#the reality that there's a full week between episodes is setting in

[green-eyes-and-orange-ties]

Angelo Volta's Camera Roll

Can you tell when Seb was visiting?

[writingwithfolklore]

How to Hold Yourself Accountable as a Professional Writer

              Okay maybe you’re not self-employed or professional yet and writing definitely isn’t bringing in the big bucks, but you’d like it to some day, and you’re working right now on making that a reality. This post is for you, because the best time to practice getting into a healthy writing habit and holding yourself accountable to writing for that future where it’s your full time gig is now—before it’s essential to do so.

1. It will never be easy

It’s easy to think that maintaining a schedule or habit for writing would be easy if only it was your full-time gig and all you needed to do. While it might be easier than trying to cram in writing between classes or jobs, it will never be easy. You’re always going to have multiple things going on, there’s always going to be something you could be or need to be doing other than writing. Developing good habits right now, when it is really hard, is going to set you up far better than just waiting for it to get easy before you fully commit to it.

2. Set a schedule that actually works for you

I did a whole post on making a writing schedule you can actually manage and maintain here:

But the TL;DR is that in order to keep to a schedule, you have to make sure it’s attainable. Fit when you write around your other life schedule. For example, if you’re really not a morning person, planning on waking up at 5am every morning to write for a couple hours is probably not something you’ll be able to maintain. But setting aside an hour before bed may be more manageable for you.

3. Form a habit

To train your brain to make your writing schedule a habit you’ll actually stick to, you should make it into a routine. Similar to how you have a bedtime routine that sets you up to feel sleepy at night, a routine that sets you up for writing will make it harder to turn away from your manuscript, and help inspire a productive writing block.

              You can create a writing playlist with songs that inspire your project you listen to whenever you begin writing, make a tea or other drink to sip on while you write, grab a snack, share your schedule with a writing buddy and write together, put together a document of inspiring quotes, photos, or other muses you can read, or really anything that gets you into the writing mood. By following this routine every time you set up to write, you’ll train your brain to get into a mindset that will make it easier to stick to your writing block.

4. Reward yourself

Brains love doing things for a reward. Maybe after a productive writing block you can spend some time doing something else you love, like watching an episode of your favourite show, lighting a candle, taking a bath, or having a glass of wine, I don’t know, anything that would give your brain the happy juice in response to your good work.

5. Set deadlines and goals

Writing consistently is basically the majority of the battle. I don’t typically worry about word count, but I do know that it can be helpful for others to set wordcount goals and deadlines to ensure productivity. If that sounds like you, make sure your goals are actionable while also being attainable. “Finish novel” isn’t a great goal, but “write 2000 words per week for three months” could be helpful if you know that 2000 words is attainable for you.

              Same as before, you can also set rewards for when you reach your goals. I have a big tattoo upcoming if I complete my goal for the year.

              The last tip I have for this point is to try to find an accountabili-buddy to hold you to your goals and deadlines if you think that would be helpful for you. As a professional writer, you may be held accountable by an editor or agent, so practicing through asking a buddy to help you set deadlines and deliverables will help prepare you for writing towards a date.

The TL;DR is find out what works for you and practice doing it consistently! Anything else I missed?

[fortunelowtier]

I still 100% unironically wholeheartedly believe that this scuffed ass reality tv show from 2007 where CBS stranded 40 children in the middle of the NM desert a la Lord of the Flies is one of the most genuinely fascinating pieces of TV I've ever watched just because of how ABSURD it is on every level

-Their society is a bizarre Communism/Democracy hybrid whose entire economy is based on the barter system

-There is a set class system everyone is sorted into against their will who each get paid more or less money depending on how high or low they are on the ladder, and at the end of each episode they must compete in competitions to decide who gets to be at the top, with the "strongest" being able to get the esteemed title of "upper class"

-Every time they would complete a challenge, at the very end they were given a choice of 2 things that could be added to the town, to which the leaders of the teams would vote on which to get (For example, in one episode they had to choose between fresh produce or 50 pizzas). One of these things was letters from the children's parents, implying that the adults on site were receiving the mail from these kid's parents and deliberately withholding it from them

-In one episode the district leaders of each of the 4 teams (the classes) go out and find a chest full of buffalo nickels (the town's currency), they bring the chest to the town and naturally, this creates unprecedented inflation near instantly, as there's now a mass amount of currency that suddenly appeared in the economy

-Their entire society existed in relative stability until the moment religion was introduced in the form of various religious texts (Bibles, the Quran, etc), after which the town immediately started to go to shit. The Jewish kids and Christian kids were at each other's throats about which religion was """better""" (because they're children who had religion forced upon them at a young age before they were able to think for themselves but that's an entire can of worms I won't open), while the 1 (one) Hindu kid was trying to keep the peace

-At one point the kids start to crave meat, as their food up to that point was mostly canned goods and various produce, so one of the """eldest""" members of the group, (I say """eldest""" because he was still only like 14 or 15) who had worked as a butchers apprentice, took one of their chickens and lead the kids into the desert to where he then taught them how to decapitate, pluck, drain, and cook a chicken.

-One of the kids later did a Reddit AMA about his experience on the show, where he then disclosed various things that happened outside of the camera such as, but not limited to: Oil burns, a kid drinking bleach, scorpions, venomous snakes, an outbreak of herpes, the lack of showers, the lack of multiple toilets (up until I believe a few weeks in they only had one outhouse), etc etc etc

-The parents of these kids allegedly had to sign a 22 page waiver that was basically CBS going "If ur kids get hurt you can't sue us", specifically noting "acts of god" in the contract of things that they weren't to be held accountable for

-At the end of every week, the 4 leaders got together to choose which person would receive that week's "gold star", a star made out of 20,000 USD of solid gold (around 30k after adjusting for inflation), an unfathomable amount of money to give to kids who likely had no concept as to how much money 20 grand was

-The town used for Bonanza City is actually a ghost town/film set located just 20 miles from Santa Fe used as a filming location for movies like A Million Ways to Die In the West (2014) and The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981). The reason I bring this up is because it's the same film set in which 14 years later, Alec Baldwin would accidentally discharge a firearm on the set of Rust, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

To anyone asking where to watch this, I genuinely don't know. All of the 13 episodes used to be available on YouTube by someone who re-uploaded them in 2010, but the channel was terminated last year. I've heard that there are a few Google Drive folders floating around that have the raw MP4 files and you could watch them that way but you'd probably have to go digging for it

[waltwhitmansbeard]

so i just read a post explaining why the op (and, according to the op, a lot of other people, even tho the post in question only had 32 notes, some of which were from people who disagreed with them) didn't like the cut to the crown keepers in last week's episode. while i'm totally on board with people not jibing with stuff that just doesn't work for them, i wanted offer some reasons why this seemingly hard pivot to people who are not the main characters of the story being told was a good decision to make (note good decision, not inherently the best decision, which i believe no one, including the dm, at a ttrpg table should ever be expected to make).

matt had an extremely powerful, extremely unexpected character decision dropped in his lap in the final moments of the previous episode. we don't know exactly how much time matt has between recordings, maybe a full week, maybe not, but either way, there's a very real chance that matt just did not have enough time to fully prepare a session to deal with fcg's death and what comes next.

sam now has to create a new character that a) is of a level with the rest of the party and b) makes narrative sense for him to be there. that takes time for both him and matt, and they might just need some space to work on that. when laudna died, marisha was willing to sit away from the table for several weeks because she knew that she wanted laudna to be resurrected, but sam may not want the same thing, and that's okay!

matt may want to fold the crown keepers into his main story, some or all of them—particularly dorian, whom both liam and the fans have been asking to return for a while now. dorian is clearly important to orym and the story that liam is trying to tell, and bringing the crown keepers in may be matt's way to do that.

matt—and dms generally—has always had to straddle a very fine line of making sure that his players are the main characters of their story who feel like their actions have real consequences and effects on the world, while also understanding that in reality, it doesn't make sense for half a dozen chucklefucks to have such an outsized effect on major cosmological goings-on like *checks notes* the potential release of a god-eater. this becomes especially true when you're on your third campaign set in the same world, and your players' previous ultra-powerful pcs are still around and definitely more adept and connected than their current pcs are. i, personally, think matt does a great job at walking that line, and one of the things he does that i appreciate is that he doesn't shy away from the fact that a) his players are powerful but not the most powerful and b) his players aren't the only one who care about what's going on in the world and who are taking actions to effect change. the current plotline re: ruidus is absolutely world-shaking and is causing all the divine girlies to cower in their demiplanes, so of course even the evil ones are going to be calling on their champions to help out. it makes more sense for opal to be involved (which, btw, matt has been hinting at for a while now) than not.

matt might need a fucking break! he's been doing this consistently for nine years now, and shit is complicated! handing over the reins to aabria for a week or two or three may be what he needs to not get burnt out.

dnd is an emotional game, and the entire cast might have been rocked hard by fcg's death. some space away for a week or two could help them process and regroup to get back into a story that is otherwise very stressful and action-packed.

or it's none of these! what do i know! i'm a random idiot on the internet! matt doesn't consult me on these matters! (though my dms are open if he wants to chat, i do have ideas)

i think it's tempting to think of the decisions made in and around critical role (or any ttrpg show) like those made for a television series, because the episodes are serialized and we love them so much. but this show is, first and foremost, a group of friends playing a game together, and not a carefully constructed narrative with the primary goal of entertaining an audience. the audience always has been and, frankly, always should be second to the wishes and fun of the people around that table. matt would not have asked aabria to step in and dm a crown keepers side arc if he didn't think it was a good decision for him and his players, and that priority is the correct one. we are being invited in to watch these friends have fun together, and that's a privilege that we're super lucky to have. as long as the cr story isn't doing things that are outright abusive or harmful to the cast or the audience, i don't think we should begrudge them the choices they make in the name of their own game.

again, it's okay if you're not vibing with the crown keepers! i didn't love the aeor arc of c2! not everything is for everyone! but i think accusing matt and the cast of narrative malfeasance is a bit much when, tbqh, they don't answer to us. they answer to each other.

[30somethingautisticteacher]

Prompts, you say? What about this post I made 🤣

https://www.tumblr.com/v88sy/756596064088391680/nothing-just-watching-the-9-1-1-episode-where?source=share

"Nothing, just watching the 9-1-1 episode where Chimney thinks he lost Maddie's engagement ring in the city dump and realizing I need something like that for Tommy, hbu"

Thank you for the prompt @v88sy I hope I did it justice ❤️🥰 Now also on Ao3...link at the bottom.

***

Tommy was no Clipboard Buck, but between his childhood and the army, he had definitely learned to be efficient. So when it came to proposing to Evan, he had everything meticulously planned out. Every detail was in place, every moment accounted for. Tommy couldn't help but smile to himself as he went over the plan one last time muttering to himself as he checked each step. Evan wasn't going to know what hit him.

Satisfied, Tommy reached for the ring box to practice his proposal one more time. But as he opened it, his heart stopped. There was no ring inside.

Tommy felt his heart race as panic set in. How could he have lost the ring? It was perfect - a black tungsten band with a sleek blue stripe running through it. He had spent weeks choosing it, making sure every detail was just right. The engraving inside, 'My Evan', had been his final touch.

His mind raced, trying to retrace his steps. When was the last time he had seen it? Where could it have possibly gone?

Tommy took a deep breath, forcing himself to think logically. He couldn't let this derail everything. He had faced worse challenges before, surely he could handle a misplaced ring. But as he began to search, a nagging worry persisted - what if he couldn't find it in time?

Tommy's mind raced as he tried to recall the ring's last known location. "Where did I see it last? Where did I have it?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Suddenly, realization dawned on him. "Oh my God," he gasped. He had taken it to work because he was worried about Evan stumbling onto it during his 48-hour shift at home. The memory came flooding back - he had taken it into the helicopter and shown it to Lucy.

A new wave of panic washed over him. Was it still in the chopper? Or worse, had he lost it on one of their calls? The possibility of the ring lying somewhere in the city, lost during a rescue operation, made his stomach churn.

"Oh God," Tommy whispered, the full weight of the situation hitting him. He needed to get back to the station, and fast. The clock was ticking, and his perfect proposal hung in the balance.

Tommy raced to Harbor, his heart pounding. As soon as he arrived, he made a beeline for his locker, frantically searching every pocket and crevice. The empty ring box in his pocket seemed to mock him as he searched.

"Hey, has anyone seen a ring? About this big, black with a blue stripe?" he called out to his coworkers, trying to keep his voice steady. A chorus of shaken heads and apologetic looks answered him.

With growing desperation, Tommy headed for his chopper. He searched every inch of the aircraft, checking under seats, in compartments, and even in the most unlikely nooks and crannies. He tore apart the interior, his usual respect for the machine overshadowed by his urgent need.

But as he stood back, surrounded by displaced equipment and opened compartments, the reality sank in. The ring itself was nowhere to be found.

Tommy leaned against the helicopter, closing his eyes in defeat. He pulled out the empty ring box, staring at the velvet indent where the perfect ring should have been. The proposal he had planned was in jeopardy, and he was running out of options.

Tommy's mind raced, recounting yesterday's calls. Four. There had been four calls.

A cliff rescue, two life flights, and an organ transport. He distinctly remembered having the ring during the first three calls, even recalling how he'd absentmindedly touched his pocket to ensure it was still there.

But the last one? The life flight from the beach? Tommy's stomach dropped as uncertainty crept in.

"Shit!" he muttered, then louder, "Fuck!" The possibility hit him like a ton of bricks. Did he lose it in the sand?

The image of the ring, lying lost and buried in countless grains of sand, made him feel sick. If it had fallen out there, finding it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

How could he possibly find it in time? And how was he going to propose to Evan without the ring he'd so carefully chosen?

Tommy took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for. His thumb hovered over the call button for a moment before he pressed it, bringing the phone to his ear.

After a couple of rings, a familiar voice answered. "Hey, Tommy. What's up?"

"Howie?" Tommy's voice was a mix of desperation and hope. "I need your help. You don't happen to have access to a metal detector, do you?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "A metal detector? That's... an unusual request. What's going on, man?"

Tommy closed his eyes, dreading having to explain his predicament. "It's a long story, but I think I might have lost something important on the beach during a call yesterday. Something small, made of metal, and incredibly important."

He could almost hear the gears turning in Howie's head. "Wait, is this about what I think it's about? The thing you showed me last week?"

"Yeah," Tommy admitted with a sigh. "That's the one. So, about that metal detector?"

"I don't have one," Howie replied, sounding apologetic, "but maybe Eddie does? Chris went through a pirate buried treasure phase a few years back."

Tommy's heart sank for a moment, but Howie quickly continued, his voice brightening, "But hey, I'll help you look, and I'm sure everyone else will too. We've got your back, man."

A wave of relief washed over Tommy. He hadn't realized how much he needed to hear those words of support.

"Thanks, Howie," Tommy said, his voice thick with gratitude. "I really appreciate it. Could you maybe call Eddie about that metal detector while I finish checking here?"

"On it," Howie assured him. "Don't worry, Tommy. We'll find that ring. Operation 'Save the Proposal' is officially underway."

As Tommy hung up, he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe there was still a chance to salvage his plans.

****

"Alright team, fan out," Athena's authoritative voice rang out across the beach. She stood at the center of a very determined group.

Bobby stepped forward, naturally taking charge alongside his wife. "We've got two metal detectors. Eddie, you take yours. Hen, you're on the one Athena brought from the station."

Eddie nodded, already adjusting the settings on his detector, while Hen powered up the police-issued one. Chimney and Ravi stood ready with shovels, as Lucy prepared the sifters.

Tommy looked at his assembled friends with a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. He never expected his proposal plans to turn into a search and rescue mission, but he was touched by their willingness to help.

Athena turned to him, her eyes focused and determined. "Tommy, you said this is approximately where you think you lost it?"

Tommy nodded, gesturing to the area around them. "Yes, it was during that life flight call yesterday. We landed somewhere in this vicinity."

Bobby added, "Alright, people. Let's grid this area and start searching. Those without detectors, use the shovels and sifters. That ring isn't going to find itself."

As the team spread out, Tommy's phone buzzed with a text from Maddie: "Buck is thoroughly distracted thanks to your niece. Take all the time you need. Good luck!"

The beach had transformed into a scene of organized chaos. For hours, the team had combed through the sand with meticulous determination. Metal detectors beeped incessantly, shovels dug, and sifters shook as they searched every inch of the designated area.

Their efforts hadn't been entirely fruitless. A small pile of found objects grew steadily: over three dollars in assorted coins, a set of car keys that had probably ruined someone's beach day, a pair of military dog tags that Eddie carefully set aside to be returned, and even a retainer that made everyone grimace.

Tommy watched his friends work tirelessly alongside him, a mix of gratitude and growing despair churning in his gut. He appreciated their effort more than he could express, but with each passing minute, his hopes of finding the ring – and salvaging his proposal plans – dwindled.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the beach, the reality of their situation began to sink in. The fading light made their search increasingly difficult, and the team's movements grew slower.

Eddie was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "Tommy," he said gently, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "we're losing daylight. We might have to call it for now."

Tommy looked out at the darkening beach, his heart heavy. The weight of disappointment settled in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"We can come back tomorrow," Eddie continued, trying to inject some hope into his voice. "First thing in the morning. The light will be better, and we'll have fresh eyes."

Tommy nodded, unable to find his voice for a moment. When he finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper. "Yeah," he managed, the single word carrying all his devastation.

The team gathered around Tommy, their faces a mix of sympathy and determination. Even though they hadn't found the ring, their support was unwavering.

As they began to pack up their equipment, Tommy couldn't help but wonder: how was he going to face Evan now? The perfect proposal he had planned now seemed impossibly out of reach, lost somewhere in the vast expanse of sand beneath their feet.

Tommy trudged through the front door, his shoulders slumped with defeat. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the sight of Evan sitting at their kitchen table, practically vibrating with excitement.

Before Tommy could even process what was happening, Evan leapt up and threw his arms around him. "Yes, yes!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with joy.

Caught off guard, Tommy returned the embrace instinctively, his mind racing to catch up. "Well, not that I'm complaining about the warm welcome," he said, a confused smile tugging at his lips, "but yes to what?"

Evan pulled back slightly, his face beaming with happiness. He lifted his left hand, and there, prominently displayed on his finger, was the very ring Tommy and their friends had spent the entire day searching for.

Tommy's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How... what... where did you find that?" he stammered, a mix of emotions swirling through him – relief, confusion, and an overwhelming surge of love for the man in front of him.

Evan's smile, if possible, grew even wider. "First, I believe you owe me a proper proposal, Mr. Kinard."

All of Tommy's planned words flew out the window as he sank to one knee, his heart overflowing with emotion. Looking up at Evan, his eyes shining with love, he said:

"Evan, baby, love of my life. Come with me to our wedding?"

Evan burst out laughing, his eyes crinkling with joy as he recognized the callback to their second chance coffee date nearly two years ago.

"Of course," Evan replied, his voice thick with emotion, eyes sparkling with unshed happy tears. He reached down to cup Tommy's face in his hands. "This ally is yours forever."

As Tommy rose to his feet, they fell into each other's arms, both laughing and crying at the same time. The proposal might not have gone according to Tommy's original plan, but in this moment, with Evan in his arms, it felt absolutely perfect.

After a moment, Tommy pulled back slightly, a mix of joy and curiosity on his face. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. But first, you've got to tell me - how on earth did you find the ring?"

Evan's eyes twinkled with mischief. "You're not going to believe this," he said, barely containing his laughter. "I found it in the washing machine."

Tommy's jaw dropped. "The washing machine?" he repeated incredulously.

Evan nodded, grinning widely. "Yep. I was doing laundry earlier today, and when I went to transfer your work clothes to the dryer, there it was, just sitting in the bottom of the washer. Must have fallen out of your pocket."

Tommy groaned, half laughing, half embarrassed. "You mean to tell me that while I had the entire team combing the beach with metal detectors, the ring was here the whole time?"

"The entire team?" Evan asked, eyebrows raised in amusement. "Oh, this I've got to hear."

Tommy pulled Evan close, pressing their foreheads together. "It's a long story," he murmured. "But we've got the rest of our lives for me to tell it."

Evan smiled softly. "I like the sound of that," he said, leaning in for a kiss.

As their lips met, Tommy couldn't help but think that sometimes, the best laid plans go wrong for all the right reasons.

Now also on Ao3! ⬆️

[eddiediazismyhusband]

(Please don't apologize. You may call it pessimism but I see it as realism and I truly appreciate it. I've seen people SO excited to see the cast back this week and all the excitement about the new season, optimism for canon buddie, what hair/tattoos/wardrobe might look like. And I feel bad because I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. But I cannot be bothered about whether Oliver will keep his fluffy hair or have any new tattoos or Ryan's mustache because I don't want another season of boring, repetitious storylines that don't do anything to the characters, especially those of color (thinking of the cartel and Mara right now)

I'm hopeful that because season 8 will be a full 18 episodes things won't have to be as rushed or thrown together at the last minute as season 7. But yeah, please don't apologize for your opinions because you're not the only one thinking similar thoughts <3)

im moreso apologetic because i dont WANT to be a debbie downer but its like…. ive been burned by shows (this one included) far too many times to be super optimistic and excited over things that could very potentially not be good for us… like i’ve said, most of the people i know with that mustache are awful human beings and when you add in the fact that gerrard also has a mustache like that AND that tim has been showing so little care for eddie as a character/care for poc characters as a whole it doesn’t seem far fetched to me that tim could very easily commit one of the most egregious acts of character death by veering eddie so far off the natural path simply to create cheap drama

like im so glad we seem to be getting fluffy hair buck… unfortunately fluffy hair buck doesn’t negate the fact that he’s currently in a relationship with a racist and that they’re ignoring 6 years of subtext built between he and eddie to try and further reiterate their “totally platonic dude bro” relationship, on top of giving eddie a look that exudes macho straight republican man…

(and don’t get me started on the fucking cartel plot or the mara plot bc what the actual fuck is wrong with tim minear 💀💀)

i just want them to stop dragging their feet on buddie while seemingly writing everything else as this whirlwind of convoluted messy nonsense drama plots and actually decided if they’re gonna commit to just ship/queerbaiting or to the subtext and plot theyve infused into the story since eddie’s literal first episode.

like personal feelings aside for the mustache, i think we’re giving the writers too much faith in portrayal of queer characters to actually say that it’s eddie “embracing queer culture” simply bc it looks like eddie mercury… we’re talking about the same writers who gave the main wlw couple a cheating plotline, have boiled down buck’s sexuality to just sex, and have relied on playing into stereotypes of mlm/wlw side characters rather thsn actually putting time and thought into it… like it’d be one thing to say “it’s a nod to freddie mercury” if the show has actually shown any kind of care beyond using sexuality plotlines for cheap drama (henren) but the reality is that they haven’t shown us that we can trust them in that way yet.

and who knows maybe it IS a nod to freddie mercury, but we don’t know for sure and im not going to set myself uo to be disappointed yet again when its just as likely to be s nod to them making eddie an antagonistic character with gerrard… yeah, that plot wouldn’t make sense for eddie as a character but neither did the vertigo plot so who’s to say tim wouldn’t go for it?

at the end of the day, i am just not looking forward to s8. nothing yet has given me any inclination to actually watch it until we are shown that they are making strides to actually tell a meaningful story that doesn’t rely on minorities for tokenism plots or putting them through needless pain again. yes this show is a drama, but there are other ways you can create drama (hell it’s a show about first responders) than putting poc characters through the fucking wringer time and time again, profiting off their pain, while simultaneously telling lowkey racist stories that involve the fucking cartel coming out of nowhere to burn down a LA fire captain’s house???

so yeah, i’m just not feeling great about it. i also don’t wanna rain on anyone’s parade but i don’t wanna get my own hopes up when i would just be setting myself up to be let down yet again by these writers

[bengiyo]

Twilight Out of Focus Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we got the traumatic backstory for Hisashi as he broke up with his old homeroom teacher. While tending to Hisashi's wound, Mao admitted that he likes him, and the two almost got intimate. Mao ran away, confusing Hisashi, and causing him to mess up on set. Mao has assured Hisashi that they'll talk after they finish shooting the film. I'm obsessed with the complex layers of sexuality in this show.

Interesting. Now Hisashi is the one dialed in and Mao is the one who is distracted.

I continue to love the blending of manga panel styles in this show.

Absolutely thrilled that they're highlighting how awkward and uncomfortable it is to kiss on screen, and how the real kiss they had last week feels different.

Damn. Film sets are like construction sites. There are trip hazards everywhere. Not a place to be losing your focus because you got jealous.

Oh fuck yeah! We're bringing back the truth telling on camera. I love that it worked instantly.

The kisses in this show feel so natural and earned.

I am losing it over them narrowing the screen during the sex.

Losing it over this show owning that there's a learning curve to some aspects of gay sex.

Finally, we have a bottom describing how they felt.

AFTERCARE! PILLOW TALK!

What is this sad as fuck BL they're making?

A second round of just handies? THIS IS A GAYS ONLY EVENT. GO HOME!!

I really hope this film doesn't get leaked or stolen. I will be furious.

This show is actually so romantic about filmmaking and I'm enamored.

Holy shit that final scene was so good.

I keep saying this, but the best shows this year are some of the best we've ever had. I absolutely love that the episode about filming the first kiss of the BL characters led to the first sex and full confession of the real guys in our show (who are also fictional, obviously), and that they do used in the physical and emotional realities of gay sex. We had an open admission that part of it might create discomfort, we had Mao learning to enjoy being with another man, and we had pillow talk and after care. I love that we went into that scene with Hisashi asking if it was okay when he asked Mao to tell the truth to the camera, and before they had sex both times. I love as well that Mao filmed them together in the morning. He says he can't lie to a camera, so it affirms even more the truth of his feelings. I love that the discovery happening between them is making them see their own lives differently, and improving their work. Finally, I also love that Mao knows this isn't the end of their story. Their lives aren't static. They had sex and confessed that they like each other a lot, and they are going to face the changes that come. This show is so, so special.

[theside-b]

That's a wrap on The Boyfriend and I honestly like it so much! Really hoping for a season two and currently sat and waiting for the special reunion episode!

Every pot has it's kettle, glad Shun found his in Dai — personally I wouldn't have handled that whole tantrum over a t-shirt and being compared to an ex but okay — also really pleased that Kazuto chose to pursue Alan on his own pace (something that Alan has hinted at in socials and seems more than okay with it [I still don't get where people see how Kazuto and Usak would be a good match thou]).

Gensei and Taeheon were such beautiful souls to watch, a shame Gensei got stuck in that awful loop with Ryota, but his tender moments with the rest of the cast were lovely and so were Taeheon's — I still can't believe they were not fighting for that man.

Accompanying Ryota sure was a journey, in a way he was similar to Ikuo in the crush department, failing in love almost randomly (I still question if that was a editing issue, since the show skips large periods of time). Ryota's infatuation for Kazuto was what made me think that Alan was the right choice for the chef, as soon as Alan realized that Kazuto didn't enjoyed being hounded (which was what most of them did [Ikuo's "would you allow me to fall in love with you?" still haunts me] he immediately backed down and let Kazuto set the pace between them).

Overall I thought it was a great show, very engaging with a colorful cast and very interesting dynamics, for example I thought the whole anonymous letter thing from the first week was underutilized, it created tension, excitement and confusion all in one go, they could've have used it more. It was also great having them doing something, the coffee business was fundamental for the show and it worked really well (although after Kazuto's reign they should install new rules prohibiting immediate repeats, that man was putting it in the work), and the dates were all unique, which was nice.

I do know it managed to score the coveted Nº1 spot in Netflix Japan, and considering how the threshold for realities are, I assume a season 2 is not far off, that and the fact that the boys also scored a special reunion episode.

My wish for a potential season two: Usak's return, really think he was overwhelmed by the whole thing but would do better a second time around. More participants. Usak, Alan and Ikuo all managed to change the atmosphere of the house when they showed up, Kazuto as well once he returned in full-capacity. Having a player disrupt the on-going vibe makes for a great show. And the setting: Maybe move the boys to the mountains, or to the city, a different season maybe, like a chilly winter working in a different business. And more dates. Don't get me wrong, I loved the idea that for you to score a date is needs to be mutual — Dai being crushed on the pajama party round was brutal, but highly entertaining lol But they were few and far in-between, so having more or even creating impromptu ones could be fun.

[magentagalaxies]

Kids in the Archive: Episode 4

it's been a while, but thanks to the influx of new-old kids in the hall scripts i got from bruce's storage last summer and the fact that i already finished all my homework for this week i'm happy to present a new episode of Kids in the Archive! for those unfamiliar, kids in the archive is my show in which i focus on one individual kids in the hall sketch and give you a behind-the-scenes comparison of script and screen

Previous Episodes: Episode 1 - armada finale ("do we make it?") Episode 2 - fran & gordon: the vacation Episode 3 - comfortable

for our return to the archives, i'll be covering the S1E16 classic "Is He?"

this sketch is one of my favorites from season one, and one of my favorite cathy and kathi sketches altogether. i'd cite this as one of the many examples of kith being ahead of its time with regards to gay humor - i've shown this sketch to other gen z's who had no idea "is he (limps wrist)" goes back further than online memes. as a queer-comedy-history nerd i already knew about the gesture's origin, but i still was taken aback by how all these jokes feel completely timeless

The Handwritten Notes

overall, this sketch is fairly faithful to the script i received, so there aren't quite as many "alternate version" moments to showcase. however, this script does have the interesting quirk of having handwritten changes to it that don't follow the version in the tv show. other scripts in my collection have this, and i'm fairly sure these notes were made for adapting the sketch to a live show or tour. the photo above selects the walkout music as "9 to 5", and sets the scene in a break room with coffee and donuts rather than at their desks. this might be an easier setup for a live show with more limited sets, and build in time for the fan reaction to seeing favorite characters return

unfortunately the version of "tour of duty" on youtube was taken down, so i can't now compare these notes to the version in that tour recording. i do remember that i liked that version less. while i enjoyed the wordplay and euphemisms on their own, i felt they slowed down the flow of an already good sketch and distracted from the existing punchline. none of these euphemisms are present in this sketch, but there is one handwritten edit that i think weakens the writing

The "Improv"

in my previous episode, i cleared up the misconception that comfortable featured a fully improvised exchange. kids in the hall rarely improvised full dialogue on-air, even if they used it at some stage in their writing process. however, there are still small "improvised" elements to these performances that show the performers putting their own spin on the established structure. in "comfortable", it was scott replacing the "da da da da" song with "hava nagila" (for some reason, we may never know). in the case of the cathys, this improv often comes from trailed off sentences

most instances of kathi's giggle aren't specified, but during the stage direction "bruce just giggles like a ninny" scott improvises some sentence fragments to cover for kathi's awkwardness

The Ending

as i previously mentioned, there's no big difference between the script i received and the sketch that made it to air. it's a mostly faithful transcript of all the dialogue that was spoken, with some written descriptions of actions that take place. i feel like i'm just describing what any script is at this point

overall, i enjoy having "is he?" in my collection, not because it presents an alternate reality with different casting and whole other scenes like some of my scripts, but because of the indescribable feeling of having the script this favorite sketch of mine was made from. every wonderful part of this sketch started out as just words on a page, and was built upon to create something truly special. again, i could be describing any script, but damn it i love "is he?"

as always, i hope you enjoyed this episode of "kids in the archive" and be sure to stay tuned for the next one (which will hopefully be coming out much sooner this time). if you have a specific sketch you'd like to see a script-to-screen comparison for let me know and if i have it i'll make an episode and tag you in it.

[wellofdean]

This is old news, but I just read it for the first time and really loved it:

Rewatching Supernatural has been an interesting experience. I first watched most of it (from the start of season 2 on) in real time as it aired, and I have to admit that I did not take it very seriously. I gave it no thought whatsoever between episodes, and thought of it as an hour of indulgence in something dumb and pretty: two handsome brothers and their angel who fought monsters and melodrama every week. I never missed an episode and did love it, but I didn't truly engage with it.

It seems, however, that Supernatural worked on me in some kind of subterranean, unconscious way, because when it ended, I found I couldn't let it go. Part of that was the terrible narrative malpractice of its ending, but when I really thought about it, I realised that I also just missed Dean. He had been a weekly visitor for more than a decade, and I just didn't want my time with him to be over. I started watching Supernatural again, and the experience has been really interesting. A lot of things about my perception of it have shifted, and one of the main shifts has been in my apprehension of the serious artistic intelligence, nigh-on unbelievable range, and sheer excellence of Jensen Ackles' performance of Dean.

I keep thinking about what an incredible undertaking Dean is -- a 15-year-long development of one character! About how different the actor who played Dean in episode one is from the actor who played Dean in episode 325. How age, experience, and depth are reflected in both the character and the performance. It is just impossible to watch it and not see that there is an incredible evolution there, and at the same time, a kind of devastating psychological and emotional continuity.

Supernatural is a show that requires you to suspend disbelief and agree to go along with it. It can be silly and schlocky, and it's emotional strokes are often broad ones. It started airing in a time when our society was very different from the way it is now on issues surrounding social justice and inclusion. It isn't 'prestige TV' and it puts on no airs of being anything beyond what it is, but when the whole story is in your mind and you revisit it, and you aren't engaged with taking in plot and anticipating (or desiring) outcomes, you start noticing its subtlety, its themes, motifs and story parallels, the liminal spaces of its setting, the subtler play of emotion in moments without dialogue, and it starts to feel much deeper, more epic and just straight up BETTER than you ever thought it was.

All of that is mirrored in Jensen's performance. He grew into Dean and grew into an artist who could play Dean. He's not afraid of a little schtick, he's very capable of being obvious, but he's even better at the subtleties that allow Dean's inner life to rise up in his face without words. I love how this article positions Jensen's performance as being like that of so many classic film stars, the idea that he used his own essence -- the full range of his psychology, emotions and physicality with skill and intention to achieve what he did with Dean. His long commitment to and investment in the character, and the way he fully embodies Dean because Dean is a character that he built from pieces of himself.

Anyway. I have a lot of respect for his work. I love Dean and think he is magnificent. I hope Jensen Ackles knows how good he is, and is suitably proud of himself, and I am very grateful to hear that by all accounts, Dean is not over for him, because Dean is not over for me.

Sheila O'Malley wrote a few really nice pieces about Jensen's performance as Dean and one about Soldier Boy, and I recommend them. Very much enjoyed.

[justafriend-ql]

scene analysis - "pengyou" (never let me go, ep. 2)

i have been metaphorically living in this scene all week so i thought it was about time to write down some of my thoughts about it. this scene is absolutely foundational for palm and nuengdiao's relationship and gives us a lot of insight into their conflicting ideological standpoints. most importantly, it is the first time we see the power dynamic between them subverted, a trend we should watch out for as the two become closer.

the scene opens with palm struggling to pronounce his chinese vocabulary. he is tucked away in a somewhat private corner of the house grounds. this is a rare instance of incompetence from palm, who has many skills, and he likely doesn't want anyone to see him practicing. when nuengdiao finds him, he is at first startled and then resigned, addressing him as "young master."

nuengdiao corrects his pronunciation and comes to stand before palm. here, nuengdiao occupies the dominant position of "teacher," but the following scene, when nuengdiao brings palm's fingers to his throat, instantly breaks this power dynamic. nuengdiao is permitting palm to touch a very vulnerable part of his body, to feel his pulse as well as the vibrations of his vocal chords. the blocking of the scene, with palm crouched on higher ground looking down at nuengdiao, underscores the vulnerability nuengdiao willingly presents here.

palm's reaction to this earnestness and physical contact is interesting. he is clearly surprised and flustered, but he also holds nuengdiao's gaze. when nuengdiao tells him to "remember this feeling," palm seems to be thinking about the feeling of holding nuengdiao's life in his hands and upholding his duty to protect him. i think this is where the reality of this enormous task sets in for palm.

of course, reminders of their respective statuses are inescapable, even when nuengdiao attempts to put them on more equal footing. in the close up shot of palm's fingers on nuengdiao's neck, we can see nuengdiao's "only one" necklace (a reminder of his wealth and pre-determined future) and palm's woven bracelet (a reminder of his humble origins).

at first, nuengdiao relies on the two tactics he knows best - manipulation and command - in attempt to get palm to call him by his name. he tries to trick palm into saying his name instead of the similar-ending "pengyou," and when that doesn't work, he orders palm not to call him "young master." of note here is that these strategies, which work on everybody else in nuengdiao's life, do not work on palm.

while nuengdiao has the privilege of choosing to ignore their status difference, palm does not. nuengdiao argues (somewhat idealistically) that friends are not about time, place, or status. but this cannot be true for palm, who reminds him that he is a servant at nuengdiao's home. He also explains that his father will punish him if he does not observe traditional formalities around nuengdiao.

in contrast to their first conversation by the pool at night in episode 1, when nuengdiao insisted palm call him nuengdiao despite palm's protests, here, nuengdiao is willing to compromise. again, their physical positions reflect who has the upperhand in the argument. even though nuengdiao technically has more power than palm, in this instance, it is nuengdiao who is begging for something from palm, not the other way around. accordingly, palm sits higher than nuengdiao and is able to look down at him as they argue.

it's really important that nuengdiao relents here. it shows that he understands where palm is coming from and is willing to give him a degree of agency in defining their relationship. the compromise of "mr. nueng" allows them to begin building a true friendship without overtly violating the social expectations that keep them apart. furthermore, this scene sets up an important landmark in their future relationship development: when palm finally calls nuengdiao by his full name, without any honorifics - as an equal, a partner, a friend, and a lover.

[oswlld]

oswlld's monthly wrap up: march

note: i am trying something a bit different this year, so bear with me as i figure out how i want to format this. i wanted to spend more time sharing what i consume, beyond what i rb, and put my thoughts in one place. these posts are okay to rb

--

When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamín Labatut [started 02/24, finished 03/14] What an outstanding example of blurring the lines between fiction and reality. I am content in never knowing what’s real and imaginary in the lives of these people. May we never forget that for every new idea challenged, there is a real person with real emotions and motivations behind it. 4.25⭐️ in storygraph. — No Stopping Us Now: A History of Older Women in America, Gail Collins [started 03/03, finished 03/30] This book makes some strong points, but comes off weak in its execution. By having it be told decade by decade, it becomes hard to follow along when so many names and events are being tossed around. Without a firm thread tying all the themes together, the achievements ended up feeling lackluster when it should leave you feeling a sense of pride and hopefulness. 3.25⭐️ in storygraph (I rounded up, but it feels more like a 3.15)

23.5 Degrees, GMMTV [started: 03/08, ongoing] What a breath of fresh air!! With my busy schedule, I managed to catch the first two eps and I’ve loved every minute of it. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, while still keeping a tight grip on its sense of identity. The series soaks up every aspect of its space theme like a sponge. Content specifically made for me, tysm! As much as I have tried refraining from consuming more high school settings, I couldn’t help but be enamored by what I have seen so far. I have paused this series for now, but hopefully I’ll be caught up before the end of April. I should be able to watch it live on Fridays in May. Until then, I will miss them dearly! — Always a Witch, Netflix [started 03/28, in progress] At this time, I have only seen episodes 1-5. So far, it’s a very straight-forward series. I am restraining myself from calling it predictable, because there are one or two things that really turns some tropes/themes on its head. But all-in-all, I am still waiting for this show to grab me. For a show that checks all the boxes that really makes a core jessi show, a series with time travel, magical realism, and found family, it has yet to completely sweep me away. Time really got away from me this month, but I will finish this series sometime in the next two weeks. We shall see if the latter half gets better.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) [watched 03/15 thru 03/18] I have seen this live and did see the original film in theaters last year, so this experience was more of a rewatch. This time around, my parents wanted to watch some of it with me so we made a whole evening of it on 3/15 so that was really neat. I will be traveling a lot in April and will be taking an audio copy of this to keep me entertained. — Oscar Nomination Season [started 02/17, ended 03/24] All of my initial reactions of what I managed to cover this Oscar season is in this post. Some of the strongest categories I have had the pleasure of covering this year were the Best Documentary (feature), Best Production Design, Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary (short), and Best Animated Film. I have several more films to tackle later this year, but my overall impression this Oscar season was just alright. One or two films have hit an extremely high note for me, but no worst of the worst.

BEYONCÉ, Beyoncé [relistening] During the pandemic, I really got into waching YT reaction channels reacting to full albums. One of my favorites is HTHaze and he is only beginning his listening journey through Beyoncé’s discography (yes, for the first time!) His reaction to Beyoncé’s self-titled made me want to relisten to it in full for the first time in years. I tend to only revisit a few songs through the years, but I do love going back to albums after time has past to recontextualize everything all over again. I’ve had my longtime faves from my 20’s but in my mid-30’s, the songs that hit harder now are: Pretty Hurts, Haunted, and Jealous. — Bewitched, Laufey [first time listening] The same YT channel got me to listen to this album. I am guilty in having my first listen be through his video first before diving into her album properly. With that said, the brain rot went FULL ROT. I love LOVE her compositions. Having learned from her Tiny Desk that getting a grand piano influenced the way she wrote her songs makes the whole conception so much grander. Her voice is soooo, it’s SOOOOO !!!!!!! I read a comment somewhere that her dream is to rejuvenate jazz the same way Taylor Swift did with country for a younger generation and that really spoke to me. I truly believe she is heading in the right direction in achieving that. My favorite run of songs goes from: Haunted, Must Be Love, While You Were Sleeping, Lovesick, California and Me, Nocturne (Interlude), and Promise. Those seven songs in that succession is so GOOD, ahH! — Once the Musical [relistening] Every spring, I fall into a Once spiral and it just gets deeper and deeper. This time though, I only tackled the core faves on YT rather than committing to the full audio (w/ Arthur Darvill and Joanna Christie). Although Arthur Darvill’s Leave will forever solidify his Guy as my Guy, Declan Bennett is The Guy of Guys for me. My mandatory relistening experience always goes: Arthur’s Leave, Arthur’s Say It To Me Now, Declan’s Say It To Me Now, Declan’s When Your Mind’s Made Up, Zrinka's If You Want Me, Once’s Spotify Jam Session. And it would all be on a loop lol. — Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé [first time listening] This is still fresh in my mind, having only listened to it in its entirety once through. My first impression is that it’s one of her most cohesive albums to date. Having had the first taste of what she would eventually achieve all the way back with Lemonade and The Gift, Cowboy Carter feels like a natural progression in her discography. I don’t have a top songs list to provide at this time, as I would need more time with the album. Fav songs come with time. Although, I did listen to 16 CARRIAGES when it was released several weeks ago and I knew then it would be a spectacular album. What a phenomenal single to lead a phenomenal homecoming.

Where’d You Go Bernadette, written by Maria Semple and narrated by Kathleen Wilhoite [started 03/22, finished 03/29] I… I didn’t like this. And that’s alright. Even if I didn’t like the premise or the characters, I did enjoy the format of the narrative and the narrator (especially her singing!!). But in the end, this was just not meant for me.

—

As it is still March when I am writing this, I wanted to endcap Women’s Month with a special shoutout to two women in my life that have been working with me to improve my overall well-being: Wendy (personal trainer) and Sofia (life coach). I am in a better headspace because of the work and trust they have in me to build a life I want. I cannot wait to see what I am capable of this time next year.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Ending the Year FINE & simple

Dec 2022 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 3 of 12 - Butler Dad (v.2) is going to be a problem, I can tell. Chimon is a cute, if suspicious, flirt. Palm, on the other hand, is the gentlest flirt imaginable. He wants spoiled prince + attack dog dynamic so bad. As, indeed, do I. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 8 of 12 - still enjoying it very much, annoyed by filler couples, WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 6 of 11 - Oh, I see! The Mint storyline is to give more characters motivation to murder Dew. It’s all set up. How clumsy. Meanwhile, we got a confession right on schedule, classic romance beats. 

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 7 of 12 - Whatever. 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 12 of 14 - Honestly? I’d DNF this show but its almost done and I've watched 12 already. Sunk cost fallacy in action. I’m not going to make this mistake with this production house again. JaFirst cry well, but I’m vetting and binging these in future.  

My School President (Fri YT) 5 of 10 - no ep this week, resumes Jan 6

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) 2 of 8 - It’s giving me life, this one. Pining boss. Drunk lesbian bestie of awesome. Plus gay player (former college heartthrob) is a fun background for the faen fatal, not to mention rainbow rice cakes. COME ON. RAINBOW RICE CAKES! 

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Thurs Viki) 1 of 20 - A cheerful kid from 1999 travels to 2022, works as a deliveryman, and meets an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy). The time travel premise is interesting, the leads are giving me whipping boy vibes, but I don’t like seme’s stalker energy. It feels very HIStory franchise which means it could go any direction but sensible and I’m expecting problematic tropes. However! The sides are GREAT - they’re an office romance boss/intern relationship. And this is 20 full episodes so we will get plenty of them. Also, is that Taiwan I see giving us a femme character? I am all amazement. I think I like this show, actually. (Note; will be referring to this as H5 going forward.) 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 5-6 of 10 - Is there a not very small part of me that wishes this were a love story between the earnest assistant baby boi, and the older anxiety-riddled rockstar? Yes. Although I did not expect Korea to go there with the lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. What alternate reality are we currently living in? Also, is every character in this show slightly insane? Yes. Is every actor in this show slightly too pretty for my emotional well-being? Also, yes. Bring it on 2023. 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 3 of 8 - I think I just don’t like the photographer character much (although he’s very typically Japanese tsundere seme). Really quite a good kiss though, for Japan. On the flip side, it was nice to see the reporter being good at his job (competency porn is a very underused trope in BL). Then we get confession, immediate retraction, and a disbelief counter attack. Then more kisses. Huh. This isn’t progressing how I expect. And that’s kinda nice too. Oh Japan, you so cute & trixie. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on with them. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - it seems to be good but I don’t know about the ending with that kind of title, so I’m waiting.

Moonlight Chicken GMMTV’s Midnight series (Weds YT) 1 of 8 eventually - first segment has begun bit it’s not the EarthMix messy gays. Sorry all, I’m so not interested in messy hets, so I’m waiting until they grace my screen.

In Case You Missed It

Coffee Melody special feat TitNuea & Jean like it’s counterpart was rather dull, but I find this a more appealing couple than the mains so I liked it better. 

Moments Of Love - featuring SmartJames AKA LeonPhob from Don't Say No) from Foremorfilm Production supposedly aired Dec 24 directed by Golf Tanwarin (609 Bedtime Story and The Eclipse). But it has no rating on MDL so I guess not? 

Next Week Looks Like This:

2023 forthcoming BL master post is in the works... wait for it... I’m doing all the 2022 wrap ups first. Also waiting for the last of the studio announcements. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Mujigae-tteok (Korean rainbow rice cake) - a new item has entered my never ending food quest list. 

OhmFluke do domesticity well, gotta give them that. 

Quick end of year thoughts on 2022 BL & the future of these weekly posts: 

Honestly? Overall it’s been a fine year for BL with some good shows & and some ho shows, and also a lot of dross. But the most notable aspect was the overwhelming quantity to keep up with. My work world is opening back up with tons of travel. This plus my recent revelation that I actually prefer binge watching (especially the lower quality stuff) means that I can’t keep up with BL if it keeps up this insane pace. 

So in 2023 you can expect me to try to keep these weeklies updated with what’s airing, of course, but also pull back on how many I personally watch and summate. 

In 2022, BL sort of became my 2nd job, and it doesn't pay well enough for that.

All that said I think... 

2023 is going to be GOOD for BL. Happy new year! 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? I’ve been in a “beastly” mood recently so it’s Lee Gikwang’s (Beast, Highlight) Don’t Close Your Eyes. I forgot how fucking banging that opening rift is. Thank you Kpop gods for putting the 2nd gens through the ever eternal slut phase. 

Now just put them all though a BL phase and we’re golden. Yes, I am thinking of Unintentional Love Story (Gongchan B1A4), why do you ask? 

[carmenized-onions]

Oh my onions ,

This chapter was the first thing I saw when I opened my phone this morning and I immediately started reading cause when I tell u I have been waiting for it like crazy. I took a break and kept reading after my statistics class (master’s thesis kicking my ass thank u). 

It was such a relief of the tension in the previous chapters, some honest moments between Carm and Tony and also the reality and craziness of their family and faks being around. 

I am so curious to see how the DD and kids dynamic will unfold cause in season 3 I bawled my eyes out in the ice chips episode and I was so happy Sug is taking those baby steps towards redefining her relationship with her mom now that she herself is one. It would be nice to see some cathartic moments here too(obviously given the complexity of the relationships cause lord knows it’s fucked to the core). 

HELL YOU ARE MAKING ME MISS CHRISTMAS NOW I KINDA WISH WE HAD LIKE A WEEK TILL CHRISTMAS IRL CAUSE I HATE THE SUMMER. 

cuteness baby Michaela and Tony (hohoho make her and Carmy babysit pls pls) 

RICHIE THE MAN THAT U ARE. he totally is an old fashioned in my brain so I get the whiskey and peaches thought Tony u are right. 

Also …. Sydney baby I can sense the tension…. I see u getting off the floor … I SEE U NOT SAYING IT BACK SO …. 

Also side note I always listen to music while reading this to set the cinematic vibe yk yk and today I happened to listen to father John Misty’s “I love u honey bear” and “everything is free” and COINCIDENTALLY they match the vibe quite perfectly make sure to check them out if that’s your vibe, I feel the lyrics to these 2 songs were kinda fitting to this chapter (are they my personal soundtrack that played in this episode ?! Yes they are !) 

Can’t wait for next one u never fail! Can’t wait for the Christmas special if u will. ALSO 14 K I know u said for both our sanities it’s getting shorter but I’m so glad I saw a double digit no pressure my love Heheheheheh !!!! I gotta stop yapping stay safe till next one :)))))

AHHH I hope the next one isn't shit, we're dropping in like idk whenever I finish answering these last couple asks that i've let sit in my inbox for DECADES (a couple weeks). If I failed this time, no one tell me. Let's all let onion live in ignorance okay. a handful of times i was like "what if I simply restarted" at like 8k in.

But I've finished my final draft edits and I think it's fine. I think it's a very necessary chapter. It's like how I felt about Doing Too Much back in the day, but now that one's like, one of my faves in terms of how much it actually establishes--- ANYWAYS WHAT THE FUCK AM I TALKING ABOUT let's talk about your talkings

I hope your thesis went/is going well!! It's been so fucking long where is everyone on their life projects. Me personally I'm applying to OTHER FUCKING JOBS. Who wants to pay me to write CK full time? I'm so fr.

Chapter 14 will always be that girl when it comes to tension breaking. Like christ. Two Steps Back is my favourite chapter to reread because I love Mikey and Chip and I also think I am the most in my bag when I'm writing sad shit but Chapter 14 is always nice when I'm havin a ROUGH DAYY

I hope. When I do eventually cover DD. Which is tragically for me, quite soon, that I do it fucking any justice. I'm very thankful for the compliments comparing me to canon but MAN if anything is a test of my ability to understand these characters, Donna is my final fucking exam. I am so bad. At writing moms. Just in general. Ice Chips was truly like my favourite episode of the season too, so I hope I can do all the fucking insane dynamics of adulthood blended with motherhood justice. I can barely do them justice in my own life, YKNOW??? man.

Me and my roommates take christmas so fucking seriously. As we have for the past... 3 years. And now that this is our first christmas living together again, I truly start gift planning now. did someone say psychotic? NO. i just PUT THE DATES OF EVERY SALE OF EVERY IMPORTANT RELEVANT RETAILER IN MY PERSONAL CALENDAR. I'M NORMAL. FUCK YOU I'M NORMAL!! what i'm trying to say is, it's christmas whenever you decide it's christmas.

Ohhhh Michaela Blurb. Someone request it someone request it. I so hope in S4 they let that man be a good Uncle. I know he avoids family like the plague but come on man. its a BABY!!!!!

I hope everyone loves the drink menu I have planned, or I mean--- Sorry, the drink menu chip has planned. Jerimovich you whiskey peach bitch da MAN YOU ARE!!!

It's s o hard to not write like a little bit of tension with Syd. Like I can't not. It's so in my brain I cannot get squidink out of there someone call the police dont actually

i love. when an indie bitch enters my domain. i love father john misty!! I can so see those songs. There's a lot of songs I adored for this chapter. I think my most probably unagreed with would be I Like It, by DeBarge--- Listen, I know it's so cheery-- But that's exactly it. That is so Song That's Playing At The Wedding Outside The Bathroom While We Full Breakdown In Here. HEAR ME OUT OKAY

We are,,, at 15k for this chap. Chap 14 was 14k,,,, I feel like Chap 16 is not going to be 16k (but rather, horrifically, more), but it'd be cute to continue the pattern. I'll attempt to reduce myself.

Also:

I WISH THEY MADE A CHICAGO JOKE IN CANON, esp with Carmen's drive by about Musicals in ep2? Come on man. Chicago's (the city) like. top 3 of american cities for theatre. what the fuck. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTS???

i love chicago (the musical) (maybe also the city idk), so I had to give a little credit. And frankly, while writing that bit, I watched the moment back--- He did KIND OF RUN INTO IT, LIKE I HONESTLY THINK THAT WAS KIND OF AN ACCIDENT

anyways i'm gonna shut the fuck up now chapter out soon love you bye gotta answer more asks!!

[misccy27]

They could have easily written Darius and Hunter’s relationship out of the show after ASIAS

I kept expecting them to. I thought they did at first. Maybe it played out differently for me because I first watched season 2 by binging it after it was over, but the continued existence of Darius and Hunter's relationship kept catching me off guard. Like. Here's how it played out for me:

Any Sport in a Storm ends with Darius being set up as a sort of mentor figure that will help set Hunter on the right path by undermining Belos’ teachings. But that role became (largely) unnecessary with Hollow Mind.

So I was watching Hollow Mind, watching the stakes change suddenly and drastically, and it ends with Hunter ripping off his cloak. And it's like, Hunter’s cloak is such a direct one-to-one analogy for Darius’ approval throughout the entirety of ASIAS. So when Hunter in his very next episode throws his cloak on the ground at the end of it, I absolutely read that as Hunter also rejecting his relationship with Darius. 

And it was sad, but understandable. Hunter’s whole life has just been pulled out from under him. He can't go back to the castle. He thinks Darius is loyal to Belos. So his relationship with Darius becomes a genuinely good thing that he has to leave behind in order to escape his abusive environment. Just another tragedy at the end of a tragic episode. The show, as they say, must go on.

And it did. Labyrinth Runners happened and I was like, yup. Here it is. Hunter is now in a full-blown coming-of-age story. I know how this goes. He gets no parents now; only friendships born of trauma. It’s fine, it’s whatever. It's how the story goes.

So I was absolutely 1000% unprepared for Hunter to roll up on the Day of Unity on a mission from Darius. So casual too, like:

Hunter you are not here on a mission. You are here on a quest. Look at your snazzy little color-coordinated outfit. You look like you're here to deliver bread to grandma's house. It is the Day of Unity what is happening here? Like???

I genuinely cannot overstate just how much this floored me. Because the way the story plays out it's like: a week ago (in canon), Hunter learned that the man he trusted and adored more than anyone else in the world - the man that his entire life revolved around - has been sadistically manipulating him his whole life with just the most absolute worst intentions that anyone could have imagined. It is a complete nightmare scenario: 

The next time we see Hunter after that, and the last time we see him before he shows up on the Day of Unity, coven head Adrian is the one traumatizing him. Adrian is taking up the mantle of psychological tormenting this kid, lying to him about reality, creating illusions of both friends and enemies alike: 

So after LR there is approximately zero reason for Hunter to trust anyone outside of Gus and maybe some of the other Hexside kids. He definitely has no reason to trust any adult ever again tbh. 

So yeah. I was not expecting Hunter to show up on the Day of Unity taking orders from Darius. We didn't get to see them interact at all between ASIAS and now. Last I checked, Hunter still had no clue that the rebellion even existed. Meanwhile, we see Darius preparing for the Day of Unity, apparently keeping his work life and home life entirely separate, good job ig. When did Darius even have time for this? The entire world is at stake and Hunter has run away from the castle and they somehow managed to get in touch with each other again anyways?

The implied off-screen interaction(s) here is A Lot, but I'm getting off-track. The point is, it didn't have to be included. The writers could have had Luz meet up with her friends in any way that they wanted. Like, this is a show stuffed full of plot contrivances. We still have no idea what Willow, Gus, and Hunter were doing between LR and the Day of Unity. The possibilities were endless. There were so many options with fewer contrivances than Hunter trusting Darius at this point.

But the writers chose to intertwine Darius and Hunter’s plots again anyway. They doubled down on a relationship that I had given up on. “Darius insisted” that Luz needed an escort. Darius ordered Hunter to do it. This was I guess just thrown in as a fun fact: yes there is indeed at least one adult still paying attention to this child's situation right now. That adult is sending Hunter away from the action, on the same mission that Eda gave Luz to keep her safe. The world is ending and everything has changed and yet Hunter is still on Darius' priority list. Okay. Cool. I can be chill about this I swear.

And then King’s Tide happens. And it is not enough for Hunter and Darius to just have any sort of relationship at all by this point. No, they have to make sure we know: Hunter is attached to Darius. Like, this?

Totally unnecessary. Did not need to happen. This serves zero purpose to the plot. Even in terms of emotional stakes and making Hunter suffer, it’s like. This happens in between Luz sacrificing herself for Hunter and Hunter seeing his Uncle brutally murdered in front of him. This was not at all necessary. Those kids did not have to stumble across Eda and the coven heads on their way to rescue Luz. It affected nothing. It was actually just put in the episode to attack me personally and I love it. Fantastic.

And then the season ends. And the setup for their relationship is so bad at this point, like? Darius is in some unknown terrible situation a realm away. Hunter just showed up on Camila's doorstep with his 4 best friends. This is a perfect opportunity to end the relationship. I was mentally prepared for it, going into Thanks to Them. Going along with the theme of grieving and letting go of childish fantasies and all.

Here's the setup: Hunter’s situation is changing drastically once again, but this time it's for the better. He is now spending months in the human realm, finally in a relatively safe and supportive environment. He's spending enough time there to gain context about the fact that authority figures can be not only good, but also nice. Hunter now has another adult that cares about his well-being and is helping him. It is a good situation for him to be in. I am genuinely happy for him.

So when Hunter’s sewing hobby first came up in TTT, I was prepared to disconnect that from where it started in ASIAS. When Hunter brought up the fact that Camila taught him how to use the sewing machine, I was ready for closure. I accepted it as “Yes. I see. Camila has displaced Darius both literally as Hunter’s sewing teacher and metaphorically in Hunter’s heart.” I was prepared for it. So this did, in fact, hit me hard:

Hunter. For all you know Darius has been dead for months. What are you doing? Why do you still care?? Just how familiar are you with Darius’ stitches anyway???

And it's again like. Literally none of these scenes were necessary. Everything we see about this relationship post-ASIAS could have been removed entirely without affecting any other relationships or the broader story at all. The fact that all of this was included means that we’re now at a point where it’s like:

Hunter got out of his abusive situation and he has a strong support network of people who love him now and also Darius just so happens to still matter to him anyway. This relationship still matters despite the plot pulling them in different directions every step of the way. This relationship has turned into a full-blown star-crossed found family scenario now. And how am I supposed to feel about that?

Because I really don't know what to expect. We get to see so little of Darius. He has had zero agency for the past however many months. The crumbs we got in Hollow Mind and with the Day of Unity mission show that Darius does care about Hunter. It's obvious that Hunter cares about Darius. I am all-in at this point tbh. So please just give me another crumb writers. All I need is just a halfway decent reunion, it can even be in the background, I can fill in the rest. Just. Let this end on a positive note for them please.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

"¹You'll never be Gwyneth Paltrow — sorry Meghan Markle... & ²Meghan Markle’s participation trophy case is starting to fill up."

Goopsie Daisy🤭

"Unlike many celebrities — ahem, the Kardashians — who are full of fillers, Ozempic and  bulls – – t, Paltrow is transparent about the ridiculous measures required to look like her. Her gaunt cheekbones are earned, not excavated by a plastic surgeon.

She’s also no Meghan Markle with her Tig — a pre-Prince Harry lifestyle blog 🤭🤭🤭🤭— which reportedly will be reincarnated to be a Goop knockoff.

Markle cries victim from her Montecito manse and has a “strange relationship to objective reality,”🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭 according to a reporter, while other accounts have debunked her rags-to-riches story"

²Lying Meghan Markle shouldn’t be celebrated — sorry, Gloria Steinem

Kirsten Fleming April 4, 2023

Meghan Markle’s participation trophy case is starting to fill up.

It was announced Monday that she’ll receive the 2023 Women of Vision award from famed feminist Gloria Steinem next month.

Perhaps the committee behind the Women of Vision could benefit from a trip to the optometrist.

According to a new tax filing made public last week, Markle and her trauma-loving husband each put in only one documented hour of work a week for their Archewell Foundation in 2021.

That’s 52 hours a year on the books — the equivalent of one episode of “General Hospital” per week.

No, “She Works Hard for the Money” will not be the duchess’s walk-up anthem.

And for her all grit and toil, she’s getting a gala full of self-important, self-congratulatory virtue signalers to throw roses at her feet.

Markle — who never misses an opportunity to share her victimhood bona fides — is living the dream in Montecito, Calif. But the only work the “privacy”-obsessed Sussexes are doing is peddling family secrets to streaming services.

Great country, this America.The award comes courtesy of the Ms. Foundation, a Brooklyn-based organization which called Markle a “feminist, champion of human rights and gender equity and global role model.”

Well, she did write inspirational messages on bananas for sex workers.

And she used her 2019 trip to Africa to bemoan her VIP lot in life: She was “existing, not living,” she said, adding, “not many people have asked if I’m OK.”

As a working royal, she made sartorial sacrifices: wearing neutral colors lest she overshadow those higher on the Windsor food chain.

She can put the newest trophy between her Gracie Award for her Archetypes podcast and the Ripple of Hope honors she and Harry received in December for exposing structural racism within the royal family, according to Kerry Kennedy.emember that brave Oprah interview where she accused an unnamed family member of commenting on how dark Archie’s skin would be?

During his media tour for “Spare,” Harry denied calling his family racist, saying: “No, I didn’t. The British press said that. Did Meghan ever mention that they’re racist?”

Maybe she didn’t use the r-word, but her comments virtually set the palace afire — and secured the couple a spot on the red carpet to be fêted by emcee Alec Baldwin, whose Massachusetts-born wife still insists she’s Spanish.

Meghan is, however, well deserving of a Whopper Award for her numerous royal tall tales, including gushing to the Cut that a South African cast member of “The Lion King” compared her to Nelson Mandela.He said, ‘I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison,'” she told the mag.

Of course, the only South African male in the show called the claims “baffling.”

Then there’s the bizarre story she told Oprah about marrying Harry in secret before her fairy tale wedding, which the Archbishop of Canterbury categorically denied.

And she has no competition for this year’s Wah Award bestowed upon the whiniest in the land. The Wah Academy couldn’t ignore her inspiring whingefest about the indignity of being a suitcase girl on “Deal or No Deal” on her podcast.

We all know these honors are empty accolades meant to sell tickets to pricey dinners, raise funds and profiles.But in a time that has been so consequential for females — the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the inability of officials to actually define a woman and biological men invading women’s sports — perhaps there’s another lady who is more deserving.

Maybe one who punched in more than an hour’s work. But the schlubs who do the real heavy lifting in life never get the credit.