#but it plays into their dynamic really nicely and honestly makes me more interested
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
sugarcoatedrattrap · 8 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
happy siblings
356 notes · View notes
sysig · 11 months ago
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
A bit more Defeated, and thinking about this post (Patreon)
#Doodles#SCII#Helix#Max Vyer#Dexter Favin#But actually starting with chibi Maxes because cutes!! He's the cutest!!#I was looking through some old doodles of my own and my chibi style from 2019 was so flippin' cute ugh#That Zedaph in cold weather clothing? Honestly still a fave of mine Zed is So soft in all my doodles of him lol#Figured it'd be nice to float some cute loves Max's way :) And I was right! Though I am out of practice lol#Was still fun to do tho haha#And then since I'd reread Defeated poor ZEX got a chibi as well! I'm sure he appreciates it poor lad haha ouq#Didn't even use my white ink to put a shine in his eye for that one haha :'D#And then a bit more with Dex </3 I had these ideas on the first reading (or so - in the same time period anyhow) but only got to them later#Dex speaks so.....patronizingly about ''Max's'' attachment to Caleb :) It's interesting to me :)#For a lot of it he's very understanding and gentle with him but it really seems like Caleb is something of a sore spot for him huh#Still ♪ I wonder if he'd consciously acknowledge it - and what his reaction would be at himself if he did hmm#He's no help to Max if he's caught in his own feelings! That doesn't make them not meaningful or important tho#And then to a bit of silliness ♪ No subtlety with the guard dog comparisons pffft#I will not apologize - if ZEX gets to play with a collar and leash with the Captain then let Max have just a little! As a treat!#Besides we all know the Real Dynamics here lol#Max and Dex do stupid couple's costumes for Halloween - who doesn't love a callback lol - and Dex is Not Amused lol#Hey I mean if the shoe fits!#And then the last one is just silly lol I may be misinterpreting the intended message but I couldn't not give it to them lol#And also Max in a ponytail for funsies :D Cute lad ♥
11 notes · View notes
starryjkoo · 11 days ago
Text
"the best trips i've had in my life"
I’m still stuck on Jungkook saying that the AYS trips were the best of his life? That’s actually a crazy thing to say when you look back on those trips and where they went and what exactly they did. Hearing “best trip of your life” you would expect something more grand, but for Jungkook it really was just hanging out with Jimin, doing pretty mundane activities and eating a lot of delicious food. Somehow these trips were impactful enough that he felt they were the best of his life? That’s crazy to me.  
Tumblr media
Sapporo was beautiful, but Connecticut was… Connecticut lol, it’s pretty but not that interesting compared to other places they’ve traveled and Jeju is somewhere they’ve both already been plenty of times. The accommodations in Sapporo were especially nice, but CT was a camping van and the house from my suburban nightmares. The Jeju house was gorgeous but not anything particularly new for them either. 
The activities? They definitely did a lot of fun things, but most of them were things they had already done before, some of them even on other seasons of BV or with other members, friends, and on “private” vacations. A lot of the trips were actually filled with pretty mundane activities. Jimin even said in Sapporo that was just how he usually spends his time at home. It gave them an excuse to eat lots of delicious food, but that's hardly the only time they’ve done that either.
And yes, obviously they would enjoy these trips because they basically planned them. But that’s another thing, how compatible Jikook are and how well they click because not everyone would enjoy this kind of trip. Even TH questioned why he came at first because they already do all that in Seoul anyways, or how he went off to play golf one morning. So obviously Jikook were going to enjoy AYS, but I still never thought that these trips would end up being the best of JK’s life? Eating, taking drives and playing around with Jimin really topped every other trip he’s ever been on? 
The Jimin part is important because while some of the activities like snowboarding were fun on their own, what made the little things entertaining was how Jikook could take any simple activity and make it so silly and fun. I especially loved things like Jikook shining their bedside lamps at each other and how delighted JK was with that game, how happy he was when JM started playing along with him. Playing cards or having dinner with someone or playing in a pool, shining your bedside lamp at them or taking a drive wouldn’t be fun if you weren’t with someone who made those kinds of things fun and dynamic, if they couldn’t match your humor and energy. In fact some of those things could be pretty boring or tedious with the wrong person. 
Tumblr media
There’s so many delightful examples of Jikook being adorably silly while doing these simple things like the mock cooking show in Sapporo, the way they made that scuzzi jacuzzi so fun with the snow, or Jikook coming up with the pool slap game and being so proud they showed it to TH and taught it to him the next day. You could list off so many examples like this and it’s just one of my very favorite things about AYS and Jikook’s friendship in general. I mean, the amount of mileage they can get out of a tiny pool or some bedside lamps is really crazy. JK talked about how they would be copies of each other if they were the same age and it really shows in AYS.
But what I also think really encapsulates Jikook’s bond is that even when things went wrong, such as in CT, they still had a ridiculous amount of fun and considered it a good trip. The cursed hamburger, Walmart, Jimin’s stomach virus, getting eaten up by mosquitos, getting nailed with rain that felt like hail, JK having a cold, JM getting burned by the motorcycle and then stepped on, JK falling into the river, elbowing JM in the face, JMs nose being bruised half the trip, having a fever, honestly just annoying the hell out of each other lol. But they loved that trip! JK wanted to do twelve more seasons after, they started planning Jeju and future trips before CT was even over, (they signed up to enlist together right after this!), JK recounted the trip to Yoongi with the biggest smile on his face. They enjoyed watching that first episode so much and laughed so hard at moments I didn’t even think were that funny (to be fair they were a little drunk there lmao).  
Tumblr media
So, even when things went wrong they still enjoyed their trip immensely because they have the kind of relationship where they can take something bad and bond over the experience, turn it into something positive and memorable, create inside jokes that'll probably last forever. They also never truly got annoyed or stressed out at each other either despite both being sick or tired. You have to be so close and get along with someone so well to be able to do that?
So despite JK going to Jeju & Busan with his 97 liner friends, despite allegedly going to Japan with Eunwoo, despite already going snowboarding with TH and WS, despite any other trips or breaks or BV seasons over the years, despite CT being a mess, Jeju being somewhere they’ve both already been, none of the activities being that new or particularly exciting for them, despite being “company content”, in that moment JK felt so strongly and so positively and so fondly about his AYS experience that they felt like the best trips of his life. You don’t even need JKs words to know that, it was clear by the constant smiles and laughter throughout the show how much he loved it. And what made those trips so fun and impactful was clearly that they were together. That’s just amazing to me? To have someone you get along with so well, someone you have so much fun with and enjoy being around that much? 
I do think these trips offering a break from his insane schedule made them more impactful and meaningful to Jungkook too. You could tell how exhausted he was working nonstop during his solo schedules. Jimin even said in CT he was glad he came because otherwise JK wouldn’t have gotten to do all of those things. It’s funny that solos & tkkrs tried to make it seem like these trips were just piling onto JK’s busy schedule when in fact they seemed to offer him a much needed break to relax and do something fun instead. So the timing of these trips probably did add to why JK loved them so much.
I also think that JK felt so strongly about it specifically in that moment because Sapporo was a pretty emotional trip for them too. Based on JKs words they were also using the trip to make memories to look back on during enlistment, probably also wanted to have one more enjoyable experience before they would have to go away for eighteen months. I think that played a part in this trip feeling more special and sentimental than it ordinarily would have. I thought it was especially sweet how when they were both feeling particularly emotional/melancholy on the train ride they shared that moment together and took comfort in each other. Jimin said that he didn’t think he would have felt excited about the snow in SK, but in Sapporo he loved it so much. And JK saying that he wanted to return to Japan because it was the location of their first trip was terribly sweet. It was a really nice and poignant way to end AYS, because those trips and Sapporo in particular did have a lot of meaning for them, clearly. They truly loved AYS so much.
Tumblr media
I have so many other thoughts and feelings about AYS I’d like to unpack eventually but really I think what encapsulates my feelings on AYS is just JK saying that these were the best trips of his life. I guess this is just my really long winded way of saying how special I think Jikook’s bond is. You can’t really argue that JK enjoyed AYS as much as he did for any reason other than that he was with Jimin. Even if JK simply enjoyed getting to take a relaxing trip during his busy schedule, what made a lot of the small things so fun was Jikook’s unique dynamic. That trip wouldn’t have been possible with someone else because quite simply it wouldn't have been the same trip. It had to be Jikook for AYS to be so incredibly relaxing but also have the right amount of activity, eating, and playing, for the simple things to be that enjoyable, the food so prominent, the shared dorky sense of humor, the few moments of softness and vulnerability, the comfortable vibe between them.
I’ve never seen JK yap that much in BTS content either, you can tell how comfortable he is with Jimin in particular and how easy and familiar their dynamic is too. I’ve never honestly seen them that relaxed and stripped back in BTS content before, which was part of the reason I enjoyed AYS so much. I felt like I got to genuinely know them better and I really loved that. They could have made the show more dynamic and entertaining by packing it full of activities or other people, but it seems like the main focus was just doing the things they enjoy doing together and having their ideal vacation, which I massively preferred.
I also thought it was really meaningful that they did their little AYS thing right before they enlisted together. They just really enjoyed that show so much, they really bonded over creating it, had so much fun coming up with the title and the little details, and clearly felt so much genuine fondness for it. For them to end their CH2 with AYS was really meaningful, because that’s literally how they closed out the whole CH2 “solo” era, with something they created together. Just the fact that they were even thinking about AYS in that moment shows how impactful it was for them. Jikook closed out their CH2 together while at the same time entering the next chapter of their lives together too. They just make my heart so warm for real. I really loved AYS so much and I’m so glad that Jikook loved it just as much as we did if not more.
ending this with my favorite Jikook edit ❤️‍🩹
Tumblr media
144 notes · View notes
some-stars · 2 months ago
Text
REC POST REC POST REC POST LIKE IT'S 2005
im gonna do more of these, but this one is "poolverine(-adjacent) fics where they have serious relationship conflict besides pre-confession pining and miscommunication". please enjoy! leave comments!
The One Where Logan and Wade Learn How to be Boyfriends (series), ashe_urbanipal Literally you could not describe a story/series in a way more designed to push all my most favorite buttons. They have to figure this shit OUT!! It's MESSY!!! And they keep TRYING and getting gradually, unevenly better at it, mostly!!! The love confessions happen in the first fic in the series and then we get into the MEAT of it all. Brain damage, jealousy, trauma, and intense relationship-repairing conversations while having fingers cut off. This series has it ALL.
Come Hell or High Water, farmhandler Another wonderfully messy long fic that acknowledges these guys need serious therapy. The deep affection and intense frustration are both so REAL, it makes me so happy.
Blood, Dirt, Love (Stop), por_queeee The relationship issues are resolved without TOO much difficulty here but they're definitely present, and also this fic has my absolute favorite take so far on Logan's X-Men-related trauma and how that might play out for him.
Don't Want To Be A Fool For You, HeavensAche This is just deliciously complicated and messy and beautiful. Like honestly I could list specific things but if you want the slow tangled process of them figuring their shit out, this DELIVERS.
Like a Little Prayer, whiskeywitch This one is very short but it's probably my favorite take on the "Logan skewers Wade during a nightmare" scenario. Intense but understated, not easily fully resolved.
It's Not Fucking Nice, Thestarvedghost I really enjoy this exploration of how Logan's two hundred years of issues and damage would weigh heavy on his relationship with Wade, no matter how much they love each other. A really interesting way to bring Logan's Victor issues into it, too. (Me being me, I should probably specify that this contains NO sibling incest, just deeply abusive and unhealthy relationship dynamics.)
the girlfriend experience, kekinkawaii In which Wade FUCKS UP, big time. Happy ending but GOD, I love when they really truly badly hurt each other.
so leave me my liver and leave me my skin (leave me the way all those other homes did), iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid Love when Logan gets to be an absolute fucking mess of trauma and poor coping skills. With a hopeful ending, even! (This one is gen but it's still in great part About Them.)
themes for future rec lists: best smut, my favorite honda odyssey fics, Just Really Fucking Good Shit, cablepool, ???
181 notes · View notes
drenched-in-sunlight · 2 months ago
Note
"Marika becomes the sum of all the Fromsoft girlies" is nice but you forgot Nashandra who actually has parallels with Marika! Recommending to check it out, she's cool!
let’s get this out of the way now… I love DS2, I think the vibe and gameplay is immaculate and I’ll defend it as a whimsical and enjoyable videogame experience till the end of time.
But my god, I hate how they handle female characters in that one 💀
In fact, I don’t like how they handle female characters in DS franchise in general. It got a bit better in Bloodborne and Sekiro and especially AC6, but overall ever since I started playing Fromsoft game in 2020, my main gripe with them is they only have 2 tropes to shoehorn their female character into: helpless victim of a system that would mangle and exploit them OR serious sword lady. And if I’m being real, it’s the main gripe I have with Elden Ring base game too?
I didn’t discuss it on tumblr because back then I were still trying to keep this blog art-focused, but when the game came out in 2022, I did express my concern on twitter that I found the female characters cast… strangely lacking. Because I went into the game expecting Ema-level of writing (literally Sekiro’s Ema is one of the best female characters Fromsoft has ever written to this day I could and have talked ppl’s ears off about her. And I’m glad she on her own is very different from Marika. That means they could at least write 2 more types of female characters now the bar is on the floor but I’ll take it and cherish what I have), but it felt like they got reset back to DS franchise with ER base game.
(This has an added layer of me being a girl born, raised and lived in a Sinosphere country that is entrenched in Confucius values just like Japan, so yes I do understand and experience firsthand the underlying culture values that shapes their writing. Hell, I live and study postgraduate in Japan for 2 years too).
But we are going off track, this is about DS2. Now, my problem with DS2 is, see, with 1 or 3, the female characters either have very little agency or no agency at all. And it just…. be like that. The male characters are somewhat the same, so it really doesn’t bother me that much. The cool, unique, not sexualized design is enough. But 2?
2 has a lot of female characters…. who either play no role in the world setting or sinister figures that charm men and bring ruins to kingdoms? What?
(Before anyone says “but Lucatiel—” Lucatiel is the beacon of light in that game, yes, but at the same time her purpose centering around her brother is… also a problem I have with the way they handle Malenia’s story. My Fromsoft experience has lore to it as well jfc)
Like, it’s just ??? to me half of those women have no agency or backstory whatsoever apart from being the Dark’s daughters that would bring doom everywhere they go??? You can say everything wrong in DS2 world is their fault and I actually wouldn’t have much to argue. Actually, it’s interesting you bring up Nashandra because I do think Nashandra has parallel in Elden Ring. But not to Marika.
Nanaya.
That’s who reminds me of Nashandra in Elden Ring. Literally the mysterious, lowkey nefarious lady and her old man husband with questionable dynamic DS2 trope 🧍‍♀️ you can actually see that in their name too.
If I have to pick a character in DS franchise specifically to make parallel to Marika, it’ll always be Gwynevere. Because I honestly think it’s amazing they took a character that has the least amount of agency they’ve ever created, and turned the core concept of her (warmth, healing spells, sunlight, mother, daughter, queen, faith) into another character with actual good writing.
That’s why I didn’t include Nashandra in my previous post. Not because I don’t know about her. It’s because I know.
85 notes · View notes
pedropascallme · 10 months ago
Note
I love your professor damien fics so so so much!!!!!! you are feeding the damien girlies and it is MUCH appreciated
a damien x reader shower fic (😏) would be amazing if you were interested? 🙏🙏🙏 but no rush or pressure to actually do it unless you want to lol 💜
The Shower Scene
Pairing: Damien Haas x f!Reader
Summary: "Some hours later, after flicking through channels of near-unwatchable cable TV and spending more time than you probably ever had with the cats, you figured you had the time to take a shower—a nice one, long and steamy and relaxing. Maybe you’d even light a candle."
Warnings: SMUT (18+ MINORS DNI) p in v sex, very mild dom/sub dynamics, fingering (f receiving), oral (f receiving), praise, dirty talk, cum play kinda, if I missed anything please let me know!
AN: First time writing for Damien himself and honestly this was somehow more difficult to write than prof!Damien?? I kept writing dialogue and then being like he would NOT fucking say that. Anyway I hope this is to your liking!!
“Stay.” You wrapped your arms around Damien, words coated in sleep as you tried to trap him under the blanket you had cloaked over yourself.
“I want to.” He didn’t brush you off, letting you linger next to him, arms around his waist while he sat on the foot of the bed tying his shoes.
“Then you should.” You didn’t whine, didn’t even really put much thought into the tired pleads you emitted; this is just what you always did when he went to work in the morning. You knew he couldn’t stay, you understood that he had a job to do and that he would be back later—you weren’t stupid, you just wanted to keep him in bed with you, selfishly tuck him away and keep him all to yourself.
He stood up, leaning over you and offering you a kiss on the cheek, and you hummed, turning your face quickly to capture his lips in yours.
“Stay.” Now you were whining.
“I’ll be back so soon,” he cupped your cheek in his hand before giving you one more kiss, “Won’t even know I’m gone.”
“Liar,” you quipped, and he shot you a playful scowl. You smiled back at him. “I love you.”
“I love you,” he made a show of fixing the blanket that had exposed your feet while you were trying to coax him back into bed, “Go back to sleep.”
~~~
You woke up a few hours later, puttering around and trying to keep yourself busy; it was always the worst when he had work and you yourself had nothing to see to—no work to do, no plans to attend, just a day completely to yourself.
In theory, it sounded nice, but there were only so many ways to keep yourself occupied in a way that didn’t make you feel semi-useless. You couldn’t just resort to doom-scrolling or napping, it just made you feel guilty for doing nothing of substance.
Some hours later, after flicking through channels of near-unwatchable cable TV and spending more time than you probably ever had with the cats, you figured you had the time to take a shower—a nice one, long and steamy and relaxing. Maybe you’d even light a candle.
You gently coaxed Zelda off your lap, getting up to walk down the hall and to the bathroom, turning the water on. You stripped yourself of the pajamas you still wore from the previous night.
With the water now running at the right temperature, you let yourself acclimate to the feeling of it hitting your skin, letting the warmth soak your hair and trail down your spine until the droplets circled the drain.
When you heard Damien call your name, you jumped a little. You hadn’t heard him open the front door, too caught up in the heavy feeling of the steam that had begun to surround you and the ricocheting echo of the water hitting the bottom of the tub.
“Showering!” You called out, and you heard him shuffle down the hall to find you. He peeked behind the shower curtain.
“Oh my God, you’re naked!” He feigned shock at the sight, and you flicked at him, letting the water on your fingertips fly towards his face.
“You look like you’re about to murder me, Psycho-style.” You wrung water from your hair, watching him blink off the water drops that had landed on him.
“Baby, don’t say that —you’re a final girl if there ever was one.” He backed away from the shower curtain, leaving you to your own devices.
“You’re not coming in?” You called after him, and you heard the sound of his footsteps come to an abrupt halt.
“I’m invited?” He called back to you from down the hall.
“Come.” You confirmed, moving the shower curtain out of your way to watch him come rushing back into the bathroom. You’ve never seen anybody undress so quickly, and you made a mental note to remind him to pick up his socks from the hallway when you were both less distracted.
Not even the silken water from the shower could compete with the feeling of Damien’s skin on yours; the heat that radiated off of him got under your skin and engulfed you with comfort as he pulled you close the moment he stepped into the shower with you.
“I hate leaving you in the morning,” he ran a hand down your side, watching how the water beaded and dripped down your skin, “but I do love getting to come home to you.” You anchored yourself to him when he kissed you, hands gripping his arms as they wrapped around your body. It was almost embarrassing how needy you were for him after only a few hours apart, but you couldn’t think of anything but him now that he was back in front of you.
His tongue licked into your mouth, occasionally catching drops of water that fell over your faces when you broke away just long enough. You placed a hand gingerly on his chest, putting no pressure on it so he wouldn’t part from you, and trailing it down his body until you could wrap your fingers around the base of his cock. He groaned quietly into your mouth, and you felt yourself break out in small goosebumps, the warmth of the water combating your building excitement and pride.
Your strokes were slow; you felt him stiffen in your hand, paying attention to the tip of his cock, jerking your wrist in a circular motion. His hands found purchase on your ass, squeezing and kneading the plush skin and earning a moan from you—something about letting him touch you like this, the water bouncing off your back, steam circling your feet while you leisurely jerked him off made you feel so eager for him.
“Missed you so much today,” you breathed out, and he dipped his head down to suck marks onto your chest. His hands guided you against the wall, and the cold tiles sent a shiver down your spine, arching your back. You removed your hand from his length, placing your arms on his shoulders and weaving your fingers behind his neck.
“Mm,” he released you from his mouth momentarily, licking the deep purple spot he had made on your skin, “I missed you, too.”
“I couldn’t tell.” You goaded him, earning a quick smack to the side of your thigh as he took one of your nipples in his mouth.
“No?” He straightened himself back up, looming over you now, and you felt completely at a loss for words, too enamored of him to think of a reply. His hand came up to your mouth, and you opened, letting him dip in two of his fingers to the knuckle. He removed them slowly, letting you coat them with your spit, before he dropped his hand to your cunt and rubbed gently over your clit. You inhaled sharply, trying to keep your composure when he pushed both fingers inside of you. Damien breathed deeply, fingers rhythmically pushing in and out of you, and he savored the way you pulsed around him.
“Can you tell now?” He smiled with his top teeth, and you felt your pulse pick up when he pushed against the spongy spot inside of you with precision. You managed a quiet moan, and he continued to curl his fingers gently. “I figured.”
You gripped one of his shoulders, your other hand limply grasping his wrist. “Damien,” you whined when his thumb ghosted over your clit, “fuck me.”
“Is that what you want?” He was having entirely too much fun playing with you like this, your wet hair sticking to your skin, bottom lip trembling—you looked so beautiful, he couldn’t help the urge he felt to watch your face contort with pleasure from just the short thrusts of his fingers.
You nodded, and he stalled for a moment, scissoring his fingers inside of you just to watch you squirm, before pulling them out and licking them off. When his hand fell back at his side, he leaned forward. He had you crowded against the wall, and you kissed him fervently.
“You taste so fucking good,” he groaned, reaching to get hold of your leg and pull it over his waist. “Jump.” He grabbed your hips, letting you hook both legs around him. He nipped at your collar bone while you both adjusted to the position.  
“Comfortable?” He touched his forehead to yours, breath fanning your face.
“Yeah,” you mewled, “please.”
“Please?”
“Please, fuck me,” you squeezed your thighs around him, “need you. Don’t tease.”
“Wasn’t teasing,” he played innocent, shifting his weight to fist his cock, smacking it against your clit, “Just wanted to clarify.” He pulled his hips back, lining himself up with you before slowly pushing into your waiting cunt. You whined at the familiar pressure you felt in your stomach and tried desperately to push your own hips forward onto him, to feel him in his entirety. Fully sheathed inside of you, his head tilted back, relishing in the feeling of how tightly you squeezed his cock. His hair was soaked, and you watched water fall over his face and chest as he pulled back and began driving into you.
“Oh my God, you feel so good,” he groaned after a long stroke, pushing you further against the wall.
“There—so good, Damien, fuck, you feel so good,” you wrapped your arms tightly around his neck, planting lazy kisses against his lips, unable to pay close attention to anything other than the stretch of your pussy around him and the way the hair of his happy trail brushed against your clit with each roll of his hips. “Deeper,” you begged, needy for more, “Harder.”
“Fuck,” he maneuvered one hand under your ass, allowing the other hand the freedom to roam down your body to your clit. He ground his hips against yours. “Deep like this, baby?”
You whimpered, pulling at his wet hair, your other hand scratching sluggishly at his back. He could take a hint; pulling out until just the tip of his cock was nestled inside of you, he gave your clit a bit more attention, rubbing tight circles, before ramming himself back into you repeatedly, never breaking the synchronous tempo of his thrusts with the patterns he drew on your clit.
“Fuck, you’re doing so good—is this what you wanted? Needed it rough?” He buried his face in the crook of your neck, breathing hard against your skin while he satisfied the both of you.
You were certain you were screaming, but nothing more than raspy moans could find their way out of your mouth. Your head leaning against the wall, you arched your back into Damien’s thrusts.
“Please, please, please,” you couldn’t form any more words, trying to catch your breath to think of what exactly it was you were pleading for; “Wanna cum for you.”
“You wanna cum for me, baby?” He growled, voice low and clearly feeling the same buzz of adrenaline you were, “Gonna be a good girl and cum for me?”
You nodded frantically, mouth agape and eyes closed when you finally teetered and fell over the edge; you felt Damien twitch inside you, paired with a loud moan and harsh shove of his hips as he spilled into you. He gave a final few thrusts, watching the way you convulsed around him, both of you sighing in satisfaction when he pulled out. He helped you find your footing, hand falling over your lower back and letting you cling to him as your legs trembled. He turned off the water and, pulling back the shower curtain, removed a towel off its hanger, draping it over you.
“Did so good,” he kissed the top of your head while he patted you down with the soft fabric.
You looked up at him, eyes heavily lidded, the crown of your head fitting perfectly under his chin. “Felt so good.”
He tilted your chin up, giving you a soft kiss before he picked you up and carried you bridal style to your room.
“I’m all sticky…and drippy,” you muttered.
“Oh, have you not had the talk?” He laughed at his own joke, and you rolled your eyes, letting your head loll back against his arm where it was tucked under your neck. He dipped you down onto the mattress, and you were about to get back up, wipe the excess from between your legs and grab something to sleep in, when Damien’s hands wrapped around your ankles, pulling you down the bed towards him.
You giggled, playfully kicking your legs at him, careful to not actually let any of the movements connect to his body. He kneeled down, putting your legs over his shoulders.
“Damien…”
“What? You said you were sticky. I’m helping,” he licked a stripe over your core, not wanting to waste any time. “You taste so good; can you blame me?”
You didn’t bother giving him a verbal response, opting to bury your fist in his hair and bring him back towards your cunt. Even as spent and tired as you were, you would never deny the opportunity to see him between your legs, cleaning up the mess you’d made together.
“So impatient,” he chided, before giving in to your physical persuasion and burying his face against you; you jumped at the friction of his stubble on your inner thighs, but the drag of it against you only added to the bliss.
He worked his tongue into your hole, licking into you as best he could and delighting in the taste of you. He kissed over your clit before taking it between his lips, keeping it sealed in his mouth while his tongue drew shapes over it. You moaned, hips rising from the bed, and he wrapped his hands around your thighs to hold you still, closer to his face, pushing himself in further to savor the pleasure that was the taste of your cunt. His own cum leaked out of you and onto his tongue, and he licked the remnants off of your thighs, thorough in his bid to clean you off.
You looked down, making eye contact with him between your legs, and you saw him smile with his eyes. His tongue darted over your clit, mercilessly overstimulating you, not letting up for even a moment to catch his breath, and he knew you were cumming when he felt your legs tremble around his head, your fist yanking on his hair, chanting his name softly while you shivered. He moaned against your sensitive cunt, obsessed with the sounds you made for him and the tangy flavor of your wet on his tongue. He licked down your entrance, letting your slick collect on his tongue, drawing out your high for as long as he could. Selfish as it may be, he loved watching you unravel for him, and he continued to tease your entrance, letting your cum paint his lips.
He crawled up the bed, perching himself above you, and his hand rested against your lower jaw, prompting you to open your mouth. You obliged, and he spit, letting it fall to the back of your throat. You swallowed, humming at the taste—your own and his, something so perfectly curated. He kissed you, slow and gentle, and just as passionate as always.
“I must taste so fucking good,” you joked, hand draped over his neck.
He smiled down at you. “Oh, you have no idea.” He kissed you again, before rolling over on his side to sweep you into him. “I wish I could’ve just stayed home with you all day.”
“Me too,” you mumbled against his chest, feeling tired and perfectly sated.
He kissed your forehead, “I don’t have to go into work at all next week.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay in bed with me all morning?”
“I plan on it.”
You closed your eyes, letting the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed next to you act as a sort of lullaby. You think you whispered something about how he needed to pick his socks up from the floor of the hallway, but you weren’t sure, and you didn't really care; you were just happy to be home with him.
314 notes · View notes
paisleypens · 6 months ago
Note
for ever will be your tee hee 🫶🏻🙌🏻🤭
another spencer idea too just for you babe
spencer invites reader over he meets her through tommy or something
And reader has never played video games before and he teaches them :)))
(my mom never left me play video games so this makes me happy. i ofc play now it just makes me a lil emo)
guys the genius is back for another incredible request!!
mario kart: get seventh the girl! | spencer agnew x reader
doesn’t have to be a girl i just think i’m clever
tried second person idk fam…
she’s also very short and sweet (just trust i rewrote this like five times)
~~~
Tommy's parties were legendary, and despite not knowing many faces in the crowd, you felt a sense of ease knowing Tommy was there. As you navigated through the room, you eventually found Tommy with some of his work friends, including Spencer Agnew. Tommy had mentioned Spencer before, describing him as someone you'd get along with.
"Y/N, meet Spencer. He's part of the games team at Smosh," Tommy introduced.
"Nice to meet you," you said with a friendly smile.
Spencer returned the smile. "Nice to meet you too."
Throughout the night, you and Spencer found yourselves gravitating back to each other, drawn by shared interests in quirky movies and hilarious college stories. The more you talked, the more you realized how easy it was to connect with Spencer's nerdy and sarcastic personality.
As the conversation circled back to Spencer's work, he asked, "So, what games are you into?"
You hesitated before admitting, "Honestly, I don't really play video games."
Spencer's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? That's rare to hear these days."
"Yeah, I wasn't allowed to growing up, and now I feel a bit out of place jumping into it," you explained with a shrug.
Spencer leaned in with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's never too late to start. How about we break the ice with some Mario Kart? Unless you're afraid of getting beaten by a pro."
You chuckled. "Not afraid, just not keen on embarrassing myself here."
"Fair enough. How about we try at my place? If you're up for it, of course," Spencer suggested with a playful grin.
You paused for a moment, considering his offer. "You know what, why not? Let's do it."
Back at Spencer's place, the gaming setup was ready in no time. Spencer handed you a controller, guiding you through the basics of Mario Kart and as the race began, Spencer's teasing comments and your laughter filled the room. Despite your initial fumbles, Spencer's patient guidance helped you improve with each lap. Between races, you and Spencer shared stories, jokes, and friendly banter, creating a new dynamic between you two.
“Thanks Spencer, this was really nice.” You got up to leave his apartment, him getting up too to walk you out.
Spencer opened the door for you but paused, “I'm glad, I had a lot of fun tonight, maybe we could do this again sometime.”
“Definitely, there is still so much more you need to teach me.” You laughed before leaving his apartment.
98 notes · View notes
Text
Okay I just need to say that I knew I'd like this Tailstube as soon as I saw the thumbnail (after all, I am a Sonadails enjoyer, and Tails is literally in the middle of them in the thumbnail)
Tumblr media
But I think probably something that stood out the most to me when I watched it was just
The hints that Shadow and Tails have a relationship outside of Sonic??
The first thing that tipped me off to this was that not only did Tails convince Shadow to join in on his show, he also convinced him to stick around to its natural end?? You know, Shadow. The guy you can't force to do anything and frequently will just dip if he's bored or doesn't want to be there. But even while Sonic was annoying him and he made it clear he wanted the "interview" over with, he still never made a move to chaos control out of there because of any of this.
And the second thing that tipped me off was this:
Tumblr media
When Shadow is both confused and annoyed at Sonic, he chooses to complain to Tails about Sonic. And so Tails steps in to try to "explain" what Sonic meant by what he said (i.e he told Shadow something much nicer in the interest of getting them to be on better terms). The fact that he looks to Tails to complain to about Tails' own best friend and possibly even to explain that which he does not understand in a social context tells me just how highly he regards Tails. And since both Shadow and Sonic are being childish here, it's amusing to see Tails regarded as something closer to a trusted figure with more power here.
From an objective analysis standpoint, of course this means they have their own friendship. And this is a prospect I enjoy (The idea that Tails and Shadow are good friends)! It actually means a lot to me that Tails could form a frienship or bond with Shadow outside of the context of Sonic (in terms of who initiates it and for what reason it's initiated).
But, my friends, from a biased standpoint, I'm shipping trash. And to me this Tailstube was a fun show for Sonadails fans. Honestly, Tails staging this episode to get Sonic and Shadow to talk and "bury the hatchet", as well as how he acts during the show, read a lot to me personally like a guy trying to get his two boyfriends (who happen to be rivals) to get on better terms, if not just tolerate each other. I quite like the idea of Tails dating both of these idiots and just trying to get them to play nice when they're all together (although frankly I think the ideal scenario for Tails in my biased reading is that Sonic and Shadow get together as well).
This is also not to mention the dynamics showcased here! Sonic and Tails as best friends, with Sonic assuming that he and Tails were gonna talk shit about Shadow behind his back, and Tails trying to get him to play nicer. Shadow and Tails as friends, with Tails trying to convince him why he and Sonic are in the perfect position to become friends and helping him out socially, and with Shadow choosing to do something he doesn't want to because of Tails, as well as looking to Tails to complain to when Sonic is annoying him or when he doesn't understand something. And then there's Sonic and Shadow. In short, their relationship in this episode reminded me a lot of the dynamic I plotted out for that Sonadow post I wrote up where the two just beat the crap out of each other. In slightly longer terms, I find interesting how Mr. Flynn maintained Sonic and Shadow's dynamic during SA2 (with Sonic bothering Shadow and trying to fight him, while Shadow is just annoyed that Sonic won't leave him alone) while also showing the audience that they are rivals. And in longer terms...Sonic was clearly seeking a fight during this episode. And the facial expression, the mocking, his tone of voice, it doesn’t really matter whether or not he actually dislikes Shadow and believes they could never be friends. He's trying to annoy Shadow and goad him into a fight because he wants to fight Shadow so badly it makes him look stupid. And we can tell by how he expresses his confusion to Tails that Shadow is just not getting this. To him Sonic is just being annoying and confusing. Sonic is targeting him specifically, and Shadow shoots back with his own words. And so it's also pointed that Shadow reciprocates/actually decides to fight Sonic when Sonic specifically challenges him. He doesn't respond to Sonic trying to goad him on, but when Sonic challenges him specifically he's much more interested in opposing him.
Anyways guys I love Shadow and Tails having a soft on the side relationship while Sonic flirts by convincing Shadow to fight him somehow😂💖
53 notes · View notes
immasock · 9 months ago
Note
Hi, its me again
I was wondering if you could do a platonic relationship with Luke and what the other characters react to that because they are like not very similar ig (also im sorry if this is too much)
It’s been god knows how long and I don’t really play either game anymore but I’m back and I’m doing all of the requests in my drafts
Also I wasn’t sure if you meant Child!MC or Adult!MC so I went with Child!MC. If you want me to do Adult!MC I will gladly do that tho. This one was fun
Platonic!Luke + Child!MC who aren’t very similar
Pronouns: They/Them
MC and Luke. The best of buddies. How? No one knows. Opposites attract, I guess
Luke has always been very energetic, loud, opinionated, and cheerful. Overall a joy to be around
MC on the other hand. Very much keeps to themselves. Doesn’t really speak up, is kind of a chronic people pleaser, and it’s rare you ever see them smile. Not that they’re upset, they just don’t smile often
Luke and MC are pure opposites, but somehow their friendship works
Lucifer:
Well for starters
He already likes them more
They’re quiet, they don’t cause much trouble, they do as he asks
They’re easy to manage
Plus them not being an angel doesn’t hurt
He was a little surprised that MC and Luke seemed to get along so well, but kids will be kids and honestly, as long as it doesn’t mean more paperwork for him, he doesn’t care
It is a little nice to see MC enjoying themselves tho
Mammon:
I think that Mammon would still attach himself to this MC pretty quickly
They’re a people pleaser and so it’s likely that they would go along with his schemes pretty easily
Plus they’re a great listener and we all know Mams needs someone to listen to him without being an asshole
So
New friend
Yay
Mammon already acts like an older brother to Luke so I’m sure he wouldn’t mind doing that for MC too
He’s overall just happy that the two of them are getting along and that they have someone to hang out with when he’s off doing something else
Leviathan:
I can’t see him caring all that much to be honest
I think he’d prefer MC over Luke at the beginning, mostly just because they’re not likely to cause a mess in his room
But he ends up adoring both of them of course
In his own way
I can see him being a little jealous at how quickly the two of them clicked
Not because he wants to be besties with Luke or MC
But because it was so fast and came so naturally
He wants a friendship like that
So I think he’d be kinda salty for a while
But eventually he’d get over it once he starts getting closer to the two of them himself
Satan:
This man does not give two shits imma be honest
Don’t get me wrong
He likes MC and all
They’re a great reading buddy
But, the way he sees it, why would he care about two kids being friends?
I mean, it’s interesting to observe
They’re so different, they don’t have anything in common
And yet they’re still close friends
But other than some slight intrigue over the dynamic regardless of the differences between the two, he doesn’t pay much mind to it
Asmodeus:
He’s obsessed
He already thinks MC is the cutest little thing and so when he sees them with Luke, he thinks it’s too cute
They’re just adorable together, yknow?
How could he not
MC is basically the brothers younger sibling
And Asmo knows that MC is very reserved and quiet
So seeing them come out of their shell a little and have fun with Luke?
Melts his heart
I feel like he’d take a bunch of videos to show his brothers cause look how cute this kid is
Beelzebub:
I feel like Beel would be another that was just happy that MC has a friend
He’s really that supportive older brother type that’s just happy you’re happy
Plus MC can help Luke make him treats
So
He’s not complaining
Beel would be happy that MC has a friend they’re so close to, but otherwise he’s got other things to be doing
It’s not that he doesn’t care, he does
He’s just got practice to go to and food to eat
He’s a busy boy
Belphegore:
Once again
Just like Satan
This man does not give two shits
He likes MCs personality a bit better at the beginning tho
Cause like
He’s already pissed that he’s gotta spend time with a human
So he doesn’t need one that’s always super extroverted and loud and cheerful
He appreciates that if he’s gotta deal with a human, at least this one can chill the fuck out
They would honestly make a decent nap buddy once MC and Belphie start getting closer
Diavolo:
He’s another puppy dog type
He’s really just excited that they’re here and that they’ve made a friend so quickly
After all, he doesn’t want them to feel alone down in the devildom
I feel like he would try to make the two of them have little tea parties with him
Luke and MC look like they’re having fun and he wants to be included too
Barbatos:
Really, he’s got much more important things to be doing
He’s got a castle to run and a prince to watch over
I feel like he would happily schedule the tea parties that Diavolo wants to have with the two of them tho
Him and Simeon give off dads scheduling playdates for their kids vibes
He would absolutely be sure to make you both little treats tho
Simeon:
When I tell you that this man is so hyped
His son has a friend
He could not be happier
He is more than happy to let you both spend all the time you want together
He’s a little confused since you both are drastically different
But who is he to complain?
Luke has a friend
Really just a supportive dad
Solomon:
Look
I love Solomon
He’s my wife
But I feel like he would be the type to view the two of them as some sort of lab rats
Or at least
He would try
Simeon, Lucifer and Barbatos would put a stop to that before it could start
No way in hell are they letting Solomon fuck with these kids
He’s a little shit and I love him dearly
93 notes · View notes
theultimatekamehamehavoc · 9 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Honestly really like the many different and varying interpretations of Naegami and I am just going to gush about it with some small Naegamigiri/Toenaegiri in there too for good measure! Like, one interpretation I've seen is Byakuya being that angry, lanky, over-protective, boyfriend. Peak guard dog energy. And, Richie Rich over here is ready for violence and has vigorously prepared for potential knife fights. The prick would SO start some shit and get in a knife fight if necessary. Or he'd sue for all the worthless pennies the instigator being mean to his boyfriend is worth. Cus, when in doubt, suing is Byakuya's main. Or both options. Like, knife fight, sues, somthing, something, PROFIT. The emotional kind of profit though since Makoto is now safe from the Karens. Minus HIM of course/hj There's then "Makoto happy doggo boy" and "Byakuya grumpy feline". Like this one too. I just enjoy comparing these two to a cat and a dog getting along and trading smooches on a park bench while contemplating if they should REALLY feed the birds or not and why people do it to begin with before they just cycle through topic after topic together. They don't have to like... actually be a cat and a dog for that though. All about the vibes! If Makoto was a dog though, his tail would be wagging CONSTANTLY. You just can't put him down. Guy just has golden retriever energy. Even though I have never interacted with a golden retriever so.... Yeah. Also, another dynamic that goes into this one is just that grumpy boy and sunshine dynamic. This is nice too. It is them. The homies. Honestly, most things that play up Byakuya's almost feral energy also makes me incredibly happy in life. Just ruffle the Karen cut a bit and BOOM! Full fletched wet cat looking prick! Either that or skrungly energy. There is no in-between. To be honest, it is so funny that he has this energy for me. Like, he's a billionaire loser! Why am I attached?! (i know why but silly joke time :D ) A good one is also ones where Makoto is just getting info dumped by Byakuya. Like, it's just Makoto existing while Byakuya blabbers on about his hyper fixations and special interests which I do have some headcanons on what some of those specifically are because at this point, I've started projecting onto him and there is now no return. He's getting dorkified which honestly doesn't help cus he already looks and sounds like a dweeb in denial that he's a dork. Another one is just, these two knuckleheads getting into hijinks cus Makoto is just a magnet for trouble and Byakuya just can't stop starting shit. Adding Kyoko in the mix for that goody good sprinkle of Naegamigiri/Tonaegiri also gives is slight Scooby Doo hijinks I also appreciate. Insert Benny Hill Theme. It is legit just, Makoto existing and crap happening, Byakuya making more problems, and Kyoko being the one who fixes all the bullshit. Though this version of the trio gets me too. Just: "Makoto gets in trouble, Byakuya causes trouble, and Kyoko also causes trouble sometimes but she knows how to course-correct" I guess chaotic gays just do stuff to my brain. Releases the happy brain juices into my body and soul. Like, just let them do arson! It'd be great! Or just, Byakuya doing arson while Makoto sheds a singular tear.
There's also other stuff like, what makes the Naegami in a non-despair au alter from the Naegami with despair? That kinda stuff. I eat that shit up. All the shit. Too much shit. Chronically. This stuff is just fascinating to me. Cus there's questions to be had such as would they be as close in a non-despair story without some meddling? And the best part is that there's no right or wrong answer in a sense. It's fluid and nice and it's cool. Specifically regarding tropes and stuff for these two regardless of despair or non-despair is that good good slow burn. Like, the two of them slowly hanging out more and getting to know each other and badabing, badaboom, Byakuya's definitely not crushing HARD and he's also SOOOO not having having an identity crisis too while we're at it. Another thing I like are interpretations where the two of them are equals in a sense or instances where it's not just Makoto helping Byakuya out. Basically, where both boys get to help one another. This also doesn't really matter if it's despair or non-despair. I just like these two being a unit together! It can be as small as Byakuya helping Makoto be more assertive and not a total doormat or Makoto teaching Byakuya that he shouldn't put all this stress on himself or just hitting him with the reality that his childhood SUCKED. Or just, hitting him with the fact that he kinda a shitty poo poo head! Not like that though! Makoto would never shake him and say something like that. It'd be more like Byakuya coming to the realization that he treats others bad and he's a hypocrite. I want him to suffer a bit before he gets to be gay with the egg/hj Gosh. I'm probably missing so many differing interpretations I've seen or had, dang it! This may be a bit incoherent for all I know. Though, me try. This is also getting a bit too long so... Tldr; boys do kiss kiss
81 notes · View notes
breadraccoon · 3 months ago
Text
I’m trying to watch season 4 of TUA. It’s painful. I’m struggling to get through right now. I just hate how they’re treating Diego, Lila, and Five
I just want to throw my fix-it season 4 idea into the ring. Why couldn’t we get a season of struggling but happy new parents Diego and Lila. That still can be interesting plot line. They both lived very action packed lives. I can see why the transition to domestic life would be a struggle. So why can’t Lila’s family play a bigger role in them figuring out their family dynamic.
One, how did they find out Lila’s family is still alive? They just kind of showed up. That really bothered me honestly. Anyways Diego always talked about struggling to find his place in Lila’s family. But what about Lila. There could have been a huge discrepancy between who Lila’s family think she is and who she actually is. Lila didn’t grow up with them. She doesn’t know them. But she wants to learn how to navigate and be a part of their lives. She could talk learn to open up more and that it’s ok to rely on others. Maybe she could talked to her mom about her insecurities of being a mom.
And Diego. He came from a really broken and abusive family. He’s never had relatives who try to look out for him. I guess Pogo counts, but it would have been nice to show him trying to bond with Lila’s newly alive family. Maybe during Diego’s lowest point in their marriage, Lila’s Dad comes out to help him. Or maybe Lila’s parents come to Diego because they don’t understand why Lila is so different. I would have love to see Diego awkwardly try to make small talk with her very judgmental aunties. Maybe he could learn to be less hash on himself. He’s doing his best. He thinks he needs to be this picture perfect father, husband, and a hero. But maybe Lila’s father goes and sits down with Diego. He look at Diego and say he is enough. He can’t see anyone better than Diego to be Lila husband. And for the first time in Diego’s life he gets a father figure who see him and sees how big his heart is. Lila’s Father heals a hole Diego didn’t know he had.
My outline for this little subplot:
Lila’s parents aren’t there from the start. Lila and Diego are trying to wing it on their own. They are struggling to make means fit. There is a growing distance forming in their relationship.
Lila is struggling to fit into the life this Timeline’s Lila was apparently living. Maybe she is a botanist(I just want to make a Lila can’t stop getting her plants killed joke. Her parent did own a flower shop). Diego is still working a life draining job.
Maybe Diego family is still around like they are in season 4. It’s still awkward though
For Lila’s parents, Lila just went straight missing. One days she was around and then the next she was gone. For six years they’re left wondering where she went
Her family hires a detective to find her and that detective’s snooping around freaks Lila and Diego out. Why is this person following them around? Are they a spy?
Hijinks ensue :)
Eventually they capture the detective and they quickly tells the couple why they were hired.
Lila is floored. Her family is alive and has been looking for her. She immediately wants to find them. Diego agrees. He understands the importance of this to her.
They find Lila family and Diego talks Lila out of backing out. She scared and doesn’t know how to act around them
The first meeting is awkward and goes horribly. Lila and Diego come up with an amnesia excuse for why Lila is so different. Lila and Diego are quickly overwhelmed by her family.
They still joke about them meeting in a mental asylum, and it doesn’t land. Not everyone believes Diego’s intentions are true. The timeline of their relationship is not great. And the cracks in their relationship are showing
But they spend the night, and Lila gets some time way from Diego to defend him in front of her family. She explains why he’s so important to her and her family decides to give him a chance(especially since they have a kid together)
Oh yeah they only have one kid. Why have multiple kids if you just call them the twins? I hate when writers give pairings kids and then give them no personality. Kids are people too.
Que montage of Diego trying and failing to impress Lila’s family. Diego is really upset. He wants so hard to be able to fit in to Lila’s family. But he doesn’t know how to turn off his tough guy act.
Diego’s family show up and they are no help. The in-laws are all side eying each other.
Lila had to go do timeline shenanigans with five(NO CHEATING SUBPLOT) maybe five has a one side-crush on Lila. Lila turns him down. But Five does take an active roll in protecting Lila’s family. You know positive healing (Everything doesn’t need to be so depressing)
While Lila is gone, Diego is primarily looking after grace. And Lila’s family see how good he is with their kid. Lila’s father has a heart to heart with Diego. They talk about how Diego can potentially fix the distance slowly coming between him and Lila.
Lila comes back. She hugs the shit out of her family. She comes out with full honesty of who she is and why she is so different. Five helps explain too
Her family is stunned, but they still see Lila as family. They want to help her. They are very wary of Five. They embrace Diego’s weird family though.
No one dies in the end. And they all go on breaking the cycle of abuse.
I get why they potentially couldn’t do this kind of subplot. Six episodes is a really short run. This kind of plot line would have been really condensed, but I feel like this would have been significantly better for their characters.
This is me just making up ideas off the cuff. If you want to use this idea, go ahead. I’ve got too many fics I’m already working on right now.
24 notes · View notes
savemeafruitjuice · 1 month ago
Text
Tickletober Day 7- Fidget
First week down! Honestly, it's crazy to get so much writing done, but I really hope I can keep my motivation up and get enough time to do everything. Wish me luck I guess?
Also, this was an interesting idea I had, and wanted to explore it a bit. Enjoy!
Lee: Leonardo
Ler: Karai
TW!: MILD SWEARING! ANXIETY FINGER PICKING! (Like, pulling on the skin around your finger, just in case)
THIS HAS SPOILERS FOR LATE SEASON TWO! Just a heads up!
(This is not a ship. These two are SIBLINGS!! Please respect that.)
Tumblr media
Why did he feel so.. awkward? Like he can't even have a normal conversation with his brothers, let alone Karai.
Their dynamic had been a bit different ever since.. Miwa?.. found out that she was a Hamato. Having a sister was weird, especially because she was older than them. There were so many things that were missing in their lives, and now they had a chance to make up for it.
Their family had taken a couple days to warm up to each other, but it was difficult for Karai to gain the trust of the younger brothers- especially Raph.
Even so, there weren't as many fights between them as there had been, and Leo had found himself peacefully enjoying their time spent together. More focused, more relaxed..
Except for today.
For some reason, Leo found himself stuttering over his words in front of everyone, using the the wrong moves for training, and even held his katana wrong, the blade facing him. Everyone would give him a weird look, but other than a disapproving comment from Mikey, no one really said anything.
And so he sat on the ground, hoping maybe television would make him feel better. One of the earlier seasons of Space Heroes was on, but even that made him feel weird. Captain Ryan's voice actor sounded so much younger than he would later on, that watching it made him seem incompetent, and inexperienced.
All of the things Leo couldn't be as a leader, and all of the things that no good leader should be. Especially his hero.
"Hey, Leo. I heard you were screwing up a lot today. Guess your 'perfect' act wore off, huh?"
The blue-themed turtle winced, turning around to greet his sister. His hands pulled apart, having been picking at the skin of his fingers, and he gave her a wave. "Uhm- Hey.." There was a slightly pause, but soon enough, she came and sat next to him on the ground. "Did- you want me to pause it?" He asked, head tilted to the tv.
"Nah, I wanna see what kind of nerd show you've been watching. What's it about?" That brought a smile to the younger's face.
"W-Well, it's about this hero, Captain Ryan, and he's the captain of a space ship." He explained, gesturing towards characters as they appeared on the screen. "He and his crew go through space and fight aliens, that- that kind of stuff. It's really cool. Captain Ryan has the best catchphrases like- ever."
Karai nodded, listening to his little spiel for a couple minutes. Eventually, the episode that was playing ended, and Leo started on a whole other rant, and the elder placed a hand on his shoulder to bring him back to real life.
"Hey, woah. Give me a minute, I'm losing track of it all now." Leo cut himself off, bringing his knees up to his chest. "Oh, sorry. I get carried away when it comes to Space Heroes."
The turtle wrapped his arms around his knees. Karai shook her head. "No, you're fine. Just gotta give me time to process what you're saying." She crossed her legs, slouching a bit now. "It's nice to hear about things like shows. Anything interesting, really."
Leo hummed, still feeling a bit embarrassed about going on a tangent. "Did you not watch any as a kid?" she shook her head. "The Shredder didn't want me exposed to things like that. I mainly just trained, or went to talk to friends, or.. was influenced into hatred."
The younger cringed slightly. The Shredder really was awful.. "Yeah.. That makes sense, I guess.." The heavier topic made him feel bad, and he went back to pulling at the skin on his finger. Karai watched for a second, then put her hand on his shoulder to get him to stop. "You shouldn't do that, it could get infected."
Leo huffed, but it.. didn't sound annoyed? More like he was about to laugh. She looked at him, and he quickly went to change the subject. "Uh- so! What.. did you want to do now?"
Her brows furrowed slightly. "I want to know what's so funny. Are you laughing at me for trying to help? That's really low."
By now, the kunoichi had already made the connection, having seen a couple of tickle fights between the brothers within the last couple days of her being here. Leo immediately shook his head, though a smile formed on his face when her hand moved a little, so that it was resting more on the base of his neck.
"No! No no, I'm not laughing at you, I just.. thought of something funny that happened." Karai didn't look impressed. "Oh, really? And what is it that's so funny?" Leo's face went pink as he tried to think of something, shoulders scrunching slightly at the anticipatory touch. Her hand curled into a claw form, fingers digging slightly into the side of his neck and shoulder. "..Or will I have to make you tell me?"
Leo's hand went to grab hers, to pull it away, or something, but he was slapped away. "No, you're going to tell me what you found so funny just now. I want to know." "It's nothing! Really, you won't even care!"
"Then why is it such a big deal to not tell me?" She maneuvered slightly, scooting behind him. One leg propped against his shell, and the other wrapped around his torso. Karai began gently dragging her nails up his neck, and Leo immediately squeaked, shoulders shooting up the rest of the way to protect the sensitive area.
"EEK! Noho- wahait! I cahahan't!" Karai only smirked, reaching her other hand over to carefully pull his head to the side, smushing his cheek into his shoulder so that she could keep tickling. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me. Unless.. maybe you like this?"
Leo frantically squirmed, legs now drumming out on the ground as he tried to arch away. She had him held in place; he couldn't even move his head! He weakly slapped at her leg, face burning brighter by the second. His voice kept breaking, but through his struggles he finally got an idea. He could just pull his head into his shell!
It took a couple seconds of fighting with her hand, but his head successfully retreated inside his shell. Karai looked puzzled for a second, holding onto his shoulders to peer into the hole of his shell. "Wait.. you guys can just.. hide in there? What the hell, that's really useful."
The leader was having trouble stopping his giggles, and shrieked when she dug into his underarms instead. For a second, he flailed, then pulled his arms into the safe space as well, then his legs. "Pfft- Ihi- hehe I cahan't Karahai!"
The elder turner his shell around, grunting with effort because of his weight. "Don't think you've won just yet.." She laid his shell down on the ground, plastron up, and started scratching at his belly. "Are your shells ticklish too?"
As it seemed, they were. Very much so, in fact. Leo screeched, squeaky laughter filling the room as soon as her hands made contact. "BAHAHAHAH! KAHARAI! NOHOHOO! SNRT-"
"Noho way! Did you just snort? You guys are so funny." Leo let out a whine at the tease, unable to do much more than rock slightly, as he was basically immobile.
They were in a stalemate, Karai using her nails to scribble along his plastron, demanding to be told what he found funny, as all the turtle did was laugh and laugh. Well, until she decided to explore more of his shell, and raked her fingers down his sides.
"GHKAHAHAHAH! NAHAH- OKAHAHAY WAIHIT! SNRT- I GIHIHIVE UHUP! PLEHEASE!"
"No, you wait. I told you what you need to do."
"PLEHEASE- I LIHIHIED, IHIHI LIHIED! THEHERE WASN'T AHAHANYTHING FUNNY!"
Karai gasped in mock-offense. "You lied to me? I thought we were supposed to be family, but you lied! You don't deserve to be let go!"
Leo snorted again, spewing out pleas and 'sorry's. She scratched harder at his shell, sending overwhelming tickly sensations through him. On bare skin, it would've been painful, but on the hard exterior of the bridge of his shell, all it did was force the blue-themed turtle into uncontrollable laughter.
"IHI DIHIDN'T MEHEAN TO! IHI'M- SNRT- SAHAHARRY! PLEHEASE!"
Unbeknownst to him, Karai was smiling fondly at his crazed state, though her nails attacked him like he'd just committed an unforgivable crime.
"Sorry Leo, but this is your punishment. I'm going to make sure you never lie to me again."
-----
I thought this would be harder to write, if I'm being honest, but I actually really like it! All of my years of watching 2012 helped me write her dialogue better, I guess. Anyways, happy first week of October! 🎃🌕🪦
17 notes · View notes
khaleesiofalicante · 1 year ago
Text
RWRB Movie Review
Since some of y'all asked for my thoughts, here you go:
What I Liked about This Movie:
The casting - They absolutely fucking nailed it. From the main cast to even smaller characters like Ellen and Zahra and Amy and everyone else. Even the King. They all understood the assignment.
The POC nuances - There is a big difference between being queer and being poc and queer. I think the movie captured it better than the book did. Obviously, a lot of that had to do with Matthew. The little conversations about being a person of colour in the US and Alex and Henry constantly bantering (and educating each other) about their cultures and differences between them added so much value to their dynamic.
Subtle Creativity - I really liked how they translated the texts from the books into the movie. The symbolism of the water during the Lake House scene and all the queer historical references spread out throughout the movie. Important. Well done.
The music - I always pay close attention to the soundtrack in a movie and I think they killed it. Starting off with Joan Jett's Bad Reputation was such a good idea. I know everyone is soft about 'Can't Help Falling in Love' playing during the V&A scene, but personally I loved that they included 'If I Loved You' - it's such a classic and it's such a Henry song.
Alex and Henry - I'm going o be brutally honest here. If they had cast anyone other than Taylor and Nick, this movie would've flopped hard. Nick and Taylor carried this movie on their backs and they did SUCH a great job with it. I need to write a whole other post about how much I liked their acting and what I enjoyed the most.
What Could've Been Done Better
The storytelling - I didn't mind the changes we already knew (as much as I thought I would) - such as cutting out June and Alex's parents not being divorced. But I did find the overall pace and storytelling to be a little bit off. Some scenes felt disconnected and others felt rushed. Like, Henry saying 'I need to show you something' and taking Alec to the V&A felt very random to me considering the pace of that scene. I'm very curious about how all of this looked like to someone who hasn't read the books.
The gaps - I'm personally glad June wasn't in this movie because I feel like it would've made no sense. Honestly, a lot of her storyline is connected to Alec's struggle with understanding his sexuality and trauma from the divorce and both those plotlines were not part of the movie, so yeah. No June made a lot of sense. But some other edits didn't make sense to me. For instance, I really wish they had placed more emphasis on the emails and showed the intimate nature of those (they did a good job with the texts, but not with the emails). I honestly didn't understand why Richards was there. Phillip felt like another dead end. Nora was barely there too.
Alex's Bisexuality - There is this line in the books where Alex (in his list to Henry) says 'all the things I now understand about myself because of you'. I always felt that was important. I'm not saying that line should've been in the movie, but it should be a theme. Because in his speech when Alex was talking about the queer rights movements and queer history, I was like 'where is this all coming from??'. It would've been nice to see Alec's interest in these things (whether because of Henry or not) displayed more in the movie.
The lack of friendships - This honestly was my main disappointment. Because the lack of emphasis on Pez was a little shocking. Considering the movie had Henry pov, I really thought we'd see more of him. The same went for Nora (and the lack of June) who were barely there. I loved that the movie focused more on Alex and Henry, but I will always stress the importance of friendships for queer people - because we often feel safer with our friends than with anyone else. So, I wish they had done a better job. I personally feel much better choices could've been made about the secondary characters, such as removing Pez entirely and fleshing out Bea and Henry's relationship instead of giving Pez half a minute of screen time.
The women - this is a bit of a personal qualm and I'm still navigating this writing issue myself, but often in stories with mlm relationships, women are seen as these tiny side characters who are simply there to drive the plot. Sometimes women are barely there at all (I've noticed this in some BL dramas). This is not a rwrb issue, but a broader issue. But the thing is, in the books, Casey did a fantastic job in weaving in women and how just having them around makes a lot of difference (Alex and June are the primary examples of this). It's very interesting to see how depending on the identity of the creator, which themes get prioritized and which themes don't. For instance, we noticed Alex's race (or him being biracial) was more prominent in the movie than in the books, but Alec's relationship with the women in his life was more prominent in the books than in the movie. It's just interesting, I think. Very interesting.
RWRB in (my) essence: I read some say that the above issues could've been simply fixed if the movie was a mini-series. I personally don't think it should've been a mini-series though. Rwrb was always meant to be a movie.
But I do think, a larger conversation needs to be had about queer book-to-screen adaptations - where the budgets are smaller and restrictions are higher and there is bullshit like giving an R rating for a movie with barely any nudity and sex.
It wasn't perfect. It's a rom-com. A rom-com, in its essence, is flawed and talks about finding love in 90 minutes. It's supposed to feel rushed - like a whirlwind. I think rwrb movie did what it was supposed to do. It gave us a good rom-com.
BUT. I think we need more than that. We need cheesy romcoms like this. We need poignant queer movies with bigger budgets that will win Oscars. We need mini-series that have more time to explore broader themes. And we need TV shows that run for 14 seasons and have no plot but we want still want to watch anyway because it's gay people doing gay stuff.
Queer people need all of these options. We deserve the same diversity in content as straight people have. We, as Alex said, have the right to choose.
So, here is to more queer content, each wonderful and each flawed in its own way.
RWRB movie was not what I expected. But I loved it anyway. I watched it twice already and I will watch it again. Because, to put it simply, it made me so happy to have a queer rom-com that I can watch.
But we should and can and must have more of this.
So, I really hope every month will be gay as August 2023 is/was :)
141 notes · View notes
balancingdiet · 4 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
So i just finished the movie earlier and I am in so much feels right now HAHAHA. Just a mini rant regarding the movie! MAJOR spoilers ahead
i'm so happy i went in blind for the movie so i literally have 0 information about it. The only thing I know was Heiji and Kaitou Kid were gonna be it. So colour me surprise when there were a lot more easter eggs and fun references to canon scenes than I expected, and I do semi-enjoy them. But I was truly SHOOKEDTH when Aoko appeared. I literally gasped and was screaming internally in the cinema because MY BABY GIRL??? While it made sense that she should be there when Inspector Nakamori was shot, I still didn't expect her to be included in the movie at all. Every scene with her were the best moments I had tbh, followed closely by Kaitou Kid's angst when he couldn't save Inspector Nakamori (hmm yes i love the pain and guilt and emotional distress HAHAHAH) I would probably need a second or third watch to fully grasp how they solve the riddles to the treasure thingy, but I'm okay to cast that concern aside in exchange for enjoyable, strong character-driven moments! But sadly, the dynamics were kinda lacking in this movie for me. There were just so many things going on, with the confession plan, then the murder, then the kidnapping, then the riddle, then the story of the swords... you get it. This movie had so many things going on that nothing was going on at the same time? I felt like if I were to watch any other movie with Heiji&Conan/Kid&Conan/Heiji&Kid in it, their dynamics would be the same and underdeveloped. In fact, what I love were actually the unconventional or lesser popular dynamics? Like I mentioned, Aoko really steal the show, and I enjoyed her interaction with Conan and referencing to Kaito's younger self LOL. And when Ran noticed and was supportive of Heiji's confession plan, their moments were super nice and cute too! (Though it was no shocker when Heiji's confession was ruined, once again. At this point I really do feel bad for him.) Now, to the important part: the cousin reveal HAHAHHAHA When Heiji asked Conan if he has a sibling or something, I was kinda "hmm??", but I didn't thought they would really go with the reveal in this movie. While being a KaiShin shipper, I still adore ShinRan and KaiAo a lot (those KaiAo crumbs cured my sadness HAHAHA). I'm not sure if I would incorporate this new reveal into any future KaiShin fics (if I'm writing any), but still I am kinda disappointed that they decided to reveal it this way, like it's just a "by the way thing". But what was worse was that Toichi is indeed really alive, with this information backed and followed up since the Midnight Crow arc in Magic Kaito Manga. This "plot twist" actually felt rather flat, like it was done just for the shock factor and not for substance. Like there really wasn't a point for it? Unless the dcmk verse is really going to unite and they are going to take down the BO + Snake gang together in the future? Idk. This whole thing feels cheap... and an unnecessary plot device. Honestly, it would be a lot cooler if Phantom lady (Chikage) plays a more active role than Toichi's "Kaitou Corbeau". His actual death was what motivated and made Kaito who Kaito is today. And to just rip that away because Gosho cannot allow good characters to remain dead... is just kinda ugh. MagicKaito-verse is kinda messed up for me now and I felt a little bit sad when I walk out of the cinema after that LOL. I still love DCMK and I will always adore all the characters in my heart (bigger shoutout to Aoko though LOL), but I just hope that whatever direction Gosho takes with the story, it's for the better: Rather than relying on the characters to make the plot interesting, he should address/better the plot that drives the characters to complete their interesting stories. Not sure if this make sense but yeah. Oh well, if you have read till this far, thank you for hearing my long rant! I do feel a bit better after this HAHAHAHA
37 notes · View notes
ecargmura · 5 months ago
Text
Wind Breaker Episode 11 Review - New Day, New Classmates
I’m a little confused. Tsugeura’s little motto revolves around the word “virtue”. In the manga, it’s virtue. The subtitles call it virtue as well, but I’ve seen some subs use “aesthetics.” What is the accurate word? A moot on Twitter says that the accurate word should be “aesthetics”. Virtue means a behavior showing high moral standards while aesthetics means a particular theory or connection to beauty or art. My moot told me that the word Tsugeura uses is actually more associated with aesthetic rather than virtue. I don’t know…. For now, I’ll just call it virtue since that’s what the subtitles say, but if they switch it to aesthetics or something, I’ll use that.
Tumblr media
Anyways, it’s a new day, the fourth to be exact, and Sakura meets two new classmates. The first is Taiga Tsugeura who likes to talk about virtue, is a gym bro, and is an all around himbo. He speaks in Kansai dialect, by the way. While he’s a nice guy, he lacks personal boundaries, which is why everyone avoids him. Sugishita’s face says it all. Fortunately, Sakura, Suo and Nirei are nice enough to hang out with him after school. Tsugeura is a macho guy, but he’s surprisingly goofy and sensitive. While he doesn’t get along with Kiryu, he doesn’t let that bother him. He’s very funny, honestly. I think he brings a good dynamic to the group as the optimist in a way. His fighting style centers around wrestling with the way he did a German suplex to one of those scrubs.
Tsugeura’s voice actor actually surprised me. He’s voiced by Kengo Kawanishi. You might know him as Muichiro from Demon Slayer and Roland Fortis from The Case Study of Vanitas. Why I was surprised was because I normally associated with him quiet pretty boys, but remembering that he voiced Roland, he has the capability to go loud and dumb too. Also, another thing that surprised me about him was that Kawanishi always sounded like he could be Akira Ishida’s successor in terms of range and tone, but the voice he uses for Tsugeura makes him sound like Noriaki Sugiyama who you might know as the voice of Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto and also voiced Muichiro’s dad who appeared in the third season of Demon Slayer. Kawanishi’s range is seriously killer.
Tumblr media
The second of the new classmates is Mitsuki Kiryu. He’s rumored to be from a rich family with the way he went to a rich kid’s school during junior high. His past sounds very interesting if he chose to rebel and went to Fuurin; I’m super curious as much as I am curious about Suo’s past. Kiryu is practically the total opposite of Tsugeura in every way. He respects people’s boundaries, especially girls’, but is rather effeminate compared to the macho himbo Tsuge-chan. He’s also a huge phone addict as he was first seen in episode 2 playing with his phone. I do wonder if he has a hamburger case alongside the hotdog case. His fighting style sort of reminds me of the Gentle Fist style from Naruto, especially with the way it focuses on deflecting as Kiryu deflects his opponents and sends them flying to his allies.
Kiryu’s voice actor is Toshiyuki Toyonaga. It’s been a while since I last heard Toyonaga voice a rather effeminate character. I actually really like his acting a lot! He has so much range that his voice is so hard to detect because he sounds so different in whatever anime he’s in. If you’re curious on what roles he had done in the past, some examples include Yuuri Katsuki from Yuri on Ice, Kazuki Kurusu from Buddy Daddies and Nayuta Yatonokami from Paradox Live. All three of those roles sound different, yet they come from the same person. Amazing, isn't it? I love how Toyonaga gives Kiryu a boyish voice; that tone is so cute.
Tumblr media
The fighting scene in the anime was well-animated! All three have such distinct styles, but it meshes so well together. Heck, even Suo gets to be a part of the fight, despite him being at the back protecting Nirei and the girl Kiryu saved and only fighting when mooks try to run towards the back. I really like the part where Sakura is flipping around after Tsugeura throws in a punch and then Kiryu deflects a guy towards him.
Tumblr media
The episode is also has some development towards Sakura as he gets new fighting allies in Tsugeura and Kiryu and even gets five new contacts in his phone. He’s the most chronically offline teenager, and he’s even slowly adjusting to the teen life by attempting to participate in group chats and stuff. I hope that Sakura becomes an expert at instant messaging by the time the story ends.
The episode ends with the second years coming to Sakura’s class in order to pick a Group Captain. What is a group captain? It’s like a top of the class or something. Suo volunteers Sakura to be captain. What happens next will be shown next week. However, the second years showing up is great because Enomoto is hilarious with the way he rolls his R’s. Can you believe that he’s voiced by Taishi Murata, who voices Pieyon from Oshi no Ko? Crazy, right? That’s the third voice actor with crazy range in this episode. Also, this is the introduction to Kaji but I’ll talk more about him next week as he’ll finally talk. I can’t wait to see people’s reaction to Kaji. He’s such a great character.
Tumblr media
There are two more episodes left. With how popular this show is in the Japanese fanbase, I wouldn’t be surprised if a second season will be announced; I certainly want it. What are your thoughts on this episode and are you also wanting a season two like I am?
29 notes · View notes
batsplat · 2 months ago
Note
welcome back casey stoner !
https://www.tumblr.com/verdemint/761549873456775168/same-interview-they-asked-him-how-does-he-deal
(link)
asjddkh SEE this is what I'm talking about!! something about those incredibly neurotic ducati champions, eh. in the post linked above, pecco's talking about how he deals with media pressure... which, yeah, pecco and casey really do share a fair bit of competitive dna there - from the insistence that it doesn't affect them whatsoever to how they do in fact get extremely pissy whenever they feel misrepresented by the media. very sensitive to that kind of thing, those two are... but at the same time they're also both their own harshest critics. from casey's autobiography (all quickly nabbed from this post, which ofc expands on casey's perfectionism):
I got a lot of criticism over the years for being honest because I always felt I could do better. Even if I won the race, if I had made mistakes it was important for me to admit them and address them for next time instead of congratulating myself for being the best on that particular day.
and:
Whatever challenges I take on now I am still driven by the same quest to improve - I can’t change who I am. As a personality trait this is both a good thing and a bad thing. I like that part of me but it would be nice to not be like that sometimes, to enjoy something without being obsessed with getting better at it. I am sure you can go through life a lot happier if you don’t analyse everything.
versus pecco:
The strength that I've proved in various situations comes from the fact that I am extremely critical of myself, and so it only takes a little bit for me to put myself down even more.
like yeah I suppose that's one way of looking at it - nobody else can get to you if you're already tearing into yourself. it's a motivational process that's very much built on negativity, right, on the need to live up to their own exacting standards. both pride themselves for their ability to put failures behind them quickly - to be able to immediately bounce back because they tell themselves they only care about doing better in the next race. plus, there's that interesting dynamic where both are like... pretty big on this idea they're not making excuses for themselves, committed to honestly assessing themselves and all that,, BUT also have reputations for being whiny to the press... because people for whatever reason end up thinking they're constantly blaming everything but themselves for their shortcomings. again, very prone to feeling misunderstood!! neither of them are necessarily terrible communicators - but there's a certain reluctance there (obviously more so from casey) to even play that game at all. mix in a learned wariness because they feel like they've been burned before.... that whole pecco episode last year where he said one reason for the increased injury rate is probably because the field is tighter now (which, yes! seems logical!) ,,, and then some unholy combination of clumsy phrasing, media framing and an ungenerous fan response ended up translating that to pecco saying he wanted satellite bikes to be slower again... gave me real casey vibes lol. casey had a fair few of those episodes himself - though at least the news cycle and social media fandom weren't quite as bad back then. in a lot of ways he'd struggle even more nowadays
also,, you do have to mention - they both end up defining themselves against valentino specifically when it comes to their public personas. casey might be the rival and pecco the mentee, but both of them have been clear that they do not desire to be the next valentino rossi. kinda what I said here, right
Tumblr media
idk, obviously pecco had a heads-up a little earlier than casey did that sensibly communicating to the media WAS going to be a big part of the job. but there's still a wariness there, an unwillingness to be something they're not, knowing that they'd be miserable trying to match valentino's particular brand of flamboyance... it is key that it is a choice they're making. they just don't want that for themselves, never have. there's only ever so much outreach they're willing to do
also this
“Stoner and Bagnaia are two different riders, but they have the same mental attitude,” Tardozzi told AS. “I think Pecco is still growing. He already took a big leap by winning the championship, but the biggest jump in his head has been done this year, after the two falls in Argentina and Austin. “He is an intelligent boy and has spoken a lot with the team, and what happened has made him take another step to make him even more of a champion. Now he has the right mentality. Pecco will become one of the greats. Right now it is showing that he is growing, as I told you before."
'resilience' is I think a word I associate quite strongly with both of them. they take their fair share of punches, do tend to get called mentally fragile a lot - but in truth there's a steel there that serves them well. did talk a little bit about the similarities of their motivational processes here too:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
and
Tumblr media
and one other thing I've been thinking about is that this... y'know, use of spite, of self-criticism, of how annoyed they get at others' criticisms - for both of them, it is also paired with a determined refusal to countenance they could be mentally affected by anything. with casey in particular, it's a bit of an overcorrection in response to how often he was described as mentally weak; it's understandable you might get extremely sensitive about the whole thing, if you weren't already. a lot of it is also stubbornness... a bone-deep contrarianism that immediately makes them push back if somebody suggests they might struggle for any reason related to psychology. where this really jumps out is how they talk about their rivals. obviously, nobody is going to say that their opponent's mind games work on them because that'd be deeply stupid to admit - but there is something about pecco's firm insistence marc's mind games don't have a hope of working on him that is really reminiscent of how casey has talked about valentino. it's that dynamic of ,, well, they're not wrong in that they're stronger than people give them credit for, but obviously they are also. like. extremely defensive, past the point of necessarily being reasonable. sometimes, what your rival does will affect you. that's kinda how rivalries work lol. but both of them are very committed to this narrative that their working process is super self-directed. casey's whole thing about how he's never gotten obsessed with rivals, pecco's 'we work in silence' schtick... it comes back round to the relationship with the media, right, where they have a natural inclination towards framing that as an oppositional dynamic - and automatically chafe against any narratives that might be externally imposed on them. actually, you see, rivals don't affect their performance at all, they don't need to constantly slobber to the press to hype up their performances, they'll do their talking on-track... but the unspoken truth there is that all of those things do matter, they are paying a lot of attention - and in the end, 'proving a point' to someone becomes a central part of the motivational process. they hear all the criticisms, they seethe in 'silence' (often involves a fair bit of public complaining but let's allow it), and then they determinedly show how all their critics were fools and losers. rinse and repeat
anyway yeah apparently that's part of the ducati magic - a dash of neuroticism, a heavy dose of self-flagellation, inject a desire for authenticity that might at times read as whiny, stir in the makings of a persecution complex and top it off with a sprinkling of spite. probably not the easiest type of guy to handle, but clearly there's something to the formula. a compelling approach to be sure
13 notes · View notes