#gawd I hope all of this makes sense ><

[alienssstufff]

q!dapduo parallels in how they handle grief so INTERESTING I LOVE IT (I hate it. I wish they were still alive).

We got q!Slime who while yes he did threaten the lives of others, ultimately and interestingly he never blamed anyone else except himself (and his wife). Slime destroys because he is upset at himself.

Then we got q!Quackity who even if he doesn’t physically lash out or go on a rampage like q!Slime did, he pins the blame on everyone else and to this day is plotting to kill the dude for revenge - Quackity destroys because he’s upset at the world (and even more himself too, but he has not comes to terms with that yet)

[jentlemahae]

my professor is useless

[randomingoftherandomness]

Honestly, the Sumin of the live-action adaptation freaks me and icks me the hell out more than the one from the webtoon. Didn't think that was ever gonna be possible.

I read a post on this tag the other day about how people are hating on Sumin because she "acts cutely" and it was said with the undercurrent of "y'all just hate women" (at least that's how i took it). It sat with me for days and I was pondering on that before I settled on a response.

Sumin gets hate not because she "acts cute". She gets hate because she manipulates and weaponises her "cuteness" to weave her webs and warp things around to suit her. Sumin is hated not because of her comfort in expressing her femininity but the way she uses that femininity to, for the lack of a better word, abuse the trust, respect and love that others have for her.

But do people love her, is yet another question? In the narrative, original Jiwon definitely loves her -- friend, family, sister, her other half... all that jazz. Minhwan definitely loves her for what she gives him -- an ego boost that a beautiful woman could want him (how manly /s), the inflated pride of being able to bag the wife and the whore.

I digress.

We were talking about Sumin of the live-action adaptation.

Too often I find myself watching live-action adaptations and going, "oh this could have been done like that", "oh they omitted that but they left this part in", "huh that's an interesting narrative choice", and much more often than not, I find myself hating it outright (re: howl's moving castle). But with this? Gawd, this version of Sumin is far more obsessed, far more cruel. You get the feeling that she is spiralling and you know she is going to keep doing even crazier shit to keep Jiwon by her side.

And that, if I'm being honest, is her appeal.

This "cute" girl who deadass speaks in aegyo and cutely charms her way through life with her big wide eyes and pouty lips, but who is just as adept at staring at you with those bug eyes and a serial killer smile when the switch flips for her.

I genuinely have been loving the changes that they've been making and I think it keeps it fresh and exciting for us who had loved the webtoon. I don't know. The thoughts are escaping me for now but whatever tendrils I could make sense of, I hope they made sense to you too.

[panelshowsource]

I'm from Australia and grew up with BBC and British TV, but there are still references that take me by surprise. For example, you would believe the "Mitchell Brothers" were real celebrities and ran the entire UK with how many references are made to them, especially across panel shows. Do you experience this? I often /understand/ why certain references, like popular soaps, are, indeed, popular, but I'm still surprised by just how much they're talked about!

omg this is HILARIOUS and YES!!!

i think this will be very funny for any of my uk & ireland followers to read? hahaha

i get asked all the time whether i understand the cultural references on panel shows and in standup (i do!) — but no one has ever asked me if i'm surprised by them! but YES. the best example i can think of is i swear to gawd there was a period of the late 2000s/early 2010s (?) when it felt like you couldn't watch a single episode of any panel show and not hear a noel edmonds joke. noel edmonds. noel edmonds. do you understand how absolutely meaningless that name is to an american like me? but omg i've heard 10000000000000 noel edmonds jokes/references in my day — and it DID surprise me just how much he was on people's minds! and, like you, i get it: he's super famous and he's a good punchline. but still! him and omg fuckin mick hucknall. why. why. why. why is the british light entertainment industry so obsessed with mick hucknall and making jokes about mick hucknall and references to mick hucknall. again, a name that means nothing to americans. so yes very funny to me, as a foreigner, how of all the very very famous people to reference and joke about these are some of the ones that get it the most!

so without further ado i tried to list the british cultural references that i hear the most + that also have a tinge of that "every comedian in britain thinking about pat sharp at all times and has a joke about him at the ready" feeling hahaha

series: coronation street, eastenders, springwatch, crimewatch, doctor who, blue peter, only fools and horses, mrs brown's boys

music: mick hucknall/simply red, the pretenders (it's always "you look like both of the pretenders"), noddy holder/slade, ronan keating, robbie williams/take that, blue, JLS, (there are obv groups like five and s club 7 but they’re not referenced nearly as much,) chesney hawkes

people: the chuckle brothers, eamonn holmes, terry wogan, janet street-porter, moira stuart, jeremy clarkson, noel edmonds, pat sharp (i thought pat sharp was a character on eastenders for about 10 years but that's pat butcher, who is also referenced constantly), john leslie, parky

there are obvious plenty more culturally specific people, places, and things that are referenced and discussed, and it's worth mentioning a lot of this is coming from middle-aged white people, but sheeeeesh... noel edmonds!!! maybe i just notice them now? bc i'm still kinda surprised i'm hearing janet street-porter jokes in 2023?

but i love it! i hope this post makes sense hahaha

[chocotonez]

skz reaction to s/o being scared of the doctors

a/n: me w the dentist tbh, hope everyone is having a happy happy weekend!!

warnings/genre: mostly fluff but a tiny bit of angst for fear?? medical themes (very minor, doctor’s office and stuff…), cursing, death but as a joke, reader is sick but minor issue, lmk if anything else should be tagged!!

chan

-Very comforting and helps ease you into it, doesn’t tease you but gets a bit giggly at your antics

-“y/n, baby, you’re just going for a quick shot!” and he’s holding your hand while you’re sitting on the cot and rambling in order to distract yourself from the overly sterile room and how you feel so incredibly cramped with the smell of alcohol filling your nose

-rubs your shoulders and brings you cute bandage and a sticker for a good job

-immediately praises you for being so brave and it’s half mocking/babying but also he is very proud that you did it!

-gets you food afterwards and tells you that you did great, honestly 10/10 he’s like a comfort dog while you’re there

lee know

-insistent and a bit stern that you go to the doctor’s office because of some issues that can’t be treated with just some advil and hot tea

-he’s not very emotionally in touch with your worries?? more he’s trying to give you a practical approach so you realize that logically this is for your own good

-“don’t worry, I’ll be there the entire time,” and “you’ll be fine, better than throwing up every morning right?” and it’s comforting in his own little way

-kisses your forehead and holds your hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb in order to show you he is there

-kinda an ass afterwards LOL “was it so bad?? gawd🙄” and is so sassy about it but he gets you a sweet treat and is smiling

-feels like a proud parent teehee, but he won’t properly admit that

changbin

-rambles to distract you, which isn’t very comforting when you’re at the doctor for some repeated headaches but you appreciate the effort

-“i was at the gym yesterday and there was this guy right?? And he was posing in the mirror and I was like oh makes sense, yknow, people do that but I looked and saw-“

-probably strikes up friendly conversation with the nurse/doctor to make the atmosphere a little less tense

-is so annoying afterwards where he’s like taking a video of you and is like “yaaay baby survived their doctor’s visit!!” and you are not amused but it was somehow tolerable with him by your side

-“dw babe you know I’ll always be there to protect you from evil doctors” “you nearly died from a heart attack because of a bug in the bathroom” -_-

hyunjin

-brings you something to mess with, a sketch pad, fidget toy, or whatnot to distract you or at least let out some of your anxiety

-not going to outright comfort you about it, but he’ll periodically ask “you ok?” while you wait

-inside he holds your hand the entire time, scrolling through his phone while you get examined, he’s v nonchalant but mainly because he doesn’t want to embarrass you in public

-afterwards tho he’s all over u!! kissing ur cheek and praising you for doing so well and then immediately getting you some food as a reward

-he gets it can be even an even more anxious situation if he starts being overbearing and gathering attention by babying you a bit, so he’ll reassure you privately lol

han

-makes it so incredibly fun !!

-it’s difficult to relax so why not put your anxious energy into smiling or enjoying yourself??

-watches funny videos on his phone with you, plays with the little toy sets that are in the waiting room, makes fun of a rude patient talking off to a nurse…

-it’s hard to think about how you scared you were when you couldn’t stop smiling and giggling at your boyfriend’s antics

-sits on the cot with you and points out details about the room, if you familiarize yourself with a place maybe you won’t be so scared?

-he’ll do anything to make sure all that fear goes into a waaaay better emotion to get you through this doctor’s visit

felix

-drags you out the door to the doctor

-“love, it’s a doctor’s visit, you’ll be fine!!” and he takes the “it’s for your own good approach” but more reassuring than lee know

-tries to compare it like a cute little couple outing to make it seem less intimidating but lowkey might get caught up on his phone and forget you’re shaking in your boots and his neck snaps with how fast he looks to you to make sure you’re not freaking out too badly

-“can we both get stickers??” and he’s just giggling while putting an Elmo sticker on you while he gets Cookie Monster

-you being nervous makes him nervous so honestly it’s best to get out of there as soon as possible LMAO

-“well!! at least we got lollipops :D”

seungmin

-laughing at you, a bit of an asshole but only so he can lighten the tension a bit

-if your anxiety is more severe he’ll wind it down and try talking you through the process by just rambling as well, making sure you don’t have to be alone with your thoughts for too long

-messes around with some stuff and probably ends up dropping something and apologizing to the nurse profusely, was it a bit he set up to make you laugh?? the world will never know

-“if you think about it, you could take a doctor in a fight I think” and you’re just ??? while he’s smiling “yea you could take a doctor in a fight”

-probably says something like “as long as I’m here you’ll be okay,” and it’s very casual but it’s also very sweet because he does genuinely mean it

jeongin

-“listen listen listen, when’s the last time someone died at a hospital??” “say that again but slowly”

-tries to proove to you that it isn’t that bad by being reasoning with you, but once he realizes that you just need him to be there he’ll gladly be there

-stretches his arm to hold your hand while you sit on the cot and he sits on the plastic chair, occasionally rubbing circles on the back of your hand

-shows you really stupid memes on his phone or tik toks to make time go by quicker so it doesn’t feel like you’re trapped there for a long time

-“I kinda wanna get my blood pressure taken too, it seems like such a comforting squeeze and it holds you so securely…” “trade places with me then??”

-gets you a meal afterwards and is all smiles from then on, praising you for getting through it

[not-goldy]

No sane jimin stan would ever want the kinda of push jk is getting for jimin trust me. i would take face and all it’s struggling over the heavy push any day. No hate to jk though you do you boo. I hope jimin stays away from the west and it’s boring industry. He’s the only one giving me old bts vibes and id hate for him to lose that. i know his time is gonna come with or without bh push , he has insane talent and artistry, he always got the entire kpop community’s attention (it boy things) he gets everyone talking about him because he’s the main character. I’m not worried about jimin, he’s always been a winner so jm stans relax ok? We stan an intelligent man who knows what he’s doing and he’s coming for everyone’s necks very soon. At the end of the day talent wins and jm has no competition when it comes to that so what are yall worried about?

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhh yaaaaaaasssssssssssss

baaaabbbbbbbeeeeee!!!!!!!

TALK DIRTY TO ME!

YOU. THE SPOT ➡️🔛

HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING!!!!!!!!

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT AN IDOL IS MORE THAN HIM.

HE IS SHOOTING FOR LONGEVITY IN WHATEVER NICHE HE CARVES FOR HIMSELF AND HE INTENDS TO DOMINATE IT COS NO ONE DOES IDOL BETTER THAN HIM. NOBODY.

HE VALUES AUTHENTICITY AND STAYING TRUE TO HIMSELF

HE HAS VISION AND A SENSE OF DIRECTION AND WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS CAREER

HE IS CAREFUL AND SELECTIVE AND IS CONSCIOUSLY BUILDING HIS BRAND

HE TRULY KNOWS WHAT HE'S ALL ABOUT AND MY GAWD HE'S SO SEXY FOR THAT

BRILLIANT AMAZING SHOW STOPING NEVER THE SAME TOTALLY THE SAME

IF HE STARTS LEANING INTO HIS ART MY GAWD!

IF PARK JIMIN STARTS LEANING INTO HIS ARTISTIC STRENGTHS THE EARTH WILL QUAKE

WE ARE NOT READY

WE ARE NOT READY FOR A JIMIN BLACK SWAN ESQUE SOLO TRAJECTORY

SEE THE WAY YHE GROUND TREMBLED WHEN HE DROPPED SET ME FREE?????

DID YALL FEEL THAT OR WAS IT JUST ME????

YALL FINNA HOLD ON TO SOMETHING

I'm honestly happy with the trajectory of his career. No one understands or sees the potential he is harboring more than me.

I love how he is pacing himself. Taking his time to decide and define his niche. He knows what he wants the world to see him as and if you pay attention to what he says in his interviews and lives with us you can tell the thought that he puts into everything he does.

I'm sorry but Jimin will not rush into something he cannot commit to. Unlike some one like Jungkook- bless his heart- he is not impulsive at all. He's not gonna rush and set up an IG on a whim and delete it a few months later.

Jungkook can be so impulsive sometimes and he is a bit of a live in the moment kind of guy in my opinion and that allows him to seize the day, make hay while its shinning, carpe diem- the whole nine.

To be honest, sometimes I do wish Jimin would losen up a bit and make mistakes and correct them as he goes and be a bit impulsive too- not too much just a little. Teeny tiny little. And I know it's something he's been working at. He keeps talking about this and I'm proud of him for it.

Love Jungkook or hate him, you can't say he is not making the most out of his career even if things should magically fall into his laps. He's a seize the day kinda pal and I truly really admire that about him.

I mean it's right there on his sleeve tattoo 😆

Sometimes it's about working smart not just working hard and also seizing opportunities that come your way. You might never get the same opportunity twice.

I don't know but Jungkook and Jimin are similar yet also so different so when people compare them sometimes i wonder if they take all these differences in their characters into consideration- and I know I said we should leave him out of discussions about Jimin but my mind keeps drifting back and forth between them 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[waitmyturtles]

Friends, family! Some updates and questions on the Old GMMTV Challenge -- if anyone catches this post, I would love your input! (AND THANK YOU for all the input on this watch journey so far, I LOVE YOU, FAM!)

1) Love Sick. Oh my gosh, I am TOTALLY enjoying this show. Yes, lots of problems, LOTS of issues, and I get to enjoy the BL cuts, so I’m missing all the messy het context (thank GAWD). 

But seriously -- oh my god, oh my god. Noh and Phun are like, a canon Thai BL couple? They’re SO PERFECT FOR THE JOB. It’s so amazing, they’re so amazing. Noh is so insane and WISE. Phun is SO CRAZY IN LUV. I love that Phun just CANNOT HOLD BACK! THOSE EYES! (This guy is my TUL?! TUL?!)

So watching Love Sick now makes me regret, by quite a lot, not watching these shows chronologically. I think it would have helped me a lot to watch Love Sick before SOTUS, but alas, I let my curiosity about Singto get the best of me. More on this in a second.

2) @absolutebl, @clairificusrex, @nieves-de-sugui, and anyone else who wants to chime in! Question for y’all: I found this playlist on YouTube for BL cuts of Love Sick season 2. Do these edits look reliable to you? I unfortunately have to multitask at all times when I’m watching dramas, so I can’t fast-forward -- I think I might need to rely on this playlist to finish out LS2. Gah. I hope these work for the task at hand!

3) Okay, chronology. I would love advice, thoughts, feedback on the following questions! (I’m sorry I’m asking all these questions, btw: I have a huge trip coming up, and may run into rights issues where I’m going, so I want to get a good watch plan solidified before I leave. Because... I’m a list person, oh god.)

Like I said, I think I messed myself up by watching SOTUS before Love Sick. I think it would have really helped me to understand SOTUS even more if I had watching LS first, to catch on some tropes that were clearly borne out of LS.

@absolutebl recommended, as the third drama of the OGMMTVC, 2gether. But, in a separate comment thread, @shortpplfedup also mentioned that Love Sick and Make It Right kind go together (@shortpplfedup, let me know if I’m stating this reliably) as two of the early high school pulp BLs. 

I don’t know if Make It Right is as referenced, trope- or script-wise, as an early BL as Love Sick or SOTUS. But it does have Ohm Pawat, who is one of the actors I permanently rabbithole, and I do really appreciate watching Love Sick now to see all the high school tropes being built. 

So I’m wondering: for chronology’s sake, would it make sense to watch Make It Right/MIR2 next, after Love Sick, if this is a side-path I want to take to learn about canon regarding high school settings? 

Or... is Make It Right not worth it? I know @absolutebl has said before that the heat of MIR may be wiggly for the youth of the actors. I’d love input! If MIR gives by way of education, I may want to dig into it while I’m on the road.

4) And then after that, closing out the OGMMTVC would be 2gether. However!

a) My other side commitment is to understand Aof’s oeuvre. And He’s Coming to Me and Dark Blue Kiss both aired BEFORE 2gether. So I’m kinda wondering if I should watch those first, before 2gether.

b) And then there’s his involvement with the 2gether franchise, which -- I had no idea about until I perused MDL. And I’m totally not quite following what all the sequels mean and maybe, why he got involved in the franchise?

Was 2gether so bad, in a way, that Aof and Fon Kannitha had to come in and, like, rescue the franchise for Still 2gether and 2gether: The Movie?

And, what the heck is this MDL description of the movie? Is it, like... a summary of the two previous series?

(Is all of this messy-mess indicative of why 2gether landed on the OGMMTVC list? Ha.)

I’m a little confused by what the whole deal is with 2gether, and if the sequels are worth watching. For me, the priority would be to watch Aof’s work as it progresses over time, which makes me think I should interrupt the OGMMTVC to watch He’s Coming To Me and Dark Blue Kiss first. Because, again, I’m wondering if he or GMMTV felt that he needed to come in and, like, save the 2gether franchise. When I was digging into all of this in MDL, I was totally surprised to see his name there.

Whew. I know this was a lot, but I appreciate ANY crumbs from the experts. (2gether, on paper, looks like a hot mess, but I know BrightWin are beloved, so...what’s up with that, ha.) If anyone’s reading and commenting this -- thanks, y’all, in advance, for your input!

[rahuratna]

Hi Rahu!! 👋 👋

Do you like apocalyptic stories/movies? Like anything with zombies or Death Angels overtaking the earth, and the protagonists have to learn to co-operate.

I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion but I think that apocalyptic movies, typically classified as horror, has a certain beauty to them. There are certain scenes that are so ethereal, the brief moments amidst chaos when it’s a soothing quiet. There’s no one else, and it’s reminiscent of being the first and only one to wake up early in the morning and watch the sun rise all to yourself. (I think this shows just how introverted I am LOL.) Or with a partner, like maybe Nanami 🥹🥹🥲, but I can’t relate 😂

The second point I wanted to bring up: have you watched Train to Busan? Basically it’s about a fund manager who is a workaholic and also a divorced father as he was often absent from his family. For his daughter’s birthday, she wanted to go see his mother so they take a the train to Busan. However, an infected person boards the train, and the unaffected passengers must isolate the zombies in the separate carts until they reach Busan.

One of the big themes is balancing self-interest and the protection of others. You see this played out in different variations with the different characters. Some don’t mind sacrificing themselves for the sake of the majority, a few selfish people will make reckless decisions that will sacrifice everyone else’s life for their own benefit, and then we have the father. If my faded and wavering memory (💀) serves correctly, he only looked out for his own and his daughter’s safety and disregard the other passengers’. This changes by the end— I don’t want to specify how because no spoilers but imo it’s a very beautiful character growth to witness.

So why do I bring this up? Because, oh. my. gawd, it reminded me soooo much of Salaryman Era!Nanami Kento 😙😙😙

Finance? ✅

6’0+ ✅

Tired workaholic dad? ✅

Oh, side note, it makes sense why Gege said Nanami would only want to get married after he’s done with jujutsu sorcery, so he can pay all his attention to his lovely new family! The male lead’s splintered family from Train to Busan is like a “what would’ve happened” if Nanami chose to have a family while being so busy.

If you are interested in an apocalypse AU (or not, that’s okay too! since this is a bit different from character analysis), I wanted to discuss with you the potential philosophies and decision-makings of salaryman Nanami before he finds his purpose as a protector. When his only goals were money, beach house, and reading (so relatable). I wonder how this past version of Nanami would react and if he would choose to save anyone. Maybe not at first, or maybe he’d be very selective at first? But I could totally see potential character growth and also find someone worth saving (you 😏).

For now, I’ll just leave this conversation as open-ended since I’m unsure if it’s a topic worth pursuing for you. I used to be in to dystopian, but I slowly fell out of love and quickly became infatuated with both apocalyptic media and Nanami Kento. Hope you’re having a great day! 💜💜💜

@courtneedsleep Wow, this is so fascinating! So, to get into it, I love dystopian themes, but have watched my fair share of apocalyptic themes in media too. I know exactly what you mean by the beauty of the quiet juxtaposed with the frenetic energy and near escapes (or not) of the rest of the film.

My personal favourite piece of apocalyptic/dystopian media is 'Oryx and Crake' by Margaret Atwood, a book I can return to many, many times. Some of the most beautiful, haunting scenes are the moments of stillness and stolen beauty, where the main character's memories of the past superimpose themselves over the naked desolation of the present, a world designed for millions now inhabited by a few. So I completely understand what you mean when you say that the brief moments of peace amongst the chaos stand out the most.

I haven't watched Train to Busan, but based on this description, think I'm gonna get back from work and watch it tomorrow evening. A cosy movie night!

The evolution of salaryman Nanami is a fascinating one, because he placed his personal desires first (saving for his comfortable retirement, as you mentioned), but his innate desire to help others draws him inevitably back to sorcery.

So, on this note, I think salaryman Nanami would show a distinct evolution in an apocalyptic setting, particularly if he had a family. His initial instincts would be to protect his child, probably to the point of ruthlessness (and assuming there would be a similar familial set-up to 'Train to Busan'). Nanami's analytic mind and ability to accurately and carefully assess risks and outcomes of situations would probably be invaluable to anyone he comes into contact with.

I feel, to extend on that, that in this setting, he would probably start out just looking out for himself, and possibly his child. Due to his natural, quiet charisma and ability to take charge, he would probably gather a following of people who see him as trustworthy, level-headed and a leader, even if he himself denies any such role. I feel like people would naturally gravitate towards him in this sense, including those with useful skills who need to simply be pointed in the right direction.

Although Nanami would start out strictly looking after his family, I think that in this setting, he would eventually start to see and understand that the isolation of modern living and the rules that apply, all fall away when faced with an apocalyptic situation. He would come to realise that the skills, personalities and unique perspectives of others are things to be valued and relied upon. It would be a slow process, but he'd get there.

Nanami's principles, as strong as ever, would never allow him to use someone for his/his family's convenience. If he was to operate independently, and look out only for himself at the outset, he'd never do so at the expense of someone else. His thoughts would be more along the line of: "I will save my family. Everyone else can do whatever they want." And it's this mindset that would gradually change the more he is exposed to some core group of reliable companions who may even rescue him from a tight situation on more than one occasion.

His gradual acknowledgement of the involvement others have in his life and survival could open the door a crack for maybe some romance 😉 Or at least, hints of it. This gradual opening up would also have implications for his personal growth and development. That rare beauty you spoke of in apocalyptic media, the moment of serenity and otherworldly calm amidst the devastation, is something that could open his eyes to the importance of humanity's preservation, for future generations (like his child).

While this may not lead to the exact evolution of Sorcerer Nanami, who we know and love so well, it would certainly drive him to become something very close. The theme of self-interest versus selfishness is a really interesting one, because Nanami's canon 'selfishness' always rang a little hollow for me. He worked so hard for those things (books, comfort, an early retirement), but all it took was one person (bakery girl) showing him how killing curses helps people, to turn him back to his selfless (and self-sacrificing) job of being a sorcerer. At heart, Nanami could never have put himself first. Not to say that he didn't genuinely want those personal goals, he just put them aside so quickly for a higher cause, because that's just who he is.

Apocalyptic Salaryman Nanami would probably have the same epiphany, arriving in a different vehicle. Some trigger would help him understand the value of self-sacrifice/sacrifice in general for a greater good; ensuring the safety of not just his child/loved one, but everyone who can be saved. He'd adopt the role of guardian, but in a symbolic sense too, safeguarding the future that belongs to his child and all like them. Where that would lead his character ... who knows? 🤭

It would be fun to speculate!

Thank you for another lovely and fascinating idea to discuss. 🧡🧡🧡

[dailycass-cain]

Detective Comics #1079 brings a lot of plot points Ram V has been spinning this arc to a head, including the one involving Cass. So here are my thoughts on the penultimate issue.

There's just a fondness I have for this series as THE Batman comic right now. It has an aura of late 90s to early 00s Batman comics spun in a modern angle.

I feel quite at home with this run.

All the protagonists are given their due here. No one is cut short, and we get teased with more entries (because Ram V did say EVERYONE would get their moment and three characters have been quiet until this issue) as the arc reaches its final crossing.

There are a lot of emotional bits here from Lian/Jade's stuff (which feels like we're getting to the final bits for them sadly, which I hope we don't) to the badassery of Azrael (gawd I want more of him in this run).

Then there's Cass's section with Freeze.

It makes complete sense that with Selina's plan in full effect if you haven't figured it out now, that Cass's part was a distraction and an attempt. To get the Orgham distracted so Selina could steal her prize.

It just feels so opposite to what's being presented in Batman and Catwoman comics along with the whole Gotham War debacle, and how rewarding this run is to seeds to prior Ram V runs (Catwoman) and this one.

This is an event done right, with stakes presented as high, villains who are quite imposing, and an emotional rollercoaster ride.

It's said in panels what the Reality Engine does, and we've seen it in action when Bruce tried to stop it. But dammit I SO want to see a story on Cass's struggle against it.

We see it teased in this issue, but a hardened warrior like Cass against this thing? GIMME!

The art here just looks so warped until the predictable occurs. Freeze betrays Cass and Selina's plan. He gets what he wants, and chills out.

Though Selina DID anticipate this, it wasn't her real goal which she does achieve in the issue.

However, I'm curious about what will come with Freeze having access to the Reality Engine and if Cass will have a role in stopping it?

I'm guessing YES.

Though it sort of feels like Cass's role in this arc has come to an end. I mean it feels like it but who knows. That said if it was and this is the final appearance of Cass in 2023.

Dang, I want more Ram V-written Cass goodness, please.

I am curious just how much damage both she and Freeze did as the latter did set off a "freeze bomb" that she escaped from, but there's no telling (until future issues) how the Orgham will recover from this setback.

I'm glad this arc was "bi-weekly". Though, as much kudos I give to the writer, both Jason Shawn Alexander and Liam Sharp deserve so much credit for this arc too. Everything they've drawn in this arc just CLICKS with the writing.

Again, this was another stellar issue, and I can't wait to see where this arc ends. As basically, Selina has won. The question is can she run away with that win or will someone ELSE sneak in? I think the latter might occur.

Look, I know it's highly unlikely but I kind of want a Flamingo vs Cass or Azrael fight. Just two hardened folk going against a foe like Flamingo? Gimme. Let Bruce take on Hurt and finish the Barbatos plot.

Though part of me wonders are Jean Paul and Barbatos linked?

Or even Cass and the Bat Demon?

These just avenues never explored given Jean-Paul did become Batman and is sporting said batty costume in this arc.

This was another fantastic issue on this run and I just wish we'd talk about how AMAZING this series. That and how when this is collected in complete form how KILLER this story will be even more.

[hughungrybear]

****Late to the party because I managed to fail my driver's licence test, so I'm going to cheer myself up and binge-watch the series on my list 😔****

Me watching Only Friends Ep. 8:

1. Based on the preview, this episode's title (Save Me) seems very apt to what is about to happen.

2. Cheum looked like she swallowed a lemon, but I guess her concerns are nothing compared to what is Sand's feeling as Mew and Ray grind drunk on the dance floor 😔. After all, the shittiest feeling is knowing exactly what is causing your heartache, but are powerless to do anything about it - except walking away that is.

3. Ray admitting he is so "damn happy" when he is with Sand, but still thinking that Mew is the one he loves is so frustrating. I want to reach out and shake this baby boy hard to see some sense. 😤😤😤

4. Wait, why are Yo and Plug fighting??? I thought they were already lovers? <after five seconds> Oh. Oh. Yo, if you are not ready for a relationship, then you should have never started at all. I'm with Plug on this one. 😔 Sidenote: P'Jenny's silent tears in this scene is heartbreaking. 😭😭😭

5. It looks like Mew will be losing everything he worked hard for if he doesn't stop his downward spiral. Although, I'm not sure if Top is the one who can save him. Truthfully, I just want these boys to be able to save themselves.

6. Okay, so at least it looks like Top's intentions are good. Unless he is lying to Cheum (about not caring if Mew comes back to him or not, as long as they save him), I guess there's a glimmer of hope for this character.

7. Gosh, Papang is simply everywhere. Does not matter whether it's BL, comedy, thriller, or your garden-variety lakorn. Papang must be the most tired actor in GMMTV for 2023 😂

8. It sure looks like Nick was summoned, not only for his tech skills, but also to become his senior's next boyfie 😅

9. "If licking your a** can get me this job, I will do it". ~ Nick

Oh. My. Gawd. I do think Papang's character will literally take you up on that offer, Nick. 🫣🫣🫣

10. Oh, at last, Title is here. I have been wondering about his role for this series.

11. Ngl. I just want to slap both Mew and Ray. It is pretty obvious how they are forcing themselves to look like they are having fun with each other's company. My head hurts just by looking at these kids.

12. Oh, Nick. Listen to Sand. STOP MOVING IN CIRCLES!!! BOSTON AIN'T WORTH IT. 😑😑😑

13. Ray, make up your damn mind. Either you love Mew or you want Sand. Pick an effing lane. Good for Sand for shutting that sh*t down.

14. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Atom (Title) and Cheum are siblings??? And Atom is interested in Boston? And if Boston take Atom up on his offer? What then??? Wtf will happen?

15. Sand still worrying about Ray despite everything is just depressingly sad.

Still not convinced that leopards (Top) can truly changed their spots. Looks like Sand will not be able to stay away from Ray. And Boston literally screwing Cheum's lil bro will definitely not go well. Gods, now I'm even more depressed after watching this episode lol. 😅

[keets-writing-corner]

I FINALLY GOT CHAPTER 2 UP

Here's chapter 1 if anyone missed that one

gawd it took me so long I'm so sorry! In my defense it's double the length of chapter 1. Here's a little preview

It started with a boom that rivaled thunder. 

Lilith jumped awake in the dead of night, heart pounding. Around her, animals were chittering, panicked. There was an energy, a tension in the air. She couldn’t quite understand what it was or what was happening. She still could find no source of the noise that had awoken her. 

Another boom rattled the air, followed by actual thunder. Both were accompanied by blinding light from the sky above. The ground beneath her shook, and the plants rattled their leaves. 

Lilith stood and began to run. She could barely see what was going on through the canopy of the trees, but she was determined to figure out what was going on. Normally at night, she wouldn’t have been able to see anything. But with every crash, every shake, every boom, the sky lit up with different colors and illuminated her path. 

When she finally reached a clearing, her suspicions were confirmed but her questions remained unanswered. 

The sky above her was in turmoil. The clouds churned and danced around each other, trying to crush each other and melting into each other. They tugged and pulled, ripped and teared away at each other. Lights would flash from behind them with their deafening booms. It looked like the end of days. 

The only experience Lilith had that was even remotely akin to this was light rain, but mostly only because it’d be cloudy with distant thunder. This-... This was something else completely.

Lilith watched transfixed. Hoping maybe at some point it would let up or fade. But it wouldn’t. At most there would be a longer stretch of seconds between the next flash of light than other times, but it never waned. 

Soon, the battle of the sky stretched into the daytime, distorting the colors of the sunrise around it to a violent red before eventually giving way to day. The clouds remained dark, and heavy, sometimes even black at times. 

Lilith had hoped that during the day it would make more sense, or be less frightening. Instead, what she saw was only worse. 

“Lilith!” a voice called to her, and she turned. Eve was beckoning her, “Come on! I know you don’t like Adam much, but don’t be alone in this!” 

Lilith glanced at the sky one last time before running over to Eve. 

Eve was right. As annoying as Adam was, being alone with that chaos reigning above her would be worse. It seemed however, whatever it was that was happening, was also rattling Adam. For once, he took on a more protective role over the two women, trying to comfort them. 

They spent the day together eating the fruits of Eden, and sitting together looking at the sky. 

When the sun started to set, the sky was still rumbling and booming. The lights distorted the clouds into monstrous shapes before immediately destroying them and then creating more shapes.

“What in Eden’s name is going on??” Adam hissed under his breath. “Is this going to last all night too?” 

It did. 

None of them got much sleep. 

It lasted all throughout the next day as well. And the next night, and the day after that. 

It never rained, and the wind only minorly picked up, as if down below on Eden was completely separate to what was happening above. Lilith eventually grew weary of Adam once again and broke off to be by herself. Clearly, whatever was happening wasn’t about to hurt her. 

Finally, after seven days and seven nights, when the dawn was breaking through the thickness of night, there was a sickening sound that started off as a crackle but devolved into a rattle as a single light flared in the sky and then jortled across it. 

The sky went quiet as that single light began to fall, a smaller piece of it broke off and went on its own trail. 

Lilith could only watch in morbid fascination as the streak of light fell, and when it hit the earth, the ground itself shook, rippling out in waves as if it had turned liquid. 

Lilith grabbed onto a tree for stability as all the animals screeched around her. 

Then it settled. 

The ground no longer shook.

The sky was silent and still. 

Looking up at it however, in the exact trace of the light, the edges of the clouds had been ripped apart, and the sunrise was making it glow an angry red. The air was uncomfortably chilly. It felt as if something had been irrevocably changed.

___________________

And here's the link again for the full thing

[outivv]

to other anon star rail revenue suffering compared to previous months is because they for some reason decided to put some of thee most skippable units(from fanbase perspective)back to back after firefly like jade only really shines in one game mode and that’s straight up not good enough for most people(unless you’re a desperate blade main because he’s suffering rn)especially when 1.x units can still clear in all modes fairly decently(well like..except blade LOL😭😭)

and she came right after firefly who probably made hsr closer to 120+~mil if we go by sensory towers method ie “we dont have access to android,pc and console revenue so we let you do calculations to see what the revenue earned this month MIGHT have looked like if we did have access to these”(another side note eek but gawd as someone who used to play hi3 i mourn the fact ff got a miles better kit than hofi kiana yknow the character hoyo openly calls their daughter😭)

Yunli while good is literally just clara but a slight bit better which while we dont know how much she made yet acheron and firefly very much so have affected how people will look at new dps because of just how broken they are so(the genshin equivalent of this would be neuvillette and mualani where shes maybe looking to be around top dps wise but shes not at his level so a decent amount of people automatically disregard her)

Jiaoqiu while not as bad as people made him out to be is still not a must grab either and is more than likely going to be skippable to meta slaves and the casual very limited amount jades players so already at a disadvantage esp with leakers constantly going “oh oh MAYBE sunday will be in 2.6 oh oh maybe he’ll be in 2.7🤭”so unless hardcore fans,people who roll for any man in the game because they are in a drought compared to 1.x days ,or just anyone who’s that desperate for a support clutch it star rail is going to drip back into its usual revenue unless they decide last minute to make feixiao broken or decide to roll out the red carpet for sunday sooner rather than later

(anways lol sorry tgis is so long i nerd out when it comes to these things)

Totally cool I love when people nerd out cause then it gives me an excuse to be a fucking nerd too BAHHAHAHA

Jade is genuinely garbage I am not even gonna lie. Her design isn’t that good, her character? Racist BAHAGAH, her kit? Bro she’s not even like sparkle where she’s like a terrible character but her kit is suuuuper good, she’s just like not very good all around, so that does make sense as to why she’s just… no one spent on her unless they were gooners tbh

Blade is suffering so bad… like omfg- I used to main blade and holy shit he just can’t. Like he cannot do the dmg he needs to unless you run him with jingliu imo because of how she takes hp away, and blade’s main dmg source is from his fua cause it’s an all hitting attack. Hope blade gets some kinda buff or something with a character like jingliu who takes hp away slowly but is actually a buffer- ooooo.

I think yunli is relatively good, I’ve seen my friend who’s got a very f2p build on her do like 1.5 mil with her, but that’s also cause of their own insane supports BAHAHAH. Idk what most meta players think of her, because personally I don’t care about the meta. Bitch I main Argenti and Boothill, I do NOT care about meta. But, yunli like you said- is still just slight better Clara, and I believe most people have Clara cause she was soooo big in early stage meta, so it’s like… why get yunli is Clara already does the job, unless you just like yunli which is fair cause she’s a cute character.

Jiaoqiu feels like… like like like- topaz kinda. Like I feel like he’ll be great later on, and while he has uses now- especially for buffing the FUCK out of Acheron, I feel like they’ll be like “look at this specific meta we’re making so now Jiaoqiu is more useful :3” cause he just feels so strange now, even if he’s quickly become one of my personal favs 😔

But most people are skipping him, I know I am- and I’m skipping him for feixiao cause from what I’ve seen of her she’s stupidly broken ☺️🫶

Like STUPIDLY broken; fuck- fucking imagine her with Robin? Stupid dmg, but we don’t know her scaling yet, she just looks actually abysmal AHAHAH especially when paired with Moze (who I’m hella excited for :3)

Sunday has been confirmed by leakers to likely not be in 2.6 or 2.7 and if he were to be in either patches (this is my opinion) it would be 2.7 I think, since either 2.7 or 2.8 will be likely the last patch of 2.x and then it’ll be 3.0 so even more reason for people to save, since 3.0 is pretty much right around the corner :P

[cutekittenlady]

Tumblr Plays Pokemon White 2 - Part 5

I just need one.

Just to steady my nerves.

JUST. ONE.

GLUG

GLUG

GLUG

Ohhhh thats the good stuff.

Okay Polly. You can do this. Just walk out on that soundstage. And, i dunno, act?

Dear lord this is like third grade talen show all over again. Only this time I don't have Hugh to dig the hole.

......

The filming... actually turned out okay? It was pretty standard fare hero schlock but ah well.

And hey, i actually have a fan!

Hmmm this is going straight into my veins.

Dont tell my mom.

Your lucky I've had my lemonade hit today old man.

Welp. Guess I'm a move star now.

hehe.

Oh shoot it's dark. Uhhh is Pop Roxie still running his boat? I did say I was gonna do all the gym matches so I kinda gotta go to Castelia right? Hnngh maybe I'll come back to do more films later?

At least after getting a set of wings or something to get here and back again in a jiffy.

I wind up running to the pier in the rain.

Okay Hugh I'm here, sorry I took so long. See there was this bald guy with a really unfotunate name and-

Whaaaats going on here?

What like.... like the terrorist group? I mean lets not jump the gun here Roxie. I mean just cause theyre dressed kinda funny doesn't mean we can just jump to conclusion. Besides even if they WERE Team Plasma they wouldn't just admit to it. Nobodys that-

... Wow okay so... you guys are like... actually that dumb then?

Look I- No I get you wanna make some big dramatic speech but I- Stop cutting me off you RUDE LITTLE-

Hugh, baby, do NOT cut the Polly off when shes speaking! You know what happened in third grade.

Anyway Hugh goes off on this whole hate filled speech about how much these guys suck. And I expected some kinda edgy response but instead.

Home slice. You were chased... by Lillipup? Dude I hit a Lillipup with a bike when I was, like, five and it was flattened like a pancake. Sure, I got banned from riding for, like, ten years but my point is that anyone who runs from a Lillipup, a Lillipup right?, has no right joining a terrorist organization.

God its the third grade all over again.

Hope you have a shovel Hugh.

Oh sweetie.

We're gonna bury you.

Plasma Grunt sent out a Patrat against Bentley and you can just tell that Bentley has a chip on his shoulder over the Gym battle because hes raring to go. Patrat starts with bide after Bentley wraps him up, after that I had Bentley use growth while Patrat stored energy. Next round Patrat releases the energy and Bentley hit him with vine whip. That combined with wrap gets the little rat int he red. Patrat manages to forestall hi defeat with detect but one return later and its over.

After defeating the Patrat Bentley learns Leaf Tornado.

The Plasma grunt and his buddies have enough sense to run off before we can really get going and run for their lives.

Its okay Hugh you didn't have a shovel anyway.

Uh... Pretty sure thats a YOU job? Your the gym leader here.

However Roxie gives me the HM for Cut before running off.

Well Hugh guess we have a free HM now soooooo

Deep inhale through nose

Yeah okay.

Your lucky were friends Hugh.

The things I do for friendship.

Thats what I DOING! GAWD

Look its not like we're even going to find them! If they're really in a terrorist cell theres no way they're just going to be standing out in the open like a jackass saying "Come and get me Polly"

.... Bentley.

Go loose buddy.

Hey look its a purrloin.

And now its dead.

Just like old times. Old times being, like, the day before yesterday. Or whatever.

Aaaand the Plasma grunt runs away.

Hugh get her!

I... you... She ran RIGHT PAST YOU!

YOU HAVE A PIG WHO BREATHES FIRE!

wHaT... i DONt.... THIS IF YOUR VENDETTA!

oh please do tell

Okay she said they have a boat. Castelia City has a port. Hmm Okay.

I... we were JUST there Hugh! We'd have been better off just waiting in Virbank for them to come back and then jumping out at them from behind a trash can! Or dragging them into an alley to get info or something!

Arceus Dammit Hugh! This is YOUR revenge quest! I'm just tagging along cause Prof. Juniper asked me to complete... the... pokedex....

You know what Hugh, you uh, you go on ahead. I have some stuff I gotta... take... care of....

Shit shit shit how many pokemon do I have to catch?!

Ran into a shaking bush and caught an audino on the way to the pokemon center. Shove THAT into the PC for now, what else....

Route 19... Route 19 gotta start with route 19. Habitat mode dont fail me now!

GOT IT!

YOU. IN BALL. NOW

DANGIT YOU ARE NOT GETTING IN THE BALL

ARIES GT OUT THERE AND PARALYZE THAT CRETIN!

YES

IN BALL

CAUGHT

MOVING ON

DAMMIT OF COURSE THE FIRST PURRLOIN I FIND HAS LIMBER

AAAAAAAHHHHH

[trashlie]

Hi Ashlie it's lil anon again 💗 I hope you have adjusted to your meds and had fun experimenting with gouache... That sounds cool, I wish I could do that but too bad I don't have a single creative bone in my body 😭 it's okay I'll stick to playing viddy games...

There is something I want to bring up for your consideration that's been bouncing around in my head. When Hansuke mentioned that it was hard for him to get into medical school despite his excellent grades, people concluded that Yui must have stood in his way and Hansuke's mother probably made a deal with her, correct? That felt like such a relevant tidbit that will come up again, because otherwise why the effort to draw those panels. So... I think there might be a parallel to Nol here. We know he is going to spend the 4 year time skip abroad, right? But how will he get there, when Yui is so opposed to it and needs to keep him under her thumb? So 🤔 I've been thinking maybe Rand makes a similar deal with Yui so she lets Nol go. Not sure what the details of the deal will be, but it could even be something like "I'll get the kid into any school he wants if you step down from the CEO position within the next 5 years and let Kousuke take over, and don't plot anything against me ever again". It's a big sacrifice, but it feels like Rand had some extremely harsh realizations about how miserable Nol is after finding his scarf in the pool, and then finding him bleeding in the snow and the Ivan the Terrible reference. It feels so much like he has reached his end, "it's not my message to pass along anymore" felt so pointed. I also keep thinking about how guilty Rand must be feeling. He didn't only fail his own son, he failed to protect NESSA'S CHILD ;A; someone so precious and important to her, someone she loved so dearly. Even if it was unspoken it's clear that she counted on Rand to take care of their son when she couldn't anymore, and he failed her miserably. Gawd just thinking about that makes me wanna cry 😔😭💔 So maybe this will be what pushes him to step up and actually do something useful for his child, maybe that deal will be his self-sacrifice. What are your thoughts on this? I know I might be reaching, it might be Yu Jing's article that will help Nol go abroad, and I'm very aware of the death flags surrounding Rand, and maybe he'll just die or Yui kills him and that's that. With Kousuke having all these realizations it's not unlikely that Yui gets rid of Rand so they don't become allies. But I don't want his death to be so... pointless, I guess? BE A FATHER EVEN IF JUST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE DAMMIT ;A;

On a lighter but similarly emotional note, when do you think Shinae and Nol are going to be on a first/real name basis? It might be just me but I feel like it's coming 👀 It's been said a thousand times (and good, let's manifest it 🤞🏾) that they must be on the same page by the end of season 1 for the story to flow smoothly. And that must include the names as well, right? Because the names are a big part of the distance between them and to Shinae, "Yeonggi" isn't enough anymore, she wants "Nol". And, in theory, he must first accept his name before he is comfortable with her saying it, but maybe the other way around would work better. If he lets her into the circle of people who can call him Nol even if he isn't completely ready for it, maybe that will actually be the important first step to accept himself. Because if Shinae accepts that side of him and doesn't think he's horrible, then he can't be that horrible, right. Basically a you don't have to love yourself for other people to love you and with time you can see yourself through their eyes and find that everything you dislike about yourself doesn't make you unlovable because they love you regardless type of thing. Does that make sense? I hope you understand what I'm trying to get at 😅 He also doesn't want to be vulnerable and open up as Yeonggi, it's not part of that persona. But maybe once she is on the Nol side for good, he can be more honest, because she is already there so why not. Not that he'll immediately tell her everything, obviously, but just be more honest dude just tell her that you're scared and not ready for certain conversations yet instead of putting up a front! But either way regardless of when, the moment they say each others first/real names is going to be SOOOOOO meaningful so vulnerable so intimate I will simply die on the spot I will just explode 💥 -lil anon 😼 (who still can't keep their messages short)

Lil Anon!!!!! 💗 Okay, ngl I am a big proponent of "creativity is very much a skill anyone and everyone can learn" just that some of us (and myself included lmao) need a little more effort to learn. But also gouache is so fun because I'm realizing so much of painting is about the insinuation of things, rather than painting out every detail? And it's so amazing to me to watch those things come together!!!! But also.... I am not great at video games so I guess at the end of the day we really do have our strengths and weaknesses huh? alfjakjfjfa LMAO :3

Also heads up, the last part of this response will have FP 238 spoilers!

Oooohhhh this is such an interesting thought that I HAVEN'T thought about, but I HAVE been thinking a lot about Rand (I have this messy post in the works about him because as much as he makes me angry I find him really interesting in that, like every other character, he is very much someone trying to survive and his struggles to do so have had a lot of ramifications - especially in failing to protect his son with Nessa. I understand why people hate him but I just have SO MANY FEELINGS and like how... maybe a selfish part of him kept him near, even if he couldn't be a good father to him because of Yui, because he reminded him of her, and how maybe as Nol grows up he continues to see so much of himself in him, and how in Rand's eyes that probably is bad because he very much ended up trapped, he very much lost what he loved, he has very much lived in isolation. But that's a whole other thing but the point is: Rand is on my mind so this is a very welcome question!!!!)

I'd never considered the possibility of a parallel because I guess I'd just sort of assumed that information was given to us to show us how far Yui is willing to go, that she was interfering with her own nephew's career in order to - probably - lord something over her sister, to force her to do whatever it was she wanted, that we are meant to further understand that Yui is so unstoppable even her own sisters can't do anything, and that this isn't the first time Hansuke's career has been on the line. BUT WITH THAT SAID it would make an incredibly interesting parallel! I think in a lot of ways Rand did think he was doing what was right, what he could do. I think a lot about what he said when Nol pleaded guilty, about how he should have sent him away to a boarding school and that as much as a lot of that was said out of actual anger and agitation, at the end of the day Rand cares so much because he loves Nol, even if he was never allowed to act on it, even if he had to repress it and keep it bottled away where it began to fester. Something I think a lot about parenthood in general but esp in ILY is that no one has the foresight to know how things will work out, so parents are doing what they think is best. Often they are wrong, they make mistakes, but again, we are only capable of trying to learn from our mistakes, we can't see how things would play out. Would Nol have been safer at boarding school? Would he have actually been out of Yui's reach? But that's a whole other post (that is coming)

THAT SAID I think yes Rand carries a lot of guilt and knows that he has not been able to protect either of his sons the way he wishes he could have and now he is at this sort of.... fork in the road. Until now, Nol was so very alone, has been surrounded by people who can't be trusted, people of this society who would sell him out immediately. But Rand has seen in Shinae and Nol this connection that maybe he even recognizes much like the one he and Nessa had, that Shinae is very much like she was in her willingness to reach out to and protect Nol, her willingness to stand up for him against even the scariest opponents. In the same night he nearly lost his son, he saw how many people rallied around him, were willing to stand by his side and wait for him to wake up and I think that, yes, it gave him this sense of understanding. Nol is no longer alone, and while it's not him at his side, he knows that the people who are will fight for him, are people who truly love him the way he deserved all this time. And I think that's yes why he is willing to transition out of Nol's life - because he knows that he hasn't been able to provide him the protection he needs. That he CAN'T.

And the idea of him sacrificing himself for Nol's sake (and frankly, Kousuke's, too) would be interesting, because I very much think Shinae will "sacrifice" herself to Yui in order to protect her father, will take up Yui's offer if it means keeping away from her family. What an interesting parallel it would be, too, for both of these people who have put themselves in harms way to protect those they love (I know Rand doesn't seem it, but I think he is a person who has very much been a victim of him circumstances and that he has reached a point in this story that he is willing to get hurt to protect them, that he is finally openly fighting back the way he can in an effort to protect them).

I honestly.... HATE the theory about Rand dying even though the death flags are everywhere lmao ;_____; I feel like I'm constantly closing my eyes to them because I cannot bear to think of what it would mean for both Nol and Kousuke, for neither of them to get that closure. I hate the thought of Nol being left a literal orphan, of Kousuke never knowing that he was loved, like it KILLS ME but it really feels like we're hurtling there and aflkjkafjkafjkaf [SCREAMS] I'd so much prefer that like... Rand have a heart attack that incapacities him or something ;A; - especially because Nana has her own death flags and again, the thought of Nol just being left with NONE of his family?! GOD THAT KILLS ME.

But also I am very much in favor of Rand making such a sacrifice. Something I've been thinking about is that a lot of why Rand's hands were tied was because he was trying to get this far - and now that he has, now that Nol is in safe hands, maybe it IS time to make a sacrifice, to step out of Nol's life and "set him free", if he could give Yui something she wants enough to let Nol go. The thing is.... Yui is very much aware of the effect Nol has on Kousuke, and why it's necessary to keep him around, but perhaps with what Kousuke is learning, that won't remain a matter? I think there is a LOT that is up in the air right now, but I do think we are at a point where Rand COULD make that kind of offer, where he can finally face Yui and fight back in his own way and do something to set his son free of all of this. I think I lean more sympathetic to Rand than most do but I would love to see him take an action that can actually demonstrate to Nol that Rand has always cared, that until now he didn't have other options, that until now he'd thought that this was the safest route.

(But honestly? What was ;__________;)

I JUST WANT TRAGIC FAMILY CLOSURE SOOOOOOOO BADLY AND IT HURTS ME THAT WE MAY NEVER GET IT LMAO ;A;

BUT ON A LIGHTER NOTE YES YES YES ALL OF THIS YEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS ;A; once again and as always YOU GET IT YOU TOTALLY GET IT!!!!!!!!

I think Nol and Shinae's story is VERY MUCH a matter of like.... yeah, you don't have to love yourself to be loved, that's bullshit, we all know it's not true. That maybe you can learn to love yourself by being loved. That maybe through the process of being loved you can start to see yourself through their eyes, the version of yourself that they see and love and that it can make that version of you come to life. That even though Nol sees himself as this unworthy monster, that he has been made to feel like he's nothing, a nobody - she can show him that he's something, somebody, she can say his name with an affection that no one else has ever said it with, that she can breathe new life to something that was taken from him and ruined.

I think we VERY much are approaching that point and Nol learning that Yui has been drugging even Kousuke honestly may be the beginning (or again I might just be being very hopeful). I keep reiterating that Nol needs to know this goes beyond him. I want Shinae to get to sit down and talk to him - not just about their feelings but about Yui, that even before Yui knew about their attachments, that she was already put through hell. Tell him about Kousuke's birthday, something that shows Nol even if he leaves Yui already has her claws in her, was already interested even before it involved him. Tell him about the offer because she will end up taking it one way or another and it's better than he knows how, so he's reminded how much she hates this woman, too.

And maybe if Nol can see that it's more than just him, maybe he can see that there is no point in pushing her away. And if that isn't enough, maybe she can convince him how very much they can't ignore any of this, to prove to him how badly she wants to know him, Nol, to see him and meet those secret parts of him he doesn't want anyone to say. To say the name that has felt like a lashing so many times used by everyone else in a way that takes it from nothing to something and makes him want to hear it move. To say her name again and be so familiar (so SO familiar god PLEASE) ;A;

Like IDK I know we've had this conversation a LOT lmao but it just feels like it's two steps forward five steps back if we don't get that closure if they don't have that talk. No one is asking for or expecting him to share everything - to just open up enough to show that he wants to. To admit his fear. If Shinae saw what Dieter did, that kind of fear, how intense it is, and couldn't connect it to what has happened to her, maybe she could get through to him better but at this point she just doesn't know, doesn't understand why he's pushing her. Maybe now that she's realized her own feelings - and can maybe wonder about his - it might make her think of what he said in the alley about fear and people getting hurt but it's a conversation they need to have directly.

And yes, I feel like even from a metaphorical point, he cannot begin to open up as Yeonggi, as this nameless person. They cannot begin anew with her uncertain what to call him, not allowed to use his real name, while he still calls her Yoo. What's he gonna do, maul her and swallow her heart and still call her Yoo? PLEASE. NO.

I feel like it MUST be coming, that some kind of understanding will be coming, even if they know they are separating for a while, even if they know that whatever is between them isn't something that can happen right now, I feel like they HAVE to separate on a true first name basis, right? ;A;!!!!!!!!!

AND I AM DYING FOR IT. /DYING/ I WANT HIM TO SAY HER NAME SO QUIETLY (AND MAYBE BRUSH HER HAIR BACK FROM HER FACE WHEN HE DOES) I WANT HIM TO TWITCH A LITTLE WHEN SHE SAYS THE NAME THAT HAS CAUSED HIM SO MUCH PAIN AND THEN INSTEAD MELT INTO HER. I WANT IT TO BE SO TENDER, SO INTIMATE, THAT HIS NAME NEVER SOUNDED THAT GOOD ON ANYONE'S ELSE'S TONGUE, THAT IT NEVER SOUNDED SO MEANGINGFUL AS WHEN SHE SAYS IT. The intimacy of being the first person to be allowed to say his name, to speak it with so much affection and care that it can undo what others have done to it, that it can breath back the life that was beaten out of it. ;A; What it would mean for her to say it!!!! That thrill of being allowed to share this very secret part, this very special part, something she is so hungry for!!!!!!

Shinae wanting to know everything about him is honestly SO FUCKING TENDER. Like, yes, that's what happens when we find ourselves liking someone, wanting to know everything, wanting to know about the things we were never present for and what shaped them into the person they are, but for Shinae there's that added layer because he has locked out everyone, pushed everyone away, and she wants to know the secrets he won't share, the parts of him that he hides, she wants to privy to every part of him. She wants him in his entirety, she wants to know him and be just as known and GOD to get to breathe his secret name, the forbidden name, the one he would not allow her?

GOD

I cannot even put it into words i just

[explodes on the spot]

WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WHEN IT HAPPENS FOR REAL? WHEN HE CALLS HER SHINAE AGAIN? LAKJFKAJKAFKJAFKAKFJJA i can't do this lil anon i aM SO, SO WEAK AND FULL OF EMOTIONS AND TENDERNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS they make me feel sO TENDERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[ichayalovesyou]

I’m Gonna Go Off About How Good Avatar: Way of The Water Was

Because apparently nobody else wants to and that is patently LAME.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I want to be so REAL with y’all, that movie BROKE me. Not just in a mindless entertainment way like soooooo many people believe the Avatar franchise is. It had some serious food for thought in it, hamfisted environmentalist allegories be damned because you know what maybe we SHOULD have more hamfisted environmentalist movies if the message ain’t getting through otherwise.

I think it’s so weird that some people seem to believe Way of The Water is just the first one over again but in the ocean. When really it’s just that Quadritch is alive for sci-fi reasons and it’s humans being terrible to an environment that doesn’t belong to them. So you know, normal stuff like ✨characters and themes✨

So many new elements got introduced to the story. The consequences of Jake’s actions from the first film having more ripples and settling with that guilt and the Na’vi themselves having diverse reactions to Jake and his family in a way that makes a lot of sense.

The Tulkan, yet another highly intelligent species on Pandora beyond the humanoid Na’vi and the complex consciousness of Eywa. The fact that the na’vi can communicate with them through sign language and that even tho they’re extremely intelligent humans with slaughter them for a tiny highly valuable fraction of their body? Hmmm 🤔 sounds familiar.

Neytiri’s hatred of humans in general strokes clashing with her love of Jake and her resentment for Quadritch’s son Spider.

OH MAN AND THE KIDS ARE SO INTERESTING TOO

Spider being the son of toxic military macho man and yet feeling as tho he belongs to the na’vi, human physically but not in his soul. Being forced to translate for his dad to try and protect as many na’vi as he can as him and his military avatar goons try and smoke Jake out. Knowing Neytiri will never accept him. That’s a FASCINATING character right there.

Lo’ak bonding with an ostracized Tulkan, having a complicated relationship with his dad (Jake) because they’re pretty much TOO much alike. The fact that he doesn’t let his dad let himself drown near the end by showing every ounce of wisdom he’s learned from the Metkayina. “I see you” INDEED. That shit b r o k e me!

And KIRI oh my gawd gurl what is UP with you??? I think the more we learn about this girl the more we’re going to learn about Eywa. My theory is because Grace was the first and probably only human to not only figure out at least a fraction of what Eywa essentially is on a scientific level but also died on the world and might’ve basically become part of Eywa and maybe even given her/it the means to interface with the na’vi (like KIRI especially) on a verbal/more direct level. Which potentially could make Kiri the bridge between Humans, Na’vi and Eywa. THAT IS SO COOL.

That’s not even getting into how cool all the new Metkayina characters are (with some serious potential) Ronal, Tonowari, Aonung and Tsireya. Ronal is just pure badassery (going to war while pregnant?! Holy shit girl!). I sense an intriguing friendship forming between Tonowari and Jake “Your son is buried with our ancestors, you are Metkayina now”. The beginnings of a possible friendship between Lo’ak and Aonung and the almost definite romantic arc they’re prob gonna do with Lo’ak & Tsireya.

All the relationships and interpersonal character drama in this franchise is intriguing to me. Even if the theme part is a little redundant, you can’t deny the new characters are gonna make things REALLY interesting provided the writing stays as good as it’s been.

Also I eat Pandora Na’vi clan lore for breakfast, I hope we get introduced to even more clans than the Omaticaya and Metkayina in the future.

Was it maybe a little longer than necessary? Maybe. Was quaritch’s resurrection a little slapdash? Yeah a little but not enough to make his evolution as a character boring imo.

Anyway I’m sick of people who act like stuff is bad just cuz it’s popular and doesn’t have a steady fandom. Do you know what did well critically that had environmental themes and barely had a fandom too? Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance I don’t think it’s any less cool or promising for it. Yes I’m a little bitter that people aren’t talking about this movie why??

P.S. If you like this franchise check out Tsu’tey’s Path from Dark Horse comics. Gives a bunch of deleted scenes lore more context and fleshes out one of the most interesting na’vi characters from the first film.

[crisiscutie]

I’m sorry you’ve been feeling defeated! I can imagine why but the lack of engagement definitely doesn’t have anything to do with your lack of talent. You have such a gift with writing! I can imagine it can have a lot to do with people being shy >\\< especially given the context of your writing. It’s raunchy but my gawd it’s the perfect level of raunchiness if you know what I mean. I’m super excited to read the continuation of the deviated fluffy AU and all ur future works. Don’t doubt your gifts as a writer I appreciate you

Thank you!

I understand the shyness aspect and felt it myself at times. But it feels like people just don't care at all. Read more for the rest.

I think the idea of "engagement" is often misinterpreted to be a tall order. No reasonable writer or blogger expects people to comment on every single thing they create, start conversations with them, or write an elaborate essay or even a paragraph about their works. It would just be great to receive a few words now and then or some feedback on how the content is delivered. For people like me, it's quite rare to get that kind of engagement. I just want to hear something, anything. Anon or not, I would love it.

It becomes so easy to start thinking that what you wrote isn't good or if what you wrote makes little sense when all you have is the void. Think about it, when you keep throwing things into the void and getting crickets in return, you too will start to think if it's worth the effort anymore. Believe me when I say it's a ghost town when it comes to the actual content. One of my recent fics/scenario I wrote has almost 100 likes so far, and yet only two reblogs as an example. Likes don't tell me much. For all I could know, people could've ACCIDENTALLY pressed the like button due to the nature of tumblr being mostly used by mobile users. Reblogs are great because they make a difference in gaining more visibility for the work. The same idea of giving a few comments also applies to reblogs; occasionally doing so is both appreciated and helpful for visibility. And no, I'm not talking about the "algorithm and how it devalues likes" doomer stuff, both likes and reblogs help it.

Honestly, I really enjoy discussing characters, the AUs, analyzing them or other canon things, and sharing my thoughts on the things I write when those rare asks come and I would love to see more of these... A lot of these things I write aren't made out of thin air, you know. It would be amazing to hear more stuff like your favorite Sephy or if you enjoy a certain type of story or darling I've written, etc. I want that sense of connection and community, but it feels like I'm just a writing machine most of the time. I was hoping for something more meaningful... And I've tried, with posts like the ask games, polls, blog updates or the musings, but nothing seems to work, really.

I do think most writers or bloggers want a feeling of community, which is one of the reasons why they post their works. And I don't think it's unreasonable to want that.