#My poor boy has a rough family life

[starlytenight]

Doodles for that whole possession moment from Zero, these were concepts from when I was writing/thinking about those scenes, haha.

[inuiiwonderland]

Twisted captivity

Chapter 4

Twst third years x fem reader

A/n: So sorry for not updating in over a month😭 life’s been rough lately and work has me TIRED. Anyways I will be back on my grind soon guys (after a good nap)

Words: 1.1k

-

“Leona kingscholar”

It read. After that scary encounter at the savanaclaw enclosure, you thought it would be a good idea to get some more information from Crowley about the three mers you met the other day.

The moment you got home, you did a deep dive about their past and background information for the next 3 hours.

Jack howl

Current Age: 16

Rescued/Found: Found washed up on shore with a big heavy fishing net on him. It was a hassle trying to set him free since the poor mer was confused and scared seeing all these strange people trying to touch him.

He was only 9 at the time

Poor boy, he never saw his Family again after Crowley decided to take him in his care.

You quickly wiped the small tear that slid down your cheek and grabbed the second document.

Ruggie bucchie

Current Age: 17

Rescued/Found: Was kept in captivity by a crazy fisher family before being found by trein.

The family that kept ruggie said he was abandoned by his family but both Crowley and trein didn’t believe it. Poor boy probably got caught up in their nets. It was later discovered that the home that ruggie was kept in was a merfolk slaughterhouse. He was taken away from his family at the age of 4 and was originally planned to be slaughtered and sold but that was soon forgotten when the sweet old lady who was against the whole thing stopped them from hurting him.

He was 6 when they rescued him from that crazy family.

And last but not least

“Leona kingscholar”

Age: 24

Rescued/Found: Unknown

“Huh?” You frown and flip through the many pages of Leona's document. But found nothing. The only thing you could find was his name, age, weight, height, and species.

You’ll have a talk with Crowley tomorrow morning about this. You wiped your tears before getting up and placing your cup in the sink. You took the documents with you and made your way upstairs for a much needed rest.

-

The next day you tried getting more information about Leona's background from crowley but the moment you asked it’s like he completely stopped functioning and was acting strange.

Before you could even ask again, he quickly shoo’d you away and told you that your main focus for today was taking care of the savanaclaw enclosure.

So here you are with your notebook and pen and your lunch as you make your way to the enclosure.

“Wonder what that was all about” You mumble under your breath as you take out your notebook and pen.

You hummed to yourself as you quickly jotted down notes for your mer friends from heartslabyul.

Ace has been wanting to try more of that cherry tart that you brought in the other day while deuce wants some more of that chocolate cake.

I should sneak some more of that next time I’m assigned to heartslabyul

Once the big doors of the enclosure came into view you started putting away your stuff in your bag before pushing the big doors open.

You didn’t know what to expect when you first stepped foot into savannaclaw but you definitely didn’t expect there to be a meeting of some sorts.

You saw as everyone gathered around this huge rock and you had to squint to see who they were all looking up to.

It was Leona!

You were shocked to see as everyone gathered around him silently. He was talking but you couldn’t understand anything that he was saying since whatever was coming out of his mouth didn’t sound human.

Merfolk language

The only thing you could hear was chirps and clicks. Whatever he was saying he had everyone nodding along in agreement.

But your observation was soon cut short when you let out a sneeze. Everyone quickly turned to see you watching them. You awkwardly waved as everyone just stared.

You feel uncomfortable now that everyone's eyes are on you.

You thanked the heavens when Leona grabs everyone’s attention again. All eyes are back on him.

He let out a few more chirps and clicks and soon the meeting was dismissed.

You watch as everyone swam in different directions while two of them stayed behind.

Ruggie and Jack!

You slowly walked up to them and you could see ruggie wave at you once you came into view.

It seems he’s taken a liking towards me. That 's good!

“Hey ruggie” He chirps before sniffing the air. His eyes quickly land on your bag before looking back at you.

“My bag?” He points at it before pointing at his mouth.

That’s when you remember that you had your lunch with you.

Ah he’s hungry

You sat down on the patchy grass and pulled your bag towards you. You opened it up and the boy came closer as the smell of your lunch grew strong.

You heard a small growl and the boy sheepishly smiled when you looked at him.

You dig through your bag before taking out a sandwich, a drink, and a small bag of donuts.

Water splashes everywhere as Leona growls and shouts in the merfolk language at ruggie but he doesn't care as you gave him half of your sandwich. He takes small bites before scarfing down the rest.

He pats his belly before sniffing again and eyeing your small bag of donuts. You grab the bag and hand him one of the donuts.

He sniffs it before eating it whole. His eyes widen and he eyes the bag of donuts before pointing at the bag and then his mouth.

He likes it. I should keep that in mind for future visits!

“You like the donut? Want more?” He nods.

“More” You giggle before giving him another one. As your attention was on ruggie, you didn’t notice leona stare. Jack was a bit hesitant but he soon worked up the courage to swim closer to you. You looked at Jack and smiled as you gave him a donut.

Now your main attention was on the two merfolks in front of you.

Leona watches carefully at the interaction that you have with the two young mers in front of you. Ruggie seemed to fully feel comfortable in your presence while Jack is still trying to get used to it.

At least you aren’t one of the mean ones

Leona thinks

He still doesn’t fully trust you, but…..he can get used to this new change.

-

“Y/nnnnn!” You mentally groan and resist the urge to roll your eyes when you hear your name being called by the one and only….crowley.

“Yes crowley?” The man smiles as he hands you stacks of papers.

“This is for you!”

“For…me?”

“Yes! For I so graciously decided to assign you to 5 more enclosures!”

“What”

WHAT???

“You’ll get paid more!”

Oh brother…..

-

I noticed that i haven’t introduced the rest of the heartslabyul crew but don’t worry! They will soon be introduced! Again the first and second year crew view reader as a mother figure/older sister! Those poor babies went through a lot under crowley’s care:(

more Information in future chapters

Taglist:

@ruisann

@roseapov

@0ffth3rec0rd

@anunholyabomination

@owodi

@mochi-lover26

@coffee-or-hot-cocoa

@floevi

@thatpersonuouknow

@h0rr0r-10ver-69

Ask if you want to be put on the Taglist!

[bengiyo]

Ben’s Big BL Blurb 2: Fall is Finally Here

I am simply too busy with worth, family, other hobbies, and life to write about every show in real time anymore. I’m sorry to all the Stray Thoughts readers who’ve reached out about whether I would pick that back up, and I simply just do not have the time to do them anymore. Instead, I’ll try to do one of these as often as I can to catch up on things.

First, let’s go over some shows I finished recently that I don’t think I wrote much about.

First Note of Love

I was so happy to see Michael back on screen, and I was glad to see that he’s still able to get great chemistry with his co-star. Unfortunately, I don’t think this show was very coherent, so I didn’t get a lot out of it emotionally. It was a pretty inoffensive watch overall, and thus an easy show to put on without having to work through too much. I liked the work between everyone, and Mei Lei was such a fun character. Probably won’t return to this one, though. 

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo

This is probably the show of the year for me. There’s so much I loved about this show. I loved that the characters had sex, but were neither rewarded nor punished for it; their sex didn’t solve any problems. I also really love how this show explored how childhood trauma expresses in two different kinds of boys, and I love that we got to see a bully reckon with his actions and get closure. I love that this show ended with them being kinda poor, but happy together. I love how messed up they both were about everything. I loved that Juyeong wasn’t stupid, and could read what was going on.

I clearly need to write a separate post to unpack everything I felt in this show.

Let’s move on to what I’m watching currently, in no particular order…starting with the lesbians, and then the worst BLs.

Apple My Love

Genuinely having fun with this GL. I like how quickly most of the drama plays out. It’s giving me quite a bit of secondhand embarrassment, but I like the characterizations in this show. This new production house brought us Knock Knock, Boys! and Monster Next Door this year. We need to keep an eyes on them. 

Haunted Hearts

I’m so fascinated by Oxin Films teaming up with Regal Entertainment. The leads are very attractive, but the cinematography is really boring. I’m trying to stay invested, but it’s kind of a sleepy watch. Also amused that they started airing a ghost romance right after Halloween ended. I’ve kind of moved on emotionally from the season.

My Damn Business

This show could be good, but it’s not. I struggled with episode 5 because our lead looked more relaxed and happier with his senior than the guy he’s getting into a romance with. There’s something missing here in this one, but I can’t exactly put my finger on it. I think it’s primarily a side effect of the short run time, but I think the boss’s interest isn’t landing properly for the employee to respond to. 

Eccentric Romance

This show could be good, but it’s not. Still, I am obsessed with a murder mystery being the primary source of confusion between our leads. I was willing to forgive this show a lot of its rough edges, but it failed to handle the turn from friendship to sexual/romance really well. I feel like our guys just started dating and having sex, and I’m a bit frustrated that they didn’t talk about it really at all, particularly since this show features two different languages spoken on screen. Genuinely looking forward to seeing how this one finishes. 

See Your Love

I’m not sure this show is exactly working that well, but everyone is very pretty and I’m having a decent time watching it. I like the way Shao Peng stands up for himself, and I like that nothing that’s happened has been totally unbelievable or unreasonable (at least with the mains). I’ll be curious how the hard of hearing and deaf viewers respond to this one once it’s complete. 

Love is Like a Poison

This show is actually so funny. I love that Shiba is in his own lawyer genre separate from everyone else, and I really like how the two of these guys have become a team. I’m curious how they manage to resolve the scamming next week, but this has been the most unexpected dynamic of the year. 

Love in the Air: Koi no Yukon

MAME won this year, y’all. We all have complicated feelings about her, but she’s secured a loving adaptation from a Japanese team that’s put solid effort into bringing her characters to life. Every character feels correct compared to their Thai counterpart we saw on screen, and that’s a strong sign that the writing behind MAME’s work is strong, even if we all have issues with the way she tackles certain themes. I’m really impressed with this adaptation, and really like this version of Rain.I also feel like this show is doing a better job blending the forthcoming couple focus shift.

Our Youth

We just got this show, but damn does it feel sharp! I’m always going to be a sucker for a cinephile character, and I’m so compelled by the way Minase is drawn to Hirukawa. The scene in episode 2 where Minase has to leave Hirukawa’s house might be one of the most impressive sequences we’ve had in a while, requiring a great deal of choreography and effort from the actors and the camera crew to pull off, and I’m excited to see how these characters split and then come back together. 

Smells Like Green Spirit

Let me just say that I need another Abe Alan appearance when he isn’t playing a character doing horrible things to his students. I’ve enjoyed meditating on the 90s with this show and what that era felt like. I’ve liked how the show has tried to focus on how different parents (especially the moms) have responded to their kids coming to terms with themselves. I’ve also really enjoyed the friendship that’s grown between Mishima and Kirino. I’m struggling with Yumeno a lot, because I’m really not a friend of bully romances. Still, I feel like this is one of those shows I’ll remember for a long time because of its focus on the 90s. 

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days

I think @lurkingshan covered reactions to episode 5 and episode 6 better than I could, and I loved @twig-tea giving context for the film history moment in episode 6. I remember screaming into the chat for friends to show up for this when I got to that moment. This show has two great pairs of dynamics going on that mirror well. It’s got such a strong handle on its characters’ motivations and how they would respond to the actions from each other. It’s probably the tightest thing I’m watching now, backed by extremely dialed-in performances. I will be thinking about Qi Lu organizing his potential first kiss with Qin Xiao, and how unapologetic he’s been about the entire affair. He’s being selfish here, but I kinda like it. I’m so thankful that we are somehow still getting this show, because goddamn do the Chinese actors deliver on chemistry sometimes.

Interview With the Vampire Season 2

I finished this with a friend last week, and holy fuck is this show still so, so good. We watch a lot of gay romance because of BL, and I am having so much fun watching the show about gay divorce. I loved the time we spent in Paris, Daniel’s shifting role in the narrative, and the new insights we got into Lestat this season. I will miss Claudia so much, and I have to give a standing ovation to Delainey Hayles stepping into the role of Claudia and doing the damn thing this season. I just love seeing my little fucked up gay people torment each other on screen.

I'm still thinking about Louis and Lestat reuniting in a hurricane after Claudia derided this as yet another chapter in their stormy romance.

Dropped Shows

Unfortunately, everyone can’t win. Some of these shows are just too long for me to keep up with them, and oftentimes I get bored. I’ve currently dropped:

Lovesick 2024 - I may go back. We’ll see

Jack & Joker - It’s just too long, and they just killed Jennie and a kid. I’m good.

Fourever You - I’m bored with Earth always playing this character type.

Pluto - Namtam and Film are beautiful, but this looks too messy right now.

Every You, Every Me - Wasn’t intrigued after episode 1, but the commentary may draw me back.

Kidnap - Ohm is not enough to keep me invested in this show. 

Uncle Unknown - How did they make a 6 minute show feel slow?

I’m genuinely not trying to be harsh to Thai shows out here, but I just do not have the time to keep up with all of them when they’re this long and dragging.

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know if there’s something I missed that I should check out.

[ssahotchnerr]

Oh my god. So just imagine doing laundry. And you know when smaller articles of clothing sometimes get stuck in sleeves/pant legs? Imagine a tiny sock from Aaron’s daughter getting stuck in his clothes. He pulls it out after realizing on a case away from home and just like. Immediately tears up slightly because he misses his girls and Jack back at home. HHHHHHH… calls them as soon as he can, just wanting to hear their voices 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 CRIES

CRYING 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

it happens during a particularly hard case too :((((( where little kids are also sadly getting hurt :(

to say the day was a rough one is an understatement - the victims were a family that had both a boy and a girl, so it was alllll too easy for aaron to picture you, jack and baby girl hotchner :( as he walked around the crime scene, the poor children even had similar toys - toys aaron is always tripping over or stepping on at home; in the living room, the hallway, even your room when the kiddos climb into bed with you and aaron. so again, it's all too easy to visualize. cases involving kids are always hard on him, but with this added, aaron's just, not having a good day :(

and when aaron gets to his hotel room that night - he feels defeated, exhausted, and again he just can't get the image of the most important people in his life being the ones getting hurt out of his head :( and sadly he got too back late - he's in a different time zone, and he knows the kiddos are most likely already asleep, and if they are, so are you. he doesn't initially plan on calling home. instead, he sets an alarm to wake up early - 5 am for him (although he doesn't need to be back at the precinct until 8 :(), 8 am back home. just before yet another hard day starts again, he has to talk to you all :(

but when he opens his go-bag to grab some pjs, a little itty bitty socks falls to the ground 🥺 it was static-attached to his sweatpants - and his heart just breaks even more and tears are pinching at his eyes :(((((( the only though running through his head is how badly he just wants to be home :(

without another thought, he tosses his clothes back into his bag, immediately grabs his phone, and is calling you. at this point, he doesn't care if at least, he wakes you up (and you never ever mind, he's woken you up before and you always understand). but luckily!!!! when you answer, everyone at home is still awake 🥹💓

aaron immediately smiles through his tears when he hears jack and baby girl get all excited that daddy called!!!!!!! :D and he asks them what they're doing up so late 🤨 (with a breath of relief) (it's approaching midnight back home) and they said that you let them stay up to watch a movie, since jackers has no school the next day because it snowed a ton!!!!! - hehe you then add that they were just about to get tucked in 🙄🥰 but now that he's called, he can help <333

but whenever aaron adds to the conversation as you're running through the going-to-bed motions, you can hear the strain, and the choked up tears, in his voice. but you don't say anything about it - you just let him and the kiddos talk because you know he needs it. you quickly inferred that the case involves children and when that happens, you know he'll only find comfort or calm down with the reassurance that everything back home, is normal. just the way he likes it :( and once everyone is in bed, you'll talk to him about it - just the two of you.

aaron doesn't go into specifics, but he does tell you about baby girl's little sock and just how that, well, he misses you all :( you reassure him that they're safe, all of you are, and super huge hugs will be waiting for him when he does get home <333 the two of you even fall asleep together while still on the phone and honestly, aaron wouldn't have actually fallen asleep that night without it

[findmeinthefallair]

A Blank Slate for Hunter

I love this outfit of Hunter's the most.

Hope you enjoy this lil' essay as a Halloween gift from me!

Hunter's silly elegant stable boy outfit is an outfit that allows him to be agile, not weighed down by layers of armour he had no choice in selecting to wear, and he can move freely.

No more cloaks (the precursor to no more gloves!). Keep in mind that in Labyrinth Runners he still had a cloak on, even if it wasn't the Golden Guard cloak.

And we know how dear freedom is to this boi's heart. He most likely picked this outfit himself, and by then he was no longer living rough post-Hollow Mind.

I guess this outfit always makes me think of the calm before the storm, in all its innocence. I mean, look at his corresponding model sheet:

The smirk. It's childlike. He's so silly. There's his excitement about something new that's beginning and which would bloom during the summertime he spends in the human realm.

And interestingly, there's some of the cheeky Golden Guard vibe left, yet it feels so new: which shows that it wasn't 100% persona. It's part of the real Hunter too!

When he runs with his friends, he looks happy:

He looks like he's experiencing safety and connection, belonging to found family already.

Not like when he's running scared:

His world is brightening:

It would eventually be snatched away on the night that Flapjack dies. But it wouldn't be lost to him forever, as love always returns even if in a different form.

Without this first season of beginning and growth, we wouldn't eventually have the pre-timeskip season of beginning and growth to let light back in again, in a new way.

There's the relief he feels after making it past Labyrinth Runners, having support from the kids at Hexside, and having a heart-to-heart talk with Gus, receiving and then giving back.

There was relative safety, in fact the most safety he's experienced at that point in his life after the horrors of Hollow Mind and Labyrinth Runners

and he was in the process of building up groundwork that would strengthen his resolve: the peak of which was voicing his desires in his Thanks to Them speech.

Sure, he gets triggered, but my god does he have help and support:

And he's cushioned by safe, trustworthy company. People who won't harm him.

His poor nerves could enjoy some respite for once! Well,

most of the time I think.

If you have heard of the body's sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, you can spot both in action, well-animated during his various responses to distress.

"Sympathetic" forces him to move quickly, "parasympathetic" forces him to slow down and get rest. Sometimes, one of these might go into overdrive and bringing in the other would restore a better balance between both systems.

You can even "hack" these to slow down your heart rate and reduce distress, one example being splashing your face with ice-cold water (this triggers the body's "dive reflex" which can slow down one's pulse and generate more calmness), using deep breathing techniques or meditation to deliberately activate the parasympathetic system.

Hunter's fight-or-flight moments mean his sympathetic nervous system has come online, letting him be ready to spring into action to reach safety.

As he collapsed into his own grave which he dug at Eclipse Lake, that's the parasympathetic nervous system that's a big signal for him to rest, no matter how short. Any moment where he freezes is also the same nervous system activating.

There also would've been the offscreen pre-timeskip period of being depressed about Flapjack's absence and lack of purpose - it makes me so sad that this would've made him feel as though ALL progress he made was completely erased. But this grief response from his whole body and mind would've also the result of the parasympathetic nervous system forcing him to collapse into needed rest (any supposedly "extreme" response of his is honestly a normal response to unspeakable long-term abuse). These are the closest hints we got, when he thinks no one's watching, but of course we as audience members were privy to part of what may've been going on:

We have canon material that shows Gus helping him adaptively switch to his parasympathetic system, with something meditative (the square breathing technique) which he can continue to use and even develop variations of with his future therapist's help:

What about the times where he can healthily switch to the sympathetic system - moving his body a lot to reap physical and mental health benefits - as is needed? A good guess is that resuming flyer derby:

would be a big help during the worst of his post-regime depression, as part of an elaborate treatment plan in therapy. The tricky part for Willow, Gus, Camila and his other loved ones would be getting him out of bed and the house to Hexside. Luz and co. could also drag him out of the basement into the living room to dance to music videos or something.

He would eventually feel its benefits and have more happy brain chemicals! The more he does stuff with a group that he's close to, the more bonus chemicals he gets too.

What I'm getting at with the neurology stuff is the significance of this:

Perhaps most notable of all though, is him able to rise above and practice uttering a resounding "No" to Belos. The belonging he has found with the Hexsquad empowered him to do this.

When you build up protective factors (the opposite of risk factors) such as a support system and techniques to manage distressing symptoms, you could regain some control over your responses to triggers.

When Hunter helped to save Gus, he could push back against being overwhelmed by a flooded sympathetic nervous system here:

I love that there are moments where he experiences unpleasant sensations (affection from friends being very foreign to him), but he is mostly able to believe that he won't be harmed:

Neither nervous system is overwhelmed. Flapjack being on his shoulder must be a great help in grounding him here.

I just love this smirk on his face as he's in sync with Flapjack, the most confidence he's had since Belos shattered his beliefs at the end of Hollow Mind.

He and Flapjack have become even closer. They've built a relationship and have shared some precious memories, with many more to come during the summer.

We lose Flapjack, but one day in the future, Hunter can look back on these memories without being frozen in the horrors of his worst memories. He can't let the new in without first letting his best friend go in that scary sense. But he had the strength to do it, to engrave "Thank you for finding me. - H." on what would be Flapjack's headstone with his own timing, to make room for an existence without Flapjack, and for one that would eventually have his new palisman Waffles in it.

During this short period of resting up before the Day of Unity fight scenes, he gets to overall take a break.

There's an incredibly good analogy by therapist Georgia Dow on Youtube (link to her channel here) for when he starts to be in great danger.

When we see his expressions being drawn by the animators as more and more hypervigilant, when we see that adrenaline floods his system more and more to help him power through:

When you're hypervigilant like this, especially if you already have had a history of trauma dating back years, it's like when a smartphone's video recording mode switches on outside of your control.

The camera lens is wide, collecting all the trauma-related data and details that it can of the image frames in the recorded video: to ensure survival. And it's all subconsciously carried out beyond one's control.

And unfortunately, the phone might replay the distressing video(s) beyond your control, against your will, whenever a future trigger comes along. Imagine the video files simply just playing on their own, and you aren't able to hit the pause button on your phone screen or even choose to look away from your phone screen. That's how trauma replays in the mind during a trigger.

We see this in motion when Hunter is emotionally flooded with white hot fear here:

But when he saves Gus, he is able to regulate a similar if not worse wave of flashbacks later on here with the help of Willow's and Gus's breathing technique.

I think the scenes where he has childlike mischief written on his face are sandwiched between other episodes where he's going through an insanely tough time. It gives us in the audience a break as well...before the mayhem.

Under extremely high stress and in deep anguish, his prefrontal cortex is probably functioning at 1000% - one of the hallmarks of C-PTSD - to help him stay level-headed, and have good reaction time, and to strategize and survive.

He walks through the portal after Flapjack's death

with the widened wild look in his eyes, the overactivity in the part of the brain called the amygdala is screaming out how much danger he is in. His fight response is activated.

The opposite of all that hypervigilance mentioned above is the dissociative state that would become part of his day-to-day, once an extremely difficult period of depression hits him post-regime.

But in Clouds on the Horizon, King's Tide and the start of Thanks to Them, he is able to spend quite a few moments just "being". He's able to grin quite a bit.

I just love that he's learning about and experiencing safety in relationships in these episodes:

He can chill a fair bit, given the benchmark of craziness that was part of his daily life for too long. He's grounded yet relaxed during much of this phase.

As brief as this phase was, it's endearing, there's a pure and particularly vibrant quality about it despite the actual outfit colour being bland ol' beige, and it's a really special part of Hunter's overall screentime.

It was a simpler time, before the far worse and far messier confusion which would be waiting for him post-regime e.g. missing the 'love' that his 'Uncle' had shown him...feeling like he did not deserve to be revived by Flapjack once the survivor's guilt related to the grimwalker graveyard hits...and the rage of Belos's betrayal reaching full force.

[ladykailitha]

Crossroads

So I started writing this last night thinking it would be a short little drabble. At over 2k words, it is NOT a drabble. It is a full on fic at this point.

Enjoy!

*

Steve was at a crossroads.

To his right was his mother, calling him sweetly to come back inside so they can talk. Work something out. To stay with her and his father.

On his left was Eddie. Dear sweet Eddie calling out from him to run away with him. To get in his van and chase the sun for as long as they could and maybe find a new place to rest their heads. For a moment or to throw roots.

He could see the two paths before him as easily as he could see them standing before him.

If he went with his mom, they would convince him to give up his friends, Eddie. Well, they'd let him keep the Wheeler siblings and Dustin. But everyone else would have to go. Byers, Max, and Eddie because they were poor. The Sinclairs because they were black. He doubted they would keep him from El, considering who her adopted father was, but it would be a near thing. Robin would have to go. She would be a little too queer for their liking.

He would be forced to work for his dad where the employees would hate him and the managers would resent him. He would marry some dull woman picked out by them and have as many kids as possible.

Pretty much the life he thought he would have with Nancy their junior year of high school. He would be comfortable, well taken care of and absolutely fucking miserable. For the rest of his life.

If he went with Eddie...there would no certainty at all. It would very likely be hard. They wouldn't have a lot of money (the government hush money could only take them so far after all). It would a life on the road as Eddie and his band traveled the country looking for fame and fortune. It would be rough. Five boys in cramped quarters.

It's possible the band wouldn't even survive two days let alone two years.

But Eddie would love him. He would be loved. Not just by Eddie, but Robin and the kids. Nancy and Jonathan and even funky little Argyle. As their friends spread out over the country, Steve and Eddie would visit them all. And maybe someday they'd find their place. Throw down roots maybe even grow a family of their own.

Steve took a deep breath and started walking.

*

Eddie wanted to call out to Steve, beg him to stay. To give him a chance to be something. Together.

He watched in horror and disappointment as Steve took one step and then another toward his mother. He couldn’t look away as Steve reached her.

Steve’s name caught in his throat. Would she at least let them say their goodbyes or would the last memory Eddie had of the love of his life would be his back as he walked back into the house with his mother?

Steve kissed his mother’s forehead and then suddenly he was running.

Eddie barely had time to open his arms before Steve had filled them.

Eddie opened his mouth to ask, but Steve kissed him fiercely. “Come on Eds, let’s go.”

He pulled back and looked Steve in the eye. “You coming with me, darlin’?”

Steve nodded. He looked back at his mother and then at Eddie. “It’s for the best, I think.”

Eddie knew he was right. Knew it was the best thing for everyone. But he still couldn’t believe it.

“All right, baby,” he finally said after a moment of taking it all in. “Let’s go find that horizon, shall we?”

Steve grinned. “Hell yeah!” He swung into the passenger side of Eddie’s van and Eddie hopped into the driver’s side.

They had sold the BMW for extra cash as the van would be better suited for traveling cross-country in. It had been put in his name a long time ago and it was the last connection to his parents.

Steve kissed Eddie on the cheek.

Eddie laughed. “What was that for, sweetheart?”

“For luck!”

“You my princess, baby?”

Steve laughed too. “The van is in much better shape then Millennium Falcon, sunshine.”

Eddie cackled as he pulled out of the driveway. He was going to start a life with the boy of his dreams. Life really couldn’t be sweeter.

*

When Maureen Harrington saw her Steven start walking towards her, she knew.

She had lost him. Maybe she never had him. He was determined in a way she had never seen before. He was resolved.

“I have to go,” he whispered as though the answer was pulled from him.

She nodded, tears forming on her lashes. “I understand.”

He dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring. She looked at it and her heart sank.

“No, Steven,” she murmured. “Your grandfather gave that to you.”

He pressed it into her hand. “I know, but think of it as my promise to come back. To see you. That I’m not giving up on you, I’m just choosing my own path instead of the one you and Dad wanted for me.”

Maureen clasped it tight her perfectly manicured hands to her chest. “I love you.”

He nodded and kissed her forehead goodbye.

She watched misty-eyed as he ran to his boyfriend, tears streaming down her face. She stood in that driveway until they were both out of sight.

She wiped her eyes and went back inside.

“Where’s that wastrel son of yours?” Clint growled.

“Saying goodbye,” she lied.

“Good.”

He turned on his heel and then said over his shoulder. “I want him in office the second he comes in, you hear me.”

She nodded knowing that he would be angry with her later. But she also knew that he would blame Edward Munson and not her for Steven not staying.

Maureen paused. She did feel a little guilty about that, but it was unavoidable. She slipped into the kitchen. The one room Clint would never enter willingly and sat down next to the phone.

She had work to do.

*

Wayne had just settled in for the night when his phone rang. He heaved a sigh and got wearily to his feet. The government had paid a hefty sum for the witch hunt of his nephew and an even tidier sum for keeping quiet about the monsters, which meant he wouldn’t have to work another day in his life.

But he still got a nice little job down at the local plant nursery watering the plants a couple times a week for something to do. He had just gotten home from that when the phone rang.

“Hello?” he greeted.

“Hello,” greeted the warm female voice. “I’m looking for an Edward Munson, is he there?”

Wayne sighed again. “May I ask what this is regarding?”

“Of course,” she said brightly. “He applied with us a couple weeks ago and I was just getting back with him.”

“Ya just missed him,” he said. “He went on a vacation and won’t be back for a few days.” Weeks, really. But he didn’t want to scare her off in case she actually had a job for him.

“That is unfortunate,” she said softly. “I will hold on to his application of course, but I can’t guarantee the job will be there when he returns.”

Wayne sighed a third time. He knew it had been too much to ask, but it had been worth a shot.

“I appreciate you thinking of him,” he said.

“Of course, you have a good day.”

He cursed his nephew’s luck again. Just as things were starting to look up for him, he missed getting a job by mere hours.

That was the last he thought about that conversation for a few days until a large manila envelope came for Eddie and Steve care of him. The damn thing even read: Steven Harrington and Edward Munson, C/O Wayne Munson.

The boys had gave him permission to open anything that might come from the government or the kids in case it was urgent, but he wasn’t sure about this.

Thankfully he was save from something like indecision when his phone rang.

“Uncle Wayne!” Eddie cried cheerfully. “You’ll never guess where we are!”

“Disneyland?” Wayne guessed with a huff of laughter.

“Aww...you guessed,” Eddie pouted.

“A letter came for you and Steve,” he said. “You two want me to open it?”

He heard whispering and then Eddie came back. “Steve says go ahead.”

Wayne opened the envelope and as he read the contents, he put his hand over his mouth as tears streamed down his face. It took a couple of tries, clearing his throat before he said, “It’s from your mom, Steve.”

“Oh.”

“It’s a bunch of paperwork transferring your joint bank account with your parents to one with Eddie,” Wayne explained. “As well as your information about your trust fund.”

“Oh.” Steve’s voice is breathless. “God. I assumed that they nixed that when I failed to get into college. That’s what it was supposed to be for after all.”

“Not according to the documents your mom sent over,” Wayne explained. “It was supposed to be given to you under one of three circumstances. Getting into college–”

Steve scoffed. “There went that one.”

“Getting married,” Wayne said.

Again Steve scoffed. “Would explain why they weren’t a big hurry for me to get hitched.”

Eddie and Wayne both chuckled in stereo causing Steve to laugh at how similar they were.

“Or when you turned twenty-one,” Wayne finished. “Which means next year the money is yours.”

“How much money could there be?” Eddie asked with a snort.

“By the time Steve gets it, at current interest rates?” Wayne said. “A little over a million dollars.”

“What?” Steve asked, his heart in his throat.

“Yup,” Wayne said. “And according to the bank statements of the new account she set up for the two of you, it has about three hundred thousand in it.”

“How?” Steve stammered.

“Well, according the statements of your previous account that she also sent along,” Wayne said ruffling through the pages, “there were deposits of five hundred dollars a month since you were born. As well as your checks from your jobs; the community center, the mall and of course Family Video.”

“Okay,” Steve muttered darkly, “but that only makes up for about a third of what you said was in there.”

“Apparently your first payment for stopping the apocalypse was put into this account when you were under the age of eighteen.”

Eddie swore. “And they didn’t fucking tell you?”

Wayne hummed. “Looks like there were some large withdrawals at first, but they were put back in only a couple months later.”

Steve scoffed. “Probably my dad and my mom making him put it back.”

“I agree,” Wayne said. “That makes the most sense. So if we add what you got from the government for your subsequent apocalypses, you boys will never have to work a day in your lives unless you wanted to.”

“Holy shit, baby,” Eddie cooed. “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah,” Steve said. “It’s all unbelievable.”

Wayne nodded even though they couldn’t see him. “She also lists a couple of good financial advisors. I’ll give them a call and find one that fits, but you boys are free to do whatever the hell you want now.”

“Thank you, Wayne,” Steve murmured.

“Thank your mom, Stevie,” he mumbled. “She’s the one that did everything.”

Steve let out a shuddering breath. “I will. I promise.”

*

Steve slid down in the cramped little phone booth in shock. They had only meant to tell Wayne that they had made it California and that they were having a good time. He sure as hell wasn’t expect to have his life completely upended.

It was a good kind of unending. There was no doubt about that. But when he made the choice to be with Eddie, he made in spite of money not for money.

Eddie held out his hand. “Come on, baby. Let’s go make some noise in the happiest place on earth.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah. I can’t wait!”

As they walked through park slurping on sodas and laughing, Steve knew he had made the right choice.

Because really, falling in love with Eddie was the easiest thing he’d ever done.

*

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @redfreckledwolf @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @bookbinderbitch @littlewildflowerkitten @itsall-taken @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @vecnuthy

[moonlit-escape]

. ☠︎︎.˖⚝๋࣭⭑ֶָ֢♱ Gene Mystreet headcanons !!

my third and final favourite mystreet character. he's so silly i need to beat his ass

5'7.4 (171.2cm)

hispanic

bisexual (it runs in the family. their mom is bi too)

the eyebags aren't just bc he's has a god awful sleep schedule, they're actually hereditary (dante covers his with cucumbers and a skincare routine)

only speaks in spanish when he's losing his shit (arguing, panicking, tripped and scraped his knee on the sidewalk)

god can that boy dance

honestly just really loves cats

he went through a rough patch in uni and it sort of gave him a major wake up call as to just how he was doing and what kind of person he was and wanted to be

he, zenix, and sasha went their separate ways during uni, but tried to keep mostly in touch until eventually coming back together as roomies

god he would have just. the Worst depression meals. bro eats macaroni cheese dust in a glass with milk like it's a fucking nesquik packet. takes apart oreos and eats all the cream off, then puts pieces of ham in between them like theyre goddamn lunchable crackers. makes mayonnaise and jello sandwiches. takis and sweet relish. sasha and zenix have to make sure they come home on time and cook something before he puts whatever fucking concoction he makes into his body.

but he's actually a pretty damn good cook (when he's Not in a depressive episode)

learned to read fairly quickly, so he would always read dante to sleep

HARD gifted kid burnout like my man crashed and burned at 16

but now he's just a silly little nerd

favourite ninja turtle is donatello (mainly bc his fav color is purple)

he likes anime a lot, honestly. especially from 1990 to 2000s

plays mihoyo games. his mains are, respectively; cyno (genshin), jing yuan (hsr), and anton (zenless). This is a meta joke.

piercings,,, pirericngs,,,,, yesssss ,.

typa guy to use kaomoji and cat emoticons and send you cat videos off of youtube

the only social media he has is tumblr and reddit his punkass doesnt fw any other

he'd probably get a tattoo. maybe for his sweet girl, Apple, the poor thing

wants another cat, but he wants to give sasha and zenix no other choice but to let him take one in, so he's up Praying a stray will find him and follow him home

*opens his wallet and an entire roll of dante's baby pictures fall out* "UHM- UH- FWUH- I WAS HOLDING THESE FOR MY MOM-" dante, travis, and aph tear up on the spot

carries an epipen on his person at all times in case of emergencies. it was something he did growing up with dante, just in case the kid had something with peanuts, and it just kinda followed him into adulthood

was never that mean to travis, since he was dante's best friend, but he was never careful around him either, so

him and garroth actually end up being great friends who just spend most of their conversations gushing about mutual interests (their baby brothers, cats, video games) or sassing each other off

no wait bc why would his taste in men absolutely be himbos. (or at least just very sweet, kind-hearted people)

he calls people by specific little terms of endearment, depending on the type of response. that doesnt make sense. let me elaborate.

uses "babe" or "honey" when someone is in distress or upset ("oh, honey,,")

uses "bucko" or "buddy" when someone mouths off at him ("oookay there, buddy." "alright then, bucko.")

you get it now

the type of friend that is Always ready to back you up on your bullshit. absolutely no hesitation

he really didn't have a crush on aph, he was just a Grade A Asshole who thought it was fun to fuck with people

because he was viciously jealous of people who were capable of being happy and having good lives

not that he had a particularly awful, hard life. sure, his family had their struggles, but they were getting by. yes, he has felt like there was something deeply wrong with him that has been present within himself since even before he was born that made most people avoid him like he was on a secret list. but it was fine

he just knew that he had a sick feeling in him, and the only way he'd feel anything else was if he was a mean little asshole

some nights, it did scare him. it frightened him how bitter his tongue always tasted

and all of the time, constantly, buried beneath the feelings of hate, he felt guilt. he felt so, so much guilt. but, his only coping mechanism for when he's feeling bad is to do more bad things, and pretend he's always in the right

and, eventually, he broke. he broke down hard. now, since he's seen that his first plan to get rid of this feeling of skin-deep sin has failed, he's decided to try the other way. to atone

[wlfchnlv3r]

I don't know if you would do it but I have a request.... would you write about step brother/ dad skz? Just an random question

Hi! I’m not comfortable writing about incest but I definitely can write about sub!Fem reader with a daddy kink x dom!Stray kids boyfriend🔞.

Stray kids as Doms headcanon

Sub!Fem reader x Dom!Stray kids

Word count: 800

Warnings: 🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞, MDNI, PLEASE IM NOT YOUR MOM, sex, DIRTY TALK, unprotected sex, sub x dom, manipulation, size kink, degradation, punishment, a lot of sex and naughty things SO IF YOU ARE NOT ONTO IT JUST DON’T READ THIS. Thx

Note: that’s so naughty (i was writing this on the couch while my family members were watching tv)

BANGCHAN

Bangchan is THE dom, and also a big fan of control, he wants you to be an obedient little kitten and do everything he wants, especially during sex. He would be in charge, of course, and he isn’t afraid to be rough to you or punish you because “it’s just for your own good”.

He’d control your orgasm during sex “you are mine to have, mine to claim and mine to control, you will wait like a good kitten and cum only when i give you my permission”.

Bangchan is such a scary dom when he is angry with you, using not only physical punishment (he would spank you and force you to thank him at every hit) to hurt you, but also words “you better lose the fucking tone, you dumb slut”.

CHANGBIN

Changbin is the kind of dom who enjoys giving praise for anything, from the things that are a part of everyday life “you brushed your teeth? I’m so proud of you” to the most depraved things “my cock finally fits into you? That’s my good girl”.

He loves using you as a stress relief, fucking until he is fully satisfied and taking out all his frustration on your poor holes.

Changbin is a big boy and he use his size against you, he’d be stretching your holes every time he can just to take you to your limit “You want it to be able to fit inside you, don’t you? You want to be Daddys good girl?, then this is the only way…”.

HYUNJIN

Hyunjin is such a manipulative dom, he would be so able with words that you’ll start to live just for his approval and validation. He just wants you to be his dumb toy.

He’d probably have a morning routine with you, where he fucks you dumb before going to work. “Just stay still like a well behaved toy, ok? Daddy needs to cum inside you”.

Hyunjin would put you in your place every time you act like a brat. “Watch your tone or you will think twice before acting like a spoiled brat again… understood?”

SEUNGMIN

Seungmin is a soft dom, he would teach you how to suck his cock for the first time, guiding you in the process “open your mouth for me, sweetheart…” and right after he finishes in your mouth “you did such a good job, honey”.

“I want to watch you touch yourself for me sweety” he would says placing your hands on your clit and and helping you in every steps.

Aftercare is always a must with Seungmin , no matter what you guys just did together. He really enjoys the soft words that’s comes out of your lips while he cleans you up and, obviously, the after sex cuddles.

LEE KNOW

Lee know has a thing for dirty talk and degradation kink, he’d talk to you during sex, whispering to your ear all the things he wants to do you. “Use your words, you know how to talk, right?”.

He loves teasing you, to the point of crying, just to comfort you right after sliding his cock into you with your panties pulled to the side. Holding you and cuddling you while slowly rocking you back and forth on his cock.

Lee know is not a soft dom but knows how to communicate and always reassure you about his feelings, telling you how much he loves having you in his life.

HAN

Han is such a soft cutie dom, he’d never force you into something you are not prepared for, and he asks permission to touch you every freaking time. (in a world of boys he is a gentlemen).

He loves making out with you especially in public because of his possessiveness “Just let them see, baby girl” he says while kissing your neck and holding you gently.

Han would send you porn videos while you are at work “wanna recreate this with you when you come home baby, so be ready, love you”.

FELIX

Felix is a perv dom, he likes taking videos of you while he fucking you dumb from different angles, like, he would be so proud of this video tape, using them when you are away for giving himself pleasure.

He definitely likes experimenting with different sex toys. He convinces you to wear a vibrator at for the night, turning up the pace and making you squirm and whines whenever he wants.

Felix spoils you so bad because he likes to see you wearing cute accessories while he fucks you. He loves seeing you just naked but with a nice pink collar and some bows in your hair.

JEONGIN

Jeongin is such a soft perv dom, he always wants to be near you, and into you, “can’t help it babe, it just feel so good, you are so warm and tigh, just stay still and pretty for me”.

He’d be so jealous of everyone around you, especially your co-workers, so he will send you tones of dirty message “hope you are not tired enough because I’m gonna fuck you for a few hours as soon as you get home just because i need you to know you belong to me”.

Jeongin is a dom who whimpers like a sub, he’d be so sensitive when you touch him, rubbing his cock and giving him an handjob.

Taglist: @felixleftchickennugget @kiwininja35 @sweetpickledjins @slmnheart @elqivxstxr @catffeinexo-xx @multistancheck @justwonder113 @mylittleponeypinkrosieposie @hello-stranger24 @raptorbait529 @cocofia143 @minniesverse @eastjonowhere

(Comment to be added to the taglist🎐)

[the-fluff-piece]

Headcanon: introducing them to your big family

They've had their rough childhoods and their single dads. But now they meet your big, loud family! They love him and take him in like their own.

Just imagine the poor blorbos finally being loved and pampered!

Headcanon for Law, Sanji and Zoro

Also check out my other headcanons and stories

Law

He's afraid. So much. He plans to get through it like any social interaction: keeping everyone at arms length and not talking

Your mom will not have it. The boy needs some meat on his bones. If he wants to or not. After initially refusing her various foods, he falls in love with her rice recipes

He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of people he meets at family events. He has to make a list of names

Doesn't let it on, but he absolutely wants them to like him. He reads books about social interaction now

Surprisingly, he gets along well with the little ones of your family, treating them to ice cream and taking care of their little injuries

Sanji

He's very confident that they'll love him - especially the ladies

He looses control of his tears the first time someone tells him "You're family now, boy!" and he feels warm and special, deep inside

He'll find out that your grandma knows the secret recipe to your favourite childhood meal. He'll do anything to prove himself to her so she may share it with him. Will pick apples in her garden, cook applesauce and pickle stuff for her to get it

When you're dad gives him the talk about how he's gonna get in trouble if he hurts you - he is fully on board and demands to be punished if he ever made you cry. Your dad is confused, but content

Cooks and bakes for all family events. He loves Big family events. He knows everyone's name and favorite and he likes the hugging and asking how it's going

Zoro

Super chill about it at first, but gets super stressed once the whole family is asking him about everything he did in life

Soon fears that he didn't achieve enough if he's not the greatest swordsman ever and can never marry you

Ends up being the life of the party once there is booze for everyone, drinking at the bar and having fun

Is absolutely the type to sit with other silent men during events without booze

Likes to tease the younger ones and shows them a few moves

[absolutebl]

Ranking Every Restaurant Based BL

As of August 2024. Shows not yet finished by that date are not on this list. Otherwise, features any BL set in the restaurant & beverage industry (that I've watched). I did not include the home cook domestic BLs on this list (like Our Dining Table).

1 To My Star

Korea 2021 Viki

10/10

Hwang Da Seul directing this show about a neurotic actor (actual puppy) who takes refuge with a grumpy chef resulting in sparks, cooking lessons, and LOVE! It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams. I adore this show so much. Limited use of BL tropes makes this feel more of a sweet contemporary gay romance between an actor plagued by scandal and the grumpy chef who adopts him, but the gentleness will appeal to fans of the BL genre.

2 What Zabb Man!

Thai 2022 YouTube

8/10

Star Hunter's WZM was better than we had any right to expect, with decent pacing and a foodie theme threaded through the narrative as both love language and plot driver. Basically CEO falls in love with a street vendor’s food, recruits him to work in his hotel, falls in love with him, and that’s just the beginning. Class struggles! Kitchen drama! Papaya pounding (not a euphemism)! Chef poaching (not literally)! Spicy scenes (yes both kinds)! It’s all so delicious.

3 DNA Says Love You

Taiwan 2022 Gaga

8/10

Okay it's only in a cafe about 1/2 the time but it is the main setting if not the plot. DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The first few eps are rough going but have patience, it's worth it I promise! The second half is really special and life/love affirming - and the end is big-grin charming.

4 The Tasty Florida

Korea 2021 Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/38119c-the-tasty-florida

8/10

Not really a love triangle featuring the prettiest men ever to be grouped together outside of K-pop, honestly the visuals are ridiculous, there’s a story, it has to do with food, whatever, they so pretty. I have a weakness for this BL and it's entirely Speed's fault.

5 My Day

Pinoy 2020 YouTube

8/10

The set up on this one is enemies (also boss/employee) and they don’t like each other to start. But that gets resolved pretty quickly. And then they are some of the cutest, hottest, and best boyfriends ever. This is an under-appreciated BL, IMHO. It's also more set in the office of a food creation company, but there is a lot about food.

6 My Tooth Your Love

Taiwan 2023 Viki

8/10

Earnest dentist hottie with sad eyes who worries too much is smitten by an adorable sunshine neurotic bar owner with serious anxiety issues. They fall madly in love while courting each other with food, plushies, and naps. Then, shocker, talk about their feelings and try to actually sort out their problems so they can have an adult relationship. Bonus crumbs = 18 year old poor little rich kid in mad crush with a much older man. I really enjoyed this show, it had a unique premise, killer dialogue, there was a solid lead pair with charmg chemistry, soft flirtation, delightful smiling kisses, and stinkingly cute domesticity. All that said, I wasn’t wild about some of the darker themes it explored, even though it did a good job with them. And while the sides were adorable, they were underused. In the land of May/December, baby boy kabedon is my kryptonite! Why so little of it? (Kabedon is My Krytonite = also the name of my indie band’s first single.)

7 All the Liquors

Korea 2023 Viki & Gaga

8/10

A pretty classic foodie set KBL that managed to distinguish itself from others in this category by having a particularly satisfying final episode centered around found family. Sunshine sweetie soju rep gets involved with a shy introvert chef who doesn’t drink. This has a somewhat uneven plot and ridiculous central conceit (much in the way of Tasty Florida), but if you are looking for a restaurant BL with Korea’s signature softness, then this is a great option. FYI I may identify with our baby party boy hedonist more than any other BL lead ever presented.

8 Although I Love You and You - Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

Japan 2024 Gaga

8/10

The promise of this show, younger cook courts older divorced office worker, should have been my catnip. I mean if someone pitched this to me in an elevator I would have downloaded it by the second storey. Unfortunately, it did not exactly fulfil that promise, not in the way I'd hoped. Did I still enjoy the ride? Yes, but I feel a little let down.

9 Ocean Likes Me

Korea 2022 Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/38367c-ocean-likes-me

8/10

Stars Kpop’s best known out gay singer, Holland & Han Gi Chan (Where Your Eyes Linger). Noodle shop! Broken dreams! This is a solid little KBL, with a good premise and cast. Manic pixie dream boy can get old fast but when contrasted with awkward grumpy chef? It’s a tasty combo that elevates both ingredients. Holland is a charming screen presence - baby boy is HYPNotiC. And while I wasn’t entirely sold on the chemistry, these two did give us some very good kisses and sweet domesticity. I grinned through most episodes and I didn’t even mind the standard KBL 1 year separation at the end because it felt so true to the characters. Is this Korea's first out gay actor in a BL? I think it might be.

10 My Sweet Dear

Korea 2021 Viki

8/10

I liked this one a lot better than most. Strict professional rivals (chefs) in a very enemies to lovers BL - to the point where we mistrust the sincerity of the seme because he’s so very in it to win. I kinda like that, because kitchens are hotbeds of drama, and I like a seme with some sinister edge. But be warned, it means the whole romance comes off as a little disingenuous.

11 You Are Ma Boy

Vietnam 2021 YouTube

7/10

The leads in this drama crackle on screen together and I kinda adore them. No one has seen this BL, and you should really give it a try. Is there angst? Nope even what could have been angst (a gay idol) doesn’t materialize, it’s just cuties in a cafe confusing each other with cat & mouse games. The side het couple is a touch disturbing, tho.

12 My Lascivious Boss

Vietnam 2021 YouTube

7/10

While it did have pacing issues and some questionable content at the beginning, MLB’s unabashed queerness carried it though and ultimately elevated it with camp. It never felt like mockery or punching down, it felt joyful, and very new wave BL. It’s as if Vietnam is starting a process of handing out HEAs to all the letters of LGBTQ+ in BL style - I love this look for them.

13 Pure Vanilla

Singapore 2023 microfilm Gaga

7/10

It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL.

14 La Cuisine

Thai 2022 Gaga

7/10

A sweet and somewhat pure show, and like the Thai desserts it features, perhaps requires too much patience for a layperson. Because of the pacing and the focus on a bad girl character, I did dock it. But if you like stuff in the Oxygen vein, then this show is for you, and far better than most Thai BL pulps. That said, I suspect that I enjoyed it more than many would.

15 My Universe - Lucky Love

Thai 2023 iQIYI

7/10

A boy suffering heartbreak is asked to look after a friend's restaurant, and meets a young chef whose food brings on a relationship. I enjoyed this 2 part installment, it’s a bit of a sad sack recovery SAGA, but the acting is genuine, the couple believable, and the story felt particularly queer to me. It was really quite charming.

16 Cooking Crush

Thai 2024 YouTube

7/10

1/3 of this is a sweet romance about a student doctor falling in love with a student chef, and the rest of it is utter dross. Look the OffGun bits were GREAT. In fact, I think they’re better AS A PAIR in this show than in any of their other BLs. And I'm a hard sell on any OffGun being better here than PickRome. Saying that, how can I review a show where I could only tolerate 1/3 of it? Because I didn’t like any other aspect of this show, no other pairs and no other plots. That gives me: 9/10 for the OffGun bits, 5/10 for everything else. Frankly, it probably should be an 8 but I gotta go with my gut and it's UPSET about this so 7/10. Sorry boys. It’s GMMTV’s fault. Your heart was in this show, mine wasn’t.

17 Love in Translation

Thai 2023 iQIYI

6/10

A sweet little pulp about a Thai boy with a crush on a Chinese influencer who ends up in a business relationship with her ex-bf. This show had truly great chemistry between the leads, cute found family with good rep, and an exciting (if silly) ending that almost, but didn't quite, make up for how incredibly annoying the main character was in the first half. Gotta say the make-out scene in the convenience store is one of the greatest in Thai BL history, but I can't like a show where I dislike the main character to such a degree, sorry DouOffroad I intend to enjoy your next offering.

18 Please Tell Me So

Korea 2021 microfilm YouTube

Cute barista (played by Han Hyun Jun star of Love Class) has a crush on his customer, musters up the courage to ask him out.

19 Love Advisor

Thai 2021 microfilm YouTube

6/10

Set in a cafe but not about cafe workers, this is an actor’s piece, more like a one act stage performance about friends to lovers and miscommunication.

20 VIP Only

Taiwan 2024 Gaga

6/10

A sweet if aimless story about a writer and a chef finding love via noodles, fake dating, and family challenges. If it had a tighter script and a shorter run, more like a KBL this might’ve been quite special. But it didn’t and it lost me too many times.

21 609 Bedtime Story

Thai 2023 WeTV

6/10

Okay it's sometiems set in a club but that's not really part of the... plot. An interesting time slip concept and a great set up ultimately disappointed. It opened strong, on one of my favourite under appreciated Thai actors: Plustor (as Vee) in a side bartender romance with younger bisexual king, Games. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. OhmFluke’s solid chemistry and romantically soft kisses were ill served by a reformed rake meets rich-kid cheater pairing. While it was nice to see Ohm play a part with more animated facial expressions, his was the only character that remained consistent. All in all, this was a confusing show about disloyalty and parallel worlds that never made sense or stayed true to its characters. A promising start, confusing middle, and disappointing end. I don’t say this lightly, but Oh My Sunshine Night is better, and OhmFuke deserve better than either.

22 Bake Me Please

Thai 2023 Gaga

6/10

A lackluster story about a group of bakers coping with (mostly) a shoddy script that could not be saved by either the beauty nor the talent of the actors involved. It suffered for lack of narrative backbone and so did I.

23 Bite Me

Thai 2021 Viki

6/10 (yeah I'mm surprise too, I thought I gave this a 5)

Thailand gave us Korean style slowly simmering ultra soft and sweet BL only at a Thai length so the pacing was… not good. Slower than molasses and full of insane subtext, long gazes, missing dialogue, abrupt mood swings, and one very pretty kiss. It curdled around episode 8, the sauce split, and there was no saving it. It did have some of the best food porn I’ve seen in my life, and I watch cooking shows regularly. It was beautiful, the leads were decent, it should have right up my alley, and yet… it left me with a feeling of disaffected ennui - bland and boring and unsatisfying. 11 courses of tasty tasty pacing issues.

24 One Last Order

Korea 2019 microfilm Gaga

5/10

Extremely hot cafe customer has to figure out which of the cutie baristas has a crush on him and sends hime poetry.

25 Craving You

Taiwan 2020 Viki

5/10

Honestly, I haven't rewatched this since it aired and I maybe might cut it more slack now. About a jerk of a cook with a crush on a musician and having to make a cake for a gay wedding.

26 Coffee Melody

Thai 2022 Viki

5/10

Stars Pavel (my love) as a cafe owner (Forth in 2 Moons 2) and Benz as a composer (Call it What You Want). This should have been my kind of BL - on the fluffy end of the spectrum plus honestly queer. Unfortunately, the slow pacing, manufactured angst, odd secondary story arcs, and a selfishly immature unlikeable wet dishcloth main character, meant its flaws outweighed its charm. Jean (flame on snark fairy) is ME, I love him so much but in the end neither he nor Pavel in an apron could save this show for me. It’s not bad. It’s not good either. Ultimately so forgettable I’ve probably already forgotten it. There is also a Coffee Melody holiday special.

27 Evening Cafe

Thai 2021 YouTube

5/10

Cafe setting with no heat and no kisses (almost Chinese in this regard), but a decent lead pair. About a boy who works in a cafe and the new employee who has a crush on him. That’s it, whole story.

28 Love Area: Part 1

Thai 2021 Gaga

5/10

It ended on a cliffhanger and I'm still annoyed by it. But it is somewhat set at a restaurant.

29 Love Next Door 2

Thai 2014 Gaga

4/10

One of Thailand’s early very high heat pieces, it’s odd, but sexy I guess? Some unexpectedly decent queer rep at the cafe including femme characters getting screen time and HEAs. Part one from 2013 has the same high heat content and feature the same lead character (and actor) early on in his queer journey, discovering he is gay with the sex worker next door, but isn't as good nor is it relevant to this story. Which, unfortunately, also isn't very good.

30 The Promise

Thai 2023 WeTV

4/10

Although well acted this show dragged a too simple premise out into the ultimate manipulative miscommunication repeats of idiotic "why don’t you just TALK!?” Phu & Nan are childhood bffs through college (almost lovers) until Phu disappears. After looking/waiting for him, Nan gives up and self isolates, and the actual story takes place 10 years later. Phu’s “reason” and inability to say it out loud makes the whole show just frustrating, squandering good chemistry, and a stellar cast of multiple faen fatals (whose personalities would’ve made them better boyfriends). Seriously do not bother. What a damn waste of talent, time, and electronic bandwidth. Fatally flawed.

31 Love Area: Part 2

Thai 2022 Gaga

3/10

It wasn't as boring as Bite Me, but it wasn’t actually good, either. This started out as Thailand tackles love triangles pulp style, but in part 2 lockdown changed everything. Valen & Kaitoon dropped some great kisses but traded off crazy hair and makeup in a scene-by-scene whiplash that was clearly pickups done months after lockdown, and the second lead vanished. It was... surreal. Side dishes jumped up screen time but tackled mental health... badly. A fantastic new queer side character was randomly introduced, June, who was the best thing to happen to BL linguistics in 2022 but had nothing to do with the rest of the cast, show, or plot. What a mess. In the end, I didn’t know what I was watching, and neither did it.

32 Cafe In Love

Thai 2023 grey

3/10

A café setting featuring 3 couples with a great queer fam but held together by tropes and sexual-harassment, surrounded by dubious consent and statutory rape. Avoid.

33 I Am Your King 2

Thai 2019 grey

3/10

Early love triangle BL about a cafe boy caught between two brothers, mostly not good because the wrong brother wins. Has no connection to the original I Am Your King.

34 Senior Love Me

Thai 2023 YouTube

3/10

Pulp cafe, nothing happens, not even a BL

35 Jealousy is My Guest

Korea 2016 microfilm Gaga

2/10

Just very very odd and kinda deadly.

I also have 3 unrated DNFs in this sub genre:

Accomplishment of Fudanshi Bartender AKA Fudanshi Bartender no Tashinami - Japan 2022

My Story - Pinoy 2023

About Us but Not About Us 0 Pinoy 2022

Restaurant & beverage is my favourite possible setting for a BL. I'm extremely disappointed that the BL world hasn't produced more that I truly love. I'm not demanding 10/10 but I could use some 9/10s.

Side eyes Thailand and Japan.

(source)

[pankowperfection]

Payback

Summary: You piss off JJ and he takes revenge

Warnings: dark!JJ, rough sex, bondage, dubcon, hair pulling, 18+

Kooks vs Pogues, a story as old as the island itself. Lucky for you, you've been blessed with the good life. Growing up on the right side of town, never knowing what it was like to not get exactly what you wanted. Nothing seemed out of your reach, except for him.

Every girl in the Outer Banks wanted JJ Maybank, yourself included. You spent many nights toying with yourself, imagining the sharp lines of his jaw buried between your thighs. You always attempted to flirt with him when you were at the Island Club, wearing the skimpiest outfits possible and savoring the way his eyes couldn't resist focusing on your curves.

He hated you, simply because you were a kook and the fact really pissed you off. No one told you no, and you were willing to do whatever it took to get his attention.

Friday night at the club was going as usual, you and your friends sharing countless drinks while you talked about everything under the sun. The more the alcohol buzzed in your system, the more the damp spot in your panties grew from watching the blonde boy.

Everything he did was effortlessly sexy. How could someone looks so hot carrying a tray of cocktails? Your gaze flicked to him whenever possible, trying to stay under the radar of your judgemental friends. They wouldn't understand your obsession with someone like JJ.

Finally, you decide to make a move. "Excuse me, I'd like to speak to your manager." You watched the blood drain from his face, adams apple bobbing in his throat as he schooled his expression before answering.

"Of course ma'am, let me go get him."

Your friends giggle, thinking you just want to cause him some trouble, unaware of your ulterior motives.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" The manager looks stressed, realizing exactly who you were and knowing the implications of upsetting your family.

"Well, you see, the service has been pretty poor. We have to keep requesting another round, rather than our drinks being refilled before our glasses are empty. And I really don't appreciate how Maybank here has been looking at me all night. I want him gone."

The manager sighs, turning to JJ who was standing just behind him watching the scene unfold. "I'm sorry JJ, but you need to go. Can't have you upsetting my customers."

Before he storms off he fixes you with a hard stare, almost a warning of what is to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you stumble into your posh apartment, you don't notice the dark presence in the room. You toe off your heels, leaving them by the door and making your way into the kitchen for a glass of water. As you reach for the light switch, a strong hand clamps down over your mouth. Before you get the chance to elbow your attacker, his arm wraps around your body, trapping you against him.

"Hi sweetheart. You really thought you could get away with that, didn't you?"

Your heart hammers hard in your chest, adrenaline mixing with arousal as electricity shoots through your system. The scent of salty air mixed with something that is uniquely him fills the air, your body responding to how he feels pressed so tightly against you.

"I think it's only fair that I get something in return. A little payback." He forces you to turn, slamming you down onto the cool stone of the island. He quickly ties your wrists together behind your back, thick rope making your skin burn as you attempt to free yourself.

"JJ stop." Your protest sounds weak even to you, battling with your mind about how much your body wanted this.

Suddenly his bandana is in your face, roughly pushed between your lips and tied behind your head. "Shhh. The only thing I want to hear out of you is moans and whimpers. Besides, you don't really want me to stop, do you?"

The rough pads of his fingers trail up the inside of your thigh, your clit pulsing as he gets closer to your core. Your back arches, trying to get his hand where you need him most. He chuckles darkly, pulling away at the last second and leaving you panting for more.

You tense at the sound of his zipper, unable to turn around and catch a glimpse of his cock. He gives you no warning at all before burying himself balls deep inside you in one thrust. You scream at the stretch, sound slightly muffled by his makeshift gag. He's bigger than anyone you've ever had, each twitch of his cock making your walls burn.

"God damn, so fucking tight," he grits out between his teeth. He winds one hand into your hair, pulling hard to make your back arch further while your scalp sears with pain. His thick cock surges impossibly deeper, forcing you up onto your toes as he nudges your cervix.

His free hand grips your bound wrists, withdrawing slowly before slamming back inside. You can't help the loud moan that escapes your lips, the way he feels filling you up driving you wild. He uses you for leverage, setting a brutal pace that makes you see stars.

"That's it cupcake. Not so bitchy when you're drunk on my cock are you?" He lets go of your hair and you collapse onto the marble, band tightening in your stomach as he uses your body for his pleasure.

Broken moans spill from your lips as you teeter on the edge of your high, needing more to get across that line. He stops abruptly, manhandling you onto your back with your legs dangling off the counter. "Wanna see your face when you cum for me, want you to watch my cock destroy you."

The moonlight filtering through the window highlights his sharp features, the sweat dripping from his brow making drool pool underneath your tongue. You wished you could taste him, craving the feeling of his cock on your tongue. He breaks you out of your trance as his hands rake up your thighs, nails biting into your skin and making you bite back a groan.

When he lines up his cock with your entrance, his thumb brushes over your clit. You attempt to plead with him for more, struggling to speak around your gag. This time he pushes in slowly, both of you entranced by how your bodies are joined together.

His thrusts are slow but extremely deep, throwing your legs over each of his shoulders so he can get a better angle. He reaches down and pulls down the bandana before crashing his lips to yours, forcing his tongue into your mouth before biting down hard on your bottom lip. You taste the metallic tang of blood before he pulls away with a grin, tinge of red glinting on his lips.

"J please. I need more."

"Whatever you say princess." He wraps his dominant hand around your throat, pressing just enough to make your pleasure double. The speed of his thrusts starts to pick up, his fingers expertly massaging your clit.

"Oh god, please don't stop." Your legs start to shake as your high approaches. JJ releases your throat at the last second, your cries filling the room as you gush over his cock. He fucks you through it, his pace faltering as you feel him pulse inside you before filling you with his cum.

When he withdraws you wince, slight red tint glistening on his cock from his roughness. He grabs a towel to wipe himself off, silently tucking himself away and straightening the rest of his clothes.

You watch as he heads for the door, panic slowly setting in at your vulnerable position. "Aren't you gonna untie me?"

"Nah - you can sort that out yourself. Next time you fuck with me, I'll make sure your punishment is worse. Oh, and you're mine now. Don't touch anyone else, I'll know."

@adventuresinobx @starkeyobx @paradisehamilton @ailee-celeste @pankhoeforlife @outerbankspov @houseofperfecttaste @drewbooooo @maybankslover @maybanks-luver @blueicequeen19 @toystory2wasjustokay @penny4yourthoughts @maddie-routledge @ilovetheavenger143

[morganalatina21]

Manipulating Death: Chapter Twelve

Series Summary: When Harry discovers he has a twin sister that was hiding for years, he wants to know all about her, specially about her ability to bring people back to life.

a/n: yo yo! (Timmy's voice). I know, I know, it's been a rough couple of months since I last posted something but i was just starting college (i passed in one of the top best in my country so I'm really glad), and now that everything's outta the way I can go back to writing so better get used to receive some news from me baby!

Aaand, Ik this one's a little shorter than usual but i just wanted to announce that im back so... yeah

(Also, english isn’t my first language so I’m sorry in advance lol)

Last Chapter | Masterlist

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When summer came and Harry had to go back to Hogwarts and then back to his uncle’s house, Sirius was ready to throw hands.

The remaining marauders grew a very solid anger towards their old headmaster after everything Y/n and Regulus told them about, and were ready to disobey him one more time, however after some long days of talking, they decided to play the game.

If Dumbledore was allowed to lie to them and risk their lives as if they were a bunch of pawns, so could the Order.

So Harry, Hermione and Ron went to Hogwarts to finish their fifth school year, the Potter would write letters to his sister everyday and once every two days they’d talk through the fireplace.

He’d tell her how his day was, how he missed the twins fooling around, how Umbridge was such a pink bitch he could throw up; and Y/n would give small hints about how their search for the Horcruxes was going, and the best way to hex his professor without her knowing.

He avoided referring to her as a sister, and just went with “a very dear friend”, and also never mentioned Dumbledore, just in case he decided to somehow capture Edwiges and read the messages.

But they were so happy being able to talk to each other basically everyday after being almost sixteen years apart.

The boy was happy he, for once, could write home, to someone who was actually interested, some family.

Of course, before, he had Sirius, but the man saw him as a replacement for James, and Harry viewed him the same way; this was different, he didn’t saw Y/n as his mother, neither did her.

But it was pretty clear he was jealous whenever someone else interacted with her.

Like this time when Hermione told him she sent a letter to Y/n to ask about some potions and how she was healing, Harry turned red immediately and wondered why she was so worried if she wasn’t her sister.

Or whenever they were talking through the fireplace and Regulus would be right beside her in the room.

“It’s like” He mumbled, “You guys have your own families and I don’t interfere, let me have mine!”

Speaking about her healing, it took longer than expected, and she hid that from Harry, not wanting the boy to worry over nothing, but Regulus only allowed her to step out of the bedroom when her brother was going back to Petunia’s house.

“Honestly, I do think I will die here.” She confessed one day when he came in with her meal. “But of boredom.”

The day Harry had to go back to his uncle's, he decided to see his sister one last time before spending the entire summer without her.

And everyone got a pretty clear view from Harry's jealousy that day.

Remus left the house to receive the golden trio outside, not knowing an exact hour they'd be there, so it was just Regulus and Sirius downstairs and Y/n in her room.

The kids' presence not being exactly announced when they arrived, both Black Brothers thinking she'd be asleep and didn't wanted to bother the poor girl.

Well, they were wrong.

Because her voice came loud and clear, not even a little groggy: "Hey Reggie?"

They perked up at that, the man standing up.

"I'm bored, do you wanna come lay with me so I can play with your hair?"

Their eyes widened, staring at the younger Black in pure shock. He nodded his head at them, as in greeting goodbye and started going upstairs.

Mid-way he started running towards her, knowing she'd probably change her mind if he took too long. "Yes!"

Harry was fuming, as red as Ron's hair.

He busted into his sister’s room and finding her messing with Regulus’ curls. The boy shooed him away harshly and dropped his own head on her lap, staring at the Black with a cold glare that made Y/n laugh.

After a couple minutes, they decided to hang out with everyone else, and Harry would never leave his sister, following her around like a shadow and even making Regulus jealous, and it was so comic for his brother.

She told Harry things they couldn't talk about through letters, like the possessor's training that Reggie was responsible for, or how the Horcruxes hunt was going in full details.

"That reminds me, I got something for you." Y/n announced before sprinting upstairs, to which Regulus was really unhappy about. But she then came back a few moments later, with an old and messy hairbrush on one hand. "It was our father's, it's the only thing I have from him and I want you to have it."

"Are you sure?" He reluctantly asked, holding it as if it could break and disappear if he as much breathed on it. But Y/n shook her head yes with a huge smile.

"Consider it an early birthday gift."

The boy felt his eyes watering, sucking in a hiccup and holding the Potter in a tight hug that almost made him cry his eyes out.

Throughout the rest of the year, Harry would look at the hairbrush almost as if he was begging for his dad's guidance. He felt back on his third year, standing by the lake, with Sirius and his own image passing out on the other side, waiting for his dad to come and save the day.

Except that right now, he knew it was basically his own mind giving him advice. The boy was desesperately trying not to get his hopes high that Y/n could bring them back to life.

She sure was powerful, but after her death she appeared to get weaker and weaker by the day.

He'd get letters from Remus or one of the Black brothers saying she was too sick to write, that they'd keep him uptaded on any important news.

But how could Harry stay fucking calm? Deep down, he felt lied to. He had no reason to suspect his godfather or his sistser's godfather, but Merlin there was something wrong.

And he was right.

Because a week after he arrived at the Dursley's, Regulus Black woke up to an empty bed except for himself.

Calling out her name, no answer.

The basement just as empty as the bed.

Sirius and Remus? Clueless.

Kreacher? Obliviated.

Y/n Potter was, once again, missing.

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Next Chapter

Taglist: @intoanothermind @moonysupremacy01 @maraudersarelifee @elleraelockwood @darkenwolfie @hopesf @lukewearingbeanies @azuredgalaxies @klazina-couch-potato @goldensunshineshit @kaverichauhan @venomsvl @mrs-billyrussooo @mikadorbs @iavenderh6ze @wizardsgrace @reblog-princess @dittos-blog-dylanobrien @roroswitherose @s-we-e-t-t-ea @ok-boke @warcelia @danyxthirstae01 @b-tchymoon @lovely-maryj @the-sander-fander @regulusblackloverr @coffeeaddictednymph @quackitysdrugdealer @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @teamspideyman @artemis-the-ace @theprettytragic @loidforgerishotashell @criminalyetminimal @amortyong @qualitywitchchaos @musicconversedance @xcharlottemikaelsonx @esposadomd

[bloopitynoot]

Reading SVSSS: Bonus- Chapter 24

For those who don't know, I am reading SVSSS for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag bloopitynoot reads SVSSS. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read.

This was a two part-two tea read LOL. I started this chapter right before my union meeting with a vanilla chai tea and now i'm ending it after the meeting with a chamomile lavender tea.

I finally feel like i'm coming out of my sick haze and hoping these flowers will knock me out tonight.

Let's get into the saddest fucking chapter I have read in a while- Bonus 24:

Shen Jiu breaks my heart. I hate it so much that all of the kids that were trafficked were given numbers for names. Like these kids probably had actual names but no one knows them. p81

I totally forgot until now that Yue Qingyuan was also one of the kids. I can already tell this chapter is going to ruin me. My heart hurts at the roles they had to play to survive. Yue Qi being the protector, Shen Jiu making money. pp82-83

omg. Shiwa was a snot nose, but the child did not deserve that at all (his face sliced). Who the fuck is this "youthful master" p85

fuck it's Qiu Jianluo.

And he would deserve it! I too would "swear to fuck the qiu family graves a hundred and eighteen times" p86 Qiu Jianluo is vile.

I think it's actually worse that he's only 4 years older than shen jiu. They're both children at this point but one is sadistic as fuck. This guy is so horrible. p88

uuugh. Okay. Going back a page, I just clocked something that has me feeling sad things. The fact that the only things Shen Jiu can write are "seven" and "nine" (his and Yue Qi's names :(((((( )and only because he saw someone (presumably his traffickers) write them. p87 I cannot with this boys life. It is truly so awful.

omg. and the rationale Qiu Jianluo has for making shen jiu marry his sister "so she wouldn't need to leave" p88 and the way he does it by threatening shen jiu's life pretty much constantly

someone, many chapters back, said I would be upset with the extras involving Shen jiu and they are not wrong. This is deeply awful.

I also dislike Wu Yanzi; this guy is terrible too. Shen Jiu really is a bad luck and terrible people magnet. pp92-93

Bless. As awful and shameful as stabbing someone in the back is, good on shen jiu for saving Yue Qi and ending this fight! p93

Oh gosh. Shen jiu really needs some therapy. this guy holds so much darkness and resentment. Like shit; the hatred he has for Liu Qingge literally just for existing and having a good life. p95

So. What I don't understand is how no one thought it was odd that one day SQQ wakes up and is totally different. This man went from Brothel Rewards Card Holder to "I have never so much as looked at a woman in my life" like HOW did not one know. p97

Yue Qingyuan to Shen Qingqiu about Liu Qingge "If you extend him a single share of kindness, he'll return it two-fold" p98 and he truly did. transmigrated shen yuan saved this mans life one time and the bro sold him his soul twice over.

oh poor trauma baby. The reason why he (SQQ) doesn't sleep in the dorms/disciples quarters hurt. p100

The guilt that Yue Qingyuan carries is heavier than the Catholic Church. My god. I totally get why this guy is always doing the most for SQQ. pp102-203

Oh no. Yue Qingyuan was defo the person who was fighting for their life in the cave while qi deviating attempting to leave it. This one hurts :((( Shen Qingqiu doesn't even know and he is not wrong p108 I just want to hug Yue Qingyuan.

ah, okay. This chapter is the original Shen Jiu's timeline not the prequel to Shen yuan version. I got so confused when part 6 started talking about the water prison and Shen Qingqiu killing Liu Qingge. pp109-110

oof. It truly sucks when a character has had a rough go and is struggling but refuses to allow themselves to be redeemed in any way. Shen Jiu feels like that for me. It's so upsetting. pp112-113

This is so tragic. Literally two seconds after I read the part where Shen Jiu tells Yue Qingyuan to get lost and had that thought about him refusing to be redeemed this part happens, "I thought you weren't coming" p114 my HEART at Shen Jiu thinking Yue Qi would never come back but he did :( and Yue Qingyuan still feeling the guilt and burden of not doing it when they were young.

Well that was fucking awful

This chapter ruined my life. No thoughts, only sadness.

[kokiriofthevalley]

My silly little Link headcannons

hii again I'm very bored rn sooo

again for Zelda, it's only the major ones, sorry obscure link fans

also wtf is this gif I found 😭😭

Skyward Sword

✯has the biggest crush on his Zelda bc they're so close

✯like it's VERY obvious how they feel about eachother

✯His fav flavour of ice cream is Oreo ice cream but he also loves toffee and vanilla too

✯He can talk but he prefers sign language (dialect of sign language may vary on preference ((like ASL or BSL or LSE, ect)) ) and talks to save time in an emergency in case the other person may not know sign, but DOES sign if they do

For this one, I thought about the cutscenes where he's explaining something (like the current location or condition of Zelda) to another character and we can see his mouth moving.

✯no because if video games existed in skyloft, i just know that he's playing stardew valley and papas freezeria. I can feel it in my BONES

✯Definitely woke up under his bed once and hit his head on the bedframe

✯him and Groose have insult battles but then they get ice cream together after

Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask

✯somebody get this poor boy a therapist and a hug PLEASE

Twilight Princess

✯it felt natural to him when he transformed using the Zora mask in mm, because both the models for adult link and Zora link are the same size

✯mute

✯i think he played the ocarina like a recorder (aka with no experience at all) and did each note individually and the magic of the ocarina of time was probably like "there is NO WAY that I'm letting this kid tarnish my reputation goddamit" and made the songs sound nicer after he had played all the notes

✯forgot once that he was a kid again and walked to Romani ranch to get some chateau Romani and was genuinely surprised when Cremia said no

✯Had more of a genuine connection to Midna, but still had a friendship with princess Zelda

Wind Waker

✯felt a strange familial connection to the hero of shades when he met him and made link want to find out who the hero of shades was

✯does NOT like how short he is when he transforms into a wolf

✯Best poker face in history

Breath of the Wild

✯Gives Aryll piggybacks when she wants

✯would gladly eat his grandma's soup for the rest of his life

✯His grandma gave him the recipe to her soup when he left to discover the new Hyrule

✯Has the most major and unhidable (that's not a word but who cares) side eye in the history of time

✯If the events of WW didn't happen, I think he would have grown up to be a cartographer or he would REALLY like making his own maps

✯sorry to get all angsty but I don't think he wanted to kill Ganondorf. I just don't. I don't think either of them wanted to kill eachother. I feel like Link feels guilty about it because it's so obvious that it was only self defense after the triforce was touched by king Daphnes and it literally drove Ganondorf insane

Tbh I'd go crazy too if something I had wanted so badly got taken by another person even tho I literally got SEALED IN ANOTHER FUCKING REALM FOR A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME for it

Again sorry for no totk for this one pls no spoilers

✯Gets ambushed by Yiga so many times that he knows their names

*Yiga poofs into existence* "IM HERE TO KILL YOU LINK, IN REVENGE FOR MASTER KOHGA!!!!"

"oh hi jerry, nice weather eh?" -link

✯After he saved princess Zelda, he took a nap that lasted 4 ENTIRE days

✯not even the sound of kass' accordion could wake his ass up

✯very obvious but if he wasn't a knight, he would be a chef. Not sous chef. He would be head chef.

✯His hands are probably rough as hell from all that Hero Of Hyrule™-ing he has done

✯despite being able to lift heavy objects, his arms are still noodles

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.139 Buzz kill

The next day, I noticed Sophia getting around better and looking more lively, so I seized the opportunity to go meet my niece and nephews, with her blessing, of course. When I arrived, a less angry, more serious Alessia greeted me, and I was glad to see her getting better as well. Even though our birthdays were mere days apart, I had always viewed her as a little sister. But if I had gotten older and wiser, so did she. Maybe this situation caused her to mature very quickly. Jace's actions were beyond her control, and stewing in anger every day didn't get her anywhere. I told her I was proud of how she handled it, murderous thoughts aside.

"Don't applaud me yet," she said. "I still dream about killing him."

"No one would fault you for that, Less. What he did was foul, and I personally want to lay hands on him."

She smiled, shaking her head at me.

"I still can't believe my super Jedi Zen brother wants to hurt someone."

"Everyone has limits, sis. Now, can I please meet the babies?"

As we walked up the stairs, I heard one of them crying.

"I'm coming, Lex," Alessia shouted.

"How do you know which one it is?"

"Well, dear brother, when you're trapped in the house with them 24/7, you learn a lot of things," she said in a snarky tone.

She went straight to his bassinet, picked him up, and fed him, and I watched her in awe.

"See? I told you it was in you," I said.

"Yeah, yeah. They're not so bad when they're not screaming at you. That's right! You're not so bad...cute little devil."

She looked at him so lovingly. I knew despite the rough road she would have, everything would be okay.

"So you must be Arvin, then," I said, picking up the other boy. "Do you remember my voice? I'm Uncle Luca!"

Less asked if I could watch them for a little while so she could do some things around the house, and once again, she impressed me. I had never seen her even wash a dish before, and now she talked about taking care of the house? Motherhood did her some good, I suppose. That, or she was that desperate to get away from the babies.

I put Arvin down and met the young queen, Breanna. She had green eyes, just like Dwayne. I shook my head as I thought about his situation. The poor man invested all that time and emotional energy into their relationship only for Mama to abandon him at the end of his life. He had always been so supportive and understanding of the complexities of our family dynamics, and even the complexities of their own relationship. I'm glad he finally stood up for himself, but it was just so sad.

When Alessia came back, I told her I'd love to stay but needed to go because I told Sophia I wouldn't be long. Mama caught me as I stepped onto the porch and said she needed to talk to me. I tried to tell her I'd call her tomorrow and that I needed to get home, but she insisted.

"I don't have long, Luca," she said in a stern tone.

"Mama..."

"No whining. You're going to listen to me, now. This is happening whether you want it to or not, and I want you to be prepared!"

She was right. My parents had been trying to talk about their pending demise, but I didn't want to hear it. And it wasn't like I hadn't noticed them getting older. But I still wanted to build that treehouse with Dad, and I wanted Mama to drop by unannounced with suitcases filled with gifts for Desiree and the dogs. I still looked forward to them being there when she got home from her first day of school. But none of that would happen, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.

"I'm listening," I said.

"I want you to bury me next to Mommy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I want you to have that other painting she did."

Tears wet my cheek, so I nodded so my voice wouldn't break.

"I don't want a funeral. Have a party and dance. Don't cry because you wish I was still here. I didn't always do things right, but I lived, Luca. Celebrate that."

"A party, though?"

"Party! Promise me you'll take care of your sister. She's gonna need you more than ever now."

"I always do, Mama."

"I know you do. You've been such a great big brother. I'm so proud to call you my son. You're everything I wanted. If all I did was be your mom, I'd still die happy and fulfilled."

"How can you be so casual about this?"

"I told you. I had a full life. If I could spend more time with you, I would. But I know you'll be alright. I get to be with my parents again! Why would I be sad about that?"

I had so many thoughts swirling through my head and so many unanswered questions. I felt anxious about running out of time to get answers, and that conversation seemed like the perfect time to bring them up. But at the moment, none of that seemed to matter anymore. I wanted her to enjoy whatever time she had left, rather than bombarding her with uncomfortable questions. I was a very grown man who could figure things out for myself.

"You've been a good mom. I may not always agree with you, but that never changed how much I loved you. I just want you to know that."

"I know that, buddy."

"I know you know, but I haven't said it enough. Thanks...for everything."

"It's been my pleasure, Luca."

[cbrownjc]

Don't you think that if Louis had said to Daniel something along those lines: "I know human life might not sound appealing to you, in fact if you're honest with yourself you're already down deep and struggling... but it doesn't have to be this way, you can find beauty in yourself and people around you, you can create something beautiful with another person [...]" that that would've worked as a strong enough subconscious incentive for Daniel to actually create maybe not a perfect life but at least a life where he didn't ruin other people's lives and led a life he could actually feel proud of (maybe something along those lines: living as a poor man but with a loving family and trying to live as hero reporter even if not famous; sort of a twist, a combination of what Louis originally said to him - a bright young reporter with a pov - and what I just wrote above - in other words he wouldn't pour all of himself only into his career). At first glance this might reek of mediocrity in all areas but I don't think so, Daniel might've just been able to pull of a healthy work-family balance and a healthy attitude towards himself and others, a hero in his family's eyes.

I don't disagree with you that ofc Daniel had all of the described self-destructive tendencies already in himself but it makes the world of a difference if somebody, especially a frightening, psychotic (to Daniel), powerful ancient vampire points them out to you, especially after Daniel has been through what was the single worst and traumatic experience in his life. People can be highly succeptible to what other people think/say about us in regular conditions, not to say in deeply traumatic one as he was in.

I think with the right words Daniel could've been encouraged to fight and overcome his self-destructive tendencies and not covet the vampire life because he would lose the reason to covet it. I don't think Daniel wanted to be turned into a vampire just because he wanted to use his vampire powers to be some kind of hero; that idea was just an escape for him, an escape from himself, just like drugs. He didn't even think things through when he spurted that, that's why Louis yelled back at his proposal: "have you even been listening to me boy?!!" Because Daniel, as high as he already was, didn't really took the time to actually consider what he was asking for. His statement: "I can be your Lestat, your Claudia [...]" also has that same air of impulsive thinking to it.

Daniel at that time was bright and astute, sure, he had moments of profound insight but that was still unpolished and untrained, a diamond-in-the-rough, that's why he simultaneously had moments of profound clumsiness and inexperience, just as his older version recollects him saying constantly: "[...] and then what?" Surely, there's a big chance his desire to become a vampire was just something made in the spurr of the moment and something he might just have regretted it later.

Hello!

So okay, first of all, I apologize for taking so long to answer this. And with the season being over that will now probably inform my opinion on all of this from when you first asked.

So the thing is I don't necessarily disagree with you. I do think it was possible that Daniel could have been encouraged in that way regarding his life by Louis. And maybe it could have had an effect later in Daniel's life.

But I think the issue is that at least at that moment in time? Daniel didn't put forward an overwhelming desire for that kind of life. Not like how he did about wanting to be a writer/journalist.

You see this in regard to the things Daniel's mind kept using to resist Armand's attempt to accept death. Everything Daniel said outside of just not having any desire to die period was in so way related to being a journalist. Even the "bright young reporter with a point of view" comment was something Daniel said first about himself, not Louis.

I think that shows how much Daniel's own identity of self and self-worth was tied up into being a writer, being a journalist.

Yes, Daniel had a fear about ending up in a relationship like his parents appeared to have, with kids who shied away from him. But I'm not sure that fear was as tied up in his -- then present -- sense of self as being a journalist was for him.

The idea of having a better family life of his own wasn't what his mind went to when trying to resist Armand's death pull. Being that "bright young reporter with a point of view" was.

And I think that may also be the reason Louis also specifically latched onto that when he gave Daniel those words of encouragement -- because they were, at heart, Daniel's own about himself that gave him the type of reinforcement to even in some little way fight against Armand's intent.

So while I do think Louis could have also given supporting words about how Daniel wouldn't have the type of family life he feared, I'm not sure that Daniel himself felt strongly enough in that way about himself -- about himself one day having such a positive framework in contrast to his fear -- that it would have worked. Maybe it would have -- I wouldn't say it never could have, as I don't feel I have enough information about Daniel's family life as a whole to make such a call. But I'm not certain it could have.