#Remote Video Marketer

[hireanydomain25]

In the age of digital consumption, video marketing is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Videos have become the most engaging and influential form of content, dominating social media platforms, driving traffic, and significantly boosting conversions. Whether you're launching a startup, scaling your business, or promoting an eCommerce store, investing in video marketing can transform your brand's visibility and engagement.

At Hire in Any Domain, we connect global businesses with top-tier creative professionals. If you're looking to hire a video marketing expert in India, you're making a strategic move toward expanding your brand's reach and influence. With affordable rates, exceptional talent, and industry experience, Indian video marketers can help you craft compelling stories that drive results.

In this blog, we’ll explore why hiring video marketing experts from India is a smart decision, how it complements eCommerce/Amazon marketing services, and how pairing this with other back-office support like accounts receivable experts can ensure your business runs efficiently at every level.

Why Video Marketing Matters More Than Ever

Video content is not just engaging—it’s effective. According to HubSpot, 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 96% of marketers believe it’s an important part of their strategy. Here’s why video marketing is such a game-changer:

Higher Engagement: Videos hold attention longer than text or images. They’re more likely to be shared and remembered.

Improved SEO: Search engines favor video content. A well-optimized video can boost your site’s search rankings.

Better Conversion Rates: Landing pages with videos can increase conversion rates by up to 80%.

Stronger Emotional Connection: Videos can convey tone, emotion, and story—helping build trust and loyalty.

Clearly, investing in video content isn’t optional—it’s essential. And there’s no better way to get started than by hiring a video marketing expert.

Why Hire Video Marketing Expert in India?

India has emerged as a global leader in creative outsourcing. When you hire a video marketing expert in India, you gain access to a wealth of talent, technical know-how, and creative vision—at a fraction of the cost compared to Western markets.

Here’s what makes Indian video marketers an excellent choice:

Creative Excellence Indian video marketers are highly skilled in conceptual storytelling, scriptwriting, animation, video editing, and post-production. Whether you need explainer videos, product promos, testimonials, or ads, they can deliver it all.

Cost Efficiency One of the biggest advantages of outsourcing to India is cost-effectiveness. You can hire top-notch professionals at competitive rates without compromising on quality.

Technical Expertise Indian professionals are proficient with the latest tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. Many also have experience with motion graphics and 3D animation.

Cultural Adaptability Indian video marketers have experience working with global clients. They can create content tailored to Western, Asian, or international audiences while respecting cultural nuances.

Quick Turnaround With the help of efficient project management tools and time-zone advantages, Indian experts often offer fast delivery and real-time communication.

Boost Your eCommerce Brand with Video

If you’re running an eCommerce business or selling on Amazon, video marketing is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. Shoppers today are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it. Product demo videos, how-to guides, and testimonials help customers make informed decisions.

Hire in Any Domain can connect you with experts who not only specialize in video creation but also understand eCommerce/Amazon marketing services from India. Here’s how combining both services can skyrocket your online store’s performance:

Product Demo Videos: Highlight product features, benefits, and usage to boost buyer confidence.

Amazon A+ Content Videos: Use videos on your Amazon listings to enhance engagement and conversions.

Video Ads for Social Media: Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to target your ideal customers with high-converting ad creatives.

Customer Testimonials: Build trust through genuine feedback in video form.

Explainer Videos: Educate potential buyers about your brand story or product line.

With Indian video marketing experts handling your visual content and experienced eCommerce marketers managing your store, your digital growth is inevitable.

Complete Your Team with Back-Office Support

A powerful brand needs more than just marketing—it needs smooth operations. That’s where accounts receivable experts come in. Managing cash flow is critical, especially for businesses scaling quickly through eCommerce or service-based models.

At Hire in Any Domain, we can help you Hire Accounts Receivable Experts In India to streamline your financial processes. Here’s why it’s essential:

Benefits of Hiring Accounts Receivable Experts from India:

Efficient Invoicing: Ensure timely invoicing and follow-up with clients to avoid delays.

Cash Flow Management: Keep track of pending payments, due dates, and customer account balances.

Accounts Reconciliation: Regularly update and reconcile accounts to prevent errors or discrepancies.

Reduced Overheads: Outsourcing to India offers excellent service at a lower cost than hiring in-house staff.

Combining creative marketing (like video) with solid financial support gives your business the foundation and visibility it needs to succeed long term.

Why Choose Hire in Any Domain?

At Hire in Any Domain, we bridge the gap between talent and businesses. Whether you need to hire a video marketing expert, a digital marketer for Amazon, or a finance professional—we make the hiring process seamless.

Here’s what sets us apart:

✅ Pre-vetted Experts: We handpick professionals with proven experience and skills.

✅ Customized Solutions: Whether you need a one-off project or a long-term team, we tailor our solutions to your business needs.

✅ Flexible Hiring Models: Choose from hourly, part-time, or full-time engagement models.

✅ End-to-End Support: We help you onboard, manage, and communicate with your remote talent effortlessly.

Final Thoughts

In today’s fast-paced digital world, your brand needs to be visible, relatable, and memorable. Video marketing does exactly that—and when paired with strong back-end support and eCommerce expertise, your business becomes unstoppable.

If you're ready to elevate your brand, now is the time to hire a video marketing expert in India through Hire in Any Domain. From crafting compelling visual stories to managing your Amazon marketing and accounts receivables—we have the experts you need under one roof.

Start Building Your Team Today

📧 Email us: sales@hireinanydomain.com 🌐 Visit us: www.hireinanydomain.com

Let us help you grow smarter, faster, and stronger—with the right talent from India.

Source: https://medium.com/@hireanydomain/hire-video-marketing-expert-in-india-to-elevate-your-brand-with-hire-in-any-domain-62737d288ccc

[fromplanetcait]

Dream Life 2005

[catboynutsack]

It's really fun to analyze trendy things and see where the patterns lie in our tastes as a society. Cuz once you learn them you can tell early on what's coming up in the trend cycles. For example, Capybaras are pretty trendy as the current "It" animal that is largely loved by the public, especially online, due to its mannerisms and just plain adorableness. Judging by the bits and pieces I've seen online, the next upcomer after Capybaras go the way of Axolotls, Blobfish, and quokkas is easily the Binturong, followed possibly by the Rock Hyrax. Both are amazing animals that I adore in a Specific Way™ so I'm quite happy to see some more weirdoes in the spotlight recently and seeing cute animations and posts and stuff 💛

[topshelflogic]

Video Production

At Top Shelf Logic, we understand the power of video in communicating your brand’s message, connecting with your audience, and driving results. Our professional video production services are designed to elevate your business, helping you stand out in a competitive market. From legal video solutions to brand storytelling and custom video production, we offer tailored services that meet your unique needs.

Legal Video Solutions

Video is a powerful tool in the legal industry, offering an engaging way to explain complex cases, build trust with clients, and present evidence effectively.

Testimonial Videos: Showcase client success stories to build credibility and trust.

Day in the Life Videos: Create compelling narratives that highlight the real-life impact of legal cases.

Settlement Videos: Present cases visually to facilitate negotiations and settlements.

Practice Overview Videos: Educate potential clients about your areas of expertise and approach to legal services.

Brand and Commercial Videos

Engage your audience and communicate your message with high-quality brand and commercial videos that inspire action.

Promotional Videos: Advertise your products or services with visually compelling content.

Brand Storytelling: Share your company’s story to build emotional connections with your audience.

Commercial Videos: Create impactful commercials that capture your brand’s essence and resonate with your target market.

Corporate Videos: Highlight your company culture, mission, and values in a way that builds trust and loyalty.

Custom Video Production

No two businesses are the same, and your video content should reflect your unique goals and identity. Our custom video production services are designed to meet your specific needs.

Tailored Video Solutions: Create videos that align with your vision, audience, and objectives.

Live Streaming Services: Broadcast events, webinars, or announcements in real-time to engage your audience.

Remote Video Production: Produce high-quality videos remotely without compromising on quality.

Educational and Training Videos: Develop informative content for staff training, onboarding, or client education.

Why Choose Top Shelf Logic for Your Video Production Needs?

With years of experience in video production and a commitment to excellence, Top Shelf Logic is your trusted partner in creating engaging, professional videos that deliver results.

Tailored Services: We customize every video to meet your specific goals and audience.

Expert Team: Our skilled team of videographers, editors, and storytellers ensures exceptional quality in every project.

Cutting-Edge Technology: We use the latest equipment and techniques to produce visually stunning content.

Comprehensive Support: From concept development to final delivery, we guide you through every step of the process.

Elevate Your Brand with Professional Video Production

Whether you’re looking to showcase your legal expertise, tell your brand’s story, or create custom video content, Top Shelf Logic has the expertise to bring your vision to life. Contact us today to discuss your video production needs and discover how we can help your business succeed.

Visit Top Shelf Logic or connect with us through our Contact Page. Let’s create videos that captivate your audience and drive meaningful results.

[firastifreelancers]

Freelance Work Opportunities for Developers, Designers, and SEO Experts on Firasti.com

Freelancing is a rapidly growing trend across the world, especially in tech fields like development, design, and SEO. For developers, designers, and SEO experts, finding freelance opportunities can be the key to financial freedom and career growth. As businesses increasingly seek specialized professionals, platforms like Firasti.com offer excellent opportunities. Whether you're based in the USA, UK, or Australia, Firasti.com connects freelancers with high-quality job listings from top companies. In this blog post, we explore the freelance work opportunities available on Firasti for developers, designers, and SEO experts, while targeting key cities in these regions.

The Rise of Freelance Work

Freelancing has transformed the way businesses operate. Small startups, large corporations, and everything in between rely on freelance talent to enhance their teams. The shift to remote work, boosted by global events, has further fueled the growth of freelance markets. For developers, designers, and SEO experts, the time to explore freelancing has never been better.

According to recent studies, the freelance workforce has grown significantly in countries like the USA, UK, and Australia. This growth is due to the flexibility, independence, and wide range of job opportunities that freelancing provides. Platforms like Firasti.com have emerged to meet this demand, offering a dedicated space for professionals to find freelance work.

Why Firasti.com is Ideal for Freelancers

Firasti.com stands out as a leading platform for freelancers, particularly in the tech industry. Whether you're a web developer, graphic designer, or SEO specialist, Firasti helps you connect with potential clients. Here's why it's the best place to find freelance work:

1. Wide Range of Freelance Jobs

Firasti.com hosts a variety of freelance work for developers, designers, and SEO experts. From coding and app development to SEO optimization and website design, there's always a project that suits your skill set. Freelancers can easily browse job listings and submit proposals.

2. Global Reach

While the platform is popular in the USA, UK, and Australia, Firasti.com attracts clients and freelancers from all over the world. This global reach means more job opportunities and higher chances to find the perfect project.

3. Competitive Rates

Freelancers on Firasti.com can set their rates and negotiate with clients. This flexibility ensures that developers, designers, and SEO experts can earn competitive rates, particularly for high-demand skills.

4. Secure Payment System

Firasti.com offers a secure payment system that protects freelancers. Clients and freelancers can rely on the platform to ensure smooth and timely transactions for completed projects.

Freelance Opportunities for Developers

In today's tech-driven world, developers are in high demand. From front-end to back-end development, mobile app creation, and software development, opportunities abound for skilled developers. Below are some of the freelance job opportunities you can find on Firasti:

1. Web Development

Web development continues to be one of the most sought-after freelance opportunities. Companies and individuals regularly seek freelance web developers for tasks such as building websites, creating custom web applications, and adding new features. On Firasti.com, web developers can browse various job listings in top cities like New York, London, and Sydney, ensuring they always have access to the latest opportunities.

2. Mobile App Development

The demand for mobile app developers has skyrocketed, and it's no surprise why. Every business needs a mobile app to remain competitive. Freelance opportunities for mobile app developers include creating apps for iOS, Android, and cross-platform development. By signing up on Firasti.com, mobile developers can connect with top businesses in major cities such as Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Manchester.

3. Software Development

From building complex software systems to creating customized solutions for specific business needs, freelance software development is a lucrative field. If you're a software developer, Firasti.com can connect you with clients in major tech hubs like San Francisco, London, and Brisbane.

Freelance Opportunities for Designers

Design plays a critical role in the success of websites, apps, and digital marketing campaigns. Whether you specialize in graphic design, UI/UX design, or web design, there are countless freelance opportunities for designers. Some of the top design-related jobs you can find on Firasti include:

1. Graphic Design

Graphic designers are needed for everything from creating logos to designing marketing materials. Companies often hire freelance graphic designers to create stunning visuals for websites, social media, and print. Top cities like New York, Melbourne, and Birmingham offer a wealth of opportunities for graphic designers.

2. UI/UX Design

UI/UX design is one of the most important aspects of digital product development. Freelance opportunities for UI/UX designers involve working with clients to enhance user experiences and improve the overall functionality of websites and apps. You can find UI/UX design jobs on Firasti.com in cities like London, Sydney, and Chicago.

3. Web Design

Web designers are in high demand as every business wants an attractive and functional website. Freelance web designers can work on various projects, from creating landing pages to designing entire e-commerce sites. You can easily access web design opportunities on Firasti.com, particularly in cities like Toronto, Brisbane, and Los Angeles.

Freelance Opportunities for SEO Experts

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for businesses aiming to rank higher on Google and other search engines. SEO experts are responsible for optimizing websites and online content to increase organic traffic. As businesses increasingly realize the importance of SEO, the demand for skilled SEO freelancers is on the rise. On Firasti.com, SEO specialists can explore several lucrative opportunities:

1. On-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves optimizing elements of a website, such as meta tags, headings, and content, to improve search engine rankings. Freelance SEO specialists can work with clients to optimize their websites and ensure they are search engine-friendly. Cities like New York, London, and Sydney offer high-paying on-page SEO opportunities.

2. Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO focuses on building backlinks and improving a website’s domain authority through external methods. Freelance SEO experts who specialize in link building and off-page strategies can find abundant job opportunities on Firasti.com in cities like Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Manchester.

3. Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves optimizing the backend of websites to improve site speed, mobile responsiveness, and crawlability. As technical SEO becomes increasingly important, more businesses are hiring freelancers who specialize in this area. SEO experts in cities like San Francisco, London, and Brisbane can leverage Firasti.com to find technical SEO gigs.

Top Cities for Freelancers in the USA, UK, and Australia

Freelance work on Firasti.com is not limited to any one city, but some cities in the USA, UK, and Australia stand out as hubs for technology, design, and SEO. These cities often offer the best opportunities for freelancers.

Top Cities in the USA

New York: As one of the largest tech and business hubs in the world, New York offers countless freelance opportunities for developers, designers, and SEO experts.

Los Angeles: With a booming tech and entertainment industry, LA is home to many businesses looking for freelance professionals.

San Francisco: Known for its tech startup scene, San Francisco is a prime location for developers and SEO experts.

Chicago: A growing tech market with plenty of opportunities for freelance web developers and designers.

Top Cities in the UK

London: The UK’s capital is home to numerous tech companies and digital marketing agencies, making it an ideal location for freelancers.

Manchester: A growing tech scene makes Manchester a great place for developers, designers, and SEO experts.

Birmingham: As a business hub, Birmingham offers plenty of freelance opportunities for creative professionals and tech experts.

Top Cities in Australia

Sydney: As Australia’s largest city, Sydney has a thriving tech scene and a high demand for freelance developers, designers, and SEO specialists.

Melbourne: Melbourne is known for its creative industries, offering numerous opportunities for freelance designers and SEO experts.

Brisbane: Brisbane is home to a growing tech industry and offers excellent freelance work opportunities in development and SEO.

Freelancing is an exciting career path for developers, designers, and SEO experts. With platforms like Firasti.com, finding freelance opportunities has never been easier. Whether you're a developer looking for web development, mobile app creation, or software development gigs, a designer in need of graphic or web design projects, or an SEO expert ready to optimize websites for clients, Firasti offers a wide range of job listings to suit your skills.

The USA, UK, and Australia are home to some of the top cities for freelance work, including New York, London, Sydney, and Melbourne. With competitive rates, a secure payment system, and a global reach, Firasti.com is the platform you need to take your freelance career to the next level.

Sign up today on Firasti.com and start your journey toward a successful freelance career!

SEO Keywords Used: Freelance opportunities for developers, freelance designers, SEO experts, freelance work USA, freelance work UK, freelance work Australia, freelance jobs for developers, freelance web development, freelance graphic design, freelance SEO, Firasti.com

[clevergentlemendreamland]

How To Build A Perfect Website For Selling Your Books (If You Are An Author)

To build a perfect author website for selling your books online you should:Choose a platformPick a domainCreate important pages (About, Contact)Create a rich product pageAdd trust signals (Reviews, ratings)Link to different sources to buy books (Marketplaces)Add a blogAdd social profilesBuild email listThis is an example of a general answer you can find on other websites. And that’s a good…

[multivisiondigitalny]

MultiVision Digital is a leading digital video marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses effectively promote their products and services through the power of video. With a team of experienced professionals, they understand the importance of creating compelling and engaging videos that capture the attention of their target audience.

MultiVision Digital 1330 5th Ave Ste 6E, New York, NY 10026 646–319–8609

Official Website: https://www.multivisiondigital.com/ Google Plus Listing: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=15639841387284851118

Other Links

remote video production : https://www.multivisiondigital.com/services/remote-video-production/

Other Service We Provide:

Video Production Video Strategy Video Marketing Training Videos Social Media Videos Aerial Drone Videography Animated Explainer /Motion Graphic Videos Remote Video Production Live Streaming & Events

Follow Us On

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nycvideomktg Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/multivisiondigital/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/multivision-digital/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYCOnlineVideoProduction Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/multivisiondigitalny/

[peachversace]

calvins or nothing?

[nsfw-ish] ; bakugou katsuki x reader — domestic fluff, slight horniness, bakugou katsuki being a cute little bean (but also a sexy phenomenon), slight humor <3

♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖📸.𖥔 ݁ ˖♡

notes: this is inspired by the bad bunny x calvin klein ad that came out a few weeks ago. i’m ovulating and had this in my drafts. enjoy 😃

Your grumpy Pro Hero boyfriend—the one who hates cameras, hates media circuits, hates anything remotely resembling a brand deal—somehow got talked into doing an ad. That, in itself, is already enough of a shocker. The man rolls his eyes at the mere mention of Instagram. His idea of PR is grunting his way through one-word answers at press conferences.

So, yeah. When Katsuki says he’s doing a shoot, you're caught off guard.

The announcement isn’t even some grand confession—it’s a casual mumble, like he’s commenting on the weather. He says it while washing the dishes, fingers soapy, sleeves of his tee pushed up to his elbows, the evening news humming in the background. You're sitting on the counter, half-listening to the TV, half-watching the muscles in his back flex through the thin fabric of his shirt.

“Gonna do a shoot in a couple days,” he mutters like it’s nothing. Like the sky’s blue. Like he’s not about to detonate your entire sense of reality.

You pause mid-sip of your water. “A shoot?” you echo, blinking at him.

He doesn’t even look up. “Yeah.”

You slide off the counter and walk toward him, disbelief coloring your voice. “Wait, seriously? You? Doing a shoot? Like… willingly?”

He finally cuts you a glance, eyes narrowing. “What the fuck would I joke for?”

“I don’t know! Because you hate this stuff?” You raise a brow. “Last week you growled at a guy just for taking a picture of you at the market.”

He scoffs, but the corner of his mouth twitches like he’s trying not to smile. “Agent wouldn’t shut up about it. Said it’s a good deal. Said it’d make my numbers spike.” He grinds his teeth. “S’bullshit.”

You grin, stepping even closer, your hands brushing against the hem of his shirt. “So what is it, huh? Sportswear? A cologne campaign? Let me guess, something with black-and-white aesthetics, all ‘I’m brooding and mysterious and I could kill you but also model for Givenchy.’”

His glare sharpens. “I ain't tellin’ you,” he mutters, and then smears a soapy hand across your face.

You yelp, eyes widening in shock before laughing, pushing him back with a dish towel, and just like that, the kitchen descends into a sudsy, chaotic mess—water splashing, laughter echoing, and your annoyed, grumbly boyfriend cracking the faintest smile as you attack him with bubbles.

You forget about it after that.

He goes to the shoot a few days later, grumbles about how stupid it was, comes home smelling faintly of sweat and photo studio, and promptly takes a nap on the couch with his face buried in your thigh.

End of story—or so you think.

Until the ad airs.

And the entire world explodes.

You’re not even the first person to see it. You wake up to six missed calls from Kaminari, seventeen texts in a group chat with Amanai and Hanari, and three DMs from stylists you’ve only ever worked with once, all saying something along the lines of:

IS THAT BAKUGOU???
Please tell me that’s YOUR man.
why didn’t you warn me???

You groggily pull up the video link with one eye open, barely processing the thumbnail—just muted greys and harsh lighting—and then hit play.

And then the world stops.

The screen fades in, and the first thing you see is concrete—cold and industrial, metal beams and stark shadows. The lighting is sharp and stylized, the kind of aesthetic that screams high-end minimalism, and then—

There he is.

Katsuki.

In nothing but tight black briefs, leaning against a concrete wall, one arm behind his head, the other resting on his thigh. His scars catch the light. His tan skin looks like it's been kissed by some god. His abs—hard and defined, with that perfect cut down his sides—flex slightly as he breathes. There’s sweat glistening faintly on his collarbone.

And his expression?

That look. The one he gives when he’s about to fight someone and knows he’s already won. That heavy-lidded, lazy gaze that screams dominance and confidence. His jaw is tight. His mouth is parted just slightly, teeth catching on the fabric of his own tank top as he lifts it with one hand, revealing the full line of his torso—slow and unbothered, like this means nothing to him.

You gasp. You physically clutch your phone like it might explode in your hands.

Is this a fucking fever dream?

The ad keeps going. Transitions shift—now he’s outside, in some open-air gym setup, hanging from a pull-up bar in white briefs, his body tense and glistening, thighs flexing as he hooks his legs around the metal, inverted and still steady. The camera pans slowly, sinfully, down the line of his waist, his back muscles moving with effortless control.

You are floored.

And then—then—he’s sprawled in a plush lounge chair, still in briefs, arms behind his head, legs spread in that arrogant, casual way that only he could pull off. He’s completely relaxed, like he doesn’t know the entire planet is watching this ad and forgetting how to breathe.

You drop your phone on the bed and bury your face in your hands.

“What the fuck,” you groan into your palms. Your heart is pounding. Your thighs press together on instinct.

Katsuki, your grumpy, camera-hating, blunt-as-hell boyfriend… just dropped the hottest underwear ad of the year. And you had no idea what he was shooting until now.

You scramble to your feet, pacing your bedroom, mouth still open, heart pounding in your chest like war drums.

Your phone still lies face down on the bed, but you’re pacing like the floor might cave in. Your heart is slamming against your ribs, your body thrumming with something between disbelief and desperate, carnal desire. There’s a burn low in your stomach. A buzzing heat behind your eyes.

Because the ad isn’t done. It gets worse—so much worse.

The music shifts, something darker now, heavier—bass rolling like thunder. And then the screen cuts to him again. Katsuki. In jeans this time.

Low-rise. Washed-out. Loose around the thighs but slung criminally low on his hips.

And those goddamn white briefs are peeking out above the waistband like it was staged in a dream. His hand glides lazily over his stomach, fingers tracing the defined V of his hips, brushing right past the thick trail of hair under his navel. He stops there—lingers there—just barely grazing the hem of the briefs before his thumb tucks in, teasing the edge. His gaze flicks to the camera.

And he smirks.

Not his usual cocky grin, no. This one’s lazy. Lopsided. Something slow and dangerous that makes your knees buckle. Like he knows what he’s doing. Like he planned this moment for you and you alone.

You gasp. You clutch your chest. "Oh my God."

And then—as if that wasn’t enough—the music picks up and the scenes start layering: cuts of him against the concrete, muscles flexing under the strain of his pose; transitions to the gym, his thighs clenching, his expression loose with exertion; cuts to that plush chair, where he’s lounging like sin incarnate, and finally, back to the jeans, with his hand still teasing that waistband.

It’s not an ad anymore. It’s a weapon. A visual threat. A public sex dream.

You stand there, completely dumbfounded, eyes wide and mouth parted, blinking like you’ve been smacked upside the head with a wet towel.

And the comments?

Oh. The comments.

@takxmi291_: raw. next question.
@abersiw.3: Good lord what a great day to be alive.
@BIGPAPA.EJI: FLASH US ‼️‼️‼️
@numbber1.lemilionnn: giggling at 3am
@angelzkiss: GOOD GOD IM GIDJDJFNNFHDNDNDJDNCN🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦
@hyurhio008: YEP IM GETTING HIM PREGNANT
@Cello_Zumazz: damn now my screen's all sticky :/
@bpxrndeku: I FEEL LIKE A MAN IN THE 1800S SEEING AN ANKLE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
@lennysqqie: don’t be scared. take em off.
@dynazaddy98: i wanna GAGGGG on that huge COCK—
@stareandfanfic: look at em TITS AWOOGAAAA

You can’t even think. You’re vibrating. Your brain is gone. You’re standing there, still in pajamas, while your very private, very grouchy, very hot boyfriend just broke the Internet in his underwear.

You can’t let this slide.

So you bide your time. You wait until he’s home from patrol—freshly showered, hair damp and messy, wearing his black hoodie and sweatpants that clings to him a little too well. He’s sitting at the kitchen table now, chopsticks in one hand, steam rising from the shabu shabu you made. His brow is furrowed as he eats, and he's grumbling about how some new sidekick forgot to file a report properly.

You sit across from him with your phone in hand, not saying anything.

And then, casually, you clear your throat and say in a bright voice:

“Explosively warm, and snug. Dynamight wears the new Iconic Cotton Stretch. Now in stores.”

Katsuki freezes mid-bite.

His chopsticks pause, a slice of beef and mushroom still dangling, and you see it happen—the moment it registers. His shoulders stiffen. His jaw tightens. And then slowly, as if the food can save him, he stuffs it into his mouth.

You try not to laugh. You fail.

“What the hell, Katsuki?” you grin, voice breathless with amusement. “Why didn’t you tell me?! That ad launched three hours ago and I’ve seen your dick print more times than I’ve seen my own reflection today.”

He grunts. Doesn’t look at you.

“Honey, you looked insanely good. Like… I’m not even sure it was legal.” You lean forward over the table, voice dropping slightly. “You were so hot. And that grin?” You tap your phone. “That was cute, baby.”

His ears go bright red. A slow, creeping crimson that crawls up his neck to his cheeks.

He finally glances at you, scowling faintly. “S’just a stupid ad. Ain’t that important.”

“Oh, it’s important to me,” you murmur with a knowing smirk.

He huffs and looks away again, stuffing another bite in his mouth. But his jaw’s twitching. He’s so clearly flustered, you can barely take it. A tiny, pleased smile tugs at his lips even though he’s fighting it with everything he has.

And you realize—this is why he didn’t tell you. Because deep down, Katsuki knew. He knew how hot he looked, how big the reaction would be, how much people would thirst over it.

But more than anything, he knew you would look at him like this—like he hung the goddamn moon. And he wouldn’t know what to do with that.

“Sh’ddup,” he mutters under his breath, cheeks now fully flushed.

You grin like a wolf, biting your lip as you lean over the table, eyes glinting.

“No. I’m not gonna shut up. In fact, I’m gonna print out a poster. Hang it in the hallway. Right across from the bathroom.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare,” he growls—but it’s soft. There’s no heat behind it. Just embarrassment and affection and that little smirk he only wears when he’s happy in spite of himself.

And you?

You’re head over heels in love with this absolute menace of a man. Horny and obsessed and ready to make him flustered for the rest of the night.

Later, the apartment is warm, and quiet, the soft hum of the city alive behind the windows—but in here, it’s just you and him.

The scent of the shabu shabu still lingers faintly in the air, and the clinking of dishes is rhythmic, almost soothing. Katsuki stands at the sink, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, forearms slick and glistening. His hands are buried in a sink full of suds, scrubbing out the plates he insisted on washing since you cooked.

You’re perched on the counter next to him, legs swinging slightly, phone in hand, face lit up with mischief and fondness. The grin on your face is damn near criminal. You can’t help it—you’ve been giggling all night. Ever since the ad dropped, you’ve been glued to the internet, reading every unhinged, thirsty, downright feral comment about your boyfriend. And oh, they are so good.

Katsuki grumbles under his breath every time you so much as snort at your screen, but he doesn’t tell you to stop. Not really. Because he secretly loves the sound of your laugh—especially when it’s because of him, even if it makes him wanna throw himself into the damn sink.

You scroll through your phone, eyes twinkling, then grin wider. “Should I read you the comments next?”

He groans. “No.”

But you’re already doing it. “@yoqnoak24 says: i’m wet, ready, and stretched out to g—”

Before you can finish, a wet, soapy hand slaps gently but firmly against your face.

“Katsuki!” you squeal, laughing in full as the bubbles smear across your cheek and jaw, eyes crinkling with delight.

“Fuckin’ brat,” he growls through a grin of his own, already tugging you off the counter with one hand on your waist.

You wrap your arms around his shoulders instinctively as he leans in, pressing a messy, grinning kiss against your lips. It’s hot, breathless, teeth clicking together for a second before he pulls back just enough to murmur against your mouth, “What am I gonna do with you, huh?”

You’re smiling so wide you can barely kiss him back properly, giggling like a teenager. “Probably fuck me stupid, since you’ve already got half the world begging for it.”

“Jesus fuck,” he groans, burying his face in your neck. You can feel the heat radiating off his skin, the way his ears are burning where they brush your jaw. But he’s smiling. You can feel that too. It’s hidden, buried in the press of his mouth against your collarbone, but it’s there. That secret softness only you get.

“You’re the worst,” he mumbles.

“No,” you say, tugging gently at his hair as you press a kiss behind his ear. “I’m the best. I’m your number one fan.”

“Damn right you are.”

You laugh again, and he chuckles too—quiet, low, warm in your chest.

This. This is your life with him. This ridiculous, heart-melting mix of domesticity and chaos. You and him in your kitchen, covered in soap and laughter, still buzzing with the aftershocks of an ad he didn’t even want to do. You and him trading kisses like secrets, teasing and tugging, wrapped around each other like you’ve always belonged this way.

God, you love this man. More than anything.

And the best part?

He loves you back just as hard.

[starcurtain]

Comparing Phaidei and Other Hoyo MLM Ships (Part 1)

I barely know how to begin, honestly, because I'm still so taken aback by the absolute Phaidei feast that was 3.1. But perhaps because we were so overfed by the patch, I was actually jarred a little out of the story itself--too busy turning over the broader ramifications of such blatant queer-coding of two male characters in a modern Hoyoverse game.

Of course, Hoyo isn't remotely new to queer-coding their characters (or to queer-baiting, either, gacha games gotta hustle at all times). They absolutely have a history of hinting at both WLW and MLM ships and of including fanservice between the player's MC and other playable characters regardless of gender. Strangely enough, due to the unique confluence of their target audiences' tastes, the Hoyoverse team has an active profit motive to create gay characters:

WLW ships are appealing to heterosexual male players.

MLM ships are appealing to heterosexual female players.

Simultaneously, WLW and MLM ships are appealing to queer players.

Heterosexual ships with characters other than the MC are unappealing to a large percentage of the game's playerbase, particularly to heterosexual male players who want to keep their waifus to themselves but also to female yumeshippers.

Hoyo's market is literally telling them that 1) male characters sell better when they're ship-baited with other male characters, and 2) players don't actually want heterosexual ships between playable characters if the MC isn't involved. (Hell, look at Firefly--players hate romances with the MC too lol!)

But at the same time as the market is telling the devs to keep making queer characters, Hoyoverse also faces immense social pressure to avoid including actual queer content.

Let me hold off on the political and legal consequences of including gay characters in Chinese media for just a second, and look at the situation from the perspective of Hoyo's target audiences first:

Take this data with a grain of salt though; I'm not sure where they got their numbers.

First, Hoyoverse games are increasingly global and surprisingly popular in conservative/religious countries such as Russia, Malaysia, and the UAE. The western world as a whole is shifting increasingly right on LGBT+ issues. For the games to be marketed well across the globe, they've got to avoid challenging the morals of these highly varied audiences. (Perhaps this is why past Hoyoverse titles seemed more open to LGBT+ content than present Hoyoverse games do; a broader audience actually means more restrictions on content.)

Second, even though conservative heterosexual male players are actually surprisingly fine with MLM ship tease, that only applies so long as it stays at the level of "I can pretend I don't see it." As long as anti-LGBT+ players can write off any MLM content as "just close friends," the dev team can get away with frankly shocking amounts of queer interaction between male characters. (I'm sorry to any straight male fans reading this [could there possibly be any?], but half of y'all could win gold medals if mental gymnastics were a sport. The lengths I have seen some male Genshin players go to try to explain away Haikaveh are honestly awe-inspiring. 😂) However, the boundary must be respected. The moment a male character's queerness exceeds subtext and becomes text, when even mental gymnastics cannot come up with a heterosexual explanation, and the plausible deniability goes out the window, it is no longer acceptable to anti-LGBT+ players, and they will be "turned off" from pulling that male character en masse. In essence, the market is telling the devs: 1) Huge amounts of queer-coding = a-okay, but 2) Actual canon queer content = that's gayyyy, no wayyyy.

And third, the obvious: China's stance on LGBT+ people is weirdly stricter in media than it is in "real" life. It is not illegal to be gay in China but it is illegal to be gay in a video game in China. Restrictions on media portrayals of gayness are significantly more strict than restrictions on actually being gay (which is interesting cognitive dissonance for those from outside the country, but that's an essay for another day). Hoyoverse legally cannot show characters engaged in any explicitly queer behaviors--at least that can't be explained away.

Furthermore, the rules apply very differently for male and female characters. WLW content gets way more of a pass from the censors. Bronya and Seele can blush at each other, but Alhaitham and Kaveh cannot. You would never see "Rondo Across Countless Kalpas" happening with male Hoyoverse characters. The censors literally would not allow it, strictly because Chinese standards for portrayals of men are different--and more strict!--than standards for portraying women. Legally, there are strong and serious limitations on what Hoyo can do with their male characters.

Summing all of this up, in trying to create their male characters and content, Hoyoverse is actually fighting a battle of conflicting pressures: Male characters sell better when they are queer-coded, but their interactions can never rise to the level of being canonically gay.

Everything must exist in the realm of implication.

(Yes, I can hear you: "Can you please get to Phaidei already?" 😂)

All of this foreword was to lay a foundation for the actual point I want to make about Phaidei: Because Hoyoverse can only queer-code and not actually queer their male characters, they have (in their modern games), fallen into a sort of pattern with their MLM ship bait. Certain plots and personalities keeps reappearing again and again. They've developed a sort of short-hand set of traits to give to their male characters--the Hoyoverse "queer-coded MLM starter pack" if you will lol.

While not every popular MLM ship in Hoyo's games has the same traits (obviously not), certain elements seem central to creating the delicate necessary gray area between "They're just baiting fangirls" and "The devs intended these two characters to be canonically gay but just couldn't state that textually."

And yet... And yet...

You're not imagining things: Phaidei is actually different.

To demonstrate just how different though, I wanted to take the time to compare Phaidei with other popular Hoyoverse MLM ships, looking at both the similarities (the patterns that Hoyo relies on to reliably queer-code their characters) and the noticeable differences (where Hoyo pushed their own boundaries in surprising ways).

Unfortunately, in the interest of full transparency, my own Hoyoverse experience is limited, so I can only use examples from Star Rail and Genshin Impact. I just haven't played HI3 or ZZZ, so I don't feel comfortable trying to use examples from those games, although I think there may be many ships that fall into similar patterns in those games as well. (Maybe some people can share in the comments?)

Anyway, let's start with similarities:

1. A Pair of Equals

The number one "rule" for popular Hoyoverse queer-coded MLM ships is that the two characters must be evenly matched. This isn't to say they have to have identical levels of physical strength (although that is also often the case); instead, the audience needs to perceive them as being on equal footing in some way. They must either be intellectual equals (Alhaitham and Kaveh), political equals (Ratio and Aventurine; Neuvillette and Wriothesley), equal in social standing (Tighnari and Cyno), or, yes, actually physically equal their capability for going toe-to-toe against each other (Blade and Dan Heng; possibly Zhongli and Childe; for those who ship it, Diluc and Kaeya).

For modern Hoyo games, queer-coded MLM ships with noticeable discrepancies in power dynamics are particularly rare; possibly the only one that comes to mind is Ayato/Thoma (though this is mitigated by the game deliberately telling us that Ayato treats Thoma like family, rather than like a servant). And I think this actually says a lot about the devs' thought process: They are deliberately avoiding scenarios in which one male character seems capable of "preying" on another, where the queer-coding could accidentally be perceived as sexual perversion due to a discrepancy in power dynamics.

They're intentionally averting the "depraved homosexual" trope by--sometimes literally--spelling out for the players that both male characters in their queer-coded MLM ships perceive each other as, and are interested in each other as, equals.

We see this explicitly with Ratio and Aventurine in Star Rail:

And Alhaitham and Kaveh in Genshin:

Even Blade and Dan Heng are likened to "a pair" of identical objects:

So of course, Phainon and Mydei push this to an extreme. Phainon describes himself and Mydei as "friends and foes," and the game goes out of it way to reiterate over and over that they are perfect equals. Although they compete in everything they do, there is never a clear victor; their score card is constantly balancing out because they match each other's skill and power perfectly.

But there are even hints in the game that this isn't just happening naturally, but also by choice: Even when one of them triumphs over the other, they both backtrack and insist on getting on equal standing again. Whether you win or lose the "competition" in Kremnos in 3.0, the outcome is the same:

Phainon and Mydei perceive each other as perfectly matched (in strength, right, right...) and are actively working to keep it that way.

The game also goes out of its way to insist that Mydei and Phainon aren't just equals in terms of strength but also in social standing. It theoretically should be impossible to match Mydei's place on the social ladder--he's the literal crown prince of an entire nation of world-renowned conquerors. Even Aglaea is not a queen; we see her on screen being forced to contend with Okhema's Council who are fighting her for power. There technically isn't anyone in Amphoreus (at least that we've met so far) who should be able to stand on equal political or administrative footing to Mydei.

Except, of course, for Phainon, who supersedes all others by virtue of being the literal prodigal son, the "Chosen One."

The game insists on putting this in our faces over and over again: Mydei may be a king in the making, but Phainon is the "Deliverer." They are equally matched in terms of authority.

The game even goes out of its way to tell us they're perfect mirrors in personality too:

Hoyo, in the kitchen cooking up another gay ship: LISTEN GUYS, they're equals, do you understand me? A MATCHING SET.

But also...

2. Diametrically Opposed

It isn't enough for the queer-coded men to be each other's perfect equals. They also have to be opposites, typically in terms of their personalities. This is the pattern that repeats itself most consistently across Hoyoverse MLM ships with strong textual support: the two men may be equal, but they're also nothing alike. (At least on the surface.)

Alhaitham and Kaveh's entire plot hinges on their directly opposing personalities and morals, representing the clash between rationality and sensibility. Dan Feng was reserved and cool-tempered, while Yingxing was "arrogant" and brash. Hell, Xingqiu and Chongyun are "refined and clever" versus "forthright and trusting." I actually think Zhongli and Childe, despite being the most popular Hoyoverse ship in the western fandom, have very little canonical support, yet they still fit this pattern, with Zhongli as the refined gentleman to Tartaglia's blood knight tendencies.

We know how Ratio sees himself and Aventurine:

Hoyo really said "Opposites attract" and ran with it for every single MLM ship they ever teased.

And there's a logical reason for this. Making the two male characters dead opposites actually slightly decreases people's ability to argue that they're "just friends"--if they have next to nothing in common, they're not usually bonding over mutual hobbies or basing their connection on shared similarities. It becomes harder to portray two male characters as "bros who just get along great" when they're deliberately written with opposing tastes and personalities. (Real friends can sometimes be dead opposites, obviously, but most friendships are built on mutual interests rather than opposing ones, while romantic relationships hilariously have the "opposites attract" stereotype.)

There's no reason to shove polar opposites together again and again except to watch the sparks fly.

Even Hoyo's male characters' color schemes are often perfectly opposite. Plenty of people have figured out if you palette swap Alhaitham and Kaveh, Dan Heng and Blade, and Ratio and Aventurine, you end up with the same colors. Ayato and Thoma match the pattern here too ("red and blue gays" is a well-known trope).

But once again, the devs pulled out ALL the stops for Phaidei:

They're red versus blue. They're sun and moon. They're outgoing versus introverted. They're a king and a peasant (if we believe what Phainon's telling us about Aedes Elysiae). They're the "outsider" and the "golden boy." One fights with strength and the other with technique, brains versus brawn (actually they're both kind of idiots though, so take this one lightly lol).

However, what I think is most interesting about Hoyo's pairs of MLM opposites that is that the devs deliberately subvert expectations by assigning the opposing traits to the "unexpected" character. In both Haikaveh and Ratiorine, it's the rational scholar who is more overtly caring and attuned to their partner's feelings. In Renheng, it's the kind-hearted Yingxing who is consumed by anger, while the aloof, expressionless Dan Heng's voice trembles in wonder at the mere mention of Yingxing's name.

For Phainon and Mydei, this inversion of opposite traits occurs with their personalities specifically. People expected Mydei to be a gruff, hot-headed, battle-hungry berserker with a sarcastic or arrogant personality at best.

Instead, Mydei is an extremely thoughtful person, who struggles with his fate not because of what will happen to himself but because of a desire to bring the greatest good to the greatest number of his people. He's a respectful, gentle (when he needs to be), and even sentimental young man who continues to hold on to love for those who have long passed away. He's reserved around strangers but generous and warm to his companions, and struggles to express himself but has a clear desire to be considerate of others.

We also know he's deeply aware of and emotionally affected by the racism his people are experiencing in Okhema; one NPC in Okhema reports how Mydei, despite being new to Okhema himself, stood up to the very council still plaguing Aglaea in order to protect his people:

Despite having difficulties expressing his own thoughts, he even scolds Phainon for approaching their farewell with a nonchalant expression--Mydei doesn't reject emotions or shy away from becoming close with people he cares for.

Instead, it's Phainon who actually struggles to be honest. While he might connect easily with others on the surface, seeming outgoing and kind-hearted, he is actually a much more private person, one who is reluctant to show his true feelings and dismissive of questions about his past and identity. As opposed to Mydei's desire to avoid Nikador's power, Phainon is (despite his doubts) eager to prove himself, spurned on by the pressure of the prophecy telling him he needs to achieve greatness. We're told that he craved the power of strife specifically, while Mydei summarily wishes to reject it.

It's Phainon who frequently has to be reined in by others--he was ready to kill Oronyx for delaying his rescue of Mydei--and Phainon who fails to let go of his hatred and desire for revenge, causing him to fail Nikador's trial, which Mydei easily clears.

By inverting the traits of the characters, creating designs which visually oppose each other while assigning the actual opposing personality traits to the "mismatched" character, the devs hammer home an implicit message: These two characters complete each other. They fill in each other's gaps. What you expected to find in one of these men, you will instead find in the other. What they wish to be, they will be drawn to in each other.

(Frequently bought together, do not separate!)

3. The Distance is Artificial

Okay, so if they're so obviously written as a "pair," being perfect equals and perfect opposites, how are they just "queer-coded" and not explicitly queer? How is Hoyo keeping up the illusion of the characters not being an obvious couple when they're literally written to complete each other?

Hoyo has one major tool in their arsenal to do this: Prickly personalities.

With the exception of Renheng, which I'll get to in a second, Hoyo has a favorite method for enforcing the rule of plausible deniability, the idea that "Nooo, we promise, they're not in love; they don't even like each other, see??"--and that's giving one of the characters an intractable personality.

This can manifest, like Alhaitham and Kaveh, as constant bickering, where the pair's main method of communication is to devolve into petty arguments or sarcastic quips.

Fans who support the ship can view this as an "old married couple" dynamic; but for those who do not support the ship and choose to insist that Hoyo isn't actually queer-coding their male characters, they can lean on these arguments as "proof" that the characters don't actually love each other.

A similar pattern was recently repeated with Sethos/Wanderer, with Wanderer's prickly personality being used to keep Sethos at bay.

By placing the characters at odds with each other through bickering, Hoyo introduces just enough doubt to make the "They're only friends/roommates, we promise" argument hold some water. This allows them to get--quite honestly--a lot of queer content past the censors and past homophobic audiences too.

We see them repeat this trope with Aventurine and Ratio in Star Rail, introducing the two characters as initially "at odds" with each other and trying to pass it off as Ratio despising Aventurine.

Even after revealing that they were plotting together, the game insists on introducing some lingering doubts, suggesting that Aventurine fears Ratio would actually betray him.

This creates the necessary "gray area," the gap that Hoyo can use to hide in--no, Aventurine doesn't trust Ratio at all, see? Maybe they don't even like each other? Who knows! The doubt doesn't exist because the story particularly needs it, but simply so that Hoyo has a shield to hide behind if people begin to question how close the two male characters are.

Even in comedic material, Hoyo intentionally keeps this "necessary distance" in order to allow themselves wiggle room. Is Ratio an enamored tsundere who can't spit his real feelings out, or does he actually think Aventurine is illogical, mediocre, and ridiculous? Was the "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video an example of Hoyo deliberately baiting by making Ratio flustered over Aventurine "on air," or is he being Aventurine's biggest hater in this clip?

It's just questionable enough that those players who hate MLM to interpret it as the latter, and provides just enough doubt to help Hoyo slip queer-coding under the radar. Those who want to see it will see, while it's written just vaguely enough that those who don't want to see it will not see it.

(That's the point Owlbert, that's the point.)

When in doubt, and when stuck with a pair of characters who aren't likely to bicker with words, Hoyo sometimes has to progress to the next level: making them actual enemies.

What's better for creating plausible deniability than one of them trying to kill the other? (They definitely were not fooling around in a past life. We promise.) In an ironic twist with Renheng in particular, the fandom seems to have somehow come to the (mistaken) consensus that Dan Feng and Yingxing were "confirmed canon" (truly, I see this stated everywhere; we love when reading comprehension fails in the right direction for once lol), leaving only Dan Heng/Blade as being of questionable "canonicity." However, this still works as far as Hoyo is concerned, because only Dan Heng and Blade are left on screen.

By insisting on their present inability to reconcile, Blade and Dan Heng are able to introduce just enough doubt into the equation to offset even significant ship tease for Dan Feng/Yingxing.

Enemies to lovers 150k+ slow burn, please look forward to it.

Okay, but back to Phaidei. At first, it seems like Phaidei is going to follow this pattern to a T: When Phainon first introduces Trailblazer to Mydei, the two seem to be at odds, bickering over how Mydei is choosing to confront the enemy. Mydei even calls Phainon out for an unintentionally insensitive statement (when Phainon demands to know why Mydei isn't "protecting the citizens," Mydei asks "Who are you implying is not a citizen here?" i.e., "Are you saying because I'm Kremnoan I don't count as a citizen?" You can see Phainon practically bite his tongue to take back his words.)

Also known as: Mydei experiences a microaggression.

Mydei's very first line directly to the Trailblazer is to insult Phainon's hospitality, and we know they definitely have plenty of silly insults to lob at each other while competing.

But this is actually where we see the first deviation from the pattern for Phaidei. Although there's a few cursory lines throughout their early dialogue, that's all there ever is--just cursory attempts at suggesting the two bicker and don't get along.

Within one scene, the "tension" present in their first meeting entirely devolves into purely playful banter, and it is clear by the time we finish 3.0 that Phainon and Mydei are actually very close and get along well, with virtually none of Haikaveh's biting comments, Blade and Dan Heng's violence, or Aventurine and Ratio's questions of loyalty. Phainon and Mydei took one look at the rest of Hoyoverse's MLM ships and said "How about we skip that will they-won't they?" lol.

But I'm not quite ready to talk about the places where Phaidei departs from the normal pattern yet, so I'll leave this point by just saying that Hoyo did start Phaidei on the same path as a majority of their other MLM ships, making a vague attempt at using their rivalry to suggest they wouldn't get along--thereby allowing for the alternative interpretation to quiet the haters (and the censors).

4. The (Physical) Distance is Non-Existent

Okay, but if Hoyo uses personalities to inject just enough distance into their queer-coded pairings to avoid crossing any boundaries, then what do they do to tantalize the audience, to make it seem like the characters might actually like each other?

They use body language!

First, just to reiterate a basic video game design principle: All animations and character placements have to be programmed by someone, and that means that all animations and the physical locations of characters in scenes are intentional. Nothing happens in cutscenes by accident.

Designers are constantly making a series of choices any time they have to put together a cutscene, and one of the key choices they have to make is how to express each character through their movements and their positions relative to other characters. (I've talked before, for example, about how Aventurine frequently turns his back on people, forcing their eyes to follow him throughout his cutscenes, taking physical control of the reactions of people around him.)

Hoyoverse games have somewhat standardized scene layouts for conversation cutscenes, with characters typically being placed at different distances from each other depending on their relationships. A majority of conversations happen from a generally cordial conversational distance, which means that any time characters cross this gap and close the distance, the dev team is intentionally sending the players a message.

Like, no one mistook what this was about, right?

Heterosexual jumpscare in my queer post; I'm sorry, I was just too tired to find a video with Lumine lol.

Repeating for good measure: Unless it is with a male playable main character (where the presence of the female main character is what lends the deniability), Hoyo legally cannot show their male characters engaging in physical contact that could be construed as romantic. Male characters can't hold hands; they can't even really hug unless it's "caught you as you fell after battle" (props to Dan Heng for being the only male character in Star Rail to get a "hug" with Jing Yuan lol.) There's a boundary that Hoyo male characters do not cross, and that's almost universally the realm of physical touch.

But Hoyo can place their queer-coded male characters into scenarios of physical closeness that they don't typically show among other characters.

Alhaitham and Kaveh's table says hello.

So does Tighnari and Cyno's single tent from this same quest; Cyno's Story 2, truly the quest that kept on giving.

Aventurine, a character who traditionally keeps half a room's distance between himself and the people he's talking to, suddenly doesn't seem to mind closing the distance with Ratio:

And even Renheng, the eternal enemies, are depicted as crossing physical boundaries, explicitly "getting in each other's faces." Yes it's a battle, but also, I've seen yaoi with less domineering poses lol.

You might think these lightcone examples are a stretch, but seriously: Go look at all the lightcones in the game. Does a single heterosexual couple have a lightcone where they are in each other's space in this manner? No, because physical closeness is actually a tool Hoyo is consistently using to queer-code. (Well, there would probably be more heterosexual closeness too if the incels weren't so weird...)

Anyway, when I saw the devs might be heading the direction of baiting Phaidei, I fully expected that we would see them side-by-side more consistently and with less of a gap between them than between other characters. But I wasn't remotely ready for the degree to which Hoyo would take that.

Here is an example of Phaidei exhibiting the "normal" Star Rail conversational distance:

Andddd... here's where they spend the other 90% of their scenes together:

The unnecessarily large distance between them and the Trailblazer gets me every time. Like they are not leaving room for Jesus Kephale.

Even when they aren't standing practically on top of each other, the devs deliberately choose camera angles that frame them both in the cutscene at the same time, which is relatively rare for Star Rail (not unheard of, but usually the camera will just go for the "first person POV" when two people are speaking, allowing for a close up of the speaking character). Instead of back-and-forth close ups, many of Mydei and Phainon's conversations are framed from a "behind-the-shoulder" angle, to catch them both in the frame. This creates the illusion that they're standing closer together than they are, and also reinforces a sense of intimacy in their conversations--the camera (and thus the player) becomes an "outsider" while their bodies turn toward each other.

Again, Hoyoverse is under pressure to avoid showing physical contact between male characters that could be construed romantically. They can't show Mydei and Phainon tangoing like Black Swan and Acheron. When it comes to queer-coding male characters, they have to use the tools available to them, and their primary tool for visually signifying the possibility of romantic closeness is physical closeness.

The camera is telling you that Mydei and Phainon are close.

Anyway, just one more point I wanted to make before moving on to discussing how Phaidei completely crushed the mold for Hoyoverse queer-coding, but...

5. Oh God, We're Turning Into Your Parents

Listen, I'm a reasonable person. I can fully accept that I play games with LGBT+ goggles on at all times. Despite being fantastically aroace myself, I love yaoi. I love yuri. I even like plenty of straight ships. I'm a fangirl first, academic second, so believe me when I say that I understand how skeptics might view some of the points above. "You're just fangirling. Being equals and opposites doesn't automatically imply romance. The devs might have intended close friendship, not a relationship." This counter-argument is valid!

So I want to end with one more point which I think is actually the lynch pin to proving that Hoyoverse isn't "accidentally" making their male characters come across as queer. Hoyo's queer-coding for certain ships is very intentional and even sometimes very overt. In a few cases prior to Phaidei, they were already skirting the upper limits of plausible deniability, and I think the modern ship that previously pushed the boundary the most is Haikaveh.

You can say what you want about other Hoyo MLM ships and their lack of canon textual support (I love you ZhongChi, even if the devs actually hate you lol), but I believe people who unironically say "The devs are not baiting Alhaitham and Kaveh as a ship" are so media illiterate that it's actually embarrassing to share air with them. Whether you think the devs are just doing it to cash in on yaoi fangirls or because they actually want to depict gay characters, it is indisputable at this point that Alhaitham and Kaveh have in-game ship tease. They just do, and one of the most obvious and unmistakable instances of this is when Kaveh's hangout paralleled Kaveh's relationship with Alhaitham to the heterosexual marriage between Kaveh's mother and father.

To draw a direct connection between Kaveh's father and Alhaitham, who is repeatedly described as not being able to understand Kaveh's artistic sensibilities and idealistic world view but nevertheless chooses to stay by Kaveh's side through his many troubles, while simultaneously reinforcing the idea that Kaveh is his mother's spitting image, both physically and emotionally, can really not be interpreted in any other way.

Hoyoverse took a queer relationship and made a one-for-one analogy to a heterosexual relationship--Alhaitham and Kaveh are a direct reflection of Kaveh's very married parents.

This isn't something that can happen on accident. This is deliberate and unmistakable queer-coding.

Which makes it absolutely wild that it happened twice.

I've posted already about the obvious parallels between Mydei's parents and Phaidei, and I'm actually almost out of room for new images here, so I can't post the images again, but I hardly need to at this point: Mydei's parents met when Gorgo challenged Eurypon at the Kremnos Festival. They fought for ten rounds, determined that they were (what do you know) perfect equals, and Eurypon proposed on the spot. Eurypon is explicitly described as a swordmaster, while Gorgo used a spear.

Later, the game repeatedly (and in various separate instances), emphasizes that Mydei and Phainon's first meeting consisted of a duel lasting ten days and ten nights, where neither of them could secure the victory, proving them to also be each other's perfect equals. Phainon's role as Okhema's swordmaster is emphasized, while Mydei wields a spear just like his mother when killing his father and after taking on Nikador's divinity.

Then there's... everything that came after. Eurypon betrayed Gorgo, effectively stabbing her in the back, and took her life. The foreshadowing that Phainon will do this exact same thing to Mydei is unmissable.

Phainon has even expressed an explicit desire to take part in the same competition where Mydei's father crowned the winner his wife:

In the (very limited) Kremnoan dictionary, I'm pretty sure this is how you say "I'm down to fuck."

Just as in the case with Haikaveh, there is no way that this parallel could have occurred by accident. The devs did not go out of their way to give us entire flashbacks of Gorgo and Eurypon's meeting and downfall for no reason. You're supposed to see the one-for-one connection between Mydei's very heterosexual, married parents and Phainon and Mydei's relationship.

Simultaneously, the devs also parallel their MLM ships to heterosexual relations by incorporating shades of domesticity normally reserved for "traditional" male-female relationships into their MLM ships--including levels of domesticity that heterosexual ships in Genshin and Star Rail usually don't rise to. One of Genshin's most popular MLM ships shares a single-family home and has a chore chart. Thoma is Ayato's housekeeper. Tighnari and Cyno are just flat-out joint raising a child. Jiaoqiu cooks and Moze cleans. Yingxing and Dan Feng accidentally(?) made a baby.

And Phainon and Mydei aren't any exception. They live an apocalyptic world that is constantly calling them away to battle, but the devs went out of their way to tell us Mydei is an extremely good cook who prepares everyone's food and deliberately ruins Phainon's when he's annoying, which is definitely old married couple behavior lol. Mydei is framed repeatedly as being good with children, not just in the distant fatherly way but in the "plays house" and follows-along-after-unaccompanied-kids-like-a-mother-hen way. Yet when Mydei has to leave, taking the classic "I'm going off to war" ancient Greek exit, he doesn't depart without leaving Phainon his people--with the camera panning specifically to the little Kremnoans. Phainon got the kids in the divorce. D; The tragic domesticity is already off the charts, and then they hit you the second punch when Mydei's last question (just one or two lines later) confirms that it was Phainon who got the ring for him. Hoyo couldn't actually have given us a more heavy-handed "parting husband and wife" parallel if someone held them at gunpoint. That whole thing was some Odyssey level bullshit. I see you devs, I see you.

You might be tempted to say that is just heteronormativity, which it could be, but I actually think it serves a very specific place in Hoyo's queer-coding repertoire. In comparing gay relationships to heterosexual marriages, the devs effectively "legitimize" their queer characters, suggesting that the relationships between gay male characters are no less real or valid than those between men and women. In demonstrating that male characters can achieve stable and healthy domestic lives with each other, the devs reiterate that players are not supposed to notice a difference between gay and heterosexual relationships.

There isn't any clearer way for Hoyoverse to legally say "We want you to think of these two men as romantic partners" than to say "Wow, isn't it interesting that their relationship is identical to a married couple's." It's on purpose; at this point, you really can't say the queer-coding isn't deliberate without looking like you can't read, and if it was intentional when Haikaveh paralleled Kaveh's parents, then it was doubly so the second time Hoyoverse pulled this trick to parallel Phaidei to Mydei's parents.

PHEW! Okay, I finally made it through the foundational traits for Hoyoverse MLM ship-bait and where Phaidei fits in with those. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk! 😂

But... the whole reason I started this post was actually because I wanted to talk about differences between Phaidei and other Hoyoverse MLM ships, and particularly how bold Hoyo actually was in 3.1, pushing the envelop to an extreme degree to ship-tease Phainon and Mydei.

So, since the post was way, way too long, I've spit the rest of my point off into a second post.

Check out Part 2 over here. ->

[witech-tv]

Sony 700 Remote Control - Witech

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[sightoru]

Katsuki's never been someone who's used or enjoyed pet names all too much, preferring the intimacy of saying someones first name instead of mushy shit like 'baby', 'honey', or 'darling'. It's just never really made sense to him, why say something like that when he can just use your name? Surely the tone of his voice conveys any emotion he might need. Your name mixed with curses when you forget to turn off the lights at night, your name accompanied by the sound of his boots at the door when he's home, your name mixed with the sounds of sheets in bed.

and you've never cared or paid any attention if it, even though calling strangers 'honey' and 'sweetheart' rolls of your tongue so naturally Katsuki spent the first month of your relationship wondering how it's possible to hold so much love in your heart for people you don't even know. the way you seem to care about strangers, asking questions about their day, remembering the details and bringing it up the next time you see them; all accompanied by sickly sweet words of affection, casually woven in between well wishes and giggles. you promise to return to them, and they promise to be there waiting.

Katsuki looks at you, one of these times after you both leave the market late at night (he always insists on going with you, says it's too dangerous for you to go alone. you always try to tell him you've been fine all these times before, but never fight his insistence too hard), takes in your body that glows gold under the streetlights, your tote bag full of things you bought (flowers, since the ones on the dining room table are starting to wilt. an eggplant for the Thai curry you've been meaning to make — though when you get home you'll see the lemongrass you've bought is bad and you'll have to make another trip, not that you or Katsuki mind. Green onions, chives, fresh thyme. Soft white bread lays on top of it all, and you're careful not to crush it under your arm.), and the way you mindlessly talk about your day. The cat you passed on the street, the stranger you regularly make conversation with at the bus stop. Your coworkers personal drama you can't help but be invested in — despite claims that you're not.

When he goes to bed with you that night, his keys in the same dish as yours ( a little ceramic one that sits on the table by the door. it's shaped like a sardine can. you giggled the whole way home after you bought it), his boots next to your flats — his are neat, sitting up right and yours are haphazardly thrown next to his. He'll fix them in the morning before he leaves— you'll wrap your arms around his middle, burying your face between his shoulder blades in an attempt to steal his warmth. You'll mutter something about your day, follow it up with 'good night, my love.' and something about it, will have his heart grow 4 sizes in his chest.

My love, my love, my love

He'll hold onto it the next day, and the one after that. let it settle into his mouth like honey before he starts whispering it to you when he thinks you're not listening. My love, my love, my love, the words seep into the air between you both and permeate the space. Chopsticks passed to you before dinner, handing off the remote so you can put on YouTube videos (make up tutorials, obviously. katsuki pretends he's not interested while he makes mental notes at the products that elicit a gasp from you) all followed up with those two words.

He looks at you, bundled on the couch, thinks of all the beautiful things he sees and the way that all reflects in the beauty of you.

Maybe he likes pet names, after all.

[todays-xkcd]

Hint: If you ever encounter this puzzle in a crossword app, just [term for someone with a competitive and high-achieving personality].

A Crossword Puzzle [Explained]

Transcript

[A square 15x15 crossword puzzle is shown. Only 21 of the 225 squares are black. The black squares are in a pattern that are 180 degree rotationally symmetrical. Three black squares down from the 11th column and similarly three black squares up from the 5th column. Three black squares out from the right in row 7 and then two more black squares diagonally up from the end. Similarly three black squares out from the left in row 9 with two more black squares diagonally down from the end. A single black square is three above the first black square on the diagonal going down to the right and similarly there is a black square three under the first of the diagonal squares going down to the left. (Row 6 column 12 and Row 10 column 4). Finally there are three black squares on a diagonal crossing over the central point by going up from the left through the central point (Row 8 column 8). There are numbers at the top of every column (except the one that is a black square) and similarly at the left edge of all rows (except the one that is a black square). There are also numbers at the bottom of every black segment (except the one that reaches the bottom) and all rows after black segments except the one that reaches the right edge. In total all numbers from 1 to 51 is written. They are written in reading order from 1 to 51.]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

[Below the square there are two rows of clues for each number that belongs to across (rows) and to the right there are one row of clues for each number that belongs to down (columns). Both segments have an underlined and bold title above the clues. ]

'''Across'''

1. Famous Pvt. Wilhelm quote

11. IPv6 address record

15. "CIPHERTEXT" decrypted with Vigenère key "CIPHERTEXT"

16. 8mm diameter battery

17. "Warthog" attack aircraft

18. Every third letter in the word for "inability to visualize"

19. An acrostic hidden on the first page of the dictionary

21. Default paper size in Europe

22. First four unary strings

23. Lysine codon

24. 40 CFR Part 63 subpart concerning asphalt pollution

25. Top bond credit rating

26. Audi coupe

27. A pair of small remote batteries, when inserted

29. Unofficial Howard Dean slogan

32. A 4.0 report card

33. The "Harlem Globetrotters of baseball" (vowels only)

34. 2018 Kiefer song

35. Top Minor League tier

36. Reply elicited by a dentist

38. ANAA's airport

41. Macaulay Culkin's review of aftershave

43. Marketing agency trade grp.

44. Soaring climax of Linda Eder's ''Man of La Mancha''

46. Military flight community org.

47. Iconic line from ''Tarzan''

48. Every other letter of Jimmy Wales's birth state

49. Warthog's postscript after "They call me ''mister'' pig!"

50. Message to Elsa in ''Frozen 2''

51. Lola, when betting it all on Black 20 in ''Run Lola Run''

“Down

1. Game featuring "a reckless disregard for gravity"

2. 101010101010101010101010 [sub]2→16

3. Google phone released July '22

4. It's five times better than that ''other'' steak sauce

5. ToHex(43690)

6. Freddie Mercury lyric from ''Under Pressure''

7. Full-size Audi luxury sedan

8. Fast path through a multiple choice marketing survey

9. 12356631 in base 26

10. Viral Jimmy Barnes chorus

11. Ruby Rhod catchphrase

12. badbeef + 9efcebbb

13. In Wet Let's ''Ur Mum'', what the singer has been practicing

14. Refrain from Nora Reed bot

20. Mario button presses to ascend Minas Tirith's walls

24. Vermont historic route north from Bennington

26. High-budget video game

28. Unorthodox Tic-Tac-Toe win

29. String whose SHA-256 hash ends "...689510285e212385"

30. Arnold's remark to the Predator

31. The vowels in the fire salamander's binomial name

32. Janet Leigh ''Psycho'' line

34. Seven 440Hz pulses

37. Audi luxury sports sedan

38. A half-dozen eggs with reasonably firm yolks

39. 2-2-2-2-2-2 on a multitap phone keypad

40. .- .- .- .- .- .-

42. Rating for China's best tourist attractions

43. Standard drumstick size

45. "The rain/in Spain/falls main-/ly on the plain" rhyme scheme

[sir-adamus]

so an amusing (and kind of amazing) bit of accidental marketing has been happening today

so the RWBYScreencaps account on twitter made a post about the mascot character Chiitan (who is one of the most popular mascots in Japan, despite being unofficial - has 1.8 million followers on twitter, is known for very strange, chaotic and violent antics and has a habit of just replying to everything on twitter, often to self-promote, sometimes with images and videos, often not remotely responding to the original tweet), saying that if Chiitan has a video that's somehow RWBY related, they would draw a crossover image of RWBY and Chiitan

Chiitan responded stating they love RWBY and watched the whole show on prime - not an inch of self-promotion on that tweet, which was odd, but otherwise it was just like, okay, yeah, cute. i don't necessarily believe that they actually watched the show, but that's a fun acknowledgement

Chiitan then proceeded to spend the next several hours tweeting about RWBY (including to the official show twitter in response to the Viz announcement), showing progress on their Ruby cosplay with a goofy prop scythe and then proceeding to post a video that is a 'shot for shot' remake of part of the Red trailer (in between posting their usual replies to things, often just adding "i love RWBY" in there at random)

so just like, taking that original tweet as a challenge and proceeding to promote the show to their 1.8 million followers

[clevergentlemendreamland]

ተማሪዎችዎን እንዴት ያነቃቃሉ? ሁሉም መምህር ሊያውቀው የሚገባ ግን ያላወቀው ነገር ምንድን ነው?

በአለም ላይ የሚገኙ ጥሩ ትምህርቶች፣ መፅሐፍት፣ ልዩ ልዪ መሳሪያዎች ቢሞሉላቸውም ተማሪዎች እስካልተነቃቁ ድረስ በትምህርታቸው እንዲሳቡና ጠንክረው ለመስራት ፍቃደኛ እንዲሆኑ ማድረግ አይችሉም፡፡ ውጫዊም እና ውስጣዊ መነቃቃት በሁሉም የትምህርት ደረጃ ለሚገኙ ተማሪዎች ስኬት ቁልፍ ነው፡፡ መምህራንም በተማሪዎቻቸው ላይ መነቃቃት እንዲኖራቸው ማድረግ እና በማበረታታት ጠቃሚ ሚና መጫወት ይችላሉ፡፡ በርግጥ ይህን መናገር ከማድረግ በጣም ይቀላል፡፡ ሁሉም ተማሪዎች በተለያየ መልኩ […]ተማሪዎችዎን እንዴት ያነቃቃሉ? ሁሉም መምህር ሊያውቀው የሚገባ ግን ያላወቀው ነገር ምንድን ነው?

[comradeocean]

"I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me" is a bonkers way for a celebrity to begin a public memorial statement less than 24 hrs after the death happened by someone who has possibly not personally spoken to the dead person in question for almost ten years. I cannot stop thinking about it.

In 2013, Channel 4 did a documentary called Crazy About One Direction that featured a number of high octane waaaay out there fans. I think the band was asked about it during an interview; Louis and the others basically disavowed it, saying it was an unfair representation of girls who like One Direction and the fanbase in general. He wasn't being totally selfless in sticking up for the fans, because some of those girls were profoundly sad and lonely, maybe unwell. And if your mission is to be marketed as a fun-loving carefree boyband, the last thing you'd want to be associated with are young, maladjusted, friendless girls.

Anyway, at one point, one of the girls interviewed says:

Twitter is like a prayer place. When you go to a prayer place, you feel like you’re connected to God. So when you’re on twitter, you feel like you’re connected to 1D. You just have hope. [audio description alt-text: an image of Louis as Jesus Christ]

Zayn is also the only one of the boys to have crossposted his message to twitter.

The thing about One Direction being an accident, sure, a manufactured accident, but an accident nonetheless, is that they were guileless going in, and it showed. I've been mainlining old videos this week, trying to compare those early xfactor days with their contemporaries who were trying to break out around the same time. With everyone else, it was always a band full of Liams: intensely driven little freaks. Sorry, freak is maybe too mean a word to describe that particular mix of hunger and desperation to be accomplished, to be famous, and at the bottom of it all: to be liked. There's been a conscious shaping of the persona in service of those goals: they've learned to dance, to perform, to give pitches, soundbites, hit camera marks on cue. Most of them were also older, in their early to mid twenties. It's not inconceivable to imagine such a trajectory for the most diehard theatre kid you knew from school who decided after uni or whatever ~ to follow their dreams ~. That was the more typical boyband background. (not Liam though. lad was fourteen. he was closer to another subspecies of the genus: the child star)

And 1D in contrast were unpracticed, unstudied, as Zayn put it in that slightly off-kilter way of his (which I always imagine to be indicative of a disjunction between the vocabulary one encounters in school and what everyone around them is used to speaking), "novice children."

Like, truly, they did not give a fuck cos it hadn't yet occurred to them they were supposed to. Liam aside, industry norms were a complete mystery to them, and for many years, they managed to inhabit that sweet spot of flippancy without contempt, whether it was about the project, themselves, or their audience. Liam tells the story about being the go-between for xfactor stylists and the boys and getting into so much trouble on their behalf for wearing human-sized babygrows during a video diary. "Because Westlife would never wear those." [The punchline he then delivers is that Westlife members were pictured wearing onesies soon after. (quite possibly due to how viral anything 1D-related got)]

The boys were so immature. The whole boyband thing had fallen into their laps. They were just happy to be there! This thing that they didn't even know they wanted, they somehow got, and it took the shape of four other boys in exactly the same situation. It comes across very strongly how taken they were with themselves and each other. Find yourself a guy who looks at you the way blah Larry Stylinson blah blah Ziam blah blah blah. Never mind that cos they were all actually so hyped with each other. Any time any of them says anything remotely clever, or funny, or notable, the rest of them lose their shit like they're in on the same hilarious joke. Even if there was no actual joke. Their entire existence at that point was the joke bc how on earth had they landed from where they'd been — small deadend towns hollowing out from deindustrialization — to where they ended up — the xfactor house headed for the very top about to win it all, in the way they did — saved from bootcamp elimination at the last minute, with who they did — four other working class boys they would have never been friends with in another life. It must have been a high like a kind of limerence, like finding long lost family members on the exact same wavelength, like love.

And that was the other key thing about the stratospheric rise of One Direction. We didn't love One Direction only because we loved this or that member. We loved them because they loved each other, because they loved themselves, because they loved us. And they used the internet to show it.

In 2010, mass social media platforms were in their nascence, which is to say, the exploration of how to be a person, with other people, online, at a broad level not limited to specific subcultures, was in its nascence. For many years now, given the levels of extreme over-exposure, the dominant mood has become the mortifying ordeal of being perceived and so on. We've somehow all adopted mini-celebrity mindsets of our own, weary of being exposed to the maw of an unseen public. To be known is to be surveilled.

But the boys individually and at the collective level invited surveillance back then. Because the inverse — to be surveilled is to be known — seemed more relevant for that moment, at the beginning. They made a point of living their newfound lives at least partially online.

They were constantly on twitter, they livestreamed with a dedication that rivaled x-factor video producers, and none more so than Liam. It was already reality tv, this was just the next bleeding edge of "real": the unfiltered, unedited, direct sharing of yourself and what you loved in the last days of the old free-as-in-freedom internet.

When they said, over and over again, that it was all about the fans, it was meant in a very literal sense. Social media and the reality it created produced a feedback loop between the love they had for each other and the band, and the love we had for them, until it was inseparable: their relationships, our relationships, the process itself. Parasociality as it is currently manifested might have found its first mass expression through One Direction.

In separate interviews from This is Us (2013) deleted scenes, Liam and Louis say that Zayn wears his heart on his sleeve. Yet within the best-friends-slash-brothers-for-life schema cultivated as the One Direction vibe, he did not seem necessarily exceptional in his frequent declarations of love and fellow-feeling for various band mates. What he did ultimately end up doing was pulling the trigger on the contractual form their relationships were bound within, such that the I-love-you's inevitably passed from unpracticed to rote to a mandatory matter of their livelihoods. Someone had to be the first to explicitly and consciously decide that this "love" was no longer something they could continue participating in.

From the same set of deleted interview, in a somewhat fitting twist of symmetry, Louis and Zayn go on and on (much longer than Niall or Harry) about how Liam had been the serious and sensible one, but they've managed to corrupt him a little. It makes sense to assume that Zayn is referring to the band in general, but one can also read it to mean the two of them specifically, being the eldest, and their meta-cognition of the terms and conditions imposed by One Direction as a phenomenon.

The love the members of One Direction had for each other and the band and the fans was undeniably "real." The making of that "realness" was conditioned by the x factor throwing together four boys who had very little reference for what the fuck they had gotten themselves into, and Liam. Liam was the intermediary. He was already a creature twisted up and contorting, trying his level best to wedge himself into whatever spaces there could be found in the juggernaut of the entertainment industry. His neuroses and anxieties made the rest of One Direction possible, made One Direction "real" and "not like the other boybands" because that DNA, that what-not-to-do instruction manual could just be crammed into him, and the rest of them could be let loose into the world, unburdened by expectation, free to not give a fuck.

Louis and Zayn's raw, unpolished, typo-ridden letters were the most direct and irrefutable way they knew to swear fidelity to the boy they knew, the band they built, and the lives they lived together. The unfathomable ether of the internet, of the fans, of the massed publics seen and unseen made them, it destroyed their senses of self in ways they could weather until they couldn't, and it's into this ether they send their words, their grief, something real of themselves. Because in the universe of One Direction, this is the orthopraxis by which one proclaims one's faith and one's hopes. This is the prayer place that transcends distance, time, even death. This is how their brother could somehow, some way, still feel their love.

[enhayaya]

MINE

Synopsis: vampire!enhypen x vampire!reader. They've found you after you left. They knew you wouldn't be gone long. But they weren't expecting the tables to turn like this.

WC: Approx. 4.5k

Warnings: mild violence, use of chloroform, biting, let me know if I should include anything else

A/N: The last of this mini series! I'm glad I actually completed it. I hope you enjoy! Btw, the 'creature' is the monster from the concept cinema :)

Part one / Part two

࿐ᬊ࿐

Your footsteps are light, making no noise as you dart between the trees. You move so fast your feet barely touch the ground, giving the leaves beneath you no opportunity to crunch, the sticks no opportunity to snap and give you away. You almost got caught. Luckily you noticed the sleek black cars before they noticed you. The sound of sirens rings out, echoing through the night air as you keep running. Someone tipped off the authorities and now they’re all on your trail—The police trying to find young Y/N, the poor girl that went missing. The government trying to find their newest supernatural prisoner and test subject.

You slow to a jog as the sirens fade away, your hideaway coming into view. It took you a week of wandering to find this place. An abandoned hunting cabin nestled at the foot of the mountains. Far enough in to be secret but not too far in to be a hassle.

You march up the steps and grab the key from your coat pocket—the previous owner had been kind enough to hide a spare under the cushion of the swing chair on the porch. You unlock the door and step inside, shrugging your coat off and throwing it over the hook on the wall. You flick the light switch and collapse into one of the chairs at the small dining table. You exhale, leaning your elbows on the tabletop and running your hands over your face.

Grocery shopping isn’t as easy as it used to be. Mainly because it no longer involves a supermarket but rather lurking in the dark parts of the nearby town and waiting for an innocent victim to walk past. You miss the days when you craved chocolate and not blood.

You pick up the remote sitting on the table and turn the TV on. You weren’t expecting there to be reception out here when you first arrived, but apparently the previous occupant needed the screen just as much as you do. You cross your arms as you listen to the news reporter gush about some new animal shelter that has opened. You’d never really been one to watch the news. It was always either death and crime or useless stories about viral videos doing the rounds on the internet. ‘Feel Good Friday’ as one marketing team had captioned it. But now, it was how you kept track of them.

You straighten up as the reporter’s voice takes on a more serious tone and a new headline comes on screen. ‘GOVERNMENT STILL SEARCHING FOR ESCAPEES’. Apparently, authorities have received no new leads and are still scouring the cities near the research centre. Good luck. On your way out of the woods where the men were hiding, you realised it had to be on the opposite side of the state to where the labs were. You’d considered ringing the hotline and telling them where the vampires were. Let them get caught and be hauled back to a government facility. But then you decided that was too easy. Why let the humans get them when you could take care of them yourself?

You stand up and enter the kitchen. There’s a newspaper clipping stuck to the wall. A photo of the vampires a few months before they escaped. They’re bound to chairs, arms tied in a complex rope trap as they stare at the camera, their eyes radiating instability and danger. Protruding from the wall, penetrating right through the picture, is a knife. More than half the blade is submerged in the wood. You’d put it there last night in a fit of frustration.

There was one problem that had made itself known since you’d left.

You wanted to go back.

It was a pull. A tug in your gut, in your chest, that urged you to return to them. It was a craving to be near them again, a need to be in their presence. It was driving you fucking insane. You didn’t want to go near them again unless it was to finish them off for what they did to you. But there was something deeper, more instinctive that felt otherwise. And you couldn’t get rid of it or shut it down, if anything it was getting worse the longer you were gone.

Upon researching vampire lore and reading through at least fifty sites and sources, you found that a few theorised that vampires shared a bond. A bond that kept them together, created a tight-knit and loyal group that would do anything for each other. A survival thing, maybe. These people theorised that the bond was especially strong between a vampire and any newborns they’d created.

Your blood simmered when reading that line. Those bastards. They knew that no matter what happened, you’d stay with them. Or go back if you left. You refused to give in. No matter how badly you needed them, you wouldn’t be the one crawling back.

You’d bring them to you.

When delving through the internet to crack the mystery of your urges, you’d also managed to find the address of the vampires’ hiding spot. You’d contacted the operator for the area and it turned out there was a landline connected to the house. You’d smiled at that, not believing your luck. You’d written down the number on a scrap of paper and left it on the kitchen counter, right below the picture you’d put up a few days earlier.

Smirking, you reach for the phone on the wall. You pick it up and dial in the number the woman had given you. You hold it to your ear and wait.

It rings once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four.

The phone clicks. You can hear the soft rustle of someone breathing on the other end of the line.

“Knock, knock,” you say playfully into the receiver.

There’s a moment of hesitation. “Y/N…? That you?”

“Ah, Jakey. You were supposed to say, ‘who’s there?’”

“Didn’t have to. I’d know your voice anywhere.”

“Then why’d you have to ask if it was me?”

“Because I couldn’t believe you’d call. Do I even ask how you got this number?”

“By good luck.”

He chuckles. “Of course you’d give some smart-arsed answer. So, what makes you call this fine evening, sweetheart?”

You sigh softly. “I think I made a mistake. Leaving. They almost caught me today. It made me think maybe Jungwon was right. Maybe I’d be better off sticking with you guys.”

“You want to come back?” You can hear the frown in his voice. But also a tinge of hope.

“That’s the thing. I would, but I’m scared they’ll find me if I go on the move now.”

“Okay. Where are you?”

“A hunting cabin in the mountains. Near Riverine.”

“You got a decent way, didn’t you?” You hear a smile in his tone. “We can come get you, bring you back here safe and sound, yeah?”

“You’d do that?” You make your voice sound a little relieved, like you’re in need of help and you’d be ever so grateful if they gave it to you.

“Of course. We’ll see you in a few days, sweetheart. Stay safe.” He hangs up.

You put the phone back in the cradle with a triumphant grin. Your eyes land on the knife in the wall. You wrap your hand around the handle and pull it out, studying the blade thoughtfully. You chuck it in the sink before ripping the picture off the wall and scrunching it up, tossing it in the bin.

“See you soon, boys.”

***

It wasn’t difficult for them to find you. Although there were no footprints or signs anyone had been here in the past decade, your scent was everywhere. That sweet smell that had always enticed them. It lingered on the trees that you’d walked by, acting like a trail of breadcrumbs leading them right to you.

“You reckon it finally got to her?” Riki speaks up, breaking the silence.

“What?” Jay asks, looking over his shoulder as he walks beside Jungwon, leading the way.

“The bond.”

He chuckles. “Absolutely. Whether she likes it or not, it’d be gnawing at her every day. It was only a matter of time before she caved.”

“She was pissed last time we saw her, though,” Sunoo says. “You really think she’s moved on this quickly?”

“Honestly?” Heeseung joins in. “I don’t care if she has or not. She wants to come back. That’s all that matters for me. I’ve missed that woman. Can’t wait to see her pretty face again.”

“It wouldn’t hurt you to think with your head for once, Heeseung,” Jungwon teases with a smile.

The others chuckle as Heeseung laughs and bumps his shoulder.

The hunting cabin comes into view. It looks how you’d expect an abandoned cabin in the woods to look. The log walls are covered in moss and lichen. The wooden planks that serve as steps are sagging slightly. The tiles on the roof are coming loose.

Jungwon makes his way up the steps first, careful not to tread too heavily. He tries to peer through the windows but the glass is too dirty and the blinds are down. He goes to grab the front doorhandle and pauses. It’s already open, resting against the doorjamb. He frowns, looking over his shoulder and signalling for the others to wait. He slowly opens the door and slips inside.

It’s dark and quiet. Your scent hangs in the air, almost overpowering. As Jungwon’s eyes adjust, he can see the place is small. A tiny kitchen with a dining table and two chairs set up next to it. A sofa, coffee table and TV in the corner acting as a living room. Two doors, probably leading to a bathroom and bedroom. You’re not here. No one else seems to be either.

He turns on the light and it flickers to life, washing the main area in a dim yellow hue. He inspects the other two rooms, making sure they’re clear before swinging open the front door. “She’s gone,” he calls.

The others frown, looking at each other.

“Seriously?” Jake says.

Jungwon nods. “No sign of any struggle. It looks like she just got up and left.”

“Is there anything saying where she’s gone?” Sunghoon asks. “A note or something?”

“Hold on.” Jungwon goes back inside, his eyes scanning the room. They land on a piece of paper on the kitchen counter. He picks it up. It’s a note. The handwriting is messy, like you were in a rush.

“I can hear police sirens. I think they know I’m here. About 100 metres north of here, there’s a path. Follow it and you’ll find a cave. I’ll be there.”

***

They actually fell for it.

You tilt your head slightly, almost unable to believe that this could be so simple. Yet here you are, crouching and concealed by shadow on one of the naturally formed platforms in the cave, looking down and watching as the boys climb through the jagged entrance. The moment they cross the threshold their scent hits you. Strong enough to make your head spin. Even from up here, you can smell it clearly. It’s a combination of all of them: fresh but woody with hints of spice. Finally seeing them again has your heart picking up pace, but you maintain your composure, tightening your hold on the glass bottle in your hand to ground yourself and watching silently.

“Jesus…” Jay mutters, his voice echoing against the rock as he looks around. “How are we supposed to find her in here?”

“She can’t have gone in far,” Jungwon says. “There are two tunnels. Let’s split up. Don’t go in too far, and don’t take any detours into smaller shafts.”

“There’s no need.” Your voice rings throughout the cave and they look up, frowning.

“Y/N. Where are you?” Jungwon asks, taking a step in your general direction.

You come forward and sit with your legs hanging over the edge of the platform. Your arms are behind you as you lean back, hiding the bottle in your right hand. You wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. “You actually came. You really are dedicated, aren’t you?”

“Don’t act so surprised,” he says, the corner of his lips lifting up. “You were the one who called us.”

“I did. But what if I hadn’t? Would you have come looking for me?”

“What do you think?”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

“Enough talking,” Heeseung says, stepping forward. “Come down from there and we’ll take you home.”

You look down on them and a slow smile spreads across your lips, revealing your fangs. “Why don’t you come get me?” you tease.

“We don’t have time for games, Y/N.” His voice is stern. “Come down.”

“You love having power, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about? Get down—”

“You think you have me in the palm of your hand. That you’re the one with the upper hand, just because you turned me. What, did you think that the bond would make me yours for the taking? That because of it, I’d submit and accept that I was yours?”

Heeseung’s jaw clenches as he glares up at you. “Are you done?” he asks, voice low.

You smirk knowingly. “I’m just getting started.”

You toss the bottle you’ve been holding and it lands with an echoing shatter. Loud but delicate. Right at their feet. The boys look at it in confusion, then back up at you as you cover your mouth and nose with your scarf. You see realisation dawn on Jungwon’s features before he staggers and falls to his hands and knees. Jake coughs and tries to make a break for it but collapses a few feet away from the entrance. One by one they drop like flies until they all lay on the cave floor, unconscious.

You climb down from the platform and walk between them, checking they’re actually knocked out. You crouch beside Sunoo and see the bite marks you left on his neck are still there. You smile, your thumb brushing over them. Seeing your mark on him has you feeling a sense of satisfaction… and possession. Deep down.

You stand and grab him under the arms, hauling him up with ease thanks to your new strength. You drag him toward one of the tunnels. Going down, down, deeper into the cave and the secrets it keeps.

***

Sunghoon wakes first, gasping for air. An earthy scent invades his nostrils and he can taste it on his tongue. His clothes stick to his skin and it’s cold. Wet. Goosebumps rise along his skin as he pulls himself upright, his fingers raking through sludge. Breathing hard, he looks around. Light bleeds through cracks in the rock ceiling. As his eyes adjust, he sees stalagmites rising from the ground like teeth. Pools of cloudy water, patches of smooth dark rock interrupted by patches of grey mud. His eyes search for the others. Through the dark, he can make out a few mounds scattered here and there that look like bodies. He crawls through the mud towards one of them. As he gets closer, he can tell it’s Sunoo. He shakes his shoulder.

“Sunoo, wake up.” His voice is rough. “Sunoo. Come on, man.”

His eyes flutter open and he groans. “What—”

“She tricked us.”

“What?”

“She didn’t want us to come get her, it was a trap.”

Sunoo sits up, his eyes widening as he looks around. “Where the hell…?”

“We must still be in the cave.” Sunghoon looks around again. “There’s gotta be a way out. She had to have gotten us in here somehow.” He gets to his feet, almost losing his footing as he stands. He holds out a hand to help Sunoo up. “Come on, we have to find the others and get out of here.”

“Why would she trap us in a cave? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t know. There’s gotta be more to it. Maybe there’s something down here. Poison, a fucking monster, I don’t know.”

“Sunghoon!” Jay’s voice penetrates the stillness, close by. There’s a splash to their left. They turn to see Jay wading toward them through the waist-deep murky water. He climbs up onto the rock. “What’s going on, man?”

“Y/N.” Sunghoon’s voice is low, simmering. “Look, we have to get the others and get out. I don’t know what’s going on here but I don’t trust this place for a second.”

There’s the sound of footsteps squelching in the mud. A tall silhouette comes toward them, its movements strained like it’s trying to move quickly but can’t.

“Sunghoon?”

The silhouette staggers under a ray of light and Riki comes into view. Drenched. Arms caked in mud. He looks relieved. Jay steps forward and grabs his arm, steadying him.

“Good to see you guys,” Riki says with a small smile.

Jay claps him gently on the back. “Good to see you too.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Sunghoon says, leading the way forward.

***

They don’t know you’re watching. They’re cautious of this cave. You can tell by the way they move and the way their gazes dart around at the quietest noises. But they’re not observant enough to realise you’re just a few feet above their heads, once again. You watch as they make their way across the cave in search of an exit. Too bad they’re going in the wrong direction.

They’re all together again now. Everyone that was lost has now been found.

Perfect.

You turn to the creature lingering just behind you. It’s one of the many things this cave hides. You stumbled across it while you were exploring. You were scared shitless when it emerged from one of the tunnels. Towering over you with bony clawed hands and jagged teeth, its blue eyes glowing and a mysterious black smoke curling around it. It looked like a walking nightmare. But you soon learnt it was harmless. Just as curious about you as you were about it.

You nod at it. “You know what to do.”

It lets out a low grumble, which you’ve learnt means something like a ‘yes’. It turns and disappears down the tunnel.

You look back at the boys below, smiling wickedly. Was this next part exactly necessary? No. But you were going to enjoy watching it unfold anyway.

***

Jay senses it. The change in the atmosphere. The air gets just that little bit colder. There’s a charge in the air, illusive but tangible, prickling the hairs on the back of his neck. He tenses and holds an arm out, signalling for the others to stop walking. They frown but come to a halt.

“What is it?” Jake asks quietly.

“Something’s not right,” Jay replies, looking ahead warily.

His eyes narrow as he thinks he sees something in the shadows. Something that’s somehow darker than the black. A vague outline. He swears he sees it move. Just an inch. Suddenly, two blue orbs appear in the shadows. Glowing unnaturally bright, hovering high above their heads. Jay takes a step back, staring wide-eyed at them.

What emerges from the shadows is something that looks like it’s crawled from the depths of the cave. Something born and raised in darkness. The kind of monster a child imagines under their bed or a traveller swears they see in the forest before it disappears with the blink of an eye. Its head is too big for its lanky body. Its all teeth and claws and horns and bumps. Its radiant eyes fixate on Jay. It moves quick, before he can react, and its claws connect with his arm, sending him flying several feet and landing on the rocky ground with a thud.

That’s the others’ signal to run. They take off in different directions, shoes slipping on the mud. Riki stumbles but catches himself with his hands, not slowing down as he runs for one of the pools. Jake pulls himself up onto one of the shelves of rock protruding from the wall. Jay gets to his feet and runs, wincing as pain shoots up his ankle with each step.

The creature sets its sights on Jungwon, who’s running alongside Jay, telling him to keep going. It reaches out an elongated hand and grabs the back of his shirt, yanking him backwards. It throws him into the wall with a rumbling growl emanating from deep in its chest. Jungwon slides down the wall, dazed. He lifts his head and sees the creature stalking toward him. He quickly gets to his feet but it rushes at him before he can run again. Its nails, sharp as daggers, rake across his cheek. He hisses and brings his hand to the wound. He reacts on instinct, his fist swinging up and connecting with the monster’s jaw. It howls. Then it grabs him by the neck and tosses him aside.

The monster switches targets, approaching the pool that Riki ran for. At first glance he can’t be seen, but it can smell him. He’s submerged, hiding somewhere deep under the water.  The creature walks into the pool and looks around slowly. It reaches out and its fingers brush against something. It tightens its grip around it and pulls. Riki appears, thrashing as he breaks the water’s surface, gasping for air. The monster looks at him for a moment before dunking him back under water, holding him in place by his hair. Riki twists and struggles, only managing to surface when the monster lets him. It’s unexpectedly strong. It holds him under once more, but this time it doesn’t relax its grasp. It keeps him there. Keeps him under until his lungs start to burn and he’s screaming, thrashing desperately.

The others come running. Without a second thought. They rush for the monster and try to get it to release Riki. Punching, pulling. Nothing. It barely reacts. And it doesn’t let go. Riki is still fighting but his energy is draining. There’s not much time left.

“Stop.”

A voice rings out over the chaos and the panic. Clear, firm. The creature loosens its grip instantly, looking up to where the voice came from. Riki climbs out of the pool, coughing violently. Jungwon kneels beside him, making sure he’s okay.

Everyone looks up.

You climb down from a cavity in the wall. In a place of raw mess, you look polished—graceful in the way you move across the cave floor with ease. The boys’ hearts hammer when they see you. With anger, but also with a small sense of relief, seeing familiarity in the unknown. You smile at them, still that mischievous grin rather than a genuine, warm smile. You stand in front of the pool and the monster steps back, coming to hover behind you.

“Hello, boys.”

***

You take in their dishevelled appearances. Clothes soaked. Skin caked and splashed with mud. The cuts and tears in their clothing and on their skin, blood staining the edges. Mixed emotions swirl in their eyes as they stare at you. They’re tense. You can sense the fear lingering in their systems, the adrenaline still flowing through their veins.

Sunghoon’s fists are clenched. “You crazy bitch.” His voice shakes. Not obviously, but you pick up on it.

“I wish I could blame it on you, but really, I think I was always a little crazy. You just unleashed it.”

You move closer, standing tall over their hunched figures. You crouch beside Riki, your fingers ghosting over his chest as he catches his breath. He stares up at you, his eyes fluttering shut but he forces them open. He grabs your wrist, and you can’t tell if it’s to prevent you from touching him or to prevent you from pulling away.

“If you disappear again, I swear to god,” he says hoarsely.

You chuckle. You run your hand over his chest and your thumb rubs over the skin exposed at his collar. “What, did you miss me?”

“Trust me, I wish I didn’t.”

You know the feeling.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.”

You pull gently, helping him to his feet. Then, without a word, you push down on his shoulders, making him kneel. You walk around him, standing behind him and looking at the others.

“Down. All of you.” Your voice is low, leaving no room for argument.

You’re expecting resistance. Confusion. But they comply, looking at you intensely while they sink to their knees.

You run your fingers up Riki’s neck, threading them gently into his hair, nails tickling his skin. It’s an absentminded gesture, one that sends a shiver down his spine. You feel him twitch slightly under your touch.

“I didn’t want this,” you say quietly, as if musing to yourself. “I wanted to get away from you and not look back unless it was to see you fall.” You lean down, your lips brushing Riki’s ear. “But there just had to be a bond.” You press a featherlight kiss to his neck, just below his ear, your lips barely coming into contact with his warm skin. “You knew I wouldn’t be gone for long. But I bet you didn’t think the tables would turn like this, hm?”

You straighten and your hands drop from Riki’s shoulders. You come up behind Sunghoon, squeezing his arms gently. He sucks in a breath and you can feel how tense he is. You lean down to whisper in his ear. “Loosen up a bit, sweetie. You can try stay mad at me all you want, but we both know it won’t last long. You love me too much.” Your nails glide up and down his arms as you press a soft kiss to the back his neck.

You move on, standing behind Jungwon. “I was in denial at first. I should hate you for turning me. How could I want you? But then I realised this isn’t some curse and you didn’t take away my life. You gave me a new one.” You crouch down and plant a kiss at the junction of Jungwon’s neck and shoulder. “Thank you for that.”

Jungwon turns his head just enough to look at you out of the corner of his eye. “You’re welcome,” he murmurs back.

You smile softly and it’s the first smile that isn’t laced with hidden intentions. Just amusement. “I decided the only way was to stay. But there’s one thing you need to know. I’m not yours.” Your teeth find Jungwon’s ear and bite down softly. “You’re mine.”

Your hand slides up Jungwon’s chest and up his neck, not applying any pressure, just holding his head still. “You’ll do anything for me. Protect me. Die for me if you have to.” It’s not instruction. It’s what you all know to be true. “And in return, maybe I’ll give you my heart. Eventually. But if not, you’ll still have my loyalty. What do you say?”

You feel Jungwon’s Adam’s apple bob under your palm as he swallows. “Yes.” The word is solid. Maybe he acknowledges this is the only way you’ll let them have you, maybe he doesn’t care. But either way, he’s sure.

You look up at the others. You’re met with nods. A tilt of the head. They’re sure too.

You tilt Jungwon’s head to the side, exposing more of his neck. You place a kiss over his pulse point. “Mine,” you whisper, barely audible. Then your fangs sink into his neck, claiming him as yours.   

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