#Make sure you take into consideration that another fan you don't know might read your wishlist so be helpful as much as possible too!

[keikotwins]

Hi! Welcome to Stage 1 of Keiko's DNAngel Secret Santa! 🎉 Anyone feeling like exchanging a DNAngel-themed digital creation (art, fic…) with another fan is welcome! Applications are open until november 20! Follow this link!

🎁 Schedule Stage 1 ⸰ until nov. 20 ⸰ Application Stage 2 ⸰ nov. 21 ⸰ Pairing Stage 3 ⸰ nov. 21-dec. 28 ⸰ Creation & Submission Stage 4 ⸰ dec. 31 ⸰ Distribution

🎁 Event A Secret Santa is a gift exchange! Everyone is secretly assigned another participant and has to secretly create a present for them! The goal is to have fun and be creative! This poll is your wishlist: it will be conveniently reformated and sent to another participant. Your preferences will be taken into consideration during the pairing process! You will receive someone's wishlist with further instructions regarding how and where to send your creation. Secretly create a present for the other participant according to their tastes and send it to Keiko before dec. 28. Presents will be distributed simultaneously by Keiko!

(This event is crosshosted on Twitter and Discord, thus the need to be centralised!)

Feel free to ask any question, my asks are open!

[shepherds-of-haven]

BOOM—personality swap between the shepherds! how would that go down?? (i’m envisioning briony having blade’s stoic exterior or chase acting sophisticated like lavi and it’s killing me)

I wish I could draw, because I feel like this would be so much funnier with illustrations! 🤣

I used a random generator to generate the personality swaps:

Halek ↔️ Ayla

Halek is loud, mouthy, aggressive, and wants to fight you all the time. He has a bunch of pent-up rage from being forced to be leader of his people and he responded by acting as delinquent as possible, except instead of being a slacker and shirking his duties, now it's like some Hunter Guy questions his decision and he gets all up in his face and is like, "Huh? You wanna repeat that before I beat your fucking ass?" He is a surprisingly effective leader because everyone perceives him as tough and passionate. However, as a Shepherd, you can't get him to do anything unless you ask him nicely. He has no fear but also no chill... that fight with Ayla about the witch's bane soup would have gone soooo differently if he wasn't naturally quite laidback lol! His partnership with Moonsilk might be more compatible because she'd be the one to seemingly "hold him back" or calm him down... or he'd have told her to fuck off right from the get-go LMAO "I'm not marrying her! Either I'm the leader around here or I'm not, *I* pick who I'm gonna marry! Pack your shit and go!!"

Ayla is just a sleepy lil Wind-Mage. "Ayla, could you, maybe, you know, blast this demon to kingdom come?" "Hm? Oh, yeah, sure... 🥱" Everybody thinks Jalis people must be a buncha hippies because she's sooo lazy and chill. She's the force of calm in the group, the port in the storm: when Briony and Trouble start brawling with some rude assholes in a tavern, Ayla is just waiting on standby, vibing until they're done so she can clean them up and take them home. It probably makes her a vastly less effective fighter because she doesn't summon the energy and passion to send opponents flying, it's probably just a gentle puff of wind LOL

Riel ↔️ Lavinet

Honestly, I don't think they're that different, I feel like Riel is just more vain, fashionable, charismatic, and flirtatious. But their skillsets, backgrounds, and interests are still fairly similar! Still... imagine him lounging in like a flame-red tailored suit with, like, a peacock feather tucked into his breast pocket, the trailblazer of fashion for all of Haven... fanning himself idly while he flirts and flatters courtiers of all stripes shamelessly! "Darling, I realize you have reservations about our business agreement, but haven't you learned you can trust me? 🖤" Oh my god. He would be a menace. Imagine him with an ojou-sama laugh I'm dying

Lavinet is considerably less popular among the nobility because of her various eccentricities... She's neurotic, uptight, fastidious, cutting! She's no entertainer of grand balls and parties, but still a fearsome political opponent all the same... The new Iron Lady! She's known as something of a terror and will snap out a biting retort to just about anyone, whether it's people who don't show her the proper respect or someone who carelessly offset her carefully-arranged tea tray, annoying her to no end! She's known as something of an introvert and recluse and would just rather be left alone to read her books and manage her father's financial affairs. The young men of the Iron Court are so terrified of her that she doesn't even have to worry about being married off against her will LOL, they wouldn't dare to propose!

Chase ↔️ Shery

GOD THIS ONE IS SO CURSED GRLGJKRGJKL There's just no way... The thief-lord of Haven is actually a shy, mousy sweetheart... There's no way that could work, right?? Maybe he has an alter ego where he acts ruthless and cunning, and then he walks into another room and melts into a puddle on the ground like 🥹🥹 "that was so hard... I'm sweating haha...! 😭" Some rival guild leader flirts with him (dangerously) like "well, I was thinking of killing you... but now that I see you in person... I could think of other things I'd like better..." Chase internally is like nooooooo please stop this 😭 while outwardly he blushes and stammers something like "yeah uh th-that sounds like a better option than... being killed..." 🫠 Someone steals from him and Trouble finds him like crying dramatically on the ground an hour later like "why would they do that, that's so mean!!" 😭

I can only imagine Shery as this like vaguely evil, chaotic quartermaster, which doesn't make any sense lmao, her occupation requires her to be extremely orderly, organized, tidy, and on top of her business, and throwing Chase's lackadaisical, unpredictable, "I'm allergic to plans" personality at her is just crazy lol. Imagine trying to run an order when your quartermaster is actually your biggest prankster! YOU CAN'T DO IT, IT WON'T WORK. Every recruit who gets assigned a new room or handed new blankets or puts in a requisition order for a training dummy gets surprised by 8,000 fake spiders. Or a bucket of flour dumped on their head. The Order would collapse into dysfunction within a month. Not to mention the quartermaster's habit of flirting and chatting up the new recruits outrageously! 😭 On the flip side, Vivek would not have given her any shit after the first few minutes of meeting her...

Tallys ↔️ Briony

Tallys is bubbly, cheerful, energetic, and an emotional chatterbox, lol! That's so weird to picture lol imagine Trouble walking into a room and Tallys looking up brightly, her face lighting up in a big smile, and saying something like, "Hi, Trubs, I was just looking for you! The laundresses are throwing a fit because you keep getting the smell of gunpowder in your drapes--how do I know? Oh, well, you see, I'm friends with that nice silver-haired girl on Pelinel Squad, you know, the Weather-Mage, and she said--" I don't think she commands half the dignity or respect she receives now as Third this way lol because she's trying to be everyone's friend... probably the Elves of the Elven Quarter like Ashaniel and them low-key all hate her because she's such a little ball of sunshine, she probably comes off as quite immature and cutesy to them, so imagine her asking Ashaniel to trust her with Quel-Qanaeon, it'd be like asking an 80-year-old war veteran to trust someone whom he just saw getting distracted by a butterfly or something, like "Oh my god, look at the pretty flowers! :D It's such a nice day today, isn't it?" The irony of it being that she's an excellent Keeper and fearsome archer, just no one really listens to her advice or takes her seriously because she's so

Briony is this calm, composed warrior who likes to keep to her own solitude and comes off as quite mysterious and enigmatic. Everyone attributes this to her amnesia and past as a gladiator (surely she must have seen and done such dark things, but look at her resilience of spirit to stay so quiet and dignified!) and is basically looked at as some kind of like wise, martial monk-like figure whom you can always look to for sage advice. However, she comes off as a bit aloof, as she prefers to meditate at dawn by herself and gather herbs to make healing salves (she must have learned these rituals from her Elvish friend at the arena). She's far more meditative, contemplative, and serious... but if you take Tallys's cautious, "observe from a distance" ranged fighter behavior and apply it to what should be the destructive charger/bruiser who runs into the fray headlong, you get a Briony who's probably vastly less effective as the Battle-Mage tank she's supposed to be! She lacks her signature recklessness, so she's probably not punching down walls!

Mimir ↔️ Blade

GOD LOL I HATE THIS well Blade becomes even more quiet than he already is, and he has the charisma of a dead shrimp. He's always silently preoccupied with ✨ mysterious thoughts ✨, and his effectiveness as a commander drops drastically because everything he says is extremely cryptic and makes everyone go like ??? 🙂 What did that mean?? so nothing would get done LMAO instead of barking very straightforward, blunt commands as he is known to, he'd just sort of mumble something extremely enigmatic. This would drive Trouble crazy and he'd probably have to become acting commander. At first people would think the mysterious aura is part of his whole "formerly the greatest assassin" shtick, and his martial prowess and ability in combat couldn't be denied, so at first people would see this dark, unknowable swordsman and be like 'oh yeah, that makes sense why the Autarch picked him, he seems like he's... not of this world...' Very god of death, very ethereal... but then eventually people would start to get annoyed by the lack of clarity LOL and realize it's less "brooding darkness" and more "vague absent-mindedness" or something LMAO

Mimir's this traveling Seer who can not only see the future, but envision 900 different ways for her to kill you?? This makes her an incredibly effective fighter and she's always carrying dozens of weapons on her person... She's survived multiple assassination attempts because of people fearing/hating her predictions about their futures and considered her to be a heretic and a threat, so she's paranoid, abrupt, brusque, and finds it hard to get along with people. She prefers sleeping in a tent outside because she doesn't trust the others not to try and sneak into her room to try and kill her in her sleep! She comes off as a bit unpleasant, but her skills are so valuable that everyone ends up respecting her need for space...

Trouble ↔️ Red

Trouble's abilities as a sniper vastly diminish because, while he's lying on a rooftop or in the bush, waiting to snipe a target, he's sneaking secret reading sessions of his latest book and getting so engrossed that he forgets to keep track of them entirely! He's extremely enthusiastic about arcana and historical discoveries, partially because he's done so much research about magic to understand what was done to him by the Equalists: now he's the Order's resident "obscure magic" expert. Fist-fighting in taverns? No thank you, he prefers reading with a good cup of tea by his elbow. He's a polite, friendly young man who's adored by the neighborhood residents ("such a good, upstanding boy! ever since he was a young man he would come over every year to re-thatch my roof for me!") but has a bad habit of inadvertently making people fall in love with him. He would think he and Lazu Reen are good buddies and that the guy's insults are "just his way of joking around" LOL Lazu Reen: "you're a pig fucker" Trouble: "haha okay buddy, have a good day 🙂" Kind, optimistic, honest, and thoughtful... I feel like he would be sort of like Clark Kent, original good boy himbo with nerd flavor LMAO

Red is his sisters' biggest source of stress in life. Not only is he an UNAPOLOGETIC playboy, he's always going around, carousing in taverns, getting drunk, and then swinging that warhammer around and causing massive destruction!! They've tried to put a rein on his temper from a young age, but he's always been so mutinous and impulsive, sullenly taking their lectures and then immediately going back out and causing more trouble! Everyone in the Circle would have known him and Pan as the class clowns (Neon, like Hermione, was just there to make sure they didn't get killed). He certainly wouldn't have been named Archmage (I think people would have argued that Archmage Tevanti must have been senile at that point: you can't put that hammer-bashing barbarian in charge!!), but that's okay, he's mostly only interested in traveling around and experiencing his youth! Catch him smoking charch in the back and getting into arm-wrestling matches with Halek in bars for fun LOL. He probably wouldn't take any care of his hair and it would just be carelessly lopped off whenever it got too long! 😭

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hey there Slug! I hope you ain't too buys and might have a lil fun with this one! Of each individual character, what are your respective favorite songs of theirs and why?

This is an easy ask to answer, so I'mma clear it from the pile and get to some older ones eventually.

I assume you mean solo songs only, right?

Under a cut for length because there are a bajillion boys in this series

Ichirou: I like his VA's rapping work in just about everything; he's really solid. Stage Ichirou also has a youthful quality I appreciate a lot, but of the main series songs... probably Break the Wall. It's high energy in a fun way. It also ties into a creative project I've been chewing on for years that's near and dear to my heart, although I'm not sure if I'll ever put it to paper and share it anywhere.

Jirou: I think Jirou's VA has a very pretty singing voice, so I like his softer songs. In general, I admire the "softer" aspects of Jirou's character and think that's where he shines best. So probably School of IKB, although I adore his choruses in Re:start.

Saburou: Requiem. I'm very, very, very into things that commit to being over the top and goofy, and I also enjoy combining classical and baroque elements with other genres. What's not to like here?

Samatoki: Gangsta's Paradise. The high speed rap is technically compelling. I generally appreciate v. fast rap since I enjoy learning and singing them. If the stage plays count, I really enjoy the emotion Samatoki's stage actor brings to Come Back to Me.

Juuto: ...There is some interesting text in the Personality section of Juuto's wiki page. (I have it pulled up to quick reference the song lists.) If anyone with wiki edit powers is reading this, you may want to clean that up... Anyway, I feel like they give Juuto great background music in just about every song, but Uncrushable takes the cake for me. I really like the BG music in that.

Riou: Move Your Body Till You Die, hands down. Goofy as fuck. Also, great workout music.

Ramuda: I find his main voice pretty grating, and his usual styles of music aren't my favorite in general. So Ramuda songs don't do a lot for me. I appreciate Pink Colored Love for plot reasons, though.

Gentarou: The slower Hypmic songs rarely do a lot for me, but I found myself enjoying Yume no Kanata a lot. Not sure I know why, necessarily...

Dice: 3$EVEN was one of the first songs I really enjoyed in Hypmic, and I still like its high energy today. In general, I'm impressed by Dice's VA's rapping ability and appreciate his parts in group songs a lot.

Jakurai: Like I said earlier, I'm not usually a fan of slow songs, so none of Jakurai's solos or duets have ever stood out to me. With that being said, I think Jakurai's speech style and slower rhythms makes him more fun and easier to translate w/ full rhyme and rhythm than many other characters. Like I think Labyrinth Wall would be fun to do a full cover of with syllable matching rhymes and line length while simultaneously trying to stick as close to the core meaning and tone as possible.

Hifumi: Both Champagne Gold and Don't Stop the Party are high-energy bops and great for working out. Slight preference for the former. I also really like his singing voice in group songs.

Doppo: Doppo's angrier verses in group songs are fun, but I'm especially fond of BLACK OR WHITE. In particular, I enjoy the DOTAMA cover. I'm a big DOTAMA fan for both his lyrical strength and considerable rapping chops. He's got a lot of songs that are really punchy and angry in this exact vein, and I love throwing on a playlist of his stuff while grinding out tedious work projects. Hahaha. Just rapping along "I don't want to work. I don't want to work. I don't want to work. BUT HERE I AM, WORKING!!!!" furiously under my breath.

Sasara: Comedian Rhapsody is really fun. This is another song I would love, love, love, love to try and do a full translation w/ preservation of rhyme/line length/jokes. Not for sharing--at that point it's just kinda showing off--but it's fun to chew on bits of it when I have moments of free time.

Roshou: Like most of the slow song characters, Roshou's solos aren't my favorite. I guess I prefer Under Sail to Own Stage for its background music.

Rei: All of Rei's songs are wild to the point of me liking them for the goofiness. If you commit to the bit, I'll enjoy it 9 times out of 10. Doesn't matter what the bit is. Shiro to Kuro is probably my favorite. LOVE the "heh heh we are up to no good" NPC villain energy of that song. But also, shout-out to his singing in Enishi, even if it's nigh-on intelligible to me. I love the hell out of Enishi in general.

Kuko: The king of goof himself. Sou Gyaran BAM is probably my favorite, but I am--to some degree--into virtually every song he's in.

Juushi: Wow, I'm listed as a source on this wiki page, lol. Anyway. Juushi's aesthetic as a whole isn't my cup of tea, but I have a soft spot for Moonlight Shadow, because the first two times I heard it were on Spotify shuffle while I just so happened to be scrubbing a toilet. So for a couple months after, I would put Bad Ass Temple on every time I cleaned the bathroom. Hahaha.

Hitoya: One and Two, and Law is so fucking goofy. I adore it. The live version with the airhorn? Chef's kiss.

Otome: Fuck it, let's do the ladies too. Out of all of her musical appearances, I like Just Do It the most. It adds such an interesting strength to her character, and the English portions are done super well.

Ichijiku: Love, love, love her part in Verbal Justice for its strength. This is yet another song I think would be fun to do a hell TL of, and then I remind myself that trying to rhyme "Kadenokouji" in English is a fool's errand.

Nemu: Her singing voice in WINK is nice, but I love her part in Femme Fatale for its energy. "I'm Nemu, and this is my masterpiece" Fuck yeah it is

[astrophileous]

Hii 😊 if your up for it could u write an imagine where reader grew up in a musically inclined family and has been hiding it from the bau team but mostly Spencer so he’s never met readers family so when the holidays roll around and readers family comes to visit Spence tells the team he want to meet their family and the team get curious to so they all follow him and show up to readers house to hear their family (reader included) play instruments and singing

(Thank for the consideration 🖤🫡)

Hi anon! First of all, thank you for considering me for this request in the first place, but I regret to inform you that I must reject this request and that I won't be writing anything for it. I will try to explain myself as concisely as possible, but it's still gonna be a long passage so I hope you bear with me. And I encourage my other readers/followers/just fanfic readers in general to read this as well because it's important.

The reason I decided not to write anything for this request is because I just recently stumbled upon a requested fic, written by another author, with an eerily similar plot to this one. There's a chance I'm making a wrong assumption here, but I did ask a friend of mine to compare the two requests, and she also agrees that they are too similar to just be a coincidence. And honestly, I don't appreciate people sending in their requests to me if they're just gonna copy it (with a few tweaks here and there) and send the same ask to another writer's inbox. It's rude. It's disrespectful. And from this point forward, I will be denying ANY request that comes my way if I saw you had already sent the same (or a very similar one) to another author beforehand.

Maybe some of you think this isn't a big deal, but for me, it is. When you send in the same requests to me and multiple other authors, it makes me feel depreciated as a human being. It makes me feel like you view me only as a robot/machine/an AI with no other purpose than to write you fics after fics after fics. I get it, it's harder to perceive someone as another human being when we're all hiding behind our online personas, but just like you and everyone else, all fanfic writers on this platform and I have our own lives. I'm not a fic-producing machine that you can just exchange for another one when you feel like I'm not posting or writing fast enough to your liking.

I know it can be frustrating. I know that some of you might not be as patient to wait longer for authors to publish your requests, but guess what? It's still not an excuse for you to treat us as less than human beings or like we're disposable! Especially when most fanfic writers are doing this FOR FREE. So it shouldn't matter if it takes fanfic writers a week, a month, or a whole year to write something, we still don't owe you anything because it's not like you're paying for us anyway.

I'm a full-time college student in the middle of writing my thesis. I'm running on barely any sleep as it is and as much as I don't want it, writing requests do have to be put on the back burner once in awhile. This is just something you have to accept as fanfic readers. If you can't handle it, then you can literally just take your request to ChatGPT or something and request it to write it for you. I'm not a fan of AI myself, but this is a much better option than just reducing fanfic writers to a fic-producing machine.

So yeah, with that said, I deeply regret that I must deny this request. I'm sorry if I made you wait too long for it, but again, it's still not enough imo to justify what you did. Even if I weren't as busy as I was, requests are still gonna take some time to write—do you know why? Because I always take time to make sure that the contents I post are up to a certain standard. Sometimes I'd even write multiple versions for a request and post one that I deem the best among the others. That's how much I care about the fics I'm putting out even when I'm doing this for free. Fanfic readers tend to forget that the 2000-word stories you managed to finish in a couple of minutes were born out of labors of love that could take DAYS for the writers to complete. And we do it all sometimes without being fairly compensated as well (have you seen the contrast between comments/reblogs and likes for fics in this platform???? It's APPALLING). So really, asking you to please please please not send the same request to different authors should be considered the bare minimum.

In conclusion, I really hope that you can put a stop to this habit for the sake of everyone involved. I'm not saying you shouldn't be sending requests to different authors at the same time, but just make sure that you give us different plots so each writer is given the chance to show off their creativity in their own unique ways. I apologize again if I seemed too hostile in this post, it wasn't my intention at all. Please don't be discouraged from sending another request in the future because of this. I just hope there was something to be learned from what I wrote here. I hope you have a good day! ❤️

[madelinelopper]

Running Wild 3

[neteyam x fem!reader]

a/n: Part 1 & 2 is on my Blog rn! Make sure you read it all first!

"H-Hey, whatcha you doin-?"

Neteyam said suddenly when he noticed that his Ikran didn't seem to enjoy being approached by a stranger and took over as his master. It backed away beside Neteyam, growling furiously at you, startling you back.

"Let- Just let me, okay?"

You nodded slightly at his words. Just then, Neteyam slowly approached, he quickly connected the bond and climbed onto his Ikran. After everything was done, Neteyam turned to you, his voice a little considerate.

"C'mon, Y/n."

Take your eyes off the glowing fan lizards that you think are quite amusing. You turned your head, looked at him for a few brief seconds and then quickly ran over to Ikran. As soon as you sat on his back, Neteyam grasped the handle. In an excited voice, he shouted to you, who were still trying to hold on to Ikran.

"You might wanna hold on!"

It doesn't take long for you to realize what's going on. Neteyam immediately launched his Ikran into the high night sky.

Because of Neteyam's stupidity, you unconsciously shouted in terror and fear. Your eyes were tightly closed and your arms reflexively wrapped around Neteyam's waist, as if letting go even for a second, a breeze could sweep you away.

"You ok?" -Neteyam asked, he was worried if he was in a hurry to fly away without warning. Especially for those who are afraid of heights and have never ridden an Ikran before.

“Yeah– Just, please hurry– Okay-?”

You answered curtly with your eyes still closed behind his back. For you, your little life is the most important right now. It's so important that you don't even notice that your arm is around his waist. So tight that Neteyam feels lucky that you can't see his expression right now.

Cool breezes blow over Neteyam and you until you both reach the new refuge of the Omaticaya Clan - High Camp, where Mount Hallelujah rises in the air.

"Y/n, we're here."

Neteyam says when both have landed and you are left on Ikran's back. Only then did she dare to open her eyes to look at him. You nodded and walked down, curiously looking around. Then suddenly a thought in your head that made you stop walking.

This is an area with mountains floating in the starry sky. For a long time, you and your teammates have been trying to find all the clues to be able to track down Jake Sully's hiding place. Yet all these years it has always been here, the mountain flying right below where you have been working for 2 months?

"Neteyam–

A loud voice came from the tent not far from you and Neteyam. Jake couldn't help but be surprised, and Neteyam could read from that look the rage he was and would have to experience. Just very close.

Jake took a step forward, almost rushing right in front of Neteyam's eyes. Neytiri also sneaks behind, she immediately grabs your hand with a dagger right next to your neck, ready to kill you at any time.

"Neteyam- Do you know what you just did-?

"Dad-I

-I just brought an Avatar straight to our house. WHAT YOU'RE THINKING-?!"

Frustration and anger were evident on Jake's face, his angry voice not too loud but almost shouting at his son's thoughtlessness and temper. Not much happier, Neteyam was helpless. He couldn't say a word when his father interrupted every time he tried to speak. His dad also doesn't seem to care what he has to say.

"But dad! She's hurt, and I just thought if I agreed to help. She'll help us talk to Sky People again. As you know– Things have long since spiraled out of control. So many people have to die, so many people have to sacrifice, and I just can't stand another day like this. So I just thought- I can help her a little-

" So stupid-!

Jake growled, pointed directly at you and yelled.

– you help her? So, can you imagine what would happen if she wasn't a reliable person. What now, Neteyam? What if everyone had to die tonight because of your foolish actions because you think so?–

"Let me-

–What if she disconnects and reports to her superiors? We're all found out and then what, we're all dead?–

"Dad-

–What if Tuk, Lo'ak, Kiri and Spider had to die for this tonight? You will take responsibility as usual? NO!–

The rest of the Clan were now surrounding, some whispering to each other after hearing what Jake said. Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuk and Spider have left the tent. Kiri covered her mouth, she gripped Tuk's hand tightly, the four of them couldn't hide their confusion and insecurity. The atmosphere is tense, dense around the eldest son Neteyam and Jake, somewhere even the name Sky Girl - Y/n.

"Y-You can trust me sir-"

You say when you realized you might be about to be killed. After all, things have become more stressful than ever. You never thought that the Na'vi could be so profound, to be honest, they were no different from the Sly People. Real people, with a heart.

The knife to his neck was now even closer. So close that you could feel the blade cut deeper into you neck. That made it impossible for you to hide your panic.

"Dad please. Give me a chance. You were a Sky People too– I think you must be the one who knows best..."

"Neteyam, you did a terrible thing.. She needs to get out of here, now–" -Neytiri finally said, her voice nothing more than disappointment towards him.

[tarotbiscuits]

Hello again! (I'm the one who asked the turkish industry question 😅) I wanted to say thank you so much for answering my ask! And I also wanted to apologize for the first questions! I really had forgotten that this is a yes/no question and I truly apologize for it😅😭 I was wondering if it's okay , can I please ask another question instead of my first one😅. If I may, my question is

Will I have many loving fans in the turkish film industry even though I'm a trans man? (My intial is also S😊)

(Feed back for my first ask: YOU WERE COMPLETELY CORRECT ON MY BIT IF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS!!!!!! I truly couldn't believe it when I saw it there and I'm really happy to hear that I will be successful if I work hard ! Thank you so so much for the reading!!!!!)

You're welcome! <3

No need to worry about the first question! Honestly, many people didn't respect the rules and asked questions that can't be answered with a yes or a no, but i'm giving them another chance to repair their mistakes if they'd like.

Will you have many loving fans in the turkish film industry even though you're a trans man?

ace of wands, the magician horizontal, three of pentacles rx, the chariot rx clarified by ace of swords and two of cups rx, two of wands, ace of pentacles, the star rx, eight of pentacles

Sadly, no. The reading started on a positive note though. I see that you're someone very creative, you can create magic out of thin air just by using your imagination. You are advised to manifest your loving fans if you'd like to have them, as they won't really come naturally so to speak. I asked another question just to clarify the the magician horizontal ("If you take this piece of advice into consideration and implement it in your life, will you have many loving fans?") and the cards that came out speak more about an obsessive fanbase than loving and supporting fans. You'll probably end up having fans who feel very strongly about you and they might even act a bit creepy if i'm being honest.

I don't know much about Turkey as i've never been there, but from what i've watched online, it seems like turks tend to get jealous a lot and act on their impulses. After all, Turkey is ruled by the sign of scorpio and one of the cards that popped out when i clarified the magician horizontal was the devil, which fits perfectly with the turkish culture. I've also heard that there's a strong traditional mentality and the LGBTQ+ community isn't seen with good eyes, but i'm not sure about the second one. Nevertheless, it looks like some actors/managers won't be looking forward to work with you because of the fact that you're a trans man. There will come a period of inactivity, which will make you question if you should truly continue on this path, but in the end you will get a role and you will work hard for it. Ik this is just extra information, but it doesn't hurt to know.

[mintcleaning]

Why should you hire a quality cleaning service? Benefits and more.

A clean life indicates discipline and a strong mind. Pure existence is a sign of self-control and mental fortitude. Hygiene and the prevention of disease are inextricably linked to cleanliness. To do this, certain janitorial services are crucial. It is accomplished through physical hygiene, typically utilising a solution of water and some solvent.

Your home requires special consideration from all angles because it is the most tranquil setting. Everyone in the current situation is aware of how important cleaning is. Because maintaining personal safety is of utmost importance in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Hiring a quality cleaning service

The workforce of a professional quality cleaning service is instructed to be courteous, truthful, presentable, and effective. They have received training on utilising the proper cleaning tools and delivering your home in immaculate shape. Better cleaning services are more professional in arriving on time and guarantee client happiness.

4 Benefits of cleaning service

1. A clean home

You will, first and foremost, have the spotless home that you and your family deserve. When do you expect to clean when we all have hectic lives rushing from one place to another? You will feel more at ease knowing that you don't need to complete this chore yourself and that there is one less thing for you to worry about.

2. A professional will clean better than you

You may believe you are a more excellent expert on your house than a professional, which is probably accurate. However, you usually tend to forget some things in your home because you don't want to or need to know how to clean them, such as ceiling fans. When those difficult-to-reach locations are neglected, and more dust and filth accumulate over time, you might as well give up. A professional will make sure that everything is always cleaned when they arrive.

3. Things that get skipped over will finally get done

When it comes to cleaning, there are some things we are too lazy to handle. You detest cleaning baseboards across the house or dusting the chandelier in the foyer. When you hire professionals, you may tell them exactly what you need to do, and since you are paying them, they must complete it.

4. The pros have a system

When a professional enters your home, they have a system in place and a checklist of the tasks that, in your opinion, need to be completed. They complete those chores in half the time with the help of this method because they work more effectively.

To sum up

You might be considering whether or not to engage a cleaning service to take care of your house, but after reading this, we hope we have given you some good reasons to do so. Even if you disagree with some of the items in this list, the others might be convincing enough to convince you to hire the appropriate personnel to handle your messes!

[celticcrossanon]

Hello Celta, You’re under no obligation to post this. I just wanted to send you a message of support after those asks yesterday. Please be aware that everyone here in the tumblr community appreciate you and the time and energy it takes to provide the tarot readings you so generously do. Some just need to learn a little empathy and consideration. You do not invade one’s space and request tarot readings like you’re ordering off a menu. Have a little respect and appreciation. My understanding is that we discuss the situation of the day, and if you’re up to it, you’ll do a little reading entirely your choice, for fun and entertainment only.

I’m also glad that you shut down the “is she or isn’t she” Catherine discussion too. I love that you make your intentions clear. I sometimes suspect we get regular sugar visitors disguised as tarot fans.

And please do not apologize for speaking your mind. This is your blog and people coming here should respect you and your work. Period.

Anyways take care, and I hope you recover your strength.

Hi Nonny,

I hope you don't mind that I posted this.

Thank you for the support. <3

"My understanding is that we discuss the situation of the day, and if you’re up to it, you’ll do a little reading entirely your choice, for fun and entertainment only." - your understanding is correct. We discuss the tarot readings and the news of the day, and then I post another reading and we continue.

I suspect that Nonny with the long list has been doing the rounds of the blogs trying to get some reaction to the future generation of royals, as I saw a similar ask on another blog - same list of young royals, and dividing them into those the poster liked or disliked. They might be looking for reassurance, and I am sorry I can't give it to them. The only way to know for sure how people will turn out is to watch them grow up and see how they are at age 30 (when everything, brain and body and emotions and other stuff, has finally stopped growing and developing and is settling down into maturity) (also post first Saturn Return for those who do astrology).

[outrunningthedark]

Wait, there’s a rumor that Oliver and Ryan hate each other?? Sorry i just realized this is super random lol but I literally just binged 911 and went into the tags to kinda surf the fandom and honestly I’m not quite sure how I landed on your post 😂 but yeah I didn’t know that was a thing, that Ryan and Oliver don’t like each other.

This is the one and only time I will explain this because I know everyone who's been here is tired of talking about it. In May 2020, 9-1-1 twitter dug up old tweets from Ryan's then-fiancée (current wife) in which she used the N-word. (Why anyone even cares what Chrysti Ane has to say is beyond me.) Ryan chose to defend his fiancée/the mother of his child and went on instagram live to state that he and his friends "...make fun of each other's races all the time. We call each other slurs all the time." Fans were "asking" (read: demanding) Oliver to comment on what transpired, so he said: “I know a lot of you want to hear my thoughts on what a cast member said today on IG live. I can tell you that my opinion is there is absolutely no excuse for the use of the N-word. It belongs to the black community only and I absolutely don’t agree with it being used by anyone else under any circumstances.” Someone else tweeted that "maybe we should ask his black castmates how they feel about this" because everything was focused on how Oliver reacted, and Aisha weighed in: "How I FEEL daily is a perpetual state of GRIEF. There’s sadly no version of this indefensible discourse that doesn’t exacerbate that grief. There’s legions of learned behaviors that need to be named and neutered so we don’t continue to give life to them. May we know & DO BETTER.” After that, Ryan made another statement in which he said he does not condone the use of the N-word by anybody who is not black and used the word "slurs" when what he really meant was "stereotypes". Some of our fandom took it upon themselves to decide that Oliver was never going to forgive Ryan for what he'd done and that Buddie would suffer because of it. Those people I am referencing have been waiting for Ryan to be written out of the show ever since his comments were posted and grow angrier with every week that passes, so they keep trying to convince new fans who don't know any better that Ryan and Oliver are enemies who only communicate during work hours. And y'no what? NOBODY CARES IF THAT'S TRUE. Whatever hypothetical distance there might be between them off screen has absolutely no impact on their connection once the cameras are rolling. Oliver said as much: "The job of the actor is to try and play with the most truthful thing within that moment and take into consideration, even subconsciously, the relationship we have built between us as the characters.

I don't know if there is now a conscious decision made about particular moments, it's just playing the truth of the moment and then we see that result on screen." [source for Oliver's quote] [source for the details about Ryan]

[kanmom51]

Ok, this might be a bit controversial but even though I side eye many "jeonlous" moments on yt or other media because they literally just zoom in on jk's impassive face, I have seen some that seem legit. I think there is some truth behind it all, meaning that it is possible that jk is a bit possessive, especially when it comes to minimoni or even Taemin for some reason. I mean, he has said he had trouble sharing and it is not difficult to imagine this would also apply to his relationships.

This is not to say that he thinks Namjoon or any of the other members are a threat to his relationship with Jimin because that would be ridiculous. It's just that maybe sometimes he doesn't like some of their skinship (for whatever reasons we don't know) and the rest of bts is probably aware of it. I mean, that clip you reblogged where Jimin sneakily looks at jk and then proceeds to touch namjoon's thigh doesn't have many other explanations. He probably knew what he was doing 😂 There is also that part of their live post billboard 2017 where something was going on with jikook and namjoon.

Actually, I think this is true for both jk and jm, even if it is less obvious/frequent. Maybe I'm crazy but I got the same kind of vibe from Jimin in the black swan mv behind when jk was hanging off of tae.

I don't mean to imply they are toxic or anything but they are young adults and while some telenovela like narratives going around are just insane, i don't think it is fair to assume that their relationship is perfect and that they don't do things that annoy each other or that they don't have behaviors that aren't exactly ideal or 100% healthy. Especially because problems are bound to rise if they are a couple but constantly have to act as if they weren't because their relationship is not public.

I know you are really open minded so I would love to read your thoughts on this 💜

Where do I start here?

Controversial is good.  I like me a good controversy once in a while, as long a it’s not offensive.  It makes for good discussion.

No, I do not believe and definitely don’t like the Jeonolous narrative out there.  It makes for fun YT content, but it’s toxic and paints JK as this possessive ass, which I don’t think he is.

I have addressed this in the past, and said that I don’t believe in this narrative, but on the other hand I do see JK and JM as human beings, and as such, not perfect and prone to natural human behaviour and reactions.  

Even those who are not prone to jealousy, that are in the best of relationships, can get jealous once in a while. 

Another thing we need to remember is that what we spot as jealous can be something other than the obvious possessive jealousy we automatically tend to associate that word with.  It could be something like annoyance or discomfort in a situation. 

The dictionary definition of ‘jealous’ is:

feeling or showing an envious resentment of someone or their achievements,  possessions, or perceived advantages.

 feeling or showing a resentful suspicion that one's partner is attracted to or involved with someone else.

fiercely protective of one's rights or possessions.

 As you can see, what we call as jealousy can contain within it several meanings.  There is possessive jealousy.  There is jealous of one other’s advantage, such as their connection with someone else.  There is jealous not of the connection with the other, but the ability to showcase that connection (being able to be free with the other, while you have to hide your own connection), and there is what I call the classic jealousy, when there is a suspicion your partner is attracted to someone else.

With all those there is also a spectrum of levels of jealousy, from low level jealousy to toxic jealousy.

JM & JK’s relationship doesn’t live in a vacuum.  If we believe they are in a loving gay relationship, well they are living that relationship while being K-pop idols in SK, a highly traditional society.  They are in an environment you are not supposed to have a romantic relationship, let alone an unthinkable ‘gay’ relationship. So, showcasing such a relationship, for them, is problematic, and could be dangerous, to their careers and even their own personal safety.  It can be detrimental not only to themselves, but to the band and all the members.  So, as a whole, they have to hide it.  And that in itself can also be a point of friction.

Another thing to point out is that jealousy can also be a facet of insecurity, in yourself and/or in your relationship.  The stronger the relationship, the more secure you are in your connection, the less jealous you will be.  I think that this is something to take into consideration when we look at JM & JK, especially in the early years.  

Also, not every time that JK pokes his cheeks with his tongue does it mean he’s jealous or angry.  Not every behaviour should be interpreted as jealously.

Saying all that, I have seen several occasions that stood out to me, and I find hard to explain.

The 4th July 2015 fan meeting incident is one of them.  The way JK reacted to RM taking a hold of JM was not only jealous behaviour but it was such an extreme reaction and effected JK’s behaviour with the fans as well, which was really unprofessional, and uncharacteristic.  

Same vibe but not as extreme was JK during BTS Bomb after KBS music bank 1st place 9 May 2015.  moody JK when he’s eyeing Jimin interacting with Hobi and Jin, also the way JK averts his eyes when Jimin looks his way. He’s not happy. Mood changes when Jimin pays him attention pulling him by his shirt.

Both of these were, at least as far as I am concerned, before JM & JK’s relationship progressed into something ‘more’.  This could be a kind of ‘I want that’ or ‘why are you giving him attention and not me’ jealousy.  Whatever it was, it was a clear reaction to JM’s interactions with another member of the band.

Another one I think about was 3rd April 2017 – BTS Front row live entertainment interview.  

This one intrigues me. I watched and re-watched the full interview several times, and for the life of me I can’t see what happened there between JM and Hobi that triggered JK’s reaction?  JM’s placating look at JK, like telling him nothing happened… this one is used a lot to create the JK jealous narrative, and to be honest, I really don’t know what happened there. When JK turns back, JM looks into the camera with an uneasy gaze.   Something was going on there, no idea what it was.  Was it jealousy?  Was it something else between them? Idk, but it was a curious moment.

The issues JK has with Taemin. We do know that something happened between JK & JM the night JM performed with Taemin (if it had to do with Taemin we don’t know).  

We have also seen JK’s reactions to Taemin & Jimin together.  I do think there is a dislike there, it can stem from jealousy, but it can also stem from simple dislike of the man.  We have no way of knowing.  It’s kind of who came first, the chicken or the egg.

The clip I reblogged, and that you mentioned anon, is something else to me.  Yes, JK’s reaction is of uneasiness, even anger, but the feel I get here is that this is a JM kind of teaching moment, and JK reacting to that. It feels like JM wants to teach him a lesson for some reason, and JK crossing his arms and look at JM kind of radiates anger more than jealousy to me.  The way JM stretches out his hands, the look on his face before he puts his hands on RM’s thigh, the way he looks back before and after to make sure JK is looking.  He was there to teach him a lesson.  That was my impression.  We have no idea what happened before or after.  We have no idea why JM decided to do this, but JK’s reaction to me was more pissed off than jealous.  That’s the vibe I got.

I have seen JM reacting in a manor that looks like jealousy on occasions.  The one I can think about is the Vlive where JK is sitting in front of Tae, JM on the other side of the table, and Tae is using JK as his play thing.  The way JM looks at them, the way he storms out the second the live ends, the way Tae pipes up immediately, looking like he’s off to follow JM.  They all paint a jealous or angry reaction.  

JM was clearly bothered but I don’t think of this as JM being jealous of Tae & JK.  I think the bond between those three is strong enough. Again, this was one of those questionable moments.

Bottom line –

JK & JM are human beings, and as such exhibit normal human behaviour.  

Jealousy can be considered as a normal human behaviour, and can also be seen in healthy relationships, as long as it doesn’t become toxic, obsessive, overbearing or controlling. I will even go so far as to say that there are those who thrive on jealousy.  Jealousy is a way for them to feel their partner loves them, a way to get reinforcement that they are wanted/loved.  Again, this is something that can turn toxic, but not always.

Jealousy has different facets.  You can be jealous of someone, jealous for someone.

Do JK or JM sometimes show jealous behaviour. Seemingly they do once in a while.

Does that make one or either of them jealous monsters?  Does that make their relationship possessive or toxic?

By no means what so ever!!!!!  

It’s natural, it’s human, they are human.  Their relationship has ups and downs. It holds a beautiful bond filled with love and care, but also may hold insecurities and arguments and everything a normal relationship between two human beings will hold.  

We just need to give them a break.

It’s ok to ‘analyze’ behaviours, but it’s not ok to demonize either one of them.  See the behaviour, talk about it, but also remember we only see part of the picture, the edited version of what is going on between the two.

 And first and utmost remember they are human beings, just like the rest of us.  Don’t hold them up to ridiculous standards because they are ‘idols’.

[notthatiwilleverwriteit]

Thoughts on the new extra? I know some people might think he tian was forcing himself on mo. but he was just teasing him and getting payback and it's part of character to push boundaries. tianshan don't have the "fluff" dynamic like zhanyi. if mo really hated that he would have reacted the same way like the first kiss. Maybe he tian wanted to actually kiss mo with the way he was touching his lips but he's afraid of the reaction. Mo might have some more dreams about he tian after that😅😂

 Hello, dear anon! 

Before getting any further, I’m using the translation by @1154lizz​ for this answer. Thank you for your speedy hard work for the fandom! 🙏

It sure seems like the fandom is being divided by the latest special chapter. Considering that Tianshan has always done that, I’m not really surprised but I do hope the conversation stays civil.

I also want to remind anyone reading this that the following is merely my own opinion on the update. I am not trying to tell anyone how to interpret or feel about the special. Everyone is entitled to their own take on it, and I don’t think neither side of the argument is inherently right or wrong. Even though I’m a Tianshan shipper, I don’t think people who feel uncomfortable with the pairing can’t make valid points. And just because we might disagree, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t respect each other’s points of view.

Overall (drink up!), I have touched upon the subjects of Tianshan’s physical moments and if I think they are toxic/abusive:

What if HT kissed MGS again? (on the lips)

Is Tianshan toxic?

Is Tianshan toxic, vol. 2?

Intimate Tianshan moments I wish will happen

What Tianshan sex would be like in the future?

Those are probably something worth checking out to have a better understanding of where I’m coming from regarding these topics.

Now, let’s finally get to your ask!

“Thoughts on the new extra?”

To be honest, my initial reaction to the panels before knowing what was going on was “yikes 😬”. Especially, the first panels. I was a bit disappointed and put off that it seemed like we were going somewhat backward. So, I can understand why people might have been upset about the update. I think being taken aback and uncomfortable is a fair olive branch that can be extended even if you might disagree. It didn’t look good to me at first, either.

Then I read the English translation and got a better sense of what was going on. I got a proper context for the panels, and it started to look different (ch. 333):

So, MGS had accidentally kicked HT in the balls when HT scared the living bazooka out of him. And now HT was seeking revenge by making MGS “massage them”.

If you put the panels that admittedly didn’t look good in that context, they pretty much fall in line with the previous time HT’s balls were accidentally abused by MGS (ch 298):

HT took revenge by pushing MGS down and trying to “feel” MGS down there, most probably to return the favor. To me, this is the kind of juvenile humor that is well established in the comic already, and HT asking MGS to “massage them” was in that category. That kind of humor isn’t for everyone but I think it’s the type that is very typical to 19 Days.

Admittedly, the two panels have two very different environments and vibes which is why I also felt somewhat uncomfortable about the latest one. HT trying to feel MGS up after the accidental slap has a more playful atmosphere while HT pulling MGS’s hand towards his crotch in a dim bedroom comes across very differently. But in general, after reading the translation, the bedroom scene fit that whole revenge type of teasing already familiar in the comic.

Another thing that shifted in nature to me was the “forcing himself on MGS”. As I said, at first it did look like yikes to me. Then I read the translations and three things changed.

First of all, it became the kind of hot I personally enjoy in Tianshan dynamics (ch. 333):

As I said in one of my earlier answers about what I think Tianshan sex will be like in the future, I see them having some “spice” that stems from their push and pull dynamics. HT being physically in charge and having his usual pushy demeanor. And MGS would consent but also be his usual defiant self and kind of “if you want it, then you gotta take it” that I think fits his character.

I do admit that HT pulling MGS’s hand forcefully like that and MGS not being on the same page wasn’t exactly the kind of spice I meant but in general, I liked HT’s dominance and the hint of danger. That “I dare” by HT sent little shivers down my back and was just how I wanted it. Now, all we need to add to that is MGS getting more comfortable.

Secondly, another thing besides spice in my earlier post was “sugar” and “teasing” (or “seasoning” as @19elaine​ better put it). I think both of them were present in the special chapter, too (ch. 333):

HT was teasing and messing with MGS. He was looking for revenge in the way he knew would be the most “efficient” in the sense that it makes MGS regret kicking him for sure. But HT’s form of revenge also had sexual innuendos which I think is a big part of Tianshan’s interactions. Teasing and bullying not only pushes the boundaries in a titillating way but also upholds the sexual tension undertones between them.

The last panels also gave me vibes of “sugar”. I think when HT said he “can’t help it” (bullying MGS), he was teasing MGS but also being honest and vulnerable under the surface. I think he wanted to kiss MGS and show him that kind of affection but settled for something that wouldn’t cross big lines that MGS wasn’t ready to cross yet. But HT does want that kind of physical intimacy and affection, and on some level, it’s difficult for him to try and be patient. He doesn’t want them to have to them (aka to take them for his own pleasure) but rather because that’s what he craves for in a relationship.

Thirdly, I think this chapter showed that HT knows when to back off (ch. 333):

As I have said many times before, the seeming power imbalance in Tianshan is usually what comes across at first glance. But when you take a deeper look, I think MGS holds quite a lot of power and control in their relationship. HT pushes and bullies him for sure, but he would never want to knowingly hurt MGS or traumatize him.

For example, in that situation, I would have found it out of character if HT had French kissed MGS instead of the little “chus”. MGS wouldn’t have been ready for something like that, and it would have crossed lines in a bad way similar to when HT kissed him for the first time. That’s not how HT wants it with MGS because it would go against everything he’s trying to achieve in life. He’s not going to break the trust he has gained and hurt MGS the same way people like him have always done.

I also agree that if MGS had been against HT getting physical in the same way as when HT kissed him for the first time, he would have reacted in a similar way. He would have had a much stronger reaction. I do think MGS was still uncomfortable in that situation but...I think the vibe was vastly different. He wasn’t resisting with all his might. To me, it looked like MGS was bothered but also trusted HT. He was trusting that HT wouldn’t hurt him and knew where the line “truly” went for him.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand if “know when to back off” sounds problematic to some. That grey area isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And I’m not telling anyone to feel differently about it if it goes against their heart. It’s just that I see that delicate balance being an essential part of the Tianshan dynamics both now and in the future.

On top of all that, I think there is also the cultural context to be taken into consideration. 19 Days is a work of the “boys love” genre and part of the conventions and tropes that come with that. I think Tianshan dynamics is a good example of the trope of a pushy, devilish “seme” who wants to bully and fluster his tsundere “uke”. Now, before anyone comes at me, that’s just how I see it based on the hundreds of works of BL (Japanese, Korean, and Chinese titles) that I have read. I think 19 Days is one of the very few BLs that has a lot of Western fans as well who aren’t perhaps that familiar with BL or comfortable with it. And sometimes those two different literal cultures clash. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I would say this chapter was one of those times. (I realize I’m making big generalizations here. This is just my gut feeling.)

To summarize, I was taken aback by the panels at first but after I got a better understanding of what was really going on, I saw it all differently and that it followed the kind of tone Tianshan and the comic have always had. However, I don’t believe in trying to dictate how people should feel about the chapter. I can see where people who were uncomfortable are coming from.

Thank you for your question, dear anon!

[maivalkov]

I have seen not long ago a post about "spain's dark side" so...your opinion about that? (I kinda have a feeling of knowing why himaruya came up with that and, if I am right, I am not sure if I like it. It's not that I don't like the dark side thing, but if the reason is what I think, then I don't fancy it)

Great question! Please excuse the length of this response in advance, and if I go off on any tangents. To directly answer your question: I have a horrible feeling that Dark Spain is inspired by the Spanish Black Legend/La leyenda negra, and I don't like that at all. You've really hit on an important topic here, so I'm going to extend this discussion. I call this upcoming piece: Why I don't like Dark Spain and why we, as fans and creators, need to be mindful of how we enjoy our beloved series.

Side note before we begin: I'm going to be talking from a writer's perspective, since this is what I mostly do. My opinion is just that, nothing more. Some will agree with me, others won't, and that's okay. If you're happy with the terms, let's crack on.

Part 1: "Dark" characters I'm not against 2P or "dark" versions of a character if it's required for a particular setting. Let me show you what I mean, using some fic plots I just pulled from my head: Example one: You've got this gritty, fantasy gangster city plot. You use a real city as your location, but the characters are human. Antonio's the leader of a huge criminal organisation and therefore he will do incredibly bad things. It's trigger warnings ahoy. Is this portrayal okay? Sure. (read on before you hit that reply button) Example two: You're writing a horror fic. Antonio's a sexy merman who's more likely to decorate his cave with your entrails, than serenade you on a beach. Is this plot fine? Absolutely. It's dark af, but you're writing sexy merman horror. It kinda’ comes with the territory. Did you see how I wrote "fantasy" and "human" in bold? And did you see that I used Antonio, not Spain? There's a reason. I personally believe in this: When your story uses Hetalia characters in their human form (i.e: Antonio is just Antonio, he does not represent Spain), there's much more freedom and flexibility. I've read many excellent works with darker themes who use real locations alongside human versions of the characters, and do so brilliantly. They're wonderful stories, and they don't cause harm. They're fiction. Fantasy. Fiction. Did I mention fiction? On the flip side: When we are writing the characters as country personifications, who represent the people and the history, we must take proper precaution. The same applies to writing about historical events. (To be continued down below.)

Part 2: Dark Spain

As someone who's been in fandom 10+ years now, my problem with Dark Spain is this: a number of creators back in the old days seemed to agree with my Black Legend theory/concerns, and yet they willingly made content for it. Not everybody did this, but I certainly saw some who thought "wow dark crazy Spain because Inquisition", applied it to certain ships because "ohh angst leads to romance, what a plot" and that is wrong on so many levels. If you know the Spanish Black Legend, then you know how bad this is. It's an incredibly difficult topic because it is, in the simplest sense, massive propaganda designed to seriously damage a country's image. I welcome Spanish input on this, but personally I think using this as some edgy portrayal of Antonio in your fics is insulting. Don't bloody well do it.

(Please note that the fandom is MUCH better now, but it doesn't change the fact it has, and could still happen. I used past tense for a reason, as I do think things are improving.)

Russia is another character which suffers this treatment, and I do think we have a responsibility to be considerate. Many countries have done awful things, mine (the UK) included, and yet our characters have escaped receiving this Dark persona. It's not fair, it really isn't. It's a poor judgment call on Himaruya's behalf if my theory is true. If I'm wrong, then this argument is void. Either way I feel like Himaruya should've specified how and why Dark Spain came about. Part 3: Historical writing

Here's where it gets interesting. I'm not saying "don't write historical hetalia fanfiction", and I never will say it because historical fiction exists. You can go in your local bookshop and boom, people are making real money off it.

I'm not one of those lucky sorts, but I am contributing to that genre myself. Despite lots of magic, fantasy and general artistic license, my story Gatito can be considered historicaI.

It's set in England, 1569. Spain and the Netherlands are two of the main characters, and yes, their conflict is referenced. It coincides with the timeline, and all the while I write them as personifications, I can't pretend that tension between them doesn't exist. If I did, that'd probably be even more insulting to their history, and no doubt confusing for the reader.

The main plot is a daft mash of Arthur misusing his magic, a vile fictional man from Antonio's court who wants his head, and poor Netherlands and Portugal get wrapped up in the drama along the way.

The Dutch conflict is featured, but not the plot. The event is occurring right in the middle of a fictional disaster which Antonio is trying to overcome. It's acknowledged, but it's on the side, to put it simply.

I use human names (Antonio and Abel) and explore that situation from an emotional, human perspective. I do not claim that Abel is a victim, and no one thinks he is either. Personal HC time here: I don't think any of the characters look back at their history and think "wow, poor me". Everyone's made mistakes, and they've all played a role in hurting someone else. My history teacher once told me this: The more you look, the more you see. There's many sides to a story, and even to this day, I doubt historians have truly, faithfully documented events so that it's fair on every nation involved. That's why we need to try and learn history from multiple perspectives, and why when writing hetalia characters during a historical event, we should show the reader as many viewpoints as possible. If you don't, then... well. I frown at you. More on this in part 4.

Part 4: Conclusion/advice

I won't pretend to be a saintly figure in the fandom, and this rant is a bit of a mess, but I hope you get what I'm on about. Thank you if you're still reading.

I'm going to finish with a bit of advice that has helped me have a positive time, and allowed me to create works for a series I really love:

1- If your story is historical, and you purposely want to paint a country in a bad light, think before you do. Don't slander another country for the sake of your comfort character or ship. If your story is set during a battle then yes, they can moan about the opposition, but don’t go hardcore. You know what I mean.

2- Research, research, research.

3- You want to write a particular character. Their human name is unconfirmed, or you don't know a part of their history, but you want to write about it. What should you do? Talk. I had this very dilemma regarding Portugal's surnames, and I just asked Portuguese mutuals on Tumblr for help. I received numerous valid responses in under an hour, and I felt better for it. 10/10 highly recommend.

4- If you've gotta' write Dark Spain: Keep. It. Fictional. If you don't believe my theory behind it, cool, crack on. But if you agree with me, then yeah, I've said it enough. Respect the country.

5- DO explore history. It's fascinating.

6- If you write historical hetalia and you feel that something might be misunderstood: PLEASE USE DISCLAIMERS, END NOTES ETC. I write number 6 from experience. There is a scene in Gatito where a significantly stressed Antonio attempts to summarise the Dutch conflict. He's being blamed for countless fictional issues, and rather than think things through, he blames himself for Abel's pain as well. He does it on a purely emotional basis. Have you ever had that really bad day, and things keep getting worse? Someone comes along and says "you did x y z and I'm mad", and rather than argue your side, you accept it?

That's Antonio in that scene. I know it is, because that's how I intended it to be read. His answer is flawed, to say the least, but in his human heart, he can't help it. I used the end notes as a warning/apology/explanation for this scene. I don't want it to be misinterpreted, and I don't want to disrespect Spanish history.

7- If someone does comment/ask about a sensitive, historical part of your work: don't rant. And don't get offended. I believe we all need to talk more. Have conversations about HCs, how we would write/imagine different scenes, and use it to improve your work.

8- Have fun, and be sensible. Thank you again for reading, I hope this helps to some extent. I know I've thrown my opinion out here, but if you strongly disagree with me, don't @. Move on, embrace what you believe, and everyone's a winner. (This really should've been number 9 on the list haha.)

[chateautae]

maybe i do has become such an important part of 2021. every month i stayed there reading new updates till 3 am (timezones suck really!). i'm so happy that i could take part in this journey in a way or another. (been here since chapter 3 i guess).

for my dear sammy: girl, you are amazing. A M A Z I N G. i don't like reading smut at all. i'm a WHORE for angst and fluff. sadly, most smutless fics flop (or i can't just find them. if you have any recs, i'm more than happy to hear them). my point is that maybe i do gave me a warm feeling nevertheless. i regret giving it skips a few times before taking a shot because of this. it is surely a story that will be in my head for a long long time.

now i wanna tell you a few things i love about this fic:

1) how sammy describes their feeling. THOSE DRAMATIC ADDITIONS ARE CHEF'S KISS FOR REAL. i feel a knife right in my head everytime i read those in general. i often find myself using them too while writing

"He wanted to laugh at how much he pathetically yearned for you to touch him in that moment, to feel your little fingers caress his hair like you always did. / He felt empty when the touch never came. " this example lives in my head rent free

"You settle in and wiggle closer to Taehyung, finding a home in his outstretched arm. You kiss his bare shoulder as you snuggle into his warm side, laying an arm over his chest as your head rests atop his shoulder, slumbering close to him that night. His scent lulled you to sleep, smiling to yourself as you found serenity by his side. / And little did you know, Taehyung smiled, too. "

2) the descriptive passages made me love every single detail about their "world".

i HATE beaches in the summer. i hate that sun and the sand. i feel very insecure going there so it's a not for me, but theur trip to greece -_-

3) please the characters are so well built and their interactions are to die for.

You watched him near you, his face blank as he took a handful of your hair and softly placed in front of you. He then brought his hand against your side to hold you in place, his other working for the zipper. It was another case of his rather hot breath fanning your back, almost teasingly zipping up your dress by simple inches. 

Taehyung fought his inner turmoil trying to reject your hold, though he felt so entirely warm in your touch he ultimately relaxed, accepting it, a calming breath leaving his body. He sensed the storm in his mind dissipating, the cold ice of his habitually lonely thoughts melting away underneath your hug. 

4) everybody has their ugly sides and when you love somebody you never make them doubt it in any way.

5) the reader has finally her own personality, not just a fucking simp over her lover. she can see when tae is wrong, she has her insecurities. this, sadly, gave me such a homey vibe. i am a very very insecure person, in any way - to the point i have panic attacks often (now it happens even once a week). i don't wanna fall in love because i'm afraid that i'm not good enough, that the other person feels guilty somehow. it's stupid i know but y/n gave me hope somehow. i love her, truly

6) PLOT, and a good one. family issues, exes, friendships. i love how you show that they have their own lifes, go to work, are stressed over projects, miss their families.

7) finally taehyung is not a dick in an arranged marriage fic. he knows how to respect others and it's very considerate with people's feelings. this is the biggest turn on ever.

8) TAEHYUNG HAD A LOT OF SHIT TO DEAL WITH. he is far from perfect. this character is not constant, always trying to be better

9) love LOvE lOve LOVE they are so sweet aaaaaaaa

10) baby yeontan is in the fic

11) THE FIGHTS HOLY FUCK I LOVED THEM

12) i have a lot more to say about it, but i wanna end it here. the most beautiful think is the communication sammy had with us. she listened to us. gave us a voice and also surprised us every fucking time. i'm so proud of you really

i might have a lot of mistakes and i'm so sorry but i have to finish a project in a few hours and i kinda need to hurry. but i had to send you this. thank you for all, sammy 🤍

Vae 🥺 omg the smile on my face when I read this was literally glowing!! Tysm for such a sweet, heart-touching and moving message it seriously makes me so so content that you loved maybe I do!! I'm so happy you were with along this crazy journey and I can't help but hope the ending reads well for you too. Thank you for taking the time to send this message loves, I'll always keep it in a special place in my heart 🥺💓💓

[nightswithkookmin]

MONDAY, JANUARY 18TH: GOLDY'S LOG

I miss Suga. Scratch that. I miss Agust D. My spirit animal.

I've been thinking about him a lot lately, wondering if his injury isn't an exemption to military service. I wonder if he qualifies, in light of his injury, as an able body. I wonder what their law defines as able body.

I wonder if he passed the legal physical exam and health assessment test when he turned 19, since he's had that injury way before debut. Or if BTS have undergone that mandatory military service assessment since they are all past 19 and what their results are.

Jimin has chronic back pain too. That should qualify him for an exemption to military duty. He can still do desk work if it's that serious.

I should talk to ***** and look into South Korea's law on exemptions to military service.

Moon values the arts and culture industry. There's already been an extension for conscription for the benefit of BTS. Their success and longevity in the spot light perhaps influenced this decision. Should BTS maintain this momentum, an exemption would be inevitable I feel.

I miss them. They've been gone for too long. I'm worried about the impact this is going to have on their popularity if they disconnect from fans for so long or be mechanical about the way they connect with their fans.

I hate the limited access to them. But Scarcity increases the value of a product and it's not surprising if this is the approach BigHit is adopting in the wake of the pandemic.

Limited access not only raises value, it creates demand. Bang PD is a bigbrain marketing genius- I hate it.

They are taking a huge risk with this new marketing strategy. Personally, I'd stick to what works but then I am no marketing guru. Just a consumer who likes to play it safe. I guess I won't be getting hired anytime soon. Fuck.

It's all very fascinating.

What's equally fascinating is the shippers out here on these streets. The Jokers.

I... they confuse the hell out of me sometimes.

How are they going to question my rationality when I talk about moments I feel Jikook are having issues in their relationship or had broken up etc but then have no problem with and even applaud that same rationality when I talk about moments that has led me to believe there is lack of depth in Tae Kook's dynamics or that they are not real by any standard or that another ship in BTS isn't real.

Do I have two minds? Or are they more inclined to be selective in their beliefs based on their biases towards Jikook and against other ships? It's weird.

By the same lens I define Jikook as real, I define Tae Kook or any other ship that includes JK and Jimin as not real. And by that same lens if I feel Jikook aren't together then I'm wrong and irrational?

It really confounds me.

Not sure if they expect me to apply double standards to Jikook in those instances.

I don't think there is right and wrong opinions or perspective when it comes to shipping, but I think if they are right about me being wrong about my perspective on Jikook then I must be wrong about my perspective on any other ship in BTS as well.

I can't be right about one and wrong about another. I'm either right about all or wrong about all.

I can't be 'right' about Tae Kook having 'issues' in their bond in such a way I think it often bars them from fully nurturing their bond and developing depth to it but then be 'wrong' about Jikook also having issues that mess with their bond from time to time when it's the same measurement I use in accessing the depth of bond of both ships.

I really don't understand their way of thinking.

What is right and what is wrong and who decides on that?

I think we ought to substitute right and wrong with 'believe and believable.' The approach to such discourse should be about what one is willing to believe or not believe about certain discussions: I believe this. I don't believe that. Because believes stem from our personal biases towards a subject.

And the people that come running to me with 'look, Jikook smiled at each other in On era so change your mind'

I would except I hear this debate all the time. I wonder if they realize they sound exactly like the Tuktukkers in my DMs trying to convince me Tae Kook is real.

'Look Tae sat on JK's laps! How can you say there is no depth to Tae kook' ' He squished JK's cheeks' 'Jk said he wants to ride with Tae, if there was no depth why did he say he wanted to ride with him'

I have a feeling Soft Koo is back. The days of Terminator JK might be over. Too bad, I liked terminator JK. He was a bad ass.

I like that he is experimenting with his looks. But I'm glad his Ravi-esque phase is over. I wonder who he is drawing inspiration from this time. He reminds me of Jimin though. There is something peaceful and serene about his looks.

Can't really tell much because Bighit is sitting on tons of footages. I think I need to send a truck to Bang PD HQ.

I don't like that Jimin posted a Vhopemin photo for Tae's birthday. It was cute and all but I don't like it. That shit felt passive aggressive as fuxk. Lmho. What, he didn't have a V or Vmin photo in his gallery? Sounds like someone didn't put much effort in their VMin agenda for this post.

I wonder if he will keep the same energy come JK's birthday. I mean both him and Tae didn't post for him💀

May be I'm reaching on this one. But a single post where V was not even the focus of the post... I think his birthday means a lot to him and he enjoys when people shower him with love and attention and I don't think his birthday is an exception.

And he kept reiterating after such said birthday how he recently discovered he loves to be loved and how he does most of the things he does in order to be loved by his fans, friends and family.

And it breaks my heart that, the headlines read BTS shower X, Y with love on his birthday but the two people close to him were missing from that list this time. The media talks about BTS posting for eachother as them showering eachother with love. Certainly they all know this.

And the fact Jin posted for Tae after Tae's birthday says a lot about Tae and JK. Tae had no intention of posting perhaps because he left JM a message on the packages. With Jin I feel he was overcompensating for not posting for him on his birthday...

JK gets a pass. If JM wasn't happy about him not posting for his birthday, he would have pulled a Jin.

Jimin talking about coming to the realization he loves to be loved makes me think JK withholding his affections openly made him come to the realization he loves to be loved. Just a hunch. And the only reason JK would withhold his affections is if Jimin himself estopps him. Those two give me headaches.

I think I got the closure I needed from this.

LESSON: dont get on JM's bad side and bloody post for his birthday 💀

Tae been releasing photos of Jimin and Jhope a lot lately. Not sure how that makes me feel either. I think it's beautiful. But when I think about all these beautiful photos he has of Jimin on his phone and how generous he is with them- I think they would have been more meaningful had he released it on JM's birthday. The snow photo he posted still sits in my Vmin heart somewhere.

I really don't like this not posting for each other's birthday business. It's 2021. They need to cut it out.

I feel JK set a bad precedent but personal happiness first so good for him.

This moment haunts me for some reason.

What was going through V's head. I want to know. RM looks done. Lol.

Jimin is really beautiful. I love his eyes when he smiles and the thing he does with his shoulders.

Some people complain I write a lot. Some say I don't write enough. Ayayayai!!!!!!

What to do.

I think I accidentally deleted a post.

I'm looking forward to JKK1. Stay Gold, Still with you, Your eyes tell... I hope he hasn't given his best away cos those were bops.

PJM1... oh God I'm nervous. I'm excited for it but nervous. I think Serendipity is a classic. The Christmas song was equally great and frankly the only good Christmas Ive heard so far and I don't even like Christmas- nothing against Baby Jesus I just think it sucks. That bridge in Dis-ease is something.

I want to read his thoughts. His spotify playlist is insightful but I want to confirm if he really sees himself as a mess who is always causing his lover grief.

I mean he did say he has realized he needs to be considerate towards those that love him. Not sure yet the connection there.

I want to read his thoughts.

PJM1....

I love JHOPE. I think his ship with Jimin is beautiful and healing. They make my insides warm. Not sure if their shippers think they are real. Do they? That would be awkward.

I think RM and Jimin need to spend time together... it would be good for them.

Jimin and Sungwoon shippers are alleging Jimin has been staying with Sungwoon all this while. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

But the bit about him living with Sungwoon before the start of Bon V 4 has me🤔

Around that period, I don't believe JM was at the dorms and Jikook were not together then too. He must have been staying somewhere...

I'll let them have that.

But around November 2019 when he was having issues with JK he was staying with Tae too so no I don't think that means Sungwoon is queer or that Jimin is sleeping with him💀

They need to get out of their imaginations.

I think Jikook will drive me crazy one day.

I can feel my cranium swelling.

JiRose shippers need to pack it up. They really think Jimin is straight? 💀

It's the bad editing for me.

That doesn't look like a straight face to me. Unless his butt was on fire and he was uncomfortable looking at that black interviewer, I think that's his flirting face.

Lately I've been thinking about what ifs.

What if Jikook is not real?

I wish I believed that.

[sanstropfremir]

please let me join the dance conversation since it's the form of art i am actually the most interested in. i've been dancing as a kid for 6 years, and i don't mean to say that that gave me any type of authority in the domain, but it did leave me with the slight ability to recognize a good performance (or whatever makes a good performance to me, personally) and a great appreciation for valueing dancing as acting, like you said. too often i've seen dance ranking videos from actual life-long dancers who value technical skill above anything else. even if they take into consideration the facial expressions, it doesn't hold much weight and that always lowkey pissed me off. because when i am watching a performance, i care way more about the emotional delivery rather than the technical one. of course, this is not to disregard skill, because emotion without skill just ends up messy. good enough to appreciate as a form of authentic self-expression, but still messy, and mess won't make you a good dancer.

i've really enjoyed seeing you say dancing and acting have a mutual component since i've always felt that way too but never knew how to put it in words. two groups that come in mind when thinking about this are blackpink and itzy, i have no idea how familiar you are with them so i'm sorry if the following come across as foreign to you. but i gotta say, regarding bp, i think there's always been discourse over lisa vs rose as the best dancer. technically, everybody knows lisa is miles ahead, and i have to say she has decent stage presence and some pretty nice facial expressions too (taking into consideration how limited bp's concepts have been so far). rose, on the other hand, has a certain style that appeals to a specific audience (which i am not a part of, her lack of body control is so irritating sometimes) but i can see why some would find her charming. i would say her stage presence is decent too, but i can't help but choose lisa over her, and not just because i'm biased. but because in order to be a true dancer, you need the right balance between technique and emotion that gives your performance that star-value and appeal. and let's be real, kpop is really lacking in that "true dancer" department.

another dancing discourse that goes on is in the itzy fandom, where fans are pitting yeji and chaeryeong against each other. their techniques are quite different but they are each very good in their respective style. now, i've seen people call yeji the better "idol dancer" since she has better developed facial expressions, and chaeryeong the better "overall dancer" since people value her technique more. and i'm just like, no. emotion makes or breaks a dancer. everyone can learn technique, but emotion is hard to fake, and when you do, the non-authenticity is very much obvious.

that's why i love san as a dancer. he might not be the most technically skilled, but he is skilled enough to hold his own. and his way of living in the performance, of just letting every feel of the song wash over him and show the audience 110% and more - nothing compares to that, no amount of technicality. stage presence is something you just have, and no matter how much you train for it, you will pale in comparison to a natural.

wow, this is really long so thank you if you take the time to read it all and respond. english is not my first language and sometimes i'm having trouble finding the right words to get my point across exactly how i think of it in my mind, so i hope the message is delivered accurately, haha :D also, i must add i love the way you talk, your speech has a flow and a uniqueness to it you don't find everyday. and we love a developed vocabulary<3 may i ask how old you are?

thank you for the compliment, thats very sweet of you! english is my native language and i have spent just as much time, if not longer doing academics as i have doing performance work so at this point ive developed a very specific style. there’s a joke that theatre design is 90% communication and only 10% design, and it’s not wrong. it helps that i like to talk and my brain works very fast sometimes.

im glad you took the time to write this out! and don't apologize for your english, it's excellent and very clear. you are correct i know very little about blackpink and itzy but i would likely agree with you, dance is equal parts emotion and technique and that is my preference in idols as well. but i don’t think that the kpop industry needs to have ‘true’ dancers, though. yes it is fun to watch those who are technically and charismatically gifted in dance, it is only a portion of the experience that they market. also i think we lose a bit of objectivity in kpop because all idols are required to dance, but i dont think ive seen one recently that's a legitimately bad dancer. even the ‘worst’ dancers that i can think of are still leagues better than the average person on the street, but we see them as ‘bad’ because they work directly alongside peers who are legitimately gifted and have a passion for dance as a form. 

it's interesting to hear you say that everyone can learn technique but emotion is hard to fake, because i hear a lot of dancers say that. i think this comes from a misunderstanding of what exactly acting is and how it works. i would argue that a statement closer to the sentiment that you (and many others) are trying to get is ‘not everyone can do both at the same time.’ the average person is no more predisposed to acting then they are to dance, because acting is a skill that can be taught and exercised in the same way dance can. sure, there are people that have a higher latent ability, but if you put in the work, you can learn. why do you think there are acting classes and schools and conservatories? you can get a doctorate in acting if you really want to. the thing about acting is that in order to be good at it, you have to both understand and be able to implement the correct postures for mimicking human emotion. this is an insanely complex task when you get down to the brass tacks of it. just think about your face and body posture for a moment. why are you sitting/standing in that particular way? why is your face in that particular expression? what do you think your posture is saying to someone who is observing you? how would you change it if you wanted the person to start a conversation with you? if you wanted them to leave you alone? 

there’s also a general assumption that acting comes from a place of genuine or authentic emotion, and this is the fault of modern ‘method’ film acting. i have a very long thesis about how much i hate method acting and i can make a separate post about that if people are curious. but suffice to say, acting very rarely comes from a ‘genuine’ place. it may be informed from a genuine place, but by nature it is not real. thats what makes it acting. and i think dancers seem to be under the impression that showing emotion while dancing has to come from the dancer personally feeling those emotions, when thats not the case at all. this criminal fancam is a perfect example of exactly how good taemin is at putting on a character for a performance. you can very clearly see him drop character after the main camera cuts, and pretty much any concert footage shows this as well.

now, being able to do both a complex system of physical movements with your body and also control the minute details and timing in your facial muscles and posture? thats pretty fuckin hard. not a lot of people can do that, it takes just as much practice as learning technique does, just not in the way that people might think. but it is possible.

[intrepidmare]

MARE'S RECAPS ~ THE MANDALORIAN: CHAPTER 9 "THE MARSHALL"

Oh wow! It's been a while since I've done something like this. Last year, I caught up with season 1 about 2 days before the finale, so I didn't have the opportunity to write reviews/recaps. This season, though, I'm going to 😀 so here it is the first one! 

For the folks that haven't seen the premiere and don't want spoilers, scroll past this, fast and furious, because it's full of them. If you want to blacklist tags to avoid spoilers from me, I suggest that you add #mando spoilers, #the mandalorian season 2 spoilers, and #mare's mando recaps to the list.

I've seen the episode a few times (yeah, I'm that obsessed with the show) so some of my reactions are more visceral than others since I was too excited the few first times I watched it and I missed a lot of details (another reason to rewatch the episode more than once). This recap is loooooong, which is an indication of how amazing it was.

So this my final warning to those avoiding spoilers. Stop reading, right now. The rest of you… enjoy and let me know if you share some of my opinions. I'm always open to chat 😊

Chapter 9 ~ The Marshall

So it begins! It's so exciting!

I knew that Mando and baby Yoda walking in the street at night was going to be the opening scene. I started to think about it after watching the second trailer, and I'm glad that I was right.

It turns out that the red-eyed creatures were not jawas as I saw some people saying.

Baby Yoda was not happy with the little excursion to the fighting arena. Not walking on the streets nor inside watching the fight. I still laughed when he locked himself up in the pram, even if I've watched the trailer like a gazillion times by now and I knew he was going to do it.

And talking about the baby, he's getting more vocal I think. He's making a few new noises, whimpering more, which I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing. That he complains more means that he feels safe with his buir and isn't afraid of retaliation for it as he probably was with others in the past and the reason he didn't cry much in season 1. But it breaks my heart that he is stressed. And that child is anxious, I can tell you that much.

The fight with Gor Koresh's thugs was awesome! The gamorrean flying to squash Mando and failing had me cracking up. And omg! Din'd moves! Using his helmet as a weapon and throwing his vibroblade. And leaving Gor Koresh to be eaten! Man of his word, he didn't kill the guy.

On a side note, I would've never guessed it was John Leguizamo who gave voice to Koresh until I saw the credits. Of all the actors who could play the part, I never thought of him.

Umm, I'm curious about the time Mando has spent in Tatooine, which according to him it's been a lot and it makes sense since he knows so much about the Tuskens, their language and culture. I'm guessing he spent a while among them. He had to learn all that somehow. 

When I speculated that Mando was going back to Tatooine after watching the trailers, I said that I was going to riot if he didn't visit his favorite mechanic. Thankfully, I didn't need to worry. I loved Peli in episode 5 of season 1 and I loved her even more now remarking on Din's dislike of droids and trying to keep the baby for herself. Not to mention she complaining about not getting good help these days 🤣

And I ADORE the (improvised?) Birikad Din got for the baby. Of course, the baby is safer in the pram, right (guessing that's why he used it when he met Gor Koresh), but there's something sweet watching him carrying his son so close to him.

And I tell you, Mando has been spending credits lately in baby stuff. I mean, he got a new pram (which I initially thought it was the original that he had somehow retrieved from the garbage in Nevarro, but no, it's not the same, and neither it's the one that Kuiil made) and he also got the bag/birikad thing, which looks brand-new. I wonder what else he bought.

Watching the droids doing maintenance of the Razor Crest makes me think it's all for nothing, knowing that in a few episodes (it might be even in the next one) Mando is going to crash the ship. More than once perhaps.

😆 The baby still loves speed! I think riding on the speeder bike was the only moment that he truly enjoyed in this episode. Look at that happy face 

When they arrived at Mos Pelgo and Din went into the cantina, leaving the baby outside, I was like: Din! That's not responsible. How can you leave your son out in the inclement sun, alone! Then baby Yoda peeked in and I went: never mind. I take back what I said.

Oooh. Cobb Vanth! I love him! For a moment, I thought it could actually be Boba but it seemed illogical and that's what Mr. Feloni and Mr. Favreau wanted us to think. I was correct.

My gawd! Din's shock when Vanth took the helmet off. I just knew he would freak out the moment Cobb asked for drinks and I said to drink they need to remove their helmets and Mando is going to lose it when this guy does. And the standoff! Was so good! "Take it off or I will" is going to become a quite popular phrase in fics from now on, not in the same context, but yeah…

The krayt dragon… oh shit! Or rather Dank farrik! We can't see Mando's face or expression but I can imagine which one was when he saw the dragon eating the bantha the first time.

Oh my goodness. The baby hiding in the pot! Too adorable! 

I know every hardcore SW fan lost it watching Vanth modified speeder because is a callback to the Phantom Menace and Anakin but my first thought was: is he compensating for something? Sorry, I couldn't help it 

The dog-lizard creatures were kinda scary at first but then became adorable. Almost as much as baby Yoda getting out of hiding

Baby Yoda doesn't like dog-lizards things. He looked afraid to be eaten I think. Poor little guy.

And look at that! Din showing such growth! To think he was the one incensing others in negotiation 😆 this is a total callback to the jawas in Arvala-7. And I gotta tell you, Din freaking loves his flamethrower. He doesn't waste the opportunity to use it.

The krayt dragon eating the Tusken raider instead of the bantha was quite of a plot twist 😆

When they were planning the attack on the dragon, Cobb Vanth's face when Din told him that the bones and pebbles were to scale, and then when he had volunteered the villagers to help… priceless! 

I like the fact of banding together with others for a greater good, relying on others to accomplish something is going to continue being the theme of this season. It started last season but I think it's going to be stronger this time around along all of the episodes.

😳😲😳😲 this thing vomits acid?! What. The. FUCK?!!!

Cobb: I don't think it's dead

Mando: me neither

Me, at the same time as Din: yeah, nope it's not dead

Oh yeah! Teaming up with jetpacks!

When they showed the bantha with the remaining explosives my first thought was why didn't they use all those before?! That's why they didn't kill it!! Of course, it was just an excuse to grant Din a more grand win in the end, but you know, it's stupid not to use everything you have to kill the monster on the first try. Just saying

Wait, what? Din! What are you going to do? No! Taking care of the child is your responsibility, not Cobb Vanth's! I hate this plan of yours, Din Djarin!! Whichever it is!

Oh! Nice callback to the flaw on that jetpack. But makes me wonder, do all the rising Phoenixes have the same flaw? Cuz unless Din knows Boba in person and that it's his armor with that particular flaw, it means it's a common problem for all and I don't like it.

Get away, Din! Get away, Din!! FLY AWAY!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH! NOOOOOO! 

There he is! Damn, Mando! Don't scare me like that! Altho, it was a nice move.

Okay, but now I want someone to explain something to me. If the dragon's acid melted people at contact before, how the hell is Din so whole? I mean, sure for argument' sake let's say his beskar armor provides some protection, but he's not entirely covered in it. His cape and undersuit seem just fine, albeit sticky. Where's the logic in that?

The tuskens getting the pearl reminded me of the jawas and the mudhorn's egg, chanting zukka, zukka (or however egg is spelled in Jawa).

That's quite a piece of meat. The baby is going to be happy eating off it for days🤣

😮😮😳😳 BOBA FETT!!!!! Yesssssss!!

Okay, I've seen other people's thoughts and some think that Boba was after Cobb Vanth because he had the armor, but I don't know. If that was true then why he hadn't gone to Mos Pelgo and got it? It seems to me that it's more likely that Boba is following Din somehow because it's the second time in as many Mando's visits to the planet that they sort of cross paths. Could they know each other? Have some score to settle? It's possible. Din has spent much time on Tatooine -his words, not mine- so it wouldn't be so out of consideration that they actually know each other. That if Mando knows Boba is (fake?) Mando, I don't know. Probably not, but who knows?

Extra thoughts

I gotta say that Ludwig Göransson is killing it with the score music! Oh. My. God! So so so so good! I could tell from the trailers that it was going to be awesome this season but it astounded me in chapter 9. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! My favorite piece is when they're going to the dragon's cave to kill it. The orchestral sound of the already familiar music blew my mind!