#although rom-feelings are not involved. are they?

[oversharer-that-overshares]

Did u REALLY not notice i ignored u sometimes??????? What????

Like. Are u really not aware of how BAD a friend i am? I am tremendously AWFULL and like. We’ve known each other for at least a decade, wdym u do not realize i’m Not Worth it?????

[oswildin]

What if Sylvie fell in love with you, a mortal on Earth? (HEADCANNONS)

Naturally, it would scare her. Meaning she would try to push you away, be a little short with you, pretending to be disinterested to stay distant

But when you confront her about the sudden change in behaviour, she realises that she’s only making things complicated

She’d apologise and just say she’s ‘stressed with work’, obviously not at all wanting to tell you about the life she lived before, this was her fresh start after all

Although the fear she felt about falling for you would still be present, after all, you’re a mortal and she’s seen whole realms be destroyed and die over and over

She’d be difficult to get close to at first, guarded and closed off, sure she was pleasant and chatty enough, but any questions about her past or anything deeper than surface level would be harder to discuss

Soft smiles and doe eyed looks would be very much involved

She would be awkward, not too sure how to navigate her feelings

If anyone upsets you, she instantly becomes like a feral cat and wants to hurt whoever would dare hurt you— but ultimately she would just have a ‘quiet word’ with them

Hand and arm brushes/bumps, standing a bit closer than needed when around you, eyes flickering to your lips

Giving you free milkshakes because you’re her favourite mortal

Late night talks on the hood of her truck, listening to music and star gazing

She’d let you introduce her to new foods, show her quiet places, as well as taking her to the movies - her favourites are rom coms but if anyone asks she will deny it

You’d be her best friend and her go to person, no doubt about that

Playful teasing and jabs, all affectionate and full of fondness

Sarcastic quips also, she loves when you match hers with your own

She would do whatever it took to protect you

[ewanmitchelll]

Imagine Taylor Swift’s songs (I): Cruel Summer.

Imagine it’s a modern world and you, such a good girl, fall in love with Aemond Targaryen. But worst is… he’s already taken.

Warnings: fluff; drama, light smut. Rom-Com vibes.

***

You are Helaena’s best friend since college when you took a few of biology’s classes for your course. A bound that now surpasses times, you are often seen around at the Targaryen’s household, an inheritance of Helaena’s father to her, which she shares with Aemond and Aegon, her brothers.

Initially, Aegon had taken a like of you, but by then you were in a relationship, so nothing came to it. However, now you are single again and trying not to get yourself involved in further relationships when cupid seems to play with you again.

How could you know, but an opportunity to travel with Helaena and Aemond came up.

“It’s summer”, Laena is telling you as you have just arrived for Aegon’s party. House is full and you are dressed elegantly for the occasion, but you two are outside because your friend is not very fond of noisy people. “We should travel to countryside. Do you want to come with us?”

“Us who, Laena?”, you tilt your head, sipping your champagne. “And when do you plan to go?”

“Me and Aemond. We don’t like these parties Aegon throw, you know. So we want to get away as soon as we can”, she gives you a mischievous smirk.

You raise your eyebrows. Aemond is the one with a bad boy fame, socially awkward, and whom you rarely had seen these years. Nonetheless, like Helaena, he doesn’t strike your as the type of not fond of partying.

“He’s just busy working with his PhD in Humanities”, she tells you when seeing your puzzled look. “So why don’t we take a break, eh? It’s not as if Aegon will get hurt if we do.”

“Okay… but when do you want to go?”, you’d think this is typical of Aegon to party hard and have his siblings out for the weekend.

“Soon.”

“How soon? I didn’t bring my clothes, I am not prepared to do a long trip”, you protest.

Laena, also enjoying her champagne more than she’d like to admit, waves her hand dismissively.

“It’s no big deal. We are sisters. What is mine is yours.”

Little surprised you are that she has such an influence over you. When have you ever denied her anything?

Knowing this, Laena beams and hugs you.

“You are the best!”

***

Dressed in dark green robes, walking unaffectedly, Aemond spots you and Laena giggling. He sighs, wondering why on earth he’d agree with his sister’s plans on getting away of Aegon’s party.

But then again, he loves a great escape, doesn’t he? Often the dramatic, as their mother likes to snort about.

When seeing you, he cannot help but noticing your curves, taking some time in admiring your cleavage. Then something comes to his mind and Aemond is forced to look away, although he captures a blush painting your cheeks which pleases him very much.

“Well, ladies? Y/N, nice to see you again.” He nods at you.

You feel so suddenly disconcerted that all you can do is nod back. Helaena, not noticing what had just happened, jumps in his arms, thanking him many times for this adventure the three of you are about to have.

You are still processing his gaze, noticing his alluring presence, when he takes you to his very fancy car. As you slide to the back seat, behind Helaena’s, you seem to forget how to breath.

Bad, bad boy. Shiny toy with a price(…) Devils roll the dices, angels roll their eyes.

As soon as he starts driving, every sound dies when Helaena starts to snore. Aemond sees through the rear view that you are uncomfortable so he decides to break the ice.

“Is everything well there?”

You spot a smirk dancing in those lips. And you blame on the alcohol for picturing yourself on his lap and kissing him fervently.

You clear your throat so you focus. Aemond is slightly amused by your awkwardness.

“I… Yes, yes, it is. I was just overthinking. A bad tendency of mine, I suppose.”

“What is it that you are overthinking about?”, he inquires you, possibly aware of the cause of it and instigating you to speak it…

“It’s a silly reason. I don’t often take chances like this, traveling out of the blue, completely unprepared.”

If Aemond is disappointed with the answer, he doesn’t let it show. But he chuckles, though.

“There’s nothing wrong with planning if you don’t forget how to live your life.”

You tilt your head, detesting how easily you lock eyes with him.

“What’s living your life for you in this aspect?”

Aemond side smirks at you.

“For once, not letting others bossy me around.”

You laugh quietly.

“I don’t think you are easily bossed, Aemond.”

He raises his eyebrows.

“What exactly are your thoughts about me, Miss Y/N?”

“I see you so little that I couldn’t form my judgement of you, Aemond”, you smile at him. “Though I don’t think I can judge anyone at all.”

“Not even if they do bad things?”

“What bad things have you done?”

He seems to stay quiet for a while, watching regret rise to your eyes as you don’t like this silence that hangs between you two so suddenly.

“Some things are better left unsaid”, Aemond sort of justifies. “Look, we are here.”

As he carefully wakes Helaena and takes her inside, you struggle with balance as you leave the car. It’s three in the morning, and you wait as some lights are turned on by Aemond, watching as he carries his sister inside.

The house is a typical lake house, or so you think, comfortable and made of wood. The walls are painted in a light shade of green and you can tell that everywhere else is larger: there are trees surrounding you, a firepit, and boats. Yeah, definitely it’s a lake house.

“Are you staying there?”, you hear a voice calling you out.

Coming to the car to pack small bags is Aemond. You notice his hair is short.

“Did you cut your hair?”, you ask him.

He gives you an amused glance before helping leading you inside—since you are still under effect of alcohol.

“Yeah I did. Did you like it?”, he smiles at you when seeing you blush.

“Maybe”, you whisper, hoping he doesn’t listen.

But he does. Aemond finds you adorable.

“Thanks, princess. So…Here you are. You can stay at my mother’s room and use her clothes. Or I could get some of Laena’s for you.”

“Thank you for being so kind. Are you sure it’s okay if I wear something…?”

“Yeah. She likes you all right, she wouldn’t mind.” He could have added that Mrs Alicent hates his girlfriend, for example, but he doesn’t share this detail yet.

You nod, not realizing Aemond’s been studying you.

“Thank you once again”, you raise your eyes to smile at him.

Aemond’s taken aback by the innocence stamped in your features. No reason why you are friends with Laena, he thought.

“Anytime.” He nods his head and leaves, wishing to ignore that so suddenly a spark came uninvited.

You watch him go, disappointed. But turning to close the door, you move to the comfortable bed and drop asleep. All else is briefly forgotten.

For now.

***

What doesn’t kill me makes me want you more.

For a strange reason you are the first to wake up the next day. You look for a swim suit since the morning is apparently hot—no more a prelude to summer, but it in itself—, decided to have a go at the lake.

It’s a beautiful sight from Mrs Alicent’s quarters: when pulling away the curtains, you are in awe at the dark blue lake that runs deep, cut by houses that stand from two sides of the land. There are already boats on, children having fun and adults too. You smile as you hear the birds singing, it’s all so peaceful and inviting.

After washing your face and brushing your teeth, you opt for making yourself coffee when to your surprise Aemond is already preparing it.

“Up so early?!”, you cannot help yourself.

Aemond is shirtless this morning, only wearing pants. You struggle to keep yourself composed as your eyes scan his well build muscles.

Oh Lord.

It’s what you think, detesting to feel some ache in your feminine parts. But thankfully you are able to repress your impressions as he looks at you with an amused smirk displayed on his lips.

“Yes. A bad habit. I’m surprised you are up early. It’s not even nine o’clock yet”, with a move of his head he invites you to sit at the table that is behind him.

As you do so, you reply:

“I couldn’t set myself to sleep properly. I suppose it’s because I am not used to new beds.”

As he finishes cooking some eggs and preparing coffee, Aemond serves you breakfast.

“I can imagine. We did all so suddenly. But in honesty it’s for the best. Aegon’s parties are too much for us”, he tells you. “We only show up to greet guests and that’s it. After a couple of drinks he doesn’t notice us anymore.”

You frown at that.

“I’m sorry to hear that”, you say as you drink coffee.

Black coffee. The way you like it. You smile in content, a sight most pleasant to see. Aemond smiles back.

“Do you like black coffee too, uh? It’s perfect for me as well. But don’t be sorry. It is what it is. What about you? You are familiar with our dysfunctional family, but I know nothing of yours.”

You’d never think Aemond could be talkative if he so wanted. Turns out, however, you are the one who, when encouraged, speaks a lot. But he actually listens when you tell him about your divorced parents, how you ended up living with your grandparents, your profession, everything.

“I think I overshared, didn’t I?”, you think out loud, embarrassed.

“I don’t think you did”, he smiles at you, locking eyes with you again, giving you that same aching you feel obliged to repress. “I’m protective to Helaena and I lament I had no opportunity to get to know her best friend better.”

You tilt your head with a gentle smile on your face.

“So am I a suitable companion for her?”

He is still watching you intently when he says:

“Of course you are, Y/N. Now let’s get you to the lake.”

*

How the hell are you on his back and holding him tight like a monkey? You don’t know how easily he convinced you doing that, but here you are. Holding your legs, Aemond runs to the lake and…

SPLASH.

You are both under the cold water. But you are still holding onto him as you laugh out loud.

“You are crazy!”

He turns his head lightly so he can match your gaze. A smile is on his lips when he says:

“Am I?”

“The lake seems too deep for me!”, you justify for remaining locked onto his back.

Aemond raises an eyebrow, not minding at all that you are there—he knows he should, but he likes to feel your warmth against him, his fingertips still caressing your thighs.

“It’s completely safe though”, says he, unwilling to let go of you. “Hold on tight, monkey. I’ll take you to the other side of the lake.”

It’s a fun morning for both of you. Staying like this so close, only reluctantly you part to dive in these blue waters, ignoring his lustful gaze at your curves, he hates how easily such thoughts occur him.

And worst. It’s not only about carnal, but when you two speak, it is as if everything is connected. A sentiment, he perceives, so evident in your y/c eyes.

But the moment is briefly gone when Helaena shows up at the window and yells:

“How naughty of you for not waiting for me!”

***

These first days end up in a first week. Every morning you and Aemond leave your beds early to swim together. Every morning, a new intimacy seems to flow.

But it’s only when sun rises slowly in the first hours that you two can spend some time together by yourselves…or when Helaena is the first to retire after a long day.

In late nights, you two watch movies, share a beer and thoughts. But when it becomes too unbearable to keep away this tension between one another. Something happens.

A bell rings.

“Can you open the door, please?”, Aemond asks you as he’s preparing your favorite breakfast. He’s all smiley today, completely forgetful of the consequence of his getaway.

“Of course”, you smile too, sensing his eyes on you as you are dressing shorts today a blue bikini on top.

But when you open the door, you don’t find Aegon or any Targaryen relative on the other side. Instead a taller, dark-haired sensual woman looks you up and down, making you feel embarrassed of yourself.

“H-Hello”, you try not to forget your manners. “Good morning. May I help him?”

“Is Aemond Targaryen here?”, she asks you cooly.

You try to act in a nonchalant manner as you are under those judging eyes.

“He is. I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“Oh”, the older woman seems pleased to find you in ignorance. “He hasn’t had the grace to tell you about me? I’m Alys Rivers, his girlfriend.”

***

So cut the headlights, summer’s a knife. (…) It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got.

You are sitting in front of the firepit eating your marshmallow as you consider the last events. In a matter of thirty days, your mind has been fed with what you now realize to be an illusion.

You fell for his smile, desired his body, admired his wit. You felt heard and seen for the first time in your life. You thought that he encouraged you in holding him tight, smelling his scent when you dived in together… or when you danced after getting drunk with a couple of beers.

Now these memories are poisoned with the fact he fooled you. How cruel. But you should know better, bad boys don’t like good girls.

Tears raise to your eyes, but you swallow them. You don’t see Helaena coming to your side. The two of you stay silent until she breaks it.

“I’m sorry, Y/Nickname.”

“Why are you feeling sorry for, my dear?”, you ask her, confused.

“Because I didn’t tell you he’s been taken. But honestly I was surprised he accepted my crazy idea of spending some weeks of this summer break without his girlfriend. No one likes her, really. She’s crazy.”

You smile at her attempts to cheer you up.

“It’s okay. I understand, truthfully.”

“You’d be a better girlfriend, though”, she smiles back, giggling when seeing a weak blush painting your cheeks. “It’s true. Mama loves you, and no one else is diplomatic like you.”

You scoff at her. A different aching has your heart breaking.

“Helaena, my honey. Don’t get yourself delusional. It does us little good. But I appreciate it though. Truthfully.”

Though your words aim to a self protection, you need a comfortable embrace and Helaena, knowing you, promptly gives it to you. You two stay like this for a while until she says:

“There is a party going on at the neighbor’s.”

You look up at her and say:

“I thought you didn’t like these kind of parties.”

“Aegon’s parties”, she corrects you, pleased to make you smile. “Come on. It can be fun.”

You wish you had an arguments to say no, but seeing Helaena is actually excited to go to the neighbor’s party, you decide to join her. After changing clothes—you dress a white top and a black skirt with red high heels; and Laena is dressing a short dress—you finally go to the party, pleased that at least with Aemond and Alys gone, you’d not have to see them again.

***

I’m drunk in the back of the car. And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar. Said “I’m fine”, but it wasn’t true.

When seeing Laena having a great time with the said neighbor, a handsome lad named Jacaerys, you raise your eyebrows at her insistence in going there. You laugh to yourself, letting her having her fun all the while you look for yours.

You grab one and then another beer. Losing track of time, you prefer to dance like crazy at the gardens. All of this and you don’t see him crossing the limits that separate Jacaerys’s gardens to the Targaryens’s ones. You don’t see him rushing after you, face carefully in check.

You don’t know his desperate thoughts. Couldn’t even think he’s realized a little too late that you captured his heart, taking as he is, never indulging in his bad boy fame or expecting him to be better.

And here he is. Aware he has your heart broken, by never being honest with you about his connection with that woman that is now his ex, he comes to pursuit you.

“Y/Nickname”, his husky voice comes at you.

And you freeze as you turn around only to watch him standing in front of you.

“Aemond”, you avoid his gaze.

“There are so many things to be said. I should have told you I was in a relationship”, he says urgently, trying to take your hands but he is hurt when you give a step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I was trying to run from her and…”

But you are not listening. You take a long sip of the beer and decide to go back home. Aemond, however, is not a quitter.

“Y/N!” He then holds your arm, making you look at him. “I’m sorry. What can I do to earn your forgiveness?”

I don’t wanna keep secrets to keep you. (…) And I screamed for whatever it’s worth “I love you”. Ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?

“I hate you”, and for the very first time you burst in tears. “Leave me alone.”

“No. I won’t”, he is firm on that. “I love you.”

“It’s a little too late for that”, you suddenly realize you two have snuck in the gardens of Aemond’s parents’ summer household.

But he’s too close to you now. Aemond’s eyes are so expressive and when you find his blue ones…

“You don’t love me”, you accuse him, heart racing.

“I do. I fucking love you, Y/N Y/LN. I left everything to be with you, to fix my damned mistakes”, he cups your face and you spot some tears in his eyes. “In losing me, I found you.”

You know he’s being sincere. He is the devil and you are the angel. But then what? You love him regardless.

***

His lips taste so good, his tongue sliding into your mouth makes you shiver. There is drunkness and sobriety in one kiss, mixed all the way. But neither seems to mind.

You are now at the couch, hands quickly removing his shirt, your nails ensuring to leave your mark in his skin.

“Goodness me, woman!”, he groans, aroused. “Never took you as a possessive one.”

You smirk at him, but there is little time to answer as his mouth dives into your neck, pulling gently your hair as his hand slides to your sides. Finally he parts, breathlessly so, as he lifts your shirt and helps removing your skirt.

The way he watches you makes you dripping wet.

“You are so mine”, says Aemond in the kind of authority voice that accepts no otherwise.

“That I am, sir”, you kiss his lips passionately, your hands going to his pants and there working out with his rigid manhood. “As much as you are mine.”

Your mind, however, goes blank the moment he begins to play with your breasts. You moan hotly in his ear, trying to focus, but damn it’s so difficult.

“My dear Y/N”, he moans your name in such a way.

It’s been a cruel summer, indeed, when every teasing has not prepared for its consummation. And now he has you under his command, lifting your legs to stay in between, playing with your feminine parts as his mouth takes a long time in each nipple, making you moan louder and louder.

“So wet for me”, he groans against your skin, pleased to be responsible for your yearnings. “Fuck!”

He lifts his face to contemplate yours all the whilst preparing to slide his manhood into you. Locking your hands above your head, he smirks down at you.

“I corrupted you, my sweet angel”, Aemond bites down your lips. He now spots some bruises showing on your skin.

“I redeem you”, you say softly.

He smiles at you.

“My savior”, he leans to kiss you slowly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

And thus the night is the only witness of how one surrenders to the other in endless making love.

***

Epilogue.

It’s that family barbecue. Aemond watches as you interact with his relatives, a proud side smirk on his display.

“Finally you got rid of that woman”, he listens to Alicent’s pleased sigh. “I always knew Y/N was the right one for the family.”

“For me, mother. For me”, the silver haired male corrects her arrogantly. “She’s my future wife.”

Alicent beams at his son.

“Does she know?”

Unconsciously you turn your head and flash him a big smile. You love his family, but you love him more. Aemond doesn’t resist staying away from you. He just winks at his mother before going at you.

Snaking his arms around your waist, he rests his chin over your shoulder and side eyes at you.

“What?”, you tell him in between giggles as you sense his stare.

“Be my wife”, he blurts out.

Your jaw drops, not really expecting that. But there’s no need to think twice.

“Yes, of course.”

And then you two live happily ever after.

[purplereadingenthusiast]

Queer books I haven’t seen anyone talk about (but are really good)

Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig

This book is the one I’ve read most recently. It is a queer retelling of the classic Romeo and Juliet set in the 1300s with a couple of twists that shape the story into something new and refreshing. While reading it, I could never guess what was going to happen next because I wasn’t sure where it would parallel the original tale of Romeo and Juliet and where it would split off into its own story. It has a gay main character, an mlm relationship, talks about the struggles of being queer in older times and unaccepting spaces, and has multiple queer characters. It also discusses freedom and liberty to live the life you want to live. I would highly recommend reading it if you enjoy queer themes and historical settings!

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

This book tells the story of two people who meet and form a deep bond with each other, where through all the trials of their day-to-day lives, they feel like they have someone who finally knows them well. It tells the story of friendship, communication, and having someone to talk to who understands you. To put it short, this book is probably the gayest book I’ve ever read (which is saying something—I read a lot, and mostly queer books). There are maybe one or two characters in the entire book who are straight, and they aren’t directly involved in the main plot. There is a lot of LGBTQ representation, and it’s fairly diverse, with multiple types of queer people and experiences. It’s a coming of age story of sorts, with the main characters figuring out who they are and what they want. I’d definitely recommend giving this book a read!

Candidly Cline by Kathryn Ormsbee

This is another coming-of-age book, with a girl discovering what it’s like to be queer in a town that isn’t particularly accepting. A main theme in the book is Cline, the main character, working hard to achieve what she wants to do in life—music—despite her mother’s wishes otherwise. It has sweet moments of young love, as well as some not-so-sweet moments of homophobia and hatred, but overall this is a book about hope, resilience, and how kindness can change someone’s life for the better.

So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

So This Is Ever After is a fantasy rom-com that explores the unanswered question of what happens after the Chosen One saves the day. The characters are lovable and funny, their relationships with each other well-established, and the banter witty and hilarious. It includes childhood friends to lovers, the classic ‘Chosen One’ trope, and lots of miscommunication (so if you don’t like that trope, I’d suggest skipping this one because it is the main driver of the plot). The main character is probably somewhere under the bi umbrella (although we don’t get any confirmation on this because they don’t use labels) and there are diverse queer characters, including a character who uses they/them pronouns, a character who is suggested to be polyamorous, and numerous other unlabeled queer characters. There are so many moments between Arek and Matt (the main character and his best friend/love interest) that are full of pining and anticipation that it feels like a big sigh of relief when they finally get together. I personally love this book, and to any book lovers of magic and romance, I recommend giving this book a read.

I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre

This book is a sweet story of two girls who fall in love despite themselves. The main characters are bi and lesbian, and each one talks about their experiences being out of the closet (or not), being queer, and how it causes others to perceive them differently and have expectations about who they’re interested in. They are both a part of a friend group, and the book explores the dynamics of the group together, both with and without the main characters there. It also includes themes of honesty and being yourself, along with knowing who to give your trust to. The main characters have their ups and downs in their relationship, but ultimately it is a story of queer love and pride. I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for a short but sweet story about friendship and love.

Loveless by Alice Oseman (or anything by Alice Oseman, really)

The only people I see talking about this book are people who are aspec, so I’m counting it (also because it’s my favourite book ever). The plot of the book is Georgia, the main character, going on a journey and figuring out she’s aroace (aromantic and asexual—look them up if you need to). It has multiple queer characters and great diversity—the main character is aroace, obviously, and there’s also a lesbian character, a pansexual character, a gay alloace character, and a bisexual aroallo character. The process of Georgia discovering she’s aroace is long and bumpy, but it’s relatable and captures many of the feelings I and many other aroaces have perfectly. It shows how friends are as important as romance, and even more important for someone like Georgia (of course, it isn’t essential for everyone, but it’s an important part of Georgia’s life). All the characters are fleshed out and lovable in their own ways, and their dynamics are easy to adore. I’d DEFINITELY recommend Loveless for any aspecs who haven’t read it yet, and I’d also recommend it to anyone who wants to explore more hidden queer identities such as asexuality and aromanticism.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

I love this book because it explores the duality of love and hate, and how they aren’t that different in the grand scheme of things. The main characters are both mspec and end up falling in love, and it’s a wlw rivals to lovers situation where they both have opposing perspectives on the same situation. The buildup of their relationship with the struggles it has makes it very satisfying at the end when they get together and work out their issues. It also portrays manipulation in a very realistic way. Overall, I highly recommend this book!

[starcrossed591]

KDrama Year in Review 2023

While I watched more KDramas this year than CDramas, none of them consumed my heart and soul quite like this year's crop of CDramas did (CDrama review post here). And I dropped KDramas more readily than I have in years past, in part because there were so many more things to watch than I had time for (also I had to finish my dissertation and graduate, etc etc). Still, there were definitely some that I really, really enjoyed, so here's this year's KDrama round up:

16. My Lovely Liar: Started strong, got boring real quick. Dropped for homophobic murder plot. Still, glad to see that Hwang Min Hyn can actually act (although full disclosure, I did still enjoy him in Alchemy of Souls, wooden as that performance may be). Hoping Kim So Hyun can catch a break and get a role in a drama more worthy of her in the near future.

15. Crash Course in Romance: Excellent performances and chemistry by the ML and FL. Romance between two middle aged people instead of youths is also a treat. Dropped around ep 12 because of the unnecessary, homophobic murder plot. Pass.

14. A Good Day to Be a Dog: Surprisingly stronger than the goofy premise suggests, largely on the basis of Park Gyu-Young's performance as the FL who turns into a dog upon being kissed. Pacing problems in the third act around the origins of the whole dog curse thing. Can't say I recommend unless you're really in the mood for some shenanigans, but largely inoffensive if a little silly. (Also it turns out Cha Eun Woo *really* leveled up his kiss game for this one!)

13. Love to Hate You: Perfectly serviceable rom com. Nothing too special, but a nice weekend binge if you're in the mood for that. Also a good way to see Kim Ji-Hoon's v handsome face and that *hair* without having to deal with everything involved with his rather murderous run in Flower of Evil.

12. Joseon Attorney: A Morality: Perfectly serviceable law procedural/Joseon historical. If you don't like either of those genres your mileage may vary, but I had missed having Bona on my screen, so it worked well enough for me.

11. Welcome to Samdal-ri: I seem to like this one more than literally everyone else I know, and I fully admit that my enjoyment of this drama is more vibes-based than plot-based. I guess I have a soft spot for Shin Hye Sun yelling at people at Ji Chang Wook going a bit unhinged over a woman who ran away from him (see also: Lovestruck in the City).

10. My Demon: Very much enjoying Song Kang as a cranky demon falling in love with a human. Very tropey in the best way, and feels like a return to form for the supernatural romance genre. Remains to be seen if they'll land the ending as of this writing, but enjoying as it goes.

9. Doctor Cha: A contribution to the slate of divorce comedies I watched this year (see also: Strangers Again (KDrama) and Let's Get Divorced (JDrama)), a surprisingly touching story about growing older when you've devoted your life to someone who has not done the same for you.

8. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (Part 2): While Ko Joon-Yung never quite managed to replace Jung So-Min as the FL for me, I definitely still enjoyed the closer to this fun fantasy series. Special shout out to Shin Seung-Ho as Prince Go Won and his pet turtle

7. Strangers Again: I didn't see a ton about this one on tumblr as it was airing, but I found this rom com? melodrama? divorce procedural? makjang? story about relationships and why they end unexpectedly profound. I tuned in expecting mindless makjang hot mess, and instead got a thoughtful meditation on divorce. Left me feeling unexpectedly melancholy at the end, but glad I watched it.

6. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse: Very fun sageuk! Probably won't knock your socks off, but it does what it does very well. Bonus points for a B couple as compelling as the A couple. I've also been a big Kang Hoon fan since Little Women, and there are a couple of other actors in here that I'm always glad to see working.

5. Perfect Marriage Revenge: Tour de force makjang. Came out of nowhere and blew me away. Hits all the right beats, and unexpectedly fun (and was a nice break from the heaviness of My Dearest for me). This was a good year for jaded and slightly unhinged transmigrated FL's back for their #revenge (see also: Story of Kunning Palace in CDrama land), and I was here for it. Also features one of the spiciest make-out scenes of the year, 10/10 recommend

4. See You in My 19th Life: Absolutely loved this haunting, melancholy, and sometimes unexpectedly goofy reincarnation drama. I loved the webtoon and had high expectations, and this drama largely met them! The continuing relationship between sisters Ji-Eum (Shin Hye Sun) and Cho-Won (Ha Yoon Kyung) was a special highlight for me, and while Shin Hye Sun is already a never-miss for me, I'm especially looking forward to whatever Ha Yoon Kyung does next. I prefer the ending of the Webtoon to the KDrama, but I'm still delighted this drama exists and am glad I watched it.

3. The Interest of Love: Look, I loved this drama. Even though it seemed on the surface like nothing but *mess* in the interpersonal lives of these characters working at a bank on the border between a rich and poor neighborhood in Seoul, it nonetheless had some of the most searing class commentary of the year for me. I also love an FL who will (spoiler) pack up her things and disappear at the drop of a hat, even if no one else will understand her decision to do so, because she just cannot deal anymore (see also: the FL in Lovestruck in the City, whom I also love but everyone else hated). This drama kept me gleefully coming back every week in a year where not a lot of others did.

2. Call It Love: A revenge slice of life melodrama that I found unexpectedly touching in its deep melancholy. Loved not only the main couple, but the relationship between the siblings and their pharmacist bestie. A lovely character study. (Also I somehow ended up watching this at the same time as Till the End of the Moon and Li Susu as Ye Xiwu's hidden identity/revenge plot, which was unexpectedly stressful! Had a very "it's the same picture" moment despite two dramas in two genres that could not be further apart.) If you missed this one (and since it aired on Disney+, you might have--Disney+'s effects on the KDrama streaming ecosystem will be the death of me), it's worth seeking out!

1. My Dearest (Parts 1 and 2): Kind of feels like everyone has said everything there is to say about sageuk of truly epic proportions, but it blew me away as well. Epic romance? Check. Twisty political machinations? Check. Heartwarming friendships between women? Check. Strong ensemble cast? And my top FL of the year, Lady Gil-Chae, played to perfection by Ahn Eun-Jin. I've adored her since Hospital Playlist, and am delighted that she's getting the attention and the roles she deserves. Namkoong Min also a top contender for ML of the year as Lee Jang-Hyun. Part 2 dragged for me a bit in places after a nearly perfect Part 1, but such a great drama overall.

Favorite Drama of the Year: My Dearest. See above.

Favorite Female Character: I mean, it's gotta be Gil Chae from My Dearest, right? She starts out as such a spiteful, spoiled noblewoman, and then turns out to have a core of pure steel. Turns out all her conniving and strategizing, which went towards causing mischief in the village, really just needed a proper outlet. While I would never want to be in the circumstances in which she found herself, if I did, she's exactly who I would want on my side.

Favorite Male Character: Everything's coming up My Dearest this year, because this one is Lee Jang-Hyun in My Dearest as well. Checks the box for my competence kink, and has a knack for showing up just when Gil-Chae needs him, even at great personal cost. Also a smart-ass, which I probably like a bit too much in a man.

Favorite Secondary Female Character: Cho-Won from See You in My 19th Life. Her relationship with her reincarnated older sister was almost more compelling to me than the main romance sometimes, and really helped develop how the ties that bind us are not just romantic ones. Also she was just super cute

Favorite Secondary Male Character: Could have picked anyone from Team Himbo in Alchemy of Souls, but gonna have to give this one to Go Won, himbo prince of my heart

Favorite Ship: Again, it's gotta be Gil-Chae and Lee Jang-Hyun in My Dearest. Sometimes, there are drama couples that nearly cause me pain when they are apart, and these two quickly became one of them. Though their relationships is hardly functional for much of it, through all that push and pull, they ultimately learn how to show up for each other. Also, their *chemistry* is insane!

Favorite Secondary Ship: I loved Hye-Seong and Sung Joon, the B couple in Call it Love. Seeing the SFL grow more comfortable with herself after a truly shitty ending to her previous relationship was a nice respite from the hidden identity stress of the A couple in this one. I'm also a sucker for a good romance where you start to see someone you've long taken for granted differently. (Close Runner Up: Cho Won and Do-Yun in See You in My 19th Life)

Favorite Platonic Relationship: Gil-Chae, Eun-Ae, and their maids, Jong Jong and Bong Doo, in My Dearest. I loved loved loved the relationship between these women in this drama, and part of the reason the second half of the drama suffered a bit for me is because of how far it moved away from this core relationship. They were ride or die for each other more than the majority of the men in their lives, and I loved that for them.

Trope that Needs to Die: While I find murder plots in rom coms tedious at the best of times, homophobic murder plots are really not it. Quit it, y'all. It's not cute.

Dramas I Missed: Moon in the Day, The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, and Tell Me That You Love Me (grrr Disney+ on this one) are on the list for next year. I'm probably missing others.

Non-2023 Drama Spotlight: Finally went back and watched Do You Like Brahms? for a hit of Park Eun-Bin. A lovely, if also melancholy, slice of life romance that's just as much about what to do when a (career related) dream that you've worked really, really hard for just isn't going to come through as it is about the main romance. Also made me fall in love with Kim Min-Jae and his lovely deep voice, enough so that I also then went back and finally watched Dali and the Cocky Prince, which was also a treat. Recommend both.

Most Looking Forward To: I continue to yearn for a Yumi's Cells 3, and who's to say if that one will ever come through, but I'm putting it out into the universe anyway. More realistically, I'm looking forward to the surprisingly stacked line-up of sageuks coming up, including Captivating the King and Love Song for Illusion.

[fareehaandspaniards]

7, 13, 23, 27, 50 for the bloodborne asks :^)

7. Blood Beast or Milkweed?

Milkweed! Become brussels sprouts a tree and look at the sky!

13. What's the most fashionable coat in the game?

This one, I suppose. 10/10, would wear

23. Iosefka. Thoughts?

In my headcanons, Iosefka is a young doctor who was initially one of the volunteers among the Healing Church doctors and, of course, a nun. Later, her heartfelt kindness prompted her to take over the grounds of the once educational institution to open her own clinic there. I don't think she is somehow related to the Impostor! I think False-Iosefka just had a good idea where she would be most comfortable with her experiments. I also think that Impostor was sorry to kill true one, but her ambitions were too high! Also, Iosefka knew Edgar, and he even had feelings for her.

Good intentions, good lady! :(

27. Why do you like Bloodborne?

LOTS of reasons!!! Creepy, involving scientific rise and fall, full of mysticism PLOT, GREAT characters, the opportunity to finalize the lore yourself…. Also the outfits! I don't know how, in what time and how many people created this story, but they created a masterpiece! Also the overall vibe of the game - I really like the borrowing of Czech architecture. In fact it's even hard for me to articulate everything! I just LOVE everything in this game. Difficulty, gameplay, details, Lovecraftian vibe, etc etc etc etc. I feel cozy when I play bb :>

50. Tell me about your hunters!

As you can see, eeeh... MY hunter here is only Guillermo actually xddd Dalyla was created to play with character creator and go comfort Edgar lmao (We had a long discussion about Edgar with my husband)

Elouise is my husband's hunter, a brave lady!

Young Damian, true Damian and Gremia... I think you are not surprised xD

And... Guillermo, my beloved! A spaniard, foreigner, poet, Gehrman's pupil,

a man with a difficult heart disease who fell for Micolash.

I have a post with his story here x ! BUT! I wrote this long ago and it's mostly about Guillermo simping for Micolash. Since those time I added some details:

After game's ending Guillermo along with the Doll created children. But it's not about sex. She, as a chtonic being, just taught him to Create a new life (and those children happened to become my 2 Elden ring main characters. Impossible and weird, but I like it so much)

Guillermo is from the same land as Ludwig was! He heard about him as of great knight, and knew that he went to Yharnam to serve there. A southern land, but no so far from Yharnam. Not Loran for sure (as you see, I don't have a name for it)

Guillermo is silly and a little bit naive in the sweetest way. And he always needs to rephrase his words for others to understand him. And he cries very often

He sympathized with Gehrman and had long conversations with him while resting from the hunt. Although Gehrman was reluctant to talk about himself, Guillermo was able to hear from him a few stories of his old life, relating to young Laurence, Maria, and the others.

After defeating Mergo's Wet Nurse he couldn't stop hearing baby's talking and laughing. After ascending it finally stopped. Because Mergo was calm from then.

Guillermo is a poet and a doctor in some sense. He has a sensitive and kind soul so travel through Yharnam made his heart ache a lot.

Damian wasn't impressed with Guillermo (!!important xddd) . They never met, because Damian tried to help but not to cross paths with another Good Hunter who continues the neverending cycle

Guillermo spent a lot of time next to Rom, trying to comprehend wtf is she. He felt a strange regret in killing her, but he didn't understand why

Chalices are his favourite place!

+my first art of him(still love this sketch)

[lcdrarry]

9 June | LCDrarry Fic & Art

This Life Now

Prompt: "Sweet Home Alabama", 2002, Andy Tennant Author: Anonymous Artist: Anonymous Word Count: 38,295 words Art Medium: Digital Rating: Mature Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Mentions of Divorce, Alcohol, Minor Draco Malfoy/Blaise Zabini, Minor Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter & OMC Friendship, Draco is involved with/engaged to Blaise while separated from but still legally married to Harry

Author Notes: I love classic rom-coms. Even though some parts may not hold up to scrutiny decades later, I'll always be weak for oblivious OTPs and grand gestures of love. I toyed with the idea of a Sweet Home Alabama AU years ago, but it languished in my WIP folder—until now. Thank you, camomiletea, for your wonderful prompt. I couldn't squeeze in a bonding ritual, but I hope you enjoy what I've done. Thanks so much, A, for stepping outside your regular fandoms and coming on this journey with me. For gracing my words with your brilliant art, and all your cheerleading and support. To the wonderful mods for making this fest a joy. To G and J, who looked over the original outline and first chapter years ago, and to H for generously reading through the rest.

Artist Notes: I want to say thank you so much to P who always gives me the most fun and exciting art prompts! I love working with you so much because it is always a fluid collaboration and we always feel so in sync which is a dream come true as an artist. It was such an incredible project!

Summary: This close up, Draco can see the differences that have occurred over the years. Harry's hair is longer, although it's as unruly as ever; his forearms are well-muscled and decorated with ink; and there are small lines by his eyes that look like they would crinkle if he were smiling. Which, at this moment, he most definitely is not. He looks like he's worn the same clothes for three days and just rolled out of bed, yet Harry's so unfairly gorgeous it makes Draco's heart ache. "What do you want, Draco?" Harry asks, his voice resigned. The question snaps Draco out of his reverie. "A divorce," he proclaims as he opens his bag.

Read and view it now on AO3.

Please help promote the fest by sharing your favourite submissions, so more people can enjoy all the amazing new Drarry works of LCDrarry. Thank you!

Creator reveals are on 15 June.

[disappointingyet]

Bell Book And Candle

Director Richard Quine Stars James Stewart, Kim Novak, Elsa Lanchester, Jack Lemmon, plus the apparently numerous cats who played Pyewacket USA 1958 Language English 1hr 46mins Colour 

Witchy 1950s rom-com

In 1958, James Stewart and Kim Novak starred in Vertigo, which for at couple of decades now has been considered by critics as one of the best five or so movies ever made. In 1958, Stewart and Novak also made Bell Book And Candle, which is not widely thought of one of the greatest works of cinema, but is a film I’ve long been very fond of. 

Stewart plays Shep Henderson, a publisher who’s recently moved into a Greenwich Village apartment. On the ground floor, there’s a shop selling tribal masks and statues from around the world (a bit dubious by 2024 standards?) run by a young woman called Gillian Holroyd (Novak). Gillian lives in the building, along with her brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon), aunt Queenie (Elsa Lanchester) and Siamese cat Pyewacket.  

Gillian decides she rather likes Shep and thus will get Shep. Gillian is, you see, a witch – all the Holroyds have magical powers, in fact, although only hers are powerful enough to be of any practical use. So we’re off on one of those stories where a character wrestles with the idea of whether using magic to kickstart a relationship is unfair. 

There’s a pretty valid reading of ‘magic’ = queerness in this film. It’s adapted from a play by John Van Druten, who was gay, and full of lines like, ‘I have always lived for and by the special. Not the ordinary. Why, I've never even thought of marriage’ and ‘Auntie, don't you ever wish that you weren't – what we are?’ The Holroyds hang out a basement club called The Zodiac with like-minded folk – early on, Shep and his fiancee (Janice Rule) turn up, very much sight-seeing straights. 

But equally, it’s by no means obligatory to watch the film through that lens. Gil, Nicky and Queenie could just be classic Greenwich Village bohemians with rare gifts. 

My impression has long been that Hollywood never quite figured out what do with Kim Novak. She’s a complicated version of a Hitchcock blonde in Vertigo, but that was her only film with him. Likewise, she made one movie for Billy Wilder, Otto Preminger and Robert Aldrich. (She made three with Richard Quine, director of this one, but that ended badly too and he's not thought of as belonging in the company of the chaps I just listed.)

She played an all-American beauty queen, a gangster’s moll, an unhinged movie star, a sex worker at least twice, Moll Flanders… Seems like execs took a look at her body and decided she was right for raunchy roles and I don't think that was the correct conclusion. Bell Book And Candle seems a better fit: she’s cool, hip, a bit weary, a bit schemey, Very much the kind of woman Don Draper would have been involved with, if you’ll allow me a cross-fictional thought.

Novak was only 25 when BB&C was made but the character feels like she’s in her early thirties, maybe? James Stewart turned 50 during shooting and not a young 50, either. Supposedly, after watching Bell Book And Candle he made the wise decision that he wasn’t going to play a romantic lead in movies with actresses half his age anymore. (Which effectively, at that point, meant not playing the romantic lead in Hollywood movies.) Cary Grant, who was four years older, persisted for another five years and then retired completely soon after. I’m glad Grant made Charade and I’m glad Stewart stars in Bell Book And Candle but think he was wise to acknowledge at this point it was looking a bit off.

So why do I like this film so much? A lot of it, I think, comes from the look – it’s a very classy Hollywood imagining of what Beatniks might be like. To me, Gil is one of the best-dressed characters in the history of film (her hair, short slivery blonde with a hint of lavender is cool too, only the greasepaint eyebrows are an issue.) 

The colours are terrific – lovely work by the veteran cinematographer James Wong Howe. There’s a nice bit of location shooting (without the characters) in Manhattan that makes the sturdy studio sets feel like they could be the real thing and it really might be snowing.

BB&C is a romantic comedy, but like quite a lot of romcoms, it’s light on big laughs. Most of the funnier scenes involve Ernie Kovacs as a writer of non-fiction books about the supernatural who believes he knows what’s going on at the Zodiac Club. Rather, the film relies on charm and atmosphere. And, fortunately, it has more than enough of both.

[musical-chick-13]

I know we’ve talked about it a little but I wanna be reminded/hear you talk more about it. Rebecca/Nate 😅

So, I'm gonna be honest, I am...not a fan of this one. I don't even think I'd say I dislike Nathaniel, exactly, but I definitely thought the other characters were more interesting than him.

Mainly, I think this particular romantic arc dragged out too long. I understand that this show exists to-among many other things-deconstruct a whole host of common rom-com tropes, and "douchey misogynistic guy becomes marginally better because of one (1) quirky woman" is indeed a common rom-com trope, but I don't think the show spent enough time on brutally deconstructing it. Like...with Josh, we spent two and a half seasons breaking that down and showing why all of the stories that follow similar beats to their relationship don't hold up. And although we got the Nathaniel's rom-com dream episode (which is one of my favorites), and Rebecca's obsession titles shifting to Nathaniel, and "Nothing Is Ever Anyone's Fault," and the episode where he reads her diary and she goes "wtf dude, get out," compared to the amount of time they spent specifically deconstructing her dynamic with Josh and all the things that entails...this just didn't seem like enough.

If we take Greg, he went away to work on himself, and it's clear that he's a much different person when he comes back. And, yes, Nathaniel did get a few moments of "Omg, I'm so nice now" with other characters going, "But are you really" but there was so much about him that I just feel never got fully addressed. What he did to Josh's family. Cheating on Mona for months. His casual misogyny. (I also can't ever remember him like actually apologizing?) We spent a lot of time talking about why Josh and Greg weren't good endgame matches for Rebecca, and although what we were given in canon was enough to convince me that Nathaniel wasn't either, the fact that we weren't given as much time as with the other two makes it seem like the narrative is favoring him in some way. (Most of the fandom certainly thinks he was the Best Choice, even if the point was supposed to be that none of them were.)

I just...to ME, their banter was less "banter" and more "every straight white man I ever worked for insulting a woman he hates being attracted to." His support of her seemed less "support" and more "I am making this woman who did not ask into my own personal manic pixie dream girl for the sake of resolving myself of the part I played in my own issues." His "getting better for love" was canonically until almost the absolute very end. SOLELY. rooted in getting Rebecca to want to date him again.

And if, say, Josh's girlfriend we see him with at the end of the show turned out to have bpd, I believe that Josh would do the work and ask his therapist about it to understand what that mental illness is. And that if he badly handled her having an episode, he would apologize. And I believe that if Jason came back and dated Rebecca, he would do the same regarding her bpd. I just don't think Nathaniel would ever do any of that. I can't see Rebecca telling him that she's in the middle of a spiral and him taking the time to listen to and talk her through her symptoms or make her soup. (Honestly, I can't even see him, like...not getting annoyed with her for singing off-key while practicing.) And that's a really important requirement to sell me on a ship involving a mentally ill character-especially one with a particularly stigmatized illness.

Rebecca/Nathaniel is just...a little too real in the ways in which it's uncomfortable or pRoBLeMaTiC. I've met men exactly like this. I've been a woman like Rebecca (though obviously minus the more extreme behavior like arson and everything she did regarding Josh). And that makes it really hard for me to have any kind of narrative investment in this relationship. I see this exact dynamic play out in every other movie and tv show, and I gotta be honest, it is boring, if not downright insufferable every time it happens. And I'm all for people in fiction making each other worse, but we need at least one mentally ill main character who gets better. And given that "mentally ill lady gets better" was ultimately the central concept of the show, pairing her with Nathaniel in any long-term way seems directly antithetical to the story this piece of media was trying to tell.

Send me a ship and I'll give you my brutally honest opinion on it.

[dragonprincebigbangmods]

Rules and Requirements

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[someprideandprejudice]

I will say it once, and if I must I will say it as many times as I need to. I HATE misunderstandings.

There’s a reason I can’t stand sit-coms and rom-coms—misunderstandings are too often used as plot devices and it always involves some mess of head banging, incredibly uncomfortable, I’m-going-to-walk-through-this-wall-just-to-escape-this-hell second (and first) hand embarrassment. Whenever something like that happens in my shows I physically get up and leave until it passes, and while the situation between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy wasn’t quite so bad that I’d felt the need to do that, it was still frustrating watching dear Mr. Darcy pine for Lizzy like a schoolboy while Elizabeth was hating his guts because her crush practically told her to.

As a fellow antisocial recluse, I can’t blame Mr. Darcy for his shyer tendencies that no doubt contributed to the mess of his and Elizabeth’s relationship. There are different conclusions people have come to about his attitude—ranging from social anxiety to undiagnosed autism—which I’m hardly knowledgeable enough about either to comment on without accidently offending anyone and setting a mob with pitchforks after myself, so I won’t. As shown in the book, however, Mr. Darcy truly doesn’t like socializing—he doesn’t like dancing, doesn’t like parties, doesn’t like listening to women entertaining said parties with random concertos when he could be reading a book in a quiet corner away from the throngs of society.

Which, mood.

However, the downside of this behavior in his pursuit of romance is that you can’t cultivate said romance without interacting with the object of your affections. Although Mr. Darcy didn’t realize it (and honestly, I love the man, but how can’t you recognize a women doesn’t like you romantically when she’s literally sending death glares at your back? Couldn’t he feel it? Her killing intent??? She practically wanted him castrated and six feet under—) but Elizabeth hadn’t liked him at all since their introduction. This was due to the first impression Mr. Darcy had given her, and which was only further supported in their future interactions as Mr. Darcy kept a cold facade and put distance between them so he’d stopped being so obsessed with her. While on one side it may have looked like a man desperately trying to get over his puppy love, on the other it looked like he was a cold, supercilious, prat of a man, and unfortunately that was the side Elizabeth had only managed to see.

Darcy, you poor, idiotic moron.

Mr. Darcy isn’t the only one to blame, however—if Elizabeth hadn’t stubbornly held to her prejudices of him and cared to 1) get to know and actually pay attention to him and 2) listen to wise big sis Jane, we could have avoided this whole goddamn mess. With as strong headed a woman as Elizabeth is, it’s understandable that she’d taken Mr. Darcy’s first impression at face value and held him to it for almost all of their relationship. Her pride had been hurt by his words and his own pride had offended her. Of course she held him in contempt.

But then Mr. Wickham happened.

Now, I actually like Mr. Wickham. He’s a lying, manipulative scumbag, but he’s smart, and his whole scheme was admittedly impressive. However that’s a ramble for another post—what I’m not impressed by was Elizabeth’s response to his manipulating. She completely, absolutely fell for it.

Elizabeth had practically fallen in love with Mr. Wickham on sight, and her affection for him clouded her judgement to truly think for herself. Mr. Wickham drove a wench between an already cracking foundation and fed on her already bad opinion of Mr. Darcy to make it even worse. If she’d cared to give it much thought initially, she could have wondered why Mr. Wickham was telling her clearly private affairs at all, and in a public space as well. Why would a handsome stranger come out of nowhere and gossip with her about Mr. Darcy, telling her things she technically should have no right to know?

Because of both Mr. Darcy’s shy boy attitude and Elizabeth’s chomping at the bit, their relationship had gone from tense to almost hostile. Although it all does get resolved eventually, a few misunderstandings had gone and derailed an entire relationship, as well as set up the entire plot of the story. I understand why people use misunderstandings as plot devices—they’re convenient. They’re easy to use. Still.

It’s just. So. ANNOYING—

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

6, 13, 14, 21, 22, 26, 29, 38, 41, 43 and 44 for Agatha, Elaine and Isadora (that's a lot oops)

oh wow Rose! Thanks for all of the asks!

this is gonna be long so i'm gonna pop a read more somewhere.

[OC Ask Game!]

6. special skill?

So Agatha has a thing for gardening. She hasn't killed any plant so far and manages to even make orchids bloom and survive the winter.

Elaine has a talent for drawing. From making all the symbols of her magic on her, she has developed a nice talent with the pencil as well.

Isadora has a lot of flexibility (she was a rhythmic gymanstics kid) and stamina from running every single damn morning no matter the weather or the conditions.

13. bed time routine?

Isadora has the longest one for sure. It involves showering all types of skin care and journaling, as well as reading.

Agatha doesn't have one per se, but she always makes sure to wash her face and teeth before bed.

Elaine is the type of person you see slumped over her desk at three am

21. eating habits like?

Isadora has a really strict balanced diet where she tries to avoid red meat and takes vitamins as well. Doesn't eat carbs at night and has an addition to spinach salads.

Elaine is guilty of snacking a lot and not always eating healthy. She is trying because she knows she has to be healthy if she wants to be the Heiress, but it's fairly common to see some kind of energy drink on her desk.

Agatha has a sweet tooth which usually means both Kit and her go out to have breakfast a lot, and she is pescatarian.

26. favourite place to travel to?

Isadora would love to go to Edimbrugh, but every time she tries to bring up to her mother the idea of leaving for a period of time on her own, Tifanny says no.

Elaine isn't really a fan of travelling, since she knows everything she needs is in Duskshore, but if she's forced to choose she would love to go somewhere sunnier. Like Italy. Or maybe Greece.

Agatha wants to go to Patagonia, in South America.

29. favourite colour?

Isadora's favorite color is yellow, even though everything she owns is pink.

Elaine would probably choose red but doesn't really think about it.

Agatha's navy blue for a certain someone.

38. guilty pleasure?

For Agatha is trashy 2000's rom coms. She watches them when she's feeling low.

Isa has a little bit more of expensive taste and everytime she's feeling meh she goes to the hair salon and does something to her hair (not dyeing tho, Tifanny would raise Hell if she did something that extreme... Although she nearly died when Isa cut it ear's length when she was 19)

Agatha likes to stress bake. And then eat it all. Sweet tooth, you see.

41. favourite type of music?

Isadora listens to pop mostly but also classical music if she needs to focus.

Elaine surprisingly loves techno the most.

Agatha moves through the alternative/punk/indie sea.

43. favourite aesthetic?

Elaine would be something like dark royalcore.

Isadora would choose either light academia or cottagecore.

Agatha would go for grunge.

44. fashion style?

For Isadora is either really preppy and formal or looking like a princess.

Elaine also dresses formal but while Isadora is more flowy fabrics and tull and lighter colors, Elaine's wardrobe is usually basics and a bit of a capsule one.

Agatha has a really basic style but knows her complements. You know summer is over when she takes out the thrifted denim jacket she's had for forever from the wardrobe.

[hirocimacruiser]

Article on a MiNes tuned S13 Silvia.

the power of reason

New Starting Silvia powered by VX-ROM

A sticker casually pasted on the appearance of the quiet eyes, only that letter of MiNe'S

The performance of this car is secretly conveyed.

It's time to be smart. The need for bodybuilding is gone.

Achieves naturalness like 3ℓNA

There is something remarkable about the high speed of modern information transmission. That "speed" is backed by technology, which is why it has commercial value. I can't help but be surprised when I hear it.

Of course, "new" tuning of a car is different from large-scale tuning such as removing the engine, replacing cams, pistons, exhaust pipes, and turbos. (Although there is also tuning), we will modify the engine management system, which is highly computer-controlled, to maximize the potential of the car.

smart car

Computer-tuned New Silvia

It indicates the future direction.

It can be said that this is the basic concept of tuning called “computer tuning”. In that sense, our stance on tuning is the same as fine tuning, the so-called “balancing,” which involves adjusting the slight weight differences in the moving parts inside the engine to reduce friction loss and assembling them precisely.

I don't think so. So, the preamble has become long, but the creator of this 2L Silvia computer tuned car is this minute

The pioneer of the field, "Mines". The original Silvia K is 205ps, 28.0 kg/m from the SR20DET engine, and the maximum boost pressure is 0.72kg/cm. On the other hand, Mines New Silvia is tuned up to 260ps, 35.0kgm with 0.9kg/cm boost pressure setting. This is accomplished simply by rewriting the "rom" of the computer that controls the engine (although this is a task that requires an enormous amount of energy).

Mine's had already completed SR engine ROM tunes for the Sunny, Pulsar, Primera, Presea, etc., so they were able to tune the new Silvia in such a short period of time. Its height and speed are astonishing.

The test car was equipped with a boost pressure controller, and since the test ride was limited to public roads, the boost pressure was set to about 0.6kg/cm. By the way (I'm embarrassed to show my ignorance), in this kind of tuning, the scramble control (the function to temporarily increase the boost pressure and overcharge) is cut to protect the engine. Say it. In other words, it is running with a lower boost pressure than the original SR20DET.

However, it is. Despite this, the power/torque you feel is far superior to normal. What impressed me most was

Less in the 2000~3000rpm range

Ponce's naturalness. It's almost like it's a 3L NA engine. Nothing makes the driver happier than the direct feeling of the engine reacting to every mm of movement of the right foot. Even in a slow-moving traffic jam, you can feel a sense of unity with the car, so you should know what lies ahead.

The torque feeling as if you were manipulating the engine, and the linear characteristics with respect to the accelerator, this is the target.

From a high gear with low revs, where the load is low, suddenly, I try to open the throttle all the way. Far from not happening, even in a situation like this where even a normal engine would falter for a moment, Mines Silvia quickly recovered and responded.

What flexibility! We didn't just pursue maximum power and torque. Hats off to the precision of the tuning. No, really, Rom tune is amazing, I've renewed my recognition.

Driving on winding roads was an exciting experience. In terms of maneuverability, the balance of the chassis naturally becomes an issue. The test car was set up with Mine's original suspension kit "ESTA" and a strut tower bar.

BS Potenza REN 225/45ZR16 is installed on the front and rear wheels.

In fact, the circuit test was scheduled for the next day, so the setting was a little hard for public road use. On public roads, which are more slippery than on circuits, I thought that lowering the roll rigidity would increase traction and make it easier to control. Most of all, the ride quality is damping-effective and makes you feel tight and supple, so drivers who consider themselves to be hardliners may not be dissatisfied.

The only thing that hindered the feeling of blowing up to the top end without a sense of stalling and the good controllability of direct response to the accelerator was the characteristics of the LSD. Since the car has such a neat finish, it is no longer responsive.

Viscous LSD with a strong delay is insufficient. The control will be more severe, but I feel that an LSD with good response is desired in order to take advantage of the good response of the engine.

By the way, it can be said that ROM Tune has gained popularity as a new tuning method, but there is a risk that an error in writing just one point out of tens of thousands of pieces of data can cause the engine to go bad. It is also true that it is a double-edged sword. However, rather than the ability to analyze the data and the rewrite operation itself, the question is how to make it as a car.

President Niikura, who is the brain of Mine's, says that the ability to set things up will ultimately be tested.

Making full use of the experience, trial and error, and accumulated know-how as a pioneer, the confidence and responsibility for manipulating vast amounts of data is the “guarantee card” attached to Mine’s computers. , appearing in golden black.

A factory that creates the dreams of car lovers, I think that's the kind of place Mine's is.

[brittasfan]

My Thoughts on "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Lonely Roads"

“Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Lonely Roads” by SF_Okami is a Pokemon ROM Hack which reinterprets the events of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. Here, we focus on a Shinx and a Riolu. The Shinx fulfils a role similar to the Hero of the original games, but is a lot more abrasive and a “Lone Poochyena” as Chatot puts it, instead preferring to work alone and apparently having a poor reputation. However, it is heavily suggested that the Shinx’s attitude is coming from a traumatic event in his past, and this is where Riolu, who fills the role of the Partner Pokemon, comes in. Whilst Riolu is more energetic and optimistic, he also has a troubled past that involves running away from his family, and it is this attitude that makes him try to connect and heal the emotional wounds of Shinx. However, there seems to be something deeper going on involving a hunt for an item, and it would seem that Skuntank of Team Skull may have some interest in the Shinx…

Only the first three chapters (and a Special Episode, but I’ll get to that later) are up at the minute (covering the events up to Drows—I meant Mightyena’s capture), but the changes are interesting. I did like the two protagonists – Riolu doesn’t just feel like a one-dimensional protagonist of happiness and I’m interested in learning why he ran away. The Shinx is also ripe for exploration – all we know about their past is that they once had a sister and were abandoned by their parents and something traumatic happened which made them the cynic they are today. I’m a little annoyed that there isn’t the option to choose different Pokemon, but I suspect that there is a reason for it – perhaps Shinx’s parents left them because their tribe got caught up with Manetric’s tribe? Here’s hoping we’ll find out soon.

We also get some slightly different character explorations – Having read ThePrinceOfPuddles’ “How My Partner Will Think of Me Eventually”, I in particular enjoyed the extra amount of screentime that Team Tasty got (almost wouldn’t be surprised if Wurmple really did get eaten in the end).

Finally, I do like the tiny details given to Treasure Town – if it isn’t Xatu on top of his shop staring at the sun, it’s the Starly and Wingull populating the Town. I also like how Shinx has a perpetual frown compared to the more relaxed expression of other Shinx in normal gameplay, symbolising his more downtrodden personality.

My major criticism with it is that it feels somewhat “showy, not telly” at the minute – whilst I keep hearing about how Shinx doesn’t trust people and is a jerk, aside from shoving past Riolu in the opening and being a jerk to Chatot (or “Birdbrain” as he calls him), he otherwise just comes across as your typical snarker. I assume that this will be something which will be expanded on in later chapters.

With this in mind, I might head on to the first Special Episode, “Beyond the Thunderclouds…”. On the one hand, I did like the dynamics with Poochyena and Growlithe, and I felt sympathetic to Electrike when they got kicked out of the tribe (On a sidenote, I suspect the reason why Drowzee is replaced by Mightyena in the plot possibly involves Poochyena, especially by their depression after they’ve been arrested at the end of the main game, although this hasn’t been confirmed yet). However, the episode is very short – there’s only one Dungeon in it, and it’s just Amp Plains. The ending felt very rushed as well – we have a scene of the three dog Pokemon realizing that they have no money to pay rent and noticing that they need to find enough money to get back in the good graces of Treasure Town? Sounds like an interesting plot that helps flesh out the new dynamic more, right? Unfortunately, all of this is resolved in a few lines of dialogue, upon which you're thrown back to the main screen. I’m not entirely sure if it’s because it’s still incomplete, but it’s something that could have more improvement.

As for difficulty, it’s harder – the dungeons have more floors than they used to have and the Pokemon are higher levels, but honestly, the worst that I got were struggles with managing my PP.

In conclusion, the game is decent enough – there are some flaws, but I believe that as more work is done, the creator can iron them out.

Anyway, you can find the link to the ROM Hack here:

[glenngaylord]

Better Killing Through Chemistry - Film Review: Hit Man ★★★★

It feels like the disclaimer, “Based On A True Story” means less and less these days, as filmmakers seem to play fast and loose with the facts more and more. Nowhere has this felt more evident than with Hit Man, Richard Linklater’s collaboration with his star, co-writer and co-producer, Glenn Powell. Inspired by Skip Hollandsworth’s 2001 Texas Monthly article, the real story of Gary Johnson occurred decades ago, whereas the film takes place in present day. With that as its baseline, all bets are off when it comes to us experiencing a true biopic. In all fairness, the movie opens with a card identifying itself as a “somewhat true story”, so don’t expect a documentary and definitely don’t expect a whiz bang action film. Instead, Linklater and Powell have deconstructed the genre by combining a dark thriller with a sizzling rom-com. As such, it’s one of the most deliriously satisfying, star making, witty and fun movies of 2024. I mean, with the glut of CGI-centric comic book fantasies out there, when was the last time you actually rooted for two complex characters to find their happy ending?

Powell plays Gary, a loner who teaches psychology and philosophy at the University Of New Orleans by day and moonlights as a technical assistant for the police department. He along with his colleagues played by Retta and Sanjay Rao, wiretap conversations as Austin Amelio’s Jasper poses as a hit man to entrap those seeking to hire him. One day, when Jasper cannot continue his ruse, nerdy Gary steps in and to everyone’s surprise, has a natural gift for giving his potential employers exactly what they want. Before long, Gary’s services skyrocket, as does his arrest record.

All can’t continue this way forever or else we wouldn’t have a movie, and so it goes when Gary takes a meeting with Madison (Adria Arjona), an abused wife who wants him to kill her husband Ray (Evan Holtzman). Feeling empathy for her, Gary breaks with protocol and convinces Madison to walk away. This interaction leads to a relationship between the two consisting of equal parts sexual heat, role playing, and genuine affection. Although we have many moments in which Gary dons various disguises designed to make his clients feel at ease, including one hilariously queer-coded foppish gent with a penchant for tight black gloves and snoopy bangs, the real heart of the movie lies with Powell and Arjona’s electrifying chemistry. They click so well, I almost felt guilty eavesdropping on the birth of two powerhouse movie stars.

Linklater largely stays out of their way with some of the most unfussy filmmaking of his career. Instead of goosing up scenes with circling cameras and such, he presents his characters mostly by using medium closeups and standard over-the-shoulder coverage. This style, or lack thereof, generously allows us to feel these people without the unnecessary flourishes lesser directors would utilize. Forget Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You. In a perfect world, Hit Man should be the movie to make Powell a major star. He not only gets to demonstrate tremendous range, but he’s also a stellar writer. Arjona tackles what could have easily been a male gaze fantasy object by humanizing Madison from her very first scene and onward. One showstopper scene set during a sting operation involves Powell, Arjona and a well-used Notes app. This sprawling sequence delivers on so many levels, including deception, humor, and the pangs of a deepening love, that the audience erupted into applause at its conclusion.

Hit Man also has a strong supporting cast, with both Retta and Rao bringing their considerable comedic chops to the table. Amelio, best known as Negan’s long-suffering henchman on The Walking Dead, gives a star turn of his own as a sharply observant officer with his own nefarious agenda. It’s so much fun to watch his character read the room.

While the film has all the makings of a fun romp or an exciting caper, the filmmakers defy expectations and deliver a measured, talky story filled with enough breathing room to care about its characters, a trademark of Linklater’s when you think about it. The script also makes room for philosophizing about our true natures and the inherent desire to grab life by the balls. Although the film starts streaming on Netflix June 7th, it deserves to be seen on the big screen during its theatrical release so that you can sit back with a tub of popcorn and swoon again. This may not be a completely true story, but Hit Man is the real deal.

[protokirby]

Oh by the way, forgot to mention last night.

Congratulations to Drayton to having the 4th set of complete sprites.

I can't remember when I started his but they were definitely before starting Crispin's. Drayton's took longer because of motivation issues as usual but they're done now.

I think--- my next closest to finishing are either Ryuki's or Hop's but will I start on Piers's or someone else's? That's the question of the whims of the goblins. Been wanting to begin work on Piers's sprites. He won't be a starter choice like I originally wanted because he's big and asymmetrical with no work-arounds for the asymmetry and starters have extra animations which would be kind of bad for the file size of the rom if I made Piers a starter choice.

Assuming I can finish this project at all, I plan to have an entire series with more different stories and a heavily decreased need for so many starter animations depending on what those stories call for so if things go well, Piers will be a starter someday.

Although I have an exact idea of which one in my plans will have Drayton and Crispin as starter choices--- the uhhhhhh--- the 7th. That feels like a bazillion years away but that's where they fit as starter choices in the plot in my head

(Not that they can't still be played as anyway- in like- a randomizer or somethin >:D) (And I can have them in the starter list while testing. They just won't have the proper animations for certain scenes and they won't stay in the list by the time it's done)

Yall I currently have 13 entire story ideas for this weird pokemon mystery dungeon mess and I have reason to suspect that more will inevitably come rjxtrfghm One of them is a prequel that involves some ridiculous thing with Victor and Gloria (swsh protags) and even the first one that's keeping mostly the base pokemon mystery dungeon explorers of sky story has some changes ranging from small to "what the flip". The vast amount of imagination sure is a trip, huh?

There's only 552 spaces to put stuff in and that means there isn't enough room to keep everything between these. A bunch of mons were removed in favor of other things but each one will have different ones. I'm likely to keep favorites in between games. We're probably almost always going to have Leon, for example and rarely will he be absent. A fun thing is deciding which digimon to stick in there they've got a bunch of evolutions :D Probably won't keep the same digimon between games unless the planned story directly calls for it.

The rom hack project is part of the paracosm. Imaginary multiverse stuff. I have starter choices I consider to be canon to the universe of the rom hack. (For the purpose of the following, I will bring up the reminder that if I mention a name, I'm talking about a pokemon/pokemon character unless directly specified, which I will specify in parenthesis) For the first, the team I see as canon is Ciel(megaman zero) and Allister. No clue how it got that way but I thought of it one day and went "oh yeah that is beautifully random and works in multiple ways storywise". In the second it's duskull and veemon(digimon). Because of reasons I shall keep secret for now like-- the first ain't even done why am I talking about a second?