#the inherent homoeroticism of sparring

[inoreuct]

a study of bruises, care, and potatoes. 

Zoro’s boots scrape dully as he skids across the deck, bending his knees to drop his centre of gravity, shoulders sinking as he presses a slow breath through his teeth. 

“Is that all you’ve got?” 

He scoffs as Sanji’s stupid fancy shoes come into view, the steel-capped toes he got the cook for his birthday dripping with the same red that’s flowing from his split brow and blurring one half of his vision to shit. Squinting upwards into the light, he finds the midday sun crowning Sanji like a halo, lighting his hair up gold. Beautiful. “Fuck you.”

“Maybe, if you win,” Sanji laughs, easy as anything as he backs away. 

Shusui and Kitetsu sing in his hands as he grounds his stance and spins them around, and he hasn’t unsheathed Wado. Yet. But with the way Sanji’s pushing him back— Zoro grits his teeth and allows a heel to crack across his jaw, letting the momentum turn his body sideways as he ducks low and rams his shoulder into Sanji’s ribs. The cook gasps, managing to drive a knee between them before Zoro shoves it out of the way, spitting out a curse as the swordsman hooks the flat of one sword behind his calf and yanks his leg out from under him, and they hit the ground hard.

Zoro’s laugh rides on his exhale, heartbeat pounding fiercely in his ears, one fist slamming into the ground above Sanji’s head when the cook wraps unfairly long legs around his middle and throws him upwards. It unbalances him just enough for him to go nose-to-plank, just enough for Sanji to flip them and yank Zoro’s wrists down to trap them under his thighs, and just like that—

“Caught you,” Sanji breathes, chest rising and falling rapidly, sweat-damp bangs sticking to his flushed cheek, and Zoro doesn’t fight the grin that bares his teeth. 

“Looks like it,” he says evenly, feeling hardwood press against his skull as he stops resisting. “Come here.”

A blue eye narrows sharply. “Why?”

“Just come here.” His heart lurches when Sanji leans down, suspicious, hair falling over them both like a flaxen curtain. It’s getting long, Zoro notes. Long enough that he could braid it if Sanji wanted. He makes a mental note to bring it up to the cook, waits until a barely-trembling mouth grazes his— 

And cranes his neck back to slam his forehead into Sanji’s nose. 

The cook lurches away with an enraged cry, hands flying to his face as Zoro uses his wrists to lift Sanji by the knees and flip them over again. “You fucking bastard! That’s foul play, you piece of shit—”

Zoro just grins wider, heart pumping hard and body buzzing like a livewire. Sanji looks hot like this with iron dripping off his chin, pooling in his cupid’s bow, staining his mouth rose-rust-ruby even as he smears the heel of his palm over his lower lip, and Zoro isn’t afraid to admit it. 

He watches. Watches Sanji’s eyes drag languidly from the blood on his hand to Zoro’s face, watches him tilt his head, lazy and unhurried, and suck the red off his teeth with that piercing gaze pinning him in place. He tightens his grip on Shusui’s hilt and digs his knuckles into Sanji’s shin as something tightens in his gut. “Never said we had to play fair.”

He watches Sanji’s smile sharpen into something downright predatory seconds before a foot is stomping sole-first into his chest, vicious and just off-centre, kicking the air right out of his damn lungs as he flies back. Fuck, that’s gonna bruise. The pain switches something in him into high gear and Wado’s out of her sheath, a familiar weight in his jaw even as he scrambles to get his bearings, and barely half a breath later Sanji’s on him like a fucking hurricane. 

Another signature roundhouse kick lands on his temple and re-opens the split in his brow, and he would have eaten shit if not for the palm he slams to the deck, pivoting to pop up behind Sanji and swing two swords parallel into his middle. The cook dodges and slips away, driving his heel into Zoro’s hip, and Zoro backs up to give himself space to breathe. 

The sun is blinding even when he isn’t looking up. His breath echoes in his ears, tight as he tries to slow it down, shirt stretching with the heave of his shoulders, pulse a war drum in his veins and his arms nearly trembling with adrenaline and there is blood on his face, in his mouth, sweet and metallic; he spits it in a red splatter onto the ground and sweat nearly steams off his skin. 

Up ahead, Sanji leans back against the taffrail almost leisurely, looking far more composed than he probably feels. He rolls his head back, elbows over the railing as he bares his throat almost arrogantly, and the smug look he tilts to Zoro as he tosses his hair out of his face is a challenge in and of itself.

Zoro crosses the space between them in three great strides and swings. 

He twists and drops low as Sanji slides beneath his sword, and the cook snarls as Wado grazes over his side just deep enough for it to sting. Sanji’s leg comes down over his head and he throws up a forearm, digs his heels in as he braces for the impact, shoving forward as soon as it connects. A knee jams into the same side as before and Zoro wheezes, core spasming, backing Sanji into the railing with a wide arc of his blade before the cook gets that glint in his eye— 

And Zoro gets an inkling feeling that he’s just lost himself this fight. 

Sanji spins to spring off the railing in a tight flip that brings his heel down directly between Zoro’s shoulder blades, and Zoro sacrifices his balance and Kitetsu in one last bid for victory. He reaches one hand over his head and grapples for a handful of fabric, yanking as hard as he can, biting down into Wado’s hilt as his knees slam into the planks.

Muffling his pained hiss into leather, Zoro manages to flip Shusui in his grip before his wrist is pinned beneath Sanji’s hip. Fuck. His free arm is grabbed and wrenched back, a sole pressed to his throat and forcing him into a kneeling backbend. Sanji slowly pulls harder and forces his upper body back as he thrashes, a subtle threat; it’s a futile effort, anyway. The cook’s out of Wado’s reach with the severity of the lean he’s in, neck tense, chin pushed up as cold, blunt steel digs into his jugular. Zoro’s arm strains in its socket, and as much as he is prideful— He knows when to admit he’s been bested. 

“Yield,” he grits, chest heaving as Sanji puts more pressure on his trachea and his lower back strains with the weight of holding himself up. “I yield.”

“…For today.” Sanji slowly lets go, and Zoro groans as he slumps to the deck. “You’ll beat me tomorrow.”

He spits his sword to the side and unfolds his aching legs from under him, starfishes out, tries to catch his breath. The sky is a brilliant, cloudless, familiar shade of blue. Zoro finds himself smiling and throws an arm over his face to hide it. “Hope that doesn’t mean you’ll go easy on me.”

“When do I ever?” Sanji scoffs, tapping the back of his heel against the swordsman’s thigh for good measure as he gets up. “Come on, marimo. Before the sun turns you into a dried cactus.”

*

He’d been right about the bruising. Purple and yellow blooms vivid across the right side of his ribcage, a deceptively pretty splotch that still makes him bite down a groan when he presses into it with cloth-wrapped ice.

“Let me.” Sanji gently takes the bundle from him, nudging him back until Zoro gets the hint and hauls himself up to sit on the table with a grunt. He lets the cook prod at the edges of the bruise with a frown pulling at his swirly brows, carefully rolling the ice pack back over the area, and he grunts as his ribs shift. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’d strained a couple of intercostal muscles.

The urge to scrub a fist over the blood crusting in his eye is tempting but he resists, knowing that Sanji would probably scream at him if he did— However. His lashes really are starting to stick together. 

Sanji notices, because of course he does. “Hold,” he mutters, pulling one of Zoro’s hands over the ice and stretching to wet a clean cloth by the sink. It’s blessedly cool as he sets it to Zoro’s skin, letting it soak for a few seconds before he starts scrubbing away at dried gore and clicks his tongue disapprovingly. “You’re all messed up.”

“And whose fault is that?” Zoro asks dryly. “You kick like a fucking donkey. And twice in one spot? Really?” He ducks his head with a laugh when Sanji moves to yank his earrings.

“You’re infuriating,” the cook scowls, at odds with the slow, meticulous way he rubs the cloth over Zoro’s lashline. “And you were distracted today. What’s going on?”

Zoro closes his other eyes and recalls a fierce grin, blood-slick, golden hair and steel toes and a flawless kick slamming into his jaw. “Dunno. Maybe I just love you.”

Sanji stills, and Zoro clocks his soft, quick inhale before he hears the cook shift and opens his eye. “…I’m still not used to that,” Sanji murmurs, more to the floor than anything else, and Zoro tilts his chin up with two fingers tucked beneath.

“I know.” He feels his own shoulders slouching, sinking as he curves toward Sanji like a planet in orbit. He’s tentative when he cups the cook’s jaw steady and lets go of the ice pack to bring his thumb to Sanji’s bloodied nose, but he twitches back when Sanji hisses. “Shit, sorry, curls. Is it broken?”

“Nah,” Sanji chuckles airily, relaxing into Zoro’s touch and letting his eyes slide shut with a sigh as the swordsman prods at his bridge. “Just tender.”

Zoro hums, unsatisfied. “Pass me another cloth.” He wraps the offered fabric around his index finger and wipes away the blood congealed on Sanji’s lip, turning the cook’s face this way and that to make sure he gets everything as lithe hands press the ice back to his torso. 

His own face’s mostly clean now, but his brow still feels a little stiff when he raises it just to make Sanji laugh. No big deal, though; he expects he’ll scrub down before dinner and drag Sanji with him, because otherwise the cook would stay in the galley all night. Zoro loses his train of thought when blue, blue eyes flick up to his, and his breath catches in his chest.

“What?” Sanji murmurs, his jaw nestled in Zoro’s palm, gaze travelling over his face, and suddenly Zoro doesn’t know what to do with himself.

He’s not a man of words. He never has been, really, but he thinks he could try, for Sanji. The man standing between his knees is a prince, for fuck’s sake, in everything else if not in name. Sanji, with skin the colour of white sand under the sunset, eyes like pools of sapphire crystal, slender fingers and gold-spun hair and kindness in spades, given to everyone with a generous hand, even when life had tried to beat it out of him with a stick. He’s regal. Something out of one of those fairytales that Zoro had never believed in.

He’s regal, and sometimes Zoro worries that he’s too rough around the edges for them to fit. 

And then Sanji cusses him out with a sharp tongue and kicks his head back on straight, and he remembers exactly who he’s dealing with. Who he’d fallen in love with. 

Sanji makes a questioning noise but doesn’t shift back when Zoro pulls him closer, gently carding his hair out of the way to press a kiss to the space between his brows. The strands are soft between his fingers, sweet with the lingering scent of Sanji’s conditioner, and Zoro lets himself bury his nose in Sanji’s crown and just… breathe, for a second. 

Arms slide around his waist, and Sanji’s weight leans into his chest. “Are you alright, chéri?”

“I— Yeah.” He shifts a palm to Sanji’s nape and squeezes, mainly to ground himself. “I���m good, cook.” Up this close, it would be difficult to miss the cook’s slight inhale as he draws back, and he frowns. “Your side.”

“S’fine,” Sanji dismisses, shaking his head with a soft smile.

“Lemme see.” 

“Honestly, it’s just a scratch!”

“Let me see.” The cook huffs and rolls his eyes, stepping back to pull his shirt up over his side and Zoro hunches down, finding a clean corner of the cloth as he scrutinises the thin slice on Sanji’s skin. “Doesn’t look too bad,” he says, cleaning it up even as Sanji mutters an “I told you so” under his breath. It didn’t matter how bad it was. He wouldn’t take it any less seriously. 

Sanji drops his hem back down and slips in close again to rest his cheek on Zoro’s shoulder, hands locking at the small of Zoro’s back, and Zoro smooths his palm over the soft cotton of Sanji’s dress shirt. It’s a texture he knows against his skin. He knows all of it; silky hair and a sharp jaw and a smart mouth, white teeth and strong hands and cotton shirts and wayward kicks to the shin and familiar weight against him as they fall asleep. “What’s for dinner?”

Sanji hums, nuzzling into the crook of Zoro’s neck before he pulls away, reluctant. “Potatoes au Gratin and spinach pesto linguine.” He moves over to the sink, pulling a huge bowl of washed spuds from somewhere, sliding it across the table as he tosses Zoro a paring knife and a pointed look. “Chop chop.”

The swordsman scoffs, leaning back on his hands. “Chop chop, he says. No please, no thank you, no nothing—”

“Oh, come on.”

“No appreciation!” he continues, grabbing a potato and sighing at it sadly. “Or financial compensation, mind you, this is unpaid labour—” 

“Marimo,” Sanji begins, pinching his nose bridge but failing to hide his smile. “Darling. My heart. L’amour de ma vie. Will you please peel the damn potatoes, thank you.” 

Zoro sniffs, but picks up the knife.

“You know, one day I’m gonna tell the whole crew what a drama queen you are,” Sanji says lightly, pulling a cabinet open to grab a box of pasta and grabbing a pot from the shelves below. 

“They’ll never believe you.” Zoro shrugs, a what can you do sort of thing, and points the potato at the cook. “And this is still unpaid labour.” 

“You’ll survive. It’s a labour of love.” 

“Don’t recall ever saying I love peeling root vegetables.”

Sanji throws a teaspoon, and it bounces off Zoro’s forehead. “Not the potatoes, moron, me.”

Zoro can’t find a retort to that, so he shuts up and peels. It’s… good. He doesn’t recall ever smiling this much before everything. Before bloody scrapping and the gentle hands after and peeling vegetables in the easy quiet of the galley while Sanji watches the pasta boil. The cook pushes him, stretches his limits and helps him break down barriers that he would’ve been loathe to tackle alone. Helps him to dress wounds he can’t reach. Sanji holds him with a care that Zoro has never bothered with for himself, and it’s good. 

He's listened to Sanji enough to know that these are baby potatoes, finicky to peel because of their thinner skin, and still terribly tender. Sweet. The one he's working on fits nicely in his palm as he guides the knife, angling the edge the way Sanji taught him. The skin spirals over his thumb as he works his way around and he crosses his ankles when he breathes out.

“Marimo.”

“Hm?”

Sanji’s facing away from him, but the cook turns his head just enough for Zoro to see the shrewd look in his eye. “Depending on your performance in helping with the rest of dinner prep, I may be amenable to discussion about… other kinds of compensation.”

Zoro pauses, blinks, and shakes his head with a chuckle. “You always speak real fancy when you want something, curls.” 

“I didn’t say anything!” Sanji sing-songs, wiggling his shoulders as he stirs the pot. “No guarantees, mosshead. Peel!”

A laugh slips from Zoro’s throat, rich and real. Sanji’s steel-tipped shoes tap on the ground as he moves around the galley, comfortable in his element, and Zoro watches him with a fondness that warms his chest. Their cuts will heal. His bruises will fade from green to yellow before they disappear like they were never there, before Sanji paints new ones under his skin, and he’ll peel potatoes while Sanji boils pasta and they’ll curl into bed together knowing that they’ll wake up and do it all over again.

Zoro slips his knife beneath the last strip of peel and places his potato back into the bowl, pale and sweet and tender.

It’s good. 

#look. i just need them to scrap nasty and get blood everywhere #and then clean each other up all disgustingly tender #i think i somehow managed to use potatoes as symbolism. i'm honestly not sure #zosan #zoro x sanji #zosan fanfic #roronoa zoro #black leg sanji #one piece #ino writes #one piece zosan #featuring the inherent homoeroticism of sparring with your boyfriend

[biscuityskies]

kiss me if you mean all the things that you say

Cody loves nights like these. His shirt is somewhere on the floor, discarded far earlier in the night. His body is slick with sweat; the smell of it is thick in the air, burning in his nostrils. His chest heaves with each laboured inhale, his system alight with adrenaline as he pins down the writhing body underneath him. OR Downtime entertainment on the venators includes sparring nights. Obi-Wan walks in on said sparring night. Cody loses... and then he wins.

back for more with one more prompt fill for @codywanfirstkissbingo, coming in with accidental kiss! which feels so... arbitrary in the point of the story, but i promise it kicked things off!!! and then things get SPICY (children avert your eyes pls)

bingo card under the cut! we are getting there >:)

#cwfkb2023 #dani writes #codywan #pon farr friday #I think sparring should be more commonplace. #the inherent homoeroticism of sparring fr. #this fic was so fun to write omg #dear mods. I am having the time of my life

[fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma]

Post sparring sketches bc of the inherent homoeroticism

#zukka #zuko x sokka #zukka fanart #atla #I have read so many fics with sparring as flirting and yk what #I gobble it #slurp it even #it’s such a good way to show someone’s crush bc like: #sweaty #shows off skill #generally someone makes teasing commentary #literally any close proximity sparring #I don’t think u guys understand the chokehold sparring zukka has on me

[telek1net1c-system]

the inherent homoeroticism of a spar

#v1 ultrakill #gabriel ultrakill #gabv1el #yeah this is ship art. cry abt it #uuuuuuuuu #this thing gave me carpal tunnel #tk1art #forgot the art tag

[chaotic-tired-bastard]

pleasseee i'm begging you to share some roku or roku x sozin headcanons 🙏

okay so many apologies I STARTED this but my computer hated me, froze, and I lost everything ,T-T, many apologies again. Solely Roku headcanons first, Rozin second (some canon-compliant, some not)

Roku gets arthritis in his hands and wrists when he gets older, and he gets this really nice lotion that smells like wisteria that he uses to massage his knuckles and fingers to reduce the pain

Roku learned how to use Airbending to lighten his footsteps, lessening their sound, in order to sneak around the house at night and not wake up Ta Min and their child(ren)

Roku gained a fanclub due to his gentle demeanour (and his pretty pretty face), and he was a bit creeped out sorta accepting about it in the beginning... but then he met one of the members. After that, he avoided them like the plague; he even sometimes jumped over houses and walls and into rivers to get away

Roku tried to learn how to heal, but he could never really get the hang of it

Roku actually really, really likes Water Tribe cuisine! It's canon that he stayed in the Northern Water Tribe for multiple years before he was able to start learning Waterbending, and I like to think that he gained a taste for the food about a year into his stay. Sometimes he goes to Water Tribe restaurants wherever he can find them, and he can immediately tell when it's authentic or not from the taste. It became a kind of honour (HONOURRR) if Avatar Roku were to come into your Water Tribe restaurant and like your food

Roku was scary good at composing poems. He learned how to do them when in school (with Sozin bcs they learned in the same class (they were the only two in the class bcs Royal Privilege and that's what Sozin asked for)), and it eventually matured into a hobby. Roku would express affection by composing poems and reciting them; he composed a few for Ta Min and proposed through one, and he wrote a few at the birth of his child(ren). He might have composed one for Sozin, but he'll never tell...

Rozin starts here!

Sozin is so possessive that it's not even funny. Like the MOMENT he knew Roku was back in the Fire Nation he had a spy or two on him. You just know that he was spitting fire and blood when he learned that Roku and Ta Min were going to get married. (Also like he kinda lowkey steals some things of Roku's to put in his chambers to pretend that Roku's living with him… pathetic yearning)

Roku had a teeny little crush on Sozin when they were pre-teens. It was awkward, and Roku eventually grew out of it by convincing himself "It wouldn't work anyway, he's going to be the Fire Lord and I'm just some kid"

Sozin didn't know that he was down bad for Roku until about a year after Roku left. He was just sitting in a garden somewhere, lying in the sun, and was just like "I wish I had Roku here so I could have his head in my lap and play with his hair..." and then he was just like "WHAT"

Sozin tried to send letters to Roku while he was away, but because of his dad they never were sent. They were supposed to be burned, but someone stored them away instead. Somewhere, within the depths of the Fire Nation Royal Palace, there's a box full of decades-old letters, just waiting to be read or burned... and those letters might just contain a confession...

Sozin is soooooo touch starved—every chance he can get, he's draped over Roku in some way, and they snuggle every night they can. They're the kind of couple you can find lounging on a couch with literal feet of couch available, but Sozin's either pressed up against Roku's side or is sitting on his lap

When Rozin fight, they split up to cool off and then spar about it. They continue the fight whilst they actually fight, and they end up making outup when they end the fight&spar. Sometimes it's bending only, but when they're really angry it's just throwing punches & kicks. The inherent homoeroticism of beating each other up-

#me doing anything to not do work? Psshhhh what are you talking abouuuut- #also thankies I love Rozin they're so tragic but if they were allowed to be canon they (Sozin) would be sooo obnoxious #and ROKU OH MY GODS MY SKRUNGLY #I LOVE HIM SO MUCH HE'S JUST ❤❤❤❤❤ #ATLA #Avatar: The Last Airbender #Roku #Avatar Roku #Sozin #Fire Lord Sozin #Rozin #answers from the pit

[havendance]

It would be amazing if you kept Helena's love interest as Kori! If you want to keep it true to the frankly inherent homoeroticism of 80's comics you can have them say shit like "she was my shining light in the darkness, my only reason for living, I wish to know her intimately and dream of her warm embrace..." While they're constantly asserting that they're friends :) just gal pals :) nothing going on here

I mean that’s a given!

just gals :) :) being pals :) :) sharing an apartment together, confiding their most intimate thoughts and deepest fears :) :) sparring, completing each other on how pretty they are etc etc

#helena bertinelli #koriand'r #the cooler gotham antihero #helena dick roleswap au #carthago delenda est #letters to the editor #dc #bats + birds + affiliated

[ego-sum-arbor]

I think that Jack and Stephen should get a sexually charged sparring scene as a treat. There’s so much to draw from? All the tension from That Time They Almost Dueled For Real?The dichotomy of Stephen as the skilled duelist opposite Jack, whose skills lie more in boarding maneuvers? The inherent homoeroticism of swords?

#apologies to my mutual jack if this causes any confusion #unfortunately I refuse to draw it inaccurately #and don’t currently have the knowledge base to do it right #aubreyad #jack aubrey #stephen maturin #technically they almost duel twice #but the second is the impactful one

[jackals-ships]

is that a sword or are you just happy to see me?

contains: the inherent homoeroticism of teaching your crush how to use a sword <3 very suggestive bc lotor is super into jackal but nothing explicit also this is set pre relationship bc it's much funnier that way imo

Lotor is having, as Jackal has been known to put it, a perfectly normal time. Absolutely routine, nothing to remark upon.

Except for the fact that that is a complete and total lie of course.

The trouble had started by a situation of his own making, Jackal had begun to join him during his sparring sessions against his bots. Perfectly normal except for the intensity with which they watched. (He would never freely admit that the attention made him preen, made him show off just a little bit more than normal perhaps. Maybe.) So he asked that morning, as he rolled his neck after a particularly stubborn set, if they'd like to join him.

It had flustered them, had them quickly explaining that no, no I couldn't I don't. I don't know how and I have. I have like the upper body strength of a small child anyways. Of course he immediately offered to show them how to use a sword, they could start small. Just teach them at least how to hold one properly, the right stance to use, that sort of thing.

After much stammering of little excuses they finally agreed, on the grounds that it could be fun yeah. Yeah okay. Why not? But if you, if you laugh I'm gonna be mad.

After his solemn vow to not bully them no matter how bad they would initially be he realized he had neglected to take into account two things upon his offer.

The first being that he was already very attracted to them in normal clothes, and seeing them in Galran armor hit him in places he wasn't quite aware existed. As all his blood rushed elsewhere he was grateful in a way he'd never been for the way his armor would cover him.

The second being that he would have to be terribly, terribly close to them. Goddess preserve him.

He had started out standing in front of them, instructing them in the proper way to hold their sword so as to not strain their wrists too much. After several minutes of not quite getting it he gently laid his hands over theirs, making the slight adjustments necessary. Unfortunately this made him realize that their hands were so, so, incredibly small in his.

They were positively engulfed in his grip, he could probably take both of their wrists in one hand and.

That train of thought was immediately slapped down and he quickly averted his gaze back to their face. He was pleasantly surprised to see them still looking at their hands with rapt attention, the beginning of a blush coloring their cheeks. (He could just reach up and.)

No.

No. He was going to remain focused. At any rate they were a guest and he was an emperor at that. It would be entirely inappropriate to make any sort of moves on them. Besides they had not expressed any interest in Galra, for all he knew they were strictly human oriented.

This was a fact he repeated to himself in his head on loop as he walked them through how to stand. How to hold themself in a way to conserve the most energy, to get the most out of a forwards swing. But they weren't getting it still. They were frowning down at their feet as they placed and then replaced them again.

Much later he would blame his lack of proper thinking on all the blood attempting to leave his brain, fully aware of how ridiculous an excuse it is, even more so when the only person he's making it to is himself.

But in the present moment he acts on instinct, circling around Jackal to press against their back, distantly aware of their tensing and sharp intake of breath. His hands lay over theirs once more, making the most minute adjustment as he carefully nudges their feet into place with his own heel.

Realization sets in the moment he's through adjusting them.

He is currently pressed very close to them, his head over their shoulder, and his heel is still pressed against the side of one of their feet. He is also now close enough to smell the cologne they put on that morning, alongside the faint smell of their sweat. Goddess they weren't lying then when they said they had the strength of a kit if this was enough to make them start to perspire.

"Uh. L. Lotor?" He only realizes that he's been close to them for longer than is appropriate when they speak and he barely reigns in the instinct to jump away from them as if burnt.

Instead he perfectly calmly, completely normally, steps away from them to stand back in front of them. "Ah, my sincerest apologies darling. I didn't think to warn you first."

They're blushing harder now and his eyes flick briefly to their throat as they swallow. "Oh no that's uh. That's, that's okay. It's uh, it's all cool. So this is how you, how you hold stuff properly?"

"Yes, it will take some time to remember it but after a while it becomes second nature. We can stop here if you'd like or I can walk you through some more of the basics. Whatever you're comfortable with."

His smile is perfectly disarming, even as he takes in a sharp breath at the way they bite at their lip. "I uh. Yeah, yeah I think I wanna learn a little more?"

Unbeknownst to him, this would end up being his third mistake.

–

If asked later how he ended up on his back Lotor would answer with all honesty, that he has absolutely not a singular clue.

It was supposed to be, in essence, pups' first spar. Just testing the waters, see how well they can handle a sword and correct anything that would end up having them hurt or overexert themself later. He was already making a mental note to have armor drafted up that would stabilize their joints later, as he watched the slight but concerning hyperextension. It was especially in their knees, making them stumble a little at one point.

So truly, there should have been no way for them to knock him down. And yet.

And yet he ended sprawled out on the mat under them, the tip of their training sword over his throat and their heel pressed lightly against his chest. They looked awkward, nervous like they were doing something wrong. "Is this. Is this uh good. I mean I've seen it in vids and…." They trail off as they flush once more, forcing him to scramble to rub enough brain cells to come up with a response.

It was horribly difficult.

For one, his tastes have seemingly no pattern, but he's always been partial to strength and the ability to surprise him. For two, it's not very often that he ends up in a vulnerable position like this. And for three. Well.

He's always been a fool for a pretty boy holding a sword against his throat.

"No! I mean, no, you've done very well darling. You've managed to, well, rather catch me off guard." That makes them grin and give a happy little wiggle before they remove their foot from his chest. He tells himself very firmly that he does not in fact miss the weight of it already, and takes their offered hand.

"That's! I'm, I'm glad. That I uh I did okay, did. Did y'know, good and what not." They shuffle their feet for a moment, looking down at them before back up to him. "Can we..can you show me some more stuff? Later at some point when you're not busy like, like I don't want to get in the way of your important work stuff."

A raised hand cuts off their nervous babbling and he gives in to the foolish impulse to lightly cup their cheek, as they press into his hand he tries so hard to not read more into it. "Of course Jackal. I'd be delighted to teach you."

They look at him like he's hung the stars in the sky, and in that moment he realizes.

He is absolutely screwed.

#jackals barks #okay 2 rb #ship: villainous things #lotor voice im normal im calm im fine how are yall doing

[junietuesday]

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you, and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it. 

tagged by @einsteinapproved <3, any of my mutuals PLSS do this i want to see your fics :) i have. too many wips to count but i’ll post the most recent in order of last edited

im abt to sound So deranged rn but hear me out

burgerking grand opening

the heaven of sensation

tht: more barrel edition

fend and falter

*points and laughs* pink hair and pronouns

embrace the fall

most at fault

the inherent homoeroticism of a sparring session

#june speaks #my writing #some of these titles are nice and done and others…..

[ash-and-starlight]

And they were drift compatible (oh my god they were drift compatible)

Zukka pacrim au part 2 / part 1

Click for better quality!

#zukka #sokka #zuko #pacific rim au #the inherent homoeroticism of sparring #‘​a dialogue not a fight’ just call it foreplay and go smh #forever pissed at myself for not having drawn Sokka in a crop top #but like realistically if he was wearing a crop top zuko wouldn’t have won a single match #gayass #my art #this is the first comic I ever managed to finish if it sucks look away #and I just noticed a fucking typo.... keep looking away

[the-hot-zone]

Haru’s Bending Style: An Analysis (And Why Jet Would Lose His Shit)

Here’s the thing–Haru has an incredibly distinct style of earthbending, and it goes beyond, “he uses his hands a lot.” To understand this, we have to go to the root (heh) of firebending. Stay with me.

Firebending is based on Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. On Northern Shaolin Kung Fu:

“The northern styles of kung-fu generally emphasize long range techniques, quick advances and retreats, wide stances, kicking and leaping techniques, whirling circular blocks, quickness, agility, and aggressive attacks.”

The Northern Style is a dynamic style that places emphasis on legwork and force. It is aggressive, strong, and graceful. There are Ten Classical Forms in the Northern Style, but I’m only going to talk about two of them. 

First, look at this video of Haru clips from the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i32HK_RYuDo

[Video Description: several clips of Haru from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Most of the clips feature his bending. End ID.]

Two moments in particular stand out to me. The first is this:

[ID: a series of five screenshots that show Haru bending. They follow a sequence of movements as Haru bends a large boulder into the wall of a gorge. In all photos, he is in a deep gorge with walls higher than his head. The rocks and gorge walls are rough and textured, and they are the color of sand: tan, yellow, and shades of brown. In the first photo, Haru begins to lift a large boulder from the ground. In the second photo, he swings the boulder around with two arms. In the third photo, he breaks root, leaping a short distance into the air. In the fourth photo, he finds his root again. One hand is extended towards the boulder; the other is closer to his body, palm outward. In the fifth and final photo, Haru has bended the boulder into the wall of the gorge. A cloud of dust and rock fragments explodes from the wall, displaying Haru’s force. One of his arms is extended towards the wall. End ID.]

and this moment:

[ID: a screenshot of Haru bending. Relative to the viewer, he is leaping away. His arms are extended on either side of him, causing a small avalanche of boulders to tumble into the gorge. End ID.]

These two moments offer us, the viewers, a wealth of information about Haru’s style. It tells us that Haru has adapted firebending techniques to earthbend. Let me explain.

Long-range techniques

This is the most obvious display of Haru’s style; he easily bends earth that’s not immediate to him. We see this above, and we saw that when he rescued that old man from the mine--Haru moved a significant amount of earth from a significant distance away, even going so far as to stop fragments of rock mid-air. Once again, in the above images, Haru is moving a lot of rock that’s not close to him, and he’s doing it with his hands. This brings me to my next point--the two forms Haru’s style reminds me of.

Hand movements

The first is Duanda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y28P5cWHPI

[Video Description: a person performs Dun Da and its application. In the application, an additional person fights the first. End ID.]

Duanda (or Dun Da), focuses on close-encounter movements. The above video also displays the Northern Style’s other characteristics: deep forms, legwork, and power. Here’s a moment that stands out:

[ID: two screenshots from the above video: NORTHERN SHAOLIN 第六路短打少林拳 (FORM + APPLICATION). The first photo shows the person in a deep stance, one leg out in a lunge, the other extended behind them. One hand is extended while the other is close to the body. In the second photo, the positions of the hands have switched. End ID.]

Movement for movement, this is almost exactly what Haru does in the first moment from above: his stance and hand movements are incredibly similar. But I’m not done talking about hand movements. Haru’s bending also reminds me of Chuān Xīn, or Chum Sam (heart-piercing strikes). 

Video: https://baksillum.wordpress.com/bak-sil-lum-4-chum-sam/

[Video Description: a person performs Chum Sam. End ID.]

This is due to Haru’s hand movements while bending. The steps of this kata involve the circular movements of the arms. In the latter moment I mentioned above, from the Haru bending video, he throws out his arms and moves them down to bend the rocks behind him. This isn’t circular, sure, but it’s more related to the movements of firebending than earthbending. Additionally, look at this moment from the Haru bending video:

[Imade ID: a screenshot of Haru from the waist up. He is dressed in a brown prison uniform, and he glares at the viewer with narrowed eyes. In his hand he bends three pieces of coal; they hover mid-air. End ID.]

All hands, baby! There is also a moment later on in the Haru bending video where Haru uses his hands in a swinging motion (with his dad), to bend coal. What’s important here is that his hand/arm movements aren’t always forceful and straightly-applied; occasionally, they’re sweeping and graceful--like the Northern Style. In general, Haru tends to use his hands a lot, which is unusual for an earthbender. I don’t think this is because of inexperience–I think it’s because he wanted to bend, was short on katas, and adapted firebending moves. 

Legwork/Leaping

Finally, let’s talk about leaps, or, as I like to call it in terms of earthbending, breaking root. This is seen in both of the Haru bending movements I mentioned above. In the first moment, Haru breaks root before he smashes the boulder into the gorge wall. And, if you look at the last photo, Haru is in the air when he moves those boulders. Let me repeat that: to bend, Haru is in the air. He breaks root! This is highly unusual for an earthbender--but not for a firebender. 

In summary, Haru’s style is a blend of firebending and earthbending--he’s utilizing aspects of firebending to accomplish earthbending. His style is a combination of occasionally breaking his root to apply a powerful force to his attacks; long-range techniques; arm-movements, and traditional earthbending. He’s applying what’s he’s learned from watching Fire Nation soldiers, and it’s fascinating. 

Now. What does Jet think of this?

Ultimately, I think Jet would be impressed by Haru’s bending. Or, more specifically, Haru’s adaptability. One of Jet’s most distinct skills is his adaptability, and Haru’s bending style is exactly that. Haru’s courage and determination to connect with his native element are so admirable. His own father was imprisoned by the Fire Nation, and he most likely faced scrutiny from his fellow villagers (as seen by that one old guy) for even being an earthbender. He had nowhere to go–literally living in a Fire Nation-occupied town. Yet Haru tried his best to learn how to bend; he refused to be separated from his culture. This is seen in his style, which is a bend of earth and fire.

First, though, there’s going to be a moment of incredulity, and anger. Haru was forced to adapt the enemy’s techniques in order to bend his native element. But I think he’d also admire Haru’s determination, and his stubborness to learn. 

The Jet/Haru sparring scene... there would be so much to talk about. Jet recognizing firebending moves coming from an earthbender--that moment alone would be intense. A sparring scene between those two would be legendary, especially if Haru had learned metalbending by then. Haru’s agility and willingness to break root would catch Jet by surprise, I think, but remember: Jet, too, is adaptable. He would have a field day, and it would end with mutual respect and admiration. 

Ugh. I just. Idk man. Jet’s also done a lot of recon on firebenders/Fire Nation soldiers, and so has Haru. But Haru’s willingness to adopt firebending techniques into his fighting style is a decision only Haru would make. They both embody the concept “never give up without a fight” in different ways while demonstrating similar qualities of determination, stubbornness, and adaptability. They have a lot to learn from each other. 

Conclusion? Jetru rights. 

Tagging the ppl who were standing by: @bluberry-spicehead @spooky--suki @spoopykyoshi and @listless-brainrot​ and @nonbinary-crafter-aang​ cause I know you two also ship Jetru.

#long post #sorry it's so long! #but what else am i gonna do with all the research i did for albatross #I LOVE HARU OK #And I love Jet too #the obvious conclusion is... Jetru #the inherent homoeroticism of sparring and realizing your crush has learned to incorporate another nation's techniques into his bending #instead of surrendering to his circumstances #FUCK #atla #jet #jetru #haru #avatar the last airbender #meta #am i doing the meta right? #ALSO ALSO ALSO #HARU WOULD BE RLY GOOD AT METALBENDING #He's used to using his hands!!!! #ugh. #there's so much to talk abt here #some of this is taken from another post i made #stealing my own content. #shameful #sorry for any grammatical mistakes aldkfkg

[whimsy-arts]

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one 'Cause most of us are bitter over someone Setting fire to our insides for fun To distract our hearts from ever missing them

Monks, amiright lads?

#the inherent sexiness and homoeroticism of a dude who spars on the regular #hes a tragic bad boy trope #Behir #my oc #my character #my dnd oc #dnd oc #Dungeons and Dragons #dungeons and dragons character #dungeons and dragons oc #dungeons and dragons 5e #dnd 5e #dnd #dnd 5 edition #monk #half orc #half orc monk #drunken master monk #drunken master #half orc dnd #monk dnd #drunken master dnd #half orc monk dnd #oc #original character #character design #artists on tumblr #digital artist #illustration #hero-art

[secretsolarsystem]

wELL of course I want to know about pride & preparation part 2 but also the 5+1 anakin's name and also the a/b/o padawans? 👀

(from this wip list)

I had a feeling you might be interested in p&p part 2 hehe <3 I don’t have a snippet of that one written yet but I do plan on writing and posting it once the batman au is finished so hopefully you won’t have to wait too long!! I will say the plot for that one is the boys go to prom and Obi-Wan gets to have a uhhh New Experience :)))

as for the other two...

when I did this tag game six million years ago (September 2021) I posted a bit of 5+1 Anakin’s name and ummm haven’t added much more to it yet (rip). the only ‘name’ I have anything written for is still “padawan” but here’s some more of it:

Eventually, Anakin must have misstepped or turned too slowly, for Obi-Wan was able to swipe Anakin’s ‘saber out of his hands and to kick his feet out from under him. Falling hard onto his back with a loud ‘oof,’ Anakin blinked up in surprise at the sudden change in orientation. He looked down to see Obi-Wan was straddling his thighs, ‘saber disengaged and hands resting on his own thighs.

He looked up at Obi-Wan’s face, and was met with dark eyes and a pleased grin. “Yield, Padawan,” he said smugly.

Feeling much, much too warm, Anakin nodded and breathed, “I yield, Master.”

The last word truly was an unintentional slip, and it seemed to catch Obi-Wan by surprise, too. He frowned down at Anakin before lifting himself off of his thighs, sitting next to Anakin who sat up quickly to hide his rapidly growing erection. Kriff the inherent homoeroticism of sparring.

“I do apologize, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, looking at him with total sincerity. “I will work on addressing you properly.”

Anakin blinked owlishly at Obi-Wan. “It’s okay,” he replied lamely.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “It isn’t. I know how hard you worked for your title of Knight, and it is a very much deserved title. It would be disrespectful for me to refer to you otherwise.”

The thought of actually never hearing a fond, exasperated, or even frustrated ‘padawan’ from Obi-Wan…simply would not do.

“But I like it!” Anakin blurted in his panic, and the admission only made him panic more.

It was Obi-Wan’s turn to blink at Anakin. “You like it?” he asked slowly.

and a/b/o padawans!!!! this will be my first foray into a/b/o which is daunting but it’ll basically be a two chapter pwp where Obi-Wan and Anakin are both padawans and they are oblivious to the fact that they’re both obviously in love with each other. they’re both around the age where they hit puberty and present their secondary gender, but the Jedi have rules and traditions when it comes to sharing heats/ruts so as to prevent attachment, so it’s gonna be a lot of pining and yearning and a smidge of angst but it’s just gonna be a fun lil sexy fic hehe

#AHHH thank you for tagging me in this and for sending this ask!!! #it's gotten me all excited to work on these other fics once batman au is finished #it's fun to be excited to write again so THANK YOU!!!<3 #obikin #ask #my writing

[welcomingdisaster]

Directors cut: on the inherent homoeroticism of cake decoration

So in general for the background of the fics conflict, why haven’t they gone public in a whole year? I know Steve didn’t want Christmas drama and had tried to go thru Clint, poor guy, but that’s still 11 months of secrets! And Tony seemed impatient so was it all Steve dragging his feet? And why was Steve to reluctant? And how on earth did Tony deal with it?

ooo these are all such good questions! here's how I picture it: i think to some degree both steve and tony are not super prepared to be publicly dating when they get together. their friendship has been through a lot of very very public fights that the team has been very privy to, neither of them is entirely out, and tony has historically had a very rough go of it with the press and is paranoid about it getting out. it's also something very raw and vulnerable and delicate -- steve, especially, fears the mortifying ordeal of being known. it's not really a secret, at first. they're just sleeping together and hanging out and no one needs to know about it, right? then time passes and suddenly they're exclusive and going on dates. both of them acclimate to the relationship a lot and warm up to the idea of people knowing about it. tony, who i picture as being out as bi to the team and semi-out to the public, is especially keen to tell people about it. steve, who's only out to a few close friends, is dragging his feet a bit more -- this thing with tony is so simple and so sweet and he does not want to let other people into it, doesn't want other people's opinions. deep down he probably fears the way people will look at him. i think more than just being closeted, he's scared of people bringing up the times when he's very publicly physically fought with tony -- i think to some degree he's worried everyone can see that he doesn't deserve tony and has screwed it up, and he'll have to stop lying to himself and face the facts (tony, on the other hand, fully believes he doesn't deserve steve, and doesn't let that stop him). anyways, they discuss going public maybe 6 months in. tony can sense steve's reluctance and tells him he'd like the team to know, but they can do it at steve's pace. steve starts to feel like it's important there's always something going on -- some new intergalactic battle, someone's invading earth, dinosaurs from savage land, whatever, and the timing never entirely aligns. after a while he starts to feel like he's making excuses (and by now they're definitely sneaking around!) but that only makes it harder. he plans not to plan it and gets a little more sloppy about how much time he spends with tony in front of the team. the team does not get the hint. "how nice that friendship seems to be repaired!" their team members say. one afternoon they're in the kitchen with jess and janet post mission. they're talking, for some reason, about france. "you know," steve says, "for a long time i thought french kissing was the greeting kiss they did. you know, like--" he kisses tony on the cheek to demonstrate. tony chokes on his coffee. steve colors, a little, and whacks him on the back as he coughs. after the guys leave the kitchen, jess turns to janet. "do you think that was cap trying to flirt?" she asks. "oh," jan says, "oh my god." a plan is born. she's going to set them up. there's a christmas party coming up, and it'll be the perfect occasion. the next day both steve and tony expect that the whole team is going to know. nobody knows. jess gives steve pitying looks at the mission debrief. poor boy, trying so hard to win tony's affection. "i think we're going to just have to tell the directly," tony says, that night, "in time for christmas, alright?" steve agrees. steve promises. steve has a plan, too, and that plan involves talking to the one person on the team he's sure can't keep a secret. he flags down clint in the training room that evening. they spar. at the end of the night, steve says casually that he'd better get going. "tony hates sleeping alone," he says, watching for clint's reaction. "oh, ok-- what? you're-- you and tony?" steve feels embarrassment mixed with overwhelming relief. he's done it. "yep," he says, popping p. "that's new." "not really. been almost a year." with that he's gone. clint scowls. he's sure the entire team has found out by now. why is he always the last to know these things?

#lena speaks #my writing #i guess #thank u for this ask #this got away from me

[kimberlyannharts]

LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: Tommy and Billy are captured by alternate versions of their friends and taken to gay baby jail, but let’s be honest getting captured by alternate versions of your friends who are really hot really isn’t that big of a deal

WARNING: this issue has a lot of hot spicy mamas.  MMPR #13!

- and we’re starting with the iconic gay little Finster moments

- but i mean i can’t really blame him bc he’s working with the first hot spicy mama of the issue, CASUAL FRIDAY GOLDAR

- OH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!  LOOK AT THAT HAIR he’s literally just blue fuzzy Goliath and i’m here for it

- also i always liked this shot of Finster.  idk the coloring of it especially is really cool and creepy

- meanwhile in Hell Dimension Tommy and Billy are captured and taken to the second hot spicy mama of the issue, COINLESS ZACK

- BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK

- oh never mind no more sexiness just sadness

- aheem aheem whimper

- ANYWAY BACK TO THE SEXINESS SCORPINA IS HERE 

- on a more serious note this just reminding me that this is the beginning of Boom sticking Scorpina in the Coinless world and......kind of forgetting that they stuck her there lol.  like obviously they didn’t FORGET forget - she shows up in later Coinless stories - but i really have to wonder if keeping her there was always their plan or something they just kind of accidentally brought on themselves and just made the rest up as they went along

- this issue alternates between hot spicy mamas and gay shit and honestly that’s why it’s good.  the inherent homoeroticism of sparring with your bro (though i’m still not a fan of the implication that Jason is the “better” athlete here, yes, even when Kyle does it)

- NEVER MIND HETERO TIME SHE ADMITS IT HEHEHEHEEHEEEEEE THE POSSIBILITY OF NEVER SEEING TOMMY AGAIN HAS CAUSED TO HER TO REALIZE HOW MUCH SHE CARES ABOUT HIM aw fuck now i’m sad.

- there’s a lot i could say about how this is the beginning of delving into Kim’s headspace as someone who loves but doesn’t expect love in return but for now i’ll just say it’s hilarious that Jason is more or less pulling the subject off of his leadership issues to go “so..........Tommy, huh ;)”

- [grabs you and shakes you] it’s the beginning of Billy realizing his worth as a hero beyond being The Smart Guy and it’s SO GOOOODDDDD

- also it’s very funny that Billy got a whole memorial and Jason apparently didn’t 

- fucking PRANKED

#mmpr comic #comic recap #mmpr 13 #text #long post

[hella1975]

my yueki wip be like ‘the inherent homoeroticism of sparring and thus the inevitable sapphism of finally understanding each other’

#the courage of stars #yes they fell on each other and stared dreamily into each others eyes leading to a slightly heated conversation of #yue trying to wrap her head around suki and being so distracted by that that she hasn't realised suki has been trying to #figure her out this entire time #like damn yue u got this bitch -a selfproclaimed hater of poetry- to anon send you poems from earth kingdom poets bc she knew you'd like it #and you're gonna casually figure out it's her immediately and start sending her nwt poems in return as if that isn't the most romantic shit #anyways dark academia sapphics ftw #writing ig