#<- talking about khao btw

[cornflowershade]

Firsts ost MV is so cute !!! The FK dancing! Khao gets to be the music video girl for once haha (also a nice song <3)

[khaosssss]

cough. enjoy this

[bailaconox]

the way this video has done irreparable damage to my psyche. girl the worms. the brain worms are here.......

[khaoala]

Hi, sorry for making my problem your problem, but I'm feeling a little low for a variety of reasons, including the fact that, despite my best blocking skills, I still haven't been able to fully avoid the ppl throwing shade at KB/FK's impact (or lack thereof according to them) in THK (seriously, feels like I'm unwillingly stuck in an endless game of whac-a-mole just with bad takes/poor fandom etiquette!). So I thought I'd try and take my mind off it by sending you an extremely self-indulgent ask! As an FK fan extraordinaire (and one of my fave giffers btw), what are your:

favourite scenes from each of their shows?

favourite FK moments from real life?

hopes and dreams for THK finale?

hopes and dreams for the Holy Grail of FK shows? E.g. ideal plot or genre, relationship dynamic, supporting cast, director, etc.

And now for the harder questions! Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to convert an unbeliever into an FK stan (of them as both separate actors and as a pairing). You can only pick ONE scene from their entire repertoire for each category. Go!

best acting from First

best acting from Khao

best acting from FK as a pairing

best demonstration of FK's chemistry

best kiss (aesthetics+characterisation+emotion+context+whatever other criteria you choose!)

I eagerly await your answers! (but obvs you're under no obligation to respond - tbh, even just forming the ask has helped lighten my mood! Feel free to ignore or to throw it over to someone else if you'd rather, or even if there's anyone else you think would be interested in contributing - I just enjoy hearing other ppl's 'FK as Acteurs' highlights! Someone gushing about my faves = instant serotonin boost!)

In return (and as tribute to your new handle), I offer you this, imo, grossly overlooked example of Khao pulling his signature Khaoala move: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GhSzVQvX0AAm7mh?format=jpg&name=900x900 ...😉

i'm sorry about that, anon. curating your online bubble can be a lot of work and it's not always 100% and i'm sorry you're getting stressed bc of that. i'm not sure if you're going to the tags on either twitter or tumblr, but i'd recommend you stay away of those. twitter is a bit more difficult, but once you get your little bubble things get better but for tumblr, if you're just looking for pretty edits like the ones fandom provides, i'd recommend checking only the thkedit tag. it's a lot better than dealing with the trolls with poor fandom etiquette. i hope you find a space you feel more comfortable and welcomed, anon, i know i say this often, but fandom spaces are supposed to give you relief and not headaches.

you didn't even ask for advice and i'm already rambling, i'm so sorry, but to your questions which were such a delight to receive (you have no idea how happy i felt for being called a fk fan extraordinaire and to know i'm one of your favorite giffers. i love to know people like the things i do, it does wonders to my self-esteem).

ATTENTION!

this is a nearly 2000 word-vomit reply where i talk in length about my favorite topic of the last couple of years, firstkhaotung. i'm sorry for not being able to be concise. pls have the picture the anon sent as their favorite khaoala moment which i must agree, is extremely underrated, as a form of apology.

1.favourite scenes from each of their shows? (i'll just pick the ones they were paired together bc you know, there's a lot)

the eclipse - akkayan's first kiss in akk's room. that scene is so important to them, and also to me. the way ayan was so careful with akk, he took his time, gave akk room to assess the situation, back away if he wanted to. how softly he spoke to akk and how scared akk was of all of that. that scene was beautiful beautiful beautiful and so well acted, too.

moonlight chicken - listen, i know they only have three scenes, but they are all very important to me, alright? with that being said, the scene in alan's office. alan is smiling like gaipa hung the stars in the sky with his bare hands and it's full sunshine mode, and first's smile is so beautiful, and he's flirty, gaipa is oblivious, it's just so sweet. they are healing and that's amazing.

only friends - the fight in sand's apartment. though the therapy scene is just as amazing, i feel like the apartment fight has so much impact. the way sand was collected the whole time and only allowed himself to break down once ray was out of earshot. and how ray was so distraught by the idea of the one person he thought he could trust betraying him, it was awful. it makes me teary to this day.

the heart killers - the scene at the beach in ep. 8. thank you first for adding a whole monologue to this scene. i can totally understand why that's his favorite. the tiredness, the desolation, they are both so exhausted and bison doesn't want to fight anymore and he's angry, but he loves kant, and kant doesn't want to lie to bison and wants him to know that. it's beautifully acted. i stayed on that scene for days. it made my heart hurt so good.

2. favourite FK moments from real life?

i have too many that i suddenly forgot as soon as i read this question, so at some point i might even add to this when i remember. but the one i can think about right now was when they were on arm's share for first's birthday and khaotung's wish for first in the upcoming year was: "as you grow, you might find more people, but if you do, let them go, stay only with me instead."

3. hopes and dreams for THK finale?

i do hope for a wedding. i didn't want a double wedding bc i find them so tacky, but with the recent talks with fadelstyle + style's dad, that might be where they are going IF they are even going to have one. as you might have noticed, i'm not stressed about the finale. i think they'll have time enough to access the most urgent matters (gay sex in prison) and with fadelbison spending their time locked up, they'll have all the room to live normal lives like they wished. bison talked about assassins not being able to have a home, family and a lover so i hope they get all of that and more.

4. hopes and dreams for the Holy Grail of FK shows? E.g. ideal plot or genre, relationship dynamic, supporting cast, director, etc.

oh man, i'd love for them to work with the women in gmm, first of all. and i know i had a talk about gl people hating men (with reason in some cases) but gmm loves to experiment with them, so pls let them act with namtanfilm (these four in a show would make my brain stupid happy). sarah pitched an idea that was very similar to the one i had in my head, though hers have first and film as siblings, but the premise would be the same. one trying to help the other approach their crushes. it's silly, slice of life, light comedy stuff which i know they can pull off just as well as the heavy drama stuff.

i'd also love to see them in a show a la sammon with the thriller and investigation vibes. but i'm no fanfic writer and i'm happy with most plots i'm given and if it's them, i know it'll be well-acted.

as for directors, p'aof is the pick for most bl stans, and i agree, i hope they get the chance to work with him again, and have fk as the mains this time. i'd love to see them work with p'nuchy as well, from not me, or the director of be my favorite and who's going to direct joongdunk's and skynani's shows this year. he's amazing, i loved what he did with be my favorite, and while i'm not sure if i'll tune in for either of these new shows, i know he'll do great.

(i love that you deemed this first questions as easy and these one as harder, because let me tell you, i had a hard time with both sets!

1.best acting from First

i can only talk about what i've seen, and despite hearing all the praises for his portrayal of a girl stuck in boy's body in the shipper, i didn't have the guts to watch it yet. i was debating between the "break-up" scene in front of yolo and this one, but i need to praise first as akk. while gmm was going their reprise of the eclipse last year, i took that chance to rewatch the show as well, and i can't believe first didn't get a nomination for his portrayal of akk. he's spectacular in his scenes as this hard-working, perfectionist, in-the-closet, slightly homicidal and self-destructive student prefect. the one scene that makes me stop for like five minutes every time is the one where thua exposes him as the curse and he cries in the stairs. and i know there are people who aren't fan of scenes that are heavy on the dramatics, but that scene alone is so sad and first manages to express that masterfully bc it's terrifying yes, but it also feels cathartic in a way bc there's no weight of that lie on him anymore, so he cries ans sobs and leans on aye for support. idk, it just stuck with me for such a long time.

2. best acting from Khao

ray was khao's best performance in my opinion, and while i agree with everyone who mentions his therapist scene (which was a masterpiece honestly, no one and i mean no one would be able to deliver that one other than him the way he did), i'll go with mew's birthday party. i remember watching the bts of that scene and force was speechless and said that was his favorite scene they had shot until then, and man, there's a reason for that. he ate that up! the pure anger and control of the scene he had. the room was full of people but everyone's eyes were on him, and ray was terrifying in that one. that's what i mean when i say khaotung might be shorter than most of his co-stars but he knows when to use his presence to appear actually menacing. ray on mew's birthday party was scary.

3. best acting from FK as a pairing

you said i have to convince a non believer to stan fk, so i'll use the scene where they reconcile in only friends, ep. 10, if i'm not mistaken bc when you have a scene that was a page or two long, and direction shortened shortened shortened it until it was only an "i'm sorry" and they acted so well that it was convincing enough to make you, the audience, fully believe in the sincerity of the apology and the love and regret that laced their hug, that's a skill. they acted their asses off in that scene and the only line of dialogue was an apology.

4. best demonstration of FK's chemistry

okay so for this one, i'll say every time they showed casual intimacy. i feel like it's so easy for them to ignore casual intimacy in shows, but especially as kantbison, fk showed so much of their chemistry in the little touches. they are a very physical couple and they are comfortable being in each other's embrace and it's beautiful to see that being portrayed. holding hands, worshiping each other's bodies, sniffing their hair, kissing their knuckles, just feeling each other close, that's when you felt they are actually each other's person, they are actually so into each other that even crawling under each other's skin wouldn't be enough.

5. best kiss (aesthetics + characterisation + emotion + context + whatever other criteria you choose!)

most beautiful kiss i always think about the smoke kiss in only friends just because the aesthetic of it was amazing. the build up to it was amazing, and hot and heavy with tension and it was so delicious. i scream every time they kiss for the first time in shows, but the smoke kiss left me with my jaw in the ground for several minutes.

alternatively, in thk, the beach kiss for how meaningful it was since it was their first kiss with no lies between them, and the swing kiss that was perfect, they were so into that kiss and it felt so earned, too. fk really knows how to kiss.

also, akkayan's bridge kiss in our skyy 2, never forget that kiss. they were into it and delivering like no one else. absolutely gorgeous.

and let's remember all the pecks, too, because i have a soft spot for all of them. kantbison, yet again, carrying it in the pecks department (did you guys notice that kantbison kissed every ep? it was amazing to see).

and i think this is it? i finally managed to answer everything. ngl, i answered your ask first before a couple others that are sitting on my inbox bc i feel you needed the pick me up and i love talking about firstkhao. this was very fun. thank you for sending me this, and i hope you feel better.

[thewayuarent]

I just need to talk more about amount of work actors from Only Friends do. And I want to talk about Book specifically. I saw this

and it makes me think. Firstly, I’m sorry for Book and hope he’s okay. Secondly, he’s doing such an amazing job.

The thing is, Only Friends is a messy story with very grey characters. It’s also a very much drama more than anything. Young adults figuring their way to life, growing up and making mistakes.

This is as far as I know (I can be mistaken) the very early experience with such dramatic roles for most people in the cast. First and Khao have a lot of it - 55:15, Not me, The Eclipse, Moonlight Chicken like come on I do understand why they want comedy for now - but the others? Not so much.

Book is most known for his roles with Force in classic romantic comedies - Enchante and A Boss and a Babe. And while I do think that comedy is very underrated genre in case of how hard it is to make it funny, I do understand that comedies require less emotional effort.

I watched ABAAB and I loved it, Book’s acting there was great and on point. But I am amazed by him in Only Friends.

And it is very much about personal taste, but I do think that Mew is one of the hardest characters to play. The hardest one is Ray btw - and it’s both cause of his complicated personality and the fact that he is drunk almost all the time. The physicality Khao needs constantly support while acting 50 different emotions is so freaking hard.

But Mew is the character that requires a lot of mental energy and work. And that’s because - as @wen-kexing-apologist perfectly explains here - Mew doesn’t know who he is. So Book has to play a character who doesn’t have a strong sense of himself. He needs to play a character who constantly changes his identity cause of external factors.

And I can only imagine how hard it is for Book’s mentality. We see Mew behaving quite differently with different characters in the show. He constantly changes not only his appearance but also voice tone and mannerism and it is so fascinating to watch.

And this is no actual point in this post except of me praising the work people put in Only Friends.

Force nailing both arrogant ass and wet puppy behavior.

Mark is stealing his drama performances.

Neo is so good at every second of being Boston.

No one beats First in his micro expressions.

It’s just so good to see the great work all actors and directors do.

I’m amazed.

[cryomancers-orb]

SO. I finally played Khaos Reigns...

And I'm disappointed, of course, but surprisingly they tried to do something almost interesting with the brothers. Even if they failed miserably. And I want to talk about it, so uhh, welcome to my ted talk. (Lol btw I love how Tomas stops existing in KR, guess Yuri Lowenthal was busy?)

Skip the part in lines if you want to get straight to the scene I want to talk about!

--------

I want to start by saying that during the entirety of the DLC story, Kuai Liang made my blood pressure steadily rise higher. At this point this isn't even character assasination, it's more like character massacre. I'm not even going to go into how much I hate the whole Harumi thing, maybe in another post, but the way he acts, especially towards Cyrax, is Hanzo Hasashi levels of stupid and unnecessary. And I get that he's Scorpion now, but I kind of wish they'd just made "Scorpion" adopted bro Hanzo and removed Kuai or something to spare him this terrible fate.

He doesn't react at all to his wedding guests being killed, has to be "calmee down" TWICE by Harumi and is generally an asshat in every scene he appears in. Bi-Han is also an asshat but the first story already made me accept that so he gets a pass. The first story also made me accept that he's a fucking idiot so I'm gaslighting mtself into being okay with him jumping into the portal. With that out of the way, let's get to what they set up and proceeded to not be able to use.

-------

In the last act, we get Noob Saibot with kameo Scorpion fighting against Khaos Scorpion and Sub-Zero, in both combinations like the DLC likes to do. But first, they fight Khaos Cyrax and Sektor.

I've stopped comparing the characters to their previous counterparts, because NRS is obviously going nurture here even if they want to say they're doing nature. Their interactions shed a little light on what their relationship might've been like before the Ying Fortress, and we get these moments:

Bi-Han is snappy, demeaning and wants to do everything by himself. Kuai says "Of course. You have no flaws," like it was a common occurrence for Bi-Han to criticize him while accepting none himself.

This is where Khaos Sub-Zero comes in. Bi-Han pushes Kuai away lowkey violently when Kuai tries to come to his side, and proceeds to try to 1v1 Sub but they're pretty evenly matched.

This again paints a picture of Bi-Han constantly holding his brothers back to be on top and do it himself, and I feel like if they wanted to go this route they should've done it from the first story. The Bi-Han there just seemed stir-crazy and with misguided ambition. Not.. the implications here. It's like the story is doing all it can to give Scorpion(not calling him Kuai) some leeway for his own asshollery simply due to someone's favoritism of him. He can't be wrong.

But then, we have the Khaos brothers, who are still... well, brothers. There's no bad blood between them as far as we can see, they're how I imagine they would be in the og timeline before Bi's death plus some pyromancy.

So there's a setup here of them fighting their mirror selves, evil mirror selves at that, but the mirrors are actually doing better between them than they are.

Neither brother comments on this, nor is it granted any significance whatsoever. Though what does happen is a little interesting and something can be squeezed out of it.

Bi-Han brutally kills the two of them, despite Kuai's protests that they could've been questioned. Like, he goes out of his way to creatively dismember Khaos Scorpion. Is he simply testing out his new abilities? Or was he angered by their existence, no crosses to bear, no chasm of differences, just fighting alongside each other.

Isn't that what Bi-Han wanted, at its core? He likes the thrill of the fight. He wants bigger fights and more glory. It was never really that he wanted a kingdom to rule, it just sounded like glory.

Could've worded this better and deeper but idk im tired. What do you guys think?

[ntaras]

Khaos Reigns? More like Kill Yourself

i honestly went into khaos reigns with no care because i had already lost a deep interest and respect for the mess that mk1 became, but i came out caring a little. it took a lot of restraint to not post every single thought i had on the story and have a second meltdown similar to when mk1 was released. but i gathered my thoughts (kind of. this is just me rambling) and decided to put it all down in one post. 

btw when i say it's me rambling i mean it. like half review and half saying whatever the hell i want. if you need clarification or don't understand what i'm saying please ask. i'd also like to figure out what i'm talking about

i think this story mode was overall bad because it provided no actual expansion to the story. it kind of just was? like, liu kang’s timeline is safe at the end of the story and i don’t think there’s any repercussions to the timeline itself from havik’s invasions. the only thing that “changed” was bi-han turning into noob saibot- but that also has no bearing to the story. one of the things the dlc is centered around is bi-han’s transformation, but there is zero growth from him. him being forced into corruption via chaos did not change bi-han at all because he’s still the same power-hungry, stubborn, desperate man. the lin kuei is now under sektor’s command but she’s proven to be so loyal to bi-han that she’ll lead exactly him (in fact, she won’t even lead it because the tower endings show she breaks bi-han out of the temple of elements and continue his desires of lin kuei dominance.)

i understand they “rescued” bi-han so early from being noob saibot because in past games bi-han been noob saibot without growing- but it was still done so poorly that there was no need for noob saibot. like i just said: noob saibot is still just bi-han. nothing changed. nothing affected him. he had no purpose to be reintroduced as noob saibot. he was just kinda mad about it. it feels like a very cheap shot at bi-han’s character- somehow worse from how he was written in the base story. at least the base story allowed you to think on bi-han’s redemption or even his prolonged villainary. noob saibot proves he’s nothing but a brat who wants to be a brat for the sake of being a brat. (like sure his anger is understandable as it’s directed at havik for what happened to him but did it change anything about bi-han? he was prevented from killing havik because he let his anger and ego get in the way but what is new about that? that’s just bi-han. that could also be kuai liang. that could also be raiden. that could also be sonya blade. there is nothing special about his specific reaction.)

there just has never been any commitment to bi-han’s character nor has there been an attempt at understanding him besides “hey. he’s kind of an ass and sometimes his soul gets corrupted. wdym corrupted means he wasn’t always the evilest man alive?” i just don’t think they take him seriously as a character and he was quite honestly a nothing character in khaos reigns. i’ve said before but for a man who had a whole game dedicated to him it is shocking what they do to him. 

another thing they really fucked up on was making bi-han a frost/sektor wannabe and as a result the actual sektor we see is just. written horribly. 

both cyrax and sektor were not treated well by the story but i think sektor got the short end of the stick. cyrax’s biggest downfall was her lack of involvement in the story because you can get rid of her (and sektor) and nothing would change. however she still felt like cyrax. i liked her a lot. i liked her naivety to the lin kuei. her want to prove herself. her establishing that she refused to cross certain lines. i like her and i want kuai liang to stop harassing her and every other woman. 

but back to sektor because wowwwwwww. wow. i’ve said before bi-han’s bad characterization is also a result of kuai liang’s bad characterization and vice versa but add sektor to that list also. i’m going to speak as objectively as i can regarding her and bi-han because i have never enjoyed them as a ship the second they announced she was a woman. but i assumed there would be implications about their relationship but nothing set in stone like they did with cyrax and kuai liang being exes because making them canon would be stupid. it would make no sense because sektor is not a character who values the romantical life. there has never been such a connection between sektor and bi-han. sektor as a character- not a man or a woman- has always been involved with a storyline of a lack of humanity and the embrace of “perfcetion” in the form of lifeless cyborgs. sektor’s character would not make sense if they were romantically involved with anyone. yes that also includes cyrax because their relationship is too complicated to be boxed in as “love”. 

the moment i saw sektor and bi-han embrace each other i could only feel emptiness. 

it’s because she’s a woman. that’s it. that’s the only reason. this isn’t indicative that sektor and bi-han were banding in previous timelines because i’m so sorry to smash your fantasies of bi-han getting fucked because you’re incaplabe of viewing characters as anything BUT fuck dolls even if sooo much of their character contradicts that BUT. they would never. well actually maybe they would but only on my terms. but honestly it’s just a disregard of who sektor was because he’s a she now. (this isn’t only sektor. it’s cyrax becoming exes with kuai liang and it’s tanya needing to be paired with rain (her needing to be paired with anyone for her character to matter! i have more thoughts on tanya though that i will get into later)). it is not an incapability because writers are capable of writing women like normal people without the need for romance but it is a refusal to write women with the same regard as male characters because well. they don’t think women can exist as characters without being in some kind of relationship. they don’t want to examine sektor’s anger as frustration at being ignored and dismissed and her need to lead and her anger being an emotion that frustrates her and that leads her down a path of removal of humanity but instead she’s mad because of bi-han. she’s loyal to bi-han. why? because they’re dating. why? because it’s a new era. ok. but why are they dating? because she loves him. why? like there is no reason for this to happen to sektor. must a character who’s expressed no desire for humanity suddenly be open to love because they’re a woman? this romance is useless and goes against sektor. it’s not sektor it’s nrs hating women. 

it is mk11 sindel and shao but like. between people who do not give a fuck about each other.

also i know you can argue that bi-han and sektor were seen working together in sub-zero’s ending in mk11 but i did not like that either it does not make sense for bi-han to give a fuck about those robots.

before i forget i should touch on sareena because not even a snippet of her in a character ending? i don’t care if you ship them or not i don’t care if they canonically bang or not they’re still sooo intertwined with each others story that this entire thing was baffling. i read the leaks so i was aware sareena would not be involved in the story but still it feels so malicious and gross. she is evidence of bi-han’s humanity and bi-han is evidence of her sareena’s humanity. she’s so important in all the “is bi-han evil” arguments. besides havik she’s one of the most demanded characters that this just feels juvenile. i want sareena to have a story outside of sub-zero (and she does i think!! it’s barely there though) but their interaction is still so important. 

onto other things. 

ww2 johnny was BORINGGGGGGG. like this is your comic relief and for some reason he suckssss?? i do think he just existed to be a skin. how shocking. but genuinely the story would’ve done well without him and gave his slot to someone else. dare i say khamelon? it was very nice to hear her speak after years of not really mattering that much. i like that she’s a little sassy. i wanted to see more of her. fan of her dynamic with sektor. 

i am very tired with mk1 mileena because she is so very passive and listens to everything that liu kang demands of her. she’s a little cranky and wants to kill people because everyone is responsible for her mother’s death. i think empress mileena is just kitana on steroids. 

btw i just rememebred the wedding and i forgot about because who cares lol. kuai liang looked ugly what else can i say? ok fine i’ll talk about harumi ummmm it’s nice that she’s alive so that johnny cage can flirt with her. 

but seriously while it is nice to see her in game with an actual model it is gross how she is kuai liang’s voice of reason. he is a grown man he should come to the conclusion that killing cyrax is not a good thing on his own. also real kuai liang would not kill cyrax like the writers want hanzo the writers want hanzo the writers want hanzo the writers want hanzo 

speaking of kuai liang. and bi-han. i am sick of those two. i still don’t understand what brotherhood they ever had. like the one thing i really liked about those two is when bi-han and kuai liang started bickering while fighting khaos cyrax/sektor and the khaos version of themselves. like that shove bi-han gave kuai liang felt soooo brotherly. and it made me happy to see them like that for a couple seconds. also because kuai liang just took it like lollll you are such a little bro, bro. youngest siblings unite for being beaten up by their older siblings <33

speaking of younger siblings. tomas looked REALLY ugly. in general. :// also back to the wedding why was no one dressed up considering how good soooo many alt skins looked. cause if a white man came to my wedding in his ugly uniform. 

and now speaking of the good things… well the mediocre things also i guess. 

i already discussed cyrax maintaining some of her old self which i am happy about. her and ermac i loveeeee because they are their old selves while also suffering from minimal screen time (cyrax worse imo because she didn’t do much plot wise).

do you have any idea how good it was to see frost thrive in that arena? how she succeeded in killing everyone? how she killed mavado cause GOOD RIDDANCE. i truly thought she’d get a one second scene but no she got a 10 second scene. it isn’t anything but i am so happy for frost. 

one thing i thought i would be pissed about was wife tanya and her wife rain. i don’t care about tanya and rain as a ship. i think it’s a very boring ship. and i’m still not ecstatic about them but… there’s something charming about those two. and i think what i find charming is tanya’s character. like i think she pulled all the weight for not despising her and wife rain as a couple. 

i’m not really into mk1 tanya. and i don’t like that the second tanya we see is also a good version of tanya- but something about her works. it might just be that she’s in the main action? and it is because of whole “tanya can speak to dragons thing” cause that scene was SO GOOD. first the nervousness in her face and then the determination as she prepares to speak to orin. the calmness as she elevates to orin. i’m so happy we also got to hear the language being spoken. just the way tanya spoke to orin feels like we got a good serving of lore- of dragon lore. 

if i ever want a good tanya i want empress tanya. 

i ended up liking havik A LOT more than i thought i would. i think the only thing holding him back is his goals because they do not suit him. i’ve said before it’s tricky to write havik into a villain because his chaos is his neutrality. he is both kind and mean. helps both bad and good. titan havik is fighting for a dictatorship which is not what havik is about!!! but he is SOOOOOOO funny. he is hilarious. ww2 johnny sucked as a comedic relief and titan havik stepped in. he is sooo charismatic and sooo lovely just ignore how the story glosses over what happens to him in the end 

but the thing i truly loved the most was chaosrealm. oh my god i love chaosrealm so much. like move over deception chaosrealm we have mk1 chaosrealm and it is superior in soooo many ways. there is so much happening when you first see chaosrealm. giant rainbow slug i love you. guys beating up people on the street i love. preacher shokan i love you. THE TVS. THE INTERCOM IN THE MAZE. they should've given havik a mic and it would've been perfect. like i wish the game was free roam because it would so fun to explore that place. i want more places like this. i want to look at the details and keep finding more random useless details. i want to wonder what the fuck is going on in a fun way. 

however. none of that makes up for how painfully bad the story was. like how bi-han developed in no way as a character- the story was moved in no way. the story just boils down to noob saibot = popular character. cyrax and sektor = people have been begging to play as. and cool skins. everyone gasp in shock upon realizing this was just a way for wb and nrs to get money. 

but really like what do i say when nothing happened? the only character development i can argue for is kuai liang accepted cyrax into the shirai ryu. but is it such a small thing that it doesn’t matter. the lin kuei will still operate without her as they usually do. portions of it were fun. we got orin back. rain got a chapter. i don’t know what else to say. it’s just… not good. it’s that shrug emoticon 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯/10

[gaykey]

I’m the shawol-somsom anon… you’re right LMAO I probably came off a little too strong and made assumptions about you. I’m on vacation and have too much free time for my own good, I’m sorry about that. Btw It doesn’t bother me that you specifically stopped supporting Key, I don’t know you and I barely use tumblr, but I remember you being one of the biggest lil freak/locket accounts on tumblr a few years ago (at least, that's how it seemed), so I got a little frustrated because I know how big accounts influence the perception of the rest of the fandom. 

But I’m not sorry about saying the whole thing feels hypocritical, I still think that. Because what I said is true, FK and Taemin are not better than Key (can’t speak on Jonghyun, Minho and Onew because I do think they try to be more sensible about social issues, and their responsibilities as idols); if I thought Key was horrible, then I’d think they’re horrible, too (disclaimer: I don’t think they are horrible). I simply don’t understand it, and you’re much older than me so it feels even more confusing how you can reconcile the idea. And I would like to have a conversation but tbh I’m a little scared to come off anon bc I don’t even know how tumblr works.

hello again.

it's cool, like, i get why you said what you said. i know i probably come across as very wishy-washy on here at times?

but in regards to key. i also don't think he (or taemin, or first or khao) is a horrible person. at all.

and i'm not saying that they haven't all done problematic stuff. i don't know for sure what fk have done or said, because i'll be so real, i haven't delved that deep. i'm just about below the surface level of being a somsom, but they're people like anyone else, so they've probably fucked up somewhere.

with key however, i was down deeeeep in that fandom lol. 16 years is a long time to be that fixated on a person. every little thing he did was on my tl and dash. maybe that's why his action in particular seem bigger to me?

and, the reason i chose to distance myself from being a lil freak particulalry, was because with key, it wasn't just a few minor instances, or little things that i could excuse so easily.

though i haven't forgotten, i forgave key & taemin for their coulourist remarks they made last year, because i felt that their apologies were genuine.

i acknowldeged shitty thing's key's done in the past, and gave him the benefit of the doubt. many times.

but truly, it felt like the past year? he's just been doing them over & over, unlike taemin, and first and khao. to my knowledge.

i can only forgive so much? and like, key is someone i did - and in many ways very much still do - admire and hold in high esteem (i know putting him on a pedestal is a ME problem, but i'm just being real about how i feel and perceived him) so, it HIT way harder.

i get why that comes across as hypocritcal - i do - but it doesn't feel like it is to me because of the continunity of his behaviour.

i don't know if you were here as i was making the decision to unstan, but it was tough. and i am older. i'm a grown ass woman, so it felt silly to be so emotional about the whole thing tbh.

also i don't want or mean to influence anyone's opinions, however i am starting to get that maybe i do in some way, because i was a pretty prominent key blog for a while???

which is why i try not to talk about him at all too much these days.

maybe i'll forgive him again, maybe he'll do something to redeem himself to me??? idk!

and anon, fr, feel free to come and talk in dms or even send me a message here off anon if you wat to talk. i promise i'm nice, and i'll keep it private if you din't want people to know your blog.

no worries either way xx

[beevean]

I think Frontiers has such low replay value for a few reasons:

While you can traverse the islands non-linearly, there is legit just very little that rewards your curiosity. There's no cool hidden items that you can find if you search for them, at most a few pretty places you probably would have gone to anyway if you want to complete the map for 100% each. So once you've gone and fully completed each map, you've basically seen it all already.

The game can be rather rail-roading: on Chaos Island, for example, there's a few smaller islands you can basically only ever go through in the same one or two ways. Picking the wrong way will bring you to a place where you don't need to go to anymore. Good luck if you can't find the correct paths, though, because it is very difficult to make out just where the heck rails and the like lead you.

Talking about the items: there's like... five, six of them total to be found on the map? You've got the attack and defence fruits, the Koco, the memory tokens, Experience Points, rings... and that is basically the gist of it, even if I feel like I'm forgetting stuff (which is not a good sign at all, since that means it is forgettable). It gets very boring very quickly to have those be the only things you ever find. To bring back BotW, if you went out of your way to go explore the game usually rewards you with a strong weapon or useful item... because it's got hundreds of weapons and items you can collect. Not just a mere six or so on the islands, who eventually become moot anyway if you've fully upgraded Sonic and his skill tree.

The world is just empty. There's legit nobody interesting to talk to, other than perhaps Sage and Sonic's friends, who disappear afterwards from those spots. And furthermore, they have the problem that you can go through their developments completely unhingedly depending on where you find them, so you can easily have Sonic and Sage chat cordially on the final island and then go back to the first and have her be blunt and rude instead. I would have liked a 'good ending' where Sonic helped his friends and Sage through taking the time to talk to them fully on each island before going to the next and a 'bad ending' where he did not do that, but alas...

So yeah, overall the replay value is low because once you've put in some effort on your first run, there is nothing that rewards you for doing more. Everything you get is the same constantly, and if you went and 100% completed the maps and talked to everyone the first time, there's just nothing new to be found on new playthroughs.

Btw I should add that the game has such poor replayability to me that I haven't even picked it up despite the various updates throughout the year already, so maybe things have become better and I just haven't noticed them yet. Maybe😅

As always, huge W for ShTH, King of Replay Value ❤️

I'm starting to think that it's not my issue if I can't watch a playthrough of the game without getting bored lol. But more seriously, it's a shame, because Sonic games have usually high replay value, through their level design with multiple routes or the ranking system, or exceptional cases like Advance 3's gimmick.

Sage was really wasted. Her interactions with Sonic are 99% "you will die" "how?" "go fuck yourself I'm not telling you", until we're supposed to care about her and her NANANANANANA. A sidequest where you have to make the effort to befriend Sage? Teach her what a loving relationship is, making her realize that Eggman doesn't actually care about her like she hoped to? And maybe unlocking her as help during the final boss? It would have been something new and interesting! oh well.

(also yeah I read that part about Khaos Island. It doesn't sound fun. Why rail road part of your open world like that?)

[gunsatthaphan]

Hi, Doreen.

I saw that anon ask about FK's chemistry and wanted to add my two cents.

My take on it is somewhat similar to yours, Doreen, but slightly different. Basically, I believe that (like any actor pair in the BL industry) they do amp things up for the fans to an extent because that's (unfortunately) a part of the job. However, I don’t think the emotional stuff (like the crying) is a performance. Do I think them answering a suggestive question in a slightly flirty manner at a fan meeting is fanservice? Yes. Do I think them posting pics together on social media almost every day is done for the fans? Yes. (Btw, this doesn't mean they wouldn't hang out if they weren't in a BL couple, but they certainly wouldn't have done it as often or post pics of it all the time.)

But I think whenever they actually talk about the deeper stuff, it's genuine and not just fanservice and I especially think so when it comes to the crying. Well, tbh, idk about Khao because he's harder for me to read (I think it's because he gives off chill/nonchalant vibes and people like that have always been hard for me to read whether they're genuine or not) but First just reads very authentic to me. Of course he's still going to keep certain things private (as he should) but the things that he does share about himself are genuine imo. The thing about getting emotional/crying about his bestie is: Would he have done it if the two of them weren't an established BL pair? No, of course not. Not because he doesn’t genuinely care, but because why would he ever give his friendships a deeper thought? Because why would any of us? I certainly don't go around evaluating what my best friends really mean to me unprompted. But if suddenly I had people (interviewers, fans, possibly management/other gmmtv staff too) barraging me with questions and prompts about what my bestie means to me or how I'd feel if they were gone from my life, it sure as hell would make me think about that stuff and probably get emotional. And that's without the added circumstance of me suddenly spending most of my time with that person now for work (work that sometimes involves kissing them on top of that). To me it seems incredibly plausible that all of that shared experience and time spent together makes you closer and your friendship stronger. And while, yes, those emotional moments are definitely goaded out of them by staff/interviewers/etc. it doesn’t mean that makes them an act. Sure, they wouldn't start bawling unprompted but the feelings are still there, you know? Just becaise they needed a push, it doesn't mean they're fake.

And yeah, I agree they were definitely more awkward at the start of their journey together as a BL pair because who wouldn't feel and act awkward if they had to act out being in love with their friend and having to kiss them? But do I think the fact that they're not as awkward with it anymore and are more playful about it means they're faking it for the fans? No, I just think with time they got used to it and that's why it doesn't feel as awkward anymore. After you do something for a while, it becomes less weird to you even if it was very weird in the beginning.

I also want to say I actually don't think they're acting all that different now than they did a few years ago. I've seen content of them together back from like 2020 and even earlier (aka before they ever knew they'd be paired up for a series one day) and they were pretty much the same as they are now - bantering all in good fun while also getting sappy at each other and even a little flirty (joking around). They had no reason to do fanservice back then or amp anything up. Which is part of the reason why I believe so strongly that they're not just acting. There's a higher volume of content from them now (for obvious reasons) but the content itself is very similar.

Just for comparison: I don’t think all acting pairs are like this, btw. For example, as much as I like JoongDunk and believe they're definitely genuine friends, I do think they (especially Dunk) love to play things up for the cameras and do things for fansevice a lot. And even in my deepest obsession with Bad Buddy when the series first came out I always felt that there was something about the way Ohm acted in ON interviews/fanmeets/etc. that felt somewhat inauthentic to me. I do believe they're friends (or at least were, idk what's going on now since I don’t follow them anymore) but it always seemed to me like Ohm was forcing things a bit/acting to some extent while Nanon rang genuine to me. But honestly, FK (especially First) are two people from gmmtv who just feel the most genuine to me out of everyone. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to them.

To bring it back to the anon's original question: Do FK have real romantic chemistry outside of their series? I don’t know about "romantic" chemistry but they definitely have chemistry, period (aka a bond, aka they're close friends). I don’t think they're faking anything, I just think different people see it differently. For example, if you think they give off romantic chemistry specifically but in reality their "chemistry" is platonic, it doesn't mean they were faking romantic chemistry, it just means you interpreted the chemistry they do have in a romantic way for whatever reason. At the same time, many people only ever interpreted that same chemistry as purely platonic.

Anyways, hope this is ok. Just wanted to share my opinion, which at the end of the day is just that - an opinion. The truth is none of us will ever know for sure because we only know these people through a screen. Either way it's always best to just enjoy the content you're given without needless speculation about actual romantic attraction/chemistry.

hi anon!

thank you for this lengthy ask lmao. You make a lot of good points but I think we should keep in mind not to overanalyze real-life relationships so I'm gonna try and keep it short.

Don't get me wrong, I also think they're 100% real about what they do and say and I agree that they're (subjectively speaking) the most genuine people at gmmtv. What I meant is that they're taking the natural chemistry they have and play it up, which, again, is a very normal thing to do so I'm fine with that lol. Nothing they do or imply is fake, it's just magnified for the cameras lol.

I agree about First being authentic with his emotional reactions but that doesn't mean he's not intentionally triggering the tear ducts every now and then lol. He's good at that, exhibit A: every one of his crying scenes lol. But I also agree with you that a lot of his responses are probably circumstantial and that being said I sometimes get the feeling that he feels a little overwhelmed in general. He's not a newbie but he is new to being under the big BL spotlight and evidently that's pressure-inducing. Everyone reacts to these things differently and I think he feels a little unsure about how to act sometimes. Like you said Khao comes across a lot more chill so either he doesn't have the same issues or he's hiding it very well lol.

But anyway my point is I agree that what they have is real but like I said they're inflating it - in a way that still feels very genuine. That plus First being an emotional person as it is results in him having unprompted breakdowns lol. But who are we to judge. These are the things that make him so precious.

I don't want to over-interpret their relationship because that's not the point of being a fan in my opinion and also verges on creepy lol so that all I'm gonna say about this ✌🏻

xxx

[invisiblegarters]

I agree with you about the actors - idt they really have the preference towards Khao that last anon said they did. If anything they seem pretty evenly split which is natural imo - like book is clearly closer to first than Khao, for example, but that’s normal in friendships. But anyways it’s so crazy you mention the gaipa crying scene because while I do think khaotung was INCREDIBLY amazing as gaipa I had the same level of shock regarding the reception to first as you did 😭 it’s especially strange looking back bc MLC is how I got to know Firstkhao and it was first’s performance as Alan specifically that made me interested in following them so I’m just?

About the directors - honestly, after seeing bts material it kind of feels like Nuchy is the only recent ish one who actually is aware of First’s abilities and what to do with them which is kind of sad imo.

On another note, I haven’t read the novel. Can you elaborate on the Kant thing? I’ve seen mixed thoughts but I’m leaning towards believing the bad reviews after the OF novel lol. If it’s rlly bad then that’s concerning - I was already hesitant about how he would be given Jojo’s general tendency to focus extensively on Khao but now I’m getting anxious LMFAO

That's hilarious because I would have said Book was closer to Khaotung if asked. But that said, I think that again, it might be because tumblr is where I live, and tumblr for whatever reason mostly brings me stuff about Khaotung. Can't see stuff if I'm not in the right places to look for it! But yeah I think trying to piece together who loves whom more in their personal lives is…a lot. I'm not going there. It's just none of my business.

I actually didn't say anything about Gaipa v. Alan, that was the anon, lol. I'm mostly pissed that Earth didn't get the credit he deserved for that series. The more I think about it the more it annoys me. I won't pretend I don't think that they tend to hand Khaotung the big, dramatic scene or scenes that tend to get people talking and win the awards and I'm not saying he's not good at them. What I am saying there's more to acting than that, and the fact that Earth's amazing, nuanced performance as Jim was not recognized makes me impotently furious. Like it's just a travesty what on earth (heh) is wrong with people.

This is not a diss against Khaotung, btw - I don't do that. His style of acting isn't my favorite but you'll never hear me say he's not good at it. It's just me lamenting that the style I tend to gravitate to seems to be considered if not bad, then less deserving. IMO Sand was a masterclass for First but most of what I saw while the show was airing was disparagement of either the character or the actor himself. It was a rough time for me, lol. I say again, people are really just casually really nasty about First sometimes and I don't get it.

I really can't speak too much to the director thing any more than I already have, but I keep bringing it back to being that for whatever reason, First's style of acting isn't it to them, and it shows. I don't know if there is anything that can be done about that.

Oh, the novel. The novel. Let's just say that finding out the author only wanted to do it because of Khaotung explained so much, lol. I got a little carried away, but in case you only wanted Kant spoilers I will post them first, with a warning about the rest.

And this should go without saying, but all these opinions and observations are entirely subjective, okay? Okay.

Kant: I wanted to like him, I did, but he's nothing. There's literally nothing to him. He could be replaced by a block of pretty wood and I don’t think anyone would know the difference. He has all the personality of a wet rag, and it gets worse once he "falls in love" with Bison. Has a little brother that he has two whole scenes with, one to establish why he needs money that he's being offered to track down and inform on Fadel & Bison and one that's mainly there to have Bison save the day and showcase how awesome he is. Please don't think I'm kidding that is it. And once he falls for Bison he basically just fawns over him and forgets how to be competent. Much is made of his skills as a thief but when it comes down to it it's basically Bison who has to do everything. The only emotion I could work up about this dude was rage that this is the character that my favorite actor is going to play. Feels like he's in the novel least but it could also be that he's such a nothing I've just forgotten times when he did show up. Block of wood, I tell you.  Khaotung's apparent obsession with this dude is incomprehensible to me (I still say he's attempting to gaslight us into thinking he matters at all).

And because I am on a roll, here' have impressions of the other characters, too. Feel free to stop here if you don't wanna know.

MORE SPOILERS BELOW

Bison: douchey in a way that I personally can't stand. Always made out to be the best and most interesting in the room, even when he's not. Also, not sure he even liked Kant much? Idk their dynamic bugged me. It wasn't the BDSM, it was just the way he thought about him and treated him. Once they get together Kant is fawning in a really cringy way and while Bison takes the praise he just seems to be like…above it, I guess you could say. Like he was there to be worshipped but not actually to return any of the devotion. In the end he turned out to be my least favorite character. I was relieved for the increasingly few chapters where he didn't appear.  Maybe he got better by the very end but frankly by then I was so done with him that I was just skimming to get to things I wanted to read.

Style: Fun but also…there are some questionable choices made about his character that got on my nerves.  His and Fadel's storyline is very school BL and parts of it annoyed the hell out of me. He is funny though, and I think if they tone down some of the more egregious childishness and relationship stuff, he will be a lot of fun. He's persistent and when he and Fadel really got going I liked the mutual devotion thing they were doing. Genuinely the one I would be looking forward to the most in the show.

Fadel: In the end, my favorite character. Funny enough I think that not being The Crush and not being The Designated Love Interest of The Crush really helped both Fadel and Style out, character wise, Fadel especially because thanks to being Bison's brother he gets more time devoted to him. I mean don't get me wrong it's still fairly shallow (as is everyone's, even Bison's although I'd say the author put the most effort into him), but he had a whole arc and everything, and his particular archetype is one of my favorites, I won't lie. I'm just a sucker for the dude who says he doesn't want a thing but it turns out he actually really does, he just doesn't think he can have it. I had the most fun with him and Style and if I were to watch (which to be frank I don't think is in the cards for me at this juncture, I'll wait to let my mutuals fill me in on whether First gets to do more than look pretty (he's so pretty but I also love to watch him do his thing, you know) and maybe either play catch up if I get intrigued enough or binge it when it's over) it would probably be for them.

Maybe I am being harsher than I should be, idk. Sometimes I get mad and when I do, I can become a bit of a dick. But the novel is up, you can read it for yourself. You tell me (and if you do read, please make sure to thank the person who translated it. They did it super fast and it was just a lovely thing for them to have done). Also apparently more extensive reviews than my ranting are coming in and they're…not favorable, although I haven't seen any myself.

Whether you think the show will be like the novel really depends on how you feel about everyone involved (I am a cynic from a long line of them, I am going to feel free to assume that while the story beats might not be entirely the same and while it will hopefully be better written, the care paid to the characters probably will be very close. I absolutely think we're in for The Bison Show, guest starring Fadel and sometimes Style. I don't really think they've been subtle about this lol).

But also, I think that there will be a lot of people who will like the show I am expecting. There are people who have already said they only want to watch for Khaotung, or are mainly here for JoongDunk doing a new thing, or to see First simp, and those people I think will be happy, and good for them, honestly. It's awesome when something you are looking forward to gives you exactly what you want. If the show felt like it were going to give me what I wanted I'd be there with bells on.

But since I don't feel that way, I can just not watch. Simple, easy, effective. Although I will be sad to lose my Wednesday watch.

[tales0fthenugget]

Asian Food (part 1)

I am a proud Asian for a lot of reasons. One of which is cheap yummy food!!! Yes, three exclamation points as just the thought of it already makes me excited. The rich and endless variety of flavor and spices will never disappoint. It's nothing new actually as history also tells us about Westerners expeditions to the East to find spices, right? And the bonus here is that it's not expensive and it's pretty common.

I've been in most of the east Asian countries. When I started to travel, I didn't think too much about food. I was too thin in college and all I knew to eat was rice (screaming Asian!) and sweets. So imagine my happiness when I discovered food and eating as part of travel. And again since I like lists, let me share memorable food in each of the Asian countries I visited. I didn't say yummiest or unique in the place but memorable a.k.a. my favorites, hehe. It would probably be my go-to food should I go back to these countries. Btw, I would exclude the Philippines in this list as I spent my life living here. My list would never end if I include it ;) Please also excuse how I try to describe the food's taste. I am so bad at it because I'm not used to writing about food. I only want to eat!! Haha. I hope the pictures and my memories/adventures that go with it could compensate.

THAILAND (5)

My first ever out of the country trip was Thailand. It was my parents' graduation gift to me after college. I had no concept then of eating local food. I was with my sister who was on a business trip. We would only eat at restaurants. I've only tasted street food once, which was when she was working and I was left alone to roam around and eat. I didn't know then that I missed a lot! Very fortunately for me, I've had four more trips to Thailand after the first one. I think this is actually the country I've returned to the most. Since the second trip, which was backpacking - naturally means hostel and street food for me, I've had more chance of eating local food. Limiting my list to four is a huge challenge. But here it goes. 

1. Pad thai from the streets near Ratchathewi BTS station. My sisters like pad thai so much that we would order pad thai in almost every meal we eat. I've tasted so much variety in Bangkok alone but this one's the yummiest! The oilyness is just right. This i.e. oily in particular is my issue in pad thais sold in a cart. It was so good that my sister tried to find the cart again before we leave going to the airport.

2. 7-11 drinks i.e. Ovaltine, milk tea and coffee. I'm not new to living off the ever so reliable 7-11. I lived away from home in college and I'm a really bad cook, 7-11 became one of my best friends for cheap food. But I like Thailand 7-11 most for the drinks I mentioned which should not be a surprise as Thailand is known for these drinks (except perhaps Ovaltine - this is just a personal preference). The cart versions are a little cheaper and just as yummy. But the 7-11 version is more accessible and maybe cleaner? Haha, I think.

3. Fried chicken soup in Chatuchak weekend market was a late discovery. All my trips we went to Chatuchak. I am not very fond of shopping so I usually end up eating to nearby carts/hawker from where my siblings or friends were buying. It was super yummmmmmyyyyyyy! I think this is already my favorite food in Bangkok! And do you see that little green thing? I have no idea what you call it or what it's made of but we liked that a lot. I tried to look for this in shops to buy and bring home but I didn't find any. :( Despite being in Chatuchak for five times, I still look forward to going there for this.

4. Khao Soi is my favorite from Chiang Mai. This one from Khao Soi Kun Yai is one of the most recommended place to eat this Northern Thailand coconut curry noodle soup! Oh and I ordered this with the longgan juice.

SINGAPORE (4)

If you personally know me, you wouldn't expect that Singapore is my second most visited country following Thailand. You won't hear me talking about my trip nor you'll see me post photos in social media. That's because all my trips to Singapore are work-related. That's why I also have limited experience eating in hawkers and I only have one photo of my memorable food. Most of my meals are with business partners so I felt a little shy to start taking photos of our food before eating. So the only photo I have below is when I ate alone.

1. Chili crab tops my list. I like seafood so this is not a surprise. The first time I had it from a restaurant I already forgot but it's near Mandarin and along the Marina boardwalk(?). So that was the most memorable. The crab was served with yummy fried mantao bread which I enjoyed munching together with the chili sauce. Plus we ordered prawn cereals too. The crab was of really good quality, but I had difficulty eating because again I was too shy because I ate clumsily. Lol! I didn't know how to use chopsticks - I made sure I learn better next time. Because I was too proud to just ask for spoon and fork. The shell was relatively soft but I was also not used to using crab cracker and uhm, chopsticks. I was itching to use my hands, hahahahaha. That's how I do it back home. But of course, I didn't. It was only my fourth month in my first work out of college, and I went on a business trip with one of the bosses. He's really nice but we weren't really close so I had to behave. Hehe.

2. Kaya toast with two soft-boiled eggs (and milk tea, of course) had been my staple food during my first business trip. I was there for two weeks. I would buy these for morning or afternoon (or both) snack.

3. Cedele soups from our old office in Novena square. I am a soup person! My previous boss recommended that place to me. I would order soup plus a small sandwich or chocolate bar to go with it. Haha, it has become my go to place when I have to eat alone and too lazy to go somewhere and eat.

TAIWAN (3)

Another place which I associate to work is Taiwan. This used to be a country I've been to the longest in terms of total number of days until my Canada trip in 2015. Similar to Singapore, I have limited hawker/streetfood experience. And the two trips had also been a little stressful for work because of language barrier. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the food, the tea, and ice cream/milkshake from Coldstone whose store I always passby on my way home to the hotel. But third time's the charm! My latest out of the country trip was Taipei - a personal trip, for the first time :) I still had to work but the food trip experience is so much better! Because we have enough time (6 days), we did not hesitate to take our time eating and lining-up for food. Like Thailand, it's so hard to limit my list into four.

1. Black Pepper Pork Bun from Raohe night market invites a long line throughout the night. It was worth it - freshly cooked I.e. super hot, and with generous pork servings at TWD 50. The black pepper flavor adds just the right spice popping inside your mouth. Oh and I looooove the bread!!! I'm already thinking of going back. Lol!

2. Prince Cheese Potato! We love cheese! We love potato! It's perfect. We love it so much, we bought it every night we spent in Taipei city. Available in night markets - I've seen this in Ximending and the one in Shilin also has long line. Imagine mashed potato, wrapped in crispy and freshly cooked golden brown breading, sliced, topped with your other favorite ingredients like corn or bacon, and finally cheese sauce all over. Whew.

3. Fuhang Soy Milk place has insane line, but never mind. I’m even planning to  go back next time I’m in town. Best soy milk ever!! I also love the bread and egg - as in they bake their own bread, huhuhu. Lastly,t here’s this salty  soy which I found weird at the beginning. I’m used to eating taho since my childhood. Taho is also soy but usually with sugar syrup. So this explains why the savory version with shrimp flavor is so weird for me but I eventually found super yummy.

Yes, this one looks like bread on bread. Lol!!!

Salty Soy!

4. Ay Chung flour rice noodle, which in my country is called misua. I thought it’s boring, plain noodles. I never thought that there’s a version that is not boring and plain!  It’s flavorful and the noodles - I don’t know how to describe it but think of al dente for pasta. Lol! Similar to the others, there’s a long line but service was quick. And of course, it’s worth it.

Okay, so I have to stop for now because my phone note app is not allowing me to type some more. I’ll resume with part 2 next time. And I’m getting hungry too!

[khaoala]

Since you mentioned about soms feeling khao is easily swayed than first do you think it has something to do with how fk was formed maybe idk. Khao had a cp,though was not that popular but still was a cp which he actively promoted with fanservice before he eventually ended up with First who was his ghostship at the time. On the other hand First never promoted with anyone as a cp and was seen as a free spirit who kept changing his partners and he rarely did fanservice with any of them barring his natural affectionate self. Once he ended up with Khao he just settled in with him. It's almost kind of the reason why fans outside the fandom sometimes hate fk cause first who had chemistry with a lot just settled down like that. Also First is very loud and expressive about how much Khao means to him while Khao is much more subtle about it so unless you really take in khao's personality it would come across as First is the one more invested(which not true)

i wasn't here at the time so i can't say much about it because all i know is what i've read from soms who have been around longer. what i learned is that when firstkhao became a thing, gawinfirst fans were upset because they wanted first to be official with gawin after the success of not me, and from what i've heard, that's where the animosity towards the ship came at first (also, might i add, this isn't a diss on fans of gf btw, unless you're nasty and bitter, in that case we do have beef, but then i don't know why you'd be on my blog). poddkhao fans, i must admit i only saw some strays, i can't really say much of them.

what these people fail to realize tho that gmm wouldn't force first into a ship unless he wanted that. nanon, win and tu, for example, aren't into the couples system despite being extremely popular (they wouldn't need a pair to be more popular tbh, but gmm would benefit of it, i believe, and yet they don't push that on them - skynani i don't know enough to ascertain what their broship is about, just that gmm really jumped on that sudden spike of popularity). so i think it's less of seeing first as a free spirit (though i feel some people feel that way) and more like from all people, why did he settle with khaotung (we know why. they've being working to strengthen their ghostship way before they became a couple. just yesterday people were pointing out how they started their lovestagram in 2020, like…)

like i said before like, both first and khaotung have impeccable chemistry with whoever they work with (i still stand that earthkhao should have kissed in mlc just to see the fall out of that), but there are double standards of who can and cannot and who will cause more hustle (khaotung) or if fans will aprove of more (first).

this talk about how they show affection and "who puts more work" always pisses me off too, because people go into paragraphs to talk about love languages but disregard that bc khaotung doesn't respond first on twitter, or doesn't post on instagram. this is what i mean when i say some fans think they know better than them btw. they've been best friends for years. first has spoken about how he discovered more about himself last year with khaotung's help. khaotung is someone who has supported first whenever he felt insecure, they make clear and obvious that they are each other's safe zone. but the "putting effort-meter" is measured by how many social media interactions they have, see how ridiculous these people are?

[gunsatthaphan]

Can we blame First though? I mean, his voice talks to him about Khao. Who doesn't like to think about Khao? Cause I certainly do ❤️❤️❤️

Btw, that picture is hilarious Why would you hate yourself for it? The face angles and all! I love that you put actual effort in this! It's great! 🤗🤗🤗

no we CANNOT blame him. khao lives in my mind rent free 24/7 so his voices got a point for sure. being around him every day, I would lose my mind at some point too kldfjlg

and thanks lmao. photoshop is sadly not only good for giffing djfghfkd

xxx

[moon-in-eclipse]

the most talked about moment of safehouse so far hahaha. first really let the intrusive thoughts win for a moment lmaooo i love him so muuuch ❤️. the comedic timing of foei and taynew being too stunned to speak and walking out is also so funny. this really feels like a scene straight from a romcom about a clumsy yet lovable protagonist figuring out his sexuality with his generally unhelpful but supportive friends by his side. they try to give him tips and advice on how to win his love interest over, but his crush is so big that he cant be normal around him which constantly creates embarrassing moments for him. honestly, i'd watch it.

I havent seen a lot of safehouse but ive been scrolling through their tag on twitter (i recommend checking out user @headedtoyou who clips and translates a lot of them in safehouse btw!) and people are basically saying that first and khao have been attached at the hip and are being so cute together that the whole house kinda ships them now hahah. im glad they are doing well and hopefully it will make more people watch the eclipse!

speaking of that, i also hope they will have time to watch the eclipse together on friday. could be kinda fun to see their live reactions to the ep. judging from the trailer it will be quite an intense one!

@yoongijoons have you seen this? 😂