#when is the chinese new year 2025

[worldnews90]

Fireworks and Family Feasts Kick Off Year of the Snake.........

Read more

[rainofcolours]

A more normal Lunar New Year card for us to send out this year heh

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Trump’s Tiktok two-step is a lesson for future presidents

I'm about to leave for a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me on Feb 14 in BOSTON for FREE at BOSKONE , and on Feb 15 for a virtual event with YANIS VAROUFAKIS. More tour dates here.

Remember the Tiktok ban? I know, it was ten million years ago (in Musk years, anyway), so it may have slipped your mind, but let me remind you: Congress passed a law saying Tiktok was banned. Trump said he wouldn't enforce the law. The end.

No, really. I mean, sure, there's a bunch of bullshit about whether Trump will pick up the ban again after Tiktok's grace period ends, depending on whether they sell themselves to his creepy wax museum pal Larry Ellison. Maybe he will. Maybe Tiktok'll buy so many trumpcoins that he forgets about. Whatevs.

The important thing here is: Congress passed a (stupid) law and Trump said, "I've decided not to enforce that law" and then that was it:

https://prospect.org/justice/2025-01-31-trump-administration-test-supreme-court-tiktok/

Sure, there's some big rule of law/checks and balances/separation of powers problems here, and there are plenty of laws I'm mad about Trump not enforcing (like the law that says corporations can't bribe foreign governments, say). But this one? Sure, it's fine. The problem with Tiktok is that it invades our privacy in creepy ways, not that it is owned by a Chinese company. I don't want Zuck or Musk or (especially) Trump invading my privacy.

Congress hasn't passed a consumer privacy law since 1988, when they banned video store clerks from telling newspapers about your VHS viewing habits. That's why Tiktok is a problem. Pass that law, and if any president decides not to enforce it, I'll be mad as hell and I'll be right there in the streets next to you, in head-to-toe CV dazzle, with all my distraction rectangles in Faraday pouches, shlepping a placard bearing the Social Security Numbers of every Cabinet member in giant writing.

But the point is, the president defied Congress, which is a thing that Very Serious Grownups told us radicals Joe Biden mustn't do under any circumstances, lest the resulting constitutional crisis tear the country apart, or, at the very least, alienate so many voters that Donald Trump would become the next president.

We let Very Serious Grownups call the shots, and Donald Trump is president. Maybe we should stop listening to Very Serious Grownups?

Look, presidents ignore Congress's laws all the time. The Comstock Act (which effectively bans transporting pornography and contraception) is almost entirely ignored, and has been for generations (though Trump's creepy Heritage Foundation puppetmasters have promised to bring it back). The Robinson-Patman Act hasn't been enforced since the Reagan years, which is a damned shame, because Robinson-Patman would put Walmart, Amazon, Dollartree and Dollar General out of business (Biden started to enforce Robinson-Patman again during his last year in office):

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/14/the-price-is-wright/#enforcement-priorities

I'm not trying to say that enforcing (or ignoring) the Comstock Act is the same as ignoring (or enforcing) the Robinson-Patman Act. The Comstock Act is bad, and the Robinson-Patman Act is good. I am capable of making that moral judgment, and I would like to have a president who does the same.

The fear about Trump ignoring the laws and procedures is justified, but not because of the damage he's doing to laws and procedures – it's because of the damage he's doing to the people of this country and the world.

Take the records that Trump has destroyed – vital data about public health and other subjects (thankfully, most of this was saved from destruction by the Internet Archive). The most important fact about that act of destruction is the harm that will result from it, not the failure to follow procedure.

There are plenty of times in which I am OK with people ignoring the law and destroying records. In 1943, Dutch guerrillas bombed the civil registry building in Amsterdam, to keep the records of where Jews and other disfavored minorities lived out of the hands of occupying Nazis. The firefighters on the scene kept their hoses running until any paper that hadn't been burned was reduced to slurry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_Amsterdam_civil_registry_office_bombing

I'm fine with destroying records that wicked, vicious authoritarians would use to harm my neighbors.

Remember when Biden tried to cancel student debt? He could have started off by destroying the records of who owed what, so when the courts overturned his administrative action, it would have been hard or impossible to collect on the debts that were still held on federal books, or whose records the feds had (no, I'm not suggesting that Nazi death camp deportations are equivalent to unjust student debt collections, but if you agree that sometimes it's OK to illegally destroy records, then all we're left with is haggling over the specifics).

Sure, this would have been a constitutional crisis, but, as Ryan Grim says, "It is apparently unconstitutional for the president to instruct the Department of Education to restructure and forgive some student loan debt but it is ok for DOGE chair Elon Musk to just get rid of the whole department. Anywho."

https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/1888973174819164663?t=Cd8fl4FWjY5zsOlQWZGv4g

Canceling debt isn't forgiving debt. Student borrowers have been preyed upon by colleges and lenders. People who borrowed $79.000 and paid back $190,000 can somehow still owe $236,000 do not need to be forgiven, because (unlike Trump) they haven't sinned. Rather, their debts need to be canceled (like Trump):

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

Trump's shown us what a president should do when the courts get in their way: fight back. Worst case scenario is the court prevails, and a bunch of Fedsoc judges (up to and including the Supreme Court) set binding precedent that reduces the power of the president, which would be, you know, great. Best case scenario: Americans are freed from these crippling, fraudulent debts and, you know, vote for Democrats and against Trump, instead of staying home because they don't feel like the Democrats have their back.

Defying unjust court decisions isn't Trumpian – it's Rooseveltian. Roosevelt (following in Lincoln's footsteps) spent years discrediting and weakening the Supreme Court's power, using his bully pulpit to rob them of authority and build the political will to pack the court, which he was on the brink of doing when the Supreme Court surrendered:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/20/judicial-equilibria/#pack-the-court

Democrats developed an online organizing playbook, and it worked, so Republicans took it, improved on it, and won elections. Republicans have developed a devastatingly effective constitutional hardball playbook. Democrats should steal that playbook and run with it:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/18/states-rights/#cold-civil-war

I rang doorbells, made phone calls, and shelled out money for Democrats in the last cycle because I wanted them to do stuff that helps Americans, not because I wanted them to follow procedures. The fact that Trump is building offshore concentration camps and has deported our neighbors to them (to name just one of many cheap dystopian fanfics that Trump is LARPing) should be the kind of five-alarm fire that sent South Korean lawmakers scaling the barricades last month.

This is the kind of crisis where I'd expect Democrats on the Hill, at a minimum, to be refusing to give Trump and the GOP anything. Call quorum on every vote. Debate every amendment. Raise every objection. Vote against everyting. Do not confirm a single appointee. And any elected Dem that refuses to play along? Kick 'em out of the caucus. Oh, we can't afford to do that because we can't afford to lose a single lawmaker? How did that work out with Kirsten Synema and Joe Manchin? Shoulda kicked them out after the first vote, shoulda raised money for any real Dem willing to primary them. Should have shunned them in the hallways and refused to invite them to the Christmas parties. We should do that to Fetterman. Party unity got us nothing under Biden. Party unity got us Trump. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome isn't actually the formal definition of insanity, but it is nevertheless very, very stupid.

For the past four years, Very Serious Grownups in the Democratic machine kept telling us that we couldn't expect the president to do anything, or Congress to do anything, or the Senate to do anything, because the Republicans would stop them. Or the courts would stop them. Why fight when you know you're gonna lose? Because sometimes, you'll win. And even if you lose, you'll go down fighting.

Better yet, if you lose in just the right way, you'll force Trump's judges to take away powers from the President and the administrative agencies – take away the powers Trump is now wielding like a sledgehammer.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/11/you-and-what-army/#student-debt

[reasonsforhope]

"Norway is on the cusp of bidding farewell to internal combustion vehicles forever now that the automotive transition in the country has reached highway speeds.

Tax incentives and other perks like free parking, a diverse market of foreign and EU-made vehicles, and a vast charging network have steered almost all of the country’s national consumption towards electric vehicles.

Setting a non-legislative and vague goal of phasing out fossil fuel cars back in 2017, the recent market data suggests that the goal is now well within reach for the Arctic country of 5.5 million.

Despite the cold temperatures regularly draining batteries, consumers speaking with the BBC said range and charging weren’t major struggles given a simple change of mindset: from charging when you need it to charging when you can.

They also said there’s no reason why the Norwegian model couldn’t be adopted by other countries, as there’s not really an overly ‘green’ mindset in the purchasing decisions: it’s more about ensuring EVs are available, affordable, and sensible.

The best-selling EVs in the country are Teslas, followed by models from VW and Toyota. Unlike the US and EU countries, Norway hasn’t imposed tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, and a variety of Chinese makes enjoy a 10% share of Norway’s market which saw EVs account for 88.9% of new cars sold in the country last year, up from 82.4% in 2023.

A third of all registered cars on the road in the country today are electric if one includes diesel. Compared to just gasoline-powered cars, the split is closer to 50-50.

Norway has more proven gas and petroleum reserves than any other European nation. Like many of the world’s largest oil and natural gas exporters, they enjoy a massive sovereign wealth fund totaling over $1.7 trillion which allows them, the BBC reports, to shrug off the loss of tax revenue from EVs most of which are exempt from import and property taxes."

-via Good News Network, January 14, 2025

[bts-trans]

250105 Weverse Translation

J-Hope's Post ❇️

25년입니다. 여러분들의 24년은 어떠셨나요? 저에게 24년은 정말 여러가지로 만감이 교차하고 많은 감정들이 갈마드는 해 가 아니었나 싶습니다. 전역의 해가 밝아서 좋았다가, 어떻게 10월까지 또 견뎌야 할지 막막하다가, 막상 시기가 찾아오니 좋았다가, 전역 후의 계획들에 대한 걱정이 들며 불안 했다가, 또 막상 전역하니 주체가 안 될 정도의 기쁨이 오갔고, 여러 일들을 하며 25년에 대한 긴장과 설렘으로 고독하게 마무리를 했지 않았나 싶습니다. 각자마다 다른 '희로애락'이 있었겠지만 잠시나마의 따뜻한 마음을 가지며 24년을 위로해보고, 인사를 해봅니다 25년은 모두가 활짝 만개하여 아름다웠으면 좋겠구요! 저에게도 굉장히 중요한 해가 될 거라는 것이 25년이 주는 자연 속에서 고스란히 느껴집니다. 많은 것들을 보여드릴 거구요! 좀 더 성숙하고 저에게 어울리는, 모두의 만족을 위한 플랜으로 접근을 하려고 합니다. 저도 그렇지만, 많은 순간들을 함께하시려면 가장 먼저 건강이 우선이겠죠? 25년! 복 많이 받으시면서 건강 챙기시고, 누구보다 진심을 다해 여러분들의 새해 첫 발걸음을 응원해 봅니다. 힘내세요 아미💜🫶💜사랑해요 아미 (https://weverse.io/bts/artist/3-189122556)

It's 2025. How was 2024 for you all? For me, I think 2024 was, in a lot of different ways, a year filled with a million feelings and of going back and forth between so many different emotions.

I was glad that the year of my discharge from the military was here, and then felt lost and confused about how to keep going until October, but then when the time actually came, I was happy, only to then get anxious as I worried about my plans after being discharged,

but then when I was actually discharged, I was overwhelmed with joy, and then I did a lot of different things, and ended the year alone, both nervous and excited for 2025.

Everyone probably had their own ups and downs* this year, but I'd like to take a moment to warmly look back at 2024, sending it comfort, and wishing it farewell.

I hope that in 2025, everyone blooms fully and beautifully! It is going to be a really important year for me too- I feel it so clearly from the environment that 2025 brings.

I will be showing you lots of different things! I intend to come to you with plans that show more growth, are more suited to me, and that can make everyone happy.

This is true for me as well but, if you're going to be by my side in a lot of these moments, health must come first, right?

2025! I wish you a good year and good health. With the absolute most sincerity, I send you my support as you take your first steps into the new year.

Keep going ARMY💜🫶💜I love you ARMY

(T/N: *The phrase he used was '희로애락', an expression composed of four Chinese characters: joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure. It is used to symbolise the wide range of emotions and experiences, both positive and negative, that humans have. It is similar to English expressions like 'highs and lows' or 'ups and downs'.)

Trans cr; Aditi @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

[celestials-xoxo]

THREAD OF ANIMATED SERIES YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT 🧵

it’s a long thread so lock in!

———————————————————————

1. jentry chau vs the underworld

“a chinese-american teen living in a small town in texas finds out a demon is hunting her for the supernatural powers she's been working her whole life to repress.”

streaming now on netflix

please don’t let it being a netflix show scare you it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger it has a “self contained” ending while leaving enough for potential second season (please check it out 🙏🏾)

———————————————————————

2. invincible fight girl

streaming now hbo max

“A young girl named Andy, living in Wrestling World, endeavors to become the best pro-wrestler ever and takes on the alias of "Fight Girl."

———————————————————————

3. iyanu

coming to cartoon network and hbo max in Spring 2025.

“Iyanu chronicles the journey of a teenage orphan girl with no recollection of her past, who suddenly discovers that she has abilities that rival the ancient deities of her people.”

———————————————————————

4. pantheon

streaming on netflix (season 2 coming soon)

“maddie begins receiving messages from a mysterious stranger that claims to be her recently deceased father, David. his consciousness has been uploaded to the cloud after an experimental brain scan turns out he’s not the only one.”

———————————————————————

5. moon girl and devil dinosaur

After 13-year-old supergenius Lunella accidentally brings 10-ton Tyrannosaurus rex Devil Dinosaur into present-day New York City via a time vortex, they work together to protect the city's Lower East Side from danger.

———————————————————————

6. castlevania nocturne

now streaming on netflix (s2 just came out a few days ago! pls check it out 🙏🏾)

“As revolution sweeps France, Richter Belmont fights to uphold his family's legacy and prevent the rise of a ruthless, power-hungry vampire ruler.”

also watch the original castlevania too , nocturne is a sequel!

———————————————————————

7. kipo and the age of wonderbeasts

“Kipo, a sheltered girl, gets a crash course in survival when a mutant attack sends her to the surface, far from the safety of her underground home.”

———————————————————————

8.scavengers reign

“a rotating cast of main characters, all survivors of a catastrophic breach to space freighter demeter 227. Their escape pods have brought them to a nearby planet , vesta minor, left untouched by human interplanetary colonization.”

———————————————————————

9. the dragon prince

s7 is now streaming on netflix

“the story of two human princes who forge an unlikely bond with the eleven assassins sent to kill them embarking on an epic quest to bring peace to their warring lands.”

———————————————————————

10. craig of the creek

“Following the adventures of Craig Williams and his two friends, Kelsey Pokoly and John Paul `JP' Mercer, as they explore the untamed wilderness of the Creek, which is dominated by tribes of children.”

———————————————————————

I’ll be making a part 2 soon! (since im only allowed to add 10 images to one post 😭)

[moonstruckmoony]

HL x Kuroshitsuji ✨

“Humans are easily tempted. When they are poised on the edge of hellish despair, and a spider-thin thread of salvation presents itself, they will invariably grasp it. No matter the human.” -Sebastian Michaelis

Winter Blackstone as Ciel Phantomhive

Sebastian Sallow as Sebastian Michaelis

Ominis Gaunt as Snake (Featuring Snake’s snakes: Emily, Oscar, and Wilde)

Phantomhive Household:

Poppy Sweeting as Finnian

Samantha Dale as Mey Rin

Garreth Weasley as Baldroy

William Blackstone as Vincent Phantomhive

Snowball as Sebastian the Black Borzoi

Midford Household

Anne Sallow as Elizabeth Midford

Natsai Onai as Francis Midford

Others

Amit Thakkar as Soma Asman Kadar

Imelda Reyes as Grell Sutcliff

Another disclaimer that the BG for the first one is inspired by AFK Journey, just think they look fitting for this.

· · ─────── ·❆ ❅ ❆· ─────── · ·

Happy New Year everyone! I’m back. This was actually a fun idea that was supposed to be for Halloween, and I did start working on it on Oct but some things happened to me so I had to take a step back for a while but I’m ok now and am present here! But hey, it isn’t Chinese New Year yet but 2025 is the year of the snake so posting it this year is kinda fitting, no? 🫢 I had no intention of going back on my word on finishing all the MCtober prompts no matter how long it takes (bcs the prompts are fun!) but I’ll take my sweet time and if I had ideas outside of the prompts I might work on those first before going back on track.

I just wanna say that I’m very grateful to be in this fandom, it let me rediscover the joy of drawing for myself again after years of not doing it consistently (I was mostly drawing for work.) I’ve been loving everyone I got to meet and make HL friends with so far.. love u guys 🫶✨Hoping for a year full of love, joy and stability (as stable as it can be) for everyone.

[accio-victuuri]

xiao zhan - legend of the condor heroes weibo update

XZ: When I first met the little red horse, it was a very arrogant little pony. It was chosen by the director from more than a thousand horses. It was arrogant and ignored everyone. It was not easy to get along with it at first.

"Head and neck held high, standing proudly; fur shiny, muscles strong" Such a good horse "Little Red Horse" is not only Guo Jing @X玖少年团肖战DAYTOY 's capable partner in the world, but also a vivid reflection of his chivalrous spirit. The movie "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Greatest Hero" 2025, the first day of the Chinese New Year, the four seas celebrate the Spring Festival, and the world is in the same place!

[guzhufuren]

New uncensored chinese period BL The Mountains and Rivers Are Forever Silent (山河永寂)

The drama is based on the novel of the same name by Yihanhe (一寒呵)

Won't be broadcast in mainland China, will air through an international platform.

Filming start: beginning of January 2025 Filming period: 20 days Casting call: December 13, 2024

Summary: Thousands of years ago, the mountains and rivers were destroyed and wars started raging everywhere. Sixth prince Xiao Yunze had no hope of ascending the throne to the Southern Kingdom. By chance, he saves Zhao Ziang, who was trying to assasinate the prince. As they get to know each other, gradually feelings beyond mundane develop between them and they fall in love. As the political situation in the Southern Kingdom changes, Zhao Ziang kills the prince to protect Xiao Yunze and let Xiao Yunze succeed to the throne. The death of the prince causes a rift between the two, and Zhao Ziang resolutely leaves and embarks on the journey again. Several years later, Zhao Ziang becomes the emperor of the Northern Kingdom. With his efforts, the Northern Kingdom is about to unify the Central Plains. But when Zhao Ziang faces the last obstacle - king of the South and his ex lover Xiao Yunze, whom he had missed for many years, he doesn't know what to do. Will love win or power win?

Character profiles:

Xiao Yunze Male, visual age around 20 years old. He is slender, loves playing chess, calligraphy and painting, and is elegant in every move. The sixth prince of the Southern Kingdom, with a refined and timeless temperament. He is intelligent and sensitive, talented, and has expanded his music and poetry. He has a gentle personality but is not weak. He has a keen insight into people's hearts, but is willing to stay out of the game and abandon the desire to fight for power. He advocates elegance, likes to live in seclusion in the mountains, and is tired of the whirlpool of power, but he always has a deep attachment to family affection, especially to his brother, the prince, Xiao Yunqian, with complex feelings, respect but also alienation. In the chaotic situation, he became a calm and deep character with his gentle but firm character.

Zhao Ziang (Xiao Yunze's cp) Male, visual age is around 25 years old. A hero in the north, with a tall figure, a resolute face, firm eyebrows, a violent temper, and both wisdom and martial arts. He is resolute and resolute, and is aggressive and enterprising. He is calm and resolute, has extraordinary strategic vision and execution, and is a hero in troubled times. He is informal, but respects the strong and the wise, and always pursues his ambitions. Although he is in the midst of power and killing, he is also sincere and righteous, and has a heart for his country. But when facing Xiao Yunze, he is always indecisive.

Xiao Yunqian (Xiao Yunze's elder brother) Male, visual age around 25 years old. The prince who shines in the court is determined to gain supreme power. He can sacrifice all emotions in pursuit of power, but finally loses in emotions. He has a strong desire for power and has shown extraordinary political wisdom and strategy since childhood. He has a cold temperament and is deeply scheming. Although he looks calm and restrained, he is actually full of ambition. He is not obsessed with sensual pleasures, but pursues power itself with a cold and resolute will, instead of sympathizing with the common people. In the process of pursuing power, he regards all obstacles as stepping stones. He has a complicated relationship with his brother Xiao Yunze. They grew up together when they were young and had the warmth of brotherly love, but they became increasingly alienated in the power struggle. Xiao Yunqian is very oppressive in his dealings with others. He is a strong man who integrates coldness, decisiveness and ambition. In his world, family affection and feelings often give way to power. He is a typical hero in troubled times.

Guo Zheng (Xiao Yunqian's personal bodyguard) Male, 20 years old. The prince's personal bodyguard, who has practiced martial arts for many years and is very capable. The prince's personal bodyguard, who is naturally fond of martial arts, is rough but delicate. Many years ago, he fell in love with Yin Shan at first sight. Although he had no interest in poetry and books, he was subtly exposed to the elegant world because of Yin Shan. Guo Zheng admired Yin Shan's talent and gentle temperament. Although he was not good at speaking, he protected him silently with practical actions. He hides a tenderness under his strong appearance, burying his loyalty and admiration deep in his heart. He is a contradictory combination of cold and hot in troubled times.

Yin Shan (Xiao Yunze's childhood sweetheart) Male, 20 years old. A scholar who has loved poetry, calligraphy and painting since childhood. The son of a civil official in the court, he met Xiao Yunze since childhood because of their similar interests and they have a deep friendship. Yin Shan is well-read in poetry and books, and has outstanding talents. He especially loves the love stories described in books, and is full of idealistic pursuit and loyalty to love. He has a gentle personality like jade, but he has a rare firmness and perseverance, and always accompanies Xiao Yunze. Yin Shan advocates elegance and has no intention of fighting in the world. He only wants to use his talents and sincerity to protect the deep friendship and unknown emotions. He is a touch of peace in the troubled times.

Zhao Jifu (Zhao Ziang's younger brother) Male, 18 years old. Grew up in a temple. Compared with his brother Zhao Ziang, who is heroic and valiant, Zhao Jifu embodies more calmness and strategic precision. He can even be said to be a two-faced person. He is humble and gentle on the surface, and is good at hiding his true intentions. But in fact, he is a scheming man and a master in the political arena. He has shown extraordinary adaptability in complex situations, and is good at making secret plans. He is an important force in promoting the family's hegemony. His temperament is restrained but his edge is hidden, showing a kind of hidden strong style. He is a wise man and counselor who cannot be ignored in troubled times.

Han Zaizhou (Teacher of Xiao Yunqian) Male, 60 years old. An important official in the court, he has a high wisdom in politics and worldly affairs. The core of the prince party, the veteran of two dynasties of the Southern Kingdom, calm and composed, and has a thorough understanding of power and politics. The previous emperor of the Southern Kingdom is old, and Han Zaizhou has to start planning for the next generation of the Southern Kingdom. Faced with prince Xiao Yunqian who has lost control in pursuit of power, Han Zaizhou has to persuade Xiao Yunze to participate in the fight for the throne in order to stabilize the court, because he feels affection for the younger generation of princes.

*text from the informational brochure was converted with image to text online programs, translated through google translator and edited by me with some help of online dictionaries. i do not speak chinese, so there are most certainly mistakes in the text. purpose of this translation is to give you the general idea

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm Late But Who Cares?

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Jan 2025 Week 5

Ongoing Series - Thai

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - Oh no my babies are in trouble! I actually don’t mind the coming out being part of the conflict, it’s rare to see these days, but it was more common in early BL. This show feels like such a throwback Thai BL anyway, that it’s sort of goes with the story. Of course it was conflict that was resolved almost immediately. But honestly I’m so charmed by the show I don’t mind any of this.

ThamePo (Fri YT) ep 8 of 12 - still enjoying but annoyed by Jun. I’m glad everybody’s feelings have been made clear, Iun is too much a little shit for the way he went about it. The hand holding was very cute tho. 

Truer words! When a character reveals the entire plot of a show.

The Boy Next World (Sun IQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - Phu’s friends are the best. I love them so much. Still cautiously enjoying this.

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 10 of 12 - Why are Kant’s pants always too short in this show? Meanwhile, the plot progresses as expected. But it’s OK. I’m enjoying it enough. I like that Kant, who is slightly evil, is willing to go even more evil for the man he loves. It was a twist I was not expecting. I believe it less with Style. Oh my, have we turned into a caper all of a sudden? Huh. This was a good episode. But then I do like a caper.

I’m also gonna mention briefly that I see you Heart Killers for using old tropes in a new way. The bleacher shot (Lovesick callback), the empty pool. Very very clever.

Fourever You (Thurs YT) ep 17 end - Nice solid ending I remain more interested in the couples we never got but i hope we get a season 2. 

Conclusion

A standard university Thai BL centering around two couples (med student meets engineering youth) in two parts (chasing the forever dragon that is 2 Moons). This was watchable but not much more than that with nice optics. Best if you can get hold of the extended (sexy) version especially for the second couple. 8/10 

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT) ep 14 of 24 - Wine is totally getting the "good one." Faifa (hands-down my favorite character in the series) is the master of the sarcastic ja particle. He’s very clever with it. Pay attention if particles in Thai interest you. I don’t understand why Yotha it’s so special that everybody’s willing to cater to his erratic whims.

(Am I the only one who thinks that Book and Santa should lead a BL together?)

Sangmin Dinneaw (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - This is such an odd show. But it was a very nice kiss. And more.  And I love the boy admiring his marks after. Nice touch.

Flirt Milk (Sat YT) ep 2 or 10 - everyone behaves like a complete idiot and it’s driving me nuts.

Ossan‘s Love Thailand (Mon YouTube) ep 4 of 12 - I dislike most of the characters in this show, but I truly loathe the daughter character.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

When it Rains it Pours (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - I continue to enjoy this more every week, and I’m really looking forward to next week. (Shocker.)

Eternal Butler (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 8 of 12 - no ep this week, Happy New Year! 

Impression of Youth (Taiwan Weds Viki) eps 4 of 9 - It’s modestly enjoyable but of all the relationships I think I like the brothers the best. I mostly have a smile on my face when I watch it, but so far it’s eminently forgettable. To the point where I occasionally forget to watch it when it airs. That said it looks like next week we’re getting very Taiwanese. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 17 of ?? - sigh

It's airing but......

I Will Turn Back Time (China Gaga) 6 eps - It’s Chinese, no idea if it will end well or not. But it’s the stepbrothers trope. Still, I’m not gonna watch it until it’s done.

In Case You Missed it

Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai) - It's done. Spies reported in the following: Not recommend. "Lots of awkward silence and muddled story. Abrupt ending. Doesn't lean into either the romance or the prison aspect." So yeah, I'm leaving it a DNF.

End of year wraps are here!

2024 Trend Report

MY BEST & WORST BLs of 2024

Best Kisses (and sex scenes) of 2024

BL's 2024 Quirky Awards

2024 Awards - Quick Picks

Next Week Looks Like This:

*** Yeah we already in it and my calendar is a complete mess, so no visual for you. ***

On now: FC Soldout (Korea iQIYI) 8eps - sports BL, football player meets actor.

2/14 Exclusive Love (Taiwan Gaga) - Shy aspiring singer inherits funeral business.

2/27 Secret Relationships (Korea iQIYI) - Stars Wei's Kim Jun Seo. Adapted by Cradle Studio (Kakao). About clever and resourceful Daon who has worked hard to overcome being poor. His cheap ways annoy his coworker, Sunghyeon but after “an incident” with his parents, Daon grows closer to him. But Daon also has feelings for his former tutor. This has the signs of a classic Kdrama all over it: Office setting, love triangle, lead suffering for his self-actualization. I’m optimistic about a longer treatment.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Best line in BL history? Possibly

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[calebs-housewife]

⫘THOUGHTS OF YOU⫘

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Warnings: Masturbation, mentions of female anatomy. Smut. Name calling like sweetheart, love, etc.

Word count: 843 words

Upload date: 22nd January, 2025

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Caleb, who is your childhood friend with whom you spent more than half your life, is leaving for DAA. All you can do is watch as he leaves, you alone with granny in the train station and him on the train. Months have passed, and your longing for Caleb only grows. Those playful times when he'd tease you, how he would gently help you with something like a homework or a chore or clear levels in your video games. And those gentle head pats, those purple hues in which you can stare into for hours and get lost in them.

Years pass, and within a week it’s almost time for Chinese New Year, which means Caleb will be back home. You miss his touch, his scent, his damp hair as he asks you to dry them after a bath. The way his long slender fingers would caress you, and oh how his chest would crush you as you go in for a hug. As you look at the clock beside your bed the time reads 2:48 am all you can do is sigh as your core becomes heated, your nipples perk as your panties grow damp and your cunt aches for something or someone to fulfil its needs.

Slowly, your hands trace lower and lower imagining it’s Caleb’s hand and not yours, imagining it’s his hard, cold robotic arm and not your warm and soft hand. As you close your eyes, you envision Caleb kissing your neck, leaving behind strokes of purple matching his eyes and red matching the apples he oh so dearly loves. Your fingers slowly through the fabric of your panties rub your clit, the soft squelching sounds just show how much you want him. You can almost smell him as your fingers slowly pave way for you to reach your peak. Your free hand goes to play with your perky nipples stimulating them and moaning softly as you imagine Caleb’s heated gaze on your breasts, how he always seemed to want to take a bite of your breasts, sometimes his gaze would linger on you and he would look at your bossoms like a hungry child.

As your finger enters your hole all you can do is moan and trash at the feeling of pleasure consuming your soul, your vision was spinning tears spilling over your lash line as the squelching sounds became louder his name leaving your mouth like a mantra and just as you were about to tip over about to reach climax someone opened your bedroom door. Startled you cover yourself only to find, Caleb the one whom you longed to see all this time. His hair was dishevelled his pupils blown out and oh- as your eyes went down on him an undeniable tent was there. “Ca-Caleb! What a surprise, when did you arriv-“ , “Sweetheart…..what were you doing?”, he interrupts as he begins removing his shirt and walks closer to your bed. “Were you being naughty love? Missed your Caleb so much? Huh? Couldn’t wait for a few more days?” he says while kneeling on her bed and slowly peeling away her blanket, “ I heard you love, I heard this pussy drip and ache for me….it’s all for me right?” he asks as his tongue unconsciously licks his lips. “Tell me darling….do you want me to touch you…here? Fuck- it’s so slimy and wet, I bet I can just slide in-“ Caleb doesn’t get to finish his sentence as you pull him and crash your lips on his, tears streaming down your face. “C-Caleb, I missed you so much.” All your emotions came tumbling months of waiting of no contact made your heart earn for him more than you thought. Caleb’s eyes soften for a moment as he slowly kisses away your tears his robotic arm slowly finding your clit as he strokes the sensitive bud, “Shh don’t worry darling, I have got you, I’m not leaving. Cum for me won’t you? Sweetheart. Gonna give me my new year’s gift ain’t cha?” as he worked you through your orgasm his cock throbbed in his pants, precum oozing like a river. He hugs your body closer kissing you, his fingers fucking you and playing with your breasts. You are tethering on the edge and the last blow is, as you look at Caleb’s heated gaze. You scream as pure unadulterated bliss envelopes you like a warm blanket and you cling to him as your orgasm slows down, the fire within you slowly diminishing.

As you look up, you see him smiling and slowly caress your face, his forehead finding yours, “You look beautiful like this, be mine forever, for my thoughts are of only you.” After your orgasmic haze passes, you ask him “How did you get in?” he chuckles as he carries you to the bathroom in bridal style not before whispering in your ears, “I know where you keep your spare key, wanted to surprise you guess I got myself a surprise.” You knew it was going to be an amazing start of the year.

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A/n: Hello lovely readers.....it's been almost a year since I posted. I'm sorry for the long hiatus. I'll try to post more regularly. Hope guys like this. Your comments and likes mean a lot to me. As always, luv ya guys sooo much.

Also, Happy Chinese New Year to all.

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[punkpandapatrixk]

Full Wolf Moon in Cancer ♦︎ Moon Magick Pick A Card

The first FM of 2025, although aenergetically still a full moon of the previous year, the Full Wolf Moon was in Cancer on 14th January. Food is scarce during winter and the wolves howl more because of that🐺My gosh, aren’t we hungry for more sustenance?🍕Amazingly, the Cancer aenergy is all about food and nutrition!🥗Starting this FM, you may feel the urge to develop a healthier relationship with food and sustenance~♦︎

The world is healing and so many people are elevating spiritually, and with that, our awareness of the relationship between what we consume and how that affects the mind and body grows correspondingly. The true revolution of humanity is Environmentalism!🫒This is also a time the Full Moon invites us to reconsider what we individually deem as ‘healthy work-life balance’. It’s a good idea to move the body more and/or create things with our very own hands; reminds modern people what it means to be…Human. To be actively human🤸‍♀️

If you’ve ever sustained some kind of trauma related to ‘hard work’ in which you felt underappreciated⚰️or that your efforts gave you no gain whatsoever in return💰and all that you got was heartache…💔this FM in Cancer is inviting you to reframe that trauma🧬Starting this year, if and when it suits you, try to 'get back to nature' by refamiliarizing yourself with touching real materials or making real things that stimulate the creativity through motion~♪

You are Human—you're supposed to emote a lot🏄‍♀️And most of all, whilst learning to ‘live again’, so to speak, remember that your T.I.M.E is essentially unlimited as you live fully in the present moment~♡

move: Ballerina CORE & POSTURE Workout by Everyday Ballet

make: Those Famous Blue Chinese Bowls Come From This Town by Goldthread

deck-bottom: 9 of Swords, Gold Magus (Johannes Faustus), Priestess of Happiness

[Moon PAC Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings] [buymeaboba]

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 1 – The Reclamation of Individual Thought!

pizzaaa: New York Pizza Vs. Italian Pizza by Joshua Weissman

mind – 7 of Cups

You are such a gentle Soul—and most likely identify as an altruist?🕊There’s a chance you have significant Mercury/Virgo/6H or Venus/Libra/7H placements. You’re the type of person who genuinely values every person’s individual thought, input and opinions on a matter. Actually, you’re a natural-born peacemaker and this penchant for listening and appreciating people’s individual preferences is in essence a display of your deep empathy and incredible intelligence🦌

Buutt…a little downside to this is that you sometimes put yourself last. You don’t think you’re important enough or you simply get confused. Thing is, if you never took the chance to prioritise your own ideas, perceptions and opinions on a matter, you’d never matter either🦑And that wouldn’t be fun at all, because deep down, you yearn to be recognised as someone unique who has a plethora of interesting perspectives!⚖️

The Full Wolf Moon in Cancer has sent an invitation for you to gradually develop a sense for individual thinking🍳Check out the strengths and uniqueness of your Mercury sign and placement (as well as what it’s aspected with) and find your validation for a very unique way you can communicate/express all of the wonderful ideas that are stored inside of YOU~🥘

body – 2 of Cups

Still within the realm of talking/eating here, oohh…someone needs to fix their relationship with food and learn balanced eating here🌞The Cancer/4H and Capricorn/10H axis is all about tradition and responsibility. Some of you tuning into this as your main pile may have dealt with varying levels of imbalance in the way you eat or how much you eat🥡This has everything to do with a forced sense of ‘control’ and ‘discipline’. In astrology, Cancer is mother and Capricorn is father—now go figure how this applies to your situation😉

This FM you’re being invited to reframe the ‘trauma’ that’s the root cause of this imbalanced eating, so to speak. It’s all emotional, honey. Eating disorders of any kind is rooted in the emotions—I’d suggest looking on YouTube some videos by Teal Swan on this topic; very enlightening🍵Anyway, you can also look up ways and methods to balance and strengthen your Sacral and Throat chakras. Eating and talking are all within the realms of those two chakra points🥭

Other than that, whether or not you have problems with eating enjoyably and sanely, this FM is also inviting you to rethink what tradition or custom means to you on a personal and spiritual level🍱

spirit – 10 of Pentacles Rx

All of this rumination that you’re being invited to partake in, ultimately will lead to developing a stronger sense for individual thinking🐉See? It’s all leading back to that. People naturally should be responsible for their own thoughts and decision making, irrespective of what kind of tradition or community they were born into. Freedom in thinking is man’s greatest treasure that should be cherished. This FM is simply inviting you to rediscover your sense of unique identity whilst being part of a community or any other kind of a collective🌕

The truth of the matter is—especially if this has been your main pile—you’re part of a group of Souls (ironic🤣) that are meant to break some rules in this Hyper Game. Now, if you’re going to break rules and customs, you need to know how they were built in the first place, then can you intelligently decide the values that are inconvertibly good and then discard or improve upon whatever no longer serves the Highest Good of the community🍊

You’re a System Buster. I know you know that deep within your Soul. As much as you care about people, also understand that YOU~ ain’t responsible for saving nobody. People don’t need saving as much as they need a reminding. If tomorrow extraterrestrials came down from the heavens, even they wouldn’t save nobody from the misery of their own creation—aliens most likely are just going to remind Humans that the only thing capable of saving them is just them quitting being so negative, conflicty and shitty in the first place🐀

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Silver Historian (Polydore Vergil) & Priestess of Inspiration

Access bonus, cards + affs on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 2 – Flirting with Life Because You Have a Lot to Offer~★

pizzaaa: Midnight Margherita Pizza in Naples by Jamie Oliver & Gennaro Contaldo

mind – King of Wands

‘Life is colourful!’🎨I feel like that’s the numero uno vibe that you’ve been enveloped in lately (or soon to experience) due to your own elevation in vibration. Other than elevation, you may have done something to further shield or protect yourself from all of the world’s low-vibrational thought and emotional patterns. In essence, if this is your main pile, you’ve done a massive spiritual purge—which seems to be a message that has been coming up a lot in the collective lately—and all of that shadow work, so to speak, is bearing fruits~🫐🍓🥝

With all of the limiting beliefs from which you’ve managed to set yourself free, you’ve come to a much, much deeper understanding of how your states of mind, moods, and sense of inspiration all hold the magical codes for co-Creation with the ever-benevolent Universe💫Essentially, what comes after that is either complete faith in the trajectory of your Destiny, or you’ve simply given up on feeling anxious about where you’re being led to, or both🦉Oh! Isn’t that so liberating~?🐣

Babe, people call something magic when they don’t understand its logic, but to those who do truly understand magic, quite everything about it is scientific🎼This year is all about you awakening more fully to the magic deep within, and seeing and experiencing for yourself how your physical Reality gradually aligns with your personal values and desires~🐾

body – 6 of Pentacles

Those of you who’ve been struggling financially, this FM was a gateway towards your physical abundance, for real. Basically, whether or not you were struggling financially, there was a sense of lack or limitation that was always making you feel unstable or insecure. You couldn’t always do or get what you needed when you needed it. Starting this FM—and yes, this is your theme throughout 2025—you’ll be seeing for real how your sense of ‘security’ or ‘abundance’ gets rectified by the Universe~⚖️

For some people, yes, it is about money or a job opportunity; for some others, this could revolve around time spent with loved ones, or even a greater sense of ease in pursuing your creative hobbies/interests. Bottom line is, trust that this FM in Cancer is opening up the floodgates of GOOD VIBES and confidence what will make your entire year so much easier to navigate. I sense that this in itself is just preparation for you to manifest something MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE VALUABLE than this peace of mind🚁

I’m hearing: before the summer, use this time to take very good care of your physical avatar. Eat whatever you like as much or as little as you want, and see for yourself what kind of eating habits suit you~🌭

spirit – 4 of Cups Rx

If this is your main pile, you surely have worked tirelessly at something that actually took away a great amount of JOY from your everyday Reality. I’m being told—and I’m being told that you need to really, really believe this—that all of the good times you’ve missed during survival or trauma healing or shadow work are going to be fully compensated by the abundant Universe🛍🎡🥂

Lately I’ve been seeing these vids on YouTube that have titles like: ‘God can make up for your lost time’ or something along those lines~🥞Maybe such ‘prophetic words’ could heal some of the emotional pain you’ve sustained during spiritual purging🍋It may seem endless at times, but if you’ve resonated with this pile so far, your Spirit Guides are insisting that your GOOD TIMES are chasing you hard this year🌊🌊🌊

With that said, keep the faith, act like it’s already yours—because it really already is; and most of all, know that you deserve all of this goodness because the ‘you’ now also have so much good to share with the world!🌟🌟🌟

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Silver Alchemist (Ramon Llull) & Priestess of Healing

Access bonus, cards + affs on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 3 – Figuring Out More Deeply How the Matrix Works!

pizzaaa: How to Make Perfect Pizza by Gennaro Contaldo

mind – XIX The Sun

Wow! Two major arcana for you, boo~🍻But listen, Pile 3 aenergy is somewhat heavy in the sense that you do have a huge responsibility in this incarnation—and I’ve a feeling this is a pile not that many people are gonna choose or resonate with🦞

It’s very likely that this year you’re going to begin reuniting with your—let’s say… Soul Comrades? lol🦁These are the Souls that share multitudes of mission with you and of course many of them could be true Soul Fam, but there are just as many that aren’t necessarily family with you on a Soul level. This is big, ma man—if this is your main pile, you’re obviously an important, high-ranking Celestial who has infused your consciousness deep into the Earth-Matrix Experience (Human ver.) programme🐦‍🔥🐲

Did you know that you came here to hijack the Game—the System?👾Your entire Life you were learning to redirect aenergy and thought, as part of the liberation of Mankind’s collective consciousness. You’ve the ability/access to hijack back the matrices of evil and suffering by entering and rearranging codes in the Records!🕹

body – 9 of Pentacles

Now this FM being in the Cancer-Capricorn axis—the axis of traditional values—you may have felt a deep desire to ‘touch grass’ more lol🍃The last time Pluto was in Capricorn, or when Capricorn Pluto generation (equivalent of today’s Gen Alpha) were young adults, Humanity was in the Romantic Era. This era came right after the Industrial Revolution whereby intellectual young adults rebelled against rapid ‘modernisation’ by deliberately returning to what was beautiful and poetic albeit impractical—but that is exactly the point, right?🌷

If you’ve chosen this as your main pile, chances are, you’re someone who inherently appreciates the beauty of the natural world🪺You could still be into technology and are appreciative of the ease of modern amenities, but deep down, you know that ‘modernity’ shouldn’t have to equal drabness or ugly buildings—or ugly everything on that matter🦚

What you’re being led to, aenergetically speaking, is an awareness of this mechanism of how ‘evil powers’ that are holding this Matrix hostage are deliberately making everything uglier so as to kill the Human Spirit🥀And thus, by realising this trick and noticing the patterns, you’re meant to rebel against the equilibrium of boredom by being weirder and more colourful still~🌈

spirit – VIII Strength Rx

What Humanity is going through right now, I’m sure you of all people understand that we’re watching the crumbling of the establishment that was founded on deceit and funded by lies, in real-time🍭That’s why economies are weakening and so many are struggling for food and other forms of basic necessities. But for you, Pile 3, it could be that you’ve been swimming in that exact frequency for a while…🧆

But starting this FM—and for the rest of the year if not the rest of your Life—you’re going to be so abundant now that you’ve finished gathering data for why the Human Matrix is filled with a ‘lack consciousness’—not just mindset but ‘consciousness’ altogether🍬Right now, there’s a sense of needing to rest… No, actually, from now on, you’ll always have the freedom to manipulate Reality—aenergy and timeline and such—in accordance to what you like, when you like it🍽

You aren’t doing this all by yourself, you know. Your Spirit Guides and Cosmic Ancestors are all in this with you. Anyway, learn to embrace this feeling of peace because you seem like you’ve forgotten🎂You have the power to choose to be so deeply grounded in your Divine Consciousness that nothing outside of that calm can shake your foundation~🥘

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Red Astronomer (Johannes Kepler) & Priestess of Luxury

Access bonus, cards + affs on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[Moon PAC Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings] [buymeaboba]

[nikemouse]

[AU] New Age of The Planet of the Apes

Hi, since NoMae is my new Tumblr obsession and I had some free time, I compiled ideas about what I imagine the movie's sequels would be like. My inspiration for this story came from the theory of TheOasisGeek channel on YouTube, as well as the Korean manhwa Leviathan (manhwa).

Rating: Madure.

Edit: 31 th January, 2025.

NOTE: English is not my first language, so a thousand pardons for any grammatical errors.

Summary

In an apocalyptic world, the leader of the Eagle clan must join forces with a group of humans to fight for survival.

Years have passed since the fall of Proximus Caesar. Noa is now the official leader of the Eagle clan, but his people are once again threatened when a young emperor emerges seeking revenge. After an unsuccessful rebellion, Noa has his vocal cords pierced and is forced to leave his homeland. Unable to sing for the eagles, the ape leader guides his people and other defeated clans in search of a haven. To the apes' dismay, the discovery of intelligent echoes provokes territorial tensions. Meanwhile, a mysterious disease is taking hold of planet Earth, affecting both humans and apes.

“The grandfather builds the Empire, the father squanders the Empire, and the son loses the Empire” - Chinese proverb

The origin of the Forbidden Zone {The story of Cornelius & Nova}

After Caesar's death, the apes were finally free from human evil, and lived in peace in the Oasis. As Caesar's second son, Cornelius was expected to inherit his father's place as the next leader. Despite his sagacity, young Cornelius lacks Caesar's imposing stature. And this seems to affect his self-esteem. To cope with the pressure of succeeding his father, he often goes on adventures with his friend Nova. Cornelius likes Nova as an adventure companion, although he considers her slow and bad at climbing. The ape enjoys her jokes and magic tricks.

Nova grows up as Maurice's adopted daughter. She proves to be more intelligent than the other apes and sometimes acts as a teacher in her father's place. In reality, Nova hasn't lost her intelligence, but the disease has reset her brain, so she has lost her memory. For this reason, when she saw her biological father's corpse lying in the snow, she could not show any emotion, even though something in the back of her mind told her she knew the man.

Despite the visible physical differences, when Nova reaches adolescence, she feels physically attracted to the males of the ape community. In her naivety, she believes she will get married and start a family just like the other females. But this illusion is finally shattered when, on receiving unpleasant comments from the other males, “she's very ugly”, she runs into her father's arms. Maurice, for his part, gently explains that Nova is a beautiful girl, but because she is from a different species, she will never find a partner in that community.

To distract her mind, Nova goes on one of Cornelius' adventures to explore the ruins. They find a statue with a face identical to Nova's, below which are the inscriptions: “U.S.A.”. The pair don't know it, but the sculpted face actually belongs to an astronaut who was lost in space, Judy Franklin, one of the first American women to travel in a spaceship. Cornelius takes the statue with him, even though Nova doesn't like the idea. On their way out of the building, they come across an intelligent human who runs away when he realizes an ape accompanies the girl. The possibility that there are others like her intrigues Nova. She needs to know who they are and where they are. Cornelius notices the change in his friend's behavior, but decides not to confront her for fear of angering her.

Maurice also noticed this change who, as an elderly orangutan who probably won't live to the end of the year, advises his daughter to set off on a journey in search of the answers she needs. His friend's decision to leave home initially disgusted Cornelius, because deep down Cornelius wanted Nova to take Maurice's place as a teacher.

Nova consoles him and says that Cornelius will always be in her heart, no matter how far away she is, and to show that he also cares for Nova, Cornelius gives her a necklace with Caesar's symbol on it, so that Nova will always have a reminder of her old home with her.

Years later, Cornelius would marry and start a family. He had three children, Green-Eyes the firstborn, and Galen the second son, and Shiva, the youngest daughter. Green-Eyes and Galen are brothers who haven't got along since they were babies. Both are responsible in their duties, but Green-Eyes always shows arrogance towards the other ape species. For Green-Eyes, chimpanzees are superior to other apes. His father constantly reproached this distorted thinking. Shiva is closer to Green-Eyes. He likes to be around his younger sister because Shiva always praises him and says he's better than Galen.

One day Green-Eyes and Galen are arguing near the ruins when they hear a mysterious noise coming from the abandoned building. On checking, the brothers hear echoes of a mysterious animal; they are intrigued and Green-Eyes enters the site to investigate. Galen tries to stop him, but cannot convince his brother until a human carrying a sword appears, and strikes a blow at Green-Eyes. Luckily, the blade grazes his face. The brothers run off and warn the other apes. A group of apes is sent to check the site and find the creature. Hours later, they return with a familiar face, Nova, alongside a woman and a young boy called Sirius.

Cornelius warmly welcomed Nova, now an older woman and the leader of a community of humans. His father's reaction left Green-Eyes confused and angry, as he expected the woman to be punished because of the arrow. But Galen calms his brother's nerves and Nova apologizes for the unpredictable behaviour of his son, Sirius.

Nova reveals that over the last few years, years, her mission has been to help track down survivors of the apocalypse. She explains that humanity, who is hiding underground, has abandoned the infected. She says that she has gathered many survivors, but that they have now had to abandon their land because of climate change. During the conversation, Sirius points to a small statue placed in the center of the nest. Nova is surprised to see the ancient artifact again, and Cornelius presents her friend with the object. Green-Eyes disapproves of his father's idea and tries to convince Galen, who in turn remains neutral. Galen doesn't trust humans, but he respects his father's decisions.

Little by little, Galen also changes his mind about humans, and even makes friends with Sirius, something that annoys Green-Eyes even more. Taking advantage of the situation, Shiva convinces Green-Eyes that humans could be a future threat. She shows Green-Eyes leaflets from a zoo where chimpanzees are kept in cages. “For now they are few, but when they multiply in number, we will be doomed!”. Knowing that Galen would probably take his father's place, Green-Eyes devises a plan to get rid of his brother and the unwanted humans. Shiva steals Sirius' sword and Green-Eyes uses the object to murder his own brother, but things don't work out as planned. Cornelius would have seen Green-Eyes's crime coming from afar. Heartbroken, Cornelius expels Green-Eyes, who flees the camp with his fiancée and other chimpanzees who share his superiority.

Thus, Shiva ends up becoming Cornelius' sole heir. When Sirius realizes Shiva manipulated Green-Eyes, he convinces his mother that the only way to maintain peace between apes and humans is for the two species to live separately. So Sirius and Shiva sign an agreement and the humans move to a place called the “Forbidden Zone”. Meanwhile, to represent his newly formed clan, Green-Eyes would adopt the color blue in contrast to the traditional color red used by Caesar's people, and his descendants would later domesticate eagles. However, Shiva's reign did not last long, as after a series of disagreements, the chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas fragmented into different groups. This story was passed down from generation to generation among Nova's descendants.

Mae's Backstory

The Bunkers:

After the simian flu wiped out almost all of humanity, the remaining humans managed to survive in underground bunkers. The bunkers were built before the viral outbreak. The American government to shelter the population in case of nuclear war. The humans who took shelter inside the buildings were military personnel, scientists, or had some connection to politics. Small societies were created inside the hiding places, and each society had its system of rules;

Mae was born in a place divided by a rigid class system, based on the level of skills each person could offer. Therefore, more skilled people receive more resources (food, water, clothing) than less experienced individuals;

Inhabitants' abilities are measured through intelligence and strength tests. In addition, performance during work is constantly evaluated. So if you didn't perform your tasks correctly, you could be demoted or even considered “useless”;

People considered “useless” by the system make up the lowest layer of society. They receive fewer resources, for example, access to health services;

Euthanasia is applied to the elderly and disabled;

Women have had their reproductive rights removed. Women of childbearing age are obliged to take part in reproduction programs. Abortion is only permitted when the pregnancy poses a risk to the pregnant woman's life;

Over time, teaching underwent transformations; some books and teaching materials were banned or altered, and any thought that posed a threat to the system was banned. - A similar situation occurred when Proximus distorted Caesar's ideals;

The surviving humans are indoctrinated to hate apes - Mae grew up hearing that apes were responsible for the destruction of human civilization. At first, she refuses to believe that Noa and Raka are good people;

The Gatherers

Because of limited resources, a group of gatherers are sent to the surface every month to collect supplies, risking their lives to ensure the survival of humanity;

Besides wearing special clothing during their missions, the gatherers use immunizing drugs;

The gatherers have a time limit for remainng outside, and are sterilized after each mission;

For security reasons, the gatherers live in an isolated area of the bunker, without direct contact with members of the community members, communicating through a video calls with their superiors;

The gatherers undergo a military training - For this reason, Mae survived on the surface alone for a long time before crossing paths with Noa and Raka;

About the virus:

The simian flu has mutated yet again, affecting the surviving humans even more. Instead of killing those infected, the mutant strain of simian flu causes humans to lose the ability to speak and become wild animals. The humanity that has isolated itself in the bunkers still carries ALZ-113, but has managed to reverse the side effects thanks to immunizing drugs and the fact that they are not exposed to the new mutation of the virus;

Just as the next generations of apes became more intelligent, humans also developed a stronger immune system. In this case, humans have used genetic engineering to their advantage;

The virus still exists on the surface and can be fatal to humans;

In very rare cases, the retrovirus ends up working and having its intended effect for the first time, the affected humans have accelerated thinking and a higher intellectual level, but still suffer from common side effects of the virus, such as eye and nose bleeding. These humans are considered the next stage in the evolution of Homo sapiens. This human subspecies is known as Mutants;

There are communities formed by this new species hidden around the planet, many of whom disguise themselves as wild echoes as a form of protection, so as not to attract the attention of the apes;

In the old region of Fort Wayne, there is an agricultural community of Mutants, known as the Nova Clan. The name “Nova” is a tribute to the founder and first leader of the community. The clan likes to call the inhabitants of the bunkers “underground people”. It is a matriarchal community, 40% of the participants are mute. Unlike the present thinking of the humans in the bunkers, the community believes in harmony between humans and apes;

Human novas like to call the inhabitants of the bunkers “underdwellers”;

Mae's family:

Mae was raised in a family of gatherers;

Mae's mother's real name is Ellen, but she goes by the alias “Carol”, while her adoptive father was called Joel - this part is confusing, but I'll explain it later:

“Ellen had a twin sister called Carol. As a child, Carol underwent surgery to implant a catheter in her heart, and this experience motivated her to take up medicine. Ellen and Carol loved each other unconditionally, but a tragic event would separate the two sisters. Connor, a family friend, doped and sexually abused Ellen. Being from a wealthy family, Connor got away with it. Ellen, dissatisfied with the jury's decision, would have taken the law into her own hands, but her revenge didn't go according to plan, as Connor's eye was pierced during the attack. Carol, afraid that her pregnant sister will be sentenced to expulsion, assumes the identity of Ellen, and in the end the real Carol is tried and sentenced to death. But Connor devises a plan to send “Ellen”/Carol to the surface. The imposter spends days wandering the apocalyptic earth facing dangerous challenges, such as a clan of chimpanzees who hunt wild humans to feed on their flesh. Until Daena, a descendant of Nova and the current leader of a group, finds her made up of intelligent humans. The revelation that some humans have kept their intellectual capacity surprises Carol and survives the apocalypse, but she also wonders if the government knows of their existence. Daena at first suspects Carol of being some kind of “underground” spy, so she captures her and takes her to her clan. But little by little, with her knowledge of medicine, Carol wins Daena's trust and eventually they fall in love and get married.

Ellen is traumatized after losing her sister, so she raises her daughter to be strong and ruthless. Thus, Mae is taught from an early age not to trust just anyone;

After assuming the identity of “Carol”, Ellen abandons her family and joins the gatherers. There she meets Joel, and falls in love with him;

Mae is Connor's daughter, but grew up thinking her father was Joel;

Mae has a somewhat complicated relationship with her mother. Although Mae understands that her mother loves her, she sometimes feels suffocated by the psychological pressure and would like to have more freedom to go out with her friends;

Mae has good relationship with father, Joel. Joel is a technology geeek and handles the bunker's internal infrastructure and equipment repairs. Mae has always accompanied her father to work since she was a child, and she has also developed a passion for technology;

Mae has two best friends: Raven and Douglas. The trio of friends has known each other since kindergarten - a similar dynamic that Noa shares with Soona and Anaya;

She is nicknamed “Eagle Eyes” by her friends, because she is very good at target practice - the choice of this nickname is deliberate, as I believe the scriptwriters wanted Mae to have a connection with Noa, just as her clan has with the eagles;

At the virtual school, Mae excels in all her subjects;

Mae meets Desmond, another prodigy at the school when they are teamed up by their teacher to do a project together. Although her mother says they could be friends, she despises him because she thinks he has a “God complex”;

Mae's father dies in an “accident” when she is fifteen - in reality he was murdered;

She keeps a music box by her bed. This was the last birthday present she received from her father;

The mission:

Seven attempts have been made to recover the SATCOM chip, and all have failed;

The group is attacked by Proximus apes as they near their destination. Mae sees her mother being killed. Douglas, one of Mae's best friends, sacrifices himself to save her life. In his last moments of life, he confesses his feelings to her;

Mae is the only one in the group to escape alive. She takes refuge in the rubble of a church. She believes she is alone until she notices a mysterious figure next to the statue of the Virgin Mary. This is her aunt, the real Carol. Mae at first believes she is seeing a ghost of her mother. They talk and Mae is disappointed to realize that the woman in front of her is not her mother, but surprised to discover that she has an aunt;

She wonders how Carol can still maintain sentience if the virus is still on the planet. Carol says that some humans are immune, but this can only be discovered within a year. Carol also tells Carol about her past. The woman reveals the atrocities she went through because of the system and even tells her niece that apes are not monsters, as they claim;

— No, you don't understand. They can form family ties, creating monuments, developing their own culture. We can't just ignore the fact that this planet is as much theirs as it is ours.

— Can you believe that? Apes killed their own sister! — questioned Mae.

This statement leaves Mae in a complete state of rage. The girl thinks Carol is a crazy woman;

They fight and Carol disappears. The next morning, Mae continues her journey in search of SATCOM;

After the events of Kingdom of The Planet of the Apes

When Mae returns to the human settlement and gives Korina the decryption key, she also asks for her music box back;

Carol finds Raka. She ends up saving the ape's life and they become friends;

Raka and Noa meet again. Although Raka's ideas are not accepted by the elders of the Eagle Clan, Noa meets the old orangutan on the sly to learn more about Caesar;

Mae sets up a makeshift camp near the bunker. Then one day she realizes that some animal is stealing her food. Mae sets a trap and captures an orangutan cub called Lena. At first, Mae doesn't let her guard down for Lena, but her heart softens when she discovers the cub is yet another child who lost her family to the atrocities of Proximus Caesar. Mae ends up “adopting” Lena and together they end up forming a family;

At some point, Mae discovers that inside the music box was a letter written by her mother, Ellen. In the message, Ellen tells her the whole truth about her past, her real identity, her lost twin sister, and finally who her daughter's father is. Mae bursts into tears at the discovery and Lena comforts her;

Eventually Mae is reunited with Carol. She is surprised that Mae is taking care of an ape and even more so, carrying a Caesar medallion. Mae asks her aunt for forgiveness and they reconcile. Carol invites Mae to live with the Nova clan. Mae had no faith that she could survive alone on the surface for long, especially now that she had a child to look after, so she allied herself with the group of humans;

At first, Mae's presence is not very well accepted, but little by little she gains a foothold in the clan with her technological skills;

THE MAIN VILLAINS:

Desmond Thompson harbors a hatred of apes and believes that they are to blame for humanity having to live in isolation underground. He is a brilliant scientist and currently the head of the science department. His research focuses on developing a biological weapon capable of sterilizing all apes. His father, Oliver Thompson, was one of the creators project, but after a series of fiascos that put his teammates lives at risk, the project was canceled and Oliver was fired. Months later, Oliver committed suicide. Desmond's laboratory is in a makeshift facility on the surface. Thanks to SATCOM, he coordinates the project with the help of other scientists across the country. Desmond displays a great lack of empathy and a god complex, firmly believing that he is the only one capable of saving humanity.

Connor Cunningham is Mae's biological father. He belongs to a high-ranking family in the bunker and obtained his position throught nepotism. Together with Desmond, Connor aims to restore human civilization. To achieve this, Connor contacts Ivar, a young leader, to procure ore and other natural resources. In return, he supplies Ivar's army with low-quality firearms. The supply of firearms allows Ivar to reconquer the former empire of his father, Proximus Caesar. This possession of firearms ultimately leads to enslavement and bloodshed among the ape communities. Connor is a man without scruples and takes pleasure in the apes destroying themselves. He is known to the Eagle Clan as the “merchant of death”.

Ivar is the son of Proximus. Ivar lost his father when he was still a child, and shortly afterwards, witnessed the death of his mother and later had to endure unthinkable abuse and persecution from his family. Ivar develops a strong hatred for the Eagle Clan, especially Noa, and blames them for ruining his life. Over time, Ivar formed an alliance with “Messiah”, a chimpanzee-human hybrid in which he helped eliminate his opponents. Messiah is not his real name, nor does Ivar himself know the origin of this killer, but that doesn't matter as long as he does his job. With the help of a human called Connor, Ivar begins a military campaign to reconquer the lands of the former emperor. Despite his age, he is capable of feats just like his predecessor. However, not everyone is pleased with the new emperor. Because of a trap set by his opponents, Ivar was shot in the head and left in a coma for seven days. He survives but is left with aftereffects. After the assassination attempt, his personality changed drastically. He became more brutal toward his enemies. Even his allies became afraid of the young emperor.

[mimpinightmare]

🎆HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2025 TO EVERYONE WHO CELEBRATES IT!! :D🎆

Here's Xing and Shakes (who is mostly trying-) Lion Dancing!! :D This artwork was meant to post on 29th January, but of course, time wasn't on my side- So Hopefully two days late is still acceptable to post this- (Apologies for the photo quality as well-💀)

Also, here's another interesting fact, this was not meant to be a Supa Strikas fanart, it was meant to be an illustration for my Mentor, who does celebrate Chinese New Years, which to display for the occasion. My mentor told me we didn't want a complex sketch/illustration, just something simple. So the sketch was scrapped. But I liked it too much to sit on my sketch book, so I decided to make a Supa Strikas Fanart, dedicated towards the celebration. :)

As somebody who doesn't celebrate the occasion or does Lion Dance, I tried my best on my research to be as accurate as possible with it. To the outfits Lion Dancers wear, to the color scheme, to the design of the lion itself. Again, this was a scrap sketch, and my original idea was people lion dancing since it's well know to lion dance in Chinese New Year, as well as weddings (if I'm not mistaken), and other celebrations. That being said, who is very much isn't raised with the cultural, I can very much make many mistakes and misinterpreted the culture. For that, I will forwardly apologies if there are mistakes I've made or never caught on when making the artwork. I appreciated if anyone who IS familiar with the culture would correct me if there are errors to be corrected! And I will update on this post! 👍

DISCLAIMER: That being said about errors- The only mistake I notice I made is Xing holding the Lion Mouth when lion dancing. Yeahhhh... NOT THE CORRECT WAY TO DO IT- 😭😭 The correct way to do it actually is hold it's head from the INSIDE, not it's mouth. I notice this when I was almost finished coloring- 💀That's VERY MUCH MY BAD on my part-

Anyways again, 🎆HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEARS EVERYONE!! HOPE EVERYONE'S REST OF THE YEAR WILL BE GRAND!!! :D 🎆

[riversenchanted]

PLUTO IN AQUARIUS: UTOPIA OR DYSTOPIA

Many posts I see about Pluto are either dystopian or utopian.

Some are quick to point out that Pluto (power) in Aquarius (sign of the people) signifies mass control and devastations faced by large numbers of people, which I don’t deny at all.

But there’s the other side of the coin as well in which the collective is tired of being pushed around with some even hitting rock bottom, and are now ready to dismantle the old paradigm to move on to something else or even build something new in response.

Pluto in Aquarius at best is the story of the underdogs discovering and utilizing their power after being relentlessly tormented.

With Pluto involved, we first encounter grim conditions that we can no longer tolerate. And then we become ready to knock it down in order to create or emerge in another sphere that is more ideal.

You cannot have one without the other in a world of polarity. And Pluto highlights this polarity.

Once you come to terms with this, you can work with Pluto and even fall in love with him.

You can go into a dark basement even if it’s scary, and face your fears and look them in the eye and even make room for your fears to exist while taking action.

It’s like when Dorothy and her friends discover who the Wizard of Oz truly is.

Behind the curtains, he is an ordinary individual using tricks and illusions to appear more intimidating than he really is.

This brings me to what’s happening now…

None of the tech giants and heads of state who seem to have colossal influence are as powerful as they appear.

They may issue draconian measures to control and wreak havoc on the masses and gaslight them in the process.

But such measures also backfire.

Just like with the recent TikTok ban in the U.S. (which has now been reversed), which drove millions of people to RedNote (a Chinese social media platform similar to TikTok) where Western users are now discovering (sometimes in awe) a new world they didn’t know existed.

It’s interesting that on the same week when RedNote became the most downloaded app (just days before the ban), Meta shares took a plunge.

It was then when Zuckerberg issued a statement that he will get rid of fact-checkers and introduce community notes instead.

The panic on his face when he made this statement was hard to ignore.

Also, many members of congress who voted for the ban invested in Meta stocks, prior to the ban.

One of the justifications for the ban was that the magnitude of data the app collected posed a national security threat.

After digging deeper, I’m finding out that apparently Meta collects more data than TikTok.

These are not topics that are reported in mainstream media.

With Uranus (freedom, cutting-edge technology) ingressing into Gemini (sign of communications) this year on 7 Jul 2025 (GMT), I expect a plethora of social media apps to emerge.

Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius, upholds freedom to be of utmost importance.

My prediction is that many of the upcoming social media platforms will respect people’s privacy a lot more and will not censor people’s voices as much, especially as we move closer to the Uranus-Pluto trine (lucky aspect) which will be exact next year.

Another topic not being covered in mainstream media is that Kansas (along with a number of other states in the U.S.) filed a civil suit against one of the most well-known pharmaceutical companies (you all know the name) for misleading the public and using deceptive marketing during the pandemic.

The point I’m trying to make is that actions are being taken to hold powerful companies and forces (that seemed invincible) accountable – this is the other side of the coin of Pluto (power) in empowering the collective (Aquarius).

Just because we don’t see these headlines in mainstream news outlets doesn’t mean that such countermeasures don’t exist.

The more we become aware of people standing up for the underdog and mobilizing themselves (including the underdogs themselves) to take action, the more we can empower ourselves with Pluto in Aquarius.

[lumichenart]

2025 新年快樂！蛇舞春風，心想事成！」 🐍✨ 2025, Happy Chinese/Lunar New year! When the snake dances in the spring breeze, may your wishes come true 🌸