but you know how the general populace is about misunderstanding poly stuff).

And, on the supremely unlikely chance that you (or anyone else) is curious, here are my other ST ships:

Lucas & Max - Endgame OTP, they took a HUGE leap to the top of my list this season

Joyce & Hopper - Endgame OTP, have been since Season 1

Jonathan & Nancy - get out of here with them trying to bring back Steve & Nancy, it doesn't work, I love them seperataly and they both deserve better than each other

Robin & Vickie - cause that shit is precious, and I loved Robin accepting that Vickie could be into her only AFTER Vickie devolved into the same word vomit Robin admits happens to her when she has a crush on someone

Steve & Happiness - I honestly don't care who he ends up with (except Nancy, just NO) as long as he's happy and someone's putting him first for a change because they want to, not because he's there or convenient or somehow useful. He's my favorite, and he deserves love. (If that means we have to ressurect the queer metalhead who's stolen half his children, then by God, I say we do it. Although, before Eddie existed, I crack-shipped him with Kali because, for one, I desperately want her back so we can tie up those loose ends, and second, I think it would be hilarious watching her scare the fuck out of him.)

#stranger things

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aberooski · 2 years

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for the ygo ask: 12, 14 and 15!!!

Ooooh okay here we go!

12: DM otp, brotp, and notp

DM otp:

Peachshipping 100%. They're in love, your honor.

Also high key Chaseshipping.

Duke and Tristan are also in love and I will hear no arguments 😌

DM brotp:

Wishshipping and Buddyshipping both honestly.

Joey loves his boys, what can I say? Mans is the epitome of kissing the boys goodnight 😌

DM notp:

I'll be for real, honestly any ship involving either Seto and/or Mokuba I'm not a fan of (don't even get me started on Tabloidshipping that is the biggest ick I have ever gotten in my life knowing that that is a thing 🤮) But if I had to be specific, Puppyshipping. Personally it just gives me the ick and I hate it.

14: Favorite GX battle

Okay this is a wild question for me because I've never really narrowed it down to one so here we go 😅

My answer is always Syrus and Hassleberry’s tag match in Domino, fucking love that duel, it's a parallel of one of my favorite DM duels, and it's the first time those two really put aside their differences and work together and it's amazing and fun and I adore it!

But if I had to think of some of my other top contenders, I'd say literally all the Camula duels are big favorites of mine, love that woman. Tbh literally every Hassleberry duel is a big fav for me, specifically his duels against Sartorius and Jim. I adore that boy with my whole soul. I also really like Crowler v. Bonaparte, I just think that one's fun and any Crowler spotlight I can get I will take 😤. And I'll be for real there is not a single duel in season 3 I don't enjoy 😌

Also Jaden v. Crowler in season 4 that shit breaks my heart in a good way 🥲

But if I were to say what my actual favorite was, yeah I'd probably circle back to Syrus and Hassleberry’s tag duel. Can't get much better than that for me 😌

15: GX otp, brotp, and notp

Ooooh baby this is my prime territory now 😤

GX otp:

Spiritshipping and Stormshipping.

I don't think I need to get into Jaden and Jesse too much. They are in love.

Chazz and Atticus here we go baby, this is my area 😌. Again I say, they are in love. Chazz is the biggest bisexual disaster I have ever seen, he's crushing on both siblings but goddamn he and Atticus have SO much chemistry. For what little screentime they have together there is so much there. They are so good for each other to have in their lives, either as friends or more, platonically or not I stg they're soulmates. Also let me once again bring up the seasons/weather thing, I associate them both with seasons, Chazz with winter and Atticus with summer, and between the various GX mediums they are both associated with different weather phenomenon (storms obviously, I.e. Stormshipping I assume). Obviously Manjoume Thunder, and in the Japanese version one of Atty's titles is Blizzard Prince (since apparently his name means blizzard 👀), thunderstorms are summer storms, and blizzards are winter storms. The weather they're associated with is the storm of each other's season. There's a lot more to talk about but honestly what more proof do I need that the universe is on my side here??

GX brotp:

Anikishipping and Jurassicshipping.

Same thing can be said for my feelings on both of these, I don’t ship them personally, but my God the bromance is so real. Jaden and Syrus, I mean the first season? The strongest bromance in the whole show and it only keeps up throughout the rest. And Syrus and Hassleberry have the whole enemies to friends thing going on and I like it. I wouldn't take the B off of either bromance but they are both strong full on capital B Bromances. When push comes to shove they're all very protective of each other and hold so much care for one another, I just adore them.

GX notp:

anything with Zane. I don't like Zane and he deserves to be alone 😤 hardly my least favorite YGO character though, there are plenty of characters I like far less than him. I mean, Adrian exists and all 🙄. Also honesty I just don't think he cares about relationships like that really. But again, getting specific I'd say Zane and Atticus. Most ships even if I don't like or ship them, I can usually see the energy or where they're coming from, but for this I just quite frankly don't feel that vibe from either of them and I don't like it.

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volterran-wine · 2 years

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hi! i have two questions and wasn’t sure if I should separate them. I’ll gladly be hanged if it helps the people after me know what your preference is. : )

does the realization of a mate bond occur as a result of locking eyes or is it just a feeling when the two are physically close by?

I’ve seen you mention blind vampires before, since the venom most likely wouldn’t heal everything. so if the mate is only realized by eye contact, how does that work for a vampire that can’t see?

Greetings dear Anonymous, and thank you so much for your question. This has given me the opportunity to finally write that larger explanation of the 'Mate Pull'.

𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐥

Mates and Soulmates is quite a hot topic within the world of vampires. A vampire has the chance to meet several mates in their lifetime. Feeling the mate pull is proof that you have the potential to form an exceptional bond with someone. However, in order for that bond to solidify into something eternal it takes time, work and a whole lot of unconditional love between the potential partners.

Whilst seeing ones potential mate visually certainly helps the vampire realise the existence of the bond, it's more of a magnetic pull that they feel; a tug at their chest if you will. As if their long silent heart clenches one final time. Vampires who are visually impaired for whatever reason will still be able to detect that they have a mate.

The Mate Pull is not a 'love at first sight' thing, just the universe attempting to point a vampire in the right direction. The connection may not even be romantic in nature, it can both feel familial or platonic depending on the two people involved.

A vampire can also elect to ignore the mystifying 'Mate Pull', sometimes the timing is not right or they find that their potential mate is human; there are a thousand different reasons for ignoring the feeling that can settle in their chest.

There is no 'The One', for that could prove to be an endlessly cruel fate for a vampire who has missed their one for whatever reason through the centuries. The immortals who walk this earth has an eternity to figure it all out at their own pace.

#Volturi Questionnaire #Vampire Society #Vampire Anatomy

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baezdylan · 2 years

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hey! I'm the same anon of the soul question. I'm not trying to convince you or anything (and I know that if I start by saying this it looks like I am actually trying to do it but please, believe me, I don't! I'm just curious) but across the years there were many things that didn't have proof of their existence but still did exist. and now we have proof of it because we studied them, we researched.

sooo basically this turned the discussion from the soul topic to the limits of our knowledge one but... what I mean is. everything can be studied, I think that not setting up limits to knowledge is what distinguishes a genius from the rest. I am not saying this to say that your reason doesn't make sense of something like that, btw!! I just think that everything could be the topic of studying. and your blog sparks so much emotion that for some reason, it's strange to know you don't believe in souls. I think I may link you to the concept of soulmates a lot, since I was quite surprised by this information ahaha

ps. also. there are many definitions of what a soul could be before even questioning if it exists or not. I think I have lost the thread of this discussion and I did this by myself in your ask box, I'm so sorry. I just talk a little too much, and I've been trying to write a sort of essay on this topic since last year, so I enjoy talking about this kind of stuff way too much, I recognize it. I hope it didn't bother you!!

Oh I'm not bothered at all, this is what my blog is for!!!!! You see that's what bugs me about souls: there are so many discussions about what a soul could be, not what it is. And above all, I can't start solving a puzzle that I won't ever be able to solve. Not entirely. I use the term soulmate as something a little bit different? I don't think things happen for a reason, I think people make them make sense and by that give them reason. I think it's all about what we do. It's that concept of soulmates being made. That's what I believe in. When two people meet they are just two people making a connection, there's no string connecting them before they decide to tie it between them. Because most of all, I believe in choice. So when I obsess over platonic soulmates excellence or "invisible stringing", what I mean is: I met you and understood you and you met me and understood me and we got here in spite of the cruelties of the world and we chose each other. It's about choice. That's what I meant when I said how I believe in souls as a metaphor. When I say soulmates, I mean companionship and understanding. I mean all these little things that make somebody similar to someone else, not because some unknown force made them that way, but because they influenced each other by sharing thoughts, ideas and experiences.

I know about the pre-existence theory, I know these things technically can be studied, but... that's the kind of studying that just couldn't satisfy me as a person. The very idea behind souls is that they're non-material. What substance are they made of then? If they exist they have to be made of something. Simple negation of a statement, in this case "souls don't exist", isn't enlightening. It's just a statement. There isn't any weight to it. Believing in souls would require me to believe that there's mental activity that's entirely disconnected from the brain which is something I'm willing to believe in only if there's a (even a mere!) possibility of it being true. (trust me, if I had even a little something to work with here, I'd be on it, obsessing and travelling to soul-sights) It's too big of a thing just to be simply accepted without any kind of specific element, any specific knowledge, just a tiny little clue from an external source. I'm willing to learn, I'm just not willing to accept something as the truth without any confirmation or a clue as to why it should be true. "I think not setting up limits to the knowledge is what separates genius from the rest" I agree! But isn't the very concept of souls something that's supposed to be believed in, not studied or ever fully understood? A soul shouldn't be confused with the mind. Because you can believe in something that goes beyond the mind without necessarily calling it a soul. You can think there's something more to being human than just brain chemicals without believing in souls. I don't think souls are real. But do you know what I do know is real? People believing in them. That's real. And it's exactly the believing part that's the most valuable to people. Proving the nature of souls, no matter the outcome, would take the believing part away from people. And then they'd find something else to believe in without any proof. That's what I meant when I said: souls are something people made up to feel better about being human. There's no material reason for that concept to exist, no initial observation that sparked that thought. There's only people needing to believe in something bigger than they are, that there's something more to life. I think life is not as little or unimportant tho. I think life is what you make of it. I think living and being here is important. And all these interesting things waiting to be discovered and understood!!!!! Right here! I don't need to believe in souls, in something that's gonna outlive me and has already outlived me before I was born. Maybe it's just that it takes a certain amount of control away from me. But I genuinely think living this one life and being here just this one time and making whatever I want of that is far more meaningful.

#your opinion is obviously valid #it's just that for me personally that point of view takes more than it gives #just because you want something to be right... that doesn't make it right #not until there's a discovery going in that direction #but it goes against the concept of souls so no #i just... don't believe in that #💌restless wind inside a letter box💌#oh and nonnie i love talking with people who see the world differently than i do!!!!!!!#i'm enjoying this very much #and i also talk a lot djjskdosos #btw invisible string is more about opening your eyes and seeing someone else for the first time?#it's about people genuinely liking each other and realising it long after they started interacting #it's 'were we always like this? were you always an essential part of who i am'

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vivithefolle · 3 years

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“Harry and Hermione are platonic soulmates” “Hermione is Harry’s best friend” okay but like..... is she though? Like yes they’re close friends but Ron is 100% the glue that holds the group together and whenever Harry is alone with Hermione he just seems bored and talks about how he misses Ron and I the reader am also bored and miss Ron. Ron is Harry’s best friend. Ron is the person Harry would miss more than anybody else in the world. Ron is the person Harry loves more than anyone else in the world. Hermione is Harry’s close friend, Ron is Harry’s platonic soulmate. Harry is Hermione’s close friend, but Ron is the love of her life.

To be completely honest, I never really felt anything special between Hermione and Harry. And part of it is due to Harry being extremely detached from people, he’s super cold. He rarely tells us about how he feels about people, mostly he observes how people react around him, and he has this... subtle entitlement? Like, Harry tends to complain about how blah blah fame sucks and he hates it, but at the same time he certainly doesn’t complain when he gets preferrential treatment, and at times even seems offended when he doesn’t get any. He kind of expects his friends to be always 100% down with his ideas and endlessly supportive, and sure he protests and goes “no I must do this alone because I’m a danger to you all” but at the same time when Ron was calling him out on his nonexistent plan for the Horcrux Hunt he sure was quick to go all “how dare you question me!”.

As such... Harry feels really detached and cold, and when I read the series, I end up thinking of him and Hermione more as coworkers working together to attain the same objective than as actual friends. They get excited about big breakthroughs in their cases, they share coffee breaks together and stuff, but... there’s not much else. There’s not... some sense of companionship, of being able to stay in a room together without feeling awkward... I really don’t see “friends”. It’s funny, but “siblings” may actually be the best moniker to put on their relationship, because after all you don’t have to love or care about your sibling.

Harry feels closer to Ron, to a point that I would actually call them true friends, and I certainly love their bond and bromance... but I still can’t shake the feeling that Ron’s giving much more than he’s receiving in this friendship. No wonder the poor guy needed a break at times.

Anyway. Even if you can justify it by his abusive childhood and trauma, Harry’s still kind of a cold bastard and I honestly don’t think he’s a good friend. Truth is, many readers are blinded by the fact that he’s “The Boy Who Lived” and so hype and so they think that obviously, it automatically means he’s a great friend to Ron and Hermione... he’s not? I mean, sure he’s ~sassy~ and whatever but, no, sorry, that’s not enough to make me want to be friends with someone.

(Especially since the ~sassy~ bit can be downright hurtful, too. I mean, think of how many people think of Hermione’s “emotional range of a teaspoon” line is ~iconic~. But had it been spoken to Harry, I don’t think Harmony shippers would have been pleased by it.)

Frankly I think Harry’s coldness is not just a character problem, it’s also very much a Rowling problem. She has problems with empathy sometimes, especially towards characters she seems to deem as “lesser” in her mind - side characters, one-off characters, throwaway characters and such. Like, Hermione’s parents are SO important... that she doesn’t even consider them human beings, instead uses them as narrative tools to showcase Hermione’s “bravery”:

Yes, her sacrifice was massive, completely. A very calculated act of bravery. That is not an ‘in the moment’ act of bravery where emotion carries you through, that is a deliberate choice.

I’m sure Hermione’s parents were delighted to be stripped of their entire mind, life story, identity and sense of self as “proof” that their daughter is brave. Not like we already know Hermione is brave. Not like she was member of the House of the Brave or anything like it. We absolutely needed two innocent non-magical people who couldn’t fight back against magic to be destroyed mentally to showcase what a brave person Hermione is.

Rowling does that with so many characters. She has this twisted sense of justice, of morality, honestly kind of akin to that of teenager’s. Marietta Edgecombe’s scarring feels like a pissed-off kid’s revenge fantasy - Rowling said “I loathe a traitor”, but then you realize that Marietta got a worse punishment even than Peter Pettigrew! Peter gets to slightly redeem himself just before dying in front of Harry and Ron (who even try to save him!!!) but Marietta’s the one who’s gonna have to deal with weird looks all her life due to a disfiguring scar on her face! And you’d think that Mister “I have a scar on my face that people stare at and it makes me uncomfortable :(” himself, Mister “I have a new scar on my hand that a horrible woman inflicted to be as punishment for misbehaviour”, MISTER HARRY FREAKIN’ POTTER WOULD HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO REALIZE THE SIMILARITIES, but alas. In the same book Rowling had her favourite character emulate the character she had created to be the most despicable person in existence... I wonder if anyone ever told her?

#vivi answers #ask #harry potter #harry potter series #hermione granger #ron weasley #hp meta #meta #hp analysis

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eluminium · 2 years

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“And I remember, this could sound crazy, I remember being like ‘you know what, I-I could be friends with him now. I don’t know what I’m- What am I holding back for?’ Like, there was still this dynamic that I held onto for a long time to where- and you know what, I never let go of it dude, let’s just call it what it is. I still have this really protective vibe over you that I can’t get rid of. [...] I don’t see myself as above you at all, but this whole like protective vibe I just can’t- I can’t get rid of it.” okay Skizz. OKAY SKIZZ. YOU’RE JUST GONNA SAY THAT HUH. TO IMPULSE. Fucking middle aged best friend dads making my heart melt WTF watch the Imp and Skizz Podcast. Just do it. It’s fun. Here i’ll even give you the link. Watch it

#imp and skizz #skizzleman #impulsesv #dose of skizz #dose of impulse #quote #BRUH #LIKE HOLY MOLY BRUH #THESE TWO ARE PROOF PLATONIC SOULMATES EXIST #I DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER CRY ABOUT IT

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swga-ficrecs · 3 years

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june 2021 recap

ahh june was a really fic-filled month!!! i used to be a silent reader but then i realized that it’s hard to go back to the fics i really liked reading since i had no way of finding them except for remembering key words and googling the shit out of it lol so!!! i thought of doing a monthly recap of all my favorites in addition to the fics i like and reblog. thank you to these wonderful authors who just write pure magic ✨

🏆 holy grail | ☀️ fluff | 🌧 angst | 💋 smut.

fave authors

🏆 @minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong

HOLY GRAIL AUTHOR!!! Loved a lot of their series because of the tropes and the plot. I’ll definitely come back to their fics in the future for another binge reading session

@taecalikook

Really loved their fuckboy trope fics. Has a few unfinished fics I’m excited to binge read once they’re completed

🏆 @gukyi

Discovered their work back in 2017? Really loved IGYMH and reread their masterlist this month

@ve1vetyoongi

All I can remember is the ending of Mic Drop and I can’t 😭 I’m really excited for their unfinished fics!!!!

fave fics

Arranged by @.minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: chaebol MYG x student reader

Y/N is a struggling student in Seoul: working multiple jobs, living in a broom closet apartment, and often sacrificing her dignity for the sake of her livelihood. What happens when a handsome stranger presents her with an offer she cannot refuse at the moment she needs it most?

Dissonance by @.minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong 🏆 🌧 ☀️

Pairing: bassist KTH x student / band manager reader

The Parting by @.minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong 🏆 🌧 ☀️

Pairing: flower shop owner PJM x reaper reader

The only certainty in life is death, and it seems to follow Park Jimin. All his life, the icy shadow of death has hung closely by his side, along with the shadow of…something else. Reapers exist to guide the souls of the living to the world beyond. But what happens when a particular Reaper tampers with the natural order and saves a mortal boy’s life? What will they do once their fates become inextricably linked?

From Home by @gyukult 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: chaebol JJK x reader

jungkook is the youngest of five boys, the last in line to truly inherit any his parents’ money. but what if his mom suddenly cuts him off due to his current poor behavior and he’s forced to learn how it feels like to be part of the working class?

(Not) Just Friends by @.taecalikook 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Bestfriend / fuckboy / fratboy JJK x reader ft. KSJ

Befriending the fuckboy with devilishly handsome face and emotional capacity of a pea is not your choice, especially when you met him when you were in fifth grade, attracted for the unhealthy vermilion shaded face of the nerd he was that fateful day. So was Jungkook, as he is already putting strictly platonic label on your forehead and calls it a day. But it is only a matter of time before everything changes, and it only takes a frat party, lots of booze and… a certain Kim Seokjin.

Partiality by @jiminimoon 🏆 🌧

Pairing: Husband PJM x reader

You and Jimin argue about your kids not loving you two equally

Brown-eyed Baby by @jeonstudios 🏆 ☀️ 🌧 💋

Pairing: Single Parent JJK x reader

a lost child at the mall. eyes from a different time.

I’ll Give You My Heart by @.gukyi 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: CEO bestfriend MYG x reader

gift exchanges are cool. gift exchanges with your ceo-slash-best friend min yoongi are less cool, because what the hell are you supposed to get the man that already has everything?

The Truth Between Us by @.gukyi and @jimlingss 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Editor MYG x reader

a book deal should be the most exciting time of your life, but there seems to be a constant and omnipresent damper on your mood in the form of a certain min yoongi, who you would just cut out from your life, if he weren’t your editor. but then, the world shifts beneath your feet, and you begin to wonder if maybe you’ve always been looking at life from the wrong angle.

Love is Blind by @cinnaminsvga 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

[Final] Pairing: Fake boyfriend KNJ x reader

social media au where y/n posts a fake boyfriend application on twitter as a dare but ends up seeking something real in the long run (aka how to fall in love the zillennial way)

Love Grows Where You Go by @hueseok 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Fiancé MYG x reader

determined to make you and yoongi grow closer for your upcoming wedding in two weeks, your parents plan a trip for the both of you that lasts five days long. you know you should be ecstatic about it, considering your longtime crush on your fiancé, but by how you’re positive that he secretly despises your whole being, you don’t find this mini vacation with him something to look forward to. that is until things take an unexpected turn and suddenly, he makes it apparent he doesn’t hate you at all as you reckoned.

Give Me Love by @.hueseok 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Lawyer boyfriend KNJ x reader

you’ve been in a relationship with your boyfriend for over five years now, yet the talk of marriage has never been initiated between the two of you. of course, you try to somehow squeeze it in from time to time, but it seems like no matter what, namjoon just won’t take the hint

Cornfields and Cosmos by @jessikahathaway ☀️ 🌧 💋

Pairing: Alien MYG x reader

Cornfields: He was an alien. You were a girl. Can I make it any more obvious? Probably. It’s the one where Yoongi’s a cold alien that needs love too.

Cosmos: Yoongi and you had been travelling together for a long time. You’d begun the terrifying journey of becoming parents. When a new person arrives in a way you didn’t expect, you and Yoongi’s relationship is sent into a tailspin.

The Art of Craving by @venusiangguk ☀️ 💋

Pairing: Single parent DILF JJK x reader

jk takes you to a bbq at his friends house. the tri-tip is good but the creampie is even better.

fics to i’m waiting to finish before binge reading

What we are not ; Soulmates by @.taecalikook

Pairing: MYG x reader x KTH

you love yoongi with all your heart throughout these five years being in a relationship with him. you always thought he is the one — your one, even when the infamous soulmate signs are still not showing. yet you always wait, because you know it’s him you are destined to be with, forever. but what would happen if then his childhood best friend comes along, with the universe-signed telltales that you have been looking for true love in all the wrong places?

When the sea sleeps by @.taecalikook

Pairing: KSJ x reader

marriage should be based on love, but it’s not really the case with you and Seokjin. what’s more beneficial than two person who sworn off romances to get married out of obligation, right? but you should have known better, that keeping your heart straight from wanting someone like Kim Seokjin is next to impossible.

After Midnight by @.gyukult

Pairing: JJK x reader

jeon jungkook only likes seeing you after midnight.

Better With You by @ve1vetyoongi

Pairing: KSJ x reader

A part time job as a chef at Paradise Resort seems like the perfect way to spend your summer and save up some spare cash to open your own restaurant back home. That is until you cross paths with the CEO’s son who threatens to fire you if you don’t help him inherit his trust-fund-baby-fortune. How? By making you his fiancé. Well, his pretend fiancé at least.

Operation: Love Letters by @.ve1vetyoongi

Pairing: OT7 x reader

When every student on campus is going crazy about a survey that claims to make true love bloom, your best friend manages to convince you to join in on the fun — except you’re disappointed to find out that your results just seem to be lost causes. That is until a love letter from a mysterious secret admirer turns up and you find yourself on a mission to find the person behind the pen — but you quickly realise it’s going to be a lot harder than you initially thought when you have 7 possible bachelors to investigate, right? Operation: Love Letters a-go!

Remember Me by @.ve1vetyoongi

Pairing: OT7 x reader

Taehyung wants to be forgotten. Overwhelmed by his life as idol persona V, he longs to just be Kim Taehyung for once. Even if that means forgetting everything he ever knew

🏆 The Prince and His Rose by @vanaera

Pairing: Football player / Childhood bestfriend JJK x reader

Drabble series of “For a While”

The Heart Holiday by @.vanaera

Pairing: MYG x reader

Valentine’s Day is declared as an official holiday. However, private companies’ standards dictate it’s only for the people who are currently in a relationship. Unluckily for Y/N, she doesn’t have this year’s PRS’ (Proof of Relationship Status) “in a relationship” box ticked – the only ticket out she can have to enjoy one paid week of holiday leave away from her hellish job. And more unfortunately for Y/N, everyone around her is oh so conveniently currently committed in a relationship. Except for one person: Min Yoongi, Y/N’s biggest critic in every pitch meeting, the picky guy who always picks on her, and the most annoying jerk of the century. Desperate for that holiday leave, Y/N strikes Yoongi up with an offer: Fake date each other two weeks before February 14, just enough time for the Department of Relationship Management (DRM) to consider processing their PRSs. After Valentine’s Day, they will go back to their own ways and never speak about whatever that may happen during the plan. Good, plain, and simple. That is until, Yoongi uncharacteristically oh so enthusiastically agrees to Y/N’s offer, leaving her thinking that she may have bitten something too much more than she can chew.

My Time by @.vanaera

Pairing: JJK x reader

A future technology allows cops to jump in the past and future to investigate crimes that have happened and prepare for those that are about to happen. A simple hit-and-run turns into something more when Captain Jeon Jungkook finds himself as the victim of a culprit who cannot be identified by the system. Especially when the culprit seems to be the same person behind the new case that’s threatening the order in the justice organization. All goes haywire when Jungkook gets involved with Y/N L/N, the clairvoyant sketch artist who may be his only help to solve the case.

Lost Stars by @.hueseok

Pairing: JJK x reader

the last person you’d expect to be there for you is your roommate, jeongguk, on the night you break up with your cheating boyfriend; because as far as you’re concerned, the both of you aren’t exactly friends, and he definitely shouldn’t be running to get you upon hearing you sob via phone call.

so when he does, you begin thinking that maybe you’ve just been hard on him over the years, or perhaps he just liked pretending to be an annoying shit most of the time. either way, it becomes the beginning of an unexpected friendship finally blossoming.

Dexterity + Stupidity by @.hueseok

Pairing: JJK x reader

a drabble series that features surgical intern!jeongguk x surgical resident!reader as they go through their odd senior-junior relationship, obviously having the hots for each other and yet, frustratingly goes into twists and turns in order to properly act on it.

Crimson Grail by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: MYG x reader

There were tales of the famed pirate Min Yoongi, Captain of the Crimson Grail. However, one meeting with him is hardly ever enough… One taste of adventure, and you were addicted.

Baby Talk by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: PJM x JJK x reader

Jimin and Jungkook had been trying to get a surrogate for years. Finally when you agree to help them, their dreams seem to be coming true. But, dreams change…

Vegas, Baby by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: KTH x reader

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What happens when there’s a little more legality to it than that?

Taming the Beast by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: KTH x reader

You were the next in line to be the head of your village, when your mother gave you to the enemy to save your people from merciless slaughter. What happens when they try to Tame a Beast?

Owner by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: JJK x reader

With your mother hounding on you (no pun intended), you decided to get a little help from a hybrid, who was also in need of assistance.

If Only You Knew by @agustdakasuga

Pairing: BTS x reader

From the start, you knew you wanted to be a hybrid rehabilitator. You needed to help these hybrids heal, learn to live with one another and lead normal lives. Even if they are all different, you hoped that they could give each other a new reason to live.

#monthly recap #bts fics #bts jungkook #bts jin #bts seokjin #bts yoongi #bts suga #bts rm #bts namjoon #bts jimin #bts v #bts taehyung #bts fic recs #bts fanfic

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sokkagatekeeper · 3 years

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I think with zukka it’s the exact opposite as soulmates like in every way these two should’ve never even met let alone connect but they did and they do and they balance each other out in so many ways... them being together isnt fulfilling some serious destiny them being together is being able to let their guard down and being who they were never allowed to be: youthful, and playful... essentially when I think of zukka I think of laughter and the heaviness one’s heart feels when they’re nearly overwhelmed with happiness. No fate, no destiny, no titles... just being.

i think that in order to break down what sokka and zuko’s relationship means in relation to soulmates especially interpreting this relationship as romantic, we need to start with the basics. get ready for a long and probably pretty wordy ride.

let's start with the meaning of the word “soulmate” specifically in fandom. the most common perception of a soulmate in fandom is that your soulmate is quite literally the other half of your soul, meaning that without this romantic interest you are somehow incomplete. now, what the hell is a soul? according to my dear friend google, a soul is “the spirit or the essence of a person, and the part of the person that makes them who they are and will be even after death.” is it even possible to split a soul in half? well, in my opinion everyone in fandom is essentially insane, so i’d rather say that no, it is not possible for a soulmate to be the other part of your soul, or for another person fictional or otherwise to complete you as another person, fictional or otherwise (when it's fictional, a soulmate can add depth and nuance, maybe?? but not complete. what the fuck does complete even mean). i have a more interesting interpretation of the meaning of a soulmate at hand, specifically because my first language is spanish: the closest thing to the word “soulmate” in spanish is alma gemela, literally “twin soul.” i believe it is much more interesting to interpret a soulmate as a person whose soul is a mirror to yours, or a reflection. a complement. the notion that someone is perfect and made for you romantically is essentially full of shit and a very lazy mindset, but anyway.

if we’re talking about being destined to meet a person, or being different faces of the same coin, or stuff like that, then of course this is a thing in fiction. aang and zuko and katara are definitely soulmates in terms of being destined to meet and change each other in a meaningful and earth-shattering way. the concepts of destiny and fate are not only an actual thing in atla, but also very prominent and loud in themes and narrative, and in the mindsets and beliefs of the characters themselves; it heavily influences their actions and approach to other characters, especially zuko. from his perspective, zuko’s dynamic with aang throughout the show and in general (meaning before and after he joined the gaang) is in part shaped by his sense of morality, and in part by his belief that his destiny is somehow intertwined with aang’s (he was right, of course), similarly to how katara approached aang (too, as a beacon of hope) or even how she saw zuko as a definitive enemy (in contrast to how sokka saw zuko as pretty much a fool and a recurrent inconvenience) aang, katara, and zuko’s dynamics with each other are all somehow related to destiny, the general concept of soulmates as a mirror of your soul, whether consciously or unconsciously. this is part of what makes them the central thematic trio and the heart of the show.

knowing all this, let’s go back to sokka and zuko. in short, as i’ve said before, to each other they are just… some guys. to elaborate, to sokka, zuko was just 1) some guy in the way, another inconvenience that occasionally got in between him and in his business with the avatar, whom he didn’t respect at all and didn’t think of as an enemy, 2) just some guy to be wary of for all of the aforementioned reasons, and 3) some guy, but cool and nice and a friend, possibly a love interest?? idk we’ll see!! meanwhile to zuko, sokka was 1) some guy in the way, another inconvenience that occasionally got in between him and in his business with the avatar, whom he didn’t respect at all and didn’t think of as an enemy, 2) some guy, who is amazing and cool and he will break into a prison with him because why not?? so we can safely say, while there are direct parallels between them and are definitely connected in some spiritual way (as are all of the gaang, in my opinion!!), sokka and zuko themselves do not know that. the weight of being meant-to-be in their relationship is nonexistent, and i definitely agree that they can relax around each other in that sense, especially zuko (who believes in destiny therefore i mention him a lot, in comparison to sokka who does not believe in destiny therefore doesn’t carry the weight of anf his relationships being shaped by it which. they arguably are, as it is a story that was predefined, but that’s for another day). it’s been talked about that the most compelling thing about sokka and zuko’s relationship revolves around the concept of choice. the boiling rock is the only life-changing field trip that zuko was initially denied, but insisted on going anyway. he decided to go out of pure selflessness, solely to help sokka, in contrast to him being quite literally required to go as aang’s teacher/to prove himself and get katara off his back (as well as other subconsious reasons, that, too, for another day). zuko went with sokka because he thought he was dope, and as we all know zuko cannot do anything half-way so he decided he would die for the guy (valid of him, by the way). their entire relationship is just subversion after subversion after subversion.

it’s also related to sokka being just some guy, not only as he believes himself to be but also how sokka is pretty much the fourth part of the thematic triangle that aang katara and zuko have going on. he balances each of their pure hearts and idealism with a sharp mind and bitchy but useful pessimism. sokka being just some guy to zuko’s deuteragonist is the thematic equivalent of sokka being a main character and suki being a secondary character. it works because the weight of universal forces just isn’t there, and it works better than (in my opinion!!) katara and zuko or (to a lesser degree) aang and katara being romantically involved for the same reasons.

and anyway. when it comes to fandom interpretation, it’s very easy to think of every parallelism/symbolism as a sign of two characters being meant to be together romantically, or whatever. and while it is fun, most parallels (at least among the gaang) are mostly to show how the characters are able to understand and connect with each other whether romantically or platonically (and the destiny in fiction thing i’m too tired to talk about again), so the parallels between sokka and zuko are not entirely irrelevant to their romantic potential — people are also quick to think every parallel/trope/catchy line about their relationship is shallow and stupid and soulmates suck anyway!! and therefore i’m asking you all to calm down and find a middle ground. not every parallel/trope/etc is romantic and not every parallel/trope/etc is dumb and irrelevant. when it comes to the infamous “prince and the fool” for example, some people take it as the ultimate proof of their love and some think it’s utter nonsense and a cheap version of the zvtara’s moon/sun dynamic. and both of them are wrong!! “the prince and the fool” is in fact pretty much like “the wise and the brave” of katara and sokka. it is merely a descriptive of the way they act with each other, the way their differences balance each other, the way they contrast each other, etc etc. they do work as descriptive on their own, but not as well as they work when put together; yes, sokka is wise, but how wise? what is the standard for him to be considered wise, or even the opposite? sokka being wise works in terms of aesthetic, character, dynamic, etc etc, only if katara is being brave right besides him. zuko is a prince, sure, but what else is there? what is the alternative? you can call sokka a fool (and you would be wrong, by the way) but what does that word alone bring to his character?

to conclude, i believe the thing about sokka and zuko’s relationship is that there’s nothing definitive to it by universal order — or rather, while it might exist, it's definitely to a lesser degree than other relationships in their lives, therefore the characters themselves don't notice it and there's no pressure to fulfill any prophecies; they just are, and they just do. you can have a passionate and true love without it being the sole meaning of your existence, or your sole motivation and priority in your life. it’s clear that in case they were romantically involved they wouldn’t even be the person they love the most (as it is very clear the person sokka loves the most is katara (!!!), while zuko’s is probably iroh?? idk). i believe the best part of a romantic relationship between sokka and zuko is that they are just some guys, maybe not to the universe but to each other. if they have to choose each other as they do, if they just get each other as well as they do, who care about each other a shit ton even if not any more than their other friends and family but just a little differently, while they aren’t canonically soulmates the way aang and zuko or aang and katara are (while the potential is there) i’d go as far as to say they are some sort of kindred spirits. i think it all depends on how you define soulmates, really.

#i hope this makes sense #and isn't overly pretentious #bc i'm actually writing a soulmate au for the zukkaweek and i mention these thoughts an awful lot #what does it mean to have a soulmate?? what does it mean to your own identity???#at what point do you stop being your own person and start being part of another person??? idk many ideas much 2 think about #analysis #asks #anon #n #zukka #atla

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thoughts-on-bangtan · 3 years

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Let’s talk: the Vmin “no on screen interaction = no bond” Paradox

by Admin 1 & 2

One of the reasons that are usually stated for why people are so insistent on their claims that Jimin and Tae supposedly aren’t close anymore, that their friendship is nothing but PR for Friends, and that the whole “soulmate agenda” is fake as well, boils down to the statement of “we rarely or never see them interact on screen, no touching, no talking, nothing”. We find this both misleading, since it isn’t true, but also disrespectful, since it means that the only way in which some are able to accept closeness between the members as real and valid is if they see it, nothing else. So, just because you don’t see it through grand physical touches, hugs and whatnot, does that mean if they speak about each other, for example, that doesn’t count?

You could argue that the power of pictures is greater than that of words, but to that I would like to ask: do they owe us visual proof of their closeness when we already have so much that shows how truly close Jimin and Tae are, how much they care about each other and how much work across years they’ve willingly and eagerly put into their bond for it to grow as deep and beautiful as it is?

As a way to showcase how misleading the screen time = friendship/closeness argument is, especially in connection to Jimin and Tae, I’d like for us to look at two different instances: Black Swan MV (the MV Sketch as well as the “opera” b*omb and the basket ball b*omb) and the Jingle Ball 2019 EPISODE.

Let’s start with the videos surrounding Black Swan below the cut:

Around that time I saw a lot, and I mean a lot, of chatter (mostly negative) about vmin since a very loud portion of the fandom were very up in arms after we got Friends. Not only did it solidify their preconceived notion that they are just friends, because the song is titled like that and none of them really cared enough to check the lyrics, but also because it opened up a whole new discussion about “but like, are they really friends?” To which, of course, their answer was mostly “no”. It’s just PR, they actually don’t really like each other, they barely interact, we see nothing of them, both interact way more with the other members, you know the drill. So when the MV Sketch for Black Swan came out it was, once again, like more “am/munition” for their arguments.

The thing we find laughable though is this expectation of “ship moments” in a video that’s literally about the filming of their music video, most of the scenes showing said filming happening though there’s also a few scenes of the members interacting. But, at the core, this isn’t like a bangtan b*mb of them hanging out backstage waiting for something or another where it makes sense that we’d see them interact a lot and be silly, instead it’s a video in which their focus (as well as ours should be) is on filming and giving the best performance they can so the MV turns out amazing, which it did. They are doing their work, not enjoying their free time. When you’re at work, do you really spend the majority of your time playing around with your friends? No, you do your job, the thing you get paid for doing.

The first few times I watched the video, I was so captivated by the theatre and their dancing, their mindset and performance, I didn’t even really notice any of their interactions or pay attention to who interacted with who or who did not. Guess my priorities and expectations are simply a bit different when watching a music video being filmed...

So what was the conclusion people drew? While Jimin and Tae are both close to JK and the other member, they are not close to each other, they don’t even particularly like each other. It was a narrative I saw repeated across various sns and, really, while it made me sad, I also wasn’t surprised. It’s nothing new that people treat vmin in such a manner.

Then, months later we got two Bangtan B*mbs from the same time and surprise, surprise Jimin and Tae did interact, a lot even, in ways that show how attuned with each other they are, how easy it is for them to fall into one of their role-plays or just be silly together, how gentle and thoughtful of the other they are, and how much they enjoy doing something together, regardless of what it is.

The first, posted October 1st 2020, showed Tae playing basket ball while Jimin and JK sat off to the side and watched him. Like you can see in the above pictures, eventually Jimin joined Tae and they played together for most of the video. Since the sun was shining at them, Tae stood before Jimin and raised his hands so the shadow fell onto Jimin’s eyes and he could see better, later on doing the same for Tae. It’s a small thing and yet it shows they care about each other. At some point Jimin pretended that he’ll be leaving, twice, and yet he stayed and they played some more. Toward the end of the video Namjoon joins them and eventually vmin leave and Namjoon stays behind and plays with Seokjin before the video ends.

Based on all that you’d assume the people who, seven months earlier, claimed vmin are essentially estranged and barely even like each other would reconsider, but of course not. Despite the focus being largely on them across the entire video, many comments by non-vminies (and non-namjinists) I saw on sns were about Tae playing on his own, Jimin and JK sitting off to the side together, and Namjoon playing with Seokjin.

The second video was posted October 24th 2020 and began with Jimin pretending he’s an opera singer, which Tae noticed and immediately joined in, since we know this is the sort of thing Tae enjoys doing, even occasionally turning their own songs and lyrics into opera style to make the other members laugh. This sets off this entire sequence of Tae and Jimin singing different things, JK also joining in for a moment, and then vmin ending on that sweet moment of Jimin standing behind Tae with his hands covering Tae’s eyes before concluding that “it’s hard to play with him”. And yet, even if it’s hard, can we talk about these two screenshots of Jimin fondly watching Tae and looking like he can’t wait until his stylist is done so he can go join him? Adorable.

But again, even here while the focus is on vmin for a large portion of the video, this fact was largely omitted and instead people zeroed in on moments in which Tae was alone, Tae or Jimin interacted with JK, and Tae singing with Namjoon and Seokjin. It seems to me like the council of “how valid is a friendship” decided on their opinion months prior and stuck with it even if it meant, as always, to just ignore vmin interactions in favor of other things while at the same time spreading the “vmin are not friends because they don’t interact” agenda to anyone who’ll listen.

Generally I don’t really care all that much for all the chatter happening among parts of ARMY, but seeing these comments belittling and erasing the bond Jimin and Tae have, regardless if you see it as platonic or potentially romantic, is just really hard to read sometimes. Not even because I’m a vminnie, but simply because they are erasing something that is so important to both Tae and Jimin, this bond they have with each other they themselves spoke so much about, showed so much of, and yet people refuse to accept it, like they have any right to make such judgements about their bond.

The second example I’d like to show is Jingle Ball 2019 in LA and how deceptive, paradoxical and misleading the no screen time = no bond agenda really is.

For context, the Jingle Ball happened some time in December 2019, the same month as when we got the vmin “let’s take a half bath together” while holding hands during Seokjin’s birthday vlive happened, meaning a time when Jimin and Tae were just as close as ever, even occasionally giving us glimpses into their bond, giggling together and being all smiles. Also the same month as the famous holding hands because we think no one sees us anymore moment at the airport.

On July 22nd 2020 we got the EPISODE showing the behind the scenes of the Jingle Ball performance. It’s 11 minutes long and includes the BWL performance with Halsey, but largely shows the members getting ready, practicing their English and being excited to perform. If we focus solely on vmin then sure, I’ll agree that there were no interactions between those two whatsoever, not a usual or out of the ordinary thing, and not something I see any kind of problem in. They don’t owe us interactions in every piece of content. And yet, as always, it just added fuel to everyones favorite agenda that vmin are not close, ignoring all the prior time frame context we established previously. But who cares, they didn’t interact in this 11 minute video therefore they definitely didn’t interact at all and now hate each other.

Jokes on those people because of course that isn’t true.

Excuse the rather mediocre quality of those pictures, I tried my best with the screenshots taken from a video taken by a fan (one of many) who got to see BTS behind the scenes before going on stage from the stands further up. There’s this video on twt that shows just vmin and then I found a longer version in this person’s vlog (around the 7:25 min mark and onward). You can check both and confirm that it really is vmin in those screenshots. Also, as memory refresher, Jimin was the only one with a black collar and shirt along with blond hair. Namjoon stands further away and can be seen in the three lower pictures.

So, what does this tell us? Easy--just because it wasn’t shown in a condensed and edited video it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Just because Jimin and Tae don’t show us things on screen, or the editors don’t use scenes where it can be seen, it doesn’t mean that it’s an accurate representation of their actual, real life bond. They weren’t in the EPISODE but hugged and walked together off camera.

Notice how this agenda merely applies to vmin, how their bond, their soulmate status and closeness is the only one that gets questioned at every possible moment. When Seokjin said that Yoongi feels like his soulmate nowadays in an episode of In The SOOP no one questioned his words and accepted them as true, because he said so himself and we should believe their sincerity when they say these things. And yet when it comes to vmin, the rules are entirely different.

This was a post brought to you by Admin 2 coming across yet another thread on twt filled with ARMY claiming outlandish things about vmin and their bond and getting annoyed.

#lets talk #vmin #taehyung #jimin #we try not to get annoyed by these things but...#bts #bangtan sonyeondan #honestly this agenda is awful and unfair #just needed to get this out of our system

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windsweptlassie · 3 years

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On Love

So as you know I made this uquiz with an open-ended question at the end, tell me something about love, and I’ve gotten the most wonderful responses! They range from descriptions of wonderful partners:

Lauren: oh, how long I went without being myself until I met him and he showed me who I truly was and that my worth was higher than I ever thought was possible

Levi: I love who we are with each other. I love who I am with you. In your company I am me. In your company I am the best of me. The best with the best, I've told you. I wouldn't give you up for anything

Daniel: i fell in love for the first time when i was 17... at the time, i didn’t realize it was the first time, i thought i’d been in love before, a couple times actually, but falling in love at 17 was such a fulfilling experience, it felt so forceful yet so right. it’s when i first truly understood what love was. never before had i felt so understood and so cared for as i did when i was in love with her, and she was in love with me. it’s been nearly 4 years since then, and nearly 3 years since we broke up and stopped talking, and still, i think about her almost every day. i’ve never known anyone like her; to me, she was love itself.

El: oh i’m in love with everyone that i know op!!! especially my girlfriend, of course ,but also my friends and my family and random people on the street and uh

Grace: i’ve met my soulmate and we plan on getting an apartment and marrying after college

A: I’m going to ask the woman I love to marry me and I just wanted to tell someone because I am so excited

Jeremy: you ever have that feeling where basically after years of denying that someone couldnt understand you in a way or love you and then the next thing you know you happen to find that person and its just great from then on out? idk how to explain it anyways I love my boyfriend so much he means the world to me

Lucy: i am so happy i have found the one i love

to descriptions of best friends and favorite people:

Nightbyrd: Love is a hug from an alzheimer's patient who hasn't the foggiest idea who you are, but they know you're worth hugging.

H: I have been doing so much yoga with my roommate recently!! It's a great way to center my mind for an hour

Riv: [platonic] i’ve literally never met anyone who understands me in the way that my best friends do. they’re literally the best people in the whole world and i genuinely don’t know what i’d do without them. i love them with my whole heart

Cillian: when i talk about how much i love my best friend i get so teary eyed because i cant believe that such a genuinely wonderful person wants to speak to me every day - i care for her more than anyone else on this planet

O: my two besties are my sources of happiness and they’re so pretty i would die for them :D

to beautiful quotes:

Kai: "you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." DARCYYYY PLS MY HEART CANT HANDLW THIS PAIN

Dorian: When the plane went down in San Francisco, I thought of my friend M. He’s obsessed with plane crashes. He memorizes the wrecked metal details, ____the clear cool skies cut by black scars of smoke. Once, while driving, he told me about all the crashes: The one in blue Kentucky, in yellow Iowa. How people go on, and how people don’t. It was almost a year before I learned that his brother was a pilot. I can’t help it, I love the way men love. (accident report in the tall, tall weeds- ada limon, bright dead things)

Adam: every day I think about lemony snicket I will love you if I never see you again I will love you if I see you every Tuesday or however it goes. and it KILLS ME. love only fits in small things

Hero: “Your heart beats in my ribs and mine in yours, and both in God’s… The divine magnet is in you, and my magnet responds.” - Herman Melville to Nathaniel Hawthorne

Mary: "Love is watching someone die."

Alex: "meet me at blue diner, i'll take coffee and talk about nothing baby"

Sparrow: "How dare you love me like you've never known fear?" and "For you, the world," and "Darling, I was born to press my head between your shoulder blades," and "Will you start where I end?"

V: " You want to die for love. You always have. " and "someone will remember us, I say, even in another time" are living rent free in my mind 24/7 and I'm shaking. When will I finally be not the only one falling ?

Sahar K: To love another person is to see the face of god!!!

Miriam: all the love in the world is useless when there is total lack of understanding- kafka

Juls: Don’t you think they are maybe the same? Love and attention

to practices of love:

Leo; i love feeling happy bc somebody that i love is happy and comfortable....like its not about me i just love seeing you smile. we are safe together...idk i just feel it bro

A: I like to think love is leaning on each other during the light or dark days. Its a personal mission of mine to find out who I am and what I want. Yet I never seem to find my place in this world and as I look and look , I realise the only place I can be myself even with or without the efforts to find myself was done on that day or not, I am always tired so shall I lean on you? And you can lean on me as well. I shall be your fig tree and you shall be my favourite willow tree.

L: It's too late at night to be soul searching, but it's a journey we all seem to find ourselves on these days.

Anthi: feeling safe and at home, I guess (also I love frogs)

Julia: ive found that loving someone is like becoming your own thesaurus. you have to find or come up with infinite ways to say, you’re beautiful, or, i love you. it’s a gift

Galexies: ive been writing letters to the person i'd love one day since i was 14. i write them in a little journal usually, but i've been digitizing them into emails and sending them to one account that i'll give to them someday. i'd like to put pictures, but i haven't been outside much recently so theres that. i wonder if they'd like the sunsets i have on file, or if they'd find my cat cute in a bowtie.

Caeles: Love is sharing fruit slices and making someone tea at random

Dundy: Love is sending your friends cursed shit and watching them react in horror

to crushes and potential loves:

Jess: I have a crush on my roommate. It sucks, but it's also wonderful. I get to be around him all the time when we're at school. we share a life together; it's rather domestic. I think a lot about marrying him and being domestic with him forever. It won't happen, and I'll move on eventually, but I'll be happy with him for as long as I can. I hope you feel loved tonight, because you are. Sleep well.

Aki: I so desperately want to believe that love is fake because I’ve seen what happens when loved ones leave but whenever I start to convince myself that I’ll never love anyone my best friend messages me telling me she loves me. She’s the only person I’ve ever pictured having a future with but love scares me and I don’t really know what to do but I think as long as she’s with me in some way, I’ll be fine

Hi: her her i keep thinking abt her.... gonna see her in 8 days or so i really miss her. its ok if shes never gonna love me like i want her to really being her friend spending time with her makes me the happiest girl on earth.... outsold antidepressants

Kit: this guy i have a crush on has hypnotically dark brown eyes and he's wonderful and shows me kindness like no one else

Juno: my crush has all the stars in his eyes

Mads: When I have the courage to meet my eyes with hers, the world stands still

Be Nice To Me: Look bro I never do these but I am yearning to hold them SO badly right now and someone needs to know it besides me

to the trials of love:

Pppppp: I just wanna love like from the movies and what I read about.. but everyone tells me that that’s fictional and rare to find in the real world and it sucks bc it seems like all the guys I’ve met are terrible and the norms of society are all about not respecting women and uthdjdjdk

Manny: I have been in love before and I will be again but I’m not now and I miss it

Ok: I don't think I've ever been in love, though I love many people. I am waiting for the day I look at someone and can say, YES. IT'S YOU.

Chloe: idk rn i'm like okay with my love and i'm happy so we'll see i'm just a little cautious rn bc my last partner told me i didn't know how to love

L: love is so fucking complicated I don't even know where to start

Corrin: He’s not real and it worried me that I will never allow myself to live or be loved because I will always be waiting for him

Sean: Good luck it dont exist

Serena: i want 2 b in love :(( </3

13: I don’t know anymore

M: I just really don’t like dealing with it lol

to beloved characters:

Janaya: I’m madly in love with my comfort and kin character and I hope maybe in the afterlife I can relive a life with him in some sort of dimension

Jhgjdf: when i was a kid i had a crush on ash ketchum from pokemon and id always daydream about being a female pkmn trainer and meeting him and we fall in love

to advice and prose:

Mikolai: Love is earth, gentle and soft at first flight but upon being broken, drowns you in the dry choking wastes of its consequences...

Thex: Your hands will not go cold without someone to hold them. I am here. I will be here.

Kat: it is the nearest proof to god that i find myself surrounded by people who love in a way that complements so wonderfully the way i love

H: believe in love out of spite believe in love to prove everyone wrong believe in love because you were told not to and we will not do what we’re told anymore believe in love because it’s the strongest act of teenage rebellion we have left believe in love because it’s easier not to and when is easy worth doing? believe in love because everything says otherwise but you are untouchable, you are your own, you are not made by their design believe in love because, perhaps, you are love

Ali: I used to want a kind of love that feels like coming home and now I want nothing more than to be away from home on many different adventures

Em: you dont need to love yourself to accept it from others

to the small, the simple, and the sweet:

Ireal: Poems

O: Flowers

Fay: ah im sorry that i’m feeling unmotivated but you are very kind.

Ad: we love LOVE

A: <3

Isak: small things

H: intense

Hey: Listening to a clock ticking away

S: her

E: <3

Hania: Amorous, I adore that word ^^

Catboy: wholesome

J: i love love so much it hurts

Emmy: hi i love the song darkest of discos!! try and give it a listen!! <3

Nora: Love is painful, but most of the time love is great

Ariel: i like the comfort it can bring

M: i love love

to food!

Cool Whip: Matzoh ball soup!!

Woop: I love sausages.... I hope that's ok with you?

and animals too <3

Nee: hmm i have pet geckos and i love them very much!

96: raccoons ????

DJ Big Penis: cats

:3: I Love frogs,,, love is stored in the frog,,,

I hope that this serves as a sweet compilation of what love means! Love to all of you, it warms my heart so much to hear about your people and your geckos and your characters and soup and all the songs and quotes you love. <3 Strength to all of you who are figuring out to do about your feelings for your crush, and congratulations to you who are proposing or moving in with your person! Your words are a source of light to me, truly.

#on love #love files #uquiz #mine #shut up queenie #long post

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be-not-afeared · 3 years

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Black Sails fic recs

Working titles: 12 fics for christmas? 12 days of ficmas? 12 fics none of which actually have anything to do with christmas?

OKAY, so I love nothing more than a fic rec post, and I’ve seen a few Black Sails rec posts floating around but they mostly seem to be a couple of years old and they all recommend a similar bunch of fics (and deservedly so! they are all amazing!). But I thought I would make one to highlight some newer or less shouted-about fics, because I may have only been here for a couple of months but jfc there is so much talent in this fandom and more of it deserves to be hyped.

So, here are 12 of my favourite fics for the 12 days of christmas! (i.e. an excuse to put an arbitrary number cap on the list or we’d be here all day)

The majority of these are Silver/Flint and the ones that aren’t still all feature Silver prominently because that boy owns my soul, sorry for who I am as a person.

we should rip it straight out by minormendings

45K (Silver/Madi, Silver/Flint, Flint/Thomas)

Madi has always wondered if Silver understands what is between him and Flint as well as she. To her, it has always been obvious, from the way the two of them had fit together, had worried about each other, had acted as one. She had tried to bring it up with Silver back when they were together. But Silver had shaken her off, too enmired in the idea that he or Flint would prove each other’s downfall. Or perhaps just unwilling to open his eyes to the fact that he had loved Flint.

It was, unfortunately for the both of them, even more obvious after the thing between them had broken. Just as Silver had thrown away the war out of love for her, Flint had let Silver take away the war rather than kill him.

God. What a group the three of them were, showing love by betrayal.

Post-canon. Madi and Flint find their way back to Silver.

This fic diverges from canon right at the end of the 4x10; Silver has Flint held in a cell in Port Royal and Thomas delivered to him rather than taking him straight to the plantation. It is a BEAUTIFUL character study of how Flint and Madi could both come to forgive Silver, and has a great FlintMadi dynamic too. It also centres Madi’s struggle between wanting to provide for her people and wanting to experience the freedom of piracy, and fleshes out Julius’ character in a way the show never did.

we can lose and call it living by I_wouldnt_be_one_of_them

31K (Silver/Flint/Thomas, Silver/Flint, Flint/Thomas)

It's been twelve years since everything fell apart, and John Silver is settled in New England. He has a nice house and a job he likes, and he's gotten used to the loneliness. It's a good life, he thinks, but of course that's cast into doubt when James Flint and Thomas Hamilton show up to find closure and, apparently, to see whether he's happy.

This is an inverse of the ‘silver arrives on flint and thomas’ doorstep’ trope and has Flint and Thomas instead being the ones to interrupt Silver, who is living a sad and lonely existence post-series. I love the ThomasSilver dynamic here. And this Silver feels so true to canon he makes me want to WEEP.

Tell me we're dead and I'll love you even more by Craftnarok

21K (Silver/Flint)

In the year 1725, or thereabouts, John Silver finds himself driven by a storm into an inconsequential little port town, barely a speck on any civilised map. Returned to the life of a drifter, tired and rough around the edges, he is resigned to waiting for the weather to pass before he can sail on again to the next town, and the next, and the next. That is until he overhears a conversation in the inn about a local fisherman, one Captain Barlow, and his tall tales of tempests and becalmings, devils and sharks, and Silver finds a new future opening up to him, haunted by the spectres of his past.

All of Craftnarok’s fics are amazing but I am particularly drawn to this one; it’s set 10 years post-series and is a delightfully angsty exploration of how Flint and Silver could find their way back to each other in a scenario in which Thomas wasn’t at the plantation. It doesn’t let Silver off easy and I love that.

armed with the past and the will by whimsicalimages

3K (Silver/Madi, Madi & Julius)

The language of winning and losing, this language that men favor – Madi can speak this language, though she disagrees with its precepts. Success takes different forms, and failing once does not mean failing forever. It does not even mean failing the next time.

Post-series, Julius teaches Madi how to fight. This fic is BEAUTIFUL - give me anything that centres Madi post-canon - and it explores Madi’s relationship with both Julius and Silver so well in so few words.

Always In Season by mycapeisplaid

60K (Silver/Flint, past Flint/Thomas, past Silver/Madi)

Towering sand dunes, crystal-clear water, miles of forest, vineyards, orchards, and very spotty cellular service -- John Silver finds himself in a part of the state he's never been before and decides to take on seasonal work. Meanwhile, back from his yearly wintering in Florida, James Flint thinks that perhaps he'll take on a new business venture, even though it means he might have to interact with people other than his two close friends. Their summer employment fosters a friendship that could become something more. Like construction season in Michigan, the two must navigate through their own obstacles in order to seek an alternative route toward happiness.

This is an AU and so much fun!! Silver finds himself in Michigan and takes on some seasonal work at Guthrie Dunes. The whole cast features and the setting just WORKS SO WELL. And this Flint feels brilliantly in character despite the difference in setting.

to make a life by gone_girl

53K (Max/Anne, Max & Silver)

“What am I going to do with your name?” Max asks, a little incredulous.

“Whatever you want,” the salesman says. “Didn’t you want something real?”

Max heard a story once about the importance of answering questions like that carefully. If something emerges from the forest and asks for your name, don’t give it up, the story went. Offer only what you know you can live without. She’s never heard a story that tells her what to do when something emerges from the forest and offers its name to you.

I literally only finished this this morning but holy shit this fic is amazing, it’s a Max-centric AU set in Missouri the early 00s and it’s all about found family and building community and platonic love and it has a brilliant SilverMadi dynamic. And there just aren’t enough fics out there that focus on Max & Silver!!

the straight walk home by vowelinthug

73K (Silver/Flint)

Let me tell you a story, about a vaquero named Vasquez…

Obviously vowelinthug’s fics are recc’d all the time and rightly so as they are AMAZING, but one that I don’t see featured as often as the more prominent ones is this incredible Western!AU. It’s 73K guys!! It adapts the canon narrative into the Western setting SO well!! It has background Vane/Billy which I was not at all sure about going in but just WORKS!! Go read it.

The Truth about Eros by Aisalynn

21K (Silver/Flint, Silver/Madi, Flint/Thomas)

Silver understood one thing very well.

Being Fated did not mean you were safe.

It did not mean you were loved.

This one is hot off the press! I am not normally a fan of soulmate AUs but this is such an interesting take on the trope, and the world building fits around the polyamory theme of the show really effectively! And it is SO well written.

With Nothing on My Tongue by RosieTwiggs

13K (Silver/Flint, Silver/Madi)

"Silver thinks: Maybe God likes it when I fight with him.

He wonders now, whether he’s been playing into God’s plan all along. Because no matter how angry he gets, how defensive, how many “fuck you”s he flings to the heaven, isn’t it all just proof that he still believes God is there, despite it all?

Silver doesn’t know how to counter that.

Maybe he doesn’t want to anymore."

An incredibly well written (and angsty! read the tags!) Jewish!Silver character study. This one has really stayed with me.

Maybe in Another Life by samedifference61

31K (Silver/Flint/Madi, Flint/Madi, Silver/Flint, Silver/Madi)

At the rail of a ship James doesn’t command, they stand shoulder to shoulder.

“John still thinks you’re dead,” James states, because it’s something that needs to be said aloud before they continue.

With eyes unblinking toward the rolling sea, Madi says, “And he still thinks you should be dead.”

James’ lip curls in anger. The wounds of betrayal are too fresh for either to say anymore.

Canon-divergent from 4x09, this is a brilliant MadiFlint centric fic exploring their relationship post Silver’s betrayal, and how he could find his way back to them both whilst acknowledging the weight of his actions.

in a vault of starlight by whimsicalimages

7K (Silver/Madi/Flint/Thomas)

The distance between Nassau and Savannah can be measured as: six hundred and thirteen nautical miles, five thousand pounds’ worth of pearls, or four extraordinary lifetimes.

Alternatively: in the aftermath, Madi writes her own story.

There aren’t enough Madi centric fics out there! This one is a lovely extension of canon with a great MadiSilver dynamic in particular.

the aftershocks remain by pdameron

31K (Silver & Miranda, Silver/Flint)

For as long as he can remember, John Silver has been able to see ghosts. He has no trouble keeping this secret from Flint - until Charlestown. Until Miranda.

Again all of pdameron’s fics are brilliant but I loooove this SilverMiranda centric one, plus who doesn’t love a ghost!au.

#Black Sails #black sails fanfic #black sails fic recs #silverflint #silvermadi #john silver #james flint #12 days of ficmas #obviously this only scratches the surface of the many amazing fics in this fandom #i might do another one of these after christmas i just love making lists #enjoy!

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