#yes this is in reference to a particular podcast

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Actually a pretty fab line up right now

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

NOV 2024 Week 5

Ongoing Series - Thai

Love Sick 2024 (Sun iQIYI) ep 11 of 15 - This is where the teen awkward comes to grab me by the throat. No other Thai BL does this better than Love Sick (except maybe Make it Right). And it’s always a challenge to watch because Phun is so ready to come out and Noh is so not. I love what cramming 3 eps into one (and better side BL couples) did for the tension and pacing in this particular part of this story. The new version really is excellent. I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. 

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - They are so awkward and I love them so much for it. They are terrible at faking romance, yet Fah want’s Rak so bad. This is moving so slowly but that’s part of it’s charm. I'm not frustrated instead I’m getting Oxygen vibes from it. Or perhaps it’s is more just I feel the way I felt when I was first watching Oxygen. Which is to say, I’m totally addicted and I keep re-watching new episodes. 

Spare Me Your Mercy (Thurs iQIYI) ep 1 of 8 - Gah! JJ grew up so pretty. I love these leads. (No one is shocked.) I love the lawful good paired against (we’re not sure yet but possibly) neutral evil. I love our very sus very flirty very gay doctor. A lot happened in this first episode. I’m getting Manner of Death flashbacks but there’s nothing wrong with that. Bring on the chili. 

Incidentally, if you're interested in true crime, here's the IRL version of this story. How a Nuclear Lab Helped Catch a Serial Killer from the Science Vs podcast.

Jack & Joker (Mon IQIYI) ep 10-12 end - I got the go ahead on a safe ending, and thus I watched the last 3 eps all as one. I love how defiantly verse these two were. I also really enjoyed the final episode. I do like a finale that ends on a bang (yes, both kinds). 

Final thoughts

I enjoyed this show a lot. A caper BL starring two of Thailand's best and focusing on class struggles, corruption, and poverty, was always gonna appeal to me. But I’m not sure, ultimately, whether I liked it because it was good in it’s own right, or because YinWar were so good in it. I do wish it had been a little more Leverage and little less chaos, Dr Evils, and "watch War cry." It was a great vehicle for YinWar, and for them to prove that BL can defy its own tropes. To that end, this goes comfortably into the Manner of Death category more than anything else I’ve encountered befor (although slightly less unhinged). It's good, but it loses the plot, the side couples, and it's own mind a couple of times, and YinWar were definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Thus I feel an 8/10 is fair, especially considering I'm unlikely to rewatch.

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 2 of 12 - Dunk is illegally pretty in this show. I gotta say I covet his skin care routine. (I love YinWar as much as the next person, but THIS boy should be the spokes-BL-rep for Laneige.)

Manwhile..... FirstKhao might be GMMTV’s best flirters. It’s a pleasure to watch them just inhabit these characters and bounce off each other. I do keep saying “what tf are they doing?!“ with this show. In this instance, it was the dancing in the bowling alley. What is going on? is it meant to be a Pulp Fiction reference?

Also this gd soundtrack is bonkers. I *can’t!* with the 70s orgy porn music and the very bad not quite metal intro music. And then, I remember, brain must be turned off! (That’s really hard for me OK?)

All that said, both the sauna and the jerk-off scenes were much appreciated. It’s nice to see this kind of visceral physical attraction depicted in a BL, we get it so rarely.  

On a side note, I entirely support Thailand’s one country agenda to put all the cute boys in crop tops. Keep it up. And up. And up. 

Fourever You (Thurs YT) ep 9 of 16 - I just don’t get the (new) main couple. They don’t work for me. I like the surprise gamer boys side crumbs though. They are v cute.

Side quest: Genius move anytime Hill comes on screen to basically have Pond make love to the camera. He v good at it. Break down everyone’s fourth wall, baby. Take no prisoners. 

Caged Again (Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - That exchange! “Are you worried about me” (attempted flirtation) vrs Junior’s response “yes I am.” Just utter frankness. It’s very sweet. All in all this show is very sweet. Somewhat incomprehensible world building, but sweet. And the head lift into the lap was next level adorable. Sun’s shy smile is everything. 

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT?) ep 5 of 24 - This show is very silly. I love the sides so much I can’t EVEN. But I think it was a big mistake putting Tay into this show. Never let an OG out of the bottle like that. He gets all our attention because we think he’s gonna grant all our wishes. By which I mean, all I could think the whole time he was on screen was WHY IS HE SO FINE?

I’m not joking, I had to watch his scenes 3x because I kept getting distracted and losing the plot. Not that there is much plot to lose. Just Tay’s mouth. I’ll stop now, but seriously tho LOOK AT HIM!!! 

Every You Every Me (Mon Gaga) ep 8 end - Honestly I’d like to see this pair handed something much more meaty. Like a Japanese adaptation? Tokyo in April is… for example. I think they do a great job with something like that.

Conclusion

This was supposed to be a linked series about reincarnated soulmates, but ended up being more like a Y-Destiny grab bag BL with no rebirth through line, just the same acting pair. The leads were excellent. And I must praise this show for representing things I always want in my BL (and rarely get), switch, verse, communication, and safe sex. It’s just that this format with the same actors but no unifying theme (despite the pitch/packaging) made for a disappointing viewing experience. Some of the installments I enjoyed, and the visuals are on point, but I was ultimately let down by style and execution, if not acting. 6/10 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 4 of 11 - “I won’t fall in love with you” is an easy promise to make if you’ve already fallen. I love this show SO MUCH. “Infect me just a little.” Holy fuck. This BOY. Also, so much for “not kissing.” This BL is fantastic. I’m so worried about where it’s going. Japan could very much hurt me with this. I didn’t expect to fall in love so hard.

Man, JBL...... when it gets you it really gets you (then it locks you in a basement and gets kinky). We are not safe but we must sit back and suffer enjoy it. I hate this. I love this. What a rush. 

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 7 of 13 - I think this show has a “crash into me” trope in every single ep. This ep alone had 3, plus a flash back to the first one. Still, their damn date was so flipping adorbs!!!

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 10 of ? - I couldn’t be less interested in the stuff with the mean girls. I’m annoyed we spent so much of this episode on them. Fewer bullies more smooches.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Arashi as the doting bf was cute if sudden, also holy musical montage BLman.  Kai is my favorite character (as was Sky) but I'm still not wild about the blackmail sex start to this relationship. It does seem a little bit more like Kai went after a one night stand, also bit more switchy, which is better...... I guess. But not by much because the chemistry with these two isn't as good as the original.

I remain suspicious.

It's airing but......

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues ????) 11 of 12 eps - My source hasn’t yet uploaded 11. So…… I wait. 

Secret Love (? YT?) 13-?? of 81 eps - I don't know what's going on either.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun Viki) paused at eps 9-10 of 12 - I got the "stop" on this one as it's gone (no surprise) dark. Being China can not be relied upon to HEA. So I'm on pause until I'm told it's safe. If it ends sad/bad I will dnf. But for now I wait......

Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai Weds YT) ?? eps - Criminals who meet in prison fall in love. I did find it on YouTube, initially unsubbed, then subs happened by which time I got distracted. The first episode seems to be only six minutes long. It is very pulp. But it is intriguing. For now its to the wayside until someone tells me what it whats to be and if it's headed in a safe direction. Occasionally Thai pulps want to be edgy and it's not a good look on them.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - I DNF'd at ep 7, I couldn't make it. I'm weak. Life is hard enough right now, this show made it harder. It’s not what I want from my entertainment. Ends tomorrow.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YT) 10 eps - This is a little too low production value even for me + just very very odd. DNF

In Case You Missed it - GMMTV 2025 Line Up

There have been a ton of hot takes already, including mine.

Here are the titles and links to MDL for you (confirmed full BLs only), these are organized in order of the ones I'm anticipating the most at the top.

Dare You to Death - trailer

Boys in Love - trailer

Memoir of Rati - trailer

My Magic Prophecy - trailer

Me and Thee - trailer

A Dog and A Plane - trailer

Cat for Cash - trailer

That Summer - trailer

My Romance Scammer - trailer

Head 2 Head - trailer

Ticket To Heaven - trailer

Burnout Syndrome - trailer

Melody of Secrets - trailer

Only Friends Dream On - trailer

Love You Teacher - trailer

Next Week Looks Like This:

End of year drops:

12/4 0.5D (Japan ????) 10 eps - Sales ace, Sada, has a secret that only his junior, Daiki, knows. He has pretended to have a gf for years, resulting in him being a virgin. But now Sada has fallen in love. Confused, Sada seeks advice from his junior. I sense another queer Cyrano De Bergerac. Info here.

12/6 Be Moon - Falling for my enemy's son (China ????) movie from HBD Studio - Not much on this one just a trailer, looks intriguing...... if it's from/through Taiwan, but if it's all China, I'm wary.

12/13 ThamePo Heart that Skips a Beat (Fri YT) 12eps - A boy band member and his documentarian start a forbidden relationship. I LOVE Est and am delighted to see him at GMMTV. This was my #1 pick for 2024. I've been waiting for a Blinding Lights style idol romance and this looks like it might be it (Korea and Japan have systemically disappointed me). Bring it, boys.

12/14 & 12/21 The Renovation (Thai mini One31) 2 eps - Writer turns his blossoming romance with holiday resort owner into a novel.

12/29 Sangmin Dinneaw (Thai ????) ??eps - trailer Childhood friends (Thai & Korean) reunite after being apart for ten years. As the boys reconnect, their bond matures and feelings of romance begin to develop, in Thai.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

His smile. (Caged Again)

Look at them!

Look, I don't mean to tell you your business, but THIS? This is peak Thai BL. This is it. This is What They Do Best. Sure they dabble with silly kinky crimey-whiney fashizzal, but Thailand's true BL power is right here, in the sweet awkward school-set first love arghhhhh. Yes I said, school. Bite me. (Love Sick... damn it, 10 years later and it still has me in a choke hold.)

Hey all you idiots who thought (or think) there is ever a green flag in any Mame ever, this character if for you. This boy, THIS ONE. This is what a walking talking ACTING green flag energy actually looks like. You wanna date a dude? Find you one like him. Okay, peaches? sheesh

Meanwhile, this, this is not a green flag. This is GMMTV thinking they are being clever by calling out Thai BLs' worst behavior to make a character who has 'slightly less than worst behavior' look better. Sigh. When meta is used for ill gotten gains.

This, on the other hand is meta being cleverly deployed.

And this is language play. P'ABL's favorite.

So endeth this lesson.

(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

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

my longshot theory about part 52 is that the "threshold" that kayne was referring to, that noel's at, is addison.

a couple reasons i think this Would Be Neat:

throughout all of s3, after he learns where he is, arthur is constantly emphasizing how addison isn't far from arkham. it's one of the main things he gets fixated on: if he gets out of there, he can go home. given how insanely circular this podcast's dialogue tends to be, and how much kayne in particular loves to make jabs at things jarthur have said or will say, i can very easily imagine "somewhere awfully close to home" being a nod to arthur's obsession with Going Home in s3.

i mean literally, compare and contrast the first time arthur learns they're in the hoosac range, in 22:

ARTHUR (thrilled): Yes, it's – it’s west, far west of Arkham! A couple hundred miles, but that means we’re close to home!

and where kayne says he sent noel, in 52:

KAYNE: Oh, he’s somewhere familiar. Somewhere awfully close to home.

it's the same. exact phrase. "close to home." hello.

also, most of the other options (leerie, the pelican lane house, etc) i've sort of wondered why noel was... apparently still there? like he can leave. those places. why opt to stay where kayne put him? has time not been passing in middle-c? is he laid up in the same hospital arthur was in during the coma? did kayne put him on house arrest for the sake of the Bit?

BUT a key factor in the beginning of s3 is that you can't feasibly get out of addison during the winter without a car, and arthur took larson's car when he left. meaning the only one left that we know of is the surveyor's, which may or may not even still be around. given that it's really not been a ton of linear time since s3 happened, i would not be at all surprised if the way out was still too frozen to go on foot.

and also, according to irvine (the guy in the red right hand in 22), "Addison tends to hold on to you until it is done [...] You’ll leave Addison when it lets you leave." he claims he's been trapped there for ten years without being able to leave. so that would be a very satisfying answer to why noel hasn't gone back to nyc or something yet. addison isn't done with him yet.

SPEAKING of irvine, we STILL don't really have closure as to what the fuck exactly he was talking about when describing the town.

MAN: There’s a place, on this Earth, where light doesn’t touch. It’s a place of unfathomable depth. Where the crashing waves and churning, nightmarish storms are but memories. Darkness so black, so all consuming, that light can be… only dreamt of. Only hoped for. This place exists, friend. ARTHUR: Addison? MAN: Some call it Addison, sure. But there are many names it goes by.

is it possible this is just a dropped thread, or tone-setting that There's Something Weird Going On In This Little Town. yes. but also. golly gee mr. irvine that sure does sound reminiscent of the dark world, doesn't it. and if noel is at "the" threshold, not just a threshold, i would not be surprised if it was a threshold with relevance to the other world that kayne was actively prepping to send jarthur directly into.

also re: loose ends in addison, there was a very good post going around a little while ago theorizing that the larsons were worshippers of nyarlathotep, and. if that were the case. it would be rather ironic and appropriate for kayne to snap noel away to a place dedicated to his old self. wouldn't it.

[anim-ttrpgs]

as someone too poor to buy rpg rule booklets, I was looking into your game since it appears to be free to play. Was that correct, or did I misread it. (I think its pay what you want)

I was wondering if there was a good place to learn the basic rules. Like a youtube channel that might explain the difference between stats, and when they are applicable. I have never played a tabletop rpg, so the entire concept feels a little overwhelming.

I was also wondering how easy can the game be made. My only potential gaming group at the moment is one that finds monopoly overwhelming. Which means I probably need to look into playing online, or find a way to play single-player.

I know you’ve already had these questions answered by joining our discord server but I wanted to give it a public answer anyway for the sake of anyone else in the same boat.

First of all, yes, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is free if you want it to be free. The beta is pay-what-you-want, which includes $0 if that’s all you can afford.

As for a YouTube video explaining the rules, the best we can do for that is direct you to the Tiny Table podcast. They do get a couple of rules wrong while they play(as most people do the first time they play any particular RPG), but the rules overview will give you the basics. Those basics won’t be enough to start playing from scratch, but they will at least prime you for what you’re about to read in the rulebook.

The only real way to learn to play any RPG is to just read the rulebook, and then play it, continuing to reference the rulebook as-needed while you play.

This may sound intimidating, but it’s really not. Most RPG rulebooks are not massive unreadable tomes, and the ones that look like they are, like Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, are really not as intimidating as they look. Yes, the page count says 700 pages, but only about 200 of that is super important to read before you start playing the game, and, since we use big font and have a bunch of pictures taking up space, as far as word count goes that’s really closer to about 120 pages of actual text, then about 40 more of combat rules. The rest is optional rules, homebrew guidelines, additional character options, and lists and tables and stuff. It’s easy, just go through a few pages at a time.

I actually think that Eureka, despite being a dense and crunchy game, is a very, very good starting point for first-time players of TTRPGs, because it not only tells you the rules, it tells you how you’re supposed to approach the rules, what the rules mean and what their purpose is, and it even breaks down a lot of the math for you. Most games just tell you the rules, but don’t actually tell you how to apply them. Many shorter games will tell you even less, which is why I think it’s not a good idea to start people off on one-page RPGs.

Finally, the best place on the Internet right now to get online TTRPG groups that are safe, respectful, and compatible is the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club.

There’s nominations and we vote regularly on a game for everyone to read together and then play, with groups put together based on schedule compatibility, but there’s also a section for just putting together any game at any time, and it gets a lot of use. I know you already know this because you’re in it by now, but to anyone else reading this who has the same question, here’s an invite link.

[vidavalor]

Hi! Question! I finally realized that part of Michael's fake eulogy for David on that podcast was familiar to me because Shropshire and Glasgow are used kind of like that in the Good Omens book? Many pennies for your thoughts? 😁😁😁

Michael: David John Tennant. Not of course his real name. He was actually christened Marmaduke John Tennant. But nevertheless, David Tennant was of course a name that came to symbolize a very particular kind of Englishness. Born in the small town of bottom-bothering Feathergill in Shropshire before he moved to his adopted city of Glasgow during the war. He was evacuated there. Born, of course, in 1908.

Hi there. 💕 Yes, he is referencing the innuendo from The Arrangement part of the novel. The whole eulogy is actually in Crowley & Aziraphale's Nightingales.

I was torn about how to reply to you because this isn't really the characters but real people but damned if Sheen didn't write a functionally perfect little introduction key thing here and, as my friend pointed out, he has to know that there are people outside the show who can sing Nightingales. The book's been out forever as it is, sooo... we decided that I would translate it from the Sheen-channeling-Pratchett for you so I'll be Professor Sheen's teaching assistant today for Nightingales Wordplay Innuendo 101.

Some mild Staged spoilers (one scene) in here as well.

Let's start with the phrase repeated in the bit of the eulogy you quoted above, which is...

<<of course>>

In the above passage, Sheen's highlighting "of course" by using it three, separate times within the same paragraph. If you recognize this as being a very Good Omens thing, it's because it is. It's a strategy from the novel to call attention to words by using them many times so close together in places that you're surprised by the repetition. It's to get your attention and get you looking at that word as a guide to whatever it is that part of the story is trying to convey.

The first one in the book used like this is the word nice and that's because that word has one of the most famously bonkers etymologies of any word in the English language, as you can see if you check out the linked meta. It's right in the opening of the book to try to helpfully scream "etymology" to the reader before many other things in the book will then do the same as the story continues.

In The Arrangement passage that Sheen is referencing, the repeated word is simply/simple. By that point in the novel, they've taught the reader to look at words-within-words so the word being shouted is really the word imply. They use both imply and simple in the tv series in scenes involving The Arrangement bit from the book-- Aziraphale just outrightly says imply in 1601 and the word simple comes into play in its mirror scene in 1941, Part 2-- "It's perfectly simple. Just aim for my mouth by shoot past my ear." The story is simply implying quite a lot about Crowley and Aziraphale's intimate relationship in The Arrangement part of the story, all coded by phrasing it as if they're just talking about a work arrangement on the surface.

So, what is Sheen saying by highlighting the phrase "of course" by repeating it a bunch of times? First is that, amusingly, this eulogy really is a beginner's course in Nightingales. And the first bit of that course is that the word course is also a perfect word to use here because Nightingales uses both food and the sea/fish as euphemistic for sex. Course is a seafood word-- one that can refer to eating or to sea life equally. You set sail on a course at sea and you eat at least one course during a meal. Homophony is also big in the puns of Nightingales so there's also that course is homophonic for coarse, which originally (and often still does) mean vulgar and obscene. Welcome to your course on coarse innuendo. 😉

<<actually christened Marmaduke>> Actually = act + u ally, with ally being a friend, used euphemistically for a lover a million times in Good Omens (and the real world aplenty). Act is a Biblical euphemism for sex. Christened = Christ aka blasphemy, which is everywhere in Nightingales. Nothing holy they can't make filthy lol. Marmaduke = Mar, a word in several languages referring to the sea, where it is also the core of the name Mary, as in the mother of Christ, and Mary was also old slang for a queer person. Marmaduke = My sea duke.

<<But nevertheless>> Butt nevertheless and never the less = Maybe not the most plentiful of arse but it's definitely a very nice one.

<<very particular kind of Englishness>> Particular is an old euphemism for someone who is queer (as is peculiar, which Good Omens has also used.) Englishness-- here anyway-- is likely being used in its slang meaning of repressed. [People can be English if they live in/are from other countries, just as people can be American, which we'll get to in a second, from anywhere.]

The ness part in Nightingales is a reference to the Loch Ness Monster, one of the various sea serpents Crowley is compared to. The Loch Ness Monster is also one of the things that Aziraphale manifested alongside the tartan hills on his way to Edinburgh in S2. Scotland referred to Crowley in the novel, long before the casting of Tennant. Sss'cot land = Crowley's bed.

<<in the small town>> Words like thin and light refer to Crowley in Nightingales-- Sheen's "thin dark duke" was using thin in that way while referencing David Bowie at the same time. Small fits in with that. [Words like might/almighty (lol) and found (which means stocked in its nautical meaning mmm) refer to Aziraphale.] A town, city, nation, etc. is often a person, from the words city & citizen. Small town = Crowley and, in this case, Tennant.

<<of bottom-bothering Feathergill>> I feel like I probably don't need to define what bottom-bothering might mean 😂. Sheen made it up out of existing words (also a very Good Omens thing to do, as a few words and phrases, like berrizene, were invented to help teach people Nightingales by getting them to look up words-within-words and etymology.)

Feathergill = feather + gill, aka birds & fish. C&A are birds, literally and metaphorically, and fish and life in the sea is their on-going sexual metaphor. Oysters, gravlax in dill sauce, sushi, whales, dolphins, that great big bugger that is The Kraken... A fish-bird is also waterfowl, or ducks, which have long been tied to queer people etymologically and metaphorically. You've likely heard mention of ducks a time or five hundred in Good Omens. 🦆

<<in Shropshire before he moved to his adopted city of Glasgow >>

Here, we have the cities as meaning people, and a reference to one of the pairs of cities Crowley & Aziraphale are referred to as in The Arrangement part of the book, where Crowley is Shropshire and Aziraphale is Glasgow. [I'm skipping why here because someone else asked me that question so I'll put it in their response but you can get there before I answer it if you play with the passage the way I'm doing here.] "his adopted city"...The root of the word adopted is one meaning desire, free, and choice. To "move to" is also to dance to and to come to. Charmed snake. 😉

<<during the war.>>

Nightingales is meant to have been built between Crowley & Aziraphale initially to mask their speech in public from people who might be listening. Because of that, all of their talk of war, battle, Armageddon, smiting, all of that stuff that makes them sound like hereditary enemies, is being used euphemistically. *points to the "battling" angels sculpture Crowley had in his flat* It's all just basically that. My personal favorite war-related word they use is adversary, which, etymologically, is rooted in the verb to verse, which is literally to wordplay.

Aziraphale, in Heaven in the scene below, with "wily adversary", using words to describe Crowley that he thinks that the angels will hear as "tricky enemy" but which, between Crowley and Aziraphale means "my sexy word nerd of a partner."

<<He was evacuated there.>>

Evacuated-- word etymologically means "to empty" & alternatively refers to sucking vapor and the like from a physical space. Euphemistic for a blowjob.

<<Born, of course, in 1908.>>

Birth-- an arrival, a coming. Nineteen-oh-eight. = O, the slang for orgasm/"oh!", sound of pleasure. Eight = ate. Nineteen-O-Ate = the food-as-sex.

The joke with Nightingales is that much of it isn't actually original so much as it's making puns on very old existing sexual metaphors but the characters whose flirty hidden language this is are so old that they've existed alongside the entire development of language on Earth. These walking, talking etymological dictionaries basically birthed this stuff.

Food as sex is old as dirt and it originated from Biblical debate over what, exactly, Eve ate in the Garden of Eden. So, for the parallel Adam and Eve main characters of Good Omens to be the literal Serpent who tempted Eve and his equally food-kinky lover going around knowingly speaking about sex as crepes and alcohol and sandwiches is pretty funny.

Ditto things like the ancient euphemism of horses being amusing for beings for whom things like The Four Horsepeople of The Apocalypse is a literal thing and the classic sea-as-sex metaphor being more fun when you consider they were there for every ship thing going back to Noah's Ark and beyond lol. Even the fish-- oysters as an aphrodisiac originated in the same ancient Rome where and when they were when Aziraphale first asked Crowley to bed.

It's loaves and fishes for the blasphemous high priests who created a secret code of being clever with words so they could fool people who might be listening into thinking that they were talking about winning battles of Armageddon when, really, they're just flirting with each other. It's the combination of an ongoing wordplay game and the flirty in-jokes of the world's oldest married couple.

It's not really in the eulogy directly (in the contrast to Englishness, maybe) but since we're talking about Sheen & Tennant projects here, there are parts of Staged that are also using some of this, especially the use of America, which is actually English gay slang from the mid-20th century.

America in Good Omens in general is a whole complicated topic but, within Nightingales, it's related to English gay slang, where it referred to sexual liberation and freedom. I know that sounds bats-- America has its moments but is pretty puritan-- but it originated in how America managed a win in becoming the first Western country to legalize making queer smut, which was still illegal in Europe at the time. Erotica was smuggled into the U.K. through an alliance between Americans involved with making & distributing it in the States and queer-friendly English booksellers (cough Aziraphale cough lol).

The slang comes from people in England asking for "American magazines" and the like as code in shops to buy what was then-illegal and in a time when being queer was also still illegal in England. (This is what's behind the "thank you for my pornography" joke as well.) Because of this, America was slang for sexual liberation and the freedom to be as you are. Tennant & Sheen referenced some of this in Staged, too-- the gonna ride you all the way to America scene.

Sheen used matey in his response, too, which you can use the way you use the word mate, sure, but why would you use mate when you're Nightingaling with your partner on the high seas and matey is a nautical term with connotations of piracy? I'd also be willing to bet that Sheen knows that it comes from words meaning "to eat together at the same table", too. 😂

"Ride you all the way to America" is also similar to a bit from The Arrangement passage in the book where it talks about how they tell their bosses about the "great strides" they are making "against a cunning and well-informed adversary." The surface level is obviously they tell their bosses that they are really thwarting that enemy of theirs but they're really well... thwarting that enemy of theirs.

A word within strides is rides and to sit stride or astride something is to straddle it. Crowley and Aziraphale "making great strides against" their "adversaries" is them taking turns riding their fellow word nerd all the way to America. 😂

This made even funnier by the adjectives used in the book to describe these adversaries-- cunning and well-informed. Adversaries meaning wordplay showing how they love each other's big brains and the adjectives before the word adversaries showing how they love the corporations those brains come in as well. Well-informed = knowledgeable, yes, and also: well in form, meaning well-made, attractive, good-looking. There to refer to how hot they find one another.

Cunning means clever and good at subterfuge-- necessary things if you're going to be secretly making great strides against your adversary. Cunning, though, is also old North American (Canada & northern New England) slang for sexy. It comes from cunna, which is the basis of the word cunnilingus, as well as the root word of the verb to know-- the Biblical euphemism for sex that is used all over the story.

And that, my friends, is why Crowley's last words to Aziraphale when he thought they were going to die were: It was nice knowing you.

Drink up, me mateys, yo ho. 🐎

[utilitycaster]

re: the WBN talkback show excerpts I've posted and will probably continue to post re: running games well/playing well that are, let's be frank, part of the ongoing "C3 was, in retrospect, uniquely weak actual play" thought process:

yes, that is part of it, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't, and this blog has long been a place where I talk about actual play at large, including what works and what doesn't.

I hesitate to suggest this because it does cost money (bonus content on Patreon) but WBN and NADDPod's talkback shows genuinely are a very enjoyable way to learn about actual play as storycraft; because they are smaller casts and podcast only (and often recorded remotely), they tend to be less chaotic than, say, 4SD or Adventuring Party and more focused, though there's certainly some goofy tangents.

I think it is so immensely bad faith to assume that people who disliked C3 and liked Divergence are just mindlessly jumping from Matt to Brennan that I wasn't going to even acknowledge there were people so horribly cynical (or in deep denial that there could ever be good faith criticism of their blorbos, I suppose) as to do it. However I think it couldn't hurt, so: speaking for myself alone, C3 played to Matt (and much of the cast's) weaknesses the way Neverafter played to Brennan's, and in fact I think Matt would have done a way better job with Neverafter than Brennan did, given time and resources. Part of why I've focused on WBN is that I'm binging it; Brennan tends to talk in very quote-ready phrases; there's usually transcripts; and NADDPod is currently doing a Jake-helmed work and Jake is a new DM and therefore not confidently making statements the way Brennan (or Murph) might. I also think the fact that Aabria is a cast member on WBN does a lot since there's some DM to DM conversation, even though she is a player in the campaign these are in reference to. I would also add that the planning and the tpk line are true to Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein's campaigns, and so again, I know CR can pull this off beautifully. The point is not "Brennan is perfect and Matt fucked up" (and fwiw WBN does have some interesting to consider flaws of its own) but that these excerpts are illustrative and also great advice.

This came up in some side discussions of my Nein rewatch as well but the Nein campaign in particular does an incredible job of developing its pieces; the war, the Luxon, Lucien, and the general geopolitics of the world are all on the board by episode 18. I didn't post the whole conversation re: developing your pieces but actually Aabria asks Lou (Passport Jones...it's a running joke) about a very cool move he made in-game based on a previous funny thing he did, and Lou says that if you throw enough bread out eventually you'll make a trail, and Brennan notes that it's easier to throw out tons of bread than predict what your players will do. I think that, at its core, is why C2 works and C3 doesn't. You need a DM providing tons of opportunities; but you also need players making tons of choices. Some won't pay off! But if you don't throw out any bread then you never get cool moments from what bread you did throw out. You have to take those risks and burn those spells.

[kitmarlowe]

hey hope it's okay to ask but i'd like to know ur takes about the simon says episode of inside no 9 being about male fandom in particular? cause ive always enjoyed that ep and how it read some fandoms for filth lol but in my experience fandom is pretty female dominated so i'd be really interested in hearing about the specifically male side of it

sure. this probably would be more coherent if i'd rewatched the ep to remember things properly, so we're relying on my brain.

this is just my experience of viewing the difference between male and female fans (if we can understand these are generalisations and there's often crossover), so it’s likely this does not apply to all fandoms, but HERE WE GO.

to start, despite what I’m saying, simon is absolutely an amalgamation of a lot of things in fandom, both male and female. I expect much of it has come from mark’s experience on sherlock (shipping in particular). his worst traits come from all sides, but I don’t think it would work as well as an episode if it was about a female fan. his actions absolutely stem from the male side of fandom.

female fans, on the whole, seem perfectly happy just discussing the material with other fans. they form little groups and friendships, sharing jokes, discussion, art, fanfic. the men absolutely do this too but there’s an interesting difference in the way it happens. I don’t see men refer to their writing as fanfic, because fanfic is a female-dominated area and it has a reputation outside of fan spaces for being frivolous, out of character, and full of sexual fantasies about the male characters. male fans seem to view themselves as above it and need to legitimise their work. they’ll make short films, publish the their fanfic as short stories, interpretations, bonus episodes - anything to separate it from ‘lesser’ works. in the episode, when spencer dismisses gavin’s work as fan fiction, simon is clearly hurt by it and says, “well, no, it’s more sophisticated than that.” even though it absolutely is fanfic. men don’t want to be lumped in with the women because they view themselves as serious creatives, not obsessive fans. (all fanfic is creative, never change.) the men are also obsessive, they just don’t want to be viewed that way.

simon clearly sees himself as above other fans. he thinks running a podcast legitimises him and puts him on a level with spencer rather than the fandom he’s doing this for. he’s a content creator. the podcast is for the fans, I don’t think he views it as just a fan podcast. this is a kind of superiority I’ve seen in the male side of fandom. running a podcast validates them and brings them closer to the original material and makes their views, in their eyes, more intellectual. they, to paraphrase simon himself, actually know their stuff in a way that other fans do not. and if they can get a creator on, well… they’re a bridge between the two. they become part of it. simon believes he’s deserving of a co-writing credit, he thinks he deserves to be in the episode because he has risen above the other fans. he is a creator, just like spencer.

while most male fans I’ve seen manage to remember that they are just fans, they’re also more likely to seek the approval of the creatives. not just a “glad you like it” but a mark of recognition, for them to almost say, “yes, you are like me.” while they’re not awful like simon, they still have that same need to be seen as more legitimate, sophisticated and intellectual than what the common fan is viewed to be. I don’t think the women care as much about that. male fans need people to know that they understand the material on a deeper level — they need the creatives to know that.

simon feels entitled to the ninth circle because of the time he’s invested in it, he believes his view counts as if he’s in the writers' room with spencer, even before he blackmails him into the real thing. so do other male fans I’ve seen. I don’t think they’d ever quite go to the extent that simon does, but they’re certainly further down that path than female fans are.

and that’s why it had to be a male fan in this episode. look at doctor who — all three modern showrunners are men from fan spaces (as is mark himself). you know there were women from the same era who were writing their own stories, within their own communities, but isn’t it interesting how they didn’t become ‘legitimised’ through work on the show? what is big finish if not fan fiction legitimised?

and to end: all sides of fandom can be toxic (and they've touched on several areas in this episode) but it is also more often just an absolute blast. gavin's speech is in there for a reason, to recognise the good side. so whilst it sounds like I’m being negative towards the male fans, they're also a big part of that.

[123countwithme]

I found it. My small Buzz Word info ramble post from July 2023. That I tweaked and added additional info I've gathered since then!

...

Guys, guys, guys.

HIM

Read more about him below...

His name? Buzz Word.

Who is he? Buzz Word is a Sesame Street character that was introduced for the initiative called "Words are here, there, and everywhere" in 2014.

Who did Sesame Street partner with for this initiative? Sesame Street partnered with PNC Grow Up Great for this initiative. 'The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.' and 'The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the crite

that teaches the importance of learning new words and helping children add to their own word collection. It is said that Buzz moved to Sesame Street in search of new words to add to his so-called "word collection." He is a word collector. So he's a bit like the Count, but he likes words instead (if that makes sense).

Here's a video that I found of the initiative performance with Scott Swanson (regional president for PNC Bank). (Buzz Words' first appearance (I believe)), But definitely his first live appearance. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Video Link

Reference:

PNC Growing Up Great General Info

PNC Growing Up Great: Words are Here, There, and Everywhere Info & resources

"Words are here, there, and everywhere." Links, videos, & More

PNC Growing Up Great: Words are Here, There, and Everywhere Info & resources

Muppet Wiki

Podcast Episodes:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Entire episode

Individual scenes: From Playlist

Other Video:

(I went feral when this dropped)

Headcanons:

He has an adopted daughter named Zora, who is 6 years old.

Like Count, people who don't know him so well assume he is just the crazy word guy, and that is all he is. But of course, that's quite inaccurate. He enjoys several other things that aren't about words.

He enjoys making origami, playing games (especially games that involve getting up and moving around), zumba classes, and stamps.)

He goes bowling with Count. (Count bowling is a cannon and can be found in THIS INTERVIEW VIDEO.)

The bracelet he wears was made by him and Zora the first time they met, and he treasures it.

He takes cooking classes cause he's determined to get better at cooking. He's gotten a whole lot better than when he started. Fewer things are on fire.

Buzz loves helping Zora relearn how to talk since she's had trauma, which forced her to regress in her talking.

He's the kind of parent (that you can tell by the way he parents), who had a rough childhood and wants to ensure his kids' childhood is better.

Yes, he absolutely sobbed to himself the first time Zora referred to him as and said the word "Dad".

He's terrible at Scrabble (I thought it was funny)

He might be a favorite of mine lol.

[delta-orionis]

Tuesday Again No Problem 6/17/25

My last Tuesdaypost was over a month ago. Oh god.

Listening

Mostly fallow? I've been re-listening to old podcast episodes a lot. I'm kind of Going Through It right now.

TWOAPW posted a new episode about Beyond Two Souls, a game I have never played, but one that my brother knows a lot about for some reason:

Everything I learned about this game was new to me, but listening to this episode with my brother was fun because I got to hear his visceral reactions to the descriptions of some of this games... interesting writing choices.

Watching

A coworker recommended Angela Collier to me a while ago, but I finally got around to watching some of her videos:

This one was particularly intriguing to me. I heard the legends about Feynman all throughout my undergraduate physics career, and yes, I have even encountered the "Feynman bros" that she talks about. I didn't think much of it, but learning that his reputation is mostly hearsay was... interesting.

At one point she even held up a book that looked familiar to me, and I looked over and realized I had the exact same edition on my shelf. I remember exactly where I was when I got it, too. Eerie.

Her videos are definitely not for everyone. I feel they appeal to an audience who has at least some familiarity with the astronomy/physics undergrad experience, and the weird idiosyncrasies that come with it. The videos are also on the longer side, and have a tendency to meander... that sounds like a bad thing, but I was enjoying listening to them while I did other things. They're more conversational in nature.

This video in particular struck me as someone who does science communication professionally now:

She talks about the difficulty of communicating science when the science in question is a new, niche, poorly understood field that is constantly evolving, and how public opinion about said field can turn as a result. (Honestly it had shades of the BobbyBroccoli video series about Cold Fusion. Not exactly the same, obviously, but another example of the way public opinion can turn on a niche field of research.)

And this one is just a very good rant about why a specific type of plot is just. Very bad. In a number of different ways.

Playing

I picked the Switch version of Rain World back up to play some Expeditions. You can tell how well it's been going for me from this post alone.

In other news... I've been playing a Lot of the Pokemon TCGP in my spare time. I have finally settled on a deck that Works for me. Maybe I'll have to completely re-make it once the next expansion comes out, but for now it gets the job done.

Making

I almost forgot to mention! I got a new computer!!!! Aaaaahhhh!!!!!

It's not super beefy, but it is LEAGUES better than what I was using before. My computer takes less than a minute to boot up now. It feels like a miracle.

I could be using it to play more graphically intensive stuff, but of course I went straight back to modding Rain World.

Something about the Watcher DLC really disagreed with my laptop; it ground my modding process to a complete halt. Thankfully it runs nice and smooth on my new computer, so I've been getting back into level editing.

In other news, I finally got around to making proper references for my iterator OCs in preperation for Artfight next month:

I'm pretty excited for Artfight... I don't know how active I'll be able to be, but I had a lot of fun last year and I'm looking forward to experiencing it again.

---

That's all for now, see you next week (if I remember).

[tiggymalvern]

Burn Noticed 4x17 Out of the Fire

Chris: This is a real 'for the fans' episode of Burn Notice.

The podcasters have picked up on the random way the team's cafe of choice is sometimes referred to as Carlito's and sometimes The Carlito, and they are wondering why. (I have wondered about that too, and it's annoying when I'm writing fic because it's not even consistent for any particular character. They all randomly seem to call it different things in different eps, at which point I just shrug and pick one.)

Bri: Brennen's dialogue is so fun, and I'm glad they gave this episode to Craig O'Neill in particular. Michael Horowitz is the better plotter, but O'Neill and Jason Tracey are the real wordsmiths when it comes to dialogue.

Bri on Larry's entrance with the slo-mo turn by Michael and Sam for the reveal: It was so over the top that I thought he directed it himself 🤣🤣

Chris: I'm not as huge a fan of Larry as you but I liked him in this episode. Having him with Brennen so that he wasn't necessarily the main course - he's good as a spice. But it does mean this is an obnoxiously male episode of Burn Notice.

Bri: Yes, but I will say it works.

Chris mentions that the agent who questions Jesse at Madeline's house is played by Alfredo Barrios Jr. I had not picked up on that!

Bri: Every serious scene that Madeline is in elevates the other actor. Sharon Gless has this magnet energy, she makes everyone around her better. Every scene of hers with Jeffrey Donovan is JD's best acting and every scene with her and Jesse is Jesse's best acting. If they're in a scene with Sharon Gless, it's electric (She really is awesome 😍😍)

The podcasters have a discussion about the way Larry is always trying to get Michael to commit murder. Bri: I was hoping for him to be over it, like I know you don't like the violence, but I'm now just going to be a ball of chaos in your life. I was hoping for him to try a new strategy at least.

Chris: It really makes him seem genuinely stupid.

Bri then mentions that if you watched the eps as aired, with Larry only appearing once a year, it would be more of a recap of who Larry is and not seem so repetitive. Which I think is honestly the answer - the audience can't be presumed to remember who Larry is and what his deal is.

They love the scenes with Larry and Michael at the courthouse getting access to the computers. As do I. It's so much fun!

Chris: This scene is so goofy it's great.

Bri: I like the parts of spycraft that are just like, 'We have to put on a production.' I also like that it does establish that they had a good working relationship at one point. They play off each other to build this improv scene and it's very effective, it's a well oiled machine. Clearly whatever these men were doing together when they were murder buddies was very successful.

Chris: Do you think they fucked? (Chris, you are not the first person to speculate on that 😁)

Bri: I don't think Matt Nix thinks they fucked 🤣🤣🤣

Bri: I don't think so, because I'm holding onto the demi, grey-ace Michael. Even with Fi, he doesn't seem that motivated by sex, and when we met his ex-fiance we learned that she proposed to him. It seems like he wants to have a deep emotional connection and I don't think that was the case with Larry. With Larry it would be like, 'This might be our last night on earth, let's fuck,' and I don't think that's Michael Westen.

Chris: I think Tim Matheson thinks they fucked.

Bri: Oh, absolutely! 🤣🤣🤣

(Michael is so demi, Bri isn't wrong.)

Larry, Michael and Brennen all discuss the plan. Larry and Michael are both planning to screw Brennen over and Brennen won't give Michael scope to do it.

Chris: Brennen's the only person who understands how Michael works.

Bri: Brennen understands Michael really well and doesn't understand Larry. Alternatively, Larry thinks he understands Michael really well, whereas Michael really understands Larry. Everyone thinks they're a little bit smarter than they actually are and fails to account for the other person in the equation. It's a dark little twisted boy pretzel. (That's a hilarious metaphor, Bri 😁)

The podcasters are sad to see Brennen die, but they like the way it lets Larry play the chaos demon. Brennen is way ahead of Michael, but he's two steps behind Larry.

Bri: He's failed to account for the fact that Larry is a loose cannon. Larry doesn't care as long as he gets to murder and have a good time.

Chris: That twist plays. It's the only time that I've super bought Larry.

They like the Michael calling Fi honey scene with the rest of the gang. They get that it's a warning, but they don't know what they should do with the warning. Do they leave town, or do they carry on grabbing the safe?

Bri: The next episode is also like this. This team has come so far with each other, it goes deeper than just, 'We work well together.' I really do buy all of their connections, their loyalty to one another and I think it's really lovely to watch it play out and watch them figure out how to save each other. (❤️❤️❤️)

The episode gets the nod as a great episode of Burn Notice, despite nearly failing a bunch of the podcasters' criteria, because once again this isn't a typical BN episode, but the podcasters really liked it a lot so they stretch their own rules a bit to let it win 😁😁

It also gets to be a great episode of television, the first one in quite some time.

Chris: Burn Notice hasn't been this fun in a while.

Bri: The tension was earned, I believed that the villains were serious and Michael himself was serious. I was kept on the edge of my seat and I laughed a lot, there were some really great turns of phrases. It was well paced, it was well written.

Good call - I love this ep, it's a delight 😍

[princeparadoxe]

"songwriters who pretend to be poets tend to annoy me"? then you to be pissed off for sure (hope you will!)(wood). the thoroughness of will wood's lyrics is exactly what makes his songs so unique, and i personally adore that they ARE poems in a certain way with all the digging you need to do to get to the bottom of their meaning. anyway, you should definitely listen to as much of the normal album as you can endure, staring with "marsha, thankk you for the dialectics, but i need you to leave" - i think that you may find the aforementioned dialectics pleasant, though maybe not the main theme of the song. then take a listen to "laplace's angel" and "memento mori" they're lowkey you yk. i also feel like the "camp here and there" album could be to your liking — not because of something particular, but rather just you know. the vibes and stuff. we should definitely discuss fictional horror podcasts later. 

"the song with five names" is amazing too, but i like it too much to recommend to henry fucking wotton. anyway, thanks for your undivided attention <3

I admit those titles are rather ingenious. "The Normal Album" in itself piqued my interest as I can never resist media which mocks normality, yet always find myself disappointed by it. This, however, did not disappoint.

This Dialectics song is indeed a very interesting one. This generation's obsession with diagnosis and "identity" is quite fascinating and extremely silly. This whole album's discussion about labels is one I can agree with on most levels, especially when expressed in such an original way. Oh, I did also appreciate the reference to The Tell-Tale Heart in 2econd 2ight 2eer — whatever the devil this title means!

I suppose this is quite predictable, but Yes to Err is Human as well as Your Body, My Temple were delightful to listen to. I am sure Dorian would enjoy them.

[electronicclowncollector]

Chapter 21: The fundraising results

(Authors note: So glad i finally have a decent idea for where the story is going now)

The guild clubs were all grouped together in the assembly hall as the headmaster stood up at the front. Today was pretty exciting for the rest of the guild. In truth, Rogue barely had time to process it after the incidents with the maid café and the podcast, so he had completely forgotten that they were announcing the results of the fundraising campaign that started this all.

“Alright everyone, I’m proud to announce that we managed to raise a grand total of…” she opened the envelope and took out a slip of paper, “3000 dragon dollars!”

Everyone clapped upon hearing this, but the headmaster silenced them all, “But now for the grand reveal of which guild club earned the most money…”

“With a grand total of 1200 dragon dollars earned, the winners were… The Fairy Tail club! With their erm…” she leans over to another member of staff and asks something to them before clearing her throat and saying, “Their pyramid scheme! Now, lets have the leaders come up, lets see here, whats their names again… oh yes! Juvia Lockser and Greg phillipbuster!” She smiled and stood aside as the members of fairy tail walked onto the stage. It seemed as though a lot of side characters the author wasn’t aware were in the guild went onto the stage, so it was rather crowded by the time they were all up.

Greg, who Rogue only recognised because of the bullying he received (he had been nicknamed “Gay” after it was revealed that he has been happy for all of his life, hence being referred to as gay.) Rogue didn’t really understand the bullying but he was glad it wasn’t him who received it. Gray began to speak, “I’m so glad we could repay our debts after a particular member of our guild caused this issue in the first place… and I’ll gladly hand this over to  the co-leader, Juvia” He said, moving to the side  so that Juvia, who was clinging to Gray’s arm, could speak into the microphone.

“Thank you all for your praise, my Gray really worked hard to help with this, and without him this school would be in the ground.”

Gray decided to interrupt her, “Thank you Juvia, lets hand this over to… Lucy, she’s smart, let her do the talking.”

Juvia death glared at Lucy after Gray complimented her, Juvia was known around the school for being obsessed with Gray. To an extreme extent. It worried Rogue sometimes. Lucy, who had her snake carried uncomfortably in her arms dangling there, went to the microphone and began to talk, bringing up snakes every once in a while.

After the talk, the headmaster began talking again, “The leaderboard will be posted on the bulletin board outside the hall tomorrow. Now… for the big reveal. I may have been somewhat dishonest about the reasoning behind the fundraising” she glared over at bickslow.

Rogue gasped at the shocking (and somewhat traumatising) sight. Bickslow was receiving headpats from Laki. SINCE WHEN WERE THEY TOGETHER?! I mean he hasn’t been mentioned in like 5 chapters but still! He felt like he could be sick at the sight, it was as disgusting as Mr Dragneel in a maid dress. Alright maybe not that disgusting. The headmaster shuddered at the sight before continuing to speak, “The reason for this fundraising was not for preventing supplies getting licked, but instead, for funding the academy’s very first… Prom!”

“NYAAAAA~~~~!!!!!!” Rogue exclaimed in surprise, excitement and shock all at once. Rogue had heard of proms before and- everyone was looking at him. He wanted to curl up into a ball and hide forever, why did he do that? Was it really that exciting? He looked over at Sting, who was blushing like crazy, but Rogue was too embarrassed to even care, Rogue himself was blushing far more, his entire face was red. But then… “Scram kiddos, never heard a cat meow before?” Doug said, stretching while sat atop sting’s head and letting out an equally high pitched meow, that seemed to convince them for the most part. But sting knew. Sting knew. Rogue stood up and regained his composure, seeing Doug in a whole knew light, did he really stick up for him like that? This all baffled Rogue, he needed more non alcoholic drinks after this, he could barely think.

“Anywayy… The prom will be held at the end of the month in this very hall, attendance is optional but not advised. Your all dismissed before this godforsaken school falls any lower…” the headmaster said before leaving, seeming suddenly exhausted.

Later, everyone was gathered in the classroom used for Saber Tooth club meetings, it was unnaturally quiet. Sting seemed quieter than usual too, this scared Rogue, Sting was rarely this quiet. Then he spoke.

“So… guys, prom, right? Guess we’ll all have to find a date to find to go on it with… heheh…”

Minerva was blushing more than usual, Rogue already knew she was feeling a bit Sting crazy, and frankly, so was Rogue. “S- sting… maybe you and I could-“

But she was interrupted by Sorano slamming her Ifiorne onto the table, “I almost forgot, over the weekend, Rogue got a little bit… busy, with Mr Dragneel…” She said, looking over at Rogue with a smirk. His cheeks went bright red, he didn’t think anyone would find out about the podcast and now it was going to bite him, he really wasn’t getting a break from the embarrassment today. He looked at Sting who almost seemed… hurt by this. Rogue should have told Sting about it, with his infinite wisdom sting could definitely reassure him and fix all this.

Sorano continued speaking, “It seems after the event during the maid café, Rogue went onto Lacarde’s podcast… and it’s reeeaally good.” She says, putting on the released version of the podcast. Rogue couldn’t bare watching… every bit of laughter hurt him slightly more inside until he couldn’t take it anymore. So instead of making a fuss he got up and left the classroom. He walked through the hall, holding back the tears as he stumbled through the corridors, when he felt a firm, strong, large hand grab his shoulder, he could recognise those hands and their vice like grip anywhere…

“Hey, uh, rogue… before you go home… I was wondering… Since neither of us have any prom dates, maybe we could just go there together..? Just as bros?”

[autolabrum]

Finished second read of The Shadow of the Torturer.

Read in the compilation volume shadow & claw published for Tor Essentials. Second read of the novel; the first dozen chapters with the assistance of the Rereading Wolfe podcast, before I decided that it is really meant for a third read or later, at which point I switched to using Michael Andre-Driussi's chapter guide for The Book of the New Sun.

Very little can be said about the book as a whole that has not been said before; Wolfe's words are perfect, his tone ingenious, his depth of vision extraordinary, his narrator ambiguously memorious, his belief in the legitimate and equivalent personhood of women lacking. That said, there are two specific images that particularly stand out to me in this volume. Spoilers below.

Early in the novel, swimming in the Gyoll, Severian's experience of drowning seems a potent warning of the narrative and especially the language to come.

I dove beneath [the nenuphar's] crowded pads as I had done a thousand times. I did not come up. Somehow I had entered a region where the roots seemed far thicker than I had ever encountered them before. I was caught in a hundred nets at once. My eyes were open, but I could see nothing--only the black web of the roots.

Later in the book, Wolfe utilizes a single word that gives an impression of how apt this experience is as a precursor to reading the rest of the novel: xenagie. I did not know the meaning of this word, so I checked the Oxford English Dictionary, where it does not appear. Wiktionary sheds some light on this omission: the word is French, and translates to syntagma. I also did not know the meaning of this word. Wiktionary specifies that xenagie refers to syntagma (Greek phalanx of foreign mercenaries) which makes sense within the context Wolfe uses it, but this is not the primary meaning of syntagma, which has come linguistically to refer to a syntactic unit within a text. It also has distinct semiotic and biological meanings. Wolfe here uses a French translation of an Greek military word that is now primarily used by linguists. We will never know what he hopes we would have found here, if there is some secret second or third causes for this particular usage in this particular location. It is necessary to tread water when reading The Book of the New Sun. Wolfe's words are beautiful, yes, but they are treacherous, and one cannot allow oneself to become caught in the historical, pseudo-historical, and post-historical nenuphars of his language that will drag a reader down to be drowned in the river of death.

If this passage and word elucidate the horrifying extent of the deep history that Wolfe creates, another passage serves to identify its equally unsettling limitations. Dr. Talos' play is a triumph in its evocation of extraordinary imaginative objects, but

Triumphing in all this, he yet failed. For his desire was to communicate, to tell a great tale that had being only in his mind and could not be reduced to common words; but no one who ever witnessed a performance--and still less who moved across his stage and spoke at his bidding--ever left it, I think with any clear understanding of what that tale was. It could only (Dr. Talos said) be expressed in the ringing of bells and the thunder of explosions, and sometimes by the postures of ritual. Yet as it proved in the end it could not be expressed even by these.

We readers are not the only ones lost in the text. Wolfe wanders these passages, hoping to spark in us some recognition of his many messages, knowing that to tell us would be to betray a disbelief in our ability, and to show us requires greater than his own (or perhaps anyone's) abilities. The world he held in his mind is so totalizing it can only be inaccessible; he is Ultan, wandering around in a library of information so complete as to be useless, helping how he can those travelers that pass by looking for something. Of course he poses the work as a translation of some future text; it is in fact a translation of his own mind, a molding of English (a language so saturated in history and loanwords that it is perhaps uniquely equal to his 'post-historical' world) into an approximation of his vision, which must itself be limited.

Our reach exceeds our grasp.

[criticallyobs]

Z WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommends...

As I mentioned in Episode #21 of our Dangerous Romance podcast I love this song so much. The melody is so pretty and catching in a way that is both uplifting but also strangely melancholic.

When listening to it, for me it invokes images of dappled sunshine and a warm summer breeze, it has such a vibe that I feel like I'm not doing it justice.

Positioned in the first episode around the five-minute mark, only the instrumental was used, and yet the lyrics work so beautifully for them also.

I found an AI-written article about the meaning of the lyrics and I was just going 'YES, YES, YES!!!' the whole time I was reading it. (I love it when my obsessive insanity is backed up by things more intelligent than me.)

I want to share some bits from it here:

'The song "Infinity" by Bluma Petersen (featuring Nadja Alsén) explores themes of self-discovery, growth, and the enduring nature of love. The song begins with a greeting to emotions, indicating a renewed awareness and connection to one's own feelings. The reference to oceans and rain symbolizes the vastness and fluidity of emotions. The singer acknowledges their familiarity with their own patterns and identity, expressing that they are aware of their own circles and name.'

'The chorus, "Reform and rise to be so free, In time we seize infinity," conveys a message of personal transformation and liberation. It suggests that by embracing change and evolution, one can achieve a sense of ultimate freedom and boundlessness.

The verses continue to explore various themes. The mention of borders being out of order and being out of pain suggests breaking free from limitations and past suffering.'

Kang and Sailom both endure such substantial and life-changing character development, as they navigate first their friendship and then their romantic relationship and again when they're separated.

Sailom needed to break free of his strict self-imposed limitations and learn how to ask for help and also to allow the people who love him to care for him.

Kang needed to break away from his own self-doubt and fear while learning to understand that expectations can be a dangerous thing.

'The lyrics also touch upon the idea of fighting and holding the line, which could imply overcoming obstacles or standing up for oneself. The references to never hiding and never lying indicate a commitment to authenticity and honesty in relationships.'

Honestly, this song could have been written for them.

We spoke many times about the honesty between Kang and Sailom in moments when it mattered. Except for direct feelings, as they struggled to express both their love and fear, they were honest with each other.

'The repeated lines about coming home and going strong suggest a sense of reunion and strength within a romantic relationship. It implies that despite their individual journeys, they still find solace and support with each other. The conclusion of the song emphasizes the idea of limitless love, with the repetition of "infinity" signifying its eternal nature.

Overall, "Infinity" embodies a message of personal growth, perseverance, and the undying power of love. It encourages embracing change, facing challenges, and finding strength in relationships to achieve a sense of freedom and seize the infinite possibilities that life offers.'

This AI-written article makes me wonder if this particular AI has somehow become sentient and is a fan of Dangerous Romance and has devoured our podcast, because when I was reading the article it was like it was inteligently speaking on why I loved this song and why it couldn't have been more perfect both for that moment in the show and Kang and Sailom's relationship.

The fact that this song was chosen by someone involved in this show and they chose to only include the instrument piece at the start of the song both impresses and kind of angers me.

It's such a good fit - Did they not realize it? Or is this just one more way the Dangerous Romance crew made it known that they are far superior to other productions by encouraging its viewers to engage and really dig into this show?

The song ends much like the show with love and freedom to be themselves together, which will last an infinity.

The way the show ends with Kang coming back to Sailom who has become his home, and in return, Sailom coming to Kang in the hotel room to embrace past fears and hurts lends itself very well to the ideas of home and strength we see mentioned at the end of the song.

A line I somehow missed with my many screenshots "Now we're ready to be whole." Oh, my poor Kanghan Sailom heart.

I love this idea of them feeling equal to each other in the end because they make up each other's missing pieces and now when they're together they're whole.

[james-vi-stan-blog]

I’ve missed seeing this blog in my notifs! I’d like to ask - what do you think really killed James? I was listening to a podcast about the more sinister royal deaths and yes, I can agree it was a combination of health issues, but what really got him in the end? ‘Dysentery’ is too obvious. Thanks! - thelastplantagenet 💚

HELLO. Yes, I have been dead. I got mono in the spring 🙃

Answering this from memory without books to reference in front of me.

I tend to be skeptical of diagnoses fitted onto figures of the past, since there are so many layers of interpretation involved, decisions on which sources to trust, etc. And medicine of this time period in England was… not good. The difference between the "legitimate" physicians of the time and the utter quacks is, IMO, very slight. Humoral doctors were often powerless against fatal illness, and a lot of the treatments, like bleeding and purging, would actively make cases worse. I'm totally convinced that his grandson Charles II's death (60 years later) was Death by Early Modern Medicine.

In James's case, I think it's hard to say because he had been in bad health for a long time and was really falling apart in 1624-5. His doctors diagnosed tertian ague (malaria) and I think that's reasonably plausible. While he was sick he also had a stroke that may or may not have been connected with the malaria, and he could not speak or rise after that point. What finished him off was an attack of dysentery, but he had already spent most of March dying by that point.

IMO, it is in fact possible that the posset/"potion" that Buckingham and his mother gave James could have killed him. I do NOT think it was poisoned (it was tasted by everyone in the room!!!), but given that GI issues finished him off, it could have upset his digestion or added more pathogens to his weakened body (just imagine all the stuff in their milk). It is true that James's condition took a downturn after he drank it. But, maybe he was going to have a downturn anyway, maybe it was a fatty drink upsetting his stomach, etc. I'd believe almost any explanation before poison.

But it's equally likely that the official treatment from his doctors would have done the same - humor-purging treatments weakening this frail old man and adding all sorts of new germs to his system. I think it's ridiculous to point fingers at George/Mary in particular for "interfering with James's treatment", because James's official treatment was dangerous pseudoscience, too!! Maybe if more people interfered with official treatment back in the day, more patients would've survived!

[liichkiing]

What are your projects? And yes I am human 👽 (satire lol)

sorry anon this has been sitting in my askbox for a few days i've been meaning to answer it but simply have not. there's a lot going on i really have problems with my brain it's very difficult to formulate coherent thoughtsz. BUT.

L Project [cocreated by a friend who doesn't use tumblr]

Set in an alternate Earth where magic is real and known about publicly. Specifically on a fictional island in the Caribbean (tentatively named Opiake) (specifically mostly in its capitol, New JB City/Ciudad de Nuevo JB) which is referred to as the "magic capitol of the world" due to having much higher than average natural magic. The story takes place primarily in 1982 and onward, but it features many flashbacks to various points in the previous decade as well as some other stuff. The protagonists (and most of the characters at least early on) were test subjects in the titular L Project (Lampara Research Project on Natural Magical Manifestations in Adolescents), a now formally discontinued program, mostly. Out of 22 original subjects, 6 are still affiliated with the project following a 1981 incident in which a team of 8 subjects were on a field assignment which resulted in [DATA EXPUNGED]. Those 8 subjects in particular are the main protagonists! They experience the horrors frequently. There's a lot of death and violence and transsexuality and general queerness. It's all very fun. You can see the main kids here! I could talk about this for one billion years this is the most basic information imaginable. The plot itself is uh. Well there's a lot in here. For context there's like seven or eight books of plot my friend and I have. It's a lot

Of Sea Glass and Stars (often referred to as just Sea Glass) [cocreated with my dear friends @/abstractfrog and @/dooodlebee

Sci-fi podcast concept set on a space station in the distant year of 3045. You don't get more than that. For the vaguest of information about this, peruse this tag on my blog. ::^)

A1-ANON (or just Alanon)

Another sci-fi future story, but this one is much more fantasy oriented. The worldbuilding for this one in particular is very difficult to get into without having to explain a lot more. Basically we follow a genetically engineered demigod who roughly sixty years ago blew up the lab at which they were created and they've since become a terrorist trying to destroy the government. Also there was a huge global war a few centuries back. So. Post apocalyptic sort of but not in the wasteland sorta way. This one's hard to explain. Anyway it's about learning to be a human and also about environmentalism and also about destroying the evil government and also about Catholics being freaks. I can update my lore document and post it if anybody's interested.

STARSHIP: MERLIN

Honestly this one is probably exactly what you think of when you read the name. It's Arthurian Legend but they're space pirates. Some differences, though. Most of them are gay and trans. Also there's some pretty considerable other changes. It's relatively lighthearted and fun and doesn't so much have a plot. I just like Arthurian Legend and want the guys I really like to have fun in space. Also it's really fun for worldbuilding!! I haven't really done much with it in a while.

[lashton-is-my-drug]

ok so i don’t even know how i stumbled upon your page but i’m a relatively new fan to the 5sos family and i don’t really ship any of the boys buttt i read some of your posts and i can kinda believe lashton. so my first question for you is, do you ship malum and if lashton weren’t real, what other ship would you believe? also, i saw you mentioned them being managed by modest, and as a larry from the 1d fandom, i know all about them. i was wondering if you could explain more on that. thank you!!

First off, Hi and Welcome! Always nice to meet new people! haha

I also love to discuss and answer questions, so thank you for your good questions!

If you keep scrolling around and clicking through my hashtags you should eventually find my masterposts, lyrics analysis of a handful of songs, etc etc, and theres the matching rings of only Luke and Ash of which neither have ever worn with any other members, there's only been the brotherhood necklaces. When I first looking into them I let myself remain really really cynical until I started seeing that there were ongoing things, one after the other, that was different than was going on with the other guys. Yes, they're a brotherhood of soulmates but Luke and Ash have this added layer of treating each other. Any particular questions you're not finding an answer to even after looking through my blog, just let me know.

I don't like to refer to my beliefs as shipping, as I see that they're individually closeted, and then there's the added layer of their closeted relationship. The "shipping" that has gone on is what has muddied the waters of people being affectionate and friends vs affectionate and lovers. Vastly different, as you know the same with Larry, and the other closeted relationships that are in 1D. So, therefore, I don't believe any of the other pairings with Luke or Ash have any sort of romantic validity. Could they have experimented or whatever? Sure, none of us would know. But from the evidences, there's nothing to back that up. Cal and Michael knew each other since 2nd? grade, so they've had lots of time to be really bonded and how they've acted with each other has evidences of being boyfriends along the way. No idea if thats currently going on though. I have suspicions of Cal possibly being with Roy (longtime fellow musical artist friend), who lived with him during lockdown. But I won't get into their whole story right now. Thats a lot to cover.

Luke and Ashton are my faves and who I tend to focus on 98% of the time. So regarding Michael/Cal, I'll answer questions in DM if you're really that interested.

They were managed by Modest right out of Australia back when they first started. I'm about to very shortly post a timeline of Lashton and I'm planning to post a relationship of modest/5sos throughout the years. Think of all the tactics that have been used of modest towards the 1D boys, 5sos has a vast amount of the same things. Lots and lots of stunts/bearding (which I could post a lot more about but I try to keep that negative stuff away but I will talk abut should it be something thats specifically asked or is particularly relevant), being overworked, tabloid narratives including trying to force narratives of what/who songs are about (thankfully the boys have fought to control that as much as they are able to). Is there anything specific you're wondering about regarding this topic? Yes, they were treated like crap with them. So much so that during their 10 Year anniversary podcast where they recounted their career, year by year, they never said their name. Not once. They also weirdly left out the story how Luke and Ash actually met, which they've fondly told a handful of times before... it was kinda just breezed past (Wasn't part of the bands story? 🤔 )

Not sure what else to include so I'll stop here. haha