#letting the world (7 people) know what i'm insane about (they all already know)

[kiwikiswia]

💙💚 (🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm treading water and so is BL

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

Feb 2025 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 12 end - I love this show so much.  So sweet. I adored it when Rak (FINALLY!) took the initiative! 

Conclusion

As pulps go this is right up there with my favorite if all time, My Ride, but for different less complex reasons. This is a relatively simple, old school, endearingly soft story of a fake relationship between a sunshine sweetie and an older reserved rich kid who slowly fall in love. Its soft gentle low-stakes leans into everything I personally love about Thai BL. It’s a warm fuzzy robe of a show. 9/10 

ThamePo (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - Thame is the poutyest of pouty babies. I love the ribbing that he got from his group the next morning (that wasn't). That said when we got a kiss it was a VERY GOOD kiss. This is a very me truly great show that I’m enjoying so much. 

The Boy Next World (Sun IQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - I really can’t fault the chemistry with this pair. From kissing to making out they're awesome at ALL OF it. I like the twist (that there is not parallel world jsut the edge of insanity). It's delusional and sus and obsessive and very "seme who missed his meet cute with his uke" and is being forced by a narrative to fast forward. So 90s yaoi. Can Mame push this edge in the right way? Doubtful. But BossNoeul will make it fun for us to watch no matter how questionably messy it gets.

(Yes, there IS a "right way.")

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 11 of 12 - fun penultimate episode.

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT) ep 15 of 24 - It's fine. Even cute. I think I like PerthSanta better than ForceBook but I really want the next pair the most. 

Sangmin Dinneaw (Sun iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - Enter my least favorite trope of all time, the amnesia trope. Also random doctor couple. This show is nothing if not erratic. 

Flirt Milk (Sat YT) ep 3 or 10 - ugh

Ossan‘s Love Thailand (Mon YouTube) ep 5 of 12 - Is this punishment for how good Cherry Magic Thailand was?

Gelboys (Weds iQIYI) ep 1 of 7 - it started but I didn't realize so I'll catch up next week.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

When it Rains it Pours (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - I adore them so much, these two sad desperate horny cheating boys. Lube! Argh. Please! The stark lack of affection in this show is about as dry and painful as the sex must have been. But, its all very tense and I kinda love it's minimalistic angst. 

Eternal Butler (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 8 of 12 - what a pity, just throwing away that cute color matched BDSM set. Ever 4 is SO CUTE when he smiles, but he would have been cuter smiling and holding that red bullwhip.

Heart Stain (Korea Weds IQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - I like it! It’s Korea doing its all-time favorite trope, the love triangle, but an interesting take. One boy is in love with his teacher but his best friend is in love with him. Let the drama commence.

Impression of Youth (Taiwan Weds Viki) eps 5 of 9 - Such a great brother relationship! My goodness the courage on that kid. Also, they jumped into the sack fast, even for Taiwan.

Fight for Love (Vietnam YT) ep 1 - A new VBL that is actually quite fluffy and charming. It is extremely lightweight but I’m enjoying that aspect. I like Vietnamese comedy more than Thai, I think.

Checkered Shirt (Korea YT) ep 1 of 8 - From the same people sho did Seoul Blues. I like it but this studio isn't vested in HEA so I'm wary. 

FC Soldout (Korea Thurs iQIYI) eps 1-4 of 8 - Huh. Interesting. The premise is kinda fun, even if (you know me) I never like obsessed fans. Creeps me out. That said, everyone is surprisingly gay for a KBL - like gay GAY. I know that’s a weird thing for me to say in a BL, but Korea is usually awfully het about their BL.

Anygay, of course I already like the side couple best. The gruff team captain and the pretty idol with a sad past win. WIN WIN. Give me an entire show about them please.

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 18 of 20 - (the end is in sight, but sheesh!) it was OK because mostly it was all the friends over at the house and doing stuff together. But still not a lot is happening.

It's airing but......

I Will Turn Back Time (China Gaga) 6 eps - It’s Chinese, no idea if it will end well or not. But it’s the stepbrothers trope. Still, I’m not gonna watch it until it’s done.

In Case You Missed it

End of year wraps are here!

2024 Trend Report

MY BEST & WORST BLs of 2024

Best Kisses (and sex scenes) of 2024

BL's 2024 Quirky Awards

2024 Awards - Quick Picks

Next Week Looks Like This:

Like last week we already in the middle, I promise I should be back on schedule soon. You'll get you calander image then.

2/14 Exclusive Love (Taiwan Gaga) trailer - Shy aspiring singer inherits funeral business.

2/14 The Last Time (Thailand WeTV) trailer - from 2024, not sure about this one, looks dark.

2/21 Bali Hai (Thailand ????) no MDL listing, only rumors, unsure on deets.

2/27 Secret Relationships (Korea iQIYI) - Stars Wei's Kim Jun Seo. Adapted by Cradle Studio (Kakao). About clever and resourceful Daon who has worked hard to overcome being poor. His cheap ways annoy his coworker, Sunghyeon but after “an incident” with his parents, Daon grows closer to him. But Daon also has feelings for his former tutor. This has the signs of a classic Kdrama all over it: Office setting, love triangle, lead suffering for his self-actualization. I’m optimistic about a longer treatment.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

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

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Such beautiful surrender (Your Sky).

Yeah all the build up for some great payout, thanks ThamePo.

(last week)

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

[withleeknow]

letters i didn't send to you.

pairing: ot8 x reader (ot8 in the sense that there's no name mentioned so you can imagine whoever you want. imagine the whole kpop industry if you want lol) genre/warnings: established relationship, long distance relationship au?, angst, fluff if you squint. unedited bc i am insane word count: 0.7k note: trying something new here! dunno how people are gonna like it but i don't feel terrible about it 🤷‍♀️ a product of my emo hours and i needed an outlet and i thought oh hey why not just project this into a fic lol

as always, i’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have, and please drop a like and/or reblog if you enjoy reading ♡

navigation / masterlist / ko-fi

3:29am, i've been dreaming about you for years. stars and moons and cotton candy clouds on fire at sundown. the whole universe resides in your eyes, it's almost unfair. sleepless nights because you're not here; restless days because i can't wait for you to be back. the clock stops ticking when you're not with me. the magnetic pull gets stronger during the witching hour somehow. i've always been drawn to you, even before i knew who you were. you're the only home i'd leave all my haunts for. it's summer solstice in most parts of the world but not in our bedroom, not when the only way i can have you is through a phone screen on your pillow. your voice is trying to lull me to sleep. it doesn't come close to replicating one tenth of your warmth. to love is to endure.

-

i'm halfway through the day, and you must be dreaming of where you belong, by my side on a bed that's far too big when i'm the only occupant. or at least, i hope you're dreaming of me too. 1:19pm, i'm six hours ahead but days and weeks and months and years behind, still stuck in that airport where you left me for the first time. some days, my eyes get misty at lunch when i think about your alarm going off and your irritated groan as you roll over to make your phone stop screaming. other days, i don't have an appetite at all, not with you on my mind and the reminder that there's still oceans between us. when are you coming home? i know when you're coming home, and yet i ask anyway, as if it'll shorten the distance and make the time pass more quickly. to love is to wait.

-

saturday morning, but i can't stay in bed past 7:12am. missing you a lot tonight, was what you had sent while i was asleep. that's a little cruel for a good morning text, don't you think? it's not your fault. i blame it on the oceans, on the time, on the distance. the coffee is still brewing, just enough for one steaming mug but it would've been nice if i got to make two. can we go back to new york? we always say we would, but can we do it now? i'll meet you halfway if you let me. there's nothing that ties me to this place. you're always on the move. my home is always on the move. we were happy on that trip, right? my fondest memories of you. skylines and the high line. to love is to risk it all, and i would risk it all for you. take me home, will you? let's go back to new york.

-

the clock reads 8:18am, but the date is all wrong. you should be landing any minute now, but not for another two days. two more days until you're home, ten days that i get to be in your arms. and yet, all i can think about is your departure, about coming back to an empty apartment after you're gone again. i think about you leaving before you even return. the drive back after i've sent you off, it never hurts less no matter how many times we go through it. i can already picture the scene, it's almost routine at this point. your sparkling eyes when they find me in the crowded airport, your relieved sigh when i run to you, your hands clutching me so tightly like you don't want to let go either. it's always this damn airport. we should stop meeting like this. when the buzzing of my phone snaps me out of it, i know who's on the other end of the notification. a photo of your new polaroid camera, then a promise to make more memories to keep with us when you come back to me.

to love is to willingly weather this with you a million times and more. even if it hurts. maybe especially if it hurts. you're the reason i keep going. you're the reason why the sun rises in the morning. let's talk about new york when you're here.

all rights reserved © withleeknow. reposting, translating and/or modifying is not permitted by any means. [posted 02.07.2024]

[cosmerelists]

How Cosmere Characters Would Flirt With Kaladin

Warning: Adolin & Shallan are NOT in this post! Before you cry, "How DARE you?!", please understand that it's only because I already wrote an entire post that was just Adolin & Shallan flirting with Kaladin. It's linked here.

Anyway, here's how various other characters would flirt with Kaladin if they were so inclined!

Edit: I have this tagged as WAT spoilers- just so you know, it’s the only the last entry that contains a spoiler-y joke so I put it under a read-more. The rest is safe!

1. Leshwi

Leshwi: [stabbing Kaladin straight through the chest] Leshwi: Your eyes look so beautiful tonight. Kaladin: [spitting blood] I-- I'm getting kinda mixed messages here... Leshwi: Mixed how?

2. Azure

Azure: [Stabbing a Fused at the same time as Kaladin does] Azure: Your eyes look so beautiful tonight. Kaladin: IS NOW THE TIME

3. Teft

Teft: I mean to be by your side forever, you know, Kal. Kaladin: I know that, Teft. Teft: Specifically tonight. Kaladin: Why what happens tonight?? Teft: Dinner happens. Teft: While you're there and I'm there. By your side. Kaladin: Uh...okay? Teft: ... Teft: I am not nailing this.

4. Szeth

Szeth: You know...I no longer fantasize about killing you. Kaladin: You fantasize about killing me?? Szeth: I just said that I do not do that. Any longer. Kaladin: Well that's...good, I suppose. Szeth: You still share space in mind with all of the voices, though. But sometimes your presence in there stills them momentarily. Kaladin: ...yay? Nightblood: Eeee, you are SO nailing this!

5. Renarin

Renarin: Hey, uh, Kaladin? Renarin: I had Jasnah help me, and I looked into the history of the treatment of insane people. Renarin: I found some really interesting historical facts about ways the treatment and methodology has changed over time! Kaladin: Yeah? Well, I'd be interested to hear about it. Renarin: (I knew researching your special interest would work!) Kaladin: What was that? Renarin: N-Nothing!

6. Veil

Veil: Oi! Stormblessed! I challenge you to a DRINKING CONTEST Kaladin: We both know you can beat me at that, Veil. Veil: Awwww, you're supposed to say, "How dare you challenge me? I can take you! I can take you right now! I can take you all night long!" Kaladin: In what world does that sound like me? Veil: ...This went so much better in my head.

7. Moash

Moash: [Is sitting in front of his beer, eyes downcast. Various members of Bridge 4 sit around him, looking at him sympathetically] Moash: I just--I can't storming believe it. Skar: We know, man. We know. Moash: I storming looked RIGHT at him and said, "I bet I can swallow it." Rock: You did. You did say that. Moash: Were my eyes not glittering hungrily?? Did I not indicate a GIANT gemstone and say how good I was at swallowing?? Is Kal STUPID?! Sigzil: Like I keep telling you all, formality exists to avoid misunderstandings like... Moash: I AM NOT GIVING HIM A NOTARIZED FORM OF INTEREST, SIGZIL Sigzil: (muttering) Like YOUR way is working...

8. Sigzil

Kaladin: ...What is this? Sigzil: It's...well, it's a notarized form. Of interest. Kaladin: Interest in what? Sigzil: In, uh, you. Kaladin: What for? Sigzil: ... Kaladin: You know I can't read, Sigzil. You gotta help me out here. Sigzil: ...Maybe Moash did have a point...

9. Lyn

Lyn: Hey Kaladin, let's try dating. Kaladin: A-Are you flirting me with me?! Lyn: It's more that I am asking you directly, but the fact that only that level of directness gets through to you is admittedly pretty cute. Lyn: (THAT was a bit flirtatious) Kaladin: Wait what do you mean "only" that level of directness...? Lyn: Come on! We'll discuss it over drinks! <3

10. Dalinar & Navani

[WARNING: WAT SPOILERS IN THIS! SKIP IF YOURE NOT READING PREVIEW CHAPTERS!]

Dalinar: Kaladin, you know how I asked you to become king of Urithiru? Kaladin: You said I could think about it! Navani: We're not trying to rush you. Dalinar: We just wanted to know if you wanted to be "king" of "Urithiru" along with me and Navani tonight. Kaladin: What Navani: You did an amazing job of pronouncing those quotation marks! Dalinar: I learn from the best. Kaladin: WHOOPSITHINKIHEARSZETHCALLINGME

[kit04kat]

Ranking the batfamily most to least likely to become a supervillian. (Plus all my ramblings about why I put who where [disclaimer, i have not read the comics due to me not having that kind of money]) I started thinking about this while reading a fanfiction where Dick, Jason and Tim were taken in by villians instead of Batman and it got me thinking. Anyways, let's get to the rankings.

1: Tim Drake. Starting off strong with our resident boy-genius with stalker tendencies. This may shock some of you, but I look at this human disaster and see a plethora of supervillian potential. You take away this man's adult supervision and the world may never be the same. What was happening with the league of assassins? And the fact that he tried to clone his best friend out of grief? Also I feel like we all skimmed over the fake uncle shenanigans too quickly. I once saw someone say something like Tim's moral code is copy-pasted off a house rules sticky note on the fridge and I agree.

2: Jason Todd. Seriously, we all saw this coming. Now, you might ask me, "but Kat, why is Jason at number 2? Didn't Red Hood already do the villian thing?" And to that I say, Ha! I am ranking them on supervillianiousness(???) Jason had his whole revenge plot and crime lord thing in Gotham but after that was done, he kinda settled out a little bit. So no, I don't think Jason has ever been a supervillian, just a villian, and after that he was more like an antihero/vigilante. That being said, I don't think he is incapable of being a supervillian, which is why he is number 2.

3: Stephanie Brown. Ok, I'm gonna be honest, I was really wavering on the order of the people in the middle. Also, I'm not gonna claim to know a whole lot about the adventures Steph has been through. That being said, I feel like she is just a tad bit more unhinged than the rest of the people in the middle, and therefore more likely to go insane. And if she had the proper motivation, she could totally be a badass supervillian. (Kind of reminds me of Jason in that way)

4: Damian Wayne. Alright, here's the thing. A lot of Damian's character development has been about him overcoming his heritage and learning that the things he learned with the league of assassins were bad. That being said, I don't think he will ever leave behind those ideologies as thoroughly as Cass and Bruce did. I think he sees the world in a lot more shades of grey than they ever will, and because of that, I've decided to put him forth on our list.

5: Barbara Gordon. I'm putting Oracle right smack dab in the middle. Not because I couldn't figure out where to put her, but because that's where she belongs. Listen, do I think she would ever become a supervillian? No, not really. However, if for some reason she had to become a supervillian, she'd be able to do it. If she ever turned to the dark side, it would be completely thought out. Calculated. And my girl doesn't do anything half-assed.

6: Duke Thomas. Now, Imma be honest, I don't know a whole lot about Duke, and I didn't really know where the best place to put his would be on this lineup. I put him in 6th cause I don't think he'd turn into a supervillian but he's more likely than the last three. He probably deserves to go further up the list, but oh well.

7: Bruce Wayne. I know some people will probably say he should be further up the list, but here is my reasoning. Batman's whole kinda thing is that he's always toeing the line. He's doesn't kill because he knows he wouldn't be able to stop. He is Darkness, Vengeance, the night, all that stuff. (It's why Batman needs a Robin) If he broke, he'd be broken. I don't think he'd be able to come back from that (I also disagree with myself a bit, cause there's no way his kill count is 0. I mean, he's been beating people up at night instead of therapy for decades) Anyways, that being said, man is stubborn and has been doing this vigilante stuff for a longggg time. I simply don't think he's gonna turn.

8: Dick Grayson. We are getting towards the bottom of the list here, to the people I think are least likely to become a supervillian. Dick has been through so much. With Renegade, Red X, Spiral, whatever was up with Ric, he took up the cowel and became Batman when Bruce was gone (which is something he never wanted to do), he's had so many of his friends die, family die, and that's not even all! He's been through a lot, but he's also the light to batman's dark. He's been through all that and still chooses to be good. There's no way he's ever becoming a supervillian (even if it is a very interesting plot in fanfiction)

9: Cassandra Cain. Last but certainly not least, Cass. I personally think she is the least likely to become a supervillian. She was raised as a weapon and taught to kill, but she has completely overcome that. She won't kill at all, much like Bruce, but she's also more emotionally sound. Her morals are strict, and she doesn't have to fight with herself to keep them. I love her so much, truly one of the best of us.

I'm gonna put Alfred as a honorable mention. He doesn't get to go on the list cause honestly, if he ever became a villian, it's over. He's have the world in his clutches before the week is over. Gotta respect him for having the patience of a saint.

This was so long! Anyways, feel free to add to this or tell me how you would rank them differently!!

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 45 Uh, Seriously?! Posting

So! Full speed ahead it is, internet void! What a dense chapter.

First up, John Hishaku and the Samurai Murderer Guy that was at Chihiro's house in chapter 2.

Guess we'll see more of him soon, how fun! It's not quite clear how many people are talking here, but Hishaku scheming is afoot and the game is on. The only question is how fucked the Kamunabi is going to be by the end of the arc IMO.

And don't think I missed that vase reappearing. My nemesis. The spiky boi on the mid-left drove me insane as soon as the raws dropped but I would like to tentatively propose that it is a kiku (chrysanthemum). Different colors have very different meanings so I still admit defeat on that front. But kiku are usually associated with mourning or Imperial imagery, so that's cool. I demand a treat if this flower arrangement turns out to be the world's subtlest hint that the Hishaku are related to an old regime or breakaway faction of the government.

But yeah... so much cuteness this week. Very welcome after the rich drama from the past few chapters.

Boys who commit patricide together fall asleep mid-conversation wake up together, apparently. And for all the fan artists/fanfic writers out there, it's now canon that both of them are wearing long-sleeved shirts under the other layers. I was kind of hoping for Chihiro to be wearing one of his dad's shirts but this is more in character...

Fine, okay, it's probably for convenience's sake since apparently these guys can only rest for one night before jumping into the lion's den. But I'm flabbergasted by their soulmate coding. I kind of expected Hakuri to pass out, but Chihiro conking out at the same time in the same pose is too damn cute! Barely over a week together and they've already perfectly synced their sleep schedules and postures lol.

I find it deeply amusing that the entire flashback sequence at the end of chapter 44 was purely for the reader's benefit though. Seriously! Hakuri asked Chihiro "So... what comes next?" and then they both immediately passed out sitting up. So the last four pages were there just to spare us from even more infodumping in this chapter, which is much appreciated.

That's something that Hokazono-sensei also did at the end of the vs. Sojo arc in chapter 18. 10 pages to him exploding, 7 to the situation at the Kamunabi (which will now come into play! EXCELLENT LAYERING OF DETAILS!). I don't know if I'm smart or educated enough to do a full analysis on the techniques he's using, but I love the style. He doesn't let the emotional points linger too long or waste a single goddamn panel in this manga. Yeah, I want more time with the characters outside of serious plot moments, but there's not much else for me to complain about. The need isn't particularly dire anyway since every scene is efficient in giving us characterization and info at the same time (example later this rant).

So yeah. Thanks to that excellent pacing decision, we get to witness this crowning moment of heartwarming:

LOOK AT THESE DORKS. LOOK AT THEM. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE. Thank you for this moment of Team Goldfish x Hiyuki and Tafuku bliss.

And look at the food on the table! Hiyuki and Tafuku have earned a measure of trust with Team Goldfish! Just a bit, but Shiba definitely wouldn't have let them stay the night and eat with them if he felt they were dangerous.

It's also so sweet that Char's comfortable sitting in big bro Tafuku's lap... she's come a long way since her debut as a scared, scruffy orphan. Wonder where the gang is hanging though. Someone's apartment, I guess? A nearby hotel? More insignificant details this annoying reader wants to know...

TW for SF5-era tournament enthusiasts: That Stage appears in the first panel.

Did anyone have bets on Shiba wrecking Hiyuki in Street Fighter while waiting for Hakuri and Chihiro to wake up? I didn't, but I love it. And this scene highlights something I've really come to appreciate about Kagurabachi's writing: it's incredibly efficient. Almost every scene has more than one thing being conveyed at a time. For instance, here we learn that Hiyuki sucks at Street Fighter compared to Shiba but is too stubborn to quit (comedy & character consistency) and still doesn't know he's ex-Kamunabi (serious). This in turn tells us that Shiba's probably got something to hide from active Kamunabi personnel. After all, it's not like the org itself is a secret, and we wouldn't see Hiyuki questioning him twice if his circumstances weren't suspicious. So Shiba's subplot thickens while we laugh at the gag- peak efficiency.

The cuteness, though... the sweetness of this chapter, man!

Chihiro respecting Yuu's nickname and correcting Hakuri with such a gentle expression is incredibly adorable. He's so relaxed here... but oh wait, there's... chibi Hakuri and Chihiro apologizing for worrying Uncle Shiba?!

Chihiro and his new #1 enabler owe more than an apology but it's good enough for now.

This break wasn't quite long enough to reset the tension in my opinion, but it absolutely delivered on character moments. We definitely needed this after all the big feels from the previous few chapters. I wish there was more time devoted to letting us calm down before ramping up again but what we got here is pretty good.

And so we jump feet-first into laying the groundwork for the Kamunabi arc. A nice, efficient recap of the situation leads us into some additional context and a surprising bit of Shiba characterization. Whatever beef he's got with the Kamunabi feels quite personal for a guy who plays it cool and loose most of the time. We know he's glad he quit because they're too uptight, but there's gotta be more to it than that- he's subtly trying to steer Chihiro away from them while Hiyuki is having none of it here. I want to gently snap this man in half to make him spill his secrets...

At the end of the day, though, Shiba's not going to stop Chihiro from joining the Kamunabi. That's been his thing since Chapter 1: if Chihiro makes up his mind to do something, Shiba will offer advice and make suggestions but ultimately leave the decisions up to him. I wonder how much of his guilt over Kunishige's death plays into that...

Then!

PFFT. "I know what I'm doing here seems risky and unwise but It's fine, trust me. I've got Hakuri." OKAY BUDDY. You've been able to do a hell of a lot since you met this kid haven't you? It's like meeting him changed the trajectory of your life as much as you changed his.

Shiba's expression is very interesting to me. He's like "ah, I get it..." and he's not thrilled in the slightest. Adding Hakuri to the team means Chihiro can be even more reckless than ever before; what little influence he had over Chihiro's safety is all but gone now. And Hakuri himself won't try to stop Chihiro from putting his life on the line- he'll risk his own to help him do it! All this while they're poised to go somewhere he probably can't follow... poor Mr. Shiba.

And then!! AND THEN!!!

Chapter 32: Smile Unlocked (once has no meaning...)

Chapter 36: Smile Lost (twice is a coincidence...)

Chapter 38: Locked In (three times is a pattern...)

Chapter 45: Smile Restored (four times is fate)

The one pulling the other forward is always on the right, leading the reader as well.

When one calls, the other answers. What one starts, the other finishes. A and Un. And this time Hakuri echoes Chihiro's "you got it" catchphrase back to him! I hope this is their thing now, like the "How's my timing?/Perfect" bit that Shiba and Chihiro had.

I'm going absolutely insane over this interaction though. It's the first time Chihiro's gotten to hear someone affirm that they'll see things through with him at his own request (on-screen at least). The first time he's outright said he needs someone, even. And of course Hakuri responds so enthusiastically- he's finally wanted. Just a few days ago he thought he'd never amount to anything. But he's got so much hope thanks to Chihiro's faith in him now.

"What I need in my life is a samurai! THAT'S YOU!" is finally answered with "I'm going to need your help again." hnnnngh what in the hell is this chapter.

Platonic, familial, romantic- however you want to see their relationship, these guys are meant to be together. If I ever start to doubt Hakuri's importance again just smack me right upside the head- he's truly Chihiro's other half now. Let's cheer them on and hope nothing horrible happens to Hakuri ever again! Protect the smile of the boy who would die for you on command, Chihiro. You've been warned.

Protected Bearers

Cool stuff ahead, and tough times to go with them. I doubt things will be as simple as Chihiro successfully making his case and being allowed to start trying to Talk no Jutsu the former wielders. This arc seems like it could easily be longer and more complicated than the previous two combined. I kind of hope it is, just to get more time with everyone. I've never loved a cast of characters this much.

That said... In another series I'd be sure Chihiro would visit each area one by one in their own mini arc, but Kagurabachi is probably going to subvert the expectation somehow. We got previews of the areas so we'll be seeing all of them. Probably (we goddamn better after that gorgeous spread showing them off.), but not in the way we'd expect. This story is so fast I kind of expect us to blitz through all of them in a handful of chapters each... guess it depends on how in-depth we get with the bearers themselves.

As we originally saw them in chapter 18. The slightly updated designs from this chapter are pretty nifty.

I'm 100% sure the order they're presented here corresponds with the areas shown on the spread immediately afterwards. So eye scars is stuck in a temple, the girl is stuck in an onsen, kabuki monk guy is stuck in what looks like a floating shrine, and sushi chef is in... a sushi restaurant. Wow shocker.

I'm going to make the assumption that they got to choose where they were imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Maybe it was the government's way of expressing gratitude for helping the war effort? Which makes Magatsumi's wielder (the Sword Master) being sealed up like a nasty curse all the more intriguing... he's clearly fucked up but was he always that way or did the sword corrode his mind? Is there more to the lifelong contract with these swords than just being the only person who can use them? I better get some answers!

Anyway.

So Kunishige personally knew and chose these people... I wonder how meeting them will deepen Chihiro's understanding of his father's legacy. I sincerely doubt that all of them will make it easy for him to recover the blade they're tied to, but we'll hopefully learn a lot while Chihiro makes his attempts. Really seems like we are set up for Kunishige and Seitei War backstory so I am hype. Dead DILF lore! DEAD DILF LORE!

Hiyuki and Kamunabi Thoughts

Hiyuki also had some interesting moments this chapter. She understands that the current stalemate with the Hishaku has tied the Kamunabi's hands for the most part, forcing them to do less than savory things (like bidding on the Shinuchi) to keep the peace. And despite her hotblooded outburst before the auction, she still has rock solid faith in her org's mission. So I don't think she'll defect easily so as long as she believes the mission is doable under better circumstances.

And it seems like she thinks Chihiro might be the right catalyst for change... hmm. She's essentially using him as a chaos agent to shake up the status quo because he proved himself to her. She finds him worthy of deciding how to handle the blades, so now she's giving him and Hakuri the opportunity prove themselves to her leaders. Very cool. There's some rather deep stuff going on with her.

Hiyuki's much more establishment-oriented than her personality and actions suggest. I get the sense that she's there as an idealist who is willing to upset the status quo to see the mission through. A true believer in a bureaucratic institution- love that type of conflict. Can't wait to see more of her in this arc!

So now we're set to see Chihiro's philosophy and methods on trial. Super intriguing stuff and I'll definitely be looking at the questions each Kamunabi leader is asking to try and suss out their allegiance. Playing Guess the Traitor this arc is gonna be a lot of fun (I hope)!

Speaking of which... Azami as the traitor allegations don't move me, but I do think he'll be restricted this arc due to the ongoing investigation into his clandestine activities. Chihiro could well be on his own without an adult to watch out for him. At least he and Hakuri will be there for each other. ...With no one to try and stop them from doing reckless stunts. Uh oh.

So that's a wrap on this fuckhuge ramble. Hope the breakneck pace slows down just a smidge but I'm still very onboard with whatever is coming next. Thanks for allowing me to ramble as always, void.

[noxxuniverse]

This is just insane.

I am anon who wrote this - https://www.tumblr.com/noxxuniverse/770856101471305728/i-am-sorry-for-what-i-will-write-here-it-will?source=share

TW : it will sound very emotional and..kind of pathethic if i am being honest.

Since you replied to me, i kept affirming, persisting no matter what, i literally affirm so so often whenever unwanted assumption comes up.

I even stopped being scared at this point...Until today..

I am in tears, it's so scary, guess what happened today? (i really wish i could write success story instead). I wake up today and see (i forgot how to say it in english) asylum workers, doctor and ones who were supposed to take me away. Maybe my affirmations about being lucky saved me, i don't know. They didn't take me away this time.

It's not first time they are here, this time they told me it's last warning. (damn after i get this off my chest i will continue affirming for luck)

That's just insane, i hope i will be able to not take pills (somehow spit them out or drop to the trash).

It's not really legal to send me away but yeah, in my country stuff like happens often whether it's legal or illegal. And yes, my mother is...Is just devil. She wants me away (but damn i already manifested moving out in my 4d+found new part time job, JUST GIVE DAMN TIME FOR 3D, gosh)

This is just so so so scary for me, i made promise to myself to move out this year no matter what, but damn, i.. I feel scared.

I need to make through this hell no matter what.

I will continue affirming right after i send this post to you, but i guess i just need support (and unfortunately I can't have it from other people because you see what they do). If it's not really hard for you, i will be insanely grateful for your support, any support words. But now..? I'll take your advice and will continue affirming in my head, persisting.

This is what i have to do, right? Just persist in my affirmations, nothing else needed, am i understanding it right?

I really hope next time i return with success story instead of..this. I'm sorry.

Thank you so much.

(p.s. i didn't write this success story because it's extremely small but last week i manifested my mother returning at 9 pm after work, it was surprising because she ALWAYS returns at 7 pm, but this is not a big success story like manifesting sp, money, house, etc so..but i don't want to sound too desperate so i'm sharing to let you know i keep persisting as you said)

Hey hun, keep persisting, keep affirming, and try your best not to waver all the time. Remember, the external world MUST conform instantly, so do not let it have "time."

You've got this I promise you <3

[secondstar-acorn]

season 2 means the world to me and now that it's over it's time for me to Elaborate (while I SOB how dare you anthony)

it being a more complex and less easily fixable storyline fits because they're teens! it really resonates with my early-20s-ass!!! i love season one it's incredible but their goals being more clearly set out also makes sense! all they really want is to get their kids home. the teens have to save the world and kill willy and reconcile with their parents and and and---

also idk why but in season 1 i really only had one dad that i Latched Onto and that was henry. i love darryl and glenn and ron obviously but henry just hit different for some reason and we're not gonna examine that because then i'll have to schedule a therapy appointment. but this season i have latched on to every single one of the teens. they're all extremely, WILDLY important to me and i'm gonna talk about it (scotty mute your dash)

let's talk about taylor first because i ADORE him. i am so freaking proud of him, y'all. he started off the season asking cassandra who his dad was and he ended the season by realizing that all he needs is his mom! that's a fantastic moment of character development. he cares so much about his friends! he knows who he is and he puts on a confident attitude, but he's still just a scared kid a lot of the time. he's so supportive 24/7 (HELL YEAH MY MAN) and if norm is the glue, taylor is the emotional support glitter on the craft project that is team stunt teens. he brings up the mood! he adds pizzazz! he's not. afraid to shine but he's also kinda fragile! that's my fucking guy!!!

ok moving on to my absolute beloved scary marlowe. i was one of those people who started off not really liking scary and not understanding her Deal but i finally GOT her in halt and catch fireball and from then on i've been obsessed with her. she falls into my favourite category of fictional character which is morally grey woman with insane amounts of power who just desperately wants to be accepted by people (i.e. jean grey, morgana pendragon, etc.) she stares willy in the eye as he dies!!! she tells her bio dad to fuck off and she accepts terry as her dad and remembers her mom is her best friend and GODDD SCARY MARLOWE. she's one of the most performative of the teens but she's also one of the most genuine. she is quick to defend each of her friends and once she's back in, she's BACK IN. she backs up every single one of them whenever they need her support, and her friendship with normal especially is extremely special to me. they're siblings your honour. the thesis of scary marlowe's character (imo) is "what if my friends love me more than i hate me" and that is a POWERFUL ASS choice that beth made. that's every teenager i know!!! that's me in high school!!! she's fucked up and she's imperfect but she is trying and she's learning to forgive herself for caring and i could write more but i'm not gonna because this is already getting so long and we're only halfway through.

okay this one is. god. normal oak. you put an oak in front of me and i start crying immediately. normal is no exception. hermie may be the theatre kid but normal has the theatre kid energy of trying so SO hard for attention and love but never getting the appreciation he wants. every single relationship he has is FUCKED. he lives off of validation and he's never learned to love himself as is. (please fucking god get this kid to samantha stampler he needs to hear that he's enough just as he is). he hasn't been loved by his parents the way he should, he's fighting to meet impossible expectations, he's been inadvertently pitted against his sister since birth, and he starts the season filled with the naive sort of joy that comes from doing No self reflection whatsoever and ends it deeply self-reflective and clearly still dealing with his trauma. but now he has friends who accept and love him no matter what. friends who will pull him onto the dance floor! he's the cheerleader! he's constantly giving out the validation he's wanted his whole life. he is so generous and so kind and so fucking sad and he breaks my heart. i need a campaign exclusively about normal going to college and learning how to live without his parents constantly in his business and learning who he really is and wants to be. he is. god. normal oak swallows garcia has been living with two conflicting philosophies his entire life, from sparrow "love wolf" oak garcia to lark "bring this glock to school" oak garcia. it's no wonder his mom is a centrist because who ELSE could love both of those men. (rebecca and morgan should meet up. side note.) and he chooses love every time!!! WE HAVE TO HELP IT. i love normal. i hope he's gone to therapy in the past twenty years and i hope he sees that he's had the people who care about him and love him all along in the form of his friends. i was normal normal was me and i am so proud of him. because even though everything has sucked shit he keeps pushing through. he's resilient and i love him for that.

and now. the teen who came out of nowhere and stole all the space in my brain. the true surprise of the season for me. LINCOLN LI FUCKING WILSON. god what to say about lincoln. so so much. i am so overcome by emotion whenever i think of lincoln that it is nearly impossible to put it into words. i understand this kid on a spiritual level. he has one goal and one passion his entire life. he loves his dads so much and he defines himself by what he loves and what he's interested in. he's never been confronted with the real world before. and then he is. and suddenly his world is no longer soccer and dads and his small house and fifa. now he is realizing that oh, the world is a little fucked up actually, and oh, the man i idolized for 14-15(???) years is kind of the one who fucked it up. he means the best for me but by sheltering me too much i am woefully unprepared for the world i'm living in and now all of my false hopes and aspirations are crashing down around me and the only way i can deal with that is to not care anymore. he has to shut it all out or he'll actually have to Think about how awful it is. his dad has killed people. he was found on the titanic?? scary, the person he immediately latched onto once he started doubting his dad, betrays him, and then he's floating again. and scary comes back!! and they eventually get married!!! and future lincoln has learned to forgive and understand that maybe, if he can forgive scary and love her and know her for who she really is and accept her even though she killed that guy that one time, maybe he can learn how to do the same for his dad. i'll say it. lincoln is the luke skywalker of this season. he is throwing away that lightsaber. he is saving grant from his self-hatred by choosing to love him at the end of the season. he tries to change himself as a way to get space. he hates hermie but he tries to be there for normal. he's best friends (...)with taylor and he finds his first REAL friend that isn't one of his dads through taylor!!! taylor inspires him to finally rebel and steal that laffy taffy!! high school lets him start to figure out who he is. he's able to forgive his dads. his sense of morality is maybe a little fucked up but he's probably working on it now!! he's absolutely the bitchiest out of all the teens and i love him for that!! he does his dads' taxes??????? he's been forced to handle WAY too much responsibility on literally all fronts and he shuts down to try and cope. he is canonically autistic to ME. the way he thinks about everything is Insane. he's besties with a bunch of dolphins. soccer is his safe place. when he loves something he holds on TIGHT. this is an incredibly long-winded way of saying i love lincoln and i will spend the rest of my life losing my mind over this character.

my point here is i love season 2. it's weird! it's freaky! it's eldritch! it's brightly coloured and also dark as shit!! i love season 2!!!!!!!

and don't get me started on dood because then we'll be here for hours.

[queenilyrian]

I'm the anon who was venting.

What I find so insane is how othee people fall for that shit, like... even if N and H had an horrible marriage, that is their problem, and these people çannot let it go after all these years. Why continuing to be a "fan"? Like... the level of commitment towards impossing their opinion and hate is exhausting, and scary. I had my encounters with people that weren't mentally well, I mean to that level, and no matter how much you try to explain yourself, they already created a whole story in their minds, and they truly truly believe it, the worst part is they are so convincing, also they use anything and shape it they way it makes sense to them, like plenty of that girl's stories about Henry and her. I feel for normal people is easy, if you stop liking someone, you move on, they are on a mession or something, it is sad and scary cuz they can do this with anyone, and there will be people believing that shit.

For people who call Henry “an ugly miserable broke D lister” they sure are obsessed with everything he and his family do. They’re working 24/7 to try to convince everyone that what we see with our own eyes,what Henry and Natalie say is all a lie. Everyone is lying except them. Some random housewives from some random country who never left their house suddenly know everything about Henry Cavill 😂and his wife. Suddenly they’re convincing you their sick twister world is reality and in that reality everyone conspired to FORCE Henry’s fake relationship on them hahaha. Of course if you’re a person with common sense and intelligence you’ll laugh about it. On the other hand if you think a successful multimillionaire needs to be forced to be with someone who he hates while waiting on his FANZ to save him… then keep believing that.

[eriexplosion]

5 6 7 10 for Star Wars violence 👀

OKAY TIME FOR THE VIOLENCE (I don't know how actually violent these opinions are but pretend I am Very Vicious)

5. Worst blorboficiation?

sdfsdifj REGRETTABLY... OBI-WAN.... I love the man but fandom characterizations definitely show some Popular Guy Character Syndrome where it's all about how sad and tormented he is and while I respect that as a lover of tormented men, it is certainly an experience when you're like, reading a CodyWan fic and Cody is comforting Obi-Wan through his tragic past like he's never gone through anything difficult in his life. Also some of Obi-Wan's fun edges are sanded off, he's more generically sassy but considerate of others feelings and kind, etc, and like. He's not UNkind. But this is a man that faked his death and did not tell his emotionally unstable best friend like that was going to do anything but drive Anakin absolutely batshit insane. He watched like ten clones in a row die without a reaction and then the instant a Jedi died they all had to stop for a funeral. He tried to get Luke to kill Vader WITHOUT telling him who he was. He's kind of an idiot and can be kind of an asshole. Let him hurt people's feelings! Let him be socially inept! He is a dipshit not a harmless weep blob!

(This ties in with my desire to see CodyWan fic where they straight up get in a fight but is not ENTIRELY connected to that)

6. Opinion on canon and/or fanon use of the secret child trope? Discuss.

It works for Luke and Leia and I think it should have stayed at that. I'm not a big fan of the Palpatine reveal for Rey but I didn't want her to be a Skywalker either, sometimes you want a main that is Just Some Guy, doesn't need to be a secret child of anyone. In fanon I just REALLY do not like it, partially because it's plugging in a blood relation where it doesn't need to be. The other part is that I have mostly seen it for Obi-Wan and Satine with that Korkie kid and with how utterly repressed those two are at each other I refuse to believe they ever successfully fucked.

7. What is the weakest piece of canon writing?

It feels like cheating to say the sequel trilogy mostly because I never finished it so a thing that I definitely finished and loved but makes no sense - AOC is not the strongest movie but ROTS was like, fully just a series of cool scenes stitched together to approximate a movie. And don't get me wrong, I adore the prequels. But the only one that I think succeeds as a Movie is TPM. ANAKIN'S FALL ESPECIALLY IS NONSENSICAL AS SHIT. Like the underlying motivations are there but they were not pieced into anything resembling a coherent narrative. You have a start point, an end point, and everything in between just kind of jumps around with I think the weakest point being the Tusken Massacre - it's treated more like a sign of Anakin's potential darkness than anything when like. That's a whole village. He killed a whole village and it never comes up again! Lucas apparently didn't consider it that big a deal!

It's to a point where I actually think the massacre can't be addressed from a fully in universe perspective, because there's no actual way to twist it around so that it makes sense for that not to be enough to Make Anakin Fall without breaking the already very loose rules of the universe. Most other Star Wars points I can figure out some kind of justification for how it works in world, but to explain how Anakin wouldn't fall here you just have to kind of confront that Lucas is both not a very good writer and also approached the Tuskens with an incredibly racist viewpoint given that he doesn't appear to see their deaths as fully Counting, unlike the Jedi younglings in ROTS. It's a plot choice that, if treated with the full weight it would narratively deserve, completely unravels the entire rest of the series, the only way to make the storyline of everything else WORK is to take it out or change it so much as to be an entirely different scenario, and I can't think of any other things that fuck it up THAT bad.

10. What’s a ship you've unwillingly come around to?

I think 'unwillingly' is overstating it (but then I rarely DISLIKE a ship, so there's usually not much Unwillingly about it) but I thought Tech/Phee was cute at most until everyone started being Like That about them. Now I want them to kiss and get married onscreen. I hope that she hits that every night. Phee deserves whatever she wants.

Also Anakin/Padme probably counts because I did not actually go into the clone wars watch WANTING to love Anakin but Whoops. WHOOPS. So that meant I got An Affection for the two of them in all their messy stupid as shit glory.

[expired-bat]

7 for batsplosion

7 - Write about one member of your ship asking the other to dance with them.

She lets out a shivered sigh, her laced-covered arms shaking as her hands clenched onto the metal balcony railing. It's only been less than an hour since they've arrived at the after-party, and already, Milo is extremely nervous. It's her first outing in public ever since it was announced that she and Nathan were a couple. Of course, she worried about herself and her boyfriend, but her mind spiraled when she was reminded of the paparazzi, the band's insane fans, and Nathan's possessive fangirls waiting to pounce on her and rip her to shreds. Poor thing thought that she would be ready to reveal herself to the world...

Milo slumps towards the chilly balcony, getting goosebumps as the cool breeze sways onto her small body. Looking down was a pond, with small fishes swirling around, frogs croaking, and fireflies dancing through the dark. That small amount of peace was temporary, however, as she is reminded of what happened earlier.

The little bat sits on the velvet chair, fidgeting her fingers underneath the table. The chatter sounds like white noise to her. She feels out-of-place here, just like everywhere she's at. Where is Nathan? Why did he bring her along?? What if they're talking about her, about how weird or vulnerable she looks? Her head aches, her throat tightens, she impulsively bounces her leg, and her lips feel dry.

Where is Nathan??

Nathan...?

...

...o

"-ilo."

"Milo?"

She gets out of her mini trance and turns her head to see Nathan, all handsome with that black suit he has on. The small twinkle in his eyes shines a light of concern. His hand trails her face, brushing a bit of hair out of her face to see her lovely crimson eyes. She can feel her face heat up as Nathan gives her a small and comforting smile.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice hushed knowing that she is in some sort of distress.

Milo was about to respond, but some force prevented her windpipe from opening. Behind her man was a group of haughty high-class individuals giving her dirty looks.

Fuck this.

She gets up abruptly from her chair, the legs squeaking loudly as they echo through the large room. Several people looked behind their backs, witnessing Milo having a little fit over how people see her.

"Imma go get some air," she mumbles out to her beloved, before picking up her heavy, ruffled skirt and trotting away, ignoring Nathan's pleas for her to wait.

Now she is on the balcony, staring down at the swirling koi fish. One fish is bigger than the other, circling in an endless rhythm. She can faintly hear a soft piano tune, lightly echoing throughout the manor.

"God, I'm such a dick.." she mutters to herself, her chin lying on her soft arms. She can feel her eyes watering, her chest aching and her stomach churning.

"I wanna go home."

She places her forehead on her arms, freely letting out her tears and staining her lace gloves.

Milo was lost in her moment, not even hearing the faint yet heavy footsteps approaching her. It wasn't until she heard a deep breath…

Nathan.

"Hey, Milo... Uh, are you sure you're doing okay?"

The smaller woman perks her head up, eyes ruined by the running streaks of her mascara. She rubs off her tears the best she can, nodding.

"Y-Yeah..." she sniffles, "'m doin' alright..."

Nathan knew that she was bullshitting. He walks towards her, crouching to her level, and wiped a tear across her cheek. He then pulls her into a firm but comforting hug. The older man can smell her perfume, with the scent of jasmine and amber radiating through her neck and shoulders. Milo relaxed underneath his body, wrapping her arms around his larger frame.

"I'm sorry I walked out like that... It's too much for me..."

His eyes soften from hearing those words come out of her mouth. He knows how overstimulating it is to be around a party, let alone an after-show party being hosted by some rich dildo. God, he feels so bad…

Nathan reached out, gently cupping her cheek.

“You don’t have to force yourself, y’know.

Milo managed a shy smile, nuzzling on his warm palm.

“I know, but… I want to be here with you.”

The quiet melody of the piano, in its minor key, can be heard from the outdoors. This feels so intimate right now. Nathan looks deeply into her vampiric eyes. He can feel his face warm up as he mumbles out.

“Meant to ask this earlier, but… Uh, do you… wanna dance?”

Milo’s face warms up again, slowly looking up at Nathan with wide, glimmering eyes. It’s even better now that they’re away from everyone, alone. Just the two of them.

“Mm-hm.” she nods, “I do, Nate.”

The older man smiles warmly as Milo holds out her small hand, covered in black lace. His hand is larger than hers, as hers is the size of his palm. Their fingers intertwined as another hand trailed down to her hips, feeling the soft yet bulky fabric of her dress. Milo holds onto his ribs, a bit nervous since dancing isn’t her forte, but the soft and somber tune of the echoing piano soothes her.

They start slow, step by step. Her long, silky dress flows onto the stone floor. They swayed together under the night sky, the elegant slit on Milo’s dress reveals a glimpse of her confidence. Nathan guides her gracefully, looking at her wide eyes full of love. The melody of the piano lingers in the air and it deepens their connection. Her nervousness fades away, replaced by the warmth provided by her rock. In that quiet, intimate moment, they discovered a new rhythm together. Finally, they both found the true meaning of love.

Nathan leans down to press a chaste kiss onto her lips, causing Milo to let out a soft gasp. He chuckles, nuzzling his hook against hers. The little bat whines softly, her cheeks flaming with an adorable pink.

“You’re cute, y’know that?” Nathan purred. Milo gives him a sheepish smile while her eyes looked the other way.

“I… I luhmm you…”

Milo giggles at his poor attempt to say “the L word”

“I love ya too, big guy.”

[minquiec]

since you were kind enough to like the song i recommended you, i wanted to send you more ZZZ items i found useful. i have a distany memory of you saying you wanted to learn more about ZZZ's lore before developing more of your OC that you ship with Billy Kid and i have provided two videos for you to potentially help you out! no worries if you dont want to watch either for any reasons, all optional obviously. im just trying to be helpful with what is p rapidly becoming either a hyperfixation or a special interest, and i love the content youve made so far about it!

(video 1:) https://youtu.be/WaW6Sy8o6dI?si=ldFSS7w9qLFaMig2

this (⬆️ video 1) is a video that explores the lore about ZZZ so far without going into spoilers. i hope there will be a part 2 that does include spoilers at some point. but, as is, this is really interesting. and really succint at just 14 minutes

(which i find to be short, but all the other ZZZ lore and theory videos i have seen are all even shorter (guess there isnt much to lore to unpack so far, no matter how much i want to have everything ever in ZZZ all analyzed and explained in one video already as is). so this is both a baby and a biggie. but i like how little guessing at what could be in this video, as we instead mostly analyze what is currently in-game, is my point)

(video 2:) https://youtu.be/mR0s11XrSlU?si=6FYAUtF6iq7OxBod

and this (⬆️ video 2) is a video that compiles all the cut-scenes so far (it was posted within the last week) of the animated scenes, the comic-book-scenes, and other voice-acted scenes within ZZZ so far. it's very long. but ive been watching it in pieces over the past few days and have found it fun, but that's just me. im on hour 7. wild that there is THIS many scenes in a video of an app-game, in a video that doesnt even include any gameplay no less lol

but yeah! watching through these two videos have helped me understand ZZZ better and develop my own ZZZ OC. im still looking into lore and theory videos about ZZZ that aren't fully based on conjecture, and if i run into any more then i can let you know? only if you want tho. i dont wanna infodump unwarrantedly lol

hopefully, we will eventually learn Billy lore. do you have any theories or hcs about Billy yet?

i know his wiki confirms he is fully robot, just one who passed The Forbidden Fruit Test, but i was so convinced before that he used to be human lol and now i have a lot of hcs and curiosities about why he exists and who made him, but my biggest focus is the obvious "ohhh this bitch is functionally immortal, huh? he's going to outlive all his teammates unless he's killed or something" element. i wish we knew more about the Starlight Knights as part of said Billy lore, but as is i hc theyre like Voltron or outerspace Power-Rangers so that it can explain part of Billy's interest as then in part due to them using robots to save the world. maybe one or more of them IS a robot or cyborg even, idk lol

but i digress. i hope you have a good day!! 👋

OOOO THANK U FOR SENDING ME THESE that first one was insanely helpful 😭😭 bc half the time while I'm playing the game I zone out and just end up missing dialogue JAJDJS

Dw about infodumping JAJDJS I practically do that everyone bc I can't learn to shut up but YES FEEL FREE TO SEND MY WAY it's always a bit frustrating when a media is new cause there's just not that much confirmed information 😭 so hopefully we'll get more lore soon 🙂‍↕️

I'm not sure if you're seen but there's a character teaser released by hyverse where he talks abt being made from old technology and used to be part of a gang on the outer ring of new eridu (??) there's been some speculation it could be a new upcoming faction called sons of calydon since the insignia on their back is somewhat similar to the one on billys (?) but that's what I've seen other people speculate

I think he also talks abt being made as a combat android but its not clear who made him exactly or his exact purpose 🤷‍♀️

As for the starlight knight aspect from my personal opinion I think it's to play into his childish personality almost by giving him a silly interest akdjsk THIS PART IS A HEADCANON but in his teaser he also talks about 'gaining a taste of freedom' so I'm assuming he enjoys the show bc it's kind of him indulging in this freedom he's found if that makes any sense IDK KEFNKWKSN cause he's a silly character so they gave him some silly traits to make him an enjoyable character :]

But yea that's what I think so far I HOPE THEY CAN RELEASE MORE CONTENT SOON IM SO IMPATIENNTTT JAJDJJJD

This is the character teaser if you haven't seen already ⬇️⬇️

[quitefair]

All the questions for the dragon age reblog

astagah bro susah ni..... (tak susah pun you know me too well huhu.... thanks for asking!!!!)

gonna have to keep track of what ive not already answered. also half of this is going under a cut because as always, it got too fuckin long.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

I need to go back into the Keep and take a look. There's some stuff even within Tashak's canon run that I think I need to tweak.

Main plot

Denies being chosen by Andraste

Recruits mages as allies

Grey Wardens recruited as allies, rebuilt

Stroud left behind in the Fade

Alliance between Celene, Briala and Gaspard

Morrigan drank from the Well of Sorrows

(Softened) Leliana as Divine

Shared the truth about Ameridan and the first Inquisition with the world

Vowed to stop Solas at all costs

Companions

Blackwall becomes a Grey Warden

Saved the Chargers, Bull is Tal Vashoth

Cassandra didn't rebuild the Seekers

Cole becomes more spirit

Sera kills Harmond on her own

Varric tracks down the source of the red lyrium

Dorian did not reconcile with his father

Helped Vivienne with the Snowy Wyvern (people that don't do this, we can't fuckin be friends)

Helped Solas with his friend

Advisors

Softened Leliana

Cullen stopped taking lyrium

Du Paraquettes elevated to nobility

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

I've been talking a bit about her in the previous asks, but I have a somewhat vague idea rotating in my mind. Don't want to commit too much until I've played the game though.

(Those that want to peruse her tag, it's here.)

7. Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

I'm going to be real with you guys. If I had it my way, I don't want any of the previous characters to be in DA4. I've been scarred too many times with Bioware fucking up their characters in subsequent media.

What I'm trying to say is, keep your hands off Fenris or I'll come to your offices and kill every single one of you.

Then again, having said that. Maevaris Tilani, the woman you are. The moment she appears on my screen I'm going to need a defibrillator.

10. Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

Antiva. Bioware, please. I need to see. Antiva. Rivain too but I have too much of an emotional attachment to the Antiva in my head.

12. What’s one thing you’re hoping we DON’T see in this next game?

As mentioned above, characters from previous games that are written badly. I don't want it. I don't need it. Let me play and be at peace.

13. What’s one thing you’ve seen confirmed so far that you’re a fan of?

The Veil Jumpers. God. I can't stop thinking about them, I need to know EVERYTHING about them. Veil magic, Rift magic, the science of the push and pull between Thedas and the Fade, separated only by a thin sheen of fabric. I'm going insane.

14. What’s one thing you’ve seen confirmed so far that you’re NOT a fan of?

At first glance, the combat and the interface really reminds me of a combination of God of War (2018) and the newer Assassins Creed games. And... I don't like that at all. As much as I adore GoW 2018, I want Dragon Age to be it's own thing. Yes yes you could say games can be inspired by other games, but I know for a fact that development of this game has been a nightmare, and shit has had to change last minute. God of War 2018 has been referenced as a game that made EA execs change the direction of what this game would've been, alongside Jedi Fallen Order.

We don't need another Soulsborne Action Adventure game. We need another Dragon Age. And this... really doesn't feel like a Dragon Age game so far.

15. Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

Kinda answered in 14. I've refused to look at anything after I saw the gameplay reveal. I didn't think I was going to be as excited for this as I am. I didn't think I would have as visceral a reaction as I did to the character reveal trailer. The loredrops have been So Fucking Interesting. The characters are driving me insane. All of this already feels like the Dragon Age I know and love, and I don't want anything to spoil that for me until I can get my grubby little paws on the actual game.

I'll reserve my judgements and griping (oh there will definitely be griping) for then, my friends.

20. Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[jq37]

Okay, that went well. They've got the goose, some people who will hopefully be able to provide some kind of help. Alphonse was a prince this whole time, still need to unpack that. I wonder if the Golden Harp has any interesting mojo going on. Things are still less than ideal but they're making some strides forward. Or as the Gunner Channel would say, the ball is rolling up.

What a wildly different tone this episode had than the last one. Everyone came in hot. Roz set the tone with a brutal opening volley and Ylfa tanked so much damage. I'm mildly surprised it went as well as it did. 

I felt really bad for Tim re: Jack because, much like Ger with Elody, the dice simply weren't on his side. He didn't play it really dumb or anything. The dice just wouldn't let him have it and he didn't have his book at the absolute worst possible time. Tragic. 

On the absolute other end of the spectrum, Brennan pulling that nonsense with Alphonse was absolutely WILD. He was like, "I see your insane series of events. Allow me to put a cherry on top of it." It retroactively makes everything Alphonse has done so far even crazier. Also, I'm sure this isn't what he intended, but in a world that seems mostly devoid of princes (at least in the limelight), it's an interesting thing for him to be.

Speaking of royalty, Thumbelina's title card says she's a princess and I wonder if that factors into the princess math of the daughters of the crown. We're still not clear if this is a "We need any 7 princesses" thing (a la the 7 maidens in Fantasy High) or if they just know that in the timeline they succeed, there are 7 princesses and they are specific princesses (in which case, Roz can't be replaced).

I do think it's absolutely *crucial* they were able to save the Goose because I have a feeling that Brennan is going to take this as a chance for a lore dump that they sorely need. I feel like there's a LOT of information that the PCs just haven't even gotten close to because they've been focused on other things and the Goose might have some of it. As a DM, this is a great chance to start bringing things together. And Brennan already did that a bit by dropping Tomas and Henry into their laps, which are crucial parts of the backstory of PIB and Tim we haven't really explored yet. Seems like we'll be getting it in just under the wire. 

Anyway, the Goose will likely be a good and trustworthy source of information. Maybe she'll be able to help them get back into The Lines Between since it's the Gander stopping them. That would also be a good source of information. Failing that, as a last resort they could talk to the Fairies under an enemy of my enemy understanding because at least they know the Fairies don't want to end the world (and we know they have information that the PC's don't have--for instance, Turq knew stuff about the wolf but the PCs ran from her and didn't follow up on it). And as a last LAST resort, if they REALLY want to they can do what I know Emily has wanted for weeks now and talk to the Baba Yaga but they couldn't even handle talking to the princesses so I am let's say dubious of their ability to get through that encounter with all of their souls intact. 

But hey! Things are definitely looking better than they did at the end of LAST episode (though that's a low bar to clear. I felt more confident after the TPK than the end of last episode) and I'm very excited to see what their plan ends up being because folks, we are in the endgame now. Every story eventually reaches it's The End and we're pretty close to ours. I hope they make it count! Let's keep that ball rolling uphill!

[golbrocklovely]

Hi, so the thing about the volunteer mods on xplrclub kind of rubs me the wrong way. They absolutely have made millions in their career, I mean their channel has been blowing up steadily for years. Their channel on top of merch sales, tours, xplrclub, they're living rather comfortably. One of the other anon's said colby has admitted to spending 10k a month on just clothing?? 10k is what I make in 5 months of working full time, dropping that on clothing in one year is insane let alone one month. Plus they have 2 mansions and not just rent but own. I'm the same age as them and I'm still living at home because despite having an MA and working full-time, my job doesn't pay me a wage that would allow me to live on my own without going completely broke and ending up in even more crippling debt.

I do like snc, as people I think they're probably really nice guys, but I think they've been in the influencer sphere for too long and no longer have any grasp on the real world. We're in a cost of living crisis right now, so asking anyone to essentially work for free is a bit tone deaf. I know they're not asking for crazy work, but they're still asking someone to give up their free time to put in labor for something they pay snc to be able to access. It's just a bit icky to me. Either don't charge them the monthly subscription if they're going to mod for you, or pay them. It just kind of strikes me as snc think their fans should be grateful to them for allowing them this opportunity to mod for them, that money shouldn't even be a factor. Idk, maybe I'm being a bit too harsh, but in the economy we're currently in, asking people for free labor while you are raking in hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars a year is gross.

Sorry for this long post, I just felt like I wanted to get it all out, haha.

you're totally fine to vent. i agree with a lot of what you're saying. i think it's ridiculous that snc would think mods should be volunteers and not paid employees.

but to defend snc just a small amount….

snc haven't stated what the "perks" will be of being a mod. so it's possible it's negotiable to ask for a free membership as a mod, if not possibly more. on top of that, now that it has been a day and i'm not as upset as i was, i think the reason snc think this volunteer system is okay is bc when they did a livestream on wednesday, they mentioned getting mods and ppl in the comments started asking to be a mod.

not to mention the amount of ppl that have already applied to be mods. i mean the last time i checked the post (and this was yesterday mind you), there was 50+ comments, and only three of them were critical about this whole thing and one of them was me. so a lot of ppl are fine with being mods without being paid.

that, tied with ppl being on twitch and streamers pick randos from their fandom to be mods, i bet snc think this is the best case scenario and way to go about things.

i would like to believe that it's mostly this, tied with a little bit of snc being cheap lol

and look, personally idc how snc spend their money. they made it, they can do what they want with it. even if i think it's outrageous to spend 10k on clothes in a month. reality is, we're just in a different tax bracket than them. i don't relate to them on that level. and i wouldn't want them to act poor, so to speak. so….. it is what it is.

that being said, they should pay for mods. mods should be ppl not in the fandom. bc even tho snc also stated in the post that there is no amount of time you have to be online and moderating, i know there are some fans that if they do it, will be on 24/7 and will neglect their lives just to be in snc's good graces assumingly. and i think that's where an extra layer of problems lie. the lack of money is an issue, the trusting of fans is an issue, the possible future problems is another, and so on.

it would be better to get rid of chat, impo. but they ain't gonna listen to me lol

[namtanlovesfilm]

hi axelle! do you have recent or currently airing BLs to recommend? I'm bored LOL

hi :) yes I do! I've honestly been enjoying the latest bl batch so much tbh, like it's not incredible but I'm having a great time! in order from my fave to my slightly less fave (I also included shows that stopped airing less 2 months ago):

be my favorite: it's no secret that I'm HOOKED to this show already! it really has the potential to become a favorite of mine if it plays its cards right bc I love the premise of someone disatisfied with their life traveling time to make it better, as I find it highly relatable. I also love the characters already and I think the writing & pace of the show is extremely well done so far :) episodes watched: 2/10. grade so far: 8,5/10.

bokura no shokutaku: I started this show with zero expectation & we all know that's how you get the best surprises. and yup this show has stolen my heart entirely. I literally spent the last episode clutching my chest while smiling like an idiot, it's such a wholesome, feel good show while also working through the characters' traumas & the ship is SO good! I absolutely love it :) episodes watched: 9/10. grade so far: 8,5/10.

la pluie: idk the general opinion of this show & I don't wanna know (unless it's my followers, share away babes!) but I really like it. I think the characters are very lovable, especially the brothers saengtai & saengtien, I think the acting is good, the plot is simple yet interesting & makes you want to watch more, the chemistry is very good as well, and some of the themes of the show about love, soulmates & breaking up are definitely worth exploring. overall it's also a show I look forward to every week :) episodes watched: 6/12. grade so far: 8/10.

a boss and a babe: a show I did not plan on ever watching, but I'm so glad I did! even though it's a pretty simple show &, yes, is still definitely an hr violation lmao, I really liked it. it really shows that you can make a basic show so much more interesting by developing all of its characters including its side characters, touching on their mental health & other traumas well. you can tell the writers really cared about their characters & it made for a surprisingly healthy & heartfelt show. definitely hope to see more bl shows like this one in the near future :) episodes watched: 12/12. grade: 8/10

step by step: even though this is a basic show, I also really like its writing. all of its characters are treated with care & developed well, even when it means not rushing the main relationship which might make the show boring for some. I really appreciated that the last relationship of the main character is developed so well too, it's rare to see a bl show build up the secondary lead that much, even having him kiss the main character before the main lead. it also feels more like a show about a queer relationship than a bl show to me. so while, yes, it's not perfect, and it's also definitely another hr violation lol, I am enjoying it. I wish all bl shows put in this much care into their story & characters, bc it really adds something. episodes watched: 7/12. grade so far: 8/10

love mate: I wanted to include some korean bl lol, this one was really cute & the chemistry was frankly perhaps the best I've been coming from a kbl. it's short & sweet, nothing too out of this world but I would recommend it :) episodes watched: 8/8. grade: 8/10

house of stars: lastly, this will be my controversial pick bc from what I've seen people don't like this show, and I don't love it either, but I'm kinda fascinated by it so I needed to include it. there is a lot in this show that I would change, yet I am so intrigued by its main character gun lol, I'm lowkey obsessed with him, and I am so intrigued as to how the love triangle will resolve. I don't expect it to become better with time, but I think this show stands out insanely from other bls & contrarily to what the trailer let us think it's not nearly as exploitative in terms of sex as I thought. just bc of all of that, I would honestly recommend it if you're looking for something messy, mysterious & that will probably let you down in the end lol. if you're watching it come tell me what u think of it in my asks so we can try to make sense of this show! episodes watched: 6/12. grade so far: 7,5/10

xxx