#plus there’s SO many good songs in ep 2

[mavenbeeee]

the amount of times i’ve started rewatching a show then didn’t finish so i’ve seen the first episode of 500 different shows 500 times is crazy

[valenshawke]

6 albums I’ve been listening to a lot lately! Plus one track from each that I’m especially fond of.

I was tagged by @captainhunnicutt. Thank you!

The Mandrake Project - Bruce Dickinson - "Many Doors to Hell"

I waited 18 god damn years for this album. And while Iron Maiden has released four albums in that time period, I'm actually a bigger fan of Bruce's solo material. This song in particular does hit on a lot of things I liked to write about around the time his last solo album was released. A vampire who wants to be human again. Not quite, but I did (and do I guess) like to explore the blessing and the curse of being a vampire.

Vessels - Starset - "Telepathic" & "Telepathic (Acoustic Version)"

Starset was the band @telekinetic-issue recommended to me after I recommended Ghost. So the great music exchange of 2022 led to, what is currently, my favorite Starset album. This song hit very close to me I listened to it obsessively as it very much captured my feelings towards my former best friend, before I finally managed to let that friendship go finally even though we hadn't really spoken since 2015.

72 Seasons - Metallica - "Lux Æterna"

Probably the first Metallica album since, uh, forever where I truly feel like they band tried to put out a quality song every track (don't argue with me about Load & ReLoad, there was ONE solid album if they made better track selections and had a bit tighter arrangement). As for "Lux Æterna," it's one of those pick-me-up songs that motivates me to try to get my life together.

Infestissumam - Ghost - "Year Zero"

In terms of album, it was this for Prequelle, Meliora, Impera. Impera, burned out listening to and absolutely hate one song on that album. Meliora benefits by having the Popestar EP on it, and thus having "Square Hammer." Prequelle has "Faith" and "Miasma"/"Dance Macabre" (you really need to listen to these two tracks back-to-back), and "Witch Image."

Infestissumam I listen to the most and regularly since it has my all-time favorite Ghost song, "Year Zero" and the "band" at this time was more focused on using religious imagery in such a dark way that hits the bitter ex-Catholic heart of mine in such a way that no other band can.

Once - Nightwish - "Planet Hell"

Tarja's last album with the band. Probably their last great album (no disrespect to Anette Olzon, Dark Passion Play and Imaginaerum were good albums). But a song about the contradictory nature of humanity and the notion that hell is really simply planet Earth? Yeah, that's a song for me.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex OST + - Yoko Kanno - "Lithium Flower"

Yes, I'm trash. I know this. I'm Tumblr. I came to Tumblr because of anime and manga. But this song is just 1. Amazing. 2. And based solely on one line, it's like the character song for my blorbo. But Yoko Kanno is one of those composers where, once you hear her work, you just bow to her brilliance. Her mixing of styles and finding singers to fit whatever vision she has is nothing short of amazing. But this song is one of those that when it comes on, just don't bother me because I will ignore everything to listen to the song in full.

And I'm no-pressure-tagging: @beardedladyqueen, @spoczkot, @anisaanisa, @albatrossisland, @connie-rubirosa, @byronicbi, @transgalvantula plus anyone else that wants to do this!

[absolutebl]

This week in BL - Gay Boy Turf Wars Galore!

Also, ALL the guest couples: TutorYim & MacNat showed up in Korea. Korea also reused the Love Class pair. And Wayne Song & Huang Chun Chih (H3:MODC) popped up AGAIN. (To be fair, when does Wayne not show up in a Taiwanese BL?)

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized by favs in each category. No numbered lists anymore, tumblr be buggn'.

Aug 2023 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 7 of 8 - Plot reveals galore + all the penultimate tension we could want. (How many different kinds of smiles does Film have in his arsenal?) OMG I LOVE the unhinged idiot bloody tattooed ex bf - intro music and all. He is my precious psycho-bunny-snookums. Also Tinn, baby-boy, communicating about your honest feelings in a BL? What madness is this? I sense doom incoming. Smart Chan, always tell him he’s better in bed than your ex. The sides getting caught! Noooooo. I mean we knew it would happen but still noooooooo! 

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Sat YT) ep 2 of 12 - I like the surreal slip-stream dream-sequence openings. Is it a cerebral examination of temporal paradox or just designed to creep us out? The pace has picked up a bit and I'm delighted that external threat, stressors, and conflict are driving this plot. Refreshing. I love historicals - every touch and action can have such lingering significance, it’s very elegant. Thai BLs can often feel clumsy but not this one. I’m really enjoying it. 

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - Sailom is great. I love a smartass who’s actually really smart, reminds me of Bai Luo Yin in Addicted. (The real Addicted.) Never a bad thing. Kang is nasty bit of business, I look forward to his redemption arc. I love his grandma. (BL is giving good grandma right now.) Nicely executed narrative twist into sympathy too: rich kid sees how rough life really is. The complexity of character depth needed for this script makes me so happy it's Perth & Chimon, they both have such expressive nuanced faces.

I do keep wanting to rewatch LBC tho. 

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 3 of 10 - It remains a blast. Boston is king of red flags, cutting down Ray because he is the easiest punching bag? Going after his friend's bf just to prove he can? No thank you. I know Ray is lovely when he’s soft but danger zone, Sand. Be careful upon entering a minefield, every little step forward may cause an explosion. I don’t think being master of snark is gonna help you avoid getting blown up.

Sand is the one I feel the worst for - bi guy strays into cesspit of gay toxicity. He ain’t gonna make it out alive.  

Hidden Agenda (Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 7 of 10 - The boyfriends date ep! Zo’s past explains a lot about his behavior. Flirty Zo is v dangerous to all our hearts. Nice kiss. Poor Joke. Meanwhile, the side couple gave good kiss too! However, why is Title playing the bad guy again? Did GMMTV bring him in just to be resident jerk face in all their BL? Makes me sad.

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 8 of 12 - This should be a 8 or 10 ep show, 12 is too many. I think I just don’t like the lead couple's character dynamic and personalities. (No shade on JaFirst.) Side couple went startlingly high heat allasudden. And while their sex scene was good, I wish Daddy and the Hot Doc were being given a lot more script, screen time, and character dev. Sigh. I guess I just wish they were the mains and the others were the sides.

Can't have everything, I suppose.  

Wedding Plan (Wed YT & iQIYI) ep 6 of 7 - Nuea is a saint and next week everything comes to a head (that didn’t already get head this episode). Trash watch here!

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - The side couple is everything. They are so cute and my favorite trope. Plus hugs with neck kisses! I love big brother using his adorable boyfriend to try and help his annoying little brother’s business. It���s just perfect. Unfortunately, that annoying little brother, is too fucking annoying. I remain largely unable to watch the main story arc. 

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) 1 of 24 eps - Sampler pack BL, 12 pairs, each pair gets 2 eps, so this show will run all the way into 2024.

First installment is Casanova Begins. Dead boy wakes up in his enemy’s body, 2 years after his own death. Has to make things right with the boyfriend who thinks he was abandoned. Everyone has secrets. No one can be trusted. And the dead kid can never tell anyone who he really is. It’s … different? Unique take on the My Ghost Boyfriend trope.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 6 of 8 - Random moment of TutorYim. Hi cuties. Simon is my favorite, I love him and his flirty irreverent ways.

Who does he actually like?

Or is he just flirting with everyone?

Can he have a crush on anyone but himself?

He’s a house cat among the pigeons. Clearly wouldn't know what to do with the bird if he managed to catch it. Or would he?

The 4 boys dodging around each other and re-shuffling is so funny. I can’t tell you how delighted this show makes me. I do feel sorry for Lee Jun, he’s just the toy everyone wants to play with. I understand his frustration, do any of them really want him or is it all because the others are interested? Kiss! Yay! Good kiss! Even more yay! 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - Poor baby doesn’t think he’s good enough and is holding JC back. They are THE CUTEST BOYFRIENDS. It hurts. The sappy. 

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 13(?) - From screenwriter Lin Pei Yu (We Best Love, H3: Trapped) formerly known as Miracle, features a student doctor forced to take care of a gangster. I love the premise and like the writer. This one could be sad. Never forget Taiwan will go there.

Shall we get tucked in?

Gay boy turf wars! Main couple is cute. Sunshine gangster (turns out to be a sweetie who cooks) meets broken brilliant tsundere student who wants to be a doctor. Side couple is the leader of the gang and his rabid Pet. Also, all praise the guest couple de jour (baddies). Nice to see you 2... again. All actors are clearly having a blast with this script.

Triggers for knife play, child abuse, lingering trauma. 

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 5-6 of 10 - Aw guest couple from Love Class original, that is very sweet. The tutor and returning student, aka couple 3, are the best. So funny. But the whole thing remains engaging in a messy way.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - Oh, it’s very odd. Certainly a lot more comprehensible if you've already watched the Thai version. As with that version, I still dislike the SaifahZon couple and love the FighterTutor couple. And once again I hate the weird IRL shipping sister. HATE HER. I’m not mad at the "Man who Fell into the World of BL" overtones but I wish they went at it more intentionally. (They’re not using NPC the way I would, are they? Cause that’s hella cruel.) MaxNat are fun. I love that Fighter went to his girlfriend's birthday party, didn’t even say hi to her, picked up her drunk bestie, and took him home.

This show is WILD. It’s very Korea tries to do a Thai BL. And, I gotta say, I kind of like the absurdity of the whole scheme. Do I think it will ultimately "work" as a stand alone piece? No. But as a very odd kind of parody? Sure.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 7 of 12 - Truth always comes out in hot springs. It's a rule of life. Coming clean is coming clean, I suppose. Still, moving very slowly for me and I need sake to get through this season. It's certainly suffering from sophomore slump.

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) ep 4 of 5 - Sad episode is sad. 

In case you missed it

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - didn't air this week

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 eps - Didn’t drop this week? MDL thinks it should have. Everyone is confused. But also… who cares? 

Low Frequency (Thai iQIYI) Finished it's run - NO SINGING as flirty boyfriends they very cute actually, but this final ep was V E R Y slow.

All in all this was not a great show. Classic pulp with an interesting twist on “ghost boyfriend investigates his own not-murder” but ultimately not very good in any arena. 6/10 Only if you have nothing better to do. 

Sing My Crush (Korea iQIYI) Finished it's rerun

This a cute coming of age drama around music and 2 kinds of self acceptance and actualization journeys. This was basically Korea’s version of About Youth, and was perhaps a bit too soft and ungrounded by comparison, like a marshmallow sculpture. Sweet but somewhat lacking in discernible flavor. Inoffensively unmemorable. 8/10 RECOMMENDED especially if you enjoy KBL's style

8/24 Man Suang (Thailand movie, domestic cinema release) - historical drama about Thai burlesque with KP’s MileApo. Do I know where to get it? Nope. Do I care? Nope.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming September

I have 4 on my radar:

9/2 Naughty Babe (Thailand Sat ????) - MaxNat back on our screens. We think iQIYI but aren't confident.

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan ????) - it's taking over from Stay By My Side so likely Gaga. Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/?? Venus in the Sky (Thai iQIYI) 10 eps - ????

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

No you aren't, Lom. You don't even know what that means. (Wedding Plan)

Minato comes out to the best person.

Trope spotlight! (Low Frequency)

I Fell You Linger in the Air

So true. (Only Friends)

I love them so much, as @heretherebedork would put it, Tiny Idiots!

(Last week) 

Gotta say I am hating this new UI so much I'm not bothering to tag with shows. We shall see what that does for ROI.

[ephysalis]

My friend and I just finished our rewatch of Star Trek: TOS. What a fun, fun trip it was.

Purely for my own enjoyment, here are the 10 Star Trek: TOS episodes I liked the most. Heavily steeped in my love of retro cheese and B-Movies.

10. Arena

The Kirk vs A Lizard episode. The rocks are very obviously foam, the fight choreography is peak Trek and the lizardman wears a go-go dress lovingly crocheted by meemaw. At the end a bedazzled space twink shows up. A classic for a reason.

9. The Corbomite Maneuver

Structured like so many other Trek eps (ship gets in predicament, Kirk must pull a solution out of his ass in the 11th hour) but with great twist ending that blew my mind. Showcases Kirk's brand of cleverness very well.

8. Turnabout Intruder

The last episode of the series has a fascinating plot: one of Kirk's ex-girlfriends forcibly switches bodies with him. There's a lot of unfortunate gender discourse but if you decide to view the whole thing as a typically 60s trans allegory, it becomes fascinating. Spock recognizes the captain through a mind meld and defends him in court. Good times.

7. The Cloud Minders

The best episode of season 3 imo. Beautiful painted backgrounds and amazing retrofuturist interiors. The story is a really solid metaphor for classist oppression right until you learn the workers actually ARE violent and stupid because of some gas in the mines. Still loved it.

6. Operation: Annihilate!

The crew visits a planet decimated by alien parasites that look like flying rubber pancakes. Spock gets got and it's very tense and dramatic. Good Spirk vibes, plus I love it when my blorbos suffer.

5. The Way to Eden

The Enterprise picks up space hippies trying to find a fabled paradise planet. The costumes and songs are super enjoyable. A shining example of an ep that was probably extremely cringe back when it aired but has aged like a fine, campy wine.

4. The City on the Edge of Forever

Ok this one isn't underrated, everyone knows it's good and they're correct. Kirk and Spock get stuck in the past together and it manages to be incredibly gay despite Kirk literally dating a woman. Excellent story. Spock wears a beanie.

3. The Trouble with Tribbles

Another one where I agree with the general sentiment: it's silly and fun and I will never tire of seeing Shatner buried in furry little potatoes. The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" is a hilarious sequel.

2. Amok Time

The Spirk episode that started it all, featuring a fascinating look into the mix of uptight decorum and violent heritage that makes Vulcan culture so compelling. I did particularly enjoy the extremely awkward conversation between Kirk and Spock about "Vulcan biology" at the beginning. "It happens to the birds and the bees..."

1. The Devil in the Dark

Shatner's favorite ep and also mine. The acting is on point and seeing Spock yell "JIM!" with obvious concern on his face is just 👌🏻. I love the retro cheesiness of the paper mache caverns and the alien who looks like a lasagna; I love how testy Bones is about having to do first aid on said lasagna; I love the horror-like story structure and overarching message about understanding others. 100/10.

[iguessitsjustme]

The On1y One Ep 1 Thoughts

This show won my liveblog poll so here I am. I am dead tired and brain fried from work and procrastinating cleaning my apartment (I have until Friday when my mom is visiting…well kind of visiting? She’s here on business. Sort of. That business is a charity walk. I’m getting off topic). I’ve heard nothing but good things about this show so my expectations are high. I don’t actually know anything about this show except that it’s good. As always, under the cut:

Wait, wait. I can’t start yet. I need my song to finish. God the FMA Brotherhood soundtrack goes so hard. God bless.

Y’all will not believe how many people at once have just walked into my building to be LOUD in a row. I am TRYING to start this show god damn.

Okay already obsessed with this soundtrack.

I already love Jiang Tian. Took 2 seconds. This surprises no one.

Even this tiny little height difference makes me very happy. More of this.

The fact that Wang stopped Jiang Tian from leaving just so he could leave first? Comedy gold. I love him.

How often has this poor baby’s dad actually talked to him about his late mother? How often has he talked to him about his new wife(?)...significant other? How often does this poor baby’s father tell him anything at all? Or does he just move him around and expect him to behave and get good grades and be silent don’t cause trouble? As someone who spent a good chunk of my childhood moving a lot, that affects a person in unexpected ways. I had a good support system and loving family and I’m still a little messed up from it. What does this poor baby have? Does he have any adult he can talk to about anything?

Well, obviously I’m obsessed.

I want this boy to beat Jiang Tian in the test so bad. Just for fun. Plus I like that they’re showing he is smart but he still needs to study and he works hard.

Okay so he didn’t do better than Jiang Tian but I’ll settle for this. His hard work wasn’t for nothing. That cram session really came in clutch.

GLASSES SPOTTED *makes note*

Holy shit look at this little guy. I need to pet this cat. I need to pet this cat RIGHT NOW.

Okay yeah I’m obsessed with this show now. Unfortunately, I do have to work tomorrow and also probably can’t watch tomorrow but I am excited to keep watching this. It’s everything I want and need.

[anneboleyns-wife]

Guys, I feel the need to say these because there are some ppl who sympathetize a certain antagonist so much that they put the blame on other characters.

1. Lucifer destroyed humanity for "shits and giggles".

First of all, this statement is so fucking stupid. Did we watch the same show? Lucifer gave the apple to Eve to share the gift of free-will to her. Even if let's say the book at the start is completely wrong, the way Lucifer behaves shows that he does regret what he did. If he truly wanted to destroy humanity because he was "jealous" or fuck it, even "bored" why would he regret it?

He destroyed God's plans and if he truly wanted to do that, why would he say "These sinners are using the gift I gave them wrong." ? This alone shows that what Lucifer did was a mistake on his part. A big mistake, but you can't look me in the eye and tell me that it was okay to send him down to Hell for an whole eternity?

Trust me when I say this, if Lucifer knew that the apple contained Roo he wouldn't even give the apple. His thought process was "If I give this apple to Eve, she will be free and choose for herself." I am stand by this fact, Lucifer did not have ulterior motives with the whole apple incident.

Now, some might say "He is putting on an act in front Charlie!". And you abse this on what? He genuinely sounded sorry, and during the More than Anything song, he said "I don't want you to be crushed by them like I was.". If this isn't enough proof that he isn't in fact putting on an act, I don't know what to tell you. He is scared of Heaven, he is fucking traumatized and it surprises me to see so many people putting all the blame on him.

2. Adam is Innocent and Got Wronged by Women

This is just victim blaming. Again there is no proof that Adam wasn't abusive, the way he acts in the series just shows us that he is misogynistic and a jerk. He was a victim of the system too I'll admit. And I personally believe that only Eve ate the apple because why wouldn't the book at the start of ep 1 mention it?

He was spoiled by Heaven and he was never held accountable for his actions. Heaven never tried to fix his behavior, they just changed things up to appease him, which caused him to become a narcissist. We have no proof that Adam wasn't a toxic husband towards Lilith and by saying that it's Lilith's fault that Adam ended up like this is a wrong statement. It's just pure victim blaming.

You may think that Lilith won't be a good person, but again we don't have a proof of that! We aren't even sure that the woman on the beach is Lilith (there is like a lot of appearance differences between the Lilith we saw on the beach and the Lilith we saw on the family pictures).

. Conclusion

Hazbin is loosely based off of the bible. You can go ahead and create AUs where Lucifer is the bad guy, but I personally think that Lucifer has better morals than Adam. (Plus, Lucifer is Viv's favorite if you need a reminder) So I don't think there is gonna be a wild plot twist about the book at the start (at least for Lucifer's part.) Thank you all for reading this.

[meat-wentz]

FOB LORE POST Pt. 2

this one is mainly links, plus resources at the end for more in depth dives.

some cool pre-fob/outside fob links:

arma angelus livejournal

where sleeplessness is rest from nightmares (arma album playlist, heychris is working at the moment to get these on spotify)

the grave end of the shovel (arma EP)

last arma show

first novena show (pre-arma arma angelus)

racetraitor "broken dust" ft. a young pete and a young andy

another one

racetraitor 2019

racetraitor 2022

interview with mani mostofi 2018

now some general lore, i'll bold the ones that are referenced most often:

"The Story" 2004 (from My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue dvd)

"Cutting Room Floor" (LOTS of classic moments in this, joe sleeping in a cage, patrick drinking garlic butter, dunking his head in a pool, getting nervous and shaking pete's hand, etc)

extra bits sorry this literally opens with a dirty toilet

the story behind the album cover (patrick, joe and pete all lived in a shitty apartment together, where the cover of tttyg was shot on their broken couch, i promise this link is so much more informative these are just the basics)

take this to your apartment pt. 1 (fall out boy return to the apartment)

take this to your apartment pt. 2

a little reflection on the van accident

notes between patrick and joe (resolution by pete)

patrick in high school

first interview

HALLOWEEN 2003 (THE PRIEST SHOW)

the hollister show (includes pete jumping off the roof with an umbrella, van tour, andy "what's goin' on guys" which is important TO ME)

2003 acoustic set (IMPORTANT TO ME)

the hollister show pt. 2 (the show, which is fucking insane, sweater, shorts and black socks mention, borders mention, patrick drinking half a bottle of tobasco, pete getting tazed, first ??? mention of jason which will be expanded upon later)

i'm not putting release the bats lmao that's your job, warning it's gross, it's a will-tester for sure.

but you do get bedussey, it's like, on the syllabus. there will be a test.

FOBR bio during futct

the jason interview

patrick and pete interview for the documentary bastards of young (2005)

behind the scenes AOL

TRL debut

nintendo ds makes me forget that i don't have any friends

mtv vma performance of sugar (iconic because of the uniforms)

mtv2 video awards arrival

mtv2 win

warped diary (fob did warped in a fucking van, which is hardcore af)

behind the scenes sugar we're going down

behind the scenes dance dance

behind the scenes a little less 16 candles

fuse rock star guide (IMPORTANT TO ME)

you look good in everything honey

behind the scenes live in phoenix

don't google yourself

you look like the unabomber

wind power

fall out boy gets uncomfortable

pete's do's and don'ts for valentine's day

moustachette

world's most in depth interview

gabe bothering patrick with socks and sandals

piss roulette

IMPORTANT PATRICK VIDEO TO ME (black clouds and underdogs tour)

gay above the belt

it's not a hot girl

the backpack

mark hoppus shaves pete's head (death of emo)

drum battle and this view of patrick

andy drum solo (live in phoenix)

thanks pete

boys of zummer

happy paintings

coffee's for closers dance

YBC commentary by patrick and pete

family feud

just a few reading extras because i'm tired and i've worked on this for so long i'm going crosseyed:

pete/patrick huge primer

interviews

what a catch donnie songfacts page

in defense of folie a deux

(btw patrick does a different song every intro for i hate myself, also it's very healing please listen to all 6 episodes)

Loud and Sad Radio (pete podcast)

@stumpomatic-blog and @fobomatic-blog are both archival projects to document the band

here's a giant video vault

peachy.stump on instagram, invaluable resource for updates, throwbacks and all the little tidbits you could want.

[lqtraintracks]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you @maesterchill @danpuff-ao3 and @nv-md for the tag! <333

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

314

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,295,054

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter is the big one. I've also written some Captive Prince, Locked Tomb, and one Call Me By Your Name fic

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Right Hand Red; Hung Like a Horntail; Slip Into My Lover's Hands; Weeds or Wildflowers (written with the very talented @unmistakablyoatmeal); and check this hand 'cause I'm marvelous

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try. I'm seriously behind. The truth is, I'll never get around to replying to them all. I will someday die with a thousand unanswered comments. But I do try. And I read each and every one and they touch my heart. I'm so very grateful for all the wonderful comments I've received and continue to receive!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oof. I hardly ever end things badly. But there was one wee ficlet; lemme go hunt it down. (*plays elevator music*) Ah, here it is: Not-Forever Is Still Forever. It's not MCD or anything. Draco just leaves for Argentina for two years. *shrug emoji* But I like to think I've gotten pretty good at baking some realistic angst into the middle of things, if not writing angty endings. I prefer it that way.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them except for Burning the Ground, which is an open ending. I'll be honest, I don't like the word fluff. I'm never trying to write fluff, which, to me, denotes a level of uncomplicated sweetness. Maybe others define it differently. But I don't think happy endings are necessarily fluffy. I want my happy endings to put tears in your eyes, to move you. I want to evoke different things with different sorts of happiness for different phases of life. RHR's ending is about a feeling of freedom mostly, of getting to face the next part of their lives without dread. Take You Home has a similar vibe but with them a bit older; they've experienced the painful and mundane disappointments you have to weather in this life that have nothing to do with fighting a dark wizard and everything to do with existential questions about who we are, how we go on, what do you do when it doesn't work out, when you've changed and you don't know who you are anymore. I loved ending it with all their friends, at a march for trans rights. Heart Like Neon has an ending that makes *me* the most happy. I modeled it after an episode of Grey's Anatomy where you find out at the end of the ep that two important characters got married. The whole ep, none of their friends know, then at the end they play 'Bones' by Josh Record, and you go back in time by a few weeks and you see it. When I wrote the end of HLN, I had that song playing in my head from the end of the party at the Weasley's, to jumping three months earlier, to Harry and Draco in Paris. That's a pretty goddamned happy ending. It makes me cry. <3 (Also the art that @bluebutter-art made for it makes me bawl happy tears!!!)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I was going to say hardly ever but then I *just* got some last week! LOL. Still, I'm very lucky that it's not even once in a blue moon. That stuff is so arbitrary too. I'm going to quote my good friend @elrhiarhodan: People... they're fuckin nuts. :D

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

LOL yes. A lot of different kinds? I want to try a little of everything as a writer.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No. I mean, I probably have a couple times over the course of my literal decades in some fandom or other, but they're not worth noting.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, several, and into multiple languages. I think that's so cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Definitely! In HP I've written with sdk, @the-starryknight and @nv-md, plus I once did a wild round robin with a big group of people. I'm not good at round robins, I've realized. Too much of a control freak.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Drarry, totally. But right up there is Harry/Teddy and Harry/Teddy/Draco. Then Ginny/Pansy, Charlie/Teddy, James Sirius/Albus Severus (with Teddy too sometimes). In CaPri, I love Damen/Laurent, but @linecrosser had totally made me ship when Damen lends Laurent out to Nikandros for a threesome and also Auguste/Laurent. I also hardcore ship my own original characters from my novel. <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don't do WiPs really.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Oof, this is tough. Pacing? Interpersonal relationships? Smut, for sure. LOL. I think I do well writing things that are transgressive or maybe even filthy with a lot of tenderness and compassion and deep, deep love mixed in. And I think I'm getting really good at making people cry when I want them to. Readers, that is. :D

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Convoluted plots. Can't do them. I wish I could. I can't write a mystery to save my life. I'm also pretty bad at heavy angst. I also wish I could write something nonlinear, but my brain just doesn't work that way.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

It's interesting that this is a question because it's meaningful to me not because of fic but because of my novel. I have a Spanish-speaking character, fluent in English, but sometimes he says things in Spanish. I'm very VERY lucky that @capiturecs read my novel both as a sensitivity reader for Latinx/Latine/Latino aspects but also to correct my Spanish and make it realistic and conversational! I'll be forever grateful! I also now really REALLY want to learn Spanish! <3

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Sorry, I don't share this publicly.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oh this is mean. This is cruel. I can't possibly answer this! RHR has got to be in there. Heart Like Neon. Blood and Fire. Phoenix in the Fire. Take You Home. Wonderful Electric (cover me in you). A Pain of Our Choosing. My Name in Your Mouth. Bloom. collarbones like a bow, skin an arrow to the heart. I'll stop there!

Okay, this was fun! I'll tag @corvuscrowned @ruinsplume @floydig @sweet-s0rr0w @lettersbyelise @magpiefngrl @skeptiquewrites and Elr! <3

[bomikalover]

What’s your favorite American Housewife episode? I can’t pick a favorite but I have a few fav episodes from every season.

I’ll do one a season because I love so many. And they might be less my favorite but more memorable to me (if you get what I’m saying)

⚠️SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVENT SEEN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE!!⚠️

Season 1, is Episode 12 “Surprise!” Because it was Oliver’s bday which is already special but it was also the first episode where we actually see and meet cooper for the first time. Baby Cooliver really makes my heart warm and seeing Oliver and his dad share a moment was super sweet.

Season 2, is between episodes 17 “All Coupled Up” and episode 19 “It’s Hard To Say Goodbye.” Ep 17 showed more cooliver but also showed Gina (Oliver’s gf at the time) and how Gina was making Oliver someone he isn’t. It gave us some lovely Cooper and Katie moments and it was when Anna-Kat made it “official” with Franklin. Plus we got some Trip and Taylor too so all together a jam packed episode. Ep 19 was when Spencer passed on and we got to see a more emotional Oliver and a more caring Katie. Katie and Oliver’s relationship is very complex as they have the most distant relationship out of all the Otto kids imo and this really showcased how much she truly cares about Oliver and his emotions.

Season 3, is also between 2 episodes. Ep 13 “Mo Money, Mo Problems” and Ep 23 “A Mom’s Parade.” Ep 13, was a fav for me since we saw Katie and Greg get some alone time but we also saw Cooliver and got some Taylor being a great big sis to Oliver so all in all a good episode. Ep 23 is good because I love music and musicals lol. I literally have all the songs on my Spotify playlist, “You Can Do You” is a certified bop. Katie’s voice was amazing and i honestly wished for a 2 hour musical special after that 😂

Season 4, is between 4 episodes (I literally can’t pick one 😭) Ep 6 “ Girls night out”, Ep 14 “A very English scandal”, Episode 19 “Vacation!”, and Episode 20 “Prom.” I liked ep 6 since we saw Cooper and Trip basically become permanent members of the family and the adorable scene of them recreating the picture will also be in the back of my mind. Ep 14 was when Oliver “came out” lol and we got see to see Oliver be who he truly wants to be (he just doesn’t realize it yet) and I loved how everyone thought it made sense and that Cooper was his boyfriend 😂. Plus the love story between Greg and Viv made my heart happy. Ep 19 was a breath of fresh air as it was actually shot outside and in LA which was nice. We got a Cooliver side storyline which ended in them agreeing that with Oliver’s family and Cooper’s money that they work perfectly together which made me so happy. Anna-Kat and Taylor had some bonding going on and I love to see it. Episode 20 was great, I’ll always love a prom/dance episode. I was sad that Oliver went to prom with the teen help line girl and not Cooper (especially since the teen help line girl ignores him next season 🙄.) but the little dance scene at the end was cut and that was the last episode with OG Anna-Kat 😭.

Season 5, is Ep 1 “Graduation”, Ep 3 “Coupling”, and Ep 4 “Homeschool Sweet Homeschool.” Ep 1 was great as we say Taylor graduated but we also saw that Cooper was moving away. Oliver was so sad and lost that entire episode at the thought of loosing his Cooper. But it made me so happy that Oliver had a heart to heart with Katie and in the end Cooper moved in with Oliver and the family. Ep 3, was so full of Cooper and Oliver acting like an old married couple and I loved it. Katie and Greg even joked about making them a sex basket like they gave Trip and Taylor. (Side note: I love how supportive Greg and Katie are of Oliver’s sexuality. LGBTQ+ or not, they love their son and just want him happy 🫶🏾.) Ep 4, once again full of Cooliver moving in together and having those married couple vibes.

Basically anything with Cooliver I loved which was a lot of episodes lol. Trip and Anna-Kat’s relationship was so precious to me as he was a second older brother to her and it warmed my heart. But anyway tysmmmm for asking me stuff and don’t be shy to ask more. 🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾

[edogawa-division]

Soon after the package from the Setagaya team appeared, two more packages appeared for the birthday girl in question, though one was slightly smaller than the other. Picking both up, she brought back in the house. Opening the smaller one first, her eyes grew wide as it was an... album cover. ...A death metal album, for that matter. Opening it up, she looked as it was made by, none other than, her favorite metal band, 86. On the back of the album was a note that said,

"Happy fuckin' birthday, kid! Hope you're having a hell of a good one. I figured I needed to pay you back for last year for my birthday, so I sent you an EP of some of the songs my band and I have been working on. Those songs aren't on the market yet, so don't go selling them off! Last thing I want to hear is these tracks on the Internet somewhere. I shouldn't be sending these to you, but I figured you deserved it for being one of our biggest fans. Hope you enjoy them!"

Signed,

Bloody "Fucking" Mary

Kanra smiled a toothy smile as she couldn't wait to play these songs later on. Putting the album off to the side, she turned to her other present and opened it up. Her eyes grew wide at what was inside the box. It was... a birthday cake. But not a regular cake. It was a cake made out of cupcakes! And they were arranged to spell out the number '18', signifying her age. On top of the box, a letter was addressed, which read:

"Happy Birthday, Kanra-chan! 😁I hope you are having a very good one, bestie! Sorry I sent this so late. This cupcakes took forever to get done! �� Plus, it was really hard not to eat one of them! They were so tempting! 😫 But I knew you'd probably not like it one of them was missing, so I stayed my hand and stomach! 😆 I really hope you enjoy them! And happy birthday again!"

Love,

Criss Hiromi, Paranormal Investigator

“Goodness, that's how many sweets you've eaten now?” Yuriko questioned. “Most people would be vomiting from consuming all that sugar.”

Kanra turned her head to face Yuriko, swallowing the cupcake in her mouth already having eaten close to half of the desserts Criss had sent her.

“It's so good tho besides eating all this cake is a good way for me to get all my calories in.”

“Kanra, if it wasn't for the fact that you need to consume 10x more calories than the average person, I'd worry about you'd become the walking poster for becoming a type 2 diabetic.”

“Ah, but you don't have to.” Kanra gleefully smiled, shoving another cupcake in her mouth.

“Alright enough.” Yuriko walked over and lifted the rest of the cupcakes out of Kanra's reach. “You need to consume something that isn't just a whole bunch of sugar.”

“Come on, Yuriko-san, let me finish them!” Kanra begged, reaching out and failing to grab the plate from her much taller adoptive mother's hand.

“No means no, Kanra.”

“Boooooo!”

[rockanroller]

It was Sam Miller the art director (background lead at the time) and one of Viv’s friend that said that the episodes were written at the same time. Rewatching season 1 is so bizarre it’s like the rose tinted glasses are falling off, it wasn’t bad (cherub is still bad and aged like expired milk with how they wrote suicide I know it’s suppose to be a joke and you’re not suppose to feel bad for the evil rich white straight men but suicide isn’t a joke) but it wasn’t great. I still prefer season 1 over s2. Ep2 and Ep6 are kinda ruined thanks to S2 (house of Asmodeus is probably the best song thus far) episode 3 and 8 are boring filler, ep 5 and 6 are still good, but S1 just feels like a roster and kinda of a waste of time because the real story was in S2 (there’s confirmation about S2 being written first before S1 which is just why would they do that?)

ty for confirming who said it!

i…am honestly shocked and confused that there was confirmation s2 was written before s1…literally like you said why would they do that?? altho it makes sense in the context of my original thought; they were learning as they wrote which would account for how weak (or just glaringly different) many feel the 2nd season is compared to the 1st. plus the character retcons and plot-holes.

it just sounds like an incredibly shitty decision. sure you could write in the opposite order—but you should still revisit season 2 again once season 1’s writing is complete to make sure that yknow…what you set up in s1 doesn’t conflict with what you originally wrote in s2. and maybe they did but…clearly they didn’t do it well enough as we wound up with a convoluted world and character resets and all that.

sheesh.

ty for your ask.

[nekoprankster218]

Okay but now that it's happened a few times, we really need to talk about the red drippings coming from people's mouths.

Because of Poison, people were theorizing it was Valentino's poison referenced in the song, but I'm not so sure. The reasoning was that it appeared on Angel during Poison, and even Vox when he showed up, plus it earlier appeared on Vox in Ep 2 during and after talking with Val.

There were two moments during Stayed Gone that threw me off this theory, though. The first was when Vox was on the jumbo screen a good while after speaking with Vox - why would his poison disappear then suddenly re-appear, and especially why would it re-appear long after he's gone? Maybe because once you're under his thrall, it can pop back up whenever it fits?

But then Alastor's final part kicked in, and as he's going into full demon mode, a whole bunch of the same red stuff starts full salivating out of his jaws. Why? He has no connection to Valentino, no reason why Valentino would be controlling him in this moment. Maybe his saliva just so happens to match the poison's color? Or maybe it can affect people who haven't even met Valentino? Or maybe, even Valentino and Alastor do have a connection we haven't seen yet, which is when the poison was first planted?

But then I noticed it happen again in these new episodes, and what do you know, now Valentino is starting to drip red from the mouth! What?! But isn't it supposed to be his special poison to use on others? Now why is he getting the same treatment? It's not like he tried using it on anyone in the scene, iirc. It just suddenly started dripping as he angrily left Angel Dust.

Sure, maybe it could be backfiring on him now, but let's just look back at every instance so far. Angel Dust's song about resenting his life. Vox going crazy over his rivalry with Alastor, having to deal with Valentino, and maybe even resenting Angel Dust (depending on how you interpret his look in the song). Alastor firing back at Vox and going full power. Valentino getting enraged over Angel Dust's defiance and being unable to fully fire back.

There has to be some common theme we're missing - some deeper trigger and meaning to the red drip. Is it negative emotion? But Alastor seemed to be having fun, unless it was a facade. It can't be tapping into demon powers / trying to repress the powers, since Angel Dust wasn't really doing anything like that. Is it like I suggested before - that there are multiple red drips that look alike but are in fact not connected?

I don't really have proof right now, but there are two possible theories that I just have a gut feeling towards, which came to me when it first happened to Valentino in Ep 6.

The first is: what if it's Lilith? I don't know how or why yet, but Lilith secretly doing something and having control over demons just feels right to me. Given how she seemed in the latest flashback - as well as what's been said in the intro narration - I'm wondering if Lilith isn't so admirable as she seems and maybe even has evil intentions for the future. Some have already theorized that all the musical numbers are also due to her influence or something like that, which I also wanna put stock in. It could be both, even.

The second is more general: that there's just something about Hell or being a sinner that causes this red drip to happen, and it's going to play a role in the future. Even if I'm wrong about why it happens and where it comes from, I'm still willing to bet with how many times it's happened by now and all the various situations and characters, it is going to eventually be pointed out by someone and become important.

If there's other moments of the red drip I've missed, please let me know. It's such a subtle detail and I've already been reminded of just how many times it showed up on Vox, especially during Stayed Gone. I could've sworn it happened on someone other than Valentino during the new episodes, but now I can't remember and only wanted to include the examples I could verify.

[zestysthoughts]

Tep Tons: Albums

10. The Break of Dawn (Blue In Green) Smooth all the way through, this is full of music to just kinda vibe to, similarly to what you'd find hosted by Lofi Girl. Along with much of Gramatik's early work, it's the album that helped fuel my initial interest in the hip-hop style, especially with jazz elements. Here's a taste!

9. This Time (Los Lobos) I don't often listen to rock, but it's actually what I grew up with. At the center was AC/DC, Smash Mouth, and Linkin Park. In the periphery and having at most a single album I'd listen to, were Crossfade, 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, and Los Lobos. This Time sticks out as being not emo edgy and full of cringe-worthy self-pity. It's got energy, variety, and good vibes all around. Here's a taste!

8. Small Plates (J3PO) Short and sweet, this is one of those sketch albums, filled with some of the many snippets thought up and created by the artist. I love the existence of albums like this, as some of the real banger ideas that never get a full produced song can see the light of day while the artist is still alive, Small Plates (and Sweet Treats) having some of my favorites by J3PO. Here's a taste!

7. Fantastic (Slum Village) I couldn't pick one of the volumes, so I'm going with all of them lol. I love the wonky Dilla-time, as anyone who's seen my music recommendations would know. I love the unfinished feel of Vol. 1 with a bunch of really bumpin' beats that unfortunately never made it past this point, and I love that they revisited and polished a bunch of them and for Vol. 2, then there's the further edited version of 2, complete with hilarious and heartfelt testimonials at the end of some of the tracks. Here's a Taste!

6. Funk Blaster EP (KOAN Sound) While there's no one album that incapsulates my dubstep phase, this one was definitely the most prominent. It's funky, wubby, and well-composed. I'll admit I am "that guy" when it comes to KOAN Sound, I liked them better during their early experimental days, until Polychrome when they made a habit of putting 2 different songs in 1 track. Honorable mention to Risky Endeavors Here's a taste!

6.5. Planet Neutral (Getter)

5. Things Fall Apart (The Roots) One of the newest additions, The Roots has become one of my favorite bands ever. Through and through, this is but one of the masterpieces created in the Soulquarians sessions at Electric Lady Studio, filled with banger after banger. Honorable mention to the Deluxe Edition, featuring some of my favorite Roots songs ever. Here's a taste!

4. Astro Lounge (Smash Mouth) Yes I know, it's the one with All Star. Like I said, Smash Mouth was one of my favorite bands growing up, and Astro Lounge just has a special place in my heart. The title I think sums it up best, feels like you're in a cozy futuristic lounge, or at least the idea of futuristic people had in the late 90's. Here's a taste!

3. Random Album Title (Deadmau5) Another one I'm nostalgic for, this is the ultimate vibe album for me. The somewhat droning and repetitive nature of it, plus the seamless mix between songs, gives it a video game soundtrack quality in that it's great for just putting on in the background while you're doing stuff. Unfortunately Spotify is being weird and there's like 3 slightly different versions of it with the same name. Here's a taste!

2. Plastic Beach (Gorillaz) Aright it's another nostalgic one, this I think is the first physical CD I ever bought. I love the metaphorically nautical/maritime theme, and as per usual with the Gorillaz, there's a great variety in musical styles. Plus there's a kickass music video for Stylo. Here's a taste!

1. Djesse (Jacob Collier) I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, Jacob Collier is the greatest musical mind of our time. This album has such a profound effect on me I can't fully describe. Whenever I sit to listen to any part of it, it feels like a hug that gives you the warm shivers, it tickles my ears, and almost always I well up. Djesse is the work of a man who thoroughly explores the depths of music and sound, travels the world to learn, combines it all in unique ways, and all the while exuding this infectious energy and curiosity. Here's a taste!

[lunarsniperwifle]

I havent posted in a while so here's a lil life recap!

I started HRT in august!! Woohoo!! Its been going really well, Im so happy.

I had a lil vacay with my parents after my Tia's wedding in October, read cover to cover a book (Legends & Lattes, very fun very cute, and gay) and its the first book Ive fully read in a few years and cover to cover in about 24 hours in many years. It really sparked a lot of joy and got me back into the reading mood. Plus the story hit like all my boxes (fantasy, coffeeshop au style, sapphic, retired adventurer, past coming to haunt and help).

Next thing I read was She Loves to Cook She Loves to Eat. SO. GOOD. i adore them, i cant wait for more (i think i saw the author is on break atm which of course is fine take care of yourself!!). Im loving where its going, that theyre older women, that theyre falling/have fallen for eachother but dont know how to bring it up and are hesitant BUT working towards taking the next step together. I cant wait for them to communicate, and kiss.

I also got into Im In Love With The Villainess and omg. I adore it so much. I watched when it had like 4 eps out, watched em all. And then immediately bought all the light novels, manga, and claires POV LN that were out. And then proceeded to read all core/main LNs in less than a week. Then Claires then the manga. I adore it, I fell in love with this story so fast and stayed up nightly reading almost one LN a day for a week. I think the 2nd one is my fave, and it makes me so excited for the anime and for the manga to get translated and released. I am dying for the 2nd one from Claires POV as well (im sure i could maybe find it online same with the manga since thats up to the looks like Lily/Yu arc now in japan) but i kinda wanna wait for the print to come out so i can physically have and read it like the others. Rae and Claire's story means so much to me, and especially Inori-san's writing in general and being serious about certain topics and actually diving into them. I hopw with all my heart it continues to be animated, i have a feeling we'll wind with the scales of love arc for season 1 and tease vacation arc for start of 2 (and probably go through to the end of LN 2 for season 2 mayhap?) It deserves to have the entire story told through animation honestly.

I also got the bloom into you manga (got the 1st one to read and see if id like it and shocker i do so i have the rest of the manga, LNs, and manga anthology on the way and might get the bluray of the anime eventually to watch). Ive really liked the 1st volume so far, it has me excited to find out how the story and relationship develops! Also wow! It was very fast at getting into the love feelings i was kinda surprised (pleasantly)

And then when im done with that have the Whisper Me a Love Song in my sights for the next yuri story to dive into and adore.

Its been a wonderful time. Im real happy :3

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (14-20 Jul 2024)

these eps are not getting any more hinged i will tell you that for free

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😍 Baby Steps (BlueSimplicity) - 115K, stucky - really excellent fic with Steve having to step up and take care of a de-aged Bucky, which he fails hard at initially but then sorts himself out and learns to rely on his team. Just so, so good!

😊 Triple Sec (TJ Alexander, author; Jeremy Carlisle Parker, narrator) - I liked all the characters but found myself not really connecting with any of them so I kept putting this down to prioritize other things and took me forever to finish; @81% made decision to get ebook to complete and then when the hold finally came in I finished it in like an hour. AND I really liked that last 20% a lot -- Mel felt a lot less annoying to me. So for this one, audio was not the format for me, though I don't have any complaints about the narrator. I ultimately did enjoy the plot overall even as Mel kind of got on my nerves.

😊 An Assassination on the Agenda: A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 11 (T.E. Kinsey, author; Elizabeth Knowelden, narrator) - Flo & Emily, always a romp. This is a series the reverse of the above, where I don't think I'd enjoy them nearly as much if reading text.

Descendants of Cyrano (letmetellyouaboutmyfeels) - 55K Buddie canon divergent where they work out their feelings via D&D - super entertaining. Never has the tag 'the rituals are intricate' been more appropriate

💖💖 +67K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Collection: Corroded Coffin Fest (thisapplepielife) - Stranger Things: Corroded Coffin, sometimes Steddie, 24K (ongoing) - a collection of loosely interconnected 1000 word stories mainly about CC & its members - I really enjoyed this author's vision of the band. Also hitting that 1000 word precisely every time is an achievement.

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Taskmaster - s4, e4-8; s12, e1-5

Smartypants - s1, e7

Um, Actually - s9, e11

Monét's Slumber Party - s1, e1

D20: Never Stop Blowing Up - "Under the Night Sun" (s22, e4)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Gender Cascade" (s17, e4)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

⭐ Hit Parade - Song(s) of the Summer Edition

Consider This - A would-be assassin targets Trump. What it could mean for America.

Short Wave - The Dubious Consent Question At The Heart Of The Human Genome Project

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Mother Jones and the Battle of Blair Mountain

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Longlegs is a (satanic) panic

The Sporkful - 2 Chefs And A Lie: Deconstructed Coney Dog Edition

WikiHole - Bruce Springsteen (with Ted Danson, Rashida Jones and Mike Schur)

WikiHole - Mondegreen (with Vanessa Bayer, Anthony Atamanuik and Gil Ozeri)

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - My Life in Three Places: Dylan Thuras

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Exploding Kittens is a simple card game turned wild cartoon

Vibe Check - Do It While It’s Still Legal

Outward - Can you love the bigotry away? Queer Advice with Mathew Rodriguez

If Books Could Kill - Breaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy"

⭐ Decoder Ring - The Secret Life of Lawn Ornaments

⭐ This is Love - Switched-On

Pop Culture Happy Hour - We unpack the 2024 Emmy nominations

Re: Dracula - July 18: Trouble Ahead

⭐ 99% Invisible - A River Runs Through Los Angeles

Wild Card - LeVar Burton is learning to embrace the chaos

Re-Creative - John Scalzi

Re: Dracula - July 19: Present Craving

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Twisters and what's making us happy

Dear Prudence - I Am Swamped With Plans and I Hate It. Help!

Dear Prudence - Prudie Plus: I Am Having A Hard Time Separating the Actions of My Neighbors From Their Race. Help!

It's Been a Minute - The rise of the AR-15; plus, why do comedians play so many cops?

Switched on Pop - The music industry's AI fight

Consider This - USA Gymnastics made a miraculous comeback — but is it actually safer for Olympians?

Re: Dracula - July 20: Most Difficult and Vital Aspect

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Songs of Summer 2024

All-Time Summer Jams

'80s Pop Party

Rock Radio • 1970s

[todorroki]

Terrible Fathers The Series (Love Sea ep 3 thoughts)

i think this show is so funny. like i'm enjoying the beauty, the vibes, and the emotional moments for the first 50 minutes then suddenly BOOM peat's moaning then 5 minutes later i have a tear in my eye from fort's acting. i'm being swung around on Mame's Crazy Coaster. do not ask me what's going on. i'm having too much fun to answer.

also rip anyone who watches this ep on iq's web player. they're unable to display text in italics AND song lyric translations overtake actual dialogue. what is this terrible user experience. and you gotta pay for it!!!!!

if love sea is going to give me one thing, it's gonna be BEAUTIFUL SHOTS. my god i could go on and on taking so many screenshots of this episode especially.

i feel like we're getting more of the girls' relationship in the series compared to the book, which is a Good sign. last week's preview of 'will you be my girlfriend?' got me good. someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't remember fake dating happening in the book.

and the plot gears finally start turning this week! rak gets a call from his panicked sister about their father showing up, which causes him to hole up in his room. that in turn gives us serious mut (thank u for that.. fort looks So hot when he's being stern and assertive) and the sweet star gazing scene. i don't want to say much about rak's family because i feel like i might spoil something LMAO

one of my favorite scenes so far is when they go in the waters at night my GOD IM SO GODDAMN WEAK FOR A BRIDAL CARRY I CHEERED!!!!!! and the kiss in the water was ROMANTIC AS HELL. i'm so thankful for the entire production team for this scene. the waves were so strong yet they were all in the water doing their best to film. it must've been really challenging and difficult, so kudos to everyone. i, for one, am very proud of this whole part.

someone.. more peat in glasses please!! rak waiting for mut to fall asleep so he can cuddle him is sooo cute. i love their puppycat relationship. so many soft, heart-warming moments in this episode.

now onto the series of events in mut's house. plus points for the sunlight behind them in this kiss scene. idk anything about cinematography but it felt mesmerizing in a way.

the audible OH! i yelled when they REALLY started Kissing after mut's little trauma dump. I'M NOT COMPLAINING THOUGH comfort him every ep if you want >:) i'll take as many ncs as they wanna Give. i got duped by the first quick fade to black like 'oh ok so they're not-- NEVERMIND!'

gonna go into nc detail for a second here but i'm so glad we have nip sucking this ep. i was waiting for that. love sea Does Not miss in the nc department. ALSO DUDE WHEN DID FORTS TIDDIES GET SO BIG

AND THEN the best scene this episode: emotional mut, a showcase of fort's acting ability. i teared up a bit. it was soo so soft.

the angles, the lighting. BEAUTIFUL beautiful scene. i could not put it into words how much i adored this part. mut's difficulty in asking him to stay, rak telling him to keep being himself, them stroking each other's fingers with their hands intertwined, mut's little giggle when rak agrees, rak's laugh, the flurry of kisses after.. I LOVE ROMANCE!!!

i predicted right, we're going back to the city next episode. i can't say i'm too excited because i love the island setting too much, but the dreamlike vacation doesn't last forever!! the plot must move.

also ps they fixed rak's missing audio line in ep 2. i was rewatching a few days ago and finally heard it LMAO at least they're aware...