#like three eps . one ep per person . three parts per ep .

[bu-blegh-ost]

What Chip's current condition may possibly mean for both him and the crew (a theory of sorts)

Spoilers for ep. 109 and 110. Heed the warning.

Okay, so ever since ep. 109 came out I've been frantically reading about undead and what does it mean for your pc to be undead. I stayed silent about it, cause I wasn't sure if Nik could fix this, but now that ep. 110 is out I'd like to share some of the things I found, for folks like me, who do not know much abt DnD yet.

So, in a long list of features the undead have, most prominent problem is how hard it is to heal them. None of Jay's or Gillion's spells can heal Chip now, we'd need a spell that normally damages people, like necromancy spells, since they have a reverse efffect on the undead, and none of them has access to that currently. Not only that, once Chip's health reaches zero at this state, that's it. No death saves, no going unconscious or going down. That's it, which is why the moment he turned undead, Jay started spamming the temporary HP canon. So Chip doesn't lose any of his core health pool. If he did die in this state, from then on, only a spell called Wish (if I'm not mistaken a lvl 9 Sorcerer wish, so Gillion could do that if he cranked up three more levels in sorcery real quick) or True Ressurection could save him. But these two spells would also bring Chip back to life as a regular person, not the undead, so it would be cool to seek out someone who could do that for them at the most convenient time.

To balance it out, Chip is resistant to a shit ton of attack types, including poison, physical, necrotic and many other. To top it off with Chip's evasion skills, I'm giving him good chances to either minimalize or negate most damage in this form. And well, considering everything, he'd be wise to take every opportunity to do so, joke damage taking is no longer an option, I think. Also Gillion needs to be very careful with radiant damage around Chip, cause it's very effective on the undead. Chip getting hit by Gillion's strike may damage him greatly, and the two need to be very careful around each other from now on :(((

And the most interesting thing I found is the Undead Hunger variant. Some undead can just live on for centuries and be fine without a need to feed on something. But some, even the intelligent ones like Chip, may need a bit more than that, and given that very ominous intelligence check Grizzly made him roll at the end of the day, I'm thinking he's implementing the hunger rule on Chip. Lemme tell you a bit about it.

So Undead Hunger is a Variant Rule that DMs use on player characters that are undead sometimes. And that means that once in a while Chip would have to feed on some sort of specific type of morsel to satisfy his craving, or suffer the cosequences. There are two variants of undead that can make roll for this: Inescapable Craving or Diet Dependent. The player in that case rolls for willpower, which DMs usually make a wisdom or intelligence check. In our case Grizzly chose intelligence, and Chip passed with a 19. The DC for Inescapably Craving Undead is 25, but the DC for Diet Dependent Undead is 15. So from that I deduced that Chip would be a Diet Dependent Undead, since he passed the roll.

Hunger for the Undead is like addiction to the living. This means that unless Chip can resist it with a succesful roll, he may become more agressive, anxious, violent or even self-destructive the longer he is denied a preferred meal. If he can't eat, he'll have to roll for keeping himself at bay every three days. He doesn't have to roll if he eats.

So you may ask now: what happens if he fails one to many times? This is the interesting part. So if Chip fails his once per three days intelligence check, the DM will make him take ability damage. That means that one of his stats (wisdom, strength, dexterity etc.) will reduce by a whatever number Grizzly sees fit (Chip can get all the lost points back the moment he eats). In the guide I've read it says that wisdom is the most crucial ability score to lose, tho I'm unsure if the DM takes away only from wisdom or if he can take any of the stats, I may need to read more on that. But the thing is, the more rolls Chip fails, the more wisdom he may loose, and please note, Chip does not have much wisdom to begin with (but he does have high intelligence so thank the gods for that at least).

The less wisdom Chip has, the more desperate he gets when it comes to eating. He may start seeking out more risky ways to get fed or do things he normally wouldn't to get it. Hunger can't kill him though, it may just make him lose himself (hence that comment of Grizzly's about him needing to hold onto his sense of self, at least that's what I think that is). Once Chip reaches wisdom score 0, Bizzly actually loses control over him, and Grizzly takes over Chip and he plays Chip as he was a wild enemy beast. In that state Chip can throw himself on anyone or anything that can provide him food, his mind completely lost. He can hurt others, attack his crew. He can do anything the DM determines a starved mindless beast would do.

He can come back to his senses once more, when he does feed on whatever is decided his preferred meal is, all his wisdom regained and all, but the consequences of his actions, when he was not himself, the dreadful realisation that he is now a monster, who needs to be kept in check so he doesn't hurt the people he loves...This may be a lot for Chip to take. If this were to happen, he'll need a lot of his crewmates' support and reassurance, and a lot of honesty will be demanded from Chip. He'd have to warn people around him and make sure everyone knows how he's feeling, if he needs help in finding food. Casue hiding this hunger may result in tragedy.

And of course, it doesn't help that they are where they are now. In any case, if Grizz decides that Chip's favourite meal is humanoid flesh (beyond cruel is what that would be), they are fucked, basically. If it is the flesh of any other creature or animal, well they are also fucked, because they are in a motherfucking Black Sea, so good luck finding anything consumable like this either way.

But hey, of course do remeber that in the end these are just my conclusions based on what I read. Grizzly might not be even using any of these rules, cause he's the DM and he can do whatever he wants. I just thought that based on what we saw, this is very likely to happen (consider it a theory of mine for the time being). If you would like to read more about it, I'll leave you the link to this one really good website that I found most of the information on. I can't confirm its relaibility, but it looks very informative, comprehensive and thought out, and thus far was the most thorough source I found, so I'm personally willing to trust it. But please do find out for yourself. That'll be it, see you and I hope you had fun reading!

Link to the website: https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/aboutundead.shtml#undeadhunger

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!

Tags written out by the wonderful @dinzeeyz !!! They explained here what is ACTUALLY happening to Chip, not a theory, facts from the boys themselves! Please make sure to read them!!!

Well, there it is folks! Of course, I do not mind that I was wrong! The fun part in theorizing is not being right or wrong, but the journey one takes to find out the truth! And the truth is SO much more horrifying than I could ever think! You see, I was kinda thinking abt ways for Chip to still function while undead, but there is NO FUNCTIONING WHATSOEVER APPARENTLY. Grizzly's not playing, and the prospect of losing Chip forever is real oh dear OMG, that's absolutely insane!!! Please feel welcome to discuss this, I'll be definitely making more posts about this once I have a little more time but holy shit guys. We need to fix that boy up F A S T. If we lose Chip, I'm not recovering-

[hooked-on-elvis]

"My Boy" (1973-1974)

Recorded on December 13, 1973 at Stax Studios, Memphis · Released on March 20, 1974 · Album: Good Times

MUSICIANS Guitar: James Burton, Johnny Christopher, Charlie Hodge. Bass: Norbert Putnam. Drums: Ronnie Tutt. Piano & Organ: David Briggs, Per-Erik Hallin. Vocals: Kathy Westmoreland, Mary (Jeannie) Greene, Mary Holladay, Susan Pilkington, Voice, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. OVERDUBS Guitar: Dennis Linde, Alan Rush. Percussion: Rob Galbraith. Piano: Bobby Ogdin. Organ: Randy Cullers. Vocals: Ginger Holladay, Mary Holladay, Mary Cain.

RELEASES In March 1974 "My Boy" was first released on the album "Good Times", and in January 1975 the song came out as Side-A single (backed with "Thinking About You".

The master of “My Boy” was lengthened by splicing on a repeat of the last section.

"MY BOY" — LYRICS Songwriters: Bill Martin/Phil Coulter/Claude Francois/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre You're sleeping son, I know But really, this can't wait I wanted to explain Before it gets too late For your mother and me Love has finally died This is no happy home But God knows how I've tried Because you're all I have, my boy You are my life, my pride, my joy And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy I know it's hard to understand Why did we ever start? We're more like strangers now Each acting out a part I have laughed, I have cried I've lost every game Taken all I can take But I'll stay here just the same Because you're all I have, my boy You are my life, my pride, my joy And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy Sleep on, you haven't heard a word Perhaps it's just as well Why spoil your little dreams Why put you through the hell Life is no fairy tale As one day you will know But now you're just a child I'll stay here and watch you grow Because you're all I have, my boy You are my life, my pride, my joy And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy Because you're all I have, my boy You are my life, my pride, my joy And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy Yeah, because you're all I have, my boy You are my life, my pride, my joy And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy Oh, because you're all I have

--

TAKES · FROM FIRST TO MASTER

THE TAKE 2 Studio Sessions for RCA · December 13, 1973: Stax Studios, Memphis Please, read what Ernst Jorgensen says about the moment "My Boy" was being recorded, and listen to the take. -- The next night Elvis began with a song from his live repertoire, “My Boy,” which had been included in the August Las Vegas show. The song told the traumatic tale of losing a child through divorce, but Elvis wanted to be done with it fast. When Felton pushed for a third take, he exploded: “I told you to get this goddamn thing in two takes. I can’t sing it no more.” Take three was actually better; it lacked the long fade out Felton wanted, but he knew better than to ask for another, confident that he could loop it in mixing to get the effect he wanted. Excerpt: "Elvis Presley, A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions" by Ernst Jorgensen. Foreword by Peter Guralnick (1998) -- So, when I first read this part of Jorgensen's book I hadn't listen to that take yet, but now that I did I don't take Elvis' comment as "he exploded", do you? If that was Elvis exploding, I have to reconsider a lot of the stories about his supposed short-tempered moments. Just saying. He sounded pretty like just casually commenting rather than snapping at Felton like the description of the moment made it look like. Still, I personally think that comment came for a reason, maybe EP was too polite - or too embarrassed - to show how affected by the lyrics of that song he was. Below is the take two alone, if you prefer to go straight to the point go to min. 3:50.

Elvis and Lisa Marie Presley at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN, on February, 1968. ♥

I must have been the only person in the fandom who hadn't seen this picture before. So cute! I'm meltinnnggg! Is it real? Looks edited, IDK. Anyway, what are your thoughts about Elvis' recording of My Boy? Do you think it had a meaning to him?

[utahlive]

No episode today (i have a test i gotta study for booo) :( However in usual “no episode today” style, I’ve got some behind the scenes stuff! (+ answering asks). I’m really glad you guys like hearing about this part of the blog :D

It’s a little long so I’m putting it under the cut

So my latest method of answering asks is to write a quick outline/reply and save it in drafts (as opposed to what I was doing, which was copy pasting asks into the notes app and writing replies there. dont ask whats wrong with me; I dont know). Anyway this specific comic had its first ‘script’ (shoutout to @/ghostburface for the ask)

I usually draw out what I imagine happening and then add text to hit the points im aiming for, but I did the opposite in this one. I had a lot of trouble figuring out the actual visuals for this one

(For the record I tried to find the original price of the glasses on the las Nevadas merch page but it wasn’t there. I remember losing my mind over the price tho)

attempt/draft 2 (sort of) since I wasn’t sure about the layout. I was really hoping to just have three panels (as you can see by the “if 3 that would be epic” note above)

And then I transferred it digitally! I did go over the script in DMs with my friend so it ended up as it did I did see one person pointing out the whole “rose colored glasses” thing (shout out to you fr !!). I had a lot of meaning I was going for with this one but I have a hard time finding a middle ground between “so obscure its not there” and “way too obvious”

I also wanted to answer some asks (as per usual :3 because I love talking with you guys)

I wish he would grow it out!! However as anyone who’s gone from short to long hair... the awkward phase is NOT pretty. I did hear on one of his streams he might cut it when the EP comes out rather than the album. because he’s a coward (but I can’t blame him)

who doesnt feel like ripping up their pillow though, amiright fellas? Shout out to all the utahlive fictives out there (I’ve heard of reported sightings). Would love to talk to you guys some day <3 It still baffles my mind that this blog leaves any sort of lasting impression on people (for reals though, I hope you guys are ok!!)

this one isnt directed at me but I just think its funny you say this because summer 2022 I went to the Winchester house with my friends, but we all decided it wasn’t worth the price so we just checked out the gift shop and walked around the outside for about two hours. it’s actually very pretty! super cool architecture

this one is under the “what would you recommend I get at the gas station”

It’s also not a question but I think it would be funny to let you know I wrote and queued that post (and the other one posted that day) at like 5am I don’t know how I missed it because I usually check my posts the next morning before they get posted I know it’s bad I’m trying real hard to get my sleep schedule to be normal (this post is sponsored by melatonin tablets)

GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY 🤺🤺🤺

I assume you’re talking about the mcytblr sexyman poll?? Im already making predictions and bets in my head on this one but Ill be fighting for MY meowmeows till my last breath

[bloogers-boogers]

Do you have any South Park hot takes/unpopular opinions? 👀

Both for the fandom and the show itself

Hmm... well I haven't like thought of it too much cause I don't like to get involved in the fandom itself when it comes to discourses! I suppose my unpopular opinion is that I truly don't take south park seriously! I see it as it is. Completely satire with the purpose of making jokes about real world problems and getting out some laughter from it. That's how I see the episodes with no shipping goggles until after when I can actually just enjoy the content people make out of it and go crazy with theories and hcs for fun and enjoyment jhshqhsjs

I also see it meanless to pin people down when it comes to fictional ships nothing justifies a person sending d3ath threats/harassment to a REAL person over something that ISN'T real. And I dislike how people disrespect others when it comes to them actually liking the show for what it is. Technically when fans take fanon as legit from canon! fans shitting on people who don't go by their fanon/ship over them going with canon.

The other day I was reading a post about fans shitting on cryle. Dude it's fictional they're not doing any harm whatsoever! Creek is canon shipping that specific ship is not gonna take that away just like it won't take away stendy for shipping style:)

Please, I just can't. I cannot comprehend when fans take fanon too seriously.

Also— when people make Kyle ultra feminized. I'm sorry for those who do and like, idc if you do but I just personally don't like it. Same with Tweek. I just keep my distance and mind my own business. There's no need to be disrespectful for those who see/take things very differently than you and that's okay as long as you don't cause any harm or force anyone with them:"D

All the kids are assholes. Actually the whole town is! Cartman is an ass, yes. His character is intended to be an antagonist but that doesn’t take away the other shit anyone else from the show has done:)

Butters is a dick! He ain't no pure uwu boy he has his moments and IS friends with Cartman even if some say he's a victim. Like, it's shown in the show when Butters can't take Cartman's shit anymore he stops playing around! (In his own way he gets back at Cartman. Like that video tape of him dancing with a cut out of Justin timberlake, taking his hotdog business away or dragging cartmans ass back to the bus refusing to let go of his hand.) And he also finds Cartman bigoted comments funny too.

Besides, Victor was not a creation by being abused from Cartman in PC. Butters created that person for himself as a copping machine from taking ALL of the boys shit (bullied from everyone) (he literally points out all the other main boys issues in that Hawaiian ep atleast Stan and Kyle. Not just Cartman.) and IS a victim from his parents. It was a choice Butters made for going the Victor route being influenced by the environment he had to endure.

Also Liane is a bad mother she is no sweet angel. She has been shown to be more stricter in recent seasons but that doesn’t erase the fact that she has done shit to Cartman just as much as he has done to her. Maybe even more:"D

People who want Cartman d3ad is like asking for Garrison, Randy (and anyone that goes against their fanon) gone. It takes the essence of the show entirely. Cartman is literally south park.

Besides, if Cartman isn't there who do you guys think would be pin as the new asshole in town? Everyone there is shitty, the possibility is endless:)))) (main three?? Stan, Kyle, Kenny:333)

I dislike the fatphobia in this fandom. No more take on this cause this is a sensitive subject I do not want to take part of!

Main boys ARE Cartman's friends. It's as obvious as day those three care in their own way. That one percent episode they literally went to ask the kids they thought were the cause of the fire to stop harassing their friend. People who don't care wouldn't even bother to intervene.

Liking a bad character doesn't make you a bad person! I personally like Cartman, he's my favorite. I can admit he has problems and is very problematic! And I would never follow by all the shit he says, realistically I would NOT be around a person like that. However the way he's written drove me to like him and the fact that he's just a fictional character~ also PC has proven that Cartman can change:)

Just a reminder that these are just my takes! No one has to follow them or am I attempting to shove my opinions onto anyone. And they're not always consistent. My views on things change a lot.

I love reading diffrent opinions on things, hc's, ships just as much as I like to read when it comes to character analysis, lore, theories. I'm opened to listen and take diverse opinions from the show/fandom.

This is fictional it's not real! So I would never take it to heart:) <3

Sorry this is mostly about the fandom I truly have nothing against the show unless being tired of the tegrity farm gag 😭🤣

Also my bad for the long rant malu (I did not intend for this to be long) 💀

[doodlenovaa]

MKAY

I GOTTA RANT ABT SMTH THAT HAPPENED AT SCHOOL WITHIN THE LAST 2-ISH HOURS

Story under the cut:

BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION BEFORE WE START

So, This is my biology teacher, We’re gonna just call her Mrs. Bio

Well, last week I came to school, Monday, Mrs. Bio wasn’t there, my friend Eevee (she loves Pokémon) had told me and my friends in the gc we had, we were thrilled because the thing about her is that,

That’s not a joke either! She will get upset if we get out of our seats 5 seconds before the bell rings, not exaggerating. And our teacher assistant, she’s chill, for the most part,

But, last week on Monday, when she wasn’t there, we were given a 2-paged packet, no biggie I get it done before class ends, I turn it in,

The very next day when I get in there and Mrs. Bio handed packets back, she didn’t give me mine back, I wasn’t that bothered about it because oh I already did the assignment

BUT NO

She gave me a new one when she seen me drawing and listening to music, because she asked me why I wasn’t ’doing my work’

It was already done

I did it the day before

Now, I didn’t re-do it- nuh uh I refused to

Same thing with the next because we spent three days on it, (we have a few days per assignment unless it’s like,, a YouTube video we need to watch, then it’s due at the end of class)

So, yesterday we were given study guides (our assignments we did all stapled together) and that one 2-Paged assignment? Wasn’t there, so I finished an assignment that’s due tomorrow, then I watched YouTube

Now, note, Eevee wasn’t here today because they had Girl Scout stuff to do, but when the Mrs. Bio said we can go to the lounge if we had all our work done, she told me I couldn’t go

It was the fucking packet

I argued that I had it done, and she refused to believe me, like she didn’t even look through the papers on her desk, she said I didn’t do it and tried to make me do it again. I once more refused and I verbally said I’m not going to do it,

Oh- and she then proceeded to say, that for the 3-day length that this assignment was given she watched me mess around and draw

All three days

.

SHE WAS ONLY THERE FOR TWO DAYS.

Best part about this? I have 4 people as witnesses for all of this, 3 watched me get my work done, Eevee, my friend (fuck it we call him robo) Robo, and my friend (his initials (middle and first)) EP,

The fourth person was in front of me, and my friend Robo was nearby, when she said this wonderful line

‘I will videotape you doing nothing the next time this happens’

For those of you unaware, without mine or my parents/guardians consent? That was illegal.

So, me and Robo then reported this to an admin that we ran into the hall,

This all happened in roughly 20 minutes. And this isn’t the first time Mrs. Bio was reported, this is the second time from my class specially that she’s been reported,

—

thank you for reading this,

I SWEAR ILL UPDATE YALL ON WHAT HAPPENS

[egipci]

what do you think it is exactly that's stopping the daemyra pairing from being more compelling? bc i feel the exact same way and i can't pinpoint it. is it just the show not hitting the right points and letting it kind of blur into the background... is it an acting problem, a chemistry problem? i think rhaenyra by herself is great and matt smith is really bizarrely ugly imo but a very good actor and from the beginning i had faith in him to play daemon (and i'm still enjoying him for the most part). also its not like one or both parties being ugly has stopped me from getting into a pairing before but i just for the life of me cannot bring myself to feel anything about them at all. i am kind of a lowkey viserys/daemon shipper but again that's not something that on paper would have stopped me from also caring about d/r? i feel like that's been the consensus amongst casual viewers too tbh, having read the book(s) i expected more outrage from my normie friends over the incest but more than one of them has complained about being bored with those two. it's gnawing at me. idk would be interested to hear your thoughts

Hello hello <3 I had to take a minute to think more about this beyond "the vibes are just not there anymore” lol, because I actually really did enjoy the ship in S1a, even though I vastly prefer Emma D'Arcy and older Rhaenyra to Milly Alcock (and she was great in her own right) and despite Matt Smith's... unconventional charm. And while I do think the actors still have plenty of chemistry, and I can be persuaded to care more, at this point I just find myself wondering 'what do these characters like about each other? what is this relationship like?’

The thing I have found particularly attractive about incest (and even more inter-generational incest) is that it's inherently a shorthand for deep history and affection and obligation (kinda like childhood best friends to lovers in that way) -- I don't need to see Daemon meet Rhaenyra for the first time as a new-born to like, imagine the feeling of meeting a very little person related to you for the first time and the parental feelings that inspires. And of course an uncle/niece relationship is per se about the nexus character, namely the brother/father, and so far the show has delivered on that front. Viserys is their third because he's the raison d'etre of the relationship, but I can't figure what else is going on there, I don't know what inspires the romantic turn. Daemon is a parental figure to her, but he's not just that, and that's the reason the relationship is permissible in their world in the first place, but what else is there? In ep 2x4 little Rhaenyra articulates what the initial draw was for her, and then again adult Rhaenyra does the same in ep 6, but what is it to Daemon? What does he like about her? Like, I know why I like watching her as a character, but what does he like about her?

Not to make everything about j/d but for the sake of illustration --- j/d is a parent/child relationship obviously, and whenever I write them the central motif is that deep paternal love but that's not enough to explain the sexual turn (whether consummated or un). There has to be some extra something there, which is in the case of J/D the 20+ years of history and partnership between them, which we only see glimpses of. But I factually know that in canon it existed, and I can still see its impacts on Dean all the way to the very last scene of the show. There's a reason I find J/D more plausible than J/S, even though John feels the same profound affection and devotion towards Sam.

I have no sense of that history with D/R. I can fill in the blanks when we first meet them in ep 1, but that can only go so far, because the adapted text leads me to believe there is no such history between them. There is no canon opportunity for that relationship to develop. We have a few scenes with them between s1 ep 1-2, then there's a three year time jump to ep. 4 during which they haven't seen each other, between 5 and 7 there are ten years where these characters do not interact, unlike in the book. Their reconciliation in ep. 7 feels more like a grief-fueled political alliance than a rekindling of a torrid affair, which is of course plenty interesting as a foundation for a relationship, but then we immediately jump six years into the future in ep8. Presumably any given relationship is different at year 20 from what it was at year 0, I just don't know much about how this particular relationship has evolved. I know they have had sex in the interim because I see they have kids, but that's about it. And it's unfortunate, because the show has been able to deliver real-feeling relationships in very limited scenes between Rhaenyra and Laenor, for example, or Aegon with his parents and Otto in S1. And to be sure the D/R relationship doesn't lack nuance, it just doesn't have the emotional resonance to me of a romance between soulmates like the show runners describe it. From a Rhaenyra-centric pov it simply feels like getting with your high school crush after many years in-between and it's just not working out as you would have hoped. From a Daemon-pov, Rhaenyra just feels like a consolation prize. And also both of them used to date the same guy. And ironically, I actually find that intriguing enough, I just feel like I'm being gaslighted by the show runners and its fans about what I'm actually watching.

Like I said before, incest aside, I think this is a very common problem in conveying romance in visual media, or at least a common experience for me as a viewer (which is why I consider myself a pretty non-shipper normie). Obviously there are many many people who ship it and spend a lot of time thinking about it out there, so it's not unpopular by any stretch, and I think fandom and transformative works are completely valid ways to deepen your investment in canon and the characters, but it takes a lot for me to reach that level of interest.

As to your impression of the normie consensus: that seems more or less accurate to me --- none of my normie friends have seen s2 yet, but I do watch a lot of reaction videos (lol) and people seem more invested in the dragons and the overall family drama and politics than in the romantic dimension to D/R. Though to be fair, I don't know that any of the romantic relationships on the show are particularly attractive. Corlys and Rhaenys were wonderful, and I'm intrigued by Cole/Alicent (and Alicent/Aegon in headcanon land), but it's a pretty sexless show on the whole. Like, even Baela and Jace have taken vows of chastity until marriage or something, it's very strange.

Re: Viserys/Daemon: <3 I think it's wonderful actually! I haven't finished F&B and I haven't read any of the other books so I don't know if there is some gay incest down the line, but I don't think there is? Which is bizarre of course because why wouldn't two siblings of the same gender develop a relationship in the fucking your siblings family? I think that conflict would have been tremendously intriguing to explore, and I can so easily see Daemon as a character attached to his vision of Targaryen godhood pushing that permission even further to fuck his brother. As it were it's completely consistent with the show and with Daemon's chemistry with male characters, and holds a lot of explanatory value for him as a character, but I do wish it were made more explicit. And this is coming from someone who generally finds sibling incest pretty meh to squicky. In a different world I would write about them, but all this canon is enough for me!

[prettyflyshyguy]

WE'RE FINALLY HERE. WE'RE FINALLY AT S3E7 - FRESH BLOOD

And you KNOW ya girl has a lot more to say about this one so let's just get this party started shall we.

And now that I have CONTEXT I have THOUGHTS

The tragedy of this character is awful. But I'm appreciative for what it allows as a narrative device (as much as it is a shame that this random woman is negated to being that, and only that; a device) - after they've SEEN vampires be good and live a peaceful life. It's harsh that they just cull her off and decide that its a decision they are allowed to make.

This will surely not come back to haunt them when Dean gets infected in three seasons time.

I am a big sucker for anytime this show has them Decide something for others, only to be hit with "Oh no now its happening to us" and the immense emotional turmoil that causes.

Going to lean into this a lot more in the fic I think.

Bella hon I love you, but seeing Dean give a genuine threat because the man's got one thing to lose now and he's not letting anything take it away while he's still alive; marvelous.

Throw one too many low blow shots about him being no better than you and maybe just maybe he starts to act like it.

BLOOD JAR BLOOD JAR BLOOD JAR

Now I did skip to watch this episode cause I can't help myself, I like vampires too much and spn hits the spot. Having said that re-watching this with context on GORDON has made it a lot more interesting.

Now I really. Like. Gordon. He's a great antagonist. His voice, his mannerisms, the way he is so uncomfortably unsettlingly calm. Phenomenal. He has some really iconic lines and moments in this show and he's such a good foil to Dean.

Absolute epitome of "become the thing you despise" but deep end side of it. Like he's become so consumed by obsession and righteousness in his actions and his drive is just too strong.

I enjoyed that this ep looks at the primal survival instinct. And the duality of the Winchester's (mostly Sam) attitude towards Gordon being; man's gotta go, contrasted with the way Gordon talks to the Vampire. It's the gradual build up of detachment. Gordon is a monster. So are the Winchesters. None of them want to see that in themselves. The Vampire is too. They're all just coming at it from different angles. Each party has deep rooted trauma and pain, and each are dealing with it in a terrible way.

Sam's uncomfortable attitude shift of "It's Gordon or us" is harrowing. Dean being the more hesitant one is interesting. He's the first to chop off the head of a infected woman who's confused, upset, and pleading for help - but Gordon makes him uncomfortable (despite everything) and Sam's cold cut attitude doesn't help. I mean they've left him alive twice and each time he's only gotten more ruthless.

Dean cracks a joke about Sam not pushing back against killing him, but that feels far more like Dean fishing for Sam's conscience because he's unsure what the right thing to do is because Gordon isn't by definition an 'evil thing' in the lore books. Sam's no longer the grounding rock.

Oh if it were so easy.

You can really see they were dabbling with the transformation scenes in this and they just came in SWINGING when S6 rolled around.

the SPN vampire teeth are growing on me (HAR. HAR. HAR.) regrettably.

Ok so. This really begs the question. How much willpower does it take to resist. How much does that differ, per person? Is this Gordon just full SNAPPING upon being turned? Does he just immediately relent due to him already being on the brink? He has the most intense and unhinged attitude of all the hunter's that've been given primary screen time, so maybe its fair to say that part of him just completely caved in once he got hit with the overstimulation + hunger combo.

I think back to his introduction episode and how he talked to Dean about the hole inside yourself, like the pit or void you'll never fill or satisfy. How he used that to drive himself forward. Working solo, without a rock to anchor himself to (Dean has Sam) maybe Gordon just completely lost himself in this initial phase after turning.

This also echoes the S6 moment when Dean visits Lisa and also gets violent. Dean also loses control but ALMOST bites her. He still throws her and Ben around like they're ragdolls, which he clearly never intended to do.

Once again, great shots in this show. However I do wonder if its just my personal bias, or if there is a bit of an imbalance of woman corpse. Don't want to throw a stone from a glass house though. Just feels weird not mentioning it when I'm like "WOW SICK SHOT" and its. This picture.

Anyway. More to the point. "You don't understand. I was desperate. You ever felt desperate? I've lost everyone I ever loved. I'm staring down eternity alone."

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. It's so fucking human. What a shame, we're forced to see ourselves in something we deeply and truly want to believe isn't like us at all. Oh Dear. Reconcile THAT Dean you little shit.

This is so nicely echoed in S6 - the vampire is done, he's lost everything and he'd just rather have it end. The nihilism, the bottom of the pit. The end of the downward spiral.

Gordon's turn on Eternal Damnation and he wants to get off.

Once again I deeply enjoy the way the Hunters just drop everything so cold when something happens to someone. Including Sam and Dean in that, they struggle cause they're younger, less experienced, less jaded. The older hunters are fucking brutal. Gordon's partner, despite genuinely believing Sam has to die, just full send tells Gordon "No I can't let you take out Sam first. I need to kill you right now."

Despite everything, the common goal that they both wholeheartedly believed in, that they both gunned for so hard, thrown out the window when one is turned. Hung out to dry.

And how quickly they all turn on each other when this happens.

Anyway I think lore wise the vampires get stronger once turned, but I'm guessing drinking human blood enhances this further. Making notes for myself cause Dean's on a strictly vegetarian diet and this complicates matters for him of course.

But yeah, jesus, Gordon.

Anyway

Now THIS is something I gotta remember - Dean becomes a fucking menace when he's scared. Jokes get more intense, he has no filter, does not stop at nothing even despite the increasing protesting of the people around and closest to him and he full disconnects from loved ones.

"No. I'm a monster."

UGH. Compels me.

It's the resignation that's so fun I think. Like he just snaps, decided Yeah, this is it. Eats some people, then goes back to the original plan of Kill Sam. But its the way he leans into being the monster. Gordon was a mess before, but now its like he's truly just let go of a part of himself as he truly believes there's no alternative. Every vampire he's met and killed he saw as a monster and nothing more. Despite one, in front of him, exercising self control, he's still committed to viewing them as only monsters.

Once turned he can only accept the singular reality that he is a monster, and so, he does nothing to combat it. He embraces it.

Is it easier to kill him when he's a vampire? Or was it a further reminder that he was, and still is, a person?

Closing thoughts: good ep, easily one of my favorites. But you already knew that.

Love you Gordon you bloody legend.

[kiyaar]

the tony slander in AA is really egregious but imo my least favorite part by far is how they totally flatten The Hulk/Bruce’s character into one-dimensional comic relief. & it sucks so hard coming to AA after watching EMH which has such stunning, compelling, and complex Bruce characterization. Truly did not realize how good we had it w/ EMH until I tried AA, it just does not measure up at all and it’s so bizarre bc I simply don’t see why ppl like it so much!!

yeah. okay. so i just started season three, and i was all ready to come here and be like. this is where you should start, it's better, but we've already had 1.5 tony's ego mentions per episode (i'm on 3.1). AND. bruce JUST showed up. like. i actually don't think there's been a single mention of him until now - there may have been one ep in season one - and then he showed his face for all of 3 minutes and then we're back to the hulk. and nat is like "we all have lives outside the avengers, other responsibilities" at their not-team meeting like. do you? you've made the clubhouse your whole personality. the only other hero who ever shows up is spider-man and that happened like 3 times and we all know it's for IP reasons. i don't think we've had a single ep that really does CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. like no one has a sad day off by themselves, no one is ever interacting in casual clothes, these people live together but they can't be friends, it's so fucking weird! it's such a weird series of choices to make!

[sarangbe]

[  🌹  ]  𝖇𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖔𝖞𝖘 𝖔𝖚𝖙 !

𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖌𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖓𝖊 /  MISSION THREE SOLO— 𝖙𝖑𝖉𝖗 /  SARANG PERFORMS ❝ 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖔𝖞𝖘 ❞ WITH HIS TEAMMATES FOR THE GROUP EVALUATION — EP 4 ! 𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘 /  VARIOUS TEAMMATES / THE JUDGES. FIND THE LINE DISTRIBUTION FOR THE SET HERE ! 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 /  WRITTEN IN ROUGHLY 𝟕𝟎𝟓 WORDS.

somehow, most all of the performance pieces he’s been given are songs that were originally done by girl groups, and while some of the other male contestants may not enjoy that, sarang feels lucky that production continuously hands him music that fits his style of performance; making him feel like his assets are being highlighted. while that’s not to say that he’ll only ever be good at learning choreography that has a heightened sense of femininity to it, the songs make it easy for him to showcase his strengths—to capitalize on them in an attempt to further wow the panel of judges, as well as raise his ranking even more. going into this phase of the competition, he was feeling great about his odds; stoked to know that he’s still here in the first place, and he’s dedicated to the uphill battle that he’s been fighting since filming commenced. however, as rehearsals went on, his motivation depleted almost completely—his spirit feeling drained, and unmotivated, and exhausted from the preparations.

being that it’s showtime now, there’s not much else that he can do in order to boost his mood. he wonders if anyone else has noticed that he’s been quieter than usual. in the hair and makeup chair, he honestly fell asleep during the application process; the brushes blending product into his face feeling therapeutic and relaxing enough for him to catch some z’s before being sent to the holding room. he knows it’s not the best look to doze off in such a high stakes situation—if anything, it may make him seem unprofessional—but he hopes that the audiences watching are able to cut him some slack due to how intensely he’s been practicing, like all the others have been.

thinking of the last preparatory period, he inhales a deep breath as he stands at his mark—the energy of his teammates hopefully able to uplift him enough for him to wow the masses. luckily, the parts he’s been given aren’t out of his comfort zone, and as mentioned, the dancing lends itself to his strong suit, so he hopes that he can pull this off. it’ll be the first time he’s stepped on this stage without feeling confident. it makes him nervous, but maybe the jitters will help give him a much-needed boost? without much more time to think, the first beat plays, and along with the others, he starts to sing—his voice warmed up, but tired. thankfully he has the others singing in unison with him, better masking the delicate rasp that’s coloring his vocal tone.

however, when it’s his first individual part, he does so as he was taught—his facial expressions still sparkling despite his movements lacking punch, and sadly, he’s a little bit sharp when it comes to the lower notes; not able to heed the advice he was given when it mattered most. it’s one strike against him, but he tries not to keep count. instead, he relies on muscle memory to carry him through the rest of the set—striking each move with softness and fluidity, per usual. he received a good bit of center time in the formations, and he makes sure he’s at least able to dazzle the crowd when he’s leading the pack, but whenever he’s not the person in focus, he fades into the background entirely, clearly not delivering at his typical standard.

then, the most iconic part of the dance comes up, and as he drops down with the group, he shuts his eyes for a millisecond and tries his damnedest to muster up all of the fight in him to carry out the rest of the song. when it’s his section of the breakdown, he infuses the lyrics into his motions and countenance; forcing himself to perform at a ten until the last beat is struck, and when it is, he schmoozes with the cameras that are spiraling around him, in hopes that he can provide them with a refreshing ending fairy shot if that’s what’s in the cards. given that he receives high praise for his aesthetic appeal, it wouldn’t shock him if his visage is the last thing the audience sees. all he can hope is that he doesn’t look as tired as he feels right now.

[suhnshinehaos]

hello a5c friends , some crumbs coming soon ;>

[zoe-oneesama]

AAAAA WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE NEW EP (i screamed many times)

I really liked it! Alya really carried the whole thing, genius level planning in this one on her part! I have minor pet peeves, as per usual, but overall I had a fun time.

-I like that Marinette is getting more sleep on the weekends, lol, and that she can just show up at Alya's place and no one bats an eye. I even like the confirmation that Chat Blanc is a feature in her nightmares and something that she does still think about.

-I like that Nino's afraid of spiders, maybe it was established that he was already afraid of them in Anansi (I haven't watched it yet tbh) but if not it's a nice little continuity that he was effected by it in that way.

-I was cackling immediately when Shadowmoth started belaying his plan, which all hinged on Ladybug delivering to Alya a miraculous that she already had. Plus, I hate to get meta on ya Hawky, but if you explain your entire plan before the plan happens, that's media short hand for "this plan is going to go wrong".

-I liked that Adrien called out Nino's name first when he saw the news, and I liked that he also called out Marinette's. Just cute when they remember that he has friends and cares about them.

-Can't believe...but also totally believe that SM fell for the whole "I need to use the bathroom" ploy. Absolute child's play.

-Also I love all the comics that have come as a result of SM showing up to a fight with coffee. Please keep them coming, forever.

-Alya was a total boss in convincing SM that she's not getting her miraculous anymore. And I've always thought that the Fox is best when the enemy doesn't know they're there, so if Rena Rouge has to fight only in the shadows from now on, I support it.

-The Marichat (though not romantic) was peak. Him listening to Marinette after being so annoyed with being bossed around by Rena, him assuring her that they'll rescue her soon, her supporting his idea to head off Sentibubbler before he can expose Illusion-bug and out Rena's whole illusion. her trying to warn him about SM's attack, him lowkey trying to show off when he escaped the bubble the first time. I like Marichat best when it's friends having each other's back, so this watered my crops and cleared my skin. I am a simple woman of simple tastes and offer my Ladrien friends a hopeful prayer that you are next.

-I liked that Pegabug was only like 45 seconds, thank the Lord.

-I liked that Chat Noir saved Nino first and foremost (and uh left literally everyone else to Ladybug, thanks?) Still, bromance is bromance and I'll take my crumbs.

-I think (?) Chat Noir is over the Rena thing now? At least he's over Rena being on equal partnership as him with Ladybug, especially with how the Rocketear teaser is portraying their friendship as growing. That's not to say there's no possible angst to be had down the line if he finds out she's permanent or that She Knows.

Now the nitpicks:

-I don't love Alya's "Alya vision" but it's way better than how the "Adrien vision" looked.

-Also don't love Alya's fanny pack. Maybe if it was in a contrasting color? Or just solid? Why'd they make it the same pattern as her shirt but just...zoomed in?

-I get they're trying to ramp up the DJWifi drama for Rocketear (and possibly beyond) but I'm sorry Nino "Let's throw a city wide party for Boys Only and purposefully exclude and lie to the Girls about it because Guy Time is Guy Time" Lahiffe, were you bothered that Alya and Marinette wanted a little alone time to talk about something without you? Because I find it hard to feel to bad about that.

-Rena rushing through trying to give Chat Noir the right information making her be careless with her words while a bit frustrating is totally understandable. Also understandable is Chat Noir being angry about it because of how she worded it or because of the situation itself. But him destroying a piece of property in his anger is kinda frightening to me, especially when it's paired with him telling himself that the Miraculous Cure will fix it (implying that means it doesn't matter), which is just...eerily parroting things that I've had Scarlet Lady say, who if you recall, I'm portraying as The Worst(tm). So, that was less than fun.

-Pegabug has two hands, I do not understand how she didn't go for both the amok item and the butterfly broach (outside of the meta reason that the show might be over then). For sure she'll be kicking herself for that (and so will her detractors). And given how the Magic Charms and Senti[x]s have made akumas obsolete, I don't get why she couldn't have grabbed the Butterfly, but SM could get away with the Peacock and continue his terror that way. Them giving her a throw away Lucky Charm that didn't even assist in the fight at all combined with her only going for the coffee just doubles up on how contrived it feels.

-While I appreciate Chat Noir's turn around at the end of the episode, it does come out of no where. Maybe in order for this change to make a little more sense, Rena Rouge should've called him back when Illusion-bug left to be like "Okay, kit-kat, you're on now! We need you to make sure my illusion isn't found out, time for the two-person plan to become a three-person one!" At the same time, it is to Chat Noir's own credit that he realized what he needed to do on his own, so it's a bit of a mixed bag.

But uh I think that's it for now! One thing I've noticed in this season is that I feel the need to hold back on full salting because this is the first season that I feel like I need to wait until the next episode before I can complain about the current one because things are for once being continuous. I'm actually, like, pumped? For new episodes? Because they build off one another? Maybe they don't do it in the order I'd particularly like (why is Optigami and Sentibubbler so IN THE MIDDLE of the season when they should come almost right off the Season 3 finale, we seriously could've pushed Zoe and Su-han back to fit them in sooner) BUT they are building, and, I'm kinda excited for it!

[lullabyes22-blog]

Arcane fic idea...

Interested in exploring a story where Silco finds Jinx after the Bridge explosion in ep 8, and Singed saves her as per canon.

Buuuut - instead of Jinx sneaking off, she’s still on the operating table when she regains consciousness, and Silco hauls her back home. She’s dazed, she’s unstable, she’s just watched her sister ‘abandon’ her (again) in favor of a Piltie Enforcer and been taken in (again) by the man she’s not supposed to trust. 

Between the traumatic medical procedure, the Shimmer infecting her mind, and the million torn-open psychic wounds, her brain flatlines into autopilot for its own self-preservation. 

Meanwhile Silco is frothing - at himself for sending Jinx on the hunt for the Hex crystal, at Vi for being the cause of all the trouble, and at Piltover for putting the Undercity in a position where he needs to put his child on the line for Zaun’s liberation in the first place. 

His rage at the latter soon eclipses everything else.

When Jayce requests a parley and demands Jinx as tribute, Silco refuses - and wages war on Piltover. 

The Council is absolutely blindsided. As are the rest of Piltover. They are still in the early stages of weaponizing Hextech, despite its superiority to Silco’s Shimmer-soldiers. Meanwhile, Zaun has been planning a guerilla rebellion for years - and acts with stealth, strategy and absolutely no scruple.  

The conflict spans several weeks - and sees horrific carnage on both sides. Jinx, with a near-cyborgian efficiency, leads the charge and takes out good chunks of Piltover’s armory. Meanwhile, Enforcers flood Zaun and leave parts of it absolutely razed, with little to no survivors. A good number of Silco’s goons are lost in the fray; Silco himself gets dragged into it, just another cog in his machine of carnage.

With Fishbones at hand, Jinx deals the finishing blow - and obliterates the Bridge. In doing so, she buries years’ worth of trauma tied to that place - but also integral parts of her true self.

And she breaks down in hysterical tears under the weight of her loss.

Three months into the war, Zaun is free. Silco is First Chancellor - and working with ruthless speed to remake the nation into a sovereign contender on Runeterra’s stage - while also shaping it into his own personal oligarchy.  He is also secretly choking on the bile of his own self-hatred, and is unable to acknowledge his emotion for what it is.

Grief.

Because Jinx, following the war, has devolved into a creature unhinged with rage one moment, near-comatose with despair the next. She’s kept medicated and under close watch in Silco’s penthouse suite. Every night, he comes home from work and goes to sit by her bedside.

And he dies a little more inside.

Cue a request from Piltover to begin negotiations for a permanent peace-treaty. Mel Madarda leads the charge. She and Silco circle each other with double-speak and mindgames like two predators in a waltz. (They both enjoy it more than they care to admit.)

The crux of the peace deal - Vi.

She wants to visit the Fissures. And see Jinx.

What follows is essentially a custody battle at the highest political level - complete with blackmail, back-alley deals, games of cat and mouse, violence, glittering Topside galas and lowdown Undercity debauchery. Silco has directed all his spleen and venom at Vi - and will do anything to keep Jinx safe from her. Likewise, Vi will do anything to wrench her sister away from his corrupting influence.

Meanwhile, like Zaun, Jinx must grow out of her bloodied past - and into a new self and bigger dreams.

Obviously, this story would be a multichapter monster. Also multiple ships - including some rare!pairs in scenarios of varying levels of angst and discomfort. For instance, I enjoy the idea of MelJayVik, where Jayce is basically a clueless golden retriever, Viktor pines in futility even as he sinks deeper into his Machine Herald role, and Mel cares deeply for Jayce, while wanting to keep her options open (largely because of the debacle with her mother and Noxus breathing down Piltover’s neck.) Cue an ill-advised but mutually gainful dalliance with Zaun’s First Chancellor - before she finds her bearings. And remembers her heart.

Meanwhile, I also want to explore Sevika/Silco as a dysfunctional but darkly pragmatic endgame. I’ve mentioned it before, but I like the idea of a FMA Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye dynamic between them, where she has his back and keeps his eye on the Mission - while also secretly hoping for something more (a hope she hides even from herself.) 

In most scenarios, the other partner is oblivious to the pining party’s affection. Not Silco. If anything, he exploits it to his advantage. Expect more mind-games, and emotionless hook-ups, and both of them running hot and cold beneath a façade of cool professionalism - until something takes, or explodes.

The fic’s theme wouldn’t be reconciliation. More growing out of loss and learning to live with the scars - through rare moments of solace. Silco, especially, I’d want to put in a scenario where he grows disenchanted with power, and finds in his adopted daughter his own salvation, even if that doesn’t exactly make him a better person.

Let me know y’all’s thoughts! Obviously this would an utter angst!ball of a story if I ever decide to pen it down 8′’)

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together: “Our fans are always there by our side. That’s why they’re our heroes”

They won Hero of the Year at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 by a fan-voted landslide, but the boyband remain humble with new EP ‘minisode 2: Thursday’s Child’

Five men dressed like vampiric undertakers glare at the camera as they execute forceful dance moves, blazing a path through a fiery guitar riff. A nihilistic attitude – the kind that comes when you’ve been pushed to your absolute limit and something inside of you has snapped – burns through their eyes, bringing a villainous edge to their expressions.In the canon of Tomorrow X Together’s ever-striking music videos, it’s a far cry from that of their 2019 debut single ‘Crown’, which found the South Korean five-piece bright, fresh-faced and smiley. The title of the track that accompanies these dark new visuals says it all, though – each cherubic sweetheart of yore has been tainted by life and turned into, as per the new song’s title, a ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’.In the time since ‘Crown’’s release, Tomorrow X Together, or TXT, have made their mark as curious genre-hoppers, dabbling in styles from the tropical house-pop of 2019’s ‘Our Summer’ to the darting hyper-pop of 2021’s ‘Frost’. Continuing that trajectory, their sublime new EP ‘minisode 2: Thursday’s Child’, released earlier this week, packs in everything from sparkling synth-pop (‘Thursday’s Child Has Far To Go’) to contemporary R&B (‘Lonely Boy’).

This musical exploration is part of what has led them to their status as globally-renowned rising stars, a position that’s brought them recognition at home and abroad – including at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 in March, where they were voted Hero Of The Year after receiving a whopping 40 per cent of the public vote. It was resounding proof of the impact the young band (Yeonjun is the oldest at 22 and Hueningkai the youngest at 19) are having on the world.

When NME brings up their recent award win as they join us on Zoom one Seoul morning, grins spread across their faces and the quietly mischievous Hueningkai emphatically raises two thumbs to the camera. “We were really grateful that we were voted by so many people globally,” the group’s level-headed leader Soobin says humbly, quickly following up his appreciation with a promise typical of the hard-working act: “It really made us want to work even harder and make even better music.”

They’re certainly doing that with ‘minisode 2: Thursday’s Child’, a striking break-up album. The record continues a theme they’ve been unfolding since they became the first boyband to debut under BigHit Entertainment (now known as HYBE) since the world-conquering BTS.

Over the course of three EPs and two albums, the group have shared the tales of young people navigating the spiralling rollercoaster ride of growing up, from escaping the trials of reality with your best mates (the Harry Potter-referencing ‘9 And Three Quarters (Run Away)’) to feeling isolated and ignored (the velvety indie-rock of ‘Ghosting’) and finding your first love (the full-hearted emo-rock roar of ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)’).

The five members – Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai – might have grown along the way, but one thing has remained consistent about the songs they’ve shared with the world. Each is infused with the band’s personal takes on life, committed to only including authentic stories in their music. “As a team, we’re all about reflecting the world as we see it or, basically, the experiences we and our generational peers go through,” says the charismatic Beomgyu.

“Winning Hero of the Year at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 made us want to work even harder” – Soobin

It’s an aspect of TXT that is often given a lot of attention, scoring praise from fans and critics alike for how relatable their records are. For the group, though, this comes instinctively. “Aren’t most people inspired by emotions they understand?” Taehyun, the band’s deep thinker, muses. “The more we understand something, the deeper we can dive into it. We’ve made a lot of progress – both musically and personally speaking – but because we’re still people who are growing, it was natural for us to address issues and experiences that were relevant to us.”

Their realistic and empathetic portrayal of youth has done more than just strike a chord with their fans, known as MOA, which stands for “moments of alwaysness” and highlights the way in which they and the band share every moment of their journeys together. Along with the members’ habit of checking in, chatting and doling out advice to their listeners online, this has provided much comfort. It also seems in direct contrast to the perceptions of polished, hard-to-reach superstars that the idol label – which refers to artists in the K-pop scene – creates.

If MOA look at TXT as their heroes, then the feeling is very much mutual. “They cheer for us and whenever we’re down, they lift us up, so we love them very much,” Hueningkai says sweetly, still smiling broadly. “Whenever we’re happy, we realise that MOA were always there by our side, so that’s why they’re our heroes,” Beomgyu adds in agreement.

These comments might seem like simple moments of fan service, but TXT don’t see their relationship with their fans in such a transactional way. As Gen Zers, their peer group is well-versed in connecting with new people around the world online, and those digital avenues have given the band ways to cultivate a “very deep and trusting friendship”, as Taehyun describes it, with their fanbase.

As well as social media interactions, the five-piece spend a lot of time hanging out with MOA on Weverse, the fan community platform launched by HYBE, which offers a space focused on one artist to communicate with other fans and the stars themselves. You’ll find TXT sharing candid diary entries, opening up about their own struggles and sharing words of wisdom in response to others’ posts. Where some artists might decide offering solace in their songs is enough, TXT go the extra mile to be there for their listeners in a much more personal way.

“I was really surprised by Avril Lavigne’s positive feedback on my cover of ‘Sk8er Boi’. I still feel honoured” – Hueningkai

This openness hasn’t always come so easily to the group – especially when each member was unveiled online via a short introduction video in 2019; Yeonjun’s came first and racked up over 6million views in less than 24 hours. “When we first debuted, it was really awkward to share these things with MOA,” Taehyun nods in acknowledgement. “But, as time went by, we really became good friends, and it was easier for us to share every little thing.” His serious expression slips into a soft smile: “Now, I think there’s no relationship that’s more special.”

As TXT continue to get bigger – as they have done at a lightning-quick rate – the challenge will be maintaining that feeling of closeness with an ever-growing group of followers. Hueningkai is unfazed by the idea: “I think it’s all about staying honest and opening up. We – MOA and us – have said so many things and shared so many experiences together, whether that be through our music or through all the conversations we have online or through whatever other means we have. Our bond has only grown stronger, and we’re sure it’ll continue to grow.”

The bond between the two parties feeds directly into TXT’s music, creating a full-circle effect. Although they’re keen to fill their songs with their own tales, Yeonjun concedes there are aspects of adolescence and young adulthood they can’t speak to. Instead of making up stories and hoping to get them right, they turn to their fans. “We can’t experience everything in the world, so when we see what MOA writes, we really learn how they feel and think,” the dynamic singer and rapper explains. “It’s a wonderful inspiration, and they’re a big help to us.”

omorrow X Together continue to be a guide to growing up – or a reminder of the storms already weathered by older listeners – for their fans on ‘Thursday’s Child’. The new EP’s title is a nod to the nursery rhyme ‘Monday’s Child’, which assesses those born on the fourth day of the week as having “far to go” – or, in other words, are set to be incredibly successful.

That meaning might seem at odds with the record’s themes of a bitter break-up, but Soobin points to Thursday’s position on the calendar – a weekday that almost takes us into the weekend – as a metaphor for the trajectory the EP takes. “The protagonist’s journey of acceptance and self-discovery is still ongoing,” he explains. “He’s at that stage where he’s at the cusp between adolescence and adulthood, and his first farewell is a part of it. During that process, he experiences a lot of emotions like anger or grief, but in the end, he’ll be able to accept it and move on in whatever way he sees fit. The point is we’re not quite there – but almost.”

‘Thursday’s Child’ picks up where we left TXT last year on the sublime ‘The Chaos Chapter’ series – the 2021 albums ‘Freeze’ and ‘Fight Or Escape’, which entered tumultuous new territory as impending adulthood brought new challenges to their doors. On those records, they first found a love so potent it felt like they could power through any of the struggles our cruel, cold world threw at them.

But soon after the events of the latter album’s raspy emo-rock of ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER’, on which they declared their partner their salvation and soulmate, that first romance crumbled around them. Both albums possessed a feeling that they were searching for something missing, the catalyst for which was the British TV series The End Of The F***ing World. “We drew inspiration from the fact that the characters in the show had these holes in their souls,” Taehyun notes.

Now, they’re processing the feelings of the break-up on this new release – not least on the aforementioned ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’. Where some break-up songs might portray the wreckage of a relationship sadly and tenderly, TXT take a different tact, embracing wrath on the explosive rock song. “Gouge you out of my heart / Bleeding out the traces of you,” Hueningkai sighs. “Rather than hiding our emotions and trying to push them down, it’s a candid expression of these feelings,” Yeonjun says matter-of-factly.

“Candid” feels like an understatement when you take in some of the anguished lyrics on ‘Thursday’s Child’. “I’m bleeding painfully,” Taehyun and Soobin sing on the stormy ‘Opening Sequence, while ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’ is full of candidates for most dramatic lyric, not least Hueningkai’s “I’m like a zombie dead alive / Born over a tomb of love.”This EP might be the band’s first time delving into the vernacular of rage, but they effortlessly nail just how enormous and extreme everything feels in your youth.

Although this record doesn’t directly lift from the genres, it shares similarities with the resurgent spirits of pop-punk and emo – both of which coloured parts of ‘The Chaos Chapter’ era. TXT’s fellow Gen Z cohorts have brought aspects of those sounds back into all circles of music – from rock and pop to hip-hop and beyond – and Beomgyu suggests their revival is down to how they reflect the acute earnestness of youth.

“Pop-punk resonates with us because it can be very intense and straightforward self-expression” – Beomgyu

“I think pop-punk, in particular, might resonate with us because it can be very intense and straightforward in terms of self-expression,” he notes. “And as a generation that is still going through a transitional stage of growth, we do appreciate opportunities to express ourselves. Good music is good music. What draws us [as a band] back to older sounds is, in the end, whether or not we like the sound and mood it presents.”

Outside of their own music, TXT have also given props to the scene’s predecessors – in February, Hueningkai shared a vibrant, faithful cover of Avril Lavigne’s smash hit ‘Sk8er Boi’. It quickly drew attention from the Canadian icon, who tweeted her thoughts on it hours after the track had been uploaded to YouTube: “Amazing cover!”

“I’ve always liked ‘Sk8er Boi’ and, since our last release was influenced by rock music, I thought it was the perfect time to record and share my version of the song,” Hueningkai shares happily now. “I was really surprised by her positive feedback – I still feel honoured.”

TXT boast unquenchable inventiveness as they expand their creative contributions to their music: Beomgyu, Taehun, Yeonjun and Hueningkai secured writing or production credits on this EP. The writing process saw them draw on an assortment of inspirations: “I think about dance and movement a lot when songwriting,” Yeonjun, a budding choreographer and skilled dancer, says. “When I was working on the rap for ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’, I focused a lot on what kind of movements I’d be showing on stage. I wanted to put a lot of weight on the roughness and mania we were to portray.”

It also highlights the band’s love of world-building, which TXT craft in a similarly meta way to artists like Taylor Swift and The 1975, littering references to their old work in new tracks. This time, it’s apparent in the soft and sorrowful indie-pop ballad ‘Trust Fund Baby’, which acts as a thread to TXT’s past, flipping ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER’’s “lover with a dollar sign” lyric to “lover with no dollar sign” as they cynically dissect money’s influence on love and life.

No matter what they’ve been through in a song or record – or whether it ties back to previous releases – the five-piece have a habit of always managing to locate a positive note. ‘Thursday’s Child…’ is a perfect example, as they find inspiration in the TikTok trend #breakupglowup – a celebration of not wasting any more time crying over an ex and focussing on yourself instead – and present themselves as ready to get over their heartbreak.

“In the end, our songs are always about growth,” Taehyun explains. “So that’s the reason why they always come back to the positive side.” Beomgyu nods from the other side of the table: “It’s a part of the process of having these experiences and growing.”

Since 2019’s ‘Crown’, Tomorrow X Together haven’t stopped blossoming, even with the world on pause for the last two years. They are significant players on the global music scene, rather than just associates of Korean music’s biggest export, BTS. Last year, TXT were the longest-charting Korean artist on the Billboard 200 with ‘The Chaos Chapter: Freeze’ and were the only Korean act to debut three albums on the same chart in 2021, while pre-orders for ‘Thursday’s Child’ surpassed 1.4million sales worldwide in just 15 days.The five-piece might be on the verge of going absolutely stratospheric, but they’re not forgetting their roots, which are firmly planted in putting the graft in. Like most K-pop artists, they all worked through the industry’s rigorous training system – an often years-long process where they study singing, dancing, rapping, modelling, acting, language and more in the hopes of making it into a group. Each member, of course, impressed their label enough to be selected for the final line-up.“Looking back, I know we worked our hardest,” Beomgyu says. “We know we gave it our all, so, although we’ve learnt a lot of things since then, I don’t think I’d want us to do anything differently.”

Not everything has been plain sailing for the band, mind – not least in having to learn how to meld five distinctive and different personalities harmoniously. True to form, they’ve always been open about not always getting along in their early days, citing their differing backgrounds as something they had to come to understand and appreciate. Those times are far behind them, though, with their interband relationships more robust than ever.

“We’ve bonded over the same dream of making music and performing in front of people since we were young boys, and we’ve realised this dream together,” explains Beomgyu. “We’re constantly spending time together. We share the same experiences, which means we see a lot of big things in the same way now, even if we didn’t always before. And in situations where we don’t see eye-to-eye, we know how to navigate and find middle ground. Now, we’re still working towards realising even more dreams together, which strengthens our camaraderie even more.”

“We drew inspiration from The End Of The F***ing World. The characters had holes in their souls” – Taehyun

They’ve also been bonded by the fact they are one of the acts spearheading Korean culture’s exponential growth overseas. Even in the three years since they first started making waves, Korean music, films, TV shows have become more popular with international audiences, be that BTS comfortably selling out stadiums abroad, 2019’s Parasitewinning Best Picture at the Oscars, or K-dramas Squid Game, Hellbound and All Of Us Are Dead dominating Netflix.

“We’re very happy that we can reach more and more of the world and connect with everyone, no matter where they are,” Soobin says. “The more people listen to and empathise with our music, the prouder we’ll be.”

This summer, TXT will hit the road for their first world tourand will finally meet some of those people across the globe who have fallen in love with their music. Thanks to the pandemic, the shows will be the band’s first in-person concerts, save for a short showcase tour in the US in 2019 and two recent “fanlive” events (shows that incorporate live performances with chatting, games and more) in Seoul. Coming after virtual concerts, the latter has reminded the group of the thrill of performing – something Yeonjun recently admitted he “almost lost interest in” during the height of the pandemic.

“Performing is very different when there are just cameras as opposed to real people who love and support you for what you do,” he reasons. “When you’re physically together, you share an experience. The physical presence of our MOA gives us more energy than we can describe – those two nights were the best the five of us had in a long time.”

With the release of ‘minisode 2: Thursday’s Child’ ushering in what looks set to be a gigantic new era for the band, it seems unforgettable nights and big achievements will soon be the norm for TXT once more. Success might already be theirs, but they’re not getting complacent yet, with big ambitions still driving them forward. “I want Tomorrow X Together to be able to seize the room and to draw all eyes on us,” Taehyun says fiercely.

Beomgyu, meanwhile, is looking ahead to where their music could take them next. “In terms of the storyline, everything is still a work in progress, but these are all experiences people our age, or those who have once been our age, can relate to,” he says. “Whatever is next, I’m sure people everywhere will be able to relate to it.”

Tomorrow X Together’s ‘minisode 2: Thursday’s Child’ is out now via Big Hit Music / HYBE

[valwentinefics]

Altruism Ch.1 (Zemo x Reader x Bucky)

A/N: Here it is ya’ll, my thank you for 100 followers series! I know 100 isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things but I’m just a random girl who’s super insecure about her writing, so having 100 people who like it is really exciting for me! Thank you! 

This chapter is just setting things up, don’t worry there’ll be more romantic things in the next chapter onward.

Masterlist

Warnings: spoilers for tfatws ep 3

Y/n walked into the mechanics garage with soft careful steps, not sure if she had gotten the right address. She glanced down at her phone, double checking. Yep, this was the right place. The garage smelled of gas, the scent almost making her dizzy as she approached the bickering voices that bounced off the concrete walls. It took a few moments to recognize them, but once she did the tension slipped out of her body and she closed the pocket knife she had been wielding. She walked around a car and to the two men, who didn’t acknowledge her presence if they noticed it. 

“I don’t like how casual you’re being about this, this is unnatural.” Sam looked around, exasperated. “And where are we man, what does Y/n have to do with this?” He questioned, giving Y/n a small nod hello that she returned with a friendly wave.

Before Bucky had time to speak, the click of a door opening rang throughout the garage, turning everyone’s attention to the shrinking shadow of a man approaching, only to be revealed as Zemo once he pushed past the clear plastic divider. Sam looked shocked, moving forward swiftly to confront the man.

“Woah...woah, woah, woah! Hey! What are you doing here?” Asked Sam, held back by Bucky. 

“Did he not tell you the plan?” Asked Y/n. “Bucky you need to tell people your plans, it's rude to not.” Y/n scolded, feeling bad for Sam having to be shoved into this. She side eyed Zemo as he approached, side stepping closer to the arguing men to get away from him.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you wouldn’t let this happen!” Bucky explained as if that was a good reason to hide something so big.

Y/n watched as Sam and Bucky bickered about Zemo, wishing she had the guts to say no to people. She was a pushover, and saying no to a friend just felt rude, especially a friend like Bucky who was for the most part alone. It was perhaps her fatal flaw, her inability to say no to someone in need. It made her a great nurse and an even better friend, but a not so happy person. Sometimes she wished she could just yell no to the next person who asked something of her, but the fear of saying to outweighed her need to have alone time to rest and feel better.

“If I may…” Zemo began to say something, taking off the prison guard hat. Y/n had to admit, objectively and not out of her own opinion, he looked good in the uniform.

“No!” Shouted both Sam and Bucky simultaneously, fed up with him already. Y/n could see why they needed her around now, they would lose their patience with him quickly.  

“...Apologies…” Zemo said, looking down. Y/n almost felt bad for him. Almost.

“When Steve refused to sign the Sokovia accords you two backed him. You broke the law and you stuck your neck out, for me. I’m asking you to do it again.” Bucky said to both Y/n and Sam.

“And I will Bucky, don’t worry we’re friends, I have your back!” Y/n smiled at him, wanting to turn around and leave. She really didn’t want to do this, but they were friends after all and that meant sticking her neck out for him.

“I really think I’m invaluable-” Zemo began, clearly not learning his lesson from the last time he spoke.

“Shut up!” Sam sighed, tired of Zemo already. “Okay if we’re going to do this, you don’t make a move without our permission.”

“Fair.” He replied

Sam looked at him, he also seemed like he didn't really want to do this “Okay Zemo… Where do we start?” 

Zemo smirked a bit before leading them through the plastic divider and to a room filled with many old and expensive cars. Y/n was too focused examining them to listen to what the others were saying, figuring she would just figure it out eventually. She walked around an old red car, admiring how shiny it was despite how long it must have been since it was driven. She was too focused on admiring it to notice Bucky's approach.

“Thanks, for saying yes. It means a lot.” Thanked the stoic man who put his hand on the side of the car, only to pull it away when Y/n gave him a pointed glare because he would smudge it. 

“Anything for you Bucky, you know that.” Y/n smiled at the super soldier. “But are you sure about this? About Zemo? He could turn on us at any minute.”

Bucky nodded. “I’m sure. We need him Y/n, he’s our best chance at taking down the Flag Smashers.”

Y/n sighed. To be honest she sympathised with the Flag Smashers, having just become accustomed to a new normal, only to be kicked out of their new homes and tossed onto the streets, but she didn’t voice her opinion to Bucky, she knew he’d disagree

“Whatever you say Bucky…” Y/n sighed, looking down until Bucky’s hand touched her shoulder. He was about to say something when Zemo’s voice interrupted and his hand jerked away.

“We’re going to need to scale a ladder of lowlives, first a mid level fence named Selbie that I still have a line on, from there we climb.” Zemo stated, holding a jacket and a light brown leather bag in his hands. He glanced back to the three people behind him, Y/n throwing Bucky a nervous smile before rushing to follow Zemo.

-

“So all this time you’ve been rich?” Sam asked as the four approached Zemo’s private jet. Y/n was shocked. From how he dressed last time she saw him, Y/n had assumed he was just a normal middle class man.

“I’m a baron Sam. My family was royalty until your friends destroyed my country.”

Y/n felt shame deep in her body as Zemo greeted his pilot and they boarded the plane. She didn’t know much about Zemo. She didn’t know his motives for doing what he did to her friends, but she did know that as a result of her friends actions his country was destroyed and she felt terrible. She sometimes at night still felt the pain of the wounds of the sokovian citizens burning into her skin as she took them from them. 

That was her power, to take the wounds from others and give them to herself with only slightly accelerated healing to compensate. Y/n became nothing but a glorified nurse to the Avengers, only receiving words of thanks for her efforts and nothing more, other than Bucky and Steve of course, they were above and beyond making sure she was okay, especially Bucky. She had long accepted that the other Avengers were too busy to truly make sure she was okay like those two had done, but it and the pain she could still feel from the Sokovian incident were both factors in why she retired after the Avengers own civil war.

She looked up from her lap, finding herself in the seat across from Zemo, who was watching her with his head slightly tilted. She must have been lost in her thoughts for a while as per usual, seeing Sam doze off and Bucky with headphones in looking out the window. Y/n crossed and uncrossed her legs, looking around the plane with nothing to do. She was too nervous to bite the bullet and start a conversation with Zemo. Luckily for her, he spoke up. 

“We’re going to Madripoor.” Zemo stated, his voice causing Y/n to look him in his eyes. “You seemed a little out of it while I was explaining it, I assumed you would like to know.” 

Y/n was hesitant to reply, not knowing if she should be having a conversation with him. “Thank you.”

Zemo took a sip of what Y/n assumed was champagne judging from the glass. “If you don’t mind my asking, what were you thinking of?”

Y/n didn’t see a reason not to tell him, letting out a small sigh. “I was thinking of Sokovia…” Zemo’s head tilt looked as if it was encouraging her to go on. His eyes had a strange way of making it seem as if she was the only person in the world when she spoke. “My power… I used it a lot back then… I tried to do the best I could to help the civilians.”

For a few moments  Zemo looked as if he was looking through Y/n and back at that day before replying, snapping out of whatever mindset he was in for those moments. “Your power. Is an interesting one, but I’ve always wondered… You do so much for other people. What do they do for you?”

-

Tag list: Let me know if you would like to be added

[potteresque-ire]

🏳️‍🌈 Rec post!! A queer film + a queer TV series from Hong Kong ~

1) Twilight’s Kiss (叔·叔) (Dir. Ray Yeung 楊曜愷; 2019)

Twilight’s Kiss offers a very realistic depiction of two elderly, in-the-closet gays in Hong Kong, who have dedicated their lives building a conventional family before unexpectedly falling in love with each other. It is a quiet film, and the romance is told in the same subtle manner as love is expressed (and not expressed) in their generation. The actors were phenomenal at playing regular Hong Kong men of their age (Pak mentioned he “came to Hong Kong”, ie, he was a refugee from Mao’s China, as the vast majority of his demographics was), which added to the resonance of the story ~ they could’ve been anyone, and anyone could’ve been them. 

The director of the film, Ray Yeung, is an openly gay man.

(Long review: Hollywood Reporter) Streaming link to film (with English subtitles; pls ignore and close the pop-up window)

2) Ossan’s Love (大叔的愛) (2021)

The unlikely (and hilarious) love triangle between Muk (Left), Tin (Center) and KK (Right) in Ossan’s Love.

For those who found the name familiar, it’s because the series is a (faithful) remake of the popular 2018 Japanese series of the same name. The Hong Kong version is longer (15 episodes; ~ 40 min each) compared to the Japanese original, and its mood is cheerier, sweeter, and also ... more BL, with the lead characters Tin (Haruta in the original) and Muk (Maki in the original) played by two idols, Edan Lui 呂爵安 and Anson Lo 盧瀚霆, from the very popular local boy band MIRROR.

(Being idols didn’t prevent them from kissing. Not in Hong Kong, 2021.) (Yes, they kissed, and hugged and fought and bantered...)

Ossan’s Love is culturally significant in that it became the first gay drama to be aired primetime in Hong Kong, and by extension, in China. Beloved by the locals, it was also very much discussed—hk-queers expressed their (surprised) joy that finally, they got to see a respectful, dignified presentation of who they are and how they love. More importantly, they got to see HKers, older generations included, glued to the TV for their kind of love story, rooting for the lead male characters to get together. 

This signifies a broader acceptance of LGBT+ in the city than previously assumed; this is very important and comforting to the community in June, 2021, when the future of LGBT+ rights in the city is very uncertain. After the 2019 protests, pro-democracy leaders have been arrested and jailed in large numbers; newspaper that advocated for freedom has been shut down. Meanwhile, during the airing of Ossan’s Love , the (in)famous pro-Beijing politician, Junius Ho, claimed the series to have violated the city’s much feared, much abused National Security Law—the law that officially aims to catch “traitors”, but has been used as a “catch-all” excuse to arrest political dissidents and suppress the freedoms of the city. Ho was of sufficient prominence that his words could draw the attention of officials who have been sent from across the mainland-HK border to do Beijing’s bidding.

Also, Ossan’s Love was produced not by the powerful, once popular TVB (local TV station), which, with Chinese investors becoming its major shareholders like many other HK press and media companies, has become very pro-Beijing and conservative. The series was produced by ViuTV, a much smaller station preferred by young, pro-democracy Hong Kongers ... which means the future of the series, of its stars (MIRROR’s members are once-contestants of a ViuTV talent show), of even the station itself is also uncertain.

Hence, I’m recommending Ossan’s Love now ... even if the official version doesn’t have the best English subtitles. The full series is on Youtube (links below); the soundtrack is in Cantonese and (Traditional) Chinese subtitles are available, but English is only available via Youtube’s built-in Auto-Translate function. 

For those who would like to catch a short scene of two cute HK boys in love, the last 5 minutes of Ep 11 would be a nice place to watch. You can see how comfortable these two bandmates were with each other—Edan (Tin) had played two supporting roles before this series, while Anson (Muk) had never acted before. Edan and Anson have claimed that being close friends in RL meant their intimate scenes were easy to film (BTW, Anson is gay, Edan isn’t).

Edan Lui (Left) & Anson Lo (Right), Harper's Bazaar HK, May 2021. Edan was a uni student before joining hk-ent. Anson was a dance instructor.

(You can also see why, when I watched the Gg + Dd Happy Camp episode very, very early on in my turtlehood, I assumed Gg and Dd would have ample opportunities to work together again, to play and be happy in front of the camera ... just like how I remembered on-screen couples from my days in HK—the couples, the CPs of the time, would collaborate repeatedly after having demonstrated chemistry and become commercial success—in film and TV projects, in variety shows, in awards ceremonies as presenting guests etc etc. This multi-project collaboration was, and still is, viewed as a Very Good Thing, and not only for commercial reasons. The inter-personal fate (緣份) to play on-screen couples repeatedly, per the tradition of HK-ent, is something of a blessing, talked about as a small-scale version of having the destiny, the luck to be together across multiple lives, multiple incarnations. Actors treasure this kind of collaboration and the HK audience celebrates it, regardless of the marital status of the actors in RL. Entertainment news dedicate articles about it.) (There’s actually an example of that in Ossan’s Love: Kenny Wong 黃德斌, the actor who played the titular Ossan, KK, and Rachel Kan 簡慕華, who played his wife Francesca, had already played husband and wife three times before. Rachel had retired from acting in 2017 and moved to Canada; she told reporters that she returned to shoot Ossan’s Love primarily so that she could play Kenny’s wife again).

* Below is a small warning for Ossan’s Love ~ *

The humour of Ossan’s Love is often wild and zany, especially where it adapts from the Japanese original. Some of it, i-fandomers may find uncomfortable. Notably, the titular Ossan (Japanese, meaning “Older Man”) was Tin and Muk’s boss; and he and Darren, another superior of Tin and Muk, were also part of the romantic story line.

One can argue, therefore, that Ossan’s Love contains a *very* “Me Too” situation; however, this is also why I find Ossan’s Love interesting beyond being a Chinese-speaking gay drama—it is clear that the production team of this series meant no disrespect, and from the series’ reception, it’s also clear that hk-queers and other more progressive members among the audience didn’t see disrespect in the product. This series therefore offers a glimpse to the answers of some questions I’ve had: how does Hong Kong of 2021 translate respect for queers (as well as for older men and women) into day-to-day words and actions? How do these culturally-specific habits in speech and behaviour compare to the norms in, for example, the United States (that I’m familiar with)?

“Political incorrectness” was also found in some of Tin’s internal monologue. However, I thought, perhaps, that was why the series has proven to be disarming to the general audience both in HK and Japan, places with a tradition of homophobia stemming often not from malice, but from ignorance, from sex being considered taboo for so much of the places’ history. Tin, as someone who haven’t seemed to have spared a thought about homosexuality before the story had taken place, spoke the minds of the audiences who aren’t familiar with homosexuality. Muk, meanwhile, presented the perspective of someone who already understood what being gay was and wasn’t about. Tin, therefore, led the audience towards Muk and his views step by step, all the while without being judgemental—how could he be? He was one of them too during his journey. He was the student, and he was also the protagonist who everyone—and I mean everyone—loved (in a rather funny manner :D). 🌈

(Long review: BLwatcher)

Links to Ossan’s Love, official version uploaded by ViuTV: EP 1 EP 2 EP 3 EP 4 EP 5 EP 6 EP 7 EP 8 EP 9 EP 10 EP 11 EP 12 EP 13 EP 14 EP 15

ETA 2021/09/16: Streaming with English subtitles is available here.

[bucksbisexual]

gmmtv 2022 borderless review!

just got around to watch the trailers so im gonna give my opinions on them hehe

(help there's no "keep reading" on mobile)

the three gentlebros

okay so this is kind of like getting the "not like other girls" for each of the three which i find v funny lmao also gun acting as a het man will always make me laugh so maybe ill check it out for that weekly comedy and for tay looking Amazing

u.m.g.

OHYMG DO THIS LOOKS SO COOL OKAY I REALLY LIEKD THIS ONE WOW I WASNT EXPECTING TO ACTUALLY LIKE ONE OF THEM LMAO JSHFSMDNDN namtan looks Beautiful and so does milk!!!!!! find it v funny the fact that milk is the love interest here while being the love rival (for like 2 eps) on bad buddy skdbsndn but AAAAA can't wait to see what comes out of this first trailer!! hopefully it won't be cancelled jdfhksdb

star and sky: star in my mind/sky in your heart

im sorry... what? the first part? first story? of the trailer looked like it could have potential if it was done right even if it was good per se, but the second half was literally atots. like.. change names and professions and personalities a bit and that's atots. so weird tbh i don't think i'll be tuning in lmao i'm still waiting for my explicitly named bi rep on the player with mek so until then im not looking at mek

home school

okay this lowkey feels like a darker the giftedtthe gifted graduation with even some of the same actors and actresses appearing but i LOVED it omg this looks Very promising!!!

cupid's last wish

it looks.. angsty but also cute? idk maybe it's just earthmix that just bring those two together in everything they do jdfhskdj im a bit :/ at the body swapping thingy so idk if i'll check it out but it looks promising!

oops! mr superstar hit on me

what. the. fuck. no. i'm not even going to explain why. just. no. (reading the comments for this gave me an aneurysm)

my dear donovan

if they try to tell me that l*ke is hot one more time im going to kill myself. /j lmao anyways that was.. something. the cute/innocent girl with bad boy on a love triangle with a Good Guy trope is so straight it pains me. made me waste minutes of my time but at least namtan looked good in it

the warp effect

okay so this one was a bit confusing ngl but as much as i dislike n*w i did really like how it looked so maaaaybe i'll watch it (but mostly for the wlws because THERES WLWS!!!!!!)

the eclipse

OH MY GODDDDDD ENEMIES TO LOVERS?????? WITH SECRET DATING???????????? AND MYSTERY????????????? AND GAY??????????????? THEY REALLY GOT ME HERE HOLY SHITTTTT I CANT WAIT FOR THIS ONE I KNOW SHES GONNA HIT DIFFERENT

good old days

this one was really boring lmao they pretty much tell you what's gonna happen with this trailer and the premise itself is lame imo (also it has kr*stso that immediately makes it unwatchable)

never let me go

this one has great potential to become one of The bls in the more mature side of them, but hopefully pond gets better before filming because you can see the difference between phuwin and him here so clearly :')) loved to see chimon with his brown hair being in this as well!! him being the friend and then the secret boyfie made me happy even though im not supposed to be cheering for him lmao

ten years ticket

okay this one was interesting but i don't think I'm gonna be watching it cus it looks a little messy lmao rip pluem tho

you fight, and i love

joss truly is the only gmmtv man i can stand being repeatedly told he's hot because they're right! he is! besides that, love looks vvvv pretty (as always)!!! they're good by themselves but i don't see them together (if either of them wants to hmu my dms are open wink wonk)

midnight motel

off and jan is a pairing that I never really thought of but wow this actually looks good?? the plot looks interesting and the murder plot twist made me really want to check it out hehe also...... mond sir im free very free very much free really really really free just free all the days of the week all of them no exception nope none at all just free!

moonlight chicken

another earthmix show? damn they really got themselves booked and busy this year lmaOOOO i don't really care about the cousin or whatever his deal is but the show looks interesting (like.. it's giving coffee shop au without being a coffee shop, if ya get what i mean) and im probably gonna be waiting for its official trailer

dirty laundry

oh god with how many people does nanon have excellent chemistry with?????? because him and film are making me go INSANE oh my god i loved this so much this pairing was for the bisexuals and the bisexuals only oh my godddddddd I can't stop thinking about nanon dressed like a woman and looking so fucking pretty im sorry brain sees pretty boys and it goes under maintenance oh god oh god oh GOD im so into this (jennie and foei as an emo couple had me DYINGGGGG they're so funny i love them)

vice versa

this one was a lil confusing because I thought it would have more ohm and nanon but after jimmy shows up they're nowhere to be seen again???? idk it looks interesting tho

p.s. i hate you

ohhhh this looks so good already!!! women being evil and dirty and sexy? sign me tf in ! also pearwah always playing the character who either cheats is sending me to MARS like that's so sus bruv 😭😭

my school president

eh it looks cute but im not interested in it at all so let's move on so i can finally fucking end this post it's been hours please gmmtv why are you doing this to me

devil sister

this made no sense straight people are insufferable and im tired of pretending win is good at acting when he's not ❤

you are my favourite

krusty trying to beat the homophobic allegations by being homophobic is actually so funny to me like bestie this is not how you do it it truly isn't 😭😭😭😭😭 also why is it always aye the girl that has to be in some way paired up with krusty and also the girl who has to cry her heart out god i hate gmmtv

astrophile

the only thing i care about here is davika omg she looks SO pretty AAAAAA choose ME pick ME

my precious

oh this is a movie!! and it looks lighthearted and funny!!!!! and it has the pairing for the bisexuals Again!!!!!!! and the three 00 liners!!!!!!!!!!!!!! don't know how i'll watch it but i Will

okay that's all the trailers they gave us holy fuck that's a lot,, im sure they will cancel at least one of them like they did with last year's new and next but im excited to watch the ones that i liked!! i was honestly expecting way worse trailers because of how my dashboard was reacting but if i had been watching that stream for almost 5 hours and got these i probably would've reacted way worse LMAO