Lost in the Very Specific Sauce

The main thing I observe is that a lot of employees recommend makeup that is chemically incompatible. For example, if you ask them to recommend you a foundation and concealer, a lot of times they’ll pick two products that are chemically immiscible, so they’ll NEVER blend together successfully.

at this settlement 20-30,000 years ago there lived a person who appears to have been a sort of sorcerer-grandmother-ceramics artist and her workshop was preserved very well in the sedimentary layers. her hut where she had her kilns was full of little sculptures of animals and people that seem to have been made to explode in the kiln on purpose, we're not sure why but nevermind. the relevant detail is that when you sculpt something with your hands and then fire it, your fingerprints can be preserved in the surface of the clay forever, so we have fingerprints of ancient ceramics artists that have survived for tens of thousands of years. and one of the major artifacts from Dolni Vestonice has a fingerprint on it that is so small it could only have belonged to a child

I'm currently in my "watching as much as I can and catching up on my BL series lag" era. Last Friday, late in the evening, I made the mistake of starting The Prosecutor's Proposal, which led me to stay up until 2 a.m. watching every available episode because there was NO WAY I could stop 😭 This series is perfectly tailored to my tastes, I love everything about it: the actors, the characters, the story, the many interesting details, the surprising plot twists, the intensity, the well-written and acted romance, the actors who can kiss and are comfortable with each other, the intensity and emotion. In short, everything that makes me obsessed.

Since then, my mind has been a whirlwind of thoughts about this series, I don't even know how to coherently describe my feelings. Besides, many people here have already provided wonderful analyses of the characters and plot, which I can only cosign 💖 So, I'll just list the things I liked:

Chaeha and Taeseon's relationship is one of the best I've seen because of their mutual fascination, their attraction to each other, and the kind of connection that was present in, for example, High School Frenemy, where two characters are connected by tragedy, a whole web of complicated emotions, a relationship with both positive and very negative underpinnings, which both have to navigate with difficulty and a lot of pain. Both of these couples share a tragic past that has created a space in which only they can exist, which has led them to be automatically fixated on each other. Because the most important moment in their lives—and the most dramatic one, one that has shaped their entire lives, psyche, careers, decisions, and motivations—is shared only with the other. Whether they want it or not, even if it causes resentment, rebellion, and frustration, they are unable to break out of the "bubble" they are in with the other person and not be closely connected to them. And because this bond exists, the other person is automatically intensely noticed, every little detail analyzed, which only fuels obsession, interest, fixation, and focus. It's also obvious to me that they are both gay, or at least bi, since this fixation easily morphs into erotic fascination, as evidenced by their behavior, how comfortable Taeseon is with Chaeha physically, how he uses the same cutlery and food that was already in Chaeha's mouth, and how he immediately grasped the meaning of Chaeha's gaze in this scene:

I'm sorry, but there's no heterosexual explanation for how he immediately tensed and got flustered and his eyes darted to Chaeha's mouth. And once we establish that they're both gay, their cat-and-mouse game, how Taeseon hovers around Chaeon like an exceptionally stubborn and irritating drone or horny dog, how he goads him, pulls on his pigtails, and teases him, how Chaeha lets him do whaterver he wants, wanting to impress and please him, his slutty, submissive behavior and lingering glances at Taeseon, their angry fuck—everything between them becomes clear and understandable 😎

The fact that they are children of the same tragedy, which created this painful and fascinating space that is theirs and theirs alone, and only they can navigate in it, and they must do so to survive, to find the truth, to be happy TOGETHER, is one of the most delicious things I've ever consumed in any BL. (Even if, if I understand correctly, Chaeha doesn't know who Taeseon is yet and in this "bubble" without his knowledge)

food as a form of showing affection, interest, the backdrop to their relationship, Taeseon inviting Chaeha to meals, adapting to him, even using food to "punish" him in his jealous tantrums 😩 and best of all - Taeseon having zero chill about putting things in his mouth that had just been in Chaeha's. The first time he did it with an ice cream scoop, I think I had a mini heart attack

Taeseon, with his stony face, which he struggles to maintain around Chaeha (but he tries really hard, and you have to look closely to see the emotions boiling behind that mask), the actor who plays him is truly good at micro-expressions. I really like how, at the beginning of the series, he couldn't contain his rage and snarled at Chaeha, oh he was soooo angry, that upper lip pulled aaaaall the way up ✨

I absolutely love how Taeseon is a storm of complicated emotions raging in his head and heart, that he's the perfect Tortured Protagonist with a Traumatic Past™, but he's also just a guy, thinking and making decisions with his Little Taeseon. And when Little Taeseon decided that Chaeha(ussy) was "now ours", Taeseon didn't question it, mess around or create drama, but focused on providing "their Chaeha" with protection, care, help, and started marking his territory. And above all, their angry fuck wasn't a reason for further torture and drama, but rather the beginning of a full-time, unfiltered pervert job and an invitation to continue harassing Chaeha, this time sexually (and marking his territory). Ngl, the fact that Taeseon abandoned all pretense and completely let himself off the leash makes me watch this series, giggling and blushing 😍

I also love that Taeseon is able to change, that he sees Chaeha for who he is, that all his hatred, his thirst for revenge, his multitude of prejudices, when confronted with facts, with Chaeha's tears… were dismantled by Taeseon. This represents self-awareness, critical thinking, and confronting one's own preconceptions and prejudices, which is truly amazing

Speaking of Taeseon seeing, noticing Chaeha - that's another thing I adore about him, how he sees him, how he sees all the big things, like the bullying Chaeha is experiencing, as well as the little things, like how Chaeha's cuff might have gotten dirty, how his hands are cold, or how he eats slowly 🥺

I won't even mention how actively he protects him, even bending his own rules to help him, how he stopped his uncle from hitting him and discreetly moved Chaeha behind him. He can help without drawing attention to himself and, above all, Chaeha, which wards off any potential consequences for his help from his abusive uncle

Taeseon's jealousy deserves a separate mention, and it's interesting that he was jealous from the beginning (is it because Chaeha is part of Taeseon's "special bubble" and no one should be bothering him? Because he was already "taken"? Because he was already the object of our specialest boy's specialest attention? 🤨). I bet Taeseon will call Chaeha "whore" at least once before the show ends, for something like looking at another man.

Actors' mutual chemistry, excellent kisses, and comfort are among the highlights of this series. The actors can sell and justify why their characters are already at this stage of their relationship and they're both crazy about each other and horny af

I keep writing about Taeseon, but my bright-eyed boy, Chaeha, needs to be mentioned too. He's my baby, another broken but brave and kind boy who, despite what's happened to him, chooses the right path in life, his own dignity and ambition. He takes care of himself, and manages his own life. And when a big, bad wolf appears in his life, he'll take care of it, put a leash on it, and fuck that wolf. All the while maintaining his dignity and those big, wet eyes (coincidentally, a wolf's weak spot). Chaeha deserves the best, and Taeseon better take care of him and spoil him to the max, or we'll talk

The series is genuinely funny. I love Chaeha's special relationship with carrots and the thumb thing 😆 Taeseon's jealousy, and his unhinged lines. The fandom of this series on Tumblr is hilarious and a worthy reflection of Taeseon in all his crazy, freaky glory 👍

Both MLs need each other and complement each other. They're both good at what they do, they're professionals, they're committed, they're smart, and they're strong. Both are horny and crave intimacy, both are deeply hurt and crave justice and closure. For the first time, a tentative thought entered their minds, that maybe they wanted something more from life, that maybe they wanted to be happy—surprisingly for Teaseon, with this person with whom he's connected so much, on so many levels, including the most tragic one, which wasn't his, their fault. This is the kind of romance that personally blows me away, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Something like Breaking Bad, for example, has low squiggability (that’s what I’m calling this quality). It’s tightly written, the characters are consistent, there’s little left to interpolate or extrapolate. Obviously, people DO write fanfic of Breaking Bad, but it still has a low squiggability score. Whereas something like Supernatural has a high squiggability score. Fantasy and science fiction often have high squiggability scores. This suggests squiggability could also be related to worldbuilding and potential for people to borrow a premise or setting.

"We can study abroad together." "We will go there together."

United Front: Breasts Without the Airbrush

The shocking thing about Laura Dodsworth’s pictures of 100 women’s breasts isn’t the flesh on show, or the many shapes and sizes, but the realisation that images of unairbrushed, non-uniform breasts seem to be so rare. “We see images of breasts everywhere,” says the 41-year-old photographer, “but they’re unreal. They create an unflattering comparison but also an unobtainable ideal. I wanted to rehumanise women through honest photography.”