#like I don't mind predictable but only if it gets me invested anyway

[thyandrawrites]

I'm gonna talk about this panel again, actually

Yes, Nagi's obliviousness to how he hurt Reo's feelings is frustrating yadda yadda yadda

But from the pov of Nagi being secure about their relationship, Reo hurt Nagi's feelings as well, and I feel like this gets rarely acknowledged?

Imagine this. You're Nagi. You don't wanna be in blue lock. You don't even want to attend. The summon letter you received interested you so little, you only opened it cause Reo did. You tagged along because Reo, your best friend, cared about it.

Then you learn blue lock is a special training program that will pit all the competitors against each other in a fight with only one winner. You don't wanna be Reo's enemy, and you don't want him to be yours. You try to leave, reasoning you don't want to face the day you'll either have to win against him and crush his career, or get eliminated yourself and crush his dream. You try to explain this to him. He doesn't understand—doesn't even want to listen. You sigh and keep tagging along, for his sake. Your heart isn't in it, but Reo believes in you so much you want him to be happy. You tell him, "stay with me till the end", knowing that parting will be inevitable at some point, despite his delusions otherwise. He tells you, "it's a promise, Nagi", and you believe him cause Reo puts his entire heart into his promises.

You still don't care that much about football. You'd rather be at home, secure that Reo is where he belongs, in a place filled with likeminded and driven people like him, and nothing like you. But you persist. For his sake, cause he still believes you more than you ever believed in yourself, really. At some point, soccer starts to become kind of fun. You can see yourself finally getting invested, and you tell him "I want to try to make an effort". Isn't this what he's always been wishing for all this time? For you to try, on your own, without bribery? And you tell him, "You and I are going to be best in the world. That's a fact." You believe so much in him, just as much as he believes in you. His dream was never yours, but you want to see it happen anyway, not for Reo but to keep staying with him until the end. Cause you like being with him. It's comfortable. It's fun. So you tell him, "later, Reo. I'll be waiting for you," because you'll always find your way to him, no matter what. You swore your future to him, and he to you.

You part ways with him and immediately feel lonely. You've never been apart for long, but you think his dream might be starting to become yours too, a little bit, cause you keep thinking about it—about ways to make it happen, still. You were beaten once, and it was enough to make you fear you and Reo wouldn't make it, and you don't want that. Neither does Reo, you know this. So you part ways even if it hurts. Even if Reo wasn't happy about it. He promised you he'll stay with you till the end, and Reo keeps his promises, so why would he lie to you?

But then, just after two days apart, he tells you, "You and I are rivals now, Nagi," and you don't understand what he means. His eyes are so cold, dull, and he slaps your hand away. He never refused affection before. Reo always initiated it, but not anymore. And he tells you "I'm going to crush you," and you don't know why he would say such a thing. You'll win the world cup together. That's a fact. So you don't say anything back. It hurts, but you don't protest it. Reo believed in you first, it's your turn now to believe in him. You singlemindedly continue to believe in that dream, even if he doesn't seem to care about it anymore.

And then it happens. Just like you predicted on day one, you're up against each other, but you give it your all. You never wanted him to be your enemy, but that's how he feels, and you knew this day would come sooner or later.

So you put it to the back of your mind. You don't listen to the doubt in your chest, even if you think Reo might have forgotten, after all. But you haven't, and that's all that matters to you now.

Then you win, but it was a close match, so you know he'll keep advancing. That's just who Reo is. He's so talented, so driven. So you tell him you'll be waiting for him. Again. Trying so hard is a pain, but you're willing to do it however many times it takes to become strong enough to chase that dream again, with Reo at your side. You don't know what Reo is feeling, or why he doesn't want to be your friend anymore, but you think he'll understand this, at least. This all-consuming drive that fires you up from the inside, this excitement. Between the two of you, Reo was always the more passionate one. Except now he's not. He's slumped on the ground, and he doesn't get up. He tells you, "if you're gonna throw me away, then just do it," like that idea ever crossed your mind, like it's not utter nonsense to you. He looks at you with defeat written all over his face, waiting for you to offer him an excuse to give up on the world cup. To give up on you.

And you think, what happened to making you the best stiker in the world? To staying together till the end? What happened to your promises to each other?

Did that dream matter so little to him? Did you?

*head in hands*

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nagi's love is quieter but I promise you (ha!), if you look at it closely enough, it's wayyyyy more intense, holy shit. and Reo is as much to blame for his shit communication skills as Nagi is... Just cause Nagi didn't cry about it, it doesn't mean he wasn't upset too

#Nagireo #Reonagi #I'm just. Hhhhhhhhhhhhh. These two will be the death of me #We postponed the divorce to next month but my brain is still in anticipation mode 😔 #Nagi seishirou #Mikage reo #Episode nagi #Bllk thoughts

[yandere--stuck]

I just read your yandere bulkhead and it gave me an idea.(This is all platonic btw)

What if, after a little while, the autobots get attached to the kids, so much so that they start seeing them as their sparklings.

They slowly make more adjustments for them at the base. Then they start getting more protective of them. All the sudden the autobots are hesitant to let the kids leave more and more. They start pushing away from Fowler and June. And finally, the autobots refuse to let the kids outside of their care because in their mind they are just sparklings.

This could work with or without reader, and it can be a big oneshot or a full on story. It's really your choice.

Basically all together it's platonic yandere autobots.

REAL REAL REAL SO REAL I LOVE FAMILIAL/PLATONIC YANDERES. Clawing the walls of my enclosure rn

I've thought about this so much watching tfp THEY'RE FAMILY. They love their kids ;w;

This isn't a straight up fic just spouting ideas I've had because so I hope you enjoy anyway! ^^;

---

No Cybertronian was left unaffected by the pain of war. Friends, family, allies… All of Team Prime had lost at least someone to the horrors of war. Who wouldn't be changed by that? Who wouldn't become invested in the little family of allies they'd made? Who wouldn't want to protect and care for these kids? These kids they've grown to know and love and want to protect so badly? Is that not what family is?

It started off slow. Just the bots getting closer and a bit more affectionate with their charges. Bulk picking up the kids to (carefully!) hug them. Extra hugs and hair-ruffles from Arcee. The 'bots working in 'I love you's to their goodbyes or goodnights. 

They'd be smart enough to keep up a facade about their intentions around Fowler, but it's much harder with June. She won't allow Jack to stay over or stay longer than usual, and is hesitant about letting Rafael and Miko stay, too. June argues that the kids miss too much school already because of this, not to mention Jack flaking on his shifts! But, she just won't listen to reason! The autobots can learn human curriculum to teach them! And Jack was so young, why did he need a job? Sounds like *someone* isn't good enough at providing for their young. They don't want to hurt June, just… Turn over custody of Jack and allow them to do the same with Raf and Miko without contacting the families or police or Fowler!

They'll get a consistent supply of food and drink, beds, books and games, more comfortable pieces of furniture for organics... The children take it in stride and are excited and thankful. Just as Optimus predicted.

With the trap set, the kids alone, Fowler distracted, and June secretly locked up within the base until she would come around, they're locked in. They don't even realize anything wrong until they asked to be dropped off at home, only to be met by refusal. Stern explanations and consoling reassurance.

But the kids are anything if not crafty, and will likely put their heads together to come up with a plan. Jack would be their man on the inside, so to speak. Pretend to go along with the Autobots' wishes and accept them as family until he gets enough freedom or the opportunity to call for help or make a break for it. Because as smart as the Autobots were, they were obvious. 

Even Optimus.

It was obvious that Jack was the favorite. Why else was he given the key to Vector Sigma? 

"The prodigal son," as Miko put it.

It was easy for Jack to lean into Arcee as his mom. Because he'd be lying if he didn't see Arcee as a maternal figure, yeah, but he already had a mom. He had the dynamic down. But what was hard was being alone with Optimus.

Optimus gently held Jack in his hands, telling him how overjoyed he was that Jack saw him as a father. That he adored him, his son. That there's nothing Optimus wouldn't do for him. And Jack breaks. He cries. He let's Optimus hold and soothe him as he cries, asking his Dad why he left and pleading with him to never leave again, and at some point Jack couldn't tell whether his words were directed to a metaphorical father he never met or Optimus. 

Either way, he couldn't bring himself to continue the plan. He was sorry, but he hoped Miko and Raf would understand.

Miko is Bulkhead's sparkling. There is no question. Don't get him wrong, he loves Jack and Raf, too! All of them are the team's sparklings, after all. But, Miko is special to Bulk. He wants nothing more than for her to ditch her host family and realize her so-called 'actual' family clearly didn't care for her enough to want her around! But, Bulkhead did. He loved her. And he'd do anything for Miko if she'd just call him Dad.

Rafael couldn't have known, but it was probably a bad idea to tell Ratchet about his large family and how loud and busy it is at home, now the medic is using it as a reason to keep Raf at base. Rafael's 'family', if he could even call them that, clearly didn't care about him enough to know where he went at all hours of the day, so they likely wouldn't notice if Rafael stayed there permanently - and more importantly, with those that actually loved and cared for him. His real family.

While Ratchet is probably the most stern out of the kids' caretakers, he's also the most likely to coddle and baby them. Because by the AllSpark, the eldest of them had only come into existence sixteen years ago! Compared to Cybertronian lifespans, their human sparklings were nothing more than infants! 

He loves picking up the kids and carrying them around, held up against his chestplates like he did with his child and grandchildren, but unfortunately Rafael is the only one who consistently allows him to do so.

—

If the team is able to convince themselves that the kids are their biological-sparklings somehow (separation after incubation? Maybe crashing onto Earth in pods and taking on human altforms to survive?), they are quick to turn on June, especially Arcee. How could she call herself Jack's carrier? Jack was Arcee's kid!

Arcee would be incredibly apologetic to Jack, even as he tried to make her see reason. How could she have been so stupid? How couldn't she recognize her own sparkling right in front of her? She'd lost so many… She couldn't lose him, too.

Bulkhead would assert that he and Wheeljack were Miko's carrier and sire (not necessarily respectively). He'd have to catch Jackie up to speed, but Bulkhead was sure Wheeljack would come to remember the child they almost lost. He'd have to.

He knew Miko would be mad for a long while, but it was only because she didn't understand and didn't realize that they were really family. She'd come around and things would go back to normal - better than normal. He'd hold and hug her often, for as long as she allowed before she starts kicking and squirming. 

It hurt seeing her angry at him. It hurt so deep when she shouted that she hated him. But it made it all worth it when she finally broke down into tears, realizing that Bulkhead did care about her. No matter how bad it got. He wouldn't throw her away. Bulkhead was more of a Dad than her actual father. Maybe going along with things would just be easier. Less sad.

Ratchet claimed Rafael as a grandchild. He thought he lost his child and all her sparklings, but… No. No, one managed to escape whole in protoform, somehow. And that was his dearest Rafael. Something about the look in his eyes and the rusted color of his hair… His spark still aches from the pain he'd brought unto him, before Ratchet knew. How he had nearly failed him. Had almost lost the last of his family. How could he have been so blind?

But, no. Not anymore. Not ever again.

Ratchet would somehow be even more coddling than if he thought the kids were completely human. Would try to scruff them, hold them while bundled up in blankets they had snatched, never allowing them to be out of his sight when under his sole care.

I think Bumblebee would either side with the kids or just be so glad that Raf and the others wouldn't be leaving again that he wouldn't want to help. It's like Rafael said, they're family. Brothers, right? Family doesn't leave each other behind.

Optimus is definitely the most restrained out of the Autobots, but still as endlessly loving. They are not just the hope for their people,  but for him and his friends, as well. Optimus thanked his lucky stars every day that he somehow stumbled upon their sparklings and their family could be reunited.

At least, that's what he'd think when he's able to keep away bouts of regret and lucidity.

#platonic yandere #familial yandere #yandere transformers #yandere transformers prime #yandere autobots

[deadsince1973]

Poll Below

So, I saw someone say yesterday that "most people skim watch Chinese dramas", and that honestly blew my mind. If it has subtitles, I have to watch it and focus on it.

But then several thoughts occurred to me. You see, right now, my friend and I are watching The Longest Promise and The Screen Foxes. To us, The Longest Promise is painfully slow. We thought it was a little slower than most Chinese dramas, but most Chinese dramas are a little bit slow, and The Longest Promise actually feels much slower to us because we hate the main character and, like, half the story decisions so much, we thought. (Sorry, no offense to Longest Promise fans.) We thought that if we actually liked the main character and were invested in her story, the way the show dilly-dallied on every one of her scenes - having her say the same things over and over again, showing a dozen different angles on some magical moment in her life, having her express feelings about something that happened in a previous episode that she had made very clear at the time - would be enjoyable. Meanwhile, before we started The Screen Foxes, I read three different reviews that said the plot moved lightning-fast, bounced all over the place, and didn't make any sense. And ... none of that is true (so far). The plot moves at a normal pace. A thing happens, and then, something else happens as a consequence. There ARE several different interconnected story threads, and we do bounce back and forth between them, but it all makes sense. And last night, it hit me that maybe The Longest Promise is so slow because you're supposed to "skim watch" it. Certainly, if you dip in and out, you can follow the plot very easily. Scenes are long enough that it's hard to miss a whole one if you're checking back in frequently, repetitive enough that you can understand the point of the scene even if you miss three-quarters of it, and the same points are repeated in multiple scenes, so there are very few details you can miss even if you don't watch it too closely. (Plus, the plot is predictable enough that it's easy to follow.) Meanwhile, because The Screen Foxes doesn't dawdle on any points, if you're not actually sitting down and watching, it must seem chaotic and nonsensical. Why are they fighting this green monster now? Wasn't the show about painting a minute ago? The green monster is being used by a Taoist to body-guard a rich family. The Taoist is actually the one who made the family rich. Why? That's the mystery we need to find out. In the meantime, this family used its wealth to cheat in the painting contest from the last episode, so fighting their body guard is advancing that painting plotline too. But if you looked away from the screen during the two minutes where they were explaining all that, then yeah, it would be super confusing why this show just went from a painting contest to a demon fight.

If Chinese dramas are MEANT to be watched in the background, and that's the reason so many of them are so long and slow, then, honestly, my whole worldview has been changed.

So, TLDR: I have to know now: DO most people actually "skim watch" Chinese dramas????

#P.S. I will have more to say about The Screen Foxes when I finish it probably. #Also the fast-forward option is here because I saw someone say something about that in a post a few months ago. #Also having it on in the background would explain how my Chinese friend - who had a kid and a full-time job - could find time to watch mor #C-dramas than me. It just never crossed my mind because since I don't speak Chinese it would never occur to me to not sit down and focus on #the show. #poll #original #The Screen Foxes #The Longest Promise #The Untamed #Word of Honor #Till the End of the Moon #Love Between Fairy and Devil #Legend of Fei #The Oath of Love #<- Just some C-dramas I was thinking about as I typed all this.

[spamgyu]

i have no clue abt astrology pls explain🧎🏻‍♀️

-🦒

Disclaimer: I only have very surface level knowledge of Astrology — pls take all that I say lightly. I also don't base 100% of my beliefs on this ideology. I find it fun and interesting but this is by no means of me trying to force my ideas on anyone.

Most people who know their zodiac signs only know their sun. Your sun sign represents your core personality – how you express who you are.

For example: Mingyu is born on April 6th making him an Aries. Aries are known to be driven, passionate, fiery, and confident. Very much Mingyu.

We all know Mingyu to be quite good at almost anything and everything he does. We can see in his stage presence the confidence he has in himself and who he is as a performer. Lastly, we see his fiery moments any time they are on GoSe – competitive nature or just simply getting too invested in the mind games, even if it's for self satisfaction.

But beyond the sun sign, there are other two signs that make up who you are; your moon and your rising. That's why for a while I was messing around with people whenever they told me their "Big 3" because it's very telling of who they are as a person.

Moon signs is your soul/emotions. It's your driving force on how you choose to respond to things on an emotional level.

Mingyu's moon is in Pisces, a water sign which is a stark contrast to his Sun which is a fire sun — but in a way works out for the best. Water signs are known as the cry baby signs, and tbh they aren't but that just might be me being biased as a Scorpio. Water signs are very much in-tuned with not just their emotions but everyone else around them. Mingyu knows how to read a room, he knows how to adjust himself and his reactions according to each person and how he predicts they will react.

Another example of Mingyu's moon coming into play is his patience. A lot of people tend to wonder how he manages to be stay so cool, calm, and collected despite having 12 brothers who knows how to push his buttons well. And it's literally because of his Pisces placement.

Lastly, the sign that you are only able to find out through your birth time — ascendant/rising. Which is why when Mingyu told everyone on live his birth time, so many of the astro girlies went FERAL (including me).

Your ascendant is your "social personality" – it's how people first see you as when they meet you. This is why some people often get "Oh you're a _______ sign? I thought you were ______ sign."

It is also the sign that weirdly enough categorizes people's style and physical appearances.

Mingyu is a Gemini rising (which btw a lot of people expected him to be a Virgo and I just KNEW there was no possible way he would be. He is far too patient, spontaneous, and go-with-the flow to be have a Virgo in his Big 3. Yes, this is Virgo slander.) Anyways, we can see his Gemini rising well... overall. Geminis are able to adapt well in social situations — hence how well he's able to adapt in any variety show settings, his travels, ordering for the group, leading conversations and jokes.

The more you learn about each sign, the more it's so telling of each of the boy's personality. It's actually pretty crazy how well you can know about each one without much to go off but by their signs. And it's even crazier seeing it play out when you watch their content.

Like there are moments when one of them does something that maybe some people will say is out of character, but then I think of it as "Well their moon is _____ so it makes sense."

Anyways this was just me rambling....

Long story short, Mingyu is annoyingly perfect (90% bc he got two signs in his big three that are well....... 😖) and his recent LA vlog shows his Sun and Rising sign well.

#LGNEKFN the way this also took me so long bc i yapp too much #hopefully this made sense!!! #also im still not doing big3's im sorry #spamasks #sg: stars

[delululover]

I just love how the "Only Friends" team gave us so many spoilers but still managed to clown us and keep us in the dark.

I mean from the so many contents we got during the filming time we all had an idea in mind about each couple's dynamic

For instance I myself thought

TopMew are gonna be the sweet boyfriends going on dates, having fun, having healthy conversations when in reality they are barely talking, Top sees Mew mostly as a prize/challenge, Both are fighting for the power dominance in the relationship, they don't have any trust on eo, Mew is determined to do the "right thing" by offering his affection as a reward for quitting addiction which we all know never works. Their relationship in overall is a mess with just a "boyfriends" tag which is kind of blinding both them and the people around them from seeing how not good for eo they are

SandRay are gonna be the friends to lovera type of couples where one is totally sure about his feelings and the other ia clueless but refuses to let go of their "friendship" and acts like a possessive cat whenever someone tries to get with his "friend" (I may even be correct with this prediction)

BostonNick I thought will be the couple we will see the least of, won't have much plot to their relationship except sex and Boston will totally ignore Nick out of bed which (Idc if anyone disagrees) he is not, Boston is totally leading Nick on emotionally and we are seeing fair share of their scenes, infact if anything they are the creators of most of the drama in the series and their mess is probably gonna take the longest to solve. Definitely not a short running pair and has a lot of things going on in their "situationship" or whatever.

So as the episodes are coming out I am eventually realising that what we saw/the source of our assumptions were all based on the first few episodes. They gave nothing away and spoiled next to nothing. I am totally clueless about what is going to happen after episode 5.

And yeah don't say that "well your fault for thinking they will give everything away before the original episodes release" I am not saying that they will or they should. But the amount of "ongoing shoot" content we were getting I was a biiiit confident that I have figured out the show. Ik very arrogant of me but that's the thing the Western film industry is so secretive about their projects that it makes us think that getting some behind the scenes will be able to spoil the fun for us.

Anyways kudos to the team for this amazing marketing. They are literally keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Ps I am quite new in this bl fandom and ofts is the first show I have fully been invested in so that's why is amazes me. Most of you probably find this post stupid and old news. Please ignore if you do thanku.

#neomark #only friends the series #only friends #bostonnick #neo trai #ofts #topmew #sandray #khaofirst #firstkhao #forcebook #pjojo #gmmtv bl #thai bl

[aquaristintern]

hiii for the ask meme, how did you discover it or get interested in the show? an unpopular opinion? and/or have you read or watched anything because it was referenced in the show? :)

Hey!!! Finally getting around to answering this haha.

How did you discover it or get interested in the show?

It was actually @minim236 who inspired me to watch it back when I had my old blog! Anyway, the trailer had Jacob Anderson in it and I was like Greyworm ok let's go! And although I had not read the book or watched the movie yet, Claudia the child vampire is so well known I already knew about her, so was interested in that concept. Naturally, she became my favourite character :)

An unpopular opinion?

I feel I have soooo many unpopular opinions haha, but I'll say what I think is my most unpopular one, just because I feel like I'm following the right people here who won't mind:

Lestat as a character just does not compel or interest me in any way. I don't care about Loustat, about Lesmand, or any other relationships that involve him. Sam Reid did an amazing job, and got me drawn to him initially, but by the end of episode 3 I was getting a bit, well, and by the end of Episode 5, all sympathy for him went out the window, as did my interest. And full respect to other people who are still invested in his character btw! But I feel like because they made the abuse blatant rather than just brushing over it, many book fans were pissed, so now had to argue contend with a whole bunch of people not liking their special boy whom they've cherished for years. I disagree. I feel like the writers did a brave thing by not brushing over the negative impact Lestat has throughout the entire series. They, in a way, made the relationship more human and real, as this type of abuse is unfortunately still very normal today. They're not showing him through rose-tinted glasses, they're asking you to really look at it, so it'll be much more of a writing challenge to make him likeable and redeemable again to the general audience. It's an interesting concept, but until then, I just don't care at all about him! I don't feel anything when it comes to the romantic scenes between him and Louis either now, and I'm not excitedly waiting to explore his side of the story in the future seasons. The appeals to 'them being vampires' and 'this is supposed to be a gothic romance' has no affect on me, not because I 'can't handle dark subject matter', but because.... Lestat's not really imo the complex character everyone makes him out to be. His behaviour is actually pretty predictable and there's not that much there for me to work with, even as a villain. It's just: sad boy with tragic backstory ends up repeating cycle of abuse that was inflicted on him. Is extremely lonely with an ill temper. Uses dominance to feel in control and to hide his massive insecurities. Is "bad" but secretly has a heart of gold. Mommy/daddy issues. Loves usually only one person more than anything and it's seen as his salvation, but struggles with that relationship because he's emotionally stunted and can't communicate properly. It's something you've seen a million times already. It's what makes the much more layered and harder to grasp characters like Claudia and Armand so much more interesting to me, the vampires who are the most vampire-like of them all, yet ironically get a lot of hate and are mischaracterized from the same people who shout 'they're vampires!', but that's another discussion for another day.

Have you read or watched anything because it was referenced in the show?

I have! I watched Nosferatu, and read Madame Bovary and Marriage in Free Society, although I was going to read Madame Bovary anyway because my little sister heavily recommended it (she massively likes 'unlikeable' female characters and compared her to Anna Karenina, which she didn't like as much due her being too likeable. Which is funny because apparently Tolstoy originally wrote Anna to be an ugly, evil, conniving character who hurt her completely innocent husband and lover and son, but as he was writing, the character became more and more beautiful and sympathetic, and the husband and lover became more incompetent and unkind). I currently have The Doll's House and Nausea next on my list! (I really need to read The Doll's House, it's been on my list since I watched Bojack Horseman lol).

Although this probably doesn't count, because of the after show podcasts, I was inspired to also read The Gilda Stories because they had Jewelle Gomez make an appearance. I ended up being a bit mad afterwards because I soooo wished I read this book in high school, as I was an angry teenager still in the closet then, and this book might have helped me calm down a little lol. There's just something so different and radical about the way Gomez writes her vampires: in a lot of other media, the vampire/monster finally obtains the ability to have cathartic releases of rage due to their isolation/repression and/or abuse, but here, her main character opts for kindness, compassion, and community each time (she still uses violence and murder if needed to defend herself and others, but doesn't let violence consume her entire being). That was very refreshing, having the character be able to do so much damage and take revenge without consequence, yet instead find more fulfillment in the bonds they make with others and refusing to let other people bend her right to actually, well...live.

#thanks for the ask! <3<3<3 #iwtv #interview with the vampire #anti lestat de lioncourt #ask games

[positivelybeastly]

🖤(for bobby? ^_^)

attractiveness:

repulsive / hideous / ugly / not attractive / unappealing / not unattractive / meh / no preference / ok / mildly attractive / nice looking / cute / adorable / attractive / pleasant on the eyes / good looking / hot / sexy / beautiful / gorgeous / hot damn / would tap that / perfect / godlike / holy fuck there are no words.

Classic bear/twunk synergy going on here, tbh. I think Hank's always been aware of Bobby being objectively a very handsome young man, but I don't think that it's the kind of handsome that makes Hank descend into lust - he just doesn't quite read that way to me. He's cute, he's good looking, but, idk, this is one that boils down way more to how they interact and their personalities than anything else.

personality:

grating / irritating / frustrating / boring / confusing at best / awkward / unreasonable / psychotic / disturbing / interesting / engaging / affectionate / aggressive / ambitious / anxious / artistic / bad tempered / bossy / charismatic / appealing / unappealing / creative / courageous / dependable / unreliable / unpredictable / predictable / devious / dim / extroverted / introverted / egotistical / gregarious / fabulous / impulsive / intelligent / sympathetic / talkative / up beat / peaceful / calming / badass / flexible.

This is one that can really run the gamut - Hank can either find Bobby to be one of the single most annoying people on the planet, or his single best friend on the face of the Earth, and yes, there's plenty of room in between for those to exist simultaneously. I've talked before about how this friendship has soured in recent years, but even with Hank retreating from it, I don't think he sees Bobby as a bad person, just not one that he can rely on or find solace in a lot of the time. His emotional needs are too complex and their history too messy - in Hank's mind, anyway.

how likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending / fuck no! / never / no way / not likely / not sure / indifferent / I’m asexual / maybe / probably / it depends / fairly likely / likely / yeah sure / yes / would tap that / hell yes / fuck yes! / wishing that could happen right now / as many times as possible / we are already having sex.

Bobby/Hank is something that kind of has to come with an emotional component, imo. Hank's era of relationships without emotional investment are long since gone, and especially if he was going to have sex with a friend like Bobby, he would want to be sure that it isn't going to ruin what they have or make it worse. He can get sexual gratification plenty of places, but the relationship that Bobby offers, platonic or non, is too valuable for him to ruin it just to get his end away.

level of friendship:

never in a million years / worst of enemies / enemies / rivals / indifferent / neutral / acquaintance / friendly toward each other / casual friends / friends / good friends / best friends / fuck buddies / bosom buddies / practically the same person / would die for them / true friends / my only friend.

This one really varies depending on the time period, tbh. I feel like the times they were closest were the 60s and the 80s, so O5 and Defenders/X-Factor, with the 00s really seeing the end of their friendship and the trend more towards just - knowing, one another. Hell, there's a moment during Avengers vs. X-Men where Bobby joins Scott's side of things, and he tries to appeal to his and Hank's friendship, and Hank is just. Cold, towards him. He doesn't even flinch. I think there's a lot of bottled up anger in there.

first impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Let's be real here, teen Bobby was annoying as hell, but then, so was teen Hank. Teenagers are annoying! But I definitely think that Bobby was Hank's first real male friend, the one I'd point to as, this is where Hank learned to make proper friends with people, and that counts for a lot.

current impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Ahahahahahahahaha how depressing of an answer do you want?

Oh, wait, I know.

X-Force Beast wouldn't piss on Bobby if he was on fire, and Bobby doesn't even think of him when he's dying. If they don't hate each other, it's because they don't care about one another anymore.

#fatummortem #muse assessment meme #outofmuffins #body horror tw

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello! You've mentioned reading via audiobooks before -- if you don't mind sharing, what service/platform(s) are you subscribed to, and would you recommend it? Thank you!

Sure, def! So the only thing I pay for right now is Spotify Premium--and that's because I was already paying for it for the music. With that service, you get 15 hours of audiobook listening included per month. Which, tbh, is not something I find PARTICULARLY valuable, as it's basically one normal romance novel (and some change you can't really use) a month, or two shorties a month. That said, it's nice if I can't find a book elsewhere--it may be there.

Otherwise, I just use Libby and Hoopla through my libraries. Libby I use for both ebooks and audiobooks, as its ebooks are usually kindle-compatible. (I don't have any other ereaders at the moment, and I can't read on my phone--fries my eyes.) Hoopla is not kindle-compatible, so I only use it for its audiobooks.

That said, Hoopla usually (for me) has more audiobook options anyway. From what I can tell, libraries probably pay for subscription-style access plans for Hoopla. Hoopla is like Netflix, and keeps a library (subject to change) and your library will have access to certain levels of availability depending on their plan. One library I have a card with (in my area you have access to about 5 libraries) has 20k~ romance audiobooks on Hoopla. Another has access to about 28k~ romance audiobooks. Totally up to your library. As is the amount of passes you get per month--your library pays for you to have a certain amount of Hoopla borrows each month, and once you're out you have to wait until the 1st for a new set. One library may offer 8, another 6.

Libby is much harder to predict. Usually, I've noticed that libraries either have an amazing audiobook selection with Hoopla and little with Libby (and then a solid ebook selection) or they have an good audiobook selection with Libby, a subpar Hoopla plan, and a subpar Libby ebook selection. Libraries have very limited funds, so they kind of have to juggle and see which plans their patrons use more (the more you use your library, the more funding they can potentially get, so if you can absolutely make it your first resource).

With Libby, libraries are paying for the licenses of individual books. Audiobooks are always more expensive. Plus, Libby functions like a normal library. So while with Hoopla you can always borrow instantly (unless you're borrowing a special flex book for which you have separate passes, which I never need to use because the flex selection seems meh for romance lol) with Libby you will need to place holds, etc.

This is probably more info than you need! But audiobooks are expensive, and I frankly listen to too many too quickly for Audible to have been a great value when I had it.

You can subscribe to Chirp's newsletter, as they often have great deals on audiobooks, but I've never actually invested in an audiobook outside of Audible.

#romance novel blogging

[antlerqueer]

So Yellowjackets is supposed to have a 5 series arc (I think that's what I read?) Frankly I like this idea because it means the creators have a fairy good idea of where the show is going and how it ends which is nice since way too many shows stay on far longer than they should but what are your thoughts and where do you see the show going into season 2 and beyond?

Yeah! Warning: LONG POST AHEAD! Cut provided for anyone scrolling the dash who isn't interested.

I will say I am manifesting a confirmation of all 5 seasons by the end of 2023.

General storytelling thoughts: My understanding is that Yellowjackets was created with a 5 season arc in mind, and I believe they pitched it with ideally 5 seasons which is likely part of the reason previous networks didn't want it (could also be the violent cannibalism in the pilot who knows!). From what I know of TV (a few friends in the live action tv industry, my years marketing in entertainment) people write first seasons hoping for a season 2 but good writers make a season 1 that can be cancelled. Which, if they cancelled the show after season 1, it would wrap up enough of the main plots to keep people satisfied though wanting more with that cliffhanger.

As a person who loves an organized showrunner, knowing they've come in with a 5 season plan makes me really really confident. My favorite show, Mr. Robot, was adapted from a movie screenplay to a specifically 4-season run, and I think the writers/runners knowing their full plan going in makes a show better, tighter, and more interesting. I'm a survivor of PLL's 7 seasons so I have been dragged through terrible development before and fortunately I don't see it happening here, especially not when Ashley Nickerson and Bart Lyle now have an overall contract with Showtime. If you don't know what that means, basically it means even if Yellowjackets ended tomorrow they are guaranteed more projects - whether it's a certain number of projects or a certain type of project is up to the contract. What that says to me is that Showtime wants to invest in quality showrunners, since places like Netflix and HBO/Warner are really facing the brunt of "so much content, not enough quality" criticisms after canceling series after series of fictional content. It also says they, fingers crossed, won't be extending Yellowjackets just to keep paychecks coming. Viacom in general, though I am biased, likes to keep things running. They own quite a few networks with "legacy shows" (think: Spongebob, Drag Race [despite it being moved across all their networks], Wild N' Out, Billions, The Chi).

Anyway less politics of television more talking plot - I hope that, if we keep the same pace, we have the fifth season as the only season where we see the girls in 1997 post-rescue. While I think the post-rescue stuff will be interesting, I do not think we need more than a season of it because we can fill in the blanks already for at least Taissa and Shauna with season 1's info.

Season 2 predictions: I think we're definitely going to end the season with 1 of 2 shots: Shauna giving birth, The First Cannibalism. The way the timeline worked for season 1, it was like 4-5 months out there? And now that winter has come I can see the show slowing down to emphasize just how long winter is for the girls, and to give us room to empathize and pity them for their descent into cannibalism. Shauna will transition from our Main Girlie (Teen) into Lottie being our Main Girlie (Teen) and as we learn more about adult Lottie we'll see more teen Lottie and Van. I think we'll also get more of Taissa's background unlocked a bit with Van coming back into the picture and obviously explanations surrounding That Finale.

Where season 1 really focused on the relationship between Shauna and Jackie (the narrative of survival versus society, where Shauna struggles between the authentic [Taissa] and society's expectations [Jackie]), I see us transitioning more to Taissa struggling with her otherwise rational girlfriend's tunnelvision faith in Lottie and her powers. Therefore weighing the natural [Shauna, presumably representing natural with her pregnancy storyline] and the supernatural [Lottie, who is dividing Van's attention].) We may see some parallels to Taissa's relationship with Van and Shauna's relationship with Jackie, and I presume Shauna will be a grounding force for Taissa as her nighttime "walks" and dirt sessions become more frequent. I see the two as keeping each other in check, whereas Nat and Misty just kind of drive each other further into mess.

For Natalie, I see us learning more about her time with Travis as an adult and we'll probably see their teen counterparts struggle with the new "religion" and probably be the first and loudest two to take a stand against her. This may be what finally aligns teen Taissa with teen Natalie, and could ultimately lead to the Tai/Van breakup. Natalie and Travis are likely going to do the best they can to not succumb to cannibalism and I firmly believe that the three girls (not including Misty, I'll get to her) will come together and bond over their fear of what Lottie's doing.

With Shauna, we'll obviously see how the investigation goes into Adam and the fallout with Callie. Cannot wait to see Jeff and Shauna gaslight their own daughter into thinking everything is fine and no one killed anyone. Her teen storyline, as I mentioned, will revolve around her pregnancy, supporting Taissa, and staying safe under Lottie's reign. Jason Ritter is noted to guest star, I think he might play an officer asking questions about how she knew Adam. (He did play an officer in Candy.)

Finally, we're getting Misty's personal detective show. I think that her obsession with Natalie is going to get us into full-tilt Citizen Detective Misty Mode. We're going to get one of these two plots with Walter if my hunch is correct: Walter is investigating Adam going missing, or Walter is going to help Misty investigate Natalie going missing but realize there's more to the story than Misty will give him. Either way, she'll be dual-wielding Citizen Detective info on the detective end and the criminal end. We may see her interacting with Shauna more as an adult. As a teen, we know she's going to make a new friend who is into theatre. Either Walter dies at her hand, or both Walter and Crystal die and she now loves Andrew Lloyd Weber in honor of her first real friend that she eats. I know her teen plotline is also going to involve her trying to get power through the cult, it seems clear from the finale that teen Misty found her way "back into" (was she ever really in?) the trust of the team and she'll do anything to keep it since the consequences are now life or death.

I haven't a clue what we're getting with Van and Lottie and I kind of like that, it gives me something to not have expectations on and not theorize about and just go with the flow with.

Of course, I'm open to most things happening within reason. I will be upset if they decide to go a route that is disrespectful to indigenous cultures, such as using w* for a plotline to explain the supernatural. Hopefully, since we see Courtney Eaton's identity being respected in casting her older actress, we'll see similar respect for other indigenous peoples in that plot unfolding. I think the writers are much better than taking from indigenous lore and can work with a lot of other possibilities. Maybe by the end of this season we'll find out if it's supernatural or all in their heads, but I don't think I ever truly will need an answer to that. I don't mind that ambiguity.

Let me know if there's anything else you wanna know my thoughts on! Honestly I could talk about this show for hours upon hours upon hours, so I love getting asks like this! If you read this far, let me know what you're thinking about seasons 2 and 3 and hopefully 4 and 5!

#yellowjackets #yellowjackets spoilers #long post

[foralleternityidiot]

OKKKKKK

What are you most excited about in the GMMTV announcement and why is it Only Friends and 23.5?

Ok those are mine but what are yours and why?

Personally, I am thrilled with the entire lineup. I think this year's concept of "diverse" was related to the genres/stories more so than anything else. They really threw in a bit of everything. I am most excited for Enigma, Double Savage, 23.5, Because You're My First Love, Wednesday Club, Loneliness Society, Only Friends, Midnight Museum, Our Skyy 2, and Beauty Newbie. Now, if I could save one from drowning, I would immediately choose Only Friends without a second of hesitation. I will sell my soul to that series when it airs.

I love supernatural horror, so Enigma is right up my alley. I also like the pairing on Win and Prim. I didn't get around to watching F4 before it was pulled from youtube, so I didn't get to see them interact on the series, but I've been following them on social media and they have lovely chemistry, so I am definitely interested in seeing that unfold in such a unique story. The glimpse we get of dark, mysterious tattooed Win set my soul on fire (I've always been aesthetically in love with him anyway). Prim is a great actress that I have seen in many roles and I always enjoy her performance.

Double Savage won me over simply on the cast. Ohm, Perth, and Film. That's a triple threat made just for me. I don't really understand what it's about, but I love shows about brothers and I like grittiness, so this definitely is on my To Watch list.

23.5 is what we have all been waiting for and predicting. So obviously I am on board. I love the planetary symbolism as well. It really feels like they chose something special for their first GL, rather than just throwing some crap at us.

Because You are My First Love just looks so romantic and lovely. Also, Dew must be the tallest man at GMMTV!

Wednesday Club... no clue really what that is about, but I like the cast and the vibes.

Loneliness Society is an adaptation of While You Were Sleeping, a 1995 Sandra Bullock movie that my mom loved when I was young. I actually remember she saw it in theatres with her friend, while I watched A Goofy Movie in an adjacent theatre with my friend. But my movie finished early, so I went to sit with my mom and watched the end of her movie with her. Anyway, I have always loved the plot set up and I really love Joss, so I'm definitely watching this.

Only Friends... I really don't think I need to explain this one.

Midnight Museum is such a kdrama and I love that for Thailand. I was particularly blown away by the investment in the special effects. I hope they go as hard in the full series. Again, not really sure what it's about, but I am here for it.

I was thinking just a couple days about the need more another Our Skyy series, so Our Skyy 2 was a blessed reveal. I am very happy with the couples they chose as well.

I tried to watch the Korean adaptation of My ID is Gangnam Beauty, but for some reason, I just couldn't get into it. I am looking forward to trying again with the Thai version, Beauty Newbie.

As for the rest, I am absolutely going to be watching all the other BLs I didn't mention (A Boss and a Babe, Hidden Agenda, Cooking Crush, Last Twilight, Dangerous Romance, and Cherry Magic Thailand). But none of them get my gears going as much as I had hoped. That happens every year though and I end up loving them all. Book in A Boss and a Babe is so different from in Enchante and I LOVE that, but the story feels like a BL choose your own adventure. Hidden Agenda feels a bit like a rehash of Star in my Mind, and I really wanted to see something vastly different for JoongDunk, but I am ready to be wrong. Cooking Crush as OffGun's follow-up to Not Me??........ they better surprise us with something magnificent because idk this doesn't seem like it. Last Twilight will very likely be fucking incredible with P'Aof at the helm and all, but I'm not big on melodrama. Dangerous Romance as a trailer just didn't work for me, but as a series I think it will be fantastic. Finally, TayNew in Cherry Magic Thailand shocked me so completely to my core that I had a fangirl fit in the parking lot at work, but this could either be a fantastic idea or the worst idea in GMMTV history. I'm scared.

I didn't mention The Jungle, but I plan to watch that.

I think the only series I don't really think I will be making time for is Faceless Love. Prosopagnosia just doesn't work like that. Idk it annoys me.

Last note: Find Yourself, UMG, and Home School were pushed from 2022 to 2023 and I am teetering on the edge of my seat for each of these. I will dissolve into a pool of acid if we don't get them in January/February. My Precious will come out in March but since it's a movie I doubt interfans will see it for at least another year.

#i think i ended up talking about every single one #oops #gmmtv 2023

[barin-mclegg]

Would love some real art again, but coupled with a good story. I've gotten this about 5 times in stuff that's not fanfiction and since then any and all officially published content is just boring, honestly. I've stopped really reading for the story because the story is always the same. That's how it feels anyway. Anyway if you have any book recs please do let me know

#Here's some good stuff I read: #Rebel of the sands and the sequels by Alwyn Hamilton #They both die at the end by Adam Silvera (I need to check for his other books too sometime but its ont eh to-do list) #Dit is geen dagboek by Erna Sassen but I think that one is relatively recent and not translated to english yet sorry guys #but thats a really good one to my dutch friend #s #The dinner by Herman Koch is also a good originally dutch book and one of the few that doesn't include sex #it's translated to english and also has a movie version that does include sex #Also FMA is good enough to qualify as art #theres also this one book called hersenschimmen on my to-read list but I'm not sure if it has a translation #originally dutch though and I'm really interested in it #a rec by my dutch teacher and he has Taste #But anyway anything that's not dystopian or actually a Good dystopian thing #I'm up for reading queer stuff but only if it's not like #all about that stuff #tired of reading about real problems when the point at the end is 'it can get better' or 'this is an issue' or something like that #like bro I fucking KNOWWWWW I've been living in this society for years and its depressing let me read something good #like something that expresses that storytelling is an art and that writing is an art and not something overly depressing #or extremely predictable #like I don't mind predictable but only if it gets me invested anyway

[ae0nx]

COWBOY BEEPBOOP NETFLIX SERIES RECAP (EP 1-3) - spoilers

Ahhhhhhhh...

He's so perfect that he makes me crazy. I'm in love. I'm in love. I'm in love with hiiiimmm 🎶

Just had to get that out of my system lol, anyway.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Before I really start: I can see why there's some people that don't like this adaptation. I don't think it's fair but I can definitely see why. It's already unfair that people come into a live action version of a story expecting it to be an exact replica of the animated version. But with a series like Cowboy Bebop where there are quite a lot of open-ended questions and theories, I kinda predicted that no matter how good this show is some people would be pissed about someone filling in some of the gaps in the story without their own approval.

I say this to say...

I'm loving this series so far! And I can accept it as it's own adaptation.

- I'm so glad they opened with the scene from the 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' movie because it really was the perfect intro to the Bebop universe and more specifically Spike

- I'm also super excited about the fact that each episode is 30-50 mins! I could LIVE in this universe

- I love every entry to the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack but 'What Planet Is This' has been my favourite joint for the last 3 years. It's almost as fire as 'Tank'

- Daniella Pineda as Faye is so great and I'm lowkey missing her in episodes 2-3! Her revamped outfit is dope and I'm starting to realise that I can probably trace my personal wardrobe choices to Bebop characters... I'm in an Ed faze right now. I also love how swear-y she is in this version lol

- Mustafa Shakir as Jet is pretty much pulled from the anime and he just fully gets the character 100%. I love that they made Jet an actual Dad in this! It was always sort of shown through his relationship with Ed in the anime but I feel like in the show they use it well to add gravitas to his character and his choices.

- I really love that the show gives a lot of interpersonal character moments and isn't afraid to flesh it out. Sometimes it does tenddd to be a bit on the nose and right in your face but the whole show has this feeling of 'playing it cool' while not being afraid to be goofy so I don't tend to mind those moments too much.

- Spike and Jet actually feel like friends in this?! And not just co-workers?! Again, I think making Jet a father in this really fleshed out his character and made him a little warmer (so far), so we get loads of nice moments of Spike and Jet actually bantering and laughing together whereas we only got one moment of that in the anime... But anyway, it's nice to see how close they are without it just being said.

- I love the implication that the name 'Spike Spiegel' is an alias, I never really thought about that before! It adds really well to the whole Bebop chapter of Spike Spiegel's life being a dream/fantasy/rebirth

- It annoyed me a littleee how hand-holdy they were with Azimov's girlfriend reminding Spike of Julia. The anime really took a chance with the audience by having that episode as the first one in the series when it's essentially a callback to a time the audience is not familiar with until they go deeper into the series. It just felt like they didn't have faith that their audience would get it but I'm not too mad at it as I feel like this show isn't as interested in 'quiet' storytelling than it is invested in being bombastic - which is cool too!

- They really made that Red Eye drug look as nasty as it did in the anime 😖

- I love the glaring difference between the Bebop life and the Syndicate life. Bebop life kinda falls in line with the look and uniqueness and fashion and feel of the solar system where as the Syndicate life feels so... clean and sanitised and high functioning. There's a thought here that I'm building up but I'll leave it till next time lol

- Making Hakim a black guy disguised as a white guy was a great turn around from the anime and says a lot without saying it. The 'through' line they're making so far with these last three episodes, where all the bounties are essentially victims of the society that's been constructed, isn't all too different from the anime but it's weaved together better in this series.

- All the side characters and acting matches the feel of the show exactly, no one has any chill in this universe and I love it lmao

- GREN! Love, love, love them already and I'm super curious as to what their episode is gonna look like

- I'll be honest: in the original series, I couldn't give a damn about Vicious and Julia. (It's a big part as to why I get frustrated with Spike's death). So, giving them more individual dialogue and scenes that explore their characters rather than just relying on other people's information or Spike's flashbacks is already better than the anime for me... personally.

- I totally thought that Jet's daughter was gonna be Ed for a minute and tbh I wouldn't have been mad at it!

- Ok, lastly. John Cho. This guy just. GETS. SPIKE. When he was first announced to be cast, I'll be honest - I wasn't completely convinced. I always thought Spike should be a little taller just because those long legs are literally 70% of him (damn you, weird anime body standards!) and I wasn't too convinced about John Cho learning martial arts so naturally that I'd believe he was a fighter. (That being said, the fight scenes in this show aren't a 'Shang-Chi' level of amazing so far... and they actually feel a little bit slow paced? But, again, it kinda matches the look and feel of the rest of the show and they're still very entertaining and fun scenes so I'm not too mad about it)

BUT

He's completely loyal to the standards of the character while making it his own interpretation and fleshing out and bringing his own understanding of the character... (cos we all have our own individual 'hot takes' on Spike lol) This version of Spike is a little less vague and poetic with his words which I appreciate and even when he is, he's so gosh darn charming that I can't even roll my eyes like usual at it!

That scene between him and the dominatrix... 🥵Jet's so pure lmao

Not me following the 'John Cho' tag on tumblr...

EP 4-6 RECAP

EP 7-10 RECAP

#cowboy bebop #cowboy bebop spoilers #cowboy bebop netflix

[articianne]

UGH I've been gone again!!! Spent the last few months dedicating my time to portfolio building!!!

anyway things to mention that I've done the last few months!!

happy norwuz (Persian New Year) which happened last month! i left the same day as nowruz for GDC in March so for me it was a blip, but I hope everyone had a good first day of spring!

played life is strange, and started the second game too!! i LOVED the first game and i know ill love the second one so much more. my fav character in the first game is very obvious so i won't mention it and let y'all stew in my predictability.

watched bridgerton since i kept seeing it everywhere for the second season! i really enjoyed it cuz i enjoy period things no matter what they're about (the great and downton abbey come to mind easily even though they're WILDLY different so it's no surprise I'd like this one). not much to say about bridgerton—i passively enjoyed all of the story and couples (i didn't get too invested in anything major), but if i had to pick fav characters, i love anthony (obviously) and edwina (not with anthony, just as a person, tho i was happy to take whatever the plot would throw at me). also love daph a lot! i do have a rare pair i devoured on AO3 but that's for my eyes only.

i played ai: the somnium files a couple months ago and ADORED it. probably my fav spike chunsoft game, and i wish i could wipe my memory to play it again. i used to say that about 999 but nope—aitsf completely dethroned it.

ive been waiting for scaramouche crumbs in genshin for forever

been playing pokemon arceus!! I LOVE IT!!! i love the grind and how much u learn abt pokemon! i really don't know much about it and have been keeping myself unspoiled. and also, anyone who's wondering can also probably predict who my fav character is so far—just by aesthetic :')

finally, i'm thinking about properly opening commissions again, only a few slots, but i need to get back in the habit first. i had to stay off them as i tried to manage some things for a while but finances are tight so id be happy to give commissions a go while i wait for job opportunities to get back to me. my professional art is vastly different from what i post online, so i need to dedicate some time to setting that stuff for my fan accounts and see what happens.

anyway!! time to start properly posting my drafts again ;_;

#blah blah

[deathvsthemaiden]

ok wait after u sent me that ask i have to know ur top books!!! dw if u don't feel like it but i would love to hear them 🌷

This is so sweet and considerate! Thank you Eva, you gave me 5 so I’ll try to keep it to that # as well 💖🐰 off the top of my head:

🌷 The Stormlight Archive series, especially the second book, Words of Radiance. Stormlight is like 4 books + 2 novellas right now, and is projected to be 10 books and ???novellas eventually. And on top of that each main book is 1000+ pages and while you can read Stormlight on its own, most of the other books by the author, Brandon Sanderson, are part of this larger fictional universe called the cosmere. Each series takes place on a different planet, and if you are invested in the whole cosmere, there’s Easter egg references to other series in other series. So like! While I rec these books often, most people understandably don’t take me up on it wgshshh 🤭 Sanderson’s non-Stormlight books are all MUCH shorter but also much more flawed imo. Like I wouldn’t count him among my favorite authors were it not for Stormlight. anyway I’m a die hard fantasy fan so the length didn’t deter me, and I picked these up because a friend told me the world building in these books was genuinely unique instead of the typical very lazy maps composed of like. Fantasy Russia and its hostile mysterious neighbors Fantasy General East Asia and Fantasy Africa lol. and she was right! The world building is exquisite and refreshing and almost every character is canonically of color. They live in a society with an eye color based caste system and it’s.., so hard to sum up this massive series with four main characters and a ridiculous(ly fun) amount of plot lines, so I’ll cut this short and say 1) the first book, The Way of Kings, is highly expository but the ending is so so worth it, and if you enjoy the ending you’ll find merit in continuing with the series 2) Words of Radiance is my favorite book so far partially because I haven’t read the newest, Rhythm of War, yet, and also because it’s the book with the most scenes that solidified Kaladin Stormblessed (one of the main characters) as one of my favorites of all time. Another one of the best things about this series is how Brandon Sanderson portrays mental health in very natural ways, and it makes Kaladin’s growth so incredibly soothing to follow (I MEAN. He has low points that sometimes hit too close to home, but it makes you root for him harder) he really is just. Truly my definition of a hero, if we wanna get cheesy about it, and I had to pick one solid example. I love him so much this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg as to why 😭!

🌷Jane Eyre. Silly frivolous teenaged girl that I am this book swept me off my feet when I first read it and I condone every problematic aspect of it❤️ (I DONT ofc but like! I love drama and being played like a fiddle by narratives and the book delivered on both fronts! And it couldn’t have without its unsavory plot twist soooo 😙💖) (the hate this book and especially one specific character gets is funny to me just because like. Hate for the former (imo) usually stems from people taking the book too seriously while simultaneously missing the point (JE and du Maurier’s Rebecca (highly influenced by the former) are oft considered loose Bluebeard retellings for a reasonnnn!) and hate for the latter is usually just like. Warranted and then taken over the top like... he’s just a fake funny little man you guys :( and the book would’ve been boring if he wasn’t so twisted and out of touch and passionate ): not to mention I do personally in a mean ish way think it’s funny how for some people this character is one of the worst examples of men they can imagine. Like good for Them! I don’t want them to have lower standards for horribleness in people But also omg 🤭 it just reminds me of how... irony of all ironies, I’m semi frequently told I’m too harsh on real life men and then when I love twisted ones in books (for being funny and entertaining and good solid characters) I like. get the most interesting side eyes (whether figurative or literal) bwjswnhshe anyway I have nothing against Austen, I definitely enjoy her, but from what I’ve read so far, I prefer the Brontës a lot more... I need adventure! Show me horror show me rot etc etc❤️ also I’m. A stupid sucker so the fact that the book was Charlotte Brontë’s attempt to write a plain looking lady protagonist and to make her praiseworthy and virtuous and worthy of spellbinding romance makes me... 💗💓💕

🌷Keturah and Lord Death — Martine Leavitt. I haven’t seen it officially stated anywhere but to me it’s p clear this book is a retelling of/highly inspired by Godfather Death (the Grimm tale) Very simple, predictable but effective plot, and the characters are just. So much fun. From my url you can probably tell I love stories in which women (or anyone but you know. Death and the Maiden is its own trope for a reason) outsmart/face off against death. If they also k*ss, when done right, I think that’s swell as well.

🌷A Thousand Splendid Suns — Khalid Hosseini. By far the heaviest book I will mention in this ask, and I don’t rec it willy nilly for that and a few other reasons. It’s a forever fave to me because I read it at the exact right time in my life, where I was like... noticing a ton of things irl and things at home were tumultuous, and when I saw very similar things unfold in this book while I was being silenced and made to feel crazy by the adults around me, it meant so much to me to see reality as I was experiencing it in real time reflected back at me via this novel. The context of the story is wildly different from my own life and the stakes the characters face are far higher, and it is if I remember right mostly a novel about the horrors of war, which isn’t something I pretend to have any firsthand experience with, but! It was legitimately cathartic to read when I read it, and it especially meant a lot to me at the time that the author was a grown man. Not to mention how my mother is not and never has been a reader, and somehow the one and only book I ever managed to get her to read was this. Hilariously she got mad at me for only (“only”) reading depressing things (there’s... a grain of truth to that but she doesn’t need to know! 🤫) but also... she was hooked I could tell! (I got all tmi explaining this one gag I’m so sorry)

🌷A Slight Trick of the Mind — Mitch Cullin. Retirement-era Holmes! Holmes as an old man! A sad old man who keeps bees!! It’s the novel the movie Mr. Holmes was based off of (haven’t seen it yet) and I was not expecting it to get me all sentimental like it did 🤨😪 but anyway it’s like. A prolonged character study and explores some of the most interesting (to me, anyway) parts of Holmes that are only lightly touched upon in canon, like his occasionally huge follies when navigating his few close relationships and how he copes with them afterwards, his fatigue at the random injustice of the world, how he’s often mistaken both by characters that surround him and people irl as a man without feelings, etc etc. like there’s no Dr. Watson or Mrs. Hudson in this book, and the people he interacts with are almost entirely original characters, but as I listened to the audiobook it barely occurred to me to miss Watson and Hudson (I know! 😦) and the author’s original characters interacted with Holmes so believably that I sometimes forgot they weren’t ever Doyle’s. Def recommend to any flexible Holmes fan that’s not a total stickler for canon (though you don’t actually have to know much about Holmes to read this book and enjoy it! 🐝)

🌷Sleepless — Sarah Vaughn + Leila del Luca. I began with the longest book, so let me end with the shortest. It’s a 2 volume long graphic novel series and that it’s so short is the only long standing, legitimate complaint I have of it! Gorgeous art, really effectively written romance, a dark skinned girl who gets to be the proactive, lively protagonist and stunning, pined after love interest at the same time, a cast of characters that is majority of color, the perfect %-age of drama and angst etc etc. if you can find it via your library or online or smth, you can knock it out in one sitting and leave the experience eternally altered in the funnest way 👁👄👁

Honorable mentions: The Botany of Desire — Michael Pollan, Troubling Love — Elena Ferrante, The Girl from the Garden — Parnaz Foroutan

#asks #book recs #wasn’t sure if you’d read Jane Eyre before so I was vague abt it qgzhshshs #long post

[nightswithkookmin]

WHAT WILL JIMIN POST ON JK'S BIRTHDAY 2020?

Interesting question. I get why my Askbox is flooded with it. May thirteen was a disappointment. Most Jikookers were looking forward to a reinforcement of a long established Jikook tradition- well everyone except me and a couple others I think. Y'all don't be paying attention. Lol

Jikook are complex beings and like any complex organism they learn to adapt to situations and surroundings. They are predictable in that way but also they are not. It's paradoxical, I know.

If you paid any attention to what was going on from late March through to June you'd have known there was little to no likelihood May 13 was gonna happen.

And if it had happened, it would have taken on a whole new meaning at least to some of us. But hey, 5/8 right? Sure. Jimin smart. We stan a Bigbrain.

Anywho, tomorrow is not about Jimin or Jikook or any ship. It's about JK. It's about celebrating the gift of life that he is. For all the times he's been hated on, this is the only day out of 365 days that we as a fandom get to put our differences aside and come together to show our love and appreciation for him- I hope.

I don't see why Jimin wouldn't do the same for him. Especially since it's been a long established tradition not just for Jikook but for all the members.

They all celebrate eachother's birthday to varying degrees but at the bare minimum they wish each other a happy birthday. That's the norm.

All the other members will wish JK a happy birthday and that includes Jimim. If you understand why people celebrate others birthday you'll understand this is not complicated at all. So it's not a question of will Jimin post tomorrow.

Jimin is a very kind, thoughtful and a loving person. It would be weird of him not to wish his fellow bandmate a happy birthday on his birthday. He would. He should. Rest assured.

But I understand that what y'all are asking me as far as Jikook is concerned and shipping goes is whether Jimin would do something extraordinary for JK this year like he did last year, what he would do and whether he would post about it.

Even though I am certain he will post, I can't tell you what that post is going to be, I'm an alien not Jesus you know?

What I can speculate on is whether or not Jimin would make another grand gesture like that of last year. Which is what this post is going to be about.

The answer to that question is not as simple as yes he would or no he wouldn't. Personally, I expect him to do something a little bit out of the ordinary or coded this year. I'll explain in a bit.

To be clear, I don't expect a repeat of last year or anything of the magnitude of last year at all as much as that would make me uWu so hard. Although... what if he pulls a 360 on us and propose to Jk on his birthday?what? I'm speaking it into existence!

What Jimin did last year was an exception not the norm. You don't fly half way across the world just because. To me that was a grand grand gesture in the history of JK's birthdays and I don't expect a repeat of it unless the circumstances that lead to that moment repeats its self.

The circumstances being that they were broke up and he was trying to fix things. Cough, cough.

JK's birthday last year was an Echo of Manila. A general consensus among Jikookers, is that JK had been mad because Jimin was choosing to spend time with Taemin on the eve of his birthday hence why he had had posted that song knowing full well Jimin would see it as a way to guilt trip Jimin.

If that is right, then Jimin flying over to be with Jk would be a huge statement.

2015 and 2019 are the years that have stood out to me most, birthday wise: Jimin saying he wanted to give JK a kiss on his 18th birthday and him flying from Paris to South K to be with JK on his birthday.

If you've ever heard Jimin talk about money, he is prudent and wise about money. I mean rather than spend millions on a luxury apartment he chose to buy an investment property instead. He is a Libra, I wouldn't expect anything less.

On his vacation trips, he's known to share cost of expenses with the friends he travels with if he's traveling with them. I won't call him frugal though, thoughtful and selective is more like it.

So when he does something of this nature, it's not nothing. He was making a statement period. He was proving something to someone- if you say Army I'll smack the back of your head. Lol

JK. He was proving something to JK. It's always been JK- so help me lord if you say it's Fanservice! It is not. It wasn't for Fanservice.

I've seen people around corners of the internet saying he didn't have to post his Paris video if he was going to go see JK anyway to celebrate with him. That the whole video message thing on Twitter seemed very much private.

I agree with the part about the video seeming private. It seemed personal to me. But it also seemed like the point of that video was to let JK know his location at the time to perhaps throw him off the surprise he had planned for later.

People have argued JM was just pulling a 'prank' on JK with that whole Paris trip to begin with. They were on a hiatus, they had been together prior to JM leaving for France a few days to JK's birthday so it doesn't make sense that they would be broken up at that time period and it doesn't make sense that Jimin will leave for Paris and fly back home only to leave again so it must be a prank.

... Sure. Valid point. However, I don't see Jimin being reckless with money or honestly that shallow. If that was a prank that was an expensive one.

And yes, Jimin didn't have to go on the trip. It wasn't business. It was leisure. I can see how that would be confusing to JK especially when it seemed JM was choosing to spend time with someone, be somewhere else rather than with him on his birthday- yet again. Coughing in Manila.

But sure, I can see how that would be the best 'prank' surprise for JK. Shaking my head. I don't think that was all that was happening with Jikook around that time as I have hinted at several times across my blog posts.

Jikook were broke up around that time, that trip was a grand gesture, Jimin's way to make up with Jk let him know he's learned his lessons. His friends are important but JK comes first. The lightning struck twice for JM and he got a second chance to redeem himself- the definition of GRAND gesture.

If you are a Kpop enthusiast you would also know about the political climate in S.K around that time frame and how it was impacting the Kpop world in general. Certain Boy Bands were under investigation for certain 'offences' I don't want to get into.

On August 11th, one member of such said boy band was arrested- allegedly. I don't know what it had to do with BTS or whether it had anything to do with them at all and I'm not insinuating anything but I just found that impromptu hiatus in August a bit suspicious giving everything else that was going on in S.K.

If 'people' were looking into Kpop boybands then I am certain BTS was on top of that list just because they are the biggest boyband and have been a target of haters for years.

Needless to say, I do not think they were gonna find anything at all on the boys if in deed they had looked but if the boys had a secret- like say two of their members being in the LGBTQ plus community then I assume that secret was bound to be found out?

It is why I believe the boys were asked to lay low in August and that Jikook specifically had been asked by BigHit to tone things down while they navigated the muddy mess of public scrutiny- in my opinion.

I also find it a bit interesting that both of Jikook later that same month and period would be involved in a scandal involving women- But feel free to draw your own conclusions on that however you please. This is just mine: I think that move was straight out of the PR books. Classic Olivia Pope-esque move. Lol

I know some people think it is in the best interest of Jikook to hide their relationship if they are real and that Jikook want to hide their relationship: I disagree.

Just based on my own observation, I don't think they enjoy hiding at all. Especially JK. Well, he did say he didn't want to hide anymore in GCF Saipan didn't he? Can't argue with that.

But also, out of the two, JK is the one who seems the most grounded and sure about their relationship. This is seen best in moments where they've almost been caught. JK's been the least bothered or throw off. Almost as if he doesn't mind if people find out about them.

For instance, when BTS exposed JK for sneaking into Jimin's bed Jimin looked terrified as fuck. He pointed to JK, almost throwing him under the bus but for someone behind the camera asking him to chill, Jimin would have freaked out of his mind.

Then we have that infamous moment when Jimin and JK walked into JK's room and spotted the camera. The look on JM's face said it all. But JK seemed pretty chill about it to me.

Now these moments are relevant because JM was caught unaware. They were both caught off guard and so their reactions were instinctive. By instinct Jimin freaked out which says to me he is afraid to be exposed or outed perhaps because he isn't ready to come out- yet. While JK's reaction on the other says to me he doesn't mind at all if people found out about them which could be because he is ready to come out.

I know what you are thinking and no. That time in the track when they were caught taking photos- JK looked more like he didn't appreciate the invasion of his privacy rather then terrified he was caught. They were on set and so they knew there were cameras roaming around and anyone could stumble on them. They were both consciously self aware of their environment which is why JM was able to make a quick comeback.

I can go on and on about this about this topic but the post is already getting too long.

My point is, Jikook don't like to hide. When you are in love you want the whole world to know. And so often, they fluctuate between wanting to keep their relationship a secret for the sake of their careers and wanting to declare and openly claim eachother.

Keeping their relationship a secret is bound to be stressful on them physically and emotionally. Just because they don't like to be outed don't mean they enjoy hiding.

Their secret is not theirs alone to tell. They have people whose careers depend on them. Their secret is inextricably linked with five other people. People whose careers could end instantly if their secret so much as came out accidentally or even by design.

I don't think either of them is selfish enough to risk that. Not even in the name of love. And this is especially true for Jimin the way I see it. As for JK..... I don't think he gives a shit. Bless him.

This doesn't mean, however, that they don't enjoy teetering the line. It's part of the thrill that fuels their passions- when they get to play at being caught and exposed or just the mere thought they are out smarting the public- fucking exhibitionist!

Jokes aside, I believe there is a sense of comfort and security they get from knowing there are thousands of people out there who enjoy and celebrate their love as openly as they would want to and they live openly vicariously through us.

Our support and acceptance means so much to them. Which is why often you find them reaching out to us.

Being told to lay low even if it's for their own interests would get on their nerves especially for a rebel like JK and Jimin knew this hence why that public display of his affection for Jk on Twitter.

Thus, I do I think JM would make another gesture similar to what he did last year but whatever gesture of he does make one would be unique in it's own way from last year's and would be more of an assurance of his love for JK and a prove to Army that they are fine just because i think they have both been through a lot this year just as he said in the dynamite MV reaction VLive which was rudely sabotaged by Tae.

Jimin seemed like he wanted to have a 'public' moment with JK as explained in my previous post on the Dynamite Reaction Vlive. And given as that moment was interrupted, I expect him to try that again. Whatever message he wanted to deliver it seemed more intended for JK as much as us their supporters.

He has been pretty active on social media lately in the days leading up to JK's birthday. He seems to be gearing up for something. He ain't slick.

So yea, part of me hopes and expect him to do something nice, to make a statement similar to last year's but I cannot ignore also that there's been a lot of eyes and attention on Jikook a lot lately. More so than usual.

Posting something of that nature would single them out and only escalate the situation especially if it is something that makes them both stand out from the others.

For context, I am talking about the heat they recieved as a result of the Dynamite MV. That heat is drenched in homophobia and they and BigHit could care shit about that as I explained in my previous post but you have to understand it can have a negative impact on their mental health.

I mean, NamJoon is constantly being paired with JK a lot lately. It's almost as if he is keeping an eye on Him constantly if you know what I mean. Tae has also been keeping an eye on Jikook, outing Jikook's schemes and shenanigans before they happen like in that Dynamite MV Reaction VLive where he asked JK not to look into the camera during Jimin's solo commentary.

It's understandable. Their interest is as stake too. If Jikook go down, they are going down too. It's daisy.

What I'm saying is, Jikook is being monitored and it would be daring of Jimin to do something as grand for JK openly like that.

But who knows. If it's gonna make JK happy because they've both been through a lot this half of the year then JM would definitely definitely do it. He is defiant like that and he can be a bit of a dare devil when it comes to proving his stance to Jk. He wouldn't hesitate for a second. I love that about him.

Mad respect for him if he does. Mad mad respect for him if he does. But if he doesn't you'd all know why.

In conclusion, I'm saying I'm expecting something more than a happy birthday text from Jimin this year. I'm expecting something more meaningful, deep, coded and uniquely Jikook.

If it happens to be a proposal Ayla you can have all my shmoney! Lol

Signed,

GOLDY

[ascendanceseriesveteran]

Jaron vs. Ghosts - Day 9 Prompt Part 1

Almost like a fanfiction to be completely honest

------------------------------------------------

Imogen: Jaron, do I even want to know?

Jaron: It's important.

Imogen: So "important" that you had to ruin my dress..?

Jaron: Shh. Weren't you reading or something?

Imogen: EXCUSE ME MISTER, DON'T SHUSH ME-

Jaron: Shhhhhh.

Imogen:

Imogen: Right... you're sleeping on the floor tonight.

Jaron: ...

Jaron: *pouting and puppy dog eyes*

Imogen: Ugh... You're sleeping on the floor unless you tell me what you're doing.

Jaron: I'm going to scare the shit out of Fink, and maybe Roden too, seeing as they have approximately the same mental age and capacity for logical thought.

Imogen: Mmmm, just the two of them are irrational and immature, no one else?

Jaron: (faking offence) Lady Imogen, what in Carthya's name are you implying.

Imogen: (crawling to Jaron who's on the other end of the bed and giving him a quick, affectionate kiss.)

Jaron: It's your fault for marrying me anyway. I'm afraid I'm a one-time, non-returnable deal.

Imogen: If you came with a return policy, I would have burned the return policy. Besides, you're only immature at times and I love you very, very much... Happy?

Jaron: Very much so, muffin.

Imogen: So... what's the game plan?

Jaron: Ah, so you ARE team "immature" after all. (Imogen rolls her eyes with a smile). Well, here's how it's going to go down. You know how Fink has been parading ghost conspiracy theories around and obsessing over "spirits"?

Imogen: (Nods in reply and starts carding her fingers through Jaron's hair).

Jaron: Well... (Jaron spreads out the dress to show thin but secure ropes tied to the shoulders of the dress and at the sleeves as well, like a marionette puppet that can be controlled from above.) I think it might be fun to indulge Fink's little obsession just a smidge.

----------------

One hour later...

Jaron and Imogen are on the 2nd floor balcony. Below them is an open walkway, a route that Fink and Roden often take to their sword-training sessions. They have the dress in hand, ready to swing it below with the illusion of a ghost-like entity.

Imogen: Are you sure this will work?

Jaron: Pfft, I've had worse plans that panned out just fine.

Imogen: Like the one last week where you crept up while I was minding my own business, reading, peacefully, and you decided it was wise to scare me into the next life?

Jaron: Precisely.

Imogen: How's that bruise by the way.

Jaron: (cringing) Be sure to remind me NOT to scare you when you're holding a book. It's incredible how quick your reflexes become when you're not thinking-

Imogen: What was that..?

Jaron:

Jaron: What?

Imogen: That noise.

Jaron: There was no-

The soft clatter of metal sounds from around the corner.

Jaron: At times like these I wished you'd have let me carry my sword.

A gust of wind rushes at the two of them next as windows open from around that corner.

Imogen: Jaron.

Taking Imogen's hand, he motions for them to move silently in the other direction. They turn the opposing corner and see a singular armour rack standing in the centre of the corridor. Imogen's grip tightens around his hand.

Jaron: So that's not creepy, AT all.

He pulls Imogen along as they shuffle backwards, turning the corner yet again, not taking their eyes off the armour rack. They continue like that until Jaron's back collides with something cold. He freezes. As he slowly turns around to see what caused the abrupt stop, a scream he didn't recognise rips through his throat and he falls clumsily and painfully onto his backside. He had just walked into an armour rack, one that wasn't there before. In his shock, he barely registered the laugher that cooled his veins. It was coming from the entities... no... Imogen? She was doubled over and holding her stomach. Tears of joy seemingly streaming down her face as she giggled uncontrollably. More chuckling erupted and echoed through the hall where he turned to see Fink, Roden, Tobias and Amarinda emerge. Proud expressions were plastered on their very pleased faces. However the one most pleased expression belonged to Imogen, who had managed to get her laughter under control eventually.

Roden cackled: I didn't know you could scream like a girl.

Jaron: I... I don't understand?

Imogen: Oh don't you, my love? (Imogen kneels down and grins at him, lovingly poking Jaron's nose on his very confused face.) You were just outwitted by your wife.

The group falls into fits of hysteria yet again while Jaron frowns at this newly proclaimed development Imogen had just posed.

Imogen: As a revenge plot for your completely unsolicited scare last week and the very many times you've pulled some trick against us all, I offered everyone a way to humiliate you. Lets just say, they accepted before I even finished explaining.

Imogen was grinning like an idiot and Jaron stared at her, dazed and uncomprehending.

Imogen: I got Fink to plant the fear of ghosts in your mind. Knowing you as well as I do, I predicted your dress prank long before you even got the idea. You were so invested in Fink's ghost stories that a part of you believed them too, and the rest really was just Tobias' contraptions at work.

An embarrassed blush spread across the King's features as he looked around at everyone. A part of him was immensely proud, that Imogen had successfully outmanoeuvred himself, not that she hadn't done so many times before. But the majority of him was just blatantly humiliated. Why did he even scream like that? But he supposed that was Imogen's plan all along. He glanced back at Imogen whose face was bright with joy, forcing a smile from himself that he tried to subdue.

Jaron swallowed before mumbling: You win. Well done muffin.

----------------

The end.

#jarogen #she's just as bad a he is #the ascendance series #the ascendance trilogy #ascendance month #ascendance month 2020 #the false prince #the runaway king #the shadow throne #the captive kingdom #king jaron #queen imogen #jaron #prince jaron #imogen #tobias #fink #roden #amarinda