#this post was actually mean to be a series

[whatlurksbean]

Hello! I’ve been reading WLB from some time now, and I am still absolutely loving this comic every time.(on my 4th reread lol) WLB has inspired me greatly along with WC content and (also great!)creations by other creators to the point that I am almost about to script my own comic, with a few scenes that WLB had a huge influence on. Though, I can’t help but be a little overwhelmed when I actually think of creating one, mostly because of the fact I lack the skills to draw comics. Believe me, I am shit at panelling lol. But also l‘m a bit scared because even if I actually end up making my own series it absolutely could end up flopping and that would probably make me lose enthusiasm. I don’t necessarily want to make money out of my comics but rather show others my stories and characters that I love, but I have a history of making and posting oc art just for nobody to watch and kinda giving up.(even though I’m aware of the fact that this happens to practically everyone all the time, it still hurts) The (real)question is if there is some advice you can give to beginner/wanna-be comic artists, and how did you feel when you first posted The Recruit if that’s your first comic. I’m sorry if this sounds like a vent, and feel free to pass this if you want-just know you’re a great inspiration for many people. Stay safe, remember that YOUR well being is number one, and Love from Korea♥♥

Hello! I'm very glad you've enjoyed WLB!

A webcomic can for sure be a daunting and overwhelming thing. Most artists are a one man show, and knowing how to do Every Aspect Perfectly is an impossible task. I think it's important to remember everyone starts somewhere, and it is hard to get better unless you Start.

I mean, the first comic pages I drew digitally looked like this.

The comic lasted 6 pages before I got tired of it, and then I started The Recruit.

(which was over 430 pages long and started and had quite a style/writing change throughout the 7 years I worked on it)

You learn so much by just doing. There are a lot of helpful free resources online now a days to make the learning faster! There are tutorials on how to panel! And I think just reading comics in general is a great source of learning. Pay attention to the things you like (paneling, simplification process, color palettes ) and implement them in your work!

I think it's really important to figure out the level of detail you want the comic to be. I don't think it's wise or sustainable to put 100% effort into every aspect of it. It will burn you out. It's good to consider what level of shading (if any) you'll be willing to do for hundreds of panels, what level of background detail, how many colors the characters should have, and figure out what your focus is.

I've met a lot of comic artists over the years, EVERYONE has a different method or different focus. Creating is not a universal experience!

As for having your work be seen, it is honestly a lot of luck. Back in the day for TR I would just submit to all of the deviantart warrior cat groups and people would find it that way. deviantart groups are pretty dead now so I am unsure if that is any good now.

I personally really think ComicFury is a wonderful place for new artists. It's default page always shows the latest comic, so everyone always has an equal chance to be seen. You can be on the front page every 12 hours (i think, it might be 24..) and with a striking icon and consistent posting, you WILL find people.

It's not the largest site, but it is my favorite for comics.

I do not like the mindset of a comic "flopping." I think it takes time to build an audience. It is very unlikely for people to find your comic overnight, it will very likely take at least a few months of consistent posting to find a few engaged readers. I know it sucks to feel like no one is seeing your work, but it's just something that takes time.

Cat comics do tend to find readers faster though, so if that is your goal, I do hope you find success!

You could also post your updates in comic/art related places, like discords or post panels on bluesky or instagram. really any site or app that posts an image.

I also think consistent uploading is a strong key to building an audience. And to do this, it really helps to have a backlog. Meaning you draw like the first 10-20 pages of you comic (or however many) and upload one or two pages a week. The more your comic is seen popping up on their feed, the more likely people will be to finally click it. I usually do not click on comics I see once or twice, it usually takes a few weeks of me seeing it pop up before i decide to check it out. (talking about on Comicfury to be clear)

Once you've established you are dedicated to your comic, people do not mind if you take breaks. (and if they do, fuck em)

Also, having a community of friends or creators is a huge motivator. Show your work to friends! Share in a community of comic creators! Some things my friends have said to me about my comics has lifted my creative spirit more than anything.

This is turning into some 3am ramblings but to summarize my points:

•Find a style that will work for you to sustain a comic. (do not make 100% effort art pieces)

•Upload on comicfury (great comic site, equal opportunity for new comics) (I would also cross post to other platforms and link back to CF as a primary comic site)

•Work on some pages in private, so you can upload consistently once you begin your comic! (I would update daily for maybe a week and then switch to weekly pages, just to get the best chance of being seen + consistent posting. so that would be good to have at least 10 pages of backlogs. 7 for the first week, plus 3 weeks of backlog at that rate)

and the point most dear to my heart;

•Don't be scared of change.

I know a lot of folk wait and wait to make their comic until they are perfect artists or writers, but like, you'll never make anything if you wait for that. Change is so natural and normal in webcomics, in all art really. I think if you shade for 10 pages and decide you hate it, it's okay to change how you shade or drop it entirely. Change your art style. Change how you panel pages. Change how you do backgrounds. Change anything and everything you want. Enjoy the process and tell the story you want to tell.

Best of luck on your comicing journey, I hope you really enjoy it.

[eshithepetty]

"Haha Dream BBQ is so random and incomprehensible" "did they take drugs to make this lol" "you're actually not meant to understand anything in this series it's ok" "Joel G just makes up stuff on the spot based on what would be funny" "it's just random for random's sake" "is this AI" "stop theorising, it's not that deep" SHUT UPPPPPPPPPP

[riprenn]

secret relationships as - silly text posts

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6

[yuurei20]

Does Yana have any part in making of the novels and manga and soon to be anime? Since she doesn't seem to have much say on the game...

Hello hello! Thank you for this question!

It is possible that Yana might have very much say on the game 👀

Inside the app itself she is credited as the creator of the game's concept, the main scenario creator, the character designer and the creative director for everything overall.

In a 2020 interview she said:

“I create the scenarios and I write the main story. I am also in charge of drafting, writing, and directing the events and vignettes. On the graphics side I do all of the character design including designing the chibis, all the card illustrations and designs for the props and backgrounds.”

She also explains how she went into her initial meeting with Disney expecting to only do the character designs, but in the end was made responsible for the basis of the entire game.

She is also the creator of the plot of the main story and wrote the lessons in dialogue, on the home screen and when leveling (together with a writer from her personal studio).

She is so involved that she even writes notes to the voice actors and the sound director, influencing the vocal performances, and has approved the English-language localization of the unique magics.

And she has so much say that she retracted Riddle's original, Disney-approved design (which was also of her own creation) in favor of the Riddle that we have today! ^^

Much of this information is from the game's release (the "notes from Yana to the VAs" information is recent) and now, five years on, there is sometimes curiosity about how much Yana remains involved.

She provides us with regular updates on her involvement, with one of the more recent being how she is still in charge of the main story.

Getting into details all in one post will be very long, so here is a compilation of similar asks for reference!

-> What is Yana-san's actual position and importance in the making of Twisted Wonderland?

-> Yana's involvement in the Halloween events

-> How true is that Yana is not involved in the writing of all events?

-> Is Yana Toboso responsible for illustrating in-game assets?

-> Yana created all the original R-cards alone, from start to finish

-> Who are Yana's assistants?

The Novels

Yana says she was in charge of the concept, the in-novel art, cover and fold-out art in the novels, while Hioki Jun (a Twst vignette/event scenario writer) is the author. 

The Manga

The artist and designer behind the 1st and 3rd comic arcs are both from Yana’s studio D-6th, doing background and card art for Twst.

Yana says that her role is overall collaboration, character design and character creation (she says that in addition to creating the basis for Trey’s parents she also designed Riddle’s mother, including her face, but they ultimately left her in silhouette).

It is difficult to tell what Yana means by “overall collaboration," but she has shared a tweet about drawing the characters out herself for the official artists to base their work on.

(This might not apply to the artists of the Savanaclaw or Scarabia arcs, who are not Yana's personal employees.)

The Anime

There was some curiosity after the announcement of the anime, with Yana commenting that she was surprised to hear that it is going to be based on the manga and she is looking forward to what it is going to be like, insinuating that she did not make that decision herself and may not be involved at all.

And the anime's first, original announcement? It credits Yana as the creator of the game, but does not list her as a member of the team behind the anime.

In a different series of tweets from early 2024, she provided more detail about how it is normal for her to not be involved in adaptations of her own work, saying she lets other creators do what they like with adaptations of her work where she is the copyright holder.

And with works outside of Kuroshitsuji, where she is not the copyright holder, she has even less influence in adaptations, saying that she will often not even know what adaptations are being planned and sometimes she is not approached for help. As Disney holds the copyright for Twst, that is possibly what happened here!

まとめ

To put everything together, the game seems to be where Yana might have the most influence out of every iteration of Twst, even five years on.

She also seems to have some influence in the Heartslabyul and Octavinelle arcs of the manga, but this might be an unusual arrangement made possible by how the official artist and layout designer are also both her own employees.

She might have the least (if any) amount of influence on the anime, but that is also where we have the least information :>

[psformybss]

The Secret is Out II

part 1 | series masterlist

warnings: emotional intimacy, social media chaos, cast group chat energy, soft couple moments

︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　

They posted just after 10:00 p.m. Late enough to feel casual, private—intentional in its quiet. But not late enough for the internet to sleep through it.

Within ten minutes, screenshots had landed in group chats and fan accounts. By twenty, Twitter had caught fire. The puzzle pieces that the internet had been putting together just hours before—prom photos, birthday posts, the glint of a ring in the paparazzi pictures— was now complete.

Fan reactions poured in like rain after drought.

“HELLO YOU ARE TELLING ME DREW STARKEY IS MARRIED AND THEY KEPT IT A SECRET”

“she’s been right there the whole time. like actually THERE. in his life. in his photos. in his little smiles. IM NOT OKAY”

“she’s not tagged. she didn’t even drop a location. she’s so off-grid coded i’m obsessed.”

“what do you MEAN they’ve been married for a while? what does a while mean?? 3 months? a year?? five???”

“me, a hater at 10:21 p.m. me, in love with her by 10:54 p.m.”

Drew had tossed his phone onto the coffee table without ceremony—face down, screen dark. No buzzing notifications. No refreshing the app. No second-guessing. Just one quiet decision, released into the world with a simple tap.

Y/N had curled into the corner of the couch beside him, her legs tucked close, one hand resting lightly on the blanket draped over both their knees. The other held her phone, the soft glow of the screen painting her features in quiet blue. But she wasn’t scrolling. Wasn’t reading comments. Wasn’t in the app at all. She just stared at the home screen, like maybe, if she looked at it long enough, the world might pause. Or rewind. Or slow down.

“You’re sure?” she asked after a long, careful beat. Her voice was barely a whisper, like asking it too loudly might undo everything they’d just done.

Drew didn’t hesitate. He reached out, brushing his thumb over her knee, the touch gentle but grounding. “I’ve never been more sure,” he murmured.

It wasn’t fear that sat in her chest. Not exactly. It was more like that first step into wide open air—the hush after the leap, before you hit the water. The moment when everything feels too big and too still at the same time. Like walking out into a clearing after months of moving in shadow. Vulnerable. Exposed. Real.

Not hiding anymore.

By morning, her phone was a blur of numbers and notifications. Her follower count had tripled. Strangers combed through every quiet, forgotten post she’d ever made. The photo of Drew half-asleep on a plane, hoodie pulled over his face. Teddy bounding through fresh snow. A blurry snapshot of the two of them sitting on a cabin porch, backs to the camera, heads tilted toward each other like they were mid-laugh.

They said it hadn’t been a soft launch after all. It had always been loud. Just not in the way they expected.

That night, long after the initial wave had crested and people had stopped tagging her in edits every two minutes, Drew came back from the kitchen with a second blanket and a fresh cup of tea she hadn’t asked for but gladly accepted. He handed it to her wordlessly and sat down, lifting the blanket and tucking it around her as if it were muscle memory.

She set the mug on the coffee table, untouched for now, and leaned into his side, her head finding the curve of his shoulder. He kissed her temple, then rested his cheek against her hair.

“I think your sister texted me eight separate crying emojis,” she mumbled.

“She also sent me a wedding meme,” Drew replied. “But like, a really bad one. Glitter font and everything.”

Y/N snorted, the sound soft and real against his chest. “How is it that the worst part of going public is the group chat?”

“Because they have material now,” he said, smiling. “They’ve waited years for this.”

She tilted her head up to look at him. “Are we crazy for doing it?”

Drew didn’t answer right away. He just studied her for a moment, the way her eyes searched his, the way the shadows from the lamp curved softly across her skin. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Slow. Intentional. Like it wasn’t just reassurance—it was a promise. When he pulled back, their foreheads stayed pressed together, breath mingling in the space between.

“No,” he whispered. “We’re not crazy. We’re just done hiding.”

Her eyes fluttered closed. “It’s gonna feel strange, not covering, not ducking out early or standing five feet apart in photos.”

“It will” he agreed. “But it will also feel good. Like breathing.”

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in quiet and fleece and the kind of warmth that doesn’t need explaining. His thumb brushed slow circles against the inside of her wrist. Her leg slid over his, anchoring them together under the blanket.

“Still ours,” he said at last, voice low and steady.

She nodded against his shoulder. “Even if they all know now.”

“They don’t know,” he said gently. “They just saw. And what they saw? That was real. But the rest?” He kissed her hair. “That’s still just for us.”

And she believed him.

The world could keep spinning, keep wondering, keep piecing together their story from photos and guesses and grainy screenshots.

They had already built the quiet.

And the quiet wasn’t going anywhere.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　

︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶

an: and the secret is outtttt. im running out of ideas y’all so plssss send requests also it doesn’t have to be just for this one it could be any drew or rafe requests :)

also ignore any mistakes there might be in the smau's i did them last night while half sleep

[postcardsfromheapside]

When you complain "if only X character had writers who loved them," what do you mean? 

Like what you do actually mean. 

I'm about to go on a rant about a particular character I see this about MOST, but this question is definitely not limited to him - I've seen it about multiple characters.

What is it you want from Anders and the writers. Because what it feels like from the posts where I see this phrase, is that people wanted Anders to be avenged in DA:I, or even Veilguard - for some of the characters to admit that maybe he was correct. Or maybe for there to be codex entries, SOMETHING that would hint that the mad apostate who blew up the chantry was justified. 

Except Dragon Age isn't like that. 

This entire series is about people who do awful things because they think they had a reason to do them, and sometimes those awful acts are completely understandable and maybe you can even justify them in context, but that in no way means that the in-world characters *have* to forgive anyone for anything, and the writers don't have to write them that way, no matter how they feel about the character. 

(I already have heard shitty things about Anders' writer, so before you @ me, please know, I'm composing this A of all, already understanding that context and B, also knowing that sometimes writers create characters who give offense on purpose, and that it's okay to like those characters without justifying their actions. Solas, anyone?) 

It's actually really frustrating as someone who is an Anders fan to see people whine "oh, if only he had a writer who loved him" as if he isn't a well-written character. 

The man is obsessive, annoyingly focused on his goals, constantly leaving bits of his unwanted manifesto everywhere. He's shitty to Fenris (although Fenris starts a lot of it and gives as good as he gets), and he probably deserved the moniker Broody as much as Fenris did. He's harsh to Merrill and quite often an unprompted asshole to Aveline. He's also incredibly kind and compassionate, and really does spend almost all of his free time living his truth: trying to save mages from terrible treatment which is only growing worse - most of which we do not see on-screen so shallow viewing doesn't make it seem quite as bad as he claims. He also freely gives of his healing talents, regardless of who comes asking, at great personal risk. Whatever you say about him, you can't claim he doesn't live what he says he believes. And then there's the fact that he's actually quite funny, and when his "moods" aren't on him, his banter with Varric and Merrill especially is very cute, hinting that there's a different person inside of him, had he not gone through everything he had since Awakening (maybe even before). If you romance him, he's passionate and caring and weirdly funny with Hawke as well, two freaks who "get" each other. 

Strange that I've managed to pull all of this out of someone who apparently the writers "didn't love", this rounded character who has multiple facets to him. 

No one in DA:I is required to forgive Anders, regardless of which storyline you take. Varric sees him as the man who blew up a portion of "his" beloved city, who got a LOT of people killed, and maybe effectively exiled his friend. Cassandra and Leliana, for all their wishes to reform the chantry, still believe in the chantry as an institution. Vivienne still believes in the circles. Solas doesn't give a flying fuck about that guy - mage freedom isn't really on his mind, except in that he's pretending to be an apostate until he sheds his disguise. Who were you expecting to exonerate Anders, exactly, with their own limited perspectives? 

To be honest, I wouldn't have forgiven him either, except in that I too have lived in a world where people's rights were slowly being stripped away by an unempathetic crazy person and the governing body that could have stopped the clown in office collectively sat back and in the end did fuck all about it. 

You're meant to think about these things, just like you're meant to think about the stuff going on in Veilguard on which people have been posting metas. Is Bioware ham fisted at this commentary? 100% But it's there. Otherwise I wouldn't have seen so many good character analyses of Anders (and other characters I've seen this complaint about). 

"If only he had writers who loved him" my sibling in Thedas they did their job, you're out here on this cloutless website crying into the void about your favorite little guy. Now go figure out why you need him to be a hero within the story itself, instead of him existing as he is and you thinking about how many people have flawed or shaded perspectives about the people who try, in different and sometimes awful ways, to change history.

[dilly-dahlia]

okay, elaboration on Nicole and Garroth’s arranged marriage because I talked about it briefly in one of my Garroth is unintentionally misogynistic posts

SO. the idea came to me because I rewatched MCD, and I thought about the Garroth I had molded for my rewrite and realized that he would TOTALLY go into an arranged marriage. 100%. especially with the way he was raised. and I know in the series it’s like a way to stop a war or something?? in my rewrite it’s a way to merge the two powerhouses of the region, and if it was that then it’s something Garroth would do

so the way Garroth has been raised is primarily by his abusive, asshole father. to basically sum up my unintentional misogynistic Garroth: Garte raised Garroth with a VERY traditional gender role view on people, part of it being that women owe him something if he shows kindness to them (which is amplified because Garroth is put on a pedestal anyways because he’s the son of O’Khasis). so with that in mind and KNOWING that he’s one day going to take the reigns and become Lord of O’Khasis, Garroth would comply to almost any arranged marriage.

almost.

now we jump to the Lord of Scaleswind and Garte. the two are friends and close allies in my rewrite. they’ve always sort of talked about how their children would end up being married, but their kids never actually met. they are unaware of each other for the most part. now, because Scaleswind and O’Khasis are both powerhouses, they genuinely consider the benefits of forming a union through marriage. since both are power hungry, they arrange the marriage with Nicole and Garroth.

now. at this point, Garroth is 22/23. he’s perfectly fine with getting married because it’s his duty as a man to be married before he comes into power (using it as a way to show he’s ready to be in control of a village by being in control of his wife). however, when he finds out who his fiancé is, he hesitates. a lot. why? because Nicole is 16.

it’s not the age gap itself that bothers him (the one between his own parents is larger), it’s the fact that Nicole is so young. Garroth learns that Nicole is only 16 and he literally gets sick to the stomach and vomits. like Garroth is so uneasy with the idea of marrying a sixteen-year-old he spends days sick in bed.

Garroth would do anything for the sake of O’Khasis at this time, but he cannot fathom how his marriage to a child would benefit the kingdom. and that gets added to because his mother vehemently disagrees with it, and she rarely disagrees with any of Garte’s choices.

adding to that and going back to the misogynistic Garroth post, Zianna hasn’t had much say in how Garroth is raised but she tried her best to make him a good person despite that. while Garte was teaching him that kindness is a debt to be paid, Zianna was telling him in the softest voice that nobody owes Garroth anything, but he should be a good person regardless. behind Garte’s back, Zianna was teaching Garroth to never take advantage of anybody, especially women, and that no means no. she taught Garroth that it’s not okay to make people do things they don’t want, no matter how bad you want it.

and Garroth recalls these lessons from his mother, and he stands by her side in disagreeing with the marriage. it dawns on him once more that Nicole is so young and that this is probably the furthest thing from what she wants. He realized that their age gap is a power imbalance, and that by marrying her he would be taking advantage of her. and he brings it up to his father:

“Does Lady Nicole know she’s marrying a grown man?”

“If she knows what’s good for Scaleswind, then she will get over it.”

“Father, she’s sixteen.”

and the argument ends badly. Garroth doesn’t change Garte’s mind and as a punishment for speaking out (especially since Garte thinks it’s the influence of his mother), he beats Zianna and locks her up until the wedding. Garroth is forbidden from seeing her until he sees Nicole walking down the aisle first.

and Garroth starts thinking. he doesn’t want this marriage. even though he’s never met Nicole he would bet his life that she doesn’t want it either. so, Garroth devises a plan.

Garroth gets into contact with a thieves guild in a village not too far from O’Khasis. they write letters discussing the plan back and forth, and when Garte questions it, Garroth simply says he’s getting to know his bride-to-be. Garte pays it no mind because this son of his is finally cooperating and goes on his way.

and once Garroth had everything set in motion, he faked his death. the story he fashioned was that a bounty had been placed on the eldest Ro’Meave boy’s head, and whoever brought him in dead would receive a hefty reward.

Garroth was found drowned in the river, abandoned. his biggest regret was not being able to tell his mother his plan or give her the piece of mind that her son is still alive

[absolutebl]

hi abl! I'm a huge fan of korean and japanese bl dramas and have devoured a bunch of them, but then I decided I wanted to try a thai drama and started lovely writer on a friend's recommendation. I only made it halfway through the first episode! it felt so overacted and oh my god the SOUND EFFECTS. they were driving me CRAZY. I know that's a common problem with thai bl, but I don't want to give up yet. any recs of more "toned down" shows for me to try? happy endings only, please! my favorite k/jbl series are semantic error, cherry magic, and love mate, if that helps! thanks so much!!!

Oh for sure, happy to help. I thought I already answered this one somewhere. Lemme check spreadsheet of doom...

Looks like not, so here we go.

10 Great Thai BLs with no (or few) BAD Sound Effects

Additional criteria: toned down, HEA, comps = Semantic Error, Cherry Magic, Love Mate (so you don't need high heat, slow burn is okay, and a little aggressive seme is fine too, got it!)

NOTE: If the GMMTV show is no long on YouTube it is likely on Viki or iQIYI.

1 A Tale of Thousand Stars

2021 GMMTV

With great casting and cinematography this drama nods at BL tropes but manages to elevate them (and itself) with a strong mature story concept about a spoiled rich kid who gets a heart transplant and becomes a teacher it order to pay out survivor’s guilt. On the way he falls in love with a local park ranger and contends with his own classism and escapist tendencies. Everyone seemed to perfectly suit their roles and GMMTV made the most out of its stable. Combined with excellent production (and post production) values, 1000 Stars is without question GMMTV’s most mature, charming, and smart BL series. I think it should go down as one of the top BLs of all time. I feel safe recommending this one to friends and non BL watchers.

I chose this first for you because it has no sound effects and a mature concept, it's very very classy. But it is a SLOW burn.

2 Cherry Magic

2024 GMMTV grey (sadly, with any luck Viki will eventually pick this up, but...)

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team (at GMMTV) and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up).

Look, here’s the thing, Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it stands strong. I, personally, like the Thai BL slightly better than the Japanese live action yaoi, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy Thai BL's style and I LOVE TayNew. Also all the kissing was both present and better in this version. As it should be from Thailand.

Now, even if your heart is lost to the original live action yaoi, this is a good way to understand what Thailand can do, and why it is the undisputed king of BL. But you do need to understand that is is a different take, an adaptation, if you will.

3 Bad Buddy

2022 GMMTV

This was GMMTV’s flagship BL and it started 2022 on a BANG (okay no actual banging but you know what I mean), starring heavy hitters Ohm & Nanon in a pitch perfect university Romeo & Romeo masterpiece that will give you domesticity meets pain whiplash throughout and jet lag at the end. Some of the friendship and family dynamics are overworked, but it has great production values, killer acting, and some conscious effort to correct for half a decade of Thai BL’s anti-queer mistakes.

This is the enemies to lovers BL to end all BLs. I chose it for you because of your love for Semantic Error, this is in a similar vein.

4 My Ride

2022 Gaga

Thai BL grew up with this pulp (the first ever to make my end of year top 10). It’s a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine (AKA a cinnamon roll couple) plus mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede, the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple.

This is one of my "under appreciated gems" and if you can forgive it some of it's low production roughness I think you'll like the grit that comes with the sweet.

5 Step By Step

2023 Gaga & Viki

This was Thailand’s answer to KBL The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This office romance between a stern boss and sweet subordinate felt more authentic to cubical work than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. That authenticity added tension to the narrative and its characters' development (how novel). I also really enjoyed the charming side characters and the brothers' relationship to each other (although I could have done without that brother's side BL).

I chose this one specifically because of your Love Mate call out, although different dynamic.

6 ThamePo

2025 GMMTV YouTube (for now, I think this will move to a pay-to-play platform soon tho)

The boyband idol romance I've been waiting for from Korea, only Thailand did it instead. Quintessentially Thai and very GMMTV with good production values, great chemistry, and a solid support cast. It also was a hung romance mostly driven by external conflict and a found family reunion trope so I didn’t mind (too much) when that romance thread felt secondary. I loved it (except, of course, the singing).

I chose this because the visuals are on point (and your KBL addiction can only be explained in part through shallowness - solidarity) but also it's one of the better more recent BLs to fulfill your criteria. You want to know what Thai Bl is best at right now? This, this is it.

7 Wandee Goodday

2024 GMMTV

A charming modern Thai BL about a doctor and a boxer who start as a one night stand and then fall in love. Great rep for everything from Muay Thai, to safe sex, to FUN sex, to ace, to bisexuality, to smiley kisses, to the first legal gay wedding in a Thai BL. It’s a delight and I enjoyed (almost) every single moment of it. Without question its best traits are active positive representations of green flag boys, communication, and grown-up relationships but the chemistry is on point too.

Highly recommended as one of 2024's best pick-me-ups. Turn off your brain this is just a fun show. In fact, I think it might be time for a rewatch.

8 The Heart Killers

2025 GMMTV (iQIYI & Viki)

Jojo directs this action romcom about assassin brothers meets tattoo artist ex-booster & very flirty mechanic conmen. I dithered over how to rate this. It felt like an 8 show wearing a 9’s britches. There were dropped threads, forgotten characters, and unfinished plot lines even with a particularly long run time. And, for me, it doesn’t have significant rewatch potential. But it was fun (when one applies no expectations or logic) and I enjoyed the wildly unhinged relationships and, weirdly, music.

I mean nobody claimed that we needed Taming of the Shrew only with gay Thai hitman, but we really needed it. And no one asked for Petruchio as the gayest brat ever to strut his perfect skin and copped-top across our screen, and yet we loved him for it. Sure it didn’t make sense, was utterly absurd, but it was terribly earnest and sexy about it. In the end this goes hand-in-hand with all these other absurd crime pieces we’ve been getting since KinnPorsche, and frankly I like this one the best of the lot.

I'm not sure how you'll like this, it's a wildy soapy ride, and a bit EXTRA but the chemistry THE CHEMISTRY. Still, no skin if you drop it for reasons other than sound effects.

9 Your Sky

2025 iQIYI

As pulps go this is right up there with my favorite if all time, My Ride, but for different less complex reasons. This is a relatively simple yet endearingly old school story of a fake relationship between a sunshine sweetie and an older reserved rich kid who slowly fall in love. It's soft gentle low stakes leans on everything I love best about Thai BL. It’s a warm fuzzy robe of a show that will not hurt you.

Because you're used to shorter form BL you may find this slow, but that's okay. Get yourself a tropical drink or a bowl of ice cream and just... relax, enjoy. It'll all be alright in the end.

10 We Are

2024 iQIYI

I loved show, but it's last on this list for... reasons.

It was slow to find its stride (I didn’t get into it until ep 6) but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. It’s a soft ensemble piece with multiple couples (you will be introduced to most of GMMTVs pairs) and very little plot, but I didn’t care because it’s not trying to be anything more substantial. Essentially this was a series of vignettes covering one year of uni for a queer friendship group finding love, new friends, and laughter. Did it blow my mind? No. But it left me smiling and made me belly laugh quite a bit.

This one may be too MUCH much Thai BL muchness for you. So deifnately see if any of the others work first, especially Your Sky. This is more in that vein than others.

If those last 2 do end up working for you then you might also try Oxygen (2020 YouTube). Oxygen uses every BL trope in the playbook for one of the gentlest lowest angst BLs ever made. It’s a hyung romance (younger boy courts older boy) but very very earnest about it. Am I biased? Sure. This is probably one of my biggest comfort watches. But no one else ever seems to love it as much as I do.

I Thought About it But...

Okay so I took high concept and genre off the table because you didn't mention anything like that but I tend to rate those kinds of shows highly and it's one of Thailand's strengths in the BL sphere these days. So these are BLs I would ordinarily recommend but they are not JUST BL.

Until We Meet Again (YouTube) - my #1 top favorite Thai BL (the only one to have a 10/10 from me). Occasionally my all time most favorite of them all. May be a big dark for you, but if you could take The 8th Sense than you might like this.

Century of Love (Gaga) - If you don't mind some time travel-esk genre in your BL you might enjoy this one.

He's Coming to Me (YouTube) - this one has a strong paranormal element, but it is great. Boy and ghost boy fall in love, must solve ghost’s murder.

I Feel You Linger in the Air (grey) - an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). But the ending is not entirely happy.

La Pluie (Viki ) - This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination.

The Sign (YouTube) - This show is the opposite of toned down, it's literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it. Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was. Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not. Was it also a charming, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing. Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN. Emphasis on balls.

Other's that you might like but I'm not confident on because of your comps and "toned down" preferences.

Laws of Attraction (iQIYI)

Triggers for violence, beatings, death and torture depicted on screen. This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. It is, however, not at all toned down. Charn may be my favorite lead character in all BL. However, this show is not entirely BL, more on the fringe, like Manner of Death.

My School President (GMMTV)

You didn't name any high school BL and I can't remember but this may have a few sound effects and it gets and little frantic and angsty. GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? This show was fantastic, it’s only flaw was the singing (and that’s my baggage). One of my favourite GMMTV BL offerings of all time. And yes, I've watched them ALL. But you have to like high school angst.

Not Me (GMMTV)

How do you say antidisestablishmentarianism in Thai? + hot boys kissing who probably shouldn't be and convoluted soap opera identical twins plot... someone at GMMTV thought it made sense, we just here for the tattoos and the the Pride scene. GMMTV gave us a dark disestablishment narrative (in a time of civil unrest) with established queer award-winning director Anucha and starring the biggest guns of BL, OffGun and THIS WAS AN AMAZING THING to get to experience at the time - nerve racking but remarkable. But was it ACTUALLY BL? It certainly has a lot of BL elements, but in the end romance was not what this show was about, or even what it was genuinely trying to be as a performance piece. Still a remarkable moment in Thai cinema, certainly worth your time. Don’t worry, it all ends happily.

I gotta say I feel the same way about Lovely Writer. I think I dinged it a whole point because of those sound effects. (And I actually really loved that show.) The bad effects slow (but never stop) in the second half, but it is possibly one of the worst offenders. And there are A LOT of offenders.

Also here's me trying to explain why those sound effects.

(source)

[kickbutts-singsongs]

I’ve had some thoughts about Izuku and his actions in the post-canon chapter that I haven’t known how to voice until this very moment so uh I just wanted to say that I actually saw myself in him and his decisions and here’s why:

(warning: manga spoilers and minor traumadumping)

I just recently turned 20 years old and I’ve been noticing that life feels a whole lot clearer now that I’m out of my crazy house (for the most part) and attending college, but I didn’t realize just how murky and foggy everything had felt up until now.

Like seriously looking back on it, I felt like my head was underwater and I was in a fishtank watching everyone pass me by. Some people would come up to the glass and reach out, but I didn’t really reach back bc I just assumed that since there was glass I wouldn’t be able to truly connect. Instead I kind of acted the best and brightest that I could, almost like I was performing tricks for them, in the hopes that they’d at least stick around, but I didn’t think I’d be anything more than a passing interest to them. But that was okay because I liked seeing the people and it was enough for me, I’d take what I could get.

Also some context: I was homeschooled as a kid and was a pretty isolated child whose only real connection to anyone was with her younger sister (which may or may not have been an unhealthy relationship) so when I finally attended high school, I went through those years thinking that everyone who ever met me wouldn’t really like me or want to stay connected bc if my own lil sis didn’t then who would? And though I did make friends, and they def reached out and touched the glass, I felt like I was this intangible thing that they would soon move on from and forget, once again leaving me alone in the water

Last year, someone came up to my tank and punched straight through the glass

And holy fuckin smokes everything changed

I have this dear friend that I’ve known for quite a long time (6 years now), but I never in a million years would’ve guessed that I had any real impact on her bc she was so well-liked and was surrounded by so many great people. I was just me.

But one night, she told me that I was her best friend.

Did I cry? Uh huh big time

But also?? My entire worldview changed????

Cuz WHAT DO YOU MEAN IM SPECIAL ENOUGH TO YOU FOR YOU TO DECLARE THAT OUT OF EVERYONE YOU KNOW, I AM YOUR BEST FRIEND

Basically, since then I have never felt more alive, and now I’ve decided that my days of being a wallflower to everyone I know and love are fuckin OVER

IM BEING PRESENT AND ATTENTIVE AND INSERTING MYSELF INTO PEOPLES LIVES BC THEY WANT ME IN THEM BITCHESSSSSS

“Wow, Song, congrats on the epiphany? I guess? What does that have to do with Izuku??”

Great question my friend

In my humble and lightly biased opinion, Izuku grew up without a bunch of self-worth and didn’t think very highly of himself. He also didn’t grow up with very many (healthy) friendships, and when he finally attended UA, he got his first dose of seeing people actually reaching out to him

But I think he was stuck in a daze of “Wow they really wanna be my friend? That’s crazy cuz they’re so cool and I’m just. Me.” <- similar to how I acted in hs.

And after all the ✨traumatizing shit✨ he went thru up until the end of the series, I think it’d be understandable if his life felt a bit foggy and murky, like he was existing but not truly living (esp if he never got a therapist or smth, but I sincerely hope he did) and he didn’t feel like he had much of an impact on the lives of his friends in hs other than his heroics (esp after he lost his quirk)

So my guess is that he just coexisted with everyone, counted his blessings, and then let everyone go after they graduated. It wouldn’t surprise me if the only reason he and Katsuki are as comfortable as they are in the epilogue is bc Katsuki was the one making efforts to reach out to Izuku for the past eight years, but again that’s my projections ashajkajaka

Anyways SO when it comes to the point where Katsuki’s driving and tells Izuku “if you treat everyone like they’re special to you, then no one actually is” I was shook to my core because that’s how I’d been living my life (and I still was at that point) so when I saw a lot of people criticizing Izuku for his seemingly uncaring behavior in rejecting Katsuki’s vague agency proposal, I couldn’t help but feel empathy for my boy bc I prob would’ve said and done the exact same thing. I don’t think I would’ve understood the importance of such an ask, or the impact I would’ve had if I’d said no.

And further on, when Izuku looks at Uraraka, someone who was a dear friend of his in high school, and notices that they never talk anymore and grew apart (partially bc he let that happen), he hears Katsuki’s words in his head and realizes that he’s right, and that Uraraka is someone that is special to him, actually special to him, and that he wants to rebuild that connection and put work in to keep in touch.

But I don’t think that means that that’s the end.

I think Uraraka is just the beginning.

My theory (my hope) is that he’ll start to look around at the people in his life (or currently out of his life) and allow himself to actually be in their lives again, to purposefully insert himself back in. To reach out, to connect. He’ll start being more aware of how his life actually impacts others, and how his life has meaning outside of doing things just to help people.

(And maybe he’ll re-evaluate how much he actually cares about a certain someone and notice how much effort they actually put into their relationship and wonder if they’re really just a friend to him but that’s my shipper heart alskllaksk)

Anyways uh I guess I had been neglecting my ‘thinking about Izuku’ duties for a sec so now I’ve just word-vomited a small essay that’s probably mildly incomprehensible but the point is that I care and maybe someone else will too so if u got this far thanks for reading 🫡

[howdeepthegrave]

Completed Agathario stories + one Agathario series I've written that I actually almost feel a little pride over. Maybe you'll like them.

Leave a Little Light On: Post-show fix-it two-point (episode 4 and episode 8) canon divergence. Agatha and Rio overstepped some mutual boundaries on the Witches' Road. That act leads to familiar consequences with some possibly dangerous repercussions. Why I think it's a good 'un: Just pleased with the arcs I gave everyone.

The Time We Have Remaining: Four story series starting as canon divergence from just after episode 5 of Wandavision. Agatha cons Wanda into bringing Nicky to the Hex... But she doesn't expect Rio to be along for the ride. Why I think it's a good 'un: I got to spin a few things in new ways, got to do my own take on Wanda as part of the coven on the Witches' Road, played with the duality of Wanda as herself and as the Scarlet Witch, and the last story got a bunch of people into shipping Lenda (Lenny Busker×Wanda Maximoff) and that amuseth me greatly.

How I Cry: aka Cuddle Buddies. Trauma and mental illness have left Rio Vidal isolated from much of the world, hardly able to bring herself to leave her home even to spend time with her small friend circle. A suggestion from her therapist leads her to explore an online world of isolated and touch-starved people looking for others to spend time with. This, in turn, leads her to Agatha Harkness, a fellow sufferer of severe social isolation with a history of trauma. Rio and Agatha connect almost instantly, but what begins as a way for both of them to simply feel less alone slowly blossoms into something more. Why I think it's a good 'un: I put a lot of my own personal mental health issues into this one, and some people apparently felt genuinely seen and comforted by how I handled things.

Working On It: A goofy one-shot based on this post of mine in which social media influencers Agatha Harkness and Rio Vidal navigate keeping their relationship a secret from their respective followings (for various reasons.) Why I think it's a good 'un: I am inordinately proud of the usernames I made up.

We Carry On: The requisite rock band AU. In the mid 2000s and early 2010s, Coven True were a band on the rise. Then, a series of health issues, personal tragedies, and interpersonal disputes brought an end to the music. Over a decade after the band broke up, former Coven True frontwoman Agatha Harkness has built a successful solo career and settled in to raising Tommy and Billy, the sons of her deceased bandmate Wanda Maximoff. When her agent Lilia Calderu approaches Agatha about the possibility of getting the band back together for a reunion album and tour, the offer is almost tempting. Almost. Agatha might even go for it, if it would not mean having to deal with the person she has shut out of her life the most seriously: her ex-wife, Rio Vidal. Why I think it's a good 'un: I wrote an Agatha and Rio who, when they get past some of their background issues, manage to communicate with each other openly. Also the family dynamic between Agatha, Rio, Tommy, and Billy is fun, I think.

[birdmenmanga]

SUBSCRIBE TO TUMBLR USER BIRDMENMANGA'S EMAIL LIST

unironically I think the site may actually go down. HOWEVER I do not want to lose my beautiful birds of the jury. and where else would you get insane posts about characters from a 2013 shonen sunday series that has left 0 cultural impact whatsoever?

The idea is that it will be a weekly email list featuring the most important highlights of my stray bird/kaihen thoughts. and also what I'm working on at the moment (bm or otherwise). and possibly some personal woes, though that feels weird to put in an email. we'll see about this.

this is a casual friend thing!! this is not my professional shit!!! it's all shits and giggles!! it also means I might not actually mail everything to everyone. hope you all understand <3

> SUBSCRIBE HERE <

I guess you can also add me on discord at soharsquare. but like. being honest here? I will probably not message you on account of feeling like an attention whore so. I think the email list is probably better for all of us

[jyae23]

Dark Rise Chapter 21 Crack Impressions/Assumptions

When the guy you had forced on the ground is now penetrating your tied up and sweaty body in front of a crowd AND your [Redacted] (Everyone including your [Redacted] is demanding him to thrust deeper into you.)

I redacted James's father because their relationship is a big spoiler methinks. I think enough of these out of context posts would convert one of my followers to pick up this series and I wouldn't want to ruin it for them should they decide to read Dark Rise. If they choose to read more, then that's on them y'know? Wait, fuck, it wouldn't matter anyways because I'm gonna draw my faves immediately afterwards, huh.

Omg I just realized that they both had their hands stained by each other's blood and it happens on the same day too! They're practically married now <3

"Hello, Father." (Pacat 257)

FATHER? JAMES IS YOUR SON???? The plot is plotting so hard. WAIT A MIN THE PROLOGUE IS MAKING SENSE NOW "If you felt anything for me" "If you felt anything for us" no gay just on same side. He was training like a good Steward like the rest of them :(

"Catamite"

Pause. I have never heard of that word before. The High Janissary said that with his full chest too. Omg new vocab word of the day?! Lemme look it up before listening any further— 😦

Okay, sorry, I'm slow, but I always thought that they called James "Simon's prize" because of the strength he possessed and ties to the Dark King. I didn't know that there was another meaning behind it.

James was denying those "rumors" when Marcus brought it up.

Simon's followers circle that name/title around.

The High Janissary spews some more shit about it and James refutes. It's kinda fucked up for him to say all of that about his child. I think in this moment James is 17?

James further denies being Simon's lover when Will meets him in the cell.

I feel like I'm being weird about this, but they bring it up a lot and I'm only now putting two and two together as I type this. Man, why they gotta poke the Catamite (allegedly)?

"First son died six years ago" So, James would be 11 or 12 when he became the Betrayer? He was a kid and ultimately a victim. Am I feeling bad the enemy? YEahh and it's because we got to see more of him on a deeper level than just being beautiful, strong, and cunning. (Jyae discovers empathy????)

"No one could look at him and not want to posses him." (Pacat 261).

The first time around I thought ooo JAMES YOU SHOW THEM, but on the second and third time rereading this chapter, I don't think that line was all good as I thought it was. (I still love the line, but I feel like it has more of a negative implication that a positive one?) I feel like I'm reaching, but I'm actually gonna reach more when we get to the aftercare scene (yes, I'm calling it the aftercare scene) and I dunno it feels like he's being objectified at this point. The objectification of James St. Clair. (Wow, what a sentence.) All this talk about his appearance and how people on BOTH sides throw names at him and now this idea of possessing him just make feel things.

"Not someone who holds a grudge against him in their heart." (Pacat 260).

Oh yea, because Will is the most neutral in this Hall. Taking in their previous encounters, Will has something more intense going on in that heart of his for James. It may not be a grudge, but it's something alright. The book made that fucking clear for sure.

They got me with the cup thing too. Honestly assumed it'd be something with cannibalism the way it was a secret and all. James turning the tables and playing everyone like a fiddle is so funny. Even when he's tied up and in pain, he has everyone playing his little games.

I don't think I can fully capture what I felt when Will was thrusting that stick into James's arm. Overall, I had a euphoric bookgasm for the poking. Nothing could have prepared me for that and the scene afterwards. I really hope someone went ahead and illustrated these scenes somewhere (I'm a visually learner wink wonk.)

I think it's too early for me to think about fanfics for this, especially when book three isn't even announced, but I can see a lot of fics utilizing the Horn of Truth for many reasons...

AFTERCARE

I thought Will being forced on all fours by James's magical hands wouldn't be topped, but then the public unicorn pegging scene dropped and I thought nothing could top that... AFTERCARE IN MY CELL????? I didn't ask for that nor did I think I needed that, but holy shit and what the fuck and thank you????

I live for the innuendos "You're the center of attention again. But I suppose you're used to that." (Pacat 268). "You can stick it in again." (Pacat 268).

"Unlace my shirt." (Pacat 269). James... *unlaces shirt* WILL!!! These two are always surprising me I cannot catch a break. I'm deadass because why the fuck is Will getting ANGRY for James in the next few lines??? Will treats James tenderly as if James doesn't have a high body count (KILLS).

"How many times did he try to brand you?" (Pacat 270). Will, what are you gonna do if James had an exact number? You can't even move a candle flame yet.

I was doing mental gymnastics on ways to redeem or justify James slaughtering xx amount of Stewards, but I think Will handles that well for me:

"I think what people were is less important than what they are. And what people are is less important than what they could be." (Pacat 271).

Not gonna lie, I had to reread that a few times, but I get it.

Everyone is saying the Dark King is coming. How many more times will he come? STOP COMING- Sorry. I like the eerie build up they're setting and having James, an almost unstoppable force, speak about what's about to come makes the weight of everything more dire.

James is a reborn and Will is a descendant. They're acting really suspicious together despite being on opposite sides. Pulling more shit out of my ass. Are they like previous lovers in the past or something? Wait but the High Janissary said James was was the Dark King's lover in the past, so that'd mean Will would have to be the Dark King. But how the fuck would that work? But also, didn't the Elder say something about the Lady being in love with the Dark King? Dark Rise, Dark King, Dark... Will... Unless she had a child with someone else. Or wait was that Simon who is a Descendant of the Dark King? I CAN'T REMEMBER AND I JUST WANNA READ MORE RATHER THAN LOOK BACK. SOMETHING FISHY IS GOING ON AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I usually raw-dog these posts, but I had to bust out my laptop just to gather my thoughts, and even then this post is super unorganized. I thought chapter 20 was a lot, but chapter 21 is a gift that keeps giving. I keep breaking the 4th wall, turning my head to the invisible nonexistent camera to check if the invisible nonexistent audience heard what I'm hearing and saw what I'm reading. I don't know how much more gasps I can gusp. Every time I thought they couldn't go any deeper, they went deeper (and so did the horn.)

[jesterkoops]

Helena has this incredibly isolated life that makes me feel almost claustrophobic.She lives in her father’s glass house under constant surveillance.Nutures a violent eating disorder.Probably feels sick the entire day.Only gets to interact with Natalie and Drummond.Can’t even talk to her father to let him know she’s alive.It’s insane how little control she actually has.Sure I want her to love herself,the good and the bad.But I also want someone to love her.I want her to know that feeling however her story ends.One of the many reasons I was against markhelly/markhelena.I get outie Mark.I really do understand what he’s been through.But he’s mean,selfish and the least empathetic person I know in the show.I am not particularly keen on this part.Helena who’s always felt unwanted and unloved going through more heartbreak because of Mark?Unacceptable to me.Yeah I am biased can I tell?😅

Well this is certainly a perspective you don't see often! Someone who thinks Helena deserves better than Mark Scout rather than the other way around. Definitely refreshing.

So, I think there are different layers to my response to this.

One is similar to the argument @kestrel-of-herran made recently about whether Helena and Mark could ever work given the baggage of Helena being the heir to the "wife in the basement" company. You are sort of suggesting the contrary; whether they could ever work given the baggage of Helena being unloved all her life and Mark Scout being a bit of a dick in all his relationships (plus him probably having good reasons to dislike/hate her). But I think the answer is sort of the same: yes, at the moment Helena has more baggage than a cargo plane and Mark Scout is a bitter and damaged man, but they key word is AT THE MOMENT. We are just getting started with these two. We don't know what developments are in store for them next season, but I don't think Mark-induced heartbreak is the story they are interested in telling. First of all, she's so guarded that I don't think SHE would allow herself into such a situation. It's one thing to be fixated on him and play with the fire, it's another thing to wear her heart on her sleeve and show all her cards. Second of all, precisely because her default is to expect nobody to want her or love her, I think the only interesting story to tell her is to have her expectations subverted.

The other thing is that I get where you're coming from in that you want Helena to experience being wanted and loved for who she is once in her life, but it's inevitable that if that happens, it will happen with Mark. They won't create some random new character for that purpose. Because the whole point of this show is that square that formed through severance. The groundwork is already there, so it's only a matter of seeing how they get from a to b. And to me that is what is interesting: like I said above, how do we get from where we are to Mark providing what Helena needs? And I think Mark S is the clue here.

Just as Helly shows us what Helena can be when all the conditioning and expectations are lifted from her shoulders, so does Mark S show us what Mark Scout can be when all the guilt and alcoholism and bitterness is removed. Mark S is a VERY good partner to Helly (as Helly is to Mark - this recent series of posts explains it so well). There are so many examples of Mark S doing with Helly the exact opposite of what Mark Scout did with Gemma (my personal favourite being the whole "I'm nervous" parallel). Mark S would actually be perfect for someone like Helena (which is likely why she latched onto him so quickly). So, just as Helena has it in her to be free and rebellious and openly loving, Mark Scout has it in him to be sweet and caring. The question is why did he become bitter and self-absorbed (probably the strain of their fertility struggles, although I think there's more to it) and how can he 'undo' that conditioning the way Helena can/should 'undo' her Lumon conditioning. And my guess is that it will have something to do with learning from Mark S, reintegration, accepting his pain, his grief, his past, yadayadayada.

So yeah, idk. I'm just happily along for the ride. Also because the vibe I get from Dan is that he's not interest in emotional torture porn for his characters. He does inflict pain, but it's "good" pain. So I think if there's any heartbreak to be had it will be more of the good "But I want to live with you" kind than anything.

[ugotnojamzzz]

Rulers of Ruin

Chapter 16

Genre: Mafia!au , Slowburn, Angst, Hurt, eventual smut, TW (it is a mafia!AU, after all)

Pairing: Mafia!Jungkook x reader

Synopsis: There will come a day when I will sit down and write an alluring synopsis for this series. But that day hasn't come just yet lol. Stay tuned for more chapters to come.

Disclaimer: English isn’t my native language. Also, don’t come for me over the theme, people. It’s an Alternate Universe, which means the bangtan boys are essentially what I like to call meat puppets to serve the storyline. This is obviously not a projection of their actual real-life personas.

Wordcount: 2.1k

Masterlist

Chapter 15

—

Knock, knock, knock—knock, knock

Five taps. Rhythmic. Confident. Too jolly to be Jungkook.

Y/N cracked one eye open. Sunlight spilled through the window in tired slats. Her head throbbed faintly from last night’s whiskey.

Another knock. Louder.

Then, through the door, “Rise and shine, princess. It’s your lucky day.”

Her groan was full-bodied. “Unless my parole came through, I doubt it.”

The door creaked open anyway.

Taehyung stepped in with all the pageantry of a man who’d absolutely done this before. Sunglasses. Iced coffee in hand. Blazer with the sleeves pushed up like some post-modern fairy godmother.

She blinked at him. “I thought you weren’t dealing with me anymore.”

“I know,” he said, lifting the coffee like a peace offering. “But what can I say? The thrill of your charming company pulled me back.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Come on,” he grinned. “Get dressed.”

The girl squinted. “What for?”

“Summoned,” he said, gesturing vaguely downward. “Royal audience.”

Her stomach turned. “Namjoon?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, not about this.”

She sighed, rolling onto her back and rubbing her eyes. “So no breakfast in bed anymore? What happened to the five-star hostage treatment?”

He laughed. “Budget cuts. Let’s go. You don’t wanna keep him waiting.”

She muttered something obscene under her breath, then swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Taehyung turned to give her privacy but called over his shoulder, “You’ve got five minutes. He’s already not in a good mood.”

She paused halfway through tying her hair back. “Is Jungkook—”

“You’ll see,” was all he said.

—

The walk to Namkoon office was quieter than she’d expected.

No teasing. No small talk. Just the click of Taehyung’s shoes and the whisper of her own against the hallway’s polished floor. The silence felt heavier the lower they descended, the closer they got to Namjoon’s end of the house—where the walls grew colder and the air more still, like the building itself knew not to breathe too loud.

When they turned the last corner, noise finally reached their ears. Growing louder as their approached the doors to Namjoon’s office.

Voices—and not the calm, clipped kind..

One voice cold. The other on fire.

“…assignment because I trusted—”

Namjoon.

“—wasn’t about trust, and you know it—”

Jungkook.

“…can’t even keep your head straight—”

The rest blurred. Twisted around in fury and footsteps.

“…don’t give a damn what you think you deserve—”

“…’s not true. Fucking bullshit.”

“…not thinking—you’re slipping—”

A sharp crash—something thrown.

Y/N flinched.

Taehyung exhaled like he’d been expecting it. “Well. That answers that.”

The argument raged on, muffled but biting. Footsteps.

Taehyung leaned casually against the wall like he’d seen this movie before. “Guess I’m permanently back on babysitting duty. Place your bets—two days or three before I’m threatening to jump off the roof?”

Y/N’s lips twitched despite herself. She opened her mouth to respond—

Then—

The door flew open.

Jungkook stood there, eyes wild, chest rising and falling too fast. He spotted them instantly—Taehyung and Y/N—and for a second, he didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

Just looked.

Then his gaze hardened.

He didn’t say a word. Just stomped past them. Long strides. Fast.

Gone.

The air he left behind was scorched.

Taehyung gave a low whistle. “And there he goes.”

Then Namjoon’s voice rang out, cold and calm:

“Bring her in.”

She straightened. Automatically. Like her spine had been pulled taut.

“Go on,” Taehyung said, nudging her forward. “I’ll be here. Just in case you bolt.”

—

Namjoon didn’t look up when she stepped inside.

He was seated at his desk, sleeves rolled to the elbows, hands steepled over a thin folder. Sunlight spilled through the tall window behind him, too clean for the atmosphere. The room was neat. Still. Like it hadn’t just heard shouting.

Y/N stood there, unsure whether to sit or speak.

He didn’t tell her to do either.

Seconds stretched. He flipped a page.

She cleared her throat. “You wanted to see me?”

Namjoon finally looked up.

His face was unreadable. Not angry. Not soft. Just quiet in a way that made the air feel tighter.

“I assume you had your fun.”

His voice was mild. Even.

Which somehow made it worse.

Y/N’s jaw tightened. “If you’re looking to assign blame—”

“I’m not,” he said. “At least, not to you.”

That surprised her. Enough that she didn’t say anything at all.

“That being said,” Namjoon closed the folder on his desk and folded his hands over it. “You should know you were recognised last night.”

Her heart thumped, once.

“Kang affiliates, at minimum,” he went on. “And the Lees… well, they don’t need much to stir the pot. Word is already out. The Raven Gongju. On clan turf. Drinking beside my men.”

He met her eyes then. Calm. Dispassionate.

“Not shackled. Not bleeding. Not in a body bag.”

Y/N swallowed. “What do you think they’ll do?”

“What they always do,” he said. “Assume the worst. Plan for worse still.”

He took off his glasses and rubbed his temple .

“And your brother?” Namjoon asked. “I wonder what it’ll look like to him. His sister—who he thought was being held hostage—sipping whiskey beside my most dangerous men, dressed like she’s in on the joke.”

Her throat went dry.

“It changes things,” Namjoon said. “Not in theory. In reality. Power, perception, leverage—we had built this tight. We’d kept your presence here under wraps for a reason.”

A pause. Weighted.

“And last night, all that effort went to shit.”

Y/N bristled. “You said this isn’t a lecture.”

“It isn’t.”

He glanced at her, not like she was a threat—but like she was a chesspiece on a board. One that had moved too soon.

“I had assigned you a guard I trusted fully,” Namjoon said. “But trust and clarity aren’t the same. And it seems he’s lost the latter.”

She watched something flicker behind his eyes. Regret, maybe. Or reluctance.

“His judgment was compromised. That’s on him. But I think you have forgotten something too—”

His voice lowered.

“All this. These pas couple of months. It was never solely about keeping you in.”

He leaned forward.

“It was about keeping everything else out.”

The words landed like iron.

Then—he leaned back. Gestured to the door with a quiet finality.

“You’re dismissed.”

Y/N didn’t move. Not right away.

Namjoon returned to his papers. But as she turned to leave, Namjoon spoke once more—low, almost thoughtful:

“Adjustments will be made,” he said softly. “That’s not a threat. Just a consequence.”

The door clicked shut behind her with a hush.

Y/N stood in the hallway for a second longer than necessary.

Adjustments will be made.

The words echoed, hollow and precise. Not a warning. A sentence.

Taehyung was leaning against the far wall, arms folded. He straightened when he saw her.

“That bad?” he asked.

She didn’t answer. Just started walking. He fell in beside her without a word. They didn’t speak again while he escorted her back to the attic.

—

The elevator doors had barely shut behind her when she heard him.

Jungkook, pacing like a caged animal.

She approached his bedroom.

He didn’t look at her when she appeared in the doorframe. Didn’t stop moving.

A half-packed duffel sat open on the bed, clothes shoved in without their usual order. His gun was already holstered. His knuckles were scraped, like maybe he’d hit a wall on the way back.

“Wow,” she said dryly. “Packing already? »

No answer. He shoved another stack of clothes into the bag.

She stepped in, arms crossed. “No parting speech? No farewell grunt?”

Still nothing.

“Right,” she muttered. “Silent treatment it is.”

He zipped the duffel with violent finality and turned.

“You think this is funny?” he snapped.

She blinked. “What?”

“You think last night was a joke?”

“Not particularly but—”

“You really are just —“ he stopped himself.

“Hold on,“ Y/N blinked. “You’re blaming me for this shitshow?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” She crossed her arms.

His laugh was short and sharp. “It’s not exactly my fault, though, is it?”

“You’re the one who dragged me out,” she snapped. “You’re the one who said let’s go.”

“And you’re the one who couldn’t shut up long enough not to draw attention to yourself,” he shot back.

The tension snapped taut.

Something ugly flared in her chest. “You really think I’m the one who fucked this up?”

“I think you don’t know when to stop pushing,” he growled. “Always—testing the edge, like you’re hoping someone finally pushes back hard enough to break you.”

“And what—you’re the one to do it?”

A beat.

Then, quieter: “No.”

But something in his eyes said he’s thought about it.

Her hands curled at her sides. “So, what is this? Did Namjoon slap you on the wrist?”

His jaw clenched, “I’m being reassigned.”

“I thought you’d be thrilled,” she sneered.

“Shut up.”

“So—you’re pissed you got benched by your boss,” she said. “Don’t take it out on me.”

His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “Stop calling him that.”

“What?”

“My boss.”

She was taken aback for a moment. “Well, you do follow his orders like a good little boy.”

“Yeah? And what about you, huh? Always mouthing off, thinking you’re so clever, but you’re just another entitled little brat with a martyr complex. Even your own brother doesn’t care enough to come for you.”

Her chest went tight. “Screw you.”

His laugh was cold. “No. You wanted honesty, right? Here it is. You’ve been a fucking lliability since day one.“

Her voice rose. “You think I wanted this? Believe me I don’t necessarily enjoy being locked up with a guy who glares at me like I shot his dog—“

“Maybe if you stopped acting like a viscious little bi—.”

 “Oh, is that why you’re leaving?” Her pulse spiked. “What—you couldn’t handle it?”

He huffed. “I’m leaving because I’m being replaced. Because the second I stopped being useful, I was tossed.”

“That’s not what Namjoon said.”

His laugh was low, humorless. “No. Of course not. He never says it.”

Something in his voice made her blink.

She hadn’t heard it before.

Resentment.

And hurt.

It vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Jungkook shook his head.

“I don’t even know why I’m bothering.” He sighed, “I’m fucking free now—free of you, your games, your goddamn whiny little voice chewing through my skull every night.” He sighed, “Now, you can fuck off. Go torture someone else.”

She laughed—sharp, bitter. “God, what is wrong with you?” she shook her head. “I mean, seriously. What the fuck happened to you that you have to be such a raging fucking prick all the time? What—did mommy not hug you enough as a kid?”

Silence.

Dead, razor-sharp silence.

Something shifted in his face. The light in his eyes changed.

When he spoke, his voice was low. Measured. Dangerous.

“Oh, did I strike a nerve?” she scoffed. “Poor Kookie. Can dish it out but can’t ever take it.”

He stepped closer. “You think I’m angry? You haven’t even seen me angry.”

She turned away but he caught her wrist and pulled her back. Hard.

Her breath caught.

Not fear.

Outrage.

She shoved him—just hard enough to make him grunt and stumble back.

“You want to blow off some steam?” she snapped. “Go fetch a ball or something.”

His chest rose and fell like a war drum.

Big mistake.

He backed her into the wall.

“Don’t,” she growled, eyes lit with a dare.

He tried grabbing her wrist again.

So she slapped him—hard.

The sound rang out sharp and awful.

He didn’t move.

Neither did she.

Just stared at each other for a moment.

Then he turned away, his voice was low, shaking: “I should’ve walked away the second I was assigned to you.”

Her stomach twisted. “Then why didn’t you?” she spat.

He looked back at her.

“I don’t know,” he muttered. And it sounded like the truth.

Her breath shook, fists clenched at her sides.

And for one suspended second—neither of them spoke.

Then—

“Congratulations,” he finally spoke, grabbing the duffle bag from his bed. “You’re someone else’s problem now.”

The door slammed behind him.

Y/N just stood there.

Chest heaving. Pulse roaring. A thousand things unsaid burning on her tongue.

And the silence that followed felt like a grave.

—

—

Phew. That was rough lol. Next chapter should be rather interesting, I reckon.

Chapter 17

Masterlist

Taglist

@princess-sunshyn

@loumin908

@mageprincess7

[night-dark-woods]

THIS POST IS ABOUT DYKES WHO FUCK NASTY IN A SPECIFIC WAY.

THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT MEN OR BEING ACE.

MAKE YOUR OWN POST.

[plaintext: massive all-caps that say, "this post is about dykes who fuck nasty in a specific way. this post is not about men or being ace. make your own post."]

ID. series of drowned tags reading:

i. um. i personally would like Any stone tops in m/m as well but there's also so much more m/m out there that like it's probably out there if i looked harder. but like... I'm not even drawn to f/f in particular and i would leap upon and devour stone top focused fics in my fandoms.

also now all i can think about is my stone top mu qing (both in the fem!mq sense and in mlm ships).

queer tag, aspec

im ace as fuck but i know that if i ever were to get into a sexual relationship i would be a stone and i want to see it reflected elsewhere!

End ID.

if you're not drawn to f/f, skill issue: get good or get off my post. or at least stop talking.

this post is not about men. & unless you mean an actually transfem headcanon for that character and not cisswap, get it off my post.

this post is not about being ace.

this post is not about being ace.

being stone is not doing something i have no interest in or am neutral on for the sake of my partner's pleasure.

if you do that, thats fine. if youre ace, that's fine. that is expressly NOT what this fucking post is about.

being stone means i am sexually attracted to someone, it means i want to fuck them, it means i like fucking them, it means sex is an important part of our relationship.

the fact that i have specific boundaries around how i want to be touched or what sex acts i want to partake in has nothing to do with being ace.

it is not any less sex because i don't want to be touched.

i am not any less sexually attracted to them because i don't want to be touched.

being not-ace does not mean you want to partake in every sex act societally expected of you; ace people do not have a monopoly on having boundaries around sex acts. you are allowed to both want sex and have boundaries.

there's an entire wonderful and diverse world of human sexuality out there, and deciding that Sex & Sexual Attraction only apply to the most narrow and normal and societally acceptable version of those experiences does absolutely no one any favors. reifying cishet-patriarchy-approved sex (acts) as the only "Real Sex" is not the progressive or liberatory or revolutionary statement many of you seem to think it is!!!

it is not fucking useful to decide that desire for Sex is the same as implied consent for societally acceptable Sex Acts!!! that is in fact reinforcing rape culture my friends!!!

objectively a me-problem but where are the stone tops in ff fandoms... where are they... i knowww my experiences are not universal and some characters and people irl are just inexperienced or have intimacy issues or are self-conscious but it always feels like lucy pulling the football when a character asserts that they dont want traditional "reciprocation" (in scare quotes bc stone sex is plenty reciprocal!!!) and then changes their mind or is talked into it and oh actually they wanted that all along yippee, and its framed as greater intimacy or a triumph of love or whatever in the fic, as though touching your lover's genitals is the end-all be-all of sex, and is superior to all other forms of sexual intimacy. enough!!! enough.

and its not like these fics *say* these characters are stone, so its not like im even complaining fairly, its just like. the entire *world* of sex and eroticism out there and the shining standard of Making Love is perfectly "reciprocal" penetrative sex where the characters have the most socially-expected set of boundaries imaginable. ok. alright.

[bylrndgm]

AND IT FELT SO NICE, SO PEACEFUL AND QUIET.

independent el | there's more to life than just stupid boys.