#if i were rich i'd personally hire them in my own series

[noraigo]

since i'm still overdosed on aouboom cocaine, i wanted to ask a question: if gmmtv2025 announces our desired aouboom series, who would you like to be the director?

in all honesty, i have a couple of directors in my mind which can guide them to a suitable series:

>backaof: out of all directors in gmmtv, i think he’s my favourite albeit his flaws, as any director has. my most beloved bl series of all time is a tale of thousand stars, but i’ve also watched plenty of series that were under his hand that i enjoyed equally, being last twilight the last one. his works mostly highlight unique storytellings which aren’t always settled in cliché colleges. that leads to different kinds of relationships, with slow romance but great character development. cinematography and intimacy are his forte, in my point of view. if he happens to pick them for his next project in 2025, you must get ready for the angst, though. there are times his characters don’t know what happiness is for some time.

>jojo: similarly, i’ve enjoyed his works and his way of directing is quite different from p’aof. his stories mostly focus on different queer experiences, since he bases them on real life situations or is inspired by old-school series/films. personally, he’s a bit darker and much more explicit when it comes to storytelling and his characters hold a depth and complexity that sometimes fall into the grey category. i wholeheartedly believe that aou and boom can portray this description, we only have to take a look at their acting as jeng and pok in hidden agenda, whose relationship was the most complicated out of all their romances they’ve acted in yet still managed to give us a bittersweet story, even with their reduced screentime. what kind of love story would be like? different social status? forbidden romance?

>xiseks: director of vice versa, he led aou and boom to be “shipped” thanks to their characters aou (note: this is so funny to me) and fuse, who had an implied romantic interest at the very end of the series. his style of directing is pleasing, but not to everyone’s taste. xiseks stands out for making small references for his series, like theory of love and classic romance movies and vice versa and the use of classic bl references — and, of course, the use of colors as symbolism. my experience with his series is enjoyable, he manages to capture the peak of a love story and transmit it to the viewers. also, i think he knows aou and boom enough to work with them, as he has worked with them previously like i mentioned before.

i think we can agree that aou and boom deserve their own spotlight in a well-told story, with characters that can easily win our hearts and make their love palpable. considering we are is officially their breakthrough series, many new fans gathered to ask for a series starring them, but it also gathered mixed opinions on whether them being main characters would make them lose their spark or not deliver enough emotion. i 100% believe that their acting and overflowing chemistry are more than enough to keep us hooked. also, they can’t be the secondary couple forever! regardless if gmmtv makes them an official fixed pairing or not, the actors themselves asked for a series with the two of them.

on a positive note, i wasn’t the only one to notice that gmm is doing reruns with series in which aou and boom have appeared before (the eclipse with aou, then vice versa and enchanté with the two of them). though it might be a mere coincidence, i think it’s not delusional to have some hope for the upcoming lineup.

for once, i want to trust very, very little in gmmtv. i just hope it doesn't completely disappoint me.

[obislittleone]

Cruel Irony

17/?

Bale!Bruce Wayne x reader

anyways

Series Summary: Growing up on infinity Island, Moyra is taught very well in the art of assassination. As the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, she sits highly amongst the brotherhood known as the League of Shadows. When her father orders her to lure a stranger from the outside to be recruited amongst the mysterious clan, she will question everything she's ever believed.

Chapter warnings: angst, threats and mentions of death

These bloody socialites might as well stick a knife through my chest, that would hurt way less than the awful golfing stories I'd heard tonight. My acting skills deserved an oscar, for I pretended to be so interested, that every man in the room came up to share his story as well. None of them knew how little I cared about the drab sport, or the fact they were apparently good at it. I just knew that I wanted out of this horrid room to take a breather.

"Would you excuse me?" I asked the small group kindly, nodding to each of them with a plastered smile before taking my leave out the hallway. I walked down to my room, closing the door for a moment.

I ran my hands through my nicely done hair and closed my eyes for a few seconds, trying to clear my head of how many birdies were made by the men in the main ballroom. I couldn't believe men with such riches could possibly be so boring. Bruce certainly wasn't. Perhaps I ought to try some of the women in the gathering, maybe they're just as sick of the golf stories as I am.

I checked myself out in my bedroom mirror, readjusting things to make sure I had everything in place before I headed back into the jungle.

I decided to stay away from the men who had formerly tried to attract my attention, and went over to a beautiful blonde woman in the corner. She seemed to be the talk of the hour since she got here, so I decided I'd find out why.

"Hello there, just wanted to properly thank you for coming this evening. It means a lot to Mr. Wayne that you could be here," I told her, reaching my hand out for her to shake. She gripped it with the tips of her fingers, as if I had some sort of infection.

"Yes, well I'll believe that when I see him," She said with a smirk, and all the other women around her giggled like children.

"He should be down soon, he likes to make a grand entrance," I joked, knowing the real reason he wasn't here was because he had to see what happened with Rachel at Arkham.

"I see. So who are you, dear, I've never seen you at any events before?" She questioned, making me raise my eyebrows while I tried to come up with an answer. I really should have something better rehearsed.

"I'm an old colleague of Bruce's. I work in his company now," I told her, and she nodded, amused by my statement.

"And... you live with him?" She gathered that much, since I was hosting the party until Bruce decided to get his ass in this ballroom.

"....yes. Yes, I do," I said it more confidently the second time, and earned a few more chuckles from behind me and around me when I answered. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, its just that... well, I thought Bruce had different girls every night. I didn't think he'd keep one of them as a live in," She said as if I knew what any of it meant. I wasn't stupid, I knew what she was implying, I was just oblivious to how it had anything to do with me. Surely I didn't give off those sort of vibes.

"I'm sorry to ask, but I don't quite understand your meaning," I furrowed my brow to give the illusion of confusion. I knew what she implied, but I wanted to hear her say it herself.

"Darling, surely Gotham's most famous playboy keeps you around for a personal reason.... Am I correct?" She mused, lifting her glass with a smirk as she sipped her expensive champagne.

"Actually, you are. I'll leave it to your imagination of what that reason might be," I said, stealing a champagne glass of my own from one of the trays carried by a caterer that Alfred had hired.

The blonde woman nearly choked on her drink, some of the other ladies rushing to her in concern. I smirked at the poor dear, obviously in distress for not expecting my choice of words. As obnoxious as these socialites were, they were fun to mess around with. Perhaps I could stall for Bruce a bit longer by creating a character for myself.

I sauntered around the room, a certain sway I added to my hips to make it more believable. I managed to catch the eye of a familiar face in the corner while doing so.

"My, my, what a lovely sight you are this evening," Luscious Fox caught my attention and I turned to him with a grateful smile.

"Why thank you, it took quite some time to present myself tonight," I said jokingly. In all fairness, it did take forever to sculp my hair the way it sat on my head. I was never a beauty queen and didn't have a mother to teach me these kinds of things.

"Well if I may say so, the effort was a success."

"You may say so, and it is much obliged that you do."

He chuckled, knowing full well about my background, given that Bruce told him everything he needed to know. Bruce trusted him, which meant that I could trust him.

"How is the birthday boy after his whole fiasco?" He rolled his eyes when he mentioned Bruce. Seems as though I wasn't the only one to put up with his antics.

"I assume better, otherwise he'd be here right now and not at Arkham," I lowered my voice to avoid suspicion, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

"I'd say he sounds just fine, then."

I nodded with a smile before something, or rather someone caught my attention from the corner of the room. Bruce entered into the room with a loud eruption of song from the guests, and fake laughter also ensued.

Without turning my vision to the man beside me, I spoke a quick pardon from his presence.

"I'm sorry Mr. Fox, you'll have to excuse me."

He didn't even get a chance to respond before I sauntered away through the crowd to talk with Bruce.

He found me with a smile and put on a show of embracing me dramatically. He plastered a fake smile onto himself as he leaned in my ear.

"Trouble is coming, we have to go soon."

Without changing the wide cheek grinning expression, I responded without causing a scene.

"You just got here, you have to make an image of yourself before we sneak off."

Bruce pulled back, keeping me at arms length. Anyone who would glance over can only see that two colleagues were making small talk at a party.

"You go ahead then, I'll be right behind you," He said through his teeth as he let go of my hands and I nodded before stepping away from him.

I got through the crowd with ease, and turned down the private hallway at the end of the room.

My face froze as did my body when I met the sight before me.

It was the face of my father, staring me down intensely with fire in his eyes. Fire. He could set the place ablaze if he gazed hard enough.

"I-"

"You haven't any idea what you've done. By choosing this path you've included yourself in the judgement of Gotham," He spoke gently, as not to let the other guests hear him, although the thunder and authority still reverberated through his words.

I looked at the crew he'd brought along, standing behind him and ready to demolish me at any second. I needed to stall with words to think about an escape plan that didn't hurt anyone in the next room.

"I understand now that what you always had planned for me was wrong. I will not let you inflict your agenda on this city," I took one step back, thinking of my moves ahead of time. I noticed that the league members he had brought with him were of lower rank, but still with their number, they could easily be a match for me.

"You cannot run any further. You will face the consequences of leaving the league. Gotham will be judged tonight."

This must be the trouble trouble that Bruce was talking about. If this was my father's doing, there would not likely be a way out... but I've been in more impossible situations with him before.

"If you succeed you may as well be the greatest villain this city will ever know. You will kill hundreds of families, just to prove a point?"

"I have nothing to prove," He said viciously. It scared me, as strange as it may sound. Knowing that he would only do this simply for the fact that Gotham needed to be judged. Not by a justice system in his opinion, but by whatever means he planned on using.

I didn't have time to respond to the two goons that leapt from behind him and tried to subdue me. With my heels I had a more lethal kick, however the tight dress was just a bit constricting for the spatial movements I needed.

As the two of them struggled, two more joined in, and after that a fifth was added in. To make sure I couldn't be victorious, a wet cloth was pressed against my face, and I got weaker and weaker until everything went black.

-

As soon as Bruce was looking straight on to his former instructor and friend, he knew the severity of what was to happen tonight. He'd never predicted that all of the problems had been due to him. Now knowing Ra's Al Ghul's true identity, he furrowed his brow, feeling as though something wasn't right in the house. He had already taken notice of the league members that enclosed every exit. They had been there a while now.

"Where is she?" Bruce's eyes got darker when he realized what probably already happened.

"Safe, for now. She will receive punishment, same as all else, but for now she is safe," Ra's said with authority and sureness. Bruce couldn't help his blood but boil. He didn't like not knowing what 'safe' actually meant, and if it was really out of harm's way. He knew that his old friend had very different ideals than he.

"That's not what I asked.... where is she?"

The father of his companion laughed lightly, coming a little closer to stage a friendly conversation.

"You can choose to trust my word, or belittle it, but as I said before, she is safe. Unlike you are now," He threatened. The calm nature of his voice could make any closer by listeners believe it wasn't real, but Bruce knew far more than any else here. Bruce took a moment to realize this was only going to end up one way, and there were far too many people here to endure it.

"Your quarrel is with me, you let these people go," his voice was still soft and calm, though the nature of his words held ferocity to try and convince the man before him.

"You are welcome to explain the situation to them."

It was almost a mocking reply, as if Ra's did not expect a man like Bruce to actually deal with his guests before the fight really began. Bruce was the most intelligent man in the room, and his brain was fast. He quickly summoned an idea to rid himself of all the socialites in the room. It would be an embarrassing move for Bruce Wayne, but Batman would be keeping them safe by doing it.

His exclamations to the room were loud and obnoxious, and at first people figured he was just joking, so laughter ensued, but after a few more words from the man of the hour, they held their noses high in disgust as they fled the ballroom and made their way to the main entrance hall.

"The apple has fallen very far from the tree, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce was appalled to hear these words from a man who knew his parents personally. He became sad to know the family name was being tarnished after everything his father did to build it's legacy.

This was more important.

Now that every last guest had left the perimeter, it was time for the final battle to begin. Gotham would know horror tonight, and it was up to the batman to save it.

.

.

Taglist:

@burntchicken231 @life-traveller

@huntheimpossible @testudies @stardustednerd

[sebastianshaw]

Question about Shaw and murder:

So, obviously Shaw is a trash person and a villain and all that. He's killed people. But like, also he's a practical guy and most of his day is spent doing more mundane shit and not supervillainy. In general, I'd assume he'd only get his hands dirty and actually kill someone in extreme circumstances because he's practical minded. This is why him killing Kate in Marauders felt so ooc to me because it's so undermotivated. It's not clear how he thought this would benefit him and it's not like he was acting out of anger either.

So my question is, what do you think it takes for Shaw to decide to just kill a person? How do you think he understands these decisions?

You’re correct, Shaw killing someone himself isn’t really IC for him at all, let alone the amount of trouble that Duggan wrote him going through to do it in person. Shaw’s not an opponent that often tries to kill his foes, odd as that sounds---he’ll certainly try to murder the X-Men when they get in his way, but that’s not the goal of whatever he’s doing---and when he does, he usually goes a much more indirect route, as makes sense for a man both very smart and very rich. For instance, when he wanted a crime boss out of the way, he hired Lady Mastermind to make the guy think he was at the bottom of the ocean, and the poor bastard drowned in a room full of fresh air. At another point, iirc, Shaw tricked Wolverine into slaughtering three members of the Inner Circle who were going to try to get rid of him in a bid for power. So yeah, Shaw will absolutely kill people, but not in the way Duggan wrote. It’s either “they have attacked me and I’m fighting back/my back is against the wall” or it’s a very cunning long-distance thing where someone else does the work. I certainly don’t think Shaw’s a coward---we know he’s not, he fearlessly takes on Wolverine himself in that same story---but like you said, he’s a very practical person. Taking Kate out like that was INSANELY risky in how it implicates him, and it’s something he absolutely would have considered, and instead a route like the examples above.  As for your actual question, what it takes for Shaw to premeditate a murder is either that they’re posing enough of an active threat to his goals or his life, such as the aforementioned Inner Circle members who were trying to take him out (Wolverine actually ambushed THEM when they were expecting to ambush and kill Shaw) or if there’s enough truly guaranteed gain for him that can’t be had without the individual’s life eliminated. Which is rarer than you’d think; even taking out the crime boss wasn’t his usual MO at all---Shaw’s really not involved in organized crime despite Duggan thinking he has black market contacts---and that’s because killing him and framing Gambit for it was part of grander scheme to bring Tessa back to his side.  It’s not that Shaw has any moral qualms, of course, as we both know, just, firstly he actually doesn't have reason to often since he's primarily a mundane (if super successful) businessman, and secondly death is a pretty messy thing that attracts a lot of attention, especially since the people Shaw has reason to want dead are inevitably going to be very important in their own right, and it’s so much less risky to himself to take them off the playing board through more legal means, like buying them out or ruining their lives. For instance, you remember the reporter in the “Hellfire Club” series; she thought Shaw was going to kill her to keep her quiet, but instead he was just going to ensure no one would buy her story. But that doesn’t make for much of a dramatic story to some people I suppose! ETA: And like, obviously vengeance for Lourdes, but that was a very emotional exception for clear reasons

[oliviareviewsnasu]

Olivia Reads Fate/Stay Night ~Fate~ Route (Blind Readthrough) Part 1: Intro Sequence and Rin!

Before we begin with this readthrough I'd like to personally thank anyone and everyone who has come here to listen (or read I suppose) my maddened ramblings. You truly make it worth it. Now on to the readthrough. Intro Sequence By now this intro scene is engrained even into my mind and there’s not really much to say about it. As this is a blind review however here’s a basic summary of the events: Shirou, in a state of desperation, summons perhaps one of the most famous characters in the franchise to fend off an unknown attacker. The King of Knights stands before him and asks the iconic line: “I ask of you, are you my master?”. She then states that their fates (heh) are now entwined before the scene fades to white leading into the Rin prologue. On the more technical end; the music in the Realta Nua version is phenomenal. as is Ayako Kasumi’s performance as Saber even this early on in what would be a long career

What I think the anime (Unlimited Blade Works in particular) doesn’t quite convey is Shirou’s mystique and awe in the face of the King of Knights, nor his poetic heart. He’s clearly much much more intelligent and thoughtful than quite a few people give him credit for.

By all accounts this is true in a both a literal and meta-sense. 17 years later people are still discussing the franchise with nearly the same vigor as larger properties like One Piece or Dragon Ball. As for the literal, well, we all know Shirou’s dark fate. On the topic of darkness, I love how they portray Arturia. Awash in the light of the moon while Shirou is cowering in the dark. The contrast is beautiful and highlights just how important of a role she’d play in the would-be-hero’s future. What I find to be fascinating is how much imagery is loaded into these first few moments. That, coupled with Shirou’s prose, makes for a gorgeous introduction. My only issue with it is the whiplash bait-and-switch from Shirou’s perspective to Rin’s; especially with the knowledge that we’ll need to essentially re-read that part to begin with. It weakens some of the dramatic tension and choreography. Prologue: Day 1 (Part 1) And so the Rin prologue begins, in bed, with traumatic memories and regrets. So an ordinary morning for this reviewer. It’s also the first mention of the Holy Grail War that took place during the events of Fate/Zero. Rin’s final memories of her father do pull at my heart-strings however. Wanting to make someone laugh before you see them off is, in my opinion, a noble pursuit. Given what I know of Tokiomi from the events of Fate/Zero I can also agree that his character was perhaps one of the finer among the mages. At least compared to Kiritsugu “Sign a magical contract, can’t shoot, hire someone else to first for me” Emiya, Kirei “My religious views make my sadism and hedonism weird for me” Kotomine, and Lord El Melloi “Old Money, Old Magecraft” Archibald. Sound wise I’ve been listening to the flashback music for nearly ten minutes as I’ve been writing this up and I’m starting to see stars so we should probably move along- And so the Rin proloAnd so the Rin prologue begins, in bed, with traumatic memories and regrets. So an ordinary morning for this reviewer. It’s also the first mention of the Holy Grail War that took place during the events of Fate/Zero. Rin’s final memories of her father do pull at my heart-strings however. Wanting to make someone laugh before you see them off is, in my opinion, a noble pursuit. Given what I know of Tokiomi from the events of Fate/Zero I can also agree that his character was perhaps one of the finer among the mages. At least compared to Kiritsugu “Sign a magical contract, can’t shoot, hire someone else to first for me” Emiya, Kirei “My religious views make my sadism and hedonism weird for me” Kotomine, and Lord El Melloi “Old Money, Old Magecraft” Archibald. Sound wise I’ve been listening to the flashback music for nearly ten minutes as I’ve been writing this up and I’m starting to see stars so we should probably move along-gue begins, in bed, with traumatic memories and regrets. So an ordinary morning for this reviewer. It’s also the first mention of the Holy Grail War that took place during the events of Fate/Zero. Rin’s final memories of her father do pull at my heart-strings however. Wanting to make someone laugh before you see them off is, in my opinion, a noble pursuit. Given what I know of Tokiomi from the events of Fate/Zero I can also agree that his character was perhaps one of the finer among the mages. At least compared to Kiritsugu “Sign a magical contract, can’t shoot, hire someone else to first for me” Emiya, Kirei “My religious views make my sadism and hedonism weird for me” Kotomine, and Lord El Melloi “Old Money, Old Magecraft” Archibald. Sound wise I’ve been listening to the flashback music for nearly ten minutes as I’ve been writing this up and I’m starting to see stars so we should probably move along-

-Only for the lovely siren song of the world’s most annoying alarm clock to start ringing.

I agree with you there Rin, I feel like I’m being attacked as well. Terrible assault on the ears aside, we learn that Rin has been up late at night studying her Father’s will. A hobby that not even I would recommend. After struggling to get out of bed in time for class (Rin really is my spirit animal), she promptly complains about the coldness of her home. As someone who lives in Boston and has never heard of Central Air, this is painfully relatable. Have you had to sit on a toilet seat with ice in the bowl? I don’t recommend it. After the most uncomfortable scene of someone humble-bragging about their rich (literally in this case) background (likely because she can’t to anyone else), she explains that she is in fact a mage and what that entails. Persecution, isolation, and regular communion with forces beyond what most can comprehend. She also goes on to reference the 5 magics (familiar if you’ve played Melty Blood or read Tsukihime, something I’m sure to cover at some point).

What I find to be interesting here is that she fundamentally separates herself from the rest of humanity, treating herself as an outsider despite living what she’d consider ‘an ordinary life’. She shows longing and desire for the things that everyone else has access to and seems to disdain magic on it’s own. But to paraphrase Rin: “Let’s put off difficult discussions, they can wait till they’re old.” As Rin heads out she grabs a rather suspicious (and important) pendant that she managed to find after decoding Tokiomi’s will. It makes me wonder, did he lock up the Tohsaka family heirlooms in various vaults; hoping that someday his heir or maybe one of hers would be able to open them? Was he trolling his daughter? Or am I reading too much into this? Besides her finding the mystical cure-a-spear-to-the-heart jewel, Rin goes on to explain how Tohsaka family magic works. Essentially by slowly storing magic in jewels to draw upon at a later date. I’m reminded of Stormlight and its use of spheres, but that’s besides the point. There’s also a brief discussion of magic crests and how they’re essentially all the magical experiences of her predecessors engraved into her arm. Fun. Rin then goes on to finally leave her house after nearly thirty minutes of getting ready and shows a remarkable knowledge of German. Something that even I haven’t quite managed to master. There’s some brief world building with this area of Fuyuki being a blend of Eastern and Western architecture (as an architect myself this is fascinating to me) and draws a line of parallel between Rin and Shirou. Rin lives in a fancy Western-style mansion and longs for the future, while Shirou lives in the Eastern-style Emiya Residence and yearns for ideals that don’t quite exist anymore. As Rin hurries off to school, a sense of eeriness and unease washes over us, only for us to learn the most terrible and terrifying fact of all. She got up early and so her early morning panic was wasted. Oh and we also meet Ayako who is as exhaustingly energetic as usual. Somehow Rin’s clocks were all an hour fast. She suspects Tokiomi’s work, but I doubt the Tohsaka family Patriarch was one for pranks. Ayako drags Rin off the almost exorbitantly fancy Archery range and they begin to discuss their mutual search for a partner. Have I said that Rin is my spirit animal? I’m sure I must have by now.

This is the first glimpse we get at Rin’s competitive side. Ayako may have been the one to initiate the relationship, but any strong rivalry requires mutual input from both parties. A solid example of this can be seen in the relationship between Sanji and Zoro in One Piece. If I were less astute, I’d prop Ayako as up a potential antagonist later on during the route. As for the contest itself, it’s petty in the most realistic of ways. Attempting to get a boyfriend or girlfriend just to rub it in the face of your rival? I’ve definitely experienced that in my (admittedly brief) lifetime. Well we’ll have to find out another time as I’ve come to realize just how long this document is getting. Join me next week and we’ll continue along with the Rin prologue and hope we get to her summoning of Archer. This has been a fascinating look at the series I’ve adored for so long, just seeing the characters thoughts on the most simple of matters has been an eye-widening experience. This is Olivia Reviews and I can’t wait to see you next time.