#because i love the potential of their friendship

[hoshinasblade]

you know what im thinking about? growing up with hoshina and harboring romantic feelings with the boy you spent your childhood with. i'd like to believe this is a friendship so deep and innocent and intimate that when you were kids you even promised you'd marry each other, sealing the deal with makeshift rings made of woven thread. but this fairytale had to somehow end — at an early age you are aware that the both of you are beholden to your duties: as a daughter you are ought to marry into a wealthy family, and as a soldier, hoshina has to serve as an anti-kaiju defense officer.

imagine learning that arrangements have been made but you didn't — couldn't — tell hoshina that you are already engaged. your fiancé's name was kept from you by your clan elders and you shamelessly used that fact as an excuse on why you wouldn't tell the man you love that your hand has already been given to someone else. imagine hoshina's visits to you during his days off, and how hard you would pretend as if you had not just been gifted away. imagine the deflating hopelessness you would feel everytime hoshina would say good night to you at the end of the day, and you thinking every moment might as well be the last.

and imagine unbeknownst to you, hoshina being on the same boat as you. a man who cannot lead a family cannot lead a division — even a high-ranking military authority with hoshina's potential would look unstable if he remains unmarried. so he followed his father's supposedly wise advice and at the risk of breaking his own heart, agreed to be betrothed to a woman of his parents choosing.

multiple times, guilt was eating hoshina alive but instead of coming clean, he discovered that only one other thing is more difficult than hurting you — confessing about it. so he chose not to say a word - grief and shame overtaking his chest over the truth that his time with you would soon be over, that one day he would have to try to love another that is not you.

now imagine you and hoshina seeing each other on the day of the wedding — groom and bride about to be bound as one forever. never mind the white lies, never mind the heartache, never mind the fear of losing each other — nothing else would have mattered because it seems that the universe had destined you to be together anyway. imagine the shock, the happiness, the yearning; imagine the relief — imagine the wonderful feeling of being able to breathe again upon realising that you would be spending your life with your best friend after all.

right, i was listening to do i wanna know (cover by hozier) when i was typing this in my phone lol i headcanon that hoshina is definitely the type to say "maybe im too busy being yours to fall for somebody new". anyway, happy birthday to @umafanfiqueiraqualquer, this one's for u

[babybearnation]

hockey player!lance + hockey player!reader = uni!au

i know fucking nothing about hockey so this won't be super specific, sorry!!

lance stroll x male!reader (university au)

cw: very briefly suggestive

lance is a business major

you were there on a sports scholarship, specifically because you played hockey

lance also played hockey and, when you two met on the first day of tryouts/practice, you bonded instantly

it didn't take long for your friendship to merge into a relationship

lance was the sweetest ever, always ensuring you ate three meals a day during difficult times like exam season or depressive/homesick episodes

takes you out on a minimum of one date every single week, usually after hockey practice (it's also usually more than one date a week)

will always carry your gear as well as his because he doesn't want you to struggle with the weight or anything, plus he's a gentleman

hates when you get hurt out on the ice but knows that it's to be expected in this sport and he can't exactly prevent it

not afraid to fight the captain if he upsets you

will always take care of any injuries you receive because he doesn't want them to potentially ruin your career before it could properly begin

gets shy when you take care of his injuries though because you're so kind and careful with him and his stomach gets butterflies when you're like that

kisses you before each hockey game and, if your team wins, he won't hold back from kissing you on the ice to celebrate

big wins usually result in you and him celebrating in disgustingly loud ways if you catch my drift

thinks you look so hot wearing his jersey because even though it's the same colour as your own jersey, seeing you rocking his number makes his brain go all fuzzy

wear only his jersey and nothing else and lance will go fucking feral

super proud of you for being so smart and passing your exams but has also offered multiple times to pay for your tuition if you were to ever lose your scholarship

if you share lectures or classes, he'll be so excited and you two will spend literally the whole session talking and chatting together whilst still paying attention to the stuff being explained

madly in love with you and everyone can tell because he has such major heart eyes for you

graduation is a big thing when you're dating lance - he'll get all his friends to whistle and holler with him when you cross the stage

they'll be a big party hosted at the stroll house and literally every single person you know will be there

you and lance end up getting photographed whilst kissing at graduation and it becomes one of the university's go to images for promoting graduation

even if neither of you continue on with hockey, you and lance will watch it together & occasionally continue to play it together

© all rights to babybearnation 2025.

[astronoodle]

In fairness, it's not an idea that comes from nowhere. It's pretty observable, depending on your culture. There are a lot of people who not only drop hobbies, but also friendships, extended family relationships, and even commitments in their community once they're in a romantic relationship--particularly if it's long term and becomes one where life plans are made jointly.

I don't think this is a great aspect of our culture, tbh.

But it's also not necessarily an unrealistic or self-centered expectation if it's the norm you see all around you. Especially if one person in the relationship *does* end up sacrificing their own hobbies, friendships, and potentially also their creative or career goals in order to devote more time to nurture the relationship with someone they love, and the other partner... doesn't.

Like, I know way too many people who are in a relationship where their partners actually couldn't destroy their hobby stuff (be it makeup or art supplies or what have you), because they no longer have hobby stuff.

They stopped buying art supplies because they don't have time to make art anymore. All their time is spent working overtime to afford a family home, doing domestic chores to keep the household comfortable and safe, and planning and executing different strategies to show their partner they love them in the partner's "love language" (or w/e romance trend they think is best).

And their partner...isn't doing that. Their partner is not working overtime, maybe not even full time, nor pursuing some path to a more financially stable career. Their partner is not doing 50% of the chores necessary to live in a comfortable, safe environment. Their partner certainly isn't regularly planning out ways to show they love them through thoughtful romantic gestures or gifts or anything particularly personal.

Their partner isn't actually spending the time it takes to be a good partner. They're spending their time...playing video games. Hanging out with friends. Participating in their social scene.

And when the individual asks for their partner to let them have that same freedom--for their partner to, say, pick up more hours at work, so they can work a bit less and have time to paint again, or to take over more household chores so they have free time to rekindle their own friendships--their partner says no.

They say it's mean to even ask. It's damaging to their spirit.

And yeah, obviously, the thing to do then is break up and grieve the relationship. Not break someone's stuff.

But it's not actually wrong or bad to want to be in a partnership where everyone gets their needs met and both people make sacrifices for one another sometimes.

If you sacrificed 100% of your hobbies and friendships, and your partner sacrificed zero for you, that's not ok. You gotta get out. "Video games" is a red herring. It's the inequality that's the problem.

If someone wants you to sacrifice everything by default, and literally does not sacrifice even a smidgen of hobby time for you, they do not love you. Actions speak louder than words. People who love each other work together to distribute labor in a way that feels good for both, and make decisions to prioritize each other in a way that gets everyone's needs met and keeps everyone safe.

If you haven't painted in over a year for his sake, for the sake of your relationship, and he plays videogames or, I don't know, plays basketball or crochets every day? And he genuinely doesn't seem to care that you haven't painted in a year because you have no time, yet you had time before you were together?

Dump. Him.

He doesn't love you. Love is an action.

Grieve and start painting again.

Maybe stop dating in general if you feel the need to break things your partners enjoy

[billsbae]

i love a good hogwarts au in every fandom i'm in, so here's my houses headcanons for atla

katara — gryffindor

sokka — ravenclaw

aang — hufflepuff

toph — slytherin

suki — gryffinor

zuko �� hufflepuff

azula — slytherin

mai — slytherin

ty lee — slytherin

[vaggieslefteye]

ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇ ↳ anonymous asked: HUSK and ALASTOR or angel and valentino?

[silently-standingstill]

TEAM8s is not a team that did nothing, but rather a team that suffered from unused potential

This is an analysis of Team8s in TPOT 1-2, and (most) characters on the team. This is what I believe to be how an arc for Team8s could've been portrayed if their team had something going on before the merge. This analysis takes into consideration their experiences in BFDIA and BFB, and how it could've affected TPOT and their team.

Team8s is a team that is full of potential, it was formed through Coiny wanting to have woah bunch reunited, and Saw and Gaty wanting to team with Barf Bag over having zig zags, it is also a team made up of close duos (+ Needle), and 5/8 of the members having leader qualities. This is a team that has so much potential because of how much conflict could have arisen, even before the team was officially formed, Coiny, Gaty and Pin were arguing over the team's name, over something so trivial too! This interaction shows how strong they are with their wants and beliefs, and rooted in why the team was formed, that it should be named after why they're in the team, instead of making something united together. The characters joined for different reasons and it's interesting seeing right off the bat how strong each of their presences are. For potential, I believe Pin and Coiny's conflict with their experiences in BFDIA could've made for something interesting, especially since two of the characters were dragged into the team because of that. BFDIA is something Coiny wishes to relive and want that experience to be ongoing, but it isn't and he cannot move on from the past, contrasting with Pin's distaste for the season because of her treatment, experiences, even becoming disabled in the season and nobody caring other than Coiny. They have extremely different views of the season that brought them together despite being so close, and with this team, I believe it would have given them the chance to show their frustrations about the season, and have the ability to communicate more in depth about why it left such an impact on both of them, and also how they can move on from it and enjoy the future outside of that season. That being said, the characters outside of that duo can push that potential arc forward, BFDIA being a season that some characters weren't there for, or didn't impact them overall. Donut being the first eliminated, the game itself wouldn't have much importance to him, and due to his early elimination, he grew as a character due to that. If his previous characterization was referenced by Coiny or any other character, either Barf Bag or pin could remarked that he isn't the same person, he still retains his irritable nature but he now is more considerate and thoughtful, a person who is a leader and rational. The past is not the present and he's very different from his beginnings. Speaking of leaders, Needle is able to speak her mind, if something like this did happen, she would be able to put him in his place and tell him to move on, similar to how she did in BFB with Firey and Leafys arguing, and same with Gaty! However, most of her interactions with him are negative, but arguably, most of them do have to do with BFDIA, she would be seeing this from an outside view and possibly confront Coiny about his attachment to that previous season (though narratively, Needle would be a better pick for that role considering their past, Gaty would be better to further the conflict and cause him to realize that there is an issue). There could be a rift between the characters in the team, similar to Bleh, but not as unattached from reality that book caused her team to be. The conflict could affect the teams overall performance, especially with so many characters who fit the leader role, it would cause no single direction that challenges go, many of the duos/groups splitting off to do their own thing. There's many ideas and directions, and nobody cooperating. Once Gaty, who was on a team with conflict previously, and possibly Donut, someone who is able to keep his team together, they realize they cannot function as a team if this keeps on going. They'd be the characters to cause the other characters to resolve the conflict and ultimately have the arc come to a close.... and this is just a single idea! The team overall has so much potential and wasn't used despite there being so much going on for all the characters! They aren't a team that did nothing, but a team that was forgotten about.

[robbyykeene]

The sexism of the show still astounds me with just how prevalent it's become and yet at the same time it was always kind of there in the background like Sam's story went from how she's more than a legacy to the exact opposite, Tory's living in a psychological horror with her mother killed off solely to drive her back to Cobra Kai, Aisha was written out, Shannon became one-dimensional and Amanda's role as the apparent Only Sane Woman becomes increasing frustrating because she is not the only adult there, they dismissed Ali's experiences with Johnny, didn't do anything much with Kumiko except as a way in bring back Chozen too, Carmen's now a trophy wife and baby factory and hell, even unseen female characters get short shrift because in S5 we're told something happened to Mike's wife which is very evidently why he's spiraled so hard, and then we never hear about her again!! The show just straight up doesn't give a shit and I hate it so much because there was so much potential with all of these and they squandered it.

I have literally nothing to add, I fully agree with everything you said 😐

[oceanwithouthermoon]

okay i think part of why people hate teruhashi and saikis dynamic and falsify reasons why they dont like each other at all is that they CAN tell that theres romance implied between them and so they take that and go "well i dont like the ship therefore theres nothing good about this dynamic and they shouldnt even interact" or something

but you guys dont get it... people who are in love can be friends... they can have friendships... you can be friends with someone youre in love with, you can STAY friends with someone youre in love with, you can be friends and ONLY friends with someone youre in love with FOREVER...

its also cool if you dont interpret them as implied romantic but if you dont then you still have to acknowledge that they ARE friends. theyre friends and they care about each other and you cant stop that.

[otaku553]

The eventual kazuha and sanemi dynamic

[courtney-deserved-better]

telling myself i can't start another tdwt rewrite but dear god do i want to write one focusing on alejandro and courtney in this weird situationship thats a lot more nuanced than just alejandro manipulating courtney and her falling for it. like theyre best friends they dont trust each other theyre the same person they dont know anything about the other one theres a mutual attraction theyre pining for other people theyre codependent they dont care about each other theyre platonic soulmates like i just want to do a deep dive into how messy that relationship couldve been building off of their friendship that exists in my head except the line between romantic and platonic is so fucking blurred they have no idea what they are to the other person

[two-entire-bits]

back on my dancer!two-bit bullshit

There's one time Johnny comes over to spend the night at Two-Bit's house one night and Two's mom let's him in and he goes to his room to say hi and lo and behold Two-Bit is prancing around his room right. so he tries to play it off cuz no tough greaser would be caught dead doing pirouettes and Johnny's like 'no no that's sick actually. that's really cool. can you show me more' and two's like '....sure?'

So its like, 10 pm and Johnny's sat on the couch watching Two do a whole ass performance and breaking all the styles and dances down. This becomes a reoccuring thing until Johnny asks for Two to teach him, and Johnny catches on surprisingly well.

Two-Bit and Marcia will sometimes go out of town on weekends and the gang always tease Two about it but it's actually just so they can go out dancing without being judged by greasers/socs, so after a while of teaching Johnny, once he's really good, Two asks Marcia if Johnny can tag along to their tri-weekly outings and she's like 'oh of course'

But Johnny is absolutely terrified of dancing in public and just watches them and the other couples on the floor the first couple of times. By the time he works up the slightest amount of confidence to really try, he backs out because he only knows how to dance with Two, but obviously he and Two can't dance together in public. So Marcia helps him out to the floor, and Two shadows behind him for a bit until he gets the hang of it, and Johnny slowly gets more confident, until Two-Bit leaves the floor and watches them.

They're off to the side, and no one else is looking at them, and maybe Two-Bit would rather get to actually dance with his girlfriend, but he still gets to look at her like she's the only girl in the world, and he gets to see the rare times Johnny smiles, and they're both really good, so he doesn't care that much.

[devilsskettle]

people arguing about whether or not it’s problematic to ship ian and poppy, and whether or not it’s problematic for be vocally against shipping ian and poppy, in the main tag. meanwhile i am looking for crumbs of danarachel because the entire fanbase has decided they’re boring. but danarachel date night though. danarachel workplace conflict of interest. danarachel adopting a dog. so many beautiful things happening so far in season 4

[blackjackkent]

Almost as soon as Minsc was freed from the tadpole, he went barreling off in search of something, shattering his way through a solid stone wall. Rakha, when she's recovered herself, follows him, Jaheira moving in close lockstep at her side.

Minsc has come to a stock-still halt within the hidden passageway beyond the wall, staring into the dimness beyond. Rakha, tilting her head, moves towards him with wary curiosity - she is well aware that this man is capable of being as unpredictable and violent as herself... but that is why she chose to free him and ally with him.

Well, that and Jaheira's good word. It is hard to say which held more weight.

Minsc raises a hand, gesturing for silence as she draws close. "My friend," he murmurs, managing a surprisingly subtle tone despite his bulk. "From our brief sharing of skulls, I know you have faced many strange beings."

He turns his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye, and his expression is grave and serious. "But none like this. Whatever happens, show no fear and stay your hand. Trust in Minsc!"

This gives Rakha a certain amount of pause. Not the trust part (although that is challenging enough at times) but the stay your hand part. Staying her hand is something she has notorious difficulty with.

She cocks her head, listening, trying to discern what manner of creature Minsc might be on the lookout for. Something fearsome, certainly, to judge by his manner. And if it is a threat, there is in fact every chance the beast in her head will wish to lash out, to strike it down out of hand.

A quick glance at Jaheira offers no guidance. The older woman - who has relaxed significantly now that Minsc is free of the worm's influence - raises an eyebrow at her and then, somewhat astonishingly, grins with what can only be described as an impish shrug.

Rakha scowls tightly, hunching over and bracing herself against the heavy stone wall at her side. Calm, she thinks to herself firmly. Stay. Calm. "I do trust you. I think," she says carefully. More than I trust myself, perhaps.

Minsc smiles. "Minsc finds that the less thinking he does, the easier the trusting comes."

Squaring his shoulders, he strides away from her deeper into the room. For a moment, all is stillness - and then his body gives a sharp jerk, and all of Rakha's hair stands on end in a sudden flash of adrenaline. Something small has leapt at him out of the shadows, and he falls to his knees, gripping his chest.

In spite of all the warnings, Rakha is almost on the point of leaping forward, striking out at the unseen threat, when Jaheira's grip closes like iron on her arm. The Harper shakes her head, and the two of them watch as Minsc squirms unsteadily for a moment before regaining his balance.

"WAIT!" he yelps.

He hunches over, staring downwards at whatever hurled itself at him. "You gaze into Minsc's soul and see his foul crimes!" he cries. "You smell the stench of evil upon him, pointy claws primed, ready to scratch out his eyes! I am sorry, my friend!" It sounds like the wail of a damned soul, despairing and agonized and full of guilt and regret. "I am at the mercy of your faultless justice!"

Deeply bewildered, Rakha watches as Minsc draws his head back and spreads his arms with the air of a man awaiting the gallows. "Now... if you must burrow through my blackened heart..." he intones, "...I am ready."

There's a long pause - and then an unexpected loud SQUEAK.

Minsc's head snaps forward. "No?" he says, with guileless delight. "You are certain?!"

More squeaking with no evident source. Minsc is practically vibrating with joy. "Such boundless compassion! You are all heart! And whiskers! And cute little nose!"

More squeaking, seemingly more aggressive this time. At once, Minsc goes still like a soldier going to attention. "You are right, of course," he says gravely. "There is still much evil for Boo and Minsc to stamp out - but we need not fight it alone."

He straightens up, and Rakha realizes that he is talking earnestly to the small creature that leapt at him, which is now clutched in his hands. "I have a new face to show you," he tells it softly. "But it is not a villainous one for the clawing, understand?"

Pushing himself to his feet, he looks at Rakha with a wide smile utterly unlike the fury of the Stone Lord they saw earlier. "You, this is Boo!" he says brightly. "And Boo... meet you."

Rakha, who has been deeply on edge through this whole conversation awaiting an attack that did not come, stares blankly at the fuzzy little thing in Minsc's palm. Even the beast urge in her head quiets for a moment, seemingly equally puzzled.

It's an animal of some sort, certainly, but not one she recognizes. Jaheira has identified, in passing, some of the rodents that haunt the alleyways of the city since their arrival, but this doesn't look like any of them; it is much smaller, and its fur is a bright tawny gold and looks as if it would be soft to the touch. It peers up at her with dark, beady eyes that speak of cunning and intelligence.

"What is it?" she asks cautiously. "A rat?"

Minsc swells with evident pride. "For every song of Minsc the ranger," he explains, "they sing ten of the hamster Boo. And not just because his name is easier for the rhyming." The smile fades from his face, replaced by a sudden expression of indignant rage. "Those villains locked Boo away, lest his righteous gaze cause their tadpole to flee in terror! Now we are together again, all will be exactly as--"

He breaks off, interrupted by a sudden flurry of agitated squeaks from the tiny creature.

"Boo!" he says, aghast. "Why do you use such language?"

More squeaks. Rakha watches with bemusement as Minsc tilts his head, listening. Is he communicating with the "hamster"?

Whatever the actual case, the squeaks seemed to mean something to Minsc; his eyes clear and he straightens eagerly. "Once more, my hamster proves himself my greater half," he tells Rakha earnestly. "And makes the path clear when my mind is fuzzier than his tiny bottom. He says we will join with you, and cleanse Baldur's Gate of evil together!"

Rakha feels like she is clinging on to this conversation by her fingernails, but she is starting to parse out small facts from the great mass of confusion. This hamster - Boo - is Minsc's... pet, something like Scratch and Buddy, but much smaller. They have been companions a long time; the Absolutists separated them when Minsc was tadpoled, and Boo is important enough to Minsc that finding him again after his rescue was a top priority.

And Minsc, it seems, speaks to Boo. This is not entirely strange - Rakha has seen Jaheira speak with a handful of animals, but it has always been with aid of magic. Minsc, however, has no trace of magical energy about him and indeed the Weave itself seems distinctly unsure how to interact with him, its prismatic flow rippling off his skin like the interaction of oil with water.

Perhaps he has some skill Rakha is unfamiliar with, or perhaps the hamster is something more than he seems. Or perhaps it is simply part of the touch of madness he carries just as Rakha does. After all, Rakha, in her madness, also hears a voice no others can; why should it not be the same for Minsc? Boo's voice, at least, seems kinder thus far than the murder urge in Rakha's brain.

In the end, none of it matters. The salient point is that he is alive, he has the hamster, he is reunited with Jaheira, and he wants to help Rakha. He was a member of the Absolutists, albeit a conscripted one - perhaps he has information on the location of the Bhaalist temple and can help them find Lae'zel. If nothing else, it's quite evident that he will be very good muscle in any fight; Rakha's ribs still ache from a blow he struck her during their battle outside.

"Secure your rodent," she says curtly, "and follow me."

[wewerebornsextuplets]

i need so badly to work more on kirus relations with the other brothers..

[spinnysocks]

maybe its just my tendency to make characters from my fav media a found family - glancing at the outlanders from tlg - but i really think madagascar has found family potential. at least to me. i love it when a bunch of characters are put through such hyper-specific circumstances that it binds them together. its like... Accidental Family. “i never thought i'd care about you/spend time with you but we've been shoved into the same circumstance one way or another so we're ride or die now”. thats the zoosters, penguins, monkeys, lemurs & circus zaragoza to me. their experiences are so weird and wacky (and traumatic), they have to bond. they stick together yknow

[iyote]

this :D