#otp: i was the only one who understood him

[sorenlionheart]

gonna be honest, despite all the love drama in the comics, i still genuinely see sonally as a relationship without labels. not that they don't have romantic feelings for one another or don't use them at all but since they don't really align with societies expectations of romance they decide to use labels very sparingly. neither of them really know what to expect or what they should expect from a relationship so they just don't put a label on it. but if sonic was to be called sally's boyfriend she probably wouldn't deny it, y'know? they both know their feelings run deeper than they let on but it's not something that they're really worried about. they probably have a conversation about this stuff but since neither of them have a clue of how romance works (or how it's "supposed" to work) they decide they'll just take it one day at a time and they can worry about labels another time.

if any of this makes any sense, i feel like this is probably a very ace (and neurodivergent) way of seeing their relationship but that's how i feel

[cinderella-ish]

My evolving thoughts on who Yuki should've ended up with, and fanfic's role in changing my mind

So, I want to talk about Yuki Sohma.

Yuki is the member of the main trio in Fruits Basket with whom I most identify. I have little in common with both Tohru and Kyo, and it took me several watches and read-throughs to start to understand their characters/arcs. (I love them, don't get me wrong! I just didn't fully appreciate the depth of their characters/arcs until maybe my third time through the series.)

Yuki, on the other hand, not only had many external qualities in common with me, but the way he grew mirrored some of the ways I changed in early adulthood. His arc felt true to my life, and so he was my favorite character from my first exposure to Fruits Basket.

When I started reading fanfic, I initially limited myself to canon compliant or limited canon-divergence fics, but eventually, I dipped my toes into some alternate pairings. Interestingly, while I truly can't see Tohru with anyone but Kyo, and I can only see Kyo with someone other than Tohru in very specific circumstances, Yuki seems to work with almost everyone he gets paired with. I mean, Yuki and Machi are my OTP, yet I have probably read (and bookmarked) every Yuki/Kakeru fic on Ao3, and some of the most beautiful fanfic I've ever read is Yuki/Kyo.

This confused me at first. Deeply. If Yuchi is my OTP, why do I devour every Yukeru and Yukyo fic?

Well, I think that's because Yuki's arc is, among other things, one where he rejects compulsory romance. This is made explicit in the Cinderella-ish story (why yes this is my favorite part of Fruits Basket, why do you ask?), where he quite literally rejects the role of the prince - the role that's been put onto him by others through the series. I think his arc would have been complete without him ending up with Machi, but there are things about their relationship that make his ending so much more satisfying. In stories where he ends up with Kakeru or Kyo, Machi almost always appears as an important friend for him. I think, for him, having strong bonds outside the Sohmas that he forged on his own was the point, rather than ending up in a relationship.

Anyway, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on the five most common Yuki pairings on Ao3!

Yuki/Machi

Yes. I love them. 1000/10.

Okay, so the one criticism I have of Yuki/Machi is that Yuki is strongly gay-coded throughout the series, and it would've been awesome to see that play out in the way it was set up. I think that's a huge part of why I connected with Yuki - his arc definitely reminded me of my own experience coming to terms with my own queerness. For more on this, see this exceptional post by @yunsoh

But there are so many moments between them that make me swoon. The chalk scene, first and foremost. I used that scene to talk to my partner about how to support me when my OCD or ADHD is bad. Then there's scene where Yuki figures out why Machi destroys things, then asks to make footprints in the snow together (and tells her he's proud of her! and sees how hard she's worked!). The way he bought her Mogeta memorabilia or figured out she likes red or understood her intent when she chased him around the school to give him a flower and just ended up getting angry at him. The way he understood she bought Tohru a bath set because it's what she would want, just because Kakeru made a similar remark. The way he lit up when he saw Machi's trashed apartment - "the sea of despair."

And the way Machi understood and empathized with Yuki. The way he lit up and started laughing when she called him an airhead. The way she said it took someone like him to notice someone like her. The way she opened up to him and always sought him out. The way Kakeru shipped them. The way he knew she would miss him if he were to disappear, and the way being a support to her was something he needed for himself. The way she accepted him as he actually was, and not the way he thought he was supposed to be. The way she broke the door down with a chair when Yuki was trapped in the storage room. The way he teased her!

They've both been put in seemingly desirable positions within their families, yet those positions are responsible for so much of their pain and trauma. They get each other at a deep level. There's a mutuality to their relationship that Yuki desperately needed. I love them so much!

PS: if you also love Yuki/Machi, come find me on Ao3! I'll be posting some Yuchi content later this week!

Yuki/Kakeru

They have a fantastic and fun dynamic, and they are always touching each other. Kakeru is Yuki's confidant and someone who makes Yuki feel safe in being himself, flaws and all. They help each other grow - Yuki helps Kakeru be more empathetic, and Kakeru helps Yuki become more comfortable with himself. I think this pairing would have also been a satisfying end for Yuki, full stop. I love them, and I will read all your Yukeru fics, please and thank you. (Also, lots of Yukeru writers are just really good writers, so there are some gorgeous works for them.)

Yuki/Kyo

So, I didn't get why this ship was so popular at first, but then I was reminded that Yuki's first thought when he met Kyo was "pretty!" They both secretly admired each other, they're written as foils for each other, and there's a reason enemies to lovers is so popular (and it's called sexual tension).

There's a Yuki/Kyo fic that I'd credit with showing me what fanfic can really do - especially in the ways it expanded the universe, found its own way of handling the curse, and developed the relationship between the two boys in a way that also grew their characters. That fic is The Pursuit of Repeating History by @mistergrass

I do think that Yuki ending up with someone outside the Sohmas is more satisfying for his character arc than someone from the Sohma clan, but his relationship with Kyo is such a key part of his arc that this could be satisfying in its own right.

Yuki/Haru

I absolutely love the relationship these two have in canon. I love how Haru looks out for Yuki, and I love how he drives Yuki a bit crazy. I love how Haru tells Yuki the things he needs to hear, like that it's okay for him to focus on himself for a while, and I love how Yuki braves the Sohma estate to check on Haru. I also love the way Haru can read Yuki like a book.

Haru's words to Yuki about finding someone who will appreciate his fragility and kindness are always so touching. Haru is almost a mentor to Yuki, in a way, or a fairy godmother. (Or a long lost sister?) The fact that he was the one who got Yuki out of isolation at the hands of Akito, or that he was the one person who would check on him just speaks to the strength of his loyalty to Yuki.

I take Haru's statement of "Yuki was my first love" seriously, because he tells Yuki he is serious when Yuki warns him people will take him seriously when he says that. I know there's an argument to be made that Haru is just being his weird self, but that gives me and they were roommates vibes.

Unfortunately, most of the Yuki/Haru fics are dubcon with Dark Haru, which is not something I enjoy reading. What I'd really love to read is an AU where they're together in high school or later, or something that explores Haru's early feelings for Yuki, or just something that explores interesting sides of their characters that are brought out when they're together.

I don't think this would be a terribly satisfying end for Yuki, but I do really love their dynamic.

Yuki/Tohru

Okay, so, full disclosure: I was #teamyuki when I first watched Fruits Basket. Yet now, they're the only pairing on this list that I don't like. Why? Well, as I said above, Yuki's arc is much about rejecting this specific compulsory romance.

Compulsory how? Well, from the beginning, the series seems like it's setting up a love triangle, but kind of tells us (more and more explicitly as the series goes on) that things are not what they seem.

I think the series does a phenomenal job of making the reader/viewer complicit in placing this compulsory romance onto Yuki. A brief aside, making the reader/viewer complicit in the thing a story is criticizing is one of the most effective ways to criticize something, IMO, because it doesn't let the reader/viewer off the hook. We don't get to say, "Look at them, they're so foolish!" We're forced to examine our own expectations and acknowledge that we were made a fool of, too.

I totally got tingles at the spa scene (pictured above), even though upon rewatch, it's obvious how much of an act it is on Yuki's part, and how uncomfortable it makes Tohru. In fact, many of their most "romantic" moments, where the shojo bubbles appear and everything, are when Tohru is acting in an explicitly motherly way to Yuki, and he awkwardly tries to flirt because he's either misinterpreting his feelings or in denial about them.

I also thought his line, "that isn't what I want!" when he tells Kakeru about his true feelings for Tohru is one of the most powerful moments in the series. It's the moment he's finally letting go of being the Princely character and choosing to be himself, for himself, because he deserves to be known and accepted - something he'd never fully believed until that moment.

I think part of why I was initially #teamyuki was because I came to Fruits Basket through the anime first, where much of the development of his relationship with Machi was cut. Also, as I said above, I didn't really get the characters of Kyo and Tohru right away, and I think that prevented me from seeing the power of their romance. The True Form arc was a key moment that I truly didn't understand until several viewings/readings later.

So, all of that is why I don't care for this pairing. I get why people do, but I do feel it undermines Yuki's agency and his character arc. It's a pairing that makes me sad when I see it, as if this character I love has taken a step backward.

(Incidentally, I've been wanting to write a fic where the True Form arc plays out differently and Yuki takes longer to realize the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I truly wonder how he would've come to that understanding without witnessing her running after Kyo. Would he have tried dating her? Would it have been a total disaster?)

Other pairings and larger relationship structures

Out of the other pairings I found, the only one I'm genuinely curious about is Yuki with Saki Hanajima. I'll have to go read those fics. They are each the "cold" half of a "hot/cold" duo (the "hot" halves being Kyo and Arisa, who are basically the same person). I'm very curious what led people to pair them in the handful of fics about them!

(Interestingly, I think it's possible to read Saki and Arisa both as having a bit of sexual tension with Kyo, but not with Yuki.)

The others include Akito, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure - all pairings that would have a noncon/dubcon element due to Yuki's age, and that's before you get into the specific traumas that these characters have inflicted on Yuki, or the inherent power dynamics between them, or the close familial relationship with Ayame, etc...

The trio relationships are all intriguing and full of possibility. Yuki/Tohru/Kyo? Obviously. Yuki/Kakeru/Kimi? Potential for lots of wackiness. Yuki/Kyo/Haru? Could be the next Mabudachi trio.

(No shade to anyone who enjoys fics with the pairings or tropes I don't like! This blogger believes in "don't like, don't read.")

[readreactrant]

I watched Code Geass but before I get to my short rant about the show and the ship you can pretty much guess this is about…. Let me just say….

This show peaked at the pseudo incest brocon subplot, I'm taking no arguments!

Fine, fine, that's definitely not entirely true but Rolo's death had me pausing the show and staring at the screen like for what reason?! Let the boy be hopelessly obsessed goddammit 😭😭😭

Now I've gotten that out of my system…

Guess who's the character I hate most?

shocker I know/sarc

I haven't hated one half of my otp ship in a piece of media this much since that one Episode Nagi panel of Reo's heart getting destroyed by Nagi's dumbass (Reo my love love I'd treat you so much better)

Suzaku's case is worse by several degrees because his idiocy and attitude only continued to stoke the flames of my annoyance for the whole two fucking seasons until like the three or two episodes at the end cause oh my fucking God I cried.

(That shit was a wild ride enough nothing is making me watch any spin offs or side stories I care that little)

From the first moment he entered that Lancelot suit and agreed to help the side that attempted to silence him by murder, I clocked his ass and marked him as the dumbest bitch to ever exist but we love a protective loyal dog Top don't we ladies?

"I want to change the system from the inside-" bitch shut up these are colonizers you ain't changing nothing 😭

Even after they they tried pining the murder on him to sentence him to death AGAIN!! BOY WENT BACK.

AND!

He refused Zero?!

HUH?!?

Now I'm not a particularly patriotic person (I hate my county so so much) but if we got neo colonized, No matter what merits I would never be friendly or cooperative with the other side.

Suzaku stopped his country fighting back (valid reason or not I don't remember, he killed his dad and that meant surrender ig) and proceeded to kiss up to brits, fall in love with one of them, and further hinder every attempt of his own people fighting back because 'Violence wrong' but it's okay when he does it because some made up ideal told him being subservient would make a change. And it did….just for him tho, all other 11s? no one cares.

And it didn't even matter because Lulu's methods were always the ones that brought things closer!

I know it's a kind of a commentary on something, I ain't stupid but I was still pissed.

Literally had me gritting my teeth almost every time he stepped on screen, especially when he went pseudo emo after becoming a knight of round or whatever.

Bottom line, he frustrated me as much as he did Lelouch but I still wanted to see them FUCK.

The last couple of episodes where genuinely the best things I've ever watched and a brilliant end to the series. I wouldn't say I grew to enjoy all the characters but God did the plot threads keep me going.

Trust I understood very little about the gate shit and the killing God aspect but when you're having a fun time everything just looks good.

To sum up SuzaLulu…

Giving me friends to enemies to lovers (correct me not I won't hear you) All mixed together with the palpable hatred and vitriol they held toward each other is just too much.

And Lelouch as a bottom is literally my type >.< psycho, pretty, and bad at sports (also having a natural inclination to dominate others)??? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!!!

His dramatic ass had me gripped and his personality contrasted so beautifully with Suzaku's dumbass that while I did want to be sad about that redhead he might have liked dying….girl bye 👋 make way for the gay 🏳️‍🌈

(Srsly tho, I was sad for a sec, it was a very shocking scene to say the least but Rolo pulled such a Brocon move I was laughing for a solid minute.)

I very much didn't want to be like most other yaoi shippers that watched this shit when they were ten and went for the very obvious but still delicious low hanging fruit yaoi but I see enemies to lovers mixed with tragic yaoi and an undeniably fun story and brain stops functioning lmaooo. Turns out I'm very much like other fujins ;p

Closing thoughts: Umm…If you're going to defend Suzaku in the replies…go for it I'm down to listen but he'll forever be my bitch. I love Lelouch but Light is better, Orange x Lelouch is underratedand C.C. and Kallen should have gotten married.

[hana-no-seiiki]

Okay, it may sound weird, but what if the manager is also an artist, like daft punk/Banksy? They are famous but also anonymous, and are just working for the idol/rockstar? They got popular during their time as a manager and they cannot quit because it would be too suspicious and so sudden, like they are waiting for the right moment to quit, hut until then, the are just going to be 'the manager' in public.

YAN! POP IDOL [EVE] x MANAGER/ARTIST! READER (ft. YAN! ROCKSTAR [FEROZE])

AAAA I ACTUALLY HAD THIS IDEA BUT WAS LIKE- WHAT IF GENIE’S READERS HATE ME FOR CHANGING THE MANAGER TOO MUCH- but bAH fuck it! HAVE THIS!! THE THREESOME SMUT WILL HAVE TO WAIT-

@moyazaika tagging you just so you’re informed and can add more on Feroze’s side if you’re free:

Anyways if you manage to be both an artist and manager at the same time, props to you for your god-like time management cause that’s honestly fucken commendable. Like manager-nim you’re actually a god at this point.

I imagined reader to be completely out of the genre FerozEve (are we surprised by who the top is at this point) in order for the double trouble makers not to find out immediately.

I don’t know how wide Feroze’s music tastes are but for Eve he practically listens to every genre. As a teen his favorite were the rockstar and ofc pop. He got into Hip-Hop/Trap through the main rapper from his group, and Kpop has a ton of genres mixed into it including but not limited to EDM, R&B and Punk Rock. Soon enough, he hears of this underground DJ who’s known for not only making fire music but being their own choreographer and VJ. Talk about being blessed by the gods.

You (and his bae Khan ofc) inspired him to create his own music and eventually go solo. He went undercover sometimes to send you tracks. You thought he was just a kid/teen since his early ones were kinda . . . not it, but was impressed by the amount of passion he put into improving.

Years later, your activity died down due to working on Feroze’s career more. Those exclusive interviews and world concert arrangements don’t do themselves yknow!

Eve was saddened by your lack of releases and performances but understood. Besides he had your manager persona in mind to obsess over.

The collab happens and you joined Eve to look over the tracks in the album. From the amount of iced americanos he’d down, you could tell he was super out of it and really needed rest BUT HE WOULDN’T GODDAMN LISTEN TO YOU-

*ahem*

So you decided to help him instead.

You gave minor pointers here and there really. Nothing much in your opinion.

But to Eve he was just in utter shock and awe. How come he didn’t think of that?? The synth really elevated that section of the chorus?? Why were you hiding this genius from him??

You explained that you wanted to be a producer for the company but since it ended up reducing your passion for music so you otped for a managerial position instead.

Eve isn’t even listening at this point. He just has heart eyes. Like he didn’t know he could fall further in love with you. Boy is whipped.

Overall Eve kinda do be dumb and dense so he wouldn’t figure it out. But I’d imagine the revelation to happen sort of like this:

You were helping out Eve with vocal arrangement one day, assisting with adlibs and what not when . . .

“I think it’d be better if you put this here, and double it.”

“Woah that sounds fire.” Eve’s eyes were glued at your focused face. You looked so adorable all focused like that. He was so close to jumping out the recording booth just to give you a big ol smooch.

At his approval you continued, “We could build it up more. I’ll punch you in here and you could do a lower note? Like this.” You played a section of the song, perfectly harmonizing with his voice like it was nothing, before turning to him for approval.

He was silent. Mouth slightly agape.

“Eve?”

“. . .”

Holy shit. You’re one of his favorite artists-

[shi-daisy]

Spring Beast and Silver Queen

Day 6 and here we have the second otp! Like Tamcien (or Feylincien) and Neris own my heart but Neslin has so much potential that I wouldn't mind them being endgame in a Canon. So here's a little oneshot for them with some Fairytale tropes. Hope you like!

@tamlinweek

Tamlin Week 2024- Day 6- Fairy Tale AU

Spring Beast & Silver Queen

Nesta walked onto the decayed manor, it was just as destroyed as the rest of the court.

Lucien might be the only one to come here out of genuine care, but if the mild mannered redhead couldn't do more than this that meant the High Lord was all but dead inside. She understood. Nesta felt the same way.

She found Tamlin sleeping. The male was in his beast form, like that day when he came to their cottage and took her sister. There were times she wished that hadn't happened. Now, she just wished she'd ran when she had the chance.

It didn't matter anymore. It was either Spring or a lock up on Night, and she'd take her chances with the wilted flowers.

Nesta came into the room slowly. A bird that slept on Tamlin's mane woke up, and left out the window, sparing her one last glance.

She kneeled on the floor and gently patted the man. He was alive, just deeply asleep, and he looked so very weak.

'Guess they've broken us both.' She thought.

Who had once been a monster to her now looked so very defenseless and sad Nesta felt compelled to be kind. Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad, at least Tamlin wouldn't bother her about her drinking if the empty wine bottles were any indication.

She didn't know why, but Nesta decided to plant a soft kiss on the beasts forhead, and wait for him to wake. Nesta didn't have to wait long.

Tamlin turned from beast to fae form in a flash, and when his emerald eyes fell on her their bond snapped.

***

A deep silence fell upon the room as he sat up and stared at Nesta who was equally surprised and stunned.

"I...Think you know what this means."

"Yes..."

"Wait! Why are you here, Lady Nesta? Is this another strange dream?"

"Afraid not. I'll explain."

She told him of her downward spiral, of her sister's betrayal and the choice she was given. It nearly made his magic spiral in a rage.

"Stay here I'd that's what you want. I swear I shall protect you." Tamlin managed to say.

"...What about the bond?"

"If you keep it, they cannot take you away. Once we're certain they won't hurt you, then you may do as you wish with it."

It hurt to say, to denounce something he'd once wanted, despite knowing of it worst sides thanks to his parents, and yet...he wanted to prioritize Nesta's free will. It was clear she needed it.

Especially when her frown turned into a slight smile. "I appreciate it."

Baby steps, in time they could be friends.

***

Lucien had come to visit. After she explained the situation the redhead not only returned to stay with his partners but he cut off all ties to Night.

"We will help you rebuild this court!"

That was all they needed to let the Band of Exiles become part of the Spring council.

The Spring Library was a marvel after it was cleaned and she took to devouring every book she could. It helped fix the court and bring back the population.

In a few months things were already looking up, and Tamlin wouldn't stop thanking her. "Lucien did most of the administrative work. Vassa is in charge of diplomacy and Jurian is training the sentries. Why are you thanking me too?"

"Because if you hadn't arrived that day. I wouldn't be here right now. Your silver flame is what kept me holding on and made me rebuild what I shouldn't have left crumble. Thank you."

His gentle hand on hers gave her pause. Despite the slow friendship they'd cultivated and the bond that kept her safe, sometimes Nesta doubted a man like him could want her if it wasn't because of the mating bond. Still, she didn't want to break it. Her safety was at stake but also...she didn't want to hurt Tamlin further.

Nesta felt a tear slide down her cheek, but it was soon wiped away as Tamlin kissed her forehead. "You don't have to say anything. If I have to wait forever I shall. You're worth waiting for."

Worth. She hadn't heard that from anyone.

"There's a lot I still must deal with, but when I do. I'm certain you'll be who I want to spend my time with."

"I'm honored to hear that."

***

Tamlin often thought that beyond any person music would remain his ultimate love. Perhaps that would've been right, as he played his fiddle before the Calanmai celebrations and everyone danced with joy.

Then she stepped into the scene wearing the long sleeved silver dress he'd gotten for her and the glass shoes he'd seen her eyeing at the boutique.

Nesta was a delightful dancer. He knew she loved music as much as he did when she organized all his sheets and instruments with great care, probably more than the books.

Nesta danced beautifully for him, and he didn't remember the last time he'd played that well. By the time the song ended and she stopped dancing, Tamlin had picked her up in his arms and they shared a kiss.

"I love you." Nesta said, and he couldn't help but cry.

"I love you too."

No other Calanmai had left him as breathless and full of joy

***

Eventually they came for her a little over week after their bond was sealed and their frenzy over.

Nesta nearly barbecued the entire inner circle when they tried to get close to Tamlin. He'd wrapped them in thorned vines.

"We are mated. We are happy. We won't bend to you if you're trying to get the crown. Leave!" He said.

Cassian glared at her and Nesta regarded him with indifference, she had the man of her dreams right by her side and wore a crown of roses rather than chains of stars. The only ones she'd mourn for were her sisters, but she was free and she wouldn't apologize for it. Let the. Make their choice for themselves.

And they did. Because when shadows took her to the House of Wind and she was locked in its tower, Nesta could hear a battle far away in the Velaris palace. By now she'd realized Morrigan was the traitor and that Feyre had joined her, but she couldn't wait for them to rescue her. She had to get out herself.

Rhysand had brought her back to fight for Night's side. She wouldn't and so he locked her up. But he forgot she had power and she had read enough to figure out the end of the tale.

Nesta used her power to create thin threads of silver. They grew from her hair and she made sure to tie them onto the balcony rails. It wasn't enough to reach the ground safely, but she wouldn't need to. She saw a figure of green and was aware he High Lord came to save her.

With rope of hair in hand she jumped from the balcony of the tower and safely mounted Tamlin, who was now a dragon.

"My silver flower"

"My fiddler lord."

They flew away as the Obsidian castle in the distance was swallowed up a black hole in the sky. Both of them were worried until the event passed and the castle was nothing but rubble left away.

After landing they spotted Lucien in the distance with the healers. She saw Feyre and Mor with them, out cold but alive.

Tamlin and Nesta both breathed a sigh of relief. Then they looked at eachother. Nesta smiled at the sight of her mate, her beloved and the man who'd come to her rescue.

Tamlin pulled her close, holding his savior, his queen and his beloved.

Nesta kissed him, using words he'd once said to someone else yet were never returned until now. "I love you, thorns & all."

"And love you, my queen Nesta Acheron."

Two birds flew over them as they shared a kiss, into their happily ever after.

[renjihoe]

My Thoughts on Juvia and Gray’s Relationship.

May contain spoilers for the anime & 100yq manga but I’ll be as vanilla about it as possible. This is a long one so get comfy.

A few years ago, I used to be upset at the fact that Gruvia took so long to happen. But now that I’m older and I’ve hyper fixated on the couple long enough, I’ve learned to appreciate their relationship for what it is now and for what it was in the beginning. From the start I’ve always shipped Gruvia but I never expected them to be together in the first place, PLUS I only shipped them because I honestly just liked the idea of them being together. Liking the idea of a couple and the couple actually being good together is two different things and I knew that. My initial thought was “how funny would it be if they actually got together”. Kinda like a gag if you will. But overtime I started to REALLY appreciate their build up. There are plenty of couples out there in popular anime who’s relationships parallel to Gruvia, (the girl or guy is deeply in love and the other party pays them no mind). But what I really hate about relationships like that is when they get slapped together at the end just to please an audience. If Mashima did the same thing, I could honestly say I probably wouldn’t be shipping Juvia and Gray to this day, but luckily for me and other Gruvia fans he did not go that route. People say that fans forced Gruvia to be canon which is just not true since FROM THE BEGINNING of the series, Gray was told by the fortune teller that he would be tangled up with a water woman in the near future. Plus the simple fact that their characters were designed to match each others (water and ice), Juvia is also a semi-yandere (I only say semi because Juvia won’t actually do anything to hurt Gray or the others she cares about) and Gray is a Tsundere. In the beginning Gray was honestly just a dick to Juvia, but that was more for comedic effect which me being a hard core Gruvia fan at the time, sometimes I didn’t appreciate. But now a days I really do appreciate the comedy between the two characters because I’ve realized there is a good balance between their comedy and the seriousness of how they actually feel about each other. You could even call Gruvia a slow burn but in my eyes the pacing is perfect and very realistic.

Here are my thoughts on Gruvia from Gray’s perspective. Gray was pretty compassionate towards Juvia when they first met, even though they were enemies, Juvia of course gets love at first sight. As they get to know each other, Juvia’s love grows more and more intense and in Gray’s eyes it comes across as pushy. Though I personally saw her love for him being a “I see you need love, let me love you” type thing. He slowly (very slowly lmao) warms up to Juvia and they start going on jobs together and forming a close friendship, to the point where they would rather go on jobs together instead of with the rest of the team.

And then the plot starts to get a bit heavier and so does their relationship. Juvia and Gray have multiple occasions where they make protecting each other their main mission. But two particular scenes stood out to me in the last two anime arcs. Juvia sacrifices her relationship with Gray to do what was best for him, we all know the scene so I won’t go into details for the sake of time and spoilers. But in that moment that’s when I decided I didn’t ship them just because the idea was cute, I shipped them because they NEEDED each other. Juvia finally understood Gray and his history, while Gray not only understood his festering feelings for her BUT he got the closure he deserved of his family, all thanks to Juvia. Although there were subtle hints that Gray started to develop feelings way earlier on than this scene, THIS is when he knew for sure how he felt.

The last and finally scene that pretty much sealed the deal for them being my otp was when they both sacrifice themselves to save each other. **cries 😭** We got a full length scene of them damn near confessing how much they meant to each other. We all know what happens at the end of that scene, then Gray makes a promise to Juvia and that was to take her feelings more seriously. The thought of him loosing someone else he loved definitely shocked him into reality and broke that Tsundere spell that was casted on to him by the creators…well kinda. In the anime Gray eventually confesses his feelings in a round about way and I HATED IT! I just wanted him to lay it all out there on the table. But maturing is realizing that, that actually wasn’t the confession and that’s apparent in 100yq.

Although I would love for them to just be together already, I appreciate Mashima and Ueda taking their time with this couple and really putting emphasis on their shared character/relationship development. I also appreciate that we get this development through Gray’s perspective, it adds a bit more to them as a couple. In conclusion, I’m lonely and I want what they have. No but seriously I’m soaking up every bit we get from Gruvia! Since Gruvia days is coming up, I had planned on doing a relationship/couple analysis from Gray’s perspective but this honestly sums it up lol!

[blooming-water-roses]

Tobirama for the ask game plss

Yayyy comin' right up!

favorite thing about them

His intelligence & skillset. Also his self-control & discipline. It commands respect. His voice too, whew it's so authoritative. I also think his character design is so cool! The blue wardrobe against his pale skin and hair (I support the headcanon that he's albino, I think it adds so much depth) with his red eyes and face marks. How prettily his eyes are shaped too. His sarcasm and dry humor. And (last thing I promise) when he gets so indignant after Nart mistakes his jutsus for Minato's. (i literally named almost everything whoops)

Cont. below cut:

least favorite thing about them

His stubbornness & huge ego. The man will never admit he is wrong out loud even when he knows he is.

favorite line

"First you must take a hard look at yourself and come to understand who you are objectively."

This speaks to who he is as a person. Look at yourself unbiased, with all of your shortcomings, your flaws, and your weaknesses as well as your strengths, know your limits and know what you're willing to do to lessen your faults. It's how he came to be who he is, and man if it isn't good advice.

brOTP

HashiTobi obvs. I think their brotherly relationship is cute. Hashirama is the older sibling and yet the one who is more responsible and level-headed is Tobirama. Also the fact that Tobirama lived his life to realize Hashirama's dream of his village--as he knew Hashirama was a visionary but lacked the concrete know-how to actually execute his vision.

OTP

I have two.

TobiIzu in the way that they were true equals and I headcanon the idea that while Tobirama harbored the generational mentality that Uchiha were evil, he was also very fascinated by the Uchiha in general because of their traditions/prowess, and Izuna's strength and abilities in particular were so intricate, it was his favorite thing to study. Izuna got under his skin (which amused Izuna) and Tobirama couldn't help but be interested and in awe of him despite his pesky beliefs about the Uchiha. I believe he felt heavy guilt when he killed him.

TobiKaga in the way that Kagami was the only Uchiha ever to gain Tobirama's utmost trust. I want to know so badly how Kagami was able to obtain it. I believe Kagami was a very sunny-personality-type, who inherently understood where Tobirama was coming from and had unwavering respect for him. The beautiful "you are my exception" trope. I support the headcanon that Kagami got his Mangekyo after Tobirama left to be the decoy.

I do enjoy me some MadaTobi/TobiMada, after all they are very similar and they butt heads to it's always fun to read fics where they're stubborn in admitting they're attracted to each other.

nOTP

TobiMito, I just don't see it. Mito is Hashi's wife &...why would they be attracted to each other?

TobiSaku...I see so many Sakura-self-insert ships that make no sense and this is one of them.

Just bc I don't ship/understand doesn't mean I judge you if you like it tho, by all means ship what u ship

random headcanon

I have SO many

the lines on Tobi's face each represent a fallen loved one, and the last line for Hashi is on his forehead underneath the protector

he created the Reanimation Jutsu to bring Izuna back

He hadn't meant to kill Izuna, he believed he would counter his Flying Raijin slice and was shocked & horrified when it actually worked

That he is albino & autistic (I love these hcs)

unpopular opinion

I don't believe he is prejudice against the Uchiha, I believe his misgivings about them are so ingrained (from growing up as Butsuma's son, having to view them as enemies all his young life) in his mentality that he refuses to give them up because that would mean admitting he's wrong which he never does.

I believe he did his very best to make sure Konoha would be successful and strong (creating the ANBU, delegating roles to clans, etc.) and the fact that some backfired was not his fault. He's only a person and did the best he could with what he had.

song i associate with them

R.I.P 2 My Youth - The Neighbourhood

favorite picture of them

Pretty, pretty, and pretty.

Ask me here!

[alj4890]

Perceive

(Thomas Hunt x OC) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries One Shot

As requested by @hopelessromantic1352 with the prompt: "I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking.

A/N Not a part of any of my AU's for this otp, but still one I could see happening for them. For this prompt, Thomas and Amanda only casually know one another through their mutual friend, Ryan Summers.

Masterlist

***************

An exclusive resort in The Maldives...

Ryan Summers, Hollywood's most beloved leading man, was determined to get away for a month. He decided that not only would he leave all his stresses behind, but that those he was fond of should come along and make it an epic vacation.

He gathered his eclectic group of friends and persuaded them to all join him at a resort in The Maldives . He secured the rooms, booked activities, and even made an itinerary of spa reservations he personally selected for each one of his guests.

Now that he was on one of the tiny islands, he immediately began to relax. He looked over at his oldest friend and knew there was at least one in their group who needed to find a way to loosen up and enjoy things that weren't necessarily work.

Thomas Hunt did not want to go on vacation. He would have preferred to remain in his home or even in the studio, preparing for his next project. Unfortunately for him, Ryan was one of the few people in his life he couldn't refuse.

"I think we've finally reached paradise." Ryan removed his sunglasses so he could fully take in the beauty of the white sandy beach and turquoise water.

Thomas merely grunted in agreement.

"You're not impressed, are you?" Ryan asked.

"Of course I am." Thomas replied. "It's only that this is unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" Ryan repeated in disbelief. "This is extremely necessary."

He placed his hand on Thomas's shoulder and gave him a slight shake.

"You are going to die of a heart attack if you don't find a way to relax every once in a while."

"I'm in perfect shape." Thomas argued. "I eat right, exercise, and--'"

"And when's the last time you took a vacation." Ryan countered. "I mean one, where you traveled somewhere not because you were scouting for possible locations to shoot your next film."

"I don't need vacations." His friend folded his arms. "I'm perfectly content with how I live my life."

"Uh huh." Ryan rolled his eyes. "At least try, for my sake, to enjoy this brief reprieve from your usual schedule."

Thomas watched him walk away to greet a few other people who'd newly arrived. He still didn't see why he had to be dragged along on this venture. He understood that Ryan might need a break from his hectic schedule. The man had been filming back to back movies for the past two years.

Thomas, on the other hand, relished having a packed schedule. Downtime meant the creativity had ceased to flow. He needed it to remain at its peak so that his films struck the audiences with the appropriate emotional gut punch he attempted to have in each one.

Now here he was in what was undeniably paradise with nothing to do.

Releasing a deep sigh, he decided to go see what his villa was like.

*****************

"Room service."

Amanda, the Duchess of St Orella, looked towards her door in surprise. She hadn't ordered anything since she just arrived. She set aside the clothes she'd begun to unpack and went to see just what had been ordered.

"Ryan!" She hugged the man who stood in her doorway. "It's so good to see you again!"

He squeezed her, lifting her off her feet and causing her to giggle.

"How long has it been, Duchess?" He asked once he set her on her feet.

"Much too long." She replied. "Between your schedule and my own, I think the last time we saw it each other was at that charity gala in Madrid."

He winced. "That was over a year ago."

"I know." She smiled at him. "Some of us are too popular to visit friends."

"Trust me, I would happily spend a lot more time in Cordonia." He walked over to the sliding glass door, looking out at the beauty framed before them. "I intend on making some changes in my life."

"What kind?" She asked.

"The kind where I can sit back and enjoy life before I get too old to do so." Ryan replied, turning once more to face her. "In fact, I hope this vacation makes us all want to make those necessary changes."

"I'd like to." She admitted. "After Liam's whirlwind of a coronation and wedding, I could use a break."

"Good." He was relieved to hear her say that. After talking to Thomas, he'd begun to doubt that his friends truly knew they needed a reprieve from their lifestyles.

"I'll leave you to your unpacking." He smiled his megawatt, heart stopping smile at her. "And I expect to see you taking advantage of all the relaxing activities I have planned."

"Can't wait." She told him.

"Don't forget to meet everyone for dinner tonight." He reminded her on his way out.

"I won't." Amanda promised.

She shut her door and began to wonder just who else Ryan had invited along on this journey.

***********************

An hour before dinner, Amanda changed into a sundress. She stepped out on her shared veranda with the the villa next door to admire their private infinity pool. Her breath caught at the site of the sun setting, making everything around seem almost magical.

She'd never really been into tropical destinations for vacations, but even she was moved by the sheer beauty of the place.

Her attention drifted over to the right when she heard the slight shooshing of a sliding glass door being opened.

A smile lit up her face when she saw who her neighbor would be for the next couple of weeks.

Thomas paused when he saw her. A hint of a smile curved his lips as he went to join the young woman he'd come to know through Ryan.

"Amanda." He greeted. "I see Ryan dragged you into this too."

She laughed while shaking his hand. "He is very difficult to say, no, to."

"Indeed he is." He slipped his hands in his pockets. Glancing about, he asked, "Are you here with Randolph?"

"We ended things about six months ago."

"Ah." He replied. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to be." She smiled at him. "We both realized that though we are fond of each other, there simply wasn't any spark."

"I'm glad then that neither of you is left heartbroken." He leaned against the railing, keeping his gaze upon her.

"What about you?" Amanda asked. "Any new romances the gossip networks failed to mention?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "None. I've been far too busy to even think of dating."

"What a pity." She muttered.

His eyes narrowed somewhat, wondering what she meant by that.

She cocked her head towards her villa. "Want to walk with me? It's almost time to meet Ryan and everyone else for dinner."

"Of course." He fell into step beside. "We are neighbors, after all."

Amanda's smile grew at the thought. "I suppose that means we will be seeing a lot of each other these next few weeks."

Thomas cut his eyes towards her. "I suppose so."

****************

The next few days, the pair saw each other more than they anticipated.

In the mornings, Thomas took advantage of their private pool to do his daily laps. By the time he finished, Amanda was usually coming out to try and get a tan. It became a habit of Thomas drying off so he could help apply sunblock to her back.

They'd then sit side by side, lounging in the sun together, talking over whatever came to mind. Often they would sit in a companionable silence, simply enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

When lunch time came around, they'd either share room service or go to one of the resort's restaurants. When out, they would be joined by some of Ryan's friends or the actor himself. They'd then go change and enjoy one of the excursions Ryan had planned.

The times where they were invited to do different activities, apart from one another, they'd meet up for dinner.

Thomas found himself enjoying this trip more so than he'd first thought he would.

And then... Ryan's beach party happened.

****************

"Each time I think this place can't possibly become more beautiful, I see something like this." Amanda gestured to the small beach softly lit while dusk fell across the sky.

Ryan handed her a fruity cocktail and nodded as he gazed out at the picture perfect setting.

"This really is paradise." He said, smiling softly at her. "I'm glad to see we are all enjoying it."

"I know I am." She glanced over to where Thomas was talking to a few other people.

Ryan followed her gaze, his brow furrowed for a moment at the way she was looking at his oldest friend.

When Thomas looked over towards them, Amanda quickly averted her eyes.

Ryan was highly amused at this new development. Deciding to see if anything might be revealed, he cleared his throat.

"Now that you're single," he winked at her, "how about I start introducing you to some people I think you might like."

Amanda blushed somewhat. "Given you know mostly glamorous actors, I don't think I would be what they are looking for in a significant other."

"Of course you are!" He made a show of looking about to ask for someone else's opinion. "Thomas!"

Amanda stilled when he motioned for him to join them.

Thomas excused himself and came over. Cocking his eyebrow in question, he looked back and forth between the two.

"I need your opinion." Ryan began. "Now that Amanda's single, don't you think she's perfect for--"

"Stop!" She laughed nervously. "There's no need to ask anyone anything like that."

Her cheeks were burning with the thought of Thomas being put on the spot. Of course he'd say she was perfect for someone else. What else could he say with her standing right there? Pity and kind lies were the last things she wanted from him.

"Then you'll let me introduce you to some people once we return home?" Ryan prodded.

Amanda would have promised him her firstborn just to get out of this conversation.

"Yes." She began to inch away from the two men. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to find somewhere to sit down."

Thomas watched her leave, a bemused expression upon his face.

"What was that all about?"

"Just Amanda being her usual shy self." Ryan chuckled as he finished off his cocktail.

"Ah." Thomas replied.

He continued to study her as she sat down near a place lighted with lanterns and tiki torches.

"She's something, isn't she?" Ryan nudged him with his elbow.

Thomas slowly nodded. "She is very easy to be around."

"That she is." Ryan conceded. "But I think that there's something more to her than that."

Thomas returned his attention to the conversation. "What do you mean?"

"She's attractive." Ryan replied. "Though she doesn't see it, which makes her all the more endearing."

Thomas eyed him. "Is that why you invited her?"

"No." Ryan quickly replied. "I genuinely like her."

"Ah." It was all becoming clear to Thomas. "You're planning on asking her out."

Ryan's eyes widened. "What? No. At one time I thought we might make a good match, but too much time went by and we were too good of friends to chance dating." He shook his head. "I intend on finding her someone."

"Is that why you called me over?" Thomas grumbled, already feeling his rebellious nature rearing its head at the thought of being set up on a blind date of sorts. "You wanted me to be the one with her?"

"Not at all. The thought never crossed my mind of setting up the two of you." Ryan lied. "I simply wanted you to help me convince her that she could easily be a part of our world if she found someone from it she liked."

"Oh." Thomas didn't particularly like that notion either. The thought of her with someone else he knew did not sit well at all.

"Once she falls for whomever I find for her, she'll see that she's perfect within our society."

Ryan, quite pleased with himself, walked away to talk to others after seeing a fierce frown appear on Thomas's face.

****************

Amanda found herself drinking more than she normally would have in the hopes of erasing the fact that she suspected Ryan was talking to everyone about setting her up. She downed a few more fruity cocktails when she recalled that he most likely talked to Thomas about her.

Wincing over that notion, she waved a waiter over for another refill.

"Of all the men," she mumbled to herself, "he would tell that one."

She had no intention of ever falling for a man from Hollywood. She knew her jealous nature and her vast array of insecurities. The thought of seeing someone she was in love with share a passionate love scene with some gorgeous, couldn't be physically possible to look like that, actress would be the end of any peace of mind she possessed.

She knew what she could and could not handle and actors were a definite, no.

What about directors, her traitorous mind whispered.

Amanda lifted her eyes, searching the small crowd for the man she'd grown increasingly close.

She felt herself melt when she saw him illuminated by some torches.

He's so handsome.

Seeing him in various states of dress, from his swim trunks to his suits had done a number on her ability to try to be unmoved by how attractive he was.

She knew she was staring at him more and more as the days went by. The thing was, it wasn't because she thought him the sexiest man she'd ever had the good fortune to meet. She had somehow ended up falling for him.

She loved all the moments she had alone with him. His dry humor had the ability to make her laugh until tears came to her eyes. She adored hearing his deep voice talk about anything from the weather to a movie he thought she might enjoy. His calm nature, though somewhat jaded, meshed well with her own optimism.

She'd even caught him a time or two looking at her with a slight smile to his lips. He seemed to enjoy his time with her as much as she did hers with him.

Or is it because he can only handle these people in small doses, she wondered.

Whatever it was, she was losing her heart and couldn't think of how to make it stop.

****************

Thomas could tell she was staring at him again. Without being too obvious, he cut his eyes over to where she sat. He wasn't one to normally be pleased with drawing attention, yet something about having Amanda's was different.

He actually wanted her to notice him.

He enjoyed having her to himself this past week. And though he initially bucked at the thought of Ryan setting him up with her, he wouldn't mind testing the waters, especially since she seemed more than receptive. He only wanted to do so without any pressure from outside sources.

He watched her as she joined Ryan's group. Her smile seemed a touch strained but her laugh had the same rich sound he'd become used to.

Thomas's brow furrowed when he saw her squeeze Ryan's hand then leave, disappearing into the darkness.

Excusing himself once again from the group he was currently talking to, he pulled Ryan aside.

"Where did she go?" He whispered.

"Who?" Ryan purposely remained oblivious.

"Amanda." Thomas hissed.

"Oh." Ryan shrugged. "She went back to her villa."

"Why?" Thomas prodded. "Was something wrong?"

"I don't know." Ryan replied.

He took a few steps forward to only be yanked back.

"You don't know?" Thomas bit out. "How do you not know? You're one of the nosiest people I know to not have a career in journalism."

"She didn't say why she was leaving. I assumed she was tired." Ryan responded. "And since I assumed she was tired, I saw no reason to question her."

Thomas glared at him. The one time he wanted information on someone and his only source was absolutely useless.

"I'm going to make sure she's okay." He grumbled, walking away.

Ryan fought back a smile.

*****************

"Just a minute!" Amanda yelled out.

She struggled out of her sundress. Once off, she straightened the strapless bikini she'd worn underneath it as she headed towards the door.

Without checking to see who it was, she opened it, stilling at the sight of the man in front of her.

Thomas froze. He'd never seen her before in a swimsuit like the one she was currently in.

"Um." He forced his eyes off her body. "I, I saw you leave and wanted to make certain you were all right."

"I am." She mumbled. "I had too much to drink and thought I should come back here to sober up."

He nodded. She didn't sound too tipsy. In fact, the way she spoke didn't reveal she'd had anything to drink.

"What were you going to do?" He asked, his gaze drifting along her curves.

"I was going to go for a swim to clear my head."

His eyes lifted to hers. Tilting his head in thought, he walked inside her villa, pausing until he was just a couple of feet away from her.

"Want some company?"

NO! Her mind screamed out. The last thing she needed in her current frame of mind was to see him half naked in the moonlight.

"I wouldn't mind yours." She replied instead.

His smile grew bigger. "I'll go change."

She slumped against a chair once he was gone.

"This is a bad idea." She muttered.

A few minutes later, she was cursing her luck. It wasn't like she hadn't seen Thomas in nothing but trunks before. She supposed what was different was that she knew she'd fallen for him and wished she could touch him the way her dreams allowed her to.

Thomas tossed a robe and towel on a lounge chair and dove into the water.

He came to the surface, smoothing his hair back.

"Come on in." He encouraged when she simply stood there staring at him. "The water feels warm."

She slid on the next to the last step and went under.

A slight tremble rushed through her that had nothing to do with being chilled.

She decided to use the steps instead of jumping into the water. She didn't trust herself enough to keep from drowning.

She resurfaced, gasping for air.

Thomas helped get her hair out of her eyes, then set his hands on her waist.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes." She coughed. "I'm fine."

The two bobbed in the water, simply looking at each other.

"You can, um, let me go. I'm not going to drown tonight." She tried to joke.

Thomas kept his arms around her. He'd thought her pretty, but something about tonight and seeing her in a bathing suit that revealed so much of her figure to perfection, made him make a few quick life changing decisions.

"I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking."

Amanda felt like she wanted to walk into the ocean and never stop until she sank beneath the waves.

He's seen me staring at him! Oh dear Lord. What must he think of me?!

"I'm so," she swallowed, trying to find the appropriate words for how embarrassed she felt, "mortified."

"If you'd kept looking," he added, ignoring that confession, "you would have seen me looking at you the same way."

Amanda's eyes flew to his face to see if he was messing with her.

He tugged her close to truly test what might be between them. "And now I wonder..."

Thomas pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

He could feel her stiffen in shock at first, then her arms wrapped around his neck.

The kiss deepened as the two moved even closer together.

Legs tangled while they embraced. Hands moved along the other as desire spiked through their veins. Thomas could feel her smiling against his lips.

He pulled back to look into her eyes. His own lips curved at the feelings of having her in his arms evoked.

"Perhaps I should wonder more often." He murmured.

She smiled, kissing him once more, and whispered.

"Perhaps you should."

[mjspenumbra]

It's 3:40 AM and I should really be asleep but nevermind that. Saw you also reblogged the 'come talk about my fic' thing which is funny because your fic actually tangentially came up in conversation yesterday. We were talking about natural disasters at work and which ones would be the worst and I remembered lahars exist because of your fic and after teaching everyone else what they are I 'won' the debate. Which just goes to show that your fic still lives rent free in my mind.

So here's a question, I've talked at length about my favorite part(s) of it in the comments, what is your favorite part/theme/detail(s) of it?

Glad I helped you win the debate, lol. This is why I’ve always told writers who ask about such things to do their homework! Even when you’re writing fantasy, the more "real" you can make the world, the more it will work for the readers.

Anyhoo…. Oh my, a favorite part/theme/detail. With something as long as OTP, that’s not an easy ask. But I shall try.

My sister has a quote she likes from a book she read way back when, "your god is too small." The general concept is that many people tend to view God only within the limits of whatever religion they have been exposed to and raised in. Within the confines of whatever dogma they’ve been exposed to, they ultimately stuff God into that box and never let Him out (and for the record, I use "Him" because that’s what I learned as a kid in the Catholic Church. My only positive parental figure was my father, so while I tend to have that sort of relationship with my Maker, I also know that it's absurd to think that the Being Who created everything is not Himself Everything. It's English that lacks a gender-neutral or all-encompassing pronoun. So if someone else prefers to think of God as Her, Them, It, whatever, I am not offended, nor do I mean to offend with my personal choice of pronoun. That being said, very Catholic Colombia of the 1950s would have said "Him," though persons with native backgrounds might have debated the matter, depending on which indigenous group was discussing the matter). ANYWAY: so why can’t Bruno be both a seer of the future AND an actual prophet? Why can't God be more a part of human existence than humans believe? So many people who go to church every Sunday (or Saturday, or whichever day) have religion, but what they don’t have is actual faith. They say the words, come together with fellow "believers," but so, so many of them don’t actually have faith in what they profess, in God. It's sad. I’ve had several friends who spent their entire lives bouncing from one church to another, one religion to another, looking for answers they never found because the one answer they lacked was faith. They wanted proof, and that’s a whole different animal.

So here we have Bruno with the Gift of seeing the future. I’ve read far too many stories where the burden of his Gift strangled any semblance of faith in God. Being weary of a world that seems bent on crushing hope and the belief that the world can be a good place, on telling us that the future is doomed to be dystopian, I wanted to try telling a story that instead embraced hope, where Bruno understood that there was another side to his Gift, that of being an actual prophet from time to time, and what would happen if the people of the Encanto — and his family — finally understood this. So this, I think, covers my favorite theme. Wouldn’t be a story but for that.

I think my favorite parts are the chapter where Bruno reveals his Secret Past to the grandkids, the Big Dramatic Climax, and the very end. They describe the circle of his journey through the story: broken man who has lost everything, who becomes more than a man by surrendering to his faith, and in the end becomes a father in more than one sense, and finds joy.

My favorite detail is probably Bruno's serenity room, along with Pepa's Grove and Julieta's Garden. I personally had a hard time believing that a Miracle that created Casita would just throw the kids to the wolves with powerful Gifts without giving them some kind of training ground — though alas, they were misunderstood and thus misused at the time. Alma needed to loosen up!

sheesh, I don’t do short in much any of my writing, do I? 🤪

[siriustaylorsversion]

sebastian stan x reader social media au

(pt.2)

【ｉｎｆａｔｕａｔｅｄ】 (pt.2)

infatuatedthemovie

infatuatedthemovie Is this the best cast or what?!

yourname.official so excited for all the memories.. hopefully will be be good enough to share the same screen as them <33

imsebastianstan is it really you who's saying that? come on, have you seen yourself? gracieabrams i am so so blessed as to even be in the same room as you

abbycowen BABY LET THE GAMES BEGIN

yourname.official i understood that reference! chrisevans ah, i see what you did there... forever.folklore not legends quoting each other 😭

sadie.y/nlove YES I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD WITH THE BEST SURPRISE OF MY LIFE.

abbeycowen

abbeycowen first day on set with these dumbos...

imsebastianstann is this what you mean by my 'staring thing'?

yourname.official YES gracieabrams mom's not wrong, dad. yourname.official THANK YOU, CHILD. forever.folklore WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO BE A PART OF THIS FAMILY SHRCVEGRAVEGWETHVA

blakelively i'm actually jealous of this.

zendaya yeah, WHERE AM I? yourname.official "nO cAmErAs tOdAy... cAn wE pLeAse juSt fOcuS oN fiLminG?" zendaya stfu-

yourname.official

yourname.official "yeah mom, shooting's going well..." liked by zendaya, imsebastianstan and 6,09,500 others.

imsebastianstan ah! so you meant the other kind of shooting...

folklore.forevermore why aren't seb and y/n holding guns?? gracieabrams cause the only kind of shooting he's doing is shooting his shot at @yourname.official. yourname.official i like this one...

zendaya in gracie's words "damn, you look badass"

gracieabrams sad to not be in this post but can't seem to crib. zendaya eXCUSE ME?

abbeycowen

abbeycowen my otp is disgustingly cute. liked by imsebastianstan, yourname.official and 1,09,800 others.

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yourname.official

yourname.official so, i guess the cat's out of the bag, right? i've been in love with @imsebastianstan's acting for years and it still feels so surreal to be able to wake up everyday and be like "oh god, this guy knows i exist?!" but, i'm not gonna make this too long because i don't want him to tease me about this being cheesy for the next whole month. thank you for... just existing. you make every day brighter and every momen happier, AND YES I'M GOING TO QUOTE MYSELF- i've loved you three summers now honey, but i want 'em all 🖤🖤🖤

link to part 1

stay strong! just be yourself <3

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Have you thought about a Locorro Omegaverse AU?? May be in modern Au or Na'vi

You motherfuckers can NOT be doing this to me. You can notttt be sending me omegaverse asks r u joking me.

OBVIOUSLY gun to my head I fucking love omegaverse it's the funniest invention of all mankind and I will read every fic out there possible with any of my otps... (feel free to peruse my What does it say about me that I find a/b/o fics so funny and fascinating anyways here are the bangers collection ONLY if you are 18+ and you like well-written, bizarre, and sometimes disturbing shit because when did we as a society let the omegaverse get away with being considered normal?).

But anyways I have to be honest I have never considered it for locorro, it's always such an inherently sexual concept, as evidenced by the 18+ of that collection lol. But lets give it some pg-13 thought (pls feel free to jump right on my throat if my specific omegaverse understanding is different than yours, there's a fucking bee version now guys I can't win them all):

-We will stay Na'vi, because I feel like it would be interesting and would fit oddly well in their culture.

-I do think Lo'ak would be an alpha he's way too hot-headed and emotional not to be. Like I said in some other post, he just feels things too much and when he's little the feelings are too big for him. He just overloads and has to throw massive tantrums lol. Only made worse by any bullying and insecurity he feels about his human traits

-I think Spider would be a beta, he has calming energy. I always see him as someone everyone can talk to, he gives great advice and he's everyones favorite listener. That's one of the many reasons he slips through the cracks; he puts everyone else first emotionally. He's always so focused on everyone else around him that he forgets about himself. Totally exacerbated by judgement from the Omaticaya and just being small enough to escape notice and stay out of sight.

-I think Kiri would be a beta too and that her and Spider together have an UNMATCHED vibe like it's impossible to be in a bad mood near them.

-They balance Lo'ak out real well, and its one of the reasons the three of them get along so well. He pushes them to actually do things and have fun and they chill him the fuck out.

-As early as he can remember Lo'ak's favorite people were Spider and Kiri. He loves Neteyam and his parents, sure, but they just aren't Spider and Kiri. They don't get Lo'ak, not quite like Spider and Kiri do, and they can't make him feel understood before he gets angry, frustrated, or hurt.

-Eventually this evolves to Spider just being Lo'ak's favorite person. He cannot pinpoint when the change occurred, because it wasn't exactly linear, but one day Spider was going swimming with Tuk and Kiri was forced to go hunting with Neteyam and Jake and Lo'ak wasn't even torn at all deciding who to join; even though Tuk is a monster and hunting is awesome.

-I think it's real hard for the parents not to notice, like it's pretty clear from day one that the three are so close and interconnected that Spider has to be right for one of them, they are family. It just gets clearer with time which it is.

[gointothevvater]

Kloktober day 1: favorite character or OTP

Charles is my favorite character, and cheelie is my favorite ship, so this sorta counts a both! Just in case you couldn't tell, this takes place in the Snakes N' Barrels era!

.

"You aren't even thirty," St. Cecilia was saying. "Can't believe you're already going gray."

Charles hummed noncommittally, his gaze downcast, reading through an interview the band had recently done with Rolling Stone. It hadn't gone well. Pickles had shown up drunk, St. Cecilia had wound up punching the interviewer out when he'd groped her, and the rest of the band just hadn't cooperated. They rarely did. Charles understood their riotous bad boy image needed to be upheld, but it was getting rather ridiculous. They'd been at this for years. "It must be stress," he said.

St. Cecilia stood behind him, applying dye to his hair. The rest of the band was down in the hotel bar, but she'd elected to stay here with Charles, given she was the only one of them who regularly dyed her hair. "What've you got to be stressed about?" she asked, though there was a tinge of laughter at the edges of her voice. "You're just babysitting four manchildren."

"And a womanchild," Charles added.

St. Cecilia gave his hair a tug, and he fought back a smile. "I'm the least stressful, though," she said.

She couldn't have been more wrong. She was nineteen now, more than of legal age, but Charles was still hesitant to let her get too close. There were seven years between them, and considering her age, it was just too much. And she was his client besides. It was massively inappropriate, and that just made him want her more.

"Purple was an interesting choice," she was saying as she got back to work. "I figured you'd just want to go with your natural color."

"Purple?" Charles swiveled to stare at St. Cecilia over his shoulder. "You're making it purple?"

She winked at him, and it was almost enough to get him over the fact that she was dying his hair purple. "It's better than gray, isn't it?"

[ipsen]

Noro and Tatara for the latest character ask please?

a necrophilia ship ask, huh... i'll try my best! LOL

norotara:

when I started shipping it if I did: literally never heard of this ship until you brought it up. very interesting, if a bit difficult to do so

my thoughts: well, it's another black and white aesthetic-type ship, and features the two quietest aogiri members. They're both very efficient in their own ways, and i like the image of tatara helping noro feed since the latter is... out of commission. tatara learning to care for a walking corpse because everyone he loves is already dead... there's something there.

What makes me happy about them: Well that's pretty easy. clears throat

ETO'S DAD IS ACTUALLY PRETTY RAD HE'S ALL I WANT, AND I'M OBSESSED JUST A TAD ETO CAN'T YOU SEE? YOUR DAD'S JUST THE GUY FOR ME I KNOW IT MIGHT BE BAD BUT I'M IN LOVE WITH ETO'S DAD

What makes me sad about them: they can't kiss with all the masks and rotting skin :(

things done in fanfic that annoys me: what fanfics

things I look for in fanfic: WHAT FANFICS

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: houji and shiono, i guess? i don't know.

My happily ever after for them: A quiet life, much like their demeanors, and surrounded by those who care about them, even if it doesn't amount to much.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: tatara is the big spoon.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: relaxing in silence. there's a comfort to being understood without speaking.

----

:P here's the character versions

noro

How I feel about this character: Eto's dad, and an underexplored individual. I write him like he holds a few anti-imperialistic views that Eto would eventually inherit, since a journal from a dead woman isn't enough in my eyes. Also was extremely intelligent and only really lacked a proper education.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Uh...

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Him and Eto! I think they're neat together :]

My unpopular opinion about this character: Uh...... he's not very scary....?

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wanted his backstory with Eto explored. I need to know his parallels to Ryouko Fueguchi right now.

my OTP: him and shiono :] (half joking)

my cross over ship: none

a headcanon fact: when eto was at the orphanage, he pretended to be a stuffed mannequin in the corner of the broom closet. also, when he was noroi, he made a mean hamburger steak.

----

tatara

How I feel about this character: very cool! he should get his own spinoff series because he's almost a main character in like, a shounen or something i dunno LOL

All the people I ship romantically with this character: scratches head i mean kousuke houji is right there. why not. i intimately get it. i wonder why. also putting in a vote for one-sided etora. i want him prostrating himself before her, only for her to do nothing about it. i want that man like a doused, wounded dog.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: him and ayato :] little brother stand-in.

My unpopular opinion about this character: i guess... i like that he was killed by t-owl? giving him his wish of dying at houji's hand while allowing him to "get away" with all the things he did to get there would be kinda messed up.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I want to know about his relationships with arima and eto. who were they to him, and how did he fit into aogiri's power structure?

my OTP: sure i'll say houtata

my cross over ship: idk

a headcanon fact: he got his mouth sewn shut by eto, but she grew bored and never really finished the job. take that as you will.

----

thanks for the ask! LOL

[the1northlanderprincess]

Yeah, there’s definitely a problem

I have been in the Sarah J Maas ‘fandom” for four years, and only recently did I realize that there is, indeed, issues with her writing. It comes after starting Throne of Glass for the first time. I’m not going to do a deep, deep dive of criticisms, but I will address some general things that I found wrong in TOG. 

Okay, let’s start with the numerous love interests Celaena/Aelin had. She had Sam, Dorian, Chaol, and Rowan, as well as other male characters who were either into her, or she into them. That’s, like, Mary Sue territory right there. Sam, Dorian, and Chaol should have been enough. Her relationship with Sam was the sweet, but tragic, first young love kind. Dorian could have been the attractive, fun flirtation type. And Chaol...poor Chaol. Chaolaena should have been endgame. Their relationship was solidly built like many endgamers. They had their issues, for sure (get to that in a second). This is likely going to be controversial, but the whole Nehemiah thing was blown way out of proportion. I understand that Nehemiah was her truest friend, but the lengths of resentment and antagonism there were unnecessary. Chaol was captain of the guard. He was not obligated to tell Celaena certain things. She shouldn’t hold that against him, or anyone, in that position, regardless if she’s in a relationship with him. And, when it was revealed that Nehemiah arranged everything, Celaena’s feelings should have lessened greatly.

Then there is Chaol’s hang-up with Celaena’s magic. Herein lies some of the inconsistencies. When she goes through that portal, it is described that Chaol was exhibiting both horror and awe. Awe, to me, does not seem like a negative reaction. Soon after, he tells her that he doesn’t care that she is an assassin or a Fae. It seems believable at that time. Is it possible that he was just saying that, or trying to convince himself? Sure, but it’s apparent he still loves her, and tells her as much. Maybe he was willing to try, to accept it. However, he does a 360, at times, during HoF. The characterizations in that book go back and forth. Drives me nuts. Don’t get me started on QoS. I’m only going to say it once: Chaol knew who Celaena was, and it should not have scandalized him by how violent she could be. And most of the time, he still cared for her no matter what. 

It doesn’t take a genius to say that Chaol and Celaena have issues. He grew thinking magic was a bad thing, and that was only heightened when he became captain of the guard for an evil king. Also, being captain, he was against lawlessness, which she had represented. Celaena, on the other hand, had deep, deep trauma. So much so, she kept it hidden for a long time without talking about it. Super unhealthy. I might go so far as saying she has DID, or in the very least, PTSD. It didn’t help that Arobynn basically encouraged it, not to mention that in-book things happened to push her down further, triggering her. Had she been raised in a different foster home, it’s possible she could have dealt with those situations in more healthy ways. And, honestly, Chaol should have understood that the way Celaena turned out to be was not entirely her fault. She was, in fact, groomed by Arobynn.

Like I iterated earlier, Chaolaena has all the qualities of an endgame, more specifically, my OTP of book OTPs, Romitri. There is a headstrong, fiery young woman who must train with an older, respected mentor who gets rather annoyed by her antics. Slowly but surely, they come to respect one another and build a kind of camaraderie, and a strong bond. And they’re both stubborn, passionate people, with him being such a stickler for obedience to his occupation, it gets in the way of his own happiness. But eventually they overcome it, and enter into an all-consuming relationship, where they’re both willing to sacrifice everything for one another. Of course, there must be a conflict that will test the strength of their relationship. The conflict for Chaolaena comes relatively sooner than I would have liked. 

If there had to be separation between these two, a book’s length would have been okay. They could have spent some time apart, working through their own crap. Then when their paths would inevitably cross again, things would obviously be a little intense. They could rip into each other to their heart’s content, until they get tired of fighting. Let it rest, cool tempers and whatnot. Maybe there is a bit more truth-telling, but with better level-headedness. That could ultimately lead into a makeout session, realizing that if they truly love each other (which they totally did), they can come to an understanding/compromise; can get through any problem. The going at one another did start right away in QoS, but then it went to heck. It was all right there for the taking. But noooo.

You know, if SJM really wanted Celaena to have a special relationship with Rowan, she could left it at carranam. Someone like no other who can handle her magic, but yet he knows his place before a queen; she is free to boss him around, and not have him question her. Perhaps he could be her capta of the guard. Or, she could have simply sworn him to the blood oath. If she had such strong ties to her cousin, why couldn’t Aedion be carranam? It’d make a lot more sense and would be more special. And the mating bond thing? The proof was there from the beginning that Chaolena was IT, and was formed. Why can’t have there been a bond between one normal person and a magical being? Also, I’m so ticked that Chaolaena was boiled down to a “healing” relationship. Like, no, it was more than that, and you know it.

I have heard that because of ACOTAR’s burgeoning success and popularity, SJM changed the narrative of TOG. But I don’t necessarily buy that. I looked at the publishing date for QoS and ACOTAR. Both are 2015. I don’t think fan influence could have been gauged so quickly. The inconsistencies already started in HoF before nosediving in QoS.

Nevertheless, SJM really and truly done messed up. 

[onlyjaeyun]

Ok so initially I was ready to jump directly down Fuma’s throat but on second thought… like she told her friends she was with him? Fuma just mentioning they had something to his inner circle would be similar and maybe not innately disrespectful. The problem MIGHT be that one of Fuma’s inner circle is a raging douche nozzle…

NOT THE SUBTLE REVEAL THAT HOON UNDERSTOOD JAPANESE I AM SCREAMING WILL SHE CATCH IT I AM SHAKING OMG—

I wonder if Hoon beat any of them up 👀 or will 👀 because like 👀 it’s happened before…

(Still dying for that to come out by the way)

RIP Fuma and/or Fuma’s worthless friends 💀

Like Riki was alllllll the way out of line but…….. something tells me Hoon is on his way with some comfort distraction sex even as we speak…

I’m salty at Riki. I mean he’s only human and there has been a lot going on lately so mistakes might happen and he recognized he was wrong pretty quickly and honestly still good for him defending his sister like that. Though I am so curious about why those boys were targeting Riki? Like were they jealous? Do they have something against Snowflake?

Honestly this was a rough chapter (emotionally 💀) but it definitely advanced the HoonFlake agenda because nothing is going to soften Snowflake like someone taking care of her brother…

About the new female character. I def voted in favor of adding her 🫣 but I hope Hoon doesn’t catch feelings or sample the goods. I just think jelly Snowflake would be a fun dynamic…

HoonFlake is my OTP 4eva.

This chapter left me REELING.

THERE WE GO FINALLY SOMEONE WHO HASNT LOST HOPES IN FUMA 🤕YOURE VERY CLOSE TO THW TRITH BUT I GOTTA STFU OR IMMA SPOIL BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR BIG BRAIN MOMENT BABY ILYSM 🤭🤭🤭

let's say, hoon heard and understood a LOT more than riki thinks and he's definitely not gonna let them get away with much........🤪

he's not yet on his way but he will be, give him time bc he has yet to accept that he genuinely feels bad for her and not for riki 😭

HOONFLAKE IS SUCH A CUTE NICKNAME I LOVE IT SM FKENFOEMLF AND YES YES !!!! you guys know me, it usually gakes a LOT of pain for them to get forward in zadie smaus so fingers crossed we're one step closer 🤭🤭🤞🏼💗

thank you so much for this baby, i love and appreciate you with my whole heart 🥺🤍

[diana-bookfairchild]

*rubs hands together* Let's talk about ace!Katniss Everdeen and ace!Harry Potter headcanons.

I identify as aroace (tentatively, but I have for several years so even if it's a phase and I'm young it's valid enough, right?) and I really, really ship Hinny and Everlark. Hinny is like my all-time OTP. I think I can talk about this without aphobia or disregarding the ships and their canon moments.

Let's define both aro and ace first. Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity.Aromanticism is a romantic orientation characterized by experiencing little to no romantic attraction.

I do headcanon both Harry and Katniss as asexual. NOT aromantic, but asexual. The two often go together, but being one does not automatically mean the other as well - something that is still not properly understood I think.

Romantic attraction is attraction that makes people desire romantic contact or interaction with another person or persons. Someone who feels romantic attraction toward another person may crave physical affection, desire relationships with the person, and desire romantic contact, such as handholding, showing love, or expressing affection. 

I think to anyone who read the books the fact that Harry/Katniss experiences romantic attraction and feelings towards Ginny Weasley and Cho Chang/Peeta Mellark is pretty much indisputable (Cedric Diggory/Gale Hawthorne and your other ships as well, if you like).

Sexual attraction however is completely different. Sexual attraction is attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest.

In my opinion, while thinking otherwise is perfectly valid and justifiable, Harry/Katniss experiences little to none in terms of sexual attraction.

(Not aesthetic attraction which occurs when someone appreciates the appearance or beauty of another person(s) - this happens a lot to both of them with Ginny/Peeta, disconnected from sexual or romantic attraction or desire for physical affection or passion. Simply sexual attraction and desire.)

Let's look at passages in the books that are the most contradictory to this:

So before he can talk, I stop his lips with a kiss. I feel that thing again. The thing I only felt once before. In the cave last year, when I was trying to get Haymitch to send us food. I kissed Peeta about a thousand times during those Games and after. But there was only one kiss that made me feel something stir deep inside. Only one that made me want more. But my head wound started bleeding and he made me lie down. This time, there is nothing but us to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Peeta gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my arms and legs, to the tips of my being. Instead of satisfying me, the kisses have the opposite effect, of making my need greater. I thought I was something of an expert on hunger, but this is an entirely new kind.

From Catching Fire (Book 2 of the trilogy)

Harry gave a guilty start and wrenched his imagination away from a corridor in which no Ron intruded, in which he and Ginny were quite alone —

“There isn’t anyone I want to invite,” mumbled Harry, who was still trying not to think about Ginny any more than he could help, despite the fact that she kept cropping up in his dreams in ways that made him devoutly thankful that Ron could not perform Legilimency.

From Half-Blood Prince (Book 6). There are also several references to 'stolen hours in secluded corners' in Deathly Hallows (Book 7).

Now, it is perfectly understandable to interpret all these instances as sexual. Considering Harry and Katniss to be allosexual characters is the norm, especially because of these excerpts.

However, despite these, I still think the two can canonically be thought of as asexual. This is because rather than being sexual, the main thing displayed in these excerpts is passion.

Another thing to remember here is that kissing/snogging/making out is not inherently a sexual act. It's usually an indicator of allosexuality, but not always. There are absolutely asexual people who like doing that, especially those who are sex positive.

Katniss definitely does not display sexual attraction here. She enjoys it, definitely, and she craves more kissing - calling it hunger - but that can be taken as a desire for connection, for warmth, for closeness, for more physical affection, for kissing in the physical sense as much as it can be taken for wanting to go further sexually. She just wants to stay as she is, within a cocoon of the man she loves, with further physical contact. That isn't necessarily sexual. She also displays similar emotions when Peeta's lips accidentally touch her neck earlier in the book - so there's no need to take this to mean something blatantly sexual when a fairly innocent thing was also responded to in the same way. Not certainly, anyway. Like I said, the allosexual interpretation is also valid.

Harry here is more complicated. Also easier. He obviously enjoys kissing Ginny and physical contact with her. He also clearly adores her physical beauty - he even says in Deathly Hallows that he never fully appreciated it despite their dating, his time pining and year-long friendship (aww!). The guy says he keeps dreaming of Ginny but he also writes fanfiction in his head of Ginny weeping over his prone form, continuously imagines Ron giving them his blessing and actively shipping them (which he does do to an extent - imo Ron ships Hinny more theoretically than realistically) and fantasizes about ... talking to her. It's not a stretch to think he's merely imagining snogging rather than more sexual acts. Ron goes ballistic over seeing Ginny and Dean embrace and kiss and turns his head pointedly away at Harry and Ginny's good-night kiss. When it comes to his sister, he's a prude. Harry being glad Ron can't see his dreams really does not have to mean they're sexually graphic. Wanting to be alone in the corridor with Ginny tells me more that he wants to do exactly what Ginny and Dean were doing and that his crush on her/love for her is very very passionate and rooted in physicality than that he sexually desires her - though once again, that is a valid interpretation and vastly the norm for a reason.

Harry does continually remember stealing away with Ginny to private spots very fondly in Deathly Hallows. This I don't particularly care about, because whether or not Harry feels sexual attraction can be entirely unrelated to whether he gets pleasure from sexual intimacy. While I maintain that this might refer to merely physical intimacy - heavier than what is given in the text, very passionate but not necessarily sexual - even if it refers to sexual acts, that he likes it does not mean he isn't asexual.

A lot of people say that both Hinny and Everlark would've been more sexually explicit if not for genre and age range constraints. However, due to those, this is what we've got and I believe extrapolating ace Harry and Katniss from it is understandable.

I headcanon both Harry and Katniss to be sex neutral asexuals with leaning towards sex positive aka they don't experience too much attraction but they still enjoy sexual acts.

I'll end with an appeal. Seeing these characters as allosexual is fine. Great. But please don't say stuff like 'how can so and so be anything but allosexual' and 'an asexual understanding of this character is entirely invalid' without first thinking it through because SO MUCH of that kind of thing is casual ignorant aphobia. There was a post I saw about how the hunger Katniss experience can be anything but sexual and therefore ace Katniss headcanons are stupid for example, which I explained here (sufficiently, I hope).