#personal round-up

[obsessivedilettante]

May 2023 round-up

How is it already June? I went to a concert at the beginning of the month, blinked, and now it’s June. I don’t even know what I did in May. It was a stressful, chaotic month. Do you know what I’m going through right now? Downsizing a quarter of the company. Not me, at least. But still. I am now picking up all kinds of slack while working on exit packages. This is the slow season since most of our projects are with educational institute but we thought we would have picked up other projects by now. So this is going to be a Fun summer. Anyway, here’s what I vaguely remember from May to prove that I actually have a life and am Doing Things:

I saw Agust D in Chicago! Guess what? I still had to work the day of the concert! So I didn’t get to explore Chicago. But the concert was fun! The seats at the Allstate Arena are the woooooooorst, though. <insert Jean-Ralphio gif> I think the bruise on my thigh where the armrest hit my pear-shaped body has finally faded.

I dragged my mum to the local production of 39 Steps. Those seats were much better.

I… think that’s it? The only fun noteworthy things I’ve done all month. Yeah. We’ve also been having tons of rain which is great “because we need the moisture” but my allergies are like “I HATE YOU” about all the new pollen/grass/etc springing up like weeds. Oh, and we got to enjoy a sneak peek at fire season as Canada’s ash cloud settled over us for a week and I’ve since learned I am now one of those “sensitive to air quality” types. It’s okay, I don’t want to breathe, anyway.

Anyway, media I am or have enjoyed/consumed:

Mrs. Davis. I can’t even begin to explain this show so I won’t. But it was an enjoyable mind-trip and I loved how wacky and colorful it was. I’m looking forward to a binge rewatch now that I don’t have to wait for a new episode each week. But it’s not a show I’ll watch with my mum.

Taskmaster UK (s15). I loved it. I loved how all the contestants got along (their imitations of each other were divine!). I’d never heard of Ivo before but now I’m mildly obsessed with his persona. I want Jenny to adopt me. I want Kiel to be my big brother. I want to overthink tasks with Mae until we get to the perfect solution. I want to start an absurdist art gallery with Frankie.

G-IDLE and DREAMCATCHER comebacks. My girls! With their summer bops! I am so excited! These may not be my favoritest-ever of their albums but I can’t deny that “Queencard” gets stuck in my brain and I have to be careful I don’t suddenly blurt out, “My boob and booty’s hot.” Tbh in my mind it was a perfect timing release to a Pride month anthem. (Oh yeah this does remind me that I really wanted to get tickets to G-IDLE’s concert tour, especially since they’re in much better venues compared to last year, but HOLY HECK travel is so much more expensive than last year and with work chaos, I just can’t do it. I am genuinely gutted but I will survive. Just don’t talk to me about it.) Also I tried to hyperlink to the MVs but it wasn’t working, probably because I haven’t updated this app in a million years (all polls are mysterious grey bars) but you should watch G-IDLE’s “Allergy” MV before watching “Queencard.”

[sad-leon]

This poll inspired by a discord convo i watched happen,, somewhere,,, <- i forgor what server it was in, but i've been meaning to make this poll for a while

[beaft]

bitchy post alert, but "asexual people can still have sex!" is one of those phrases that's like "you can wear makeup every day and still be a feminist!" in that yes, it is technically correct, but i don't understand why it needs to be emphasised so strongly and so often as if it's some sort of praxis

[patrickztump]

patrick stump appreciation post: feat. pete – 13/∞

[julykings]

summer’s end

[jeeaark]

And now my brain goes mad.

Greygold X Lae’zel X Emps?

Does Icarus fly too close to the sun? Do mortals not wish to wield the power of gods without consequence??

Can dreams really come true???

No one in this universe wants LaexGreygxEmps to happen more than Greygold. But Baby Steps. Right now, they'd be ecstatic if all three of them were in the same room without any blood spilling. Oh, the 19th century Victorian blush they'd have if they ever got to the point of hand-holding.

[shakingparadigm]

what is the theory that ivan manipulated the event where till and mizi met the wagyein?

It's not a theory, actually! It's confirmed that Ivan orchestrated the whole event. The true reason as to why however is still unknown. The information provides more context to this scene, though:

During the earlier times of ALNST the most rational explanation for this scene was that Till ran after a flower crown (presumably Mizi's) and Ivan followed him in out of curiosity. Now we know that Ivan was conveniently just standing there because he was waiting.

Side note, I find it heartbreaking (and maybe a little funny, sorry) that Till most likely didn't notice Ivan in this scene. That's just like him, isn't it. Always too busy running after Mizi while Ivan trails behind, an ever-present shadow.

I'm not sure how Ivan manipulated the circumstances for both of them to end up there, but it is confirmed that everything was intentional. What strikes me most is how they describe this particular scene:

I can't copy down what they said word-for-word (Patreon info), but they described Ivan watching "creepily" as Till and Mizi are faced with danger. We know that Ivan was familiar with the Cerberus wagyein beforehand, enough to touch its teeth and even to rest himself inside its maw. To Ivan, the wagyein is not dangerous, but to Till and Mizi, it could be. Ivan prepared the wagyein, led them there, and watched "creepily" from afar as Till fell on his knees, seemingly injured.

The closest I can get to making sense of Ivan's "scheme" is that he wanted to see how other children would react in a dangerous situation. Ivan's always been an observer, after all, and he's learned to survive by copying the more "normal" behaviors of his peers. This situation occured when Ivan was still young and had not yet developed his more charming mask, so perhaps he staged this encounter to study a situational response, to learn and mimic the emotion of fear. And what better subjects for the experiment than two of the most expressive and reactive humans of their batch? It helps that he was already fixated on Till beforehand, too. I think Ivan became irreversibly obssessed after this incident, especially since it's framed as a turning point in Ivan's life, comparing Till to the stars.

This is just my attempt at an interpretation, though. It could very well be for another reason. He most likely chose Till and Mizi specifically for personal reasons, not just for reaction. I'm still not sure on the purpose behind the whole thing.

The team wanted to capture Ivan's "dark emotions" through the shot of his stalking, which could relate to his more sinister intentions. His gaze can be read in a few different ways, though. Curiosity, interest, fear, etc. Maybe that's why they decided to redraw the shot in ROUND 6.

I think this better sells the feeling they were trying to convey.

[mueritos]

started a new job recently as a research assistant for a gay Latinx professor in my grad program, and while I definitely don't have the time to be doing my own research, working with this professor on his book projects has been so affirming and healing. i'm working on a book he hopes to publish soon that is full of interviews of gay and trans Latine men...and it is so fucking awesome. I feel so seen by the words I am reading, and I feel tears spring to my eyes looking at the photographs of these men. They look like family members, distant cousins, and family friends. They look so happy and full of confidence. I see myself in their eyes, recognizing the "fish" shape in our eyes that is so distinctly tied to Latines. One of the men in the book is a pup! And it is so beautiful seeing his smile as he holds his pup mask.

I have met very few queer latines. I don't know what it's like to have the tio or tia that has some secret aura to them, that "no se habla" vibes where everyone knows they're queer but just won't acknowledge it. Hell, this professor I'm working with is the first gay Latine man I've ever spoken to. I wish I had a community of gay Latines. I hope I am able to access that one day :)

[hexxter]

What if Luxu and Player encounter each other with each of the player’s reincarnation

Luxu who is stealing bodies vs the kid that keeps coming back to life

[absolutebl]

BL 2023 - Boys Feeding Boys

Love Tractor

Between Us

My School President

Star Struck

Boss and Babe

Why R U?

Bed Friend

Y Journey

SWITCHES!

Be My Favorite

My Personal Weatherman

(source)

[obsessivedilettante]

March 2023 round up

I have officially joined the air fryer cult. I got an air fryer on sale a few months ago and only just got around to setting it up. So far I have made many permutations of chicken and potatoes (it’s a dual basket). I’m looking forward to summer and the farmer’s market and filling my $15 bag of veg to test out my air frying skills in a more healthy manner that goes beyond chicken nuggets and tater tots.

Second concert of the year: Dreamcatcher! I was having a “Jonah day” as friends of Anne Shirley would understand, and didn’t really want to go despite these amazing women being one of my favorite girl groups. But I had paid for the Meet & Greet so doggone it I was going to go, even if I arrived a few minutes before showtime and stood in the back. I actually really enjoyed myself, despite my bone-deep exhaustion. The only negative aspect was the last half-hour when some rando decided I was the most fascinating person and insisted we be friends. I paid $$$ to see these gorgeous, talented women, not talk to his drunk ass. I actually had to be rude and blunt to get him to back off! This is why I don’t go anywhere. Sigh.

Had a coffee date with a friend! It sounds insignificant but being in your 30’s, introverted, working at home, and still being pandemic cautious, well… it’s a big deal. We want to try and get together about once a month. Probably every couple of months because we’re honest about our homebody ways.

Media I am enjoying and/or have consumed:

The Way Home. Okay. So. Backstory: as established, I work from home. I don’t often have afternoon meetings, so I’ll go relax in the living room with my laptop and my mum will come out to take her afternoon nap in front of the TV. We have somehow landed on the Murder Channel (aka Hallmark Movies and Mysteries) as the ideal afternoon watch as it’s playing Psych and Drop Dead Diva reruns. So I get my ADHD-needed background noise and my mum gets to “watch” her shows while she inevitably naps. Anyway. I kept seeing ads for this show and each week as they ran the ad for the upcoming episode, I was like, “…what IS this show? A time-traveling pond????” So of course I had to watch it, forgetting that it’s a Hallmark show. So there’s more family drama than time-travel shenanigans, and people making tearful and terrible life choices, but doggone it, if Hallmark gives me more sci-fi, I will probably watch it (plus they hardly resolved anything so guess who has to watch season 2 now to find out what happened to Jacob!).

The Company You Keep. As a Milo Ventimiglia ho (fellow millennials who grew up with Rory Gilmore will understand) and a kdrama fan, I was curious about this adaption. So far, I’m super enjoying it. I love how many main women characters there are, all with their own agency. I wonder if that’s a kdrama influence. I also am enjoying all the Leverage-lite cons.

Shazam 2. I used to use my Alamo Drafthouse season pass at least once a week before the pandemic. I didn’t cancel it during lockdown because I wanted to support the theater and I knew eventually I’d go back. I’ve gone a handful of times in the past year. Not enough to get my money’s worth, but enough that I felt like I was at least using the membership. But this was my first in-theater movie of the year! I don’t care for DC’s dark movies, but I am a sucker for the goofier ones. Especially when it hammers home the point (again) that family are the people you choose to be with.

[jojo-schmo]

Just Admit It- Part 1

I've been playing around with possible friendship dynamics of the Beast Council for fun!! I love imagining what kind of childhood they could have in the Forgotten Land all together.

What if Carol and Sillydillo are the fun-loving extroverts? Leon is the introverted one who's been smitten by Carol for a really really long time but he's too shy about it? And Gori is the friend who is an excellent observer and will bluntly tell you what he thinks (and maybe has a tendency to get grumpy when things aren't easily going his way).

Somewhat of a prequel to this other doodle comic about Leon and Carol- everyone here is still a kid ^_^

Part 2

[insomnya777]

do you guys know that youtube dating show called the button. because i was watching it with my friend the other day bc we were bored and we were like this seems funny and i somehow got a boat boys fic idea based off of it. so if i make a fic about the button dating show will people underdtand or is it too niche

[oldhagtournament]

ROUND 1 - GROUP A

Propaganda under the cut

Granny Puckett

if hoodwinked wasnt so obscure i truly think she would be a tumblr icon. she has a baking imperium she does extreme sports she saved red riding hood and the forest by blowing shit up. defeats capitalism.

voiced by glenn close

Granny Weatherwax

She's good but not nice, she's a witch, in the maiden/mother/crone trio she's the crone, she's powerful and intelligent (although not booksmart), she's an inspiration and a terror to everyone in Discworld.

The Hag ‘o Hags, she is the leader of her small coven in Lancre holding the role of “crone”.

She’s saved the world many times, with tea and bees and other haggish delights.

[crystallizedtwilight]

oh my GOSH look at what my friends just mailed to me! 🤩💖 

[twig-tea]

Top 5 Couple Fights

Oooooooh this is fun! Thank you for a relatively easy category because so often the fights in these shows are unearned and it is very frustrating. I'm still limiting myself to 2023!

Wen and Alan, Moonlight Chicken

This fight felt real, it felt lived in, and it felt heartbreaking even though we only saw some of it. These two men love each other, but love isn't enough to keep them together, and that realization is as heartbreaking as the fight itself.

My Personal Weatherman

I am obsessed with the fights in My Personal Weatherman because the characters often don't know they're in one, or are in two different fights at the same time. This is all tied to how much I love how well the miscommunication is done in this show. These fights are legible based on what we know about these characters and what they've seen, even when they're completely unnecessary, and I adore that. Of course the best one is the ending fight and not just because Segasaki ties up Yo's wrists in his shirt.

Jack O'Frost

[Not enough gifs of this actual fight and I need to finish this list so this is what you get]. The fight at the very start of this show escalated so quickly, at first I wasn't sure about it even while I appreciated the performances and the intimate way it was shot. But when we get the backstory and we finally understand how much has been withheld and said vs. not said between them, and where their anxieties were rooted and the source of these big feelings, this fight makes so much more sense. This is a show that really benefits from being watched more than once.

La Pluie

[for some reason tumblr is giving me this link to Shan's blog rather than @liyazaki so tagging you, friend!]

Patts was pushed and pushed and pushed, and he lashed out in his insecurity, and when he asked for reassurance (this lineeee) Saengtai refused to give it to him and instead lashed out out of his own insecurity. This was a painful fight that was fully earned; all of the characters and their choices were legible even as they were infuriating. And it led to a critical awakening of Saengtai who was so caught up in his own sad boy narrative he hadn't realized how much he was hurting everyone around him.

My Beautiful Man S2

Kiyoi and Hira's communication issues continuing past S1 is very believable. I said elsewhere that Hira's work on his self-worth is more like a spiral than a straight line and that's very relatable and realistic. Kiyoi being hurt by Hira not valuing Kiyoi's feelings was such an important lesson for Hira to get more than once. Again, so earned, and resulted in the characters self-reflecting and moving a little closer to whatever a healthy relationship means for these two lol

Laws of Attraction

How much do I Love Tinn seeing right through Charn and Charn being big mad at him for Perceiving him so well? All of their fights are so good because they're about boundaries and mutual respect at their core, and they actually listen to one another and are based on how well they know one another (rather than what so often happens, when the characters seem to forget who the person they're in love with actually is). This barely counts as fight but I love it and it's my list so it stays.

Bonus entry that's only for me (shh stop counting the above):

Mr. Cinderella S2

Nobody but me and like 2 other people watched this show, but I'm actually obsessed with the couple fight in Mr. Cinderella s2 so thank you for the chance to rant about it on main some more. I need to start by saying: this plot is ridiculous and the ending sucks. But within this show, Dung and Khoa have an established relationship that has been tested in S1 and is being tested harder in S2, and to a point, they actually stand together and weather the storm, and it was rewarding to watch. And then slowly everything happening ("everything" here being an ABSURD amount of melodrama) starts to wear on Khoa, who sees himself as the one solely responsible for everything, and he unlearns some of what he learned in s1, he stops relying on Dung as his support, stops telling Dung what's going on because he doesn't want to burden him, and stops trusting Dung's word about what is happening. And so, when the jealousy plot hits, it's actually believable that Dung would be mad at Khoa, not for cheating, but for not respecting Dung as a partner in their relationship. It's well done, I wish so much that it were in a better show so that I could actually recommend anyone watching (I don't). I've seen this trope (assumed cheating) done so badly and so unearned in so many shows, this was so refreshing.

Extra bonus: Best couple fight scene of all time?

Gameboys S2

[I give up on gifs of this scene; have them upset for other reasons instead!]

What I love about the way they fight in this show is that, beyond it being earned etc. etc., the dialogue is so raw. They repeat themselves, they just yell over one another, they get rude, they try saying something to de-escalate and it gets worse instead. This is not a carefully crafted speech, or a single perfectly delivered devastating line; this is raw emotion. I recognize this fight, I've been in this fight, this is what I sound like when I fight lol And we see them really fight at least twice, and the way they fight in ep8 has changed as a result of the earlier fight is also SO good.