BL rival tropes

BL ramblings and ideas that I'd never have the guts or creativity to write/draw

[freeeggbailiffcash]

I don't normally do this tapi I really wanna put my unasked 2cents on this new drama I watched lol

Ikatan Terlarang Malay series at first glance is like a typical Malay telenovela that rides on the hype of cheating tropes.

But there's so many things that I find amusing and not unlike usual Malay dramas

1) the script is not as cringe and appropriate to situation. Some dramas prefer to err on the side of caution and refusal to include coarse language etc which makes the drama itself a bit cringe to watch. Conversation between friends, parents, lovers sume cam kene je dia punya vibe.

2. Everyone in this freaking drama is either sociopathic or psychopathic. The one thing I'm amazed is that there's absolutely no love-centric kind of drama

I'll compare to a top tier love drama with cheating tropes: Andai Tiada Dia

Andai Tiada Dia focuses on the recovery Suri makes hence there's a male lead, Falah, designated to become her saviour that gives her a second chance at happiness.

I'm this drama, even the protagonist herself, Azura (fantastic acting by Erysha Emyra by the way, she deserves a reward for this performance), seems to sink because there's equal amount of screen time from all characters.

And the show mostly focuses on the fuck up people in all their circle who are narcissistic and selfish, like theres no literally no love lost there. Everyone is opportunistic and acts in their self interest which is rare sebab most Malay dramas romanticised altruistic characters that do things because of the inside of their 'heart'.

3. The protagonist, Azura, is not a Mary Sue. She is flawed. She's a bit paranoid, a successful businesswoman and can be a bit self centered at times.

Malay dramas, like Korean manhwas, like to make the female lead as this submissive but girl boss, who's super nonchalant but likes the attention from the ml and subconsciously makes everyone around her love her.

Suri is an example a good fl, she is kind but strong, soft and feminine but stick strongly to her principles. Her only flaw in the drama is that she was taken advantage of her sister (Intan) and her husband (ironically the character played by Hisham Hamid who is astonishingly good at playing an asshole)

Another character I can compare it to is the Emma maembong character in the drama she play with Mierul Aiman,,, I never watched it but I saw glimpses of the shorts on tiktok and I feel like her girlbossed character is too forced.

Azura is a more down to earth character that hits close to home. Outwardly people see her as controlling and too headstrong. This flaw makes her seem more humane and I like how well she embodied that characters.

Most dramas focused to much on making the FL as likeable as possible and eliminates any character flaw to enhance their likeability to audience and background characters.

3. The antagonist, Bella is freaking great at being a psycho. Because most dramas tend to let their antagonist fall flat,,, like punca dia menyundal hanya semata2 sebab terjatuh hati etc. but Bella fucking stands on business, man. Like I don't condone at all her shitty behaviour, seducing all the dicks in the show, tapi she actually stick to her revenge plan.

She's not doing it on a whim, this bitch really is dead set on destroying everyone around her. (She reminds me a bit of manhwa villainess like just a bit of Rashta— not that I'm saying rashta is as trashy as Bella, but her willingness to dirty her hands is comparable)

4. All the men in this show are useless.

Abi is hypocratic and weak ass.

Rashid is broken and a bitch.

Luqman is a fucking crazy bastard who's on his path to becoming maybe the next satan.

5. The one cringe thing I find is that mudah betul eh semua character ni sakit pengsan Dan esok kembali MCM xde paper, I think the hospital dah register them as regular customers dah.

Will be continued later....

[freeeggbailiffcash]

Okay, I just watched the continuation of episode 14-18 gotta say it was like watching a dumpster fire cillied with a wayward train for a bit sebab suddenly they did a bunch of cliches that seemed out of place and why the hell is there a hint of Azura getting back together with Luqman?? Like girl, no, run the fuck away girl.

Another thing, I'm starting to doubt pulak cerita ni... Sebab in the early episodes, it seemed like Bella is this hidden mastermind and she was planning it for a long time. But the latest episode buat the MCM like the typical dumb mistress Yang bila sume dah kantoi tiba2 hilang segala cunningness etc tuu. So this is a bit concerning because from the beginning, Bella's pov was the only one that was so mysterious and vague so it felt like the writers were planning to make a big reveal with her having a long grudge towards the whole family

Pastu I fucking hate how tiba2 in the latest episode, si Luqman ni MCM do a 360 pulak?? Sebab konon awal2 dia did a 180 and started his villain arc by cosplaying as the devil himself, ni tiba2 lak buat u turn n menggedik nak second chance??

I'm all for reconciliation and amicability and all that sebab the best revenge for the FL is a happy life and she can't be happy if she's still hungry up on her ex. Tapi xde laa tiba2 terus jadi malaikat Der after you literally did all shitty things; cheat, manipulate your daughter, degrade your wife, sabotage her company, start a coup and turn all her coworkers against her. That's bad, man like sociopathic level, bad.

I usually don't think there's a good redemption arc for a cheating spouse, sebab once you allow that weakness then the chances are people repeat that mistake.

Tapi I guess Joel Maisel had a pretty good redemption because even though he, like most weak and pitiful men who want stuff handed to them on a silver platter while doing nothing to earn it, Joel changed in the way that he learnt to give Midge space and be happy of her success and spotlight while also consistently defending her.

Hisham Hamid's Luqman character is too sudden, from the escalation of suddenly being super evil to suddenly bersayang2 lak dngn wife dia and there wasn't even a sincere honest apology. His apology was more like he wanted to get it over it and expect Azura to move on from all the shitty things he's done while using his daughter to guilt trip Azura.

I think its a consistent pattern of all the characters, it's the fact that they all refuse to acknowledge their previous faults and they don't really change. They just bury it under the rug.

I feel really bad for this last bit of rant, but Azura's daughter pisses me off a bit like I get that she's a teenager tapi she's way too generous Alpha for me, like as a drama character I guess it's relatable or acceptable laa (cos teenagers are emotional little shits) but if that kid was related to me I'd be unable to resist the urge to se-pak that kid

[thundergrace]

You just KNOW they talking about anime.

[radicalmuscle-deactivated-2019]

She’s wearing a Naruto shirt, his jacket has the Leaf Village symbol on the sleeve.

They’re definitely talking about anime (probably Naruto).

[egberts]

my fave part is that they’re at a coach fashion show

[ferretteeth]

[freeeggbailiffcash]

I don't normally do this tapi I really wanna put my unasked 2cents on this new drama I watched lol

Ikatan Terlarang Malay series at first glance is like a typical Malay telenovela that rides on the hype of cheating tropes.

But there's so many things that I find amusing and not unlike usual Malay dramas

1) the script is not as cringe and appropriate to situation. Some dramas prefer to err on the side of caution and refusal to include coarse language etc which makes the drama itself a bit cringe to watch. Conversation between friends, parents, lovers sume cam kene je dia punya vibe.

2. Everyone in this freaking drama is either sociopathic or psychopathic. The one thing I'm amazed is that there's absolutely no love-centric kind of drama

I'll compare to a top tier love drama with cheating tropes: Andai Tiada Dia

Andai Tiada Dia focuses on the recovery Suri makes hence there's a male lead, Falah, designated to become her saviour that gives her a second chance at happiness.

I'm this drama, even the protagonist herself, Azura (fantastic acting by Erysha Emyra by the way, she deserves a reward for this performance), seems to sink because there's equal amount of screen time from all characters.

And the show mostly focuses on the fuck up people in all their circle who are narcissistic and selfish, like theres no literally no love lost there. Everyone is opportunistic and acts in their self interest which is rare sebab most Malay dramas romanticised altruistic characters that do things because of the inside of their 'heart'.

3. The protagonist, Azura, is not a Mary Sue. She is flawed. She's a bit paranoid, a successful businesswoman and can be a bit self centered at times.

Malay dramas, like Korean manhwas, like to make the female lead as this submissive but girl boss, who's super nonchalant but likes the attention from the ml and subconsciously makes everyone around her love her.

Suri is an example a good fl, she is kind but strong, soft and feminine but stick strongly to her principles. Her only flaw in the drama is that she was taken advantage of her sister (Intan) and her husband (ironically the character played by Hisham Hamid who is astonishingly good at playing an asshole)

Another character I can compare it to is the Emma maembong character in the drama she play with Mierul Aiman,,, I never watched it but I saw glimpses of the shorts on tiktok and I feel like her girlbossed character is too forced.

Azura is a more down to earth character that hits close to home. Outwardly people see her as controlling and too headstrong. This flaw makes her seem more humane and I like how well she embodied that characters.

Most dramas focused to much on making the FL as likeable as possible and eliminates any character flaw to enhance their likeability to audience and background characters.

3. The antagonist, Bella is freaking great at being a psycho. Because most dramas tend to let their antagonist fall flat,,, like punca dia menyundal hanya semata2 sebab terjatuh hati etc. but Bella fucking stands on business, man. Like I don't condone at all her shitty behaviour, seducing all the dicks in the show, tapi she actually stick to her revenge plan.

She's not doing it on a whim, this bitch really is dead set on destroying everyone around her. (She reminds me a bit of manhwa villainess like just a bit of Rashta— not that I'm saying rashta is as trashy as Bella, but her willingness to dirty her hands is comparable)

4. All the men in this show are useless.

Abi is hypocratic and weak ass.

Rashid is broken and a bitch.

Luqman is a fucking crazy bastard who's on his path to becoming maybe the next satan.

5. The one cringe thing I find is that mudah betul eh semua character ni sakit pengsan Dan esok kembali MCM xde paper, I think the hospital dah register them as regular customers dah.

Will be continued later....

[briannyssey]

some people read an awful lot, but don't read very well. deep reading is itself a skill. being able to untangle the threads of theme, subtext, characterization, narrative style, and more are all things that it takes time and intentional engagement to learn.

if you've ever watched a movie with your film buff friend and chatted about it afterwards, that friend might have pulled hours more of conversation out of the same 90 minutes of screentime, and wondered how the fuck they did that - it's not raw intelligence, it's a skill that's been honed. And I learned a lot about film from talking to friends who knew about film, and reading critique by film scholars

literature works exactly the same. so if you want to get more out of your reading, there are things you can do to train that. Find a book or short story you think you've got a pretty good grasp on, preferably from a widely read & respected author like Ursula K Le Guin or Ray Bradbury (if you're new at this don't swing for the Toni Morrison or the Samuel Beckett yet unless you feel very comfortable with the complexity of the text - the point is to develop a complicated new skill on good foundations). Then go to JSTOR, create a free account, and look up criticism on the story you've chosen. Find something that looks readable to you and at least somewhat interesting. Read that article, and look at what that writer got out of the same story you've read that you didn't get. Do you see the critic's points? Did they teach you something about the text? Go reread that story and see if the criticism has changed how you read it. Are you seeing more? Are you thinking about the implications of a line that you hadn't noticed before? Does the story feel richer now?

there are other more involved ways of finding criticism. Learning to use academic databases, going to your local library to do interlibrary loans, finding critical voices you appreciate; these are all useful subskills. Literacy isn't just being able to read words, it's being able to read words in context and think about what they tell you about the text, the author, or the time and culture in which the text was produced. Literacy is the skill of being able to look at the world with open eyes and think clearly about how its parts are connected. It'll change your life

[briannyssey]

this keeps getting shared around and ive seen some different tags responding differently so i just want to make some important clarifications and distillations

you don't have to read more deeply if you don't want to (but i'd recommend it, i genuinely think it makes you a better person)

if you want to learn to read more deeply, the resources are out there. try to find critical literature (that is, academic writing that analyzes the text) on works your familiar with so you can get a sense for how to do that analysis too

learning to deep read literature can help you deep read many areas of your life

writers tend to put a lot of work into their stories. if you learn to read that work you'll (probably) appreciate the stories you love even more. And if not, then you'll have developed your taste. This too is worth doing

[freeeggbailiffcash]

Credit video to original owner

“‘The critic eye—that microscope of wit

Sees hairs and pores, examines bit by bit,

How parts relate to parts, or they to whole,

Are things which Kuster, Burmann, Wasse, shall see,

When man’s whole frame is obvious to a flea.’”

Contrary to what most people might insist, James Brooke was not a romantic.

He possessed, certainly, an unfortunate weakness for beautiful things. Music that lingered long after the final note had died. Paintings that rendered storms more honestly than any sailor. Poetry that spoke of seas wider than maps permitted. Such things stirred something restless within him, some nameless yearning that refused to be confined by the neat hedgerows and drawing rooms of England.

But beauty was not the same as love.

England, for one, had never inspired it.

How could it? His blood had not first quickened beneath English skies but beneath the blistering sun of India, where heat shimmered against the earth and every horizon promised another road to disappear upon. England was merely inheritance—a place expected of him rather than chosen. He could recite patriotic verses with sufficient conviction to satisfy Arthur and every stiff-necked gentleman in London, but duty had always felt suspiciously akin to a leash.

Love, destiny, obligation—they were words invented by people who had never tasted true freedom.

Destiny was merely a prettier name for expectation.

Duty, the chain one learned to polish until it gleamed like a crown.

As for love at first sight...

James had always found the notion faintly ridiculous.

Love was cultivated. Negotiated. Endured. It was marriages arranged over tea, fortunes carefully intertwined, names preserved in ledgers and family Bibles. The poets might drape it in gold and call it providence, but James knew better than to mistake infatuation for fate. The sea, however...

The sea asked nothing of him.

It carried him farther from expectation with every tide, until even England became no more than a hazy recollection somewhere beyond the horizon.

Then Borneo found him.

Or perhaps, James would later concede, it had been waiting all along.

From the moment his boots sank into Sarawak's rain-soaked earth, he knew himself hopelessly outmatched. The jungle breathed with a rhythm older than empires. Cicadas screamed from unseen branches, gibbons called somewhere beyond the emerald canopy, and every leaf seemed alive with impossible shades of green. It was wild in a manner no European garden could imitate, beautiful without asking permission to be so.

For one glorious afternoon, James believed he had finally discovered the sort of freedom poets spent their lives failing to describe.

The illusion lasted precisely until four spears appeared from the undergrowth.

One moment he, Charles, Arthur and Subu stood craning their necks towards the fractured sky above the canopy.

The next, they found themselves politely but unmistakably surrounded.

Their escorts led them deeper into the forest until they reached a longhouse where smoke curled lazily into the humid air. Trophy heads, blackened by years above the hearth, watched their arrival with empty eyes. Arthur looked as though he were contemplating several strongly worded objections to the entire island.

James, meanwhile, was fascinated.

The Dayak chief proved unexpectedly generous with his answers, indulging James's endless questions with amused patience. If anything, the man appeared as curious about the strange English traveller as James was about the people before him.

Eventually, Subu cleared his throat translating the messenger’s words.

"We are to be brought to meet Prince Badrudin who will decide," Subu explained, his face betraying not a trace of fear or annoyance of their current predicament.

 "Decide what, exactly?" Arthur snorted, his face, unlike Subu, shows how annoyed he is by the whole ordeal.

When they were finally escorted through the settlement, James expected to be brought before some village elder.

Instead, they stopped before the largest longhouse he had yet seen.

It rose above the others on stout timber stilts, its sweeping roof adorned with carved hornbill heads and lengths of bright yellow cloth that fluttered lazily in the afternoon breeze. The entrance was guarded not by soldiers in polished cuirasses but by silent men bearing spears, their composure lending the place an authority no marble palace could imitate.

A servant drew aside the yellow curtains.

James schooled his face into polite neutrality.

Years of observing English aristocracy had prepared him for one of two possibilities: a corpulent old noble softened by luxury, or an aging patriarch buried beneath enough velvet and gold to purchase a frigate.

He found neither.

A young man reclined upon a raised dais, one arm resting against a mound of embroidered cushions as though the entire audience had interrupted an afternoon's contemplation rather than affairs of state.

He could not have been much younger than James himself.

He wore no jewels beyond a simple ornament at his waist. No lace, no powdered wig, no ostentatious display of wealth. His salmon-coloured baju fell in elegant folds, while a neatly folded tanjak crowned his head with understated dignity.

It should have looked plain.

Instead, James found himself thinking—with no small amount of irritation—that England had mistaken extravagance for majesty.

The prince possessed it effortlessly.

"Assalamualaikum, ya dhuyuf sharafiyyun."

The greeting rolled from his tongue with unhurried warmth, rich enough to quiet the room. The maidservants, draped in shimmering shawls of gold thread, seemed to dim around him like stars yielding to the dawn.

James caught himself staring.

Only for a moment.

Recovering himself, he inclined his head.

"Waalaikumussalam."

Surprise flickered openly across the young prince's face.

Then amusement.

He rose from the cushions with easy grace and returned the greeting in kind, his smile carrying a boyishness at odds with the effortless authority he possessed only moments before.

For one peculiar instant, neither of them spoke. They simply regarded one another.

James had the strange impression that he was being examined just as thoroughly as he himself had been examining the prince.

He was on the verge of returning the smile when another voice broke the silence.

"I am Prince Mahkota."

A second noble approached from an adjoining chamber, taller, older, his expression considerably sterner. Where the younger prince wore his station lightly, Mahkota bore his like armour.

"I am Governor of Sarawak," he continued. "And this is my cousin, Prince Badruddin, emissary of the Sultan. Assalamualaikum."

James inclined his head once more.

"Waalaikumussalam."

Mahkota's eyes narrowed with measured curiosity.

"Do all English lords speak the language of God?" Mahkota asked, a teasing lilt coloring his tone.

"I had an excellent teacher," James replied evenly. "He always said that God speaks in every language."

“If only men will listen,” The compliment earned a thoughtful hum from Mahkota.

Beside him, however, Badruddin leaned close and murmured something too softly for the others to catch.

"Hati-hati, saudaraku. Putera Inggeris ni amat pandai orangnya"

James did have some education on the Malay language, but the Sarawakians had far richer accents that even James’ most prestigious instructors could not bestow upon him. But he didn’t need to know the language to see the calculatingly dangerous look in Badrudin’s eyes. Whatever amusement had first danced in the prince's eyes had not erased his caution.

Subu leaned towards him, “When the Sultan dies, one of them will become the Sultan of Bruinei.”

James kept his face impassive, tucking that little bit of information at the back of his mind. While Subu’s helpful quip was informative, it was not at all subtle. He sees at the corner of his eyes the way Badrudin almost glares venomously at Subu, thinking of him like a rat.

For reasons he could not yet explain, James found himself smiling. He sees the way Mahkota covers his mouth with his hands as he leaned back and whispers to Badrudin in turn.

James quickly averts their attention by introducing Arthur instead, hoping it might distract the princes from enacting their wrath upon Subu.

[mandoriana]

Merlin chasing Mordred with Excalibur.

Merlin: Scoundrel! I’m going to kill this scoundrel!

Elyan (desperate): Gwaine, do something!

Gwaine: Relax, Merlin can beat Mordred alone.

Sound of something exploding and screams.

Gwaine (smiles): See, he already killed him.

Leon: Someone call Arthur for God’s sake!

Mordred: HELP!

Elyan: 😨

Gwaine: Go Merlin! 😀

[secondstar-acorn]

The lock clicks just as Merlin has Aithusa halfway under the bed.

Bollocks.

He watches Arthur’s boots come to a halt.

“What have you got there?”

Merlin peeks out over the mattress. Arthur stares at him, unimpressed written on every inch of his face.

“Nothing,” Merlin says. He brandishes a goblet. “An ale.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, sire.”

Arthur steps closer. Aithusa’s tail thumps against the hardwood.

Arthur, in an excellent imitation of Gaius, raises an eyebrow.

“I dropped something,” Merlin tries.

“Oh? Your goblet, perhaps?”

“No, er—my belt.”

Arthur levels him with a flat look. “And yet your trousers are still up.”

Merlin gives him a fiendish grin he learned from Gwaine.

“Sorry to disappoint.”

Red creeps up Arthur’s face, but he manages not to crack. Damn. Merlin thought for certain that implying desire was a surefire way to get Arthur to leave.

Arthur shucks off his boots and (gently, Merlin notes) kicks them under the bed. Then he freezes.

“Merlin,” he says slowly, “what the hell just licked my ankle.”

This is the point where any sane person would realise there’s no getting out of this one and promptly give up the ghost, but Merlin, over the years, has steadily inched away from “sane.”

“Leeches,” he blurts. “I left Gaius’s leeches underneath the—“

Arthur reaches under the bed and pulls Aithusa out by the scruff of her neck, as a mother wolf would her cub. Aithusa chirps cheerfully at him and jumps onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and shaking it madly.

Arthur glares at him, hands on his hips.

Merlin tries the slightly goofier smile that’s been getting him out of scrapes since age four. Predictably, it doesn’t work.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Merlin? No dragons indoors! And certainly not in yours or my chambers!”

“She just wanted to see you, Arthur—“

“And she would have, if you’d both waited five minutes! I was about to put on a cloak and go visit her and the brachets!”

Despite his irritation, Arthur is petting Aithusa’s back and scratching her neck.

“Well, she’s very stubborn.”

“So are you,” Arthur says. He gently eases the pillow out of her mouth and sets it back on the bed.

“It’s important that she bond with the other palace animals, and that she not be given special treatment. It’s especially important that she not become too reliant on us, Merlin. Aithusa will outlive us all; she needs to learn independence early.”

Merlin pouts. “But she looks so cute, curled up with you at bedtime!”

“Merlin. You are a dragonlord. Kilgarrah told you, very specifically, how to raise her. I should not have to tell you how to train your dragon!”

Merlin pouts some more. “I just don’t like the idea of her sleeping out in the cold.”

“Merlin,” Arthur says incredulously, “she breathes fire!”

“So do you, after a big supper, but you still get to sleep indoors,” Merlin mutters.

Arthur points at the door. “Out.”

Aithusa lays down on Arthur’s bed.

“No. Aithusa, outside.”

She rolls over for belly rubs. Arthur’s eyebrows knit guiltily.

“Outside, girl, come on.”

She whines. Arthur’s face crumples. He grabs his cloak from the wardrobe and pulls it around his shoulders.

“Come on, darling, I’ll walk you.” He strides to the door and pulls it open, then says, in a high voice: “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

Aithusa perks up. She leaps off the bed and races to Arthur, grabbing hold of his cloak and bodily tugging him out the door with her. Arthur’s laughter carries down the hall.

Merlin smiles. There’s a good chance Arthur will sleep in the dogpile tonight. He shucks his tunic and socks, peels back the covers, and sinks into Arthur’s bed with a contented sigh.

All according to plan.

for @merthurmicrofic ‘s prompt dragon | 634 words

[kropotkindersurprise]

you know how it is

[freeeggbailiffcash]

Pulling on fins I guess

[kkirincorrectquotes]

Kakashi : Every zoo is a petting zoo unless you’re a coward.

Iruka : I’m worried about letting you take Boruto to the zoo tomorrow.

[mentallyinsanepenguin]

So i just saw a YT short that was a EPIC/Hadestown crossover and I’m just cackling at the idea that Orpheus and Odysess were in the Underworld at the same time in their musicals.

Imagine Hades sitting in his castle, watching these two homeless looking guys wander through his realm trying to find their loves. One is singing something about waiting quietly, while the other is screeching at the top of his lungs:

ALL I HEAR ARE SCREAMSSSSS

(here’s the vid btw)

[freeeggbailiffcash]

James Brooke & Putera Badrudin PT 5

[freeeggbailiffcash]

Me: *suppossedly watching a movie to help my history memory*

Also, me: *is this a new ship??*

Nah because why is the cast so damn fine?????

My intrusive thoughts win cos why the hell does James Brook look so good with Prince Badrudin like who casted that twink to be so zesty with the foreign outcaster white guy??!!!

Sure, sure confide in the possible coloniser about your deepest vulnerability,, that ain't gonna turn into a sappy enemies to lovers trope for sure

What is it with eighteen century white guys and proclaiming their love for their male friends so brazenly—this is Hamilton-Laurens all over again!!!!

But seriously thoughhh,,,, I need a fic/story like thisssssss

[freeeggbailiffcash]

James Brooke & Putera Badrudin PT 4

[freeeggbailiffcash]

James Brooke & Putera Badrudin PT3

[freeeggbailiffcash]

James Brooke & Putera Badrudin PT 2

[freeeggbailiffcash]

James Brooke & Prince Badrudin PT 1

[freeeggbailiffcash]

Is this how I find out James Brooke might be gay or bi???