#interacting with actors is part of fandom too

[teambyler]

The odds that Mike rejects Will early in Season 5 (Byler analysis)

I put it above 50 percent.

Why? First, they need to drag out the tension and build-up a slow-burn romance. I think that Volume 1 will be setting-up a Byler culmination, and that Byler actually happens in Volume 2. The General Audience needs that gap between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 to realize Byler is possible and speculate about it and cheer for it!

Second, if Mike has secretly been in love with Will but has held back his feelings because he thinks Will is straight, then the Painting Lie, once revealed, drives Mike too quickly into Will's arms (lol) and means there's no build-up.

Think about it: you realize that the love of your life is actually gay for you, too, made a very special painting for YOU, and said "I need you, and I ALWAYS WILL" while disguising it as your girlfriend's feelings. And he LOVED YOU SO MUCH that he sacrificed himself for YOU, so you could be in this relationship you're not happy in.

With the time jump -- which kind of has to happen at the start because the actors have aged -- it's hard to see the Painting Lie being revealed later than the first episode.

All these things together make me think Mike will "answer" Will's hidden love confession early in s5, and that HE WILL REJECT WILL. The reason being that Mike is IN THE CLOSET. It's the 1980s, the peak of the AIDS crisis, and the idea of being gay is terrifying to him.

It probably wouldn't be explicit. (It's hard to see Will confessing his love and prompting Mike to answer.) Perhaps Will just comes out to Mike, and suddenly we see Mike becoming more distant. He seems not fully comfortable with the situation: he seems to avoid Will, their interactions become awkward, etc. It would basically be Airport Hug Fail Part 2 Electric Boogaloo, but on a bigger scale.

And it will lead to rampant speculation by the General Audience. Because much of the General Audience will think that this is Mike being straight and politely rejecting Will and not wanting to lead him on. But others who sense the romantic tension will see that it's actually romantic build-up.

Everyone would be confused, arguing, and theorizing. So it's PERFECT if you're writing this show and want to mess with people's heads! =D

It's a way to show that Byler is possible, keep people guessing, AND drag it out, the way any good slow-burn romance should. There are still many ways to build up Byler: perhaps Mike stands up to anti-gay bullies, or Vecna targets Will and Protector Mike gets activated...

I believe the excitement and realization that the show's been skillfully building up a landmark gay romance for 5 seasons will seize the fandom before Volume 2 drops.

Anyway, that's my prediction of what we'll see early in Season 5.

(Kinda funny how, as a Byler, I think that Mike rejects Will and that Will "dies." It's not only because I'm kind of a masochist... it just also makes sense from a writing standpoint. I expect nothing less than an emotional rollercoaster for my poor little gay heart, and I wouldn't have it any other way.)

-teambyler

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

first-person perspective tour of love&deepspace exhibition at shanghai bw2024 comic-con part 4

players interact with sylus, rafayel, xavier, zayne

[xinganhao]

🎲 junhui x drama fan!reader.

you're just a little bit oblivious to the fact that the internet friend you run a k-drama account with is none other than junhui himself. headcanons & bonus content under the cut. ➤ see also: svt burner accounts series

🎲 season one .ᐟ

episode one: jun always knew that there was a side of the internet where people talked exclusively about dramas. he figured it would be very much like every other fandom space. debates, fangirling, the like. when he started his burner nwjun, it wasn't even with the intention to talk with anybody. he just wanted to be in on the conversation, wanted to know what everybody was watching out for.

you were one of the first people to begin interacting with jun. you tell him, nowadays, that you once thought he was so cross, because he barely responded to any of your replies or dms. the truth of the matter was simple. jun wasn't in the business of getting caught. this burner account was his safe space, his little corner of the internet where he could be just jun. not junhui of seventeen, not junhui the actor. just... jun.

except one day you make a point that he absolutely cannot help but disagree with, and jun can't help but go swinging into your direct messages. his passionate rant about the merits of translating dramas is what kicks start your friendship, for better or for worse.

episode two: it took jun some convincing to join kdrwatch with you. it had been your thing in the first place— your little passion project where you could scream about korean dramas to a thousand-something people. after months of back-and-forths, you invited jun to be an admin. he thought it over for about a month before deciding, fuck it, and signing on with you.

jun is convinced it's one of the best, most stupid decisions of his life. he doesn't quite know why it makes him so happy, to run this semi-popular drama account jointly with you. he doesn't even have to do much! he posts screenshots. his to-watch lists. maybe an update here and there. but, for the most part, he's just shouting to the void about the things that he likes.

and jun loves it. absolutely enjoys every minute of it. it helps that you're there, too, on the other side of the screen, indulging his character analyses and throwing more recommendations his way. here, he feels normal. he feels seen. he feels alive.

episode three: does jun feel bad that you don't know who he really is? ... not quite. it's not like you've really asked, either. he gives out bits and pieces of himself, just enough for him to not feel like a stranger. he reassures you that he's not some fifty-year-old creep. and, well, it's right there. he didn't even try to hide it behind an alias or anything.

maybe that's why jun gets bold sometimes. maybe that's why he'll flirt a little, why he'll slip in a pickup line or two. he teases you about being someone famous, about being an actor, about being a star, and your disbelief at every turn only spurs him on.

you're friends with jun not because he's an idol, but because he's some guy on the internet who likes the same things as you do. somehow, that's enough for you, and that's almost baffling to him. he always thought he had to be this impressive, imposing thing for his words to matter, and yet you're here proving him otherwise. is it a gift? a curse? he hasn't figured it out yet.

episode four: jun feels like this whole thing could almost be the plot of a drama itself. he can see it in his mind's eye.

he just doesn't know if he's the male lead you're looking for.

but god, does he want to be.

BONUS CONTENT .ᐟ

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

Top Form goes TOO Meta Part 3 (Dear God, it's a SAGA): The Final Nail in the Auralis Coffin, for now:

I absolutely hate that I'm writing this now, and the last thing I want to do is bring negativity to the one pocket of social media that ISN'T blowing this story up. But the story is on FACEBOOK already, and you know that when something reaches that grandpa of a website, then it's official. Which is both ridiculous, ironic, and inconceivable in 2025-- after the second renaissance of BL which really transformed how branded pairs interact and what a CP means both for the pair and the solo artist. I was confident SmartBoom would pull through because CPs like Yinwar, UpPoom and BillkinPP exist with marginal to overwhelming success, and can be used as a blueprint for whatever hell these companies are planning for their artists. I forget that they are the exception and not the rule.

Okay, so let's do this.

TaiLai decided to burn everything into the ground when they released this statement. Here, instead of just mentioning GIR, they mentioned Smart specifically:

The two week-old Auralis fandom (jfc our fandom must have a literal world record for shortest existence) has been in shambles for weeks now since Smart's company Grand Ivory Records announced a new Smart solo fandom name, a solo photobook, solo fanmeets in China, AND a series of Youtube vlogs on their channel featuring a female artist under their company being in a pseudo-ship with Smart (the vlogs had apparently been posted in the past three months, the fandom only found out about it recently). Eagle-eyed Auralis were already sounding the alarm on X, especially as veteran fans know that press tours for a new series typically last for 6 months after the airing of the series (heck, UpPoom's My Stand-In press tour is STILL ongoing a year after the last episode aired), and it's alarming that the only notification of work for Smart and Boom are their solo projects since the beginning of June.

For my part, I was just observing the flames of the chaos with a sense of detachment and a little bit of skepticism, because it's common in 2025 for companies to launch solo activities alongside cp activities for their artists, even for cps belonging in the same company (like BossNoeul and FortPeat for example). It's done to maximize on the newly-gained fan attention, and so long as the cp still has the occasional activity, then there's no harm no foul.

What alarmed me though, was the social media silence. Actors, especially newly-minted ones, aren't supposed to be silent on social media because fan interaction is the name of the game now. You are required to FEED the machine to maintain your longevity. Even the most self-professed introverted actors like Earth Pirapat and Est Supha conform to the requirement by posting the random photo. Companies hire teams of socmed managers for this very purpose.

The only reason why an artist would go radio-silent is if they have to. Aside from posting a joint TikTok video to promote their latest event, Boom went suspiciously quiet. Smart went on video to explain the reason for choosing a new solo fandom name, then also went silent. That was my first clue that shit was about to go down.

Here's a summary of TaiLai's statement from last night:

GIR wouldn't let this slide of course. They were quick to release their own statement, claiming that TaiLai (and Headliner) broke contract terms first, and they were doing what was best for Smart by representing him exclusively:

In both statements, TaiLai and GIR have made it clear that they've TERMINATED engaging with each other, and that they will each focus on the individual artists in their roster moving forward.

To the beautiful people over at @dramalove247, when I said I wanted to be in the JinAkin fandom, please know that I meant that metaphorically. I want to leave the #JinAkinisDead, crying-over-twitter-posts phase of my fandom experience please, thank you 😅🤣

(I'm actually devastated IRL, humor is a coping mechanism.)

So... is the branded pair dead?

Yes.

The thing is, my wonderful friends who I've roped into commiserating with me by making this blog post, SmartBoom's trajectory is currently following one other dead cp: ZaintSee (who I've talked about before).

No matter how we spin this, Smart is not Jin, and Boom is not Akin. I honestly don't think Smart wanted any of this to happen, and I do not blame him at all, but I can't expect him to fall on his sword just to save his cp with Boom.

In this quick answer interview, Boom chose Jin over Smart, and given the current context, I understand why. Jin in the story is a well-established actor at the top of his game-- able to make demands and control his relationship with his management because of his fame. Jin is also in a committed romantic relationship with his co-star, so it would make sense that he would sacrifice himself for the sake of his loved one, just as we saw Akin do for Jin. Smart on the other hand, is a newbie bound by contractual obligations and a very fragile career. He knows he is replaceable in the industry, so having good company backing is essential. Leaving GIR for this friend and co-worker he's only known for a year (which is essentially what Boom is to him) is career suicide. So he'll stay, and we can't blame him. Whether it was his choice or not is irrelevant. Smart is doing what's best for himself, as he should.

I'm not too worried about Smart though, because his career will recover. He's young, charismatic, talented and very self-aware. He'll have opportunities left and right.

The biggest loss here is Boom. Top Form was his Hail Mary to the acting industry.

I mentioned in a previous post that Boom Raweewit (formerly Jiratpisit) is great friends with Mew Suppasit and Singto Prachaya--in fact, he entered the industry alongside Mew, and actually predates Singto's entry. He was already doing extra appearances in movies before Singto debuted in Sotus. But he underwent a four year-long Thai media blacklist when he was implicated and arrested for his brother's failed cryptoscheme:

That's right, my current favorite Thai actors oscillate between the goodiest goody two-shoes this side of Bangkok, to a literal jailbird.

(I didn't want to mention this at all, but "Auralis" on X are already bringing it up, in an attempt to ruin Boom's reputation in favor of Smart's, so at least in my small corner of the internet, let me defend him).

To clarify, Boom WAS ACQUITTED (don't @ me okay), and our Thai tumblerinos are probably more suited to talk about this more than I am. But based on my research, Boom's brothers and sisters ran a cryptocurrency company which successfully scammed a 22-year old Finnish cryptobro billionaire out of 797 million TBT. At the time, they were using Boom's name, profile and likeness to contact individuals (as he was a trusted public figure), and police arrested Boom in the middle of a shoot in 2018 while his whole family fled the country (ouch my dude). He spent a few days in jail, freed himself on bail, but was blacklisted in the industry while the case ran its course. After he successfully cleared his name in 2021 (and terminated contact with his siblings and extended family members, double ouch), he starred in Chain of Hearts in 2023, and nothing else until Top Form.

THIS is why Boom cries every time family or acting is mentioned in interviews (which is ironically the two themes of Top Form, talk about triggers). The reason why a rich kid who's been to multiple countries around the world now has to ride the BTS train to get to shoots, and walks alone sans entourage to a mall show that features him as the guest star. Why the car he's currently using is a hand-me-down, and why he won't part with his black bag for ANYTHING (watch Orange is the New Black and you'll know bags are the first thing police separate from you when you're arrested). Why he stayed a few days longer in China after their fansign, without his management (rumor has it some of his family members are residing in China), and why he broke down in the middle of an interview because his "friend" recently died (rumor from Thai X states that it was a brother who died, and he couldn't go to the funeral because of the legal implications of showing contact to the police). Why he broke down when he saw his mother and grandmother in the audience at the TF fanmeet, as if he didn't expect they would show up at all-- chances are they really weren't supposed to.

Boom's woes, given his age and his legal troubles, extend beyond company mismanagement. He had already finished three other series prior to his arrest in 2018, that was supposed to air on Channel 3 (Heart by Heart, The Sweet Robot, and End Love). These shows were supposed to catapult him to stardom, which would have put him along the same level of stardom as Top Form co-star Toey Pongsakorn. These of course were scrapped after the arrest, and though he's been appealing to have them aired, no company in their right mind would air back catalog no matter how good the content may be, especially for a company as big as Channel 3. (TAKE THIS WITH A BOATLOAD OF SALT-- these are all ALLEGED my friends, only rumors from the Thai rumor mill that are unfounded and could be untrue. In fact, for safety let's just take these as false. If any Thai fans can help me out with any of this info, I am more than happy to be corrected and will delete and edit as appropriate. I apologize in advance, this is sticky, sticky information).

Anyway, the loss of a cp in a media industry that persists internationally through Boys' Love, especially one that has gained this much success, is a disaster for Boom's career and not Smart's. His contemporaries have already experienced peaks and lows in their careers. Boom's is an endless barrage of lows. What a waste of talent and potential, all because Grand Ivory AND TaiLai/Headliner have decided to enter the world's pettiest dick-measuring contest.

I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Though all of this is interesting from a professional standpoint, as a fan sincerely rooting for both Smart and Boom, I'd like to get out of this trainwreck please. I'm praying I'll make a part 4 of this WITH GOOD NEWS, and not more of this meta nonsense.

Erratum: removed the part about MewGulf as a Mew insider has informed me that the claims were unfounded. If anyone else would like to correct any information on here, I'm more than happy to oblige.

[rewatching-sam-and-dean]

I normally try not to weigh in too much on the actors themselves, but fandom is being hysterical (not in the funny way) as usual after The Boys promo video with J2 and Misha.

Here are some facts:

Jensen went to Kripke and asked if he had anything for him after SPN ended. Kripke helped him craft his audition until it would be acceptable for the other producers. We know this happened because Jensen told us, and he talked about it multiple times. There is nothing wrong with him going to Kripke for work. This is networking, and it’s what actors should do.

Jared never once publicly asked to be on The Boys. At most, he answered fan questions when asked what kind of character he’d like to play, but he never actually hinted he wanted a part. In articles, when asked if he’d join, Jared essentially said he was too busy filming Walke, in a polite way. Also fact, Kripke has hinted at wanting Jared on The Boys before Walker was cancelled, and he did so publically. Then when Walker was cancelled, Kripke really ramped up the public pitches to get Jared on the show, and was publicly psyched when Jared finally agreed. Jared never, publicly at least, even asked or hinted at wanting to be on The Boys, never mind begged.

Misha hinted multiple times publicly, including tagging Kripke on social media directly, that he’d like to be on the show. Kripke never said anything publicly, as far as I’m aware, about wanting or trying to get Misha on the show prior to the announcement from yesterday. When he talked about getting the biggest SPN Pokémon, it was when Jared finally signed on. When he talked about breaking the internet again, it was in reference to a J2 reunion on screen. When he talked about reuniting the SPN trio, it was in reference to JA, JP and JDM, not Misha. Was Kripke always planning to include Misha once he finally got Jared? Maybe. Is it possible he wasn’t going to bother with Misha until or unless he got Jared too? Yes. He could have hired Misha on at any time before and never did. Misha definitely publicly begged to be on the show, and Kripke never said anything in return to, or regarding, him being on the show until now. Kripke probably only brought him on because he thought of something funny/gross/trolling to do with J2 and him on screen.

Ultimately, I would have preferred not to have Misha in The Boys because when I finally get to see J2 on screen together, I didn’t really want him there, too. It feels like trying to shoehorn Castiel in with the brothers again from forced SPN scenes. But, I’ve also lost interest in the show itself, so I’ll probably pick and choose what moments I bother to watch anyway.

That being said, The Boys has a whole cast beyond Jensen being a regular in Season 5, never mind it being a giant J2 reunion that will take up a bunch of screen time. So, adding Misha to the mix isn’t exactly robbing fans of long and significant J2 moments on screen. (Though I’d still be happy for him not to be in their scenes at all).

Honestly, Kripke probably wanted Jared so bad, at least in part, so he could bank on free publicity in social media from Jared and J2 fans. He already had the Jensen fans on board. Similarly, he probably decided to add Misha for the same reason. Happy or not about his addition, people are talking about it on many social media platforms, this bring free attention yo the show.

Kripke just wants publicity.

What I want is to get out of this is at least one solid (hopefully more), Misha-less moment between J2 on screen.

But people are really losing their shit over what might amount to like 5 minutes of screen time from Jared and/or Misha. Jensen’s Soldier Boy isn’t even one of the main cast members, even either him being a regular this season, so I doubt there will be a lot of room to expand on a character for Jared (never mind Misha) and then interacting, on a show that’s on its final season and has many storylines to wrap up.

Anyway, in conclusion, only one member of J2M begged for a part in The Boys, and Kripke is using all of them to generate buzz. Simple as that.

[carlos-in-glasses]

Carlos-in-Glasses goes to Paris: The Sequel

This past weekend, I went to the First Responders Reunion Part 5 run by Dream It Conventions in Paris with @eclectic-sassycoweyes! You can read my 2023 write up here if you want! I was going to try to process it all before writing this but it turns out that writing is how I process things!

I’m categorising the below into the ceremonies, panels, selfies, photoshoots, autographs and Tarlos meeting rooms – a little breakdown of my personal experience for each:

Opening and closing ceremonies:

The opening ceremony contains singing and screaming. I have never heard screaming in my life quite like that dealt by the lovely Station 19 fans. (Good on you! Have it. It’s fucking terrifying. I love you, and I think the people you came to see are amazing too. Hope you had a great time!) After some housekeeping stuff by the compere who is insanely brilliant and competent at his job, the actors came bouncing out onto the stage to rev up the crowd a bit more. It’s surreal and wonderful to see them in front of you. I tried just really hard to take it in – same with the closing ceremony. For 911 Lone Star, the closing ceremony was really emotional but maybe the most special thing for the entire fandom. When Sierra started to cry and couldn’t stop, she was comforted and held by Ronen, Jim and Rafa. They wrapped around her so lovingly in a group hug and stayed holding on to each other when they parted. You could feel their chemistry. You can tell they’ve been through something major together and that it was a big thing for them to reunite. Everyone was applauding and cheering them on. It was the most beautiful and moving way to end it. The atmosphere in the room is hard to put into words. It was some kind of human electric magic. It was like watching the best ever sunset.

Panels:

Quick note: I didn’t get to see Jim and Sierra outside of panels and one group photo, which I feel a bit bad about, but they were announced after I’d already done my budgeting and frankly already blown it... I will say though that I was so lucky to meet Sierra at the 2023 convention and she is absolutely divine in every way.

I had a clash during Jim and Sierra’s panel so only caught the end of it, but luckily what I caught was good. Sierra said that it was deeply painful not to come back, but emphasized that the cast are all friends. She was happy to be in Paris and back interacting with fans and her castmates. She’s soooo nice. Gosh. (Also…I accidentally made eye contact with Jim while he was smoking on the terrace. It was oddly intense! He doesn’t to me read as tall as you’d think in real life! He’s a tall guy but it’s not like an 8ft giant. Which for some reason I was expecting.)

The Tarlos panel was fun! Rafa arrived for it first and had to begin on his own. Ronen showed up a couple of minutes late with an espresso in a lil glass mug. Rafa gave him playfully mocking looks and patted the chair beside him for Ronen to sit his ass down. I’ve already linked to it when answering an ask, but they were like this tweet suggests and it’s sending me. Whenever the French translation was happening, they’d start chatting and laughing with each other or posing goofily for photos. My words for them during the panels are: Sweet, sassy, mischievous and magnetic. You just can’t take your eyes off them.

I tried to write down what I could. A lot has been shared on Twitter so I don’t want to be too repetitive, but my main takeaways are:

When asked if TK and Carlos would ever take each other’s last names, Rafa said a very clear YES. I don’t think I caught which way around though (sorry!)

Ronen and Rafa are obsessed with the ol’ police station scene bless them. AS THEY SHOULD BE. BECAUSE SAME!!!

Ronen also loves the wedding – that’s his other fave.

Ronen said (I think…still in regards to the police station scene) it’s when he realised they were doing something bigger than just being actors on a TV show. To paraphrase: He’ll cherish it forever and it means the world that there’s a community behind it; he hopes more people will connect with the show and find that community.

Rafa said Carlos would be into Linkin Park and Blink 182 because of his pent up anger. I love Rafa so much.

Rafa spoke a lot about how finding Gabriel’s killer didn’t bring him real closure and healing – it was being able to move on with TK and them adopting Jonah that was going to be the healing thing. He said that by trying to find the killer he was slowly losing his husband; it would be the worst thing to lose another important person a second time.

Ronen wishes they could have filmed the scene where they talk about the adoption, but they were impacted by such a short season and couldn’t tell the story in full on screen.

Ronen said Carlos must be the most understanding and selfless partner ever. It’s not surprising that Carlos came around and they got their happy ending.

Someone asked what Tarlos’ road trip songs would be. Ronen and Rafa agreed they should make one (I think they will not haha, but it would be so much fun if they suddenly dropped a cheesy playlist as a duo!) It would be sing along songs they could belt. Rafa said for Carlos he’d want some Selena, Soul Train, Beyonce, party music. No Linkin Park anymore because it’s happy fun times. They laughed about not being able to give a better answer, but I think it was a great answer! Super endearing.

911 Lone Star Group Panel

I didn’t write anything down for this because I was lucky enough to get to ask a question – too busy standing in line feeling very nervous. I’m going to be a bit lazy here and link to the video if you want to hear my terrible voice. In essence: I asked what TK and Carlos’ parenting styles would be and what parenting advice Judd and Grace would give.

Ronen said he thinks TK would be more wild and Carlos would provide more structure, and that Judd and Grace would probably be the first friends they spoke to. (Then he dropped his microphone! And Rafa was all ‘girl, get it together!’ It’s so often the random and accidental little moments that provide so much joy.)

Rafa said he’d turn to his mom for help. He’d want to find out about parenting in a deeper way. He said Ronen would answer better because he is a parent now, but overwhelm is normal and Carlos’ life wouldn’t be about him anymore, it’s about the child, and if he’s going to do it correctly and wholeheartedly he needs to understand on a true and deep level. But he also agreed they’d want to turn to Judd and Grace too.

Sierra said it would have been fun to play. Her advice would be along the lines of the instincts you would follow with raising one child would be different to your next child – so her point was around seeing the kids as individuals with their own personalities and needs.

Jim said Judd’s advice would be “Don’t let your son ride his bike in the road.” Sage wisdom. Poor Judd!

I’m really struggling to remember anything else because I was floating to the ceiling on helium balloons at this point. But it was a good panel!!!

Selfies

I loved getting the selfies. They’re more relaxed than the photoshoots. It’s the actor taking the photo, so they are doing it at their own pace and it’s more cosy/friendly. With the photoshoots, there are photographers waiting for you to get on with it. I was very conscious of that. If I were to do this again, I’d consider getting a few selfies rather than an individual photoshoot again.

Due to the cosier nature of the selfies, I actually have a secret that I cannot share! Because Ronen asked me not to 🤭 But I had a hilarious moment with him and I loved how my selfie turned out.

Rafa is the biggest cutie pie sweetheart. He’s so warm and open and cuddly. He brought me in close for the first selfie I got with him. In 2023, he was sitting at the autograph table so I had to crouch, but this time we were both standing – a much less awkward way to interact. For the second selfie with Rafa, Mar and I decided to do it on a whim. He’d just left the room when we arrived, so his handler had to bring him back! We were laughing and apologising and he was SO generous. He laughed about it too and told us not to worry.

The best thing ever then proceeded to happen: Rafa told me he liked my shirt! He didn’t have to say anything!!!! But he said that!!! I told him the shirt reminded me of something both TK and Carlos would wear. He was like “Yeah! They would!” and then I told him it was thrifted, so even better! He was like “Oh that’s really cool” Then he steered me because he’d decided he’d found the right light for our selfie, although I’m not sure he did 😂 It’s still a good selfie – but bloody hell, it’s the little chat we had that made me so happy. I can’t even explain it. But when you get that extra moment of being affable and having a tiny connection, in this case just over a shirt, it makes everything shine. I felt like I started shining because of his warmth. It was just amazing. It warmed my core.

Photoshoots

I did individual photoshoots with Ronen and Rafa and two Tarlo duo shoots. I was most nervous about this because I didn’t love how they came out last time – I don’t think the lighting is good, and the witchy-faced among us do rely on good lighting. However! I’m very happy with how they came out this time. I feel like I had short conversations with them during the individual shoots but lord only knows what was said. I mainly remember the duo shoots. I asked for a hug both times because why in the name of all that is good and pure would I want anything else?! I wasn’t brave enough to ask for a hug last time, but this time I went for it and it turns out they dgaf and are happy to do it because loads of people want a hug. Hugging is their bread and butter. Because of how they were standing, I ended up hugging Rafa both times with Ronen behind me. I did not orchestrate it like that!!! I swear! I hereby confirm that Rafa is a cuddle-ball. I love how they came out. It looks like my two dads are very proud of me on graduation day or something.

Autographs

While I was waiting for my Rafa autograph, Ronen and Rafa were sitting at tables next to each other and kept teasing each other. When waiting for my Ronen autograph, there was a table between them – but that did not stop them! Rafa joked about having an Only Fans because someone asked him to sign a shirtless photo of him. Ronen stood up with interest 🥲

There are prints sold at the convention that you can buy for them to sign, but you can ask for them to sign anything (except tits and ass I guess?). I decided to buy just the one print of them kissing at the wedding and asked them both to sign it. I gave them both a card with a design on it by @thisbuildinghasfeelings from her cross stitch – I was so happy to be able to do that and bring her with me in some way! I told them I’m better at saying things through writing than through talking. They were both all “I totally get it!” I told Ronen I appreciated him doing the conventions because it made the show live beyond the show itself. He said that meant a lot and he wrote a cute message on the photo. I told Rafa that every time I see him I just keep saying thank you, but I also felt that it could never be said enough. I have no idea what he said back because I think I died? I do remember that he asked where I was from. I said London, to which he replied ‘born and raised?’ I was not expecting to be asked a question so I hesitated for what felt like an entire minute before saying yes. I got stuck wondering what level of detail he needed before remembering he did not request my life story or the history of urban sprawl. Although, with more time, I believe he would listen with interest. It was great! I loved it. Once again it felt very warm.

Meeting Rooms

I went to both the Tarlos duo meeting rooms – I think this must be the absolute peak for me, other than chatting a bit with Rafa about my shirt. The meeting room on Saturday was a lot smaller than the one on Sunday. I didn’t say anything in the Saturday one other than joining in with other Brits in telling them to come to London. They were amenable to this. It’s a funny thing when they enter the room, because everyone goes silent. They sit down and there’s a moment of just staring until Ronen breaks the ice. I didn’t feel like I could write anything down in the meetings, but they were recorded so perhaps there will be a chance to see them…I hope so! I’d love to relive it. I do remember someone asking if TK and Carlos would have more kids. Rafa replied with a very certain yes. I love him. Ronen talked a lot about being a dad. At the end of the meeting he showed Rafa a video of his baby boy (and he showed some nearby fans! I caught a short glimpse – very cute!) I feel bad that I don’t remember more of what was said. I was trying to absorb it, but what I remember is the feeling. The vibe was really nice. It’s incredible to have a small audience with them. We were sitting so close to them, and it wasn’t like a super quick photoshoot where you get all nervous lining up and then in seconds it’s over. It was half an hour of just being with them casually, and them answering questions that become more conversational.

On Sunday, I was feeling more confident – I’d had such lovely interactions with them, I’d felt brave enough to ask a question at the panel, I’d had a brandy – so in a moment of quietness I asked what they would tell their previous selves around the time they got cast in Lone Star. I then told them that their future selves will be proud of them right now. The compliment landed well but then I had to repeat the question. Rafa answered very beautifully about how he wouldn’t say anything because it would steer things off course. Again, paraphrasing, but his past self needed to stumble through the dark and illuminate rooms when he found the switch, and he can’t be guided to those switches. But one day all the rooms will be lit. Essentially, it’s okay not to know things, because we can’t. I found this to be a really helpful answer – I didn’t know it’s what I needed, but I’m so terrified on behalf of my future self, all of the time, of the unknowns. The fear of all the things that could go wrong, and how you don’t know until it happens. And because I’m so scared of things going wrong, often I don’t even try. So it was a good reminder to not beat myself up for not knowing all the things I can’t possibly know anyway.

I could feel myself going bright fucking red when I was speaking so I HAD TO ACTUALLY FAN MYSELF while Rafa was answering!!! It was kind of the best of times and the worst of times. Just as Charles Dickens himself predicted.

They were asked how they pictured TK and Carlos in 20 years. Rafa said hopefully retired. Ronen agreed and quipped about a big pension. Ronen said they’d be somewhere tropical with Jonah. Rafa looked at him like he was bonkers and jumped in with “Not with Jonah – let the guy live his life!” and Ronen realised that Jonah would be a grown man lol. It was very sweet to imagine them trying to drag Jonah to their retirement property. I may need to write a Golden Girls-eqsue fic along these lines…

Then!!! At the end, we all posed for a group shot! Rafa started off crouching down next to me! Ahh!! He was about to put his arm around me but then he was told to move to the back! So an extra squish was not had. Never mind! I’d already had plenty. I felt completely fulfilled. I felt like I’d got back what I put in. I have some wishes but no regrets.

Massive, dramatic thank you to @eclectic-sassycoweyes, who I went with. You made me so much braver than I would have been if I’d gone on my own. You made it what it was. We had an amazing time exploring a bit of Paris. It was hot. We got a drink by the Seine. Montmartre is so beautiful. I had a nostalgic mint diabolo. Perfect. We found a roof terrace where we could drink back at the hotel. Even more perfect. Thank you for becoming my 2pm brandy buddy. Thank you for drinking Champagne with me. We are at once old men and glamorous spinsters. I love this for us. I love that our new reality contains these memories. So much fun. So funny. So many revelations. If I could tell my past-self one thing, it would be to give you a tighter hug/kram before I left. And also…unplug the TV at the wall instead of building a tower out of snacks to block out the standby light 😅

[mononijikayu]

chapter (1) — rumours.

GENRE: alternate universe - actors/celeb au!

WARNING/S: not safe for work (nsfw), r-18 and above, singers au!, romance, fluff, minor angst, slow burn, humour, slice of life, will they won't they, light-hearted, flirting, playful, possessiveness, teasing, explicit content, possible, kissing, sexual content, innuendos, drama, feels, hurt/comfort, falling in love, love, happy ending, actor/singer! sukuna, actress/celeb! reader;

WORD COUNT: 3k words.

NOTE: this was a request by a good friend of mine here, midnight-138; honestly, this was fun to write but i realized it wasn't going to be fun without a series happening. since jjk ended, i like to think its just a tv show with actors and everything. anyway!!! enjoy it!!!

masterlist

hey lover! series

SOMEHOW, ITS VERY COMMON TO HEAR YOUR NAME IN ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. Headlines are always buzzing about your on-screen chemistry with your beloved co-star Ryomen Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen.

The two of you are practically inseparable on set, sharing private jokes and glances that fans swear could only belong to people who are more than just co-stars. Every Instagram post and tag, every red-carpet, every bit of interaction sends social media into a frenzy.

A blurry paparazzi photo of the two of you leaving a restaurant together? Uproar. Sukuna’s hand on your back at a press event? Uproar. Matching accessories spotted in your latest selfies? Uproar.

Fans dissect every interaction, convinced that something more than friendship is brewing. Because why wouldn't they? Everything felt like a clue. Everythjng felt like it was a mystery that needed to be solved when it comes to you two.

But the worst part about it is that you and Sukuna remain silent. Neither confirming nor denying anything. When asked about your relationship during interviews, you both just smile—maybe even exchange a playful look, adding fuel to the fire.

You leave fans in a constant state of guessing, teasing them with cryptic posts that seem like inside jokes only the two of you could understand.

In the quiet privacy behind the cameras, though, whether there’s truth to the rumors or not is a secret only you and Sukuna hold close. And maybe that’s part of what keeps everyone so hooked.

As social media explodes with theories, fans take it upon themselves to become full-time detectives. Suddenly, every frame from behind-the-scenes footage becomes evidence.

"Did you see the way Sukuna passed her the water bottle? That’s definitely a boyfriend move." People zoom in on grainy images like they're solving a mystery for the FBI.

A single, innocent tweet of yours like, "Had sushi today!!! 🍣🥢" is met with immediate chaos:

"GUYS, DIDN’T SUKUNA POST A PICTURE OF CHOPSTICKS TWO DAYS AGO?? THEY’RE EATING TOGETHER, CONFIRMED!!"

"Sukuna wears black, she’s wearing black. THEY’RE MATCHING."

"Doesn't she live in the East Side and Sukuna has a shoot in New York too? I bet he slept at her place, that's why they're together!"

You can't even breathe without someone connecting it back to Sukuna. Once, you posted a picture of your mother's cat, and someone commented, "Wait, Sukuna said in an interview last year that he likes cats. Coincidence?? I THINK NOT."

And the funniest part? You and Sukuna seem to be in on the joke. And still, STILL, not confirm anything. Not one thing. NEVER.

At every red carpet event, you both manage to “accidentally” coordinate outfits or just happen to walk into the venue within seconds of each other. On set, you pass him your coffee to share and the fandom collectively loses its mind. Yet, in interviews, your answers remain as vague as ever:

“So, there’s been a lot of talk about you and Sukuna. Are you two seeing each other?” The interviewer asks you, a certain mischief in his eye.

You looked at Sukuna, who raises a teasing brow. “We see each other every day on set, yeah.”

Sukuna grins back at you. “Sometimes even during lunch. At your trailer."

"Well, depends on the day." You added, grinning back. "I mean, sometimes we get messy in there so...."

Your fandoms spirals further.

Of course, fans don’t stop. A blurry photo surfaces of someone who might be you two walking through a park, closely packed together in a very close skinship The comments section erupts:

"THAT’S THEM. SUKUNA POSTED A PICTURE OF THOSE BENCHES A WHILE AGO!!!"

"No way, that could be anyone!"

"Look at the way they walk. That’s dating posture."

"Dude, it's just two blobs in a park."

"Only their blobs could look that in love."

Eventually, the theories get so wild, people start making compilation videos of “proof.” You sit back, watching them, popcorn in hand, thinking, They really think they’ve got us figured out.

But until the day you decide to spill the beans—or not—the internet will just have to keep guessing. And you and Sukuna? You’re having way too much fun letting them.

One day, you both find yourselves in a meeting with the producers, and the topic of fan theories comes up. They’re considering incorporating some of the drama into the show. With how your characters are, it was very easy to just make it happen.

“You guys are basically a couple already in their eyes. Why not lean into it?” one of the producers suggests, chuckling.

Sukuna leans back, a mischievous glint in his eye. “So, what you’re saying is we should start holding hands on screen? I mean, don't we do that already?"

You can’t help but laugh. “i mean that depends, you know? Only if we get matching outfits. I’m not going out there without a coordinated look.”

The producers are writing down ideas, completely serious. “We could do a whole segment on you two fighting each other and you know......sexual tension. Very exciting.”

"We already have that anyway." Sukuna snickers back at the producer. He looks at you. "I mean......have you seen how we get down?"

"Yeah, we don't need anything to be scripted." You grinned back at Sukuna before standing up, walking towards him and placing a kiss on his cheek. "I have to go sit at the make up chair first. Bye!"

In that moment, even Jujutsu Kaisen's producers weren't sure. Are you guys datng or not?

And Ryomen Sukuna refused to say anything. He merely smiled. Proudly.

Later, during a shooting break, you and Sukuna can’t stop giggling about it. “If we did that, the fandom and our fans would explode.” you say, shaking your head. “We’d really end up causing a generational fall out."

Sukuna smirks, “Let them have their fun. I’m sure they're enjoying how we have fun too."

➽───────────❥

PROMO SEASON CAME AROUND FAST. And even during this time, you and Sukuna were never escaping the allegations. At one of the major press eventa later that month, you both decide to play with fire once again. Once more, rumors were little but they burnt like wildfire.

At exactly 9:00 am, you had to be there in the agency building to get ready. You show up wearing a shirt with a giant cartoon cat on it, and since Sukuna and you have the same agency, when Sukuna arrives, he’s wearing a matching shirt with a dog. The cameras flash, and you both strike a pose, arms crossed, looking like a bizarre couple straight out of a sitcom.

The internet goes wild.

“ARE THEY ADOPTING A PET TOGETHER?!”

In the frenzy, you hear someone yell, “What’s the cat’s name?”

You look at Sukuna, who gives a dramatic sigh. He snickers. “Guess we'll have to say something about our pet, darling.”

You both exchange a look, trying to suppress your laughter. “Oh, but don't we already have Noodle?” you suggest.

"We do.” he replies back, mischief in his eyes. “But only make sure you only feed him on your side of the bed.”

The whole thing spirals into a hilarious Twitter thread: “Sukuna and (Y/N) are definitely getting married and adopting a cat named Noodle.”

This entire thing creates media frenzy. Because what do you mean there's a marriage? And not to mention, a cat? That makes it even more serious!

The following week, you’re both asked to do a Q&A session with fans at a media event.

The moment someone asks, “So, is Noodle a real cat?” you both exchange a look, then burst out laughing.

“Listen, Noodle is a very busy cat.” you respond, trying to keep a straight face. “He’s got modeling gigs and a busy social life. And very busy building his collection of balls. He’s basically the star of our lives.”

Sukuna adds looking at you. “Yeah, he’s too good for us. He's definifely giving us a run for our money in acting. Oh, if you can visit our house and see his acting chops! He'd replace me as Sukuna!"

By now, the memes have taken over. “Noodle the cat is the real star of Jujutsu Kaisen” trends on Twitter, complete with fan art and even a fake merchandise line.

Every time you and Sukuna scroll through the latest memes together, it feels more like you’re in a sitcom than reality.

And it happened again when you both came live on Instagram after a long shoot together. You were eating convenience store ramen together. 

“We should probably just embrace the whole ‘cat dad’ angle for you, bub.” you suggest one evening while going through a particularly funny thread.

“Only if you’re down to play the role of the supportive girlfriend.” he teases.

“I’d do it for Noodle!” you laugh.

At the end of the day, the speculation continues, but now, it feels like a shared inside joke. And who knows? Maybe there’s a little truth buried in the fun.

Until then, you and Sukuna are happy to keep the mystery alive, letting the fans run wild with their theories while you enjoy the antics of being in the spotlight together. And just be together.

➽───────────❥

YOU DON'T LIKE PRESS TOURS. Because they get longer and longer the more you're in them. But it's part of your job and you can't ignore it.

As the promotional campaign for Jujutsu Kaisen heats up, the marketing team decides to do a special segment where you and Sukuna read some of the most outrageous thirst tweets from fans live on social media.

You both gather in a cozy studio set, a couple of drinks in hand, ready to dive into the wild world of fandom obsession.

The camera rolls, and the host introduces the segment with a laugh. “Today, we have two of the hottest stars from Jujutsu Kaisen! Let’s see what the fans are saying about them.”

The first tweet pops up on the screen:

“Why do I want to fight Y/N just to get a date with Sukuna? Like.....Let me touch those pecs too, Y/N! #ThirstyForSukuna”

You smirk and turn to Sukuna, raising an eyebrow. “Looks like I've got some competition, buddy. Who knew you’d be a heartthrob?”

Sukuna leans back, feigning nonchalance. “What can I say? I’ve got that bad-boy charm everyone just falls for, you know?"

The next tweet scrolls by:

“Y/N could step on my neck and I’d thank her for it. #JJKThirst”

You nearly choke on your drink, laughing uncontrollably. “Wow, I’m basically a neck-stomping goddess now?”

Sukuna grins, “I might need to step up my game. Do I have to start practicing neck-stomping moves?”

You grinned. "Why not? We can start now, baby boy."

"Hang on, lemme kneel in front of you."

The host chuckles, and the viewers can feel the playful tension in the air. The next tweet appears:

“Why is Y/N so cute? I just want to put her in my pocket and carry her around. #ProtectY/N”

You lean over and poke Sukuna playfully. “Looks like I’m the cute one. What are you going to do about it?”

“Pocket-sized? I’m pretty sure I could lift you up and carry you around. I’d be the pocket protector.”

The host raises an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the banter. “This is some serious couple energy right here!”

More tweets flash on the screen, and they’re getting wilder:

“I’d let Sukuna ruin my life and then ask for more. #JJK”

“Y/N and Sukuna need to date in real life. They have undeniable chemistry!”

You read that one aloud, rolling your eyes dramatically. “It’s not like we don’t have undeniable chemistry, right? I mean, we just got it, you know?"

Sukuna leans closer, lowering his voice, “You’re right. It’s almost like we’re living in a rom-com, and I’m just waiting for the big confession scene.”

The chat is blowing up, and you can see fans losing their minds over the playful flirting. Comments like, “THEY’RE SO IN LOVE!” and “CAN THEY JUST DATE ALREADY?!” flood the screen.

Next up is a tweet that reads, “Y/N can do no wrong. I’d let do anything for my queen to step on me! #ThirstyForY/N”

You turn to Sukuna with a playful smirk. “Looks like I have my own little army. How do you feel about that?”

He leans back, crossing his arms. “I’m not worried. They can love you all they want, but who’s the one sharing sushi with you?”

The two of you break into laughter as another tweet rolls in:

“Okay, but if you and Sukuna don’t end up together by the end of JJK, I’ll riot.”

You look at Sukuna, eyes wide. “Looks like we’re starting a revolution!”

“Right? How about we take the revolution to the next level? You and I should go on a ‘date’ for the cameras and really stir things up.”

“Imagine the tweets! ‘The romance is REAL!’” you exclaim, giggling.

By the time the segment wraps up, fans are in a complete frenzy. The host turns to the camera, “You’ve seen the tweets, now let’s see what the fans will do with this energy. You guys are absolutely hilarious!”

As the cameras stop rolling, you and Sukuna lean back, grinning at each other. “You know, I think we just made a lot of people’s dreams come true,” you say, still buzzing from the fun.

Sukuna winks. “Just wait until the next promo event. We’ll really give them something to talk about.”

With the buzz of excitement surrounding you both, the thrill of flirting, and the chaos of fandom, it’s clear that the jokes and playful banter only add fuel to the fire of the romance rumor mill, and you’re both having the time of your lives

As the promotional segment wraps up, you and Sukuna step off set, still riding the high from the chaotic energy of the livestream.

Fans are already trending the hashtag #YandSForever, and you can’t help but pull out your phone to check the latest tweets.

“Look at this one, Su!” you say, reading aloud. “I need Y/N and Sukuna to take a couple’s selfie like right now. Make it happen!” You smirk. “Should we make that a thing?”

Sukuna raises an eyebrow, clearly entertained. “A couple’s selfie? What, are we going to match our outfits again?”

“Absolutely! Let’s go full rom-com with hearts in the background.” You both burst into laughter, and he nudges you playfully.

“Okay, but only if we can throw Noodle into the picture for added cuteness.” he says, mock-serious. “Can’t let my cat-dad image fade. After all, we have a three soul family!”

As you’re scrolling through the tweets, you come across one that reads, “If Y/N and Sukuna were a snack, they’d be the whole charcuterie board—gorgeous, a little salty, and definitely irresistible.”

You snort, shaking your head. “Okay, that’s actually pretty clever.”

“Salty, huh?” Sukuna leans in closer with a smirk, “You think they’re implying something about me?”

“Only that you’re a snack, Sukuna.” You wink, enjoying the banter as you both stroll through the studio’s backlot.

Suddenly, someone yells, “Hey! Are you two dating, or what?” It’s one of the crew members, clearly getting in on the joke.

You both pause, exchanging a look. “We’re.....interesting, right?” you say, nudging Sukuna.

He smirks, “Yeah, just interesting. Especially together. Interesting together as we definitely share sushi and matching outfits.”

The crew member laughs, shaking his head. “You’re both ridiculous. Just make it official already!”

You can’t help but grin, feeling a mix of warmth and excitement at the thought. As you continue walking, you check your phone again and see another trending tweet:

“Sukuna’s hand on Y/N’s back at the premiere was a whole mood. I’m not okay.”

“Hey, I think we were just trying to navigate the crowd.” you say, laughing as you elbow Sukuna. “Or maybe I was just trying to keep you from tripping on your own ego.”

He feigns shock, placing a hand over his heart. “My ego is as solid as my acting skills! But it’s nice to have someone as cute as you around to keep me grounded, darling."

Your cheeks flush at the compliment, and you decide to lean into it. “Well, I’ll just have to make sure to keep your ego in check. Maybe I’ll start charging a fee for my services.”

“Oh? What’s the rate?” he asks, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“A dinner date sounds fair. Noodle can join too!”

Just then, another crew member walks past, overhearing your banter. “Wait, are you two actually going to have a date? I’ll start a betting pool.”

Sukuna leans in, whispering dramatically, “How much are they betting on us? Better be big money we can share.”

You break into laughter again. “I’m betting they’ll think we’ll end up together by the end of the season. That’s practically a guarantee.”

As you walk back to your trailer, you can see fans gathering outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of you both.

“Looks like we’ve got an audience, Su!” you say, glancing at the growing crowd.

Sukuna gives you a sly smile. “Let’s give them a show.”

You both step out onto the steps of your trailer, and the fans cheer, holding up their phones to capture the moment. Sukuna eagerly wraps an arm around your shoulder, pulling you close as you both pose for a picture, flashing playful grins.

The fans go wild, shouting your names and yelling for you to kiss.

“Maybe next time, guys! I'm hungry!” you shout back, grinning. “Tough luck but you’ll have to settle for selfies!”

"Yeah, everyone!" Sukuna whispers, a sly smile on his face. "Can't let my darling be hungry now, can't I?"

You both pose for a few more pictures, enjoying the energy and excitement radiating from the crowd. As you glance at Sukuna, you can’t help but feel a rush of adrenaline.

This might just be a fun little game for you both, but with every shared laugh and inside joke, the lines between friendship and something more seem to blur just a little more.

Later that evening, you’re scrolling through Twitter again, and the excitement of the day sinks in as you read the latest updates:

“I’m not saying Y/N and Sukuna are endgame, but… I’m not NOT saying it either.”

“Someone tell me how I can apply to be the third wheel on their sushi dates! #LifeGoals”

“Can’t wait for the upcoming JJK season! Also, please, can they just kiss already?”

You smile, a mix of joy and mischief bubbling up inside you. With Sukuna by your side, the adventure has only just begun, and you can’t wait to see where it all leads. After all, isn't that the fun?

[joeyalohadream]

💕☀️Joey's Masters of the Air Fanfiction Recommendations - Part 1 ☀️💕

Being part of a fandom that is small, yet so incredibly talented has been such a breath of fresh air for me. My reading list has been a mile long (and growing every day!) for far too long and I've recently been making more time for myself to simply read. And I wanted to take some time to shout out some of the wonderful stories and authors that I've really enjoyed lately.

All of these recommendations are Clegan stories because that is what I personally most enjoy reading. But there are other blogs and talented authors out there that write for all sorts of pairs in the fandom that I encourage people to engage with!

Adding a cut because it’s a looong post!

☀️ The Bucks in a Boat by magic_glow (not sure if the author has a tumblr!)

Explicit, Post-War, Falling in Love, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort

This is an AU based on the movie The Boys in the Boat (starring our lovely Callum). The plot follows John returning home from the war, where he still served as a B17 bomber pilot. But he enrolls in school and times are tough, so much like in the film, he tries out for the rowing team for the free room and board. Where he meets, and immediately forms a strong bond with, Gale Cleven. The author manages to keep the characterizations true, while still making them their own. They manage to incorporate almost every Mota character in a meaningful way and I especially love the sweet friendship between John and Brady in this one. It deals with the trauma of War and life and also displays a beautiful sense of camaraderie as they form as a team and learn to lean on one another. It’s wonderfully written and the world building is phenomenal. The pace is perfect and the story is compelling and John and Gale’s connection is explored with care. This is my current ‘comfort fic’ and I look forward to reading how it all develops. (And the title is so cute!)

☀️ He may be the Reason by c_goldthorn (@c-goldthorn)

Explicit, Mutual Pining, Romantic Comedy

This a modern au based on the movie Notting Hill and I recommend this one, whether or not you've seen the movie! As someone who has never seen the movie, this fic is my first experience with the plot and I'm loving every minute of it. The author infuses humor and care and love into her stories and you'll fall in love with all of the characters in this one. It's romantic and sweet and angsty and the longing is palpable. I am always patiently waiting for me. (And she has a couple of side stories in the universe posted as well that are very sweet!)

☀️ one way, or another by hart (@blixabargelds)

Explicit, Kidnapping, Strangers to Lovers, Getting Together

Okay, so literally everything that she writes is fantastic. No one quite hurts Gale like she does (lol) and it's done with care and reason and it's beautiful to read. This story though, it's hard to find words to describe it. It's a modern au where Gale orchestrates his own kidnapping (for reasons) and John is the kidnapper. A truly unique plot that is executed so perfectly that I read it twice in one weekend. It's angsty, especially as Gale's circumstances seem to get more and more bleak, yet there is this light, romantic air to it throughout because of the dynamic the author creates between John and Gale. It's FUN. And reading should be fun. It's truly a masterpiece and you'll be hooked from the first paragraph.

☀️ before you say 'cut', wait five more seconds by phlegmatic (@irregularcollapse)

Explicit, Actors AU, Workplace Relationship, Sharing a Bed

She is one of those gold standard creators in my opinion. Not just in the Mota fandom, but just in general. The way she tells a story is captivating and you get the sense that every word written is there for a specific reason. The care she puts into the craft is evident and appreciated and while I’m too shy to have ever really interacted with her, I’m such a huge fan. I could rave endlessly about her work, but onto the specific story I’m recommending! This story follows Gale, an up and coming actor that gets his 'big break' when he's cast as one of the leads in a big movie. He's starring alongside John, who is already an very established name in the industry. They fall into bed (and never really leave for long) and along the way, start to fall for each other. It is clear that this universe the author created means a lot to them. It is so authentic and focused on acting as a craft, as an artform and I learned a lot about the industry from reading this. The turmoil, buzzing under the surface, that Gale feels about his career and his future is so palpable and so vivid, I felt the anxiety along with him. Her version of John in this story is one of my favorites. He's sweet and raw and brash and caring. I really could gush forever about this one. The characterization is so impressive, they're them, but they're also hers and they're layered and real and beautiful. Honestly, just go read it. You'll understand why I rambled and still couldn't manage to say anything eloquent.

☀️ Packages and Pet Names by youllneverrecme (@recmeidareya)

Modern Setting, First Meetings, First Dates, PTSD

Any pet name you could possibly imagine John using for Gale, this author has already thought of them (and more!). In this one, Gale is a war veteran and John is his local UPS driver. I went into this one thinking it would be a silly, funny, sexy story (and it is!), but it also so much more than that. It's tender. And it's sweet and it's gentle. The way this author writes Gale is beautiful. He feels so real to me. The care and thoughtfulness that clearly went into his background as a Soldier is very important to me. And watching him open himself to new things, to John and to love? It's been a wonderful journey to be on. And John in this? Absolutely amazing. He's funny and sharp and soft and he cares about Gale so much. I am genuinely enjoying watching them fall in love in this and I can't wait to read more. Every one should be reading this.

☀️ just stay with me (baby stay with me) by bcoflove (@bcolfanfic)

Teen+, Modern Setting, NYC, First Kiss

This story is so sugary sweet. The author has created a 'Cornerstore AU', on tumblr and posted a fic on AO3 on Super Bowl Sunday and I'm a little obsessed. Gale moved to NYC and ended up in bad living situation. But he finds solace in visiting a corner store where John works. I'm in love with this version of Gale. He's unsure of himself and he's awkward and he's so sweet. And John is a force of nature. Funny and kind and in Gale's corner. I hope the author is inspired to write more for this au, because I'd read a 100,000 words of this.

☀️ Driving In Your Car (I've Never Felt Safer) by Thetrystingtree (@alienoresimagines)

GA, Mutual Pining, Boys in Love, Fluff

One of my favorite things about this authors writing is that it always feels a bit like I’m reading poetry when I read her stories. There’s a lightness, a beauty to the way she weaves words together. It’s vivid and authentic and I can clearly picture the settings and feel the emotions in her stories. This story in particular is such a sweet premise. Gale is tired and John drives him around base in the jeep to allow him to rest a bit. The other night, I was lying in bed and I wanted something calming and gentle to read before I fell asleep. So I went to this authors page and found this story to reread because I knew her words were what I was looking for in that moment. It's sweet and funny and, just like all of her stories, always the perfect bedtime story.

☀️ I Won't Go Where You Can't Follow by stars_remain2 (@stars-remain2)

Teen+, Whump, Violence, Protective John

If you know me, you know I have a weak spot for Gale whump and John being protective and this story has both in SPADES. It is a canon-divergence, looking a what if? scenario where Gale doesn't go over the wall and is punished for his escape attempt. He's beaten while John is forced to watch and it's brutal and painful, but so well written and so beautifully explored. The way the guys rally around Gale to help him get through the march, the way John cares for him, the way Gale is so self-sacrificing...it's all woven together into a fantastic story. The cliffhangers are killing me, but I'm hanging on because it's too good to stop. And I just know some supreme comfort is coming after all of the hurt.

☀️ Looking for Eight by VoluptuosPanic (@weimarweekly)

Explicit, Modern Setting, Rodeo AU, Repressed Feelings, Love

I'll embarrass myself if I go on to much about this fic because it brings me such joy. John is bronc rider and Gale is farrier. In this modern au, they met and spent a few days together on a road trip, years ago and then they reconnect at a rodeo. This story is so calming and so gentle and so tender it will melt you into goo. The authors style is so unique and beautiful. Her words flow together in a way that honestly reminds me of water running over river rocks in a stream. I swear I have a dopey smile on my face while I read each chapter (and then reread it). This fic is breathtaking and wonderful and just one of my favorites I've ever read. I've never read a sweeter version of Gale and John. They're so tender with each other I could melt into goo just thinking about them. Read it!

☀️ cicada season by Swify_Fox (@swifty-fox)

Explicit, Modern Setting, PTSD, Past Child Abuse, Therapy

Oh, Swifty. A fandom staple and a masterclass talent. This fic is no exception. A modern au where Gale is a Phd student, working on an intense thesis breeding a rare breed of frogs and John is a contractor, hired to remodel the house Gale lives in with Crank and Marge. The research that went into this is evident and impressive and makes the story that much more compelling. Gale is practically made of barbed wire in this (for good reasons I dread to learn) and he's so three-dimensional. Each chapter begins with a therapy session for Gale as he works through trauma from his childhood. It's such a well crafted story in every aspect. John and Gale's dynamic is so fun and contentious and full of potential for something more. I'm in love with this one. You can feel the care that went into this one and every word you read means something special. Rachel's mind is truly a marvel and you are missing out if you haven't given this one a go yet.

This was fun! There is so much talent in this fandom and I have been having such a good time reading. As I was making this, I kept thinking of more and more, so I'm sure I'll be making another one of these at some point. 💕

For now though, I'm taking a little break from Tumblr. I'll still be writing and reading and posting on AO3, but I need some time off from social media for personal reasons.

Just wanted to spread some love before I disappear for a little while ❤️

[ptej1980]

Any thoughts on this? On Saturday, Nic liked the Netflix post, “Can Colin fight?” And JVNs quote following the London trip a day later that included The lyrics to the Lily Allen song 😭. That essentially said name her, asking us to look up those lyrics. Do you think it’s a subtle way of saying… Luke made a choice with A, it hurt Nicola, she turned to her friends over the summer, and now he’s coming back to her with regrets?

Just thoughts, though I do like to believe Luke and Nic are together. The SAG awards showed him being so enamored with her especially.. it’s just hard to believe if they are together they wouldn’t just come out and be done with it..

Hmmm….Firstly after everything we have seen and know I don’t think we need to look into the above IG activity too hard and over analyse.

I can understand why you may think 🤔 and wonder if it has some greater meaning and honestly if that is your thoughts then I don’t hold it against you as you have been incredibly polite and questions are always welcome.

Nic has put some very obvious signs out there, chaos week in August and then again in October with coordinated posts. IMO, liking a post of herself where she looks smoking hot. 🔥 yes it refers to Colin, however if you go through the IG post it also refers to real life couples. So I think it was just a like from our loveable chronically online Nic

JVN is always a little cryptic we know he likes to serve the tea and he has in the past actually been quite obvious in his posts and suggestions. This song I feel could be in reference to any number of people or situations and because I am confident in my ship this does not bother me.

I like to remind myself of every morsel and crumb that we have been given. And 3 things

1. Polaroid 2 rings 3 proximity, heart eyes soulmate energy.

Polaroid is a grid post, she is also wearing her rings in a Grid Post.

Your main question was “If they are together why do they not come out and just say do”.

Ok so I will first pose the question for the other side of the coin, if Nic or Luke with there adjacent (especially Luke). Why would his PR team work so hard to remove traces of her off his SM, ask her to remove her tags of him, and shut down and remove editable feature on wikerpedia delete all that says he was in a relationship with her? Why is she nowhere on his SM not a story, or a tag for either event he took her to. Why did look miserable at those events and we heard him say “let’s get this done”. If he was in a relationship with her why would he interact with his costar like he does. You know who is in his IG grid a lot ….Nic. Vice versa Luke is the main feature in hers.

There are many theories as to why they may not have gone public. I am a firm ring Truther hard core Lukola shipper who has never jumped so many things have puzzled me.

1. NDA/PR is the most common reason that fandom has speculated. I feel that this plays a big part in why they may not have launched. They are following the stipulations of a contract and keeping the personal lives private.

2. Professional credibility. There love is literally art imitating life. Luke and Nic built a solid friendship both admitting they are best friends that have a great love for each other. The delay in launch may be simply because they want to be taken seriously as actors.

I think it may be a combination of the two. They both have worked so hard and to have it judged as just besties falling in love would be hard, they also seem to have to overcome some hurdles and navigate this new chapter of their life with their family. The hurdle might be annoying but it is providing privacy.

I hope this helps alleviate any concerns or confusion. Thanks 🙏 for the ask 💛🐝

[pandemonini]

some rambling about nagi and reo's relationship because I'm bored

The discourse around these two is once again piping hot with the release of chapter 306. Originally I wanted to make a whole essay complete with exhibits about this but I honestly feel too lazy so I'm just going to go off in a rant instead. (Maybe I'll do the essay some day, though. They deserve it cause their relationship is more complicated and in-depth than most BL I've read).

I want to preface this by saying that as annoying as I find the whole biased pov issue between the fans of the two, this kind of thing isn't exclusive to the two of them when it comes to fandom. It's almost always the case that whenever there is a pair of flawed characters interacting, there is a tendency to have a bigger bias for one of them regardless of the actual canon interactions and whatever issues the two of them may have. But I will say that I find it more frustrating in this case because for once I can't even blame the author for being vague or inconsistent. Kaneshiro is Very clear and consistent with the way he writes these two more so than anyone else in the series imo, it's why they're my favourites, and then I'm like 'oh let's see what everyone else thinks' and then immediately regret my choice.

The thing about Nagi and Reo's relationship is that a lot of Reo's earlier actions, especially at the starting point of their acquaintance, would've come off way worse if Nagi was a girl. Showing up in front of his house unannounced in a fancy car, chasing him around school grounds, basically wearing him down into agreeing with him, none of that would've been okay if Nagi was a female character. When Reo says that he forced Nagi into playing football, it's obvious that atp he's become conscious of the fact that his earlier actions weren't entirely healthy approaches to interacting with someone and getting them interested in your hobby. And this is a more realistic viewing but it gets even worse when you consider their social standings, Reo being the scion of a billionaire while Nagi doesn't even have any family members around to protect him. But the general response to Reo actually apologising for those things was utter dismissal of the words, because Nagi himself disregarded them and only ever expressed gratefulness to Reo.

But here is the thing: as a reader, we're not always supposed to see things from the characters perspective, that's why we have literary techniques like dramatic irony. We, as the readers, are supposed to perceive that as a moment of reflection for both of them where they finally become transparent about their feelings. That Nagi disregarded that apology isn't proof that Reo didn't do anything wrong, because Nagi the character would not think that way. Nagi sees him as the light of his life, rightfully so because at the end of the day, the mistakes Reo made back then don't define their entire relationship, which clearly means more to Nagi than even football. That was always the case because what brought color to Reo's life was football, but it was Reo who brought color to Nagi's, football is just an extension of that.

It brings me back to what Nagi' voice actor said, about how Nagi ultimately feels more strongly about Reo than Reo does about him. This was ALWAYS the case, because the transactional nature of their relationship is something Reo established whereas Nagi was clearly becoming emotionally attached to him very quickly and very hard. And it's part of the really good nuances in their relationship that this isn't immediately obvious, owing to the way Reo is more expressive and passionate while Nagi is more stoic and subtle.

A lot of people like to point to that scene in the prequel chapter where Reo says Nagi is irreplaceable as a moment of foreshadowing, and they're not wrong about that, but they Are wrong about what this moment is foreshadowing, or at least the full context of it. Because the fact of the matter is that Nagi NEVER replaced Reo, so it couldn't be foreshadowing THAT. So what was the foreshadowing about? It's actually very obvious but it's the kind of thing a good chunk of fans like to overlook, and it's how Reo was ONLY talking about Nagi's value in the context of football, not about Nagi himself, as a person. He says, verbatim, that he would not have approached Nagi if it weren't for his football talent. What this scene foreshadowed is Reo's attachment to Nagi growing far beyond the boundaries of that quid pro quo situation--that the moment he felt that HE was being replaced, it mattered to him not because of the defeat he experienced, but because he lost Nagi Seishirou because of it.

I always loved the Second Selection arc because it would've been so easy for knshr to just reduce that situation to a pompous rich boy losing the toy he picked up, but instead he made sure to keep it more grounded, to treat the characters actually realistically: two teenage boys with wildly different yet so similar personalities ending up inevitably clashing because they never properly parsed through their feelings or established the boundaries of their relationship (which isn't exactly atypical for teenagers). But lo and behold, the fandom did all the work for him in terms of placing 100% of the blame squarely on the shoulders of one of them.

Going back to what I said about how this kind of situation where two characters are paired and then have a disagreement between them always being reduced to a mess of biased discourse, what I always hate about it is that it completely diminishes what I personally find most enjoyable when I read something, and it's character growth.

For all that the non-reddit dudebro side of fandom likes to call out the reddit dudebros for always just caring about who wins the most games and not about the characterisation, a lot of them seem to think the only maturing Reo had to do is him getting better at football and his self-esteem that ended up in shambles after the fallout with Nagi.

Which, okay, let's address that.

There is no arguing that what Nagi did then was WRONG and that he owed Reo an apology way sooner than he ended up giving it, but I also feel like we're not considering exactly WHY Nagi walking away hit Reo so hard. And again, I don't even know why there is a misunderstanding here when the text very straightforwardly explains an important reason for why Reo had a catastrophic breakdown was because this moment was the first time he had something actually taken from him, when all his life he was used to just owning whatever he wanted. And I have no idea why it has to be explained how that's a REALLY fucked up and unhealthy way of thinking about another person. We literally see Reo during that monologue thinking about all the awards and toys he would receive growing up, THAT is what losing Nagi is being compared to. When I say that their relationship was always complicated and they're always been flawed, I'm not talking about Reo being too unforgiving or potentially unreasonable. Reo had all the right in the world to be furious at Nagi for walking away like that, that was NOT the issue. Reo's fault with regard to that whole thing is that he himself established that relationship of mutual benefit (that's actually more to HIS benefit since Nagi had yet to genuinely enjoy football up to that point, he enjoyed being with Reo but that's something Reo didn't seem entirely conscious of) and then got angry when the person on the other hand didn't play by his unwritten rules.

And again, YES Nagi should've handled that better, but I genuinely believe that no amount of him gently explaining himself would've stopped Reo from freaking out. Because Reo inherently had that issue, stemming from his unhealthy family life where clearly his parents thought shoving material wealth in his face is enough affection on a normal Tuesday, where he tied his own value to ownership and to winning. It was always ingrained in his psyche that he is perfect, that he HAS to be perfect, and so Nagi leaving would've always been "Nagi is abandoning me to be with someone better" in his head and would've set him off. And that's where the self-esteem issues come from, that's why you don't just spoil your kids endlessly in a materialistic way. It fucks up their perception of normal human interaction.

(Sounds familiar doesn't it? It almost seems like Nagi and Reo parallel each other, sharing similar problems yet in contrasting ways.)

I don't have any grand statement to finish this off with other than that I don't understand how you can love Reo without paying attention to how he grew out of his very real flaws, that stripping him of those flaws and mistakes just takes away so much of the high that came with that emotional speech him and Nagi had when Nagi lost, why it was so significant to have him say the things he did. How the two of them came full circle to the very beginning of their relationship, the mistakes they made, and how much they meant to each other, and watching that culminate into another heartbreak because unfortunately that's also a normal teenage experience.

Neither Nagi nor Reo are master manipulators out to abuse each other. They both did objectively wrong things, the mistakes they made don't define their relationship but they didn't just go away with the wind either. They never started off the right foot, and in the toxic environment of Blue Lock, it was inevitable that it would come crashing down when Reo still didn't let go of his insecurities and Nagi still let fear keep him from fully embracing football and Reo.

Reo and Nagi didn't fail because they depended on each other. They failed because they never defined the nature of their dependence, never fully became in sync with each other, just enough to work briefly but end up bumping against each other and tripping at a critical moment.

(P.S. if you happen to see this and get mad that I mainly focused on Reo' faults in this, just go to any other tag to read someone bitching about Nagi. Trust me, you'll find them.)

[dollypopup]

The way some of y'all talk about Luke Newton is just. . .I need this fandom to check itself with a swiftness, because the very thinly veiled ableism is ENOUGH. Like it is WILD to see, in the year of our lord 2024, people either actively infantalizing or talking down this grown man.

Calling Luke Newton stupid for behaviors that are just him displaying his Neurodivergence? Ableism. Saying it because it takes him longer to answer a question is ableism. Saying it because he said something 'incorrectly' or not as eloquently on the fly as his neurotypical costars? Ableism.

Saying he's boring because he's quiet or he doesn't talk as much (because he often needs more processing time and/or has anxiety to surmount) is ableism. Knitpicking his social media and how he doesn't interact as much with a fandom that has actively been cruel to him is ableism.

Assuming Luke is out here like some helpless little lamb clinging to Nicola because 'oh, she's his comfort person!' instead of recognizing that they both lean on and like each other? Is ableism. Saying he has a one sided infatuation with her BECAUSE he needs her as said comfort person is ableism. Essentially being all 'awwww, poor wee baby, he has anxiety so thankfully his neurotypical costar is there to pick up the slack!' is. ableism. You cannot in one breath say that Nicola's love language is touch but also that Luke is the only one ever reaching to hold her hand because he needs her to ground him. That's ableism.

They both like each other. They have a very close relationship and they both clearly admire the other and like to be around one another. To frame it as him being some inept toddler and her as his more capable caretaker and 'thank God he has her to give him the save' is ableism! That's ableism, babes!! And in many cases people don't recognize that's what they're taking part in, but that's what it is.

He is a grown man and a hell of an actor. Yes, he's quieter than some of his costars. Yes, he contemplates what he says in his mind before he says it, and it takes him some time to do so. Yes, he doesn't behave the way his neurotypical peers do. He doesn't have to. He won't- because he has a neurodivergent brain. And he shouldn't have to behave as a neurotypical person or an 'acceptable' neurodivergent person to have respect from people who claim to be his fans.

He's been outspoken and unapologetic about being a neurodivergent actor with ADHD and dyslexia and how that can contribute to difficulties in the current media machine. He has discussed his coping mechanisms. He has specifically done so because he knows how difficult it can be to be a neurodivergent person in the limelight, and he uses that spotlight to show other neurodivergent actors they can be successful, too. And people saw this openly neurodivergent man and said some mad out of pocket nonsense about him.

As the tour comes to a close, I just really need people to look back on their beliefs and viewpoints during it and do some reflection, because I am side-eying a LOT of takes that have gone largely uncontested.

[fawnspotholiday]

Ralsei thoughts

I used to draw Ralsei a lot more, I still love him! But I also feel like my interest in him has waned a little haha... just because... I dunno what to make of Ralsei really. I do still think of Ralsei as a victim of whatever's happening and the recent chapters made that even more obvious. I've never believed Ralsei was evil. But I can't say I would necessarily consider him innocent, either. Especially after ch 4.

He's all knowing, supposedly, he's a train on tracks, and so by default... I dunno, can he ever be genuine? There's a disconnect there. It's ironic because after ch 4 the fandom felt more for him but its sort of flipped for me, I actually feel like I feel less for him. Because it's really all an act... even down to knowing the solutions to puzzles? It makes me wonder like ah... why are you even here then... do you need to be here? Isn't it just kind of frustrating if you could get us through every world faster but you choose not to?

But I understand that Ralsei is a guide, is trying to create an enjoyable experience for us, for Susie. They are an actor in a game. It's a role that brings them anguish, because they really do want to connect. But they feel an obligation to this game. Out of the sense of purpose they were born with, and seeing it as the only way to enjoy their life - having fun on these adventures.

I've always thought of Ralsei as something created by Kris, it seemed very heavily implied. It still does. But his erm... "properties" are more mysterious now. Why would he know solutions to puzzles? It's sort of like Ralsei automatically receives a "map" of each dark world he enters and all the information about it. And of course his ability to access every Dark World has always been mysterious. My theory has been it being due to him being connected to an object Kris carries on him - but if it's just an inherent quality he has then we know he could enter the bunker dark world and tell us what's inside.

Ofc he doesn't because he's working with Kris, that's obvious. When Susie's stressed over the Knight he even subtly encourages her to drop it. And when he told the knight to not make another dark fountain I got the sense he was breaking character in that moment a little like "whoa hey that's too far wait a second!" There's also the "How could you" if you "defeat" the knight and they knock out Susie - another moment where you get the feeling it's Ralsei saying that's just too far even if he's part of all this.

And so, what power does Kris and the Knight have over this seemingly all-knowing being? It doesn't seem like Ralsei is on the power end of this relationship - why is he letting himself be used?

It makes Ralsei make sense as a creation of Kris again (& perhaps Dess, maybe even Asriel?) - because since we know its presumably been Kris and Dess creating these dark worlds he would perhaps be given insider knowledge - informed beforehand or connected to their wills somehow. It makes sense then why it takes Ralsei so long to catch up to us in Susie's dark world, since it would not be something he's connected to/familar with.

But why would Kris and Dess have the power to create a being like Ralsei?

It's maybe something similar to how Dess has seemingly fused with a titan. Maybe Ralsei was a dark world being they discovered or summoned and then fused with properties of a darkner to act as a guide to carry out their plans.

It's mysterious! But I can't help but find Ralsei a bit frustrating in the end because he's obviously uncomfortable with so many things but he just goes along with it ultimately... I assume it's for a greater good. You can't blame him. But it makes him, of all the characters we interact with, the most fake... But I hope after chapter 4 he's more himself. But I remain doubtful. He says he'll speak up more to Susie, but we all know that he still can't tell her the things that really matter. So in the end he is still lying, still deceiving someone placing a lot of trust in him. Susie is in for a lot of heartbreak when she finds out all the friends she's made have been lying to her and probably using her in some way. And will Ralsei feel sorry for himself when that moment comes? Because he already knows now how much it hurts Susie, yet he still goes along... so...

I think chapter 4 vindicated Ralsei as a victim, but it also revealed how dirty his hands will be when it's all done.

[lacrimosathedark]

The Radioapple Haters™️ are at it again.

This time they're attacking shippers with the newly released Playbill.

There's so many issues with that. Beyond harassing people for ships is dumb.

This is what people are pointing at.

This is on the cast info page. It says Lucifer misses his wife.

So, three things about that.

Firstly, We Been Knew, babe.

His very first appearance, after his daughter says her parents split up, he's in a room covered in pictures of not just said daughter, but her mother too, and he's still wearing a presumed wedding band. If that's not "showing not telling" with a goddamn airhorn, idk how more clear it could get without Lucifer flat out saying he misses Lilith. So like...this is not new info. So there's nothing to really rub in. We knew this.

Secondly, this is in-character Lucifer saying this.

I'm not a professional, but when I was in high school performances, we wrote our own little Playbill bio info things. That seems to carry into professional ones too. If you can read the actual cast, some of the the actors less entrenched in the fandom culture have basically an IMDB of their relevant previous roles, while the ones you see at cons are more personable. Those were written by the actors. So, logically, the character bios are written as if by the characters. This could not be made more obvious.

So, logically, you can read that little above as Lucifer himself actually saying he misses his wife. Which leads me to--

Third, break-ups are messy and painful and Lucifer not moving on, unwilling to remove his ring or call Lilith his ex, doesn't mean they are still together. Hell, they could still even be technically married, doesn't mean they're still romantically entangled.

Look, I know the only seeming one-sided relationships in the show is Vox/Alastor and Adam/Lilith and every other "pair" are together or at least friendly (Chaggie, Huskerdust, Cherrisnake, Staticmoth, Guitarspear) but not every separation has to be a violent resentful split. Lucifer is explicitly Depressed™️ which can be hard for any partner to deal with, especially someone as ambitious as Lilith. It wouldn't be surprising if she, not even cruelly, thought she'd be more successful away from him even if he still loves her.

And all this is on top of the fact that most Radioapple shippers don't expect their ship to happen (some hope it does, some hope it doesn't, I'm personally neutral on the concept), and that a lot of writers and artists explicitly acknowledge and use Lucifer's love for Lilith in Radioapple because people love the drama.

I have several posts listing why one might ship Radioapple so I won't go off about it here, but suffice to say the entanglement between Lilith and Alastor and how the two are similar and different makes interacting with Lucifer interesting from any angle.

This also hurts me personally a bit because a lot of these people are Lucilith shippers and, yall, I'm one of you. I don't want them to get back together for many reasons, but I would love to see endless flashbacks of them obnoxiously in love. Most of my favorite works of fanart aren't even Radioapple, my primary ship, but Lucilith, in large part because of how adorable they are. How indulgent or smitten Lilith can look. How adorably excited or flustered or just happy Lucifer can be.

I love Lucilith. I adore Lucifer. I just also think his interactions with Alastor are funny and intriguing.

We don't need to hate each other. We can try to keep our little sandboxes separate, but we can play nice when we spill into each other, can't we?

I am really just so sick of the silly in-fighting. It costs zero dollars and zero energy to not be a dick. Need to type out a rant to get it out and off your chest? cool. But you can post it privately or delete it instead of going into peoples' ask boxes and and posts to be nasty. Not having the self control and wherewithal to not go out of your way to be a dick to people is honestly pretty pathetic. If you think you're so much better, prove it by being better, or being smug in your space. Making people feel like shit for a nonexistent fictional relationship does literally nothing for anyone and makes YOU look worse.

Dislike the ship all you want. No one cares either way. Just don't waste your limited time in this life making your distaste everyone else's problem.

[problematicbyler]

an incomplete history of byler sexuality discourse

and how widespread fandom purity culture and homophobia created a flourishing nsfw sub-fandom

some may call me chronically online, but i call myself a fandom historian. i've been a member of some fandom or another since i was about thirteen, and i've always been interested in the rise and fall of fandom discourse. though it's annoying in the moment it's happening, i think it's very interesting and telling to look back at the overall arcs and trends.

so, let's talk about the many times the fandom has cancelled people over byler sexuality, and how each level of "hornygate" has contributed to the growth of the proship/byler smut community.

(i use the term proship in its intended definition, which is to say, not "problematic shipping," but rather being pro-fiction, anti-censorship, and anti-harassment; it is a position of believing the fiction one creates or consumes doesn't reflect a person's real life beliefs or morals.)

i have been a stranger things lover since season 1, a byler shipper since season 2, and an active part of the byler community on tumblr since season 4. i'll mostly be focusing on post-season 4 discourse because that's what i've really been most present for and that was the period that really marked a turning point in the fandom.

seasons 1-3

i wasn't as plugged into fandom discourse back in the day, but the broad strokes of early discourse was mostly thinly veiled homophobia. claiming that it was sexualization to assume will or mike could be queer despite blatant queer coding, implying that analysts were no better than will's bullies to assume his sexuality, etc etc. people were criticized for shipping byler at all because they were so young (but these people naturally had no issue with mileven, so, again, homophobia).

season 4 (may-july 2022)

now, season 4. this is where byler was brought to the attention of a lot more fans, and stranger things' viewership reached wider than ever. the byler fandom on tumblr booms from 4k to 100k over the course of season 4's release.

this brought a lot of new people who have never been in fandoms before, people who never learned don't like don't read or your kink is not my kink and that's okay or ship and let ship.

or, a lot of times, people who had only been in fandoms for celebrities and bands, which tend to have different rules when it comes to shipping and sex, because they're real people. hence a lot of young antis' conflation of character with their actors, but that's a different rant.

so with a rapidly growing fandom, a show ripe for analysis, and the art of media literacy bleeding out on the ground in front of us, the hellscape of the fandom post-season 4 in 2022 followed as such:

august 2022

jo/kendra gate where two extremely popular analysts were called out for "sexualizing" byler while being adults (early to mid 20s). they were dogpiled and harassed because one of them said that will was giving mike "bedroom eyes" (he was) and one of them said mike was checking will out (he was):

pyshiie and moogate. the proship side of byler twitter rose up and started to divide itself. i'll credit my own joining-the-dark-side to pyshiie and moo, formerly barbjeanisms, who were two popular artists called out respectively for sexualizing byler and generally being proship. similarly, people were called out and criticized for even following or interacting with those accounts after this discourse.

september 2022

hosegate is the most famous across the byler fandom, and it's when some users proposed that the scene in the pizzeria uses phallic imagery to imply mike turns will on (or vice versa) and a lot of people thought that was too sexualized, it caused a divide, and more fanpolicing, etc.

october 2022

the artist noodlesandtea was harassed for having liked arguably nsfw bakudeku art (they were shirtless, it wasn't explicit) on the same account where they draw characters who are minors. they also drew byler kissing, which was a problem for some? anyone who defended them was also called a pedo, naturally. noodles also got called out for having drawn fanart of the popular e-rated fanfiction....

the unmarked mixtape. a massively popular sequel to a massively popular fic, the red envelope. for a long time, those were the most widely recommended byler fics, but it very soon became taboo to even admit to reading them because the sequel has explicit sex and the first has them making out.

sonnet116 gate is another fic that was beloved and then rapidly turned on by byler twitter because it had implied, fade to black sex scenes. it was about them hooking up but had no smut. and even the non explicit idea of that was offensive and pedophilic of anyone who dared read it. around this time, another fic was called out for having will moaning into a kiss, because writing a teenager moaning was also offensive and pedophilic.

i'm told i (jana / troublebyler gate?) may have influenced a lot of people joining twitter for byler smut after writing illicit affairs and some other smutty oneshots in rapid succession, seeing a lot of byler shippers moving to the proship side of the fandom just to discuss and write byler smut. i also hosted a little fandom gossip column on my curiouscat where a lot of folks confessed to reading or writing smut while pretending to be "normal" in the "main" fandom. it basically revealed/implied that a large amount of popular authors, artists, and accounts were secretly pro byler smut, and that many proshippers were "undercover" in the "main" fandom.

the blocklist era. around this time the "main" fandom also created a "st twt safety" account on twitter which was basically targeted harassment and mass reporting of proshippers. the account does warn of some genuine bad actors sending gore images via dms, being racist, etc. but by far, the majority of it was simply calling out proshippers for sexualizing byler, sharing screenshots they thought were "gross," which only resulted in spreading nsfw content to unintended audiences of minors that likely never would have seen the nsfw accounts otherwise.

november 2022

practice kissing gate is where a handful of popular fic writers were criticized for writing practice kissing fics (such as undertow), and in fact, any amount of byler making out, because adults "fantasizing" about teenagers kissing was "gross."

the proship corner of st twitter continued to grow a lot thanks to so many lovely fan creators, all of whom i couldn't possibly list but who have done a lot for the community! but we continued to get bombarded with endless callout posts and block lists and witch hunting. people were unabashedly policing people's following lists and likes on twitter to call people out for engaging with any questionable users or content. (if you search byler twitter now you can still see the wreckage of so many witch hunts.)

onward through 2023

over time things have mostly calmed down, or at least enough of the folks on "opposing sides" of the fandom have mutually blocked each other to survive. this is likely also influenced by the hiatus leaving the fandom to quiet down, the collapse of twitter-turned-x having many users migrate their fandom content elsewhere, and the mass exodus of many people from the fandom for political reasons. if i had to guess, the ramp-up to season 5 will see all new conflict as more "casual" fans return to the fandom. but who's to say.

which brings us to now:

spicybylerpolls gate, wherein the byler tag on tumblr collectively had to reckon with the fact that people want byler to have sex and it doesn't make them creeps to vote in silly polls about it. people criticized the blog for being overly sexualized and pure fantasy versus more "acceptable" analysis, with many making sweeping moralizing statements about anyone who dared interact with the blog.

this has kicked off tumblr's own sort of horny revolution in encouraging folks to be more open on here, whereas previously we were confined to our corner of twitter.

so in summary:

people over and over again put fan creators on a pedestal just to turn on them when they're "betrayed" when a person's views did not one-to-one line up to theirs.

teens in the fandom especially were "betrayed" by adults in the fandom they thought were "safe" (and i would argue that self proclaimed "safe" adults in fandom are far more dangerous to real life minors than the proship fans who sexualize fictional characters but dont interact with real teens)

most everything has been fueled by widespread ageism at any fan over the age of 18, widespread homophobia and puritanism in regards to exploring queer sexuality or discussing sex at all

so much hate has been over what are essentially "thought crimes", with people watering down serious accusations like pedophilia into a petty insult over disagreements on fiction

and the cycle repeats itself endlessly until things devolve back into witch hunting and policing peoples following and likes etc

the best part to me is that every single cancellation just resulted in more people flooding to the horny side of the fandom to post more freely and without shame. every time a person on twitter posted screenshots of my account to say how "gross" it was (while simultaneously exposing my 18+ nsfw content to their audience of minors) i had a surge in followers. the more the fandom squeezes, the more people slip from its hold.

but that doesn't make the harassment campaigns okay, and it doesn't mean the fandom didn't do massive amounts of harm to real people in an attempt to protect fictional characters.

my hope going forward is that the fandom can coexist as a community where people don't have to like or agree with certain content to treat the people who create it with respect and dignity. and i hope that, while this side of the fandom might grow more on tumblr, we don't have to relive the same old discourses and go through the same cycles we went through on twitter.

and remember kids, the block button is both free and fun.

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

Same Anon here,

I'm sorry if you're tired of the SmartBoom asks, I have like no one to indulge my thoughts with and I really appreciate your insight. I would hope Smartboom still interact with each other "nicely", because even if they don't do season 2 together; they still have to do promotions until the end of the year which makes no sense to me. I wonder how Smart is going to release his album this year especially if this paring ends. Which makes me wonder if thats why he's been rejecting couple events even though he said he didn't reject any in his live. I totally agree that Smart has more of an uphill batte with getting people to care about his music than Boom with his acting; espeically with people planning on boycotting GIR. This will be very difficult for Smart if he does end up in a different bl pairing again because people will remember this especially if he is still with GIR. Hopefully, everything works out well and this will just turn into "lore" for the fandom. If both companies choose not to continue with each other, I don't seeing this ending well as SmartJames did or BoomHaii did. Then again those end due to a show flopping (i.e. Chain of Hearts) and no news (i.e. Just Say Yes). This is so long, I'm so sorry.

Hello! And so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. It's been a lot 😅

Actually, I stand by my statement in the first part of the Top Form Goes TOO Meta saga that Smart would have a big problem entering TPop regardless if Top Form succeeded or not, just because of the very nature of Thai Pop Music being unforgiving for non-group acts. BL actor and singer Daou Pittaya actually talked about this during the first Laz1 single launch-- that the best way to get a newbie to enter Thai Pop Music is through a group, whether in a band, in a duo/project, or in boy/girl groups). He'd been trying to break through alone for years, similar to his friend, GMMTV talent Joong (which is surprising, given how much of an all-rounder Daou and Joong both are: singers, dancers, musicians, and hosts-- wrapped in very extroverted and outgoing personalities). The only time Daou got a chance to enter the scene was through an idol reality show.

This is why solo idols often resort to entering BL just to get any recognition for their music. Jeff Satur is also a PHENOMENAL all-rounder and musical prodigy who found his footing through BL. Nunew is another, whose musical talent was first discovered thru the OSTs of his series. Noeul is breaking through by collaborating with rappers in duos. Billkin and PP individually and jointly release music, and they still somehow tie their music branding to their branded BL pair. This is why BL companies (like GMMTV and Mandee) produce boy groups instead of just launching their talents individually. LYKN, already a boy group, had to promote themselves through BL series ThamePo for better visibility. It's easier to get into the acting industry, especially BL, and gain recognition for it, than actually sticking to just music.

I think this was GIR's intent all along-- the reason why they keep loaning Smart to companies like MMY and WeTV is to get his music off the ground thru BL. This would be well and good if they had done the PROPER and responsible job of producing any tangible music for Smart in the first place. WeTV did a better job of promoting Smart's music when they placed him in that guest spot for Chuang Asia 2 than anything else GIR ever posted. But the problem is, the series is here, it's already a hit, but Smart HAS NO MUSIC YET to speak of. Not even a single they could have launched alongside (or prior to) airing TF. They can't say "Smart will now focus on music" when THERE IS NO MUSIC.

Instead, what Smart has is a body of tangible work in acting. So the issue here now lies with the conflict of interest between these two companies-- Headliner, as an ACTING agency, wants the actor to return a profit on ACTING adjacent work. GIR wants to ease Smart off of the acting to return profits for their company as a RECORD LABEL (originally). Again, they could've had better odds of negotiating if Smart had any music portfolio to behold (which I do not blame Smart for, as it is the responsibility of the label to produce music for the artist).

I actually feel that WeTV is done with all the back and forth (aren't we all?). I assumed this based on their lack of reaction every time GIR announced Smart's prior solo deals, and in one grandiose move to burn every bridge they had with GIR after multiple contract breaches, they had the utter audacity of having TaiLai, the producer of Top Form and their smallest branch, announce Smart's removal instead of Headliner (their acting agency) themselves. Tencent, who owns WeTV (and Headliner, Image Future, and TaiLai) is the 17th most valuable company IN THE WORLD, and WeTV is one of the biggest major media players in Asia (they have 900 million paying subscribers dear God). They're a conglomerate and they don't care if they lose SmartBoom in the crossfire-- they can make other pairs, heck partner Boom up with someone else even. They've lost bigger stars before, and they've launched superstars ten times the fame of both Smart and Boom. Smart to them, is a statistic. And that's what GIR failed to realize when they tried to double-cross WeTV (and if the rumors are true, then anon, GIR allegedly also screwed over Mame for Just Say Yes. But I can't speak on it just yet because there's hardly any proof of this beyond rumors, and I don't wanna do you like that).

The only reason Headliner even bothers is because Top Form was such an expensive IP (Japanese IPs are the most expensive in the world strictly because of their government's protection of original work), and that TF actually MADE them a profit, and they know they can double that because of its popularity. But they can recast-- they've done it before, they can do it again. This is all just very small-minded to them because GIR has already proven to be a liability. Look at how they casually threw GIR (and Smart) under the bus with just one statement, then announced that the photobook fansign with Boom WILL continue with or without Smart (as the biggest "fuck you" to GIR). It's actually so appaling in a way only billionaire companies can be.

What this all means, is that you're right anon. The only casualties here are Smart and Boom. Thank God the Chinese fans latched on to Boom so quickly, and I hope they keep that fanbase, because just as fast as WeTV can recast Smart, they can do the same for Boom. They can cite plot believability as the reason for choosing a new Jin and Akin, since we've so closely associated Smart with Boom. Boom having a solid fanbase means they'll be more hesitant to recast Akin without alienating TF's existing fans. So sad too because BoomHaii failed specifically because the show didn't earn enough money to justify its cost. You'd think Boom finding a profitable branded pair would spell the end of his troubles, but ironically, it didnt.

As for Smart, I dunno how I can help you man, can you please just leave your blockhead of a company? Please? It's so utterly narcissistic and IDIOTIC of GIR to think that they can take advantage of and double-cross a company as big as WeTV. It's like a pickpocket attempting to steal a wallet from an organized crime ring. Then they'll backtrack once they realize the guns have been pointed directly at them.

What a shitshow no? Bloody interesting really, but a shitshow nonetheless. Anyway, we can only hope for the best but expect the worst. Hope you have a good day, anon.

[dadattebayo]

So today I bumped on this post and wanted to share some thoughts on the subject, but the account I reblogged it from seems to be off now so I lost my post and no one sees it. Still want to keep it, so...

Sorry, with all respect, but I just don’t get it. Like … WHY should we stop asking them about the thing they actually play? What exactly so bad happens to them if we do? By the thing I mean Haladriel as a ship. They play it. Literally.

Come one, it's obvious the show itself launched the ship. Intentionally, using all classic cinematic tools to make the exact romantic subtext visible to the audience (like gestures, poses, camera angles, looks eyes to eyes, sensual whisper) so we could definitely read it as romantic even if they refuse to confirm it openly. (Due to the possible unhinged reaction of the lorebros, I’m sure) So basically the show implied romance between them from the beginning, and now since they are stepping back, we just have to be ashamed to ask questions? Surely the actors give more interviews then the showrunners, because they are the faces of the characters, their representatives, they could give you the insight no one else could give since they play it and are the most involved in their personalities and emotions. They should be able to explain their motives and thoughts. This is how the acting craft works, they must FEEL the character. This is why for fans, hearing actors discuss a ship is like hearing the characters discuss their own feelings.

See what I mean? Typical romantic cinematic hint.

So again why shouldn't we ask them? why not let the actors talk about their interpretation? Miriel and Elendil's actors shouldn't be asked about them too, or it only concerns Morfydd and Charlie for some reason?

For god sake we all know the ship is doomed, there will be no future, but still the show revolves around them, even in the end of s2 he still mentioned she's his queen. But there was not enough interaction, mostly ambiguous one that we have to explain and develop ourselves, so why should we be deprived as well of their vision and of any extra detail we would like to know from the first hands? | don't feel like it.

And I think people just need to stop decide for the actors how they feel and being overprotective over literally nothing. Shipping is a part of any fan culture. And the actors are not made of glass, they actually are even supposed to speak out. Once again: the show presented and developed the ship. The actors play the characters of this ship. They play the feelings we all see. They are aware of the subtext. They do not feel ashamed to play it. They are not ashamed to play those characters. So we don't have to be ashamed to want to know more about what they play, what they mean and what is their vision on it. There is no harm being caused.

I actually miss good all days when the actors were not considered this sensitive. like for example during the promotion of the X-MEN both Mcavoy and Fassbender got unstoppably asked like million questions about their MAGNETO/XAVIER (Cherik) ship, they were shown fanarts and fanfics, even the explicit ones, they even had to read out loud some about themselves (yeah-yeah, not their characters, but specifically real-person ship aka FassAvoy). No one got offended. One can say they even encouraged it. Homosexual ship. McAvoy was married at that time. Still they were goofing around, touching each other and hugging all the time, talking about their character bromance and generally spreading fanservice all over the fandom. They were having fun alongside with the fans. This was gold.

By the way the same story with their characters: they are a protagonist and a villain , two opposites with sort of cosmic connection, they just won’t let each other go peacefully. There is love, hate, friendship, rivalry and pain. Some fans see them as a friends/foes, shippers like me see them as lovers. This ship is giant, and thank for the actors interaction and involvement into the fandom it just got deeper and much more exciting.

Highly recommended to explore.

Remind you of something? 🙃