#top 5 favorite ponies

[camellia-salazar]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you. learn to know your mutuals and followers. 🩵💙

1. When one of my favorite characters, comfort characters, or a character I kin gets happy, and something goes right for them. My least favorite part is when it gets taken away, tho. But the little moment that they do get happy it's all worth it.

2. My dog Charlie and Frank, the spider that used to live in the corner of my room (the basement). I moved him to my family's shed so that my family doesn't kill him (they threatened me that so I had to move him). I'm just glad he's safe now.

3. When I listen to my top 5 favorite musical artists and the mood of the songs could potentially fit whatever moment sometimes. No matter how happy or upset they find a way to fit things just right. I even listen to songs that weren't from their albums. They're pretty cool.

4. When we do something fun and creative in my neurodiverse program (im afraid to name drop it, idk why), and I don't feel dumb about it. Recently, there were no problems, and I'm fine with it.

5. When I take care of my dwellers in Fallout Shelter. I gotta check on that cause something happened... I'm worried.

[scarlet-wish-draws]

God damn you all like it when I draw Fluttershy, huh?

Well anyways, I made a new thing. No, it's not Fluttershy again.

I made an oc with a very nice color pallete and I like her a lot. I'll post it soonish.

[clownkiwi]

btw, im surprised how mature and nuanced they're tackling friendship & identity in season 5. like, srsly, im surprised!!! why was everyone dropping the show after season 4 finished??? this is seriously great stuff!!!

[nova-is-a-writer-now]

Hidden embers

Chapter 5

Chapter summary: You and Joel have a much needed conversation to try and fix things, key word “try.”

A/N: Hi hellooo it’s hidden embers Wednesday (BETTER LATE THAN NEVER). Writing this story is genuinely bringing me so much joy, I’m glad you guys are enjoying reading it as much as i am enjoying creating this world. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this story is much more about the plot than it is about smut or fluff, so if that’s what you’re here for, you’re gonna have to be patient (it’s gonna be worth it i promise!!) Again, tysm for the support on this, the comments make me so so happy and motivate me to keep writing this, much appreciated 🤍

Warnings: No outbreak AU, no use of y/n, no sarah, Age gap, DBF!Joel, Slow burn, a tiny bit of angst, Mean!Joel if you squint

Series masterlist

You’re in a shit mood. Have been for a while, though you refuse to dig too deep to pinpoint when it started. It might’ve been around the time Joel kicked you out of his house, but honestly, it’s inconsequential.

The point is, your mood’s been sour for the past week, and this stupid boot you have to wear for your sprained ankle isn’t helping. What really pisses you off is the doctor saying that if you hadn’t walked on it, it’d be a grade 1 sprain instead of a grade 2.

‘Cause what the fuck does he know about why you refused that car ride home? What does he know about the churning, boiling anger twisting in your gut every time you hear the name Joel Miller? And then, to make it all worse, he had to recommend two weeks of bed rest so your ankle could heal properly and as fast as possible. Safe to say that doctor isn’t exactly on your list of favorite people right now.

On top of that, your mother’s been parading you around like a prized pony all week, forcing you to sit through those never-ending pageant meetings she insists on holding at the house. It’s like she’s playing the role of a doting, concerned mother in front of her friends, fussing over you as if you’re some fragile doll. Which is funny because you’ve told her on multiple occasions you’d rather stay in bed and rest your ankle than get dragged downstairs while on crutches, yet she insists on how rude it would be to not come greet the guests.

Thankfully, today’s a bit different. She’s gone out to scout venues for the pageant, leaving you in the care of your dad. Normally, you’d be relieved by that, but not today. Not when you overhear him on the phone inviting Joel over to watch the Cowboys game.

“Oh good, you’re up. Joel’s coming over,” your dad says with a grin as you make your way slowly towards the living room couch. “Figured we could all watch the game together. Like old times.”

You’re not a massive football fan, never have been, but watching the games with your dad was always something you enjoyed. It was your thing. Now, the thought of sharing that time with Joel makes your blood boil. Sure, he’s been doing this with your dad way longer than you have, but the last thing you need this week is Joel sitting next to you like nothing happened, like the astronaut-looking boot immobilizing your foot isn’t a constant reminder of why the injury got so bad in the first place. He might not be at fault for you walking all the way back home, but he’s certainly to blame for making you angry enough to do it.

The tightening knot in your chest isn’t just about what happened—though that certainly adds fuel to the fire—it’s about the mess of emotions you’ve been grappling with ever since. You’ve always prided yourself on being mature, on handling things with a level head and a clear mind. You’re the one who’s got it all together, the one people turn to when they need advice or a shoulder to lean on. But when it comes to Joel, all that goes out the window. You find yourself acting in a way you never have, even as a teenager.

You hate that you care this much, that his actions affect you so deeply, and that you can’t just brush it off like you do with everything else. You hate that what he is doing —the sudden coldness and firm boundaries— are probably the right thing for him to do. Hell, you even respect him for it, in a twisted way. He’s keeping a polite distance from his best friend's daughter, and it makes it that much more pathetic that it upsets you so much. His rejection, no matter how justified, still stings like a slap to the face, and the way he went about it, so abrupt and dismissive, only adds salt to the wound.

But it’s more than just anger at him. It’s anger at yourself, too. For feeling this way. For letting it get to you. For wanting something that you know you shouldn’t, something that feels wrong on so many levels. You can’t help but feel a creeping sense of shame, like you’re betraying the version of yourself that you’ve always tried to be—strong, independent, unshakeable. And yet, here you are, feeling small and foolish because of a man’s mixed signals.

You’re used to being in control of your emotions, but this? This is new, uncharted territory, and you don’t know how to navigate it without crashing and burning. So, you do the only thing you can think of: you shut down. You sweep all those feelings under the rug, acting like nothing happened and doing your absolute best to avoid Joel as much as possible. Because if you can’t be the strong, composed woman you’ve always tried to be, you can at least be the one in control of this situation, even if it’s just on the surface.

“I don’t know, Dad,” you start, trying to keep your voice casual. “I’m not really feeling up to it today. Maybe you two could just watch it without me?”

He gives you a look, that ‘puppy left on on the side of the road’ look he always uses to get you to do whatever he wants. “C’mon, sweetheart. It’ll be fun. Besides, you’ve been cooped up all week. You need a little excitement.”

Excitement is the opposite of what you need right now. Maybe a day of peace and quiet would fix every single issue in your life, but there’s no arguing with him, not when he’s already so excited about it. So, you force a smile and nod. “Alright, I’ll watch.”

But as soon as you hear Joel’s truck pull up in the driveway, that forced smile slips off your face. When he walks through the door, it takes every ounce of willpower not to roll your eyes. He’s all smiles, greeting your dad with a hearty handshake, but when his gaze lands on you, it’s different. There’s a flicker of something—concern, maybe something else—but you don’t give him the satisfaction of reacting.

“Hey, kid,” he says, all casual-like, as if nothing ever happened.

“Joel,” you reply, your tone clipped, arms crossed as you turn back to the TV.

Your dad, oblivious as always, doesn’t notice the tension crackling in the air between you and Joel. He’s already settling into his recliner on your right, meaning Joel will have to sit to your left on the couch. You try to muster up the polite Southern girl your parents raised you to be, but your patience is thinning by the second, and you feel like a time bomb ticking away.

You do your best to ignore him. The game’s playing on the TV but your mind is far from focused on it. Your dad seems deep into it though, and for a second, you almost think Joel is, too. But then, out of nowhere, you feel his eyes on you.

“Didn’t think Presscott had it in him this season,” Joel says casually, trying to draw you in. His voice is low, familiar. He’s not even looking at you directly, just tossing the comment out there like he’s fishing for an easy reply.

You shrug without taking your eyes off the screen. “Guess we’ll see.”

The silence that follows isn’t comfortable, nothing like the ones you two have shared before. Even though you know you’re being short with him, you can’t stop yourself. It’s easier to keep things shallow, to avoid any real conversation, because if you let him in—if you let the words flow—the dam will break, and you’re not ready for that. Not here. Not with your dad in the room.

Joel doesn’t give up, though. “I remember last season your dad nearly threw the remote through the TV” he says, chuckling softly. “Thought he was gonna lose it when they botched that fourth-quarter drive.”

He’s trying to be light, trying to break the tension, but it grates on you. You force a laugh, but it’s hollow. “Yeah. Funny.”

You glance over at him, just briefly, and catch the way his brow furrows. It’s like he’s trying to gauge where you’re at, trying to figure out how to soften you up —the reason why he's so interested in doing so right now is beyond you. You can see the conflict there, the way he’s holding back—just like you are—but neither of you is willing to be the first to crack.

“How’s the um…” Joel starts again, voice softer now, “how’s the ankle? Healing alright?”

It’s such a simple question, but it feels like a loaded one. You swallow hard, the anger bubbling up in your chest. “Just peachy.” you say through gritted teeth, still not looking at him. “Let’s watch the game.”

Joel shifts beside you. You can feel him trying, can sense the struggle in him to connect in some way, but you won’t give him the satisfaction. Not after the week you’ve had, not after the way he’s been messing with your head.

He’s quiet for a few minutes, and you almost think he’s given up—until he tries again. “Look, I know we haven’t talked since—” he starts, but you cut him off with a sharp shake of your head.

“Drop it, Joel,” you mutter, so low your dad can’t hear. You still don’t meet his eyes. “Not now.”

Joel lets out a breath, and you feel the tension between you tighten, like a rope pulling tighter and tighter with every second that passes. He falls silent again, and for a while, the only sounds in the room are the commentators on the TV and your dad’s occasional cheers or groans at the game.

But it doesn’t feel over. The conversation, the tension, the unsaid words—it’s all still there, simmering beneath the surface, and you know it’s only a matter of time before something gives.

At halftime, your dad stands up to stretch his legs. You’re almost relieved when he breaks the silence, muttering something about his age. Joel laughs stiffly before replying with a quiet “Ditto.”

“I ran into Maryanne the other day, you know, the one from down the street. She was askin’ after you.” your dad says, grinning like it’s nothing. “Wanted to know if you ever got her message. You planning on callin’ her back?”

Joel hesitates, and you catch the slight shift in his posture from the corner of your eye. Your dad’s words hang in the air like a loaded gun, and suddenly, the room feels too small, too stifling.

Your stomach twists. Without thinking, you stand up abruptly, ignoring the sharp pang in your ankle as you do. “I need some air,” you mutter, voice clipped.

“Hey! Use the crutches kid, doctor said you still need ‘em.” Your dad calls after you.

“I’m fine dad, I’ll be out for just a second.” you don’t bother looking back as you make long strides towards the door.

You make it to the porch, the cool air doing little to calm the storm raging inside you. You lean against the railing, gripping it so hard your knuckles turn white. You’re furious—furious at him, at yourself, at this whole damn situation. How did you let it get this far? How did you let Joel Miller, of all people, get under your skin like this?

Minutes pass before you hear the door creak open behind you. You don’t have to turn around to know who it is. You can feel his presence, heavy and familiar. He’s quiet as he steps out onto the porch, giving you a little space, like he knows better than to push his luck right now. You only hear him setting the crutches up against the railing, next to where you stand.

“You alright?” he asks, his voice rougher now, not as soft as it was earlier. There’s a wariness to it, like he’s testing the waters, unsure of how far he can go.

You don’t turn to look at him. “Let’s not do this.”

“Do what?”

“Acting like you care while I act like I don’t.”

He shifts behind you, and you can hear the hesitation in his breath before he responds. “I do.”

You huff out a bitter laugh. “Funny way of showing it.”

He doesn’t answer right away, and you hate how the silence stretches between you, filling the space with all the things you’re not saying. Finally, he steps closer, but not too close—just enough that you can feel his presence at your back.

“I’m sorry for last week. It wasn’t right, I was… in a mood. Had nothing to do with you.” The lie is heavy on his lips, you can tell even though you haven’t known him long enough to figure out all his tells.

“Seems like it had a lot to do with me, couldn’t wait to get me out of there.” You’re being petty, you know. But he’s pushing you and you can only be patient for so long.

“Don't be like that…”

“So, how’s the whole gardening thing working out for you?” you press him, pumping the brattiness up a notch.

He stares at you, a glimmer of frustration rising in his eyes. “'Bout as well as ignoring doctor’s orders to rest your ankle, I’d imagine.”

You narrow your eyes at him, resisting the urge to snap back. “I’m doing just fine, thanks.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” he mutters, his tone laced with sarcasm. “You’re real good at takin’ care of yourself.”

Your jaw tightens, but you keep your voice steady. “I don’t need someone to babysit me.”

“That what you think I’m doin’?” He steps a little closer, his voice dropping lower, almost challenging. “Babysittin’?”

You look away, the intensity in his gaze making it hard to hold. “I don’t know what you’re doing, Joel. One minute you’re... I don’t even know, and the next you’re pushing me away.”

He’s quiet for a moment, and you can feel the weight of his eyes on you. “Maybe I’m just tryin’ to do the right thing.”

“By keeping me at arms length?” you ask, finally turning to look at him again. There’s a vulnerability in your voice that you hate, but it slips out anyway.

“By not makin’ things harder than they need to be,” he says, his tone softening slightly, though there’s still a hint of frustration there.

You sigh, the fight draining out of you. “Yeah, well, it’s clearly not working out great.”

The silence that follows is heavy, filled with all the things neither of you is willing to say. But there’s a shift in the air, a slight easing of the tension that’s been coiling between you both.

“Look,” he says after a moment, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to… I just—”

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, not wanting to hear whatever half-assed apology he’s about to offer. “We’re fine.”

He nods, though you can tell he’s not entirely convinced. “Yeah. We’re fine.”

You both stand there for a few more seconds, the conversation lingering in the air like smoke, not fully dissipating but not choking you either.

“Guess we should head back in,” you finally say, breaking the silence. Your voice is calmer now, the anger simmering down to a low burn.

“Yeah,” he agrees, stepping back to give you space. “We should.”

You turn to head inside—using your crutches this time— and for a brief moment, your shoulder brushes against his. The contact is brief, almost accidental, but it sends a jolt through you. Neither of you acknowledges it, but the feeling lingers as you walk back into the house.

As you settle back into the living room, there’s still an odd tension between you, something unspoken that neither of you wants to touch. The game is back on, and you both pretend to watch, but your thoughts are elsewhere, circling around everything that was just said—and everything that wasn’t.

It’s not perfect, and it’s not exactly comfortable, but it’s better than before. The air is clearer, if only slightly, and though the weird vibes linger, you both settle into a truce of sorts.

For now, it’ll have to be enough.

Tag list: @yesjazzywazzylove-blog , @untamedheart81 , @mellymbee , @wintersquirrel , @chyannealaniz , @spiderman-n-n, @ghostofzion , @sjc7542 , @yyiikes , @pedrofan

[natspookie]

petal

natasha romanoff x fem!florist

☆ summary : natasha takes a detour to a flower shop

an, not proofread and sloppy :,)

not born with much wealth in the city, nor nothing, nature was what grounded you. by the age of 6 you were drawing your future flower shop as your dream job.

sure enough, you worked your way to putting up your own flower shop, just as you dreamt of.

you had many customers that you saw at least once a week, knowing which ones they picked out at the back of your mind.

you were just about finished with an arrangement of daisies and baby breaths when the sound of the white french doors opening, caught your attention.

you looked up to see a redhaired woman that you had never seen in your flower-shop. you brightened, hoping to make a new friend.

she looked around quietly, only the sound of your music playing softly, when she halted in front of some specific flowers to the left of the cashier.

“those are my favorites, very pretty ones” you said as she looked as if she were deciding whether to get them

“what are they called?” she said with a hoarse voice, almost ever so quietly,

“aster amellus… you looking for anything in particular?” your eyebrows raised curiously when you finally met her green eyes.

“oh, no. i-um- i don’t know much about flowers” half lie, she knew of the venomous ones.

“well i’d be happy to entertain any questions if you’d like” you tilted your head a little as she turned back to the purple flowers she was looking at earlier.

truth be told, natasha just saw you from outside and decided she would have made a big mistake if she just walked right past your shop.

“would you mind helping me pick for the dining or living room” she looked back at you

“hmm.. i’ve got a lot of ideas in mind” you giggled resting your elbow on the marble counter and your head on your hand, thinking about it.

“surprise me” she said with a small smile

“would you like a variation or only one kind?” you stood up from your stool and only then did the redhead take in your full figure.

only a few inches shorter than her, you wore a navy blue and white maxi dress with ribbons as the strap. hair tied up in a half pony tail.

you wandered around the shop, picking some quite loud flowers and some quiet ones in contrast.

natasha couldn’t tear her eyes away from you. you radiated such softness she had never felt.

she on the other hand, wore a sweater steve had knitted with some black pants.

“i take probably 5 minutes or so to arrange these, would you mind waiting ?” you made your way in front of her.

“i don’t mind at all” she said staring as you smiled “alright” you grabbed a stool for her and set it in front of your counter and cashier spot.

“so what’s your name, if you don’t mind?” she paused for a moment.

“natasha”

“natasha” you repeated. her name rolled off your tongue so smoothly she took her seat, fiddling with her fingers. “that’s a lovely name”

“thank you, what about you?” she eyed your top for a nametag. “no name tag” she smirked

“i find it better to see who cares enough to ask” you laughed, cutting some stems off. “it’s y/n”

“nice to meet you” natasha reached her hand out impulsively. she was screaming a handful of swear words in her head. ‘this is so stupid’ ‘a handshake? - really natasha?!’

you looked at her hand and smiled widely “i love a good handshake” you took her hand and shook it before going back to what you were doing.

“since this is for your dining room or living room, would you want a vase? instead of me wrapping this in paper”

“whatever it needs” natasha laughed “sure” a smile crept onto your face as you arranged the flowers in a clear vase.

“voilà!” you turned it to her and though she didn’t know any of the names of the flowers in this areangement, she found it as stunning as the one who made it.

“it’s great, thanks y/n. i’ll pay in cash” you put the vase with flowers in a bag so it wouldn’t be so hard to carry.

”the vase is on the house” you sent her a playful wink which left her mind spiraling.

“you didn’t have to, but i appreciate it” natasha took bag and smiled at you.

“well i hope you enjoy the flowers and come back, natasha” “oh i will, sweetheart” her confidence came back as she inched away from you, earning you to shake your head with laughter.

—————

the next time you saw natasha was a week after she last came. this time, she entered with a frown, holding an empty vase.

you waved goodbye to a customer and greeted her with a smile.

“you need to tell me how you keep them alive” she set the vase down and slumped against the counter.

“oh no natasha, what happened” you stifled a laugh, amused by this.

“well i forgot to ask what i needed to do so i just left it there and by the time i realized i needed to take care of it, it was too late”

“you left it alone for one week” you raised a brow

“maybe” she murmured looking behind you

“would you like a new set of flowers?” you asked “please” “the same kind?”

“surprise me”

it went the same as last time, except she stayed to talk more even after you finished.

“do you mind if we exchanged numbers? y’know.. so i can call you for help or text?”

‘wow natasha, smooth’ she thought

“sure! here you go” you handed her your phone and she did the same.

“i have to go, but thank you for this” she raised the vase with flowers

“my pleasure! i hope you enjoy, dont kill the flowers, and come back again soon natasha” you waved and she did the same

——-

after chatting almost every day about random things, natasha came back 2 more times before she came again, without the vase.

“oh don’t tell me you broke the vase” you said cocking you head with your hand on your hip

“ha ha, very funny y/l/n” “so what’s the flowers for today?”

“i want aster amellus and whatever you think someone would like to receive”

“natasha dating someone??? wooo” you giggled

“yeah-yeah im not so sure” natasha shook her head, sitting on the stool you always have out for her.

“well now i have to make this extra for whoever they are! but come on, any person would be lucky to go out with you” natasha laughed “what about you? any plans for tonight?” natasha asked you

“unfortunately not, probably watching a shitty movie or somethin” natasha hummed

“vase or paper?” “paper” natasha leaned forward in the counter, overlooking all the wrapping. “payment” natasha slid the bill forward and you thanked her

“here you go” you handed it to her and she smiled

“y/n?” “hm?” “for you.. if you wanna have dinner and watch a shitty movie together tonight”

you stopped breathing for a moment

“...me?” you asked baffled “who else?” natasha smiled coyly “no offense but.. you can do way much better” you accepted the flowers from her

“is this you rejecting me?” she raised a brow “no! just- thank you” “you’re thanking me for asking you out?” “kinda” “you’re silly, petal” “petal, i like that” you smiled “pick you up by 8:30! don’t be late”

“i wouldn’t dream of it”

[drinkabletoxicdishsoap]

drop ur antony headcanons pls

Thank you for asking me anon!!! I love to share my headcanons about him he’s so silly!!

1. I feel like more than half of his closet is just graphic tees/t-shirts. That’s like the only kind of shirt he wears.

2. For his crush on Dejah, he acts like a stuttering and complete mess of front of her. Super awkward and everything. But she doesn’t mind! I think she finds it and him very sweet. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched my little pony friendship is magic, but they give me Shining Armor x Cadence vibes.

3. I’d like to think he played an instrument as a kid. He was probably a band kid.

4. Whenever he went to zoos as a kid or even now, he rushes to the reptile section. It’s most likely for him to look at iguanas since he’s in the iguana society. Though I feel like he loves every single kind of reptile.

5. He’s the Godzilla’s movies #1 fan. Bro RUNS to the theaters whenever a new movie drops. He always cheers on Godzilla for the Godzilla vs. literal any creature or just any Godzilla movie in general.

6. Amusement park enthusiast. He absolutely LOVES any and all kinds of amusement parks. He will ride absolutely anything!! Maybe not the VERY VERY high rollercoasters but he will ride anything and everything else. He’s still a kid at heart.

7. His favorite holiday is basically any where he can spend time with his family. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween are his top ones. He loves going trick or treating with Hazel and I feel like they always had matching Halloween costumes.

8. He played some sports as a kid. I have no idea which ones but I feel like he’d be a soccer kid (maybe I’m bias because I play soccer LMAO).

9. Secretly LOVES reality tv shows. He acts like he doesn’t, but whenever Angela has it on he sits next to her and watches it. They totally gossip about it together.

10. He will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for Hazel. He cares so much about her.

11. Whenever the Wells Family is on a trip, he’s the one to suggest excursions and everything like that.

12. Energy drinks are his LIFE. He doesn’t drink coffee but bro will absolutely DOWN any energy drink.

13. I feel like he helps build whatever ghost hunting or paranormal investigation invention Marcus wants. He probably even helped him build the the ghost one that we see in the show! He doesn’t really get his dad’s obsession with the paranormal but he will forever cheer his dad on!

14. Since he now knows about Cosmo, Peri, and Wanda, he will guard their secret with his life for Hazel. He helps when they have a few little slips. I feel like he would get along great with Cosmo and Wanda! He definitely appreciates what they’ve done for his little sister. He tries to get along with Peri but I feel like they don’t really get along at first. You know, younger brother vs older brother. Maybe they do get along but at first, absolutely not.

15. He’s a great cook! He helps cook meals for Hazel whenever his parents are out and about.

16. He has silly little karaoke nights with Hazel :3

That’s all the headcanons I have for him <33 if I do think of more I’ll either edit the post or make a new post about it! Thank you for the ask anon!! And thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day or night :3

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Favorite Character Poll

Rules: Make a poll with five of your all time favorite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone’s favorite! (Sorry, non-Yanks, I had to drop the U from your favourite! I felt like a poser to keep it!)

Thanks for the tag @camille-lachenille ! As I have a particular affinity for smaller, lesser known characters, I’m hesitant to put my actual faves in a poll for fear that no one will vote for them. So here are 5 well established LOTR characters instead, all of whom I deeply love even if they aren’t at the tippy top of my personal rankings:

But just know my actual LOTR list based on canon would be Háma, Elfhelm, Ioreth, Fatty and Théodred!

(And my Silm list would be Haleth, Gwindor, Nienna/Mandos (they’re a pair to me, sorry), Aerin and Ecthelion.)

No pressure tags to @emmanuellececchi @highkingpetermagnificent @asianbutnotjapanese @thetempleofthemasaigoddess @thranduilseyebrows

[punkitt-is-here]

i personally have never watched any Ponies stuff before Gen 4, EXCEPT this one YouTube video of Gen 3 titled "Minty being autistic for 6 minutes straight", which is probably in the top 5 most pleasant-to-watch videos i've ever seen.

like i don't know if i would get anything out of the rest of the show, but that video is literally such a great video!!

this is my new favorite video of all time me and my girlfriend were wheezing laughing at this

[magg0t-king]

Yo! So I saw your OC Tony awhile back, and I just really wanna learn more about that him.

Any specific headcanons for him?

GRAAAAHHH TY FOR ASKING ABOUT HIM (Keep them questions comin'!!/hj?)

uhh... CW'S: Idk.. Butchie? Horrorporn quick mention. I guess home life mention? Nothing bad ig. There's no actual explicit or NSFW stuff in here. Maybe a joke or two, but these are mostly silly stuff. Might wrote more about him later

🫁To start, his childhood wasn't shitty, but it wasn't great yknow? The good ol' toxic masculine dad and busy yapping mom. Plus being bullied wasn't the most ideal.

🫁 Believe it or not, this man DID IN FACT graduate from med school with an MD (A doctor of medicine (MD) is a physician who has earned a medical degree and is qualified to treat patients).. Thus meaning that this man can legally perform surgeries!!! He's not stupid, just a creep.

🫁His favorite game series us Postal, def in the top 5% for playing the game the most. Dirty Dangles (P4 brain damage) is his ringtone.

🫁Does this man take abuse? No. Despite obviously being totally frraky in da sheets with butchie, TONY THROWS THEM PUNCHES BACK! Lovingly... Sorta.

🫁Also he and Butchie aren't dating. It's like a fwb kind of situation... Sorta... They go to concerts together.

🫁His 'voice claim' (or whatever) is Billy Ray Stillwell from Twisted Metal Black, a good ol' southern boy. (this guy btw)

🫁He's pretty loaded from his work. Physician during the day, Horror pornstar at night, illegal body mods on the weekends! Reow!

🫁 He knows how to use a shotgun. Don't undermine his skills.

🫁As said in a few posts ago, he shares an apartment with Pete... Which it's not exactly the most ideal living situation, but hey- it works... Kinda!

🫁Does he have a dog? No. Cat? Nuh uh. A pet fish??? Hell no!... THIS MAN HAS A FUCKING KING COBRA AS A PET! It eats the apartments rats and likes sleeping beside him. The cobras name is Daria.

🫁This mans immune system is so damn high... Give him syphilis and he'll be as good as new within half a week! Can't handle his shrooms tho sooooooooooo...

🫁Tonys favorite horror movie is actually American Mary! Tame, bloody, and totes girl boss.

🫁He likes My little pony because it's the only animated series to catch his short lived attention.. Rainbow dash jar?? WHAT-

🫁This man isn't a short twink. Hes a 6'3, sweaty texan who has a huge love for gar and ugly ass fish.

🫁Butchie went to his med school graduation. That's all I'm gonna say.

🫁Uhhhhhhhh..... Idk. Tony has a janky ass lowrider. Like- the AC sucks, the radio is shit, and it smells like gas station pizza all the time... But it gets the job done.. And it can go duper fast!!!! Vrooooooom!!!

🫁Please ask Tony about MLP or Postal. He hyperfixates SOOO HARD on those.

🫁Certified drum player!!

🫁He loves old PS2 games...

🫁ALSOALSOALSOALSO- Did I mention that he can to a successful backflip??? Yeah eltingville ocs... Beat that! 🙄/j

[draftmlpfim]

rating all mane six ships

just the monogamy ones sry guys </3 feel free to request ones i haven't done if you want in my askbox

twilight x pinkie 6/10 - i like it esp w rarijack and flutterdash, but im a big fan of single twilight idk why. i might be remembering incorrectly but i think i really shipped them when the movie came out bc they had scenes together in that which were cute

twilight x dash 7/10 - ngl kinda interesting, esp w that episode where twilight teaches dash the history of the wonderbolts, but again single twilight is top tier

twilight x aj 8/10 - favorite twilight ship within the mane six. sry guys but her and aj are the most mature imo and they are the moms of the group so this makes sense to me

twilight x rarity 2/10 - eh not interesting to me

twilight x fluttershy 5/10 - kinda neutral, a little interesting but not really

pinkie x dash 3/10 - idk why it was always so important to me but i think they're closer than they are w the rest of the mane six, but i dont think it would ever be romantic. i blame that one tea party playset they came in together (w celestia for some reason) that labeled them as "pony friends forever"

pinkie x aj 0/10 - even if they aren't technically related, they call each other cousin n shit so that's gross

pinkie x rarity 6/10 - only bc rarijack <3 and im a shitty multishipper, but they are very cute and compliment each other in a unique way. wish we had more episodes with them being the focus

pinkie x fluttershy 1/10 - sry this wouldn't work. nine out of ten times pinkie is the one triggering fluttershy's anxiety lol

dash x aj 4/10 - i know they're technically canon and i think butch x butch ships need to happen in media more, but i just never really saw it happening. also multishipper thing and flutterdash rarijack, but i honestly did not see romantic chemistry between them

dash x rarity 8/10 - purely for the plot. this would be really really interesting

dash x fluttershy 100/10 - my personal favorite mlp ship. canon for me, childhood friends to lovers, even funnier that fluttershy's brother is so annoying at dash. also love that they have lunch with fluttershy's parents and i imagine that after that one ep they do it w dash's parents too

aj x rarity 10/10 - im such a sucker for opposites attract so :) also i like the idea that they're the type of couple that's hardly ever together but when they are its so perfect and they make each other so happy :)

aj x fluttershy 7/10 - cottagecore lesbian ship cool

rarity x fluttershy 5/10 - similar to my feelings about pinkiedash, i can only really see them being super close friends sry

other popular ships here

[coatl-cuddles]

PLEASE infodump to me, how do we know for a fact the skiddo in the trailers and concert is the prince? I am starved for Alef lore

💫 HAYYY~~~~ 💫

I will GLADLY info dump about my favorite sky kids!!

SPOILER WARNING FOR ANYONE WHO HASNT COMPLETED AURORA!

Obligatory nothing is absolutely confirmed in sky unless stated by creators since there's no dialogue. So lots of stuff is always up to interpretation.

Howeverrrr the likelihood of Alef being the sky kid we see is essentially 99.9%!!

So here we go!!!

First thing to note is that the spirit from isle and the concert is totally the same Sky Kid. And we can tell thanks to MAMA Spirit! Or well- the adoptive mama spirit! More specifically... the adoptive mama spirit who unfortunately dies :(

One of the FIRST spirits in the game is a feminine looking ancestor with a relatively high pony tail, who discovers a fallen sky child (likely to be Alef)! This occurs in the Isle of Dawn!

Then, in the concert, we get a similar looking spirit ( high ponytail ) who ALSO took in a sky child-- who dies tragically :( leaving the sky child orphaned and alone.

Granted it is a different body type!!! But considering the amount of retcons and redesigns of areas / updates to the game around this time I'll look past it for now. But regardless, ponytail stays the same.

And of course lastly is our mama from the trailers with our Dawn Ember :(

Who is also wearing a bag on her shoulders like the aurora spirit (you can see the rope strap!)- and who also tragically loses her life as confirmed by TGC during the anniversary livestream. This can be found when they state it's the tale of two ORPHANS... implying our Dawn Ember does not have a guardian. Or at least not anymore. (Which also implies our Dusk Ember/The Stewards parents who gave him the butterfly pendant ALSO die, but that's for another time)

Something to note is that Sky Kids and ancestors are NOT the same race. They are completely different. Ancestors do have children!! But Sky Kids are a separate thing.

And they're rare.

Very rare.

So rare in fact that it's heavily believed by the fandom that Alef/Resh was the FIRST sky kid.

So the likelihood of two different pony tailed ancestors (who live in the Isle of Dawn AND who die tragically) adopting a sky kid is SUPER UNLIKELY!

So that's how we vaguely know it's the SAME Sky kid. BUT!! Most importantly, we know the Sky Kid is Alef forrrrr kinda shallow reasons, but they hold water!!! So it counts!!!

Which is basically to sayyyy... Dawn Ember is wearing a baby version of King Resh's mask.

So like- not the most GROUND BREAKING lore reveal. But---

Like-

Yeah,

That's our favorite star prince right there!

Also the implication that he got the extra four points AFTER prophecy, explains why as a kid he only has the main 4 points at the top and sides. Plus he already has suspiciously placed "cracks" in his mask where the 4 other points will come out of. That's our baby boy for sure!!!

Obviously, this isn't concrete proof of tgc just going HEY that's Alef!

However, for a game with zero dialogue and the most complex game of charades ever, this is basically as good as it's gonna get when it comes to tying everything together!

Also his name is Dawn.

Dawn Ember. For isle of Dawn. Which took me until 5 minutes ago to realize.

Which explains a lot, because we've all been kinda side eyeing the names like why tf did they name Hopeful Steward the Dusk Ember. But, if they're naming them off of AREAS and not literally the day/night motif that makes sense. Especially since a ton of Dusk Embers trailer scenes seem to take place in Wasteland, which the devs call the Dusk area. Despite him probably being from prairie or aviary village.

So badabing badaboom that's our baby boy right there!!! 3 different ways. 3 different flavors!!! All for the sake of mama spirit dying. Tragic. But that's our boy alrighttttt yayyy!!!!!!!!

Watch me be totally 100% wrong and all the fanart make zero sense a couple months from now. BUT IM DYING ON THIS HILL (for now!)

🎉🎉 That's our Prince right there!! 🎉🎉

[im-normal-about-everything]

we never yap anymore in small occasional intervals the way we used to (I'm DELULU) 😆

top 5-10 favorite outsiders fanfics 321 go!

gang my phone broke so I'm using my mom's and haven't had access to tumblr a lot 😭😭 I miss the yapping

Okkayyy I LOVE RANTING ABOUT FICS OMGGG (these aren't really in order, just ones I really enjoy) (also only complete works so mostly one shots but wtv)

1: I am a SUCKER for PaperCut, especially with loser, pining Curly.

2: I love soda soooo much and he's so silly omggg (also background Papercut)

3: this is the first work in a series and I LOVE IT SOOO MUCH. really anything by this author is amazing!!!

4: another Papercut fic, do you see a pattern??

5: TEMPORARY OF COURSE I LOVE YOU LND!!

6:pony is going THROUGH it y'all

7: I haven't actually finished this one yet but it's sooooo good so far

8: I love pony and darry sooo much

9: gang is protective of pony, but what's new?

10: two-bit and pony mean a lottt to meee

[deanoheartspie]

Sunshine 5

Pairing: Cowboy Sheriff Dean x City Gal Reader

Summary: After your family cut you off, your great-aunt Laura invited you over to her ranch you often visited when you were just a child... You drive through the beautiful town until you accidentally graze a horse that just so happens to be the sheriffs...

Warnings: None

A/N: I've gotten some feedback on my writing! So this is my first attempt at trying to make it better and make it make sense for all! I really do appreciate suggestions with writing/about the book, also love hearing what you have to say about the characters.

(MIGHT REWRITE!! Depending on how I feel about it)

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Y/N POV

The beautiful grassy fields, full of bright colorful flowers, and the clouds in the most beautiful blue sky ever seen. It was like it was picture-perfect almost too good to be true. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't you'd never know for sure.

Most of all though... Dean. He was a good man, you could tell by just the way he carried himself or the way he cared about others.

You've never laughed as hard or had genuine conversations as you had this afternoon with no other than the gruff cowboy. Family members never really cared or even tried to seem interested in what you had to say but when they did they were only interested in how it'd affect their precious images.

After he left though, grumbling about having to chase some dog again earning a laugh from you and a simple 'good luck' he ran off after walking me back. True gentleman I must say.

“Hey, Laura do you need help with anything?” You tiredly ask desperately wanting to drown yourself in a nice hot shower.

The older woman looks up from her knitting and smiles as she shakes her head “No thank you sweetheart, how did today go? Did he go easy on ya?” She asked as she went back to what she was doing glancing up at you a few times.

Easy? Maybe he did? He didn't seem as bossy as he usually was had they talked to him?

“You could say that... He did teach me a lot. I appreciate you guys letting me stay here” You thank them probably for the one-hundredth time this week.

“That's good. He's very good at what he does, and quit thankin' us we are family and family helps one another. Now shoo! Go relax, you are probably exhausted its getting way too hot out there”

You smile and nod, giving her a quick hug before running up to the room.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Drying off your hair, tossing a tank top, and your favorite soft pajama pants that most definitely would get ruined here if something were to happen.

The creaking wood floors, announce you to everyone downstairs causing Dean and a little girl to look at you... Smiling at them you wave.

“Who's this little one?” You ask but can see the resemblance between the two, was this who Lina Linda Lisa was? Whatever her name was talking about that day on the sidewalk?

“My daughter” His usual gruff and annoyed voice was non-existent. He sounded happier.

The big ole green-eyed little girl had the biggest smile on her face as she leaned back and forth on her plastic princess heels. She was practically a carbon copy of Dean, but as a young girl and boy was she adorable.

“Hello! I'm Rory” She stuck her tiny hand out, You gently shook her hand the same smile stuck on your face.

“Nice to meet you, Rory! I'm Y/n”

Rory quietly thought for a moment, it felt like a mini interview, and god that made you anxious.

“Do you like ponies?” she asked squinting her eyes, acting as if she was asking the most important question ever.

Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head while he had a small smile of amusement wondering how this would go.

“Hm, are they magical ponies or normal ones?”

She tapped her chin, before reaching up to her father who knew the look she gave him probably way too well because right away he handed her a unicorn stuffed animal. “Obviously the ones that can fly!” Aurora said in a duh tone, pointing up at you, you look around curious as to what/why she was exactly pointing for.

“Aurora what did I say about pointing? It's rude.” Dean's voice echoed from the hallway, he was on his way into the kitchen.

“I like her, you date her?” She said, causing Dean to spit out his coffee and start coughing his lungs out. Your eyes widen in surprise, who would've thought a simple question about magical freakin' horses would lead to this?

“You can't keep doin' that, sweet pea. She's my friend, and that's all.” He explained, cleaning up his mess while the little girl nodded before shrugging.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The rest of the night went well, You and Rory played for a bit while Dean cooked. Giving him credit where it's due, he's a pretty damn good cook if you must say yourself. Though half the things he does make will mostly take 30 years off your life. That donut burger was worth it though...

Bedtime came around, and Aurora fell asleep in your arms safe and sound. Following Dean up to his room after he offered plenty of times to take Rory off of your shoulders after you refused not wanting to wake the young lady.

What you hadn't noticed before when you had woken the man up this morning was the little princess bed on the other end of the bedroom full of toys and stuffed animals.

“Sorry,” He whispered pushing everything off to the side neatly, grabbing a big t-shirt and gently putting it on Rory, before taking her from your arms and tucking her in.

Oddly enough this felt normal. Though it probably shouldn't have. Friends, friends are what we are and that's it.

“Good night Dean.” You say halfway out the bedroom door when he says something that caught you off guard.

“Will you have a drink with me?” He asked standing up straight and walking towards you with a tiny smile.

A drink with Dean? That actually sounds kinda nice.

“Sure. Though I'm surprised you still haven't learned your lesson from last night's drunken mess” You tease, flashing off your pearly whites as he rolls his eyes guiding you downstairs out to the front porch.

He hands me a nice cold beer before plopping himself down onto the front porch stairs, looking up at the starry night sky. Even at night, this place was beautiful.

“So, you never told me why you're here in the first place Darlin',” He said breaking the silence, putting his full attention onto you.

“Runaway bride.” You say shortly, with a tiny shrug before taking a sip of the liquid. Dean's were wide before he broke into a fit of laughter, shaking his head

“No really why are you here?” He asked again calming himself down, the smile still on his face and his face all red from the laughing.

“Runaway bride.” You say slower this time, in all seriousness. The smile was quick to leave his face and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his face.

“Your fuckin' with me right? That stuff only happens on telenovelas” Dean was leaning his head back against the railing, still in shock.

“Nope.”

“Y/n why do you sound so calm about this? What'd he do to have you run off to the middle of nowhere and pick up horse shit for the rest of your life” Dean asked, running his fingers through his hair before finishing off his beer.

“It was set up, arranged marriage. Didn't want to go through with it so I left plain and simple.” You get up stretching your arms grabbing the small blanket from the swinging couch, wrapping it around yourself.

“You shock me every day. I won't have some crazy man comin' here demanding you right? I ain't gonna get in a fight for you sweetheart pretty and all but I have a kid and I'm already on thin ice.” He seriously says while never once looking away from you.

“I don't expect you to get in a fight for me and no, there should be no man coming here to fight you” You roll your eyes, men were stupid sad thing was you did want someone to love, and protect you. But then again that only happened in fairytales, this was fair from one.

“Glad we are on the same page. But as the sheriff, I'd have to help ya out so just gimmie a call”

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

----Tag list----

@deans-spinster-witch @leigh70 @mrsjenniferwinchester @ladysparkles78 @hobby27 @khaleesihavilliard @foxyjwls007 @lucidlivi @jc-winchester @globetrotter28 @beskarfilms @the141bandicoot @alysinwonderland-at-tea @randomgurl2326 @ambergoddess444 @westernwinchesters @lemmons1998 @julie040904 @nic-kolas @raisinggray @alternativeprincess

[jerzwriter]

week 6

rules: put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for their favorite! <3

I'm going to do something a little different this week. Since I've done this for 5 weeks, I'm going to put the top selection (based on your votes) from the past 5 weeks and see who the BIG winner is. :)

[leechfur]

my top ten twincest ships (in order from least to most favorite (love them all a lof tho))

10. hiiragicest

(tsukasa hiiragi x kagami hiiragi ; lucky☆star)

9. pinecest

(mabel pines x dipper pines ; gravity falls)

8. hitachiincest

(hikaru hitachiin x kaoru hitachiin ; ouran high school host club)

7. flimflam brothers

(flim x flam ; my little pony: friendship is magic)

6. despaircest

(junko enoshima x mukuro ikusaba ; danganronpa)

5. hänsel and gretel

(hänsel x gretel ; black lagoon)

4. stancest

(stanley pines x stanford pines ; gravity falls)

3. sonozakicest

(shion sonozaki x mion sonozaki ; higurashi when they cry)

2. ikedacest

(chizuru ikeda x chitose ikeda ; yuruyuri)

1. anarchycest 🎊🎉

(stocking anarchy x panty anarchy ; panty & stocking with garterbelt)

AND THATS ALL!!! this was actually really hard because there were MORE than ten that i liked and really wanted to add 😭 i never realized how much i liked twincest til now...waow..

if there are any twincest ships u like that i didn't add feel free to comment them. i need to add to my collection

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Why hello! I don’t see why we can’t keep the Top 5 trend alive in the new year so…

From one chronic rewatcher to another, what are your top 5 most rewatched scenes?

Sorry this took so long, @wen-kexing-apologist! I'm just now getting back to posting a bit more regularly after the holidays got me totally off track, and this question brought up a lot of Thoughts so I've been chipping away at it for weeks.

So, um, this is the best question ever. Except it’s the meanest question ever, because I'm terrible at choosing between things like this.

I am a massive rewatcher, whether you’re talking about whole series, episodes, or scenes. Scenes especially. Why watch an entire thing when you can go right for the best part/s and watch them over and over? This is also one of the reasons I have way too many gifs saved on my phone.

I thought about coming up with a list that was based more on what would make a good post, and/or what would make me look less uncool, than what I actually rewatch the most. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted to be honest instead. So at the risk of seeming even more like an Utsukare obsessive and overall one-trick pony, I'm going to talk about the five scenes I think I've actually rewatched the most, even though four of them are from my perennial obsession.

The four Utsukushii Kare scenes are in the order they occur in the series, not from most rewatched to least. Then I'll talk about a fifth scene from another series that I've been pretty vocal about appreciating, and I'll mention some runners-up.

“who do you like, him or me?”

If gif posts are any indication—gifs are the smallest increment of rewatching, after all—some of my favorite scenes to rewatch aren’t that popular with other rewatchers. This one gets gif’ed, sure, as you can see. But it's not as popular a choice for this kind of treatment as a lot of other Utsukare scenes.

There are a few reasons this one is a favorite of mine. One is that I tend to like some jealousy in my romance. I have my theories about why it’s so appealing to me specifically, but I’m not entirely sure how to explain it. I also love a good aggressive shirt-grab. (Utsukare certainly delivers these regularly.) But the main reason I keep coming back to this moment is that in just a few sentences, a bunch of character development happens. Well, I guess it would be more correct to call it character revelation. This is the first time we really see this side of Kiyoi, and in that respect, it foreshadows the big perspective shift that’s just around the corner. The viewer picks up a lot of hints that Kiyoi has feelings for Hira prior to this point (even if Hira remains stubbornly oblivious to them). We’ve even seen Kiyoi kiss Hira already (even if he did push him to the ground a split second later). But this is the first time we see such direct evidence of the strength of his feelings for Hira. Kiyoi is so unguarded for this brief moment. The mask slips and what’s underneath is total desperation.

Hira, of course, misses the real meaning of what Kiyoi is saying despite how obvious it is. Which means it's also the viewers’ first indication of how intensely Hira clings to his favored view of reality in the face of evidence to the contrary.

"sorry I like you"

This is another scene where so much is happening in a short span, all because Kiyoi got desperate enough to talk about all of the unspoken bullshit between him and Hira. As usual, Hira doesn’t get it. But he might be starting to. 

This scene is pretty rough watching in some ways. When this episode first aired and it ended with this scene followed by each of them on their own and feeling terrible, I was a bit of a mess. It was silly of me to worry. There were plenty of favorable signs in the preview for the finale. I knew the novels had a happy ending. But it was just so sad and so real that it got to me anyway. But I also enjoyed it, because for an obsessive analyzer like myself, seeing these important relationship dynamics finally come to the surface in such concentrated form was fascinating. It was also a relief to see things out in the open.

Both leads turn in such great performances here. Yagi Yusei really steps up. It’s even more impressive given his relative lack of acting experience. His performance is so raw and affecting. If he had been less vulnerable, Kiyoi’s point about how contradictory Hira’s actions and statements are could seem like a kind of “gotcha” moment designed to win an argument--like he was pointing out that Hira was hypocritical in a bid to score points. Instead, Yagi shows viewers how deeply being caught in this double bind with Hira has hurt Kiyoi. 

Hagiwara Riku, in contrast, portrays Hira as so confused that he’s basically dissociated. Hira has a really strong tendency to see the world in whatever way suits him, regardless of the truth. Kiyoi’s words force Hira to set his usual narrative aside and see how much clinging to it is hurting the person he claims to love, and it throws him off to such an extent that he seems to be experiencing a form of psychomotor slowing. He looks like he’s moving through molasses. He can’t form sentences, or at times, even words. His normally expressive eyes seem like they’ve shrunk to half their normal size. He’s really come unmoored, and it shows. The more I think about Hagiwara’s work in this scene the more impressed I am by the insight and physical control he had to bring to bear in order for it to work. 

Of course, if I watched this scene on its own habitually, this level of blorbo distress might take a toll on my mental health. Which is why I usually follow it up with…

"I'm not going to kiss you for a while"

I’m busting out the bullet points for this one because otherwise it might take me all day.

This scene works on so many levels!

Well, the main ones are:

Relationship progress! Character growth! 

The whole kiss fakeout thing is hot

Hira gets some payback and frankly, he deserves it

The other highlights for me are: 

Even after repeated viewings and knowing very well what happened in the story, I still feel kind of relieved to see that Kiyoi came back, especially right after rewatching the scene prior to this one. 

When Kiyoi asks Hira why he thinks he came home and he says, “to punch me?" he does it in the most weirdly cute way.

Kiyoi’s absolutely lethal snotty face/voice when he responds to the possibility of punching Hira with “maybe” is so perfect that it's hard not to think that Hira might have a point about this whole King deal. 

Hira apologizes and it’s actually sincere and not just some knee-jerk bullshit. 

The way Hira closes his eyes and waits for Kiyoi to smack him is a rare case of him actually letting go and putting himself in Kiyoi’s hands instead of his usual topping-from-the-bottom thing.

More about the kiss fakeout:

Hagiwara does a great job of telegraphing Hira’s expectant response. In scenes where two characters are going to kiss but get interrupted, it's not uncommon to see a kind of hesitation or other subtle signal that the actor knows the kiss isn't going to happen. But there's none of that here. Hagiwara even does this sort of gulp/swallow thing like he thinks the kiss is going to start any moment. When the kiss doesn't materialize, he nails an absolutely pitifiul sad puppy expression.

Kiyoi’s vulnerable voice and facial expression when he explains about the kissing boundary thing is so sincere and cute. Could he be any more different from season 1 episode 1 Kiyoi?

I’ve written about how the no-kissing-until-Hira-takes-Kiyoi-seriously policy might seem like a controlling move or an inappropriate ultimatum to some viewers but it actually better resembles what Harriet Lerner calls a “bottom line,” resulting in a boundary that is not only justifiable but downright healthy…or almost healthy, at least. It's a bit on the extreme side, and the fakeout part remains a little mean. But they're understandable given what Hira has put Kiyoi through. 

Here's my s2e4 writeup that includes that discussion:

“sorry, Kiyoi”

So, I’ve already written quite a bit about this scene. In one instance, I wrote a propaganda blurb when it was in bl brackets’s kiss bracket.

Here's the original blurb I wrote for @bl-bracket when I nominated the scene, as used in the post where people voted:

Hira and Kiyoi Final Kiss: "It’s an important plot point (because Kiyoi has said he won’t kiss Hira until he stops putting him on a pedestal and now Hira is making progress on that front, and because Hira hasn’t initiated physical stuff in the past, and initiating is itself a way of treating Kiyoi more like an equal). It’s also just a really well-acted and effectively shot kiss, and as a result it communicates so much about the characters and shows a side of their relationship not portrayed elsewhere in the show. And of course, it’s super hot. That includes the kind of weird but suggestive details that are typical of the show, like Hira passing candy/candy spit to Kiyoi through the kiss and then switching into this really distinct sexy voice that makes it sound almost as if he’s changing personalities."

And here's an additional, longer propaganda post I wrote to lobby for votes:

One of the points I tried to make in that post about why this scene is special was that it really does represent a leap forward in how both leads portrayed intimacy in this series. Prior to this scene, viewers had seen a dead fish kiss on graduation day, a more intense makeout situation in the season 1 finale that was shot so impressionistically that it was often hard to tell exactly what the actors were doing, and some interrupted kisses earlier in season 2. And then this happened. Here's a quote from what I wrote previously:

Personally, despite being a fan of both actors and thinking they did amazing work on the series, until I saw this scene I really didn't know if they had it in them, if they could actually pull off something that felt real. But they brought it. They're not holding back. As opposed to more stylized kisses you see in BLs and other romance dramas sometimes, I found it very naturalistic, like the way a couple of real kids in their early 20s would kiss.

So, yeah. I thought it showed real growth on the part of the actors as individuals and as a pairing/team.

This scene also caused me to dig deeper, with the help of some very knowledgeable mutuals, into what “persistent” and “cute” mean in a sexual context in Japan. My main post about that is below.

Noticing Hagiwara's use of Hira's "persistent voice" also helped me to notice something else when I checked out his other work, and that is that he often uses his voice in very different ways in different roles. I recently watched a drama he did before Utsukare and I was struck by this all over again. Again, it shows a really impressive degree of control.

And now, for our one non-Utsukare scene in the top 5:

"I'm trying to seduce you"

I also wrote a nomination blurb about this scene for the kiss bracket. (If you're seeing a pattern here, well, yeah, it's a pattern.) The original voting post here but I'll go ahead and quote it in its entirety since it's pretty short.

This kiss is ridiculously hot and is a culmination of so much that’s been simmering beneath the surface for the entire show up to that point. Togawa has been pining so hard for Nozue for so long that when Nozue gives him a glimmer of hope and then tries to leave, everything he’s been bottling up comes surging out. Kimura Tatsunari exudes a level of desperate lustfulness in this scene that’s as intense as anything I’ve seen in any genre. We’re all familiar with the idea that people look at a person’s mouth when they want to kiss them, but Togawa looks at Nozue’s mouth like he dreams about it every night and sees it every time he closes his eyes. No wonder he feels a need to stick his thumb in there. Takeda Kouhei also communicates so much in this scene. Nozue is shocked and confused but he can’t help but respond to Togawa’s kisses. You can see the gears turning—and refusing to turn—as he tries to make sense of what’s happening—and keeps kissing Togawa back even though he still can’t process it. Togawa’s declaration, “I’ve been trying to seduce you, with everything I have,” is the cherry on top.

There's another bit of subtle physical communication here that I find interesting, and I think you might too, @wen-kexing-apologist. Just recently I've been thinking about the meaning, in kissing scenes, of what for lack of a better term I'll call the head-bonk. By this I mean the thing where one person puts their forehead against the other person's, often with at least a tiny bit of an impact that renders it a bonk rather than, like, just touching them together. Togawa kisses Nozue once, then a second time, and then goes in for a third that Nozue avoids by sinking toward the floor. The third kiss doesn't happen, but when Togawa starts to initiate it he does an absolutely sublime head-bonk. I'm still figuring out what I think about the head-bonk thing. All I know is that, from my vantage point, that little move on Kimura's part practically screams "I've been holding this back for five goddamn years and I can't wait one more second to kiss this person."

Runners-up and honorable mentions:

Semantic Error:

Their first kiss in the restaurant after Jae Young calls Sang Woo "hyung" - I have watched this so much that if I had been asked for my top 6 this would have been #6.

Jae Young demonstrating the features of the "free trial"

Minato’s Laundromat (season 1, of course):

Shin freaking out about Minato being alone with Hanabusa

The washing machine kabedon

The “smelling the sheets” scene

Kiseki (I just watched this for the first time a week or so ago and I have already done so much scene-rewatching it's ridiculous):

That incredibly angsty sex scene with Ai Di and a drunk Chen Yi, you know the one

Chen Yi's confession to a physically restrained Ai Di

The scene at Ai Di's bar where Chen Yi puts him in a double kabedon

Ai Di and Chen Yi's conversation after Ai Di gets out of prison, where he says he fucked Chen Yi "just for fun" and offers to let him do stuff to him as "revenge"

Ai Di trying to scare Chen Yi by stroking his chest and asking him if he wants to "play" and then getting weirded out when Chen Yi asks, "What if I say yes?"

Jheruei and Zongyi's first real kiss and subsequent A+ lap-sitting moment

And as a bonus, here's my most-rewatched non-QL moment:

There's a scene I'm obsessed with in Something in the Rain where Jun Hui comes to Jin A's home and sees her ex-boyfriend there with her and her parents, lobbying to get back together and manhandling her, and he reacts exactly the way you'd expect as someone to who's in love with Jin A. It is tattooed on my brain. If I ever learn to make gifs I am gif'ing the fuck out of that scene.