#we are eating SO GOOD in this episode y'all

[creative-hanyou-girl]

PJO SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watching the new Percy Jackson episode (ep.5) and I just had to pause for a second to squeal and have a mini freak out over Annabeth dropping the "Seaweed Brain" nickname outta nowhere!!!! It seriously took a hot second to register that Annabeth JUST DROPPED HER NICKNAME FOR PERCY!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I. AM. SO. DONE.

I'M ON THE GROUND. I CAN'T GET UP. AND I AM REFUSING TO CALL LIFE SUPPORT!!!!!

Now all we need is for Percy to call Annabeth "Wise Girl" and my life will be complete💙

[pedropascalito]

The Last of Us Joel Miller Character Study S1E1: Living Room

Joel's sofa is so classic and cozy; cognac overstuffed leather is a solid choice, and combined with the transparent glass coffee table, very shabby chic meets West Elm. Not bad for a contractor.

I love that pillow is smashed flat. This is a family home, well lived in.

I deeply love Sarah is reading a magazine instead of playing on her phone/tablet. Very accurate fo that time. Magazines were my jam in 2003 as well. There are stacks of them around the room, and I really wish we could see some titles! I'm guessing: a teen fashion/culture mag for Sarah, a sports magazine for Joel, maybe some free contractor industry publications. Definitely Texas Monthly. Is Joel a Playboy man? Hmmm...

Dinner plate: she is used to preparing her own food and eating on her own, it seems.

More bay windows. What a cute home.

Either this scene was filmed in both daytime and nighttime, or that is one bright-ass porch light.

Joel has gone to the Javier Peña school of lamps and afghans because there are a lot of lamps in this room! And most of them are ugly.

Knock-off Eames chair? Or the real thing? (I'm guessing knock-off.) @veryprairieberry identified it as an IKEA Poang with matching ottoman. Knock-off indeed.

I wish this photo were more clear; I'm guessing it's Sarah, and I even thought it was Nico Parker on the lake in the raft, but the photo doesn't have the life jacket. EDIT: It’s Tommy, thank you @bluestar22x

More magazines

A TV tray for eating in this room; I wonder if Sarah or Joel uses that more?

I love a good sofa console table, and I also put them against the wall. My 2003 apartment would feel very at home in Joel's space.

The Lone Star key holder on the wall; so Texas, so accurate.

Laundry basket of clothes waiting to be folded, and we know that never happened. :(

I love this shot because it shows a few awesome things:

Guitar!

That sweet ass speaker and sound system set up. I want.

Having a flat screen tv in 2003 was still a status symbol. Joel invested in this.

Another soccer ball, so homey to have sports equipment scattered around.

It looks like that's a Longhorns logo blanket, but the color is wrong, so I don't know what it is for sure.

More plants Sarah is single-handedly keeping alive.

The block color rug is aggressively 00's Target. I love it.

I can't tell what that pronged object is on the stereo; anyone know? Edit: an antennae, thank you @veryprairieberry

That painting on the wall is rather dull compared to the artwork in Joel’s bedroom. I wonder if they know the artist personally?

How sweet is Joel coming home after a long day? We want this view.

Joel and Sarah are so sweet together and I am devastated all over again with this episode and Sarah's death. Just tragic.

Also: I'm sorry y'all, I have to point out the anal beads lamp. Not even Javier Peña would have this. Joel has definitely stepped it up.

[thoughtsonkm]

Mimi-san & Kookoo-san

This photo really fulfills my need for aesthetic shots

This episode (and probably the whole trip) is like the biggest, warmest, lingering hug someone could give you. Not letting go for a long time, until after it's over you're left with a full heart, teary eyes and a sense of unprecedented calmness.

~

So no Tokyo for us (as expected). That city really is theirs and theirs ONLY. (I read that ppl saw them with a camera in that ramen shop in Tokyo, so now everyone's thinking of a possible GCF #2 but that would be INSANE)

~

Jimin stop ruining the romantic moments JK creates, challenge failed! (he really does live up to the "conceal, don't feel" idea)

~

This ritual of Jimin singing Kook's new singles on each trip, is very very cute.

~

THE BABIEST OF THEM ALL another bean here⬆️

Did they lowkey have a gentle monster sponsorship? Way to go Jikook 👏🏻👏🏻

I know it's always been Jimin's go to brand for glasses so it feels kinda full circle. He should be some kind of brand ambassador for them.

Oh hello mister 'I can eat yo fingers but not yo potato peel' (I get it tho)

This is the single softest Jikook moment ever!! Period. End of discussion.

Sharing earphones, romantic music, beautiful scenery, calm setting, head on shoulder. - Who says romance is dead? 😭

Not even the background animation can ruin this for me. (ingenious idea nonetheless)

I CANNOT deal with the sweetness of this daughter talk. DO THEY KNOW WE'RE INSANE??

My guy starts talking about a family. The other guy he's gripping tight is already discombobulated, gulping, eyes going left and right lol

Jokes aside he really would be the most gentle, bestest, most caring dad ever 😭 (I promised myself to not get emo during this episode, I'm saving the waterworks for the inevitable last ep.)

~

I do remember they (especially Jimin) used to be pretty fluent in japanese so I'm guessing since they haven't done Japan promo since 2021, they forgot a little bit..

~

Imagine Jimin in a jazz bar with a 10 year old whiskey in hand, flirting with his bf.. Improv kings!

Happiness looks so good on them.

~

I love that from time to time they almost forgot they had a show to shoot. A DAMN JOB to do 😂

~

I present you a compilation of Jungkook saying how happy he is, how much he loves it and how good it is, during this episode.

~

LOL at them doing the english meme thing. Just two simple guys with ONE BRAINCELL. Looks like one of those random af videos they would watch while learning english.

~

Oh yes, we do indeed enjoy y'all gradually getting raggedy and fat 😂😂 He's hilarious, he's on a roll ladies and gents.

Jungkook half wishing they were the same age so they could "twin" even more (I'm sure that would be so convenient for you Jk 👀) as if it's possible for them to be even more on the same wavelength than they already are.

I do feel like in the distant future it would be such a good option for them to transfer and live in Japan cause it does seem like their favourite place in the whole world and the one place they feel themselves the most.

Sapporo in their 40es would be like a little hidden paradise for them to be somewhat free..

(let me dream)

[curio-queries]

ARE YOU SURE?!

Production Notes from eps 1 & 2

At this time, I'm not planning to do full response posts for these episodes. Maybe once I'm done with my Run BTS series but for now here's some production thoughts.

My initial thoughts are they've done an excellent job of merging the concepts for Bon Voyage and In The Soop while also adjusting for a reduction of members from seven to two.

To really understand this though, let's talk about some of the logistical requirements and goals of the previous shows for comparison.

Logistical Assumptions

So I think y'all do realize that there is SOME amount of planning that has to happen for a show like this to be made but honestly...the way some of you talk, it's like you think this footage just magically appears in front of an editor, capturing whatever the members happened to wander into. These aren't self-recorded vlogs. This is a full production with a crew, a budget, and a deliverable requirement; just like any other TV show.

One of the cutest moments for me was at the brewery when JM was teasing JK about a summary of what the show about. I KNOW this was the 5 second explanation that both of them would have had to say/hear dozens of times while pitching the show. That's what's so endearing about the way JM says it and JKs reaction.

They also know that statements like that, captured during filming often end up in promos. All the members are very aware as they're being filmed what footage ends up being used. We've heard them time and time again, 'please use this as the thumbnail', 'please keep this in', etc.

Jimin has always been the most vocal about questioning if the content works for their intended purpose. How many times have we heard him say 'can this even be used?' or 'this will be cut'. Usually it sounds to me like he's aware the footage they're getting in the moment doesn't align with the predetermined plan. But as is common with the footage we getnof the members, even though it wasn't according to plan, doesn't mean it's not releaseable.

The main point of JMs AYS concerns being his sickness. I'm sure he thought the show was in jeopardy of not fulfilling their deliverable requirements since it would be difficult to completely edit out. There is a legitimate concern that if they aren't able provide the agreed-upon footage, the show would never air. I'll talk more about this in my section on the edit.

For now, here's a list of SOME of the basics that have to be managed for y'all to keep in mind when consuming any kind of produced content.

Camera management: How many and what kinds of cameras need to be brought along? Are there special operators required like a drone operator. How often is the footage saved. How is it backed up? When and where are batteries charged? Who locations require early access so the crew can place stationary cameras prior to the member's arrival.

Sound management: Someone is making sure the microphones are charged, and capturing correctly. Being mic'd up is one of the easiest indicators of when the show is actively being filmed or not.

Security: this is BTS. The members didn't go anywhere without a security consultation and discussion of requirements.

Crew management: These are people that have to have places to eat, sleep, and have time off as well. They don't just vanish into thin air as soon as their job is done.

Location approval and tax requirements: Every country in the world has different regulations, incentives, and permits to be managed. The US varies these laws state-by-state.

Budget: Businesses don't stay in business by not managing the finances. We can talk more about this if anyone's interested but there are definitely some interesting points with how much on-screen time we got over the years regarding members' spending on the shows.

There's more but let's leave it at the for the moment and talk more about why I think this show was such a good blend of Bon Voyage and In The Soop from a production standpoint.

What was the initial goal of Bon Voyage?

I believe it was to promote the band and the members to viewers by giving us access to what it would be like to travel to various destinations around the globe. They knew the episodes still needed a catalyst though so there were various preplanned activities and games to motivate the editorial narrative.

BV1 was very experimental as they were obviously managing the challenges of such a production. There was a heavy emphasis on trying to make the members seem like regular ppl and seeing how they would tackle the problems many of us face with travel, chiefly budgetary and managing how to feed all of the travelers with strict spending limits.

BV2 completely game-ified the concept with the mini challenges and breaking everyone into different groups. It's very clear that this is not the strategy they preferred as BV3 was much lighter on the control. There were still some structured activities and events but the members were experienced enough to bring forth some of these moments themselves during the shoot rather than as a completely planned itinerary.

BV4 was a continuation of this with us also getting footage of the members being included in the event planning as well. I'm not saying they didn't have input in the planning of the previous seasons but by this point, production knew the members understood the requirements of a successful show as well as many of the necessary logistics. But it was still a travel show with some key events to fuel the storytelling.

How about In The Soop?

Enter pandemic. They obviously still wanted to do another show once they worked out what was permissible to film at the time. But now the changing of locations would not be a part of the engine. How were they going to ensure they still had a viable show? They did put in place a semblance of their previous formula with that silly daily schedule (that was ignored nearly to the point of being completely edited out) and a couple of events like the 94s mountain hike and vhope's car drive. But overall, they realized they had to rely purely on the members to find story moments and insure they were captured. Their trust was rewarded though and ITS1 was a hit.

Now ITS2 is a more interesting case. I do believe it may have started with the same intent as season 1, but it must not have been long in the pre-planning stage before a new goal was added: controlled access of a BTS tourism destination. I'm sure I'll go further into this topic whenever I do finally make posts on this series, but it's very plain to even the casual fan that the ITS2 location was a planned financial investment.

Enough about the location though, what were the filming objectives? Honestly? Not much. The members were clearly ready for a break and were mired in the uncertainties of the time period. Balancing the focus of the english-solo-songs era with the preparations for ch.2 solo activities resulted in an odd lack of direction for the members, which is evident in the show. Yes, there are great moments and segments but there's no progression and very little footage of all the members all together except during certain meals.

But ITS2 is still hailed as enough of a success that there was justification to add to the franchise with Tae's friendship installment.

But what does all this mean for Are You Sure?

We'd heard from many of the members during ch.2 that they would like to continue Bon Voyage so it honestly wasn't surprising that we'd eventually get another travel show featuring our beloved BTS members. Early in episode 1 of AYS, Jungkook says he's never traveled so loosely before. However this show was justified, it definitely wasn't planned to be another hyper-detailed barrage of JM & JK going from activity-to-activity like early BV but it also couldn't be as aimless as ITS. For as long as the conversation was surrounding the name of the show, we never hear them suggest Bon Voyage 5 because AYS was never intended to be another installment of that series.

This is why I said AYS is a perfect mesh of the two kinds of shows. Granted, the first episodes definitely had some unexpected obstacles due to the unexpected health concerns but I think the production team managed it well. Although, I'm convinced there's at least one activity they did have planned that had to get scrapped to let our poor guys rest and recuperate. I also wouldn't be surprised if by the time they started filming in the US, they hadn't locked another destination and schedule with how unsure JM & JK are when talking about the scope of the show. (And I hope we get some update on the poor motorcycle, I want to know how it got where it needed to be from the rainy grocery parking lot).

The Edit

The overall tone of the show is very lighthearted. Kind of surprisingly so for me. It's not the vibe I would have necessarily expected but it's one of the points that leads me to say they have merged BV and ITS so wonderfully.

A major aspect of BTS's content is usually the chaos and shenanigans the surround the members. Now much of that is emphasized in the context of one of these shows but I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if the edit had tried to make up for the lowered member count. Instead, it's a very laid-back edit. The quality and tone of the on-screen captions was world's different from some of the BV seasons (thank goodness!)

Now, about Jimin's illness. There's a reason why the coverage is cut the way it was to only bring us in on the story once both JM and JK started talking about it lightheartedly. If we'd had all of that footage chronologically, we also would have had building tension throughout the day's activities. But this way, we're able to enjoy the show per the original pitch as much as possible.

This show would have been planned during the time when the members were under heavy scrutiny for how successful they'd be as individuals and how their content will be received without the full seven members. Again, the way some of y'all talk about these shows, it's like you don't realize that the members are aware of how this content is structured. They are. They absolutely are.

Also, a big part of greenlighting AYS would have been a discussion of how it could be made with just 2 of the 7 members. JM and JK would have to take on a lot more of the burden since there wouldn't be other member to cut to. The solo vlogs we got at the beginning of ch.2 absolutely would have been used as a proof of concept. There are easy comparisons to make between JKs camping vlog and the camping scenes we got in these first AYS episodes.

Another key justification of the show could have been as promotional material for the current musical releases. While they did highlight quite a bit of both JK and JM's work in these episodes, the narrative definitely wasn't tilted in the direction of promotion. I love that because it's absolutely not what I would have expected.

What am I looking forward to for the remainder of AYS?

From a production standpoint, I'm already curious about the following:

Will there be any tonal shift? Specifically now that JM and JK have some uncertainties about the viability of their US adventure. Will it seem like they're compensating?

We know Tae is going to be in at least the next episode. How is this going to handled narratively and will there be any visible contradictions from that narrative in the production?

At what point was the final quantity of locations and shoots locked down? And when/if will JM and JK make mention of this.

If/How will the music promotion narrative shift? It's clear that this episode could not have been released until after MUSE's release once they decided to keep the footage of JK listening to Who. But when was that decision made?

What are your thoughts on the production of AYS so far?

Editing to add a link to my post on episode 3. Surprisingly I had a lot more to say!

Are You Sure?! Production notes from ep 3.

And there has been even more to say so here's a MasterList link

Are You Sure?! MasterList

[midnight-pluto]

SPOILED!MEGUMI — headcanons

megumi was raised by gojo, he’s bound to be spoiled one way or another

CHAR: megumi fushiguro, satoru gojo

PAIRING(S): megumi fushiguro x gn!reader (can be read as platonic)

A/N: this is a topic that isn’t discussed enough, so I’m writing it and potentially going to elaborate on some more later

i would like to start off by saying i do not intend to paint megumi in a negative light by saying he’s spoiled — but i do intend on putting him in a goofy one

to be honest, megumi isn't that self-aware as he seems

y'all seen that one episode that inspired this post where yuji and nobara freak out over the price of gojo's shirt and question whether it's with tax or not and megumi deadass asks if tax matters? yea interpret that as you will

there is a decent chance that he doesn’t necessarily understand the value of money very well, which probably has something to do with the Gojo effect™️

ngl he probably said ‘print more money’ once and got attacked for it so he never said it again

but he's also so lowkey about it too like you would have never guessed that this boy would be as materialistic as gojo is

like he wears the same shit gojo does that's really expensive quality but doesn't have the brand name plastered onto it since he finds it tacky so you'll just never know unless he exclusively tells you

he also does have a talent of knowing what is good quality and what isn't; he would do great for those cheap vs. expensive videos

can also spot knock-offs from a mile away but never says anything about it since he doesn't have enough in him to care about that kind of stuff

so the first time both of you — including yuji and nobara — hangout at the mall and when you ask what he plans on getting and he just replies with something along the lines of new shoes so just imagine the collective shock between you all when he makes a beeline towards prada

"My boots got ruined last mission so I plan on getting a new pair."

"Okay, what store are you gonna be in so we can find you later?"

"Prada."

"Bitch what the fuck did you just say."

you didn't know what hurt more, megumi not telling any of you about the fact that he was loaded or his absolute nonchalance about the situation

and due to the amount of shock all of you were in, you all followed megumi like little ducklings bcuz his casual nonchalance about it was concerning

he was slightly embarrassed but found it easier to just pretend the rest of you weren't there during his hunt for new boots

it was also quite nerve wracking for you all since yuji only buys things from walmart and though nobara has expensive taste, she knows how to budget while you stay away from all things worth more than rent out of fear of damaging anything and having to pay for it

so it was safe to assume that it looked liked a bunch of kindergarteners in a line following their chaperone during a school field trip — just a lot more quieter and careful which cannot be said for every outing much to megumi’s dismay

megumi didn't take that long before picking out a pair that he liked and began to pay for under three pairs of wide eyes due to the sole fact that he pulled out a black card in order to pay for it

"Don't worry, it's Gojo's."

that statement did not help the situation at all

it also caused the three of you to demand why he isn't spending that money on you all to which his reply is just a deadpan: 'you never asked.'

i feel like this also extends to his taste in food as well

like when you suggest to head to the food court in the mall since yuji was getting hungry; this man has the audacity to disaprove since he doesn't like the taste

now that reasoning isn't the problem, the problem is that he suggests to eat at some expensive ass place an hour away because he was craving it and it was one of the only places gojo introduced to him as a kid which he actually liked

though he was forced to toss the idea aside due to the fact that there was no way you all could split the bill that way and you all weren’t that patient enough to walk an hour all the way to a restaurant you couldn’t even afford

it’s not that megumi didn’t offer to pay, he did, nobara just didn’t like the feeling of having to owe someone

that is until Gojo stumbles across his students and decides to get them food at the same exact place megumi suggested

A/N: writing this made me hungry

[madkiska]

watching the entirety of jrwi: riptide again. here's some important things from the first few episodes that I feel we forgot (<110 mentions too though)

Jay

Had night terrors similar to those of Kubakinta's curse in episode 5, and they eventually start returning even after Loffinlot's curse is lifted ○ All of them were about her family and/or the navy ○ I simply think people leave her out of the nightmare stuff and she deserves it. Hurt her more, please (he said, lovingly)

was actually very upset at having to use her medal to get a Loffinlot rebellion to shut up ○ This could be because she didn't want them to guess she was a spy, but I choose to believe it's because she felt guilty

"If you're gonna be sailing with someone, you should have a good relationship with them. [nervous chuckle]." She says, while asking him for information about the Black Rose Pirates (ep. 10)

Said "thank god they didn't find me" after a nightmare about the navy attacking. Even when she was supposedly a spy, who one day would have to return to the navy ○ Very unclear if she was scared of her dad, or if it's because she was a secret spy so the navy would've just killed her

Rewatching, she was suspiciously into the plundering and gold and stuff. Like that was real sus. It doesn't fit her current character much

The only one among them who's gambled before

Chip

The entire thing literally starts off with Bizly holding a lit match

Called Gillion "Gill" and Jay "Sureshot" from an early stage

Was SO much more of a bastard. Lied to Gill constantly, didn't care about anything but the money, etc.

Had aggressive hand tremors alongside Jay's night terrors ○ Gill cures it with lay on hands

When he gets drunk married, they talk extensively about how he'd be released when he's dead. Welp.

They did actually break up and it was fine and they were still friends. They parted on good terms

Is really fucking good at chess ○ Beat Earl twice and Jay once. Jay had a point of exhaustion after a nightmare but Earl had no excuse ○ Lost to Gillion though, but only cause of prophetic screwup ○ This kid is smarter than he lets on, y'all

Was the first one to have a backstory dump while Jay is asking him about the Black Rose Pirates, yet still we know jack shit about his life before them other than "orphan"

Gill

Charlie has referred to Gillion with 'they' many times. I can pull receipts.

When describing Gill, Charlie said: "He's more.. elven, if you had to make a comparison. 'Cause I don't wanna be a fish guy". Oh, honey.

Smote a bald person by using his hair as a whip (ep. 4)

Was given anxiety and self-doubt alongside jay's night terrors and chip's tremors ○ "What do you want?" "I want the feeling of satisfaction I've been chasing my whole life." ○ This was episode FIVE.

First mention of the prophecy and how Gillion wasn't their ideal student is ep. 7, after he divine smites + prophetic screwups and deals like 60 damage to some beetles ○ Chip spends the next 30 seconds in gay awe

He refers to the crescent moon Niklaus tattoo as "my zodiac" (probably a bit) ○ It's not a lil basic white girl moon this thing is the entire size of his forearm

Gill had never heard about the Black Sea - it's unclear if the Undersea just don't know, or if that's just how sheltered he was (ep. 10)

Biz: "What would Gillion do. If he just had no goal - was just sitting there." "Gillion always has a goal." "Would his goal ever be to just.. Sit there?" "Absolutely not." ○ Later, Chip expresses that he doesn't know what Gillion likes. What he would want out of winning a bet. Gillion doesn't have an answer

Other

Apple, in a couple of early battles, acted like Gill's familiar (see: ep. 7)

They also pecked at his Niklaus tramp stamp and looked all confused at the idea of eating seeds

The specific crescent of the moon in the Niklaus tattoo is known as a symbol of "corruption" (ep. 9) and its antonym is the sun, for "life", similar to the yin and yang ○ Interesting to consider after what the tree said in 110 <_<

Pretzel has a masters degree in couple's therapy (ep. 10)

The Albatross/Millennium Chipper was described as the colour of rosewood or mahogany

Captain Lizzie's first introduction was a wanted poster, and Chip wanted to turn her in for the prize, then decided to try learn from her instead

Chip/Bizly called Old Man Earl "Erol" for a loooong time ○ Maybe it's an accent thing but I have an uncle called Erol and so this stands out to me

[maybe-boys-do-love]

Did y'all catch that episode 6 was all about the writing? It was so subtly but well done.

1.This episode was so much more dialogue heavy than others (especially if you compare it to episode 4 that focused on editing and therefore had whole wordless action and genre segments). Even the comedy gags (so glad Gun got to show off some of his physical comedy skills like with the water cooler lol) all have funny dialogue to go along with them that the show didn't have to add but they offered some good punchlines to go along with the action.

2.The notebook Pie holds up at the beginning telling Ryan he needs to fill the empty notebook by writing the rules of love for himself! Which then gets continually referenced in the episode (with on-screen text!) to give Ryan a structure to see and understand his feelings and actions through words.

3. A little detail, but still a fun reference is when the interns eat together and Pie asks someone to write down the order.

4. All the texts in this episode! It really puts into contrast what's being written and said (between Ba-Mhee and Tae) versus what actions are happening (between Ba-Mhee and Judy)--kind of like dialogue versus stage directions, but also like what the writers envision versus what happens during shooting.

5.All the signage in this episode! The room signs are actually how they would indicate the setting in the script, and I don't remember them featuring them this prominently in previous eps. Then the label on the cookies gives such clarity to a key prop, but also provides the perfect set-up for the mix-up that happens. Also really interesting to note all the signage is in English, versus the texts we saw being in Thai.

6. The discussion of honorifics! Honestly, the sexiest thing so far in the series lol. But also just shows you the kind of decisions that writers have to make and put into characters mouths to communicate dynamics, especially in a language, as @absolutebl points out, with so much variability in honorifics.

7. Ryan, notorious for taking time to process and verbalize, finally puts his feelings into words! (and of course that means someone else can hear it and know what he's feeling).

There are even more references to the writing process in the episode but those were some of the major ones I caught on first watch.

[picnokinesis]

Thoughts on Different Types of Representation in Doctor Who (and how fandom responds to it)

So I watched Rogue last night and - okay first, oh my days, absolutely ADORED it, this is definitely my favourite episode of this season, it was just so much FUN and it hooked me right from the start. And then the queerness! I was actually thinking to myself whilst watching it how wonderful it was because it felt like a queer story in a way that wasn't like, showboating about how progressive it was? [editorial aside: this is not comparing it to anything in particular, just a general observation]. The characters were just queer, within this wild and wonderful sci-fi story, but also their queerness wasn't the Only Character Trait they had and their story didn't resolve around their queerness, but their queerness was crucial to the plot in a way that was just lovely to see - and as a writer myself, it's personally the way I love to see our stories being told.

But then I made the mistake of going into the tag - always a foolish thing to do, because for some reason everyone loves to praise this era by criticising the previous era (as if it hasn't been criticised enough...like we know most of y'all hate Chris Chibnall for committing no worse crimes than Moffat and RTD before him...we know). And I found a couple of folks talking about how this episode alone did more for queer representation than the entirety of thirteen's era, whiiiiich at first really Peeved Me Off - like didn't these people understand how important Yaz's arc (especially Eve of the Daleks) was to a LOT of people? But then I was like 'well actually this is interesting', right? Because I think there's two very different kinds of representation going on here - and they're both very important in different ways, but one tends to get lauded as brilliant rep and one always gets put down as not good enough, or even bad rep. And what's the main difference? Whether the characters have a gay kiss or not.

So I just thought I'd share some of my thoughts and feelings on this, and why I think both these kinds of rep are equally important! To be clear from the get-go though - this is definitely not me ragging on anyone who likes more about one than the other (in fact, I think everyone likes one more than the other). This is merely a personal essay about it and the frustrations that comes when people in general do lift one up over the other. I'm gonna put it under the cut though, because it might get a bit long!

So, back when Eve of the Daleks aired, I remember having a lot of conversations about the representation in that episode - in particular with a very good friend of mine, who is a lesbian. And we realised that when it came to rep, we both actually wanted pretty different things. I'm aroace and genderfluid, and so a lot of what I saw in how thirteen was written - especially in terms of her gender (or lack thereof), and also her apparent lack of attraction (at least, in how I read it) was just incredibly affirming to me. I've never EVER seen a character on screen that I could see myself in both in terms of sexuality and gender. Whereas my friend saw things quite differently - thirteen was a lesbian, and they wanted to see that kiss between these two characters, because for them too, it was so rare to see that, and, in their words, they wanted to have their cake and eat it too. And we both realised that the reason that queer representation can feel so intense and important is, simply, because there isn't enough of it. We're all desperately reaching for the same small portion - and none of it is ever going to please everyone, or resonate with everyone. The stakes are too high.

So then, when there wasn't this dramatic romantic ending to Yaz's story, when there was no queer kiss, I was very sad for my friend, who didn't get that representation, but so painfully relieved for myself - because I got mine. So then it sucked a lot to see a lot of people getting really angry that this wasn't queer representation, that this was even homophobic - I even had someone tell me that aromantic representation in this regard was always going to be homophobic, because no-one would ever write it to be aro rep, and would instead only ever write it to avoid writing a gay kiss. And the thing that got me the most was that, REGARDLESS of whether they kissed or not, regardless of how you read either of the characters, there was one thing that was certain:

Yaz was queer. In text. Her emotional plotline centred around her realising that she was attracted to the Doctor (who was presenting as a woman - although, again, I don't think she really identified as such). The fact that she and the Doctor didn't get together by the end does not erase that fact.

They didn't kiss - but so what? Are queer people only queer when they're kissing someone of the same gender, or having gay sex? Are queer people not queer in their day to day lives, when they're not doing any of those things? Are queer people not queer when they're not dating? Are queer people not queer when they're trans, when they're ace, when they're aro, when their queerness doesn't resolve around attraction to the same gender?

And, to be honest, I think a lot of my feelings around this stem from the sort of exclusionist rhetoric that we saw a LOT of towards the ace/aro community back in 2012 that we still see now, that we're seeing towards the trans community now, that we're still seeing towards bi people, for pete's sake. It's this in-community infighting, pushing each other down to try and get up to the top, to keep all the "resources" for "the people who really need it", and it causes a serious amount of harm - but the truth is (and to bring this back to doctor who) that it all comes back to what me and my friend were discussing. We're all scared, all desperate to be seen - and when we are seen, it's the most incredible experience and the idea of losing that (or having someone else undermine it) feels inexpressibly awful. Having the thirteenth doctor...I suddenly realised this is what all the straight cis white dudes get all the time. She was like me, and that was indescribable. And then losing her - and having RTD not even be able to have a man wear her clothes because he was too worried about what the tabloids would say to be able to show a gnc person on tv...and then constantly described her as The Woman Doctor for the next entire episode - that hurt. A lot.

I've spoken to other friends who felt so seen in the character of Yaz - those people who realised they were queer later in life, those who fall in love with people and it doesn't end up going anywhere, those who don't get the whirlwind queer romances that people often call 'good representation'. Myself and many of my aspec friends have felt so seen in thirteen's almost entirely romance-less arc, and myself and my trans/genderqueer friends felt very seen in the way that thirteen's character would have been exactly the same if she'd been a man - the only difference was how the other characters around her interacted with her. Gender was something that happened to her. And when I watch episodes like Rogue, even though I don't relate to that representation, I just feel overwhelmed with joy because I know how important it will be to others that I care about. I think my sadness then comes from the fact that the way Thirteen and Yaz were written are just as important to me and many people that I know, but because they didn't kiss, it's not considered queer enough. Am I not queer enough, then? Are my friends not queer enough?

We need more episodes like Rogue, like The Parting of Ways, like Praxeus, like The Doctor Falls, because they are unquestionably and unapologetically queer, in a way that can't be avoided. We also need more episodes like Eve of the Daleks, like The Haunting of the Villa Diodati, like the rest of thirteen's era where the representation is an undercurrent throughout the whole story - but also undeniable, in a way that Yaz's story arc is, even if it doesn't end in a kiss, even if it doesn't end neatly and happily. Personally, I definitely would love to see more stories focused on aromanticism and on transness (especially ones that are written by trans people for trans people, rather than by cis people for cis people), but that's probably going to be down to people like me and other writers that I know actually getting into the script writing industry - and that depends on the people who are already there letting us in. One thing that I've always appreciated about Chibnall is that, after leaving Doctor Who, he began a programme for training up new showrunners with ITV, because: "showrunners are the gatekeepers and too many of the gatekeepers look like me."

Anyway, I probably have more thoughts that I've forgotten, but that's generally the gist of it. I think the more we fight over whether rep is 'good' or 'bad', relating to whether we see ourselves in it or not (rather than 'is this genuinely harmful or unhelpful', which I think is a more crucial question) the more the waters get muddied. We have different needs and wants, and no single episode is going to represent every facet of our community. But each episode, each story like this is a step in the right direction - and even rep that isn't perfect (I have thoughts about The Star Beast, for example) is still extremely positive and important, and definitely something that should be celebrated, even as we keep looking to the future for what we would like to see done differently, done better. And some day, I hope, there'll be so much queer rep, it'll be so normal, that those stakes won't feel so high anymore. It won't feel like everything hangs on how a certain show or storyline or episode is written. We'll all be seen. And that will be absolutely fantastic.

[sehyunie23]

Pout - Chaewon

Y/n POV

"Damn, Chaewon is breathing quite heavily there," I said as I look from afar as Chaewon and the host of the show 'Fearless Kkura' Sakura filming along with the animals we don't see every day.

"I kinda feel like she is not breathing anymore," Noona said as I look at Chaewon who froze as the man who takes care of the reptiles put the snake on her arm.

I snickered at Noona just being the savage manager she is. Chaewon's manager has just nothing on her list to be scared of, but the girl she is managing has a lot on her list.

"Say, today's episode is about reptiles right?" I asked and Noona hummed in response.

"Yes, why? Want to get scales and poison?" Noona asked.

"Sheesh, calm your nerves down noona. I think I know why Chaewon is getting bratty these days," I said and noona just looked at me with a death glare.

"Shut up kid. See that snake? I think it needs a year's worth of food," I can feel the venom in noona's words as she gives me shivers.

"Damn, I'm sorry ok?" I just stopped as my thinking said that noona is not in a great mood today.

"Good to see that you know that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed kid," Noona said and crossed her arms.

I just chuckled and thanked my thoughts for preventing a disaster with Chaewon's manager.

"20 Minutes break everyone!" The producer of the show shouted granting a smile from the two members of Le Sserafim.

The two girls skips their way in my direction and Sakura went to her manager while Chaewon

"Y/nnie!"

Went to me, crushing me in her big hug.

"Chaechae, how is the filming so far?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around her small frame.

"It was scary! It was my first time seeing those types of animals," Chaewon said in a shaky voice.

"Don't worry Chae, at least you faced your fears right?" I said to brighten her mood.

"I mean yeah? I did face my fears," Chaewon muttered in realization.

"Well, you are already fearless. I mean you are already Fearless since you sang your debut song," I joked which made Chaewon punch my side softly.

"Aish, are you old? Stop making jokes like that ahjussi," Chaewon said and parted herself from me. I then see her smirking as I rolled my eyes.

"Shut it radish! Don't call me an-," I was about to answer Chaewon when my phone rang.

I excused myself and I accepted the call. The person who was calling me was Eunchae, Le Sserafim's youngest member.

°

--- call ---

"Oppa! Music Bank duties!"

"Is it time already?"

"Yup! Stop being lovey-dovey with Chaewon unnie! Look at me, a child who is working hard but being neglected by her manager. Huhuhu~,"

"Aigoo, look at you being overdramatic again,"

"Bleh~ you can't stop me. I can't stop me, can't stop me. Oh woah oh woah,"

"Singing to your sunbaenim's song, alrighty. Oh my, what did you eat!? You are energetic today,"

"For breakfast? Eggs and bacon! Also, it's tasty! The company canteen now knows how to season their food. Let's celebrate!"

"Yah! *Laugh* You are so savage. Ok, I will pick you up in a jiffy alright?"

"Ne oppa~ see you!"

--- call end ---

°

I put my phone in my pocket and suddenly, an arm wraps around me. Looking at the person, a radish girl buries her head into my arm.

"Sup Chae," I said and stroked her hair.

"Who called?" Chaewon asked.

"Our maknae calling me to fetch her and bring her to her job," I said and Chaewon looked at me with her fluffy cheeks.

"Oh right, Music Bank," Chaewon said as I nod.

"Yep, got that one right. Anyways, see you later love," I said and pecked Chaewon's lips.

"Are you going to the dorms later?" Chaewon asked me.

"Yep, I think I will also bring y'all dinner," I said and grabbed my coat.

"Ok then, bye Y/nnie~," Chaewon said and waved.

"Love you too cheese ball," I said and left the building to get back to my managerial duties.

________________

Y/n POV

The filming of Music Bank is now over and as always, Eunchae is looking cute as ever. As I am outside of Eunchae's room, a girl ran into me and greeted me.

"Hey hey hey," Bae from Nmixx greeted me.

"Would you look at that, it's the Bae Jinsol~," I said as Bae just giggled at me.

"How are you cousin?" I asked and Bae just shrugged.

"Nothing new, going in promotions," Bae answered.

"Love me like this huh?" I said.

"Yup! Say, you want to dance?" Bae suddenly said which made me flinch.

"Oh hell nah! The song of y'all is good, no question about that, but me? Dancing? No thank you," I said which made Bae giggle.

"Geez, no need to be aggressive Y/n-ah," Bae laughed at me as I scoff at the girl.

"Yeah laugh all you want, anyways, where are your members?" I asked and Bae just shrugged again.

"In our room," Bae said.

"And you're here because?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Because you said you are managing Eunchae and she is the host of this show. Figures that you are here so here we are!" Bae said to which I nodded.

"Well okay," I just answered.

"Now that's that, you want some tea?" Bae asked.

"Shoot. I want some topics," I said.

"Did you know that our Sullyoon has a crush on you?" Bae said which made me choke on my saliva.

"*cough* Yah! How is that a tea?" I asked.

"Dunno, just want to say that to you," Bae said which made me sigh.

"Yah, you know that I'm dating Chaewon right? Tell her that friends would be okay. I have the love of my life," I said to Bae.

"Gosh, you are such a wimp for love cousin, anyways message relayed! I will go now!" Bae said.

"Alright! Come here," I said and Bae and I hugged shortly.

"Good luck with your group okay?" I said.

"Yep! Bye Y/n-ah!" Bae said as she walks away.

I just looked at her and suddenly, the door to Eunchae's room unlocked and a potato girl pops her head out.

"Who you talking to oppa?" Eunchae asked.

"Bae," I answered and Eunchae nodded.

"Your cousin right?" Eunchae asked and again, I nodded.

"Yup! Are you finished changing?" My turn to ask her and she nodded.

"It's all in the bag oppa!" Eunchae said with her hyper energy.

"Then cool. What do you want for dinner?"

_________________

Y/n POV

Right now, the girls and I are huddled inside their dorm, around the variety of food that I bought them. The girls are casually munching while I'm looking at my laptop to arrange paperwork.

Just as I thought that the girls will mind their own business eating, a certain radish was looking at me while chewing kimchi inside her mouth.

Looking at my laptop, I felt a tap making me look at the one who grabbed my attention and suddenly, an egg roll is on par with my mouth.

"What is it, Chae?" I asked and Chaewon just moved the chopsticks in front of my face.

"Eat," Chaewon said.

I opened my mouth and let the savory taste of the egg cover my taste buds. I hummed and looked at Chaewon whose smile is getting bigger as seconds pass by.

"Is it delicious?" Chaewon asked as she begins to poke my inflated cheeks.

I nodded and Chaewon giggled and continued to eat with occasionally feeding me.

I just let her be as I know that Chaewon was just looking for me, one thing about Chaewon is, she is thoughtful of the people she loves.

Also, fighting Chaewon is a big no-no. She can be lovely and cute with her smile, but it's the opposite when she is angry.

The girls finished their food and now, they are just talking about random things, until Eunchae tells something for the group.

"Chaewon unnie," Eunchae called her unnie as Chaewon looked at the younger girl happily.

"Yes, Manchae? What is it?" Chaewon answered.

"Did you know that Sullyoon unnie has a crush on Y/n?" Eunchae said which made me widen my eyes at the cheeky maknae.

"Sullyoon? Where did you get that?" Chaewon asked.

"I heard Y/n oppa and Bae unnie talking," Eunchae grinned at me.

"Don't be nosy maknae," Chaewon said to Eunchae before looking at me.

"And you mister! Don't dare to love another girl besides me. Got it?" Chaewon said as I put my laptop aside and scooted closer to the girl.

"Got it, Chae got it," I giggled as Chaewon leans her head on my shoulder.

"So that's how Chaewon unnie gets jealous," Kazuha suddenly said

"You have only seen it once Zuha, wait for more," Kkura noona warned the younger girl which made me laugh.

"Are you all seriously going to talk about me? I'm here," Chaewon said.

"Nah~ we won't stop," Yunjin said in her mighty loud voice.

"Yah yah yah. I'm the leader and-,"

"You should listen to me blah blah," Kkura noona cuts Chaewon which made me giggle inside.

As I'm hugging Chaewon, I can feel her fists shaking up making me chuckle a little more.

"Don't be angry babe, I'm here," I whispered to Chaewon which seems to work as she begins to calm down.

I pecked Chaewon's fluffy cheeks as she snuggled at me.

"What do you think about Sullyoon then Y/n?" Yunjin asked.

"Sullyoon? Well, I think she's nice and friendly. That's about it," I said and Chaewon looked at me sternly this time.

"So is she cute?" Chaewon asked me.

"What?"

"Is. She. Cute?" Chaewon asked again.

"Yes?" I said nervously.

"Dumb ways to die~," Kkura noona sang as I glare at the older girl.

"So many dumb ways to die~," Yunjin followed while stifling her laugh.

I glared at them and then looked at my girlfriend who is already pouting at me.

"Hey hey, I was just telling about Sullyoon being cute alright? That doesn't mean that I like her the same way I love you," I said and Chaewon nodded and buried her head into my chest.

I caressed the back of Chaewon's head and the other girls in the room just silently laughed at me as I squinted my eyes at them.

"You will not leave me right?" Chaewon muttered in our hug.

"Of course baby. You are precious to me and you will be my forever," I said to Chaewon making the girl squeal.

The other girls begin to gawk at Chaewon and me, making my eyes roll at them but suddenly, Chaewon freed herself from my hug.

"I'm keeping this anger of mine but thanks to Y/n, I'm calm. Now let your leader-nim punish you all. Shall we start?" Chaewon sad and suddenly, the other members shuffled and left the room immediately.

I engulf Chaewon in a big hug again to restrain the angered radish girl, to calm her down, again.

But it seems like Chaewon has superhuman strength today as she pecked my lips and went to chase her members.

I just shook my head and stifled a laugh.

Sighing, I stand up and dusted my clothes and as soon as I opened the door, squealing and screaming greeted me as Chaewon hunts them like a prey.

Going to Chaewon, I dragged her to her room making the other Fimmies celebrate.

Making her seat on her bed, Chaewon pouted and again, her squishy cheeks is seen again.

Sitting beside her, Chaewon leaned her head to my shoulder, but I faced her and gives her kisses, making her giggle cutely.

"Calm down babe," I said and giggled and Chaewon just smiles widely and lay down on the softness of her bed.

I soon followed her actions and immediately, Chaewon latched at me making me hum as she snuggle.

Staying in our position, a few minutes later, a soft snore can be heard and I looked at my Chaewon knocked out in a wind. Giggling at Chaewon, I then caressed her cheeks and soon, following her to dreamland.

______________________________

[dragons-hoard-of-fandoms]

(Murder Drones Episode 8 spoilers!)

Space. The final frontier.

Poor robo-roaches always getting tossed around and killed.

They just left Braiden and Rebecca's corpses there??

Honestly the Teacher is such a mood, I can't believe I never realized it before.

Solvedcalculus reference???

Nori you can't say that this is a Christian Minecraft server.

It's amazing how they're able to make her still convey emotions when she's only got one eye.

YES HE SAVED HER BUT ALSO WOW THAT WAS FAST

Well she did tell you to "Die Mad" about it, so...

Kiss. Kiss! KISS! KISS!! KISS!!! KISS!!!! KISS!!!!!

New cute date idea: Skydiving from space and burning up in the atmosphere together <3

THEY ARE DATING THEY ARE CANONICALLY DATING!!!!!!!!!!

Why no kiss tho :(

Dang it, that was Thad's only good pipe.

V IS ALIVE AND SHE RODE IN ON A SENTINEL I THOUGHT WE WERE JUST JOKING ABOUT THAT

AND IT HAS A LITTLE COWBOY HAT

SHE WAS LIZZY'S SECRET FRIEND AND SHE DID THAT ONE MEME

No!! Bad dingo!!! We do not eat our friends!!!

IT'S DOING THE WALL-E FIRE EXTINGUISHER THING

So did J know the whole time or was she kept in the dark at first and only recently found out? Not entirely clear on that.

You really think it's not gonna dispose of you once all the universe is dead?

V SAID BITE ME

I was fully expecting her to chuck N into the core for a second there. But TBH I don't think continuing to destroy the planet is gonna fix it.

THEY'RE SO CRINGE IN A COOL WAY I LOVE THESE STUPID DORKS

THE CAPTIONS SAY SOLVER CONFIRMED THAT IS NOT CYN

"Okey."

STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP

Y'know J thinks pretty highly of herself for someone who's literally never killed a single person on-screen in the entire time that this show has existed.

Huh, I guess those theories about Uzi not having a core icon were wrong.

You get a panic attack! You get a panic attack! EVERYBODY GETS A PANIC ATTACK!

Wait which part of this is the trap?

FREAKIN EXCUSE YOU DID YOU NOT HEAR WHAT I JUST TOLD NORI THIS IS A CHRISTIAN MINECRAFT SERVER THERE WILL BE NO SWEARING

Uzi is not beating the bisexual allegations.

SHE IS CANONICALLY CRINGE AND FREE

Nori I don't think most people call their daughters "babe."

"...'Kay."

Playing Nightcore during a final battle is the most anime thing ever.

And the J abuse continues.

*teleports behind you* Nothin personnel, kid.

Okay bye J, thanks for literally nothing.

SECRET HANDSHAKE N YOU'RE SUCH A DORK

o7

THEY'RE SO STUPID I LOVE THEM

YOU STOPPED TIME???

SHE LITERALLY ATE A BLACK HOLE???

😦

Thad is confirmed the coolest dude on Copper 9.

Sorry y'all, Khori divorce real.

Man Teacher don't wanna deal with none of this, same TBH.

Everybody gangsta til the cowboy robot dinosaurs start driving buses

THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH!!!!!

Nah you're not damaged you're just autistic and edgy.

Polyclue shippers low-key getting fed tho.

HE'S BEING SUPPORTIVE AND TEACHER STILL DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH THIS

HE CALLED HER HIS GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!

My heart goes out to all the Doll fans, y'all got done dirty. 😔

He's learning how to draw anime!!! His art is getting so good!!!

He finally got to play rummy with the WDF!

They're gonna passionately make love on that bed later.

Wow what did Rachel ever do to you. Also who's Rachel.

THE NUZI-VIZZY DOUBLE DATE FEATURING DINGO AS THE FIFTH WHEEL

THAT'S THE REAL CYN YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME THAT ISN'T THE REAL CYN FINALLY FREE OF THE SOLVER AND LIVING IN UZI'S TAIL UNTIL THEY CAN MAKE A NEW BODY FOR HER

IN YOUR FACE EVERYBODY WHO SAID LIAM DOESN'T LIKE HAPPY ENDINGS!!!!

[tinkerleaf]

Beach Day with the ADA :)

Since Bungou Stray Dogs doesn't have a 'beach episode', I thought I'd make one myself with the reader. If y'all would like a separate one without the reader, let me know. :) Genre: fluff, comfort? Warnings: probably a few gramatical errors Pairings: platonic everyone, a little extra bit of dazai Words: 880 ish

⊹₊⋆☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆☁︎⋆₊ ⊹

It had been a rather tiresome week at the agency, so when Fukuzawa offered to let you all have a day off, you were ecstatic. It was Atsushi’s idea to do something together as a group, which prompted some interesting ideas. After Dazai suggested bar hopping, he received a harsh smack from Kunikida.

After looking at the forecast on your phone, you had an idea. “Why don’t we go to the beach? It’s not too far away. It’s close enough for a day trip." And with that, the decision had been made.

Kunikida opted to drive, with you in the passenger seat. He agreed to come along only if Dazai was in the other car (thankfully not driving) with Kyoka, Atsushi, and the Tanizaki siblings. He figured if this was going to be his day off, he should at least get some form of stress relief.

After a stop at the convenience store for snacks and sunscreen, everyone finally arrived at the beach. You got out of the car and helped everyone unload before heading out. The weather was phenomenal and the water was the perfect temperature. The waves were calm enough to relax in the ocean and the sand was incredibly soft.

It was around noon, and you had finally blown up your little ring float to bring into the water with you.

“Aww, can’t swim?” Dazai teased.

“Actually, I can swim just fine.” You playfully flicked him on the shoulder. “Just wanted to ride the waves a bit while they’re smooth.”

He paused. “Well, since you can swim…” He picked you up before you realized what he was doing and ran toward the water.

“No, no! Put me down!” you pleaded. He started to throw you in, but you clutched onto his arms. “You’re coming with me!” You both fell into the salty water. Laughter came from the rest of the gang, except for Kunikida who merely sighed a you two.

“Don’t think we won’t come for you next!”

You ran after Yosano, and Dazai caught Jun’ichiro. Not long after that, everyone had been submerged at least once, sparing Kunikida for their own safety. He had been sitting in a chair underneath one of the umbrellas trying to read a book. He looked over to find Ranpo eating snacks. “You know you have to save some of those for everyone else, right?”

He stopped chewing, “Hm?”

-

Atsushi and Kyoka were building a sandcastle together. They were fixing up the moat before filling it up with water.

“It looks great! Now we can collect some shells to decorate!” The boy offered.

“Can we use this?” She held up a big crab that was desperately trying to get away.

He made a face. “…Sure!”

The girl placed the crab on top. However, it jumped off and skittered away into the sand. “Well, there goes that.”

-

The Tanizaki siblings were playing volleyball. Naomi was winning by one point.

“Hey! Anyone wanna play with us?” She called out to everyone.

“Me!” Yosano jogged over to them along with Kenji.

-

You had been in your swim tube, floating with the waves while Dazai held onto it, keeping you from drifting too far. “This was a good idea. I have to admit, this is quite refreshing.”

“I know, right? I couldn’t think of a better way to spend our day off.” You squinted at his pink nose. “I think you need a little more sunscreen.”

He shrugged, “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, but if you’re burnt to a crisp tomorrow, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He laughed at your remark before flipping you into the water. You popped you head up.

“What was that for?”

“If I leave you here to put on more sunscreen, you’ll float away! You must come with me.”

“You’re so dramatic.” You walked with him back to where the group had settled. Kunikida was still buried in his book. You had grabbed the last bag of chips from Ranpo.

“You havin’ fun?” Dazai asked his partner.

The blonde put a single finger towards him, “Don’t.”

“Oh, come on. I haven’t even done anything-”

“Yet.”

You chuckled at the two, “Why don’t we go play volleyball with the others?” Dazai nodded.

-

After hours of playing in the sun, you all had decided that it was time to go back. Everyone mentioned they were hungry, so you found yourselves at a restaurant nearby. It was a great way to end the day before heading back to the agency. You were satisfied with your food as you listened to everybody talk. The restaurant was cozy and warm, and you were getting tired. After leaning back against the back of the chair, you slowly nodded off.

You felt someone tap your shoulder. “Hey! It’s time to go!” Kenji whispered. “We’re leaving!”

“Hmm? Oh-” You quickly woke up and went with the crew back to the vehicles outside.

You couldn’t remember the ride back since you were out like a light. Thankfully, the loud ones were in the other car, allowing you to get some sleep. There may or may not be a photo floating around of your face squished against the window. Dazai sent it to you the next morning, along with the other pictures taken the day before.

"Which one of you took that?"

"Not telling!" It was him.

[thunder-point]

Long ramble ahead

I've talked a bit about some things I liked, and mostly qotey, but I mentioned already that I adore phumpeem also, and this episode just spurred my love for their dynamic even more BECAUSE

THIS REACTION???????

THIS ONE AS WELL???

HOLD UP SOMEONE HOLD ME SOMEONE HOLD PHUM'S UNSTABLE ASS

For the love of everything on this planet I LOVED LIVED BREATHED FOR IT.

Not only because I adored how positive it was on both ends, but because of the differences and the genuine quality it gave me. The kiss was absolutely delightful, once again pondphuwin just delivered on that aspect, as they did throughout the entirely of Never Let Me Go.

BUT LISTEN Y'ALL

I just????? Fucking love???? HOW DIFFERENT PHUM AND PEEM EXPRESS THEIR LIKE TOWARDS EAC H OTHER

First of all I don't know how others feel about phum's character. Personally, I enjoy it very much. He has very visible flaws, emotional constipation in some aspects, but those in some way give way for other moments that just express how free he is with his feelings.

Because he likes Peem, and this episode he expressed it so openly that it gave me LIFE.

We don't know much about Phum yet, but he seems to have a complicated relationship with his parents. It gives the feelings that he lacked the affection he needed in the past. That, of course, leads to the attitude of seeking it so selfishly like he does with Peem.

And it's enjoyable to watch. He's a needy asshole, he's arrogant and he's attractive and he's attracted to Peem and he doesn't let ANY chance slip to get that attention that he wants. And even if it started in a rough way in the beginning, I genuinely think it's mostly because, for the most part, some people who never really had the attention they needed resort to getting it in very obnoxious manners later on. Phum is doing exactly that.

There are many things to talk about when it comes to Phum, and I hope that as the series goes on we get more from him, and good things while we are at it, but I just love how his crush developed. I loved that as soon as he realized he truly fucked up, he apologized THREE times, I love how remorseful he's looking in episode 6 when Peem's ruined painting is mentioned.

And I absolutely love how blunt he is with his feelings for Peem. He doesn't waste any time in episode 6. Not even caring if his friends catch on, if Peem's friends catch on. My man Phum is on a mission and he is RELENTLESS.

I think it gives me so much joy because they could have totally made a character like Phum, who is prideful and stubborn, hide his feelings behind teasing and this 'you are my slave' act that he puts forward. But instead, we got the softest smiles from him after the kiss. We got him coming into the art gallery TO TAKE PICTURES, TO START A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.

We got him calling Peem adorable and pleading Peem to draw on a cup with him. He just wants LOVE. He wants it and as soon as he saw Peem reciprocated in some way it's like it exploded from him. And there's so much to say about it. God.

But Peem? Listen, I love it even more on Peem's side.

Not only did this man INITIATE THE FIRST KISS, the way he's processing these emotions are so funny AND SO REAL.

I loved it from the very beginning that we see that Peem is attracted by Phum as much as he's incensed with him. He admitted it - Phum is handsome, but he's an asshole. And that's real. As someone who fell for a person who I bickered with a lot at first, I had such joy watching Peem's way through his bond with Phum and how it developed.

Because Phum has his bad sides, and he seems to bring them up around Peem for that attentions and reactions it gets him, but when Phum goes soft? That's when his attractiveness and his personality clash in a way that seems to make Peem WEAK.

"You're so demanding, Peem," said softly had Peem BY THE THROAT. And I felt that.

Phum apologizing so softly, Phum eating Peem's atrocious cooking. Peem? Absolutely GONE for it. And that's certainly such a rushing feeling to have. Peem is clearly not experienced with relationships, and that just makes the fact that he initiated the kiss SO MUCH BETTER.

Because we know that he's not scared of showing his emotions. Even if he's a people pleaser, he's not a pushover. He kicked Phum's balls back into his goddamn body as soon as he had the chance. HE THREW A CHANCLA AT HIM.

Him going for the kiss when he felt the need to MAKES SENSE. it's wonderful.

And don't get me started on how often my man seemed to fantasize back to those soft moments with Phum. Don't get me started ON HIS CONVERSATION WITH Q this episode about affection and relationships and FUCK. Don't get me started on his gay panicked ass.

that's a ramble for another post. I feel like this is already too long and too incoherent. I jumped from so many topics but I have so many feelings for these two. As many as I have for Qtoey.

[onyour-right]

First things first, I'm gonna need Gen V to never fucking do that again. How dare they release such a good episode and only have it be 34 minutes??? Is it a fucking sitcom??? They do that again and we WILL have problems.

Now, Cate. I done told y'all she was the mole and now look. I mean do I still love her? Absolutely. Do I think she is a victim of Dean Shetty's manipulations? 100%. Do I believe she thought she was protecting her friends? Yup. But do I also think Andre was right somewhat in what he said? Yeah, kinda do. Listen, with all the good intentions in the world the fact that she repeatedly made Luke forget about his baby brother when she knew the type of turmoil it was causing in him is twisted. The same way she was going to confess to Andre before the text came is the same way she should have confessed to Luke. Granted I think the reason she was even going to confess to Andre was because of how wrong things were going. But still, she ain't right for that..

So, I see three possible avenues they might take with her: first, kill her off at the end of the season in order to redeem herself to her friends; second, she could become an antagonist to the group (tho this is less likely); or third, she may act as a double agent and spy back on shetty so they can find out what's really going on..

Jordan Li. My beloved. My baby boy/baby girl. I can understand why they thought Marie couldn't accept both sides of them and I'm so glad they explored a bit more into their character's history. But baby, Marie wants to love on you no matter what your gender so just let her!!! At least they got to a point where they realised they were being unfair to Marie over the whole situation though, so hopefully episode 6 will have them talking about it properly. Alsooooo, Jordan getting pissed when Marie's brain was tampered with again? Good fucking food. Jordan moving closer to Marie at Cate's reveal? I was eating that shit upppp. Jordan this whole episode was kinda unhinged and you know what? I wanna see more, please and thank you!!!

Alsoooo, can we talk real quick about Jordan's conversation with Andre and Cate because I cannot have been the only one who was straight dyingggg through it. "is it a black thing?" "...oh my God!!!". The way Jordan didnt even dismiss the fact that him and Marie made a good couple too. Likeeeee. C'monnnnn.

Marie, my sweet girl. Once she finds out the true extent of her powers its over for everyoneeeee; she's gonna fuck everyone up and I personally will be cheering her on at the sidelines!! Slightly worried though because 1) who is her benefactor?? and 2) what if they are able to capture her somehow??? She is yet to go unhinged and I would like to see it, especially if it's in relation to something happening to Jordan.

Emma and Sam. I mean you know its real when one half of the pairing's mind has been wiped and still there is an undeniable connection between them.The fact that Sam went out of his way to find Emma after all the shit that went down??? Ooof, I'm living for itttt. The fact that even though Emma hadn't gotten back her memories she still believed him? Don't make me cryyyyy. I loved how Emma realised how wrong her mother was about her "getting big" & how she's beginning to carve out who she wants to be for herself. Also, her and Marie's friendship is honestly just goals.

Also, lowkey everyone should have just let Sam kill that Dr Cardosa because he's gonna bring big problemssss I fear, and on that note they should have him kill Dean Shetty too because ole girl needs to skedaddle her way out (although the person who takes her place could be even worse, so idk about that yet)

Also, someone please give Andre a hug that boy needs it. Seeing him unhinged tho?? Ooofffffff 10/10.

[wordsinhaled]

hope y'all are ready for another unhinged merlin post, friends

okay, because we always talk about how much merlin does to help and save arthur, and how drawn he is to him. but can we talk about how from the very beginning arthur has been indignant and ready to put himself in harm's way at the thought of harm coming to merlin??? i am at the beginning of my rewatch so i'm focusing mostly on the early eps, so -

in the THIRD episode, when merlin tries to turn himself in as a sorcerer - arthur (visibly distressed) covers for him immediately - not just because he thinks merlin couldn't possibly have magic, but because he knows merlin will be killed in gwen's stead

in the FOURTH episode - he'd rather drink from the poisoned chalice himself than have merlin drink it - an unheard of level of risk for someone to take for their manservant in camelot's society

like??? can we talk about how arthur's first thought the moment merlin is poisoned is, "sounds like fun, i'll brave a journey that'll put me in mortal peril for someone i've only known for a few months, at the longest"? can we talk about how he disobeys uther directly and sets out on his own, knowing that it could end to his own death? can we talk about how he and merlin are fucking psychically connected?

can we talk about how their interwoven destiny is known and used against both of them from the very beginning???

i want to talk too about uther's complete lack of understanding of how important merlin is to arthur. he just doesn't understand why arthur is so distressed, why he's willing to risk his life, why he's willing to sacrifice himself to save merlin. and arthur says it's because that's not the kind of king he would want to be. he says it's because he wants to be the kind of ruler who wouldn't discount a "mere" servant's life. he says that merlin saved his life, so of course he'd want to do the same for him. and of course, this is true - arthur is noble, and good-hearted, and he does the right thing even when it contravenes what his father would do or wants him to do

but like... there's the part where he genuinely cares for merlin, specifically - not just for a life debt owed, not just on the principle that a servant's life is equal to a lord's or a king's. merlin, specifically. it can be seen in the way he immediately rushes to protect merlin or to deflect attention away from him whenever merlin makes a scene in public at court that puts him at risk. in his visible worry when merlin drinks from the poisoned chalice. in the way he rushes to merlin's side after he collapses, and frets over him while gaius checks him over

and most of all (in this particular episode), it can be seen during the scene at the end - the scene shot over merlin's shoulder, where you see arthur entering gaius' chambers from behind merlin - and the relief that fills his face when he sees that merlin is up and eating, that's not prince arthur, or obnoxious lordling arthur; that's just arthur at his most genuine, with no posturing, when no one is paying attention to him. the way he takes a second before he schools himself to start up his usual banter with merlin, playing the taskmaster prince again, minimizing the risk he took for merlin's sake. but the way that persona falls again, and he tells merlin that he came to see if he was alright. tells merlin to get some rest

it's about merlin, specifically, and what he has come to mean to arthur. not just the life of any manservant, but merlin's life, merlin's importance to him

i also have a broader tangent about the relationship between uther and arthur & uther + homophobia, and how arthur's dynamic with merlin plays into it. "he's just a boy," uther tells morgana in this episode, and she counters, "have you seen your son lately?" and i think the trouble is uther has seen arthur lately, and he's not comfortable with what he sees. he doesn't understand arthur's closeness and attachment to merlin, and i'd argue that he's noticing his son's queerness and trying to stamp it out of him/trying to denial his way out of dealing with it directly. uther fits the mold of the toxically masculine/authoritarian father who sees the queerness in his child and responds by becoming even more cruelly authoritarian

as for arthur - arthur's been told since birth that he's crown prince, that he'll need to rule camelot, and produce his own heir to continue the line of camelot, and i would argue that arthur's need to prove himself, his bravado, his deep-seated need for his father's approval comes from the pressure also of knowing in his core that he doesn't measure up to what his father wants for him - he's kinder, yes, and more just - but also softer at heart, and queer in ways that aren't permitted for his time or station or for what he knows are his responsibilities as a future monarch. it comes to the fore whenever his connection to merlin hangs in the balance, when we're able to see arthur in unguarded moments when he can be his unadulterated self

i think we talk often about how merlin is drawn to arthur, and also i think it's very clear to see how merlin's magic is allegorical for queerness/closetedness, but my favorite to explore is how arthur gravitates towards merlin, and arthur's queerness, and it's especially apparent in these early episodes

and tl;dr basically merthur is WILD and i will never be normal about them even in the year of our lord 2023

[shittyassffblog]

Free Bird - Part 2

Y'all are so nice I might actually cry! here's part 2 for you babes <3 hope you like it! <3

p.s. those who commented, you're so nice!!! this is a secondary blog so I can't reply to them but I love you!!! I'm gonna tag you guys so you see it <3

@veronicaphoenix @des-si-re @seungcheol17daddy

Warnings: p in v sex, use of Y/N, oral both male and female

You sighed deep, a feeling of sadness weighed heavy in your chest as you reached for your phone on the bedside table. It was 11:22 and you groaned. You considered texting Noah where he was or if you guys were okay, but decided against it and opened tiktok.

You had been swiping for about 5 minutes when suddenly your door opened and Noah came into your room with a plate full of pancakes.

“Morning sleepyhead.” He said smiling as he set down the plate on your desk, pulling the syrup and two forks out of his pockets. You sat up, making sure you pulled the blanket up to cover your chest.

“M-morning.” You said, your voice cracking a little from the sleepy condition. He looked at you a little funny.

“Whats wrong?” He asked, sitting down on the bed next to you. You avoided his eyes. He nudged you and made a humming noise to urge you to tell him.

“I thought you had left.” You said almost a whisper, looking down into your lap.

“Why would I do that?” Noah asked and you shrugged.

“Did you think I would just fuck you and leave?” He asked and you shrugged again. You felt a sense of relief that he was still here, but you felt bad that you had thought that about him.

“I guess I was just feeling a little sad about the thought that you might not be here or maybe if you regretted what we did or something.” You said, trailing off as you reached the end of your sentence. You heard him sigh.

"I don't regret it, do you?" He asked and you shook your head, still not meeting his eyes, but smiling.

"Good. Now can we eat the pancakes I just spent 40 minutes making for you?" He asked and you looked at him and smiled while nodding with your whole body.

You sat in your bed enjoying the pancakes in silence as you watched whatever anime Noah was obsessed with lately. After about an hour, both your plates discarded on the floor, you found yourself looking between the screen and Noahs hand. The episode you were watching ended and you decided to go pee. You were still not wearing anything under the covers so you were looking around to try and find a shirt to wear. The closest to you was Noahs hoodie so you put it on, trying as hard as you could to do it without flashing yourself.

"You're trying very hard to cover something I saw mere hours ago you know." Noah said. You looked back at him.

"Doesn't mean you get to see it again, perv." You mocked and stood up. Had you looked back you would've seen Noahs eyes following your ass and his lips formed to a slight smirk as you walked out of your room. While you were in the bathroom you decided to have a shower and wash your hair. You were busy singing along to what was playing on your phone when you heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" You asked, assuming it was Noah.

"Can I come in?" He asked and you hesitated, but said yes. You heard the door open and close as you washed the soap out of your hair. He didn't really say anything.

"What's up Noah?" You asked.

"Well I was just thinking uhh...What are you doing today?" He asked and you hummed.

"Well I was gonna run some errands but they aren't super important. Why?" You said, reaching outside the shower curtain for your towel. He rushed to get it for you and you thanked him.

"Well I was just thinking maybe we could hang out?" He said, looking at you as you got out of the shower with the towel around you.

"Yeah sure, you don't have practice today?" You asked and he shook his head.

"No, it's a rest day for the voice. The others are practicing but they don't need me for that. They know what they're doing." Noah said and you smiled.

"Alright well what do you wanna do?" You asked as you applied your moisturiser to your face, and then started to walk out of the bathroom, Noah following you closely.

"Well I was thinking of going to get ice cream at the beach then going to the mall and maybe have lunch?" Noah suggested and you nodded as you walked into your room again.

"Sure we can do that. Can we go to target too?" You asked hopefully and he laughed.

"Of course sweets. Now get dressed so we can go!" He said and you chuckled.

"Well turn around then, I'm naked under here!" You retorted and he pretended to look over his non-existent glasses.

"Do you think I only wanted to see you naked last night? I wasn't kidding when I said we had to do it again." He said, willing his eyebrows. You laughed at that.

"Alright well it's still weird to have you staring at me while I get dressed!" You said and he sighed.

"Fine, I'll turn around. But hurry!" He said as he turned around and crossed his arms across his chest. You started looking for underwear and a t-shirt, putting them on and hanging your towel over your chair. As you turned around again to find more clothes you saw Noah sat on your bed, sporting a hard-on. You looked at it, then at him.

"Really?" You asked and he shrugged. You walked over to him and he wrapped his arms around you.

"It's what you do to me." He said and you chuckled, moving some of your hair out of the way. You leaned down and kissed him. His fingers dug into your skin as the kiss deepened and you heard him trying to stifle a groan. You moaned into his mouth and he moved his hand to your thighs, pulling so you straddled him. You squealed at that and he chuckled.

"Thought we agreed to only do this once." You said as you kissed his lips a few times. He smiled without letting his eyes leave your lips and shrugged yet again.

"Well, plans change. Who knew you were this good in bed." He said and you laughed, throwing your head back. He took this opportunity to kiss your neck, leaving littles bites down the sides. You could feel his erection growing between you and it made your pussy throb.

"Noah..." You said and he hummed.

"Noah do it again." You asked and you hoped he knew what you were referring to. He looked up at you and you looked down at him. You stayed like that for a few seconds until suddenly he grabbed your hips and threw you down on the bed and pulled down your underwear. You squealed a little laugh as he kissed down your stomach, hurrying himself down to your pussy and spread your legs.

"I've wanted to taste this pussy again since last night you have no idea. So good for me." He murmured and you sighed as you felt his lips grace your clit. He tool at good look at your heat, smiling to himself as he used his thumb to spread your lips apart.

"So pretty baby. So perfect for me." Noah said and you giggled a little. He chuckled and started licking from your hole to your clit, sucking on it lightly and going back to your hole. You moaned loudly and twirled your hand into his hair, tugging slightly when it felt especially nice.

"Oh Noah." You sighed and his grip on your outer thighs tightened. Your orgasm was approaching quickly, and so your grip on his hair got tighter, the tugs for vicious and his tongue faster. He moved one hand to rub your clit as his tongue fucked you and you rocked your hips in the rhythm of his tongue. Your moans got louder and louder until the pressure in your abdomen exploded and you came all over his tongue. He had a satisfied smirk on his face as you came down, his hand on your clit slowed down and he licked your pussy clean of your release.

"God you taste so good baby." Noah said as he rubbed your thighs, helping you come down from your high. You hummed, it was the only thing you could do right now. You felt him move as he removed himself from you and laid beside you, his legs falling off the end pod the bed. You looked at him and smiled.

"That was absolutely amazing Noah." You complimented and he laughed.

"No biggie sweetheart." He said and began fiddling with his belt buckle.

"What are you doing?" You asked as you sat up on your elbow. He looked back at you.

"Well I need to come too, is that okay?" He asked and you smirked.

"Let me help you with that." You said as you lowered yourself down to your knees on the floor.

"Oh you don't need to do that." Noah said but you were determined.

"But I want to. Can I?" You asked and he gulped as he nodded. He lifted his hips to help you get off his shorts and underwear and his hard cock sprang free. You couldn't help but smile. He was so big, you had seen it last night, but seeing it up close like this really was intimidating. You grabbed a hold of the base of his cock, giving it a few pumps and started licking from the base to the tip, incasing the head in your mouth.

"Oh fuck Y/N." Noah moaned and you took more of him into your mouth. You bobbed your head up and down this shaft, each time you came to the top you licked over his slit and his hand grabbed your hair, guiding you further down, but not so much that you gagged. He was really big, so you couldn't take all of him, but he seemed to enjoy himself either way.

"God, you're so good at this." Noah said which prompted you to more eagerly suck down his cock. You tasted the saltiness of his pre-cum and pulled off his dick. You stood up and Noah had a confused look on his face.

"Just gonna get a condom." You said hurriedly and ran out to the kitchen. You cursed yourself for not putting them in your beside table, but you hurried back to you room. As soon as you got into the room, you felt yourself being pushed up against the door.

"Next time don't take so long." Noah growled in your ear as he grabbed your thighs and wrapped them around his body and leaned you against the door. He kissed you deep, and you wrapped you arms around his neck, the condom still in your hand.

"I really won't" You said between kisses and he chuckled. He began kissing down your neck as you opened the condom and when it was free from its packaging you pulled yourself slightly away from Noah to reach in between you and rolled it onto his hard cock. Before long he was guiding his dick inside you and relished in the feeling of your pussy stretching around him.

"Fuck yes baby. Missed this pussy." He said and you laughed a little between moans.

"It's been less than 12 hours." You said and he bottomed out inside you. He looked into your eyes.

"That's 11 hours too long." He said and you both laughed lightly. "You ready?"

"Mhm." You said as you nodded and he pulled out of you slightly, then back in again. He kept a slow pace, almost too slow for your liking but it felt so good. You were on cloud nine, enjoying the feeling of him filling you up and making you feel good. He suddenly moved you to your dresser, sitting you neatly on top and you leaned back as he starting fucking you ruthlessly.

"Oh Noah fuck, yes right there, fuck right there, yes!" You yelled and he stayed in the exact position, not changing a single thing and you almost couldn't contain yourself, trying to grab anything you could. It felt like you were floating away, the feeling of his hands grabbing your hips with such a force you were sure it would leave bruises almost too much and soon you felt your orgasm coming, building bigger and bigger until one of his hands went to your clit, rubbing fast and in circular motions. You came with a scream of his name, your moans slowing down as did his hand and hips. You leaned up to kiss him, lips and tongues melting together in the sloppiest kiss you've had since you were a teenager.

"Fuck that was so good, holy shit." You said as you pulled away, and you swelled in surprise when he pulled out of you and guided you over to the office chair by your computer desk. He gently turned you and pushed you down onto the chair, then pushed his dick back inside of you.

"Oh I'm not done with you quite yet sweetheart." He murmured in your ear and you smiled as you looked back at him. His tattooed hands grabbed your hips and ass firmly as he set a fast and wonderful pace, not too rough as you were still sensitive, but not too slow either. You heard him groan and pant as he rocked his hips into you. After a while you could feel his thrusts become less controlled and you knew he was close to coming. You turned as much as you could to catch Noahs eyes and he slowed down a little.

"Fuck my pussy Noah, use it, please." You said and a loud growl left his lips as he sped up the pace by a lot, truly taking you for your word. He pounded into you and you grabbed the back of your chair as he kept abusing the spot inside that had you melting.

"This what you wanted huh babe? Wanted me to use your hole like this huh?" Noah asked and you tried to reply but the feeling of his dick on your spot was too much so you settled for a simple nod and fast 'uh huh's. You second orgasm was approaching fast and the tightening on your hips indicated that it was the same for Noah. You tightened your pussy to drag it out of him and with one last pound into your pussy he came into the condom. Your hand shot down to your clit to join him as fast as you could and you moaned loudly as you came on his dick. His hips slowed down and his hands let your hips go, running up and down your waist.

He grabbed the base of his dick to hold onto the condom and pulled out of you slowly as you hissed. He discarded the condom in the trash can beside your desk and then guided you back to the bed. He laid beside you and pulled you close.

"You know, I don't think I've ever felt this way when having sex before." You uttered and he looked at you.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he leaned on his hand, his other arm still thrown across your body.

"Well I've never felt this good before. Never had someone take care of my pleasure like this. It's really nice." You said and he looked down at your tits and started playing with one of them.

"Well that's how to always should be. If it's not like that it's not worth it." Noah said and you smiled. Who knew fucking your best friend would teach you so much?

"We should get up if we're gonna make the plans you made for us." You said and he nodded. He kissed your nose as he got up to get dressed. He gave you your clothes and you put them on, then went to find some pants you could wear. You realised Noah probably hadn't changed his clothes since yesterday.

"Do you wanna go by your place to get some fresh clothes before we go?" You asked and he nodded, smelling under his arm and making a face. You laughed.

"C'mon, I'll drive." You said as you left your apartment. He slapped your ass for good measure and you jumped little, you both giggling as you went out the door.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hey, it's the DM anon. Sorry if I come off as too pessimistic, but I just want to address the reblog post

"Armand in the show doesn't need someone to introduce him to the modern world. He's already familiar with it."

This was kinda the point of my message. The main reason why the Devils Minion chapter is so popular is because it's not just a cat & mouse thriller; it's also a sitcom about a "normal" boy teaching a powerful 500 yr old immortal all about the modern world - the perfect blend of horror & romantic comedy. Logically I always knew that some of the relationship would be cut or altered when they adapted it to the show, but it looks like they're cutting all of the fan favorite scenes. (I will forever be bitter about losing 'Call Paris for me')

My fear is that the writers will change everything that made Devils Minion, Devils Minion. Whatever relationship Armand & Daniel have on the show will be brand new. I may be jumping the gun, but they've already changed the 2 reasons why Armand chose Daniel as his human companion in the first place:

1. He needed someone to teach him about the modern world and as the reblog stated, he no longer needs that. Which means we also won't get my other favorite scene: when Armand drags Daniel out of bed and demands he show him things in the city. He won't need to do that because he will already have explored these cities with Louis

2. He liked that Daniel wasn't afraid to stand up to him. But from everything the show, reviewers, and Eric has told us, '73 Daniel was just a bumbling idiot Yes Man. Where's the challenge?

And now we know that Loumand had several relationships with humans throughout the decades, some of whom got to live out their lives unharmed. So Daniel isn't even special, he's just the latest. Idk how the show expects to sell ArmanDaniel when they've erased everything that made them unique.

I know Assad talked about Armand's fear that Daniel knows Louis more than he does and the reblog thinks that might be the reason Armand falls for Daniel, but I'm nearly positive Assad was talking about Dubai Daniel not SanFran Daniel. The only connection Louis & Daniel seem to have in the 70s is their love of drugs, since one reviewer talked about how they're both fucked up during the first interview. I doubt young Daniel could stay sober long enough to have a meaningful conversation with Louis, let alone a meaningful relationship. So why exactly would Armand be attracted to him? I really hope the writers give us a real reason that's more than just "he likes him in the book. Y'all do the rest"

Anyway, thanks for allowing me to rant

:) All good.

But... I honestly would wait till the season has run. I do trust them when they say episode 5 and 8 are the game changers.

I know it's hard to stay calm when you have waited for so long to see a realization of something at all.

And... I don't think the "you can fuck them and I can eat them" humans (I hope everyone caught that line and that they attributed that to Lestat in s1^^) were anywhere close on the level Daniel will be.

I really don't.

Daniel is definitely special, as the interview in Dubai proves, imho. But... the timeline is different, that's all. Give it some time.