#why does it decrease in quality when i add it

[ghostwithaknife]

Ignore the fact I’ve been gone for a year and take my batjokes art.

[surferboypizza]

when people say el doesn't need mike, but will does...

first of all, i agree. but i want to add some clarity to what i, and i think many of us, mean by the statement.

i saw a post the other day about addiction, saying: when an interest decreases the range of things that make you happy, it's not a healthy interest.

i think the way that el needs mike (i.e. the kind of interest in him she shows) is just like that, not just with happiness but with self-worth and normalcy, too:

el relies on mike and only mike to give her validation, to make her feel happy, valued, loved, normal. (that is, except for that brief time in s3 where she hung out with max and dumped his ass and we all cheered, plus the latter part of s4.) and it comes from things like her superpowers, her saving the world, and her appearance as a 'normal girl' – all things that don't really have to do with el's inherent value as a person.

el's arc is about detaching herself from that need. it's like they say: give a man a fish and he'll be fed for a day, but teach a man to fish and he'll be fed for a lifetime. she's teaching herself to fish, finding validation within herself, thus opening herself up to greater joys and a higher, more sustainable self-worth.

the way that mike needs el is the exact same: he sees her as his sole source of normalcy, his only avenue to being seen as a respectable person, and relies on her to fulfil that role. and while she loves him and kisses him and writes him letters, she never really shows him why she values him as a person, why he couldn't easily be replaced by any old teenage boy. he expresses this insecurity in the van: he worries he's not good enough for her, because she never expresses valuing him as anything more deep than 'boyfriend', something she may come to not need at all. he feels like she doesn't need him for him, for who he is. (i obviously don't think they ACTUALLY don’t value each other as people, and i think el and mike really love each other, but not as a boyfriend/girlfriend, that's my point here.)

now, the way that mike and will need each other is different: will is a perfectly healthy, functional person without mike's validation (supernatural trauma notwithstanding). he doesn't need mike like el does; but he is made happier by him, not in a way that cuts off his ability to derive happiness from other things but in a way that makes him feel better about himself. mike makes him feel like he's not a mistake and like he's better for being different; he makes will's internal sense of worth grow rather than binding will's worth to himself as the only source, like he did (unintentionally ofc) with el.

will does the same thing for mike in making him feel like a 'hero', letting him know that he's a good person who can do great things – again, it's a case of increasing his range of happiness rather than decreasing it by showing that his worth is an inherent part of himself.

because true happiness comes from within.

in this sense, will teaches mike to fish, and vice versa... while el and mike are one another's go-to fishmongers. and they've got a membership with them now so it really doesn't make sense not to shop there, right? even though the fish isn't very high-quality. even though they only sell just enough so that the other doesn't starve. even though they're running out of money to offer in return.

[hexelline]

Social Media *IS* a Bubble [TW:Parent Advisory Sticker]

I want you to understand something; social media platforms run advertisements to pay their [content creators], and then allow you to pay for the platform to be as free.

Monetization still goes to the creators.

EXCEPT; The best performers on the platform? Run their own ads. Sometimes, as much as 50% of platform. On purpose.

Remember that Buzzword; "Enshitification"? About creators getting demonetized on platform for uh. I dunno; not being able to make videos about [Cheese Pizza] or something?

Consumers complained about creators making decisions that harm the overall ability to make [Quality Content] who then blamed the platforms that they got demonitized for doing so; because they were making subpar content (when they were monetized)

Now there *IS* an argument to be had about [Censorship], keep in mind, HOWEVER, their idea of Censorship is not being able to serve their videos to anybody on the platform who does not have a YouTube account.

The idea that they're being censored is like [50-cent or Eminem] getting upset they needed to put a [Parental Advisory] sticker on their album when [Beyoncé and Weird Al Yankovich] didn't.

"OH NO. THIS LABEL SAYING MY CONTENT IS EXPLICIT WILL HURT SALES AND VIEWERSHIP AND ENCOURAGE ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS IN THE UNDER-18 AUDIENCE WHO CANT AFFORD MY CONTENT ANYWAY!"

Here's a random link from a random website I have no idea the veracity of to support my claim

Quote "What began as a tool to protect young listeners became a powerful marketing asset. The label turned controversial music into forbidden fruit, making it more appealing to young audiences. Artists who received the warning often saw their sales increase, not decrease." - First Link on Google under the search "did parental advisory stickers hurt or help sales?"

Here's part of the problem; Bots without accounts can be sent to a random video on YouTube in order to artificially boost traffic numbers. The Artificial Numbers Increase monetization.

The traffic from artificial views also has an impact on people that aren't using both methods. Why?

Early in the internet history, a kind of App/EarlyAI tool, mostly used to build search engines was created. These Algorithmic Tools were called "Web Crawlers". Or "Spiders" because it's the [World Wide Web] geddit?

<aside>Melin, why don't you reference actual sources in your content? You're leaving a bad impression on Students who are taught to write essays and articles in a particular way with citable reputable sources.

I hesitate to say; I am the source. I'm an expert in Web Development, A Full-Stack Developer (in the literal sense of the word, and not the one newbies put on their resume), and have a complete understanding of how to build the internet from the ground up.

But ALSO; it's to prove a point about something online; if other knowledgeable people read this, and recognize that I'm speaking the truth; they will add the references for me like a god damn Wikipedia Editor. Because it's more work to write something like this from scratch then to crowd source and share the credit.

And also, they're just gonna run it through some AI program and reference it that way, and then I'll live forever in the AI Algorithms because they don't really care what content they scrap using the newest versions of said Crawlers.

And also; because fuck you in particular.</aside>

After Google and other search engines were fully functional and made the internet an actual useful resource for finding information, Hackers redesigned [Web Crawlers] into [Data Scrappers] the Scrapers were used for everything from stealing user-data from unsecured methods for shady reasons, to gaining entry into the backend systems of certain companies for nefarious purposes, to just being NSA-Spy-Tools.

And now they're used for AI.

Censorship is a tricky thing, you know; it originates with religious groups trying to maintain the purity of their children's thoughts and ears so they can be taught the right way before they learn about all the ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC THINGS IN THE WORLD like how Santa Doesn't Exist; and how Teenage Edgelords *really* enjoy jumping on the "Bomb Other Countries" bandwagon as soon as they're able to do so.

Why do you think the Military exists? As an Outlet for these Edgelords, and also to kick them out for being Edgelords because it's not conducive to the Reputation and Standing of the Nation as a whole.

You know; Censorship.

I want to ask you something, and be honest. Be absolutely honest; because this gets said about Drag Queens shoving their cuntiness into children's faces during story hour.

But consider the alternative; a Full Grown man making post after post after post about what kind of person they'd like to Fuck directed right to your children.

<article name="The Alternative">I DONT WANNA FUCK THAT ONE, BUT I WANNA FUCK THAT ONE. I WOULD FUCK THAT ONE ON STREAM RIGHT NOW FOR EVERYONE TO WATCH RIGHT NOW IF I HAD THE MONEY TO PAY FOR BARELY-LEGAL WOMEN BECAUSE THATS ALL YOU NEED TO FUCK BARELY-LEGAL WOMEN ON LIVESTREAM AND GET AWAY WITH IT.

you know; Half the content on twitch before the other "Responsible Women" *finally step in* and tell them it's not OK to be stream hoe, unless you have your own OnlyFans account and you're getting paid, and not the man you think is going to pay you in publicity.

And they DON'T because *that* it's the literal definition of Feminism to want to protect women from Abuse; and No *REAL* woman would *EVER* want to be seen as a Feminist, especially to protect OTHER WOMEN (AND MINORS) from being exploited sexually!

Especially when it's so close to those Queer people who are complaint about Sexism and Exploitation of Non-Women Women. Those Transgender Women who think they're women because they get exploited by men for looking like Women.

Everybody knows that if you look and dress like a woman, You're asking to be Exploited. That's why Cis Women get married DUH. SO THEYRE NOT EXPLOITED BY THE SYSTEM THAT TELLS THE. TO SIT DOWN. SHUT UP AND BE SUBSERVIENT TO PENISES!</aside>

So these content creators, disguised as protesting, or YouTube not paying them enough; make videos that are essentially 4 hour advertisements and political propaganda, because they're protesting.

They're Paid Protesting. They're getting paid to exploit Social Media for protesting reasons. You see? And that gets wrapped up in the political landscape where they can affect votes however they want, usually to the opposite of whatever little *actual content* they post because it's Fine to To post *whatever* you want, as long as it's Defamation about the President, because the President of the U.S. can't be defamed.

Especially when the President Actually deserves criticism, because flooding the landscape with shitty nonsensical criticism hides the other stuff that is actually deserving of criticism.

<aside>In order to keep this post topically relevant, I've decided to avoid referencing any politics that actually deserve criticism because that would detract from my already absurdist-in-appearance claims.</aside>

Keep in mind; many of these people can simply start one of their own platforms (Which they all Advertise on YouTube for 30 minutes at a time) like [COUNTER DEMONETIZATION PROTEST]

And the algorithm magically forces you, the subscriber, to be stuck in their shitty-content orbit.

Videos with Millions of Viewers both adding extra Ads into their videos and then crying about how they don't have enough views and how YouTube is about to Demonetize them; And then knowing, for sure, that YouTube will simply keep flooding your algorithm with their shitty repetitive content like it's fucking CNN 24/7 NEWSCASTING.

And so all the more deserving, small-time creators, making content that people would actually like to see; and actually read their comments, and actually take the time to address criticism in their comments and on subsequent posts;

Well. They all Kill themselves, because the Bots flood their comment sections with PsyOps-Suggestions, and negativity, that they can't help but understand that everyone that would bother with their content; would prefer them dead.

<aside>I want the Edgelords and the Inside-Jokers to fully understand what I mean here. I'm not talking about [KYS KYS KYS] comments shared between friends and rivals On Pokemon/League of Legends/Call of Duty.

I'm talking about Bots that will disguise themselves as accounts of your friends and family and peers; Randos; as much negativity as one could possibly muster; because the reality is;

These same People view the Social Media landscape as a battle ground. They want to discourage all competition by down voting small-time creators content, and scare them off the platform, so that they can continue to make AI-Generated Content, Watched and uovoted by AI, to make money.

That's why *they* don't read their comments; because comments are competition for Views and Clicks and often times; Free Advertising for competing Channels.</aside>

And it becomes quite easy to convince impressionable minds that this is all above board and actual people, and we need to Bann people from the internet inside of Automations which don't care about what's actually happening in the world, Only Clicks and Rage Bait.

But you see overtime the Content is sliding into things AI will click on, instead of that RageBait Clicks. Not at all like Pop Music AI complains and formulaic Music from the 80s and 90s; but literally algorithms promoting each other, driving views to each other,

AND creating Streamer Platforms that don't actually make money, but buy each other's Subs to remain relevant in the Pop Culture, in order to drive Advertising Revenue to exploit and Promote actual Hardworking People that make actual content that people would prefer to watch.

Prefer to Watch being the operative term here. Many people have switched over to streamers who don't post much anything at all; don't talk about much anything at all; or they *only* use social media for extremely Niche and Specific Topics.

Nobody is watching the Joe Rogan Podcast that didn't explicitly manually type in [Joe Rogan Podcast]. And I think despite his bias; might actually be one of the few people not intentionally abusing the algorithms.

You know; except that whole double revenue rhing.

Most people are searching for something like "Raidboss in MyFavoriteMMO Strategy" (which is ALSO free advertising for that particular MMO)

Or Tutorials, or What Have You that are specific.

They might land on some political podcast that they find they enjoy; until they realize that those podcasts ARE doing these negative things I've outlined, maybe making the same video 39 times in a row as a canvassing effort or because they think that's what's actually driving Human viewership.

The biggest streamers on twitch are either Promoted by Twitch; Are a Household Name; or are using the Negative Baiting tactics in order to try to become household names.

Or they're into Forced-Feminization Group Chats because it Pays the Bills; and those ones... Aren't much different than the Super Models of yestergeneration who all followed the same path to Beauty, either thinking it's an investment to keep their business model going, or because they're insecure about their physical appearance.

Many times driven by that same negativity and poor socialization.

BECAUSE I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH; WOMEN ARE AFRAID TO BE SEEN AS UGLY FRUMPY FEMINISTS.

even when they have thousands of supporters literally telling them otherwise.

<aside>OMG, that's such a good ending Note, but let's keep writing.

Low-key, that's how I typically write separate articles with ideas that flow into each other like the perfect School Lesson Plan; but I'm trying something else today.

Also, I stopped intentionally doing that like 200 or 400 articles ago.</aside>

Me, personally; I take notes about what random streamers and content creators are doing. I stay off of Twitch, because Twitch is for your friend group to share their FailClips with each other. This paragraph was a few paragraphs ago, but Tumblrs Linear Format restrictions makes it hard to write something that can really take advantage of simple HTML and CSS formatting. Like most of Social Media these days; because users were using their platforms for Hacking, or just to learn the tools and Mod their own webpages which increased Server Load and resource usage; and it's much easier to limit Users to Simple Text instead of allow them to do anything interesting that isn't a pre-approved Listicle-Format (designed by early Media Platforms to assist with Loading Times and Reduce Costs)

I'm writing about all those nuances; because they flow into each other in the social sphere. Not because I'm writing them to do so, but Because those topics already affect eachother to such a degree it feels like *my* content has this ethereality.

It only really works because it's rooted in some truth; and it's really only a matter of time before Corporations figure out how to use it to their advantage without the [Truthiness] of the product remaining in-tact.

Phrasing like this makes me sound like an anti-capitalism conspiracy theorist; but that's simply how Innovation and Profit-Driven Motives work.

That's why the Internet is Enshitified. That's why people get Demonitized, and that's why I'm not writing three separate Articles this time.

To showcase the insanity of Documenting and Debugging the processes which got us *here* Today.

So, let's return to the Idea of Censorship;

Censorship, as we know it, Is a bad practice. Those who Practice Censorship are [The Bad Guys] According to Social Media Mogul [Elon Musk] who censors anybody who talks about Gender.

And then purposefully censors Users who use words that Describe Gender at all. Like Transgender, Cisgender, Tranny, and Cissy.

But ain't none of y'all Edgelords crying about *that* are ya?

Because Censorship is a tool used by the powerful to control the conversation to what *they* want people to talk about. And to avoid criticism of themselves.

But do you know what also works as a form of censorship? Using Social Media in the way I've described here to drown out competitive Content Creators.

Literal anti-competitive practices employed by the very same people complaining about anti-competitive practices. Censoring people with anything valuable to say, because there's money on the line.

AND they're double dipping in the ad revenue, specifically. Because they only see their viewership as a Number to be exploited, to line their own pockets with as much money as they can, at the expense of Liberty and Democracy.

Why would these people complain about That, criticize the powerful while punching down in-secret?

Money. Always money; there's a whole series I could write about how Inflationary practices actually encourages this behavior, and this behavior encourages inflation.

But these people; they're intentionally sabotaging the World Economy in order to justify their Crypto investments. I can make unverified claims too because I'm punching up. Intelligence isn't valuable. Only power. You've demonstrated as such. That nobody cares about anything really except who's pocket all this free money is going into.

See, we could share. We could all have a slice of this pie; but Naaah Fam, you see the whole pie and think there's more unlimited free money for all!

Because you are not as intelligent as me in this particular field; let me explain. You started as a small time creator; you only saw that you were making money, but there was more to make.

And *NOW* it's like being an astronaut in space; you used to see a little bit of landscape in front of you; now you see the whole thing and think to yourself: "THERES ALWAYS MORE PLANET EARTH; THE EARTH IS FLAT AFTER ALL. IT JUST KEEPS GOING! THERE IS MORE FOR ME TO PUT IN MY OWN POCKET!"

Except you're realizing that you've run out of viewship, you can get any higher, because there isn't more audience.

YouTube, for example has about 211 million daily users per Google-AIs statistics report (when I put that into a Google search. So I'm referencing Google themselves here, that counts as a complete reference!)

YouTube boasts 2.7 Billion monthly users; but like. I have 2 current Gmail accounts and have had like 30 over the course of my lifetime so far.

<aside>My three most recent previous accounts lost to the void thanks to [redacted for fear of libel] phone provider making it extremely difficult to recover 3 decades of my life.</aside>

So that number is ALREADY inflated based on that, and I know as a content creator. You have a separate account if you even watch other channels in YouTube at all for that dilemma with not wanting to accidentally advertise somebody else.

Which there are reasons to do; but I know you're hiding behind the [Good Reasons] to focus on your [Professional Reasons].

Which includes Trust, Respect, AND Money.

And that immediately reduces the amount of actual individuals on YouTube by Half because everybody has two accounts. One for sharing with your [Church Group] and one for [Shit posting]

So it's conceivable that it's more like 50 million daily users, and maybe 200-500 million unique individual human controlled accounts.

Because AI can make their own YouTube accounts too; and feed into that Bot-Viewership, as per this Tutorial Post from Reddit posted 2 years ago

So let's say you have 1 million subscribers. What does that mean?

If we're going by the "Official Numbers" that's still like 0.1% of the ENTIRE INTERNET coming to watch *you* specifically.

<aside>a Google Search on Internet User statistics reports 6b users; which makes that figure 0.01 repeating. But that number includes Data Centers, Professional Workplaces, Schools, and other things in their statistics. So it's iffy if we wanna know exact numbers on actual Individual Consumers using the internet as well.

Which, by the by, all those "Pro-Customers" increases costs for Individuals who need access to the internet (so they're driving out their own customer bases) just because they know the Internet is a utility.

So companies charge individuals more. Not because they need the money to improve infrastructure (which they won't do without reason anyway), but because they can charge more because they know that Users don't have a choice.</aside>

So if you are a professional content creator; I want you to actually look at the actual numbers; How big are you? Can you grow? Are you part of a conglomerate of accounts driving away viewership from other people in your bubble.and purposefully limiting the reach of what other content creators are saying.

And if you are; Why?

Your answer is probably something like "Politics and the otherside is doing it, so we can't stop doing. That'd hurt Politics!"

But when just those two sides are at political war; Who is getting censored? It's not you with your Algorithmically generated content; it's the actual small content-creators with something valuable to contribute.

[mikuni14]

Ngl, but I will say that The Sign has been failing me for the last 3 episodes and I don't vibe with this series like I did at the beginning. As a matter of fact, I have the impression that episodes 1-5 are completely different than episodes 6-8.

First of all, an explanation: I watch BL series for pure escapism, I really expect nothing else, but to have a nice time watching the romance of beautiful boys 😎 I don't add any high values, any ideology, I don't have ANY high expectations from BL series, I'm an old school fujoshi. Life is shitty as it is, what's happening around us is depressing - I just need a break from reality, which was previously given to me by books, manga, anime, and now mainly by BL series.

If a BL series tries to be something more, gives me something beautiful, deep, that gives me food for reflection and analysis, such as The Eighth Sense, then I treat it as something extra, like an additional bonus, a gift from the benevolent BL gods 😀 I don't take it for granted as something that, idk, has to be there. For me, BL series are supposed to give me a good time, they have to spark joy (and what never ceases to amaze me is how, with such minimal expectations, so many series still can't do even this minimum lol). Despite everything, I can forgive a lot, as long as the couple and their romance make me feel good. Like, A LOT.

The Sign in episodes 1-5 was EXACTLY what I expect from BL series: a killer couple, great chemistry between the actors, an interesting story (even if stupid and chaotic at times). I praised this series for Phaya and Tharn (emphasis on Tharn) and their MANY high-quality scenes together. Their romance was tender and hot at the same time, the attraction between them was visible from the beginning, their relationship developed logically and linearly, the series made me feel joy and hope.

But something broke down from episode 6. The romance went into strange fluctuations, depressive lows and sudden bursts of euphoria, the number of their shared, high-quality scenes decreased dramatically, in episode 6 there were even no such scenes, and in 7 and 8 I counted like 2 of them. I CONSTANTLY GO BACK TO THEIR SCENES FROM EPISODES 1- 5, AND FROM EPISODES 6-8 I ONLY GO BACK TO ONE.

What else I loved about PhayaTharn's relationship was how equal they both are in the relationship. Since episode 6, there is no equality, the person who is constantly striving and fighting for their relationship and constantly giving of himself is Phaya. And only Phaya is shown as someone who even has a nervous breakdown due to being rejected by Tharn. Tharn is shown as if everything he does is calculated coldly, the lack of contact with Phaya is not shown as if it was even some kind of nuisance for him. Tharn became a double victim of the script and the narrative: firstly, because he is a character who is afraid that Phaya will die and therefore rejects him, and secondly, the script is unable to present it in a way that is sympathetic to Tharn. I know that Tharn is afraid. But it's not about what I know, but how I perceive it. And I perceive Tharn with irritation. (in The Eight Sense, Jae Won also rejected Ji Hyun after the accident, but in this case I knew why he did it and in addition, the series presented Jae Won in such a way that my heart bled for him. That's what a good story is, it makes me feel satisfied when looking at the scene and the characters both objectively and emotionally)

Another thing that is starting to take away from my enjoyment of watching this series is the constant leaks and spoilers that suggest a breakup, Tharn's "sacrifice" for Phaya, that somehow karma and Chalathon will win and love and Phaya will lose. Just yesterday I listened to a song sung by Babe and read the lyrics of this song… I'm, ok, like, it's totally not my style lol. This is no longer my escape from reality, reality has caught up with me in my yaoi dream 😂

Saturday was The Sign day for me, I never made any plans just to be able to watch the show when it came out. But guess what, I might have potential plans for this Saturday and after my first reaction of "no, I have to watch The Sign", my second thought was whether I really wanted to watch an episode that would probably be depressing again, with maybe one nice scene, and that's assuming that Phaya will wake up? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess I'm not in a rush 😄

I also want to say that on instagram I mostly see stuff about Babe and Billy, and the tag the sign on tumblr is kept alive thanks to the heroic efforts of about 3 good people lol whatever content appears, 90% are scenes from old episodes and from new ones, there are mostly from the love scene. Soooo, I suppose people are not too hyped about recent episodes as well... 🙂

Anyway, I am begging this series to bring back the vibe and way of presenting PhayaTharn's story from its beginnings. I have nothing against angst, tears, even temporary breakups (during the series, NOT at the end). This is how it was in The Eighth Sense, MoD, LoA, To Sir, With Love, and in fucking The Untamed where the breakup lasted for years and The Angst was served in BUCKETS lol. But what I want is for their love to be their strength, for watching them together to give me pleasure and joy. I would like to see more scenes with them, even if they were fighting (not this rejection/ cold days bullshit), but for them to be together and for there to be some good emotions. I want to return to the obsession this series made me feel, to endlessly analyze their scenes together, to blush and squeal like a little girl. And not to wait with increasing dread for the ending like in MODC 😶

(besides, the series just became a little boring and even more chaotic, like, I don't even know (and care for that matter) whose body they pulled out of the water in the last episode and how many open cases they are having at the same time lmao and now there will be also Tharn's personal revenge, this is crazy 😂)

[floradesu]

My BL Rating Scale

So, I rate my manga based on a letter grade scale, F and DNF being the absolute worst, and S being the best of the best. I also use pluses and minuses occasionally, so it’s not uncommon for something to be a C+ or some other variation. I didn’t start my form until I was like 200 titles deep, so I’ve been playing catchup for a while, rereading them and rating as I go.

I have no strict rubric, although I do think I approach each manga with a C baseline and then consider some key things that will increase or decrease a given title’s rating. These things include:

1. Publishing Quality - This includes the translation, typesetting/lettering, editing, and overall scan quality (since basically all of these are ebooks). I don’t have specific ratings for these on my form yet, but I think I will if I ever revise it. I think this is pretty self explanatory, so I won’t elaborate much.

2. Spice Level - I am a grown ass adult and, to be honest, I love to see these boys get down. I give spice ratings from 1 (Mild/PG) to 5 (Whoa!/XXX), a 1 being for suggestive manga or only including kissing (think Sasaki and Miyano), and a 5 being for explicit uncensored/censored smut (think Black or White). Achieving a proper balance is important though, so given an individual manga’s needs, it can add or detract. Am I reading a slow burn oneshot where our boys don’t get together til the end? Then I better see them AT LEAST kiss, or I’m gonna consider this an affront to ME, a homosexual, who wanted to see boys kiss in my gay manga. Am I reading a smutty oneshot, whose plot is held together by wishes and wet dreams? Then the couple had BOTH better show some enjoyment in their activity, regardless of how dubious the setup is. And speaking of dubious setups…

3. Consent Level - I rate consent from a 1 (Consent is just a suggestion.) to a 5 (Hooray! Consent abounds!), 1 being for manga with explicit depictions of ass*ult or r*pe (think Finder) and 5 being for manga where partners are fully conscious and enthusiastic every time (think Therapy Game: Restart). BL and yaoi are notorious for dubcon and noncon setups. While I know this can be some folks’ kink, it is for sure a problem for me; however, I am happy to report that of the 133 manga I have input in my form so far, 72.2% are a 4 or 5, which is pretty dang good imho. I will say, consent ratings are on a somewhat sliding scale, depending on the ratio of consensual to nonconsensual encounters, as well as the severity of noncon encounters, and how they play with the other elements of stories I consider. It’s definitely a fraught rating area, and the one that I lose the most sleep over when I’m making decisions about a given manga’s grade.

4. Love Level - This area is straightforward: how in love are the main pair? Does their relationship make sense to me? Do I understand how they could develop an attraction and why they want to be together? Do I think their love is lasting? If so, they get a 5 (Eternal devotion ♡). If not, they get a 1 (Why are they together?). This rating carries a surprising amount of weight in relation to a manga’s overall grade, meaning I can forgive a lot of shady shit if I believe in these boys’ love lol.

5. Art Level - Out of all of these, this is probably the most subjective element of my rating system. I rate mangas’ art from 1 (Ugly) to 5 (Beautiful), and it is based solely on my personal taste. Also, I’m a bit of a demi hoe (lol), so if I grow to love a story, I will sometimes grow to love the art too, regardless. Nonetheless, beautiful art will raise the rating of manga that have problematic story elements (I’m looking at you again, Finder) and it’ll keep me hooked on a ridiculous/cringy story (I’m looking at you, Dick Fight Island, I’m looking at you).

6. Gay Acceptance - You would think this would be straightforward in a genre about boys bein’ in love, but sadly, it is not. Is one of the partners always referred to as “straight”? Does the story engage in LGBTQ+ issues in an affirming way, or a torturous or regressive way? Do characters fully acknowledge their queerness? Is queerness celebrated? These are some of the questions I consider when I look at BL through this lens. I know that BL is, largely, a genre written by cis straight women for cis straight women. However, it is ultimately about queer people. Whether or not that is acknowledged at all, or how that is or is not acknowledged, impacts the way I feel about the BL I read.

7. Plot and Story Elements - I don’t give specific ratings for plot or story in my form, but I might include a section for that upon revision. While this includes consideration for things like potential triggers and specific events, savory or not, this can also be boiled down to whether or not I think the story is told well. How is the pacing? Is the mangaka trying to communicate something larger? Do they succeed when they try to do so? Is it just a fluffy li’l story; sweet, like candy? Both the heavy and light stuff has its place, but at the end of the day, it all comes to…

8. Readability and Enjoyment - It’s a simple question: was this manga a fun read? Will I enjoy reading it again? All of the previously listed things impact this last and most important consideration. You can have some crazy shit go down in these manga, things that could make them totally unreadable and unenjoyable. Triggering, awful stuff. BUT. If a mangaka puts in the work to balance the good and the bad, depending on how well the traumatic is weighed against comfort and intimacy, a manga rating can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and be given quite a good grade (like my beloved, Haru wo Daiteita). Likewise, a manga can be totally normal—nothing to complain about at surface level—but if I don’t enjoy it, for whatever reason, it will get a lower rating. Sometimes this will be because I’m annoyed by the protagonist, other times one of my personal triggers may have been hit; and still other times, an affront will have been committed against ME, a HOMOSEXUAL, and these DAMN BOYS DON’T KISS!

Anyhoo, every single one of these elements is totally subjective and personal, as are all of my ratings (^ ^) everyone has different standards, and I just wanted to shed a little light on the thought processes going into mine. I hope you enjoy! <3

[merv606]

I really like the idea of Puritanverse but with older, married Silverusso. Their pups all grown up, but Terry and Daniel are still Very Much In Love and horrify their adult children when they come to visit. Terry: Would you like another sibling? Your Mama and I have been working on it! 🥰 💕

Sam and Anthony: 🤢🤮

Daniel: Alpha, Sir…!! 😭

Maybe Terry even tells them to leave soon so he and Daniel can have “quality alone time”. Daniel is mortified. Lmao. Terry would be the king of embarrassing his kids on purpose. Maybe he really does get Daniel with pup…meanwhile their oldest is having their first pup as well.

I think their kids would know their parents are still quite - ahem - active 😂

Kind of burned myself out on puritan stuff - I have so much stuff in my drafts still - apologies to anyone waiting for their ask to be answered

I too adore older, married Silverusso ABO (AND to the person who sent the ask about an ABO Alpha Terry and Amanda Omega Daniel threesome we are going to have WORDS) but an idea came into my head for this one so I wrote it :)

Okay but when their last pup is close to leaving the nest so to speak, and Daniel is actually still able to conceive because he had been young when he had their first pup after all. Then there had been many in quick succession (four actually and then twins a few years after). The biggest age gap being Anthony, who had been a surprise on Daniel’s 30th. Daniel had been taking some medication that the pharmacist had told Terry would decrease the efficiency of the birth control his omega was on but Terry had neglected to tell Daniel, claiming (after the positive pregnancy test) that he had forgotten.

So NSFW

The rest were planned in that Terry, at that point in the beginning, Terry wouldn’t allow birth control in any way shape or form and he always went in raw, refusing to take his omega anyway but bare. Add in the fact that he rarely pulled out (never if he wasn’t already carrying) so Daniel would always end up bred.

Not that the omega was complaining. He had told Terry, when Terry had first offered him marriage, that he wanted a large family. Terry told him he would give Daniel as many pups as the omega wanted.

Which he had.

Now though, six of their seven pups are gone, although they’re always here for the weekends and holidays, and Daniel is building a nest - a nest. Something Terry recognizes right away - which is more out of self preservation. He knows from experience it’s better to steer clear for now lest he mess something up (like, heaven forbid, nudging a pillow) and incurring the little omega’s wrath or, more devastatingly his tears.

Of course his libido is ramping up, which, if he’s obsessively making his nest, means Terry is in for a fun night.

Daniel, bless him, doesn’t recognize the signs for what they obviously are, thinking instead it might mean the change of life, even if he is younger than when it normally starts.

“It could be early onset,” he told Terry this morning, plating their food before calling out to Anthony to get his ass down to breakfast. Terry only smiles knowingly in answer.

Not realizing it’s actually the opposite - the surge of hormones are to increase his chances of being impregnated, not him entering the phase of life where he will no longer be able to.

It’s been so long though, and there are some similarities between both issues, so he doesn’t recognize the real reason of what he’s doing and why, but Terry does.

His alpha knows exactly what his little omega is looking for - oh he knows all too well 😏- and he’s going to give it to him.

Terry had brought up his theory to their doctor who confirmed that it was common, for an omega who was still of breeding age, to have something like this happen ad their pups starting leaving the nest.

As it was also common for the surge of hormones to mess with their birth control, he suggested protection - condoms - if Terry didn’t want more, and the alpha had scoffed. He only ever had his omega bare and he wasn’t about to change that.

Besides, he would never deny his mate what he wanted, even if he didn’t realize himself what that was. Times like that it was actually more important for Terry to show him what that was, and show him he would.

They have always had a healthy sex life, and while Terry did initiate that more often than not, as Daniel was a traditional omega in some senses, he was always eager and receptive to his alpha’s advances, but his lust easily matched Terry’s. Just in a different way.

But lately, he’s been flat out teasing Terry into taking him more and more, initiating on more than several occasions.

Buying lots of pretty things to wear to bed (as if he needs it) or under his clothes, flashing that to Terry at inoportune times which sometimes necessitate Terry taking him then and there and again when he got him alone at home 😏

He even showed up at Terry’s office and well ….. the secretaries are still gossiping about that one and there are bets on when the next Silver Heir will be announced.

And while Terry has always preferred to come inside his omega’s body, whether it be his mouth, ass, or his cute tight little omegan cunt, Daniel has been making sure lately that it’s his pussy Terry has been coming in exclusively.

Like now.

Pulling off his husband’s cock with an audible pop, before Terry can come down his throat, his husband nice and hard from the messy impromptu blowjob, perfect for him to climb on and sink down on.

Not before Terry puts him on his back, wrenching his thighs open, burying his face between the omega’s thighs, tasting how wet he is, tasting how ripe and fertile - a taste Terry will never get enough of or tire of. A taste that tells him how eager for it he is.

And as much as Daniel loves being eaten out, to come by his husband’s mouth, it’s only a few minutes before he’s griping Terry’s hair trying to yank him off, desperate for the alpha’s cock in him instead.

Anything to get a pup inside him really, and Terry still thinks he doesn’t realize.

He had even mentioned this morning, setting up a doctor’s appointment to see if he was going into the change.

Well, Terry has no problem fulfilling that need.

Quickly flipping him, watching his omega scramble - face down ass up in the proper breeding position, Terry’s moving behind him, cock out and straining. Large fingers digging into the supple flesh of his hips, picturing how much more they fill out when he’s carrying as he rubs up and down, coating his spit wet dick in the slick.

Terry can smell he’s ovulating and even if he couldn’t he could taste it when he had his face buried between Daniel’s thighs moments earlier.

“This what you want hmmmm another baby inside you?!” Terry asks, lining up.

He teases the head of his cock against the wet hole.

“Get nice and fat again for your alpha?” Digging his fingers in now as the head pops in, embarrassingly easily, his smaller husband is so open and ready for it.

A snap of his hips and Terry’s in all the way in one impossibly long, impossibly smooth thrust to the delighted wails of his already knot drunk omega.

“Going to knot this pretty little cunt of yours until it can’t close,” Terry snarls, setting a brutal pace already, his head swimming now that the tight heat is surrounding him, the cunt too open and hungry for anything else. “It’s going to be leaking my cum for days, but don’t worry it’ll have taken by then.”

There’s no way they’re getting out of this without Daniel pregnant - there’s no way the omega is leaving this bed until Terry puts another pup in him.

“Won’t it? Because you breed so well don’t you baby? So god damn easily!!”

Daniel pushing back, hips working slamming back into Terry and he fucks forward.

“All I have to do is look at you. Greedy little bitch you are.”

Any other time he’d have an elbow in the nose if he talked like this but the omega is too far gone, moaning nonstop, Terry giving himself over to it as well.

Large hands cup the omega’s soft chest - a softness that has never left even though their youngest stoped nursing well over a decade and then some ago - a softness there because of Terry - the pups he put inside - and soon they will be full again for Daniel to care for their newest addition. That Terry is sure he’s filling him with right now ….

“Because you were made for this - weren’t you?!! “

Terry can feel then, a dampness between his fingers as he rolls the dark and puffy nipples between them, groaning, hips stuttering as his alpha registers that his omega is leaking - something omegas do when trying to entice an alpha into breeding them - a sign to the alpha about how well suited they would be to being bred - about how they’d be able to provide for whatever child the alphas puts in them,

This of course, how well Daniel provides for their pups, Terry already has intimate knowledge of, but the fact that the omega wants to be bred again so god damn bad … and all of this on a sub conscious primal level.

Terry can feel his knot form already, and it’s been awhile since he knotted Daniel, and it feels fucking better than he remembered and his knot isn’t even inside yet just kissing his entrance when he bottoms out.

“Is that your,” Daniel slurs each time Terry bottoms out, teasing the knot against his entrance, grinding in now - letting his little omega know his intent and so he’s know exactly what is coming.

The alpha teases a thick finger along the rim, getting it wet, getting just the tip in before working his finger in to the first knuckle, before slipping the rest of it in along his cock to make it easier for his inevitable knotting.

“Wait,” Daniel says, a moment of clarity being stuffed so full brings him. If his husband is getting a knot it must mean there is an issue with his birth control which means he could easily fall with pup. Given their history it’s probably guaranteed, and he hadn’t thought about more pups, assumed they were done …. But his body knows what it wants, fucking back against his husband like he’s trying to get the knot inside himself.

He should tell Terry to pull out when he comes - to not come inside him - he should - their pups are grown after all and he wasn’t expecting more - but he also knows Terry won’t listen. A part of Daniel revolts against the very idea anyway … of suggesting such a thing - no his inner omega instead arching his back in submission even more in - opening himself up even more to the older man in the textbook perfect breeding position which he executes flawlessly. It will allow the alpha to go deep making sure his seed shoots where it needs to be.

“Just like that … fuck Daniel … your cunt …. No wonder I give it everything it deserves.”

“And it deserves my knot doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” he sobs. “Please alpha … I need it.”

“Just relax,” Terry murmurs …. “You know this is easier when you relax for me.”

Panting now, a mess of wet sounds mixing with his whimpers and bitten off moans. There is slick everywhere; Terry can taste it in the air.

Daniel is beyond ready for it.

Terry bites over the scarred mating gland and the endorphins kick in, the smaller body going lax and the alpha takes the opportunity. With a quick snap of his hips, he pushes the knot inside with a squelch, sealing them.

A broken moan and a deep groan marry as the omega is pumped full, Terry placing a hand on his lower belly as his hips rut in, seed filling him and filling him - rubbing at his belly which, Terry swears, is expanding against his hand already.

Whining now, the knot tugging at his stretched entrance as Terry rocks back and forward making sure each drop is deep inside.

He recalls fondly now, how overwhelmed his little mate would get during these breeding sessions, and it’s been awhile so Terry doesn’t think his knot will be going down anytime soon.

Daniel collapses and Terry follows - has no choice not to - they’re still joined after all.

The alpha’s larger body covers him now, hips driving in deeper somehow.

The rhythmic pulsing of the omega’s channel not helping as he comes again already.

Whimpering now, Daniel shifts his hips trying to adjust to the knot and the accompanying fullness of so much seed is inside him already and so quickly as his husband’s cock throbs and pulses nonstop inside him.

He forgot how much it was …. How much the knot was how seed there was … But god a sense of rightness has settled in. So much so that he clenches down just to feel the sheer solidness of the knot inside him; feel his insides rearrange to accommodate, feel his womb fill.

A high keen from the back of his throat erupts out.

“Shhh, shhh,” the alpha soothes the frazzled omega.

He’s forgetting all the things that would help during their breeding sessions. He had gotten good at it back when he seemed to be endlessly with child.

“Try not to move so much, sweetheart. You know that helps.” Terry coming back to his senses faster, planting a kiss to the omega’s sweaty temple.

Terry grips him closer to help, immobilizing the little omega who has no choice but to take it; take what his alpha gives him - now and for always.

It reminds Terry of the first time he had knotted him, and that triggers Terry to release again, a visceral reaction, torrenting another wave of seed into the already bloated omega.

The alpha coos to him as he rolls them on their sides as gently as he can, trying to avoid jostling him too much, to avoid the knot tugging on the omega’s oversensitive rim.

Exhausted now. “You have to stop,” he slurs, high on the knot, the endorphins, the pheromones, high on the mating but so damn full he doesn’t know if he can take much more.

“Shhh you know it will go down in a little bit or when it takes …. if not I’ll have to knot you again until it does,” he whispers darkly, and Daniel keens, clenching down and Terry swears, hips pumping.

“If you don’t want it why are you squeezing so tight?”

Just like that it suddenly starts to ease up, the pressure, so he knows his knot is deflating which means …. He has successfully bred his omega once again.

Swollen stomach that Terry rubs soothingly as the omega purrs in utter contentment.

When he is finally able to pull free, a gush of seed, so much it’s obscene, as is the matching gap of his cunt. The aloha roars in satisfaction at the sight of such a well bred omega, Daniel sighing as the pressure abates.

He arranges them, the omega spooned into him, his narrow back to the older man’s broad chest, the alpha’s arms around him, keeping the three of them safe.

Terry noses at the sweaty hair at the nape of his neck inhaling deeply, scenting already the life growing inside Daniel. A scent that he realizes how much he has missed.

This may not be the last pup he gifts to his husband.

[spinningbuster98]

Castlevania Bloodlines Part 1: This is a vampire hunter on blast processing kids!

Yeah yeah I know, Rondo came out first but look: we only have 2 Classicvanias left before we switch over to Symphony of the Night, and since that game is Rondo’s direct sequel I think it’s more appropriate to do it last

Did you know that Bloodlines is one of the series’ worst selling games? Yeah it barely broke 50k units on release and while I think part of the reason was due to being a Genesis exclusive, with Castlevania never having built a fanbase on that system, I do think it’s also because, back then, people were losing interest

I mean what does Bloodlines really offer that hadn’t already been done in other games? We’re back to a 6 level structure like the original CV, we have only 2 playable characters and we can’t even switch between them mid-level, the controls are a step back when compared to 4 and the item crash moves are visibly nerfed when compared to Rondo

People often give flack to the Igavanias for being “Sotn clones” that shamelessly rehashed the formula, but, barring how that’s not really true, the same argument could be made for the Classics around this time

I mean after 4 all the following games went back to the previous control schemes and essentially tried to add some extra stuff on top of the standard formula. Rondo has alternate paths that lead to extra levels, but C3 had already done this, Rondo mostly just adds some extra steps. It has one extra character while C3 had 3 extras. Bloodlines, as I’ve stated, does very little new and Dracula X was essentially a watered down version of Rondo to many.

Indeed if you go see the sales for every game you’ll notice that they gradually dropped over the years, with Castlevania 1 selling over 2 million copies, Castlevania 3 only around 800k and so on. Of course it’s important to remember that sales do not equal quality, as there are many factors that play into a game’s sales, such as marketing. However I do think this denotes a certain decrease in interest by people in the games over the years, which is part of what motivated the devs to completely switch genres with SOTN, because they though people were no longer that interested in simple, short super tough platformers and preferred something new

Bloodlines may not be revolutionary but I firmly believe that a game does not need to be in order to be good. The game offers some of the most original and inventive level design of the classic games, especially due to its insistance for squeezing as much juice out of the Genesis’ systems to create truly surprising and memorable graphical imagery: just look at the water reflections in Atlantis, or the rotating sprites of the Tower of Pisa!

Of the two characters John is the Belmont stand in and my favorite: he doesn’t have a lot of reach but the whip still packs a punch and you can whip straight down and upwards diagonally. Important tip: hold down the attack button when attacking with either character, it will let the weapon stay on-screen for a few extra frames, allowing it to attack twice some enemies, trust me this can be important

I’m...not the biggest fan of John’s swinging mechanic, due to the stiff jump it can get really unruly but it’s only required like twice

As you may have noticed I’m actually playing the japanese version, titled Vampire Killer (real original guys). Why is that? Well not many people know this but Castlevania 3 was not the only game that was made artificially harder for american audiences!

Every version of Bloodlines allows you to choose between 3 difficulties, but the American version switches them around: US Normal Mode is actually JPN Hard Mode, while Easy is actually the Japanese Normal. The US version also locks the full ending behind its own version of Hard mode made specifically for this version, while the japanese version gives you the complete ending no matter what difficulty you’re playing on

Then there’s the matter of continues: this game, unlike the others, gives you only 2 continues after which it’s game over for good. All versions have a password system but in the US version a password is given to you after you beat each level and it saves the amount of lives and continues you have. This means that if you’re at the final levels and have no continues left and few lives you’re shit out of luck

In the japanese version however passwords are given to you only when you get a gameover and after inputting them your number of continues is reset. This means that in the japanese version you actually do have unlimited continues, just in a more roundabaout way. Also continues in this game respawn you at the last checkpoint, so thanks!

All of these difficulty differences are also true for the european version I think, which follows the japanese one but is heavily bogged down by graphical censorship because Bloodlines likes to get a little gory and I guess people back then must’ve been afraid that one too many moms in Europe would’ve been upset at the idea of little Timmy busting some zombie guts while playing his kiddie game

[veliseraptor]

In the case of SongXiaoXue going perfectly fix it style (XY meets the other two early, has a life-changing field trip and so manages to just pull himself back from massacring all the Chang Clan, decreases his canon atrocities and joins them in a polycule and becomes A-Qing's annoying uncle), how would JGY interact with them?

Like, thanks to them Chingmei isn't causing too much of a hassle, they'd be supportive of the Watchtower programme, he broadly likes their sect ideas etc, so I guess he'd like them, and it would add another base of support for him.

putting aside that I think convincing Xue Yang to not kill the Chang is...not impossible but pretty damn hard to do, which is why I don't think I've ever written him just straight up not doing it--

(working with novel timeline here, for the most part, because it just makes more sense)

man, that changes a lot of things, though. like, how does that interact with Xue Yang being a Jin disciple at the time (which he would be, if this is pre-Chang massacre, or even if it was afterwards), and specifically while Jin Guangshan is the sect leader? Because while I can see Jin Guangyao being willing to let Xue Yang fuck off and have quality independent daoshi time, I do not think Jin Guangshan would be so inclined; if anything, the second Xue Yang had a remotely positive relationship with Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, Jin Guangshan wants to use that to draw the pair of them into association with the Jin Sect, which Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan are vehemently going to be not in favor of. That's going to be a hard and probably somewhat insulting nope!

(I mean, I'm picturing Song Lan giving a slightly more diplomatic refusal and Xiao Xingchen is just straight up like "no thank you, I don't want to participate in the corrupt and self-serving sect system :)" which. great move on his part for sure! not going to make him any powerful enemies! one of my favorite things about Xiao Xingchen is his complete indifference to social norms and refusal to be politic about anything, ever. It makes Song Lan's life harder even if he agrees with him most of the time; Xue Yang thinks it's great.)

and while Xue Yang would be happy to ignore Jin Guangshan and fuck off without permission, but that's going to, uh, not go over well and end up with everyone involved in a whole lot of trouble, and as we know, Jin Guangshan is very good at making problems for people when he doesn't like them.

so...that's a problem, and it's not really up to Jin Guangyao.

If they did figure out a way to make it work, and it comes up down the line with Jin Guangyao in trouble...unfortunately, even if they were to get involved (and I think Xue Yang's instinct, friendship or not, would be to go "nope! not getting in that, sorry a-Yao," and Song Lan would be equally disinclined to get into the political morass that's...everything there. Xiao Xingchen might be a little more inclined toward intervention, but I don't think enough to overrule the other two. I do think they'd approve of the watchtowers, you're right! but ultimately there's probably a general sort of distrust of everyone in that whole system (while Xiao Xingchen in this universe might actually still have more faith in the existing systems because he hasn't witnessed via Xue Yang's exculpation how corrupt it is, Song Lan is more jaded, and Xue Yang is the most jaded.). And they definitely wouldn't approve of Jin Guangyao's killing Nie Mingjue or Jin Guangshan, just on principle. So that's going to outweigh any casual existing goodwill from the daoshi, and Xue Yang has too much of a sense of self-preservation to not look at that whole situation and go "yeah that's a lost cause."

and even if they did go to bat for Jin Guangyao, in the face of everyone else turning on him...their word is not going to carry a lot of weight, and by that I mean their word is going to carry no weight at all. I think the most likely outcome there would be Xue Yang getting tarred by association (regardless of what he's actually done, as we know that's not really relevant when the accusations start flying in the cultivation world) and the daoshi getting labeled as poor naive fools taken in by the sinister wiles of Jin Guangyao, etc. etc. It would be very condescending "you don't know what you're talking about."

so...yeah, regardless of how they felt about it, I don't think it would ultimately matter. which is the general tragedy of the Yi City characters, actually (or one of them) - their sheer unimportance and insignificance. nobody, in the larger sense, cares what happens to them! Xiao Xingchen's pleas for justice are ignored. A-Qing's attempts to get people to listen to her before Xue Yang kills her are ignored. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen both disappear without a trace and, once he falls out of the Jin orbit, so does Xue Yang. I know people don't like the Yi City Arc because they feel it's "pointless" or "sidetracks the plot" and to that I say yes absolutely it sidetracks the plot and it is pointless (in the sense of it all already being over by the time anybody else arrives) and that's part of what makes it so good and so painful because nobody! cares!!! and that makes me so miserable.

anyway that's kind of a sidetrack from the content of your ask, but, well. ask me a question and get a rambling five paragraph essay, as always