#much to discuss in this gifset:

[mushiemadarame]

...and Comfort ⇢ Top Form, 2025, EP05

[faircastle]

Tel'aran'rhiod (S03E05) THE WHEEL OF TIME (2021—)

[ukulelette]

Olli looks at Till, noticing his emotional state

Still watching him, Olli patiently waits for Till to finish his speech

Olli moves closer to Till, touching Paul on his way and motioning for him to follow. Paul seems to understand immediately - no need for words

Olli shoots a glance at Paul while Till bows. As Till straightens back up, it's their cue to shower him with affection

Till drops his head to Paul's shoulder, squeezed in between Olli's and Paul's arms. He looks immensely relieved and grateful...

And there goes the sweetest six-men-bear-hug.

[kizzyedgelll]

i'm always thinking "i don't think i care about [piece of media] anymore" because i'm surrounded by people who love it so passionately while i'm just a casual enjoyer... i wonder if i'm in the wrong place or if i'm really not that interested anymore

[userlaylivia]

@emilyskinners, @bosesmikas, @maya-matlin, @poguelandia (you all might've reblogged this already but tagging you anyways <3)

DAIR APPRECIATION WEEK 2021 DAY SEVEN: Favorite quotes

[fatcatlittlebox]

Something I noticed and I love, whether or not this was a product of Morfydd and Charlie's natural chemistry or an intentional acting choice (perhaps a combination of both) is how she very subtly, but noticeably trembles when Galadriel is in close proximity to Sauron. And as I touched on previously, it is a really revealing reaction for her to have.

Morfydd has said that looking directly at Halbrand was too much for her character because it uncovers feelings and emotions in Galadriel. That when she allows herself to feel, alot can happen. I think this is a nod to that. Because one hallmark of Galadriel in this show and hinted at in the books is that that is what sets her apart from her elven peers. Her passion, her impulsivity, her rage, her righteousness. And I think when she first encounters Halbrand, her body (and probably her fea) instantly reacts so strongly to his energy, the magnetism, the whatever it is, that she recoils in self-defense. I don't think it's a wariness of his darkness. She's never been unassured in the presence of darkness before. It's because specifically he, Halbrand, elicits a response from her that she cannot control. Like the chemical reaction I have discussed in previous metas, it's spontaneous and unexpected. Uncontrollable. And because she senses that loss of control in his presence, she tries to hold him at arm's length. But as I show in my last gifset, he senses it too. He always has and he tempts her to indulge in that attraction. To give into it. To touch the darkness.

What's interesting is that this must be an uncharacteristic impulse of Sauron as well. Otherwise, why introduce such unpredictability in his plans, in his life? He clearly cannot control her so in trying to bind himself to that which he cannot control, he's only introducing more chaos and disorder into his orbit. I think I could logically argue it's because he cannot stop himself either. Was this the ultimate twist in the plan of Eru or the Vala? Their gambit? -- to bring these 2 together knowing that the only way to undo the Dark Lord obsessed with order and control is to supplant that need with another one. His need to have Galadriel. And in having Sauron chase after an impossible fate, is enough chaos that would unravel his very existence.

[chevelleneech]

The post I just reblogged reminded me of how much Jimin and Jungkook have a brat/brat-entertainer dynamic, and kind of always has, with JK being the brat and Jimin loving every bit of it.

And it led to another thought of mine, where I constantly say I think a large portion of Jikook fans have a very narrow view of their bond. Because JK is taller, stronger, and darker in his aesthetic, he is constantly framed as this protector of Jimin’s. Which is fine to an extent, because we have seen that dynamic between them. We know Jimin likes feeling protected by Jungkook, and we’ve seen JK take the lead between them and guide Jimin through a crowd or whatever. It is clear that is part of what endears them to one another.

However… what that gifset and what Are You Sure? in general reminded me of it maybe even made me realize in a way, is that I don’t think a lot of Jikookers see just how wanting Jungkook is of Jimin in a comforting role. I’ve for sure seen it discussed that Jimin is JK’s person and safe space to land when he’s feeling overwhelmed, but, and I’ve mentioned this before, it seems as if Jungkook enjoys being “something” Jimin can sink his claws into, so to speak.

Jungkook is so bratty toward Jimin it’s not even funny. He argues for the hell of it, he taunts and teases, he pokes and pushes his buttons, only to then cackle and be the happiest he’s ever been when Jimin snaps at him. He loves getting Jimin to bite back. He also loves being in Jimin’s space as we’ve seen in hours worth of footage, but there’s also the questionable pattern of him being “tagged” as Jimin’s. The not-his-initials-initials tattoo, the not-a-hickey-hickey, his name written in sunscreen on his body… I mean… I won’t say it means something, but again, it’s a pattern.

Point is, Jungkook is so much more the softer half of their dynamic than so many people seem to accept. Jimin is of course as soft and gentle and has his moments of wanting to be wrapped up in JK, but it’s not the same, I don’t think. Jimin tends to want affection and attention at certain times, whereas Jungkook seems to simply be that way. Maybe it’s because he’s the maknae? I don’t know, but he the end result is never the same with the other members.

He can bratty toward Yoongi, but Yoongi doesn’t bite back the way Jimin does. He lets JK do whatever he wants, and sort of just coos at him and they go one about their day. JK is can also be very cuddly with Hobi, but is never questionably touchy. He also bickers with Jin, but they have more of a physical banter. They play fight all the time, which isn’t really part of his bantering with Jimin.

So I honestly think it’s just that Jungkook loves being the center of Jimin’s attention. He will always care for and protect Jimin when he needs it, but outside of taking up that position when the time calls, it really seems as if their dynamic is rooted in Jungkook being the center of their relationship. Not in a bad way, but I feel like it’s more common to see people say Jimin is the doted on one based on the “Jungkook is the protecter” angle, but when you look at everything altogether, it really seems to be the other way around.

[surpriseelejahmonth]

Surprise Elejah Month - Fan(fic, edits, art & meta) - August 2025

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Pre-Event Celebration - [August 1 - August 2] - As a warm-up to the main event, and to get into the right kind of shipper headspace... let us consider some appetizers, if you will:

Fave Stuff Rec Party - Reblog or post links to your favorite Elejah fanworks and share the love (please no reposting; link to the original work or reblog it and tag this blog if the fanwork in question is already available on Tumblr).

Orphan Prompt - Post the answers to the Orphan Prompts that have caught your fancy during the last two months (more about Orphan Prompts here; but in short if there's an Elejah idea you have but don't feel like doing yourself? Send it to the Ask Box from now until the beginning of August 2025)

Adrenaline Jolt to the WIP - Shuffle through your half-finished edits and anxiety-buried half-chapters of your WIPs. Pick that thing up and see what happens, or maybe just post what you have as a sneak peek. Alternatively, and in tandem with Fave Stuff Rec Party, say something nice to the person whose Elejah WIP you still occasionally think about to brighten their day.

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Week 1 - [August 3 - August 9] - Meeting of Contradictions - Push together angst and humor. Make something fluffy, but also have it be horror. It's a giggle at a funeral. Both rage and blissful happiness. Alive and dead. There is love within a void. And maybe one has to be lost to be found? Both terror and relief.

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Week 2 - [August 10 - August 16] - Week of the Literary Love Story: (each prompt is given a separate day, but that does not mean you must create something for all of them, pick the one(s) you want, or skip the week if none intrigue you).

Sunday - Beauty and the Beast. Monday - Odyssey. Tuesday - The Nightingale and the Rose. Wednesday - Pride and Prejudice. Thursday - Helen of Troy. Friday - Orpheus and Eurydice. Saturday - Hades and Persephone.

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Week 3 - [August 17 - August 23] - Significant Memento - the burning letter / the dagger to the chest / a bedroom windowsill / the blood in champagne / gazebo in sunlight / his expensive suit / the red in her hair / the skip in her heart / the trust before a betrayal / the negotiation in the middle of night / a kiss like a lie / a promise in a glass bottle / the ground that crumbles under feet / the taste on their lips / the reflection in the mirror / always and forever.

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Week 4 - [August 24 - August 30] - Love Letter to an Episode - take an episode (any episode) from any of the TV series in this universe and make it Elejah. It can be as canon-compliant as you want. Play with American Gothic. Grab an Originals episode and drop Elena in there. Drop her and Elijah both into Legacies. Hell, push a plot of an episode you like from a completely different show onto Elejah, the world is your oyster! (If you're writing meta posts and don't feel like dealing with just the canon Elejah content either, discuss how Elejah would have dealt with the plot from your chosen episode.)

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Post-Event Celebration - [August 31] - Now for the last curtain call with all its bows and cheers, so that we may go out with a bang:

No Theme, FREE-FOR-ALL - Let's post as much Elejah content as we want, with whatever focus we want. The more, the merrier after all!

Lost, But Not Forgotten - But if some theme direction is what you want? How about picking up one of the themes that lost the poll after all?

Orphan Prompt - Or, if the adopted prompts took longer than expected, you could always finish up to post that now.

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What do you need to do to join the Surprise Elejah Month? Just be a fan of Elejah! Write some meta, write a story (one-shots, drabbles, first chapters of new WIPs, and new chapters of old WIPs are all accepted), make a gifset, fanart, poem, an aesthetic, edit, song playlist, or a fan video created for the event (or if all else fails, crochet their names into a scarf), and tag @surpriseelejahmonth + add #elejahmonth2025 to the first 5 tags.

There are no limits on how many or how few works need to be created to "count" as having participated. Everyone is welcome!

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Special invitation: @kaizsche, @wholoveseggs, @vorpalmuchness, @jennifersminds, @kol-elijah, @becasart, @elejah-verse, @katherineholmes, @lovelyelejah, @moonysmate, @anphibole, @reina-petrova, @sevensistersofsussex, @sharkboy305, @elejah12, @xneens, @thereideffects, @darknightfrombeyond, @teenage-apocalypse-trilogy, @ao-anonymousobsesser, @coazysdaydream, @myfuchsiadreams, @keepsdeathhiscourt, @bada-bing-bada-boom-pow, and literally anyone else who feels like trying their hand at creating something for Elejah.

[saltywinteradult]

How is Dany is abusive to Jon?

Honest question, I’ve never given it a thought

I'm sorry this took me so long, anon, and I am really sorry for how long this post got. I had a lot of thoughts on this.

Before we begin, I'd like to point you to this compilation of Jon's reactions to Dany, which hardly paints a picture of a man who is happy and in love, as well as this post and this gifset, both pointing out the parallels between Jon's relationship with Dany and Sansa's relationship with Littlefinger, the latter being a relationship I hope most people can agree is abusive.

It's absolutely crucial to remember that in this relationship, Dany is the person with the power. She is the one with the dragons and the biggest army, and she is willing to both use and abuse that power to get her way.

Furthermore, Dany wants the North's loyalty, but the North needs her help. (The fact that it's Dany's duty as well as in her own best interest to help fight the Others is a different discussion; she doesn't seem to understand this anyway.) She has agreed to grant that help, but she could easily withdraw it if she chooses. She has more power than literally anyone else and there's simply no escaping that power imbalance - it permeates every single interaction Dany has with Jon and all the other Northerners for all of s7 and the first half of s8.

I want you to remember how Dany treats Jon on Dragonstone. His weapons and his boat are taken away immediately upon his arrival. She says Jon is "not yet" her prisoner, but 1) that line very clearly implies that she could make him her prisoner if she chooses to, and 2) how much does it really matter that Jon is "not yet" her prisoner when she's already taken away his means of defending himself or leaving the island? Remember how she later tells him "I haven't given you permission to leave." Girl, what happened to Jon not being your prisoner?

I think it's also very telling that Dany never once addresses Jon by his proper title of King in the North, even before he bends the knee. As you may recall, Dany cares a great deal about titles. She never grants Jon the same respect she demands for herself, and she likes to remind Jon that she is his Queen even during a supposedly intimate, romantic scene.

(Gif by yocalio via gameofthronesdaily)

Earlier in this scene, Dany pointed out that they could stay here in this secluded spot, away from the kingdom and its politics, and no one would find them. Yet even here, away from the rest of the world, she makes a point of referring to herself as "your Queen".

I point all of this out to illustrate that from the very beginning and throughout their relationship, Dany views Jon as a subordinate, not an equal. That is very much not a good foundation for a healthy and equal romantic relationship. Her constant expectation is that Jon will submit, obey, give things up to benefit her, and ensure that the people he has power over act the way she wants.

Case in point:

"Your sister doesn't like me. [...] She doesn't need to be my friend, but I am her Queen. If she can't respect me..."

The implication is that Sansa is doing something wrong by not liking or respecting Dany (meaning "not acting deferential enough for Dany's taste"). The fact that Dany is saying this to Jon and not to Sansa herself implies that it's Jon's responsibility to ensure that Sansa behaves acceptably. "If she can't respect me..." Then what? What exactly is she implying will be the consequences? That their romantic relationship will end? Something worse?

At this point, the North has bent the knee to Dany. As their monarch this is not an entirely unreasonable thing to ask of her subjects - but it's not a very reasonable thing for a girlfriend to ask of her boyfriend, is it? The line between Jon and Dany's political relationship as monarch and subject and their personal relationship as girlfriend and boyfriend isn't just blurred, it's practically nonexistent. To state the obvious, there is a reason we decided that absolute monarchies are bad here in the real world. There is also a reason why a boss dating a subordinate is frowned upon in the real world. Big power imbalances are a bad idea in general and in romantic relationships especially. They should at the very least be considered and navigated carefully. Dany not only fails to do so; she is only happy with her and Jon's relationship when she has power over him.

For proof, let's look at how she reacts when that power imbalance is upended by the revelation of Jon's true identity:

This revelation is a bombshell for Jon. Everything he thought he knew about his own origins turns out to be untrue. However, Dany's first and only thought is how this affects her. Her first reaction is denial and scepticism; the second is to turn cold as soon as she realises that this makes Jon a threat to her ambitions.

There's also this line:

"A secret no one in the world knew, except your brother and your best friend. Doesn't seem strange to you?"

Which implies... What, exactly? That Sam and Bran made this up? Why? Just like with Sansa in the previous scene, we see Dany questioning the actions and intentions of Jon's loved ones. Remember that.

Things escalate in episode 4:

Dany is faced with the notion that Jon might hold more political power than she thought, that they might actually be on somewhat equal footing, and this makes her unhappy.

"I want it to be the way it was between us."

Her desire is to continue their sexual relationship and to return to the previous status quo where she held more power than him and therefore didn't consider him a threat. Jon having a stronger claim to the throne than her threatens Dany's sense of her own identity and purpose, and she reacts by trying to deny and suppress this reality:

"You can say nothing, to anyone, ever! Swear your brother and Samwell Tarly to secrecy and tell no one else! Or it will take on a life of its own and you won't be able to control it or what it does to people!"

(Imagine this with the genders reversed. Yikes.)

Dany is demanding Jon keep his own identity secret from his own family. That's not a reasonable thing to ask of a person you love. Not for one second does she show any consideration for how Jon might feel or what Jon might want. It's all about her. Her expectation is that Jon suppress his own identity, his own reality, to benefit Dany's ambitions. Never once does it seem to occur to Dany that what Jon does with this secret is up to him to decide, not her. His agency is of no concern to her.

Jon: I have to tell Sansa and Arya. Dany: Sansa will want to see me gone and you on the Iron Throne. [...] She's not the girl you grew up with. Not after what she's seen, not after what they've done to her. [...] Jon: They're my family. We can live together. Dany: We can. I've just told you how.

Here we are again with Dany questioning the motives and agendas of Jon's loved ones. Now she's no longer implying but outright stating that they're working against her. What we have here is a pattern of Dany implying that Jon's loved ones are up to no good and can't be trusted. I don't need to explain why that is a dangerous and manipulative thing to do to one's partner, right?

I also want you to pay extra attention to how Emilia delivers that final line. Throughout the whole scene Dany is distraught and desperate, but at this point she turns cold and closed off with an unmistakable anger that Jon won't agree to do as she demands. It is very hard not to read a threatening undertone into that line. "Keep it secret, or else."

Before we move on to episode 5, I'd like to highlight this line, spoken by Dany to Tyrion and Varys in episode 4:

"Speaking to Cersei will not prevent a slaughter. But perhaps it's good the people see that Daenerys Stormborn made every effort to avoid bloodshed, and Cersei Lannister refused. They should know whom to blame when the sky falls down upon them."

Let's be clear on one thing here: Cersei could choose to back down and surrender to avoid bloodshed - but, and I cannot stress this enough, so could Dany. Cersei and Dany are both being selfish and power-hungry by refusing to give up the throne in order to avoid bloodshed. But to admit that would ruin Dany's deeply rooted self-image as morally superior to her enemies. So what does she do instead? She deflects blame. She's the one with the dragons, but if she makes the sky fall down on people, as she puts it, it's not her fault. Keep that in mind.

Now for the absolute low point:

"What did I say would happen if you told your sister? [...] She betrayed your trust. She killed Varys as much as I did. This was a victory for her. Now she knows what happens when people hear the truth about you."

Okay. Varys was conspiring against Dany, which he could've chosen not to do; I guess Dany was within her rights to punish him. She still could've chosen to imprison him, or at least give him a trial. Nobody made her kill him. But as we've just seen, Dany doesn't like to accept responsibility for her own decisions. She'd rather deflect the blame onto the people who displease her.

What's more, she's not just blaming Sansa for Varys's death but Jon as well, for telling Sansa the secret in the first place - which Jon was well within his rights to do! He never agreed not to tell anyone. That wasn't up to Dany to decide in the first place. Jon did what he wanted to do and not what she wanted him to do, so now everything Dany does as a result of Jon's actions is Jon's fault? Do I even need to explain how shitty this is?

"Far more people in Westeros love you than love me. I don't have love here. I only have fear."

This is entirely true. She never stops to think about why Jon is more beloved in Westeros than she is, but whatever. What's important is that after this, Dany initiates a kiss and Jon rebuffs her.

(Gifs from snowsource)

"Alright then. Let it be fear."

Again, what exactly do we think she's implying here? Remember the context. During this conversation, Jon already told her "you will always be my queen". He hasn't rejected her as his queen (which at this point he damn well should), he's just rejecting her sexual advances. And yet, Dany's reaction to his personal rejection of her is to embrace "fear", which again refers to how all of Westeros sees her, not just Jon. Dany already deflected blame for her previous actions onto people who displeased her including Jon, and now she's deflecting the blame for her future actions in the same way. And we all know what she did after this, don't we? I don't know how the line "let it be fear" can mean anything other than "you rejected me and that's why I'm going to embrace being feared, so whatever I do now in the name of being feared is really your fault. Look what you made me do." If that isn't abuse, I don't know what is.

[pseudophan]

Nora, do you have a gifset of that Iconique™ moment from their radio show where Phil goes "what would you do if your boyfriend cared more about a cactus than you?" I wouldn't think much of that moment if it wasn't for Dan's face literally giving away that they had had that discussion already and he could not believe Phil was bringing it up again, airing out their dirty laundry like that, lmao

i haven't made one personally and i actually don't think i've seen a gifset of this in like... forever??? surely somene giffed this at some point omg. maybe i'll gif it though actually, i could do that

back in the day we were all like "this is phan proof because dan was drawing a cactus earlier!!1" but while i absolutely do think they were telling on themselves i feel like surely the drawing the cactus thing was just also a reference to whichever weird ass argument they'd had earlier. phil asks dan to draw an angry cactus and dan's like ? alright

in my mind dan was obsessing over a cactus earlier that day/week right when phil wanted attention and phil made it his mission to psychologically torture him on the radio. of course it could also just be phil doing that thing both he and dan do where they get hung up on one specific word and it comes up too much, so when he was trying to think of something for dan to draw during a song he was like 'angry cactus' and then later he needed a lol XD random quirky question and cactus came up again, and maybe dan (permanently on edge) just remembered the drawing he just did and was like 'oh no they're gonna run with this for miles' BUT.... the other version is funnier, and honestly also more believable if you look at some of the other instances where dan's had an extreme-lack-of-poker-face reaction on the radio (shoutout lion babe and, above all, avatar in 3d glasses)

[voyagerweek]

VOYAGER WEEK PROMPTS

DAY 1 - JAN. 10: Favorite Episode | Away Missions

DAY 2 - JAN. 11: Favorite Character | Meet You in the Runabout

DAY 3 - JAN. 12: Favorite Relationship | Allies & Enemies

DAY 4 - JAN. 13: Favorite Season or Arc | Time Travel

DAY 5 - JAN. 14: Favorite Quote | Home Away From Home

DAY 6 - JAN. 15: Favorite Holodeck Program | Lost in the Holodeck

DAY 7 - JAN. 16: Caretaker (S1E01) 30th Anniversary | FREE SPACE

Fanwork originally made and posted on Tumblr for this event with the tag #voyager week will be reblogged by this blog. Racism, bigotry, harassment, or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. Be respectful of other fans and have fun! FAQs ↴

How do I participate? Make a new post on Tumblr with the tag "#voyager week" during the week of January 10-16, 2025. Crossposting to other sites such as AO3 is allowed, but please also make a new post on Tumblr so this blog can reblog it. If your post has not been reblogged within 48 hours of posting, please send a DM to @voyagerweek along with the post. Submissions will only be reblogged during the event week and for up to two weeks after the event. Please do not post a submission before January 10, 2025.

Why are there two prompts for each day? Do I have to use one or both? There are two prompts to cover multiple interpretations of the event. A prompt that is accessible for a writer may not be for a gifmaker, for example. You may choose to use one or both prompts for each day, or multiple prompts from different days combined in one post, or no prompt! These prompts are being provided 5 months in advance of the event so that there is plenty of time to consider them, but if none of them inspire you, feel free to make a fanwork about Voyager that does not incorporate any of the prompts. The prompts are meant to inspire but not constrain your creativity. You may also submit multiple posts in one day. Participate as much or as little as you would like!

Can I post X kind of fanwork? Yes! If it is made by you (or you have express permission from the original creator) for this event, it counts as a fanwork and will be accepted. The following list of types of fanwork is not meant to be restrictive but to provide examples: fanfic of any length, fanart/comics, gifs/edits/fanvids, playlists, moodboards, meta discussions/essays/headcanons, crafting/textiles, cosplay, and anything else made by fans to show appreciation for Voyager. **Please put long written works below a "read more" cut**

What if my fanwork is part of an ongoing work such as a multi-chapter fanfic or series? That's fine! As long as whatever you post is new and made for this event, whether you use one of the prompts or not, it will be reblogged (i.e. you may not make a post for a previously published chapter of your fic, but a new chapter or installment posted during the event is acceptable).

Can my work include other Star Trek shows/movies/books/etc? Yes, as long as Voyager or its characters are one of the main focuses of the fanwork, you are welcome to incorporate other media properties, Star Trek or otherwise.

Can my work be about an actor or the production/behind the scenes of Voyager? Yes, as long as the work's focus is still on Voyager (i.e. not a gifset solely of the actor in another show/movie).

Are OCs (original characters) allowed? Yes, if a Voyager setting or its characters are included in the fanwork as well.

Are AUs (alternate universes) allowed? Yes. Canon divergence and different settings (i.e. modern AUs) are allowed if the work still features Voyager characters or elements.

Is NSFW/adult content allowed? Yes, as long as you tag appropriately with trigger warnings and follow Tumblr's restrictions for explicit content. Reblogs of works that contain graphic violence, sexual content, strong profanity, or nudity will be tagged #nsfw for filtering.

Threshold Day is January 29 and already a recognized fan event on Tumblr, why are you having a Voyager event that doesn't include this day? The dates were chosen to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the original airdate of the first episode of the first season. This event is meant to share enthusiasm for the entirety of Voyager, and hopefully that will continue after the event week is finished.

**If you have any other questions not covered by this list, please send an ask to @voyagerweek.**

[gaveyouigaveyoui]

SWIFTIE SLEEPOVER SATURDAY

DAY 8, March 29th, 2025

Welcome, welcome to the eighth weekend of Swiftie Sleepover Saturday!

Hello all! My name is Jen, and I've been a Swiftie since 2008. I wanted to organize a fun, weekly sleepover event where we can have fun discussions, analyze lyrics, post beautiful edits, take polls, and connect with each other in so many other ways through our love of Taylor and her works of art! Each week will have a new theme or discussion prompt, please post all contributions with:

#Swiftie Sleepover Saturday

For this week's Swiftie Sleepover Saturday, we are embracing and celebrating our favorite fictional characters (from ANY media) and connecting them to Taylor's music! You can feel free to make multiple posts about multiple characters, and take this prompt with all of the creative freedom in the world! Make a Taylor playlist for a character, a gifset, a poem, anything that comes to mind! The goal with this event is to HAVE FUN, so please enjoy this week as much as possible! I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

You can feel free to make edits, gifs, playlists related to the prompt, polls about the character, poetry/fanfiction, or make your own post discussing and analyzing the character. Whatever works best for you! Anything is welcome as long as it is kind and you show respect for others and their opinions. This event goes until the next Swiftie Sleepover Saturday next weekend! Please reblog to spread the fun!

[baseballmomlesbiandad]

Random QL Superlatives/Favs 2k24

I've been shuffling around these QL streets for a few years now but I typically stay in the shadows and lurk on everyone else's wonderful meta, gifsets, and discussions. This year, I thought I should take a step into the light and reveal a little bit of my heart for y'all. Thanks for keeping me laughing and crying throughout 2024!

Top-tier cuddling award

OonMay, Pluto the Series

May’s neck is the perfect spot for Oon nuzzles. I get her, I wouldn’t ever want to move from that spot, either. For a series that has the first meeting between the leads start with a passionate kiss, it isn’t totally surprising to me that they can rock a cuddle but the sheer amount of time these women spend in May’s bedroom gives us many an opportunity to see them comfy in bed together. Namtan and Film seem so comfortable with each other and I’m really looking forward to seeing them in more GL’s in the future (give me Girl Rules NOW).

Runner up: At 25:00 in Akasaka

Hayama and Shirasaki didn’t have the opportunity to share a bed much in the show (well, as much as OonMay) but when they finally got together and cuddled in the afterglow, I was gobsmacked by this shot. I think ‘Tattoo it on my eyelids’ was my specific response.

The year of tattoos, the best and the worst

Best: Reverse 4 You/4 Minutes

I’ve gotta make this a tie because while Bible’s thigh tattoo in 4 Minutes is particularly popular throughout the community (and I agree!), I went weak in the knees when they showed Christine Gulastree’s tattoos during FourWa’s first hookup. That line all the way down her spine? Idk about y’all but I immediately started drooling. Wa you are so lucky. Christine, are you free this thursday

Worst: The Heart Killers

Oh Kant. Buddy. The tattoo near his wrist was literally smudged. Please, y'all. 

Honorable tattoo mention: Jack & Joker

Listen, most of Joke’s prison tatts are ridiculous but luckily for me, I’m into that shit. I will be getting at least two of Joke’s tattoos permanently placed on my body. No regerts. You’re welcome to guess which ones.

Best kiss

Hotae and Donghee, The Time of Fever bedroom kiss

A year filled with great kisses! But I know from other lists that I'm not alone with this pick. This show was my most anticipated of the year since Donghee and Hotae caught me hook, line, and sinker in Unintentional Love Story. The moment that show ended, I wanted more of them. And then they did give us more (and premiered it on my birthday, no less) and they didn’t disappoint!! Especially by giving us the bedroom make-out with that immediate change of tension in the air when Hotae fed Donghee the orange and touched his lips; Hotae fully shaking with desire and begging to be kissed again; a heater in between them!! the breathing sounds!!! Won Tae Min is such a delight to watch, a great actor in all of his projects and Do Woo is so pretty and holds his own against Tae Min. I love them. I still want more. Give us the sequel to ULS, cowards!!! 

Best almost kiss

X and Namping, Every You, Every Me

Though later in this list I continuously sing praises about Top Piyawat's beauty, the reason why I'm so hung up on this almost kiss really goes to Mick Monthon here. X wants it sooo bad. He is struck stupid by being this close and held this tender by Namping and if I were him, I would simply perish on the spot. I truly loved this show while it was on, had complete brainrot about it, and this storyline in particular fucking ended me (affectionate).

BL Characters that shove me back down the Kinsey scale a la Jin Guangyao at Carp Tower

Tharn from The Sign

via @guzhufuren

IRL I typically self-identify as a lesbian (but like *shrug*) however, every now and then I become infatuated with one of these BL boys and Tharn really did a number on me. I mean c’mon. Babe babygirl Thanatat playing this tiny, feisty, sad, gorgeous man. The mole(s). A snake princess of indiscriminate gender. She is everything to me. He was the moment. Remember when he was so horny that he tried to smother Phaya to death? Obsessed with everything about him. BillyBabe continue to torture me. I don’t think I need to explain further, many of y’all were right there on the crazy train with me.

Namping from Every You, Every Me

I thought no one could tempt me like this after Tharn but then Top Piyawat came in with the steel chair that was Namping in episodes 3 and 4 of Every You, Every Me. What I loved particularly about this show was the dominance swapping between storylines and there’s something so sexy about someone being able to lean into both his feminine and masculine qualities so masterfully (Mick does a good job with this, too). Namping was BEAUTIFUL, his shoulders and slutty tops made me absolutely weak to my knees. I have rewatched these eps multiple times even though they make me snotty cry bc I just can’t get enough of X and Namping. And in the next eps the way Top had me thirsting over him as a fuckboy musician who never wears sleeves? He should be in jail for that. Anyway, Top, will you be my wife.

Most Sensual Pasta Making

At 25:00 in Akasaka

This show had me by the throat while it was airing and I can’t fully explain why other than I tend to feel this way about certain Japanese BL’s with a blonde and brunette pairing (Candy Color Paradox was not a great show but I was obsessed and still don’t know why)—having two nickels, etc., etc. Anyway, the gnocchi making? It was hot, what the hell. As someone who moonlights as a fresh pasta vendor at a weekend farmer’s market, this scene was specifically made for me. As an aside, I didn’t watch My Love Doesn’t Have Long Beans so if they sensually make pasta in that and aren’t just violating OSHA regulations all over the kitchen then I’m sorry!

screenshot via @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Silliest character that had me in stitches of laughter

Shiba Ryoma in Love is Like a Poison

The amount of times this man had me laughing out loud is in the 100s. It’s the stark contrast of his straight-laced, deadpan, almost robotic personality with his silly quirks and impossible-to-hide reactions, especially as Haruto comes onto him more and more as the series progresses. Highlights include every time he has a ‘gay seizure’ as @guzhufuren coined, his knees buckling when Haruto starts sweet-talking his plants, throwing the napkin in ep 4, literally every single thought that crosses his mind eps 1-4, when he tries to make AI Clippy be his 101st partner, the PICTURES, and so much more. The actor who played him, Shogo Hama, gave me everything and Haruto and Ryoma as a couple had me crawling up the walls, particularly in the first few episodes.

Runners up: Ishida in Mr. Mitsuya’s Planned Feeding and Qian in Unknown (Chris Chiu!!)

GL woman I would follow around on my knees for the rest of my life if she asked

Pat, Unlock Your Love

Cake Nawanine. A beautiful brat who knows exactly what she wants, which is that hot soft butch tattoo artist, and will fight all of her evil ex-girlfriends to prove her love. Deane is truly wild for continuing to fumble this absolute goddess of a woman, but what can I say, Deane is basically the Thai equivalent of a ‘hey mamas’ lesbian. Even so, their make-out scenes together were scorching and Pat’s flirting game was top-tier. I had a lot of fun with this little show and will continue watching series with B Mine and Near if they keep making them. And Cake! Please come back to my screen, I love you, I WILL treat you right. 

Thank you @khaopybara for sustaining my lust and love by being one of the few people making beautiful gifsets of my girl.

Most surprising chemistry between an already beloved pair

JoongDunk in The Heart Killers

Hear me out!!! I enjoyed Joongdunk in Star in my Mind and Hidden Agenda and I even thought their intimate scenes and sex scenes in both were pretty good. I was not prepared for The Heart Killers though, like I am really blown away by them as Fadel and Style and they are quickly rising to be one of my favorite branded pairs. I’m sorry it took me so long to recognize real!! As someone (probably a few) mentioned on here, I came to The Heart Killers mainly for FirstKhao, my loves, but am sticking around to see JoongDunk and what else these absolute psychos have in store for us.

Most used show tag that automatically populates first whenever I make a new post on tumblr dot com

The Sign the series

This makes sense because I was unhinged about this show and Babe, in particular. Thank you Saint Suppapong for giving us feral idiots exactly what we want, which is total nonsense, hot hot hot chemistry, and beautiful men wearing dresses. I’m glad I spent the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 with this show and I feel very much the same way about The Heart Killers for this year.

Blorbo(s) from my show(s) i.e., characters I have imprinted on like a duckling

I already gushed about Namping, love of my life, will not elaborate more or we’ll be here all week.

Hayama from At 25:00 in Akasaka. I love a quiet yearner, that’s no surprise, but something about Hayama in particular really resonated with me. It’s the LWJ effect, I think, someone who seems to not emote at all on the surface but is really a storm of feelings underneath and Kiita plays it so quietly and intensely. His backstory episode was so good I watched it again immediately after finishing it the first time. Hayama’s friend telling him that Hayama has so many walls up that even he himself doesn’t know what he’s thinking or what he wants? Ooof that hit right where it hurts. 

Mole Goddess possessing the teacher in Caged Again. All of the actors that get to play the Mole Goddess look like they’re having so much fun but her in particular had me rolling with laughter when she was first introduced, looking at herself in the mirror and practicing scolding students to get into character. What a diva. Who is this actress?!

Way from Pit Babe. I know this show started in 2023 but I binge-watched the show a week leading up to the finale in February and was assaulted by the purest pathetic energy of anything I’ve ever seen radiating off of Way. My morning commutes were hell until i took on this endeavor and it was one of the best decisions I made this year. I could not control my laughter on those crowded train cars, I did not care how crazed I looked. Way, you are everything, RIP to the realest (bc allegedly only Way’s lookalike is coming back in season 2?!). Thank you, Nut <3 

Style from The Heart Killers. Again, this is another one that i don't need to explain. I am similar to Fadel in that I like his cockiness...and his lips. Also Style is named appropriately bc i want, nay NEED, his entire wardrobe (and dorito looking ass body).

Other shows this year that have left a mark on me:

Takara no vidro, Ayaka is in love with Hiroko, Fangs of Fortune (not a BL but queer as hell), Love for Love’s Sake, Love in the Big City, 23.5, Cherry Magic TH, Deep Night, Wandee Goodday, Monster Next Door, Let Free the Curse of TaeKwonDo, The On1y One, See Your Love, Dead Friend Forever, Twins the Series, Petrichor

Shows I didn’t watch/finish but have on my list

The Trainee, The Affair, The Loyal Pin, My Stand-In, and probably a lot more, there was so much this year and I'm still catching my breath. If you have any recs for me, i welcome them!

Special shout-out to those who probably see me pop up in their notifs always, particularly @absolutebl, @heretherebedork, @guzhufuren, @respectthepetty, @waitmyturtles, @negrowhat, @yinwaryuri, @lurkingshan, @bengiyo, @spicyvampire, @pharawee and many more. thank you for all you create for little ole fans like me!

Looking forward to what 2025 brings us!

[versains]

versainz 👀

ohhhhhhhhhh boy. look at my username.

versainz - ship it

What made you ship it? versainz are genuienly mine 'if i loved you less, i could talk about it more'. i have like ten different unfinished gifsets of them and it's all unfinished because nothing seems good enough.

i guess this could easily go into the unpopular opinion section, but the reason why i started shipping them is because to ME theyre THEE narrative foils. also carlos sainz and max verstappen are my favorite drivers, there is no one like them for me. they have my whole heart and like. they were each other's first teammates. that's fucking insane

What are your favorite things about the ship?

the narrative foil of it all. i don't enjoy discussing driver's personal lives publicly but it is so crutial to the understanding of them. in every way they are the two sides of the same coin, everything about their families is such a bizarre opposite that it sometimes freaks me out. everything, from carlos who actually went to school full time, and did a bunch of dumb teenage things, carlos with a nose piercing at a private english school. and max who didn't do much of anything besides travel with his dad and kart. max who is so so light with his fair complexion and the bluest eyes and carlos who looks so warm. they ended up as teammates when they were just kids. and then they were ripped apart. i'm not arguing that they were ever very close, but it's really because they weren't given the opportunity to be close. they were hardly ever in a team because there was an expectation to just hate each other and move on.

then once they stop being teammates. max goes to a team that is his forever, and he stays and builds his life there, he builds his team there and it's all his and his first win is at carlo's home race and he is the youngest driver ever to do it. he is so shiny and pretty.

and carlos just packs his things, moving from one team to the next but never staying long enough to make it his own. just clutching at infrequent successes.

they are so terrifyingly opposite and it is beautiful; they are beautiful. my sweetest little birds.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

i don't think that they were each other's first love. but it was definitely first something.

[scrapyardboyfriends]

You give such fab insightful answers on here :) Sorry to bring up Rebecca again coz I know you've recently rmentioned you don't want to discuss her going forward. But with all the wonderful gifsets and sentimental posts about Robron, there also seems to be a lot from ppl who defo don't seem Robert antis but are posting stuff like his homophobic moments and him gaslighting Aaron about not trusting him, showing all his kisses with Rebecca. That second kiss for me has always been the most infuriating (even the ONS had context ffs) so it makes me less enthusiastic/sympathetic towards their reunion when ppl are posting actual gifsets really underlining why Aaron shouldn't take him back. Do you ever find yourself slightly turned off Robron with posts like these?

Well…first, I don’t see posts like these because clearly I have the right people blocked. Highly recommended.

Second, they already worked through the Rebecca stuff years ago with multiple Maxine episodes. So what’s happening now really has nothing to do with that. Do not let yourself be swayed by these people. They want you to feel bad.

Third, if you’re referring to the November kiss, as I mentioned before, he was in the middle of manipulating her for a scheme and she kissed him and he only kissed her back at all to play along. It didn’t mean anything. Was it dumb? Sure. But none of that takes away from how much he loves Aaron.

But yeah basically, this is soap. None of what came before really matters. The only thing that really matters at this point is Robert cutting him off when he went to prison. Anything else is just people raking up the past because they do hate Robert and they want you to join them and only care about Aaron.

[synthient]

The Non-Doomerist Take On Doctor Who

Wanna know why I'm still optimistic about the current storyline? Any interest in sharing a little of that optimism?

In a nutshell, my reading is:

There's going to be one more surprise special for Series 15: the ninth episode, foreshadowed by the "every ninth word is the truth" thing in Robot Revolution.

We've been in the Doctor's Wish World since the 14th Doctor specials. The Tardis has been secretly trying to "help" the Doctor by turning all of reality into a fairy tale for him, including creating fairy tale villains (the Pantheon) for him to vanquish. Foreshadowed by Space Babies.

The Doctor's daughter died and he forgot. Much of his subconscious Tardis-fueled reality warping (especially in regards to Poppy) has been in service of repressing that. Foreshadowed by Spoon Woman from Empire of Death.

Spymaster bigenerated into Rogue and "O Mega." O Mega is stuck in the Underverse, and Rogue has been conspiring to get the Doctor (and the Rani) stuck there with him. Foreshadowed by the Master mirrors in every episode of series 15, who each reflect a small piece of the Master's motives. (Also foreshadowed by the zillion Master references and I'm The Bad Guy hints in Rogue's intro episode, as well as his comically fake Zoom Call From Superhell)

Billie Piper is reprising the Bad Wolf. The Tardis has been telling the story all along, and now she has an avatar through which she can directly address the audience.

15's regeneration is a fakeout, setting up for a "Fifteentoo"-style twist. Doctor Who will Die And Go To Hell (the Underverse), encounter the Master and Rani there, and then be Risen Again in time for series 16. Foreshadowed by: the Christ-symbolism of Joy to the World and of Reality War's regeneration scene, plus the prior framing of the suicide themes in the rest of the season.

Related meta:

Why Use Code? (A short essay on Robot Revolution's secret code plot, and how it works as a microcosm for the rest of the season)

Mirror Theory and Reality War (A breakdown of the character mirrors in each episode of s16, plus a series of "discussion questions" about what they mean)

"This is gonna hurt" (A reading of 15's self-sacrifice in relation to the season's suicide themes)

A theory-breakdown of 15's regeneration scene

15's crucifixion pose under the star of Bethlehem

Gifset of hints that The Tardis Did It

Gifset of hints that Rogue is the Master