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waitmyturtles · 1 day

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GMMTV 2024 Part 2, let's go

I've had my MULTIPLE cawfees and I'm watching the GMMTV Part 2 trailers. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, this one's for you!

TL;DR what I'm excited for: Ossan's Love with trepidation; Revamp: The Undead, I'm first in line; The Ex-Morning with open arms; Us, once we have a better sense of the screenplay; Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist, drop it like it's hot, Mark; Thame-Po, boys look gewd

****

1) Ossan's Love: THE KEY WORDS BEING "INSPIRED BY"

If I take away the inclination to do any sort of comparisons to the Japanese version whatsoever ("INSPIRED BY"), I'm thrilled that EarthMix get to do romcom. Earth at this level of baka is utterly unbelievable to me, you are too smokin' hot, boy, but try to bring it, because if you do, and it's a success, then I'll be fucking really impressed.

2) Leap Day: Looks scary. Gun!

3) The Heart Killers: ...

Man. Man! First in muscle shirts and an earring, kisses pushed up against walls, etc. Where have we seen this before. Lemme guess, they all get together in the end. I would like to force myself to be excited about this somehow, Jojo on 10 Things, but. I haven't been there with JoongDunk yet, either, so actually, they seemed kinda refreshing against the FK vibes, ha. Anyway, this reignited my OF burnout, which I'm honestly trying to ignore as I get close to re-watching The Eclipse for my Old GMMTV Challenge project. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, my trust issues switch is flipped to "on."

(Get Jojo away from ships, please. He had Tay kissing Joss and Mild in the same year AFTER Dark Blue Kiss. He fucking doesn't need to use ships.)

4) Friendshit Forever: no subs, seems intense, the gals are smokin', NEW AND BOUN?! Hate to say it, but even without knowing what this is exactly about, I'm intrigued? My Boun! New and Boun!

5) Perfect 10 Liners: They're letting New Siwaj do 30 episodes, folks. I have no predictions on this one, y'all will have to tell me if it's good. Perth is back with New Siwaj directing after 2018's Love By Chance. If they give Chimon a little comedy, I'll be happy. I asked for Junior again, but maybe I wasn't expecting him to go to school, but I will admit I like JuniorMark together, and if they get to helm 10 episodes as the center stars, then good for them! Maybe that'll be the bit of this series that I watch.

6) Us: I believe in this screenplay more than how 23.5 is working out. I think Fon Kanittha needs more stuff on her plate to play around with to make a great show. This trailer was great. I'm watching My Precious the Series now (after having watched the movie this past weekend, which I was disappointed by -- the series is MUCH better, and going better than 23.5), and I'm seeing that Fon does stuff very well, background community building that gives us macro- and micro-level understandings of her characters. If those levels are Sing Harit, I'm here for it, that was an unexpected appearance, but if he's recalling the strength he brought to Todd in Not Me, then I'm a happy camper.

7) Hide and Sis: I love Piploy. Wednesday Club was a total holiday trash watch for me last year, but I loved her a lot. Looks like they're promoting this as a multi-generational show with known older actors, the approach of which I like. Everyone hates each other and maybe tries to kill each other; Keeping Up With the Thai Kardashians, maybe? Surprise, Gawin's a cop. Chimon as murderer, I'll support that.

8) Thame-Po: This looks cute. I'll consider a pre-order! Separately, I happen to adore cute Lego from LYKN, so good on those dudes for getting a show, and I like that William is pushing his boundaries outside of music.

9) Break-Up Service: I am happy that Off has gotten this kind of sneaky love romcom (?) role.

10) Revamp: The Undead: I'm here for it. I'm so happy for BounPrem. I'm happy to see some strong support dudes in Kay and Mark in this project. I haven't watched My Only 12%, so I don't know from Santa, but I know a lot of friends love him. I am totally seated. GMMTV is really the BL Machine, huh, absorbing this project.

11) Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist: Do not get me wrong, I am very excited about this; I am just wondering if Baby Ohm needs a little workshopping to get more diversity in his expressions. But I am very excited, Mark looks SO DOWN and ready to lead. View! Jimmy! I'm good with this.

12) The Dark Dice: High School Squid Game, I can't

13) The Ex-Morning: I gotta admit. This kind of moment is one of the reasons why I'm so happy doing the OGMMTVC. The big-ass smile I had on my face seeing KristSingto again, even though I really wasn't the biggest fan of SOTUS -- I've done a whole accountability turn on Krist after seeing him in Be My Favorite, and I appreciate that this show will go meta on the KristSingto background. It fucking sucks that Shadow sucked, because Singto is such a good actor, just seems like his scripts are here and there lately, but anyway. Aof Noppharnach writing this? Last Twilight ended cringe, but I'm still an Aof girlie, so I am 100% excited for this.

14) Scarlet Heart Thailand: That wasn't really a trailer, but considering the reputation the base story has in Asia and globally, I like, business-wise, what this means for GMMTV, a historical that will have appeal to multiple generations. I understand the original novel for this, Bu Bu Jing Xin, isn't translated into English, and that's a bummer, because it seems like this Thai version, which has already been dramatized in China and Korea, is based squarely on the novel. Fuck Win. These were the kinds of shows I loved as a kid when I watched Asian shows with my folks, so I have to admit that I'm intrigued, but I would have liked to see a meatier trailer.

That's it!

#gmmtv part 2 #scarlet heart thailand #the ex-morning #the dark dice #sweet tooth good dentist #revamp the undead #break-up service #us the series #thame po #hide and sis #perfect 10 liners #friendshit forever #leap day the series #ossan's love japan #i am not tagging that jojo show for my damn safety #y'all will have to tell me if that show is worth watching

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absolutebl · 1 month

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This Week in BL - The Industry is Having Issues But the Spice Spicy Must Flow

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

March 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Two Worlds (Thurs IQIYI) eps 1-2 of 10 - One of those "he's dead Jim so time travel" thingames starring MaxNat. I'm over this concept but I do enjoy MaxNat. Phupha (Gun) and Khram (Nat) love each other but Phupha is murdered. Then Khram is pulled to a parallel world where, years ago, Khram and Tai (Max) were in love. However, Khram was killed by Tai’s dad. Now Tai finds alter-Khram. But then there is ALSO an alter-Phupha to deal with. (Phupha is played by Gun Thanawat who was Khom, the repressed butler bodyguard from Unforgotten Night. We like this, but we scared of the love triangle aspect.) Did that make sense? Yeah, okay, see what I mean?

Initial thoughts?

The subs are troubling but I’m enjoying this show a lot. It’s nice to see MaxNat get something meaty to sink their teeth into - that’s not just each other. Also it’s so smart of them to give us a fully fleshed out entire episode developing the alter romance rather than just a separation + death. It makes Khram’s grief and motivation that much more believable. Also it’s really nice to see Nat have good chemistry with other actors.

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 3 of 8 (10?) - I'm still enjoying it. But Two Worlds is objectively better. So this one has lost ranking. Also, unexpectedly chili (the name of my heavy metal Thai cover band).

Lovey switchy and verse main couple too.

This is all quite pleasing.

The bit where the hosts pretend to be a BL couple actor ship was epic on so many levels.

Also unsettling.

All sex work is performative, and in a way there is something more honest about this depiction, in this setting, than what BL actors are made to do on the promo circuit. Which then begs the question, how different is BL from sex work? That's the unsettling bit, for me anyway. Not to slam on sex work AT ALL, we pro-the-true-pros on this damn blog, but actors have been shaded by association with True Professionals for a very long time and BL has already had one epic shut down in this regard. (See the PerthSaint scandal around Love By Chance, no I will not explain.) Where was I? Oh yes, so anyway, see the Gossip section for the part where they better be paid either way!

Also, since I'm a warped fucker, I found this scene funny.

And then hilarious when all of those BL tropes were just trotted out. Like a greatest hits reel.

Truly beyond meta. (How Absolute BL of them.)

Note he’s even standing in yaoi's patented "hands in pocket with the shoulders back"?

Meanwhile, the gayest bridge in Thailand made its quarterly appearance:

And lip serviced was paid to the most touristy romantic things you can do in Bangkok.

And I mean lip service literally.

To Be Continued (Thai C3 Thailand grey) ep 5 of 8 - I’m still enjoying it but getting more and more nervous. We getting too close to Promise territory for comfort. EXPLAIN Ji’s reticence well and do it now or risk audience mistrust. We have to be given a GOOD reason for Ji's behavior, or he'll be irredeemable.

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - NO SINGING. Yes smiley kisses and good communication and a nice healthy relationship. But no singing!

1000 Years Old ep 6 of 12 - Dropping in the ranks. I’m sorry it’s just gotten boring. It has, however, inspired me to invest in my own ridiculous cream fuzzy sweater. Which I plan to wear with leather trousers and huge stumpy boots, like the Kpop queer I truly am. Or do I mean vampire?

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) ep 1 of 6 - Seems to be an excuse for a small posse of Thai actors to wander around Tokyo playing tourist and sing in public . Someone stop them?

“Most people think this kind of thing is bad manners .”

Anyway, it’s v boring. I’ll give it one more ep but I suspect I’ll DNF.

Close Friend Season 3: Soju Bomb! (Weds iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 6 - Meh. This is also looking suspiciously DNF-a-licious.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues Youku YouTube & Viki) ep 5 of 11 - It's brilliant. I love it. I'm ready to hurt. Let’s do this thing.

Distribution note: This one has been picked up and is also airing on Viki now, so it may lose YT distribution in soem territories. I like Youku's hard subs better than Viki's subs, but that's a matter of preference not information since I don't speak Mandarin.

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - It is good. Every week I like this show a little more. I'm enjoying a reunion romance explored in Japan's quintessentially contemplative yet slightly surreal way. The juxtaposition of the tenderness of the sex scene with this Japanese brand of authenticity was oddly elegant - for lack of a better way of putting it. All in all, this is a good show. Thought provoking. Stylish.

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - It remains lovely but they sure are reusing a lot of footage. Also, this was a classic penultimate doom episode. I do wonder how they are going to resolve this show ethically.

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 8 - It is what it is, and it isn’t my style of show no matter what country of origin. Oddly that's one of the reasons I don't like it. Anyone could have made this, it's not as Japanese as I want it to be, it's just indie film club high school angst. Yawn.

I watched it, finally

The Servant and the Young Master (Vietnam YouTube) 7 eps - I dislike vertical filming, but I kind of enjoyed this show as a BL. I like class conflict romances. For me the rich kid is a bit too dictatorial (edges into bulling), but it’s kinda works. It’s sparse and underdeveloped and a bit plotless, but mildly entertaining. If you're missing Vietnamese BL you might give it a try. 6/10

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) 8eps - A Burmese BL that I had thoughts about but actually ended up recommending. Read the saga here:

It's done, ready to binge, but I suck

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps

It's airing but...

Graduation Countdown (Taiwan YouTube) ep 1 of ? - on one hand it's micro-installment vertical, on the other it's adorable and from Taiwan. I blame @heretherebedork entirely for my conundrum. As indeed, I did for My Type back in the day. (That was Nat Chen's first BL, yes of Kiseki: Dear To Me fame.) So I think I will also simply lean on Here to let me know when it's done and binge all at once. It's just too much to ask me to keep up with 2 minute pieces, I don't have that kind of endurance training, not even for BL.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - it's finished now, I dropped it at ep 4. Should I bother?

A Secretly Love (Thai Sat WeTV grey) 10 eps - I watched the first ep but grey is too much work for this inferior of a show. I may pick up and binge if it gets distribution but for now, it gets a DNF from me. KimCop might have held this crap together but Kim without Cop? No thank you.

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 for some reason.

Man Suang that MileApo vehicle from last year is coming to Netflix in the USA. I haven't heard much about it and since the KP stans would have lost their tiny minds if it was any good at all, I'm assuming it's not good at all.

Gossip

Thai BL actor Yoon breaks with his former company and talks about some very very VERY shady goings on in the Thai BL industry. Including not being paid.

And whacha know, same thing happening in Korean BL.

Have I mentioned recently how much I hate the film industry?

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Soon

3/31 Only Boo! (Thai GMMTV YouTube) 12 eps - New main couple for GMMTV in an idol romance about a boy who dances good and a food stand vendor. Other side of the tracks grumpy/sunshine pair who fall deeply in love but, of course, baby boy idol can't date. Boyband but from GMMTV? Control your singing and I'm game.

4/1 Love is like a Cat (Korea ????) 12 eps - This completed filming Aug 2022(!) which means there have been serious problems with post-production. This is another of Silkwood's Korean+Thai colab projects. Mew Suppasit plays a rookie film star, called the Cat Prince (for his cold arrogance) who goes up against a charismatic puppyish animal daycare director (JM of JUST B). There is also a side romance (love triangle?) with a veterinarian. Geonu of JUST B is also in the cast.

I wonder if this was part of the hold up, with Geonu on Build Up right now, they might have tried to muffle this one. Or maybe it's just that bad...

4/3 We Are (Thai GMMTV YouTube) 12 eps - University ensemble BL featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawinPoon - basically the good kind of messy gay friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is queer. I'm IN!

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV?) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous partner), Best and frest face, news here.

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.

NOTE: It looks like one of my personal favorites of last year Unintentional Love Story is getting a spin off!

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Without ghost girl.

With ghost girl.

I think she may be my favorite part of 1000 Years.

CLASSIC tsundere seme description of a sunshine uke. Like classic'est of classic. (Two Worlds)

Is there such a thing as a tired trope in a BL? Since it is a genre that is made up entirely of tropes quilted together? Your philosophical question for today brought to you by Deep Night's kabedon (Japanese trope) + punishment threat (Thai trope).

Love me a lap sit moment. (City of Stars)

(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 too much work.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone

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

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airenyah · 4 months

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15 people, 15 questions

I was tagged by @belladonna-and-the-sweetpeas <333

Are you named after anyone?

no. there's a video game character with my name and occasionally people will bring this character up and ask if i was named after her but no, i wasn't. my parents don't play videogames

2. When was the last time you cried?

i honestly don't remember, i don't actually cry all that much. (so if you see me say things like "i'm crying" in the tags then i'm actually only crying in my heart, i'm not shedding any actually tears dfkfkjdf)

last time i cried was either bc i was really angry or really extremely overwhelmed with life during a period where i hadn't slept much or was on my period or so. orrr what is actually even more likely is that the last time i cried was when i cried from laughter while being with friends. i cry from laughter a lot, actually

3. Do you have kids?

nope. i think i could be a good mother if i had to, but ngl, motherhood and parenting doesn't sound very appealing to me. i am planning on becoming an aunt tho. i'll let my brother provide the grandkids and i'll just borrow them occasionally, spoil them, and then i can always give them back when they get too exhausting or annoying 😂

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

i play baseball for fun once a year with old summer camp friends. other than that i'm not very athletic. in elementary school i used to go to schwimmkurse (swimming courses) which was super fun and it's one of the few sports that i'd consider taking up again if i were to do any. i've always liked swimming (but only in places where i can see the ground and where the water isn't too cold. i feel really uneasy when i can't see the ground and i also freeze easily so i'm not a fan of cold water)

5. Do you use sarcasm?

sarcasm? me? neeeeever, not at all 🤭

(^^^this answer is sarcastic, the genuine answer is yes. yes, i do. <- for those struggling to understand sarcasm, esp in written form <3)

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

uhhhhh good question, i don't actually know???? maybe their face, idk

7. What's your eye colour?

blue-gray ish. and i have a yellow/green circle around each pupil. i actually really like my eyes, they're my fave part of my appearance 🥰

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings for sure!! i could never get into scary movies, idk

9. Any talents?

languages, i guess. at least i'm known as the language genius in my family and my friend groups. but to be honest, there's still a lot about language that i don't know and i don't feel like i'm all that great (esp when my language learning progress feels slower than the one of others. which is totally fine by me bc everyone should go at their own pace, but i just don't like it when people call me a language genius bc i feel like in reality i'm not really living up to that. i just happen to know a little bit more about language than those around me, but compared with actual experts? yeah no, i in no way compare...)

but yeah out of all the skills that i have, languages is one my best ones. and i'm also really good at organizing (aka keeping a million lists and making sure all the props are at the right spots and with the right actors and there's enough spares of everything etc lol)

10. Where were you born?

austria 🇦🇹🇦🇹🇦🇹

(NOT the place with kangaroos just so we're clear dkjgkdjf)

11. What are your hobbies?

(internally) crying over fictional characters, then blorbo-posting about it. sometimes i'll also subject irl-people to my blorbo rants (mainly my mother and some of my friends)

i also take violin lessons and thai classes for fun

12. Do you have any pets?

technically no, but really yes. my mom and my brother share a dog and my parents also have two kitties. i go home a lot bc i don't really like staying in my own flat in the city where i study so they do feel like my own pets as well, esp the kitties <333

^this is nika (the dog) and coco (boy cat). they're besties <3

^this is minou (girl cat). she's the youngest and the smallest of them all, so we nicknamed her "die kleine" (the small one (f))

13. How tall are you?

155 cm

14. What was your favourite subject in school?

german, it was the easiest for me

fun fact: the only subject in school that i ever got a frühwarnung in was english lmao. ("frühwarnung" = early warning and it's what you get when you're about to get an f in your report card for a subject. i got an f in english in my report card for semester break, so i had the whole summer semester to get my grade up to a d)

15. What is your dream job?

director!!!! in theater or film, idk, but i just really wanna be a director. and maybe take some minor acting roles on the side, idk. for now i still feel too shy to do any professional acting, despite having gotten acting training for 3 years djkkdjfg

i'm really looking forward to next summer, bc i get to be assistant director at this one theater that i've worked at as an intern for the past two summers. the assistant directors that i've worked with so far at this theater have both sucked and both times i ended up more or less taking on the job myself anyway (to the point where they even paid me for my work despite my position usually being an unpaid one) and so this summer i was like "uhhh guys so what if for next summer's production i just work as an assitant director right away instead of an intern?" and they were like "omg you're hired" 😂

tagging following 15 people:

feel free to ignore if you don't want to do it or tag me in/send me yours if you've already done it, i'd like to read it <3

@newyearknwwme @moonkhao @visualtaehyun @lurkingteapot @callipigio @waitmyturtles @sunnenfinster @cornflowershade @celestial-sapphicss @killiru @gaym3bo1 @nongnaos @dimplesandfierceeyes @gillianthecat @ranchthoughts

bonus: @telomeke i know you've already been tagged, so this is just to ask you to tag me when you've thought of all your answers, i wanna read yours too 👀

#tag game

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itsanidiom · 2 months

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SHIPPER TAG GAME

LET'S GOOOOO~ tagged by @negrowhat

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

Glorestor or Glorfindel / Erestor of Middle Earth Fanon Fame. Not that I don't CARE about it anymore, mind you. There's just not enough new content (for obvious reasons god it's old and there's like one conversation of original source material). I don't think about them as much anymore. Like I used to be reading fanfic EVERY NIGHT and we're talking like novel length fanfics (as you can imagine people in the LOTR fandom write lol). Anyway here's some super old fan art... (>u<)

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Oh god...something Dynasty Warriors related for sure...

Probably like Sun Ce / Zhao Yu or Gan Ning / Lu Xun. (GO WU! lol) I feel like there were other couples I'm totally forgetting right now...but yeah god I love Dynasty Warriors...

Also...daaamn Gan Ning looks good there I should go buy the latest game. (>w<)

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

Like the first one I wrote or read?? I went into my oldest of old "old writing" folders and found this list of docs that I haven't been touched in over ten years. SO I'm gonna saaaay it was a Dynasty Warriors fanfic...one of these pairings. (^ ^;)

Also kind of hilarious to see that I literally still organize my fanfic files in the same way for over half my fucking life ago...nice...

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

I feel like it would have been something Inuyasha related. That or something Final Fantasy X. I do not remember, but it was probably some version of these scene.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Not that I can remember...do not need this in my life...lol but maybe I've reblogged some RPF like discourse? Like the "should or shouldn't you ship" type discussions. I'm on the side of "do whatever you want but don't send it to the famous people" [ex. like ATEEZ fanfic/fanart] or "if they are literally doing it as part of their promo go ahead, it's for fun/they literally requested it as part of their promo" [ex. BillyBabe]. (^ ^;)

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

It honestly always depends on the quality of the fanart or the fanfic because even a notp can turn into a OH!tp if it's good enough. [Exhibit a: my Phaya/Tharn/Chalothorn fanfic]

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

Weirdly the one new Chalothon/Singh fic from The Sign. But I really need AO3 to fix the spelling of his name in the tag...

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

PhayaTharn are the current obsession~

Look at them...adorable...

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Still wish John Wick / Santino fucked...also like James Bond / Q and The Protagonist / Neil and Arthur / Eames...bromance is SUCH a waste but considering the genres of these movies it is never gonna happen...I have to wait for the Thai BL versions lol (^ ^;)

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

OH I haven't been traumatized by watched it yet, but Dead Friends Forever has made me get onboard with Macau/Chay of KinnPorsche fame because OMG LOOK AT THESE CUTIES!!!!

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

GOD I remember there was a LOT of Sesshomaru x Inuyasha yaoi when I was a kid LMFAO like...straight up cancelled...I dunno if it was normal back then but no yaoi was normal back then so like it sadly all got lumped together or something...then again looking at some of the comics that are coming out these days...

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

All the McFassy ships from back in the day like OMG REMEMBER JUNGKOV?? STELIOS AND LETO??? ARCHIE AND ROBBIE? SO MANY CROSSOVERS!!

LOL Sorry that just brought me back LOL

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

Ahhhh I don't know...I usually either write a lot or read a lot...I literally have a fic rec list for Glorestor lol and then when I look in my AO3 bookmarks the top ship is Hannigram sooooo let's say Hannigram even though I haven't read one for a while.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

toll and smol...i like me a toll and a smoll...lol or big and small...i dunno something something contrast something something just crush him and/or be uncharacteristically gentle or somehow incapacitate the larger man with your wiles...that is all...

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Miscommunication < seconding @negrowhat's response. Cannot stand it. Such a boring trope. Very annoying for me (the audience).

#ALL THE SHIPS #my ships #felt like a weird a journey into my past #lol #tag meme #get to know me

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rocketturtle4 · 7 months

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On Repeat tag game

In the unlikely event anyone saw the original version of this post that was up for 12 minutes before I realised I'd done it wrong and panic-deleted it only to realise 12 seconds later that no one would KNOW I'd done it wrong...

...no you didn't

It's Friday evening, I'm blaming weekend brain.

ANYWAY

Tagged by @visualtaehyun @sorry-bonebag and @thegalwhorants I feel so popular! Thankyou!✨

The game: Put your Spotify On Repeat playlist on shuffle and post the first 10 songs! (don't forget the shuffle like I definitely didn't)

Let's see what happens, I was very relieved to realise this is like RECENT on repeats lol, if it had been for the whole year...who knows what would have appeared. My music get's updated very rarely but recent joining of a spotify blend has dragged my music tastes kicking and screaming towards a little bit of variance lol.

Also this On Repeat thing is very cool so TY for the new feature!

Unsteady by X Ambassadors

ahhh what an opener. As some of you may know my bestie @plantsarepeopletoo has been breaking down the Only Friends music on the regular (it's so interesting, the music is almost predictive of the character arcs!!) and occasionally sharing the feeeeeels with me and @shouldiusemyname as they work through it. As part of this we have regularly discussed other songs that remind us of different characters and relationships in OF and this song put me deeeep in my Ray feels after Ep...5? or maybe 6 and yep I've been playing it A LOT ever since.

2. Mad love - Sped Up Version by Mabel, Speed Radio

I don't even remember how I found this one but it's a vibe

3. SPARK by A.C.E

Ooooh interesting, I recently finished a rewatch of Light On Me where I was reminded how much I love the ending song hence this!

4. Don't Blame Me by Taylor Swift

I'm with you @thegalwhorants, I'm a swifty, not a big one, but her voice and music are excellent. Plus Reputation yk?

5. Free Fall by Slot Machine

Lol is commentary even necessary? I'm not even a huge KP fan but this song kills

6. I do not know how to write/copy Thai sorry but its by Selina and Sirin

The Only Friends feels are everywhere it seems. But this is SUCH a beautiful song.

7. betty by Taylor Swift

Same swifty disclaimer as before, this is one of my all time fav T Swift songs and I will take no judgement.

8. Belly Dancer by Imanbek, BYOR

Now here's a throwback I'm surprised to see on my repeat playlist, I guess I listened to it enough that it's lasted lol, for a while I studied to this song on repeat for hoooooours. Don't know why but the repetition is non-distracting, Mad Love above falls into that category too.

9. Pretend by Nanon

Ahhh now this is no surprise, I am currently on ep 13 of the Jungle, hoping to finish it this weekend and this song is gorgeous. Love it, love Nanon, love The Jungle.

10. Bad Habits (feat. Bring Me The Horizon) by Ed Sheeran

oooh finishing off with Ed that rounds it out nicely. Ed Sheeran's concert came to my state in little old down under in March of this year and it was my first ever concert. Love his music and the concert was AMAZING. Though this version of the song can actually be blamed on a recent blend I've joined to drag my music kicking and screaming into any sort of variance as my personal playlists have the original.

I have NO Idea who has already played cause my PhD has suddenly dumped three projects which need immediate attention in my lap all at once so my tumblr time has vanished into the ether.

Of course I COULD stop watching 15 shows at once but they'd have to STOP AIRING first

[Image of Ayan from The Eclipse saying "I don't get myself either"]

Soooo @grapejuicegay @wanderlust-in-my-soul @pandasmagorica play if you want and if you already have feel free to tag me retroactively! I basically only see stuff if I'm tagged these days... or if they happen to appear in the 20 random posts I see at some point through my day.

#tag game #music tag game #on repeat tag game #rturts is wondering #Spotify

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pandasmagorica · 8 days

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Rewatch: Kiseki: Dear to Me

Interesting how even though I've seen this before and know how it comes out I still get scared for the mains. Fine acting!

What triggered the rewatch was to see the differences between the Gagaoolala and the Viki subtitles, after reading (and commenting on) a post on subtitles by @absolutebl. I actually only re-watched episode 1 on both services (and noticed multiple subtitle differences between the services - noted on the linked reblog) and re-watched the rest on Viki. My first watch was on Gaga.

Episode 2

7:20-7:24

Ai Di: "You coward drink cold water" (Translator's note that it refers to a children's rhyme.)

Chen Yi: "It should be 'cheapskates drink cold water'"

Cute comedy noise.

I don't view Kiseki: Dear to Me as a comedy, although there is no shortage of comic moments. But I don't recall there being cute sound effects the way they are littered all over Thai comedies.

Noting the comfort plushie at 8:42. Nice to have autism rep/normalization (and wish I had the nerve to have one when I was in school - actually it wouldn't have even occurred to me that I could have done so).

Episode 5 (I think)

Okay, there's the rooster sound when Jherui, in his sleep, gropes Bai Zhongyi and Zhongyi wakes up with an erection - or at least that's what the sound effect and Zhongyi's actions afterwards are presumably meant to represent. I guess technically this is a comedy. But its a very dry comedy with plenty of drama.

Episode ???

Then there was the cat meow when Zhongyi's classmates asked Zhongyi whether he had brought home a cat or a dog and Zhongyi flashes back about Jherui's behavior.

Yeah

Jherui = cat

Zhongyi = dog

Episode 6

8:35-8:38

Boss: We wanted you to be vicious, but you couldn't. We wanted you to be ruthless, but you are full of righteousness.

And yet in episode 1, Jherui has apparently just murdered someone and plants the evidence on Bai Zhongyi.

How ruthless do you need to be?

Good to see Jherui question his attraction to a 17 year old. (For the record, the actors are adults and 17 is of legal age in Taiwan, although it's questionable at the moment with Jherui pretending to be Zhongyi's teacher.)

Actually, I'm questioning a 17 year old being in an apartment on his own while he goes to high school. That was the first thing I questioned.

Good cries

Three places I remember crying:

When Zhongyi sits down to dinner with his family for the first time after getting out of prison

When Zhongyi rings the doorbell at room 703 and says Jherui's name when the door opens

At the end

Content warnings

I love this series and do need to give some content warnings:

Age gap with one partner legal but minor

Dubious consent due to drunkenness of otherwise legal adults

Violence

Plot holes

After the jump because spoilers

Way too many coincidences

Did Jherui's grandfather or anyone else in the Fan family do something to make Zhongyi's father need emergency heart surgery?

Who sent the text that the Fans had Zhongyi attacked in prison?

Don't they know that text messages aren't secure? Or are they secure in Taiwan?

Jherui's brother doesn't seem to know about text message insecurity either, does he?

How did Ai Di get into prison and, presumably, the same cell as Zhongyi?

How did Ai Di get a release date the same as Zhongyi?

If Sining thought Zhongyi actually killed her brother, why didn't she off him?

If, more likely, based on her actions, if she was trying to find out who really killed her brother, what tipped her off that it likely wasn't Zhongyi?

How sweet were the strawberry cakes in Zhongyi's patisserie?

#yaoi #taiwan ql #taiwan bl #kiseki: dear to me #kiseki dear to me #kiseki: dear to me meta

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midnightriderx · 7 months

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BASICS

FULL NAME: SASITHORN MANOBAL

» MEANING: Sasithorn [ This poetic word for the moon is also used as a name in its native Thailand, pronounced “sah-see-TAWN”. Sweet short form Sasi also means “moon”. ]; Manobal [ Thai มโน (mano) meaning "heart; mind; imagination" and "บาล" (ban) meaning "to protect; to tend; to govern". ]

NICKNAME: Night, Midnight, Sasi.

AGE: 24-years old.

DATE OF BIRTH: 1999 October 13, Wednesday, at dawn.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Bangkok, Thailand.

OCCUPATION: Mechanical Engineer for a large Japanese construction company; broadcast jockey on an establish social media site.

ORIENTATION: Pansexual; Panromantic.

GENDER: Cisgender Male.

VERSES: The Meaning of Forever.

POWERS: His abs............................

PERSONALITY

STRENGTHS: Loyal, Hard-Worker, Compassionate, Emotional, Brave.

WEAKNESSES: Insecure, Low Self-Esteem, Distant, Emotional, Cautious.

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya.

HEIGHT: 6′0 [182 cm.]

WEIGHT: 149 lbs. [68 kg.]

BUILD: Lean with muscles.

GAIT: Relaxed.

HAIR COLOR: Black.

EYE COLOR: Dark brown.

BIRTHMARK: TBA.

OVERVIEW: » SCARS: Yes, from minor accidents.

» TATTOOS: Yes, details to be added.

BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Bangkok, Thailand.

RESIDENCE: Bangkok, Thailand.

NATIONALITY: Thai.

ETHNICITY: Asian.

FINANCIAL STATUS: Middle class.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Graduated under the Faculty of Engineering in Chulalongkorn University.

DEGREES: Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: Night's first language is Thai. He speaks English as well, some Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese.

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: Both parents are alive.

SIBLINGS: Three siblings, one older brother and a younger sister and twin brother, Saengdao who's name means starlight in Thai. Their mother wanted girls and was convinced she was having twin girls; she found out she was having twins but did not want to know their gender. She gave them names while still in her belly. Traditionally, their names are meant to be for female babies. Their mother didn't want to change their names and a bit disappointed that they are boys when they were born. She got over it pretty quickly though and although many pointed out the obvious favoritism, their mother loved them to the core. [ Saengdao means "starlight," and has just the right amount of whimsy to delight any dreamer. It comes from the Thai word saeng, meaning "light, ray, beam," and dao, which means "star." Saengdao was nicknamed Day. Growing up, his mother also called him Yihwa., saying that having him lights up her soul. In Thai, Yihwa (ยิหวา, RTGS: Yiwa, pronounced [jíʔ.wǎː]), also spelled Yiwha and Yiwah, is a feminine given name meaning "soul" or "heart". It is derived from Javanese: jiwa,[1] in turn from either Sanskrit or Pali jīva, meaning "life". It is often a shortened form of the associated name Wanyiwa (หวันยิหวา, also spelled Wanyihwa, etc.)]

CHILDREN: None.

PETS: A beta fish. He said it's probably one of the very few animals that he can own and won't run away from him even if they wanted to...

SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS:

» Night was once very close to his twin Day but circumstances - and Aphrodite's curse - pulled them apart. Night is often seen hanging out with Zero, a photographer/film maker working for Amarin Group. He doesn't friends aside from Zero.

FAMILY HISTORY: Night was never favored by the gods. At least, this is what he claims. He wasn't entirely wrong as one god, Aphrodite or the entity that embodied this powerful being hold grudges against Night.

When Psyche was reborn for her punishment, she was given a new identity and a huge baggage in the form of her former family who instigated her rebellious and malicious acts against Eros.

Psyche who was known for her beauty now had a twin and she was reborn in a form of a human man. The gods said that with a duplicate, Psyche couldn't boast about her extraordinary beauty anymore because she looks exactly like another being.

But still, Psyche had an advantage over Night; Psyche a mortal turned to goddess had kept her charm. In her new body and life, she was more popular than any of her siblings, most especially her twin Night.

Even their parents favored Psyche.

When the twins were born, they were immediately compared to night and day and got their nicknames that way. Although both twins were fair in complexion, Day appeared to have fairer skin. And due to the culture's colorism, comparisons fed favoritism within the family.

Night developed insecurities and had issues with confidence. He worked as a mechanical engineer during the day and once midnight hit, he's a broadcast jockey who goes on live to entertain subscribers. This job appealed to him as he was able to distance his true self to the character he plays. He wore a mask and hid his face meanwhile letting thousands of people adore his body and what he can do with it. None of the people related to him in his private and professional life know this side of him.

Night got into adult entertainment online when he heard some students at his old university talked about it. He has been a broadcast jockey for the last three years but only really delved into adult entertainment this recent year.

ROMANTIC HISTORY: Night never had a proper relationship although he tried in the past. He was cheated on and they always preferred his twin brother, Day. There were several people who tried to get with him to get closer to Day.

Although in his past life, Night was said to be very jealous of Psyche but in this lifetime, Night for whatever reason just feels embarrassment when he's around his twin. He doesn't resent Day and missed the times when they were really close. He tried to avoid Day even when he goes home to visit their parents. But since they both live in Bangkok, there are still times when they cross paths.

Night is not entirely without his own successes but as the curse/punishment follows him, there were mouths that talked about him stealing the spotlight from Day.

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS: Night is good friends with Zero; they sometimes ride bikes together. He likes that Zero cannot speak the way people like him speak - not that Zero has a problem expressing his thoughts - but he appreciated that he can just be quiet around Zero and not have to deal with 'sorry' and 'are you okay' comments. Although, he always thought that Zero never really felt bad for him and treated him like another person struggling with family issues and inner demons. Zero also never treated him special and that his flaws are all his and no one caused them and could be blamed for them other than his own way of dealing with his situation. It makes him forget that he does have that shadow that follows him around that he can't shake off. Anyway, he enjoys Zero's company and often times, he accompanies Zero on photography trips. They usually ride their bikes to locations.

THOUGHTS ON LOVE: "It's not for me."

HEALTH

PHOBIA(S): None, clinically.

HANDICAP(S): None.

MENTAL DISEASE(S): Depression, anxiety.

PHYSICAL DISEASE(S): None.

PREDISPOSITION(S): Alcoholism.

#{ character sheet: night }#HHHNNNNNGGG.

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theanticool · 1 year

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My 10 favorite things from combat sport in 2022

Instead of my favorite fights or knockouts or moments, here are my favorite things about what was going on in combat sports in 2022.

1.The Match (tm) - We got one of the best fights that could have been made in the whole of combat sports - Takeru vs Tenshin Nasukawa. It was bittersweet in someways, as this served as Tenshin’s goodbye from kickboxing as he chases boxing $$$ and a long hiatus for Takeru as he tries to recover from his first high profile loss. Also it was only 3 rounds. But ultimately, we are all better off from having seen the fight. And it was a tremendous fight and a fantastic card that featured the very best of Japanese kickboxing, which is talent-wise as deep as it has been in a long, long time.

2. The Continued Rise of Women’s Boxing - This year saw the success of two high profile cards that were headlined by women - the Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano card which was at MSG and the Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall fight which was at 02 Arena in London. And they were successful. Having got to attend the Taylor-Serrano match-up in person, it was amazing to see how many people flew out from Ireland to watch the first ever women’s boxing match to headline at the legendary MSG. Shields and Marshall was also highly successful, grossing millions of views on domestic TV while also selling out there venue. Not to mention Shields-Marshall also featuring a high profile fight between Alycia Baumgardner and Mikaela Mayer which drew media attention for their trash talk. And to top it all off, they were amazing fights. Great displays of technique as well as good old fashion slugging. They were dramatic. They were action packed. And most importantly, they left the people wanting more. Which we seemed geared to get in 2023 as we have a number of huge fights coming up on the horizon.

3. Big year for dramatic comebacks and bag fumbling - Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan set the standard this year for amazing displays of drama and fumbling the bag, and it was followed by fights like Teixeira-Prochazka, Izzy-Pereira, etc. It’s been a crazy year of dramatic final rounds where either one guy makes a mistake in a dead even fight and ends up losing (Gane going for a leg lock against Ngannou) or a guy who is likely ahead on the scorecards just getting caught in the final round (Conlan-Wood, Usman-Edwards, Teixeira-Prochazka, Izzy-Pereira). And that’s when combat sports are at their best. When one guy just goes all out with his back to the wall and prevails despite the odds.

4. ONE Championship Kickboxing and Muay Thai - Feels cheap to put this in one place but it is true. ONE Championship’s kickboxing and muay thai divisions have made it must watch viewing. Tawanchai vs Petchmorakot, Roman Kryklia, Rodtang, Nong-O, the entire featherweight and light divisions, etc. It has been so much fun. Watching Chingiz Allazov defeat Sittichai was an amazing moment I didn’t see coming. Hiroki Akimoto taking the title off of Capitan in an amazing fight only to turn and lose it to Petchtanong? That’s the good stuff! I’m glad that if ONE is going to lose money, they’re doing it by giving us dream fights and by broadcasting elite Thai fighters to a Western audience.

5. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez vs Juan Francisco Estrada 3 - This was my most anticipated fight of the year. Just like their 2nd fight was. And while I’m a Chocolatito guy (and always will be), I can’t be mad at the outcome. While I worry a tad about how “losing” this trilogy will affect his long term legacy, I don’t think in the end it will matter cause both of these men are on that esteemed 100 greatest boxers to ever live list imo. It was an outstanding fight worthy of all the praise you can muster and an amazing moment closing an incredible era of super flyweight (the most entertaining weight class).

6. The Comedy that has been the UFC Women’s title picture - Listen, I loved Nunes-Pena 2, Namajunas-Esparza 2, and Shevchenko-Santos. For entirely different reasons, they are all some of the funniest fights in recent memory. Nunes deciding that instead of countering, parrying, or slipping the jab that gave her fits in their first match, she was going to go completely southpaw. And it worked so well she knocked Pena down 3x in the first 2 rounds of the fight? Had me hysterical! Or Rose, a known headcase fighter, being so intimidated by the idea of grappling with Carla Esparza that she basically shadowboxed Carla from 4 feet away for 25 minutes only to lose anyway? Comedy gold. Or Valentina, in a closer than expected fight, just headbutting the crap out of Taila Santos and breaking her orbital to swing the momentum of the fight and secure the win? HILARIOUS. Great stuff. No notes.

7. Alex Pereira proving MMA is still stupid - Alex Pereira does not know how to wrestle. I’m not sure if he knows how to sweep from guard. I’m not sure dude could put in a RNC to save his life in an actual MMA contest. But he is the UFC middleweight champion! And if we’re beating real, given the chance, there is no reason he couldn’t knockout a fighter like Jiri and become a 2 weight champion. There’s an absurdity in having someone who is so obviously green in so many aspects of the sport just come in a destroy arguably the 2nd or 3rd best fighter that division has ever seen. Even if Pereira had beaten Izzy in kickboxing prior. The real best base for MMA is having wins over whoever the champ is in another sport.

8. Bellator vs RIZIN - this isn’t on the list because it was the most enjoyable. Much like your normal Bellator card, the undercard (RIZIN 40) was actually crazier from an action standpoint. But it’s on this list because of how important it is. For the first time since DREAM was on like HD Net, a Japanese promotion was on US television. And Showtime, no less. Not AXS TV or as a rerun on like MSG 2 like I’ve seen with old M-1 cards. Bellator and RIZIN have been no stranger to sharing talent in the past but with this type of open collaboration, I’m really hoping it blooms and spreads. Bellator needs a hook. RIZIN wants a way into the US market as the Japanese one seems to be stagnant. Hopefully this partnership helps propel both promotions upwards.

9. Alexander Volkanovski’s performance against Max Holloway in trilogy fight - This was the best I have ever seen an MMA fighter look in a 25 minute fight. It is an all time great performance against a P4P GOAT. Maybe part of it was Max falling off or Volk having 50 minutes of accumulated cage time with Max to pull from, but that doesn’t take away from what we saw. Volk is operating on a completely different level right now than basically anyone in the sport. He is clicking athletically, technically, and strategically. If anyone deserves to move up and challenge for the belt, it’s Volk. Don’t know what his chances are but if anyone can beat Islam right now, it’s him.

10. Demetrious Johnson’s revenge KO over Adriano Moraes - yes, I think Edwards-Usman is the more deserving KO of the year winner. But this one is special to me. This is like when Roman Gonzalez KOed Kal Yafai in his first real test following his KO loss to Sor Rungvisai and I was just full of joy. DJ showed why he is one of the smartest fighters in the sport, adjusting brilliantly to what Moraes showed in their first fight to deliver one of the most aesthetically beautiful knockouts in MMA history.

Honorable mention:

- Dmitry Bivol’s dissection of Canelo Alvarez - a reminder that just because “we” don’t know the other guy, doesn’t mean they’re not good. And Bivol is P4P best in the sport good.

- The emergence of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez - Doubt Bam ever become a PPV star like Eddie and Matchroom want but that kid is special. Like, put the sub super-bantamweight divisions on the map special. Like P4P talent special. And watching emerge as a star in 2022 has been incredible. It not for Bivol, he was the runaway pick for FOTY imo. He’s got a bright, bright future ahead of him.

- Boxing delivered this year imo - I know. You all wanted Crawford-Spence and Usyk-Fury, but I got most of the other fights I wanted and they were fire - Gonzalez-Estrada 3, Charlo-Castano 2, Shields-Marshall, Talyor-Serrano, Inoue-Donaire 2, GGG-Murata, Spence-Ugas, Stevenson-Valdez (Shut up, I enjoyed it), etc.

#mma #boxing #kickboxing

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samtran1022 · 7 months

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Life updates…

About every 6 months I reflect upon the titles of my life, the feels I’ve felt, the insight I’ve gained, and how these titles impact me and my headspace.

The theme of the second half of 2023 & what I’m seeking for/needing in my life: communion (ie, the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level).

Life as a mom… PJ is about to turn three years old and LT just had his first birthday a couple months ago. Literally each day they get older, the better mom life gets. I feel mostly like myself, yet somehow a more actualized/evolved version. PJ still loves dinosaurs and has a budding obsession with monster trucks; he is entering his threenager phase, with very loud 15-20 minute emotional meltdowns. LT is walking and learning to do so much more on his own, he will often wedge himself to be as physically close to us as possible (ie, when we’re doing dishes, cooking on the stove, etc), he is more prone to crying when he doesn’t get his way (which still triggers me, yet I grit my teeth thru it and validate his emotions). Watching the two interact with each other has plenty of comedic content; naturally, they are as alike as they are different. PJ will independent play, Lucas will antagonize, and the conflict will usually be resolved with violence lol my goal is to teach them the tools to peacefully resolve conflict without the need for an adult to step in and referee every single battle. A task that will take many years, yet with consistency, dedication, and many… many deep breaths, I think we got this. Check again in 10-15 years lol the truth is, I believe that sometimes violence is the answer. Hence my goal to eventually put the two in whatever sports they request, whether that be dance, Muay Thai, or golf. Oh at this time, Lucas does seem highly attuned to basketball! He also is prone to hit his head a lot, so football seems a highly probable route as well, we shall see. My ultimate parenting goal is to have a secure relationship with each son, one where we can call each other as adults and make plans to see each other simply because we enjoy each others company. The older they get, the more I find I don’t have to push myself to seek out a sliver of joy.

Life as a wife… a lot of this may sound like waffle and that’s intentional, for I have learned not every issue needs to be unloaded for everyone to have an opinion on; my journey into marriage has provided the most difficult of life lessons with regard to the traits I initially lacked understanding on; from patience to discretion, security to safety, physical touch to body acceptance. Anything worth having is certainly worth putting in the work to achieve, which seems to bring about the fact hardship is necessary in any relationship. Considering the fact my parents were divorced when I was 3 years old should shed some light to my feels on marriage. Nearly 15 years into this relationship (8 of those married), I now hold a much more warm and trusting relationship to the institution of marriage. Life isn’t just about me; each and every single day, I make the choice to prioritize love and heart over ego and pride. Don’t get me wrong, there are still several times a week I want to snap about something that annoys the shit out of me lol yet I’ve found it’s in much less frequency than our early years and it’s much easier to either make a clear request of something that bothers me or recognize the pettiness of it and bite my tongue. From what has grown into the favorite romantic relationship of my life, I’ve had the opportunity to learn how to love heartbreak, as paradoxical as it sounds. Relationships aren’t JUST about communication in and of itself, it’s largely the nuance, the clarity and specificity of my observations and requests, the ability to own how I feel and recognize what needs are or are not being met. To deliver all the above with kindness and consideration is incredibly difficult, yet I’m fortunate to share the goal to improve communication with my partner. Fortunately I’ve never much cared for exclusivity, I do not absolutely care to always be right and have things my way. Perspective is everything, it’s unbelievably cool to have someone I look forward to spending time with, one that matches my energy to simultaneously support yet gently push, one that I constantly laugh with and express my appreciation towards. We just finished a 6 month round of marital therapy, I especially appreciate how our therapist was rooting for us to develop our own tools and solutions to address any issues, while also encouraging us to agree to disagree at times. Living with and loving your best friend can be weirdly beautiful.

Life as a corporate customer service rep… I’ve finally reached one of my life goals! I feel so fortunate to say I like my job; in this commodified world we live in, NGL this is quite the flex. I appreciate and enjoy speaking on my subject matter expertise, if y’all ever wanna know anything about Clinical Microbiology (ie E.coli, MRSA, UTI, sepsis, etc) just lemme talk for 5 minutes, see how much I compel you. I’ve lived a lot of my life in a career where I had the Sunday scaries, I was tied to a time clock and treated like a third grader. I can promise you overt monitoring does not seem warranted in many scenarios, work included. I am no stranger to the heaviness of a distrustful work environment, how it tarnishes your soul and crushes your spirit. No wonder it’s so easy for me to express gratitude when I sit in my own car (listening to my own music with climate control) on the way to a customer site, I don’t mind remoting in and assisting for a few hours, nor do I mind being in a hotel for a week to support a customer who has well surpassed their project timeline. The customer service component of the role holds the largest source of contention, yet I am persistent in building trust throughout my SoCal customer base, I’m okay with being patient. If it takes 5-15 years to build trust, that’s reasonable. Thems are the consequences of commodification, counteracting fear and anxiety with understanding and empathy. It might be a larger energy investment upfront, yet I’ve got hope it’ll pay off exponentially in the long run.

Life as a daughter… this might be where I’ve felt a large release of emotional baggage in the past few months. I chose to visit my mother when we went back home for LT’s first birthday, I felt like it was somehow my duty, to provide an opportunity for my mother to be a grandmother. I found being around my mother brought about such a large disparity of emotions; I finally saw outside myself, forcing any relationship (including mother-daughter) will inevitably spread me thin. I continue to say it again and again… I need the people I choose in my life to match my energy, I’m all about that balance yo. I’ve finally come to a level of acceptance; I used to say the words in therapy yet I was not fully intentional nor convinced of their conviction. I no longer yearn for relationships that aren’t there, I clearly see what I deserve, I can mourn the loss of what will not come to be because of others inability to change, grow, and take accountability.

Life as an individual… the time spent in my home town lead me to deactivate my Instagram. I just did it, no warning, which is surprising; I’m not often impulsive. As the months went on, I found a quietness in my mind and natural state of mindfulness. I’m sleeping better, haven’t had issues with insomnia or alcohol addiction, haven’t had as many body image issues nor am I often plagued by inadequacy demons. I’ve come to learn I am the type of person who seeks meaningful connection; IG likes, comments, and viewers were only providing a vapid infusion to my needs. Without constructive feedback, I was left to my own devices to fill in the blanks; it caused too much outside noise of discernment. The community I’ve been longing for has come together with the work I’ve put in to maintain contact (contradictory thanks to IG), from middle school to coworkers to mom friends in SoCal; I’m grateful for the incredible, beautifully complex folks who show up for me just as much as I show up for them, I appreciate how much we support each other from life issue to life issue. Otherwise, I have the same personal goals I’ve always had: lift 3x/week, walk 10k steps, bang out 10 body weight pull ups; diet has been a bit of a yo-yo cuz I knew I wanted to go full YOLO on vacation. I plan to reestablish my calorie deficit when we return home on my birthday, I’ve found a new love with ice baths and cold showers (especially helpful for recovery and any lingering pain, tension, or headaches) and I finished therapy with my third therapist. I keep thinking of reestablishing journaling, yet another goal for future Sam to keep in mind.

Life as a sister… is still a work in progress, and it’s intentionally last on this last. Here’s where baby steps and patience have been my best friends. Similar to the growth I’ve experienced as a daughter, I no longer yearn for what is not there. I can grieve what is lost and move toward acceptance of the present.

#mental health #health & fitness #communion #momlife #marriage #communication #nonviolent communication #feminism #mother wound #siblings #microbiology

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absolutebl · 25 days

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This Week in BL - Japan is Winning on Kisses & Other Alternate Realities

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

March 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Two Worlds (Thurs IQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - It would be great if we got the alternative romance with dead Kram from Tai’s perspective (JBL style.) Still I like this show. It’s a little bit like I Feel You Linger in the Air only with a love triangle. And while I'm not a fan of triangles as a general rule, I don’t mind it here because the set up is clever. Wayu and ao are fun sides too. It sure is moving very quickly, which I like. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on. But that’s normal for me with this kind of Thai drama.

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 4 of 8 - They are extremely sappy boyfriends. I love that mom has a secret gf. Could we please have more of them? The love triangle sides are ridiculous, but I do like that it’s all out in the open. I also like they are actually addressing the complicated parental dynamics of owning a sex club. Honestly, I think Khem should have to be a host too. Learn him the right way, girl!

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - It’s good, I like the fallout and them actually having to deal with crazy fans and past relationships. They’re so good at communicating it’s kind of a pleasure to watch them suffer through external pressures, because I have faith that they can make it through.

To Be Continued (Thai C3 Thailand grey) ep 6 of 8 - They are such cute puppy dads and so clearly meant to be together, the fact that they aren’t is just frustrating. The fight thing was stupid. And not a whole lot happened... plus singing. I’m getting fatigued with this one.

1000 Years Old ep 7 of 12 - Did I miss something happening, or did nothing happen?

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 6 - It’s so boring, there’s so much guitar playing, and it got weirdly voyeuristic (in a very much not sexy way). I’m totally out. DNF

Close Friend Season 3: Soju Bomb! (Weds iQIYI) ep 3 of 6 - I can’t tell if this is trying to be a BL Romancing the Stone, or a BL Hangover, or both. The problem with situational comedy is it must be both situational and comedic, not just option one. The problem with calling something BL, is that it must be BL. This show got 1 of 3 claims correct. 33% is not a passing grade. DNF

Honestly, it's the HANDS with these two. They do beautiful beautiful things with their hands. If you're one of those hands-obsessed BLabies you should be watching LIBTSTA!

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues Youku YouTube & Viki) ep 6 of 11 - So the worst finally happened. The mountain of pain has fallen down upon us. And now, hopefully in the second half things get better for our boys. But what a rough ride. Normally, this is not my style of BL, but everyone is doing such a gorgeous job with it, I can’t fault it… except that it hurts. The red thread symbolism was elegantly done. I’d like to hope we get a reunion in the next one, but knowing this style of series they’re gonna draw it out. There's gonna be a more pain first.

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 6 - Those fuck me puppy dog eyes were perfectly executed. I would not have been able to resist either. Gosh they are so damn cute. This is a great show.

Jazz for Two (Korea Gaga/grey) eps 1-2 of 8 - This comes from the Shoulder to Cry On team so I'm scared, but this one is all actors* not idols so maybe they'll be braver. Boy howdy does it have a fantastic opening sequence. Also the lead is fucking adorable. Mr Broody McBroodypants is cute too. Korea sure loves “pretty but broken.” On the JBL end of the spectrum, is everyone in love with their siblings? That’s weird. The dining room scene was painful. All in all, it's good, I'm intrigued. Let's see how you go little show.

I stand absolutely corrected the lead is a member of NEWKIDD (in my defense I'd never heard of them until Build Up last month). I did recognize him from To My Star because at the time I thought he was too pretty to be only a side character.

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 10 fin - Again there was overuse of previous footage and maudlin navel-gazing grief over something we knew was going to happen. So I didn’t really feel much emotional connection to the drama. 7 year time gap.? t was a cute reunion but the moral quandary never really got resolved. I don’t know how to rate this, I’m not sure I will ever watch it again, so that is a big mark against it.

There’s nothing objectively wrong with this BL except how upsetting it is because of the foundational pygmalion story - grown man falls in love with an android who is basically both his slave and, by maturity level, a child. Yet that premise is crystal clear from the get go, so we watch it eyes open. The actors are cute, the romance sweet, the physical chemistry on point (of course, it’s Taiwan) and yet I was left ultimately unsettled by the concept, content, and plot. 7/10

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - I'm so ready for this to be over, and for Gaga to have something good on. Soon please?

It's done, ready to binge, but I suck

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps

It's airing but...

Graduation Countdown (Taiwan YouTube) - It's too much to ask me to keep up with 2 minute verticals, I don't have that kind of TikTok endurance training. Waiting to binge.

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.

Tangential to the genre

There has been the occasional discussion on this topic here in this little corner of tumblr so I thought there might be a few intersted in this podcast: AmericanThaiGuy Ron Weaver on the Complicated Issue of Racism in Thailand (The Bangkok Podcast)

Thailand passed its Marriage Equality bill through the lower house. It's expected to pass the high house and get signed by the King, but that hasn't quite happened yet.

And MaxTul dropped a photo shoot.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Soon

3/31 The Next Prince (Thai ????) 12 eps - trailer. ZeeNew in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince - YES PLEASE. (Apparently this is just the pilot, not the start of the actual show, see comments.)

4/1 Love is like a Cat (Korea ????) 12 eps - This completed filming Aug 2022(!) which means there have been serious problems with post-production. This is another of Silkwood's Korean+Thai colab projects. Mew Suppasit plays a rookie film star, called the Cat Prince (for his cold arrogance) who goes up against a charismatic puppyish animal daycare director (JM of JUST B). There is a side romance (love triangle?) with a veterinarian. Geonu of JUST B is also in the cast. Dual languages.

Hum, trash-watch-a-licious?

4/3 We Are (Thai GMMTV YouTube iQIYI) 12 eps - University ensemble BL featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawinPoon - basically the good kind of messy gay friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is queer. I'm IN!

4/11 Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan ????) 10 eps - Kindly Ryota goes off to uni only to find his new roommate is his childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend and Ryota tries to help him figure out why, they fall in love along the way. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake.

4/11 Gray Shelter AKA Gray Currents (Korea ????) 4 eps - SooHyuk is only just surviving and reunites with YoonDae, an old friend. They end up living together. One of the leads is played by Choco of Choco Milk Shake.

4/18 At 25:00, in Alaska AKA 25 Ji, Akasaka de (Japan Gaga - may not be global) 10 eps - Yuki lands his first starring role in a BL drama alongside superstar Asami (previously his senior at uni). Said superstar suggests they form a sham relationship until filming concludes. As they actually begin to fall in love, the spotlight begins to burn.

Seriously? You're killing me with these titles, boys.

4/26 My Stand-In (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KP (not a recommendation IMHO - my biggest criticism of that show was the clashing directing styles). This one looks well complicated, lemme try: Joe is a stuntman for famous actor Tong. Joe falls in love with Ming but Ming sees Joe as nothing more than a Tong-replacement. After learning this horrible truth, Joe dies. Joe then wakes up in the body of another man also named Joe. He manages to rebuild the same life as before—with the same people eventually re-meeting Ming. Ming wants Joe back but Joe doesn't understand why. But Ming seems to know what's going on and wants to give him some kind of explanation.

I'm exhausted just trying to describe the plot.

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous partner) and Best, news here.

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.

NOTE: It looks like one of my personal favorites of last year Unintentional Love Story is getting a spin off!

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Just these two, in my head, rent free. Thanks Japan!

(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 too much work.

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

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy. (With so many tags when does a weekly tumblr post become a newsletter? That is this week's philosophical question...)

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enniewritesathing · 10 months

Note

ask game: ✈️💯🐷💜🍸😊 (I picked one from each category, choose whichever OCs you'd like)

hello! 👋

✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person?

I'll do this for Brian since I've got John answered.

He loves to travel and especially when he's told "hey, we're gonna go to [x]". Doesn't like to do the packing (that's John's job) but he's down to go anywhere. Anything but the train though... the views are amazing but the space is not friendly to someone over 6 feet tall, lol.

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

John: He's left-handed, afraid of spiders, and he's shy! (He comes off as polite so ofc no one's caught that. Been like that since he was a kid and it's just one of his quirks.)

Brian: Likes to garden (he would keep bees in the backyard, but between John and the cat... lol), may have accidentally ate one too many brownie in college ("i'm not feeling anything" then an hour later, "Johnny, have you seen the moon?"), and the fact that his middle name is Antonio. He's embarrassed by this so when he has to use his initials, he never says what the A stands for.

🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal?

John: Cats, but specfically the black-footed cat. How can this creature be so cute but so deadly? Cats are fascinating in the sense that yeah, they're predators and all of that, but they're incredibly baby. Something something duality.

Brian: Secretary bird, but only because of the fact that he's like "oh, that's me :)" honey, that's a birdsona

💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background?

John: He is half white (from dad) and half Filipino (from mom). Dad's side of the family, he's not too sure about where specifically, but mom's side, he is an descendant of a very obscure royalty (in Bare Knuckle, he had 'met' his ancestor, the first one to have it...it's uh, a whole ass thing.) and where he has his eye color from. As far as he knows, he is either the 4th or 5th person to have it. It's not werewolf related; that happens later. The weirdest 'tradition' that comes from that side of the family is that at least one of them knows a martial art; doesn't matter who.

Brian: He's some flavor of European, but he doesn't know the specifics other than they were almost always royal adjacent with upkeeping the king's or what-have-you hunting lodges and at some point, became favorable to the point of being granted high statues, power, and the privileges that comes along with it as well as the wealth. To this day, as far as he knows, that's still the case with them catering to the wealthy. Brian comes from old money but since getting disowned, he doesn't give a shit about it. (As a side note, when someone raises their eyebrows at his current last name, they ask if he's related. "I was, then I wasn't :)")

🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink?

John: He hardly drinks (mix of personal reasons and taste issue), but he likes anything that's heavy on fruits. Really likes mimosas.

Brian: He used to drink the hard stuff (whiskey and the like), but he only breaks that out (Jack Daniels, aka JD) when he really has a bad day (too much of it though, he's a little mean). Otherwise, he sticks to wines and 'light' cocktails.

😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life?

John: He's in a good spot career wise. I decided I was gonna rework this story, but in the future, he's gonna be gunning to be a Muay Thai world champion (again). Will he succeed? Maybe, maybe not. He has a lot more years ahead of him and he wants to see what more he can accomplish.

Brian: Right now, he's thinking about getting some certifications in other fields as a nurse... something a little less stressful than ER. (there are only two types of shifts -- too quiet (not normal, shit will go down in 2 minutes, and whatever 'normal' is.) As long as he gets to help people in some form or fashion, he's good. Like John, he wants to see what he'll accomplish, but he will not stress himself out like he did when was younger.

#ennie answers #airbussy-a330 #sorry this took so long lol #john being from royalty is like a footnote to him in the sense of 'oh? neat'#for whatever reason people tend to treat him as such and he's not a fan of that and intentionally humbles himself #he only knows of stories of it from his older relatives #a text post #non sims #oc things #long post

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hanjisick · 1 year

Note

Hello!!💗 How are you? Hope you are doing just fine. Sooo i don't really know how your ships work so i am sorry if i made you uncomfortable and if the request's are closed then you can always just delete it i wouldn't mind. Also i apologize if this is too long and for any spelling mistakes english is not my first langauge.

• I am a russian female, my height is about 1.61 cm, weight about 51 kg, brown curly/wavy medium kinda hair, big brown eyes with long and thick lashes (people say that they can see planets in them which is very weird because idk), i have a griffin tattoo on the botton side of my left leg and as much as my figure is very feminine i work out so i pack some mucles and a six pack. Usually my skin is very pale and snowy but in the summer it turns into a honey like toned skin and i have a few beauty marks.

• I am an istp, usually people don't come and talk to me because i always look like i would kill someone (and i would) but in the end i just really care about the people i love. Very very shy and polite around people and strangers but i get very extravorted around people that i am comfotable with. I have a very hard time judging people and i am always able to understed their side of the story and how they feel even if i didn't went through the same thing they did. I can read people's mood just by looking into their eyes most of the time. Very very dark sense of humor for no reason (and a very broken one too). I perefer to listen then talk because it makes me happy that people trust me enough to tell me random/deep stuff about themselves.

• I really love video games and P.S (mostly fighting games like tekken or god of war), used to play a piano, i draw quit a lot (mostly people and it's just sketching), sing, very good at sports, used to pole dance, and i have some experiense with judo and thai boxing (fights and breaking people's bones but we don't talk about that), if i watch tv it's just national geografic wild/HD, i absolutely love reading books and watching movies (mostly action and comedy sometimes horror too).

• I don't like being controlled and forced to either do something or choose between something. I would rather stay at home but if the person i care about would want to go outside i can't say no because as long as i am with them i am happy. I have like only two friends other then my cat and barley talk to one of them though my social battery is very low and i like to be alone when theres an opportunity most of the time.

• I speak 8 langauges, absolutely love animals but cats are my favorite, i have never being babied before and prefer to take care of others, theres like 5% chance i will find someone unattractive, another reason why i don't talk to people anymore is because i am afraid they will use me because i was being nice to them. I had horrible depression for almost 4 years when i was 11/10 and no one catched up on that until a phone call with a teacher that i had, alot of nightmeres and illusions, i harmed myself too (still have scars) everyday and had to take a pill and go to a therapist but now i am okay and happy (but still never felt genuine happines). I have a habbit of playing with a ring on my finger that i always wear, already at a young age i was very independet (5 or 6 years old maybe) already knew how to cook and do house chores and i didn't grow up with the most normal family i was mostly a daddies girl never had a mother figure (we were strangers living under the same roof) and an 8 years older sister who always pushed me away until she begin dating her now husbend and i have a baby nephew.

• I have all the love langauges but the biggest two are quality time and physical touch.

Again i apologize if it's too long, made you uncomfortable and for spelling mistakes.

I really love your writing's but don't forget to take care of yourself and i hope you will have a good day/night!!~💕💗💞

i ship you with…

jisung!

your intimidating aura shook something inside of him. he would immediately need to know more about you and would be willing to do anything to get your attention.

he found it adorable how similar you actually were to him. both of you would be shy around eachother, only to gradually become louder until the two of you were always a giggling, fun mess together.

jisung would love nothing more than to spend his days by your side, tracing your tattoo in awe as he talked about absolutely anything that came to his mind.

but nothing sold him more than the fact that you both loved to watch national geographic, always down to binge episodes over a bowl of popcorn and cuddles.

he would love to help you relive the inner child experiences that you never had. if jisung is good at anything, it’s making others feel safe and loved.

yandere jisung

you enjoy being alone most of the time? say goodbye to that. you wouldn’t be able to pry the boy off of you, no matter how strong you are.

the only person you would have to deal with is jisung however, since he would be happy to do anything in order to stay home with you all day and all night with you and your cats.

he is absolutely enthralled with all of your hobbies and talents. video games? he would love to play with you, but he was also content with simply laying on your lap and watching the game. your sketches? they’re all hidden in a drawer for him to look through. singing? he would beg to hear you, to sing along with you, anything— but only he was allowed to hear your angelic voice.

but be careful talking about your experiences and family— all it takes is a mention that you dislike someone and jisung will immediately have them taken care of. learning about your past has only made him more possessive and protective over you, and he’s willing to do absolutely anything to make sure that nobody hurts you ever again.

#please don’t ever apologize for making your request long #all it does is make your response longer because you give me more to work with #skz #stray kids #ship requests #stray kids ships #skz ships

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hannahhook7744 · 2 years

Text

Hey Sister!

Summary; little snippets into Hannah's life as an adoptive older sister for her younger crewmates.

Trigger warning: swearing. Violence. Isle stuff. Death from child birth.

🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

Being the youngest of 4 (give or take) siblings wasn't easy. Hannah Hook knew this better than anyone.

Because for as long as she could remember, she'd always been the baby sister. The one everyone protected and bossed around even when she didn't need it.

And for as long as she could remember, she had wanted a younger sibling. Maybe that's why she took so many little kids under her wing. Even the ones no one else wanted. Or maybe it was just because of her big heart that she wore on her sleeve.

No one knew for sure.

What everyone did know, how ever, was that Hannah Hook was a natural born older sister. Even if she didn't have any biological younger siblings of her own.

And it was all because of how she interacted with her younger crew mates.

The first time anyone really noticed it, Hannah had been 6 and someone had decided it was a great idea to pick a fight with Isaac Cypher.

A somewhat meek but verbally biting 5 year old who kept mostly to himself that had joined Hannah's crew only days before as an escape from his unsavory home life.

No one really knew what had started the fight. In fact, all anyone could really remember from thay day in the fish and chips shop was that the older kid-- who was about 10-- had lifted the frail boy up by his collar...

Only to be hit over the head with a plastic tray by a livid and very tiny Hook. Who proceeded to repeat the action until the boy ran out of the shop, crying and clutching a broken nose, never to return.

It wasn't the first time she had resorted to violence to protect her crew and it wouldn't be the last either.

But protection wasn't all Hannah brought to the table in the department of being a natural born elder sister.

She also brought kindness and love. And support. Which all of her crew mates were in desperate need of.

Noah had been a bit delayed in his early development. Meaning he didn't start walking till he was nearly three, which was unusual for a godling.

Especially a full-blooded one.

Which was a great source of frustration for his parents and siblings who had to carry him every where.

They were beginning to give up hope that he'd even walk at all.

But not Hannah.

No, Hannah held out hope. She was patient. She used encouraging words and positive reinforcement and eventually, she was able to get him to walk to her.

She still has the video of that day hidden under her bed in a box full of things Noah had given her over the years.

She was his favorite non-sibling crewmate for a reason, after all.

Hannah crawled under the table were the newest member of her crew, 3 year old Fiona, sat hidden from view. A bowl of black berries in her hand.

Which she immediately handed over, silently.

Fiona took them and ate them in silence alongside her captain, who never tried to force her to talk.

"I miss home" she finally said. It was all she'd said in a very long time.

Hannah pulled her close "I know. I'm sorry"

Hannah handed 3 year old, Jolene Bog, a box wrapped in tissue paper smiling mischievously.

"Happy birthday!"

Jolene looked at her warily, like the shy child she was but took the present and opened it anyway. And let out a squeal of delight at what she found.

A barely chipped, black music box with a little dancing punk ballerina inside. Hannah had spent hours digging through the barrage looking for it.

Jolene never parted with it.

Hannah noticed and made sure to keep it in good condition so that it'd never stop working.

After all, She'd do anything to see Jolene smile.

Hannah was the one who gave Craven his favorite frog plushy the day he was born.

No one had asked her to.

No one had even told her about how close to tears little Jolene was about how her mama wouldn't wake up.

No one had told her that Anna and Aaron needed help taking care of their younger siblings because Chernabog couldn't be bothered.

But she had shown up anyway, bearing gifts and had stayed until her father had dragged her home.

She had named him.

He kept that plushie long into adult hood.

Just like how Hannah kept every drawing he and the others gave her.

Levi started giving Hannah little rocks he found when he first joined her crew at 2.

By the time he was 11, she had over a hundred of them stored in jars under her bed.

She never threw them out.

She made him a paper boat every year on his birthday knowing he'd lose them like he always did. And had a back up every year.

Hannah taught Icabod how to sword fight.

And how to swim.

She tucked him and the other little ones in and read them bed time stories.

Most of which she'd made up.

He loved each and every one.

Hannah jump roped with Skelebar.

No matter how many times she fell over.

No matter how many teeth she lost.

All to see Skelebar laugh and giggle.

She made her a cake on her birthday which wasn't easy and burned her hand but didn't complain.

She'd do anything to see that girl smile.

She did her hair and learned how to paint nails.

Everything for her.

She named Atlas.

She taught him how to talk and walk.

She handmade him toys and clothes.

She gave him Cuddles and sent him off to school.

She fought anyone who looked at him or Skelebar or Levi or Fiona funny.

Because she loved them all with every fiber of her being and then some.

So yeah. Hannah wasn't anyone's big sister, biologically. But she was one in spirit and heart. And via actions. And that was what counted, right?

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peakwealth · 1 year

Text

Soi 38

Februar

Condo towers, a knock-on effect of mass rapid transit. (Bangkok, Thailand, March 2023)

RETURN TO ASIA, THREE YEARS LATER (6)

* * *

ANNOUNCEMENT

At this advanced stage of my life, I would like to formally announce my wish to be appointed Ambassador of Norway to the Kingdom of Thailand, preferably with immediate effect.

As diplomatic postings go, this is not a position fraught with stress or the potential for conflict. I presume that Norway and Thailand get along, that their ambassadors sit on working groups of one kind or another and attend receptions to mark their respective national holidays. The Bangkok heat and the bad air might qualify as hardships, but there is much to make up for it.

My motivation has nothing to do with diplomacy but with the official residence that comes with the position. In many capitals - I am thinking Lisbon, Hanoi or Athens but there are others - diplomatic residences are marvels of leafy comfort, seclusion and privilege, and the Norwegian ambassador's villa is no exception. Hidden on a back street that runs south from Sukhumvit road and the Thong Lo skytrain station, it is one of the most desirable properties that I know in the Thai capital.

The street is known as Soi 38.

* * *

Thong Lo used to be nothing special as Bangkok intersections went. Well worn Seven-Eleven convenience stores - essential urban equipment in so many Asian cities - stood on either side of the road. There was also a paint supply shop, a small post office that handled parcels, an optician, a dodgy looking language school and a few street stalls that sold Thai newspapers, sliced pineapple in plastic bags, undsoweiter. On the north side was a pharmacy of sorts and one or two reasonable noodle shops. As for the other staples, pad thai and rice with BBQ duck, they were to be found a few steps to the north, with Pepsi in glass bottles being the beverage of choice.

A very old and filthy dog used to snooze in front of the sliding door of the 7-11 on the south side. Whenever the door opened, a synthesised voice would chirp ´Hello welcome!', a million times a day. The dog paid no attention.

(It took me a while to locate the photograph, but here it is, dated February 27, 2017)

* * *

By mid afternoon a string of food stalls began preparations for the night market of Soi 38. It was a popular yet totally unpretentious kind of food paradise that spilled over onto the roadway, forcing cars and tuktuks to crawl past the diners with great caution. The mango and sticky rice was, as far as I was concerned, the best dessert money could buy. Add a bottle of cold beer Chang (or cheaper still beer Leo, for the destitute) and the tropical evenings were very bearable.

When mass transit arrived in the shape of the skytrain, at first it didn't change much on Soi 38. But as the wave of luxury condos spread along increasingly affluent Sukhumvit road, it reached the intersection of Thong Lo. And life did change.

Initially the money moved north from the station, turning that part of Thong Lo into one of Bangkok's most fashionable strips. But inevitably the developers ended up casting their eyes south, the side with the shaggy dog in front of the grimey 7-11.

It took some years but the night market fell victim to the rising ambitions of the neighbourhood and the influx of foreign money. I remember my shock when I saw that it was gone, closed. But then, what happened there was the story of Bangkok itself. It was getting rich.

***

In the very old days, Sukhumvit was one of the main arteries leading out of the city, all the way to the border with Cambodia. The road was lined with wooden villas set back in pleasant gardens with the odd Volvo or elderly Mercedes parked under a tree. Old, quiet money, with pictures of the king of Thailand visible through the open windows.

It was even quieter on Soi 38 which was basically a dead end. Even in recent years, you could stroll down Soi 38 and the commotion of Sukhumvit would quickly fall away. When you reached the gate of the Norwegian ambassador’s residence, bird song predominated.

Soi 38 near the intersection of Sukhumvit Road. (March 2023)

I went into a second shock last week when I turned into Soi 38 and saw nothing but grey hoardings on either side. All of the old low rise buildings had been demolished in preparation for condo redevelopment (1). Gone, including the place that had been my home away from home in Bangkok for many years.

***

In an earlier post I mentioned, perhaps naively, how the arrival of mass rapid transit had transformed the centre of Bangkok, starting almost twenty-five years ago. It had unclogged the main roads, cutting congestion and pollution. It was, by common agreement, a good thing. As new transit lines were added to the network, the benefit spread beyond the inner core and into the suburbs.

Reality, however, it isn't that straightforward. Over the years the volume of road traffic has risen to fill the slack created by public transit and by the construction of new expressways. In fact, the data suggest the use of private cars has increased much, much faster than the use of public transport.

While central Bangkok may not be quite as gridlocked as it was thirty years ago, traffic is horrible. Broad rivers of cars and trucks flow in all directions and the congestion is endemic. Public buses are inadequate and get stuck in traffic, just as before. Some of them are fifty years old and have no A/C.

The government has resisted plans to introduce congestion pricing for private cars or even dedicated bus lanes. Since mass transit fares are much higher than bus fares, many people cannot afford to go by metro or skytrain. (A basic lunch is almost the price of an average one-way skytrain fare.)

Despite massive investment in public transport, the more than four million cars on Bangkok roads essentially still have free reign. So in that respect and for the time being, the situation is not all that different from the other Southeast Asian megacities I have discussed here recently.

* * *

The difficult coexistence of public and private transport in Bangkok. March 2023

Another serious consideration is the clustering of ritzy condo towers, hotels and shopping malls near the transit stations. Build a metro and the developers will follow. This is of course not exclusive to Bangkok, such things happen elsewhere. Depending on your perspective you can see this in different ways: either as the consolidation of Thailand's middle class, or as a tsunami of brash new money wiping everything out. After the old neighbourhoods are bulldozed, the ripple effect affects the socio-economic fabric of the wider area, gradually driving out the lower income population. It quickly turns into a classic case of socio-economic cleansing.

This is precisely what has happened on Soi 38 and why I feel that the residence of the Norwegian ambassador has emblematic value. The house is set in a tropical garden with a big manicured lawn, a pool and old trees. Everything is tended to perfection. Just one look and your heart rate goes down.

Diplomatic property being more or less untouchable, I assume that the residence constitutes a red line that bulldozers cannot cross. It is like a barrier. I also see it as a memorial to a gentler Bangkok, less manic and less addicted to money and cars, which is why, I repeat, I would like to reside there, with Norway's kind permission and at its negligeable expense.

RSVP

________________________________ (1) https://www.raimonland.com/

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songbirds-sweet · 1 year

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Sorry for not responding the last couple of days.. I've been super busy trying to get last minute things ready. How is Christmas in 7 days??! But also I really need it to be here already so I can just sit and relax at long last. I'm only working 3 days this week and I'm so looking forward to having a break. Will you work right up until the 25th?

The Hip are definitely our Canadian band and will be forever missed.

Yeah I don't think the Gary Cherone era of Van Halen is widely remembered or thought of fondly by fans lol

I'll certainly be doing the secret santa next year. It's such a great idea.

Ok I'm in love with Jasmine 😍 How precious is she?? I just want to smoosh her face and give her ear scratches! Have you always had a dog?

Davey Havok you say 🤔 I don't know much about AFI but a girl can just search Pinterest for different reasons right?

Oh how fun. It would have been awesome if you got to meet them. Maybe next time 🤞

Pearl Jam was a band that was always in my life but I was only a casual listener until about 3 yrs ago. I starting watching old concerts and interviews on YT and quickly became obsessed with them. Then I had to buy all their newer albums as I only had the first few ones.

Ooh Pad Thai is delicious. Comfort dessert? I love cheesecake but also cream puffs and then there's also lava cake 😋 I may indulge too much over the holidays with sweets but that's what it's about. What about you? If you could only have one dessert for the end of time, what would you pick?

Also some of my mutuals posted some cute pics of your Greta boys playing laser tag the other day. Omg how fun are those guys? I love when bands don't take themselves to seriously.

My goal today is finally get my tree up.. I've been putting this off all week. You're more than welcome to pop on down and help 😌

Can I tempt you with Eggnog and Fruitcake? Though I don't eat Fruitcake people insist on bringing it. Do you like it? I don't mind the flavours of it but I'm not a fan of dried fruit.

🤶

And I am so sorry for not responding omg, I've been a mess the last couple days 🙃 I work until Friday and then I'm off for a while!!!

100% about The Hip

Yeah I'm probably gonna ignore that VH era 😂

I love Jasmine so much!! She's my first dog and I got her when she was a puppy almost 6 years ago!

Idk much about the band either, Jonno just really loves Davey 😅 Ah I do the same on Pinterest (I did that when I first got into GVF)

Ahhhh very nice!!! I honestly need more PJ CD's, I have an original copy of Ten from 1991!

YUM those are soooo good, I mean in the summer it's Cookie Dough ice cream but any holiday it's apple pie and also during Christmas it's Nanaimo Bars!! Honestly, any of those three I would choose I can't decide!! Do you have a favourite fruit?

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH (and yes I'm still going insane over Danny playing laser tag!) They are such fun guys and once we become mutuals I can try and help you choose your favourite member 👀

Oh man I'd help you put it up for sure!!!

Okay don't yell at me, I ever had either one BUT I've always loved gingerbread and sugar cookies during the holidays, in fact the other day I tried a Sugar Cookie Oat Latte at Starbucks and it was good! Do you like gingerbread and sugar cookies? Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

#SRS22 #🤶🏻

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