#also a little unfortunate that only 1 of these 4 posts did better than i had hoped but that's not really a big deal. i like them

[autoboros]

I only followed you pretty recently, so what's your personal favourite piece of art you've done?

Ohhh I like this question... It'd be hard to pick a solid favourite since my opinion of my own art changes quite a bit with time but I'd probably have to say one of these

[lovelyjasmari]

Twisted Wonderland Reaction Part 17 ~ Special Edition

Hello everyone! 

So…it’s been a while since I’ve made one of these. Almost 2 years to be exact. But after book 5 forever changed how I engage with twst (for better and worse), I haven’t really been up to doing reaction posts anymore. Also after book 5 I actually began focusing more on the jp server since there were many things in the official translation that I found…lacking to say the least. 

But when twst jp released this mv on April fools day, I just knew I HAD to talk about it! I’m actually surprised more people aren’t. Probably the biggest thing about this mv is that in a lot of ways the narrative of book 5’s ending has changed now we have context to how NRC Tribe performed. I’ve seen a lot of posts on the bird app saying things like it makes sense now why they lost the VDC. 

I will say, this is definitely NOT a perfect performance. But as a former dancer with WAY too much time on their hands, I decided to analyze this.

So for context, Ive done a mix of ballet and jazz for eleven years, from age 4 to 15. Even though I gave up going to classes, I still did para para and anime dances with my friends. And in 2017, I decided to return to dance and have been dancing consistently ever since. I’m mostly versed in ballet but I still do some jazz, hip hop and took up kpop last year. To judge this fairly, I watched the MV several times, four times per member, (do the math and feel free to judge me). And with that, here are the things that stuck out to me the most. 

He is beauty, he is grace, HOW HE HELL DID HE NOT KICK EPEL IN THE FACE?!

Synchronization/symmetry 

The lack of synchronization was the first thing I noticed, ESPECIALLY in the first 30 seconds. The footwork is sloppy and Deuce and Ace in particular aren't as sharp with their moves as the other five. Rook seems to be the only one doing the choreography correctly because one point at 0:25 (and again at 3:31) where he bends his knee higher than the others and thanks to those fuckass uggs standing out so much, I couldn’t unsee it. At 1:03, 1:07, 2:07, and 3:00 Ace’s form is noticeably off as well.

And this may just be a personal hangup of mine but I found lack of symmetry between the boys at 1:14 very odd. Like, I don’t know how I can describe it but the way Epel tried to take center stage during his and Vil’s duet gave me the impression that wasn’t originally in the routine. At 1:13 there’s a split second where you can actually see Vil looking down at Epel like “...wut?” I immediately thought about that moment right before they go on stage where Epel offers to take on Vil’s solo’s because he looks so weak but Vil refuses. I wonder if Epel trying to take center like that is a callback to that exchange. Unfortunately, since the boys were perfectly symmetrical for the rest of the song, it stands out as awkward all the more. 

Kalim and Jamil

Lowkey, Kalim and Jamil both carried this performance after Vil. The little magic with the mic was a super nice touch and Kalim shines the most during the dance break. He seems to be having fun with it despite being in agony. What’s interesting is that after Ace and Deuce, Kalim is the most out of sync but he pulls it off well since I can tell he’s been on the stage before. Both he and Jamil are natural performers. 

Vil’s movements

So, this has been something of a headcanon of mine but it seems to have been proven correct with this mv. Vil has always struck me as someone who probably has a lot of classical dance training but little training in other styles like hip-hop or jazz. His movements are very graceful and elegant but almost…too elegant? I don’t know if that makes sense but they seem very smooth for this style of choreography. And because he’s in the center the most, it stands out the most.

AND THAT FUCKING GRAND JETE!!! Absolutely flawless but it feels SO out of place here! I will give him credit though, that is one of the most difficult jumps to pull off in ballet, and the fact he did that in fucking 5-inch heels right after the most mentally and physically traumatic episode of his life, it’s beyond impressive. And the fact he landed perfectly and so seamlessly moved into his final solo is even more remarkable. Still, that was the most jarring element of this choreography and I think it would still be out of place even if this was a “perfect” performance. 

Now here’s where I potentially piss people off

All in all this is a perfectly imperfect performance. Being completely objective and not taking my love for these characters into account, I honestly still don’t see how they lost. Well, I understand why but it still is fucked to me. I can understand Vil feeling like NRC Tribe didn’t perform their best since they were exhausted and hurting from dealing with his overblot. I can also understand that they were probably a lot more polished in rehearsal. But here’s the thing,  for a group of amateurs, I would probably expect this quality of performance even if they hadn’t had to deal with Vil’s overblot.

First off, while the choreography is rather simple from a dancers perspective, it can be pretty complex for beginners. For one, it requires a lot of synchronization to look correct. But as a beginner, perfecting synchronization alone can take months and, in larger groups, sometimes even longer. If NRC Tribe can look like this after only ONE MONTH of training, taking into account only three out of seven of them have dance experience, that’s extremely impressive.

To give an example, last year at my dance school for our end of the year showcase, the K-pop class did a cover of TWICE's Can't Stop Me. Because our class is made up of students with varying levels of experience (some none at all), it took us the better part of eight months to learn. We had to learn everything in groups of three before we could learn and practice together. And even then, we still fucked up a lot because none of us are professionals and some of us were dancing for the first time. Look at this video and tell me if you could learn this in only ONE month. Vil, can you train me please?? XD

And that brings me to the next point, the experience of all the members. Now, in Rook’s most recent birthday vignette, he mentions learning ballet and in book 5 we see Epel and Deuce taking ballet lessons. But in ballet, as a beginner, your earliest lessons are going to be almost exclusively barre work and depending on age, you might not do center work/combinations for weeks. I’m going to assume Vil is really the only one with solid dance training with Jamil and Kalim also having the most experience just dancing in general. As for the others, they were going to need a lot more training if this was going to look more polished. ESPECIALLY Ace and Deuce.

As for having to perform right after beating OB Vil’s ass, again I was expecting to see A LOT more noticeable errors. And knowing what they all just went through honestly makes me admire this all the more. The thing is, it’s easy to be beautiful when everything is right and perfect in your world. But being able to smile even when you’re struggling and your heart is breaking is even more beautiful still. Personally, I don’t think I could perform even half as well if it were me. 

It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a MV of Neige’s performance so I could do a fully fair analysis. But if we look at all the evidence, it seems to me that NRC Tribe still gave a better performance. And I think the true tragedy here isn’t even that NRC Tribe lost since I think that was always a given considering the dynamic NRC and RSA has.

The true tragedy, I think, is that Vil could be convinced that this perfectly imperfect performance was still inferior to Neige’s. But I’ll leave that for another time. 

[williamrikers]

Some Personal Favorite BL Moments of 2023

this is inspired by @lurkingshan's post, thank you for that 😊

Best Show

be my favorite, hands down. this show hooked me right from the very beginning, and each week it kept outdoing itself. the kindest, most compassionate storytelling mixed with some absolutely amazing character journeys and a strong message at its heart, bmf will stay with me forever (and not only because i managed to snatch one of the utterly gorgeous box sets for my collection). 12/10 puffball music boxes

Best Scene

alan and wen pre- and post-breakup at the start of episode 5 of moonlight chicken. i've rewatched these nine minutes more times than i can count. both first and mix do some incredible acting here, and it's such an utter joy to watch. 5/5 crying firsts sliding down a wall

The Scene That Came For My Life The Most

look, i've talked about only friends episode 6 [4/4] before. you all already know that i desire mew carnally for what he did with that audio tape. i have also rewatched this scene an embarrassing amount of times. 96/69 illicit sex tapes

Most Rewatchable Show and Best Main Couple

this one goes to a boss and a babe. i have already rewatched this show twice this year, and i love it more on every single rewatch. i regularly lose my mind about how much i love this silly little show and start waxing poetic about how much this love story means to me, how much i adore gun and cher's weirdness, their communication, their commitment, their gentleness, their mutual respect, the way they help each other and heal each other, the way they make each other feel safe and loved, which my friends from the bl besties server can attest to. maybe one day, i'll put all of my ramblings into a coherent format, but for now please trust that this show is absolutely wonderful and extremely special to me. 1000/10 gaymer friends sleepovers

Best Premise (That Was Utterly Ruined By The Show)

i've got to say dangerous romance, although step by step comes in at a close second. after the second episode of dr, i was out here writing hundreds of words worth of meta, and then... well, then the show became what it unfortunately is, now. i still want to see the show that i was promised (a thriller about two poor brothers who get into hot water because of money issues and end up having to turn to crime to survive, all while the younger brother slowly falls in love with the biggest bully at school, and over the course of the show the bully needs to learn to become a better person and help sailom overcome the trust issues he should have had from growing up constantly threatened and sometimes physically abused by members of the mafia.) -20/10 stupid fucking windmills for ruining something that could have been amazing

Best Side Couple

tiwpor, you will always be famous to me. my school president itself might just have given us crumbs, but i licked those tiny crumbs right off the floor with delight, and when our skyy 2 made it canon, i lost my entire mind. i could not have asked for more. 2/2 couples t-shirts

Best Date

yang and phumjai on their practice date in episode 4 of love in translation was probably the sweetest thing that happened on any bl in 2023. in the later episodes, they had many more beautiful moments together as well as some incredibly amazing physical intimacy (plus, in the extended iqiyi cut, one hell of a foreplay scene), but their sweet date before they had even confessed their feelings has stayed with me. 11/10 slices of pandan

Best Beach Scene(s)

never let me go wins this one. no other show was as devoted to showing off their beautiful beach locations as nlmg this year. watching this show made me yearn for the sea. 1/1 tattoo of your boyfriend's name

Best Rooftop Scene

despite the stiff competition in the form of bmf and cherry magic thailand, last twilight has this one in the bag. the pain, the pining, the heartbreak, the complicated feelings, the desperate kiss... they even lampshaded this trope in the dialogue. stellar scene. 12/10 sunflowers

Best Sensuality

we've had a lot of high heat bls this year, some of them still ongoing, and since billy infamously said "a lot and deeply", i feel like the next episode of the sign might just blow all of our minds. i'm not awarding a best sex scene here so i won't have to eat my words in a few days—however, i feel confident in saying that when it comes to raw sensuality, no one is going to beat ray and sand in only friends this year, no matter how hard the characters on pit babe, playboyy and the sign might be trying. truly, nobody embodies sensual attraction like first and khaotung do. 69/10 sausages that represent blowjobs

Best Minor Character That Stole The Show

gotta agree with the masses here and say nawin laws of attraction. what a guy. every day i miss him. ∞/10 unhinged ex boyfriends

Best Viewing Experience

this is not bl, but it might as well be: midnight museum still feels like a fever dream, i have no idea what the plot even was, i understood maybe 10% of what was happening at any given moment, and i've never had more fun watching anything. this truly is the show of all time. 5/3 roles played by gun atthaphan

Wildest GMMTV Moment

also not a bl, but the piploy pissing in the car scene as an act of revenge in wednesday club would go down in history, if, you know, people had actually watched this show. what can i even say. 3/3 gratuitous pissing scenes

Most Anticipated Show Of 2024

i just had to find a way to mention my golden blood in this post. i am yearning for this show with an intensity i cannot describe. i literally need to see joss bridal carrying gawin as much as possible, it is on the baseline of my hierarchy of needs. no matter whether this turns out to be trashy fun, high camp, an actually serious show, or all three, i win. gmmtv could not have given me anything better to look forward to next year 💖

[ladykailitha]

The Places We Hide Part 5

So I decided to just post both of the last pieces together, so just one more post after this one. What can I say, I’m a sucker for Wayne being the only over 40 adult that gets Steve.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

*

The next time Steve had one of his attacks, Eddie wasn’t home. He was running some errands in town.

“Munson residence,” Wayne said.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Steve hissed.

“Where you at?”

Steve paused. “Home.”

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on Steve’s door.

“You didn’t have to come,” he murmured as he let the older Munson in.

“Boy, I think I’m about the only one who understands,” Wayne said gently before pulling Steve into a hug.

Steve went a little reluctantly, but once he felt Wayne’s strong arms wrap around his back, he let out a shuddering breath. A breath he didn’t even know he had been carrying. And then another. And another. Finally all the weight that Steve had been holding deep in his chest lifted and he could breath normally again.

Once Wayne could see that Steve was feeling better he told him to lead them to the front room.

Steve did as he was told. He sat down on one of the sofas and wrapped his arms around himself.

“Eddie told me that other than him, you’re the oldest of your little group of friends?” Wayne asked, his voice warm and comforting.

Steve huffed. “There’s a lot of us now, but yeah, me and Eds are the oldest.”

“Is that why you latched on to my nephew so fast?” Wayne teased.

Steve’s laugh was a little lighter and Wayne took that as a win. “One of them, yeah. The other reason was that he’s so easy to like.”

Wayne grinned. “Yeah, he is.” He licked his lips. “He also said that the other parents tend to treat you like another kid.”

Steve sighed heavily. “Yeah. I mean, I get it. When all this shit started I was barely sixteen, so they still see that sixteen year old.”

“Instead of the twenty year old warrior with a good head on his shoulders?”

Steve blushed. “Now I see where Eds gets his way with words.”

Wayne waggled his eyebrows and Steve finally let loose a real laugh. “I don’t have that problem, Steve. I met you as an adult. Sure, you are half my age, but I can tell you are a very capable person.”

“Except when I get like this,” Steve murmured.

Wayne grimaced. “Only I know something that your logical part of your brain forgot, but the rest of you didn’t.”

Steve looked up at him and frowned. “What’s that?”

“Next month is the anniversary of the earthquake.”

Steve’s eye went wide. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Wayne chuckled. “You’ve said that already.”

“Yeah, well,” Steve groused. “You’re right. My brain may have forgotten but the rest of me didn’t.”

“The town wants to sweep it under the rug. What happened, what they nearly did to my nephew because they were looking for someone to blame,” Wayne’s voice was hard for the first time since he got there.

Steve nodded. “All those deaths. All that destruction. And they want to pretend it was just some gas leak.”

“The unfortunate dark side humanity,” Wayne agreed. “Bury and forget. So throw a party at the park. Invite all your friends. Everyone that survived that, that you want to see celebrate just being alive. Put up banners announcing what it’s for.”

“Aaaannnddd there is Eddie’s sense of justice, right there,” Steve said with a grin.

Wayne grinned back. “You keep that up and I might just blush.”

Steve laughed. “Eddie loves you. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had someone like you instead of parents that ran away from their problems.”

“You counting yourself as one of those problems?” Wayne asked with a raised eyebrow.

Steve ducked his head. “Look around you. Where are they? I can’t even see their presence in this house. It looks like one of those damned real estate magazines.”

Wayne looked around the room they were in for the first time. The bland pictures on the walls, none of the Harringtons. Not even wedding photos. The perfect furniture, the tasteful decorations. Soulless.

“Why do you still live here?” he asked after a moment.

Steve looked up. “For everyone else, I guess. A place to hold parties, D&D, use the swimming pool. To fill with a laughter and good times. With family.”

Wayne nodded. “You also realize that most of your panic attacks are when you’re here, right?”

Steve reared his head back. “I didn’t actually.” He looked around the room, too. “I guess some ghosts just can’t be exorcised.”

“You have all the money the government gave you for two world ending events,” Wayne reminded him. “You could probably buy another house in Loch Nora, one without the ghosts.”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “You know, I’d forgotten about that money.”

Wayne sighed. “You’re a good kid, Steve. But sometimes your upbringing shows up in the strangest of places.”

Steve winced. “Like forgetting I never have to work a day in my life if didn’t want to?”

Wayne huffed out a laugh. “The very like.” He got to his feet. “Come on. You’re coming with me.”

Steve frowned. “Why? Where are we going?”

“The hardware store,” Wayne replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“And why are we going to the hardware store?” Steve said as he put on his shoes.

“To get you a key to our place,” Wayne said with a grin. “Eddie says you can drive when you get like this, so if you’re home and need to get out. Come on over. Open invitation. No questions asked.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest but snapped it closed with a gulp. “Thank you.”

As they drove off in Wayne’s truck, Wayne turned to Steve, “Plus this gives us a great opportunity to talk about you and Eddie.”

Steve glanced at the door and then back at Wayne. “Are we going too fast for me to jump out now?”

Wayne cackled. “No, but I will if you open that door.”

Steve gulped. “Fair enough.”

“I’m not gonna hurt ya, or even give you the shovel talk,” he explained. “I just want to know if my boy has a chance.”

Steve’s head whipped around. “Eddie likes me like that?”

Wayne laughed. “Boy, he’s been flirting with you since day one, and you’re telling me you didn’t notice?”

He blushed. “I just thought he was overly affectionate with everyone.”

Wayne cocked his head to the side. “Fair enough. What about this thing you two have going with the panic attacks?”

That one was harder to explain away. “I guess I never thought about it. Which is awful to say in hindsight. But it just felt as natural as breathing.”

Wayne just smiled.

Part 6

[numbr2-pencil]

Just a Judge Claude Frollo Headcanon Post

This is strictly about the Walt Disney adaptation of THoND and their own version of Frollo.

1) He's done the nasty.

Frollo thinks he's better than everyone. As he says in Hellfire: "Of my virtue I am justly proud." The concept of virtue or virginity was a big, big, BIG deal in medieval Christian Europe - we all know that.

Buuuuuut here's the thing. We also know that extramarital sex still happened on the regular. We ALSO also know that social norms and rules were a little less stringent for men, than they were for women.

Know what else we know, about Frollo specifically? He literally killed a woman in the prologue and said it was No Big Deal. "I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued." Sounds like classic abuser talk to me.

Frollo strikes me as the kind of man who has engaged in carnal sin, has indulged his lustful desires, one way or another. He is a huge fucking prude pious man, so perhaps it has only happened on a few rare occasions in his long life; most definitely it came with feelings of extreme guilt and confusion, as indoctrinated religious as he is. But I suspect Frollo has made use of a brothel once or twice. I think it's even more likely that he has sexually harassed or assaulted someone in his time - he just believes it somehow doesn't count when it's him doing the deed.

2) Maybe 'Snowball' is a stupid nicname some lowly, smartass guard gave to Frollo's horse one day, before meeting an untimely demise.

The guard didn't survive but, unfortunately for Frollo, the name did.

3) Lead Poisoning Was A Thing.

One of my favourite #history fun facts is that members of the upper classes, nobility and royalty, frequently used pewter chalices, plates, etc., which would slowly leach lead into their bloodstream over time.

Frollo is clearly in decent health/rich enough to keep it that way, and lives to an uncommonly old age. But with his advanced years comes even higher exposure to lead over his lifetime.

Symptoms of lead poisoning include but are not limited to: headaches, fatigue, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and loss of sex drive. Sounds like someone we know!

By the time Frollo meets Esmeralda, his brain is already half-gone. His rages have become more frequent and intense, his nights often sleepless, his libido low or almost non-existent. So when he finally meets her and feels her teasing him, it stirs his desires for the first time in years. His poisoned brain hyperfixates on her. He hallucinates about her, obsesses over her - and finally, he burns half the city to the ground, just to get his hands on her.

And then there's fucking THIS:

This is not a mentally stable man.

4) Frollo secretly relishes in attending public events like the Festival of Fools.

Ok, hear me out: Frollo is kind of a drama queen at heart and lives to be seen. Especially in any situation where he can show off how much Better™ he is than everybody else.

"I am a public official - I must go!" Oh really?? There isn't like a single other person in government, or the entirety of the Parisian royal court, who could take your place? You just HAVE to be the one to take time out of your busy schedule for this petty peasant festival? Sounds a little sus, babe.

And also, apparently he's just totally unbothered by the presence of all the Roma at the Feast of Fools? Like we already know he's developed a bit of a fixation on the Roma, beyond period-typical xenophobia - like to the point that he brings in a military captain, because he feels that the presence of the Roma necessitates a freaking military intervention (!?). But - BUT! - apparently it's 100% fine for Romani performers to be at the festival, and he makes absolutely NO effort to have any of them arrested, besides Esmeralda? (Is this maybe some of that good ol' fashion lead poisoned brain rot here?) This is more of a rant, or maybe another point in favour of my lead poisoning theory, but still.

5) Cataracts!! 👁️👄👁️

Like I said, Frollo has lived to an uncommonly old age. He's just one of the grotesquely wealthy lucky ones, I guess. But with great age comes great eye health problems like CATARACTS! Which, fun fact, will naturally occur in ALL humans as we age. So, yeah, he's got cataracts forming. That's just facts.

I mean how else would he not have fucking noticed Quasimodo on the stage you guys.

6) Not a cat person.

I weirdly feel like this one might be controversial amongst fans, and I'm totally open to folks disagreeing on this point. But like, speaking as a person who has a cat - in my experience, cats usually prefer the company of people who understand and respect their boundaries.

Boundaries.

And I just think Frollo is, well, not the best at that.

... Yeah.

But also, in fairness, there was some suspicion/superstition around cats being evil in medieval Europe. So maybe that would have been enough for Frollo to not enjoy the company of cats.

What are your Hunchback/Frollo headcanons?

[theerurishipper]

It’s so hard being an Adrien stan in this fandom. People are constantly nitpicking every little thing he does. He can never do right by them. It’s so frustrating. And that’s not even mentioning how he was treated in canon

I feel you anon. I wasn't actively posting for the fandom during the major salt periods, like right after the airing of Syren and then Chameleon, but I was around to see the ridiculous salt fests that would go on. People love to pick on Adrien for every single little thing that involves him making a decision that doesn't cater perfectly to Marinette's whims and needs, but woe be upon you if you say anything about Marinette that isn't praising her. It's not even like I have a problem with Marinette as a character. Some of her writing in Season 4 and 5? Yes. But in Seasons 1-3, I really loved her. She was such a breath of fresh air for me as a character. She was so full of charm and life and energy. But she got ruined for me by her stans who jumped to salt on every other character for not exactly agreeing with her every decision and for having minds of their own and having desires that weren't about her.

And another annoying part is their insistence that Marinette is treated oh so cruelly by the narrative and poor Marinette is always suffering and everyone is treating her so cruelly and she deserves better than people who aren't willing to be her faithful slaves. Then Seasons 4 and 5 brought this into canon, and then you saw people who were salting on Adrien for being upset about being neglected by his partner, and they were blaming him for "feeling entitled to her" despite never calling her out for her treatment of him. Lemme tell you, the chimney discourse was wild. And all that bullshit ass "discourse" about him harassing Ladybug, while ignoring all the stalking Marinette did and pretending it was nothing. I generally ignore anyone who says either of these things because they are clearly meant to be jokes, and I think calling Adrien a harasser is just as ludicrous as calling Marinette a stalker, but the double standard of taking the joke seriously for Adrien but not for Marinette is annoying, to say the least.

And ultimately they just want Adrien and everyone else to be Marinette's sidekicks/yes-men who will never disagree with her and will always do whatever she wants and will never think for themselves. And you unfortunately can see this attitude seeping into canon too, with how Adrien isn't allowed to have independent thoughts outside of how he can be of service to Marinette. Nothing matters for him, the only thing that matters is her and what he can do for her. She's allowed to yell at him and throw him into trashcans, but fuck him if he disagrees with her on something and isn't happy to just sit by and accept being replaced and ignored. And canon Adrienette is such a good example of this phenomenon.

But the salters will whine and rage about how Marinette is such a victim of the narrative and how she suffers so much that we should all excuse her less than perfect actions, while also raging at Adrien for any small slight and denying that he also suffers. I guess Marinette can be excused for being traumatized and stressed, but being a victim of horrific abuse is too less of a reason for Adrien to be excused, and I guess it means he isn't suffering. To them, only Marinette's feelings and suffering matters. And this has also become true for the show, because Adrien's feelings don't matter, only Marinette's feelings about him matter.

And the worst fucking thing I've seen from this fandom is the occasional post about how Adrien is "spineless" and "cowardly" and "doesn't have a backbone" because he is non-confrontational and doesn't get up in arms about everything. And, aside from the fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with not flying into a righteous rage about everything, this is some fucking heavy victim blaming bullshit. Like, y'all know that Adrien is like that because he's a victim of abuse, right? That his actions are a trauma response, right? It's called fawning. How awful of Adrien to have been conditioned into being non-confrontational by an abusive father who wants him to be subservient to his every whim! How useless is he for being traumatized because of the abuse he suffers! What a loser!

Honestly, the deranged Marinette stans are the worst. If someone says that shit about Adrien, they can go fuck themselves honestly. The gall to accuse a character who is an abuse victim of being "a spineless worm who can't grow a backbone" (someone legit wrote this word for word). Acting like he's the scum of the earth for not agreeing with Marinette 24/7 and victim blaming him for not rising swords drawn the moment someone does something mean to her.

So yeah, I understand you anon. It's really annoying to see all these "hot takes" going around. But there are still many Marinette fans who are nice and don't say all this goofy shit about Adrien, and there are plenty of Adrien stans who love and defend our boy. My advice is to block the salt tags, follow the right blogs and curate your experience the best you can. Trust me, it took a while for me to learn to stop putting myself through the agony of looking through these salt posts and to start blocking tags and salters' blogs. But I'm better off for it now. It won't stop some of these posts from popping up here and there, but it'll massively improve your fandom experience.

Thank you for your ask!

[yesloulou]

hello, i am a big fan of your gifs & am teaching myself to make my own! just wondering - when you want to make a gif that is one column wide (540px for tumblr) how do you keep them looking so crisp? i find that im struggling with landscape videos because they are so wide, i'd like a more square shaped gif but it ends up as a rectangle. if i try to size it down to a square the quality is skewed 🙃 hopefully this makes sense! xx

anon im so honored here is a little Gif Sharpening Tutorial !!!

this is the first gif making question ive ever gotten so unfortunately this will also be the first time i try to verbalize these gif making stuff. if there are things i haven't explained clearly please do follow up (my dm is open too!!)

the thing with wide (3:2, 16:9) gifs is that you normally obtain this kind of ratio by shrinking the clip (1920px width and up) down to 540px without any cutting, which is about 1/4 of it's original width that you'd end up with, which means you're losing 3/4 of the pixels in it's width, which is a LOT of details lost in the process, which is why we can't sharpen wide gifs the same way we sharpen square/squarer gifs, and i feel like we should talk about these two scenarios separately. (with square gifs, assuming we're working with 1080p, we'll cut it from 1920x1080 to 1080x1080 or less, and then shrink it down to 540px. this way we'd only lose less than half of the pixels. it's a lot less details we're losing here. as a result it's more tolerating towards sharpening techniques)

ok this is where i take a pause and ask myself when tf did i get so technical about moving picture making on tumblr dot com... ok let's keep going...

Basic Sharpening

soo how i normally sharpen my gifs (which are more often on the squarer side) is based on this awesome gif tutorial, the idea here is that we smart sharpen our gifs first, which will inevitably result in pixelation (over sharpening) to some extent, so then we use a semi transparent gaussian blurred layer to repair these pixelation and hopefully make it smooth and sharp. in addition to following this tutorial you'll also want to play around w the parameters (radius, transparency, sharpening amount, etc) as there is no one size fits all.

after following these steps, if i want to smooth things out even more, i'll use a layer of denoise (see below for setting i normally go with). if i want things even sharper, I will add another small amount of sharpening (again, see below). these two methods can be used together. imo they are what make a gif go from "omg it's crisp" to "i feel like im looking at daniel ricciardo in person what the fuck". the two gifs i attached at the beginning can hopefully showcase the difference <3

2. Sharpening Wide/Landscape Gifs

ok, at this point you've imported a 1920x1080px footage into ps and made it into a timeline, you've resized it to 540p and if you're using the gif tutorial above, you'll start off your sharpening process by doing a 500% 0.4px smart sharpen. after the basic gif making steps, this is gonna be the result:

it's pretty sharp, but it doesn't look as good as the ones at the beginning of this post. in this part we'll attempt to minimize this difference as much as possible.

first we take a closer look at how 'radius' in photoshop's smart sharpen works. to my understanding, radius is the width at which photoshop recognize an edge as "an edge that needs sharpened". in this example, you'll see that at 0.4px, the edges stand out the most, but the gif is not as crisp/fine as that of 0.3px (since a 0.4px edge is thicker than a 0.3 px edge). a 0.4px radius for this gif is what i'd say is over sharpened. on the other hand, if we go further down to 0.2px, the image is basically left unsharpened bc photoshop failed to recognize most of the edges this image contains (as they're mostly 0.3px and up)

so in the next step, we set the initial smart sharpen radius to 0.3px instead of 0.4px:

which is much better. but still doesn't solve the loss of detail problem as it's still pretty far away from top left. so then what i would do is that, when shrinking the image down from 1920px, i don't go to 540px directly. i will instead go to 1080px or 720px first, sharpen as i normally do to preserve as much detail as possible, then further downsize to 540px, and then add a small amount of sharpening to finish off. it'll look something like this:

720px w/ regular sharpening ⬇️

resize to 540px ⬇️

smart sharpen, amount: 90%, radius: 0.9px ⬇️

which will be the end result!!

this gives us way finer edges than what we started with (500% 0.4px) let me actually insert that one again ⬇️

however... (this is gonna be the last part i swear). even tho this is how i would do a 540px wide landscape gif, i feel like with 16:9 or similar ratio gifs, tumblr gif size limit is rarely a concern so why not leave the gifs at 720p so there isn't even additional detail loss to begin with. ik every gif tutorial is likely telling you to resize to 540p but, in a lot of the cases the less extremely you shrink down an image, the less detail you lose, the better it's gonna look on the screen. here is a comparison between the 720px gif (top) and the 540px gif (bottom) we ended up with where the 720px one looks a lot nicer (esp around the curls)

to sum up! with larger ratio/wide gifs, if the original video is of nice quality, i would stick to large sizes (720px and up) as much as i can. if that's not doable, i will sharpen the gifs at a larger size before shrinking it down to 540px so the details are better preserved.

---

Hope this is helpful! again ty for this ask and my ask box and dm are always open <3

[khaopybara]

tag game ✨

@mbjw saved me from saturday boredom and tagged me in this, so thank you jubs, i enjoyed these a lot.

1. why did you choose your url?

i love khaotung. khaotung was obsessed with the capybara song last year before i even knew who he was. capybaras happen to be a very common animal in the region i live. i was very happy they were getting the recognition they deserved. put them together, we have lovely khao + capybaras = khaopybara (i'm also super sure i've seen people here and on tw use this and i just stole it. i'm not creative especially when it comes to usernames).

2. any sideblogs? if you have them name them and why you have them.

i have two other sideblogs. @tuseryoo for all of the gifs i make so i can have all of them in one blog just because, so i feel like i'm not losing track of the things i create (even though i haven't updated that one in a while), and @captain-xandis that some moots might have noticed in their notifications bc i recently created that one to post gifs about critical role, but i always forget to check which blog appears on top of the thingy, so i'm constantly deleting and reblogging things in the right blog these days.

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

as of july 3rd, i've been here for 11 years now, so since 2013? which tracks with my super strong k-pop phase tbh.

4. do you have a queue tag?

nah, i have a queue going for gifs that are requests or for episodes that already aired, but usually i just post things whenever.

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

ha, i was into super junior. and i was experimenting with fandom for the first time at the time. that's it. i felt like tumblr was a lot more creative and pretty than twitter or facebook, so i stayed.

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

i am a mook defender and apologist. i also think aya is super cute and super pretty. i change icons so often though, i blame all the pretty women in qls these days for making me change it all the time.

7. why did you choose your header?

i am breathing and living for the heart killers and kantbison and unfortunately i'm dying from lack of content. the tattoo table kiss is going to change lives i think, so until we don't get the official version, i'll have this masterpiece displayed there somehow.

8. what’s your post with the most notes?

as of now, it's a 23.5 official trailer gifset of sun being jealous of ongsa with amazing 939 notes, but the gifset of lada protecting earn from hitting her head on the table is quickly catching up with 877.

9. how many mutuals do you have?

17 mutuals? i think that's right.

10. how many followers do you have?

843 if you count the main blog + side-blogs.

11. how many people do you follow?

... 27 blogs.

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

i mean, sure? i do get embarrassed by my own shitposts sometimes and i delete them tho.

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

all the time. it's my favorite social media for sure. i get to see pretty things and my dash is much better curated than other apps. it's great.

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

i don't think i ever fought online. i block people with remarkable expedience tbh if i don't like their vibe or their tone or the shit they post, and i also make use of the filtered tags, so you know, no reason to fight.

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts

these exist? good for them. you shouldn't tell people what to do.

16. do you like tag games?

sure! i only started being part of them now, so sometimes i forget them, or i just don't see i was tagged, but i do enjoy them.

17. do you like ask games?

i don't think i've ever done an ask game but that's mainly bc i think people won't want to know and won't send any asks, and i'd rather spare my ego from that humiliation.

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

i think many of my mutuals are famous in our ql bubble which makes it a little crazy that some are my mutuals tbh. that's most of them actually.

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

i do have people that make me kick my feet when they interact with my posts like, twirling my hair, silly smile, giggling because they've noticed me. but actually crushing, imagining our lives in the countryside, with a kitchen facing the meadow in a fine spring morning, with two dogs and three cats, no.

20. tags?

i'm tagging @namtanfilm, @aylinaliens, @sollucets and @sherrymagic, @ayansukkhaphisit and whoever feels like doing it, and to those i've tagged, just ignore this if you want, too, no pressure.

[malectober]

Happy Valentine's folks!!

Or, more accurately, happy Malectine's!!! (I propose changing the official name to Malectine's Day. What's better, naming a holiday for romantic love after a hateful bigot who got none anyways or after Mr. Lovey-Doveys?)((By hateful bigot, I mean Valentine Morgenstern ofc. I'm sure St. Valentines was a delight))

Ehem. Anyway. I have decided to host a teeny tiny little Malec event this Valentines. Sponsored by a lil bit of time from my finals study sessions.

(I'm getting paid in sanity, not money btw)

((please help me NOT lose my sanity during finals, which, funnily, start the day after Valentines))

(((My only date for Valentines is, unfortunately, biochemistry. I'd really appreciate seeing some proper lovely chemistry that day instead of the kind that sucks my soul dry)))

((((okay I'll stop rambling now))))

Anyways. *clears throat* *dramatic flourish which Magnus would approve of*

Introducing the Malectine's Roulette Challenge!!

In this challenge, you're gonna spin a (virtual)

Now, here's how you can participate:

Step 1: Have a tumblr account (Ao3 account is optional)

Step 2: Spin the virtual roulette here to get a prompt!! There’s 7 prompts, each of which is from the Valentine’s week list thingy.

Step 3: Take your prompt and go wild with it!!

Step 4: On Valentine’s Day, post whatever you created here on tumblr (and if it’s a fic, in the Ao3 collection which I’ll link below) and tag @malectober so I can reblog it here!!

Now, before you go all spinning about, here’s a few ground rules and other information:

Please don’t spin more than once 🥺👉👈 The whole point of the challenge is to, well, challenge yourself. Make the best of what prompt you get. It wouldn’t really be a challenge if you kept spinning till you got the prompt you wanted. (However, if you’re racking your brain and still unable to come up with a good idea, you may have a second spin behind my back). Now, I won’t know if anyone spins multiple times, of course, that’s between you and your internet, buuut that also means it’s up to you to keep the challenge authentic.

You can do anything!! Art, fic, edits, playlists, you name it!!

Interested in the challenge but not really a malec fan? That’s fine! Take a spin anyway and go for it, but you don’t have to tag me.

Nsfw content is allowed, as long as it is put under a cut (Read more)

Speaking of which, any and all content is allowed!! Even if it’s the goriest darkest whumpiest content a human can possibly make. Just make sure to add any appropriate TWs to the beginning, and in case of particularly graphic/triggering content, put it under a cut!

For fic, there’s no word count limits, minimum or maximum. You could submit in one single word for a fic and I’ll still accept it!!

You may tag your work with “#malectine’s day” and “#malectine’s 2023”. But do tag this account within the post so I can notice it and reblog!!

I know I’m calling it a challenge, but there’s no reward or winners or anything. The true treasure is the malec content y’all will create, plus some of that sweet sweet validation.

Most importantly, do not, I repeat, DO NOT hate on any of the participants or content submitted.

That said, enjoy the challenge!!

Again, here’s the link to the roulette (Please let me know in case either of the links don’t work)

And here’s the link to the Ao3 Collection

Lastly, just for funsies, here’s a poll

[skybunbun]

I FUCKING LOVE TOWER OF ADVENTURES WELCOME TO MY RANT (this is... very long so proceed with caution lol)

Okie dokie so to start strong: Gacha Animations

Unfortunately I only have screenshots but still LOOK AT THE POSES

They're so dynamic?? Maybe it's the fact that they're 3D but wowza I love them <333

2. New cookie designs (from favourite to meh)

Cream Soda Cookie is magical girl incarnate. I wish she had more detail on her skirt but other than that I have zero complaints. Also she's #relatable and Sea Fairy's lookalike from when she was in highschool XD

Chamomile Cookie is THE girlie. She's a therapist that lives in a cabin in the woods and likes drinking tea. She gets to join Latte Cookie in the big spoon gang. Everyone needs a Chamomile Cookie in their life. 10/10

Lemon Zest Cookie is everything Twizzly Gummy Cookie wanted to be. They're not released yet but I can't wait!!! He looks kinda unhinged in the official art and I'm here for it. (what are the chances he and Lemon Cookie are related???)

Crushed Pepper Cookie is honestly pretty good, the only reason he isn't one of the favourites is because I'm not a huge fan of peppers and the color red. But I do love the gauntlets!! And his hairstyle is pretty great too, would definitely cut my hair like that but I prefer keeping my cureent hairstyle :3

Twisted Donut Cookie SOOO ADORABLEEE!! He's a little ray of sunshine AND he likes trains??? I want to put him in a room with Ingo & Emmet and listen to them ramble about trains... Also I'm a sucker for goofy ahh propeller hats

Oh goodness these two... Oh no...

Sting Durian Cookie is the better of the two. Unlike Lemon Zest Cookie he might actually be insane?? I like his hair and face, I think they looks nice but the rest of his outfit is... questionable to me at best. But I also really don't like his color palette...

And Plantain Cookie is just... so so awful. If he's your favourite - I'm sorry for slandering him but I really don't like him. His hair is okay at best and then there's the bandana and eyepatch together???? Why??? And then there's the colors... I don't like him at all, sorry.

3. Gameplay

I really like it actually! I enjoy those type of games, the character models are amazing. The combat is alright but I wish the ultimate (whatever you wanna call it) attack wasn't time based and charged with damage dealt to enemies but I guess I also understand why they did that? In some early levels there's little to no combat + it would be difficult to get the ultimate attack on all 3 characters in your party. The attack animations are really nice and the multiplayer raids are... suprisingly enjoable to me and I HATE! anything multiplayer. Oh and I LOVE the Seasoning Dungeons!

I believe this is it! I haven't unlocked everything yet so this post will be updated either a) whenever I unlock a new mode (so like 3 or 4 times) OR b) when I unlock everything (so only 1, probably a bit long update??? We'll see)

Okie that's all byeee!!!!!

[silvertsundere]

Silver Talks AniManga (23/06/24)

no BA finale this week cause there won't be (good) subs for at least a day or 2 so may as well just put it on next week's post gonna be a p chill week since most shows are over now but the week after we start the summer season so that'll be nice

green - new series/new to me blue - finale/completed

Anime

The Idolmaster Shiny Colours Ep12 (Finale)

I love imas, like a lot, so this was very disappointing for me. The Million Live anime being CG was already bad enough but when we learned this was gonna be too it was even worse cause it showed bamco is going all in on shitty cg anime instead of traditional animation. ML wasn't terrible, to be fair, so it gave me some hope for this but it was way worse than ML. It's also very unfortunate that it aired on the same season as Girls Band Cry which singlehandedly made me respect CG anime so it looks extra extra bad in comparison

Other than the fact that it was CG how was the rest of it? It was alright, even in this it was weaker than other seasons. It had the usual structure of having an episode dedicated to each of the units so you get to know them and the such and big group episodes. That was my favourite part of the anime, seeing the different units interact with each other which doesn't happen much in the game. There weren't like any emotional payoff scenes like we usually get tho Also is it just me or did L'Antica get a lot less screentime than the rest? They got their own episode like the others but after that it felt like they got relegated to just showing up every now and then so the other girls could be like "wow they're so cool", which they are but cmon now. The music was good ofc, it's imas after all. Last 2 episodes were pretty disappointing tho. Despite how good the songs are, having your finale be mostly playing 2 full 4+ minute songs, and the penultimate episode being playing each unit's song (short ver) with reused coreography just isn't great. It did a good enough job simulating the concert feeling but it also made it feel like the anime ended episodes ago and this was just an extra treat

Anyway that's enough yapping from me. TL;DR is that I'm very disappointed and it coulda been a lot better if bamco wasn't cheaping out so hard but what can you do Before S1 even aired they had already announced S2, and last week (? recently) they announced it'll come fall this year so that's nice. It'll be the same quality so not getting my hopes up but looking forward to seeing the girls from noctchill and straylight in action too

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night Ep12 (Finale)

I talked about it in the post for ep 1 but it's funny how I almost didn't watch the show despite being hype for it when it was announced. It turned out very good tho, thank you dogakobo The synopsis for it not being very clear and it being on hidive lead to not that many people watching but it's well worth. It's a story about a group of creative girls (in different areas) coming together and making music while helping each other with their insecurities and hang ups

My only complaints with the show are the yuri baiting they did like 3 times, I'm used to it by now but cmon, and how two charas didn't get the comeuppance for their actions but that's just how life is sometimes. Other than that it was all good, the story and message overall were nice, all the main 4 got to have their own little arcs and growth, the music was great, as you'd hope from a show about music and the visuals had that dogakobo polish I've come to expect from them. Oh also, I think this was the first time takahashi rie and itou miku did a show together and it was great, I already love them individually but they had really good chemistry in this

Manga

Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi Ch1

well that was something huh Before release, with the promotional material they put out, they never mentioned once that this was gonna be a comedy series so imagine my surprise when I saw that it was. They really made it look like it was gonna be another edgy exorcist series especially with a mc that looks like that but nope. It's basically OPM but he's an exorcist instead Also, it's super weird for them to start 2 exorcist comedy series back to back like this right? I mean they're different types, youkais and demons, but it's still very weird I think Anyway, I don't think this series will live long tho. While the art is good, having yet another exorcist and yet another comedy series isn't gonna cut it. Plus the other one is a shorter page count so it's easier to have around. Hopefully they get another shot cause, again, the art is pretty good

Akane-banashi Ch115

we still don't know the results but that was an INCREDIBLE performance, like I even got goosebumps. akane usually does this but I really liked how they connected the story that was being told with the storyteller's own story, it felt even more effective than usual in this case. I'm sure he'll pass the test, there's no way he won't (right...?) but we'll see for sure next week

[deidremercer]

Oh yeah I might as well post this here for the 2 people who follow me and aren't already in discords with me,

I'm doing this:

In an attempt to improve my art, I started out just doing it for the sake of drawing something almost every day but now I think I'm gonna save these for whenever I feel I've made an improvement. Each day I am doing a different OC and I'm trying to lean towards having each character in an outfit I wouldn't normally draw them in

#1 was done with Orpheus Valor from Paragons

He was pretty fun to draw because I don't do masc characters very often. Also doing him for the underwear post was good because my GM, Gracie, and I had previously joked about him having scars where top surgery scars would be and just fully not being trans (there are other trans characters in Paragons I feel like we get to do a little bit of queerbaiting) so he was mauled by a bear.

#2 was done with Rabbit Leporidae from Thyrasylo.

Rabbit is normally dressed in either a suit or a frilly dress despite the fact that her name stems from the fact that her original design was wearing a bunny suit. Her shirt is a gag stolen from Thrilling Intent, I think it's funny for the most powerful spellcaster in my world to be wearing a spelling bee shirt. This was also cool because I got to draw her tattoos. Neither of her previous tokens really showed them off much so I thought I could use this opportunity to draw them. They don't have any real significance as of right now but I might ascribe some to them later.

#3 is with Ivy Blackleaf from Thyrasylo

Ivy is very fun to draw, this prompt made me finally design a logo for her Mom's cafe. I think I made it a little too close to the Olive Garden logo. Otherwise this was a fairly straightforward one, I did get to practice expression a little bit.

#4 with Roxanne De'Rulo from Crescent King

Messy hair Roxie is really fun to draw. I forced myself to make this a full body to try and practice feet, I don't think they look all that great. Her hand is a little bit fucked up but I am glad that I drew it at all, practice is important. Otherwise the only thing of note with this one is that I lost the original TRIPWIRE band logo and Redbubble doesnt let you redownload your uploaded designs which kinda blows.

#5 with Jayden Valekrave from Paranoia and Evi Halloran from Macrocosmos

The first one with a backdrop. This one was also voted on by a whole 37 people who took time out of their day to vote on my silly little Google form. Evi is in the background because she was the runner up and I probably wouldn't draw her anywhere else. I also think I didn't do justice to all the people who voted for Jayden. I super didn't have a reference pulled up and I am not skilled enough to draw from my imagination yet. Jayden's halberd, Dawnbreaker, having sunglasses on is the best part of this image. She is so silly. I also started drawing the eyes without having lineart on them here. Idk how I like it, we'll have to see.

#6 with Vernidaius Yxerei from Decent Into Avernus

Compression kinda fucked this one up a bit, but the name of the game with this one was experimenting with brushes. I kinda tried to get some of the texture that I really love out of Jackson FrameDodge of The3rdWheel's work. Unfortunately I dont really know how to shade properly so it's kinda all over the place, and harder to see on the skin, oops. This one had a pose reference initially but the legs ended up being too difficult for me to do so I just sorta covered one of them. I also super forgot to draw Vermi's scales here. The line-less eyes are still something I'm on the fence about. I think this background is a good bit better than the previous one, the only part of the previous one that I really ended up liking is the clouds.

And that's everything I've done so far, tune in soon for the next one if you care.

[angieloveshua]

“188男团 novels.” | Angie reviews novels that she read in Spanish because she was too lazy to translate her reactions to English, pt. 1.

🫧 —Alpha Predator. | 5/5 ☆.

No carrd, unfortunately.

Alpha Predator is the latest 188男团 novel of the series, and by so far, my absolute favourite. The story follows Shen Dai, an B rate omega, who agrees to marry off on behalf of his half-brother to pay off his father's debts. Little did he know that his meant-to-be husband was Qu Moyu, the heir of the Xingzhou Group, his boss, and the man who saved him from an embarrassing situation years ago. Shen Dai knows that the best option for him is to see this marriage as a financial exchange, but he can't help falling in love with the handsome yet ruthless Qu Moyu.

This novel is an ABO classic, but who doesn't love classics? I do. I love Alpha Predator, and I read the whole book in four days. I must mention that Suida knows how to draft addictive novels. I devour this one, and I miss the feeling I got while reading it.

Before reading the novel, I saw someone ranking Qu Moyu as the scummiest gong of all the series, even worse than Shao Qun, and I was scared. What could have this man do to be worse than Shao Qun? When I finished the novel, I couldn't disagree more.

Although I am well aware that what Qu Moyu did was atrocious, to say the least, I understand why he did all of that. He was raised to always value rationality and benefits above everything, even his own feelings. And guess what? I'm weak. I never hated him. I adore how he addressed all what he did, he reflects about it (and I put this in italics because I feel like most of the love interests don't regret their mistakes and just try not to do that badly again), and he works hard to be a better husband, father, and man. In conclusion: I'm biased. Qu Moyu best 188男团 gong. 💜

Before going to the next novel, let me at these two bullet points:

The ABO. It was extremely interesting to see how alphas and omegas were divided into classes according to their pheromone level and how it played a key role in the protagonists' lives. The scenes where pheromones came into place were /screams.

The romance. QuShen is the best 188 couple, beat it.

🫧 —Winner Takes All. | 4/5 ☆.

carrd.

Winner Takes All is the first 188男团 novel I read, and I would also recommend it to be your first one if you want to get into the 188男团 world. The pace is easy to follow, and Zhao Jinxin is one of the least scummy gongs of the series.

The book's MC is Li Shuo, who is dearly loved within the fandom and had played the second love interest in other novels (Sissy, for example), and we see how he falls in love with 🥁 his enemy's cousin, Zhao Jinxin. Really, one of the greatest sins Zhao Jinxin has committed is to be Shao Qun's cousin (and this isn't even his fault, you see).

Li Shuo and Zhao Jinxin have good chemistry. They have a lot of interests in common and their families are friends. One could say it's a match made in heaven and that nothing could go wrong... right?

Well, well, well, let me tell you that I was so heartbroken that I had to listen to Bad Bunny songs to not cry. But don't worry! It's a HE.

🫧 —Additional Inheritance. | 3/5 ☆.

No carrd, unfortunately.

Additional Inheritance («Maldita herencia», Damned Inheritance in Spanish) is Luo Yi's and Wen Xiaohui's story. Everything starts when Wen Xiaohui receives her adoptive jiejie's suicide notice —but not only that, her jiejie left him a considerable amount of inheritance along with her only child, a fifteen-year-old boy named Luo Yi, who has a high IQ and is considered matured for his age.

For this novel, I remembered I posted a tweet with a theory of what could ruined Luo Yi's and Wen Xiaohui's happiness. My moots called me ‘witch,’ and for one moment in my life, I hated being right.

To say I was shocked was the least. I texted, let's say, six of my friends and told them what was going because I couldn't believe my eyes. How could he...?!

And so, yes, I can't say that I hate Luo Yi, but I also can't say that I love him. I don't want to post a spoiler here, but, hey, I was reading a little in my graduation party and I didn't know what to do with my feelings.

As for the plot, I enjoyed how Wen Xiaohui escalated in the fashion world (I like to call it that way) and I felt proud of myself for understanding the finance part (my financial market course is so useful, hehehe).

So, these were the 188男团 I've read so far and a little of what I think. I plan to read Yet You're In Love With an Idiot and Professional Body Double, so the next post of 188男团 will be of them. I hope you enjoy the reviews and give a try to any of these novels if they attracted your attention (READ ALPHA PREDATOR). Angie's off.

[bunnymajo]

Filled out this OTP questionnaire for Tiara B & Jewel the Beetle because if I'm going to think up a cute crackship of a pairing that can't ever be real, the least I can do is make content for it

(also this is based on my AU for Tiara that I posted a couple days ago)

1. Who most initiates PDA?

Tiara, not necessarily on purpose, she’s just more comfortable with physical contact

2. Any sleep habits either had to get used to?

Jewel has a strict 10pm - 6am sleep schedule (maybe even 11pm if she’s feeling daring) while Tiara will stay out late and sleep in until the afternoon regularly. They’re both willing to make adjustments if they want to have breakfast together or something

3. Hot and Steamy or Soft and Tender?

Deep Fried, double sauced…wait we’re talking about chicken wings right?

4. How did they first meet?

Tiara heard through the rumor mill that THE restoration leader was not only efficient at recovering displaced people from the Metal Virus and is also an expert on gems so she made a mad dash to meet her to see if there were any possible leads she could get to finding her father. -She was a little disappointed that Jewel was much more petite and anxious than she was imagining but after getting to know her better she realized Jewel was just the person she needed to help her

Though Tiara doesn’t remember, Jewel actually saw Tiara first at some of her hangout places like the sports bar and the gym she secretly practices yoga at and thought Tiara was pretty. So when Tiara storms into her office demanding to see her Jewel’s thinking she must’ve died or is hallucinating. 

5. What is their love language?

Since Tiara can’t stay in a place too long, when she’s in town with Jewel she’ll spend as much time as she can with her. Even if it’s just restoration work or watching Jewel polish her gem collection.

Jewel’s softspoken but knows Tiara doesn’t like quiet, so she does her best to keep a conversation going or give Tiara the reaffirmation she might need 

6. When did they realize they loved each other? 

Tiara’s gem powers are tied to her emotions, she realized it was especially effective at breaking robots when she was protecting Jewel from a stray badnik. She had to stop and think about what the connection was and once she got it, she got it.

Jewel always was attracted to Tiara’s outgoing and friendly nature, she was at first kind of treating her the same way she does Tangle “oh I know this feeling. She’s just a friend. I just like her as a friend” but after catching Tiara’s mask slipping and realizing she’s a lot different than what she thought she started wanting to get to know the real Tiara more and then realized it was love after all darnit. 

7. Who is more sentimental?

Tiara, she’s stubborn about it, but everyone she’s made a connection with on her journey is so important to her, she’s learned to not take those relationships for granted.  

9. How are their personalities different?

Tiara is more likely to jump into a situation without thinking while Jewel is more likely to think it out first 

Jewel is more open to talking things out and getting to know people while Tiara is more likely to stay closed off

11. Which member is more physically affectionate? 

Tiara

12. Which member is more verbally affectionate?

Jewel

13. Which member steals borrows the other ones clothing?

Jewel's clothes are unfortunately too small for Tiara, but she has tried on one of her suit blazers to feel fancy when she wasn’t looking. 

14. Are they an introverted couple or an extroverted one—AKA would they prefer to go out to a party or event together or would they rather stay in? 

A little of both? Like they like going out and doing things together, but they’d prefer if it was in an intimate setting like a restaurant 

15. Who is more likely to make an impulsive decision and who is the voice of reason? 

Tiara impulsive, Jewel voice of reason. 9 times out of 10

16. Who stays up way too late and who tries to drag them to bed?

Jewel sticks to her sleep schedule, if Tiara wants to join her on time that’s up to her. No dragging required.

17. Who fell in love first?

Jewel

18. What song fits them perfectly?

I’m gonna say “Home and Dry” (Pet Shop Boys)

19. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time?

Tiara’s started getting into sending postcards to Jewel on her travels when she’s at a new town (...do they have cell phones in Sonic’s world?)

Jewel’s been starting to get antsy about being tied to the restoration or her museum but tries to stay positive. She’s been paying more attention to local sports teams so she can catch Tiara up on what’s been happening while she’s away.

20. Who holds a grudge the longest?

Both are prone to holding grudges, but maybe Jewel? She will say that all is forgiven but a bug never forgets.

21. Which of the two is quick to speak and which one is quick to listen?

Tiara isn’t shy so if something’s on her mind she’ll just say it. Jewel’s a great listener

22. Who gets more easily embarrassed?

Jewel

23. Who overthinks the most?

Also Jewel

24. Which of the two is the most competitive?

Tiara. Girl will make a game out of putting laundry away.

25. Who’s the most stubborn?

Hmm…probably Tiara. She won't quit once her mind’s made up

26. How do they comfort each other?

If Jewel starts getting too anxious about something, Tiara will reassure that everything will be alright

If Tiara starts feeling lonely or sad about things Jewel will be open to talking if she wants or going anywhere Tiara wants to for the day

27. What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other?

Chicken Wings…

28. Do they get along with each other’s friends and family?

Wherever Gazebo is right now I think he would like Jewel, sure.

Tangle likes Tiara a lot, Whisper tolerates Tiara,  Lanolin and Tiara do not get along. (Jewel doesn’t have a family so I guess the diamond cutters count lol)

30. What is their favorite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.) 

Tiara treats Jewel very gently so on the cheek or the hand. 

Jewel found a sensitive spot behind Tiara’s ear, so there.

31. What’s the relationship like? Smooth? Rocky?

Smooth like mild wing sauce with ranch

32. How do they resolve their arguments?

Talking it out. Before they got serious Tiara was prone to just cutting off the conversation “It’s fine, it’s ok if this doesn’t work out. I’ll do this on my own anyway” kind of thinking. But now that they’re more of an item Tiara’s doing her best to not do that anymore.

33. Who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them?

Tiara. And hugs.

34. Do they give each other nicknames?

Jewel is too self conscious (if this were a romance anime she’d be the type who thinks calling each other by first names or without honorifics is a huge step) and Tiara wants to be respectful so she doesn’t have anything in particular or say them in public but if they’re alone she’ll let “My Jewel” slip. 

35. What movies do they enjoy watching most? 

Historical dramas. Tiara wasn’t into it at first but then once she realized the drama actually got juicy and interesting she’s addicted. The more historically accurate the movie is the better for Jewel.

36. How’d they meet each other’s families?

Tiara started hanging out at the restoration HQ so her meeting Jewel’s friends was inevitable. 

37. What do they like the least about each other?

Both are prone to being a little jealous, so when that side of them comes out. 

38. What was their most memorable date?

Romantic getaway to do cave spelunking in the Mobian Alps. The quartz there are amazing

39. What other couple would your otp get along with the best?

Minako x Rei (Sailor Moon) maybe?

40. Who makes the other smile with almost no effort at all?

I think it’s mostly mutual. But Jewel being around can instantly perk up Tiara’s mood.

[mordoriscalling]

Assurance and Authority (4/25)

Post-BOTFA Persuasion Au: Bilbo returns to the Shire after the Quest, having rejected Thorin’s proposal of marriage. For years after, he struggles with regret. When he and Thorin meet again, he knows better than to hope. 

Chapter 4 also available on AO3

(Ch 1) (Ch 2) (Ch 3)

The Great Smials in Tuckborough, the ancestral home of the Tooks, was a system of numerous smials connected by a multitude of tunnels, in which the Tooks had been residing for generations. The place was a remarkable piece of construction, which constituted a home to many a dozen families and still allowed them to host guests. Despite that, the Smials were typically rather crowded on normal days, but there were times when the place was nearly packed to the brim with hobbits, which occurred if many guests were visiting at the same time.

Such was the case when Bilbo took Primula up on her invitation. Prior to his arrival, Primula had come to Tuckborough from Buckland together with her husband and son, two sisters Amaranth and Asphodel, her mother Mirabella and her father Gorbadoc Brandybuck, as well as half a dozen of their relatives. The reason for their visit to Tuckborough was both a familial and a diplomatic one - they all wished to see their Took relatives, and Gorbadoc, the Master of Buckland, wanted to meet with his nephew Fortinbras II, the current Thain of the Shire.

With the Great Smials so overcrowded, there was scarcely a chance of not bumping into any hobbit after leaving one’s room. Bilbo, when he passed someone in the corridors of the Smials, more often than not ended up seeing one of Primula’s immediate family. This was not unfortunate in itself, but the problem was that they all liked to confide in Bilbo about their problems and tiffs, which often concerned Primula’s husband Drogo.

"My dear Bilbo,” aunt Mirabella told him one morning on their way to breakfast, "I must say that I did promise myself not to meddle in the affairs of any of my daughters, but bless me, I have no very good opinion of the way Drogo intervenes with how Prim rears Frodo. He always has objections to how she encourages his curiosity and lectures Frodo about what’s respectable. The lad is just a little fauntling, for goodness’s sake!”

"Bilbo, my dear boy,” uncle Gorbadoc said when he and Bilbo chanced upon each other in a pantry, "Since you’re the head of the Bagginses, I wonder if there’s something you you could do to arrange for Drogo to have more earnings? I’m sure he could use more money to indulge his appetite better. Why, he dines with us at least twice a week, and he always eats for three every time! Not that I mind, but I’m sure it would put him at ease to be able to buy more food for himself.”

"Whilst you’re here,” Amaranth murmured to Bilbo while they helped with washing the dishes, "Could you possibly give Drogo a hint that it would be better if he didn’t try to take precedence over papa? We know you Bagginses are an esteemed lot, but Drogo has no authority in Brandy Hall, Baggins or not.”

‘No matter how much Drogo insists on them, papa doesn’t care about proper table manners,” Asphodel said while she and Bilbo were baking lemon cake, "It’s good food he cares about.”

Primula herself had a thing or two to say as well. "I can take care of Frodo just fine without Drogo’s lectures,” she grumbled to Bilbo one evening over tea. ‘I know our boy is a Baggins and with that come certain expectations, but he’s just as much a Brandybuck as he’s a Baggins!” She sighed. "And I wish you could have him assured that nothing would happen to him when boating if only he allowed me to teach him how to swim. Perhaps you could talk some sense to him, Bilbo? Swimming is really something that one should be able to do.”

When Bilbo tried to raise these concerns with Drogo, most of his attempts were futile, as Drogo had just as many issues to complain about.

"Oh, Bilbo, you have no idea how relieved I am!” he said once when they enjoyed a smoke by the Great Door. "To have a Baggins around who understands me! Really, Brandybucks are too strange for me sometimes. How can they go boating, I will never understand. It can’t be safe. And to think Primula wanted to take Frodo boating too! To endanger our boy so! You must try to tell her to be more reasonable, Bilbo.” Another time, he said, "The very thought of going boating makes me feel ill. You have seen Brandywine, you know how wide and deep that river is. Merely being near it makes me uneasy, and living next to so much water makes my joints ache. I swear, it’s all because of that moist river air. I’m so relieved to have come here, I feel better indeed. I wish I had another Baggins with me in Buckland, then I’d be seen and heard. Perhaps you could talk to them in a way that would make them understand me?”

The unsolicited role of a mediator began to tire Bilbo profusely. His only respite from it was being outside of the Great Smials altogether, which was why he took to long walks most eagerly. Often accompanied by Primula, Frodo and many other fauntlings, Bilbo would wander around the green hills of Tuckborough, exploring its colourful meadows, charming groves and little brooks.

When not busy entertaining or watching the little ones, Bilbo found his mind wandering as much as his feet did. He tried his best not to dwell on the past, instead turning his thoughts to the problem at hand. It was not the first time that he bore witness to all the disagreements stemming from Primula’s marriage to Drogo. Since they had been wed six years ago and welcomed their son into the world a year later, the couple had been facing a problem of not seeing eye to eye on certain matters with one another and each other’s relatives. That was not to say they were unhappy together; they were greatly fond of each other, loved their son dearly, and found as much charm as fault in each other’s differences. Rather, Bilbo worried that, because of their financial circumstances, they were too dependent on Primula’s parents and thus, having no prospects of moving elsewhere, they were always bound to living near disapproving family members. Such conditions fostered only conflict and could not be beneficial for their union in the perspective of decades. Bilbo believed that the situation was likely to lead to unhappiness, and Primula’s well-being concerned him greatly; the lass, eighteen years his junior, was one of his relatives that were most dear to him.

She had always been a curious spirit ever since she had been little, and when she had been old enough to speak, she would always seek Bilbo out during family gatherings, at the time when Bilbo had been past his second eleventy birthday and everyone had already labelled him as quite a bit of a recluse. Little Primula, being a tiny fauntling, had not cared about the general opinion of him and befriended him right away. She had stayed constant in her liking of Bilbo for all her childhood, and the two had formed a strong connection, similar to that of siblings. Once Primula grew older, their bond had been nurtured by them both, which Bilbo could not have been more grateful for, especially since it had been Primula more than any other who had helped Bilbo overcome the grief of becoming an orphan.

Due to their closeness, Bilbo worried about Primula’s happiness a lot, so much so that one day he did ask her about it outright.

“Are you happy, Prim?” he said during one of their outings, on a sunny afternoon at the beginning of Wedmath. They had played hounds and hares with Frodo and a dozen other fauntlings earlier, after which the whole group enjoyed a picnic. Now that the children had had their rest, they were up again, playing leaf flutes at the top of the hill, which Bilbo and Primula were slowly climbing.

“Of course I am, Bilbo,” she replied. “I have a family of my own now, a healthy child, whatever else could I wish for?”

Bilbo frowned, displeased with her answer, for he knew far too well what one with family and a child but no place to call their own would dearly wish for. “Primula,” he said, “If you ever find yourselves in need of a different smial to stay, Bag End’s doors are always open to you, for as long as you wish.”

“Why, Bilbo, I could never impose on you so!”

“Come, now, Prim, it’s an invitation freely given. Besides, I’m sure Drogo would find the comforts of Bag End most beneficial to his health.”

At that, Primula laughed out loud. “He would indeed. There would be nothing better for his joints than the ability to run a hot bath at will!” She sobered. “Still, you’re too good, Bilbo. I cannot find it in myself to abuse your generosity like this.”

“It’d be no abuse! It’s simply the least I could do. I wish you to take me up on this invitation.”

“Bilbo, please. You must realise that it’s not easy for me to accept charity.”

“Charity? It’s not charity. I’m much more selfish in my offer than you can imagine.”

“How so?”

Before Bilbo could reply, one of the fauntlings above shouted a question about whether the group could go play in the creek on the other side of the hill, which Primula gave them permission to do.

“My adventure has changed me very much,” Bilbo said once the little ones disappeared from view. ‘Before, I was more than happy to eat my dinners alone. Once most of my grief of losing mama and papa passed, I loved my solitude. Then, my adventure showed me what I had been missing, and now I can scarcely like lack of companionship.”

“I see,” Primula replied, and that was all they said on the matter.

They walked in companionable silence, reaching the top of the hill. Bilbo began to imagine what it would be like to have Primula, Drogo and Frodo live with him and he found the idea exceedingly pleasing. He had always believed that his father had built Bag End for it to be full of laughter; the smial standing near empty seemed to be a terrible waste that had been weighing on Bilbo’s heart and mind for some time now.

When Bilbo and Primula were about to descend the hill to join the fauntlings at the creek, a call from behind them caught their attention.

"Mister Bilbo!”

It was a tween lad, running up to them together with another boy, whom Bilbo recognized to be Hamson and Halfred, the two oldest children of Bilbo’s gardener Hamfast Gamgee. The boys were visibly red in the face even from some distance away.

"Mister Bilbo!” Hamson cried again. "We’ve been looking for you!”

The two lads finally stood before them, panting heavily.

"Papa sends us,” Halfred said. "There were three dozen dwarven soldiers marching through Hobbiton before noon, and a few of those dwarves knocked on Bag End’s door! They even asked him where you were, mister Bilbo. Papa said you’d want to know.”

"Are they friends of yours, mister Bilbo?” Hamson asked.

“I don’t know,” shocked Bilbo replied, as was the truth. “Perhaps.”

Bilbo had indeed invited the Company to visit his smial anytime. He had told them at what time tea was and even not to bother knocking, when he had bidden them farewell. Thus, Bilbo dearly hoped that the dwarven soldiers in question were some of his friends, but at the same time feared the heirs of Durin might’ve knocked on his door, even though the likelihood of that event was exceedingly small. Alas, before he could ask the boys if they knew anything about how the dwarves looked like, Frodo’s pained cry carried in the air.

[notalkingbusiness]

Confession time – I never really paid that much attention to individual showrunners before Season 11 because I watched the show in my own little bubble.  I knew that Darabont was screwed over by AMC but that was about it. I just knew what I liked to watch, and which seasons were weakest.  But given TWDU’s bewildering direction of travel, I’ve found it helpful to look back at each showrunner’s era more closely.  

It will come as no surprise that my biggest gripes with the show fall under Gimple’s tenure as showrunner because . . . that’s the general consensus.  Viewership tanked under the Gimple years (nosediving in Seasons 7-8) and the viewing figures only started to recover under Kang’s premiership.

We lost Darabont and Mazzara years ago.  We’ll lose Kang after TWD finale as she’s moving on to bigger and better things.  As Chief Content Officer, Gimple’s the last man standing.  And I’m wary of what’s to come given Gimple’s record as showrunner.

A few problems immediately spring to mind . . .

1. Gimple’s pacing leaves much to be desired.  Even the stronger seasons (4 &5) felt very meandering to me.  I rationalized the poor pacing in Season 4/start of Season 5 as the characters were scattered and homeless, but it started to wear extremely thin by the time they got to Alexandria.  When Season 6 rolled around, I remember thinking, “What even is this show?  Why are we randomly in black and white?  Should I stop watching here?”

I very nearly gave up on TWD in Season 6.  There’s no way I would have carried on watching if the whole series hadn’t been available to watch on streaming services.  I think that the Darabont, Mazzara, and Kang eras are all much more tightly written, and I’ve never been tempted to abandon ship during their respective tenures as showrunner.

2. Unfortunately, I get the sense that Gimple is easily bored and/or distracted as a showrunner because threads are dropped all the time.  He’s more interested in showing things go BOOM rather than emotionally driven storytelling. To give credit where it’s due, I liked all the visual clues in Season 4 and the beginning of Season 5 that Terminus was not what it seemed.  The Holocaust imagery was effective.  I particularly liked the prominent sunflowers in the Terminus yard - sunflowers = false riches in the language of flowers. But Terminus was the start and end of Gimple’s consistent thematic motifs/parallels – I’ve never been able to see anything beyond the surface level with his other villains.  This couldn’t be more different to Kang’s intricate work with the Whisperer conflict = post-apocalyptic cold war.

3. A tale of two CDC references.  

No one likes Dr Jenner as much as Gimple lol.  I’ve already covered this in a previous post, so I won’t labor the point.  But why on Earth would you use Dr Jenner as the key to TWDU?  Why would you pour the last 11 seasons down the drain?

Compare Gimple’s approach to the CDC episodes to Kang’s.  Having Daryl remember that Carol was claustrophobic in Season 10 after she mentioned it in the CDC bunker in Season 1?  That’s gold, pure gold.  It proves that Daryl was paying attention from the very beginning.  It’s a character driven callback, not a gimmick.

4. Sexual assaults – there are multiple references to rape/coerced consent in each of Gimple’s seasons.  In fairness, Mazzara also included rape/sexual assault in Seasons 2-3 and so did Darabont in Season 1 – I didn’t like it when they did it either.  It’s worth remembering that Kang hasn’t used rape or sexual assault once during her time as showrunner.  Writing is all about choices and Gimple is choosing to subject his characters to the threat of sexual violence again and again and again.  And every single incident misses the mark because it feels like they’re thrown in with very little thought.  None of the assaults were handled with the sensitivity that they deserved.

5. Everything about the Anderson storyline was off.  I won’t get into everything here, but something that always sticks out to me is the lack of interaction between Jessie and Carol. You’d think that it would be worth exploring the dynamic between characters with similar histories.  Like how Kang set up the bond between Daryl and Lydia (two victims of child abuse with complicated families).  I’d take a Carol conversation with Jessie over a confrontation with Pete any day of the week.  But I guess we’re just left with what happens when you prioritize your male characters above all else.

6. Gimple prefers shock over substance.  To me, it feels more like “Bet you didn’t see that coming!” rather than going with what would be best for the story.  Take Denise.  She got Abraham’s comic death and Abraham was killed in Negan’s lineup instead.  So, Denise’s death was a shock, Abraham was spared for a while, and we were supposed to be shocked again when Abraham got his brains bashed in.  Thing is though, when people talk about Negan’s line up, they only tend to talk about Glenn. Abraham tends to be added as an afterthought.  Killing Glenn was shocking enough, Abraham shouldn’t have died in the lineup – he should have had his comic death.  That way, the impact of Abraham’s death could have been felt fully and (more importantly) Denise would still be alive – the bury your gays trope could have been avoided.

Obviously, the biggest shock over substance moment was Carl’s death (another Gimple style deviation from the comics).  This was a huge mistake because hope, legacy, and inter-generational transfer are key elements of post-apocalyptic convention.  Carl was still a child when the world turned upside down and becomes a man in the new world – he straddles these two worlds more than any other character. Let’s just say that those “look how far we’ve come” monologues in Season 11 would make a heck of a lot more sense coming from Carl (born and raised in the old world for the first decade of his life) than Judith (born and raised in the apocalypse).  And that’s before we even get into the ethics of Chandler Riggs being written out before his 18th birthday.  Big yikes.

I’m not saying you can never deviate from the comics, far from it.  Sometimes deviating from the source material results in a better story.  Take the pikes in Season 9.  In the comics, Ezekiel’s head is in on the pike.  In the show, we get Henry’s head on the pike. Kang made the right call.  Kang avoided killing off yet another black male character in a brutal fashion.  After Henry’s death, Carol has the power to choose her own future and she decides to leave her marriage.  Carol would not have this agency if she’d been made a widow by the whisperers – she wouldn’t have been able to choose Daryl over Ezekiel.    

7. For me, Gimple’s era is characterized by missed opportunities and wasted potential.  I kept waiting for all of these important conversations to happen and . . . they never did.  Don’t get me wrong, we’ve got some great Caryl moments in Season 5, but I basically spent my first viewing chanting, “Please, please, for the love of God, just talk to each other!” the entire time.  I finished Season 5 and I thought, “It’s okay, I’m sure they’ll talk about Lizzie and have a meaningful heart to heart in Season 6”. And then Season 6 came and went. And then Season 7.  And then Season 8.

So, when we were blessed with so much Caryl content and Lizzie references in Seasons 9 and 10, I thought, “Finally!  We’re getting somewhere!  We’re going to have all those conversations that we should have had years ago!”. Seasons 9 & 10 were consistently good quality and Caryl centric.  In another timeline, we’ve got a Season 11 that’s in line with S9/S10 quality and the Caryl spinoff – oh, to live in that world!

Anyway, thus concludes my thoughts on Gimple (for now). There are some great episodes in Seasons 4-8 but overall, the bad outweighs the good tenfold.  It remains to be seen if Gimple’s grand plans for TWDU help or hinder AMC’s streaming ambitions.  Personally, I wouldn’t bet on Gimple.