#i LOVE when characters end a show looking different to how they started

[distractedducky]

The hate also makes no sense when you just consider shipping in general. Like it’s a ship, it can be deep or fun. I one hundred percent agree with OP about their time line and Derek’s attachment to stiles. But what always got me is how much hate this couple got for being “unhealthy” or “pedophilic”. In general. It’s a ship! And honesty not one of the worst ones out there. Not even looking at Lydia and parish, the twins from TW are also confirmed to be over 18 when the alpha pack enrolls them in the high school and both twins date a high schooler but people seem to gloss over that. Outside of TW I can think of dozens of more unhealthy (will xHannibal) or age gap (rose x the doctor; rose being canonically 19 when she goes off with him and falls for him) relationships that people don’t seem to have the same open disgust for. Honestly I think the fandom for TW has a set of people who just don’t like Sterek and use the “problems” with the ship to cover up for the fact that it’s a fandom dominating ship and they don’t like it or want to read or engage with it in everything. Which is fair but also not an excuse to try to paint one of the first modern (2010) prominent gay ships as problematic when they could just deal with the fact that it’s popular and also not for them. Yes the ship was over hyped up but it came out during the time of supernatural craze (years of gaslighting and behind the scenes manipulation) and the actors behind the scene where told to play up their relationship which lead to some hard core queer bating. Shippers took that stuff seriously and it mattered to them. This show had a queer show runner and queer characters and fans had legitimate hope for positive queer shipping. Sterek mattered for that. This isn’t the time of our flag means death where people followed through with them being gay or 911 where the writers adapt to the characters as they start to evolve beyond their original intentions. So people liked sterek, people thought sterek might go cannon but it was going to be a slow burn and just like OP said they had a backstory, they had layers being built on trust and impactful interactions and conversations. And there where constant nods to their connection feeding shippers even when they weren’t on screen togeather (stiles looking at possibly Derek’s initials plus the whole jeep thing in the movie)

It’s just so hypocritical the hate this ship gets for being “pediphilic” or “problematic” when within the media it is presented it is one of the most stable relationships built in a real foundation. And that my canal point, taking something no within the context it is presented. Age gap relationships in TW are messy for a lot of reasons (the Kate of it all) which seem to give people the idea that the show doesn’t support them even though it so does. The world the show takes place in is what matters at the end of the day. And in TW age gaps violence and being queer don’t seem to matter they way they do in the real world so the ship that forms from that should be judged by the standard set in their world. That’s basic lit analysis.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just hate seeing all this shit about how “problematic” sterek is and why it’s disgusting that so many people ship it when it’s just not. For god sake people have shipped characters from different franchises, characters from different universes, characters who legitimately want to eat their love interest (I’m looking at you twilight) and yet Sterek is the problem.

For a ship with such clear moments throughout the show to build a relationship out of I feel like people should understand why fanfic writers and artists would want to engage with that and why general shippers would want to engage with their art.

You know Sterek has been frequently 'cancelled' and attacked for basically being the most popular ship in the TW world, right?

Because of the age gap between them, right? Well, I have to complain about it, because it really pisses me off that they're discarding the beautiful, slow-burning love story that exists between Stiles and Derek in CANON. Because damn it, they liked each other.

It bothers me that they tarnish Sterek's image for things like being a "pedo" ship when NO, they're not. They're trying to lump us all into a "sick shipper" category.

If we're being honest, Sterek has probably been the story with the most backstory, where we've seen how each season has seen the closeness between Stiles and Derek grow, where they've gone from 'hating each other and having to deal with each other because of Scott' to genuinely caring for each other to the point where Derek would take a bullet for Stiles or Stiles would go against the entire FBI to protect and get Derek out of whatever mess he was in.

They care deeply and genuinely for each other, so much so that Derek preserved and fixed Stiles' Jeep, keeping it in his garage as a sort of memento or anchor for him.

It bothers me so much that they talk shit about Sterek when this couple exists:

sorry but parrish/lydia was a canon pairing between a teenager and an ADULT and if that wasn't enough, an adult from the sheriff's department.

Why aren't people talking about this more? Why are they attacking Sterek instead? Sterek: a couple that wasn't canon during the show's run, and we only got confirmation of feelings for each other through the actors and through obvious hints in the show. But directly, it was never a canon couple between a teenager and an adult guy. They were together.

I put the adult that way because Derek's age was never confirmed as such. At the beginning of the series, Stiles says Derek is only a couple of years older than him and Scott. So at the beginning of the series, Derek was between 18 and 19 years old. But later on, they address the fire, so they change the age again, but they never say exactly how old he is, so canonically Derek could be 2 to 5 years older than Stiles. You choose what age gap to give them.

While Lydia, about 17, and Jordan Parish, over 20, are a CANON couple.

Anyway, hypocrisy and homophobia, right?

But there is a VERY important theme between the Derek/Stiles relationship, which if you ask me made the possibility of a relationship between the two of them impossible while Stiles was still a high school student and perhaps only when Stiles was older could something exist between them.

The existence of this damn bitch and what she did to Derek.

I hate her as much as you do, and it disgusts me to have to watch Teenage Derek with her.

But it's important to what I wanted to say; it's why I think Derek repressed his feelings for Stiles.

According to the Teen Wolf book, Kate was Derek's substitute swim teacher, who used certain hormones and scents to attract the teenage Derek to her. YES, that was not only a relationship rife with manipulation, power imbalances, and pedophilia, but she also ended up orchestrating the murder of Derek's family at a moment of vulnerability for Derek because Paige's death hadn't happened long before.

We all know Derek blames himself for the death of his family, and he hates Kate. He knows what she did to him. He knows he was manipulated by an older woman and that he fell for her.

Derek has serious trust and self-confidence issues.

He doesn't believe he's worthy of love or peace.

His anchor until Season 2 was anger because his life was infested with anger/hate/rage.

So he sees himself as something bad, something that hurts, someone who destroys what he loves. He's a victim of sexual abuse, even though he doesn't admit it.

But Stiles became that little glimmer of light annoying, but a light in his dark life filled with negative things. Stiles earned his trust. Stiles fought every step of the way and broke down that wall Derek built around himself to keep people away from him, because trust means giving someone the power to hurt you. Oh well, Derek's mind worked that way. Unbeknownst to him, Stiles earned that trust.

And that's where we have this scene.

This is where Derek lets us see how important Stiles has become to him, Stiles became his anchor.

At this point, it's undeniable that Derek already has feelings for Stiles. He trusts Stiles blindly. But then, why didn't Derek do anything to have Stiles? Because Derek is a victim of sexual abuse by a woman who took advantage of him in high school. And Derek never dealt with that trauma, or we were never shown to have it that way.

Derek dates women, of course—Jennifer (who also manipulated him), Braeden, etc.—whose relationships didn't end well or were never serious.

But not with Stiles, because Stiles is like that extremely important thing where he can't ruin that connection they have, he can't taint or sully this relationship he has with Stiles. It's too important to Derek. Plus, the untreated traumas surrounding his abuser are a clear impediment to starting something real, something serious. And everything seems to indicate that Stiles is THAT person his unconscious heart has chosen.

That is, to start any romantic relationship with Stiles, Derek has to face all of his demons, all of his traumas first, in order to give Stiles what he believes Stiles deserves.

Kate ruined Derek's heart and mind a lot, plus Derek already had a wounded and bleeding heart since Paige.

So, a relationship as such didn't exist in the series between S/D, and it was quite unlikely that it would, but the feelings were always there.

That's why I don't understand why they keep attacking a couple who has SO MUCH backstory, and who if they ever dated, it was definitely when they were already adults and able to deal with their own issues.

The sheriff's line about the jeep and Derek always makes me think that the sheriff was always aware and noticed everything. He never disapproved; on the contrary, he supported them, because he knows there's no one who deserves each other more than those two. It was also a clear confirmation that Derek always had feelings for Stiles, complicated feelings he didn't know how to address, but whose feelings led him to treasure and fix Stiles's jeep.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Thailand is back in the game

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

March 2025 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Sweet Tooth Good Dentist (Fri iQIYI) ep 1 of 12 - Bite me. Of course I fucking adore this. It's exactly the style of BL I like best in the world. I love everything about it including that the dentist is unhinged. Will it push "worst trope" buttons or stay safe? Either way its gonna be fun. Mark is doing a killer job (and looks STUNNING). Plus Jimmy is gonna show up? I'm all in.

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT) ep 21 of 24 - I love FaifaWine so much. How am I gonna judge this show when I feel so differently about each pair? 

Top Form (Thurs WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - Adaptation of a yaoi starring Boom (Chains of Heart) and Smart (Don't Say No). And... it’s fine. I like the leads quite a bit. There is a part of me though, that wishes this was getting a JBL treatment rather than Thai. I like that it’s gonna be longer this way, but the subject matter just feels more Japanese. The show is engaging enough despite this, or perhaps because of it. It’s interesting to watch Thailand tackle Japanese IP since there is built in stylistic tension. Right now it it is ill-fitting, like a shrunken suit. But it might turn out to be Velcroed on, and suddenly split open or be torn off, so I'm hypnotized. All in all, this is not what I was hoping for, but I'll keep watching if I can (I no longer have VIP status on WeTV). 

Flirt Milk (Sat YT) ep 9 or 10 - I think the reason I really dislike the main couple is how truly childlike the uke character is. It’s not kinky, it’s just creepy. I like the second pairing of "arrogant asshole and ultra tsundere uke".

And.... suddenly everybody is getting it on. Of course I like the whole show better now but it’s taken too much to get here and we arrived rather precipitously.

My Golden Blood (Weds iQIYI) Ep 2 of 12 - I’m gonna say it. In addition to not having much chemistry, I don’t think the leads are doing a good job in their roles. They either need to be more campy or less. Joss is pretty darn wooden, but that’s nothing new. So it's Gawin who is disappointing me. He seems to be directed to become something very against his nature, so much so it's an awkward screen presence. It’s all rather unpleasant to watch. It can’t be just me feeling this. Right?

Okay but…

Puts snark hat on:

Are ALL Tong’s fluids potently golden?

ALL OF THEM?

That be a fun use of verse in the future. 

(We would never get that lucky though.)

Lost in the Woods (Weds Gaga) ep 1 of 7 - Started with singing which I was not happy about. I also really dislike the main character. I’m not wild about the actor either. I’m not sure if I can watch this show.

Ossan‘s Love Thailand (Mon YouTube) ep 11 of 12 - Already one of the worst shows in BLandia and they just had to put in the amnesia trope! (Insert all & every expletive here. Only don't, because I can't even get worked up about it.) Worst trope ever. What am I supposed to do with myself? This is untenable. Yes yes I could drop it. But with only one more ep, and a serious sunk cost fallacy in play, I am seeing this bullpucky through to the better end.

But I am very bitter about it.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Secret Relationships (Korea iQIYI) ep 4 of 8 - It has taken me half the damn show to realize it, but this is Korea doing messy gays! I didn’t recognize, because we so rarely get this trope from KBL. How exciting. I don’t normally like toxic and messy, but I guess I like it now because this show is sending me. Yes yes it's unhinged but for soem reason I'm okay with it.

7 years (SEVEN YEARS) of these insane hyungs sniffing round this poor little gay baby like he's the chosen one in some harem m/m/m/m. It is wild! But I also do finally see why they all like Da-on so much. Good kiss but also... no kissing drunk baby!

Exclusive Love (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 12 - The sides are the only thing that matter in this show. I have taken a stance. Also I LOVE Ian. I had him for 5 seconds and will move mountains for him. 

Fight for Love (Vietnam YT) ep 7 end - WAY too much singing. Sigh. But otherwise a fine end.

Summary

A cute but soapy piece from Vietnam about a rich kid with a crush on a busker (who already has relationship problems). Pretty standard chaotic Vietnamese romcom with unhinged characters and a mildly incomprehensible plot about a boy who wants to be a singer and another boy who is in love with him + various exes. It’s fine if you have nothing else to do. (Which seems to be about how the music boy felt about the dude he ended up with.) 7/10

Checkered Shirt (Korea YT) ep 7 of 8 - again I either missed it or it didn’t drop. I'm struggling with YT these days.

It's airing but......

Sashes and Hearts (Pinoy YT) 13 eps - Philippines is doing Drop Dead Gorgeous only all gay boys queening their asses off. Doesn't interest me, not sure if it's BL.

Last Meal Universe (Thai ????) 8 eps - An alien who has come to destroy earth instead falls in love with Thai food and then the Thai boy who cooks it - realistic, actually. I got a link to watch but it still wouldn't work for me, so I guess I'm waiting to see what happens.

In case you missed it

Gelboys (Thai iQIYI) 7 eps - It ended. How do we feel about it? Worth watching?

The Last Time (Thai WeTV) 8 eps - Ended? Anyone watch it?

BamBam of GOT7 just being very Thai about the prettiest contestant ever to be on a survivor show. And that's all Imma say about this rabbit hole. I don't normally cross the streams like this, but this is so BL adjacent and has gotta be someone's fanfic come to life.

I rewatched it - new segment

(because of the slump, here's what I revisited lately)

Minato's Laundromat - holds up

Cosmetic Playlover - holds up

Kiss X Kiss X Kiss: Perfect Scandal - holds all the way up (see gif)

Vending Machine Sono Koi - not so good on the rewatch

Dominant Yakuza and Wimpy Corporate Slave - still as silly as I remember, but not worth rewatching again soon

Hidden Agenda - a frequent rewatch for me, I find JoongDunk a very comforting pair

Bad Buddy - my first rewatch and I gotta say, I think this one was BETTER for me on a rewatch! Such a great show. I would go so far as to say this might be the best Thai BL as an example of OG Thai Uni BL. It just perfect a classic. You just have to like the classics.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Frigay Is Back!

3/28 Heesu in Class 2 (Korea Fri Viki) 10 eps - Trailer. Adaption of the comic by Lily, about a shy unpopular boy with a secret crush on best friend who somehow also ends up his school's relationship counselor. Supposed to have completed filming in 2022, the fact this has been in dev hell since then somewhat mitigates this being my most anticipated BL of it's original year.

3/28 Fight for You (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 12 eps - We haven't had cop/criminal in a long time, and from Taiwan no less, I'm looking forward to this!

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[jojaxcola]

You've literally inspired me to wanna make my own OC mockumentaries I absolutely love your series so much 😭🙏🏻

So I wanna ask if it's alright with you, where do you get inspo for silly moments? How did you start? What are the little tidbits you've come to learn after making a few joja mockumentaries?

Awww thank you so much!! If you do end up making your own series, I hope you have a lot of fun with it, and I'd love to see it!!

(Sorry this post is late, I wanted to take my time with the answer below the cut!)

As for the "origin story" of the jojamart mockumentary and how i come up with ideas for the entries:

As for how the series started, the first time I watched The Office was on a really long flight this past October where the in-flight entertainment had all of season 3. After seeing it, it clicked why so many people loved it haha. So while riding out the rest of the flight (and for a few week after that) I thought about what it might look like if Stardew were to be adapted for television in a mockumentary-style format. (mainly just as a fun creative exercise.)

My first idea was to portray Lewis as producing an in-universe documentary to highlight Pelican Town as a whole, with the corrupting influence of Joja growing as time went on (No. 9 is probably the closest to the original vibe but I still wanted it to be a comedy). Morris, Sam, and Shane were going to be the main characters of the JojaMart plot. But I realized that the JojaMart plot thread was the closest thing to why I enjoyed The Office (being about conflicting personalities generating absurdity in a confined space). Plus Sam is my favorite character. So that's what I ended up drawing out.

I wanted the entries to look like subtitled screencaps of out-of-context clips, mainly because I see them everywhere on the internet and they're also very easy to draw:

I liked how these kinds of posts can still be enjoyed by people who have never seen The Office before (like me before October 2024) because the humor is very self-contained. So I started off making the JojaMart entries like that.

The first few were intended to still be accessible to people who had never played Stardew Valley before, sorta like they were watching a pilot episode. Those entries had to establish the basics (Sam is the cheerful, outgoing, and annoying janitor; Shane is the grumpy alcoholic shelf stocker, Morris is their boss who cares about them in a purely performative sense, etc.).

I think the general rule of thumb I follow when portraying a particular character is to write them like I have two people in my audience: one has never played Stardew before, and the other is the character's biggest fan. I don't know how well I've followed this, but it's what I have in mind when I'm writing up scripts.

Usually for inspiration I like to comb through the characters' wiki pages. I think it's useful to look at their quotes, their liked/disliked gifts, and their trivia to find little things that can be extended into a little story. For example, no. 17 was inspired by the fact that Jodi gives the player the ice cream recipe and says that it won first place in a cooking competition, and no. 18 (which followed up on 17) was inspired by a quote by Sam wondering if his mother was really happy with her life. I think it's really fun to try and combine different facts about the characters!

Some other sources of inspiration I have are:

Wanting to use a particular line of dialogue (e.g., "He kinda has this vibe that really screams 'divorced'" in no. 11)

Wanting to use a particular shot (e.g., Pierre being covered up with ads in no. 9)

Wanting to show a specific headcanon (e.g., Sam doing impressions in no. 5)

I hope this is helpful! Good luck with your work :)

[lemotmo]

For the interview crowd

Q. I know you, and many others, keep saying that the interviews are meaningless, and I get that to a point, but they can't be completely useless or they would simply stop doing them. So it's not entirely unreasonable for them to make us anxious or unsure.

A. It's absolutely unreasonable that they make you all spiral every single week. They literally cannot answer half the questions they get asked. The interviews this week were a hot mess. Complete word salads all the way around. And they're only going to get worse. Answering the questions honestly spoils the entire storyline and they're not ever going to do that. The expectations you all have for these interviews are simply unrealistic. You want Oliver, Ryan and Tim to tell you outright that Eddie is going to discover/admit that he's really been gay this entire time and he and Buck will be a couple by the end of the season. They are never going to do that. And every week when they don't do that you all doom spiral. You convince yourselves that what the episodes are very clearly showing don't matter because Oliver didn't explicitly state that 'Oh absolutely Buck is head over heels in love with Eddie and we will explore that more in the coming episodes'. He cannot say anything close to that, but come on guys. The video of that interview told you everything. He smiled every time he had to lie. He is the worst liar. They are at the beginning of a storyline they have clearly put effort into setting up. It's not their fault you don't have the patience to allow it to unfold.

Everything that is happening now is for the benefit of the general audience. Not the shippers. There is no way they can tell this story in a way that will please every shipper. Zero chance of that so they're not focusing on us. Their priority is getting the general audience on board. That is what these last 3 episodes have been about. They have to put the general audience in a position to start looking at their dynamic in a different way. Look, they could put Eddie in a basket, send him down the river and have him pop out and declare the water made him gay and I literally would not care. It would be ridiculous and embarrassing but I wouldn't care. I would be like 'great! Let's go!'. Don't care. Many shippers on the other hand have very specific ideas of how Eddie's arc should go. And they will refuse to allow themselves to enjoy his arc going any other way. Prior to 8x11 I was convinced that Eddie would be unlabeled. I was almost sure that they were going to go the route of saying Eddie was in love with Shannon and now he's in love with Buck. No more, no less. Because they have doubled so far down on Eddie's love for Shannon, to the point that they made him borderline obsessive about it last season, that making him gay is now an awkward writing choice. But they went so far in the opposite direction in episode 11 with the constant declaration that he's straight, and that kind of thing is just such a massive he's actually gay warning sign, that making him gay now seems like something the show might be doing. But I don't care what he ends up declaring about himself. I only care that he ends up with Buck. And the reality is that that's all the show cares about as well. They haven't even bothered to let Buck label himself as bisexual yet. The label is not what they care about. They have to get both characters out in order to put them together. That's what the show cares about, and the show will go with whatever storyline is easier for the general audience to buy. Period. They have been very consistent with letting this Buddie storyline play out as the B plot in multiple episodes, which is such a good idea. It allows their relationship to stay at the forefront of the audience's minds, and I look for that to continue. That means the interviews will only get more convoluted because they are going to stretch it out over several episodes. There's nothing I, or anyone else, can say to you all at this point. We explain it weekly and every week some anti on Twitter convinces you all that it's all a massive gotcha by the show. It's not. But you're going to continue to believe that it is, and I'm not going to keep trying to tell you otherwise anymore because you clearly want to believe it at this point. Prepare yourselves now though because Tommy is probably coming back for at least one more episode because his plot device role has been made clear now. He's the safe choice for Buck. He's the embodiment of Buck's pattern and the show will need to establish Buck actively choosing to break that pattern by actively choosing Eddie. Tommy gave himself away last night. He's willing to be who Buck settles for. He's made himself the safe choice which means Buck has to show his growth by rejecting that choice.

Thank you Nonny! Much appreciated!

Yeah I agree. These interviews are fun, but ultimately meaningless. Watch the show and draw your own conclusions. It'll tell you so much more about where this is all going, than reading all the interviews that just beat around the bush.

And yeah... that Oliver video? Come on! The man cannot lie. It's so obvious where this is going.

As for the Buddie storyline? I don't care either how they get Eddie out and get Buddie together. I am past having any kind of expectation about this storyline. I am simply SAT for every single episode and I will consume whatever it is they want to feed me. Even more, I'll be happy about it, because it'll bring them together.

I genuinly don't care anymore. I've been here for 7 seasons now, doing this slow burn Buddie dance. I just want them together, because it is what they deserve. I love these characters so much. They deserve the kind of love they can only give each other.

I do think they might still keep Eddie unlabeled though. I'm not convinced they'll actually make him say that he is gay. Only time will tell what Tim has decided to do with Eddie and I'm willing to wait it out.

Buddie canon soon you guys. Trust! 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[quietplace26]

Streamer!MC, but au is based off this post. Thank you @arn9tails.

Long story short. Reverse isekai. Teyvet transporting to our world. Teyvat inhabitants being giants compared to earth humans. SIZE. DIFFERENCE.

So, Streamer!MC is a streamer who mostly streams Genshin Impact, but then this post happens, and bam! Suddenly Genshin Impact isn't a game anymore. The nations of Teyvat have suddenly appeared in the real world, and that meant the characters she spent blood, sweat, tears, and so much money on were most likely VERY real. The story she once played through actually happened.

It was an uncomfortable realization.

And don't even get her started on the fact of the sheer size difference regular humans and Teyvatians have... It's terrifying...

Streamer!MC immediately stops playing Genshin Impact after that, even posting a video explaining why. It wasn't right. This game wasn't a game anymore. This 'game' was pushing boundaries to a point where it could be considered creepy and revealing things the characters of Genshin impact would've most likely preferred kept secret.

So, no more Genshin Impact on her channel.

But on the Teyvetians side of things, I imagine them modernizing a little. Imagine each nation having the power of the internet and maybe a character stumbles across Streamer!MC and watches some of her Genshin content...

(Warning: OCness cause I'm horrible at writing characters in character. And Yandere elements.)

Zhongli.

You can't tell me he isn't irritated, if not enraged with having his cover blown by the earthlings and his retirement plan ruined.

But even so, Cloud Retainer was the one that told him about this... Internet thing, one day when they met up for tea.

Even going as far as to show him an odd contraption that she recreated from some earthling technology called a laptop.

Looks as useless and annoying as those little earthling devices called 'phones' that recently started popping up in all the nations...

She ends up giving him his own little contraption, and later that night, he let curiosity take over and messed around with it and stumbled across something called twitch, and a... Streamer? What in Celestia's name is that?

But then he sees the title 'My first experience with Genshin Impact!', and he knew what Genshin Impact was. Everyone in Teyvat knew. And most hated it or found it interesting.

Zhongli disliked it on principle as it blew his cover, but he was curious...

The earthling girl spoke a lot during the whole, uh, playthrough? He still didn't have much knowledge on this subject yet, but he watches the whole thing... the earthling had a nice voice...

He oddly felt annoyed as he heard her gush about how pretty Mondstadt was... she should see his nation; it was much more beautiful than that drunk bard's nation.

He ended up watching the next stream after the Mondstadt arc concluded and Liyue was introduced. And the utter smugness he felt he heard her amazement over how lovely his nation was, nearly threw him for a loop.

He can't help but wonder how she'd react is she saw Liyue for real.

And when he saw her reaction to seeing him for the first time in game? Oh, it was honestly precious. She wiggled around in her chair, giggling in an almost shy way as she listened to him talk in game. There even a blush on her cheeks!

After that, Zhongli ended up going through all of Streamer!MC's content. Which meant all of her Genshin content.

With each stream he learned more about her. little things, big things, Streamer!MC was an open book.

Don't even get him started when he saw you pull for him for the first time! Even though you were grumbling about money you kept pulling until you got him AND his weapon.

It was honestly somewhat ego boosting how she always had him on her team despite some of the more difficult matchups. And practically spoiling his game self with the best artifacts as well!

It... it was odd. Seeing someone he had not even met caring so much about him. In her eyes, he wasn't supposed to be real, but even then...

...He didn't dislike it.

But then he finally got to her last post. This one apparently posted sometime around when Teyvat landed on earth. The one where Streamer!MC explains that she would NOT be posting anymore Genshin Impact content because of Teyvat's unexpected arrival.

"It's not a game anymore! The characters of Genshin are real people! I'm not playing something that the 'characters' had no say in!"

The MC huffs in annoyance. "How would you guys feel if all your secrets were revealed in a video game, huh?"

And it goes on with another more recent post. Streamer!MC says she was retiring from Twitch to focus more on schooling.

Retiring? But... But that meant you wouldn't stream anymore, right? That he wouldn't be able to hear you voice anymore... right?

Zhongli. Did. Not. Like. That.

Suddenly, it hits him. He remembers hearing about... issues, the earthlings had recently. Issues dealing with kidnappings. He knew it was from traffickers, mostly treasure hoarders and the bored Fatui or two looking for some quick mora, but...

Hm... Maybe he should have a chat with Childe... That rascal was in Liyue at the moment and had been demanding him for a spar... Maybe Zhongli could offer him a contract? The Harbinger gets a fight, but only if he'll fetch him something... special.

"...Ugh, my head..."

Streamer!MC groans as she slowly sits up, feeling confused and little dizzy. Last thing she remembered was walking back to her apartment after a long day of college when she suddenly felt the ground start to shake and people screaming before she blacked out...

Once her vision clears, she realizes she was in... a cage? Well, to be more exact, a giant intricate birdcage, which automatically starts to make her panic. Even more so when she realizes she was in different clothing! (Just picture the Geo symbol on it)

Trying to calm herself, Streamer!MC tries to take note of her surroundings. In the birdcage, there was the softest of pillows and blankets, the most comfortable bed, a soft flooring that felt like she was walking on clouds... and oddly enough, Zhongli plushies of all sizes, all in his Exuvia form, tucked all around the birdcage.

There were also books, but most you've never heard of, and the ones you have... were ones you only heard about or saw only a few paragraphs while playing Genshin Impact.

Now feeling absolutely terrified, she stumbles over to the edge of the cave, grabbing at the bars and peeking outside. Outside lining the birdcage was flowers... flowers that looked like eerily like Glaze Lilies. A flower that couldn't be anywhere but in- Oh. Oh...

She finally notices her surroundings. The landscape before her looked exactly like a domain from Genshin Impact, particularly, the Domain of the Wayward Path, but so much bigger. But that couldn't be right. Why was she here?! How?!

"Oh. You're finally awake, little one."

Streamer!MC freezes at the voice. She knew that voice. Knew it very well. Slowly, she looked up... and see a massive Zhongli staring into her birdcage, smiling that calm and mysterious smile she remembered from the game.

Extra notes.

Zhongli keeps Streamer!MC hidden inside his own Adepti Abode.

Only the Adepti know about Streamer!MC. So even if she somehow escaped, an Adepti would quickly find her and bring her back to their lord.

But it isn't like she could get far with her tiny size.

Streamer!MC's birdcage is made of Cor Lapis.

Cloud Retainer was the one that managed to shrink everything in Streamer!MC's birdcage down to the earthling's size with one of her inventions. The bed, pillows, blankets, books, plushies, etc.

She also did Streamer!MC's clothes. As for how she got it on Streamer!MC, however... Let's say Adepti magic is very versatile.

The large amount of Exuvia plushies in Streamer!MC's cage was because Zhongli remembered a stream where she proudly showed off a plush of his Exuvia form she bought for herself, and recalled how she said she wished she could buy MORE.

Well, he was the God of Mora, so it wasn't hard to commission some special one of kind 'Rex Lapis' plush toys.

Zhongli doesn't refer to Streamer!MC as a pet. He actually gets very angry when Childe called her that after giving her to Zhongli as per their contract requested.

The 11th Harbinger gets the fight he wanted but it only lasts a few seconds before Zhongli yeets him into the harbor in a one hit KO.

After some time passes and Streamer!MC stops fighting back, Zhongli starts taking her out of her birdcage, holding her and carrying her around like a delicate gem.

He bonds with her by gifting her various gifts (Which Cloud Retainer than shrinks down). And always talks to her daily, as he recalls from her streams of how she loved his voice. So, he uses it to his advantage, slowly breaking down her fearful shell with soft words and more.

Also slowly teaches her to rely only on him. As all he wants is best for her. Especially since the world was quickly becoming a dangerous place with the more... vile, Teyvatians snatching earthlings up to trafficked as pets or worse.

But Streamer!MC wasn't a pet. No. She was something so, so much better...

"宝贝 (Bǎobèi), you shine as bright as a Cor Lapis but you are also as delicate as a Glaze Lily, if not more."

Streamer!MC lays curled up in the Ex-Archon's hands, looking oh so very tiny and fragile, and stares up at him with sleepy, but trusting eyes as Zhongli ran a finger down her back, slowly beckoning her back to sleep...

[genericpuff]

What’s your current thoughts on what we’ve seen of Eleanor’s Deathbed?

IDK, there isn't enough of it so far to even make any sort of judgment, and whatever judgments I do have to make are largely rooted in Rachel's past work because... well, because we've seen this project at least twice before in the past already.

Like so far the only strong opinion I can make about it is "same shit different day". It's kind of like a fusion of Lore Olympus and The Doctor Foxglove Show, because evidently she's only been able to write and draw the same character dynamic and romance plotline for the past decade. All we've seen is the art and it's honestly fine, I think at the very least it's a great sign that the corporate Webtoons burnout is finally starting to lift and she's creating art that doesn't look like that anymore. I can at least acknowledge that as a refreshing improvement.

That said, it's still a far cry away from the stuff she used to create back in the day (in the Foxglove era) and above all else, the art at this point doesn't really matter to me, it's her writing that's always been her weakest skill and evidently one that hasn't improved at all over the years, both on account of her apparent refusal to learn but also what seems to be an incredibly limited perspective that's influenced the severely problematic undertones of her work and its messaging.

The reason these issues were so apparent in LO was because it was the first time she ever had to complete a story (and also the fact that she and WT's alike marketed LO as something it wasn't - a "feminist retelling" that was trying to "help people"). It's why LO was so enjoyable for many of us in the beginning, just for it to fall apart by the end of S2 which made us even more aware of the cracks that were always there from the very first episode, we just didn't notice them or were more forgiving of them because the story was still "setting up" and Rachel clearly "had something planned". That feeling of betrayal and frustration that's shared among everyone within the antiLO community largely started with the creeping and eventually explosive realization that Rachel did not in fact have anything planned to resolve all the questions and loose ends she had created, she was writing by the seat of her pants the whole time and she had finally flat on her face... but with the added arrogance of blaming the "haters" for pulling the seat out from under her.

Credit where credit's due, she's always been pretty good at coming up with fascinating premises and concepts, both of which are present in her pre-LO stories like The Doctor Foxglove Show and Woman King. But they never lasted long enough for us to see how they would have played out from start to finish, and so all we have to judge them by are their foundations, not the completed house.

We were able to judge LO by those metrics, though, and the way it turned out in the end proved that having a good idea doesn't automatically make for good writing.

Maybe Eleanor's Deathbed will improve upon those problems, but considering most of what I've seen so far of the 'writing' through her mini comics, eh, just looks like it's gonna be more of the same "uwu cinnamon bun girl who's casually racist / classist" x "creepy death man who's competitively racist / classist" shtick. And at the end of the day, when so many of her writing issues are rooted in - as mentioned above - her limited perspective of real world problems and over-inflated ego, I have zero reason to believe that ED isn't just gonna be LO with a new coat of paint, with all the same amateur writing, poorly developed characters, self-indulgent soapboxing, poorly disguised trauma dumping, and problematic messaging disguised as "feminism".

When I said a while back that I wasn't interested in following Rachel's work post-LO, I meant it. At the end of the day, what made me fall in love with LO originally was LO, not Rachel herself. My interest in her work died with LO, only extending to the stuff she did before as a sort of morbid fascination with where it might have all gone wrong. And I think the simplest - and most disappointing - conclusion I've ever come to is, "Rachel has always been like this, the downfall of LO just made us look."

The characters, art style, etc. of ED so far are just not compelling to me in the way LO once was, they're not even compelling to me in the way that Foxglove was in hindsight once I knew of its existence (because at least looking back at those pieces, all I could do is wonder how the beauty of those pieces was lost).

If I do ever read ED in the future - assuming it ever even materializes beyond her social media doodles - I want it to be because I'm genuinely interested in her future work, not because I entitle myself to haunting her like a ghost. I'm already surely haunting her enough as it is by not letting her live down LO, but at least I actually liked LO at one point (and still kinda do, if you count my love-hate relationship with it LMAO). I'm not at all interested in Eleanor's Deathbed on account of what I've already experienced of Rachel's work through LO (and through our deep-diving of her pre-LO career) and because, like I said, what I've seen so far is just not really all that compelling. So I just really don't have any reason to invest my time or care into it.

She, like anyone else, has the right to try and move forward from the tire fire that was LO, even if that tire fire is still worth pointing out and discussing in many ways. Maybe Eleanor's Deathbed will succeed upon LO in ways that it failed. Maybe it won't. I'm not compelled to follow along and find out. I'd rather just cut my losses.

Plus if I really want this woman to fade into obscurity the way I think she deserves, well, the only thing I can reliably do to manifest that reality is to not pay her future work any attention whatsoever LMAO Such an individual effort doesn't mean she'll just suddenly disappear, she's clearly got a support network now through Inklore and Webtoons to keep force-feeding her relevance down people's throats, but hey, we all have our own gardens, and I don't have to keep planting her in mine. The carnation that was LO still thrives on, and I care for it through Rekindled and the odd analysis post / rant about LO whenever I happen to think of something new worth discussing. But whatever Eleanor's Deathbed is or will become, it's just not something I want in my garden.

[aliceinborderlandsquidgame]

Night calls | Various Characters x GN!Reader |

Summary: After a breakup they call you at night.

Warnings: ANGST - Mentions of cheating - AIB and Squid Game - Drinking -

Chishiya

Chishiya looks down at his phone. Your number and name still saved. Even after months. He knows he should move on. After all he was the one who ended things with you. He was not sure why, things were going fine. Maybe that did scare him ? That he was starting to feel something new, out of his control...

He finally gives in and press "call" however his heart falls as he listens to what its a ringtone of have being blocked.

He looks at the dark screen, his reflection almost mocking him. You moved on or at least did take the first steps to get him out from your life.

Arisu

The rain falls against his window as he goes to see the different pictures of you and him. A sniffle gets out from him and before thinking much of it he calls you he is suprised when your sleepy voice responds but says nothing afraid you will notice its him.

"...Arisu?"

There is so much he wants to say but at the end he is a coward. He hangs up before you can say his name again now hugging his pillow as tears fall down.

Niragi

He never did mean these words. Or the fight itself. But he was feeling...well not his usual confident self. He was once again that bullied teen with the need to be alone. Too scared to accept love or friendship. He does not know why he called your love a work of pity or how he dismissed all your calls and atempts to contact him after the first weeks.

Now he is the one crawling and begging as he listens to your phone ring but you never pick up. He wonders if you moved on or if you found someone who is not broken like him. Someone who wont take your love for granted.

Sangwoo

He knows he ruined it. He knows you have all the right to be mad at him and find someone better. Someone who does not run and hide his feelings. Someone who does not break your confidence and makes you feel less.

But he was never a fair Man and after some wine he is calling you.

"You really have some nerves calling me" your tone its cold, nothing like the sweet voice and calm one he was used to hear.

He takes a deep breath trying to find the words, the correct ones for you to reconsider coming back to him.

But seconds pass and he has nothing.

"Im sorry"

A big pause, that shows just how broken both of you are.

"Me too. But it was your fault"

The call ends and Sangwoo takes another gulp of wine as he feels tears. He removes his glasses passing a hand over his face.

Yes. It was his fault.

Gi-hun

Gi-hun its beyond repair by now. Even in his drunk state he can still type your number out of memory.

How long has it been ? Months now ? He cant recall when the fear and self hate took him like a parasite making him end things with you and ruining his life more.

"Gi-hun?" You sweet voice responds, confused as to why your ex would call you after so much time and so late.

"Im drunk. I need someone to pick me up" its his lame excuse, even him cringes at it.

"Gi-hun its has been a year" your words hit me like ice in a storm, he feels sober as he listens to you ramble on how he needs to stop this.

"You need to stop calling. It has been a year Gi-hun. Move on, you hurted me enough"

In-ho

Making bad choices must be his way of life. After all he ended things with you without giving you a reason. He just said his work was taking more time and he could not allow a distraction as yourself.

Maybe if he was open to talk about it things would be different now. His home would not look so empy like his heart. And he would have you with him again.

He wonders if calling you would be too intrusive. After all he did get a formal warning to not contact you after all the gifts and letters he kept sending. Even his younger brother told him to stop for himself and you.

He decides against it and just hopes you are doing good and not being a misserable like him.

[scooterpengie]

What advice would post season 4 Succession characters give to their season 1 selves??

(they all end up ignoring their own advice for some reason or another and the show goes the exact same)

[puppppppppy]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[spotaus]

Actor AU of Eternal Ashes where the kids are all teen YouTubers doing a personal series for Stereo's thesis project that blows up online. (Reset teases Kane on the regular for dying the first episode.)

Actor AU of Doppletale where it's a horror/thriller series. (K is absolutely great at crying on command, and the crew is really friendly outside the set.)

Actor AU of Ec-4o.Verse that's like The Walking Dead so it's super long, but it also functions like a sit-com at the same time. (The cast doesn't really talk to eachother outside the set, but they love being on the show.)

[neo-nomatrix]

HAWK TUAH !

jjk men during a bl0w!e

MULTIPLE X READER

-> GOJO, SUKUNA, CHOSO, GETO, NANAMI, TOJI

cw: bj stuff. cum play (kinda idk) rough characters. dirty talk. degradation. choking

GOJO SATORU AKA HEAD PUSHER

Soooo needy it’s insane. He’s so desperate to feel every inch of your soft warm mouth. he promises to let you do your thing but as soon as you wrap your lips around the tip his hands fly to your head and his hips snap. he’s muttering apologize as he pushes you down until your nose touches his skin. he throws his head back and moans open mouthed like a slut.

he’ll get so caught up in the moment he keep you down there for like 30 seconds just grinding his hips into your mouth. let’s you up when you pinch his thigh. you will be coughing and your face will be covered in spit by the end. he lovess facials and always rubs the cum in using his tip. he keeps a photo of you with his cock on your face and cum in your mouth as his wallpaper.

“s-shit baby… deeper, little more”

“you can take it, i know you can baby”

“just make me feel good okay?”

RYOMEN SUKUNA AKA THROAT DESTROYER

uhm yeah… what did you expect. does not give a shit about you when his cock is in your mouth. keeps you at the edge of the bed with your head hanging off and his fucking your mouth like a fleshlight. goes so deep his cock is showing in your throat. your gags make him want to go another round. plugs your nose when you’re deep throating so you can’t breath.

“until my jaw locks” yeah he took that as a challenge. loves tying you up with a low vibrator on your clit while he fucks that mouth as torture. you honestly don’t know if you love it or hate it. Sukuna loves it though, that’s for sure. cums deep in your throat, every time. will face fuck you again if he sees you didn’t swallow it all.

“fuck gag on that dick, bitch”

“i can see my cock in your throat! but who’s surprised?”

“you better swallow my seed… it’ll probably reach your stomach with how deep i am”

CHOSO KAMO AKA WHINY B!TCH

again, who’s surprised. he thought handjobs were great… but this? whole different level. you start but sucking on the tip until he’s sensitive. then you lick stripes up and down his veins. you use soo much spit and he loves it. he loves it when you press kisses to his cock and then deep throat it.

hes mesmerized by the way your head moves, the way your lips look. he has to force himself to not throw his head back so he can see you. one time he got ahead of himself and snapped his hips up and you choked on him, best day of his life. when he found out your throat felt like that? no going back. he begs you to deep throat him all the time.

“more… more more more. please baby!”

“remember how good i eat you out? please treat me good”

“i know it’s too deep! im sorry i can’t stop baby”

SUGURU GETO AKA NICE N SLOW

just into good old fashioned blowjobs. your hand kept at the base and your lips move up and down his shaft. he wants your tongue swirling over it like a lollipop. he brushes your hair out of your face to see your expressions. he’s so gentle and nice when it comes to blowjobs.

let’s you grind on his leg while you suck him off. mostly uses it as foreplay and not a main way to get off. likes for your spit to act as lube for him to slide in. if he was gonna cum from a bj it would be on your tits. he loves that.

“fuck keep that up and i’ll cum”

“let it get hard in your mouth… that’s right”

“don’t give me those innocent eyes, slut”

NANAMI KENTO AKA UNDER THE DESK

oh you’ll support your working man, from under the desk. he’s so stressed about work these days and you have just the solution! you showed up to his home office in skimpy lingerie and without saying a word you crawl under his desk and get to work. he gets so flustered so fast, blushing and stuttering about how his report is due.

grips the chair so tight when you start working your magic. he doesn’t want to thrust up because he knows he’ll bruise your throat. uses his belt to wrap around your neck and guide you instead. pulls your hair an insane amount. cums in your mouth but likes to watch it pour out onto your body.

“i’m working baby… you’ll get me too distracted”

“wrap that belt around your neck, be a good assistant”

“is this you saying thank you for being my sugar daddy?”

TOJI FUSHIGURO AKA TWO HANDS

he’s so big you need to use your hands or else he might pop out on the other side of your neck. you’re moving your hands and your mouth at a similar pace. he definitely teaches you how he wants it. he guides your head to a good rhythm and then lets you do your thing.

maybe he’ll have a cigarette hanging out his mouth when you suck it. blowing smoke in your face to tease you. definitely makes fun of the fact that you can’t take all of him. your jaw has to be open so wide to get him in. cums everywhere, your face, throat, tits. doesn’t matter, if it’s you he’ll cum there.

“don’t just move your hands up and down baby, turn em”

“your face looks so fucking small next to my dick!”

“c’mon, try harder to take it or else i’ll force you to”

[fxrheisenn]

Andrus Laansalu talked about making Disco Elysium at EKA (Estonian Academy of Arts)

"Initially, the church wasn't a focal point. There were certain characters that needed to visit this location, and I asked, "Seriously, what do we have in our church?" The others replied, "Nothing at all. Our church is completely bare—just a wheel, really. It's quite basic."

That's when I decided to unleash my creativity in the design. For example, they chose to install a glass structure at the top of the church to create a reflective surface. It was like placing an optical clock up there. Therefore, one of the most crucial aspects of designing the church was ensuring the lighting was just right to create the desired atmosphere."

"Let me show you an example of Baroque architecture, which is rich in detail. We're also designing the interior of the church based on large cathedrals. However, the foundation you use might not yield the expected results, because the church itself doesn't require such intricate details. Sometimes, it's about simplifying the design."

"I used Articy for the initial scriptwriting of Disco Elysium. The image only represents a tiny fraction of the text and choice variables involved. This system was also the reason I eventually abandoned the project after a year of outlining the script and shifted my focus to becoming a sound designer. My mind struggled to keep up with the dynamic graphic rules, but fortunately, a more talented writer took over afterward."

"In terms of sound design, it's essential to develop different layers to bring out the charm of the church as a cohesive space. Although this represents only a small portion of the overall design, each layer actually requires a significant amount of time to compose the whole....... Whenever there's a shift or a change due to the dialogue itself, you need to adjust the background sounds. Each time you modify the details in the dialogue, I have to refine the background audio, ensuring that these elements build upon each other like an intricate layer of work."

"It's funny how many scenes involve characters getting smacked in the face. My job was to recreate those, so I locked myself in the bathroom with a recorder and hit my forehead until it turned red.

As a sound designer, I really dig those unsettling, drill-like sounds. So, I mixed in creepy lectures, metal scraping, moans, and cries of pain—because I just love that stuff! (laughs)

Players will be moving through all kinds of areas, so it's super important to make the sound transitions feel natural, trying to create a more immersive vibe in certain spaces.

With all the scenes featuring big cranes, you can hear them from far away, and I wanted to capture that eerie ringing in your ears. That's going to be a thing throughout most of the game. I've found ways to really mess with players while they're playing!"

"I've come across a lot of old objects (like phones and radios) that I needed to perfectly replicate the sounds. I started to become a bit of a hoarder, buying up different models of old phones whenever I found one to add to my collection. The sound effects I can simulate from them are really impressive."

"Some of the devices don't actually exist in real life—just a mix of architecture and tech. When I need to create sound effects, I first look for something similar that exists in our world, then I try to simulate what the sound and appearance of that thing might have been like a century ago.

Towards the end of the game, there's a character carrying a fuel canister. We needed the sound of the canister, so we dug one up from our garage—it had been sitting there since it was five! I realized this would make the sound perfect. So, it had been there for 50 years, and after 40 years, it finally found its purpose.

In some places, I needed unique sound waves, and recreating them was a real headache until one day I happened to walk by a swimming pool and stumbled upon an old wartime torpedo. You can rotate the torpedo's probe, and it slowly rises up, like a proud zombie head. The sounds it made were exactly what I needed!"

🙋How did you manage to get funding?

"Well, since we're in Estonia, you just need to know a wealthy person. You don't need five people—just two who can network, hang out together, and convince them to keep investing! (laughs) Back then, we constantly ran out of money and would tell them, 'Oops, looks like we spent it all! Can you invest a bit more?' That's how we made it through!"

🙋How did you all come together to make the game?

"Luck. It usually doesn't happen this way, and that's the key difference. It has to be. If not, you couldn't create a game of this scale - well, I mean in terms of budget. But creatively, Estonia definitely has writers and artists who can pull it off. With such a small population, there are a lot of quirky folks who are good friends. We were really lucky, though - lots of fortunate circumstances came together. It brought the right people together, allowing those talented fools to collaborate with us. They had experience but hadn't tackled projects of this magnitude before. So yeah, luck is pretty important!"

Lecture experience shared by 白兔YIYANG SUN on 小红书, reposted & translated by me with her permission.

[life-is-more-than-just-a-game]

♠️ AiB males in Mingle-Game with you ♠️

A/N: I thought about this kind of headcanons while I was trying to fall asleep. 😬

The game is part of the second season from Squid Game, so if you haven't seen it yet but want to watch it- This writing may contain slight spoilers! 😶‍🌫️

Characters: Aguni, Arisu, Chishiya, Karube, Niragi

POV: gn!neutral

Warnings: Squid Game related; may contain Spoilers for season 2!

A g u n i

That man really hates playing games with you together. He isn't showing, but he is afraid of losing you in one of those games especially when it comes to the thought of losing you 'cause he is not able to protect you ...

He has the will of a leader and he may be pretty strong, physically and psychologically, but not knowing which game you'll join together almost kills him ever and ever again.

That's why Aguni always tries his best to convince you to play different games but this time he lost the discussion.

Thanks god it's not heart game the two of you joined, but clubs.

Bro, that man breathes a sigh of relief, you wouldn't believe it.

No chances he will leave your side, he stands by you and follows you everywhere you go, no matter what.

And he is watching you the. whole. damn. time.

Standing on the circling plate, he will touch you with his elbow when you start moving your body because of the playing song.

"Don't forget, it's all or nothing. Stay focused and stop dancing, you need to concentrate."

... He is finding it pretty cute actually but who is he to confess?

Ah, the plate stops moving and the song stops playing. A voice tells the number of people each group needs before running in one of the rooms you need to hide to win this game.

Good for you, nearly everybody knows Aguni.

And nearly everybody is fine with whoever wants to build a group with them, I mean everyone is just trying to survive ...

"A group of 3 people?" "Can't be this hard to find one more- no time to lose!"

Be prepared, he will carry you over his shoulder without hesitation ... He just grabs you and flicks you over ...

"Wow, alright, calm down Aguni, I have legs myself, you know?!" "Daily dose of training."

A r i s u

Same as Aguni, Arisu wouldn't step away from your side, leaving you alone in the crowd of people you may or may not know by even their names.

He's a cutie pie. While standing on the moving plate, he would stand by you as near as possible, just to make sure he isn't losing you.

Plus he wants to make sure you know he will always be there for you and no matter what happens, he isn't going anywhere without you.

He lost the most meaningful people in his life already. It broke him. Losing you- it's hard to say if he would make it another time.

Still, different from Aguni , he wouldn't mind moving with you to the song a little.

Actually it would be pretty fun to him, dancing to the rhythm with you.

For a second he would forget why you guys are even here ...

Lord have mercy, he loves you for that.

If he is able to, he would even sing along, sadly korean doesn't belong to his strength ...

Freestyle!

"Love, did you even know what the children are singing about?" "Actually no, but this song is both a curse and a blessing."

People will look at you as if you are a couple that is losing their minds- how can you have fun with the knowing this could be your last minute on earth?

Seriously, how?

"Oh, the song ends ..." "And we aren't moving anymore ..." "2!", the unknown voice tells the players.

Arisu grabs your wrist, not thinking about it twice, and drags you behind him, towards the door closest to you.

"Oi, don't be so rough on me!" "Sorry, gamer reflexes!"

C h i s h i y a

The strategist of this game.

Nobody would find a sample in this game as fast as he does.

Play with him the first and second round, and he will be able to guess the number of group members for every following turn.

"They will do everything to kill as many people as possible." "You don't say." "It's important to know. Based on that, the numbers are chosen." "Are you really trying to find a ... system behind this game?" "I'm not trying, I already found it. Just stand near me and everything will be okay."

Remembering the last games you played with him, you know he is right.

At first it was hard for you to trust him. He was always a mysterious person to you- calm, smart, ambitious. That makes him ... kind of a dangerous person.

But since you started "dating" him, it gets easier for you letting him take control in games you play both together.

"Promise you bring us out here alive ...?" "Not a big fan of promises, but this ... this is easy to handle."

He takes your hand you held out to him when you asked him that question. But not just to give you his word- he interlaces his fingers with yours instead, pulling you a little closer to him and making sure you stand by him.

Your face gets red like a tomato ...

"You know, you make the games a little more important to me, Y/N." "Huh? What do you mean?" "Your life matters more to me than my own life- so I'm willing to protect you. Even though it's just with my high level of intelligence." "... Well, who are you and what have you done to Chishiya?", you laugh while he is just giggling a little.

K a r u b e

Fun is important to him, he doesn't want to think about dying the whole time.

So he doesn't want YOU to think of dying the whole time, too.

I guess Karube could be the one dancing with like crazy to the song. Not just moving his body back and forth.

More like Thanos and Nam-gyu did in the series ... I was laughing so hard when I saw them dancing on the plate. 😭

Back to topic; he just wants you to feel comfortable and, above all, safe around him.

He loves having you close to him. As long as you are with him, he is sure that he can do anything.

He is also willing to achieve everything he has set himself as a goal.

Accordingly, if he has made it his goal to leave the game with you ...

... then he WILL leave this game WITH you!

Means, without ifs and buts, he stays with you. From start to finish.

We know how impulsive Karube can be.

Anyone who stands in the way of him and his plans will never be happy again.

For example, the player who tried to push in front of him when you two were running in a room together.

Then he is simply grabbing the clothes and pulls the foreign person out of the room again- with force and full physical strength.

If the stranger is lucky, he gets away with a broken nose.

If not, he will die- Karube has no mercy for people blocking his way.

"Well, you know, it's not necessary always punching people in the face when they are just panicking and fighting for their lives, Babe ..." "I know, but I was panicking, too. And I want to live. And I want you to live, too, y/n. I want a future with you, not with a-" “Unknown human being!", you say, stopping him from uttering an insult. "You are too good for this world, love."

N i r a g i

Bro's kinda rough to everyone, not just you. We all know what a beast he can be, so when it comes to finding group members, he will use every method that comes to his mind to make people join both of you.

Niragi isn't good with words. He would provoke the other players or manipulate them making sure you and himself can leave this game alive.

Yeah ... he has a soft spot for you.

Can you imagine him having a heart!? 😭

Anyways, his life isn't as important as yours, for him at least.

That's doesn't mean he wants to die in here!

You are just his priority, so when the voice is telling a number and other players don't want him to join their group, he would do ANYTHING that you are able to join a group.

Yep, he would grab people by their collar.

And he would punch and kick them if necessary.

... His firearm could also be used.

"Listen here, you litte fuck. You will make sure that you team up with her and you will make sure that you end up properly in one of these ugly rooms, that she gets out of here alive. Otherwise-" Niragi points his gun at the unknown player, ignoring your "No, stop! Put that down, are you crazy?!"

Damn, he would kill everyone in here to make sure you will survive, it's insane ...

Funny to say, his method is working very well ...

[dollishmehrayan]

BATBOYS WITH A STYLISH READER ── .✦

a/n: so I tried to base this off of me because I like genuinely LOVE fashion and creativity (my closet is seriously so full rn but I keep buying and buying but soon I’m gonna donate some pieces I never wore/ won’t wear again when i’m like moving in 5/6 months (in April) but anyways yeahh this is requested by the wonderful @luvly_writer (I GENUINELY DONT KNOW WHY MY MENITONS ARENT WORKING TODAY!?!?

tags: (batboys x stylish reader ᥫ᭡)

DICK GRAYSON ── .✦

Dick’s always had a decent sense of fashion, but after meeting you, he realized his wardrobe could use some spicing up.

“Okay, I need help,” he says, holding up his closet of endless leather jackets and dark jeans. “It’s starting to feel like I’m a character in a some main character show..” (this tiktok HELPP here)

You pull together a sleek but casual look for him, fitted trousers, a patterned button-up, and a blazer. When he sees himself in the mirror, he whistles.

“Are you sure I’m not about to walk the runway?”

He loves when you add your flair to his outfits, often saying, “This is why I’m with you.”

Eventually, Dick starts mimicking your style in small ways—accessories, boots, and bolder colors. He’ll even joke, “You’re rubbing off on me in more ways than one.”

JASON TODD ── .✦

Jason scoffs at the idea at first. “I don’t need to be styled. My leather jacket and boots are timeless, I don’t need like bags and purses like you.”

But then he starts noticing the way you turn heads wherever you go and how people always stop you to ask where you got your hat or etc from, and he gets curious.

One day, he half-jokingly says, “Alright, fashionista. Make me look less like I just rolled out of a biker gang.”

You have so much fun dressing him in a sharp, dark button-up, fitted jeans, and Chelsea boots. When you suggest a leather trench coat instead of his usual jacket, he raises an eyebrow but ends up loving it.

“I look like a villain trying blow up something in broad daylight,” he says, smirking. “But, like, a hot one.”

Jason doesn’t fully change his wardrobe, but he starts incorporating your suggestions—better fits, fewer holes in his shirts, and maybe a sweater or two. He always claims it’s to “shut you up,” but deep down, he loves how confident it makes him feel when his s/o chooses stuff for him.

TIM DRAKE ── .✦

Tim’s wardrobe is functional. It’s not bad because there’s a DIFFERENCE, Timothy drake wayne dresses in suits and is high end and chic but regular tim well… tim Is tim but he DOES care about what he wears just not like that serious about it, but it’s very much “guy who spends more time in front of a computer than a mirror.”

One day, he asks, “Do you think I should update my wardrobe? You know, to look… presentable?”

You practically light up, dragging him out for a shopping spree.

He’s a little overwhelmed by how excited you are, but he secretly loves the attention.

You pick out layered outfits—hoodies with tailored jackets, clean sneakers, and pants that actually fit. When he tries them on, he’s surprised at how good he looks.

“So this is what it feels like to be stylish,” he muses.

Over time, Tim starts borrowing pieces of your style. He’ll wear scarves, experiment with glasses frames, and even tuck his shirts in occasionally. You catch him researching minimalist fashion on Pinterest once, and he sheepishly admits, “You’re a bad influence.”

DAMIAN WAYNE ── .✦

Damian has a sharp sense of style already (thanks, Talia and Bruce), but he finds himself intrigued by your unique flair.

“You have a good eye for aesthetics,” he says one day, almost shyly. “Perhaps you could lend me some… insight.”

Styling Damian is like working with a blank canvas—he’s open to trying new things as long as it doesn’t compromise his dignified image.

You help him experiment with layered textures, sleek boots, and subtle patterns. He refuses anything too colorful but surprises you by agreeing to a deep emerald green blazer.

“I look… distinguished,” he admits, staring at his reflection.

He starts taking inspiration from your wardrobe, incorporating more modern and creative touches into his outfits. Every now and then, he’ll ask, “What do you think of this?” before leaving for an event.

Damian also becomes oddly protective of your style. If someone tries to copy you, he’ll say something like, “Flattery may be the sincerest form of imitation, but it’s wasted when done poorly.”

BRUCE WAYNE ── .✦

Bruce is already a style icon, but when he starts noticing the effortless way you put together outfits, he gets curious.

“What would you do with this suit?” he asks, gesturing to one of his many black ensembles.

You tease him for being so predictable but suggest a few changes—adding a pocket square, switching up his tie, and choosing a dark navy instead of black.

When he steps out in the new look, even Alfred raises an approving eyebrow.

“Now I’ll have to think about my outfits.”

He begins to take subtle cues from your style, occasionally asking for your opinion before galas. You catch him sneaking glances at your Pinterest boards once, and he pretends it’s for “business purposes” (you had to private your pin board after because he keeps buying 10 of each of what you put on your Pinterest board.)

[cinnamorollcrybaby]

How do you think Nanami would announce your pregnancy to Gojo and the jujutsu high cast…. Possible fic idea?

Rainbow Baby

Tags: Nanami x fem!Reader, ANGST, HURT/COMFORT, TW- mentions of a previous miscarriage, (is not described, but it’s heavily referenced), grief, tooth-rotting fluff at the end, happy ending that you and nanami deserve.

An: This is def not the fic that I accidentally wrote about the wrong character for. I definitely did not write this entire fic about Satoru before rereading your request and seeing that you clearly wrote for Nanami.

Nanami is a private man — not secretive, just private. While he loves when you visit school to see him because your presence eases his weary mind, he doesn’t flaunt you around to his coworkers. It’s honestly just a known thing around the school that Kento has a very pretty wife who he doesn’t introduce to anyone.

There is only one exception to the rule: the man who isn’t afraid of anything and has no concept of social boundaries, Satoru Gojo.

Nanami watched in utter disdain as Satoru always found a way to inset himself into yours and Nanami’s conversations. He never bothered to hide how much Gojo gets on his nerves.

However, Satoru gets a pass. Nanami may shoot him death glares and give him short, irritated responses, but Nanami will never shoo him away.

Satoru gets a pass because he was the one who made sure you and Nanami didn’t drown in grief when you two lost your first little one.

Nanami hadn’t even told anyone that you were pregnant yet — it was so early on. You two were still enjoying keeping it a small secret between you two. However, Gojo picked up on it immediately after seeing you. You weren’t showing, but he could see the small bundle of yellow and orange energy radiating from your tummy with his six eyes.

To Nanami’s surprise, Satoru didn’t make a huge deal out of it. He shook Nanami’s hand while whispering a quiet congratulations into his ear. Nanami laughed as he realized that Satoru knew, and he pulled the white haired male into a hug.

Satoru immediately knew something was wrong when Nanami didn’t show up for work the next week. Deciding to check up on his friend, he stopped by yours and Nanami’s house.

Nanami looked like a wreck compared to his normally put together self when he answered the door. His skin was pale, dark bags under his puffy red eyes from crying. He was wearing a shirt and grey sweatpants. You looked even worse…

Satoru didn’t need an explanation whenever the small bundle of energy was no longer present in your tummy.

If it wasn’t for Satoru, Nanami was sure that the grief was going to consume both of you. You were… you were understandably a wreck, and Nanami was so heartbroken himself that he struggled to hold you together. He was the man of the relationship, but he lost a child too. He had to witness his wife go through the worst pain imaginable, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Satoru checked up on you two often. He never mentioned what he knew, which was comforting. He was just always there with a kind smile and food plus desserts. Even though you and Nanami barely would eat anything, Satoru would come over anyways.

He was the only thing constant and stable in yours and Nanami’s lives. He was the only one who knew, and he helped you two out with a level of empathy and care that Nanami didn’t know he was capable of. The house would get cleaned. Food would be served. Different bills and other miscellaneous items ended up being paid.

Soon, the grief became easier to deal with. You and Nanami learned how to cope with the loss and start living again. The grief books lie by the way. You never truly get over the loss of a baby. You just learn how to live with the subtle ache in your heart.

It sneaks up on you sometimes. You see a small baby on tv, and you’re in shambles. Nanami watches Kusakabe announce his wife’s pregnancy, and he has to excuse himself to the restroom for a breather.

Satoru spent father’s and mother’s day with you and Nanami. It’s not like he had any family to celebrate with anyways. He brought you two gifts - making sure to remind you two that you are still parents. Your little one just isn’t on this earth.

So when you see those two pink lines on a test a year later, you feel your heart stop. You can’t take another heartbreak. You’re so scared; you don’t even want to tell Nanami. You two weren’t exactly trying for another baby, but you weren’t preventing one either.

You and Nanami celebrated, cried, laughed, rejoiced, mourned, grieved, every emotion hit you two like a truck when you revealed your pregnancy to him.

You don’t stop by the school for a little while. You and Nanami are both not ready for Satoru to find out… especially not during the first trimester when it’s possible that miscarriage can happen again…

Once you hit 20 weeks and know the baby’s gender, you finally think it’s time to let Satoru know. Nanami reluctantly agrees — also because Satoru has been hounding Nanami for weeks about where you’ve been. Satoru misses the cookies you’d always bake for him.

“Do you have plans for dinner tonight?” Nanami asks the white haired male at work that evening. Satoru immediately perks up, knowing this is basically an invitation to come over.

“Nah, I was thinking about getting hot pot. Why?” Satoru asks, trying not to sound overly excited, but it’s a rarity when Nanami formally invites him over. He also hasn’t seen you in so long. He wants to spill all the new tea to you since you like that sort of thing, unlike Nanami.

“My wife baked those cookies you love so much. You should stop by tonight.” Oh, and Satoru was getting sweets? Hell yeah.

Though, the cookies wasn’t the biggest treat of the night. When Satoru enters your home behind Nanami, he walks to the kitchen where you’re standing over freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Your tummy is rounded, and there’s a strong accumulation of golden energy residing in you.

“You’re-!?” Satoru’s eyes widen and he flicks his head quickly between you and Nanami. Your husband playfully rolls his eyes, but his smile tells you everything you need to know. He’s proud to be announcing your pregnancy.

“Yes, she’s pregnant.” He answers with a laugh, and Gojo pulls him in for a tight hug. Even if Satoru lacks some social skills, he’s able to read people like a book. He knows that this is all you and Nanami have ever wanted — a little family to call your own.

Now, imagine his big blue eyes welling with tears when he sees the cookies have writing on them.

“Nice to meet you, Uncle Toru!”

Now, imagine how fucking ecstatic Nanami is when he finally gets the privilege to announce your pregnancy to the rest of the school. He’s private with his life, but after everything you two have been through, he happily announces your pregnancy to anyone — everyone.

Oh, and your baby girl, Satori, was born happy and healthy. Besides you and Nanami, Satoru was the first one to meet your sweet baby. Yes, he cried like he was the baby when he found out about her name.

[luna-azzurra]

Arranged Marriage Tropes

The Reluctant Pair

Neither of them wants to be there. They're totally against the idea of being forced into this situation, maybe they had plans for their own future, or they're just stubborn about being told what to do. But then surprise, they start catching feelings. It’s the slow burn we all live for.

Enemies to Lovers

This is the ultimate trope. They start off hating each other’s guts, refusing to even look at each other. Every interaction is dripping with sass, sarcasm, and all kinds of tension. But then, somehow, the sparks turn into a fire of a different kind. They go from "I can't stand you" to "maybe I like you more than I thought."

The Fake Marriage

This one’s gold. They both agree to pretend to be the perfect couple just to get their families off their backs. Of course, faking love gets tricky when you actually start to feel something. It’s all "pretend to hold my hand" until their hearts decide it’s not so pretend anymore.

The Love Triangle

The classic dilemma. One character’s already in love with someone else, or someone new shows up just as the arranged marriage is about to happen. Cue the inner turmoil, awkward run-ins, and the big decision, who will they choose?

Cultural Clash

They come from totally different worlds. There’s misunderstandings, awkward moments, and all kinds of learning curves as they figure out how to make it work. It’s not just about learning to love each other, but also learning to respect their differences. Bonus points for growth.

Family Drama

The families are pulling all the strings here, putting a ton of pressure on the characters to get married. Maybe one’s doing it out of loyalty, maybe the other’s feeling trapped. Either way, it’s a balancing act between family expectations and their own desires. Cue the emotional drama.

These tropes are like comfort food, familiar but so satisfying. Whether it’s the enemies-turned-lovers drama or the slow realization that they’ve fallen for each other, these stories are all about the rollercoaster of emotions. You start off thinking, “They’re never gonna work,” and by the end, you're rooting for them to make it.