#the otp looks so good and handsome

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 成化十四年/The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

(The) Sleuth of (the) Ming Dynasty (it's hard to get an agreement on how many definite articles should go where) is a beautiful, high-budget 2020 drama about a weenie genius detective, his long-suffering and deeply traumatized sugar daddy, and the eunuch with the most difficult job in the Great Ming: keeping these two dumbasses from getting their fool selves imperially executed.

Depending on how you like it, it's either an OT3 or an OTP with an intense, underage third wheel, and either way, it's delightful. I wouldn't call it a comedy, but it has very many funny elements that keep the drama fun and engaging. The first half is full of shorter mysteries that are clever and thoughtfully plotted, and the second half goes in on the longer mystery that ties them all together.

I've already done my quick guide to the early-episode characters, if you want a taste of just how many people are running around and how wonderful they all are. But in case you want to know a little bit more before you commit yourself to a 48-episode series, here's five reasons I think you should watch it!

1. The whole thing smacks of gender

Yeah, this was originally going to be selling point #2, but I know what the people want.

This is not a show about gender. But boy it is a show that has a lot to say about gender, and not just by way of critiquing premodern Chinese gender roles (though it does do that!). Many of the cis characters are either a) somewhat gender nonconforming, b) canny enough to weaponize binary gender expectations, or c) both. Sui Zhou's entire third-act storyline is about how expectations of masculinity exacerbate PTSD in veterans. Three different AFAB characters either dress or live as men. The part where one of the male characters goes undercover in drag is played for laughs, but the joke isn't 'ha ha, a boy in a dress,' it's 'ha ha, this particular boy in a particular dress, and also he's terrible at it.'

And that's even before we get to the eunuchs.

There are several professionally dickless, permanently unmanned characters running around. One-third of the OT3 canonically had his external genitalia nonconsensually removed when he was five years old, and because of this, he has been given unimaginable authority. He's basically the second most powerful man in the entire empire, and he only gets that way by being unquestionably, ostentatiously, and genuinely submissive to the first most powerful man.

I have seen other Chinese media where eunuchs are treated like sinister clowns, good only to be the bad guys and the butts of jokes. Sleuth's main eunuchs are real and complex characters, and because of this, the show gets to explore what it is to live in this weird third-gender category of incredible power and powerlessness.

Now, don't go into this expecting woke gender treatises. Wang Zhi's never going to sit down and go, "You know, my friend and fellow eunuch Ding Rong, because of my lack of a penis, I understand my relationship to masculinity differently than other men do." But the show understands that even if he doesn't say it, it's true. And that makes a lot of the characters and their relationships just so much more interesting.

2. Uncle Jackie Money

Sleuth was the was the fourth c-drama I dove into, following the Untamed, Word of Honor, and Guardian -- or, Some Money BL, Less Money BL, and No Money BL. So imagine my absolute wall-eyed shock to find this was All The Money BL, courtesy of its executive producer, Jackie Chan (seen here with some of his handsome boys):

Sleuth looks good. The costumes are amazing. The sets are stunning. The cinematography is beautiful. Everything is so detailed, and while I can't speak to the absolute historical accuracy of all those details (see point 3), they're still gorgeous. In fact, you know what? I'm going to shut up and show you some of the promotional images.

(For actual screenshots, I'm just going to point you at @rongzhi's tsomd photoset tag, as they have done a tremendous service to the fan community -- though do beware of spoilers.)

Uncle Jackie's influence doesn't end with the money, though. Even though things get a bit goofy and wirework-y near the end, most of the drama's fights are shows of real martial arts skill. You can see his fingerprints on a lot of the choreography -- I'm thinking particularly of the time Tang Fan tries (and fails!) to stab Sui Zhou three times, which is pure Jackie Chan high-speed dexterity.

Add this one to the category of shows your Average American Television Enjoyer Who Can Handle Subtitles would like. In fact, I have shown the first episode to my normie father-in-law, who was impressed. Show it to your dad! See if he picks up on the gay!

3. I am from ... HISTORY!

The Chinese title translates to "The 14th Year of Chenghua," which works out to the year 1478. There are some clear anachronisms, but they tend to be played for comedy, so it's hard to hold that against them. On the whole, though, the show is trying real hard to evoke a very specific moment, and I feel it does so beautifully.

This does, however, mean that several of the characters are real people. I don't even have a good sense of how many of them are based on historical figures, that's how many. Hilariously, Wang Zhi's tag on AO3 used to read "Wang Zhi (?-1487 CE)."

Moreover, these are characters I've seen pop up in other media, played very differently! In particular, Noble Consort (up there in blue) tends to be written as an uncomplicated villain elsewhere, whereas Sleuth gives her a chance to add some goodness to her badness, until, damn, you can't but root for the bitch. (It also downplays the cradle-robbing, which, honestly, is for the best.)

You may have guessed from the eunuch section earlier, but it bears repeating: Wang Zhi is straight-up the best character in the show. He's smart as hell, and he has to be, because the second he's stupid, he's dead. I actually consider it helpful to know ahead of time that he's never going to do a heel turn -- I feel like on my first watchthrough, I was holding my breath for the first two-thirds of the show, waiting for his sudden but inevitable betrayal. It does not come. Wang Zhi is one of the heroes.

He's also, like, evil. He orders people flogged, tortured, and executed. The very first thing you see him doing is sinister as hell. And the show clearly doesn't think this is good, but it also doesn't judge him for it. He's a traumatized seventeen-year-old who has not had a normal moment of his entire life. He's working thanklessly for a boss who could kill him on a whim -- and he's doing it because he literally, physically was made for his job. He's mildly freaking out because he has no emotional grounding to help him understand that these weirdos want to be his friends.

Was the real Wang Zhi like this? That's beside the point. The point is, you get to see how someone in that position could wind up as the war-crimes-committing platonic ideal of a little meow meow.

4. oh my god the food

Warning: This show will make you hungry.

Again, beware of spoilers, but @peppersandcreamsicle and @qinzai have put together an entire cook-along Google Doc so you don't just have to drool -- you can do something about it! Or you can just read it and learn about Chinese cuisine, which is a little more my speed.

But it's not just about how good the food looks. Food is a vital emotional part of the series. People bond over it. They make and share it as a sign of love and care. It indicates status, ethnicity, interest, personality. The show's message about the healing power of cooking for the people you love will bring you to tears.

And yes, Sui Zhou is the main one doing the cooking, so get ready to drool over both the dishes and the handsome man preparing them.

Oh, and as though that weren't enough, Fu Meng Po can actually cook in real life. He's so dreamy. Absolute unreal handsome man with a devastatingly sexy voice. (I know my opinion might be different if I could hear his Taiwanese accent, but I can't so it's not!)

5. An Unsunk Ship

So like I said, my intros to c-drama couples had been WangXian, WenZhou, and WeiLan. That meant I'd basically come to terms with the idea that you can't have a main couple in a BL-but-not-really drama without splitting them up at least a little in the end, for no-homo plausible deniability reasons.

Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are still definitvely, unequivocally together when the story ends, as the iconic pentultimate scene of the series confirms with beauty and simplicity. I refuse to give any more details than that, but that ship's afloat.

(These shirtless pictures aren't from the end, but I wanted to include them, and I didn't have a better place to do it. ...Also, you know, ships and water? Yeah?)

And I think their winding up together reflects Sleuth's entire attitude. Tang Fan is made of sunshine, and the series loves him for it. There is tragedy aplenty in this show, but there's no misery. It is ultimately a hopeful show that believes in the power of second chances, if you're willing to take them. Time and again, the moral of the story is that you are only ever as good as the people who have your back -- but you have to be willing to let them have your back. Let people help you. Let people cook for you. Let people give you a reason to keep living. And then keep living.

Also, Sui Zhou gets two good kabedons off on that little twink, which means they're legally married now. I don't make the rules.

Bonus: Banger opening theme

This is one you will watch all 48 times.

Bonus #2: The Halo Video

This is the video that made me go, huh, these Sleuth boys seem like other boys I've enjoyed! Perhaps I shall enjoy them as well! And then I did. So if that might be convincing to you too, well, have at it. Even if it isn't, it's a fascinating three-minute study of shared those-boys-are-in-love visual language across these shows.

Fair warning that it contains shots from right up to the end, so if you'd rather go in completely blank, give this one a pass until later. (Excuse me while I now go watch it for the 10000th time.)

Have I convinced you to watch it yet?

It originally ran on iQiyi, though Viki's got it as well, and Viki's is free if you're willing to put up with some ads about it.

...I just noticed iQiyi's description of the series reads, "When the two handsome leading actors Darren Wang and Fu Meng-Po work together, what will happen? A lovely prefectural judge and an arrogant embroiered [sic] uniform guard join hands to crack unusual cases! Are you going to choose a new idol?" And you know what? Yes. The details are a little off, but that is the correct spirit. Thank you, thirsty blurb.

[sketalya]

Finally I can draw my favorite OTP TwT

💙Edward x Emily💚

•

The story about the relationship between them is kinda long but I have tried my best to shorten it, so here it is:

• Long before they became lovers...Emily and Edward were just best friends. And at that time Emily had strong feelings for Thomas, she did everything she could to convey her feelings to Thomas. She even competed with Rosie, who at that time also liked him.

• But as time went by, Emily found out that Thomas actually liked another woman (That was Lady). And because she's tired of competing just for unrequited love...Emily decided to give up and let Rosie, who still didn't give up on her feelings (Rosie still didn't know that Thomas liked Lady at that time)

• She maybe looked fine but actually she still felt heartbroken until one day Edward noticed that Emily looked different from usual and asked if she was okay. And because Emily thought she could trust her best friend, she told Edward everything that happened. Edward listened carefully and let Emily pour out everything that was in her heart.

• After all that, whenever Emily was having a bad day she always took the time to meet Edward and tell him everything (That's because he is a good secret keeper). Of course Edward didn't mind listening to her, he even always tried to make Emily tough again and sometimes gave her advice if she needed it.

• They're slowly became closer and were seen together more often than before. Until Emily realized that she felt comfortable whenever she was with Edward. (Can't blame her...He's kind, gentle, wise, a good listener, and has a sweet smile). Emily quickly realized that she was now in love with him, unwilling to fail like before. Emily decides to be more confident and confesses her feelings to Edward. Didn't care about the fact that Edward was older than her and probably wasn't interested in a romantic relationship like that.

• And yeah...It wasn't easy for Emily because Edward always rejected her. Not because he didn't like her. But Edward wasn't sure whether Emily really had feelings for him, He always thought. "Why did she choose to like an ordinary guy like me when there are many guys who are much younger and handsome out there?"

• When he asked Emily about that. She said, "It's because I can...I feel comfortable whenever I'm with you and I like everything about you! It's okay if you still reject me today, there's still tomorrow and you have to know that I won't give up this time."

That answer actually made Edward quite surprised, he didn't expect that Emily would be really serious about that.

• As time goes by. Emily really didn't give up until finally Edward started to feel the same way and decided to accept Emily's feelings.

• At the beginning of their relationship, they were both a little awkward and their relationship also has to go through many challenges...Their age difference that makes it difficult for them to get along with each other, Edward doesn't seem very good at understanding women, Have different ideas about how a date can go well, Emily always decided something without listening to Edward's opinion first, People commenting about their relationship....Actually there are still many other things, but fortunately they both always learn from their mistakes, they can get through it all with good communicating and being open to each other.

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

Okay...Now let's talk about their dynamics:

• Every week, Edward would come to see Emily and give her a bouquet of flowers. A simple classic gift but Emily always looks forward to it every week because she really likes flowers, especially if they are from her boyfriend.

• Sometimes Emily tries to tease Edward, hoping to see him blush and be embarrassed, but Edward often doesn't understand and misunderstands that. So it turned out to be difficult for Emily because she had to explain it to him.

• Bossy big sister figure who talks a lot x Calm big brother figure who listens more often

• They're usually always hang out somewhere after work just to tell each other about their day. Sometimes they also gossip about the trouble that Tidmoud bois had caused that day.

• Emily is one of the lucky person besides Thomas, James, and Percy who knows that Edward is very skilled at singing and playing violin. Of course since she was his girlfriend, Edward wouldn't mind playing music for Emily as long as no one else saw it. (Edward still feels insecure about his skills even though there are 4 people have said he is talented)

• They acted more like a pair of besties than a pair of lovers...But that wasn't a bad thing because they can got along with each other well.

• There is a funfact...Toby was the person who helped them both when they first started dating, so sometimes Emily and Edward would also ask....or maybe...force Toby to come out with them.

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

Bonus:

• Emily every time she tries to confess her feelings to Edward

• And this is Toby who just wanted to help at first but ended up being stuck with them all the time

•

And btw....In my AU, Edward is Thomas' foster brother...So somehow I can imagine that Emily rlly said, "If you can't get him then get his big brother 👍"

•

[002yb]

AAAAAAAAAAA YOUR DICKJOYFIRE FIC????? OMG IM ON MY KNEES. i love kory and Jay and i grew fond of jayroy and jaydick is my absolute OTP and aaaaaaa. Your brain is justtttt. OmG i love all that you write. Would you consider writing more about the four of them together? Smothering Jay with love and him being the maiden heart he is♡

Anyways, im really a fan of your fics they are awesome

Ahhhhh, you're always so delightful @alexandraisapenguin thank you so much. ///u/// This turned out to be more general ot4 though ;u;

Gym Shenanigans

Friendly competition between the four of them that's really just the boys taunting and challenging one another and being motivating in all their dumbness.

And Kory is so fond as she smokes all of them. Scorched earth policy, sorry boys. ;)

But it's all good because the three of them are so (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) because wowie hot damn, look at their girlfriend go.

Something something they all benchpress each other and Jason loses it each time when all of them do him. Which omg what? Hot? Help?

Dick being the first though and it takes so much coaxing and Dick swears he's got this. Which he does. It's only a few reps, anyhow. Still, the moment Dick presses Jason up, Jason panics and flails and ends up throwing himself out of Dick's hold and landing on his chest and Dick wheezes because oh god. Meanwhile Kory and Roy are !!! because whoops, spotting is a thing and Jason is mortified forever because again, omg.

But Dick just laughs through his wheezing and holds Jason to him before he can run off and Jason is sweet and blushy as he hides in Dick's chest and it's cute.

Speaking of chests - Roy marveling Jason's pecs. Like how you can catch glimpses of it through the low cut of Jason's sleeves. Dick following suit once he notices Roy's staring. And Kory following along not long after and wow, she thinks she understands the infatuation with breasts now. Amazing.

Jason spitting and sputtering because wth Kory //A///

Kory saddling up next to her baby boy and comparing chests and laughing because it's impressive! Has Jason ever tried to hold anything in his cleavage? So convenient. Also-

(Also, unrelated thought: Jason laying on top of Kory and their chests being smushed together and Dick and Roy just blatantly staring until they're called out and it's ahahahha)

General muscle appreciation. Like Roy's back. Roy basking in the attention but also being sweetly sheepish about it. Just something with him waving them off and being all, 'oh stop, guys,' then promptly flexing his back muscles. Dorky sweetness and cute flirting ahhhhhhh.

But wait. Dick getting stared at and objectified by other gym goers because he's beautiful handsome gorgeous. And while it's uncomfortable, he deals. Nothing new, right?

Only Jason puffs up and is ready to throw down, just sending the nastiest glares and snarls at men and women alike. He's got Kory right there backing him up too while Roy uses his impressive back to act as a screen and the combination of it all lightens Dick's mood so much and he loves them all dearly. ;U;

Sauna. Where Kory basks in the heat and unintentionally raises the temp until her boys are toasted and she has to drag them out and fan them back to safe temps.

Shower. Where Kory suggests showering together and yeah, sure. Only Jason bails out of embarrassment, maiden at heart that he is.

[princesssarisa]

Characters ask: 12 dancing princesses

Favorite thing about them: The beautiful, romantic imagery of all the princesses venturing into a magical subterranean land where the trees are made of silver, gold, and diamonds, and then dancing through the night with mysterious handsome princes. I like the imagery better than the story itself.

Least favorite thing about them: That they let all the princes who try to discover their secret be beheaded. It's no wonder that retellings tend to omit this part and just have the failed princes either sent away in disgrace or imprisoned instead.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like parties and music.

*I tend to be a freedom-seeker.

*I'm in no hurry to marry.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not a very good dancer.

*I would never let even one man be beheaded just so I could attend secret parties, let alone many men.

*I don't have any sisters, let alone eleven.

Favorite line:

From the Faerie Tale Theatre version, these quotes from the eldest princess Jeanetta:

"I have no patience for hearts and flowers and young men who brag about this victory and that. There's more to life than romance."

“The man of my dreams is a prince among men.”

brOTP: Each other.

OTP: Well, I hope the eldest sister will be happy in her marriage to the soldier, and I hope the others eventually find the right princes.

nOTP: Their father.

Random headcanon: For the Faerie Tale Theatre version, where all the characters are more sympathetic than in the Grimms' tale, I like @ariel-seagull-wings' headcanon that the princesses' parents were Cinderella and her Prince, now King. The eldest princess looks especially like their mother – since in this version she's played by Lesley Ann Warren, the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein Cinderella – and they've all inherited her love of ballroom dancing. But since Cinderella died, her grieving husband has become overprotective of his daughters, leading to the plot.

Unpopular opinion: I don't mind the fact that this tale is so rarely adapted, because it's not a particular favorite of mine, mainly because the ending falls flat. We never learn who the mysterious dancing princes were; there's just a vague statement at the end implying that they're under a curse, and that it's extended as their punishment for having danced with the princesses, but with no explanation of who cursed them or how they suffer from it. The princesses never redeem themselves for having caused so many men's deaths – at least in other stories with similar plot points, like Turandot, the princess has a transformative "learning to love" moment which is missing here. The eldest princess is married to the soldier as his reward, with no choice for her and no sense of romance, and this is portrayed as a happy ending, even though she and her sisters were willing to kill him rather than be forced to marry him.

So far, every adaptation I've seen has been an improvement, IMHO. First and foremost by removing the "every man who fails to learn the princesses' secret is beheaded" plot point, secondly by giving the soldier an actual romance arc with the eldest princess, and thirdly by changing the ending or at least giving it more depth. My introduction to the story was the anime Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, where the princes turn out to be disguised demons luring the princesses to their doom, and the soldier fights them off and helps the princesses escape, earning the eldest princess's love by doing so. That twist might be melodramatic, but at least it gives the story a proper climax and emotional payoff. Then there's the Faerie Tale Theatre version, where the princes are dream figures created by the princesses in a magic ritual, and where the princesses' nightly outings are sympathetic, because their overprotective father needs to learn to let them grow up, go dancing, and meet young men in their own world. That's a good alternative too. (I don't have anything to say about the Barbie version because I've never seen it.) Basically, I think it's a story with great potential, but which needs adaptation expansion.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

This illustration by Elenore Abbott:

This illustration by Kay Nielsen:

These illustrations by Erroll Le Cain:

This illustration by P.J. Lynch:

These illustrations by Ruth Sanderson:

These illustrations by Kinuko Craft:

[stevebabey]

Congrats on da followers dearest!!! How about a blurb? “I wouldn’t wanna fight you. You’re pretty feisty.” with you know who ;) tbh that entire 45 OTP list gives me bf Steve vibes, very well selected babe 😌

sanne honey thank u!!! i make keith such a villain lmao but plots gotta plot yanno - hope u love this, mwah mwah MWAH <33

You think, if you could, you might genuinely feed Keith to a demogorgan for all the nastiness he gives your boyfriend.

It’s disheartening to watch Steve leave the house in the morning, chest puffed out and smiles easy as you kiss him goodbye before you depart yourself — only for him to come back to you deflated, shoulders slumped and a smile nowhere in sight.

Steve comes to yours today, like you’d both agreed. He lets himself in the door and trudges up the stairs with such heavy feet you hear him coming despite your loud music. Reaching out, you swivel the dial on the radio. The music lowers, just as Steve knocks lightly on your bedroom door.

He’s sweet. You’re expecting him, but he’ll still knock.

“Come in if you’re handsome!” You call out, already beginning to smile, just ‘cos he’s here.

The door nudges open slowly. It’s a pitiful sight. Steve’s always been a pouter. His bottom lip is jutted out, clearly looking for sympathy. It’s good thing you adore coddling him.

Steve seems to perk up just a tad at the sight of you, stretched out on the bed, with a book between your hands. He beelines for it. When his legs reach the edge, he folds easily and flops onto the mattress facedown, then groans.

“Oh, Stevie,” you sigh, ditching your book in an instant. You reach out and card your fingers through his shaggy hair. It needs a cut, you think absentmindedly, as you comb through it. You wonder if he’ll let you— it’s an awful lot of trust.

You hold your tongue but he doesn’t speak up, which raises an alert within you. When there’s no long-winded bitch that he’s been holding in all day, you know it must’ve been rough today.

“Keith again?”

“Yeah.” The word is muffled against your comforter, all quiet. You barely hear it.

“Want me to fight him?” You ask, maybe only half joking. Fingers soothe along his scalp again, halting slightly when he digs his face out and turns it to see you. His cheek smushes against your sheets. His eyes are already brighter, the beginnings of a smile twitching at the ends of his mouth.

“Uh huh.” He says.

You mistake his genuineness for teasing and narrow your eyes, your hand in his hair stopping its movements all together. Steve lets out a grumble and his pout returns.

“You don’t think I could?” You raise your brows, voice light but enthused. “I would so win that fight. I can’t believe you don’t think I’d win that fight!”

Your distraction works wonders as Steve’s head pops up, amusement dancing on his features as he bats a hand to interrupt your spiel. “I didn’t say that!” He insists.

He props himself up on an elbow and blows a piece of stray hair back from his eyes. All signs of his dreariness begin to melt away the longer he’s with you.

“Even I wouldn’t wanna fight you,” He counters with a proud smile.

“You’re pretty fiesty.” He punctuates his words with a light jab to your ribs suddenly, making you yelp. You smack away his hand lightly but Steve’s already twisting it, covering your hand with his own, and tugging it towards him before you can blink.

“You vs. Keith? No-brainer.” He assures earnestly, grazing a kiss against your fingers. Damn him, he’s good. More than anything, you’re pleased that he’s feeling better. The better the mood Steve is in, the more kisses you seem to get. It’s a rule of thumb.

“Yeah, yeah, thank you,” You continue, still voicing the dramatic tone. “I’d just wave a bottle of shampoo in his direction and he’d just disintegrate entirely.”

You feel Steve’s breath against your fingers as he laughs, curling his grip a bit tighter. He pulls, urging you closer and you are in no mood to deny him. Wiggling over, you get close enough to feel the warmth emanating from him, to smell the musk of his cologne. Faintly, you can pick out your own shampoo scent. Little thief, you think to yourself lovingly.

His arms slither around you, warm and tan, and you hum happily at the closeness, letting him bundle you up. You press a quick kiss to his jaw, the easiest access but Steve chases your lips til he captures them. It’s sweet as syrup and gentle enough that you crave another — and another, and another. The radio plays love songs as you let him come home to you through a matter of touch.

join the celebration!

[invisibleraven]

"Not the right time, not the right place." for Rulie, plz and thank you?

Well here we go guys, prompt #1000. And as soon as I got this prompt, I knew what I was going to do. Going back to one of my original OTPs of Niles/Daphne for inspiration again because they will always hold a piece of my soul. As will Rulie, and I hope I managed to do this prompt justice with this fill. Love you all.

The first time they meet, it's love at first sight-for Reggie anyways.

Okay, so maybe not love, but he finds himself disarmed by Julie's beauty, by her kindness, and how different she is from anyone he's ever met. Yet, no matter how attractive he finds her, he won't do anything about it.

For one, she's working for Alfie, helping him recover after his accident, and since Reggie is paying the bills, she's essentially his employee. Secondly he's happy with Kayla-or happy enough. Comfortable after so much time together to be more honest. But that history is also why he can't just throw in the towel to pursue a woman he finds captivating.

So he pines, and glances at her, maybe throws out a line or two to make her laugh, but nothing more.

And he gets to know her. How Julie grew up with a song in her heart, but childhood cancer had destroyed her singing voice. She did musical therapy for a long time, thinking maybe she could just play to heal what she had lost, but it never quite filled the hole. So instead she became a physical therapist, inspired by everyone in her life who had tried to help her recover.

"Well you do an amazing job with it," Reggie stated. "I know Alfie can be grumpy-"

"Hey!" Alfie retorted from his chair, but he was smiling, so there was no heat behind it. "You try rolling your car three times and see how much of a sunny personality you come out with!"

"I was gonna say you've done wonders for him," Reggie continued, rolling his eyes at his brother's antics. "And you've brought us closer as a result."

It was true-after he left home, Reggie lost touch with Alfie, who had never suffered under their father's rage as Reggie himself had. Nor their mother's indifference-Alfie had gotten nothing but their love and admiration, so it had lead to a lot of resentment. However, when Alfie got hurt, Reggie was the first person he called-their parents were off enjoying their retirement, and even though the brothers had been surviving on phone calls at the holidays, Reggie came running.

Now, after a lot of talking, and a few beers during said talks, they were closer than ever. And it was Julie who pushed them to talk, calling them idiots for not taking the second chance life was throwing at them.

Reggie felt he owed her more than he could ever afford to pay her for that push alone. It also didn't help endear her to him any less.

Yet Reggie never said anything. Even as he and Kayla hit the skids for what felt like the hundredth time and Julie dated off and on-mostly handsome guys who didn't offer much besides looks and a good time, Reggie always seemed to miss his chance.

Then Alfie was well enough that he didn't need as much help, and Reggie panicked, thinking this might mean goodbye to Julie. Only she offered to stay-as Alfie's roommate, and she would waive her fee for any therapy he needed for a reduction in the rent.

"I would miss you if you gone," Alfie admitted. "So I think we can work with that. Plus it'll be a big relief to Reggie's pocketbook!"

"I could afford it," Reggie replied with a shrug. "No price is too high to help you out baby bro."

Reggie had done well for himself-sure investments and accounting wasn't the exciting career he dreamed of, but it kept him in comfort, and allowed him to provide for Alfie when he needed it. Plus he did always love numbers and math.

After that, even though he didn't need to check on Alfie as much, he still went over just as often; hanging out with Alfie to catch a game, tending to the stuff around the house he could so Alfie didn't strain himself. Helping Julie in the kitchen.

"I swear I know you two are bachelors, but you don't have to eat like it," she said as she passed him an onion to chop.

"I can do breakfast, and simple stuff," he argued.

"Well that's better than my papi," she chuckled. "I swear he only knows how to make spaghetti."

They chopped in silence for a moment before Reggie chuckled. "We're chopping in rhythm."

"We are!" Julie giggled. She hummed a tune as they kept chopping, and Reggie noticed how she smiled while she did. He knew she missed singing, but this didn't seem to hurt as much as it used to. So he joined in, the two of them making music together as they cooked.

Reggie was going to tell her-she wasn't working for him, they were both single-why not see if they could make something of this?

But his tongue refused to move, and once the oven beeped, the moment was gone. Reggie didn't mind-he would have other chances.

Yet he never took them. Even as they grew closer, joking with Alfie over tv shows they all enjoyed, chatting about astronomy after Reggie lamented not having the space for a telescope in his apartment.

Not even after she came to stay in his guest room after butting heads with the horrid woman Alfie was seeing-and that had taken all of Reggie's restraint, but she was relying on him to be a safe harbour, not make her staying conditional on accepting his feelings.

Finally, Reggie had enough-he had been into Julie for...and embarrassing time now. Years. Even Alfie had caught onto his crush, and had urged him multiple times to say something.

So he got a dahlia-her favourite flower, and went to their place, ready to confess his love. Only to find her getting ready for a date with this new guy, Nick.

"It's okay bud," Alfie assured him. "He won't stick around-they never do."

Only Nick did. He was a nice enough guy, and Reggie was happy for Julie that she finally got herself a good man-he just wished it was him.

Enough was enough, and Reggie decided to go out there and find someone-he had been single for awhile, and maybe that would help him get over Julie.

Viv was exactly what he needed. She was serious, and fastidious, but he liked that about her-it made it feel like a real grown up relationship, not a fling. Plus she treated him well, striving to make him better, looking good on his arm as they went to functions and events.

Reggie just ignored how much more he would rather be with someone who made those events fun-someone with curly hair and a gap toothed smile.

"I think I'm going to ask Viv to move in," he told Alfie some time later.

"Oh, are you guys that serious?" Alfie asked-he wasn't a big fan of Viv, but told Reggie he only cared that he was happy.

"I think so. Seems like the logical sequence of things." Reggie looked around the house. "You doing okay lately? I know Julie hasn't been around much."

"Kinda lonely," Alfie admitted. "But I guess I have to get used to it-I think Nick is gonna pop the question."

Reggie choked on air at that. "Already?"

Alfie shrugged. "I know he went to see Julie's dad-I would assume to ask for his permission."

"Julie hates that kinda shit," Reggie said. "So does Ray." He had met all of Julie's family by this point-and they had practically adopted him and Alfie. They were honorary Molinas by this point, and Reggie had come to think of them as their family too.

"I know-Carlos told me that Ray had to hold himself back from saying anything. Wish he had read him the riot act," Alfie sighed. He looked at Reggie then. "Are you sure about Viv? I always thought you and Julie would figure it out eventually."

"That's old news Alf," Reggie said. "I'm with Viv, she's with Nick."

"You still love her though."

It wasn't a question, and Reggie could do nothing but nod. "I know I shouldn't-I mean, I like Viv-love Viv. But Julie...part of my heart still belongs to her, will probably ways be a little bit in love with her. I just...I lost my chance there Alf, time to move one, try to make the most of what I have."

"I swear if you break out into Love The One You're With I will kick you out," Alfie threatened, causing the two of them to burst into laughter-neither noticing the set of wide brown eyes retreating in a hurry from where they had been looking into the room.

That night, after Reggie had gone, Julie sat down next to Alfie. "Hey hun," he greeted her, handing her a bottle of beer. "Good day?"

"Long day," Julie replied. "But my afternoon appointment cancelled."

"You should have come back! Hung out!" Alfie said.

"I did come back," Julie confessed. "But you were with your brother. I heard you talking."

"What, you didn't want to jump into our discussion over who was the best Starfleet captain?"

"No, Alfie. I heard...I heard Reggie say he was in love with me," Julie said, looking at Alfie, her eyes never moving even as his face contorted. "Is it true?"

"Julie...I think you should probably hear the answer from him-you know, intentionally," Alfie replied.

"That's not a no."

"It's all the answer you're gonna get," he replied. "Unless you wanna tell me how you feel about him."

"You'd only tell him," Julie stated.

"Jules...do you have feelings for Reg?"

"No. Yes. I don't know," Julie confessed. "I mean, he's Reggie! We've been friends for years now, and I know what a great guy he is, and you Peters boys aren't hurting in the looks department. Plus he makes me laugh, and we can talk about everything, and..."

"Julie," Alfie said, taking her hand. "Tell him. You'll be miserable-the both of you-if you don't."

"I can't," she said. "Nick-he asked me to marry him."

"Oh."

"I told him I would give him an answer this weekend, at the holiday party. But I have to say yes right? We're good together, and I love Nick, how can I throw it all away on a chance?"

"Julie, can I say something?" Alfie asked. At her nod he granted her a smile. "You don't want to spend your life wondering about a chance you didn't take. So think about who you'd rather be waiting for you at the end of the aisle-and go from there."

Julie pulled Alfie into a hug at that. "I love you Alfie Peters."

"Love you too Jules."

Only that weekend, at the party, Alfie could see Julie sticking close to Nick, even as her face was all uncertainty. Could see the way Reggie's smile never seemed to reach his eyes as Viv went on and on about maybe finding a space for the both of them together-some place further out, someplace new.

Alfie wasn't one to screw with people's relationships, but these two were his family, how could he not interfere?

With that, he pulled Reggie into a side room. "Julie knows."

"Knows about Nick proposing? I kinda figured," Reggie said.

"No Reg, she knows about your feelings for you," Alfie said. "And I think she feels the same way."

"What?" Reggie squeaked.

"Look Reggie, I told her to tell you, but now she's in full panic mode and you look like you're headed off to Alcatraz instead of co-habitating with your girlfriend. So tell her the truth before that ring goes on her finger-and you make the biggest mistake of your life."

"I can't-"

"You have to, or the both of you will be miserable for the rest of your lives," Alfie promised him. "I'll send her in-just...please Reggie."

"God I hate that I can never say no to you," Reggie said, breathing erratic as Alfie left the room. What was he going to do?

"Reggie?"

He turned, and there was Julie, looking resplendent in a sparkly purple dress, smile brighter than it had been all evening-and Reggie had noticed, but had chocked it up to nerves because she knew what was going to happen and she wasn't one for a big spectacle.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she blushed, then grinned at him. "You clean up pretty good yourself."

"I try." He took a breath. "Listen Julie-Alfie and I were talking."

"Don't," she pleaded.

"Why?"

"Because I know what you're going to say an it's...it's just not the right time Reggie."

"You're right," he conceded. "Not the right time, not the right place. But Julie-I have to say it. If not I never will. And I've been trying and not doing it for years now."

"Years?"

"Pretty much since the moment we met," he said with a nod. "It was just a crush at first-you're beautiful, so who could blame me? But then I got to know you, discovered how much more than your looks you are. How strong you are, how kind, funny, sassy, patient, creative, and yes, beautiful, both inside and out. How could I not fall for you?"

"I'm with Nick."

"And I'm with Viv, but you say the word and I will leave her. I never felt for her even a fraction of what I feel for you. If you want me Julie, I'm yours." Reggie looked at her-the way she was holding herself, the way she wouldn't look at him. God he had screwed this up hadn't he.

"Reggie..."

"I know this sucks, and I have the absolute worst timing," he said. "But I just need you to answer one question; how do you feel about me?"

Julie shook her head and left the room, and Reggie was sure his heart shattered as the door closed behind her. Well, that was that.

He pulled out his phone, telling Alfie he was headed home-there was no way he could stay and watch Julie say yes to Nick.

That night he ended things with Viv-no matter what Julie had answered, he still loved her, and it wasn't fair to Viv to string her along when he knew he wasn't really what she deserved. She didn't take it well, but that was more telling than anything that they weren't well suited.

He was nursing a glass of cider as the clock ticked closer to midnight. Tie hanging loose around his neck, lights off as he watched he lights of the city reflect on the glass of his balcony door.

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Go away Alfie!"

Another knock, and Reggie groaned-knowing his brother wouldn't give up until he opened up or Alfie got fed up enough to use his emergency key. He stalked over to the door, throwing it open.

Only it wasn't Alfie who stood there. It was Julie.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied. "I was wondering...if you might be free for a date?"

Reggie's smile burst forth, hauling her into a hug. "Oh my god, yes!"

Julie beamed, looking up at him. Pulling him down into a kiss that lit them both up more than the fireworks erupting across the sky. That was sweeter than any dessert, and more loving than any they had experienced before.

They pulled back, foreheads resting together. Reggie couldn't stop smiling. "I love you."

Julie smirked at him. "I know."

"You did not just Han Solo me!" he said, twirling them around, their laughter filling the space.

"I figured you would appreciate it," Julie said, pulling him down so there was only a breath of space between their lips. "And by the way? I love you too."

[entamewitchlulu]

For the Yugioh character ask meme, I'm giving you autismn personified aka Akaba Reiji

Why I like them/why I don’t

I just. Where do i start.

he's just. he's so. -clenches fist- he's so compelling. i love that he's so good at putting on a facade that even the viewers think he should have been a villain. he does his absolute best to act like one at the beginning, because maybe it's easier that way for him, if the others view him as an antagonist. he can work with antagonism. he's been doing it for years, probably, as a child attempting to gain dominance in a world of adults who looked down on him and dismissed him.

And yet despite this facade. he's so good??? he's so purely straightforward. at his core he is a Hero with a capital H, but he doesn't believe he is. He's just doing What He's Supposed To Do, after all. he considers all of his decisions as sacrifices for a greater good, and he doesn't expect anyone to like him or agree with him. He'll be the Bad Guy making the Hard Decisions if he has to be.

And YET!!! beneath all of that he is just a child. he is just a kid, who wants to fix things. who wants to protect people. who strides straight forward and just has the pretense of being a mastermind when he's really just winging it.

He's so intelligent but he's not and never has been a puppetmaster type character because he acknowledges the fact that plans fall apart. he puts on the act of being a master planner, but he's actually a master adapter. He's so good at being a chameleon of what people want to see him as until it's time to get to work and show that he was just holding back the whole time.

i JUST. i could talk about him for hours. He's so good. He's so complicated and yet so straightforward. he needs a hug. he needs a decent adult in his life so he can take a nap.

What I like about their appearance

he's genuinely so handsome??? my Character Type i'm weak for is someone with white/silver hair and either violet or red eyes and he checks ALL the boxes.

like look at him. he's so handsome.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB my GOD every time i see the name declan for him i wanna shrivel up. i understand WHY they did it, to match his D/D/Ds, but 1) it completely ruins the Rei theming and 2) any time i see the name Declan all i can fucking think about is the wedding shaming post about the lady who was going to go backpacking in the mountains after no one would give her 1000$ a piece to have her destination wedding and her kid was named declan

i kid you not i have considered downloading a word replacement extension specifically to replace all mentions of his dub name with his real name.

OTP

do i even gotta say it

I'm so soft for them all the time. i love that yuya was the first person to distract Reiji from his plans, and he was like "well obviously it's because i need his power to take down my dad" but then he started having image battles with yuya involuntarily and i was just like oh you're kind of like. he's doing things to you isn't he.

I love how their relationship develops from pure antagonism to Yuya starting to realize just how much of Reiji is a facade and then choosing to trust him unconditionally despite what others say about him, even though before he hated Reiji so much he wanted to punch him! And they become a total battle couple by the end??? they may not be traditional rivals in a yugioh sense, but they truly do push and inspire each other to push beyond their limits and see beyond their originally more narrow viewpoints, and it's so beautiful.

NOTP

I really just don't like anything where reiji is in a relationship with a woman. i'm sorry he's just gay to me. the only exception is yuzu and that's only when yuya is there too.

OT3

As stated above, i do enjoy orchestrashipping now and then. to be honest though, reiji is one of those few characters i ship pretty monogamously.

Favourite card they use

to be completely honest his deck doesn't really do it for me; i'm not a huge fan of the more mechanical designs. if i have to pick though i love how iconic his main three kings are

Also, gotta give a shoutout to how much i think about his contract cards and how his entire deck is built around the concept of broken promises. i promise you i'm normal about this (lying).

Favourite moment they were in

well.

but NO in actuality it has to be his duel against Roget. i love that they were built up all season as like one-to-one rivals, in that Roget was totally focused on him and taking him down, considering him a rival chessmaster, only for when the duel happened for Reiji to completely wipe the floor with him and prove that there was never a contest to begin with.

Least favourite moment

none. any moment he is in i love <333

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

become him

i guess i'd marry him if i have to pick one. he's rich so that would be nice.

thank you for the ask :)

[thebrookesnook]

Hi, hey, hello, maayong buntag sA TANAN 🙌🙌

IM AWAKE (yes i know i slept for an hour sue me) AND WITH MANY THINGS I WISH I SHARED LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE STUDIES AND ITS ONLY ABOUT SHITARA.

I'll post another one about my thought process on the others' design elements I included mayhaps after part 2 is out (which i assure u is not as extensive as part 1, its a one per person package deal). Like their body hair or whatnot (yes, takiishi's lack of a happy trail was intentional).

(p.s. this is a vent for me but if u want to watch me simp haphazardly, then u're in the right place)

This was my reference for shitara and let me tell u this was more than i needed but my fingers kept screenshoting more and moreee.. .

Hes so silly and funny, and hes a dilf so hes already checks out more of my ideal type sksk. HIS SCRUFF, I LOVED DRAWING HIS SCRUFF AND HIS BODY HAIRR. I HAVENT POSTED ANY DRAWINGS PUBLICLY WITH BODY HAIR BUT FOR YOU SIR, ANYTHING FOR YOUU.

—

QnA Time:

"Whats up with the dad bod Brooke/Eve?"

Hear me out: I wanted him to have a beer belly and then I went oKAY maybe lets give him MORE chonk aND I DID AND HES LITERALLY EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED ICANT- *slams fist against the table*

"Was shitara the reason why-?"

Yes, yes. I got hit with the sudden urge to draw him topless and i decided to extend the graces to umemiya (thats his son in all but blood so ofc) and togame (no. 3 on my list). But ig four sounded better than 3 but i didnt know who to pick so i let y'all pick for me. Now takiishi's there, with messly drawn up left hand on the handstand sksk. The reference photo wasnt any better, who knew people could have such large fingers.

"Why did you make it a torso study instead of drawing him topless once like a normal person?"

Because im insane thats why and what is normal, dont know her. Also i thought it would be a good way to learn how the torso anatomy and how the muscles work u know? And i chose quite the variety to characters that canonically have different body types that i can play around. So now i know which muscles go where and how light plays with it skks.

"Is Shitara your no. 1?"

No, that belongs to Ales 🫶. The absolute rock they were the entire time i was sharing her wips. He's no. 2 tho, that's why my OTP (and OT3) for windbre is Ales/Me/Shitara. It was never gonna be anything else but SuoSakuNire is a close second. Highkey in love with both of them sksks.

—

Back to silly thoughts:

sirrr keep me warm in this cold ass weather bagyo seasonn~

Speaking of, u know i had to play "Big Boys" by SZA on that SNL show or whatever AND "big boys x streets" mashup because the wayyy i feltt a lot of thingsss in my heart when that song was on. Very yummy. OH YEAH AND "CANDY" BY DOJA CAT AND "AUSSIE AUSSIE O SIGE" BY ANDREW E!!

I will patiently await the day we see current timeline Shitara looking as handsome and gorgeous as ever. I WILL PATIENTLY AWAIT THE DAY HE GETS A SEIYUU. I HAVE A LIST ON POTENTIAL VA OPTIONS SKSK.

anyways, i think thats all. kissing his scruffy chin in my head before i skiddadle to uni 🏃🏃

[elvenbeard]

Soft OTP asks #9???

HIII this took me a hot minute öaskdhfasf. Thank you so much for asking!! I had this in my drafts forever and just didn't get around to editing it, but now finally here we are 👀

Prompts Handsome As Fuck

(Cyberpunk 2077 fanfic, Kerry Eurodyne x V, 1127 words; prompt: Write about your ship getting dressed up in fancy outfits together.)

“You want one of my ties?” V asked, and Kerry had to pause for a couple of seconds to ensure he’d heard him correctly. His hesitation made V’s head appear from behind the open doors of the wardrobe, and his expression changed from neutral expectation to laughter as he saw the face Kerry made.

“A tie? Do I look like I wear ties to ya?” Kerry asked with played offense and gestured at himself up and down rapidly. His shirt was still unbuttoned, he couldn’t find his belt, and he was already looking forward to switching his suit pants for something more comfortable – or nothing – as soon as they were back home later. He hated that the label made him go to this party, a formal cocktail event… that wasn’t exactly Kerry’s specialty, and the dress code only made it worse.

V snickered and the sound pulled Kerry’s thoughts back to the present. He was glad V’d be there with him tonight, happy to come even, as he didn’t get to dress up fancy for his job at the Afterlife really. He could, technically, but he chose not to, for a variety of reasons.

“Do I look like I wear ties?” V asked, posing to showcase his tattoos, fingers running through colorful strands of hair.

“Well, no,” Kerry shrugged, flustered, “Most of the time, at least. Today a little bit.”

V chuckled softly and returned his attention to the wardrobe briefly. He was already pretty much ready to go, dark pants and shirt, a sleek red blazer, his hair slicked back. It was still way shorter than back when they first met, too short for styling it much into a shape he liked. But he’d finally dyed it in his favorite colors again at least.

Kerry smiled to himself, and before getting too lost in thought once again continued to dig through a bunch of clothes on the armchair by the bed. Finally, his fingers got a hold of the smooth synleather belt he’d been searching for. At the very bottom of the pile, of course. He swiftly put it on and flinched slightly when a hand tapped him on the shoulder.

“Sorry,” V whispered apologetically – he really moved too quietly for his own good sometimes.

“Try this one, goes well with the shirt,” V smiled and handed Kerry a dark blue blazer with fine woven stripes of gold.

“That’s none of mine,” Kerry said as V helped him slip into it, expecting it to be just a tiny bit too tight around the shoulders, and the sleeves a tiny bit too long for him. Sharing t-shirts and other stretchy or less-fitted clothes was no issue between them, but when it came to tailored evening wear – or shoes – the problems began. Yet, this blazer fit Kerry like a glove…

“Now it is,” V grinned and, holding on to Kerry’s lapels, gave him a quick sweet kiss on the lips, “Looking handsome as fuck.”

“You… gonk,” was all Kerry managed to say, too surprised, taken aback, fingers trailing over V’s hands first, then feeling the soft, velvety fabric of the blazer.

“This fits me better than my goddamn wedding suit,” he muttered.

“Yeah, cause your stylist has no clue what she’s doing,” V said with a self-confident shrug, and Kerry chuckled.

“Thank you,” he then just said and kissed V back before slowly stepping in front of the mirror to take a look at himself. And damn yeah… he looked criminally hot, the colors of the jacket accentuating his cyberware and eyes, contrasting with his bare chest.

“Think I’m just gonna leave my shirt open,” he said, turning to see himself from different angles.

V laughed as he passed by behind him, and Kerry noticed him checking him out shamelessly. As he should, Kerry had never felt as good in a suit before.

“You can pull it off,” V said.

“You could, too!” Kerry said, gesturing loosely at V’s shirt buttoned all the way to the top.

“Prefer it like this.”

He picked a dark red tie out of the closet then joined Kerry in front of the mirror to put it on. Kerry watched as swift fingers flung the fabric around and skillfully turned it into a pretty knot.

“My father never taught me that kinda stuff,” he mused a little absentmindedly.

V paused for a moment.

“Neither did mine,” he said seriously, “Some guy in an old video tutorial did. Also taught me how to shave.”

Kerry realized his mistake.

“Ah, fuck… sorry, sometimes I…” he started, but V laughed.

“It’s fine,” he said, tie done neat and tidy, and gave Kerry a quick peck on the cheek before turning to leave, “Kinda flattering, in a way. That you forget it sometimes.”

“Love ya. Just the way you are, V,” Kerry said quietly and turned away from the mirror to follow V downstairs. Their Delamain had just passed by the bedroom windows and landed outside.

V petted the cat goodbye, then they both left the penthouse through the northern patio door.

“I didn’t always,” V mused quietly and Kerry almost paused in his tracks, “Love myself the way I am, I mean. Y’know what I bought from my first paycheck that didn’t go straight to Vik?”

“The newest braindance wreath?” Kerry teased.

“Okay… from my second paycheck,” V corrected himself and Kerry laughed.

“Hmm… not sure.”

“A fitted shirt, that actually didn’t really fit me all that well,” V said, “And a worn-out second-hand blazer, and an awful tie. I’d never owned any of those, my mother would’ve tossed it all out the moment she saw it. And even though I looked like shit, the euphoria when I saw myself in the mirror in that fit was unreal.”

So much suddenly clicked into place with V and his clothing choices for Kerry that he’d never considered before. V sighed as they reached the AV, the door sliding open as they approached.

“Kinda dumb, I know,” he said, “Putting so much weight onto a piece of fabric and outdated gender norms.”

“It’s not dumb at all,” Kerry shook his head and took V’s hand as they sat down inside while Delamain gave his little welcome speech.

“I’m a firm believer in ‘do whatever the fuck makes you happy’. Even if it’s something ‘kinda dumb’ like dressing however you wanna. If it makes ya feel good, go for it.”

V chuckled.

“Thank you,” he said quietly and rested his head on Kerry’s shoulder, “Love ya.”

“Love ya, too,” Kerry said, fingers entangled with his handsome date’s, his mainline, his big, unexpected late-life love story that he couldn’t even have dreamed of... The man that kept surprising him each day by showing him new ways to love himself unconditionally.

[kingwuko]

I've so many questions!! For the OTP Asks:

3

5

13

17

19

20

28

46

59

3. Do they wear the other’s clothes? (sweatshirt, bandana, necklace, etc.)

Wu might be dramatic about the cold and Mako might give him his jacket. I kinda like the idea of Mako wearing one of Wu's scarfs too. Like he wore a scarf for so long, and after he gave it to his grandma he couldn't bring himself to buy or make another scarf and feel like he was replacing his dad's? but then maybe he decides to throw on one of Wu's scarves one day and Wu compliments him on how good it looks on him and now that's his new scarf?

5. Describe their cozy night in.

just go read chapter 5 of my fic, Secret lol. the entire chapter is a montage of cozy nights in. Mako listens to pro bending matches on the radio so that's probably happening. I think Wu does paperwork in the evenings sometimes so I think they just have nice chats while doing their own thing?

13. Who’s the bigger tease?

Wu. I don't really have an explanation for this I just love the idea that Wu teases and Mako gets flustered.

17. Who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

MAKO for SURE. He's Mr PDA and he's also just a very physically affectionate person. I know Wu is always draping an arm around him and grabbing his shoulder but I think Mako's the one who initiates romantic touching.

19. How do they feel about PDA?

LMAO i answered 17 before looking at what 19 was. Mako's gross with the PDA I've talked about it before. Rubbing noses, hand feeding cotton candy c'mon man there's other people here, get a room please, not everyone wants to see that! Wu doesn't mind it at all he's just super surprised at first.

20. Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

*Looks at my Wuko spotify playlists* ONE SONG???? OKAY the problem is most of the songs I add to my playlists are from one perspective or the other. So I'm going to pick TWO. I'm sorry one song is too much pressure For Mako: Falling for the First Time by BNL. For Wu: Latch by Sam Smith

28. What are there thoughts on pet names? Do they have any?

Might be cliche but Wu calling Mako "Big guy" or "Tough guy" gives me life. I think Wu pretty much just throws all kind of names around. Buddy, Handsome. Good looking. Hot Stuff. But big guy and tough guy are the most common. I've pretty much landed on "honey" for Mako to call Wu. Simple and endearing. Mako doesn't go overboard but Wu is delighted by it.

46. Would they get frisky at the movies by themselves?

NOT IF IT'S A NUKTUK MOVER lmao. I don't think they'd get frisky, but they might get cuddly. They're a PDA couple but I don't think they're a public sex kinda couple lol.

59. Who tops? Who bottoms?

I am a Top Wu Bottom Mako truther.

[awesomesauce2929]

time to spam u :3c

Ship meme: AldeMu

Here’s a little doodle of them I made because I wanted to draw something and there is a first time to everything. I wanted to do something special for them since they are your OTP so I will give it a shot why I love AldeMu with an attempted visual below

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

An attempt of an AldeMu essay :3

It is surprising, more ground breaking than when baby Athena arrived at Earth and the reaction to that was a battle and a goldie’s death, that a cute, actively supportive relationship of Mu and Aldebaran thrived and blossomed in spite of the tensions within the Sanctuary, Mu being a handsome traitor to the Sanctuary and a upcoming holy war, oh my. Their relation is down to earth, relatively chill and interestingly I say it is more rooted in reality compared to most ships. This is because of the Sanctuary being less as a factor, a component of their relationship, if the sanctuary was no more tomorrow, both can adapt quickly to the society and take less time to adjust. I would say that the Sanctuary during the 13 years in a way separated them because Mu was in Jamir in his isolation and Aldebaran could not freely visit him. Hence that could explain partly their detachment from the Sanctuary before Athena took over. I could imagine some sneak around and the rare times Mu visited the Sanctuary, both worked hard to nurture their relationship and it worked. 

Canonically, in every Sanctuary arc, Aldebaran trusted Mu’s judgement of the bronzes when they entered the Taurus temple that prompted Alde to see these bronzes had potential and he wanted to witness that considering the bronzes’ goal is to get through the twelve temples and their opponents are the gold saints who will stop the bronzes are crazy powerful. So Mu and Alde had a similar idea of prioritising and empathising the seventh sense to the bronzes that did help them winning the Sanctuary war and knocked a Pope down hahaha. 

(Mu: That’s karma, kill a Pope, you die as one.)

Something about AldeMu that make me root for them perhaps it’s the friends to lovers (which is not majority of my ships, but some are), it’s more like both compliment each other, why not see if they are awesome as lovers which is a cool exploration, both are chill even when exchanging banter together (most of the time, Mu still got his unhinged side and Alde is like “that’s cool, honey” and only really intervene if Mu was in actual danger).

When I was writing this answer, I got thinking, and I think too hard but for a good reason, as I thought something I never thought of before. One of the reasons I ship them, them being happy defies the expectations placed upon them in their world. I like a bit of defying/making your destiny/decision aspect (as there is a power of making decisions which both have done to be together and worked hard for it). Mu being away and isolated in a way mirrors Shion’s fate of being isolated and alone in the Sanctuary which is rough for both of them, especially for Shion because it is been centuries and he had to built an army and for Mu, after Shion dies when he was 7, an young age he isolate himself up to his late teenage years which affects and stays in his psyche. That impact is still there but Mu and to some extent to the people he cultivates his friendships and other relations, navigate around that, his closest relation who he has been on his side the most, literally and metaphorically is Aldebaran in the classics and spinoffs. 

Aldebaran in canon wise, being portrayed and in comparison to the rest of the goldies as not as visible considering he plays not a big role in the Sanctuary in the 13 years (mostly he wasn’t seen or even implied), was he involved in the Sanctuary politics or did he stay out by his choice or lack of opportunity. However his own self, I like to think is true, that is he is faithful to Athena and keeps his head down and get things working, I headcanon him being a steady pillar, especially if there are times of instability in the Sanctuary, Mu leaned on him and rely on him for information and Alde would make sure to keep Mu safe considering I think he knew death could be ordered like it was for Aioros. That makes him significant, his authenticity and his giving love and mercy, almost he is a model saint but on his own accord and stand. That is Mu slowly fell for him and chose him because of his soft power and restored his faith in humanity and tried to do some good before the holy war took him.

Hades' arc is so heartbreaking, especially Alde’s death and Mu grieving for him in tears. 

Ah I cannot forget the important part of this awesome ship, both AldeMu and Kiki form a family unit, stable, strong and loving and multilingual lmao. Mu and Alde’s nurturing side in raising Kiki really shines and makes his life happy unlike their own childhoods. I often deny canon that I don’t acknowledge Mu and Alde’s death, but they are still around in Saint Seiya Omega, them being grandfathers to Raki and giving Harbinger a hard time haha. 

I have to thank CGI KOTZ for AldeMu wedding imagery when they are standing in front of the structure that looks like a church that we didn’t expect but needed, then after they got married they did the funeral/burial of Shion’s body and their fallen comrades. I have to thank AldeMu server for enabling me as always xD I thank every AldeMu authors and artists for creating fanfics, fanarts, events, doujinshi and headcanons for existing, inspiring and giving love every way to this ship.

[jistagrams]

paring:idol!soobin x college student!reader

warning:reader is changing otp , obsessed soobin 🥲

genre:fluff , suggestive , stablished relationship

having a boyfriend alone was stressful enough, not feeling good enough for him,getting jealous,having fights, all of that is so stressful but what makes it worse is your boyfriend being in a huge band. tomorrow by together. Sure, u were happy for him and rooted him on along his journey but him being in a band means more things to be worried & stressed out about. it's not like u hate that soobin is in a band, u just found the schedules hard. you rarely see him and the days you have off he doesn't and the days he has off you don't. It was hard but since you both deeply loved each other you kept on going.

☆

"I miss her.."

"you always miss her!!"

"yeah yeonjuns right, always whining that u can't be with her and u never see her. If u wanna keep complaining stop being a idol!!" beomgyu yells at his elder. "beomgyu I feel like you deserve a good beating.." , "sorry I was wrong.." gyu says when soobin raises his hand as a joke (wasn't much of a joke he was really thinking about it). soobin slumps back down onto the couch holding one of kai's plushie. "But still!I haven't seen y/n in a MONTH! I can't take it anymore!! when ur dating u should be able to see them like every day!" soobin whines once more to the 4 members, kai pats his leg while getting up to go to his room. Leaving only 3 left. "if u saw y/n every day u would be sore and even louder than u are rn" tae says while scrolling on his phone, sitting on the floor. "he's right, u and y/n are so loud when ur with each other, whether it's cos u and her are going at it or u guys are jus loud people in general which I highly doubt, it's better u guys aren't seeing each other everyday. not seeing her for a month won't kill you" yeonjun says to the leader, beomgyu and tae nod not bothering to look over at the 2 older ones, soobin sighs and throws the white plushie to the side , sitting up and going to his room. "u guys don't understand cos none of ur relationships work out..." he mumbles under his breath as he walks into his room n closes the door behind him. He sits down on his bed, grabbing his phone from his pocket and going to messages. He sees u texted 3 times,

baby I just fininished all my homework

wanna call?

babe wya??

after seeing ur msgs he decides to FaceTime u.

☆

while u were in the middle of changing after taking the longest and coldest shower u hear your phone ring , u pick it up seeing ur boyfriend facetiming u. U set ur phone up against the lotion u had on ur dresser. U answer it after grabbing a shirt from ur closet.

"Hi baby"he says looking around ur room trying to find where u were since u weren't in frame. "Oh hi babe, hold on im grabbing underwear" u say as u take a pink pair from ur dresser and stand back up to frame, ur boyfriend realizing u don't have a shirt or underwear on makes him look away a little embarrassed. U look at him and laugh at his shyness, "what u haven't seen me naked before??" U say while putting on the soad t-shirt on, "its not that.. I was just shocked that's all." He says with a small laugh finally looking back at his phone, "u look cute soob" , "i knoww" , "u look too cute , I want to see u soon babe" , "me too y/n, i miss hugging u while sleeping" , "i miss all of u, especially ur hugs" , "all of me hm?" , "mhm, allllll of you." , "what do u miss most about me tho besides my hugs?" , "well...I miss how u would man handle me, and I miss ur abs,"

☆

feeling excited to see your boyfriend for the first time in a month u quickly drive to his dorm. "What if he doesn't wanna see me" u start to overthink to ur friend who u were otp with. "y/n you know he wants to see u just as bad as u wanna see him." she reassures you.

☆

"oh my god." U sigh out as u see the door open revealing ur handsome boyfriend. He gives u a toothy smile as u jump into his arms, feeling emotional as u both stumble into his dorm. "I've missed u so much, I feel like this isn't even real." you whisper into his ear as u feel a small tear fall down. "babe this isn't even the longest we've been apart, everytime I go on tour we are apart for longer" he says as he closes the door and locks it with one hand, the other holding onto u. After staying like that for a few moments u let him go and u take ur shoes off. u hold his hand as u both walk to his room. this place was all too familiar to you. Since u visited often, to take care of odi while soobin was on tour or just out of town. Laying down on his bed as he lays ontop of u, holding u like he held the plushie. "This is where I belong I swear." U say into his chest, he just smiles as he flips u both over, making u be ontop, u still don't let go of him. Like a panda holding onto a bamboo stick. Feeling comfortable u find urself falling asleep as soobin places soft kisses on ur forehead and nose. He softly pats ur head like a little dog. "I love you so much" soobin says softly, u lift ur head up to look at him, already getting bedhead from just laying here. "I love you so much too soob" u say back as he softly kisses u as u felt all your worries and stress slip away in this very moment.

[iheartgod175]

Fanfic Sneak Peek Theater ACT 2: For the Lovers

Super, SUPER sorry it took me forever to get back to the Fanfic Sneak Peek Theaters. Life happened, lol XD But I’m back ^^

Part two of my Fanfic Sneak Peek Theater is, as it’s titled, for the shippers. Including myself XD All of me OG OTPs get a fic to themselves, and I’m super excited to write them ^^

First up is a fic that’s had an insane grip on my brain: Love Language, which is the sequel to my first Multo/Zeeter fic, Heavenly. This story is a collection of vignettes (some long, some short) of how their relationship progresses, and there’s sweetness, bitterness…and even some spiciness. 😏 This story was going to be a three part fic, but things happened, and well…now y’all are going to get five parts. The good thing is, part one is almost done (I’d like to say I have about 70% of it finished). I just need someone to smack me in the head before I keep adding more stuff. XD

Here’s a sneak peek of the cuteness ^^ (taken from chapter 1’s vignette: Awed):

"Wow, you two look gorgeous!" Wizzy was the first to offer her praises, her eyes gleaming with stars.


"Yeah! You look like movie stars!" Wigg said.


Bonnie giggled. "Thanks, you two." She walked up to Bula, noting how his face was slightly red. "And I hope I'll be able to wow them on the red carpet tonight...with my equally handsome plus one."


Bula swallowed hard. "R-Right." He cleared his throat. "Well, we won't be the only good-looking ones tonight, right Multo?" His smile faded slightly when he saw Multo's face. "Um, Multo?"


If Multo heard him, he gave no indication. He stared at Zeeter, mouth open and eyes wide to where she could see the whites, a small blush on his face. Two words escaped his mouth, said in a hushed tone filled with utter surprise and wonder. "My stars..."


Zeeter's heart raced as he slowly approached her. It was the first time in a long time that she'd ever worn proper formal wear...and this was the first time he'd ever seen her wearing it, which she was acutely aware of. And rather than renting this, she'd outright bought it.


Why, she had no idea.


She met his eyes, her own face flushing under his stare.


She had expected him to compliment her in his unique fashion.


What she did not expect was for him to take her left hand in his right, lift it to his lips, and plant a gentle kiss on her knuckles.


Zeeter squeaked.


Everyone else gasped, with Wizzy and Bonnie taking a keen interest in this, practically pushing Bula aside.


Heat equal to the sun flooded her face as he gently looked up at her. She hadn't been prepared for the lightning bolt that hit her when he did that. Nor was she prepared for the look of utter wonder and adoration that graced his face.


"My dear," he breathed, "you look absolutely radiant tonight."


It wasn't enough that he'd kissed her knuckles and made her brain short-circuit. He just had to call her that, too.


She was sure she resembled a cooked lobster by now.

Next up on the list is a small Whyatt/Red ficlet that I’ve been working on. I’ve titled it “Sweet Victory”. And I totally wasn’t thinking of that song, lol XD

Also, flustered Whyatt is always a treat XD

"Whyatt, that's enough chocolate for four people!" She started.


"I know, but I'm gonna share it!" he said. "Please, Mom? I've gotta have it!"


"You do, huh?" Ever the cautious skeptic, Mrs. Beanstalk gave her son a pointed look. "And just what are you buying this chocolate for?"


At that question, Whyatt looked away shyly. "Um...it's for someone special."


That gave Pig pause. Poppa Pig looked at him with one eyebrow raised, an odd look in his eye.


Compared to her earlier demeanor, Mrs. Beanstalk looked absolutely surprised.


"Someone special?" A glint of joy appeared in his mom's eye, and her lips quirked into a smile. "Is it a girl?"


Whyatt looked up so fast, Pig thought his head would fly loose from his neck. "Wha-NO! No way!" he said, shaking his head emphatically, but then paused. "Well, it is for a girl, but she's just a friend, Mom!"


"Mmhmm."


"No, really! It's nothing like that," he said quickly. "I-I just wanted to get her something really nice for her birthday, and I figured she'd like it..."


"It seems you've got a bit of a crush, Why."


"Wha-no I don't!" Whyatt argued, although his face was certainly arguing otherwise. It was turning as red as the candy he was holding.

My last one is a cute little piece that I’ve been working on since earlier this week, for Walden/Widget. @mooshieblue got me back into the pair ^^ The title of this fic is so light-novel esque it deserves an anime adaptation: The Science of Love (Side Note: It Doesn’t Make Much Sense)

"So, ya got anybody in mind?"


"Hmm..." He scratched his chin in thought. The idea of romance was, and still is, a bit of a mystery to him. In fact, while he could deduct it for others, imagining himself having a crush or some other romantic feelings for someone was unthinkable. He wasn't even sure if he could answer her question.


In fact, he was just about to tell her that...when his mind came up with an answer.


You.


His eyes widened.


I like you a lot more than a friend.


His chest suddenly felt tight at the revelation. Where in world had come from?


I've thought about you so much it's driving me crazy.


"My, my, my..." was all he could say as the revelation came clear to him.


"Helloooo? Earth ta Walden, do ya copy?" The smell of machine oil flitted through his nostrils, courtesy of her waving her hand in front of his face. He blinked, snapping out of his reverie. He looked up to see her green eyes narrowed quizzically at him. "Ya spaced out on me for a second there."


"O-Oh. Sorry about that, Widget. I-I, uh...I guess I put a little too much thought into that question."


"As always." She leaned back against the wall with a small smirk. "But ya think you got an answer?"


His mind betrayed him, and the realization made his face heat up to an absurd degree. Like, "center of the sun" degree.


"...I-I'd rather not say..."

—

If I have any more fluffy romantic stuff, I’ll post them accordingly ^^

But I want to know your thoughts! Which fics are you interested in seeing?

And if anyone leaves any hate, I’ll just use the flames to whip up some more stories for ‘em ^^

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

Proposing V for the ask game, if you're still doing it?

My favorite thing about V:

On a narrative level, he represents the best quality of DMC5, it's fleshing out of Vergil. I love that deep down, underneath the fear-driven quest for power, Vergil is a soft goth boy who loves a particular poet so much he makes it his whole personality. Plus, I love the interpretation that he looks so young because Vergil lost so much of his life to being Nelo Angelo.

On a gameplay level, I love how you can make V constantly taunt while making his minions fight.

My least favorite thing about V:

On a narrative level, as much as I love his voice and design, it would have been so cool if he was a woman instead. Besides the Implications, it would be a neat way of nodding to his human mother. Also, I've been told that the literary character that Urizen is named after is a part of a dyad, the other half of which is a female deity. And DMC5 sorely fumbles it's female representation anyway, having a playable female character might have won it some points (though realistically, there's a good chance they would have fucked up her design, and the hate toward her playstyle would be so much more vitriolic).

Speaking of playstyle, on a gameplay level, I do enjoy playing as V, but the moveset definitely needs more development. I don't like that V's evasive actions require his familiars because you have to interrupt their combat (and even Griffon's attack charging) in order to use them, even though the whole point of V seems to be multitasking. Plus, the hidden range limit for the minions can really screw you, especially considering that Shadow's attacks can easily take it outside of that limit, causing it to teleport back to V's side and interrupt your attack strings. And what's sad is that due to unpopularity, there's a real chance that we won't get to see a new iteration of this playstyle.

(There's even a series in my pinned post all about a certain character ending up in this position, just saying).

My favorite line by V:

It's hard to say, since he has one of the best if not the best vocal performances in the game. I do like that he says "it's my turn to play with the Devil Sword" at one point.

My "brOTP" for V:

I love his friendship with Griffon. It's a shame it got no closure whatsoever because the writers decided they wanted to magically wipe away Vergil's trauma via DMC1 callback boss fight.

My "OTP" for V:

I don't generally like ships for Vergil, but one that I would entertain is one with Lucia. I see the humor in her meeting a man who's just as handsome as Dante but with none of the charm, and realizing she's actually fine with that. Plus, Vergil is far more comfortable with his demon side than his human side, and I think that would extend to Lucia. He would think her devil form is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and he'd be right. Lucia deserves a handsome loser boyfriend who loves the demon in her so much that she learns to love it too, especially since he also comes with a giant stoic tree man with sharp teeth and tentacles, and of course our favorite poetry-lover.

My "nOTP" for V:

Nero x V is sadly popular, even though they're literally father and son. And even when talking about just V, not Urizen or Vergil as a whole, I don't care for shipping him with Lady. She doesn't even fucking like him, nor should she.

A random headcanon about V:

I think his cane is tied to Rebellion in some way. Perhaps it simply contains some of the same materials, which is why it's good at conducting demonic power, and why it allowed him to reunite with Urizen.

An unpopular opinion about V:

While I am firmly in the "V and Vergil are the same character and that isn't a bad thing" camp, I am sympathetic to the wish that V was his own character. I cannot fault someone for loving V but not finding Vergil interesting, and I don't think it's worth getting mad at them over.

A song I associate with V:

Besides Crimson Cloud? There's a "combo mad" sort of video from time to time titled Void Violin, it features some good music.

My favorite picture of V:

That gif of him tripping and dropping his free taco.

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (24)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17 / Part 18 /Part 19 /Part 20 / Part 21 /Part 22 / Part 23 /

Last Checked:—-

Moonlight Kisses-Buttercupbadass (ao3) Summary: Sometimes you think you have everything you ever wanted then the one you can't live without walks in your door. Much Too Far To Go Alone-dracoisalooker76 (ao3) Summary: "We all get addicted by something that takes away the pain" (Belle Aurora). Modern AU. Grey's Anatomy Inspired. Not a Walk in the Park-HGfanonezillion (ao3) Summary: Katniss and Peeta try desperately to keep the peace as their daughter Lily is getting ready for a date and their sons are giving her a hard time. Not One Moment-C_r_roberts (ao3) Summary: I wonder if he knows. Does he know how grateful I am to have him–the real him–back in my life? He tempers my temper. He makes me laugh, even when I don’t want to. He makes me feel safe, even when the entire world feels dangerous. And most importantly, he makes me feel good again. Alive, even. With Peeta, I want to keep living. Growing together. Canon-compliant. Of Buttercup and Mistletoe-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Bring out the popcorn and hot cocoa, because this one is just chock full of Everlark Christmas shenanigans! One Moment More-dracoisalooker76 (ao3) Summary: "He stumbles up, a tiny little thing in clothes a size too big that are obviously hand-me-downs from his two brothers, and when he stands beside Katniss I see that they’re the same height. Effie Trinket is trying but she can’t hide the look of devastation she holds, clearly upset that Peeta isn’t eighteen and handsome and able to get her out of this mess." When the mine accident does not occur, the Everdeens are forced into a different sacrifice.  One New Message-HGfanonezillion (ao3) Summary: Peeta and Katniss are Tumblr mutuals who have told each other nothing about each other irl, especially not their real names. Little do they know that Katniss is set to inherit her family’s big chain bakery business that’s slowly encroaching on smaller bakeries like Peeta’s family’s corner shop. Open Window-burkygirl, Peetabreadgirl, Xerxia (ao3) Summary: Peeta Mellark's quiet life is changed forever when a mysterious woman moves in upstairs, filling his world with music. Based on the OTP Prompt - Imagine your OTP as neighbors. A tends to sing at night and normally B would complain but their voice is really nice and they often find themselves comforted by it. One day, A’s songs start becoming more and more depressed and sometimes they’d stop because they were crying. B gets worried and starts talking to A to cheer them up/find out what’s wrong. Turns out A’s partner cheated on them/family member died/whatever and they’d started feeling a little depressed. A and B become close friends and after a while, A starts singing love songs at night. Operation Toast (an Everlark Text Fic)-Alliswell, AlwaysEverlark, JHsgf82, MegaAuLover (ao3) Summary: Katniss and Peeta haven’t seen each other since High School...until their friends decide it’s time for them to acknowledge their old feelings. Paint a Sky and Stars-authoresskika (ao3) Summary: Post-Epilogue Canon; "Difficult as the baby might be, Peeta wants him to enjoy the same sort of holiday magic his big sister gets. But therein lies the problem of a fretful infant: what does he want for but his mother's breast and a comforting embrace? His needs are infinitely basic. So how on Earth can those be made special enough for a gift?"

[ulanxxxs]

I'm currently tweaking my art style. I wanted to try something new, so I switched back to Procreate from Clip Studio Paint. It feels really good.

Since the end of last year, I've been working on a drawing of my beloved rarepair, but no matter how many times I tried to adjust it, his face just wouldn't look handsome enough... So, I decided to scrap that drawing...🫠 Hopefully, I can get it right with my OTP this time.

I always end up staying up late when I draw... (it's already 3:30 AM here in Japan)

Goodnight.