#and make top form ep 2 sets!

[byemambo]

And you? Do you want something from me? I want your instincts.

SMART CHISANUPONG AS JIN AND BOOM RAWEEWIT AS AKIN

Top Form (2025) | 1.01

gif request for anon! I hope you loved the opening sequence as much as I did <3

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Too Much, I'm Getting Tipsy on BL

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

May 2025 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Knock Out (Fri WeTV ) ep 2 of 12 - It's so much fun! Yay! Sports BL of my heart! FINALLY.

My Stubborn (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - Sorn’s characterization = horrified to be in love + horny on the main. Sure thing hon, we happy with that.

Top Form (Thurs WeTV) ep 10 of 11 - Okay yaoi (no expectation of modern BL beats) what's gonna happen next? This 4 act structure? We gonna get a secret ex? Family drama? Where my 合? (OMG I swear I typed that before the phone call!) Ah BL, nothing if not predictable.

Eye Contact (Weds WeTV) ep 2 of 12 - It’s v stupid. Dub-con drunk fling + that many condoms?! That is indeed how he’d walk. Look, here's the thing:

The HS B plot is profoundly silly and unnecessary.

The acting is awful.

It feels like some scenes are too long and others too short.

Then there’s also scenes that are completely missing.

I like it a lot. Which makes me feel stupid. But there it is, just leave me to my sad pathetic little life.

The Next Prince (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 14 - Newnu did pretty good on his languages. Cute. SHOES ON BED SHOES ON BED SHOES ON BED. Also true authentic original whipping boy! How exciting to see!

Pit Babe 2 (Fri iQIYI) ep 4 of 13 - AlanJeff made up, thank you BL gods. I like how animal Willy is. Also, it's so nice to see Nut doing the lord's work and kissing boys again. 

My Sweetheart Jom (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - I like fierce Saint. I like their chemistry. It's quite enjoyable. Pass me a tiny sandwich to eat with my pinky up because I think this show calls for that for some reason.

Boys in Love (Sun iQIYI ) ep 5 of 12 - Bah, they are stupid cute. I know it's trying to be Lovesick but I get more Make it Right vibes from the characters. This is the parents interfere ep. Also teachers remain current favs. Would like more of them, please?

The BangkokBoy (Sat Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - Stop him from suicide, get his digits, have him help you out with a fist fight saving your sister from human trafficking. As you do. BDE first date, I guess. Honestly, I get where this show is going in the gritty realism department but it's greedy and clumsy in that area and not working great for me so far. However, the tension around that dinner table was aces.

Sweet Tooth Good Dentist (Fri iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - Omg Jay knew Sant would be a great bf, and he really is. I love how verse these two are.

The Ex-Morning (Thurs YT) ep 1 of 10 - I’m liking it more than I expected to. I actually like a reunion romance, and this is a different setting and an interesting premise. It’s something we’ve not seen at all before in BL. So I’m intrigued. Krist does seem to play exactly the same character in every BL tho.

I Promise I Will Come Back (Mon WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - It's pretty, but a bit slow. The subs are truly terrible. I’m grateful I know enough Thai to understand what is actually being said. But if you don’t, I'm not sure if this one will make sense. It’s one of those classic travel pulps that we get from Thailand, except the acting is above expectations. And the talent pool is different. I don’t know where I’m landing on this one.

Loy Kaew First Love (Fri YT) ep 2 of 6 - Well this certainly is action heavy. A lot of stuff happened. I’m a little confused by all the different characters but OK I guess? 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Sweetheart Service (Korea Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - I unabashedly love this little charmer of a show. Sugar daddy kitty shopping + language negotiation = fantastic.

Fight for You (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 10 of 12 - They are separated so at least some movement and action is happening. But also they are both sadsack tiny idiots. BUT they got an incredibly sweet reunion sequence. I have to say, Taiwan is really showing us how to execute chemistry, it is their crown and they wear it beautifully.

On a totally different note, I like that the brothers (cousins?) in this show all do actually look like they could be blood related to each other for a change.

Moon and Dust (China YT) ep 1 of 6 - Yet another instance of can China get away with it? And even if they do, are they gonna end up happily? Probably not. But this is just cheesy enough for me to watch it without getting too involved and therefore I think I’m gonna be OK no matter what happens in the end.

So, premise?

Creepy younger brother obsessed with older (blood related? maybe even that) brother. Baby boy is ALSO fiercely aggressively unhinged and likely a morality chain just waiting to snap. So... lucky me? It's like Tumblr and BL had a baby. Gay dumpser fires all round!

It's airing but......

Sashes and Hearts (Pinoy YT) 13 eps - Philippines is doing Drop Dead Gorgeous only all gay boys queening their asses off. Doesn't interest me, not sure if it's BL. Finished its run, my opinion remains unchanged, thus I will not be watching. DNF.

Season of Love in Shimane AKA Ai no Kisetsu: The Season of Love (Thai) - Sequel to Kiseki Chapter 2 which I intensely disliked. I won't watch this.

Mission to the Moon (YT) 2 of 12 - I can't keep track too short, too many, too YT. I am watching and will report at end.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming Next Month

Wait for it...

But seriously, Thailand is airing 15 BLs right now. 15! Can we really handle any more?

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

No time, too much just getting regular shots this week. SO MUCH BL.

(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

[pshbites]

LOVE ON AiR 2. YAP CENTRAL EP.135: alpha male podcasts?!

WARNiNGS » pop culture references, profanity, errrm cant rlly think of anything else

3.6k words (IMSORRY), also it may be a bit confusing but its kind of written like an audio transcript! not all written parts will be like this only the podcast episodes! also this is NOT proofread so pls excuse any typos or grammar mistakes 😞😞

episode desc -  enjoy your stay today in yap central :D ! in todays episode we started off with a deep question about love and relationships and gave our inputs on that. after allll those deep talks we did a good ole blind ranking forms of ‘first dates’. following that up we mention alpha male podcasts and why they should be indefinitely wiped off the face of the earth. to wrap things up we discuss proper aux etiquette *COUGH* kat *COOUGHHH*. hope you had fun with us today and come back to visit yap central! 

*the set up is a big living room, there’s two couches, mics propped up. the room has a very calming aura, there’s fairy lights and blankets on the couches. as well as plushies and throw pillows. on the couch to the left, kat, riki, and you are seated, adjusting your seating positions to be comfortable. on the couch to the right, jungwon, giselle, and sunoo are seated. jungwon sits back down after standing and gets comfortable*

jungwon: okay the camera is on now 

sunoo: kat i can’t take your costume seriously 

*all laugh in unison, riki is pointing at her, laughing and even after everyone is done he still can’t stop.* 

yn: for audio listeners we’re dressed as mario kart characters and kat is.. 

kat: YOSHI *in yoshi voice* 

riki: *still laughing* it’s the tail man 

giselle: this might be the best theme we’ve had so far 

sunoo: no no the one where we switched clothes was funny 

*girls laugh at the memory, jungwon groans and rolls his eyes* 

jungwon: okay no the girls chose bad clothes on purpose that day 

riki: i think we were set up 

yn: i lost a beloved crop top that day 

jungwon: it was way too tight around my arms! 

giselle: that’s surprising considering you have noodle arms 

riki: false *makes buzzer sound with mouth* he actually has been going to the gym more often 

kat: what improvement won *claps* 

sunoo: oh my god did i tell you guys about the comments on my skin care video with jungwon 

yn: no? the one where you opened the PR package right?

kat: wait can you give me some of those? 

giselle: yeah same 

sunoo: of course, thank you dr jart by the way for the package! *he looks to the camera, giving a peace sign* 

jungwon: what the hell were the comments?

sunoo: no yeah basically some of them were like oh how cute, or just about the skincare then the others were saying me and jungwon were a cute couple. 

*riki moves the mic away to laugh at sunoo, you and jungwon gasp.* 

kat: honestly i was expecting ship edits of me and yn 

yn: SAME! 

giselle: that’s so cute you guys are official!

*riki continues to laugh while jungwon glares at giselle, then looks to the camera* 

jungwon: me and sunoo aren’t dating hate to break it to you all

sunoo: you aren’t even my type calm down 

riki: rejected in front of the whole world how do you feel jungwon? 

jungwon: anyways beep- 

giselle: wait before we sign in can we get a water break 

yn: yeah i have to go to the bathroom

jungwon: i literally told you guys to go before 

yn: would you want me to piss on your carpet 

giselle: how would twitter feel knowing you let your editor go thirsty

jungwon: *sighs* go hurry up 

*you and giselle walk out of the room, talking but mics cannot pick it up* 

kat: did you guys see the whole brooke schofield and clinton kane thing? 

sunoo: oh my god yeah.. that shit is crazy 

riki: what happened 

sunoo & kat: basically- oh no you go first 

jungwon: one of you say it 

*kat looks to sunoo, nodding for him to speak* 

sunoo: basically brooke, the co host on cancelled, dated this singer named clinton kane and he full blown LIED about every aspect of their relationship like he said his whole family died but they didn’t and he faked having an australian accent. 

riki: rip you can’t make your mom jokes

jungwon: *laughs* no but there’s no way 

kat: no yeah and she made like a tiktok series kind of exposing him and they’re just going back to back. 

riki: what does this dude look like 

sunoo: *snorts* look him up on tiktok. clinton kane 

*both riki and jungwon get out their phones, typing away. the two of them look at their phones then each other. jungwon and riki start laughing* 

kat: i know! like how did she date him *laughs* 

jungwon: brooke dated HIM? 

sunoo: YES! that’s what i’m saying 

jungwon: look at his teeth he probably has gingivitis 

kat: ugh his breath probably stinks all the time 

*you and giselle come back into the room, confused at the conversation at hand and taking your seats. riki stares at his phone confused then looks to everyone else* 

riki: wait he’s not a ginger 

yn: what? 

riki: his hair is brown idiot 

jungwon: wait what are you talking about 

sunoo: riki are you on the right account stupid 

riki: i literally am. you said he has gingivitis, he’s literally not ginger 

*giselle gasps and starts laughing, causing the others to laugh. riki laughs nervously* 

riki: what

giselle: gingivitis means the tar on your teeth, not being a ginger 

sunoo: oh my god *wiping his tears away, still laughing* 

*riki groans, making everyone laugh, once collected jungwon clears his throat, sitting up* 

yn: thank god we came back to that 

giselle: i know

riki: okay guys that’s enough it’s not that funny

sunoo: oh it is. 

jungwon: alright, can we sign in now? 

*jungwon looks to everyone and they nod, each getting comfortable in their spot* 

jungwon: beep beep! you’ve arrived in yap central im your co host for today, mario. 

riki: and i am your second host, luigi

jungwon: starting from the far left we have 

kat: yoshi *in yoshi voice, waving to the camera* 

yn: princess daisy! *you show your crown, smiling.* 

giselle: princess peach! *she gives the camera a peace sign.* 

sunoo: and i’m toad *he giggles at his hat, the top of the toad.*

yn: i think out of everyone’s i love kats costume 

*kat laughs, pulling her yoshi onesie hood over her head. making the others laugh and smile at her.* 

jungwon: she’s so lucky she’s in a onesie me and riki have these stupid ass gloves 

riki: i don’t know man it’s kinda sick 

sunoo: *taking a sip of his water* is it not uncomfortable 

giselle: it’s giving mickey mouse 

riki: it’s giving your mom 

sunoo: guys riki discovered your mom jokes today 

kat: well your mom has ligma 

sunoo: the fuck is ligma 

yn & kat: LIGMA BALLS!!!! 

*everyone bursts out laughing at the immature joke. sunoo does not look amused yet still laughs along*

jungwon: it’s the way i saw it coming too 

riki: i saw your mom coming 

yn: pause?? 

sunoo: oh that’s not 

giselle: boyfriend! i’m nervous! 

*you, kat and giselle all giggle at her little reference* 

riki: wait no- 

jungwon: dude my mom watches this 

riki: i’m sorry miss yang i didn’t mean it 

jungwon: SHES MARRIED. 

riki: okay then what do i call a married woman?!? 

kat: mrs, not ms. 

riki: see was that so hard. *riki looks to the camera, interview style.* i’m sorry mrs yang i promise i will never say anything like that again 

jungwon: yeah she doesn’t watch the pod man, but thanks for apologizing to all the mrs yangs out there! 

*you and kat hold back your laughs as you look at riki. riki then rolls his eyes and jungwon earning a smile from him and opens his phone to the questions he has pulled up.* 

riki: everyone ready for the first question?

*they all nod, shifting in their seats a little to get adjusted. you sip from your water, giving your attention to riki and making sure the mic doesn’t pick it up.* 

riki: it’s kinda deep, is it easier to love or be loved. 

giselle: *gasps* that’s good one 

jungwon: it came from the patreon 

riki: since i asked the question let’s start on the other side, sunoo. 

sunoo: i think being loved has like a feeling you can’t  replace you know. 

yn: i agree, it’s like everything comes like full circle when you’re being loved by someone. it’s a really good feeling. 

sunoo: i do think though, to give love and to be loved has like its cons too. say if you were in a one sided relationship and you were giving love to someone who wouldn’t want it back, it hurts a lot. 

jungwon: it’s just draining on the person overall. 

kat: but i feel like if you were on the other side of that isn’t it equally as bad? you know if you were being loved by someone who you didn’t love back it’s just another issue because you feel like you owe them your love 

giselle: i agree with you, kat i do but i think it’s so much more tolling on the person giving love because it’s like you’re giving a part of yourself to someone else to cherish and hold. 

sunoo: wow that was poetic 

giselle: i know right? 

kat: yeah i get what you mean

giselle: giving your love is just so much deeper. sure to be loved is such a great feeling but giving your love isn’t just surface level, it’s like you actually love that person so much, and it’s so passionate too. 

riki: but that can be said for the other perspective too

giselle: you’re right 

yn: i honestly think being loved is something everyone gets to experience once in their lifetime, it’s not only limited to intimate relationships 

jungwon: ahh you have a point 

yn: you get to be loved by your parents, friends, anyone really who cares about you. it’s a good feeling and i think that almost everyone should have that kind of feeling in their lives. 

sunoo: what would you describe it as? 

yn: i think it’s different for every relationship. like for example being loved by my family is the thing that nothing can replace, it’s like a warm hug after a long storm. it’s familiar and it’s a feeling that i just think i would give the world to have all the time. 

riki: im the same way, even though i don’t live near my family anymore i miss them like crazy all the time. like my moms hugs. 

sunoo: ughhhh my moms hugs, im gonna drive by and hug her after this 

kat: are you gonna open the door and just give her a big fat hug and leave 

sunoo: you make me sound like a situationship who fucks you then leaves 

giselle: not our fault you worded it like that 

jungwon: i agree with you though yn. i do think that being loved just offers so much more than just intimate relationships. 

riki: i do too. but i see giselles point too. why did i have to pick the best question ever. *riki groans but smiles in the process, making kat slap his arm.* 

sunoo: you just wanted an ego boost. 

niki: perhaps. 

jungwon: i think that it’s a tie, both of them have their pros and cons 

kat: that’s a good way to end it 

sunoo: didn’t know it was a deep podcast today 

riki: sorry *laughs nervously* 

yn: no it’s okay i liked the question *you smile to riki, rubbing his shoulder* 

giselle: yeah same 

jungwon: well then you guys are gonna like this next segment. 

kat: wait let me guess would you rather?

jungwon: no

kat: scenarios?

jungwon: no kat-

kat: opinions on the [BLEEP]?!

*the group look to each other, then burst out laughing.*

giselle: fuck i’m gonna have to edit that out 

kat: what?

sunoo: we cant talk about the [BLEEP] thing remember. 

yn: yeah or else it’ll be our neck. according to [BLEEP] 

jungwon: guys stop bringing it up now we have to bleep all of that 

kat: sorry.. *she smiles nervously at jungwon and giselle and they both wave her off*

jungwon: what i was trying to say is that our next segment is blind ranking

sunoo: oh my god i love these

yn: same 

jungwon: topic is first dates 

riki: okay well i can’t participate i’ve never been on an actual date 

*sunoo moves his mic away to laugh at riki, riki stares at him to shut him up* 

jungwon: yeah that’s why i chose it for our episode dumbass. anyways there’s five of them so here’s the first one. a music festival  

kat: oh my god 3 duh 

yn: ehhhhh 5? 

kat: *gasp* what 

giselle: yeah im with yn 

sunoo: yeah 5 

kat: why that’s so fun 

yn: it’s too sweaty like i had to be super comfortable to even go to head in the clouds with riki and won

giselle: i feel like that’s cool to do if you’re already dating but first date? i don’t think so 

jungwon: majority rules sorry kat 

kat: yall are fake 

riki: okay next one is a classic, the movies 

sunoo: honestly 4 

giselle: maybe 3 i don’t know it’s very like highschool

yn: yeah i see what you mean. i think it’s just weird because what if you’re watching a popular movie and neither of you really like it. also you can’t really talk to get to know the person 

jungwon: personally this is a 5 for me 

kat: it’s so like.. middle school 

riki: doing that damn arm stretch. 

*everyone laughs at riki’s joke as he fake yawns to stretch his arms and put it around kat, making her laugh even harder.* 

jungwon: i was abusing that card in highschool 

yn: it’s so corny eww *laughs* 

kat: no it’s kinda smooth if someone can pull it off 

sunoo: i remember i did the counting shoulder thing in middle school 

yn: oh my god i remember that 

riki: i never heard of that one 

kat: like 1, 2 *she counts her own shoulders* and 3 *she puts her arm behind riki, him laughing as she did it* 

giselle: that’s a good one 

jungwon: so movie 4?

kat: yep movie 4. 

yn: this is so fun

jungwon: the next one is go karting 

sunoo: OOOOO

yn: might put this as a 1 

kat: okay but what if they choose a really really good one for the last one 

yn: ugh you’re right 

sunoo: im saying 2 

giselle: lowkey 3 

yn: noooo its so fun. like its playful and it’s not too much talking where it awkward. and then after that you can grab food and talk 

riki: that honestly sounds perfect 

kat: okay you’re convincing me 

sunoo: let’s stick with two because i know they’re gonna pick a good one 

giselle: okay yeah 2 

riki: next one is eating. like going out to eat 

yn: 3 it’s a safe choice 

giselle: yeah it’s safe 

sunoo: oh my god what’s the last one i’m excited 

jungwon: sitting at your number 1 spot is a date in the park 

kat: oh..

*you and sunoo side eye one another, and start laughing* 

riki: you guys fumbled 

giselle: ugh we should’ve put go kart at 1 

jungwon: i would’ve put go kart at 1 too

yn: okay park isn’t that bad 

sunoo: no it’s bad imagine all the bugs. and there isn’t a single cute park where we live 

kat: that’s definitely 5 

giselle: yeah i agree 

yn: what time are we at won? 

jungwon: about an hour. you guys ready for a break 

riki: yep, i’m gonna go grab water 

kat: yeah i have to use the bathroom

*riki and kat get up, moving their mics. they both walk out of the room. the rest of the group continues to scroll on their phones, checking notifications. giselle laughs and sets her phone down* 

giselle: did you guys see the top albums of all time? from apple music. 

jungwon: *snorts* yeah, yn what’d you think about the list 

yn: oh i loved it, i think there was too much classic rock on there but my girl lauryn hill sitting pretty at number 1 

sunoo: i love that album, like it’s so good 

jungwon: frank ocean was top 5 i think we’re getting an album 

*giselle laughs, shaking her head* 

giselle: i fear we won’t be getting one for a while. 

yn: no but imagine not knowing who lauryn hill is? 

*sunoo and jungwon side eye each other but stay quiet to let yn go on* 

yn: you must have some shit music taste if you don’t know lauryn hill is all i have to say 

sunoo: must be an alpha male 

*giselle, you and sunoo laugh. jungwon looks at sunoo, holding back a laugh* 

jungwon: cmon we weren’t gonna talk about it 

yn: speaking of alpha males let’s talk about alpha male podcasts. have we ever covered that? 

giselle: don’t think we have 

sunoo: it has to be rage bait 

jungwon: well no have you seen andrew tate, he was like so serious about it. 

yn: i think alpha male podcast are so stupid. like you must be so sensitive about your masculinity if you have to run a podcast all about it. 

*riki and kat enter the room, taking a seat* 

kat: what are we talking about? 

jungwon: lauryn hill and now alpha male podcasts

riki: i fucking love lauryn hill 

kat: alpha male podcast should be wiped off the face of the earth

giselle: and they invite like instagram models on there and like flame them for no reason 

jungwon: they are like the bane of this existence 

sunoo: honestly is it just me or like recently has there been an uprise in podcasts 

giselle: no i get what you mean 

yn: i think when all those like old youtubers started doing podcasts they became popular again. 

riki: everyone and their mom has podcast 

kat: dude we have a podcast 

riki: yeah.. we’re everyone and their mom keep up 

*you laugh next to him, shaking your head* 

jungwon: you guys ready for the last question 

giselle: mhm 

jungwon: so as surprising as it is we’ve never talked about aux etiquette on this podcast. what do you guys think proper aux etiquette is? 

giselle: i think proper aux etiquette is playing music that everyone listens to 

jungwon: yeah.. *jungwon glares at kat, making you and riki laugh. kat furrows her brows in confusion*

kat: um hello im an amazing dj 

sunoo: you’re in fact not 

yn: yeah babe 

kat: *scoffs* what! wait do you guys seriously not like my music? 

riki: well no it’s just whenever you’re on aux- 

jungwon: which is all the fucking time 

*you and sunoo laugh* 

riki: like i was saying whenever you’re on aux, you always try and get us on to the music you listen to and it’s just shitty house music like *starts imitating one of the songs* 

kat: you guys don’t appreciate taste 

jungwon: you mean noise? yeah we don’t 

*kat laughs* 

sunoo: hot take i really don’t want music when im hanging out with my friends 

yn: your worst take yet 

sunoo: okay what the fuck 

riki: i’m sorry but pitch silence? fuck i’d go crazy in a car with kat and yn 

yn: rude 

riki: you two talk soooo much 

kat: not our fault you’re a nonchalant emo 

jungwon: *laughing* fuck 

giselle: i agree with sunoo to an extent like it depends on what we’re doing. if we were going to a club or something i’d want to get hyped up but on the way back i would want to debrief 

sunoo: yeah i agree with that

riki: let’s rank us in terms of aux 

jungwon: kat is dead last 

kat: your music taste isn’t amazing i don’t know why you’re talking 

jungwon: least i can admit it 

sunoo: the girls are fighting.. 

yn: i think it goes kat in last, then sunoo 

sunoo: wait what 

yn: your music taste isn’t like versatile. no hate it’s just not great on aux 

sunoo: yeah well yours is shit too 

yn: don’t care *you stick your tongue out at him making him stick it out back, the two of you giggle*

giselle: i think first place is between riki and yn 

yn: my brother just another me 

*you and riki fist bump each other, giggling* 

jungwon: it’s gonna go to their big fat egos 

riki: frank ocean is never gonna release an album ever again 

jungwon: take that back 

riki: your mom 

kat: as much as i hate to say it jungwon might be second. it’s tied between you and giselle 

sunoo: so we agree that kat should never get aux 

giselle: she’s always fucking arguing for it too 

*the group laughs* 

yn: like damn if you’re gonna fight for aux atleast put on music we all like 

kat: ugh fine i will next time 

riki: next time im getting aux 

jungwon: we’re gonna hear emo music the whole ride 

riki: to be emo is to be free 

giselle: rikilations

sunoo: what time are we at? 

jungwon: an hour thirty ish. should we end it? 

kat: i mean did you guys have any other questions 

riki: nah i didnt, did you? *he looks to jungwon* 

jungwon: nope 

giselle: okay sign us out then 

riki: thank you for staying with us today at yap central we hope you enjoyed your stay. 

jungwon: remember to subscribe, like, comment, and share this video. check out our bio for resources and sign up for patreon. peace! 

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AUTHORS NOTE » i had SOO much fun writing this, like it felt like i was actually sitting there with them. the bleeps aren't too hard to guess bc its pretty obvious. i wanted to include them so it felt more real and i hope this wasnt TOO confusing

TAGLiST » @lqfiles @strawberrysavi @blockbusterhee @onlyhyunjin @purennn @jungkit @flwoie @imheretoread @firstclassjaylee @pinkishyng @luvgiselle @kang-ulzzang @cherryxbxmb @jkslvsnella @urslytherin @somerandomf1fan @i03jae @kittykangz @s0urcherry @istglevi-gotmesimping

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[kfkr1ze]

[18TRIP Translation] Reset ≠ Astronauts ーー Muneuji’s Feature Event Masterlist

✈︎ Characters: Muneuji, Ushio, Akuta, Kiroku, Nanaki, Sakujiro, Kafka, Yukikaze

✈︎ Translation: Sunni (kfkr1ze)

Chapter 1 ・Chapter 2 ・Chapter 3 ・Chapter 4 ・Chapter 5 ・ Chapter 6 ・ Chapter 7 ・ Chapter 8 ・ Chapter 9 ・ Chapter 10 ・ Chapter 11 ・EP

Story Specific Notes:

Muneuji's little sister is called "Princess" as a nickname. I keep this nickname translated instead of calling her "Hime" due to the whole Princess Kaguya thing.

Spoiler warning! It's recommended to read the main story and novels before reading this event!

The story of Princess Kaguya is pretty relevant to this story + Muneuji as a whole, so I’ll put a summary of it here. (Sorry that it’s kinda long, I was trying to include every detail relevant to Muneuji.) You can choose to read this before or after the event!

Princess Kaguya was found as a baby in a piece of bamboo. After being taken in by a bamboo cutter, she grew into a beautiful woman who brought luck and radiated light. She was sought after by many, even catching the eyes of the Emperor. She could often be seen staring longingly at the Moon with eyes full of tears. Her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and when asked what was wrong, she reveals that she is not from Earth and is actually a princess from the Moon. It has been said she was sent to Earth as a punishment for an unknown reason. (There is another version where she purposefully broke the rules on the Moon to be sent to the Earth in order to experience mortal life, but formed attachments and did not want to say goodbye afterwards). After Kaguya expresses a desire to leave the Earth, the Moon grants her request and she is set to leave the next Moon cycle. The emperor sent guards in order to keep her from leaving, but an embassy of heavenly beings came to take her anyway. She announces that although she loves her friends, she must return to the Moon, and she leaves sorrowful notes for her adoptive parents and the Emperor. She also leaves her robes with her parents. The distraught Emperor writes her a letter which he burns at the top of the tallest mountain to send a message to her.

General Notes:

 I am playing as the male MC and will be referring to him by his canon name, Kaede Hamasaki. I will also be using he/him pronouns. The story stays the same regardless of which protagonist you choose!

 I’m not fluent in Japanese, this is not proofread, and I’ll probably make some edits here and there if I want to change anything. 

 Sometimes, words are highlighted in green / red / pink in the game! This tends to signify important terms to remember! I’ll be doing this in purple to match my site theme!

This page will be updated if I have anything else to add!

[jimin-bangtan]

PDogg called it -> Jimin's impact on KPop

💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜

💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜💟💜

In 2023, right before Jimin's debut solo album was released, BigHit producer PDogg displayed and posted a comment that has been lingering in my mind since I heard about it.

The image is from PDogg's Instagram Story - March 14, 2023 - that started by announcing the coming of Jimin's 1st pre-release song, Set Me Free, Part2, from his 1st solo album, then ended by foretelling what he felt was about to come, once the album was released.

I continually wondered since then what PDogg saw, heard, and experienced with Jimin that caused him to make such a statement. Even after I heard Jimin's first solo album (FACE), which was undeniably vulnerable and exceptionally good, especially for a debut album that Jimin participated in writing, composing and producing, I still wondered why PDogg made such a bold prediction about Jimin and his work. PDogg has been around for a long while and has seen successful albums before. He has been responsible for a large number of BTS's impactful and triumphant songs and albums. Yet Jimin's solo music is what inspired his declaration.

Once Jimin became the first Korean soloist ever to debut #1 on Billboard's Hot100 chart (2nd Asian soloist in 62 years), I wondered if that was what PDogg meant. It was a huge, unique accomplishment that no one (except maybe PDogg) expected. Ok. That sort of made sense. It still didn't quite fit the extent of the comment to me, but it was a reasonable consideration. However, the achievements for FACE and his single, Like Crazy, kept coming, in spite of the many obstacles in its way. I considered if maybe these were also part of PDogg's thoughts. Still, it didn't quite fully satisfy my questioning.

PDogg obviously had a fuller view of the bigger picture than we did at that point, considering that his statement was made before the public even knew there was a 2nd album of revelation to come. Finally, while Jimin was then away serving in the military, with NO opportunity to promote in person, his 2nd co-written, co-produced, co-composed solo album (MUSE) was released. PDogg knew that the 2 shorter EP's were actually supposed to have been combined to be released as 1 longer LP, but plans changed.

With this 2nd album, in addition to being the first soloist to win a daesang (grand prize) at MAMA in a decade and the first soloist to win that particular daesang at all, Jimin made and broke all kinds of records all over the world and achieved many other accomplishments with MUSE and his single, Who. He eventually broke a 12-year record of having the longest charting KPop song on the Hot100 chart in history, surpassing his own group at the very top.

AAAaaaah! What PDogg meant finally hit me. I finally understood.

If you don't recall PDogg's prediction, it translated to the fact that he felt Jimin would "end" KPop.

I can only imagine the comments and thoughts that are being formed in some minds to diminish or refute this sentiment, but they don't matter. I didn't say it. Jimin didn't say it. An experienced, successful producer, who worked directly with Jimin to create the work, said it. You don't have to like or even agree with it, but from his experience and instinct, PDogg knew Jimin had created something that would make an impact on KPop. Considering the many awards & chart placements, as well as the decades-long records Jimin has broken while being underpromoted and/or absent, I would say PDogg's statement was accurate.

However you interpret the word "end", Jimin did, in fact, fundamentally change something within KPop with his work and with the extent and circumstances of his success, in spite of everything.  It is likely that some of Jimin’s effects on KPop are presently unseen but are still yet to come. Time will tell.

Regardless of any comments or thoughts or future achievements, Jimin's debut accomplishments remain, and many will remain forever in the history books because no one can beat the first.

Congratulations to Jimin. Thank you to Jimin's fans, who persevered through it all, and much gratitude to general listeners. Together, you helped Jimin "end KPop" with a flair.

💜

Credit: hitmin_13

[randomidiocyncrazies]

THBX Setting note 9: Hero Ranking Tournament

17th Hero Tournament: Bowa fought her way up the ranks, facing off against Smile, the X of the last tournament. Smile failed to defend his title, making Bowa the new X. ((This actually messes up the timeline—Queen turns 18 in Year 32, the 16th Hero Tournament, which prompted Mikey's meeting with both of them. I suppose he could have that talk with them when Queen turned 20, but the convo feels really unnatural if it wasn't the year Queen turned 18 and Bowa attained title of X...)) 18th Hero Tournament: Queen eligible for the tournament as one of the Top 10, with a "darkhorse nobody" (X who is not registered on the Commission's list of heroes). Queen lost, and a mysterious X takes the title.

To prevent the Fall of Dawn Incident—the deification of a single hero—from happening again, the hero agencies unanimously agree to a tournament held every 2 years to determine Hero rankings, forming the Hero Association Commission. The first Tournament was held in Year 2.

Only the Top 10 heroes are eligible to enter the Tournament, and matches are decided according to Commission rules. The winner of each match advances until the #1 hero, aka the title of X, is determined. Depending on how they do during the matches, the public's Trust Vales of the heroes will also be updated accordingly.

Not only is the Tournament a way for the Commission to manage and balance the heroes, but it is also a commercial competition between the top hero agencies. 20 Tournaments have been held starting from Year 2, and it has become a huge event that draws all eyes, with the majority of heroes setting aiming for the title of X as their ultimate career goal.

((as always, feel free to lmk if I got something wrong! It's not necessarily a 1-to-1 translation, but I try to stick closely to the wording used in the Chinese text))

Personal commentary under the cut:

the first X, E-soul, achieved the title in Year 2 during the first Tournament. There's still a discrepancy of the length of his career (he defeated Zero before the Commission, but has a career that is 2 years shorter than the formation of the Commission [ep 5]), but maybe the 2-year gap has something to do with the Tournament system? Makes me wonder what it was like in the early days after the Commission was formed, when there wasn't an X yet.

This also lets us know the Tournament is held on even-number years since the first Tournament was in Year 2, making it likely that the end of L0's arc either happened just before Year 42 (with "15 days before the Tournament" being 15 days before Year 42), or that the ending of his arc takes place in Year 42 and we just weren't explicitly shown that it's no longer Year 41.

i also think it's really interesting that Mr. Matchstick & Ms. Blazing Fire are able to compete as 1 unit going up against mostly solo opponents; if part of the underlying goal of the Tournament is to avoid deification of a single hero, then promoting heroes in pairs or teams feels more effective? like, if all heroes are packaged as a unit of 2 or more people, then doesn't that provide a cognitive barrier against deifying a singular target? Since people would then associate heroes as a concept that belongs in teams, not as a solo agent/individual.

I've seen the theories about X being, or hijacking, the concept of "X" itself. I also think the show is hinting at X being deified (at least 1 believer thinks he's omnipotent in his character PV, there's a frame where X cuts to a figure that looks like how Zero looked in E-soul's character PV hidden in the OP etc). Since perception can actually have a material effect on the world in this setting, and with heroes mostly operating as singular entities (with some exceptions such as Matchstick and Blazing Fire), when people picture the "#1 hero (aka "X")" they think of an individual... which is prime for deification, which the Commission supposedly wants to avoid?

[ilikekidsshows]

The thing that drives me insane about the "protecting Adrien" defense is that basically every single kids media to ever exist has this situation happen. It's a super common trope and there's probably a name for it and page on TVTropes somewhere. The situation being Character A does something bad (or something similar) and lies to Character B, and Character B finds out and gets mad at A but they end up making up by the end of the ep or a few eps later. AND there's usually the lesson of "hey, be honest with the people around you because lying tends to make things worse" which is a good lesson for kids to learn, hence why kids media keeps doing it. Heck, even media aimed towards older audiences show that keeping secrets can actually be dangerous. But the thing with this trope is that it requires a good set up, even in episodic shows that just have it be the "lesson of the day." And Miraculous obviously does not have this set up. The secret being kept can vary depending on the media but

1) ML has not established itself as consistent enough to be able to carry this type of arc in any way/shape/form, plus it's already been long established that any type of "conflict" will not end in a satisfying way (lookin at you Ladynoir and the Love Square). It keeps coddling Marinette and anything involving her isn't even really a lesson, let alone one that she learns or keeps in mind as the series goes on. Like she might have learned not to be a weirdo when it comes to Sublime but you know the next girl that seems like a threat to her relationship, she's gonna do it again.

2) It's literally about Adrien's entire existance and how he could die at any moment. It's like knowing your kid has a deadly peanut allergy and you don't tell them and just hope they're careful around peanuts. Plus, Marinette's got a history of killing sentis and having both a black and white mindset and also a self-preservation mentality where she puts her own comfort above all else. And this was a concern people had before Werepapas.

3) The secret Marinette is keeping isn't even about her, which is what the trope usually does, so she's calling the shots for shit she isn't even really involved in. The hero side, yes, but the family part runs way deeper than just Marinette taking up a part time job as a hero. Family was Gabriel's entire motivation. Adrien deserves to know more and be more involved than Marinette was. It's part of the reason there's people out there calling for Adrien to be the main character. He just has a deeper connection to the entire plot. Marinette's side is just her thirsting over her classmate who just happens to have a supervillain for a dad and that's an inconvenience to her daily life of being a whiny baby.

Like, the reason the defense is so fucking stupid is because people have basically an infinite amount of actually good examples of how it should be executed and why lying like that in general is a bad idea. It's a trope so common people can probably think of a show/movie/etc it happened off the top of their head. And yet ML can't even get that right.

---

Exactly, you need to actually focus, you need to lock in and do what you came here to do and not drag things out for cheap drama. Like, the show I’m currently liveblogging, Amphibia, did this exact same lesson with Hop Pop lying to Anne about researching the Calamity Box when he’d actually hidden it away to delay having to deal with it. It was a very Marinette-way of dealing with a problem.

Then, comes the payoff. Anne is actually seriously upset at Hop Pop and there’s no memory wipe or timeline shenanigans to undo that upset. Anne gets to be upset the whole episode, and, even after they’d discussed the issue and “made amends”, she’s still feeling upset and betrayed. Anne’s feelings of betrayal are more important than Hop Pop’s reasons for betraying her trust, but Miraculous has always sided with perpetrators of harm over their victims when the perpetrator is anyone other than one of the designated Mean Girls.

I couldn’t possibly imagine Miraculous letting anyone still stay mad at Marinette after she’s done her self-flagellation of the day and, even if they did, the show has trained the fandom to think that “Marinette is upsette = Marinette is being punished” so these fans would think the people still mad at Marinette after she’s gotten upsette are being unreasonable and punishing Marinette needlessly when she’s already been punished.

[nabi-unveiled]

Nabi Notices (April 8, 2025)

My drafts tab is a veritable graveyard of potential posts at this point, including:

A half made fmv for When It Rains

A partially completed comparison discussing the importance of movement during transitions between Boy Next World, Heart Killers, and See Your Love

Posts about reflections and sense of time in Secret Relationships. That one is still moving forward, but it's slow going.

The rest of the BL challenges (and ideas for my own set of BL challenges)

The list could go on. My drafts are an accumulation of intentions. That's really to be expected though. My home is the same way. One day I'll get a picture in that frame on the wall in my bedroom. It's only been 10 years. I'll eventually get a plant in the pot on the windowsill too.

It just that without deadlines, my brain doesn't always cooperate. And it frequently decides to go on side quests.

All this to say, I'm still figuring out exactly how I want to approach certain shows, tasks, etc. for this blog. I always do best when I have systems in place. It helps counter the chaos of my brain.

Inspired by @watchthisqqq, I do think I will start creating master posts for shows that I write several meta/longer posts about. That'd certainly make it easier to find my own stuff and update my pinned meta master list in the future. Any other ideas/suggestions that might make things easier in the future are welcome.

The Things I Noticed This Week:

I watched a lot of great shows and episodes this week. It was really fun after the not-so-great previous week. In general, I'm watching a fair amount of the BL stuff that's currently airing. I also binged Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island. I'm playing catch up and liveblogging a first watch of Love for Love's Sake (no spoilers please; I'm only at ep 2). And I currently have When Life Gives You Tangerines in rotation as my laundry show.

Fabulous Fit

This week was apparently the week of noticing basics. I loved Muenfah's jeans and belt buckle at the shabu-shabu restaurant in Your Sky of Us. It was particularly noticeable since everyone else was in fairly standard black pants. A good pair of jeans goes a long way.

And Yeowoon's running outfit in Love for Love's Sake is sooo basic. But I love it.

I feel like the strings on the hood would be a problem when sprinting, but I really appreciate this style of workout gear.

Fascinating Find

Ok. By rights, Litchi Island should be the fantastic frame of the week. It's beautiful cinematography. But I'm trying to highlight a different show in each category, and the search for spicy/steamy scenes involving bookcases that was triggered by this screenshot was the most fun search I had all week. And maybe the biggest treasure hunt I had went on in a while.

I really appreciate @pinkkop, @notafanbut, and @my-rose-tinted-glasses trying to help me out. The list is still very short, but we're up to two (Litchi and Only Friends) with a "it's close enough" third (History 4). There's also plenty of heavy staring in libraries or bookstores 😂.

Fantastic Frame

This shot felt like a great way to close out Perfect 10 Liners. I loved the hearts on the social media post between each set of sweethearts and Wine being in the center with the finger heart. It's really the social media post that gets my fantastic frame.

Wine talking about how it was actually fun to be a part of this chaotic group was really a reminder to enjoy our journeys and the people in our life. For a show that I had largely written off during the first third (sorry Arc/Arm fans), I really came to enjoy it in its home stretch.

Fun Fluorish

The clear symbolism winner this week has to be the honey in Top Form. They incorporated references throughout the episode and set it up as a storytelling moment that went beyond just sex. I found myself rewatching the earlier parts of the apartment scene more frequently. The emotional tension was delightful when Akin was tormented thinking Jin was avoiding him. But I appreciated seeing something new in an NC scene.

Even if the music did distract me, and I kept envisioning a manic pianist completing his final performance. I don't mind that choice from an artistic standpoint, but any rewatches of this portion happened on mute so I could focus on the honey happenings.

Anyways, the rug is toast, but it was one heck of a first time as a couple. I'm sure some people were put off by the use of the honey, but ... that wasn't me. I try to keep my kinks in check when writing this blog, but I'll play. It did make me curious enough about the sensory aspect that I tested it out on my arm.

I know a lot of people worried about the stickiness. The bigger issue (for me) was that it got stiff very quickly. Maybe that's why they kept pouring it on. It's also possible their honey was just a lot warmer. 🍯

Favorite Fragment

I'm loving all of the astronomy references in Heesu in Class 2. I've spent the last four months crafting creative video scripts about astronomy topics with at least two to three months to go on that particular project. There have been some inaccuracies, but the show is doing far better than most in terms of incorporating scientific information. I particularly loved this line.

Because it's subjectively correct by many people's standards. Many resisted the reclassification just because it felt like a downgrade. But it's also subjectively incorrect. Many people consider dwarf planets to be more extraordinary, because we don't know a lot about them and there are only five currently recognized (although we hypothesize there are more). Whereas most of the planets got lumped together in my video scripts. Pluto got to have its own. And objectively - Pluto itself didn't change at all. We're really talking about perception and labels here. Not facts. And at it's core, that's a key theme of this show this week - perception. Perception of ourselves, perception of others, and perception of the possibilities.

My Queue for the Coming Week:

As always this list is prone to change, and there will be things I watch that are not on this list. It's just "most likely" I'll watch these.

Heesu in Class 2 (Ep 5-6)

Top Form (Ep 5)

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (Ep 3)

Love for Love's Sake (Ep 3)

When Life Gives You Tangerines (Ep 4)

[poetry-protest-pornography]

I have so much I want to accomplish tomorrow, so I am setting catching up on my shows as a reward for checking things off my to do list.

Make that appointment? Last week's MGB

Clear the floor and vacuum? Top Form episode 9

Put away laundry? Pit Babe 2 ep 2

Clear a bin? The Next Prince

Not exactly a balanced task/reward structure, but maybe it'll kick my mushy brain into gear

[neurospiczzzziee]

Striker Illegitimate heir of an Ars Goetias theory

Okay so first of all this theory came from an awesome convo with @theradiodaemon. We were talking about Striker and his interactions with Goetias suddenly I had this epiphany and told Radio about it. And He was like hold up wait this makes so much sense. It is now both of our head canons.

I want to preface In this post I am referring to the term Bastard as the traditional definition:

Bastard- a person whose parents were not married to each other : an illegitimate child

Our theory: Striker is actually a hybrid of an Ars Goetias and an IMP. What if Striker is actually a bastard, an illegitimate child of Goetia royalty and a commoner imp.

Part I: Striker's appearance.

So it has been apparent that Striker does not look entirely like other IMPs. His Skin is lighter and he is deemed as more snake-like. His tail even rattles like a snake.

In helluva verse each ring has their own sets of natives.

I found this lovely chart on reddit showing the different types. When looking at the characters I realized that there was not a native really that was snakes. The only native Striker in a way looks like it maybe sharks with his eyes but that itself feels like a stretch especially since the show seems to make it apparent his relation to snakes.

The only Native hellborn demons with other animals appearances are . . . Goetias. This is seen with Stolas' Father, Paimon is actually known to take on any animal form.

During mastermind we really see that Goetias can appear as multiple species. When looking at Mastermind I noticed something. . .

A SNAKE GOETIA

According to Fans they suspect that the snake headed Goetia is Botis. Botis is known to appear as a viper but also a human with two horned heads.

Rattlesnakes are specifically in the viper family. Which would make sense Strikers rattlesnake appearances. I also noticed that the coloration of Striker's skin and eyes are similar to Botis'.

Now I'm not saying that Striker has to be Botis' child, it just wouldn't surprise me if he is.

Part II: Striker and his Self-Hatred

okay so in this section I will be going over Striker's personality we have seen in each episode and how it could relate to him being a possible illegitimate child.

As of now Striker has been in four episodes of Helluva. Harvest moon, Western Energy, Oops, and Mastermind. I'm going to go over the information that we have learned about Striker with each episode and how it relates to this theory.

S1 Ep 5 Harvest Moon- Our first introduction to him. Very much a Cocky intimidating hitman.

Quotes from Harvest Moon:

"Blitzo, c'mon. You know the two of us are superior than most of our kind. And you were so above sucking on a disgusting rich pompous Goetia only to sneak top side for scraps and work for bitter Sinners who could care less who you are, when you could be slaying Overlords."

"Why struggle to run a business that is rigged against you, when you could partner up with me and kill the unkillable? Starting with the one who that treats you like a plaything."

What we learn from his interactions.

1. Hates the class divide of IMPs and Royalty.

2. Self-Hatred for his own impkind

3. Thinks he's superior to other imps?

4. Hates blue bloods but willing to be employed by them?

I find these interactions really interesting because in this convo he is showing that he looks down on imps but also he hates demon royalty. For some reason he sees himself and Blitzø as better than other IMPs. He definitely looks down on Moxxie and Millie. But he is willing to work for demon royalty if it means killing other blue bloods. If Striker is secretly part ars Goetias it makes sense that he sees himself as better than other IMPs. I know it is also a common theory that Blitzø is also a hybrid of an imp and a succubus. So if Blitzø is also a hybrid it would make sense why Striker sees him better than Millie and Moxxie.

S2 EP 4 Western Energy -

Western Energy has a lot of characterization of Striker. It further shows his hatred for Blue bloods in multiple lines. I specifically thought I wanted to examine these quotes.

"Look. Not every ring is some fancy ass city, with some fancy ass mansion, that only fancy ass royals get to live in. Some of us have hard lives to live. And some of us have everything we care about taken away by fuckers like you."

Okay this statement really makes me think. There is so much vitriol towards Stolas here and Royals in general. Striker is very much acting as if there is a large chip on his shoulder. That Royals put him specifically through trauma. There is a lot of anger towards talking to someone who was born royalty had having a clean blood line. That their life is "easy". The line that really hits me hard is:

"and some of us have everything we care about taken away by fuckers like you."

This gives off the vibes that Striker once lived a happy life. He was comfortable and happy, but then the Ars Goetias took that happiness from him.

I feel like it would make the most sense if Striker was a Goetia hybrid then his mother was most likely an IMP. In actual history it was common for royalty to have mistresses who had houses and amenities provided for them and their bastard children. Historically there has been different treatments of illegitimate children. Especially children of Mixed Races.

For example, Partus sequitur ventrem, a 1662 legal doctrine passed in Colonial Virginia and other British Crown colonies in the Americas. The doctrine mandated that children of enslaved mothers would inherit the legal status of their mothers regardless of their father's identity or legal standing.

What if as a child he was at one point taken care of by his father, at least financially?

This would also make sense of his increased Hatred of Stolas. A Goetias who was actively having an open affair with an Imp. A Goetia who already has a legitimate heir, a family. Striker fully acknowledges Stolas' identity as a father. He specifically thinks to bring up the Octavia to Stolas.

"Shame you won't see your kid again"

This very much feels like Stolas' identity as a father is also fueling Strikers hatred for him. It also makes sense why Striker would pick up a job from Stella. He is going to kill a Goetia who is having an affair with an IMP. In a way it is him hating his own father.

S2 EP 6 Oops

Okay so In this episode it really shows Strikers disdain for IMPs who have romantic relationships with the Ars Goetias.

"Would you two shut the fuck up already? Bicker like a couple of teen skanks... As far as I'm concerned, you two are BOTH embarrassments to our kind for meddlin' with blue-bloods to begin with. But at least loud mouth here has the sense to only fuck his rich bitch instead of bein' a little purse dog."

I think it's really interesting for him to call Blitzø and Fizz "embarrassments to their kind" because they are romantically involved with royals. What really makes me think is how Striker excuses Blitzøs behavior because he sees it more as a way for Blitzø to get a better standing in the world. Part of me wonders if Striker is a product of a Goetia/imp then how much was consent part of it? If Striker's mother was a servant she most likely didn't have a choice. She did what she had to do to be well off. To keep her job. So in a way he sees Blitzøs actions as him keeping a job, so he is more sympathetic. (I'm not saying that Stolas and Blitzø's relationship is not consensual. I'm saying this from Striker's POV)

I think what irks him about Fizz is that Fizz portrays himself as being in a consensual/equal relationship. It goes against what Striker's perception of Goetias are. In his mind Goetias can't properly love and care for IMPs. They can't have equal relationships. Because if they could why couldn't he be treated better. That's not fair.

"You think I'm just gon' let you get away after all this? I'm THROUGH losin' these fights! This worthless little pet REEKS of his over-bloated master... I'll at least enjoy gettin' rid of him."

Fizz is a symbol of a healthy relationship between an IMP and a Goetia. This is why Striker hates him so much. This is why he wants him dead. Because if in reality an imp can be properly loved by a royal. Then it makes him feel even more abandoned or betrayed. It's almost Striker being an upset child and thinking "WHY NOT ME!? WHAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL?? YOU ARE JUST A PET. HE CANT POSSIBLE SEE YOU AS EQUAL"

S2 EP 11 Mastermind

So this episode really made me think about Striker being part royalty. Striker talks so loud about being against blue bloods. So why would he help blue bloods and put an imp on trial to have them killed?

I think it deals with even though Striker hates blue bloods he still wants to be with them. He envies them. He wants to be seen as superior.

If Striker is a product of a Goetia and imp. Then he could be trying to deter the relationship of IMPs and Goetias all together. He wants to punish Stolas and Blitzø. His need for punishment would be fueled by his own self-hatred.

Part III: Paranoid DJ song

Okay so the reason I'm using this fan song as a reference is because it is sung by S2 Striker's actual voice actor, Edward Bosco. This song was brought to my attention from my friend @theradiodaemon

If Edward Bosco is singing in it that means it had to be approved by the helluva team. . .so it does have some weight to it.

I wanted to bring up this specific part of the song.

The target doesn't matter, whether sloth or lust or greed I'll wander takin' any bounty to give me what I need The tools and all the firepower I could ever want To challenge all the smarmy pricks and all the wealth they flaunt Those bastards that had stole from us, they hide behind their names But titles won't mean shit when they got bullets in their brains 'Cause I am through with listening to the whims of royalty Unless, of course, they want divorce by way of contract fee

I find it really interesting the part specifically stating "the bastards that stole from us, they hide behind their names."

Like I know this is a little bit of a reach. But it's interesting him specifically brings up the term and also how they stole from him. Like what did they steal?? Who knows????

In conclusion

Hey guys I think striker is actually part Goetia. Thank you for joining me this long on my long ramblings and new head cannon. I think it's a fun theory and I thought that others would appreciate it. Feel free to share your own theories in the comments.

- ✨Neuro✨

[thequeensjester]

Building Tension for the Annatar Debut

Whoever directed this scene used different techniques to create and escalate tension. Notably, they break the 180 degree rule when Sauron tries to convince Celebrimbor to forge more rings.

(shot 1)

As I understand it, the 180 rule (see more thorough definition) is the defining axis between shots of characters in dialogue or in action. It can be a vertical or horizontal axis. The camera sits on one side of the axis to keep continuity. Filmmakers generally don't cross this line because it will confuse the audience but they can if done right.

I'm starting with this shot as the main reference point. The line is on a horizontal axis—from Celebrimbor's left shoulder to Sauron's right shoulder. (Make sense?!) Looking at the direction of Charlie's eyes helps a lot. It also helps to imagine if you were on set, watching in-person.

(shot 2 | 3 - top row re-ordered for explanation | bottom as originally filmed)

Here we have a basic shot-reverse-shot set-up. I flipped the order in the top row to show continuity on the established 180 axis in shot 1. When we watch the bottom row as filmed, we can see it still makes sense.

Their eyelines match up—looking at directly each other. It's angled since they're leaning forward and hunched over. The camera is also filming from the corresponding, open-body sides of both actors.

(shot 4)

Celebrimbor steps away from Sauron to revel in the triumph of his Elven Rings alone. He is framed by the balcony doors—separating him from Sauron.

(Shot 5 | 6 - caps shown as originally edited in ep)

Because Celebrimbor walks around the set, this next dialogue section starts on this new axis but nothing looks unusual. Their eyelines match up in almost a perfect straight line across both shots.

Sauron sounds innocent enough to Celebrimbor. He asks if Celebrimbor is his friend and once confirmed, Sauron escalates.

(Shot 7 | 8 - caps shown as originally edited in ep)

Sauron says he has never been able to hide anything from Celebrimbor. We get a hard cut to Celebrimbor's reaction—flipped to the other side and breaking the 180 rule. This looks and feels off because we know where Sauron is taking this conversation.

(Shot 9)

On this new 180 axis, Celebrimbor assures Sauron and says "Whatever it is you wish to say to me, I shall receive it with an open heart." Sauron only occupies 1/3 of this frame and stands in shadows—holding little power for now.

(Shot 10 | 11 - caps shown as originally edited in ep)

Sauron asks for Rings for Men but Celebrimbor refuses. Both shots haven't broken the 180 rule but Celebrimbor is short-sided—the gap behind Brimby's head takes us into his discomfort. The short-siding also makes it look like Sauron is being pushed out to the edge.

(Shot 12 | 13 - caps shown as originally edited in ep)

Celebrimbor walks back to his original spot in front of the doors—putting distance between himself and Sauron's request. He also tells Sauron that the Dwarves won't provide any more mithril to end the conversation but Sauron mentions the Dwarves' troubles.

We get this reaction and breaking the 180 rule again, like shot 8. With Brimby's confusion about the Dwarves's dilemma, Sauron finally makes his move to debut his next identity.

I'm fast-forwarding to the part where they're sitting because there aren't any more instances (to me at least) of the 180 rule broken.

Once Sauron suggests he's an emissary, his posture becomes more authoritative. He sits in the shadows but closer to the center, compared to Brimby, who is at the edge of the frame. It also looks like the set pieces and props form a barrier between the two—never to be honest and equal partners in their work.

This perspective makes the candles look like they're coming out of the hearth and lined up in front of Sauron when in the next shot, they're clearly not. It could be either a coincidence or foreshadowing of Annatar's arrival.

When the doors burst open, we get this familiar shot but Brimby looks like he's being swallowed by the shadows. This low-angle shot makes Sauron look like he's sitting on a throne.

The soft spotlight over him appears again. To me, the light sources frame Sauron—putting all the power on him as he prepares to debut Annatar.

— credit: cap-that.com

[helluvapurf]

*deep breathes* Sooo, those last couple mins from the latest "Full Moon" ep... lets talk about that🍵🍵

Welp, here it is folks... the ep that finally gave us that hyped up "Asmodeon crystal" exchange teased at in the S2 Pt. 2 trailer. And... hooooo boi, I have formed so. many. thoughts. upon rewatching that scene a few times. Some that are... kiiiinda on the rant-y spectrum the more I lingered on 'em, so how bout I share them here lmao

Fair warning in advance, this maaaaay not be particularly "nice" to Stolas in these rambling thoughts, so if anyone out there's a big Stolas(+itz) fan... yall might wanna skip reading ahead- lol .w.;;

*claps*

Okay, so to start things off on a (semi?) positive note, the animation & lighting here is quite beautiful to look at. The glittery curtains, the shine in Blitz's eyes throughout his shifting emotions, even the shots of that one broken chandelier (which I thiiink might've been the same one him & Stolas played under as kids?) was a neat bit of symbolism ngl.

Props to Brandon Rogers as well for his voice-performance on Blitz here cause... gawd did it hit me in the heart how much hurt you feel from his yelling ;-;💔

Curious to see more of the use of Blitz's new Asmodeon crystal in future adventures (esp from that one shot in the trailer w/ him using the portal effects against the DHORK crew), it looks cool~ ✨👍

....ummmm, ok I think that about covers my positives atm. Onto the problems I have with this exchange:

Stolas... okay, you were this close to actually doing a good job ending the Full Moon deal. Admitting to how "wrong" the transaction part of their dynamic was, allowing Blitz more "freedom" via-the crystal (that could also help avoid any legal issues that the Grimoire gave), even wishing him good luck with his I.M.P. business as the night drew to a close... ...buuuuut then Stolas just had to muddle everything up by his whole "even tho you don't have to be with me, I want you with me if you want it~🥺" ...which honestly came off selfish to me than anything else?? Like, dude... if you really ARE regretful of how long you let this deal go for, and truly DO want to let Blitz go... you CAN'T throw in such sappy, lovey-dovey words on top of that?? Otherwise, how can one blame Blitz for getting as confused & flustered as he was throughout that convo... you've basically just sent even more mixed-messages in the grand scheme of things, my dude-🤦‍♀️

"I have wanted you for SO long, the fact that you couldn't believe that I might have these feelings about you, that your first instinct is that its always about sex..." ...Ummmmm Stolas... did you seriously forget HOW this whole deal of yall's started?? 🤨 Waaaay back in the initial-series pilot, to the first official ep, and pretty much the majority of Season 1:

As far as I checked, Blitz wasn't the one who kept making everything about sex... that. was all. YOU. 😒Heck, literally one of the first things you told Blitz upon reuniting as adults in "The Circus", was that you expected he wanted to "ravish" you-

-so like, get outta here with the whole pushing-the-perv-responsibility-bs onto Blitz... you ain't helping your case >>

Finally... like, it was already getting bad enough by the point of Blitz begging & pleading out of fear he'd lose his livelihood without the book, AND not being allowed space to breathe after getting further pushed away (and thus, more pissed off-)... but THEN on top of all this, Stolas just haaaaad to throw in this lil gem: "Blitz... I think so very highly of you. I didn't realize you think so low of me..." ...Stolas, with all due respect... stfu with that lousy, last-minute uwu-ing self-pity party crap😑Just because you TRIED to show more attentive care & concern post-"Ozzie's", outside of the typical bedroom stuff... that ain't gonna prove shit if you're not gonna be consistent with it. Where was that "high opinion" of Blitz during the two of you getting stuck in the sitcom set during "Seeing Stars", when Blitz was having that panic attack performing live, where all you ended up doing was... just hitting on him/praising his bedroom skills again?? 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Like... couldn't you have just, I dunno... TRY to actually cheer him up/comfort him like an actual friend, would? Encourage him on his jokes, "just be yourself", promising another way out of there on his own merit... literally, anything could've worked fine and it wouldn't have come off so skeezy imho >>;;

...*sighs* so, yeah... thats basically what I had to get off my chest regarding the ending of "Full Moon". Honestly, had the writers actually committed to Stolas cutting off Blitz (even if harsh), giving the crystal with no strings, then going about their separate ways afterwards, I would've been totally fine with the scene tbh. But all this... odd lowkey-blaming of Blitz thrown in, the sappy words, and Stolas not once actually-apologizing during all this (Like, literally I checked and the only utterance of "sorry" seemed to come from Blitz's end before he got kicked out... for what, I dunno- 🤷‍♀️). Sorry for the length btw, but hopefully that about covers my thoughts on the matter-

[i-only-ever-asked-questions]

Aziraphale's bibles

Have you ever noticed how many bibles Aziraphale has just lying about? So. Many. Bibles. Oodles of bibles! In S1 we only saw two, one on top of the desk that he used for checking the number of the beast in Revelations; and the other one on the desk surface, right behind his angel mug when he sat to read The Book (not that book, the other book, the one with the true prophecies).

In S2, we see no less than five bibles on his desk alone and more around the bookshop.

The first one is on the left, right under the little "For the Young: Hymns for Church and Home, with Forms of Services" book, which incidentally opens to: "So shall no wicked thing draw near, To do us harm or cause us fear." (This angel has no shame).

Then there are three more in the desk's middle compartments. One, with a green cover, is on the left slot, right above the tray with pens (this one is a New Testament only). The other two, both with black covers, are right behind the mug, where the RadioTimes watermark is. They look identical but they could be two volumes of the same edition or two different editions. We can probably assume one of these is supposed to be the one from S1. The desk in S1 didn't have compartments, it had drawers so there were no books in that area.

The last one is the on on top of the desk, on the right. This would be the same he used in S1 (although the bible itself is different)

On his right side, sometimes he has an easel where he displays a large book. This is not a bible itself, but an illustrated book of biblical motifs. Sometimes it is closed and sometimes it is open. He normally has it on the Adam and Eve page (cheeky!) but in Ep 2 he opened it to the Book of Job page instead.

There is yet another one in the shelf that Gabriel Jim is organizing

And there is one more in the first backroom (the one with the computer where he talks with Gabriel and Sandalphon). It is on a little table by the door of the private backroom (the one where he confers with Crowley in)

But there is a set of bibles that are even more important to him than any of the other ones. Although the show never mentioned it, the book tells us that in addition to his passion for prophecy books, he also loves and collects misprinted bibles*:

"And he had a complete set of the Infamous Bibles, individually named from errors in typesetting. These Bibles included the Unrighteous Bible, so called from a printer’s error which caused it to proclaim, in I Corinthians, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the Kingdom of God?”; and the Wicked Bible, printed by Barker and Lucas in 1632, in which the word not was omitted from the seventh commandment, making it “Thou shalt commit Adultery.” There were the Discharge Bible, the Treacle Bible, the Standing Fishes Bible, the Charing Cross Bible and the rest. Aziraphale had them all. Even the very rarest, a Bible published in 1651 by the London publishing firm of Bilton and Scaggs."

This collection of bibles is hiding in plain sight and readily on hand. Just ask Jim!

The rest are right there on Aziraphale's desk. The tags are hard to read but I found, from right to left, The Treacle Bible, The Discharge Bible, The Unrighteous Bible, then three that I couldn't decipher, the Standing Fishes Bible and The Charing Cross Bible. One of those three is supposed to be the Buggre All This Bible, but none of the tags seemed to fit.

*All the bibles mentioned are real except for the Charing Cross Bible and the Buggre Alle This Bible which in the GO world was printed by Bilton and Scaggs, the publishing company that also printed The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. I have a whole post about Bilton and Scaggs if interested. Now, looking back to S1, as part of his restoring the world, Adam replaced Aziraphale's misprinted bibles with Just William books. Let that sink in... Adam moved Aziraphale's bibles from their righteous place. No wonder Crowley realized it right away. These are Aziraphale's bibles for Go- for Sat- for Somebody's sake!

Fortunately by S2 everything was back to normal.

[shinyous]

[TWS:CLUB] Overcoming Summer #2 | EP.9

pairing: tws x 7th! female member (platonic)

synopsis: the members get to enjoy themselves on some water rides after playing the board game, let's hope no one gets motion sickness . . .

A/N: honestly not sure how i feel about this one, i rewrote it a couple of times but i might just delete it later idk ಥ﹏ಥ

warning(s): mention of food and eating !

y/n is an 03 liner ! most, if not all my scenarios will have y/n as an 03 liner since i am too and it's easier to write for someone the same age as me lol

the member's excitedly end the board game, running to go get on any water ride they can with the tickets they won.

"and so we brought our tickets to go on rides."

"let's decide what to get on?"

"first... we'll use three sets of five tickets for the three of us to ride the water thanos" kyungmin explains.

as kyungmin explains which ones they've decided to try, y/n thinks about which one to get on first.

"can you even get on one?" kyungmin provokes the red team, y/n playfully side-eyeing the youngest.

"i'll see you at the dorm later kyungmin!" y/n points at the boy, who gives her a playful smile in return.

"so we are going to get on the flyfish." youngjae explains, y/n doing a little happy dance — standing in between shinyu and hanjin.

the red team watched from the dock as the blue team goes on the water thanos ride.

"honestly, i don't know if i could go on that." y/n mumbles, watching the boat begin to back away from the dock.

"why?" shinyu turns to her, watching as she begins to rub her stomach.

"i think i'd throw up. i feel like the motion sickness would hit me so hard." y/n's face scrunching up even at the thought of it happening. "but if the three of you want to do it that's fine, i can watch from here."

"you don't want to get on?" jihoon turns to her, a pout beginning to form on his face.

"not unless you want me to throw up on you." and jihoon immediately recoils, exaggeratedly shaking his head no making y/n burst out laughing.

"but if you feel sick at all tell us so we can tell the staff and get you medicine." he responds, making y/n coo, pinching his cheek teasingly.

"what a caring younger brother!" "let go!"

"i think i'll be fine going on this one." the red team decided to get on their ride, the extreme rocket.

cue the video cutting to them going fast and y/n screaming at the top of her lungs in excitement.

"this is so fun!!"

once it ended, the members seemed to have enjoyed themselves! only for the camera to pan towards the dock floor where y/n was laying holding her stomach.

"just give me a minute!"

the video cut to y/n standing and waving at the member's as they get on the water thanos ride. turning to the camera, she dissapointedly shakes her head.

"if you easily get motion sickness, maybe don't get on the fast, bumpy rides. our 42 needs to be careful."

and now it was time for snacks!

"it's time to eat!" y/n nearly sprints to the table when she see's everything they have.

y/n sits beside hanjin, eagerly waiting to start eating. once youngjae and jihoon left to go make ramen, she began to dive into the food.

midway through biting her pizza, a churro comes into her view. hanjin holding it out to her, "do you want?"

she nods, leaning forward as he feeds her the churro. "sorry i couldn't go on the water thanos or flying fish with you all. i wasn't expecting to feel so sick after one ride."

"it's not your fault!! but next time you have to go on it, i'll even drag you on if i have to." y/n laughs at kyungmin's resolution, looking forward to trying the ride in the future.

"you're eating all on your own." kyungmin says to shinyu.

"you look so lonely right now." dohoon adds.

"want to come over here?" "want to join us?"

and kyungmin immediately turned it into a skit. "how old are you?"

"i'm 22." shinyu responds, going along with it.

"oh? me too!" y/n says.

"that's old." dohoon mumbles.

"excuse me?" "nothing!" "that's what i thought."

after the long day of filming, they were wrapping it up with talking about future activities.

"y/n is there anything you want to do?"

"maybe, camping? i think we could do fun cooking challenges or games." the members nodding in agreement.

"or a baking challenge?"

"oh! maybe you can judge whatever we bake." youngjae suggests.

"we could make cakes or cookies!" jihoon adds.

"do i have to taste them?" she deadpanned, truthfully a bit scared about what her fellow members would attempt to bake.

"you have no faith in us?" "of course... not!"

eventually the member's finished their food, feeling extra full after devouring everything.

"let's go." "hey call a cab." "thank you for the meal!”

as all the members leave, y/n stays behind. she sneakily grabs the box with leftover boneless chicken, motioning for the staff to keep quiet about it.

"i'll be eating this later!"

[violettathepiratequeen]

March 12th, 2025

Hello there, gentle viewers! Welcome back to Buffy Slays, where I’ll be going through all 144 episodes of BtVS over the course of a year, highlighting as many of the GOOD moments, lines, character choices, worldbuilding moments, etc. etc. as I think people will have the patience to read. 

So, here we go! 

Season 1, Episode 2, “The Harvest.”

A  mysterious stranger named Angel tells Buffy that if she does not stop The Harvest, the Hellmouth will open and The Master will roam free. (Pulled from Hulu.)

Episode Number: #2 Episode Ranking: #95 out of 144. Writer: Joss Whedon

If you're reading along and haven't finished the show, consider this your Spoiler Warning for discussion of future episodes and major plot points in any and all of these posts.

Top 5 Quotes:

“The earth is doomed.” —Giles

“So, Giles! Got anything that can make this day any worse?” “How about the end of the world?” “Knew I could count on you.” —Buffy and Giles

“Okay, this is where I have a problem. See, because we’re talking about vampires. We’re having a talk with vampires in it.” —Xander

“All right. The Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is a Slayer, don’t tell anyone. There, I think that’s all the vampire information you need.” —Giles

“I don’t like vampires. I’m gonna take a stand and say they're not good.” —Xander

How “The Harvest” Slays:

If the first episode is setting up the premise, the world, the characters, and the subverting expectations technique, this episode is the exposition one. And that works for this premiere. The first episode moves faster and covers a lot of ground, making it more interesting as a pilot ep, and this one slows down and explains what the hell is actually going on, getting it out of the way early in the season so next time we can have a new story and monster of the week. Some things that get set up for the first time in this episode are: ------The Hellmouth! While this word is in the title of the first episode, and Giles in that episode also says that Sunnydale is a center of mystical energy that supernatural beings gravitate towards, this is the first time it’s given its name. While always a little vague on what exactly it is and what it can do, it’s enough to know that it’s a hotspot for demon activity, and anything can happen here. And such a setting makes the rest of the show both possible and feasible. -----Why people in Sunnydale don’t seem aware of all the vampire or other supernatural activity going on. Cordelia, who is almost fed to one vampire, sees Jesse in his demon face, and has now seen Buffy with a stake multiple times, still forgets most of what happens in the Bronze. And Giles and Buffy both attest to the fact that “people have a tendency to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't.” Which isn’t even a cop-out, because that’s true IRL, haha, especially with traumatic events, as a vampire massacre would be. -----The Master waiting to make his move. Because he’s literally stuck, trapped between dimensions when he tries to emerge from the Hellmouth. And while he will try more than once to find a way out, and will send all kinds of lackeys to plague Buffy throughout the season, it’s a convenient way to save his Big Badness until the finale. -----Xander’s deep hatred for vampires. Because he saw the whole journey in this episode, with one of his best friends. He sees Jesse get captured, he sees Jesse get rescued and act totally normal… and then he sees Jesse completely turn on a dime when he reveals his new vampiric form. He hears Giles’ strong warning that Jesse is no longer Jesse, but instead the demon that killed him, but still, Xander confronts him with a stake and give him a chance to prove it’s still his friend in there. And then he stakes him. By accident. And he’s known about vampires for less than a day. If in future seasons he hates the two vamps who fall in love with the girl he loved first, it’s because he’s still carrying the trauma of this episode around with him. -----Vampires. Where they came from, why they’re here, what they want. Along with some other interesting, interesting story beats that will come up again and again in this show. The fact that once a human is turned into a vampire, the person they were before is gone. The fact that in spite of this, there are some things that remain (memories, voice patterns, attractions and desires). The fact that while vampires are obviously, explicitly evil… there is also the one in a million chance for a good vampire. Even if we don’t know that’s who Angel is, yet. -----Every single life is important to Buffy, every single time. Buffy, who tries to quit her Slayer duty in the previous episode, has now fully taken the mantle back up. She barely knows Jesse, but says he’s her responsibility to rescue, he’s a potential friend that she needs to save, and she spends the first half of the episode looking for him, even if it involves going into a nest of vampires to do so. And she does find him, even if she was too late to save him.

I have a note that’s just “Flutie trying to be cool: Part 2.” With the way he catches Buffy trying to leave school grounds and informs her that maybe Britain can be loose with the rules, because “they have the Royal Family and all kinds of problems,” but here in Sunnydale, students stay in school. I love that guy so much.

Willow getting Cordelia to delete her computer assignment that she worked so hard on. Willow is shown to just tolerate Cordelia’s bullying, and to expect it from anybody cooler than her. But giving Cordy a false instruction that she wasn’t even asked for as a form of petty, bloodless revenge is such an endearing thing, and satisfying to watch!

The song lyrics in the show relate to whatever action is happening, more times than not! Examples in this episode are “You fight the good fight,” which Cordelia dances to, and says she loves. (Okay, so that’s more a foreshadowing of her time on Angel and the phrase that’s used a lot there, but it’s pretty cool.) And “Ballad for Dead Friends,” which I think relates to how Xander feels about Jesse’s vampirism, most notably the “I really wished I could’ve saved you” refrain.

Buffy’s friends prove their value and usefulness all throughout this episode. Giles with the books, and knowledge, and the solution for stopping the apocalypse. Willow with her research and computer hacking skills. Xander with his willingness to jump into unknown danger and pull his friends out of it. And all of them are pretty resourceful in their first vampire fight, using what strengths they have.

When Buffy stakes Luke, she just looks at the rest of the vampires in the Bronze, and they flee in terror. And I LOVE that, I love that Slayer really is a terrifying word for demons, and except for the really cocky and stupid ones, there is no doubt in their minds that she could totally go on a rampage if she wanted. And they’re not wrong.

The little bit of foreshadowing at the end of the episode, of Buffy saying there’s hope for her getting kicked out of school, and Willow suggests they could blow something up. Both of which will come to pass by the time she graduates.

First appearance of Harmony! Someone else unexpected and trivial who will have so many arcs that she lasts until the final episode of the spin-off show.

Also this may seem random, but… I appreciate Buffy’s lollipop in the end scene, with her cute little Daphne Blake outfit. Because while this show does force her to grow up too fast and hardens her against the world, she does her darndest to fight back. She’s still a child, she’s still fun and bright and hopeful, she can stop an apocalypse one day and go back to enjoying candy and laughing and talking with her friends the next. I just think it’s a really important thing to showcase this early on, and not let her be too world-weary and battle-scarred yet. 

Xander Harris Is A Bro:

He follows Buffy when she goes to get Jesse, but he doesn’t go for her. He saw her handle herself before, he accepts the fact that this is her job as the Slayer, but he insists that he can’t just sit around waiting to see if his friend is okay. And Buffy understands.

In this Jesse rescue, Xander proves himself helpful, and never a liability. Buffy spends no extra time saving him, and needs his help to shut the door on some vampires, and to pull her into the sunlight where they can’t follow. And even though he’s grappling with the Jesse grief, he still listens to her orders, follows her lead, and doesn’t hesitate to leave Jesse the vampire behind. (Bonus points for his, “It’s okay, Buffy’s a superhero” line to Jesse!)

I said this earlier, but… the way he wants to believe Jesse is still in there. And not that he hasn’t heeded all the things he’d just been told about vamps, because he still points a stake at his friend’s chest and doesn’t shy away from letting it turn him to dust. But he still cares about Jesse, even as a demon. He wants to believe that whatever goodness had been in him before hasn’t been completely blotted out. It’s a hope that gets immediately squashed in the worst way, but the belief is initially there.

A Willow and Jesse Headcanon:

I think Willow and Jesse did not really get along, lol. I know, Jesse is only around for two episodes, and in one of them he’s a vampire. But the episodes still do an excellent job of showing how close he and Xander are, and how they’ve bonded over being losers in high school together, and how broken up Xander is about his death.

Willow has exactly none of this, haha. Jesse comes up to Willow and Xander in the first episode, in their very first scene of the show, and greets Xander only. Willow adds a line or two to the discussion of the new girl, but is mostly unacknowledged.

During their first lunch with Buffy, Jesse interacts with Buffy and Cordelia, and doesn’t even look at Willow. Their only scene together is the one in the crypt, when she’s concerned for him because he has a bite taken out of his neck.

Xander is the one freaking about Jesse, Xander is the one who tries to save him, Xander is the one who takes a stand on vampires because one of them took his friend. You wanna know what Willow says when Buffy comes back with the news that Jesse is gone? “At least you two are okay.”

No tears, no gasps, no clutching of pearls or dramatic fainting. She doesn’t give a flying buttress. And she never brings him up again.

Not that I’m saying she was happy he died, because no, she’s way more humane than that. Just that I picture Jesse as the kind of guy who befriended Xander at the start of high school, and was annoyed at the nerdy little puppy dog crushing on him. The kind of guy who would invite Xander over for pizza and video games and he’d say, “Sure, let me see if Willow wants to come,” and Jesse would try to convince him that she wouldn’t be interested in guy activities like that. The kind of guy who dumped all his homework in her lap and claimed he wanted her to help him study, but really he was staring at Cordelia and letting Willow do the work for him.

Again, I know I only had two episodes to gather intel on him, haha, but I think there’s a very strong indication that Xander was Willow and Jesse’s mutual friend, and that was it. ***

…Okay I realize that all of this is a LITTLE on the negative side, when I promised this would be a positive blog. So let me rectify it by saying I actually LOVE the inclusion of Jesse. I love that he’s part of an established friend group that Buffy ends up with, but he’s still the disposable character because he’s kind of an ass. I love that the stakes are immediately high, establishing that people in this show WILL die, innocent people, young people, and Buffy can’t save everyone. I love that we and some of our leads get to see up close and personal what happens when they have to kill a loved one who was vamped, and it’s a motif that will occur again and again in this show, and in Angel. But Jesse was the first.

So I do love the purpose he served, and I always get excited to restart the show and watch his tragic story play out again, because I think it’s really well done. And I love gleaning stuff about his character even with probably less than 20 minutes total of screen time, lol.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that’s a wrap on Episode 2! Thank you so much for reading this far!

Previous: “Welcome to the Hellmouth.”

Next up: “Witch.” 

(Credit for GIFs in this post: @detectivedawnsummers)

[anthraxplus]

happy 2 year anniversary to my beautiful child known as "bacillus anthracis and the melancholy of it all"

today genuinely snuck up on me, much like my tranniversary. last night, a handful of minutes away from midnight, i realized that two years ago to that very moment i was scrambling to compile everything for my bandcamp page so i could release it exactly at midnight on 2/22/22. i still can't believe we pulled it off.

it's hard to know where to start when talking about this album. it's the first album i've ever made, though i had released some EPs under a different name a few years before i ever started on baatmoia. however, this is the first project of mine that was consciously made as its own self contained thing from start to finish. my goal was simply to make "a shoegaze album" and let that be whatever it ended up being. as i continued working on it, i felt it begin to form into something unique and distinct from its parts - it wasn't a collection of songs i put together in an EP, this was daring to evolve into a separate being.

parts of me are dying to talk more about its production and parts of me are fighting to keep our mouth shut. i fully intended this (and all further projects) to be something you explored yourself with only a little guidance from us. that's why baatmoia's lyric sheet looks like this:

i like hearing what people think we're singing - i grew up listening to gorillaz and it turns out that blue haired cunt was mumbling and making shit up on the spot half the time. but it was always fun to try to figure out what he was saying, and arguing with other fans over which common set of lyrics was "correct" and what it implied for the song's meaning. i want to recreate that, but i also want to reward you if you try to actually figure it all out. i think it's only fair.

this album also got me a cold email about doing a run of tapes (which sadly are no longer available) and then a music video on top of that (i still don't know how this happened).

and if i can be honest, i am so glad the reception to baatlnoyl wasnt like that. i fully intended baatmoia to not even make a ripple in the pond of music, so this strong of a positive reception kinda threw me for a loop. we skidded into my deadline for baatlnoyl (11/11/22) and are still recovering from that burnout, but we're finally feeling the energy again to continue working on baatdbu. if there's one thing i can say about baatmoia is that approaching it as if only i would really ever hear it was what got it to be as good as it is (which i suppose is up to you to decide).

which is all to say, this one album set my life on a completely different path than i thought i was going to be on. and we're all the happier for it. so i think it's only fair that i break my usual practice of not praising myself or my work to say: i think what we made is pretty neat, and we'd appreciate it if you checked it out. here's the visual album that i intend for you to watch on a CRT at 2:22am. ok?