#OH THIS? HANDS DOWN MY FAVE SCENE OF THE EP.

[usertoxicyaoi]

"I'm not here today to do serious birdwatching with you. I came to discover what you enjoyed doing. I came just for that. Despite unexpected things, if today ends well, it would have been fun."

TAKARA NO VIDRO (2024). EPISODE EIGHT.

[negrowhat]

Fave Love Scenes of 2024

Still working on the handful of end of year prompts @babyangelsky 's 2024 wrap up. I have one more to do after this one! It's been fun and the more I do these wrap ups the more I see that I really, really didn't watch as many series this year as I thought I did and quite a few didn't keep my attention after they ended the way I thought they would. My attention span is already short and I found it challenging to recall some of these from my challenged memory.

AlanJeff's Final Love Scene from Pit Babe. Oh it left me OBSESSED! It's highkey the scene that turned me into a full-on AlanJeff girlie. It was gentle and passionate and slow and a bit lazy; very in the moment since Alan had just woken up. Loved when Jeff kissed Alan's forehead while Alan kissed his chest. Loved the close-up of their faces pressed together, they looked like a painting. It was a perfect love scene. I need AlanJeff back ASAP.

PhayaTharn Special Ep Love Scene from The Sign. I was going to say the pink scene (lordt knows I love it)...but I feel like we never talked enough about the one from the special ep and I'm sure it's because of how late the special ep was released internationally. Anyways Tharn really thought he was about to leave that bedroom un-fucked on Phaya's watch??? Naw. Hell Naw! He really had that man up against the door. And of course Tharn likes it because he's dreamt about Phaya pressing him up against hard surfaces. And choking, Tharn has dreamt about that too and Phaya knows what his man likes. Tharn looks so pretty even though it's clear he's a bit annoyed I'm sure he enjoyed the dickdown first thing in the AM. BillyBabe are gorgeous together.

Go Young and Young Su Makeup Sex from Love in the Big City. It's toxic. It's hott. It's relatable. It's well shot and well executed. Absolutely love how feral they became in that scene. Big fan of the manhandling and lifting. I doubt that was the first time Young Su had done that with Go Young. I'm sure it was Young Su's 'Go To' to calm Young down. Sometimes some fire dick will make you temporarily calm down and forget your boyfriend is a hot ass mess...more of a hot mess than you are which is actually crazy to think about.

All of OabPlawan's Love Scenes from Love No Long Beans. Because it would be a crime for me to have a favorite. SailubPon are featured twice on this list because they truly have some insane physical chemistry and their love scenes are up there with BossNoeul for me. I love that OabPlawan rarely had love scenes in bed, just getting down and dirty whenever and wherever they felt like it. It really showed how they just went with it when it hit them. It showed that despite their secrecy, they wouldn't be confined to a bed. Oab seemed to be a huge fan of lifting and bending Plawan over stationary surfaces. I approve of their unapologetic and inappropriate uses of counters.

Horny Miyata Being Mad At Iwanaga from Love is Better the Second Time Around. It was such a great love scene. Iwanaga was very much excited to be intimate with someone he held so dearly. Someone he loved. And though Miyata was a very willing participant he couldn't stop thinking about how good at The Sex Iwanaga was because it reminded him that Iwanaga was this intimate with other men. Why did it bother him? Because he felt like Iwanaga had moved on while he was stuck in the past, unable to give himself to anyone else; equating sex to love.

WayuJao's Love Scene from Two Worlds. We got ONE WayuJao love scene and it was amazing. The two of them in that dark ass abandoned house with the soft glow of candlelight. Jao was looking so incredibly nervous. Wagyu Beef was being very careful because Jao was hurt. I love that they kissed each other all over. The scene was intimate, slow, and passionate. Also who was expecting to see that much ass? Also, also Jao was doing a lot of movement with his punctured leg. I do wish we had more time with them in the series because I loved them together.

HuaiBao Hands Scene from Meet You At the Blossom. Perfection, so much so that it was my banner for a long ass time. Xiaobao had a way of making Huai'en feel shy, possessive, and insane all at once. I just found the love scene to be incredibly sweet and romantic. The hand kiss floored me along with their gentle smiles. The way Huai'en was running his hand down Xiaobao's thigh. The way he lightly raised Xiaobao's wrists above his head and how that turned into clasped fingers???? Pure art. Also I just loved Xiaobao's gold bangles in that scene.

GreatTyme's First Time in Great's Dying Brain from 4 Minutes. Oh it was so incredibly awkward. Great out of breath and laughing while Tyme kinda hovers over him. WHEN HE KISSED HIS FOREHEAD! Their kisses were sweet. I love how we got a lil awkward conversation in the silence while they tried to undress and figure things out. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the close-up shots of Great's thigh tattoos and that hand pulling Tyme in closer. Great's Cartier bracelet!!! The way they were smiling and panting in each others faces; kissing and laughing. I also loved the golden light around them. It definitely had the ambiance of a dream.

GreatTyme's Actual First Time from 4 Minutes. It was fun. The open mouth kisses excellent. The way Great couldn't even wait until they got inside to go down on Tyme. And I cheered when Tyme pulled him back up for a kiss right after. Let's talk about Tyme eating Great out on the pool table and the way he was kissing all over the back of his neck! Let's talk about him biting that man's ass cheek. When Great put the condom on Tyme and lubed him up???? Oh that was hott!. Loved watching Great ride Tyme. Tyme's hands gripping and caressing Great's neck and chest and that overhead shot so we could see the gorgeous thigh tattoos again! Yea 10/10. IDK why Tyme was looking like he was annoyed because he was having a good time, the best time. I know sex with Great was the best he ever had.

Jack and Joke's First Time from Jack & Joker. Yea when they started off with Jack shoving Joke up against that wall through the clothes on the hangers? He hit the wall so hard I thought they were fighting and I thought Jack had put Joke through the wall. I love the way they kept shoving each other over so they could be on top. I love that they were both so out of breath the whole time. I loved the messy kisses, the choking, and chin grabbing. Loved the way they had to compromise or they would've been flipping each other over the rest of the series. I just know they left hella bruises and scratches all over each other. Those boys were hungry and feral.

ArashiRei's First Time from Love in the Air Koi. The way Arashi's giant ass had Rei pressed up against that wall, face buried in his neck and shoving his hands under his shirt? Rei looked so overwhelmed he really couldn't even respond, thought he was gon pass out. When Arashi lays Rei down and they kiss and Arashi starts licking Rei's lips?????????? We even got a brief shot of Arashi going down on Rei and I love the view we got of Arashi's back when he was pumping into Rei. Also Rei's moaning gave a porno vibe just a bit which I did enjoy.

[lokittystuckinatree]

Happy Pride losers, I’m ready to be clowned but my dumb ass is now convinced Rogue is the Master…

Rogue and Renegade have eerily similar meanings under the right circumstance.

To rebel against an organized group. To go rogue.

An endearingly naughty person

Koschei, our second fave Renegade Time Lord

Apparently they were also called a Rogue Time Lord? I am not making this up.

Although Maestro is Master in Italian and look how that turned out

“Lord” interesting.

Red and Blue. The master and 13 were red and blue coded respectively. Have they switched, Symbolically?

Rogue was looking at the Doctor rather nefariously, even once they were buddies. Just go through some of the scenes again. It’s harder than you’d think to tell if he’s trying to seem seductive or evil

The entire premise of this ep seems to be “things are not as they seem; people are not as they appear” which is a Master staple

The Master has been haunting the fuck out of the narrative lately.

Here’s my thread on just how much

When I saw the first trailer, I instinctively thought “ballroom dance guy” was gonna be the new Master

The inside of Rogue’s (familiarly messy) ship has controls eerily similar to the configuration of a TARDIS.

Rogue is obviously a time traveler if he has that space ship and knows DnD (Rogue + Time + Lord. Oh?)

DnD might be a dead giveaway

Was Rogue’s name being inspired by DnD necessary to include? Cute thing the writers wanted to put in, or clue?

Why would Rogue know what DnD was but not know what cosplay or improv was?

The Master has been taken prisoner by the Toymaker, infamous for his love of? Games. You know who also has a running theme of “winning” and “losing”? The Master

In DnD you play as a character and rely on skill and chance to survive within the confines of a structured storytelling game. Bending the rules is often involved. The Master tried that against the Toymaker and failed.

DnD players will often have little tiny figurines of their characters. Remind you of anything?

the Master is a dnd rogue archetype. Trickster, lone wolf, shapeshifter.

If the Doctor is symbolically trapped in a TV show, is the Master trapped in a game? If the Toymaker is the DM, is he going rogue against the Toymaker?

The Master is infamous for their disguises and “cosplays” and has catfished the Doctor before.

Rogue is almost suspiciously too much the Doctor’s type. He’s like the love child of River Song and Jack Harkness. He is exactly the type of character the Master would create to lure and seduce the Doctor.

He and the Doctor just…get each other. It’s like they’ve known each other for much longer than a few hours. They’re too cushy (haha)

Rogue threatened to kill the Doctor, and then imprisoned him in a nice little cage. Familiar?

He tried to make the Doctor kill Ruby, who we all know is just Clara 2.0. Familiar?

He knows too much and too little

He knew the party was attended by alien birb people but only knew about one alien birb? And did he reaaaally think Doc was an alien bird?

The Dancing. They knew they wanted there to be a dance party before they even settled on a time period setting for the episode. Enough said.

The ring was…interesting

That’s a lot of commitment, even if only a promise ring. Something tells me he intended it as an engagement ring though

Someone tried to write a book in the 80s where 5 and Ainley were ex spouses, but it was shot down

Just an unrelated detail, but a ring on the pinky is a gay thing

Mirroring. Thoschei do that. A lot.

“You!” “No, you!” “no, you!”

The way they danced

The scene where they kept turning on and off the music

Speaking of music…Bad Guy by Billie Eilish? Too on the nose? Can’t get you out of my head? Poker face?

You remember that lady’s hand that picked up the Master in his widdle toof? Hand of the Rani?

This episode was written by two women. The Master would literally be in women’s hands

I remember watching Sacha Dhawan’s Spy Master for the first time and going…darn, he reminds me so much of Avengers era Loki. Kate Herron directed season 1 of the Loki Series and had a lot of creative control. Would it really be surprising if RTD (confirmed Loki fan) went to her for the Master after Sacha?

Didn’t Russell say he’s leaving the Master for “other writers?”

“The Master is parked” did he happen to park a Tardis disguised as an everyday spaceship???

In an interview, Kate said she and Briony designed Rogue to be the Doctor’s “equal”

References

“When I see him, I’ll know” and he is drawn to Rogue like a magnet.

“Travel with me” who must you be to want the Doctor to be your companion instead of vice verse

“We can argue across the stars”

“I’m in your head” + “can’t get you out of my head” + the Master being referenced multiple times in almost every episode since PoTD

“I’m trigger happy” feels really fucking intentional

He said “find me.” If he is the Master, the person he lost was the Doctor, (notice he said “them” and not “her” or “him?”) and the Master and Doctor always find each other.

Scream of the Shalka? And didn’t the Master fall through the floor like 40 times in Curse of Fatal Death? Richard E Grant was the Doctor in both of those.

For more, @bugeater77 and friends have this lovely thread

Guys CHECK MY REBLOG, RTD posted something wild.

[rmd-writes]

Tag Game Tuesday Wednesday: 911 Lone Star Fandom Edition

Tagged by @liminalmemories21 and @freneticfloetry thanks, and good timing! You both caught me on my lunch break

When did you first start watching Lone Star? Who or what introduced you to the show?

I can't remember the exact timing, but I'm pretty sure I watched the first two seasons while s3 was airing and then caught up after - I wanted to start earlier but I had some issues finding a way to watch the show here!

My introduction to the show was via @three-drink-amy telling me to watch it (repeatedly), @clottedcreamfudge's judicious use of gifs from the show in the gc and a bunch of SC mutuals yelling about the gay howdy wee woo show on my dash every week.

Season 4 was the first season that I watched "live" which I did with @welcometololaland, both of us texting and screaming as we watched each episode together hours and hours after everyone else had.

Which season is your favorite?

Season 3, hands down. I don't know that they'll ever beat it?

Who is your favorite character? (Bonus: If you answered TK or Carlos, who is your favorite besides them?)

Other than Carlos and TK, I think it's Grace. I just adore the her energy and the way that she takes everything in her stride and even when things are hard, she's very practical about it. Also she doesn't take shit from anyone.

Top five episodes. Go!

I don't think I've ever tried to do this? I'm generally very bad at choosing, my SC fave ep list contains three episodes that I insist must be watched together so they only count as one ep hahahaha Anyway, in no particular order, and not necessarily by episode title or number because I can't be arsed looking them up:

Push, my beloved

3 x 13

the one with Lou

Bad Call

the Soulmates one

Bonus: the Marjan ep in s4 which was just so, so good

If you could pick any character to be given a "begins" episode, who would it be and what would that episode look like?

Either Nancy because we know nothing about her and I want to know, or Paul because I think he's had such an interesting journey.

What is a scenario or storyline that you would like to see in season 5?

I love @liminalmemories21's idea of a Halloween ep! It would be so fun!

We probably won't get it because of the shorter season, but I'd love more Lonestar-is-a-comedy-actually episodes like Red vs Blue and the (original) Lou arc.

More realistically, I'd love to see Carlos actually grappling with the consequences of his actions in s4 and also working through his grief and TK helping him do that. And I'd like to see an absence of Owen love interests.

What do you think is going on in this still?

I want it to be something silly like Lou 2 is lost in the loft and Carlos is Not Happy about it (the reason for TK's posture) and then he answers his phone in the middle of all of that, hence the facial expression. The phone call isn't that important, it's Owen asking Carlos for help on a side quest.

We all know about the elusive 5x05 spicy scene that has been teased, so what is your prediction for how it could possibly top 1x02?

I don't know about a prediction, but I'd love to see them getting distracted from getting ready in the morning. Carlos (in just his underwear) waking TK up with a kiss and TK pulling him back into bed for a good make out session and that turning into more. A very different vibe to 1x02 but hot nonetheless.

Where was the Tarlos honeymoon in your mind?

I think it was somewhere close to home - with the accelerated wedding timeline (lol) they didn't have time for a long trip for to somewhere far away, and by all accounts, travelling overseas wasn't on their radar anyway (see: TK's disbelief when Carlos says he wants to go to Tuscany). So a long weekend at a nice resort somewhere. Enzo paid for it as their wedding gift because he couldn't make it to the wedding when they moved the date up.

Shoutout one of your favorite fan creations.

Just one (1)? Impossible! This Rafa fan art by @ambiguouspenny made me actually say "oh fuck" the first time I saw it. I adore the way @whatsintheboxmh uses light in all of her fan art. I love @howtosingit's Carlos episode edits because they a) let me watch all of the Tarlos scenes on repeat (and before I actually get to the watch the episodes when they air because time zones), b) give me an easy way to check canon dialogue and c) make it easy to convince new people to watch the show when they sneak into my DMs and tell me that the number of Tarlos gifs I am putting on their dash is tempting them. @liminalmemories21's Knave-verse might be my favourite Tarlos AU, everything about it makes me swoon. Okay, cutting myself off now.

Tagging: @welcometololaland @howtosingit @three-drink-amy just so they know my earlier tags in this post were tags to do this and also @lightningboltreader @orchidscript

@danieljradcliffe @guardian-angle22 @reasonandfaithinharmony @alrightbuckaroo

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @nancys-braids @heartstringsduet and anyone else who wants to play 💖 PS. if ao3 user olympia2007 is here on tumblr, I'm tagging you too (and please come say hi)

[somniumfaults]

omg omg i finally finished reading ep 7 of tkdb and it was SOOOOOO GOOD. yuri and jiro are obviously sweethearts and i would die for them.

spoilers for ep 7

i also SCREAMED at haku calling the mc princess bfdhkqakfsdjhjgkl..... like, i had already seen it online! i knew it was gonna happen!!!!! but still ghdfksjk; he's not even my fave but he's so SWOON worthy.

the scene where it's revealed that jiro is zenji's brother was also so :( i kinda wish we had gotten more but also i'm happy with what we do have. i Do wish i could have experienced it raw but. cest la vie or whatever the french say. ZENJI GETTING SAD JIRO DOESN'T KNOW HE STILL EXISTS MADE ME SO SAD THO. LET THEM MEET!!! LET THEM REUITE!!!!!! HAKU WHAT ARE YOU DOING!! (being responsible probably but still. kicks him!! useless!!!)

i also totally saw dante approving of the gala from like, a mile away. prof nicolas had me scared for a moment but we've seen hyde call dante out wayyyy too many times for being a softie for me to think he wouldn't agree to it. HYDE ON THE OTHER HAND.... i think its reallly interesting to see them start to more obviously lean into the nature of "hyde" being the more nefarious side of jekyll. i have my doubts that they'll ever do anything so blatant as a personality change, but i do suppose i could see them sort of using it as it is already? or well, in the sense that the name reference is less so something to imply a future personality change, as most series would probably do, and more-so just an indication of hyde's two faced nature.

a part of me honestly is starting to wonder if all the ghouls up until now have been red herrings... maybe hyde is the one who is the spy after all. i honestly wouldn't be surprised, and since he's giving out "special missions" i suppose it could also lend itself to the other ghouls feeling guilt over their actions bc they know for a fact they're being shady. also: see sho saying that he's the only man for the job during his introduction could be a reference to the fact that hyde was the one behind everything and as his brother, he's the most fit for the job of taking him on. of course, this is a super flimsy defense for the theory lol bc there are so many other ghouls who kind of phrase their intros as holding responsibility for taking care of whatever disaster is happening during the intro but. still. i think its possible!!!!

OH. AND HOW COULD I FORGET JIN STEPPING IN FOR THE MC WHEN TAIGA WAS BEING A LIL BITCH AT THE AUDITORIUM. he's so tsun and cute hgkjfklsjdlk; "noooo i totally didn't do it for you" ass.... the idea of taiga and jin duking it out is actually sooooo cool and sexy. i went SO WILD during the comic scene where they were staring each other down and debating the amount of money bc it was just so cool....

i'm also super curious about the dynamic btwn romeo and hyde bc i... will not lie it really sounds like romeo is being taken advantage of. i mean, maybe that's just stating the obvious LOL but honestly despite romeo's brattiness (affectionate), i can't help but feel bad for the dude because that whole interaction just screamed "i'm way out of my depth even if i don't realize it". i'm really looking forward to the next chapter and getting to see more of sinostra and their dynamic

[noemitenshi]

Do you have an ultimate all time fave Troy scene that you could gush about forever?

Oh god that's such a difficult question. Honest answer would be 'no' because I just cannot choose. I have *so many* favorite Troy scenes that I love to go on and on about. Like, really, I think every ep he is in, I've got at least(!!) one scene I could gush about. I mean, I can't even tell you which ep I love him most in.

Though I do have at least two eps my mind goes to first when asked for favorite Troy scenes - ep 9 and ep12. And again, there's a lot of scenes to love in there but I think most about ep 9 is the confrontation with Madison (and, of course, stabbing his hand on Klah's knife. gotta love that enthusiasm). He's so vulnerable during it, like we get another little puzzle piece of his rich inner life that he keeps so closely guarded (ok or maybe it's also that he wasn't really a hm POV character or someone we should sympathize with that's why his... reasoning or motivation for a lot of things stayed hidden from us 🤷‍♀️). Anyway, the way he says "is that guilt" and "you let *your son* shoot him" (im obsessed) jesus there's a lot going on there. It seems like betrayal a bit (see also "i thought you were cold-blooded"). Also note how he's more fixated/upset over that part, Nick (and not Madison!) shooting Jeremiah instead of, you know, Jeremiah having been shot/murdered.

Also the infamous "I don't surrender" line, I mean, that's Troy in a nutshell, isn't it? No matter what is thrown his way, no matter how people treat him, he tries and tries again. He does so with Madison (I mean, right before she kills him he tries to move past all that shit right, tries again to connect with her), he also did so with his father, staying loyal to him, obedient, through all that abuse and humiliation and belittlement. I think the same is also true for his relationship with Jake, even though the cracks there can be seen, and also for his relationship with the people on the ranch at large. They talk about him, too, but he still protects them - I mean until he led the horde there, of course. But by that point he was dealing with a lot - his father's death, his own exile, Madison's 'betrayal'.... Anyway, I don't surrender, that is so very Troy. And maybe sometimes he'd like to surrender, give up and be done with everything but that's just not in his nature. Probably why he can't kill himself. Why he also keeps going, when Nick tells him "you can sleep when you're dead". Try, try again, even when people keep beating him down. Downright endearing if it weren't so heartbreaking.

Anyway, ep 9. The scene with Madison. I got distracted. The way he goes "hi" after he's done hitting Klah. The way he kept jabbing at her over Jeremiah's death "You hit your quota?" when she tells him "no more killing" (hahahah makes me laugh every time). The way the gun does not impress him at all. Just casually walking up to her. Mostly sure she won't kill him but I think he wouldn't have minded if she had, either. The voice break when he tells her "i know what you did". The expression he makes when he asks "and why wasn't it" after she goes "It should've been me". There's that betrayal. Sadness. Ok maybe also because his dad died. Maybe because they kept it from him. Maybe because she didn't ask *him* to do it.

And then, the very incomprehensible (he is the one that isn't comprehending. but then also he is. this is how it always goes, why would it be different with madison) "i thought you wanted me with you". As he asks he knows already she doesn't. But again, he's trying as much as he can, to get through to her. Until the heartbreaking "I'm tired. I'm so tired." That's probably as close as he gets in asking for help. He did it with Nick too later, in ep 12 ("I need sleep" he told him but he meant rest). He thought he'd die and these people just refuse to get the job done and so he has to live, live with all this loss and he just, he needs a break. So desperately that he says one of the most vulnerable things (so far). "Im so tired." Unfortunately Madison either doesn't hear it, or, more likely, doesn't think she can give in to that (no wonder, he did just attack her after all). And when that fails, this cry for help (in like Troy-speak), he goes. What else is there to do? He'll go and survive because that's what he does.

---

Now, ep 12, I love the confrontation between Jake and Troy (the little convo in between, between Nick and Troy - "murder, you really wanna go there, nick?" "still ricocheting in your skull, nick?" "you tell it best, nick. I don't want to steal your thunder" "don't say sorry to me, say sorry to him". It's lovely, all of it). And then of course the sibling confrontation. Also very lovely. We see Jake finally giving in to what he's wanted to do for a long time, I wager. He has been fed up with Troy since ep 1 (and before that too, I'm sure. Their interactions do tease a history between them).

"I love that sound" - also very much a contender for favorite line. Also gotta admit I thought he'd say something different (and more uh x-rated) when he went "I love that sound some love when a ball hits the fat of a bat, you know" Anyway, just another reminder that Troy loves all things to do with danger and control. (And I don't even think this has to be in the obvious way, where he loves to be in control, though I'm sure he does. But that he also loves the loss of it when in danger. When at the recieving end of a gun (you best believe I've got a story for this, too, 'fool me twice'... I'm sorry, I cannot stop the shameless self promotion....))

Also I just noticed, how he says "It's eviction or extinction" and you know who else got famously uhm evicted. Adam and Eve. So yeah, when he says "this is biblical" to Nick, the night before, to warn him, he really means it like that.

And then the bit between the two brothers. How Jake tries to impress upon Troy he'll really kill him "I'll shoot you brother, I will" and how Troy *doesn't even hesitate* to pull the trigger himself, almost like saying "fucking do it then". Or he is mocking him. Probably both, considering it's Troy. And he was right, wasn't he, to be mocking. Because Jake doesn't kill him (yet). But Troy tries to rile him up further. He almost sounds panicked in a way, but not in fear of his life. Maybe in fear of Jake *not* going through with it after all.

And then their whole rabbit bit, how Troy looks at Jake while he goes "rabbits they, they scream like human beings", that calculating look. How he interrupts Jake with this mocking laugh and a "oh, tell me about the rabbits" Jake is totally ignoring Troy's interruption, going "I still protected him" and Troy telling him "You left me, brother." And then Jake again, insistently "I always protected you!" and Troy isn't saying anything to that but he doesn't look amused anymore. God I wish Nick would've shut up so we'd really get into their grievances between the brothers. But sadly (or maybe not so sadly haha) he wanted to save Troy because he was feeling guilty about killing his dad. And it gave Troy the perfect opportunity to torture Nick about this, also very enjoyable. All in all, a great interaction all around.

Oh and of course the "you thinking of checking out? we could do it together" has me chanting death-wish, death-wish, death-wish hahahaha. I do think he'd have liked it to go together with his brother. It's sweet somehow. In a way it feels like he wants to help his brother on this journey. Like, then his death means something. And then how he licks his lips when Jake gets ready to shoot him. Is it anticipation, fear? Who knows. Would love to ask Daniel about it...

AND ALSO THE TITLE 'Brother's Keeper', that's a biblical phrase “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain said to God when God asked him where Abel was (and Cain had killed him). So I wonder, is Jake Cain then? I mean Jake *does* die and Cain, well, famously does not. But then, it's not Troy that kills Jake. It's Nick hitting Jake before Jake can kill Troy. Would Jake have even killed Troy? I'm not sure. I'm just sure that Troy would rather have died himself than seeing Jake die... anyway, "Am I my brother's keeper" I think this question taken at face value is actually Jake's gripe with Troy. That he feels he is made responsible (probably from a young age, given the little glimpse into the past we got via those video tapes) for keeping Troy in check. While, I imagine, Troy doesn't really listen to Jake (and Jake has no real power over Troy so he can reinforce his will), so a thoroughly frustrating experience for Jake, all in all. And yes, maybe this, assembling a horde and leading it to the ranch, would've given him enough motivation to be able to uhm enforce his will. But maybe not. I guess that's me saying, love the title, love also how we get a bit more insight into the brotherly relationship. Though I *so* wish we got into it even more. Like what did Troy mean when he said "Oh, tell me about the rabbits". Sounds like there's a story there (and yes I did try to imagine it in my story 'childhood memories').

This was a lovely ask, I enjoyed answering it. Thank you so much and have a great day 🧡

Also, I hope it's ok to invite people to jump in, if they feel like it, and share their favorite Troy scene. I'm so very curious 👀 gimme, gimme (also don't feel the need to ramble on like I did hahaha, though if you want to, have at it!)

[timingmatters]

Fave things from the finale bc it was a lil rushed but i enjoyed it a lot!!!

- hen sneaking in late had me DYING. Top 5 scenes of the entire show it was so funny how she sat with her hands between her legs when she was caught LMAOO

- and all of bobby’s kids just being distracted af with Bobby desperately trying to get out like 2 words without being interrupted or ignored sjdjdjdjd

- maddie and Athena!!! Omg both took a moment when they heard about the emergencies and then immediately jumped into action they are so badass!!!

- buck!! BUCK!!!! He is usually very sensitive and irrational when emergencies to those he loves are happening but the moment literally everyone important in his life (except for maddie and the show’s kids) went down and he IMMEDIATELY jumped to action!! He acted like the captain!!! Like it was Hen but he was giving all the instructions on what to do and personally went to rescue each single member himself!!!! The season started with him being told he couldn’t be captain yet. And i 100000% agreed when it happened because others simply have more experience but this!!!! This?????? He BODIED being the captain here. Like maddie and athena he didn’t allow himself to break down. Even when it came about bobby being mia!!!! BOBBY HIS FATHER!!!

- the moment athena said she found bobby all jumped into action oh my god. Eddie could barely walked and rushed there. Hen was seeing doubles and rushed there. Chim was bleeding from being pretty much impaled and still tried to get out of the gurney to try to go help the second he heard bobby’s name!!! Buck pretty much lead the operation to get bobby out!!!!!

- something amazing about the fact that the kid risked it all to help others. I thought from spoilers he was gonna KNOW it was bobby and the 118 that had rescued him and thats why he was gonna help. But he didn’t until the end!!!! He did it because he wanted to!!! And when both him and bobby realized it they didn’t have to say anything!!! Just understood!!!! With the name of the ep being pay it forward that was so touching!! Bobby and the 118 risked dying to save that kid once. And he risked dying to help others and try to help bobby not even knowing who he was!!!! Makes me believe in humanity again for real (which side note but i was reading about comfort women earlier, which ik historically a lot about them already but i was reading a thread about a book full of anecdotes of survivors and those who didn’t and my god i needed to be reminded humanity is not just full of completely vile and evil people).

- Chim’s dopey smile holding maddie’s hand is everything. Wonder if that was a love thing or an acting choice to be dopey bc he was on morphine LMAOO. Still the cutest ever.

- buck has a little too much chemistry with kameron IM SORRY SHFHDHDH. Obviously i dont want them together and is absolutely not gonna happen but like…. The actors had a spark for a sec there. More than i felt with natalia at least LMAOOO. Which, i just learned in the past oliver once lost a role (or the audition didn’t go as planned) because he had done a chemistry test with natalia’s actress and failed it. They need to start doing chemistry tests with buck’s love interests especially if they wanna sell it that he has no feelings for eddie LMAOO. Eddie and marisol had chemistry for example like they need to do better by buck.

- WHICH ALSO, BUCK WAS ALSO A BOSS DELIVERING THE BABY?????? HE WA JUST SUCH A BOSS THIS EP??? Never freaked out just constantly jumping straight to action!!! What a growth!!!!! And like not just jumping to action but like fast thinking of a plan rather than just acting on pure impulse!! WHICH IS THE BIGGEST GROWTH??? Also side note but every time evan buckely is near a women giving birth that birth happens FAST lmao. Most labors i feel like they take hours but every time buck is involved that baby comes out in like 2 minutes after the water breaks jdjdjd. Which is funny considering all elder people who talk to him die LMAOOO. Angel of life and death fr fr.

- natalia and buck have like 0 chemistry HOWEVER that woman is so pretty got me kicking my feet fr LMAO. And this doesn’t deserve to be praised at all bc it should be as normalized as its on the show but i love that she’s poc and mid size/plus size (i dont think she is plus size but def not on the skinnier size). As a brown person and plus size myself idk i liked seeing her as a love interest just as much as the skinny white girls on the show. Is genuinely not a big deal but i have been rejected for not being skinny and white like the last 2 times i tried starting something so seeing natalia pulling buck with min effort like that made me happy djfjfjfj. Still don’t want them as endgame tho lmao terrible chemistry.

- saw the way buck looked at that baby too!!!!! Love the quick acknowledgment of having a sec realizing genetically thats a part of him that became a new life, but not letting it be a huge deal bc he KNOWS its not his kid.

- fucking love they are meditating now lmao.

- YES HEN S7 NEW BABY STORYLINEEE!!!

- marisol and eddie are cute. But where tf is carla its been a while i miss her. Sad she wasn’t in this finale.

- chim and maddie could just marry at bobby’s place is bigger lmao.

- love christopher encouraging his dad to date. Again i dont really want marisol and eddie, but she has good chemistry with him!!!

- wished we had seen some buck and Christopher for finale tho :((((( no finale should happen without christopher and buck having a moment. Like i wish buck had been playing vid games there when eddie called marisol and the “how is he so bad at this” christopher said was talking to buck.

- natalia has my body type for real im sorry it does make me happy dhfjfjh. Hope he doesn’t find a good couch with her tho. S7 can rescue the couch theory!!!!!!!

- S7 BETTER HAVE SOME PICS AND CUTE STORIES OF BOBBY AND ATHENA’S MORE THAN WELL DESERVED TRIP!!!! YES!!!

[consoledacup]

Don't know if you've answered this already, but what are your favorite and least favorite episodes of each season, and why? (Ps. i love to read your thoughts on the show!)

Oh, boy uhhhh least favorite?

Well, for s1, my least favorite might be 1x08. Not because it wasn't well done, but because Sean's death is rough to watch. And the fallout of the affair made a really great episode, so I think 1x15 is my favorite.

For s2, my least favorite might be 2x13. Kinda boring shooting aftermath ep. I mean, Tyrone dies, but idc he sucks. My favorite is hands down 2x10. Everything about it is perfect. Has my fave Spelivia moments, you got your jordayla, and I love when everyone is together for a pretty event. Then that ending, whew.

For s3, I think my least fave is 3x17. I wasn't expecting a backdoor pilot when I was binging the show, and the tonal shift was jarring. It was a great backdoor pilot though. 3x07 is my fave of s3. It's Vegas! We finally get to see all the hints of 3A come to fruition.

For s4, my least fave is probably 4x05. I mean, I liked that Jordan and Spencer found out that they'd be at GAU together. But other than that, it was frustrating to keep with the Ohio storyline and I didn't like the Ameena stuff. Fave is def 4x20. That ep is so good from start to finish. Obv jordayla's first kiss, but also the football game, the conflict coming to a head with Spelivia, Asher's growth a as a coach, Grace/Carter, Billy and Olivia showing interest in Garret, even the stuff at the beginning when Coop dismisses the swatters. And I really love the angsty scene of jordayla in the studio. Then the ending with all the characters had a really cool kind of crossroads montage.

For s5, 5x19, ahaha. I think the payoff for JJ's arc was just not there for me. Patience further frustrated me with the Miko stuff. Following a tremendous set of eps, it was not my fave. Although Asher rocked it. Fave is obv 5x20. Not only was the proposal absolutely gorgeous, but the whole ep was such a satisfying way to leave us hanging. We got the beautiful airport scene, Vortex scenes, the football, things coming together after the loss of Billy, jasher conflict leading to Asher confronting his dad, Coop admitting she wasn't over Patience, I mean, the stabbing, even, like wth? And I liked seeing the friendship continue with Jaymee and Layla and a new mentorship with Preach and Jordan. It's such a perfect ep to me!

(Also, thanks!)

[aprillikesthings]

been a while since I've done this eh :D

underrated frames from the opening of Promise:

Catra watching Adora fail to get answers out of pre-Light Hope

and then getting pissy at watching Adora transform in She-Ra

poor angry baby

roll intro

man i will never be over this moment:

Hologram: you must let go

Adora: let go of WHAT

Camera:

-pans to Catra

For comedy, tho; my fave line in this episode is when Catra's like, "Can't you make them [the big robot spiders] stop?" and Adora replies "No, I can't tell them to stop, clearly, nothing in here is listening to me!!!" Adora's line delivery kills me every time

Adora's just grabbed Catra's arm and run twice now lol

not thinking about another time she holds the sword as a shield over Catra to protect her, nope, nope noooooooooope

.

too late

*sobs*

okay I'm fine

"I knew you'd be weird about me letting you escape, I told you it's not because I like you!" "I mean, I didn't, I didn't say anything..." -second funniest lines in the ep

smug bastard lol

NOW KISS

(okay maybe not then. Light Hope would've somehow made that whole thing worse)

haunted by the shadows of their past....or something

i've read fics like this

wah they're so cute imma die

man, it's so easy to blame their entire falling-out on Catra, but ...yeah

Catra: whaddya want, an apology? you're not getting one

Me: not for another uhhh few dozen episodes anyway

(hands)

man now every time I see them on some cliff or another I'm like, this was all just foreshadowing for Save The Cat, wasn't it

Catra: Did you really think I'd just let Shadow Weaver erase your memory like that? Adora: I dunno. Probably. Catra: Yeah, well, you never did have too much faith in me. Adora: Can you blame me? Catra: Not really.

You could write a whole long-ass meta post about just that exchange I swear to god. Catra joking to cover up her self-esteem issues vs Adora being a little mean and self-righteous.

Huh yeah that one just pops up multiple times in this ep doesn't it

Y'know, there are multiple conversations in the show that come down to Adora saying "admit you like me" and/or Catra insisting "I don't like you/this isn't because I like you," but they never once do it the other way do they

something about how Adora's completely unaware of her own feelings anyway, so that conversation wouldn't even work even as a joke

oh, you like fighting each other? great! 'cause a few years from now you're gonna be doing it a LOT :D

(sorry)

she's been a smug bastard since childhood lol

augh this whole scene is just "Catra's been lying about whether she gave a shit this whole time, and Adora mostly believed her, which unfortunately just made Catra feel more alone"

(hahhhh the "no it's fine I don't care anyway ha ha" thing is a quality she shares with Amethyst, the only other character I've self-id'ed with this hard, and yes this does tell you things about me)

oh ffs i'm still only halfway through the episode.

i gotta stop lol

Can’t wait to engage in one of my fave midnight hobbies: get high as balls and rewatch bits of She-Ra and sometimes post screenshots with overemotional/horny captions

[coffeestainedcamera]

Now on S2 Ep 2 so tagging spoilers via readmore. But man, I love the Ghost City setting so far. Not just because of that gorgeous visual direction and all the crowd scenes, but because it really feels surprisingly lively for a literal ghost town (yet also is rather sleazy). Anyway, I need an artbook consisting of nothing but relevant visual development work for this arc omfg.

Oh, right, there's a story too. Anyways, spoilers below.

It's pretty interesting that our ghost lore is establishing them as jealous (in many but not all cases). We kicked off the first arc with a ghost who goes after the smiling brides, given her own lack of happiness. And now we spent an entire episode in a gambling hall where things of value to the spirit are their bets. An artist's hand, a thief's leg, and years from the life of one's daughter were some of the wagers I heard? And it seems that it has a wish-granting function, given that the last guy was willing to sacrifice his daughter for taking out his business competition?

It all felt rather fae-like to me. Which I suppose makes Hua Cheng's rigging of the game for a half-finished bun from Xie Lian more notable, as it at first sounded rather worthless. Hell, on its face, it's almost like an insult to our fave dumb martial god that decided to crash the evening. Kind of like a reminder that his life isn't particularly valuable down below.

But we did just spend an entire season on these two characters sticking with each other through thick and thin. And the first time they talked involved splitting a very similar-looking bun, so I suppose the one in this scene actually would fit the "must have value" criteria if we consider the emotional attachment involved. It's just that I thought the wager must have value to the gambler, not the other side lol.

So, in short, there's ye olde cheating and then there's the bald-faced rigging that went down here. Also, are we now on a misunderstanding arc? That goodbye sure sent some mixed signals.

My live reaction: извините, дом ЧЕГО-ЧЕГО? (чуть не выплёвывает чай на ноутбук)

[booatlantis]

Ok my thoughts on Dabi's Dance ep since I've literally been dreaming about this all week:

- I did cry watching Toga cry. Toga is one of my favourite characters and I find the concept behind her character, her quirk and general design so interesting. I dunno, to see that level of emotion from her struck a chord (also I adored Twice too so her seeking answers to why what happened happened, I just-)

- The way Tsu insisted people call her so and yet when Toga does so she tells her not to because obvi they are not friends. Also wasn't expecting Tsu to show up (although checking on your bestie is a bit of a green flag) I kinda felt like I wanted more from that scene but the way Toga left and was left with her emotions seemed fitting.

- My brain wondering how Shiggy still looks buff even when he's charcoal.

- Dabi is Toya, Toya is Dabi...the white hair reveal, the single implied tear falling down his damaged cheek. I loved this imagery especially since it's mentioned that he can't cry because his tear ducts got burnt up.

- The *dance*!! The sass...also the way he was sat...the hands...? (Noticed that Shoto also does the triangle hand thing too).

- The fact that we not only get to hear Toya's side and get the reveal but also seeing the flashbacks from Endeavor's perspective.

- There must be so much going through Shoto's head right now, like this dude has only recently come to terms with the trauma Endeavor has caused him and there is an effort on both parts to form a bond and move forward from the past...and now there's Toya who they thought was *dead* whose goal is to expose the past and Endeavor's wrong doings. So seeing the panic in Shoto and him literally shouting 'dad' as Toya is coming at them...I just, oh man...

- And then Best Jeanist is back?! Screaming! Threw my pillow across the room.

- Finally...Mr Compress...the way he said 'too' when reacting to Dabi's past...does this mean there's more here too??

All in all I felt like there was a lot packed into this episode but for sure one of my faves of this season so far!

(Again I am anime only- at this point, I have read some of the manga- so please don't come for me. However, I kinda love the hype of waiting for each episode at this point and going nuts and seeing other people's reactions as the season/story progresses).

[discountalien-pancake]

Favorite asian shows and movies I’ve seen so far, ranked in order of most to least tragic:

My Country: The New Age (kdrama) - compact period drama about a turbulent transition of power in medieval Korea. Childhood best friends turned enemies due to social inequality and interference from hidden players. If you believe the true romance is between Hwi and Huijae, I would like to introduce you to a Nigerian prince. Beautifully shot, lit, and costumed. The music is perfection (and available in spotify). Hands down the best fight choreography I’ve ever seen. Throwaway lines and small moments from earlier episodes come back to haunt you. Starcrossed soulmates try and fail to sever their bonds.

Song Lang (viet movie) - a movie about a (fictional) rising star of traditional vietnamese opera and a gruff debt-collector with his own personal ties to the artform. Incredibly well-crafted loveletter to vietnamese opera and 80s sai gon. Produced by Ngo Thanh Van (yes, Quynh from the Old Guard NTV). Honestly one of my fave queer movies ever, though the romance is only implied. Doesn’t have the same flavor of being made for the straight cis female gaze that chinese danmei do. Starcrossed first love that leaves a mark on the soul. My parents loved it.

Move to Heaven (kdrama) - even more compact contemporary drama about an autistic young man who loses his father. His deadbeat uncle moves in as his guardian, and shenanigans ensue. The episodes roughly follow a Monster of the Week format, each focusing on someone who has passed away and going through the things they’ve left behind in order to give the deceased a voice. Meanwhile the protagonists have to confront the loss they’ve experienced in their own lives. Warnings for some ableism that is addressed as the characters grow. A bittersweet, beautifully crafted story about love, grief, and closure. You will cry. Bring tissues.

The Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (chinese movie) - folks, it’s gay. A giant evil snake is reborn and a young yin yang master has to join forces with a demon-hunter to stop it. The problem is Qingming is rumored to be the son of a fox demon, while Boya’s mother was murdered by a fox demon. Black/White lovers. Fan Gay and Flute Gay. Enemies to soulmates speedrun. A high fantasy chinese drama that doesn’t fall victim to trying to pass off a couple of scrawny prettyboys as martial arts masters (sorry, word of honor, but i could snap those boys like twigs).

Romance of the Tiger and the Rose (cdrama) - 24(?) episodes, ridiculous good fun about a scriptwriter who falls into her own story (yes, i know, just trust me on this one). Unfortunately her character is slated to die in the third episode, and she has to think on her feet to save herself. Murder husband absolutely adores his schemer wife. One questionable scene about midway through ep 19(?) that has its purpose but is definitely deeply uncomfortable and upsetting. You’ll know it when you see it, and you can skip 30 seconds and continue without any issues. Otherwise it is a wonderful commentary on gender roles, family bonds, and social norms.

BeLoved In House: I Do (taiwanese) - 12 half-length episodes—we do not talk about episode 13. Short and sweet, ridiculously trope-filled gay romance about a young executive who takes over as the art director of a small jewelry studio. He immediately makes an enemy of the head artist by implementing a very stupid rule: employees are forbidden from having romantic relationships. Oh, and they were roommates. If you find the secondary romance bland, forgettable, or uncomfy, no worries! They are almost entirely irrelevant to the plot and you can fast-forward through all of their scenes! Definitely is intended for a straight cis female audience but also has a very sincere message that love is love.

[heesulovebot]

bl/gl tag game

i was tagged by the lovely @gunsatthaphan​ thank u!!!! even tho this was the hardest thing ever lol i loved it 💕

your all time favourite bl character and why.

i’m just going to ignore the lack of plurals in that question and go with my top 5 faves (i’m a libra i can’t choose just one sobs). in no particular order:

tine teepakorn - i have never related to a bisexual character more. also he is sO dumb it hurts how much i love him dsknfkjdnf

kurosawa yuichi - he is the softest man, the biggest dork, and those smile whiskers literally cured my depression. idk man i just think he’s neat :(💕

kang seojun - there’s something inherently sad about seojun but the fact that he smiles through everything.... *head in fucking hands*

cha siwon - queen dasuel really knows how to write sympathetic-pathetic charas so well lmfao like, the secondhand embarrassment i got from him and the fact that i still adored him through it all. iconic, truly. another insecure character i relate to on a deeply personal level 🤪🤙

aoki sota - insecure bisexual.... holy shit i’m sensing a pattern here. he is pure of heart, dumb of ass, and i would kill a man for him and hashimoto

what’s your one character from a bl you wanted to punt into the stratosphere (you only get one so choose wisely).

aj i love you but i wanted to punt non so bad in dbk lmfaoooo

the best music moment from a bl.

wait idk what music moment means so uhm if we’re talking theme songs i still bump to gen y’s ost to this day an absolute banger. if we’re talking music in a scene... hands down scrubbs!!! still remember how the fandom lost it @ the headphone sharing concert scene in ep. 4 and it was all JA TUM TOOK TOOK YAANG 🗣️ ever since 

what’s a popular heterosexual text that you would like to see adapted into a bl/gl?

i’ll take any 90s rom-com but make it ✨queer✨ also: any jane austen!!  

a scene from a bl that always makes you laugh.

the white lion gang— particularly any line boss had (which you just know was a gunsmile adlib) but also the scene in s2g when the cake goes on fire and boss, the freak that he is, is like “cool!” whilst everyone else is freaking out around him jsdnfjdksn also i nearly died laughing when we walk into one of the scenes and boss is telling phukong “i knew your brother when he was this big [motions fist] and now he’s this big [slides hand down fist]” idkidk it’s just gunsmile’s expressions kill me. also: all of adachi’s spastic outbursts (esp when he’s with tsuge outside his apartment and then kurosawa’s ‘eh?’... omg also tsuge and adachi’s telepathic conversation in front of kurosawa dskjfnjfdnndksdjn) and green’s “what?!?!?!” lives rent-free in my head 24/7 

biggest disappointment.

tonhon chonlatee..... i don’t wanna talk about how bad that show was 😭😭😭 (and how i even managed to finish it,,, she’s a masochist, ur honour). RIP podd’s bl career 🙏 poddearth whEN

what two random bl/gl characters would make hilarious exes?

YIHWA AND FAI!!!! we_could_of_had_it_all.mp3 sobs

who would be the funniest person to watch a bl in its entirety and which one would you make them watch.

re-watching twm with @patspran​ was a hilarious ride 10/10 would do it again. as for making someone watch a bl, if i had to make anyone watch a bl i would probs make them watch light on me because it’s pretty much a hi-teen web drama and i feel like that’d be an easy way to ease someone into bls,,, slowly make our way up to thai bls lmfao 

best wardrobe moment/or character wardrobe from a bl.

miss yihwa was killing the game back in 2017 ur faves could never 😌 also everything nunew wears in that cutie pie show he is adorable. oh, also jang jaeyoung’s all-red tracksuit. simply iconic

tagging!🌈💕✨: @patspran @billlkin @itoldsunset @tehohaews @taeminie @mrdumpling @tontawantu @rashfcrd @earthfluuke @aquynh (only if you want to!!!)

[macandstella]

CSI NY

oh i was so hoping someone would do this!!!!

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

stella bonasera. hands down. the ULTIMATE "blorbo from my shows." the impact she has had on me.... unparalleled. i sometimes watch this show and forget she's not the main character. because she's the main character of my heart. i could write essays about her.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

sheldon hawkes. baby. baby boy.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

sid hammerback. underrated as a character, but always a joy in his scenes. i love him. he has an outsized place in my heart for the size of his role.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

in terms of straight csi:ny, it's gotta be marty pino, one of the medical examiners. he's so funny and so chill and a totally different character type than most crimes shows give their coroners. i ignore the character assassination they did on him in season 5. its not canon; i know better, and the writers are wrong.

in terms of all of csi:ny, the crossover ep with cold case means that scotty valens is an option for me to pick. so i'm gonna pick him. i love that guy and that show. (ask me about my elaborate re-write of 'cold reveal' where they send lilly rush instead and stella sees a kind of kindred spirit in her and is both more and less willing to play ball - because she knows lilly gets it, so she also knows that lilly knows why she's stonewalling).

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

danny messer. who else could i pick for this?

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

hmmm this is a tough one because tormenting a character could mean so many different things. probably mac though? but honestly.... haven't they all been through enough?

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

i hate to say this..... but adam. i understand his appeal as a character in theory, but in practice...... no he was very clearly a writer's pet, which meant that the scenes where he was with/referenced being with women way out of his league came across way more as someone in the writer's room being like "see?? i can fuck too!" which.... i understand that stories are therapy, but that probably should have been saved for his real therapist. to eeby deeby he goes.

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

I am curious: what are your favorite scenes from your main ships (date, dair, derena...)?

scenes involving milo don't count, sorry!

for me, it's really not just scenes, but body language & just in general, how they are with each other, you know? dan and serena grin at each other and hug SO much, you can tell that being around each other in s1 made them both so happy, and even after that glow fades the way they look for comfort in each other... top level stuff. the way blair looks at dan... we never see her as radiant at any other point. she was not looking at anyone else like this. and gosh, dan and nate. they're both so comfortable around each other that there's absolutely nothing weird about like. discussing that one ex girlfriend whom they both share AND both were in love with. there is literally no other duo who trusts/enjoys each other's company so much that they're comfortable in a love triangle. (probably because they're more in love with each other than with the girl, but that is not the point. or is it?)

anyway, more specific answers. under the cut. this is one of the longest answers i've ever written on this blog possibly but you KNEW that would happen when you sent this ask, didn't you? (affectionate)

derena: i tagged one of my ds reblogs as 'the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one' and like. look at them! this hug from 1x10 kills me in the best way. they are both the literal embodiment of :D when they see each other! i love 1x10 as a whole moment, their entire thing at cotillion is so sweet and they're both so happy. the fact that he is talking about his chemistry teacher during this kiss in 1x07. that bit at the end of 1x05 when they talk about their siblings (being there for their sibling because of fallible parents being a derena parallel makes me simultaneously really sad and really soft, tbh). 1x05 gives me SO MUCH SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT but the way they walk off together arms around each other does something to me - these are two people who are still getting to know each other but who really like what they see, and who trust each other and. are just having a good time together! back when derena was my OTP, the 1x11 "your story's about me?" was absolutely a fave, too, and i still adore it, albeit in a different, more nostalgic way. i like a dan who writes cute stories about serena. no empty shell sabrina van skoneker bullshit. she is so much like you, daniel! you'd be shattered if she did this to you. don't do this to her. tbh, most derena moments from s1 are just A+ romance. the bit in 2x02 in the jitney is so funny, they're SO bad at being exes. the bit in... 3x03 i think?? i don't remember... on the contrary. when they're talking about dan's fling w/ georgina and serena's relationship with carter, the ease with which they talk and how happy/supportive they are of each other's new relationships... yeah. love to see it.

i also really like any instance of them having honest/open conversations. 1x13, talking about how serena is concerned about blair. 1x08, serena talking to dan about feeling jealous of vanessa. this bit from the touch of eva or whatever that episode is. 4x04 i think. this is the conversation everyone is trying to get dan to have and he's avoiding EVERYONE else. derena interactions in 3x21 (can't find a gif right now) - the fact that dan is with serena when her dad abandons them, the fact that he goes all the way there with her. 2x07, "i'm really glad you're nate's friend. he really needs someone like you right now" (though i'm cheating, that's technically a d/n moment too klhdflkgf). there's a bit in s4 where he's advising her against having an affair w/ colin, i don't remember the ep number, but the way he takes her side so easily and naturally and puts due blame/responsibility solely on her professor... yeah. 4x10 i think this ep is?? idk. but like my tags say, im sentimental about this moment because while what dan was doing was irresponsible, sneaking her out of the ostroff, he was the only person in this episode who was actually talking to her and listening to her and taking her seriously. nobody else was doing that!!

i probably have more moments i'm not remembering, but we're only 1/3 into this answer and LOOK AT THE WORDS, good lord, i'm sorry.

dair: my favourite dair episode is hands down despicable b (5x21) which i have heard is an uncommon answer. i just love the conflict resolution of it all, okay!!! 1x04 & 2x08 are like. standard answers any dair shipper will give, and i'm no different. i love dan being able to give blair advice and blair actually taking his advice even though they're not friends yet!!! be right back, yelling at the intimacy of it all!! 5x16, with their getting together (this little kiss and dan being so startled by it), blair admitting a flaw she genuinely does have and dan saying it's not awful because it's her, which is just. romance at its finest. those vows, good lord. 5x18.... they're having fun! blair showing up at the loft in lingerie for dan... the delight on her face.... (i know this moment blows up in their face but when she's there she looks so happy and proud of herself and this was like THE moment when i was like. oh. dair is really the heart of this garbage show huh).

i think for me, the thing that really sells dan & blair together is the serena of it all. both of them love serena more fiercely than anyone else, and that is what brings them together. (fwiw i definitely think nate loved serena this much and this deeply, too; the writers just wanted to pop the serenate balloon, which even i think was extremely unnecessary and ooc.) but (& i have so much meta about this) their relationship grows beyond serena. their entire s4 arc is SO good. i love how comfortable around each other they are, in such an adult way, in the sense of like. they both bring so much stability to each other? morgan tagged this edit "the marrieds" and like. yeah. b offers to help him shave. they're having breakfast & reading the paper together.

all the love declarations we got that weren't a simple 'i love you.' be your charming wonderful self (how could she not love you/ tell me what would make you happy, dan) i told chuck he doesn't have my heart anymore (you spent your life earning the keys to set you free when you were free all along!!!!) dan's pep talk to blair in 5x21 (already linked a gifset earlier, here's another one if you want i guess). there's definitely more... but honestly, the way the dair arc was executed was so good - while i do have my complaints, i also think keeping those aside, it was SO close to perfect. i love dan & blair's banter and gradually becoming closer and closer and closer. it felt very organic and real and GOSH. the way penn & leighton looked at each other while playing dan and blair...... it's just SO MUCH.

date: this is the hardest, because it's. *screams*. maybe you saw me losing my mind over those 2 seconds of nate handing dan a waffle? i love almost every scene with these two, even the hellish s6 breakup scene. my favourite episode for d/n (& also favourite gg episode in general) is 2x06 - i love the homoerotic subtext of it all. nate pretending to be dan because dan's name is the first name that came to his head. dan flirting w/ nate while tied to that thing, in his underwear. them becoming friends. and 2x07 as a follow-up to that! dan getting nate to live in the loft with the humphreys for a while. i am so soft.

4x09 is a terrible episode in general, especially for serena my beloved, but the d/n moments in that one? off the CHARTS. this weird overly macho flirting, in some ways THE most iconic d/n line. this entire finish each other's sentences nonsense. someone (i think it was ana but im not sure?) compared the energy of those scenes i just linked to the book blairenate love triangle resolution, blairena choosing each other over nate in the books, date choosing each other over serena in the show (if only! RIP.) after the saints & sinners ball, this cute little moment of 'youre the only one who understands me. please tell me they went home together. i mean. how could they not have.

3x07, them watching vampire porn together. a tag i used on ao3 (& also on here, once) is 'nate brings out the himbo in dan'. here is a prime example. 'is she levitating?' i don't fucking know, dan, what do you think?? (i was telling my partner that that's what i love abt dair vs date. around blair dan is an intellectual, a librarian, an art historian, a museum curator. around nate it's like dan is competing to be #1 himbo on the show. can my girlfriend actually fly? i don't know, dan. i can't believe you're seriously asking such a question.)

3x12 pep talk. (sorry about the shitty quality!) essentially nate telling dan that he (dan) is hot and that he shouldn't talk himself down so much.

dan making nate gay in his book. you know. his book from which blair found out he was in love with her. nads (who i will not tag in this billion word long gushy meta, because i value her sanity) once called inside "wish fulfilment' and. i mean. yeah

nate checking dan out at the derena wedding continues to be hilarious. hilarious in the same way as dan sexually fantasising about nate. canon really went 'let's give ivy some special easter eggs' and i appreciate them a lot!

i love the way they are around each other - so quietly attuned to each other. i showed my sister my date!husbands gifset, and she was like. yeah they're so married. and it's just stuff like how dan looks for nate over his shoulder, it's not even an active action, it's as easy and natural and intuitive as breathing, checking to see if nate is still there.

oh, that wasn't as hard as it could've been! okay. cool. im SURE there's more things i could scream about, because it's DN, the fact that they're non-canon makes me THAT much fiercer about them than dair/derena, to be honest. so many dots to connect!! anyway.

[puppetsoftomorrow]

3, 4, 10, and 18 for the 100th ask game!!

lmao ty @flaminhotcheetoes !! sorry tumblr has forced u into a life of little sunglasses blob lmao

3. favourite character who Will be returning tonight?

oh its got to be jax. i have missed him every day since the day he left and i am 1000% excited that he's coming back tonight, i might weep lmao

4. favourite character who Won’t be returning tonight?

charlie, hands down. i've missed her so much, absolutly my fave legends character of all time. i understand tho, maisie got Places to be lol

10. what’s your favourite under-appreciated legends scene?

i've written an essay on it before but uhh its the avalance bed scene when theyre watching swamp thangg!! i love the domesticity, the fact its the only time we see ava's bedroom, the Robe, the first pinky swear?? its the best okay

18. what’s your favourite legends friendship?

atm its nate and behrad. i love those boys. i wish theyd gone deeper in the last ep about how race affected their dynamic, in that they were treated completly differently and nate was kind of incapble of fully understanding how that effected behrad, but this is LoT and that was maybe too much depth to ask for lol

legends 100th episode ask game!!