#watch me get murdered by all the tumblr girlies

[himbo-harrington]

Don't take it personally babes I also have tags from lejla and liz blocked too

trust NO man bc he WILL block ur tags

[lurkingshan]

The Ride or Die Drama Couples List

So the other night I got a little sassy on main because some of the girlies were complaining that King the Land is focusing more on the couple moments (aka relationship development) between Gu Won and Sa Rang and doesn’t have enough plot. Which is a very typical fandom complaint about romcoms that I absolutely hate, because in a good romance the relationship is the plot, people! It’s bizarre attitudes like this that get us random murder plots spliced into every other romcom for the ratings, and I am begging y’all to stop the madness. 

Ahem. Anyway, that post seemed to resonate with some folks and get them discussing other dramas, and so inevitably @troubled-mind wandered into my notes and said gee Shan, it seems like maybe you should make a list of dramas that show us couples in a relationship and explore how they make it work and ultimately stay together. And I’ve warned y’all before, if you make a stray comment in my direction there will be a list coming your way. So here I am again, doing the absolute most.

Today I present to you a list of my favorite dramas that show you not only how the couple gets together, but also how they stay together. Criteria:

The couple doesn’t have to be together when the drama starts, but they do have to actually begin their romantic relationship no later than halfway through the drama’s run so that we have substantial time with them as a couple

The relationship development between the couple is a primary plot driver (so no dramas where there’s a great long term couple just hanging out in the background)

The relationship story may include some physical separation or even a temporary breakup, but not the betrayal kind–these are the sort that actually force an unaddressed issue to the surface and ultimately bring the couple even closer 

Happy endings only, these pairs are sticking together 

Ride or Die Drama Couples

Bad Buddy - Pat and Pran

(Thailand, YouTube)

This is tumblr so do I really need to tell y’all about Pat and Pran? There is a reason we all lost our minds over this show and it’s because we got to be in this relationship with them so intensely and see them fight to stay together despite it all. Their ending is bittersweet because of their families, but the show leaves us no doubt that they both think the other is worth it and they will always stick it out together. 

Dark Blue Kiss - Pete and Kao

(Thailand, YouTube)

Shout out to the OGs! Pete and Kao originally got together in the Kiss series (you can watch it, but you really don’t have to, fam) and Dark Blue Kiss brings them back three years into their long-term relationship to give us a peek into their struggles with the closet and the toll it takes on both of them individually as well as the strain it puts on their relationship. 

Flower of Evil - Hee Sung and Ji Won

(S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

Hee Sung and Ji Won are already married (with an adorable daughter) when this drama begins, and the backstory of their relationship is unspooled alongside the larger mystery at the heart of the show. One of the most fascinating and heart wrenching love stories I have ever seen, centered on a character who is so emotionally damaged that he genuinely believes he is incapable of love even as love pours out of him. Damn, I’m gonna make myself cry into my oatmeal.

It’s Okay, That’s Love - Jae Yeol and Hae Soo

(S Korea, Viki)

Speaking of crying, lord. Ahhhhhhh. Let me pull myself together. It’s Okay, That’s Love is a healing drama about two people who fall in love and support each other through serious mental health challenges. I don’t really want to say much more than that. Bring tissues, besties!

La Pluie - Patts and Saengtai

(Thailand, iQIYI)

My beloved! This Thai drama is about a pair of soulmates–or are they–who find each other and try to make their relationship work. That’s it, that’s the show. In this drama, the relationship truly is the plot, despite some of the fantasy elements being used to highlight its themes. La Pluie is about the importance of choice and a rebuke of romantic fantasies that fate and destiny will handle your love life for you. I and many others have written about it extensively, so if you decide to watch, you can go nuts on meta. 

Lighter & Princess - Li Xun and Zhu Yun

(China, Viki)

I really love this show. This is a long format drama so there will be longer stretches where the couple still has not officially gotten together, but the relationship between them is the heart of the entire show, and we get the distinct pleasure of watching them fall in love twice, and the second time figure out how to make it stick. Such a treat.

One Spring Night - Ji Ho and Jung In

(S Korea, Netflix)

Oh how I love this quiet little drama about two people who fall for each other while one is still in a relationship with someone else, and figure out how to untangle the mess they’re in. We get to see them not only fall in love, but figure out how to become a unit who can withstand the harsh judgment coming their way and become a family on their own terms. Bonus adorable child alert!

Tomorrow With You - So Joon and Ma Rin

(S Korea, Viki)

This time travel melodrama is one of those that I started with no expectations and then sat up part way through and said what gave you the right to be this good! This is another one where the relationship begins for dubious reasons, but the suspect motives are quickly taken over by genuine feeling. We really get to live with the relationship in this one and the message is all about treasuring the life and time we have together. 

The Rebel Princess - Awu (Wang Xuan) and Xiao Qi

(China, Viki)

I think the phrase Ride or Die was actually invented for them. Talk about a power couple. Once these two get to know each other (this is a historical so as per usual, their marriage wasn’t actually their choice but rather the result of some asshole’s machinations in a quest for power, joke’s on them though) they are in, baby, and their devotion and loyalty never wavers. This is a historical epic in war time, so the couple will be physically separated multiple times, but it only makes them stronger and each of their reunions sweeter. Their relationship is the heart of the show and the throughline in their chaotic lives.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? - Shiro and Kenji

(Japan, the ether)

Saving the best for last because this right here is the GOAT in this category. It sits at the top of my all-time favorite dramas list and I love it passionately. Because y’all? This drama is explicitly about a middle-aged couple learning how to be together in a long-term relationship. That is the entire plot. And it’s fantastic. Stop reading this and go watch it!

Honorable Mentions

Yumi’s Cells - Yu Mi and Goo Wong 

(S Korea, Viki)

This one is not on the list proper because (gasp) the couple doesn’t end up together. I know, I’m still sad about it, too, even though I went into this drama fully aware of the concept (a season about each of Yu Mi’s major relationships). But man. Yu Mi and Goo Wong just have that something, you know? Even knowing they don’t stick it out, it’s a delight to watch them fall in love and settle into a relationship together. Technically there is a second season featuring Yu Mi’s next relationship (Babi? I don’t know her), but I don’t want to recommend it and you can’t make me.

I must also give a shout out to the bl season 2s that exist expressly for the purpose of showing how the characters settle into a relationship after the first season get together:

Gameboys 2 (Philippines, Gaga) - Cairo and Gavreel

Minato’s Laundromat 2 (Japan, Gaga)- Shin and Minato 

SOTUS S and Our Skyy (Thailand, YouTube) - Kongpob and Arthit

Still 2gether (Thailand, YouTube) - Tine and Sarawat

Utsukushii Kare 2 (Japan, Gaga) - Hira and Kiyoi

And because this is my post and I make the rules, I am also doing some honorable mentions of the friends to lovers slow burns where technically they are not together until the final arc of the story but let’s be serious they are together the whole time and just don’t realize it yet so you know exactly what their relationship is going to look like:

Fight for My Way (S Korea, Viki) - Dong Man and Ae Ra

Happiness (S Korea, Viki) - Sae Bom and Yi Hyun

Hospital Playlist 1 and 2 (S Korea, Viki) - Song Hwa and Ik Jun

My Only 12% (Thailand, iQIYI) - Seeiw and Cake

My Ride (Thailand, Gaga or YouTube) - Mork and Tawan 

Romance is a Bonus Book (S Korea, Netflix) - Dan Yi and Eun Ho

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (S Korea, Viki) - Joon Hyeong and Bok Joo

Whoops you woke the beast @troubled-mind. @rocketturtle4 @neuroticbookworm @chickenstrangers here are more for your mile long rec lists. :)))

[austinslounge]

Hey! I'm relatively new to the Austin fandom, and first of all, I just wanted to say you really opened my eyes about the Kaia situation, so thanks! Second of all, I wanted to know your opinion on something: judging by his sister's follows on instagram, and his grandmother (I think it's his grandmother)'s posts on Facebook, Austin seems to have been raised in a conservative family. I know it's none of my business and that "stalking" his family like this can come off as disrespectful, but the thing is: as a leftist, I try to be very mindful of the people I dedicate my time and attention to. Austin never discussed his political views publicly, right? Do you think this is maybe because he is afraid of a certain backlash he might receive if he "came out" as a conservative/republican? I really avoid putting famous people on pedestals and idealizing them too much, and I know some people think it's stupid to care about artists' political views, but I'd still be kinda disappointed if I found out his values are so different from mine. Anyways, thanks for reading, and have a nice day!

Hey girlie! 👋

Welcome to my blog! 🥰❤️ Also, welcome to the Austin Butler fandom. 💕 It's good to see some new fans on here.

I'll be honest, I don't usually like getting into political topics or views here on my blog. But since your ask seemed genuine, I'll try to give you my honest opinion.

Take a seat 💺

Honestly? I think you should just take Austin for face value and not worry about what political party he might (or might not) belong to. As far as I'm aware, he's never really mentioned any real political views, and hasn't even identified himself with any specific political party. (Someone can correct me if I'm wrong)

I think one of the reasons why our country is so divided right now is because people have stopped seeing people as individuals, and they just see people as from one party vs from another party. 🥴 Personally? I don't think that's really fair.

I prefer to base my opinions about someone on a case by case individual basis. I have met some wonderful people from all various walks of life and different political views. I think it's also good to keep in mind that even people inside of a political party may not always agree with everything the party believes or represents.

Going back to Austin --

I choose to look at who Austin the man is, and everything that I've seen of him so far over all these years have been nothing but positive. I see how he treats both men and women. I watch how he treats people from various diverse backgrounds. I saw how he boldly spoke out about racism and "White Privilege" during the murder of African-American George Floyd back in 2020. I have also paid close attention to how he talks to others, how respectful he is of everyone, and how he doesn't treat anyone differently (not even his fans) no matter their position in life.

I have seen how he gave a homeless man food in the streets, how gentlemanly he is with women (i.e. opening up car doors, helping older women up on stage, etc.), and how kindly he speaks of everyone (don't think I've heard him speak badly about anyone tbh). I've also seen how gracious and loving he is to his fans. Friends of mine who have met him in person have echoed the same thoughts that he really is a sweetheart to everyone and how wonderful it was to meet him. I've also heard how everyone in Hollywood who meets and works with him describes him as being very "kind".

I've even looked at his old tweets and Tumblr posts! You can even find his old tweets and Tumblr posts online from when he was a teenager to a young adult, and all of them are so wholesome and adorable. 🥰 While some celebrities are out here getting canceled for their old scandalous Tweets from years ago, with Austin, even as a young guy, you never found him saying anything misogynistic, racist, fat-phobic, mean, or just plain rude online. He's usually always been very positive.

All of these things combined go on to paint the picture of a man who really truly is just genuine, kind, down to earth, and good-hearted. 💕 🥹

I know some people might not feel the same way that I do, and I know that Austin isn't perfect, but based on what I've seen of Austin, he really does seem like just a good guy.

I don't really follow closely what celebrity family members post or who they follow, but I think it's very important to realize that just because your family member has a particular view, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have that same exact view also.

Just something to think about! 😊

[starcrossed591]

CDrama Year in Review 2023

I'm still very much a CDrama beginner--I just started watching them in the summer of 2022--but since this is the first year I got into them in earnest, I figured I might as well do a year in review a la @dangermousie (whose lists I have found incredibly helpful in deciding which CDramas I really, really need to go back and watch as part of my CDrama education--so thank you!). So, without further adieu, here is my ranking of 2023 CDramas, in order of least enjoyed to most enjoyed*.

(See also: KDrama Year in Review 2023)

*Disclaimer: *not* a measure of objective quality

10. Royal Rumours: This drama was not great? Meng Zi Yi and Jeremy Tsui were fun, but the story started out messy and got messier. For some reason I still finished it, I think because I had a lingering cold and it was all my brain could handle at the time *shrug*

9. Gone with the Rain: I actually really enjoyed this one! The pacing was inconsistent, but Zhang Nan was fun as the irreverent Mo Xi, and we love a grizzled general. Special shout to the teacher who was not actually evil, just a sad lesbian whose gf disappeared on her

8. Love You Seven Times: Intriguing concept, not a strong enough FL to carry it through. The reincarnation stuff really worked for me at first, especially in their first mortal tribulation (as people, not CGI animals), but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I admit, the gifs of Ding Yu Xi as a sexy cat demon *did* pull me back in, but not enough for me to actually finish the thing, alas

7. Destined/Chang Feng Du: Started out really strong, and then stalled out on me. I think I only got up to about episode 22 or so, after their epic desert crossing and new start in a new state--they lost all narrative momentum for me there. I stopped watching and then just...didn't start again. I do, however, remain a big Bai Jing Ting fan, and will be keeping on eye out for whatever he does next

6. Hidden Love: (Contemporary) Age gap romances are hit or miss for me, but Zhao Lu Si absolutely stole/carried the show for me in this one. Although more fun imo when the main couple are in the the will-they-won't-they phase than in the family melodrama after they get together, still the only contemporary CDrama to get me to give it a go this year--and I'm glad I did

5. My Journey to You: Featuring my favorite murder girlies Esther Yu as Yun Wei Shan and Lu Yu Xiao as Shanguan Qian! Gorgeous costumes and sets, sweeping cinematography, and plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Full disclosure, I have not actually watched the last two episodes because I got busy and then saw weird chatter about them, so I have no comment on the allegedly weird ending

4. Till the End of the Moon: Look, I know the ending wasn't ideal, but for the majority of its run, this drama owned my entire soul. It also introduced me to Bai Lu as Li Su Su, who inspired my first actual tumblr post (that wasn't a reblog) because I was so obsessed with her. And everyone knows that Tantai Jin is the CDrama ML of the year. 10/10, no regrets at letting it take over my life (and the OST my Spotify) from April to May of this year

3. The Story of Kunning Palace: More Bai Lu is always a good thing, and she's extra fun here as the transmigrated former evil empress and totally-over-your-nonsense Xiang Xue Ning here. The reverse haremness of it all totally shows why Bai Lu is the chemistry queen, especially with the princess (Liu Xie Ning) and cranky, morally grey, would-fail-gym-class strategist Xie Wie (Zhang Ling He). So glad this drama made it out of the CDrama vault and didn't languish indefinitely in censorship hell

2. A Journey to Love: Finished this one two days ago as of this writing and am still not normal about it. Ren Ruyi (Liu Shi Shi) and Ning Yuan Zhou (Liu Yu Ning) lead an exceptionally strong ensemble cast in this wuxia that explores the complicated relationships between love, duty, loyalty, loneliness, and companionship. Ruyi and Yuan Zhou are far and away one of my fave OTPs of the year, but just as compelling are the relationships between friends/brothers/fellow assassins Yu Shisan, Yuan Lu (ugh my heart), Qian Zhou, and Sun Lang. This drama definitely has one of the strongest ensemble casts of the year. And the character growth of Yang Ying from little princess abandoned in the cold palace to who she becomes by the end will stick with me for a long time. Plus another 10/10 OST!

1. Lost You Forever S1: I'm not normally a reverse harem girl, but the longing, loss, and hard resolve portrayed to perfection by Yang Zi as Xiao Yao really did it for me here. This whole drama struck an emotional chord for me, and where TTEOTM consumed my soul, LYF took over my heart. Xiao Yao's relationships with her power hungry, overprotective cousin Cang Xuan; hot snake demon Xiang Liu/playboy archery shufu Feng Feng Bei; and perfectly devoted Tushan Jing are all equally compelling to me, and while I may know who she ends up with in the end, who I *think* she should be with changes based on who's on screen at any given time. And A'Nian, my favorite bratty princess who really just needs some strong parenting, holds a special place in my heart. I know we may never get S2, and even if we do, censorship means it probably won't be what the drama makers are capable of, but I'm so glad for this little piece of absolute perfection. And, again, a top notch OST!

Fave Drama: Lost You Forever, by just a hair over A Journey to Love. See above.

Least Fave Drama: Royal Rumours--truly why did I finish this, what was past me thinking

Biggest Disappointment: 2023 is also the year I read Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir, my very first CNovel! But then I didn't even bother checking out its adaptation, Romance of a Twin Flower, because it got rid of everything that made the novel such an addicting read, including a brilliant, strategic, ice cold FL and an ML who actually kind of sucked at the beginning, only to grow on you very, very slowly over time. I'm grateful that the chatter around the drama is what brought the novel to my attention, but other than that, hard pass.

Favorite Male Character: Lots of good ones this year, but I'm gonna go with Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi) from Lost You Forever. The conflict he faces between getting enough power to protect the people he loves the most and that power making him incompatible with those loved ones is so compelling, and his yearning for Xiao Yao even when she's right in front of him is wrenching. Full disclosure, I also just really love the sound of his voice

Favorite Female Character: This could easily have gone to Li Susu (TTEOTM), Xiao Yao (LYF), or Ren Ruyi (AJTL), but I'm gonna go with Bai Lu's Xiang Xue Ning in The Story of Kunning Palace. Something I really loved about this character was just how jaded Xue Ning really was, even in her second go round at life. Yeah, she wants to make amends for the harm done in her previous rise to power, but that has hardly turned her into a good--or even pleasant--person. Instead, she's incredibly skeptical and still plays most things ice cold, especially with her family. As a bonus, we got plenty of Bai Lu's fantastic side eye as she basically had to do high school all over again when she gets called into the palace despite her very best efforts not to be.

Favorite Ship: Ren Ruyi and Yuan Zhao from A Journey to Love have got to be it. They balance each other out so well, and over the course of the drama, learn to communicate effectively with each other whenever they have a problem. They also recognize that not all problems can be solved by ~love~, which makes their relationship even more compelling when they decide to prioritize each other in a way that respects what the other wants from life.

Favorite Secondary Ship: Little princess Yang Ying and Yuan Lu absolutely broke stole my heart in A Journey to Love. Doomed love even more than the main OTP, these two's youthful romance was such much fun to watch, especially as they egged their respective mentors on in their own romance. Yang Ying's recognition that her first love did not have to be her only love is also something I always love to see, even as it broke my heart that (spoiler) she and Yuan Lu never really had a chance at an HEA. Their relationship really exemplified a key theme of this drama: that you should love the people you love while they're still with you because tomorrow is never promised.

Non-2023 Dramas that I Watched: Two non-2023 dramas I watched that deserve a special shout out are Love and Redemption and The Sword and the Brocade. Love and Redemption prepared me to really appreciate the big swings that Till the End of the Moon took, and The Sword and the Brocade went a little way to filling the Story of Ming Lan shaped hole in my heart. The Sword and the Brocade also had absolutely searing critique of the concubine system, even as it featured one of the most genuinely good-hearted FLs I've seen. Would recommend both!

Most Looking Forward To: Yes, I'm a sucker and the censors (not to mention the characters) will probably break my heart, but I'm still crossing my fingers that Lost You Forever S2 will live up to the promise of part one. See above: still a CDrama beginner, have not yet had all the optimism knocked out of me. Sue me.

[jigglypuff1994]

Thank you for the rec @uptoolateart! I feel honored to be included!

This was the original prompt: Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Oh gosh, I don't have five fics yet, but I do have a fun time writing and soon, I will have many, many more. Lots of things in the works!!

But here's my library so far:

The Devil Wears Gabriel

One of my WIPs. This is a fun one for me! I've seen The Devil Wears Prada no less than fifty times, and I will never not watch it. One of my favorite comfort films.

I watched it back in March '24 and thought 'OMG. Miranda Preistly is Gabriel Agreste.' And it kind of spiraled from there. When I dove into the plot, it felt very crackish, and I grabbed onto that with two hands and rode with it.

I also didn't understand the importance of a beta until I met mine midway through this fic. She is wonderful and funny, and I couldn't live without her. Jodi, if you had a tumblr, I would tag you so hard.

Summary:

Being Ladybug is no easy task; she is the leader of Team Miraculous and keeps peace throughout Paris. Other than the weekly akuma attacks, her main problem is keeping Chat Noir and Viperion under control and out of each other’s jealous hairs. Sometimes, she misses the old days when it was just her and her kitty.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has recently graduated university and lives in Paris with her steady boyfriend of a few years, Luka Couffaine. After interviewing for a position she doesn't want in the first place, she ends up working as Gabriel Agreste’s assistant.

Between akumas, a narcassistic boss, and the men fighting for her attention, how will she survive the next year of her life?

past grievances

This one was inspired by the talented Christopher Nolan. I absolutely love the Nolan Batman Dark Knight series and DC in general (don't get me started on Young Justice, I won't shut up). And maybe one day I'll tiptoe through the window into the MLB/Bat fam fic world, but for now, I have my murder mystery fic.

I don't know where it really struck me, but I hadn't seen many MLB murder mysteries, so I felt compelled to write one in Felix's POV.

Also, I have a soft spot for antiheroes and comebacks, so, if that's up your alley, I have a tale for you.

Summary:

After the body of Adrien Agreste is discovered, Paris is in mourning.

After retracing Adrien’s last steps, Felix discovers more than he bargained for. He learns his cousin had a secret. One that leads him to his grave.

With this newfound discovery, Felix realizes that running away again isn’t going to work this time around. He needs to know what happened to Adrien.

While working through his own past grievances with his former teammates and through his own soul searching, he tries to mend himself, atone for his past mistakes and find Adrien's killer.

Bitten Smitten Kitten

I don't know what to say about this one. I am a vampire girlie at heart. I'm also a sucker for romance, smut and angst.

It's got it all: kidnapping, love, lust, clan vampire warfare, all of those tropes in 21k words.

I actually had the ending ambiguous at first, but I'm a big old softy at heart and had a couple commentors wanting more, so I wrote an additional chapter (it's fluffy and smutty *spoilers*)

Summary:

Born an orphan, Adrien was alone in this world. When the Black plague invaded Paris in the fourteenth century, at nineteen years old, Adrien became ill. On death's door, he was offered a second chance of life by a vampire with a kind heart, Emilie Agreste. Accepting her deal, Adrien found a family of his own with her vampire clan, the Agrestes.

After losing his eternal wife to vampire hunters, Gabriel became obsessed with finding the 'blood of luck'. When consumed by a vampire, the blood type is said to give a vampire unlimited power and is the key to ruling the underworld. Sending his adopted son on covert missions to find the human with this blood type, Gabriel was determined in finding the 'blood of luck'.

Transforming into a small black cat called Chat Noir, Adrien found the human who holds this special blood, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The only problem? He fell in love with her.

Now Adrien has to choose between the love of his life and his clan.

Can Adrien hide this secret from his clan or will fate intervene when all hell breaks loose?

The Treaty of Miraculous Nature

This is my first fic ever. It's my baby, my first, my beloved.

If I'm honest, everyone needs to start somewhere, and my writing journey has been an adventure. I've learned a lot overtime and sure, there are some plot points or scenes I could have fleshed out more, but I'm proud of where I started and where I am now.

This fic will always hold a special place in my heart. (and maybe someday will have a sequel that I teased)

Summary:

Prince Adrien daydreams of a life of adventure and romance outside of the palace walls.

Marinette Dupain is a commoner who dreams of becoming an aspiring seamstress and designer for the Royal Court.

Soon the two soulmates are thrust together as fate has intended, bestowing them with jewels of magic from a goddess which allows them to transform and wield powerful magic of creation and destruction.

However, with good, there is always evil. Things may not appear as they seem.

Which brings the greatest age old question: can love conquer all?______________________________________________________________

As part of the ask, please spread the love and include more fic writers! I nominate: @ladynoirfanao3 @hamsteriffic @talkstoself @coffeebanana @chatnia-starlight @wisteriasymphony @aidanchaser

[where-theres-smoak-2]

The Rookie Series Thoughts (Major Spoilers seasons 1-6!)

So due to health reasons I have spent the last couple of weeks bedridden, which has sucked, but to pass the time I decided to watch the entire series of the rookie, I'd seen some gifs here on tumblr and thought it looked interesting and turns out it really was, I love this show, its got it all, action, emotion and sometimes pure goofiness.

So here are some random thoughts I had about the series as a whole I am going to stick the rest under a page break because I had more thoughts than I realised, just be warned there are spoilers from here on out.

I really liked the concept in the first season of Nolan being this older guy starting out as a rookie and how this is unusual, it was interesting to see him navigate being the oldest rookie and seeing in what ways that put him at a disadvantage but also how in many ways it was actually an advantage to him and how his life experience meant he was able to connect with people, he knew how to talk them down. I also thought him becoming a TO was a good move for his character and I love the dynamic between him and Celina.

I also love all of the characters in this show. I've really enjoyed seeing them grow over the seasons and seeing the relationships strengthen and change, they really do seem like a family. The group chats they sometimes have over the radio our always hilarious. I love how Grey is like the dad of the group and is constantly trying to get his kids to behave.

Tim very much has that protective oldest child about him, he might seem gruff but as Lucy always says, underneath he's a big softie who always has his friends backs, I loved the scene when Angela is wedding dress shopping and calls Tim because she's upset that her bridesmaids said she has to hide her baby bump, he gave her the best response and the scene was funny but it also showed a softer side to Tim and he was so supportive of her, show off that baby belly Angela.

Angela, Nyla, Lucy, Tamara, Bailey, Luna and Talia are all badasses, I love the sisterhood between all the ladies, I also love how different they all are but how they are all awesome in their own ways. I think the show does a good job of portraying strong women without falling into the troupe of just giving a woman typically male traits, like yeah she's a good fighter and doesn't like girlie things so that makes her a badass trap, they are still allowed to be women. Hope I am making sense there, there are all allowed to be there own person instead of just a cookie cutter 'tough chick' but are all also 'strong women' in their own right.

Jackson was also a really interesting character. I thought it was interesting how they explored how his father being this well respected cop had an effect on his own journey as a cop. Both the good and the bad sides of it. How he never really had any other dream than being a cop and how he had to explore whether that was really his own dream or whether he just went with that because he comes from a cop family. Also showing how he had to deal with the expectations of everyone knowing his father was this almost legendary cop along with his father's expectations for him. I was so upset when Jackson was killed, like I was so shocked by it and it took me a hot minute to accept that he really was gone.

It was also a shame to see Talia leave the show earlier on but at least she is still alive and just at another station. Still I really liked her character and wished we could have gotten more time with her.

Aaron and Celina are both really great additions to the cast as well. They both have these dark tragic backgrounds, Aaron being falsely charged with the murder of his friend and Celina having to go through her sister being abducted and murdered. It's interesting to see how this effects how they do their jobs and how they see police work. For Aaron I do think it helps him relate to those calls involving people who have been incarcerated in the past because he himself has experienced being in prison, it gives him a special edge. I also really like Celina's intuitiveness and how she is into the psychic stuff, aura's and dreams etc, I also like that although it throws Nolan he doesn't dismiss it, he helps her use it to improve her police work, its an interesting element to add and I think it makes sense for her character. I also really love Celina and Aaron's relationship, I love their friendship but I do wonder if they will eventually become a romantic pairing, they have kind of teased it but it also looks like they might chalk it up to being a result of the trauma they went through together. Honestly I am happy either way, like I said I already love their friendship so if they decide to keep them as friends that's all good, but if they do decide to shift them into something romantic I wouldn't hate it.

What I really love about all the characters is that they aren't perfect, they all have their flaws. You might not always agree with them or like what they are do but they are all growing and these flaws make them seem more real.

I also really enjoyed those special episodes where they are filming a documentary, there have been three so far, the cult one, the one covering Aaron's case and them solving Patrick's murder and the one with Jake and Sava. They are weird but in the best way possible. I don't think I'd like for every episode to be like that but they are fun as occasional one offs, like if they did one a season or every other season going forward I'd be happy. I love how goofy they are but also at the same time they are really engaging and suspenseful, like you are along for the ride just waiting for the next twist in the tale. I also love how they have those interviews with the police officers, those episodes are just really fun.

Ok so we have to talk about the ships, my favourite part of watching a new show is adding to my ship list and I am pleased to announce that there are some really good ships in this show.

I love Angela and Wesley, their dynamic at the start was really funny to watch because it was that kind of enemies to lovers type arc with the whole lawyer vs cop thing, I thought it was really funny when they are both arguing with each other and the criminal Jackson was arresting was like 'man they really dig each other.' They had a very passionate and fun dynamic and I really loved watching that grow into a steady loving marriage. Seeing them navigating marriage and parenthood, Jack is the cutest lil one, I love that they named him after Jackson and I am sure their new daughter is going to be just as adorable, have we been told her name yet, because I don't think we have? Anyway, I also like that it isn't also smooth sailing and that they do hit bumps in the road but that it is clear that they still love each other.

I also really enjoyed Nolan and Bailey's relationship, loved seeing them finally tie the knot in 6x02 and of course their honeymoon turned into a murder mystery type situation because its Nolan the bad luck magnet, but I do love how playful they are with each other and how they have that competitiveness. Similar to the Lawyer vs Cop thing that Angela and Wesley have going on, Nolan and Bailey have the whole Firefighter vs Cop thing which they play off as another fun dynamic between them. I like the whole, she runs into fires and he runs towards bullets line that they had, I also like that while they both worry about the other because they both have dangerous jobs, they both still respect that is part of the other's jobs and understands that they are capable and have been trained to deal with that aspect of their jobs. They have professional respect for each other as well as respect within their romantic relationship. I am excited to see more of them.

Nyla and James are also a really cute couple and their baby girl is the cutest but maybe its just me but I don't think we see this couple as much as the others, I wish we could see more of them. But I do enjoy their scenes together and I love that James' character isn't like a lawyer, cop or firefighter and how he's a community worker, its interesting seeing the perspective of someone who is a community member and is outside of the justice/service if I am making sense there. I just think James adds a new and interesting perspective to the show and I wouldn't say no to seeing more of him and of him and Nyla together.

Ok but now we have to talk about my favourite ship in this show, because they have taken over my heart and I am obsessed with them. Chenford, Tim and Lucy, I loved them from the very beginning and I have loved seeing their dynamic change and grow over the seasons and how they went from TO and Boot to literal soulmates who are deeply in love with each other.

The interesting thing about Tim and Lucy's dynamic in the first couple of seasons is that you could almost see Tim as being a bit of an asshole with all these Tim Tests he does on her, like he's just being mean and messing with her for the sake of it, but when he gets a new rookie and he's being really nice to her so Lucy confronts him and he explains that he trains his rookie's according to what they need. His new rookie had just got out of the military and needed help recognising that not everyone was the enemy and that people could be nice and kind. Lucy on the other hand kind of saw the world as sunshine and rainbows, she sees the best in everyone, she really is the sweetest, which is great in many ways but Tim had to show her that the world wasn't always a nice place and sometimes people do bad things and she should be on her guard sometimes. As much as the Tim Tests weren't fun for Lucy every one of them held an important lesson. The one where he said he's been shot and she had to call for help where was she, showed that it was important for her to always be aware of her surroundings and it pays off when Tim really is shot later and she saves his life, taking her duty belt when she went to the toilet taught how important it was to make sure the toilets were floor to ceiling or the belt wasn't secure and how important it was to make sure her gun was always secure so it doesn't end up on the street, the flour bomb taught her that using a radio near an IED can cause it to go off. So it wasn't just him being an asshole because, he had valuable lessons to teach her.

But I also loved that their relationship wasn't just about what he could teach her but that he learns from her too. I really do think she softens him and helps him heal from the trauma from his abusive father, she helps him to become more open about how he is feeling. Watching them pull pranks on each other is also really fun, like Lucy doesn't just lay down and take it, she gives back as good as she gets. Like when she takes his money clip, or leaves him the bar tap or puts the booties in his locker.

When they do start getting into the romantic era of their relationship their scenes are just so so good, there are so many golden moments like right from their first kiss where they are practising being a couple before going undercover and then realise that it didn't feel all that fake. Got to love the fake dating turns to real feelings troupe. What I really loved about this plotline was how it was actually Tim who was more open about his feelings which was unexpected. Like he was the one that confronted Lucy in the hotel room when undercover and said that it didn't feel like pretend whilst she was still in denial and went with 'its just basic biology' sure Lucy sure. It was also Tim who asks Lucy out first and I love that whole scene, it is definitely one that I rewatched more than a few times. I love how vulnerable but intimate it was. How Lucy is scared to take it further and admits that Tim is the most important relationship in her life. How she says its not worth the risk but Tim says what if it is before taking that deep breath and asking her out. They are both just all smiles and you can see how happy they are with each other. I love how that conversation about it being worth the risk parallels with the conversation they have about how Lucy deserves someone who is worth the effort.

Other stand out scenes are their first dates in 5x10, both of them (though I would still argue that their first date was that double date they went on with Ashley and Chris because lets be real those two might as well not have been there Chenford were so wrapped up in each other), their first time in 5x12, their breakfast scene in 5x20, they are just so domestic, their 'I love you' scenes in 6x02 and the trophy scene in 6x03, but honestly I love every one of their scenes and I can't wait to see more of them.

I love seeing how supportive they are of each other, like how happy Lucy is every time Tim gets a promotion and how she reassured him that he wasn't like his father, how he supports Lucy with her undercover work even though he has issues due to his past with Isabel and how he tells her she could never disappoint her, which I think is really important for Lucy because she has always felt like she has let down her parents so I think its great that she has that support and reassurance from Tim.

Anyway I could talk about Chenford forever but I think I have rambled about them enough so I'll stop now and move on.

If there is one plotline or scene that really stood out to me over the whole series it has to be the one with Rosalind and Lucy's abduction. The show has alot of really great plotlines and covers some really important issues throughout the series but this one really is one that got me in the feels, like it wrecked me. I think Rosalind was a truly terrifying villain not just because of the crimes she committed, which are horrifying in themselves, but because of the way she relishes it, the way she gets enjoyment not just out of committing the murders and inflicting pain on her victims but because of the way she also gets pleasure from seeing her victim's loved ones pain and suffering too, its just so disturbing. Also how she continues to kill even from her jail cell by taking on acolytes to do her bidding like Caleb.

The one scene that always gets me no matter how many times I watch it is the one where Lucy is in the barrel buried alive and is singing dream a little dream, there's no background music or any other sound, its just her voice and they show clips of the team all searching for her. It's just such an intense and emotional scene and it gives me goosebumps and makes me want to cry every time, it just never seems to lose its impact no matter how many times you watch it.

The moment Tim finds her burial site and the whole team are just digging with their hands trying to get her out in time, when they get her out and she isn't breathing and again there is very little sound just a few notes of sorrowful music here and there, then she wakes up and just breaks down crying whilst Tim holds her, its just as heartbreaking and suspenseful and I cry, every time. I just think the whole team did an amazing job with that episode.

That whole plotline is terrifying, suspenseful and heartbreaking. Just the idea of being buried alive is horrifying to me, also the whole idea of her day of death being tattooed on to her is another thing that is psychologically terrifying. I do love what Tim said though about how Lucy can choose to see it as a mark of her biggest failure or what it really is a mark of the first day of the rest of her life and that it shows that she is a survivor. I do wonder whether she kept the tattoo or not because I don't think we are ever told in the show whether she went through with the removal or not.

I would like for the trauma this left on both Lucy and Tim to be brought back up again at some point. Whilst they did explore some of Lucy's trauma over what happened and some of Tim's guilt I do think there is even more to explore there, because it really was so traumatic. Like is that song still a trigger for Lucy, are small dark places? It could be interesting to see her working through some of the lingering trauma. Also I do feel like Tim is traumatised by what happened but in a different way, like during the episode where Lucy was abducted you really did see how it effected Tim in particular, he felt responsible for Lucy and was frantic to find her and I think it effected him more than he realised and that it stayed with him and now that he and Lucy are together and she is exploring undercover work I do wonder if some of his issues are also connected to what happened with Rosalind as much as his past with Isabel, but that is just speculation on my part.

Anyway going to wrap this up now, overall I really did enjoy this show and now that I am all caught up I am looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next with all of our beloved characters. I am also officially declaring myself a huge Chenford shipper and if you follow my blog then fair warning I am going to be reblogging every gif set I come across for the foreseeable future, sorry not sorry.

[kindred-spirit-93]

watch me wip, watch me nuh uh

excuse the awful title lol, but i was listening to the epic version of the arab nokia tune and not only does it slap, but it made me think of a very rough draft of a concept idea for a wip i had a few years ago

i hopped onto tumblr to ask a few questions and get some insight, but in the process of mentally making this post i decided i wont be able to achieve what i want the way want (in the forseeable future at least) so im discontinuing something i havent even started.

thank you for coming to my ted talk :D

curious. i like u. anyway heres what could have been if i slayed as the kids say:

the idea was a fantasy (maybe even futuristic) novel set in a place heavily influenced by the middle east and the regions history, cradle of civilisation and all. the concept idea was for two kingdoms whose rulers where raised as brothers and are very close fall into discord and disharmony after shadowy shapeshifters (bad guys) of another realm sought to divide and conquer the kingdoms and seize their assets and domains (wow this is less subtle than i thought lol)

its up to the two crown princesses of the kingdoms to uncover the evil plots schemed, weed out the traitors assassin style or sum, and reunite the two kingdoms before its too late. all of this of course while they are the most wanted on the planet. girly things amirite

the world building is very shaky and i dont have the patience nor the braincells to spare to really sit down and come up with something, but the idea was several realms that 'represent' (dont laugh at me) the primary & secondary colours, and each one has a bunch of domains that include an element and an area of knowledge, but with time and a few other factors societies merged and theres a lot of diversity and multiculturalism and its all wonderful and awesome till disaster strikes and its used against them.

for example unnamed kingdom one is the biggest producer of minerals and grain, the main colours of the kingdom are gold and green and their domain is agriculture and languages (idk dont ask)

whereas unnamed kindom two is more celestial and astronomy oriented, with colours being navy and silver (or bronze now that i think of it) and its domain is scroll keeping and cartography

now with the passage of time and the rise and fall of dynasties and all that jazz, the domains are much more mixed as a reflection of the developments of the societies (primary colours becoming seconday and tertiary and so on and so forth), many city states specialising in one area of knowledge are grouped under the rule of a kingdom. essentially the world is a big beautiful tapestry :')

like for example a kingdom being home to the worlds biggest trade route and being a melting pot of cultures and tongues and faiths, has no specific colour; all encompasing and its glorious (idk how much it fits in the current timeline & narrative but its something)

again i dont have much world building down and what little i do is very vague lol, but thats the premise. the two princessess as of now belong to these two kingdoms and are bestest best friends, mirroring the epic bromance of their fathers before them lol. they are different in nearly everyhting but they are two halves of the same soul (platonic soulmates lets go!) and fiercely love each other >:D

so yeah. 2 princesses join forces to overthrow the ultimate evil and be the awesome kickass bff queens that they are. friendship (maybe more?) saves the day and reigns supreme as it so often does, but this time theres badassery and murder involved. dark stuff and fluff too

im hesitant to put this idea up for adoption bc a big reason it came to be was me being sick of all the gross stereotypes and tropes of everything ever manufactured and perpetuated by the west and me selfishly wanting to be represented correctly in media, esp original works, so im leaving this here in a sort of grey area i guess.

suggestions question thoughts ideas asks welcome! please be my guest ^-^

[istherewifiinhell]

HM for the bingo: matoba, um um um. your least favorite oppie. your most favorite starscreamer. ummmmm. Abyssal Black Flame Dragon

HEHEHE

shitty id in alt. WELL THATS URRRR GUY. thats the guy thats nat.sume is about. pretty sure <- took me like a year to figure out this is not the case. he is silly. ive seen it in the gag manga. hessss a pretty loser goth in and out of drag what is not to like. im just assuming ur the most right about him i dunno if that means other ppl are wrong tho

joelle joelleity joelletwo is trying to get my ass murdered on tumblr dot gov. EDITED AND UPDATED. need to reflect that my constant with this one is i get why megs got like that

[alt]. ohhh buddy...... you asked. 1. no personality. 2. hate his whole vibe (aesthetics/affect) 3. BETRAYED THE REVOLUTION. 4. not a very good conflicted pasicfist if thats what they were gonna go for. 5. tee fee pee special. u know show dont tell. this is tell, then forget to bring up ever again. simply. simply. listen if the girlies in the tag have to make him interesting for their fanfic and fuck nasty shit (honourary) go with god. i have read good fic of him. but thats compliments to the fans. me personally. i would simply use any other iteration. i suppose u cant beat how DIVORCED this guy is. im not opposed any of his specific characteristics really. its the holistic sum thats my enemy.

DOODLING HEARTS AND GRAPHIC VIOLENCE ON THE SCANTRON <- which tf is that 🥁🔔

[ALT] actually can i edit this again lets do a bingo for bullying. he got bullied possible the most anyone has but ill bully him some more 😏🤨😳. now ur some ppl might think oh u like this screamer so much to u inversely not like this megs for beating him up. well not u tho. thats gotta be one of my favourite 2 minutes in all of tf kajdgbjfdhb. hes not real so hes fine with that i asked him myself. ANYWAY WHAT IF U WERE BACKED INTO A CORNER BY UR OWN VIOLENT IMPULSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF UR OWN ACTIONS and also millennia of unending war so u just decide to go full nihilist about it. and this literally saves your world and people. well not the ones u killed but most of em. and u keep winning <3 and ur pettiness and self severing survival instincts also saved the universe. btw. idk if i have HC so much as. i can see my reading of the text not being universal but also im right <3. billybob thompson one of 2 fav non latta screamers. prettiest modern screamer design

out of LEFT field but i LOVE IT

[alt] wait how did u land on a orbeez side character i would at remember the vibes of enough to get double bingo. was it dragon sooyoung? kfjjdf. DO U KNOW. how often i watch something and think. this character would be improved if they were an edgy anime fourteen year old. WELL HERE IT IS. the most important thing u can be in the world is a shitty emo teen with a deviant art dragon fursona. i dont remember anything else im literally just like. thats perfect. what a shit head. the best character in the book now im saying so.

[zhouxiangs]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally

or as close to that as i can get, tagged by @bunnakit !

i had to look deep in my soul and tumblr gifs for this so please enjoy the boys, under a cut to keep the mystery alive for two more seconds

i am very ace so the concept is nebulous, let's just say i feel some type of way... and if you see me call these men my sons it's bc they are, ty for your time <3 also the order is kinda eehhhh general idea, i don't actually keep a mental list it took me hours to make this one 😭

10. pete (kiss me again/dark blue kiss)

do not ask me why idk either... there's just Something i can't explain. also it was between him and knock from together with me so i'm choosing the one that committed less crimes, anyway *holds him up like a potato* i just think he's neat

9. vegas (kinnporsche)

my little meow meow,, my explanation for most of these is just "do i not have eyes", but some (like vegas) are special jsjs in his case kp was the first thai bl i watched, as soon as he became remotely relevant i was obsessed with him and then a rewatch made me finally fall into thai bl as a whole so... thank you for your service

8. gong gil (the king and the clown)

my baby my darling my angel and the reason i even know about lee joongi, the actor i've been following the longest that i remember. i haven't watched tkatk in a while so i don't remember the details that well but i've always loved him, pretty sure he's my first bl boy too

7. xie'er (word of honor)

does he count? is this cheating? idc he's staying either way, MY XIE'ER 😭 will never get over him or his killer eyeliner

6. gaipa (moonlight chicken)

possibly the cutest 30yo man out there, that alone endeared me to him but also the way he is with his mother is just so 🥺 he's so special to me (also the fact that he's 30 AND cute as heck it's just so personal to me)

5. wen (moonlight chicken)

god i wish i could explain what he DOES TO MY BRAIN. some of it is the mix effect but i was normal about mix before wen so... he's so beautiful so magnetic i want to bite him

4. black (not me)

listen- he's my lil murder raccoon i know there's plenty of reasons for him to be as angry as he is for the 90% of his screen time and they're all sad but he's just so attractive like that (even though i'm more of a white girlie most of the time)

3. karan (cherry magic th)

i've only had him for two eps but if anything happened to him i would kill everyone in this room and then myself, etc. he's perfect and a nerd and i would love him for any of those two things alone, but they're combined into such a gentle beautiful (inside and out) and sensitive character i jsut love him so much

2. way (pit babe)

so i am definitely not babe, here supporting way's rights and wrongs from day 1. is he pretty? yes. is he evil? quite possibly. do i still want him? also yes. he hasn't touched me so pretty sure his big sad eyes are doing something. to me.

1. sand (only friends)

The Only Man, which is how my non bl friends know him bc i've apparently called him 'the only man i would like if i liked men' more than once ? HIM

special entry: tharn (the sign), yeah this one is definitely cheating

(using the only gif i've made of him so far which isn't great for this but...)

he's so tiny and efficient... like a fiat 500

if you see this and want to do it consider yourself tagged by me <3

[saintsenara]

For the writing asks 😊

💫 🍭 💌

thank you for the ask, anon!

[writing ask game here]

💫 what is your favourite kind of comment/feedback?

anything. i like a stream of emojis, i like an essay picking out favourite bits, i like a shoutout on tumblr/reddit/discord,  i like legitimate criticism because i’m not a child and i can take it, i like unsolicited criticism because i never listen to it and that annoys the people who leave it and i find that funny, i like a one-sentence ‘i enjoyed reading this’, i like a kudos, i like incoherent screaming, i like insults which allow me to receive attention in the group chat by complaining about them, i like idiots who can’t read properly acting shocked to discover that something which is tagged on the fic is in the fic, i like a ‘how dare you punch me in the face!’, i like everyone coming together in the comment section to bully tom riddle. it’s all good!

🍭 why did you start writing?

my writing origin story is here. it’s because the pandemic sucked.

💌 share something with us about an up-and-coming work that has you excited!

do you like @ladiesofhpfest?

do you like their list of 2024 themes?

then you will enjoy the following things which are being planned to drop for the fest next year, and you should watch this space…

mothers and daughters: a kendra and ariana dumbledore character study.

senior sweethearts: augusta longbottom/minerva mcgonagall, enemies to lovers.

out and proud: an almost-fluffy alecto carrow/bellatrix lestrange.

women of the house of black: the walburga black/tom riddle piece i’ve been teasing for a full year at this point…

character chic: an eileen prince character study.

marauders era misses: lily, but very much not james…

women of colour: the icon, the legend, the moment, mrs zabini, on the hunt for her eighth husband to murder.

rebels and renegades: delphini doing the parent trap. the other twin is nagini. [no, seriously.]

next gen girlies: a lily luna character study.

get excited!

[crownshattered]

|| *sets down my old suitcase of Grelle headcanons*

we have a lot to unpack. (btw i am currently working on iconing all of grelle's appearances in the manga, so if any of you write her and would like some unedited icons, let me know and I'll give you the link when I'm done~)

First of all, Grelle is one of my four first characters to ever write on Tumblr (and the first canon character at that). I have SO many headcanons for her, but since most of them were made while I was a freshman in high school, there's gonna be a lot of revision XDD So some of these might not make the cut!

Grelle is a transfem!! I'm going to always use she/her to describe her. However, she's a transwoman...in Victorian-era England... So she can't actually transition. And she is WAYYYYY before her time. So while I'll obviously accept she/her pronoun usage for her (and they/them as well, I don't care) I WILL accept he/him as well for ic writing. OOC, I'd prefer it if you guys called her by she/her, but it's different ic. Your character most likely doesn't see Grelle as trans because they can't even fathom what it means to be trans. So if they refer to her as he/him, that's fine, that doesn't make you transphobic or anything XDD In fact, I kind of expect most characters to call her he/him due to the era this series takes place in. All this is to say... We flexible with pronoun usage~

Grelle, Grell, whatever you want to call her. The first translation I ever read (and the one I'm reading now) calls her "Grelle", so that's what I keep. Technically, my headcanon is that her birth name is Grell Sutcliff, but she added the "e" at the end to make it look more feminine~

I used to have her be from France initially!! I think I'll keep that. However, she ran away from home fairly early in her years and went to London, where she eventually died. And...she was a serial killer before she died. No surprises there. I actually have tons of headcanons about that era of her life, but I don't want to unpack all of that right now~

Grelle was definitely in a romantic relationship with Madam Red. Grelle is bi, probably male-leaning, and I think Angelina was the first person Grelle ever loved romantically. I obviously won't force this on any Madam Red roleplayers if I come across any, but yeah. Red ladies murder power couple~

At one point I had a headcanon that reapers secretly (even secretly to them) have an additional power that connects to their "reason" for dying, which is why Grelle could change her hair color when she first revealed herself. However...there is SO much to unpack with that and I think I might just throw that headcanon away and try to think of a different explanation for how that happened 🤷‍♀️

I'M A MANGA-ONLY GIRLIE. Sorry, I don't know shit about the anime-exclusive arcs. I could never quite get behind those. They always seemed half-baked to me, and maybe my opinion would change now that I'm older, but I don't have easy access to the anime so I'm not bothering XDD I have seen the OVA of Grelle and William, but that was 7 years ago?? I think??? So I barely remember anything except the fact that they knew each other since training~

Also, adding onto that, I don't love how the anime arcs portrayed Grelle... I mean yeah, she's a comedic (and fucked up) character, but from what little I remembered, she seemed like more of a joke than an actual character. It feels like the manga takes her more seriously, if that makes any sense..?? Again, maybe my thoughts would be different if I watched the anime again but I don't plan to any time soon so oh well~

ummmmm that's it for now??

[all-seeing-ifer]

fwiw I think the real tragedy in all this is that the revival a plot trio are such characters the tumblr girlies gender neutral would go insane over if the oklahoma revival were at all popular. laurey is fighting her way through fifteen layers of repression and catholic guilt at any given moment. she's funny and snarky and a little mean to cover up her constant state of emotional turmoil. halfway through the musical she gets so stressed about her life in general and choosing which guy to go to a dance with in specific that she takes medical grade opiates about it. curly is a cowboy who is also the guy who shows up at a house party with a guitar and plays wonderwall. he has no conflict resolution skills that don't involve intimidation suicide baiting or both. he finally develops morals after committing a murder that he then immediately gets acquitted for. jud is pathetic and scrungly and miserable and just the kind of guy who you'd want to put in the washing machine and watch spin around. his reaction to getting suicide baited is to try to make out with the guy telling him to kill himself, and to then decide that yeah that does sound nice but if you want me dead why not do it yourself coward. and most importantly they are ALL bisexual and they are ALL doomed by the narrative.

[floripire]

what are your top five fandoms to RP within?

mun memes › @survivingpierce

p.ercy j.ackson was my first fandom and it's the one i come back to again and again, no matter how many times i step away from it. p.ercy j.ackson as a series / franchise is imperfect, certainly, but it was there during a time i desperately needed it, so i'm protective of it as a whole.

t.vd / t.he o.riginals / l.egacies: i saw the shows (minus s4 of l.egacies) from start to finish before i read the books - which i also very much recommend, they're very 90's and white and straight but the concepts and world building are awesome - but it just drew me in. it took me two tries to get through t.vd however because i couldn't stand e.lena at first. (it's much better now ;P)

make no mistake, though, i love to write in this universe but i will also be among the first to call it out for the fact that across the board, there were only three indian women (aimee bradley, gia and emma tig) and two of those were murdered by white people (aimee got killed by katherine at the masquerade ball for bullshit reasons and klaus killed gia to get back at elijah and in a show where people fake their deaths all the time, suddenly this time it was permanent, uh-huh, we all know why that is) and one of them was written out of the show (due to the actress having other jobs lined up) and never got the backstory or complexity she deserved.

those characters deserved to live and imho, g.ilijah should've been endgame.

(also, as much as i love h.ayley, i am not forgiving nor forgetting the fact that she killed a.ya al-r.ashid; i don't give a fuck that she did it to protect her family or whatever.)

m.arvel / dc: i love superheroes. always have, always will. i grew up on 2005's s.ky h.igh and i've watched t.he b.oys and g.en v as well as i.nvincible (though i personally vibe more with hopeful superheroes instead of nihilism and jerkwads).

s.tar t.rek / s.tar w.ars / sci-fi: i was born on international s.tar w.ars day so of course it'd stand to reason that i'd get into it. i got into s.tar t.rek a little later and that's mostly because of tumblr mutuals writing the characters. (i haven't seen r.ebel m.oon yet but that's only because i keep hearing conflicting accounts lmao.) my oc over at @dvarapala is pretty much a sci-fi based oc.

t.wilight / t.rue blood / i.nterview with a v.ampire / m.idnight t.exas / a.bigail / the i.nvitation etc: give me any and all vampires tbh! i operate under the umbrella of: all vampire lore is real and can exist alongside each other (with proper and prior plotting and some discussion to be had). the only one i do not like is a d.iscovery of w.itches because i watched a couple of episodes of that show and the main love interest vampire dude was such a creep and it's never properly talked about and then creepy vampire dude and powerful witch lady become canon???? ew! fuck that!

d.escendants / o.uat: that is to say, the grittier, darker, let's tear away the veil version of d.escendants because if you look close enough, you'll find that they're actually living in a warped dystopian version of the d.isney tales that we grew up with and i think that's fascinating. and also, the age old question of are you destined to be like your parent(s) or can you carve out your own path? and if so, which price will you pay for that, if any?

o.uat is on the list because i, unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on one's pov - grew up to become an o.uat girlie. i know it's not everyone's cup of tea and that's okay. i just find the lore of the universe fascinating. (also, added layer of pain: e.mma s.wan and flori's mom have the same fc and i did that deliberately ;P)

s.upernatural: i'm only at s2 still - i hope i can watch more this summer - but it's so easy to slot my preternaturally inclined muses in there. it's great fun.

t.een w.olf: big s.cott m.ccall stan here. always have been, always will be. it's also very easy to slot my preternaturally inclined muses into that universe as well. and, also, i love the lore. it's very cool. (though i will die on the hill that they should've also used t.een w.itch as well and created a whole t.een w.olf extended universe, but that's neither here nor there.)

b.uffy the v.ampire s.layer: i'm pretty sure i'm still at season 3 with that show but it's also very easy to drop my preternaturally inclined muses in there and take them for a ride.

[gilliebee]

nine (9) people you'd like to know better

I got tagged by the wonderful @five4boarding and tumblr never gives me a little +1 notification icon when I get tagged in anything (like any other type of note would, so I don’t get it!!), so I live in fear that I’m always gonna miss these BUT I caught this one at least 👉😎👉

Last song: during my morning walk I randomly remembered the catchiest depression bop and then remembered the first time I looked up the guy's wiki and saw that he played hockey and I was like you're telling me a knife-footed ice-gremlin sang this???? (swiss juniors but still high level for his age bracket I think?) Anyway... Tomorrow May Not Be Better (specifically this version https://open.spotify.com/track/0V1quXmlVC6eH5kcfYPWEW ) by Bastian Baker still slaps to this very day 😌👌

Currently watching: My longstanding guilty pleasure is docs/commentary videos about any and all scams, particularly mlms/pyramid schemes. So it should come as no surprise that my brand new guilty pleasure is debt confessions/financial audits on youtube 🙈 I've been been watching a few by caleb hammer whose gimmick is that he gordon ramsey style shames people who come in with their financial records and he's like hey. why do you have $120,000 in consumer debt? why did you finance an ipad for your literal infant child?? why have you spent 30 dollars multiple times a day every day at dunkin for the last 3 months??? (the last one is an exaggeration but the first two I have seen LOL). His thumbnails are wretched I hate them so, so much, and his advice of living spartan-like for a few years to dig yourself out of the hole is ehhh maybe good in theory but generally not exactly...practical. And I think going cold turkey when you're used to constant impulse buying is basically a recipe for just eventually losing control and going on a bender. But. I'm nosy and love hearing about how people be spending their money so that's the best part of the videos for me lol

Currently reading: haven't picked up something new yet BUT I juuuust finished An Unauthorised Fan Treatise which was SO GOOD I literally slammed it nonstop for two days until I finished it. It's formatted like a rpf conspiracy theory livejournal where a fangirl of a supernatural-drama show compiles evidence that the two lead actors are secretly dating. BUT it's noted that the livejournal has been submitted as evidence into for a murder trial so y'know TWISTS AND TURNS lol. There's just something about the format that really compels me, idk I already love reading primers and conspiracies for hrpf couples that I literally have zero investment in and never will- I just enjoy the way the girlies spin a good narrative. (and also watching video essays about the uhhh less casual to super trainwreck ones like the whole larry fiasco even though I never got into 1D, as well as general fandom fiascos like msscribe and snapewives etc etc IT'S ALL SO FASCINATING TO ME 🍿👀) So it was a really natural fit for me to read in a fictional setting. And it's free to read! https://gottiewrites.com/2019/10/14/31/

Current obsession: I’m a hobbyist game maker so at all times I am rotating little bits of character development, experimental mechanics, aesthetics, ui design etc etc in my brain but it becomes much more mentally consuming during the off-season bc god knows when bruins hockey is live it is Featured Live 24/7 In My Brain. But for now... my OCs on my mind 😌💭

tagging (if you want to): OH NO I’M SO BASHFUL I NEVER KNOW WHO TO TAG IN THESE 🫣🫣🫣 uh uh uhh maybe @ghostgeno @alavenderleaf @tylerbertuzzi @reavenedges-lies @krugstrash if y’all are so inclined?? but also no pressure no pressure again I’m just NOSY hehe

[katasstrophy]

It's okay!! I'm glad you liked it!! And Rin would be a fan of a true crime girlie <33 Tbh I think he'd like laughing lightly at someone who can't stand horror as much as he would like someone who can. Boy is a sadist after all who destroys beautifully~ sending you all my dream power btw!! Bc funniest thing about my bllk dreams with Rin is that I, and this may be a shock, don't like him romantically 😆 I'm too much of a Bachira stan and support him with you and itoshi-s too much <33 but Rin is a character I desperately want to be friends with!! I want to annoy him to DEATH, do yoga together, and watch horror together and drag Rin to meet the love of his life, cheer from the sidelines, and take pics 9f his awkward ass to send to the gc lmao along with my last rites when Rin inevitably murders me. Do you have any bulk characters, or others, you platonically ship yourself with?? ☺️☺️☺️

omg yes 100% rin is a little shit he’d def make fun of people who get – according to him, bastard 🙄 – overly freaked out over horror films. he’s do it in like a subtle way tho (bc he knows that’s even more irritating) raising an eyebrow when you shriek at a quote on quote ‘obvious’ jump scare that he sat through without flinching. “… that wasn’t even that bad” “literally- shut. the fuck up rin” (alsoshdbbdk he has ulterior motives tho. grumbles a bit but is secretly pleased when you try to hide your face in his shoulder, braving through the movie bc you want to spend time with him🥺)

LMAO i’m so glad you think rinnie bby would appreciate a true crime girlie bc i’m a psycho who falls asleep to that shit 🥺 (do y’all know that tiktok sound that’s like,, girls listening to true crime at 9am with an expressionless face like her leg was cut off. her arm was cut off. her ear was cut off pls that’s me) he’d be baffled honestly. doesn’t get why horror freaks you out while true crime doesn’t even make you blink LOL. (you make him listen to one (1) podcast and he’s scarred for life skssjdbbdjf and from then on you just stick to your.. preferred genre of scary shit there i go on a self-indulgent tangent again)

zari are you seeing this 🤭🫣 tumblr says rinari and rivrin is CANON as they should we’re in love 😌✨💅 but aw omg that’s so cute!! 🥺🥺 love a friendship where you just wanna murder each other (affectionately). we’re playing opposites here teehee bc i feel like bachira and i would be great friends – def the chaotic bastards dynamic LOL. i also feel like me and tsukki from haikyuu would get along great purely bc we two collectively hold more salt than the dead sea we’d roast each other – but mostly everyone else around us – to death mwehuahhehe mean girls mhm that’s us

[teacupsandcyanide]

no spoilers below for Glass Onion I am just making a group suggestion for fun times

I think it’s genuinely atrocious that there has been only a one-week cinema release in relatively limited theatres for Glass Onion, and after that it won’t become available online for another month, and even then ONLY on Netflix. To my understanding there's not going to be a later, longer conventional cinematic release. I ... do not like the sound of that trying to become a thing, buying up streaming rights to the point of drastically limiting the cinema run, and then slapping "Netflix Original" on it to make it sound like they have the creative or intellectual rights/involvement for that to all be reasonable.

And yeah, once it’s online people will start streaming it, but in the intervening weeks the film is going to be picked apart and digested online. That in itself isn’t inherently bad it just means that so many people are going to be spoiled for it and it’s a murder mystery. If you're the kind of person who doesn't mind spoilers that's all good, and if you're a sicko like @goldenaltar who likes getting little appetiser spoilers then that's great, but there are many people who hate spoilers and who find that their experience of a piece of media really gets affected by them.

Usually online etiquette is to be open from the get-go about what you're going to tag and not going to tag. But also sometimes the way you find out that That Thing you were interested in has come out and you need to block tags for it is someone on your dash casually dropping a huge spoiler about it. Sometimes your friend or a tumblr you like just doesn't have the capacity to tag for spoilers, and that's not their fault at all, but also it means you have to either unfollow them for a bit or stay offline entirely.

For me, with ADHD I can't rely on my brain to remember to refollow mutuals and blogs I like after I've seen The Thing, and spoilers really ruin my motivation to watch/read The Thing, so the option I take is often to stay offline entirely because it's the easiest and most secure option. And during that time I feel really pressured to watch or read The Thing so that I can go back online, and that makes me dread watching/reading The Thing, and I feel forced to get into The Thing when everyone else is rather than when I feel ready to. This may be another ADHD thing, but I get stressed to fuck when I'm forced to watch/read The Thing when The Stars Aren't In Position because I feel like I can't process it and aren't getting what I could get out of it. (This phenomenon accidentally ruined ofmd for me, and it's no one's fault it's just what happened, but it's probably going to be a long time before I can rewatch the show and actually enjoy it this time rather than view it as Task Item 47.)

And I feel like I'm not the only person who feels that way. I've seen so many friends/mutuals and other people on tumblr saying things like "I am so fucking tired of watching The Thing as fast as I can as soon as it comes out. It exhausts me and sometimes negatively impacts how much I end up enjoying it. But I feel like, for many many reasons, I have no other option."

When the play The Mousetrap written by big name murder mystery girlie Aggie "Baby Girl" Christie came out (stay with me I promise this is relevant) in London's West End in 1952, Baby Girl (this is a semi-derogatory (for the bad stuff) and semi-affectionate (for the good stuff) thing I call her, it's like our thing don't worry) was very concerned about the plot twist being revealed in reviews. She was already very used to her murder mystery plots getting spoiled by reviewers and Baby Girl did not like it. So on opening night and onwards elsewhere traditionally, performances of The Mousetrap end with the audience being asked not to spoil the plot twist for others so that other people can enjoy the play too. It's kind of cool because no one has to and many people don't, but bringing people into a secret makes something that is ultimately just a nice and kind thing to do also sexy and fun.

And I think. It would really sexy. And really fun. If we kept spoilers on tumblr under readmores. No one has to and many people won't. That's all good. But I really hate Netflix right now and the entire system they're trying to set up, of giving people one week to catch a limited release film and then stranding them in a wasteland of spoilers until December, at which point the only place to watch it (haha. theoretically) will be on Netflix. I would very much like to not be part of that system as best I can while still supporting an amazing film which I loved and a series I would like more of.

So absolutely, if you're thinking about catching a cinema screening today (or tomorrow if you're further away from Thursday than I am), I say it's well worth it, it's fantastic film. My partner and I drove an hour and a bit on a weeknight to see it and it was 100% worth it imo. But we were lucky to be able to do that, and I would like to ensure that other people get to experience the film the way we did – on our own terms, at a time when we were pumped to see it, and without any spoilers we didn't want. So my thing from here on until early Jan is going to be keeping anything spoilery under readmores. No one else has to do it and I think most people wouldn't. But it's nice, and it's kind. And it's sexy and fun.

Also I'm not gonna make any comments on whether you should stream directly from Netflix's tit but I do think they should go fuck themselves for this one. yeah it's just a movie but I will hiss at people who try to pry my small tender joys from my anxious depressed little hands