#basketball hackysack

[severalspoons]

Liveblog: Rewatching Trigun, Episode 12

We're almost halfway through the show and the Gung Ho Guns are only just being introduced. And there are a LOT of them.

-- Vash playing in the square with the kids: That alternation of emotions and art styles is just crazy.

-- The infamous octopus animation and the bit where Vash carries the basketball around in his mouth = ewww.

-- Basketball hackysack, lol.

-- Kids gone, glasses on.

-- "Perhaps that was a bit too dramatic." For someone with such a calm, even voice, Legato is pretty extra.

-- I keep thinking there’s going to be a head in that bag.

-- What's with the blue, glowing eyes?

-- Oh no, it's that vacant ^_^ smile again. Now you KNOW something's wrong.

-- What was Milly going to say, before she changed her mind?

-- Why was Monev the Gale locked in a basement for 20 years?

-- Meryl, you picked the wrong time to suddenly become observant.

-- Srsly, how does he do the eye thing?

-- "Why could they possibly keep on living? What could possibly motivate them?" Oh no it's the million $$ existential question, and I'm pretty sure Vash isn't just asking about humans.

Is an "open ticket to the future" really an answer?

It's not a naive answer, really, as you might expect. She's not saying "people keep living because things will get better." After all, sometimes things don't.

Rem's saying, I think, that people stay alive because they have free will and want to use it. Free will means hope.

And Vash respects that free will.

It's probably already becoming clear he has the power to make people do whatever he wants. He could enforce peace on the planet, but instead, he wanders the world helping people one at a time. He leads by example, showing everyone he meets what a peaceful solution looks like. And last episode, we saw it can work when Wolfwood admits, "I thought there had to be a sacrifice, but there was another solution all along." /tangent

-- He sounds so unsure if it'd be wrong to shoot Monev.  :(

***

So a lot of people think getting angry in and of itself is immoral, unholy, or terrifying. Anger scares people, and they often want to stamp it out. Including in Christian tradition, which Trigun clearly draws upon. And it's pretty literalized here. Vash looks scary, like "el diablo," and it unnerves Meryl particularly. I like afriendlyirin's meta about what happened:

Vash is attacked in the middle of a populated city by a man named Monev the Gale. His first instinct upon escaping Monev’s initial attack is to get innocent bystanders out of the crossfire, as he has done in past conflicts. But now Monev, upon seeing what Vash is doing, does this:

So. How does our all-loving pacifist hero react to this?

He gets pissed.

This is an important moment, narratively and morally. What does the hero do when he can’t get everything he wants – when he is challenged? What does he value, and what does he compromise?

Vash does spare Monev in the end here, but the mere fact he was tempted to violence – to betray his ideals – reveals a lot about him. It shows that, when it comes down to it, he does value real people over ideals. Though he will forgive anything done to him personally, he is outraged at the idea of someone hurting others. His ideals serve the people he cares about, not the other way around.

...There’s a saying that love and anger can coexist. I would go further, and say that in some situations love and anger must coexist. If you truly love someone, how can you not be angry when they are hurt? How can you not be outraged at the cruelty, the injustice of this situation that allows them to suffer? How can that not test you, unless your love was not truly for them?

All of us who've felt enraged by injustice and evil almost to the point of violence understand what Vash is experiencing here. At the same time, through Milly and Meryl's eyes, we can see how righteous anger can transform you and how it can look from the outside. How important it is to keep it under control.

We're going to have the opportunity to contrast this sort of anger with a very different, cold anger where principles matter more than people. Stay tuned.

[grittyreadsfic]

hello my friends, one singular person asked for this weeks ago so i’m here with my most unhinged rec list yet: tk and nolan.

now, this one was hard to reign in, so i really didn’t. this pairing had maybe 230 fics in the tag when i first started reading hockey fic, and it’s now over 900, and i’ve read far too many of them, and that makes it so hard to parse it down. so i just...didn't!

so with that said, please enjoy so you want to get into tknp: a beginners guide to a classic case of idiots to lovers

i told myself that i couldn’t rec an author’s entire body of work but then i remembered this is my blog and i do what i want, so i did some consolidating. here’s a list of the quintessential authors for this pairing, you can start at any of their profiles and pick any of their fics at random, and it’ll be one of the best ones for the pairing, hands down.

therainbowsedge: i’d start with the summer camp fic, or the sex toys one, as both beautifully capture the true idiots to lovers nature of this pairing, but just top tier writing all around

manybumblebees: the wedding fic is so tender and port stanley is a classic, but literally pick any single fic and you’ll have a perfect tknp fic. i’m not kidding

jamesvanriemsdick: their tknp fics in their series are some of the hidden gems of this pairing (the tk heartbeat fic makes me LOSE it) but the delaware fic or the seattle fic…..there’s really something for every mood

catchascatchcan: start with era of gods because i could write literal essays on how it’s some of the best fantasy worldbuilding i’ve ever read, but then just read everything else on their account, including non tknp fics. you won’t regret it

hackysack: ao3 user hackysack has written one of two timeloop fics that i absolutely adore, and i thought about just calling that one out in particular, but all of their work deserves the attention

canary: nothing to prove was the first tknp fic i ever read and i was immediately hooked. all of their fics are a good starting place for the pairing, and just really give you a feeling for the pairing

and now, for the fic recs!

to be, despite it all by smudgedfreckles

summary: or, nolan patrick’s gender thesis, by travis konecny.

why i love it: there’s not a lot ofo nonbinary characters in media, even in fic, but this fic’s treatment of nolan and their path to figuring out their gender just feels so real and made me feel so seen. tk’s characterization is also just top notch, and it’s just a super sweet story about two people who love each other

last ones standing by makeit_takeit

summary: If you’re committed to finding your future spouse, reads the last line of the ad, and are ready to look at yourself and your love life in a whole new way, apply now.

At the bottom of the ad there’s a link, and Travis finds his finger hovering over the screen, lip still caught between his teeth.

“I mean,” he says very reasonably, speaking out loud to his empty apartment like some sort of possibly-crazy person, “just applying doesn’t mean anything. Maybe I just fill it out, and see what happens. It’s not like I’m really gonna get picked to be on TV, come on.”

He snorts out loud, just to show his apartment he hasn’t lost his grip on reality or anything; he fully understands how ludicrous that would be.

Then he clicks the link anyway, because yolo or whatever.

why i love it: what part of a married at first sight fic doesn’t make you want to immediately dive right in? the concept is fun, the execution is absolutely flawless, and it captures their dynamic so well while letting it develop naturally

motivation by connectknee

summary: Kevin knows when to back off, the article said. He knows just when to shut up and leave Patty alone, something Travis has never known how to do.

why i love it: the thing i love about this pairing is that tk is loud and in your face, and nolan’s more reserved, a little quieter, a little harder to read. this fic does a really great job of exploring how tk could feel like maybe he’s just a bit too much and is one of my favorites in terms of miscommunication

a tenderness grows by rusesdeguerre

summary: Nolan wouldn’t say that landing a job as the Philadelphia Flyers’ psychotic and probably clinically insane mascot was a childhood dream of his. Maybe tangentially: playing pond hockey in –30°C weather and pretending to be Sidney Crosby is practically a rite of passage when you grow up in Manitoba. That, and experiencing the distinct displeasure that is thousands of mosquitoes sucking your blood out when your father drags you on a father-son camping trip into the backwoods of the northern Canadian Prairies.

why i love it: this was the first fic i recced on this blog, and i stand by that decision. a fic where nolan is not only not a hockey player, but is in fact the person in the gritty suit? absolutely perfect, and so charming from start to finish

meet me at my window by springsteen

summary: Travis has lived in Philadelphia for a few years now, long enough to know there isn’t a major city in America where superheroes don’t destroy an entire city block trying to save humanity or whatever. He can deal with all the super-shit, but Travis did not sign up for getting woken up from a deep sleep because some fucker’s trying to break in through his window.

(5 times the super-villain known as "The Cat" breaks into Travis's apartment, plus 1 time Travis invites him in.)

why i love it: there’s a lot of things to love here, but the concept is just absolutely one of my all time favorite aus ever. it’s fun and charming and the perfect glimpse into a world where heroes and villains exist, and what it’s like just to be a run of the mill kind of guy existing in it. tk and nolan’s back and forth in this make it so engaging, and it’s such a top tier fic

body’s in trouble by cloudsandpassingevents

summary: “Oh, sorry,” someone says. “Didn’t know anyone else was here.”

Nolan freezes, then turns around very slowly. When he looks up, Nicklas fucking Backstrom is standing behind him in a hoodie and baggy sweats, holding the biggest bag of Swedish Fish Nolan’s ever seen in his life in one hand.

“Uh,” Nolan says around the pop tart between his teeth. “Yeah.”

What the fuck, his brain helpfully supplies.

why i love it: from nolan’s inner voice, to the way the author explores all the dynamics within the team, to the way they write the unexpected but actually, it kind of makes sense friendship between nolan and backstrom, is just absolutely fantastic. there’s a lot of moments that circle back and build on each other in a way that really just makes it super compelling

rhizomatic foundations by lighthousetowers

summary: Twenty days after he moves in with Kevin Hayes, twenty days – three months, five months, depending on how you look at it – after not talking to TK, TK shows up at the front door with a plant the size of a basketball in his hands.

TK grins. "Patty, meet Reginald." He lifts up the plant. "Reggie, meet Patty. He's going to be your new - caretaker."

"What the fuck," says Nolan, not moving a single muscle.

Or: That Nolan can hear the plant talk might as well just happen.

why i love it: this is probably my favorite magical realism fic just about ever. it’s fun and charming and a little weird, but in the best possible way. there’s such a wonderful narrative in it, and lighthousetowers always has such beautiful writing, and it really shines in this one. the dialogue and nolan’s characterization are also part of what set it apart for me as one of the best tknp fics

in the dark of any town by mengetpegged

summary: If the voice has an accent at all, it’s a flat prairie Canadian, with none of G’s French-Canadian softness at the edges. But mostly, the accent is just ‘pissed off,’ which TK believes is a default setting for ghosts.

“Who are you?” TK asks, and he doesn’t like how strained his voice sounds, doesn’t like the tinge of anxiety tinting the rise of his question. He tries to regulate his breaths—in through his nose, hold, out through his mouth��but it feels like he’s not getting enough oxygen, which makes him panic even more.

“Someone with a fucking migraine, dickhead,” the voice says. “So keep the lights off and shut the hell up.”

(or: Nolan Patrick, Hotel X Ghost)

why i love it: i’m usually not super into ghost fics, both the spooky kind and the nonspooky kind, but this one is a rare exception. it’s charming and fun and tender and it’s got some of, in my opinion, the best characterization of tk and nolan in any fic. the way the author writes their dynamic and their dialogue is just unmatched

lets_make_this_moment_a_crime.mp3 by honeydripping

summary: Travis meets Nolan at a Midtown show in 2002 when he punches Nolan in the face. He can’t help it, “Like A Movie” just goes off.

But he does feel guilty about it.

or

TK and Patty work at a bakery together. They go to punk shows to pass the time.

why i love it: idk if anyone asked for an early 2000s emo/punk/alt au but wow! i sure am glad it exists! really the vibes of this fic, as silly as that sounds, are absolutely unmatched. i love the structure with the music, the development of their relationship, and just everything about how the author wrote the setting (there’s this whole thing with tattoos in it that makes me feel absolutely insane)

you’re ripped at every edge by you’re a masterpiece by conformityissuicide

summary: “Ugh, look, this yoga teacher has it out for me, man. And I can’t go back there without at least having some of the basics down. I’ve got to win this battle.”

“Yoga isn’t really something you win at,” Hartsy starts.

Travis cuts him off, “You can win at anything if you try hard enough.”

+++

OR that time Nolan's a grumpy yoga teacher and Travis realizes he wants to bone him and prove him wrong about Travis' non-existent yoga abilities.

why i love it: listen, if you want tknp, at least one of them has to be an idiot, and this tk absolutely captures the obliviousness i love to see in him in fic. it’s such a great characterization of them both and such a great concept (and even better execution)

you form a terror pack (and i’m aware of that) by dalmatienne

summary: “Can I help you?” TK snarks, both eyebrows hiked up in a way that has earned her many elbow checks to the ribs.

The chick looks down her nose, long thick eyelashes fluttering. Red-bitten lips part to blow a florid pink bubble and TK can smell the chemical sweetness when it pops.

“Yeah,” she says in this monotonous voice that seems almost at odds with her bubble gum and neon skates. She jams her stopper into TK’s thigh again, literally inches away from where it’d really hurt. “Tie ‘em.”

why i love it: to be honest, i generally don’t read rule 63 within hrpf, but this one is just absolutely knocks it out of the park. the concept (i fuckin’ love roller derby), the characterization of nolan, the pacing, the rituals, the tone of the entire fic, it’s just all around a perfect read from start to finish

thrills and grills by bitter_leaf

summary: Travis can’t even begin to wonder what he did in a previous life to incur the wrath of this fucking cook. Travis thinks he’s a nice person, doesn’t conduct himself in any way that could be considered particularly dickish, and unless this guy has some sort of issue with hockey bros or people from the boonies, he’s not sure how he started shit without even knowing.

__

Patty has a vendetta. Travis just wants to eat his eggs in peace.

why i love it: honestly this is the enemies to lovers fic i’ve been waiting for. i remember seeing the reddit post when it first went viral and thinking it would make such a great fic premise, so stumbling across this one was just so wonderful. super engaging and fun and so hilarious to read!

nothing but room for you by fightingfuries

summary: When his agent tells him he’s going to be traded to the Devils, Nolan isn't sure how he feels about it. Might be easier if he was going somewhere farther away, like California or fucking Florida. Somewhere sun-soaked and foreign. Someplace so different from Philadelphia that he can forget he ever played for the Flyers, forget everything that happened there.

Or Nolan fucks up, gets traded, gets his shit together and falls in love. Not necessarily in that order.

why i love it: i cannot stress to you how much i love trade fics, and this one is one of my absolute favorites. the trade to the devils-so close to philly, still, but there’s more to distance than physical miles-was such an excellent choice and the split timeline adds so much to the narrative, and the emotions are real and messy and complicated in the best way

a couple of runaways (i’m glad you stayed) by overturnedgoal

summary: The person in the video he’s watching is super annoying. Some obnoxious holier than thou granola type who keeps talking about their environmental impact as if they aren’t driving a gas guzzler around, but the basic idea of living in a van, driving around wherever, camping all the time, just going hiking and swimming and seeing the whole country? It sounds pretty dope, honestly.

why i love it: i like to watch tours and conversions of vans/buses into tiny homes as a self soothing method, and this fic has the same impact that watching those do. it’s such a fun concept, and it’s so fuckin’ soft, and the dialouge between tk and nolan is just *chef’s kiss*

all candor and style in the crook of your smile by p3trichor

summary: It’s a photo of Nolan on his knees with someones’ fingers in his mouth, lips slick with spit. Travis flicks by it almost too fast and he’s only got seconds to decide if he wants to screenshot it, if he wants to just give up the ghost right then and there. Except Travis’s phone freezes momentarily and then the group refreshes, sidcros87, Bert59 and 14 others took a screenshot!

It’s gone before Travis even has time to process it and he already wasted his replay of the day on a stupid video of a stupid fish that Hayes caught.

Can you send me that screenshot Travis texts Bertuzzi before he can overthink it, his dick already stirring in his sweats. Tuzzi sends back the cry-laughing emoji and then the screenshot before Travis can be too annoyed at him.

Or, Nolan is being weird about Travis's break-up and TK is maybe not straight.

why i love it: i genuinely don’t think i have words for the amount i love this fic. it took me forever to actually read, but it’s absolutely one of my favorite fics, and it’s an absolutely riot to read. carter’s meddling and the presence of tyler bertuzzi both make it extra fun, in my humble opinion

[doxiest]

I’m all for self expression of many types

Tattoos? Dope! I have some too, we can talk about the ones we have and the ones we want to get.

Piercings? Sweet! Tell me about them, how many do you have? Which one hurt the most?

Colorful hair? NICE! I love changing my hair color the ends are currently purple.

Writing? Awesome! Is it songs, short stories, poems, venting? Id love to hear about them, I’m always getting stuck when I try to write.

Art? Beast mode!, do you just sketch or do you use paints, chalk, pastel, clay, random objects, I’d love to see them especially if you’re into graffiti.

Photography? Duuude! Amateur or professional let me see I love photography.

Music? Yeees! My earphones are ready and so am I, I love finding new music to listen to.

Fashion? Aye!, what’s your style?

Sports?, lets go! What do you play? Basketball, baseball, football, soccer, Hackysack, croquet, dodgeball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics, cheerleading?

Gaming?, cool beans! What do you play?

My point is self expression is so important and I try to encourage everyone to find a way or multiple ways to express themselves.

[taishiishida]

I performed at Sanjo beaters event. That’s great basketball court! I love it. I have to consider to get it for Footbag. Oh and I wore the HHKB T-shirt. This is great as well. #footbag #taishiishida #freestyle #soccer #follow #worldchampion #performance #performer #instagramer #hackysack #event #hhkb #tshirt https://www.instagram.com/p/CLWya08FcUf/?igshid=xjmu4zx6481a

[foundcarcosa]

also, Shape of Water?

took my heart, bit a chunk out of it, played hackysack with the rest, then slam dunked it through a basketball hoop and left it for dead

[justwhatialwayswanted]

I had a dream that I was sailing with my lil nephew. We were in the crow's nest but he was exploring and getting into trouble so I had to send him home....which morphed into helping teenage princesses with their debuts- then that turned into a game with one of those inflatable chairs from the 90s on wheels. You had a huge gym and biiig translucent balloons that held other regular balloons that held these red things (prolly hackysacks). All over the gym, around basketball backboard height, there were big nails like spikes that you use to pop the balloons repeatedly to get the hackysack things out. It was me against 4 college kids I guess, but I was killing it! I think I just beat them as time expired. I dream in color.

[taishiishida]

I performed at Sanjo beaters event. That’s great basketball court! I love it. I have to consider to get it for Footbag. Oh and I wore the HHKB T-shirt. This is great as well. #footbag #taishiishida #freestyle #soccer #follow #worldchampion #performance #performer #instagramer #hackysack #event #hhkb #tshirt (三条パール金属スタジアム) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH7JhC1lBox/?igshid=101jr9brd88qa