#some of the seven are canonically good at cooking or have relatives who are food at cooking so you know? could've been cool ig. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years

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Hi! Can you rec some canon slow burn fics? I love that kind of thing, friends to lovers, case fics etc. I am also new to the fandom and let me tell you - your blog is amazing. ♡

Anonymous said to inevitably-johnlocked: Hi Steph, do you know of any slow build/first proclamation of love fics? Preferably told from Sherlock’s POV or a mix of both, something like “A Road Less Traveled” by verityburns? Thanks

Anonymous said to inevitably-johnlocked: do you know any really long slow burn fics that don’t have smut? sorry i really just don’t like smut cause im ace

Hi Nonnies!

First of all, thank you so much for your kind words about my blog, Nonny 1!! I’m glad you’re enjoying it, and welcome to the fandom!!

Second of all, of course I can rec y’all some slow burn fics! I’ve a lot of them! I’ll just give them all to you, and y’all can filter out the AU fics / POV fics, etc. because I always write in my tags if it’s an AU / POV fic if I remember :)

Nonny 3, just check out the fics below for anything not rated above T, and you should be good

Love you, Nonnies, and I hope you find something you’re looking for! (thought I did LOL) so I’ve added it to my MFL section!

FALLING IN LOVE / SLOW BURN / DEV. REL.

See also:

T-RATED Pt. 1: Friends To Lovers Fics || [MOBILE LINK]

Friends to Lovers [FULL POST] || [MOBILE POST]

First Time || [MOBILE]

John Will Never Forget by gelos (bia_mpinto) (NR, 244 w. || Fluff, First Time, Love Confessions) – John will never forget Sherlock’s everything.

Of Locks and Keys by Youarethelightoftheworld (G, 574 w. || H/C, Angst, Falling in Love, Friendship) – He listens to the steady beating of John’s heart and thinks of his own; weak and vulnerable, but aching to be released.

A Need To Know Basis by mattsloved1 (G, 934 w. || Humour, Romance) – As the cab door shut firmly, the DI had yelled out they were to make an appearance at Scotland Yard the next day. It was while John watched London pass by that it happened.

Moonshine by CKLizzy (T, 1,408 w. || Cuddling / Snuggling, Touching, Dev. Rel., Bed Sharing, Comfort, Touching) – Sometimes, routines changed. Sequel to “Nightfall”. Part 2 of Solace

I love you, I say by khoshekhskitten (G, 1,576 w. || Pre & Post TRF, Hurt / Comfort, First Kiss, Love Confessions) – “I love you” is a phrase that follows John Watson through his life with Sherlock Holmes.

Blanket Burrito by All_I_need (G, 1,894 w. || Tooth Rotting Fluff, Pining Sherlock, POV Sherlock, Sort-Of Love Confession) – John, a blanket-wrapped burrito of laughing sunshine in a ratty t-shirt, notices. Of all the moments for him to be observant, this is the one he chooses.

Five Times Sherlock gave John a Pebble and One Time John Returned the Gesture by grimmfairy (NR, 1,895 w. || Love Confessions, Penguins and Pebbles, Nervous / Pining Sherlock, Oblivious John) – Sherlock isn’t good with words, so he decides to tell John his feelings the way penguins do, by bringing him pebbles with different meanings. John catches on.

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil by PipMer (T, 1,895 w. || Deaf John, Mute Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Fluff and Angst, Character Study, Morse Code, Love Confessions) – John is deaf. Sherlock is mute. There are no two people more suited for each other.

Duvet (green) by Mazarin221b (G, 2,021 w. || Post-THoB, Mind Palace, Revelations, First Kiss) – Sherlock recalibrates and restructures his mind palace so it looks like 221b. What he chooses to put in John’s room is a bit of a surprise, and a revelation.

The Importance of Torn Papers by MyLittleCornerOfSherlock (G, 2,427 w || Pre-Slash, Love Declarations, Fluff) – Little things make a big difference, even little notes of thanks. Small reminders to show he cares.

Where You Are by Mazarin221b (E, 2,478 w. || Beach Sex, First Time, Fluff, Smut, Holidays, Pining) – He can admit he’s secretly a little glad Sherlock didn’t come with him. He needs a break. Sherlock is a handful at the best of times, and the near-constant apologizing, fixing, dealing-with, and following up on is exhausting. The near-constant unrequited attraction is a bit exhausting, too, to be honest, and John could really use a tiny bit of rest from the relentless hammering on his brain and heart.

Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down by standbygo (M, 3,282 w. || Post-S4, Five Plus One, Missing Scenes, Parenthood, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, Declarations of Love, Fluff, Food, John Whump) – Five times when Sherlock and John ate together, and one time they didn’t. A history of the boys, in food.

A Bit of Indulgence by beltainefaerie (NR, 3,364 w. || Fake Relationship, Pride Parade, Declarations of Love, Fluff, Dev. Rel., Case Fic) – A case leads John and Sherlock to fake being boyfriends and John runs into an old acquaintance.

nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands by miss_frankenstein (T, 3,731 w. || Kissing in the Rain, Angst With Happy Ending) – In which John and Sherlock finally confront their feelings for each other - as only they would do - in the pouring rain.

Tell Me a Secret, Sherlock Holmes. by DaringlyDomestic (NR, 3,880 w. || Love Confessions, Truth or Dare, Smut, Gentle Explicit Love, Microscopic Angst) – John’s voice is low and seductive, sending a shiver of want crackling through his stomach. Sherlock’s heart beats frantically against his ribcage, and his breathing grows fast as he feels John’s lips flutter against the sensitive skin of his neck. The kiss, if it could really be called that, is so quick and so light that Sherlock is almost convinced he had imagined it. Part 9 of Tumblr Drabble Challenge

Five Times John Cooked Something with Peas and One First Kiss by 221b_careful_what_you_wish_for (T, 3,915 w. || 5 and Ones, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Cooking / Food, Sick Sherlock, Music, Domestic Fluff, First Kiss) – After John cooks five dinners that slowly reveal their hunger for each other, Sherlock and John finally share a first kiss.

Jukebox by standbygo (T, 3,990 w. || Fluff, Singing/Music, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Hurt/Comfort, Humour, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss) – After the music halls of Sherlock’s mind palace get damaged by accident, John learns that Sherlock never forgets a song. Even the ones he’d rather forget. But the random singalong brings some unexpected benefits.

The Sum of His Parts by CommonNonsense (T, 4,311 w. || Body Worship, Pining, First Time) – There are eleven major organ systems in the human body. Sherlock knows about all of them to some degree, but none fascinate him as much as the ones that make up John Watson.

Law of Reciprocals by thequeergiraffe (T, 4,377 w. || Fluff, Angst) – “Law of Reciprocals, is it? You’ve saved my life enough times. I figure, turnabout’s fair play.” Sherlock finds ways to reciprocate his appreciation of John.

Overture by Kate_Lear (M, 4,435 w. || First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Angry John, Introspection, Dev. Rel., Embarassed / Insecure Sherlock, Morning After, Bed Sharing, Cuddles / Limpet Sherlock) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.

A Quiet Murmuration by cathedral_carver (T, 4,684 w. || Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Kissing) – Just pay me back with one thousand kisses.

Confessions by crimsonwinter (T, 4,711 w. || Love Confessions, Fluff) – John and Sherlock finally confess their love for each other.

How Will I Know? by eragon19 (E, 4,895 w. || Pining, Love Confessions, POV Sherlock, Fluff, Sherlock’s Imagination, Papa Lestrade) – Here was the problem: Sherlock Holmes was completely and irrevocably in love with John Watson, and he had absolutely no idea how to tell him.

Laid Bare by esplanade (T, 6,529 w. || Romance, Fluff, Pining, Angst) – “I suppose it comes as no surprise that I always rather detested grand romantic gestures. They struck me as unnecessary and contrived, feeble attempts at desperately holding together relationships, most of which should have been allowed to fall apart.”

where the good things grow by anchors (M, 7,066 w. || Alternate First Meeting, Magical Realism, Gardens, Tea, Friends to Lovers) – “I have a magic garden.” As come-ons go, John’s heard worse.

Speak My Language by Itsallfine (T, 7,479 w. || Thanksgiving, Love Languages, Love Confessions, First Kiss) – When Mrs. Hudson introduces John and Sherlock to the concept of the five love languages, Sherlock descends into a dark mood and John’s curiosity gets the better of him. What is Sherlock’s love language, and why does the whole concept set him so on edge? Part 1 of A Holiday Triptych]

Unwasted by patternofdefiance (E, 8,966 w. || Post-S3 / S3 Fix-It, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Angelo’s, Fluff, First Time, Anal, Cum Play, Flashbacks to ASiB, Mutual Pining, Love Confessions, Bottomlock, Cuddles, Multiple Orgasms, BJ’s, Bed Sharing) – John finds it three months after he’s moved back. He’s on the hunt for something to make for dinner, is scrounging through the cupboards, when he happens upon the graveyard of pasta boxes Sherlock still seems to create when left to his own devices. Behind seven boxes of pasta, all almost completely empty, is a dark-glassed bottle, with a paler coat of dust.It’s unopened. John’s face falls slack when he sees it, instantly recognises it, and for a long moment he just stands and looks at it.

Inked in Memory by 221b_hound (E, 9,716 w. || Post-HLV, Tattoos, First Kiss / Time, Anal, Cuddling, Scars, Captain John, Kissing, Switchlock) – John has been back at Baker Street for a year, following the debacle that ended in Mary’s death. Things are good. Back almost to what they used to be. Sherlock might wish they were something else, now, but he only has himself to blame, he thinks. It’s too late, now, for the things he first denied before he’d ruined any chances he might have had. Sherlock also thinks that people who get tattoos are idiots. But perhaps he’s about to learn a thing or two, not least of which might be it’s not as late as he thinks it is. Part 1 of Lock and Key

Ravish Me by amalnahurriyeh (E, 10,025 w. || UST / RST, Makeup / Lipstick, Sympathetic Sally, Experiments, Pining John, First Kiss, Face Fucking / BJ’s, Cuddling) – Sherlock is experimenting with patterns of wear on lipstick in daily encounters. John is going to go insane.

You fit me, Sherlock Holmes by orphan_account (G, 10,077 w. || Fluff, Slow Burn, Idiots in Love, Experiments) – An unfortunate series of events leads to John accepting being a part of Sherlock’s study in physical intimacy. As the days pass by, John realizes he might be in for more than he bargained for. He doesn’t entirely mind.

The River Variations by withoutawish (T, 11,619 w. || Soulmates, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Three Garridebs, Romance, Light Case Fic, Near Death Experience, Angst and Fluff) – John Watson never knew that he wanted a ‘no toast in the mornings’ normal until he realized what an honor it is to be destroyed by Sherlock Holmes.

The Nutcracker by Odamaki (T, 13,758 w. || Nutcracker AU || Christmas, Dark Magic, Dolls) – Sherlock is unimpressed with Uncle Rudy’s present. A doll? What does he want with a doll?

Pattern Behaviour by SilentAuror (E, 14,835 w. || POV First Person Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Introspection, Stroppy Sherlock, Light Humour, Friendship, John Takes Care of Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Wall Kisses, Fluffy Angst, Happy Ending) – Sherlock doesn’t even know why he resents John’s dates so much. Until the day he does know. Slight angst, unrequited feelings (but don’t let that scare you off!)

Merlot by Itsallfine (E, 14,844 w. || Christmas, Pining Sherlock, Wine, Slow Burn, First Kiss / Time, Love Confessions, Wine, Holmes Family) – Sherlock and John work toward becoming something more as they prepare to host the Holmes parents at 221B for the holidays. Part of 25 Days of Fic-Mas 2015.

Twelfth Night by yourdykeinshiningarmor (E, 15,139 w. || Fake Relationship, Christmas, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Angst & Fluff, BJ’s, Anal) – John is invited to his aunt’s Twelfth Night ball. Sherlock offers to attend with him as a friendly face among strangers, but John’s family force him to address his true feelings for Sherlock.

Everlasting by cypress_tree (M, 16,884 w. || Magical Realism, First Time, Immortality, Angst & Fluff) – Most lives end. A Tuck Everlasting fusion, in which the Holmes brothers have lived for a very, very long time.

Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn’t. One of them is probably going to be wrong.

At the Heart of it All by SilentAuror (E, 19,812 w. || Virgin Sherlock, Post S3, POV John, Domestics, First Time, Kissing, Romance) – John has been back at Baker Street for four months now and thinks it’s about time they had the Talk to see whether or not they could be more than friends. Sherlock has a lot of uncertainty about this concept for multiple reasons. Unabashed romance.

Through the Clouds by Mazarin221b (E, 20,004 w. || Retirement, Sussex, Bees, Home Improvement, First Time, Romance) – Sherlock takes a remarkably early retirement at 47, and convinces John that a change of pace would do them both good. They buy an old cottage on the South Downs, and exchange their nonstop life in Baker Street for quiet contemplation, bee studies, and book writing. They might go completely insane, but sometimes it takes stepping outside of the life you’re living to find the life you want. Part 1 of Through The Clouds

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John, Past Abuse, Insecure John, Reassuring / Caring Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Understanding Sherlock) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

whiskies neat by Ellipsical (E, 20,660 w. || Alternate First Meeting, POV Second Person Sherlock, Slow Burn, One Night Stand, Rimming, Blow Jobs, Anal, Soldier John, Crying, Emotional Lovemaking, Switchlock) – Home and hearth and whiskies neat, or, alternatively, Sherlock Holmes falls in love.

Ghost Stories by SwissMiss (M, 22,256 w. || Pining, Holmes Family, Christmas, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, First Time) – Sherlock’s parents think he and John are a couple. They might be onto something.

Sonatina in G Minor by SilentAuror (E, 22,574 w. || Case Fic, POV Sherlock, Angst, UST, Sherlock’s Violin, Post-S3, Romance) – John has come back to Baker Street, but Sherlock doesn’t understand the strange tension between them, even after he begins teaching John to play the violin at John’s request.

Maintaining A Personal Life by Gingerhermit (E, 24,284 w. || Alternating POV’s, Bisexuality, BAMF!John, Romance / Drama, Sort-of Case Fic, Peril & Angst, Love Confessions, Toplock, Soft Idiots in Love, Post S3) – Sherlock and John discover some interesting revelations about each other’s sexuality, which lead them both to question the assumptions they’ve made about one another for years. In the midst of their mutual discoveries, a dangerous psychopath looms on the side-lines who threatens to destroy their new beginning.

Tomorrow’s Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)

State of Flux by Atiki (E, 24,655 w. || Sherlock POV, Slow Burn, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Cuddles and Snuggles, Awkwardness, Insecure/Virgin Sherlock, Romance) – John’s marriage is over and he is finally back home (i.e. at Baker Street, where he belongs). Sherlock is awfully insecure and John is awfully hesitant, and they’re both awkward idiots, of course, but they figure it out. Many First Times happen.

Dropping the Act by jadztone (T, 27,258 w. || Parentlock, Fake Relationship, Mary’s Family, Post-S4, Cuddling & Snuggling, Bed Sharing, Pining, Christmas) – Sherlock and John are quite happy living together with Rosie in Baker St. They might be even happier if they didn’t act towards each other like their love is only platonic. Mycroft brings troubling news in the form of Mary’s parents wanting to know just what their grandchild’s home life is like. The boys decide to spend Christmas pretending like they are in love in order to seem more like a “normal” family. It’s easy enough to pretend when all you’re doing is dropping the act.

Don’t Leave Anything Out by lookupkate (E, 27,422 w. || Epistolary, Falling in Love, Misunderstandings, Alternate First Meeting) – The first letter John writes home from Afghanistan is meant to go to a woman he went on only one date with. How it ends up in Sherlock’s hands is completely innocent. What happens next is not. What do you do when you find out the person you’re in love with has been lying about something as monumental as who they are? What do you do when you’re the one who lied? How on earth do you put the pieces back together?

Hellfire by testosterone_tea (E, 28,596 w. || Fantasy / Magic / Mages / Elementals AU || Mage Sherlock, Elemental John, Developing Relationship, Torture, Powerful / BAMF John, POV Alternating, Dark / Blood Magic, UST, First Kiss) – Sherlock is a Mage that gets involved with a case involving Dark Summoning rituals, leading him to John Watson, a man with Berserker blood. The only thing is, Berserkers have been extinct for centuries. And of course, nothing involving Mycroft and his interfering ways is ever simple. This time, even Sherlock may have bitten off more than he can chew.

Another Auld Lang Syne by DiscordantWords (M, 30,234 w. || Post S4, Mutual Pining, Alternating POV, Introspection, Parentlock, Christmas, New Year’s, First Kiss, Past Drug Use, Angst with Happy Ending, Drinking, Sherlock Whump) – There had been years of missed chances.

The Kissing Disease by cottonballz_of_death (E, 30,856 || Sickfic, Angst with Happy Ending, Case Fic, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Jealous Sherlock, Body Image Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional H/C, POV Sherlock, Oral / Anal, Thong, Frottage) – John brings home a boyfriend, shocking Sherlock, who long ago gave up hope that his straight flatmate would ever take a romantic interest in him. In a bid to reconnect with John, he tries to infect himself with a “harmless” virus. Neither of them is prepared for the emotional fallout that results.

Love or What You Will by miss_frankenstein (T, 31,987 w. || College/Uni AU || Professor John, Ph.D Student Sherlock, Pining John, Poetry, Falling in Love / Slow Burn, Light Angst, Happy Ending) – John is an English professor who specializes in War and Post-War Literature and Sherlock is the brilliant yet impossible Ph.D. student assigned to be his TA because no one in the Chemistry Department is willing to put up with him. And - somewhere between Waugh and Plath, e-mails and takeaway, novels and villanelles - they fall in love.

Five Times They Kissed for a Case, and One Time They Kissed for Real by fleetwood_mouse (M, 32,406 w. || 5+1, Slow Burn, Fluff / Angst, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers) – A stolen ring! An artful blogger! And many more adventures for your enjoyment.

Chaperones by MissDavis (T, 34,114 w. || 11 Years Post-S4, Fake Relationship, Parentlock, Disney World, Bed / Room Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, First Kiss, Obsessive Sherlock, Insecure John) – Right. Of course. Everyone assumed they were a couple and no one would question it. John put his elbows up on the table so he could rest his head in his hands. “You want to pretend to be a couple so we can chaperone a trip to Disney World with Rosie’s class and you won’t have to share a room with a stranger?” “Exactly.” Sherlock beamed at him. “Don’t worry about the cost. The Birmingham case last month paid more than enough to cover expenses for all three of us.”

Bedtime Stories by Liketheriver (M, 34,388 w. || Emotional H/C, Romance, Angst & Humour, Bed Sharing, John First Person, TRF, John Whump) – John’s POV during Season 2 and beyond when Sherlock takes up semi-permanent residence in his bed. A collection of codas and missing scenes wrapped up into one long fic and topped with a bow that takes the story beyond Reichenbach and into happy territory once more. Part 1 of Bedtime Universe

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice) – Clara’s American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she’s also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she’s placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

The Boy Who Drank Stars by kinklock (E, 36,157 w. || Howl’s Moving Castle AU || Witches and Wizards, Slow Burn, Magic, Jealous John, Happy Ending, Bed Sharing) – “I’m looking for a castle,” John informed the scarecrow. “A moving one.”Except that, as it turned out, it was not a moving one at all.

Nothing to Make a Song About by emmagrant01 (E, 36,833 w. || Post-TRF, First Time, Reunion, Jealous John, Pining Sherlock, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending) – When Sherlock returned from his faked death, John could not forgive him for the deception and broke off their friendship. Ten years later, John returns to London in search of yet another new beginning. Sherlock, not surprisingly, is waiting.

(Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea by DiscordantWords (M, 39,968 w. || Post S4 Fix It || Grief / Mourning, Victor Trevor, Friendship, Sherlock is Not Okay, Nightmares/Flashbacks/Panic Attacks, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John Comes Home) – Baker Street is very much the same. Only different. And Sherlock is just trying not to drown.

Act IV by SilentAuror (E, 39,707 w. || First Person POV Sherlock, HLV Fix-It, Indifelity, Angst, Drama) – After Sherlock is shot, John moves back into Baker Street. They spend the autumn together as John tries to make sense of his life and make some important decisions about both Mary and Sherlock. Canon-compliant, excerpts from His Last Vow.

In the Still of the Night by SilentAuror (E, 42,234 w. || S4 Fix It / Post-S4, Sherlock POV, Angst, Drama, Romance, Virgin Sherlock, Awkwardness, Misunderstandings / Miscommunications, Case Fic, Travelling, Pining) – As locals on the Northeastern coast begin to report UFO sightings, life at Baker Street becomes significantly awkward as John brings up his desire for more than friendship and Sherlock refuses him. They embark on the investigation from the confines of the tiny cottage Mycroft has rented for them, attempting to navigate both the clues of the case as well as their own inability to communicate…

The Soul Remembers by i_ship_an_armada (E, 43,636 w. || Oblivion AU || Post-Apocalypse, Movie Fusion, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Angst, Dreams, Bittersweet Ending) – John Watson is the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. His dreams are plagued by a tall, dark-haired man, and when his dreams meet reality, he will be forced to question everything he believes is the truth about his life.

Sentenced by SarahKnight (T, 44,777 w. || Dev. Rel., Alternate S4 Canon, Drama, Angst, Pining, Feelings are Hard) – Virtual series 4 opener. Sherlock’s in prison being targeted by a murderer, John’s married to a pregnant assassin and Moriarty’s back.

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case … and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

The Norwood Love Builders by flawedamythyst (T, 47,798 w. || Fake Relationship, Slow Burn, Post TRF Angst) – Sherlock and John go undercover to solve the murder of Joanna Oldacre, but things are complicated by the many feelings John has been repressing in the wake of Sherlock’s faked death and return.

The Pieces That Fall to Earth by Itsallfine (M, 49,513 w. || S4 Fix-It, Epistolary, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Parentlock, Past Abuse, Coming Out, Questioning Sexuality, Mental Health Issues / Therapy, Angst, Happy Ending) – John and Sherlock have hit rock bottom, but with all their armor stripped away, they can finally speak honestly, seek healing, and find the truths that matter most.An epistolary post-s4 fix-it fic. Now complete.(This fic is rated T except for one very clearly marked and easily skippable chapter, which is rated M.) Part 1 of The Pieces that Fall to Earth

Triage by scullyseviltwin (E, 51,612 w. || Character Injury, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Falling in Love, Slow Burn, Sherlock POV) – Sherlock’s mind goes exceedingly, devastatingly quiet and gray-blank. When he speaks it’s through a thick haze, it’s through molasses, he’s so disconnected from the words that it may as well be the unconscious shooter speaking.

Spare Change by Ermerness (E, 51,966 w. || Rich Sherlock AU, Virgin Sherlock, First Time, Alternate First Meeting) – The Holmes family is one of the richest and most powerful in England. Sherlock spends his time flying around the world on the family’s private jet drinking a lot and shopping at expensive boutiques as a way of trying to alleviate his endless boredom. His mother decides it’s time he settles down with someone powerful, wealthy and well connected. John Watson happens to be none of those things.

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape, BAMF John) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

Never Change a Running System by Lorelei_Lee (E, 54,246 w. || Pre-TRF, Romance, Humour, Drama, Sex Toys, Anal, Rimming, Masturbation, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Public Sex, First Kiss / Time, Virgin Sherlock / Loss of Virginity, Accidental Voyeurism, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Experiments, Naive Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Straight With an Exception John, Hand Jobs) – Sherlock discovers his sexuality – with far-reaching consequences for John.

A Hundred Crimson Sols by elldotsee (E, 55,536 w. || Astronauts AU || Mars Exploration / Space Travel, Slow Burn, Shy Sherlock, Scientist Sherlock / Biomed Engineer John, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, UST, Angst with Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Suicidal Ideation, Zero-G Sex) – Will Holmes is a chemical researcher recognized widely for his contributions to the new Mars exploration program. Thanks to his ground-breaking developments, the IMMC (International Mars Mission Corporation) is one step closer to Martian colonization. Will and his team of scientists are headed out on the first of three manned missions before the first group of settlers arrive. Three days before launch, one of the crew has to be replaced. Will panics because…new people. The replacement is of course one John Watson, biomedical engineer and space hottie who was pretty sure he had retired from actual space exploration and was now content to work in the nice, quiet research lab. Can the crew survive this TOTALLY ROUTINE trip? Will they be able to endure each other for the looooooong trip in close quarters? Gonna be a wild ride… prepare for blast off. Part 1 of the SpaceBois go to Space series

One Little Change by jadztone (E, 58,312 w. || ASiB Divergence, Fake Relationship, Bed Sharing, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bi John / Gay Demisexual Sherlock, Switchlock, Alternating POV, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Case Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Emotional Love Making, Butt Plugs, Cuddles) – Our story begins right after John and Sherlock’s first meeting with Irene Adler in September. It splits off into an AU that imagines them taking a case where they act as bait to hook a killer targeting closeted gays in secret relationships. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many things happen that have our boys wondering if maybe they have a chance with each other. Then Irene fakes her death on Christmas Eve, and things get a lot more complicated - especially since they still have a killer to catch.

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w. || Notting Hilll AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant – but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by ivyblossom (E, 62,006 w || First Person Sherlock POV, Pining, Angst, Slow Burn, Infidelity, Sherlock Learns About Himself, Happy Ending) – Sherlock struggles with his feelings for John, makes a mistake, and learns just how important he and John are to each other. Non-BBC Mary / John, but it’s a *complicated* relationship.

This Thing All Things Devours by cypress_tree (E, 63,844 w. || In Time AU || Science Fiction, Dystopian Universe, First Meetings, Action / Adventure, Romance) – In 2169, time is money—literally. Humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, when the numbers on their arm start counting down from one year. When that time is up, they die. The only way to get more time is to earn it, borrow it, or steal it.John Watson lives day-to-day in the crowded slums of Zone 13. He never imagined living any differently—until he meets the practically-immortal Sherlock, and helps him on a case to track a local time-thief…

The Bells of King’s College by SilentAuror (E, 64,019 w. || Post-S4, Missed Opportunities, Angst with Happy Ending, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, John POV, Jealous John, John in Denial, Travelling / Holidays, Virgin Sherlock, Wedding Proposals) – It’s only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths…

Summit Fever by J_Baillier (M, 78,802 w. || Mountain Climber AU || POV John, Angst, Tragedy, Suicidal Ideation, The Himalayas, Mountain Guide / Doctor John, Mount Climber Sherlock, Loneliness, Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Injured Sherlock / Sherlock Whump, Pining John) – After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he’s a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover’s trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world’s highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

A Case of Identity by jkay1980 (T, 91,009 w. || Fake Relationship, Post-TRF, Case Fic) – John and Sherlock have succeeded in rebuilding their friendship after Sherlock’s fake suicide, but an unusual case puts their relationship to the test. They pretend to be engaged and attend a marriage counseling workshop. Under the pretext of the case, Sherlock turns out to be a master of seduction, and John finally learns he might like Sherlock more than he thought. Slowly, John discovers that he loves Sherlock not only in a friendly, brotherly way, but both men have to fight their own demons before they can think of taking their relationship to a new level…

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

The Wedding Garments by cwb (E, 105,390 w. || Alternate Future AU || , Alternate First Meeting, Dating / Arranged Marriages, Romance, First Kiss/Time, Heavy Petting, Cuddles, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn / Falling in Love / Dev. Rel., Nervous/Anxious Sherlock, Jealous/Cranky, Hiking, Vacation Homes / Honeymoon, Sherlock’s Family, Horny John/Sherlock, Patient John, Massages, Hand Jobs, Assassination Plots, Hand Jobs / Oral Sex) – This is the story of a young consulting detective who wants nothing to do with marriage and an army doctor who wants to find true love. It’s 2020 post-Brexit England and the British government is encouraging arranged marriages. Candidates meet through state-run agencies and date in hopes of finding love (and tax benefits). Sherlock doesn’t need or want a spouse, at least not until John Watson shows up. Hesitant to give in to his more carnal urges because of the way they derail his mind, how will Sherlock progress toward the more intimate aspects of a relationship? The answer lies in a very special wedding gift.

A Study in Winning by Jupiter_Ash (E, 106,658 w. || Tennis AU || John POV, Dirty Talk, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Happy Ending, Sherlock Speaks French, Switchlock, Wimbledon) – John and Sherlock are professional tennis players and it’s Wimbledon. One is a broken almost was at the end of his career, the other an arrogant rising star tipped for greatness. It should have been a straightforward tournament. It really should have been. How were they to know that a chance encounter would change everything? Part 1 of Tennis

Eyes Up, Heels Down by CodenameMeretricious (E, 107,845 w. || Sports Equestrian AU || Fluff, Angst, Humour, Rider!Sherlock, Groomer!John, Show Jumping, Slow Burn, Happy Ending) – Sherlock is a top eventing rider currently training at Baker Farms. John is the new groom who’s been told to steer clear of the surly rider and his horses. Part 1 of Baker Farms

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Hand / Blow Jobs, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship’s surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there’s more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin’ the eye, he has to choose… is it a pirate’s life for him?

To Light Another’s Path by BeautifulFiction (E, 128,654 w. || Post-TGG, Sick Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Drug Addiction / Recreational Drug Use, First Time / Kiss, Case Fic) – Teaching John to observe seems to be a losing battle, but when Sherlock falls ill and submits himself to John’s care, will he realise that there is more to life than the science of deduction? Meanwhile, there is a murder to solve, and John must try and convince Sherlock not to sacrifice his own health for the sake of the case.

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We’re all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors ‘Verse

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn’t have much choice. There’s only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

The Gilded Cage by BeautifulFiction (E, 326,887 w. || Omegaverse || Omega Sherlock / Alpha John, Friends to Lovers, Dub Con, Reproductive Rights) – In a world where Omegas are the property of the elite Alphas, locked away and treasured by those wealthy enough to buy them, John never questioned his flatmate’s secondary gender. Sherlock Holmes was an Alpha through-and through. Wasn’t he? A chance discovery turns the world on its head, and John is left grappling to come to terms with Sherlock’s past as events conspire to threaten their future.

MARKED FOR LATER

(these are fics I have in my MFL list for future reading and have not read them yet. Read at your own discretion).

And Then There Were Two by NimWallace (T, 10,194 w. || Post S4, Mutual Pining, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Angst, Grief / Mourning, Mystery, Cults) – It’s quiet at Baker Street. Too quiet. It’s been a year since Mary died, but only a few months since the events of the Final Problem, and Sherlock and John have fallen into a state of despairing and monotony. So when a case involving a vicious cult on the English Country side appears, they quickly jump to go undercover as Sean Harmony and John Wales. But how can Sherlock keep a delicate John from breaking? And how can John come to terms with his love for his detective? Most importantly, what really happened the night of the Final Problem?

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can’t be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade’s team and something happens that will change everything about their lives…

What Friends Do by agirlsname (E, 23,177 w. || Post-ASiP Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Jealous Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Infidelity, First Kiss/Time, Fluff and Smut, Cuddling and Snuggling, Platonic-to-Not-Platonic, Blow/Hand Jobs, Angst With Happy Ending) – Sherlock has never had a friend before. He didn’t even know he wanted one until John moved into 221B. But John quickly becomes essential to him, and their friendship turns more and more intimate. It’s all platonic, of course. All perfectly normal for close friends. Part 1 of the Friends series

carrying up his morning tea by darcylindbergh (E, 34,505 w. || Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Wakes & Funerals, Angst, Estranged John, Pining Sherlock, Depression and Insecurity, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort) – His fingers tremble as he dials and he can’t force them steady. Familiar number, even though he hasn’t used it in two years. He isn’t even sure he should be calling it now, but she’d asked. She’d made him promise.

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock’s closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don’t need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

Focal Point by PuffleLock (E, 60,913 w. || Post-TRF Divergence / Different Reunion, POV John, Slow Burn, For a Case, Friends to Lovers, Suicidal Thoughts, Sad Wank, Sherlock in Makeup, Dancing, Mentions of Torture / Depression / PTSD, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Scars, Rimming, Anal, Toplock, First Kiss / Time, Gay Sherlock / Bi John) – John comes home early from a medical conference to find that every once in awhile, Sherlock can surprise the hell out of him. Can John surprise him back?

First and Only by crimsonwinter (E, 68,390 w. || Kid/Teen/Unilock, Family Drama, Romance, Alternating POV, Slow Burn, Angst & Fluff, Rimming, Anal, Fingering, Grinding/Frottage, Sexual Tension, Oral, Virginity, Switchlock) – Sherlock and John have been inseparable since birth, working through life as neighborhood best friends, attached at the hip. Unfortunately, reality can break up even the closest of us, and John and Sherlock struggle through all that growing up entails. But first loves are unforgettable, and the boys come to realize that their love is the first and only they’ll ever have.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w. || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sickfic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

The Road Less Traveled Series by verityburns (M, 75,130 w. across 3 works || First Kiss / Time, POV Sherlock First Person, Angst & Fluff, Romance) – Sherlock realises that John’s dating habits involve an unacceptable level of risk… what if he meets an unusually tolerant woman and ends up getting married?

Philia and Eros by distantstarlight (E, 84,660 w. || Historical AU || Friends to Lovers, Time Travel, Kilts, Possessive Behaviour, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Implied Rape/Non-Con) – Love is timeless but time isn’t necessarily linear. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes are about to embark on an unintended adventure that will take them far away from the comfortable confines of 221 B Baker Street. Part 1 of Strange Paths

How Long? by TheBritishBourbon (M, 111,010 w. || Kidnapping, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Sherlock, Protective John, PTSD Sherlock, Flashbacks, Dark Themes, Implied Torture) – Sherlock never got to jump off the roof of St. Barts, he never got the chance. Sherlock was abducted and held for 5 years, but now he has escaped. What awaits him as he returns to reality? Part 1 of How Long Universe

Did you feel it? : A soulmates AU by MorganeUK (G, 126,783 w. || Soulmates AU || Kid/Teen/Unilock, Protective Greg, Angst, Big Feels, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Mystrade, Injuries, Slow Burn, Anxious John, BAMF John, Protective John, Est. Rel., Happy Ending) – In a world where 0.01% of the population have a soulmate with whom they share pains and violent emotions… what are the odds that an ex-army doctor and an ex-addict detective open their heart and soul enough to found each others?Finally writing a twist on the soulmates trend… Hope you like it!

“Merry Christmas” I wrapped it up and sent it with a note saying “I love you” by starrysummernights (E, 136,580+ w. || WIP, chapter missing? || Post S4, Slow Burn, Mary is Not Nice, Christmas, Fluff, Smut, Angst, Parentlock, Past Torture / Rape) – John has moved back into 221B with his daughter Rosie after Mary was killed, but things are not exactly comfortable between him and Sherlock. After everything that has happened, they are trying to become friends again…and maybe something more. What better time than the Christmas season?! Takes place after TLD.

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w. || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel.) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it’s a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

The Jewel in the Tower by PoppyAlexander (E, 207,079 w. || Dystopian AU, Violence, Rape/Non-Con Elements, Mild Dub Con, One World Government, Class Issues, Assassin John / Geisha Sherlock, Self Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Espionage, Miscommunication, Sexual Fantasy, Masturbation, Letters/Texting, Phone Sex, Infidelity, First Time, Blow Jobs, Dirty Talk, Injury Recovery, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Scars, Misgendering, Happy Endings) – In a contemporary dystopia, Unity is peace – despite the fact unsanctioned information, illicit currency, and every sort of danger flows unchecked in the world’s pleasure districts. John Watson, a weary hired gun, is assigned by the mysterious Mentor to investigate a subversive element lurking in the Icehouse, the world’s most famous House of Repose. As accustomed as he is to dealing with the unexpected, John is nevertheless woefully unprepared to meet the gem of the Ice house, Xie, the world renowned “drashaskaya,” the living work of art after which all other drashas are modeled. In sumptuous suites, amid trailing puddles of silk and fervent whispers in the night, John soon learns that nothing is as it seems in the floating world of London’s pleasure district.

You Go To My Head by 7PercentSolution and J_Baillier (E, 257,765+ w. across 8 Stories, WiP || Surgeon AU || Medical Realism, Doctor John / Doctor Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Addiction, Angst, Slow Burn, PTSD, Pining, Insecurity) – This series is an alternate universe one, featuring the exciting medical and romantic adventures of doctors Watson (senior neuroanaesthetist) and Holmes (neurosurgeon).

Radioactive Trees In A Red Forest by Maribor_Petrichor (E, 280,251 w. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-S4, Suicidal Ideations, Alcohol / Rx Drug Abuse, Coming Out / Bisexual John, Seizures, Past/Referenced/Implied Child Abuse, Hallucinations, Rehab, Celibacy, Sobriety / Relapse, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Psychological Trauma, Nice /Not Anti-Mary, John’s POV, Parentlock, First Time, Angst, Switchlock) – John Watson is what happens when a man can no longer see a reason to go on. John Watson is what happens when a man starts to let go. “It is what it is.” John Watson is what happens when what “it is” becomes too much to bear. This is a story of the life, death, and resurrection of John Hamish Watson.

The Men Who Talked Between the Words by Odamaki (E, 463,024 w. || Parentlock, UST/URT, Pining Sherlock, Grieving John, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Past Abuse, Slow Burn/Build, Case Fic, First Kiss / Time, Implied/Referenced Suicide & Drug Use, Slow Burn, Sherlock Whump, Panic Attacks) – John expected to be a father some day; he expected to have the house, and the wife and the nice suburban job. Sherlock never expected to have children, in part because he never expected to make it past 30. As it turns out, you don’t get a choice. Crammed into Baker Street with a baby, John struggles with single-parenthood and his own fears, while Sherlock treads the fine line between doing too little and saying too much.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs #slow burn #long post #developing relationship #falling in love #Anonymous #fic rec sunday

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ofnolaxmagic · 4 years

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➺ NIC MIKAELSON who looks exactly like ALFIE ENOCH has been spotted in the heart of new orleans. I heard the HETEROSEXUAL, TWENTY-SEVEN/ TWENTY SEVEN-year-old, WITCH who is known to be +GENTLEMANLY but also –TOO SOFTHEARTED, is one of the SURIVORS that has found their way to new orleans. Rumor has it they are FREYA AND KEELIN’S FIRSTBORN ( ALSO VINCENT’S BIO SON ) and you will find them working at the LE BAYOU RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR as a CHEF.

How long has your character been in new orleans? Do they like new orleans? What brought them here? Are they planning to stay?

Nic’s been living in NOLA for 19 years now. There was 7 years when he was away due to studying in a world-class culinary school in France and then staying and working in Hangzhou, China for his first career job, before finally returning to his home city when he was 24. Upon his return, he very quickly managed to find a job as a sous chef in Le Bayau Restaurant and Oyster Bar due to his very prolific resume high natural talents and a variety of amazing skillsets in his field despite his young age. Nic will always love this city. It’s his home, no matter how far, or long he roams to other places, New Orleans will always be the place he eventually returns to in the end.

Are they one of the returned dead, if so how long have they been alive for? Or are they one of the unfrozen, if so how are they handling that the world has moved on without them? Or are they one of the survivors, if so how did they handle the dead returning and now the unfreezing?

He is one of the survivors. Nic is very glad about the unfreezing as he will then get to finally meet his cousin Hope properly as well as his aunt Davina and it warms his heart to know that other families who were badly torn apart due to that spell, could now be reunited with each other. He was very ecstatic when the dead started coming back to life, as then gradually got to know his other family members who had died long before he was even born.

Is your character connected with any of the groups in new orleans? The witch coven, the werewolf pack or the mikaelson academy?

He is part of the New Orleans coven and much to his uneasiness, a bit of a coveted member due to his powerful parentage. He is a very powerful witch due to being the child of Freya and Vincent as well as being well tutored to the max by both of them throughout his whole childhood, but he really tries to not show his potential that much, outside of his family members, in order to try to keep a low profile within the witch community as often as possible. He was formerly part of the Mikaelson Academy as he was enrolled there as well but he has long ago graduated. However, he still plays an active part sometimes in that place by stopping by there sometimes to check up on his relatives and offer his help at any kind of work if it was needed.

Anything we should know about your character, the way you play them? Headcanons? Any connections or plots you want for your character that you would like others to take up within the group? What canons would you like to see taken for your character?

Nic’s a very friendly, gentle, helpful, very sincere, very neat and quite earnest in almost everything he does. He also is a rather pure gentlemanly guy as his mothers brought up him up very well and he was also an obedient son. He’s also loyal to a fault to his friends and family. Nic loves his family with his entire being and would do everything he can to make sure that they were safe, well-taken care-of and happy. He tries his hardest to live a life of good principles and strong morality, but with his large extended family, he has eventually come to accept that some things had to be grey. Nic’s also a humble and stable person. His greatest passion in life besides his family is FOOD and COOKING. The culinary world and everything to do with it are his greatest joys in life eversince he was a little boy. He’s very happily living his passion currently, working to the best of his abilities in a 5-star restaurant in his home city. Ever since his teenage years till now, this culinary prodigy has been highly-praised in the culinary world, due to his large talent, dedication and achievements and it’s up to anybody’s guess on how high Nic would soar in his career. Nic has a little experience in the romance arena, due to always shelving and post-poning his romantic relationships, as there was always something far more important that he was busy with throughout his life growing up. If it wasn’t taking care of his family, it was school and if it wasn’t school, it was his extra witchcraft lessons with his parents, and if it wasn’t that, then it was all about exploring his passion in culinary. He had a couple of crushes and a brief romantic relationship, but that was it so far, for this Mikaelson. Nic’s other hobbies are knitting and making little wooden handicraft decos. Connections/plots: Bring me everything for him! Besties, Childhood best friends, Crushes, Old high- school rivals, many friends, neighbors, fellow coven witch members whom he is close with, friendly rival at work, colleagues, his ex-gf from his one brief relationship, people he met while in France, China and even while on a long holiday in Spain, etc.. Canons I want to see that have yet been taken up in this group: Freya, Keelin, Vincent, Marcel, his younger siblings ( tho these are OCs technically XD )

Your characters bio: For canons, any details about their life after the show finished and since they returned. Or for ocs, we would like as much detail as possible about your characters history)

I’m going to write this out in bullet points since I don’t have Nic’s immediate family members here yet, so I don’t want to get to much into their history without plotting with the prospective muns.

Was born on February 14th, 2028 ( may subject to change later on)

Firstborn of Freya & Keelin ( bio son of Vincent )

Developed a strong love for food and his curiosity in cooking mounted higher and higher very rapidly at the age of 4.

Throughout his growing up years, his hobby of cooking then became his passion and he entered numerous competitions, local contests, helped out in as many food fair, charity events and bake sale as he could, thus earning him a lot of awards and accolades especially in big-scale competitions. Did a lot of hard-working and adventurous research and eventually made a lot of his own delicious recipes with several unique tricks and difficult techniques.

Won a full scholarship to The Cordon Bleu Institute in France when he was 17, and that was when he left NOLA to further realize his dreams.

Graduated pretty fast with many glittering accolades due to his extraordinary talent and extreme dedication to his craft. And then was immediately offered a job in a very prestigious restaurant in China. He did fully utilize his stay in China by travelling around a lot during his free time to learn as much as possible about the various types of Chinese cooking and soak up the tips from different ethnic groups there.

He keeps several food journals from when he was young till now.

Finally returned to his home city when he was 24, and eventually landed a job as a sous chef in a 5-star restaurant in the Bayou District.

Due to many years of practice under the tutelage of Freya, Vincent and his other magic teachers in school, he currently has full control his magic and has a pretty good idea of how much potential he has.

He’s currently fast friends and roommates with Josie Saltzman. He met her when she showed up in his family home, immediately after she got unfrozen, seeking help from Freya and bumped into him instead. After finding out who she was and her backstory, the ever-hospitable and warmly helpful Nic, offered her a place to stay in his apartment. Due to their personalities meshing very well with each other, the two have very quickly grown into good friends and Nic is trying his best to help her with her magic and her emotions.

#sanctuaryrp.intro #FEEL FREE TO LIKE THIS POST IF YOU'D LIKE TO PLOT WITH NIC! <3

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yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy · 5 years

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Crowe Week Day 7 - A Day In The Life of Crowe.

Again this happens in my Magic and Miracles modern AU universe. I can’t help it, it’s my favorite universe (because canon sucked at least for Crowe) And yes, LIbertus’ first time watching his son on his own, he totally gave Riot a gotee and a temporary arm tatoo and dressed him like he belonged in a biker gang. Crowe was actually greatly amused and thought it was HILARIOUS. And isn’t Riot JUST THE CUTEST?! And Raven totally rides a little skateboard attached to the stroler. (*cough future skater girl *cough*) So @crowedeservesbetter and @the-immortal-marshal enjoy and hopefully this is a fitting end to my prompts for Crowe week and all of you have hopefully enjoyed all this happily ever after I’ve envisioned for our girl Crowe.

Crowe Week- Day 7 - An Average Day- Magic and Miracles modern AU.

Crowe woke up to sound of her alarm and got out of bed and got ready and got dressed and then got her daughter up and got her ready for preschool as Riot still slept soundly in his crib next to the bed. Both Riot and Libertus snoring away for a few extra minutes.

“So what specials do you have today?” Crowe asked her daughter as she made her daughter a quick breakfast as Libertus did Raven’s hair for school, braiding her silken chocolate tresses to perfection. Libertus was one of those dads to throw himself into fatherhood so completely and gleefully that when he had found out there were having a girl- he went to cosmetology classes to learn how to fix his daughter’s hair and even practiced on Crowe and wigs through all of Crowe’s pregnancy and “invested” in all kinds of hair accessories and for the first year or so of Raven’s life, she did not leave the house without a bow or a flower or something in her hair or wrapped around her head, often the bows and flowers were just as big as Raven’s head but they were so cute.

Raven was, by all accounts, a smaller version of her mother looks wise who was still just as tough and tomboyish as her mother combined with an ease and gregariousness of her father and while Libertus did like to dress his daughter up in the cutest outfits, he completely understood that she was a child- a very active one and would play just as hard as any other kid, boy or girl alike and was bound to get dirty eventually. Crowe simply learned to buy her daughter’s clothes second hand so that when tears and rips and stains would happen, it would be ok. They were just clothes but that Raven would only get one childhood and both of her parents were firm believers in that she would live hers to the fullest but still would look cute doing it.

“Art.” Raven answered her mother as Crowe nodded and mentally prepared to see her daughter wearing paint or clay or something when her daughter came from school. ‘If she’s not wearing it, she didn’t have fun doing it.’ Libertus always grinned when he would help try to get the stains out of his daughters clothes when he would help with the laundry.

“There.” Libertus said as he finished off her braids as Raven ate her Eggo waffles and bacon and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese.

“Thanks Daddy.” Raven chirped in between mouthfuls.

“You’re welcome Baby,” Libertus cooed as he leaned down and kissed her cheek affectionately as Raven pressed her cheek into her father’s kiss as she smiled brightly before he sat down and got himself some breakfast too while Riot still stayed asleep in the sling strapped to his father’s chest because otherwise Libertus just didn’t like to put his children down. Crowe had playfully teased Libertus that Raven wouldn’t learn how to crawl or walk because Libertus held them nearly constantly when she herself wasn’t holding them. But in truth Crowe was just so tickled and happy that Libertus was as doting as he was and it was nice to have so much help.

“You got about seven minutes before the bus comes,” Crowe reminded her daughter before she sat down to eat some breakfast real quick herself, downing her coffee.

About five minutes later Raven had slipped her shoes on and a light jacket and her backpack as Crowe walked her daughter out to the bus stop in front of her house as all the other kids were either now lined up too or if they were too young to go to school yet, were on their morning walks and jogs with their moms down the side walk along the street as Crowe talked with her friends and made plans for this and that and play dates for Raven and Riot and dinner that evening.

The school bus came and Raven got on the bus followed by all the other school age kids on the street before Crowe went back inside just in time to see Riot wake up and demand breakfast himself before Libertus changed his diaper and Crowe took him off of Libertus’ hands so he could put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher for her as Crowe relaxed on the couch as she nursed Riot and rest a little herself before Libertus brought her another cup of coffee and a cherry cheese danish.

“Thank you,” Crowe smiled gratefully as she took his offerings and dug in as she went over her calendar next to her to make sure she remembered all that she needed to do for the day.

Go to both restaurants to make sure the bars at both places were stocked and had all that they needed and to talk to her managers about the bartenders and brain storm for drink specials and make sure they had all the wines in stock and beers on tap as Libertus sat next to her and did the same thing in his, making sure that he coordinated with Nyx to make sure they ordered enough produce and would check with the local farmers they worked with for the produce to see what was in season right now because zuccinni blossoms should be coming up in the next few days and to make sure they talked to the ranchers to make sure the livestock they were going to be butchering were going to be good to go and ready to be picked up on time by the end of the week and to make sure it got into the aging rooms on time and order more silverware and all the thousand and one things to keep track of when you co-owned not just one restaurant but two with your best friend and your wife and having both restaurants being local farm to table was very intense and extensive but worth it because he knew for a fact that everyone involved benefited. Libertus and Nyx were the executive chefs and Crowe handled the bar side of the businesses and Libertus and Nyx were still into their “experimenting” stage and encouraged their sous chefs to do the same and gave credit on the menu where credit was due meaning that if a sous chef invented a dish and it was great, it got put on the menu and the sous chef’s name got mentioned and it got accredited to them. Which was huge in the food world.

“Rae and Selena are hosting another dinner at their house tonight, told them we’d make it. They’re doing pizzas in their pizza ovens and Riot has his six month check up Friday.” Crowe mentioned to Libertus as she looked past her busy day and onto the rest of the week.

“Cool. What time is Riot’s appointment?” Libertus asked.

“At 10.” Crowe answered.

“Ok, I’ll be there, I should be done dropping off the hogs by then.” Libertus nodded as he added that to his own schedule while eating the other cherry cheese danish and drinking his own coffee that was practically half cream and sugar while Crowe liked her coffee black.

Occasionally Libertus looked over at his nursing son with a fond smile. Riot was the spitting image of Libertus but with Crowe’s big brown eyes and was just a ham. Riot was big and heavy, with fat rolls like the Michilan Man and a very happy baby, active too and developmentally ahead of the curve and off the charts but proportional which was what mattered. Riot came out of the womb able to be put on his belly and lift his head up and the nurses were astounded that he could do that and had been ahead of the curve ever since and was getting dangerously close to figuring out how to crawl and was a voracious eater and Crowe was adamant that Riot nurse and only nurse exclusively for the first 9 months and would very, very gradually be weaned until he was two and then they would try for kid number three, they wanted their kids to be somewhat evenly spaced to be 2-3 or even 2-4 years apart. Crowe was adamant that she didn’t want Irish twins and Libertus was ok with that. His parents as well as hers were just happy to get some grandkids.

Once Riot was done nursing and got dressed Crowe and Libertus made their rounds to both restaurants. Making sure both had what they needed to run smoothly and to check with their accountant to make sure they were still in the black. Once both restaurants got their own Michelin Stars, which that process was a harrowing experience, but once they got it, it was smooth sailing. Very rarely did their restaurants get a bad review and if it did, it was usually from people looking to get a free meal at a fancy restaurant rather than the food or the service being bad and those problems were relatively easy to fix, and that was fixed via a black list of known shitty people to do that and with those, Crowe kept a bad bitch of a manager staffed who had no problems telling “difficult” customers to fuck themselves. They had chefs come straight out of CIA to cook for them so Nyx and Libertus really only worked the shifts they wanted to and got much more time to spend with their growing families because otherwise the restaurants seemed to run themselves, all they had to do was pick up paychecks because all those who had invested money into it had been paid back already, including themselves. And their restaurants were doing so good that they could afford to pay their waiters and waitresses a living wage including tips so that even they strived to do their absolute best at all times which in turn meant the service at the restaurants became unparalleled so that they could afford extra staff like dedicated drink servers who got a percentage of the tips from the tables they waited on and in turn they got to ask higher prices for their food which was still of excellent quality and still generous in portion size.

Once at the first restaurant, Raven Noir, Riot was once again passed around by all the staff which were like a second family and kissed and loved on and his chubby cheeks pinched and his belly tickled because he had the best laugh as Libertus went ahead and made them a quick and very delicious lunch for himself and his wife, eating a new creation they were still testing out before they would put it on the menu and they got it eat it in their favorite table in the whole restaurant before it opened for lunch, Riot once again, nursing because he was hungry again, Crowe didn’t even bother putting on a nursing cover.

“I like it with the buttered olive oil best. We need to get this on the menu sooner than later.” Crowe noted to Libertus who nodded as he slurped up his noodles and once they were done they left for Wolf Blanc, the sister restaurant that was more geared towards Mediterranean and Spanish flavors with French twists, lots of tapas and more little dishes inspired by tapas in Spain and Latin America that was a huge hit and practically a runaway success. That wasn’t to say you couldn’t eat a five course meal here because you totally could and it would be magnificent just even more pricey than it was at Raven Noir.

“You know we should have a third restaurant.” Nyx told them as they sat in the kitchen, snacking on even more food as Nyx held Riot and played with him, missing his own son Nyx Jr. at home who was a year older than Riot and missing when Nyx Jr was this age and just happy to be held because Nyx Jr was just always trying to run everywhere and climb on everything right now. Nyx and Luna had thought that they had baby proofed their house but Nyx Jr made them realize that they hadn’t done it enough and that Nyx Jr was creative with all the ways he could get out of and around baby proofing. Raven Noir felt very much like Libertus’ and Crowe’s baby of a restaurant, because hell it had Raven’s name in the name itself whereas Wolf Blanc was very much Nyx’s and Lunafreya’s baby of a restaurant and Nyx did most of his cooking and hours here, all the colors, cool whites and Mediterranean blues as opposed to the blacks and red of Raven Noir.

“Oh?” LIb asked with a surprised blink.

“Yeah, we need to do like an Asian fusion restaurant, we need to have like a dim sum place but with like, some Kobe beef or live seafood like the kind that had all the fish tanks where you pick out what you want from the tanks like they have in Tokyo or like traditional rice noodles and dumplings, like real ramen and stuff, hell throw in a sushi bar but like, a really, really good one, like the kind that we had back in New York. Because it’s not like we won’t get the staff to make it authentic, hell the staff we have now we could pull from the other two places to make it really authentic. Not to be racist- but we need to branch out of “white people food” because it needs to be just as elevated as the other two.” Nyx insisted before he bit off the crispy bit of octopus tentacle and chewed it thoughtfully. “Because the last thing this city needs is another French place or another Italian place or other kind of European or even an English Pub. We got two good restaurants, both with their Michelin Stars, we could afford to take the risk and take the chance with this. And we already have Noir and Blanc, we need a Gray to round it out, I’m thinking Gray and purple, but like a gray purple to accent the red of Noir and the blues here.” Nyx urged as Lib and Crowe both looked at each other and found themselves nodding in agreement to that.

“Cause Lord knows we spend a fortune and a half on takeout right now because Luna’s after the perfect rice noodles.” Nyx explained since Luna was pregnant with their twin daughters Phillipa and Harper, who they named immediately after finding out she was pregnant with girls only a couple of weeks ago and Luna had an insatiable appetite for all things Chinese food, Japanese food, Vietnamese food and Taiwanese food and every kind of restaurant that served those had Nyx and Luna memorized because Luna’s quest for rice noodles but without MSG was damn near legendary because even now he was getting noodle lessons and dim sum lessons and all things dumpling lessons from his sous chefs that were of Asian decent and was spending another small fortune in duck eggs to make duck egg noodles for her too because apparently the eggs from the chickens in their own back yard wasn’t quite cutting it anymore and Nyx was getting close to his wit’s end trying to make his wife and her insatiable eating habits get sated. At least when she was pregnant with Nyx Jr. all she craved was a steady supply of watermelon and berries and that was a piece of cake compared to this.

After a quick stop at home to get Raven off the bus from preschool the four of them went out to the farms and ranches, Raven gleefully playing in the mud and caught a garden snake and a toad but surprisingly didn’t get bit or peed on and when she released them, she went over to the pens and was petting the sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and even got to hold a few baby chicks which she thought was the coolest thing ever and promptly begged and pleaded to get chicks for their house too like ‘Aunt Luna’ and Luna practically had a flock that she gave all the excess eggs to her friends which doubled as her neighbors. Luna did have the cutest chicken coop ever and kept that coop meticulously clean so that it didn’t smell and Selena came over and got the special litter that Luna kept in the chicken coop and cleaned out and added to the compost heap that was part sawdust/ hay and mulch to add to her own composting heap to grow her own garden at home.

Raven even got to pet some horses before she and Crowe got to go on a quick horseback ride together out in the fields and pastures to pick out cows they wanted to be butchered, Raven on her own tiny little miniature horse that was her size as Crowe kept a watchful eye on her as she held the lead rope to the little horse with the other cows as Riot was once again in the carrier strapped to his dad’s chest as Libertus rode out into the pastures too as Riot thought riding a horse with his dad was the greatest thing ever and shrieked and kicked and giggled with glee.

Once they were done there, they headed back home to get cleaned up before they walked down the street to Ravus and Selena’s house, all the kids being put in “kiddie land” in Selena’s back yard that had all kinds of small playground equipment and a little bouncy house and tons of toys for toddlers and little kids and a padded and shaded pen for the babies as they could practice crawling around with all kinds of toys in it for them too as all the adults got something to drink, either from the super wide selection of beer or the sangria bar that rivaled the sangria bar at Raven Noir as all the guys took turn making all these different kinds of pizza from the ‘make your own pizza bar’ next to the authentic wood fire pizza oven in Rae’s back yard adjoined to their patio as Nyx continued to talk about his new restaurant idea as Luna was all for it as she ate her own pizza with a side of pho.

After dinner was a quick jump in Ravus’ and Selena’s pool that seemed to have just as many small floatation devices with babies in them as there was adults as the toddlers had arm floaties on and practiced swimming. Most of the adults just watched in resignation as Tredd of all people seemed to lead the way in teaching the tykes how to swim because just watching the transformation of Mr. Reckless Danger transform into Mr. Safety because he of all people at the fire department got tasked with going to all the schools and teaching fire safety and all the kids, Raven especially just fucking flocked to him and he was ‘Uncle Tredd’ or even ‘Uncle Teddy’ as in teddy bear to all of them, it was actually really hilarious and entertaining to watch. Tredd was Raven’s favorite person besides her own parents and it was because of Raven that Tredd even considered having kids because she was the first baby he had ever fallen in love with and thought was cute, all kids before her were little messy monsters but Raven, Raven had him wrapped around her fingers. ‘How dare you guys have a baby girl as cute as this baby girl, what gave you guys the right to have this little angel?’ Tredd had accused them teasingly after he got to hold her for the first time.

When all the kids wore themselves out, the kids got to have one big bath together- getting washed and scrubbed and cleaned up, most of the mothers just swapping clothes to get them dressed again before all the families went their separate ways and went back home, carting off sleeping kids as they walked home and once the kids were put in bed then the parents got to have a couple of hours of peace and quiet and couple time.

And by couple time- lots of sex and right now Libertus had Crowe straddling him as he sat in the bench in their shower as the hot water cascaded over both of them and let Crowe set the pace and rode her husband with enthusiasm as Libertus suckled on her breasts as he kneaded her ass and hips and clung to her back and stroked her clit with practiced ease. Their own moaning and keens being dampened by the flow of water and the glass of the shower so as not to wake up their little ones.

When they were both sated and thoroughly clean did they get into bed themselves.

“Do you think the gray thing will work?” Crowe whispered to Lib as she cuddled into his side and rested her head on his chest.

“I hope so, Nyx has a point, we could totally do an Asian fusion thing because those cuisines get overlooked and underappreciated and seriously undervalued, I also know that I had to learn how to make the perfect oatmeal raisin cookies and peanut butter cookies when you were pregnant with Riot just like I had to learn how to make bubblegum cotton candy ice cream with Raven so I see where he’s coming from with that too. I think once Luna gives birth to those girls and those cravings subside a little we’ll really look at it and see if it’s something we should do or if it was one of those ‘heat of the pregger craving moments’ things. But I like the idea, I think it would be fun.” Libertus mused. “What do you think?” Libertus asked thoughtfully.

“I like it actually, Saki isn’t something I’m not all that familiar with and I think it would be fun to play with it, I’m just seeing a full bar length mirror with cherry blossoms painted on it but the cherry blossoms being a really pretty half pastel pink half pastel lilac purple with rows of Sake and those really cool cocktails they do in Tokyo and get like at least 10-20 kinds of tea or even make all the different cocktails play on words with all the different kinds of tea and make them alcoholic, give long island ice tea a run for it’s money. There is no way we could do farm to table with it though, not 100% anyway. All those places rely on getting their fish flown in from Japan and we would have to too. Very few people around here could afford Kobe beef, I think we’d do better if we did Australian Wagu or something like that. But the sushi bar, like a new age slash contemporary sushi bar with fun twists on the familiar instead of the same old same old would work.” Crowe mused as she felt her eyelids get heavier and heavier.

“Well, we can talk about it tomorrow. Good night Baby, I love you.” Libertus cooed sleepily as he kissed the crown of her head and squeezed her tight and grinned when he felt her smile and squeeze back before they fell asleep.

#croweweek2019 #crowe week 2019 #crowe week day 7 #Crowe/Libertus #Crowe altius #Crowe Ostium #actually #at least in my book she is #enjoy

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schtroumpf-a-lunettes · 6 years

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The Smurfs That Canon Forgot, Ch.7

Read this chapter on: FF.net | AO3 | DeviantART | This post!

Previous Chapters: Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6

(Note: In the “past” = scene is set during the timeframe when the seventeen smurfs were still missing. In the “present” = set after the missing smurfs have returned. The quotation marks are there ‘cause time is relative, haha!

Also, I discovered that some people seem to think that Nosey and Reporter are the same smurf; I disagree with that theory for several reasons, and have been writing them as their own characters. 😊 On with the chapter, I hope you all enjoy it!)

In the “present”…

“This is so smurfy of you, but you really don’t have to go through all this trouble” Smurfette tried to reassure Tailor, but he would hear none of it. He was so happy about everyone’s return and was insisting he would do up brand new clothes for all seventeen of them. It had just been so, so long since he’d been able to tend to their clothing. He wanted to do this. The prospect of making a new dress for Smurfette excited him in particular, and the clothes for Sassette, Snappy and Baby’s little outfit too – clothing styles he had not made up for more than six years. He would give them new hats, new outfits, new everything, except for a change of the styles themselves, of course.

Their clothes back in their homes were all rather worse for wear and a little moth-eaten, having remained dormant for so many years, but the outfits the smurfs arrived at the village in all seemed to be good as new, courtesy of the time crystals. This was not good enough for Tailor however – in his eyes, everyone needed a new outfit or two after their journeys. It was as if this was his way of rejoicing in their return.

“You should have seen the kinds of things we were wearing in most of the places we went to” Vanity told Tailor as he worked away. Tailor had already heard a little bit about how the time crystals would adjust each of the smurfs’ fashion according to each time and place they visited, and didn’t really know what to make of this information. At least the smurfs had not had to endure seven months with having taken along just one pair of clothes. He didn’t want to imagine how worse for wear they would have been upon their return to the village in that case.

He was a bit curious about what some of the outfits had looked like, and had managed to get a few vague descriptions off of some, but nothing more than that. Maybe he could ask Painter to draw up some of the designs, not that he’d do anything with them – as far as Tailor was concerned, the outfits they already had were perfectly smurfy as they were. It had taken him long enough to adjust to the smurflings’ insistence on dressing differently.

Vanity and Smurfette stayed to chat with Tailor for a while longer, and then it was time for dinner.

In Greedy’s absence, quite a few members of the smurf village had taken it upon themselves to try and develop their culinary skills a bit. But now that Greedy was back… Everyone was rediscovering just what they’d been missing out on all these years. Many insisted that if he needed any help, they’d be there, but Greedy expelled everyone from the kitchen. It was his domain and he worked his culinary magic with ease. Greedy had missed the kinds of food available back at the village, but he hadn’t fully realised just how much he’d missed his kitchen too. If in future the kitchen work ever got to him or became monotonous it was good to know that help was readily available now, but for the time being he was content working alone.

Poet, for his part, still couldn’t quite get used to it once more. Greedy serving up food that was indisputably made by him. Baby’s presence, babbling away. The presence of all of the formerly missing smurfs, adding their own social dynamics to the simple act of sitting down for dinner. It was familiar, yet strange. So strange. It was incredibly surreal. They’d been gone, for good. Yet every mouthful of Greedy’s cooking was solid proof that yes, this was real. They were here again. If anything, it was Poet who felt like the time traveller in all of this. It was as if he’d travelled back to before the time crystals took all of those smurfs away. The only hint that he hadn’t just materialised in the past was the discrepancy among the smurflings. A stark reminder of the different amounts of time that had passed for the two different smurf groups. He’d never realised the small ways Nat and Slouchy had grown over the years, and was suddenly confronted with it when looking at how young Sassette and Snappy both looked next to them. It must be very confusing and weird for them too, he realised. The difference among them was relatively small, but still noticeable enough. He supposed they’d all learn to adjust to it as a village, like they’d learned to adjust to things like Natural Smurf becoming Nat Smurfling.

But how could it be that, as they all sat around the table together, the visible difference among the smurflings seemed to be the only remaining physical evidence that such a large chunk of time had passed by? So much had happened. So much had changed, hadn’t it? Was sitting around the table all together like this perhaps some kind of pretence that nothing had truly happened? Would the village let all those difficult years vanish into the ether as if they held no substance? He didn’t know what to make of this. If you cut out the intervening years, and stitched together the time before the departure of Papa and the others to right now, would it really flow so seamlessly? Nat and Slouchy would be visibly slightly older, and what else? Poet certainly felt transformed by the past few years, but all of these changes were internal. He still lived in the same house, wore the same clothes. Still wrote poems. What did he really have to show for the past few years? What did any of his experiences really mean if they weren’t tied down to anything concrete? He wondered how he could come to terms with everything that had happened when his surroundings were just about the same. They seemed to compel him to question their validity – to slip back into life before he ever knew anything of any time crystals. If only there was some way to resolve this dissonance – the incompatibility between what he saw, and what he was experiencing now to what he was feeling, and the nature of the past few years. Maybe it was not the reality of the present moment that he questioned the most, but the reality of those dark intervening years that had passed by – that Papa and all of the others had simply skipped altogether.

So what did he have to show for the past few years? Poetry, he supposed. It was his poetry that anchored him to those years, a demonstration that he had lived through them, and Papa and the others had not. He decided to go back and review some of those poems after dinner, to reassure himself with the proof that the past few years had really transpired.

***

Sassette and Snappy had not exactly moved back into their old room. For all intents and purposes, they had moved into a new one. It looked just about the same on the outside, but once you stepped inside, it was completely disconnected from the old interior that they both remembered. Their stuff had been packed away, but really, it felt no different to arriving at a completely new place with all their posessions ready to be unpacked. They didn’t sleep in the same beds that they remembered – new ones needed to be set up. It was very crowded. Slouchy and Nat were both very accommodating, but it was hard to manouvre and organise space. Any space that Sassette and Snappy could call their own had to be “claimed back” from Slouchy or Nat.

All four of them truly wanted to just go straight back to the way things were before, but how? It was not just a question of negotiating space. It was not just the fact that Slouchy and Nat were taller now – a constant reminder of how they’d suddenly forked off in different directions, wrenched away from each other’s company.

How could Slouchy and Nat just forget the past several years? Sassette and Snappy feared that the other two smurflings had changed. They felt a little intimidated, almost.

Slouchy and Nat had learned and experienced a lot that Snappy and Sassette wouldn’t even be able to guess at. The two returned smurflings now seemed so… naive to them both. And they wanted to go back to that time, to being just as wide-eyed, but they just couldn’t.

There was an unmistakable gap that had opened up between them and none of them knew how to go about bridging it.

There was talk among Handy, Architect and Papa Smurf of building a new, separate home – splitting up the smurflings’ living quarters instead of keeping them all together. Not only was it crowded and Snappy and Slouchy were so accustomed to being the only ones to a home now, but, as the discussions touched upon, Slouchy and Nat would now become teenagers long before Sassette and Snappy.

And it was easy for the others to tell that the smurflings all weren’t the same together as they once were.

Split right down the middle – the two smurflings that had remained, and the two smurflings that had time travelled. In many ways, it was a perfect representation of the village at large.

“It’s just not fair” Sassette told Poet.

“Yeah! Just ‘cause they’re a little bit older than us now… It doesn’t mean they gotta act all different on us!” Snappy added.

“I’m sure they don’t mean to” Poet reassured them. “Everything will simply take some adjusting to. I suppose things would be a lot easier for everyone if we could somehow make the past few years just disappear, but alas...”

***

“Just around six years. That’s all I ask. Doesn’t even have to be calculated exactly. We both know that hardly counts for anything in the grand scheme of things, wouldn’t you agree? I as a smurf, and you being Father Time… what’s six years to the both of us? It’s nothing.”

“As I said, I can’t allow it. It’s simply far too risky; there’s no telling what could happen.”

“But the smurflings-”

“The smurflings’ case is the first and only time my clock has ever been used in that manner. There’s no guarantee that it would achieve the same effect. Does Papa Smurf know you’re here, little smurf?”

Dreamy only gazed at the ground, and so Father Time continued. “Using an unstable de-aging process to erase six years of memories is not exactly something I’d recommend… We still don’t even know or fully understand why the smurflings have no memories of their adulthood.”

***

In the “past”…

“Come on Scaredy, please, just come and sit with us for dinner” Harmony pleaded. Scaredy had been slowly accumulating smurfs that had started standing with him intermittently at the outskirts of the village, and now a pile of wood had joined them with Timber’s help.

Miner Smurf walked over, one of many smurfs coming to see what all the fuss was about. “What’s smurfing on over here?” he asked Tailor, who was standing nearby in the crowd that was forming.

“Old Paranoid Smurf over there won’t even come and eat dinner with us. Says he’s working on something to help protect us from Gargamel” came the reply.

“Gargamel!” Tuffy scoffed. “I’m not afraid of any Gargamel! Just let him try and get at us!”

“Forget about Gargamel, he’s been trying to get us for so many years,” Actor urged Scaredy, “He never succeeds.”

“And he never will!” Tuffy added.

Scaredy finally spoke. “He never succeeded when Papa Smurf was here to help stop him.”

Silence.

“...Well, isn’t Dabbler learning some magic?” asked Miner.

Reporter was next to speak up. “You mean Doctor Smurf? He’s a beginner. He doesn’t know anything about magic! He can’t protect us.”

“He seems more interested in healing magic anyway” Timber interjected.

“...He’s good for helping the sick, but… No good when it comes to fighting” Tuffy found himself saying.

Harmony glared at him “Who’s side are you on?!”

Tuffy opened his mouth to reply, but Reporter was already speaking again. “He’s just pointing out the obvious! We can’t afford to wait for however long it takes for Dabbler to become good at magic. Gargamel could strike at any time.”

“Look, Papa’s gone away on long trips before and Gargamel was never too much of an issue-”

“It’s not just Gargamel” Reporter hissed, “It could be Hogatha, or Chlorhydris or anyone else that has a grudge against us smurfs for whatever reason. This is what Scaredy has been saying, and he has a point! Anyone, or anything. We have to be ready.”

“What exactly do any of you plan to do without Papa Smurf’s quick thinking in a crisis, like if Gargamel finds us? You can all do what you want, but I know that I’m not going to just wait around for something bad to happen to us!” Tracker sneered.

#smurfs #the smurfs #tailor smurf #Poet Smurf #Dreamy Smurf

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azapofinspiration · 7 years

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Hunk and Lance Family Headcanons

I’m just gonna get these out here, because they are the things I keep in mind when writing my fanfics, and some of this stuff is relevant to some stories I’m working on. Of course, they’ll only really count until canon says otherwise, but considering that we’re half-way through the series and we still don’t know for sure, I’m going to have my fun.

So Hunk has two moms (even if canon ever says otherwise, this will remain true in my heart). Mom 1 runs a bakery and loves music (something that she and Lance bond over when they finally meet). Mom 2 runs a mechanic shop and loves puns. They especially love watching corny holiday specials together as they can usually get their fill of both.

They helped cultivate both of Hunk’s passions for cooking and engineering.

Hunk has an older brother who’s married, and he and his wife have a set of twins, Hunk’s niece and nephew. (In the more recent comic, he mentioned these niblings and said he handed them back to their mother when he got freaked out, so that’s why I’m guessing he has a brother and a sister-in-law set-up.) HIs brother when to college for a business degree and he plans on running the business side of their mom’s shops as they get older while his wife trains to take over the bakery. Hunk also has a little sister who’s a few years younger. She loves music and wants to be a dancer. Similar to their Mom 1, she and Lance got along great.

Lance, I originally thought of him as the middle child, but then at the one con it came out that he was the youngest sibling that ended up taking care of his cousins and niblings, so I can work with that.

Lance is the youngest of seven kids. He has two older brothers, three sisters, and one sibling. The order goes first brother, first sister, second sister, sibling, third sister, second brother, him. It should be noted that his first sister is gay, his sibling is nonbinary, hist third sister is trans, and his second brother is ace. While his second brother is the closest to his age, there’s still a five year gap so all his other siblings are older than that. Though Lance does remember his third sister transitioning.

They all have a whole bunch of different jobs. His first brother manages a general store, his first sister is a flight attendant, his second sister is a beautician/stylist, his sibling works at candy/touristy shop, his third sister is finishing up her master’s in marine biology in the States, and his second brother is in the army. His first brother, second sister, and third sister are married, while his first brother and second sister already have children.

Lance’s dad is ex-military, having been a sharpshooter while he was enlisted, but he became a cook afterward. He and Hunk like to trade recipes, but he claims he’s not as good of a cook as his wife. Lance’s mom is a nurse and general worrywart. She and Lance’s dad met when he was injured while in the military and they found that they had a shared love of the ocean and food.

Lance also has a bunch of aunts and uncles on both sides of the family. Because of this he also has dozens of cousins. Lance ended up being the designated baby-sitter for his cousins and niblings. He loves kids though and is good with them, so he didn’t really mind.

Also, as someone with siblings, I can tell you that it is inevitable, especially before you’re old enough to be left alone, that you will get dragged around to whatever you’re siblings are doing. In some cases, you may also get dragged into what they are actually doing. Because this happened with his siblings and some of his cousins, it has granted Lance a wide range of things he’s capable of doing, some more than others if he was actually interested in it.

So anyway, Lance has skills in:

Swimming (whole family did as they all needed to know how to swim)

Shooting/Firearms (his dad made sure they were all familiar with firearms, but Lance had natural good aim)

Dancing (sisters and nieces, but he also kinda liked it)

Singing (music was part of the family)

Guitar (his second older brother liked playing)

Theater (acting, singing, dancing, the spotlight, Lance really got into theater; just watch season 4, that boy is a theater kid)

Hair styling/self care/make-up/beauty lessons (second sister especially but all his female relatives really)

Soccer (both of his brothers played)

Yoga (his third sister was really into it)

Running (he blames his second brother for this)

Sewing/Knitting (this actually came from his mom and abuela; helped keep costs down if you could sew and knitting was a calming activity to do)

Arts & Crafts (keep the niblings entertained)

Lance has a bunch of seemingly random skills, but they do come in handy when you least expect it. And it’s all thanks to his family.

#Voltron #VLD #Headcanons #Hunk #Lance #Hunk Garrett #Lance McClain #safehunk #safelance #Feel free to add more headcanons on about their family #Lance's section is huge due to how large his family is #long post

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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Bookshelf Briefs 5/29/17

Bloom Into You, Vol. 2 | By Nakatani Nio | Seven Seas – While there is a lot of yuri out there that can be defined by the words “what is this strange feeling in my heart?,” I’m not sure if any of them are quite as fascinating as Yuu. I’m not entirely sure if this manga is going to go with “Yuu is asexual,” but the first couple of volumes can certainly be read at that. She’s not really aromantic, though, and her relationship with Touko is complicated—and becoming known to others, who may also be asexual. Touko, meanwhile, is the ever-popular “problematic” we see in so many yuri titles as well, and is having trouble balancing that line between consent and just giving in to her desires. Bloom Into You may start like typical yuri, but it’s not headed that way. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Chihayafuru, Vol. 2 | By Yuki Suetsuki | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Oh, happy sigh. I do love Chihayafuru so much. In this volume, we see the conclusion to the elementary tournament Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata have entered. Sadly, they lose and Arata moves away not long after. Chihaya is certain that they’ll meet again, but as we skip ahead three years to high school, it’s clear that they haven’t really kept in contact. She’s determined to start a karuta club and makes Taichi promise to join if she finally achieves class A ranking. Seeing her compete rekindles his own love of karuta, but when she calls Arata to tell him the good news, she learns he’s stopped playing for a really awful reason. I actually got sniffly when they came face to face again at last. This is the kind of manga where I wish I had dozens of volumes stacked up to marathon. Unequivocally recommended. – Michelle Smith

The Full-Time Wife Escapist, Vol. 3 | By Tsunami Umino | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Although I enjoy a good cliffhanger as much as the next person, I’m not normally as invested in their outcome as I was for the one at the end of volume two of this series. Before we find out exactly what Tsuzaki and Kazami mean by “sharing” Mikuri, however, there’s an interlude where she and her fake husband must field questions from relatives about their procreation plans. I really enjoy the way Umino is plotting this series—it makes sense why Mikuri would want to take Kazami up on his arrangement, and neatly dovetails into her aunt finding out about it, prompting her to be concerned about the nature of her niece’s marriage. Mikuri doesn’t engage in any flights of fancy this time, but she does do a lot of psychoanalyzing her husband, which is interesting. Definitely looking forward to volume four! – Michelle Smith

Girls’ Last Tour, Vol. 1 | By Tsukumizu | Yen Press – I’m not entirely sure what to make of Girls’ Last Tour. Chito and Yuuri are two chibi-faced young women roaming a post-apocalyptic wasteland on their Kettenkrad motorbike, just trying to survive. There are parts of this series I really liked. I love the depictions of desolate cities, or cavernous interiors… it reminds me a little of BLAME! in that respect, which is a major compliment. Too, I like their brief interaction with a guy named Kanazawa, who has found meaning for his life in creating maps, and that other levels exist where conditions might be different. I find that I really want to know how things turned out this way. That said, I strenuously dislike Yuuri, and there are some really unfunny gags featuring her that I guess are supposed to be moe or something but just piss me off. Still, I’ll be continuing! – Michelle Smith

Golden Time, Vol. 7 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Umechazuke | Seven Seas – Linda is mostly absent from this volume, which allows us to focus on the odd triangle between Kouko, Banri, and Banri’s old self, which seems to literally be sabotaging his relationship, though he’s also being helped by coincidental disaster and bad choices, particularly “don’t drive home when you’re all sleepy,” which leads to Kouko, understandably, having a complete nervous breakdown as several of her long-standing issues combine with nightmares she’s having about the car accident. Fortunately, Bari gets over his own issues to an extent in time to be there for her, and much to my surprise we get a ‘girlfriend’s dad’ who’s supportive and not a caricature. As good as ever. – Sean Gaffney

Kase-san and Bento | By Hiromi Takashima | Seven Seas – After getting together in the first volume, this second in the “Kase-san and” series continues to show off the awkwardness that comes with having just gotten together. Both girls still don’t know each other that well, and misunderstandings abound. But they’re all relatively easy to resolve misunderstandings, which is good, because no one is reading this for overwrought lesbian drama. We’re reading it because Yamada is adorable, Kase-san is spunky, and the two of them together are wonderful. There are a few more kisses, and Yamada is slowly gaining confidence. And there are bentos. Which, you know, you would expect thanks to the title. Cuteness personified. – Sean Gaffney

Maid-sama!, Vols. 15-16 | By Hiro Fujiwara | Viz Media – I had thought Maid-sama ended with volume sixteen, but I was wrong. And indeed, much of this volume is about reminding me that it’s not just as simple as “Misaki admits she likes him, the end.” Usui comes with baggage, though, and we learn a lot about that baggage in this volume, including the story of how his parents met—it’s steeped in class issues and tragedy. And as such Misaki, who is as common as they come, has it hammered into her that she can never be with him as she can’t cross those class barrier. Misaki, of course, is ready to kick your class barrier down with her best quality—her sheer stubbornness. Oh yes, and Misaki’s father returns. Please ignore that entire plotline; it’s awful. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 6 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – There’s a lot of good stuff going on in this volume, not the least of which is the tragic death of a major character, but it’s sort of hard to get past THAT SCENE. I said “poor Anne” at the end of my last review, and boy, I wasn’t kidding, though frankly she takes it far better than I expected. But man, Margaret. She’s always been one of my favorite Shakespeare villains, as well as one of his best female characters, and BOY HOWDY does Kanno convey that in a fantastic way. You want to recoil from the page. As for Henry and Richard, I think by necessity we are headed to the end of that relationship soon, unless there’s some rewriting of canon beyond what we’ve already seen. Riveting. -Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 38 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Thankfully, this volume was considerably more interesting than the previous one, though I am still grateful we’re heading for the end. Most of the volume focuses on Komatsu and the other cooks, and I am reminded that this is really Komatsu’s story as much as Toriko’s, and he’s had a lot farther to develop. Beyond that, we have the usual impressive shone n stunts, monsters galore, and a decent amount of food, though I miss the days when food was the only thing driving this manga. And again, the relationship between Toriko and Komatsu may not be explicitly gay, but it’s certainly far deeper than any relationships the two of them have with their love interests. Keep at it if you’ve been reading it. – Sean Gaffney

Welcome to the Ballroom, Vol. 5 | By Tomo Takeuchi | Kodansha Comics – The Tenpei Cup has come to an end, and Tatara Fujita must return to normal life. After successfully getting into high school, he is upfront about his love of dancesport in his self-introduction, earning the mockery of the girl who sits in front of him, Chinatsu Hiyama. However, it soon becomes apparent that not only is Chinatsu a big fan of Sengoku and his partner, Chizuru Hongo, but she has some experience with ballroom dance. Hey, how convenient that such a character shows up right when Tatara is in need of a new partner! Imagine that. Anyway, this is mostly a transitional volume, and featured a couple of people saying unkind things about their overweight friend, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as previous volumes. I’m still on board for the next one, though. – Michelle Smith

By: Michelle Smith

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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eunsahn · 7 years

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Whose Right/Who's Right?

For followers of the Way, one of the big differences between the Zen of today and the Zen of the days of the Ch’an Patriarchs is access to the Dharma in all its forms. We may have an in-person, three-dimensional teacher, a two-dimensional on-line video teacher, academic courses, the internet, and writings from the past 2,500 years. That’s quite a bit to sift through, and other than random stumbling onto something, my experience is that one source has led to another. Sometimes they even come in chronological order, though that’s never been Buddhism’s strong suit. The Pali Canon was divided into short, medium, and long discourses, so skipping around is hardly anything that can really be avoided without a lineage scorecard that puts things in some semblance of chronological order, though even any list is not entirely complete. Each branch will have its own lineage--the Jogye and Soto lineages branch off in the Five Houses era, for example. On any given day, anyone can read anything from any source, hear about anything from any time, learn about the Dhammapada one day, Dahui the next, followed by a little Huineng, a First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, capped off by a little ZM Seung Sahn, with maybe a little Robert Aitken Roshi on the side.

Back in a mountaintop Chinese temple in the Song Dynasty, the selection was a touch more limited, and not just because 1,000 years of writings hadn’t been written yet. I can’t really say for sure that the Abbott of this temple was as well-versed as a beginning poly-Buddhist is today. How much was translated, by whom, and at what year would be more of an issue for those Ch’an monks than it is for us. When did someone write it? Even if one were capable of reading all the scriptures, I doubt there would be any time left for any actual practice. Even a hermit has to plant, harvest, and eat. In a modern temple, there are other people with whom interaction takes place, chores, meditation, chanting, bowing, interviews with the teacher, and more chores. After all, dishes don’t wash themselves after food doesn’t cook itself. The rest of us in the marketplace have to do our marketplace things.

An undercurrent of today’s Zen practice involves what’s often referred to as “Engaged Buddhism.” If your sangha isn’t as actively involved as Zen Peacemakers or Upaya Zen Center, it may run a soup kitchen, run a hospice, maybe even meditate and chant for the benefit of all beings in the marketplace. All of them are valuable, not one more than the others. Some may have more immediately visible results, but the unseen results matter, possibly more. I say more, because when the result is just out there without my hand firmly controlling the soup spoon and my eyes seeing the gratitude expressed by someone who came in hungry and is leaving staed. It’s just out there. It’s kind of like mudita, the empathetic/sympathetic joy for someone else’s good fortune. I may have had nothing to do with the cause of the joy, the fortunate one may not even know I’m joyous for them. How not-validating! How not-instant gratification can it get? But that’s no reason not to feed the hungry or run a hospice. After all, I did say possibly more, not definitely more. Both types of actions put the benefit of others before our own, so it all generates merit that we can dedicate to all beings.

Where the Song Dynasty monk may not have heard much about the Eightfold Path while sitting at Linji’s feet, the monk received teachings nonetheless--teachings that were aimed at providing the opportunity to awaken, equally as much as the aforementioned Path. I daresay that the Zennist of today who didn’t know his Eightfold Path from a Six Pack would run the risk of being laughed out of the meditation room by the less charitable, and given some guidance in Buddhist basics from the more charitable. I wonder sometimes whether all the teachings in all their value and all their length and breadth may just be a distraction from the task at hand for the Zen practitioner who has taken the Bodhisattva Vows. The lay Precepts are based in the Eightfold Path. Right Livelihood, for example, mentions livelihoods that should be avoided: Trade in deadly weapons, trade in animals for slaughter, trade in slavery, trade in intoxicants, and trade in poisons. A couple Precepts are covered right there, and the other Seven of the Path follow suit in much the same way. Of course, in true Buddhist fashion, it’s a combination of what to do, and it’s what to avoid doing. If there are 84,000 choices of what to do, practicing Right Livelihood still leaves you with 83,995 other things to do. If we are living by the Precepts we’ve received and Vows we’ve taken, the “Rights” of the Path take care of themselves. If pondering the Path precludes practice, is it practical?

In today’s society, where do Right and right meet the road, and where they do, is there a headon collision? One interpretation of Right Speech is not lying, slandering, using harsh words and gossip, and I’d add in speaking in a tone of perceived superiority to the list. In the US and elsewhere in the world, there is the right to freely expressing oneself, and this often includes “the right to freedom of speech.” This right to free speech often doesn’t equal Right Speech unfortunately. As a Zen Buddhist in the US, how do we deal with what we perceive as right and wrong, harmful and helpful, lovingkindness in speech and hate speech? From an Engaged perspective, how do we tolerate the hate speech, and as Americans point out the intolerance perceived in this expression of at least perceived malevolence? Third Patriarch said the Great Way was easy for those with no preferences, those who eliminate love and hate. But how do we not prefer Right over “wrong,” how do we not love “love,” and hate “hate?” How do we “man the barricades” without engaging in the same vitriol as our perceived opponent?

As per usual, we make it more difficult for ourselves. Differing views (as opposed to Right View) are simply an element of relative reality. We accept that. We don’t even have to think of the differences as creating the two sides of the coin, it’s all just speech and opinions that cover a broad spectrum of greys, even if it looks black and white. We accept it, but don’t have to settle and leave it as is. It’s said that Right View is No View. If we maintain the view that those greys have evolved from previous greys, and will change into the next shades of grey, it’s a more accurate View, maybe even No View. We don’t have to attach to our view/opinion as incontrovertibly the correct one. To this end, Great Faith, Great Doubt, and Great Courage--three great legs of the Zen tripod--are used, and not just one of them. Great Faith without Great Doubt is falling into the hell of relying on dogma. Grreat Doubt without Great Courage can lead to nihilism and inertia. Great Courage (or Great Determination it’s sometimes called) without Faith and Doubt can manifest as anger or thoughtless action rather than thoughtful acton. Faith, Doubt, and Courage can manifest as correct action through No Thought, or put another way, before thought. Living in accordance with our True Nature can’t help but be right or Right.

Is it unawakened intention or awakened intentioned our “view” supplies? Sencan’s nondiscrimination is manifested through looking deeply at our motives and intentions, and what leads up to them. Even clinging to an awakened view is still a view, and therefore negates the awakened nature of it. Not thinking this is Right or right, but just acting, speaking of doing them in accordance with our True Nature. We doubt that our mundane views are necessarily right or Right. We have faith in ourselves--more accurately our True Selves--are innate and don’t need force to emerge. And we have the courage and determination that this manifestation, this unveiling comes to be. It hasn’t gone anywhere, and doesn’t come from anywhere, it just is. No birth or death, just there. But where is it in a protest march? It’s with us all the time, but maybe in the heat of the moment doubt is pushed aside by faith in our virtuous cause. Torching a car or throwing a brick may seem to be a good idea at the time, but will it stay the same after some introspective investigation? Participating in injustice, even through inaction, is complicity with the oppressor. It is no more correct than actively denying food to the hungry or incarcerating someone who is innocent. Fear is most certainly the opposite of courage, and to be in a state of fear is not great. Quite often, fear is what drive the lack of determination.

Not having a preference does not mean not engaging. Somewhere between fighting a “just war” and passive pacifism is awakened action. This could even take the form of having the courage to point out to the “opponent” that their thoughts, words, actions, views, etc. are open to question-- their faith without doubt. Likewise the skepticism they express toward your stand may be their doubt in you and your cause, but no doubt in themselves. Their determination just to plow under the opponent and bulldoze the barricades may not be too courageous, just a manifestation of fear, hatred, or simply unawakened behavior. It shows disinterest in finding out what the awakened version might constitute. We don’t have to point out how unawakened “they” are and how awakened “we” are at the top of our lungs. Sometimes No Speech is Right Speech--silently man the barricades without engaging the other on their terms. If you’re on a football field, play football, even if the other team is cheating. We don’t have to play their game and cheat in return.

One thing Zen Masters have done is to allow their student to go down through their own path. They may see that the direction the student is headed will probably not work out so well, but having learned that heading South is not the shortest direction to North, but it is a way to get there. The teacher may give the student the compass of the Dharma, but if the student still decides heading South is the better course because directly North has an obstacle or two, the teacher will not forcibly turn the student around, just let them go, and “letting go” in more ways than one. The student has the right to be wrong in his or her own way. The teacher has faith that the student will right themselves eventually, and if he really crashes and burns, the teacher will be free to use the fire extinguisher of lovingkindness. We could take this approach with those whom we think of as going down the wrong path politically or socio-economically, but I have my doubts about this being Right anything. If one were to just let others cause suffering to another being, isn’t that being complicit in the harmful act itself. Even when justified by such maxims of freedom of expression or freedom of speech, letting injustice just happen because it might lead to the final goal of enlightenment may not be all that skillful if the reason behind it is fear or misapplied doubt.

In the final analysis, it’s a balancing act, as much of our work as concerned, engaged Bodhisattvas is. We must act quickly, decisively, and naturally as an awakened being would. That entails practice until instant where the awakening happens. It may be on the barricade, it may be on the cushion, it may be hearing a rock hit bamboo, or bamboo or truncheon being firmly applied to your shin or head. Awakening can happen if we peel away the firmly head beliefs about it, and everything else. We need to be able to discern whose right is being violated, and who’s right about standing up for the right. As I write this, it comes to mind that this may be the huadu of the barricade: Whose right/who’s right? Don’t know. Act from a stand of True Nature, there’s no knowing that matters.

#Zen #EightfoldPath #EngagedBuddhism

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