#also to the surprise of absolutely no one most of my fave moments come from nekoma LMAAAAO

[kimbapisnotsushi]

Hi, can I ask your top 5 favorite characters from Haikyuu? Why you love them? And, what are your top 7 favorite moments from the series? Which top 3 fav games are your favorite (between which team)?

Also, why do you love Haikyuu? What made that series special to you?

Yes, I'm so excited after watching the movie. Haikyuu really is one of the best anime/manga series ever....

(Love your headcanon Haikyuu, thanks for sharing them)

aww thanks so much!! i am so so sorry this has taken me a while to get to, but i'm happy to answer!!

to get the last one out of the way first: i've probably mentioned this, like, a million times already, but haikyuu has so much great symbolism and imagery and characters that just make it really fun to dive into and think about!! they all come together to make a beautifully constructed story, which can be very difficult to do when the genre is realistic fiction/sports. and i like that the overall messages and themes are very hopeful and uplifting at the end of the day—it's about connection, it's about dreams, it's about trying again and again. it's about getting back up!!! it's about trusting in the people around you, and being able to trust yourself. it's something i really appreciate and keep close to heart. i love haikyuu for lots of reasons, but this covers the basics of it pretty well!!

now, as for the rest of what you've asked . . .

top 5 characters:

okay i'm going to cheat a little and say that kageyama and hinata are obivously tied for first. i can't help it!! they're the main charas and they do it so so well. the growth that they go through is one of my favorite things about them, as are the relationships they have with each other and the people around them. they're sort of a package deal, really, so i don't think you can blame me for that

in second place i would have to say oikawa!! beautifully flawed and beautifully human and such a great antagonist overall. i think he's the closest we've ever seen to a character almost making a mistake that they would have regretted (ie hitting kageyama), and even despite all that it's not like he truly hates kageyama or wants him to stop marching on his own path. he's also just really funny and pathetic i love him

YAKU!!!! YAKU MORISUKE MY BELOVED. i like him because i find him very relatable and i love what he does for nekoma!!!! he's so badass!!!!!!! everyone loves him everyone thinks he's so cool AND i love his whole thing with shibayama and lev. he's kind and caring but hides it under like five layers of being a bitch bastard if you're someone who annoys him i love him so much oh my god

and on that note kenma!! thinking about who he used to be, who he helped kuroo become . . . the fact that he finds volleyball fun and admits it . . . the fact that he loves it despite how exhausting it is . . . how he loves his friends and team . . . kenma's story was so wonderfully done and i adore it with every bit of my soul. he cares soooooo much!!!!! i adore that about him!!!!

hngngnsdhfsjyuef last one this is so hard . . . but i think i'm going to have to say hoshiumi! the way he wants to prove how he has nothing to prove and wants to leave no room for doubt . . . right off the bat he recognized hinata for what he was worth because they were the same!!! and the way he said he'd wait for hinata!!!!!! i could probably go into so much about how hoshiumi was probably the first to look at hinata and see a true and proper rival because there was no way he couldn't when he knew what it was like!!

top 7 moments:

oooooh boy. okay first off is the first boom jump during the nekoma match, when kageyama calls for an open!!!! i love this for obvious reasons but UGH the fact that it symbolizes kageyama's trust in hinata and is a testament to how far they've both grown . . . how kageyama decided to make it a set for hinata rather than giving up on him . . . how hinata was able to fly to reach it . . . it is soooooo good oh my god

hmm second i would have to say are definitely the parallelism panels (real match vs practice) during the nekoma match!!! the idea that karaneko playing against each other is so familiar and so fun that it feelsl ike home and feels like any other day is so precious to me. truly one of the best moments that show how haikyuu is about connection and love and passion.

"someone even better will come and find you" are you SHITTING me. everything we learned about kageyama and his grandfather broke my heart but that scene especially, followed by hinata's "i'm here!" easily makes into top seven for me oh my god. i get so many emotions thinking about it and it was just so incredibly well done.

when hinata yells "I'M HOME" during the jackals v adlers match!!! and everyone yells 'WELCOME BACK" and kageyama says "took you long enough" GAH i want to cry. baby is home and he's back amd he's here and they're together again!!!!! i just hngngngn UGH

when oikawa shows up at olympics with argentina!!! and he calls it a family reunion!!!! i wanted to cry!!!! i guess it does depend on the translations you've seen but i MUCH prefer it when he calls it that because that really solidifies what haikyuu means!!! and it shows how he's never forgotten where he came from!!!

kenma's "this is painful. this is tiring. i don't want it to end" with the panel of him GETTING BACK UP AND RUNNING TOWARDS THE MATCH??? that meant EVERYTHING to me oh my god.

ughhhhh last moment . . . this is so hard . . . i'm going to cheat and say hinata's collapse during kamomedai because of everything that happens after it!!! takeda on his knees talking to him, kenma's "i came to cheer up a friend", kageyama's "but i wanted to go further with this team" . . . it gave us so many good things and i think is also such a pivotal moment in the story!!! i don't think most people were really truly expecting it (although people have def picked up on its foreshadowing before) and it makes you think that really anything can happen during a match i'm adding a bonus to this: that moment during the all-stars match when oikawa asks ushijima what he thinks of oikawa's "petty pride" now, and ushijima tells him "i think it's fantastic". LIKE HOLY FUCK WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE!!!!!!!!

top 3 matches:

okay this probably goes without saying but karaneko at nationals!!! that was everything to me!!! that was what we were all waiting for!!!! i know there are those who don't like it because of how it ended but imo it's very fitting for someone like kenma and it really does, once again, give off the sense that anything can happen in a match and can make you win or lose—it's what furudate's been trying to tell us this whole time, even if some read it as a cop-out.

inarizaki match definitely. it was really really good not just for introducing inarizaki and their stories but also the fact that we realize hinata doesn't have to be chained!!!! there are people capable of keeping up with him and there are people who WANT to keep up with him at his level!!!! atsumu was the first determined to do so!!!!!!! (which i could talk about more but like. that's a story for another time)

AGH last one was so hard . . . it was a toss-up between karasuno v seijoh (spring high playoffs), karasuno v shiratorizawa, or jackals v adlers and i'm going to have to say jackals v adlers!! i love the other two but the fact that we got a match fthat shows how far everyone's come and how they're still connected and passionate and full of hopes and dreams is my favorite thing ever. we got some GREAT stories within that match and we got to see so many characters return!!! what more could you ask for, really?? i will say tho that i'm giving honorary mention to nekoma v nohebi i've got such a soft spot for that match LMAO

but that's it!!! thanks for the ask i had fun answering all these. if anyone's ever curious to know more about anything i've mentioned feel free to swing by, and thanks for reading!!

[voluptuarian]

Favorite Movie Costumes (pt. 1)

Recently got the line-up-your-toys urge to list and discuss my favorite tv and movie costumes-- my favorites are many and tumblr's image limit is low, so I'm not sure how many posts this'll eventually spread to, but here's the first crop.

The Queen's red gown - The Brother's Grimm

I don't think anyone on earth wanted to love this movie more than I did when it came out-- sadly, the film itself was generally a letdown. However, its costumes absolutely delivered, which should come as no surprise since they were designed by Gabriella Pescucci. The costumes for Monica Belluci's queen are my favorites of all, but this piece, the one she wears for most of the movie, may be my favorite costume of all time.

The costume has several iterations; it's paired most prominently with her enormous horned headdress (my fave), but she also wears it with a more delicate tiara.

Marianne de Morangias' red riding habit - Brotherhood of the Wolf

Although Brotherhood of the Wolf is far from a good movie, I have a terrible soft spot for it, which is mostly due to its wonderful costumes, including a crowd of hunting costumes throughout, none more gorgeous than the one Marianne's debuts during the film's first hunt.

I probably owe my love of riding habits to American Girl's Felicity and her swoon-worthy green velvet habit-- they are sadly underused in movies (meanwhile Marianne not only wears this red habit, but also shows off an equally beautiful green one later.)

Christine Daae's masquerade dress - The Phantom of the Opera

Fun fact, I watched this movie as a teenager (after falling in with the inescapable junior high theater nerd crowd, who tried unsuccessfully to use this as a gateway drug to getting me hooked on musicals), then forgot about the vast majority of the costumes, and stumbled upon it again years later without realizing it was from a movie and completely fell in love with it.

I'm very fond of the early 1870s silhouette in general, long trains in particular, and the back of this one is what really sold me. The frothy layers of chiffon?? the flowers?? the graceful tiered bustle?? Obsessed. (Another fun fact, this is one of the references I always bring up when discussing potential wedding dresses.)

Imogen Spurnrose's red ensemble - Carnival Row

I know, another red velvet number ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Imogen's wardrobe is full of lovely quasi-Victorian pieces, but this one had me GASPING when it came on screen. These pictures do not do the color or vibrancy of that jacket justice!

Geilis Duncan's white ballgown - Outlander

I'm usually not a fan of stripped down historical styles, especially ones this anachronistic, but something about the minimalist design of this dress just charmed me.

It reminds of in some way of artistic undress in 17th century portraits, and the lightness of the colors and material has this clean, airy, almost White Lady quality to it, and the simplicity and limited accessorizing really brings out the period silhouette. (Also I adore lover's eyes).

Vanessa Ives' lace blouse - Penny Dreadful

Vanessa has a gorgeous wardrobe (Gabriella Pescucci hitting it out of the park again) containing a number of delicate black and white blouses, but this one is my favorite.

The design is not that complex, but the wealth of tiny details, especially the petal shaped blackworked collar and cuffs, give it a huge visual punch; paired with the decorative belt and beautiful black skirt it's a very unique look that shows off some of the most beautiful elements of the period (last photo courtesy @periodcostumefantasylover)

Lorna's church dress - Lorna Doone

YES another red number. And what a red!! This miniseries is so obscure I had to do my own (butt ugly) screencaps off Youtube, but despite being a fairly modest production, they do some nice 17th century looks in it.

This dress is glimpsed for a moment as Lorna catches sight of her separated lover through the crowd-- very dramatic, but unfortunately it means getting a good look at the beautiful dress is hard, but I did my best: here's the actual scene, if you want a better look (and I'd recommend the series, too!)

Virginia Wilson's Worth dress - 1899

Big shock, the replica House of Worth dress made it in *Oprah shrug* I've adored the original dress for years, so I went nuts seeing it on the show! On top of just top tier everything, the costuming on 1899 was great, and the fact that they decided to throw this dress in was just the cherry on top.

There are some minimal differences between this dress and its inspiration, most notably the change in pattern-- Virginia's dress not only incorporates the alchemical logo like all the rest of the characters, but the rounded edges in the original are all made jagged to match it, as you can really see in the last photo.

---- on to part 2!

[misc-obeyme]

i would read the barbatos essay ‼️

Anon, you have made my entire day lol. I'm always worried about answering asks with lengthy posts because I can really ramble on and on. But since you asked for the Barbatos essay, well...

Buckle up 'cause this turned out quite long! I'm putting it under a cut just so people don't have to scroll.

There's only one section of spoilers, which I indicate so you can skip it if you like!

Here it is, my Why I Love Barbatos essay:

Okay, first we have his design and the color scheme. That teal is just so pretty. And the way his hair has that one streak of brighter teal? Perfection. I very much think Barb would look amazing with long hair, too.

The way his uniform is altered to look more like a butler. The way he's always wearing those white gloves. When he actually does take off the gloves?? Though I do wish they had given him a casual outfit, they kinda do this with all the side characters - all of them are missing at least one outfit that the bros have. BUT it's funny to think that Barb just wears his uniform all the time instead AND sometimes he does take off the jacket when he's about to get into something. Such as in the Dust-Fighting Demon SSR and the Face Paint Charm SSR.

And then there's his human world outfit?! It's perfect for him. Elegant and unique and just visually interesting. And if iirc it's like a tea merchant outfit? I mean. Of course it is.

Demon form? Perfection. THAT TAIL. I wanna touch it so bad. And his horns are just so different from everybody else's. They're so unique. And the outfit? It's like butler uniform but upgraded. The patterns and the colors and the frills that come out of the wrists I just love it so much.

Needless to say, I very much love Barbatos's design. Visually he's just so pretty and I think that is part of what initially drew me to him. But in the end, what it really comes down to for me is personality, too.

I think there are a couple of things about Barbatos that I really love that just made him become my absolute favorite.

He's not instantly in love with MC. People have talked about this before. It takes basically all four seasons for Barbatos to say or do anything that indicates he might have feelings for MC. A lot of his more romantic interactions happen in his Devilgrams and the events, which are outside of the main story line. (A Party Just For Two UR card is one of my all time faves when it comes to romance with Barb and most of it happens in the kitchen lol.)

The thing about this that was always interesting to me was that he didn't act like he was NOT interested or that he disliked MC or anything. In fact, he always seemed to be curiously intrigued by MC. While most of the other characters usually develop a kind of crush on MC before they're just straight up in love with them, Barb is just kind of like, oh you are interesting. But that's it until much later in the story. And even THEN we don't get a straight confession out of him.

I have always been a fan of the slow burn. The little moments that just steadily increase the character's feelings, the build up, the anticipation... it's so good.

And then there's just how mysterious he is in general. We know very little about him. In the beginning I was like okay so who is this guy? He's just a butler? I don't get it. And yeah, he's a butler, but then you find out he's also got time powers and portal powers and suddenly he's a lot more than just a butler.

NB spoilers here for his Tea Time With You UR+ Devilgram:

The story in this Devilgram really hints to there being so much more about WHY Barbatos is Diavolo's butler. He talks a lot about atonement and how something he did had a profound impact on both Diavolo and Solomon. He won't tell us what it was because he's not ready to reveal it, which is not surprising, but also indicates that it still weighs on him pretty heavily. At least it does in the NB timeline. To me, this added a whole new layer to his air of mystery. We don't know why he stays as Diavolo's butler except that he says he likes it and that's what he wants to do. But there is clearly another piece to that involving some self imposed penalty for whatever he did.

End spoilers.

And even though there's a lot we don't know about him and especially his past (which to be fair, there are probably a billion years of past there so we'll never know all of it lol), he just has this comforting way about him. Once he accepts someone as sort of being in his charge, he takes care of them without being overbearing. He sort of does this thing where he gives each person in his life as much as they need from him.

Diavolo is the obvious example and he needs the most from Barb. So Barbatos does a lot for him and Dia is always his priority. But then we've also got characters like Luke and Solomon. With Luke, Barbatos is always ready to teach him how to bake or give him advice when he asks for it. But he also doesn't smother him or anything. He knows that Luke has Simeon and Solomon that help him, too. And with Solomon, Barbatos only really helps him when Solomon asks. In the OG, it's pretty clear that by that point, Solomon is incredibly independent. He doesn't need a lot of attention from Barbatos anymore, so Barb just lets him do his thing for the most part. But if Solomon does need him, Barbatos has no problem helping. (I am assuming, of course, that the only time that Sol forced Barb to do something he didn't want to do was in the labyrinth in NB.)

And I think this tendency to care for people extends to MC as well, but he knows that MC has everyone else looking out for them, too. So he's willing to sort of stay in the background, but you know that he's paying attention to MC. He will sometimes ask MC to come help him with something in daily chats or he'll invite them over for tea and he always says something about being happy to see them.

Another thing I love about his personality is his tendency to be subtly teasing. He's always so super formal and restrained that sometimes it's hard to tell when he's teasing because he does it the way he does everything else. But we all know that one demon sticker he sometimes uses, the one that's covering its mouth 'cause it's laughing slyly. Yeah, that one. It's kind of similar to the way he always smiles even when he's angry. He never breaks his butler persona, but those who know him can tell when he's being playful and when he's actually angry. (Unless he's really angry, which we have seen in the way he interacts with Solomon in Nightbringer.)

And then there are his interests. He loves tea, as we know, and he likes to cook and to bake. For me personally, these are big reasons why I love him, too. I drink both coffee and tea, but when it comes to tea I'm really picky. I only drink loose leaf tea that I buy by the ounce and I know about the different kinds and what my favorites are and how to make them correctly. I sometimes cold brew loose leaf tea to make iced tea and I have a very particular way of making it. So like... I get all that, you know? I think I would love to experience the way Barbatos makes tea. I also enjoy cooking and baking, but I don't get to do it very often. However, I absolutely have a sweet tooth. So again, I'm just imagining tea parties with Barbatos in the garden with some tasty dessert he made and that sounds like absolute heaven to me lol.

He's also just a little less boisterous than most of the other characters. He's calm and collected. I have some anxiety issues and I'm an introvert, but I just get the feeling that spending time with him would be so nice and relaxing. There's just something about him that makes me feel peaceful and contented.

And all of that is why I'm in love with Barbatos.

If he turns out to be Nightbringer, I don't know how I'll feel about it. I'm just hoping they don't change his character too much because I love him just as he is now.

[imaginespazzi]

Nivi!! Two Monday updates in a row? Inspirational stuff, babes. I hope you're doing good! You spoil us way too much 🫶

Firstly, I super appreciate the addition of the months to the dates cause I was lowkey hoping for it. I get way too invested in the actual timeline so this was very much welcome haha.

I always love flashbacks to fetus (teenage) Pazzi, like even irl, that’s always the time period and their dynamics during that time that interests me the most so I absolutely adored this flashback scene!

Azzi sending an actual letter invite was so wholesome, would not be surprised if something similar actually happened irl. I know Paige spent a whole day just re-reading the “Yours, Azzi” at the end 😂

Ice cameo! I love getting these new special guests each chapter, makes it entertaining tryna figure out who’s gonna pop up next.

Stephie was already tearing up saying goodbye and they’d only properly known each other not even a month?? BRUH, this one-year contract is not gonna go down well AT ALL. #ProtectStephieatallcosts

Also, has Ice met Stephie? The way she talked to P about Stephie made it seem like she hasn’t yet or maybe I just read that wrong?

Yep, place that bet Icey, it’s gonna happen!

As soon as I read the “comes roaring back with a vengeance” and the name “Olivia”, I knew it was trouble (nothing against those with the name Olivia 😅), I felt it in my bones she was the ex-wife.

Look, she hasn’t done much wrong yet and P maybe did deserve some of it but I don’t like this Olivia. It’s just a matter of principle, you know.

Stephie facetiming P on her own cause she just missed her too damn much 🥺 This little family (they’re already a family in my mind okay) gives me so much life, and will probably be the death of me eventually.

Time zones would be a confusing af concept to kids, I never even thought about that lmao.

Not Paige thirsting over Azzi over the phone! There is a kid present, Miss Buecks!

Stephie’s fave colour being purple too, I mean I guess she’s been constantly around purple her whole life so it makes sense but imma choose to believe it’s a continued manifestation of that invisible string between Paige and Azzi. Also, I can just imagine Azzi’s reactions when she realises she’s basically raising a mini Paige too lol.

And the full circle moment of P skipping out on team events to stay on the phone with Azzi (and lil Azzi) – you never fail to deliver with these full circle moments babes, and the way you do it is just so organic, like it always flows and never feels forced and ugh YOUR MIND 🙌

What’s next?

Ice’s comment about teammates having to deal with Pazzi’s bullshit – that just made me even more desperate for those flashbacks to their UConn days, especially when it all starts breaking down.

Oh btw, does Azzi know it’s a one-year contract? Are contract terms reported on like they are irl or nah?

Also, just making sure I’ve got the timeline down pat – Paige and Olivia were together from 2027 to 2031? And I’m assuming Azzi had Stephie Jan 2028 or late 2027 since Stephie’s five in present day? So Stephie woulda been almost two when Paige first met her in that run-in with Tim?

I wonder if it was P that proposed to Olivia, and if it was, I’m curious to know the timing and if it was a knee-jerk reaction to Azzi having a baby??

What I really need to happen though is Paige’s dream coming true!

Stephie is just so real to me that even when Pazzi have kids irl, Stephie will always be the OG for me 😌

Also, the suggestion someone had the other day of Paige kid-proofing everything is on point. Like her first priority for her new place in Cali isn’t even gonna be furniture or anything, it’s just gonna be stacks and stacks of toys and lego sets and other kid stuff 😭

Lastly, you know I love me a little bit of the jealous trope 🤭 Could we potentially see like a really close friend of Azzi’s that also has a good relationship with Stephie bring out a little bit of jealous P??

Oh btw, are the lyrics from that Louis Tomlinson song?? Cause that really took me back lmao, I haven’t heard that in forever!

Favourite line/quote:

Paige realizes that her favorite thing about Azzi’s smile isn’t when her dimples show or when her eyes twinkle, it’s when it’s there because of Paige, when it’s there just for Paige.

P.S: This is non-fic related but while watching my fave sport (AFL) over the weekend, there were a couple players playing their first game back from an ACL injury and one of the guys was coming back only SEVEN months after tearing his ACL! And this sport is like one of the most physical sports I’ve ever watched so I couldn’t believe it. Anyway, it made me really hopeful for Azzi, cause I feel like she’s probably on track for a nine-month recovery and I’ve had reservations about that especially given it’s her second one, but seeing those guys coming back after an even shorter period of time and pulling up fine made me feel a lot better. I know the recovery is different for everyone, but if Azzi (and her rehab team) believe she’s ready to be cleared after nine months, then I have full trust in them and I can’t wait to see her back on the court 🥹

Alrighty, this got way too long 😬 I’ll catch you next time bestie, enjoy the rest of your week and if I don't pop by before then, happy Olympics to everyone! 💗

-🙋‍♀️

BABE!! Aren't you proud of me? Can't believe this is who I've been these last two times (just wait until that can't-write-for-three-weeks hits and all these other people realize who Nivi really is)

I probably had some logic for not having dates in the beginning but lmao yeah it makes a lot more sense to have them so I'm glad it's helpful

Paige still has that letter for sure, in a little treasure chest somewhere with everything else Azzi's given her

I'm stressing myself out adding so many characters ngl and I still haven't added the rest of the Valkyrie team so let's see how that goes

LMAO not the Olivia name slander (but no I get it like when I was thinking about the ex-wife the name Olivia just seemed fitting)

The difference in people's reaction to Zoe in the UCLA fic vs Olivia in this one is so funny to me

I think they're a family in their own minds to now...but is it sustainable?

BRO RIGHT? That part was inspired by a convo I had with a kid at work who was so confused about why their mom could only call their uncle who lives abroad at certain hours

Paige gonna thirst no matter what (but me too so she's not special)

Thank you lovie! Sometimes I'm a little worried the parallels do seem too intentional so this made me relieved that it doesn't feel forced.

I'm so excited to write UConn days fs!

Everyone knows that Paige is signed to the Valkyries for a year but the assumption is that it's like Stewie with the Libs last year, where yes it's a one-year contract but you're obviously gonna renew. Nobody, including Azzi, knows about the Liberty part of it because that's all technically hush-hush behind the scenes stuff

Stephie's born early 2028 , so she's probably like one and a half when Paige first meets her (I am going to fuck this timeline up at some point.

Babe you read my mind. Azzi has this really pretty international French teammate who Paige just might not end up liking too much.

YES it is a Louis Tomlinson song. I was listening to it the other day and I was like damn wait, lemme add!

I think Azzi's first one she came back 9 months later and this one was reported to be less severs so I am finger-crossed that if she still does the 9 month recovery anyways, she'll be absolutely stellar. Ugh I'm so excited to see my girl play, it's been too long.

[ms-moonlight-inn]

WEEKLY TAG WEDNESDAY

Thank you, my darlings @jrooc @mybrainismelted @energievie

—

Name: That Bitch

What is the most listened to artist in your music app of choice this month? The Rolling Stones? (how the fuck did that happen?)

What song do you know all the lyrics to? Any song? Or a Stones song? Any song, off the top of my head, The Cure's "10:15 Saturday Night" & "Doing the Unstuck." By the Stones, ugh, I don't think I know any of their songs all the way through. Eep! 😬

What song do you pretend to know all the lyrics to and sing along to even though you don’t? Oof, so many. One that comes to mind right now is "Echame La Culpa" by Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato.

If you were to be crowned Queen/King/Royalty of listening to a band or artist, who would that be? Rancid.

What band/artist surprises you the most on your frequently listened to artists? I have no idea why the fuck Alanis Morissette continues to pop up on my random, also Maroon 5. At least I can say Taylor Swift pops up on my frequents 'cause I share my profile & people listen to her music. But the other two? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Why? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Favourite line from a song (or one you have been thinking about lately? One of my all time favorite songwriters is Jarvis Cocker. He has a way of turning a phrase that I find absolutely captivating.

In the song, "Seductive Barry," he wrote: "I will light your cigarette with a star that has fallen from the sky." Which is not a new phrase, but the way he uses it within the context of the song makes it ✨ special. ✨

Guilty pleasure band or song? Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "Can You Feel the Beat," & "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off," by Jermaine Stewart.

Okay let’s talk fandom music:

Fave band or song you’ve discovered from a Fan Fic? I think the one that's stuck with my the most has been "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" the Daniel Duke version of the song originally done by The Proclaimers. It was used in AllThatMatters' fic The Ghost of You and Me.

Fave Fanfic Playlist? I like clicking on to playlist to see what's on them, but I can't think of any memorable ones right now. I think for me I have clearer memories of songs that are attached to a specific moment in a storyline or that are suggested as a play-along during a chapter.

Fave Gallavich song? "Pink+ White," by Frank Ocean.

Do you listen to music recommended by the writer or an included playlist? If there is a song that is recommended in the beginning notes, I will listen to it while I'm reading or before I am reading if I am using the screen reader while I'm driving. I don't always get a chance to listen to everything, but I do like to hear a song or two in order to get into the atmosphere the writer's trying to create.

What song do you think is Gallavich coded? Oof, so many. Gimme a sec...

Well, on the angst side, I've had Beck's "Lost Cause" stuck in my head.

What’s a bop you want to share with your mutuals today?

🎶🎶🎶

Tagging @ian-galagher @sleepyfacetoughguy @creepkinginc @iandarling @transmurderbug @deathclassic @jademickian @blue-disco-lights with no pressure to play. Also, if you haven't been tagged, feel free to join. 🤗

[mocolococoffeesimp]

What do you think it'd be like to be with Johnny? He's my fave, I'm surprised there isn't already something of him here!

Another ask, long overdue. But, yeah Johnny easily in my top 10 guilty gear characters.

-Smoothest man ever to exist. During, your first meeting he would be, flirting with you nonstop. Complimenting you, helping you with whatever, until you said yes to date.

-As the leader of Jellyfish pirates, he obviously will be spending a lot of time with them. And, by extension this includes you. Johnny doesn't expect you to help around the ship. But, once he sees you helping around the ship, he will make you an official member of Jellyfish pirates on the spot. Why delay the inevitable? Was his response, when he did it.

-Speaking of which, jealous May is 110% there. She is jealous of you getting to be with Johnny, but once she sees how well you and Johnny gets along, she is accepting to let Johnny go. (She will still adore Johnny, but she won't so vocal about it. Unless, you are fine with it, and joining in on it with her.)

-He would absolutely put his hat on you. Both as a teasing matter and to see how cute you look in it. He also does this, before battles. Johnny set the hat ontop of your head, his sword in his other hand.

"Take care of it, alright? I'll be back in a moment." He winked at you, as he unsheathed his sword, ready to fight and keep you safe.

-Gambling, you two have play-nights of gambling and he also invites you to his gambling evenings. (He claims, you're his lucky charm.) Once, you learn how to have a poker face, you can trust Johnny will try to break the stoic face you have. Cheesy flirting? Absolutely. Calling you by petnames? You bet. Once, he manages to break your stoic face, he will pull a royal flush just to rub it in your face. He got both, the jackpot and his lucky charm laughing. It's a win-win for him.

-Eve, if you're in a relationship with him, it won't mean he won't flirt with others. Or appreciate others. He will tone it down, when he is in a relationship, but he will say his piece. "Well, good day beautiful. My, the whole room just lit up when.." You elbow Johnny, as he was admiring the woman before you two. Johnny gave you a charming smile, as he defused the situation.

"Come now, dear. You know, you're the one. No one holds the candle to you. Although, she is easy on the eyes." He winks, before putting an arm around your waist.

-He plays his guitar to you. He has a guitar collection, so he possesses the baseline talents for it. So, he will play to you the most best song he can. (Which, isn't that impressive.) But, the confidence he has, just makes it seem so much more impressive. Will ask for a kiss, as a payment for the show.

-Dressing up nicely, when he isn't wearing nothing underneath his trench coat. (Which isn't often.) He actually has a impressive looking wardrobe. He would wear jeans and button up shirts, trying to look his best. He also, has a skincare routine. He likes it, when you do it with him, small things to him mean a lot.

-Chill evenings with coffee and tea on the deck of May ship. After, everything has quiet down for the day, you can find Johnny enjoying the quietness of the night, admiring the way moon reflected from the sea. You appeared next to Johnny, holding a cup of coffee for him, and your own drink. Johnny doesn't say anything, only smiles as he takes the coffee from you. Quiet evening, just enjoying each others warmth, looking over the sea. That was special to Johnny, when it was just two of you.

[autisticlenaluthor]

Okay, it sounds like you've had some shuffling in the "this one is my fave" line in regards to the Girls on the Bus characters...

So, which character did you go into the show believing would be your absolute favorite? And has that changed? Which side character are you enjoying the most? Are there any characters you initially disliked but now adore? Are there any characters you really liked that you now kind of don't care for? Are there any surprising teamups/duos that you love?

ooh i love this question!!

i started watching the show for melissa’s character. but before the show aired - the promo pics gave me the impression that i wouldn’t like her character. to me, they gave off the vibe that sadie was going to be a loud, irritating republican. but as soon as i started episode one, sadie had my heart and still does. sadie feels to me like another version of kara danvers, only more consistent/mature, and much better at her job

starting the first episode as everyone was getting introduced (after i realized i love sadie) i thought i was going to love lola and dislike kimberlyn. lola is the character closest to my age (i think she’s 4 years older than me?) so i expected to find her the most relatable. and a lot of her is. i also think she’s very intelligent, knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to openly be herself which are all things i love about her. i also like that she isn’t trying to change herself to fit in and that she still defends kimberlyn in episode one, even though they come from very different ends of the political spectrum.

but sometimes lola needs to sit down and listen because she tends to act like she knows everything. like the moment where she’s dissing old journalists, or speaking over grace’s experiences about gender discrimination in the field. sometimes you just need to sit back and hear someone else. not everything needs to be an argument and not everyone needs to agree with you about everything. i feel like once lola gets that, i’ll like her more. because i try SO hard to like her, but every time i think she’s pulling me in, she does something to bug me lol

grace i kind of disliked at the beginning. i found her character to be kind of confusing (sometimes she’s sadie’s friend, sometimes she isn’t) and the scenes with annie i found so angering. im biased because of my own experiences with having toxic parents so at first it was hard to see past that when looking at grace’s dynamic with annie. but i think grace might be the most complex character on the show

the scene where she leaves the voicemail for annie after watching a tik tok especially comes to mind. for a moment she’s so open. she’s reaching out to her daughter in a way that didn’t seem possible from her, and she’s making a genuine effort to connect with her. it shows us that she does think about annie, she loves her, even though she’s hard around the edges. and then that message gets deleted, and she sends one that’s cold and threatening and much more like the grace from the beginning of the episode. the voicemail on its own is harsh but with the context it’s almost saddening? to know she’s trying to make that connection, but she’s sabotaging herself in the process.

it’s like she’s afraid of showing annie (and everyone else) that she is capable of warmth

as for team ups- i’m loving sadie and grace working together to uncover everything going on with walker. i think they balance each other out so well- and i wish we’d seen more of them working together in the last episode!!

[lauraroselam]

i wasn't sure if you would read the tags i'd leave if i reblogged your reply to my ask so i decided to just send you another ask! ha! i'll bullet point them this time bc i have quite a few things to say:

1. you can definitely keep my asks public, i really don't mind :)

2. never have i ever been so excited to open an email, and that too first thing in the morning. seeing your reply, especially that little treat at the end (!!!!!!!!!), had me smiling and kicking my feet in bed. i'm, impossibly enough, even more excited for Emberclaw now.

3. having more than one narrative position in a book is certainly ambitious and one that i haven't encountered in any other book so far, but it grows on you, fast (at least it did on me), and can be an acquired taste to some who are willing to give it a chance. i think you might just be the first author who has changed my mind completely on first person narratives and i owe it to your flawless delivery, of course (i'm biased, i'll admit). also, "narrative positions" was exactly the word that wouldn't come to me in my fit of excitement while writing my last ask; it was a tiny brain-fart moment on my part when i said "pov choice" instead haha.

4. this is more of an aside really but it once took me 400 pages (of a 800+ pages) to get into a book, so imho, 50 pages isn't asking for much. fantasy novels tend to be a little demanding! also, it was my first proper foray into epic fantasy. i then went on to finish the series despite the really, really, really slow start. the slowest. i think a reader can tell when the wait will be worth it though, almost like a gut feeling.

5. multi-pov is another polarizing aspect of books, but then again, it can be enjoyed if done well. i once read a book with 14 povs and gave it 5 stars. it wasn't even a fantasy novel, but a contemporary one! in comparison, your book with its 4 povs is pretty tame, and i think, even the norm for epic/high fantasy novels. personally, i enjoy being in the head of different characters! especially when you've got a big cast of them. also, that surprise 5th pov toward the end took me quite by surprise!! jaw, meet floor.

6. i do have a GR account! and i certainly have plans on leaving well-deserved, glowing reviews on both the book and audio :) it's the least i can do!

7. this one is more of a suggestion to those who might find the narrative positioning a little jarring: listen to the audiobook instead; it warms you up to it much faster!

i think that just about covers it. again, i cannot say this enough, but Dragonfall would not be the story i fell absolutely in love with had you not made the narrative (ha!) choices you did. i hope more people come to appreciate and love it as much as i do, and are willing to give it the fair chance it deserves <3

much love 💖

I think I'd see the tags! I'm so out of practice with Tumblr, but I have enjoyed coming back to it as I feel in some ways I can be more authentic over here rather than the more traditional promo over on tiktok and insta. Not that I'm inauthentic elsewhere it's just...here you can be a bit more off the cuff, I think?

1. Whew!

2. Aww yay! Interacting with readers is honestly one of my favourite things. I'm so excited when I hear from someone who got what I was trying to do. Releasing art for public consumption can be excellent but also hard. Dragonfall is probably my most personal book, so it being marmite made me so self-conscious. I always think about that Don Marquis quote "Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo." It's nice when you get the echoes back. :-)

3. I was inspired to be experimental after reading The Fifth Season, which is a masterpiece. I've heard good things about The Spear Cuts Through Water which also does cool narrative position trickery, I think. I also really love framing devices of people looking back, like in Assassin's Apprentice by Hobb (my fave author, as evidenced by the dedication). I'm glad I could open you up to all the opportunities of first person! I taught a class on narrative positions when I was a creative writing lecturer so I'm just very passionate about how form can marry function, hah.

4. Yes, four (technically five) is tame compared to some! I did seven in Seven Mercies and whew, that was a lot, even though technically my co-writer and I mostly split it up. My next projects will be 2 and then 1 as a bit of a breather. It is harder to balance multi POV, but I love the "heteroglossia" potential of storytelling.

6. Thank you!

7. I wish I could listen to the audiobooks of my books! I get too self-conscious or want to edit. I can say that Philip and Rachel did amazing jobs from the samples I head, though, and I was super excited they hired a nonbinary voice actor for Arcady. This was also my first time having more than one voice actor, which was neat.

And yes, I hope so too. <3

[justcallmesolll]

My silly little top tens

yeen rambles #10

stealing this idea from the wonderful @whitestorm4prez bc originality is dead!!!!!!!!!!

anyways ive only read the first arc but most of the major shit was spoiled for me on the internet.

#10 Thrushpelt. i love him!! he's such a nice guy. i feel really bad for him for his one-sided love of Bluestar. she missed out frfr. but even when Bluestar makes it super clear she doesnt like him, does he hold a grudge? no. does he resent her? no. what does he do? become her friend instead. amazing man.

#9 Darkstripe. i think he's both the most hilarious and fucking balling my eyes out sad villain ever at the same time. dude just got fucked over most of his life. i mean i find him sily because every time he tries something, it fails horribly. but at the same time, he's got fucking no-one. he's alone. no friends, nothing. the one guy he trusted with his life turns out to not even care about him at all. i mean seeing him scramble to revive what little there is left of tigerstars plan, seeing everyone leave him, him realising that nobody was truly on his side. his last moments preaching for a dead man who never cared for him. his life being over like that. he never did anything meaningful, and he died like that. im gonna write more abt this a some point but yea!!

#8 Tallstar. his character arc is one of the most heartwarming things ever. yes, he was a shitty leader, but do ya know what? he grew as a person. he changed and made himself better. i also think him and Jake r cute and i LOVE the headcannon that he thought fireheart was jake coming to save him and his clan.

#7 Bluestar. RIGHT OK. i know i say i hate her but by god how can i not like her at the same time???? i mean all her life was just horrible shit. and she stuck through it. i know she was a real bitch coming towards the end of her life, but she stayed, stone faced and understanding to most cats around her. tigerclaw was just the straw that broke the camel's back. but most of her life she was so awesome.

#6 Cloudtail. i think hes such a silly guy!!! he's a big hot-headed atheist!!! silly guy. him and brightheart are so cute together. and yea thats it literally hes just silly thats why i like him

#5 Longtail. I LOVE HIM SM OMGGG the fan service he gets is so good. but the most important thing is his character arc. from being a bully, but all round loyal cat, to desprately trying to prove his loyalty to firestar by any means possible. longtail thinks that firestar sees him as disloyal, but firestar proves him wrong, asking him to come on the journey with him the relationship between them is so nice to see.

#4 Greystripe. what a guy. hes amazing. he puts up with firheart way more than he should have to. i mean fire is a straight up dick to him alot of the time and he sticks with him like a loyal friend. i love him hehehe

#3 Ashfur. if u cant tell already, i like villains. i like Ashfur alot actually. cant help feeling bad for him. mans had a rough time. grew up without a mother, was practically ignored by his mentor, when he finally found someone who gave him a little attention who does undeniably treat him like her mate, she just turns around and goes "yeah no lol i was just w u to make brambleclaw jealous lmao." he was plunked right on his head and left alone with no-one to care about him. the only person who slightly cared about him was his sister, and she was too caught up in her own shit to help. its the sticky feeling you have knowing that if he were just cared for right, he could have turned out just fine. instead, he was neglected and left to become what he did.

#2 Hawkfrost. i love the fan service hawk gets honestly. im a huge fan of the artwork he gets. hes cool. i like the idea of him feeling the need to prove himself to his father. but yea hes just cool thats why i like him tbh.

#1 to absolutely no-ones surprise, my #1 fave warriors character, is SOL. hes so silly. but no fr, hes the funniest fucking villain ever. he sucks ass at being a fucking warrior and he comes accross the clans and is just like "yea yk what im gonna fuck with em." he literally gaslight gatekeep girlbosses all 4 of the clans and he actually gets away with it. i also just like his whole asthetic, and THE FUCKING FAN SERICE HE GETS???? HOLY SHIT ITS SO COOL. i swear you cant make Sol fanart look bad bc hes just so fuckin cool. silly little guy!!

[yxstxrdrxxm-a]

In response to this post (^｡^)

For starters, you make some of the best edits/ banners imo!! I rlly love the visuals and color schemes of One Last Call, not to mention the new banners for your main(?) blog!! The desktop layout is also rlly pretty; I’m always in awe of the spinning dial animation :0

As for your writing, the way you write yanderes is so…..aahh how do I describe it?? Your stories are so delightfully dark, exciting, and creative. Every time I read a new drabble, I can’t take my eyes off my phone, and the endings always surprise me in a good way.

Lastly, by now, you already know how much I love your OCs. You write their backstories + dialogue so well, and it’s rlly fun to interact with them. Their character designs are also *chef’s kiss* especially Cupid’s <3

I hope you know I hogged this ask because seeing this makes me sob HSAIUHUDFIG LIKE PLS IT MADE ME ;-; IN THE MOST /POS WAY POSSIBLE HELPPP

anyways just. oh. ough. I'm honestly gonna be fr w/ you, the desktop layout was actually from someone else I saw (I believe their cr. is there but if not, I'll find whoever it is and get it!), but I'm very honored that my edits are the best you've seen orz

(I put too much time on them and I do not regret doing such a thing LMAOOO esp for OLC, that sht was so fun to do)

Your stories are so delightfully dark, exciting, and creative. Every time I read a new drabble, I can’t take my eyes off my phone, and the endings always surprise me in a good way.

I... REALLY??? ;-; TYYYYY, I PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO THEM /pos

researching for those stories + making sure they work are one of the things I put so much effort on and I sometimes have to resist losing my mind over them because some are a menace to write HAIUHDFUIR though I'm very glad you love them! (I also pride in some of them because GOD I have too many ideas on a few that ended up being extremely dark LMAOOOO)

I think my fave will be Tailor of Inazuma because that got me in the "let them cook" and its the darkest, vile sht I can come up with. It's absolutely bonkers HAHIUFHRDI

HELP OKAY BEFORE I START RAMBLING LET ME CONTINUE READING

(update: I literally had a moment where I'm just kicking my feet, giggling and rolling over the bed at the third one. Pls I took too much pride in my ocs and worldbuilding and it reminds me why I hoard this ask for 2 days and would've done it anyway if I wasn't going "oh right I gotta answer the others" HAIUHERIUFG)

(anyways I hope u know Im smiling like an idiot while I prepare for Flawed's opening. It's insane but dw I'll be fine. I'm def sane abt this.)

(No, no I'm not sane.)

[once-in-a-blood-moon]

Now we have to know... who's your top five favorite characters in the game? 👀✨️

Hi, Ven!! Always happy to see you in my inbox! 🤗

Hm...overall, I don't dislike any of the characters. I don't have any that I hate, mostly I feel indifferently to them, but I can get the appeal kind of thing. For the most part, I think I favor the side characters more over the brothers. Although, I think with my top faves, it's glaringly obvious I have a type, hehe...

So, for starters, and to absolutely no surprise, Solomon's number one on my list! I am unequivocally in love with that man, oh my god. Now, I'm not exactly sure what triggered my love for him, as I didn't start out a Solomon lover (I was a Luci girl, go figure). I think it was a hazy combination of his Up on the Pole card art, his Left 4 Cyber card art, the moment during that same event (cyber) where he was sweet to Luke by letting him have the flag, or the many takes and fics of him I was reading at the time. And now look where we are! I think I also see a lot of myself in him, so in a way, I've bonded with him in my mind, hehe.

Onto my second, and as you now know, I'd say Barbatos is second! Genuinely, I have no idea where this came from, but I'm not complaining. He's always fascinated me in some way, but I suppose I got caught up in other characters when I started out and he just got lost in the sea of the others... Sorry, Barbie :( I've always loved the fact that he liked baking, I just think that's neat! Also, I love that he's into metal. That's super cool! Thinking of it now, that might've been the catalyst (totally didn't make a playlist because of this, no...). Anyways, I have a lot to learn about him still, but he's certainly a new muse for me to marvel over.

I think for third I'm going to put Satan here. Satan was second, but, well...things happen. Out of the brothers, he's definitely my favorite. I like his (usually) calm, no-nonsense attitude, but I also love that he's such a silly guy at the same time. He's just fascinating to me. And ugh, I love his dynamic with Solomon! I'm always excited to see the Cat chat appear with a new message or a lesson/story that involves just those two. They're such silly gooses.

Fourth, oh goodness. I've been thinking over who I want to place here, and I think I'll put...um, (still indecisive) Thirteen here? Yeah, that feels right. So, to be fair, I'm still getting to know her character, but she intrigues me, to say the least. She's just so pretty and mischievous and gothic and sweet and...what? That one lesson in NB (too lazy to find which one) where she and the MC are practically on a date? I was grinning so hard reading that. So cute!

Alrighty, last, but not least, Simeon's fifth! If not for Thirteen, he'd be fourth and Lucifer fifth, but this is what it's come down to. Simeon's always been a favorite from the beginning, but he never had a set spot in my mind. Sometimes he was third, others fourth, maybe second until I put Satan as my second. But he's always been there, lol. I like his gentle personality and I love how sassy he can be, and that wrathful streak of his when it comes out on occasion. Also, I find his struggles with tech hilarious, poor guy. I can relate on some occasions.

For the most part, I think I'm into the mysterious, stoic characters. There's something about them that just...draw me in. Whether it's some inherent want to know them on an intimate level, so to speak, or that I am just that into the mysticism and find it endearing, who's to say.

[theclearblue]

This seems like a fun ask game... https://www.tumblr.com/theclearblue/745775598702592000/hello-can-i-ask-from-this-ask-game?source=share

Can I ask about Yona of the Dawn, Hunter x Hunter and Mob Psycho 100?

HxH

Favorite character: Hisoka Did y'all hear something? Sounded like someone said Hisoka but not me ahaha. Uhhhh Killua and Komugi are my answers, honorable mention to Kite as well (guess I just like the white haired characters lol. Oh and really all of the Phantom Troupe but especially Chrollo is so much fun.

Favorite arc/episode/scene: Favorite overall arc probably is York New but a lot of my favorite moments come from the Chimera ant arc, so I would tie them. Fave episode/scene I think is Meruem and Komugi dying together, I cry every singe time lmao

Character I think is underrated: Ikalgo is the guy of all time, I love that stupid ass octopus so much lmao. I don't know why but I find him so heartwarming and I want to cheer him on in every scene

Character I think is overrated: Hmm I'm really struggling to answer this actually. I feel like I'm on the same wavelength with the general consensus of the characters. Maaaaybe Kurapika just a teeny tiny bit? I'm doing a slow rewatch with a friend though and she is a fierce Kurapika hater lmao so I feel like I'm being influenced.

Fave ship/pairing: Going to be basic but Killugon, honorable mention to Hisoka/Illumi

Something I love about the series: I think the character journeys and parallels are so so so cool, and it's a great example of character development where it's more of a regression (with Gon, specifically). The parallels between Meruem and Gon where they start on opposite ends, and by the end Meruem has gained humanity and Gon has lost it? Gets me every time. Also just such a great cast of characters, picking a favorite is kind of hard when I think almost every character, even the hateable ones, are just so solidly written.

Yona of the Dawn

Favorite Character: Hmm three way tie I think between Yona, Soo Won, and Jae-Ha (wow now thinking of it, he's kinda like Sanji huh....I was set up lmao)

Favorite arc/episode/scene: Gosh I need to reread because my memory is god awful but off the top of my head, Zeno's backstory is obviously the best in the series, and I think was animated in an OVA so that's my fave episode lol. Also love when Hak and Yona FINALLY get together, and Soo Won reuniting with Hak as well.

Character I think is underrated: You know what, I'm saying Jae-Ha!! Everyone's fave dragon is either blue or yellow (which, like, I GET it) but nobody gives enough love to green dragon :( People hate him for flirting with Yona but it's so obvious to me that he's just doing that to tease Hak lmao. But he has SUCH a big heart and loves and wants to protect all of them, again I need to reread to really elaborate properly but!! He needs more love!!!

Character I think is overrated: Hmm. I don't think I have an answer for this one actually.

Favorite ship/pairing: Yona/Hak....are we surprised...I'm not....

Favorite thing about the series: I feel like I give the same answer for all of these lmao because I'm such a big character reader, but yeah the characters absolutely. They are (well, most of the time) the ones pushing the plot, not the other way around. Everyone says it but Yona's arc as a character is just so so so good, especially for a female character. I would also say I really love how the worldbuilding goes so hand in hand with the characters developing and also understanding where they come from in decisions. It's a pretty simple fantasy world but it just does everything right.

(I'm a fake fan and haven't finished MP100 Season 3 :( And my memory is the worst on this series but do know that my fave character is both Mob and Reigen)

[garbage--account]

Random opinion #7 :

I can explain.

Ngl, the match ended up being .... bizarre. Actually, i am living for how weird it ended up to be !

Ares itself is a season who is, more or less, a copycat of season 1 but with other protagonists (thanks god, the new kid aren't ersatz of Endou, Gouenji and Kidou, and it is more an aftertaste than a fact). It was a normal Football Frontier.

Spoiler alert : the new main team, Inakuni Raimon, wins the tournament, what a shocking plotwist...

My point is that Ares is predictable and not very original, and some of the most interesting ideas have been mishandled. It is the most normal IE can get. (Wtf, IE being "normal", the same IE where you sakka with dinosaurs against aliens and communists to save the Earth by time-travelling ?)

And then, comes the match against Hakuren.

Where to even begin ?

Both teams have similar situations : they are both participating for the first time, and very surprisigly got far (very powerful opponents from last year were also here), both are from the country, both are supposedly underdogs, both have a " unsufferable ace striker" and "sponsor" problem, both uses weird tactics, and in the 2 cases, only 1/3 of the team pull their weight. I can go on, but it will be long.

The development during the match : this match has its moments, its "plotwists". It begins with Hakuren having the upper hand, Atsuya dominating Inakuni physically and psychologically (he insults your dad). Then, Asuto makes Inakuni to gather their shit together in the 2nd half, but it actually makes Shirou and Atsuya playing even more serious. Someoka (hey he's here!) makes Nae the new recruit come on the field. Turns out she sucks at sakka. But also is supersonic. And she befriends with Norika the Inakuni goalie because why not. The hakuren coach makes his team to do weird tactics to accomodate Nae, communicating with weird hand sign with the public and the team, and it works, Inakuni is confused. Hattori, a Inakuni defender, is a ninja wannabe so he can understand weird hand sign, and makes Inakuni have the upper hand for once. But, after a father-daughter drama (Nae is the coach's daughter, who is also the sponsor), they stop using hand sign but the Hakuren tactic still works, so Hattori is confused but there is little time left. Shirou, Atsuya and Nae goes to execute Triple Blizzard but it is countered by Counter Drive, by Asuto and Kozomarou (it comes from nowhere), and they goal and win. This is so wtf, i love it. Literally what is going on in this match lmao

The element of surprise : refer to the previous point (and i haven't told everything). This match is the absolute chaos no one saw coming. Everything was unexpected. Even the fraud Counter Drive that comes from nowhere is actually brilliant : Hakuren dominated this match because their main assets were unpredicable (and powerful), but it backfired at them. I used to hate it, but now i know it is chief's kiss.

The team co-op : the actual theme of the episodes. When you think in outer code 1, it was established Hakuren had co-op problems because of Atsuya, and then the match comes and it's perfect, makes me think that we, the audience, has been gaslighted to think they was a problem lol. And let's enjoy the coordination between Shirou and Atsuya + at the end of the match, with all hakuren

Shirou and Atsuya, my babies, my blorbos, my fave. If they are in the episode, you know it will be a good time. It was more focused on Atsuya than Shirou, but i don't hate it since he was goated in this match.

I actually like Nae, their new recruit. Yes, she can be annoying but idk, she's funny. I like the sibling relationship she has with Atsuya and the friendship with Norika. Not the most meaningful things Ares had to offer, but it was nice ! :)

The fact that, upon witnessing this match, Haizaki "has seen the light" where he was at this worst. Like, his team is disqualified, he got beat up by thugs without reason, but then he sees Asuto playing in this match, and suddenly things seems to improve. Truly a Haizaki x Asuto moment. Asuto is Jesus to Haizaki lmao

The Atsuya meme : look at this beauty (unfortunatly, this is also here areorion goes downhill visually but fucking worth it)

Conclusion :

[leojurand]

top 10 8 books of the year

i ended up reading 63 books this year, but since about 17 of them were rereads, this is top 8 out of 46.

i usually don't do top 10s or anything similar because choosing is hard, but i wanted to "force" myself to do it this year, and here are the results!

8. the secret lives of country gentlemen, kj charles

kj charles is my absolute favourite romance author, and i think her formula was perfected with the doomsday duology, even though they're not necessarily my fave books by her. out of the two, i chose secret lives because it was so perfect to me! absolutely adored both mcs, individually and together. i always enjoy the kjc novels that have higher stakes, and i was super invested in this story, and the characters, and everything that happened to them. very beautiful romance scenes. can't wait to read whatever she comes up with next!!

7. the mask of apollo, mary renault

it's still crazy to be that i've only read two mary renault books this year, because i am completely in love with every aspect of her writing. the prose is so gorgeous, and this book was so atmospheric and immersive. i love the slow pace in her novels, and there's always moments of introspection that tug at my heartstrings. and that ending!!

6. gaudy night, dorothy l. sayers

pretty sure the fact that i spent like half an hour talking to a classmate about how amazing the sayers's writing is makes her my author of the year. and it couldn't be any other way! of the lord peter wimsey novels, i think gaudy night is her magnum opus. it was a very personal novel for her, and it shows in the care she put into it. i love harriet vane so much, and i adore peter, and i'm so happy that the peak of their romance and their feelings for each other was reached in such a wonderful book.

i only wanted to choose one book per series, but my other two faves are unnatural death and murder must advertise (i have yet to read busman's honeymoon)

5. the ruins, scott smith

and the award for biggest surprise of the year goes to this book! its adaptation is a very nostalgic movie for me, and last month me and my girlfriend decided to watch it together. i decided that was the perfect time to finally pick up the book, since i'd heard so much about it being so much better, as is usually the case. and god, it is much, much better. fantastic writing, and the characters feel so much more human and real than their movie counterparts. great atmosphere, and the gore? oof. one of those novels that makes me stop in the middle of whatever i'm doing and i think "man, the ruins was so good"

4. the winter prince, elizabeth wein

now, this book truly never left my brain since i read it. i picked it up on a whim and it hit me like a truck, which i didn't expect at all from such a short story. it has one of my favourite styles of prose: simple but so, so pretty. it was so easy for me to connect with the characters, especially medraut, and with the messed up dynamics that are shown here. such a wonderful book, i can't explain

so, do i have any excuse for not having read its sequel yet? no! and i'm planning to do that next month

3. the heaven tree, edith pargeter

this is a trilogy but i think of it as one story, so this includes all three books. the heaven tree gave me everything i wanted it to give me: breathtaking prose, drama, fucked up dynamics, beautiful dynamics, characters that are complex and messed up and that i don't agree with so many times, but i could always understand (well, almost always. the romance in the first book is nonsensical and stupid, but i love these books enough to forgive it). such a beautiful story, with a villain who was as easy to hate and to admire simply by how layered he was.

2. the sparrow, mary doria russell

this is the only book on this list that i've already reread, that's how serious this is. also the most "staring at a wall for an hour after finishing it unable to move" book of the year. made me feel so many emotions i can't even begin to explain. the amount of love and pain in this book can't be measured. emilio sandoz character of all time.

1. fire from heaven, mary renault

second mary renault on the list, and one i've read! also one of my earliest books of the year, because i read this in january. and it has stayed with all these months; my love for it didn't falter for even a second. you know when you consumed a piece of media and think "this was made for me"? well, that's how i felt reading fire from heaven. everything about it was perfect to me, from the prose to the pacing to the dynamic between alexander and hephaistion. you can really tell alexander's story was very important to mary renault (she was pretty much obsessed with the guy, and how very relatable), and now it's important to me too.

so, again, how come i haven't read the sequels yet? well, i tried to the persian boy soon after finishing this one, but 50 pages in and i couldn't get into it, which is sad so i decided to leave it for another time. i think i love fire from heaven too much to fully embrace the change in perspective in the second book. maybe i'm petty because the persian boy is considered the best of the trilogy, and maybe renault's best along with the charioteer. and i just don't think i'll feel the same way! it's hard to believe that it will make me feel the way fire from heaven did. and that's why it has to be number 1 on this list, i'm so incredibly attached to it, 11 months after reading it.

and there it is! it's hard to rank books when they're completely different from each other, but i tried. i would say overall it was a pretty good year... hard to compete with last year because well. i did read 15 dorothy dunnett novels almost back to back then. but still! i'm pretty happy

[chinzhilla]

Do you have any fave Thai BL series? If you do, what's your top 10?

hiiii thank you for the ask! 💙 and oh yes of course i do!! i'm not gonna actually rank these but here are my top ten thai bls in no particular order (with commentary bc i always have to be the most verbose person in the room):

The Eclipse - i think this one goes without saying if you’ve been following me for long. it's the first bl i watched live, before this blog even existed, and i imprinted on it like a duckling. that's the firstkhao effect i guess, and also my penchant for repressed sadboys and characters who are so attracted to each other and so mad about it

Manner of Death - may be surprising since i haven’t posted about it much but this drama is just. perfect. one of these days i’m gonna do a rewatch and i’m gonna be SO annoying about it. tension and release doesn't get any better than this, and the entire time the plot is plotting and it's fantastic!!

My School President - this one should also be obvious given it's the source of my url and also basically the reason this blog exists. this is the show that escalated my bl obsession to critical mass and left me with no choice but to make a sideblog about it. the soundtrack is banger after banger, every character is lovable, there are such genuine touching moments, and gemini and fourth just kill it the whole time

A Tale of Thousand Stars - i don't think any show has made me cry more. i was warned but nothing could have really prepared me cause it's like this drama was made in a lab specifically to target all my emotional weak points. i related a ton to tian and his need for escape and agency, and his growth and redemption over the course of the series is really just beautiful

Bed Friend - this show is a bit of a sexy comfort watch for me. to watch uea go through absolute hell and come out the other side getting the love, respect, and devotion (and cat ears) he deserves is just sooo satisfying. and did i mention how sexy it is?

La Pluie - closest i ever came to writing actual meta was while watching this show. its take on soulmates is so refreshing and thought-provoking and i really appreciated its emphasis on family and the trauma it can bring even when everyone loves each other. also gorgeous chemistry from the leads and lomfon and tien had me in a chokehold for weeks

Only Friends - obviously the show has been very polarizing but y'all all know where i stand. i'm not without my criticisms of how THAT storyline ended but there are far far far more positives than negatives for me. and in terms of pure entertainment they DELIVERED

Not Me - another one i don't talk much about but absolutely adored. every relationship in this show could have essays written about it (which i'm sure has been done) and the seanwhite first kiss is actually one of my favorites

Laws of Attraction - charn wasn't on my screen for a minute and i was already in love with him. this is another one with a great plot, good chemistry, and a captivating side couple. the only thing it doesn't hit right on the mark for me is the physical intimacy (especially bc i couldn't help but compare it to mod) but it makes up for it with hot lesbians (silvy pls give me a chance)

I Feel You Linger in the Air - no it's not over yet and yes i'm two (almost three) episodes behind but listen unless they really screw the pooch right at the end this one absolutely deserves to be here. once again the chemistry is chemistrying and the setting and mechanics are FASCINATING. however i have a feeling it's gonna join the ranks of atots as dramas i adored but might not everr watch again due to emotional devastation

honorable mention to Shadow which is currently airing and which i am obsessed with so far. if i ever do another version of this list it may well be on there

[bi4bihankking]

Hi hi hello! I do not have a single clue what you are talking about most of the time because I don't interact with enough of the same part of the DC fandom as you do, (I am but a simple man who is horney for a fish) BUT I want to LEARN. PLEASE tell me more about your faves! I must know!!!

Okay so around the time season 1 of Stargirl was coming out, I ended up getting into baby boy Hank, mostly because Stargirl made him kind of the emotional core of the first season and then killed him off so his wiki page was blowing up, and I have a thing about exactly the type of character he is so I ended up reading Infinity Inc.

Infinity Inc. is a team made up of the kids of the Justice Society, I guess it was kind of like the Titans but it was mostly bio kids, with some adopted ones mixed in, and Hank is the kid of a JSA villain, who...

Putting it very nicely, because what he did was immensely stupid, but also really funny, and cemented him as my fave, he's a telepath, and ended up picking up his father plotting with another telepathic villain, so he went to the JSA to warn them, but they did not listen (because for UNKNOWN FUCKING REASONS he decided to pretend to be his dad), and the entire team of old men started trying to beat him up. He ends up meeting with the rest of Infinity Inc. and to sum up the first arc:

The villains make the kids go evil and send them back in time to the 1940s, and Hank has to run around World War 2 trying to get 40s heroes in the past to help, but hasn't really improved his tactics, but eventually the problem is solved, and they go back to the present, where the villains are making the parents go evil to try and get them to kill the kids, except Hank's dad is... well, he's terrible, but he loves his baby boy, so when the other villain attacks Hank, his dad betrays the operation, and gets killed for it. (I also should mention that Hank's dad is like... the Lex Luthor or Joker of the JSA, he is their biggest villain, him dying, permanently, to protect his kid is really surprising in the context of who he is. He never gets brought back aside from flashbacks and Blackest Night).

But Hank's dad decides to give his son his powers as he dies, which is initially a very sweet thing and I DO NOT think he knew what was going to happen when he did it, but intermittently during the course of Infinity Inc. there were a few moments where an illusion of Hank's dad would pop up to torment him, and this really did not have good implications for what was to come.

Anyway, during Infinity Inc., Hank dates Jade, the original Green Lantern's daughter, Alan DOES NOT like Hank very much, mostly because of his dad, Hank and Jen as a ship are very sweet but they give off very baby's first college relationship vibes, and also I think a lot of people who read Infinity Inc. ship Hank with her twin brother instead. Back in the 40s Hank's dad made Alan think he committed a mass murder, which might add context to this situation. Hank's also the nephew of the leader of Infinity Inc. by adoption, because his mother was the Girl of 1000 Gimmicks, Brainwave Sr./Merry is the weirdest ship in the world, btw, and yeah Hank and Syl's dynamic is also very cute, it's a bit more like siblings because they're close in age, and Hank enjoys being an annoying younger brother it seems.

(He also has a half sister, they have not met, we only found out she was alive like 2 months ago, yeah I am desperate for them to meet, this is not really related to anything else but here you go).

Anyway Cameron is another kid of a JSA villain, his dad is Icicle, who is actually a Green Lantern villain, but who absolutely hates his kid because Cameron is a meta, and his power is ice, and you really really do not want ice inside your womb, just as a warning for any prospective mothers out there, and Cam's dad thinks Cameron is responsible for the love of his life's death. Cameron is kind of semi-adopted by 3rd JSA villain the Wizard tho so it's fine in the end. Cameron is actually a villain, and during the very last arc of Infinity Inc. is involved in Sylvester's murder.

The Infinitors do not last long after Sylvester's murder, btw, Hank peaces out, and when we see him again he's in the middle of a mental breakdown, and is in a fight with an arm of the Justice League, the team manages to beat him, and figures out he's going through severe mental health issues, and basically say if he gets help and rest he'll be fine.

This is where Alan Scott, the Original Green Lantern, re-enters the picture, he builds a special asylum to house Hank, because knowing what his dad was like, he thinks he could be a huge threat, but staffs it with people who are uhhhhhh... not people who want to help Hank get better, they explicitly say they want to study him, and Alan pretty much just wants him locked up too. When he gets out, he is not happy with Alan, especially since he knows that Alan didn't do it because he cared what happened to Hank, he did it because he didn't want Hank dating his daughter.

Anyway, around this time, Hank starts working with Black Adam and Atom Smasher (another member of Infinity Inc., ordinarily a very cute himbo) during their Invasion of Kahndaq, there's 3 other people involved, one of whom is Yolanda Montez's (another member of Infinity Inc.'s cousin), one of whom is Northwind (another another member of Infinity Inc., they may have been a short lived team but they got everywhere) who has unfortunately been de-evolved into a bird man in what is kind of racist writing Geoff Johns, and Soseh, who I only know from this arc lol.

The JSA goes to Kahndaq to try and get their kids back

They completely fail, btw, Alex and Soseh die, Carter rips his godson's wings off, and they have to leave Al behind. They do get Hank back though. Anyway at this point Hank is revealed to have Mister Mind in his head, who is controlling his actions, and maybe was a little bit before, but probably not for the initial breakdown.

So now Hank is better! Yaaaay! And he's living with his mom who was dead but showed up in Young Justice so she just abandoned Hank as a child in a way that made him think she was dead (this is never dealt with)! Also Jay now wants to adopt him and actively tries to do so in future issues! This is an improvement!

Hank is not canon queer yet but there's a few things that make me think it was planned at some point, most notably a scene where Sandy Hawkins (a character most JSA 1999 fans thought was going to be gay) saw him outlined in the stars of his future dream, and a scene where Mister Mind asks Black Adam if the Black Reign team suspects he's possessing Hank, and Black Adam says "Northwind might but I believe it no longer matters to him", which is very strange because Hank and Northwind WERE NOT close in Infinity Inc. this may imply UNSEEN EVENTS.

Also at some point he finds out people used his dad's DNA to make children, sneaks out of the country without the JSA knowing so he can try to keep those kids safe, but then his younger siblings get turned into gods and he loses them again. DC will not let him have 1 thing.

We do get this amazing panel though:

Karen is like... consistently so mean about his mental health issues, unfortunately I feel like DC comics would use that as a basis for a het ship.

Anyway that is everything with Henry up to date. Other than him currently getting kidnapped and tortured.

I ship him with Cameron because of this:

Ice bukkake, but also because thematically it makes sense for Hank to date a villain, he's a lot more understanding of criminals than the rest of the JSA, and I think it would cause drama.