#I love every Thursday to watch this BL

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

Napoleonville [Chapter 5: The Haunted House]

Series Summary: The year is 1988. The town is Napoleonville, Louisiana. You are a small business owner in need of some stress relief. Aemond is a stranger with a taste for domination. But as his secrets are revealed, this casual arrangement becomes something more volatile than either of you could have ever imagined.

Chapter Warnings: Language, references to sexual content (18+ readers only), dom/sub dynamics, smoking, drinking, drugs, infidelity, kids, parenthood, Adventures With Aegon, Targ family dysfunction, bodily injury, no Willis this time yay!!! 🥳

Word Count: 7.3k.

Link to chapter list (and all my writing): HERE.

Taglist: @marvelescvpe @toodlesxcuddles @era127 @at-a-rax-ia @0eessirk8 @arcielee @dd122004dd @humanpurposes @taredhunter @tinykryptonitewerewolf @partnerincrime0 @dr-aegon @persephonerinyes @namelesslosers @burningcoffeetimetravel-fics @daenysx @gemini-mama @chattylurker @moonlightfoxx @huramuna @britt-mf @myspotofcraziness @padfooteyes @aemonddtargaryen @trifoliumviridi @joliettes @darkenchantress @florent1s @babyblue711 @minttea07 @libroparaiso @bluerskiees @herfantasyworldd @elizarbell @urmomsgirlfriend1 @fudge13 @strangersunghoon

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist! 🥰🧁

Every house is haunted, not just by phantoms of the past but by the ghosts of what could have been. They live in shadows, in doorways, in the periphery of your vision; you walk through them like smoke or mist. Their blood—pooled and pulseless—is a cold spot in a sweltering room, their fingerprints are the woodgrain swirls of floorboards. If you listen closely, you can hear them at night in the chorus of the cicadas and the owls and the wet westbound wind. They whisper questions you’ve never been able to answer: Have I made the right choices? Have I done the best I could? Is love a myth or does it only exist for other people? Am I a prisoner of the past or the future or myself? Why have I never been chosen?

In the bathtub, you stare at the pale blue walls veined with cracks like the legs of a spider. On the tree swing in the front yard—here long before you moved in, inherited from the effort and care of another family’s hands—you skim your bare feet over emerald blades of grass and watch the lightning bugs appear at dusk. In Cadi’s room, you play the Nintendo when she asks and try to forget who gave it to her; and when she asks about Aemond, you say he’s busy with work, because how else can you explain his absence to a child? In the kitchen, you break eggs into glass bowls of vanilla, sugar, flour, butter, baking powder, but you keep getting pieces of shell in the mix, something that almost never happens anymore. You snap, grab an egg, pitch it against the refrigerator where it explodes into calcium carbonate shrapnel and sterile yellow gore.

Amir looks up, startled. Behind his rectangular tortoiseshell glasses, his eyes dart between you and the viscera that stains the refrigerator door. At last he says softly, seriously: “What is it you liked so much about him?” Implicit in this statement are others: You’ve never liked a man this much. You’ll never see Aemond again.

You study your palms, tools of creation, tools that destroy. “I spend every second of my life consumed by responsibilities. The house, the car, the bakery, the bills, Cadi, Willis, myself, even you. There’s no one to tell me what the right thing to do is. There’s no one who can carry the weight for me. I can’t show it when I’m tired or frustrated or scared. And so to have someone who—even for an hour, even for fifteen minutes—could take care of me, and make all the decisions, and convince me to trust him…it’s the closest I ever get to being at peace.”

Amir gives you a sad, vanishingly small smile. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.” And you wet a dishcloth so you can begin to clean up your mess.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s Thursday, and you’re coming home after delivering cakes for a birthday party down in Thibodaux. Your car radio is blaring Message In A Bottle by The Police. When you roll into the gravel driveway, the red Audi Quattro is waiting for you: parked right beside the house, like he belongs here, like he owns it. You throw open the door of your Chevy Celebrity and rage up the sloping, groaning steps of the front porch.

The first thing that hits you is the cold. There is an ambient humming, a chill that raises goosebumps on your bare arms. When you rush to the kitchen, you find an air conditioning unit in one of the windows, a metal box that turns the Fall-Down House into a tundra. They’re sitting at the hastily-cleared counter: Aemond leafing through the ledger book containing the financial records for the bakery, Amir beside him sipping a glass of sweet tea. Aemond glances up at you and then back down at the pale green pages, the lines of his face intense, focused. Amir greets you with a nervous titter, hiding behind his sweet tea. Ice jangles in the glass.

“What the fuck is that?”

“Our new air conditioner!” Amir says, overjoyed. “The customers are going to love it. No more waiting around in a stifling kitchen. You know how miserable it gets in here during the summer. We won’t be able to get rid of them! They’ll be purchasing cupcakes by the dozen just to have an excuse to get out of the heat!”

Aemond is still scrutinizing the ledger. “Why aren’t you buying in bulk?” he asks Amir. “The shelf life on things like sugar and flour has got to be six months at least.”

“We don’t have the liquid capital. We can’t spend cash if we don’t have cash.”

“And all these business expenses—mixers, coolers, pans, blenders, knives, the gas you burn when you make deliveries, the water you use to wash dishes—those are all tax write-offs, right?”

Amir hesitates. Aemond is aghast, his eyebrows shooting up into the blonde hair that shags over his forehead. The strands are damp with sweat and curling at the edges; he’s been working hard. He’s the one who heaved the air conditioner up onto the window ledge. His Marlboro jacket is draped over the back of his barstool. He’s wearing jeans, a black MTV t-shirt, and his Adidas sneakers.

“Please tell me you haven’t been paying income tax on money you aren’t actually keeping.”

“I didn’t know what we were allowed to write off, I was petrified to make a mistake! I don’t want to end up in Rikers!”

“They don’t put people in Rikers for tax evasion. You’d only go to minimum security.”

Amir rolls his eyes. “Well now you’ve convinced me.”

You are betrayed, furious. “You’re showing him the book?”

“He’s very bossy,” Amir says, slurping his sweet tea. “As you know.”

Aemond asks you, making notes on a legal pad he’s commandeered: “Do you have an IRA?”

“A what?”

“An IRA,” Aemond repeats slowly, emphasizing every syllable. “An individual retirement account.”

Should I? Could I? What the hell is that? “Um. I don’t think so.”

Aemond sighs, exasperated. He jots down another bullet point on his legal pad. “You need one.”

“I need you to get out of my house.”

“Shh!” Amir pleads. “He bought us an air conditioner!”

“Do you know how much that’s going to cost us in electricity? The bill is going to go through the roof. We’re not going to be able to afford this. And he doesn’t care, because he hasn’t even thought of it. Drop an oil rig into a lake and solve the unemployment crisis. Throw an air conditioner in a window and buy someone’s loyalty. He doesn’t understand us. He doesn’t care about us. He’s not capable of it.”

“I’ll pay for the electricity,” Aemond says. Now he’s looking at you.

“Get out,” you demand.

He seems—perplexingly—to be genuinely wounded. “I’m trying to help you.”

“Get out!”

Aemond stands, walks to you, backs you up until your shoulder blades hit the refrigerator. The metal door is cluttered with Cadi’s drawings, secured there with multicolored alphabet magnets: dinosaurs eating people, Rambo, astronauts rocketing to the moon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Aemond is so close you can smell the cigarette smoke and cologne and sweat on him, see the smudges of ink on his fingers. His right eye travels all over you, defiant and hungry. His left eye—and you only notice when there’s no space left between you—is an impassive, glassy, not-quite-identical blue that never moves. It’s an imposter, and a very good one; but it’s not him. You think, unable to say it: What happened to your face? Who hurt you? Instead you strike out to shove Aemond away with both hands.

“Get out of my house—!”

“You want to get rough with me? Will that make you feel better?” he murmurs darkly, ignoring your palms when they collide with his chest, his collarbones, his jaw. Your flesh can’t hurt him, it can only graze his skin like stray bullets. “You want to hit me? Go ahead. I’ve had worse. I promise you I have.”

“I hate you!”

But you haven’t said the right word, and you both know it. He grabs your wrists, holds them still, whispers low and menacing into your ear as you struggle to rip your hands out of his grasp. “I dreamed about you all night. Tying you down, stretching you open. I want that. I think you do too.”

“I don’t want it,” you hiss; but already you’re imagining him on top of you, inside you, in control of you, and to resist that is like trying to fight the instinct to seek water, sleep, sunlight.

“Then tell me to stop.”

You glare up at Aemond, raging, burning. His gaze locks with yours and stays there. You are suddenly aware of the heat of his fingers linked around your wrists, of the pressure of his hips against yours as he pins you to the refrigerator. You can’t say it. I don’t want him to stop touching me. I don’t want him to leave and never come back.

Again, Aemond dares you: “Tell me to stop.”

From the kitchen counter, Amir is gawking at you both, his eyes huge, stunned, painfully uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he doesn’t look away. “I’m not leaving,” he informs Aemond. Just in case you’re weak enough to agree to something you’ll regret later; just in case you need a friend.

The spell breaks, the curse lifts. Aemond releases you and takes several steps back. He breathes deeply, running his fingers through his damp hair, composing himself. “You’re a good person,” he says to Amir.

“Thanks. I’m afraid I can’t return the compliment.”

Aemond turns back to you. Now he’s penitent, measured. Already, a part of you misses the weight of his bones on yours. But that’s not why Aemond is here. “Let me talk. Let me explain.”

No, you almost say. I’m not interested. I don’t want you anymore. There’s nothing you can tell me that will make me feel at peace with you again.

Instead, after long moments colored by waning sunlight and the whirring of the new air conditioner in the window: “Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~

You’re on the tree swing, gripping the ropes and swaying slightly back and forth as you push off with your bare feet, rocking from your heels to your toes and then back again. Aemond lights a cigarette and takes a drag as he sits cross-legged on the grass in front of you. Amir keeps peeking out from between the blinds of the living room windows. Aemond glances around the yard, and you realize he’s searching for the alligator. His Marlboro jacket is folded neatly on the ground next to him.

“The gator’s not here right now, Aemond. She’s probably over in the trees. She’s not going to hurt you.”

He nods, but he doesn’t seem convinced. He fidgets restlessly with his cigarette.

All that money, all that power, all that ecological ruin, and he’s petrified of a five-foot gator that’s probably never eaten anything bigger than a pelican. It’s ridiculous. You smile weakly. “I think you have a phobia.”

He gestures to his scar, to his ruined left eye. “I’m afraid one will sneak up on me and I won’t be able to see it.”

He’s never spoken like this to you before, acknowledging his limitations, his impairment. He’s trying to be honest. He really is. “Where’s Christabel?”

“Back in the U.K.”

“When are you getting married?”

He shrugs, uninterested. “A few months from now, I guess. July. August. It doesn’t matter. I’m not really involved in the planning.”

“You’re a cheater,” you say. It comes out less accusatory than mournful. Why did you have to disappoint me? Why did you have to ruin this?

Aemond is dismissive. He puffs on his cigarette. “Everyone cheats.”

“No they don’t.”

“Everyone from my world cheats,” Aemond amends. “You marry for money or status or land or whatever, to prove you can snag someone who should be above you, to make your parents proud of you, to make sure your children have the right last name and titles. Then when the novelty fades—and it does, it always does—you find passion elsewhere.”

“That’s barbaric.”

“That’s aristocratic. Poor people get divorced two or three times. They have public brawls and call the cops on each other. We just have a different solution to life’s inevitabilities. My mother cheats with Criston, Daemon and Rhaenyra cheated with each other, I cheat with you, Aegon cheats with…I couldn’t even list them. A lot of people.”

Aegon. So that’s the debaucherous brother’s name. “Not all fancy rich people cheat. Prince Charles doesn’t cheat.”

Aemond bursts out laughing. “Of course he does! He’s been fucking Camilla Parker Bowles since like 1970!”

Your stomach sinks. Poor Diana. “I thought they were just friends now.”

“Yeah, sure, that’s what the tabloids say.” He inhales smoke—cancerous, lethal—and then exhales it in a grey gale like fog. “I think they stopped for a few years after he got married. But presently they spend as much time as they possibly can rendezvousing at all their friends’ country estates. Charles and Diana are miserable, but they’ll never split up. She’s entertaining herself with a cavalry officer named James Hewitt. Who looks suspiciously like Prince Harry, by the way.”

“And who does your father fuck on the side? Nancy Reagan?”

“He prefers the memory of a dead woman to my living mother. I’d say that counts as infidelity.”

The photograph Aegon showed me on the Targaryens’ refrigerator. Rhaenyra’s mother. And what else had been on that refrigerator? Pictures of the rest of the family? Old sketches and report cards? Souvenirs? A calendar with upcoming birthdays circled or starred? No. There was nothing. You consider Aemond with a disorienting blend of pity and barbed, venomous frustration. “I’m sorry Viserys has never been a good father to you. But that’s not an excuse to ruin other people’s lives.”

“Look, what you did…” Aemond begins with sizable effort. He puts the end of his cigarette out on the sole of one of his Adidas sneakers. “To walk away from something you believe isn’t right when everyone else is telling you to stay…that’s not easy. And maybe for you it didn’t feel so insurmountable because you’ve had to learn how to survive painful things on your own before. But all I’ve ever done was break my own bones so my father would notice me. I don’t mean that as a metaphor. I’ve fractured my ribs, my hands, my skull. And it’s still not enough. Love isn’t given in my family. I have to earn it. It’s all I know.”

“You could learn something new.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t. I won’t. That’s not a language I speak.”

Exactly how bad of a father was Viserys Targaryen? “Aemond, what happened to your face?”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

You study him. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to be my Camilla,” Aemond says.

“No. No way.” But you’re amazed by how badly you want to say yes. One word and he’ll touch me again? One word and I can have him back the way we were before? It doesn’t seem possible to resist that. It’s not something that should be expected of any mortal.

“I want to be around you. I want you to keep making me feel the way you do, because it’s…it’s…it’s not something I get from anyone else. And I want to make your life better. I have the ability to do that.”

“Because you’re an oil tycoon.”

“Yes,” Aemond agrees. “I was born to be one, and so I am. But even if I wasn’t—if I refused, if I died—it’s not like the trillion-dollar industry would just disappear. There’s Jade Dragon, sure, but there’s also ExxonMobil, Shell, British Petroleum, Chevron, Valero, Marathon, a hundred others. Someone would be drilling on Lake Verret regardless. But the person in charge might be less scrupulous than I am. I’m doing the best I can here.”

“Were you in Ketchikan when the spill happened there?”

“No. I’ve never been to Alaska. That was someone else’s project. It was a fuckup, it was Jade Dragon’s fault. But my father is the one fighting it in court. I have no control over that.”

Someone else’s project…

“Come to my house tonight,” he says.

“No, Aemond.”

“Then come over on Saturday.” And you think: He remembered which days Cadi is usually with Willis.

“I don’t want to be your mistress.” I want to be more than that, oh God, I want so much more. You think of Christabel touching him and wrenching nausea cuts through you like a blade. You imagine Aemond’s hands taking off her clothes—zippers, buttons, ribbons, belts—and you feel like there’s almost nothing you wouldn’t do to stop it from happening.

“We’re from two very different words,” Aemond says calmly, sensibly. “And it’s going to be impossible for us to understand each other unless we make an effort to learn about where we’ve come from. You’ve invited me into your home, your business, your family, and I’m very grateful for that. Now I need to do the same. And I think if you see more of my life, you’ll realize why I make the decisions I do and what it would mean for us to be together. Because in my experience, husbands and wives aren’t soulmates like they are in books or movies. It’s someone else who you actually…” He breaks off, then continues once he’s decided on the phrasing. “Spend most of your time with.”

Part of you knows that this arrangement would be hopelessly inadequate; you would feel like you were settling for less than you want, you would feel unchosen. But the louder part of you is clinging to it like a life raft. I want him to touch me again. I want him to make me forget about everything else. “I’ll think about it. Visiting the house, I mean.”

“Please do,” Aemond says. “How was Cadi’s weekend fishing?”

He really does listen to you; he remembers things. Even things you mention once and then never again. “She loved it. Willis knows more about the bayou than I’ll ever know about baking. They caught three catfish, four breams, and a bass, and then they made them into fish sticks. Thank God she has one parent who can cook. Even if Willis thinks Hungry Jack mashed potatoes are a vegetable. You know what he puts in the pot instead of milk? Coffee creamer. Cups of it.”

Aemond doesn’t seem pleased to be reminded of Willis’ existence. He says, rather mechanically: “I’m really glad Cadi enjoyed herself.” He grabs his Marlboro jacket, rises to his feet, scans the yard for the alligator. She’s made an appearance at last: she’s sunbathing about ten yards away, nowhere near close enough to be a nuisance. Still, Aemond frowns. Then he clears his face and looks back to you one last time as he strides towards his Audi Quattro. “And Cupcake?”

You peer up at him, shielding your eyes from the late-afternoon sun. “Yeah?”

“When you come to the house…” He grins. Not if. When. “Bring your swimsuit.”

~~~~~~~~~~

You cut the engine and survey the grand entranceway of the house that the Targaryens call The Last Desire, words in Greek that you couldn’t pronounce. The blue merle Great Dane—Vhagar, you recall, yet another bizarre foreign name—is lurking between the towering white columns of the wraparound porch. “Fantastic,” you mutter, stepping out of the car. It’s Saturday, 2 p.m., hot and muggy and cicadas screeching in the southern live oaks. Green anoles dart across the cobblestones and freshly-painted white wood of the porch. Whooping cranes, haughty and fragile, ogle you with reptilian yellow eyes.

You pause when you reach the bottom step of the porch. The Great Dane growls at you, her lips curling up to show long fanglike teeth. You’re carrying two bakery boxes stacked on top of each other: one contains a dozen blueberry pie cupcakes, the second filled with fresh Cap’n Crunch Treats. You glance around for someone to assist you with the hostile dog situation. You have no interest in attempting to shove her away like Alicent did on the day of the engagement party.

Blessedly, the head butler materializes in the doorway and beckons you inside. When Vhagar snarls as you approach, the butler pulls a small plastic water gun from the pocket of his black dress pants. “I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience,” he tells you, and then squirts the dog several times. Vhagar reluctantly lopes away. “Please allow me to escort you to the pool. Mr. Targaryen instructed us to be on the lookout for you.” Then he breezes into the house without checking to make sure you’re following him.

You trot after the butler through the white-and-gold foyer, the deep red living room, and then out into the garden. There is a long row of neon green lounge chairs on the side of the pool opposite of the water slide. Three of the chairs are occupied. Helaena is stretched across one wearing a frilly one-piece, floral with ladybugs; her chameleon is perched on the top of the adjustable backrest. Alicent is in the chair beside her, dressed in a turquoise blue coverup that matches the pool water and reading The Silence of the Lambs. They both wave nonchalantly, seemingly unsurprised by your presence. And then there’s Aegon. He’s smoking a joint as a black boombox beside him plays The Cure’s Why Can’t I Be You? You place both bakery boxes on a table shielded from the sun by a large green umbrella.

“What’s in there?” Aegon asks. He’s wearing pink plastic sunglasses, a radiant fuchsia sunburn, and a Speedo patterned with pineapples. His ferret is curled up in his lap and napping.

“Blueberry pie cupcakes and Cap’n Crunch Treats.”

“Yes! Pass me one of each.”

“Don’t be rude, Aegon,” Alicent says dully, turning a page of her book. “She’s not a servant.”

“She’s a literal baker. I’m asking for baked goods.”

“Dear, I’ve been singing your praises to every single person I cross paths with in this jungle of a town,” Alicent tells you, ignoring him. “Have you noticed yet?”

You hand Aegon his treats; he marvels at the miniature blueberry pie placed atop the cupcake frosting before scarfing it down. “I think we’ve had more customers than usual this week, now that you mention it. Thank you so much! Amir and I are more grateful than we could ever express.”

“Oh, it’s the least I could do, love,” Alicent says. Criston appears with a strawberry daiquiri and gives it to her, complete with a swirl of whipped cream and a little pink toothpick umbrella pierced through a wedge of lime. Criston wears a pair of roomy Hawaiian board shorts and his single gold earring. Alicent takes a sip. “Heavenly! I am completely revived.”

“Helaena, would you like one?” Criston asks.

“Yes please.”

“And one for Aemond’s friend too, please,” Alicent says. Criston nods and hurries off again. Nobody asks if Aegon wants a strawberry daiquiri. He gnaws moodily at his cupcake and then when it’s gone moves on to the Cap’n Crunch Treat. Helaena’s chameleon snatches a dragonfly out of the air with its tongue. Alicent shudders.

Aemond’s friend? Friend?? You sit down on the lounge chair next to Aegon, still wearing your pale pink coverup. He tells you: “Aemond should be back soon. He got a phone call and had to swing by the rigs after lunch but he didn’t think it would take long.” Then Aegon smiles toothily, and you notice he has residual white powder around the corners of his lips and just inside his nostrils. “It’s good to meet you properly this time, now that I’m aware of all your talents.”

“You know about Aemond’s…uh…preferences?”

“Oh yeah, and I knew he had a girl. He always has to have a girl. I just didn’t know it was you. He doesn’t usually bring them around the family.”

You steal a glimpse of Alicent and Helaena. If they’re listening in, they’re doing an excellent job of not acting like they are.

“I think we should address this,” Aegon says.

You are stymied. “Address what?”

“It would never work, me and you.”

“I hadn’t even thought of it.”

“Sure you haven’t,” Aegon says. He flourishes a hand melodramatically. “You need a dom. I am, lamentably, an irredeemable sub. I’m a sheep in wolf’s clothing.”

“Okay, Aegon.”

“I just needed to break the tension.”

“I think you’re imagining that.”

There are footsteps, the slapping of flip flops against the cobblestones, and then someone who looks like a younger, more cheerful, more sober Aegon arrives at the pool. He is dressed in royal blue swim trunks that stop at his mid-thigh; his wavy blond hair is down to his shoulders. Like his family members, he also does not seem at all surprised to see you. “Hi,” he says, shaking your hand. “I’m Daeron. I didn’t get to introduce myself at the engagement party. I’m sorry about that. I was entangled in a very competitive tennis match on the courts out back for most of the day.”

Alicent asks: “Daeron, love, would you like a strawberry daiquiri when Criston reappears?”

“Yeah, Mum, that would be great.” He parks himself on the available chair beside her and begins asking about her book. As they chat, a blue macaw flaps through the garden and uses its long, leathery talons to claim the backrest of Daeron’s lounge chair.

“It’s so sweet of you to take an interest in my reading, Daeron,” Alicent gushes. “None of my other children ever do…”

Aegon groans loudly. Everyone ignores him. Criston arrives with two strawberry daiquiris, one for you and one for Helaena. You take a sip through a plastic straw with several loops in it: icy cold and jarringly sweet.

“And one for Daeron too please, Criston,” Alicent requests. “Did you hear that he just got another article published? It’s about evaluating rock wettability.” Her tone suggests that she has no idea what this means; nonetheless, she is ardently enthusiastic.

“That kid is going places,” Criston says admiringly.

Aegon counters: “That kid’s had phone sex with Michelle Pfeiffer.”

You laugh, thinking that it’s a joke. Daeron just gives you a sheepish smile. Oh, you think. Not a joke.

Criston hustles back inside the house. An old man passes Criston as he strolls out to the pool. He looks around blearily, like he’s hungover or has just woken up from a nap or both. His bloodshot eyes skate over you without much interest. He squints at the pool floats that bob in the rippling, crystalline water, sparkly rings and an assortment of foam noodles and a giant cartoonish alligator.

“How was Kiribati?” Aegon says.

“Much better than here. This goddamn humidity!”

“I can’t believe you missed the engagement party, Father,” Alicent says glumly.

“Oh no, how could I! I’ll never have any way of knowing what transpired!” He plops down onto a chair near the end of the row. His bare feet are gnarled, his toenails long and yellowed. “Let me guess. Cake was served, champagne was toasted, people bragged about their stupid hobbies and their ugly children, that girl scuttled about with her perpetually-startled eyes and asinine comments. Do you remember when she tried to give me her condolences when she learned your mother passed away years ago? Why would I want some moonstruck idiot’s condolences? She didn’t know your mother. She doesn’t know anything.”

“Christabel is very young,” Alicent offers gently.

“She’s very something, that’s for sure. Very useless. Very irritating. This family would be in a much better state if Viserys wasn’t the one making all the decisions. His judgment has declined precipitously.” He casts a poisonous glare at Aegon. Aegon pretends not to notice.

“I like Christabel,” Helaena says. Her chameleon gobbles up a butterfly that ventures too close.

“Yes, I’m sure you do.” The old man’s voice is kinder now. “You see the best in everyone. But dear Helaena, we are in for a lifetime of insipid simpers and vapid conversations.”

“A lifetime?” Aegon says. “So not much longer for you, Grandfather. What a comfort.”

The old man glowers at Aegon. “We should have left you in Alaska to have your throat slit by those animals.” And you hear Aemond’s words reverberating in your skull: I’ve never been to Alaska. That was someone else’s project.

Aegon is rolling himself a fresh joint, accidentally spilling sprinkles of weed on his slumbering ferret. He snorts. “I don’t care what Alaskans think of me.”

Daeron says: “Aegon, you poisoned 1,000 square miles of the ocean.”

“The fucking ocean,” Aegon mutters. “What do we even need the ocean for?”

“Vacations,” Otto says.

Helaena adds: “Sushi.”

Daeron is distressed. “Actually, the ocean is super important.”

“Why are we talking about the ocean?” Aemond asks as he strolls through the garden and pauses by the edge of the pool to dip a foot in to test the temperature. He’s wearing black swim trunks and nothing else, just his skin, just his scar and his glass left eye. He sees you, smiles, goes to the bakery boxes and lifts out a cupcake. He sits down on the edge of your lounge chair as he licks off the wave-blue frosting. No one makes any comment, and no one brings up Aegon’s role in the Ketchikan oil spill again.

Criston returns once more with a strawberry daiquiri for Daeron. “Well, I’ve just about killed the blender, so hopefully we don’t need any more—”

“But Criston!” Alicent cries. “What about Aemond and my father? Perhaps they are in need of refreshments.”

Criston sighs. Crestfallen, he looks at Aemond. “Do you want a strawberry daiquiri?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll just have a few sips of hers.”

Aegon says: “Can I get a pina colada?”

Criston turns towards the old man. “Otto? Daiquiri?”

“No, but if you could immediately teleport me back to the South Pacific, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Pina colada??” Aegon says again.

“Okay, Aegon,” Criston snaps. “Calm down. Let me figure out if we have any more coconut cream.” Alicent’s part-time bodyguard and personal assistant, part-time babysitter, part-time affair partner vanishes into the house yet again.

Aegon lurches to his feet. “No one listens to me,” he tells you morosely. “You see that? No one remembers. That’s how you know they don’t care.”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Alicent tells Aegon, not looking up from her book.

“Wait, someone is missing…” Otto muses, stroking his beard.

Aegon staggers to the edge of the pool, drags over a sparkly turquoise inflatable ring, and flops onto it. He paddles himself out towards the center of the pool. His ferret bounds after him, leaps into the water, and swims until it reaches Aegon, wriggling through the blue like a golden-furred snake. “Hey Sunfyre, you wanted to come too?” Aegon lifts the soaked ferret from the water and places it on his chest, soft and sunburned. “My bad. I assumed you’d prefer dry land.”

Otto—cantankerous and grating—looks around, baffled. “Wait, where’s Viserys?”

“He’s inspecting some of the rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico,” Aemond says as he finishes the cupcake and takes a slurp of your daiquiri. “He won’t be back until the end of the week.”

“Thank God,” Aegon exclaims from the middle of the pool.

Alicent changes the subject. “How long have you been baking, dear?” she asks you.

“Forever, basically. But I started getting serious about making it a business when my daughter was really young, about nine years ago. Now Amir and I sell hundreds of items a week, sometimes thousands.”

Daeron is nodding along, but he appears a little confused. He has gotten himself a Cap’n Crunch Treat and is feeding pieces of it to his blue macaw. “And you do that because…you want to?”

“Well I have to pay rent.”

“Oh. Right. Of course.”

“And I could have been a checkout girl at the Doller General, or worked seasonally harvesting soybeans or sugarcane, or begged my ex-husband to get me a job in the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office…but I wanted to do something that didn’t make me miserable. And something that was really mine, that I chose.” Aemond is watching you thoughtfully. The other Targaryens are a tad interested but far more perplexed. They can’t understand work the way you do. They can’t understand money as something that must be counted.

“Brilliant!” Alicent declares at last. “Well, maybe one day we’ll have you making six cakes for Helaena’s engagement party, who knows!”

“It would be my absolute pleasure. Do you have a potential husband hanging around, Helaena?”

She giggles, covering her blushing face with both hands. Her chameleon creeps down to cling to her shoulder, as if to make sure she’s alright. Its conical eyes flit in random directions, an unmitigated freak of nature. You should have more compassion for it.

Aemond grins. “Helaena is responsible for no less than three broken engagements. She can’t commit.”

“And she’s only into guys who look like Aegon,” Daeron adds.

“No!” Helaena objects. “That is such a lie, that’s not true!”

“Evander?” Daeron says.

Helaena pauses to think. “Okay, yes, he looked kind of like Aegon.”

“He did, didn’t he?” Alicent frets, nibbling at the fingernail of her pinky.

“Dimitri?” Aemond says.

“Oh no,” Helaena moans; but she’s laughing too. “Oh no.”

“Sebastian?” Aegon says, and now they’re all howling.

Otto shakes his head. “Freud would definitely have some thoughts about this.”

“Bloody hell,” Helaena whimpers, swiping tears from her face. Her chameleon nudges her jaw with its shimmering, blue-green muzzle. “I totally only date guys who look like Aegon.”

Aegon shrugs from where he’s floating in the pool with Sunfyre. “Good taste, I’d say. Fuck them all, homegirl.”

“Aegon!” Alicent shouts, scandalized.

Criston dashes out of the house and to the edge of the pool, clutching a pina colada that is swiftly melting. “You better paddle yourself over here, kid. I don’t offer in-water delivery.”

“You’d do it for my mother.”

“Probably. But you’re not her.”

Aegon groans as he splashes around without making much progress. “Okay, okay, give me a second…”

Aemond turns to you. “How do you like the house? I realized I never got the chance to ask last weekend.”

“I like all the stained glass, and I like that every room is a different color. The living room is red, the dining room is yellow, the kitchen is teal, Aegon’s bedroom is black—”

“Wait, how do you know?” Aemond is alarmed.

You chuckle. “No, no, not like that. I was lost and looking for a bathroom.”

“Didn’t do anything,” Aegon announces from his pool float. “Didn’t do it, didn’t try it, didn’t even think about it. Well…maybe I thought about it. But I definitely did not do anything.”

“Okay.” Aemond exhales, relived. “Close call.”

“What color is your room?”

He’s not going to waste the opportunity to extend an invitation. “Let me show you.”

On the same floor as Aegon’s punk rock bedroom and the lilac bathroom, you trail Aemond to the end of the hallway. At last he opens a door to reveal a room that is a deep, vivid blue like sapphires. The bookshelves that touch the ceiling are filled not with texts on engineering or the energy industry but histories of people whose names you don’t recognize. He has a massive wooden canopy bed swathed in dark blue velvet patterned with circling koi fish made of stars. He has a writing desk, a wardrobe full of suits, a television with an extensive VHS collection. The stained glass windows are a whirlpool of cerulean, navy, aquamarine, indigo, steel, azure. When you peer through the glass, you can see the gleaming currents of Lake Verret and the twisted dead ends of the bayou that forms at its edges, treacherous and untamed.

And when you start to feel that if Aemond tried to grab you, undress you, tie knots around your wrists you wouldn’t stop him, you tell him that you want to go back outside to the pool; and Aemond listens, and he doesn’t try to touch you even once.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s Monday, two days later, and Aemond calls to ask if he can bring you and Cadi dinner. He shows up with all the trappings of what he insists is real Italian food, doubtlessly prepared by his family’s private chefs: focaccia, caprese salad, ossobuco, risotto, Bolognese, panna cotta. He forgets the red wine, so you drink sweet tea instead, the three of you crowded around the kitchen counter, ceaselessly passing dishes back and forth while the little pink Panasonic boombox plays You Spin Me Round by Dead Or Alive.

“Hey Mom?” Cadi says as she chomps on a hunk of focaccia.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you ever cook dinners like this?”

There’s a tiny little gut punch, something you’re used to swallowing down even if it bruises you to the heart, to the bones. She doesn’t know any better. You can’t cry, you can’t get mad. You shrug, dispassionate. Aemond glances over at you, abruptly tense but not saying anything. “Well honey, it’s probably because my job can be really busy sometimes, and I spend most of the day in the kitchen, so when dinner time comes around the last thing I want to do is cook. But we always have food to eat, right?”

“Yeah. Like Amir’s leftovers or frozen pizza or something. But all my friends’ moms cook nice dinners most nights. Can’t you do that? When I go to Michelle or Erica’s house for dinner their moms make barbeque ribs, gumbo, seafood boils, etouffee, tasso ham, homemade macaroni and cheese, like real dinners. I want us to have that too. What if my friends want to eat dinner here sometime? I can’t bring them over and then just throw some Swanson’s meals at them.”

Aemond has put his fork down on his plate and is clasping his hands together, trying to figure out what to say. But he shouldn’t say anything. It’s not his place.

You tell Cadi, as calmly as you can: “Different families have different kinds of dinners, and that’s okay. I bet your friends’ moms don’t have cakes and cookies around all the time, but you always have tons of dessert options. Our situation looks different than theirs, but there’s nothing wrong with either one.”

“But desserts aren’t even good for kids. Dinner is way more important. You can’t say I get cakes instead of dinner, too much cake will give me diseases or something.”

“Okay, Cadi. That’s enough. Let’s talk about this later.”

“I’m just saying it seems totally unfair that my friends get real dinners and I almost never do.”

Michelle and Erica’s moms don’t work. They have husbands to support them. So they can spend all day babying a fucking tasso ham, but I don’t have that luxury. And I don’t want to be chained to a man. I don’t want to trade having a say in how my life turns out for being able to slave away over dinner for four or five hours. “I regret to inform you that I’m not like Michelle and Erica’s moms.”

“I wish you were,” Cadi murmurs, entirely unaware of what she’s done. You bite your lower lip so you don’t snap at her, or try to explain, or break down sobbing. You taste blood, hot sharp copper that blooms like wildflowers.

Aemond stands up. His barstool squeals against the sloping wooden floor. “Hey, can I talk to you outside for a minute?” he asks Cadi.

“Aemond, what…?” you begin, but he’s already headed for the front door.

Cadi blinks up at him, horrified. “Why?”

“You’re not in trouble or anything. I just want to show you something. Come on. It’ll be quick.”

“Okay,” Cadi says doubtfully, looking at you. You give her your best reassuring smile, and she slides off her barstool and follows after Aemond. The front door opens and shuts. You don’t hear shouting, you don’t hear much of anything except the air conditioner and the boombox and the mourning doves, the long-eared owl, the cicadas, the bayou, the universe. You go to one of the living room windows and part the blinds to peek outside.

What you see is strange. Cadi is sitting on the swing, and Aemond is kneeling in front of her so they’re just about at the same eye level. You can see half of Aemond’s face; Cadi is blocking the rest. He’s explaining something to her with patient yet insistent gestures of his hands. Cadi says something, and Aemond nods and replies. He points to his scar, his glass eye, and says something else. Cadi asks a question, and Aemond hesitates. Then he acquiesces and moves closer to where she is perched on the tree swing. He reaches up towards the scarred side of his face, but you can’t see his eye. When he lowers his palm, there’s a small piece of curved, oval-shaped glass that glints in the dying sunlight.

“Cool!” you can hear Cadi exclaim, muffled through the windows that are now closed on account of the new air conditioning unit. She says something else, and Aemond agrees. You watch her hand extending towards his face, towards the injury he has revealed to her for reasons you can’t comprehend. You rush to other windows, trying to get a better view, but there’s no way for you to get a clear line of sight. Before you know it, your hear their footsteps drumming up the porch steps. The front door opens just as you’re scrambling back onto your barstool.

“Everything alright?” you say, more nervously than you intend to.

“Yup,” Cadi replies. She climbs into her seat and resumes wolfing down focaccia and Bolognese.

You look over at Aemond, bewildered. His glass eye is back in its socket. He appears composed, but you notice the fresh sheen of sweat on his forehead, at his temples, at the nape of his neck. He gives you a casual little smirk and then returns to his barstool. He picks up his full glass of sweet tea and drains it in three massive gulps.

“Hey Mom,” Cadi says, and your throat is suddenly full of embers.

“Yeah, honey?”

“Tonight is really fun,” she says. She twirls her fork in the pappardelle pasta of the Bolognese, splattering red sauce over her cheeks. “This is great. I want to do this more often.”

And the embers in your throat cool, vanish, are replaced by something vast and free.

“You really do need a new house,” Aemond says as he helps you clean up after dinner; Cadi has already abandoned you both for her Nintendo. “There are new constructions a little further down Route 401, between here and Lake Verret. Three bedrooms, two baths. Not a castle or anything, just the right size for you and Cadi. We can go look at them sometime.”

“I don’t need a whole new house. There are midcentury homes all over the place down here. They’re small, and they might need fixing up, but they’re a lot cheaper.” Then you add, because it sounds less pathetic: “And maybe it’s nice to have a house with some history, some character.”

“Old can be charming and quaint, sure. But brand new is better.”

“Why’s that?”

He smiles. “No ghosts.”

[absolutebl]

Recommendation for something to watch and complete on a off day? I am also off today. Something soft and full of love preferably....

10 Soft BL's to Binge In A Day

(Since I don't sleep and watch high speed I binge full length Thai BL but I'm assuming you want something shorter than that, so I've limited myself to a 5hr runtime.)

1. Semantic Error (Korea Viki) - Sexy older boy discovers pouty younger boy has outed him as a slacker, starts out bullying him, accidentally falls madly in love. Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks by doing a university BL with everything we expect from BL just done exactly right. Korea's signature quality executed perfectly with added bonus good story, great pacing, stunning visuals, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL. Full review.

2. Seven Days (Japan grey in 2 parts Seven Days: Monday - Thursday, Seven Days: Friday - Sunday) - one of the best live action yaoi mangas ever made. The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat, there’s still more kisses than Cherry Magic. Popular first year Seiryo has a policy of going out with any girl who asks… for one week. On a lark, third year Yuzuru tests to see if that policy also applies to boys. Seiryo agrees that it does. Along the way they accidentally fall in love. All the angst is just teen confusion. 

3. Our Dating Sim (Korea Viki) - I enjoyed every aspect from the casting to the very simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s very low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story. Do we call this cozy BL? Why not? This one is going to live in my rewatch pile, I can tell already, and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent. It perfectly suited KBL’s short-length tendencies. Full review.

4. Light On Me (Korea Viki - Korea does an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles. LoM strategically tailors classic BL tropes to 2 different semes resulting in pristine pacing, plot, and character development, explicitly serving narrative (not just to tick boxes). LoM is a master class in this trope drops. (If you write fanfic or romance you should study this show.) Full review.

5. Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan Gaga & Viki) - I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this show. Reserved cool kid who must learn to communicate to keep the tiny disaster nugget he’s madly in love with. It is beyond charming: soft and gentle, packed with cuteness and high school angst, thirst, & yearning. Was there plot? Not really. Was it emotionally tense and paced well enough for me not to notice? Absolutely. Did I enjoy the hell out of it? Oh yes. Full review.

6. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (Taiwan Viki) - super low stakes sweetest story of the bad boy who falls hard for the senior on the volleyball team and then works to earn his love. You know it’s Taiwan so the kisses are great but in this case it also ends well. Only trigger is that the side couple is the stepbrothers trope, and some don’t like that.

7. Cherry Magic (Japan indie subbed) AKA Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni narerurashii - the sweetest, fluffiest, most charming bit of adorable ever, full of found family and pastry and serious slapstick, the characters are utterly bonkers, but cute about it. 

8. Wish You (Korea Netflix or Viki, you want the movie version) AKA WISH YOU: Your Melody in My Heart - low stakes high pining romance about a pianist who falls in love with a busker who is on his way to being the next big idol. 

9. Restart After Come Back Home (Japan indie subbed or Gaga?) - this one is perfect if you just want a beautiful loving movie, and one that is well filmed and complex enough to appeal to those who don’t normally watch BL or romance (if you have a reluctant partner). 

10. You Are Ma Boy (Vietnam YouTube) - is there angst? Nope even what could have been angst (a gay idol) doesn’t materialize, it’s just cuties in a cafe confusing each other with cat & mouse games. The side het couple is a touch disturbing, tho. 

Also Old Fashioned Cupcake, it's a bit more complicated than soft but a FANTASTIC binge watch.

(list updated May 2023, not responsible for ones that come after that date)

[ppeonppeonhan]

BL Shows - Currently Watching (May 2023)

> TUESDAY

Step by Step (up to ep. 5/12) -Thai workplace enemies to lovers romantic dramedy: Love Pat (employee). Tolerating Jeng (boss). Pat's friends -- his female mentor that everyone thought he was dating; his gorgeous female bff Ae; and his new gay work friend Chot -- are really carrying this series, because Jeng is acting like he just woke up on this planet and has yet to master human emotion. I NEED the reason he disappeared and returned to work be goodt! Otherwise, the mystery is for nothing. Comparatively, I could care less about Pat's ex Put, and wish they chose someone less...nerdy. There is nothing intimidating about him -- not with the zaddy energy Jeng is promising us/Pat. Jaab (above) is my other favorite character. Not because of his crush on someone who is unavailable, but because he's adorable and reminds me of Vegas from KinnPorsche. 🤷🏾‍♀️

> WEDNESDAY

Past-senger (up to ep. 9/12) - Thai time travel enemies to lovers classmates romantic dramedy: I'm going to wait to binge the rest of this cause the current memory loss obstacle is definitely going to annoy me. In general, I'm enjoying Cooper's character, Kiao, more than his character in My Engineer. He has good chemistry with Bamee, but I don't understand how this ends. Even if Kiao returns to his timeline, grows older, and reunites with Bamee in his timeline, we'll have to pretend a 20yr age difference doesn't matter. But I also wonder if this is really just a journey for Kiao to realize he's bi and in love with Bamee's dad, which if they get together, would mean Bamee and his annoying little brother Mudaeng aren't born...what are we doing? 🙃

Happy Merry Ending (up to ep. 6/8) - South Korean one-sided workplace romantic drama: Jae is very cute, and the way he takes care of Seung is admirable. Wearing sunglasses while they performed in solidarity was peak adorrrrable. Also love that they have unique jobs: wedding performers. I hope his former kpop trainer who CLEARLY uses his job to groom young, impressionable queer men -- that guy: I hope he gets hit by a bus. In general, I find this drama lacking in romantic substance. Not because there aren't a lot of romantic scenes but because the focus is on Seung's trauma and recovery, and not a mutual interest in each other.

> THURSDAY

Love Mate (up to ep. 5/8) - South Korean one-sided workplace romantic comedy: Ha Ram is cute AF. That does not condone his stalking or scheming, but it does make it hard to feel bad for Lee Jun, who is a salty bitch who takes out his frustrations on complete strangers who've done nothing to deserve it. I get that he's recovering from heartbreak and he has every right to protect his heart, but he needs to be a little less...callous about it. I'm not even talking about Ha Ram. That first dude he went on a date with got curved so hard for no reason. Anyway, he gave in a lot quicker than I thought he would, so I wonder what their obstacle will be. Ex returns? Miscommunication? Plot twist -- it was all an experiment to prove a point? 🤔

> FRIDAY

A Boss and a Babe (up to ep. 11/12) - Thai one-sided workplace romantic dramedy: I expected this was going to be as stupid as Cher is 🙄 the entire way through. Did not, however, expect there to be a clinical depression or child abuse storyline. Still recovering from that emotional whiplash. But I do enjoy Cher's dynamic with Gun, even though it's a very inappropriate boss and intern relationship. I wish they would've leaned into the goofy chaotic romance genre more instead of trying to get deep, but I'm going to need Gun and Drake's character, Time, to reconcile before this ends. Always love seeing him and Mike in everything. And Fluke and his character's bf are new favorites. It's a really solid supporting cast, all in all.

[cryborgs]

thank u @archonfurina for the tag + questions! this was a v fun way for me to secretly pass time at work <3

‧₊˚ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ soft ask game ‧₊˚ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

01. a character you love.

Lee Gyu-Hyuk. i think about him every day. i listen to songs that make me think of him and make lil music videos in my head. he is... what can i even say ㅠㅠ very vague general non-spoiler spoilers, but everyone in Buried Stars Game ™ has their issues and Gyu-Hyuk is no exception, but he works so hard to take care of others and he's so kind and caring IT DRIVES ME CRAZY ACTUALLY hahahaha i am SO normal about him...

02. your favourite food from your culture.

i have been pondering this for days and i just dont know TT i dont want to act like because i'm from the US i have no culture but also it's hard for me to figure out what our cultural foods are. umm i guess i really like pumpkin pie? also pizza my beloved. i know pizza is not exactly an american thing but also. the way we do it is, so. i shall count it. pizza my beloved

03. what your dream apartment / room / house is like.

ooh okay. it's definitely gotten a bit smaller as i've gotten older, but it'd be nice to have more room than i've got now. not to go toooo wild but i'd love a 3 bed 2 bath single level house with a garage/shed and a porch?? with enough room for both me + my partner to have nice pc setups. also barely related but... i want a nice desk so bad 😭 my dad had one that's sitting unused in my mom's house and i dont have room for it at my apartment but it's so nice and sturdy and i journal a ton and would fucking LOVE to have an actually nice space to do it

04. your personal style or aesthetic.

tried thinking about this on my own and could NOT come up with an answer, so i asked my sisters for their input and i got "stinking cute" and "turbo punk with pop overtones" so take those how you will

05. a happy memory.

when i was a teenager, most thursdays i would go to a roller skating rink with a few friends. we'd skate for hours and pester the dj to play marina and the diamonds songs. then afterwards we'd go to the huge 24-hour grocery store across the street and buy ice cream and/or doughnuts and we'd sit in the car eating and talking for hours.

06. your favourite way(s) to spend time.

i am. such a homebody. i like doing all sorts of things but i honestly love just being at home with my partner and playing video games. oh. also i love eating. it is a hobby <3

07. story behind your url / title / quote / description / icon.

cryborgs i believe kinda came from VIXX's "Error" mv, not any type of direct reference, but just the vibe. my blog title is a slightly weirdly translated line from We Best Love, a bl drama that infected my brain for a while in 2021 (i still love it ok im not over it). i never know what to put in my description so i usually just put the media i'm currently watching/playing but also i dont update it so it's almost always wrong 💀 annnnd my icon is my beloved Han Do-Yoon from Buried Stars Game ™...... i love him.....

08. something that comforts you or brings you joy.

i dont watch it regularly anymore, but Running Man. regardless of what bad things are going on, i know i can turn on an old ep and be happy for 1.3 hours. it's gotten me through so much school stress, family issues, and general mental unwellness, it'll always have a place in my heart.

09. what you're looking forward to.

i started writing this a week ago and the thing i was looking forward to already passed soo um,. i really don't have anything too notable right now? i am looking forward to being done with my 6pm meeting -_-

10. something else that's important to you.

hmmmmmm i have this brain problem where sometimes i get pedantic about the meaning of words so right now i am like, "important" ?? what is it,,,, for somethign to be "important" .... anyways i think journaling is something that probably fits the bill? it's something i enjoy doing and i really like having a written record of things to look back on, and being able to see how i felt about things in the moment they were happening. i also journal about video games a lot and it's so fun to look back at the times Before big twists and reveals... ah my innocence...

[feuqueerfire]

The Devil Judge Live Blogging

I was actually supposed to watch The Eighth Sense or From Now On, Showtime! this weekend but I saw this tweet. It is an edit on the male leads and I didn't even watch the edit really but I was overcome with a great urge to watch the drama, so I'm somehow starting it on Thursday night instead of Saturday :/

Ep 1 (June 1)

It has korean subs... should I try to watch it in Korean? The first ep is already 1h 20 mins lol, it'd take forever to watch with Korean subs. Idk why my "learning" feature on Viki isn't working rip, it'd be helpful to have both subs

at least there were some names and titles of characters at the beginning so that I can come back to it when I'm inevitably lost about who is who

oh Kim Gaon is going in to be a skeptical character in this live court, keeping his eyes and ears open because his teacher does not like or approve of this spectable

first meeting and I have to remember that this tension will not accumulate to them actually getting together rip

Gaon's parents were murdered?

damn, that's dumb to shoot at the bus toward Gaon and the child, no? when you didn't know how the person would react or accidentally shot the people? i think I'm just unimpressed by callous old confident powerful men tbh

ah, of course, Gaon saves a child and the driver and a plant

oh that's not his sister, that's his friend who's in love with him. it could be cute if i wasn't already ogling at the straight-up BL and romance dynamics with the older strict rich powerful man and younger hopeful kindhearted rough childhood man

I keep seeing clearly corrupt men who I've previously seen act as terrible men in kdramas lol

why is Gaon talking about supreme court breaking and entering in public transit T.T

so is Su Hyeon actually Gaon's love interest? I think I heard the love interest dies

Director Jeong Seon Ah's manner of speaking is so fucking irritating my god

also who is the good guy here? Nobody? seon-ah is for the foundation and doesn't want this trial of Ju Il Do to happen but does the Minister of Justice Cha Gyeong Hui want it to happen so that he's not given a sentence? she's the one who's been supporting and getting support from Ju Il Do this whole time

ah he's so annoying, he likes that she likes him

no way he's repeating her joking but kinda not asking him to marry her recording ah they're cute fuck

damn what's going on with the judge at that place with fallen people?

oh slamming against bookshelf and talking about Gaon living alone and the trailing hand across chest?

how did Gaon trail the car while on a bike

oh Gaon mentioned that the judge Kang Yohan survived some disaster, so I guess this fire is referencing that?

this variety show concept is killing me so bad

oh hooooo so the devil judge is making it seem like he's on the chairman and the Foundation's side but he made the doctor react badly to having thought he drank the water... okay, I did wonder this beforehand but was unsure

oh witness coming through okay, was he previously bribed?

ohh the judge met with a different doctor, okay, so he really will play by the books and rules?

is the judge going to say occupational negligence? which will make it seem like ju il do is facing consequences but will have him get off easy? whose side is this man on?????

oh? the judge got the witness to lie to make the stuff worse and mention murder? is that good or bad in terms of consequences omg

ah Judge Yohan keeps playing with everybody on every side, including me. so he is doing occupational negligence but is using the newer ruling to make it a longer sentence

okay chills for real when he's reading the names and accounces 235 years

the groups are: the minister (on the side of ju il do, used to be on the side of kang yohan as well), the Foundation (on the side of ju il do as well), and the tv broadcast people (on the side of money and entertainment), that other guy (on the side of entertainment mans is just watching, I can't rmr who he is or who he's related to heh - oh my bad he's the fucking president lol)

oh the Judge is acteur! a tear down his cheek

please the way Gaon has been gazing at Judge Yohan since he figured out he's probably on their side

the Judge yawning? lmfao

pls okay Gaon was so doey-eyed at Judge Yohan just a moment ago but now he's hardened again

what's this? judge yohan's memories? Gaon reminds him of somebody else?

Fun first episode, purposefully confusing in terms of the judge's loyalties, I got confused about the people and who is who because I was playing solitaire on the side lol

also kinda funny to call it dystopian present-day korea, it's like 2 millimeters to the right of just regular present-day world

Ep 2 (June 2)

Lunch time episode heh

I wonder if this female Judge Oh will be a problem? last ep she mentioned power and this ep she was like ...they're not looking at me

ah intense dinner. so Gaon's father committed suicide to escape from loan sharks while Yohan's father was a loan shark

who is this yellow car racer dude? i wonder if he's gonna be part of this ep's case. also, what happened to the previous lying doctor guy last ep? did he collide with that truck?

the secretary is so irritating like just her mannerism and manner of speaking like obviously everybody here is irritating but somehow she gets on my nerves the mostttttt

damn Mr. Seo looks head

fuck I forgot who Heo Jung Se is but apparently Minister thinks they talked Yohan into sentencing Ju Il Do - oh wait I looked up the MDL cast list and I think it's the president

anyway I hope Gaon's professor doesn't die, they seem to have a great mentor-mentee relationship

plss "It's like you were only watching me, Judge Kim" "...that's not true." bye

ah Gaon insisting it's not just a good result that's desired but also a fair and just trial vs Yohan saying there's no justice no fairness trials are a game

Yohan saying Gaon resembles "him" - the same guy he was hallucinating at the end end of last ep?

lol her being like ah so your cheating lover was the Judge/chief?

i wonder are there rules of cars going to the side when there are police sirens on in korea/seoul or no?

oh judge yohan's black sports car

Yohan reminds me a bit of Dongshik with the laugh and doing inexplicable things like hammering the car and planting drug (?) evidence

ah Yohan is always a few steps ahead huh? Knew that the cop fuck I forgot her name would visit the doctor witness and also found the bug Gaon put in his office

oh Gaon is already thinking that maybe Yohan's tampering is fine since it led to a good outcome, will he also be converted by the end?

who did Gaon call after seeing the car guy? would it be Yohan since he appeared hmmmm

oh wtf Yohan's using that car guy as bait, which makes sense since he was doing all that hammer and drug planting in front of Gaon and the cop

ah Yohan devil coming into play

oh shit Yohan killed the bird and then was ostracized for it

is Chairman Seo treating Judge Oh weirdly creepily?

wait I hope Yohan and the lady who irritates me just by existing won't be love interests or something since they're dancing like this... please

also is she a secretary or a director? no clue

oh Yohan king of planting things and creating chaos from the very beginning. so funny to see these little kids fight

lmfao pleaseee the mom the car guy was seeking is the minister?

oh what the fuck a whole ass bomb? somebody really wants Yohan dead

ofc Gaon saves Yohan and Yohan has to drag his unconscious body away

Ep 3 (June 2)

oh Yohan took Gaon to his house and what? took his shirt off and bandaged him himself or called a doctor?

Yohan just straight up pretending to be injured in front of the reporters

lol Yohan being like oh? are you his gf? and then stops her from knowing his whereabouts. seeing them together like this is just like Gaon has 2 hands! he can have a childhood bestie gf and an intimidating morally ambiguous older bf!

oh also her name is Yun Suhyeon

lol why did the maid(?) get startled just at seeing Gaon, it's as if he's sharing a bed with Yohan or something lol - after the incident of elijah saying gaon looks like him + the Nanny talking to the Young Master photo, I guess she thought he looked like the kid who died

oh yeah I forgot to mention but the mention of Old Testament reminded me that there's so many references to Catholicism/Christianity in regards to Yohan and his past

ah, Elijah doesn't like his face and calls him a knockoff, probably haunted by the same person who Gaon reminds Yohan of

I love the Minister woman so much, idk she's so above it all and a schemer but ah it's appealing and so intense

IN CONTRAST THIS DIRECTOR LADY FROM THE FOUNDATION IS KILLING WHY DOES SHE TALK AND ACT LIKE THAT AGHHHH

oh stupid president talking about an intense stare not befitting a woman, it suits the minister perfectly, she's scary

bro literally taking off shirt + wound tending + taking jabs about being old vs young

please I think Elijah and Yohan are so funny. she's his younger sister right? He constantly defending himself from her and her just going like so boring. especially with his unstyled hair after the shower, he looks so unassuming and cute

Judge Yohan is so funny, a public show judge by day and hammering cars and beating up people by night

Yohan avoiding to answer if it's because of Judge Gaon...

oh the social responsibility foundation are raising money to house and aid the poor people in Korea lol meanwhile all the fucked up shit going on inside the foundation. oh lmao they have to move people who already live there and demolish their houses to make this supposed dream village

Director Jeong just straight up stepping on the president's face lol it would've been so good if I didn't hate her

oh damn okay so I did very briefly wonder if he was adopted or something since Yohan laughed at being rich since birth but it does seem that something like that happened. Nanny says this true Young Master is the owner of this house, not "that child" Yohan - is he actually not Yohan but posing as that or something lol like after the kid died he took over his life?

oh this guy is suchhhh a bitch hurting everybody at the restaurant

oof they really got two of the 3 people to agree to a settlement out of court

damn Gaon saying he saw the dude driving dangerously and nothing else

D: all 3 settled?

omggggg Judge Yohan is soooo good at putting on a show with his priest-like robes, it's unbelievable

oh there are multiple locked doors? One is the dead Young Master who looks like Gaon's room? and this other one leads to the basement - is it Yohan's old childhood room?

the fact that the Nanny evil calls him Sleeping Beauty and princess, like this is so BL coded

oh I see, I thought too much - he is indeed an adopted kid but hadn't taken over the other dude Isaac's life. this basement was his room though

why is Gaon asking about dirt on Yohan from the Nanny? and so blatantly too like how do you know you can trust her - just because he saw her talking to that photo in that room? smh

anyway, my guess is that Nanny thinks Yohan purposely caused the fire on purpose to kill Isaac and get his fortune? and maybe he did cause it accidentally, that's why he has regrets related to his brother?

oh wait Yohan is still half related to the siblings, their fathers are the same

not the gloves before a beating

damn, Yohan did what?! made a maid jump off the 2nd floor and poisoned a dog? fr?

ayo wtf Yohan basically murdered this man by making him fall off the roof of several floors. also he was a firefighter during the fire at the catholic church where Isaac died and yohan lived?

ah i'm so curious

Ep 4 (June 2)

oh damn Minister really framed somebody 19 years ago and innocent man ended up committing suicide, so now Yohan's saying if she confesses, he'll let her son go

oh? is the guy who's always doing the sleuthing and tailing for Yohan that guy's son who was in middle school when his dad committed suicide?

oh Nanny even gave him the keys?

when did Yohan chasing down that man even happen?

damn even Elijah is thinking every day about how Yohan became the owner of this house

pls Yohan really looks so cute with this washed hair and homey look wtf

I did miss Yohan and Gaon interacting

ohan even took a peak at Gaon shirtless lol and then checked him out in his new suit like and putting the jacket on him

Elihaj and Gaon ganging up on Yohan and his age ah

pls Yohan literally taking Gaon to this place after choosing his outfit and everything and guiding him with his hand on his back ah (though he took a moment to be the passenger princess heh)

pls this flock of women

oh okayyyy the fucker Foundation CEO or whatever is indeed a creep and assaulter because I thought the way he was grabbing Judge Oh was weird but was like hm? but yeah he's a fucked up dickhead and the Director Jeong bitch is an enabler - oh actually she stopped him this time

agh her slapping him and making him bow. this could've been fun if they both didn't disgust me

agh fuck this might actually make me like her, she's so scary. the way she started slapping him for daring to say he "befouled the women" because even if a dog like him bites humans, the humans don't become dirty. i wonder if she was sexually abused?

oh the way Yohan grabbed and threw Gaon tf

Yhan really went does the Minister have to be the one who protects your assets?

Gaon going crazy watching these interactions between these rich and powerful people wow me too their laughter is wild

is Director Jeong lying about the donation thing? yeah right?

oh Yohan doing that to the steering will is so D:

ahhh scary minister <3 letting own child to the wolves and letting him be arrested than falling from her own position, yessss. even thinking "there's no glory without sacrifice"

oh Gaon and Suhyeon are going to a cop who was the fire incident? or investigated it?

lmfao flogging as the sentence is killing me so bad pls public humiliation and corporal punishment T.T this could be an explicit AO3 fic tbh

(Linguistics) the dude is using banmal and rude words

this public display is genuinely horrifying by the way

oh fuck Gaon probably shouldn't have said "hyung too" bro you don't actually know that

Elijah being Isaac's daughter makes a lot more sense than their sibling

the beauty and chaos of fire

oh that's why Elijah uses a wheelchair now, Minister really didn't gaf

Gaon was wearing the cross bracelet/necklace that belonged to Isaac that belonged to his mom

ah so as expected, that fireman had stolen Isaac's watch

damn Gaon literally just walked away after hearing all that and Yohan smirking while saying "ah people indeed like these sorts of stories" like okay??? it's probably mostly true but with more flair to tug at heartstrings?

I'm ignoring the fact that Gaon reminds Yohan of his literal brother.

Some people on reddit on-air said that maybe Yohan was showing Gaon off to the Foundation people to see if they remembered that face that day from the fire but seems like nobody did. Also, they wondered if Yohan was targeting the foundation people for being there that day of the fire but all running for their lives and leaving his relatives to die.

Ep 5 (June 3)

oh this dream nightmare of Yohan of the fire and his brother

damn Gaon seeing Yohan after the nightmare

Elijah even accusing Yohan of "seeing the face of the man he killed" ah

oh ho, Yohan's past judge experiences where he was simply imagining fucking up the defendant (esp somebody who beat his the son and his own father beat him) and now he's finally getting to live the fantasies out

ah, Yohan saying that Gaon wanting to leave/accepting being kicked off the panel is predictable?

oof Minister is throwing a wrench into Yohan's plans?

what's suhyeon doing? is this just a regular case for her job?

ah Minister had touched up the flogging photos, though it's a cruel punishment nonetheless

oh someone's following Yohan's whereabouts

ah Gaon leaving so much food for Yohan and Yohan actually eating it, despite not trusting others like the Nanny

ah so the foundation paid off that old cop

ah Suhyeon and Gaon childhood friends

pls her becoming a cop because she wants to keep rescuing Gaon, ah he's got Suhyeon on one side and Yohan on the other

oh, this time we don't know much about the defendant

? what's the hard drive hiding?

girl physical castration?

Minister and Director Jeong ah terrible women scheming <3 I still fucking hate the way director jeong speaks though my god I like the character but cannot stand the acting

damn, the show lasted like 3 minutes this time and we're continuing for next time

pls Yohan playing as a hurt, misunderstood man for Gaon is so funny

but Gaon also catching on and throwing the "you do waver when i talk like this" back

oh, Gaon acknowledging Yohan as a victim really touched him, huh?

come onnnn Yohan looking out from the window to see Gaon and his niece Elijah playing together with the cat

omg and closing the curtains as soon as Gaon looks toward his window

Gaon's professor won't be in cahoots with the foundation or something, right?

omggggg??? children flogging each other as play

wait who is that on the bike - spying on Gaon? judge oh?

inmate?

ah sad Judge Oh

Yohan being pulled all ways to choose whether to castrate or not, ah. rip his pens

ah so Yohan did not choose castration. it's a trick regardless of what he chooses, so it is what

did somebody poison the criminal? omg

oh appendix? wait what's going on are they just castrating him anyway? they as in Yohan? wtf man is this a dream

oh Gaon dreamed it lmfao

oh I see, that's why Elijah was bringing an inmate to prison in Texas

is this homophobia or no

Yohan won the tricky, tricky homework that Director Jeong had set for him

I just hate her acting so much, else Director Jeong as a character could be sooo good

pls they look so boyfriends with Yohan at home and Gaon on the couch playing with the cat, in casual clothes ah

oh i see, it wasn't Judge Oh but this other motorcycle woman. so this is the foundation's doing to trap Yohan?

I would like this display of her having captured Yohan and have him in cuffs so much more if her acting wasn't such a turn off my god and the kiss just looks weird and uncomfortable instead of salacious or whatever

oh? she worked as a maid for their family before? that's why things in the house were familiar

why is she kissing him?

Ep 6 (June 3)

the kiss feels more proprietory and about power (?) than as if she likes him

anyway i hate the way the actress plays her so much omg

oh D: he's scary, he really told young maid Director Jeong to jump off the second floor? her name's Seonah. though we didn't actually see him push her or her actually jump off

omg? she told him to go outside and she'll cover for him but she's telling on him going outside to the Nanny (to get suspicions off her about stealing)... was this before or after she fell off the 2nd floor?

oh that stealing stuff was before the fall

the young Seonah >>>>> this older version agh i hate this actress' acting so much it's actually killing me a bit

this choking/throat-grabbing scene could be so hot if it wasn't played by her

ah she stole the cross necklace fr

wonder if Gaon would fall into the things that Yohan cares about... or if it's too soon

Yohan pls "i was with a tough woman yesterday, she pulled my hair and kissed me" okay

heh casual outfit Elijah likes Gaon and Yohan teasing her about it pls they're so cute

omg? not that disagreeing/arguing about Yohan and the donation file in front of Elijah

poor teary-eyed Elijah

ah Yohan would ofc be very worried about missing Elijah, esp after he himself was recently abducted

aw fractured Yohan and Elijah relationship T.T

:0 woah all the young male idols falling over themselves to light the Minister's cigar

Minister and Director Jeong are so clever ah scary women my beloveds <3

I just hate her acting and manner of speaking agh

ohh that bike belonging to Director Jeong's right hand woman is indeed following Gaon's professor, not Gaon himself

ah so they were trying to catch Gaon's attention indeed oof and ofc the professor's first guess is that Yohan's ot someone tailing him

ah Judge Oh's ambition and greed to be seen will be easy for Director Jeong to manipulate

it's wild that Gaon's literally still living with Yohan lol after all the threats

Yohan's flogging influence, so widespread ah

who is this man who cashed out the money

oh Doctor Safety... money from Yohan? also did those look like flight details?

oof, miss girl you're gonna be killed

damn Gaon really landed a punch on Yohan. though Yohan can just do this and that bc he can't punch back his brother's face I guess

oh, so it wasn't Yohan? but what was the plan he told his right-hand man to execute then?

damn, Yohan's acknowledging that he gave the money, what's he planning??

oh hoooo Yohan's good at crafting stories and putting on a show. where'd the witness even come back from? wasn't he gone?

him openly targeting the foundation now ahhh

the foundation people all being those at the fire incident ah

Yohan loves causing chaos sooo much, he's so good at this

Ep 7 (June 3)

Yohan admitted to Gaon that he did in fact take Doctor Safety and make their stories straight to lie to the nation - oh never mind, not quite

well Gaon doesn't think Yohan attacked

oof Judge Oh is earnest but has the seeds in her head from Director Jeong

ah this talk that Director Jeong is giving these young orphan girls. also seems like CEO Seo did sexually assault her or something bc now he's turned into a dog who obeys her and is tortured by her

not her just killing that lady, similar to how her mother just happened to die

ooh Yohan and Elijah's miscommunications and Elijah feeling like Yohan's overbearing reminds me of Moonlight Chicken's Jim and Liming, though of course Yohan is suspected of murder and scheming by Eli

pls Gaon comforting Eli but then also teasing her

plsssss Yohan reading the book on how to talk to adolescents and trying to talk to Eli T.T he's so earnest and cute even though he's sooo bad at it

Yohan and Gaon deciding what to do together, huh? okayyy team let's go <3

lol Yohan scheming to get the Foundation people to be divided by just playing tricks

lmfao I think it's so funny that he had to do the countdown and do half, half's half, etc to predict the time

heh Yohan doing nothing but still getting these people to be suspicious of each other and saying everything is lies while Yohan just eats well. one of them even bringing up middle school I'm dead

ah, finally Gaon is working on a case lol

pls T.T the live stream to make sure everybody knows where he was so that he won't be found dead

who is Do Yeong Chun? is that Gaon's dad? no right since he already died? is it the guy who made Gaon's dad commit suicide? i was wondering if it's Yohan's father but seems not based on last name Do + Yohan's dad wasn't sent to prison or anything

i don't really know what they're talking about the land and money and stuff except that apparently things are fishy

Ah, Judge Oh realizing that Yohan and Gaon are working together and know these while she's being sidelined... rip girl. will you end up doing what the opposition wants because of it?

omg not Yohan bringing up Gaon's parents like this

they want

scary Director Jeong who wants to make CEO Seo take the fall

damn, CEO Seo is just straight up suggesting they kill Director Jeong lmfao

omg they really have a fake man taking the punishment for Gaon's parent's scammer Do. Yohan brought Gaon here to show his lawful justice system did not punish the man - i wonder if he himself would've orchestrated this or if this switch was from before? Do was happy on the day Gaon saw him so maybe it's not Yohan's doing

ah Director Jeong I d love her, the way she's asking about why Seo did that when she was young and had nowhere to go. she's so scary with the hug and stabbing (and I wish she hadn't kissed Yohan that time)

I feel like I'm gonna lose my mind wondering how much I would have liked Director Jeong's character if she was played by a different person

ah they killed Seo and said he committed suicide not because he embezzled but because somebody else did and had embezzled and fled and so he was doing his duty - so no harm to the Foundation as Jeong becomes the new Chairwoman instead of just Director

Ep 8 (June 4)

ah the foundation members came to the hospital afterward and it really made Yohan hate them more and their hypocrisy, saying all that while they escaped and harmed people while doing so

the devil is the self-pity of the powerful, so true actually

oh so Yohan did indeed change Do? agh

Gaon back at his own home finally

omg? they literally came up with a group of accountants from the Foundation who apparently embezzled the money and disappeared but they were actually trying to give the court show tips

oh hooo the Foundation and companions are powerful and they're turning the wave of support towards them with the "suicide" and the passionate speeches

Gaon has been enticed by the results that Yohan's unlawful court has been getting but he's been brought back to the lawful side by Suhyeon and his professor, but I guess we'll start to see him actually switch now?

pls Suhyeon pretending that it hurts and Gaon giving in is cute

ah when will Suhyeon's meddling get her killed?

oof, so they're "showing support" for the live court and are basically keeping an eye on them and having them work with the Blue House

Jeong Seonah is dom 4 dom, that could be so fun if I liked the actress

lmao Yohan saying I don't discriminate between men and women. well

oh shoot the "how much do you like me?" choking

did Seonah have the necklace in a way that it'd be easy for Yohan to get it back?

or was it in a way that the pin stabbed him when he pulled it? i can't tell

ah Yohan doing his best to get Gaon by his side so that he doesn't have to eliminate him - Gaon's still at least a bit suspicious of Yohan having switching the Do man right?

pls Elijah being like yo let's kill Do

ah Gaon definitely being like yeah seems like only someone with a strange purpose would do this switcheroo

ah Elijah herself reached out to Suhyeon, it's a bit surprising since last time was a bit of a disaster but I guess she's lonely and would take anybody - also I read on reddit that they were worried since Suhyeon left Eli in the car by herself

she confessed every time he cried? but he just cried earlier in this ep and she didn't confess

damn, Gaon's right that drunkards shouldn't be beating people or cops up but he supports the live ammunition stuff? be serious

damn, Gaon's being asked to give info so that his prof can close down live court

ooh, he's meeting all the people that Yohan has working for him, including the right-hand man dude. and they all were upset about the justice system not helping them

oof, Judge Oh you're good and have valid points about the chaos and exclusion but you're falling into Jeong Seonah's traps D:

ah, so it seems like Minister covered up Do's crimes and proceeds seizing? so not done by Yohan.

ah Gaon made his choice and ensured his prof knew he was with Yohan - though i don't fully get his argument like yeah obviously the justice system should've done better but definitely the unrest and chaos of the country isn't just because of that but I also don't get why his prof wants to disband live court as if that's the main cause of all this, the president and Foundation stuff had an even bigger hand now

From the reddit on air thread, people were annoyed by Gaon opposing Yohan and being lawful thus far but I felt like it made sense and this transition into Yohan's side has been fairly satisfactory

Ep 9 (June 4)

I was supposed to be half-done with my assignment or have at least worked for an hour before I came back to this show but uh I did like 10 minutes of work rip

oh, we're getting a little summary so far at the beginning, it's like chapter 2 of this show? second half?

okay please I believe Yohan will show up before anything really happens pls pls pls

oof, if this gets out, Seonah is gonna know what Yohan's weak point is

who was released? do we know them? Bamboo spear?

ah Seonah has moved onto new target to control: Yohan

I hope they don't become a romantic couple but just slap each other around - anyway, Yohan be careful though bc you make her mad enough and she'll fuck you up fr

ah that's when Isaac gave the necklace to Yohan - it's supposed to remind him of not hurting innocent people

oh are Bamboo Spear the people that were causing the riot and the guy who Suhyeon arrested?

ah, how will the ads be manipulated to Seonah's desire? esp since Judge Oh was in the middle for a few and Yohan stepped away for a few

is it a good idea to let the fact that she was a maid at his house get out (to the Minister)? She could talk about her humble background and being tortured by Yohan?

pls I was like why is Elijah saying "will he be okay?" but Nanny is just a v bad cook lol

ahhhhh this found family T.T putting off an appointment bc Elijah said Gaon's not letting anybody eat until all 3 are present

pls Gaon planning on using Yohan's money to get info out of Minister's assistant

T.T Gaon does not know how to interrogate this is so funny

exactlyyyy you should start packing up the gold bars bro

so did the assistant tell the truth? it's always suspicious to know whose word you can trust or not and who knows if the assistant will go back and immediately tell her and then he'll be moved soon

ah, it is indeed him

oof, it's hard to see all this and keep wanting revenge against Do but it's definitely different for Gaon and for good reason

ah Suhyeon immediately saying he'd arrest Gaon

noooo Gaon pls don't go and do something bad to Do right now, Yohan did say it's not just your revenge but it's gonna be useful for many people and things

D: omggggggg Gaon literally choking this man, don't kill him in front of his family D:

oh the money is still there, that's kinda expected but tbh as time went on i bought into his play

anyway don't actually burn the money right? bc you can have proof that the money exists with this man bc they didn't seize it

omg Yohan really made Gaon see that this man would choose to save the burning money than his family, who saved him just earlier

oh fake money, that's good

omg so many beautiful fire shots

I want to know what's in those little gift boxesss

is it to the other Do's victims?

oh it's from Jinyoung? I wondered if it's from Yohan's right-hand man

Ep 10 (June 4)

I wrote another paragraph of my assignment and am back here, rip

damn bruh the president is soooo into hating foreigners

pls the secretary is like 1 second away from dying after betraying Minister

yaas tracking master Elijah and clever girl group photos

ah is Suhyeon doing this now? is she gonna die tryna get the bamboo spears since there's no gun?

plssss secretary man being so shocked at Minister mentioning Kang Yohan

but yeah I'm excited to see Minister and Yohan meet, it's been a while

omg Elijah <3333333 mastermind

goddamn, so many people wtf

ah these people in the minister's office are even tracking the competitors and have bugs and stuff in their office lol

the autopsy thing? is Yohan giving them autopsy report in case they kill Seonah? or is that for something else? or is this her mother's autopsy? but then that shows that Yohan knew that they were looking into Seonah and stuff right or it's like fine that he guesses Minister would be looking into Seonah?

hard to tell if the bamboo spears guy is just overconfident or really has things up his sleeves? the president is on his side so i guess he has reason to be confident

wait hold on T.T the way Yohan and Seonah are interacting and speaking and body language and tone and stuff... I actually do wanna see them kiss or fuck or something, they're kinda... the way Yohan's speaking softly/cutely the way Seonah does ah it's kindaaaaaa

he really stresses the fact that she was a maid and stuff really often smh

everything the bamboo spear says is bullshit but the "our women" keeps killing me like tf are they products? possessions?

Gaon please be good at this show thing bc you're a newbie at this, not as clever as Yohan and not as natural and Judge Oh

omg have it be girl group merch pls

aw, the streamer girl isn't as funny as just TWICE merch

oof, they made him a loser instead of a revolutionary, good going in terms of the bamboo spear and the president's goals and the country's opinions on him

i hope nothing toooo bad happens to bamboo spear because that could turn out to be bad, no? though if yohan or gaon or something rescues him then he could be like okay fine I'll tell you about how the president raised me to be that

gaon as expected feels bad about the live stream

oof, Minister let Seonah know that she knows about her being a maid before and that's Seonah's wear point for sure - I wonder if Yohan wanted Seonah took come after him with vengeance and that's why he leaked it?

I'm getting worried for Elijah's safety though bc Yohan himself even told Seonah about her

Anyway, I think I hate the acting of Seonah less now than I previously did, so the fact that I find her character fascinating and sympathetic is coming out more

Ep 11 (June 4)

This time I at least wrote a few paragraphs before coming back, I've only got 5 hours till the due date and this episode is about to take up 1.5-2 hours.

ah the autopsy

The Minister is too cocky on her high horse, she does not know Seonah whatsoever, the way she's degrading her

ah foolish Yohan sleeping in public

Seonah with the blade omg

the way they interact with each other ahhh like Yohan forcibly remaining calm and relaxed while Seonah's got a blade in her hand and talking so softly and their eye contact

and Yohan basically daring her with the blade and eyes closed and taking her to his house as a guest this is crazy i kinda hope they fuck in there aw her eyes :<

but once again i hope she doesn't interact with or do anything to Elijah

now it's like well Yohan also has two hands <3 having dinner with Gaon on his left and Seonah in front of him

oh yeah does Seonah remember that Gaon looks like Isaac or no?

D: nooo I do feel bad for Seonah how did I even get here but here o.o eyes ever since she came to the house and seen everybody be a family only to be shattered when she realizes that she's being played with when Nanny comes and she's exposed, Yohan you're terrible!!

the necklaceeeeeee omg Yohan what are you playing atttttt he's really taking advantage of her desire to belong to this house and that place

and of course Seonah knows it's a trick but she's so tempted. i hope she's indeed tempted and that it makes her fall in the end but that she takes a gooood swing at Yohan before that

hmm what are these Foundation people planning on doing with Judge Oh? being their spokes person?

Yohan looks like a little stableboy with his sispenders and hair, watching them play Jenga

Yohan is so puppy looking cat-personality I die

oof, Seonah's aligning herself with Minister and rip Yohan's actress who testified against Minister's son is being brought up

oh nooo they've captured the actress' mother. mean Seonah

I hope the actress somehow lets Yohan know or something bc rip or somehow finesse the Minister and Seonah

ahhhh okayyyyyyyyyy so did Seonah and Yohan plan this?

literally like you should have treated the maid/secretary nicely Minister

damn Minister straight up wants to murder Yohan lol but in the end seems like she can't kill with her own hands

oh yeah I forgot that Yohan was looking for those files on the Foundation leaders and the president

ah they've got more in the cards for Minister

ah there really is everything from every side for Minister. the actress, Do Yeong Min & the prison guard there, multiple cases of abuse against defendants, Young Min apparently on drugs as the president knows

the gun on Minister's desk freaks me out ngl I'm like oh she might kill Yohan but also what if she kills herself and now I'm like what if she kills Suhyeon lol

oh she's crying and looking at the family photo I wonder if she really is considering killing herself, or if her love for life is stronger

ah, as expected she committed suicide

don't fucking touch her or step on her blood bruv

omg Gaon really said we must find the files and started rummaging around her clothes and her dead body, he is horrifying, even Yohan's a bit disturbed by it from the looks of it

duh Suhyeon would find them like this + she'd previously said she'd turn Gaon in if he did something bad, so

no like the scene of Yohan looking disturbed as Gaon is literally maneuvering the dead body of about 5 seconds and looking through her clothes for the files woah I didn't realize I'd like it so much. When he has finally succeeded in turning Gaon over to his side but is surprised by the cruelty in him

Ep 12 (June 4)

I finished my assignment!

ah Suhyeon lets them go and even wipes Gaon's handprint from the table woah this is what Yohan always means by opportunity because even righteous Suhyeon wavered despite what she told Gaon before about arresting him if he did something bad

yknow the fact that Suhyeon was so one-note law and righteousness this whole time kinda makes this choice more impactful

the president got the files oof

aw fuck Suhyeon even told Gaon to never face her again

ah, Yohan's pretending he's greedy for the same things that Seonah/others would be greedy for - with the presidential candidate and dream village business

damn even the right-hand man warning Gaon that don't get involved with Yohan or else you'll lose everything, including yourself

Yohan's crazed eye look while talking to Gaon about the plans and cutting out Suhyeon but Gaon saying Suhyeon's his world

this breakup ass montage

ah fuck Elijah D:

Yohan even telling Elijah that Gaon's not her father but then coming to apologize

the president is really just threatening no election, no democracy

agh ofc they'd be like "oh? Seonah you slept with Yohan?" and the president humiliating and yelling at her even though she's been the brains behind the soooo many things

please this intense scene where Yohan's running and thinking about everything with Gaon followed by a vitamin or whatever PPL ad is so

okayyy so Gaon briefly came back to the house? and made a meal?

This breakup ass flashback T.T the fuck

"It's okay if humanity gets destroyed, if you guys are here" he think about Gaon and Elijah? broooo my found family give it back!!!!!!

why is Min Jeong Ho's mind so one track though? Like he's not wrong about the live court brining in unrest but he's not the only one and the president and foundation are also extremely relevant proponents

oh who's tracking Yohan's right-hand man? oh seonah's girl

rip, she's going against Yohan again despite trying to protect him

so indeed the bamboo spear guy is the one who attacked the prof min jeong ho in the name of Yohan when he's not even actually a fan

oof Seonah's threw away the necklace, we really are going head on huh?

omg? they're fucking up the people in the slums, this is what the Foundation wants

ah stupid Yohan, does he still think Seonah's in his clutches? I hope she gets to fuck him up good before she loses or dies or what else

ah so she's captured Yohan's right-hand man too, I hope he survives, I liked him

damn, Yohan's even got loyalty to his right-hand man. he's really become so soft these past episodes

damn, Seonah really killed the right hand man :< and Gaon's being chased by the bamboo spear

where's my comment about how Seonah had lesbian vibes with Judge Oh (esp with the stair fall), some Minister scenes and some with her right-hand? Anyway, she got a good swing with Yohan and is really hurting him where he hurts, which was what I wanted

Ep 13 (June 4)

1 last episode for the night and weekend before Monday starts again tomorrow </3

poor guy Yohan's right-hand man

pls if something happened to Elijah I'll rip Seonah apart piece by piece

oh fuck all of Yohan's informants are being taken? ah to dream village where they're fucking taking all the poor people and people they don't want

oh? so the others who weren't the actress who just woke up were able to escape, that's good

bro why would you not be so quick to tell Elijah to not let Seonah in specifically and then now, tell her that Seonah's the one who shot you and to never let her in again like pls

awkward ass kiss for Suhyeon and Gaon ah pls T.T the aftermath Suhyeon's so cute

ah Judge Oh being used for all this as the spokesperson

everything is so chaotic and erratic in this country now

what's Yohan planning? what does he even have?

Judge Oh now that her eyes have been opened, hope she does well

tell me what grandma said about the right nowwwwwwww

man I was like yknow I don't think the romance is that forced between Gaon and Suhyeon but this confession stuff is making me annoyed because there are more things I'm curious about right now!! but I guess now is as good ofa time as any since everything's in crisis and Suhyeon probably gonna die in the next few eps

ah who is this joseph guy, does he know who set the fire? is it seonah?

yes Judge oh let's go and also now that Yohan's power has dwindled compared to before, his people have to barge into the control room with guns to be able to control the narrative and broadcast lol

also their priest-like robes

pretty cool broadcast

i also don't get what's the phone light supposed to do

woah some lighting and effects and broadcasting power. Yohan looked otherworldly standing up there

oh what the fuck D: that's such a wasteful death for suhyeon no no no and we also don't know what Joseph thing she found out about, was that joseph?

man what's up with the look Yohan's giving Gaon and Suhyeon

Ep 14 (June 5)

I'm watching this in my lunch break but this time my break is split in 2 so I can only watch for 30 mins T.T and then watch the other 40 mins later

ah so she's dead fr rip why they gotta kill her to further Gaon smh her entire character was just Gaon

would Seonah actually go along with the president releasing a virus in poor neighborhoods?

pls Yohan trying to get Gaon to eat

ahh Elijah too even saying ramen, they are so uncle and niece

ah back from the mid-lunch work hour

ahhh Seonah thinking about the poor people and the welfare girls with terrible upbringings D:

Seonah's been drinking so much, is this a new development?

I read on the on-air thread accidentally that apparently Gaon stops the electric chair or something, so I guess he's gonna stop the execution of Bamboo Spear ah I wish I hadn't known that

him using the likes to charge the electricity in electric chair is genuinely fucked wtf

the professor is so hyperfocused on Yohan that it's like? why doesn't he also take as much issue with presidency and the foundation? like they did all this riot and beating and murdering of the poor and no peep from prof, it'd be an oversight if he doesn't end up having been on their side this whole time or something

oh it's kinda interesting "what if Suhyeon saw you murdering someone with Yohan in front of her?" and it's a flashback to her finding them with Minister's body

ah, what's the president planning

he really did look otherworldly back then, Yohan standing up there watching somebody be beaten in his name, waiting for a victim

oh the president is just pulling a trick to make Bamboo Spear not talk and then let him die at the hands of Yohan and the nation with trust in the president

oh that's so harsh, the citizens are pressing and he's just getting more and more shocked omg fuck

ah fuck Gaon really did go behind Yohan's back this time and publicly too

bruh agh i was reading the on-air thread of eps 13-14 and someone was like prof better be working for foundation the way he's going against Yohan and then there was update like haha i was right bitches with no spoilers, warnings, nothing like fuck you

man actually fuck this cuz someone predicted elijah started the fire and then someone's out here commenting that they're absolutely right! like fuck you x2 and also someone was commenting like why are you commenting and spoiling here

Ep 15 (June 5)

I have 3-ish hours to watch these 2 episodes

ah this professor agh

lol the president's allies being like ah he's ruthless

people in the ep 13/14 on-air thread were soooo frustrated by Gaon (and they have been for a while) but like I get him? There might've been a better way to go about this but he needed to stop this. people were playing around with flogging but now everybody has a chance to take part in killing somebody? and Bamboo Spear wasn't even saying anything, so he would've just been killed and for what?

i mean yohan's self-pity is also self-pity of the powerful

hmm the president saying that the prof thinks it's yohan's fans who hurt him but it was indeed him and bamboo spear but does this mean prof isn't working for them? or it's like he's working for the foundation but only seonah knows or something

pls Elijah with "if you get caught, this house will be mine" and Yohan with "It's always been yours, from the beginning"

Seonah kill the president plsssss painfully, horrifically make him regret everything!!

Beautiful, evil, scheming, cunning Seonah

oh, he did say they set up chief justice of supreme court, so indeed he's working for the foundation, president just didn't know about it?

yknow I don't like the way Yohan talks to Seonah sometimes. very cruel and condescending about her upbringing and I don't like how he looks down on her in a way he doesn't on the men

he made her cry?! you fuck! who would have thought i'd have so much love for Seonah by the end

the truth will surely resonate with the people, right?

oh hooo that man left a winner after that speech, huh?

I saw a gif of Gaon trying to stab Yohan or something, so I wonder if Joseph or whoever has been paid off to say that Yohan caused it or something and give Gaon a reason to think that Yohan killed Suhyeon? what if even that grandma lady was paid off bc how'd she suddenly hear that somebody saw him in a random neighbourhood in seoul

last night? yohan's man came to you last night? I'm guessing he's lying but I suppose it could be someone other than K and Yohan wants to make sure nobody knows Elijah's set that fire accidentally

whose house is this? Gaon's own house? that man Joseph's house?

oh damn they got Joseph

bruh we've got Gaon looking through another dead body huh?

ah it really is Yohan's number rip Gaon but Yohan doesn't seem to recognize it? he just asked hello a few times and seems confused

ah Yohan stopped the knife and is bleeding just like Suhyeon

damn, Gaon even called prof and cops? or no? if not, how did they know?

ah, rip Gaon you really fell onto the Foundation's trap but clever cunning forward-thinking Seonah really saw Gaon and knew exactly how to play him

i hope the prof dies so bad just terribly terribly terribly

Gaon was Yohan's weakness, ah

pls Elijah have somehow recorded it all or something idk

ah so the woman and Joseph said the truth but the last car thing was Seonah's doing

as expected, Elijah set it all on fire accidentally

oh no, she only came out right now, no chance she knows what went on

Seonah having Yohan on his knees and pleading and desperate and saying she's only ever wanted to have him look at her like that, Seonah you are so real - although his screams are too loud and harsh for me

you can't decide to die Gaon!!!! you've got to save them!!!

I think the fact that they made Yohan so flawed yes appealing with the sad background and soft touches and loyal and caring and well-meaning and seeker of justice has made me latch onto Seonah even more because she's just evil with soft spots for like young women and is lonely but she's ruthless and cunning.

Ep 16 (June 5)

I didn't stop at all, onto the next ep! oh it's 95 minutes lol

I do know that Yohan has to save Gaon from a bomb though and says "I was too late, huh?"

Gaon said last ep that he's decided to die and now he's saying he'll get Yohan back even if it kills him ummm I don't like that but I also don't think Gaon died bc I feel like I'd be spoiled for that in ep 13/14 and also I was a smiley gif of Yohan from like ep 16 probably and he might be in jail in that idk but yeah it wasn't tragic looks so

oh Elijah T.T poor girl

ah Gaon you cannot be hoping this cop guy would help you much but I believe you've got this

oh yeah it's a prison outfit that I saw Yohan smiling in that gif - so indeed I guess this smile gif could be before Gaon dies but I still don't think that'd be true

oh dumbass prof is actually just stupid lacking braincells 0 thoughts in his head bc I thought he was a more diabolical player in the foundation but he was just sooo one track mind about Yohan and live court that he was tricked up Seonah too agh stupidity like at least Gaon can see that everything is corrupt and Yohan's not the only one causing chaos but this fucker is so hopeless

Seonah's smoking scene slight parallel to Minister's

damn, president and wife are scheming fr, what are they doing at the weekend village and is the wife planning on leaving the other foundation members there?

ah that photo of Yohan sitting in the sun is what I saw in that gif

ah, Gaon in a food box lol

this is giving me slight Squid Game vibes. it really is quite dystopian, like the YA novels from before

oh, they got the actress girl in Yohan's squad in here

I hope somehow whatever Gaon's recording can be transmitted outside immediately like live bc he must have accounted for not getting back, right?

ah the powerful's slow-mo laughter again

these men are sooooo "i don't like aggressive women like Seonah and Minister" "lowly maid" die die die die fuckers

I know Gaon can't just leave this girl who he knows but this is scary

okayyy miss nurse

I think it'd be fun if they used Seonah to spread the word or something because she has heart for the people here and wants these bastards in her clutches too

awww that girl T.T aww Seonah regretting her actions T.T

he's not really dead, right? That makes no sense and it's too early. I wonder whose plans this fake news was

oh wtf Gaon is the one who attached his fucking bomb to himself

of course hero Yohan comes to save the day

now kiss?

Yohan is so beautiful idk what to do, how old is he exactly because he might be the oldest man thus far who I'vebeen enamoured b due to looks. omg he's 46 well he doesn't look it

no way they forgot the fucking Dke app right? pls T.T

imagine being a random citizen though like mans is a ray of hope amongst chaos and corruption, turns out he fucking murdered someone too, ends up getting murdered, than his face is back on your screen and big screens like

also what has the mibo group dude been planning or thinking up or what? like he's been suspicious the past few scenes

pls 10 million likes on Dike app, he's such a showmaster till the end

ah so mnbo group mans indeed spoke with yohan and co. to get them all in the room

I was actually thinking it reminds me of the electric chair voting thing but he recreated the fire church from a decade ago

ahhh the chaos of the powerful once again, these scenes are so fun

yesssssss Seonahhhhh blast his fucking brains out

"Is it the two of us, in the end? Come with me, Seonah-ya (katchi gaja seonah-ya)" while Seonah points a gun at him and he's ready to blow everything up

noooo she died before 2/3 of the men did???? fucking hell she should've killed the other 2 first, no? why did both the cool women shoot themselves in the head and did she die because she couldn't kill Yohan? hope not

oh my dear Seonah TT This show doesn't know what to do except make women die for their men they love. I wish Yohan also liked her just a bit considering she loved him a fair amount

i keep thinking the bomb isn't actually real or something but who knows tbh

damn, the way Yohan threw Gaon out, I guess the bomb is truly real

but would the people really do it when they know that their judge would die too? or is the broadcast over and they just think only those criminals are in the room?

bomb escape plan?

girl would Yohan and Elijah just leave to Switzerland by themselves? what about my trio of found family huh?

Gaon having to do judge duties amongst everybody now ah so

why is this Gaon looking for Yohan like Strangers From Hell lol

Gaon going after Yohan in the airport ah

bro you're supposed to kiss now what is this staring at each other from a few feet away

man sad ass ending for Gaon

Overall:

The script was apparently even gayer

Good show but after 2 days, I don't think it's one that will haunt me unless I guess I rewatch it and fall in love even more.

Cool concept with the live court, I liked how it played with the viewers and the in-show audience. It was also wild to see people pressing the button to kill somebody or how the flogging was emulated in public.

Ji Sung was a great actor to play Yohan, he's beautiful, he's charming, he's intimidating, he can play both arrogant and cute. Probably the oldest man who I've been attracted to lol, he was like 45-ish here. I think he was an interesting character for sure, though by the end we were getting a hero treatment with him and his tragic story. I'm still aghast at the fact that he was going to get the whole country to kill this dude. He's my puppy cat cutie though and he was a clever schemer, so I forgive.

Seonah my beloved like I don't even know what to say. I hated her acting soooo much in the beginning, it was making my skin crawl and I talked about it in every fucking scene she was in but by the end, she might be my favourite character, who knows. I wish she fucked people up just a bit more when Yohan or the chairmen/president fucks berated her for being a maid or were condescendingly misogynistic. She was so clever and cunning and forward thinking and fearless, yet with hints of loneliness and care for young girls, she was a great villain ah <3

Gaon was fine to be honest, I think people were frustrated by him but I felt like his inability to trust Yohan made sense considering Yohan's a sick bastard and people who he trusted more distrust Yohan.

I wish the girls Judge Oh and Suhyeon were given more depth and utility because they were very flat characters who had some usage sometimes but were often just out of the loop and had little impact on the narrative. agh. Minister was a badass though, that scene of her with the cigar and the idol boys falling over themselves to light it is engraved in my mind. The scene of Seonah shaving Yohan is also engraved in my mind.

Seonah x Yohan sicko dynamic is so good I love it so much - the shaving scene, the way Yohan would trick Seonah in the later episodes by speaking softly cutely to her (although I wish he was less condescending towards her agh), her goal to make him as lonely as she was ahhh I wish they fucked. Suhyeon x Gaon could have really been bodyguard gf x princess bf but alas, they had like a day together after kissing lol

Yohan and Gaon were so homoerotic, this was expected from the reviews. Ah, there were some scenes that were just? truly how could this be not romantic?

I loved Yohan, Elijah, and Gaon so much. Both the uncle-niece relationship and their little found family trio. The meals, the family games, their fun and sarcastic conversations, I'm heartbroken that in the end, Gaon is all alone without these 2, with a dead best friend and a traitor of a mentor being a judge in a system that's just as corrupt.

Rating: 7.5/10 7/10 - same as Strangers From Hell [Jan 25, 2024 Update: Decreased by 0.5 stars when rerating my top shows: 7.5 -> 7]

[lettertolife]

LOVE IN THE AIR THURSDAY

So this year I got into Boys' Love world and have been hooked to it. although I have watched on-going BLs but I started them after like 6th episode or 7th. After watching a lot of clip and knowing almost most of the story line.

However that wasn't the case with Love In The Air - The Series

I vaguely remember watching the pilot trailer of the show in the first half of the year but completely forgot about it.

However, in late July or early August I stumbled across the actual trailer and teasers of the show. AND I WAS IN LOVE WITH IT! Hence this show became first BL that I watched on-going from episode 1 and discussed passionately about it on Reddit with other watchers.

I wait for every Thursday. THURSDAYs are celebration days Thanks to the series. The series is divided into 2 stories - 1) Love Storm and 2) Love Sky.

Love Storm is Payu and Rain's love story which is Episode 1-7 and Love Sky is Prapai and Sky's love story which is Episode 8-13.

There are a total of 14 episodes. 13 episode (1-7 + 8-13) plus one special episode. And Today i.e., 29th September' 2022 we'll have our 7th episode that will be the ending of Love Storm story.

So I'm excited but as well as sad to bid my byes to Payu and Rain. So I thought I'll make a post here describing how exciting Thursdays are and how excited I'm for tonight's episode.

Here's a glimpse to today's episode.

[starlight-time-machine]

Week in Review

12/31/2023 – 01/06/2024

Sunday

Ended the year strong by doing absolutely nothing at all.

Monday

I finally got around to watching SpyFam season 2’s finale, and while it was cute and inoffensive, it was also an extremely nothing episode. Bond centric stories are already weak, and this one just dragged on for way too long. The montage at the end doing a “here’s where everyone’s at!” thing was pretty funny – why yes, thank you for reminding me that everyone has ended this season almost exactly where they started. I’m definitely starting to feel a slight fatigue with SpyFam’s stagnation, if that wasn’t already clear. Maybe the mangaka does have an overarching story they want to tell, but right now it really feels like they’re just trying to drag things out for as long as they can… I don’t blame them, because capitalism is a hellscape, but it does make SpyFam ring hollow at times. And I can’t help but think back to that interview they did where they mentioned how they have no real attachment to their characters – it does feel like they tried hard to find a winning popular manga formula, found it, and is now trying to ride the wave for as long as they can. I don’t know, maybe I’m just feeling bitter because I remember being so excited for this series when I first read it, and it’s a little frustrating to see its characters remain the same after so many years.

I watched Kusuriya next, and it had a similarly lowkey episode to round off its first half. That sequence of Maomao running everywhere was so janky and awkward that it made me laugh, but other than that there wasn’t really anything notable. Considering that the latter half is going to be mainly the Outer Palace arc, I’m slightly dreading it, but I’ll try to go in with an open mind.

Hopped onto Dropout and watched the Rick Perry documentary they put out and it’s pretty well done. You can really feel the care that the Dropout crew puts into every one of their productions. I personally would’ve loved to get a more in-depth look at the actual building process, but the documentary is cute for what it is.

Tuesday

Um

Wednesday

We watched some more House, and this batch of episodes was pretty good. I especially liked the one with Michael B. Jordan, it was nice and feel-good while also having plenty of fun Hilson hijinks. In general, the uptick of Hilson storylines has been very welcome. Taub was also a highlight here, having some nice Dad moments with Park and gay moments with the hockey player.

I read the latest Kusuriya manga chapter after that, and while ghost mysteries are my least favourite subgenre of Kusuriya mysteries, learning more about Lishu and seeing her stand up for herself was nice.

Thursday

We’re getting really close…we watched three more episodes of House today, and they were pretty intense. I didn’t care about the patients at all – Wilson’s cancer diagnosis really turns the show and the Hilson dynamic on its head. For the first time, we get to see House actually sacrifice a lot of his time and even his medication to take care of someone else, and all of their interactions in this episode were so charged and wonderfully angsty. The part where House holds Wilson in his arms as Wilson begs him to not let him die in the hospital was so… And then the ending, with House turning Wilson’s painful chemo treatment into a fun memory they could look back on was probably the nicest thing House has ever done for anyone on the show. The Hilson road trip episode after this was also fun…I’m glad we’re getting a lot of ship fodder before the show ends.

DUNGEON MESHI ANIME GOOD!!!!!! I’ve been really looking forward to this ever since it was announced, and I’m so glad to see that it’s as good as I could’ve hoped for. The voice cast is great, especially Kentarou Kumagai…casting him as Laios is such a galaxy brain move because I know him best as Omi from A3! and that one seme from that money lender BL, so in my mind his niche is big heart of gold guys with a tiny bit of edge to them if they’re pushed too far and that makes me INSANE. Because Laios is so nice and cute but also INSANE AND UNHINGED and I really can’t wait to see Kentarou act out some of the later scenes. (And considering that this is Studio Trigger, I’m cautiously optimistic that they’ll adapt the entire manga series). The colors are great, the loose animation is great, Marcille is so fun and pouty and whiny (as she should be) and has a ton of funny faces and noises, and the comedic timing is amazing (that janky close up on Marcille’s withering look was gold). I like the narrator too, and the food porn is top notch. The only small gripe I have is how low-budget the OP animation/direction feels, but if it means that the episodes themselves get more focus then so be it.

Friday

Today’s the day… We finally finished House M. D. All in all, it was a pretty fun show. Lots of deeply stupid and silly storylines and hammy writing, but when it got into House’s flaws as a person and his secret longing for companionship and acceptance, the plot was engaging and genuinely moving. House and Wilson’s relationship has and always will be the star of the show (even outside of ship reasons) because of how they desperately cling to each other despite their respective flaws – their relationship is really a testament to the power of love against all hardship and finding meaning in life and other people despite the pain of being alive. I think it’s probably one of the better medical procedurals out there for the strength of its character writing and their restraint with keeping the show from going completely off the rails (cough Grey’s Anatomy cough). I’ll give it a 6/10 (which is lower than the 8/10 I gave when I first watched it in high school, mostly due to me realizing that a lot of it is kind of stupid). (Shoutout to the scene where Foreman finds House’s medical I.D. propping up his wobbly table and realizes that he’s still alive – that was really cute).

It’s time for Manga…Friday? Undead Unluck is up first, and it’s very cute. It’s so fun to see Julia be much more of a hothead than Juiz was, but you can still some similarities between the two with her iron tenacity. For Fuuko to grow from mentee to mentor is such a fun change. I also loved the little details of Shen telling Mui about the stars and Sean clinging onto Gina when the building comes down.

Oshi no Ko…uh oh! Ruby’s losing herself a little bit! I wonder how far they’ll let her push things for the sake of making this movie.

Jumanji, huh… I’ve never watched it, but Dandadan seems to be paying homage to it pretty heavily. With how much they’ve teased Zuma’s appearance now, I’m expecting his eventual reveal to be pretty spectacular (or comedically underwhelming).

Magilumiere is still at full throttle – for a moment I thought glasses guy was also going to transform, but alas. This battle’s shaping up to be an interesting one, though.

Not Bonney getting her own Ace moment in One Piece… I’m guessing that Saturn’s pincers are poisoned or something, because I can’t really imagine Kuma surviving beyond this arc. But who knows, Oda doesn’t like to kill characters unless absolutely necessary, after all. The little bits of information Saturn dropped were also juicy, though I don’t remember enough about One Piece lore to properly theorize on it.

CIPHER ACADEMY IS SO GOODDDDDDDDDD and god this really does have finale energy, huh… Everyone’s dancing together and doing a million cool and fun poses, Enchan gets an emotional farewell after having accompanied Iroha this far, and then people drop off one by one until we get the full circle moment of Iroha facing against his Class Leading Private rivals again. (I was really hoping we’d learn more about the bear, but okay…) (Also it was super cute seeing Tayutan and Toshusai do a dance pose together, also Tayutan almost calling her Kyorarin???) (Also also seeing the girls who usually have their hair up have it down was super cute…) As Iroha points out, he’s now grown so much that he can actually compete with them head to head… It makes me emotional to think about how far he’s come. Anon betraying her other boygirlfriend Yosaimura was fun (you can always trust her to betray, after all), but then Iroha choosing Toshusai over her is so… Even though Iroha has undeniable chemistry with every girl in his class somehow, it makes sense that he wants to go up against Toshusai in the final battle for the title of Code Emperor. In another full circle moment, he’s fighting against the girl who started this whole journey off in the first place. If this is really the end (though I wouldn’t put it past Nisioisin to troll us again), I think I’d be pretty satisfied. At least it’ll feel like Cipher Academy was allowed to run its natural course and bring its story to a solid conclusion.

Saturday

Oh, it’s Drag Race season again, huh… I’m not like, a superfan of Drag Race, but I do enjoy watching it for the performances and the costumes. And because I’m a nerd with no friends, every season I like to do a little bit of Fantasy Drag Race points counting. I’m not competing against anyone, so it’s more just a test of how good my analytical skills are in predicting who the winner will be from episode one. So far, after watching the Meet the Queens promo and now episode one, Sapphira is definitely my frontrunner for how multitalented she is, and Dawn is also on my roster because I appreciate the weird elfgirl energy that she’s bringing. I think Q will also be a strong competitor, but I won’t put her on my roster. Megami and Nymphia are also on my radar, but I’ll have to see them on next week’s episode before I solidify my picks. The episode itself was pretty standard fare, though I’m curious to see how the immunity mechanic will shake things up. I have to admit that I’m a hermit so I usually don’t know the celebrity guest judges that they bring on, so I had to skip the Charlize Theron section because it was so boring to me. Then the talent show was decent – it seems like everyone’s a dancer this season, so a lot of girls just decided to do an original dance number…but I wish they’d come up with some more unique angles. This is why Q’s puppet number and Sapphira’s opera number stood out so much – if everyone’s serving cunt, it’s easy for your cunt to get lost in the crowd (as Aristotle once said). Runway-wise, I liked Dawn’s monster themed reveals and Q’s bug themed reveals. I was a little disappointed with Sapphira’s look because like…you can say it’s not just a leotard and everything but it still kind of just looks like a leotard. And while the color matching on the breast plate was immaculate and they shimmered really nicely, the boob size was so off… I’m a little worried about her fashion game now, but I still like her personality and energy a lot so I’m gonna keep rooting for her. SDJFKLDFSF NOT SAPPHIRA’S TITTIES BOUNCING ON THE GROUND DURING THE LIP SYNC LMAOOOO The lip sync also demonstrated why I think Q will make it far but not all the way – she’s a great performer in a lot of ways, but at the end of the day the Drag Race meta hinges on lip syncing, and it doesn’t seem like she has a lot of tricks and dips up her sleeve. And even putting dancing ability aside, her face didn’t really sell me on the song either. But let’s see how the rest of the season shakes out.

I read the latest A Second Goodbye to You chapter and I don’t have much to say about it, other than it’s cute seeing kid Hinata venture out to try and solve this conundrum himself. But I guess it’s also a little scary, because he won’t be able to fend off any physical attacks should he get himself in danger…

And it looks like that’s it for 2023’s Week in Reviews! I’m glad that I’ve been able to keep up with posting these – if nothing else, I can expel all the useless but plentiful thoughts I have and empty out my brain to make room for other things. Hopefully 2024 will be another year full of interesting stories.

[bibimbinge]

love that theres 4 !!!!! F O U R !!!!! bls currently airing on friday nights and 2 !!!!! T W O !!!!! on thursdays starting from 10.30pm til 1am but I'm too old to stay awake after 12 so I watch one and then I'm DONE. I've got bls to watch every. day. of. the. week.

I'm set for the ENTIRE week.

AND THE WEEKEND IS JUST GETTING STARTED CAUSE WE GOT OFFGUN **AND** TAYNEW IN CUTESY FLUFFY ROMANCE ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS!!!!!!!!

enjoy this moment cause 12 weeks is gonna pass by so fast and next thing you know we're in another bl drought

[cheesysaggychick]

Truman Got It Wrong

 (A Kabataan Essay)

Imagine being the main character of your own story. Your life has already been planned out from the day you opened your eyes. There are cameras watching your every move and directors that will dictate how you live based on the writer’s script. You don’t have any real friends because everyone around you is an actor hired to follow the flow of the plot. Even with the food that you eat, the soap you use to bathe, the toothpaste you brush your teeth with, they are all from the sponsors to keep your life running for people’s entertainment. Basically, you don’t have to worry about anything. You just have to live your life stress-free and hassle-free! Nope, this is not a movie, nor it is an advertisement. Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out. So..what do you think?

At the ripe age of 15, I had the world in my hands…at least it seemed like it. I am doing great in my academics, I am thin, I’m closer to my friends than I have ever been, and I even have a boyfriend. Whaaattt? Sounds like I only need to be mean and have everything pink to be Regina George. Meh. My Kopiko 78 would be an insult to possibly her sweet tea with artificial sugar and some berries in her glittery pink cup. That day was a normal Thursday. No, it was not. It was our 4th quarterly examination, and Math and Science are all on the same day. I was psyching myself that I did good in the Math examination I had just finished. It was trigonometry. Nobody understands trigonometry, right? Since when did Math have kites you solve and diamonds you find the function of? Math has never been my favorite. If only this was a movie, I would not care. I would be wearing my chucks instead of the hurtful black shoes, sleeves rolled up, piercings blinding my teachers’ eyes, sporting a massive hangover due to the endless partying the night before yet I would still be able to pass all my exams because I’m the main character!

In a blink of an eye, people were suddenly breaking records saying

“Saraleo”, 

“Raikantopeni” 

and even 

panties fell for Sara--Ti--Sara... I don’t know who for, Tine or Sarawat. You choose. (editors note: not me rewatching 2gether while editing this for the vibes)

I am so confused, I thought I was on a different planet. The Boy’s Love industry has suddenly taken over the world, specifically, my world. The world is on lockdown, which I don’t even know what that was about. What’s a lockdown? Isn’t that what they do in zombie movies when patient zero gets loose? Since we have nothing better to do with our spare time, people really said “since you are so deprived of any romantic stuff right now, why don’t we watch two actors play as a couple, right?”. People is me. 

Well, that was toxic. Obviously, there are always two sides to the coin, which is in this case, the bad and the worse. The first is straight homophobic actors benefiting from the roles they have as homosexual characters. Secondly, the toxic “delulu”, a slang for delusional fans who treat the acting as real. Also, it has become a trend for BLs that year to have sexual assaults as the major plot or the twist of the story. Still, I waited every Thursday for the new episode of 2gether. I know, I’m a hypocrite. Am I? But imagine being in those series, experiencing tropes like enemies-to-lovers or fake-dating, and the wonder of all tropes, the friends-to-lovers. Ahhh, if only. 

With nothing more left to do, I scrolled through my phone for the nth time. It had been my greatest companion during this time of isolation. As I clicked on Facebook and scroll through posts, everyone seemed to have been productive. It was #fitnessgoals, #quaranthings, #lockdownbody. 

I suddenly became self-conscious. So, I broke up with my boyfriend. Random? Yeah, I know. I didn’t know people have been doing all these “healthy” things, meanwhile, I have been punishing myself with all the junk that I have been consuming. 

The following day, I immediately got my phone and typed Chloe Ting for the first time in a long time. (The only clickbait I knew yet I still clicked anyways)

The more reps I’m doing, the more desperate I was getting. Slowly, I am getting lightheaded and started rethinking my life decisions. Why am I doing this again? I know it’s not to build my own endurance, gain muscles, or lose fat. I still don’t know until now. All I know is that people liking you is equivalent to your liking yourself, and I have seen society kinder to skinnier people than those of my size so, I guess I just answered my own question. 

Honestly, for years I really thought I was fat, I knew I was. At least that is what was etched in my mind, by my family, and my relatives, I was even bullied for it. I hated the sight of measuring tapes, fitting rooms, and even weighing scales. Now looking back to my pictures before, I really wasn’t. But people were not nice, so what was that about? I feel like I had to be the nice and funny one because no one dislikes the nice one, right? 

So, I starved myself. Yes, I know, it sounds dumb but that’s what I did. For months and on, I did that, and guess what happened? People stopped looking at me with their judgments peeling my skin off like a chemical peel. If this were a movie, I would just need a friend who “knows it all”, then one day just walks into school, hair falling, skinny waist, thick booty, and a miracle glow-up that even my closest friends will not recognize me.

Speaking of glow-up, I… was obsessed with my hair. And what do you do when you are obsessed with something? You kill it, right? 

So, I chopped it, 

then chopped it again, 

and again all on my own, then for the fourth time, I finally went to the salon. 

Obviously, people 18 and below are not allowed to enter the mall so I showcased my oscar-winning acting skills. After chopping my hair for the millionth time, guess what I did. 

I bleached it, then bleached it again, then again, and again, until I finally dyed it, and dyed it again, and again, and again. By then I have more roots than hair. Honestly, I felt so much of a badass entering that Teams chat with different hair colors every week. Again kids, what do you do when you are obsessed with something?

You kill it.  I have witnessed people who feel superior to others kill because of differences. I have seen people die due to the corrupt system the country is still built on. I have seen people fail just because their own government betrayed them and neglects their rights. I have seen people surrender because however loud they scream, they plea, they are never heard. 

Why is it that the most valuable thing which is life has become so easy to be stripped of now? Killing has become as normal as breathing. Dying has become a great escape. Failing has become what was expected. Surrendering has become the end for all the hopeless. We have been so obsessed with how people live their lives that we don’t even recognize our own issues. We don’t try to learn for the sake of unlearning. 

But, if these were all in a movie, I would make it as if death is not the end. But I told you from the beginning, nope, this is not The Truman Show, nor it is an advertisement. You are not Truman nor you are Regina George. You worry you stress, you hassle. Comfortability is a privilege. Like art, its meaning lies deep within, but one remains, art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. We cannot afford to be nonchalant as our time is limited. 

Yes, our life is a story, but like any other story, it will eventually reach its end. The moment we open our eyes, it is unjust to ever close them again. There will be judgments, not cameras watching your every move. There will be prejudice, not the director that will dictate how you live your life based on what your parents demand. There will be strangers who will snake you and bite you which will make you fall. Finally, you will have everything that you ever need, and yet still have nothing at the same time. 

Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out. Although it was all for a show, at least it was perfect, right? Truman Burbank was wrong. So..what do you think?

[absolutebl]

BL Master Post - List

List of 415 BLs as of mid 2022

This is just a list by request pulled from the Spreadsheet of Doom which contains all 400+ BLs that I have watched, dnf'd, or am currently watching. Dated June 30, 2022. 

It is in order by country (alphabetized) then year (oldest at the top) then rating out of 10. It includes shorts, movies, series, and compilations. In cases where there are multiple country production houses, it will fall under the dominant language (e.g. Peach of Time is under Korea). Feel free to gank. The spreadsheet of doom does contain most of my original sources for these, so if you want help tracking some of the more obscure ones down just ask in a comment. 

I have added these lists by country to the bottom of my History of the Genre posts. 

Japanese BL

Chinese BL

Taiwanese BL

Korean BL

Thai BL

China

2014 Like Love 1: I Love You As A Man: Part 1 - 5 2015 Falling in Love with a Rival: Counterattack - 3 2015 Mr. X and I: Us Against the World - 3 2015 Like Love 2: Nobody Knows But Me - 2 2016 Addicted Heroin - 8 2016 Irresistible Love: Secret of the Valet - 5 2016 Irresistible Love 2: Uncontrolled Love - 6 2016 Fanatic Love - 5 2016 Queer Beauty: Oppressive Love - 3 2016 Ghost Boyfriend 1 - 2 2016 The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao - 1 2016 Lost Love - 1 2016 A Round Trip to Love - 1 2017 Customized Companion - dnf 2017 Glass Heart - dnf 2017 Legend of Long Yang: Rebirth 6 2017 Mr. CEO is Falling in Love with Him - 5 2017 Till Death Tear Us Apart: In This Case A Pleasant Lifetime Alone: Love is in a Blaze - 5 2017 His Cat: His Cat Boyfriend - 5 2017 Advance Bravely - 5 2017 The Fairy Fox - 3 2017 Beloved Enemy - 3 2017 Ghost Boyfriend 2 - 2 2017 Love is Not Easy to Have: Rare Love - 2 2017 Swinging Blossom - 2 2017 Find You In The Crowd compilation - 1 2018 River Knows Fish Heart - 6 2018 Guardian - 6 2018 Past Youth - 2 2018 Ghost Boyfriend 3 - 2 2019 Mermaid's Jade - 4 2019 Broken Youth - 4 2020 The Untamed - 6 2020 Precise Shot - 4 2020 Capture Lover - 4 2020 Youth in the Breeze: People of the Skyy compilation - 3 2021 Word of Honor - 8 2021 My Esports Genius Brother - 7 2021 Every Moment that I Think of You - 5 2022 In Your Heart - 2

HONG KONG 

2012 From Here to There - 2 2014 For Love, We Can - 2 2015 I Go To School Not By Bus - 2 2018 S.C.I. - 4 2021 Ossan's Love Love or Dead - 5 2021 I'm a Fool for You 1 & 2 - 4

JAPAN 

2006 Boys Love compilation - 1 2007 Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers - 5 2007 Itsuka no Kimi e - 5 2007 Boys Love: The Movie Boys Love 2 AKA Schoolboy Crush - 2 2008 Ai no Kotodama - 5 2008 Gymnasium Baby Taiikukan Baby - 3 2008 Melody of Our Love: Bokura no Ai no Kanade - 3 2008 Forbidden Love - 2 2008 Asymmetry - 2 2009 Takumi-kun 2: Rainbow Colored Glass - 5 2010 Junjou Pure Heart - 6 2010 Ai no Kotodama 2: Sekai no Hate Made - 6 2010 Takumi-kun 3: The Beauty of Detail - 5 2010 Takumi-kun 4: Pure - 4 2011 Takumi-kun 1: DaiMao Version (fan made) - 6 2011 Takumi-kun 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky - 5 2012 Fujimi Orchestra - 3 2013 Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi: Gaiya no Koi: Shape of Happiness 1 - 3 2013 Love Place: Shiawase no Katachi: Shape of Happiness 2 - 4 2014 Docchi Mo Docchi: Same Difference - 5 2014 No Touching At All:  Doushitemo Furetakunai - 5 2014 Coming Out: Kamingu Auto - 3 2015 Seven Days: Monday-Thursday: Friday-Sunday - 10 2015 Candy and Kiss - 7 2015 Wait For Me at Udagawachou: Udagawachou de Matteteyo - 5 2015 Forever Summer - 2 2017 Silhouette of Your Voice: Hidamari ga Kikoeru - 7 2017 Double Mints - 2 2018 Ossan's Love original - 6 2018 Does the Flower Bloom? - 5 2018 Pornographer: The Novelist - 3 2019 What Did You Eat Yesterday?: Kinou Nani Tabeta? - 6 2019 Athlete - 4 2019 His: I Didn't Think I Would Fall In Love - 3 2019 Mood Indigo: Pornographer series - 3 2019 The Shortest Distance is Round (Blanc): Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute - 2 2019 The Shortest Distance is Round (Noir): Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute - 1 2020 Cherry Magic: 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii - 9 2020 Restart After Come Back Home: Risutato wa tadaima no ato de - 8 2020 Life: Love on the Line Life: Senjou no Bokura - 8 2020 His the movie - 6 2020 Love Stage!! :Rabu Suteiji - 5 2020 Sei no Gekiyaku:  Dangerous Drugs of Sex - 4 2020 The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese: Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru - 2 2020 The Shortest Distance 3: Fallen Flowers Saitankyori Wa Mawari Kudokute: Rakka Ryūsui Japan 1 2020 The Shortest Distance is Round 2 : Rain and Soda Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute: Ame to Soda Mizu Japan 1 2021 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko: Absolute BL: A Man Who Defies The World of BL. - 10 2021 Utsukushii Kare: My Beautiful Man - 9 2021 Kieta Hatsukoi: Vanishing My First Love My Love Mix Up - 8 2021 Given: Givun - 8 2021 Pornographer Playback: Pornographer series - 5 2022 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko 2 Absolute BL 2 A Man Who Defies The World of BL 2 - 10 2022 Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! Mr Unlucky AKA Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss AKA Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! - 8 2022 Old Fashion Cupcake: Old-Fashioned Cupcake - ?  2022 Minato Coin Laundry: Wash My Heart!: Minato's Laundromat: Minato Shouji Koin Randorii - ?

KOREA 

2006 No Regrets - 1 2008 Boy Meets Boy - 4 2008 A Frozen Flower - 1 2009 Just Friends?: Chingu Sai? - 8 2010 Love, 100℃ - 1 2011 Nabang Spark - 4 2012 Suddenly Last Summer - 5 2012 Two Weddings and a Funeral - 5 2012 Going South - 2 2013 Something, Crunchy Crunchy - dnf 2014 So Refreshed! - 2 2014 Diary of Heong Yeong Dang: Drama Festival 2014: The Diary of Heong Yeong Dang - 1 2014 I'm Horny Now! - 1 2014 Night Flight - 1 2014 Some - 1 2015 The Lover BL Cut - 5 2015 Open - 4 2015 Weird Housemates - 4 2015 A Naked Boy - 1 2016 My Eleventh Brother - 4 2016 Jealousy is My Guest - 2 2017 Long Time No See (Strongberry) - 7 2017 Free Bird - 4 2017 Secret Spectacles (Strongberry) - 4 2017 Tilted Summer - 2 2017 Tropical Night - 2 2017 Method - 2 2017 Mind - 2 2017 The Boy Next Door - 1 2018 Some More (Strongberry) - 8 2018 Step For You (Strongberry) - 7 2018 Being Me - 6 2018 My Pistachio (Strongberry) - 6 2018 Summerdaze: Stay Away From Me - 5 2018 Table Manner (Strongberry) - 4 2018 In Between Seasons - 1 2019 As if You Whisper (Strongberry) - 6 2019 Sonnet 18 - 6 2019 My Personal Trainer (Strongberry) - 5 2019 One Last Order - 5 2020 Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart - 9 2020 Where Your Eyes Linger - 8 2020 Mr. Heart: mr heart - 7 2020 Private Lessons (Strongberry) - 7 2020 Secret Roommate (Strongberry) - 5 2021 On His Turf:  On My Turf - dnf 2021 Color Rush - 10 2021 Light On Me - 10 2021 To My Star - 10 2021 A First Love Story (Strongberry) - 9 2021 Nobleman Ryu's Wedding - 9 2021 My Sweet Dear - 8 2021 The Tasty Florida - 8 2021 You Make Me Dance - 8 2021 Made in Rooftop - 7 2021 Peach of Time - 6 2021 Confidential Coffee Break (Strongberry) - 6 2021 Sweet Curse (Strongberry) - 6 2021 Hold Me - 6 2021 Fingers After (Strongberry) - 5 2021 My "S" Partner - 4 2022 Semantic Error - 10 2022 Blueming - 9 2022 Cherry Blossoms After Winter - 9 2022 Tinted With You - 8 2022 Oh! Boarding House - 8 2022 Behind Cut - 8 2022 Love Class - 8 2022 Ocean Likes Me - 8 2022 Color Rush 2 - 7 2022 First Love Again - 7 2022 Blue of Winter Judo Boys - 3 2022 Kissable Lips - 2 2022 Love in Spring: Spring of Crush - ? 2022 To My Star 2: Our Untold Stories - ?

THE PHILIPPINES

2014 Geography Lessons: Lisyun qng Geografia - 3  2016 4 Days - 5  2020 In Between: Sa Pagitan ng Kamusta at Paalam - dnf  2020 The Shore - dnf  2020 Amore - dnf  2020 Boyband Love - ? 4 2020 Happenstance - ?  2020 Gameboys the series - 9  2020 Like In The Movies: Gaya Sa Pelikula - 8  2020 My Day the series - 8  2020 The Boy Foretold by the Stars - 6  2020 Meet Me Outside - 5  2020 Win Jaime's Heart - 5  2021 Jack & Jill - dnf  2021 Love is the series - dnf�� 2021 Stuck on You - dnf  2022 Rainbow Prince - 6 

SINGAPORE

2022 Getaway: Get Away dnf

TAIWAN 

2006 Eternal Summer: Eternal Summers - 2 2012 Pair of Love - 3 2014 100 Apples - 4 2016 Friend or Lover - 6 2016 He's Out There Somewhere - 1 2017 HIStory: Obsessed - 8 2017 Red Balloon - 7 2017 HIStory: Stay Away From Me - 6 2017 HIStory: My Hero - 6 2017 Faded - 5 2017 We Are Gamily - 5 2017 Dark Blue and Moonlight - 3 2018 HIStory 2: Crossing the Line - 9 2018 HIStory 2: Right or Wrong - 8 2019 The Teacher - dnf 2019 HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count - 2 2019 HIStory 3: Trapped - 7 2019 Departure - 3 2019 Bro and Me Bro & Me - 3 2020 Because of You - 7 2020 Craving You - 5 2020 Our Memory - 3 2020 Your Name Engraved Herein - 2 2021 We Best Love No. 1 For You - 10 2021 We Best Love Fighting Mr. 2nd - 10 2021 Be Loved In House I Do - 9 2021 Love is Science? BL Cut - 9 2021 See You After Quarantine? - 8 2021 HIStory 4: Close to You - 8 2021 Papa & Daddy - 7 2021 My Type - 7 2021 Innocent - 5 2021 Light - 5 2021 Friend or Lover - 5 2021 The Immeasurable - 4 2021 The Immeasurable - 4 2022 Plus & Minus AKA Plus and Minus - 8 2022 DNA Says Love You - 8

THAILAND 

2007 Love of Siam - 2 2013 Timeline - 3 2013 Love Next Door 1 - 2 2014 Love Sick - 7 2014 Love Next Door 2 - 4 2014 My Bromance the movie - 2 2015 Love Sick 2 - 7 2015 Love Love You - 3 2015 Water Boyy the movie - 2 2015 Feel Good to Say Goodbye - 2 2015 Same Same Is Not The Same - 2 2015 Red Wine in the Dark Night - 1 2016 Puppy Honey BL Cut - 8 2016 SOTUS - 8 2016 Make it Right - 7 2016 The Right Man Because I Love You - 5 2016 Sweet Student Boy Sweet Boy - 2 2016 Gray - 2 2016 My Bromance the series - 1 2016 Grey Rainbow: Views of Love - 1 2017 SOTUS S - 8 2017 Puppy Honey2 BL Cut - 8 2017 Make it Right 2 - 7 2017 My Dear Loser Edge of 17 - 6 2017 2 Moons the series - 6 2017 Together with Me - 6 2017 I Am Your King 1 - 3 2017 Waterboyy the series - 3 2017 I Love You - 2 2017 Present Perfect - 2 2018 SOTUS Our Skyy - 8 2018 Kiss Me Again PeteKao - 8 2018 Love By Chance - 8 2018 My Tee: Cause You're My Boy - 6 2018 InnSun Our Skyy My Dear Loser - 5 2018 PeteKao Our Skyy Dark Blue Kiss - 5 2018 PickRome Our Skyy Puppy Honey - 5 2018 You Had Me At Hello - 5 2018 TeeMork Our Skyy My Tee - 5 2018 My Dream - 3 2018 Together with Me the next chapter - 3 2018 What the Duck - 2 2019 Until We Meet Again: The Red Thread - 10 2019 He's Coming to Me - 9 2019 Dark Blue Kiss - 8 2019 Theory of Love - 8 2019 TharnType - 8 2019 2 Moons 2 - 7 2019 3 Will Be Free - 7 2019 Great Men Academy - 6 2019 Good Loser 2 parts - 5 2019 With Love the series - 5 2019 I Am Your King 2 - 3 2019 Before I Love You 3 parts - 3 2019 2 Wish the series - 3 2019 Love Poison - 3 2019 Make it Live on the Beach: Make It Live: On The Beach - 3 2019 Reminders - 3 2019 The Best Twins - 2 2019 The Effect - 2 2019 Dew the Movie - 1 2020 Ghost Runner - dnf 2020 I Told The Sunset About You - dnf 2020 Oxygen the series - 9 2020 Still 2gether - 8 2020 2gether - 8 2020 Why R U? - 8 2020 En of Love Love Mechanics - 7 2020 My Engineer - 7 2020 Ingredients the series - 7 2020 Theory of Love special - 7 2020 Love By Chance 2: A Chance at Love - 6 2020 My Gear and Your Gown - 6 2020 Present Still Perfect - 6 2020 En of Love: This is Love Story - 6 2020 En of Love: Tossera - 6 2020 Location - 5 2020 YYY the series - 5 2020 Friend Forever - 5 2020 So Much In Love - 5 2020 TharnType 2: Seven Years of Love - 5 2020 Night of Love - 4 2020 YYY Special - 3 2020 The Moment - 3 2021 My Boy - dnf 2021 Call it What You Want - dnf 2021 Call it What You Want 2 - dnf 2021 I Promised You the Moon: I Told Sunset About You - dnf 2021 Love Poison 2 - dnf 2021 Hidden Love - dnf 2021 Country Boy - dnf 2021 1000 Stars A Tale of Thousand Stars - 9 2021 Lovely Writer - 9 2021 Golden Blood - 8 2021 Nitiman - 7 2021 Manner of Death - 7 2021 Second Chance - 7 2021 Y-Destiny - 6 2021 Gen Y the series - 6 2021 My Mate Match - 6 2021 The Yearbook - 6 2021 Bite Me - 6 2021 Once in Memory: Wish Me Luck - 6 2021 Once in Memory - 6 2021 Love Advisor - 6 2021 Tonhon Chonlatee - 6 2021 Top Secret Together - 5 2021 Love With Benefits - 5 2021 Siew Sum Noi - 5 2021 Love Area Part 1 - 5 2021 The Best Story YinWar - 5 2021 Don’t Say No LeoFiat Special - 5 2021 Evening Cafe - 5 2021 Brothers - 4 2021 Close Friend Season 1 - 4 2021 Loveless Society - 4 2021 7 Project BL Cut - 4 2021 Fish Upon the Sky - 4 2021 The Cupid Coach - 3 2021 My Bromance 2: 5 Years Later - 3 2021 The Couple - 3 2021 Hometown's Embrace - 3 2021 Love Machine - 1 2022 Saneha Stories 4: Thanon Sai Saneha - dnf 2022 Rak Diao Thai BL sitcom - dnf 2022 Restart(ed): Restarted - dnf 2022 7 Days 7 Boys - dnf 2022 Country Boy - dnf 2022 The Miracle of Teddy Bear - dnf 2022 My Ride Thai 9 2022 Bad Buddy Thai 9 2022 Not Me OffGun Thai 9 2022 Love Stage!! Love Stage - 8 2022 What Zabb Man! Star Hunter - 8 2022 Cutie Pie - 8 2022 Star in My Mind Star and Sky - 8 2022 Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul - 7 2022 Enchanté Enchante - 7 2022 Secret Crush On You - 7 2022 La Cuisine - 7 2022 Paint With Love - 6 2022 Close Friend 2 Season 2 - 6 2022 You're My Sky: Star and Sky - 6 2022 Cupid's Last Wish - 6 2022 Gen Y 2: Season 2 - 5 2022 The Love of Winter - 5 2022 Meow Ears Up - 4 2022 Our Days - 4 2022 Physical Therapy - 3 2022 The Tuxedo - 3 2022 Love Area Part 2 - 3 2022 That's My Candy KimCop - 3 2022 Something In My Room - 3 2022 Triage the series - ? 2022 KinnPorsche - ? 2022 Check Out - ? 2022 Sky in Your Heart: Star and Sky - ? 2022 My Secret Love: Secret Admirer - ? 2022 Love Mechanics YinWar Thai ?

VIETNAM 

2017 My Sky BẦU TRỜI CỦA KHÁNH - 2 2018 The Ring Goes Missing - 5 2019 Hey! First Love AKA My Sky Dam My hoc Doung - 5 2019 Goodbye Mother Thua Me Con D - 3 2020 Stage of Love - 6 2020 Sea Him TienTai universe - 5 2020 Tien Bromance EXTRA - 5 2020 Tien Bromance - 1 2021 My Lascivious Boss ÔNG CHỦ, ĐỪNG ĐẾN ĐÂY - 7 2021 You Are Ma Boy EM LÀ CHÀNG TRAI CỦA ANH - 7 2021 Nation's Brother - 7 2021 Hay Rival, I LOVE YOU! - 6 2021 Follow My Sunshine SAU VẠT NẮNG - 6 2021 Stupid Boys Stupid Love YÊU ĐI SỢ GÌ - 6 2021 Monster in Law Mẹ Chồn Dâu Cáo - 6 2021 Most Peaceful Place Is You - 6 2021 You Are My Sunshine - 4 2021 Fools - 4 2022 Next Door Crush - dnf 2022 Mr Cinderella Xem trọn bộ Mr Cinderella - 8 2022 The Promise - 5 2022 You Are My Stupid Boy - 5 2022 Want to See You - ?

(this was by request from @roices )

source 

[ealeczander]

I’m seeing people being confused about the Y-Destiny plotline and I just binge-watched it up to ep 9 so I’m here to explain. I won’t give out spoilers so you can choose if you want to watch it.

It’s 15 episodes. It includes 7 couples. Every couple has a story that spans across 2 episodes. The stories are not connected so you can pick and choose which ones you want to watch and which you want to skip. All the characters are friends with each other and appear in each other’s stories. But you don’t have to watch all the episodes to know who they are.

Episode 1 + 2: Tuesday (TueAke)

Basically an Enemies to Lovers, SportsAU, sickfic. Tue is a stern trainer who turns to a pile of goo the moment he’s shown a little bit of kindness. Kinda confusing but the chemistry is there.

Episode 3 + 4: Sunday (SunNuea)

Sun is a tutor and Nuea wrecks his whole life by being his student. Nuea is a walking thirst trap and Sun can’t function most of the time when Nuea is around. They’re both whipped for each other tho. This is the story everyone likes.

Episode 5 + 6: Monday (TeamMon)

Team is a player, Mon is an innocent baby boi who is apparently colourblind because he misses the mountain of red flags thrown his way. Things go exactly the way you think.

Episode 7 + 8: Thursday (PaoThurs)

A complete 180 in the genre department. Thurs is pretending to be a shaman to skam his classmates out of their money, when he accidentally summons a real ghost - Pao. Shenanigans ensue.

Episode 9 + 10: Wednesday (PuthKaeng)

Both Puth and Kaeng are players who secretly sleep with each other. This is the smutty episode everyone’s been talking about. The second part is not out yet but it looks promising.

Unreleased:

Saturday (SatChoke)

Sat falls asleep at age 8 and wakes up at age 18 with a perfect life. He is hot and popular but he’s no longer friends with his childhood bff. Basically the story of “13 going on 30” but make it gay.

Friday (SukJia /ex SukTee)

This is the Yoon/Talay/Perth story that we’re all waiting to watch. To be honest, I watched the trailer 15 times and I still have no idea what the story is about. So Suk(Talay) is mourning the death of his boyfriend Tee(Perth) and Jia(Yoon) is in love with Suk and wants to be by his side... And this is when things go off the rails. Suk is cleaning up his restaurant, that is also a plane (there is no explanation for it) when he gets a call from his dead boyfriend. So Suk decides to believe in miracles and asks Porpla from YYY (who is now dressed as a homeless man) to send him back in time so he can save his boyfriend. Queue lots of crying.

I know that we’ve been spoiled with amazing bls lately (i’m still in my feels about atots, wbl, itsay and so many more, it’s like 2020 said “here, I’m sorry” with them) but don’t expect anything too groundbreaking with Y-Destiny. It’s rushed and it has plot holes because the stories have to fit in 2 episodes but at the same time it’s cute and safe to watch if you wanna chill for a couple hours.

[killerandhealerqueen]

Hey! Hope you are well and your exams are going well! Wanted to know if you've got any recommendations for bl dramas??? I've watched a few already and just can't seem to find new ones. Finished watching the devil judge like 2 days ago and now I need another one to fill in the void.

Hope you have a great day xx

Anon, hello!

Now, I don't watch a lot of bl, but I can do my best! You can find everything that I've mentioned in this ask on my Drama/Movie Masterlist.

Chinese

1. Killer and Healer

It's not a BL (the drama's not, but the audio book and the novel is, I think) but oh my god the chemistry in this drama is fucking insane. I will literally never shut the fuck up about this drama so it's always going to be a drama that I recommend for people to watch. It is very angsty though, like very, so make sure you have a lot of tissues. Like a lot. You will cry. I am not sugarcoating this. Ep. 37 will WRECK you. But other than the angst, it is probably one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever seen

2. The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

Again, not a BL but the novel is. This one is more...established relationships and the found family is off the fucking charts in this drama. Also, if you like food, there's a lot of food scenes in this drama so you will get very hungry, very quickly. Would not suggest watching this drama on an empty stomach. But yeah, this drama is good. And it has a happy ending, which is great

3. The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity

Again, not a BL but oh man oh man, the chemistry in this one is bonkers. Every much so enemies to friends to lovers/soulmates/partners/I don't really know what to call their relationship other than it's good. Like, probably one of my favorite Cmovies I've seen to date

4. Master, Wait a Moment

Not a BL, but the relationships between the two mains is very cute and very enjoyable and I adore them a lot. They have "girlfriends" but they don't really...act like they're dating...idk, it just seems more like they're friends, at least that's the vibe I'm getting. The two mains are the ones that you really gotta focus on. It's a good drama, the subs are a little wonky but you'll slowly start to get the gist of what the sentence is trying to say

6. Couple of Mirrors

Not a BL, but it is a GL (but you know, this is China...). This one is really good and it's really cute. The two FL are just...they're precious. I enjoyed watching them together and they even raise a kid together, what the fuck. They're also just very sweet with each other and they care about each other a lot and it's just a really cute drama. It does end on a bit of a cliff hanger but supposedly we're getting a Season 2 (me thinks) so that'll be nice

7. S.C.I.

The novel is a BL, the drama is not, but like Killer and Healer, the chemistry of the two mains is insane. It's very established relationship, bicker like an old married couple, they've got nicknames for each other, they care a lot about each other, they adopt a kid, like...I've seen this drama almost as many times as I've seen Killer and Healer and this drama was actually the first cdrama that got me into the world of cdramas/jdramas/kdramas, etc. Good shit, this drama

Japanese

1. Aozora no Tomago

This drama is very cute and very short. It's not quite BL but it's very much so established relationships and it's very cute. Also a little angsty but overall, it's very cute and I enjoyed it a lot

2. Seven Days: Monday - Thursday

3. Seven Days: Friday - Sunday

This drama is like...one of the OG bls (I've heard) and it's a really really good BL drama. I quite enjoyed it and I quite enjoyed the premise of the whole "he dates a person for seven days then breaks up with them on sunday" like...that's such a wild concept and yet it works. It's a really good drama (I've combined 2-3 in this description)

4. HIS (2020)

Oh man, this movie fucked me up, but in a good way. It's so soft and we get to see like...how old lovers reunite and slowly become a family with one of the main leads little girl. And it also like...does the divorce really well (yes, one of the main leads was married to a woman but he really never loved her like he loved his past lover) and it shows that like...even though people are divorced and have moved on, they can still be good parents. Like...I don't know how to describe this movie, you just gotta watch and experience it for yourself. I cried and I don't normally cry at like...romance

5. The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window

The live-action isn't BL but I know the anime is (which I haven't seen). But the live action is really good and it hints at BL in certain lines and certain actions. Also, it's got Okada Masaki and Shison Jun, both of whom I love to death.

Korean

1. Beyond Evil

This is also a really good drama. It's not BL but it's a really good drama. I'm not good at describing how good it is, but it's definitely one of those dramas where you need to watch it to understand how good it is.

2. Nobleman Ryu's Wedding

This drama is so cute, short, and a little stupid at times but I had a good time watching it. It was super cute and I like the main leads and how they care and take care of each other.

3. Color Rush

Now this was an interesting take on soulmates and I have to say, it works pretty damn well. I really enjoyed this drama and can't wait for a second season because it was really good and I'm curious to see how they're going to expand their relationships

4. You Make Me Dance

This drama was so stinking cute, oh my god. I cried at this drama too and like I said before, I don't cry at romance dramas but this damn drama got to me. The way their relationship grew and the way that they loved and cared for each other and like...the red string of fate? Fuck me up, that's the good shit.

I hope you enjoy these dramas if you ever get around to watching them, anon!

[perfectpaperbluebirds]

Better Now

A Bla/ck Tap/es podcast sickfic.

I have so many wonderful prompts in my inbox but the only thing I  wanted to write was this wildly self-indulgent and overly long fic that's jam-packed with all my favorite tropes. I blame @matilda3948 for her recent amazing Dr. Strand sickfics for inspiration and @sanquintina for getting me into the podcast in the first place

This is technically Bl/ack Ta/pes fanfic, but you don't need to know anything about the series other than Dr. Strand is a persnickety, serious, stoic, skeptic with a very deep voice and troubled past. 

Set after the end of the series as it stands currently and written in 1st person from the perspective of Strand's unnamed female partner. Could be Alex if you want, could be someone else with whom Strand finally found happiness and contentment. I kept that part generic on purpose.

Richard Strand is many things, but clumsy isn't one of them. So naturally I had to go investigate when early one morning I was startled by the sound of a tea mug shattering on the floor followed by a hastily bitten-off swear word.

In the kitchen I found my husband, the world renowned Dr. Strand, kneeling on the floor mopping up spilled tea. He glanced up with a sniffle as he heard me approach.

"Had it too close to the edge. At least it missed my pants. I think I got all the ceramic bits, but be careful."

His voice was even deeper than usual, low and gravelly from the cold he'd been developing over the past few days. That, paired with his heavy, reddened eyes and generally haggard appearance, gave me concern.

"You look like you hardly slept. How are you feeling?"

"I tossed and turned a bit last night. Couldn't get comfortable."

"Couldn't breathe I think would be more accurate. You were snoring and breathing through your mouth all night."

He sat back on his heels and frowned. "Sorry if I kept you up."

"You don't have to apologize. I'm just worried about you," I added as he winced when he stood, massaging the space between his eyebrows.

He shot me another irritated glance. "I'm fine. I just have a bit of a cold." I couldn't help but notice the weary slump of his shoulders, however. Even his suit looked less crisp than usual. 

I summoned all my wifely tact and tried to make my voice persuasive: "Maybe you should stay home. You don't look like you'll be much use to anyone today."

He made an annoyed sound. "That's very unnecessary. I'm not staying home for a cold."

I looked pointedly out the window where a chilly November rain was pouring down steadily. "You really want to go out into that when you have a perfectly valid excuse not to?"

He too glanced out the window. After a moment he shook his head and cleared his throat, meeting my eyes again. "I'll be fine. It's just a little rain."

He headed toward the door, massaging his forehead once more.

"Don't you want your tea?"

"Oh, right." He whirled around quickly, grabbed the thermos, and headed toward the door again with a wet sniffle. I could only roll my eyes and sigh as the door closed behind him.

Most workdays I left after him and returned before him, and this Thursday was no exception. The rain was still pouring down when I arrived home from work that evening. I decided dinner was going to be vegetable stew and biscuits, not only for his cold, but also because I wanted some rainy November comfort food. Everything was nearly ready when I heard him coming up the steps. He opened the door, bringing with him a chilly gust, and I turned to greet him, but instead my mouth dropped open a bit at the sight of him. 

His hair and clothes were completely soaked with rain, to the point of dripping puddles onto the floor as I watched, and he was visibly shivering, something I'd never seen him do before. Inexplicably, he was also shaking the loose drops off of his soaked umbrella, his expression drawn and miserable. I was noticing how diminished he seemed when suddenly his breath hitched violently:

"HehZIHH'shiew! HrrUUHHZchoo! HehhGIHH'nkkchoo!"

I rushed to his side, relieving him of his umbrella and briefcase and pulling his sodden coat off of him as he slumped down onto the nearby stool. Beneath the coat, his suit was nearly just as wet and cold.

"Oh, Richard, bless you! You're soaked to the skin. Ugh, and your hands are freezing. How did you manage to get so drenched?"

"A w-woman and her ch-children were w-waiting for the b-bus without c-coats. I held my umbrella f-for them until it c-came," he said, his teeth chattering and his lips blue with cold. 

I toweled off his hair and clothes as best as I could before helping him undress. Any other day he would have brushed me off, saying he was perfectly capable of doing that himself. The fact that he allowed me to assist him spoke volumes to how poorly he felt. 

I was behind him, trying to peel off his sodden linen shirt when he lurched forward for another volley of sneezes:

"HrrUUSCHH! HnnxXT! HHGGTchh!"

"Bless you again, poor love. You've made your cold worse going out in this," I gently chastised.

"I'm f-fine," he sniffled, still barely able to speak around his shivering. Yet he leaned back against me wearily as I removed his undershirt and replaced it with a blanket, and I thought I heard the softest hint of a groan.

I used my fingers to comb his disheveled hair, but frowned when I felt his forehead. "You're running a fever. You weren't feverish this morning."

He merely shrugged, wordlessly asking me to continue massaging his scalp, which I did. Slowly his shivers subsided, but he was clearly exhausted, and sniffled wetly every few moments. 

"You look like you could use a hot drink and a warm bed," I said eventually.

"I'd start with a hot shower," came the mumbled reply.

"Hmm… what about a hot bath? I was thinking of taking one myself tonight, and I'm willing to share. No reason to waste the hot water. Dinner will keep for a bit longer."

He turned slightly, giving me a curious look. It wasn't that we had never bathed together before, but it was usually under very different circumstances. However, I happened to know my husband craved physical touch when he wasn't feeling well, though he would never ask for it. I was simply making life easier on both of us by preemptively offering it. 

"I suppose that might be nice," he finally said. "But I'm very tired…."

I kissed his cheek. "No strings attached. Bath only. Then dinner and sleep. No funny business, I promise."

He relaxed slightly. "That's fine then."

"Good. Let me go run the water." I kissed his hair once more, then headed to the bathroom. He joined me there with a cup of tea after a few minutes. While the oversized tub finished filling, he leaned in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck and looking distant and hazy, not to mention sick.

I shimmied off my clothes and slid into the water, gesturing for him to join me. He sluggishly obeyed, hampered in finishing his own undressing by his dripping nose. He set his mug of tea and a handkerchief on the little table beside the tub, then slid into the water in front of me.

His sigh of ecstasy as the hot water surrounded him was exactly what I hoped to hear, and he leaned back against me readily with a satisfied groan.

"Better?" I murmured in his ear.

"Much," came the rumbling reply, followed of course by a sniffle. 

I pressed my lips into his hair again and again. He hardly moved as the heat soaked into him. I let my nails trail all over his skin and gave him a gentle massage, trying to help him relax, a feat he was rarely able to accomplish on his own

"Would you like me to wash your hair?" I murmured after a while.

He gave the barest nod in reply. Wordlessly I did just that, something else he would never consider allowing in any other circumstance.

I kept the soap far from his face, but the fragrance still had its way with him. I had nearly all the suds rinsed out when he suddenly jerked forward and leaned over the edge of the tub.

GihhIIISSHH'UH! Hhigg'CHUH! HihYEHSH'ooo!" He directed the spray as far away from me as he could, grabbing for the handkerchief to catch as much of the mess as possible. He mopped his face with a growl as he slid back into the water, but the spell was broken. He fidgeted against me, sniffling in irritation again and again as I finished rinsing his hair. 

I suppressed a disappointed sigh. "You might feel better if you went and laid down now that you're warmed up. Get yourself a bowl of soup while I finish up here."

He grunted his assent, lifting himself out of the water and quickly toweling off as he began to shiver again right away. He donned his robe, took his tea, and went to get his supper.

The evening came to a quick close after that. Richard ate a small portion of soup, drank two mugs of tea, and refused any medication, but did little else. He wouldn't be described as loquacious on his best day, but he spoke even less than usual. The only noise he made was the occasional soft cough or explosive trio of sneezes and his perpetual sniffles as he attempted his usual evening reading. His eyes never lost their weary, hazy look though, and he was constantly shaking his head or wiping a knuckle under his nose, so I wondered how much he was actually absorbing.

When I suggested we go to bed, he didn't argue though, which was very unlike him. He fell into bed wearily, and it seemed he was asleep even before his head hit the pillow. I silently wished to myself as I drifted to sleep that he would either be recovered in the morning, or else have the sense to stay home if he was worse.

~~~~~~~~~~

Richard's alarm went off at the usual hour the next morning, and he shut it off right away. Normally he was out of bed in moments, but today he lingered, pulling the blankets closer around himself with a little groan.

I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but he continued to shift restlessly. After a moment, I heard him take a wheezy inhale and then break into a coughing fit, wet and hoarse. I turned to look at him again. He was on his back now, with an arm flung over his eyes.

"Aww, love," I murmured. "You ok?"

"I'm not feeling quite like myself," came the mumbled reply.

I reached out to stroke his cheek, letting my hand rest on his neck where I could feel his hugely swollen lymph nodes. He was well and truly sick now, and he needed to stay home from work. However, I couldn't be the one to suggest that, or else he would turn me down immediately and insist he was fine, as he had the day before. It needed to be his idea. I went with a different approach.

I nestled close to his side, kissing his shoulder softly. I could tell he was still feverish even through his clothes. "Busy day today?" I murmured.

He grunted wearily. I couldn't tell if it was affirmative or negative.

"I packed a big bowl of soup for your lunch. I hope it's enough to keep you full through the whole day. And don't forget, I'll meet you at your coworker's reception tonight. Was there anything I needed to bring to that?"

He slowly uncovered his face. "I was… actually considering staying home from work. It shouldn't be busy today, I can afford to miss. And… I'm really not feeling well at all. I'll make our excuses to John about his reception. 

I did a silent victory dance in my head. "Oh, are you sure? I thought you had some important meetings."

"Nothing that can't be rescheduled." He cracked a red eye open, glancing at me suspiciously. "Why? Do you want me to go in?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, kissing him again. "I want you to do what you think is best. If you're not feeling well, you ought to stay home so you don't risk getting other people sick though."

"I suppose." He coughed hoarsely again, rubbing his chest with a grimace. "Yes, I'll stay home today. Let me call Carol and John."

He slowly stood and made his unsteady way to his phone, sniffling and coughing the whole way. The two phone conversations were very brief, for he hardly had to try to make a case for his illness, congested and hoarse as he clearly was. After he finished the calls, he shuffled back to bed immediately, heaping the blankets back over himself with a shuddering cough. I rubbed his back as he got settled.

"Can I get you anything, hon? Water, medicine?"

He shook his head. "Going to try to sleep this off," he mumbled, sleep already (or still?) heavy in his voice.

I knew medicine would almost certainly help his endeavors at sleeping. At minimum it would improve the quality of his sleep. However, I also knew he was stubborn about such things, so I didn't press the issue yet. "Alright." I kissed his hot cheek gently. "Then I'll leave you be for now. Let me know if you need anything. Sleep well."

I made the bed around him, straightening my side and tucking him in, then quietly left. The sound of his deep snores followed me out. So much for me sleeping in today.

He emerged again later that morning. I didn't notice him at first when he did, though. I had my headphones in and was dancing around while dusting. Turning around, I almost bumped into him, scaring us both. I yanked my headphones off right away, taking in his disheveled, sickly, blanket-wrapped appearance.

"You're awake! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come out."

"Clearly," he rasped with the tiniest ghost of a smile. "You stayed home too?"

"It's my normal Friday off."

"Right, right," he sniffled. He then shuffled to the couch, collapsing onto it with a yawn. I went to sit beside him, unable to keep the concern from my face. I felt his forehead again, noting how he wearily leaned into the touch. I was forced to jump back though as he erupted into a volley of thick, chesty coughs. 

I sighed, surveying him with worry. "You're running quite the fever, love. And the cold has obviously settled into your chest now too."

He nodded limply with another sniffle.

"I'm not taking no for an answer this time, I'm giving you medicine and you're going to take it."

He managed to fix me with a condescending look. "Medication for a cold is essentially pointless. It just treats the symptoms."

"You think making yourself more comfortable is pointless?"

He opened his mouth to answer, or so I thought, but instead he lurched forward into a trio of wet, spraying sneezes:

"Heh'YEISSHH'oo! YEEIISH'uuh! Gih'HIH-shoo! --ugh…" The forceful snapping motion of his head when he sneezed looked incredibly painful, so much so that he pressed the heels of his hands to his forehead with a groan in the aftermath.

"Bless you, hon!" I waited a beat as he composed himself. "So… what was it again you were saying about the futility of treating the symptoms?" I asked, admittedly snidely.

He only grunted softly. I couldn't keep the smug look from my face when he met my eyes once more. However, seeing how thoroughly miserable he was reawakened my sympathy immediately. I reached out to caress his hair and cheek yet again.

"How about I make you some tea, yeah? And maybe a bowl of soup?"

"Please," he mumbled.

"Coming right up."

Another round of his thick, exhausting coughs followed me into the kitchen, and I couldn't help but wince in sympathy, even though he couldn't see me.

In a matter of minutes I had his meal ready. When I brought it back out to him, I placed the soup on the table and dropped a handful of pills and a capful of medication beside the bowl with a meaningful look. His only reply was a small frown. I resumed my seat beside him and was about to hand him the steaming mug when an idea occurred to me.

"Is your throat hurting badly?"

He nodded heavily with a little scowl, as if he hated being reminded of it.

"Here, this may help a bit." I raised the mug to the level of his neck, pressing it against his visibly enlarged lymph node.

His eyes widened and he half-jumped back from the initial sensation. 

"Trust me for a sec," I said gently, placing it against the swelling once more.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, but allowed it. After a moment though he visibly loosened. Making a sound between a whimper and a groan, he leaned harder against the heat. 

"Better?"

"Mhmmmm," he sighed.

After another moment I switched to the other side of his neck and repeated the process. He angled himself here and there to get the most heat coverage over the tender areas. Finally I slid the mug into his hands, kissing his forehead.

"Thank you," he breathed. "That was… relieving."

"You're very welcome. Now, can I do anything else for you at the moment?" 

"I'm fine. You don't need to fuss."

"I may not have to, but I want to, first because you're my husband and second because I know you're not 'fine.' But if you're going to insist you are, I'm going to go fold some laundry. Holler if you need anything. Or cough loudly if that's easier."

That earned me a Dr. Strand signature, the 'amused huff.' "I will. Thank you again."

"No thanks necessary." He received another kiss to the temple before I stood and headed to the laundry room with a last pointed look at the medicine. It occurred to me as I walked away that I was likely giving him an overabundance of kisses considering how contagious he clearly was, but he was just so darn pitiful.

Twenty minutes later, I returned to check on him, bringing a glass of water as well. The tea mug and soup bowl sat empty on the coffee table, surrounded by a few scattered tissues. The medicine was untouched. The doctor was huddled to one side of the couch with another tissue held loosely in his hand and one pajama-clad leg tucked under him, staring listlessly at the wall. However, at the sound of my footsteps he stirred with a sickly sniffle, scrubbing a hand over his face wearily. I smiled in greeting, and though he didn't return the smile, he did brighten a bit upon seeing me.

"What were you contemplating so deeply just now? You looked very lost in thought," I asked, handing him the water, then tidying up his little mess on the coffee table, leaving the pills.

He huffed a humorless laugh, looking self-conscious as he fiddled with the glass. "I was actually imagining how extensive the trial and error process must have been to determine how best to brew tea versus brewing coffee versus, for example, brewing beer. Roasting the ingredients versus drying versus fresh versus ground and boiling versus steeping versus fermenting. The amount of time that must have been necessary to perfect something so simple is rather astounding," he rasped, with many sniffles and throat-clearings thrown in.

I raised an eyebrow at him curiously. Aimless ramblings about random topics were not the norm for my painfully disciplined husband. "It is astounding I guess. I'd never thought about that before. Anyway, how are you feeling after eating?" 

"I'm fine," he said, finally setting down the untouched water, though the nasty cough that immediately followed his statement contradicted him.

This time I audibly sighed. "You do realize that you saying you're fine all the time is very counterproductive to helping me assess your needs? You don't have to be fine, love."

He gave me an odd look. "Conceptually, I know that. But you have to remember, for a long time I *did* have to be 'fine.' I didn't have the option to be otherwise. You, all of this… still feels like a new development or a dream at times. Old habits die hard, I suppose."

I sat on the arm of the couch beside him. He wordlessly leaned in toward me so I could lightly run my fingernails over his scalp. He softly groaned in pleasure.

"I'm not going to waste my breath telling you that I'm not going anywhere and I'm here for you, because you already know that. So I suppose I'll just have to keep showing you." 

I went to press a kiss to his head, but I caught a glimpse of his face and changed my mind when I saw he was about to sneeze.

"Gihh'chuuh! Hehh'choof! Ghnxt'choo!"

The sneezes were brisk and wet and left him breathless. He blew his nose with a wince before he spoke. "Sorry, could you repeat that? I missed most of it," he said, sounding stuffy and a little peeved.

I chuckled and complied, going for the kiss this time. He had no reply, but instead leaned against me wearily as I massaged his neck, yawning deeply. 

"You should rest again, love. Take a nap if you can. It's either that or watch TV, which you'll never do. I'm not sure you should attempt much else."

He wrinkled his nose. "I hate being so unproductive. I don't want to sleep the day away."

"Sleeping when you're sick isn't being unproductive, it's being wise."

"HehhGIH'choo! HEHHH-choo! Hihhh'YESSHH'uuhh!"

I was quite sure he didn't hear most of my statement, since he sneezed right in the middle of it. With a pitiful sound he tended to his nose yet again as I blessed him earnestly. Eventually his watery, heavy lidded eyes met mine. I couldn't help but notice yet again how flushed and disheveled he was and how utterly pathetic he looked, quite the opposite of his usual cool, collected self. 

"Guh. Sorry. What was that?" he asked with a pathetic sniffle, sounding very annoyed now.

"Aww, your nose. You really are sick, huh? Poor guy," I said, continuing to stroke his hair. 

He looked slightly offended. "You were having doubts about that?" 

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "It's just something you say, dear. 

"I'm aware of the colloquialism," he grumped. "But I find it a very odd one. And it's never been directed at me before."

"There's a first time for everything, then."

I was rubbing his back now. He yawned again, grimacing after, I assumed due to the sore throat. I also noticed he was starting to shiver.

"Ok, now seriously, tell me what I need to do to convince you to nap."

"I'm not sure," he said with a chesty cough, nestling deeper into the couch.

"Hmm. I accept that challenge." 

"And what challenge is that?"

"You won't tell me what I can do to help you, and perhaps you don't even know yourself, so I have to figure that out for both of us."

"I don't think there's anything I need though."

"You need to sleep."

He rolled his eyes with an annoyed huff, but I could tell he knew I was right.

I stood and went to put some smooth jazz on the record player in the room. Sitting down again, this time on the couch on the other side of him, I gestured to my lap.

"Come lie down."

"Wait-- lie down… right there?"

"Correct."

"Why?"

"Because you love hair scratches and neck rubs, so I'm making it easier to give them to you. Also you're apparently freezing and need to share some body heat."

He frowned, suppressing his shivers as best he could. Still, I knew he wouldn't be able to resist for long, tired and miserable as he was. Sure enough, after a moment he slowly levered himself down with a resigned sigh. 

I quickly threw a blanket over him, and then began the hair scratches. He made a tiny, appreciative sound. 

"Better?"

"Mm," he grunted.

"Good. But you're sweating, love," I murmured.

"I'm not sure how since I'm freezing," he mumbled with a cough.

"Your fever is higher. I can feel it just by touching you."

He groaned, snuggling deeper against me.

I massaged his neck for a while longer, trying to ease the tension from his muscles. He continued to be restless though, and apparently unable to regulate his body temperature. One moment he would be shaking with chills pulling the blanket closer, and then the next kicking it away from his legs with a moan of discomfort. 

The final straw for me was when he was overcome with yet another hacking coughing fit, curling in on himself miserably, trying to muffle it into his arm, the other hand clutching his chest.

Before he settled again, I leaned forward to grab the untouched pile of medication and glass of water from the coffee table. When he was again lying against me, I wordlessly held it out to him. He of course made a sound of irritation.

"Why are you being so stubborn? You need to sleep, and you can't sleep in the state you're in, at least not well. This will help your headache, fever, sore throat, everything so you can rest. I can tell you're exhausted."

After a final moment of consideration, he held out a reluctant hand. I handed him the items and he swallowed them without comment.

Neither of us spoke again for a long time, and didn't move from our places. I soothingly stroked his hair or rubbed his back, putting myself in a trance almost as much as him. 

I could see the medication talking effect. His restlessness slowly eased along with his coughing. It seemed I could even feel his body temperature decreasing.

"Hnnkkt'CHUH! Hehgg'CHUHH! EHHG'choo!"

Just as I thought he was asleep, his body twitched with a trio of sneezes, the quality of which could only be described as lazy--slow, thick, and dulled. They hardly seemed to stir him from his stupor.

"Bless you. Are you ok?"

" 'm fine," he croaked tiredly. We were both quiet for a while, then he spoke up again. "You know, one of the reasons I keep saying I'm fine is because I can't begin to describe what an improvement it is to be with you while being sick compared to being sick in bed alone. The difference is as drastic as night and day--better doesn't begin to describe it. Asking for anything more than what I already have just by your being here feels selfish."

Richard would never express such sentiments under normal circumstances, and hearing it said so plainly overwhelmed me with emotion. Yet I knew he wouldn't want me to reply in kind. He would prefer to state his piece and let it be. And indeed, I saw his eyes drooping heavier by the second, so I kept my thoughts to myself for now, but leaned over to plant a series of kisses all over his hot face. 

He hardly moved and didn't respond even when I finally stopped, but I couldn't help but notice the tiny smile playing around his lips as he drifted off to sleep.

[lettertolife]

This is how my 2022 looks like🫢

I posted 31 times in 2022

31 posts created (100%)

0 posts reblogged (0%)

I tagged 22 of my posts in 2022

Only 29% of my posts had no tags

#bts - 6 posts

#bts army - 6 posts

#btsarmy - 6 posts

#jeon jungkook - 6 posts

#army - 6 posts

#kim namjoon - 5 posts

#kim seokjin - 5 posts

#park jimin - 5 posts

#kim taehyung - 5 posts

#journaling - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 28 characters

#forecasting love and weather

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

JaaKaay's Effect 😉

Yesterday on 23/01/2022 (20220123) BangtanTV uploaded a Bangtan Bomb of Tannies having Lunch at the Cross Street by James Corden set. The Boys got Chipotle for Lunch and we have a very adorable Jungkook trying to get the name right but ended up calling it "Chicotle" and also said that he loved it and gonna eat it everyday. and then we enjoyed the regular, BTS joking around and having lunch & fun time.

CUT TO on 24/01/2022 (20220124) we WOKE UP TO THIS;

Chipotle has changed its Twitter Display Name and wished the Tannies a good morning. WHAAATTTT!!!!

See the full post

6 notes - Posted January 24, 2022

#4

Historic wave of BORAHE-FICATION.

Well other than the 007 Butter performance, Grammys was nothing but disappointing. However what Grammy did is being nullified by the state itself.

We are talking about the purple blanket Las Vegas has covered itself with. The Boys trip to Las Vegas wasn't for the disappointing Grammys but for their 4 days completely sold out stadium concerts. And Las Vegas understood the assignment, the moment BTS announced their tour in Las Vegas, the state has turned itself into Purple cozy city to serve the ARMYs right.

Las Vegas has officially turned into BORAHAEGAS where the entire local government has thrown itself into making this a once-in-a-lifetime event. Nobody is unaware of the power BTS holds in world domination as of now. BTS are the face of everything in this world literally be it Music, video games, clothes, food, global diplomacy, drinks, gadgets and the list is endless. Hosting BTS becomes a matter of pride as well as duty for each city they hold their tours in. and their last US concert in LA ended up reviving the entire city's economy in just a week. The local restaurant owners, budget friendly hotels, and etc saw huge jump in their profits thanks to BTS and ARMYs. So when BTS announced their tour in Las Vegas they decided to win at the chance.

And here's how Las Vegas is welcoming the Boys & the ARMYs.

See the full post

11 notes - Posted April 8, 2022

#3

LOVE IN THE AIR THURSDAY

So this year I got into Boys' Love world and have been hooked to it. although I have watched on-going BLs but I started them after like 6th episode or 7th. After watching a lot of clip and knowing almost most of the story line.

However that wasn't the case with Love In The Air - The Series

I vaguely remember watching the pilot trailer of the show in the first half of the year but completely forgot about it.

However, in late July or early August I stumbled across the actual trailer and teasers of the show. AND I WAS IN LOVE WITH IT! Hence this show became first BL that I watched on-going from episode 1 and discussed passionately about it on Reddit with other watchers.

I wait for every Thursday. THURSDAYs are celebration days Thanks to the series. The series is divided into 2 stories - 1) Love Storm and 2) Love Sky.

Love Storm is Payu and Rain's love story which is Episode 1-7 and Love Sky is Prapai and Sky's love story which is Episode 8-13.

There are a total of 14 episodes. 13 episode (1-7 + 8-13) plus one special episode. And Today i.e., 29th September' 2022 we'll have our 7th episode that will be the ending of Love Storm story.

So I'm excited but as well as sad to bid my byes to Payu and Rain. So I thought I'll make a post here describing how exciting Thursdays are and how excited I'm for tonight's episode.

Here's a glimpse to today's episode.

13 notes - Posted September 29, 2022

#2

Vee & Mark- Their Journey to Love♥️ (Love Mechanics) (Boys' Love)

Found this amazing FMV on YT. (I'm not the owner of this video- credits to the uploader)

Thanks to Youtube Shorts I came across this very beautiful show called Love Mechanics. I have been captivated by Vee and Mark, two college boys who fall in love, have a complicated journey but end up together happily.

The most attractive thing about Vee and Mark, after their vein popping hands, are their flaws. The idea of flaws makes a human without the insertion of godly perfection of that flaw. This aspect of their characteristics and love was so real that it made me feel all their emotions and pain they went through together. In the world of fiction- we tend to admire people who go through immediate process of rectification, who have this idea of being perfect in an unrealistic way, people who will realise their mistake without much efforts and as much as this is wonderful and healthy it is equally almost not real life possible. As Humans we do not tend to realise when we have hurt others. We tend to go through a lengthier process of healing, understanding and rectification and this is what this show- these two people had. Real flaws, real healing and real understanding.

VEE- Toxic or just Wrong decisions?

A lot of people find Vee toxic and conveniently the bad guy. Someone who isn't worthy and deserving of Mark. Although what he did is wrong and it did end up hurting Mark but being wrong and being toxic are completely different things. For me Vee is someone who isn't close to himself enough to understand what he truly wants, and hence gets pushed by other peoples emotions and actions. Is he gullible? Yes in a certain way but mostly he is just inconveniently considerate of other people's emotions. Initially Mark was no one but an annoying junior who was pursuing his (Vee) friend, who (Bar) openly declared his love for other person and yet Vee ended up taking care of a drunk Mark, apologising on his behalf and carrying him all the way home. He ended up spending the night with him. And while Mark felt disgusted after the drunk one night stand with Vee , Vee on the other hand was worried about his eating. I'm not sure if I can call this attraction or not but I'm pretty sure it is consideration of Mark's feeling.

Vee somehow ends up feeling some kind of responsibility towards Mark, after spending the night together, although we see Mark drawing a clear line between them but Vee somehow always found a way to cross it and I guess in these moments we see Vee fall for Mark- wanting him (Mark) to be his. Feeling uneasy when Mark spent time with someone else. As audience we know, it is Jealousy but here's when we can have an insight to Vee's flaws and his inability to read his own emotions, to understand that he wants Mark. That there is no more space for Ploy.

Vee was confused about his feelings, he couldn't hurt and leave Ploy but he, for sure, only needed Mark. In all these confusion, impulsive decisions Vee ended up making bad decisions and hurting Mark.

Vee has always been insecure, confuse, couldn't understand if he was strong enough to tell the world that he was dating Mark. But what he wasn't was Toxic and I can say that because we saw the sincerity Vee had for Mark, the way he wanted to change for Mark, for his happiness and we also saw some growth. Vee did not use his confusion as an excuse to escape his wrong doings and continued to repeat his mistakes. That's a sign of wrong decisions and bad timings and not of Toxicity.

Yeah his actions were hurtful and definitely wrong but who doesn't make mistakes? That doesn't mean you are Toxic.

MARK- The Stupid Boy or the Boy in Love?

Mark just wants to be loved by someone sincerely. From his father's not so wise words in episode 8 we get to know that Mark ended up falling into relationships with wrong guys which always resulted in him being left all alone and hurt. People called him stupid for going back to Vee but for me he fell in love with a guy whose sincerity were conveyed to him. Definitely out of the two, Mark is the more mature one. He is clear of his emotions, his liking and what he wants. Not only this but he also has very boldly verbalised how he felt because he was sure and confident of what he was doing.

However Love is complicated and only if it was easy to separate black and white from grey. Mark had fallen in love with Vee and although he saw Vee kissing his ex-girlfriend after which he ended up things with him- he still missed him. Searched for him just for that one look and almost got disappointed at the fact that Vee didn't sleep with him while he was drunk dead.

"Or Maybe you still love Ploy"

That one statement carried so much hurt, pain and regrets. He somehow ended up believing that his love failed in front of Ploy's that his emotions and memories couldn't leave that impact on Vee as did Ploy's. In that moment we as an audience see him holding on to the last thread of hope. Wishing all of this distress and distance to be over and being back with Vee. and the moment the misunderstandings cleared up he rushed to tell Vee the truth. He did not wanted to make this any harder. He wanted to be truthful and he wanted to be loved by Vee again.

He was a man in love, deeply, with Vee and he wanted to give those feelings and emotions a second chance, that man a second chance- who searched for him like a mad man when he went missing. He wanted to give Vee, who made him happy, loved and just smile everyday, a second chance. He isn't stupid but a Boy in love.

THEIR LOVE STORY - A Journey so heartwarming.

Love is complicated, it makes you want to believe in fairytales and unicorns. It wants you to forget pain and only live the happiness. Love isn't always roses and honey but a lot of time thorns and bitter. It is upon the people how to deal with those side of love as well.

Their Love was imperfect but there was sincerity and growth. That distance of misunderstanding between them made them realise how important the other person was in their life. Their love story was not only about tears and pains but also probation periods, shy 'I love you's, a lot of teasing and playfulness. (Also a lot of touching).

There were bad decisions, wrong timings and misunderstandings but there was also waiting, clarifications and second chances.

Their love had warmth and meaning and that is why We were so invested with them. That's why Vee and Mark left a lasting impact when the kissed on the roof and bide their happy byes to us.

Vee and Mark - The Love Mechanics :)

A perfect edit by Kdrama_bl_universe that depicts their love the most beautiful way. You can check out her IG page for more such posts. (This is not my edit I'm just sharing it here)

See the full post

41 notes - Posted August 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

LOVE MECHANICS (Boys Love)- Two absolutely adorable Cutes♥️

So recently this year I got into the whole new world of Boys Love (BL) and its an abyss. You cannot exit from here. Periodt. As of now I have watched Korean BL dramas, Taiwanese BL dramas, Japanese BL Drama and of course the biggest industry of BL dramas- The Thai BL dramas and I have a Vietnamese BL drama on my watch list waiting for me😂

However, out of all those wonderful stories, the story of Vee & Mark captivated my heart. Thanks to Youtube Shorts I discovered this beautiful show- Love Mechanics. sort of a Spin off of the original short drama of the same name.

LOVE MECHANICS

The Story follows:

Approaching his long-time crush, Bar Sarawut with a heart-felt confession, Mark is devastated when his love is rejected. Heart-broken, Mark attempts to drown his sorrows at a local nightclub where he runs into Vee, one of the seniors in his school’s engineering program. Mistaking Vee for Bar, Mark approaches his senior and the two immediately hit it off. 

Realizing what he has with Vee is more than just a fleeting feeling, Mark begins to make room for him in his heart. But will his already fragile heart have the strength to endure what’s to come when he learns Vee already has a girlfriend?

It's just 10 episodes long and keeps you hooked with the story. Both the actors have done fabulous job and portraying the characters, their vulnerability and love. The show has lot of emotional moments, some heartfelt conversations and some comedy too. 8.5/10 to the show I'll keep 1.5 because I wanted few more scenes of introspection and more fluffiness.

I'm literally sold for Yin (Vee) and War (Mark) both of them are just too adorable especially War- whenever he did his nose crunches My heart was solid sold! He has a baby-ish voice and charm to himself. and he literally has Puppy dog eyes. Trust me I had a hard time surviving it! Yin, on the other hand, has a very lovely smile and loveable aura around him. His Eye smile is to die for.

For me the most selling point for this show was the characters and their flaws. Although when I was going through the internet for people's review or thoughts for the drama I realised majority of people saw Vee as someone Toxic but to me that wasn't the case. Yes, Vee made some wrong decisions which ended up hurting Mark but those decisions were a mistake that were the result of Vee's confusion and dilemma in understanding his own feelings and I guess anybody can go through this.

From what I interpreted, Vee was always attracted to Mark that is why even though Mark was drawing lines between them but Vee always kept crossing them, searching for opportunities to spend more time with Mark caring for him. However, he wasn't aware that he was attracted to Mark. So Yeah, I found Vee Flawed, made some bad decisions and clearly did wrong to Mark but for me He wasn't Toxic. He was wrong but not Toxic. There is a huge difference between the two.

I also loved the power dynamic between the two too adorable. I mean most of the times Vee was a puppy with his tail stuck between his legs- Following Mark and his probation period. And Mark, on the other hand, loved being loved by Vee. Always playing along with his playfulness and crunching his nose.

Their relationship was loveable, filled with kisses and smiles but also very playful. Both of them were very obvious with their claims of each other in public. Teasing each other, giggling and laughing. Seducing and spooning and hesitant shy I love you. Just so playful and heart warming.

I LOVE THEM and I'm looking forward to more of Yin & War shows♥️

42 notes - Posted August 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[longinglook]

Hello Anna is ✨me✨ again, your anon friend, I’m so happy you’re doing well💖 and I’m so exited because I totally forgot about cutie pie and now I can binge watch it, is there any other ongoing show you recommend?

HIIII you're back!!!! 😊

Right now other than cutie pie I am keeping up with KinnPorsche, cherry blossoms after winter and star in my mind.

Cutie Pie is... something lol. The premise was interesting and sounded like something new and you can tell they have a big budget because everything looks great but the pacing feels a bit off? It might be an issue with the source material, I just feel like there's either no progress at all or huge steps forward are taken seemingly for no reason. It's still an enjoyable show but I feel like they could have done more with such an interesting theme.

KinnPorsche is only two episodes in but it's been incredible so far, both the acting and the production level are way above average. I haven't read the novel but I heard it gets pretty dark so it might not be your cup of tea (although so far the show has kept a comedic undertone I really enjoy). You can watch it on iqiyi, it airs on saturdays basically at the same time as cutie pie (but both are taking a break this week for Songkran).

Cherry blossoms after winter is ending this thursday and it's been pretty disappointing to be honest. I am being held hostage by it because I want to stop watching but every week I still press play. The plot makes me very uncomfortable and I don't like the acting of one of the two main leads. They have some very cute domestic scenes which I enjoyed, that's about it.

Star in my mind is the newest GMMTV show and it started last friday so it's too early to judge. It's yet another show about a popularity contest in university so it's not particularly interesting. I am really enjoying the main character, he seems like a reasonable and believable regular guy, and his teasing relationship with his friends also feels very realistic. The love interest is played by Joong so I was interested in seeing him again after 2moons2, so far he's been pretty cold and unreadable so I can't judge his acting yet. Overall it seems pretty okay, it's on the shorter side for a gmm show so I am expecting quick progress.

In a few weeks two more shows I am interested in will start airing as well, and I am pretty apprehensive about both of them lol.

That's my candy has KimCop as main leads so I simply have to watch + it starts with an established relationship so I am super excited, even though the plot seems a bit unhinged and it will probably be a very light and ridiculous comedy.

Ocean likes me is a korean bl starring Holland (out soloist) and Han Gichan (from Where your eyes linger) so I am expecting solid chemistry from them. Holland hasn't acted in anything else before (that I know of) so I am not sure how his performance will be. The plot is pretty generic so it's hard to tell how the tone of the show will be. The teaser worried me a bit because it bssically showed a single scene and it looked more like an MV than an 8 episode show teaser.

Overall this is what I've been watching and what I plan on watching this month!!! 😊 😊

[almondhonrey]

Highlights of 2020

I am doing my favorite top 10 series of 2020. I got introduced to bl this year so it will mostly be bl(both old and one released in 2020). Thank you for tagging @mfshirtballs

list your top 10 shows (bl or not) you watched in 2020 (doesn’t necessarily have to be shows that came out in 2020 though!) 

tag at least 10 people you appreciated this year

tag 10 more people to continue the tag

(This is not in any particular order)

1. Gaya Sa Pelikula(like in the movies)

I absolutely love this series. A big shout out to the writer he/she/they has done a great job. The plotline was simple yet impactful and much need(I know lot of people felt comforted/understood after watching the series). The ost and playlist of the series is perfection and the cast omfg they are so so good. Every single one of them.

2. I Told Sunset About You

First thing first. This series got one of the best cinematography. Reminds me of Wong kar-wai movies. Talking about kar-wai. Oh-aew give me major Tony Leung character from happy together vibe. The acting is stellar (especially the tension between the two main character). I am so glad we are getting season 2..

P. S: I love the title of the series

3. It's Okay Not To Be Okay

Series that speaks about mental health is very much needed, especially in Asian drama. Living in a country where mental health is ignored, this series felt comforting.Great casting and well written plotline.

4.Gifted the series

I watched both the seasons this. The story was interesting but i wish it ended differently tho. Either ways it was a great watch.

5.Cherry Magic

This series is my happy home. I loved Thursdays just because of episode release. Adachi finding love at 30 strangely comforts me.. It makes me feel like it's okay to take your time.

6. Theory Of Love

Yes TOL is usual unrequited love for your best friend plotline but what I appreciate the most is that third prioritised himself(not in first half tho) He didn't accept Khai immediately he thought through what Khai has put him through. He took his time and that's the sign of healthy relationship imo.

7. Gameboys

This was my first Filipino series. I love that they did this in middle of pandemic and spoke about all the things ppl went through.It was relatable.

The kiss in between Sanitized plastic sheet is iconic. Also them meeting in middle of empty street which would have been in crowded if it wasn't for pandemic.

8. Paava kathaigal

This is a Tamil series (not sure it can be called series it got 4 eps of independent story). This show bravely spoke about all the controversial topic. Hon*r kil*ng, c*st s*system ,tran*phobia and r*pe... It touched my heart. I never thought I would ever see a lesbian character in mainstream tamil cinema. I am so glad we are progressing.

9. Alice In Borderland

Okay I looked up for this show cuz our dear Kurosawa acted in it and I found my another fave kento yamazaki is lead so I watched. It kept me hooked on right from first episode. I would highly recommend this.

P. S: Kurosawa in blondeeeeeee hair

10. Where your eyes linger/Mr.Heart/ingredients:the series/Wish you

Time to appreciate all the mini series that made me feel warm. All these series broke my and mend it too.. I'll adore them forever. Hope Korea make more bl and Jeff and gameplay should be recognized more. Thai take note of these two amazing talent.

Thank you to @mfshirtballs thank you for talking to me about all those great shows

I really really appreciate it. I wish I could appreciate lot more people but I know just you.

If anyone want to do your own version please do it and consider I tagged you.