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gidaryeong · 5 months

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2023 drama roundup

Unchained Love: I still hum the unhinged flute intro on a regular basis, easily my fave intro of 2023! I didn't actually finish the show due to dwindling interest, but for the first 14 episodes or so I took a keen pleasure in it (and it made me go on a eunuch webnovel spree, expertly curated by @mercipourleslivres). I love it when heroines are allowed to be truly funny, rather than just quirky or ditzy. Also appreciate the goofy Lamp Prince turning into a brutal incel tyrant the moment he got power.

Six Flying Dragons: I don't think I can write anything succinct enough for the roundup format so I direct you to my "my sfd tag" if you want to access my enthused livetweeting. Show of all times, lives were changed.

Tree with Deep Roots: I literally can't think of a better topic for a tv show than Sejong the Great constructing hangul together with his band of nerds, one of whom he has a weirdly intense, vaguely erotic relationship with. Han Suk-kyu carried this entire show on his trembling shoulders. What an actor! What range!!! It was such a treat to watch him smugly debate his ministers, roleplay a farmer, and hiss half-mad soliloquies to himself in the dark. It took nuance and depth to portray the kind of inner conflicts and generational trauma that Sejong battles in the background of this drama. To be honest I didn't always enjoy the Milbon subplot which I felt got repetitive, and often found myself wanting to fast-forward the wuxia scenes. In a better world the show would have centered the whip-smart palace maids and their alphabet workshops. But I will definitely rewatch this soon. And maybe also write a fix-it where Sejong and Soo-yi fuck idk.

Quartet: Cute little murder mystery about a found family of freaks, liked it a lot.

My Country: The New Age: As entertaining as ever. Very fun to rewatch this back to back with Tree with Deep Roots, since Jang Hyuk plays diametrically opposite characters with the same vigor and commitment.

Gone with the Rain: Sometimes you watch something which you understand is technically a masterpiece but it doesn't do anything for you, and sometimes you watch a piece of campy silly fun and it makes you tingle with joy. This was the latter category for me. I liked the first and middle parts enough to make up for the lukewarm fizzle of an ending.

The Autumn Ballad: Has some fucked up elements that are difficult to stomach, but the parts that are good are really good.

Not Others: Bingeable! But imo they could have cut out the stalker/murder cases and just focused on the excellent family drama.

The Matchmakers: This surprisingly swooped in towards the end of the year as my favorite comedy of 2023, all thanks to a rec by @haraxvati. I adore Cho Yi-hyun in this role!!! She is so hot as a shrewd matchmaker with a fake mole and a twinkle in her eye. Love the virgin prince with his yearning-induced panic attacks (Rowoon didn't work for me in The King's Affection in a quite similar role, but he's so much weirder and lamer here, which is something I like in a man). I am obsessed with the side plot of the crossdressing romance novelist and the solemn police officer who is trying to capture her and ends up giving her free home renovations and smouldering looks instead. Also, Park Ji-Young and Lee Hae-Young are two of my favorite villain actors on their own, and here they are married!! Still have a few episodes to go, but I intend to binge them as soon as I post this.

Dramas I dropped or paused:

Our Blossoming Youth: I shipped the heroine and her cute maidservant a little too much to bear the dull prince they stuck her with. But I might rewatch it some day bc I want to write a Sherlock Holmes fic for the girls.

Little Women: A real disappointment, because I love Louisa May Alcott and I love Jeong Seo-kyeong. Once again, letting the women kiss might have solved much of it.

Island: Casting Kim Nam-gil as an expressionless cool-guy action hero offends me personally. (Yes Song of the Bandits I'm giving you the stinky eye also.) But Lee Da-hee and Cha Eun-woo were delightful!

See you in my 19th life: I couldn't, even for my most darling Shin Hye-sun, go beyond episode 1. There's something about a kid dating another kid even though she's a literal adult inside her brain that I can't really vibe with.

My Dearest: I do intend to finish this, but I lost the thread after the first half. It got a little too dark for me I think.

#you'll get my moving and minglan recaps in the 2024 roundup because i haven't finished them yet #(i like minglan too much to binge it and my husband won't let me watch either show without him)#unchained love #six flying dragons #tree with deep roots #quartet #my country: the new age #gone with the rain #the autumn ballad #not others #the matchmakers #our blossoming youth #tvn little women #tving island #see you in my 19th life #mbc my dearest #2023 recap #kdrama

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femalenerdrealness · 1 year

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It can't be just me who thinks that Ivy is the (unfortunately for us) love child of Marisol and Kat?

Girl... Bye. I don't even want your man, my man or any man. Chill. 🥴

#litg s6 #litg #litg double trouble #litg marisol #litg ivy #litg s2 #matchmaker #fusebox #love island the game #litg meme

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loveislandthegame · 5 months

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the OG app is now unplayable, RIP

#at least we still have matchmaker i guess 😭😭😭#love island the game #litg #litg season 2 #litg s2

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cxhleel108 · 5 months

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The way I had this post ready in my drafts in case we couldn’t find a loophole for this whole situation.

#so happy right now #thought it was the end fr #litg #love island the game #litg s1 #litg s2 #litg s3 #litg season 1 #litg season 2 #litg season 3 #litg matchmaker

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ravenadottir · 2 years

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hey i was wondering if you could make a guide on how to get with allegra in matchmaker??

you know, i have never got around playing matchmaker after i lost several brain cells on my first attempt. it was just so many mini games i couldn't really force myself to try it again. i did though, research this and found someone that posted this on reddit.

username: DaughterOfSappho

here’s the guide (which also goes for cherry)

“I’ve been asked this a few times so I thought I’d make a post!

To get any of the female love interests, you must romance Talia. You can do this by saying you slept with someone of the same sex at Never Have I ever which is right at the start and then continuing to flirt when you meet her in the bathroom, talk to her on the roof terrace, talk to her at the pool etc. You cannot take any one star options or it locks her out as an LI and you need to tell her you want to couple up at least once (you can do it twice) I’m pretty sure. If you do not get a scene brushing your teeth and Talia comes in - then a scene just after where Talia comes over to your bed following the boys’ choice recoupling - you have done something wrong. From this point on, you will be locked out of Talia’s route - and therefore all female love interest routes - so you should restart.

If you succeed in getting these scenes, you will have unlocked either Allegra or Cherry’s route. To get Allegra, you just need to have an okay relationship with her, don’t blame her for Cherrygate and don’t have a high relationship with Cherry. To get Cherry, you need to have a good relationship with her (two star options at least I think), blame Allegra for Cherrygate and have a bad relationship with Allegra in general.

Whoever you unlock, she will visit you in the kitchen around scene 180 and she will start acting weird before she confesses to liking you - she will backtrack no matter what so don’t worry when it happens, you’re still on her route. It should be okay to take 2 star options here (I took two 3 star options and one 2 star option) but do not take any one star options here. Then just carry on flirting with her: I haven’t finished it yet but I will keep you all updated. Have fun guys 🥰🥳”

none of this information is mine, but since the post is really old i thought copy+paste was safer. here’s the link, give them a shout out for the angelical help 🧡

#litg #love island the game #litg matchmaker #litg allegra #matchmaker allegra #queue #guidance #how to get allegra #how to

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minnievinnie · 1 year

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Therapist: It’s okay. Matchmaker Marisol isn’t real, she can’t hurt you.

Matchmaker Marisol:

#litg eddie #litg eitv #ex in the villa #litg ex in the villa #litg mc #litg suresh #love island #litg marisol #litg season 2 #litg s2 #litg matchmaker #matchmaker

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fox-from-fairytale · 1 year

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Sometimes I want to play matchmaker to get with Tim, but then I remember that weird tiktok instagram filter situation going on and I just 🤢

#s1 art style isn’t the best but still better than whatever that is #and why did they do that on both seasons #s2 characters looks like shit too with that thing on #love island the game #litg #litg matchmaker

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thatsmzbitchtoyou · 3 months

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Masterlist

Started: 2/24/24 Last updated: 5/22/24

MARVEL

Bucky Barnes *One shots Sex Pollen My Alpha

*Series Breaking the Class Ceiling Bucky Barnes is a middle class clerk. He needs to marry well to take care of himself and his father. Y/N Y/L/N is the heir to a millionaire fortune, who is blunt, no-nonsense, flirtatious, and looking for a partner. Everyone is vying for her hand. Can Bucky ever win? **This is set in early 1900s U.S.A., during the Edwardian era with some style changes into the upcoming Art Nouveau period. I've changed history a bit for this. Pretending that America didn't have a full Civil War and trying to create a more optimistic outcome for the purposes of the story. I've also tried to research what the rules for society/socializing were back then, and tweaked some of them. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 **Finished

Pretty Pointy Smile Bucky was born different, and has been judged for it ever since. His father has had enough and sells him to the circus. The acceptance and love of his newfound family, and the beautifully fierce ringmaster, help him realize he’s not the monster everyone else made him out to be. 1 2 3 4 5 **Finished

Sugar Mama Bucky is overworked and struggling to get by. The bills are piling up and he’s consistently in the red with no end in sight. Y/N is a billionaire’s daughter, entrepreneur and philanthropist having a hard time finding true friends or love. She has a proposition for him. 1 2 3 4 5 6 **Finished

Marriage of Convenience Y/N’s father is gone, and he leaves it all to her. But in 1880s Oregon, she can’t own land without a husband. Under the threat of it all being taken away by a land hungry Sheriff, what’s a girl to do with no prospects? Maybe one of the cowboys on the farm can help… 1 2 3 4 5 **Finished

The Temptation Father Barnes is devout, steadfast, and undeterred by flirtatious congregants. So why does this fallen angel tempt him so? You cannot serve two masters. Will he choose God, or his heart? 1 2 3 4 5 6 **Finished

Norsemen & Anglo-Saxons Princess Y/N has a secret that her parents are ashamed of. A conquering Viking chief recognizes the gift she has. Will they be able to bring peace between warring people, and maybe find love along the way? 1 2 3 4 5 **Finished

Stranded Tossed overboard and lost at sea, Bucky washes up on an uninhabited island. Injured, lost and scared, with little to no wilderness training, he fights to survive. But is he really alone? **Coming soon!! The Fuck Up Bucky fucked up. A few times. Will his best friend ever be able to forgive him? **Coming soon!!

Naughty Nanny Bucky had a lovechild from a one night stand. He barely even remembered it, and was surprised to find a baby on his doorstep 9 months later. But one look at that little girl and he knew she was his and that he’d die for her. The only problem was, he knew nothing about babies, and being an Avenger meant he couldn’t just drop everything and be a dad full time. Then he found the perfect nanny…or so he thought. **Coming soon!!

Peter Parker *One shots Emotional *Short Series Tasty Peter just wanted to have one night of fun. Then that night of fun almost killed him. Now it won’t stop haunting him. And he’s loving it. 1 2 3 4 **Finished

Steve Rogers *Series My Queen Steve Rogers is the newly inherited Duke of Brooklyn, struggling to fix the mistakes of his parents while enduring an overbearing, matchmaking mother. He has no intention of anything romantic in his future, but will a forced love connection with the Queen change his mind? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 **Finished

Stucky *Series Omega Steve Rogers wants to move on. He wants to forget Peggy, and dive into the 21st century. But this man of the past doesn’t know how to navigate being an Alpha in a modern world of skittish Omegas. He prides himself on his self control, never wanting to harm or scare them, until something just smells too damn good. And he's not the only one who smells it... **Coming soon!!

Actors

Sebastian Stan *Series A Patient Man Sebastian swore to never fall for another co-star again. Until Y/N drops into his life. 1 2 3 4 5 6 **Finished

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garebearandnan · 2 years

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Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Love Island (Video Game), Love Island (UK TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Original Characters Additional Tags: Love Island: The Game Season 1, Love Island: The Game Season 2, Love Island: The Game Season 3, Love Island: The Game Season 4, Love Island: The Game Season 2 The Wedding, Love Island, Love Island (TV Show) Summary:

NEW WORDS ADDED: BUNDA, HUN, LIPSING, TING, WAVEY

NEW PHRASE: TRUE TO MYSELF.

UPDATED the 2022 BEAUTY SALON definitions.

#love island #love island game #love island the game #love island matchmaker #ex in the villa #love island reality TV show

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dangermousie · 5 months

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2023 End of Year Post - kdrama edition

Yes, we have a some of December left, and I want to check out Death's Game but whatever. I got time for this now and not sure if I will have later so here goes.

This is only going to cover kdramas that aired in 2023; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it’s not on the list. This was an excellent kdrama year, the likes of which we hadn't had in a long time.

DRAMAS WATCHED

In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality so pls don't come for me, fans of some popular dramas that are on my nope list. Also, I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list.

33. The Escape of the Seven - this is so aggressively stupid and mean that it feels like the makers are playing a practical joke seeing how much their audience will take. This has a season 2 coming, so the answer is a lot.

32. Behind Your Touch - the FL gets superpowers by touching people's and animals' butts. Yes, you read this right. Do I really need to add anything?

31. King the Land - yes, it was a hit. Yes, it stars popular actors. I HATED IT LIKE IT TOUCHED MY BUTT TO GET SUPERPOWERS!!! Plastic people in paint by the numbers story, with about as much genuineness or retability as a barbie aisle in walmart. I never expect much from Yoona so whatever, but to have LJH go from The Red Sleeve to this boggles the mind.

30. Mrs Durian - this is so dumb that I think I lost a few IQ points watching this, but its insanity becomes entertaining - I mean what kdrama can you name where a daughter in law declares her love and lust for her mother in law at a family dinner?

29. The Matchmakers - there is nothing offensive about this drama at all. But there is nothing in the least interesting either. If elevator music took drama shape, it would be this show.

28. Destined with You - sorry, Rowoon, I am still fond of you, but you are two for two in drama duds department this year. This is a drama where I loved ep 1, liked ep 2, was indifferent to 3 and...you get the point. Each ep was worse than the one before, and I bailed before I was dragged into a cosmic singularity.

27. Oasis - great first two episodes. Unfortunately it was not a two ep show. The performances are solid but the story is just not there - the effect is like a fancy chef making an amazing sauce to put on pig slop.

26. Boyhood - it's not you, it's me in action. I can see why people would like it but a 34-year old playing a high schooler in a Weak Hero Class 1 Slapstick Edition is no go for me.

25. Castaway Diva - it's so precious and kooky in the most annoying ways, with the most well-adjusted abused castaway in history. I like magic realism when done by Jorge Amado, but this ain't Amado.

24. Island - it had a good concept, good cast and fun visuals but the execution deserved one of ML's swords through the neck.

23. The Worst of Evil - if I wanted an American show, I'd watch one. Very solid performances though.

22. Song of the Bandits - period edition of what I said about The Worst of Evil.

21. Welcome to Samdalri - and goodbye to any hope of emotional involvement.

20. Joseon Attorney - I have yet to like a single sageuk centered around a profession and this was not an exception. I guess it could be worse but it also could have been so much better.

19. Twinkling Watermelon - everyone loved this drama. Everyone except for me. It's the kind of precious that sets my teeth on edge and I couldn't stand half the main characters we were supposed to root for. I guess I like my fruits to shine steadily.

18. Our Blooming Youth - probably the biggest disappointment on this list. This is not a bad drama by any means, but with that cast and that story (I loved the novel), I was hoping for a memorable sageuk not merely all right.

17. Vigilante - it has the emotional complexity and nuance of a punch to the throat but it gives us quasi-gay openly-murderous dudes going after psychos and Yoo Ji Tae holding feral Nam Joo Hyuk by his hoodie at his feet.

16. The Forbidden Marriage - expected nothing but it was a surprisingly enjoyable trifle of a costume drama that was also quite pretty.

15. Arthdal Chronicles: Sword of Aramun - a hot mess but such an entertaining epic one. And it gave us TWO Lee Jun Kis in period gear and who am I to cavil at the bounty of God?

14. The Story of Park's Marriage - it's a trifle, a souffle, so light it might blow away, but it keeps my attention and is so fun and sweet.

13. My Lovely Liar - a huge surprise, that manages to mix a murder mystery and a romcom, and shocked me by showing Hwang Minhyun can act.

12. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - the original ToNT was my fave drama of its year and I did not think it needed a sequel. But this is not a sequel but more of a side-quel and is such a total delight with brotherly love, adventures, romance and hijinks. It's a joy.

11. Perfect Marriage Revenge - it's actually very hard to do a soap right but this slim 12 ep drama managed. So fun, so crazy, such a good ship!

10. My Lovely Boxer - not really about sports, but about two broken people finding salvation because of and in each other. Also, if you like age gap romances, this is delicious. Sort of loses steam by the end but c’est la vie.

9. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - this was a sageuk that was not on my radar with a bunch of actors I was not familiar with but it took my heart away. A good plot that was perfectly paced, characters and ships I adored, a logical ending. This is one of the biggest positive surprises of the year for me.

8. Tell Me That You Love Me - a slice of life remake (sort of, it's more "inspired by") of my favorite jdrama of all time. It's not as good as the jdrama because nothing could be, but it's an aching lovely story with some incredible performances.

7. See You In My 19th Life - funny and romantic and haunting and hopeful and odd. This was one of my favorites of the year.

6. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - it's rare for me to like a (1) sequel (2) with FL actress change (3) that is a Hong Sisters drama. But this was such a gorgeous, surprisingly achy story of love and loss and love regained with some cool monster fighting in the middle. Between the two seasons, this is the first Hong Sisters' drama I enjoyed from beginning to end in well over a decade.

5. My Demon - so tropey (chaebols, supernaturals) but it proves that these tropes are popular for a reason. The chemistry is fire, the story is unpredictable and the whole thing is an addictive delight. A rare drama where I like each new ep more than the last one.

4. Goryeo Khitan War - an old school sageuk in every meaning of the term (no romance, no eye candy, lots of bearded men, battles and politics), this feels like watching an epic movie more than a drama. The vast cast all earns their place and the performances (mainly from character actors given a chance to shine) are incredible.

3. Call It Love - two very very damaged people finding love and healing with each other. This is a narrative very hard to do to my satisfaction but when it's done well, as here, there are few things that can hold a candle to it.

2. My Dearest - a masterpiece of cinematography, narrative, performances. This is an old-school epic romance in the best sense of the term. If it doesn't make you swoon or break your heart, there is something wrong with you. A story of two untraditional, strong-willed, flawed people who fall in love in the middle of the horrifying Qing invasion of Korea and have to deal with all that the world throws at them, this is a bona fide masterpiece.

1 - Moon in the Day - who knew my favorite kdrama of the year will star a store brand Domyoji from Extraordinary You and an actress I was never familiar with. But this part period/part modern fantasy tale of doomed cursed lovers is everything I knew I wanted and everything I didn't know I wanted but did. Two lovers where their love did not save them and in modern day it might not again, has got me obsessed the way I haven't been in years.

FAVORITE DRAMA

Moon in the Day - if there is such a thing as a drama made perfectly for me, this gorgeous, emotionally haunting, utterly romantic, twisty tale is it.

WORST DRAMA

The Escape of the Seven. This drama is proof that demons exist and not sexy ones like Song Kang but horrible nasty ones who delight in the torment this hot mess inflicted on its viewers.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Do Ha, Moon in the Day - a Silla general and a consummate killer who committed atrocities on the orders of his monster father and yearned to die for them, who found the meaning in life in loving his enemy but it did not make him better, a man so obsessed he literally was around for 1500 years of horrifying ghostly existence and still went "worth it" for a woman who killed him as long as he knew she loved him while she did it. He's intense and competent and beyond fucked up and has never had a normal day and I love him so so so very much from a safe distance.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Gil Chae, My Dearest - she starts out as vain and spoiled but the horrors that break so many others bring out all her fierce survivor potential and she becomes such a force of nature - capable of incredible love but also sacrifice and strength and compassion.

Runner Up: Shin Hye Sun's reincarnator in See You In My 19th Life - quirky, damaged, strong, so odd and so vulnerable at once.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

There are a lot of characters who fit that category (King Injo in My Dearest? My God) but the crown belongs to So Ri Bu from Moon in the Day. You think you've seen abusive parents but until you've seen a man abuse his son his whole life and then continue for 1500 years after his death, you ain't seen nothing!

FAVORITE SHIP

The doomed by the narrative OTP of Moon in The Day. Only thing that's better than enemies to lovers is enemies while lovers and their impossible relationship where her killing him is a supreme act of love and his refusing to let go is so strong that he stays around for 1500 years watching her, helpless as she dies over and over again, is everything you ever want.

Runner up: Jang Hyun/Gil Chae, My Dearest. They are so strong and so damaged and it takes them so long to figure out what they feel and what the other person feels but their love and sacrifice and complexities are perfect.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Kim Shi Yeol/Hong Joo, The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - an assassin bodyguard pretending to be a carefree scholar and a widow of the man he killed to protect his king (and whose life was destroyed as a result.) I enjoyed the main OTP of this drama but I was utterly and completely unhinged for the secondary couple.

I'd have probably picked Rang and his mermaid from TotNT 1938 even over them, but they really were the main OTP of that drama.

NOTP

King the Land couple seems like an easy target but honestly, they are both so terribly bland and antiseptic and marketing by committee, they kinda deserve each other. So I am gonna go with Destined with You, one half of which thinks supernaturally roofying someone into loving them is cute and the other half thinks dating one woman while wooing another is totally a-ok. Ugh.

FAVORITE SCENE

There is no competition for the scene in the slave market in My Dearest, where Jang Hyun finds Gil Chae - the way he screams and tries to clutch the hem of her skirt will live in my head forever.

And the scene where he 'wins' that horrifying bet, or the scene where she finds him in a pile of bodies - they are as good also. Or when he fights off a squad to protect her even though he's sick. That whole drama is perfect.

Runner up: the scene of Do Ha executing Ri Ta's family, covered in blood, as she looks at him from the crowd in Moon in the Day.

Or the scene where he talks about how he cannot live as a person but at least maybe she will kill him and he will die as one. Or when her confession in the past intercuts with his walking in the present, or when he comes home in his bloodied armor and she finds he has a fever and it's the first tender touch he's probably ever known. Her murdering So Ri Bu saying she knows she's going against filial piety in loving her parents' murderer, the way they hug, both bloody, as he says "let's live." The way she says she can't go on as she's hit rock bottom and he replies she cannot quit because she must accompany him to his rock bottom now. Honestly, the drama is a font of amazingness.

Also, the opening scene of Goryeo Khitan War or the scene of Yang Gyu ordering to shoot the captives and having to do so himself.

The OTP meeting again at the intersection at the end of ep 1 of Tell Me That You Love Me. SHS comforting ABH as he's having a traumatic breakdown in 19th Life. The love-making scene in Call It Love. There were a lot of great scenes this year.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Lee Jang Hyun, My Dearest - is that even a competition? He's flawed - vain, often emotionally closed off, not great at processing emotions, lashing out when hurt. He is also incredibly heroic in a real, knows the cost but bears it, kind of way. Whatever he does, he commits utterly but it's never without understanding the cost. He felt both larger than life and utterly real. He went through hell and maintained his soul and the way he loved Gil Chae was breath-taking to behold.

Runner Up: Yang Gyu, Goryeo Khitan War - an experienced military commander who wins an impossible victory even as it ravages his soul. Competence is sexy as fuck.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Rang, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - 1938 really was Rang's chance to shine and he took it. For a character I started out disliking in the original, he really stole my entire heart in this drama. I am so glad he got his happy ending with his brother and his girl.

Runner Up: Crown Prince, My Dearest. He started out as a sheltered, spoiled aristocrat, convinced the world owed him for existing. He grew up slowly and painfully into an amazing man. And then was murdered for it and I cried.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Arthdal - it leaves the story at a good stopping point but it's very much a "world in flux, adventures and conflicts continue" ending and I would love to see more of these characters. I know we won't but it would have been nice.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Behind Your Touch - should have been snipped at birth.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Vigilante - I don't mean it had scissors taken to it because it's not cdrama and there is no NRTA, but this drama would have benefitted from being longer. I mean, I love fights and gay polycules as much as the next tumblr person but a bit more character development would not have come amiss. (ahaha - I said come. Leave me alone.)

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

I don't care about cops/doctors/trash collectors/whoever - workplace drama centering on their "cases" needs to die. I hate procedurals from any country and Korea is no exception.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Supernatural critter devoted to their OTP with all the power of their long life.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Our Blooming Youth - it was far from terrible but it was a giant meh. I was so excited to see Park Hyung Sik in a sageuk (that wasn't the hot mess that was Hwarang) and I adored the source novel. It actually started well and then...it's like Revenge of the Beige!

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

I want to say Moon in the Day but to be honest, I was excited by posters and trailers so it wasn't wholly a surprise despite not having much of an opinion on the actors before I saw them. So I am going to say My Demon. I was bored by the trailers, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Kim Yoo Jung drama and before this year I would have said Song Kang was an incredibly limited actor in everything I've seen him in and not appealing to me at all. And here I am rabidly rabiding for this drama!

If I am not limiting myself to dramas but can use this for actors - Hwang Minhyun in My Lovely Liar. I genuinely did not think the man could act and then he gave such a pitch-perfect, nuanced performance out of nowhere!

2023 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

I have actually watched all the kdramas that aired this year that I wanted to check out except for Evilive. I am saving this for when I have time.

BEST NON-2023 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2023

I don't know if I'd say it's the best but Say You Love Me (2004) with Kim Rae Won as a quasi monk seduced away from his true love by an evil older woman was a hell of a ride.

MOST ANTICIPATED

Love Song for Illusion (Lady assassin falls for her royal target who has two personalities), Captivating the King (lady spy falls for her royal target who is tormented) - notice a theme? Also Flower that Blooms at Night because Honey Lee in a sageuk, The Life of Mrs Ock (Lim Ji Yeon in a sageuk), The Love Story of Chun Hwa (an "erotic" sageuk, hmmmm, what?!), Hong Rang (Lee Jae Wook in a super angst sageuk), Queen Woo (that cast and set in Goguryeo!), Wong Kyung (about Lee Bang Won's wife and I love the cast.) Basically, if it's period, I am there with bells on.

#kdrama #year in review #my dearest #moon in the day #call it love #tell me that you love me #goryeo khitan war #tale of the nine tailed 1938 #tale of the nine tailed: 1938 #The Secret Romantic Guesthouse #my demon #the story of park's marriage contract #perfect marriage revenge #Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow #see you in my 19th life #my lovely boxer

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hpowellsmith · 6 months

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I was already having a rough day. And this is really sad.

Working on Love Island the Game wasn't always easy in a variety of ways, especially at the end, but even after most of us were laid off amid dramatic circumstances, more than two years ago now, it was nice knowing that some people enjoyed our work that was still out there.

The Season 3 episodes and scenes, and the ones I edited, were my first experiences in a game studio team (shoutout to the scenes with Tai, Rafi, and Lily that were the first pieces of writing I did on the game!). I learned so much from that, from The Wedding, Chelsea's Murder Mystery and The Boat Party, from all the prototypes and ideation that never went anywhere (that wonderful Regency-era Noah art... sigh...), from how the characters and storylines came together for Season 4 aka Bombshell (I loved coming up with the original concepts for Bruno, and Oliver, and Juliet, and Lexi, and Tiffany, and Valentina, and Kobi, and Hazeem: absolute joys to write and to see other writers bringing them extra sparks of life, and to do the same with helping bring other writers' concepts to life, and to start doing all sorts of exciting senior role stuff). It was very sad and stressful when it turned out that we couldn't be there to complete Season 4 in as polished a way as all of us wanted.

I'm still friends with many of the people I worked with on Love Island the Game and our other projects, and the things that didn't end up going out there, and I've worked with some of them since which was an absolute pleasure. I saw a lot of them earlier this month, and chatted with one on a video call just this morning. The way it ended for us was very painful, but a lot of it up to that point was so much fun.

There will still be some of the work I did for Love Island the Game out there in Season 4/Bombshell and Matchmaker. But what a shame that a huge chunk of the work we all did, and the work before my time that got the studio its audience in the first place, turns out to be so ephemeral.

Thank you to all the people who played and enjoyed the work we made.

#love island the game #litg #fusebox games #archiving is such a problem in games #especially in mobile games where they often just... vanish like this one will #I wanted to add some of the gorgeous cutscene art from the sunset view of the boat party but I'm not sure if I even have a copy of it. so.#love island

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elorday · 1 year

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— ✦ valerie's march fic recs

thank you so much for all of these writers for making me smiling with a lots of butterflies in my stomach, making my mouth hanging agape, or crying so hard and sweating hot. i really can't thank you enough<3

⟡. THE LAST OF US —

⭒ — JOEL MILLER

matchmaker : @quin-ns

domesticity looks good on you : @girlscull

once again in your arms : @foli-vora

a helping hand : @bubbles-for-all-of-us

she's a gun : @cowgurrrl

your smile! : @starpdfs

⟡. MARAUDERS ERA —

⭒ — REGULUS BLACK

annonated book and sleek hardcovers : @messers-moony

his last letter : @timmys-angel

hidden messages in foreign language : @specialbrewbutterbeer

⭒ — REMUS LUPIN

ivy : @enviedear

too much to drink : @nectarcfthegcds

the girl with a book : @solemnarration

heavy handed : @luveline

⟡. GRISHAVERSE —

⭒ — KAZ BREKKER

call me what you like : @sophierequests

buoy : @yelenasbraid

flowers : @violetrainbow412-blog

⭒ — JESPER FAHEY

not what it looks like : @magpiencrow

i hate you : @heathsbitch

⭒ — NIKOLAI LANTSOV

nightmares and enemies : @corpsebasil

in passing : @ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes

a special occasion : @holden-caulfield

the art of pretension : @fleurspun

⟡. MARVEL —

⭒ — MATT MURDOCK

trial tardiness : @alrighty-matty

the matter of opinion : @courtforshort15

it's really... yellow : @pastafossa

finger crossed : @petertingle-yipyip

in another life : @saintmurd0ck

five years : @darling-i-read-it

⭒ — STEPHEN STRANGE

last name : @parkersbliss

slow down : @dre--scape

⭒ — PETER PARKER

the inevitable : @starktonyx

burnt face and second base : @waitimcomingtoo

the forgotten child : @friendlyneighborhoods-spiderman

⟡. STRANGER THINGS —

⭒ — STEVE HARRINGTON

next best thing happen to an angel : @slashersteve

nine facts, one lie : @stevebabey

don't you forget about me : @starberryes

⟡. HOUSE OF THE DRAGON —

⭒ — AEGON II TARGARYEN

the summer islands : @fairysluna

someone, anyone : @asongofmarvelanddc

good grief : @elliewlums

firstborn : @archiveofthe-dragon

⟡. BRIDGERTON —

⭒ — BENEDICT BRIDGERTON

to be loved and to be in love : @desertno3

it is just tea : @leahsficemporium

⭒ — ANTHONY BRIDGERTON

it's a bad idea, me and you : @genyakosstyk

five senses of love : @libraryofloveletters

⟡. STAR WARS —

⭒ — POE DAMERON

the f-word : @the-little-ewok

one kiss : @starryeyedstories

⭒ — DIN DJARIN

fix you : @roguetonorth

just call my name : @prettypiscesgal

softer : @thatredheadwriter

#✭: valerie's monthly recommendations #joel miller x reader #regulus black x reader #remus lupin x reader #kaz brekker x reader #jesper fahey x reader #nikolai lantsov x reader #matt murdock x reader #stephen strange x reader #peter parker x reader #steve harrington x reader #aegon ii targaryen x reader #benedict bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton x reader #poe dameron x reader #din djarin x reader #valerie's recs —

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loveislandthegame · 8 months

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my deepest darkest secret: i played through the entirety of Love Island: The Candy Crush Knockoff just for the endgame LI rohan crumbs <3

#love island the game #litg #the only thing i like about matchmaker is that you can couple up with rohan/tim/cherry/allegra #i wish they were LIs in actual s1…i just headcanon that my MC jake & rohan are in a poly relationship after the show

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sitp-recs · 2 months

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Happy St Patrick’s Day! I’m lucky to be friends with two amazing Irish creators and I thought I’d do a short rec list to celebrate them today. These fics (and art!) are great fun and full of references to the Irish language, landscape and traditions. It was really cool to learn more about the Irish culture through them, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did:

🍀 The Matchmaker by @maesterchill (T, 368 words)

Seamus has had it up to feckin' here with Harry and Malfoy. It's time to take matters into his own hands.

🍀 Is tú mo Rogha [Art] by @maesterchill (G)

Malfoy in a boat—a tiny thing, hide stretched over wood, the sweet elegant curve of the prow beckoning them forward, behind them nothing but the rocky rise of a small island, ahead of them nothing but sea the same grey as Malfoy’s eyes.

🍀 Last Offices by @tackytigerfic (M, 7k)

It didn't seem fair that Malfoy was dead, and Harry was supposed to just keep on living without him. He had lost enough people to know that he probably would keep on going—his stubborn heart was still beating, after all, even though it felt like it was going to break. But first, he had to get through the laying out of the dead—those old Pureblood funeral rites—even if every time he touched Malfoy's too-cold body, he was reminded of how things used to be, and how things might have been.

🍀 Offer Up Our Hearts by @tackytigerfic (M, 23k)

Harry Potter has a very nice life, thank you very much. He's a top Curse-Breaker with a lucrative Ministry contract, and exciting prospects ahead. Sometimes he does wish that he had time to pursue something official with Draco Malfoy - they're half in love with each other, after all, and a great team (in and out of bed), though Draco is still one of the most infuriating people he knows. And when Draco asks Harry to accompany him on a diplomatic mission to the mysterious Sidhe fairies in Ireland, Harry agrees to lend his expertise. Especially since the Sidhe diplomat is a handsome fairy prince who's also in love with Draco.

🍀 Wild - orphaned (E, 93k)

“No,” Harry said, by way of greeting. Malfoy’s blonde head rose slowly, carelessly. “Get out.” “I feel as though we’ve already established this, Potter,” Malfoy responded. “And I feel that what we established was that you telling me to get out of places really doesn’t make me more likely to vacate them.”

#Drarry reclist #celebrating Irish creators 🇮🇪#happy st patricks day

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genshin-impacted · 1 year

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Exchange of Rings

(Alhaitham x Reader - 1/?)

Alhaitham never thought he would marry. The idea of knowing someone well enough to be in a long-term relationship and then committing himself to them was so far out of the picture, he never would have imagined that he would set up a matchmaking profile and meet you. -or- You've always wanted to fall in love. Arranged marriages mean the two of you will work to make it work. If love happens, then it happens, though if falling in love is the end goal, you may as well almost be at the finish line.

Word Count: ~2.6k

Notes: afab!reader, second person pov “you”, switches pov with Alhaitham, modern au, arranged marriage, fall first/fall harder, mentions of sex, slow burn(?)

[Next]

Meeting the family is pleasant enough. The house of your made match is a two-story in a well-off neighborhood, so you already know what type of luxury to expect. But you've come prepared today, a gift basket of fruits in your hand as you walk past the pretty porch and stand on the tweed welcome mat.

The one who greets you at the front door after you ring it is who you presume to be his mother, who opens the door and welcomes you in eagerly. Your 'suitor,' for a lack of better words, is Alhaitham. You had to search up its origin to see that it's a Persian name, but his last name is a dead giveaway to his other Caucasian half. His mother must be the Persian half, skin sun-kissed to bronze with her light lavender hijab wrapping her upper half, and a bright smile as she takes your gift basket and tells you that you didn't have to and that you are so polite!

You tell her the kumquats are from your house, and she tells you that she loves them; she makes drinks that her husband adores that doesn't raise his blood pressure. A tall white man with graying hair-- a silver fox that you can see the resemblance in your suitor almost immediately-- comes in from what you think is the kitchen and holds out a hand for you to shake. His handshake is firm and warm, much like his wife's welcome.

"Well, please, make yourselves at home," the mother tells you, ushering you into the dining room. You peek over into the kitchen and see a marble island. "I can't tell you how excited we are to finally meet you. We've heard- or," she laughs, "we've read good things about you."

"And I've read good things about your son. The feeling's mutual," you reply. You aren't quite sure what else to say; you don't know him at all aside from all the things that were written on his profile when it was sent to you.

You would like to think the two of you are compatible enough, considering that the two of you technically "chose" each other through the matchmaking process, but you suppose you never really know until you meet him. Speaking of– that's exactly what will happen after you meet his parents. So far so good, you think. His parents are really, honestly lovely. It's evident that the two of them love their son and love each other, which is not a requirement by any means. It's not as though you'll marry the family (just the son), but it is nice to know that they've set the precedence to a loving couple– something you hope to end up as, despite it all.

To think that it was years ago you heard about arranged marriages or matchmaking in the modern day. That you would end up in one today is something you didn't think you would have ever thought you would decide to do. In its simplest definition, it's when two people are put together to make a relationship work. It's practical, but funnily enough, when you think of it like that, you find it to be a little romantic.

You hope your suitor doesn't mind that side of you.

"Speaking of which..." The father sticks his head out into the hall. "Alhaitham! Your future fiancé is here!" He turns back to wink at you as you feel a shy smile worm its way out at the words. "Or so we hope!"

You hear steady footsteps from the staircases, and you don't mean to, but your heart skips, quickening as you wait to see your match in person. The first thing you notice is his height. It's hard not to with how short you are; everyone ends up towering over you, and Alhaitham is no different. The second thing is his hair. He does not seem like the type of person who dyes it-- or so you think-- so the silver must be natural. The third is his eyes: blue or green; you think you'll have to take a closer look to decide, but they are pretty regardless.

You flash a smile at him before you forget to. He looks at his father and on cue, his father introduces the two of us.

"Alhaitham, this is…" He says your name, and he looks back at you with a slight frown. "I am pronouncing it right, yes?"

To your delight, he is. You smile up at him, genuine and easy. "Yes, that's right. Thank you."

The mother pulls you aside with a sly smile that makes her crows feet appear at the sides of her eyes. "He made sure to search up the pronunciation before you came. Kept practicing it to get it right."

"My wife spilling the beans aside," he says, huffing, "this is our son, Alhaitham. I'm assuming the two of you have lots to talk about so we'll be on our way. Feel free to eat anything on the table! We left it for you two."

"Sure thing," you say, waving at them as they walk up the stairs. "Thank you!" and then you turn toward Alhaitham who has yet to say a word.

"Feel free to sit down," he tells you, and you try not to smile at the fact that you think his voice is as attractive as the rest of him. "We might be in for the long haul for this conversation..."

Alhaitham never thought he would marry.

It's not as if he thinks he's undeserving of love or anything of the like. He just never thought about spending his life with someone like that, mostly out of disdain for the general population he's had the misfortune of interacting with. It isn't as horrible as it was in his earlier life; once people began to be able to make sound(er) judgment and make smarter decisions, he found them a little more bearable to interact with and eventually made companions with like-minded people. Begrudgingly.

(His friends are known to be 'geniuses' though, and with genius comes a little bit of insanity, so he isn't sure what that means for him.)

Matter of fact is, he's gone through most of his life without needless social interaction and has done pretty well for himself, so he thinks that's a testament to how unnecessary socializing is to live the life he wants. So marriage-- the idea of knowing someone well enough to be in a long-term relationship and then committing himself to them was so far out of the picture, he never would have imagined that he would set up a matchmaking profile…

All at the behest of his grandmother.

His parents have always wanted him to find someone once he graduated from university. His excuse of 'school comes first' stopped working the moment he got a job, and from then on it was mild concern on whether he was too alone or lonely. He's grateful for his parents for never really forcing him to do anything, but their well-meaning suggestions are still something that floats in the background, distracting him. But both his parents and him both know that any relationship with him would fail, simply because he would not put any effort into it.

He did try. Once. The person he last tried dating ended up splitting up with him because he seemed emotionally distant. The fact Alhaitham didn't seem very bothered when (to him) the inevitable happened only seemed to prove them right. But what was he to do– pretend to be attached to someone when he hardly knew who they were? If dating is the fast track, then he'd prefer to be on the right most lane or, even better, not be on the tracks at all.

It wasn't until his grandmother spoke to him about arranged marriages, how it was similar to a contracted deal, vetting suitors until he could choose exactly who he wanted with what conditions, that he finally considered it again.

It's true that the idea appealed to him because of his parent's insistence and it seemed like a logical way to deal with the idea of marriage. It's certainly skipping a few steps he wouldn't miss, but it's the in-depth selection period that appeals to him the most. And a little bit, though he will not admit it, is for his grandmother, to ease her mind. Alhaitham knows she has always wanted him to live a peaceful life and though a partner is not necessary (his grandmother is proof of that), having someone he can turn to when she is gone is something that worries her.

So hopefully when you come to meet him, he can see whether or not the two of you can live out that life of peace together. It would certainly solve a lot of his problems. For one, his friends would finally stop trying to set him up with people with the worst possible compatibility.

When the day arrives when he meets you, his grandmother asks him if he's nervous. He tells her no, which only makes her laugh and look at him knowingly. (He really isn’t nervous, and receiving such a familiar look from his grandmother makes him feel like she knows something he doesn’t.) She pats her weathered and dearly worn hands on his arm. "This is not just for your parents or me, habibi, but for you as well." She tells him, "To be seen is a wonderfully unique thing. I hope you will get to experience it.

He doesn't quite understand, but he knows his grandmother will refuse to give him the answers if she thinks it's something he needs to discover on his own. Regardless, Alhaitham dryly tells her to not get her hopes up, and she laughs again before pinching his cheeks till they hurt, like she always does.

First things first, the two of you start addressing any possible red flags or dealbreakers between the two of you. He asks you if you snore-- you say no. He tells you that whichever residence the two of you take, he has to have room for his books-- you shrug and say why not. And now you think you should have gone first because the first thing out of your mouth is the same as his-- he does not snore-- and whether or not he finds you attractive.

To his credit, he doesn't raise his brows or look confused. Instead, Alhaitham finally takes a good look at you, and you try not to squirm under the scrutiny.

"Yes," he tells you simply, and the tension in your body is released all at once. And the next few questions, despite how important they are, don't seem to faze you as much as your questions did.

"I'd like to sign a prenup. Is that agreeable?"

"Yeah, I was thinking of the same."

"How do you feel about a joint bank account?"

"Maybe down the line? But not now."

"Do you want kids?"

"If it feels like we can raise them properly, yes."

"What kind of wedding do you want?"

"A big wedding, but only because my extended family is pretty big."

This turns out to be the first contention between the two of you, and his brows furrow slightly. "You want a small wedding, huh?" you ask. Before he can say anything, you continue, "I'm willing to make it a little smaller and limit the amount of people coming but family is really important to me, so I'd like them to be there."

A moment's pause, and then a nod. "Alright. that sounds agreeable. I'm not very interested in the details of the wedding, so-"

"Honestly, I'll probably have some of my friends help out," you say. "I'll always make the final decision after talking it out with you."

Alhaitham nods again, and then he's onto the next topic already. You don't see a note or paper anywhere with all these questions so you wonder if he's coming up with them all now or if he's already prepared it in his head. You try to think of any other questions other than the ones you listed, but they seem miniscule compared to the ones already asked. Nothing else seems to be a dealbreaker for you.

"You don't have any other questions?" he asks you, and it feels as though he's gauging you with this one like his previous ones.

"Well, not really. the important ones are gone. 'Do you love your family?' I think that's pretty evident..." You put your hand on your chin in thought. "Well, I-" A question pops into your head and you think of it more like an unwelcome thought than anything.

Not to miss a detail, as you have come to learn already, Alhaitham jumps on the opportunity to ask. "You have one?"

"Well," you say, hesitating. "I was wondering what you were looking to find in this arrangement. Between the two of us."

"We won't just be roommates, if that's what you're asking," Alhaitham says, and your hopeless romantic heart skips a beat. "We're both adults. We can work out an agreement on our boundaries and comforts. I'm assuming this question means you want sex to be on the table?"

You sputter. You don't mean to do something so unattractive but it's hard to stay calm when he just says things like that when you're thinking of something a little more innocent. Embarrassingly innocent, now that he's brought up the more lustful side of it all.

"I- I mean, yeah. That would be great," you stammer, "but I guess I was thinking more of the romance. You know..." you trail off, feeling your face warm as Alhaitham looks at you without a word to help continue your train of thought.

I want the both of us to fall in love, you think helplessly. The both of you fall into silence.

"...The agreement is to live together for a year and plan a date if the both of us agree to it," Alhaitham says finally. You don't think he means to, but his steady logic calms you down from any wandering anxious thoughts. "There's still time for us to back out if we really wanted to. Nothing is set in stone yet. So whatever outcome happens at the end of it and you're not satisfied, you can leave."

To the point. "And the same goes for you too," you say, and when he nods, you try not to hold onto too much hope that it'll all work out.

You do, a little, anyway.

You've always wanted to fall in love. So deeply in love that it changes you. If bodies are a temple, then yours must be a gated community, with only the right people with the passcode to enter. The fast-paced dating game is not for you; the people available are not of your pace-- you date for love and for marriage, not for fun.

You think of this almost like a last resort, but at the same time, it isn't. Especially with these conditions, you think this is your one chance to do romance your way. You have one year with a man who is so attractive it hurts, but with hobbies and personality that you think might be so misaligned that it hurts too. (When was the last time you read a book for leisure, not counting fan fictional works?) Arranged marriages mean the two of you will work to make it work. If he thinks you are worth it, then it will happen.

But if the goal of it all is to fall in love at the end of it, you think you're almost done on your end.

It does not take much for you to fall in love.

You think you’re nearly there when Alhaitham brings out the rings– plain, matching silver wedding bands– for the two of you to wear.

They fit perfectly.

#alhaitham x reader #genshin impact x reader #alhaitham #al haitham x reader #releases the fic into the wild #i would like more arranged marriage trope for alhaitham pls

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