#and also you were a little bit gayer than you expected?

[gonnahaveabigtalklater]

Worlds End (2013) 🤝 Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022): what if being your ordinary struggling flawed self actually saved the world?

#and also you were a little bit gayer than you expected?

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

Feb 2023 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most. 

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - WinSound totally won me over in this ep. They were great. Their competitive style of romance, made me really happy. Double tsundere it’s so rare to get and not be annoying or depressing. Of course the mains were adorable too. 

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) ep 8 of 12 - Solid little episode. Perth in the pool, thank U BL gods. Peeling the shrimp to rope, always a favorite of mine. Some awesome couple flirting and a nice romantic sex scene. What’s not to like about this episode?

Hit Bite Love (Sat YouTube) ep 2 of 6 - King is fucking adorable. Burger is clueless and (apparently) entirely straight. Shogun is one of the gayest characters ever put in high school BL. Heda is kinda awesome, basically a chaos wingman. Matteo is interesting. I genuinely like the central friendship between King & Shogun a lot. Queer baby besties! It’s Ming & Wayo-esk but better. Holy KINK FEST outta nowhere, BLman! I’m getting total whiplash with this show. Very Make It Right. What does it want to be? Who tf knows but I’m into it, that’s for sure. It’s accomplishing something, which most pulps don’t.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) ep 11fin - my backup computer is down so I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet. Hopefully but next week’s report.   

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Weds Viki) ep 6 of 10 (or 11&12 of 20) - Jonny’s hair is driving me nuts. Hai Yi’s behavior is confusing me too. Office boys remain totally adorable. Very doomy mid run ep 6. Ah Taiwan, how unpredictable you are. 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - these weirdos make for very strange boyfriends. Frankly? K seems like a useless bit of business, if you ask me. 

Individual Circumstances (Korea Thurs Viki) ep 5-6 of 8 - I’m just annoyed with Mr. Tsundere at this point, he’s gone from grumpy to mean. I just want him to have a really good reason for having disappeared without saying anything, and good does not mean “sensitive pathetic authorial feels.” You don’t abandon your best friend just because you fell in love with them, that’s an unforgivably shitty thing to do. 

The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu (Japan Sun Gaga ep 1 of 8 - Stars Toshiki Seto (Senpai, This Can't Be Love). The world is about to be destroyed by a meteor, so Masumi visits his old uni library to read as much as he wants until the end. There he meets Ritsu, his player ex. It’s a bit awkward, and I’m not sure about the premise (it scares me that it might be sad). It’s racier, gayer, and has better kissing than i was expecting (again a sign it might go dark). Also Is Ritsu a big time bi-slut player or is that Masumi’s perspective? Regardless I’m intrigued if wary. 

Finished this week

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) ep 7fin - They are so cute it’s unbelievable. I thought it was a good office romance ending, if not a great Bl ending. All in all this is a darn near perfect nugget of an office romance BL, sweet and much gayer than we have any right to expect from Korea. Rainbow rice cakes forever! 9/10

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) ep 12fin - It’s a serviceable series about hot swimmers flirting and dealing with family drama in a sweetly earnest manner, but ultimately it squanders the talent in play. I would’ve preferred a cleaner narrative arc, less angst and more plot, fewer couples, and a shorter series. That said, there’s nothing objectively wrong, sub-standard, or off-putting about this show. And it has lots of consent and other good qualities. It’s fine. Watch along here. 8/10

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) ep 12fin - I did think a lot over why I disliked this one. Because on the surface it’s just your standard slightly terrible Thai pulp, and I’m usually not that mean about them. I think in the end it comes down to the uke who just seemed to never warm to the boy pursuing him, and never really actually wanted to be his boyfriend. Also terrible dead fish kiss. 5/10 

Gossip

Apparently we have new scions (waves goodbye to BrightWin) - GeminiFourth: The Crown Princes of BL. If you’re wondering how their chemistry is so good (My School President), this article may explain it. 

In Case You Missed It

Caught up on 2020′s The Reason Why He Fell In Love With Me. (Gaga picked it up and I’ve been wanting to see it since it got announced in 2019.) 

TRWHFILWM Series 1 - 2 teachers who work together at the same high school, one outgoing and the other reserved, start an affair. Gave me Ossan’s Love vibes and that is my least favorite kind of JBL. It’s just far too cartoonish and slapstick and I don’t like it. That said, it has several kisses, a happy ending, and they are cute together. So if you can this style BL, it you might like it. 

TRWHFILWM Special - Completely ignores the first couple and the teacher premise, carrying over just one main character, and should have been a new BL (Boys Love flashbacks). I understand 2021′s season 2 continues this tactic. But I’ll watch it eventually. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Not a lot actually, which is cool, I still got some 2022 catching up still to do. Why You Y Me, may be? 

Starting: 

Moonlight Chicken (Weds? YouTube) 1 of 8 -   

My Beautiful Man S2 - ??? sorry I’m scared of this one and not really paying attention, it being Japan and a desirable property, I’m assuming it will either be impossible to find or just show up on my dash in 2 places at once. 

Feb releases list is here. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post. (see comments some are inaccurate, NOT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Hit Bite Love it’s classic terrible Thai pulp and I’m kinda loving it. 

Thank you very much GMMTV. 

FINALLY! 

Also FINALLY. 

More FINALLY (My School President). 

I love the acknowledged combative nature of this relationship. It’s great. 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Under the Skin by &team, eh, it’s catchy I guess

#SoundWin #this week in BL #bl news #BL gossip #upcoming BL #best BL #new BL #BL reviews #Thai BL #korean bl #Taiwanese BL #Japanese BL #live action yaoi #Rakutan Viki #gagaoolala #GMMTV #Kpop earworm #My School President #Never Let Me Go #Hit Bite Love #Make It Right #609 Bedtime Story #HIStory 5: Love in the Future #Candy Color Paradox #Ameiro Paradox #Individual Circumstances #The End Of The World With You #Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu #The New Employee #Between Us

[purrtylilith]

Gay News!

Once upon a time in the bustling city of New York, Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, and Y/N found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of unexpected events. As members of the Avengers, they were used to facing dangerous missions and saving the world. However, this particular day would prove to be quite different.

Tony Stark, the eccentric billionaire and genius inventor, had recently installed a new feature in the Avengers' headquarters. It was a state-of-the-art holographic news system that provided updates on various topics. Tony, always one for entertainment, decided to spice things up a bit.

"And now for a gay update with Natasha and Y/N," Tony announced with a mischievous grin, causing both Natasha and Y/N to exchange puzzled glances.

Y/N, a kind-hearted and brave individual, was known for their unwavering support and friendship towards Natasha. They had formed a strong bond over the years, always having each other's backs during missions and offering a shoulder to lean on during tough times.

"Getting gayer," Y/N responded playfully, not entirely sure what Tony had in mind.

Natasha, a skilled spy and warrior, couldn't help but chuckle at Y/N's response. She had always admired their lightheartedness and ability to find humor in any situation. Little did they know, this unexpected turn of events would bring them even closer together.

Tony, ever the showman, continued with a smirk, "Thank you, Y/N."

As the days went by, Tony's "gay updates" became a regular occurrence. Each time, Natasha and Y/N would play along, exchanging witty banter and sharing playful glances. The rest of the Avengers found themselves entertained by their dynamic, often joining in on the fun.

However, amidst the laughter and camaraderie, something began to change. Natasha and Y/N started to realize that their connection ran deeper than just friendship. The playful banter and stolen glances began to carry a different meaning, one that neither of them had anticipated.

One evening, after a particularly intense mission, Natasha found herself seeking solace in the Avengers' training room. Y/N, sensing her distress, followed suit, their concern for each other overpowering any fear of crossing boundaries.

As they stood in the dimly lit room, their eyes met, and the unspoken tension between them became palpable. Without a word, Natasha closed the distance between them, her hand gently cupping Y/N's cheek. Y/N's heart raced as they leaned into the touch, their lips meeting in a tender and passionate kiss.

In that moment, everything fell into place. The world around them seemed to fade away as they discovered a love they had never expected. Their connection, once rooted in friendship, had blossomed into something beautiful and profound.

Word of their newfound romance spread throughout the Avengers' headquarters, and their teammates couldn't have been happier for them. Tony, who had inadvertently played a role in bringing them together, couldn't resist making a final announcement.

"And now for the gayest update of all: Natasha and Y/N, officially a couple!" Tony declared, his voice filled with genuine joy.

Natasha and Y/N, now unafraid to embrace their love openly, stood side by side, their hands intertwined. They had overcome countless obstacles together, but this newfound love was their greatest victory yet.

As they continued to fight alongside their fellow Avengers, Natasha and Y/N's love story became an inspiration to all. It taught them that love knows no boundaries, and that sometimes, the most unexpected connections can lead to the most extraordinary adventures.

And so, Natasha and Y/N's journey continued, their love growing stronger with each passing day. Together, they faced the challenges that came their way, knowing that as long as they had each other, they could conquer anything that stood in their path.

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #nat

[eastgaysian]

do you think that a lot of s4 critique (esp on tumblr) is coming from the tomgreg “field”? bc i mean - they all seem very disappointed with the way this season is playing out and, without meaning to be patronizing, i’d say unmet expectations like that can cloud (or at least colour) one’s general opinion on a piece of media immensely. we’ve all had it happen to us in some way at some point, so i get it but also…don’t shit in everyone’s müsli just bc a specific relationship didn’t happen in the way you’d envisioned :( alsooo tomshiv is much gayer than tomgreg could have ever hoped to be idc idc

it's something i've been avoiding saying directly, because it feels slightly dickish, but We Can All See With Our Eyes that there is a correlation between people heavily invested in tomgreg and people who are expressing dissatisfaction with s4. it's also fairly obvious that i stopped giving a shit about tomgreg over the course of the year+ of getting harrassed and finally getting my blog terminated for expressing mild criticism wrt patterns of misogyny in fandom. which i think entitles me to a little bit of dickishness.

the thing is, you can have whatever opinion on a show you want for whatever reason you want. it's fine to say you're disappointed in the relative lack of tom and greg this season, because that's what you were personally invested in. your emotional response to the season is your emotional response. full stop. a big part of why i've been enjoying this season so much is because i started watching this show after my dad died, and it's very cathartic for me to watch such a realistic and thoughtful depiction of grief in all its messiness and complexity. i'm connecting to these characters more than ever because i've been there. that's personal! that's subjective! that's okay!

what irritates me is: a) being disingenuous about the reason you dislike the season, b) in a way that implies disliking the season is the 'correct' opinion to have, either on a moral basis or because this season is objectively and uniquely bad writing/directing/editing, c) to the extent that it creates a noxious and unpleasant fan environment to participate in.

i understand where the urge comes from to defensively say "no, it's not just about my businessman yaoi, there is actually a high-minded, intellectual reason for me to spend all my time bitching." because yeah, there are people who are delighted to go fuck you anyone who cared about tom and greg, you were watching the show wrong, and that's aggravating.

deliberately misrepresenting your opinion as something with a more "rational" basis doesn't make you any better off, because it's laughably obvious when that's what you're doing, and it undermines your initial position, which was not inherently invalid in the first place. it's fine to be sad that the thing you personally wanted to happen did not happen. you can say that. you can call people dicks for being rude about it. it's fine. it's literally okay. we are all just saying shit online.

but you are just not going to be able to convince me that season 4 is overall badly written, or that it suffers from unique mechanical issues that were not already present throughout the show. it's not going to happen! d*sha redscare was literally in s3! the fact is that in a season where logan dies in episode 3, and if anybody tries to say that was a bad writing decision you know they're pulling it out of their ass, it simply Is Not Possible for tom and greg (who barely had a relationship with logan and so has fuck all to do in the wake of his death) to spend 15 minutes an episode engaging in slapstick routines. is it an awkwardly truncated storyline? maybe! but succession is littered with those, and that's because it makes the choice to prioritize its main story, which in s4 is more focused and thoughtfully written than ever.

i won't even touch on the queerbait discourse because i do not think queerbait has ever been a useful term and the idea of trying to apply that kind of analysis to succession is too idiotic to even bother engaging with. the virgin representationcel vs the chad [i will not talk about my politics on tumblr but i am a trans fag of color deeply disillusioned with most of the discourse on 'representation']. representation win! the chair of fictional fox news cheated on his wife with her cousin #gayrights. Be serious.

#mingbox #long post

[averagetmntfan]

Portals gone wrong!

(“The 4 servants Au” & “time beats a dead man Au” ((collab w/ @mikey-rottmnt)) Crossover fic!)

2/???

Tbadm universe, 12:38pm.

“uh..not to like, complain or anything but-“

“Why am i TIED UP?!?” Leo demanded, squirming in the rope. “because, you look ugly. And we don’t trust you.” Bendy pulled the rope tight, making sure it was secure. jeez, what a crazy day. First he had to calm down a guilt devoured Koi, now these Weridos fall outta the sky and invade their camp? What’s next, Someone loses a leg??

“I kinda feel bad for tying them up..” Dale whimpered. “WHY??? the little orange one was gonna attack us!!!” Chip reminded her, trying to be the reasonable one here. “Yeah but.. Besides that, they seem really nice!! and look at that one!! It’s got cool red paint on its face!!”

“as much as I love a complement, this isn’t paint. It’s my skin, thank you very much.” Leon smirked, sparkling as usual. Except there were literal sparkles..- what the hell???

Chip just..observed carefully. wow, this guy was gayer than him and mugs combined. And that’s really saying something here. Though he hated to admit, these guys did seem kinda harmless.

‘I’m sure the grown-up’s could take these bozos in a fight, anyway. So..whats the big deal?? What’s everyone so afraid of?’

Chip, being the observant guy he is, decided to go check on the others. Since everyone was acting a little bit off. And suspicious, he might add. “Come on.” He Signaled Dale to ‘follow his lead.’ And within seconds, the siblings were on a investigation.

———————————————————————

it was quiet. too quiet. Why you may ask? Well, I’ll let cup answer that one.

Cuphead Stares at raph. No conversation, no movement, just an intimidating cold stare. Raph couldn’t even bare to meet his gaze, so he turned to face the tents wall. As this starring contest continued on, the 2 bystanders looked at eachother with concern.

“cup, lay off dude. It’s been like 5 minutes. You’re scaring the poor guy!!” Mugs suggested. No one dared move.

another couple minutes go by, and mugs tries again. Again, not movement.

She tries again and again, and like every time before..

Nothing happened.

“UGHH!! WHY CAN YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!” He shouted, readying up a punch to the face. “Hey, hey! Mugs, calm. Down. Anger will not fix anything.” Boris reassured him, in a desperate attempt to calm her down.

“Tell me, Bucko. Why’re you really here??” cup finally spoke up, building up the tension. Raph finally Met eyes with him.

“I don’t know, ok?! Look, one minute I was hanging out with my brothers, watching a Jupiter Jim movie, and then-“

”wait, who’s Jupiter Jim?” Mugs asked, not expecting to be heard. But of course..

He was.

“ah! Jupiter Jim is the main protagonist in me and my brothers favourite movies! He’s so cool, and also have a red panda sidekick!! But there’s also comics, fan fics, graphic novels, spin-offs, fan made episo-“

“Ok can you shut up? We don’t wanna hear about your nerdy lil sci-fi show, uh..whatever you are.” Raph went completely silent after that, slightly embarrassed.

“Dude. I-“ mugs sighs.

“Ok, move it boy toy.” He attempts to shove cup outta the way. But uh..

Cup snickers at his brothers failed attempt to move him.

“Keep trying, toothpick. One day maybe you’ll be able to make me move an arm” he howls with laughter. Mugs rolled his eyes. Tsk, at least he wasnt an overachiever study nerd.

Raph Just Watch the 2 siblings, letting out a small laugh.

Cup immediately turned his attention back to raph, looking kinda..pissed..off? Uh oh..-

“Find something funny?” his voice was low, as he inched in closer to Raph’s face. He stares at him again, narrowing his eye.

“n-nooooooo…?”

“just leave the guy alone. You’re being a bitch.” Mugs told him off, putting a hand on her hip.

“WHA- I AM NOT!! THIS GUY COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS!!!” “Cup, he doesn’t even have any weapons.” this seems to get cup upset, he rolls his eyes and storms out. What a baby. Mugs scowls at him as he leaves, soon turning his gaze to their unexpected visitor.

“Sorry..a-about him. He’s just..very cautious..of people..”

“Well, can you blame him?” Boris stepped in.

“you and him have been through a lot together. He’s just trying to protect you.”

Well, this seemed to get to mugs. He thought for a moment. She hated to admit it but..Boris was right. Maybe they’d been acting like a jerk to cup.

As he got lost in his thoughts, Boris glanced at their prisoner.

this was gonna be one hell of a day, huh.

Welp…

It’s time to prepare.

PREV MASTERPOST NEXT

#<3 #tbadm #tbadm au #tbadm mugs #tbadm cup #tbadm boris #babqftim au #t4s au #T4S leo #T4S raph #tbadm bendy #Tbadm dale #tbadm chip

[unpopularshipbracket]

Round 1a Match 16

Touko Kirigaya/Tsukushi Futaba/Mashiro Kurata (Bandori/BanG Dream!)

AO3 fic count: 0

Death/Bunnymund (Puss in Boots/Rise of the Guardians)

AO3 fic count: 2

Propaganda under the cut!

Bandori OT3

"Okay, so with these three, my shipping logic asks the question of whether it is gay to start a band with your two besties who you just met but immediately became attached to you and the idea of bands alike. The answer is yes. Mashiro, Tsukushi and Touko saw exactly one concert together at the very start of Morfonica's band story, and, after Mashiro began trying to start a band, Touko and Tsukushi immediately jumped on board, despite the facts that none of them had even touched an instrument before (except Tsukushi, who I think had played taiko drums before, but this isn't important), and this made them all super close. Later, when they'd recruited another member, the band had a bit of a fallout which caused Mashiro to briefly leave, and Touko and Tsukushi were both so upset by this that it interfered with their practice, and it was super obvious to even their new bandmate that they were just missing Mashiro. Then Mashiro apologized for the whole fallout and was happily accepted into the band again. This leads into a ton of events, since Bandori operates by progressing the story through different in-game events, which opened the story up for a lot of focus on their dynamic where Touko and Tsukushi's dynamic is pretty teasing from Touko's end but they still care for and respect each other a lot, Touko and Mashiro's dynamic is pretty similar since it's easy to poke fun at the mess that is Mashiro but for some reason Touko somehow ends up saying much gayer things to Mashiro all the time and helping to get her out of her comfort zone, and Tsukushi and Mashiro's dynamic, which I know is the most popular out of these three, is very devoid of this gentle teasing and is more based around mutual understanding, respect and shared experiences, since, instead of it being one of these two with an ever-confident Touko, it's somebody with super obviously low self-esteem (Mashiro) and somebody who seems very confident (to the point where the band story fallout I noted involved Mashiro being frustrated at Tsukushi because she saw her as somebody who was infinitely more talented and confident than her and that she was expecting too much from her) but also loses her confidence super quickly and very frequently loses faith in herself. Their dynamic is a little more focused on because a lot of their stories involve them taking inspiration from each other (such as in band story 2, which takes place after Tsukushi got a part-time job, and involves Tsukushi telling Mashiro that she wouldn't have even done that if she wasn't inspired by how confident Mashiro had grown). That being said, there is the underlying theme between the three of them just having a lot of admiration and trust in each other even if Touko rarely expresses it."

Deathster:

"I mean, life and death. Two hot furry men. What else is there not to love?"

#rise of the guardians #puss in boots #bandori #bang dream #touko kirigaya #tsukushi futaba #mashiro kurata #bang dream! #poll

[mejomonster]

Some of my favorite (recent-ish) Thai bl were:

Bad Buddy: if I'm going to recommend any coming of age romcom college set bl it's this one. The way it uses so many staple tropes in a fresh way, Ohm and Nanon are great actors and really bring a whole other level of energy, the actual conflict in the story is very realistic and heavy and a real topic I think a lot of young adults deal with regarding their families and expectations. So it's mostly romantic comedy, but the heavy moments resonate so that it doesn't really feel unrealistic. It's very high brightness overly kind of fantastical rather than real in presentation and tropes used (quite common in fluff bl like 2gether and My School President and Theory of Love etc), but the chemistry of the leads feels executed very realistically and again the actual delivery of tropes and conflicts feels very grounded in a way. Highly recommended to most peoples tastes tbh (and special mention to My School President, while it was a little Too fluffy for my tastes, it also did a balance of romcom and a grounded heart to the conflicts which I think is part of why it had such big appeal, along with really solid leads that are going to be bringing a lot to any project they work on in the future)

Never Let Me Go: THE action bl as of recently. Gave me everything I could ask, from the leads in The Gifted Graduation bringing their acting game with roles that let them truly show off what they can do, to a high body count of murders and action scenes, mafia sons falling in love with people oh so different from them, a batman esque lead, rich boy falls for poor bodyguard whipping boy trope but also Not quite because the show Really wants to comment on class issues and inequality and makes sure the audience gets the point (a core issue in the relationship is how to be equals given who they are), and a reference to the quote about soulmates that Xena Warrior Princess also uses. It also has Chimon. It's also aesthetically pleasing af. Idk what to tell you, I love when Jojo directs something and this Gave me WAY more than I thought I could get. I'm happy to say that in the post Not Me world we are seeing more action romance bls, not just romcom/fluff ones (though there's always plenty of those too). I personally am eagerly hoping this trend continues and we keep getting at least a few action romance bls a year like this one, Kinnporshe, Manner of Death, Not Me. I've started Laws of Attraction and that's looking similarly promising. (And while I highly recommend Not Me the series, one of my top shows PERIOD... I'm only listing newer shows than that right now).

The Eclipse: this show was exactly what I'd hope it would deliver, and more frankly (because I was hoping for at minimum the Blacklist quality and at max dream hopes The Gifted quality). Well it delivered closer to The Gifted. Politically heavy, really well done in that regard from the overt to the subtle, amazing entire ensemble cast (even the side actors are strong actors that have been in other things), Khaotung and First are both particularly amazing (Khaotung impresses me no matter what role he's given frankly). Aesthetically it's exactly what you'd hope if your hopes like mine were The Gifted but only real evil people no mutants, and explicitly gayer. If you perhaps are willing to have a high school setting, but very much do Not want fluff dominant story and instead a tense mystery with at least half the characters already out and proud queer people (but still some of the cute romance tropes executed a bit less fluffily) then this may be your jam.

Moonlight Chicken: if you'd like multigenerational queer stories, centering on a family slice of life realism piece, this show is <3. The second main pairing is the same actors from My School President and I think they really shine here where the romance relies less on tropes and the dialogue is more realistic so the intensity of scenes really leans on actors. I love their characters in this and they stole the show for me. The first main pairing is messy and adult, with adult problems (like actual ones not just romantic drama: like raising a nephew, running a store, working for a company that's destroying your lovers neighborhood). But also not actually that messy, I'd say in terms of messy it's for the most part wholesome and soft. If you liked 1000 Stars (I did) then this shows realistic slice of life feel will be comfortable and homey, and the amount of skinship in this show is less conservative for even more of a cozy natural feeling.

And the one I'm most anticipating coming out: Only Friends. Khaotung and First lead it, so I'm basically certain the main story will be absolute gold (since I eat up every role they play their acting is just <3 like dude I watched the Shipper for First okay and 5555 Never too Late for Khaotung which was an Amazing show btw). Now.. Only Friends is directed by Jojo (yay for me) and in theory it IS going to be as messy as it looks (and it looks at least as messy as Friendzone). So if Moonlight Chicken is too fluffy and tame for you, then you might want this show on your radar. I think it is slated for August but I'm not sure as I try not to get too hype for things until theyre out so I avoid most news.

#the eclipse the series #never let me go #moonlight chicken #bad buddy #rant #rec list

[papermonkeyism]

Alright, I have now officially seen Critical Role campaign 2, had some time to watch the campaign wrap up and just generally put thoughts in a row.

Some of said thoughts, in no particular order:

I appreciate how, like, 90% of the muscle mass of the group is firmly on the lady-side of the party. Personally quite happy about that.

I don't think I ever really got over the character death, but I do appreciate the narrative weight of it and I have a huge soft spot for the character we got out of it so. Man, the story would have been so different, huh?

I hadn't thought one could steal a ship by accident but

Lots of eyeballs in this campaign.

The entire Happy Fun Ball thing.

Jester having the Sending spell was amazing.

Speaking of Jester, I lost my shit with the blueberry cupcake. You know the one.

Personally very pleased by getting to know characters of races that usually get portrayed as evil by default as people, as this has been one of my pet peeves in fantasy genre for decades.

Love the character designs of some of the NPCs. Special shoutout to Orly and the moorbounder salesman.

I really, really enjoyed watching Caduceus interact with his family. That was all very authentic sibling relationship shenanigans, and I love it so much.

Also the dinner scene.

Really, I have only experienced three of Taliesin's characters so far (Mollymauk, Caduceus and Ashton), but I got to say I really appreciate how he does characters. Very aesthetic.

(the reunion two parter is going to be interesting)

The Travelercon. Just... the Travelercon

I still think Yasha "negative 2 charisma modifier" Nydoorin attempting to flirt was the funniest thing ever, in a sweet way.

This was overall gayer than I expected. I'm used to keeping my expectations low to non existent, so I was quite happy to be surprised. Cozy.

Speaking of, I now understand why I keep seeing so much fan art of the sad trash wizard with a drow.

The M9 took one look at Essek and decided to adopt him

I think Caleb's character arc is the one that left me the most impressed, but they all got their chances to shine. I am weirdly proud of all of these make believe people.

Honestly, looking back, they really did get far during the course of the game. What started as a mistrusting bunch of colourful assholes grew into a tight knit and surprisingly functional found family. Specially that last battle of the series, it was efficient and had so many character points in it.

I think my favourite parts were all the heart to heart conversations between the characters sprinkled throughout the series.

Fun little extra, my local library has a copy of the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, the DnD sourcebook for the setting/continent this campaign takes place in, and I've borrowed it couple times during my watch through. It's been special bit of extra fun to whip out the giant map that comes with the book and follow the party's travels on it while watching the game sessions.

(I may or may not have bought myself the Beauregard sleeveless hoodie thing with my last month's fun money. It is soft and comfy and it has pockets.)

And so many other thoughts, but that was literally 141 episodes with the combined runtime of over five and half hundred hours. Took me about a year or so, though 3/4 of the campaign was marathoned within the last three-ish months because of not having social life.

I think I want to give a bit of a rewatch to the first episode or few, now that I've seen the whole story. Refresh how it all started.

#shut up paper

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

What are your personal opinion about queerbaiting in anime/manga? Sorry for the random ask...It's just that most of my otps are of 2 male anime/manga characters that describes as bff/ rivals/ enemies that don't have any romantic relationships.....Even after I watched/read BL anime/manga, I still ship more of them that canonly are not a couple....Is that weird?

First of all, it's fandom! Be weird, that's practically what it's for! But I think this is pretty common actually. I know I certainly relate to it.

(I apologize in advance for how little anime I'm going to specifically mention here; Moriarty the Patriot is really my biggest foray back into the genre after a like 8-10 year break from being an otaku. I'm still catching up lol.)

I define queerbaiting (and I think this IS the definition) as a situation where the creators of a piece of fiction have realized that their media is appealing to queer people, and have decided to capitalize on that interest without any intention of actually letting a queer story happen. So, Destiel for example is 100% queerbaiting: (many of) the writers dragged that out very intentionally while also being disdainful of and seemingly grossed out by their queer audience. They just wanted to see how much money they could milk from it.

On the far opposite side is something like Our Flag Means Death, which is like a love letter to queer audiences and has queer people on the creative team and is just generally a joy.

In between, you have things like Good Omens or Hannibal, that maybe weren't setting out to be queer stories, but embraced the love from that community and allowed that element to grow within the series. The anecdotal story about Hannibal; that Bryan Fuller as a gay man was actually setting out to explore straight male friendships that he didn't feel like he could entirely access himself, only to have the chemistry between the leads shift the story, is something I really love (regardless of whether it's entirely true.) THAT is the kind of romance story-telling I want to see; something organic played out between writers and actors and audience. A living thing, rather than a set-in-stone script.

So, bringing that back to anime/manga, and using the series I'm most obsessed with, I think SherLiam is a bit of that. They've been very clearly fitting into romance tropes right from the get-go, but I also would not be surprised at all if our Senseis were responding to positive feedback from fans as they keep letting it get gayer and gayer. Though I have zero expectations of the words "I love you" or of an on-page kiss (and frankly I like what we have gotten better), nothing about it feels like a loveless manipulative money-grab. It feels like, "we like this, the fans like this, so we're gonna let it be as much a romance as it can be within the confines of the magazine it's published in."

In a more general way though, I totally agree with shipping not-quite canon couples above couples in things that are strictly romances, whether straight or gay. If you're watching a romantic movie or reading a BL manga, the ending is a foregone conclusion. You know they're gonna get together. And quite often sex is brought in very early.

Personally, I prefer a genuine will they/won't they. I like not knowing. And I like a couple to get really deeply emotionally intimate before sex factors in. So slowburns and things that never really become canon, or become canon right at the end, really work for me. There's always fanfiction if things aren't resolved the way we want, and in the meantime I can enjoy seeing a pair truly get to know each other in a way that most couples who only get an hour and a half of screentime or a few episodes just don't. I'll take 100 chapters of pining with no resolution over a couple hopping in bed after 45 minutes on screen.

#rambling #queerbaiting #yuukoku no moriarty #moriarty the patriot #basically my favourite ship dynamic is anything that emotionally edges me for interminable lengths of time lol

[chiaki-c]

I watched love and thunder! Here's some thoughts

First thor movie without loki...man. feels weird

2 lead women??????? In my marvel movie?????????????

Ok was anyone else really seriously thinking for a moment there they were teasing a love rivalry situation between thor and val.....for jane's love......

I'm genuinely happy they got away with more in this movie! I was worried we were gonna have a 1 throwaway line situation and...it was like a 2 throwaway line situation lol BUT it also didn't feel like. shitty. I think it's "easier" to get away with having rock mosters holding hands but also i think there were at least 2/3 instances where they made val's love for women explicit. And at that point is enough for it to be an established character trait.

Now mr waititi you gotta deliever and give her a girlfriend or it will all be for naught

No ok honestly. This is fine but if they don't deliver i'm sorry but just throwing in lines no matter how explicit won't be particularly revolutinary.

Anywayyyy it was fun! I think i cringed a little watching the trailer so i didn't have great expectations but i liked the whole thing. The jokes were almost all funny. You can't land every one i guessss. but it was consistent enough

Ok wait actually some of the jokes with the axe were weird. It was funny enough at first but they kept the gag going too long? Also if it was a rebound vs ex situation why did they make a point of thor giving the axe its first beer or whaves..... like. Why

Disappointed in the villain? They hyped him up so much in the interviews but it was so meh. The shadow monsters also were neither scary nor left any impression on me

I'd have to rewatch it again but the editing felt a bit iffy in some parts. Some cuts were weird.

(Maybe don't film a tv show while editing a massive movie my dude)

Jane was fine! I still don't adore her necessarily but definitely was more interesting and likeable than the previous movies. I love that taika gave her a bit of cringefail charm <3

I would say that ragnarok had more of a specific aestethic than this movie but i think i liked the characters better here! Ragnarok tried way too hard to be edgy at times lol...it's why this felt simultaneously gayer and less gay than ragnarok

(really put into perspective just how much jeff goldblum being camp managed to set the vibe for that movie lmao)

fucking FORGET chris hemsworth ass LET'S TALK ABOUT CHRIS HEMSWORTH COOKING PANCAKES IN A KITCHEN APRON AND LOOSE PONYTAIL AT THE END!!!!! god that gave me a full body tingle alright

I'm guessing we're getting a taika trilogy then? Cool cool!

#i think this came out earlier over here than the us.......weird #i was glad to watch on the first day!! #i also know that if i didn't watch right away i would've ended up forgetting about it #useless posts #marvel #thor love and thunder

[sobsicles]

claire's not expecting them to be at the door. she blinks at the sight of four men all huddled on the stoop with flowers and what appears to be bags of food flowing from their arms. jack is peeking above a bouquet, beaming at her.

"who's at the door?!" jody calls from the kitchen, her voice muffled by the sound of grease popping and the clanking of pans and spatulas meeting over and over.

"god," claire calls back, because she likes to think she's funny.

there's a beat of silence, and then jody's sticking her head out the kitchen. the moment she sees them, she breaks out into a grin and saunters over, shoving the spatula in claire's hand as she chatters away.

"what's going on out there?" donna asks as claire escapes back to the kitchen to poke at food jody is apparently willing to burn just because the winchesters decided to show their faces today of all days.

"judgement day," claire says dryly.

donna shares a look with patience. "haven't we dealt with that already a few times?"

"only by association," claire admits, "but i wouldn't put it past them to bring it along with 'em now. the boys are here."

"oh, isn't that nice?" donna chirps, already popping up from her chair. "i didn't know they were stopping by today."

"wonder how sam's doing," patience agrees, wandering out the kitchen right along with donna. claire can hear everyone cracking up and talking in the living room.

trust the winchesters to shake things up just by showing up. can't have one goddamn day, can they? well, that's not true. in their case, as far as claire is concerned, they're shitty for showing up and shitty for not. someone has to knock 'em all down a peg or two, so she might as well be the one.

"what did that chicken ever do to you?" kaia asks teasingly as she sidles into the kitchen and stops by the stove, hip-checking claire out of the way to take over.

"the boys are here," claire informs her.

kaia raises her eyebrows. "like, the boys as in the winchesters, or is this a milkshake pun?"

"i can only be so gay, sweetheart," claire says, shooting her a flat look.

"raise the bar a little. could be gayer. you can always be gayer," kaia teases, reaching out to sneak her hand around claire's hip, her eyes bright with amusement.

"you know what? you're right," claire agrees and immediately tries to cop a feel while kaia laughs and dances out of range.

jack appears in the doorway. "hello," he says, whispering for some reason. "claire, i need your help."

"no," claire says, not even glancing at him. she continues to try and put her hand up kaia's shirt, just to see her laugh.

"can i borrow twenty dollars?" jack asks.

"no. aren't you god?"

"yes, but i don't get paid to be."

"well, sucks for you. borrow money from cas," claire mutters, settling in behind kaia as she focuses on the food on the stove, swatting lazily at claire's roaming hands.

"he'll just borrow money from dean."

"borrow from sam."

"he'll just borrow money from dean."

"borrow from—wait, why does it matter if it's from dean? just borrow from him."

jack huffs. "i can't. i need the money for dean. i have a card, and i read online it's customary to give money with a card. also, will you sign it?"

"you got dean a card?" claire asks, craning her head around to stare at jack skeptically.

"yes."

"don't tell me it's for what i think it is."

"mother's day," jack confirms unironically.

claire wheezes out a laugh. "oh my god."

"there's a pen in the catty on the fridge," kaia says, clearly amused.

"yeah. yeah, this is—yeah." claire chokes on more laughter and stumbles towards the group of pens in the magnet container on the fridge. she waggles her fingers at jack, clearing her throat, lips twitching. "hand it over, beanstalk. you're a fucking genius."

"oh! thank you," jack declares cheerfully, passing over the card. "so, can i borrow twenty dollars?"

"hell no," claire says. she braces the card against the fridge and swallows down a laugh. sam has already signed it. this just gets better and better. happy mother's day, old man, aka the secondary source of my mommy and daddy issues. you're going for gold with this double-whammy, she writes.

"but i need it," jack insists, staring at her with wide eyes.

claire shrugs. "tough break, kid. what, cas doesn't give you an allowance? is it just me, or are dads getting stricter these days?"

"i didn't think about it in advance," jack admits sadly. "i want to do it right for the holiday. it's mother's day, claire."

"i'm well aware. sorry to break it to you, kid, but last I checked, your mom's as dead as mine," claire tells him, her voice flat. he frowns and she forces herself not to feel bad. everything that sucks for him sucked for her first, so her sympathy levels are a little drained. "father's day will roll around eventually, and you've got a long line of those, so wait your turn."

"i've already done something for my mother today," jack says slowly, his eyebrows furrowed. "i visited her in heaven."

claire snorts derisively and passes the card back over. "must be nice."

"it was," jack agrees, completely missing the point. "i really can't borrow twenty dollars? i'll pay you back."

"nah," claire says. "who cares anyway? wait, why is dean the mom?"

"well, castiel is my father."

"ah, so it's about them having the hots for each other, then? really, kid, you coulda just made dean your step-dad."

jack blinks. "they have the...hots for each other? you mean sex. they have sex?"

"you know what?" claire points at him with her free hand. "i'm not gonna burst your bubble on that one. you've got enough issues on your own without wondering if mommy and daddy still have a spark, so I'm gonna leave that alone. i've got five dollars. take it or leave it."

"deal," jack says immediately.

money is exchanged, and jack looks like he's on cloud nine. claire's just stoked to see the expression on dean's face when he gets the card. it's a homemade card and everything, nothing like the two claire, kaia, patience, and alex got for jody and donna.

claire helps kaia finish up the chicken, which promptly gets set aside to wait on the rest of the food in the oven. sam wanders in at some point to drop off the food they brought. dessert, by the looks of it. pies and cakes that go in the fridge. it's kind of them, but claire would shoot herself in the foot before she ever admits it.

she lets kaia tug her into the living room where everyone is already at, rolling her eyes at how cheered everyone seems just because the winchesters happened to grace their doorstep. really, they all suck.

but also—and claire will never admit this, not even to save her own life—it's nice to see 'em again. it's nice that they've come to celebrate the day in jody and donna's name, giving them flowers and such. it's nice that they hang around for a bit and don't bring the world crashing down on everyone for the duration of their stay.

and, well, it's nice to see cas, too.

he perches up next to the couch that claire is squeezed on with alex, donna, kaia, and jack. kaia is practically in her lap, but claire is secretly glad for the excuse. while everyone talks and has conversations across one another, cas focuses entirely on her.

another thing claire will never admit is how reluctantly pleased by that she is. it warms her. stupidly, it turns soft and gooey in her chest that he automatically gives her his undivided attention over everyone else, even jack. but, then again, it's not cas' day, so she doesn't have to look too close to that feeling. it's mother's day, so it's not about him.

when the food is ready, they reconvene in the kitchen, and that's when they crack out the cards and gifts. claire is practically vibrating with laughter before jack has even brought his card out. before that, though, she smiles softly and strokes kaia's thigh under the table as jody and donna read their cards and chuckle at the messages, their gazes warm and their smiles sweet. they look happy. they deserve to be.

"okay, last one," claire announces, grinning at jack. she's starting to think she likes this kid if he's an agent of chaos like this.

and okay, maybe she hates him a little in abstract, but in detail, she finds that she does actually like him. you kinda just wanna put him in your pocket without meaning to, she's learned. there's too much to explore with the whole psuedo sibling thing and parents that aren't parents, as well as parents that are but didn't choose to be, only he did choose one of them, and it wasn't her. it's complicated, but underneath it all, there's a vibrant love there that she can't look directly at. sometimes, she despises that she's included in it; yet, just the same, she's thankful that she is.

"oh hell," dean mutters, swinging his gaze between alex and patience. "one of you...ya know? did we miss something?"

claire snorts.

"what? no," alex replies, grimacing. "i have no idea what claire's talking about. claire, what the hell are you talking about?"

"jack?" claire prompts in a wheeze.

"here you go," jack chirps, holding out the card to dean, beaming. "happy mother's day."

the expression on dean's face is somehow even better than claire imagined. she howls with laughter while sam buries his face in his hands, his shoulders jerking. cas squints at jack, and jody's eyebrows fly up at the same exact time that donna grins.

"is this a joke?" dean sputters.

"no, no, nope," claire chokes out, nearly fucking crying with laughter. "happy mother's day, dean."

"you gotta take it, man," sam agrees, clearing his throat and biting back a smile as he bobs his head dutifully towards the card.

dean fixes sam with a flat look and snatches the card. "you're all so fucking—sam, you signed it?!"

"happy mother's day," sam says, his mouth pinched, visibly trying not to laugh.

"do you like it?" jack asks earnestly. "i made the card, sam signed it first, and claire provided the money."

"i—" dean stares down at the card, then heaves a sigh and looks up at jack. it's clear to him that—out of everyone—jack is clearly taking this very seriously. he offers him a weak smile, then swallows. "yeah, s'great, kid. thank you. sam, you are dead to me. claire, i will be spending this on something you hate. cas, this is somehow your fault."

"yup, sounds like a mother to me," jody declares, holding up her beer with a smile.

"welcome to the club," donna agrees, holding hers up as well. "everyone else annoys the shit out of you, but you love 'em anyway."

dean sighs and clinks his beer to theirs.

#sobs adventures in writing #happy mother's day to all the spn moms!!! #dreamhunter #destiel adjacent #sort of? #look i just wanted to write something cute okay let me have this lmao #sobs says things #claire bear #jack jack #dean bean #cas bby #jody mills #donna hanscum #kaia nieves #spn ladies #sammeh

[heartsmadeofbooks]

[Preview] New fic: Sleepless in Brooklyn

Hi hi hi ♥

I'm very happy to announce that my new fic, Sleepless in Brooklyn, will begin on Saturday, December 18th.

If you think the name rings a bell, then that's because it's a movie AU, based on one of my all time favorite films, Sleepless in Seattle. I've wanted to write a story based on it (but with my own twist and definitely gayer) for the longest time, and I thought now might be the perfect time, considering it would fit the theme with the holidays approaching.

This story features a lovely cover art made by Sofi, and of course, my wonderful beta Christine helped with all the proof-reading and editing. Thank you both for all your help ♥

Without further ado, here's a quick preview. I will see you all on Saturday for the first chapter!

There are tragedies that aren't only expected – they are also supposed to be a bit of a relief.

It was a beautiful spring day, the kind that was perfect for picnics, all the birds chirping in the sky, the flowers blooming everywhere you went, the sun shining down on you like a blessing. And yet, as he sat there, Cooper Anderson couldn't feel the warmth, couldn't hear anything but defeaning silence, couldn't feel the soothing touch of his wife's hand in his. All he could see was his brother, standing still as a statue, looking so very alone on the other side of the grave.

Blaine didn't look relieved at all. He just looked as if someone had hit his heart with a sledgehammer and left all the broken pieces of it at his feet.

To be fair, Blaine had looked near to a breaking point for the past five months – maybe everyone else had been charmed and fooled by his polite smile and positive attitude, but Cooper knew his little brother well. He knew he just kept the pretenses in front of the nurses and the doctors, even in front of Michael's family, and that he didn't allow himself to drop the act until he was locked behind his closed bedroom door, away from the world. Not even Cooper had been allowed to see Blaine then, but he could guess what his nights had looked like, he just knew that his brother would cry himself to sleep every single night as he struggled to accept the unavoidable truth: his husband was dying.

The cancer had spread so quickly, no one had any time to actually come to terms with the news before Michael was detereorating and suddenly wasting away in a hospital bed. Blaine had soldiered on, supported by his family, putting everything on hold to be by his side, to tend to his every need. But nothing helped, nothing changed or twisted fate – and so Cooper had gotten the phone call, just two days ago, as he was pouring himself a cup of coffee before heading to the office. He and his wife had exchanged a quick look across the kitchen as Cooper accepted the call, and then his brother's voice had said the simple, yet painful words: “He's gone.”

They had talked about what a relief it was that Michael was no longer suffering, the cliché sentiments seeming to lose all meaning when faced with the harsh reality: Michael was no longer suffering, but the people he had left behind were suffering more than ever.

The priest prattled on and on – it had been Michael's parents' idea, to have a religious service, and Cooper wondered how they could find comfort in the notion of heaven, angels and God wanting Mike by his side, when he was so clearly needed here, on Earth, with his family instead. When his husband was falling apart and failing at hiding it, when he wouldn't let go of their six year old's hand, who looked so confused and so sad. It would take a while for Jonah to come to terms with losing one of his fathers.

It would take a while for them to learn how to be a family of two, instead of a family of three.

#Fic: Sleepless in Brooklyn #Klaine #Klaine fic #Klaine fanfic #Klaine fanfiction #HERE WE GO AGAIN

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

July 2021 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Don’t Say No Ep 0 (AKA LeoFiat Special Episode) - backstory from TT2 using previous footage plus new stuff to add chemistry, agency, and flashbacks. Full recap here. Officially, the series starts Aug 6, but all release dates out of Thailand should be taken a large grain of salt. (Or dousing of fish sauce, if you prefer. Which I do. Seriously tho, I just made marinara with fish sauce instead of salt. It’s AMAZING.) 

My Boy the series Ep 2 - I get what my issue is with this show, every character is just a little bit skeezy. I’m not into creepy. This one is not yet bad enough to drop, but could be a matter of time.  

Golden Blood Ep 3 - basically we got a first date, also symbolic gift exchange and the importance of the Sky’s blood. This episode was to establish friendship and intimacy between the two characters so when one or both of them are at risk going forward we feel it more. Worked for me. I like that we even get a fight scene in a slow episode like this. 

The Best Story Ep 1 - finally more YinWar, although it’s only supposed to be a 3 ep miniseries. (Bold claim in the title, it means this f’er better have a plot.) It’s a slow moving high school Thai BL pulp on a classic crush trope, but with better acting and production values than most. Our POV Best seems to be out, at least to his friends, so props for that. Yin & War play similar personalities to their respective roles in Love Mechanics so this feels a little like it’s the story of Mark’s first crush. Still it looks like it’s going to sing your feelings trope reliant so I am... WARY AF. 

Top Secret Together Ep 9 - if there is anything I like less than sing your feelings it’s a white elephant party. So I pretty much skipped the first half. My boys were adorable, of course, but even they tropetted (that’s a word I just invented it’s trotted + trope) out the sponge bath. NO ONE IS SAFE. If they don’t getcha with a guitar, they’ll getcha with a wet towel. 

Oh hey, I think I just invented Thai BL’s operating slogan: 

If ya can’t get the boy with a guitar get him with that wet towel. 

Is it me, or does that sound weirdly kinky? 

Nitiman Ep 10 fin - and that’s it? Okaaay? So it’s was fine and cute and repped a relatively healthy relationship and... absolutely nothing happened. And I thought Oxygen lacked drama, but this was basically "a month in the life of uni students.” Seriously, just 2 cute boys trying to figure out how to have a relationship. And there it is. The cabal of matchmakers was funny tho: the Fellowship of the BbombJin does sound like something Tolkien would come up with, only gayer. Got all the tropes in the finale - coming out, distance, water, hand kiss, public claiming via phone, gift giving, including The Gear, etc.. RECOMMENDED so long as you don’t expect much story.    

Hometown’s Embrace Ep 4 - couldn’t find it and frankly, I’m not fussed. I’m dropping this one for now. 

The Yearbook Ep 0 15 min sampler (?) - could be the first episode, it’s confusing as it officially starts next week. Anygay, way different filming approach more indie influenced than usual but with Thai BL pulp pacing and pat plot. But the acting is good and it’s focused on one couple so I’m intrigued. I think it’s trying to be the Thai BL pulp version of I Told Sunset About You. 

Y-Destiny Ep 15 fin - just a wrap-up check-in. Cute boyfriends being cute and getting a little switchy. I particularly loved the ghostly 3some and their frubble. LOTS of tropes. Honestly the most improbable thing about this show was that there would be that many queer couples in one friendship group, all happily in relationships at the SAME TIME. Under real life stressors this is guaranteed to cause a breach in the space time continuum. 

This week in amusing captions: “Food that you spooned for me.” I’m a big food cuddler myself, been known to spoon a watermelon on occasion. No, that’s not a euphemism, I have a perfectly natural inclination to hug spherical things. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Monster in Law AKA Mẹ Chồn Dâu Cáo (Vietnam) Ep 12 - I’m watching is because I like the main couple but if they aren’t on screen together i kind of check out. This ep ended with spying with the intent to cause drama, which ought to be a crime, but then all of high school woudl be spent in lock up. 

Ossan’s Love Eps 5-7 - Darren’s kid is a new character, so is the female friend (maybe faen fatale?), so we are diverging from the original. I definitely like this adaptation better, although it’s still more sit-com soap than it is BL. 

Light On Me 3-4 - this one airs 2 eps a week (Tues, Thurs) also Viki has started airing, so things are getting litigious out there. Ep 3 was a very awkward dating stich which I found rough going (I get serious second hand embarrassment syndrome), but nicely dramatic with hints at secrets and fence mending. 

Be Loved in House: I Do (Taiwan) Ep 9 - OMG they are so soft and SO CUTE and so awkward and then so soft and so cute allover again. They’re like the BL couple version of this:

In Case You Missed It

Korean queer studio Strongberry dropped their short film The Confidential Coffee Break. I loved it. It’s a monologue pice about two closeted older gay professors about changing times and the nature of acceptance (self and others) in modern day South Korean academia. Go watch it. It’s in the Kinou Nani Tabeta? vein. 

They also dropped Sweet Curse. It’s basically low-gore atmospheric horror but with very high heat BL (explicit so be aware). Longer and with a larger cast than their usual stuff, but not much. 

Breaking News

KinnPorsche is on the rocks. The author disaffiliated afrom the production company, Filmania. From the author’s statement it seems like the KinnProsche team/writer hasn’t been paid(?) and the author is taking a stand and withdrawing from the project. I can only tell you want this means in Hollywood speak, and you can read that here.  

Chinese danmei wuxia(?) Immortality and Winner is King rumored to be getting live action adaptations. I know nothing more. This is not my fandom. 

Thai/Korea joint project Peach of Time also got a trailer. This has JimmyTommy in it, but I don’t think it’s a Mii2 vehicle. Looks like Jimmy has a different pairing. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International subs accessibility reasons. Monster in Law and Ossan’s Love are listed on Monday because they show up whenever they show up during the week.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

#asian bl #asianbl #thaibl #thai bl #don't say no #leofiat #KinnPorsche #My Boy the series #Y-Destiny #Golden Blood #Top Secret Together #Nitiman #Hometown’s Embrace #the yearbook #Monster in Law #Vietnamese BL #Mẹ Chồn Dâu Cáo #Be Loved in House: I Do #Light On Me #Ossan’s Love #strongberry #The Confidential Coffee Break #Sweet Curse #the best story

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

SO, the Big Incoherent Write-Up About The Met’s Don Carlos:

short version: this was fucking incredible and I am over the moon and y’all should watch this immediately.

long version, act by act:

Act I:

-Matthew Polenzani showing up by himself at the start before the music even began: absolutely masterful

-the color scheme? fucking gorgeous and on point (also: the set as a whole looked significantly better on camera than I was expecting from photos and reviews)

-excellent little nod to the original extended opening (they used the shorter, more upbeat opening) by having Yoncheva hand several pieces of jewelry to a group of peasants

-Polenzani absolutely slayed “Je l’ai vu”. like those pianissimi? be still my heart

-Thibault was just the cutest bean and had an EXCEPTIONALLY good voice. her name is Meigui Zhang and I am now a huge fan.

-Polenzani and Yoncheva were so young and so perfect in the duet

-the way his face broke into a huge grin at the portrait reveal…happiness personified

-once again: Thibault was utterly precious

-Lerme had a fantastic voice!

-the chorus was on fucking point

-Aremberg was obviously Highly Distrustful of Carlos and it was fucking great

Act II:

-Rose was an absolute knockout as the Monk. ultimate luxury casting.

-the chorus was great too

-that Carlos/Monk interaction was PERFECTLY done

-Etienne Dupuis has a voice like chocolate and one of the noblest bearings you ever will see

-this duet was VERY gay (and EXTREMELY well-sung)

-aside from there being no trees in the garden, the garden scene was PERFECT. lots of life and activity!

-Jamie Barton walked in and instantly owned the whole fucking place

-charisma to fucking burn

-also she and Thibault were obviously BFFs

-and Éboli was being so subtly snarky about what the ladies were doing

-the Veil Song? CHEF’S FUCKING KISS SHE SLAYED

-the Élisabeth/Rodrigue/Éboli scene was MARVELOUS and also absolutely hilarious. we in the movie theater were DYING laughing, mostly because Éboli was very obviously being nosy and Rodrigue was scrambling to keep her in the dark

-Polenzani had a white rose with him for the beginning of the duet. he eventually tore it apart and scattered the petals on the ground, which is not the direction I thought he was going to go but it was great

-the fainting fit was perfectly done

-the whole duet was just fucking perfect

-especially when Yoncheva was like “fine go kill your father then”

-Owens’ Philippe is such a sensitive soul, really!

-Yoncheva’s aria here was fab also the other ladies-in-waiting did such a good acting job here

-the Rodrigue/Philippe duet was S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G. Dupuis’ delivery of the “May posterity never say of you…” line was absolutely everything.

-seriously it was fucking fabulous

Act III:

-Polenzani lying on one of the benches like a schoolgirl on her bed AMAZING

-not a fan of how they had Éboli pull off her veil AFTER the “Heavens! it’s not the Queen!” line tbh

-Rodrigue just watching Carlos and Éboli do their thing lol

-the “You love the Queen!” moment was absolutely PERFECTLY staged

-in general this trio was just perfect: singing, staging, all of it.

-the ending of this scene could’ve been gayer tbh

-I get what the acrobat at the auto-da-fé was symbolizing. not sure I 100% agree with the approach taken, which I thought was a bit too silly and distracting in places, but overall not bad.

-loved the aesthetic here.

-the low brass had a FIELD DAY

-also MAD respect for this conductor. he was great.

-Owens was great

-the Flemish deputies were GREAT

-the concertante gave me CHILLS

-Polenzani was MASTERFUL in the finale

-Dupuis used his own sword to block Polenzani’s (the whole sword sequence was excellent) and the fallout was heartbreaking

-no onstage burning but someone was burned offstage and three people were garroted onstage

-poor Carlos

Act IV:

-big disembodied crucifix? okay cool

-Owens was fucking great in the aria

-him and Relyea together? HELL FUCKING YES THAT WAS AMAZING

-seriously Owens can do vulnerability so well

-I was on the edge of my seat for the Philippe/Élisabeth confrontation

-the quartet was glorious

-THAT ÉBOLI/ÉLISABETH SCENE FUCKING OUCH

-Barton’s ‘O don fatal’—STUNNING. I cried.

-the light and shadows at the beginning of the prison scene were incredible

-Dupuis is just a perfect Rodrigue fucking seriously

-so tender

-so loving

-I almost fucking screamed during the stuff leading up to the shooting

-THE WHOLE DEATH SCENE TEAR MY FUCKING HEART OUT AND STOMP ON IT

-seriously

-I wept

-the Lacrimosa was…no words. I cannot. you have to watch it.

-tbh the French version of the riot is a little disappointing but Barton carried and Relyea was once again his sonorous, terrifying self

-also THIBAULT ACTUALLY WAS IN THIS SCENE FUCK YEAH

Act V:

-the prelude. chef’s kiss. well done, Maestro Furrer.

-Yoncheva fucking slayed “Toi qui sus le néant”. that is all. seriously her Élisabeth here is one of the absolute best things I’ve ever heard from her, and that says a LOT.

-the DUET. *screams*

-that’s all I have to say

-it was perfect

-Yoncheva and Polenzani are absolutely perfect

-put them together in more stuff PLEASE

-Carlos gets stabbed by the guards in this one *sighs*

-Rose nailed his little thing

-the chorus was great

-THE ENDING WAS SO FUCKING GAY like Rodrigue welcoming him into the afterlife??? but they both embraced and fell to their knees and then??? Rodrigue was lying on top of Carlos??? HELP???

Anyway yeah 10000000000000/10, it was worth waiting six years to get to see it in surround sound and HD at fucking last.

#opera #opera tag #Don Carlos #Don Carlo #verdi #giuseppe verdi #Met Opera #reviews #notyouraveragejulie goes to the opera #THIS WAS FUCKING STUNNING

[freddiekluger]

Why Cap Being Internally Closeted Is Not Only Possible, But Valid Representation 

i wrote this to a lot of mitski and onsind, so you can’t blame me for any feelings that bleed through

now i don’t know if it actually exists, but i’ve heard of there being a lot of discourse surrounding the captains story arc regarding his sexuality- i believe the general gist is that having a queer character that remains closeted to themselves is either unrealistic or ‘bad’ representation, and as someone who really treasures the captain and relates to his story so far a lot, i thought i might break this down a bit. 

i’ve divded up every complaint i’ve heard about this into four main questions which i’ll be covering below the ‘keep reading’, because this is gonna be pretty comprehensive. full disclaimer i reference my experiences as an ex-evangelical non binary butch lesbian a couple times, and i spent a year studying repression and the psychological impacts of high demand sexual ethics for my graduating sociology paper, so this is coming with some background to it i swear

the big questions:

can you EVEN be gay and not know it????

but isn't this just ANOTHER coming out arc, and aren't we supposed to be moving beyond those?

but if cap can't have a relationship with a man because he's a ghost, what's the point?

since cap's dead, isn't this technically bury your gays, and isn't that bad? 

1. "but is it really possible to not know? Isn't that bad representation?"

short answer: no and no.

before i get into the validity of the captain's ignorance about his own orientation as 21st century rep, let's break down how the hell the captain can be so clearly attracted to men and still not even consider the possibility that he might be gay, as brought to you by someone who literally experienced this shit.

the captain's particular situation is both a direct result of the lack of information around human sexuality he would have had (aka clear messaging that it's actually possible for him to be attracted to men. i don't mean acceptable or allowed, i mean physically capable of happening- the idea that orientations other than heterosexual exist and are available to him, a man), and a subconscious survival mechanism. the environment in which he lives is outright hostile to gay people, while the military man identity he has constructed for himself doesn't allow for any form of deviation from societal norms, let alone one so base level and major. as a result of this killer combo of information and environment, instincts take over and the mind does it's best to repress the ‘deviant’ feelings until a. one of these two things changes, or b. the act of repression becomes so destructive and/or exhuasting that it becomes impossible to maintain. the key to maintaining a long-term state of repression of desire is diverting that energy elsewhere, and a high-demand group such as the military is the perfect place for the captain to do this (this technqiue is frequented by religions and extremist ideologies worldwide, but that’s not really what we’re here to focus on). 

while the brain is actively repressing ‘deviant’ feelings (aka gay shit), this doesn't mean you don't experience the feelings at all. when performed as a subconscious act of survival, the aim of repression is to minimise/transform the feelings into a state where they can no longer cause immediate danger, and something as big as sexual/romantic orientation is going to keep popping up, but as long as the individual in question never understands what they’re feeling, they’ll be able to continue relatively undisturbed. you know how in heist movies, the leader of the group will only tell each team member part of the plan so they can’t screw things up for everyone else if they get caught? it’s kind of like that.

this is how the captain appears to have operated in life AND in death, and it’s a relatively common experience for lgbtq people who’ve grown up in similar circumstances (aka with a lack of information and in an unfriendly-to-hostile environment), and accounts for how some people can even go on to get married and have children before realising that they’re gay and/or trans. 

personally, while i can now identify what were strong homo crushes all the way back to childhood, at the time i genuinely had no idea. there was the underlying sense that i probably shouldn't tell people how attached i was to these girls because i would seem weird, and that my feelings were stronger than the ones other people used to describe friendships, but like-like them in the way that other girls like-liked boys? no way! actually scratch that, it wasn't even a no way, because i had no idea that i even could. i even had my own havers, at least in terms of the emotional hold and devotion she got from me, except she treated me way less well than cap’s beau. snatches of the existence of lgbt people made it through the cone of silence, i definitely heard the words gay and lesbian, but my levels of informations mirrored those that the captain would have had: virtually none, beyond the idea that these words exist, some people are them, and that's not something that we support or think is okay, so let's just not speak about it. despite only attending religious schools for the first couple years of primary, until i got my own technology and social media accounts to explore lgbtq content on my own- option a out of the two catalysts for change- the possibility of me being gay was not at all on my radar. don’t even get me started on how long it took me to explore butchness and my overall gender, two things which now feel glaringly obvious. 

when shit starts to break down, you can also make the conscious choice to repress which can delay the eventual smashing down of the mental closet door for a time (essentially when the closet door starts to open, you just say ‘no thanks’ and shut it again by pointedly Not Thinking About It). in the abscence of identifying yourself by your attractions, it becomes quite common to identify with a lack- in my case, this meant becoming proud of how sensible and not boy crazy i was, and in the captain’s case, this means becoming proud of how sensible and not sensuous/wild (aka woman crazy) he was, identifying with his LACK of desire for women and partying (which, even in the 40s, involved the expectation of opposite sex romances and hook ups). i’m not saying that’s the only reason he’s a rule follower, but i think the contrast between About Last Night and Perfect Day pretty much support this. (the captain getting on his high horse about general party antics that he inherently felt excluded from because of underlying awareness of his difference & his tendency to project his regimented expectations of himself onto others, vs. joining in the reception party, awareness of how the environment supports difference in the form of clare and sam, and relaxing his own rules by dancing with men- the captain doesn’t mind a party when feels like he has a place there.)

so the captain was operating in a high demand, highly regulated environment (primarily the military, but also early 20th century England itself), with regimented roles, rules, and expectations. working on the assumption that he wouldn't have had out/disclosing lgbt friends, he would have had little to no exposure to lgbt identities, and what information he did receive would have been hushed and negatively geared. while my world started to open up when i started high school was allowed to have my own phone + instagram account, resulting in me realising something wasn't quite 'right' within a few years (making me a relatively early realiser compared to those who don't come out to themselves until adulthood), in life the captain never had that experience. he didn't receive the information he needed, his environment didn't grow less hostile. with the near-exception of havers related heartbreak, his well disciplined and lifelong method of repression never became destructive/exhaustive enough to permanently override the danger signals in his mind and allow him to put his feelings into words. neither of the most common catalysts for change happened for him, so he continued as usual, even after his death.

BUT, and here’s where we come to why this is actually great representation, arrival of mike and Alison represents the opening up of new world. for the first time, the captain is actively made aware of the fact that his environment is no longer hostile, and better than that, it’s affirming. he’s also getting access to positively geared information about lgbtq people and identities, so option a of the two catalysts for change is absolutely present, and resoundingly positive. 

the captain’s arc is also relatively unique as it acknowledges the oppressive nature of his environment, but actually focuses on the internal consequences, and the way that systems like those that the captain lived in succeed because they turn us into our own oppressors. for whatever reason, we repress ourseslves, and often can’t help it, and i find that the significance of the journey to overcome that is often overlooked in more mainstream queer media. perhaps it’s just not very cinematic, or it remains too confronting for cishet audiences, but ghosts manages to touch on it with a lovely amount of humour and hope. Jamie Babbit’s But I’m A Cheerleader is another favourite piece of queer media for the same reasons.

not only does it show this, but as the captain continues to get gayer and lean into some of his less conventional traits (like an interest in fashion and the wedding planning), it shows lgbt people who have been or are going through this that there CAN be a positive outcome. it takes a lot to unlearn all the things that have painted you as wrong, especially when a massive institution is desperate to continue doing so, but you can do it, you can be happy, and it's never too late. (i've been meaning to say that last point for ages for ages, but a mutual beat me to it here)

2. not just another coming out arc

i absolutely support the demand for queer stories that don’t center around coming out (it’s like shrodinger’s queer: if you’re not coming out on screen, do you really even exist?), but i don’t align with the criticisms that the captain should already be out. for the reasons mentioned above, the captain’s particular story is fairly different to the ‘young white teenager who mostly knows gay is fine, it’s just everyone else that’s got the problem, but have a unremarkably straight sounding soundtrack, a trauma porn romance, and a cishet saviour’ that we keep seeing. the captain’s ongoing journey with his sexuality emphasises the overaching theme of the show: recovering from trauma and humanity’s endless capacity for growth, and i think that’s worth showing over and over again until it stops being true.

additionally, while the captain’s journey regarding his gayness is a big part of his character and story, ghosts makes it clear that it’s not the ONLY part, and being gay is far from his ONLY characteristic or dramatic/comedic engine. the fact that i’m even having to congratulate ghosts for doing that really shows how much film and television is struggling huh.

while all queer media is, and should be, subject to criticism, i think if it helps even one person then it absolutely deserves to exist, and i can say i’ve found the captain’s journey to be the lgbt story i’ve found that’s closest to my own, which says a lot considering he’s a dead world war 2 soldier who hangs out with other ghosts including a slutty Tory, a georgian noblewoman, and a literal caveman. 

3. if captain gay, why he no have boyfriend???? 

another complaint that’s been circulating is that since the captain doesn’t, and likely won’t, have a boyfriend, that makes him Bad Representation because it follows the sad single gay trope. i kind of get the logic from this one, and a lot of it is up to personal interpretation, but part of me really enjoys the fact that the captain’s journey towards accepting himself is separated from having a relationship.

coming out is often paired with having romantic/sexual relationships (either as the reason or reward for doing so). my own struggle with repression didn't end the second that came out, and i still struggle with letting myself develop & acknowledge romantic feelings as a result of actively shutting them (and most other feelings in general) down for years, and statistics show that lgbtq youth in particular tend not to live out their 'teen years' until their twenties. by not giving cap a relationship straight away, ghosts separates the act of claiming identity and sexual orientation from finding a partner (two things which are, more often than not, separate), and also provides some very nice validation to folks who have yet to have the relationship they want, especially when lots of mainstream queer media is now jumping on the cishet media bandwagon of acting as if every person loses their virginity and has a life defining relationship at sixteen. it’s essentially a continuation of the earlier theme of “it’s never too late”, and who’s to say the captain won’t get a gay bear ghost boyfriend to go haunt nazis with??? people die all the time, it could happen.

(also, i think him and julian will have definitely shagged at least once. it was a low moment for both of them and they refuse to speak of it.)

lots of asexual/ace spectrum fans have come out to say how much they’ve loved being able to headcanon cap as ace, and while that’s not a headcanon i personally have, i think it’s brilliant that ace fans feel seen by his character- we’re all in this soup together babey (and sorry for cursing everyone still reading this with that cap/julian headcanon. i’m just a vessel)

4. “okay, but cap’s a GHOST- doesn’t that make this Bury Your Gays?”

this is a bit of a complex one, but i’m going to say no as a result of the following break down.

Bury Your Gays (BYG), aka the trope where lgbtq characters are consistently killed off (and often with a heavy dose of trauma, while cishet characters survive) is probably one of my least favourite lgbt media tropes. BYG has two main points:

1. the lgbt character is killed, thus removing them from story entirely- hence the use of the phrase ‘killed OFF’ (killed off of the show/film)

2. the character’s death reinforces the perception that lgbtq people’s lives must end in tragedy, instead of being long and fulfilling, or are inherently less valuable. bonus points if the character is killed in a hate crime or confesses same-gender love right before they die (that one implies that queer love genuinely has no future!)

not every death of an lgbtq character is bury your gays, and i personally feel that the captain is an example of an lgbt death that isn’t. 

first of all, while the captain is dead, so are the vast majority of characters in ghosts. the premise of the show means that death is not the end of the line for its characters- for most of them, it’s the only reason we get to see them on screen at all. as such, the captain being dead doesn’t remove him from the story, so point one is irrelevant.

at the time of posting, we don’t know how or why the captain died, but we've had nothing to suggest his death was in any way related to his latent sexuality, so his mysterious death doesn’t actively play into the supposedly inherent tragedy of queer lives, nor the supposedly lesser value. that’s as of right now- since we don’t know the circumstances of his death it’s a little tough to analyse properly. while the captain’s life absolutely features missed opportunities and it’s fair share of tragedy, hope and growth (which seems to be the theme of this post) abounds in equal measure. the captain may not be alive, but we DO get to see him growing and having a relatively happy existence, that for the most part seems to be getting even better as he learns to open up and be himself unapologetically- that doesn’t feel like BYG to me.

while writng this, it’s just occured to me that death really is a second chance for most of the ghosts, especially with the introduction of alison. from mary learning to read, to thomas finding modern music, they’ve all been given the chance explore things they never could have while they were alive, and hopefully grow enough to one day be sucked off move on.

in conclusion,

i love the captain very much and i hope his arc lives up to the standards it’s set so far. i don’t know where to put this in this post, but i’d alo like to say i LOVE how in Perfect Day, the captain wasn’t used as an educational experienced for fanny at all. i am very tired of people expecting me to be the walking talking homophobe educator and rehabilitator, so the fact that it’s alison and the other ghosts that call fanny out while the captain just gets to have fun with the wedding organisation made me very happy.

here’s a few other cap posts that i’ve done:

the captain’s arc if adam and the film crew stayed

a possible cap coming out 

the captain backstory headcanon

if you’ve read this far,

thank you!

also check out @alex-ghosts-corner , this post inspired me very much to write this

#i subluxed all my fingers and wrists doing this but worth it #bbc ghosts #bbc ghosts headcanon #bbc ghosts analysis #the captain #caphavers #the captain x havers #ben willbond #lgbt representation #lgbt rep #queer media #lgbt media

[inkdemonapologist]

We briefly split up while trying to get murder mystery clues in our latest batim cthulhu session; Team Polite Boys is ready to go!!

More out-of-context quotes from last session under the cut!

[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (inkcryptid), Jack is played by Mochi (whatyouwantedmetosee) and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]

[Joey] Yeah, that makes sense, he probably would've pocketed it, [Sammy] aRE YOU STEALING?! [Henry] Joey!!! [Joey] I mean...................................yeah,

[Joey] He just wants to find the slick stone, and fix things, and go back to being an animation studio! That'd be nice! [GM] The eternal dream... [Jack] Animation studio, and then it has a little asterisk, and in the fine print it mentions that they also deal in the occult. [Joey] Just a little bit. [Jack] Little an occult, [Sammy] As a treat! [Joey] The occult does not own more than 5% of Joey Drew Studios stock. [GM] ...Is that Prophet Sammy's share, [Joey] He DOES seem to be the one investing in it the most!!

[Joey] There's definitely room for Jack to speak up as the one who knows Peter, but Joey is just going to go up to the front desk -- [Sammy] (Joey has now met him, so it's less weird,) [Joey] -- and ask if Petey is around! [Sammy] (...oh my goodness, Joey,)

[GM, as Peter] "And I could find someone to be a guide for you tomorrow, be less likely to fall in a sinkhole." [Joey] *thoughtfully* I do like not falling in sinkholes,

[Jack] *rolls* Aww.... [GM] Uh-oh, [Jack] No, it's-- it's not a failed roll. I thought it was very briefly and, gOT MY HOPES UP I GUESS???

[Joey] But that's going to be a very.... difficult............ [Sammy] I dunno, maybe Henry can talk to Fowler. Henry's like......... a,, caring person! Henry knows how families work.... Has, empathy,,, [Joey] Just send Henry and Jack to go talk with Fowler, and Joey and Sammy go.... sit on their hands. Don't do anything. DON'T MAKE THINGS WORSE

[GM] Mostly he's known for having more money than sense-- [Joey] (More dollars than cents? :D ) [Sammy] Well, you should get along great.

[Jack] Team Sad Boys to the sad boy, and... Team No Sense,

[Joey] Hey, can we borrow a brain cell? [Sammy] No, we only have one! That's why we never split up!!

[Henry] Jack is wondering how these guys got through Haiti. [Sammy] Well. It took us ten tries.

[after reading Alice in Wonderland] [Jack] *laughing* Do I need to roll a sanity check? [GM] One thing at a time; let me do a little typing-- [Jack] Oh bOY! ....I was just making a funny joke...! [GM] *sends secret message* Okay! [Jack] OH BOY,,, Jack just wanted a nice way to fill the time... [GM] Uh, do make a sanity check.

[Joey] Maybe it's because Joey has Bendy in him, that he can't see something in that book. [Sammy] (Hmm....... Bendy-Vision.........) [Sammy] (!!!! SILLYVISION)

[Sammy] Gonna tell Joey to, don't look up at the door, [Joey] Joey will almost start to look, and then catch himself the moment he realises why Sammy might be telling him this. [GM] This is why the Lurker covered his eyes that other time!!! [Joey] LiSTEN,

[Joey] ...I just noticed Joey fits the Gays Don't Drive thing...

[Sammy] Sammy looks very suspicious, but that's just his face.

[Joey] I like how Sammy apparently has ink-sense now, like spidey-sense [Sammy] YeaH ITS GREAT!!!! Sammy's very stressed!!!!!

[Joey] Once they've left the mansion and gotten far enough away, Joey's going to drop his over-friendly demeanour for a moment and mutter that he hates people like that guy. [GM] .............................................. is this a Kyle, [Joey] YES.

[Jack] I assume that Joey has given us money, at some point? [Joey] [Jack] He's not just expecting us to fund this out of our pocket, hopefully??? [Joey] ............................ has anyone brought this up to Joey,

[Henry] What insanity did Jack pick up, by the way? [Jack] Hmm.... [Jack] [Jack] Oh, y'know,

[Henry] Roll Charm to start a conversation in a normal, non-awkward way!!

[Jack] A nice change of topic to-- maybe not lighten the mood, but, [Sammy] dredge the mood up from the bottom of the lake,

[Joey] He keeps his hand on Sammy, trying to be reassuring that he's there to help Sammy with this, but also making sure it still looks NOT IN A GAY WAY, as much as Joey Drew can do.

[GM] Okay, one sec. [Joey] .....the longer we sit here waiting, the more I recalibrate that scene I just described to be gayer and gayer. [Sammy] Oh no. You have to hurry, or else it'll be retconned until they're making out on the porch when Joey knocks!

[Joey] I did hear that this guy is quite handsome, but I think right now Joey's too concerned about Sammy to play into Charm. [GM] Charm the... recent widower??? That seems.... [Joey] Yeah, y'know, as you do-- it could work! Just because his family is dead doesn't mean he's dead! [Sammy] Joey. [Jack] This IS Joey "Flirts With A Married Man" Drew, [GM] TRUE. That's true.

[GM] Fowler knows this spiritual consultant is legitimate because he's put him in contact with his family, that had recently passed away, on more than one occasion. [Henry] (Passed away on more than one occasion? Man, that's rough.) [Sammy] (I mean, we've done that!) [Henry] We have! It's rough!!

[GM, as Fowler] "A lot of newbies think magic feels weird when they're not used to it, y'know." [Sammy] Sammy's response is going to be to make uncomfortable eye contact, for a very long time.

[Sammy] Let me poll the audience: Should I be stopping Trenchcoat. [Jack] Out of character, I want to say, hesitantly no? [Henry] Yeah, same. [Sammy] I'm way more suspicious of Fowler than Trenchcoat, weirdly. [Henry] I want to let Trenchcoat go, and then track him down and grill him later. [Jack] I feel like Trenchcoat is suspicious in the same way that we're suspicious. [Sammy] YES.

[GM] I do appreciate that you guys were like "this guy's a shoplifter" and then promptly shoplifted.

[Joey] Why are you everywhere that we are? [GM, as Trenchcoat Guy] "I could ask you the same thing," he remarks, seeming vaguely amused. [Joey] Well I asked it first!!!

[Trenchcoat Guy describes the teleportation portal into Fowler's basement] [Joey] Okay, that is... that is definitely suspicious, [Sammy] "sUSPICIOUS?!?"

[Sammy] Sammy is squinting at Joey as he leaves.... [Sammy] ...OH, [Sammy] Oh he needs a drink I bet; I'm not going to look at him actually, never mind. [Jack] ...I know you said "Not going to look at him” -- I briefly misheard as "Not going to lick him" [Sammy] I'm alSO NOT GOING TO DO THAT,

[GM] He says that until today, you guys were the most suspicious thing he'd come across. [Sammy] I mean... he's not wrong.

[Joey] (Does someone want to grab his contact information) [Sammy] Oh, Jack, do you want to do that? [Jack] Jack is... going to... not do that, [Sammy] ...oh. [Sammy] ...............is Jack okay?!

[Joey] And then Joey... grabs Henry? [GM] Henry is just getting hugged. [Joey] Ah. [Henry] Oh, hugs back! [Henry] He's hugging both of them, I'm guessing.

[GM] The Lurker sits down on the ground. [Joey] (Does he sit down normally for a person,) [GM] He just kind of falls backwards. And then goes "Ow!" [Henry] *laughs* Yeah, you can't do that when you're more than 3 feet tall.

[Jack] Concerned Jack faces.... I was going to say noises, but,

[Jack] Did we ever get Trenchcoat's name? [Sammy] No. [Joey] No. [Henry] He's the new Binoculars. [Sammy] I'm delighted every time Sammy gets to call someone Not Their Name.

[GM] It's just a normal, scrawled address, for a Mr. Polk. [Sammy] .........is it really, [GM] Yes. [Sammy] OH GOOD??? I didn't say it, but for the first paragraph of that audiolog I was like "nORMAN???" [Joey] .... AW, NOW I HAVE TO HIRE HIM!!! THREN!!!!! [Sammy] Oh he was working with microfilm too! So he could probably-- [Henry] It sounded like he was gonna be out of a job soon, [Joey] DAMMIT!!

#call of cthulu: haunted hijinx #Jack Fain #Henry Stein #when in doubt just keep drawing #this session was a heckin delight #everyone is Doing Their Best