#it's like skam all over again

[satan-is-obsessed]

i just got so sad cause i remembered that when season 5 comes out it's over

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: April 2024 ~ 

🌷 Happy May!!! ☀️

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Love is Like a Cat - April 1st (South Korea / Thailand) 

🌟 We Are - April 3rd (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Memory in the Letter - April 6th (Thailand) 

🌟 Living With Him - April 11th (Japan) 

🌟 Gray Shelter - April 11th (South Korea) 

🌟 Beating Again - April 13th (Thailand)

🌟 Blue Boys - April 15th (South Korea)

🌟 At 25:00 in Alasaka - April 18th (Japan)

🌟 GMMTV2024 Part 2 (lineup event) - April 23rd (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Boys Be Brave - April 25th (South Korea) 

🌟 CHANGE2561 2024 lineup event - April 25th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 My Stand-In - April 26th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 City Boy Log Vol. 3 - April 30th (South Korea)

New series & movie announcements

🎥 The Fridge - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Flavor of Us (starring Benjamin B., Dome W. & others) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Children's Day - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Blue Time - Date TBA (China, possibly censored)

🎥 Bad Guy My Boss - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Oriental Magician In The Ent. Circle - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Under the Oak Tree - Date TBA (Vietnam)

🎥 Invitation - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Love Matter - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Saw You in My Dream - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Wish You the Best - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Impression of Youth - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Meet You at the Blossom - Date TBA (Taiwan)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ The production company Studio WabiSabi announced that their actors Boun N., Prem W., Santa P., Sammy C., Yacht P. and Stamp P. have terminated their contracts and will no longer be artists under the company on April 15th. Shortly after, GMMTV announced the 6 of them as newly signed artists, along with the disclosure that BounPrem's upcoming BL Vampire Project is now being produced under GMMTV, who now also own all broadcasting rights; WabiSabi will function as a co-producer. New S. stated on Twitter that the decisions had been long in the making, as well as the fact that WabiSabi no longer functions as a management agency for actors and is now a mere production company. He also denied the rumors that the company is shutting down. Shortly after the transfer of the Wabi Sabi actors, actor Fluke Jeeratch (formerly Pongsakorn) joined GMMTV as well.

❗️ The Filipino BL Gameboys is getting a third season. An air date has not been confirmed.

❗️ P Ekkapop and Pan Jirachot, the lead actors from Kiseki Chapter 2, have announced a new project together. Details are unknown.

❗️ Actor Barcode Tinnasit has announced his departure from his agency Be On Cloud.

❗️ After some confusion, the Korean production company Studio X+U announced that their upcoming series Fragile - which was initially advertized as a Korean SKAM remake - is in fact not connected to the Norwegian web series and is instead a standalone series, which focuses on the life of a group of teenagers. According to ZUM News, there was supposed to be a Korean SKAM remake based on the Norwegian original, which was however cancelled due to unknown reasons. Fragile was created as a substitution.

❗️ GMMTV held their 2024 part 2 event on April 23rd. The following BL projects were announced:

The Heart Killers (starring FirstKhao & JoongDunk)

Perfect10 Liners (starring ForceBook, PerthChimon, JuniorMark)

Heart That Skips a Beat (starring EstWilliam)

Revamp (starring BounPrem, formerly known as Vampire Project)

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (starring MarkOhm)

The Ex-Morning (starring KristSingto)

❗️ The production company CHANGE2561 held their 2024 lineup event on April 25th. The following BL projects were announced:

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (starring SailubPon)

Goddess Bless You From Death (starring PavelPooh)

I’m The Most Beautiful Count (starring PingSupanut)

Pit Babe Season 2

Upcoming series & movies for May

👉🏻 You Made My Day (starring Tar A. and Bom T. from I Will Knock You) - May 3rd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Inverse Identity / Upside Down - Mary 3rd (China)

👉🏻 Wandee Goodday - May 4th (Thailand)

👉🏻 A Balloon's Landing - May 10th (Taiwan)

👉🏻 City of Stars: Special Episode - May 10th (Thailand, cinema release)

👉🏻 The Time of Fever (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - May 15th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Blossom Campus - May 16th (South Korea)

👉🏻 OMG! Vampire - May 19th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Manji Reverse - May 24th (Japan)

👉🏻 My Biker 2 - May 28th (Thailand)

[mooninagust]

making my bestie watch OF was the best thing ive ever done

[mondstalgia]

BL ships that I will never forget:

In a few weeks it's gonna be 14 years of obsessing over queer media, especially BL, so here are the ships always on my mind in no particular order.

Arata & Shingyouji (Takumi-kun Series 4: Pure, 2010): Listen the Takumi-kun Series from 2007 to like 2011 was my life as a (pre-)teen. In hindsight really sketchy but anyway haha. Those two really caught my eye back then though (especially their racy kisses) and I was happy they got their own bigger part in one of the movies.

Evan & Isak (Skam Season 3, 2016): Was there a queer European teen that wasn't obsessed with this season of Skam? I remember re-watching it so many times I could recite their text without speaking Norwegian. Plenty of beautiful Skam universe parallel couples out there but these two will remain the iconic blueprint.

ChenAi (Kiseki: Dear to me, 2023): Almost unfair to put them on here but seeing how I haven't been able to think about any other ship every single day for the last 3 months, I feel like it's justified. They just have everything I want and need to get hyperfixated on.

Seiryo & Yuzuru (Seven Days, 2015): Oh my, the way I loved this silly concept and how funny it was yet they managed to get me all emotionally involved in the span of two movies? Insane chemistry and just..everything I needed back then. Especially since it was then one of the very few BL's I saw without a sad ending.

KornKnock (Bad Romance 2016, Together With Me 2017 - 2018): Listen, plot wise Manner of Death is the absolute height to me but when it comes to MaxTul I will never forget them as Korn and Knock in these series. Forever grateful to all the fanvids that led me to finding my BL fathers. Chemistry forever out of this world. Also shout out to Yiwha, best female character in any BL and my wife.

WinTeam (Until We Meet Again 2019, Between Us 2023): The couple that made me aware of what second lead syndrome was because I waited so long for more of them, it felt eternal. I don't think I will ever get tired of these two.

VegasPete (KinnPorsche, 2022): Who said I couldn't like a toxic ship? These two took me by surprise, I didnt even know they were going to be a ship in the series. Definitely acknowledging how fucked up they are yet at the same time it's the forst toxic ship that really got me. I love them, in my own weird way.

HaoGu (HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count, 2019): I mourned them like I have mourned no other couple. I should have known from the title but they really lead me astray. My beautiful boys, the star crossed lovers. They still get me emotional now, I might go cry now.

Hira & Kiyoi (Utsukushii Kare, 2021 - 2023): Before ChenAi there were Hira and Kiyoi who absolutely owned my heart. I love how misunderstood by BL fans they were who claimed their toxicity. Meanwhile I simply love how weird their relationship is and getting to see a real Tsundere in action. I'm obsessed with them.

Honourable Mention: Kim Jae Wook as Min Sun Woo in Antique Bakery, 2008. The very first gay character I saw in Korean media. Forever iconic, forever in my heart.

[quantifiableconnections]

I just finished watching Skam (Norway) today and let’s just say I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the BEST shows I’ve ever watched. I did take a lot of time to watch all the seasons (spanning over one year) but I enjoyed each and every moment of it. Well, some a little less than others. Hence, I have some thoughts and please forgive my yapping.

Okay so Season 1. I actually liked it quite a lot. The acting was good, and it gave a nice start to the whole story.

The getting together of the girls was the highlight obviously, but I really liked the portrayal of Eva in this, as a kind of lost teenager who doesn’t have a lot of direction in her life and is mostly dependent on her boyfriend.

I did think the Isak plot line in this was a little badly done, but I guess it was necessary for the big reveal in the end.

I think the fact that Eva was able to resolve things with Ingrid was very unrealistic, considering they had literally been besties and she basically stole her man. But really idk.

Talking about Jonas, he was majorly gaslighting Eva during the season so I think their relationship was a little immature. Classic right person wrong time.

Penetrator Chris is SO HOT. Especially in that mf smoky eye makeup istg. But he’s a giant asshole and we do not support him.

Season 2. Okay. First let’s start with the showstealer. Eskild my man. I don’t think Eskild is appreciated enough in the whole series but I absolutely love him!! He is so mature, and is such a good friend. I love the dynamic between him and Noora and even him and Linn.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room because why not? I did not like Noorhelm all that much. William never had much of a character development and we never get to see him expressing a lot of emotions. I forever stand by the opinion that Noora was too good for him. Many people talk about William’s support of Noora’s decision to not have sex, but really, that’s like settling for the bare minimum that can be expected from a decent person.

I think the dickhead of a brother had more personality than William. So in conclusion, season 2 did not really impress me but I’d watch it again for Eskild.

Eva hooking up with Chris?? The guy she cheated on her ex with? Can’t say I like this.

Season 3 is SO well done. There’s no question about it. I love Isak’s slow acceptance of his sexuality. From being a closeted gay guy who made homophobic comments to fit in, to a happy and out gay guy in a relationship.

Absolutely adore the boys. Jonas, Mahdi, Magnus. I especially loved Magnus and his take on the whole situation.

Eskild coming in and stealing the show yet again?!!

Emma and Sonja are VICTIMS. As much as I love Evak, they fucked their girlfriends over pretty bad and I hate them for it. Also, Emma is soooooooooo pretty.

The story of Even. His whole character portrayal. The picturisation of his mental issues. Chef’s kiss.

Minute by minute??? Are you trying to kill me here??? It is SO wholesome and they both have matured so much, especially Isak, dealing with his sexuality plus his boyfriend’s mental issues so delicately.

Their chemistry. Their chemistry. Their chemistry.

Sonja should NOT have apologised.

Overall, this season is tied with the fourth as my favourite.

Season 4. Sana is my favourite character hands down. She is portrayed so well, we see all her insecurities, beliefs so beautifully.

Yousana is my favourite couple. Evak is a close second.

The understanding between them, the intellectual conversations, the level of maturity. Just wondrous.

I did think the whole situation with the russ bus was overdone. I never really understood why Sana was so involved with it in the first place. This could easily have been summed up in one episode leaving time for more Yousana development.

Yousef is such a green flag omg. He’s literally the cutest out of all skam boys( my opinion). I just wish he had more screen time.

Elias and Sana??? Whatever bits and pieces we got to see of their relationship were GOLD.

I. Love. My. Girls. So. Much. I just wish Sana was shown interacting more with all of them, not just Noora. Also Yousef and Noora working together to thaw Sana??

I canNOT stress this enough. Yousef and Sana are the best couple ( besides Evak obviously). The chemistry, the flirting, everything was done so right that it got me blushing furiously through the screen. And they managed to do all this without showing any kind of physical contact. Just lovely. The way they counter each other’s opinions with such delicacy and respect makes me believe that they are definitely going to last.

The situation with Even and Mikael and all the balloon squad boys should have been given more screen time.

The way Sana’s faith and her relationship with her family were handled are commendable. We see the dilemma, the cogs of her brain working, and how she accepts her fate and doesn’t sway from her beliefs. I strongly believe that her and Yousef will handle their differences maturely and still come out to be a strong couple.

I SWEAR SHE AND I ARE SOULMATES?????? Cutest shit I’ve ever seen.

Sana and Isak’s friendship means so much to me. In Season 3, we see her rising above her opinions and respecting homosexuality. Here we see Isak figuring Sana out and helping her see beyond her strong opinions. And wdym Sana??? You are best buds.

Okay. The last episode. I absolutely loved it. It’s one of the best season finales I’ve ever watched. We go into the lives of all the girls and some of the guys too. I literally teared up at the Eskild and Linn part!!( idk why they still address Chris as penetrator Chris when his face is literally on the screen like people we know it’s not our girl?? Idk I find it extremely funny). I wish they had shown more of Vilde and Chris’ friendship in the past and not just the final episode. The Even part was absolutely incredible. His insecurities, his fears, and we see him pacifying Isak and not the other way around. Yousef texting Sana from Turkey?? And saying he’ll take her there?? My heart melted.

I literally don’t think Noorhelm is going to last long even though they have reconciled. Something just seems off. Joneva is back??? Didn’t really like the buildup but I guess they could be a good couple as they are more mature than the last time.

Okay. So that sums it up more or less. My favourite was season 4, closely followed by season 3. My favourite characters were Sana and Eskild, they were just so amazing. I related to Sana fiercely all through the show.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk. Feel free to give your own opinions please!!!!

[flores-desyatov]

Hi! It is not exactly an ask, more like an opinion, but correct me if you think I am wrong. ❤️ 

As I see everybody (not just here) so upset about the Challengers and the substitutes, but I think BV already know which Challengers will they get but until the publicity Bella can't tell us anything. In the previous years, at the Challengers, the USA listed  all of the team USA as a substitutes (like the last year Lombardia and Nepela) or nobody (Budapest, Nebelhorn), but now just BV, I think it is not that bad sign (It is means for me the USFS wants to give them  chance for more internationals but at this time they don't have enought spot to give them more) and I'm sure this substitutes thing wasn't surprise for BV just for us.

And please nobody forget the fact that BV is not the only team in the US, all the teams need challengers - and the previous years every top team get minimum 1 assigments (last year BV would have been sent to Budapest Trophy but they widtdraw). Just because they are not in the first two, not means they are ignored.

And I have the feeling, BV already know who will get the SkAm too (🤞),  I think the decision was made at the Camp because every team were there (so why should they - I mean BV and M/C -  compete again for the Skam?😏) but the USFS will wait for the last minute to public it for us - as always😅.  And there is the fact: they are the first in the alternate list, and the injured teams... everything can happen.

And the other thing about Bella IG. I think she is not upset, she just don't have time to record and edit videos, that is why sometime she use older/random vids. The subs know exactly how overhelmed they are with the trainig, working and her school. If she would be upset I think she would write it to the subs, like before.

So please don't worry and don't freak out, this is just the beginig of the season. I still have good feelings.❤️❤️

(English is not my language so I really hope understanable what I want to say😅)

I feel like I'm kinda stuck between being upset over B&V not getting assignments right away and also trying to be calm and understanding that other teams need those assignments. Which is true and I'm fine with that by the way. What upsets me is seeing a new team that have yet to prove themselves get assignments first, especially since I don't know what USFS is planning to do with B&V.

But, as I make sure to clarify all the time, I'm new to this sport. I'm still learning, trying to understand how ice dance works by following Bella and Vanya's skating journey. And I don't think I could've chosen a better team to support, considering the stage they're in (on their way to greatness!). So I really appreciate everyone's input and I'm happy to offer a place to kindly discuss B&V's journey😊

[waitineedaname]

20 questions for 20 writers!

tagged by @buffintruder thank you!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

89 ! that feels like a lot

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

355,274 which also feels like a lot!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

usually whatever I'm hyperfixating on at the time! right now it's mdzs/the untamed, but I've got some scum villain wips in the works

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Handsome Mystery Boy -- Skam soulmate AU

hot dilfs in your area (not clickbait!!1!) -- HLVRAI modern au

Strider Bros Feelings Jam -- Homestuck post-canon

Let's Get This Over With -- HLVRAI dream-sharing

The Secret Boyfriend -- TAZ Balance modern au

5. Do you respond to comments?

usually! it might take me a bit, but I usually try to respond, especially if it's a more recent fic. if it's an old fic or the comment is just, like, a string of heart emojis or something, I usually don't respond. doesn't mean the comment doesn't make me smile though!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

tbh I don't write a whole lot of angsty endings? even if it's an angsty fic, I try to end on at least a hopeful/bittersweet note, y'know? I guess the angstiest ending would be Frayed Seams because it's in the middle of the series and is giving context to the strained relationship between the Kageyama siblings. they do eventually begin to mend their relationship by the end of the series! just. not in this fic.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

this is once again rather hard because I mostly write happy endings! and I have a lot of short fics that are just. pure fluff. I guess if I'm looking for a fic that's long enough to Earn a happy ending, it would be a tie between Plant Their Hearts In Community Gardens or the sun in the summertime! I love how much Mob and Reigen's lives have improved by the end of the show <3

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not that comes to mind! I don't think I've ever gotten hate comments, so if people don't like my stuff they at least only complain about it somewhere I can't see it, which I appreciate

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

not really! I am usually a genfic writer lol though I have had wlwangxian robot sex on the brain lately for. reasons. and also I have a feeling some of my bingqiu fics are going to be like, scenes in the Middle of them having sex, because [gestures] bingqiu

10. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't done a whole lot of them, but I think the concept can be fun if executed properly! crossovers where the two casts meet don't generally appeal to me, but crossovers that function more like an au (characters from Series A in the universe of Series B) are more my speed. I have been pondering a svsss/hlvrai crossover....

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

god I hope not

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yeah! I've had a couple fics translated into Russian, way long ago

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

not in a "we both were writing the fic in its entirety" way but I have written some aus and fics where I was bouncing ideas off friends so much that they might as well be a co-author. Let's Get This Over With would not exist without @neonlav's help

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

oh christ I have no idea. I'm a genfic person. bingqiu is doing something vile to my brain chemistry lately though

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

so many... so so many......... do not look in my google docs folder, there are too many untitled documents that have been abandoned........... I guess a more recent example would be a mdzs fic where wei wuxian is the juniors' camp counselor. I think the idea was v fun but I could not figure out where to take it. man I wish I was an artist so I didn't have to write plots for my silly little aus

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue! I love writing dialogue, especially when I feel like I really Get a character

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

fight scenes.... also pacing and figuring out how to end a fic, final lines are so hard

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I am not fluent enough in another language to pull off writing whole chunks of dialogue in another language! sometimes I'll use terminology from another language, especially if it doesn't translate well (like Japanese or Chinese honorifics and family terms) but otherwise I don't write in another language bc I would be too worried about it being incorrect

19. First fandom you wrote for?

it was, embarrassingly, for the since disgraced video game youtuber Cryaotic. in my defense, I was thirteen. the first fandom I posted fic for was for Hetalia, which is just as embarrassing. once again, my defense is that I was fourteen

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I am genuinely so goddamn proud of Let's Get This Over With. I had so much fun writing it, there are some concepts in it that I'm really proud of, and I just really enjoyed writing for hlvrai. those character voices were fun to play with

I'll tag @patron-saints, @scribefindegil, @localdisasterisk, @thatneoncrisis, and @notedchampagne!

[randomshyperson]

Yellow Curtains - Chapter One - Wanda Maximoff Series

Summary: Wanda Maximoff's senior year at Novi Grad School is duly planned for her. She has good friends, good grades, and a good system to hide who she really is. Or, the one based on Evak from the Norway Skam series, where Wanda is queer and tries to survive the last year without anyone knowing about it.

Warnings: (+18), general warnings about language and violence, legal drug use, mentions of underage drinking, high school, internalized homophobia and discovery of sexuality, explicit mentions of mental disorders (bipolarity and depression), dysfunctional family, making out, and eventual smut.

A/N-> The first series is here! It will have 10 chapters, is finished (I'll leave the posts scheduled for posting, so expect quick, daily updates), and will cover the main topics from the season of the show. Wanda likes girls, but I didn't specify if she doesn't like boys (I left that up to you to choose). The pov is Wanda's, since she is the protagonist. Every comment is important, I hope you like this story!

Skamverse | Series | General Masterlist | AO3 | Wattpad

--//--

Chapter One - The Stark Party

Sobota, 21:24 (Saturday, 09:24 p.m)

Loud music pounded around the entire commode to the outside, probably too much to alarm the neighbors, but none of the teenagers, dancing, drinking, and making out seemed to mind.

Wanda struggled to balance her two drinking glasses among the crowd, making her way to the bathroom from which she had exited a few moments ago.

"Open the door! It's me!" She shouted at the wood and received only laughter in return. Rolling her eyes, she tried to knock with her elbow, but she didn't need to, the door opened and she almost fell in. "Thanks, asshole."

Pietro chuckled, rolling his eyes and making room for his sister to enter. In the bathroom, there were two others besides them, and it was to the redheaded girl that Wanda handed the glass. 

"You took your time." Pietro commented closing the door and waiting for Wanda to take a free place in the dry tub with the others. 

"That's because it's crowded as hell out there." She retorted half annoyed. "Stark invited over almost the whole town."

"Typical." Natasha sneered before taking a sip. A soft grunt of satisfaction came out. "Damn, this is great. What did you put in here?"

Wanda shrugged, tasting hers. "Shit, it really is good. I guess I'm a natural."

The group chuckled, and the brunette retracted her feet so that the twin could sit in the tub next to her.

"Well, I have something more interesting than alcohol, ladies." It was Clint who announced, groping something in his jacket pocket that made the others celebrate. Wanda forced a smile, finishing her glass as Pietro grabbed the small bag of pot from his friend.

"How much did you pay for that?" The taller one asked. Clint laughed dryly, taking the weed back with a tug.

"A lot more than Daddy's allowance, preppie." He teased, receiving a roll of eyes from the twin and a gentle nudge from Nat.

"Hey, be nice." Warned the redhead, to which Clint chuckled casually.

It didn't take long for them to wrap a cigarette, but Wanda didn't smoke. She never does. And typically, her cell phone vibrated while Pietro was taking a long drag, and she took her attention from this to the screen.

“Vertraue von ganzem Herzen auf den Herrn und stütze dich nicht auf deinen eigenen Verstand. Erkenne ihn auf all deinen Wegen an, und er wird deine Pfade gerade machen.”

(Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.)

Without answering her father's message, Wanda locked the cell phone again and put it in her pocket. Natasha noticed her tense posture immediately.

"Hey, you two can sleep over." She declares. "Because of the time, but whenever you need"

Wanda smiled at her, ignoring the familiar feeling on the tip of her stomach that she feels when Natasha stares at her so affectionately. She knows she shouldn't feel that way about her best friend, even if Nat likes girls, because Nat doesn't like her that way, and she needs to understand that. 

It doesn't help that Natasha is very cute and nice all the time.

"Thanks, Romanoff, but I'll try to sleep over at some girl's house tonight." Pietro retorts smugly, getting a high laugh from Clint, who shoots him a high five. 

"That girl from state? The blonde one?" Barton begins, getting a hum of confirmation from the other boy. "Why haven't you talked to her yet?"

Wanda chuckles. "Because he chickens out." Teases the girl, getting giggles from her friends. The brother blushes a little but disguises it.

"That's a tactic!" He defends himself. "You have to show that you're not interested, and then boom! They fall for you."

Natasha makes a mocking face, but Clint seems interested. Pietro begins to explain his brilliant plan to seduce Crystal Amaquelin, one of his schoolmates, but Wanda is not interested. Luckily, the conversation is interrupted when the door opens again, for a moment all the noise from the party fills the commode before Jen closes the door.

"Hey, troublemakers." She greets an evidently drunk greeting by the way she speaks and stumbles slightly, leaning on the door she had just closed. "You're missing all the fun."

"Not at all, you're the one missing out on all the fun in listening to Pietro convince himself that he can get a girl." Natasha teases causing some laughter. 

"Come on! I'm positive she's into me!" The twin defends himself.

Jen raises an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Crystalia, from the stateside people. A pretty blonde who hangs out with some bikers." Nat answers for the boy. "Tell him he's completely delusional."

The group laughs, and Pietro gets a little sulky. "Really, Piete, I'm sorry, but she's way too pretty for you." Jen teases getting in on the joke.

Pietro stands up. "You guys don't know anything! I'll prove I'm right." He declares walking out of the bathroom.

Clint wastes no time in getting up as well, muttering "I don't want to miss this one." as he follows his friend out of the bathroom.

As soon as it's just the girls around, Jennifer is muttering in satisfaction. "I'm glad they left, I need to pee." She declared getting a giggle from the others.

As Jen practically ran to the toilet, Wanda noticed that Clint dropped the weed on the floor of the tub and grabbed the package - shaking it at eye level to Nat, who sighed.

"Keep it with you, until loverboys come back." She says, and Wanda nods as she puts the weed away in her jacket pocket.

When the sound of Jen's pee sounds, the girls fall into laughing. 

"For the love of god, Walters? What's that? Niagara Falls?" Wanda mocks between chuckles, which Jen follows up on before clarifying:

"Hey, smarty-pants, I just came, I need to avoid an infection."

Wanda stopped laughing half-heartedly, but Natasha exclaimed excitedly. "What? With who?"

"I don't know, it was some friend of Tony's." Jen retorted as she cleaned herself up and put her pants back on. "All I know is that he's really hot! And he wanted to eat me out before he used his dick, so bonus points."

Natasha widens her eyes in surprise. "What, but Sokovian guys don't go down on girls! Are you sure he's Tony's friend? Maybe he's a New Yorker..."

"I have no idea, all I know is that I came twice. I almost regret not giving him my number."

"Why didn't you, Walters? You look like you had a good time." Natasha teases causing the other to laugh. Neither of them notices Wanda turning her brother's beer can over with the conversation. 

"I did! But why stay with just one boy when I can have several? Did you see how many hot friends Stark brought to this party? No way I'm sticking with just one. I blew this one off, and I'm going to hide out here for a while until he forgets about me."

"You are so mean." Nat jokes, making room for Jen to sit in the tub next to them.

Once she is comfortable, Jen's attention falls on Wanda.

"What about you two? Haven't you been with anyone tonight yet?"

Wanda wants to get away. Out of the country if possible. It doesn't improve that Natasha answers first.

"Well, I wish." Says the redhead. "Carol came with company, and when I tried to flirt with Maria, she said she wasn't going to be used as a consolation prize."

"Shit, what a burn." Jen mutters, and Nat nods with a forced smile.

"Yeah, she has a point." Continues the redhead. "I tried to ask James to dance so he's been a total jerk ever since he and Steve argued and I don't have the slightest patience to deal with it right now."

Jen nods in understanding, and Wanda knows she is next. She tries to remain calm. "What about you, Maximoff? Hasn't anyone caught your eye yet?"

Wanda thinks about lying out of instinct, it is inevitable. She doesn't want to deal with the questions, or the answers herself. 

She tries, "Nah, not really." looking down, and the girls don't believe her one bit. 

"Come on, there's like, three hundred guys here tonight." Jen insists. "And surprisingly, they're all hot."

"True." Natasha agrees with a laugh. "Don't you have anyone you like? Maybe, not a boy...?"

Wanda clears her throat, and the lie forms as a trillion images of the last few interactions she's had with boys over the past few months flash through her head. 

"There's a boy." She retorts as best she can. "Tall. I don't know if he goes to our school, but I've seen him with Tony several times."

"Shit, Stark only hangs out with soccer jocks, can you be more specific?" Jen questions with a chuckle.

Wanda makes a soft grimace, running her hand over her face. "Hmm... he's really tall. More than all the others. I don't think he's a jock, I've never seen him in his team clothes. He has blond hair and light eyes. He's... handsome."

"Oh, I know who he is! His name is Vision, not Tony's friend, Wands. He's his brother." Natasha declares surprising Wanda completely. 

Great. Fucking excellent. Wanda thinks wryly, as she watches her lie unfold in Natasha commenting on Tony's older brother who was studying in England and came to live (read take care of the younger one with irresponsible tendencies) in Sokovia, until Tony graduates and takes over the family business alongside him. 

With Natasha, who was very close to Tony, the story of Wanda's fake crush on Vision had not the slightest chance of remaining a secret.

"What an unusual name, is he some kind of hippie?" Jen asks, getting a laugh from Nat.

"No, but his mother is." Answers the redhead. "He and Tony have different moms, you know? Vision's mother is a European artist who kicked Howard's ass. Then he met Maria, Tony's mother, and now they're the couple from a margarine commercial with a few billion extra dollars."

"Cool." Jen comments with a laugh. "But hey, maybe you can arrange something between Vision and Wanda?"

"Totally, I'll find Tony!

"Girls, no need..." Wanda tries, but the girls are already getting up excitedly - pulling her along out of the bathroom and back into the party.

The place seems to have suddenly become noisier. Jen disappears as she is greeted by other people, and when Natasha lets go of Wanda's wrist to talk to Tony Stark at the drinks table, the brunette sneaks away.

Suddenly, the music stops, followed by a chorus of dissatisfaction from the surrounding teenagers.

"Who owns this place?" An adult voice announces, and Wanda looks past the crowd to see some police officers entering the place.

Tony Stark, only a few meters away, grumbles but raises his hand. And just as the cops start pushing people to get to him, she remembers the weed in her pocket.

It's probably the most adrenaline rush she's ever felt - Sneaking around drunk teenagers, trying not to look so suspicious while looking for an alternative exit from Tony Stark's fancy apartment.

She manages, through the kitchen area, to get to a balcony.

And Wanda is wrong. There is another person there, wearing a mask that covers much of their face in addition to a hood. She would have screamed in fright, but she is pressed against a wall, and the stranger forces a hand over her mouth. This is definitely the biggest adrenaline of her life.

"Fuck, you scared the shit out of me! I thought it was the police!" You gasp in a nervous laugh, letting go of her at the same speed you held her. Wanda stood in shock, and you, looked beyond the door, before you began to curse softly. "Shit, they're searching the whole place. Are you friends with Stark? Barnes'? Hey?"

"I-I yeah-" Wanda babbles, and she almost hyperventilates when you get too close again, but it's only to put on her face the same mask you are wearing - which you pull out of the pocket of your jacket. Once it's fitted, she knows you're smiling by the little mark in your eyes.

"Well, our idiot friends are in trouble, but the event is not going to stop happening. Come on, I can give you a ride." You declare, pulling her hand gently for her to come with you. 

And Wanda goes, her heart racing inside her chest and her palms sweating, completely confused about the whole thing.

You know the place better than she does, it's clear. You must really be Tony's friend because you know where the keys that open the back door are, and you lead the way through the emergency exit.

And when you two are outside the building, meters away from the police cars at the entrance, you stop next to a motorcycle.

"They changed the address last minute. I went up to warn Stark, but someone called the police." You explained as if Wanda had any idea what you were talking about. "A bunch of people has already gone on ahead. Come on, before we miss the party."

"W-we're already at the party." She mutters uncertainly, and you laugh, thinking it was a joke. You hold out the one helmet to her, and Wanda swallows dryly.

"Come on, pretty girl, we don't have all night." You say as you shake the item lightly, and Wanda thinks she is accepting it to hide the blush from your watchful eyes.

It's a strange ride. She has no idea who you are, and the whole way she holds your waist tightly. Wanda forbids herself to notice that you smell good, or that your hands are soft on hers when you help her down.

A warehouse yard is where you take her. And it is not empty. Most people wear masks like the two of you, but for those who don't, Wanda immediately recognizes them as some of her schoolmates and neighbors.

"Remember to keep the mask on." That's the last thing you say to her before you go inside.

Wanda would have followed you around all night, but Carol Danvers recognizes her and comes to approach her.

"My god, Maximoff? I didn't know you were hanging out with the Avengers!"

"I-I-"

"Guys, come here and meet my friend! It's Wanda Maximoff!" Carol didn't wait for an explanation. She smelled like beer, too. 

Wanda was dragged into a group of people she didn't know, but who were all very friendly. 

They handed her a small can of paint, and when the conversation ceased, she realized what was happening. Those young people were graffiti all around, but not just anything, they were protesters. She swallowed dryly. If only her father could see her now.

"There's a space for you over there, Maximoff." Carol guided, a hand on her back.

An impressed laugh came from Wanda's lips as soon as the first jet of ink hit the metal. She didn't know what she was going to write, but just the rebellious act impressed her. 

She began to test a few scribbles, and before she knew it, the night was turning into day.

–//–

Nedelja, 13:20 (Saturday, 1:20 pm)

Wanda grunted in bed, her head pounding. She tried to open her eyes a few times, and when she finally did, she sighed into the bright light of the room.

It was a real battle to find aspirin, but as soon as her hangover was decently disguised, she left the room.

By coincidence, her twin was leaving his own bedroom ahead of her at the same moment and laughed as soon as he looked at her.

"Someone had fun last night." He sneered in a low voice, signaling to Wanda that their mother was around. The girl grunted.

"Shut up." She complained closing the door. "I can say the same for you. Where did you go after the police showed up?"

He laughed indignantly. "I was at the party! Unlike you, who's gone AWOL!" Accused the twin, crossing his arms. "Where did you go? You can't tell me you slept at some dude's house..."

"Utihni! (shut up)!" Wanda asks, looking down the hallway in desperation. But all she can hear is the soft sound of the radio coming from the kitchen. "I was with some friends."

Pietro looks at her suspiciously. "I am your friend. And I know the others, and I was with Nat, Clint, and Jen, so who were you out with, huh?"

"Pietro, how about minding your own business?" Wanda retorts impatiently. "I'm not watching you! You're all dressed up, I'm not going out asking where you're going and with whom!"

Pietro rolls his eyes. "I'm taking Crystal out for ice cream because she agreed to go out with me yesterday. Which you would have known if you hadn't disappeared."

"Whatever." She mumbles annoyed. "Don't rat me out to Mom!" Wanda urges, but before she leaves for the kitchen, Pietro holds her arm.

"Where's Clint's weed? He's asking me."

Wanda rolls her eyes. "It's in my room, be discreet for the love of god." She retorted, tugging her arm back and heading to the kitchen.

Her mother is humming the song from the radio, and Wanda sighs lightly as she enters.

"dobro jutro, mama (good morning, mama)." She greets and expected a scolding, but Natalya turns her face and smiles gently at her.

"Wanda, sweetie, good morning." Says the older woman. "Would you like to help me cut the carrots?"

It's an invitation to talk, Wanda knows. She knows her mother like the back of her hand and loves every aspect of her deeply. She nods and moves closer, and Natalya makes room at the sink for Wanda to stand beside her. 

Wanda wants to avoid a scolding, so she is the first to speak.

"Sorry for sleeping out." She murmurs, glancing out of the corner of her eye at her mother who continues to chop vegetables. "Sorry for not warning you, and for coming in the morning."

Natalya gives her a gentle bump with her shoulders, smiling at her before nodding down. "Looks like you did more than just that." Says the woman, and Wanda looks in the same direction, choking softly when she notices the ink marks on her fingers. She immediately retrieves them, walking past her mother to go to the sink.

"kurac! (fuck)" she curses softly as she washes the spray paint off, but Natalya listens and giggles.

"Language, dear." 

"Sorry." Wanda mumbles annoyed. "Really, I'm just... I'm sorry. Don't be mad."

Natalya chuckles again, leaving the vegetables to grab a cloth that she offers for Wanda to wipe her hands on.

"I'm not." She assures meekly. "I trust you, Wanda. And in my youth, I had my adventures, too." She comments with a smile, moving around to make the food. "I just hope you used protection."

Wanda chokes in surprise, her face heating up. "I-I wasn't-!"

"It's okay if you were, you know? You're seventeen and at this age-"

"Mama!" Wanda cuts in embarrassed. "I wasn't having sex!"

Natalya raises her hands as a sign of peace, a smile playing on her lips. "It's okay, honey." She says, moving close again to pick up the pans. "I just figured that since Pietro is dating, you would also be looking for someone..."

"I'm not." Wanda insists, crossing her arms. "All the boys in my school are disgusting."

Natalya laughs, nodding in understanding. "And there aren't any boys outside the school? Maybe some from the synagogue?"

Wanda looks away. "I don't even go there anymore." She mutters, and Natalya sighs lightly. She leaves a pot on the fire, before moving closer to kiss Wanda's hair.

"You'll find the right person at the right time, sladko dekle." Her mother whispers. "But now it's time to cut carrots." Wanda smiles at the joke and steps aside to obey the request.

Pietro doesn't take long to appear, and after muttering quick goodbyes, he leaves the house. Wanda is finishing the carrots when Natalya asks about the girl he is taking out.

"Your father would be happy if she were Jewish." Natalya comments casually, her attention on the pots. Wanda hums, not quite knowing what to say about that. "Did you know that we got engaged at the same age as you now? It was his grandfather who arranged the wedding. I wore such a beautiful dress..."

Wanda's cell phone vibrated taking her attention away from the conversation, and she wiped her hands to see the notification. It was Pietro. 

"I didn't find the weed, bratec. Give it back to me by Monday or Clint will want it in cash. I can't save your ass about this, I spent all my money on the hut."

Wanda bit her tongue, blocking the cell phone. She mumbled excuse me to her mother before she left for her room.

Pietro was right, the weed was nowhere to be found. Wanda grunted in frustration. 

Good, really. Where was she going to get the money to pay Clint at the beginning of the month? Great timing.

"Honey, come here!" Natalya called from the kitchen, and Wanda threw some of the mess she made around before leaving the room again.

She hesitated when she heard a male voice that she knew well coming from the kitchen.

"She's here Erik, make it quick, we were just going to have lunch." Natalya says to the screen tablet where the video call takes place just as Wanda enters the kitchen. The man sighs slightly.

"And Pietro, isn't he going to lunch with you two?" He questioned, and neither Natalya nor Wanda answered. "Okay, whatever. Let your kids do whatever they want, as always. Hey, Wanda, good afternoon."

The brunette exchanged a quick glance with her mother before focusing on the defined image of her father. What would it hurt to have a bad wifi signal. "What do you want?"  

Erik chuckled humorlessly. "Gott, is that any way to talk to your father?" He retorts, not expecting an answer. "I've sent you several messages, why haven't you replied?"

"I have nothing to say to you."

Erik rolls his eyes. "Oh, yes, I forgot that your business with me is all about money, isn't it young girl?"

Natalya sighs. "Erik, please-"

"No, she has to hear the truth, for once!" He insists angrily. "You think you can ignore me like I'm some kind of anybody? I'm her goddamn father! I never turned my back on any financial help and now you treat me like an inconvenience. She hasn't even been showing up for her prayers anymore, making a mockery of her responsibilities-"

"I can't do this again, Mama, I'm sorry." Wanda cuts off the argument, ignoring the protests to turn her back on her parents and leave the kitchen.

She hears her mother whisper a few angry words to her father but doesn't take in much. She goes back to her room and throws herself on the bed, suddenly feeling very much like going back to sleep, preferably all day.

But her cell phone vibrates, and Wanda ignores her body's protest to go back to sleep to look at it.

It is an Instagram notification of something Carol sends her. A post from the local Novi Grad newspaper about graffiti on garbage trucks driving around town this morning. The images circulate through several pages.

She adjusts herself on the bed with an impressed sigh and looks at some of the hundreds of comments ranging from people applauding the act to condemning it. She also ends up stalking a few people but hasn't seen enough of the face of her mystery ride to find their Instagram. 

With a sigh, Wanda lays back down on the bed and blocks her cell phone. She allows herself to remember the feel of the soft touch in her hands, or the body pressing hers against the wall. Her face burns as she squeezes her thighs together instinctively.

This is new. Wanda is not sure she likes it.

[slayerkitty]

Narrative Frameworks in Only Friends

Something I have been tracking as part of the ongoing discussions about Only Friends is the use of the narrative framework for each episode.

So, I’m making this list specifically for tracking purposes, to note which framework was used for which episodes, if they repeat, and what they may be paying homage to. The goal is to update it every week. Due to suggestions, I am also tracking the end credit scenes, as well as any specific visual or audio formats used in the episodes.

Frameworks so far:

1. Voiceovers: gives the audience specific insight into a characters thoughts and feelings; also a great way to provide exposition. It’s more of an audio than visual framework, as we don’t always see the character doing the voice-over because it plays over other scenes.

2. “Talking Heads” (is there a better descriptor for this?): The characters talk directly to the camera, interview/documentary style. We get to see exactly how they feel about a given moment because they are reacting to it at that time. Audio and visual. Homage to Love8009 (per P'Jojo).

3. Social Media (ft The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook): Not as insightful as the other two frameworks but does give context and a way for interaction, commentary, and exposition on a given plot. Visual. Probable homage to Together With Me, one of the first spicy BLs starring our kings, MaxTul.

Episode 1

Framework: Voiceover

Title: What’s Your Role in a Bar?

Narrator: Mew

Visual Moment: Yellow title cards listing everyone’s “roles” as well as the month and days of the week in episode one (homage to SKAM Norway? Open to thoughts on this)

End Credit Shot: Mew sitting on the floor in front of his fish tank

Episode 2

Framework: Talking Heads

Title: M.F.M. My Favorite Man

Narrator: Everyone

Visual Moment: The talking heads scenes

End Credit Shot: Ray driving

Episode 3

Framework: Social Media (Twitter and Instagram)

Title: What Am I to You?

Narrator: Nick and Boston

Audible Moment: Nick listening to the TopBoston sex audio

End Credit Shot: Nick listening to TopBoston sex audio

Episode 4

Framework: Voiceover

Title: Emergency Contact

Narrator: Ray

Visual Moment: The flashback of RayMew is in 4:3 ratio; meaning it looks like recorded footage versus a memory

End Credit Shot: Ray driving (repeat from episode 2)

Episode 5:

Framework: Voiceover

Title: The Extra Hour

Narrator: Sand

Visual Moment: Intro and Outro are animated; black and white (made me think of the Take on Me MV by A-ha but I’m open to suggestions on what this might be referring to)

End Credit Shot: Sand driving his motorcycle

Episode 6:

Framework: None

Title: Happy Fucking Birthday

Narrator: None

Audible Moment: Ray listens to the TopBoston sex audio; Mew plays the TopBoston sex audio for Top

Visual Moment: Top draws Mew sleeping/gives Mew a book of drawings he did of Mew 

End Credit Shot: Top in his bathtub alone looking angsty

Episode 7:

Framework: None

Title: After Effect

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Mew setting the drawing on fire; Boston’s sex tape; the "super zooms"

End Credit Shot: Mew sitting on the floor in front of his fish tank (repeat from episode 1)

Episode 8:

Framework: None

Title: Save Me

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Facebook party invite/everyone's reactions to the invite; Everyone's costumes at the party

End Credit Shot: Boston looking angsty (does anyone know where he is here? Is this the hostel? His house? YOLO?)

Discussion: Once again, no framework or narrator this week. I speculated along with @twig-tea that this means we have left the fantasy world (we, along with Mew, have lost our "rose-colored glasses") and all that's left is reality and consequences.

Spoiler Alert (avoid this next paragraph if you don't want any spoilers)

P'Jojo posted on The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter some pictures that imply the talking heads framework is coming back, with at least Sand and Ray (which makes me think we're getting them next week). Does that mean the characters are trying to escape reality again? That they will be back to lying to themselves? Also, next week's episode looks like it might the OF take on the BL "beach" episode (with Sand and Ray, of course).

A thought I've been toying with: It's almost like the show started as a BL (using/subverting the standard tropes, etc) until the midpoint, veered into a queer drama, and now we're heading back into BL territory. Thoughts? (and if anyone can pull that off, it's P'Jojo)

If anyone can think of anything else to add, please let me know! If you would like to be tagged in this post or any other meta, let me know and I’ll add you.

Tagging the Ephemerality Squad: @lurkingshan, @waitmyturtles, @wen-kexing-apologist, @chickenstrangers, @ranchthoughts, @twig-tea, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming

Tagging @sandrayy by request

Apologies to anyone I forgot!

[imminentinertia]

In which I keep a promise to a bunch of people who read a fic five years ago and try to explain why I'm doing that now

In 2018, @vesperthine and I collaborated on run down till the rain delights you and when some people asked for more, we promised a sequel. That didn't happen.

Until now.

Now it's snaking its way to AO3 like an aging Toyota on cold Tromsø roads (I'm really sorry for this silliness but one of the inspo photos we used did this to me).

There's a bit of a backstory:

First of all, you have @nofeartina to blame for run down in the first place and @peacestew to blame for me sliding into the SKAM fandom in 2023 going "hiiii I haven't been in this fandom for years but here's a fic".

In 2018, Tina wanted fisherman!Isak in a knit woolen jumper* and somehow roped V into writing it, and then V somehow roped me into a collab (I'm still entirely unsure how I ended up saying yes), we brainstormed and looked for inspo and wrote some scenes** to see how it went. Fisherman!Isak turned into marine!biologist!Isak with an old fishing boat and a cabin, Even pretended to be suave, the Tromsø area piped up about wanting to be more of a character than a location and there we were:

Gif by @peacestew

It was so much fun writing with V, and we got along so well, so we wrote a short sequel quite soon after. It just needed a few final tweaks.

Then life happened.

Long story short, I haven't heard from Vesperthine since summer 2019. I hope she's happy and well, and I hope she's writing original fiction because she's seriously gifted, and I miss her because she's a very sweet and smart and lovely person. I was left with a nearly finished draft and a hope she'd turn up again. Since then I've turned down requests to translate and podfic run down, and disappointed a few people asking about the promised sequel, because it didn't feel at all right to make those decisions without V's input.

But it's been five years (!!!), I doubt I'll ever hear from her again, that draft is sitting there on my drive, and... so earlier this year I started thinking about just going ahead and posting it. I went through all our notes and figured out what remained to be done (not much, we even had the title ready), and decided to do those tweaks at some point.

Then Peace slid into my notes a while ago (it had been a few years since we were in touch, I love it when old mates show up), we chatted quite a bit and somehow mentioned run down, and I'm entirely unsure how this snowball started rolling but now we're doing an art + fic collab with that sequel. She's been terribly enabling, and dangling pretty gifs in front of me, how could I resist? She even made a gorgeous title gif for run down. V would have been just as happy with this, I'm sure.

Considering that the sequel was just about finished, and V and I never had any actual disagreements while writing (one tiny scuffle about adjectives, we compromised), I think she'd be okay having her name put on the sequel. And I am okay with making that decision, since it's been so long. I've done the final editing, Peace has added her lovely gifs and now I'm just going to work up the courage to post it.

As stupid as I feel giving directions for fic reading I recommend you read (or re-read, bless everyone who has read it) run down till the rain delights you first, I'm not sure the sequel will make much sense otherwise.

the roll of the harbour wake is coming soon to a fic archive near you. Peace and I hope you will enjoy it.

Gif by @peacestew

*the fic was almost immediately nicknamed The sweater fetish fic. Drooling over the guys in knit woolen jumpers kept happening for ages.

**the first scene we wrote didn't actually make it to run down, but we put it in harbour wake, and it goes to show that sometimes a fic takes a very different direction from where you start it.

[wernerherzogs]

happy happy birthday, my lovely sweet Kasia! you are Good and Smart and Wonderful and Hilarious in all the best ways and I’m v happy our paths have crossed on this little earth!!! from 1d and skam to various non-crossing fandoms over the years now to 911, i always smile when I think of you or see your posts. I love the way your brain works and always am curious to know your thoughts on stuff, so thank you for sharing those thoughts (be it world stuff or media stuff or silly stuff!) and being vulnerable in that way. I hope this year is filled with bright joy and adventure and good food and good canon writing on all your fave shows and even better meta and jokes and memes with your friends and that you get to pet sooooo many doggys!!!!!! I also hope this year is the kind of year where you find a cool rock on a day to the beach and a fun trinket at a random antique store in the fall and a piece of glitter months after you’ve been anywhere near glitter, all little reminders of the tiny joys that exist, even amidst all the Shit. I love you lots and lots! I hope you feel loved today and everyday forever 💗💗💗🥳🥳🥳🥰🥰🥰

hello kyla what the FUCK. sitting here pretty speechless over this!!! not even sure what to say back except THANK YOU. ❣️❣️❣️ this is sooo kind i'm genuinely like 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 right now. overwhelmed!!!!!! thank you AGAIN, and right BACK at you - i'm always cheering for you and hoping for great things for you!!!!! i love you back!!!! 💐✨

[ayansukkhaphisit]

Omg I didn’t know you were a fanfic writer! What’s your ao3 user ? (If you don’t mind, I’d like to read your works🥺)

i don't know if I would call myself a writer in all honesty, i haven't written in over four years, but I used to write a lot of stories (that never got posted) and I actually wanted to become a writer for a long time haha. my ao3 user is pixiebow, I've only published two fics related to skam there, but I do want to start writing more again!

[blueprint-9376]

Hey! I love your blog!

Can I ask how you study for B1 exam or how you study French in general? Any tips? Thank you!!

P.S. thank you for adding English captions to your posts :)

As for my French study in general, since I first learned French in college, I just listened to the college classes well and tried to do my homework hard. However, compared to my college classmates, I started learning French much later, so I had to study Delf separately during vacations and make a lot of effort to become familiar with French on my own.

word

-When memorizing a word, you must read the example sentence at the same time.

-Select one vocabulary list and memorize it all properly.

grammar

-It’s similar to studying words. You should choose one grammar book and memorize it all to the end. Instead of doing this and that, it is better to choose one book and do it properly.

-The recommended book is <grammaire progressive du francais-intermediaire>

reading

-When reading a text, I tried to improve my ability to interpret the sentence in its overall context rather than focusing on each word. If there is a sentence that you cannot interpret at all, try analyzing the sentence structure first.

-It is good to read French novels to practice understanding the context of the text. I chose an easy novel like ‘Little Nicola’ and read it little by little. Even if there were sentences I didn't understand, I tried to infer them from the overall content of the novel.

Listening

-Listening was the most difficult part of studying French. To be honest, I still find it difficult to listen to and understand French.

-The important thing is to keep listening to French as a habit. The apps I recommend are ‘TV5MONDEplus’, ‘RFI’, and ‘Le francais facile’.

-It's good to choose one French drama or movie and watch it over and over again. I selected a specific episode of the ‘Skam France’ series and watched it over and over again.

speaking

-I looked up YouTube videos on French pronunciation and tried to follow them.

-When preparing for Delf, it is difficult to do it alone. In Korea, there is a study service where you can take classes by speaking with a French person over the phone, but I'm not sure what kind of service there is in other countries.

writing

-Up to A2, I just wrote down all the sample answers and memorized them all. However, starting from B1, this method does not work. In the end, it seems that it is possible to get a good score in writing only by consistently studying vocabulary and grammar from the B1 level.

-B1 Writing is difficult to study in a short period of time, so I practiced writing down one expected problem every day. Then I looked at the answer again and analyzed the incorrect sentences.

💘Good luck with your Delf exam

[surrealsunday]

hey jaime, how are you??

i just come by to wish you a happy new year! (kinda late but it’s still january so it still counts 😌) i hope you have a great end of 2023 :))

also with a friend we were talking and we suddenly thought abt punzel!lucas/elu and we were wondering how these two lovebirds were doing and what would they be up to now, according to you 🤔👀 lowkey miss them now ngl sjdbdh (as well as the canon version of course)

can you believe this year is marking the five years of skam france s3, 5 YEARS OF ELU…

BTW HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW MAXEL CONTENT RECENTLY??? well literally all january we were being fed really well (individually and tgt) 😌 AND WE ALSO GOT MAXEL SELFIES IN BIG 2024 I VANT STOP SMILING THINKING ABT IT (sorry i’m freaking out again sjdbdh) their friendship is just so special and warms my heart sm every time it crosses my mind 💙

anyways i’ll stop my rant bc otherwise i could go on for hours 😭 wish you a wonderful evening/day and sending you lots of hugs and strength and luck 🫶🏻

Marieeeeee hiiiiiiiiii 😊❤️❤️❤️❤️!!! It was so nice to see a message from you! And a happy new year to you too!

I'm ok - I both can't believe it's gonna be the end of January and also can't believe it's still January 😂. Work has not stopped being insane since I took over this new position but I'm thankfully still loving it. And I'm especially loving living in a place where I am no longer dealing with -40 celcius through the winter 😅. I hope your holiday season and start of the new year has been going fabulously for you!

And 5 years? 5 YEARS?! How is that even possible omg 😭😭😭. That calls for a rewatch, I think. My babies 🥹. And the Maxel content yessss! I love you for linking posts thank you! One of my friends thankfully sends me things because I would end up missing them on social media otherwise. Honestly the joy their friendship brings me. 5 years and those boys are still tight. I love them so much. Also the fact that Rocco was looped into their little friend group and we have actual pics of Maxence with Rocco AND Axel? Truly... life has been good to us 😌😂.

And Punzel babies? Well, they're living their happy life together in their flat. Eliott definitely refers to Lucas as his husband even though - as Lucas insists - they're too young to get married. Eliott thinks that's nonsense because he's been waiting what amounts to their entire lives and obviously they're going to be together for life anyways. But for that same reason, he's not too fussed about it - official papers or not, they are married in his mind. They've definitely added to their little fam and have a cat in addition to their pup Pascale. The cat absolutely rules their home (as cats are known to do) and is the only one who can get Pascale to stop being mouthy (Huskies you know 😂). Lucas would definitely complain the cat doesn't like him and play up that they have some sort of nemesis relationship. Only Eliott has caught Lucas curled up asleep on the couch with the kitty on his chest wrapped up in his arms more than once. Eliott would be a little jealous about the fact that he's the one who dotes on the kitty but she still seems to be an utter suck for Lucas... only, he's the exact same way so he can't blame her 😌. Second to Lucas, her fave is Idriss. Because this cat has ✨taste✨. I'm trying to think what they would name their kitty... probably something Rapunzel adjacent because they're saps... but I don't have a name popping to mind just yet.

And of course there are the fun dynamics of their relationship that they will probably always be figuring out. Like Lucas realizing (and relishing) in the power he has over Eliott and the way he can make Eliott's brain short circuit in any variety of ways (like saying something incredibly explicit in the middle of much more innocent activities like cooking dinner). Then Eliott will remember he no longer holds his Punzel in the 'look but don't touch' category and things work out quite nicely for both of them 😌. Basically... they're living their best lives figuring out adulthood and now jobs together ❤️.

Sending you all the love and hugs back!

[firebrvnds]

𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐌𝐂𝐆𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐍 — ❝All you have is your fire and the place you need to reach.

──    ＊ ︰  WILHELMINA MCGOWAN.  chiron  often  praises  their  tenacious  temperament,  but  mr.  d's  always  going  on  about  how  they  can  be  pretty  spiteful.  that  comes  as  no  surprise,   knowing  that  they've  been  at  camp  now  for  nine years and  they  turned  twenty-two  this  year.  they're  always  humming  fox on the run  by  sweet  when  they're  on  strawberry  picking  duty,  and  people  around  here  can  always  tell  they're  a  child  of  hephaestus  because  of  their firebrand copper hair swinging as she imparts justice and the readiness of the oil-smudged smile with their swift forgiveness.  during  capture  the  flag,  i  saw  them using  geokinesis  and  pyrokinesis  —  it  totally  makes  sense  that  their  godly  parent  claimed  them  after crafting an elaborate trap which helped win capture the flag and knock some bullies of the younger hephaestus kids down a peg.  the  entire  camp  knows  them  to  carry  a  small cross peen hammer that extends to become a celestial bronze war maul,  and  no  matter  who  you  ask,  they'll  tell  you  billie  reminds  them  of  a limning of soot around thick smithing goggles, scabbed up skinned knees, dappled sunlight through leaves, the smell of flashpowder and the burnt cardboard of firecrackers, the golden volcanic glow of fired metal, eyelashes tickling softly against your neck, forgiving but never forgetting- letting it be branded down onto your very bones.  thank  gods  they're  around  now  that  the  mist  is  parting. 

NAME : wilhelmina jackie mcgowan.

ETYMOLOGY: ( "will, desire" "helmet, protection".) - (“may god protect,” “god is gracious,” “holder of the heel,” and “supplanter.”) - ( "son of (the) smith." )

AGE + BIRTHDATE : twenty-two, april 22nd.

ASTROLOGY : aries sun, taurus moon, virgo rising.

ORIENTATION : bisexual.

HOMETOWN : cherryfield, maine.

CABIN: 9, hephaestus.

POWERS : geokinesis, pyrokinesis.

WEAPON OF CHOICE : celestial bronze war maul.

POSITIVE : courageous, just, reliable.

NEUTRAL : practical, intuitive, generous.

NEGATIVE : volatile, malicious, blunt.

CHARACTER PARALLELS: toph beifong - avatar, natalie scattorcio - yellowjackets, faith lehane - btvs, fiona gallagher - shameless, ellie williams - the last of us, naomi campbell - skins, rebecca sutter - htgawm, terra markov - teen titans, sana bakkoush - skam, wynnona earp, alyssa foley - the end of the fucking world, abby hammond - santa clarita diet, raven reyes - the hundred.

──  𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭.

❂ jolene mcgowan was a metalsmith, by trade, she created beautiful jewellery by smelting gold and silver, set with precious stones and shards of sea glass she collected near her home in the coastal town of cherryfield, maine. she crafted beautiful blooms with leaves which would never wilt, never die, blew glass, she mended timepieces, clocks and pocket watches with deft and reverent hands. these are the soft calloused palms that hephaestus fell hopelessly into; warm and welcoming and good-humoured.

❂ 1943 dawned, rough and unkind as she fought with her family to protect the identity of the father of her baby, born out of wedlock in a small town. the little boy would never make it over the brow of the hill in long island, halfway through massachusetts he falls.

❂ she didn't learn the lesson, though she was stripped of some of the light that drew the god to her in the first place, they reunited yet again and another child was to be born from the glint in their eyes.

❂ red hair and green eyes like her mother, billie is full of fight from the minute she stretches her mouth open and begins to scream, her mother joking that she always had something to say ever since.

❂ wilhelmina, a mouthful for such a small child and even harder to spell, shortened to mina and then through protest changed to will, then to billie.

❂ billie watched her mother hollow out before her very eyes, harden herself to the inevitability of her daughter's demise. if jolene drew back far enough, fast enough, she wouldn't be hurt when the gods didn't favour her offspring once again. wilhelmina yearned for attention, to feel that warmth fall over her once more but instead, she struck out, becoming a problem.

❂ this rejection seared her edges, though the fall from her mother's graces wasn't as far or as fast as her father's fall from olympus, she vowed to herself to always stand up for what she believed in, no matter the personal cost. cowards irk her, though of course, the greek doesn't fall far from the tree, she can be a hypocrite.

❂ billie was a constant flight risk, disappearing for days at a time on a whim but the concern their family felt ebbed, even when they started to see things, when inexplicable things began happening to them.

❂ it took a year and a half to make it to camp half blood, billie never running with crowds long enough for satyrs to catch hold of her. disappearing like smoke between their fingers. billie has some pretty extensive scarring over most of her body from her years on the run but spite is a powerful motivator, the fire she draws from within helped her survive and still does. (might have some collateral damage from this use of flame, she tries not to think about it.)

❂ strode into camp with their head held high, and attacked every part of training with unwavering tenacity no matter how many times they were knocked down. not the most naturally skilled fighter but she makes up for it in spades with ferocity, dogged relentlessness and sheer power. billie never knows when to stay down.

❂ is often caught intercepting tourists and mortals by yelling extremely creative obscenities and insults at them, it gets them to leave, at least she stopped draping her hair over her face and running at them screaming in tongues when chiron asked nicely.

❂ the chip on billie's shoulder is big, anyone who knows her can see it but she's filled in the cracks with liquid gold and moves with the hurt. her word is her bond and though trickery is almost a sure shot, she'll never let you forget that you're a liar and you'll be paying until your final breath. billie hates bullies.

❂ an excellent craftsman and smith, billie will usually help anyone with the forges if they ask, for several years refused to partake in her cabin and father's vocation out of pettiness but now loves the way it takes her out of her head to bear something new into the world.

❂ pinball champion, has never worn a matching pair of socks in her life, feeds the raccoons around camp, used to be a state champion gymnast, will fire-eat and fire dance for special occasions like her friends' birthdays, can remember all the lyrics to any song she hears and hoards music like gold, spends a ridiculous amount of time and money on taking polaroids and buying film, will burn your monopoly board, drums on every nearby surface at all times, accidentally burns things to a crisp when she sneezes, can and will nap absolutely anywhere it's kind of ridiculous.

WANTED CONNECTIONS — *

i'm gonna come back to this because my brain is soup.

[pastelwitchling]

I thought now would be the proper time to talk about my (maybe slightly unpopular) opinions on The Eighth Sense. Here are my thoughts on this show, why I think it was so popular, and my overall opinion on kbl. At least, the ones I've seen so far.

So grab your tea and some biscuits, because this might be a long one.

I loved The Eighth Sense. Let's just get that out of the way real quick. I thought the actors had so much charm, I love everyone they wanted us to love and hate everyone they wanted us to hate, and the characters themselves were also great and refreshing.

Jihyun is a country mouse, but he's independent and unyielding. Jaewon doesn't keep a distance because of any kind of homophobia, but because of his own self-deprecation. The characters, for the most part (I'll get into that more in a bit) are very nice and good-hearted people. Except for two, but we don't like them, so we will be ignoring them.

I saw the reaction people had to this show, so I had to check it out, and yeah, I get the hype online. Very quickly, I realized why it was being talked about so much. Has anyone ever seen the show Skam? Either the Norwegian or French versions? Well, The Eighth Sense is shot exactly like that. To someone who's never seen anything but the Asian-based bls, seeing that European style on a kbl is kind of surprising. Even if you have seen Skam, the style is still shot more "indie" with simpler, quieter scenes, and it's not something we're used to seeing with non-European characters. At least, not in a bl.

That said, a lot of the shots are a little too... artsy, in my opinion, and I didn't like some of them. Like as Jihyun comes down the stairs at one point, the scene cuts to him on opposite sides of the staircase, or there were mirror scenes, or closeups on people's faces for no reason, and they kept yanking me out of the scenes.

But the real controversial opinion comes here, are you all ready?

I think the show could be a little... offensive sometimes.

I mention this because I didn't see anyone else say it, and maybe I'm just missing those posts, but... you guys ever notice that the chubbier characters are always snacking on something? It's such a small, but such a gross stereotype. If you're not stick-thin, it's because you're constantly eating. And then, wouldn't you know it, these only two chubbier characters end up with each other at the last minute even though they never shared so much as a scene throughout the whole show, AND despite the fact that Joonpyo clearly had a thing for Aeri. But oh, she's this pretty little social thing, so we can't have them together.

And... Hedwig. Look. If they'd teased him and had a problem with him because of how rude he is, fine. Great. But from the very beginning, before he's even said a word to anyone, he's being laughed at and mocked, not just by our sweet little country mouse and his friend, but by the entire class and professor just because of how he's dressed and how over the top he is. What, because it comes from a queer character and an ally, it's okay? It just really left a bad taste in my mouth.

And that's really it. Oh, and the fact that the villains are forgiven in the end so easily despite not deserving it for a second, but that's more a personal preference. I really enjoyed the show, the acting was amazing, and Jihyun is actually pretty inspiring for how tough he is. That said, no, I don't think it was the flawless masterpiece that everyone else seems to think it was. It was certainly shot different, but not perfect.

That's pretty much the gist of kbl, in my opinion. They're shot different--quieter scenes, more of a budget with things like mics and soundtracks--but not perfect. Could any other show, from any other country, do what Until We Meet Again did? Could any random couple manage in My School President better than Gemini and Fourth? I don't think so. And a lot of that comes down to how Studio Wasabi (I know that's not what they're called, but that's what I've always called them) and GMMTV do things, even with the smaller budget.

I also think that a lot of this "kbl is the superior" attitude comes down to BTS and k-drama hype. A lot of people are caught up in the whirlwind and excitement of the Korean everything coming out nowadays, but for someone who already had her BTS and k-drama phase long ago, I'm just not as taken in, I guess?

I don't know, personally, bigger budget doesn't equal better. And I think giving kbl this much praise for just starting to do what thai, japanese, and taiwanese bl have been doing for years now (and with plenty of flaws, too, Semantic Error and Unintentional Love Story are the only two I can think of that I enjoyed beginning to end without any really uncomfy moments) is, I'm sorry, just a little ridiculous. I think they still have ways to go before they're my go-to for bl.