#[ spotlight; muses of the week ]

[d-targaryenshoe]

Books And Looks - Luke Thompson

Word Count: 1006

Summary: Some say even well-known actors can have a crush on authors, can they not?

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the city as the cast of Bridgerton wrapped up another long day of filming for season four.

Jonathan, Claudia, and Luke Thompson found themselves at their favorite pub, unwinding with drinks in hand.

“To another successful day!” Jonathan cheered, raising his glass.

“To another successful day!” echoed Claudia and Luke, clinking their glasses together.

They settled into a comfortable silence, the camaraderie of their shared experiences providing a soothing backdrop to the evening.

After a few sips, Jonathan leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“It’s going to be strange going back to normal life after this,” he mused. “I’ve gotten so used to the hustle and bustle of the set.”

Claudia nodded. “I know what you mean. There’s something about the energy here that’s hard to replicate in the real world. But I am looking forward to seeing my sister again.”

“You have a sister?” Luke asked, intrigued.

They’d spent so much time together on set, yet there were still many things they didn’t know about each other’s personal lives.

Claudia smiled warmly. “Yes, she’s a few years older than me. We’re very close, even though she’s quite the introvert.”

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “An introvert? Doesn’t sound like anyone in your family.”

Claudia laughed. “You’d be surprised. She’s a famous author, but she avoids the spotlight as much as possible. Her books have a huge following.”

Luke’s ears perked up at this revelation. “A famous author? What’s her name?”

Claudia hesitated for a moment, then said, “Y/n Jessie Peyton.”

Luke’s eyes widened, nearly spilling his drink in his excitement. “No. Are you serious? She’s one of my favorite authors in the world! I’ve read all her books at least twice.”

Jonathan chuckled at Luke’s sudden burst of enthusiasm. “Looks like you’ve got a superfan on your hands, Claudia.”

Claudia shook her head, laughing. “Luke, she’s very private. She doesn’t like the spotlight, and she doesn’t do meet-and-greets.”

Luke’s expression turned pleading. “Please, Claudia, you have to introduce me. I promise I won’t make a scene. I just want to tell her how much her work means to me.”

Claudia sighed, seeing the sincerity in Luke’s eyes. “I can’t make any promises, Luke, but I’ll talk to her. We’ll see what happens.”

Over the next few weeks, Luke didn’t let up.

He would bring your name up in conversation whenever he could, his admiration for your work shining through.

Claudia found it endearing but was also protective of your privacy.

One evening, after another long day of filming, Claudia received a call from you.

You chatted about your lives, and inevitably, Luke’s name came up.

“Luke Thompson?” you repeated, surprised. “The actor?”

“Yes, the very same,” Claudia replied. “He’s a huge fan of your work, y/n. He’s been pestering me non-stop to introduce you two.”

You laughed softly. “Well, that’s flattering. I didn’t realize my books had such an impact on people. Maybe… maybe we could arrange something. A small, casual meeting. No big deal.”

Claudia smiled. “I think that would make his year, y/n. Let me know when you’re free, and I’ll set it up.”

A few days later, Claudia walked onto the set in full 'Eloise' with a secretive smile.

She had arranged for you to visit, and she couldn’t wait to see Luke’s reaction.

As they broke for lunch, Claudia spotted Luke and Jonathan chatting by the catering table.

“Hey, guys,” she said, trying to keep her excitement in check. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”

Before Claudia could answer, you walked onto the set, looking slightly out of place but wearing a warm smile. Luke’s jaw dropped as he recognized her.

“No way,” he whispered, his eyes wide. “Is that…?”

Claudia grinned. “Luke, Jonathan, this is my sister.”

You stepped forward, extending your hand. “Hi, Luke. Claudia’s told me a lot about you.”

Luke shook your hand, trying to keep his composure. “It’s such an honor to meet you. Your books have had such a profound impact on me. Thank you for your incredible work.”

You blushed slightly, clearly not used to such direct praise. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear that.”

Jonathan, sensing the significance of the moment, clapped Luke on the back. “See, dreams do come true, mate.”

You all laughed, the initial tension easing into a more comfortable atmosphere.

You spent the rest of their lunch break chatting about your books, the writing process, and life on set.

Luke found himself captivated not just by your words but by your presence.

There was a quiet strength to you that drew him in, and he could tell you felt a connection too.

As the days passed, your visits to the set became more frequent. You and Luke would steal moments to talk, sharing stories and laughter.

It was clear to everyone around you that there was something special brewing between you two.

One evening, after a particularly long day of filming, Luke and you found yourselves alone on set.

The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over everything.

You sat on a bench, enjoying the peaceful silence.

“You know,” Luke began, “I never imagined I’d get to meet you, let alone spend so much time with you. It feels like a dream.”

You smiled, your eyes reflecting the fading light. “Life has a funny way of surprising us, doesn’t it? I never thought I’d enjoy being on a set, but here I am.”

Luke took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “Listen, I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I’d love to get to know you better, outside of all this.”

You looked at him, your expression softening. “I feel the same way. I’d like that very much.”

You shared a smile, the unspoken promise of something more hanging in the air.

As the first stars appeared in the night sky, Luke reached for your hand, and you didn’t pull away.

[aphrogeneias]

are we still thinking about best friend!eddie? what about best friend!eddie who is writing the most devastating love songs for you and you’re just like “omg babe who’s the lucky girl?” and it’s not till you go see corroded coffin at the hideout and he finds your eyes in the crowd when singing one that you’re finally like “oh…”

Eddie would always insist that Corroded Coffin didn't do ballads.

"We're not sellouts", he'd say, enunciating the word like it was poisonous. The boys agreed with him, and being the main songwriter, that was quite definitive. Except you knew better.

You knew about the songs he'd write in his old, battered notebook. The ones he'd sing when it was just the two of you in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed with his black acoustic guitar on his lap.

This machine slays dragons, it said. It broke hearts too, sometimes.

Sitting on his floor, you'd wonder what those songs were really about. Who they were about. Songs about unrequited love, longing for someone you can't have. Waxing poetic about hair and eyes and a body admired from a distance, untouchable.

You'd sit and listen and wonder, praying that someday you'd know, even if it would break your heart even further. Eddie would finish his songs with a smile, looking down at you from where he sat, a golden halo around his curls coming from the window behind him.

"You really won't tell me who these are about? Do they know, at least?"

He'd tell you what he always did. "Does a song really have to be about someone?"

"We both know they always are. Whether the composer wants to admit it or not." You'd tease with a smile that wouldn't quite reach your eyes.

"This composer has nothing to admit." He'd set his guitar aside and join you on the floor, picking up his notebook to hide it once more. "Besides, you're my only muse."

Your skipped a beat everytime he'd say that. Changing the subject, you turn to him. "Do your muse a favor, then, and play this one on Tuesday? It's really good, Ed."

"I'll think about it."

On Tuesday, you and the five drunks scattered around the Hideout got to listen to a new song — a Corroded Coffin original, along with the other two they'd always play, straight from their EP. "Someone convinced me to do this one live. I hope she enjoys it."

And as his brown eyes, glinting under the weak spotlight over the stage, met yours across the room, and remained there through the first verse until the chorus, you knew. When his voice lowered and softened, crooning the words you heard earlier that week.

When the crowd around you disappeared and you were the only two people in the bar, and the sound of his voice and guitar were the only ones echoing through the walls, you knew.

You finally knew.

[ficsforgaza]

for September 15 to September 21

Hi all—please check out this week’s Creator Spotlight! For anyone who doesn’t know what this is: every week we highlight one creator with WIPs to sponsor, one creator with open requests, and one fundraiser that is in desperate need of funding. If this is your first time seeing our blog, welcome! Please check out our pinned post for more information about what we are doing to help the people of Gaza!

˗ˏˋ SPONSOR A WIP SPOTLIGHT ˎˊ˗

↳ @schrodingers-romy / Link to their WIPs

Romy writes for Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, and Tokyo Revengers. Here are two of their WIPs up for sponsorship:

ghost!Nanami Kento x reader

There are many rumors surrounding the old, neglected house you moved into. Supernatural rumors. Despite your skepticism, strange occurrences lead you to believe that there may, in fact, be unexplainable presences in your home. Some, more trustworthy than others...

dragon!Mitsuya Takashi x reader

You are the first sacrifice to the Dragon in decades; you don't know which is worse: the possibility of dying of exposure on the mountain, or being consumed by a mythical beast. Luckily for you, the dragon is not looking for its next meal...in fact, he is looking for the ideal muse, and you are perfect for the job.

˗ˏˋ ACCEPTING REQUESTS SPOTLIGHT ˎˊ˗

↳ @arvandus / Link to their Requests Page

This user is currently accepting requests for the following fandoms: My Hero Academia, Obey Me!, Wind Breaker, Jujutsu Kaisen, Haikyuu, Blue Lock, Black Butler, Attack on Titan, Bleach, Tokyo Revengers, and Bungo Stray Dogs. Please head on over to her blog to make your requests!

˗ˏˋ FUNDRAISER SPOTLIGHT ˎˊ˗

↳ This week we are choosing to once again feature eSIMS for Gaza. We want to reiterate the desperate need for eSIMs (we’ve made a post about this—here’s the link). These eSIMs are used for the people of Gaza to communicate, as telecommunications are otherwise nonexistent. Please consider purchasing eSIMs.

Website: gazaesims.com

Crips for eSIMS for Gaza is also an option, you can donate to this fund which will use the money to purchase eSIMS. You can read more about them here. They are also looking for volunteers, so don't be afraid to get involved!

[zzeraphilm]

his hidden notebook

akaashi keiji x f!reader part two summary: akaashi keiji found that writing poetry was the best way to express his desires word count: 1,573

Akaashi found himself writing more poems in his free time, away from practice and away from Bokuto. Somehow, his muse was always Y/N. When he saw the fluttering, falling flower petals that dance in the wind, he’d think of her. When he saw the ripples of the Tama river make a kaleidoscope of rainbow shades, he’d think of her. When he saw the luscious greenery bloom from a night of rain, he’d think of her. 

Scribbles from spare scraps of paper turned to neatly written notebooks full of dancing words. He kept this side of himself far from the world around him. It was a precious solitude that allowed him to see visions of beauty that was sacred to only him. His notebook of poems was holy and for others to read it would be disastrous. 

Y/N knew of Akaashi from her friends, the only boy who could keep up with the boisterous Bokuto from the volleyball team. Whilst being in the same class, she doesn’t remember speaking to him once. She had spoken to Bokuto numerous times as he was the shining sun of their class. But Akaashi was another name on the class register for Y/N. 

Presumably, they didn’t share any interests. With Akaashi being on the volleyball team and Y/N being a part of the music club with her own band. The two would always be on two separate sides of the classroom, the school and in the world. It was until one afternoon during band practice, she peered out of the window of the music room on the second floor. She saw Akaashi look up to meet her glares from across the courtyard. Sure, the windows were wide open and anyone and everyone can hear their latest melody. But Akaashi wasn’t focusing on the music, rather he had zeroed in on Y/N.

He was entranced by her power and command with the rest of her band members. He saw the sun shine a dazzling spotlight onto her through the curtains, as if she was on stage performing to millions.

Akaashi knew of Y/N’s talent, they were his muse after all. There were many nights where he would fantasise a time between Y/N and him, where she would lull him to sleep with her soft voice, singing to only him.

Akaashi had found the perfect spot to gaze upon Y/N’s performances, a few paces to the left of the second bush on the far left corner of the courtyard. At exactly 4:35PM on a Wednesday afternoon without fail, Y/N would begin her vocal exercises before her bandmates could join her. She always left the windows open, either for fresh air or to have the whole world stand still to her voice. These Wednesday memories would fuel Akaashi’s mind full of imagery solely of her. He couldn’t wait to find any spare parchment to scribble his ideas down, he was drunk with imagination because of his muse. 

Y/N found his presence, unnerving. He didn’t smile nor showed any interest when they locked eyes on each other. But Akaashi did not move away or break contact, rather he remained still. 

“What you looking at?” She shouted, leaning out of the window.

Akaashi gave a slight smile, his lips moved to reply but he was so far that Y/N could not understand.

“Huh?" She yelled. "Dude, you’re a bit of a weirdo aren’t you?” Y/N laughed him off, shut the window and walked back to the music room, disappearing from Akaashi’s line of sight.

~

“Yeah, and he was just like there! I swear, he’s spying on me! Everywhere I look he’s there, I’ve never even spoken to the guy, like who is he?” Sat in a circle around her desk, her friends continued to whisper the latest gossip of their weeks. Y/N had brought up her encounter with Akaashi in passing whilst she ate her lunch, but after demands from the others, she caved and spoke her suspicions.

She didn’t hate him per say, rather she was alarmed by the ‘coincidences’ of their encounters, she hadn’t realised it before but he was always within her peripheral vision. At each turn, he’d be there in passing or to the side. 

“Ah! Do you think he likes you Y/N?” The girl to the left of Y/N teased, leaning closer into the circle, since the topic of the conversation was still sat in the same classroom as them during their break. 

“Don’t go jumping to conclusions.” With a final sip of her cartoned juice, Y/N squashed the cardboard box in her fist. “For all we know, he could be a stalker.” 

Poor Akaashi could feel the stares from the group of girls from the back of the classroom. Hunched over on his desk, he crossed out the latest stanza he wrote this morning till the paper ripped.

Was he a stalker? He didn’t mean to come across this way. Maybe he should clear the air with her. 

He stood up abruptly, the crowd of students around Y/N flipped their heads around to face him, eyes bulging from their skulls. As if they had seen a ghost. Akaashi awkwardly walked up to them, he felt his stomach sink further and further towards the floor with each step. Before he could get face to face to his muse, Bokuto slammed the door wide open calling for him. Dragging him out the room before he could object. Akaashi was torn between feeling relieved for escaping a possible social suicide in front of his classmates or disappointed in his cowardice. 

Once he was far from view, the group of gossiping students collided together again and their whispers got louder and louder till some where squealing and cackling. Y/N kept looking at the now closed door, he looked so sad, she thought. His eyes didn’t seem to belong to a stalker, but there was a lingering shadow of loneliness behind his long eyelashes. 

It wasn’t until the late evening Y/N found Akaashi after leaving the gym, he was so focused on scribbling in his little pocketbook that he missed the last two steps out of the gym, causing him to tumble and the scrap pieces of paper tucked in the pages of his pocketbook flew into the sky, like confetti falling delicately across the ground. Whilst the awkward situation, Y/N rushed to help him, picking up a crumpled up sheet of paper, her eyes briefly caught a few words on the page. Before Akaashi could stop her, she had already read the entire poem. 

“Woah…this is…good.” 

Akaashi ripped the page from her hand, a slight shake in his nimble fingers. “Don’t mock me.” He continued to pick up the rest of the pages and slot them back into his pocket book, digging his fingers into the wood of the cover. 

“What’s with the hostility bro?” 

“Earlier, you spoke about me as if I wasn’t there. I’m not some stalker, I’m not a creep.” Despite the thousands of beautiful poems he has written for nearly two years now, he couldn’t think of a single word to describe how he actually felt.

“Yeah, that’s totally what a weirdo would say.” Y/N teased. “Sorry, I know you mean no harm. It is strange though, watching me from a far all the time. Would rather you come up and talk to me y’know?” There it was, another dazzling smile. Unlike the past, Akaashi can see it mere inches away from him rather than metres. 

“Honestly, Akaashi the way you write its like some of my favourite songs. Poems are basically songs anyways, they’re lyrics waiting for a melody. The rhythm and cadence of each line you wrote there, it was like you were cradling all of your emotions with every word you scribed. Some writers can’t even get their point across, let alone the emotions you pour into yours. You’re incredible.” 

Y/N slipped out a piece of paper that was poking out of his pocketbook, and began to read them aloud. 

‘We dance like daisies,  bare in the meadows we lay. A little heaven’ ‘You stand tall, bright, fair caressed by the stars above. Grace me with your smile’ 

“Akaashi, these are beautiful. I’m not mocking you this time. I could even use some of your stuff for the band! I mean it’s not 100% our style but we can work together on it!” 

“That won’t be possible. I can’t have you sing these words.”

Y/N tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed and with a slight giggled queried a soft ‘Why?’

With a deep breath, he grabbed the end of her question with an iron grip.

“Because they’re about you. All of them. I write them, whenever I see you sing, when you walk down the halls or when you daze off into space during English class. I catch images of you in my mind from moments where you’re always out of reach, where you bless others with your shining aura. Y/N, you’ve been my muse for all of my work.” 

Y/N felt the rush of blood to her cheeks, bright red, she could feel the heat radiating from her face. A slight quivering lip and darting eyes, trying not to focus on Akashi’s stare. A tiny smile creeped its way to her mouth, she couldn’t help but feel so enamoured. 

[silenceandpatiencepining]

I am dusting off my little blog here because TTPD has my mind absolutely reeling. I am really wondering if anyone else listened to this and had this feeling that the album confirmed everything that they were thinking was going on with her. I know we talk so much about reading her songs beneath the surface of muses or certain details used to craft a story, but to me, TTPD reads so strongly of her reckoning with her life in the industry. like, it's so much more than the relationships. it's the comp het, it's the religious trauma, it's the being exploited as a child star, it's deep wound of abandonment and neglect when she as a person got split off from her brand and both could not thrive, it's giving everything to this brand and career and fandom and that still never being enough. it's her codependency with the very people that exploit her. it's the fact that she is bigger than she ever imagined and none of it feels how she wanted. it's the simultaneous love and resentment she has towards her family, and relationships, and career, and yes, even her fans.

the rawness of this album, the unrefined feel, the summation poem talking about this as mania, the continuation of the cage imagery and themes of escaping to her mind/fantasy, the coping with criticism, numbing it all with alcohol, the willingness to burn it all down and disgrace her name because none of this is what she wants or at least not how she wants.

I have seen so many criticisms of the album and honestly, I understand where they are coming from, but I also think the things they criticize make the exact point of what this body of work is - something that exists for it's own sake to turn things back on the people that made her into what she is now. art created not to be acclaimed but because it demands to be expressed. it is an exorcism, an expulsion. it is something that erupted from her. and it's so meta because this fandom and the industry are voyeurs in an echo chamber so desperate to see what they want that they miss that this is about them. that is what makes it brilliant to me - it is self-indulgent and metaphorical, and complex, and so direct, but yet still masked just enough that people miss it. her entire life has become performance art. it is a play within a play. and I fear the audience has not caught on.

it feels like she is reclaiming it all. I feel like this could either be a hint at a new beginning or a signal that she has broken and this is the end. this felt like the tell-all memoir written in code that everyone else will finally understand when she really leaves this spotlight. it's the lucky one come to life. she is daydreaming about fucking it all and leaving this life behind so she can finally have some goddamn peace.

I love this album for it as art. it is so expressive. it is so heartbreaking. it's messy and nuanced, and I think it is going way the fuck over most people's heads, especially when you really dig into poetry being the theme and the specific works she references. it's only been a week and I am just starting to really dig in but talk about a fucking iceberg.

[roobiedo]

Happy Solarpunk Aesthetic Week and Winter Solstice! ❄️

While we do celebrate here, we don't actually experience winter in my region, or any of the classic four seasons! The weather here is basically a coin toss between searing heat and torrential rain lol. So while I was musing over how to adapt a solarpunk aesthetic to a tropical lifestyle, I came up with this!

Lengthy explanations and chaotic ideas below:

Disclaimer: I am not a science-y person, so I'm not sure how any of these would technically work or what materials would go into making them. Hopefully one day someone could figure it out, but I'm just having fun sharing these ideas for now :)

-----

What works well both in harsh sunlight and heavy downpours, plus is already something that people here use everyday? Umbrellas! How cool would it be to have an umbrella that absorbs sunlight during the day, and turns it into a personal spotlight at night? Or perhaps it could absorb and store large amounts of rainwater, to be re-used later or released somewhere more useful?

My main inspiration for this is the bamboo. This plant already plays a huge role in our lives here -- culturally, economically, and from what I recently learned, ecologically too! Our region suffers from floods often, and bamboo can help to control the flow of water, for example through their roots providing a barrier against soil erosion, or their ability to store large amounts of water and release it gradually during drier seasons. (And that's just one of the many reasons why bamboos are awesome and solarpunky!) I thought it would be cool to have water stored in the 'bamboo nodes' of the umbrella shaft, which could then be detached and used individually, or as components in other tech!

I chose the Amazonian lily pad as the canopy design because 1) it looks big enough to cover a person, 2) it has a wide surface for solar panels to 'photosynthesize' energy, 3) its container-like shape looks as though it could hold rainwater like a funnel while it trickles into the shaft, and 4) it just looks really pretty! Realistically, this canopy might not be able to do everything at once, so I'm hoping for this tech to be modular and highly customizable -- as in, you could replace this 'lily pad' with something else that serves a different function! I did play around with some other designs, here they are hehe

Hibiscus: Our national flower! Have these bad boys growing in my yard so I thought why not. Not sure what functions it would have yet... perhaps the pistil could be a sensor for gathering weather data? Or maybe the anthers are little lights? Maybe it attracts BEES???

Mushroom: Not familiar with the fungi in my area yet so I went with the classic Amanita. Though now I'm kinda regretting because! Wouldn't it be so cool and lunarpunky to design it based on a bio-luminescent mushroom, so it would make sense for the umbrella to glow in the dark? AGH missed opportunities ;;

-----

Anyway while I was designing the umbrella I thought about giving the model a cool fit too, so tadaaa! A customizable pair of pants that can be worn as a shorts + half-skirt/sarong combo during hot weather, or extended to become a full pair of jeans during colder/rainy times! I used zippers as the connectors because they seem easy to sew on and I like the punky vibe it adds to the outfit. HOWEVER, I'm realising that might be inconvenient or way too time consuming for some people. Maybe buttons, magnets or hook-and-loop fasteners would be easier?

As for the shirt, idk that was just for fun. Maybe it changes colour/design based on the surrounding temperature?

-----

So YEAH that was my longer-than-expected idea dump for this week! Thank you for reading <3 If you have any thoughts or ways of expanding on these ideas please please please share them with me I'm just really excited to see what people think waaaaa!!! ok bye stay hydrated

[normal-paldean-student]

Muse Mixup Madness — June 1, 2024

It's your girl Hilda here to fill in for the parts of the system that usually do this! Bear with me, I've never done this before and I'm technically less than a week old.

1. Mirror Me

Ever thought about what kinda reflection your character casts? If you could hold up a mirror to them to show their true self, what kinda person would you see? And how's that different from the muse you know?

2. Story Select: Dark

What if your character'd fallen in with an evil team? What if they'd chosen to pursue some other goal, without stopping to consider who might be hurt? What if, for whatever reason, they were one of the villains of the story? Who'd they be?

3. BADASS SUPERPOWERS

Exactly what it says on the tin. What if everything was the same, but your character had BADASS SUPERPOWERS? And what kinda powers would they have?

4. Enter The Spotlight

Bringing this one back from the very first MMM prompts post. If your character was somebody IMPORTANT, like part of the League or a protagonist or a Chosen or etc, who'd they be? And if they're already important, what if they weren't?

OKAY that's four. Should be a good number.

[edutainer2022]

In commemoration of that time, recently, when I delivered a conference keynote in a ridiculous o'clock timezone, after having been up and neck deep in other energy draining university commitments for three days straight on four hours of sleep at best, here's a little thing. I couldn't remember what I was talking about the minute the presentation ended. Scott Tracy is a public speaker extraordinaire on bingo sleep and adrenaline overdose. His brothers are worried and have to think on their feet. Special thanks to @astranite for nudging my muse in this direction.

AUTOPILOT

The trick was to get him off the stage. Scott Tracy, the Tracy Industries CEO, giving an opening keynote at the New Frontiers Expo had been scheduled a year in advance (involving the program committee begging on hands and knees for a year prior, Scott's annual commitments shuffling, some major security concessions, up to and including Kayo's team practically taking over the venue security altogether, as well as meeting a hard line of excluding any tech associated with Langstrom Fischler from the exhibits or conference talks).

Nobody could predict a mine collapse and Scott Tracy, the Commander of IR and Thunderbird One, being involved on site for the past thirty six hours (a good portion of that time spent underground without sleep).

The family medics' quorum, in full agreement with the family extended quorum, voted for canceling his public appearance and putting him on mandated rest. For a week. But Scott Tracy gave his word. So Scott Tracy gave his talk.

As keynotes go it was a huge success. Scott was passionate, funny and inspired, engaging the audience with dimples, moving personal touches and heartfelt convictions. The listeners were just about ready to "boldly go" wherever Scott would lead the way to a better, technologically enhanced and kinder tomorrow.

They divided forces in case the predictable worse actually came to pass. Virgil was behind the podium with a med kit and med scanner at hand. Gordon unironically got a tranq gun, which earned him a side-eye, but knowing Scott it might as well come handy.

John was in the audience, vigilant and listening to the keynote (and rather enjoying biggest brother public speaking prowess - seriously, how did Scott do it, half-dead on his feet?), ready to step up and take over if need be. That wouldn't be what the hundreds of Expo attendees payed and donated to R&D funds for, but they'd be getting A Dr. Tracy, at least, if The Mr. Tracy collapsed mid-sentence.

That was just the problem at the moment. Scott didn't. He concluded the speech, got a standing ovation, and was now just sort of hanging out on stage, swaying slightly. It was obvious he was running on dregs of fumes of an adrenaline high, refusing to crash on sheer willpower. It was also obvious Scott was completely unfocused and unaware where he was and what he'd been doing the minutes prior. The brilliant blue eyes were getting telltale glassy.

John had a FRANTIC Virgil booming in his earpiece. The public spotlight made the logistics of what needed to happen next tricky: they couldn't just drag him off the podium in a firefighter hold or tranq him - and spoil the profound impression of the speech; they also couldn't wait much longer till Scott fainted in front of everyone (and possibly injured himself by the fall). John was half on his way up to try and steer Scott bodily off the stage. Gordon would have been a better man for the job - dressing the thing up with a quip and some theatrics, but the Fish was still in uniform. IR on site, crashing the keynote, might have set off unwelcome panic, dangerous in a crowded space.

In the end, it was still Gordon's out-of-the-box thinking that saved the situation. They could all hear a boy's voice through their earpieces - Alan went for the highest littlest-brother-in-distress pitch he could master:

"Scotty, could you come here? I'm right behind you! Scotty, please!"

Scott could hear it too. A less exhausted brain would have remembered Allie was on the island still. They agreed Scott would take him the next day on a tour around the Expo and to several talks the kid wanted to attend.

But Scott's bandwidth capacity at the moment was reduced to the most rudimentary parent-brain instincts. So he started slightly, turned on his heel and marched backstage. It took a bit of flailing to placate a wild-eyed Scott that a) Allie wasn't in danger; b) Allie wasn't there immediately available for inspection and protecting from danger.

It came as close as Gordon clicking the safety off the tranq gun. But finally, the blue eyes stopped searching the perimeter behind Virgil's shoulder and rolled back. Scott slumped as a ragdoll in Virgil's hold.

John rushed to join the brothers the moment he heard Alan on comms. In between the three of them they settled the Commander on a hoverstrecher. Virgil insisted on a quick scan on the spot. Nothing more serious beyond bruises, exhaustion, stress and dehydration. Small mercies. Every single one of them had a private itemized inventory of possible injuries Scott might have "forgotten" to mention in order to be cleared for the keynote commitment.

Kayo's security team were clearing the path for them, off the Expo busy routes, to leave for Thunderbird Two discretely.

John lingered to brush the fringe off Scott's now noticeably pale forehead. His original intent was to go straight back to orbit after the biggest brother was sorted out. But now, there was no way Grandma or Virgil would let Scott out of the infirmary for the next forty eight hours at least. Nor would Virgil let biggest brother out of his sight for at least twice as long after. So it would fall to John to take Alan to the Expo and show the boy around.

John didn't favor crowded bustling places on a good day, but it was crucial not to disappoint or worry the kid. Scotty unconscious, sedated and grounded would have him anxious enough. It was also a great bonding opportunity with the baby-brother and a way to lift a bit of weight off Scott's shoulders. John knew biggest brother enough to foresee he'd beat himself up for succumbing to weakness and letting Alan down. John couldn't have that. So he landed a hand for support on Gordon's shoulder and all together they started the way home.

[taradiddled]

A peek at Ada and Lucifer's life after Oz is born.

----

“So heeeeeeeere is where my erstwhile mistress has hidden herself away to!”

Adam turned her head away from where she’d been admiring the view of her and Lucifer’s house from the Hotel’s back porch. Lucifer was standing beside Adam’s rocking chair, holding a silver tray with at least three glasses of freshly squeezed lemonade. The Hellish red color of the lemonade was familiar to Adam, no longer a true oddity.

Lucifer looked down to Adam’s chest, where Little Oz snoozed, having fallen asleep almost immediately after being nursed and burped. Adam had wrapped the baby in the blanket she’d crocheted for him months ago, almost fully covering him, save for the little nubs on his head which would one day become full, proud devil horns.

”Out like a light?” The original devil asked, setting his platter down on the nearby little table. He seated himself in the space beside Adam, cozying right up to her size and resting his head against her shoulder.

Adam looked down at Oz’s little face, so smooth and soft with peace, and smiled softly herself. “He feasts on my tits, he burps onto my shoulder, and then he’s done.” She caressed the soft brown hair atop her baby’s head. “Greedy little thing,” she said a with a great deal of fondness.

Lucifer reached over to lightly tap the red circles on Oz’s cheek. The baby made a little squirm, face pinching briefly, before smoothing out with a return to sleep.

”He’s sooooooo cute,” Lucifer cooed, looking at his son with so much love and adoration in his eyes. It was practically downright goofy, to see the King of Hell so besotted, but this was the man Adam knew and loved.

She scoffed at his praise. “Of course he’s cute,” she stated, turning up her nose slightly, rubbing a hand up and down Oz’s little back. “He’s got a fucking gorgeous set of parents like us. Why wouldn’t he be the most adorable thing in existence?”

Lucifer snickered, nuzzling his face against Adam’s shoulder. “Nice of you to share the spotlight, Ada.” He sighed, red eyes again focusing upon the little Hellborn asleep on Adam’s chest. “I can’t believe he’s really here. Seems like just a week ago you were still pregnant, and crushing my hand during the delivery.”

Adam snorted. “Lucifer, that WAS a week ago. Don’t you remember?” She gestured to the scorch marks out on the ground, the half-mangled garden that lead up to her and Lucifer’s house, and the small craters in the dirt from where Exorcists had been hit hard by Lucifer’s attacks as he’d defended Charlie from the onslaught of Heaven’s Holy Army.

Adam could still pick-out the spot where she’d been crouched behind Lucifer’s protective barrier, deep into labor, with only Vaggie and her own banshee power to defend her should the barrier have fallen. It’d been, to put it plainly, a FUCKING NIGHTMARE. Luckily the battle had ended just when the baby was starting to crown, and a frazzled Dr. Vodello had finally arrived to takeover for the almost hysterically-freaked out Vaggie.

“I never did get that epidural,” Adam bitterly mused, remembering the pain she’d experienced. She’d been too deep into the birthing process for Lucifer to even use magic to alleviate the pain, too. But it’d probably been a good thing that they had stayed outside, because Adam’s banshee wail had emerged during the worst of the labor, and she probably would have destroyed Dr. Vodello’s office if they’d actually made it there in the first place.

”But you got through labor without it,” Lucifer tried to point out, smiling encouragingly. “And you didn’t even need any surgery afterwards!”

”I still destroyed about fifty flowerbeds with my wailing,” Adam grimaced. she’d planted those flowerbeds herself a couple months ago with Nifty’s help, finding that she could curb the little demon’s more violent tendencies with some garden work, though Nifty HAD stabbed at the ground when it came time to plant the seeds. Now several of those sprouts were gone, destroyed during the chaos.

Adam still needed to work on her control over her wail, but she would focus on that later, when she wasn’t still recovering from giving birth on a battlefield, and wasn’t so tired because she was up at odd hours with Lucifer, caring for their newborn son. Muriel also assisted with caring for the baby, but Adam wanted the little butler to spend more time with the Hotel’s residents, interacting with other people, and focusing on themselves for once.

That said, Adam WOULD take them up on their offer to watch Oz for the afternoon. Adam needed a nap uninterrupted from a baby’s crying, and judging by the little bags under Lucifer’s eyes, he too could use some rest. He’d taken the night-shift the night before with Oz, letting Adam sleep, before handing Oz off to her at sunrise, stating that he was going to just sit and close his eyes for a while before getting breakfast started. He’d ended up falling asleep sitting up on the bed, and Adam had tucked him in, before taking Oz through the garden path and into the Hotel, to assist Vaggie with preparing breakfast for everyone.

Oz had been mercifully calm the rest of the morning, save when Angel Dust had started watching TV, and the loud volume had made Oz quite fussy. Rather than tell Angel Dust to turn down the television, Adam had decided to take him out to the back porch to nurse him in relative privacy, sitting in the wide rocking chair Lucifer had made for her with his own two hands (and Asmodeus’s assistance).

So here they were, looking out off the back porch of the hotel Charlie and Lucifer’s and Alastor’s magic had created, facing the house that Lucifer had built for Adam with his magic. The magical wards, interwoven with Lucifer, Charlie, and Alastor’s power that made any further attacks on the property impossible to land. Or to infiltrate, should any Overlords (aside from Alastor) make any nefarious attempts.

Adam had witnessed many beautiful, magnificent structures being built from Heaven. Her descendants erecting towers and fortresses and castles and houses that had filled Adam with pride at their creativity and ingenuity. There had even been fantastic structures in Heaven, which had once awed Adam with their splendor.

But nothing could come close to the wonderful work that had gone into the Hotel and the house. Not even Lucifer’s palace, as lovely as it had been, could hope to compare with Adam’s new home.

[yns-world]

Never Fade Away

Pairing: Johnny Silverhand x Fem!Idol!Reader A/N: Y/S/N = Your Stage Name this is an extension of this, feel free to read :)

2022

nobody said showbiz was easy, but should it border hellish in order for something to change?

you loved johnny, and johnny loved you, that was a fact that you both knew so well— so when did things become so difficult?

in your and johnny’s case, opposites attract. but what you didn’t account for was that opposites also repel. 

both of your lives were constantly in the spotlight, and this relationship even more so. with millions of eyes flicking over every move, every microtransaction, there is barely any room to just be. 

you two were a match made for the stage, nobody could beat the stage presence you two shared when you performed, but this fame was taking a toll on you both. 

in the short year you guys dated, it was like fire and ice. burning hot with passion and then freezing over with frostbite.

but as time went on, the cracks in the relationship began to show. the flaws in you both began to grow bigger and bigger but neither of you knew what to do, so you ignored it. 

but ignoring was the absolute worst thing to do, and now you’re having screaming matches that last for hours, days, and then weeks of silence.

of course, the media is all over this. 

“Johnny Silverhand’s New Victim”

“Y/S/N Seen Storming Out of Silverhand’s Apartment”

things could only go on for so long before you had to cut things off— something that nearly tore you to shreds.

johnny begged, he cried, he pleaded, he waited outside your apartment for hours on end. he damn-near kissed the ground you walked upon just so you would glance at him once more, because in his mind he cannot for the life of him make sense of why the perfect woman would just leave him.

but that’s exactly why you left. you left because he can’t fathom why the relationship was going to hell. you had to break it off because johnny was a sinking ship and you refuse to drown with him, no matter how much you might adore him.

that was johnny's breaking point and he hasn't been the same since.

while he dated you, he created his most iconic and best selling music that topped all the charts. you were his once-in-a-lifetime muse, and the world knew that.

but when you broke up, he lost that spark. his heart strings were torn apart and he couldn't pick up the guitar for months.

the only time he picked up the guitar was to play a solemn a-b-c tune while he recited the tragic poetry of his heart.

he'd release a few more singles that could all be chalked up to a last ditch effort of staring into the void and expelling the demons of his heart.

"Never Fade Away" was the last song johnny ever performed. that song was an homage to your memory and how you'd never fade from his own memories.

2023

it's been a year since you broke up with johnny and it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows for you, despite what johnny likes to tell the media.

there were countless nights where he was holding you from behind, his steady breath a calm rhythm in your ear, but you'd wake up everytime in a gasp, frantically searching for him on his side of the bed.

it took you months to finally wash the sheets because you wanted his scent to linger for as long as possible. his cologne that mixed with his musk.

the first few months were wretched, but you grew to resent him. deep down you still ached for his touch, but you had to lie and say you wanted him dead, if not, then the aching pain of his memory would kill you first.

august 20th, 2023. a day that was supposed to blur into the past endless days, but the last thing you expected was to see the man of your dreams—and nightmares—wearing a bulletproof vest and riding in a militech helicopter.

similarly, the last thing johnny expected was to see the architect of his heartbreak walking out of the Arasaka building.

waves of emotions flashed across his face—awe, joy, hurt, and finally resentment. 

johnny's scowl deepened and his resolve strengthened. Arasaka was not only the architect of his filthy world, but also stole the love of his life.

it wasn't rational to think that, but when has johnny ever been rational?

just moments before, johnny only planned to tear down the building. but now that he's seen you—walking out of that corrupt building with all of your lavish clothes and accessories—his aim shifted.

Arasaka stole everything from him. they ruined him. he has nothing left to lose.

in that moment, he made his peace with death. 

he overtook the machine gun and let out a visceral warcry that he’s been choking down for years— everyone would pay for his pain and suffering. 

august 21st, 2023, the very next day. over 4,000 dead, a crazy terrorist group, and you at the epicenter of it all.

some would brush you off as irrelevant, others would dub you as the “terrorist’s girlfriend”, blaming you for the demise of a beloved singer. 

but despite the chaos of the outside world, you could feel your internal universe crumble. johnny’s body hasn’t been found yet but you are sure that he’s gone. 

you’re so sure because you felt the deepest part of your soul chip off. the connection is severed. there’s a void inside of you, and you know all-too-well what johnny used to say about an abyss.

“If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.”

a/n: i hope you enjoyed! if you did, please consider reblogging since it helps my account! :) DON'T BE A GHOST READER!!!! i would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, and comments are what keep writers going &lt;3 i'm open to cyberpunk requests so feel free to send me one <3 also, lmk if y'all wanna see more idol!reader content and/or have any ideas since i'm kinda rocking with it :) as always, have a great day and i'll see y'all in the next one <3

[foxes-that-run]

Late Night Talking

LNT is the first song written for Harry’s House, at the end of April 2020. Harry sings about wanting to be there for this person he can’t get off his mind. The videos for it explore the difference of Harry privately vs his public persona.

The lyric video reminds me of grapejuice with wine in the garden and friend with Harry looking at a view. This song reminds me of this part of the Zane Lowe Interview, (talking about As it Was):

I just got to like sit for a second and you create this kind of like space for yourself and obviously everyone kind of had their world shrunk and you really became abundantly clear like who you missed and who you didn't miss and who you wanted to spend time with and what felt more important.

Music Video

The was filmed 13 February 2022. It opens with Harry looking for his muse. All we see of them is a t-shirt and a bra. The record on the floor is the Talk Talk album 'It's My Life'. The title track is about a relationship with someone who is seeing someone else, their MV has wildlife starting on flamingos. The LNT MV opens with calm, private Harry in pale blue socks. Looking for the muse he falls through the bed into a dreamlike world (very Alice in Wonderland) of public perception where Harry wears passionate red socks.

All scenes are in a bed. It may be what if everything people said about him was true and how hard those rumours are on a relationship and self. ("Saying that's not true get's old after a while" “it does, I'm bored of it" 2013 to Heatworld)

The next scene is Harry singing to the listener with his full attention but he has a line of female and male partners in bed. There is a similar scene of Harry with many partners (COSOSOM-esq). Everyone else has bare feet.

Harry then recreates Tracey Emin's 'My Bed', a piece of an unmade bed about depression and public vs private life. Harry is in the bed with male and female partners, on his life on display, he reads the newspaper.

The next 2 scenes show how differently Harry's time with people are viewed, with a man he is in a restaurant and people ignore it, they pass by (This is not in private as some say) whereas with a woman (wearing the shirt from the start, H's nails are red & blue) in what should be in the dark, relaxing and eating popcorn a literal spotlight is put on them in the audience and the camera zooms in, like:

"Sometimes people say, ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone. If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something.” - to Rolling Stone.

These next 2 scenes are Harry officiating a wedding, but lightening and clouds arrive and he disappears, ruining everyones time. I think this is him disappearing because paparazzi arrive (see flashes). And Harry falling through the sky, (see clouds). The video ends with Harry happy back in the blue socks on the single cover.

When was it written

Harry was in LA promoting Fine Line when the COVID travel ban was introduced 17 March 2020. Harry said to Zane Lowe that he took 6 weeks to do nothing then booked a studio and this was the first song while setting up. That places it around 28 April 2020.

Kid Harpoon told Billboard: "Styles booked time at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La in Malibu, Calif., and invited Hull and writer-producer Tyler Johnson to the sessions. “I was like, ‘Is he insane? We can’t leave our houses!’ ” recalls the affable Hull one late afternoon in New York. Still, the trio showed up and immediately got to work. “Day one, we’re writing a song, and [Harry] came up with this piano part. And then I was like, ‘Oh, that could be faster. And you could do this chord, and we could do this.’ ” That evolved into “Late Night Talking,” the first song written for what would become 2022’s Harry’s House"

Harry told Zane Lowe (24 Mins) LNT, Daylight, Keep Driving and Sushi were in this group, to Stern and Lowe he said Daylight was also one of the first. The leaked Too Much Sauce was also recorded in May 2020.

Lyrics

Things haven't been quite the same There's a haze on the horizon, babe It's only been a couple of days And I miss you, mm, yeah When nothin' really goes to plan You stub your toe or break your camera I'll do everythin' I can To help you through

In the first verse Harry is uncertain about change. I think there’s a double meaning of the pandemic and also Harry himself. Uncertainty aside, Harry is committed to doing anything to help this person and just wants to be with them.

Camera's are in Keep Driving (Black and White Film Camera) and Perfect (Cameras flashing everytime you go out). The camera is interesting, one Harry avoids considering the video's focus on perception.

The only other 'Haze' in a Harry song is in Little Freak, "starry-eyed Crystal Haze'

If you're feelin' down I just wanna make you happier, baby Wish I was around I just wanna make you happier, baby

Harry repeats that all he wants is this person to be happier. Another pandemic reference that Harry is separated from the person physically, in this case by lockdown but it applies broadly.

'Make you happier' reminds me of Happily, where the path to that happiness was being together again. Harry also says 'happier/happy' in:

Only Angel - I'm just happy getting you stuck in between my teeth

Super Pretty (unreleased) "Said you're happier with that big baller That we both knew growing up"

I'm not happy - I'm not happy, but I'm happy you asked

JCHNY

We've been doin' all this late night talkin' 'Bout anythin' you want until the mornin' Now you're in my life I can't get you off my mind

The chorus is so sweet and also simple, Harry has been talking to the muse on the phone. He will talk to them about anything they want because his focus is on them. He wants to share and get close. I line the line 'now you're in my life I can't get you off my mind' he's completely infatuated. This touches on some themes or lyric similarities:

Mind is a theme.

Harry's lyrics about Talk

Harry's lyrics about Night, especially the unreleased I Just Wanna Love You -" Talking to me late night"

Communication theme

I've never been a fan of change But I'd follow you to any place If it's Hollywood or Bishopsgate I'm coming too

In the final verse Harry again would do anything, this time linking back to the first verse, where he saw the change coming and now will do what is uncomfortable, even moving. The Hollywood/Bishopsgate is often reported as connecting OW in Hollywood to Harry's home of London, but it was written before they met. Harry wrote the song in Los Angeles, so I think he means wherever.. though noting he only listed where he was and his home. Harry's lyrics about Change

Folklore, Lover and Midnights

The first songs on Folklore and Harry's LA session songs have similarity. The One is a conversation with an ex-partner. Folklore started 2 days into the pandemic in LA. 2020 timeline. The MV spaghetti scene is similar one in Lover's MV, which has a joke Harry read in Fan Mail. Taylor named the bonus tracks on a special edition of Midnights "Late Night Talking Tracks" in the post she referenced The One and Satellite. Thanks @womanexile

[highlordofkrypton]

Lucien

YESSSS LUCIEN THE KING LET ME RAMBLE ABOUT HIMMMM DISCLAIMER I DID NOT FINISH READING THE SERIES SO!!

How I feel about this character

Lucien is the real star of the show. I think he was written so strongly in the first book that even though I knew Tamlin was the main love interest, a part of me hoped that the book would swerve to Lucien. I hadn't read any spoilers, but I knew this book was HIGHLY recommended, so I expected something exceptionally good like... polyamory? Did that finally take the world by storm and were the girlies losing their shit over not one, but two book husbands? I was wrong, oops.

I think he has the most depth, all things considered, and it's a shame that SJM decided to cut Lucien down in favour of her favourites. As a writer, I believe that there will always be a character who steals the show unexpectedly, and when that happens, it should be nurtured, not destroyed.

He's definitely one of those characters who deserves the spotlight and can turn a story on its head if she just followed the muse.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

For Lucien, I look at his ships in different ways.

In canon, I think that Lucien and Feyre in the first book could've done amazing things. I DNF'd at ACOWAR so I have no business in the ship wars. I did write one Lucien x Elain fic, but that's mostly because I liked the prompt. I don't mind the ship, but I don't actively participate in Elucien things otherwise.

In my own fanfiction, I don't have Lucien shipped with anyone. The nature of the story doesn't leave room for Lucien to have a romance yet, and I tend to let these things happen organically than plan them.

In the Twitter AU, I do joke around with Tamcien or an OT3 with Tamlin, Lucien and Andras.

Lastly, I do have some oneshots planned for Cassian week and DO NOT ASK ME WHY my brain went this way, but Lucien x Cassian is on the list. Again, I don't really follow canon, so it's my himbo Cassian with Lucien. It'll be soft, loving things, which he deserves.

I'm generally open-minded to any ship, tbh. Someone just has to point me in the right direction.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

It has to be Tamlin and Andras. I dedicated the latter third of my fic to establishing their dynamic, and I really believe that the three of them balance each other out in a healthy way. Losing Andras upset that balance, and now everything is out of whack. I also had Andras w/ some Winter blood in him, so it was a nice balance between the fire of Autumn, the bloom of Spring and the cool winter (except Andras was not cold at all!).

My unpopular opinion about this character

Lucien's characterizations suffers at the hands of narrative that keeps putting him at the mercy of the 'main characters'. It's very possible to have charming and charismatic side characters, but there seems to be an inherent insecurity in the writing itself whenever another character other than the main couples starts to shine. I'm not faulting any of the other characters, I just really feel like after the first book, SJM seems to be forcing things rather than letting the story unfold organically. Not sure if this opinion is unpopular at all!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

This may still happen, but I wish that we would have adventured with him when he disappeared for most of the narrative in ACOWAR. Where did he go? What did he do? How did he feel when he was apart from his mate? So much has happened to Lucien at that point, and he's such a clever character, I would love to hear more of his voice/see more of him. Not sure if SJM can deliver!

AHHH I HOPE THIS WAS OK!!

[bardic-tales]

Good morning! I hope that you have a wonderful Saturday. As I mentioned in my taglist post, the Creators’ Club is to foster a community between like-minded individuals.

I want to thank everyone for making this a really fun first week for this.

Every day, there will be a theme: such as Blorbo Blursday where it is encouraged you go into each other’s ask boxes or even a post on your blog asking about each others’ weekly project or muse.

This project is not to promote your work – even though that will happen organically – but to support the other Tumblr members. It’s to foster a community. You don’t need to participate every day, as I know how it’s important to focus on your health, but please try to interact with each other.

Also, please remember to be kind to everyone and their characters / WIPs. No drama in the creative pool.

Much like most of the week, Friday's themes are on rotation too. We have three events that we have for our members: Sitdown Saturday (share fan factoids about your characters and wips), Spotlight Saturday (where you share your work), and Storyteller Saturday (get to know each other as a authors / creators).

These week, we will be getting to know each other more. After all, the aim of the Creators' Club is to support each other as a community and make friends / connections. 🙂

How to participate: Send an ask to a fellow writer starting with "Happy STS" and ask about aspects of their storytelling.

Please remember to tag @bardic-tales, so I can add your answers to this post, as well as reblog them.

Our members' answers.

@themaradwrites: distinct voices & personalities

@nightingaleflowlibrary: characters and growth

@bardic-tales: why I write fan fiction

@bardic-tales: story behind FWC

@aalinaaaaaa: favorite themes

@megandaisy9: canon or canon divergent

@sliceoflifeshepard: themes

@watermeezer: tropes

@asirensrage: fave fic

@serenofroses: fave trope

@pinkevilwriter: character flaws

@pinkevilwriter: favorite season

The following are the current members of our club:

@watermeezer @nightingaleflowlibrary @megandaisy9 @sliceoflifeshepard @themaradwrites

@serenofroses @kricketbee @pinkevilwriter @asirensrage @aalinaaaaaa

To sign up for the Creators’ Club, please see this post on @bardic-tales’ blog about it:

Creators’ Club Tag List

Thank you for your interest, and we look forward in getting to know you and your works.

[lummyzzz]

I had been studying for the past week, so here's a dumb 15 minute drabble about our favorite couple.

Leona Kingsholar x Ace Trappola (DTW)

Desperate.

.

.

.

.

.

Ace thinks he might have overestimated himself this time, perhaps even more than he had before, to even dare think that he could hold Leona's attenttion for long.

The little Halloween fiasco had spark a chance, sure, merely a few hours of wandering aimlessly in an unknown realm had provided Ace with the center of his attention for a short while. Perhaps Ace had manage to extend it far longer than it should, popping up cheeky here and there everytime Leona round a corner or with his nearing obsessed clinging days after just to hope that the senior would spare him another glance.

It got him a little pat on the head, nothing much, but maybe Ace had been smiling to himself more frequently every time he recall the shadows of it.

Yuu was right, Ace is desperate at this point.

But hey, it's not easy crushing hard for a prince, and neither was it everyday you get his attention for it.

Not that Ace could keep it for too long, not with this school constantly being the center of trouble and dragging them all into it. Halloween had soon become forgetful enough that no one talks about it anymore, not with the Masquerade shenanigans shinning in the spotlight of the huge rumor circle and its peculiar power pairings that had unexpectedly but cleverly solve the possible world's crisis.

A pair of senior and junior who got a bit along was nothing too remarkable anymore.

And that's the hard thing about NRC, if there are rumours and whispers circling about how much two people got along, then they would have a reason to get along. Approaching each others during meals for activities recanting random details about what they had done previously until the farce is strong enough that the circle regard them as such, then they could do that any other day.

Sometimes the freshmen wouldn't exactly follow this rule, switching between club activities or dorm outings, but Ace had never seen any other upperclassmen gets too chummy if no one had been talking about them.

So you see, Ace was nowhere close to even solidifying that rumour about him and Leona yet. Not when the senior's constant absence from lunch and his little fanclub of Savanaclaw students makes approaching him like hell on earth. Stumbling onto the greenhouse mid-day wouldn't work either, not when Ace values his life and reputation a bit too much to recklessly intrude on Leona's den then proceed to get fanboy plastered on his face.

So, like every other time Ace is met with a blockage in his road, he slumps. Face first on the lunch table with his friends glancing worriedly amongst themselves and seniors decking for another table at the earliest troublesome signs.

Real good friends, all of them.

"What happened?" Someone asks, settling themselves on his empty right side nearly touching his shoulder, a bit too close for personal spaces.

Ace assume it's Floyd in a rare good mood, the senior never had any respect for it.

"Life problems." Ace spits out, can't even be bothered enough to raise his head.

"More like love problems," Yuu muses to his left, "He has been tormenting us all like this for a week."

"Shaddup, I'm not doing it on purpose."

"The point still stands," His supposed best friend argues, tone unchanging even though he knows Ace's calling him all sort of names in his head. "Take him away and saves us all now, would you?"

"Yuu," Ace groans, turning his head to the left so he can actually scowl at the traitor. "You can't just sell me to Floyd-senpai because you hate feelings."

"Never said Floyd was buying." Yuu says instead, eating another spoonful of curry before he points it behind him. "You might wanna turn around."

Ace doesn't particularly want to see Floyd and his moody grin at the moment, but he turns anyway. Snapping his head back under the table and do a 180.

"You can't even recognize my voice?" Leona scoffs, still holding his chin in his hand as he cuts Ace a glare. "Some admiration you got, spikey."

What.the.fuck

Ace straightens himself immediately, part in shock and another in awe. Pulling his body from the table with a little jolt as his face flushs a crimson red.

Holy sevens, Leona came to the cafeteria during lunch, and sat next to him and even bothered participating in a bullshit conversation about buying Ace as a whole.

"What are you doing here?!" Ace asks in shock, volume hanging a bit high as he finally realizes just how much attention they were getting just from Leona settling there.

"You hadn't been sneaking around anymore," Leona answers, amusement in his tone. "Thought I might check if my biggest admirer broke his leg or some sort while I'm here." He stops, then a grin. "But go figured, you were encountering some different problems instead."

"Yeah, a big one." Yuu adds, playfully supporting this whole charade even though he could have just informed Ace of Leona's presence when he first came in. The fucking traitor.

"Shaddup!" Ace turns with a glare, it's not too intimidating to be honest, but it's the best he got when Leona's staring in his face. "You are officially the worst best friend ever." He glares at the rest of them, the traitors holding their head sideways to avoid his glare. "Worst.friends.ever."

"Fine by me," Yuu shrugs, not even minding Ace a tiny bit. "You heard him, he doesn't want us anymore."

Leona laughs, standing on his feet momentarily as he holds onto Ace's arm and starts dragging him up. "I'll take the brat then, could use a body pillow since I missed so much of my nap."

"Wait, what?!" Ace splutters, not exactly processing anything now that Leona's basically manhandling him out of his seat.

"You wanted a reason, right?" Leona offers, letting go once they were out of the seats before picking Ace up by his legs, the freshman slugs over his shoulder with an oof. "Let's make one."

"W-wait just a damn minute!" Ace yelps, elbows poking on Leona's neck as his hands tries for a proper grip on the gold uniform, struggling in the lion's hold without much progress. "You can't jus-- Leona-senpai! Leonaaaa!!"

Leona didn't mind the failing, not when he walks steadily out of the cafeteria with a screaming Ace on his shoulder as they onlookers crane their neck to follow. Some even poking their heads out of the door to stare as the third-year makes his way down the hallway, mumbling and whispering the newest rumour in circles.

Yuu and the rest continues on with their meals, the first-year looking a bit guilty as they cast some glances towards the laughing seniors and between themselves. But Yuu stays unaffected, chewing on another piece of curry even as Floyd slings an arm around him cackling nonstop and Riddle throwing a furious glare from his spot.

Ace came back to them before curfew, looking a bit worse to wear with a few bites on his nape and a swelling, cherry lip.

[telomeke-bbs]

OUR SKYY 2 x BAD BUDDY x A TALE OF THOUSAND STARS – A REVIEW AND PARTIAL ANALYSIS

Yes, I'm well aware that it's been more than two weeks since the Our Skyy 2 x Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars 4-ep closer for OS2 aired, and I'm far behind the bandwagon in posting this.

Thing is, I've had to take some time to gather my garbled thoughts on how I feel about the mini-series, and I have many. Also, the longer I dawdle, the more others have posted similar musings, and I then have to edit down my own write-up to avoid repeating stuff that others more knowledgeable and eloquent than I have already made public.

This is like my fourth or fifth re-write, and I've already chucked so much aside. But now the ideas jangling in my head seem a bit more coherent, and maybe it's time to solidify them in the written word.

I think part of the block I was facing had to do with the fact that I was expecting the Bad Buddy portions of OS2 x BBS x ATOTS to be doing more than they did, and when they didn't I was left a little directionless. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the episodes though; I most certainly did. How great was it to see Pat and Pran back in action again? 😍 Even though their dynamic and storyline weren't as deeply resonating as what we saw in the original Bad Buddy, they still managed to charm me no end.

While I certainly wanted more information regarding Pat and Pran's relationship (and we did get to see a tiny bit), what I'd really been hoping for was more of the intellectual gamery that had been so carefully interwoven into the original BBS, that was densely layered with metaphor, allegory and messaging. It was also rich with linguistic wordplay and cultural content, and I was on the lookout for more of the same in OS2 the moment Pat and Pran appeared. But these were mostly missing, even though they delivered callbacks and charisma in spades.

It was only upon re-watching that a number of realizations crystallized for me, chief of which was the fact that I'd been looking for things in the wrong place. The subtextual (and even metatextual) cleverness I was expecting actually was there, but it had been woven more into the ATOTS portions instead. And while I like the original ATOTS, it didn't inspire in me the same kind of obsessive love that Bad Buddy had done, so I have never gone in for a re-watch or examined it in greater detail, and thus wasn't paying as much attention to the ATOTS portions of OS2.

More fool me. No wonder my first watch of OS2 x BBS x ATOTS missed what it did, because I kind of sped through Phupha and Tian's story, when the mini-series was leaning more on ATOTS than BBS to telegraph its messaging.

I really shouldn't have been surprised. We know that the creators of Bad Buddy (Director Aof mostly, but Ohm and Nanon were in on it too) viewed BBS as having told all that needed to be told of PatPran’s story, and this was signified by the apartment door closing on the happy couple’s continued rough-housing at the end of Ep.12.

(above) BBS Ep.12 [4/4] 18.22 and 18.23 – the door closes on Pat and Pran's story (dunno who was swinging it shut though – Nong Nao maybe? 😂)

And this is why OS2 x BBS didn’t show us events post-Ep.12, but chose instead to position the mini-series during the timeskip between Episodes 11 and 12.

So when BBS became the success it did, pressure must have mounted on all sides but especially from the higher-ups to squeeze out a sequel somehow, because it would undoubtedly be a money-spinner. But what more is there to spin out when you, the maker, are convinced that not only is the whole yarn already spun and done, the tapestry you wove from it is pretty much complete as well?

I will go so far as to say I think OS2 x BBS x ATOTS was Director Aof’s escape hatch – instead of trying to spin out more from nothing, he shone a spotlight on a previously unseen section of his opus (letting management and fans know we would be getting Pat and Pran back, but then showing us their timeskip rather than events beyond Ep.12). And a short while later he segued artfully into a related piece, wrangling PatPran into a crossover with ATOTS that would have its message revolve a lot more around PhuTian’s story instead. I'm sure we find out more about Phupha and Tian's relationship too, but I'm not going to go into it in any detail because I'm not as au fait with their backstory as I feel I am with Pat and Pran's; I'm pretty sure though that their story in OS2 was the primary vessel for deeper messaging.

And I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one to pick up on Director Aof making ATOTS do the heavier lifting – see @wen-kexing-apologist’s write-ups linked here and here.

To my mind, Director Aof's bait-and-switch (kind of a hallmark with him) was also signaled at the end of OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [4/4], when Pran had to hike up to Pha Pun Dao just as Tian had done in the original ATOTS.

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [4/4] 10.28

Pran found it as much of a physical ordeal as Tian did, and the parallel with Tian's trajectory is unmistakable (while also being oddly illogical, since Pran should still be pretty fit as an ex-rugby player while Tian is a heart transplant recipient 🤷‍♂️).

But in service of the narrative, when an exhausted Pran finally reaches his destination – it’s the waiting Phupha who faints, not Pran-as-Tian. (In the original ATOTS, it was Tian who fainted at the end of the long hike up to PPD and Phupha was the one who caught him.)

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [4/4] 11.28

For me, this signals that a switch-up has happened, and Phupha's story has somehow taken up continuity from Pran's (and we do see him learning from their similar experiences when they talk in the forest in Ep.3). More than just a callback to ATOTS, it also represents the moment when the red thread of the narrative, the coursing of the prana or qi, symbolically transfers from PatPran's storyline to PhuTian's.

So, summarizing the structure of this four-ep mini-series:

Ep.1 was basically a set-up to get PatPran up to the mountains, padded out with lots of gleeful fanservice moments for BBS fans (not that I'm complaining! 💖);

Ep.2 was devoted to setting out the main subject matter at hand and establishing the framework within which it would be discussed (PhuTian’s relationship, juxtaposed against PatPran’s);

Ep.3 – the jungle jaunt – introduced external conflict as the tool by which the subject could be dissected under scrutiny; and

Ep.4 was of course the resolution, drawing matters to their natural conclusion.

And with regard to Bad Buddy, what we see in OS2’s BBS portions is really a kind of compromise. It’s not a sequel to BBS by a longshot, but mostly a flourish of fanservice instead (hence the generous gifting of callbacks and re-creations of iconic moments from BBS, especially in Ep.1 of the four-parter – some scenes, like the one starting at Ep.1 [1I4] 8.31, consisted almost entirely of callbacks).

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [1I4] 8.47

This is not to say we don't see anything at all with regard to growth though. By situating PatPran's storyline during the timeskip between the original BBS Episodes 11 and 12, we were effectively allowed a glimpse into the state and development of their relationship sometime after the heady hormonal rush of their honeymoon period in Ep.11, and before its relative maturity in Ep.12, and there were some choice moments on display.

OS2 called this out at Ep.2 [2/4] 10.29, when Pat asked "Since we’re here in the North, should we make it our honeymoon trip?", which Pran then dismisses with a reminder of their task at hand (getting PhuTian's permission for his play).

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.2 [2/4] 10.51

The honeymoon reference was a callback to BBS Ep.11, in which Pat was wanting to live indefinitely in a sort-of forever honeymoon by the sea (that even he knew was only illusory). Pran's dismissal of Pat's suggestion in OS2 was a reminder that their honeymoon period was over, and it was time for them to be dealing with the growing pains that every couple faces on their journey to a stable pairing.

What wasn't addressed in the original BBS is that PatPran's natural propensity to draw each other into conflict could not have been healthy for their longer-term relationship post-honeymoon, unless they found a way to corral the constant infighting and invent a set of gentlemen's rules that would prevent damage to their bond.

(above) BBS Ep.5 [1I4] 3.19

And I think this is part of what OS2 was trying to show us (however briefly): Pat and Pran moving toward finding a balance between loving each other and punching each other up (emotionally), despite conflict and rivalry paradoxically being the age-old rockbed of their relationship.

The following are some of the relationship dynamics that they explored in OS2:

Transitioning from an individual mindset to a couple-based one (which was highlighted by Pran's solo expedition to the mountains, before Pat managed to catch up);

Adapting to each other's personal styles (Pran's is spikier, and Pat's more embracing);

Learning about give and take, and looking for win-win outcomes rather than keeping score (in OS2, this was illustrated by how their earlier duels – like who gets the auditorium, who gets the HighTem sponsorship – were framed as zero-sum win-lose situations, where a win for one would mean a loss for the other; it was also given a nod in Pran's talk with Phupha at Ep.3 [4/4] 1.19 regarding his insecurities about who gives more in a relationship).

There are possibly others, but these are just the ones I could suss out with my one haphazard re-watch, and I'm not ready to go looking for them. 🤷‍♂️

Now I was originally going to go into these in detail, but I realize it's not what interests me the most about OS2 x BBS x ATOTS, nor do I think OS2 adequately dealt with these (and/or other) relationship issues between PatPran during the mini-series itself (as in, we aren't shown enough of Pat and Pran working together on detangling the knots in their bond for any suggested resolution at the end of the fourth episode to feel logical and satisfying).

It seems almost as though OS2 x BBS x ATOTS was expecting us to believe that PatPran's Ep.3 trial by forest (which they also went through mostly apart from each other) was enough to be some magically purifying crucible, imparting wisdom via its sufferance.

(above left) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.3 [1I4] 15.16 – Tian, Pran and Kampung lost in the forest; (above right) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.3 [1I4] 17.46 – Pat and Phupha on their wilderness search

We do know that PatPran's journey to arrive at a steady-state couplehood will continue unseen beyond OS2 and that they eventually end up on rock-solid footing, with a set of mutually-agreed ground rules for engagement that is acknowledged and respected, because it's obviously what they have in place by the time we see them in BBS Ep.12 (so much so that their relationship could withstand the difficulties of a long-distance commitment after Pran moves to Singapore).

(above) BBS Ep.12 [3I4] 8.15

I'm willing to accept this because I think OS2 x BBS x ATOTS was not meant to be a PatPran vehicle in the main, and so I will take whatever crumbs are on offer and view their forest ordeal as more metaphor than real-time depiction of their actual process to ground their relationship in greater maturity. (If you'd like to look at PatPran's learning track more in detail however, I can point you to the ever-incisive @miscellar's breakdowns linked here, here and here. 🤩👍)

But what I find really interesting about OS2 x BBS x ATOTS is when PhuTian's storyline gets drawn into the mix – and it happens much earlier than you would think on first watch.

One part of OS2 x BBS x ATOTS that stood out for me was all the discourse around the Engineering play, because quite frankly it felt incongruously spotlighted. First of all, why Snow White? And why an entire scene of Pran demonstrating the art of theater to Pat backstage? I now believe Director Aof was doing this to call attention to some underlying significance.

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [2/4] 9.15

Tumblr user @ranchthoughts has very astutely pointed out that the story of Snow White has many parallels with the original ATOTS (e.g., the gallant woodsman; the fragile, privileged damsel who falls in a swoon; the journey through the forest; the misappropriated heart that doubles as proof of good faith – see these links here, here and here for more 🤩👍).

(above) An illustration of the seven dwarfs finding Snow White by Franz Jüttner, from Sneewittchen (1905)

So by bringing up Snow White, Director Aof was already slyly alluding to PhuTian in OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [2/4].

Although it is not a strict retelling of the fairytale, I think that OS2 x BBS x ATOTS also contains elements of Snow White:

Another character (Phupha) swoons into unconsciousness (like Snow White did after biting the poisoned apple);

There is also a journey through the wilderness (mirroring Snow White's abandonment in the woods and finding her way to the dwarf house);

A cast of supporting characters parallels the seven dwarfs (Kampung is one, and this is perhaps why they dressed him in oversized windbreakers, playing with his proportions to make him seem more dwarf-like; this is also possibly why Pat jokingly mentions Korn playing one of the dwarfs in the Engineering play at Ep.1 [1I4] 13.26 – Drake may have been originally envisioned as part of the cast, in character as Rang, up in the mountains);

The magic mirror, that always tells the truth, is actually PatPran, in whom PhuTian see their own relationship problems reflected, and whose truths help them to better their own dynamic (see Phupha's comments at Ep.4 [3I4] 0.53 and 1.05 – "It has to be you two who play the parts" and "No one gets us better than these two" as well as PhuTian's more light-hearted callbacks to PatPran's cheekier moments, e.g., at Ep.4 [2/4] 1.25 and 1.59).

But it's really Pat and Pran's interaction backstage at Ep.1 [2/4] 8.54 that both illuminates and foreshadows some bigger themes to come in OS2 x BBS x ATOTS (when Pran demonstrates how a simple bench can transform onstage, depending on how you frame it for the audience via the narrative).

(above left) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [2/4] 10.12 – Pran shows Pat how a bench can be a dining table; (above right) BBS Ep.3 [3I4] 9.01 – Pat shows Pran how roleplay can spark a creative bus stop design

On the surface level it's a parallel and callback to PatPran's roleplay at BBS Ep.3 [3I4] 8.38 (although flipping the roles with Pran turning educator doesn't quite gel, given that Pat was fully aware of how to use the power of imagination at the bus-stop).

It's also a tip of the hat to theater legend Peter Brook who famously said "I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged", which invokes the same kind of metamorphic magic that turns Pran's bench into a mirror, a dwarf dining table and a glass coffin. (Peter Brook also passed away just a few months before the Our Skyy 2 trailer aired, which lends a poignancy and weight to this moment.)

(above left) Theater legend Peter Brook; (above right) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [2/4] 11.03 – PatPran roleplay Snow White and the glass coffin

The bench as glass coffin is also a metaphor for the constraints that PatPran must face living their relationship in a glass closet – open to view yet limited on all sides by expectations (remembering that they've officially broken up but still have to interact in public on school matters).

And of course it's unmissable that both Snow White's glass coffin and PatPran's relationship are a metaphor for queer lives in the closet. (PatPran leaning in for a kiss on that bench only to be interrupted by a uniformed security guard, is also a tongue-in-cheek reminder about how higher authorities can and do impinge on the freedom of queer people to love freely.)

However, in the context of BL and of Our Skyy 2 as a BL anthology, OS2 x BBS x ATOTS is also a metatextual comment on the telling of queer love stories in the media. The entire four-parter can be seen as a metaphor (or more correctly, an allegory) regarding the commodification of LGBTQ+ love by the BL industry itself, if you will, as well as some of the issues this stirs up.

In OS2 we have:

PatPran turning PhuTian's love story into a drama for public consumption;

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [3I4] 7.00

The emphasis placed on consent for that story to be used (in the words of Ajahn Pichai at Ep.1 [2/4] 12.15, 12.31 and 12.38, and PhuTian's exchange at Ep.2 [1I4] 16.30) and the comment that partial consent is not enough (from Pran at Ep.2 [1I4] 10.18 and 20.22);

(top) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.1 [2/4] 12.38; (middle) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.2 [1I4] 16.32; (bottom) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.2 [1I4] 20.22

Phupha's objection to being portrayed as a one-dimensional love interest, reduced to only his romanticized and/or sexualized self (Ep.2 [1I4] 18.35), instead of being seen as a fully-realized human being in his own right (Ep.2 [1I4] 18.25);

(top) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.2 [1I4] 18.35; (bottom) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.2 [1I4] 18.25

Pran detecting Phupha's self-doubt and commenting at Ep.3 [4/4] 0.58: "Why do I feel like you’re just insecure and not sure if you’re good enough to tell anyone that story?";

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.3 [4/4] 0.58

Phupha finally giving permission for PatPran to dramatize his and Tian's story, with the proviso that Tian and he be played by PatPran themselves (Ep.4 [3I4] 0.48).

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [3I4] 0.48

The parallels with the BL industry are striking. (I'm sticking with BL as the established industry here, but you could perhaps apply the same points to the nascent GL as well.) No disrespect to allies, but Director Aof is pointedly saying the following:

Queer love stories are constantly being dramatized in Thai media (by cishet-dominated parties and largely for cishet consumption) – but this is often done without the LGBTQ+ community having much say, let alone any consent, in the matter;

The commodification of queer love (especially in the BL industry) has resulted in most productions forefronting the romantic and/or sexual aspects of the narrative (understandable, because these are romance-driven), but this also has the unfortunate result of reducing the queer characters to pretty vessels for love stories, deified and/or fetishized, and with limited room for more to be said about other aspects of their queer lives;

Perhaps because of discrimination, people might still be carrying the idea in their heads that queer stories are somehow less valid than the cishet ones that dominate media (remembering how SOTUS had to break the mold for BL, and InkPa for GL) – and the call sometimes even comes from inside the house, when queer people feel that their stories may somehow be unsuitable for mainstream channels (as echoed by Phupha's insecurity, called out by Pran at Ep.3 [4/4] 0.58).

Not only are queer stories that exist beyond the romantic/sexual dimension worthy of being told in a more expansive arena (Pran's Architecture play, and its reception), the LGBTQ+ community should be mindful when control of how these stories are told and who gets to tell them is not in its hands (echoed by "neutral" Ajahn Pichai's reminder about consent, and Phupha's insistence on having a trusted couple incarnate his and Tian's story).

But remembering Director Aof's leanings toward LGBTQ+ activism in his work, it's also possible to read the drama in OS2 x BBS x ATOTS as an allegory itself for real-life situations, beyond this BL anthology's metatextual comment on the BL industry. I think that this is the ultimate message with PhuTian's story being the finale for Our Skyy 2 (landing not coincidentally during Pride Month and all).

With the metaphors in Pran's theater class backstage and the BL allegory as a launchpad, OS2 x BBS x ATOTS (and Ep.4 especially) is also allegory for queer life in a broader context:

In wider society, the narrative for queer lives has for so long been dominated by the cishet majority and dictated by it (just as the queer romances in BL have had to respond to cishet impulses).

So many queer people have to live their lives with varying degrees of (in)visibility, subject to unseen but still suffocating constraints (Snow White's glass coffin, standing in for the proverbial closet).

Queer lives often take on a performative public face and people have to pretend to be less than their whole truth (Pran's bench, actually so much more than meets the eye).

Queer individuals' self-worth and self-acceptance are influenced by the views of those outside the community, whether coming from family or larger society (Phupha's insecurity, called out by Pran at Ep.3 [4/4] 0.58).

Remembering how Heart in Director Aof's recent (and also mega-important) work Moonlight Chicken was sequestered away by his parents because he was different (i.e., he was a Heart who did not fit what they perceived as "normal"), there is also a parallel in OS2 with Tian whose heart is one step removed from what is considered the norm by wider society (being a transplant from Torfun in ATOTS).

(above) Moonlight Chicken Ep.5 [4/4] 12.23 – Heart weeps in silence at his isolation

Tian's heart often causes him pain, and he is often enfeebled or constrained by it, but even so he loves with his heart just as hard as the next guy (maybe even more, seen not just in his relationship with Phupha but also in his compassion for his students and especially the lost Kampung).

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.3 [3I4] 2.57

We are shown that Tian is not willing to be held back by his difference, and expects to live his life to the fullest. It's just that he needs to live his life a little differently, and indeed he thrives when he is given the right circumstances (controlled exertion, and the right sustenance/medication) and freedom to do so. And all this is of course a metaphor for queer people, whose hearts also love differently from the cishet majority's, and who are simply asking for the freedom and space to live their best lives.

So in a sense – just as PatPran were a magic mirror to PhuTian – OS2 x BBS x ATOTS is also Snow White's magic mirror held up to its audience, reflecting truths about queer life back to all who are watching.

But as is typical of Director Aof's work, Our Skyy 2 also suffuses its message with hope, so it's not all hard truths, raw and unvarnished. The series draws to a close on an uplifting note, and as an allegory it hails on behalf of the queer community the hope of a positive future that is presented as not only attainable, but also deserved.

Homophobia is not shown to exist in this universe (as was the case with BBS and also ATOTS). So when Phupha meets up with Tian in Bangkok, they're surrounded by a supportive network of family, friends and allies who were working together to make Phupha's attendance at Tian's birthday celebration a reality.

(top) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [4/4] 3.06 – Tian's birthday celebration with his parents, best friend Tul and surprise guest Phupha; (bottom) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [4/4] 4.32 – Tian's parents give Phupha their blessing to marry Tian

Tian's parents also giving joyful, proud and formal blessing to their union, as well as Tul and Yod's cheerful assistance, all signal the aspirational message that a better, more accepting world is possible for the LGBTQ+ community.

And of course that super-romantic wedding proposal caps it all off:

(top) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [4/4] 8.46 – Phupha kisses Tian's hand after placing the engagement ring on his finger; (bottom) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [4/4] 12.16 – Phupha and Tian's post-engagement kiss by the pool

But it's not just trumpeting support for marriage equality, the cause célèbre that BL series have been championing over the past few years. Noting that Thailand is expected to legalize LGBTQ+ marriage in the coming weeks or months, queer people in the country are now daring to look to the future with much more hope in their hearts. 💖

With this as the context, Phupha and Tian's engagement in the present, with matrimonial union set for the future, can also be seen as symbolizing the hope of even better days to come – when members of the queer community will finally be afforded equal rights in all respects. And I think this has given Our Skyy 2's last episode a rainbow flourish truly worthy of Pride Month 2023. 😍

‌ P.S. Not to take away from the importance of Director Aof's vision, but this is a Bad Buddy blog after all, so I will close this write-up with a bit of a rewind back to PatPran. We didn't get to see a whole lot of information regarding their relationship growth in the four episodes of OS2 x BBS x ATOTS, but there is an Easter Egg hiding within the layers near the end. One of the issues that Pat and Pran had to deal with as a new-ish couple was how to move away from scorekeeping in their constant, competitive jostling. Their first few contests that we saw in OS2 x BBS x ATOTS were win-lose ones ("if you get it, it means that I won't", e.g., the use of the auditorium and the HighTem sponsorship), and that kind of dynamic would only have been corrosive for their couplehood in the longer term. What we see in OS2 x BBS x ATOTS is that in the end they somehow arrive at a win-win instead (just as their Ep.6 Beachside Bet in Bad Buddy sidestepped a black-and-white win-lose outcome and gave them both the winner's prize of being in love). I don't have proof that it's intentional, but Director Aof and his team are certainly clever enough to have planned it to be so. For if ATOTS really is a version of Snow White, both of them got to stage their plays (and share in the sponsorship) since Pran's play (ATOTS) is also Pat's play (Snow White). OS2 x BBS x ATOTS winks at this with Pat – an Engine boy – playing Snow White/Tian, and by showing Wai and Korn in cahoots backstage (why should Engineering student Korn be helping with the Archi play anyway?). 😍

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [3I4] 6.55 And then PatPran are of course forced to kiss onstage (celebrating their union in more ways than one).

(above) OS2 x BBS x ATOTS Ep.4 [3I4] 7.13 Another sly little wink from OS2, they're lovers pretending to be enemies pretending to be lovers, which in a way is also emblematic of OS2 x BBS x ATOTS's deeper message, told matryoshka-style with layers of allegorical meaning. 💖

‌

[impactrueno]

these were my contributions to this year's shortaki week back in june.

prompts were:

MUSE / PLAYGROUND+VULNERABLE TRANSPARENCY / SPOTLIGHT DESSERT / DISGUISE

p.s: the dessert one was a collab between me and the wonderful @meatgiri 💘