#a new trope to be explored yay

[prontaentrega]

i don't think buzzkill (or any indie cape stuff in general) benefits at all from having a faux superman/batman/justice league/wtv it just undermines the actual story being told and makes it feel like the author would rather be writing for marvel/dc but has to make do without infringing copyright

[archivemyfic]

Positive aspects of Mel Medarda's character ending in Arcane (and things to look forward for her, in the next Arcane spin-off) ♡♡♡

Context : As we know, it's already basically confirmed that Arcane first spin-off is going to take place in Noxus. With Mel heading there to take over after Ambessa passing, I'm pretty sure she is going to play a HUGE role in that next show (if not the main character). Now, let's get into it!

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Firstly, Mel is FINALLY free from Jayvik! In season 1, the fandom treated her as a sole love interest (even though I personally think her character had already so much depth, back then). People always revolved her whole existence around being Jayce's partner (or she was dragged about Jayvik, only mentioning her because she was "getting in the way" of making their ship canon). To be honest, at first, I didn't really care about Jayce at all. It was nice to see a black woman depicted being loved tenderly in fiction, but I wasn't really interested in him as a character to ship them that intensely. However, eventually, their relationship grew on me, and I ended up loving them so much. However, Jayce and Viktor dying together was a good thing. It allows Mel to become more than the "girlfriend" and her character can finally be explored/expanded beyond and properly. Jayvik dying is probably going to drag their supporters into disappearing with them. Which is good since they (only the problematic shippers) will finally leave her alone.

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Secondly, we might still get closure about Meljay. As I said in a previous post, act 3 was rushed. The writers didn't have time to offer us a proper goodbye. But if Mel is the next protagonist in the Noxus show, I'm CONVINCED they will pick up that story and show her entire grieving process of Jayce (and her mother) through flash-backs and unseen moments. Hell, we might even learn crazy revelations about their relationship! I'm looking forward to these tender moments of them together, to finally close the Mel x Jayce chapter properly (or keep shipping them as an eternal angst ship, separated by dead).

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Thirdly, she gets a chance to be properly loved. With a whole new show, so many new characters are yet to come. She could get a well fitted partner who will be devoted to loving her. While she is more important than her relationships, she deserves romance. Mel shouldn't be the disposable-black-girlfriend trope or the independent-strong-black-woman-who-we-can't-imagine-being-loved trope. Since she is my queen, I'm sure I will end up loving any new canon ship she end up in (yay, new couple to obsess about!).

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Finally, I'm just SOOO happy that Mel Medarda gets her time to shine after years of not always being treated right. I can't wait to see her new adventures and her character growth. Like, i don't think people understand how she is the key towards the expansion of the Arcane/LoL cinematic universe. Which I think is ironic because toxic JayVik shippers kept trying to downplay her importance/presence in the story but in the end, Mel gets to thrive and be a main protagonist in the future, while JayVik turned to dust and their story ended there...(don't get me wrong, I love these two, but I hate the way their TOXIC fans treated her). Mel enthusiasts, don't be sad she had a sad end in season 2, there is so much more coming...

Be on the look out! See you soon ~~

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - new entries upset the rankings

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

April 2024 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - Like most Thai BL pulps, this show doesn’t have much story to it. But I'm discovering that what it does have I actually really enjoy. I love that the gay boys got to play matchmaker for a change and I like how just GAY they are. It's nice. Refreshing.

We Are (Weds GMMTV iQIYI) ep 1-2 of 16 - University ensemble BL featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawinPoon. I like it. It’s old school Thai BL, but having fun with itself and its tropes. I’m not expecting much, so I don’t mind it waffling. All the couples are comfy. Chemistry is okay. Friendships are nifty. I like Pond's floppy hair. We fine. 

Two Worlds (Thurs IQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - What an extremely bloody episode. And bad guy turned out to be very bad indeed. And now pretty much everyone is dead. Nice kiss. Of course. 

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 6 of 8 - It’s cute, they happy, not a ton happened. Random gratuitous bathing. As you do in BL. And I still think the sides should just end up in a thrupple

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 2 of 12 - Oh they very cute. Also very silly. 

1000 Years Old (Thurs iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - No. NOT THE GUITAR. YES abandon guitar for the sniff test! Love this for them. And me. My most favorite trope defeated my least favorite trope. VICTORY!!!  

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 8 of 11 - It’s just so good. Baby went away, grew up, and learned how to become a temptation... and a husband. 

Gray Shelter AKA Gray Currents (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 1 of 5 eps - SooHyuk, only just surviving, reunites with YoonDae, his (brief) younger stepbrother who feels abandoned. They end up living together. The younger brother is played by Lee Jae Bin of Choco Milk Shake. OMG. STEPBROTHERS TROPE. Lucky me! Two in one season. Yay!!!! It's Korea so great visuals too. I shallow but yeah, this is great.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Kindly Ryota goes off to uni only to find his new roommate is his childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend and Ryota tries to help him figure out why. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake. It’s utterly charming. I am charmed. Also the framing is gorgeous (of course). Very stylish.

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 6fin - I don’t know. Kind of a flat ending with the leads apart for most of it. I enjoyed this show but it never really hit with me. 

Summation

After a teen betrayal and resulting separation a reporter reunites with his first love. That love wants him back. I enjoyed the authenticity of a reunion romance explored in Japan's quintessentially contemplative yet surreal way. The juxtaposition of the tenderness of the sex scenes with this Japanese style of authenticity was oddly elegant but all in all this still fell a little flat for me. There's nothing objectively wrong with it, but in total the narrative felt sluggish and the main couple were just... stiff (in the wrong way). Frankly, I'd rather just rewatch Tokyo in April is. 8/10

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 3-4 of 12 - What is going on with this show? No, I get the plot. I just don't get the show or why I’m watching it. Annoying. 

It's done, but I suck

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps

To Be Continued (Sat C3 Thailand grey) ep 7-8fin - I can't for the life of me find the final 2 episodes. Haven't had a real hunt, but yeah. No dice so far.

It's airing but...

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari (Japan Furritsubs) eps 1-? of 10 - I may wait and binge it.

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) 6 eps - It’s so boring DNFed at 2.

Close Friend Season 3: Soju Bomb! (Weds iQIYI) 6 - The problem with situational comedy BL is it must be situational, comedic and a BL. This show gets 1 of 3 claims correct. 33% is not a passing grade. Dropped at 3.

Memory in the Letter (Thai WeTV) - only 4 eps, tell me if I should bother?

Next Week Looks Like This:

4/18 At 25:00 in Alaska AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) 10 eps - Yuki lands his first starring role in a BL drama alongside superstar Asami (previously his senior at uni). Said superstar suggests they form a sham relationship until filming concludes. As they actually begin to fall in love, the spotlight begins to burn. I think I've seen this before (joke) and also the trailer doesn't inspire confidence.

Still to Come in April

4/25 Boys Be Brave! AKA Roommates (Korea Thurs Viki) 8 eps - Trailer Jung Ki Sub is Kim Jin Woo's slacker friend - and secret crush. So when Ki Sub crashes at his place, his heart tingles to be near him everyday. But as the short stay turns into permanent mooch, how long can Jin Woo keep his true feelings under wraps and hold back from confessing?

4/26 My Stand-In (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KP (not a recommendation IMHO - my biggest criticism of that show was the clashing directing styles). This one looks complicated, lemme try: Joe is a stuntman for famous actor Tong. Joe falls in love with Ming but Ming sees Joe as nothing more than a Tong-replacement. After learning this horrible truth, Joe dies. Joe then wakes up in the body of another man also named Joe. He manages to rebuild the same life as before—with the same people eventually re-meeting Ming. Ming wants Joe back but Joe doesn't understand why. But Ming seems to know what's going on and wants to give him some kind of explanation.

I'm exhausted just trying to describe the plot.

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous pairing) and Best, news here. But will it actually air this month?

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

NOTE: It looks like one of my personal favorites of last year Unintentional Love Story is getting a spin off!

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Sniff test turning into a make out sesh? Please and thank you. City of Stars

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a bother.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[toshiakikijima]

Shunichiro Tachibana’s Last Season Spoiler

I have to be honest.

I’ve been a huge reader of Irresistible Mistakes since 2017, when I was just a freshman in high school. Back then, I was captivated by its melodramatic flair, and the plot had this exciting, forward-moving energy that kept me hooked. I vividly remember when Kijima, Kiriya, and Shunichiro’s first season debuted on the standby app—it felt fresh, engaging, and full of promise. But after season four, the magic started to fade. The pacing became unbearably slow, and the storylines dragged on without delivering any real payoff for the readers. It became a frustrating read.

Take Tachibana’s arc, for example. In his final season, the first part opens with the MC reflecting on changes within the company, which had become a more progressive and liberal environment. By now, the MC is a part-time employee because she’s juggling her career as an award-winning novelist. That’s when the familiar trope hits: she starts feeling sick, notices she missed her period, and takes a pregnancy test. She’s pregnant. Yay, right? Except, this is where it all feels strangely… underwhelming.

Tachibana, noticing her odd behavior, asks what’s wrong, and to my surprise, he reacts to the pregnancy news with happiness—totally different from his panicked reaction in season three during the pregnancy scare. They visit a maternity hospital (which I’m sure surprised Kings of Paradise fans), and it’s confirmed she’s six weeks along. He tells her to take it easy at work, and she eventually informs her co-workers that she’ll be working from home. Kiriya, Yuuki, Minoru, Sakura, and a couple of others are supportive, but here’s where things start to crumble for the MC.

Morning sickness hits her hard, to the point where she’s losing weight and can’t keep anything down without getting sick. Tachibana advises her to take it easy since it’s her first pregnancy, and there’s a lot of internal dialogue between them—mostly arguments. Then, Tachibana’s parents drop by, furious they weren’t told about the pregnancy sooner. His father asks the MC if she plans to contribute anything to the family or if she’ll be ‘lazy’ unlike Shunchiro’s mother, who supposedly did it all without help. This scene just grates. After they leave, Tachibana pleads with the MC to stay with her parents for the remainder of her pregnancy, but she refuses.

Part two of the last season focuses on them making amends, and now she’s going on maternity leave. Minoru and Toma are emotional, telling her she can always come back after the baby is born. Tachibana, trying to be thoughtful, makes her dinner when she returns home, and she starts reminiscing about their breakup in NYC. He apologizes for his earlier comments about sending her home and promises she can always lean on him because pregnancy isn’t easy.

And yet, despite all this support, the MC continues to feel sick and tired constantly. Things get so bad that Tachibana secretly hires a maid to take care of the chores she can’t manage. This, of course, leads to another fight. The words of her father-in-law echo in her head, making her feel useless, and it drives her to argue with Tachibana again. Eventually, he sends her to stay with her parents for a few weeks, and she feels much happier there. However, Minoru reaches out, wanting to meet up about a project she helped with before leaving. During their meeting, he confesses that people at work see Tachibana as distant and depressed.

When she returns, she and Tachibana make up, and then—boom—the baby girl is born. And that’s it. The storyline feels like it builds up to this massive crescendo, but the conclusion falls flat, like an ending that was filtered through just to tie up loose ends.

The last three seasons really dragged. Instead of exploring more nuanced themes—like political family dynamics, which is what initially drew readers to Shunichiro’s arc—they spent far too much time portraying Tachibana as this ‘flawless’ man while the MC came across as a complete mess. Voltage missed the opportunity to introduce new characters or develop more meaningful family drama. And honestly, I was hoping for a boy instead of a girl, which could’ve added more layers to the family dynamic.

Ultimately, this chapter felt like a slow march toward nothing significant. It lacked the emotional depth and plot progression I was hoping for. I haven’t even bothered to read the other endings yet, because frankly, this one left a bad taste in my mouth.

[impactedfates]

Yay requests are now open! So can I request a reader who is yanqing's sibling who plays sympathetic immersia (video game equivalent in Luofu) Genshin that Guinafein introduces them to it, even JY knew the game's hype and reader is immersed with the game's scenery, music and archon quests Reader also would blush every time they see genshin fanart of Wanderer or Xiao. Yanqing and JY would notice how they would look down and grin widely in their phone screen. Also the early AR shenanigans like unlocking dragonspine, trying to ice bridge to Inazuma and getting yeeted by a hilichurl and ofc the infamous dendro slime attacking when exploring Liyue. Overall, reader plays it and YQ is curious and JY is interested

★ A/N: If that were me they would hear me screaming at night when I get my various different characters (esp Kaveh and Zhongli) I hope you like this anon :>

☆ Genre/Trope: Platonic + Fluff

★ Format: Mini Scenarios (Separate)

☆ Warnings: None (I think?)

★ Extra: Reader is older then Yanqing // Readers job is whatever you want their job as // Father JY :D

Jing Yuan's heard of the game before however it wasn't until he heard you yelling in delight over a 5* you had gotten that he found out you were one of the many people that also has a delight in playing the game.

He's amused to see how much you like certain characters and how you, in your words, "simp" for others. In fact, I honestly think you probably did the "My parents rate Genshin Characters" trend with him. He ranked most of the characters very highly honestly. (He especially liked Cyno along with some of the sleepy characters like Lisa, Layla and Sayu)

Honestly he's very amused by all your reactions throughout the game, the audible gasps you may do when something surprises you, the loud cursing when you're fighting an enemy and the cries when you lose your 50/50 (maybe if you ask nice enough he'll give you his credit card)

I'd think he wishes to try out the game himself, however with the fact he's busy with General duties he doesn't get much time to really play. However he does get all the characters he wants with just a swipe of his card, however he's stuck at level 45 as a) no time to really continue and b) he honestly seems like the type to not bother with the ascension mission and in fact wants it to build up till he knows he's AR 60. THEN he'll actually do it.

Overall, he doesn't mind that you play it and enjoys it himself when he can. However don't expect him to be so willing to give you his card so you can get the Genesis Crystals to get the characters you want.

(Also I see his team consisting of off-field dps like Xiangling and Furina so he can just sit back and relax as they do the fighting and he doesn't need to lift a finger much)

I feel like Yanqing was already a player. Like he joined when it was first released but he didn't really play much. He'd log in once or twice a week then not log in for months. It's not that he isn't interested, he is. It's just he has things he enjoys more.

When he finds out you play it then he might be more inclined to try harder at it, so the two of you can do some sibling bonding time and play. Depending on AR levels between the two of you, he's either asking you to help defeat bosses when he still cannot after the nth time or you both can cry as you die to the electro hypostasis.

I feel like his luck is like, amazing as well. Like he got Keqing on the beginner banner and managed to get a good 5* weapon for her on the standard. And he's always won his 50/50s

However his luck cannot be transferred to how his artifact luck is. It takes his weeks upon weeks to get ONE decent artifact for his new 5* Ayaka.

He still doesn't play much but his game time has increased a lot more and he can understand why you like it so much...however he cannot understand why you seem to like certain characters and beg him to get you merch of them for your birthday.

He definitely struggled in DragonSpine and thought pyro and cryo characters were immune to sheer cold.

Overall, he understands a lot where you're coming from when it comes to gameplay and lore but when it comes to you simping over certain characters then he can't help but feel confused, and if he particularly dislikes a character you simp for. Perhaps disgusted (jokingly and lovingly of course)

(I'm unsure what his team would be, but he'd be a mono sword team imo)

Honestly, with my personal experiences with Genshin. I thankfully did not struggle with DragonSpine (not as much as other people did)

.

.

.

However, I will say that I probably should've started building sooner. I only started once I hit about AR 56 and finished most of the Inazuma quest (don't ask me how I survived, idk either lmao)

[mvlionheart]

I wanna know about all of your Ollie fics

WIP Game — Yay! So excited for Ollie fics and the newbies on the grid and all the new fanfic and pairings we're going to see. Having the pretty much static grid between 23 and 24 was fun in some ways, but happy to have more variety! Caught - This one is just a smut Chollie one-shot I'm doing for the Roll the Dice Smut Fest. I also did a dice role for kinks/tropes and so it will be featuring sex toys and caught in the act. The dice gods have decreed. Purge AU - This is just in idea form, but it would be Lestappen & Chollie based in the Purge universe. It would pull from the first film and then classic suspense thrillers. I've got a very Hitchcock-eque aesthetic in mind for this one. Themes are loyalty, betrayal, and infidelity. Also exploring extremely unreliable narrators! Economies of Scope - This is a Bearstappen lawyer AU that I plotted recently and bounced ideas off of @unlapped. I put the pitch for the fic in this post, but essentially Ollie gets an internship at the law firm where Max is a senior associate. Things get off to a rocky start, but it heats up after that. There's background Sebchal in this one, and a few other fun surprises. A snippet of this below the cut for interested parties!

The glass and chrome spire of RBR & Associates rises impressively into the gloomy early morning sky as Ollie chains his bike to a rack at the side of the building. The mist clings to his suit and he feels the chill as he hurries toward the entrance. He’s not late, in fact he’s early, but the nerves in his stomach have tied themselves into several knots. 

It’s a prestigious honor, the first intern in years to be accepted into the Mergers and Acquisitions department. He smiles at the woman behind the check in desk, silver curly hair and bright pink glasses, he remembers her from coming in for his three rounds of interviews. By the way her face lights up he can tell she remembers him. 

“Good morning Mr. Charming,” she says, hiding a smile behind her hand as he plucks at the keyboard with the other. He takes a second to glance at her name badge, Grace, he files that away. 

“Morning Gracie, I’m here for orientation, though I’m a bit early.” He tilts his head and offers a lopsided grin. 

“Well you’re in luck, because they just dropped off the orientation packets a few minutes ago,” she flips through some files to the side of her desk. “Ah, yes, here we go. Mr. Oliver Bearman. Intern. M&A? That can’t be right.” 

“It is,” he clarifies quickly, before she can think too much of it. “A rare honor.” 

He expects congratulations, or even another smile, not the concerned look that settles on her face. “Well, that is certainly something.” She slides his name badge across the counter. “Good luck kiddo, orientation is going to be on the third floor. Dino is the lead for new interns, he’s nice, he’ll get you settled.” 

“Thanks Gracie,” he replies, clipping the badge to his jacket pocket. 

Each step he takes on the long walk through the lobby toward the elevators sinks the sense of reality into his bones. This isn’t a dream, he’s really made it, now it’s all on his shoulders to succeed—or fail. 

He presses for the third floor on the panel and waits patiently with his hands folded together, the light bar at the top showing the intermittent descent. When the doors open he’s met with a young woman clutching a stack of binders, she’s smartly dressed in a suit, but there’s tears on her cheeks and she sniffles aggressively when she sees him. 

“Sorry this one is going down to copy service,” it’s a desperate plea that he not enter, but a glance to the side shows the other car is out of order. He steps on, nodding, and turns so he’s facing away from her. It’s all the privacy he can offer. 

“You’re here early,” she says and it sounds nearly accusatory, but he lets it roll off his shoulders. 

“I’m the new M&A intern,” he responds. After Grace he expects a reaction of some kind, but not the audible gasp that echoes in the small space. 

“You?” 

The tone does not sound nice, but again he refuses to be ruffled. He also doesn’t reply, and is relieved when they reach whatever basement level the copy service is on. 

She pushes past him silently; he feels the corner of one of the binders dig into his arm but ignores it. She hesitates outside, looking smaller in the dim hallway, then turns back toward him. “Good luck with Verstappen. You’re going to need it.”

[unhinged-romione]

Hiya, serious question and please don't laugh at my plight! I desperate for a Romione professional to share their guidance and knowledge with me.

So I'm writing a fic/ one-shot thing right now (first one ever, YAY!) that focuses on Hermione yearning after Ron whilst he's with Lavender.

Somehow (don't ask because I'm truly not sure) the most important question ever for this fic is whether Ron and Lavender ever slept together? It's silly, I know but I think it will link in pretty importantly to how Ron's mindset develops and Hermione's angst long term if I keep the idea going.

On a side note, what do you think about the idea that Hermione and Ron shipped Hinny together lowkey before they Hinny got together? I'm writing background Hinny alongside the main Romione and I'm kind of growing to love the above idea but I haven't developed it much yet so I'd love to know what you think about it.

Bob out

Oh my, Romione professional *tucks hair modestly behind ear*

Ah, the controversial "Ron sleeping with Lavender" take. The Romione fandom overwhelmingly rejects the idea; there also seems to be consensus around the notion that Ron didn't do anything with Lavender beyond snogging because "he just wouldn't do that to Hermione." I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle; certain canon scenes (Ron leading Lavender to a private room only to meet Hermione's wrath, Lavender sitting on Ron's lap in the common room) indicate to me a level of intent and intimacy that's giving second or third base. That being said, I'm still exploring all three takes because why not 😊 I could totally see a situation where Ron drops his pants for Lav-Lav because he's totally given up all hope that he and Hermione could be a thing. OR that he's just desperate to get over her. But yeah most Romione readers would not be into that interpretation lol so that's something to keep in mind as you develop your story. At the end of the day, though, I'd recommend going with the interpretation that best suits the story your heart wants to tell.

As for Hermione and Ron low-key shipping Hinny before they got together, this is very much canon! Hermione low-key lorded her Hinny suspicions over Harry and was thrilled when they kissed. Harry kept his feelings LIDDED around Ron, so we don't exactly know his thoughts prior to them getting together. But despite being disgruntled when they started going out, Ron was obviously pro Hinny at the end of OotP AND once Hinny was a thing, Ginny confirmed that Ron rathered it was Harry than anyone else. If the question is if Ron and Hermione shipped Hinny together, I don't think there's anything in the canon to contradict it!

Congrats on writing your first fic, Bob! It's always so exciting when new Romione writers come onto the scene. Also between background Hinny and sixth year yearning, you're hitting some of my favorite Romione tropes 😁 I can't wait to read it!!

[roboticchibitan]

Writing a queer isekai is fun because I'm not just subverting "reverse harem all the men are in love with her" tropes I'm also subverting things like the fact that typical isekai heroines wake up as rich aristocrats and are like "Yay I'm rich!" and that's that. But most of the people I know are like "If I was rich I would help people." Sofia wakes up in a rich woman's body and is like "Okay, the only way I can live with myself accepting this situation and the blatant exploitation of poor people I am benefiting from is if I become a philanthropist."

I think "Yay I'm rich" is a great fantasy, but "Yay I'm rich and can help people" is a much better wish fulfillment. At least for me. Also Sofia just hates capitalism so much. On Earth she was poor and now she's not even allowed to wash her hair herself and it's taxing and grating. Though she does appreciate not having to do chores and such and she makes sure her workers are paid fairly and have access to medical care, sick leave, and vacations.

I don't know if this is a cultural difference because most of the isekais I read are Korean in origin or if it's just that wish fulfillment fantasies don't want to stray too far into the bad parts of life, but like. I don't think an orphan from Earth who woke up to a loving family would ignore the orphans in her new world. And some isekais do address this, like I Became The Male Lead's Adoptive Daughter/The Male Lead's Little Lion Daughter shows Leo taking care of her friends at the orphanage. But not enough of them explore that side of things, so I intend to in my story.

"I am rich and loved" is great wish fulfillment on its own, but "I'm rich and loved and can make a difference" is a much bigger fantasy of mine.

[skyborneveggie]

💥and 🛏️ for the writing ask game? Perchance?

Yay ty for the ask! 💜

💥 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

For my hanahaki fic, honestly I'm just really excited to write a lot of very miserable descriptions & explore the blurred line between physical and emotional pain. As for a snippet, I haven't written most of the story yet, but I do have a little bit of a (very rough) first draft of the turning point; when Light thinks he's about to undergo another bad spell of hanahaki, but it's actually him having an emotional breakdown and he can't tell the difference because he is incapable of recognizing his own feelings 😭. A little excerpt from that scene:

He curls up around his chest. There is something trying to come out of him, something he can’t stop. His eyes burn, tears prickling at the corners. The thing pushes up his esophagus, clogging his trachea until black dots start to appear in his vision and he grows dizzy from lack of oxygen. He steels himself and clenches his lungs, and vomits it all up. It is nothing but a sound. A guttural, primal, tearing noise ripped out from somewhere deeply hidden inside him. It is the only thing he registers before control slips from his fingers, and shatters into a million irreparable pieces on the floor. His face is dripping. There are terrible, miserable sounds coming from his own throat, and the echo of them burns his skin with self-loathing. Shut up. He stuffs his fist into his teeth to silence himself. Water smears onto his fingers and runs into his mouth. It tastes of salt.

I'm pretty satisfied with this as a starting point~. It needs polishing up, but I think the emotional core is there :)

🛏 Is there a new trope you'd like to write this year?

Hmmmmmmm well, not really a trope but I would like to work on writing happier things in general, or maybe hurt/comfort instead of always hurt/no comfort & generally angsty stuff.

[sillystringpony]

Reflections on Rosemary:

experimenting with a psuedo-pop-art style (ben day dots yay!) for some angsty chalmskinn fanart, and a discussion about Rosemary Chalmers.

[TW: discussion of eating disorders]

I made this piece because I feel like I haven't really seen a lot of chalmskinn content that takes Shauna into account, which I guess makes sense since she isn't given all that many interactions with her dad. Anyway, I've always seen her delinquency as stemming from her mother's death: in my eyes, she's not a bad person, she's just a girl who misses her mother. I started wondering how that would play into the chalmskinn ship; I feel like she'd be fine with her dad's various flings and one-night-stands, but would recoil at any sign of her father moving on emotionally from Rosemary. I definitely want to explore how that might impact the dynamic between Seymour and Shauna a bit more in the future, especially since I've always been a huge fan of the new step-parent trying to connect with a hung up step-child trope (I really love Quibble Pants/Clear Sky because of this... if there are any bronies reading).

Her Father's Temper and Her Mother's Eyes, 2024.

no need to grip the pancake so hard girl it aint going anywhere

If I'm remembering correctly, Rosemary's character was first introduced in season 16 when the superintendent mentions his wife is very sick. There's then no real mention of her until season 23, in Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts, when she's pretty much confirmed dead, and Gary reflects on how he misses her (which was way more upsetting than it should be, fuck you, you funny yellow people). She's finally explicitly confirmed as dead in season 30.

Autism is as autism does, so I fixated in on these little tidbits and tried to fill in the gaps with my own headcanons. Around the time I was doing so, I was going through a really hard period with my own anorexia - I was experiencing a lot of potentially fatal symptoms and beneath the anorexic delusion, I was genuinely scared for myself. Because of that, I sort of subconsciously projected myself onto Rosemary; it's never explained how exactly she died, only that she was 'very sick'. Rather than take the more conventional route of headcanoning her as having fallen victim to a fundamentally physical illness, I decided to go the route of having her lose the struggle to anorexia nervosa.

At first, obviously, it was just a simple projection of my own issues and illness at the time. You know: I'm scared I'm going to die from this illness... I'm going to cope with these fears by exploring the lives of a person's loved ones after an eating-disorder-related death. It did kind of start to make sense to me, though: Gary Chalmers is a very traditionally masculine man, and I feel like the struggle of losing someone to a mental illness is something that would play with his character with more depth than simply losing her to physical illness. This, in part, came from seeing my own father (who admittedly reminds me of Gary) react so poorly to my own eating disorder: there is something very emotionally impactful about witnessing men who only have the capacity to understand mental illness as a non-physical, unmanifested ailment fight to understand why their loved one is fading away because of something that cannot be cured with surgery, or medicine, or physical therapy. Also, inpatient treatment isn't exactly cheap; so I feel like Chalmers' working an extra job to earn money for what was implied to be Rosemary's treatment checks out under my headcanon.

I haven't really thought much about the specific timeline of things, but a few months ago, I was writing a chalmskinn oneshot where the boys get drunk and wind up on Mount Springfield in the middle of the night (sadly unfinished): there's a moment where the two discuss the death of Rosemary that I think pretty much sums the details of my headcanon up:

“Doy,” sang Seymour: admittedly in slightly bad taste. "You know, you never said what it was. Oh- Hic… Let me guess. Was it, ya' know... The big C?” “No, no… Heart failure.” “What-? Wait, wait, wait… All those years ago, you said she was sick.” “She was sick, you… You… Stupid,” grumbled Gary. He collapsed backwards and next to Seymour with a resigned sigh. “She had anorexia.” “...Oh.” “Mmm… I- I paid for every single treatment I could, Seymour. Behavioural therapy, so, so many inpatient stays in the psychiatric ward, but no matter what she went through, she just kept getting worse. It was so scary- I, she- The woman I married was, she was disappearing right in front of me; a little more every day. I tried to get her to eat; I- I tried to stop her from throwing it up… God, it got physical, once: she was a small, small woman, but that day… She fought like a, a wild dog- Scraping, and kicking- Fuck, even biting, just to get herself free enough from me to vomit.” “Goodness. I- I had no idea.” “Pssht… Nobody did. She- she hid it so well, but behind closed doors,” Chalmers had to stop speaking for a moment. He swayed from side to side in silence; as if the rocking would stop the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “She was dying… Sometimes I wish it was cancer. Well- No, not cancer, just- Something physical, something that could have been cured with treatment, or a pill, or surgery, or what-fucking-ever. But nooo, it had to be a disorder that me- Stupid fucking me- That I couldn’t understand. That I couldn’t help her with… Besides paying for her treatment.”

I'm currently just over two months into recovery for anorexia, and I'm doing so much better (not to be TMI, but I definitely will not miss the gastrointestinal bleeding and incontinence, haha). Anyway, I just wanted to half-dedicate a post to talking about Rosemary; I was really socially isolated when my symptoms were at my worst, and it was headcanons and projections like this that helped me feel a bit less alone, and at the end of the day, really got me through the struggle of fighting a disorder on my lonesome. I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts on this, or if you personally have any similar headcanons for other fictional characters.

[canonically47]

my take on the OFMD s2 finale: fuck that

(major spoilers continuing from here)

it’s sweet that the crew now also has zheng, auntie, spanish jackie and the swede is back, the reunion kiss was the sweetest thing ever, i loved lucius and pete’s wedding etc etc but there’s some things i can’t look past.

let’s get into izzy. izzy went through a lot this season. he started off as someone we were meant to dislike and slowly evolved into the only reason the crew was alive and functional. they became his family, and he became their new, true leader. their new unicorn, if you will. they cared for him, they loved him, and he loved them back. hell, he even had that sweet speech about piracy that made me tear up!

but then he died. and this isn’t the bury your gays trope, since the show has dozens of happy gay people and a lot of queer joy, but the redemption through death trope - or at least a poor attempt at him.

look at me. izzy got all the redemption he needed. he proved himself. he was happy. he was content. he had a good life ahead of him. and then he died.

his final words didn’t even mean anything, because ed still left the crew (along with stede). and this is sweet because they got to fulfill their dreams of having an inn, but this would have been better if izzy’s speech was just slightly different. or if it was like it canonically is, then it should have been established the crew was going to visit, or the inn was temporary, or ANYTHING.

back to izzy - i’m not mad he died. i’m mad the timing was horrendously bad. a single 28 minute episode is not enough to have ed’s character arc evolve, a sweet reunion, lots of drama and comedy, kill izzy off, have a lupete wedding, and have gentlebeard stay behind to have an inn. there should have been one or two extra episodes. there should have been more time to mourn izzy! i was sobbing my ass off and the show had already moved on to the wedding - i mean, what?? are we just not meant to care? i get that he had that burial, and he was shown as the last frame in the show yes, but how much tribute is that? stede’s dialogue made it seem like he barely cared when we knew the two had gotten closer! i get that he may have had conflicting emotions and this show is a comedy, but come on, people, you can do better!

the inn idea is sweet but i don’t see it lasting. the fourth episode really makes me wary of this idea because those two girls really fucking hated that domestic lifestyle bro!!! also, ed just accepted himself as a pirate outside of blackbeard, he just forgets that life? that’s bullshit. you can’t just spend the entire season exploring ed’s character as a pirate and then drop the pirate part. you can’t!!!

still mad about izzy. still confused about why everyone was in such high spirits after his death despite, you know, them getting along with him amazingly this season and loving him so deeply. but whatever, i too would be back at sea and giggling after my (at heart) captain died. in fact, i would even get married after that! yay, ring those bells! (/sarc)

i loved the wedding but you cannot tell me it wouldn’t have been better if there had just been more time between izzy’s death and it.

also. i’m pretty sure so many other characters walked off wounds in that exact area izzy got shot in... but i guess... plot armor??

tl;dr: i’m pissed off at OFMD’s season two ending, especially the way izzy’s death was handled.

yeah, i’m not happy with this. at least put me out my misery and announce this is the last season. dragging it on for longer would not work.

ending words: i would have been much more content with izzy dying if he was given more time, if his death was handled better, and if his speech had meant anything at fucking all to ed.

[ilovescaredysquirrel2]

Inside Out 2 was decent (possible spoilers)

Okay so I don't really get hyped for Inside Out 2 as much as everyone else does, but I'm not denying that it was a cute movie, it had it's pros and cons. It's nothing special, though. I enjoyed the fist one and I love the new characters in the sequel. I'll start with the pros because there's more cons.

Okay, so I mostly love how they didn't push any romance tropes, other than Disgust hitting on that video game guy (that i noticed Anger and Fear kind of checking him out as well) and personally I think giving Disgust a love interest was out of character for her, but it worked. I mean, she's usually disgusted at everything but seeing a hot purple hair anime warrior calms her down. I actually LOVE how they had Riley crush on a video game character an not a boy at her school, I was so happy about that. Those of you who wanted Riley to be lesbian, I'm so sorry! I'm okay with that personally, even though I support LGBT, because I think it's more relatable for me the majority of girls watching that they didn't make her a lesbian. Maybe Disney will make a lesbian protagonist someday? And if not, maybe a better movie company will! Also, there's no romance between any of Riley's emotions, yay! It doesn't make sense if there was! Also, I like how they referenced to Dora the explorer in a funny, lighthearted way, instead of making fun of it in an offensive way. I hate when people make fun of innocent kids shows to be offensive, I really think they referenced to Dora just for laughs. Also, Anxiety's a decent character. I like her, personally. I like the idea of Disney not having real villains anymore, because not everything is just pure bad or good. Anxiety was just an antagonist and it's okay, she also got redemption too.

Now for the cons... and this is gonna be long. Okay, I DO NOT SUPPORT DISNEY! I mean, I don't think this movie should be the thing that brings Disney/Pixar back from their dark ages, but I'm not hating on the Inside Out 2. I do think it's overrated. My biggest complaint was the fact that THEY STOLE CHARACTER DESIGN FROM ANOTHER MOVIE and here's the pictures to prove it

Yeah, that dark secrets character looks almost exactly like Dark from Orion and the Dark, a movie that came out BEFORE Inside Out 2! and those of you saying "but they were working on both movies at the same time" WRONG! The movies were released at least 4 months apart and Disney does often rush their recent projects like they rushed the making of Wish! Another thing, the human animations in Inside Out 2 looked a little less rendered, while the emotion animations and facial expressions were PERFECT! Also, is it just me or does Riley sound younger in this sequel than she did in the first one? Which it doesn't make sense since she went through puberty, right?

In conclusion, the story is pretty decent but I don't think it's worth spending money to see in theaters. If you really desperately want to see it in theaters, fine! I prefer watching it online and don't forget that the free websites exist. The illegal copy of the movie (you know, the hidden camera recorded version with the slot machines) is on the free websites like Actvid and Kisscartoon. Go ahead and watch it on there if you're like me and you're just watching it because of extra free time, and you don't really want to give your money to the Big D.

Anyway, I'm basically neutral on this movie, feel free to state your opinion. Again, I'm not a Disney fan and yet I'm not denying that this was an okay-ish movie. I just don't think it's worth seeing in theaters when you can watch it online for free and Disney won't be robbing you.

[absolutebl]

Because your opinion means a lot: Any chance you feel like sharing 5 upcoming BLs you're most excited about and why? And maybe as a bonus, something you think many BL watchers will love but that you will hate?

Ooooo, how exciting what a fun one. You sure you want this from me? I have very odd taste.

The 5 Upcoming BLs I'm Most Excited About

(this forced me to put together the 2024 Announced BLs list which is coming soon)

1 Spare Me Your Mercy

Increased rates of deaths in terminal patients has a police captain investigating the palliative care doctor with whom he's fallen in love. Their relationship deepens but the mystery persists, driven by mistrust.

Why? It's adapted from the novel Euthanasia by Sammon (Triage, Manner of Death) but more important, it stars some old guard BL actors: Tor Thanapob from Hormones as the doctor and (fuck me YES) Jaylerr from Great Men Academy and goddamn Grean Fictions as the captain!

2 Wandee Godday

GMMTV and AllThis Entertainment producing a very pulp offering with new pair, GreatInn doing high heat, boxer meets surgeon. It features a one night stand, fake relationship, and all the cheesiest of tropes. Also features Drake, Podd, and Thor+ pretty boy (be still my heart).

Why? This is totally my kind of BL even if it isn't GMMTV's style of BL, and it's GREAT, so I'm in.

3 The Next Prince (ZeeNew)

Domundi brings us more ZeeNew in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince - YES PLEASE.

Why? I did not expect this pair to stick so I really hope this happens. Give us the Little Pink Riding Milk BL we deserve!

4 Lover Merman

Fantasy BL about a man who falls in love with a merman.

Why? I don't think it will be good but I LOVE merfolk.

5 Me and Who

Domundi for WeTV brings this adaptation of Wickedwish’s novel of the same name. It depicts a young man who dies and is reborn into the body of a billionaire heir. The heir happens to be engaged to a handsome man.

Why? I flipping LOVE this trope but I never expected to see it drive a BL.

10 I am cautious of but VERY intrigued

JAPAN'S Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

From YTV releasing 1/11 about Soga, who, after a divorce and relocation to Osaka, seeks solace in dining at 26-year-old Sakae's restaurant. Unbeknownst to Soga, Sakae sees him as more than just a regular customer.

TAIWAN's Love For Love's Sake

Based on the Manhwa Love Supremacy Zone by Hwacha, this will star actors Lee Tae Vin, Cha Jun Wan, Oh Min Su and Cha Woon Ki. The plot of the drama is based on Tae Myung Ha, a young man who is dropped into a game based off of a novel that he knows. His mission is to make another player, Cha Yeo Woon happy. Cha Yeo Woon is Myung-Has favourite character in the novel. But then the game starts going completely different from the novel.

City of Stars AKA Fueangnakorn

Star Hunter started filming this 12/23 about an actor falls in love with a programmer and the narrative intends to “explore the ramifications of being public figure in the social network era who must endure critics, bullying, and defamation.” Looks like another Lovely Writer, Call It What You Want sort of thing.

My Stand-In AKA My Stand In

Chinese IP ALERT! Adapted from the novel Professional Body Double (职业替身) by Shui Qiang Cheng (水千丞) stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please).

OMG Vampire AKA OMG! Vampire (LeeFrank)

Frank and Lee Long Shi are back only vampires now. So many vampires.

The Rebound (MeenPing)

VIU Basketball based romance staring Meen (a national basketball player, so yay for that).

We Are (PondPhuwin)

GMMTV's university friendship Bl featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawin - basically ALL in the good kind of messy friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is gay. I'm IN! Trailer here.

Love Upon a Time (NetJames)

Domundi announced for 6/7/2023 then delayed to 2024. NetJames in a historical BL! Also feat Tonnam (Dr Sing from Triage).

Jack & Joker (YinWar)

DeHup brings us be gay, do crimes. Yin, War, Mark and a few other familiar faces doing Leverage but gayer. Yes, thank you, I will have that.

My Love Mix-Up Thai Remake (GemniForth)

GMMTV. Hum, well I do love this pair and I did like the original and maybe this time these characters will actually kiss? I'm actually fine with this pick-up. I kind of enjoy seeing different countries remake the same IP. Especially if it's IP I'm mostly unfazed by.

[chainsofaether]

Is your character inspired by, or takes inspiration from, any kind of existing media? Is it because of a character, trope, setting or other aspects of the story/media you vibed with? How have you adapted that media to make your character yours?

Oh look a question I can easily answer if I just rant. I really want to rant, but I'll try not to.

I can't say I don't take any inspiration from existing media because I'm not some font of infinite creativity disconnected from the world. Neat as that might be. But I can say I don't really take from anywhere specifically.

I consume a lot less media then I once did. Don't read as much, watch fewer shows. Actually what do I do? Mmm something to think about. Lots of video games I guess.

So media is a thing and pressured I could probably point at things? But more I think it tropes and themes I pull from. But getting more specific to Nyxathe, and maybe Nexa.

So Nyxathe's one big thing is Apotheosis. I can hardly tell you were I got caught up on that from specifically but I've found myself increasingly annoyed by the near constant portrayal as godhood as a bad thing. Which isn't to say I don't understand, I do very much. Still I've like to see the other side of it, if it exists.

So much so I started building a little, not so little, world where I can create stories for the very topic. Yay world building, but that's mildly off topic.

Maybe I should talk about that someday, but for now back on topic.

So there's different motivations behind wanting to be a god. Nyxathe isn't so emotionally devoid that it is purely part of just wanting to understand. Part yes, not completely. Instead Nyxathe is a deeply traumatized individual that saw a god being and got in to the thought that maybe with that kind of power things could have been different. If nothing else she could do better.

Is she right? Probably not. Who knows if she can even succeed. Still she'll peruse personal power until someone or something stops her.

That drags us to another topic. Corruption/Monsters. In Nyxathe case ties heavily in to her humanity. How far can she take her core goal without becoming a monster? To this point in time I don't think anyone could call Nyxathe more then obsessed, certainly not a monster. But Nyx is definitely corrupted by her obsession. The further she takes her research the more she starts to find the limits of ethical research. It would be really nice if she could just take an animal and do a few things to test a few theories. Or better yet a person.

But in spite of where her thoughts take her she hasn't crossed that line. Yet. Considering her personality I think it's nearly inevitable she crosses that line. Like taking our dear Angel's character Anna. Have I mentioned I love Anna? Anyway Nyx's horror about Anna would last all of a few minutes till she realized how convenient Anna's way of doing things are, and how much more power comes from that route. Given Anna would almost certainly just murder her before she got that far, so not a meeting to be I think.

Still that's lots about dark talk about a character who is otherwise pretty nice to be around. Who's pretty ethical despite how much advantage is her not being. With the right influence she could even solidify her moral stance on research.

That I think displays my real interest in the theme/idea of corruption. Least the mental side of it. The lack of inevitably in it. Few characters/people are doomed from the start. It's a life time of situation and events that lead them. Exploration of that is pretty interesting.

Of course we have the physical side of that. That was decidedly not something I was thinking about when I made Yrys. That's much more a new thing thanks to a few things I played and had a very big 'huh, that's pretty interesting' in such a strong way I needed to explore it. So I came back and start looking at how it could apply to Yrys turned Nyxathe.

Which, very easy. Super easy. Nyxathe's whole manipulation of corporeal aether, particularly her own, was such an obvious avenue to physical corruption. Yay body horror?

Okay. Well this turned in to lots of rambling. Less ranting though so that's good. I don't really want to get in to real world stuff on here no matter how much It shapes my thoughts. I didn't touch on Nexa at all. Rip but this was getting long. One day I'll sit down and do stuff for my catgirl. Also I tied Corruption and Monsters together, and I think that's a mistake, or limiting anyway. But if I go back and rewrite all of it will end up twice as long. Plus I need to sit and really think about that now. Another post maybe.

Anyway thank you Sea for the ask. I've been very quiet for a while now. I'll see about slowly ramping back up now that I don't feel so bleh.

[brb-on-a-quest]

🫘 Spill the beans. What's a new project you're doing this year?

This kinda ties in with your other asks, but I have two answers for that, so yay bonus content (lmao)

so writing-related project means exploring my hand at writing Christmas hallmark romance fiction, a genre I don't particularly enjoy consuming (only with friends, specifically to make fun of the tropes).

So why would I do this?

Because the hands of some supernatural force gripped the very fibers of my being and told me to create a prompt based on the very town I called my home away from home with the people I adore so very much and the lore and the history was the perfect setting. And now it lives in my head rent free.

Do i have any concrete ideas with this project? nope. i keepbrainstorming and coming up with nothing that I like (I hate romance genre tropes I'm really not the best person to write this) but I know the place so I can learn to write hallmark romance tropes.

[gumnut-logic]

A Sign of Purpose

Okay, this is new fic, but it is weird fic. Since I haven't written for months, I'm going with whatever it is.

So what is it? Well, it reads like the beginning of a new AU. I was reminded of the Soulmate trope today where everyone has a mark somewhere on their body that indicates who they are meant to be with. The traditional idea doesn't work in this fandom very well without the addition of OCs, and I don't have the energy to build a new bunch of OCs right now, so I tried something different. Don't know if it works, but eh, 1500 words of what appears to be some kind of intro to this AU. Don't know if it is worth expanding or exploring, but I wrote something, so yay! :D

I hope you enjoy it at least a little in any case.

-o-o-o-

He rubbed his chest with a wonderfully soft towel. Thank goodness, Scott had taken his advice and really splurged on the quality when it came to the locker room towels.

As to the brand of the towel, he did not have a clue and did not care. As long as they were soft and sucked up water from tired skin.

The mirror at the end of the room blurrily reflected his movements through the steam and habit drew him to stop and take a step towards it, his eyes narrowing on the scar across his left pectoral.

He didn’t know why he did this. It wasn’t as if he expected his Sign to appear. He had lost hope a long time ago.

At least he had thought he had. If there was no hope, then he could just be who he was.

There were a few in the world who had never received their Sign, an imprint of a symbol or icon on their left breast which indicated a person’s ultimate Purpose in life. Most due to accident like his. The scar was old now and in a way more of a Sign than any Purpose. More a reminder of his failure.

He did have to admit that watching each of his brothers gain their Sign when he didn’t had affected him. Scott, of course, had grown up before Virgil, maturity bringing the almost predictable Sign of Flight.

Their parents had been so excited, just after Scott’s sixteenth birthday. The family had celebrated and there had been several excited questions as to what Virgil’s might be.

Their parents were both Stars, both born to reach for space, Dad with wings and Mom with numbers, so it hadn’t been surprising that Scott had aspects of both merging into Flight.

The traditional Reader had been brought in and the new Sign had been examined, interpreted, and aligned with Scott’s interests. The Reader had frowned a lot. Not that Virgil had any experience with Readers, but the elderly man in his carmine robe had muttered about success, challenges, losses and gains.

Scott hadn’t had to do much upon the revelation of his Sign. He had been heading for the Air Force in any case. But it had been good to know his choices were meant to be.

Unlike Virgil.

He sighed and ran the towel down his leg, turning away from the revealing glass.

It was the bruises on that leg that made him grimace, not the long ago loss…

Who was he kidding?

The scar twinged as if to remind him.

He shied away from the memories of losing his mother and the avalanche responsible. He had been lucky to survive with minor injuries.

Just happened that one of those injuries hurt more than the others.

The year that followed was traumatic enough for everyone to forget Virgil’s sixteenth birthday and the importance of that time in his life. Dad had fallen into grief. Scott was juggling the entire family, trying to keep everyone and everything afloat.  Virgil did everything he could to help, but survivor’s guilt and the thought that everything, especially his mother’s death, was his fault, sucked him into a deep dark hole.

His father couldn’t even look at him.

It took Scott finally cracking and a screaming match from hell between him and their father for it all to fall apart. Enough to create a turning point in all their lives and the first shaky step towards recovery.

So it wasn’t until John received his Sign early, that the question of Virgil came up.

John was only thirteen, very young to receive his Purpose, but considering how far advanced he was in his learning, it shouldn’t have been a surprise.

John was Stars, just like his parents. The Reader who visited them frowned at Virgil as he walked past, but nothing was said. The Reading declared John would follow his parents into space, that he would bridge communication across the planet, that he was destined for greatness.

Everyone celebrated. Dad drank soft drink instead of alcohol, but the glasses clinked together all the same and John shone, the centre of attention and, for once in his life, enjoying it.

Virgil slunk away early and spent the next half an hour peering at himself in the mirror, willing the red scar across his breast to reveal something…anything.

By the time Gordon turned sixteen, Virgil was an adult and had comes to terms with his loss…mostly.

It just wasn’t going to happen.

It did affect his life choices. Unlike everyone around him, he had no guide to his true Purpose. His interests flickered back and forth between the arts and the sciences. He loved to paint and play music. But he also loved pulling machines apart and putting them back together. He was handy with his hands and could repair just about anything. He could plan and organise and create. He could do so many things, but he had no idea which he was supposed to do, which direction he was supposed to go.

What was his Purpose?

He had to admit that for at least part of that time, he followed Scott around like a lost shadow. Scott had enough direction for both of them and Virgil willing followed his big brother. After all, what wasn’t to follow? Scott was at the top of everything he did. Academic, sports, socialising…if there was a direction to go, Scott was a good choice.

But Virgil was not Scott.

It came close, though. Virgil gained his pilot’s license not long after his brother, and was a hair’s breadth away from following him into the Air Force.

If he could have. The Air Force did not accept those without a Sign of Purpose. Apparently it was too much of a risk to enlist those not destined to Serve.

There were words, none of them polite, but looking back, Virgil knew he wasn’t military material. He didn’t need a stupid Sign for that. If he was honest with himself, it was simply doing what his big brother was going to do.

Maybe the Sign of Flight had been taken from him by the avalanche?

Grandma had so many hugs for him the day Scott left for the Air Force.

But perhaps Scott leaving was necessary, because it forced him to stop following and work out what he should be by himself.

In the end he chose a bit of everything and the hell to a blasted Purpose.

Looking back, it all seemed so long ago. All the things that had happened since - Scott returning from Bereznik, broken and in pieces. The birth of International Rescue and the Thunderbird that gave his big brother his wings back.

John reaching the Stars he was destined for.

The loss of Dad.

An echo of their father’s Stars appeareing on Scott’s left breast overnight, blurring his Sign of Flight, almost caging it.

Grief.

So much grief.

Virgil straightened and cleared his throat. Even now, a good five years after, it still hurt. Scott had stumbled and it had been Virgil’s turn to juggle the family and support where he could.

Gordon won gold at the Olympics.

Honestly, joyful though it was, it wasn’t really a surprise. After all, The Reader swore he had never seen so many fish in a Sign before. Gords was aquatic life personified.

Until he wasn’t.

So many hundreds of knots worth of speed and a sudden stop did that.

Another hard year. More grief, more challenge. he could have taken it personally and declared his Purpose as one to bear witness to each member of his family going through hell. But since they all were experiencing the same pain, he couldn’t claim any originality or self-centred angst.

But they were lucky. Gordon survived and clawed his way back to health. Some of the fish were now missing due to Gordon’s own set of scars, but as he had so many, the hydrofoil hadn’t got them all.

Plus one scar had warped one of the little fish into a shape Gordon was determined to call shark, so watch out, he had teeth now.

Virgil smirked and found himself grinning into the foggy mirror. You know, the mirror that he pointedly hadn’t been looking at.

A sigh. It annoyed him that even now, the lack of his own Sign, his own Purpose, still bugged him like this. He should be over it. Take a bruise or two and claim that was his Purpose, to take a hit while saving people’s lives.

But yeah, it was bugging him again because he still had one more brother who was due to receive his Sign any day now.

As he hung up the towel and started shoving on his clothing he thought about little Allie. Or not so little, because sixteen was tomorrow, no doubt to be followed by a Sign…predicted to be Stars of some kind. It wasn’t like the kid wasn’t begging to go into space every moment of every day. Stars was pretty much a given. But there were subtleties to Signs that needed interpretation…and celebration.

His littlest brother was growing up.

Pulling his t-shirt over his head, he straightened it across his chest, only to have his hand automatically trace the scar through the thin material.

Would he ever stop hoping?

Apparently not.

-o-o-o-