Every Time I Hear The Song Cigarettes & Saints By The Wonder Years I Picture Steve Singing About Eddie.

Keith Kogane’s fingerless gloves.

I was wondering why he wears them so much. Is it just a fashion? Or something else.

I have an old injury in my right hand and it cause me to get arthritic like pain in the fingers and wrist. So I wear fingerless gloves or hand warmers to help with the pain. Maybe Keith has something similar. That he wears his gloves because of arthritis and the gloves support his hands and keeps them warm.

I know they’re not really designed for it but I just love the idea of him having old injuries that can affect him but he is able to over come them. Also Shiro being the only one who knows about it. So he brings Keith different types of gloves for him the change between.

Also sword fighting! I personally find it harder to do small things such as gripping a pen or pencil compared to gripping a handle as there’s different muscles involved. So the idea of Keith being able to grip a sword with his whole hand but struggling with a gun because of the trigger is so good. Him struggling with writing and typing but still able to slice enemies to death with his swords!!

Just think about it for a minute please.

Watercolour A5 painting of Neil Josten and his feature in Exy Pro magazine.

There’s some mistakes but I think I managed to smooth them over.

Made for a friend’s birthday.

Hope all you Andreil lovers enjoy.

In Strongberry We Trust

I had a private ask about Strongberry recently so here’s some thoughts.

Strongberry is probably the most established KBL studio, they started in high production shorts/microfilms (as, indeed, did all of KBL) and still specialize in them. They also do some GL. They tend to have very good chemistry, work with professional actors (not idols), and will go high heat. They are now a division of Matchbox, and have been around and steadily producing content since 2017. The CEO is adorable. As of this post (Nov 2022) they are airing a new BL on their YT channel Choco Milk Shake.

Fandom slogan?

#InStrongberryWeTrust

For the fact that they pick odd premises but always seem to execute beautifully. Their stuff is either on YouTube, Gaga or pay to play on Vimeo, and they do move it around so my links might not always still be working. Vimeo earns them the most money. They are a small, struggling, queer-friendly studio, please support them and their content by not pirating or watching illegally. 

Here’s my ranking of Strongberry’s offerings.

1. A First Love Story

2021 YouTube short in 2 microfilms 

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, home setting, soft tone, grumpy/sunshine pairing

Strongberry are true masters of their craft and yet A First Love Story is still one of the best things they have ever produced. It’s the only microfilm every to make one of my year end top ten list. It’s two episodes of about 8 minutes each that manage to perfectly portray the sweetest friends-to-lovers confession ever. It’s joyful, and gentle with its characters, and a little hot. How on earth do they manage to leave us yearning for more yet completely satisfied at the same time? It’s like the perfect amuse-bouche, that one finger food at that one cocktail party that you will never forget. You are a ridiculous human if you haven’t spent 16 minutes with these two boys. Go watch it now. Or go watch it again. It’s time VERY well spent.

2. Long Time No See

2017 Gaga KBL length series (total 1.5 hr, some places packaged as a movie)

Tropes: secret love, enemies to lovers, secret identity, assassins, catfishing, mafia, higher heat, grumpy/sunshine pairing 

One of Strongberry’s few longer pieces and I often wonder whether this is strictly BL. It’s about assassins on either side of a terf war who fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Good fight sequences, mature characters, high heat, very suspenseful, AND an HEA. If you like KinnPorsche you will LOVE this one.

3. Some More

2018 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, hyung romance, self acceptance, countryside setting, soft tone, age gap, country boy/city boy

One of my most favorite of Strongberry’s shorts, about a city boy on a bike tour who gets injured and rescued by a taciturn, but (as it turns out) very gay, farmer. Mentions of pride, adorable supportive cousin. SO CUTE with excellent chemistry and featuring tropes I can never get enough of. 

3. Private Lessons

2019 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: student/teacher, jock/nerd, hyung romance, obsession, crush, university setting, May/December, age gap  

Given it is age gap and teacher/student (AKA P’ABL’s catnip) it should rate higher on my list, but the chemistry is slightly off. Stil I do love this one for the dynamic. Certainly worth watching especially if this is one of your fav yaoi tropes.

4. Step For You

2018 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, sports, university setting, crush, jock/nerd, soft tone

About a reporter from the student newspaper who has to interview an older dancer and falls in love with him. This may not have been my first Strongberry, but it’s the first one I remember watching. 

5. Please Tell Me So

2021 YouTube microfilm (AKA That’s My Mr.Right!) 

Tropes: crush, obsession, cafe setting, sunshine/sunshine pairing 

Cute barista (played by Han Hyun Jun star of Love Class) has a crush on his customer, musters up the courage to ask him out. 

6. My Pistachio

2018 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, crush, hero worship, hyung romance, university setting, play within a play, grumpy/sunshine 

7. As if You Whisper

2019 Gaga movie

Tropes: friends to lovers, self acceptance, music industry setting, grumpy/sunshine pairing

8. Confidential Coffee Break

2021 Vimeo microfilm

Tropes: mature romance, long term relationship, self acceptance, university setting, one act

It’s a monologue piece about two closeted older gay professors discussing changing times and the nature of acceptance (self and others) in modern day South Korean academic environment. 

9. Hold Me

2021 YouTube microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, self acceptance, high school setting

10. Sweet Curse 

2021 Gaga short

Tropes: horror, paranormal elements, ghost story, possession, obsession, gay friendship group, everyone wants that one boy, bad/good

This is a low-gore atmospheric horror, with some very high heat. I’m not saying it’s in the top 10 just because of that, but I am saying when Strongberry does high heat it v good and v gay. 

OTHERS

My Personal Trainer - 2019 short Gaga. It v silly and v gay. Influencer has crush on his personal trainer. 

Secret Roommate - 2020 short Gaga, Cohabit, self acceptance, home setting, family, coming out 

Fingers After - 2021 microfilm Vimeo. Cohabit, morning after, home setting, pining, sunshine/tsundere pairing. 

Secret Spectacles - 2017 microfilm Gaga. Very silly again, friends to lovers, paranormal elements, university crush.

Table Manner - 2018 microfilm Gaga. Cohabit, self acceptance, home setting, long term relationship 

The Summer Pasta Recipe - 2021 short YouTube, reunion, self acceptance, grumpy/sunshine.

There my be a few more I don’t know about, MDL doesn’t seem to have a sort function for production company. 

Choco Milk Shake 

2022 YouTube KBL length series (total 1.5 hr) 

Tropes: cohabit, F2L, paranormal elements, home setting, soft tones, sunshine/tsundere. 

Two pets, a cat and a dog, reincarnate as humans to visit their old owner.

Two Other KBL shorts worth checking out:

Just Friends? 

2009 Gaga short 

I consider this one of Korea’s first actual BLs. Boyfriends, one of whom is on military leave, trying to decide on coming out and their future together. Bonus for out gay director and queer activist. 

Being Me 

2018 short Gaga 

A summer of love for two long term besties who have basically always been boyfriends, but when a girl tries to date one of them, they finally realize it. Beautifully filmed and a STELLAR ending kiss. 

(source) 

Dream catcher pt1

Soulmate Marks AU, RamKing.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25097002

Everyone had a soul-Mark. The universe’s stamp on two people to mark them as soulmates. Some were a simple shape, others were lyrics, words or complex images. They could be in black and white, or full bursting colour. They could be positioned anywhere on the body. Rare cases they were under the hair or on the tongue.

Out of King’s friends, only a few of them showed off their soulmate marks. Bohn’s was on his left arm, positioned just above the crease of his elbow. A bouquet of red roses about ten centimetres tall. He wore it with a certain smug pride. The beautiful design much too pretty for someone of his character, their friendship group agreed. Boss and Mek both had the same soul-marks. The couple having been together since they were freshmen. They wore the black circular patterned marks like a fact. They belonged together, no-one could deny it.

King didn’t particularly care for the marks. His was stamped on his back at the base of his neck between his shoulder blades. A remarkably complex image of a dream catcher with black lines curling around the feathers. He liked to keep it out of the way, not hidden exactly, but private. Soulmates were an intimate thing. King knew that his would come along eventually. He was not going to go and search for them. For now, his plants and his studies occupied his time. But sometimes when he would admire it in the mirror, neck twisting awkwardly to see it, he would smile. It was such a stark black and white image, but complex and soothing. King would occasionally wonder if it would protect him against bad dreams.

The whole thing began when Bohn started to pursue a younger medical student called Duen. King found the situation amusing. Bohn insisted that the boy was his soulmate. The red roses Duen turned up with every morning proof. It was fun to see the cocky playboy Bohn so entranced. It took a few weeks before they got together but after that they were seen regularly around campus with besotted smiles. The red bouquet of roses on Duen’s wrist matching Bohn’s.

King was having to excuse himself from lunch early in order to get away from the two sets of couples. Boss ranting on about some test while Mek watched lovingly. Duen and Bohn smiling shyly at each other between every few bites. It was all sickened adorable. King had to get a book from the library anyway, so he excused himself early. Tee had gave him a pleading look as he left. The man now the third wheel. King made a mental note to hang out with that friend more, now that the rest of their group was occupied.

The library was quite quiet that day. King began strolling through the shelves, fingers trailing along the spines as he looked for the book he wanted. He was supposed to go to the engineering section at the back but he got distracted by the plant section next to the fiction books. He decided on a quick detour and began to read through the titles. After a few seconds, the sounds of soft footsteps made him look up. A younger student passed by the aisle and King remembered that he still had to find his study book. Reluctantly, he parted with the plants and followed the student round to the engineering section.

He found the book easily enough and pulled it from the shelf, tucking it under his arm. His eye caught something through the gap between the shelves. The student was leaning against the shelf opposite, reading the back of a book. He was mixed, paler than King, with a finely cut angled face. He was handsome. Short hair gelled back and black skinny jeans with ripped knees hugging his legs. The paleness of his skin and the way he stood gave off a silent stoic air. His tattoos and the ripped jeans making him look cool and aloof.

That was not what got King’s attention though, although his brain absorbed the information anyway. No, what he was looking at was the black design behind the man’s left ear. A dream catcher with black swirls dancing around the feathers. The swirls looking like the stems of a plant. King had to blink a few times as a jolt of surprise rant through him. His own matching mark itched under his shirt.

His soulmate was right there. King hadn’t been expecting him, nor had he been looking. But there he was. The man’s eyes flickered up, as if he could feel King’s gaze. King hurriedly looked away, trying not to blush at being caught. When he looked back up, the other man had disappeared. King tried to quell the rising disappointment. He would see the other again. With a sigh, he took his book up to the checkout desk. He’d see the cool looking boy again.

——

The second time he saw him, the guy was bent over a plate on the grass. King paused and poured the last few drops of his drink into the nearest plant pot before wondering over.

“You looking for something to put water in?” He asked. His soulmate looked up but didn’t answer. King held out the empty plastic cup and the guy took it. Smiling at the fact that it had been accepted, King crouched down next to him as he poured out some water.

“Are you feeding a cat?” There was no answer.

King tried again. “You a first year?” Still no reply.

“Why won’t you answer?” King’s tone was not annoyed. He understood that maybe it would take a while to get him to speak. Not everyone was as weird and talkative as King was. The silence reminded him of his plants.

“Can you speak Thai?”

“Hello? What’s your name? Where you from?”

“Bonjour?”

“Nihao?”

“Annyong?”

The guy raised his eyes and looked at King pointedly, obviously annoyed by the persistence. King beamed at him unashamedly. He would have said more but at that moment a dog came running over. Fear jolted his breath and King was leaping back onto the table behind them, trying to get himself away from the dog as quickly as he could.

The dog didn’t pay him any mind, which King was grateful for. It lolloped over and began munching at the food his soulmate had put down. The guy stroked its head fondly, completely at ease with the large animal.

“Eat slowly”. The words were quite but King already liked the sound of his voice.

“You can speak Thai!” He accused, only to yelp as the dog looked up.

The guy rolled his eyes and stood up, shouldering his bag.

“Where are you going?”King called as his soulmate began walking off. King looked at him pleadingly. “Hey! Take your dog!”

“Wait”. The guy didn’t turn around.

Maybe King needed to rethink this soulmate thing. If the guy was willing to leave him with a dog, then maybe he should just stay away. The dog sniffed at him and King tried not to scream. Yeah, maybe he should just go without a soulmate. That sounded like a good idea.

——

The second time King bumped into him, it was when Tee had tricked him into helping him with the volunteer project. King had meant to leave, regardless of the free drinks, but the younger students got there before he could. It surprised him though when his soulmate wandered through slightly late and sat down at the corner opposite. The guy seemed too shy for things like this but King liked having his mental picture of the guy changed. Obviously his soulmate was not as shy as he appeared.

So he found himself staying. Spending the meeting taking sips of his drink and listening to Tee talk, eyes trying not to dart towards Ram. He needed to stop being so creepy.

When the meeting had ended and all the juniors had gone, King turned to Tee. “Tee, the junior who was sitting there, is he from our university?”

“Hmm? Oh ram? Yeah. He’s on my roll”.

King nodded at the information. “What haven’t I seen him before?”

“Ram doesn’t usually do group activities. I don’t blame him. Visible soul-marks like that tend to get stared at”. Tee was right. It was not unusual to have a soul mark in a visible place but people tended to cover them up if they had not found their match. Ram’s was in a position where it was practically impossible to hide. It must gain him a bit of unwanted attention at times. King nodded again and took another sip of his drink.

“He only joined because I was begging him”, Tee continued. “He doesn’t talk much. It took me a few weeks to even find out that he was called Ram”.

“Ram”, King repeated, eyes looking up at the door Ram had left through. “What a weird name”.

“You always show interest in weird things”, Tee remarked. “He’s got a pretty soulmate mark though. Where’s yours again?”

“On my back. You’ve seen it before”.

Tee shrugged. “It was so long ago that I’ve forgotten. It was similar to that right?”

“Similar”, King agreed, glad that Tee had not recognised it on Ram. He wanted the time to get to know his soulmate at his own pace.

Ram. He pondered over the name as he finished his drink. His soulmate was weird and interesting. King liked weird and interesting things.

——

Later, when he had returned to his parents house for the weekend. He found himself searching up his soulmate’s name.

“Ram. Means glorious”, king read aloud to his plants. He chuckled. “It doesn’t suit him does it?” The plants did not respond but the sight of their lush green leaves made him pleased nether the less.

——

The third time King saw Ram, the guy was sitting at the bench King had used to hide from the dog. He watched as a Ram stood up to greet Duen. The two first years talked a bit as they passed over the donation box. As Duen left, King skipped up.

“So you can speak”, he greeted. Ram looked over, eyes suddenly closed. King tried not to let that weaken his resolve.

“You can even talk a lot”. Ram didn’t answer and moved to walk passed him. King held out a hand. “Wait, what if I want to donate?” Ram paused and stepped back. King tried not to grin.

“According to my analysis you only speak to people that you are close to right?” King broke off as he pushed some folded money through the slot of the cardboard box. “Wait, I’m not done donating. Since you only speak to people you are close to, then in order to get you to speak to me, we must become close right?” King pushed another note into the box.

Ram tried to push past again but King caught him. “But how to come close?” He continued. “With you being so cold to me. I should start by calling you cool boy and continue from there. That sounds closer right?” Ram just stared at him. King hesitated, another note in his hand. Seeing his hesitation, Ram took the note from his hand and pushed it Into the box before walking away.

King hurriedly turned around. “No answer means I can call you that!” He called at Ram’s retreating figure. “Cool boy!” He shouted, a tinge of frustration in his tone. Damn him and his stoic face.

——

The fourth time was when King was helping the volunteer group with their work. This time he knew that Ram would be there and had maybe come because of him, not because of Tee’s nagging. He was taking a break and scrolling through Facebook when he found a post that Ram was tagged in. He smiled as he sent a friend request and typed out a message.

,Look to your right.’

Across the courtyard, Ram leaned against a pillar as he took a drink. King watched as he took out his phone and looked up. King waved and Ram’s eyes settled on him. He gave him a smile before looking back at his phone and typing another message.

,If you don’t want to talk to me then you can text on here.’

King looked up hopefully only to frown in disappointment as Ram tucked his phone back into his pocket. King quickly typed.

,Are you ignoring me?’ Ram took a long drink and began crunching on some ice. The phone still in his pocket.

,I’ll make you talk to me eventually’. Ram tossed the empty cup in the bin. King tried to ignore his growing frustration. Ram was just trying to stir him up now.

,Remember Cool boy.’

King looked up again. Ram finally took out his phone only to hold it up to his ear. King bit his lip in annoyance. If that was how he wanted to play it, then fine! King would just continue calling him cool boy. Ram would open him up eventually.

——

The next time he saw him (king had stopped keeping count), Ram was sitting at a bench working. King walked over curiously, leaning over the other’s shoulder to see his worksheet. It was one he recognised. A class he had taken a few years back.

“There are many mistakes”. Ram jumped and turned to him, a accusing look in his eyes. King tried not to laugh. His previous frustrations melting at the sight of Ram’s stressed eyes and annoyed lips. “You can at least greet me cool boy”. Ram rolled his eyes at the nickname.

“What are you doing?” King asked. Ram didn’t reply but King was expecting it. He sat down on the bench next to him and peered over at the worksheet. “Of work from Mr Wachi? I know that. Let me teach you”.

King grabbed at the paper but Ram held on. Frustrated again, king tugged at it. “What? You don’t want me to teach you?” Ram stared at him. King tagged at the work again. “Okay, grab it, tear it off but then you’ll have nothing to submit”. Ram looked away and let go of the sheet.

King grinned triumphantly and pulled a pencil from his bag. He turned the paper around and began gesturing at the questions as he talked. Ram never spoke throughout the whole of King’s tutoring session but King did not mind. The occasional nod of his head and the clearness in his eyes showed that Ram was understanding King’s words.

When he was finished, Ram took back the paper and began packing his books and pencils back into his back pack. King sighed and turned to leave. “I’ll be going then”. A sudden hand on his wrist stopped him. The touch sent a spark rushing up his veins. It felt wondrous. And from the widening of Ram’s eyes, he felt it too.

King barely had time to absorb the open surprise on Ram’s face before the features closed off again and he was being pulled along.

“What’s going on?” Ram gave him a sharp gaze that made King feel breathless. He began walking, tugging king along behind him. “Hey where are we going? Cool boy!”

Ram continued leading him across campus. King followed along obediently, voicing the occasional question and not getting an answer. The touch of both their skin feeling warm and pleasant. He was obedient until they passed the dog from the other day. Immediately King was tugging against Ram’s grip and digging his heels into the grass.

“Cool boy! I don’t like dogs! No! Cool boy! Don’t!” He whined as Ram didn’t stop. He was obviously much stronger than King because Ram continued pulling King along behind him regardless to his struggles. “No! I’m afraid of dogs!”

Ram stopped and King halted. He managed to force his gaze from the large Labrador and on to Ram’s face. His dark gaze was calm and questioning, the hand on his wrist still comforting. King met his gaze and forced his breathing to soften. ‘Trust me’ Ram’s eyes seemed to be saying. King trusted him before he even asked. Behind Ram, the dog barked and King flinched. But he didn’t pull away. Ram turned and glared at the dog. It quietened and Ram continued walking. King running next to him in a desperate attempt to keep Ram between himself and the dog.

Ram took him to a restaurant just off of campus. His grip on King’s wrist only releasing once they had gotten to a table. King took his bag off and sat down, fear fading. “I was wondering where you were taking me”, he remarked as he looked around. “You want to thank me with a meal?”

Ram nodded once. King grinned, inwardly finding the cute gesture adorable. He turned and called for a waitress. She bustled over and gave both of them their menus. King spotted what he wanted and quickly wrote it down, passing the notepad to Ram who followed suit. Once the waitress was gone, King smiled.

“Thank you for helping me just now”. Ram nodded as if to say ‘no problem’.

King continued speaking. “When I was younger there was a vicious dog near my grandma’s house. One day it broke its leash and bit me. That’s why I’m traumatised”. Ram’s gaze turned sad. King wondered if he was sad over his fear, or sad over the dog being vicious. From what he gathered, Ram loved dogs. He felt a stab of shame of being afraid of them. Why did he have to be soulmates to a dog lover? Mentally, he made a resolution to try and get better around dogs.

Luckily, the food quickly arrived and King dug in. He was starving. “Hey, my friend didn’t order this”, he said, pointing at the third plate.

“It’s on me”, the waitress smiled flirtatiously at Ram. King frowned. Her soulmate mark was on display on her shoulder, a leaf. Nothing like Ram’s dream catcher. “Can I exchange it with your line Id?” She asked. Ram gave her a glance then turned back to his food.

King sighed. “I’ll eat this for you then”. He saw no point in wasted food. The waitress pouted and snatched the plate back, bustling off.

“Cool boy”, King whined. “Could you be more subtle when rejecting someone? I’m scared to order a drink now”. King liked the fact that Ram had rejected her but the way the waitress was now looking at them gave away her displeasure. Ram rolled his eyes and continued eating. King shrugged and followed suit.

King walked slowly with Ram down the street, the meal a happy weight in his stomach. “My car’s just over here. Thank you for sending me”, he smiled. Ram nodded as King’s phone rang. It was just his mother calling to check if he had eaten. When King ended the call and turned back around, it was to see a bottle of juice in front of his face. He jumped in surprise.

“Whoa. When did you get that?” Ram looked at him expectantly. “Is it for me? Thank you”. King took the juice and smiled. “If you have any more questions, feel free to text me. Thank you for the meal”. Ram nodded again and walked off, leaving King standing with a contented smile in the street.

He looked down at the juice in his hands. The cold liquid making him feel warm and fuzzy. Ram had taken his complaint seriously and actually brought him a drink. He was so sweet. A buzz came from his pocket and King rummaged for his phone.

,Thank you for teaching me senior.’

King couldn’t help the wide grin. Maybe he could do this soulmate stuff after all.

In a universe where twelve year old Vegas meets fifteen year old Pete and they spend a few hours together. Those few hours make a lasting impact on Vegas.

It changes everything.

Here we go, my first VP fic.

All done and dusted.

I had the idea of what if they met as kids and Pete’s first loyalty is to Vegas. So this little fic came out of it.

Might expand on it later. Not sure. But I hope you enjoy.

in shadow, yoongi was overwhelmed by the masses and his fame alter ego. in agust d2, he rises above the crowd and shoots his own emperor self dead. the normal yoongi from the streets prevails, the haughty and cruel king and master beheader falls. justice is installed at last. yoongi has cleaned out his larger-than-life aspect’s closet. that. is. one. fucking. message. 

The world is just becoming worse and worse. Will it ever stop? Children are already dying Trump!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/state-department-to-lgbt-married-couples-your-out-of-wedlock-kids-arent-citizens

👄

จูบๆ 💋

YinWar will be switching in Jack & Joker, and we all cheered!

I'm not even exaggerating when I say these two have been going against industry standards since the very beggining, when they took the piss out of fanservice so hard that they became known for capsizing their own ship, and now they'll further deviate from the BL fixed pair norm and reverse roles as a way to tackle certain queer topics. Just last year @poetry-protest-pornography and I were talking about YinWar having both the willingness and the range to pull off something like this since they weren't held back by any company, and of course these men will deliver given that they have the luxury of doing whatever the hell they want as independent artists and producers of their own series. Dreams do come true!

[Eng trans.] Yin: I mean, people, let's say fans, will focus on "YinWar". By definition, "Yin" is the top in terms of roles, right? Y: So, I listened to the writers' ideas. They said that they intentionally reflected this issue, and that, in reality, it's not something fixed that way. Yin/Seoul: It switches. Y: Right. S: So it can be WarYin or YinWar. Y: Right. War: They wanted to convey that it's a matter of preference, and that it's much broader than that. It's broader than we think. The fact that two men should have fixed [sex] roles, only that way, or that people can only have one specific preference, it's not true. It's very flexible. It's something normal. Y: If people intend to be open-minded, we really have to be open-minded in the sense that they wanted to convey. After listening to it, it's brilliant. It's right. It feels like how it should be.

Can you draw a tiny lizard dragon that secretly hoards pennies?