#i don't have time to do a rewatch but i am rotating them in my mind

[williamrikers]

thinking about tharntype once again and about how it is literally one of the best love stories ever told and type's whole character journey to become a better person and i'm shaking crying throwing up because i miss them so fucking much. their chemistry was literally on another level and the character development is still unmatched

[angelsdean]

Honestly I hate that every meta post / analysis / discussion is viewed as "discourse" more often than not. And the idea that one interpretation MUST reign supreme among fandom. That we must all agree in order to get along. Or that one post is the end all be all of someone's takes. As someone who often enjoys entertaining multiple / contradictory takes and angles of interpretation it's...annoying. My opinions also evolve and fluctuate on rewatches / depending on mood / depending on fandom climate at the time / etc.

I like having discussions with friends (sometimes those discussions are public, sometimes they're not). I like trying to see their POV. Sometimes I come away seeing things differently. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I AM more critical of other characters in the moment. Sometimes I give them more grace. Sometimes I'll make a post in a rewatch, feeling big feelings, and then come back later to amend it, with a more balanced perspective. But there have been times when I have been blocked / unfollowed for one angle or take and that ends up not even being my MAIN mode of interpretation but just something I was rotating around. idk sometimes a post is not the end all be all of what someone thinks abt a character / plot point / story arc. Sometimes we can be critical without being a capital H hater. There is room for nuance. multitudes. contradiction. We can have preferences or think something was not portrayed as well as it could have been. We can be annoyed by those things and talk abt them. I also do not need to agree with every single take my mutuals and pals have. Sometimes I heavily diverge, and that's ok! I think having different viewpoints and candid discussions is often beneficial to fandom. But these discussions are not all "discourse" or "fandom fighting." Sometimes people just have different opinions or interpretations. Sometimes what looks like "discourse" is actually just fandom friends discussing differing viewpoints.

As someone who also likes arguing a thesis and citing sources to support an argument and doing analysis and literary interpretation, I can say that even for takes I don't necessarily agree with, effective arguments can be made for that interpretation and supported by canon evidence. I think that's why "open to interpretation" often chafes at some fans. Because it means multiple interpretations CAN exist and be effectively argued. Mine and yours. There is no one singular ultimate truth in literary interpretation. Not even authorial intent. That's the beauty and fun of media analysis IMO. We can each find different meaning from the same source material and diverge. I may continue to argue for my interpretation (in the academic sense of "arguing a thesis") because that's the position I've chosen to align with, but that doesn't mean I think it's the only one you CAN have. And no, not all interpretations are created equal or are argued in good faith. Some ARE more valid than others and better argued / supported. And sometimes an interpretation is only one of many a person can have.

Overall, I don't like the idea that fandom needs to be a hive mind, and that we all MUST have the same opinions or interpretations or come away from the show feelings the same way or else it's "ruining the fandom fun." Sometimes I staunchly disagree with people, especially when takes are rooted in bad faith fanon more than anything that actually transpired on screen. I won't play nice with people that are just Making Up Some Guy to be mad and insisting I must also hate that guy, who doesn't exist. But I can and do have discussions with friends and mutuals where we interpret canon events differently! And I value those other perspectives. They challenge me to question my own viewpoint, to interrogate my takes, to check myself when I get too rooted in Only One Way of thinking. I don't want there to only be one way of interpreting. And sometimes even I will contradict myself and explore other avenues, for the fun of it.

and before THIS post gets interpreted as discourse I would like to issue the disclaimer: that this isn't directed at any individual blogger or any specific post. do not go after anyone. this is just some general thoughts and feelings I've been having about fandom for a LONG time.

[absolutebl]

These Weeks in BL - This Is Very Late, Or Right on Time depending on where you sit on the temporal debate team

Sorry I got distracted by work. In my defense: I was paid.

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

March 2024 Wk 1 & 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube grey) ep 12 fin - Unfortunately, there was singing. But what can we do?

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth, with no-fuss execution from a consummate team and an OG lead pair proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up. Look, here’s the thing, Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it still stands. This is a great show, a solid adaptation, and a pleasing take on the original yaoi. I personally like it better than the Japanese live action, but I think that’s because I just really like Thai BL and I LOVE TayNew. I doubted them for this and I shouldn’t have. They did a great job, as did the sides. I will say all the kissing was both present and better than any other iteration. As it should be. Definitely one for the rewatch rotation. 9/10 

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 1 of 8 (10?) - Damn it, I love it. And I don't want to. It’s more classic BL than I thought it would be, and far less Only Friends or Playboyy. (Thank fuck.) We got a big cast and a lot of tropes going down out the gate, including SMITTEN popular hot guy versus nerd with secret identity. (Incidentally, Khem did drop into rude / informal when arguing with his Aunt and defending his ma. Bratty boy.) The leads have good chemistry (First always does), and everyone is very pretty. The main boy reminds me of J-Min's role (and look) in Love Class 2. I am entertained. (And faintly wonder why this isn't a MosBank vehicle.)

To Be Continued (Thai C3 Thailand grey) eps 1-3 of 8- High school sweethearts who had a bad break up reunite a decade later when both of them have full time jobs (celebrity & doctor). Dr Ji is a familiar face (hi Dream it's been a LONG time) and everyone is way too old for high school, but I guess I prefer this to child actors?

I'm enjoying it, actually, the cast may be older but they're solid as a result and the chemistry is on point for a pulp. Whether our celebrity is on the DL or cheating or something else remains to be seen but he sure is smitten. The way he LOOKS at Ji = hawt.

Frankly? Celebrity/doctor is a good pairing and this is a solid Thai BL. I hope we have a nice angsty reason for the break-up and we're not in another Promise situation. I like the sides too. Carry on, little show, I'm disposed to be pleased with you.

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 12 - I am enjoying it, actually. It’s incredibly silly. But I don’t really mind. STOP SINGING. 

1000 Years Old eps 3-4 of 12 - I love that these kids basically adopted a vampire pet. And one of them accidentally got a vampire boyfriend. This suddenly turned from a PNR into a family drama about domestic gays opening a food stall and I'm not mad about it. Nothing makes sense and I don't care because... rainbow umbrella!

A Secretly Love (Thai WeTV grey) eps 1 of 10 - I don’t love it. I make no bones about the fact that a pining uke rarely works for me, especially if he’s younger (cute supportive besties not withstanding), the power dynamic isn’t good. I always like Kimmon, he’s a stiff actor but v pretty. (I shallow af.) Still it’s time he started acting his age… literally. Having to watch ads again as well… for this? Ooof. I'm not sure I'm strong enough.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Perfect Propose (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 6 fin - It was very cute. I liked that there was uke instigated kisses. However I have some reservations on this one, much as I enjoyed it.

Adapted from Mayo Tsurakame’s manga, production team included Tadaaki Horai (My Love Mix-Up!) and Takeshi Miyamoto (Old Fashion Cupcake). Essentially Perfect Propose was about finding hope in a person when all other hope is gone. This show focuses on apathy, and perforce is somewhat apathetic and un-engaging especially as the pacing was off (and with only 6 episodes? now) However, this is countered by great visuals, good archetypes, and a clean story of childhood sweethearts reuniting after loosing their way in life. I landed on 8/10 mostly for a demanding younger seme and some great kisses. 

Unknown (Taiwan Tues Youku YouTube) eps 2-3 of 11 - Oh it’s great. I love it. I’m still worried by how gritty and "Taiwanese short-esk" it feels, but wow does this hit all my favorite taboo tropes and buttons. I also adore the little found fam, they the cutest gay older bros ever. The younger one who wants so bad to grow up and take care of the older one and pushes himself because into self sacrifice that’s the only model of love he has. ARGH. BOYS. Why so much pain, just smooch already! Sheesh. It's on YouTube for some of us, here's the schedule.

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) eps 6-7 of 10 - They remain questionably cute, and that is probably going to be my ultimate review of this show. Awe cameo! (Hi babies, hope the ghosts are leaving you alone.) The irony does not escape me that the person in the relationship with the most emotional acumen is, in fact, the robot and not the human. I'm sure that's meant to be deep.

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Gaga) ep 1 of 6 - A tortured second chance romance featuring a reported and a successful celebrity(?) academic. The kid actors look nothing like their adult counterparts, but they do look much younger. So, okay. Ah the utter embarrassment of first love. Oh I like it a lot, so very messy Japanese emo. Sigh. Here we go again.

Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Thurs Gaga) eps 8-9 of 10 - They are a cute couple. They both trying so hard and so confused and awkward and polite in trying to understand each other but TERRIBLE at communication. 

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) eps 3-4 of 8 - I don’t know how I feel about this. But I do know it’s not my thing because it’s not BL. I’ll finish it because it’s short but… meh. 

It's done, ready to binge, but I have no time

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have any spare time. 2024 is crazy busy for me so far.

The Servant and the Young Master (Vietnam YouTube) - I will try when I have a window of time.

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) - A Burmese BL? @heretherebedork vouched for it, so I will watch eventually.

It's airing but...

Dead Friend Forever (Thai iQIYI) - finished it's run and I won't be watching it. It's horror with BL elements and the ending, well, let's just say that's a "no thank you" from me.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 5 years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so… no. I'm not watching this. I dislike this franchise.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - dropped it at ep 4.

Takumi-kun (2023) movie version AKA Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa released on FOD 3/5/2024. The original project was a 6 ep series. Having seen all the previous iterations and read the (terrible) yaoi I admit to being intrigued. If anyone finds eng subbed please let me know with a link in comments or in a DM? For those intersted in this show, probably the world's first true BL franchise I chat all about it here.

Gossip

James Supamongkon has withdrawn from the series Love Upon A Time and the NetJames pair is no more. Net Siraphop will continue with the historical BL project alongside a new partner. Can I interest you in Tod Techit... almost as pretty, legs for days...

The Complete Chronology of the Assault Case Against GMMTV Actor Win Pawin

I'm merely directing your attention to these articles, I do not wish for discussion of this content on this blog. Please don't ask for further info, I don't know the answer, follow the link that's why it's there.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Still Coming

3/21 Two Worlds (Thai IQIYI) 10 eps - announced here. One of those "he's dead Jim so time travel" thingames staring MaxNat. I'm over them but Asia flipping loves this trope and I do adore MaxNat. Phupha (Gun) and Khram (Nat) love each other but Phupha is murdered. Then Khram is pulled to a parallel world where, 12 years ago, Khram and Tai (Max) were in love. However, Khram was killed by Thai’s dad. Now Tai finds alter-Khram apparently alive. But then there is ALSO an alter-Phupha (played by Gun Thanawat who is Khom the repressed butler bodyguard from Unforgotten Night).

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

How flipping adorable is this vampire with his big gay umbrella? SUCH A DORK and we got more vampire dorks coming.

Thailand has found its vampire line and it's awkward and geeky and quite cheerful. 'Bout what we expected, to be fair. It's a good look for them.

And vampires.

In other news...

That's your random moment of thirst, Lim Jimin shirtless AKA my Just B bias (I mean, I could talk about how good his extensions are and how I love a husky voice in Kpop but really, just LOOK at him). I'm very very very shallow, remember? Full vid is here.

Why am I mentioning Lim Jimin (aside from the obvious)? If Just B doesn't break soon, I could some of them transitioning to BL. Jimin in particular would be a win for us, obvs.

Also, can we talk about Bain (my bias wrecker) KILLING it on Build Up? I had no idea he was that good. Anygay, this has been your Kpop end note.

Seriously tho, is ANYONE else watching Build-Up?

(Last week - well, 2 weeks ago)

Streaming services are listed how I'm (usually watching) which is with a USA based IP

The tag bragade: @doorajar

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will. Easy peesy.

[ctrldoll]

Strawberries & Blueberries! (A Sweet Treat For A Sweet Man!♡)

Pic - Pinterest Account: @candytufftie.

I have been thirsting over this cake for wayyyy too long (a day) and our wholesome baby deserves to enjoy it! (I'm delulu) (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

Sorry if I butchered the German language ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟ⁠:⁠｡ I was using DeepL Translator.

König/F! Reader, Baking & Wholesomeness. Fluff & a little bit Suggestive.

Enjoy!!! (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

Writing tips are appreciated in this household!! ♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡ (Seriously, I'm aiming to improve in writing! ෆ⁠╹⁠ ⁠.̮⁠ ⁠╹⁠ෆ)

“Meine liebe (my love), there’s no need to do all of this. We can just spend the day rewatching the series you love.” Kong tried to convince you but failed miserably as you pulled out your cookbook and placed it on the table, [f/c] apron tied around your body and your face beaming. A red, silk bookmark stood out underneath the pages before it and a grin shone on your face as you opened it.

“I am not going to hear you out, Kö. You just got back and I have to treat you. Please, it'll make me really happy. Please?”

The large man sighed at the sight of your pleading, shoulders lowering in defeat and with a nod, a smile appeared on your face and you rushed to hug him. “Thank you! It's going to taste so good!” König rolled his eyes, a warm smile on his face as your frame tightly held onto him before you let go.

“I'm so glad I managed to snag a remaining copy of the book. The Pinterest mom who created it said that if I didn't contact her at the time I did I would have probably found them sold out! She’s such a sweet lady. I hope I'll be like her when I’m older. Five whole children and she’s still so active.”

“Gosh, she’s lucky to have all the energy to handle all the stuff that she has to do. Her husband seems sweet too. He was playing with the kids at the park as she was explaining the contents of the book to me. They were so adorable together.”

I truly hope that you and I will be like that too. Probably because of how wonderful of a boyfriend you are. No doubt that our future will look like that”.

König paused as he brought out the egg carton from the fridge. You imagined him being with you for so long? König sometimes wondered how he ended up with someone as amazing as yourself. “Was there no one else who you’d rather commit a relationship to?” “Was he worthy of you?”

Truly, he didn't know. You were, in his eyes, way too graceful for him. Kind, loving and sweet as sugar towards people whom you showed care for. You treated him so well that he sometimes couldn't grasp that he was around you. Around your light. Your presence. Your amazing self.

The whisk rotated firmly as he moved it, not wanting you to injure your soft hands and form callouses and blisters which he had grown accustomed to. König could tell that you were keen on watching his arms as he worked and made sure to flex his muscles as long as you were on sight. The little lip bite you do makes it so worth it.

“Don't try to tempt me, Kö. Gosh, the sugar in the mixture smells divine”. His lips kissed your cheek after his hand grazed your bum as he placed the flour in the cupboard.

You brought out the strawberries and blueberries, basking in their blooming red and blue-purple colour with a grin on your face as they sat on the basket you placed them in after washing them. A smack to your hand made you roll your eyes as you attempted to taste a juicy strawberry once more then a blueberry after you had a couple of them. König took the strawberry from your hand and sliced it. “Dummes mädchen (silly girl), why did you choose to stuff four strawberries and a couple of berries in your mouth?”

“You keep pushing my hand away from the basket. What else am I supposed to do?” You responded, wiping the icing you placed on top of the berries from your lips.

König chuckled and walked up to them. “You've got a little bit left at the corner of your lips. Lassen sie mich Ihnen helfen. (Let me help you.)”

König’s thick thumb trailed over the curve of your lip, making your cheeks grow hot. They grew hotter as you watched him lick the icing off of it, a teasing smile growing on his face at your dismay.

You looked away, desire pooling in you and started wide-eyed when his hand gently moved your face right back to his sight. “I was on the mission for a while. Pardon my boldness, but I just can't wait to feel you right after we’re done.”

“I understand the feeling so much. I can't wait either. I hope I'll be able to walk tomorrow. Knowing you, I doubt it.” You giggled and gently kissed his cheek then moved to place the batter in baking pans.

“Meine Güte, du hast mein Verlangen nach dir noch verstärkt.” (“My goodness, you've made me crave you even more.”)

“It's so good!” You grinned as you chewed on the sweet taste of the cake as you both sat on the couch, cuddling as a show you loved played on the TV.

“Yes, it is.” König nodded then popped a blueberry into his mouth and smiled at you.

You caught his gaze and smiled back. “You've got a little icing...here.” You said and flicked the icing off of his soft lips with your thumb and licked it off of your finger. You caught the desire pooling in his eyes and lifted your head to kiss him. Lowering his head, your lips met his. The fruity taste of the cake resided in your mouths and you savoured one another.

“Hmm! Kö, let’s- oh! eat first.” You told him as your hands caressed his face. His hands moved lower onto your sides and tightly held onto them as he placed you on his lap.

“Lass mich jetzt ein kleine stück von dir essen. Dann esse ich gleich noch mehr kuchen.” ("Let me eat a little piece of you now. Then I'll eat some more cake.")

[bomberqueen17]

Loftus Bralette Construction #2: completion!

yah so i finished the bra and tried it on and it was more comfortable than the RTW bra I'd been wearing so I just left it on the rest of the day, LOL.

But anyway I'll detail the rest of the sewing of it, and what I've learned and what I plan to do next.

[image description: a bent sewing needle, held between my fingers]

So the first thing I learned is that sewing through the many layers where the bra cup is attached to the band is enough that it'll snag on the feed dogs and if you try to pull it through you'll bend your needle. Had to yank out the entire bobbin raceway/case assemblage to free the bent needle so I could get it out and retrieve the in-progress bra, and then reinserting the whole bobbin assembly took forever to get right. So, don't recommend.

A bit later I shattered another needle when I misjudged how much of the metal eye there was underneath the fabric of the preassembled hook-and-eye closure I was inserting. They only came in a pack of 5 so maybe I need to order more microtex needles....

I wear glasses, but if I didn't, I wouldn't wear goggles to sew but I'd know I should, LOL.

Anyway. Bra sewing is not for the faint of machine. I am using an old mechanical Kenmore that fears nothing. I can't set the stitch width very easily, but that's the only downside I can find.

Attaching the band was wildly confusing. I'd watched the sewalong and it had seemed straightforward enough, but the written directions were baffling. They wanted you to pin... the center in place... from the top... then turn the entire bra and pin from? the other side? what?

I tried to follow the directions, failed entirely to get the thing on, and had to retreat upstairs to seam-rip and rewatch the sewalong.

She has you pin the center, then sew the waistband V to one side of the center gore, then sew it to the other side of the center gore, then pin the rest in place and sew the rest. And that worked. That is not what the written instructions say to do. I'm still not sure what the written instructions say to do. I could not decipher them in any way at all. (By "turn" do they mean like, fold the thing to get at it from the other side? or do they mean like, rotate the whole assemblage, to work on the same surface but from a different angle? what the fuck.)

But I did manage to get the band attached, in the end!

[image description: a pink bra with a black, inverted-v elastic waistband lying atop a sewing machine.]

i then had to attach the straps, and as I was doing it I was like "this is dumb I should make them shorter every bra ever has had straps too long for me" and I remembered someone asking "why put adjustable straps on a homemade bra you're making to measure" and the pattern designer or someone answering "because the elastic might stretch over time" but i'm here to tell you a little secret, those elastic sliders never fucking stay where i put them, every single bra i own the first thing i do when i get it is adjust those sliders as short as they go, and that's the first thing i do every time i put that bra on for its entire life, and it is still never short enough and sometimes i have altered RTW bras to remove the sliders and make the straps permanently shorter. But I was like "no they wrote the pattern like this for a reason i'll do it" and then. I got the straps on. And got the hook and eye closure installed. And I put the bra on.

And the straps are way too fucking long, like minimum three inches too long, and won't stay adjusted shorter and even at the shortest adjustment are too long.

So score 1 for whoever was like "putting adjustable elastic on a made to measure garment is silly", they were one hundred percent right. I have picked /cut the elastic back off and am going to just sew some on at a fixed length about three inches shorter than the pattern as written. I was completely wrong: i do not need or want adjustable straps. If the elastic stretches out over the lifetime of the garment, I will unpick it and sew it again shorter. The sliders never work and I don't know why I bought in to the propaganda that they would when I know better.

Anyway: making this not-rebloggable because I'm going to include a photo of the garment on, and I don't need that to be rebloggable. It can just stay in its original context here. Not that it's racy. But:

[image description: a size 38J non-wired bra, pale pink with peach elastic and a black waistband, worn by a torso that fills it out pretty well, with just a few wrinkles in the center gore and arms raised out of frame.]

The high center gore doesn't suit me, so I'll do the next one at the lower line option. The lack of pressing the seams shows; the seams are blocky and my boobs have low-poly corners, LOL. The Sharpie marks are funny everywhere. And I could stand to have less volume at the bottom of the cups so my boobs fill out the tops of the cups a little better, somehow. Not sure how to alter that.

But what I've done is I've since cut out a second one, using the nice kit I bought, and first I very carefully shaved down the edges of the paper pattern pieces, which i had cut out with my usual not super high level of care. But these pieces need to be very precise, and the seam allowances-- well, drawing the sew line on was good as an idea but in practice I missed it much of the time when I was actually sewing, because I couldn't see it or the fabric slid or various other reasons. What I need to do is use a seam guide to make sure I'm really sewing at the full 1/4" seam allowance, which I rather often wasn't. And that means there's a little extra space in this bra that I don't need.

But the fit is not bad really!!! so I'm going to go ahead and make my next one in the same size, and make it nicely, with all new notions and shit that matches, and doing all of the finish-as-you-go shit, the topstitching and the pressing and whatnot. And then we'll see how that one fits, and maybe refine things from there.

I got no cat photo for the finale here because I turned the a/c on today and the cat has retreated to the attic, which is not air conditioned, so she can sleep in the desert heat, which she prefers. (No we don't live in a desert but she likes to pretend.)

[utilitycaster]

ok we are 10 minutes into kollok and i am straight up not having a good time but I am going to commit to this hour of watching. to keep myself from losing it i'm going to do some very irritating stream of consciousness on this post and post it at the end, nonrebloggably so as to not yuck any yums (though feel free to go wild in the replies). also I need to point out: I don't have misophonia. I have openly and repeatedly said I think the Sam Riegel ASMR ad is not just inoffensive, but actively very funny and enjoyable. The sounds on this show are setting my teeth on edge. I hate it. also for the intro the immersion is genuinely WORSE than say, CR or D20 because everyone's just reading prologues that they've written.

speaking of we're done with the prologues to the prologue and into the prologue, as demonstrated by the title screen and horrible noises.

I call this filter the "yeah I've got mild astigmatism and have taken mushrooms before, you're not special"

hmmm we're stuck in this fuckery for a while and i'm suffering so anyway folks i've made it so polygon will think CR is good:

the music is pretty good I will give them that. also this is literally not special though. like Zac just was like uhhhhhh math as any GM would say, he just was weirdly aiming for suaveness instead of like. normal.

All the profanity on this show sounds like a mormon or a ten year old who just learned the word "fuck" and is trying it out. as a woman who swears constantly i'm like what is HAPPENING. also this blonde woman who isn't on the show in the present day is rolling so hilariously badly. is this why she's not on. girl get out.

back to the present day; this actually is a really good industrial music video ruined by some actual play in the background

"zac, I'm going to command attention please"

"who's zac"

"sorry, driver" ah yes yes this is SOOOOOOO much more immersive i'm totally not making the jerk-off motion

i love u danielle radford you deserve better. although the actual RP now that we're in it is like, fine.

really i think a really significant problem is that this is the most 2014 YA-dystopia plot that ever plotted except as a core part of the premise, everyone is 30. I feel, honestly, that this is the other big issue in actual play that people at polygon obsess over that leaves me ice cold, (also? lots of fandom cold takes), but like...I was a HUGE sf nerd pretty much from childhood, and I think a lot of people came to actual play for a number of reasons not tied to the genres in which it typically exists (fantasy, science fiction, horror). This is fine but it means you get people who act like VERY standard genre conventions are either the most brilliant and original creation on earth, or utterly baffling. Anyway my point is that this is giving Divergent by Veronica Roth but it THINKS it's somewhere between Twin Peaks by David Lynch and the adaptation of the Handmaid's Tale and it's like no babe. you're Divergent by Veronica Roth. stop fronting like you're Twin Peaks. You're Divergent. By Veronica Roth. Which I read while stranded at LaGuardia over a decade ago.

lighting effects are fine honestly. reminds me of the Doja Cat 2020 MTV EMA version of Say So. Wish I were just rewatching that. rotating rock i love you. you are the best thing here other than danielle radford. I feel like I'm in a really fancy Spencer's Gifts. by the way I know i'm being pretty bitchy and incoherent here BUT I'm sober; let's hear it for Stupidly Bougie Soda and Nonalcoholic Spirits.

I'm also eating bean dip with a spoon. in my defense I made REALLY good bean dip and I don't have chips.

I just. other than the digital filter in the flashback I genuinely don't see how this is different than D20 except lacking in any charms and OH GOD THAT'S TIME.

but I want to add that like...the thing is Danielle (C-dubbs) was doing some wacky funny stuff and it felt like it was being shut down and to be fair I get wanting to stick WITHIN the genre but this whole thing feels joyless, and not like "oh, survival horror is so grimdark and sad", I am a tragedy enjoyer, but like. it feels...mandated.

Also this is weird and picky but for all of Those High Production Values (repeated direct quote from the Polygon article) they do a weirdly bad job of filming the die rolls? Like, they cut to the dice trays at the wrong time?

Finally, and this is just a pot shot at Polygon but they should stop making it so easy, but the article was like "I watched the 4-ish hour first episode and I didn't have a clue what was going on but it had Those High Production Values" and it's like...I was demonstrably fucking around on tumblr and in GIMP while watching and I have a pretty solid idea of what was going on. Maybe it goes nuts in the remaining 2.5 hours that I may chip away at to be able say I watched a full episode and decided it "wasn't for me" *smiles like I'm a waitress on Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsey just asked me a question* but I think you might be dumb.

CONCLUSION: just watch the Doja Cat 2020 MTV EMA version of Say So, read Divergent (by Veronica Roth) (you don't have to be at LaGuardia) and like, check out Mentopolis or Misfits and Magic if you want to see Danielle Radford in a Kids on Bikes game that is good.

[sgtmickeyslaughter]

once again, its been one hell of a wednesday

time to unwind with a weekly tag game!

thanks for tagging me @lingy910y @juliakayyy @energievie and @jrooc

name: gigi

age: 24

star sign: full time virgo

first language: english

second language: lol i wish, my girlfriend has been trying to teach me korean the whole time we've been together and cant comprehend that my brain is just simply not wired to learn language

favorite lip product: aquaphor 🥰 and the nars laguna lipstick it was literally made for pale autumns

the best food dish you can make without a recipe? honestly most things, even when its new i like to skim and freestyle, most often i make eggs in hell and various soups, stews and stocks

if you drink tea, what kind? the only tea i drink is bottled cold green tea, and ginger in hot water when im sick

if you drink coffee, what roast do you usually get? light roast <3

favorite thing to watch on youtube right now: music videos! also watching a lot of book binding tutorials and general quiet crafting videos

favorite thing to watch on youtube in 2012: the dame herself ms. jenna marbles and honestly up until she left it would be the same answer

favorite item of clothing right now: i have a few very very cozy sweaters that have been in rotation over the last few weeks, but i am very excited to get back to soft loose blouses and pants

favorite item of clothing in 2012: a very cool 70's jean jacket that i still own and wear!

fandom

three movies you recommend: Chungking Express, jennifers body, in bruges

your favorite concert: tyler childers at radio city music hall, the queen of dancehall herself sister nancy and tune yards

have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion? not a single opinion, we can agree to disagree on things but i have unfollowed people for consistantly being really negative about everyone other than their favorite characters and just overall being a bummer

have you ever left a fandom because of the fans? Nope! every fandom I've been apart of has had really lovely people, but by far shameless is the nicest which feels a little ironic

the best tv show you watched last year: Beef by far, I don't think Ive ever resonated with a piece of media with such raw emotion (also the bear and succession but yall already knew that)

do you have a fancasting you just can’t let go of? Im not really apart of the harry potter fandom at all but sometimes marauder fancasts come on my fyp and theyre all really fun

a ship you’ve abandoned: destiel a little, i still love them that brain rot (damage) cant be undone but i rewatched supernatural last year and like, Dean is so genuinely unkind to him most of the time (/nuanced)

on a scale of 1-10 how willing are you to share your ao3 history? i mean, with who?

do you have a fandom tattoo? no tattoos

what fandom do you wish was bigger? none come to mind

has a finale ever ruined a show for you? no honestly im pretty okay with all of them, but i never watched any of the big ones that people hate

have you…

swam in an ocean? yes! I was a jr lifeguard, swimmer and water polo player in highschool, i am the safest person to visit the beach with

been vegan/vegetarian? I was vegan for three years but when i moved back home during covid i couldnt really keep it up while eating dinner with my family every night and now im very plant based but not vegan or veg

gone skinny dipping? many times lol

gone skiing? yes but i prefer snowboarding

been to a convention? only work related design conventions

tagging from my notes: @mickeysgaymom @rainbowbri @anonymous-galager @gallawitchxx @iansw0rld @mybrainismelted

[birdiedoesdc]

WHOOPS WRONG BLOG BABE 2, 3, 12, 16, 21, 22, and last but not least!! 25!! For the ask meme :^)

LOL hiiiii haven <3<3!!! thank you for the ask!!

(send me end of year asks!!)

2. A piece you're proud of and why

i actually really enjoyed writing the jason crochets fic. it's a longer fic, which i don't often write, and i got to combine my niche hobby with my blorbo. what more could you ask for??

3. A fic or artwork you enjoyed

for art, this jason by @starspilli is an absolute fav (and it was posted on my bday too!!) for fic, i really enjoyed this reverse robins au by @homobiwan!! makes me giggle every time.

12. A concept you'd like to develop next year

well you already know this BUT. the "sofia gigante mentors jason and also he is immortal" au has a GRIP on me. trust that i am rotating them in my brain 24/7. theres soooo much i could write about them good LORD.

16. Something interesting you researched as part of the process

the previously mentioned jason crochets fic involved me digging up old patterns and tutorial videos that i hadn't touched in years, which was fun!! i haven't posted this fic yet because it's for an upcoming event, but i also had to google new jersey drivers license laws. i love writing research. its so silly.

21. Something that made you emotional

i wrote this post-utrh fic immediately after rewatching the movie so i was already pretty weepy, and then i was writing about jason showing kindness at his lowest and being shown kindness in return and i got even weepier. jason's endless empathy always get to me tbh.

22. An idea you had that didn't make the cut

already answered here!! lets also pour one out for the hypothetical au i've had in my head for years but never done anything with where instead of sending jason out around the world to train with random ne'er-do-wells talia goes "i know how you can develop your skills. there is somebody who many, many people want dead. you can keep him safe and hone your abilities." and then she makes him damian's begrudging bodyguard. i have literally nothing else for this au but i think about it a lot regardless.

25. A scene or image that lives rent-free in your head

this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS sofia + jason artwork by the incomparable @havenesc. the fuck-off poses. the coordinated color schemes. the AURA this gives off. absolutely unmatched.

[williameschenk]

Introduction

I'm William E. Schenk! Will is fine, Willy is less fine, just don't call me 'Detective.'

I probably wasted the last fifteen years of my life chasing someone, but I've got a passion project in progress right now, and it's going great. Really killer results. :)!

Throw anything my way, I'm on this website for the experience, whatever that'll be.

// Easier Navigation: #William's Blog

꩜ -- OOC -- ꩜

Roleplay account dedicated to William Emmerson/Schenk from the movie "Spiral: From the Book of Saw"

Hi, thanks for stopping by! Willy is here to party, talk to anyone (saw oc accounts, other saw character accounts, anons, unaffiliated tumblr users) and piece his life and who he is back together after being disappointed by his failed fifteen year "recruitment effort". (Zeke Banks 🤫) He's still spiral killing!

Feel free to bother William whenever! About anything!! Forever! On any type of post! In any way!

Heavy emphasis on the "figuring out who he is" line. He has been a man on a mission since age twelve, that's why there's nothing about his hobbies or identity (gender, pronouns, sexuality). Who William is will be shaped by the interactions he has on this blog!

I'll do my best to be in-character! (If you want to refer to me for any reason, you can call me 'Ari', any pronouns. You can send me asks too if you feel so inclined, I read everything, of course!)

// symbol signifies that something is ooc

Feel free to ask genuinely anything! Please!! Go wild!

Sometimes I take a long time to respond to interactions and asks, I apologize for the wait but I can get very lost in thought about these things. I'll often think about how William would respond/react to things for days on end, so if you're wondering what's taking Will so long, it's likely just me rotating what you've written in my mind, checking my notes, and rewatching scenes. (If you think you are cringe, rest assured: I am worse)

Trigger warning for the usual Saw Franchise topics: All types of violence/Nsfw mentions

I know William doesn't know any of the other Saw characters at all, but I'm sure he'd like to meet some of them!

꩜ Some tags: ꩜

#William's Blog - All of William's posts and interactions without running into the same reblogs repeatedly

#William's Notebook - Pages from William's notebook (not in order)

#Spiral Killer William - Whenever William eludes to being the Spiral Killer or discusses his work as the Spiral Killer.

#William Socializes - William talking to other rp blogs (I typically add this tag after I think an interaction with another saw character or saw oc has ended)

#William Talks - William shouts into the void (talks to nobody in particular, general thoughts)

#William Answers - For asks!! :) Love these!

(I can't find anything concrete on tumblr rp etiquette [I also simply don't know how Tumblr works], so feel free to let me know if there's anything I'm missing or doing incorrectly! Pls!)

((If William ever says anything you find to be horrendously ooc, feel free to send an ask about it (Either to him or if you really want to, to me). My lengthy word doc and I will have an explanation!))

[perplexingluciddreams]

Finished Labyrinth 😊🥰.

Now watching The Old Guard. Have seen it a handful of times before. I remember really liking it! It has been long enough since the last time that I don't remember most of it. Sometimes my poor memory can make rewatching things more interesting! 😂

I tried to watch the second Pirates film, but couldn't focus on it. I guess that will have to be put on the back burner for now.

So as usual, I just cycle through a bunch of different options of what to watch until I find something my brain will let me give attention to... then whenever that runs out, I switch to something else. Then do that again until I have several things partway watched, and rotate through those until I finish them. (Sometimes adding more at a later point in the cycle, before I get through them all).

Eventually I will sometimes get to a point where I think I have nothing actively "on the go"... but then I usually realise I do, I just forgot about it as soon as I closed the window on my laptop or unplugged the DVD player 🤦🏻‍♂️! (Or I stumble across something I started years or months or weeks ago and never finished or committed to watching).

I try to remind myself that the only thing is important is that I enjoy myself and have good distraction! I do like to finish things and like things to feel completed and resolved. But it is not the end of the world if I don't/can't manage to watch all a film, or start a series and lose interest or realise I don't like it much. That is okay and I am allowed to just do what is most enjoyable at that exact moment. I have to remind myself that.

[folliesandfolderols]

Writing prompts day 76

From this prompt list. If you’ve read this far, I’m not sure you need any explanation, but the short version is I hadn’t written any fiction since 2019, I set a goal to write at least 150 words/day in 2024, and this list was my way to restart. Also I abruptly decided on day 2 I would write an entire Tim/Damian story connecting all the prompts, because I am Good at Judging My Limits. /sarcasm Anyway, I finished the rough draft a while ago and am now unlocking the old entries as I edit.

Read from the beginning here, or on ao3 here.

Days 71-75 here

***

147. "Fuck, you have such a tight hold on me, you don't even know."

***

Tim pulled out every shred of his acting training and then some to get through the next hour. Damian woke up again after a 20-minute nap, made a face over having to put on the same clothes he'd worn the night before, and then kissed Tim goodbye before leaving.

On the cheek.

He didn't seem to notice anything wrong, for which Tim was grateful. Because he knew he didn't have the right to feel literally anything about Damian having slept with Jon. (There was no other real possibility for a partner, of course.) He especially didn't have the right to be outraged that Damian had allowed Jon to fuck him while saying he didn't want Tim to do the same. It wasn't as if he belonged to Tim. It wasn't as if they'd had a conversation about exclusivity. It wasn't as if Tim had even known he wanted Damian to choose only him, before he'd seen those bruises and instantly realized what had happened.

It wasn't as if Damian getting fucked by Jon took something away from Tim.

But goddamn, it felt like a violation.

Fortunately, he had work of the overt and covert varieties to keep him occupied. Everyone at the office had stopped giving him concerned looks, which was good—at least he wasn't completely losing his shit—and he was able to focus on his previously neglected projects. It was amazing what not experiencing constant emotional pain could do for a person's motivation, even with the throbbing in his ankle to replace it.

Unfortunately, he also remembered his previously developed (and since neglected) facial recognition program algorithm and couldn't stop himself from calling up the results of weeks of searching for Damian's face during the time period Tim had been avoiding him.

Damian was good. Very good. In the same time span most people would have been captured hundreds if not thousands of times by cameras. Tim found only a couple dozen matches for Damian, and two of those were false positives. That wasn't surprising, although Tim found himself smiling with involuntary pride when he reviewed the statistics.

On the other hand, it became immediately apparent that, far from spending his time rotating between several different partners, Damian had mainly focused on one. Oh, sure, there had been a few weeks when he and Nika had appeared to be spending a significant amount of time together, but they had come to an abrupt end with no further contact. But Jon was the real problem.

Tim watched, then rewatched the video feeds. Scraps of time, each of them, mere seconds in Damian's life before he got them to a more secure location, but Jon had never seen much point in subtlety when it came to Damian. In those few clips there was way more open attachment between them than Tim would've ever wanted to see.

So stop looking, dumbass, he told himself.

Instead, he played them again. Damian's eyes were so soft when he looked at Jon. He was far too wary with Tim to be the same when they were together.

Because Tim had trained him to be.

Tim swallowed against the complicated mass of hurt, fury, self-recrimination, and longing tying his throat into a knot. This was why it was stupid to want things. It was too distracting. And what if in the end you didn't get them? Stupid.

He needed to quit looking.

He pushed play again.

***

Tim was grounded from patrol because of his ankle, so he spent the nighttime hours reviewing the information Jason had added to their shared folders and listening in to the comms with a desultory ear. Weirdly, it looked like the organized crime connections Jason had uncovered revealed two similar but separate operations that converged into a single point in the Metropolis-Gotham arenas. Tim frowned, clicking through the transcripts of various interviews and interrogations Jason had conducted. It was unusual for two different organizations to cooperate at one particular juncture of operations like that. That would indicate something or someone bigger than both pulling their strings together.

Every once in a while he would have to talk himself out of clicking back to the open tab of video surveillance footage of Damian and Jon. Sometimes he even succeeded.

A tapping on the nearest window pulled him away from the computer screen while he was watching it again and cursing himself for idiocy at the same time. Damian, as Shrike, hung upside down on the other side of the pane. Tim hurriedly closed the video and hobbled to the window.

"In costume? Not very subtle," he said, shoving it open. He couldn't keep his smile completely dampened, though.

Damian slipped in, feet first, with an unnecessary but very pretty full rotation on the grappling line. "Everyone knows Batman is underwritten by WE; if someone sees, this will simply be interpreted as a consultation between mutual interests." He tapped his domino to clear the lenses. "Which it is. What are you working on?"

"The human trafficking case, actually." Tim closed the window and limped back to the computer. "Jason's uncovered some weirdness with the flow of commerce, so to speak. Check out the video for this interrogation."

He called up the footage from Jason's mask. A redheaded man with shoulders like a bulldog's and a pugnacious glare to match on his bearded face sat zip-tied to a chair in what looked like a warehouse filled with shipping containers.

Jason's voice, distorted by his mask, asked, "And where do the Russian connections start moving the women and kids?"

"What fuckin' Russians, you freak?" the man spat out, Southwest twang clear in his voice. "Fuck them, they got nothing to do with us."

Tim paused the video. "That's pretty much the response from both sides until he got to the Eastern seaboard. After that, they start spilling a little more, but I'm guessing the reaction is genuine from most of the people further west. Which makes me think there's someone running the show from our part of the country, with enough power to make Russians and Irish Mob play nice."

"Which is quite a bit of power." Damian rubbed his chin. "Maybe actual villain levels of power."

Tim smiled. Although the entire family were skilled investigators, few of them were able to draw conclusions as quickly and accurately as Bruce and himself. It was always nice to work with a brain that moved in the same direction as rapidly as his own. "Right. So now we're left asking who that is. This time."

"I can ask Jon to keep an ear out on his side," Damian said.

And just like that, any pleasure in their interaction fled, banished by mingled rage and hurt. Tim busied himself clicking randomly on various open tabs to hide his face. "Oh. Are you going to go visit him again?"

Whatever his voice did caught Damian's attention. Tim could see his head cock in inquiry in the reflection on the screen. "I hadn't planned on it, but he can be here in less than a second regardless."

"Yeah, I bet he comes fast," Tim muttered, smashing a click on the trackpad with unnecessary viciousness.

Quick as a thought, Damian reached past him and flipped the laptop shut. "Why are you angry?"

"I'm not." Tim flipped the screen back open again.

It slammed shut almost before he could yank his fingers out of the way, then was gone, tossed onto a nearby sofa cushion by Damian. "Let me revise the question. Why are you angry, and why are you lying about it?"

Tim gripped the edge of the table, hard enough for the wood to make his palms sting. One deep breath. Another. Don't lose your shit for no reason. The problem was, there was a reason. It was just a bad one.

Damian circled around and leaned on the table beside his hand, one careless hip on the surface. "You changed when I mentioned Jon. Do you not want him involved with the case? He doesn't have time to work with us anyway. He would just be listening for a name and reporting it to us if he heard it."

Tim's jaw clenched around the words but couldn't quite corral them. "I bet he'd make time for you."

"Wait." Damian reached for his chin. Tim jerked it away, knowing it was petty but unable to stop himself. Damian ignored that and grasped it between his thumb and forefinger too quickly for Tim to repeat the action. He examined Tim's face, eyes narrow. "Are you seriously angry about my having spent time with Jon? He's one of my oldest friends. One of the few who exist, as a matter of fact."

"It's not you 'spending time' that pisses me off, Damian." Tim rose to go get some water and maybe cool down in the process, but Damian blocked his path.

"Then what is it? Don't run. Your avoidance of direct conflict is downright pathological sometimes."

Tim clenched his fists at his side. He wanted to deny the accusation, but it was too justified. "Okay, one, I can't run anywhere right now, and two, I don't have any right to be angry and I know that, so just let it go."

Damian reared his head back, shock making his mouth drop open the slightest bit. Tim didn't have time to enjoy the unusual effect he was having because Damian's lips immediately curled into a sneer of disbelief. "Are you angry because I slept with him? After your enthusiastic endorsement of me fucking my way through the younger superhero set? Your hypocrisy knows no bounds."

Tim shoved past him. "It's not that."

Again, Damian refused to give him space, stalking ahead of him to stand in front of the fridge, arms crossed and brow stormy. "You're going to give me a straight answer."

"Fine!" Tim threw his hands in the air. "I fucking hate that you let him fuck you! You told me before I left that you didn't like that, but clearly you found out you did like it as long as it was with him, and it's killing me inside to know you trusted him with something you weren’t willing to do with me!"

Damian, for once, seemed completely nonplussed. He stood there, unmoving and unreacting except the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and said nothing.

Tim dropped his arms again, breath labored with fury and humiliation. "Are you happy now? I know I'm being irrational and a hypocrite and I hate that too. But I don't wanna share. Fuck, you have such a tight hold on me, you don't even know."

Damian opened his mouth and closed it a few times, wordless, in the following silence. Finally, he managed to say, "I cannot know what you do not tell me."

Tim hugged his own torso, miserable with having exposed himself. "Well. Now I've told you. So you can go laugh at how pathetic I am with Jon or whatever."

"That is unfair."

They stood, frozen, for a few more moments. Damian broke first and stepped forward, his arms reaching as if to embrace Tim before he yanked them back. Tim struggled with himself, sick of his own weakness, but then he couldn't keep up the pretense of a desire for freedom any longer. He moved to lean his forehead against the armor protecting Damian's heart and said, low-voiced, "I'm sorry. I know it's ridiculous of me."

Damian stripped his gauntlet off with his teeth and fit one big hand around the back of Tim's head. "Don't apologize. It's flattering." He caressed Tim's hair, settling him. "Does this mean you wish us to stop seeing other people?"

Nice of him to assume they would both need to stop. Tim nodded into his chest, still feeling too foolish for words to come easily.

Damian's smile curved against the top of his head. "Very well. I'll explain more when I come see you again later, but I'm amenable to that as well." He drew back and kissed Tim's forehead. "Put some ice on that ankle and elevate it. I'll return after patrol."

He left before Tim could do more than blink in surprise.

"Okay, then, guess I should have meltdowns more often," he said to the empty room.

days 77-83 here

[darkestrellar]

Mun Comforts

Tagged by: @jocundcompany, thank you!

Comfort food: Fried rice, when I can get it! Porkolt. Chocolate. Most likely other things that I am currently forgetting.

Comfort drink(s): I like to have a coffee because it tastes good, but I don't tolerate caffeine well so it often makes me explode right after. Herbal teas. Regular/black tea with milk and honey.

Comfort movie(s): Kung Fu Panda, maybe? I don't watch it often, but it has that effect. Uhh, last year at one point I kept rewatching the first 8 minutes of Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE. ...OH yeah! The other answer could be End of Evangelion. I have issues, dw about it.

Comfort show(s): Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! The problem is I don't watch it often enough! There should be more here, but I haven't been watching a lot of stuff lately... it's hard to motivate myself to do so.

Comfort clothing: A big, heavy wool jumper my mum made for me. I like it because it has weight to it.

Comfort song(s): These go on rotation. Oddly enough, I don't have many specific ones right now. Lots of AURORA music, shoutout to Under Stars recently. Lots of Son Lux music. Cosmo Sheldrake?

Comfort book(s): Any of the books I have access to that I read years and years ago. I don't really read them for comfort at the moment, though, I just kind of rotate them in my mind. Although, I am re-reading the Silver Brumby for the first time in probably a decade, and it's been a nice break from some stress the last couple months.

Comfort game(s): The Pokémon Ranger series, as well as Gens 4-5 of the main series. Sky: Children of the Light. Flight Rising, at the moment. FREAKING SUPER PAPER MARIO BABEY!!

[dwarfsized]

10 characters/10 fandoms/10 tags

the always amazing @aevallare tagged me <3 sooooo:

Astarion Ancunin (Baldur's Gate 3) - getting the obvious one out of the way early. you put a character in front of me who gets mad at you for being good and kind because no one has ever been that to him, who is a bitch and that's a feature not a bug, and im not supposed to become deeply obsessed with that? he is everything. to me.

Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb) - tamsyn muir WHEN will my wife come back from the war? Devotion even when you hate it. Being a weapon in more ways than even you are aware of. Love when you don't know what love is, really, getting it wrong and right at the same time. Gideon @ Harrow is just "its rotten work. especially to me especially if its you. i'll fucking do it but christ alive."

Murderbot (The Murderbot Diaries) - i think i am one of the only people who thinks that Murderbot is on the fem-presenting side of androgynous but i do think that and i'm right. I haven't read the latest book yet. Being forced to interrogate an in-between space, Murderbot's "dont look at me" in combination with vulnerability, the desire to cut and run and figure yourself out and then, like. not actually figuring yourself out much. did the running help? did escaping do anything? or should you have stayed?

Stede Bonnet (Our Flag Means Death) - Cringefail fuck-up pirate my beloved, i hate watching him do things it's like looking in a mirror. Theater kid playing dress up, steeped in self-doubt and trying to get everyone to talk about their feelings. In season one he looks at his own life and says "is anyone going to ruin this?" and doesn't wait for an answer. I want to kiss him in the moonlight. Every time I think about him I want to throw up. <3

Keyleth (Critical Role) - The weight of the world on her shoulders because she's been raised to lead her people, and all that simmering rage she tries to keep under wraps, and then she only gets a tiny bit of time with the person she loves before she has to live for years and years and years and watch everyone she cares about leave her. Archdruids with timeless body are an existential nightmare.

Alex Louis Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) - okay listen. when i rewatched fmab in college, I was fully ready to fall in love with Riza. I was very surprised when I realized that it was not the badass with the gun I was fixated on, but the. big muscle-y guy who cries a lot and gets used for comic relief 60% of the time. but. im here. i love him. the ishval flashbacks got to me.

Blue (This is How You Lose the Time War) - Loving someone enough you're willing to let them close enough to kill you. The inherent rot beneath blooming things. Taking the slow path. Not leaving well enough alone. Love, but with teeth. I'm so normal about her (lying)

Cora Sabino (Noumena Series) - I wish I could tell everyone to read Axiom's End because I loved it, but I cant because the sequel fucked me up so bad. Its good! but god the atmosphere is so oppressive and Cora's struggle with depression is extremely real for an alternate history story that asks the question "what if we found out aliens were real during the bush administration?" I was legitimately unwell.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) - I just think he's the funniest guy with a laser sword. so repressed. had one of the most grey-jedi masters to ever do the damn thing. bitchy. the chosen one is his padawan. honestly he had to know anakin was sneaking out to canoodle with padme and just decided it wasn't his problem. calls himself fucking ben on the hell sand planet. why was he like that.

Spock (Star Trek) - this is the most "i just think he's neat" of all of them. i inherited this blorbo. this blorbo was handed down to me from my mom. he was hers first, im just picking up the torch. "guy who acts like he has no emotions but every seven years enters a fuck or die frenzy" im sorry but that's. that's too good. i have no choice but to rotate him in my mind.

I cannot tag 10 people but i will tag @asterordinary and @werewolfnobody and if anyone else wants to do it go for it! tag me so i can read your response!

[riallasheng]

Fruit Emoji Ask:

🍈 Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics? Free pass to rant about blorbo opinions.

(Blorbo: your absolute favourite character)

I've had some people say that a blorbo is the cahracter you lose braincells over; 'always have rotating in your head'; a character you hyper related to; a character you're obsessed with and so on (I got SO MANY messages SO FAST after admitting I didn't know what a blorbo was, it was so nice and also so funny XD, thank you EVERYONE who came and answered my question! And I'm including you, Janet, in this, as I got your ask alongside the messages and I thank you very much for it ^_^)

And for those definitions, I don't really have a blorbo? I've got some favorite characters whom I enjoy reading about / seeing / writing, but no characters that I am really obsessed with or lose braincells over or the like^^;;

So I'll just go with your absolute favs, as that way I actually have an answer!! ^^

Just going with fandoms as I think of them, it's hardly an exhaustive list, however XD I also am going to keep it to just 2 or 3 characters for each fandom just to try and keep things something resembling reasonable in length XD

Anderson / Century 21: Phones is one without a doubt. I ADORE how calm, sweet, and gentle Phones is and how he is so happy not to be in the limelight and just how well he bounces off the far more fiery.... well, most everyone XD ------ Lady Penelope herself. She's legit in my top ten for ALL TIME favorite characters in all media so that's an easy one. The stoic is my favorite character type, and Penny is a calm, cool under fire stoic, and a badass and competent spy to boot (Also, all three of her novels were awesome, as were her comics) ------ Scott Tracy as, again, I do so love the stoic, esp a stoic who trends towards deadpan snarker / dry wit. Scott rarely gets angry, and tends to stay calm and cool even in the most fiery of situations, and I just really enjoy his character and stories that he 'stars' in... helped by the fact that he and Penny were the 'leads' of the Theydon novels and I adore those books ^^

Conan Doyle: Watson, when he's the version of the character seen in the novels. A collected but very passionate man, and quite brilliant in his own way. While I am a HUGE fan of the Granada Holmes and other Holmes shows, I hate how Watson was reduced to a bumbler or fool. outside of the novels, I'd have to say that Freeman in Sherlock and Law in the Sherlock Holmes films are my favorite examples of the character Sherlock Holmes himself, as I adore how he can go from calm and cool to the point of nearly emotionless to near manic vibrancy and activity. He tends to be super interested in things that he cares about... but giving no energy or care to things that don't interest him. I adore him in the novels, and in many of his depictions, not including many of the more recent depictions. Professor Challenger. A volcano of man. As massive in stature and personality as he is in (well earned) reputation. He was pretentious and self-righteous... but he cared deeply about people and the world and would come roaring to the defense of those in need.

Zag: Used to really like Miraculous, but honestly I have lost interest in the show and characters. Last thing I watched was the NYC special and Season 3, still have neither watched nor been interested in watching S4 or S5. I'm idly interested in watching the upcoming film. Maybe it'll be decent and interesting where the show proper is not. BUT... I do like the REST of the Zag shows a lot. They're a ton of fun and I've gone out of my way to watch them, and rewatch them fairly regularly. Can I say everyone in the Zak Storm, Ghostforce, and Power Players? ...no? ...dang it. hrm, gonna go with Cece, Calabrass and Liv. Cece is the calm, logic driven Spock to Zak's Kirk, and as mentioned above, I do so love the stoic XD Calabrass is very much NOT a stoic, but he bounces SO WELL off everyone else, and I adore how he quickly became a 'dad' to the crew, but in particular Zak. Liv is independent, spunky and very helpful/caring (to the piont that it can be a weakness at times).

Gargoyles: Brooklyn, Elisa, and Xanatos here. One of the few cases where the stoic is not my favorite, as I ended up finding Goliath rather boring ^^;; I love Brooklyn's deadpan snarker / gallows humor personality, Elisa's fiery and competent manner, and Xanatos adaptable and suaveness. I also like how well rounded they are ^_^

Transformers: Hot Rod / Rodimus is my fav here, or at least the marvel comics and g1 cartoon version of him (gallows humor and deadpan snarker with a firey and vibrant personality). I don't really like him much in IDW (but then I didn't like IDW pretty much at all) I also love Cheetor, seeing him go from a well meaning but unseasoned kid to a competent and crafty warrior by the end... ach, just love it (actually love the entire BW crew) Lots of other characters too, just trying to keep it to my top favs

i had more, but it made the post glitch out, so cutting all but this XD

[desireandduty]

🤍 + ANIDALA (sithdestined specifically)

Who cooks meals for the other? HAHAH the kitchen droid or someone in the kitchen of one of the many restaurants in Padmé's rotation. I think you said Anakin isn't that accomplished of a cook and neither is Padmé.

Who spams the other with memes? IDK about memes in the GFFA, but Padmé is very communicative. As often as she can, she'll send him little messages to his comm. Also, pretty early on in the war, she starts sending him and Obi-Wan off with little care packages. Obi-Wan's include some of his favorite treats. But Anakin's include those PLUS love notes.

Who likes to tidy around the house? Padmé keeps a VERY tidy home, so I'm guessing she is the neat freak in the relationship.

Who likes to play pranks on the other? I.... don't really think this is part of their relationship? Padmé would view pranks as a little bit mean spirited and deceptive. There's an element of trying to one up or get the best of the other person. Being pranked would make her feel foolish or exposed or betrayed. She'd never do that to Anakin, and again, I just don't see him as a prankster.

Who asked the other to move in with them? irrelevant bc they can't really officially live together anyway :'(

Who is in charge of the music during a car ride? Genuinely think they'd just take turns.

Who is more likely to tickle the other mercilessly? I feel like this one is Anakin. Padmé pretends to be mad, but she's really not, because one of the things she loves best about Anakin is how he makes her laugh.

Who needs to hold the other during scary movies? The only way Padmé would consent to watching a scary movie is if she can be sitting on Anakin's lap the whole time. Does that answer the question?

Who has to help the other when it comes to technology? I mean Anakin is the tech whiz here. Padmé has the same tech knowledge as your average person. But if something breaks, you can bet she will be going to him to fix it vs the other way around.

Who likes to get a bit frisky in public / an inappropriate setting? LMAO p sure this one is Padmé. Miss "Here I Rented a Speeder and Brought Some Blankets So You and I Can Bang in an Alley in the Lower Levels." She likes a little bit of risk in her life okay? Underneath her disciplined and principled exterior, she is a very passionate woman with deep emotions. Anakin lets her finally burn off all that steam ya know?!

Who wakes up first, and do they wake up the other or let them rest? Padmé is an early riser, because she likes to have time to herself in the morning before work to collect her thoughts, prepare for meetings, etc. Knowing how Anakin is always bopping around the galaxy, she would try her very hardest not to wake him up so he can get as much sleep as possible.

Who is always taking pictures of the other when they aren’t looking? My guess is both? Padmé would definitely do this, because she wants as many little mementos of Anakin to rewatch/look at as she can have. I envision Anakin being the same way? I mean... wouldn't he want to have pics/holovids of her so he can gaze at her beauty while he's off in some corner of the galaxy fighting Seppies?!

Who always forgets their wallet and never ends up paying for anything? I.... am pretty sure Jedi don't get paid, so any time they go out and do things, Padmé is footing the bill.

Who can’t sleep because the other snores or moves too much at night? Padmé is a deep sleeper. She doesn't snore, but I can see her moving around some. Honestly, she is used to having the whole bed to herself, because of how little Anakin is able to be home with her on Coruscant. When he's home, she likes to fall asleep snuggled up with him (she is the little spoon okay!?!?!) but in the night, she'd probably shift away from him because he'd make her too hot. For some reason I view Anakin as running warm bc the whole sun/star thing ya know?

Who is better at video games, and do they let the other win or show no mercy? Pretty sure Padmé has never played the GFFA version of a video game in her life. So even if Anakin wasn't an elite warrior and ace pilot IRL, he would win this by default.

Who always gets up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and accidentally wakes up the other? Probably Padmé but it depends on how light of a sleeper Anakin is I guess?

(tagging @sithdestined so you see it here too)

[henesi]

Dad , Father, Him

It's not that my father never played catch with me, but I also didn't like when he did. something about a hard ball coming quickly towards my face didn’t seem fun & it's not like he never tried to teach me anything. or never tried to parent. on rare days, a strange person would walk in my father's skin. bright, happy, magnificent. this version of my father was so cheerful and charismatic that I would do anything to keep him. and this is the version of my father that would laugh and gently try again. this is the version of my father that would break down the small elements of a problem and point them out

as a kid, those days happened more often. but somewhere around 11, I started being too much of a person, and he was often cross about it. when he'd try to sit me down to learn something, I spent the whole time with my shoulders around my ears, nervous, uncertain. terrified because I didn't immediately understand how to navigate something. worried I would run out of his goodwill and then i’ll have the Other Father back, and I would have ruined a good day for my entire family. I guess it was something about me being visibly afraid —

it's not like there's a lot of versions of men-who-are-mostly-fathers. they can be good dads, but usually their stories are not told in the household. so it's normal that my father is there, but he's never around. you know he was in the house, somewhere, it's just that me and him never really... "hung out". he just seemed to get kind of bored of me idk or annoyed I wasn’t made in his perfect image. frustrated with how much energy it took to raise a kid. over time, i kind of adopted a bittersweet band around myself and it's technically - technically - true. he was there for me, sometimes he even made an effort and made it to the big moments; the graduations and the Talent shows. he grins and tells everyone that he taught you. it almost erases the days in between, where he complains because I need a ride to school/work. the weeks that go by where he doesn't actually ever speak to me.. the times I say i am here.

& that's fine! that's all fine. Cause I can call him if I’m having a problem with a friends car. Or with me or if I need a ride to the hospital. He loves playing hero, he just doesn't like the actual work that comes with being a father. and I’ve kind of made my peace with that; because I had to, because I don't want to live my life like he does; the whole world at a managed distance, a little rotating and as an adult, I’m rewatching some dumb cartoon - and again, the child standing in the rain, with a mitt, waiting for their father to come play catch. as an adult, there's this strange creeping dread - this little thing?

this little thing, and their dad can't even show up for that? oh god, holyshit, it's not about the mitt, is it. oh god, holyshit.. h.m