#the high sign 1920

[justbusterkeaton]

The High Sign (1920)

The General (1926)

Sidewalks of New York (1931)

[friendlessghoul]

Buster Keaton and Ingram B. Pickett The High Sign - 1921

[busterkeatonsociety]

#WIPWednesday 6ft11 Ingram B. Pickett is armed & dangerous! Will Buster Keaton rescue sweet Bartine Burkett? Promo pic for “The High Sign,” 1921.

[spocks-got-a-glock]

Falling a little bit in love with him because he's adorable (also probably the strangest place I've ever got gender envy)

[guzhufuren]

A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows

The guide includes a show’s basic summary; main genres/tropes/themes and official streaming links (additional info on how to watch at the end of this post)! You can find some content warnings in the reply section of this post. Shows are listed by countries, numbered by the order I recommend watching in, not by rating. All shows have happy endings unless specified otherwise. The list will hopefully be updated regularly (last updated on 04/04/2024, 98 queer shows in total).

Most shows are about mlm, I specify with coloured notes those that are focused on wlw, polyamory, aromantism/asexuality, etc.

Tumblr does not allow large texts or more than 30 images per post at the moment, so you can click on every country’s list to expand them and view them fully in a separate post. You can access this guide in a google doc here.

Thailand 🇹🇭 (full list here)

1. KinnPorsche mafia boss/bodyguard; action; kidnapper/kidnapee side couple

Kinn, a son of a prominent mafia head, is ambushed by an enemy, and meets Porsche, a bartender who comes to his rescue for a price, thus beginning their reluctant relationship as boss and bodyguard, which soon turns into something more.

iQIYI

2. Bed Friend friends with benefits; office setting; trauma

King and Uea work in the same office. After a company outing ends in a drunken hook-up between them, Uea and King agree to keep seeing each other on a strictly physical basis. With no strings attached, will these two be able to keep things between them simple and carefree or will their emotions eventually get the better of them?

Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or GagaOOLala or cut on YouTube

3. The Sign reincarnated lovers; fantasy; thai mythology; police

The story of the love between Phaya and Tharn who used to be mythological creatures Naga and Garuda in their past lives, and were forced apart. But fate intervened, and two men were reincarnated in new bodies. Now, they work together as partners in the Special Investigations Unit to uncover violent crimes and supernatural mysteries while their love is tested by mystical forces and past enemies.

YouTube

4. I Feel You Linger In The Air period drama; time travel; bittersweet

Jom, an architect overseeing the renovation of a rundown villa, continuously dreams of a man he's never met. When a twist of fate transports Jom to Chiang Mai in the 1920s, he assumes the role of a servant to the affluent young master Yai, the mysterious man from his dreams.

GagaOOLala or YouTube

5. You're My Sky sports; university setting; coming of age

Thorn, a young basketball player follows his senior Fah to university as a result of the promise they’d made — to become national basketball champions. However, to his dismay, he finds that Fah has already given up on basketball. --- Aai has to work in pairs throughout the semester with San, 1 year footballer; in order to receive a scholarship to study in Japan, Ai must be willing to do everything to get an A grade. --- Track running requires the compatibility of the team members to be very high. Vee, who became the new racquet 4, has to speed up training to fit in with the team as quickly as possible, especially with Dome, spending extra time together to train. Is love actually a major obstacle on the path of being an athlete?

Viki

> more tv shows from Thailand

GMMTV Thailand 🇹🇭 (full list here)

1. My School President high school setting; secret crush; school president/rebel musician

Gun is the head of his high school music club. Tinn is a school president and Gun's long-term rival. The Principal wants to disband some of the school’s “useless” after-school clubs, especially the music club. Per school rules, the student council president is the one who has the power to dissolve clubs. Gun is now at Tinn’s mercy, so he attempts to do whatever he can to persuade his rival not to cancel the music club. Little does he know, Tinn actually has a secret crush on him. Could romance brew as Gun makes a desperate attempt to secure the future of his band?

Viki (MSP) & YouTube (Our Skyy special 33-40) & YouTube (special)

2. Moonlight Chicken adult romance; age gap; deaf character

Jim is an ordinary guy running a chicken rice diner. One night, he meets Wen when he stays past closing drunk. Brought together by fate that night, intangible feelings arise. Neither can stop thinking about the other despite Jim's efforts to remain unattached. Jim also takes care of his nephew Li Ming, who is falling in love with Heart, a deaf teenager who is practically kept under house arrest by his affluent parents.

YouTube

3. Not Me revolution; freedom fighters; secret twins

When his twin Black is viciously attacked and subsequently left hospitalised in unconsciousness, White is unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence. He learns Black was a part of a gang of anti-capitalist freedom fighters, and it was one of them who betrayed him. White disguises himself as Black to discover which one of them betrayed him and put him in a coma.

YouTube

4. 23.5 wlw; high school setting; secret admirer

Ongsa moves to a new school and meets Sun, a cute popular girl who she immediately falls for. However, she decides to approach Sun in instagram dms under the pseudonym Earth, leading Sun to believe she's talking to a guy. But Ongsa does not want to lose the opportunity to talk to Sun, so she decides to keep the fact that she is a girl a secret and continue talking as Earth.

YouTube

> more tv shows from GMMTV Thailand

Japan 🇯🇵 (full list here)

1. Cherry Magic!   mind reading; secret crush; office setting

By still being a vіrgin at 30, Adachi gains a magical power – the ability to read other people's minds by touching them. At first, he’s overwhelmed by his new ability, and it’s not proving to be helpful to him. But that all changes when he accidentally touches their office’s most perfect guy Kurosawa, who he learns has romantic feelings for him.

WeTV (Cherry Magic) & no international streaming of Cherry Magic The Movie is available to my knowledge, so watch on bilibili or KissKH

2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Love Mix-Up!)   misunderstanding; high school setting

Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another boy — Ida — on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

Viki

3. Our Dining Table food; child character

Salaryman Yutaka finds it difficult to share meals with other people. However, his life starts to change when one day, his cooking attracts the attention of a young boy named Tane and his older brother Minoru. The two brothers are impressed by Yutaka's cooking skill and invite him to their house to cook together. Yutaka's dreary life begins to change, and soon he finds himself looking forward to the meals he shares with the Ueda siblings together, as well as developing a taste for romantic feelings.

GagaOOLala

4. She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat wlw; neighbours; self-discovery; food

Nomoto loves to cook, but tends to make too much food and has no one to share it with. Luckily for her, turns out her neighbor Kasuga has a big enough appetite for the both of them.

No international streaming available, translated to english by Furritsubs, S1 & S2, watching instructions provided, please support translator on kofi.

5. Takara-kun to Amagi-kun high school setting; relationship exploration

Takara is a good-looking popular guy in class, while Amagi is a simple but bright and pure fellow classmate. The two begin to date in secret after Amagi's blurted out confession.

Viki or GagaOOLala

> more tv shows from Japan

China 🇨🇳 (full list here)

Most chinese shows are adapted from explicitly queer novels, the shows are undeniably and obviously queer, but nevertheless the queer romance part is censured. The only exception is number 4 on the list, it is not censored.

1. The Untamed period drama; fantasy

An epic fantasy led by a problem child who comes back from the dead 16 years later in order to fix the broken world he left behind — and finally unite with his soulmate.

YouTube

2. Word of Honor period drama; fantasy

The leader of assassin organisation Zhou Zishu quits his position in pursuit of freedom with drastic measures. In his travels, he meets Wen Kexing, the leader of Ghost Valley who wants nothing but revenge. The two become entangled in various machinations within the martial arts world, and eventually become soulmates instrumental in each other's redemption.

YouTube & Special Episode on Tumblr or DailyMotion

3. Couple of Mirrors wlw; period drama; socialite/assassin

You Yi is a kind-hearted socialite and a successful author. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the two most trusted people in her life. With no one left to turn to, she finds refuge in the friendship and support of Yan Wei, a lonely female killer disguised as the owner of a photo studio.

YouTube. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 12 timestamp 28:02.

4. Stay With Me enemies to lovers; high school setting; unconventional families; slow burn

Su Yu is a high school student who lives with his single poor father. Su Yu gets a new classmate Wu Bi. The two clash right from the start, and after getting off on the wrong foot, their explosive relationship takes a turn.

YouTube or GagaOOLala. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 24 timestamp 05:00. OR watch the full thing and look at this post after

5. The Spirealm inside of a video game; mystery; fantasy; horror-ish; hopeful ending

A game designer Lin Qiushi is transported inside of a game he recently played, and now he must go through 12 horrifying survivor game doors to survive in the real world. Inside his first door he meets Ruan Nanzhu, a mysterious man who offers him to team up.

The show was taken down from streaming, download files here and subtitles here.

Various WLW mini web-dramas here.

Various WLW short films here.

South Korea 🇰🇷 (full list here)

1. Love for Love's Sake inside of a video game; high school setting; healing

At the age of 29 Tae Myungha finds himself transported into a fictional video game, and now 19 years old, he meets Cha Yeowoon, who is in the darkest moment of his life. And a translucent window appears where he receives a mission — to make Cha Yeowoon happy.

iQIYI (better subtitles) or GagaOOLala

2. Semantic Error enemies to lovers; university setting

A serious programmer and a rebellious artist clash over a school project. Their animosity keeps escalating to new extremes, defined by petty pranks and feisty arguments.

Viki

3. Love Tractor farm setting; farmer/city musician

Sunyeol, a city man with zero ability to survive in the countryside, comes to his grandfather's rural home. In front of him appears Yechan, a passionate and kind young farmer. While learning about rural life and assisting with farming tasks, Sunyeol gradually finds himself drawn to Yechan's warm and straightforward nature, while Yechan helplessly falls for Sunyeol.

iQIYI

4. Our Dating Sim high school friends to lovers; office setting

After 7 years, Lee Wan meets his first love, Shin Kitae, in a gaming company. When they were best friends in high school, Lee Wan was in love with Kitae. But he ran away and disappeared after confessing his feelings to Kitae after graduation. When the two of them begin working on a new dating simulation game and get more immersed in the project, old feelings are rekindled.

Viki or GagaOOLala

5. She Makes My Heart Flutter wlw; bar setting; niece and aunt dynamic

The extroverted Gang Seol is hired by her aunt Jung at her only-women bar. Even though they are both lesbians, they seem to be worlds apart and have very different love stories.

YouTube

> more tv shows from South Korea

Taiwan 🇹🇼 (full list here)

1. History3: Trapped mafia boss/policeman

The story of a police officer who becomes trapped in the underworld, as he develops feelings for a gang leader.

YouTube or Viki

2. Kiseki: Dear to Me mafia; age gap

Bai Zongyi, an exemplary high school student with dreams of becoming a doctor, is one day unexpectedly drawn into the world of a charismatic and mischievous gangster Fan Zerui, who blackmails him into taking him in and treating his wounds. Just as their love story begins to unfold, Fan Ze Rui's criminal life catches up with him. On the other hand, Chen Yi and Ai Di are two orphans who grew up in the gang together. Ai Di has always loved Chen Yi, but Chen Yi only notices their boss.

Viki or GagaOOLala or YouTube

3. My Tooth Your Love dentist/chef; trauma healing

Bai Lang is a successful bistro owner with an severe fear of visiting the dentist... until a toothache forces him to come face to face with the handsome yet cold dentist Jin Xunan.

Viki

4. Anti Reset android/human

When Chu Yi Ping, an emotionless man, dislocates his hand in an accident at school, his uncle gives him Ever 9 as a caretaker, an experimental intelligent robot that his company is secretly testing.

Viki or iQIYI or GagaOOLala

5. History2: Crossing the Line sports; high school setting

When an injury sidelines a high school senior from the volleyball team, he develops feelings for a recruit.

YouTube or Viki

> more tv shows from Taiwan

Philippines 🇵🇭

1. Sleep With Me wlw; radio; disabled character in a wheelchair

A science textbook writer with a sleep disorder meets a wheelchair-using radio host who runs the midnight shift. This chance encounter at the radio station quickly sparks their interest in each other.

GagaOOLala

---

You can watch many shows for free on YouTube, and watch others on the streaming websites by setting VPN to one of the countries in the list. In other cases I recommend paying for subscriptions to show appreciation and support of content in order to get more of it in the future, but if you can’t, watch on KissKH (better quality), Dramacool or get files from MkvDrama. Enjoy!  🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[alastor-simp]

"A What Now?” - Alastor x Non-binary Reader

This was requested to me by @dudeidontknowok

I’m sure you are all aware Alastor is not very up to date with new sexuality’s and genders, seeing he was from the 1920s, so this will be my take on him reacting to a nonbinary reader. Enjoy!

“Let’s see…the man said take a left here and the hotel should be right….” Walking through the narrow streets in the Pride ring, you were trying to spot the Hazbin Hotel. Your name was y/n and you had just arrived in Hell a few hours ago. It was a very odd experience, suddenly dying in an accident and ending up in a place with a blood red sky and people looking like something from a cartoon, but at least you were glad you weren’t fully dead dead. The streets were havoc walking through them, fires popping up everywhere, random people getting stabbed or robbed and some others were just high out of their minds. A little flyer had landed in front of you, saying “Come to the Hazbin Hotel!” Seemed decent enough, but there was no map on the flyer and since you just arrived, you had no idea where to look. Thankfully the first demon you asked was friendly and not psycho bonkers crazy, and he explained the direct path that led to the hotel.

You had reached your destination and in front of you was a huge building, neon sign flashing “HAZBIN HOTEL”. It seemed a little run-down, but there were some good qualities about it. Heading up to the door, you stared at them, feelings of hesitation in your stomach. You had no idea if this was just a trap to lure people like you to get killed or worse. Taking a deep breath, you lifted your hand to knock on the door.

Before it could make contact, the door had swung open. A very tall man was standing in front of you. He was almost 6 or 7 feet tall, wearing a red striped suit, accompanied with a bow tie and red monocle on his face. His hair was in a bob cut, and dyed red to black. The smile he had on his face was enormous, making your cheeks hurt from how wide it was. His slitted red eyes stared down at you, a hint of shock in them as he probably didn’t expect someone to be at the door. “AH!, A newcomer! Hello my dear/young fellow! Have you come to stay at the hotel?” His voice sounded like it was coming out of a radio. He bent down, his face leaning closer to yours, making you feel a bit uneasy, since he appeared very intimidating. Giving a small smile, you gave a nod, leading to him grabbing your hand. “Splendid! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Alastor! And you are?” he was very animated, given how wacky his reactions were. “My name is Y/N, and you don’t have to call me dear/fellow, just my name is fine.” He arched an eyebrow at that, as he pulled you in, allowing you to enter the hotel.

Your head darted all around, taking in everything. It was very spacious, and the decor was pleasing to the eye, but there was some hints that it still needed some work, given the wall you saw that was being repaired and some bugs crawling. You realized there were other people staying at the hotel as well. There was a tall, lanky spider lounging on one of the couches, phone in hand. There was another female demon, speeding around the hotel with a broom in hand. It was hard to figure how what she looked like, but she was very cute. Noticing there was a bar, you gazed at it and took a look at the bartender. He was the definition of a grumpy cat, given the scowl on his face. His mouth was attached to a beer bottle, chugging away. He noticed you looking and gave a slight nod, while still drinking the beer. A giant snake man was sitting on the ground, appearing to be fiddling with some device, he looked up, smiled, and went back to work. Al had brought you over to the couch, where the spider was staying, and made you take a seat. "Wait right here! I'll go fetch the owner of this establishment!" Al said, as he snapped his fingers, disappearing. Well that shocked you, you had no idea he had powers, maybe you had some as well.

Your thoughts got interrupted when you felt two arms, grab at your waist, pulling you closer to the other demon. "Well hey there handsome/toots~. Never seen the likes of you before, you new in hell?" The spider smirked down you, letting you see his gold tooth shining." You nodded and said you were which made the spider smile more. "Name is Angel dust~. Now tell me your name, toots/handsome." This was making you a bit uncomfortable. "Um could you please not call me that. I don't identify with male or feminine terms. My name is Y/N, by the way." Angel's eyes widen at that, and he rubbed his neck with one of his hands, "Oh sh✪✪, my bad. Didn't mean to offend ya." Giving him a smile, you pat one of the hands that was on your waist, saying it was fine.

The sounds of feet clattering against the floor alerted you, making you turn your head. A women, dressed in a red suit had ran into the lounge. She had pretty blonde hair that was tied up, and her cheeks had two cute red dots on them. The smile on her face was radiant, it could make the sun jealous. "HELLO! Oh my goodness, another patient! My name is Charlie, its so nice to meet you!" She had extended her arms out, squeezing you with a hug while you remained on the couch. Letting out a laugh at her energy, you hugged her back. Looking over her shoulder, you spotted Alastor walking back in, along with another girl with white hair and an X on her eye? Strange.

Charlie finally let you go, standing up while grabbing the other girls hand. "Let me introduce everyone, this is Vaggie, my girlfriend. Angel Dust is the one next to you. Husk is the bartender. Niffty is the little one running around. Sir Pentious is another one of our patients, and I'm sure you met Alastor." You turned your head at all the new names you heard, giving a smile and small wave to everyone, which they gave back, except Husk as he still looked grumpy. The little one, Niffty, had rushed up towards you, jumping up in front of you: "Ooooo... she/he is very pretty." There it was again, that feeling of discomfort. Angel Dust noticed your expression, giving your shoulder a rub. "Niffty, they are non-binary. Don't call them he or she, ya got it? That goes for all of you as well." Angel said as he pointed at everyone. Niffty blinked up at Angel, seeming confused before smiling, letting out an okay.

"Pardon me, a what now?" a static voice had spoken out, letting you know it was Alastor. He had walked closer to where you were sitting, head tiled in confusion. Angel was about to say something, but Charlie chimed in. "Alastor, they don't see themselves as man or a women. They may have male or feminine features, but they don't fall into either of the categories. Does that make sense?" Charlie helped explained it to Alastor. His head stayed tilted, clearly still confused. "I'm afraid I still don't follow, my dear. During my time, there were only gentleman and ladies." His time? Your mind picked up on that

"Um, sorry for interrupting, but what do you mean by your time?" You copied Alastor, tiling your head. Alastor perked up at that. "Ah, I was born in the roaring 1920s! Ah how I miss it so!" Dang, he was from the 1920s!!! That must be why he didn't know. "Ahh, that makes much more sense. Don't think so hard on it Alastor, its fine." Alastor still seemed a bit puzzled, and he wanted to say something else, but he was cut off by Charlie. "Well since your going to be staying here now at the hotel, you'll need a room! Come! I'll bring you to it." Grabbing your hand, Charlie pulled you off the couch, and began to walk away from the lounge. Turning your head back, you gave a small wave to the others, which they returned back. Alastor was still gazing at you, as you left, along with his shadow that eyed you with curiosity.

Charlie had brought you to your room, also letting you know that your neighbor would be Angel Dust, which she hoped you wouldn't mind, which you didn't. The room was marvelous, all nice and tidy and it even had a outdoor balcony. "Welp I should probably head back down to everyone, I'll bring you some new clothes since I'm sure you want to freshen up, let me know if you need anything else, okay?" Charlie beamed at you, making you smile. Thanking her, you told her you would do that, earning you another hug from her. Soon she left the room, leaving you by yourself. Well, might as well take a shower.

**Later in the evening**

After your shower and wearing the comfy lounge clothes Charlie brought, you headed back down to where everyone was. It was time for dinner and on the menu for tonight was lasagna. Apparently, Angel made it himself, letting you know he was well versed in Italian cuisine. Dinner with everyone was nice, it was a bit chaotic, but your heart felt warm being around everyone. They were all a bit kooky, but still friendly. Soon it was time for bed. Everyone bid you a goodnight as they headed to their rooms, while you walked away with Angel next to you. "Night y/n." Angel said, giving a big yawn while stretching his four arms in the air. "Goodnight." you said back, as you went inside your room.

Sadly, you weren't very tired, so you decided to head over to the balcony and stay for a bit. The view was nice, and so was the breeze. Leaning against the railing, you gave a sigh, peering into the maroon sky. "Trouble sleeping?" a static voice appeared next to you, making you jump. Turning around, you see that it was Alastor, grinning with glee that he managed to frighten you. "Jeez, you nearly gave me a heart attack." your hand was placed against your chest, which was still racing. Alastor gave a chuckle, and leaned his arms against the railing, copying you: "Oh I wouldn't want that to happen! I have grown very fond of you!" His smile was mischievous, but his eyes gave away that he was telling the truth. You turned back to look at the sky, before you heard Alastor speak again. "May I ask something?" Turning back, you gazed at him, waiting for his response.

"Well, could you go into more detail about the whole non beanery, was it, again?" He lifted one of his hands in the air, spinning it around, as he was trying to come up with the word. You quickly broke into laughter. Non-beanery!?! What the heck was that?! Alastor watched you, as you continued to laugh, wondering what was so funny. "Its non-binary, Al. I basically don't see myself as a male or a female. Growing up, I felt different then everyone around me. In my soul, I knew that. So after a while, I came out as non-binary, it was odd to tell everyone I grew up with that, but hey, I was still me. Yes I know to you, it's a bit strange given you were born in the era where there was always two genders, but that's what I am and I'm comfortable with it."

After your speech, your irises kept staring into Al's. He had not said a word, gazing at you still. His smiled had relaxed more into a soft grin. "Thank you for explaining it. I'm not the type to apologize often, but I wish to offer my apologies about before. It wasn't my intention to come off as rude." Your heart felt warm after hearing the sweet apology, you told him it was fine. Alastor smiled and turn back to look at the sky, before he turned his head back quickly, causing it to emit a loud snap. "How would you like me to address you then? Now you must be patient with me, since it will take me a while to adjust!" You were happy that he was taking this very seriously, other people you have told usually brushed it off, but it was nice that he cared. "My name is fine, but if you are ever mentioning me in a conversation, say they/them, okay?" Alastor's signature smile returned, and he gave a nod. "Duly noted!" The both of you gazed at each other smiling, before turning back to stare at the night sky.

~END~

Tagging:

@pepperycookie , @yourdoorisunlocked, @ghostdoodlen, @aceofcards0-0, @jyoongim, @saturnhas82moons, @unholycheesesnack , @luujjvi, @forbidden-sunlight, @pinkcrystal44 , @veethewriter , @rains-sleeping@danveration , @demoarah, @cookiekyo , @iiotic, @delectableworm , @91062854-ka , @alastorsgoldie , @lokis-imaginary-friend , @themysteriousslenderman

[correlance]

Remember that one fan theory I wrote about Alastor having a rivalry with Thomas Edison in the 1920s? Well, I decided to do a bit more research; it turns out that, not only was I right, but Edison really hated radio. He loathed it so much that he wrote not one, but several articles railing against the "radio fad" in 1926, to the point where an anonymous person wrote "letters to the editor" to argue with Edison.

Gee, I wonder who it could be doing that in the Hazbin-verse? /s

GIF and art originally by karumkin on Twitter/X (2019).

There was also a slew of increasingly aggressive telegrams sent back-and-forth between Edison and radio proponents, with Edison penning thinly-veiled insults that offended even mild critics of the "Wizard":

"The radio is a commercial failure, and its popularity with the public is waning. Radio is impractical commercially, and ethically distorted, and is is losing its grip rapidly in the market and in the home. There is not 10% of the interest in the radio that there was last year.

Radio is a highly-complicated machine in the hands of people who know nothing about it. No dealers have made any money out of it. It is not a commercial machine, because it is too complicated. Reports from 4,000 Edison dealers who have handled radio sets show that they are rapidly abandoning it; and, as for its music, it is awful.

I don't see how they can listen to it. Thousands of people have signed a petition asking that sopranos be kept off the air. Of course, most of them don't know that the soprano voice distorts the radio. The phonograph is coming into its own because people want good music. The fact is that the radio never had a high peak of popularity.

In towns where 25 or 30 dealers were handling radio sets, only one or two are now handling them. A farmer 5 miles from town buys a radio, perhaps on the installment plan. A wire becomes loose. The dealer has to arrange to fix it. This happens time and time again. The business becomes unprofitable for the dealer to engage in. He does not make any money out of it. None of them has. They are giving it up as fast as they can. It is not a commercially successful machine, because it is too complicated.

Static is awful, and the difficulties of tuning out--and now, they're stealing each other's wavelengths! It is too bad that the radio has to be too complicated. It was a big and interesting thing, and the people responded to it, but they want good music, and they found it is not to be had on the radio. That is why the phonograph is reclaiming its own."

Quote from "Edison and Radio", Radio News, December 1926, "in which the Editor takes issue with Mr. Edison's claim that radio is a failure; yet it is pointed out that the radio industry owes Edison a great debt; wherein facts are figures are given to show that radio is on a steady increase; granting that neither radio, nor the phonograph, is yet perfect; how the interest in radio is steadily increasing, and radio dealers are now making good money":

"Since the publication of the famous interview with Mr. Edison, the press, and particularly the radio press across the entire country, has been more or less agitated...I do believe that Mr. Edison has not been recently in-touch with radio sufficiently to appreciate fully the tremendous advances that have been made. Mr. Edison is a busy man, and a tremendously busy inventor. It would be well-nigh impossible for him to be in-touch with all of the various commercial phases of radio all over the country; and, like other executives, he obtains his reports from his subordinates, and such reports often as not may be highly colorful, and even wrong...[thus, the radio industry is unwilling to accord Mr. Edison anything]...as to Mr. Edison's remarks, the statements that follow are facts, which can be checked up by anyone who is unbiased."

Imagine Alastor and Vox with "Stayed Gone" in Episode 2, and Alastor and Lucifer with "Hell's Greatest Dad" in Episode 5, but happening entirely over letters and telegrams, because mass media and television didn't exist yet. The closest musical numbers would likely be "Farmer Refuted" and "Your Obedient Servant" from Hamilton.

Per the book The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World by Randall E. Stross:

Page 276: "[Edison's] phonograph business faced a challenge in the 1920s unlike any that had come before: the advent of commercial radio stations, and the wide availability of free music broadcasts and other entertainment. By the end of 1921, an estimated 1 million listeners had access to radios, and listened to programs broadcast from the Eastern seaboard. A single station in Roselle, New Jersey, which offered the voices of operatic stars among its musical programs, had a broadcast range of a thousand miles, covering New England and the mid-Atlantic states, and reaching as far west as Missouri. A contemporary newspaper account explained to readers not yet acquainted with the phenomenon that those who owned radio sets could enjoy entertainment that was 'literally as free as the air'. Charles and Theodore Edison [proposed a combination phonograph-radio]...their father need not feel slighted because the vacuum tube, a key component of the radio set, was a modern descendant of Edison's experimental work on the incandescent lightbulb. Edison did feel slighted, however; such, at least, was the opinion of Thomas Cowan, a former Westinghouse employee...[who conducted experiments in radio broadcasts with the aid of a phonograph Edison was willing to loan him in 1921]. Cowan had several conversations about radio with Edison, who became upset and recalled the loaner when he heard the Westinghouse broadcasts...[Edison's sons were embarrassed, humiliated]."

"Edison calls radio a 'failure for music', thinks phonograph will regain its own": The New York Times, 23 September 1926. Underlining the usefulness of radio for purposes other than musical programs, Edison did tune in to a radio broadcast of the Dempsey-Tunney fight in 1926, which he was too deaf to hear. He had to rely on family members [usually his wife, Mina] to summarize what had transpired at the end of each round.

"Radio satisfactory on bout, Edison says": The New York Times, 24 September 1926. Defending the quality of musical broadcasts, the radio industry offered expert testimony to rebut Edison's claims [in the next week's newspaper]. See: "Broadcasters disagree with electrical wizard", The New York Times, 3 October 1926.

The "radio fad": A few months later, [after much outcry from the radio industry], Edison was willing to grant that radio might not disappear, but he had a new criticism: listeners' aesthetic sense would be damaged. "Undistorted music, in time, will sound strange to those brought up on radio music," he predicted, "and they will not like the real thing." See: "Thomas A. Edison sees a menace for music in the radio", Musician, January 1927.

"Edison's fears [about the Edison Company not succeeding in the radio business] were realized, though it had been Edison's intransigence (refusal to change one's views) that put the company at such a great disadvantage as a late entrant...on 9 October 1929, Charles Edison prepared a report for his father that showed a loss of $1.3 million due to start-up costs for the [Edison] radio...he could not know that, two weeks later, the stock sell-off would begin with Black Thursday, on 24 October, followed by Black Monday and Black Tuesday...a few days later, Thomas A. Edison, Inc., announced that it would cease producing [music] records [altogether], and refit the factory for the production of radios. The announcement was accompanied by a mention of regret, as the phonograph was 'one of Mr. Edison's favorite inventions'."

"An employee reported observing Harvey Firestone tearfully explaining to Edison that the collapse of business due to the stock market crash of 1929, and the Great Depression, meant that he could no longer continue to financially support Edison's laboratory. Edison was heard, sneering, 'He's a Goddamned lightweight.'" ("I saw your fiasco on the picture show, and I just couldn't resist. What a performance! Why, I haven't been that entertained since the stock market crash of 1929, hahaha! ...so many orphans.")

Edison's death at the age of 84 on 18 October 1931 was also, ironically, commemorated through radio broadcasts: "[The next] night, two radio networks, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and the Columbia Broadcasting Company (CBC), jointly broadcast an 8-minute tribute that ended on the hour, when listeners were asked to turn out the lights. The White House did so, and much of the nation followed, more or less together, some a minute before the hour, others on the hour. On Broadway, 75% of the electrified signs were turned off briefly. Movie theaters went dark for a moment. Everything seemed connected to Edison: the indoor lights, the traffic lights, the electric advertising, everyone connected via radio, which Edison now received credit for helping to 'perfect'. In the simple narrative that provided inspiration for posterity, one man had done it all..."

Some numbers provided for how much radio was making:

1922: $46.5 million (~$860 million in 2024)

1923: $120 million (~$2.2 billion in 2024) (156% increase)

1924: $350 million (~$6.3 billion in 2024) (186% increase)

1925: $449 million (~$8 billion in 2024) (27% increase)

1926: $520 million (~$9.1 billion in 2024) (14% increase)

Overall, per another source:

1922: $60 million (a little more than the previous statistic)

1929: $842.6 million

From here, we can tell the biggest gain was in 1923-1924. Per another source: "Total cost was about $120.00 to buy a new radio in 1926; in today's money, that is about $1,500 to own a radio." That would mean that 7.6 million radios were sold by 1926; an impressive feat, considering that the United States only had a population of a little over 117 million people at the time.

Percentages of United States households with radios:

1925: 19% (5 million households)

1929: 35-40% (200% increase)

1930: 12 million households

1939: 28 million households

The number of licensed broadcast stations surged from just 5 in 1921 to 500 by 1924, per yet another source. In the early years, household radio ownership was highest in the Northeast and on the West Coast. In large sections of the South, Midwest and Great Plains, stations and radio sets were scarce. However, there were notable exceptions.

There were 732 radio stations total across the country by 1927, and the average radio was on 2 hours and 25 minutes per day. People who couldn't afford radios purchased them on installment loans, through which the full price of a new radio could be paid over time. Radios had even more advertisements for washers, dryers, and refrigerators, causing people to use even more merchant credit and installment loans to purchase these shiny, new technological devices.

However, radio sales also took a hit with the Great Depression, as average income levels fell from $3,270 per year in 1920 ($53,300 in 2024), to $2,300 per year by 1929 ($41,500 in 2024), then to $1,500 per year by 1932 ($35,500 in 2024). However, buying a radio also became cheaper, dropping from a costly $200 ($3,200 in 2024) in the early 1920s, to just $35 ($630 in 2024) by 1929-1930.

By the time Alastor died in 1933, 3.6 million radio sets were sold that year alone. By the mid-1930s, 67% of American households had radio sets, and by 1939, about 80% of Americans—over 100 million people—owned radios. Radios were in almost every house, and some Americans even had radios in their cars. The Golden Age of Radio lasted from the 1930s to the 1940s, before being eclipsed by television in the 1950s. Radio hosts went from being paid $10 per broadcast in 1921 ($180-200, 1-2 hours per night, 3-4 nights a week, for a weekly salary of $720-800; monthly salary, $2,900-$3,200; annual salary, $34,800-$38,400; modern-day annual salary range for a radio show host is $30,000-100,000, depending) to making triple-figure salaries in the later 1930s.

Another source lists the following salary ranges for radio hosts:

$2,500-2,700 a year to be an announcer in 1927* (~$45,000-$48,000 range in 2024)

$2,400 a year to be a dramatic director (~$43,000 in 2024)

$4,000 a year to be a program director (~$72,000 in 2024)

New Orleans' first radio broadcast was on 31 March 1922, with WWL. The station wasn't started as a commercial one; but rather, "more of an experiment, started as an interest in wireless communication picked up nationally". The station did not go commercial until 1929, meaning that Alastor also probably had at least one other side job.

Also see:

"Early Radio Announcers Invented Their Profession in the 1920s"

"The History of the Radio Industry in the United States to 1940"

"'A Godlike Presence': The Impact of Radio on the 1920s and 1930s" by Tom Lewis

American Babel: Rogue Radio Broadcasters of the Jazz Age by Clifford John Doerksen (see excerpt here)

Race and Radio: Pioneering Black Broadcasters in New Orleans by Bala James Baptiste (Note: The earliest Black broadcast in New Orleans was in 1945, meaning Alastor was white-passing.)

"Golden Age of Black Radio - Part 1: The Early Years" (Note: The first Black radio announcer, Jack L. Cooper, hosted in 1929.)

"How African Americans Entered Mainstream Radio" by Bala James Baptiste, the author of Race and Radio: Pioneering...

[oliversrarebooks]

The amount I would like to see Jameson and Alex have a high society slap fight is more than a little lol

Masterlist

March 1920

tw: mind control, captivity, references to abuse

"Good evening, Lord Alexander!" said Miriam as she opened the door, beckoning him inside nervously.

"Good evening, Miriam. You seem agitated -- is everything all right?"

Miriam sighed with a smile. "Madam's overworking herself again, sir. It's not my place to overstep as her thrall, but I'm concerned about her health. I'm glad you came to call. She listens to you, sir."

"Do you really believe that? I don't," said Lex, chuckling. "Regardless, I don't think you're overstepping. I think it's very good for you to care for your madam. Lily needs people looking out for her."

Miriam beamed like she'd won the lottery. "Thank you, sir."

Lex allowed Miriam to lead him into the parlor. He was quite fond of Lily's latest thrall. She had remained sharp under the enthrallment so far -- no surprise, given how skilled Lily was at her craft. A good sign for her future, he thought.

"Oh, Lex, there you are," said Lily, who was lounging in an undignified manner on the couch, surrounded by magazines and bits of yarn and fabric. "I'm glad you were able to pull yourself out of your book-cave long enough to come calling. I've been drowning in work lately, and I need someone to socialize with who isn't a thrall I'm hypnotizing, or I might lose my own mind."

"Rough week, then," he said, settling down in a plush chair. Nearby, Miriam sat down in a chair in the corner, taking up an embroidery project.

"It's been one thing after another. I think the long winter has given everyone cabin fever, and they've all collectively decided that they're dissatisfied with their perfectly functional thralls. You won't believe what I've had to put up with." 

"Such as?" Lex leaned in.

"The most ridiculous complaints. 'He taps his foot while he reads.' 'She turns the radio on too loud.' As though they need me to solve that," she said with a frustrated groan. "The worst one was 'his human food smells bad.' I turned him away -- 'sorry, sir, I can't do anything about the fact that your human thrall requires human food.'"

Miriam made a strange noise of distress.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"Does my human food smell bad?"

"Oh, no, of course not! You haven't done a thing wrong, Miriam. It's the vampires who are being unreasonable."

"It's awful that they treat their thralls like that," said Lex. "What ever happened to treating your thralls with dignity?"

"Exactly, you understand. Speaking of which -- " Whatever Lily was about to say was cut off by the doorbell ringing. "Oh, for crying out loud, who could that be? I cleared my schedule today."

Lex, having an uneasy feeling about this, followed Lily to the door, and was none too happy to see the perturbed visage of Jameson, a vampire he truly despised. He was gripping a smaller man by the shoulders, an unfortunate thrall who had clearly been crying.

"And what do you want?" said Lily bluntly.

"Is that any way to treat a customer?" he said.

"You're not a customer until you tell me what you want and I agree to it," she said. "And in case you didn't know, asking me to work on such short notice will cost you an extra 20%."

"I'm aware," he said. "I'm at my wit's end with this thrall. He's supposed to be fully mindwiped, but he keeps sniffling and making the most obnoxious whining noises."

"What on earth did you do to that poor man?" asked Lex. He'd never been able to stand the company of vampires who preferred their thralls to be little better than cattle, especially if the vampire in question abused their innocent humans. That dislike was mutual -- vampires like Jameson rarely mingled with those like Lex who believed they had an obligation to give their thralls a good life.

Jameson scowled at Lex. "It's none of your business, is it? I'm here to make a business transaction with Miss Lily and certainly not with you."

"Fine," she said with an annoyed huff. "Let me see your thrall. You can sit in the parlor until I'm done."

The thrall's eyes held a spark of recognition when he looked at Lily. Considering what a thorough job she did with the mindwipes -- preferring not to have to do it twice, and trying to minimize the thrall's suffering -- he must have been under a lot of stress to wake up enough to regain memories. Damn that Jameson.

No doubt, Jameson would rather not deal with Lily at all, but although he was in possession of a strong vampiric aura, his enthralling abilities were known to be below average. He had no choice but to hire an expert to work with his thralls, lest he destroy their minds utterly and leave himself responsible for a comatose bloodbag.

As Lily took the thrall into her workroom, Jameson sat down in the parlor with a sour look on his face. In her corner, Miriam was staring at him with a haunted expression. Lex wasn't sure if she actually knew Jameson, or if she saw how he treated his thrall and rightfully regarded him as a threat. He gave the poor girl a look as if she were lower than a bug, and she shrank further into her seat.

The humane and sympathetic thing to do would be to send Miriam out of the room until Jameson left. But Lex, annoyed at Jameson's rotten attitude and the interruption of his social call, couldn't help but do something a bit petty that he knew would annoy the other vampire.

He pulled up a chair next to Miriam. "This embroidery you're working on is very intricate. Can you show me your work?"

Miriam smiled. At least she seemed comforted by having Lex nearby, distracting her from the vampire glaring daggers at her. "Oh, yes, sir, of course," she said, showing him the pattern she'd carefully cut from a magazine. "It's a skirt with flowers and birds all up and down it. The original pattern has green leaves and blue birds, but I had this lovely rust-colored fabric to use, and I thought it would go very well with autumn leaves and red birds, like cardinals."

"You have a good eye for color, Miriam, and it's coming along splendidly," said Lex.

"Thank you, sir, I truly appreciate that!"

"Hmph." Jameson sniffed.

"Is there some problem?" said Lex.

"I just think it's a terrible shame that a vampire so gifted with conditioning chooses to keep her thrall in such disgraceful condition," he said, with a pointed glance to Miriam, who clutched Lex's arm fearfully. "She could easily erase her thralls and keep them in a far more agreeable state where they don't require entertainment or attention, and yet, she chooses this. You'd think her sire would have taught her better."

Miriam gripped Lex's arm hard enough to hurt, and Lex regretted that he'd provoked Jameson instead of sending her out. "Sir -- if I displease you --"

"You haven't displeased anyone, Miriam," Lex said, patting her hand in a comforting gesture. "You're an excellent thrall, and your madam also thinks so. She tells me all the time. You don't need to listen to what Lord Jameson says."

"Of course you'd think that," said Jameson. "That's about what I'd expect from a thrall-screwer."

Lex glared at Jameson with a simmering rage. "I'd suggest you be quiet, lest you say something you'll regret."

"Why would I regret speaking the truth?" said Jameson. "We all know you fell for that nasty little blond thing. A revolting thrall, and no better as a vampire, if you ask me."

Lex's temper flared. He was obviously baiting Lex for a confrontation, looking to stir shit for his own amusement. Lex really should ignore the meaningless squawking of an ignorant asshole just trying to get a rise out of him.

Instead, he stood from his chair, crossed the parlor in a flash, and slapped Jameson across the face as hard as he could. 

Jameson looked stunned for a moment, the bright red mark emblazoned across his cheek, then started to laugh. "And I thought you considered yourself civilized! Well, if that's how you like it..." There was a flash in his eyes as he flared his vampiric aura, and Lex could feel it, like rodents skittering along his limbs and gnawing at his flesh, like a thousand beady red eyes boring into him. The sensation made the hair on the back of Lex's neck stand up.

It was an aura that could easily subdue a lesser vampire, but Lex hadn't survived this long in this city by allowing any upstart vampire to best him, especially with his honor at stake. He took a deep breath, pushing his own aura outward in an inexorable wave. He was a storm on the ocean, waves and surf pounding, wooden ship cracking beneath your feet, the feeling of being pulled down into the dark and briny depths with no hope of escape.

Jameson furrowed his brow and intensified his efforts, but this was a battle he could not win, and it was so satisfying when his facade cracked and he showed his first sign of fear --

-- at least until both of them were swept off their feet by an even more powerful force of will.

"Hey!" Lily bellowed from the doorway. "What the devil do you two think you're doing?"

Lex looked at her sheepishly, not wanting to admit he'd been having a pointless tussle with with her customer. Jameson primarily looked annoyed that their fight had been interrupted.

"You two were laying it on so thick that I could feel your auras in my workroom. I don't know how you expect me to put a thrall under in those conditions." She went to comfort Miriam, who clung onto her skirt. "And you've upset my Miriam."

"Sorry, Lily," said Lex, and mostly meant it. At least, he did very much regret upsetting Miriam, who didn't deserve to be caught in this crossfire at all.

Lily sighed. "Lex, take Miriam to the kitchen and help her calm down," she said. "And as for you, Lord Jameson, you will sit quietly until my work is done, and I'm tacking on a surcharge for that little outburst."

"You can't be serious," he said, slamming his hands on the table. "It was Lord Alexander who --"

"Then you're free to take your thrall and leave."

Jameson settled back down onto the couch with a huff, like a petulant child. "Fine. Do what you will."

With that settled, Lex ushered a still-frightened Miriam into the kitchen as Lily returned to her work. "I'm sorry for being so sensitive, sir," she said.

"Don't be, not at all. I'm sorry for provoking that rat Jameson." He handed Miriam a handkerchief, which she used to wipe tears from her eyes. "You can relax here. He won't bother you any more. Now, is there any kind of snack you might like?"

"Sir, you don't need to --"

"It's my pleasure. The least I can do." He pulled out a chair and beckoned her to sit. "What would you like?"

"May I have strawberries with sugar, sir?"

"Certainly," he said, relieved that she asked for a dish he knew how to prepare, his knowledge of human cooking spotty at best. He found the fresh strawberries in the icebox, and made quick work of cutting them up and sprinkling them with sugar. 

Miriam's eyes lit up as she dug into the  sweet berries. "Thank you very much, sir!"

Lex settled down into the chair across from her as she ate. She was still a fairly bright thrall, but he knew that his sire would have her in his sights sooner rather than later. Lily would wipe her memories of the trauma, and her deterioration would begin. A slow moving tragedy, one he'd seen play out quite a few times by now.

Even so, she was certainly in a better position than that man in Lily's workshop. Her re-enthrallment of him would no doubt be a mercy compared to being lucid in Jameson's grasp.

What must it be like...?

He pushed the errant thought from his mind, not wanting to stir up dusty memories of his own enthrallment, so many years ago now.

Masterlist

@d-cs @latenightcupsofcoffee @thecyrulik @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @wanderinggoblin @whumpyourdamnpears @only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are @pressedpenn @pigeonwhumps @amusedmuralist @xx-adam-xx @ivycloak @irregular-book @whumpsoda @mj-or-say10 @pokemaniacgemini @whumpshaped @whumpsday @morning-star-whump @shinyotachi @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @pirefyrelight @theauthorintraining @whump-me-all-night-long @anonfromcanada @typewrittenfangs @tessellated-sunl1ght @cleverinsidejoke @abirbable @ichorousambrosia @a-formless-entity @gobbo-king @writinggremlin @the-agency-archives @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @enigmawriteswhump @foresttheblep @bottlecapreader @whump-on-a-string @whumpinthepot

[avengerscompound]

Shared Experience - Chapter 11

Shared Experience - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings:  smut (MF, vaginal sex), blood-drinking

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Rose Astor

Word Count: 1850

Summary:  Rose Astor met her end in 1920, joining the ranks of the living dead two years after the birth of Steve Rogers.  A century later the two meet in battle - a beacon of light clashing with a creature of the night.  Despite their differences, the two bond over their shared life experiences.  Can a vampire become an Avenger?  Can two such different beings create a life together?

Chapter 11

Returning home after the mess she’d made of the mission had left Rose filled with shame in a way she hadn't felt since first being turned. In some ways that shame was a relief to her, being with Steve and becoming an Avenger had made her feel her humanity in ways she’d thought had been lost to her and shame was yet another sign that this curse hadn't changed her completely.

It did mean that things took a few steps back with Steve.  The shame she felt over how badly things had gone, and her need to feed off Steve when he’d spent so long telling her he didn’t want that, made her feel guilty and dirty.  His reassurance that it was fine and he didn’t think differently about her didn’t help.  If anything it made her feel worse because it cemented in her mind that he always had seen her as a predator that would end up trying to eat him.  If he couldn’t see her as at least safe, then how could they stand a chance of working out?

Not to mention that his blood now called to her.  It was like a drug. The way it made her feel was not just more human, but superhuman.  Her preternatural gifts were enhanced and her weaknesses were reduced.  It made her feel both alive and slightly high.  When she was near him, all she could focus on was the sound of his heart beating in his chest and the scent of his blood just under the surface of his skin.  It only got worse over the week as the effects of his blood faded.  She was like an addict jonesing for her next hit and her supply was walking around wanting to dance with her.

She started avoiding him.

After the fourth night of missing training, Steve went to find her.  It wasn’t hard.  Rose had barely left her house.  She needed to detox from people.  She needed to get a hold of herself.

Steve knocked, but he let himself in.  He found Rose in her drawing room, listening to some early 1920s Jazz.  He tapped on the doorframe.  “Rose?” he said.  “Can we talk about this?”

She looked up at him with a frown.  He had a bag of blood with him.  She could smell it.  Stronger than the cold congealing blood in a bag, she could smell his, fresh and hot and pumping through his veins.

She nodded.  “We can talk.”

He approached her then.  His steps showed no hesitation or fear but he still moved carefully, like he was approaching a prey animal that could run at the smallest trigger, not a predator that could turn on him and tear his head off. 

“I brought you blood,” he said, offering her the bag.  She took it and clutched it in her hands, watching him as he crouched in front of her.  “Rose,” he said, putting his hand on hers.  “You know I love you, don’t you?”

She nodded.  “I know.  But I also know that when you look at me, you see something that feeds on you.  Not just since I did, but before that.”

“I look at you and I see Rose,” Steve said, taking her hand in his.  “Rose - my friend and my lover.  Rose who is incredibly strong and brave and sometimes she can be a little scary.  Rose who had something terrible happen to her when she was very young and it’s now changed her and given her extraordinary abilities, but also some strange side effects.  Rose who has been living with that all on her own for more than a lifetime.  Rose who even after all the pain she’s been through and all the urges she has still manages to be kind and brave and who helps protect people - even when they look at her and see a monster.  Rose who knows and can relate to what I’ve been through better than almost anyone else I know.  Rose who I love.  And yes, that means that I recognize that you have unique needs, such as sleeping during the day and drinking blood.  But it doesn’t mean I look at you and see a predator or a monster.  I know you much better than that.”

She frowned and looked at the bag of blood in her hand and back up at Steve.  He was so pure and good.  For every piece of dark in her, he was light and it just made her want to be better. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and break down.  To cry until all this pain was cried out of her as he held her, and then kiss him until she couldn’t feel her lips anymore.  But there was still one major problem.

“That’s all well and good, Steve,” she said as she looked down at him. “But your blood did something to me.  You saw me.  You saw how the light touched me.  It’s faded and I look at you, and I just want to feel that again.”

Steve didn’t say anything for a moment and in that moment, Rose was sure she’d said the thing that had turned him off her forever.  Just as she went to pull her hand away, his fingers tightened.  “You haven’t bitten me, Rose.  Not since I offered.  You might want to, you might think that my blood is calling to you, or tempting you, but you haven’t done it.  I know you think you’re a monster, but everyone has urges they know better to act on.  This is just one of yours.  And the truth is - I liked it.  I’ve been thinking about how it felt ever since.”

Rose wasn’t sure if that was worse or better.  She did know one thing, it made her feel better.  He trusted her and he felt these things too.  Maybe that was dangerous and maybe they could work this out together.

“Thank you, Steve,” she said softly.

He reached up and cradled her jaw.  “There’s nothing to thank me for,” he said.

She leaned in, bringing her lips to his. God - she’d missed this more than she’d realized.  All this time she thought it was the blood, but it was him.  She wanted him.  His affection, and his love.  She wanted to feel the warmth of his body against her cool skin.

She hummed, parting her lips and her tongue darting out to coax his lips apart.  He resisted and pulled back. “Eat,” he said.  “Then we can go up to your room.”

She sighed and looked down at the bag of blood, squeezing it to make the dark red fluid slop around inside.  Her eyes flicked back up to Steve as she lifted the bag to her lips and she sank her fangs into it.  The plastic popped under her teeth and the thick salty liquid flowed into her mouth.  It was lukewarm and while she knew the fact it had been kept away from oxygen meant it couldn’t be congealing, it still felt like it was.  It was completely unpalatable - and yet she drank.  She drank for Steve’s sake.  She drank so that she’d be sated and when she followed Steve up those stairs, feeding would be as far from his mind as it could get.

As she drank, Steve ran his hands up her thighs and around her hips.  They slid up her back and by the time the bag was empty, she wrapped her arms around him, dropping the bag to the floor behind his back.  He leaned in, capturing her lips and lifting her.  She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her up the stairs.

Their kiss deepened and became more frantic as they moved up the stairs.  When they reached the landing outside her bedroom, the kiss had become a battle for domination.  He carried her to the bed and dropped her on the mattress, she started to strip right away and he pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside.  She had moved with such speed that she was naked before he’d even managed to get his pants off.  She reached for him, grabbing his belt and unfastening it with deft fingers.  She practically tore his pants off and pulled him down on top of her.

Steve cradled her cheek as he ran the head of his cock up and down her sopping folds.  “Rose,” he breathed. “Don’t push me away again.  I love you.  I want this to work.”

She pushed him onto his back, straddling his waist.  “I love you too,” he said and kissed him.  She ground her pussy on his cock, soaking it with her slick.  He lifted her at the waist and as he lowered her back down, he entered her.

She moaned as he stretched her and filled her.  She began to ride him, kissing as she moved up and down on his shaft.  She angled her hips to try to get the head of his cock to rub her g-spot, but couldn’t quite get the angle right.

Steve flipped her again and pulled her legs right up, so her hips were angled just right.  He could read her perfectly, he knew exactly what she wanted and how to give it to her.  Each thrust of his hips sent pleasure coiling out through her, spreading out from her core right through her, so her edges felt fuzzy and soft.

Her lips grazed down his jaw and when she reached his neck, her fangs popped out and she skimmed them over his jugular.  His pulse beat against her teeth.  It made her shiver and despite the fact she wanted to sink his teeth in, the fact she could resist somehow made it feel better.  It added a sense of need paired with control that intensified everything.  It brought her careening to her release and kept her balanced there right at the edge.

It wasn’t just Rose who felt it.  As soon as Rose’s fangs touched his skin, Steve’s breath caught and his hips started to stutter.  “Rose,” he moaned.  “Rose… Do it.  Bite me.”

Rose pulled back, grabbing his hair and pulling his head back so he could look at him. “What?”

“I want it.  I want you to bite me,” he said.  “Penetrate me, Rose.  Penetrate me as I penetrate you.”

She couldn’t think straight.  The offer was so unexpected and she wanted it.  God, she wanted it so bad.  She looked into his eyes, trying to see if she’d done something to him.  They were blown out with lust, but clear.  His thoughts were his.  He wanted this as much as she had always wanted this.

“You’re sure about this?” she breathed. 

“Yes, Rose,” he begged.  “Do it.”

She opened her mouth, her lips curling back, so she could see the points of her fangs.

She pulled his head back, exposing his throat.  She could see the flicker of his vein as his pulse beat through it.

“Bite me,” he pleaded once more.

She lunged forward and sunk her fangs into him.

// NEXT

[fatehbaz]

Whitewash is extremely moral. Suppose there were a decree requiring all rooms in Paris to be given a coat of whitewash. I maintain that that would be a police task of real stature and a manifestation of high morality, the sign of a great people. -- Le Corbusier

A shocking call for compulsory whitening is made at the end of a key modernist manifesto. The pronouncement is associated with the signature whiteness of modern architecture -- an aesthetic regime that was presented as a complete revolution of the built environment in the 1920s and became the unconscious default setting of everyday life. Just look at the predominantly white background of most of the kitchens, offices, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms around the world [...]. Le Corbusier didn’t simply call for whitewash to be imposed by the police in the name of health. It was meant to act as a form of policing in its own right, a technology of surveillance that would put in motion an ever-expanding culture of self-policing. Whitewash exposes every dimension of life in front of it to judgement. It acts like “a court of assize in permanent session” that will “give a power of judgement to the individual,” and thereby “make each one of us a prudent judge.” [...] A “Law of Ripolin” -- the brand name of the hard impermeable and washable enamel “sanitary paint” invented at the end of the nineteenth century [...] is needed to ensure that all interiors are painted white to target any form of dirt or darkness:

Imagine the results of the Law of Ripolin. Every citizen is required to replace his hangings, his damasks, his wall-papers, his stencils, with a plain coat of white ripolin. His home is made clean. There are no more dirty, dark corners. Everything is shown as it is. Then comes inner cleanness [...]. When you are surrounded with shadows and dark corners you are at home only as far as the hazy edges of the darkness your eyes cannot penetrate. You are not master in your own house. Once you have put ripolin on your walls you will be master of yourself. [...]

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Whiteness manufactures health, morality, and intelligence. [...] The office of a modern factory that is “clear and rectilinear and painted with white ripolin” is a place of “healthy activity” and “industrious optimism.” [...] Le Corbusier’s routinely authoritarian and often explicitly eugenic and fascist impulses, associations, and actions make him an easy target. But there are endless, quieter, ultimately more controlling and insidious celebrations of whiteness in other hands. Le Corbusier is but a tip of the vast iceberg of whiteness. [...]

The very idea of an interior is the effect of this everyday violence. Architecture is never simply complicit with authority. Authority without architecture might not even be thinkable. [...]

There is no apolitical concept of health; no natural body or brain waiting to be cared for or abandoned by medicine and architecture that is not already an effect of those biopolitical regimes.

It is through the question of sickness that architecture reshapes the human. The idea of a healthy architecture is always about the health of a small group relative to multiple others [...]. Whiteness is coded as a fragility requiring protection through continual acts of preemptive violence. Whiteness is not a thing but a defense and deployment of power over others. [...]

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Whiteness in Le Corbusier’s The Decorative Art of Today, for example, is simultaneously the most modern thing to do, the very symptom of modernity, and the most ancient of gestures. [...] Le Corbusier’s argument was first published in a late 1923 issue of L’Esprit Nouveau [...]. It was, after all, the extended “Voyage d’Orient” of 1911 (including the Balkans and Greece, but especially Turkey) where Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, the young architect from a small mountain town in Switzerland who would a decade later rename himself “Le Corbusier,” became “besotted with white” and convinced that the future of architecture was white. Whiteness is discovered in the lands of the non-white; of those seen to be closer to deeper human history and therefore to be admired and learned from. In fact, the very point of going to the East was to encounter its “great white walls” as an antidote to the self-absorbed decadence of architecture in the North, as Jeanneret explained [...]. Jeanneret expresses nostalgia for the more intact and mesmerizing whiteness of the great mosques and vernacular houses of Constantinople (Istanbul) [...] [and] “Algiers-the-white.” [...] This pervasive sense of contamination provoked the call for a second, more explicit law to impose whiteness not only onto industrial culture, but also onto its victims: the people of color and places seen as newly “unhealthy” -- requiring, as it were, a dose of “their” own medicine. [...]

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The “white” architecture of the 1920s drew on countless experiments in whitening buildings in the name of health. This included, precisely, the use of Ripolin that had already become standard in clinics, hospital wards, and sanatoria rooms at the turn of the century.

In 1899, for example, the Touring-Club de France, inspired by one of its [...] cyclist members who was a doctor, started a campaign for an easily disinfected “hygienic room” in hotels that would be Ripolin-lined [...]. Hotel rooms were treated as hotspots for contagion [...]. Given the largely upper-middle-class membership of the club, this anxiety about disease was also class anxiety, fear of the unclean other. The tourist was to be mobile yet isolated by a prophylactic whiteness that would itself travel in advance.

The Touring-Club exhibited such a prototype “white room” with toilette and toilet spaces designed by Gustave Rives at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris -- strategically placed just inside the entrance of the Palais de l’hygiène [...]. The Touring-Club installed a series of such model chambres hygiéniques in automobile shows, congresses on tuberculosis, and international fairs. It was successful in persuading thousands of hotels to install such spaces [...].

Ripolin was used “everywhere,” for example, on the walls of the “hygienic housing” project for workers in Paris by Henri Sauvage and Charles Sarazin in 1903–1904. [...] The project was originally intended to feature a radical all-glass street façade with every window surrounded by webs of floor-to-ceiling hexagonal glass blocks [...] which would have been the most polemical housing structure possible, the most therapeutic role of glass, more extreme even than any sanatorium. The design was produced in immediate response to the new public health law of 1902 and the associated new building regulations. [...]

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It is always about control of the threatening other of epidemic disease and control of the laboring poor, itself coded as dark, migrant, and contagious, a disease in its own right. And throughout this discourse of control, there is a seemingly “modern” disdain for disease-incubating ornament in favor of smooth white surfaces. [...] What is remarkable in the end is this trans-historical resilience of whiteness [...]. It orchestrates life and death.

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All text above by: Mark Wigley. “Chronic Whiteness.” e-flux (Sick Architecture series). November 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[scotianostra]

On August 13th 1888 John Logie Baird was born in Helensburgh.

John was the fourth and youngest child of the Rev John and Jessie Baird, he showed early signs of ingenuity by setting up a telephone exchange to connect his house to those of his friends nearby.

His first interest in television came in 1903 after he read a German book on the photoelectric properties of selenium.Baird sailed for Port of Spain, Trinidad in November 1919 and realising that the island teemed with citrus fruit and sugar, he set up a jam factory. Unfortunately the local insect life either ran off with the sugar or landed in the hot vats of boiling preserve.

Baird returned to the British Isles in September 1920, and after a brief spell in business in London, he started to experiment with television. In Hastings in 1924 he transmitted the image of a Maltese cross over the distance of 10 feet.Baird's first public demonstration of television was in 1925, in Selfridge's shop in London.

The breakthrough came in October 1925 when he achieved television pictures with light and shade (half-tones), making them much clearer.He demonstrated these to invited members of the Royal Institution in January 1926. The pictures measured only 3.5 x 2 inches.In 1928 Baird sent television pictures from London to New York by short-wave radio. He also demonstrated television in colour, and developed a video recording system which he called 'phonovision'.

In 1929 the BBC sent out experimental television transmissions. At first Baird had to pay the BBC to transmit his images. A year later the Baird company brought out the world's first mass produced television set, called 'The Televisor'.The BBC began using his system for the first public television service in 1932, before switching in 1937 to the Marconi-EMI version.

In July 1937 the Royal Society of Edinburgh awarded Baird an Honorary Fellowship.

At the age of 43, John Logie Baird married South African pianist Margaret Albu in New York. The couple had two children – Diana and Malcolm.

During the Second World War, Baird continued to fund his own research. His achievements included high-definition colour and 3D television, and a system for sending messages very rapidly as television images.

John Logie Baird died at his home in Bexhill-on-Sea on 14th June 1946, and was buried in Helensburgh.

In a National Library of Scotland poll John Logie Baird was voted the second most popular Scottish scientist from the past behind James Clerk Maxwell.

[justbusterkeaton]

[friendlessghoul]

Buster Keaton and Bartine Burkett The High Sign - 1921

[busterkeatonsociety]

This Day in Buster…April 12, 1921

Buster Keaton is magic! As is his use of the screen to draw the eye around & about.  “The High Sign” is released.  

[toxicrivalries]

hey lovely, are you able to explain the real madrid hatred for a football noob?

(i follow you for f1 and am a nosey bitch)

Okay let me preface all of this with this fact: i support Real Madrid's bitter rivals, FC Barcelona. I've supported them since i was a little baby learning what football was and could hear the stadium down the road. Just for that and that alone, I would hate Real Madrid, regardless of what they were like as a football club.

So apparently I have so much to say. I will put it under a readmore.

Luckily for us, they give plenty of reasons for hatred. Let's address stuff from the beginning. The "real" in Real Madrid means royal. They got were bestowed it by the king in the 1920s. While not directly a critique of the spanish royal family (since I am not spanish and cannot speak to the broader feelings on the matter of the monarchy), this is the beginning of a pattern with Real Madrid and their relationship to governments, governing bodies, and power.

Especially, when you learn the next point. Franco, of spanish dictatorship fame, was a madrid supporter. Now, whether or not he arranged for game results to go in his clubs favour, or if the knowledge that the country's bloodthirsty dictator supported this football club made referees think twice about making decisions that would be unfavourable for the club, it doesn't matter. The end result was the same: Real Madrid benefited from this, with trophies (and the prize money that accompanies those), with results, and with prestige. This isn't to say Madrid didn't win anything before, they did, they're one of the 3 teams that have never been relegated (dropped down to a lower dicision) in the history of Spanish football. But looking at games under Franco, the results tell their own story.

That's our background. Let's talk more present day. So in football, one of the biggest competitions for clubs (as opposed to national teams) is the Champions League. The Champions League is a competition organised by UEFA (the european football governing body) in which the top teams across Europe compete for a trophy, for one team to be crowned champions of Europe. Real Madrid have won this 15 times since the competition started, in its current and previous forms. No other club comes close to that number, the runners up (AC Milan) have 7 to their name. Impressive numbers, no? Let's take a closer look at when these 15 were won.

As we can see this is essentially three dominant periods (one of which was during the early days where only one team per nation qualified and also overlaps with Franco's Spain meaning Real Madrid qualified through preferential treatment in Spain).

The more recent ones are more fascinating though. So, the current day philosophy (from 2000-onwards) that Madrid have towards football, is to build a team full of superstars, who are often referred to as 'Galacticos', through marquee signings and a frankly eye-watering amount of money. A lot of clubs try to replicate this approach with significantly less success, so I must hand it to Madrid, whatever it is they're doing, it works.

(Personally, I'm more a fan of giving your academy products a chance to grow and thrive, but I'm also spoilt on the matter by being a Barcelona fan and my club having arguably the best football academy of the world, so the quality of the academy products is guaranteed to be incredibly high.)

This approach also leads to a lot of prima donna figures in the dressing room, who are then reinforced by the club mentality that they're the worlds most special football players, and deserve to win every award under the sun. And sometimes, yeah, they do, I won't argue they don't. But not always.

This brings us to the most recent drama. So there's two elements to it, I think.

One of them is the result from the game on Saturday. Barcelona played Real Madrid, in Madrid's own stadium. The Barcelona - Madrid match up, often referred to as el clasico (the classic), is always a huge game. There's many many things tied into that rivalry, including bragging rights, politics, a long and sordid and bitter history between the two clubs, opposing football world views approaches and philosophies. More often than not, the two games between these two teams are what ends up determining who will be crowned spanish champions at the end of the season. This most recent el clasico ended 0-4 in Barcelona's favour. To understand how much of a whitewash that is, here is the 3 most frequent scorelines in football:

So obviously, Madrid limped away from this game with their pride in bad shape. It doesn't help that during the game, the guy they recently signed (Kylian Mbappe), who was meant to make their already very strong attacking even stronger, delivered an absolute stinker of a game. Arguably, adding him to the mix has thrown off the carefully balanced Madrid Soup. (You won't hear me complaining! Keep being offside forever, Kylian!)

And then we get to Monday. Monday was the Football Awards Ceremony for the previous season (seasons run from mid august through to late may, with the big international tournaments like the world cup and regional ones like the Euros or the Copa America taking place in june-july).

Now there's an award called the ballon d'or (lit. the golden ball) that is given to the best player of the previous season. It is voted on by journalists from all the UEFA member states, and there's criteria they have to consider when casting their vote. Obviously, there's been dubious decisions in the past, such as the year UEFA decided the 22 world cup should be counted in the 2023 award to then give Messi his 8th ballon d'or (let it never be said that I am not aware of when calls are made to benefit my club or the players I like).

Anyway, several of Madrid's players, including Vinicious Jr. were up for consideration for this award. Vini was in wonderful form last season, and deserved to be in contention for the award. I will say that much. But then starts the embarrassing behaviour.

Monday morning, Vini & Madrid announced they wouldn't be going to the awards ceremony. There had been whispers that the person who would win the ballon d'or was Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester city and Spain, who won the english premier league, and the euros in this past season.

Here's a summary of all the silly behaviour in Madrid's camp, summarised by the Athletic:

Anyway, to me, considering everything, considering Madrid's general history and cosyness to power, and how they handle their players, this is both insanely boneheaded and spoilt behaviour, and the funniest thing they could have done.

I hope that sums things up, and if you have more follow up questions, please feel free to ask.

[guzhufuren]

Thailand 🇹🇭 A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows

Full list here.

1. KinnPorsche mafia boss/bodyguard; action; kidnapper/kidnapee side couple

Kinn, a son of a prominent mafia head, is ambushed by an enemy, and meets Porsche, a bartender who comes to his rescue for a price, thus beginning their reluctant relationship as boss and bodyguard, which soon turns into something more.

iQIYI

2. Bed Friend friends with benefits; office setting; trauma

King and Uea work in the same office. After a company outing ends in a drunken hook-up between them, Uea and King agree to keep seeing each other on a strictly physical basis. With no strings attached, will these two be able to keep things between them simple and carefree or will their emotions eventually get the better of them?

Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or GagaOOLala or cut on YouTube

3. The Sign reincarnated lovers; fantasy; thai mythology; police

The story of the love between Phaya and Tharn who used to be mythological creatures Naga and Garuda in their past lives, and were forced apart. But fate intervened, and two men were reincarnated in new bodies. Now, they work together as partners in the Special Investigations Unit to uncover violent crimes and supernatural mysteries while their love is tested by mystical forces and past enemies.

YouTube

4. I Feel You Linger In The Air period drama; time travel; bittersweet

Jom, an architect overseeing the renovation of a rundown villa, continuously dreams of a man he's never met. When a twist of fate transports Jom to Chiang Mai in the 1920s, he assumes the role of a servant to the affluent young master Yai, the mysterious man from his dreams.

GagaOOLala or YouTube

5. You're My Sky sports; university setting; coming of age

Thorn, a young basketball player follows his senior Fah to university as a result of the promise they’d made — to become national basketball champions. However, to his dismay, he finds that Fah has already given up on basketball. --- Aai has to work in pairs throughout the semester with San, 1 year footballer; in order to receive a scholarship to study in Japan, Ai must be willing to do everything to get an A grade. --- Track running requires the compatibility of the team members to be very high. Vee, who became the new racquet 4, has to speed up training to fit in with the team as quickly as possible, especially with Dome, spending extra time together to train. Is love actually a major obstacle on the path of being an athlete?

Viki

6. Cutie Pie (+Cutie Pie 2 You, Naughty Babe) arranged marriage; secret identity; crack

The sons of two companies, Lian and Kuea, have been engaged to each other since childhood. One decides he doesn't want the arranged marriage anymore while the other decides to win him back.

Cutie Pie: YouTube & Cutie Pie 2 You: Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or cut on YouTube & NB: uncut on IQIYI or cut on YouTube

7. Until We Meet Again reincarnated lovers; forbidden love;university setting

Two boys who couldn't be together in one life find each other again in another.

+ Between Us university setting; swimming club; trauma

A parallel story to Until We Meet Again. Win and Team get to know one another through the swimming club, and eventually develop a relationship. They grow their connection as Win helps Team deal with his childhood trauma.

UWMA: YouTube & Between Us: Special: YouTube & Between Us: Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or paid YouTube or cut on YouTube

8. Step By Step office setting; boss/employee; slowburn

Jeng is a marketing manager and son of the owner of the company. Pat is a new team member. Jeng develops a secret fondness for his new subordinate, but in this position, he has to be strict and picky with Pat.

Uncut 18+ on Viki or GagaOOLala or cut on YouTube

9. GAP The Series wlw; office setting; boss/employee; class difference

Long after Sam first came to Mon's rescue when they were kids, Sam is unambiguously Mon's idol. In order to be near Sam, Mon gets a job working under her. When they finally meet again at the office, Mon is surprised by Sam’s icy exterior, so different from the image she'd had of her. Mon and Sam aren't just different in demeanour; they stand apart in class and age.

YouTube

10. Lucky My Love wlw; office setting

In the pursuit of love, Nabdao has been doing everything. She has got her fortune read. She's gone on a string of blind dates. Unfortunately, no one seems to be on the same page as her. She starts to think that perhaps her gorgeous and caring boss Pheem could be the one for her. Then Vela, her new team leader, comes into the picture and shakes things up with her observant and affectionate care.

YouTube

11. La Pluie soulmate alternative universe

In an alternate universe where Thailand is perpetually rainy and soulmates exist, La Pluie traces the story of Saengtai, who suffers from sensorineural hearing loss every time it rains. The only voice he can hear then is that of his soulmate, but he is adamant about not giving said soulmate a chance due to having seen his parents’ (who are also soulmates) relationship deteriorate.

YouTube or iQIYI

12. I Told Sunset About You (+ Last Twilight in Phuket, I Promised You the Moon) coming of age; childhood friends to lovers; high school setting

Two childhood best friends-turned-rivals meet again, awakening an old rivalry and old feelings. They now have to navigate their lives together and the growing attraction toward each other.

Viki (ITSAY) & YouTube (LTIP) & Viki (IPYTM)

13. Ghost Host, Ghost House crush at first sight; ghosts; grief

Kevin's passion is the challenge of hunting ghosts. He returns to Thailand after 10 years to stay with his aunt's family, but he didn't know that he'd come to stay under the same roof as those hunted ghosts. There he meets Pluem, a young gardener working for his family and a spark ignites between them.

YouTube or GagaOOLala

14. Something In My Room ghost/human; mystery; bittersweet

Looking to start a new life in a new house with his mother, Phat feels something uncanny in his room, which turns out to be the ghost of Phob. Phob wants Phat’s help in solving the mystery of his death before it’s too late.

I recommend watching the extended uncut version on KissKH or Dramacool, but you can also watch cut version on YouTube

15. Manner of Death crime; mystery; dark

A forensic pathologist Bunn is threatened to identify a manner of one victim's death as suicide — something that is not true according to the autopsy performed. The prime suspect seems to be a man named Tan who denies all involvement. They team up together to find the real murderer.

WeTV

16. Triage time loop; hospital setting; crime; mystery

As a resident in the emergency room, one should be indifferent when not saving a patient's life. But Tin got the chance to reverse a random patient's death for the second, third, and countless times. To help Tol and save his life.

AIS PLAY

17.  Love Mechanics cheating; university setting

A love story that starts one night in a club — between Mark, who is drunk and carrying the painful burden of his one-sided love, and the boy who he bumps into and mistakes as the object of his affection. They spend a night together and gradually Mark falls for Vee, although he knows Vee has a girlfriend. Will the love between them make it?

WeTV

18. Wedding Plan wedding planner/groom; lavender marriage; wlw side couple

Nuea is a professional wedding planner. Sailom happens to be the perfect man for Nuea based on his visual considerations for a man. But the universe has an unimaginable sense of humor as Sailom and his fiance Yiwa turn out to be Nuea's new clients.

Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or cut on Youtube & iQIYI (special episode)

19. Laws of Attraction lawyers; crime

When working-class man Tinn's niece fails to receive justice for her untimely death, he encounters Charn, a cynical morally corrupt lawyer. As Tinn and Charn team up to delve deeper into the case, they form a close bond despite their ideological differences. The series explores Charn and Tinn’s fight for justice, even though they were on opposite sides of the fence at the beginning.

YouTube

20. Secret Crush On You “nerd”/popular guy; queer friend group; university setting

Discover the secret of a nerdy young man, Toh, who fell in love with a popular third-year senior. Because his dream is so far from reach, observing is the only thing he could do. But what happens when one auspicious day the world devises an opportunity for Toh to make himself known to his crush Nuea?

YouTube

21. To Sir, With Love period drama; family drama; rich man/lower class man

A powerful family suffering from internal power struggles is now facing an even greater secret threat, the oldest son and heir is gay.

YouTube

22. My Only 12% best friends to lovers; slow burn

Cake and Seeiw, next-door neighbors and childhood best friends, navigate their feelings towards each other as they grow up.

YouTube

23. Show Me Love wlw; beauty pageants

Meena moves to Bangkok to achieve her singing dreams. She chances across Cherine who asks Meena to join her in a beauty pageant. The girls' journey for the crown begins and a romance between them sparks.

YouTube

24. Pit Babe omegaverse; alpha/alpha; car racing

Babe is the number one race car driver and an alpha with special abilities who only has sex with other alphas. Nerdy naive alpha Charlie approaches Babe to ask for his help to become a racer himself. Babe agrees to help Charlie realise his dream, but it will come with a price.

Uncut on iQIYI or cut on YouTube

---

You can watch many shows for free on YouTube, and watch others on the streaming websites by setting VPN to Thailand. In other cases I recommend paying for subscriptions to show appreciation and support of content in order to get more of it in the future, but if you can’t, watch on KissKH (better quality), Dramacool or get files from MkvDrama. Enjoy!  🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️