#otp forever y’all

[liam-summers]

I know everyone likes to believe every single word that comes out of Sp*ke’s mouth as the absolute and only truth, but I don’t for a second buy into the narrative that Buffy and Angel were never friends.

Their friendship is built into their romantic relationship and in their interactions with each other. They do all the things that friends do: they hang out, they talk about life and work (that’s basically all they do in season 3 and beyond, TALK), they work as a team, they share happiness together, they share bad times together, they comfort each other, they have each other’s back, they fight for each other, they respect each other, they trust each other, they have disagreements and then they make up, they enjoy each other’s company, they share love and affection and caring for each other; they’re confidantes and companions in every sense of the word. I mean, we also clearly see that they can be, and are, friends after they break up. I think they have trouble being JUST friends because they’ll always be drawn to each other in a deeper, romantic way, as well. They’re like magnets that can’t resist each other’s pull.

But that doesn’t mean that they were never friends. They were friends in every way, but also so much more than that.

[dontruinmymorning]

Nobody:

Not a single soul:

Me: What if when Attuma was on the rooftop in Wakanda and he saw Okoye with the wakandan child, it wasn’t some random child, but their love child he didn’t know about instead? And what if it was a little girl?

[theessenceofbeautyy]

love triangle but it’s while janine is dating maurice and tariq tries to win her back but she ends up kicking them both to the curb y’all can’t tell me that wouldn’t be entertaining

[outrunningthedark]

no word of a lie the “they’re secretly fucking each other” Ryliver posts make me so fucking uncomfortable because y’all are saying these men can’t even stand next to each other anymore without some suggestion there’s some secret affairs going on. ( given the fact that Oliver is still with Hannah! )

Us: Hey, guys? Have you considered that Ryan and Oliver aren't much different than the dynamic we see on screen? So maybe they're not PURPOSELY trying to make you think Buddie is in the works? Maybe that's just how they are with each other? Them: Oh. So can start talking about them being together irl instead? Is that what you're saying? (No. That's definitely not what we were saying.)

Not to sound like a broken record, but I have ZERO problems with RPF. That's not what this is about.

I don't even like to pay attention to what goes on outside of tumblr because I just...don't want to know the many ways fans stay embarrassing themselves. But as soon as ONE OF THE GUYS IN YOUR SHIP started talking about homophobia affecting men's mental health and brought his OWN CHILDHOOD up as an example and also mentioned how people don't know HOW TO BE NORMAL about two men being "too close"... ...That should have been everyone's sign to shut the fuck up. Forever. Keep it in your DMs. Your texts. Whatever "private" conversations you have. If you must. (I like RPF, too, but if that's all your conversations are...get some new friends idk) DON'T PUT IT ONLINE WHERE THE GUY WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THAT SHIT CAN SEE IT. IT'S NOT MAKING HIM LIKE YOU. (But I'm ngl, I'm glad he's learning just how few boundaries his "fans" actually have. They will only have themselves to blame for whatever the future holds with their #otp.)

[mac-n-chees]

why your attack on titan otp isn’t canon

eremika: what tf are y’all doing here you guys are one of the only ones who can say it’s a canon ship gtfo

levihan: you guys are cute aww these guys are like a couple of siblings❤️ cmon y’all levihan are platonic soulmates and erwin smith is RIGHT THERE

eren x annie (anieren? ereani?): touch grass. you saw one interaction and decided they were the perfect couple, this is literally the dramione of aot, the zutara of this anime. just because you’re horny doesn’t mean everyone else is, pls keep ur hormones in check<3

erwin x hange: as i was writing this post the thought occurred to me that someone might ship this and it caused me physical pain but if you ship this ig you’re cool cause i’ve never seen this ship at all so therefore i’ve never been attacked by one of you online so congrats🥳 but they’re not canon cos literally not one soul ships them so whatever

eruri: is this the right name cause ship names in this fandom go crazy sometimes. anyways these the gayest mfs i’ve ever seen and the only reason they’re not canon is cause erwin had to die. doomed ships for the win😻 but you KNOW levi was getting some behind the scenes, cmon y’all

jearmin: hajime isayama is a coward

jeanmarco: gonna be honest, i did not give two shits when marco died. idk how this is a popular ship since marco got clapped in like episode 3. i mean i can see it ig but to me they just look like friends (and that’s probably what isayama was thinking too)

beruannie: one-sided as fuck

erehisu: historia is a lesbian (“oH bUt wHaT aBoUt tHe fArMeR???” she needed a sperm donor and he was the closest one they are not in love)

jeankasa: eremika solos, sorry, mikasa will always love eren (stay sour jean✌🏼)

levi x any of the members of the 104th: they are CHILDREN and levi is a full grown, thirty something year old ADULT, if you ship any of these there’s a special cell in jail waiting for you

mobihan: who even is moblit this ship forgettable as fuck. but i mean its not bad but again isayama hates love and romance so moblit had to die (sorry mobihan lovers)

springles (aka connie x sasha): you guys they’re PLATONIC SOULMATES, and they’re portrayed as such. also niccolo exists you guys sasha and connie are just like siblings

eremin: hajime isayama is a COWARD. you CANNOT TELL ME that the whole “i will stay with you forever” interaction in the final season was not FRUITY AS FUCK, there was so much tension but isayama’s a PUSSY

reiner x historia: historia is a lesbian

pikuhan: you guys have got to stop shipping everyone you see interact

for bonus points everyone tell me the ship you HATEEEEE i’ll go first😻:

aruani✨✨🌈🌈🌙🌙

if you want an explanation you won’t get one unless i get harassed enough thank you and good night

[britcision]

Hey did i ever tell y’all my YuYu Hakusho OTP because it’s incredibly important to me that you know

ChuxAtsuko forever nothing else matters Chu needs to be Yusuke’s new stepdad

[tempest-teacup]

okay now I'm curious because I've just read through all your ship review stuff what's your OTP/Favourite ship (Any quadrant) for Sollux? I like seeing what people do with him shipwise because I ship him with like,,,, most of the cast (Multishipper moment)

I like the term “ship review” because it makes it sound like I’m writing a newspaper article. “Hello readers, this weekend I investigated Davekat and LET ME TELL YOU…”

Now, okay, you’re about to be sorry you asked because I could write a fricken novel about this one.

I like Erisol a lot and I’m mad at myself for it. Like it feels too obvious of a ship to be good but I’m obsessed. And even after I eventually accepted that I liked them black, I was then angry to learn that I like them flushed too. UGH!!!

Anyway here’s why.

First of all you have to get on board with being an Eridan sympathizer. Yes he is an asshole and a dipshit but that’s kind of the whole deal with Trolls. He just happened to be an asshole dipshit who was born into the equivalent of like, the Tr*mp family or something. Also he had to constantly hunt and murder to keep his species alive. And his best friend and crush kinda maybe used him/lead him on for said hunting and murdering and then literally *dumped him to go smooch another boy the second she didn’t need him anymore.* And they’re THIRTEEN when starting the game, I can’t stress this enough.

Gang, I dunno about y’all but when I was in middle school I had some REAL SHITTY OPINIONS.

Ahem. Moving on.

Sollux also has a similar relationship with Being Responsible For the Fate of His Species. He is also An Asshole Dipshit Teenager. Bro just got born into the opposite end of the spectrum. And I know that all of the Trolls obviously have a relationship to the apocalypse but these two have have been dealing with theirs forever(?) and they are just unescapable parts of how each kid has to exist day to day.

IT’S REALLY SAD!

The more you look at these two, the more they appear as opposites, or if you prefer, the concept of yin and yang. I mean, ugh. Hope and Doom. HOPE AND DOOM, Y’ALL.

They’re both so deep in their own social niches, they look at the other and think “I would NEVER!!” Eridan has so much Hope in the caste system that he blindly believes it will save him in the end. Sollux feels so Doomed by it that he has resigned himself to being a lazy burnout even though we know damn well how much potential has has both as an intellectual and a psionic. In the end both of them reject the destiny that’s expected of them.

Ok, you still with me? Because what I’m doing here is setting up why these two are star-crossed lovers in either/both quadrants.

It’s a little sad that they never get the chance to become kismesis in canon, because not only do they get under eachother’s skin but they are so cat-and-mouse about it. Like, granted I have my issues with Pesterquest but their duel in that is so good. Eridan just casually calling him up, knowing he’s being an ass. Sollux *answering and humoring him.* Eridan’s utter glee at their proposed battle. The way he gets to showboat (heh, boat) about it. The boy gets to VAMP! And Sollux purposely choosing not to to go hard enough to kill him. Come on. These guys are dancing, they’re honing their claws.

Oh and what’s that?? Eridan learning a valuable lesson? Sollux getting off his ass and doing something (that’s not self-destructive)? Oh my, could it be that their rivalry mutually benefits them?! Just look at what a stinky lump Sollux is in HS^2 *without* Eridan.

And then we get into the vacillating/flipping to flushed.

I won’t bore you too much, I can already hear the awards show music playing me off, but I think if there’s a universe where Eridan and Sollux exist post-Erisolsprite then it’s all over for these two losers, they can’t NOT date. Whether they like it or not, they’ve reached a level of intimacy beyond anything they’ve ever experienced. They know eachother’s truest selves, they’ve seen the very best and worst of each other. And hey, guess what they found? Someone who’s just like them and balances the other perfectly.

Mic drop. Book slam. THEY’RE IN LOVE, YOUR HONOR.

[iheartgod175]

Fanfic Sneak Peek Theater ACT 2: For the Lovers

Super, SUPER sorry it took me forever to get back to the Fanfic Sneak Peek Theaters. Life happened, lol XD But I’m back ^^

Part two of my Fanfic Sneak Peek Theater is, as it’s titled, for the shippers. Including myself XD All of me OG OTPs get a fic to themselves, and I’m super excited to write them ^^

First up is a fic that’s had an insane grip on my brain: Love Language, which is the sequel to my first Multo/Zeeter fic, Heavenly. This story is a collection of vignettes (some long, some short) of how their relationship progresses, and there’s sweetness, bitterness…and even some spiciness. 😏 This story was going to be a three part fic, but things happened, and well…now y’all are going to get five parts. The good thing is, part one is almost done (I’d like to say I have about 70% of it finished). I just need someone to smack me in the head before I keep adding more stuff. XD

Here’s a sneak peek of the cuteness ^^ (taken from chapter 1’s vignette: Awed):

"Wow, you two look gorgeous!" Wizzy was the first to offer her praises, her eyes gleaming with stars.


"Yeah! You look like movie stars!" Wigg said.


Bonnie giggled. "Thanks, you two." She walked up to Bula, noting how his face was slightly red. "And I hope I'll be able to wow them on the red carpet tonight...with my equally handsome plus one."


Bula swallowed hard. "R-Right." He cleared his throat. "Well, we won't be the only good-looking ones tonight, right Multo?" His smile faded slightly when he saw Multo's face. "Um, Multo?"


If Multo heard him, he gave no indication. He stared at Zeeter, mouth open and eyes wide to where she could see the whites, a small blush on his face. Two words escaped his mouth, said in a hushed tone filled with utter surprise and wonder. "My stars..."


Zeeter's heart raced as he slowly approached her. It was the first time in a long time that she'd ever worn proper formal wear...and this was the first time he'd ever seen her wearing it, which she was acutely aware of. And rather than renting this, she'd outright bought it.


Why, she had no idea.


She met his eyes, her own face flushing under his stare.


She had expected him to compliment her in his unique fashion.


What she did not expect was for him to take her left hand in his right, lift it to his lips, and plant a gentle kiss on her knuckles.


Zeeter squeaked.


Everyone else gasped, with Wizzy and Bonnie taking a keen interest in this, practically pushing Bula aside.


Heat equal to the sun flooded her face as he gently looked up at her. She hadn't been prepared for the lightning bolt that hit her when he did that. Nor was she prepared for the look of utter wonder and adoration that graced his face.


"My dear," he breathed, "you look absolutely radiant tonight."


It wasn't enough that he'd kissed her knuckles and made her brain short-circuit. He just had to call her that, too.


She was sure she resembled a cooked lobster by now.

Next up on the list is a small Whyatt/Red ficlet that I’ve been working on. I’ve titled it “Sweet Victory”. And I totally wasn’t thinking of that song, lol XD

Also, flustered Whyatt is always a treat XD

"Whyatt, that's enough chocolate for four people!" She started.


"I know, but I'm gonna share it!" he said. "Please, Mom? I've gotta have it!"


"You do, huh?" Ever the cautious skeptic, Mrs. Beanstalk gave her son a pointed look. "And just what are you buying this chocolate for?"


At that question, Whyatt looked away shyly. "Um...it's for someone special."


That gave Pig pause. Poppa Pig looked at him with one eyebrow raised, an odd look in his eye.


Compared to her earlier demeanor, Mrs. Beanstalk looked absolutely surprised.


"Someone special?" A glint of joy appeared in his mom's eye, and her lips quirked into a smile. "Is it a girl?"


Whyatt looked up so fast, Pig thought his head would fly loose from his neck. "Wha-NO! No way!" he said, shaking his head emphatically, but then paused. "Well, it is for a girl, but she's just a friend, Mom!"


"Mmhmm."


"No, really! It's nothing like that," he said quickly. "I-I just wanted to get her something really nice for her birthday, and I figured she'd like it..."


"It seems you've got a bit of a crush, Why."


"Wha-no I don't!" Whyatt argued, although his face was certainly arguing otherwise. It was turning as red as the candy he was holding.

My last one is a cute little piece that I’ve been working on since earlier this week, for Walden/Widget. @mooshieblue got me back into the pair ^^ The title of this fic is so light-novel esque it deserves an anime adaptation: The Science of Love (Side Note: It Doesn’t Make Much Sense)

"So, ya got anybody in mind?"


"Hmm..." He scratched his chin in thought. The idea of romance was, and still is, a bit of a mystery to him. In fact, while he could deduct it for others, imagining himself having a crush or some other romantic feelings for someone was unthinkable. He wasn't even sure if he could answer her question.


In fact, he was just about to tell her that...when his mind came up with an answer.


You.


His eyes widened.


I like you a lot more than a friend.


His chest suddenly felt tight at the revelation. Where in world had come from?


I've thought about you so much it's driving me crazy.


"My, my, my..." was all he could say as the revelation came clear to him.


"Helloooo? Earth ta Walden, do ya copy?" The smell of machine oil flitted through his nostrils, courtesy of her waving her hand in front of his face. He blinked, snapping out of his reverie. He looked up to see her green eyes narrowed quizzically at him. "Ya spaced out on me for a second there."


"O-Oh. Sorry about that, Widget. I-I, uh...I guess I put a little too much thought into that question."


"As always." She leaned back against the wall with a small smirk. "But ya think you got an answer?"


His mind betrayed him, and the realization made his face heat up to an absurd degree. Like, "center of the sun" degree.


"...I-I'd rather not say..."

—

If I have any more fluffy romantic stuff, I’ll post them accordingly ^^

But I want to know your thoughts! Which fics are you interested in seeing?

And if anyone leaves any hate, I’ll just use the flames to whip up some more stories for ‘em ^^

[ogdoadfates]

Fanfic prompts: OTP comfort/angst

:3 more comfort/angst for y’all

Revealing to the other that they are a god/goddess

Returning home together after it’s been destroyed.

“If fate claims you, it claims me as well.”

Working hard together to make a home/house.

Teaching the other how to use their weapon.

Watching the other paint from a distance.

Forced to watch the other sacrifice themselves. 

Mind controlled.

Having to watch their love dance with their enemy.

Running a bath for the other after a hard day.

Refusing to let go of your love after almost losing them the day prior.

Their love gets cursed, turning them into a beast which only responds to/recognizes them.

Being cursed to live forever but only be able to meet twice a year.

Rushing the other to the hospital

Having to deal with an earthquake and figure out a way to get to safety when one gets injured.

“I don’t think I can be put back together again.”

“I remember you.”

“We’ll get through this. Together.”

Making the other a flower crown after a rough week.

Taking care of the other while they are ill.

Making a pillow fort together.

Making the other hot coco during a snow storm.

[fuumiku]

What if we were both kids who had become entangled in dangerous things beyond our understanding, and you just want to be loved and take great care in upholding a cute persona to be liked, and I just want to be loved and uphold a persona to seek it through shallow relationships and being desired, and while you were protected and became a protector I was harmed and became harmful. What if we both need to be needed. What if we both craved attention and were overly willing to give it. What if we’re both sidelined and dismissed and whereas I came to loathe the world and want it reduced to ashes you see beauty in it everywhere, what if you brought me understanding and elation, an actual connection that I hadn’t had since my life became a cycle of pain and trauma and acting. What if I said I hated butterflies because they act all pretty and fancy but without their wings they’re actually really ugly, and you told me that they had to live as ugly caterpillars before earning their pretty wings. What if I was a caterpillar and you were a butterfly and I love you but I hate you but I love you but I hate how you might leave me. What then.

"When I’m with you I feel like a kid again." Alois just stab me, it’ll be less painful than hearing you say this to Lizzie

At first in my drafts I had these lyrics of Someone to Stay written all around them but if you’re not in an intense aloizzy mindset it looks crazyyyyy lol. I still made it an alt version and put it under the keep going line though. Also I made them wear each other’s eye color hehe, blue and green <3 Oh yeah man the sketch for this was from yearssss ago and the lineart it’s gotta have been a solid year as well… Look I just have tons of wips and I’m a slow artist. But yesss this is one of my guilty pleasure OTPs… Even as a kid I was a rarepair shipper gbdgdg. So uh this is my obligatory aloizzy post!! There will be more, hopefully

Fic recommendation!! Ice into intimidation is visceral and childish and timeless and universal. It touched me as a 11 years old and my appreciation for it has only grown as I became less and less childishly innocent like Lizzy and more acquainted with the horrors of the world that Alois has lived and seen. THIS FIC Y’ALL. CHANGED MY NEURONS. It’s like bruised ribs, an all-encompassing hug that softly hurts. It probably influenced my tastes in ships and fiction a lot gdbgdgd. I will never recover from it being discontinued, I will forever dream and wonder about what could have been. They’re so tragic. I’m gonna draw so much fanart of this fic when i can. Like just for his post I took the opportunity to go back and read the "butterflies are ugly" scene and the last chapter and many more excerpts and it makes me go rabid it makes me on the verge of tearssss, I could make a whole essay about this fanfic… Though! CW for ptsd, but otherwise it’s all very implied and not told. If you’ve seen the season and Alois’ character you know you have to prepare for actual dark shit. The fanfic isn’t graphic at all as I said, but if you know Alois’ backstory you know. As mentioned I did read this as a 11 years old and the dark stuff flew over my head it’s chill 👍

My aloizzy playlist!! I have a longer one but it’s 16+ because of aforementioned dark themes and I don’t wanna post it here. If you’re curious about some of my other playlist picks though, I recommend Appetite of a People Pleaser & Hansel by Soddiken

For better or for worse i don’t know But for what it’s worth I made you my whole world

— October passed me by, by Girl in red

[onigiri-dorkk]

not me feeling JEALOUS for Mikasa over how many frames Levi got w freakin Pieck 🤣 Man I wanted more scenes of our OTP.

Ngl tho even as a hardcore rivamika shipper I gotta say, Levi and Pieck look good together 😭 Levi x Dark Haired Beauty might just be my thing. But again, Rivamika forever y’all 😭

If we get manga adaptation, I will wait patiently for our post-war Levi and Mika 💜

[hargrove-mayfields]

tag game, stranger things edition!

i was tagged by @thatgirlwithasquid and @intothedysphoria, thanks y’all, I really appreciate it! 💕

1. ride or die ship/otp : Hellcheergroveton! every combination in this ship is adorable and it has all my favs too ☺️

2. most annoying ship : m*leven. I am beyond tired of watching a young disabled girl be taken advantage of and have it be treated as romantic. El deserves to live partner free, and M*ke deserves to go in the whole garbage can.

3. second favorite ship : Hollogrove. Since it’s not part of the core hellcheergroveton relationship, I’ll branch out a little and bring in my girl Heather. I love her and Billy I’m a relationship and can totally see them spending the rest of their lives together ♥️

4. favorite platonic dynamic : Billy and Max, or Dustin and Steve. Or Steve and Gareth. Cause I headcanon Gareth as becoming Steve’s caregiver after the events of the show leave him with cognitive and physical disabilities

5. underrated ship : Hollogrove, Cunningway, Pompompineapple, Stonathan, Cheerscoops, Calicheer, Rockie, Stargyle, Cammy, Kegboys, Steather, Argilly, and so many more but I’ll stop there.

6. overrated ship : Any of the fruity four (it makes me wanna gag just typing it) ships. I haven’t looked in the fandom tags for a year because it’s oversaturated with passionless, factory produced, carbon-copy fanworks that look like Harringrove fics put through ai to be rewritten as St*ddie, or Buckleway into r*nance. I’m sick of it. It’s boring. I’ll come up with my own steddie content, thanks.

7. one thing to change in canon : Everything. Not even joking. I’m going blorbo shopping and bringing all my favs back to my dollie house to play fix-it.

8. something canon did right : Um. I guess letting actors put in feedback and details of their own. Like Millie choosing for El to touch Billy’s cheek, Dacre giving us backstory on Billy’s mom and also on Billy’s disability (BPD), both he and Joe Keery refusing the original scripts, Joe Quinn improvising Eddie’s crush on Chrissy, and so on. All of the actor choices are the only good things about the show at this point.

9. a thing I’m proud of creating for the fandom : @disabledbillyandsteveweek! There's more information about the event over on the blog, but basically it’s an event starting in about two weeks meant to highlight Billy and Steve as disabled characters, through all kinds of fan works and different ships!

10. a character who is perfect to me : Christine Renée-Beth Cunningham. Nobody compares to my cheer girl.

11. the most relatable character and why : Also Chrissy. She reminds me a lot of myself, especially how I was when I was still in highschool, being timid and struggling a lot with my mental health. I wish she could have grown and gotten help and felt better since I’m on my journey to doing so right now, but I’m forever grateful to have seen a character with an eating disorder and an abusive family on screen, portrayed in a heartfelt and generous way- all thanks to miss Grace Van Dien

12. character I hate most and why : Neil, Karen (actually just the Wheelers in general except little Holly), Brenner, Owens, the lady that shot Benny, literally so many of them. Anyone who intentionally and unabashedly hurts other characters without remorse.

13. something I’ve learned from the fandom : To be patient, because even when things seem tough or impossible, we can make it. Together, with friends who understand us, and who share our pain, we can fight and keep going! Especially because this community will always have folks who understand and have our backs, we just have to find them ❤️❤️

14. three tags I seek out on ao3 : I actually don’t read fic on ao3. The extreme amounts of severely triggering content hosted on that site is just too much for me and I can never seem to avoid it. I only post to ao3 because I know people find it easily accessible, but I had one too many mix-ups that led to me being in a terrible state of mind, so I discontinued using the site.

15. a song I strongly associate with otp and/or favorite character : I’ll never shut up about “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. Conveniently off the same record as Hop has on Vinyl and Cassette, it’s my favorite song ever because it’s so tender and loving and even though it’s old people music yall should give it a listen. It applies to any ship, but especially packs a punch with Harringrove. Also “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John.

I’ll tag: @eddie-munsons-guitar86 @honey-tongued-devil @martianclown @hephaestn @jaylikesrainbowtigers @denkiddo1 @enchanted-day-dreams @stranger-themes-blog @ratbastardbilly @thinger-strang But there’s no pressure to do it! You absolutely don’t have to if you already have or if you just don’t feel like it! <3

[dontruinmymorning]

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Black Panther (Marvel Movies), Attoye - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Attuma of Talokan/Okoye (Marvel)

Characters: Okoye (Marvel), Attuma of Talokan (Marvel), Original Characters, Aneka of the Dora Milaje (Marvel), Namora of Talokan (Marvel)

Additional Tags: Past Relationship(s), Single Parents, Human!Attuma, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Slow Burn, No Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Step-parents, In-Laws, nosy family, W’kabi a dickhead as usual, Aneka is a nutcase

Series: Part 1 of From Line to Living

Summary:

Attuma meets a baby.

DINNER IS SERVED 🥘

@pilesofpillows @xblackreader @theeblackmedusa @theemfingmenace @tvreadsandsleep @karimk2 @siancore @neptoons1998 @mamajankyy @chottopoco @sharonrb

[little-flowers-everywhere]

y’all, lemme tell you something about my rarepair, my absolute number one OTP, the ship i will go down with, my i-would-die-for-them even now, 24 days into the year of our lord 2023.

it’s not even about the show, and it hasn’t been for like 20 years now. it’s about the all-encompassing chokehold that two of the characters from this show have had on me since i was about 13 years old. that’s when it started and it hasn’t let me go. better than that, the pairing itself is a complete fabrication, totally built up inside my head and fleshed out by years and years of over-analyzation and inventing things that, objectively, are not there. the maintext of it all is pretty clear but i have a special knack for pulling anything and everything i want out of the subtext. i see what i want to see and i live happily in my little state of delusion.

here’s the kicker: when i say the maintext is clear, i mean it. these characters were not, in any way or by any stretch of the imagination, written with the intention to give off romantic vibes. truly, they weren’t. this show, in all its cheesy (and arguably cringey) glory, was one of the highest rated family-friendly, positivity-focused shows of the 90s. it was the height of the “clean, uplifting, and inspirational” era of network television, with very strong christian undertones.

the show? touched by an angel. the characters?

these two.

yes, these two. characters with one very clear purpose, which is to be on earth to help human beings and spread the message of gods love to the world.

pairing them???? absolutely asinine of me, and yet … here i am, still burning in this fire years and years later. i would die for them. specifically, i would die for my version of them. and i probably will not ever be able to fully explain my adoration or remember what it was that triggered this shift in my young brain or what made me say, “yes, this is what we’re doing now. this is where we live.”

i don’t use the word chokehold lightly. i can spend hours watching bits and pieces of scenes, re-analyzing dialogue, and spilling my thoughts and theories to the one friend i have that also shares this mildly humiliating addiction. thank god for her and thank god for the far corners of the internet. i have written (and read) some very -ahem- unholy fic. and i’ll keep doing it kids. this is a forever kind of thing.

this post is a confession but it’s also a plea for more friends. me and my one friend, we can’t be the only ones out there, right? i know there are others because our fanfic stats tell me so. i see you. i know you’re there. step into the light and be my friend, i beg.

[vanderwoodlings]

that depth of feeling: a rufly playlist (x)

Tracklist (and commentary) under the cut:

1. “Uptown Girl,” Billy Joel. It’s Their Song TM

1. “Uptown Girl,” Billy Joel. It’s Their Song TM

2. “18,” Anarbor. …but I feel like this might capture Rufus’s actual early feelings a little bit better. And I know it's just a phase, you're not in love with me/You wanna piss off your parents, baby/Piss off your parents, that's alright with me

3. “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” All Time Low. Something about the way that Rufus’s songwriting and Lily’s photography had these intertwined stories going on of the adventure they were going on together. There's a story at the bottom of this bottle and I'm the pen

4. “Crimson and Clover,” Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Ah, now I don't hardly know her/But I think I can love her

5. “I Think I Love You,” The Partridge Family. This just has big Rufus energy imo. Disaster man

6. “Guitar String / Wedding Ring,” Carly Rae Jepsen. But if you cut a piece of guitar string/I would wear it like it's a wedding ring/Wrapped around my finger, you know what I mean?

7. “Past Lives,” Kesha. But I, I keep on falling/For you/Time after time. Okay yeah there’s the obvious but I like the way the song is actually meant to be interpreted for them—I mean, like “that depth of feeling, our unbelievably powerful bond”

8. “Long Way Home,” Jukebox the Ghost. One day, further down the road/With full-grown children of your own/If I pass by you on a busy street/Will you remember me?

9. “Do You Love Me Still?” The Kooks. Baby, do you love me still?/‘Cause I miss you/I miss you/Baby/I miss you. I mean, we don’t really get a lot of answers about the adults’ pasts, but we are told that Rufus and Lily were on-and-off even before things gave their final going sideways, so I think how extended I made this section is valid

10. “The Summer,” Josh Pyke. We should be living like we lived that summer/I wanna live like we live in the summer/So if I could bottle up the sea breeze I would take it over to your house/And pour it loose through your garden.

11. “Here With Me,” The Killers. This was the song that started this—y’all, I don’t even, like… ship this. But this kicked something on in my brain and so here we are

12. “Time Passages,” Al Stewart. A girl comes towards you, you once used to know/You reach out your hand, but you're all alone in these/Time passages/I know you're in there, you're just out of sight

13. “White Flag,” Dido. And when we meet/Which I'm sure we will/All that was there/Will be there still/I'll let it pass/And hold my tongue.

14. “You’ve Haunted Me All My Life,” Death Cab for Cutie. You are the mistress I can't make a wife/And you've haunted me all my life

15. “Over You,” Ingrid Michaelson, A Great Big World. Maybe if I tell myself enough/Maybe if I do/I'll get over you. There’s an element of conversation, of ambiguity, to a lot of these broken up ones, but like. Lily x repression is one of gg’s true otps

16. “Walls - Circus,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Rufus when his ex walks back into his life and Oh Fuck. And if I never do nothing/I'll get you back some day/‘Cause you got a heart so big/It could crush this town/And I can't hold out forever/Even walls fall down

17. “Taking Pictures of You,” The Kooks. Lily’s photography and that moment when she has to shut the interviewer because her photography was so intertwined with her love for Rufus but she’s in denial about still being in love with him is Top Ten Moments I Found Them Compelling

18. “The Rescue,” American Hi-Fi. I wish I could fly, I know I can save us somehow/You thought you were safe and sound but you need a hero now/You gotta believe even with broken wings. Something something Bart Bass (derogatory)

19. “How to Rest,” The Crane Wives. Lily when her ex walks back into her life and Oh Fuck. Those of us who vow never to love again, to love again/Are making liars out of honest men/It's not something that you put to bed/Hang your head and just forget/No, love don't know how to rest

20. “Hold My Hand,” New Found Glory. Getting closer now…

21. “Be My Escape,” Relient K. If I wanna make a Jesus song about romantic love that’s my business

22. “Like The First Time,” Peter, Paul, and Mary. Like the first time, only better/We're a song that must be sung together!/Like the first time, only this time/Could it be forever?

23. “Anywhere,” Passenger. Darling, just look beside you/Oh, I'll go with you anywhere

24. “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” Stevie Wonder. She says no one is better than I, I know I'm just an average guy/No football hero or smooth Don Juan/Got empty pockets, you see I'm a poor man's son. TFW you study the wrong opera

25. “Everlong,” Foo Fighters.

26. “I Belong in Your Arms,” Chairlift. Swear to God, double knot/What would you do if I stole you tonight? (Ah ah)/Why waste time? (Ah ah) hmmm half-planned wedding moments

27. “Love You Like That,” Dagny. You know how they say you got the real thing/When nothin' else matters/I love you like that

28. “Skies the Limit,” Fleetwood Mac. And when we do, I'll think about you/How can we fail?

29. “All Your Life,” The Band Perry. Well, I don't want the whole world/The sun, the moon, and all their light/I just want to be the only girl/You love all your life

30. “Things Are Right With You,” Cloud Nothings. You give up what you know/Can't explain where to go/And you move in a world that moves on its own/Feel right feel right feel right/Feel lighter

[kateofthecanals]

For salty asks…

1, 3, 7, 19 (for ASOIAF/GOT).

🧂

Hey girl heyyy 👋👋

1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

ASOIAF: Sansa + Any Tyrell. Did y’all miss the chapter(s) where they used her then completely abandoned her and let her take the fall for Joffrey’s death? Lmao… And Willas? Bro we haven’t even seen him on-page yet and everything we know about him so far is just Tyrell propaganda lol.

GOT: I will forever roll my eyes at the whole Tormund/Brienne thing. Like I get it on an aesthetic level, but the fact that she was visibly disgusted and annoyed by him was the dealbreaker for me, lol.

3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Yes I have definitely unfollowed people for being wrong 😁 and also on the rare occasion that they jumped ship.

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

ASOIAF: I feel like I am more likely to come around to things that I previously didn’t like rather than the other way around? I will say, from a fandom standpoint, I have become increasingly turned off by ASOIAF BNFs & podcasters. I used to think they were the epitome of ASOIAF academia but I have now realized they can be just as wrong and media illiterate as any of us plebs, lol.

GOT: The entire show, lol

19. What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom?

ASOIAF: Those who spend hours and hours analyzing the smallest details and nuances for even the most obscure characters, but when it comes to Sandor, they’re just like “welp, he said he loves killing, case closed!!!” And also the perpetual dumb crack theories but I mainly blame that on George because the longer we go without new material the more people have time to think (about stupid shit).

GOT: They are basically a cult 🙅🏻‍♀️

Yayyyy again again!