#i know he goofs a lot but he is actually so intense at work

[vanmarkus]

EVAN BUCKLEY • ON THE JOB vs. WITH HIS MAN ↳ for anonymous

[inchidentally]

obv the whole thing is p r e c i o u s but I had to do an edit :3

and like once again striking how landoscar chose to never develop a PR dynamic... which weirdly made a lot of ppl wrongly assume they're not friendly/close ??

yet every time they do PR work they spend the whole time giving each other knowing intense eye contact, giggling identically and having coded/silent communication bc they find the whole performance absurd but also hilarious in a way that's specific between each other

like who needs PR when you're both on an entirely separate wavelength to a mildly unnerving degree for those around you (that also incorporates little role playing of one being firm and patient and the other being playful and naughty)

also the fact that Lando's let his more subtle humor and quieter mischievous demeanor show in his F1 media this year - the side of him that we see when he's on stream with Max F - ever since getting Oscar last season bc Oscar more suits Lando's non-F1 friend group. so the Lando ppl are claiming is "new" or different is actually just an existing genuine part of his personality and it's lovely to see him show that as well as his goofing and laughing louder side <3

[buntanteen]

svt fic recs list <3 - yjh, hjs & lee chan - sfw ver. 2

reader insert fics!! though, lots of these are ot13 writings, i am specifically recommending the jeonghan, joshua and dino sections!

✩ svt writing & fic rec masterlist ✩

note: trying to find pics where all three of them match in aesthetics is soooo much harder than i thought lmao. future rec lists might not picture all three members :,)

✩ yoon jeonghan ✩

❥ voicemails yoon jeonghan leaves you while he’s on tour - @babyleostuff

i love this concept soooo muchh

ofccc he'd be mopey and missing his s/o :((

voicemail #10?? bro, i just reached my 20s and my knees were cracking bEFORE then...

❥ love languages: yoon jeonghan - @cxffecoupx

words of affirmation??? hannie knows how to comfort so well

rahhh quality time? I LOVE QUALITY TIME!

"small acts of violence" LMAO

✩ hong joshua ✩

❥ seventeen as boyfriends: joshua edition - @fairyhaos

joshua truly radiates this sweet bright youthful love that is filled with fun and silly moments

ahhhh that last part made me tear up :(( its not always the activity that is fun, but the person/people that you are with :(((

❥ BOYFRIEND JOSHUA WHO… - @mangocustard16

pls make sure i drink water....i do not drink enough...

i used to like, not care for people serenading me until suga and joshua appeared in my life u don't have.

this dude is like, one of the ideal boyfriend types haha.

SHUT UP?? THE BUYING FLOWERS ON A TUESDAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN U MET STFU *cries into a pillow* THAT'S SO CUTE

✩ lee chan/dino ✩

❥ voicemails lee chan leaves you while he’s on tour - @babyleostuff

SHUT UP VOICEMAIL #5 IS SOOOOOOO CUTE DKFJNB

omg him leaving clothes for his s/o to wear :(((

i did a lil cackle at number 8 <3

oh number 9....baby...monopoly is ALWAYS an intense game

OH the last voicemail....stfu baby ofc i'd do that for you :((( WHY CAN I HEAR HIM SPEAKING SOFTLY HMPH :(( WHY AM I KINDA TEARING UP?

❥ seventeen as boyfriends: chan edition - @fairyhaos

oFC this lil guy is just filled with love and comfort and playfulness :((

hmmm idk chan....gose chan on my phone is pretttttty interesting

....LMAO THE "holding the world in my hands" I WOULD'VE JUST WALKED AWAY

✩ ot13 works (yjh, hjs & lee chan sections) ✩

❥ seventeen with an s/o who loves physical touch - @wheeboo

the lil jeonghan noises of approval would so help my overthinking mind. he just seems like such a fun partner to goof around a bit and feel so so soooo loved

the fucking ◠‿◠ shua smile actually obliterates me (i rewatched the first nana tour ep today and the amount of times he did his lil smile healed me so bad ahh) YES BACK HUGS GRRRR i'm a koala on his back

dino being competitive over affection??? BRO I WILL WINNN THIS >:(( just let me loooooovvveeeee youuuuuuus

❥ you saying another member's name in your sleep - @hannieehaee

sorrrryyyy jeonghannie but chan is cute too :((

NO I CAN IMAGINE THE PUPPY HEAD TILT WITH A QUESTION MARK FORMING ABOUT JOSH'S HEAD. YEET ME OFF A CLIFF SDFJKBV. i'm saying jeonghan's name cuz i like him too baby, sorry :(( yeahhh, take it up with hannie who didn't do anything heh

nAUR CHAN I'M SORRYYYY. mingyu is just my bestie, i like puppies :(( ur still one of my favs darling :((

❥ seventeen with a younger s/o - @wheeboo

forever being babied and teased by hannie yessssssssssssss hehehe *insert that blushing/bashful skunk from bambi gif* he's really a comforting person. when he spoke about being a rock/island for the members, he is SOOO that and i can very much so see him doing that for the people he loves

shuaaa. the idea of an older s/o that can take care of me? fuck yeah. but let me take care of you toooooo. (side note: i do not like when ppl older than me think i can't take care of them cuz i'm younger??? baby, i'm not tHAT much of a baby, hmph)

dinononononono "wow is that how you speak to your elder?" YES IT IS BRO WHADDAYA GOING TO DO IT ABOUT IT GRRRR >:((( but fr, the way he spoke to shua during the grape shirt/sticker going svt ep...i just know he'll use the power over a s/o (jokingly and lovingly ofc)

❥ svt when you call them a new pet name - @lovingseventeen

hannieee is soooooooo pretty boy hehe. pretty is my favourite visual adjective

joshua and reader having a pet name/term of endearment competition??? SIGN ME UP >:)

dino is jeonghan's and my baby~

✩ unit & lines works ✩

❥ comforting you after a bad day (vocal unit) - @gi4hao

how both shua and hannie handled reader's bad day is exactly how i need to be comforted after one :,) cuddles, venting, taking my mind off it with other activities & someone's presence is soooo nice!!

❥ dating seventeen (hyung line ver.) - @wqnwoos

no one escaping jeonghan's teasing ahhhhhhhhh. the leaning against reader?? i love when people initiate physical contact, it is sooo nice. the teasing and whining kjgfkjdb. taking care of and being taken care of?? i don't think i could ever ask jeonghan those s/o questions ppl ask because he'd take it so far and i'd just be like :| with the most concerned look on my face. being adored and having my face squished nyahhgfkdjb

joshieeee. flirting??? with me??? yes ames, this is a dating headcanon/drabble duh. WHEN I SAY I WOULD BE SO GENTLEMAN-LY BACK AT JOSH GRRRR LEMME OPEN UR DOOR FOR UUUU. yes baby, all the cheek kisses in the _world for u. YES LIL SPOON JOSHI AGENDA!!! THANK UUUU

❥ dating seventeen (maknae line ver.) - @wqnwoos

DINOOOOooooOOOOOOooOO :,) like, that's my baby. his enjoyment with being praised and MY enjoyement for giving praise works together beautifully muahhaha

mini message from me: thanks to y'all who have read this far and thank you for the notes on my last fic rec!! i hope your week went well and you were able to enjoy caratland!! did you do something to take care of yourself? ς(.-‿-)

ames' song recs: perriot that laughs at us by iu, dimple by bts, doughnut by twice, forg_tful (with kim sawol) by rm, slow dancing by v, ready to love by seventeen & who (acoustic remix) by jimin

taglist: no one yet, but if y'all would like to be on it, pls comment :))

[ladyloveroll]

(These are my ACTUAL notes from my friends birthday party full of people who absolutely did not know who the fuck Itachi and Kisame were or how pairing names work or what a ship is.)

Writing kisaita (on and off) for 15 years

Never get tired of the ship

Excellent, friendly people in the fandom to keep making content (Cynni)

Presentation is less about the specific ship and more about the general qualities that make their ship S-tier. You may find this echoed in your own OTP, IDK.

Powerful, badass characters who can kick anyones asses no problem, as depicted where they are casually taking a stroll after Kisame (who still has his little fo-hawk) casually takes down the four-tails

Kisame is noted as the ‘tail-less jinchuuriki’

Itachi is clearly a fucking powerhouse, we don’t need to debate that

Working with strong characters means you are more easily able to portray their weakness and explore that side of them since that rarely gets screentime

Auxiliary, not main characters

Main characters are harder to write because they spend a lot of screen time accomplishing their goal and doing Plot

Auxiliary characters are more malleable, and morally gray ones especially so

Depicted here are Itachi and Kisame, separately, being ordered by their villages to kill their own people. They carry this order out, but do not particularly like it. Nor are they particularly loyal to their own villages, despite carrying this order out. It’s hard to say where their loyalities lie.

The answer is WITH EACH OTHER OBVIOUSLY

Any ship that has a timeskip has LOADS of canon-verse material you can work with, especially if it feels like the characters have changed or their dynamic has changed.

For Naruto especially, WTF are Kisame and Itachi doing for three years? Clearly neither of them are out capturing jinchuriki. They aren’t seen lounging around Amegakure or Akatsuki headquarters. They are just traveling the world. Probably doing hits. Probably hitting on EACH OTHER WOOOOOO

Long time skips mean a few thing: 1) Canon divergence, 2) Canon compliant, 3) pre-time skip, 4) during time skip, 5) post time-skip; and that’s not even the AU’s

They clearly haven’t made any other friends during this time either so lots of relationship to explore

The Naruto franchise is notorious for retconning. Probably because Kishimoto (the writer) was pushed to create at a pace that was impossible for any sane or healthy man to keep up with.

Fanficition writers can take advantage of this poor writing by interpreting the character in a lot more ways than if the character was solidly written.

There are a lot of different ways Kisame is written, and accepted as so

Itachi less so but we don’t have time for that

Retconning allows you to take a writers mistake and turn it into utter brainrot that ten other people (me) will reblog every 3 years

This one is kind of specific, but if you like angst then OH BOY this ship has a lot of potential for it

Any OTP that involves an angsty edgelord and a sadistic tagalong can indulge in either EXTRA ANGST and be able to balance out the angst with humor

The KisaIta ship has 4 great themes about it:

Redemption

Acceptance

Forgiveness

And Existentialism of course

Dynamic:

Sharkboy / lava girl

Edgelord / goof

Leader / follower

Maybe old? / a touch too young

Respect for each other

S-tier OTP because of strong themes and repeatable dynamics

Kinkfest here we come

S-tier OTPs must be able to withstand an intense variety of smut writing

Powerful level = able to handle pain and dish out pain

Body things? = more positions

The Shape of Water was one of the single best thing to happen to the KisaIta 18+ fics because (even though it existed before the movie came out) a lot more readers were into it now

Also, Kisame makes this ship work more than Itachi. He is fucking DEVOTED

at this point I was running out of my 10-minutes (THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO PUT ME ON A TIMER) so i just backfilled the rest of the presentation with fanart and memes i like

Why do I like KisaIta?

I mostly write smut

They’re great at smut

I also like angst

They’re always great for angst, either character

Also look at them they are hot AF

Beefcake service-top vs. ‘shaped like a katana’ masochist

Healthy dose of hurt-comfort

They’re extremely flexible to write and so there’s a lot of stories you can create

thank you for not reporting me to the powerpoint police

[hulloitsdani]

What do u think Kiran is

How do u think the order sees kiran

*slowly sits up in my chair*

I think Kiran is a very normal person. This is someone you and I have met before. Be that from the other side of grocery store cashier, waiting in the same elevator, or walking by on a crosswalk. Kiran is a civilian from our world trying to roll with the punches of being warped somewhere completely alien. And you can see it in how they conduct themselves.

I always have a lot of fun writing Kiran’s dialogue because their casual modern speech almost feels like a dialect in comparison to the more formal fantasy tone everyone else speaks with. An “ain’t” will never exit Alfonse’s mouth, you know? And there’s a difference in “Do you have gold?” vs “You got gold?” To me, this gives Kiran an air of unfamiliarity to anyone they interact with. Let’s use Grima as an example, because it doesn’t sound like this grammatical change would make much of difference until Kiran has the audacity to hit Grima with a bro mid sentence. But that’s just how they talk. And as sweet and friendly as they are, there’s always moments like that to remind that no one has the cultural context to fully understand Kiran. Except for the audience, who can realize that Kiran let the customer service voice drop to talk to Grima like he’s an actual person.

And that’s just about how they talk! This view is only emphasized by every other thing about them! They’re a lovable goof, which is normal chill person behavior in the audience’s eyes but feels REALLY ODD to the characters of FE’s medieval fantasy war setting. There is this air of unknown about them that the more socially perceptive will pick up on and will try to come to a conclusion about. Example, I imagine Soren would interpret a lot of this as a dangerous and deeply annoying lack of intelligence from someone he has the displeasure of sharing a tactics table with. Or looping back to the Grima example, he would totally think Kiran has greedy ulterior motives behind that pleasant facade. It takes a lot of work for those types to realize that the discrepancy present isn’t really any of those things. But I also wouldn’t be too surprised if Kiran doesn’t try to directly prove any of those assumptions wrong unless they have to.

Why? Well now it’s time for the implications! Oh how we love the implications.

Because the Summoner is a different story. No one has any fucking clue what that is.

I can tell you what Kiran has pieced together so far. Summoning people from across time and space is apparently not easy. It’s not some school of magical study that some mage could pull off with enough time and research. Trust, Eitri tried. It’s a lot of complex moving parts. For example, the contracts. The contracts Kiran automatically binds their summoned to don’t even compare to the ones Veronica used in book 1. They are far more intense and infinitely harder to break. The only way out of them is if Kiran wills it so. Not even death is an option, because Kiran can come in for the revive. If they had to guess, it’s an older, more completed version of the art. Something lost to time. But no matter the case, Kiran has the ability to take full control of whoever they manage to summon. From a lowly farmer to the divine. And their power only grows.

In a similar vein, if there was any character to canonically see the hud, I think it would be Kiran. It’s genuinely part of their power set. I have previously described Kiran as the party mage until Veronica shows up to be the actual mage, but it would be way more accurate to call them a mystic/seer. They see the map, everyone’s stats, and is doing a fast amount of math to give the combat forecast. Then, upon processing all this information their enemies couldn’t dream of having at their disposal, Kiran can telepathically communicate any change in plans to anyone under contract. Kiran is not inherently some great tactician the moment they touch ground in Askr; they simply can do things no one else can. They’re learning the actual tactics part on the fly. This makes them simultaneously the largest ace up the Order’s sleeve and potentially its biggest liability. If they fall, it could cause a whole system cascade. By that same token, some of the biggest threats the Order has faced are the ones who do their research and rightfully target Kiran.

Now. Thinking critically about all that. That’s downright terrifying. A ridiculous amount of power has been dropped callously into Kiran’s lap and they have to work extremely hard to be moral with it. It’s terrifyingly easy not to be. It would actively take less effort to ‘take the reins’ as it were. But in order to be able to sleep at night ever again, they go the extra mile to not invalidate the will of their summoned. To take over like that. To make a colony of worker bees out of people. Because oh dear god they just summoned a child and the fact that they could easily force them to fight and die for them, only to be revived and do it all over again, is HAUNTING. No. No the Order has an in house orphanage now. This kid is getting adopted and cared for god damnit or Kiran might just pop a blood vessel. And sure that child is going to be a child and there will never be a world where they get along with everyone else, but that’s just going to need be a problem they address when they get there and not an excuse to use Hubris; the power set. Now replace the word child with everyone they ever summoned and you have the wider philosophy they apply to the entire Order.

They’re hyper aware of the power imbalance. They hate it with every bone in their body. They work really hard to correct it in whatever way they can.

So Kiran might not jump on the opportunity to correct those who think lesser of them. It’s… oddly comforting to know someone is keeping a critical eye on them. Holding them accountable. Especially since so much of the order just thinks of them as this quirky yet well meaning host. And, really, what can they even do about that? They have gone over the contract with every hero they summon and despite that they still choose to stay. So, what, do they try to inspire more mistrust? The problem with that they would have to actually do acts that intentionally inspire mistrust. And even if that was successful they can’t just waste the extra man power because every other month there’s some new divine asshole who wants them all dead. And if they fail that means they have to start their life from square one and god they can’t do that again so—

Just breathe Kiran.

It’s fine. You’re fine. Just breathe.

You have work to do.

[slowcatsworld]

Julian Loki acts like an older sibling. PART 3

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Last part where it all makes sense I swear. Headcanons at the end!!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Maturity, responsibility, politeness, adaptability, flexibility, patience, restraint, and confidence.

Julian has exhibited these characteristics each time we see him in the manga. All of this makes me believe that he’s an older sibling. It makes so much sense, from the way he handle’s Charles’ interesting personality to how he experimented to create two distinct PXGs with Shidou’s play style and Rin’s play style.

(Now onto the actual headcanon and not analysis part hehehehehe)

I think due to his calm personality I see him having a younger sister. However, he’s still a competitive teenager that I could see totally dominating his little brother in a video game or a friendly match of soccer. (Not that he couldn’t do this with a sister)

Older brother! Loki is someone his little siblings turn to whenever they have a bad day. They know that he’ll listen quietly to their words and assess the situation accordingly. He knows how to cheer them up; whether that be with a sweet that he’ll buy them without telling their mother, talking them through their feelings so they feel more at peace with themselves, or offering an assuring shoulder squeeze to let them know their older brother is here for them.

Older brother! Loki is someone who travels a lot because of soccer. Sure, he rather enjoyed the different quality of independence he got being away from home, but he grows to miss it when the nights drag on a little too long and the air is a little bit more crisp than it ever has been. His little sibling would miss him too, pushing their head into their mama’s stomach and mumbling a small, “I miss Julian.” Their mother can only stroke their head while they wait for the elder boy to finish practice so that the three of them can reunite on call.

Older brother! Loki who is actually very good at cooking. He doesn’t do it as often now, when he’s away from home he tends to buy French foods in foreign countries rather than make it himself. Besides, with all the money he has been able to make for him and his family, he doubts that they would ever have to cook with their own hands again. Not that his parents would ever agree to the thought of a personal chef or maid, the couple probably every bit as humble and kind as their son. He would often cook breakfast for his little sibling before walking the two of them to school.

Older brother! Loki that would play soccer with his little sibling when he found the time. Even though it wasn’t that intense, at least to him, the shrieks of laughter and face splitting grin that adored his little sibling were far more precious than some extra practice. After all, it is healthy to know when to take it easy and have some fun.

Older brother! Loki that tries his best to teach his little sibling about the importance of patience. Of course, little kids generally don’t have much of that, which is why Loki isn’t surprised to feel the tug of his sleeve when his little sibling decides they want to play with their big brother instead of letting him study for his upcoming exam. Loki can’t bring himself to be that annoyed though, looking into the same brown eyes as his own, he feels a strong sense of love flourishing from those stubborn and impatient pools of brown.

Older brother! Loki that helps his mother out with chores when he finishes practice and she finishes work. It gives the two of them time to rekindle and catch up on life.

Older brother! Loki that was always so happy to spend the holidays goofing off with his sibling. The sweet days off of school and soccer practice were made to be spent with his mini me beside him.

Older brother! Loki that was filled with shock when he saw his little sibling wearing a smaller version of his France national team jersey. His heart fluttered and soared out of his chest as a chuckle escaped from his smile. It suited them, of course it did. Because it was his little sibling. The bond between them was ever so strong, even if he would be on the field and his smaller version of himself would be either in the stands or watching through the television screen at home.

[mtkay13]

So I made those as requested by abscess chemical on twitter and figured it may be fun to share them on tumblr as well. And you know what? Share a break down of my choices as well, because why not! I tried doing it seriously haha.

Zhou Zishu:

Intense - 6/10: He can be very intense, re the things or people he's invested in, but he also has a chill and detached quality to him, a way of being at peace with things that he won't blow things out of proportions.

Complex - 9/10: I think that he's a very nuanced, multi-faceted and deep character, but I guess I didn't go 10/10 just because there's also a very straightforward and easy to get part of him (esp. from WKX's perspective.

Fruity - 2/10: I think the guy's very gay but not the most bombastic about it LBR.

---

Angst-lord: although it's not as obvious in TYK, QY gives us some EXTREMELY tasty ZZS angst and a good look into how ZZS can process things through anxiety. It definitely got more lowkey post-QY canon, but...

Flavor container: IDK what that means really but I wanted to tick it

Soft and sweet: I actually didn't check it on the twitter version initially (but published an erratum). He is described as soft on the inside by too many people not to check it.

Braincell haver: self-explanatory, the guy's brilliant

Chew toy: literally!

----

Tragic backstory: if QY can count as a backstory, then everything that happened with Jiuxiao works.

Frequently violent: duh

Sidekick owner: WKX is ZZS's sidekick from everyone else's perspective (or vice-versa) and my opinion abt it won't change ever.

Pet stray animals: ZCL, for one, and for two we all know he pets cats and raccoons

Chronic insomniac: technically, in TYK, the nails do force the insomnia, but we know from QY that he had a lot of trouble sleeping at night.

Murderer: well

----

Just some guy 95%: clearly he's a natural-born NPC/side character

Too many thoughts 100%: he overthinks everything!!

Awful company 15%: I think that a goofy drunkard like him is fun but not the best company, especially when he goes all grumpy shifu/shixiong

Beloved by all 60%: most characters REALLY like him (and the others don't even know he exists) and often praise how sweet he is. Charming against his will and attempts at being invisible uwu

Trauma x1000 10%: again, I think that the Jiuxiao story left deep scars.

Helps others for fun 70%: pretty much the plot of TYK

Scary-smart 80%: I think he's really brilliant but then you have these moments where he's just clueless abt stupid stuff and clearly doesn't care/doesn't want to know or try so those 20% left are the deliberate goof I guess.

1000 weapons and tools 50/50: it's both!! every rock is both a tool and a weapon and he just keeps pulling random shit from his bosom--

At peace with life 48%: I think, for the most part, he is--at peace with both life and death, until he decides that keeping on living is just the best option in the end.

Break the rules 80%: I had no idea w this one but... in TYK he pretty much does whatever he wants, so---

Extra comments: The way the "evokes" ticks every boxes for me to various degrees of intensity... sigh It was difficult for the "want them to have" section since I think he has everything post-canon, but I tried seeing it from a mid!canon perspective.

----------------------------

Wen Kexing

Intense - 9/10: While WKX's feelings are generally cold, they seem equally intense to me, just like his eyes or his stare. He's intense about his love, about his revenge, about his plans.

Complex - 6/10: I've had interesting convos about how WKX is... nuanced, of course, but not as complex or deep as it may seem on the surface. That doesn't take anything from how interesting he is, but he is rather straightforward in what he is, ultimately.

Fruity - 8/10: I MEAN--

----

Enemy of the State: he's literally THE main Jianghu villain

Flavor Container: I still don't know what it means but it felt right once again

Braincell haver: the guy is EXTREMELY smart and outsmarted everyone in TYK so yeah

----

Tragic backstory: can hardly do worse than parents murdered in front of you, ate your dad to survive, took care of a child in the wildest, most dangerous part of jianghu, fought to reach the top while "serving" the previous master........ He scored it all!

Orphan: again, fully checks out

Frequently violent: yes

Has enemies: in SPADES

Sidekick owner: GX and ZZS are WKX's sidekicks 100%

Murderer: yes

----

The antagonist of life 70%: had to change from protag to antag because he IS the TYK antagonist (if TYK had been a traditional wuxia from ZCL's perspective...); of course it ends up being subverted but you know

Too many thoughts 75%: I think he's a big thinker as well

Awful company 85%: Let's be real guys

Hated by all 30%: I think he's too underestimated or not even really acknowledged enough to be hated, but I am pretty sure that more people dislike him than the opposite

Trauma x1000 60%: well.......... I think he has a bunch!

Sadistic for fun 15% : I doubt he's one to like helping and we know him to have those sadistic tendencies

Scary-smart 80%: same reasoning as for ZZS

1000 weapons or tools: mostly bare handed for everything save for the occasional whip or walnut shell but---

Enemy of god 35%: I have to be honest I don't really know what that means but I guess he's defied death a few times!!!

Break the rules 95%: WKX shits on the rules

----

Additional notes:

Mostly ticks everything in the "evokes" categories as well, but I unticked "symptoms of projection" because I don't feel like I project much of anything on WKX... maybe? (save for the ZZS lewding.. LOL) always hard to say, IG we always do a bit of that on every character, eh

and The Horny ofc because i'm kinda known for not really lewding my good WKX atp

I want a lot of things for him during canon, but again, all I can think of is how post-canon WKX really got it and then I gush and am simply happy for him.

That's it thank you for reading this mostly unnecessary breakdown!!!! Edit, following a comment asking for the sheet:

[cnwolf-brainrot]

T-May-NT Day 5: Favorite Leo

Picking a Leo was HARD. As the oldest of four I relate to Leo a LOT, he’s a character that I have loved ever since I was a little kid and I adore a lot of the different takes on his character. It was really close between 2012 and 2003 for my favorite, and quite honestly I only decided to draw 2012 because I know I’m planning to draw 03 a lot for this month lol. I love both iterations of Leo so much, they both have such intense character arcs and great bonds with their brothers. 2012 is special to me because I love seeing him get to be a kid himself — his obsession with Spaceheroes, the way he goofs off with his brothers, the way he’s not always able to shoulder the responsibility he’s given… I see a lot of myself in him, and I love him for it!!

The art here is kind of rushed and flat because I actually have to get sleep tonight, but for only about 30 minutes of work I’m pretty happy with it!

@tmaynt

[bonefall]

Do you have any plans for Moth Flight in your au? I always felt like she had a lot of potential, but her super edition…. Oh it’s bad. God forbid a disabled, young, single mom try to raise children and have a job at the same time. Too bad there was no one to help her when things got stressful, like you know, her clanmates… No women should have a job and children at the same time ever again.

If it wasn’t obvious that was sarcasm, Moth Flight’s story has awful implications. But! In BB Clerics Not being allowed to have kits wasn’t a law until the Ripple Era, it used to just be a personal vow and was a bit taboo. So I’m interested in of Moth Flight still had something to do with the creation of the vow itself? And just in general if you have any plans to fix her story or if you’re just throwing the whole thing out. (Which would be completely understandable.) I just think there IS potential there in her story, especially in BB where the Clerics Vow is actually ACKNOWLEDGED to not make sense and be bad. It could be interesting for the idea to rise from such a hyper specific, awful situation. The Clans having altered her story so much over the years that it went from the truth, “the first Cleric was a young, single mother of four, trying to raise her children while morning her husband and convincing the other Clans that they needed Clerics. The odds were against her.” To the perfect, Cleric’s Vow supporting lie, “the first Cleric had kits. She was unable to balance raising them and caring for her Clanmates. She taught the Clans a valuable lesson, a Clerics first and only duty should be healing and worshiping StarClan. Kits only get in the way of that duty.”

Idk, I just feel like there’s still an interesting story to tell somewhere through all of Moth Flight’s super edition’s bs. In the hands of a better writer who doesn’t ACTUALLY believe that Moth Flight’s genuinely tragic life means that all women who have jobs can never have children or get married again.

There's HUUGE overhauls here. I spoke about it eons ago during the last wave where I was discussing my changes to BB!DOTC, but let me give you the fragments thus far.

It's VERY different. Get ready for Moth Flight to be a completely different character.

MOTH FLIGHT'S VOW

She is no longer the child of Wind Runner. In fact...

She's the daughter of Wind Runner's shitty ex, Branch

Moth's other dad is Cloud Flight (prev. Cloud Spots). Since the Great Battle, Cloud has been wandering between the 5 groups as a sort of traveling doctor. It's a lot of work, there's only him and Dapple and an overwhelming amount of cats who need his skilled paws

So Moth Flight has always been a bit detached from people. I want her to actually have ADHD this time around, instead of it vanishing when it isn't convenient.

She kind of has Military Base Kid energy, hopping place to place with unresolved mental health issues. She probably bites ppl because I love weird girls

"papas can i bring my leeches" "honey no"

Cloud really wanted to train her to be a Medic the way he is, but... she has to learn how to do it her own way.

Branch doesn't help he's a goof and mostly interested in playing games with his baby.

I want to portray Branch as someone who's flighty, not another example of "before the Tribe cats came we were uncivilized heathens without society"

I also don't like his original narrative purpose to give Wind Runner trust issues that don't matter. If she had trust issues, what exactly was all that "please let me join ur group" about??

BB!Wind Runner is a breakaway from the River Kingdom, and the leader of the loosely united Moor cats. She created the Wind Coalition and is its intense, notoriously ruthless leader

So something eventually calls Cloud to do his work for the Wind Coalition

Branch: *SWEATS*

Cloud Flight: "..............branch. what did you Do"

Branch: "youre not allowed to be mad at me"

Cloud Flight: "tell me what you did and then we'll see if im mad at you"

The take might be controversial, but I do like the way that Windstar has problems with Moth Flight for no reason. I wanted to preserve it while removing it being yet another case of motherly child neglect, and more of a case of Wind Runner holding unfair grudges. I think it's good drama

Moth Flight's love of nature, herbs, and the natural world eventually prompts her to follow a Hairstreak Butterfly to the Moonstone. It leads her through the winding tunnels, a path that only Clerics will know how to navigate in the future, to the shimmering chamber in the middle.

Through her special connection to StarClan, drawing off the early cultural view of their ancestors as nature spirits (the fact that they are star spirits is a Park Cat contribution and all 5 leaders have their lives by this point), Moth Flight is able to come into her own as a holy speaker and healer. She begins to blur the line between holiness and healing, marked by how Clanmew has only one word for both concepts.

Hairstreak Butterflies also become known as a "herald" type of butterfly. I could get into the linguistics of this, but the old Tribemew word for moth/butterfly becomes the Clanmew word for sacred butterflies.

Micah is not supremely important anymore, but he's there. He doesn't become a healer in MFV, he's just Moth's mate.

But things begin to go wrong when her kittens are born.

All four children are born with a high connection to StarClan, just like their mother.

She takes it on herself to train them, as Cloud Flight had done with her, wiser from understanding that they would learn in their own ways.

Dapple and Cloud Flight never have this connection to star spirits, and they're growing old. Cloud is ready to retire, Dapple dies in some way before she's able to train a replacement

It begins to cause panic in the groups. It was bad with only two healers, but now everything is stretched even thinner.

SkyClan, notoriously violent, is the first to make the move. Skystar was not above the practice of Kit Stealing, taking Misty's kittens and giving them to Petal Claw for her loyalty ages ago.

Kit Stealing wouldn't become common until the creation of the Law of Loyalty, which is only a few years away, but it did exist before then.

They want a Mothkin kitten.

The Wind Coalition, of course, moves to fight and protect them. They call on ThunderClan, who can usually be relied upon

ThunderClan's request... they also want a Mothkin kitten. They need doctors too.

The River Kingdom and ShadowClan are also moving to take a kitten

EVERYONE needs a doctor, and they will fight and kill to get one. They all begin to realize... if they don't separate, there will be blood. People they love will die, and they'll be ripped apart anyway

Moth Flight, seeing this, BURNING with sorrow and fury at the violence of the Clans but knowing there is no other option, tells her children to make her a promise.

"That there will be no Mothkin after you. That you will never take a mate, or give your kidnappers more children. That you will remember that they were willing to kill their own families to steal you, and that you will be loyal the pursuit of life, virtue, and your sacred ability to heal above the cruel commands of the treacherous Clans."

Having accepted this, the family calls for an end to the fighting. Each child chooses a Clan to go to, and has their name changed.

ThunderClan: Spider Flight -> Spider Flight (no change)

SkyClan: Honey Flight -> Honey Pelt

RiverClan: Bubble Flight -> Bubbling Stream

ShadowClan: Blue Flight -> Blue Whisker

They're being shuffled based on which Clan they go to because it always bothered me that their names don't match their Clans, and also Spider Paw going to RiverClan when he has a phobia of water is insulting and I said no

So, TL;DR, this is a completely different story because DOTC is the one arc that I don't value "fixing." It needs a complete overhaul, imo.

This one would take place after Thunderstar's Justice, which immediately follows the First Battle. In terms of timeline, first is Hollyleaf's Century, 30 years later BB!DOTC begins and lasts several years, a few months after the First Battle begins Thunderstar's Justice, and then Moth Flight's Vow follows a year later.

[zmediaoutlet]

what is your stance on the "amelia or at least sams life with her was only a hallucination his already damaged psyche conjured up after suffering a psychotic break"-theory?

umm not a fan. Like... not for me, at all. But the way I'm not a fan has evolved a little over the years, haha, so to expand --

I get why people are into it. I mean, the filming choices are so batshit weird (why that gross golden vaseline filter? why drop in flashbacks every time Jared looked constipated in the main timeline?) that it's easy to go It Was All A Dream, no matter how cheesy that is.

Goof-ass cinematography aside, though, I know the reason a lot of people want to reject it out of hand is that "Sam would have looked for Dean." I get it; it's tough that he didn't. But there's a difference between Sam should have looked and Sam necessarily must have, and the fact that he didn't is so OOC we have to invent a full on AU for him. I mean, for one thing, the actual canon information as presented doesn't contravene the idea that Sam did actually try but failed, and gave up* after failing. He was alone with a busted car, zero help (Bobby dead, angels not listening, demons not answering the phone, etc), and had no idea if Dean was dead or just winked from existence (because why would he assume that he went to Purgatory?). With zero leads and dead ends at every turn, it's very easy to insert like a month of him failing and then he hits a dog -- and then, because he feels intensely guilty, telling Dean that he didn't really try, because his efforts were so paltry that he can't even count them as trying.

...but even that isn't really that much of an argument. One thing that I find happens a lot with the Winchesters in fandom discussions, but especially with Sam, is like... not allowing them the dignity of their choices. Which -- like, duh, they're fictional characters, they're written a certain way. But there's a real tendency to leap to OOC claims or "the writers don't know what they're doing!!" whenever it's something we wish the character wouldn't have done because we don't like it. But like... that's not how characters work. Characters do shit I don't like all the time; it doesn't mean they didn't do it, and that I shouldn't try to fold even that disliked thing into my conception of who the character is. (Important caveat: there's a great post by astolat that talks about the venn diagrams of audience belief and canonicity in texts with multiple writers that makes this more complicated. Still, I think that variability comes in small details as she mentions in that post, or indeed dumb little moments of Jensen improv in spn canon, rather than whole-ass plot arc decisions.)

Sam stopped looking for/didn't look for Dean when he disappeared. That's interesting. Kinda sucks, and the show and Sam himself point out multiple times that it kinda sucks, but that doesn't make it uninteresting or OOC, especially given the Sam we have who is nigh indomitable. The fact that it was his choice speaks to a Sam who's really just... beaten down. And why wouldn't he be? Slings and arrows from birth all the way to age 27 when he threw himself into the worse torture imaginable -- then he got saved, hallegoddamnlujah, and he thought maybe he'd be there with Dean, living a life he could choose for once instead of one he'd been forced into by destiny -- and then it was just another apocalypse, and enemies on all sides, and every friend and ally and hope just torn away, one by one. It's a miracle he got to keep the car. I can see that Sam, in that last torn circumstance, just -- going into hiding. He hits a dog and then inertia keeps him in one place, spinning his wheels. He meets a girl and she kinda sucks but she's prickly and rude and not-samey enough to prod him back up into life, and at that point it's been months and Dean's gone and he thinks, if this is life I guess I can live it. He can't go back to the shell of a life he loved with Dean and it's just... too much. He's always been very, very good at putting one foot in front of the other. (It's why he manages to live after the finale.)

Now, does Sam regret that choice, such as it was? Sure. (Not that I think he could've changed anything about it.) Doesn't mean he didn't make it. It also beautifully informs the arc of that year, moving from one choice to another -- from abdicating responsibility to taking on the ultimate responsibility. And it's really really REALLY interesting to me in the long-form story spn tells about Sam and the Most Interesting Long-form Character Development Ever. He's a startling advocate for his own agency and holds it in tight reins; I'm not interested in pretending he isn't, either for Martyr!Sam headcanons or any strong weird wincest-only stanning. Plus, Amelia-the-mistress as parallel for Benny-the-mistress is just too good to give up.

s8's awesome. It doesn't need weird St. Elsewhere headcanons to make it somehow excusable.

[skeleton-in-a-hoodie]

I keep thinking about Donnie and Splinter's relationship in GS2.

Like Donnie and Mikey found Splinter at the bottom of that chasm. Donnie beleived that they'd successfully rescued their father and brought him home safetly.

And in the weeks after that, Splinter started spending more time with him. Over time it felt less and less like Leo was the favourite because all of them were having one on one time with Splinter. Donnie and Splinter hadn't spent much time together since the whole mess with the Foot Clan started, and it felt nice to because it felt like Splinter was his dad again and not his just his sensei.

Even with Splinter's weird behaviour and increasing aggression towards threats, and Donnie's own worry about what was happening to his father, they got closer than they had been in years.

So finding out Splinter died in Darkest Plight fills Donnie with so much rage and grief.

It's not just that his dad died or that Splinter didn't tell them.

It's that Donnie doesn't know if this, this thing is still his father or not. He doesn't know if Splinter spending time with them was actually a case of his father realising he needed to spend more time with all his children, or if it was Splinter trying to make amends so he could rest in peace and leave them. And even if Splinter is telling the truth, that he realised he was letting them down and decided to change, how can Donnie know if his Splinter would have made the same choices? Donnie asks himself if his living father would have decided to spend more time with him, to talk to him and ask questions, to take interest in Donnie's other interests and to encouraged him to take breaks. He asks himself if Splinter lived would they have become as close as they were now, or was that was dependant on his father dying?

It doesn't help that he feels intense guilt that they didn't make it in time. Don can't help but think about Splinter dying down there, alone and in the dark, about what a death like that would have been like. Out of all his brothers, he's the one most likely to ask Splinter what exactly happened (and those are details which Splinter does not want to talk or think about).

And then there's the fact that Splinter's body is still down there. If he couldn't save his father's life, then Donnie feels like at least he should be able to give him a proper burial.

Their relationship does improve eventually, but Splinter has to regain Donnie's trust, which understandably takes some time. Paradoxically, Splinter being stuck in ghost form helps.

Part of that's properly because Donnie is back to worry again. But there's also the fact that by this point Splinter can't really lie or hide anything from them anymore, and doesn't try to, which means Donnie ends up questioning everything Splinter says a lot less. Figuring out how Splinter and his powers work also gives Donnie a fun new science project to work on.

(At some point Donnie is going to make a research log that can pretty much be summarised as "so me and dad goofed off for an hour and found out he can do this!" but in much more scientific terms.)

[readingthearticle]

So, I can't really blame people for not actually reading this article as it's paywalled, but...the headline is misleading here. Protip: you can often get past an article paywall by putting "cache:[article URL here" in your google search bar

And I know we're just goofing here. We're just clowning. And, yeah, making fun of journalists for looking like they stepped out of the 1920s is pretty funny, I say as someone who wears a tan trenchcoat to work half the time. However...maybe it's just me being oversensitive, but after the demonization of journalists in recent years, I kind of get my hackles up every time I see people online see an article they haven't actually read but think they don't like and immediately jump to going after the writer.

The headline was no doubt written to be deliberately contrarian to drive clicks by capitalizing on a hot topic. But what does the article ACTUALLY say?

In short, it's a caution against anthropomorphizing killer whales. The writer argues that there's no actual evidence that the orca who began this trend did so after trauma. Instead, he cites an expert who thinks this phenomenon is more likely a result of curiosity and an instinct to play. A juvenile may have started this behavior, and spread it to other orcas, like that time when they were all putting fish on their heads.

Now, I'm no biologist. But this makes a lot more sense to me than the vengeance narrative — from what I know about apex predators, they don't pick fights they don't know they can win.

As the article writer points out, humans have a very long history of killing and abusing orcas, and yet there has never been a recorded instance of an orca killing a human in the wild. Why would they start their vengeance now?

There's a quote that gets taken out of context from this article a lot where he calls orcas "sadistic jerks" — what people seem to miss is the context, where what he's specifically saying is this is how we WOULD have to see orcas if we judged them by human standards. And he's right! Orcas exhibit behaviors that would be morally repugnant in humans. But it's not intellectually or morally coherent to apply human ethical standards to animals. And that includes their good behaviors as well as their bad ones.

I particularly like the last part:

"In our present era of environmental catastrophe, Shields told me, it’s appealing to think that nature might fight back, that the villains get their just deserts.

But projection and anthropomorphization are only shortcuts to a shallow sympathy. Orcas really are capable of intense grief; they are also capable of tormenting seal pups as a hobby. They are intelligent, emotionally complex creatures. But they are not us."

So, in conclusion, this is an inflammatory headline, not a bad article. I would recommend reading it.

And, to editorialize a little...

It is a nice thought, isn't it? That the orcas are fighting back. That nature will rise up just like in a movie, that there's only so far that humanity can push before we get pushback from the "rightful" inhabitants of the ocean.

I think it's an attractive narrative because it absolves humanity of some responsibility. There is an entity other than us that will recognize wrongdoing, that will push back against it in a manner and intensity commensurate with what our own moral standards might approve of. It's not a fight we have to start if the orcas attack first.

But that's not true. Animals don't know what climate change is. They cannot recognize and contextualize the broader causes of their suffering. Animals are intelligent, they have emotions, they have complex inner lives...but they will never be able to meaningfully conceptualize and enact revolutionary praxis, and I think that any narrative that frames them as doing so, even jokingly, runs the risk of irresponsibly projecting our own moral frameworks onto entities that simply cannot operate under them. And that just sets us up for disappointment and science denial when we're reminded that these apex predators are also capable of great cruelty.

In conclusion: if you see an inflammatory headline, consider reading the article before posting about it. It might give you more insight into how headline writers seek attention and engagement, and how legitimately good points are often used to capitalize off of hot topics.

[davy-zeppeli]

update on this situation which isn't an update really but I like to use this place as my diary wahoo

so we logged on tonight after our work social yesterday (planned by me; Dan, me and a girl we work with called Jess were out - Jess knows about the situation and is on my side). Dan had a call seconds after we'd joined the party and had to mute - Kay (our other online friend) and I kept playing with Dan (who was muted but still active) for a good 15 minutes before he unmuted. He immediately sounded a bit deflated? Off? But we kept playing.

Messaged him privately asking if things were OK - and he actually came back and said no. I've offered him some support if he needs it. But whatever it is, I tried my best to distract him. Tonight we played until 3am just goofing around. I've said we can go for a drink tomorrow to talk about it if he wants and he said he'd let me know - he didn't want to talk about it now because he said it was a 'long conversation thing' and he was tired.

I can't possibly think of anything else it could be regarding other than his relationship. When we were out last with his cousin, she asked him about his girlfriend, saying "how is she by the way?" and his response was "I don't know. I honestly couldn't tell you" because she barely talks to him. He reaches out to her all the time, checking in etc. and he gets the bare minimum in return. It sucks to see because he's evidently putting so much effort into making that relationship work again and he's getting treated horribly.

Now, some may say "hey, didn't this happen to you like, a month ago? by him?" Well, to a degree. But the situation is different. I wasn't his girlfriend - as much as we acted like that was the case, and as much as I am so horribly determined for that to be the case, it wasn't. He did me wrong once or twice, yeah, but he's still supported me and apologised when needed. What's going on between he and his partner feels a lot sadder - there's a mutual agreement there to love one another and care for each other and it's just not happening, and I can literally feel it hurting him (as much as he doesn't let it show).

I don't know what I can do exactly if what's upset him is regarding his relationship - all in all, I've just done some guesswork - but if it is I still want to be there to help him. Selfishly, part of me hopes it'll tip the scales in my favour. On the other hand, I hate to see anyone I know, especially those close to me like Dan, to be upset in any way. If she's done something horrid, I'll be the first to point it out to him. It's such a messy situation, man.

Anyways, captains log 4.8.2: I'm yearning still, not as intensely; the boy I like who is one of my closest friends is not doing well and I'm determined to fix it.

[desnayy]

Me being reminded of @maboroshi-if (not that I actually forgot, I've just been not in a Naruto mood until recently), so I decided to make another MC :D

Name: Rin Uzumaki

Gender: Trans male

Sexuality: Aroace (more specifically demiromantic)

Birth Season: Winter

Clans: Uzumaki, Shirogane

Weapon: Chakram

Chakra Nature: Wind

Height: 150cm

Mission Outfit: A striped black turtleneck short bodysuit with long sleeves that reach his knuckles under a dark blue-green kimono-like long sleeve crop top with the metal plate of his forehead protector sewn onto the shoulder of the left sleeve, grey pants that go to his knees, and black short boots. Has his chakrams attached to a belt that also has a scroll holding his puppets on the back.

Casual Outfit: A gray-green sweater, black pants, and black shinobi sandals

Romance Option: Izuna Uchiha; previously had a bit of a crush on Shinichi

Personality: Rin is a quiet and serious young man, rarely seen smiling or goofing off. Due to how well-respected his parents are, Rin feels pressured to measure up to them, but always falls just short (at least in his head). So he pushes himself to his limits, and then beyond them, constantly working and never giving himself time to relax until his body makes him relax when he finally passes out from lack of sleep and food. Then he will continue on with training once he wakes, too stubborn to simply stop.

A consequence of this is that Rin has no idea how to connect to other people, and becomes awkward when having to converse with others, though most people wouldn't be able to tell with how blank Rin's face is naturally. When it comes to romance, Rin struggles with a belief that no one could truly love him if he can't live up to his parents legacy, and when he realizes he has a crush on someone, Rin will proceed to spiral into anxiety (in private) before pushing aside his feelings, pretending he doesn't feel what he feels.

Despite holding most people at an arm's length (or even longer), those who manage to worm their way into Rin's heart will find themselves with a companion whose loyalty knows no bounds. Rin protects that which he cares for with intense ferocity and foolish self-sacrifice, acting on an instinct that would see Rin dying if it means the safety and escape of those he loves.

Trivia:

Pintrest here

Rin's name uses the kanji 凜, which means "cold"

Favorite food is onigiri of all kinds, while least favorite food is motsunabe

The times he takes break from physical training will either find him sitting with a cup of tea, a plate of onigiri, and a book or scroll, or he will be in a workshop working on his puppets

Finds cats easier to get along with than people, would have a calico cat if he could

Pins his bangs back when on missions and training

Has scars on his arms from a training mishap as a child

Looks a lot like his mother, kind of hates when that is brought up

Is uncomfortable in formal clothing

Secretly enjoys taking long baths

[llycaons]

ep24 (pt 1): jgs stopppp for real stoppp

the first 1/3rd of this episode dragged a bit but the rest had such juicy character conversations between wwx and important people to him that it was a really good time

see! he can be tactful! he's very polite in addressing this overstep, and he doesn't even give jgs an answer. he just says 'we should leave it up to my sister, who's actually the one getting married'

*sprays water on him* YOU'RE NOTHING

why did jc look at wwx while saying this. it was deliberate. I've never noticed before. wtf

this was kind of funny. jgy says some vague pleasantries about how all the clans are struggling and everyone's like 'oh fuck...this guy is on to something' and lxc is looking all pleased

jgy looks so intense all the time it freaks me out. also. HIS GRANDMA?? jgs's mom??!!! damn I don't remember this

they love this angle

ohhh wwx remembering jfm teaching him to shoot arrows so kindly...he breaks in a big smile immediately after this. it all hurts

this is jc, destroying the herald of the wens above the door of lotus pier's entrance hall. it might be the first time we see him use zidian, and he is SEETHING in anger. that means something!

it's so pretty in there and there is so much space! I have this sense of it as very minimalist but it's really not, it's just restrained and reserved, like it's inhabitant. and very spacious

lwj's first stab at defiance. he doesn't want to copy the rules, he wants to help wwx. but lqr seems to see him as a lost cause, or near enough to be dangerous to lwj. lxc is sent instead, the more objective one, the politician

to his credit, I can see this speech inspiring people who lose a lot to the wens. wwx is looking a little dead-eyed to me, but jyl is proud!

ohh background jumpscare

I like how his turmoil is expressed here. and his dark brown eyes are so beautiful

I've seen posts like 'it's not the lan clan rules' fault that the sects are corrupt' but I think it's disingenuous to act like they don't play ANY role in lwj's decisions or his mistakes. they're clearly source of internal conflict for him, and a significant amount of his character growth rests on elevating himself to a state in which he can make his own moral decisions based on his own judgement rather than obeying authority without question

okay I know he's doing his best to lead and improve his men but look at his face in the first expression. SO angry and contemptuous

he's stressed and alone, and jyl clearly is trying to pick up his slack, and it's not fair this happened to him, but. dude. you gotta be nicer to your guys. I can't believe more people didn't quit after this treatment

in fairness wwx did say he'd help and then left to go drinking without explaining why he's so tired and unmotivated and unable to help, and that obviously doesn't look very good to jc, but jc also handles it really immaturely too

while jyl extends compassion and understanding for the difficulties wwx is having, jc rejects any attempt to sympathize with wwx. when asked to consider his feelings, he instead insists that his are the priority. he's such a strict thinker, no flexibility or tolerance for nuance at all. he sees wwx as a spoiled kid who slacks off and leaves jc with all the work, which is pretty incredible (in a bad way) when you think about how dedicated wwx was to jyl and jc after the massacre and the war. it's a little more forgivable pre-sunshot when wwx goofed off a lot, but post sunshot? after ALL that? he may be struggling with a lot of responsibility, but like, dude

but yeah, SUCH a selfless character 🙄

edit: oh jgs and jgy had a really annoying conversation earlier on that I didn't screencap but it SUCKED. that's where the title comes from

[hawaiifiveoh]

maluhia | steve mcgarrett

masterlist

Just some sweetness between you and Steve, plus a pretty backyard sunset. 

steve mcgarrett x reader (established relationship)

Author’s note:  Pure fluff. Yes, this is based on that scene in 8x24. Bc Steven cooking is actually something that can be so personal. Ft. Eddie McGarrett.

1,480 words | ♫ Playlist: arms - the paper kites

______________________

Being near the ocean was its own tonic. There was no other scent like it– the fresh currents of the world’s ancient waters mixing into air. Soon the smell of seasonings and charred food floated to your nose. You turned to the source: the intensely focused frame of a certain guy you’ve come to know well by the barbeque grill. The Chief was too busy diplomatically bartering with his dog for scraps of steak to notice that you were watching him, out of the corner of your eye. The scene was so warm and pure, it engulfed you. The barbeque set-up. The “chef’s” tea towel on the SEAL’s shoulder. The neatly arranged place settings for two. You smiled at the joy in being a silent observer to Steven’s earnestness in grilling and dinner prep, slowly walking to where he was working. The spot nearby Eddie still hadn’t left.

“Eddie, are you supervising him well?” You asked out loud, before scratching behind the doggo’s ears. He had that same goofy smile he always did when he got attention, “Good job. It’s hard work, I know,” you joked.

“Taking credit again, buddy. Thanks a lot.” Steve commented over his shoulder– he could be theatrical like Danny when he wanted to be. You joined McGarrett’s side to observe the entire process still going on with man, food, and fire.

“Looks great, Commander Chef,” you complimented, before gently leaning on his shoulder so you could reach up and press a kiss to his cheek. You stepped back and Steve turned to you, a wide grin on his face like a delighted goof. (That thing about dogs and their owners having similar personalities seemed to be accurate.)

“Do you need help with anything else?” You asked.

“Nope, everything here is about done,” Steve explained, shifting utensils around, before assuredly re-throwing the tea towel over his left shoulder again, “I got it under control, Y/N.”

“Alright then,” you agreed without argument, “I’ll just be over here then if you need me,” you said as you walked back to the beach, still jealous of this backyard view. Steve watched you, a smile stuck at the corner of his mouth, the entire time.

You settled into one of the worn painted chairs, the constant companions of this little plot of land. You sighed deeply and contently. You could feel the weight of the sun floating down and sinking into your skin as the raging circle lowered in the aging day’s sky. The rays sank and spread, comforting your not-that-old joints in your year-around off-duty Hawai’i uniform of a loose shirt and denim shorts. Your feet dug into the cool sand. You closed your eyes, and took another set of deep inhales and exhales of the marine air. Your breathing blended perfectly into the ambient crashing waves. You loved that noise of the waves, how they were strong yet soft, consistent and ceaseless. It was always a sound your brain was attuned to, a dependable melody to run and cling to, no matter what.

You heard the only voice that could cut through their power with its own, even if it was practically a whisper. McGarrett. You didn’t even sense him when he sat down beside you in the nearby empty chair. Despite Danny’s claims of Steve’s lack of finesse in many ways, that SEAL always knew how to disappear and reappear on his own terms. Even with shut eyes, you could see a smile forming on his lips, as he had said your name. You knew it was there. You could hear it– his gentle and direct voice, a wind’s breeze to your ears. You offered back a ‘mm-hmm’ at the recognition of his presence, levitating out of your sudden sundrenched haze.

“The sky’s really beautiful tonight. Must be trying to impress you too.”

“You’re still trying to impress me, McGarrett?” You turned, playfully questioning him with a slightly arched eyebrow.

“Yes,” Steve frankly answered after a pause, before adding, “Is it working?”

“I’ll let you know,” you coyly replied, before changing the subject, “The sky is gorgeous, though.  Look at the colours! Gosh, it’s so vivid!” You cheered, wonder taking over.

“I’ll never get tired of a sunset, but Hawaiian ones always seem to be the best,” McGarrett admitted, gazing out at the ocean. It was the same spot he'd stared out at so many times now, yet this time, it seemed better-- mainly because of the company.

“You ready to eat?” Steve asked, getting up from his chair.

“When the sun set’s totally.”

“Eddie’s pretty cunning, he might eat the entire meal by then.”

“He knows better than that, now you come over here,” you said, your arm reaching for Steve’s as you got up from the chair.

“Is that order?” McGarrett asked, his eyes already surrendering as they slightly crinkled in amusement at you.

“Affirmative.” You stated confidently.

Another grin spread across Steve’s face. Practically in a blink, he shifted around you, sat down in the chair you just were in, and gingerly pulled you into his lap. He already planted a kiss below your ear, before your brain was fully catching up to it– the tinge of that effervescent feeling, shooting straight to your heart. How fluid and precise Steve moved at times, had to be another damn SEAL thing. Not that you minded, a joyous giggle of approval escaping your lips as you felt as his own trail down your neck, in another blink. You felt the exhales of Steve’s genuine proud laugh on your skin, his chest rumbling against your ribs– like a thunder following the lightning he could always cause being close to you. Steve couldn’t help but pull back to look at your face. Your skin was soft and addicting, sure, for the warrior man, but your expressions couldn’t ever compare. Your existence surrounded him in space, eyes never abandoning him. He was seen in a way he never knew he needed, and deep in the wounds of his heart, there sat a dormant fear of suddenly having to learn what life would be like without it.

God, McGarrett was even more good-looking when he wanted to be. The fretting lines were free from his forehead, and the sunlight was shining just right to magnify the carefree joyful glint in his green-blue eyes-- its own ocean sparkle that could draw you in and convince you to drown.

You wondered if he knew how deep your love was, and then you wondered if it was too much. Or, if it could ever be enough. You had known each other awhile, but this new type of togetherness was fragile, a sacred ground you both treaded lightly, in concern. Because loss was scarred all over both of you, through the years. That mutual understanding is what made this bond you two had, even stronger.

As if Steve sensed it, he rested one hand on the side of your face, thumb grazing your cheek softly, “I love you, you know that, right?” He paused, watching for that flicker of worry in your eyes and if it would reappear, “I always will.”

“Kipona aloha.” McGarrett stated, with an assertive nod, almost as if he was issuing an order, a stern warning to whatever doubts hung around in the far edges of your mind.

“Kipona aloha.” You echoed, a reminder for yourself, and an honest declaration for him too.

Your stares were locked to each other’s, an infinity knot. It was a simple act yet so utterly intricate. Your willing gazes, that could find each other within anything, shifted into mirrored smiles. A heart’s connection didn’t need to know all the words to say everything it needed to– and yours was imprinted to the presence beside you that could always bring out that feeling of golden sunlight in your veins.

You collapsed into his grasp, and kissed him, your hands finding the nape of his neck to keep him close, to have that lightning strike again and ignite and burn-- like the bright fiery star setting in the horizon that you still wanted to watch. You turned back to the view, catching your lost breath. Steve’s strong arms tenderly wrapped around your frame, as you both sat in comfortable silence, observing the lovely colours that shifted in the sky above, like a living abstract painting-- orange and reds fading to warm pink then serene lilac.

Few things could bring you calmness– that certain calmness which was unfailing and undestroyable, no matter what. In some rare stroke of fate, or solatium from God or another higher power, you had found it, during this evening on Southern O’ahu. You wanted to keep it like a grateful well-won prize: every molecule, moment, memory. And, Steve McGarrett who’d been around the world and back, physically and mentally, seeking that same kind of peace. Found it too, right there, with you.

~

* i struggled writing this even though i wanted to write it idk man