#the last ep truly broke me

[kingsofgaytham]

now why do i have a feeling that Guillermo would actually not explode when bitten a second time? his Van Helsing blood makes him a special kind of a vampire - stronger, resistant to sunlight etc.

the guy bitten by Baron Afanas, one of the oldest and most puissant vampires there is, was just a random dude

and so, maybe getting bitten by a powerful vamp (like Nandor) would actually fix whatever went wrong

[leclerc-s]

snow angel - track one

series masterlist // next

1 YEAR LATER

liked by alex_albon, blakelively, mickschumacher and others

rheareynolds soft launches are a thing right?

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user1 nah cause how did lando no wins fumble her?

↳ user2 the better question is how did nowins ever bag her in the first place

user3 imagine fumbling the rhea reynolds. lando no bitches truly fucked up.

alex_albon i expect credits for that third picture. i was scarred for life.

↳ rheareynolds you're the one who barged in demanding we watch a movie.

user4 she's gone for a year, besides promotional purposes for her ep and comes back with a soft launch?

user5 MOTHER, WE DEMAND ANSWERS! WHO IS HE?

user6 can't believe a m*n stole my wife. she was for the girls and the gays only.

lilymhe can't believe some blonde bitch stole my wife.

↳ rheareynolds still yours baby. always 😘

↳ lilymhe good. blondie could never compete with me

↳ user7 i thank god everyday that rhea's break-up with no wins didn't take this wonderful duo from us.

vancityreynolds what the fuck? who is that? better not be some vroom guy again.

↳ rheareynolds don't you have children to take care of? blakelively you're overgrown toddler is loose again.

↳ blakelively oh how adorable! i expect to meet him when you're ready.

↳ vancityreynolds you're supposed to be on my side?

↳ blakelively i only married you for your sister.

↳ rheareynolds suck on that ryan!

↳ user8 this family is my everything.

charles_leclerc when did you start dating? why was i not informed of this?

↳ georgerussell63 or me?

↳ maxverstappen1 why did alex know before us?

↳ rheareynolds i told lily, who told alex. you think i wanted that guy to know?

↳ alex_albon i can read your comments rhea.

user9 no wins really thought everyone would drop rhea the moment they broke up these guys love her.

user10 WHY IS NO ONE LOSING THEIR SHIT OVER RHEA SOFT LAUNCHING? WHO IS THIS MAN? WE MUST HAVE ANSWERS!

↳ user11 as long as this one doesn't cheat on her, we don't really care.

↳ user12 something no wins never could do

george russell who is he?

charles leclerc we demand answers rhea!

pierre gasly i just like gossip

max verstappen oh so suddenly now she can't answer?

alex albon i love knowing something you guys don't

lily muni he reminder you only know because i accidentally told you

esteban ocon you people are stupid.

max verstappen excuse me? esteban ocon i would recognize that blonde head of hair anywhere lance stroll i would too. it’s mick

rhea reynolds BOOOOO! way to ruin my soft launch dumb and dumber

charles leclerc ANOTHER DRIVER? george russell WHAT HAPPENED TO “I’LL NEVER DATE ANOTHER FUCKING DRIVER AGAIN?!”

rhea reynolds you’re gonna look at mick and say not to him?

lily muni he i wouldn’t. that’s like saying no to a puppy alex albon they truly are the golden retriever and black cat trope.

lance stroll you’re fucking welcome

pierre gasly for what?

lance stroll for setting them up on a blind date? well lily helped.

lily muni he yeah i did! they’re great for each other

charles leclerc at least we know he won’t cheat on her like n*rris

rhea reynolds my brother would be proud of the censorship of his name. he still calls him no bitches to this day.

george russell well ryan is an icon and l*ndo has no bitches.

alex albon doesn't he have a girlfriend? charles leclerc i thought they broke up? max verstappen doesn't matter, in our hearts he will always remain bitchless max verstappen and that is not me saying his girlfriend is a bitch. i've never met her. rhea reynolds i heard she was nice girl. i just hope l*ndo didn't cheat on her like he did on me

daniel ricciardo what'd i miss?

liked by oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1, estebanocon and others

rheareynolds saw you bitches say on twitter i was trolling with my last post. i'm not, i am no longer bitchless. some people can't relate.

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user1 SHOTS FIRED! SHOTS FIRED!

user2 MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!

estebanocon i'm telling him you called him a bitch

↳ rheareynolds do it you french fuck, i'll tell him you called him an overactive golden retriever puppy.

↳ estebanocon you wouldn't dare.

↳ rheareynolds try me bitch

user3 REGINA GEORGE HAS FIRED SHOTS!

user4 he may be bitchless but you still think about him

↳ user5 that's not the flex you think it is sweetie.

maxverstappen1 get this shit off my phone. it's gross.

↳ rheareynolds you dad is gross but you don't see me complaining do you?

↳ maxverstappen nice to know you're back to your old self

↳ rheareynolds and better than ever baby!

luisinhaoliveira99 is it me? am i the drama?

↳ rheareynolds no baby, it could never be about you 👩🏼‍❤️‍👩🏻

↳ user6 WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?

user7 OSCAR? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

↳ user8 this just got messy with a capital M

vancityreynolds rhea lobster reynolds, i demand to meet him.

↳ rheareynolds mom (blake) said you could meet him when i was ready.

↳ vancityreynolds and i'm supposed to care because?

↳ rheareynolds hey blakelively your overgrown toddler is back at it again!

↳ blakelively leave the poor girl alone ryan.

maxfretwell i would love to inform you that sushi just let out an unholy screech

↳ rheareynolds must be because he's bitchless, can't relate.

daniel ricciardo oh, so that's what i missed!

↳ user9 not this man being confused on what's going on. me fr.

it's mick isn't it?

how the fuck?

i'm your older brother dumbass. besides, mick's the only blonde esteban hangs out with. that i know of.

you're not as stupid as everyone says you are.

who the fuck is saying i'm stupid?

your mom

WE SHARE THE SAME MOM DUMBASS!

i know, and she says you're stupid.

i still expect to meet him, as your boyfriend.

of course you do.

rhea reynolds added one person

rhea reynolds ryan figured it out.

mick schumacher i told you he wasn't as stupid as you thought he was.

daniel ricciardo YOU'RE DATING MICK? WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?

max verstappen you're supposed to read the group chat dumbass

charles leclerc l*ndo just called carlos to complain.

rhea reynolds good. he deserves to suffer.

mick schumacher she wrote an album about him

rhea reynolds NOT TRUE! THERE'S AT LEAST ONE SONG ABOUT YOU ON THERE! MAYBE MORE!

lily muni he is there another song about me? 🥰

alex albon you two said what can i do was a joke! rhea reynolds lily, babe, that song wasn't about you? lily muni he WHAT? EXCUSE ME? rhea reynolds it was about a hypothetical with this other girl, who's not important. but i told you it was about you because you were so happy? lily muni he don't ever talk to me again. i'm heartbroken. pierre gasly it's giving charles and max.

max verstappen bitchless just called and asked me if i knew who you were dating and how you knew luisa.

rhea reynolds i met her while she was dating n*rris. monaco is not that big.

alex albon tell him she's dating some actor like ross lynch or something

lily muni he how long did it take for you to come up with a blonde actor? alex albon too long

lance stroll tell him it's luisa in a blonde short wig.

charles leclerc that'll shut him up for a while.

rhea reynolds tell him it's taylor swift in a short wig.

daniel ricciardo thank god i don't have to hear his screeches anymore.

rhea reynolds that's one upside to being unemployed. daniel ricciardo i have a job? rhea reynolds but do you though?

¡leclerc-s speaks! i'm indulging in my love for both mick schumacher and renee rapp + blake lively. i was originally going to make the oc a lively but i kinda wanted her name to have same alliteration renee's name has and nothing with an L went well so i chose reynolds instead. anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this!

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - We Are Surprised

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 2 of 12 - Oh it’s fucking great. It could all go horribly south, of course. But it’s awesome at the moment. Messy gay and one of them is already pining? Got to love it. Including the negotiation.

I’d love a good sex negotiation, it’s almost as good as linguistic negotiation. This show makes me happy. All that said, it’s moving awfully quickly for a 12 episode run. Not sure what’s gonna happen on the backend. 

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 3 of 12 eps - I’m still enjoying it but I’m ready for him to die again now. 

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 5-6 of 16 - Toey is going after the Namgoong Award for Best Wingman this year, I see. And in exchange, literally all the rest of the friends are going to be his wingmen. It’s adorable. I also like that Phuwin got to be the aggressor for the first kiss. I like that this is mostly just boys flirting, and not really any prescribed seme/uke stuff. In general, I think these last two episodes I improved the show in my regard a lot. But then middles are always GMMTV's strong point, it’s whether they can stick the landing that’s an issue.

Two Worlds (Thurs iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 - Apparently we have the Frodo walking into Mordor episode. Also the sides were cute. In Thailand (like Taiwan) all gangsters are gay, apparently. 

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 5 of 12 - It’s cute but very cringe and dorky. Silly singing. Terrible pickup lines. Still, that was a ridiculously charming confession.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 12fin - Oh so good. Very few shows that feature one-sided long-term pining of this kind can resolve the unevenness of that power dynamic into a more stable and equal footing with such class. We really got to see the object of the desire turn completely around and become equally besotted. An age gap, stepbrothers trope like this one is hard enough but at this length? Very well acted boys! Unknown managed to show the older brother softening in a believable way that’s pretty unusual in narratives of this type.

All in all?

Unknown is a wonderful BL with a pitch perfect portrayal of long term pining, age gap, and the stepbrothers trope. The acting and chemistry are ON POINT (especially from the leads) which made the resulting characters very believable. When it dwells in intimate family drama, it's stunning. It's slightly less successful when it leaves the home and goes gritty. It's few flaws are the result of curtailed length. It could have used more breathing room to deal with side plots, characters, and companion character development. The editing was occasionally choppy and packed with flashbacks that broke the emotional tension. Still, those are mere quibbles. This is an excellent show that I know I'm going to be recommending a lot. 9/10

Finally Taiwan hits another one out of the park.

About.

Damn.

Time.

Blue Boys (Korea Sat YouTube) 4 of ? - Oh it’s so good, and they are so tortured and it’s just charming and I can’t EVEN. I just love it. I love that Korea is giving us this right now. You’re an idiot if you’re not watching this show, it’s truly spectacular.

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - Well well well Japan. I see how you kneed. I enjoyed this episode better than the first two, and I am way into our Bad Boy second lead. I can already feel myself succumbing  to the syndrome. Next week = the obligatory onsen ep! 

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Omg most adorbs failed linguistic negotiation. 

Boys Be Brave AKA Roommates (Korea Thurs Viki) ep 5-6 of 8 - I love the side couple. It’s a shame we’re finally getting some truly great class conflict and it’s relegated to crumbs.

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 11-12fin - Well that was a waste of time. There was no connection (of any kind) between the leads. The language thing was hella weird and likely added to that. The past history of the Korean character was necessary to know from the start, its lack throughout, meant there was no depth to his character. They tried to tackle all the interesting stuff in the final 2 eps. AND they even killed the dog. I never thought I'd type this sentance, but Peach of Time is better.

I don’t know. 5/10 I guess

All in all:

A disappointing lackluster and barely cohesive BL about a jerk Thai actor (speaking Thai) who has to work for a Korean animal rescue cafe as a publicity stunt. It's difficult to believe the leads like each other, let alone fall in love. The acting is stiff, the characters lack motivation and cohesion, and there's not much to recommend this show beyond some pretty visuals. Also, they kill the dog. All in all, a disappointing and unsuccessful joint venture that mostly highlighted that between Thailand and Korea the style of BL, narrative approach, language cadence, and acting techniques all clash.

It's airing but...

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - mini series staring the I Will Knock You couple Tar & Bom, started but I couldn't find it. I also didn't try very hard.

A Balloon's Landing (Taiwan movie) trailer - A frustrated Hong Kong writer, Tian Yu, meets a Taipei street gangster, Xiang (Fandy Fan from HIStory2: Crossing the Line), and the two of them embark on a journey to find the Bay of Vanishing Whales. Along the way, they discover unexpected twists and turns and close bonds, which brings out the message that "there is always someone like you in this world who is waiting for you. This released to cinemas in Taiwan, no word on international release.

Memory in the Letter (Thai WeTV) - it's done, tell me if I should bother?

Fan's Only Corner

Someone asked in a comment (which tumblr promptly ate) about group sleepovers in BLs. It's happened a few times but the only one I can recall being noted and particularly lovely (and VERY college) was in Nitiman. There's also one in Lovesick.

Next Week Looks Like This:

5/16 Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 1 of 6 - Strongberry doing classic uni BL! Weeee!

5/19 OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - LeeFrank are back - not unlike the undead (as it were). But how do we feel about it? Unsure given their track record.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

May Releases

VBL (Taiwan) is releasing 4 'Special Episode' epilogues to their 4 2023 shows every Friday this month on Gagaoolala, Viki & Viu. Not sure on search terms or how to find these. (Or, frankly, if we need them.)

5/10 – You Are Mine

5/17 – VIP Only

5/24 – Stay By My Side

5/31 – Anti Reset

5/25 The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer - HoTae & DongHee are back but unfortunately not in a cinema near me. Side couple from Unintentional Love Story, same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS.

5/28 My Biker 2 (Thai movie YT?) - trailer

5/31 The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) - May not be BL

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

LOVE a smile kiss. Love it. Two killer kisses from PondPhuwin. Elegantly done, boys. Thank you very much.

I love them a lot all of a sudden. (All We Are)

It's hard to give MaxTul a run on their crown as best bodies in BL, but boy these two are giving it their, erm, best. (Wandee Goodday)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[xiouahh]

☆ numb ─ 02.　love

The moment I opened my dorm mailbox, a large pile of letters and presents tumbled out onto the floor. It was nothing new ─ Luckily, I had brought along a paper bag to put all of the letters and presents in. Gathering up the gifts and cards, I placed them carefully inside.

“ [name]? “ A familiar voice calls out, I look up to see a boy with platinum blonde hair, with a single orange-red streak running down one side. He’s towering over me as his gaze is fixed on mine.

I watched as his eyes scan the scattered notes and presents around me, and a soft chuckle escaped his lips. “ Ah, more letters to respond to? “ he says, crouching down to assist me in putting everything into the paper bag. I nod in response, smiling warmly at Kazuha.

As I gaze at the letters and presents scattered around me, I couldn’t help but wonder — wasn’t he also a popular figure, just like me? After all, he’s been quite helpful and always maintains good grades, which earned him a spot in the student council, too. Yet, despite his popularity, I noticed that he doesn’t have any gifts from his admirers to put down in a paper bag, just like mine.

I turn to Kazuha, who’s still helping me put all the cards and presents into my paper bag. " Do you have your letters and gifts stored somewhere as well? " I ask him, hoping that he isn’t feeling left out.

Fortunately, he responds with a smile, saying, " Yes, I’ve already kept them safe at my dorm. " His answer assures me that he’s just as well-loved as I am — even if his cards and gifts aren’t with him at this moment.

“ You have a lot of admirers, if I’m being honest, I think they even outnumber mine. And it leaves me wondering, not to be forward or anything, but are you not interested in taking a chance on any of them? " He asked, his gaze locked onto mine as I contemplated his suggestion.

"I don’t know.. Most— no, all of them only like me for my looks, can you believe that? It’s as if they don’t even see me past my appearance, and it’s so frustrating. " I said with a huff, shaking my head.

“ Ah, yes... I can see how you may feel that way. But believe me when I tell you that there is at least one person out there who loves you for who you truly are, regardless of your current struggles, or appearance. That person may be hiding behind all the noise in your life, but they exist, I assure you. "

He takes a moment to admire the last card in his hand. The image on the front is a sketch of a cat, rendered in deep purple ink. The creature’s expression is one of contentment, with its eyes closed and mouth pulled up into a contented little smile. He lets out a small chuckle as he looks at it, clearly pleased with the result.

" You’re an amazing person, [name]. You’re hardworking and responsible, surely one of your admirers will see it. "

I watched as he looked directly at me, then placed the final card in the paper bag before standing up. With his hand extended towards me, I took it and got to my feet. I gave him a warm smile.

“ Thank you, Kazuha. “

masterlist　|　previous　|　next

SYPNOSIS.　You had always been the independent, strong-willed person who didn't need anyone's help. Despite your best efforts, your trauma continues to plague you, making it difficult for you to trust and connect with others. That is, until you meet a young man who is everything you've wanted in a partner. Despite his aloof demeanor, he manages to break your emotional barriers and become a source of healing and support for you. As you learn to trust and open up to him, he becomes the healer of your heart, helping you heal from your trauma.

AUTHOR.　Might post a few eps all together then not post for a few days, my laptop’s charger broke and school starts soon (⁠ᗒ⁠ᗩ⁠ᗕ⁠)

TAGLIST.　 @arlecchino-soon-main @skyoverkill1 @yo0ngleswag @scaraenthusiast1 @skyvella @lloovvv @ciellez @asukahiriko2 @trulyylee @lalalaloveallmydays @hearts4lizzzz @animeobsessed56

[danikamariewrites]

Babysitters

Azriel x f!Reader

A/n: this is inspired by the babysitters ep of Bluey (yes it’s a kid show so what)

Warnings: none

Knocking on the front door of the River House you let yourself in, “Hi Feyre!” Nyx comes bounding towards you from the living room, “Y/n!” He screeches, clinging to your dress skirt. You kneel down, eye level with the little 5 year old bouncing on his feet.

Feyre comes into the entryway, “Y/n! Thank you so much for watching him tonight, it truly means a lot to Rhys and I.” You get up and hug your friend. “It’s not a problem. I love seeing this little guy.” Feyre leads you into the sitting room with Nyx holding your hand, where Rhys is sitting on the floor surrounded by Nyx’s toys.

Rhys stands to greet you, “Y/n, lovely to see you. What brings you over this evening?” He says giving you a feline smirk. Feyre gives him a look like she can’t believe he’s even asking that. You laugh, “I’m babysitting while you and Feyre go to Viviane and Kallias’ for dinner, silly.” At that moment the front door opens and closes, Azriel comes into the sitting room. He stops short seeing you, “Sorry I’m late, Cassian would not let me leave. I swear he’s a toddler.”

“Uncle Az!” Nyx runs over to the shadowsinger jumping into his arms. “Hey buddy.” Az says, clutching the boy to his chest. Feyre looks at Rhys, she knows her mate is up to something. “Sorry darling, did I not tell you Az could watch Nyx?” “No my love, I don’t believe you mentioned it.” He chuckles.

Nyx wriggles out of Az’s arms grabbing one of his scarred hands in his little one. He drags the male over to you as the little boy grabs your hand with his free one. “Mommy, daddy can both uncle Az and y/n watch me tonight? Please?” He drags out the last word looking up at his parents with big, pleading eyes.

Before Feyre can say anything Rhys answers, “Of course, that is if they don’t mind staying.” You look at Azriel. He looks hopeful that you’ll say yes. You and the spymaster have an odd relationship. You met him a little over a year ago at Feyre’s art studio. You work at one of the art supply stores in the Rainbow that Feyre happened to come into one day to pick up some extra paints. The High Lady told you all about her studio and offered you a teaching position if you were interested.

During your first class with Feyre, Azriel had stopped by and he ended up introducing himself. You were quite taken with his soft demeanor given his reputation. Not to mention his beauty. After bumping into from time to time and quick conversations you found that Azriel is a kind male. He always gave you his undivided attention when you spoke and you loved when he told you his thrilling stories from his years of spying.

You had quickly found yourself falling for him and had tried to keep your crush for Azriel to yourself. But keeping it to yourself was unsuccessful, one night after a few glasses of wine Feyre got it out of you.

You broke eye contact with Azriel to look down at Nyx who was looking between the two of you, hopeful you’ll both stay with him. “I’ll absolutely stay.” Relief flashes in Azriel’s face. “Perfect! Nyx, be good for your uncle and y/n.” Feyre hugs all three of you goodbye, quickly being ushered out by Rhys. The couple winnow away, leaving the three of you alone.

Nyx runs back to his toys, plopping down on the floor. “Can we play a game?”

…

A few games and a dessert definitely not meant for a 5 year old before bed, it was the little boy's bedtime. You and Az were sitting at the end of Nyx’s bed tucking him in. “Good night Nyx, sleep tight.” You say kissing his head. You and Azriel go to leave when Nyx suddenly sits up. “Wait.” You turn to look at him, “will you both tell me a bedtime story?”

“What do you say, think we can come up with a good one?” Az asks, you chuckle following Az back to Nyx’s bed. Sitting down next to Azriel you let him take the lead. He’s always been a great storyteller and you were excited to hear the tale he would tell his nephew. Azriel clears his throat as Nyx lays back down cuddling with his teddy bear.

“Once upon a time there was a girl who-“ “Princess” Nyx interjects, throwing off the story Azriel had set up. “What?” The boy rolls his eyes, “Mommy and daddy always tell me a story about a princess and a prince that save each other and it’s my favorite. Can you tell me something like that?” Azriel takes his time thinking about how to change his story. “Ok I got it. Once upon a time there was a princess who ruled over a beautiful kingdom. The sun was always shining, the people happy and cheerful, and occasionally a rainbow would appear after a storm. Showing the kingdom that even when things are dark and gloomy there’s always beauty hiding behind it.”

You smile, you didn’t know the spymaster had quite the imagination. Azriel continues, “On one of these rare days the princess was out for a walk. Shopping and watching her people enjoy the beautiful day. Before she could walk into her favorite candy shop she bumped into a dark, mysterious stranger.” Nyx gasped, clinging onto every word Azriel was saying.

“She was bright and bubbly, the complete opposite of the stranger. She apologized to him but he didn’t know what to say so he just nodded and stepped out of her way. She continued on into the shop like any other day. Not knowing she had changed the mysterious man’s life. After walking around town some more and bumping into the stranger several more times the princess wanted to know more about him. After running into each other again that afternoon the princess invited the man to join her for lunch. He was going to say no but something in his heart said he should. Talking during lunch the man revealed he was the prince from the neighboring kingdom, sent by his father to meet with the princess to start an alliance.

“Once they were back at the castle the prince and princess were inseparable. They would spend their days in the library, riding horses, and seeking out adventure. As the days went on she realized the prince had changed. He became happier and more open with the princess. On the prince’s last day of his visit he thanked the princess. She asked him why do you need to thank me. He said he was thankful she spent time with him and became his friend. Not many people would be because of the darkness that surrounded him.

“She couldn’t believe that the prince had no friends. She was happy she had a new friend too. When the prince went to leave the next day-“ you tapped Azriel’s arm, cutting him off. He looked at you and you pointed to Nyx, who was fast asleep. You both silently crept out of the room, gently closing Nyx’s door.

Once you are back in the living room you sit next to Azriel on the couch. He seems like he’s shying away from you. You clear your throat, breaking the awkward silence between you. “That was a cute story.” Azriel’s cheeks heat up as he tries to not make eye contact with you. “Thanks.”

You were done with awkwardness and avoiding each other. Moving closer to Azriel you grasp his hand, “It actually sounded like us, was it?” His head snapped toward you, his eyes going wide. You panicked, did you overstep? Did he not feel the same way about you?

It seemed that Azriel was also done with whatever awkward energy was between you. He cupped your face in his large, calloused hands and kissed you. It was exactly how you hoped it would be. His lips were soft and gentle, and you loved the way he held you. He pulled back, resting his head against your forehead. “Ever since the day I met I’ve been crazy about you. Getting to talk to you was always the highlight of my day. I don’t know why I’ve waited this long to say anything but I’d love to take you out to dinner.”

The biggest smile spread across your face as you nodded, “I’d love to go out with you Az.”

…

Hours later Rhys and Feyre winnowed back into the foyer of the River House. Feyre giggling and poking at Rhys’ face. “You are positively tipsy Feyre darling.” Rhys chuckled. “What can I say, the Winter Court wine is delicious. We need to get some for the house.”

“We can but the challenge will be keeping it out of Cassian’s hands.” The couple strolls into the living room, stopping at the sight before them. “Aawww Rhys look at them.”

At some point while talking, you and Az had fallen asleep on the couch. You looked so peaceful wrapped up in Azriel’s arms. And Azriel looked so happy having you laying on his chest. Feyre walked over to the couch draping a blanket of you. She was definitely going to get all the details out of you tomorrow.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#14: Soon As I Get It, You Will (S6E10)

This moment will always have an extra special place in my heart. 😍 It’s when I so clearly in real-time saw that Rick and Michonne were going to perfectly transition to a romantic couple because they’d been in love a long time. I said TWD's opening minutes really used to bless us with some great Richonne content throughout the series, and this one from 6.10, their classic canon ep, is atop the list. This scene paints a clear picture that Rick and Michonne weren't just about to become a couple at the end of the episode - they were going to embrace that they already were one...

I adore domestic Richonne scenes and in this scene, they were just so comfortable and happy living what felt like such a normal morning in their home with their kids. 🥰 Moments like this are what I most want for Rick and Michonne and their children. It's the good, happy, peaceful life they deserve.

The scene starts with Rick and his belt, which I gotta say always makes me think the writers were going for a bit of an innuendo lol. Then the shot makes it a point to show that Rick has taken his ring off. That’s definitely a big indicator that he’s now in a place to more fully and healthily move into a new chapter (and to signal to Michonne 'I'm ready when you are' perhaps lol).

Rick grabs the watch but leaves the ring, and that is such an intentional shot. It symbolizes that it’s time to move forward, in love especially, and Rick is finally ready in proper ways to do that.

And he knows who he’s meant to move forward with - Cuz then she shows right up to his door looking glowy and gorgeous in a robe. 🤗

I love that Michonne feels comfortable enough to approach his room in her robe and towel and ask if he has any toothpaste left and that Rick cutely teases her about using his toothpaste the last few weeks. They bring out such a playful flirty side of each other, and I love it.

Rick’s smile when he teases her and then Michonne's reaction...😊 I know that house felt like a sauna the last few weeks with all that steamy tension they’ve been trying to keep the lid on. 

And I like that whatever happened in the last two weeks broke their ability to downplay their attraction - because the way Rick and Michonne are looking and reacting to each other in this scene...you know I gotta use my favorite word - the attraction is palpable.

I’ll also just always love that even when TF all moved into separate houses, Michonne stayed with her Grimes family. She’s one of them fr.

Michonne sounds like such a mom when she calls for Carl, and Carl sounds like her teenage son when he responds with a low-key attitudinal “What?” This is the first we’re hearing from Carl since getting his eye shot out and it tells you he’s definitely still that same feisty-when-he-wants-to-be kid. 😂 

I love the moment when Rick says he can’t hear Carl and has him come on out. And the smile Rick gives Michonne and the way she amusedly looks at him and subtly rolls her eyes when they wait for Carl to come over. 🤭

And then, after Rick smiles at her, he has this extremely telling reaction like he’s trying to play off whatever he’s so clearly feeling about her before Carl comes and catches his whipped self.

But Rick ain’t ever been slick when it comes to how he feels about Michonne, and so even in that little squint that he does, it’s clear this man has caught all the feelings there is to catch lol. This is a man in love, I tell you. And he knows it now. 🤗

I adore their energy here and I repeat this is not how people who are just friends look at each other. This scene is just so fun too cuz there’s no speculation needed by this point - it is factual that Rick and Michonne are both more aware that they are attracted to and in love with this person in front of them. And it’s sweet to see them be all smiley about it in their final pre-canon scene.

Truly, the only thing they were waiting on at this point was knowing for sure the feelings they felt were mutual.

Carl gives another little attitudinal 'what?' to Rick and when Carl repeats what he said about Denise, Rick says it at the same time as him and it’s such a dad moment. Michonne laughs and I’m pretty positive Rick did this specifically knowing it would make her laugh cuz Carl is not that amused by it at all. 😂

Michonne again sounds like such a mom when she tells Carl it’s time to change his bandage and she needs toothpaste. I know Rick and Michonne have to be picking up on how much they so naturally feel like a perfect little four-person family right now. Like they were giving mom and dad and they were giving husband and wife...

And I love that there's always this refreshed good mood when Rick and Michonne get to just live everyday life together with their kids. 🥰

When Carl says he’s also out of toothpaste, Michonne looks over at Rick and shakes her head as they both smile, and you know Rick knew right then and there that he’s gonna find a way to get her that toothpaste today, no matter what.

And then y’all, it’s Michonne’s turn to have an extremely telling reaction because she then quietly watches as Rick picks Judith up. Again, this quiet lingering look was not a platonic look from our girl Michonne. And whatever she was thinking about Rick at this moment...

I was probably thinking it too. 🤭 It’s sweet seeing Michonne just quietly take this moment in, knowing that she loves and respects this man, as a father, as a fighter, and as the love of her life.

It’s also heartwarming hearing Rick be so sweet with Judith and say, "come on, sweetheart." Girl Dad Rick is always great to see for us and Michonne - because Michonne’s smile observing this is just precious. That’s a good man and she knows it. And a hot man and she knows that too. 😊

It's great how Michonne doesn’t just sound like a mom in this scene, she also is such a wife, especially when she tells Rick to "be good out there." And Rick feels like such a husband saying, "yeah we’ll see."

And then you know I gotta take a moment to celebrate my favorite part of this scene - that low-five. 🙌🏽

It's so good, and I credit that low-five as the flashing light that fully let me know these two had a chemistry that was bound to turn romantic. Looking back, it's genuinely crazy it took me until their canon ep to open my eyes and know for certain that what I'd been watching all along between Rick and Michonne was a love story but hey...

And ever since that low five, I have learned from my mistake and fully boarded this ship without ever looking back.

I love that true to their magnetic ways, Rick extends his hand to her, and, y’all, somehow they manage to make a freaking low-five feel romantic and so much more than just casual.

This is how you know your ship is in (no pun intended) capable hands. Because the actors knew that the next time Rick and Michonne see each other in this ep they're going to go all the way, and so this scene in the opening minutes had to really tell you their current headspace and that they were right on the brink of expressing this long-time love more physically. And of course, Andy and Danai were able to communicate that in something as simple as a low-five. Best in the biz, I'm just saying. 👏🏽💯

This touch between them is important too because their previous few and far between touches had always been one touching the other - but in this moment it was both of them engaging, hinting how they’re both finally ready to express their love a different way.

And I love that as Rick so often does he accompanies the low-five with a thank you. Always so grateful for her. 😊 He can go out on these runs and trust that his kids are okay because they’re with their mom.

It just felt like such a married sendoff as he thanks her before going out for the day and she casually lets him know her favorite type of toothpaste. I love the way she tells him which toothpaste she likes best and that they're able to live a stable enough life for them to even have preferences now.

Rick says, "soon as I get it, you will" and, chile, he means that. 😋 I love that quick line and that he says this sounding like a husband yet again. He knows it’ll be a priority to get this toothpaste not just for the community but for her specifically because what Michonne wants, whether big or small, always matters to him.

And the line also just feels like a fitting sentiment to their relationship. As soon as he gets that this romance can be acted on, she will. So it’s a great line to land on in their final pre-canon moment together.

(and y'all can we just take a moment to observe the way they are looking at each other during this low-five...like the heat coming off of them is really something. it makes sense later that night would finally be 'the night' because i don't think they could resist for one more day lol ❤️‍🔥)

I also never noticed that the scene ends with Rick playfully tossing the ball at her. Can they get any cuter? 😭 What Rick and Michonne bring out of each other is just the best and I adore this bright and happy scene for showing this great and lived-in layer to them and their relationship.

Whether you’d been anticipating Richonne for seasons or were new to the ship, this scene made sure there was no denying that Rick and Michonne are family and not just as parents but truly as gorgeous and natural spouses. Married before they knew they were married, y’all, and this moment made it clear. 

So I really appreciate this morning scene for showing that Rick and Michonne have built a life together not just as 'team family,' not just as co-leaders, but as a mom and dad and very very soon as an officially consummated husband and wife. And y'all...

We'll get there. 😉 But for now, staying focused on this absolutely delightful 14th moment on my list - I think about how Rick and Michonne always got to see the more normal and human side of each other ever since season 3. And in this 6.10 scene, you see them both not only witness that everyday side but really be attracted to that side too, in a way they can no longer hide.

So yeah, toothpaste and toothbrushes stayed giving us some great Richonne content. This 6.10 opener showed that the Richonne ship had been set sail - now it was just time to release the 'canon.' 🤗🪥

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Best QL of 2023: Favorite Lines

Okay so I am slightly over my one year mark in the BL Fandom, and have watched over the past like...12-14 months a little under 100 shows, so I am forcing myself to stick to the shows that aired in 2023 or else I would never be able to finish this. But I saw @abstractelysium do this so I had to climb aboard:

Top Five Lines that Lived Rent-Free In My Brain This Year:

"Have you been well? Without me?" - Shin Ki Tae, Our Dating Sim, Ep 4

Y'ALL THIS FUCKING LINE. KNIFE. CHEST. EVERY TIME! This line sits on the same level of absolute and total emotional devastation for me as the "I just want things to be nice for him" link in Big Eden.

"Are you tired, Uncle Jim?" - Li Ming, Moonlight Chicken, Ep 8

Jim and Li Ming's relationship just makes me absolutely so fucking emotional. I love them individually, I love them together, and I love how much Jim does for his community. But no one ever asks him this. And it is so striking to me that Li Ming is finally the one to demonstrate how much he understands and appreciates everything Jim does not only for him but for the entire community when he ass him that question.

"My family is old fashioned. I kept everything in my heart and didn't want to tell anyone until I was 15. My family went to Europe with Wa's family. We saw two women kissing on the street. I saw her and wanted to talk to her. I want to know how she did it. I want to release it like them. But Wa's mother and I...You can probably imagine. A pair of old-fashioned women who think same-sex love is wrong...That's when I realized I wasn't the only one feeling terrible. When we got back that night she broke down and cried. No one knew why. I asked her if it was about the afternoon incident. She asked me if a kiss between two women was wrong. I said no. It's just like two men kissing. It's not wrong. On that night a 15 year old boy and a 13 year old girl held each other and cried." -Sailom, Wedding Plan, Ep. 6

Okay this isn't a line, it's a monologue but holy fucking shit this was such a beautiful speech, and I will quote @bengiyo here and say "I CAN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE HATED THIS MAN." He has spent so much of his life in the closet protecting not only himself but especially Yiwa. Sailom was going to go through with the wedding just to ensure that Yiwa and Marine could be together without anyone prying.

"This is as tender as I can be. Someone like me." -Mhok, Last Twilight, Ep. 4

Honestly you could replace the first sentence with whatever you want, the part that sticks in my brain the most is "someone like me" because I know that Mhok must have heard shit like that his entire life, and Day is here saying it in a way that I don't think Mhok takes as an actual insult or passing of judgement. I like that the line is used whenever Mhok does show who he truly is and how much tenderness or warmth he is actually capable of in a subversion of the expectations placed upon him.

"But you know, I already knew your preferences so well. When I go shopping with Kakei-san, he talks about you all the time...He says it with a smile" -Kayoko, What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Season 2 Episode 11

THE WEEP I WEPT WHEN KAYOKO TOLD KENJI HOW MUCH SHIRO TALKS ABOUT HIM. This entire second season of WDYEY Shiro has just continuously shown so much beautiful beautiful growth and my heart twists with pride every single time I see him looking more relaxed and smiley. WDYEY is the most perfect show to ever exist.

[its-time-to-write]

ch. 1 - hustling for the good life

please never let me write a series again. if I say i’m going to, please remind me that it’s the worst and i’ll hate myself for it. anyway, here it is and yeah, i got self conscious about it. uhh also Jamie doesn’t show up till chapter 2.

table of contents

cowboy like me

Getting from the car to the hotel lobby should not be this challenging. It’s not even that far a distance, but the moment your car pulls up to the doors, you understand that this is going to take a lot of pushing, shoving, and flashing cameras.

“How’d they even know I was going to be here?” you ask your assistant-turned-best-friend Natalie.

She grimaces. “I was kind of trying to keep this from you, but your new makeup artist has been leaking your location. That’s why it’s been hell the past week or so.”

You groan and say, “Shit, and she was so nice, too! Who would’ve thought?”

Natalie shrugs. “I had my suspicions from the beginning. Gotta tell you, it was hard fucking work catching her in the act without you knowing.”

You smile and pinch Natalie’s arm affectionately. “This is why you’re the best, Nat. You’re always fighting a losing battle against my anxiety.”

She grins back and says, “You ready to brave the paps? Be warned, they’re going to be particularly vicious.”

“Obviously,” you reply. “They’re probably all wondering why I don’t have a ring on my finger.”

Natalie makes an ick noise and says, “I, for one, am glad you don’t. I think I’d have to quit if you married him.”

You laugh as your door opens and your bodyguard begins to usher you inside. You’re glad you’re not marrying him either.

—

Fame is weird because it pretty much means your entire job is based on other people’s perception of you. They never have any idea what’s actually going on, and if the people decide they don’t like you, you’re done. You like to keep your personal life, well, pretty personal. That means social media accounts run by a publicist, a secret apartment, large sunglasses, tinted windows, and a fuck-ton of coffee.

Your last three relationships had all been for publicity and you didn’t mind so much, but it was odd. There was an actor, a guitarist, and (most recently) a model. They were all incredibly sweet, which you understand is a rarity. Fake relationships have the tendency to run sour, but they were just genuinely kind people. 

The last one, the model, had commented on your ability to detach one night. He specifically noted how you could fake a sparkle in your eyes, the kind that you’re only supposed to have when you’re really in love. You had laughed and patted his cheek, and told him that you didn’t want to be in love. It’s easy to fake something you don’t truly desire because there’s no underlying pain in your eyes.

The actor and guitarist had said similar things, the actor in particular telling you that you should consider switching which business you were in. You just grinned and told him some lyrics for a the song you’d release when you two broke up.

Love is a hassle. You don’t need it. You’ll take your nice car over an open heart any day.

—

It’s late but not too late as you and Natalie lay on the giant bed in your room, face masks on and glass of wine in hand.

“I still don’t understand why you won’t even keep ten percent of your new EP,” she says as you absently watch the show on the TV. “You’re making so much off it, that it wouldn’t make a difference.”

You shake your head. “Mango was always going to be for that charity,” you reply. “It doesn’t make sense that I would tell their stories and then profit off it. It’s their album, I was just the execution.”

Natalie raises an eyebrow as she says, “But no one knows what it’s about. Or that you’re the one donating all that money. Honestly, I’m shocked that no one in that entire organization has figured out what’s happening yet.”

“Well, I think Christine probably has an idea,” you laugh. “She always could see right through me. And the girls I talked to promised to keep it to themselves. You know, they each get a percentage too.”

Natalie nods. “I know,” she says. “I understand your vision, I really do. I just need to check in with you every now and then, so I know you understand what you’re doing.”

“I do,” you reply. “I really do.”

—

Mango was a one-off EP you created after becoming financially involved with an organization specializing in helping women escape domestic violence. A little heavy for someone whose songs were best listened to on a sunny day, but you needed something real. You hated the way you felt separate from real people and Christine, your point of contact, had given you a lifeline. Your money now had use, beyond buying loved ones houses and cars and whatever else they could possibly want. You didn’t want to become publicly involved, and the whole company was great with keeping you anonymous. You’d talked to so many women who had stories of love turned rotten, and the hope they’d been able to find. 

You wrote a few songs about some of them, supposed to be a personal gift for those who had touched you.

It was Claire, the one who had told you the story that inspired Mango, who said you should release it.

You’d protested at first but the other girls caught wind of Claire’s vendetta and pushed you into it as well. 

Natalie helped you put your vision to paper, and contracts were written so the money Mango made would go to its true visionaries.

It was satisfying in a way that no other album had been.

It had depth, it was personal, it was upbeat but in a real way, and it had a strange sadness laced throughout each track.

You came across a tweet that said, I don’t know why I’m crying to Kitchen Epiphany, but it’s 3am and I can’t stop sobbing. 

That’s exactly what you wanted. Nothing is explicitly sad in the song, it’s actually one of the most sunny songs on the EP, but still. There was something that people could feel, could connect to.

You think that feeling is better than any type of love.

—

The trip to London is another PR thing. “Blue Glass singer/songwriter spotted in London on the heels of breakup with model ex,” said one newspaper. 

“Mango artist has let her man go,” said another.

“I think they could have done better with that pun,” Natalie remarks. You giggle. 

“I don’t give a shit, as long as they’re buying what I’m selling. It’s just nice to be out of America for a little bit.”

Natalie squints at her phone and says, “You know you’re here for work, right? You have that interview in an hour, plus we have a party tonight. You don’t have to pretend to be sad for this one, apparently you’re supposed to move on quick and act like you’re ‘happy, single, and unburdened.’”

You’re not sure who exactly she’s quoting, but you’re pretty sure she’s reading some message from someone in charge of your image. They don’t do a bad job, but they could do better.

—

The interview is good, done by a sweet girl who asks interesting questions about aesthetics and personal projects, things a little different from your normal interviews. 

You head back to the hotel and figure out what you’re going to wear to this party, some football thing, while Natalie laments her inability to wear slippers.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” she says as she rummages through her makeup bag, “I fucking love the way heels look. But my feet are absolutely ruined and I just want to wear something comfortable for once.”

You hold up an ice-blue dress to the mirror. “You should just do it, Nat. It’s not like anyone’s actually going to care. I sure as hell don’t give a shit.”

Natalie’s head shoots up to look at you. “Are you serious? Please tell me you are. If you say I can, I’m totally not wearing real shoes.”

You decide to wear the dress and say, “Natalie Herrera, you can do whatever your heart desires. I literally could not care less.”

She squeals and says, “Oh my god, ok, ok, I’m going to the shops right now and I’m going to buy a cute pair. Oh my god, I’m so excited.”

“If you find a really good pair, get me some too,” you call after her, “I want some to wear around the room.”

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[dangermousie]

Finished.

God, what a glorious, glorious, glorious ride, a truly solid epic drama in a way I haven't seen in a very long time - there were two other flawless cdramas for me this year - Lost You Forever 1 and The Ingenuous One - but TIO was a smaller scale story and LYF ended in medias res. AJTL was the only complete, epic cdrama this year for me, but oh boy, was it beyond.

First, my two tiny niggles - this is a drama where the 40 episode limit fit badly, like tightly pinching shoes. You can tell how they had to speed and cram to get in the resolutions of dynastic struggles in An and Wu and the war with Beipan. This drama really needed to have been 50 eps. (The cramming also resulted in the sole plot arc that made me go huh - LTG random decision to try to marry Ruyi before he rides off to what he thinks is his last battle and his just as random decision to go "oh well" and agree to release NYZ and then when NYZ shows up before he can be released because he broke out and wreaks havoc, let them walk out. Maybe if they had more time, it would have made more sense, otherwise it felt like an aberration in a character arc that before and after was consistent and made sense.) Second niggle is not really one because it's clearly due to censorship - the last minute redemption of the Wu emperor etc - the writer made is as believable as she could but you could feel the censorship sticky hands all over it.

But those are minor complaints. Overall this was solid from beginning to end, very adult and with secondary characters who all felt real and complex and interesting. A few thoughts:

Our main OTP was incredible. So adult, so competent, so badass but still feeling human. I bought that those two were larger than life legends AND flesh and blood people. And that chemistry!

I loved that this drama allowed relationships to be messy. Yes, we have our epic main couple but I especially loved what happened with Chu Yue and Shisan and LTG and Ying. I loved that neither was an epic romance. With CY and Shisan, I loved that they didn't make him realize he loves her forever blah blah - he was an incredibly consistent character - charming, loyal and utterly clear he's incapable of permanent commitment to a single woman and she never could change that. And yet he died in large part to protect her, and it's in keeping with his character and it makes sense that this solidified her remembering him forever - he's not just the one who got away, but he DIED for her. It's very clear if they both lived, this would have gone nowhere and ended with him wandering off or her moving on wanting commitment from someone who is capable of it, but as it is, it froze the possibility of love in ember.

And I loved the narrative of LTG and Ying. They both come into marriage in love with someone they can never have (Ruyi and YL), they both have similar backgrounds (royals but neglected and looked down upon), they both share the same goals (power but to take care of people) and they really are friends. I love that when we last see them, they have what is a great period marriage - no love but respect and common goals. And she still mourns YL and he probably still thinks of Ruyi but the thing is, I love that the narrative leaves the possibility of them eventually falling in love with each other (or other people) because as she tells him - you think you will always love a particular person but life is long. (And it's so true - she will remember YL until she's old, once again in part because of the unfulfilled possibility of it - but it doesn't mean she won't be able to open her heart to someone again.) It's a surprisingly hopeful ending for them and I love it. I'd totally watch a show where they discover love with each other tbh.

I did love that no character (except possibly Prince Danyang) got everything they wanted even if they emerged alive. They got some and had to give up some.

I loved what it had to say about having to be worthy of your power and position - you are not owed fealty by birth but you have to earn it. It was a surprisingly anti-imperial show for a recent cdrama.

All the deaths of our faves gutted me, none as much as Yuan Lu's. Oooof.

As to the ending, I can tell people are gonna have fits but I like it. I love many an ending legendarily reviled in cdrama fandom (Princess Agents and Novoland Eagle Flag have perfect endings in my opinion; I realize that opinion, especially about PA is enough to get me throttled in certain quarters but it is what it is) and I came to cdramas back when pretty much every costume cdrama ended horrifically tragically - think of the endings of the Chinese Paladins, The Myth (for a long time my n1 drama even though it made me cry so hard I threw up, ending-wise), The Young Warriors, Little Fairy, even Lan Ling Wang, Glory of the Tang Dynasty and Bu Bu Jing Xin if we are going somewhat later. I mean, one of my favorite dramas ever is Royal Nirvana and that ending is like drinking a thermos full of depression. This is nothing.

Honestly, I would have been fine if the ending for our OTP really was them dying pretty much together, in their different battles. That hint that they are alive and living with their kids is lovely and welcome, but I'd have been fine without it and it raises a lot of questions (though if anyone could fake their deaths and survive that sort of thing, it would have been them so fair enough.)

Anyway, this is basically my love letter to this drama. It was amazing and I am so glad I watched it.

[eggybug]

guess what time it is! its end of season 4 thoughts time!!!!

they are going to be a lot more insane and outta order than in the past

1. the entire season they were yelling at us that lilith was the final seal and it pissed me off jfc

2. i forgot what it was like to lowkey hate sam, i hate it.

3. so cas was in love the whole time, right? RIGHT. like i know ive been ranting about it all season but are you KIDDING me

4. ruby is a bitch and i hate her so bad. but she was in it for the long game thats for damn sure

5. im REALLY not looking forward to the whole "sam gets haunted by lucifer" bit

6. i love cas, i really do, but he looked right in deans eyes, knew that he was doing this shit to him, and did it anyway. like he was probably tortured by the legions of heaven, but goddamn it

7. when i start making cain and abel comparisons all next season, i don't wanna hear shit about it. itll be my bout of insanity and i apologize in advance

8. i fuckin LOVE bobby

9. no body liked john winchester, they loved him, but they hated the son of a bitch

10. i never got to the point where chuck became TRULY the worst guy ever, but i know we as a fandom hate him, so i hate him.

11. i think demons eat babies and i don't know how i feel about that

12. i don't know who i hate more, uriel or zachariah. maybe im glad cas killed all the angels

13. like i get it but HOW did it take dean so long to realize heaven wanted the war too. they disappeared for weeks while lilith was breaking seals like a bull in a damn china shop

14. they keep doing that thing where one of the capital A angels does something shameful to dean, or dean questions his faith in the "Plan" and the camera cuts to cas looking like a sad puppy

15. ik ive said it 1000 times but goddamn those stupid lil boys need therapy

16. GABRIEL WAS TRYING TO WARN THEM, HE WAS TRYING AND HE COULDNT. THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU GABEY!

17. hey, in the last episode they killed a bunch of nuns, which like damn

18. back to sam, his dumbass really fell for the devil on his shoulder bit jfc

19. like i understand camera work, but two straight men don't stand that close to have a conversation. they just don't.

20. hey sammy, you throw a lady in a trunk, you stop being the good guy

21. at any point did they just consider... not doing that. maybe perhaps, waiting a week?

22. there was a thing with the mirrors and zachariah in the last ep, wasn't there? like that wasn't unintentional. mirrors are notoriously terrible to work with, that can't be unintentional.

23. i love that biblical fanfiction always somehow ends with an angel, a demon, and a human coming together to stop heaven and hell playing out a war on earth.

24. spn just proved you can't leave a bunch of corporate assholes in charge of a planet.

26. im really not looking forward to sam whining about starting the apocalypse for a whole season.

27. dean fighting tooth and nail for cas to see the truth in humanity. to find faith outside of heaven. cas seeing that and it breaking his morale a little bit more and more every time. cas repeatedly seeing dean, perfect vessel, perfect soldier, dean be willing to lose the promise of heaven, of peace for his little bit of humanity. it broke cas. and dean keeps begging cas to see it too. and they're going to drive. me. INSANE.

28. "we're done" those were the exact words dean said to cas.

29. so cas and dean can talk without saying anything, and i hate to say that means they're in love... but thats exactly what that means.

30. cas did it! he broke his faith, he sacrificed himself for dean. and now they're gonna kiss (ik they don't kiss but a boy can dream)

31. have i mentioned that sam pisses me the FUCK off! like yeah i blame ruby but goddamn.

32. this season was hell in a handbasket, jfc (no ounce intended)

omg! season for is done!! woooo! onto the most annoying and lowkey painful season ever! my takes and thoughts for season 5 are going to be annoying, so be prepared !

[anteikustarbies]

Joel Miller X Female Reader | Answers

Rating: Fluff but explicit language is used

A/N: i know that in this ep that Joel doesn’t have a sleeping bag but just humour me :)

“Fuck.” Y/n muttered under her breath. Behind her a groggy, sleep-filled voice spoke up “What is it?” “Nothin’ Joel. Just, go back to sleep.” She exhaled with a tiredness to her voice that had seemed permanent since the start of this damned apocalypse, though she felt sometimes that it was even like that before this had all started, but then came to the conclusion that it was too far back to even remember. 

Awake now, Joel sat up and tentatively asked “Why ain’t you asleep by now, it’s gotta be at least 4AM?” With a grunt Joel removed himself from the warmth of his sleeping bag and walked over to her, he noticed that her eyebrows were furrowed and her hands were occupied with something, it didn’t need a genius to figure out what it was. A map.

“You need to stop looking at that damn thing, we know where we’re going and Tommy ain’t going anywhere.” He doesn’t know if he was trying to reassure her or himself. 

Y/n let out a sigh full of all the frustration that she’s been feeling since the beginning of this trip, one that has took every possible u-turn since they took the job. They always say to expect the unexpected when you’re out here, in the cities, in the forests and out of the safety of the QZ, but never did she think that it would land her here, on the 33rd floor of some random ass office block with a kid who is immune to the virus that took her own child. 

Y/n’s fists tightened around the map placed in her hands, she felt like she hadn’t stopped looking at it, analysing every road, every freeway, shit every fucking alley, anywhere where Tommy could possibly be. She wanted to find Tommy, no she needed to, she needed answers, answers that only he had. All y/n wanted to know was what the fuck happened to her son, and Tommy? Tommy knew. 

“It’s been weeks since he contacted us Joel, he could be anywhere. We should’ve gone looking for him a hell of a lot sooner, at the least we wouldn’t be in this fuckin’ mess” Y/n whispered, voice full of unattended anger and rage. Sure she liked Ellie, thought she was a nice kid, but at the end of the day this was not her child in her eyes, she didn’t think that Ellie was enough to distract her from the truth of her own child’s last day. She couldn’t let herself do that, if she did that’d mean that she was giving up. 

“Y/n, I get it, okay I do but- We can’t do this right now. We have other priorities.” Joel gently removed the map from her hands, folding it and placing it on the ground. His hands swiftly replaced the previously removed object, thumbs began to caress her palms, deep-cocoa eyes piercing into hers, easing her soul in a way that he shouldn’t be able to. 

Y/n let out a hearty sigh, one small, insignificant gesture and she was brought back to reality. Joel had had to do this for her a lot recently, stop her from overthinking and getting ahead of herself, stop her from allowing the consuming thoughts of her son’s death take over her mind and make her irrational and heartless, in a way, just like it was right now. 

These where the moments in which she truly appreciated Joel, where she felt like him and her truly connected. A part of her thought that it was because he knew what it was like to lose a child but, deep down she knew that it was more than that. It was always more with Joel. 

“I know I’m being selfish; I know I should be focusing on the kid that’s alive in front of us rather than one that’s-” Y/n let out a deep sigh. “But i need to know Joel, more than any cure, more than any kid that could possibly give us one. I want to know what happened to my boy. My baby boy.”

That was enough. She had gone too long without actually acknowledging what she needed to. That her son was no longer here, that he was dead. Sobs broke out from her, souring through her chest and shaking her entire body, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see. She could only feel. and what she wanted to feel in that moment was Joel. Only Joel.

Joel’s arms circled around her, completely encapsulating her, securing her body to his. He could feel her pain, her desperation and he wanted to make it better, even if it was the last damn thing that he ever did. 

One hand cradling her head and caressing her hair, the other supporting her waist, he felt like he was damn well near holding her together. When she was like this he never knew what to say, because he knew that there was nothing to say. He’d felt her pain, no matter how long ago it was now, and he still felt it, nothing ever eased it. Ever since he saw her, with her jet-black hair, heart-shaped face with those striking green eyes, he knew he wanted to protect her. Took him a long time to admit that to himself but he was past that point now, they had gone through too much together, all that mattered was her now. 

“We’ll get your answers Baby, I promise you we will.”

[randomness-is-my-order]

there was a distinct point in the throne scene where i could hear the emotion really taking over percy’s voice and my jaw actually dropped. had to pause and take a lap. grab tissues. mentally plan their emmy campaign. shoutout walker scobell for having a Moment in each episode (sometimes multiple) and showing up every single time, doing each one better than the last

this ep just made me so excited for all of the trio’s actors, i feel like i’m watching the start of some very impressive careers and it’s an honor

i agree with absolutely everything you said!! truly, walker’s been impressing me since i first saw him on screen (the adam project; just a few months before he was announced for pjo). initially, i thought his comedic timing and physicality set him a cut above the rest but really, in pjo, i’ve been constantly stumped by his emotional intensity. he brings a gentleness, authenticity and emotional maturity to his portrayal of percy and the throne scene was so well done!! you can tell the thoughts behind his eyes, you can see BUILD-UP before he says something or he collapses from the poison from his face alone. again, he’s serving fucking microexpressions already which blows my mind!! his little brave smiles and wavering tones as he reassured annabeth (and himself) while he was being swallowed by gold BROKE me.

also like leah and aryan match his energy 100%!! i think i may be in the minority that wasn’t entirely convinced by their acting chops in the first two episodes (don’t come at me pls!!) but after episode five i would be a FOOL to doubt their capabilities!! leah’s portrayal of annabeth is both full of wisdom yet with the right amount of 12 yr old girl energy. it’s a balancing act. she makes annabeth both incredibly capable yet delivers annabeth’s high intensity emotional moments with expressiveness befitting a 12 yr old. but that’s the thing: she doesn’t overdo it. annabeth is just on the EDGE of losing it, she doesn’t straight up lose it because she does indeed have experience with loss before. she’s gonna do so well. and aryan has added soooooo much more to grover’s book counterpart. not only does he manage to make grover be nervous and be hesitant and grappling with some confidence issues but he also makes grover be fun and whacky and sharp and clever and SUBTLE. his scene with ares was phenomenal coz atleast for me you could see the process of his manipulation through his expressions alone. you can see the little smugness in his eyes as he manages the god of war. just so well done!! also some of aryan’s line deliveries are so goddamn hilarious. 😭

ok yeah about time i rambled about our celestial trio and their very capable actors! i hope they have thriving careers but that they stay happy and healthy throughout!

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Ep. 8 "Bad Territory" Review

This episode was honestly the fluff I needed after last week's tense and crazy two parter. There was the usual action and excitement, but I loved the amount of fluff we got. Omega is forever our little ray of sunshine. I feel a bad feeling that it's going to get much darker after this week so I'll take any fluff I can get.

As always, spoilers below

It was really cool to see Fennec again and it makes senes that out of all the bounty hunters, the boys would choose to seek her out. She was originally after Omega, but she's not needlessly cruel like Cad Bane. If Omega's life were truly in danger, I don't think Fennec would want to see her get hurt. Cad Bane wouldn't give a second thought about it. Speaking of the ending, I definitely think she was talking to Ventress or someone like Quinlan. After all, Ventress is a Force-wielder and could be connected to whatever Hemlock is doing.

Overall, I really liked the interactions between her, Hunter, and Wrecker. Their banter was great and the joke about the Batch being straight up broke had me cackling. Like yes, these 5 guys with a kid are clearly enjoying Space Greece or whatever the fandom calls it. They're not gonna be looking for jobs right now. I also enjoyed seeing the boys use their skills like Wrecker's demolitions knowledge again. It's been so, so long since we've seen the boys go on a classic mission. That's not a bad thing either to have an "adventure of the week" style episode. It was cool to see them back in action (you know, non lethally).

The environment looked great, Wrecker and Hunter throwing hands with gators was pretty epic, and the final fight with the other bounty hunter (?) was exciting. I'll admit, the antagonist's design was cool and it allowed from some fun fight choreography.

Shoutout to the Phee cameo btw! Love seeing her as always. I think she'll be back after the Pabu invasion or she'll be back in time for that event to happen. Crosshair not knowing who she or Fennec was though was pretty funny. He's missed so much. (Also, this is the first time we hear him call Echo by his name fun fact).

Of course, Crosshair and Omega were the standouts because their dynamic is just that good. They're finally getting Crosshair's hand addressed! And I'm so glad Hunter stepped up to make sure it got looked at. Hunter loves Crosshair despite the past and he will look out for him. As many of us thought already, Crosshair's tremors are psychosomatic. We don't what happened on Tantiss (aside from some vague details), but whatever it was, it was bad; real bad. Crosshair is afraid of talking about it because it hurts. His reactions to even thinking about it were heartbreaking.

My theory is that Hemlock did something that broke a part of his identity. Maybe the identity erasure almost worked. Maybe he had Crosshair kill someone during a trial session to see if the reconditioning worked. Whatever it was, it traumatized Crosshair (on top of everything else he went through). For Crosshair to move forward, he's going to have to confront his trauma. He'll need to accept what happened to him and learn that it doesn't define who he is now.

Omega is so gentle and patient with him; I absolutely love it. She doesn't push him nor does she just leave him to get trapped in his mind. Instead, she tries to teach him coping mechanisms. The way he trusts her is so good too. Crosshair doesn't know what to do, but here is sister whom he loves. She's never left his side since they were imprisoned together and she was the only one who really advocated for him back in season 1. This girl loves him and he loves her. The scene where she holds his hand because it won't stop trembling genuinely means so much to me. It's such a small gesture that means so much. I really do appreciate that the writers are taking their time to show Crosshair going through the healing process. His hand doesn't get magically fixed because he escaped Tantiss nor because he redeemed himself. He achieved that. Now, he needs to finish the rest of his journey. AZI even mentions that it could be permanent. Real life mental health issues don't disappear in one night nor do they go away permanently. It comes and goes and that's what Crosshair will have to do. He'll have to cope with his trauma and hopefully the tremor will steady over time.

Many have pointed it out, but I would love to see a scene with him and Echo. Echo understands Crosshair's plight as he too was held captive and subjected to horrific experiments. I hope we get a scene between them where Echo comforts him. It would be a nice moment between two characters who often don't interact much.

Aside from that, the animation and music were great as always. That last scene of Cross and Omega meditating while Pabu's sun begins to set is truly gorgeous and it might be my favorite landscape shot of the show. It's also reminiscent of Hunter and Crosshair together on Barton IV. I am truly so happy to see Crosshair finding peace and happiness after so long. I honestly never thought we'd see him like this. But now, we do. (Side note: he looks so much smaller and vulnerable without his backpack or shoulder pads).

Anyways, I could go on and on about Crosshair. But I'll save that for another post. Can't wait for next week and hopefully we'll see Ventress!

[dragonsareawesome123]

For the fandom ask! The beloved Love for Love's sake? 👀?

Favorite Male Character

* Gonna cheat here and say both Myungha and Yeowoon. I mean, their characters parallel each other so I think it makes sense to put them both here.

Favorite Female Character

* Shia. She’s very fun and very sweet!

Least Favorite Character

* Myungha’s mom and Yeowoon’s dad. I really don’t get how some parents can be this horrible to their kids.

Favorite Ship

* Myungha/Yeowoon. They’re so sweet and adorable and are truly the actual definition of soulmates. I mean, their ship name Woonmyung literally translates to ‘Fate Destiny’ in English.

Favorite Friendship

* The friendship between the main four characters. I think all of the dynamics between them are very sweet and interesting.

Favorite Quote

* Myungha saying ‘I want to live’ in ep 8. Honestly unforgivable of Gagaoolala for translating that as ‘I want to stay.’ A W for IQIYI here for properly translating that line.

Worst Character Death (if any)

* Worst as in worst written? Or worst as in the death that broke my heart the most? Because I think the character deaths in this show are really well written but they did make me cry a lot. Like both of Myungha’s deaths are so well built up and well written esp with how the events leading up to them parallel with each other (the parallels in this show truly make me go insane in general).

This made me so happy you have no idea Moment

* Every single scene of Yeowoon being an absolute puppy. His smile is sooo radiant and adorable.

Saddest Moment

* Is saying the entirety of ep 7 acceptable? Also Myungha’s backstory in ep 8. Absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. I cried so much watching the last couple of eps of this show.

Favorite Location

* The beach that Myungha and Yeowoon reunited at in the last ep. The beach being where Myungha lost all hope and ended his life in his past life and is now the place where he can start over and live a happier life will always make me sob so hard.

Give me a fandom and I'll tell you

[shortpplfedup]

Episode 10 has put me squarely in my Jeng feelings in a way I have not obsessed about a character probably since Teh Krittikorn Saetun. After watching him compartmentalize his way into a complete abdication of responsibility this week, and having read literally every piece of stellar meta the fandom has churned out, but especially from folks like @bengiyo and @nakasomethingkun about the corporate setting actually being the point of this story...I'm completely down the rabbithole, no way out guys. I vacillate between my optimistic and pessimistic expectations on how satisfactorily this story will wrap. @lurkingshan and @neuroticbookworm STAY on Tee's ass and I can't quite say they're wrong. But the thing I'm now 100% sure about is that the romance is not the point of this story. The romance is here in service of points Tee wants to make and themes he wants to explore around capitalism and queerness (second time Tee is going hard at this idea, after poking at it in Lovely Writer). Tee is using romance because it's the most effective way to make queerness legible for and saleable to a general audience, WHICH IS IN ITSELF A COMMENTARY ON CAPITALISM AND QUEERNESS BUT I JUST BLEW MY OWN DAMN MIND AND HAVE TO PUT THAT IDEA DOWN FOR NOW.

Jeng, Jeng is the character sitting at the intersection, at the tension point between capitalism and queerness. Jeng, who thanks to @waitmyturtles DRILLING Asian family dynamics into my head over the last few months, I have realised is incredibly unlikely to be able to escape his fate as the heir to Jian Group. Why does Jeng work TWO FULL TIME JOBS? Because he can only have the things he wants if he also accepts the things he never wanted. He can't abandon Jian Group, but he can build next to it an entire other life: Pearl & Oliver, queer speakeasies, doing his little part to minimize food waste and support a marginalized community, and Pat. COMPARTMENTALIZATION. For all Jeng's big talk about work/life integration, he doesn't even consider that he can mesh the things he wants with the things he's obligated to do until Pat points it out to him under that bridge. Shouts to the homie @wen-kexing-apologist for breaking that scene down and making me realise that moment is the closest Jeng got this episode to the shape of the relationship he actually wants with Pat. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I say all that by way of preamble (I'm a long-winded bitch, strap in) on the way to one of my actual points: nobody actually KNOWS Jeng Kittiphong Atthachiranon. Even the two people closest to him in the story, Jaab and Tae, only know pieces. Pat barely knows him at all, because even though he desperately WANTS Pat to know him, the boss thing was a barrier to that, and now they've speedrun straight into a unholy mess when they should have been truly getting to know each other. You can see how, were it not for Jeng's slow motion rolling breakdown (of which his intense infatuation with Pat is honestly part and parcel) and Pat's role at Jian Group, these two could have spent a year at this pace, fucking and talking and falling in love and it would have been FINE. But the life Jeng never wanted broke containment and rolled over Pat, and now here they are.

@plantsarepeopletoo pointed out how the narrative punishes characters for going too fast or out of order (Jaab and Jen), and rewards those who take their time and stay the course (Chot). We thought Jeng would be the latter. That's the Jeng we're introduced to: calm, sensible, logical, responsible, in control. But that Jeng is a TOTAL SHAM, that Jeng is a façade built to meet the world's expectations of him, a carefully crafted and cultivated image of cisheteropatriarchal corporate masculine perfection. The Jeng who has been panting after Pat for the better part of a year and doing absolutely INSANE shit to get next to him, that's the real Jeng. This episode was Jeng trying to rebuild the wall between his two lives after having it collapse last ep and utterly failing BECAUSE PAT NOW IS PART OF HIS LIFE ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT WALL. He cannot neatly compartmentalize Pat into his Desired Life, because Pat also has to exist in his Expected Life. And Pat doesn't actually know Jeng, because this is all happening too fast and out of order, so he doesn't know that Jeng is in the middle of a full-on existential crisis as his two worlds collide.

Sidenote: Pat accidentally hit on Jeng's compartmentalization tendencies early in the show I realize, when he drunkenly whinged about how he couldn't understand why Jeng felt like two different people, and he didn't know which one was the real one. I think that sort of bullseye targeting at the heart of Jeng is one of a host of reasons Jeng fell so hard and so totally for Pat: he thought Pat understood him on some level. It's why having to come out to Pat, having to explain himself when he thought he didn't have to, knocked him onto the back foot and things haven't REALLY been right with them since.

It's so sad, and SO QUEER that Jeng is living this double life and it's slowly breaking him. He's coming apart at the seams trying to hold it all and not lose any of it. Jeng talked a good game about work/life integration, but the flip side of that is bringing your whole self to work. And he can't do that, he can't even think of doing that, right? But he's gotta do something because now Pat has been dragged into the mess, and worse yet Pat has brought Jeng's Desired Life to the direct and un-ignorable attention of the key figure in Jeng's Expected Life: his father. And while I think Jeng's father is aware of his Desired Life (disapprovingly natch, but silently allowing it as long as Jeng continues to live his Expected Life), I think he's stood ready to stamp it out the minute it becomes a problem. And the problem has arrived. That's why Jeng looks so sick when he realizes that Pat went to his father to resign. The shit has truly hit the fan. Compartmentalization is over.

[telomeke-bbs]

BAD BUDDY – THE LGBTQ+ ALLEGORY IN PAT AND PRAN'S STORYLINES

(above) The Bad Buddy Series poster

I'm writing up some preliminary thoughts on LGBTQ+ themes and directions that Director Aof appears to be pursuing in Last Twilight, and I'm reminded of how he's tackled similar preoccupations in previous works.

Looking at Bad Buddy in particular, in retrospect it's clear now how Pat and Pran's storylines were very definitely allegories for aspects of the queer experience – two sides of the same coin.

The allegorical subtext in BBS was overshadowed by how powerfully PatPran's story was brought to life by the writing and the acting (I'm still in awe of Ohm and Nanon's portrayals), and a whole lot of us got so emotionally swept up in how authentically heartfelt the final product was rendered on the screen, it was easy to overlook that there could be more than meets the eye.

But with Khun Noppharnach in the director's chair, you can always expect some form of LGBTQ+ activism to be woven into the fabric of the storytelling.

I've written about this in bits and pieces before (see this post on BBS's overall allegorical message here), but have never placed Pat and Pran's individual storylines side by side to shine a light on their paired allegories together, so this short write-up is more to consolidate my own thoughts on the matter than anything else.

Now Pat's storyline was about trying to be someone you are not, based on outside expectations of you. Naturally-loving and affable Pat was continually stressed to the max when he was expected to outcompete and hate his best friend while personifying the toxically-masculine, competitive hyper-ruffian that Ming was pushing him to be.

This is an allegory for the futile struggle queer people put themselves through when they try to conform to a heteronormative world's standards and norms with regard to behavior, sexuality and attraction. LGBTQ+ people know this only too well; how exhausting is it to be told all the time – to be expected to live the dictated belief – that the way you naturally live and/or love is wrong, and that the love in your heart deserves to be replaced with hate instead?

And Pat only found peace when he rejected that false persona imposed on him by his dad, and followed the authentic soundings of the love within himself. 💖

Pran's storyline (and this is what gelled for me only recently, when looking at Last Twilight) was really an allegory for life in the LGBTQ+ closet, with him living behind a carefully-constructed identity (see this analysis linked here) while keeping his authentic self a secret behind defensive walls and never showing anyone who he truly was.

He probably learnt to do this from Dissaya's obsession with saving face and protecting one's reputation that she mentions in Ep.10 – living within a constructed shell that makes you acceptable, even desirable, to a world that may be at odds with your true self inside, that you have to keep hidden from view for whatever reason.

It was Dissaya who taught Pran how to build and live in that closet, but it was only when he broke free from this prison of his own making (beginning first with the Ep.10 khan maak, then hashing things out with Dissaya, as painful as that process was), was he able to flourish as his best self (which is what his guitar and musical storyline were also about; see this analysis linked here).

And this is a lesson that queer people have been learning over and over again, that burying your authentic self beneath layers and layers of dissimulation means a pretty lonely existence for your true identity, denying yourself the freedoms that others take for granted.

When read together with Bad Buddy's over-arching LGBTQ+ allegory (mentioned above, also linked here), the messaging points at a single truism – that LGBTQ+ people shouldn't have to have their love and lives defined by anyone other than themselves, and that when this self-determination is allowed, sensible and peaceable co-existence is still possible even if not everyone in the wider community is wholeheartedly approving (which is what PatPran's family lives in Ep.12 – and especially Ming and Dissaya's grudging tolerance of their boys' relationship – were also demonstrating in allegorical form).

At this time (in late 2023) Thailand is proceeding cautiously toward improving its position on LGBTQ+ rights (see this post on marriage equality linked here). Meanwhile, far right camps in other parts of the world are also doing their utmost to shrink shared spaces (see these articles linked here and here). 👀

Two years after it first appeared on our screens, the message encapsulated in Bad Buddy's allegories is perhaps as pertinent and important as ever. 😔💖