#also the training scene lives rent free in my mind and heart

[crownspeaksblog]

I'm just thinking about how alec lightwood went from being repressed, uptight, in the closet and in love with his best friend to making out with the love of his life in the middle of the open training room..

#i love that for him #he deserves nothing but the best #also the training scene lives rent free in my mind and heart #malec #alec lightwood #magnus bane #lgbtqia+ #shadowhunters #shadowhunters tv #queer characters #queer romance

[noob-with-a-shitty-computer]

Secret Romantic (Grell Sutcliff x gn!artist!Reader)

A/N: I’m still pretty new to black butler but this woman has been living in my head rent-free for the past few weeks, which fortunately has given me a bit of inspiration to write a fic :> hope u like it and i hope it isn’t too ooc.

Summary: You were not really known to be a hopeless romantic, unlike your flamboyant companion. However, she wasn’t expecting to see a different side of you on the night you dropped your sketchbook nearby…

In the midst of another work-filled night, you quickly flipped through the to-die list one last time. “I think that’s about everyone tonight.” You let out a sigh of relief in unison with the red reaper in front of you, “What a night. I’m so glad that Phantomhive got this case closed rather quickly.” A bit of awkward silence passed until you heard a few quiet giggles, which made you turn to your friend who’s green irises were swinging left and right to each picture she had in her hands.

“Grell, are you listening?!” You raised your voice enough for her to let out a yelp as if she was a frightened puppy. “‘Bassy’ caught your eye again?” You scoff. “Come on, can you blame me? He was ever so graceful, how could I not take a photo or fourty~? Especially when he was wearing that ridiculously handsome suit~!” She dreamily sighs and you do nothing but roll your eyes. You never liked demons, always thought they were a hassle to deal with. It didn’t make it any better that a certain demon butler just so happened to steal the doting heart of the woman who stole yours.

“Well, I’ll head off now so you can have your little fun, I suppose. See you at work, my lady.” You greeted nonchalantly as you quickly jumped out of the scene using your reaper agility. Before Grell could glue her eyes back to the photos, she heard a thud nearby, finding a familiar book on the stone ground. It was the sketchbook you always brought around during work to draw on whenever you had a bit of time on your hands. She remembered the times you refused to show her your artworks, hiding the pages against your chest as a faint but cute blush creeped onto your cheeks.

It seemed that curiosity killed the cat (much to Sebastian’s dismay) as Grell approached the sketchbook with a smirk, letting go of her precious photos for the time being…

“Let’s see what you’ve been hiding from me, darling.” She mutters to herself as she slowly flips through the sketchbook, admiring every image. There’s a sketch of the town you recently visited in the view from a tall building, doodles of a couple of dresses you saw from a store window, and other random things. You were quite talented, she thought, curious if you happened to have a doodle of dear Bassy as well~ It only took a couple minutes until she flipped through a page that caught her off guard.

Several doodles of the red reaper herself were presented to her, some smiling, some frowning, some drawings ended down to her head or bust and there were a couple of full body drawings as well. She flipped through more pages and found herself again. There was one drawing where she was wearing a beautiful dress and another where she and you dancing together, she was wearing the same dress while you wore your own outfit with a similar design. It was like an illustration from a fairytale book, the you in the sketch revealed a big smile that your colleagues don’t often see on you in real life.

The next page had sketches of her in other fancy outfits, the page after that had sketches of her doing her signature pose, the page after that was a drawing of you and her, hand in hand and looking at each other fondly while the moonlight illuminated your figures. She didn’t realize you were so observant over her. It was a bit unsettling, but it also felt endearing to her that you put in so much effort into capturing her beauty on paper. Her mind was filled with different thoughts, the memories of you and her training, laughing, smiling and spending time together all those years ago up till now. She couldn’t deny that it made her heart flutter.

Meanwhile, you were panicking in your room trying to find that lost sketchbook, worried that Grell had caught it first. You dejectedly rushed to your door only to find said reaper in front of your doorstep, causing you to stumble backwards. “Gah! G-Grell, what are y-you doing here..?” Your heart was pounding as you looked over to her hand which was holding very thing you were looking for over the past several minutes. Grell chuckled a bit as she handed it back to you. “Darling, I never thought you felt this way about me~” She stepped closer with a smile.

“I-I’m sorry, I can explain-“ “No, I’m sorry for pulling on your heartstrings like that, my dear.” Grell’s eyes softened as she apologized. “The drawings are gorgeous as well. I didn’t know you were such a romantic~!” She smirked and you huff your cheeks, “I guess you just rubbed off on me, my lady.”

“No worries, it’s cute.” Her smile grew as she watched your cheeks flush and eyes widen. “Aww, look at your cheeks! They’re covered in such an adorable shade of red~” She failed to supress a cheeky giggle. “Stop teasing me!” You quickly protest before she held out a hand to you.

“Heh, well I must admit, you were always dear to me, darling. I guess I was too occupied with my own obsessions to realize it sooner… But since you seem to be interested in a dance, may I take your hand tonight~?” She stated flirtatiously, causing your cheeks to grow hotter. You were a lot less experienced in the world of love compared to the reaper in front of you, causing you to hesitate taking her offer…

But then again, who are you to refuse a lovely lady such as Grell Sutcliff~?

A/N: i need sleep. why must motivation show up during midnight T_T anyways hope u like it :P

#rin’s writings >—❥ #black butler grell #grell sutcliff #grell sutcliff x reader #grell x reader #kuroshitsuji #kuroshitsuji x reader #grelle sutcliff #black butler x reader #kuroshitsuji grell

[sasukesun]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

i was going to give you my top 12 until i found out that sanguinedawns deleted their profile so now one of my favourite narusasu fics ever is gone 🥺 it was called naked hearts. i guess i can’t give you exactly what you asked for, sometimes i suck at picking favourites. so i will give you my top 11 (😭) because i can’t take any of these out, and with no ranking, i’m unable to do that. i guess i’ve already recommended all of these fics here and they are all either narusasu or satosugu since i need to have a certain brainrot to look for fanfic.

the earth doesn’t move by mostlyharmless

(narusasu) i find this fic in character, really enjoy the dialogues and love seeing my boys being domestic and just weird guys. i love it.

a hostage situation by kinomiakai

(narusasu) i love how sasuke reads poetry here and how he “kidnaps” naruto. sasuke has two lines about naruto realising his feelings for him that changed my brain chemistry forever, i can’t explain the softness and patience and genuine love that contain in these two lines and i find them so real to sasuke’s character.

that’s what best friends are for by heimai

(narusasu) yes, the sasuke’s vibrator one, one of the greatest heritages of the naruto fandom. this is just the most fun and hilarious fic. i love how in character it is in a modern au context, obviously naruto and sasuke in canonverse would be a bit different than naruto and sasuke in a modern au, they are lighter but still in character.

last ones out by hereforwords

(narusasu) what changed my brain chemistry forever in this fic is their love confession, one of sasuke’s lines in particular, also so real to his character and their relationship.

safe in your arms. by ambiguousreality

(narusasu) if you ever feel sad remember that genin narusasu napping together fanfic exists :)

a thousand summers more by bluelikeskies

(narusasu) this one is so poetic and beautiful. naruto is summer and sasuke is winter, literally.

your name and what that really means by kintou

(narusasu) i think kintou writes narusasu very in character and i love how full of passion some gestures are in this fic, plus i love sasuke’s introspection.

king, until i am by iamsomebody

(satosugu) because it’s so in character and i love their dynamics here. the introduction of this fic is so… getou suguru was burdened with power, too.

summer’s first breath by hiraethia

(satosugu) like i said, this is the most satosugu fic ever. great metaphors, exceptional portrayals of grief, perfect introspection. i can’t explain the emotions i felt while reading so many scenes of this fic. chef’s kiss.

carry me home by valleykey

(satosugu) i love following getou’s mind and train of thought here, the author was great at characterising him. there are great dialogues as well, one in particular of teen getou with adult gojou still lives in my mind rent free.

be good to me by championstunic

(satosugu) something something small actions that contain so much intimacy something. i have a real brainrot for it.

#ask #anonymous #fic rec

[kingofthering]

Carc Primer : come meet the Spanish boyfriends

Marc Marquez, MotoGP rider. Carlos Sainz, F1 driver. Two Spaniards of the same generation who were brought together by various circumstances and who are now very good friends, as demonstrated below.

NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS 2015

Oldest photos of them I could find are from the 17th of November 2015 when they attended the National Sports Awards in Madrid.

HONDA / RED BULL

Marc has spent his whole carreer with Honda. Carlos was a RB junior driver and then drove for Toro Rosso up until 2017. I couldn't find more content than what you have right after (from pre-season 2016, you can see more pictures here).

ESTRELLA GALICIA

The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Youtube channel is a gift. They had Carlos and Marc in the same commercial but separately in July of 2015 (video) and June of 2016 (video).

We can see them on screen at the same time on this video from March of 2017.

In 2018, they shot this beautiful thing.

(gifs source by @rookie-ofthe-year)

In July of 2021, they shot a video for the Artesanos del paddock series of videos.

In November of 2021, they were both involved in some promo stuff for the 5th season of La Casa de Papel. Here you have some backstage thing.

In December of 2022, Estrella Galicia made them visit MEGA (the EG museum) and they looked very boyfriends while doing it (video).

(gifs source by @c2-eh)

They interviewed each other (video in English - video in Spanish). They talked about how Carlos should try a motoGP bike one day (the way Marc says "claro que te gustaria" lives rent free in my mind).

They filmed a "this or that" video that Carlos published for Marc's Birthday (video). It has Marc saying "you guard it [my beer] and I dance" and the two of them challenging each other to a race (we're still waiting).

EG also made them pour beers (video) and we had some intense heart eyes action from Marc.

(gifs source by @c2-eh)

You can find more pictures from that day here, the "then and now" insta reel here. They also did some VR stuff, with Marc inadvertedly grabbing Carlos' hand (pictures & video).

In January of 2023, EG released a commercial for their new 0,0 beer with them (insta reel) and you can see Marc handing the beers to Carlos saying "you're stronger" and after Carlos struggles to understand the mechanism, Marc has to take the beers from him (saying that the guys from motoGP are stronger).

MADRID

In early 2022, Marc (and his brother Alex) moved to Madrid. Carlos helped him, he said : "Since I found out he was coming to live in Madrid, I tried to help him adapt himself and feel as comfortable as possible in my hometown [...] I don't live in Madrid anymore, but I go back there every weekend and try to meet him. We met twice for dinner, I have shown him the gym where I train, he is also training there now, and we have a lot of contact." (article)

They indeed trained together earlier this year, with the following photos from January 2023 (insta post).

During the World Cup, on the 1st of December 2022, they watched the Spain - Japan game together with friends (and made a joint insta post for their selfies).

You can find a group picture of that night here. And now, very important things to witness : Carlos feeding Marc omelet from his fork and playing the plane game with him (video) and the two of them discussing while Marc is seating at Carlos' feet in a very babygirl fashion (video). The scenes are from All In (Marc's Prime Video documentary), you can see Carlos in episode 5.

(gifs source by me)

INSTAGRAM

You can find them in each other's comments (for example here or here). Here you have Carlos filming Marc while he was sleeping in early 2017.

Also, this is Carlos wishing Marc a Happy Birthday in 2021 (here) via EG. And Marc was watching the Bahrain GP (2023) and I'm making it count as Carlos support (photo here).

OTHER

I couldn't find out where this was from but have some leather jacket Carlos.

And then, something that might be EG related but I'm not sure so we're putting it here. An event at the Barcelona Grand Prix in 2019 with Marc's brother and Carlos' dad. More photos here.

In March of 2023, Ignacio Rivera, president of Estrella Galicia, talked about Marc & Carlos in an interview. It’s pretty interesting and I will just highlight one quote (translated to the best of my abilities) :

But it’s sure that the understanding between the two was building while they were participating to events and publicity campaigns together. There, you could see how they supported each other and competively provoked each other. It’s fantastic for us to do sponsor activities with the two because you can immediately perceive their affinity.

FANDOM CONTENT

This is where I do promo for myself and my friends. I've written a couple of fics for them, you can find them on my AO3 (one, two, short stories). @c2-eh also wrote a very beautiful and very hot fic for them and @backwardscapcarlos makes the best moodboards.

I also made a dedicated gifset for them, which you can find here.

We're all obviously looking forward to more content so please join us in the Carc madness.

#marc marquez #carlos sainz #primer #5593 #this is my first primer and i'm sure i've forgotten stuff #i hope this was useful #i'm truly dying for more carc content

[coffeelovesdramasalatte]

LITA Ep. 5 Rewatch Thoughts Pt. 3

Ok so I have literally watched this part 37 times all the way through for the purposes of this rewatch thread. People needs years of training to reach the single-minded peaceful state I reach when I see these two kiss, but it also means when the scene started I kept forgetting to take screenshots. Here we go!

Starting off, I love how slow they took this. It wasn't an immediate "ok we're together now, let's kiss so hard we knock teeth!" - every move is so deliberate and so gentle. If it's possible to have a comfort kiss, it's this set of ones.

I continue to see triangle imagery that may not even be real. Let's take a close look at these kisses. This one looks a lot like their first one, where their mouths are closed and their lips just fit together. So very sweet!

They let go for a beat, and then press together again with their mouths slightly open. This kiss has a bit more force.

Rain pushes forward for the third one (and who can blame that eagerness?) - to be honest I'm mostly looking at the way Phayu's hands fit so completely around Rain's neck here.

Someone REALLY wants more kisses right now - he's gotta wait, Phayu's stroking his face first.

Phayu then delivers the "you can be my wife or I'll be your husband" line, and then we get this absolutely adorable and besotted expression on Rain.

This is just so aesthetic okay? I love the where it started, where it is now we're getting with the triangle glass case in the blurry foreground and them peacefully kissing in the background, along with an abundance of yellow+navy blue imagery..

Yeah I'm honestly melting rn I don't have a lot more to say here. I continue to love the microphone placement because you can really hear when they separate from this kiss.

Rain calls Phayu out on his choices that aren't really choices (I'm just saying, if someone like Phayu wanted to give me these options I wouldn't have a hard time picking). RainPhayu have such lovely hand-related imagery when it comes to their relationship. Whenever Phayu wants to apologize to or assuage Rain, he does the hand kiss, and when whenever Rain wants to calm Phayu down he does the forearm grab plus adorable look up at him.

Look at his face

This is the face of the man who is planning future mischief already

I can think of other, more positive reasons he might cry Phayu, why did you go with embarrassment?

... We all saw the word cum in there and did a double take, right? My head wasn't even in the gutter at this point but it was so unexpected.

Hi, universe? Can I have one of these please?? I could use some help on my future thesis, just saying...

Yas Rain, own that man! Rain is probably good at riddles, huh? Idk I just feel proud of him rn

The way Phayu/Boss says laina (cunning - i'm sure I spelt the Thai romanization wrong but that's what I heard) the sheer fondness in his voice and on his face hit me so hard. Literally am a puddle rn please look at this brain altering shot. Phayu just wrapped his arms around and pulled Rain almost into his lap. That must be so warm and cozy ahhhh

Tell him Rain!!

Ok the little aaa sound Phayu makes to draw out the affection in this sentence will live rent-free in my list of most favorite sounds forever. It's so important to me (and Rain). Rain's besotted again

Their faces are making a heart - I'm not coping well

Rain's little intake of breath when Phayu starts whispering in his ear and the slow blinks are also so important to me. I don't think I understood the term molasses-like atmosphere until I watched this scene.

They are so close to each other right now, emotionally and physically. The little nod of agreement Phayu gives when Rain asks if he really means what he just said is so lovely.

One other thing I love about EulBoss' depiction of PhayuRain is how happy they are to be together - you can see Phayu clearly smiling as he goes in to kiss Rain, who is smiling himself.

The tentativeness of this kiss that comes right after the important thing that Phayu just told Rain (we don't officially find out what he says until later but we can assume it was a confession of some sort based on Rain's question and obvious happiness right after it was said) is a beautiful indicator of how vulnerable they're being with each other rn.

After a few seconds they start pushing a little harder against each other - the amount of movement is super pleasant to watch!

To the next part for more sweetness!

#love in the air #lita the series #phayurain #bossnoeul #lita rewatch thoughts

[mac-lilly]

JATP fic ideas that live rent-free in my head

A compilation post to keep track of all the jatp stories that I will never write ...

Stuff I've actually written

Juke:

Juke Kitchen

Alone Together

Strumming the Soul

Beautiful

Willex:

Hotdog and Cold dog

Cross my heart and hope to die (again)

A night to remember:

Just one more night (Luke)

Tomorrow (Reggie)

Canon-Compliant (kinda)

The inevitabilities of (after)life

(Boys coming back to life but without memories - Juke)

After their performance at The Orpheum, the guys suddenly start seeing a magical light, and they figure it's time to cross over. Before they leave, however, Julie and Luke accidentally seal a magical pact with unfathomable consequences. (And they kiss.) And then the boys are gone.

However, a year later, just after coming to terms with the guys' departure, Julie's world is turned upside-down (again) when a very alive Luke suddenly reenters her life. And it's not just him -- Alex and Reggie are back too. But to Julie's horror and agony, all three have lost their memories. (And not just them. With the exception of Bobby, nobody remembers them.)

And so, Julie has to make a decision: Fight to unseal their memories or let them live their new-found lives without her?

It's an easy choice, really. Plus, she has to make her resurrected Phantoms stay alive. Because there's a series of uncanny and nearly fatal accidents that always involve her boys and, weirdly, Nick.

(There are 1.75 chapters of this on my PC.)

Ghost license

(inspired by the movie "Hui Buh" - no focus on romance)

The boys get tasked to obtain a ghost license for the Molina house. Otherwise, they have to leave the place and become wayward ghosts (and have to return to Caleb.) And thus, the Phantoms are forced to attend a school for ghosts -- exams included.

Random character stuff:

Julie's doodling

Luke's room

AUs

Songwriting Journal of Fate

(A Kimi no Na Wa AU - Juke)

Part I

Part II

Part III

Snippet 1

Snippet 2

Show me how to be whole again

An arranged marriage/enemies-to-reluctant-allies-to-friends-to-lovers Juke AU

Plot

BAM! I'm actually writing this one.

AO3 Link

Image Board

Sweet Home Alabama AU

Yet another enemies-to-friends-to-almost-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends&lovers Juke AU.

Teaser

First & Last Scene

"Life with Derek"-inspired AU

Teaser/Prologue

Rivers of London AU

Julie, a witch in training, and Luke, a ghost

Snippet 1

Snippet 2

Snippet 3

Phantom Thieves

(A Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne AU (without the religious stuff) - Juke)

Julie makes a deal with Caleb: She helps him collect/steal possessed artifacts, and in exchange, he'll grant her a chance to talk to her mom again.

At first, it goes pretty well. She steals the objects and hands them over to Caleb. But soon, she gets a rival. Another thief shows up, who is way too cheeky and attractive, and he starts snatching those items Julie is supposed to steal from under her nose. Julie is not amused by his attitude, and Caleb tells her that he probably wants to use these magical items for evil.

At the same time, Julie makes acquaintance with three guys who just transferred to her school, and she may or may not develop a crush on one of them. (And Julie can't help but see certain similarities between Luke and her new-found thievish rival ... but surely that's just a coincidence, right?)

Mind the Gap

(A Neverwhere AU - Willex & (minor) Juke)

Alex lives a pretty normal life. Sure, after he came out to his parents, he's become an outcast. But he's willing to put up with this shit anyway. (What are the alternatives?)

Then he encounters Willie, an extremely weird but also handsome guy who tells him that he is being hunted. Confused, Alex helps him hide. The next day, Willie is gone, and suddenly his life seems to vanish. His parents, his peers -- everyone seems to forget that he exists.

Determined to set things right, Alex sets out to find Willie, hoping that he (or the person he's running away from) has the power to give him his life back. He enters the World Below -- the place where all the people who've all fallen through the cracks stand. However, as he keeps gathering a group of unlikely and way too cheerful acquaintances who quickly become his friends (and more), he starts questioning his desire to return to the normal world.

#memory-altering stories are just my thing huh? #my fic ideas #jatp #new ideas will be added every now and then

[mx-mongoose]

Cartoons to watch if you’ve already watched all the popular cartoons out

This is for the people who’ve already watched Owl House, Amphibia, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Infinity Train, Avatar ETC. People who are in the loop but really have explored everything there is in it at the moment. So i’v compiled some modern cartoons that need more attention and aren’t as talked about. If you have more suggestions then put it in the notes and i’ll probably make a part two!

CRAIG OF THE CREEK IS CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED. While pretty simplistic in the premise. Has very surprisingly interesting lore, lovable characters, probably the best diversity i’v ever seen in a cartoon and every episode has took simple concepts like getting a bike wheel or a cousin coming over for a family reunion into investing adventures! As the series goes on, you get little bits of backstory on The Creek and its always a neat surprise when you get it. You can watch the first two seasons on HboMAX and season 3 on the cartoon network app.

I’m putting in Kipo because I don’t see enough people talking about this show ITS SO GOOD?? The animation is gorgeous, the story is enthralling, THE SOUNDTRACK IS WHAT I’LL BE PLAYING TILL MY GRAVE, the characters are so realistic but charming. LIKE GOD JUST GO WATCH KIPO RN ON NETFLIX. Its about a girl who’s burrow was infiltrated by a mutant monkey, so now she must navigate through a post apocalyptic world of mutants in search of her father and people.

Speaking of Netflix, please go watch Kid Cosmic! Its adorable most of the time but can rip out your heart when it wants to. Also the soundtrack is also living rent free in my mind. With a lovable cast, really good fight scenes and an eye catching plot. You should seriously should go watch this if you love Sci Fi! Its a about a kid finding cosmic stones and decides to built a team of his grandpa, the teen who works at the diner, a toddler and a cat and they fight whoever is a threat to earth

Wow, Netflix has a lot of underrated shows ngl. But City of Ghosts is definitely the most obscure on this list. If you want the slice of life of Craig of The Creek or Hilda without the action and story driven plot, then this is the show for you. This is literally just some kids interviewing cute ghosts in LA. Its adorable and chill, a breath of fresh air if i’m being honest. Its what I would call The Lofi of cartoons right now.

If you love musicals, slapstick and just goofyness in general, then you’ll fall into the never escaping pit of Centaurworld. A war horse gets zapped into a world of singing Centaurs and she has to travel with a herd to find her rider, the only family she has left. If you can get passed some unhinged chaos, then you’ll fall into this show easily. This is also on Netflix 😭

Jellystone is just a wacky show with wacky characters, nothing more nothing less! Its has spectacular comedy and even if you have no idea who the Jellystone characters are, its still really fun. I would give a plot synopsis but its really just Jellystone characters being Jellystone characters. You can watch this on HboMax

I feel like Over The Garden Wall is getting more obscurer as the years go by, its pretty well known but just in case whoever reading this doesn’t know what Over The Garden Wall is- its about two boys who get lost in the woods of the Unknown and are trying to get back home. If you love series like Infinity Train and want something to watch this Halloween season then this is perfect! You can watch this on HboMax

And last but not least, Glitchtechs!! Its an action packed show of superheroes with a videogame touch, while videogame premises come off as forced in most shows this show shows real passion in it and it very rarely comes off as dated or forced. The animation is downright gorgeous, no exaggeration. The music is also just candy to the ears. I recommend this to anybody who’s looking for something new to watch. You can watch this on Netflix!

#long post #really long post #the owl house #amphibia #Infinity Train #Adventure Time #avatar the last airbender #korra #steven Universe #spop #miraculous ladybug #Hilda #Svtfoe #Regular Show #glitchtechs #over the garden wall #Jellystone #centaurworld #City of Ghosts #kid cosmic #katow #craig of the creek

[kodzuvii]

CLUB STUPID [24: yeah probably]

next [25: premarital hand holding]

PAIRING - SUNA x FEM!READER

GENRE - crack + fluff

warnings - spelling and grammar errors lol guys its 1am plz-

SYNOPSIS - Club Stupid, an anonymous podcast meant for the dumb and dumbest to send in unspoken and nonsensical thoughts about issues they face in their day to day lives and for Y/n to speak out and give her opinions and feelings. Normal feelings though, nothing romantic like how she thinks this lazy guy with questionable hair in the volleyball club is actually pretty cute.

a/n: as an executive member and proud representative of the suna simp club (jk lol idk) it is my duty, to keep my simps fed. you’re welcome. please listen to some cute wholesome shit. 

“Look at this Samu, Suna really his own breed, how does he manage to look more dead compared to how he usually looks”

“Well Tsumu, he ignored the same girl twice in the same week and also got confronted by her cousin who’s also his captain. Pretty sad if ya ask me”

The twins snickered to each other as they eyed the quiet middle blocker who stood by his locker. “Did you see his blocks today Tsumu? I was afraid I was gonna break his toothpick arms with my spikes” Osamu whispered but made it loud enough for Suna to hear. Atsumu nodded, “yeah Samu, totally lame if you ask me. Thank God Yn wasn’t watching him” he teased. “Oi,” Aran called out as he packed up his things on his back that was sitting on top of the benches inside of the boy’s change room. “Lay off of him will ya” he scolded but the pair shrugged and continued to change out of their practice clothes. 

“What’s even happening?” Akagi whispered and Riseki could only turn to him and mirror the same lost look on his face and give a clueless shrug. They both just sat back and watched the scene unfold in front of them. The twins were teasing and throwing indirect jabs and insults towards their middle blocker who looked as if he was going through an existential crisis with the dull look in his eyes. 

Suna was quiet, everyone knew that. Yet somehow in some way, everyone could feel his energy hit an all-time low. He still attended practice sure, but it was like practicing with a pole lamp. He just stood there and observed whatever was happening but even then, his mind was somewhere else. Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by the coach who gave him an earful about the proper attitude to be having during their practices. Did he listen though? Nah. Listening to a lecture required too much effort. He was just tired and done for the day and the anxious and nervous feeling bubbling up inside of him wasn't helping either.

Suna was stupid. He knew that. His attention span outside of the court was never the biggest and his lack of energy never helped increase his intelligence. He was never the brightest in his class, and honestly, it never bothered him that he wasn’t. Everything he learned came through one ear and left the other. He retained the information for a test but simply forgot everything once it was over. He wasn’t the brightest, and it didn’t bother him not one bit.

What did bother him was his terrible habit of being oblivious towards other people’s feelings. Maybe it was due to his lack of energy or lack of interest, but he simply never put much effort into acknowledging how people felt. Yeah, he got vibes when people had on and off days, his teammates were the twins, you HAD to notice their mood swings and take necessary precautions. It just never occurred to him that more people could enter his bubble. A bubble that revolved around himself.

However, instead of someone finding a way to enter his fragile bubble without popping it, Suna willingly left his bubble when you came into the picture. It was no secret that Suna was whipped the moment his eyes laid on you. He’s been getting clowned about it ever since the twins found out and they never let a day go by without calling him a simp.

He had no clue what type of person you would be when you entered the doors of the Shiratorizawa gym. You looked sweet and bubbly, the smile you came in with never left your face unless you’d whine to your friends or roll your eyes at them. When you stepped into the room, people just naturally gravitated towards your positive energy and your good vibe. He liked that about you. Then again he still didn’t know anything about you at the time. All he knew was that you managed to attract his attention without even directly giving any to him. Every time he tried to look away and focus on whatever was happening in front of him, his eyes trailed back to you.

For a while after camp, you kept popping back in and out of his mind. It was quite ridiculous actually. He’d be taking a drink by the water fountains and he’d look over to the hallway and suddenly the first thoughts would be ‘what if I saw the redhead again?’ It never lasted long, maybe for a split second or two before he snapped himself out of it. He’d never see you again, what was he talking about? He was just being delusional.

So you could imagine the way his mind stopped functioning the night at the train station. Suna had to pinch himself 8 times when he saw you walk out of the train doors. ‘No way’ he thought. You, out of the 7 billion people in the world, was Kita’s cousin. He remembers seeing your tired face and your short stature clad in a big hoodie and loose sweatpants with your hair tied up. You were supposed to look like a mess, why did he keep thinking that you looked so pretty? This must’ve been the higher power playing a trick on him for slacking off during practice. So annoying.

Suna could keep his cool around school. You weren’t in the same classes meaning he didn’t see you at all. So you could imagine the kind of panic that crossed his mind when Kita told the team that he’d have his cousin staying in the gym. He learned later on that you started watching practices because Kita didn’t feel comfortable with you walking home. You were nice to the team, incredibly nice actually. Your easy-going nature made it easy for you to have a couple of conversations with his teammates here and there. While you were nice to Aran and Akagi, you had a little feisty attitude with the twins (mainly Atsumu) and he couldn’t help but admire how outspoken you were. You were blunt, to say the least. That was something you and Kita had in common. But he liked that about you, how you were always free to speak whatever was on your mind and keep a conversation going. 

Suna noticed early on that you rarely paid attention to their practice. He figured volleyball just wasn’t your thing and he couldn’t blame you for that. During water breaks, he’d glance up and watch you tuck back your hair and sometimes he’d catch you scratching your temple in annoyance because of some question you couldn’t answer on your homework. You never looked up, simply unphased by whatever was happening in front of you. 

Even so, he still put the smallest amount of extra effort into his practices. Jumping a bit higher and running a bit faster and spiking the ball with more force. He insisted that it was about time he would break some of his bad habits, but even the team knew that it was a sorry excuse. Truth be told, a little part of him was just hoping that if you ever looked up from your phone or your work in your lap, you’d see him and think that he looked at least a little bit cool. 

One day, on the rare occasion that he’d be listening in class, he remembers his teacher having a discussion with the class about an epiphany. 

The feeling of a sudden or striking realization that hits an individual out of nowhere.

It was late at night where Suna hit an epiphany. You were off to Miyagi, spending your weekend with your best friend and the Twins continued to bug him about his little first-year crush even though he had asked them multiple times to drop the topic. 

Suna came to the conclusion that he liked the way you made him feel. He liked the way he felt at ease when you were around him. He liked how you were so different compared to him, but it never stopped you from forming a friendship with him. You never pushed him to ever open up to you, you listened to the bare minimum he had to say and never took his lazy nature and blunt attitude to heart. He liked annoying you, the way your face would scrunch up when he’d take your bento’s the first couple times during your first initial lunch hangouts or the way you’d puff your cheeks when he comments on your height. He liked the way your eyes lit up when the smallest things caught your attention. He took notes on the songs you said you were currently listening too or the ones that reminded you about happy memories. 

Suna especially liked seeing you smile. Especially towards him. Something about it gave him the same feeling that was comparable to the way he would feel when he would see those jelly sticks on sale at the grocery store. The way you’d roll your eyes in playful annoyance when he'd come up to you and ask to bandage his fingers even though you both knew that he was capable of doing it himself. You would tease him, a playful smile gracing upon your lips, telling him that his fingers would probably break off if you weren’t there to bandage them up. Suna liked thinking that having you wrap them up made his hands feel a bit stronger with his blocks. But you didn’t need to know that.

He remembers a specific memory that lives rent-free in his mind. He was walking down the hallway, casually strolling and taking his time to get back to class after using the bathroom and he happened to notice you heaving a tired sigh as you closed the doors to your class. You looked quite frustrated, probably because it was your art class and you had been complaining days earlier about how creatively drained you were.

 Suna must’ve been looking at you for a moment too long because the moment your eyes met, he felt something tug at his chest by the way your eyes sparkled at the sight of him. Despite being under a little bit of stress, the same smile he grew to enjoy seeing made its way onto your lips and you waved to him excitedly before running up and rambling off about how much your class was pissing you off.

You two eventually got in trouble for skipping the whole period after being too caught up in your conversation. Suna thought it was worth it though.

After scrolling through his phone, listening to Atsumu’s obnoxious lovey-dovey playlist, and inevitably searching “how to know if you like or like like a girl” (there's a difference, he swears) on google. 

He came to his epiphany.

 Maybe before, when he barely knew you and you never knew him, maybe he was just infatuated with the idea of you. 

But it was different now, He liked you.

And that scared him.

It scared him how vulnerable he felt. Suna’s reserved and quiet nature gave him a hard time to open to others. Not that he really cared if he was being honest. He simply had the mindset that no one needed to know everything there was to his existence. Everyone eventually leaves anyways, what was the point?

When it sank into him that he liked you, it confused him endlessly. You never wanted to get out of his head and sooner or later he found himself doing the smallest things for you. The little black silk band was always on his wrist and if it wasn’t on his wrist, it would be tucked away in his pockets. Not to mention that he kept one in his pencil case for good measure. The bandaids inside in his backpack were sealed away in a ziplock bag just in case you ever got hurt because he knew you were a bit clumsy. He found himself keeping his eyes open for little souvenirs and trinkets that looked like something that you’d like wherever he went. 

At first, he thought that he just wanted to upgrade you from friend to best friend. Maybe this was a friendship that he had just been deprived of since his world revolved around constantly meaning to improve in volleyball. Yes, he did find comfort in the friendship he grew with you, but sooner or later he realized that he wanted more. The thoughts of holding your hand slipped into his mind and sooner or later hugging you from behind and resting his head on top yours flowed in followed by taking you back by peppering your smooth and soft cheeks with kisses. That wasn’t something that best friends did.

Kita was right about how his logic of ignoring you to suppress his feelings was stupid and that the worst things that could happen were that he’d get rejected. But he didn’t want to face the chance of him getting rejected, he’d like you for so long and he learned during his time spent away from you that he didn’t want to just stop talking to you. Suna knew himself, if he got rejected then he’d distance himself away from you and never talk to you ever again because the embarrassment would eat him up. 

He didn’t wanna lose you for that. He wasn’t ready. 

What a coward. 

He just really hoped you liked the flowers and read his note, he thought anything was better than a stupid “I’m sorry” text.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

“Hurry up, I need to lock up the gym” Kita’s voice echoed throughout the walls as he stepped into the changeroom. Suna looked up from his phone, taking one last glance at your ‘see you soon :P’ text before shutting it off and shoving it into his pockets. As everyone began to leave one-by-one and bid their goodbyes to each other and their captain. The twins however didn’t leave until they both gave Suna a teasing punch on both of his shoulders. Suna only glared at them before proceeding to make his exit as well. 

Kita stopped Suna before he could exit and the look on his face seemed rather serious. With his voice low, Kita simply said “She needs to be back by 7. If she comes home hurt in any way, I’m benching you” he said sternly and that was enough for him to feel his skin crawl under his tracksuit jacket. Suna nodded, understanding that he really wasn’t kidding and that he definitely bench him. 

Kita turned around and opened the door for them both to leave the changerooms. They walked together side-by-side and from a distance, he could see your short figure walking up to both of them. You looked different today, your hair was sitting on your shoulders and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses he was yet to see was sitting on the bridge of your nose. You were clad in your uniform with an oversized pink knit cardigan overtop. Was that a new cardigan you were wearing? He’s never seen it before either. 

Kita smiled at the sight of you skipping up to them and he watched you two exchange high fives and he gave you a brief little speech about staying late. You nodded along and Suna stood by and watched Kita ruffle your hair making you whine cutely. 

He wanted to do that.

You waved goodbye to your cousin and Kita looked at Suna and gave him a firm nod before turning back and making his way towards the gym doors. You turned back and faced Suna, your hands behind your back as you made your way towards him with a warm smile. “Hey there” you greeted and stood in front of him, looking up so you could look at him clearly. Suna couldn’t help but look at you weirdly, why were you acting as nothing happened? Shouldn’t you be upset with him? “Hi, let’s go?” god, why was he so forward. 

You hummed and shook your head, making him furrow his eyebrows in confusion, “do you not wanna go anymore? I can drop you off if you want-” You rolled your eyes, “I don’t see you for a week and you’re already trying to get rid of me?” you questioned and narrowed your eyes at him. Suna felt his heart wrench as your lips pouted. 

He shook his head, “n-no” he stuttered. Your eyes perked up and you watch his cheeks heat up (potentially from embarrassment, but you're not going to assume) and look away. 

You chuckled and grabbed his wrist and pulled him to follow behind you. What made you so bold today? Probably from the unexpected pep talk you had with Goshiki that morning.

“You don’t need him Ln-senpai! If he thinks he can just look over you and all your greatness and beauty and not acknowledge how beautiful you are and how your very presence graces this dull world then send his ass to KFC! You are a woman senpai! A beautiful woman who deserves everything. Not a value menu that has a 20% off discount!”

Did his speech make sense? Sure. You’ll take it over Tendou’s “cut his dick off if he does you dirty queen” text message sent with the confetti effect on imessage followed by a bunch of knife emojis that was honestly more threatening rather than comforting.

You pulled him out of the gym and Shin gave you a look before shaking it off and locking up the gym doors. From the corner of your eyes, you could see the twins sending winks your way before snickering and walking off. You rolled your eyes and stopped when you reached the doors of the school. 

You turned around and faced Suna who looked very lost and confused. “Let’s not go to the convenience store today, let’s go somewhere else,” you say. Suna nodded slowly, “okay? Where do you wanna go?” he asked.

Just then, you lifted up your other hand and it was only then that Suna noticed you carrying a small pink lunch tote. You let go of his wrist and tucked some strands your hair behind you ear, “we haven’t had lunch together in a week and you had a meeting today again so we couldn’t do anything today either and well..” you trailed off and looked up at him and shrugged, “I figured we could make up for lost time” you muttered. 

Suna felt his chest tighten, not only because you were absolutely adorable and it was making him lose his mind, but it almost seemed like you were the one trying to apologize to him when you didn’t do anything wrong. He did.

You frowned as you looked at how subtly his face dropped. As upset as you were, you understood that he wasn’t ready to tell you whatever he was meaning to hide. He wasn’t obligated to tell you anything and you understand that. A small smile creeping up on your lips, “let’s go eat at the park near my house. The one we walk by all the time. Saves you the trouble of worrying if you’re gonna get home on time or not” you laughed slightly.

Suna couldn’t say no to you, so here were the two of you now. Eating and sitting in front of the other with the bento’s you had prepared on the table. The park was as busy as it usually would be during the afternoon. The atmosphere felt warm as the sky was slowly settling into hues of orange with peaks of pink seeping through. Suna watched you happily eat the bento you had prepared and listened attentively as you told him about everything he missed during your week and you did the same when he talked about his. 

A part of him couldn’t help but admire how pretty you looked in front of him. Suna was lying when he told the twins that you were a 7. You were beyond a 7 and beyond whatever scale they had given him. It was a rare sight to see you with your glasses and partnered with that oversized pink cardigan? You were adorable. 

You tilted looked up from your food and stopped mid-sentence when you saw him just look at you with what seemed to be a fond look in his eyes. But you could’ve just been mistaken, maybe you need to have your prescription checked again. “Rin, what’s wrong?” you asked. At the sound of his name, Suna blinked snapped back into reality and was met with your concerned look. “W-what?” You chuckled, “you zoned out Rin, everything okay?” you asked.

Rin.

He liked the way his name rolled off your lips. 

He shook his head, “I’m fine, sorry. This is really good by the way, I didn’t think you could cook” he said as an attempt to change the subject. You rolled your eyes but you looked away. “As much as I want you to believe I’m some great chef, Granny helped me with most of it” you confessed sheepishly. 

He chuckled and poked the sausage that was cut up into a little octopus with his chopsticks, “Well, you did tell me that you burned rice once so maybe I thought too highly of you to make a full meal” he teased. You scoffed and grabbed his bento, “if you’re not gonna appreciate the chef then you don’t deserve the food” you huffed. Suna rolled his eyes and grabbed yours, “guess I’ll have to eat yours then” he said and shoved some rice into his mouth. Your jaw dropped at his actions, “Hey!”

As the day went on, you both began to feel at ease and comfortable once again with each other's presence. The harmony that flowed around between you two was coming back and was settling into its familiar rhythm. You two continued to chat as if nothing happened. Laughing at anything and everything you found remotely hilarious under the sun. Suna felt warm. He was here, with you, and everything felt okay. With both your bento’s empty and tucked neatly away into your lunch bag and the sun settling down and giving a wake-up call for the stars to come out, it was about time for Suna to bring you home.

The walk back to your place was comfortable. There was no tension in the air or any awkwardness in the atmosphere. It was simply peaceful. You were walking beside him and rambling on about something that had happened to you in class that day. It was slightly cooler and the winds were colder and he had noticed early on that you kept pulling at the ends of your cardigan at an attempt to get some more warmth from it. It would’ve just been rude for him to let you be cold, Kita would kill him if you got sick.

It took you by surprise to see Suna slipping off his volleyball jacket and shoving it into your hands. He was wearing a hoodie under it anyway, he didn’t mind. A part of him was just curious about how his jacket would fit you too and what kind of fool would you be to reject an oversized jacket? It was just extra points that happened to be from the boy that you liked.

Suna nodded along to what you were saying, but he couldn’t help the sudden urge to just grab your hand out of his system. You were walking so close to each other. Your shoulders kept brushing past and your hands were right there. 

But with the events that happened this past weekend, he didn’t wanna overstep any boundaries. He was still too cautious that he would mess up and make you upset all over again. With the thought of his actions, Suna suddenly felt a little ball of guilt eat him up. He never stopped feeling bad about what he did. Kita’s words rang through his head, he needed to learn how to communicate better and not deal with everything all on his own. Maybe he really was a coward for letting such a dumb fear eat him up.

In the midst of your talk about how much you despise your math class, you turned to look at Suna and saw how troubled he looked. He didn’t even look like he was listening anymore and seemed to be having some sort of internal battle with himself. 

You furrowed your eyebrows and grabbed his wrist to stop walking. “Rin, what’s wrong?” you asked, concern lacing the tone of your voice. You both never really brought up what had happened. Maybe you were just too caught up in having a good time but you were honestly content with the reasons he gave you. If he wasn’t ready then he wasn’t ready. 

Suna however felt like he owed you so much more than his apology that he already struggled to explain. 

Suna stared down at you for a moment, the unreadable expression on his face that only made you more confused. It was quiet for a moment, the only sound to be heard was the wind blowing by and the trees rustling.

Nothing would have prepared you for the way he turned around and pulled the arm that was holding his wrist and pulling you into his chest. His hands wrapped around your shoulders as he held you just a little bit tighter. He was a bit stiff, but you couldn’t put that against. He wasn’t the type of person to initiate things like this.

“I’m sorry”

Your body froze, something about his tone was different. It was vulnerable.

You stayed quiet, letting yourself relax slowly in his hold.

“F-fuck, I’m really sorry. I said I wasn’t good with words right? S-so I’m trying to explain now because you deserve it but I don’t even know why I did it. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset at all, I was just caught up with myself and I didn’t consider what I was doing to you. You didn’t deserve that. I like being around you and I’m sorry” He pulled away and one of his hands dropped to your waist and fiddled with the material of his jacket. You watched as his free hand dug deep into his pockets and you watched him pull something out. 

“It’s kind of pathetic if you ask me and it’s also kind of ugly but-” he grabbed one of your arms and dropped the object into the palms of your hands. Your eyes widened at the little paper craft,

It was an origami strawberry.

It was small, it fit perfectly inside on the palms of your hand. You could see that he struggled with making it. The leaves were slightly bent and the tip of the strawberry was ripping off. There were lots of creases all in the wrong places and even the seeds were drawn on. 

But it still melted your heart. 

“I read somewhere about 1000 paper cranes for a wish and well, cranes are kind of hard and I didn’t have enough paper to make 1000 and-god this is so embarrassing-” he muttered the last part but gained enough courage to look up at you and meet your eyes. Your eyes were soft and patient. “I wished that you wouldn’t hate me. Or that, this wouldn’t y’know...make everything all weird between us. I like you-or well uh- being around you at least and I-I know you joke about it all the time but please don't-” 

Suna paused when he felt you wrap your arms around his waist once again, hugging him back but just a little bit tighter. The small confession not even going through your mind because your attention was too focused on the way his words were making you melt. 

“You’re an idiot” you mumbled into his chest and hugged him a bit tighter. Your words made his stomach drop, but that feeling went away when you pulled back and looked at him with a smile. A smile that said you understood. 

“I’m never gonna force you to tell me anything you don’t want to tell me” You repeated but this time it felt different, it felt warmer. 

“I’m never gonna hate you. I know how you are Rin, you’re not good with your words and I get that. You could've sent me a text but you didn’t. You went out of your way with the flowers and even the little note and this adorable fucking strawberry is more than enough” you laughed but you could feel your eyes watering up slightly with the overwhelming amount of emotions you were feeling all at once. “You don’t need to keep apologizing to me okay? I understand. Thank you,” you smiled. Suna stared down at you. Nodding slowly and you chuckled and fell into his arms once again.

This time, he was the one who held you a bit tighter.

“This side of you is cute you know, but It’s kinda ruining your whole tsundere image you’re going for. Bet the twins would make fun of you for being this thoughtful” you whispered jokingly, making him roll his eyes and huff a quiet “shut up” in annoyance. If only you knew the pain he endured for putting up with those twins. 

You both stayed like that for a little while longer. Holding each other and fitting so perfectly in the arms of the other. If it wasn’t for your phone dinging from a text from Shin asking where you were, Suna swore he would have held you there for the whole night. 

You pulled away first and tugged his hand, “come on, Shin wants me home now so let’s get going ‘kay? Don’t want you getting benched the whole season now do we?” you grinned and walked in front of him and tugged him along. 

Somehow in some way, your fingers slipped perfectly into his.

Suna could only feel the warmth rising in his chest, his daze fixed at the sight of his hands interlocked with yours. 

“Oh and Rin” you called out, making him snap back into reality.

Suna hummed, looking right back at you.

“Tell me when you’re ready, okay?”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

“Text me when you get up in your room safe”

You turned around to him with a quizzical expression before letting out a chuckle, “I’m in front of my house Rin, I got here in one piece” you said and motioned your free hand towards yourself to prove that you were indeed, uninjured. Suna rolled his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek, “you’re clumsy remember, you might fall or something” he muttered and looked away.

You grinned and squeezed his hand, “Awe, look at you caring for me and my wellbeing. My ears might be deceiving me but it sounds like you’re in love with me” you teased and swung your hands together back and forth.

Suna huffed, his mind not properly functioning when the words fell out of his mouth.

“yeah probably”

Simultaneously, his eyes and yours widened and you both froze. 

Both you and Suna blinked at each other twice. Your eyes looked down at your hands that were still interlocked and looked up at his face that was fully drained of any colour. Your heart was beating rapidly against your chest and Suna began to question the very point of his existence.

“W-what?”

“Uh-”

“Y-you said-”

“A-ah I-”

“Oi!” you both jumped and instinctively Suna pulled you closer to him. You looked at up him briefly before turning around to see Granny waiting by the gate with an impatient but also teasing glint in her eyes. “It’s almost 7:30 Yn-chan! You almost missed bingo night! Kiss ya little friend goodnight and come in before Shin and I eat all the mochi we left for ya” she called out but you could hear the teasing tone in her voice.

“C-coming!” you yelled back. Your face was piping hot and you wanted the ground to swallow you whole from the amount of embarrassment and flusteration you were feeling at that moment. 

Granny nodded and walked back inside, and looked up at Shin who was standing with his arms crossed on the porch. Granny walked back to him with a victorious smile on her lips as she gave him a thumbs up. Granny knew what she was doing and she knew what she saw. She’s gonna call and gossip to your mother.

You gulped and took a step back and looked back at Suna. He was still frozen and his mind was racing at what just happened and he too, wanted the ground to swallow him whole. “I-I uh, I guess I gotta go?” you winced, but the tone of your voice made it sound like you were asking a question. Suna nodded, “y-yeah, goodnight I guess” he muttered as he looked away and you watched his face heat up. 

You were both so embarrassed but neither one wanted to let go of the others hand. 

Suna figured he couldn’t keep you out all night and just as he was about to let go of your hand, a sudden wave of confidence went through your veins and you just went ‘fuck it.’

You pulled his arm down towards you taking him back. His eyes widened, “what are you-” you stood slightly on your tippy-toes and kissed his cheek which made him shut up instantly. “That’s for today, thanks. goodbye.” you said frantically. 

Suna froze, too much in shock and his mind was still in the middle of trying to register what just happened and watched as you let go of his hand and covered your face furiously blushing and running off to your gate and slamming it shut.

He stared blankly at the gate door and blinked twice as an attempt to get himself back to reality. He brought his hands up to his cheeks that were on fire. His mind kept replaying the way your soft lips kissed his cheek and could feel the slightest residue of your lip gloss still on his cheek. 

Shit, you really had him wrapped around your finger. 

“Idiot” 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

a/n: BYE STOP IM SO SINGLE THIS IS SAD AND I AM DEVASTATED.

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#haikyuu #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu social media au #haikyuu smau #suna #suna rintarou #suna x reader #suna rintarou x reader #suna smau #suna rintarou smau #inarizaki #club stupid

[wistfulrat]

a 4-part rec list of my fave drarry fics - the thrillers, dramas, soft bois, and wankbanks getting me through 2020′s shitstorm

[the soft boi list is here and truly i’m not surprised this rec is going to be the longest bc if there’s one thing a bitch is going to do, it’s yearn.

as always! if you love a fic, follow the authors, leave kudos & comments, send them nice msgs bc free art is still labor xoxo]

part 3: soft bois

mood: for when I need respite, a balm to the all-consuming shittiness of life

includes: fluff, comfort, low-stakes, slow-burn fics. a wistful look, a rainy morning, an unexpected grace, a stupidly disarming joke. i could live inside these fics. the smallness of human lives removed from the site of that which hurts & irreparably changes. the story-equivalent of a deep breath after a long day. pregnant silences & pensive mundanity & shy smiles. banter with bite but without the cruelty. the color lavender. weirdly whimsical. soft fics are not necessarily conflict-averse (no drarry fic rly can be, considering the context) but, they offer the reader a generous distance from the initial harm. they’re the quiet cleaning up after a storm. sometimes healing is an exacting surgical knife and other times it’s a slow scabbing. you read these fics to be reassured that the way forward is not always ruthless. and honestly?? they deserve a semblance of peace godDAMmit.

The Way Down by @letteredlettered - 65k - T “and I thought that if someone talked to you as though you were a human being you might—maybe you could act like one” --the way i think about this line daily. the characterization of draco in this fic is one my favorites bc he’s earnest and neurotic and tired of harry’s shit. which is to say, he cares so so much. and harry doesn’t know what to do with that bc he’s got a monster in his chest and lives as a recluse. but they both humanize each other in ways no one else can. “you’re just a person” has to be some kind of drarry ethics of belonging and it makes me CRY. -

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them by @greaseonmymouth and dustmouth - 96k - T “Maybe it’s not about deserving it? Maybe you just get to have it anyway. . .I’m allowing myself to want something and to let myself have it and to fight for it.” --harry runs a daycare and also works at a library. draco spends a lot of time in said library. they bond over sci-fi books and therapy anecdotes and quiet philosophical conversations held over cafeteria soup. and harry’s struggling to understand his asexuality. draco’s learning how to live with anxiety and depression. they both want to be deserving of love. incredible fic with beautiful art by dustmouth. - 

Open for Repairs by @drarrytrash - 35k - T “A few leaves rustle in the gutter and the muggle world pays no mind to them, to two lost boys holding on for dear life.” --all of their fics feel exactly like this. like you’ve been allowed to look at something private, tender, unexpected. draco, known abba fan, is a repairman in the muggle world & harry can’t stop breaking thrifted things in order to see him? say less, i'm thERE. also “I think I have a crush on you” goddddd  - other faves by them: Counting Down By Ten - 2k - T: draco’s stepped outside of the party for a smoke. harry follows him bc of course he does. i could read this 100 times and not get tired of it. - Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon - 36k - E: FUCKING HILARIOUS I CACKLED THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. draco’s wolfy problem and harry helping him and harry being flustered by how much he likes draco and draco’s hot heroic moment. shutup it’s perfect. “He almost asks if Draco ever gets tired of being a miserable complaining shit all the time, but he knows that he, personally, never ever gets tired of being a miserable complaining shit.” and “It’s the traumas,” Harry says gravely” --lines that live rent free in my head -

Harry Potter and the Future He Doesn't Really Want, Thanks by seefin - 70k - E “That was the only logical thing to do here, wasn’t it? It was the next step, it was the end of hurting each other and the beginning of the exact opposite.” --harry lives with luna and neville and also he dreams about the future sometimes? and he keeps running into draco. draco thinks this is sus as hell, until he doesn’t. feat. taxi rides, museums, cinemas, rooftop conversations beneath a lunar eclipse, mid-sex innocuous banter, draco and harry discussing nicki minaj. this fic charmed my ass off. seefin writes the most effortlessly hilarious dialogues. i smiled at my phone like an idiot at least 7 times. -  other faves by them: Wild - 93k - E: “he liked feeling needed, for the things that he was needed for back at the house in Ireland. For cooking and gardening and driving. Easy things.” --this shit makes me cry it’s so good. harry lives in Ireland with these three brilliant, hilarious, wandless witches and draco’s a potions student who's come to study under one of the housemates and the boys have so much shit to work through but their love becomes so tender and honest. draco yells at harry a lot and harry lets him and they both keep each other grounded in something real and fuCK.  - Divination for Dickheads - 7k - G: “I’m terrible at having crushes. I’ve never played anything cool a day in my life.” -- oh harry, we knOW. a bus ride, a fortune teller, an aquarium birthday party. god i love this fic. -

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic​ - 61k - E “But we’ve worked so hard at this, haven’t we? Yeah, I know it’s a horror to have to talk about it, but fuck it. We’re friends now, but it took so long to get here. Have you ever had to work so hard at something before?" --the steady blossoming of their friendship in this fic is so goddamn beautiful i want to yell. it’s draco and harry learning to trust each other and the whole thing unfolds so slowly, in this whimsical mix of london streets, wizarding politics, church halls feat. a Hot vicar, and a magical antique shop owner who’s married to literal poseidon?? goD the environment of this fic. immaculate. [also there’s a tender shower scene that makes me cry every single fucking time so if you read this fic pls dm me so we can be embarrassing about it together tbh] -

Nice Things by aideomai - 22k - M “He kept waiting for the weird shock of touch to not knock him clean out of his head, leave him quiet and warm and happy.” --8th year. harry forms an unlikely friendship with draco that begins with smoking weed on a windowsill. harry is touch-starved and draco touches him like he touches all his close friends - like it’s easy. the quiet affection in this fic, the way harry burrows himself into touch bc he’s been without it for his entire life. reading this is like being held. -

Running On Air by @tinyhistory​ - 74k - T “do you remember when we were eleven?” --alexa play coldplay’s the scientist it’s sad girl hours and we’re about to fucking yearn. you’ve seen this fic rec on every drarry list under the sun and i'm here to be redundant. the hype is so goddamn real. this story is a lyrical masterpiece held together by lines that act as refrains that will rattle around your brain until you die, probably. draco’s been missing for 3yrs. harry goes to find him. it’s their odyssey of homecoming. -

Title of Their Sex Tape by @cibeewastaken - 12k - T “But Draco, Draco was everything but boring. Draco made sitting in the rain watching an empty house fun.” --auror partners pining and draco being eccentric and harry being very earnestly gay about draco’s eccentricities!! god this fic is so genuinely fun skskd feat. undercover missions, murderous faeries, a book heist, a stunning navy dress, harry’s eyelashes. -

How We Throw Our Shadows Down by @thistle-verse - 14k - T “Draco is about to say something else— to thank Potter for what he’d done, however poorly— but Harry is smiling at him again, and it’s so soft and perfect that Draco holds in any inadequate words, lest he spoil it.” --draco collects tea cozies and of course harry has the one he wants. the sad and tender gays are at it again feat. conversations in the rain at a train station, melancholy Blaise, muggle photos, wizarding e-bay, the Dursleys.  -

Helix by Saras_Girl - 92k - E “Draco sighs in his sleep and Harry clings on to consciousness, needing to hold on, to give this tiny, insignificant moment the attention it deserves” --I think maybe you can describe every soft Saras_Girl story as giving tiny, insignificant moments the attention they deserve. like, this is an 8th year fic about snails and it’s full of whimsy, grief, compassion, and easy humor. an absolute must-read author in this genre if you want languorous, episodic fics full of distinct OCs and affectionate creatures. - other faves by them: Light up the Night Sky - 98k - M “Draco, sometimes you make my head feel like soup” --the one where harry is a fireworks artist and has a pet chameleon named ken. draco is on the wizarding arts council. they both pine like hell. - Headlights in the Snow - 71k - M “they stare at each other in silence, Harry’s heart beating so loud in his chest that he thinks the biddies must be able to hear it over the sound of their card game.” --the one where draco drives the knight bus and carts around the biddy club, a group of rambunctious old ladies who knit and drink tea and gossip. harry can’t help but fall in love with the everything about this. -

Follow the Water by @xanthippe74 - 38k - T “Harry’s heavy thoughts lift at the sight, like dark clouds blown away from the sun by the wind. The tent doesn’t feel so cramped and stifling now. It feels cozy. And safe. It’s the same feeling that Harry gets when he’s at the Burrow for Sunday roasts, when a group of people who care for each other deeply are crammed into too-small a space.” --harry wanders to the lovegood house on a sunday afternoon. he’s baffled to see that luna’s taken pansy, greg, and draco under her wing. what follows is a summer of forest walks, scavenger hunts, gardening, water fights, odd cakes, faerie rings, and picnics. so many picnics. i love the pace of this fic, the innocent return to childhood things, the way luna brings out the best in all her friends. reluctantly soft slytherins are just *chefs kiss*!! -

Going Postal (A 125pg comic) by dustmouth - T what. a. beautiful. ass. comic. the wizarding fashion, the textures, the character design!! harry travels a lot for his job as a resourcer. draco works in the regulations dept. they pine like a bunch of lovesick idiots via field report notes. god i love dustmouth’s art. -

All the Earnest Young Men by @tepre​ - 29k - E “Draco is twenty-seven layers of personality wrapped up in drama and humour, and a wit so sharp it still stings when he doesn’t see it coming. But there is something below that, too. Something that makes Harry ache just looking at him.” --the way i would lay down my little life for tepre’s characterization of draco, whom invented the word earnest. he’s a magical art theory expert and portraits are disappearing all over London and harry’s the auror assigned to this case. and well. they’re both so very avoidant about how gay they are for each other and it’s like!! shutup and kiss!! which they do in fact, shutup and kiss.  -

Trenches by sara_holmes - 3k - M “Somewhere in the distant part of his mind that hasn't frozen solid, he thinks that maybe he and Draco are about to become more than auror partners, smoking buddies, wine-mates and co-inhabitants of a snow filled trench somewhere in western Scotland.” --the plot line here is literally “it’s cold and i need a fucking cigarette” but let me tell you how I never tire of the shared loaded-silences of two emotionally repressed gays. -

The Years Before Love by lomonaaeren - 13k - M “That’s one of the meanings of peace, he thinks, as Hermione hugs him...That he can do things slowly, softly, without worrying that they won’t be there tomorrow.” --andromeda taking harry under her wing and harry finding solace in teddy. narcissa and draco showing up and the tentative relationships that slowly develop in the quiet calm of andromeda’s house. found families and kisses in the snow and special xmas gifts ugh what’s not to love -

The Moon Looks Lovely Tonight by Omi_Ohmy - 35k - M “I want this to be a house where people are welcome, where they don’t have to be any one way or another” --in which harry collects lost things--owls, best friends, inept bakers, potions experimenters--and turns the mausoleum that is grimmauld place into a home. feat. your fave drarry tropes like shared-beds and reluctant waltzing partners. -

[part 1: thrillers | part 2: dramas | part 3: soft bois | part 4: wankbanks]

#drarry fic rec #drarry fic #soft drarry #OK FINE I RAMBLED BUT WHAT DID WE EXPECT #alexa play futile devices

[adraughtofamortentia]

hello, so i’ve written my very first fan fic!! an idea came to live in my head rent free while watching this scene in a cdrama and i just had to write it. its also posted to ao3 here! shoutout to my bestie & beta @thatweirdgirljess, your enthusiasm for my hyperfixations keeps me going~~~

fandom: ancient detective, pairing: jian buzhi x zhao wohuan (m/m), lengh: 2,883

title: you’re my warm heart in a cold world

As evening grew into proper night, Zhao and Jian had retired to their room in the Yiyuan Inn. After the chaotic events of the day the quiet and comfort of each other's company was most welcome. Zhao had stripped down to his black underclothes and settled into a light practice of some of Second Master Li’s sword techniques. As he swung his sword arm, without the actual sword in hand, through the various arcs the book depicted he could feel his freshly stitched wounds on his arms and thigh sting in protest. It was easily ignored though, and Zhao found he appreciated the reminder of why he needed to keep up with his training schedule. 

Being reminded of his wounds prompted Zhao to recall how he came to sustain them, the reason why he had fought so valiantly. The person he fought to protect.

Without stopping the motions of his empty handed sword arm, Zhao looked out of the corner of his eye across the room at Jian. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, also dressed down to his own white undershirt, and seemed to be engrossed with some reading. Gently clutching the book, Jian had his head bowed over the scripture. For all appearances he seemed to be reading deeply, however Zhao also saw that he was continuously fiddling with the corner of one of the pages between his fingers and had not appeared to turn the page in some time. Recognizing the posture as one of Jian’s thinking poses, Zhao leaves him to his thoughts and returns his focus back to his practice.

Pausing his swings and glancing back down at his own book, Zhao takes note of the formation he’s practicing one more time and adjusts himself back into the first pose of the sequence.

As he practiced he continued to think about his battle earlier that day. He could still remember the fear gripping him as the assailant dressed in black relentlessly took shots at Jian. After pulling several quick moves to keep Jian mostly out of harm’s way, Zhao could put the rest of his focus on attacking the masked assailant. At the time he hadn’t actually even felt the wounds being inflicted on him. It wasn’t until after the fight was over that he even registered the cuts and their pain, too focused on thoughts of “protect Jian-ge” and trying to recall his newly acquired sword skills.

Even though he was empty handed now, Zhao felt like he could still hear the clash of metal against metal as his short broadsword met the dual swords in the hands of their attacker. It took several quick maneuvers to both block the attacks and keep Jian out of the way. Every time one of those swords came close to Jian, Zhao felt something in his chest tighten. Too close, he remembers thinking more than once.

After dealing his opponent a well aimed blow, and the attacker finally fleeing with the assistance of his female partner, Zhao’s pain was still merely a second thought as Jian came out from his hiding place. He thinks back to those few moments of pride where he felt success at fending off the villain and protecting his damsel- companion! He means his companion, and sworn brother. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………

“Zhao, when did you become so good?” Jian had exclaimed, rushing over from his hiding place behind the screen to the warrior who was still holding his final battle stance.

However, when this didn’t get any reaction out of Zhao, Jian called him again “Zhao?”

Thinking the silence was Zhao pulling his typical tricks into getting complimented on his increasing skills and finesse as a hero, Jian teases his companion. 

“Although you are great, you don’t need to pose for so long.” This finally prompts the swordsman to stand out of his pose, laughing as he replies “I’m enjoying being a hero!”

Smiling at his heroic, albeit silly, companion, Jian points out “You’re quite humble, Zhao.”

“I’m an expert, of course I have to be humble!” comes Zhao’s quick reply, striking a pose with his sword on display atop his shoulder to emphasize his point. His joy is short lived though as Jian suddenly says “Zhao, you’re bleeding!”

Disbelief fills Zhao, “An expert won’t bleed, Jian-ge!” But he looks down to the areas that Jian is pointing out across his body, and why yes there are indeed several spots where blood has seeped through his clothing. 

Zhao notes the rising panic in Jian’s voice just as his body finally registers the wounds and their pain. To cover up both the way his heart warms at the care apparent in Jian’s voice and the rising feeling of pain overcoming his body, Zhao begins laughing a little too loudly for the situation. The last thing he remembers is the feeling of Jian’s arms coming around his body as he falls forward into him and the awaiting darkness.

……………………………………………………………………………………….........

Zhao lingers in these thoughts, and the treatment he received after by the Wicked Woman, for a while longer letting the soothing atmosphere of the room and the repetitive motions of his sword practice try to settle his storming mind.

It’s some time later when Jain interrupts the quiet of the room. “Zhao, you’re still awake at this hour?”

“You’re not sleeping either” the young hero pointed out. “And besides” he continues “I want to stay with Second Master Li a while longer” holding his sword training book up towards Jian. While that was true, what he didn’t say was that he was still hesitant to go to sleep. He had a feeling that once he closed his eyes his mind would continue to replay the events of the day, but would most likely add sinister twists to the scenario. Where Zhao wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, skilled enough to protect Jian. And instead of Zhao receiving a handful of small wounds, Jian could have been… it could have been much worse.

“You haven’t recovered from your injury” Jian refutes, not looking up from his reading material. “I don’t want you to become crippled.”

Zhao pauses in the middle of his next stroke. He looks over at Jian again, takes in his tense shoulders and the ways his hands have begun gripping the book more tightly than necessary. He hears and sees the worry for what it is; despite accepting Zhao’s protection and the man as a sworn brother (and well, Zhao was still unpacking all of that and the way it made his stomach flutter to think about) Jian had trouble seeing Zhao hurt on his behalf. It wasn’t something they spoke about, but Zhao had seen the guilt in Jian’s intense eyes more than he wanted to. 

“The Wicked Woman has done her job well, Jian-ge, I am feeling well!” Zhao responds enthusiastically. “Besides,” Zhao continues as he puffs out his chest, filling his voice with bravado, “today’s victory shows that with my practicing I am becoming quite the hero!”

This elicited the reaction Zhao wanted out of his companion as Jian let out a soft huff of laughter. He continued, “The sooner I finish Second Master Li’s teaching the sooner I can be an even stronger hero!”

Letting out an obviously forced sigh, Jian replies “I advise you to learn slowly. I don’t have other sword manuals to give you. Take your time.”

Hearing Jian say this, Zhao begins swinging his sword arm more aggressively than necessary for the gentle practice he was doing. But what he heard upset him. “Take my time?” he growled. “Take my time?! For what?” He let out a few more aggressive swings. “For you to actually get hurt next time? No, thank you.” Slash, stab. “I won’t be letting that happen if I can help it,” he finishes as he lets out one last wide swipe of his arm, imagining his sword in hand, taking down his enemies. Jian-ge’s enemies, he thinks. 

Zhao didn’t realize how harshly he had let out his response until he turned and saw Jian looking at him from across the room, wide eyed, his hands having lowered the book into his lap. The two stare at each other from across the room, Zhao sword arm lowered to his side. Jian doesn’t hold the eye contact for long before turning his nose back into the pages of his book. 

Zhao continues to stare at his sworn brother. He thinks he sees a red flush rising on Jian’s neck and ears but he assumes it must be a trick of the light, the alternative too crazy to consider. Jian wouldn’t be blushing because of what Zhao had said, could he? Zhao shook his head lightly to try and clear the foggy feeling of his thoughts.

Sitting down on his own bed, he tries to focus on his training book once again but finds himself imagining what Jian would look like blushing while he could see his whole face. How his cheeks and ears would turn a cute and bright pink. How the colour might travel down his neck, to his chest, and lower still…

Abruptly Zhao brings his book up to cover the front of his face, blushing himself as he realizes where exactly his thoughts about Jian had started going. It wasn’t the first time he had thoughts like this but normally he was better at stopping himself, especially in the other man’s presence. He wasn’t trying to think of him in this way, Zhao just found himself curious about his companion and wanted to know everything about him. In order to protect him, of course. Not because Zhao was selfish and wanted to be someone Jian confided in most intimately. 

Realizing this was a particular spiral he did not feel like traveling down tonight, Zhao decided it was time to get ready for bed. He began to put his things away, stashing the book on his night table and leaning the sword against the headboard, and laid out his bedding. Jian had followed his lead and put his own book away and fluffed up his blanket.

Zhao blows out the last of the candles that light the room, leaving one lit on the centre table to allow some light to permeate the shadows should either need to get up in the middle of the night.

Both had been in bed for only a few moments before Zhao thought he could hear noises coming from Jian’s side of the room. Despite the large space, Zhao could hear a faint clicking noise. It was too dark to see Jian’s form huddled under the blanket, but Zhao imagined if he could he would see his companion’s shoulders shaking. The clicking noise was Jian’s teeth chattering as he shivered from the cold poison circulating through his body. Unfortunately, it was a sound Zhao was becoming more and more familiar with.

Shuffling quietly in bed, Zhao sits up. “Jian-ge?” he quietly asks the room, leaving room for Jian to pretend he did not hear him.

The chattering stops and after a beat he hears a faint “Mm?” coming from Jian’s bed.

“Are you cold, Jian-ge?”

“I’m fine.” 

“You don’t sound fine” Zaho refuted.

A pause. Then, “Just go to sleep, Zhao.”

“What’s wrong, Jian-ge? What can I do?” If Zhao didn’t know better, he’d say he was almost begging, the pleading in his voice clear even to him.

Jian sighs before saying, “It’s nothing, Zhao-shidi. I’m just a little chilly is all. It’ll pass. Just go to sleep. I’m sure we’ll have a busy day tomorrow.”

The resigned note in Jian’s voice has Zhao rising from his own bed and crossing the room. It has nothing to do with how soft Jian had called Zhao his shidi. Nothing at all with how that made Zhao’s stomach flutter and made the desire to protect and care for the man increase even more.

It took only a few strides before Zhao was at Jian’s bedside. “Please, Jian-ge.” Zhao said. He wasn’t even sure what he was asking for, he just wanted to be able to help. “Are you just cold?”

At first it didn’t seem like Jian would respond, but finally he rolled over slightly to look at Zhao looming over him. He nods into the semi-darkness, the candle on the table giving enough light to show his pale complexion and even paler lips. 

“Alright then. Move over.” Zhao begins lifting the outer corner of the blanket, intent on joining Jian in his bed. As a child Zhao had learned the best way to get and stay warm was to share body heat with another person. Growing up around the mountain of his hometown he had seen many wanderers injured from the colder temperatures higher up.

However, Jian didn’t budge, and instead gripped his side of the blanket tighter around himself. “What?” he all but hiccupped.

“Move over. If we share a bed I can help keep you warm. Surely Jian-ge must know that is a good way to warm up.” Zhao kept his face as neutral as possible, not revealing how nervous he actually was about sharing a bed with the older man. As much as this was his idea, and he was doing it to help Jian after all!, he couldn’t completely deny the part of him that wanted to hold the man close. He blamed it on his need to know his companion was safe.

Jian just keeps looking at Zhao, mouth opening and closing a few times as he seems to struggle to find words to reply. Eventually Jian seems to find what he wants to say, sitting up to reply, letting the blanket fall into his lap. “But it’ll be cold, Zhao, you won’t have a good night’s sleep if you sleep beside me.”

Zhao didn’t care about that, and he knew Jian knew this was a weak defence to present, but it seemed it was all the detective could come up with. Shaking his head and clenching his fists in order to keep his voice calm, Zhao decides for a moment of vulnerability, his patience for Jian’s rebuttals for help wearing thin as it gets later into the night. “Please, Jian-ge? It would help me sleep knowing you are safe.”

Jian stares up at him, eyes trailing over his face, the set of his shoulders, and finally down to his clenched fists. He pauses here for a moment before replying, “Okay”. A deep breath. Zhao pretends not to hear how Jian’s voice shakes just the littlest bit. He doesn't know if it's from his chills or something else. 

“Okay, you can join me.” He slides over in the bed to make room for the younger man.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Zhao quickly jumps under the covers, tucking himself and Jian in under the blanket. At first they both lay on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. This way the bed is rather cramped, as it wasn’t really made to accommodate two fully grown men, let alone when one of them was as large as Zhao. 

At the first slight shiver Jian let’s out, he rolls over onto his side, his back facing Zhao. He curls in on himself slightly, clearly trying to keep warm and trying to stifle the shivers racking his body.

Without letting himself pause to think it through, Zhao rolls onto his side too and reaches an arm around Jian’s waist, pulling the smaller man into the front of Zhao’s chest. 

“Zhao! What-” Jian all but squeaks, however Zhao cuts him off. 

“I told you to let me help you. I’ll keep you warm, Jian-ge.” At this he adjusts his grip on his sleeping companion, ensuring Jian is tucked into the cage of his arms. To ensure he gets as much of my body heat as possible, Zhao reasons. Not because holding Jian in his arms made something deep within Zhao settle.

Zhao begins to worry he’s overstepped when Jian holds himself stiff inside the circle of his arms. Just when he thinks he should pull back and maybe even go back to his own bed, that he overstepped, Jian finally releases a breath and let’s his body relax into the younger man’s hold. 

It’s several moments later, and Zhao wonders if Jian has really started to drift off, when he hears a soft “Thank you, shidi” from the man in his arms.

Trying and failing to stop the smile that spreads across his face, Zhao decides to hide it by snuggling into the back of Jian’s neck, letting his nose come to rest in Jain’s hair, smelling the lightly scented soap that his companion favoured. So lost in his own dreamland, he almost, almost, misses the way Jian snuggles back into his embrace. Maybe he didn’t over step nearly as much as he thought he did.

As the two drift off to sleep, Zhao finds himself feeling a deep kind of peace. His last conscious thought before falling into darkness is that he thinks he could fall asleep every night like this. Holding his Jian-ge in his arms, allowed to protect and care for the man. He secretly hopes he’ll be able to do this again. Unbeknownst to him, Jian is having similar thoughts within the confines of his shidi’s arms.

end notes: i'm pretty sure i've gotten the relationship terms incorrect. i went with the closest terms i could think of (ge for older brother and shidi for younger sect brother) to try and highlight their new relationship after becoming sworn brothers in a previous episode. let me know what might be more correct!

#i cannot believe this day has arrived!! #my first fanfic!! and its actually posted!! #ancient detective #侠探简不知 #fan fiction #fan fic #cdrama fan fic #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #i had a lot of fun doing this and i think its kinda cute so if you choose to read i hope you enjoy~~~~ #cdrama #cdrama fanfiction #as the summary on ao3 says #some feelings almost come to light and there is a (apparently) valid reason to bed share 👀 #despite there being 2 beds.... #my fan fic #misc

[xxgothchatonxx]

It is 1am & you know what that means!!! HANNIBAL TIME! SEASON 3! FLORENCE EDITION! THE END IS NIGH! I also like that the picture for this episode is from the “it’s not that kind of party, is it?“ scene and that’s so exciting for me!!!! Also, first Hannibal in the apt! Exciting part 2!

Antipasto:

* SEXY OVEN OPENING?? Oh nope, Not An Oven.

* AHHHHH SEXY LEATHER/BIKE HANNI!!

* Okay, PARIS?

* Honey, you are terribly underdressed.

* Going grocery shopping, Hanni?

* His hair, the length & soft of casual sweat it’s in is SO FUNNY TO ME BECAUSE IT’S SO RELAXED!

* Oh, acorns & oysters man has the silly 2000’s scarf & vest combo.

* OH HE’S A POET! That tracks!

* “One can appreciate another’s words without dissecting them.” Hannibal, I have an English degree. Fuck of.

* He IS grocery shopping!

* These fades to black are GREAT!

* GOOD MORNING CHEF! We have liver on the menu!!!!

* OH THE CLOSE UP OF THE BLOOOOOOOD FROM THE JUICE OF THE LIVERRRRRRR YESSSSSS

* & the theme for this opening is, “Bonsior”

* Black & white? OH! EDDIE’S BACK!!! Oh right, the legs.

* It’s a leg candy apple. Amazing.

* We open with Eddie’s legs & close with Bedelia’s, so we not?

* I am unfortunately thinking too much about the future and not being super present with this season because I know more than I did in the past seasons. So I think I’m going to be going back a lot since I’ll no doubt be paying attention to what’s to come & not what’s in front of me.

* Hannibal seems so impatient with him, for some reason.

* AHHHH YESSSSSS THE DANCE LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO

* I’m SO HAPPY YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!!!!

* And that man is the man with the ice pick in his head!

* OLD ITALIAN HANNIBAL MY BELOVED!!!!

* “The eating of the heart is a powerful image.” *blinks in season 1, episode 7*

* That fucking GRIN ON HIS FACE I LOVE IT!

* Ugh this season is so BEATIFUIL!

* “You no longer have ethical concerns Hannibal. You have a statical ones.” “Ethics become aesthetics.” That scene is finally mine to hear! That scene has been living rent free in my head for weeks since I found it on @amatesura’s blog. Stunning!!!

* “Morality doesn’t exist. Only moral.” Fucking bastard.

* “I feel like I am in constant control of my actions. Given your history, that is a good day.” Bedelia, baby, I’m so sorry.

* We closed (just about) season 2 with black soaked Alana. & we open this season with drowning Bedelia. What is it with Bryan & naked women in water?

* OH HELLO RED BEDELIA FLASHBACK! & JACK!!!!! MISSED YOUUUUUU!

* Bedelia, babe, you okay?

* Was that perfume there before or did Hanni leave it??

* Look at his white little ass.

* OH RIGHT RED BEDELIA IN HER OWN HOUSE! OF COURSE!

* “I’ve taken off my person suit.” Bedelia’s dream come true.

* They make a helluva pair.

* Why they have decided to make Florence look so green and gray and sad is beyond me and the biggest fucking mistake in their in higher production! We want warmth! Give us fire! Just like the one room in Hannibal‘s mind palace.

* Gillian can’t speak Italian, but that’s OK. She’s hot.

* I love these medieval torture devices and Hannibal looking great in a dark yellow little waist coat.

* WHY DOES THIS LOOK SO FUCKING GREEN?? I HATE ITTTT! (She says, eating up the color in Haunting of Hill House)

* Oh NOOOOOO HE’S IN FLORENCE!!!

* FLASHBACK SNAILS?? EXCUSE ME? Who’s terrarium? OH MY GOD THAT’S AN ARM!!!! HANNIBAL! THAT’S WHAT BEVERLY SAW!!!

* Ohhhh sexyyyyy jazz & the greatest aphrodisiac!

* And suddenly, she’s lost appetite.

* *Grins In Bisexual Cannibal*

* God, everyone in this show is So Hot.

* BEDELIA’S HAT I LOVE IT! Hate how much it blends into the background, though.

* She matches the train!!! Adorable!

* OH MY GOD FINALLYYYYYYYYYYY

* I CAN FINALLY SEE THE FULL SCENE & NOT JUST IN GIFS!!!!!

* I get that Hannibal was like THERE, but WHY?

* Hannibal has a habit of collecting women with a “controlled use of force.” If we’re going based off of the shows timeline in order of appearance, it’s first Abigail and then Bedelia. But if we’re going in terms of the actual canonical timeline, Bedelia and then Abigail.

* Oh THE NECK! Cant wait for all the soft touching this season. That’s what I’ve the most.

* OH THE EYES LINING UP! AMAZING!

* GIRL, GET THE FUCK OUT THEREEEEEEEEEE!

* The little drops of glares & attempting to push each little layer & secret back is Amazing. Shame I’m gonna forget about this guy Soon.

* “…as distasteful as I did.” “On the contrary.” BASTARD MAN!

* Mutual benefit? Nah, sweetheart, you’re gonna be dead by the end of the night. Mark my WORDS!

* SLOW MOTION BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOD WHAT DID I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!

* That blood will stain that wood.

* Those three (Hannibal, Will & Bedelia) are nothing if not curious.

* I have been so in love with the image of Hannibal taking Bedelia‘s coat but now knowing the context I am mediately regret EVERYTHING!

* ESCAR-MOTHERFUCKING-GOT LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

* God, Eddie is a tour du force. There’s so much power but also a clear fear leaking through. But standing ground nonetheless.

* AHHHHH THE GIANT HEART YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

See, this is why I call season 3 of Hannibal "Bryan Fuller's Gift To The Bisexual Fannibals" because we got Hanni in leather in the first episode AND Alana in pantsuits in the rest of the season!

The "storytime" with Hanni and Abel is just wonderful. Also I think the reason why Hanni was a bit irritated might have been because he was like "ffs dude, can't I just eat in peace? Do you have to bang your fork?" but yes, unfortunately this is the last time we'll see Eddie on Hannibal... but what an exit! She was such a delight! 

“I’ve taken off my person suit.” Bedelia’s dream come true. *wheezing* I love you, Nat 😂

So I had an epiphany prior to you sending me this. I’ve realised that Bedelia and Hanni’s relationship (the whole “so are you going to keep quiet about me being the ripper orrrrrr am I gonna have to reveal what happened to your patient that I TOTALLY didn’t set up?” thing) is kind of what could have happened in The Sopranos between Dr. Melfi and Tony. Like, there’s a question among fans with the whole “Dr. Melfi thinking about asking Tony to kill her rapist that got let off with a warning” story, that if she had gotten him to do it, would she be indebted to him? Personally, I don’t think Tony would have used that as “now you’re indebted to me” material, but I definitely get why people would think that. But with Bedelia and Hannibal, it’s like if that did happen, you know? Bedelia reminds me a lot of Melfi, if Jennifer didn’t have her morals. 

I’ll finish with... fuck, escargot is delicious 😂 (especially the garlic-flavoured ones - YUUUUUM!)

So yep, that’s the Bedelia centric and I think the next episode issssss Will’s centric (in “wait so what the fuck happened after That Finale?”- oh yeah, um... you’re gonna hate me again, just a heads up <3)

#myst is me #hannibal #bedelia du maurier #Myst and Nat presents Hanni & Friends

[whatmack]

Hi! I know it's been a while since you wrote it, but I recently re-read in Flanders Fields, and I needed you to know how much I love it. It's maybe my favourite piece of fanftiction ever, and it has a very special place in my heart. I read it first when it was still being published, and it's been living in my mind rent free ever since. I was wondering if there was anything you left out of it that you wanted to talk abt? Dw if you don't wanna respond to this, it's mostly to let you know how much I loved this fic (and also to try get myself some extra content ;p )

Thank you so much! That’s-- ah, this means a lot to hear. It’s fucking wild that IFF went up less than a calendar year ago, huh? The aesthetic choice to have Neil not wearing a mask in surgery did not age well  One of the things that I really enjoy about writing fanfiction is that you’re working with a reader base who already has a body of information about the characters, relationships, etc., and whatever you change, or don’t change, you can still imply things or have background interactions that don’t requrie as much in-text explanation, because it’s reasonable to assume your audience will pick up what you’re putting down based on what they already know. (It’s why, for example, in BAST from the year before, I was skimpy on the details of Nathan and Lola’s violence, and on Andrew’s abuse. The readers already had the relevant basics, and I tried to toss out enough details about what changed so that, hopefully, y’all’d get the picture.) That said, the reference to Kevin’s tattoo in the chapter with the wine cellar has never sat quite comfortably with me. The scene itself I kept in not just for the trivia (that’s based on a real event, one that I doubt was isolated, of soldiers being ordered to blow an alcohol cache and drinking themselves silly instead), but because I wanted to keep up with the narrative of Andrew protecting Kevin, and also how he protects “his” other people with Kevin as an example. The tattoo was an easter egg to myself, and to the readers, to indicate to us why Kevin was upset, though Andrew didn’t know the specifics. (More after the cut)

But I wish I had put a bit more buildup to that, a bit more backstory. In the fic as a whole I feel it sticks out as a random detail, and I’d have liked to either remove it and find something else to reference, or seed more of Kevin’s backstory earlier, so the tattoo, and Kevin touching it when remembering shit that upset him, wasn’t so-- weird? Incongruous? Because I didn’t include the backstory in the story proper, I had only a vague outline of what Kevin’s life had been like pre-Andrew’s Squad. Therefore this isn’t going to hold up to the level of fact-checking and forehead-creasing-late-night-museum-website searching that I tried and sometimes almost succeeded in applying over the rest of the fic. That said, what was in MY head while writing, was: Like in canon, the Moriyamas set Kayleigh up to be killed in an accident (likely horse-drawn-carriage, though there WERE some automotive vehicles around pre Model-T-Ford), and took Kevin to be, well, Riko’s. Instead of Exy, Kevin was raised to be Riko’s retainer, second, bodyguard...whatever Riko needed. Or wanted. I’ve shunted Riko and Kevin, at least, to England for this, because the US did fuckall in WWI. Kevin endured canon-typical abuse from Riko, including the paired face tattoos, but also excelled in the training and tasks the Moriyamas set him; he was in particular a very skilled shot. Riko did not break his hand (that big ol’ rock from the shell blast did that, whoop), but after a particularly ugly altercation on the eve of war Kevin made his defiant stand by running away and enlisting in the Irish army, not the English, out of loyalty to the mother he barely remembered. It took Wymack a while to track Kevin down after Kayleigh’s death. Once he did, he spent the following years attempting get Kevin away from the Moriyamas. Unfortunately-- though to his credit-- this garnered their attention. As a Filipino man in Britain, he already had difficulty finding work; as a Filipino man who had made himself a nusiance to a powerful crime family, it became impossible. He joined the army to keep from starving on the street, and found to his surprise that he was good at it. He gained a reputation among the enlisted men for being impossible to kill-- for being lucky-- something that provided him with a great deal of dark amusement. Despite continued trying, he did not manage to meet Kevin until Kevin wound up under Whittier’s command. By then he knew Kevin was his child; I haven’t decided how, or when, he found out. 

#fic: in flanders fields #wHOOSH #thank you so much!!! ahhhHHH i'll offer you a social-distancing hug or polite wave of your choice #alcohol // #Anonymous

[multivstx]

Karate Kid/Cobra Kai survey

Thanks for the tag!! I’m currently avoiding my school work. So this is perfect @ceruleangold🥳 and thanks @macchios for the tag!! <3

It’s the year 2021 and you’re obsessed with The Karate Kid. How are you feeling?:

Who wouldn’t wanna obsess over karate boys!?!

Did you grow up with TKK or are you new to the series?:

I grew up with the Jaden Smith one lol, which I know is forbidden to talk about and I can totally understand why. The OGs are where it’s at and CK literally comes from it!! But in a way kinda, but not really I don’t know. I did love it and actually did karate as a kid. So if I did see the OG i would have deff been as obsessed as i’am now. 

My mom however did see it in theaters so i was destined to see it eventually, even tho i’m mad at the fact that for some reason didn’t care for it too much, but little did she know she would have a daughter who obsesses over it everyday and acts like an overprotective mother to a fictional character. and ship the two main characters lol. 

We gotta do the basics. Favorite character:

do i really need to answer this?! obvi johnny and miguel. i love them so much. they just carry the whole show. truly the best thing to come out of the movies. 

but ig for the random people who see this here u go lol:

robby keene, daniel larusso, demetri, moon, (terry silver and kreese as “bad guys” ik they’re bad but as characters *chefs kiss* make it interesting) 

Favorite ship:

LAWRUSSO SUPREMACY ofc

but tbh literally none of the romantic ships we were given. maybe a little of robby/sam because of me being so into lawrusso and family stuff. but we know how it ends...

but i wouldn’t mind if robby had a bf or like if everyone was bi

Underrated character:

basically everyone but the “excusable three”  aka johnny, miguel and hawk

but anthony ig, son of daniel larusso, he’s wasted potential!! 

Underrated ship (don’t say therapy, lol):

johnny x being useful

johnny x being a dad to robby

this fandom x common sense 

but johnny x shannon. i deff unpop, but tanner wanted to see them. i also want robby to have his family. so yes. 

Wax On, Wax Off or Sweep the Leg?:

Wax On, Wax Off. 

my miyagi-do heart is big

Which of Daniel’s dumb little outfits is your favorite?:

that outfit where he says “get off my case” he’s wearing camo pants and a i forgot lol. i just never understood the fit, but i dig.

Character from the films you most want to return, who’s not Terry Silver:

Bobby ofc, love him!! also needs to sweep johnny’s leg again he didn’t hit his head hard enough. 

Scene that lives in your head rent-free:

Every Lawrusso scene. ever.

Every Robby scene. He’s just a little of everything and I love it!! 

“You’re a pathetic loser” -> “Did you sense I was here” -> “It’s my fcking dad” -> “Next time you won’t get back up” -> “I like the heat”-> “Ooo it’s cold!” 

The kid who's wearing the “future is female shirt”

Trey and Cruz roasting Johnny>>

also random af but when louie and anoosh are telling daniel how sam could become a stripper or something his face is priceless. i might have to make a gif. 

Will Anthony LaRusso ever be relevant?:

they finally added him in the family photo, so i would hope so!

Pro-tip: Read Little LaRusso is a Cobra by narcissablaxk. Anthony is delightful in that story. It easily ranks in my top ten favorite fics in this fandom (thank you @klovenhooves) 

I WILL READ 

You live in The Valley and are forced into the karate gang war.  Which dojo do you join?:  

Miyagi-Do for life, but wherever Robby is tbh. 

What’s your training montage song?:

one nite i guess idk haha. something hip and fun. 

It’s the crossover event of the century! Which TV show are you combining with Cobra Kai for an hour-long Saturday night special?:

CK and the100 oh it would be a mess...

tagging the robby keene supoprt gc!!

#cobra kai #the karate kid #lawrusso #daniel larusso #robby keene #im deff unpop here #sorry lol #like if i came off rude or mean #its just jokes #i still kinda like johnny and miguel #i don't like a lot of thier fans because they will hate on me for liking robby #tumblr yall sweet bout it #love u guys

[taniushka12]

I posted 11.219 times in 2021

794 posts created (7%)

10425 posts reblogged (93%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 13.1 posts.

I added 4309 tags in 2021

#q - 1076 posts

#tani's personal shit - 854 posts

#wwdits - 680 posts

#hollow knight - 376 posts

#disco elysium - 291 posts

#wwdits spoilers - 237 posts

#control - 229 posts

#infinity train - 204 posts

#animals - 183 posts

#video - 179 posts

Longest Tag: 141 characters

#some of you never had a crackot3 w/ an extense background constructed for it to make sense and only pull like two ppl into your gospel 😔😔😔

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

i think you should talk about minkowski and eiffel

I absolutely cannot lest I Will lose my mind..............

But

Eiffel and minkowski, right? Start pretty standard for wacky hijinks space "comedy" and then turn into one of the most soulful friendships ive ever seen that makes me cry just by thinking abt. Like they care about each other and TRUST each other so SO much, the way eiffel pulls her out of those moments wher the situation absolutely surpasses her by making her laugh (making her laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), the WAY that at his absolute worst situation in mayday her memory is the FIRST thing that appears on his mind... on the other hand the fact that what eiffel thinks is minkowski's opinion on him is So Low never fails to break my heart bc its Not True at all..... hes So important to her im gonna scream. (The fact that she's called him eiffel much more than officer and also doug many Many times than him calling her renée also goes hand in hand w/ this and believe me i could talk HOURS about their relationship and how they call each other reflect that but i rly need to study after finishing ths...)

The scene where hes back in the hephaestus doing silent work and minkowski goes to him ans hugs him so tight he cant breath and then the exchange of "the entire universe will freeze before you're not the commander of the hephaestus" "thats.. kind of gallant, in a crude horrible way" lives in my MIND RENT FREE!!!! RENT FREE I TELL YOU

Also i talk abt friendship cuz thats what canon gave us and it is Such a beautiful friendship, that being said they're my top 1 otp of everything ever and i think they should kiss u_u

26 notes • Posted 2021-06-07 18:10:00 GMT

#4

nothing funnier than using the spanish name for ppl that aren't from spanish speaking countries. Carlos Marx. Alberto Einstein. Cracks me up everytime

40 notes • Posted 2021-08-20 14:42:59 GMT

#3

Jon in 1C and 2B (black)? 👀

A jon in fancy clothes for you anon u_u (feat a cat picture, sent by whom? zoom the pic :) )

[from this outfit meme!]

89 notes • Posted 2021-01-08 22:07:32 GMT

#2

honestly i think infinity train should be up there with over the garden wall as those pieces of animated media that you watch in a few hours and then never stop thinking abt it the rest of your life, like Sure infinity train is much lighter than otgw (at least the first season, and also overall aesthetic) but its still a little gem.... the three stories of it are so good, i watched it a couple of months ago but soon ill need a rewatch bc i love it ;_; ;o;

635 notes • Posted 2021-02-05 20:02:34 GMT

#1

nobody asked but if anyone is curious here’s the torrent to the newest 2021 photoshop! :)

866 notes • Posted 2021-01-23 04:41:08 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #LMFAO at my longest tag... fucking Yeah #also im glad my eiffel and minkowski gospel is in the top 5 u_u they deserve it #tani's personal shit

[beastars-takes]

Zootopia Takes: The Power of Really Liking Each Other

Our main event, Beastars Takes, will resume soon, but in the meantime I want to talk about one of my favorite movie relationships:

Has this been talked about to death by other people? Yes. But this is my blog and I write it for free so I can do what I want.

Note: this is not a shipping post--this is just an examination of their canonical relationship in the movie and why it rules.

At first glance, this is your typical enemies-to-friends story. I love those. But while the typical arc tends to involve two characters who can’t stand each other, who eventually develop a grudging respect for one another (often through some kind of shared ordeal) and maybe thaw into actual friendliness at the end. Zootopia packs all of that into the first half--by the midway point they are clearly not just allies, but friends, and by the end of the film they’re inseparable.

It’s important to recognize this isn’t just for the hell of it, or just to be cute--the closeness and trust they build is the linchpin of their success in the final moments of the movie.

All the reasons why, after the jump.

Something I talked about in the previous post was the messaging of Zootopia, and I don’t want to rehash it too much here. It’s a movie about prejudice, and the work it takes to overcome it. A key theme (one that it shares with Beastars, incidentally) is that friendships with those who are different from you are hard--but they are worth it.

Part 1: They Hate Each Other! (Right?)

Now...it goes without saying that when these two first meet, they bounce off each other hard. Each is seeing the other at their absolute worst.

Judy can’t stand Nick because he takes every bit of optimism she has about this world and throws it back in her face. She want to use him as a prop in her vision of an equal society, where “not all foxes” are crooks. He laughs at her. He humiliates her. All he has to do is walk away, but he takes his time. He twists the knife.

For his part, Nick sees a laughably ineffectual bunny who condescends to him and threatens him with jail for the crime of...humiliating her. She may not personally be a threat to him, but she wields the institutional power of the ZPD--a power he has plenty of reason to be afraid of--and she does it irresponsibly.

On first viewing, Nick inarguably wins this exchange. He avoids arrest, reads her to absolute filth and leaves her stuck in cement.

And he makes her really sad. Nice!

But, and I don’t pretend to be the first person to have pointed this out, on second viewing it’s obvious he can guess her story so well because it’s basically his story. The only difference, in his mind, is that he’s accepted the reality that he’ll never be allowed to live the life he wants, while she is still vainly pursuing hers.

I don’t know about you, dear reader, but the people I’ve met who have always most pissed me off are the people who remind me of things I hate about myself. The people who seem to embody the flaws I’ve worked to minimize. Nick’s naive hope is what has brought him the most pain in his life. He sees this bunny full of the same naive hope, surmises that she’s facing the same failures he did and yet stubbornly refusing to learn from them. It’s irritating.

Pictured: irritation.

Maybe I am projecting, but if Nick is anything like me, he probably didn’t walk away entirely happy from this exchange. Yes, he “won,” but he was also reminded of everything about himself that he least wanted to think about.

Part 2: They Are Not Very Good at Hating Each Other

So, the thing about Judy is, she is naive. By default, she assumes people are her friend. But she’s not stupid.

Nick assumes she is stupid, not least because she hasn’t wisely given up on her dreams like he has, and...he learns that she maybe not so fun to pick on after all.

So they wind up doing the first part of this enemies-to-friends routine, allies of necessity.

So, naturally, because he is Him, he makes it his mission to torment her.

In fact, we get two whole scenes where all he does he does is watch her struggle and make this face.

The first read of this behavior is that he’s just enjoying the failures of someone he hates. He says as much later. But I would also argue--from a viewer’s perspective--Judy is ridiculously entertaining and charming throughout these encounters. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and it’s hard not to like people like that.

Is there more happening here than just schadenfreude? I won’t pretend to know for sure. But worth considering.

By the time they’re investigating the limousine, his sabotage has diminished into something more like gentle trolling. And you can’t see this face, in context...

...and tell me she isn’t starting to like him, at least a little bit.

He’s also starting to help! By the time they’re past the minor detour of almost being murdered by a mob boss, he’s entirely cooperative, helping her conduct interviews and look for clues. The movie doesn’t call particular attention to this, but it almost did.

Finally, let’s look at Nick’s behavior when they’re being chased by a rabid jaguar. He could have absolutely booked it, with no regard for the cop who was blackmailing him into helping her.

These moments go by so quickly, but they’re hugely revealing of his true character, even before he defends her in front of Chief Bogo.

He picks her up when she falls.

More importantly, when he gets to the skytram, his first instinct isn’t to jump in--it’s to hold the door for her:

He sees she can’t make it, and she even tells him to leave without her. He doesn’t. He holds the door until he can’t anymore, and as a result he’s nearly killed.

Nick is a good boy.

Part 3: They Are Friends Now

She save his life, so he saves her job. This is a key story beat, and it’s a Disney movie, so there’s not a lot of subtlety (except how the specular highlights in Judy’s eyes fade as Bogo asks for her badge--the light literally goes out of her. Go watch).

But it’s such a sweet moment of teamwork--he was contemptuous toward her from the start because she believed in herself. This is the first time she’s simply given up in the whole movie, and he steps up. Because he believes in her now.

And she believes in him! Or, she wants to.

Judy’s supportiveness here is sweet, but it’s also still a little selfish. It’s not that different from their interaction at the ice cream shop, really: she wants to meet a fox who defies stereotypes, who is easy for her to like. Someone who ticks all the boxes to prove her family wrong.

When he starts being more foxy, later--self-identifying as a predator, showing his claws, challenging her--we learn that her supportiveness is conditional.

Am I being too hard on her? Sure. She’s been in bunny country her whole life. She’s new to this and she’s trying. But that’s where she’s at.

But still! They’re friends now. They’re no longer pretending they don’t like each other. Judy’s openly encouraging, Nick is fully in her corner, and we get a few cute sequences where they keep being more and more impressed with each other.

He’s still not above affectionately messing with her, and she’s getting worse at pretending to dislike it.

And he trusts her enough to let her flush him down a toilet...

Which gives us this heartbreaking shot where he thinks she’s drowned. He cares a whole lot about this bunny.

She likes him too! Enough to want to team up on a more permanent basis. This is pretty standard-fare enemies-to-friends stuff now, but considering where we started, and considering they’ve known each other for all of two days? Not bad!

It’s clear this moment means far more to him than it does to her, too. It’s actually taken very little persuading from Judy to get him to step up and be brave and helpful and trustworthy. The fact that he’s turned around and opened up to her so fast suggests he’s been ready for an opportunity like this for his entire life, and never got it. I mean, look at his face.

The foundational flaw in her worldview is still there, though, and it’s about to do almost-irreparable damage to their whirlwind friendship.

Part 5: Fuck!

So Judy gives her press conference, and gives a great example of why police usually answer every question with “the matter is currently under investigation,” or “we’re not prepared to comment further at this time.” Honestly, though, this is on Bogo--I had coworkers who once did some press interviews, and they spent over a week doing media training. They didn’t even break a major kidnapping case. So, you know.

So she repeats some weird race science stuff she assumes is true because someone in a lab coat said it, which is amusingly similar to how race science (or “race realism”) often propagates--people with low-rent doctorates from crappy universities write a bunch of scientifically shoddy material and people say “well, he has a PhD!”

And then Nick has a PTSD flashback? I don’t want to be irresponsible and make an armchair diagnosis, but also...that is absolutely what is depicted on screen.

You’re not immediately “better” after something like this, which is why I cut Nick a bit of slack when he basically blows up their friendship.

Judy...doesn’t get it. It’s completely heartbreaking, because she likes him, and doesn’t understand why he’s mad, and isn’t self-reflective enough to stop and think maybe he has a point. Not until it’s too late. He tests her, and she fails.

Their friendship has always been a little inequal. He’s trusted her with everything, shown her his deepest vulnerabilities. She’s never trusted him completely.

So he leaves.

I don’t want to impugn her professionalism by suggesting she wouldn’t have quit the force if she hadn’t had that friendship-ending fight, but, you know. Maybe.

This is the second time she gives up, and this time he’s not there to pick her up again.

Judy is intensely goal-oriented, and I don’t think she realized what Nick’s friendship meant to her, as the first person in the city who truly believed in her, until it was too late. Judy is sweet and well-meaning but emotional intelligence is not really her strong suit (which is actually cool to see in a female Disney protagonist, imo).

So, while it would have been nice for her to track Nick down immediately and apologize, I think it makes sense for them to spend time apart. Her own self-perception has been shattered, and she needs time to figure out how she went so wrong.

So when she does come back, she delivers one of the best animated apologies I’ve ever seen. Only AtLA compares, in my mind.

Part 6: They Are Much Better Friends Now

Nick forgives her, because of course he does.

(Sidebar--people talk about how he kept her carrot pen the whole time they were apart. He also kept his handkerchief from Ranger Scouts, AND he only wears shirts that match the wallpaper in his mother’s house. He desperately needs a hug.)

Credit to Nick also, who can’t fight and has no police training whatsoever, who has multiple times been almost killed helping her out, now agreeing to help her out again. She’s not even threatening him with jail this time!

We, the viewers, are then rewarded with this great montage of them being best friends.

She’s finally stopped pretending not to be amused by his shenanigans.

(One other sidebar here--Nick is canonically a really gentle character. For all their adventuring, this is only time in the movie he gets physical with anyone: to protect the bunny. Again, he definitely can’t fight and immediately gets smacked across the room. But it’s the thought that counts, right?)

Per the post title, more visual evidence of them really liking each other.

Judy trips on a dead body, and here we get the second time in the movie that Judy tells Nick to leave without her, and he won’t--this time, he refuses explicitly.

Which then gives us the opportunity for the big moment--the culmination of all this care and intimacy and trust.

In order to con Bellwether, she lets him stalk her, and bite her throat. This has been often pointed out, but it’s important--throughout the movie, Judy’s wriggling rabbit nose has been used as a signifier of fear and suspicion. It wriggles when she’s spying on Nick at the beginning. It wriggles like hell when he confronts her after her press conference.

Not here. Doesn’t move. It’s a great, clearly intentional animation choice that tells a close observer (or more likely, a repeat viewer) that she’s completely unafraid.

She trusts him.

I could write a whole other post about how well-scripted this movie is, how every scene is doing half a dozen different things, but the way the personal and the professional come together here, the way the threads of prejudice and friendship and the police case all tie together in this moment. It’s good shit.

This is basically where things end, in terms of character development, but we get a bunch more shots of them clearly adoring each other:

So there it is.

To sum up, certainly not suggesting this movie invented “characters liking each other,” or anything like that. But it goes above and beyond in portraying a friendship that’s not just one born of circumstance, one that’s authentic and unmistakably loving. Characters who enjoy spending time with each other, regardless of what’s going on around them.

I hope everyone is able to experience friendships like that. I absolutely treasure the few I have.

Appendix: The Shipping Thing

I hope I’ve made all this ship-agnostic, which was my intention. I personally like the ship, and I think the reason it resonates with people is because that love and trust and closeness is clearly there, and a romantic relationship creates a lot more easy opportunities for dialing those things up even higher.

I would also argue, if pressed, that the amount of teasing and physicality that happens reads as pretty flirty. If they were humans I knew in real life, I’d definitely think there was something going on there. But I’m an American, where touching and emotional intimacy tends to be read as romantic. Also, animals are a lot more cuddly than humans. So who knows? I think it’s perfectly reasonable to read them as platonic friends until the end of time.

But, one way or another, they love each other a lot. Shout out to this, one of the most emotionally rewarding relationships I’ve ever seen in a cartoon.

#zootopia #zootropolis #zootopia takes #judy hopps #nick wilde #disney

[coralreeferband]

Tagged by @ohmyjasonsudeikis so thanks for that bud!

It's the year 2021 and you're obsessed with The Karate Kid. How are you feeling?: Confused...it has been an unexpected blessing. And it got me back on tumblr after like a 5 year break from posting, which was the most unexpected part of it all.

Did you grow up with TKK or are you new to the series?: I'm sure I watched the original movie as a kid at some point but I don't remember it specifically and it was never a household favorite. I probably caught bits and pieces of it on cable, rather than sat down and watched the whole thing. I of course knew wax on, wax off and sweep the leg and put him in a body bag, mostly through cultural osmosis. I watched Cobra Kai because a friend of mine watched it and recommended it. Then after watching all three seasons of that, I watched the original movie trilogy and realized how truly deep the river runs and all of the bonkers things that we put in films in the 80s.

We gotta do the basics. Favorite character: I'm going to put Johnny and Daniel to the side, as those are probably the most common favorite characters and I don't want to be repetitive. So I am going to go with Mr. Miyagi and sweet Miguel Diaz. Miyagi reminds me so much of my grandfather because of his dry sense of humor and just whole personality. And Miguel is the beating heart of CK. He reminds me of myself, as kind of a nerd kid who is kind of susceptible to doing bad things just to please other people, especially the people I admire.

Favorite ship: I am not immune to the invisible string bullshit Johnny and Daniel got goin on. And also Daniel and Kumiko, I think if I was writing Cobra Kai, I would have had Daniel marry Kumiko.

Underrated character: Both Aisha and Tory, specifically together as friends (or girlfriends...), underrated and underwritten

Underrated ship (don’t say therapy, lol): None really come to mind.

Wax On, Wax Off or Sweep the Leg?: Sweep the leg

Which of Daniel’s dumb little outfits is your favorite?: Plaid and camo baby, also the red plaid shirt with the aviators

Character from the films you most want to return, who’s not Terry Silver: Jessica! Jessica was Daniel's only on-screen friend who was his age. She probably has an Instagram dedicated to her pottery now.

Scene that lives in your head rent-free: SEND IT TO THE INTERNET!

Will Anthony LaRusso ever be relevant?: No. And it is perhaps funnier that way.

You live in The Valley and are forced into the karate gang war. Which dojo do you join?: Hmmm...I think I would get bored at Miyagi Do and I am too soft for Cobra Kai. So Eagle Fang. I'd love to do some karate in a public park.

What’s your training montage song?: No Surrender by Bruce Springsteen

It’s the crossover event of the century! Which TV show are you combining with Cobra Kai for an hour-long Saturday night special?: Ted Lasso. After winning the Premier League with Richmond, Ted Lasso's next coaching job is to become a sensei of youth karate in the SFV. He is deeply troubled by the karate gang war. His efforts to inspire hope in the Valley are met with confusion by Johnny and Daniel.

I think everyone possible has already been tagged in this thing. So I guess if you’re interested just go for it!

#personal #tag game