#if you like misunderstandings and 'love triangles' it's hilarious

[north-park]

The best Kyle characterization is never in style or Kyle-centric fanfics it's always in bunny fanfics where he is tangled in a side plot and he is biggest idiot on earth who can't see the most obvious shit before him and needs Kenny to explain the everything for him

[rainysofsunshineao3]

12 DAYS GUYS

And today, instead of anylysing another Yasmina and Sammy scene, we're analyzing THESE TWO BAMFs!!!

OMFG, these two I can't with these two I love them so dearly my lord. One of my favourite brother/sister relationships of all time. Their so supportive of each other and have a "sorry I just threw you down a mountain, it's how I show affection :)" relationship it's the best dynamic ISTG.

Like, I think Ben is the only other person Yaz voluntarily hugs (Not counting all the time's with Brooklyn cause those were kinda out of like "I protec u").

Like, Yaz didn't really have a strong relationship with Ben before he became "Island Ben", but when she sees him, instead of standing in shock like Brook and Kenji, she just throws herself at him (In a very "Sammy-like" manner, if I do say so myself lol). She obviously cares for this boy, even in when he was "Scared-Ben" and before their relationship really took off.

And she CONTINUES holding on to him like a lifeline for a good 7 seconds (Trust, I counted lol) AND THEN SHE FUCKING-

She pulls him in AGAIN. And Ben isn't like, akward about it at all. He just hugs her back instantly, which to me screams that there were never any romantic interest between them (Sorry to those who ship these two) and honestly shows need more of this. Like, these two are the only ones in this series...

ok I take it back, no one has shipped Ben and Brooklyn or Darius and Sammy as far as I'm concerned, but they have such limited screentime together I can see why.

They're the only well-developed and HEALTHY non-romantic duo in this series.

But like, Brook, Kenji, and Darius all had this really...weird and unexplained love triangle going on. Like I swear I wasn't the only one picking up on Brooklyn and Darius in Season 1 and 2, but then it shifts to Kenji for no real reason. Then obviously Yaz and Sammy were hinted at since the very first episode lol, but these two.

They're not even really as sibling-coded as Darius and Kenji (Yet another ship that I hope no one wanted to sail because...ew. their brothers yall. BROTHERS). They're just...different. I really don't know how to explain it. Honestly the best way I can explain it is with these two vvv

Yaz would definitely call Ben "Dingus" and make a "You Rule | You Suck" board I will die on this hill.

And Yaz obviously trusts this boy with her life. Like, when they were hiding from the robo-dogs (Oh my god, the demodogs and demogorgons of JWCC, the BRADS and BRAD-Xs) she's leaning into him.

And then they think their gonna die and this snipped right here actually breaks and heals my heart at the same time 🥹

Yaz just clings to him and hides her face in his shoulder and Ben doesn't waste a single goddamn moment before he tries to shield her as best he can.

*Raine pauses and watches again for science*

Screaming, crying, sobbing over them.

Can't find the GIF for it, but in season 5 when Ben sees Bumpy on get off the boat and makes a run for it, Yaz is the first one who notices Ben is gone. She's looking around for him before everyone else and she's the one who asks "Where's Ben". It's the little details in their relationship.

There's a whole other post I might make tomorrow on the amazing wingmanship between these two with Sammy and Ben's hilarious misunderstanding of Yaz being Kenji's wingman (Still not over that).

I love these two so much, my babies :))) There's so many moments between them that I caught on my rewatch.

Can't wait for JWCT, I miss the children so muchhhh

Toodles!

[agentrouka-blog]

A)What do you think of the possibility of ned/ashara love given they're described as looking similar to jon/dany & we know these two will hookup, even though sansa will be his great love. Why do you think ned reacted so strongly to cat when she mentioned her name?? Also it's possible that ned never knew that ashara was pregnant as he only meets her at the end of the war. So he never knew it was his child that was killed at KL. Barristan doesn't hold anything against ned as ashara's lover in his

B) his POV. So he thinks it's Brandon. But I feel like it's a red herring- perhaps a misunderstanding at harrenhal. I read a theory that ashara was the paramour of lewyn martell. Maybe seeing ashara in love with ned, he might have tried to dishonor her & the martells tried to cover it up from rhaegar by falsely blaming Brandon( knowing the STAB bloc forming against targs). Rhaegar after falsely assuming that Brandon has done something inappropriate to his bff(Arthur)sister(even if the assumption

C) could be violation or Brandon just seducing ashara & then dumping her even though he's engaged to cat) could also be the one of the many reasons R crowns L( to stick it to Brandon who was right beside her "I know what u did to ashara"). I think the whole thing with barbery dustin was to let the readers know that cat dodged a bullet wrt to Brandon & Brandon's general image. Most people would assume B as A's lover, not the shy quiet Ned(except the select few inner circle). Also ned never thinks

D) badly about Brandon who apparently slept with his crush. I think N/A would be similar dynamic to jon/ygritte & upcoming j/dany dynamic- more teenage puppy lots of sex with betrayals on both sides. And J/sansa would be like ned/cat. I see similarities b/w A/N/C love triangle with dany/j/sansa. I think N/A were definitely a thing. I don't think anything happened b/w A & Brandon. I also think A is lemore.

Hi anon!

I suppose I already right off the bat disagree with a number of assumptions going into this ask, so I'll do that and explain how this informs my own guesses of that backstory. :)

We don't actually have any evidence that Ned even had a crush on Ashara, let alone slept with her. We know that they danced together after Brandon asked Ashara because Ned was "too shy to leave his bench", not "too shy to ask his crush" to dance. We know the rumors about them started because he returned the sword to Starfall after killing her brother. If Ned had had a crush on Ashara let alone slept with her, you'd think Robert would mention that to him before he brings up some peasant woman named Wylla? Ned literally never thinks about her EVER. The only one spreading that information as fact is a twelve-year-old nephew who never met her and is also spreading blatantly false information about Jon's mother being Wylla. Hmm.

We do not know that Jon and Dany are going to hook up. The fact that the show went that route makes it show canon, not book canon, and we know they were willing to be Very Flexible with shifting storylines around.

Ashara has a vague resemblance with Dany through the purple eyes, but her hair is actually dark, unlike that of her nephew Edric Dayne. The visual you get with her and Brandon might as well be reminiscent of Brandon and dark-haired Barbrey, you know? Less so of Jon and Dany.

Ashara was not the paramour of Lewyn Martell. That one is described as "an old woman now", so her identity is known and she is officially alive. But even that would be more credible than shy and honorable Eddard Stark having premarital sex with a highborn lady at a tourney, no matter how willing. That whole assumption is so out of character for him! We know people think it's hilariously unlikely that he fathered a bastard, and the only reason they believe it is because, well, there's a bastard that looks like him. Remove that "proof" and you have an Eddard who is exactly what is says on the tin: shy and honorable. Know who's described as "never shy about taking what he wanted"? Brandon. In the context of sleeping with a highborn maiden. Maybe it doesn't have to be as complicated as you're making it. Maybe it's as simple as Barristan thinking "Stark" dishonored Ashara and it's the one who has a history of doing exactly that.

If Ashara and Ned had parallels to Jon and Ygritte, Ashara would have forced herself on Ned and he'd have been filled with self-blame and shame. There is no "teenage puppy love", there's an abusive relationship. Which would STILL make more sense than Ned willingly having premarital sex with a highborn girl. There is no Ashara/Ned/Catelyn triangle. The whole point and irony is that the woman Ned "loved fiercely" is his sister, Jon's mother.

Not going into that bit about Rhaegar because that makes absolutely zero sense. If you think some Lord's heir assaulted your wife's lady in waiting, you don't solve that by shaming your wife and that guy's sister in a huge public scandal. Especially with fragile politics in the background.

Why do you think ned reacted so strongly to cat when she mentioned her name??

Because Catelyn is inquiring in the direction of the origins of Jon Snow, and Ned is panicking. If he had had a relationship with Ashara, nothing would be easier or smarter than opening up about it to Catelyn in this moment. She is clearly trying to forge a connection there, to find common ground and ease the tension between them. Instead, Ned shuts it down harshly, demands her sources and then shuts those down, too. That's not the actions of a man grieving his lost love with the wife he clearly already cares for. This is a man having a knee-jerk panic-driven reaction to make sure he never has to answer any questions in this direction that might lead to revealing his secret or getting caught in contradictions. Because, you know, Lyanna. Being the mother of his fake bastard. The whole point.

I also think A is lemore.

I do agree with that, at least!

Basically, no, I just think it's incredibly unlikely that Ned ever slept with Ashara, and questionable if he ever had a crush on her. Brandon sleeping with a highborn maiden at a tourney is far more likely, because he has a history of doing that. If a Stark is the father of Ashara's child, it's going to be Brandon. Which is something Ned may never have even found out about. A secret he is likely privy to is Ashara's involvement in the baby switch and her caring for Aegon. Why else would the Dayne's be covering for Ned when it comes to Jon Snow's parentage, unless they are tied together in secrecy?

Trying to turn that into evidence that Jon and Dany are going to be a thing, let alone a "puppy love" thing, or that there will be a love triangle of some kind is a bit of a stretch.

[stealingyourbones]

New idea.

What if the reason Danny meets the Bats is because he used to date Selina before she moved to Gotham in the animated batman series. And they are super close exes. To the point sometimes he will help her sneak into places to get dirt on bad companies to help protect both animals and people. Bruce flirts with Selina at first and Danny flirts with Bruce and Selina talks up Danny to push Bruce into liking him but he misunderstands it as her talking about liking danny and it becomes a love triangle only to Bruce and other outsiders. To Selina and Danny, it is the funniest thing ever.

Now on the Batman side, he has a ghost that is helping both him and Catwoman and because of that Selina is in nowhere near as much danger as she was in the original episode and more is exposed a little quicker.

Ok homie. I see you and I think this is absolutely hilarious. Absolutely. All of them don't know how to properly convey feelings. this is great.

[carebooks]

my S2 rewatch of HOA

so the thing about HOA is that the first couple episodes are always the weakest, it’s before the mystery begins and it’s not that interesting

i despise love triangles and the fact that couples break up due to misunderstanding so fabina breaking up so fast wasn’t fun for me

alfie was the best part of those first couple of episodes in his amber quest, the king tut outfit was iconic

i love bobby lockwood, sad to see him go, glad that it was for wolfblood

i should rewatch that after i finish hoa

joy’s storyline being completely fabian obsessed isn’t my favorite either, especially bc we see how organized and smart she is in planning events, that was fun, and we could’ve explored her having more tense moments around the teachers and victor.

though Klariza plays her with such charismatic acting that hey, Joy's in her villain era and she works it so well. im highly attracted to her when she's in control and scenes where she's just a plain bitch, like not signing up Mara for the competition. it's not a good thing to do obviously, still kinda hot in a villain way.

but anyway, all in all i hate making her into this almost wattpad-like character that is all about the boy and makes Nina into this horrible person that stole everything from her when there was never any build up to them being enemies. like never.

seeing her high-five mr. sweet was all around weird when you remember he was one of the adults responsible for her kidnapping

not even ms. andrews tries to apologize. come on daphne, you’re the one of these assholes i like (adults i mean)

i dont even like jasper all that much

WAIT NO IM SORRY TRUDY I DIDN’T MEAN IT YOU’RE A TREASURE AND IK I WOULD LOVE YOUR CHOCOLATE CAKE IF I HAD IT

i gotta say, victor playing young sarah’s message about ‘the atheneum is the place to look. lift the wings to find the book. hidden in this book of old, water of life and tears of gold.’

i recited that from memory

im just wondering, why did little sarah do that? record that message? did dad tell her about it? did she figure it out and did it herself? gimme context @frobisher-smythe if you got any

lets review some characters so far yeah?

eddie really doesn’t get the vibe that he’s in a boarding school with rules, it’s hilarious to see him make pancake runs in the kitchen and have victor catch him and him try to talk victor into it. he’s the newest kid so it makes sense especially when you count in his troublemaker personality. but still quite refreshing, i want to see him succeed one day, get victor to do a pancake run with him and get him to feel like a kid for once bc the guy is 95 and you best bet he didn’t feel like a kid even when he was a kid.

jerome is particularly interesting with his sister. he almost feels like a parent actually. poppy said so herself that she keeps his pictures on her phone because he was there for her, he came to recitals their mother flaked on, and he was there a lot. he tells mara he ‘trained her himself’ so he definitely spent time around her when she was little. and he takes her phone, keeps it, and if you rewatch the episode during the masked ball where she’s hiding and trying to get the letter and he feels betrayed by mara for her helping poppy do this, he sounds like a dad. he sounds like a dad trying to keep his kid out of trouble. and its really sad when you think about how he had to grow up fast. he’s been at boarding school since he was 5 years old, and the thing about boarding school is that it’s teenagers gaining some independence from parents, they’re alone more often despite the adult supervision, they don’t have their parents. jerome basically spent the better of 10 months every year since he was 5 without his parents. no wonder he became the way he is, and no wonder he tried to be there for his sister when she was growing up.

when he gets kidnapped by Rufus and he's fighting back, Rufus threatens to get Poppy as well and it's the absolute horror on his face that really sells it to me.

ngl, i feel bad for victor. rufus clearly sent vera with all the bullet points on how to sweeten up to the old bird and he is falling hard and fast. “smart and pretty lady likes to stuff animals AND she despises children? plus she cooks?” im surprised he didn't propose on the spot

idk about ya'll but i completely forgot about whether or not Vera really cared about Victor since i havent seen this in a minute. so lets talk about her. Vera's motives can be seen as though she's completely in cahoots with Rufus but really she's just a hired gun. he likes her, sure, but she genuinely believes that Rufus is insane. the whole 'becoming a god via the mask' is just too wild for her. think about it, from her perspective the Mask is a really old, really priceless thing she can exchange for lots of money but this old English bloke created a set of tunnels, why? bc rich people are weird. that's understandable, that's somewhat believable, the evil Senkhara ghost thing? pff, that’s going in the denial bucket. she denies it so much even after her frozen debacle. but even if she believed it all she wanted was riches in this life not the afterlife. and when he gets the wrong mask, he threatens to kill her, so she shifts her allegiances. get the mask, if this elixir thing Victor talks about is real then even better for her but overall? sell the damn thing and get rich. she might not have been 100% on Rufus or Victor's side, she was on her own side.

we’re finally at the chasm episode and they got the crocodile and i forgot this is where the rest of sibuna comes in!!! yeah!!

reminder that Eddie speaks fluent French. and so does Nina.

Alfie did an improvized interpreted dance for Ms. Andrews. it was glorious.

Victor reading Amber’s diary, “How can a man with perfectly groomed facial hair be so horrid?” as he proceeds to check out said facial hair in the mirror. fucking amazing

NOT AMBER FLASHING THE AMULET IN FRONT OF VICTOR BABE YOU’RE BETTER THAN THAT

not gonna lie, the phobia episode was so interesting when it came to Alfie. we love seeing his progress.

the fact that the Book of Isis was in the study the entire time, no one, not even Victor would’ve found it with the idea of the Mask on everyone’s head

Alfie being a genius with the itching powder

i remember someone posting about the episode where they all keep Victor awake to take the amulets off him, and man i agree, it’s a goddamn hoot

i love it when everyone comes together for something. reminds me of the episode of the cameras where alfie and jerome come up with staring at victor through them.

Alfie killing two birds with one stone, getting to do a fun jewelry heist with his best friend whilst scoring a point for Sibuna.

holy shit, guys, i think Alfie’s my favorite character.

you just know he had so much fun shaking that case.

when victor sleeps, he cuddles corbierre. its adorable.

again, some times i feel so bad for Victor this season, can’t see that Vera is clearly manipulating him.

I know a lot of people didn’t care for the goose chase and the other goose stuff. but the line, said by Alfie, “Alfie knows people.” when explaining how he got the goose is top tier for me

am i the only person thinking that Mr. Sweet feigned knowing Jerome’s dad because he was somewhat responsible for him going to jail? like idk, they were all in on it and pushed John under the bus? otherwise, why deny it and act all sus? @frobisher-smythe @mask-of-anubis thoughts?

damn, i forgot how long the hathor challenge took. between them all being hexed and trying to do everyday stuff with the hexes. nina gets real pushy and unlikeable but i mean i understand, she’s seriously under pressure, her and her friends lives are on the line and she’s the only one who isn’t hexed so she's the only one fully concentrated on the task, plus she feels massively guilty for doing all this. it’s bound to happen.

i suddenly remembered they need a cowbell or smth for this task. ugh, im not gonna lie, this was my least favorite one. probably bc it was just so long.

Jasper stealing the gem and Jerome declaring war. I don’t know why but it’s hilarious. Jasper you have no idea what you’ve started. i forgot that eventually Jerome and Jasper team up and that was actually pretty fun. Jerome started it out because of the Gem, bc Jasper stole it and then finds out that Trudy got kidnapped by this 'Collector', they're in cahoots now and y'know what, Jerome getting into this sketchy business is very-Jerome. idk it just fits his character, both he and Jasper have things to hide, and it's still about Egypt and/or the Frobisher-Smythes so it doesn't feel out of place, it's perfect.

Nina and Fabian hiding in the attic from Jerome and Jerome hiding under Vera’s bed from Vera.

when Sibuna + Jerome figures out that Rufus is back and then they actually decide to tell Victor is a pretty big deal. i really like it. because at this point, it's not about the Cup, it's not about the Mask, it's about Rufus. and that's never a good idea to keep secret. so instead, they immediately tell him, they tell him the truth about Vera, and big reminder that the number 1 rule in Sibuna is to not involve the adults. but they are all so terrified of this man that they know not to keep this hidden. and this time it's Victor who screws up by not believing them (but can ya blame him, all they do is lie)

reminder that during the scheme into giving Rufus a fake mask, Alfie was given the ‘replica’ to give it a new paint job so as to pass it off as the real one. so, not only did Rufus actually have the real one in his hands, throw it across the room, and dented it, but, out of all the Sibuna members, Alfie was the first one to hold the real Mask of Anubis.

and he painted it.

ok so, random thing but i’ve got to say, Klariza Clayton’s acting is incredible. i love Nathalia Ramos but some times certain scenes are left to be desired. but when Joy starts crying her eyes out, even when she knows she’s done bad, it’s heartbreaking and even relatable. Nina however, has to be written a lot in cliffhanging scenes that end up being more silly than serious by the next episode. but it's just a couple of scenes, not the whole show.

so, Victor Sr. died in pursuit of the Mask. does that mean he went through all the tasks? if so, how did they all get reset? and where are his bones?! did Nina just summon up his ghost out of nowhere??

i love how they all have good and proper reactions to Nina getting lost to the game. Alfie's freaking out, he's scared shitless. Patricia is yelling and silently crying. Amber's scared with shock that she couldn't even remember her steps to go back and her tears are much louder than the others. but not louder than Fabian's. he is an absolute wreck, sobbing the loudest and angry and just— just brilliant acting by Brad Kavanagh.

i've got to say, having Nina be benched first is weirdly perfect. it was a red herring that Amber was going to go down first, but instead, it was the main character. and everyone's feeling that loss. and it gives Nina a chance to talk to Victor Sr. and get some exposition about being the Chosen One and find out about the Osirian.

ok, so the next time they play the game, PROPS TO MY FAVORITE: ALFIE LEWIS MANAGING TO NOT GET SWALLOWED UP BY THE GAME BOARDS HE’S AN ICON, PEOPLE. NO ONE ELSE COULD DO IT

them all nominating people to bring over who are smart at chess but also needing someone ‘sneaky’

- Fabian picks Joy

- Amber picks Mara

- Alfie picks Jerome

- and Trixxie picks no one, vv Patricia

idk why but i liked that, they all had good choices, but Joy really was the one. glad she joined in.

i completely forgot that Trudy’s memory doctor was Rufus until he literally rips off the mask.

let me repeat that. Rufus Zeno. rips off his face. Scooby-Doo villain style. this is an actual thing that happened.

i completely forgot that Alfie gets taken by the game during Victor’s period as the gamemaster. ugh. Fabian, this was your idea, first Nina now ALFIE? you seriously suck during this task. buddy, come on, you were great for the spiderweb one but now? get your act together.

I FORGOT THIS IS THE EPISODE THAT JEROME GETS KIDNAPPED FUCK YOU RUFUS

hey Eddie, great Osirian instincts on being able to detect danger. *sarcasm*

the fact that Victor actually tries to call Sweet about Alfie's disappearance, and Alfie’s his least favorite last I checked (that or Eddie probably is) (some might say Nina but i think it’s mainly a rival thing rather than dislike) it tells you, just like when Alfie was immediately lost, Victor was beside himself, he refused to do this, hurting the students wasn't part of the plan. when you think about it, i don't think Victor really likes seeing children in pain, he was obviously abused as a child himself and then he took it out on Sarah, doing the same to her. he may enjoy punishing them with the most inconvenient cleaning supplies but actually hurting or killing any of them was out of the question.

AND THEN FABIAN MESSES UP AGAIN LOSING AMBER AND PATRICIA WHEN JOY'S THE GAMEMASTER BRO COME ON

FABIAN, MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST NOT HELP?? YOU LOST NINA, YOU ALMOST LOST ALFIE, THEN YOU ACTUALLY LOST ALFIE, THEN THE GIRLS. NOTHING YOU'VE DONE IS GOOD DURING THIS GAME.

i honestly love how it comes full circle with Sarah’s doll riddle leading them not to the book of isis but to the key that led to the mask.

AND jerome’s gem being part of what completes the mask.

this season is fucking genius i swear.

AGAIN the idea that Senkhara was planning on having Nina wear it all along— it’s so deceptively obvious but no one ever expects it because we just don't question it. Amber asks what Senkhara even wants the Mask for anyway, she's dead. it’s so fucking cool

i think as a kid i understood that maybe Senkhara was tied to the Mask, that she needed Nina or something to unleash her so she could be free and then they'd find a way to tie her back or banish her

WE WERE CHEATED

I WANT THE ENTIRE SCENE OF ALFIE RUNNING THROUGH ALL THE TUNNELS WITH THE FAKE MASK W THESE TWO 90-YEAR-OLD MEN ON HIS TAIL

i finally got to hear the voices that Eddie's been hearing and the final one, "Find Nina," was Sarah's voice. (at least that's what it sounded like) that was so nice.

i also have a theory about Nina and the Dollhouse. what if Sarah wasn't actually watching them the entire time and Nina was actually unknowingly using her Chosen One powers? times where she legit asks the dollhouse for help, it lights up, after a while it feels like lazy writing for them to find answers quick rather than writing more clues for them to find. we've established that Nina can see the dead, she has 'the gift of sight' as Victor Sr. said. and Eddie can also see the dead, but he can also banish (and eventually have visions). so how do we know that Nina can't summon the dead as well? she constantly dreamt of Sarah, and now she's summoning her for information or help, only through a dollhouse instead of a crystal ball.

Nina telling Victor she had something for him and it was from his father, the utter confusion on his face as to how she could have possibly found this and her giving that message to him, "He says, sorry." as he holds it and weeps.

see, this is another reason to dislike S3, because when he's told that Nina won't be coming back he's glad of it, "she brought too much trouble" which ok fair, but you still wouldn't have gotten the cup because you had the wrong Chosen One, and never would've found the Mask anyway. she brings trouble for you but she's also the only reason things happen. and then he puts her down as being a 'bad influence' in front of Fabian the rest, and Fabian just explodes. like come on, the last time Victor saw Nina she was doing him a kindness, she gave him his father's ring. told him that his father was sorry. and the ring turned out to contain a tear of gold tHAT WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT EVER AGAIN.

what else, what else, what else.

i stand by being a Neddie shipper, because as said before by the resident neddie truther, @frobisher-smythe they have great personalities that compliment each other well.

I'm not surprised that Patricia broke up with Eddie, she's afraid of getting hurt so she does the hurting but the thing is that as a couple, while they enjoy bantering and have a lot in common, they could be foils for each other. kinda like Beck and Jade from Victorious. they're an iconic couple with a cool dude and a mean girl, but the thing about them is that they're incredibly toxic. that doesn't make them uninteresting, but very bad for each other. while i don't think Peddie is full-on toxic, they do have certain things going on like trust issues and lying (on both sides) and jealously issues too. and if you're that insecure about your relationship, if what you have with your partner is so fragile that you can't trust them around other people then why be with them?

Neddie had potential to be something huge and they couldn't even be bothered to explore it a lil bit.

well, i think thats about it, i hope you liked this messy review, the upcoming clips of some of my favorite moments, and be on the look out for my new sibuna inspired side-blog. i think i may get into writing one-shots again over there. @houseofwolfbloods

[invisiblegarters]

Dangerous Romance Ep 6

Last week, everyone went to an open house at university, June showed up and I loved her instantly and so did Pim you're not fooling me lady, and Kang remembered that he's supposed to have a crush on a girl after he started feeling a little too fluttery around Sailom. Fortunately there's a girl he already knows who fits the checklist of things that he should be looking for, so he decided to ditch Sailom at every opportunity to try to get something started with her. Less fortunately he learned that apparently they have the same taste in boys when she reveals that she has a crush on Sailom, too (I say apparently because I don't buy it for a second. You can't fool me, show).

This ep we're gonna get some jealousy and I hope it's fun. Since I have decided to just go ahead and embrace whatever this show wants to give me all I am hoping for now is jealous!Kang shenanigans and the return of the escorting plot. Because mess and angst is my bag, I can never get enough.

LOL she's basically describing Kang here. Like word for word, that's hilarious. Although I do think Kang already felt some kind of way about Sailom from the beginning. Homoerotic bullying and all.

But now he's gonna be a butt. I am kind of living for this. He's such a brat.

"Come on, Kang, he is a person. He's not something you can toss around.' THANK YOU. What is it with all these spoiled rich boys and their treating people like objects?

Honestly though Kang has good taste. Both of his crushes are awesome.

Aw Sailom. Trying to be a nice guy while Kang is all up in his feelings. I don't even like love triangles but I just can't take this one seriously enough to be bothered.

Oh man Napdao is such a mess. I already love her to pieces because June but oof, I can tell her student teaching career is gonna give me all the secondhand embarrassment.

Lol the music. So dramatic.

Well that was quick. And here I thought Kang would stew in his own feelings more. Silly me, Kang doesn't stew. He makes his feelings everyone else's problem. I know this.

Actually I do find that a little refreshing? More forthrightness (even if he is a little punk about it) and less stewing in your own juices and then randomly lashing out ftw! Let's cut out the misunderstanding and lash out while letting everyone know exactly why you're doing the thing!

Hahaha okay bonding over sports. Of course.

Still not taking this love triangle seriously. I'd say sorry but I'm really not.

Oh wow she really is upset. Huh.

Digging the montage of triple upset. Everyone here is ridiculous.

Uh oh we have boys in the rain. One of them is gonna get sick.

We could do this without the extended flashback guys. Please trust that Perth and Chimon can do the work required here - we don't have to see all the moments that prove that Sailom likes Kang. We know. You have two excellent actors here you don't need to spoonfeed us like this. Trust them, please.

And okay, did not expect a Sailom confession this episode. Alriighty then we're just gonna do this thing then.

Is it weird that I'm kind of digging it?

I have to say, I have mad respect for anyone who confesses in these shows. Because i have never in my life been able to do that. I admire the courage it takes to put yourself out there.

Right. I think that Saifah is gonna screw some shit up here, but I laughed out loud when he called Sailom out for eating in the dark like a creep.

Called it. BL boy in the rain means sickness is immanent.

Kang cracks me up. So in love with Pim and so protective of her feelings right up until his actual crush confesses, and then it's "Pim who?"

Ah yes, the wet towel. Also known as the only thing that can cure a BL fever.

I make fun, but I do love the trope. Also the awkward way he's doing it is hilarious to me. Prime "I have never taken care of another person in my entire life and have no idea what I'm doing." But at least he's trying. I kind of love it. Call me a sap but I am such a sucker for this kind of thing. Doubly so when it's coming from a character who clearly has no clue but doesn't let that stop them.

Aw, I really do love the friendship between Sailom, Auto, and Guy. I hope we see more of it. I kind of love Guy spoonfeeding Sailom even though he has two perfectly good hands.

"Do you like me?" Is that not what he's saying (it's totally what he's saying)? Brave.

Too bad Kang isn't.

And more flashbacks because they apparently don't trust their excellent actors to get across how everyone's feeling in this moment. Sigh. Seriously why cast these two if you're gonna do this? Plus we really could put more here. All the flashbacks feel like filler.

LOL FOREVER at the mood rain.

Pim really is the cutest.

Pfft okay that water thing was super petty but also hilarious.

Kang is such a ball hog.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH AGAIN. Do you think we're dumb? We do not need constant flashbacks explaining yet agian that Sailom is Kang's wind. We can understand this ourselves I promise.

And finally he passes the ball. Finally. And ha, it's pretty true to life that people only notice the goal.

Ah, so all the cute Guy and Sailom moments were jealousy fuel. Oh why do I keep finding this show so funny.

KIss!

And a flashback because heaven forbid we miss a chance for one of those.

I wonder how many we'll have next week.

[sailorstarr-chan4]

40 Day Anime Challenge 2023 Edition - Day 33: An anime you loved but will never watch again

So I can answer this one in one of three ways:

an anime I loved, but fell behind and can't quite work up the motivation to rewatch/finish: Attack on Titan

Synopsis: "After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction. Humans are nearly exterminated by giant creatures called Titans."

an anime I enjoyed for shits and giggles but it's a bit much to revisit any time soon: School Rumble

Synopsis: "School Rumble is a romance comedy centering on relationships between Japanese high school students, School Rumble focuses on a love triangle involving the series' two protagonists, Tenma Tsukamoto and Kenji Harima, and one of their classmates, Oji Karasuma. The series often discards realism in favor of comedic effect."

a classic anime that I respected and enjoyed but not one I particularly wish to visit again soon: Trigun

Synopsis: "Set on the fictional planet known as No Man's Land, the plot follows Vash the Stampede, a famous gunman who is constantly fighting bounty hunters seeking to obtain the immense bounty on his head. As the narrative progresses, Vash's past is explored."

~~~

Further thoughts below:

All three are VERY different shows, hence why I had a hard time choosing just one. I am in the "rewatch the things I enjoy" school of Nerdom, so even if I haven't gotten around to rewatching certain beloved titles, it's still on my to-do list. To me, half of the enjoyment of a visual media is revisiting it, to gain a new perspective on the characters, plot, style, themes, etc. And frankly, it's often a comfort thing, too. Even if I watch a series only twice and not touch it again, it's nice to say I revisited it and enjoyed the story from a different perspective.

Whereas these three..... are still very iffy.

Attack on Titan is probably highest on my priority list, if ONLY because I'm determined to finish what I left unfinished. But it's such a..... er, stressful series, that I dread picking it up again.

School Rumble seems to be my kind of "turn off my brain trash," and in some ways it is: it's genuinely hilarious, the dub's hysterical, and it's a madhouse from start to finish. But.... it's far too long for this level of crack. Hetalia are short episodes; Ouran is a decent 26-episode length, with added heart and depth, and even the crackness of My Bride is a Mermaid is so rapid-fire that the 24 episodes fly by. School Rumble is more of a.... leisurely pace, considering its bizarre humor and batshit comedy, and the misunderstandings draaaaaag the plot, even if hilariously so. I'd be more likely to rewatch random clips of the show rather than full episodes, because I honestly wouldn't be missing much lol ^^"

Trigun is the biggest "what if." I started the reboot series, so the original classic is definitely not necessarily "off limits" for me to rewatch, buuuuuut ..... I'm not counting on the urge anytime soon. It's definitely a classic for good reason, and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to try an older title. We'll see what the future holds for me with the idea of rewatching this bizarre, bittersweet, wild tale once more...

[roselinbooks-archive]

I want to talk about my own books so much more but I am so bad at talking about my own books aaaaaaaaaaaa

Anyway I have a ton of AUs of my characters and one of my favorites is the Miraculous AU, where a blend of characters from ALiCE and Like Falling Stars are now superhero teenagers. Highlights include:

Ann repeatedly confessing her feelings to Nicolas, who consistently misunderstands and thinks she's talking about someone else/reaffirming what Good Friends (TM) they are. He completely reciprocates but doesn't think she likes him

Renata and Ann besties forever

At one point, Ann hilariously complaining about her failed obvious confessions to Renata, which causes Nicolas (who is walking by) to think Renata is Ann's crush instead of him

Nicolas only being able to semi-flirt with Ann while he's in hero form (Nicolas: I will make this city safe *for you*; Ann: ...as a generic citizen and nothing else, right?) which leads to...

Renata immediately seeing through everyone's disguise (she has the Fox Miraculous, makes sense that she can see through illusions) and ABSOLUTELY HOWLING IN LAUGHTER FROM THE BACK when she realizes Nicolas has somehow entered a love triangle AGAINST HIMSELF

Michael being a rebellious hippie teenager who robs banks using his Bee Miraculous because he hates capitalism, but also is a huge dork who's never dated before and constantly trips over himself around Renata

Christopher being Michael's foster dad who barely looks older than him and their "exasperated teenage son and uncool dad" dynamic, especially when Michael needs to borrow the car for dates

[alexiethymia]

‘that’s disappointing’

I’m gonna ramble like it’s nobody’s business. I was captivated by woo-young and jun-ho from the start. mainly because I usually tend to favor the second lead in kdramas (this started with hotelier and you’re beautiful) so to see a second lead main lead just fills me with butterflies (i thought they would finally settle after han joon-hwi but then jun-ho comes along)

- it’s in the way they are both so thirsty for each other and yet it’s also in such an innocent way. I was expecting the fluff, but the blatant show of desire on both ends makes me feel like I’m eating a full course dinner. I do not blame either of them. At all.

- imma add this. the hilarious misunderstanding between woo-young and ra-mi. ‘good looking one? you mean attorney minwoo?’ woo-young utterly perplexed ‘what are you on about? do you not have eyes?’ her absolutely sure that anyone would just know she means jun-ho when she says ‘handsome’. in the same way, jun-ho was gobsmacked by her in that wedding dress, woo-young pretty much noticed how ridiculously attractive he was when they first met. so I’m on the ‘she fell first, but he fell harder (oh so much harder)’ camp.

- it’s in the way the female is the proactive one about making her intentions known. there’s no will they, won’t they miscommunication. if he was given a chance to, jun-ho would shout it from the rooftops (he already has actually to suyeon even), but he can’t ever get the words out because of the care and respect he has for her and his own need for a perfect moment. that beautiful sunset? that thoughtful gesture of showing her the whale painting? the absolutely sweet gift of an ocean projector (where can I get one too??). This is a man who loves his grand gestures. 

- the way the love triangle was resolved in such quick order and beautifully at that. there’s no being obtuse or petty. suyeon’s embarrassed I’m sure, but more than that because she can see the depth of feelings between the two as well as woo-young’s insecurity, she puts her first. more than the hurt is the overwhelming care and protectiveness she feels over woo-young that lead her to convince jun-ho to be clearer. 

- the way minwoo is adamantly shipping suyeon and junho together, not even considering woo-young because of his severe dislike of her, but irony of ironies suyeon being the one who pushes the two closer together. woo-young has such good friends seriously. 

- that line, omg that line that all of us CANNOT forget. It is such a devastating line and look, but what just gets me, shoots me right in the heart, is not how flirty he is when he says it, but rather the hint of heartbreak, and the utter longing on his face when he says it, like of course he’s disappointed, because everything woo-young said? heart rate beating faster?? he feels it each and every time he’s near woo-young. heck they don’t even have to be in the same room. he just hears her name and his heart rate picks up and he just melts. the dichotomy of restraint and care. you can feel how badly he wants to touch her, be closer to her, both physically and to know her, but he refrains all the time, even in verbalizing his feelings, not because he’s ashamed, but because he always wants to be careful and respect her boundaries. 

- the difference between how he interacts with her, and how other people who love her interact with her, is it’s not only him wanting to accommodate her and give her his full attention. it’s also him wanting her attention on him too - so, so much. 

- with ra-mi and suyeon, woo-young is affectionate in her own way, and they recognize that and feel loved. there are times her father understands her and yet there are also times he wants more of her care and attention, but he’s resigned about how that’s just the way woo-young is. 

- but with jun-ho, each and every time you can feel that wanting to just be noticed by her, wanting her to want to spend time with him - to want him. at first it was just curiosity and intrigue, perhaps infatuation after seeing that absolutely gorgeous smile and wedding dress, but then it became so much more after seeing her vulnerability and brilliance. it wouldn’t be a joke to say that he eventually ended up wishing woo-young would look at him the way she looks at whales. 

- in other words, he became greedy wanting that straightforward and pure gaze to be on him and for him. but despite that, he never pushes, never intrudes, never demands her attention as if he has the right to it. he just waits and eventually that waiting is rewarded. after the initial confusion, and how woo-young always make his head spin, once the realization sets in, you see the fragility on his face. he’s being as vulnerable the same way woo-young is letting herself be vulnerable in front of him. in a way he feels like glass. he understands that woo-young has the power to break his heart. but despite that chance of rejection, he presses forward anyway, even if in baby steps. he’s being brave the same way woo-young is being brave in front of him. 

- in closing, they are perfect for each other, your honor.

- (now if only they stopped getting interrupted.)

[sokkastyles]

Abused kids are often not aware of or have trouble regulating their own emotions but tend to, conversely, be hyper aware of and tapped into the emotions of others. This is a survival mechanism in people who grow up with an abusive parent, because any sudden changes in the mood of the parent could indicate danger. See the scenes of Zuko when he is with Ozai, particularly in "The Awakening" and in the flashback to the war meeting in "The Phoenix King," when Zuko carefully measures his responses to his father's praise, because even accepting praise is dangerous and could be a trap.

Although Zuko is often oblivious in social interactions, he actually shows a pretty keen insight when it comes to mediating and understanding what the others need once he joins the gaang. He figures out that the loss of his firebending is connected to his change of coat, he helps Aang overcome his fear of fire at the same time he overcomes his own mental blocks with regard to his element, and he realizes that Sokka will go on a foolhardy mission to rescue his father no matter how much Zuko warns him that it's dangerous, so he resolves to go with him. Particularly in "The Southern Raiders" he pretty astutely figures out that the source of Katara's anger was her unresolved feelings about her mother's murder, and knew how to help her. He also shows keen insight into what Katara needs. Aang, though he means well, responds to Katara with moralizing that just makes her angrier and more determined to go her own way. Zuko offers her the means and lets her lead the way, and defends her to Aang after Katara had made it clear she did not agree with Aang. Zuko, in fact, gets angry at Aang on Katara's behalf, and interestingly, Katara, the person who regularly told off anyone who ever said a bad word to Aang and who, a few episodes ago, threatened to kill Zuko himself if he ever hurt Aang, says nothing in response to Zuko’s sarcastic words to Aang, only thanks Aang for understanding in a tone that implies that she doesn’t think Aang understands at all.

Zuko also seems to be aware of the tension between Katara and Aang at the end of the episode, as he purposefully leaves Katara on Ember Island and goes to speak to Aang himself about what happened when they confronted Yon Rha. This implies not only that Zuko knew Katara needed space to process her feelings, but that he knew that Aang and Katara would need time away from each other after the angry way they parted, and it also implies that Zuko wanted to explain Katara's perspective to Aang, fearing that Aang would misunderstand. Aang actually misunderstands anyway, wrongly assuming that Katara had forgiven Yon Rha, and Katara angrily tells him that she will never forgive her mother's murderer, but does forgive Zuko.

Zuko tells Aang that he was right about Katara, although that is contradicted by what Katara just said and the events of the episode. I know some people theorize that this was a result of a lack of unity in the writing, but I also don't think it's out of character for Zuko to say this, even though he also ultimately disagrees with Aang's stance on violence. Zuko is again playing a mediator role and playing both sides a bit, because the episode positions him between Aang and Katara, but he also leaves Aang with a challenge to his moral absolutism.

So I don't think it's a stretch to assume that in the very next episode, Zuko was also picking up on some tension between Aang and Katara when he sat between them. I'm not sure he knows about Aang's romantic feelings for Katara - although he would when he hears his actor on stage call Katara "the Avatar's girl" and sees Aang nod. But he does seem to pick up on Aang's irritation being about more than just a taken seat, as he responds with unprompted anger. Zuko also takes note of Aang’s increasing anger throughout the play, with a concerned expression on his face. 

Remember what I said about abused kids being hypersensitive to the changing moods of others? It might be that, or Zuko might be feeling anxious about his role in the play and feeling like he doesn’t deserve forgiveness, or it might be that Zuko is hyper aware of the conflict between Katara and Aang carried over from the last episode to this one.

Actually, this shot is particularly interesting because the rest of the gaang is laughing at the portrayal of Toph, including Katara, until Toph shows that she’s pleased by the play’s portrayal of her. Then we see Katara frown, her attention shifting to Aang. 

Katara is unhappy that her attempt to get even with Toph backfired, then when she notices Aang as the camera pans to her left, she looks even more unhappy. Then we see the shot above of Zuko looking at Aang with clear concern over the situation. I’m pretty sure that Zuko is aware that something is going on between Katara and Aang at this point. Especially since Aang’s anger at being played by a girl (which is made worse by Toph’s happiness at being played by a boy) is linked to his insecurity about his relationship with Katara, and the play keeps making jokes about it, meant for us to feel sorry for Aang for being put in the “little brother” zone.

I think Zuko was generally anxious going into the play. You can see when they walk in that he has his hood pulled up, to hide his face, because he's aware there's a chance someone will recognize him. So even before the play starts, with its incriminating and humiliating portrayal of him, he is probably already on alert and wants to draw as little attention to himself as possible. Aang's outburst is the kind of thing that would draw attention, and Zuko tries to minimize the attention by insisting that Aang just sit next to him. Zuko also reacts with defensive anger, as he is wont to do when he is anxious or upset, which of course would have the opposite effect from drawing attention away from them. But Aang acquiesces in frustration, and Katara, interestingly, notices the dispute, but just like when Zuko defended her to Aang in "The Southern Raiders," says nothing. Katara also is facing away, fidgety, and looks unhappy while the confrontation is going on. This is also consistent with (and probably contributed to) the way Katara reacts to Aang’s pushiness and accusations later on.

Zuko spends much of the back part of season three physically close to Katara, which is a visual way for the animators to show how close they have grown. It’s not necessarily an indication of romantic Zutara, although there is nothing wrong with interpreting it that way, and I find it hilarious how threatened some people are by shippers gushing over the idea that he wanted to sit next to her, particularly in this episode because this episode actually intentionally plays up the “love triangle” for the purposes of getting the audience to sympathize with Aang and root for him to “get the girl.” Regardless of whether we interpret it in a romantic context, I think it is a good indication of how Zuko feels about Katara once he has gotten her forgiveness. Given Zuko’s social ineptitude, it would make sense that he would be likely to want to stick close to the people he felt closest to, especially in situations where he is surrounded by potentially hostile strangers. Witness his behavior in “The Beach,” where he spent most of the time awkwardly glued to Mai’s side and it was when he was separated from Mai at the party that he ran into trouble with the other partygoers, who make fun of him. That might explain why Zuko, although he comes from the opposite direction when they enter the theater as everyone else does, walks all the way down the end of the aisle to sit next to Katara. 

It might also explain why he wants to sit in between Katara and Aang, as these are the two people who he now feels closest to. It also is very likely that he is subconsciously picking up on the tension between Katara and Aang, which comes to a head later in this very episode. It’s worth noting that Zuko is often positioned physically between Katara and Aang throughout this episode, which is meant to communicate to the audience Aang’s anxiety over Katara not returning his feelings (and Zuko plays an indirect part in that, or at least, his stage actor does).

Zuko is also positioned narratively between Aang and Katara as a mediator and comfort to Katara after her fight with Aang in the very next episode, “The Phoenix King,” in which Zuko tells Katara to let Aang figure things out for himself when he runs away after yelling at Katara.

So no, I don’t think the deliberate positioning of Zuko in between Aang and Katara is a coincidence, nor is it “lol Zuko is clueless!” I’m actually very tired of seeing people talk about how clueless Zuko is, especially since a lot of his reactions come from trauma. Even if Zuko didn’t pick up on Aang’s romantic feelings towards Katara he very obviously picks up on and reacts to and interacts with the dynamic between them. And it’s very telling that certain fans will complain about the “infantilization” of Zuko when it’s traits that make him seem sympathetic, but then talk about a traumatized abuse survivor as if they’re completely incompetent.

[namelessskies]

Manhwa crack crossover, housemate reality show edition AU

Okay, my brain won't stop feeding me various AUs. As usual, still crossover - the more the merrier, right? .

So, my country has a reality show called "PBB" or Pinoy Big Brother. It's basically a reality show where a bunch of people all over the country gets selected to live in "Kuya's" house. There, they interact with other chosen contestants and participate in tasks for charity purposes.

If there are any fellow Filipino peeps out there who knows this better than I do - because I only watch snippets - please feel free to comment, because my knowledge is very limited. I get the gist of it, but that's it.

Chosen housemates are of course, our lovely main leads.

Cue Yvonne (if you wish to use the Leila'd one) being the leech housemate who gets on the viewer's nerves but somehow still able to stay inside the house. Penelope is the one who joined to escape the Eckart family - but somehow, in an ironic twist of fate, she gets saddled with them, again. Callisto is the one who hurriedly joined the show because of Icklies's appearance - idk if this one's gonna be yandere, since Icklies doesn't really have a reason to hate her.

Athy is among the first batch of contestants, along with Penelope, Aristia - who just broke up with her ex. Athy joined the show without Claude's permission but with Lilly's - AGAIN, bonus angst points, they do not have a good relationship, because I like it that way.

Lucas is the prodigy who has too much time on his hands so he joins and he and Athy then proceeds to unintentionally make the cutest couple. IDK if you guys want to add in Ijekiel, but if you want love triangle, go off, I guess. Where LucAthy is the cute couple, PeneLlisto is the fierce one, but ultimately, I feel that PeneLlisto will be the more hilarious one. PeneLlisto starts off on the wrong foot, like the novel.

Penelope is the Preppy Queen who was made with too much sass, beauty, and brains, and little awareness of her love life.

Penelope is hilariously oblivious to Callisto's advances, so while Penelope is stating to "Kuya" just how much she is afraid of Callisto since they both grew up on the same village/block/condominium building - your choice - then being absolutely horrified at the notion that he has a thing for her and grossly misunderstanding Callisto's advances while Callisto is just over there, calling her Princess and being so caring and loveable - in his own way - I'm talking about the bear scene in the novel, kind of like that, where Callisto gives her the bear's head with no malicious intention but Penelope misinterprets it as him asking her for a duel to death. The reason for why Penelope is afraid of him is because she singlehandedly witnessed him beat the shit out of guys twice his size.

Heart-to-heart moment between Reynold and Penelope - if you wish - where Reynold asks Penelope why she ran away from home and then them resolving their issues - not quite, but at least Reynold was sensible enough to recognize his faults (unlike someone over there).

For Aristia, I'm sorry for RuveTia shippers but personally, I'm more of a SeinTia - you decide either of the three will be the ex and who will be the ending loveteam. For extra drama, Jieun can join in on the show, same to Jeannette.

Mildred (I Raised Cindrella Preciously) is the very pretty single mother - forced into the show by her daughters where they think she can gain another chance at love since the blind dates weren't working - who is ready to listen to everyone and be the mother most of them never had. Daniel is the Harvard Hottie who eventually just becomes the dad figure to the others. It is glaringly clear that Daniel is interested in Mildred, but Mildred is another level of oblivious, so let's just say they're like PeneLlisto with the exception of fierce.

Keira is the one who gained a rebellious streak and insisted on going to the reality show since Cossette's arrival to their house. Her Dad reluctantly agrees on it, and thinks nothing more of it, until he spends the rest of the show lowkey jealous over Mildred and Daniel since he realized how much of a douchebag he was to Keira.

Definitely, cue many breakdown moments for our lovestarved main leads, them bemoaning about their family situations and stuff like that.

To be honest, I can see Derrick being the first to get evicted. The guy is seriously so infuriating. I think the viewers will feel the same way we readers did.

Add the characters you also wish to be in the reality show as well as their background, and if you can, also a nickname for them - I'm shit at it, but an example is Daniel being "Harvard Hottie" - as well as the challenges and tasks for them.

[rebelcourtesan]

Romance Comics for Adults

I love comics, and lately I’ve enjoyed mature looks on romance and relationships without it being bubbly high school drama with misunderstandings littering the plot and stories that really examine what it means to be in a relationship.

Unlucky in love Edith is strugglin when it comes to her adult life.  She has few friends and is struggling financially as a romance novelist.  Her love problems stem from trying to find Mr. Perfect which she believes comes in the form of Jack, a childhood crush that barely noticed her when she was a child.  Then she meets Phillip, a bad boy model who understands her more than any man ever had.

It’s a love triangle romance, but it really focuses on deep issues like open communication between partners, struggling financially as an adult, and dealing with past trauma like being bullied as a child. 

Status:  Currently ongoing! 

Imagine a society where a dating app which decides your match via the similarities in finger prints decides everything for you.  Your career, success, education, and even health care!  Beatrice ‘Bea’ Torres has ambitions of being of the first scientists to work on a mars colony, however in order to get the money to further her education out of the country, she has to register at LUFF to see how high her match score is.

Much to her surprise and to everyone, not only is her match at a high score of 97%, but has TWO matches with the same score!  

Yes, this is definitely a love triangle set up, but there is much depth to it.  It explores why people rush into romance while having an independent female lead who is more focused on her career goals than falling in love.  It also has a dystopia society where people with low scores struggle with jobs, finances, and healthcare while the lofty high scores who use their numbers for elitism.  

It also has an interesting side story of a lesbian forced into matching with a male partner to get the money for her mother’s healthcare.  

My only comment is that it ends rather quickly.  I think there could have been more story to tell, but it does tie up all loose ends by the last panels.

Status:  Finished!  Had it’s series finale today!

I love this webtoon.  The artwork is beautiful and the characters are third dimensional and endearing.  It’s a modern take of the Greek Myth, Hades’ taking of Persephone.  

Hades, God of the Underworld, lives a lonely life as a social outcast among his peers and is trapped in a toxic relationship with a nymph.  Until he meets bright, bubbly college student Persephone, the young Goddess of Spring.  It’s the most unlikely of matches, but it has the most chemistry out of any romance I’ve seen in comics!  And it’s not just Hades and Persephone stories, other gods have their own stories told about their own relationships.    

It’s an adult take on falling in love between an older man and a younger woman (don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal, Persephone is 19 years old).  Also, it takes on the themes of toxic relationships, sexual assault, trauma, and communication.

Status:  Still ongoing!

Beatrice ‘Bea’ Rosario needs a date for her sister’s wedding pronto!  Her ex-girlfriend is going to be there and she can’t possibly show up without a date of her own!  With no other choice, she summons a demon, makes a deal with him to attend the wedding as her date.  Unfortunately, he tricked her into overlooking a clause in the contract.  He’s her roommate until her heart has been fulfilled.  

What begins as a hilarious romance romp, soon becomes a story of a depressed woman trying to find her way in the world.  There’s some heavy punches in this comic I was no expecting.  And it hits pretty close to home for me sometimes.  

What I love about this webcomic is Bea is a bisexual plus size woman who is NEVER EVER told to lose weight to find happiness.  There is one scene where a date tells her to ‘pick a side’ and he is quickly shut down for his rudeness and shortsighted views.   

Discusses themes of mental health, bisexuality, toxicity from both family and partners.  There’s a love triangle, but it serves as a contrast between a supportive partner and an abusive one.  

Status:  Ongoing! 

[did-we-imagine]

So I'm at ep 18 of Birth of a beauty, and honestly, this is so irritating. Like Sa Geum-Ran, do you even realize that maybe one sentence to Han Tae-Hee, and you could have found a solution instead of helping his half-brother who you have involuntarily lead on ???

I just hate it when a series does this thing where they try to expand and complicate stuff with stupid miscommunication instead of genuine obstacles to overcome. I feel that the whole thing is artificial and convoluted as hell (the "love triangle" between Sara/Geum-Ran - Han Min Hyeok - Han Tae Hee). And of course, Gyo Chae-Yeon, as despicable as she is, is trying to make profit out of this mess. The only high light as of now is Lee Kang Joon starting to lose his marbles and his dad kicking him out. (I think that while the way his father treats him is chef's kiss because he is such a piece of trash, there has been a few hints here and there that he is abusive, but that very probably won't be explored as it is not at the forefront of this K-drama's intrigue, and I honestly have like 0 empathy left for him either).

I don't like what Geum-Ran did rn, she wants her cake, wants to eat it, and also wants to have it. She isn't cheating on Tae-Hee, but why the hell would you put yourself in this "merdier inextricable" (pardon my literal french). I don't know if it stems from the same naïveté which caused her to be Kang-Joon's victim (I feel that one would know better than to leave their love of their life and then ask for favors out of their older half-brother with whom he is competing for the position of CEO). I know that Min Hyeok is supposedly less sympathetic because -I think, but I am not sure- it is implied that he loves Sara for her looks whereas Tae Hee was with her at her worst, and he loved her even when he saw her as "Geum-Ran" who was supposedly "unattractive" rather than Sara, but I can't find it in me to blame him because their grandmother is so full of shit (favoring Tae Hee over him because she hates his mother, who is by all means, a bad person for what she did), and because Sara is playing into the dumbest misunderstanding of the century. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Chae-Yeon's "love" for Tae-Hee is the most disgusting superficial thing ever, she just wants him because he is rich and has a shot at becoming CEO, just like she probably wanted Kang Joon because he was rich (I guess, can't remember the first episodes).

In a similar vein, Kang Joon is one of the vilest philanderers I have seen. He wanted Chae-Yeon because she was hot, he killed his "ugly" wife to get with her without being burdened by the ex-wife (I guess socially you get brownie points for being a widower rather than a divorcee in conservative patriarchal societies, and ofc because she was richer than him and he stole the canvad building from her by faking her will). And now that his 1st wife is hotter than ever, he decided to do the same with Chae-Yeon, except that she is a very sly, cunning viper who outsmarts him at every turn. Kang-Joon is literally a pitiful villain. It's hilarious how he came tail between his legs to talk to Sara when Chae-Yeon made good on her threats. I think that as villains, Min Hyeok and Chae-Yeon are much more competent and interesting, with the latter being an unsympathetic piece of trash.

I love how supportive Sara's mom is (lmao I wish I had as loving a mom as her), though I don't quite understand how she literally transitions from liking Tae Hee to disliking his everything without y'know, asking her daughter why the hell she is leaving him ???

Ah and finally, Idk why, but my gut is telling me that Min Hyeok is probably gonna turn out ti be unrelated to Tae Hee, he's probs gonna be discredited because he is the slimy lawyer's son instead of Tae Hee's paternal half-brother because it was mentioned previously that the lawyer had been close to his mother before (okay, it was in his teens, BUT hear me out, dude literally blew up a whole ass factory to get rid of Tae Hee and his fam, and he is manipulating the grandma and the events for Min Hyeok even now).

I'm holding on to see how it will all play out I guess.

[woeisme-iamwoe]

an absolutely massive Haikyuu!! fic rec pt. 1

I went through my entire ao3 history because I’m insane, AND here’s my favorites. (There’s not a lot of aus because I’m not a huge fan of them, and there’s no sad endings. I’m a hopeless romantic leave me alone. There is angst though! Lots) 

Beginning with SakuAtsu (I’m a hoe for Atsumu): 

Hide and seek, by badreputation (10k. E. canonverse) 

It sure is a good thing Atsumu doesn't have a latex allergy 

It’s just a fleeting infatuation. As long as he pushes through it he’ll manage. So what if nowadays there isn’t a night where he doesn’t dream of Sakusa pinning him down on his own bed, in the shower or make Atsumu go down on his knees in the hallway? Those are just pesky details.

Some Memories, We May Keep, by mika60 (31k. T. canonverse) 

This is canon, fight me on it. 

The missing panels, the missing games, the missing moments.

The them we never saw.

*Now complete! :)*

 every action has an equal and opposite reaction, by akanemnida (10k. T. canonverse) 

Miya Atsumu gets a modeling contract with Calvin Klein, which sets Kiyoomi's heart in motion.

(Or: Sakusa Kiyoomi realizes that the rules governing the universe are absolute rubbish at explaining matters of the heart.)

 Ass-fingering as a prelude to relations of the emotional kind: a case study, by neverwere (2k. E. canonverse) 

Fucking hilarious, the imagery is absolutely hilarious. 

"Marry me, he thinks, as he comes around Sakusa's fingers and all over himself.

This. This is exactly why you don't let strangers or very attractive teammates finger you out of the blue.

Everyone knows that the ass is the shortest way to the heart."

Or

When it comes to sex, Atsumu has rules. Guidelines! SOPs! He swears they work, they've always worked.

Until they don't.

 parallax error: angle of inclination, by min_mintobe (10k. T. canonverse)

But now there's the one person Atsumu'd promised himself never to touch. His eyes leave Atsumu breathless with guilt at seventeen, and he spends the next six years safe in the satisfaction of making things right.

Feelings, of the physical kind, and one kiss.

ft. competitive spirit, childishness, and late night conversations.

Atsumu POV.

 autumn ends, but we remain, by wolfsbvne (5k. T. canonverse)

Author says in their ending notes that they're not an ‘author’, but methinks they should write more and pursue that career path because this was wonderful.  

atsumu stares at his ceiling at 2am. he stares until he can make out designs in his popcorn ceiling. a cat there, an onigiri here, and then something that suspiciously looks like a mop of hair, triangle eyebrows, and oh those two bumps are moles right above what atsumu just mapped out as an eye.

(or, atsumu is in kind of in love. sakusa is maybe in like.)

I left a taste in your mouth, by emso (26k. E. bodyguard au)

Because obviously 

Sakusa fixes him with a vague expression of something like distaste. There's a scathing edge to his tone when he speaks. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, not everyone who meets you is instantly dying to get into your pants, Miya."

"Lucky I don't really care right now what 'everyone' wants to do, then." Atsumu swivels his mug around on the tabletop a few times, and then brings it to his mouth to drain the last few dregs of his latte. Over the rim of his mug, he adds casually, "Just you."

Whoa hey Bodyguard Omi, I think Spoiled Rich Kid Tsumu might possibly have a teensy crush on you. 

 How do you know you're in love?, by spiritscript (12k. T. canonverse)

Pure art

“So, how did you know you were in love? How did it feel?” Atsumu felt nervous asking this, a slight wiggling in the pit of his stomach, unable to look at the man beside him who rolled his shoulders in an attempt to reset his posture. “I mean, you didn’t resonate with what I said, so, what is love to you Omi-kun?”

Atsumu thinks he must be in love with Hinata Shouyou and so asks the best person he knows to help him understand his feelings

 san'yo expressway, 6:17 pm, by yamabota (13k. T. canonverse)

Of violent forethoughts, and handheld car vacuums. 

Atsumu tilts his head to watch a slice of orange light bend over the impassive planes of Sakusa’s face. He is absolutely, ruthlessly beautiful. It makes Atsumu want to punch something—put his foot through the windshield—scream, maybe.

Kiss him again, maybe.

They have 344 kilometers to figure this one out. 

Different Kinds of Dysfunctional, by DeathBelle (Series, 5 works. T-E. Canonverse)

Honestly, I think this one is kind of famous amongst Sakuatsu readers but I can’t not include it. If I recall correctly, this is the fic that got me into Sakuastu, so thanks, DeathBelle. The characters are portrayed really well (i.e. Sakusa is disgusted and confused, and Atsumu is a little shit). You’ve got a good balance between conversations and descriptive thoughts and all-in-all it’s just a really good read. 

 Atsumu said into the heavy silence, “You can’t say you’ve never thought about it.”

"Thought about what?" said Sakusa.

Atsumu smiled to himself, smug. "You know."

"No, I don't."

"You know. Of course you’ve thought about it. There’s no reason to be ashamed, Omi-kun. I’m a real catch.”

Sakusa was appalled. "You're disgusting."

"You flatter me. I'm not judging you. I can't lie and say I haven't thought about it, too."

Sakusa shifted, slowly, to peer over his shoulder. He wasn’t scowling, but his expression was unreadable. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Atsumu wasn't joking, and he was about to get more than he bargained for.

i'll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands), by liliapocalypse (7k words. T. canonverse):

Oh, god. This one was so cute. Super fluffy. Loved the metaphors and symbolism. Sometimes you just can’t say things out loud. 

When a bad injury shocks the whole V. League, Sakusa finds himself paired with Atsumu for more rigorous assisted stretches before every training. Atsumu then finds himself writing random letters on Sakusa’s skin to soothe the spiker, forcing Sakusa to reevaluate how his touch aversion became an irresistible yearning for more, and how the boy with the annoying hair somehow brought that hunger to life.

Or, the fic where Atsumu mindlessly writes a confession on Sakusa’s back when he thought Sakusa wasn't paying attention. Sakusa always did.

 mortality is found is the flesh of your sins, by novrik (10k. M. canonverse)

This is literally my favorite fic of all time. Not just of Sakuatsu, not even of the Haikyuu fandom. Ever. Favorite fic ever. Listen, I’m an atheist, but this fic took me on a religious experience that I haven't come down from yet. The symbolism had me actually shivering, and I had to put my phone down quite a few times. Just, oh wow, just read it. I’d like to share my favorite line; ‘And if Sakusa is Eve, if he takes a bite, what then? Perhaps, he is a little afraid of the knowledge he will gain’. My god, author, if you ever see this, this is not only a plea for you to continue writing, but also an offer of marriage. Your hand, author?

 dickhead one, sakusa kiyoomi. dickhead two, miya atsumu. neither understand how to communicate.

Pray tell, why are you drawn to him?

Are you drawn to him in the way he looks beautiful even when crying?

When his eyes are red, shiny tears streaking down, lips quivering, is he beautiful?

 sakuatsu domesticity simulator, by pseudoanalytics (75 words. T. canonverse)

75 words because it's actually a digital art simulator. An interactive fic! How frickin’ cool is that? The art is so beautiful and I love the plotline and ugh, just everything. Please read, or watch, or click around, yes. Good. 

Update: artist created another interactive fic and of course it is wonderful. SunaOsa this time! https://newttxt.itch.io/cheesecake honestly just check out @newttxt their work is amazing and I love everything they do. 

a vaguely interactive mixture of fic, art, and html, where you too can experience the inherent romance of a big fat jerk and a too-blunt jerk attempting intimacy

***

(this is the result of letting the sakuatsu brainworms really get to you...)

 Pas De Deux, by hatsuna (19k words. T. Ballet/college au)

There's just something about prim, proper ballet Sakusa and human-benign-tumor Atsumu that makes my heart burst. Seriously gorgeous writing style, loved every second. By the same author who wrote ‘liminal spaces’ (which is also just perfect) so that should give you a good idea of the style. 

The mystery athlete gives Kiyoomi a once over in the mirror. “Yer pretty tall,” he observes. The twang of an accent rasps low in his throat. His brazen eyes drift to Kiyoomi’s legs, and something like exhilaration glints gold in his gaze. “Good quads, too. Ya ever played volleyball?”

 Ah. So it’s volleyball.

“I’m a dancer. Ballet and contemporary, mostly.”

 the affective presence of our black and white reruns, by kozumess (19k. E. canonverse)

Beautiful, classic misunderstandings, my heart actually physically ached at that one scene (you’ll know the scene when you come to it). Kiyoomi is so refreshingly relaxed(? Is that the right word to use? We all know Omi never truly relaxes). 

but the want, it's always there, constant like the static playing on every television channel, present even when the station disconnects.

 cut the conversation, just open your mouth, by meeksoo (E. 16k. canonverse)

Absolutely filthy...BUT WITH FEELINGS! Completely nails the Sakuatsu dynamic, and protective ‘Tsumu? Love it. 

Sakusa opens the door. He always does.

 They’re teammates first, barely even friends. But they hook up on the regular and it works. It’s simple, easy. But then a fan gets too close, Sakusa reacts, and Atsumu is swept up in how quickly things can get complicated.

__

As Atsumu palms himself over his briefs, still feeling off, he realizes it’s because he still wants it. Him. Sakusa. Even after already having him earlier.

He should probably feel self-conscious, mildly ashamed even, that he’s panting ‘Omi Omi’ into the dark beneath the steady thrum of the AC unit when Sakusa’s right down the hall, probably good for it if Atsumu ended up back at his door. Instead, he lays there, writhing and sweaty, alone in his hotel room bed thinking about Sakusa and touching himself.

Afterward, as cum begins to cool on his chest, Atsumu really can’t help but face the fact that things may be getting complicated.

 the hands that beckon me to come, by Ellieb3an (4k. E. canonverse)

So hot, what the fuck! 

The toss, the run, the spike-serve at the end of it all—Sakusa sees it happen in perfect clarity as if time has slowed and his vision narrows to the center where just Miya exists, all powerful muscle and extraordinary skill and that air of confidence.

Sakusa isn’t one of the best receivers in the league for no reason, so his body moves on muscle memory, forearms absorbing the sting of the hit. It’s not enough. But his eyes are still on Miya—on the way his shorts ride up his muscular thighs as he lands, on the bead of sweat dripping down his forehead, on the clench of his fist thrust into the air—when the ball ricochets out of bounds.

***

Atsumu stays late at practices to work on his new third serve, even when his frustration with it starts throwing off the rest of his game. Sakusa notices and starts hanging back to secretly watch him from the gym doors. He’s fascinated with Atsumu's determination... and more than a little turned on by it, too.

 you're the flame i use (when it gets dark), by starkartifices (55k. M. canonverse. Ongoing)

Everything is the same except the Sakusas are super rich. 

“Oh, if you want dear, you could bring a plus one. Though, I doubt you have a partner yet.”

“I do actually.”

“What was that, dear?”

"I do have a partner, I mean."

alt title: crazy rich sakusas 

 the inherent romance of classical conditioning (or; the fine art of emotional recognition), by pseudoanalytics (13k. E. canonverse)

Ah, yes. A Pavloved sex life. A Pavloved LOVE life?? 

It's stupid. Atsumu isn't a romantic, no matter how many times he's imagined laying Sakusa out and finally really touching him.

So there's no explanation for why Atsumu is constantly stuck thinking about brushing his fingertips against the meat of Sakusa's palms or the prominent tendons in his freaky wrists.

There's no explanation for why doing dishes sets off a warm burn in his ribcage, or why when he smells disinfectant he inhales like he's walking past a bakery.

Yer doin' this to me, he thinks furiously, as Sakusa derails his thoughts with kisses that come more and more frequently now. Yer conditionin' me, and I can't stop it.

 flutterbird (a collection of sakuatsu oneshots), by wordstruck (5 works. T-E. canonverse)

Works 1-3, I think follow a linear story, whereas the last two don't. 

All sakuatsu works are just the angstiest, most miscommunication filled pieces of absolute gold and this one is no exception. Wow. These men are assholes and they bring out the worst in each other, but I’ll be damned if they’re not soulmates. 

Collection of SakuAtsu fics. Several fics are loosely set in the same storyverse. Not necessarily directly connected and can all be read as standalones.

[sword-dad-fukuzawa]

.............okay, p.s.: i also really wanna know about dr stone and horimiya

(also thank u for the shoutout; im SO glad u enjoyed HTR this much :D)

dhfjkd HTR IS FREE SEROTONIN OKAY IT WAS SO GOOD :D

Anyway! Dr. Stone's basic premise is that all humans got petrified for several thousand years, and now Earth is basically all nature again. Senku, the protagonist, manages to break his petrification and sets out to retake the planet with the power of SCIIEEEEENCE.

It's absolutely hilarious. This kid looks like a green onion but he has a brain the size of a planet, he's so smart. And kind of a grumpy asshole who gets very arrogant and nitpicky about science until he gets to infodump about it. I am very fond of him because I do the same thing. But he also is very aware of his weaknesses: namely, he's a shrimp and can't do any of the heavy lifting/manual labor needed to do science in what amounts to the stone age.

So he unpetrifies his school buddy! Taiju! Who is very stronk! He's also a simp so as soon as he and Senku figure out how to consistently unpetrify people, he goes and revives his school crush, Yuzuriha. All three of them are besties who would die for each other and it's great.

They uh, then fuck up by reviving the school delinquent, who turns out to be this charismatic Tarzan of a man that thinks all the adults should stay dead so he can build a better world on the ashes of the old. He goes around smashing statues of people as a result.

Senku is fucking horrified.

Anyway, stuff happens and the two of them end up being leaders of opposing factions, essentially. Senku ends up getting a whole village of unpetrified people to back him, making new friends, new devices (a radio! a car! tuberculosis meds!!) and new plans. He recruits this guy named Gen, who is a magician and his main talent is lying his ass off in any given situation, which is hilarious.

There are some fights. There are some betrayals. There is much scheming. It's altogether very sweet and funny, though it has a lot of heart in the form of angst and the power of friendship. Also it gets kinda gay at the end of S2. Senku is an aroace icon though.

Horimiya is not like Dr. Stone at all considering it's a romance anime, but a very good one!! I don't watch a lot of shoujo romance and Horimiya is the singular one I've watched that's set at a school. But from what I heard, it does shoujo really well.

No awkward misunderstandings to drive the plot, the couple gets together quickly enough that you get to see what they're like when they're dating, love triangles are handled with surprising realism and kindness...all in all, it's really very soft. I'd warn for some oblique references to self harm tendencies because one of the main characters struggles with depression, but Horimiya is, at its core, about said main character learning that life doesn't actually suck all the time and finding people who love him.

Also, all the side characters are so fuckin loveable and interesting. Nobody's perfect--they're all teenagers, after all--and their difficulties and conflicts are treated with genuine care, which I think is lovely. It's also kind of hilarious. The main premise is that Miyamura looks like "an otaku loser" but actually has sick piercings and tattoos?? Which make for great comedy later.

I love both of these anime for being wholesome pick-me-up anime :)

[wolken-himmel]

Can you give us spoilers on ur next story🙏🙏 i’m so excited on everything you write!

Okay so I'm working on 2 drabbles rn! I think the first one is more likely to be published first 👀

(Y/n) wants to cuddle with Jade and won't let him leave anymore after he carried her to her bedroom and tugged her to bed because she fell asleep on the couch.

(Y/n) tags along with Jamil and Kalim to the latter's mansion to spend school break there. It's kinda a love triangle with how both of them like (Y/n); but then both Kalim's and Jamil's parents decide she's Kalim's girlfriend and hilarious misunderstandings ensue.