#and it's set entirely in bangkok

[absolutebl]

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

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

March 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

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

Initial thoughts?

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

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

Lovey switchy and verse main couple too.

This is all quite pleasing.

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

Also unsettling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I mean lip service literally. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

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

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

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

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

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

I watched it, finally

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

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

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

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

It's airing but...

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

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

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

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

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

Gossip

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

And whacha know, same thing happening in Korean BL.

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

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Soon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Without ghost girl.

With ghost girl.

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

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

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

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

(Last week)

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

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

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

#this week in bl #bl updates #The Servant and the Young Master #The Servant and the Young Master reviewed #Vietnamese BL #Two Worlds the series #To Be Continued the series #City of Stars #Unknown the series #Love is Better the Second Time Around #Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto #AntiReset #1000 Years Old #Deep Night the series #bl series review #upcoming bl #bl news #bl reviews #thai bl #japanese bl #taiwanese bl #koren BL #BL gossip #BL updates #BL starting soon

[the-muppets-present]

The Muppets Present: Chess the Musical

Chess the Musical is an underrated gem, and we absolutely love it. The concert version, considered by most to be the definitive version, can be found on youtube in this playlist, which has nearly the entire complete concert (part 12 has been removed, but the only song missing is "The Deal (No Deal)") and I highly recommend you give it a listen, because the music is honestly top tier. The concert version is what we will be referencing here, since all the various stage versions are so different from each other (this show really suffered from over workshopping). If you're new here, take a moment to review our rules for casting. NOW, onto the show.

The Show

Chess the Musical is the story of the chess world championship tournament in 1979. The cold war is raging, and the two world champions are from the US and Soviet Union respectively. The story focuses on these two players and their personal lives and dramas set against the backdrop of the political strife between the east and west, as they are unwillingly used as pawns in the conflict.

The show has a core cast of seven characters and an ensemble with a few interesting standouts who can be filled out by muppets and humans alike. These are the key players:

Anatoly Sergievsky - "The Russian": The champion from Soviet Russia—a troubled husband and father who despises the propaganda and politics of the tournament.

Freddie Trumper -"The American": The champion from the United States—a self-absorbed, fame-and-fortune-seeking, short-tempered bad boy.

Florence Vassy - Freddie's strong-willed second and possible paramour, who is strained by Freddie's brashness and begins to feel a pull towards Anatoly as the tournament progresses.

Alexander Molokov - Anatoly's conniving second who is also a manipulative KGB agent and a major force in the political games being played behind the scenes.

Walter - A financial administrator in Freddie's delegation and in some versions a secret CIA agent who serves as a political counterpart to Molokov.

The Arbiter - The coldly objective, no-nonsense referee of the championship tournament and also the president of the International Chess Federation. He is essentially the narrator, the Voice of the chorus.

Svetlana Sergievskaya - Anatoly's estranged wife who, under Molokov's machinations, must persuade Anatoly to return to his homeland and family in the second act.

The Cast

Anatoly = Kermit. Kermit usually isn't the protagonist in Muppet adaptations, because the type of character he is just doesn't fit that role as neatly, but he's the perfect fit for Anatoly. Anatoly is competent in his own work, but is really out of his depth in the situation at large, and struggles to be true to himself amidst what he feels to be his duty. An arc that Kermit himself has played out in many a muppet film. Really, the only muppet who could adequately pull Anatoly off is Kermit himself.

Freddie = Gonzo. Freddie is bombastic, abrasive, quick to speak and slow to apologize, and overall extremely selfish. He walks into a room and his personality demands the spotlight immediately. I don't think I really need to give any other reasons why Gonzo should play this character, but I'll give one anyway: imagine Gonzo banging out "One Night in Bangkok" with Camilla and the Hens as the backup singers bawking out the chorus.

Florence = Miss Piggy. Yes, she's the only female muppet of note (who can speak english, sorry Henrietta), but also she'd genuinely be a good Florence. Florence is driven, a strong independent woman who don't need no man, but that doesn't mean she don't want one, and the fact that Anatoly is played by Kermit....well, you see where I'm going with this. Also, she and Freddie have an increasingly antagonistic relationship through the show that would be great to watch with Miss Piggy and Gonzo. Again, imagine her singing "The Model of Decorum and Tranquility" and getting more and more frustrated and gravelly in her delivery. And don't forget to picture Kermit in place of Josh Groben in that scene too...again, the dynamics are top tier here.

Svetlana = Miss Piggy. I'm invoking rule 5, not only because again, the lack of other english speaking female muppets, but because I love the idea of two Miss Piggies both singing for Kermit's attention and lamenting that he'll never see her the way she sees him, that his attention will always go to his work first. "I Know Him So Well" is a duet between the two women about Anatoly, and imagine two Miss Piggies singing this in duet with each other, each knowing that the other has something to offer that she doesn't have, but also knowing that even that isn't enough, that Anatoly (Kermit) will never be able to commit to her the way she wants to to him.

Molokov = Uncle Deadly. Honestly I don't have a lot to say about this choice, it's just Perfect. Molokov already borders on cartoonishly evil, he is an immediately untrustworthy character and everyone knows it, he's the world's worst spy. Uncle Deadly is a shoe in for the role and I'll hear nothing else about it. (Also, while generally irrelevant in casting muppets in a musical, since you can re-key as needed, Uncle Deadly already fits Molokov's voice type)

Walter = Sam the Eagle. While Walter is not as overtly patriotic as Sam, in adaptation, there should be a muppet who is equally as enthusiastic for his country as Molokov is for the Soviet Union. Walter is in some ways the least emotionally complex character aside from the Arbiter, he exists to serve the plot and the ways the plot creates character conflict for Anatoly, Freddie, and Florence, so Sam (who is generally a one note patriot character) fits the role nicely. Also, just like Uncle Deadly, he fits the voice type perfectly.

The Arbiter = Daniel Craig. I call upon the power of the One Human Celebrity. Daniel Craig would be perfect for a muppet adaptation of The Arbiter, he is the type of human actor who could be surrounded by muppets and you'd 100% believe it. The Arbiter's songs require some gusto, but Craig can carry a tune and if you give him a vocal coach and 6 weeks (and re-key his solo), I think he'd be great. However, this casting ONLY works if there are NO OTHER HUMANS in the chess federation. Daniel Craig must be surrounded by muppets at all time. Just look at his solo, and tell me that it wouldn't be the best thing ever to watch Daniel Craig do this while flanked by dancing muppets.

Additional Bit Parts:

Statler and Waldorf as The Consulate. When Kermit's Anatoly is speaking to them about defecting to the UK, imagine them having this exchange. You could either rewrite the song to be a duet OR have two Statlers and two Waldorfs to fill out the quartet.

Non-Celebrity Human as The Soviet Machine. This must be a big, nondescript burly man who can sing one glorious falsetto note. He must stand stoically as evil muppets dance around and sing the Soviet Machine. Moopets can fill out the Soviet chorus line.

The Ensemble: Merano and Bangkok both have human backup dancers and chorus members as well as muppet, because these are location setting songs, and you want to establish that humans are here in this world. Mike Tyson can have a celebrity cameo in Bangkok for old time's sake.

Chess Dancers: the Hens and the Penguins supplement the human chess dancers that take stage during the two chess matches.

Reporters: a mix of humans and muppets, but no cameos during this scene, it's Gonzo's first big solo and the spotlight needs to be on him.

Fozzie Bear as the governer of Merano and as an authority figure in Bangkok: his presence in Bangkok is commented on and he loudly says "Oh no, you must be thinking of my brother!"

And that's The Muppets Present: Chess the Musical!

What other celebrity cameos would you add to the show? We'd love to read your thoughts! Also let us know if you have another musical or movie you'd like to see a muppet fancast of, we love doing these!

#the muppets present #the muppets present: chess the musical #chess the musical #anatoly sergievsky #freddie trumper #florence vassy #kermit the frog #gonzo the great #miss piggy #uncle deadly #fozzie bear #sam the eagle #daniel craig #statler and waldorf #musicals #muppets #jim henson's muppets

[matan4il]

We got a pic of Apo with Ball, a dancer who performed with him in Man Suang. Based on Apo's clothes, it's probably from the same day we saw in the pic shared on Nov 6 and the vid shared Nov 7.

Apo committed the crime of killing the entire fandom by sharing this pic of matching wedding rings. They're set with yellow gems (Apo's fave color), so it feels very much like he's relating this to himself.

This comes not too long after he announced he feels like using Mile's last name...

*laughs in "it's okay, I didn't want my sanity anyway"*

Meanwhile, Mile posted a few pics last night. One of them is of a jazz bar. We know Apo and Mile both like jazz. Last time Mile posted from this place was Oct 7 (he posted a cocktail while there, that he posted again today):

Another pic was of Bangkok's Democracy Monument:

Apo posted the same view exactly a year ago, on Nov 8, 2022:

On the same night, Mile also shared a pic of driving around:

Coincidence? As usual, you decide. Just keep in mind they've said Apo likes to be driven around, and Mile loves to drive. The song Mile was listening to in the car was a romantic one (I Only Care About You), and the vinyl record he shared afterwards was also along the same love theme.

On that same day they also had this Twitter exchange about growing together (since they hit another IG followers milestone):

Okay, one last silly thing. Mile tweeted a pic of this Halloween candy today. He's been posting about getting back in shape recently, so did he eat it? Or did he get it for one candy loving kitten?

(for my daily Kinnporsche/Mileapo posts, click here)

#mileapo #mkp #mile phakphum #mile phakphum romsaithong #phakphum romsaithong #apo nattawin #apo nattawin wattanagitiphat #nattawin wattanagitiphat #man suang #man suang cast #kinnporsche #kinnporsche cast #kinnporsche the cast #kpts cast #kpts the cast #kinnporschedaily #mileapodaily #kinnporschesource

[bengiyo]

We Are Better Together: Why I Enjoyed the Our Skyy 2 Crossover

I enjoyed this four-part special with every part of my being, but I’m a gay man in his thirties that often feels like I understand exactly where Aof is coming from in his work. As I’ve said many times on this block and in @the-conversation-pod, I desperately want more stories about gays sticking together alongside all of the stories about discovering love. For so many reasons, I love that Aof chose to use Pat and Pran as a catalyst to help Tian and Phupha, and in turn compare their relationship with another couple experiencing some of the same challenges lets them see themselves properly. I have a lot to say, so let’s just get into it.

Funding A Tale of Thousand Stars

There is no way Aof was going to be able to produce a Tale of Thousand Stars special without merging the Bad Buddy budget. If you start from the fundamental problem that it’s expensive to film on a mountain, we need to find a problem that works well. At the end of ATOTS, Tian and Phupha agree to stay in Pha Pun Dao together, but there’s no way that can work forever. Tian has medical needs and a family in Bangkok. We also never resolved the lingering doubts and uncertainty that plagued Phupha in the story, since we focused on Tian’s journey.

With Pat and Pran, they were set on their commitment to each other after episode 11. They are just hiding themselves in college, and won’t experience any changes without some form of outside stimulus. Likewise, Tian and Phupha live in a bubble. I love the idea of shoving these four men together and seeing what comes out of it.

Playing with Archetypes and Expectations

I particularly like Aof shoving these four characters together because it allows Aof to further poke at our expectation and assumptions about BL characters. Aof is aware of the cultural understanding around seme and uke archetypes, and the decision to style Pran to physically resemble Tian is not subtle. However, as we move through the special, we realize that Pran has more in common with Phupha than he does Tian. What a gift that is from, Aof.

Aof invites the viewers through Pran to consider where they sit as viewers in these stories. We are often asked to ride along with our primary viewpoint character and see the world through their lens. Sure, we can challenge their lens, and ask the audience to grow along with the character, but I truly love the way this story hands the lens over to Phupha as we move through this special. As a gay man in his thirties, I am particularly fond of Phupha and the decision to focus on him.

It is hard growing up the way some of us did. We don’t have BL experiences like the ones we fawn over in these shows. Life was hard. We suffered. Some of us are stuck performing a version of masculinity that we haven’t ever been able to unlearn. I continue to present normie because it’s what I was trained to do. I make use of it as the face of my local queer circle. I talk to the government when we need someone who won’t get ignored right away, just like Phupha dedicates himself to the people of his village.

We might expect Pat and Phupha to mirror each other because of their physicality, but that breaks almost instantly. They’re unlike each other. The first allusion to this comes in the reminder that Tian is an engineer, and so is Pat. Additionally, Phupha rejects Tian’s diary immediately because he only gives it a surface reading. It’s only once he gets to know Pran and Pat a bit, and really listens to what Tian is saying that he starts to wake up.

I personally loved seeing these characters get lost in the woods and spin around each other for an entire episode. The best thing you can do when you’re lose in the woods is stay where you are and wait for rescue to find you. Tian can’t do that, and honestly neither can Pat. The common thread between them is how antsy and foolish they can be. Tian went all the way up a mountain with a weak heart the way only a fool could. Pat rushed after Pran to the wilderness with barely a plan because all that matters is getting to Pran.

Like many of the baby gays we sometimes help with volunteering, I wish they would just sit still and let us find them. They’re in such a hurry to grow up and do all the big gay milestones that they’ve envisioned for themselves, but it just doesn’t work like that. Sometimes you have to just finish school and become financially independent. Sometimes you need to let your partner get the help they need and the right diagnosis to manage their neurotic behaviors. Sometimes you need to just having someone beg you to just sniff your boyfriend and get over yourself. Sometimes you need someone who actually understands the weight of internalized homophobia you carry validate that it’s hard. Sometimes you just need to accept that you are now a “we” and admit openly that you can’t live without each other.

You Blame the Rebel That You Sold Out

I’ve been thinking a lot about the instinct I’ve noticed to pick apart the creative team when people find they aren’t enjoying a show for some reason. I wrote about this first during The Eclipse, and I’m feeling it again here. As I said there, I’ll say here: It’s okay to say you didn’t like something and didn’t find this to be your taste.

I’m a lifelong Star Trek fan who can’t watch Lower Decks because I find American animation to rely on a loud quality that I find overstimulating. I also don’t appreciate Seth McFarlane’s brand of humor. I didn’t get into Star Trek: Prodigy because it’s aimed at kids in a way that I found a bit boring to engage with. I think Star Trek Picard is overall pretty bad and a waste of nostalgia. I still love Star Trek, and find things worth engaging with every time I sit down and watch new things.

I recently attended a Matchbox Twenty concert and have been thinking about the song “Rebels” from their new album Where the Light Goes. There’s a portion of the lyrics that I think best covers how I feel about this instinct to turn on the creators when they do something you don’t like with characters they created.

And it's all exciting You were so alive Like a wheel in motion You were terrified you'll lose it Hell, everybody loses It was never how you wanted Now it's never good enough We're all rebels when we're young I think it's time you let it go now When you get angry with yourself You blame the rebel that you sold out You blame the rebel that you sold out That you sold out Let go and be yourself right now Let go and be yourself right now Let go and be yourself right now Let go and be yourself right now

It’s all fun and games when experiences are new to us. We’re excited to be in this new untested space for the first time, but we are all changed by it. We bring different lenses and experiences to the table. We take different things from the stories, and our tastes change because of these experiences. Then the creator comes back with a new season or new outing with these characters and they have different things they want to focus on this time. It’s not what we wanted, and so we turn on them. The only way out of that is to let go and see who you are now.

Aof is a gay man who is working at a major company to tell meaningful queer stories. Aof clearly knows that life is the future, not the past. He’s committed to bridging us to a better world for queer people so that we can see each other more.

We Are Better Together

I love that Pat and Pran met Tian and Phupha. I love that these characters made each other better in the brief week they spent together. I like that they became friends and expanded their queer circle. Your relationship is not the only component you need for stability in your life. You can get stuck in a rut. You need other people to talk to you. You need outlets for your frustration. You need friends to remind you that you’re being obnoxious, and maybe you should just have sex and see if the issue is still there.

Tian and Phupha were not at their best alone. Pat and Pran were not at their best alone. I love the idea of a lonely Pran looking for queer connection on the web and discovering Tian’s diary. I love the romantic notions he projected onto Tian and seeing them shattered by the intense physical reality of life in Pha Phun Dao, and his interactions with Phupha.

About ten years ago, we had a member of our circle who tried to view our group through the lens of Noah’s Arc, and he struggled with fact that we didn’t fit exactly. What a joy it is to realize that your own queerness is distinct in this world, and that you and your friends are special. Bad Buddy and A Tale of Thousand Stars are BETTER for me now that they’ve touched each other.

I love that Phupha finally let Tian love him the way Tian wants to. I love that he let go of his concern about Tian’s wealth. I like that he let Tian’s parents see him properly and extend to love to him that he’s given their son. I like that he finally let’s them thank him for helping their son find stability and purpose, because Phupha maybe doesn’t appreciate how much of a fuck up Tian was being before the transplant. I love that Phupha found it in himself to propose to Tian. I love that Phupha let Tian take charge in the bedroom. I love that Phupha gave Pat and Pran the gift of sharing their love on a stage to adoring fans, and giving Wai a chance at redemption. Pran got to see people finally cheering for their love online.

I can’t claim to understand everyone’s frustrations with this special, and I won’t pretend to. However, I wanted to say quite plainly that as a gay viewer who has appreciated Aof’s work for years, I was particularly touched by this crossover. I don’t care about the balance other seem concerned about between Pat and Pran. I don’t care about how much they did or didn’t talk. All I know is that since episode 5 of Bad Buddy, Pat has shown that he’s all in on Pran and has never waivered. I like that so much of this special was about Pran finally accepting the way Pat loves him, just like Phupha learned to accept the way Tian loves him.

It really is as simple as the final sequence for Pat and Pran for me. It’s Pat asking if they can finally kiss and Pat and Pran again and finally getting that, Pa interruptions and everything.

So, I hope everyone finds peace with reactions to this special. I am completely satisfied, and excited to see what Aof wants to say next in Last Twilight, despite my reservations about Jimmy.

#our skyy 2 #bad buddy #a tale of thousand stars #bad buddy meta #atots meta #Ben watches

[nattaphum]

Mileapo - 3 days in Seoul

March 13

Mile and Apo arrived at the airport dressed like cowboys

and took a flight to Seoul

March 14

Fans welcomed them at the Seoul airport

and then they disappeared for the entire day. Only mile posted pics of his day at night:

The first story is taken in a Ralph Lauren store.

They went (again) to a pet shop called Ggulggul. Mile posted the photo of a dog who is the same dog Apo took a pic with, back in october.

March 15

Finally Apo started posting too. From this moment till the end of the trip they posted many matching stories.

They went to eat dinner at a restaurant called "Saemaeul Restaurant". They took the same vid from their phones

but Pond is the only one who showed us their faces lol

As they were having dinner, Apo posted on IG a set of pics from the world tour and they both commented on it:

After dinner they took a walk

that probably made them hungry again ahah

March 16

Mile went to a guitar store, maybe alone (he posted the story today but he’s wearing the jacket he wore the first day)

They went to a flower shop together🌸🌸🌸

met a dog that was so cute that they couldn't resist taking a pic :)

and then went to the exhibition of David Jimin. They took maaaaany pics. These are their matching stories:

I particularly loved this matching trio❤️:

The artist was flooded by notifs from both mileapo and fans so he started following them :)

After the exhibition they had to go to the airport but apparently they needed to make a run to the pharmacy first. Fans spotted them crossing the street:

Apo was carrying Mile's bag too and they seemed very happy (pls my heart)

PS. Mile posted a story of a concert in Bangkok of one of his favorite metal bands, that he missed because of the korea trip.

He commented about it on a tweet of a fan today (march 17):

"was so happy in korea too" awwwww.

Last pic (for now) of Mileapo sightseeing Seoul 😍:

Finally they went to the Seoul airport:

and safely landed in Bangkok :)

❤️

Below you can find the maps of their trip, provided by iyyene

#seoul you will always be special #kinnporsche #mileapo #mileapo date #mileapo fly to mumbai #mileapo maps

[kess-in-the-perthchimzone]

“Mini” fic: Kang and the terrible, horrible, no good, absolutely perfect day

No one asked for this, it’s entirely self-indulgent because I’ve been obsessed for days with the thought of how Kang would propose. (This isn’t my number one headcanon — which is that Kang would plan an elaborate day but Sailom would figure it out and beat him to the proposal two seconds before Kang could — but Sailom has already gotten to be the competitive romantic asshole this week so it’s Kang’s turn)

The travel agent who convinced him that horseback rides are romantic would need to be fired immediately upon his return to Bangkok, Kang decides two hours in. He’s hot. His legs hurt. He’s probably dying of thirst, because every time he tries to drink out of his bottle, water splashes down the front of his shirt. This is the closest to torture he’s ever willingly subjected himself to.

At least Sailom looks happy. He’s been smiling out at the views of mountains surrounding them since they started, occasionally pointing out a glimmer of water in the distance.

The views long ago stopped being interesting to Kang. The only thing keeping him going is the thought of what will be waiting at the top of this mountain for them — a surprise picnic, with as many of Sailom’s favorite foods as he thought might keep in the heat, to be washed down with a bottle of 2016 vintage Dom Perignon. The champagne seems a little presumptuous given he has yet to ask the question, but he feels as confident that he could be that Sailom will say “yes”. He really freaking hopes Sailom says yes.

A bird comes tearing out of the underbrush in a furious blur of yellow and orange. Kang’s horse startles at the sight. He isn’t ready — he’d barely been holding the reins while he got lost in picturing Sailom’s reaction — and the motion sends him flying. He hits the ground hard enough to knock all the air out of his lungs. The arm he’d landed on burns with the scrape of dozens of tiny rocks.

“Kanghan!” Sailom yells.

It takes him a few minutes to dismount, but he’s at Kang’s side before Kang manages to clear all of the spots out of his eyes. Kang feels Sailom’s fingers press gently against his elbow.

“Are you okay?” Sailom asks, sounding frantic.

“I’m okay,” Kang grits out. He starts to try and sit up, only for Sailom to move a hand to his chest to stop him.

“You’re bleeding,” Sailom tells him.

His eyes are so big and so very dark with concern. His lips have gone flat, colorless where they’re pressed together.

“I’m okay,” Kang repeats, trying to convince himself as much as anything. He glances down to see not one, but four or five different scrapes marring the skin between his elbow and his wrist.

“I have some bandages in my—“ Sailom begins.

“Let’s get to the top,” Kang insists. He thinks longingly of stretching out on the blanket. Of a cool pitcher of water. Of maybe feeding each other some chilled grapes — feeling the press of Sailom’s fingertips at his lips. “We’re almost there.”

Sailom frowns at him. “Kang.”

“Please,” Kang says. Sailom is welcome to spend as much time as he likes tending to Kang’s wounds once he’s wearing Kang’s ring on his finger. “We’re almost there.”

Sailom reluctantly agrees, but he insists on taking up the rear for the rest of the ride.

Which means Kang is first to crest over the top of the mountain. He’s first to see the pristine open area, with its sweeping views. How empty it is. How there isn’t a fucking picnic set up anywhere in site.

“What?” he demands. He scrabbles to dig his phone out of the little backpack he’d donned for this trip. The screen shows an ominous NO SIGNAL.

Kang jumps down to the ground, feeling a sharp throbbing in his arm in the process. He looks around wildly, as if he might be missing something, somehow on this tiny plot of land. He paces a lap, looking down over the edges, on some frantic hope everything might have blown over — caught on some branch. There’s nothing.

“What’s wrong?” Sailom calls.

Kang ignores him as fury rises inside him. This had taken weeks of planning. He’d called three times this week to make sure everything would be here. His entire plan had hinged on having this picnic. Today was supposed to be the day he finally proposed to Sailom. Now, he’s going to have wait. And who knows when he’ll get another chance with both their work schedules.

He kicks at a rock on the ground, sending it flying. The motion reveals another stabbing pain in the hip he’d landed on. Kang swears loudly but stubbornly kicks again.

After a few seconds of that, angry tears threaten to spill over. He lifts his hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose.

Suddenly Sailom is there, carefully pulling down his arms. Kang blinks against the influx of bright light to see him standing close, hair a sweaty, tousled mess and cheeks flushed a dark pink. He’s the prettiest person Kang has ever met, he thinks a little hysterically.

“What’s wrong?” Sailom asks, although it comes out more a gentle order than a question.

“There’s no champagne,” Kang tells him.

Sailom clearly has to bite down against a laugh. He removes one of the hands he has around Kang’s wrist to card his fingers against his scalp. Kang can’t help tilting his head into the touch. “Did you hit your head when you fell?”

“No,” Kang protests.

“Will you let me look at your arm now?” Sailom asks. He shakes his head at Kang with unmistakable fondness.

Kang holds it out dutifully. He feels the tentative press of Sailom’s fingers — sees him carefully adjust Kang’s forearm to better meet the light.

When their gazes next meet, it feels a little like falling again. Kang goes breathless in the face of the love and care he sees in every fragment of color in Sailom’s eyes.

“We’re going to have to clean these when we get back to the hotel,” Sailom tells him.

The final traces of anger deflate as quickly as they’d come. At once, Kang feels almost shy.

“Okay,” he says quietly.

Sailom quirks an eyebrow at him. “No joke about taking a bath together. Are you sure you—“

“Will you marry me?” Kang interrupts. He doesn’t consciously decide to say the words. They just come rushing out of him, in a torrent as strong as the waterfall they’d seen at the start of this terrible ride.

The question strikes Sailom visibly speechless. He goes entirely still, except for the quick bob of his throat as he swallows.

Kang feels compelled to fill the silence, but the entire speech he’d planned has gone flying out of his head so he finds himself babbling stupidly. “I know we’re going to buy a house together. I know we have our tattoos, and those are more lasting than a ring. And I don’t even really know what would be different, but I love you so much and — “

This time, Sailom interrupts him. “Yes.”

“Yes?” Kang repeats incredulously.

“Yes!” Sailom says.

Kang finally processes the enormous smile splitting Sailom’s face, but he doesn’t have long to enjoy it. Sailom uses his grip on Kang’s wrist to pull him forward into a kiss.

(Kang spends the entire ride down watching the way the sun glints off the metal on Sailom’s finger as he holds the rein. This time, he enjoys the trip a whole lot more)

((And I wholeheartedly second @godamnarmsrace headcanon that Kang would have had something custom made, and it would probably be something like this ring that spins!))

((Want your own mini fic? Show me proof that you submitted a question or feedback to the Dangerous Romance Celebration hosted by @criticallyobs before midnight your time on this Thursday and I’ll tackle the Kang/Sailom prompt of your choosing))

#Kess sometimes writes fic not meta #kanghansailom #dangerous romance

[waitmyturtles]

Absolute Zero, episode 3: This show is still gorgeous and sumptuous. I have a quibble, I'm going to work through the quibble, and then celebrate a moment in the show that I loved.

Adult Suansoon is deciding what to do about his appearance in his past. He's separate from young Suansoon -- they are two separate entities. Adult Suansoon is clearly working through if he'll intervene in the past, if he'll direct young Ongsa's attraction to adult Suansoon to another direction.

We see adult Suansoon hovering on the line of making decisions to remove himself entirely from young Ongsa's life, and dancing around that line. We see that that's VERY difficult for him. We see that adult Suansoon just may not be realizing and embodying FULLY that he's the adult version of himself, as clearly, he's transported back into love for Ongsa, no matter if Ongsa is a teenager or an adult, as adult Suansoon keeps a picture of adult Ongsa on his phone, and enjoys his time with young Ongsa in the coffee shop.

What I need from adult Suansoon is a little narrative recognition that he's either 1) the adult in the room, and/or 2) that he IS an adult. I'm not sure I know enough about Suansoon yet, young or old, to understand why he hasn't embodied this fact. He's clearly falling in love, and/or has been in love, with young Ongsa, and just a click, just a little note of -- oh shit, we have age gap here, folks, and we know it -- would help the show a touch.

But also, I think I need to know, as a viewer, if we ARE going to go towards age gap, a bit more, verbally, about adult Suansoon's mindset. I need to know if he's confused, if he's unable to direct himself -- something.

We might get it with the conversation he'll have with the video store uncle next week, or at least, that's how the previews are setting it up.

Anyway -- this being New Siwaj, am I surprised this is happening? Unfortunately, I am not surprised -- but I trust, considering the higher quality of the acting and directing in this work than in his past recent works, that this issue of a lack of narrative communication will hopefully be resolved soon. Fingers crossed.

So, all that being said:

1 ) Teng Krist Kanist and Tor Supakorn, our age-gapped pair, have EXCELLENT chemistry. Are we supposed to be a bit wibbly about it? Maybe?

2) Will I not see more of these two together?!

Now this pair?! I WANNA SEE MORE OF THESE TWO TOGETHER! Teng and Sine?! Didn't know I needed 'em, but I need 'em!

I'm really, REALLY glad to see so much of Teng Krist Kanist -- I loved him in Gay OK Bangkok, and I'm glad to see him make such a huge return as a lead actor in this prominent show. But by episode 3, I need more narrative direction, because we only have 12 episodes to tell what I think is going to be a pretty intricate time travel story, and we gotta move a touch.

#absolute zero #absolute zero the series #new siwaj #teng kanist #sine inthira #suansoon x ongsa #ongsa x suansoon #absolute zero meta

[firstkanaphans]

OMG BOP SOON??? IM SO HAPPY

Yes, hopefully tomorrow! But it's been a while since I've posted anything, so I'll give you a little sneak peek 😉

Aye had no idea why he’d agreed to come to Thua’s engagement party on such short notice. He was exhausted. In the past week, he had said goodbye to his friends and family, packed his whole life into boxes, and moved across the country where he was now stranded in an unfamiliar city counting down the hours until he started an internship he wasn’t entirely sure he had earned. And, in the midst of all of that, he had also ended things with the boy he was casually seeing because leaving town for three months seemed like as good an excuse as any to get out of a situationship that was going nowhere fast. There was just no spark. There never was. 

He finished the drink in his hand and motioned for another; he had been glued to the bar all night long. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for Thua, but whenever he found himself alone in a crowded room, his default setting was to flirt and that seemed like an overwhelmingly bad idea given the circumstances. The last thing he needed was to accidentally break some poor boy’s heart and then leave Thua alone to pick up the pieces when he returned to Bangkok at the end of the summer. 

The next three months were supposed to be about work—not dating. Or at least that had been his intention. But then he glanced up and saw a man who looked like he had been plucked straight from his dreams. 

He was tall and lithe, wearing a perfectly-tailored suit. His hair was coiffed, his posture ramrod straight. He looked older than Aye in a way that made him seem distinguished, untouchable, and yet there was an innocence about him that Aye wanted to destroy. It was such an asinine thing to think about a stranger—an opinion built on nothing more than a sideways glance—and Aye was just about to turn away and shake such damning thoughts loose from his head when suddenly, the man looked up and their eyes met.

For the first time in Aye’s life, he felt a spark.

#this is the 1st chapter of BoP from Aye's POV just in case that wasn't obvious 😂 #it's taken me way too long to finish it but i'm very happy with how it turned out! #asks #business or pleasure fic

[ofgreyskies]

open to anyone !

this is the worst part of the job. not the traveling, no; wandering is familiarity to him at this point and homesickness is only a constant ache for something he can't identify. it's the having to make appearances and talk to strangers, all while acting gracious and personable. he'd skip out on the whole thing entirely, but he's not always the first to be courted for galas and shoulder-rubbing, and when something as big as the aaes gala is up in the air, he has to accept it with a reluctant head nod and the promise to himself that it means he can turn down something else. but the gala's not something for him to worry about tonight. instead, he's pried himself from the semi-comfort of his hotel room as the sun sets and decided to make the best of an irritating occasion. his team's busy getting everything ready for the gala, but as it does far too often for the liking of his more anti-social tendencies, restless loneliness has set in. it's sheer need not to spend another night out on the town on his own that makes him approach the first person he recognizes in the hotel lobby as he waits for his rideshare to show in hopes he can find some company. he braces himself and launches into what could turn out to be an awful start to the night. "you thinking about heading out to see what bangkok's got to offer, too, or did you get lost on your way to the spa? honestly, i can't blame you either way."

#thefouraaes

[juneviews]

Could you give me some recommendations of whatever has Nadao Bangkok produced? sounds like it was a good studio :(

I definitely can! nadao has produced a lot if not MOST of my favorite thai dramas, so that's why I'm fucking heartbroken over this, they also put a lot more budget into their series so it was really quality over quantity for them, which is very rare for thai production companies :((( I made a full video on the company here!

I told sunset about you

so I scream about this show all the time bc I truly consider it the one & only perfect bl show ever produced. in terms of production, execution & writing, this one is simply above every other show, it's so tightly run & well-made you sometimes ask yourself how they did it. the visuals are insanely gorgeous, the acting performances some of the best I've ever seen in a thai drama, the characters are super endearing, the relationship is beautiful & the queer rep??? was so important! (don’t watch the sequel though)

project s: skate our souls

another 10/10 show for me, bc it legitimately changed my life. this show is just as gorgeous aesthetically, well-written, incredibly acted, it tackles the topic of depression in a raw & imperfect way like I have personally never seen before, it has the topic of found family which will forever be my fave... this show is everything to me. it's like one of my favorite things ever. I couldn't recommend it more!

project s: side by side

once again, what characterized nadao was the insane quality of their shows, and this one is not an exception either. again it tackles the topic of mental illness that’s not very represented, it has SUCH a compelling world-building like the two previous shows as well, the acting performance is also one of the very best I’ve seen, the characters are all so precious, and this is just... A FUCKING GOOD SHOW!

in family we trust

so in family we trust is my favorite lakorn (thai soap operas that have between 12 & 30 eps, air 2 to 3 times a week and are generally geared towards an older thai audience), probably bc it doesn’t do basically anything like a lakorn lol. it’s very well shot, has a very suspensful & entertaining story, the acting performances are all great as always... and it just goes further than any other lakorn I’ve seen. it’s just really, really good, and you will absolutely hold your breath if you watch this one!

great men academy

this show was all the rage back in 2019, and for good reasons! once again, nadao said BUDGET & created an entire new world for this show! the story is very cute & entertaining while still having deeper storylines, the acting is great, the characters are adorable especially tangmo the pansexual icon, the chemistry amazing & this is just SUCH a good time! I don’t think you can watch this show & dislike it :)

I hate you, I love you

my favorite thing about nadao is that they really make amazing shorter series, and this is one of them! this is a murder mystery with priviledged teens who all betray each other, and it’s very well executed! for me it’s such an underrated thai drama that everyone should watch bc it practically watches itself with how entertaining it is!

blackout

a more recent series that deals with VERY heavy topics, but is truly done so expertly I was blown away. it’s a vertical show which really gives it a video game & escape game vibe, the shots are all GORGEOUS, the sound & set design are absolutely the best I’ve ever seen if I’m honest, the acting is great, and it’s again a very short & entertaining show that leaves a lot to think about. it’s not for the faint of the heart, but I’d really recommend it bc it’s so underrated & deserved so much better!

hormones

and finally, the first nadao show ever & one of its most iconic, hormones. hormones is for me THE classic teen thai drama that you need to watch alongside love sick & grean house, and it was an absolutely groundbreaking drama for the time, that launched the careers of most of its actors who are still thriving today! but apart its historic side, this is a genuinely groundbreaking show with queer characters (and not only men for once!), female characters that finally get the spotlight, sexual content, etc. that tackles a lot of important topics, all of that wrapped in a very endearing execution. this is definitely a show that every thai drama fan should watch!

xxx

#answers #nadao bangkok #I told sunset about you #project s: sos #project s: side by side #in family we trust #great men academy #i hate you i love you #blackout #hormones the series #blackout the series #bypiningbisexuals #yeah I'm still so fucking heartbroken this studio is going down... it really was like no other in terms of quality :(

[matan4il]

Last post of good-natured silliness regarding Mile and Apo's trips! (the first can be found here and the second here)

Jul 28, Mile posted a pic from the car in Paris in the rain set to Jazz (his and Apo's fave music genre). Then he started posting from flying back to and landing in Bangkok. He was wearing the same cap with a big 'A' on it that he wore during departure on Jul 19, even though weather wise, that cap didn't make sense then and even less so now.

When he left:

And as he returned:

This is kinda similar to Apo, who wore his trinket necklace both when he departed Bangkok on Jul 19 and when he came back on Jul 25. It has two silver circle rings, joined by a heart pendant.

Apo when leaving:

And upon returning:

Back on Jul 6, when they went to Song Wat together, I noticed these joined rings and that, because most of the time the heart holds the two together, it makes them look a lot like Mile's double circle silver ring, which he has had for years, way before KPTS.

While Mile's ring is obviously not connected to Apo, I did wonder when Apo started wearing his trinket necklace which includes this pair of joined rings, and whether they might intentionally have been chosen for their similarity to Mile's (once locked together with a heart). I can't actually answer any of these questions, other than to tell you that Apo doesn't seem to have worn these rings before he re-met Mile in Oct 2020. At least I couldn't find any evidence that he did, not on his fingers and not on his necklace (though he did wear other necklaces). The first time I could find him wearing the joined rings on the trinket necklace is a pic Apo shared on Sep 13, 2021:

He's also wearing it in a pic he shared Sep 16, 2021, you can see it a bit better there (especially since on Jan 10, 2022 he posted another pic from the same occasion where the necklace with the rings and heart is even clearer). Also, as far as I can tell, Apo changes the trinkets he wears with the paired rings, but he always wears those. Make of all this what you will...

Mile posted a vid on Facebook from the plane as it approached Bangkok, captioned it with text about saving money to construct, buy and decorate a house, and added this post to his "Happiness during the day" album:

He also pasted the same text about saving money for a house onto a vid of an apartment with a view of NYC, which he shared on his personal IG, and we all know who loves that city and even lived there for 7 months...

After landing, Mile posted on IG pics and vids from the Eiffel Tower in the rain on Jul 27, and he captioned them with "Something is more romantic with rain... #LikeYou ^^". Within 13 minutes, Apo liked the post and commented, "Very romantic."

Mind you, the entire 10 days they've been apart, neither one of them used the word "romantic" in any of their captions. While Mile WAS ACTUALLY IN Paris, at the Eiffel Tower, in the rain, he didn't use the word "romantic," but he did right away after he returned to Thailand.

Apo posted on IG 15 minutes after Mile did, sharing pics from Jul 21 in China, and he captioned them "Sleep no more." Except unlike me, Apo capitalized every first letter of each word, which is what Mile always does with his own captions in English. Mile commented not long after with "Cool."

Another thing to note is the day before, Jul 28, as Mile was flying back to Thailand, Apo posted a pic from China, from Jul 23, where he's doing a half heart, and he captioned it, "Miss you."

Just as a bonus... On the same day, while Mile was flying back to Bangkok, his mom posted multiple pics and vids of herself in a green shirt (Mile's color) and yellow pants (Apo's color).

Wait, bonus #2! Mile also mentioned returning very soon. Pond replied to a photographer that he'll see him in September. The Paris Fashion Week 2023 starts on Sep 25, so we might get some more Mileapo in Paris then.

Did I miss anything? Probably, there's been a lot. But I hope this series of posts made you smile! You can find more of my Kinnporsche/Mileapo stuff under this tag. xoxox

#mileapo #mkp #mile phakphum #mile phakphum romsaithong #phakphum romsaithong #apo nattawin #apo nattawin wattanagitiphat #nattawin wattanagitiphat #man suang #man suang cast #kinnporsche #kinnporsche cast #kinnporsche the cast #kpts cast #kpts the cast #the dots i've connected them

[mybeingthere]

Jiab Prachakul was born in in 1979 in Nakhon Phanom, a small town on the Mekong River in northeast Thailand. She studied filmography at Thammasat University before working as a casting director at a Bangkok production company, finding talent for advertising campaigns. In 2006, Prachakul relocated to London where she had the ‘instant realisation’ that she wanted to be an artist after viewing a David Hockney retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery. Entirely self-taught, she moved to Berlin in 2008 and began selling her pictures at a local flea market and set up an online fashion brand, designing merchandise based on her artworks, which she continues to run from her current home in Lyon.

Night Talk ( which won the prestigious first prize in the BP Portrait Award) portrays Prachakul’s close friends Jeonga Choi, a designer from Korea, and Makoto Sakamoto, a music composer from Japan, who are pictured in a Berlin bar on an autumn evening. The portrait explores notions of individual identity and how perceptions of selfhood can change over time. ‘Our identity is dictated to us from the moment we are born, but as we grow up, identity is what we actually choose to be,’ she says. ‘I do believe that our circle of friends is what makes us who we are. Jeonga and Makoto are like family to me. We are all outsiders, Asian artists living abroad, and their deep friendship has offered me a ground on where I can stand and embrace my own identity.’

https://www.npg.org.uk/.../exh.../exhibitor-pages/night-talk

[seradae]

I wrote a book!

Spire Bound is my first published novella and is a romance/erotica hiding inside a hard sci-fi shell. You'll get to know Erica (she/her) and Lou (they/them) as they spend time together after a long time apart. Oh, and they happen to do that in a massive space station orbiting Earth. If you asked Erica for a summary, she would say, "lesbians in SPAAAAAACE-ACE-ace!"

Read on for a preview of the first chapter, or go to Amazon to get your copy!

Amazon link: https://a.co/d/aQRCJA5

2045-08-11 15:50

138 hours to departure

Erica floated near a wall, staring at her phone. She watched as the shuttle map updated, a blip coming closer and closer to the port. She fidgeted excitedly – tossing the phone between her hands every few seconds – as she imagined the fun they'd have over the next few days. Then she heard the characteristic click-hiss of the docking procedure and grinned so hard her face hurt.

A few moments later, the airlock door swung open and attendants began helping passengers out into the hub and onto the waiting train. She saw a flash of short blonde hair and kicked off the wall as she locked eyes with Lou, flying toward them and exclaiming, "you're here!"

She grabbed a handhold on the wall to suppress her motion and yanked Lou off to the side, pulling them in for a deep kiss. "God, I missed you."

Lou wrapped their arms around her and squeezed her so tight she was momentarily worried she might bruise. "I missed you too, baby! I thought you were going to meet me in the Donut?"

"I wanted to surprise you!" She kissed them again and then grabbed them tight and kicked off, aiming toward the train. "C'mon, another one won't be here for a few minutes."

The interior of the train was softly lit and each row of eight seats was arranged around a central aisle. Erica watched with amusement as most of the new arrivals chose seats on the 'floor' – ignoring that it was just a matter of perspective. As they got their lap belts fastened, she asked, "how was the trip? Why'd you end up so late?"

"The flight was fine -- short and uneventful -- but everything leading up to that was annoying as hell. The passenger trains from the Buenos Aires ring to the New York ring were down for almost a day; apparently a tether snapped and had to be completely replaced. So I had to transfer through the Bangkok ring and missed my shuttle," Lou grumbled.

Her eyes grew wide. "Wait, the entire tether snapped?!"

They laughed a bit at that. "Oh, fuck no. That would've taken a lot more than a day to fix. Just one of the redundant lines, but you know how strict they are. Either way, I'm just glad I'm finally here."

"Me too," she said quietly as she laid her head against Lou's shoulder. "It's nice being able to touch you again."

"Perv," they teased, turning to kiss the top of Erica's head. "I know it's only been a few months, but it feels like years. How's life been?"

"Pfft, takes one to know one. Honestly, it's been really good; watching this place grow and change has been amazing. And I was able to set up a few fun surprises while you're in town!" She reached over and held their hand, sighing softly as their fingers interlocked for the millionth time.

Lou perked up at that. "Oh? Like what? Can I get a hint?"

"Nope. If I give you a hint, we both know you'll figure them out. I know you're terrible at it, but be patient."

"Next stop: Euclid station, your hub for shopping, entertainment, and hospitality."

"That's the Donut, right? Isn't that where your apartment is?" Lou reached down to undo their lap belt to get up, but Erica pulled their hand away.

"Yes, but that's not where we're getting off," she replied with a smirk.

"I guess the surprises are starting early," they said inquisitively.

She kissed them on the cheek. "Damn right. I have my baby for less than a week and I'm gonna take advantage of every second."

----------

"Next stop: Spire Prime, luxury hospitality."

Erica detached her lap belt and gestured for Lou to follow suit. "This one's us!" They raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. "When we stop, just follow me."

As the train came to its stop, she pushed herself up and they both proceeded to the exit. As they left the train, they were greeted by a pair of attendants. One of them spoke kindly, "welcome back, Ms. Rae! And you must be Mx. Cruz, lovely to meet you and welcome to Spire Prime. Your luggage should be here shortly; we'll see that it gets to you as soon as possible. Would you care for assistance to your suite?"

They both smiled wide at the personal greeting. "No thanks, Tom, I'll lead the newbie," Erica said with a wink.

"Understood! Let us know if you need anything, and we'll see you shortly with your luggage."

She locked arms with Lou and kicked off the doorway, leading them towards the panoramic glass exterior wall of the module. They could see the whole Earth below them, fully illuminated, though at this distance it was impossible to make out details.

She grabbed handholds along the wall and propelled them around the module until they reached their room. She waved her wrist in front of the lock on the wall and the door opened, beckoning them in. She grabbed hold of them and the door and flew inward, past a bathroom and into the living room.

Lou had seen pictures of this place as it was being built, but they absolutely did not do it justice. They looked around the room, taking in the sights. "Wow... This is absolutely amazing. You didn't have to do all this, you know." They drifted toward the glass dome window at the end of the room, while Erica attached her purse to the wall near the couch.

She scoffed. "It's your first time on the Spire! We have less than 6 days; do you think we were just going to go hit dive bars?"

Lou twisted around to look at her. "... Are there dive bars here?"

"I mean, yeah. But they're faux-dive still. Gonna take a few years to really get them dirty; we'll work on that later. But for now, I just want you to enjoy yourself." She pushed off the wall and flew over to them, grabbing a handhold and pinning them to the window, kissing them hard. "And I want to enjoy you."

Lou's arms wrapped around her body and pulled her in tight. "I love you so goddamn much," they whispered as they bit her neck gently. Goosebumps appeared all over Erica's body and she moaned softly.

She let go of the handhold and the two entwined, kissing passionately yet slowly. They drifted in space together, exploring each other's bodies as they had so many times before.

Lou grabbed the bottom of Erica's shirt and lifted it, their eyes transfixed by the earthlight cast on her skin. They pulled it off and dropped it to the floor, then broke out into laughter.

Erica turned and saw the shirt spinning aimlessly in midair and started laughing too. "Forgot there's no gravity, didn't you?"

"It's still so surreal..."

"You get used to it. Next time, throw," she remarked with a chuckle, then pulled them back in and kissed them hard as she unbuttoned their shirt. She removed it with ease, as she had done many times before, and tossed it over her shoulder.

They each pulled off their pants, throwing them out of the way. Lou kissed their way down from her lips to her neck to her chest, finally sighing, "god, I missed this."

She put her hands on either side of their face and pulled them up to look at them. "Me too, love. But we're together now, and that's what matters." Her hands traced down their side and then across their panties. "And I haven't fucked you in far too long."

She deftly maneuvered her hand into their panties and they spread their legs. Her hand moved forward and then she slid a finger into them. Lou moaned and leaned forward to kiss her hard, clinging tight to her, lest they be separated by physics. She slid a second finger in and started to fuck them with abandon, feeling them moan into her mouth.

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door. "Oh, fuck. The bags." She gave them a quick kiss and then shouted, "one moment!"

#txt #scifi writing #scifiseries #spire bound #the spire #author #wlnb nsft

[icembrace]

⊠    ɪᴅ  .  .  .  ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ    ››    [    pat chayanit    /      32    /    cis  woman    /    she/her    ]   mercy  headquarters  is  pleased  to  officially  introduce  𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐎.  they  have  been  apart  of  the  organization  for  twelve years ,  serving  as  𝐀 𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 agent  and  has  been  assigned  the  codename  𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐋𝐓 it's  worth  noting  that  their  file  indicates  they  have  undergone  the  solaris  treatment  and  host 𝐈𝐂𝐄  𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  according  to  our  dossier,  the  agent  exhibits  a  combination  of  𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓  and  𝐄𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄  traits,  fitting  for  someone  reminiscent  of  natasha  romanoff & emma  frost.  prior  to  embarking  on  any  mission,  the  find  solace  in  listening  to  the  song  “i don’t wanna be me“  by  𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄 0 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄.  

𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃 .

full name : cipriana lamai cao . nicknames : none, don't try . occupation : field agent . age : thirty - two . place of birth : new york city, new york . gender : cis woman . languages : mandarin chinese, thai, english, russian, polish, lithuanian, japanese, korean & spanish . ethnicity : chinese and thai. religion : tba . date of birth : 30.12.2016 . zodiac : capricorn . chinese zodiac : monkey

𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 .

height : 169 cm . build : slender . eye colour : brown . hair colour : naturally black , but prone to change depending on her mission. most notably, she used to be blonde . hair style : usually kept long and straight . scars : earned a scar on her neck on her most recent mission and was wearing lots of silk scarves and turtlenecks to cover it up . managed to remove it thanks to a cosmetical procedure. distinguishing features : her lips , more specifically, her cupid's bow . scent : amber, leather & rose clothing style : elegant on most occasions, more practical during missions, in shades of black and predominantly white , with occasional inclusion of other colours.

𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 .

character parallels : natasha romanoff ( marvel ) , emma frost ( marvel ) , the girl ( a girl walks home alone at night ) , nora ( past lives ) . moral alignment : chaotic neutral . personality type : istp. emotional stability: in need of improvement . element : fire . character tropes : color motif, dark action girl, i don't pay you to think , the paragon, with my hands tied, more than meets the eye .

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 .

father : james cao . mother : lauren saengarun . siblings : none. spouse(s) : duncan lawrence ( divorced ) , lev lebedev ( divorced ). children : none. pets : none .

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 . tw: torture.

¹. the caos were wall street royalty of the 80s, 90s and 00s, an entire generation of bankers, loan processors and hedge fund managers — sovereigns, lacking only a gilded crown, who ruled the worldwide market with an iron fist. then, came cipriana, the only child of james cao and his much-beloved wife lauren with pin curls in her head and pearls around her neck, inheriting only half of her mother's beauty but none of her mellow nature. for all his brilliance and adroitness, james cao could never get along with his daughter — she was excessively this, and overly that, and yet never quite enough. so most of her childhood, cipriana had spent in her mother's embrace, lost between continents, raised in new york during winters, but beijing and bangkok during long, sweltering summers.

². boarding schools, well-paid and carefully chosen private tutors and instructors, suitcases in her hands — these are her recollections of her teenhood. she was always leaving. from the age of eight to nearly sixteen, she was enrolled in institut le rosey in switzerald, where she grew only more defiant over the years. her nonpareil academic achievements and artifice, however, did not aid her in reaching the impossibly high standards her father had set for her. james cao could no longer tolerate his daughter, deciding thus to cast her aside and take away her inheritance — and in turn, cipriana promised to give herself the world.

³. despite the sudden severance from her family, cipriana still found herself at princeton, using her eruditeness, excellent records as well as her family name to secure a spot at such a prestigious university. there, she was subsequently discovered and recruited by one of mercy's special agents. at the age of twenty, she officially began her training as a junior agent, graduating a mere two and a half years later. officially a field agent, fresh-faced, and irrevocably determined, she decided to undergo the solaris treatment — but the process did not go without a hitch. it took longer than expected for her power to surface, which only made cipriana overcompensate in other departments, more specifically combat.

⁴. cipriana spent her early and mid-twenties on the field, all across the country while partaking in numerous missions. the agency loved just how easily she could adapt to her new identities and extract information, singing her praises while simultaneously destroying what little identity she had left. at twenty-six, she married for the first time, on a whim, because it felt like the only thing she wanted, desperate for something or someone to return to — but it didn't last. he deserved someone better. someone who could give him more. she filed for divorce within the same year, and a month after her divorce, she was deployed for an overseas mission.

⁵. with a new narrative, her hair bleached and still smelling of ammonium hydroxide and a forged passport in her hands, she made her way to warsaw, poland. she lived under various names,most notably, anielka song, danute garsva, and sunisa shinawatra. she was stationed in poland for half a year and the other half she spent in lithuania. then came russia, an additional two years of covert and clandestine operations. after russia, she was led to thailand, a place that should've been familiar terrain. all was well up until the moment she was caught and captured, and thereupon tortured. they didn't manage to extract any information, but the psychological and physical damage they had done was severe. the lack of access to solaris drug was one of the reasons behind her failure. she was eventually found by her mission partners, and the transgressors were convicted, but to cipriana it felt like a pyrrhic victory. mercy, however, did not agree and labeled her as a 'hero' instead.

⁶. after five years deep undercover, cipriana's finally made her way back to apex city. she passed all her tests — and is still suited for a field agent, but some would beg to disagree for the sake of her health. she conceals her issues well, from struggles with her identity or rather the lack of it, to short-term memory lapses that started after thailand. it's a tale of a girl who's spent her entire life leaving. always leaves first so she isn't left behind. leaving for cipriana is an art.

𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 .

has only been around for the last couple of months — as she spent five years undercover in eastern europe, baltic countries, and asia. her whereabouts and coordinates were classified as confidential. feels like an utter stranger after living for so long away from apex city.

a former gymnast. unlike most children, she did not partake in regular sports but rather found solace in gymnastics. she won several gold medals when she was younger but ultimately hated competing.

trained and skilled in many forms of martial arts, including: judo, karate, savate, aikido, muay thai and brazilian jiu-jitsu. basically, her skills and combat style are heavily inspired by natasha romanoff.

married for the second time while she was undercover. she met lev in st. petersburg but married him in pattaya city. it was another reckless decision, a byproduct of her loneliness in a foreign country. she divorced him after a year.

'she wore white (shoes)' — a code phrase that was exclusively associated with cipriana. so while she didn't always wear white attires, her shoes were distinctly white.

she learned mandarin from her father and thai from her mother — english was simply the middle ground in their household. she picked up japanese and korean while in boarding school as it was required of her to study at least two foreign languages. she was tutored in spanish at home at the behest of her mother, and she learned russian, polish and lithuanian while at mercy.

has perpetually cold hands and does not shy away from cold weather. catch her out in the snow with just a shirt on.

𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐒 . i intend to make a proper page with more than just three plots, but for now, here's something.

i. due to the fact that she's been away for a while, cipriana assumes that most don't remember her. this person, however, never forgot about her, and are hoping to rekindle the closeness that they shared. linger in my life for just a little longer - type of deal. do you think if i dye my hair black again we could get our old friendship back? ii. a person who was constantly bested by cipriana while she was still around and considered her a rival. no matter how much they tried, she was always better. when she left, they finally seized their victory. now that she's back, will old fires find a way to burn again?iii. a newfound friendship that's mostly based on them practicing and testing their combat skills together. when she pins them down to the floor, only one question remains — 'are we still friends, yes?'

#mercyorg:intro

[thepixelpenguin]

Mario Kart Tour: Oxford Foray

Told you this page would be random.

I think an underappreciated aspect of Tour's city track design is their atmosphere. They don't just tour recognisable landmarks in a believable layout, they really capture the city's character! From New York's dazzling nightlife to LA's casual appeal, Singapore's extreme extravagance to Sydney's energetic simplicity, Vancouver's splashes of colour and natural beauty, Amsterdam's effortless harmony with canals and nature alike, Rome's ancient architecture with comfortable life on top, Madrid's modern bustle with impressive history underneath, Athens' proud (and hilly) past and Bangkok's humble yet hopeful future, and Berlin's seamless integration of all eras: they're all accurate as far as I can surmise. There's only a few that I think don't quite hit the mark. Paris’ modernity is smothered in quaint romanticism, though what else could one expect, Tokyo has little of its maximalist flair, but perhaps the graphics limited that, and then… London.

I'm certainly biased, it being my home country and the only city on the list I've seen for more than a day, but it seems to only hit the beats of its most recognisable icons: laudably no doubt, but the city isn't just its imposing imperial riches! What strikes me about London is its fast-paced mishmash of cultures that fill in all the gaps between the great British statements like water running over cobbled streets: history and novelty around every corner! The course gives me the impression of the former but not the latter. 

I'm not sure I'm qualified to rectify this, but I can make up for it with another English icon! My hometown has its history, but not enough to base a tour around. My current homestead, however, is undeniably culturally significant, and it's not just that. I hope I did well to convey the place as storied and not just interesting, but inviting, a genuinely fun place to stay for a day or a year. That's how I feel about it at least.

HERE WE GO

1: Our foray begins on the left side of the picturesque High Street, between Queen’s College and the Examination Schools. It’s a noticeably wide street (and a noticeably wide gothic limestone starting gate with a waving chequered flag to boot), with a cobbled dividing strip, and plenty of buses to crowd the way! As the road narrows and items are collected, there’s a right turn into the Covered Market, which has three narrow lanes to choose from, and a few opportunities to weave between.

Out of the market is a sharp right turn down a walled alley, with the lovely Exeter and Lincoln colleges adjoining. This is before a huge 180 turn with another item set around the Radcliffe Camera, an impressive dome in the middle of a big communal square. Having lost its fence, at that, so if you’ve got a mushroom and are prepared to miss out on items, the shortcut is worth it! Racers continue north past All Souls College and the Bodleian Library to reach the roundabout connecting Broad Street and Holywell Street. Remember the Bridge of Sighs to your right.

The route continues up Parks Road, a leafy avenue with plenty of boost panels, before splitting around Keble College! If you continue straight forwards, you get an easy wide road, and a view of both the Natural History Museum and University Parks. However, if you take that subtle sharp left, you can find a potentially faster cut-through that’s a bit tougher to navigate. I didn’t even have to design this one!

Both options reconvene at the apex of St Giles, where a patch of off-road leads to an optional ramp, and the road broadens to quite a degree, leaving room for a ridiculous row of coins. The abbreviated straight ends at the Martyr’s Memorial, which now has just a humble patch of grass behind it instead of an entire church, just to improve the flow.

A quick left turn introduces Broad Street, which, you guessed it, also widens out, somewhat narrowed by some of the city’s numerous bike racks. However, this one has its right half covered in short wooden ramps, for the first half! These can be useful for some trick boosts, but more coins lay the other way. Items are given at the halfway point. Before reaching the roundabout at the end, there is a conspicuous diversion past the Sheldonian Theatre (which has no fence, to make way for the race) and through the library complex towards the Bridge of Sighs. Racers may either run straight through the gate (tricking as they go) or take the grated glider ramps to make it over the bridge!

The return to the start line via New College Lane and Queen’s Lane is a winding, narrow path, walled in by the historic namesake colleges. You’ll have to forgive them for not having karts running through their grounds. Nonetheless, navigate those chicanes and a final left turn (with a sneaky cut over the pavement) brings you back to the line. It’s a long one alright!

2: As in track 1, we begin on the High Street, though this time we forge ahead past the Covered Market, the traffic turning off before the Carfax Tower, until the course swerves into the Westgate Centre. In a strikingly similar manner to Coconut Mall, the route has two walkways either side of an optional drop with escalators, before a right turn into a more open area where the drop and escalators are forced. I swear it’s coincidental! The decor is distinct at least. 

After grabbing items wherever you may encounter them, exit the mall via another sharp right turn onto open road. Make use of its breadth before you have to navigate the Castle & Prison, which is exactly what it sounds like! A couple of narrow turns later, there is a brief anti-grav uphill to wind up the Castle Mound to a big glider ramp, from which one must avoid the dreaming spires of Nuffield College and St Peter’s College some random church, or grab some of the revolving coins if you’re daring…

Though you could just drop onto the street, the Ashmolean’s grand ionic forum is a perfect landing place, where one can drift around to jump down the stairs and find themselves heading onto Broad Street once again! This time, the route heads past the theatre and turns at the roundabout, so the other lot of ramps, this time occupying the left half, can be made useful. The lap ends the way you’d expect after turning at the roundabout.

3: Unlike both 2 and 1, we start our race on Cornmarket Street (under a long hanging sign of oil paints on wood, the closest I can get to putting a pub in a kids’ game), a place I would be remiss not to include, along with its clutter of bicycle parking. If there’s one thing you notice about transit in Oxford, it’s how many bicycles are in the way. However, if you can dodge around the racks, you may find some coins or even dash panels…

Anyway, Cornmarket is a simple, if not uninterrupted, straight, which racers take south, spying once again the Carfax Tower and then the Town Hall and impressive Christ Church. You know, the big one. The road continues down St Aldates with all its traffic, but soon turns left through the open gates of Christ Church Meadow! The next half of the lap takes place in greener pastures, first down a puddle-ridden southward straightaway with sparse items and Moo Moos spectating, then when the course meets the Thames and Folly Bridge, a more wide open snaking route with grass shortcuts abound! The riverside path remains intact, but still off-road.

After doing this eastward a while, the course drastically narrows as it winds its way northward strictly following the meanders of the Cherwell. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from driving through the river itself, but the bumpy terrain and drag force balances any advantage of breadth. A wiser path is found by jumping onto a series of punts, which can be quite hard to aim for, but offer a trick each time. They’re not hard to come by in Oxford. This continues all the way to the Botanic Gardens, which can themselves be snuck through via a gap in the fence. Those wishing for a complete row of item boxes and, of course, the exquisite surroundings, can find themselves jumping over the pond in the south section before reaching the north, where a quick right around the fountain directs you between the greenhouses to reenter the river. The river, of course, does continue past the gardens, but who would want to miss out? Especially when that part of the bed gets so muddy…

When you’ve finally made it to Magdalen Bridge, you need only drive under it to find a wide slope up to the roundabout, which is drifted around before crossing the bridge to witness the lovely Magdalen Tower! We then cross the line - the line from the other versions, that is - before sneaking past the University Church to reach the road past the Radcliffe Camera. The Bodleian Library can now be dashed through for a guaranteed double box, if you can find the narrow entry! The rest is obvious: take Broad Street one last time, westward now, to reach the top of Cornmarket Street.

So how might these all fit together if they were given the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe treatment? Honestly, probably better than the individual courses! Lap 1 takes version 1, of course, but stops short of Broad Street, instead cutting through via Cornmarket to start lap 2, with version 2 taking over by way of a right turn at Carfax Tower. Lap 3 simply commences from the High Street and doesn’t bother with the whole Broad Street diversion: we’ve already seen it!

Oh right, I also made the music for it! You'll have to forgive Musescore's playback engine, they try, bless 'em.

It too had to be truly emblematic of Oxford, and besides the obvious historical, academic, fancy vibes, no sound reminds me more of this place than the echoing of church bells! And there are choirs in every college. So I ended up with a rather baroque piece, arpeggiated bass, change ringing, suspensions and all, which certainly suits the locale, but does NOT typically suit Mario Kart's encouraging energy. Heck, they almost always rely on synths, too, let alone their melody-first composition style that is entirely unfamiliar. How did I fit the mould? By focusing on intensity of Biblical proportions! If there's one thing choirs and organs can do, it's a ramp-up of DRAMA. With enough build and release, it's got the natural energy. Slap on a drum-beat and it ends up shockingly fitting. With all the zero inspiration I had to go on, I seriously surprised myself with this one. Judge for yourself!

Oxford is quite a convenient place to work with: most cities are so massive that you have to smush all the landmarks together and the layout doesn’t quite come naturally. But this place is already so compact, and packed with unmistakable buildings! Also, I know they’re trying to be flattering, but can you believe London saw not a drop of rain?! I think Oxford should be partially cloudy by contrast, providing a gentle rainfall, but with enough streams of sunlight to pierce the depressing grey… it could make the meadow look positively angelic!

Perhaps one day I’ll try my hand at Hong Kong Hustle to address Tokyo’s plight… or Shanghai Streets, I can’t decide! And then there’s one that is so easy to make that it’d be kind of funny just to do for the sake of it. We’ll see.

If anyone wants to take the names Rio de Janeiro Jaunt, New Delhi Journey, Moscow Scoot, Stockholm Swing, Cairo Cruise, Geneva Chase, or best of all, Brussels Bout, be my guest. And if any modders feel like 3d-modelling most of Oxford for me, I would love to give it a look :D

#mario kart #mario kart tour #mario kart 8 dlc #fanmade #soundtrack #level design

[imminentinertia]

Watched the first episode of Bed Friend:

Ordinary salary man indeed. I note that this is a case of Everybody's Rich. Not that it bothers me terribly, but I prefer home sets that look inhabited and not like the hotel suites they actually are with five extra knick-knacks strewn about

Oh, it's the Hit Bite Love teacher. Will try not to auto-loathe but he's testing me.

Weak enemies to lovers. WEAK. I just don't buy that you get this pissed off by so little, Uea

Oh fuck, the kid who plays little Uea is good. Ow ow ow. Had to take a break to cuddle the cat. Uea's mum will be a real treat, won't she, but I predict/hope for a reasonably satisfying showdown scene eventually.

Window cleaner commercial is never wrong. Steamy pretty scene

King apparently lives at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, at least one of the guests there took a photo of the view that looks a lot like one of the views from King's place (is this relevant to you, @colourme-feral ?). I think it's Ashton Morph 38 that's the Ashton building in the view, at least. I'm seriously not fond of hotel rooms starring as condos

All in all I'm not entirely convinced, but the acting isn't half bad and Net and James are quite appealing,

#bed friend the series