#maybe even late dec 2023

[feelmyskinonyourskin]

Fight Club

Pairing: Matt Murdock x (AFAB)Reader (with platonic Frank Castle x Reader)

Summary: @hellskitchenswhore is killing it with the prompts lately. Per her request: Matt's freaking out thinking you might be cheating on him because for the last few weeks, you’ve been coming home smelling like Frank. What he doesn’t know is that you asked Frank to teach you how to fight and didn’t tell Matt.

Warnings: 18+/SMUT. No use of Y/N. Female/AFAB reader (use of terms like girlfriend and female anatomy.) Established relationship. Brief mention of an active shooter at an office, Frank and Matt using pet names like sweetheart, mentions and accusations of cheating but no actual cheating, Unprotected sex, Fingering, P in V, Creampie, and Possessiveness from our dear Matt. Sort of getting caught after the fact.

Notes: I started taking kickboxing like three weeks ago, so I like to pretend that qualifies me to know what I'm talking about (It doesn't lol). So apologizes if I got any of the terminology wrong. UPDATE DEC 2023: I wrote an alternate ending to this fic that ends in a threeway with Frank that you can read here

WC: 5,000

*I never give permission for my fics, manips, or any other original creation I post on this site to be copied, posted elsewhere, translated, or fed into any AI program. The only platform I currently post anything on is Tumblr. Thanks!*

“That’s it sweetheart, last round I promise.” Frank encourages you as you take swings at the bag in front of you. 

You’ve been at this for at least an hour and your arms feel like jello. You can’t remember the last time you were breathing this hard that wasn’t from Matt bending you in half. Jumping directly into the Hudson would have kept you drier than the amount of sweat currently pouring down your face and exhausted body.

“Atta girl, atta girl!” Frank praises as you take your last few swings, arms too weak to make any real movement of the bag

“Alright, you’re getting the hang of it now. Few more sessions and you’ll be out there with Red every night.”

“Pfft I don’t know about that, Frank. I’m just trying to make sure I can protect myself is all.”

“So remind me again why you didn’t ask him to teach you this?”

It started last week. One of your favorite coworkers was going through a bitter divorce and her estranged husband decided to confront her at the office and pulled a gun. You heard two shots ring out from your desk and feared the worst - all the active shooter situations you'd seen on TV were happening live in your life. Fortunately, as you fled for safety, Jerry from accounting was able to disarm and tackle the guy before he could hurt anyone thanks to his black belt in Jiujitsu.

Even though the incident ended okay, it had spooked you enough to get yourself some defense classes, for all those times when your vigilante boyfriend was too far uptown to protect you at a moment’s notice and Jerry wasn’t around to save the day.

Matt was always overprotective of you and you hated to think how he’d react to the incident, so you hadn’t told him. When the story hit the news, you lied (via text so he couldn’t detect it) and said it happened on a different floor and you didn’t even notice. 

You also didn’t tell him about your decision to learn self-defense. Matt was more than qualified to teach you, but for some reason, you just didn’t feel comfortable asking for his help with this. Maybe it was his propensity to throw himself into helping those he cared about, you especially, that gave you hesitation to give him another thing to prioritize over himself. Maybe it was just how good he was at fighting that made you not want to “be a beginner” in front of him (not that Matt would ever judge you about anything.)

In fairness to you, you hadn’t intended to learn it from his frenemy and former client, but you’d showed up at the boxing gym near your work and the gruff men inside intimidated you so much, you bolted out the door before signing up for a class, tears welling in your eyes when you quite literally bumped into Frank on the street.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, nodding towards the door of the boxing gym

“I thought… Look I want to learn how to fight. Or at least how to defend myself. This place is close to work but um… might not be the right fit for me.”

“Why don’t you just ask Red?”

“It’s a long story,” you replied with a sigh “but I really don’t want to ask him. Or for him to even know about it. So can you please not mention you saw me here or we had this conversation?”

“Okay, can I ask why not?”

“You can but I’m not gonna answer.” 

Frank chuckled and shook his head

“Well if you want to learn to fight, this isn’t the best place. I know Vinny the owner and he’s a shit teacher. But if you want to learn for real, I’m happy to teach you.”

“What? Wait really? Wait, Frank you know how to fight?”

“Sweetheart, I was a Marine for over 15 years, ‘course I know how to fight.”

“And you’d do that for me?”

“Course. You’re Red's girl. What times’ he leave for his little night job?”

“9:00”

“Great, meet me here at 9:30. Tonight.”

And that was how you ended up here, collapsing on the gym mat beneath you with a groan.

“Not bad for your first time. We just gotta get you in the habit of resetting your hands after every hit, and you’ll be golden” Frank praises again

“Oh yeah, I forgot, always protect the face so I don’t end up lookin like you.” you jest

“Ouch” he feigns hurt with a smirk on his face “Red teach you to swing low like that?”

“Nah Castle, that’s all me. It’s part of why he loves me. Same time tomorrow?”

“Sure. See you then.”

By the time Matt returns home, you’re showered and in bed, sore muscles pulsing every time you twist and turn in your sleep. Between the smell of sweaty clothes in the hamper and the scent of your freshly washed skin rubbing against silk sheets, plus the heat radiating off your sore muscles as he crawls into bed silently beside you, Matt figures it out pretty quickly.

‘She started going back to the gym. Hmm. Have to ask her about that in the morning.’ he thinks as he drifts off beside you.

You awake in the morning to gentle hands rubbing at your back. 

“Mmm morning Matty” you mumble, still pulling yourself out of sleep

“Morning sweetheart.”

“What are you doing?” you ask as he works a little lower down your spine

“Giving you a massage. I can tell you’re sore. When did you start going back to the gym?”

“Just yesterday. And you’re right I’m super sore. Thank you, this is a nice way to start my day.”

“Of course sweetheart. What gym did you go to? Did you have fun?” he inquires

His innocent prodding has you waking fully quickly, trying to cover your tracks without outright lying and getting caught.

“Oh this gym near work. Couple people in the office recommended it. And yeah I had fun.” 

All truths.

“That’s nice. Mmmm do you want to start the coffee or shower first?” he asks, seemingly letting the subject go

Perfect.

As you rush around to get ready for work, Matt grabs the laundry hamper from the bathroom, walking it over to the washing machine. Your dirty workout clothes from the night before sit on top, now less potent that they have completely dried. But he can’t help but feel like something smells off.

Sure it smells like you - natural scent mixed with your fading sweat, but there’s something else. Something familiar. A very subtle hint of spiciness mixed with… is that gunpowder? 

‘Weird’ Matt thinks to himself, but brushes it off a moment later, the smell not strong enough to really garner more than a passing thought.

But three times he does the laundry in a row, he smells it. It’s so subtle, he might not even give it another thought, but it’s just so damn familiar. 

It takes another week for him to ask you about it.

“Hey sweetheart, you’ve been going to the gym a lot lately,” he mentions over dinner 

“Mmmhmm. Yeah, can you feel my muscles growing? I’m feeling stronger.” you reply

“Yeah. What exactly are you doing at the gym? It’s really working.”

“Oh a little cardio, a little strength, you know…” you skirt around, being intentionally vague

“That’s good. Is it like a class or?”

“Um sort of. Just this guy at the gym, he’s been helping me. You know, walking me through the exercises.” 

Also technically the truth.

“That’s good. Well, I’m glad you found something you like.”

‘Okay, so that guy must smell like this. She’s close enough to him in a warm sweaty gym, so there’s a little bit on her clothes. Makes sense.’ Matt thinks to himself. But he still can’t shake the feeling that that smell is so familiar.

Two weeks later, Matt is out on patrol when he hears a familiar heartbeat on the fire escape a few floors down from where he’s perched.

Frank.

“You just gonna sit there all night, listinin’ Red?” Frank asks

“Very funny Frank.” Matt says, hopping down to Frank’s level

“Haven’t seen you in a while” Matt comments

“Been busy. Madani’s been usin’ me more.”

“Oh don’t tell me you’re going legit Frank.”

“Not a shot in hell, Red. But gotta pay the bills somehow.”

And then a strong breeze blows. Frank’s signature blend of sweat, aftershave, and metallic mixed with gunpowder from all the weapons he handles overwhelms Matt’s nose. Matt cocks his head in confusion. It’s so damn familiar. But of course it is, it’s Frank. How many times has Matt been on a rooftop with him like this, bs-ing the night away while monitoring the city?

After catching up for a bit, they go their separate ways, the rest of Matt’s evening turning uneventful.

He returns home to you shortly after 3 am, your soft breathing as you sleep calms him as he strips off his suit. 

You hadn’t met with Frank tonight. He said something about following a lead and you were perfectly fine with that, you needed an off day. 

Matt curls up in bed beside you, resting his head on your back and falling asleep quickly.

The next night, Frank is really putting you through your paces and you swear you’re ready to collapse when he finally calls it for the night. 

Per usual, Frank offers to walk you home when you’re done and for the first time since you started coming here, you accept the offer since you stayed a bit later than usual tonight. At least until you can make it to Hell’s Kitchen and within range of Matt. 

You and Frank make small talk as you go and eventually, the chill of the autumn air has you shivering in your still-damp-from-sweat workout clothes. 

“Here sweetheart,” Frank says with a lopsided smirk, slinging his worn jacket over your shoulders. 

“Thank you Castle. Always a gentleman.”

“Course, ‘specially for Red’s girl.”

You make it to 35th and 10th, close enough to home and hand his jacket back to him, parting ways with a nod and a polite “goodnight.”

The later hour coupled with the particularly intense session has you collapsing into bed without even removing your shoes, let alone your gym clothes.

When Matt returns a few hours later, the smell hits him like a truck. 

‘I swear to god Frank, if you’re bleeding on my couch again…’ Matt thinks to himself. 

But when he enters the apartment the only heartbeat he can hear is yours. He inches slowly toward the bedroom and rolls the door open gently. He reaches down to feel the soft lycra of your leggings on your body, careful not to stir you from your slumber. The smell of your sweat clinging to your clothes fills his senses, way more potent than normal plus that other scent you’re bringing home from the gym. Matt pauses to wonder why he thought Frank was here but then it hits him. 

Oh my god. The mystery smell from the gym you’ve been bringing home is Frank. 

But how could you smell like… 

And then the gears in his head start turning. And he feels like a goddamn idiot. 

You had been going to the gym. But not to work out. You were cheating. With Frank of all people. And you’d made the critical error of not showering when you got home. 

Matt begins to pace the apartment, rubbing at his chin as his thoughts move a million miles a minute about what to do. 

Did he confront you? Did he confront Frank?! What should he even say?

The sun rises and he’s still pacing and contemplating when his alarm rings out. He shuts it off before it can wake you too. He needs more time to think about his next move. He gets ready for work quietly and slips out the door before you awake. 

You find it odd you haven’t heard from Matt all day. When you woke up you saw his Devil suit in a heap in the living room and there was no damage to it or blood on it. So you knew he had come home and was relatively okay. But it was so odd for him to leave without a goodbye kiss or go this long in the day without so much as a text. But he had been busy with a heavy caseload lately. You finally break shortly after lunch and text him first. 

“Hey Matty. Know you’re busy but I miss you and I love you. Dinner tonight?”

“Can’t. Working late. Don’t wait up.” He responds

That was… oddly curt. But again you figure he’s stressed and busy. 

Matt on the other hand has been wracked with stress all day. It only took an hour of his constant pacing and fidgeting for Foggy to break and finally ask.

“Matt. What’s up?”

“I think… I think I’m being cheated on.” Matt confesses. He leaves the Frank part out of the equation, wanting Foggy to be as objective as possible about his response. 

“What could possibly make you think that?”

“She’s been going to the gym like every night for a month now right when I leave for patrol and she came home last night smelling like… another man. And she’s been smelling like it a little the whole month but last night it was all over her”

“So did you ask her?”

“Well no but…” 

“Matt you are literally a human lie detector and yet here you are jumping to conclusions instead of doing the rational thing and just asking her.”

And maybe Matt would have taken Foggy’s advice if he thought you were just cheating with your gym trainer. But this was Frank. And that made it all the more complicated. 

Matt decides finally what he’s going to do. He’s going to follow you tonight, catch you in the act and confront both of you together.  

Matt still hadn’t come home when you depart for your nightly workout session, but little did you know he’s there. Pacing on the roof, waiting for you to leave. As soon as he hears the lobby door shut behind you, he springs in to action, taking the stairs two at a time into the apartment and changing out of his lawyer suit and into his devil suit as quickly as possible, making sure not to lose your heartbeat now a block and a half away. He makes up for the lost distance quickly and is practically on top of you by the time you enter the gym. 

“Hey Frank” you call out as you enter

“Hey. I’ll be over in a second.” he replies from the locker rooms

Matt crouches down by the side of the building, just close enough to the windows to hear everything going on inside. 

You’re almost done wrapping your hands when Frank emerges from the locker room. 

“Alright let’s start with our usual, then you can have a go at me again.”

“I don’t know Frank. You really wore me out last night. I woke up still in my clothes and shoes.”

Matt knew it. He fucking knew it. 

“Tough shit sweetheart,” Frank responds with a chuckle. “And what did your boyfriend think about that huh? He got any idea what we’re doing here yet?”

“Honestly I don’t know. I didn’t see or hear from him at all today. Which is weird even for him. And no I don’t think he’s figured it out yet.”

“You’re gonna have to tell him eventually”

“No, I don’t”

“So what you’re just gonna keep sneakin’ around, becoming a prize fighter without him gettin’ suspicious? Shit even a regular guy would raise some alarm bells by now, but especially Red and all his … shit”

“Frank, I am not here trying to become a prize fighter. I’m just trying to get strong enough to defend myself if he’s not around to do it. That’s all”

Matt’s heart drops. 

How could he possibly think you were cheating? And with Frank of all people. He felt like an idiot. Like a total asshole. Sure you had lied, well, technically withheld the truth and he’s sure you’ll explain why. And he’s hurt if you wanted to learn to fight that you didn’t come to him.  But this was not nearly as egregious a stain on your relationship as he thought it was. 

“I don’t know. Think you should tell him. Show him your moves. Shit, you’ve gotten a couple good hits on me these last few days I’m sure you could give Red a run for his money.” 

“I am not fighting Matt, Francis.” You say with an eye roll

Matt listens for the next hour as Frank talks you through a few hitting drills, then the two of you sparring. Frank is clearly taking it easy on you, but Matt is still impressed by what he could tell of what you were doing. He absolutely would need to take you on to really gauge your skills. 

Franks's phone rings out just as you’re cooling down with some stretches. 

He answers and speaks for a few minutes. 

“Alright sorry to jet out of here but Madani has somethin urgent for me. You good to get home alright?”

“Yeah, thanks Frank. See you tomorrow.”

Frank gives you a fist bump and then disappears through the front door. Matt uses the opportunity to sneak in just before the door slams closed behind Frank. 

You’re sitting on the floor undoing your wraps as he finally speaks up. 

“If you wanted to opportunity to hit Frank, I’m sure I could have arranged it some other way”

Your spine goes icy cold at the sound of the voice behind you. 

“Matt… I” you stumble to explain. 

“It’s okay sweetheart,” Matt says, hands up in surrender before reaching up to remove his mask

“What are you doing here?” You ask, ready for him to chew you out for your little secret. 

“Alright if I’m honest, do you promise you’ll be honest?” He asks

“Yes.”

“I followed you here because I thought you were cheating. With Frank. And I know now that’s not what’s happening. And I’m sorry for not just asking you.” He confesses with a sigh

“Oh Matt. I’m so sorry that I did anything to make you think that. That’s not at all what’s happening here.”

“I know. Been listening all night so I know. But I have to know why. Why are you doing this and why didn’t you tell me? And Frank? Really?”

“It’s a long story. Can I tell you while we walk home?”

And so you do. By the time you make it home to your apartment, you’ve come clean about the incident at work and running into Frank and how he’d been coaching you the last few weeks, and why you were so hesitant to ask Matt to be the one to do it.

Matt is oddly quiet through your explanation but nods as you speak. He finally speaks up just as you’re unlocking the front door. 

“I forgive you. And I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t ask me. But now that I know, I am curious…”

“You want to see how much I’ve learned?”

He nods enthusiastically 

“Fine. I guess since now you know you can join us tomorrow. If you want.”

“Perfect, I’ll be there”

He tucks you in to bed with a gentle kiss before heading out on patrol again, no longer clouded by doubts about your relationship. 

—

When you arrive at the gym the next night, Matt is already there, looking extra adorable in his gray sweatpants and messy hair. 

It’s all so familiar to him - the buzz of the fluorescent lights, the smell of sweat and heat, the gym mat sticking beneath his bare feet with every step. Just like Fogwells when he was a kid. He feels at home here.

“Hey sweetheart” he greets you with a kiss

“Hey Matty” you can’t help but smile whenever you see him after a long day “Frank texted me, he’s running late, but um do you want to help me warm up?”

Matt’s face lights up with excitement. “Yes. Okay. What does Frank normally have you do?”

“Two rounds of jab crosses on the bag. Three minutes each.”

“Okay, have at it”

You wrap your hands and begin hitting the bag. Not even thirty seconds in, Matt speaks up.

“Woah woah woah. Frank has been letting you hit like this and not correcting your form?”

“Yes. Wait, what the hell is wrong with my form?”

“You’re too far away from the bag. I can hear your shoulder joint rubbing every time you jab, which means you’re over-extending that left arm. Makes you put way too much energy into each hit, you’re gonna wear yourself out way faster. Here. Step closer.”

Matt moves behind you to help you correct your position, then lets you take a few more punches.

“See? More power, less effort.”

“Yeah. Any other pointers?”

Matt places his hands on your shoulders and places his feet right beside yours, pressing his body tight against your back. You never thought of boxing as particularly erotic, especially not with Frank teaching you. But with Matt’s breath against your ear, you can’t help but feel a chill run down your spine straight to your core.

“Go ahead, gimme a few more, I want to feel how your body moves. See just what else Frank has been teaching you wrong.”

“Matt…” the words die on your lips. You want to speak up and defend how kind Frank has been these past few weeks to spend the time to teach you, but Matt’s sweet whisper of encouragement has you forgetting anything else but him.

“C’mon sweetheart, don’t get all shy on me. You hesitate like this for Frank?”

“N..no.” you stutter, then weakly throw out a few more punches

Matt chuckles, knowing just how much he’s winding you up with so little. 

“Put a little more power behind them. Don’t let me being here hold you back.”

You try to do as he says and throw some real hits, but Matt is still pressed right against you.

God, his body is warm usually, but being flush behind you as you move and hit, he practically feels like white-hot iron against you. Your heart is thumping out of your chest, and it’s not just from the few minutes of warming up you’ve done. You know Matt can hear it and is going to play you like a fiddle. His own wicked form of punishment for not telling him about your training.

His hands drop from your shoulders, running down your back lightly and coming to rest on your hips. He plants a soft kiss right under your ear.

“You’ve been working hard. Maybe Frank does know what he’s doing.”

He places a second kiss a little lower down your neck.

“You throw any actual punches at him yet?” he asks

“A few. Landed some of them too.”

A third, fourth, and fifth kiss down your neck, working his way toward your shoulder. His stubble is coarse against your skin, sending goosebumps across your flesh, your toes curling into the squishy mat beneath you.

“Mmm that’s my girl.” he says, as he begins sucking on your neck, his right hand snaking around to your front, tickling at the top of your leggings.

“Matty” you chastise

“What?” he feigns ignorance

“Matthew. Do not start something you can’t finish. Frank will be here any minute.”

“You said he’d be late.”

“His text said ‘a few minutes’ and that was already several minutes ago.”

“Well I can’t hear his heartbeat yet, so we’ve got at least five.”

You want to protest more, you really do, but you just can’t resist Matt. 

Laughing low, he nuzzles into the crook of your neck, his steady breath against your exposed skin a stark contrast to the growing labor of your exhales. You spread your legs a little wider. He takes the invitation and reaches his hand fully into your leggings, using a finger to circle your sensitive bud.

You throw your head back onto his chest with a moan, his name falling from your lips in a breathy whisper.

He continues to suck on your neck as works at your core, finally sliding a finger inside you, then another.

You reach forward to grab the boxing bag for stability, Matt’s touch causing you to writhe enough that you’re not sure you’re able to stay standing without it. As you thrash against him, he inhales deeply, a mix of your natural scent and your arousal consuming his lungs. 

In order to get you exactly where he wants you, he keeps a quick pace, knowing he does not have a lot of time. His rhythm never falters, stroking you over and over in that perfect spongy spot inside you. It’s not long before you're coming apart with a cry of his name.

Just as your head stops spinning and you’re returning to earth, Matt is turning you around and connecting his lips with yours. So hungry to have you, he guides you back a few steps, never breaking his lips from yours, and pushes you against the wall behind you.

His kisses grow more and more desperate, sending an electric tingle down your spine, though that could also be because the wall behind you is made of mirrors and the glass is cool against the heated skin not protected by your sports bra.

As soon as you make contact with the wall, his hands are back on your hips, pushing your leggings and panties down in a heap on the sticky mat beneath you. His clothes soon follow.

You throw your leg up and around his hip, opening yourself to him. An offer he quickly accepts. A soft gasp simultaneously escapes both your lips, the relief between the two of you as he guides himself slowly into your wet and eager core until he’s fully sheathed inside you. Restless fingers reach down to wrap your other leg around him, now fully holding you in the air against the mirrored wall behind you. 

He repeats the pace of his fingers only moments ago and slams into you harshly and quickly, over and over again, desperate to feel you release around him again, knowing Frank could appear at any moment. 

God, your familiar warm heat is absolute perfection, he thinks as he continues to bury himself into you over and over again. You’re still incredibly worked up from your previous climax and it takes just a few thrusts for you to be close again. The way your body is clamping around him and tensing lets him know just how close to ecstasy you are again.

Matt leans forward and you can feel his quickening breath against your ear once more.

“Damnit sweetheart, you scared me so bad. Made me think I was sharing you with someone else.” he grunts as he continues to drive his hips against yours.

“No Matty. I’m yours. Only yours — oh God. I promise.” you whimper back, arching into him further.

“Good. But to make sure you don’t forget, I’m gonna cum inside you, right now and every single night before you leave. So I’m dripping out of you after every hit, every kick. No matter how much Frank trains you. So you remember exactly who. You. Belong to.” he growls lowly against your skin, pushing you even more firmly against the cool glass with every thrust.

“Yes. Please Matt — Fuck. I’m all yours. I promise. Please.”

He thrusts one more time before he cums with a rumble of your name, his arms tightening around you, holding you impossibly close as he releases inside you just as he promised.

As he grinds against you in just the right way to hit that perfect spot one more time, your own orgasm sweeps over you. Your nails dig into his back, holding on to him as you let go, his harsh thrusts now slowed just enough so he can keep the both of you upright.

He feels you release, causing a final low groan from him, slowing down his pace, as your molten pleasure fades away. Still consumed by him and the feel of him holding you close, you lean your head back to rest against the mirror behind you as you catch your breath. Just as you feel like fully slumping against him, he sets you down gently.

You don't even really register him pulling away from you until he speaks. 

“Might want to put your pants back on. Frank’s a block away and I don’t think you want him to know how I warmed you up before he got here.”

You open your eyes and see that Matt is already dressed, a smirk painted across his face as he listens to you scramble to put your clothes on.

Just as you’re adjusting your leggings back in to place, Frank and his large frame enter the gym.

“Hey –” he pauses at the sight of you and Matt in front of him, both sweaty and still panting a little.

“Hmmm. Guess Red knows now.” Frank grumbles

But then his eyes go wide.

“You wanna tell me what that’s about?” he asks with a point of his finger.

You can feel the heat rising in your cheeks as you turn behind you to see what he’s asking about. The mirror is covered in smudges that look vaguely like the outline shape of your body.

“We don’t talk about what happens at fight club…” Matt jokes as you bury your face in your hands in embarrassment.

My Masterlist

[littlemissclandestine]

Why I think Russell Adler is going to make a comeback in COD 2024

WARNING⚠️: Contains spoilers for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Disclaimer: This is all just speculation on my behalf of course. I've just tried piecing stuff together for fun because Russ is one of my fave BO characters even though he's a bitch but i need more Adler content stat. <33

Let's get into it peeps. HEAR ME OUT.

Buckle up. Gonna be one hell of a ride folks 🤪

We'll start off with some random/background info.

Russ was born on February 12th 1937 so that would make him 53/54 in the Gulf War era. This actually isn't that old because if you think about it, Woods was about to turn 51 in 1981 during the Cold War campaign. What's a few more years?

We last saw Adler in action post-campaign in Warzone 1.0 cinematics but we've been kept in the dark about Adler's whereabouts post-1984 (after being brainwashed and killing Stitch LOL).

This meanie in a beanie wasn't forgotten about, oh no. He appears in the new cinematic intros on startup for both MWII (2022) and MWIII (2023). See below:

He was also featured twice in the 20 year anniversary video for Call of Duty whereas COD Ghosts didn't even get an appearance (ouch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL_w5HmxsPI

I personally believe Adler was a great addition to the Black Ops roster and is essentially the new Black Ops 'cover boy' now. Would be such a shame and a missed opportunity not to include a character like him in the upcoming COD. One who is morally grey, does whatever he deems necessary to get the job done - a bit like Cpt. Price in MW. Got the COD fans riled up about him brainwashing and pulling the trigger on Bell too - he's already got the spotlight in both a good and bad way.

Now, let's explore my main reasoning as to why I think Mr Shades 2.0 is most likely coming back in late 2024...

🎖️First up: Gulf War mission list 🔫

Here are some of the campaign missions that will be featured in Black Ops Gulf War. Obviously, this is subject to change, however, going off what we have, look closely...

Credit: @MWIIINTEL on Twitter/X

Safehouse guys...SAFEHOUSE. Takes you right back to Cold War, doesn't it? Ugh the potential.

🕵️ Next up: The campaign for COD 2024 will dive into the CIA's role/the Black Ops timeline 🕘

I took the following snippet from this official article.

From this, we know there will be a huge focus on the CIA and who's a CIA clandestine special officer? Mhm, you guessed it - Russell Adler.

Now, according to the events of BO2, it's evident which characters have the possibility of returning out of our original BO trio - Jason Hudson, Frank Woods and Alex Mason.

💫 Alex is presumed dead after Frank shot him so he's out the picture in '90/91 until 2025 when they canonically meet again.

🪵 Woods would be in his 60s during this time too so I'll let you decide whether that's too old for him to be in GW.

Edit: Woods got SPAS-12'd in the kneecaps on Dec 20th 1989 by Raul Menendez so uh...yeah

🧊 Hudson died on Dec 20th 1989 at the hands of Raul Menendez.

Feel free to check out this website (Call of Duty Wiki) for an outline of the events after CW to remind yourself. Here's a link to the Black Ops timeline from there.

➡️ Gulf War being a direct sequel to Cold War and what that could mean 💉

That brings me onto the rest of the safehouse crew. Since GW is a direct sequel to CW, it would make sense for some characters to carry over if possible:

We, as the player/Bell, get to choose whether Park or Lazar die (or both lovebirds) in 'End of the Line'. It's highly unlikely they'll return unless the devs make one decision canon maybe.

There could be a chance we see Sims again given his bond with Adler (Da Nang etc.), his age (late 40s in GW) and his status (alive).

That leaves the man himself, Russ. Everything from his age to the fact he's CIA and was the deuteragonist in COD 2020's campaign just makes sense for him to have at least a lil cameo or even a larger role, don't you think?

📱Finally: Hints from official posts 🔎

This post from Call of duty's official Instagram account kind of sealed the deal for me.

Oh lookie - they dropped syringe-lover's famous line in a zombies post. Why would COD just drop it so casually like that without a reason and years after CW came out? They could've said absolutely anything else but no, this was purposeful.

And that's all for this episode guys and gals!

Thank you for reading!! 🫂

Do what you will with all this information but I have concluded in my silly little brain that scarface is coming back.

How he's only in one game is beyond me. Won't get a character like him ever again. Seems like a cliché war dude at first glance but dig a little deeper into the details of the CW campaign, peel back the layers and get into his psychology and WOWZERS.

Am I delusional? Most definitely.

But the possibility he might be returning...that little bit of hope is enough for me and i won't shut up about it.

This will age horribly if he isn't in GW. Forgive me for feeding your delusions too in that case. Please?

What are your thoughts? Feel free to share them! 😊

------

EDIT: Y'ALL IT'S HAPPENING 😭😭

[feuqueerfire]

Lovely Runner Live Blogging

I've been seeing the “i found you girl i like being around you” edits on tiktok but before then, i’d also heard about the show and saw an ep 1 clip of when she runs up to him at the swimming pool. i’m a time travel show enjoyer and this show has been getting such good reviews, so I’m excited. my last few shows have been quite dark and violent and i kinda wanna go for another such show but think a lighter (yet emotional) show might do me some good so that i don’t burn out

Ep 1 (June 25)

2009

omg…

ah, he encouraged her to live through this time when she was contemplating suicide and ig later on she will do the same bc he unfortunately takes his own life before the time travel i think

Dec 31, 2022

13 years, how old were they then and how old are they now?

oh i knew she was a fan but she’s a biiiig fan

ah, they were in high school at the same time and his high school was across hers

some fans hate Sunjae bc he’s too popular and getting opportunities

the band members also seem to not like him and it could be bc of his popularity but he also seems resistant to being an idol in general and wants to retire so that might have smth to do with it

wow she’s really having a tough day: rejected from job bc it has no elevator and she has a wheelchair, late to the concert, and then lost the ticket omg

this scene of Sunjae putting in his in-ear and going on stage is now iconic to me bc of the edits, kept expecting to hear “i found you girl i like being around you” as background music loll

she’s really determined to be positive and make the most of everything, i expect a breaking point soon though

oh, in hyuk doesn’t want him to retire

phone crack

wheelchair stops

yeah the tears finally. what a fucking day

hehe they meet in the current timeline

lolll her getting annoyed that her friend came just when she could’ve been getting a ride w Sunjae

what is that jar that she gave him?

was it Sunjae who saved her from the accident?

the watch was weird for a second. i guess that's gonna be The Object that takes her back/causes everything

ahh he took meds and jumped off into the swimming pool.

this reminds me a bit of True Beauty but like the friend who passed away

time of death: Jan 1, 2023. 12am

dead at 34, so was 21 in 2009? 19 or 20 interactional age?

The fact that she Just saw him alive and seemingly well a few hours ago must make it even more unbelievable

Traveled back

her legs work again

okay, I'd seen this Instagram edit of this scene as the very first thing I saw from this show but I didn't know when I first watched it just how awkward/embarassing this is T.T

aw, is he also going through something now? her talking about how he went through this alone made him soften

SHE SAID SARANGHAE SUNJAE-AH?! please

her still being like 'this is my dream' oh she's gonna be mortified when she realizes this is real in a time travel universe

lolol she's like I'm not dreaming? Fuck, am I dead?

pls i'm dying, Sunjae's so confused while she's acting as if they're both dead now (and mustn't cross the bridge)

so did Sunjae take the watch?

Ah, he probably had to quit being a swimmer and become an idol in the original timeline too because of his shoulder

June 2008

So are they seniors in high school right now?

ahh she gets to see her grandma from 14 years ago when she still recognized Sol before alzheimers or whatever T.T

Aw, Sol cries every time she looks at Sunjae

ah, the parallels of Sunjae holding the umbrella over Sol and asking why she's crying now and in the original timeline

I watched around the first 30-40 minutes of this episode on my iPad while I was on the train (and also like 10 minutes in a restaurant lol). I'm likely going to have to take the train a lot starting the second week of July so I had been thinking that maybe I'll save this one for that time and watch like some raunchy BLs and GLs now that I can't watch on the train but the first ep was quite good, I think I'll binge it now oof.

Ep 2 (July 6)

Since Episode 1, I've watched My Stand-In Eps 1 - 11, Blank Season 1, and reread Mistborn: The Final Empire.

"i can fool a 19-year-old, right?" lol Sol

who is this guy? i know there's a love triangle, is this the second lead?

the people who go back in time/become younger scolding the other kids who seem the same age as them is always funny

ah, so funny, he's the first guy Sol stanned

lmfao please why's he running after the bus

the little icons getting farther and farther away and the song about going farther away playing lmfao

omg, she can't tell him the future/what will happen if he does something? time stops?

woah, you really could just stop time and do a bunch of stuff while shouting future facts lmfao

pls, this future-telling grandma cosplay

Sunjae jealous of Taesung already

how does she keep finding herself in these situations, plssss

like Sunjae is literally so correct to be like what the fuck like actually but also T.T

that guy is indeed Sunjae's father and lmfao Sunjae was the one who borrowed the porn/erotic VHS that Sol's mother has been on the dad's case about

overly dramatic crosswalk scene but i guess it's fine since it's mirroring how she probably got into her accident originally and she has trauma from it

she's the one who gave Sunjae an umbrella first! Also i've def seen this scene from a tiktok or smth

pls so he didn't even mean to borrow the erotic video? smh

this is kinda like My School President when Tinn was trying to impress Gun but everything went wrong and he was being a loser lol

so these two episodes effected the future and there's a photo of Sunjae and Sol on the table but it didn't change the death

Ep 3 (July 6/7)

ah, so he didn't injure himself this time?

hilarious that he can't seem to confess while she's fangirling and cooing over him

the dad left his shoe like cinderella lmfao

eughhhh she's like fuck, you don't want me to be your fan anymore? let's be friends! while he's trying to confess

Sunjae's dad dramatic + full of expectations and pressure + getting ahead of himself

and Sunjae also not tell him about the injury

omg her brother and her friend are both home not noticing the fire in their sight?

does that much water even do anything to a fire? feels like you're not supposed to be doing that...

I wish they hadn't done this fire scene so humorously with the brother and friend, kinda took away from the weight of it. also i wonder if the fire or her mother burning her hand won't still happen bc stuff like the shoulder injury or the ball hitting Im Sol still happened even if in a different way than the original timeline

aw, glad his dad understood

lol she's drunk, how cute

is she gonna forget the confession and kiss? since she's yknow legit drunk. i wonder if ppl made a fuss about it because if it was a bl, this would def have been Discussed in the fandom

ah, ofc she doesn't rmr

bruh aghh it's like I can see where this is going with her listening to the recording + Taesung spotting her + Sunjae being far enough behind that he'll see them (+ he thinks he confessed last night and expects her to remember the kiss too)

i'm gonna kill somebody, she didn't even pause so the "I like you" is just playing with nobody to hear

omg travelling to original timeline

girl what?! how could you say you want to date Taesung or is that not really happening or like what's going onnnnn

Ep 4 (July 7)

Oh, Sunjae had not only saved her but was at the hospital too. He'd liked her throughout his high school time i guess but what about that final night, did he recognize her even then?

oh, he had. wild

ohhh she gave him a bunch of the candy that night that she had given him the very first time when she mistook him for a mailman

hmm okay so the Sunjae POV we got of that night was the original timeline before Sol's time travel thing, right? because the photo wasn't there? and the timeline that Sol's waking up in right now is slightly different based on what she had done?

ok the future had indeed changed

omg what the hell, why did that timeline's Sol reject Sunjae like that, like in this timeline, they were friends??? unless Sunjae was being a creep fr

i got spoiled about she can come back 3 times but how does she know only 1 time is left? also it's just been 10 days?! so why did Sol react like that, wtf

ah, so it's like she's kinda fighting with her 19-year-old self from the past who's in love with Taesung? and doesn't know Sunjae?!?! weird...

so the 19-year-old Sol thought she was possessed because her memory from when older-Sol came back was missing... interesting and complicating

lmfaoo exactly, I was saying she could stop time but shouting out future facts. hilarious to have her shouting celeb marriages

plsss how's she asleep on his floor

"i don't make friends with girls. how can a girl and a guy be friends?" alright lol.

why do we have Hyunjoo pooping her pants and that furthering her romance (?) with Sol's brother come onnn

ah, Taesung mommy issues and feelings of abandonment

yknow I do like Taesung and Im Sol's banter and back-and-forth

i'm cryinggggg, not young-Sol's birthday event for Taesung

it's suchhh a long song, i'm dying. and young Sol's fashion pls

hehe Sol telling Taesung how to treat young-Sol is cute actually

so many weird men... that taxi that went away? and now this guy...

is this Sol's accident but in this timeline?

ah, Sol realizing that Sunjae had saved her

okay, in that original timeline, i thought they just called a random number maybe and was confused and ig that's true but Sunjae specifically called Im Sol's number? or what? how'd he know it? and he knew that it was her he was talking to.

Ep 5 (July 7)

i wonder how the accident happened the first time and why Sunjae was there back then

this bra returning scene reminds me of True Beauty but I can't remember what Suho was trying to give Im Jukyeong, idk why I keep thinking pads??

okay i was gonna be tormented, so I skimmed and it's on ep 2 of True Beauty. She accidentally gave Suho a bag that said "thanks for keeping my bare face a secret" but he hadn't recognized her, so to get it back, she'd said that it has pads (i remembered this part at least)

cryingggg at her being like hmm he said he can't be friends with girls, so all those "just friends" rumours with girls were all real romances (as idol Sunjae). anyway i doubt it bc he seemed to forever be in love with her even over a decade later and that's just a trope I'm gonna have to get used to.

yesss i love a girl saving a guy from the common motorcycle/car trope and also girl kabadoning guy

Sol is cute trying to block all mentions of the swimming Olympics from Sunjae but plsss it's all becoming romantic moments and also iffy when you think about young-Sol having a boyfriend

oh, cop mentioning burying a body... i think I've heard that this show has a serial killer

in the original timeline, the taxi driver with the key indeed did something? but this time the other guy got there? and he's the serial killer or what

damn, taxi driver has Sol's flip phone

not Sol's brother and Sunjae meeting but Sunjae being punished for giving Sol alcohol

cryinggg Sunjae being curious and looking at Taesung's profile but he finds out

pls Sunjae getting mad at Sol's inability to bike reminds me of Tinn yelling at Gun about not knowing any math (My School President). when even the down bad secret crush bearing Sunjae and Tinn lose their minds teaching Sol and Gun lmfao

girl, why is Sunjae buying the same jacket as Taesung T.T but ig they're gonna have him fill in for the vocal... but he's not gonna fill in for Taesung

how humiliating to run into Taesung just as Sunjae bought and wore the bright red jacket because Taesung owns it too yikesss

and that's how the eclipse happened, though Taesung isn't in it for much longer i guess?

Taesung watching Sol watch Sunjae perform reminds me of Twinkling Watermelon

oh, intense yelling from Sol

double whammy of hearing the confession recording finally and Sunjae also telling her to break up with Taesung at the same time

Ep 6 (July 8)

ah, I’m Sol broke up with Taesung but I don’t know if that’s the end of it… but she also knows Sunjae’s confession…

sunjae is quite fun to watch like his despair at his “breakup with taesung” thing going wrong vs joy when taesung got broken up with

Sol’s brother does bother me, why is he so annoying

pls both Sunjae and Sol holding back to appear cool/not “shake the other’s heart” aghhh

Taesung’s “Oh, I think I liked you a lot” is funny

not Taesung getting into a car crash, damn it

so is Sep 1 the day her accident happens? I don’t remember the date. is it gonna happen again even though the bridge thing already happened? or is it a different thing?

Taesung’s dad (?) Kim cop is investigating the case of a he dead bod?

nooo now he has their address bc of grandma

oh, Sunjae confession

Taesung in hospital but his dad doesn’t visit and his friend doesn’t believe in him + he calls Sunjae to let him know that Sol’s mother is at the hospital, oh man

aw mannn Sol rejecting Sunjae because she knows she’s not in the right timeline and is gonna have to leave soon etc. does she realize she’s the one he liked in the original timeline too? he’s talking about liking the rain and on the original timeline radio show he also mentioned it

not having to take an umbrella to Sunjae on the day of Sol’s accident! and after she almost stayed home all day

omg she’s realizing right now that she was his first love back then too and she didn’t “confuse him”

tbf maybe this mans would’ve gotten her even if she didn’t leave right then. a fucking kidnapping

omg this taxi fucker really took her Again D:

Ep 7 (July 8)

oh on that original accident too Sol missed her stop on the bus and Sunjae was waiting with her in the bus, that’s how he was there on the time of her accident on save her

i’m watching this on the subway on my commute to/from work but there are two people talking in korean beside me and i feel awkward watching a kdrama beside them lol

okay they left a couple minutes later

oh at this bridge where her original accident happened is where she dropped that watch and the first time she time travelled, right?

omg who the hell grabbed her in this timeline? bc taxi driver was in the taxi still

good job to sunjae for connecting everything and figuring out the reservoir lmfao

ah, she went back to her time again and the young-Sol is back but also that's kind of oh no in a way, though Sunjae's clever i wonder if he'll be able to figure it out?

i knew from pics i saw that she can use her lefts in the future

Sunjae survived too

pls not her getting mistaken for a sasaeng, i don't even wanna watch anymore

what a different life

damn, young-Sol had another kidnapping a year later?

oh naurrr is Sunjae doing the "who are you? do we know each other?" thing because young-Sol did this to him after he helped her with the kidnapper?

oh he's not even here, it was a scenario in her head lol

lmfao crying, this Sunjae lovesss the attention and fame (though not the stalking)

the shenanigans of them justtt missing each other every time

i can't believe we're getting random enemies-to-lovers right now, especially with them texting each other antagonistically, this is soooo fun

i seriously need to go to sleep but ahh

owww

oh, the concert didn't happen

ah, and they met on the bridge again

35 minutes after my bedtime already, gonna take a while to fall asleep too, whelp

Ep 8 (July 9)

omg Sunjae got the time capsule egg before it got torn down and he even waited on Jan 1, 2023 fully expecting her to come - and she did, so why didn’t they meet?

and Sunjae got the watch from the time capsule

hmmm would he happen to travel back in time at all? bc she travelled back with his watch and maybe he can travel back with her watch?? esp if smth happens to her idk

lmfao pls not the hotel where they can be alone together

but also he’s an idol going with a random girl lmfao

i loveeeee Sol omg she’s so funny and endearing as she’s talking about how she didn’t mean they should have a passionate night and also mentions that they had crushes on each other in a throwaway line but she doesn’t wanna skip intros and get to the conclusion But she’s not judging sunjae for thinking that, they just have different values lmfao what a cutie but sunjae’s gonna act clueless like oh? what were you thinking as if he doesn’t know what this insinuates

i loveeee celeb/non-celeb romance esp when it actually shows the reporters and rumours and fans and such and how they can affect/limit the relationship

he has such a big house why not hide the cut out in some random storage room omg

pls and now Sunjae thinks she plans to stay the night and have sex lmfao

true Inhyuk would be like what the hell, Sunjae can’t fall for Im Sol again!!

Taesung?

Inhyuk talking about how Sunjae’s liked only Im Sol this whole time and kept going back to her old house whenever he was drunk while Sol can hearrrrr

ah, she confessed that she used to like him too

i kept being nervous that Taesung would somehow be in the house but Sunjae/Sol first kiss!

isn't it crazy fr, after 15 years you finally meet again and this time the girl you've loved forever confesses back and you kisssss and it's not a shitty one either

what the hell, the fuckass taxi driver is here too? that was indeed Taesung before right or did i mistake taxi driver for Taesung, I hope not

"Even if somebody sent me back to the past, I would never gamble with my future" whelp Hyunjoo, don't foreshadow too hard

the stalker makes me nervous both in terms of what if that person was the person who was knocking or whatever the night Sunjae died and also what if she finds out that Sunjae's dating Sol and does something to either of them?

okayyyy, so the taxi driver mans went and attacked Sunjae, was it the same thing in the previous iterations too?

I listened to the Afternoona Soju podcast episode and learned about 2 scenes: Sunjae and Taesung drink and do karaoke together and cuddle to sleep, and Sunjae's speech envelope + Sol's resignation letter get swapped so he ends up saying that out loud as a speech

Ep 9 (July 9)

so as hinted, a year after she came back to the current timeline, in the young timeline 2009, the taxi guy kidnapped Im Sol again and Sunjae saved her again and that's what caused that guy to get jailed until now

i loveee 2009 freshman Sol's hair, beautifully bangs and wavy hair

Hyunjoo's joyoush "hmm" and nod at 33:50 after Sol asks her if it was her idea is sooooo good omg i replayed several times

omg, the sudden "are you really from the future?" that had like no build-up, so I was surprised hehe

ahhh they kissed accidentally ofc they did, ig we'll see Sunjae and Sol married by the end?

Ep 10 (July 10)

ah, makes sense that Sunjae wouldn’t actually believe the time travel stuff oof

pls hiding under the table is so T.T

oh she’s telling Taesung about the time travel too

i like it when in a love triangle the guys try to impress the family like now with the flooding and in Ture Beauty with the dumplings but it’s annoying when they let it get the best of them and don’t care about what’s actually happening like why are you up arguing and making a mess instead of helping clean up wtf

i do like Sunjae Taesung antagonizing when it’s like verbal and witty not physical fights

oof Taesung telling Sunjae that he shouldn’t even be jealous of him bc Sol clearly likes Sunjae

Superstar K vs going to the states

ah, he digs up the time capsule and figures out that he dies (possibly because of trying to protect Sol) that time in the future

oh, the billboards changed and Eclipse is releasing their new album instead of Sunjae’s stabbing hmm i can’t tell bc im watching on my phone but is Sunjae in that photo?

Ep 11 (July 10)

ARE THEY GONNA GET BACK REFUNDS FOR THE PLANE AND THE REHABILITATION? and are they gonna get the luggage back?!

not this kissing gossip lmfao

yknpw technically this is a noona romance in this timeline 3x Sol x 20 Sunjae (krn age)

the “should we roll back another minute? if you give me another chance, i’ll do my best” thing is soooo cute like Sunjae fr was just going for the remote not the kiss like Sol thought

i’m crying from second hand embarrassment at the parents and brother finding them like this and am dreading the hundreds of condoms reveal T.T plssss and even Basic instincts got brought up again and Sunjae having to cover Im Sol’s ears i cannotttttt, how humiliating

the condoms flying out like this is really and truly killing me i can’t watch fuckkk if i was sunjae i would have to leave move away say good bye to Sol like life death and time could not make me stop loving you but this… in front your family? yeah i’d learn to live

lmfao the family meeting was very funny

he sings sonagi for her on a stage ahhh first of all he’d died but she gets to see him sing again + knows it’s about her this time

ah this fucking killer mans

Ep 12 (July 10)

ofc both Sol and Sunjae are gonna try to stop the murderer

lol will Sunjae get jealous of In Hyuk lmao

i can't watch this toilet water nothing pls at least use the water that's stored in the tank of the toilet not in the fucking bowlll

is the institution just that they made out? because i don't think they had sex?

lmfao maybe now the MIL and FIL will finally get along

omg, she's pretending to have gone back so that Sunjae doesn't stay with her at this place where the attacker's gonna come

oh also i'd figured out the 3 lives thing a while back btw i'd been like how does she know w/ certainty that she has 3 chances but the clock said 3, then 2, and now it's at 1

Ep 13 (July 11)

just go so frustrated that Youngsoo figured out that Sol was setting a trap bc that guy put his hand on her to check but Sol ended up shouting for Detective Kim eughhh such planning and yet

and Sunjae runs into him right then ofc

not Sunjae getting knifed! and falling off he cliff!!!

oh, Sol returned

girl where the hell is Sunjae like nice to see Sol’s life and Taesung but c’mon

i got spoiled about the letter switching and Sunjae giving actor award speech from Sol’s resignation letter so i don’t have like The Suspence for this

ohhh Sunjae’s watch also became a time machine

oh my godddd his time machine also takes Sol back in time for some reason and she literally cuts it off right at the beginning?!?! doesn’t give him the umbrella in the rain

curious about how they’ll explain the killer stuff in the past if Sunjae’s not there to save Sol?

Ep 14 (July 11)

so Sol and family just move away soon after like Sunjae still has his sling? yknow what let me not think too much

lolol articles coming out. i didn’t realize he was just gonna be mc-ing

ahhh Ryu Sun Jae is gonna be acting in Im Sol’s script?!

ouch the script hurts (though she’s plagiarizing so hard from alternate timeline Sunjae!!)

both of them busy trying to reject the script/actor but omg poor Sol. it sucks so bad to be the one who remembers, like when Sunjae used to remember while young Sol forgot and now thisssss after everything

another enemies to lovers arc

okay i was wondering how we’d go back to Sunjae knowing but ig he’ll get dreams and memories

oh, the murderer is gonna attack the sasaeng girl instead?

Sunjae is just Meant to be obsessed with Sol in every timeline ig

yaas the lottery tickets truly a must for a fucking time travel anything

ah the ferris wheel

Ep 15 (July 11)

the taxi driver can’t be obsessed w Sol in this timeline too right esp bc it’s been 15 years since his interest in the original tl

not Sol’s mom trying to set Sol up with sunjae now loll how the tables have turned

lmfao this time it’s Sunjae hiding from Sol when usually it was the other way around in the past timelines

oh, the killer is actually targeting Sunjae straight up this time maybe, not Sol first

Sunjae’s memory coming back in flashes

oh, he's got it all back

omg dramatic. killer guy almost got Sunjae again and then for a second I got nervous that Taesung was gonna crash like the other way so that killer T-bones his car

Ep 16 (July 11)

last ep!! 1h 19 mins instead of the usual 61-63 mins

killer dies just like that

ahh meeting again after remembering

"because he died, somebody else might get to live"

they kiss pretty nice

the parents do make me laugh, the dad being like hah i know Sunjae chose a good, beautiful girl to date while the mother's like hah i know she's no beauty

ah, marriage and wedding, cute

Overall:

A fun show with a fun concept and great acting + romance. It was funny and delightful most of the time, there was a kind of killer/suspense aspect but that wasn't really ever the Focus, Sunjae being killed was the focus; similarly, they didn't thoroughly explain the time travel because the mechanics wasn't the focus, Sol going back was the focus.

I liked Sunjae and Sol together and it was fun seeing how Sunjae was slightly different in the different timelines lol I liked seeing the couple on high school, college, as idol!Sunjae and actor!Sunjae. It did feel a bit like consistency was lost in their relationship but that was the point i guess. It was a very romantic concept, the way they were falling in love in every timeline.

Everything about it was good and I was engaged, I just don’t think I’d think about it much though. Kinda reminds me of When I Fly Towards You c-drama in that way; a cute youthful romance drama but I'm not hung up on it. At least it kept me company during my commute of the first week at my new internship.

Rating: 7/10

[beardedmrbean]

A majority of  Asian Americans living in New York City have altered aspects of their lives to prevent being the target of an anti-Asian incident, according to a new study released Thursday. 

Three-quarters of Asian Americans in the city have adopted at least one “avoidance behavior,” which includes not taking public transit or speaking in their native tongue, the survey, conducted by nonprofit The Asian American Foundation, found. Younger Asian Americans tended to be more likely to say they adapted their behavior. 

“Younger Asian Americans — many have grown up here in the U.S. — have the language and the cultural skills to adapt and become ‘more mainstream.’ It’s what they feel like they need to do to avoid bullying in schools and other attacks,” said Norman Chen, the organization’s CEO. “In the short term, maybe that’s saving them from potential violence and attacks, but in the long run, reducing who they are. We need to find better solutions.” 

For the study, TAAF researchers surveyed 1,000 NYC-based Asian Americans, ages 16 and up, on the subject of public safety between Nov. 30 and Dec. 19, 2023. The surveys were conducted over the phone and online in English, Chinese, Korean and Bangla. 

Researchers found that during the time period, 36% of respondents feared being verbally or physically attacked due to their race, and 48% avoided going out late at night, with an even higher percentage of women reporting they do so. Forty-one percent of Asian American New Yorkers also refrained from taking public transit. 

“That has a huge effect on people’s mental health, on their livelihood and on their work,” Chen said. “It’s something very concerning.” 

The report also found that 17% of Asian Americans in New York City said they refrained from speaking their native tongue in public. 

“The fact we have to … be on guard all the time when we’re outside and hide our culture, hide our identity, and not speak the language that we perhaps want to speak — that’s a real step backwards for us in our community,” Chen said.  

According to the survey, public safety is the top issue for Asian American New Yorkers, with 78% of respondents saying it was either a “major problem” or “somewhat of a problem.” When asked about their experiences with anti-Asian hate incidents — defined as insults, harassments, threats or a physical attack — about half of survey respondents said they were targeted in 2023 due to their race or ethnicity. And 1 in 5 reported experiencing physical attacks or assaults in that year. However, this includes attacks that were not necessarily reported crimes. 

“The fact that people may perceive that this crisis has diminished really minimizes the truth that there’s just still rampant levels of anti-Asian hatred and violence still going on in the city,” Chen said. 

The TAAF report shows a departure from the dramatic downward trend seen in crime data against Asian Americans collected by the New York Police Department. In 2022, according to NYPD data, there were 82 hate crimes targeting Asian Americans, and  the next year, the number decreased by almost half, at 45. 

Sruthi Chandrasekaran, director of data & research at TAAF, said the disparities are likely due, in part, to the way in which the NYPD records crimes — which unlike incidents, require a high threshold to meet. The study may also have featured higher numbers because it was conducted in several languages, accessing more harder-to-reach populations like older New Yorkers, immigrants and first generation Asian Americans, she said. 

Additionally, many Asian Americans feel uncomfortable with reporting their experiences, Chandrasekaran said, noting that 54% of respondents did not report to “anyone at all.” 

“Asian Americans may also feel that what is happening to them is an isolated incident —  they may have felt more of an impetus to report during COVID because they were seeing and hearing and experiencing anti-Asian hate directed at them and others in their community,” Chandrasekaran said in an email. “With time, this issue has gotten less attention, which may lead people, including Asian Americans themselves, to think it is an isolated incident and may not warrant reporting.”

[golbrocklovely]

holy sh*t, it seems Colby has finally unfollowed mlp… never thought I’d see the day 🤣 good for him honestly

same here, anon.

i genuinely didn't think he had it in him to cut the chord. but he did it.

i'm gonna go on one "final" rant (which i doubt will be final bc things like this always come back around) and then maybe we can all move on from this topic forever lol

my problem with fans reaction to this/to shea in general is that everyone basically implies or downright says that colby should have stayed with shea no matter what. that he was obligated to choose her bc she's been around since he was less famous, that she knows him, that there's history there, ect ect. and i have a major problem with that and have since day one. same things also applies to stas.

and look, this is not me saying that colby played no hand in this. is it possible that he lead shea on? sure. i'm not denying that's a possibility or reality. and i'm not saying that shea can't be hurt about it. but at the end of the day, if he didn't want to date her, he doesn't have to. regardless of what he might have promised, regardless of what might have transpired between them, he's not obligated to stick by her just bc some of yall love adventure buddies a bit too much. he's not a sim or a character you can control. he's a real person with real feelings and real choices he's allowed to make. even, surprise surprise, ones you don't like or agree with.

if i was colby, i would have unfollowed shea years ago. but he's nicer than me.

i just find it so odd how so many of these fans act like he picked malia over shea. yall, shea was never in the running in the first place. the last time they hung out was in september of 2023, when he was literally seeing tess at that time and up and a little bit past halloween. and then he ended up meeting malia in late nov/dec. so there is no possible way him and shea got something going on before nye when everything went south for them. the only way that's possible is if he played all three girls and somehow none of them realized it (which i doubt completely since tess or shea by this point would have said all of this).

i do not believe whatsoever that he had plans to hang out on nye, one of the holidays where he parties, with the girl that literally doesn't drink. not only that, but by nye he was full on seeing malia. we all know this. we all saw this. shea assumed he would hang out with her, just like she assumed he would come stream with her, like she assumed he would edit her videos and be in them. these are all legit promises she made in the very beginning of her streams. but the moment the nye pics dropped, her tune changed instantly. now she was badmouthing him and allowing her fans to do her bidding of shitting on him in chat and online. and basically every stream she did, she would say something about him. which again is why i cannot understand any of the fans that genuinely support her blindly.

bc if i had someone in my life who i had a possible on and off again relationship with, that's been talking to fans in gcs for years about me and my love life (along with god knows what else), liking edits bashing girls i'm friends with, claiming to her own fans that we're secretly dating but then turning around and blaming fans when our "relationship" goes south, and then takes the intimate details of my struggles that i came to her as a friend to discuss and turns them into shitty insta captions along with an entire part in a poetry book that she's making money off of…. and then tries to paint me as the worst person ever……. the LEAST i'm doing is unfollowing lol

but again, colby is nicer than me.

and if you don't believe me about the gcs, here she is in 2019 telling a random fan of colby's that was hating on her that colby and andrea were not together (since so many fans were shipping them at the time). and she full on aired out andrea's relationship, one she didn't even admit to having until after the break up.

here is a fan account of shea's (now deleted) that literally explains shea was in MULTIPLE gcs with fans. mind you the fan posting this was a literal teenager. this is also about the above situation too.

and just as an added bonus, here is shea's chat from roughly two weeks (january 16) after he was seen with malia on nye (and when those pics leaked of them)

but hey, if you want to be besties/fwb with someone like this, be my guest.

[paper-gold-theories]

The Villainous Timeline (Part 1): Flug & Miss Heed

Made this theory to calculate, breakdown and understand the Villainous Timeline. (I will be making 2 or 3 parts as ran out of space for photos.😅)

Part 2: Demencia and 5.0.5.

Part 3: SunBlast and Miss Heed

Alan mentioned on Instagram that:

"The Villainous timeline so far followed real life (as shown on Miss Heed and Penumbra's Instagram) but when the show airs, it’ll slow down and follow its own timeline as they wait for more episodes to release, but it’ll be similar to ours. As we know, all actual real events happened in Villainous and BH even had some influence over them, so I’m sure they’ll still follow ours but at a different pace."

So 3 points to note:

The Villainous Timeline Follows our Time line but at a different pace.

The timeline slows down when the show airs.

BH has some influence over real events happening.

This is confirmed here as when the show airs in 2021, in Episode 4, the date here (in red) is shown as 14 Jul 2021.

So Given the Ages and Timeline:

Flug is 26 yrs old in Aug 2019

So in Aug 2022 Flug is 29 yrs old. (until Aug 2023, when he becomes 30 yrs old)

Flug's Journal and Demecia's Diary came out on 21st Feb 2022

Flug said in his book “I have been working as the chief scientist of the Black Hat Organization for approximately 8-10 years.” [Google Translate]

Flug's P.E.A.C.E. files mentioned he has been working in Black Hat Organization since March 10, 2011.

21st Feb 2022 - 10 Mar 2011 = 10 years 11 months, 11 days.

So, Flug has been working in BlackHat Org years for 10 years (11 months, 11 days) - (Note: round up to 11 yrs for easier calculation)

29 yrs old - 11 years = 18 yrs old.

Based on the year in the photo of Flug’s Thesis in Episode 6, we can conclude that Flug's thesis started out and was finished on the Year 2005. If it was longer there would be a time range. (e.g. 2005 - 2006)

2022 - 2005 = 17 years

29 yrs - 17 years = 12 yrs old

If they follow Mexico School System, Black Hat Institution should either start in early July or late Aug.

So Flug started going to school either in Jul/Aug 2005

So Flug was 12 years old when he met Miss Heed and started going to Black Hat Institution. (So they started at middle school age)

This was probably the class photo taken on the 1st day of school.

It's shown he was celebrating Halloween so this picture should take place on the 31st Oct, so they've known each other around 2-3 months at this time.

According to this article, It takes around 2-6 months to write a thesis

So maybe Flug has to submit his thesis at the end of the year in Dec 2005 before Christmas, as there were no Christmas decorations (I think even if BlackHat hates Christmas, the Villains would probably celebrate Christmas in their own evil way)

So Miss Heed probably stole Flug's thesis in Nov-Dec 2005 and left to become a hero at the age of 12 yrs old.

So, Flug and Miss Heed knew each other for about 4-5 months.

According to Miss Heed's P.E.A.C.E. Files, she was 17 yrs old while the experiments were being conducted.

17 yrs old - 12 yrs old = 5 years.

So does that mean that Miss Heed was experimented on at P.E.A.C.E. when she was 12 years old, for 5 years before she got her powers at the age of 17 yrs old? (Unless something happened between the 5 yr gap.)

Also, According to her P.E.A.C.E. Files, she needed to train her powers, which might take a few months or immediately.

So this picture with Flug staring at the TV looking at Miss Heed, might be when he is 17 - 18 yrs old before he joined Black Hat Organization.

Conclusion:

-> Flug has been working in BHO for 10 yrs 11 months, 11 days, since he was 18 yrs old.

-> Flug and Miss Heed were 12 yrs old when they met each other for about 4-5 months.

-> Afterwards, in the same year Miss Heed left to become a hero and might have been experimented on for 5 years before she developed her powers at the age of 17 years old.

[gladiolidiaries]

can give you an idea of their meetups these are the ones we know about plus one controversial one that I believe is worth mentioning to either prove or disprove definitively. please feel free to add any ones missing or correct any mistakes as I'm doing this from memory

2022

Feb: Valentine's day week

March: England, on separate streams they both said they decided to go at the last minute, they were spotted alone together in a video with a fan

April: LA

May: LA again with foolish after his nc/florida roadtrip

June: New York where they were spotted by a fan alone shopping (there's a clip of it somewhere on twitter), Tinacon, karl was also in LA prior to Tinacon but no idea how many times they met up during that time

July: Tinacon continued, LoL tournament in Las Vegas, on a foolish fall guys stream tina talked about going to nc for karl's bday but for some reason this didn't happen

August: Tina went to NC

Sept: Tina went to New York followed by Karl a few days later, people say he was busy working but one of the otv vlogs showed he was with their group, LA again for Name Your Price, Karl was in LA a while before leaving to England

Oct: after getting back from England late sept karl went straight back to LA and didn't leave until mid Oct, early oct he announced getting a place in la within days of tina announcing moving there at the end of sept.

Dec: the controversial one that is NOT PROVEN, but it is believed by some that she flew to portland to spend time with karl and his family between dec 14-17th (that's the week they celebrated christmas), those who believe this theory point to several things such as tina saying she was going to be unavailable, then several hours later someone on twitter saying they spotted her at lax on the 14th, her being absent from all social media and even discord during that time, as well as karl streaming from her room on the 17th saying he just got off a plane an hour ago suggesting they flew back together and then went straight to her place. also they spent the 17-23/24th together. again the portland meetup is a theory, nobody actually knows where she was during that time.

2023

Feb: Valentines week NC, tina stayed at karls house

March: around 9/10 karl went to la and didn't leave for 2 weeks

April: early april karl went to la again stayed a few days, then flew back with tina to nc she again stayed at his house, then in late april tina flew to japan to see him

May: karl and tina stay almost the entire first week of may in japan

June: 6/7 karl flies to la to watch spiderman with her and leaves after only being there two days, we know this because they told the same story about the movie experience they had watching it, neither knew the other told the story and neither mentioned the other was there. then they met up sometime around the 18th of june again and hung out til the end of vidcon where he briefly left to go with mr beast before coming back on the 28th and staying through july 6/7

July: stayed until the last possible moment before leaving to pack for paris, tina then flies on the 18th to nc to spend time with him on his bday, again staying at his house

August: 7-12th from what I've seen others mention

those are the ones I'm aware of between 2022 and now... with maybe one or two missing in september of 2022 and possibly others missing as well. I'm sure someone else with more knowledge can fill you on on 2021

wow anon this is so good. they really do meet at least once a month but usually twice a month. that's quite telling cause karl is always travelling but he makes time for her.

would love to know more about 2021 if anyone knows the lore

[wytfut]

Once again the same old story...

Everyone here knows I have a bad back..... if not chronic.

Had surgery Dec. 6 2023, and I felt things were going on nicely. All of my previous pain was gone. Other than frost bit, I was a happy camper.

With some time I had some new pain, and honestly..... I thought it was old muscles waking up. Especially since I hadn't walked normal for close to 5 years now. All/any pain went away, if I sat down or laid down.

I had learned to "disguise" my gate pre surgery, so that I'd look somewhat normal when I walked.

The new pain, was miniscule at this time, but up until now, the volume of it would slowly move up.

I had even gone to a physical therapist, to teach me how to walk correctly again, as I just couldn't get it right on my own. Within 4 weeks with him, I was walking normal, and some distance.... but the pain was still there, and I still thought it was waking up new muscles.

First part of June, I believe I tore my right calf muscle just before we left for Colorado. Very sharp pain, made walking a horrible ordeal, as nothing in the mountains is level, other than the floor in the cabin. With this incident, I lost all my walking skills again.... as in a relapse of sorts.

2 weeks before the X'ers 25, my calf finally heals enough I can walk without guessing. Not normal, but I could get around.

I go to the Excelsior Henderson 25th thinking all would be good. A week or so before, my hunny commented, "why are you limping?".

At the 25th.... I could walk a bit at the beginning of the week, and by the end of the week I had fallen down (twice), and couldn't walk any more than 30', and gasping for air.

My steps were 12" or less. Any slope felt horrible. Sweat pouring off of me. When the onslaught was getting bad, I'd just push myself thinking these silly sore muscles.... and could get another 50' or so... maybe.

By Friday I was in horrible walking shape.... collapsed on some grass in front of the restaurant, where Devin was waiting for me to join him.

There I lay, no one around other than Mike Seastrome, and I knew he couldn't pick me up by himself, so I called Devin to come out and help, as I couldn't get my legs under me, and no strength at all. Pretty sure the truck driver unloading supplies, thought I was just some sort of drunk biker...

I fell again late afternoon in front of everyone at the event, on the asphalt parking lot. Humbling at least, funny to see I suppose. I got all sorts of help immediately. And followed/helped me into my room. Brian (a body building prison guard) and Frank got my feet underneath me. Brian so BIG and strong, pretty much lifted me and Frank both off the ground.

Both times my legs collapsed.... it was like a switch had turned off my legs. There just wasn't anything there.... nothing. And both times I went straight down, just like a puppet someone had let go of the strings.

I called my "spinal groups" on call number once I got to my room, and the lady who responded told me to go to an emergency room????? I questioned her on that call, and gave her all of my issues, where as she changed her mind immediately.... "take it easy until you get home, and call in for an appointment when you get there...."

Saturday I had given up to myself to sit in my room all day and miss out on the activities (no way was my problem going to spoil Devins first X event).

Us X'ers had a wedding late Saturday afternoon which I knew I was going to miss. Then the reception dinner. Devin was getting questioned and requested "where's Bruce".

He called me, and then proceeded to wheel me down to the reception dinner on my rooms chair with wheels. I was humbled by the cheers when Devin wheeled me in, directly to a table. All sorts of folks were bringing me beer and food.

The evening turned out to be a very good time, even as it spilled over into the parking lot (I just wheeled the chair as a walker into the parking lot, and sat down). Sidenote: crazy how just taking a few pounds off of my spine by using something else for support... pain disappeared.

Since then, it appears my issues have become worse.... slowly but worse. I now notice when I roll over in bed, it hurts like hell, until I get settled.

Once I got home, I borrowed a very nice fancy walker for walking around during day hours (thanx Kathy and Rob Pageler), and another that fits better in the bed room (thanx Hank Meinke).

The pain still is ramping up slowly, and now notice that certain positions with a walker hurts now, where it didn't before.

Called Dr. when I got back (Monday afternoon appointment). Had a MRI Wednesday morning early. Its now Saturday, and I haven't heard back from my Dr. I'm not concerned, as I know he is busy, so I'll call him this Monday a.m., to see if anyone can give me an idea what is up. Dr. who I saw last Monday wasn't mine, but I really liked him, and he pointed out 2 more of my discs are in trouble.

Way back when I first acknowledged I had a back issue, my surgeon said I had more problems in my back other than the one that was currently hurting me. And one of those areas is now acting up. He also didn't want to mess with any of the other area in trouble, until they were bothering me.

I've had my fair share of pain since 1999. Most of the past 25 years, I've been in some sort of pain or the other. These pains get confusing. Some really bad pains will mask other not so bad pains. Get the really bad one fixed, and suddenly the masked one is standing out. Hip pain. Arthritis pain. Carpal tunnel pain. Back pain. Shoulder pain. etc. etc.

Haven't been in any really good shape these past 25 years (although I do work out regularly), so I suppose I can't recognize muscle pain from spine pain......

Who knew??????

I'm still fighting!!

[viilpstick]

NEXT REVEAL (i am lazy, sorry) Ladies, gentlemen and noble non binary folks, our SHAFTLANDS’ GIRLS!

STUDENTS

Total: 22

All from Shaftlands (4 in total)

Christell Auclair (Cinderella’s crystal slipper)

Age: 16 · Freshman Birthday: 5/Dec Dominant hand: Right Height: 1.55cm Christell means “Crystal” Auclair means “Clear” The distant nephew of Freya Matrina A funny silly city girl (honestly Taylor’s 1989) A big fan of Neige, coffee, the mall, make up, normal stuff like that Christell may be pretty basic, the type of white girl we see down any street But her big heart is something that shines on her Sensible and fragile? Maybe, but a strong mind that goes and follows logical thinking (even if she cries during night by her choices) Also, a great friend of a certain country boy Of course, Christell is friend with Barbara specially with her certain difficult timing to classes always 12 minutes late

Jolie Rosenberg (Belle)

Age: 18 · Junior Birthday: 7/Sept Dominant hand: Right Height: 1.60cm Signature Spell: “Tale old as time”, Jolie can manipulate people’s choices, opinions and emotions with her magic, but only if she bends for a person and the person retributes it.  Jolie means “beauty” We may say that this girl is a bright mind We may also say about her love for exploring the great wide somewhere And how enchanted she was to meet Yuu, I mean: How is it possible?! A person from another world?! Simply amazing! We can’t forget a certain hatred for a certain lazy Lion Yet, Jolie is a bright young woman Who reads to escape reality, but that’s perfectly fine… Right?

Maryam Corey (Giselle)

Age: 17 · Sophomore Birthday: 12/Jun Dominant hand: Right Height: 1.62cm Maryam means “grace or beloved” At a certain age, people don’t dream any longer about a happy ever after, that’s not Maryam’s case Her fairytale needs to come true, she wishes for all stars after all! Maryam is a hopeless romantic with a princess complex Whatsoever, she is kind! Just don’t understand why her magic wand is fake…

Helena Kust (Rapunzel)

Age: 17 · Sophomore Birthday:  7/Jan Dominant hand: Right Height: 1.66cm Signature Spell: “Flower gleaming glow”, by singing a song, Helena is able to heal someone’s wounds. Helena means “bright” Kust means “art” Helena is forbidden to sleep in school, so every day school ends she has to come back to her grandmother’s house, no one understands why though Helena is a ray of sunshine, who constantly talks about her love for art and painting Oh! Can’t forget the fact that her hair is the longest between everyone in any possible land, her grandma won’t let het cut it Although, Helena is extroverted she seems pretty much stuck in the walls of school and her home, pretty weird

DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE OR REPOST IN OTHER MEDIA MY WORK viilpstick © copyright 2023 Taglist: @midnightmah07 If you want ask to be tagged in the tag list under this post, so you will be aware of any new reveals, if you want help with the work, writing or fanarts, please contact me in here or tiktok (same @)

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Established Relationship (9) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight

2019 (ao3) - outphan

Summary: Dan and Phil’s tenth anniversary.

A Nun and A Priest: You Get Me Closer to God (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: When Dan dresses up as a sexy nun for Halloween in America, he finds himself longing for a sexy priest.

a warm heart (ao3) - okaydoomer

Summary: On new year’s eve Dan is thinking about the year he’s had. He’s the happiest he’s ever been and he can’t put his feelings into words but Phil is there to listen and he knows what feeling this is. Pride.

Christmas Magic Is In The Air (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: December has come around once again, and Dan's feeling unusually super festive. Phil has no idea where all this festiveness has come from, but he can't complain when his boyfriend is being super adorable.

Codependent? Maybe Just A Little (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Dan leaves to go on tour and Phil’s a little bit of a mess.

envelop the lonely places (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: Dan in his arms is like remembering how to breathe.

(reunion fic, dec ‘22)

Here’s some faves from my camera roll this year(ao3) - natigail

Summary: 1 birthday tweet. 4 photos. 4 domestic memories. 1 smiling Phil. 1 fond Dan.

Hold my hand, honey (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Dan likes the minimalism of being on tour and he doesn't really get homesick, as long as he has Phil by his side. Phil, however, misses home at times, he clutches onto his pillow and scatters his various little knickknacks all over the tour bus. But he might also need to hold onto Dan when it gets really bad.

home for the holidays (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Dan and Phil take a moment to themselves while hosting Dan’s family for Christmas.

In another life you still would’ve turned my head (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Dan comes across old black and white photos of two queer men messing around, one playing with the other's hair, just like he did in a recent video with Phil. He gets caught up in the emotions that he would have fallen in love with Phil in any universe. He crawls into Phil's lap and tells him exactly that.

Little Spoon (ao3) - husbants

Summary: In a not-too-distant future, Dan and Phil are engaged and preparing for their forever home. Dan has strong opinions about their silverware situation, among other things.

Not just any anniversary (ao3) - f1agus

Summary: It’s October 19th, 2019. Dan and Phil’s tenth anniversary.

When Phil announces he has to go up north to visit his dad, Dan most certainly doesn’t expect the day to turn out the way it did.

Or, where Phil surprises Dan for a full day :)

Of Racing Hearts and Weighted Blankets (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Phil wakes up with anxiety coursing through his body and finds that Dan is a pretty good weighted blanket.

Press play, gamer (ao3) - natigail

Summary: They have done many joint projects through the years, but they have never seriously dabbled in gaming, even if it has always been something they've enjoyed together. Dan and Phil decide that it's the year to change that and they could never have imagined how big a part that little gaming channel would become.

quiet moment of pride (ao3) - natigail

Summary: It's difficult to breathe lately with the current state of the world. It's vital to help how you can, but it's also important to look after yourself. Phil reminds Dan to breathe.

rip the plaster (ao3) - theloveofbees

Summary: dan isn't sure if things are moving too fast or too slow. nothing is going according to plan. he doesn't know what he's doing. but maybe it's time to just rip the plaster.

Sister Daniel (ao3) - intoapuddle

Summary: Dan isn’t an exhibitionist. Okay, maybe he is. A little bit. A slutty nun exhibitionist, perhaps.

too soft for all of it (ao3) - theloveofbees

Summary: phil loves dan, and he loves dan's hair.

loosely based on phil's tweet on 26 march 2023.

[killian-whump]

Okay... I paid the $5 and watched the video, because I’ve been pretty good this year and it’s still kinda Christmas time, so it’s a gift to myself.

~ Give Yourself the Gift of Colin O’Donoghue ~

He’s free to use that, you know, as a slogan or tagline. I won’t charge him or anything. Have your people call my people, Colin. We’ll work it out.

I’m kidding. I don’t have any people. I’m not sure he does, either.

I paid the $5 and watched the video, and Colin’s adorable as always.

That’s pretty much all you get for your $5, lol. Adorable Colin on a webcam for about 10 minutes talking about exactly what you’d expect him to be talking about. I can’t really say if this one’s worth $5 or not. Like, you definitely won’t be missing out on anything important if you don’t (especially since I’m spilling the deets, anyway), but it IS a nice little taste of Colin if you do. Especially since we’ve been starved of him lately. And he’s in good form, making cute little jokes and teasing and being his usual adorable self.

Honestly, I don’t regret spending the $5. I enjoyed it.

MIND YOU: If you do decide to pay for this content, DO NOT pay for it TODAY. Wait a few hours until it’s officially Jan 1 everywhere, and THEN pay for it. Patreon doesn’t go by monthly increments - it goes by calendar months. So by subscribing on Dec. 31, I essentially paid $5 for 4 hours of access to Josh’s content - and they were prepped to re-charge me on Jan. 1! So if you wait a couple hours, you’ll get access to this video - and be able to peruse the rest of Josh’s content for a few weeks, if you want to. Just don’t forget to cancel!! Subscription services are almost always a scheme to get folks to sign up and then forget to cancel - and Patreon’s no different. A good chunk of the money made by sites like that comes from people who don’t even remember they’re paying them, and the system is designed to facilitate that!

But enough about that. Let’s talk about the video.

They joked about Colin’s status as the 2022 (and 2021, Colin was quick to point out) Game Night Champion, and how that was clearly the highlight of his year. Colin expects to maintain this status in 2023, because he’s him and

Josh asked him about his year, and they talked about Luck and The Sync Report and Colin playing live music a bit lately. He did an adorable leprechaun giggle, which is probably worth $5 alone if you’re into that sort of thing. He said he’s been talking to some people about maybe doing an EP or something, but then quickly added it might just be for himself, or maybe not, or... Usual Colin evasiveness kicked in and bushes were beaten around.

Speaking of Colin evasiveness... Josh asked if he’d be back in the states any time soon or ever again and Colin said he’d be coming back to the West Coast in a few weeks - and 100% had his “Wouldn’t you all like to know whyyyyy?” face on the whole time, so HE’S UP TO SOMETHING. Or he wants us to think he’s up to something. You never can tell with Colin O’Donoghues. They’re wily little boogerbutts 😂

~ Give Your Fans the Gift of Vagueness ~

That’s another freebie for you, Colin. I’m full of them. I could set you up with slogans for the rest of your career, buddy, and all for NO CHARGE!

Colin talked a bit about his kids. He’s watching Andor (Star Wars series) with his son and both of his kids have seen and enjoyed Luck and Trollhunters. Evan’s seen some of Once, and even saw some of it back when they were doing it, but Millie is still a little young for it, he thinks. Oh, and some kid shouted, “You Captain Hook??” out the elementary school window at him, apparently 😂

Colin shared his New Years plans. He had some family and friends over for a small gathering, and he made a bunch of pizzas, and was about to put the kids to bed because “it’s drinking time” 😂 Although I’m pretty sure it was already drinking time, because he had a half-empty beer with him when he first came on, and he immediately asked Josh if they were doing a round. You can’t fool me, Colin O’Donoghue. Them sheets was already on the clothesline, son.

Anyway, I hope he got completely hammered and had a great time ❤️

[griefabyss69]

✨🪄 Fic Writing Review 2023 🪩✨

Tagged by one of the most encouraging and friendly people I've ever met, @steddieas-shegoes!

I wanted to wait until the year was truly over to do this, because who knows! I could've ended up writing right up until midnight this morning. I didn't, but I did post on Dec 30th and started a new WIP yesterday evening, so it was close tbh.

Words and Fics

I published 201631 words on ao3! I had really wanted to reach the goal of 20K and I did work hard in the last few days of December to reach it, something I think will help me feel more satisfied when work sucks all of my free time away again.

I wrote 200019 unpublished words! To be fair to myself, I went through and added up the wordcount of every WIP I have that's over 1000 words. That's most of them!

37 fics on ao3 - I think there's maybe 5 little drabbles on tumblr that I didn't put up there.

59 WIPs - Some of these are long and almost finished, some are more of a summary of ideas, and the most common wordcount I came across was 4-5K.

Top 5 Fics by Kudos

Still Motion - Rated E - 6.5K - [ Tumblr ] [ AO3 ] Steve poses nude for Eddie so he can do figure sketching from his bed, as Eddie starts to look like he's getting too warm. Of course, it's not the temperature that's getting to him.

Last Man Standing - Rated E - 15.6K - [ Tumblr ] [ AO3 ] (First fic in the LARP AU series, includes art!) Steve asks Eddie to teach him how to play D&D. Eddie has no idea what's in store for him as Steve throws him for a loop, making the game into something that changes Eddie on a molecular level, if his dick is to believed.

Between Light and Darkness - Rated E - 5.2K - [ AO3 ] Eddie's living in Steve's basement while they figure out the vampire thing, and Steve wants Eddie to have a safer source of blood than going out and hunting - he offers himself. Eddie doesn't want to hurt him, and doesn't think he can control himself. So they argue about this a lot. The arguments lead to a whole new discovery that they never learned from vampire legends.

Acceptance and Negation - Rated E - 18.7K - [ Tumblr ] [ AO3 ] (Also known as the forniphilia fic) Steve loses a bet against Eddie, who gets to order him around all night. It wasn't intended to be a sex thing until Steve discovered something new about himself.

Waves - Rated E - 4.6K - [ Tumblr ] [ AO3 ] (FKA spit luvrs supreme) Steve watches Eddie a lot, and becomes obsessed with his mouth. They're hanging out one day when he snaps and does something about it.

It's so fun and gratifying to me that a lot of these are from the paraphillia series, a project that I haven't had enough time to work on lately but is something I'm still super interested in!!! I took a leap with this one and the reception has been encouraging!

Upcoming Events and Projects for 2024

The continuation of my Paraphillia series! I'm hoping this is what I can work on next!

The LARP AU - I don't expect to finish it this year, there's a lot of story in my head and it's a really fun sandbox for me to keep playing around in! I have more art planned for it too if I ever get my attention span for drawing back <3

The Apocalypse AU - The very first and very second fics I finished and published in over a decade! There's still story left here, and I want to revisit it sometime this year.

Challenges! There are SO many fic challenges, and I participated in two in 2023 - @steddiemicrofic and @steddievember. I'm hoping to find the right challenge to add to that list in the new year! I'm also trying to have realistic expectations for what my free time will be like 💀. (Also, shout out to the mods of those two challenges! For Steddiemicrofic, that really gave me a jumping off point to help me meet more people in this fandom and was a very low key, low barrier entry into participating in something! And for Steddievember, thank you for the encouragement, incitement of, and inspiration for some more of my unhinged bullshit favorite type of writing.

And lastly, just a shitload of WIPs I'm so fucking fond of and hope to get to and complete this year <3

Truly thank you to anyone who's ever interacted with me on here! My year looked really fucking different from March (when I posted my first fic) to December. I feel really fucking lucky to have made some good friends here, and I think I grew a lot in some ways that I wouldn't have otherwise! It was scary as hell putting my writing out there at first, and now the main source of tension is that there aren't infinite hours in the day so I can keep up with how much I want to share with you all <3 I'm blowing you all kisses from the abysses 💖 Tagging anyone who hasn't done it yet who wants to!

Rules under the cut <3

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Eat glass or don't, you're in charge of your destiny.

[ghostlife111]

20th dec, 2023

Dear diary,

I'll never regret living so slow, falling in love so late and giving up so early. All my life I always thought of myself as some warrior, hero in need, a saviour of my family, my siblings and myself. Maybe because everyone only ever embedded the word 'strong' in me I always thought of me as a provider. Never learnt to lean on anyone. So, when I first fell in love I was so scared. So scared to be this vulnerable for a stranger. I never talked with him, not even once did I hear his voice but his mere presence was enough to make me so weak. I stumbled and cried every night, fighting with every breath that spoke his name. With all that fighting and struggle- I surrendered. I gave up on him- on possibility - on ever happening - on what if. Three years have passed but his name still quivers my heart. I suffocate with a mere thought of giving someone everything only to lose it all. Since then, I have been waiting. Waiting. Waiting for who exactly? For what exactly? I know its not him. I know for sure. Not him. Then? This feeling of wanting to be held and loved, why does it ache?

Yesterday, I sat on the bridge staring at the sun set for a long time with my bestfriend. She didn't utter a word neither did I. One was aching over a broken heart and the other over what was never there. But all those sadness submerged in the flowing river painted in golden. I could feel my heart pounding so fast, so awake and so alert. This was it. This is it. The feeling of living. Feeling of life, of love. And I just knew how much I cherished this time, with her and everything that was. When it was time to part, we didn't say, "goodbye" or "see you next time" but- just left 'in silence'.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

The leaked notice (several months ago) had Yoongi for q3/q4 last year and Jimin for q1 this year.

Yoongi confirmed he moved his release date.

But Jimin was always scheduled for Feb/March this year, and he kept saying feb/match himself. And hybe said feb for FACE (through k media).

So I don't know who's spreading the narrative that Jimin didn't meet deadline. He did meet his official feb/march deadlines, with an ep. Maybe he would have had a full album if he could postpone, cause plenty of producers who posted pictures with him weren't on FACE... he clearly worked on more than 5 tracks in the 10 months... he's probably working on pjm2 now. During the talk show yoonmin did hint at a second album.

There was no way they could have had 3 back to back albums releases late last year. They planned a 2 months gap clearly.

July/aug - jhope, Oct/early Nov for Suga (jin's wasn't an album), dec for RM and feb/March for Jimin...

But unfortunately Suga had to postpone his.

Iam thinking may/June might be jk...

***

Hi Anon,

I don’t particularly care about this… but for your information I guess:

Jimin himself said on a radio show that he initially planned to release his songs last Fall. I searched on Twitter for English translations for you. See below:

So, if this were a rumour, Jimin himself would be the source of it.

On Korean forums as early as January 2023, I saw Yoonmin were both rumoured for Spring. Even if Jimin planned to release in Q1 and Yoongi in Q2, Jimin still released his album the very last week in Q1…

I think it’s safe to say neither of them met their initial deadlines and were always going to be released somewhat close to each other. Namseok had other song releases in the Fall and Jin’s single project was treated like an album.

I agree with the rest of what you said though. Unless he cannot finish his songs in time, I’m nearly certain Jimin will release another project this year.

And taekook will likely follow shortly after. I hope for their sakes and for the fandom’s, that their solo roll-outs are better spread out than yoonmin’s.

[feuqueerfire]

2023 Anticipated BL/GL/Queer Shows

2022 Anticipated BLs & GLs || Thai BL/GL Filming Schedules

2024 Anticipated Series & Movies

Shows released in 2023 I'm anticipating: Released, Releasing, To Be Released (with/without release dates)

Show

Country:

Release Dates:

Watch Via: platform link (free/paid)

Status: 👀 To Watch || ⏸��� Currently Watching ||  ✅ Watched || ❌ Dropped

Watch Dates: Month x - y, 2023 (#)

Rating: /10

Initial Impression:

Overall Impression: 

tags:

Also Appears In: [Live Blogging, AO3 link], (Month) 2023 Wrap-Up

Released

These are shows that have ended in 2023 that I’m interested in - ordered by their end date. Note: If it finishes in 2023, it’s a 2023 show for me.

Watched:

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Dec 15, 2022 - Jan 12, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 18 - 19, 2023 (#3)

Rating: 5.5/10

Initial Impression: kBL same production as Blueming (KENAZ) and it has reincarnation and curses or something? I saw a few clips on twitter about the first ep and it seems hilarious, hope it’s great bc it’s one of the few kBLs I’m acc looking forward to because of the plot and not just for Korean practice. || After ending, people have been criticizing the ending and also for its messy plot in such a short time but I’m still curious about it so I’ll give it a try (esp cuz so many of the kBLs lately have apparently been meh that I needa add this to the watchlist or else I’ll hardly get any practice done)

Overall Impression: I feel like this should be higher just because it’s got a cool concept and the cinematography’s good but I felt like maybe 1 emotion during this whole show (the hug in the car), which sucks. The writing in the show sucked, both in terms of relationship development (there was none. why were they from A to Z without B C...) and the fantasy/lore aspects. In a better show, Dongbaek’s dying wish to be the one who remembers next time coming true would be a punch to the gut but here, I don’t gaf

tags: the director who buys me dinner

Also Appears In: January 2023 Wrap-Up

The New Employee - DROPPED

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Dec 21, 2022 - Feb 1, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Status: ❌ Dropped

Watch Dates: Mar 27 - 28, 2023 (#8)

Rating: --/10

Initial Impression: I knew hardly anything about this but people have been loving this, esp how queer it apparently is, so I’m excited. hopefully we’ll get another really great kBL from start to finish, I think only Choco Milk Shake was thoroughly well-liked by the masses in recent months

Overall Impression: sad that I've watched worse kBLs but since I had some expectations while going into this, it's more disappointing. I don’t really care for boss/employee romances in general and i think the fact that it’s positioned as wholesome/cute here so far isn’t working for me. if you’re gonna have the boss kiss the intern out of the blue while said intern is drunk, it needs to be framed in more of a rancid way for it to still be fun; dabble more with the weird power dynamics & lean into the bad vibes lol

tags: the new employee

Also Appears In: The New Employee Live Blogging, March 2023 Wrap-Up 

I Will Knock You 

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Nov 18, 2022 - Feb 3, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: May 5 - 31, 2024 (#39)

Rating: 6/10

Initial: this hasn’t started airing yet but I watched the trailer (lol even I do that sometimes) bc I caught a glimpse of it on twitter and honestly it seems good and fun! i like it when the seme/pursuer is younger and also like when one or both of the characters is just rancid and i think it could be interesting and engaging to watch the troublemaker grow and change. also the cinematography or something just looks appealing

Overall: Noey is such a unique character, it was a pleasure to see him on screen. I really like the familial dynamics between Noey, Nid Nhoi, and Auntie Tim/their mother. It was fun and they were always teasing each other but obviously there was love and concern beneath it. And the gang was great too, how they obeyed Noey and were a bunch of goofballs but obviously the fighting was less than ideal. The romance itself was fine, quite dragged out before they even realize their feelings, but I did often have a smile on my face while watching the eps. Great cinematography and colouring and motifs.

tags: i will knock you

Also Appears In: I Will Knock You Live Blogging, May 2024 Wrap-Up

Candy Color Paradox

Country: Japan

Release Dates: Dec 16, 2022 - Feb 10, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: May 11 - 16, 2023 (#13)

Rating: 5.5/10

Initial Impression: I like the concept that they’re reporters and people seem to like the ending.

Overall Impression: Boring, overall. Which is sad because I was looking forward to watching paparazzi/reporters/glorified stalkers in a BL, since it’s a pretty unique synopsis. It started off cute enough but didn’t keep me engaged.

Live Blogging: May 2023 Wrap-Up 

My School President

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Dec 2, 2022 - Feb 24, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Feb 18 - 24, 2023 (#4)

Rating: 7 7.5/10 [April 4, 2023 Edit: The characters continue to give me brainrot, as well as actors, so +0.5]

Initial Impression: initially wasn’t interested in this one because everybody kept calling it a boring regular high school romance, watched the mock trailer around August 2022 and was like omg the trope of making the person you like run errands for you? (ex. True Beauty, We Best Love) + I tend to enjoy simply school shows. Then the actual show came out and everyone’s loving it 3 eps in, so that’s fun for sure.

Overall Impression: I really liked it, especially for what it was: a cute, endearing high school BL with really endearing leads and good acting and sometimes turning tropes on their head. I didn't love it or obsess over it the way some people seemed to but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I also loved so many of their faces lol Fourth and Prom my favourite beautiful faces but Gemini and Satang are beautiful too, not to mention Gun's mother whew! This made me giddy and the OSTs are great and there's clear effort from the cast and crew. I liked the dynamic between the characters, whether it be how Gun and Tinn took turns being bold and shy or the parent-child relationships or Chinzhilla band.

tags: my school president, geminifourth

Also Appears In: My School President Live Blogging, February 2023 Wrap-Up

The Warp Effect 

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Dec 12, 2022 - Feb 27, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV Youtube

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Apr 20 - 26, 2024 (#36)

Rating: 7/10

Initial Impression: there’s a lesbian character. she says the line “trust me. i’m a lesbian.” more than enough reason to watch it. That was my reason for wanting to watch it soon after discovering the OG trailer but recently, I’m excited to see Fah, the show has glowing reviews from the people watching it, and I’m very interested in the sex-related conversations they’re having

Overall Impression: A unique and enjoyable show, it was so fun to see all these characters in their specific situations and how they deal with them. The characters were all compelling, it's wild how I was into all their storylines. how charming each character/their story was, and how the story juggled them. It also made me see a bunch of actors in new lights, New most of all, as they acted in a role outside of their usual wheelhouse. I think the most frustrating part for me was how it seemed like although they were getting at it, they never quite acknowledged that what Alex did to Jean that night was rape. It made me quite angry actually, especially how Alex's actions didn't feel like it actually took Jean's feelings and trauma and requests into account. I was at least glad that in that timeline, Jean doesn't get back with Alex.

It’s in this section of the post because despite Alex being het, this show is just... queer.

tags: the warp effect

Also Appears In: The Warp Effect Live Blogging, April 2024 Wrap-Up

Never Let Me Go

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Dec 13, 2022 - Feb 28, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 1 - Feb 28, 2023 (#1)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: I’m really looking forward to this. why? i don’t know. i guess i developed some sort of attachment to morkpi in FUTS even though I was mostly ambivalent about their relationship? also, i’m curious to watch something directed by p’jojo

Overall Impression: I actually don't care about the plot of this show that much because I was mostly there for the characters and character relationships but it didn't give me what I wanted. I don't like Ben/Chopper and Nueng/Palm felt meh toward the end and also didn't give me what I wanted really. My big problem with this show which is that nothing feels like it gets enough emotion or gravity and instead it's either fixed quickly or we move on quickly. Anyway, idk. I liked the first 2/3 of the series even though it wasn't A Fave but it had some great moments and lots of potentials to me, so that’s why it’s +.5 more than 6. I stopped caring about the characters while watching these last 4 and these last 2 episodes were just so... agh. I just care about Chopper atp and want better for him. This was one of my most anticipated shows of 2022 (which is why I started watching it weekly), so it's sad that it turned out this way.

tags: never let me go

Also Appears In: Never Let Me Go Ep 1 - 4, Ep 5, Ep 6, Ep 7,  Ep 8 Live Blogging, January 2023 Wrap-Up, Ep 9 - 12 Live Blogging, February 2023 Wrap-Up

Utsukushii Kare Season 2

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Feb 8, 2023 - Mar 1, 2023

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Via: Viki

Watch Dates: Apr 18 - 19, 2024 (#34)

Rating: 7/10

Initial Impression: My beloveds! Hope it’s enough to tide me over until the movie is accessible. 

Overall Impression: This season is about Hira and Kiyoi's relationship. They didn't become boring after getting together, they didn't magically end up being a perfect happy well-adjusted couple after getting together, nor were there random issues thrown just because; the struggles and hurdles are true to their characters and dynamics. I liked the themes and dynamics it explored and their character + relationship development and progression. I also smiled a lot and lost my mind a little at certain moments. Strong writing, strong characters, strong acting, what a relief.

tags: utsukushii kare

Also Appears In: Utsukushii Kare (S1, S2, Movie) Live Blogging, April 2024 Wrap-Up

Moonlight Chicken

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Feb 8, 2023 - Mar 2, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 1 - 6, 2023 (#5)

Rating: 7/10

Initial Impression: Moonlight Chicken: I don't like reading or watching stories about cheating but this one looks so good :0 Also, suchhh a good cast like EarthMix, FourthGemini couples and also Khao and First like I’m expecting great acting and storytelling

Overall Impression: It's a good one! High quality with good acting and interesting storylines that are unique in BL. It didn't hit me as hard as it seemed to hit some other people though and I'm not thinking about it much at all since finishing. I think Jim/Wen's relationship was one of the weakest aspects of the show to me because I didn't care nor did I really feel anything and it might’ve been more interesting if it actually involved cheating. I loved Heart and Li Ming, I enjoyed getting to see Jim grow and also how his relationship with Li Ming changed, I liked getting to see Wen and Alan's flashbacks and to present tense relationship, I like Gaipa showing up once in a while to be bright, I thought Gaipa and Leng's interactions were funny, I loved Li Ming as a character so much, I wished to be him so badly.

tags: moonlight chicken

Also Appears In: Moonlight Chicken Live Blogging, March 2023 Wrap-Up

A Shoulder to Cry On

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Mar 15, 2023 - Mar 29, 2023

Watch Via: Viki

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 28 - 29, 2023 (#9)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: Watched the leaked trailer from February and it seems actually angsty and enemies to lovers and I’m very curious about that

Overall Impression: I really liked the first 5 episodes when there was so much contempt but Taehyun couldn't stop himself from terrorizing or goading Da Yeol and Da Yeol couldn't stop noticing how beautiful Taehyun was, and then the friendship that bloomed in that but still with an edge. I didn't quite get the reason for separation in episode 6 and think the last episode was cutesy but out-of-character sort of. Still, overall a pretty good one; reminds me of a mix of Blueming and Utsukushii Kare. I was giddy so many times while watching this, especially the first half and was clutching my head and curling my toes despite it not being romantic, just full of tension.

tags: a shoulder to cry on

Also Appears In: A Shoulder To Cry On Live Blogging, March 2023 Wrap-Up

Our Dating Sim

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Mar 9, 2023 - Mar 30, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Oct 19 - 20, 2023 (#20)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: People seem to have really liked this, on both MDL and Reddit both, so I’m looking forward to it

Overall Impression: The pacing of this was so good, they managed to give everything needed and timed it well within 2 hours. Well written, well acted, well planned, well shot, nice. I liked and understood the main characters and even the side characters had distinct personalities despite not being fully fledged. I loved how Gi Tae and Wan were so playful with each other, whether it be with the teasing they did and playing hard to get but also the easy affection they often had whether it be kisses, pecks, tickles, hugs, hand holding, just regular romantic touching - a good balance between being strangely chaste and very raunchy. Was cute and I’m glad this is the show that I watched after not watching anything for a while but I won't think about them again, probably.

tags: our dating sim

Live Blogging: Our Dating Sim Live Blogging, July - November 2023 Wrap-Up 

My Beautiful Man: Eternal 

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Apr 7, 2023

Watch Via: Viki

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Apr 19, 2024 (#35)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: Need this so bad, the photos from the shooting are killing me

Overall Impression: Great, fun, though not as emotionally invested as Season 2 because they're in a better place in their relationship in this movie (even if it's not necessarily Perfect). It was interesting to have new people in their lives like Anna and Noguchi and how their stories influenced them. I'm happy with where we're leaving off the characters after ~6h of show/movie but lowest rating so far because it felt like we spent too much time on stuff like Anna’s story or the random kidnapping.

tags: utsukushii kare

Also Appears In: Utsukushii Kare (S1, S2, Movie) Live Blogging, April 2024 Wrap-Up

Destiny Seeker

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Feb 14, 2023 - Apr 11, 2023

Watch Via: :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 23 - 26, 2024 (#31)

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall Impression: Not very good, it's kinda non-sensical and has terrible subs and I watched it all on 1.25x speed. However, I was deeply craving a typical university Thai BL and it gave me that with engineer students and enemies to lovers. Sonkhgram and Ai were pretty cute and their pretend enemies while both likes the other for years was endearing ig? The freshmen Pluster and Nano were also really good toward the middle-end, the little gossips and schemers. Meen and Bright were meh, it could've been more compelling. All in all, a mediocre show to watch if wanting something really tropey that requires 0 thought.

Also Appears In: Destiny Seeker Live Blogging, March 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Bed Friend

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Feb 18, 2023 - Apr 22, 2023

Watch Via: uncut on iQiyi, so :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Apr 29 - May 2, 2023 (#12)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: bc it seems interesting and I’m enjoying NetJames in Catch Me Baby side BL. omg after the teaser trailer, alksdfj I need it so bad; a Most Anticipated show.

Overall Impression: It was good and cute but still somewhat nonsensical and I don't know how to feel about the mountains of trauma. Beautiful Net and James, the acting's not bad, the editing is bad though. They were cute, which is the most important thing I guess.

tags: bed friend

Live Blogging: Bed Friend Live Blogging, May 2023 Wrap-Up

The Eighth Sense

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Mar 29, 2023 - Apr 26, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: June 20 - 22, 2023 (#16)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: long episodes and everybody’s been loving it and feeling every emotion under the sun for it

Overall Impression: It was interesting and I think the show had a good grasp on characters and relationship dynamics and progression. I liked that there were friendships each character had and that they existed outside of just this relationship; even some of the friends existed outside of just being a friend, like Yonnwon was a whole human. The female friends were great, Yoonwon is a treasure and I liked how Aeri was so sweet but so mean sometimes, a very clever city girl type. Also, the tension and cute moments between Jihyun and Jaewon (esp in ep 6 and 10) were great. I think it's a good show that's done well but right now, it's not taking up much brain space and it also didn't make me viscerally feel anything.

tags: the eighth sense

Live Blogging: The Eighth Sense Live Blogging, June 2023 Wrap-Up

Our Skyy 2

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Apr 19, 2023 - June 8, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Apr 22 - June 8, 2023 (#14)

Rating: 6/10 [based on (6.5 + 5.5 + 6 + 5.5 + 6.5 + 6.5 + 6.5)/7]

Initial Impression: One of my most anticipated out of GMMTV 2023 and MSP, BBS, Eclipse are my top 3 anticipated episodes.

Overall Impression: In the end, some were good, some were meh, some I was disappointed by but oh well. It was still fairly fun and I liked watching it weekly since I get a new story every week. NLMG = MSP = BBSxATOTS > Eclipse > SIMM = Vice Versa

tags: our skyy 2, each show’s tag

Also Appears In: Our Skyy 2 Live Blogging, April 2023 Wrap-Up, May 2023 Wrap-Up, June 2023 Wrap-Up

Love Tractor

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jun 7, 2023 - Jun 21, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (paid, so :>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Aug 4 - 5, 2023 (#17)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: Think the announcement for this happened like mid-last year or something and I’ve been curious about it since then, hope it’s great.

Overall Impression: Ah, the dynamic is so delicious. Older, colder, richer, more jaded Seoul city man and younger, cheery, puppy-like new adult. Also, ummm I liked how much Yul scolded Yechan, ah + that one time Yechan apologized by kneeling. Yechan is cute, esp his antics after the sexy dream he had about Yul, but I do think he's a bit too childish sometimes, so that's meh. Overall enjoyable but I didn't super connect with the story or the characters and likely won't be thinking about them again.

Also Appears In: July - November 2023 Wrap-Up

Sing My Crush

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Aug 2, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (paid, so :>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Nov 18, 2023 (#21)

Rating: 4.5/10

Initial Impression: just found out about its existence (apparently it came out all together on Aug 2) and saw ppl say this was another good kBL this year, hopefully it’ll be good

Overall Impression: It was... fine I guess, the plagiarism subplot had me invested because it was so frustrating (as it was meant to be) but I really didn’t care about the main couple. Their relationship and interactions did nothing for me. Also I’m shallow so either they needed to have more chemistry or needed to be more attractive to my tastes for me to enjoy watching it rip. I literally skimmed so much of Ep 4 - 7, especially skipped over the main couple interactions and watched to see the plagiarism issue get resolved.

Also Appears In: July - November 2023 Wrap-Up

Be My Favorite

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: May 26, 2023 - Aug 11, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Nov 23 - 30, 2023 (#22)

Rating: 5.5/10

Initial Impression: listen i know people are like krist homophobe which fair enough ig but i’m still curious from the trailer and i’ll probably give it a try || Once it’s started being released, people seem to be enjoying these beginning episodes, so I hope it’s really good all the way through.

Overall Impression: It is such a tragedy that despite looking forward to this show for so long and enjoying some aspects and moments, ultimately, it fell flat for me. I feel like a lot of this show was objectively done well like the character arcs and acting and stuff but I'm not attached to any of it. The romance didn't make me feel giddy even though I really wish it had like it's strange that I didn't care at all about all those cute moments Kawi and Pisaeng had or the established relationship montages when usually they're some of my favourite aspects of a BL. agh whatever ig at least the show didn't treat Pear terribly.

tags: be my favorite

Also Appears In: Be My Favorite Live Blogging, July - November 2023 Wrap-Up

Stay With Me

Country: China

Release Dates: Jul 7, 2023 - Aug 12, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Aug 11 - 14, 2023 (#19)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: I skimmed the latter half of Addicted in August 2023 and it was very unhinged and didn’t quite hold up but I understood why people were fucking obsessed with 2016 lol Looking forward to seeing a 2023 bromance version + my beloved angsty high school trope is good always

Overall Impression:  Well, this is really as close as BL you can get without saying out loud that they are dating but there are innuendos galore and it's pretty clear (there was lube on their bed, like...). The family aspect was the best, I love that we got to see Su Yu's situation so much and his blended family and the way they were always there together. You can understand why Wu Bi prefers the warmth of their home over the coldness of his, though we got to see progress on that end too. Duoduo sooo cute, little munchkin. The ending is... an ending, that's for sure. Hope we get a season 2 next year but who knows.

tags: stay with me

Also Appears In: Stay With Me Live Blogging, July - November 2023 Wrap-Up

Bottoms

Country: USA

Release Dates: Sept 1, 2023  

Watch Via: :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 1, 2024 (#23)

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Impression: First movie of the year! Very, very funny and wacky, thoroughly enjoyed it. Hazel is sooo attractive lol, as is Isabel. Loved Josie being a sweetheart and reluctant to go along with antics except then going in wayyy too hard with the juvie stories lol. PJ was insufferable but like in a good way? like yesss, high school girl who says things before thinking and is an asshole! Also lesbian movies where they kill men is always fun, this time it being an actual funny comedic part. The whole movie was ridiculous and I'm glad.

tags: bottoms

Also Appears In: January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Laws of Attraction 

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Jul 15, 2023 - Sep 2, 2023

Watch Via: paid, so :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Feb 3 - 6, 2024 (#28)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: JamFilm new BL! Seems like it’ll have some sort of lawyer or justice type storyline, which is interesting. I’m really looking forward to it

Overall Impression: I really liked To Sir, With Love which was a lakorn and so was different than every other BL I've watched and was hoping I'd similarly love this one, which is also bringing something unique to the BL table. It started off really well for me, I thought Charn was such a fun (morally corrupt) character and was intrigued about what was going on. I liked the lesbians Maya and Rose as well ofc. However, I think toward ep 7 and 8, it kinda became very meh for me (that warehouse live stream scene not counting) because the mystery was too predictable/boring and thus had no tension, people kept making incredibly stupid decisions, and I wasn't attached to the characters enough to care/be emotional about all the wedding stuff. Nawin was a great addition in ep 7 though, so unexpected and fun. Unfortunate that the meh impression ended up being the last ones since that sticks with me more than liking it in the earlier eps.

tags: laws of attraction

Also Appears In: Laws of Attraction Live Blogging, February 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Love Class Season 2 

Country: South Korea

Release Dates:  Aug 11, 2023 - Sep 8, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 26 - 27, 2024 (#26)

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: I liked the main couple: a younger, insistent pursuer to an older, reluctant hyung who was also his tutor when the younger was in high school. I do wish the random stalker, weird hyung wasn't haunting them for so long though because the premise of this couple is so good. I came around to the second and third couple even though if the show was longer or deeper, I might not have. I was bored by the last 2 eps though, so ehhh

tags: love class 2

Also Appears In: Love Class 2 Live Blogging, January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Bon Appetit

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Sep 27, 2023

Watch Via: :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 13 - 14, 2024 (#24)

Rating: -/10

Initial Impression: Originally didn't have this on my list because it has a meh MDL rating but this tiktok of guy 1 liking girl liking guy 2 like guy 1 is fun

Overall Impression: Started watching because the guy1 likes girl likes guy2 likes guy1 tiktok was funny but not high hopes for the actual show. Skimmed through this so hard, honestly shouldn't have even watched it because it didn't seem too good from my skimming. The main two characters were cute-ish in the first half of the show and the Yoon Seobin surprise cameo for 2 minutes was fun, but meh otherwise. Skimmed even the main couple scenes in the last 2 eps because random fighting and misunderstandings. Not rating it because I skimmed through like 60% of it lmfao

Also Appears In: January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

My Personal Weatherman

Country: Japan

Release Dates: Aug 11, 2023 - Oct 13, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 20 - 22, 2024 (#30)

Rating: 6/10 [May 12, 2024 Update: Decreased by 0.5 stars when rerating shows I've watched in 2024: 6.5 -> 6]

Overall Impression: The concept is so delicious (messy dubcon d/s overtones and stilted emotions) and the execution is mostly good but I wish it was more fleshed out (never really saw a proper resolution to Yoh being mad that Mizuki doesn't take his manga job seriously and idk if they actually fully worked out their problems in the last ep lol). It was a very fun and exciting watch.

tags: my personal weatherman

Also Appears In: My Personal Weatherman Live Blogging, March 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Only Friends 

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Aug 12, 2023 - Oct 28, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: May 7 - 12, 2024 (#37)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: Insanity based on the mock trailer.

Overall: I'm just glad that I binged this by watching 2-3 eps a day for a week instead of watching for 3 months to arrive at that ending. Great first half of the show IMO (~6 eps), then there's a weird narrative shift there somewhere, then the last 1/4 of the show was dragging and then the last episode was boring and upsetting. SandRay and TopMew feel weirdly happy, artificially happy while Boston is the only character who is left to rot by his friends and Nick. I didn't need a happy ending for Boston/Nick but Boston's storyline felt... cruel and since the only character who wasn't monogamous got a bad ending and had all his faults amplified (while the others just had their faults or mistakes forgiven or never even apologized for them), it felt pointed at Boston's promiscuity.

tags: only friends

Also Appears In: Only Friends Live Blogging, May 2024 Wrap-Up

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Aug 22, 2023 - Nov 7, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: May 14 - 17, 2024 (#38)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: I've seen it mentioned sooo many times that I thought I'd give it a try.

Overall: The thing with these crime/mafia BLs is that often they literally have no plot and this show doesn't even bother establishing anything, what even is going on? something with Zhang Teng... but the gangs and the families and the crimes are all so vague and out of sight, it's mostly just about the relationships against the backdrop. However, I really enjoyed the characters and the couples, specifically Zongyi/Ruei in the first half and Ai Di/Chen Yi in the second half. The couples also have some fun tropes that I like (age gap with the younger guy being overly eager, the ChenAi dynamic esp the part where they both manhandle each other so much) and Ai Di is a menace, which is always enjoyable. Is it enough for me to overlook how the show introduces a criminal and crime-life element but does not explain or expand on it? I don't necessarily think so, and thus the meh rating, but honestly, if I'm plagued by the couples or feel the need to rewatch certain parts, I'll increase the rating.

tags: kiseki: dear to me

Also Appears In: Kiseki: Dear To Me Live Blogging, May 2024 Wrap-Up

A Breeze of Love

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Nov 10, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (so, ;>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 28, 2024 (#32)

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall Impression: The concept is somewhat similar to Our Dating Sim, having a friendship/situationship in middle school, one character disappearing, but then meeting again a few years later. Nothing about this was egregious of anything but it just felt like Dongwook had treated Dohyun terribly and was also being way too presumptuous in the current timeline, so it didn't fully work for me. I just wanted Dohyun to beat Dongwook up lol

Also Appears In: A Breeze of Love Live Blogging, March 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Ranking of Watched: 28

My School President = Bottoms

Moonlight Chicken = Utsukushii Kare S2 = The Warp Effect

Never Let Me Go = A Shoulder To Cry On = The Eighth Sense  = Stay With Me = Our Dating Sim

Our Skyy 2 = Love Tractor = Bed Friend = Love Class 2 = Laws of Attraction = My Personal Weatherman =  Utsukushii Kare: Eternal = Only Friends = Kiseki: Dear To Me = I Will Knock You

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner = Candy Color Paradox = Be My Favorite = Destiny Seeker = A Breeze of Love

Sing My Crush

Dropped: The New Employee

Skimmed: Bon Appetit

Watched in 2023: 15 (until #22)

Watched in 2024: 13

To Watch:

GAP (Thai - Feb 11): First high profile GL, should probably watch it, feeling especially inspired about 23.5. I'd heard mixed reviews while it was airing but feels like the general sentiment is still positive, even if people think that it's a messy/dramatic show lol. I’d actually removed it from my watchlist (see below) but it’s back lol

Rookie (Php - Aug 4): GL, a Phillipino lesbian movie, saw this tiktok and wanted to give it a try

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Thai - Nov 3): everybody loves it, i just missed the timing for when this was airing and so hadn't added it to the watchlist. I did listen to podcasts and didn't skip when they were discussing this one because I thought I wouldn't watch it, so I'm quite spoiled on the plot lol

Lucky My Love (Thai - Nov 25): GL, wanna watch it cuz it's a GL but unfortunately people don't seem too keen on it :/ oh well, I'll keep it on hand for when I'm craving a GL

Releasing

These are shows that are currently releasing in 2023 that I’m interested in - ordered by their end date. Tracking both currently watching and to be watched

Currently Watching

None

To Watch

Pit Babe, Last Twilight, The Sign, Dead Friend Forever but these are all ending in 2024

To Be Released

These are shows that have are planned for a 2023 release, may or may not have release dates (and some might get moved to 2024 lol)

From 2022 - these are rolled over from plans of being released in 2022

MeMindY: Just Say Yes, Past Love In The Future - Cautiously curious about these and I hope these are still happening since it’s rolled forward from 2022. I wanna check them out because they’re from Don’t Say No characters but also I’ll probably check out most MMY shows just to see where I land

Planned for 2023 - these were announced with the plans for 2023 release

2023 GMMTV Shows: Only Friends, Our Skyy 2, 23.5 (GL) are my 3 most anticipated. Will likely watch Last Twilight, the other BLs don’t seem that great. Also, TODO: Go through #gmmtv 2023 and tag the shows properly

BOC: ummm idk I might check out Man Suang (the MileApo movie) and 4 minutes (the BibleBuild show written by Sammon) but I also wanna avoid the KP fandom so bad

kBLs: Gonna keep an eye on all the kBLs, though might not watch a few

GLs: seems like Thai GLs and kGL webseries are starting to be released more, will keep an eye on them (ex. Be My Baby, Reverse 4 You, etc)

Wish You Luck: Sci-fi, post-apocalyptic show :00 seems cool, also has Tonnam who I’ve only seen in comedic roles so far

The Sign: or something like that, it’s not on MDL yet but it’s Idol Factory’s newest BL announcement - it’ll involve the characters in some sort of investigation unit. I like this trend of BLs in crime/justic/thriller type of stories but idk if they’ll actually deliver.

Flirt Milk the series: I don’t have much faith or curiosity about Starhunter shows but I think the “we both change ourselves to fit the other” thing is funny

Het/non-QL shows

There aren’t as many of these I’m interested in, comparatively, so I didn’t have this section last year but might as well try it this year.

Released

Midnight Motel

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Dec 28, 2022 - Jan 12, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 11 - 14, 2023 (#2)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: I’ve been anticipating this since early 2022, especially because I like both Jan and Off individually as actors. Now to see them as a pair! And it seems like a cool concept from the mock trailer. Thank goodness it’s being released on Youtube at the same time as Disney+Hotstar.

Overall Impression: The acting was great, the script was comprehensible and well-paced, the production is good, featured sex work without villainizing the workers or the work itself. I loved Mote’s little fantasies of possible scenarios or of imagining an interaction in a different way (the card game with June, convo with dead Pat). I’m impressed by the creative team behind it. I won’t think about this much after today I don’t think but I liked this little show.

tags: midnight motel

Also Appears In: Midnight Motel Live Blogging, January 2023 Wrap-Up 

Island Part 1

Country: South Korean

Release Dates: Dec 30, 2022 - Jan 13, 2023

Watch Via: Amazon Prime :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 14 - 15, 2023 (#6)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: I’ve started getting into thriller/horror kdramas, think I’m gonna start watching Fantasy ones as well and starting with this because of Cha Eunwoo my beloved. || It’s finished and I know a biiig S2 ending spoiler and the reviews are meh but people loved CEW here, so I’ll watch it still probably

Overall Impression: The main female lead was whatever, wish she was just good at something. Whether it be fighting demons, fighting back via kindness and empathy, or actual power due to her status/wealth/connections. She's not the worst ever because she can still stand up for herself and she has personality but I mourn that they've written her like this. Van is just fucking boring and I don't care. My beloved Johan <3333 I liked his charming, cocky, beautiful character who was so intrigued by everything going on as if he really was 20 and curious about everything but also I liked his apprehension when it came down to it. The storyline with his brother was so T.T Also curious to see the evil brother half-demon Guntan and his sidekick niece Yeom-ji. They're both pretty cool compared to our 2 main characters. I wish the show flowed better in terms of the sequence of scenes and pacing and the main characters were more intriguing.

tags: island

Also Appears In: Island Part 1 Live Blogging, March 2023 Wrap-Up

Island Part 2

Country: South Korean

Release Dates: Dec 30, 2022 - Jan 13, 2023

Watch Via: Amazon Prime :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Mar 16 - 17, 2023 (#7) 

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall Impression: Literally how was it worse than part 1? Especially when we focused more on Guntan and Yeom-ji than fuckass Miho and Van? Maybe because of less focus on Johan (I wanna know his backstoryyyyyy) and also just incomprehensible writing/plot direction. Yeomji and Johan my beloveds + Guntan being cool were the highlights. Hated the dumbass cliffhanger ending. such a forgettable show.

tags: island (Search s2)

Also Appears In: Island Part 2 Live Blogging, March 2023 Wrap-Up

Dirty Laundry

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Jan 18, 2023 - Feb 2, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Apr 25 - 28, 2023 (#11)

Rating: 6/10

Initial Impression: seems hilarious and people seemed to like it.

Overall Impression: Personally worth watching just to see the plethora of the gendered terms used with Night in drag/pretending to be kathoey (esp with Momey). Also liked the ending with “but who’s gonna direct?” [look into the camera] [screen with Directed by Jojo’s name] This was really fun and kept my attention well. I’ve seen people say that the humour didn’t work for them but it did for me. Also fun to see actors like Nanon, Film, Pond in these roles.

tags: dirty laundry

Also Appears In: April 2023 Wrap-Up

Prom Pact

Country: USA

Release Dates: March 30, 2023

Watch Via: Disney+

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Aug 9, 2024 (#42)

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall: Annoying characters, but at least I watched with friends and it's fun to have movie nights like that

Also Appears In: August 2024 Wrap-Up TODO

Midnight Museum

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Mar 6, 2023 - Apr 4, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Apr 5 - 7, 2023 (#10)

Rating: 5.5/10

Initial Impression: not super sure on the concept because I didn’t watch the mock trailer but cool actors, cool vibes; hope it has strong script and production. || 2 eps are out and people have been really enjoying it, so I’m even more curious.

Overall Impression: I liked the first half with the artifacts and side stories more than the second half where they tried to do too much for a short runtime, not too much budget, and mediocre writing skills. I couldn't make myself care about Khatha or Dome and also it was funny how they kept emphasizing phi-nong with words but so romantic in action. I wish the fantasy and magic and parallel universes and time travel and cult and God and whatever else made more sense together.

tags: midnight museum

Also Appears In: Midnight Museum Live Blogging, April 2023 Wrap-Up

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

Country: Taiwan

Release Dates: Apr 15, 2023 - May 13, 2023

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Via: iQiyi (so ;>)

Watch Dates: June 5 - 12, 2024 (#40)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial: wanted something thriller that had a bromance/BL but romance wasn’t at the forefront and was recced this

Overall: A good watch with engaging smaller story arcs (well, some more engaging than others) that play into the larger story (I love that it relates to family), a good cast of characters, good acting, and coherent story. Although, I must say, it's not necessarily that this show is elusive or confusing but sometimes I felt like I wasn't picking up clues or subtext that I would in a different show, so idk what's up with that. I liked the concept of the calligraphy and the "obsession" where these weren't like actual ghosts but beings that were borne from obsession. I didn't really ship Yiyong and Guangyan romantically, though I thought that I would, but I liked their friendship alongwith Chuying; they're a fun trio and the characters well-realized. I will however likely not think about this show and also it was boring/repetitive sometimes.

Also Appears In: Oh No! Here Comes Trouble Live Blogging, June 2024 Wrap-Up

The Good Bad Mother

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Apr 26, 2023 - Jun 8, 2023

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Via: iQiyi (so, ;>)

Watch Dates: Apr 1 - 3, 2024 (#33)

Rating: 7/10

Overall Impression: Lee Dohyun <3 My reason for watching but the show is bigger than just him. It was so addictive and entertaining, watched the whole show in like 2 days and 2 hours. Impressed by the acting of Lee Dohyun and the mother and Mijoo's actors. The show was mostly about the mother and son relationship, with the revenge plot + the Mijoo/Kangho romance arcs in the background. I deeply wish that Kangho hadn't apparently forever loved and understood his mother and did everything for her and sang her favourite song while studying for the Bar or whatever. He went low-contact with her in Seoul even before he discovered the stuff that made him break up with Mijoo, so I think the reasons behind that and the hurt and betrayal that caused him to take such an action should have been focused on more. We got fleeting moments of him being angry or her saying she's bad but it was all explained away or he understood or whatever. Anyway, idk, I think if that relationship was more clear + the ending of the revenge arc was more solid, I would've rated it higher because I did enjoy this but some things bothered me significantly.

Also Appears In: The Good Bad Mother Live Blogging,  April 2024 Wrap-Up

Bloodhounds

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jun 9, 2023

Watch Via: Netflix, so :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: June 10 (#15)

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: Good enough, especially the heart of episode 6 but not something I'll be thinking about at all. The characters didn't resonate a whole lot, this focused a lot on just fighting scenes (more than like strategizing, being clever, etc, which is usually what I'm a fan of), the defeat of the villains wasn't really satisfying at all - especially with how cruel episode 6 went down. Also, I don’t ship Geonwoo and Woojin, sadly.

tags: bloodhounds

Live Blogging: Bloodhounds Live Blogging, June 2023 Wrap-Up

When I Fly Towards You 

Country: China

Release Dates: Jun 13, 2023 - Jun 29, 2023

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Via: Youtube

Watch Dates: Mar 13 - 19, 2024 (#29)

Rating: 6.5/10 [May 12, 2024 Update: Decreased by 0.5 stars when rerating shows I've watched in 2024: 7 -> 6.5]

Initial Impression: Saw this Tiktok edit while going through an account for TeeWhite (DFF) edits and the most popular Tiktok of this show made me wanna watch + this one like omg idk why I’m so excited to see him get jealous/grovel I don’t know this man. It also has a really high rating like 9/10 on MDL. Okay wait I saw this (pretend crush) on a reel before, I didn’t know this was from the same drama, no wonder the name seemed familiar.

Overall Impression: This was so cute, I liked the characters and their characterizations, the friend group, and their romance. I liked how they were mutually helping each other achieve their goals and paths in life. It was just cute. They had a 1 year long-distance thing in the middle where they were obviously sad but they got through it. I like that they trusted each other and liked each other and were nice to each other. Love that so much of this was them while in a relationship! Their high school undefined situation, then relationship while in uni and jobs and getting married. I love an established relationship situation and this delivered. They got through situations together, no unnecessary breakup or miscommunication. It's just good and cute and endearing.

tags: when i fly towards you

Also Appears In: When I Fly Towards You Live Blogging, March 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Enigma

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Aug 4 - 5, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV Youtube

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Aug 7 - 8, 2023 (#18)

Rating: 6.5/10

Initial Impression: school themed horror? Could be cool and interesting if they have a good script and good production and one of the only non-queer GMMTV 2023 shows I’m looking forward to

Overall Impression: I wish the wrap-up/ending was done better/explained a bit more like what was that Ajin possession thing? No Ajin past? Why did we redeem mother so easily? Who was the blurry girl in ep 1 (maybe Yiwha?)? I wish the horror aspect continued on cuz I think it was strongest in the first episode but not much after that. It's had me hetshipping and lesbian shipping (Fa/Namsine were literally soooo) and that's a good mark. Good after credits scene to pique interest for a larger story, hope we get a good follow up next year.

tags: enigma

Live Blogging: Enigma Live Blogging, July - November 2023 Wrap-Up

The Worst of Evil

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Sep 27, 2023 - Oct 25, 2023

Watch Via: ;>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: June 21 - 22, 2024 (#41)

Rating: 7.5/10

Initial Impression: Wi Hajoon, police drama. It’s in a lot of people’s 2023 favourites lists and it seems like a show I’d be into based on genre

Overall: Surprised even myself by binging this in 24 hours (10am-10am June 21-22) when I was planning on watching ~3eps/day for 4 days. Intense, interesting, engaging, exciting, thrilling. How fun. It made me feel like when I had just started watching k-dramas or thrillers, and everything was exciting and I'd just watch it for hours on end. Knew Wi Hajoon is in this (the guy who really had me getting into watching shows and dramas). I wasn't on anybody's side - I knew/suspected the cops and Seungho would win because that's just the kind of story but I wanted more and better from each side, I wanted them to be clever and to outsmart each other. When Gicheol did something clever, I was excited and when Seungho did something clever, I was equally excited. I pity Gicheol, he really only had Seungho and Euijeong left at the end but they both were conspiring against him. But Seungho was right that Gicheol didn't need to do all this, it's an excuse, and it's not surprising that others turned their back on him. Enjoyed Seungho-Junmo constantly pushing farther and doing too much just to keep his cover and have the investigation continue. I liked the main romance at the beginning but it makes sense that they divorced or stopped being together after that mission. Euijeong was underutilized, underwritten, and ultimately not very useful, I wish she was more involved. Miss Lee was so good, she played the spoiled and love-sick fool who still had bite and resources and power well, and I enjoyed her with Seungho. The ending was fitting. I'm curious about whether I will remember this show or think about it later on since I binged it so quickly and didn't develop emotional connection with the characters despite finding them interesting and being invested in the plot.

tags: the worst of evil

Also Appears In: The Worst of Evil Live Blogging, June 2024 Wrap-Up

Twinkling Watermelon

Country: South Korea

Release Dates:  Sep 25, 2023 - Nov 14, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 19 - 22, 2024 (#25)

Rating: 7.5/10

Initial Impression: same reason as My Perfect Stranger (Saw this Tiktok (Twinkling Watermelon x My Perfect Stranger) and ended up watching a few more and idk, it reminds me of 18 Again somehow with like younger version and family stuff), it's also in the same tiktok, and it seemed to be very popular among the kdramas this year

Overall Impression: I'm fucking obsessed with this sort of concept: Parent and child being the same teenage age through some magical concept. It's got a good storyline, hilarious yet touching. I was afraid that they'd make Yi Chan's hearing come back but I'm glad it didn't; it's just something that has to happen to him for no reason the way these things just happen sometimes. The characters were well-crafted and the acting was great. Kinda slow paced, there were certain episodes where I was like nothing really happened, but I guess that's the point of the slice of life aspect in some cases; just watching the characters exist alone and together.I was into the ChCh romance from the get-go and thought they were sooo cute whereas EunEun were a more fun menace pair who I just liked to watch fighting before it gradually became a couple I shipped Very Much. Also, a shoutout to my Se Kyeong (OG, not Eun Yoo) and Chung Ah ship, I can't believe Se Kyeong's first love was her husband instead of Chung Ah. A well-crafted show, good acting, hit some feels and I expect some attachment to it (I'm rewatching and skimming certain parts as I write lol).

tags: twinkling watermelon

Also Appears In: Twinkling Watermelon Live Blogging, January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

Death's Game Part 1

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Dec 15, 2023

Watch Via: paid, so :>

Status: ✅ Watched

Watch Dates: Jan 29, 2024 (#27)

Rating: 7/10

Initial Impression: Hadn't heard much about it until I saw Pocha Playlist podcast covering it but I didn't listen to that episode. Then I find out that Lee Dohyun plays a (reincarnation) character in it and now I'm like hmm maybe + the rating and reception seems really good on MDL.

Overall Impression: Weird to rate just this half-show 4 episodes but really good and interesting, I'm enjoying it a lot. My favourite eps are eps 2 and 4, they balanced a good amount of heart with excitement (for ep 2) and plot progression/answers (ep 4 + ofc Lee Dohyun my initial reason for checking out the show). The 18 Again characters/actors are haunting me with this fr.

tags: death's game

Also Appears In: Death's Game Live Blogging, January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

To Watch:

My Perfect Stranger (Kor - June 20) - Saw this Tiktok (Twinkling Watermelon x My Perfect Stranger) and ended up watching a few more and idk, it reminds me of 18 Again somehow with like younger version and family stuff

Ranking of Watched: 14

Twinkling Watermelon = The Worst of Evil

Death’s Game Part 1 = The Good Bad Mother

Midnight Motel = Bloodhounds = Enigma = When I Fly Towards You = Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

Island Part 1 = Dirty Laundry

Island Part 2 = Midnight Museum = Prom Pact

Watched in 2023: 7

Watched in 2024: 7

Releasing

To Be Released

2023 GMMTV Shows: 

Kdramas mentioned in Certified Noonas 2023 Releases: Murder DIEary (the synopsis is cool and the director is the same as Strangers From Hell but I’m looking at the MDL again and 2024? D: why so far but someone on comments has also been saying that the filming ended recently - Mar 25 - and it can still come out this year)

Lost Interest

Till the World Ends (Thai - Jan 7)

Initial Impression: it’s an end of the world BL and people who watched it enjoyed it, so I’ll try to give it a watch

Removal Date: Feb 01, 2023

Lost Interest: I’ve started watching non-BL/non-webseries kdramas, so I think I’d just rather watch the kdramas with cool concepts and higher quality than meh quality BLs even if it has a unique plot for a BL

609 Bedtime Story (Thai - Feb 3)

Initial Impression: OhmFluke directed by P’Golf (director of The Eclipse) and it’s parallel universes, sci-fi and has 2 endings, seems cool!

Removal Date: Feb 03, 2023

Lost Interest: I’ve started watching non-BL/non-webseries kdramas, so I think I’d just rather watch the kdramas with cool concepts and higher quality than meh quality BLs even if it has a unique plot for a BL. Everybody’s really confused about it too and I don’t care enough

Moments of Love (Thai - Feb 14)

Initial Impression: I don’t actually know what this is about but I saw a gif of SmartJames shotgunning and yeah, I’ll probably watch it. + it’s a movie with Fort, SmartJames, directed by P’Golf, so not much of a time sink and I’ll get to see some people I’ve watched before

Removal Date: Mar 19, 2023

I forgot this even existed tbh but I was adding Laws of Attraction and The Sign to my anticipated list and was like oh? anyway, the movie has a low rating on MDL and apparently all the couples end sadly. After LeonPob, don’t want another SmartJames sad ending tbh even though the shotgunning was hot

Joseon Attorney: A Morality

Initial Impression: was mentioned in Certified Noonas 2023 Releases and it seemed interesting

Removal Date: May 20, 2023 - the day finale aired

Lost Interest: seems like everybody is disappointed by the ending and said the middle/end is bad so rip

Show Me Love 

Initial Impression: Another GL! This time it’s characters who are in the beauty pageant industry played by beauty pageant contestants.

Removal date: June 6, 2023

Lost Interest: heard that it’s not really good or interesting/well-crafted + it’s behind a paywall. good longer GLs whennn

GAP (Thai - Feb 18)

Initial Impression: GL, the gifs of them from Secret Crush on You is <3, i’m shallow and they’re pretty, (one-sided?) enemies to lover? i don’t know but i’m hyped for it, one of my most anticipated

Removal Date: June 2023

Lost Interest: man I was really looking forward to this but ik people say it’s overdramatic and messy by the end and I don’t feel like it

Home School

Initial Impression: first in 2022 and Finally, I think this is the last of the GMMTV 2022 batch and I hope it’s really great. Releasing twice a week, so I also won’t have to wait 3 months to watch it

Removal Date: Aug 5, 2023

Lost Interest: I’ve heard it’s bad lol rip

Middle Man’s Love

Initial Impression: Domundi: Middleman’s Love (TutorYim~ excited). The 2023 showcase happened and the premises for some of these are really good (ZeeNuNew’s prince/bodyguard drama, MaxNat parallel worlds(?), NetJames historical and time travel(?), so I hope the execution is good as well. Haven’t watched mock teasers except for Bed Friend and the ZeeNuNew one, wonder when these will acc come out. Gonna watched teasers (+ showcase in general) after the shows actually come out

Removal Date: Jan 4, 2024

Lost Interest: everybody says it was bad, which is tragic. Still willing to try out ZeeNunew The Next Prince if it turns out well

Shadow

Initial Impression: has a stacked cast and may or may not be BL (but I think it’s been mentioned that it has queer characters for sure)

Removal Date: Jan 4, 2024

Lost Interest: I heard the first half was really good, not sure about the second half but apparently it’s not BL. maybe i’ll add it back if someone says it’s way too good to pass up

[0nho]

A new year has arrived, but really you could tell me 2020-2022 was around six months+ and I'd believe it. Hey just say the last decade as more like 4 to 5 years tops and I could say it feels like it huh. I even got covid late this summer and was the sickest I'd been in probably twenty years.

My concept of time is like when being a kid but backwards, since time felt so slow as a kid. I don't know where all the time went now.

My health is worse and on decline, so my energy is up and down, moslty down, and creativity with it, and the last year I lost what was little bit of sliver left of muse/inspiration, because it felt like if maybe it was for one person I could still pull something together and now with it just myself it's difficult to care, so endless wips sit for weeks, months, just opening files for notes or a few tweaks, be it writing or artwork. If something doesn't get finished it probably hasn't been posted anyway. I have a piece of art I finished almost two years ago and now it just seems too late.

It's been around six months since I've spoken to people outside of my home or situation that required it, but feels more like a year, so I'm honestly not sure how to communicate with people anymore. I just make statements and flee the scene. It's been something else dealing with the sense of purpose things like a following on social media can give and then dries up whether or not you're ready for it. I don't even know what's going on anymore, in terms of what's fun what's fandoms what's communities, besides many things I once loved being dragged though mud due to this bizarre moment in time.

Anyway, 2023 is year of the rabbit which is my sign. I've been joking to myself it's the year of me, my time has come, but enough unpleasant stuff in the recent years and knowing some to soon come, I lost my optimism a long time ago.

I do got some new year art I want to actually finish and post this year. I got all my ducks in a row with ideas and refs yet still I failed to get it out on time. Dec isn't a great month to want to drop multiple art for the holidays if you're me. Still on the lineart.

I don't know who still hangs out here or would read a lot of rambling by elderly internet people, but happy new year, maybe it will be kind to some of us. I have writings and artworks I want to share but everything is wip and I can't make promises anymore.