#tumblrs formatting sucks

[usagifuyusummer]

More silly and fun practice sketches on the Victorian Era FOP AU lol. Just gonna post them here first while we're still developing this and busy with our real-life duties as students.

There's actually a ton of my thoughts in the alt text of these images lol. I hope it's still there. I will also include the links of the existing posts relating to this AU to keep track of what has been created.

Origin Discussion Posts

Updated Character Designs 1

Updated Character Designs and Concepts 2

Concept Art 1: Boy with a Parasol

Tumblr Asks 1

Credit: @keyintheeye-blog original creator and the default character designer of this Victorian Era FOP AU.

I will post my other thoughts (something like a what's happening update) on the repost of this later. Gotta get back to my unavoidable university duties... Have a nice day tho 💐

[alleged-mothman]

Nona the Ninth reread absolutely destroyed me so here's a bunch of stuff I associate with her

@arthoesunshine / Caitlyn Siehl / @chloeinletters / "Two Earthlings" by John Brosio / Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea (2008) gif by @bunneis / @marymagdalenestan on Instagram / 20020 by Jon Bois / @yunawinter on Twitter / Vladimir Yazdovsky

[neo-metal]

metonic brainworms

[vriskasays]

penis rap comic

[squish--squash]

poem + art of all the life series winners so far! I'm so happy scar finally won!!

[thealphabard]

Akos' bio!! Kinda. Aka:

Local ADHD man throws this shit together and hopes for the best. I apologize in advanced.

Species

Koi fish

Personality traits

Stoic, with a rather short fuse to go with. Doesn't really mess around, aside from with Mipha or Sidon. Very foul mouthed, lands him in trouble quite often. (Any time I swore during our sessions you'd hear from izuna's player "laaaanguaaaage" in the nasely voice he uses for him lol) can be pretty cocky about his strength (always landed in low rolls)

Height

7"1 (I think...)

Occupation|class

Ex-soldier. Moved on to become a Dragon Scion (will go into depth below)

Residence

Zora's Domain

Relationships

♡Mipha (same age, best friends that grew up together)

♡Sidon (often a care taker, plays with him quite often when spending time with mipha)

♡Loru (mother)(deceased from the calamity)

♡Noti (father)(deceased from the calamity)

Party: the main part of this campaign, who he traveled with :)

Nithril

Izuna

And Mabo (not my art, and I'm not sure if she has social media. one day. I swear lol)

Birthday

May 3rd

Sexuality

(He's never given it thought...)

Weapons

Dual Scimitars, Whisper and Mist (their item description below the image):

During the first great war with the Hylians after their arrival from the deep ocean, a Zoran champion was outfitted with two weapons. These twin scimitars were forged from the teeth of an ancient water serpent, found only in the depths where light never reached. With these weapons, the Zoran champion was smoke on the water, defending their newfound home and leaving the fallen soldiers to drift downstream back to their king. As the war waged on, rumors spread among the Hylians, and although few ever saw the Zoran who wielded these weapons, one thing was clear - when the fog swept up from the waters, retreat was the only option. After peace was finally reached between the Zora and the Hylians, these two weapons, Mist and Whisper, were laid to rest at the bottom of the Zoran shrine, lying in wait for their next champion.

Each blade is an exquisitely crafted +1 magic weapon but, when a wielder attunes to the swords over a long rest, the swords bind to the soul of the person. This binding of both weapons unlocks their true potential, allowing the wielder to attune to them both as a single item. If they are used separately, their effects will not appear.

With the weapons in question, Mipha was the one who helped him in acquiring them from the shrine. He saw it as a great honor.

In depth look on dragon scion (from the site):

Commonly called a dragon knight or dragon warrior, a scion of this subclass draws its power from a draconic origin. This is usually consequence of absorbing the power of a slain dragon, or ritual worship of a draconic benefactor, but there are many other possibilities. In any case, a dragon scion embodies the ferocity and vitality of the beast it embodies. This is most apparent in a dragon scion's capability to temporarily transform parts of its body into those of a dragon, such as growing claws or functional wings. Much as a dragon breathes fire or spits beams of force, so too do a dragon scion's spells embody such visceral destruction. Dragon scions are infamous for their tenacity, as it seems their magical and physical prowess can tear through entire legions of lesser foes with little rest.

Akos, in particular, in his journey to attune with the weapons graciously given to him within the shrine, attacked dinraal like the very smart (he had 10 intelligence...) goldfish he is. Instead of the dragon laying waste to him, saw potential in him and blessed him with the ability to use (primarily) fire magic. The scion class allowed him to have a base resistance to an element permanently (fire in this case) and later in leveling gets dragon resilience. It more or less allows him to resist another element upon changing his form (I went with scale properties any time it was used) or he could be fully immune to fire. When immune to fire, what would be damage taken by the fire instead heals that amount (ie, if the attack roll did 15 fire damage, I would heal 15 hp. Lol)

To go with Akos' short fuse, dragon scions gain access to a dragon rage that more or less works like a barbarian rage.

And the last very important part of dragon scion, is with the ability to use magic in such a Proficient manner, he could use that magic to create functional wings and fly. (There were restrictions technically, but it was mostly the further I flew the more of my MP it took. But I hoarded green potions so it didn't matter)

Now, for the actual story part of this campaign:

The biggest thing to note is I joined this campaign while the rest of the group had already been isekai'd to Termina, on their 2nd or 3rd time reset (yes my dm was cruel enough to keep it). But the setting was originally in hyrule during links slumber. Its around 95 years before the events of BotW. From what I understand Nithril, made a very big fucky wucky, and that's where they ended up. Akos joins them when Aryll hauls ass into the domain, talking about a mysterious portal that showed up nearby. Like the determined little zora he is, investigates it, and ends up in clock town where he meets Nithril Izuna and Mabo. The whole story isn't really that important, we for the most part follow how the game is, going to the 4 regions to wake up the giants and stop the falling moon. Just with some cursed shit in between. My DM was really good at making our skin crawl. We eventually learn that because none of us actually had the ocarina of time, each time reset was more fucked up than the last. Some residents would remember the moon falling, some events would end in very weird ways, and some events would just crack reality. One of the big moments of "shit ain't right" was when we went to see the Zora's. We ended up there during a kind of "battle of the bands" situation, and while Mikau, lulu, ect, get on stage this is what our dm plays for us :) (it's a YT link. I plan to make a full comic out of this scenario, I swear. Our reactions were really fun lol)

Anyway, the other main point of giving us emotional damage was after waking all the giants, we are getting ready to face majora and are more or less sent to like. A zen garden? With a machine dude just called the stranger. He tasked us with burying ancient pieces, that eventually rose as "sentient" beings. we were then, told to keep peace between the civilizations. we failed, really hard. Akos tried to show peace between his and izunas creatures, while mabos and nithrils waged war on each other. It ended with the stranger crushing all of our creatures violently and asking us philosophical questions that none of us could really answer properly about whether or not we should even be saving Termina. It's where this cute little sketch came from though :p

We fight majora, and win (barely. Akos got stomped on, literally.) And are met with goddess hylia who, as a reward, are given the option to go to wherever and whenever we want. Mabo goes on a new adventure, nithril goes back in time to undo the bullshit of the twilight realm, and izuna goes home, just 5 years before the events they are now facing. Akos returns home to the domain (izuna flies over the domain for 5 years. I failed my wisdom saving throws so akos got a headache lmfao) and that's how the campaign ended. We all cried LOL

[transsexual-divinity]

Scans from my 2005 dvd copy of Totally Fucked Up 1993 dir Gregg Araki that came in the mail saturday

[chains101]

Edging a flustered desperate sub for hours only to make them cum their brains out when they're on the verge of crying?

Art.

Magnum opus.

Cinematic masterpiece.

[fabdante]

so i maybe deleted all my video files off of my computer in a mad dash to clear up some memory and don't feel like redownloading them so i just ripped the instagram files

here's that raven DTIYS drawing from months ago

art only blog - insta - inprnt - redbubble

[oozeandgoo-art]

Masterpost of current art for sale (all prices USD and not including shipping):

SOLD (NSFW) Drag Strip jerking off, black, yellow, and red marker on colored construction paper (around 10in x 10in / 25cm x 25cm, unusually-shaped cutout collage) sale ends 7/18 - $30

Motormaster portrait, black marker (standard paper size on watercolor paper) - no time limit - $25

IDW Arcee humanformer design, pencil and ink (standard paper size on watercolor paper) - no time limit - $25

SOLD (GORY) Megatron and Jazz fighting side by side, glossy art print - sale ends 7/18 - $10

Black-and-white pinup of some guy with long hair, black marker (standard paper size on watercolor paper) - no time limit - $25

Maximal sci-fi guy watercolor, watercolor and ink painting (standard paper size on watercolor paper) - no time limit - $30

Sea dragon watercolor, watercolor painting (around 6in x 7in / 15cm x 18cm, on recycled cardstock) - no time limit -$25

SOLD "Hang In There" poster with Motormaster suspended over a smelting pool by the other Stunticons, watercolor and ink painting (standard paper size on watercolor paper) - sale ends 7/18 - $40

Motormaster with a target over his face, watercolor and ink painting finished with blue glitter (comic book size, on comic book backing cardstock) - no time limit - $30

SOLD (NSFW, GORY) Drag Strip and Motormaster experimenting with eyehole-sex, one half finished, the other half an unfinished comic (standard paper size on watercolor paper) - no time limit - $15

SOLD Gecko-dragon portrait watercolor, watercolor (around 13.5in x 14.5in / 34cm x 37cm on watercolor paper) - no time limit - $30

SOLD Menasor vs Optimus Prime, black marker (4in x 7in / 10cm x 18cm on retro-style dot matrix printer paper) - sale ends 7/18 - $25

SOLD Drag Strip viewed from behind, glossy art print (standard paper size) - sale ends 7/18 - $10

Shoot me an email (artcommissionsbyred@gmail.com) or reach out to me here if you're interested. I am willing to "reserve" pieces and do payment plans, particularly if you're interested in more than one piece.

[akiirart]

final boss sketches

[notfreetoday]

MPW Language Analysis Part 2

Segasaki x Yoh: Shifts in Emotion and Acknowledging Roles

Masterlist || Language Analysis Part 1 || The Importance of Amae ||

In Japanese, one cannot utter a sentence without communicating at least two things: (1) the actual content of the message itself, the referential meaning; and (2) a metamessage about the relationship between the speaker and the listener, an indexical meaning. A striking feature about Japanese is that it is the latter message that most often assumes greater importance.

From: Creating an Ideal Self: Theories of Selfhood and Pedagogy at a Japanese Ethics Retreat by Dorinne K. Kondo

Every sentence that Segasaki and Yoh say to each other carries 2 meanings - the one we read in the subtitles, and too often, the one that never travels across the screen. The "miscommunication" that many perceive to be happening isn't always just about "using actions vs words" (though there is much to be said about that too) - the words are being used, but it's hard to hear them when said words are in Japanese and packed with information English is simply not designed to carry.

So, with 6 episodes of corrections made and nuances explained, it's finally time to get back to actually talking about how all of this adds to our understanding of the characters and of their relationship. In these 6 episodes, both Segasaki and Yoh have run the entire gamut of speech levels - but where Segasaki shifts consistently and with purpose, Yoh tends to shift as a reflexive, or reactionary response.

Or, what Segasaki choosing to shift up a speech level means to Yoh, and what Yoh's inconsistent shifts tells Segasaki (and us), about his emotional state. I'm kinda sorta not really sorry about this but ah, it's maybe possibly probably even longer than usual??

Quick Recap of Part 1:

We established two key aspects of their relationship:

1) They both acknowledge the power differential between them - Segasaki, by using "rougher" speech patterns, and Yoh, by tending to stick to the more polite end of the scale. 2) They both consider themselves to be from the same "in-group" - Both of them default to informal speech patterns when speaking to each other (even Yoh, despite being the junior/lower on the social hierarchy)

And now on to Part 2!

Changes in Emotion: Yoh

Yoh tends to experience his emotions rather intensely, and through his monologues we understand that he isn't always able to process these emotions immediately. As such, the shifts in his speech levels tend to happen subconsciously - there isn't an immediately obvious, predictable pattern to those shifts, because they are simply a reflection of how he's feeling in the moment.

Y: あ、いや。なんでもない…です* Y: Ah, iya, nandemonai…desu* Y: Ah, no, it's….nothing* The shift to polite form, and the awkward manner in which he does it, reflects Yoh's growing insecurity (See EP 2 for other examples).

From the moment Segasaki starts returning home late, Yoh becomes more and more unsure of where he stands with Segasaki, and this growing emotional distance is conveyed through his speech patterns becoming (awkardly) more polite than in Ep 1. He speaks hesitantly and indirectly, until he gets drunk (and even then, his insecurity still shows in how he barely switches down to rough speech during their not-argument).

In Ep 3, we again see Yoh shifting up to polite forms often, except this time, the shifts show his gratitude as well as sincerity.

Because of how ridiculously expensive the pork bun is, Yoh expresses his thanks by saying the full ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) here as opposed to just "arigatou" or other more casual forms. In return, Segasaki acknowledges the formality Yoh pays him with a nod (and a mouthful of pork bun).

Y: すいません Y: suimasen Y: I'm sorry This is the more formal version of "I'm sorry" (textbook pronunciation is sumimasen, but textbooks are for nerds Yoh's version is very common as well and still polite)

In both these scenes, Yoh switches to suimasen as opposed to his usual, and more casual, ごめん / ごめんなさい (gomen/gomen nasai), that he also uses in this episode. As previously mentioned, "sorry" in Japanese can also be used to mean "thank you". Here Yoh is doing both - apologizing for Segasaki having to "go the extra mile" to take care of him (ie, he feels he has imposed upon Segasaki - a fear he has mentioned a few times), and at the same time also expressing his gratitude for being taken care of. However, it's the shift up to the polite version that conveys his sincerity, and carries the extra message that - despite his regret at imposing on Segasaki - Yoh still values these moments and feels touched by them.

Both times, you see Segasaki taking note of this, albeit slightly confused, and probably a little shy too (Segasaki is after all, very good at picking up on social cues - especially Yoh's - and spends the whole of Ep 3 doing just that).

Y: 漫画が　とてもだめです Y: manga ga totemo dame desu Y: (My) manga is... really bad.

Yoh spends most of Ep 5 safely ensconced in the informal speech level, switching up only twice - the above scene, and later when he attributes his recovery to Segasaki's care as a way of thanks. The switch in the bathroom is sudden, and adds a sense of certainty to his statement that reflects the intensity of the despair he feels (even though he comes across as more kicked puppy than anything). The formality is also a way to "distance" himself from the reality of it, because it does hurt to acknowledge this.

All of these instances show us that Yoh's shifts up in speech levels tend to reflect when he's feeling vulnerable in some way - when he's insecure, dejected or hurt, or when he feels that he has imposed upon Segasaki.

So then, does Yoh also shift down?

Well, yes and no.

Left (Ep 4): Y: ふざけんな [very rude] Y: Fuzakenna Y: The hell are you doing! Right (Ep 5): Y: バカにすんなよ！[slurred vowels] Y: baka ni sun na yo Y: Don't look down on me!

Even if we include (just barely) the non-argument of Ep 2, there honestly aren't many scenarios in which Yoh shifts down to a "rougher" speech pattern - and he never drops as low as Segasaki does. This has to do with both his acknowledgement of the power differential that exists between Segasaki and him, as well as his less assertive nature. In fact, even when speaking to Man-san, with whom he shares his thoughts more freely, Yoh remains casual, but not rough. (Man-san is waaaay rougher than Yoh, tbh). Hence, when Yoh does shift down, it tends to be explosive and short lived, just like his frustration or anger.

So why "yes and no"? Because being lower in the social hierarchy also introduces another, more interesting way to express yourself - by choosing not to switch up.

We see this in Ep 5, when Yoh tries to lie about going to Man-san's place. He sticks to his baseline informal speech when he announces this, whereas he previously used polite speech in Ep 4. Is it possible that Yoh was simply overcompensating and trying too hard to sound casual to hide his lie in Ep 5? Yes. But before coming to that conclusion, there is another important detail to note - that instances like this, where Yoh doesn't switch up, have gradually been increasing as the show progresses.

In Ep 5 and 6, Yoh uses the slightly less formal gomen nasai to apologize (contrast this with Ep 2's suimasen mentioned earlier). Given that Yoh himself mentions in Ep 5 that he thought Segasaki would be angry, and in Ep 6 clearly underscores his apology with a proper bow (yes, there are standards to how you should bow in Japan) - you would think that these 2 situations would be the perfect time to switch back up again. So why? Once again, the key to unlocking the metamessage is the wider context; i.e., we need to consider what Segasaki has been doing. please indulge my desire to sound cool and mysterious despite already announcing it in the title

Establishing Roles: Segasaki

In direct contrast to Yoh, Segasaki is very consistent with his speech shifts, and a clear pattern emerges. First off - when Segasaki is angry with Yoh, he drops straight down.

Left (Ep 2): S: てめぇ [very, very rude] S: temee S: You Right (Ep 5): S: 分かってねぇだろ　分かってねぇから　泊りで仕事とか言い出すんだろうが [slurred Rs, word contraction, slurred vowels] S: wakattenee daro wakattenee kara tomari de shigoto toka ii dasun darou ga S: You don't do you? You don't understand and that's why you can just say things like you'll stay out to work overnight.

Like, waaaaaaaay down. The argument in Ep 5 is the most obvious example of this, but using "temee" to address someone like he does in Ep 2 is very very rude and, together with the "haaah?!" Segasaki says before this line, also does a lot to convey that he is Not Happy.

S: 明日は仕事すんのか [word contraction] S: ashita wa shigoto sun no ka S: すんのかしないのか、どっちだよ [word contraction, informal, assertive end particle] S: sun no ka shinai no ka, docchi da yo S: Are you working tomorrow? S: Working or not, which is it?

The lines in this interaction from Ep 3 aren't really rude per se - certainly not compared to temee - but they are rougher than his usual and very direct. We've seen Segasaki do this multiple times throughout the episodes - dropping his levels when he's being assertive, and it is in response to that assertiveness, that Yoh gives the following reply:

Y: いや、ないです [plain forms, but with the addition of desu form] Y: Iya, nai desu Y: No, I don't [have anything planned]

Mixing plain forms with -desu at the end makes Yoh's reply a little more formal, and is another way in which Yoh acknowledges the power differential between them. Being higher in the social hierarchy means Segasaki enjoys a greater sense of linguistic freedom, and shifts down in speech level are therefore unsurprising, and indeed, expected.

So, if there is no real need for Segasaki to shift up, then, what does it mean when he chooses to do so?

Left: S: まあ　残念ながら　相手は大嫌いな俺ですけど S: Maa... zennen nagara aite wa daikirai na ore desukedo S: Well, unfortunately, your partner is me - who you hate so much Right: S: 好きにさせてもらうけど...な ？ S: suki ni sasete morau kedo... na? S: I'll gratefully do as I please...yea?

After an entire episode of using Yoh's own words to tease him as a way to try and get Yoh to face his own feelings, Segasaki lands his sharpest and strongest push of the day in these 2 scenes not by reinforcing the hierarchy between them, but by subverting it. Shifting up to a more formal speech level when he doesn't have to, particularly in the second scene where he uses deferential word forms, creates the illusion of elevating Yoh in the hierarchy, which is then immediately undermined by the irreverent tone in which Segasaki says them.

In other words, Segasaki only shifts up as a power play.

S: よくできました S: yoku dekimashita

We first see Segasaki use this formal way of saying "well done" at the end of Ep 3 and again in Ep 4, and it brings to mind the literal stamp of approval that teachers often give to students in school. Here, there is no teasing or subversion of the hierarchy going on. Segasaki is establishing his role in Yoh's life - to provide and care for him - through the use of polite speech, and reinforcing the power differential between them in the most straightforward way possible.

This use of polite speech allows the speaker to indirectly index their social identity - often as one who is in charge or responsible. Within the Japanese household, it also happens when a role/obligation (often parental) is being carried out - eg , a parent might switch to polite speech to indicate their role as provider when asking the rest of the family "What would you like to eat?". Similarly, we again see Segasaki underscore his role in the following:

Left (Ep 5) S: ごちそうさまでした S: Gochisousama deshita S: Thank you for the food Right (Ep 4) S: 寝るなら部屋いきな* S: neru nara heya ikina S: If you're going to sleep, then go to the room alright?

In Ep 5, Segasaki leads the saying of this standard phrase, customarily said at the end of a meal to express gratitude to everything that made the meal possible. It is the use of the full, more formal version (as opposed to just gochisousama) that indexes his role as Yoh's caregiver when he leads in saying this, and indeed he spends most of Ep 5 enjoying that role. In Ep 4, although he does not quite use the -masu form here, the imperative form "ikina" brings to mind a parent trying to coax their child to bed, the same way Segasaki is doing to a very drunk and sleepy Yoh.

This is the key we were looking for - with every episode, Segasaki consistently reinforces his role in Yoh's life, the same way he consistently responds to and encourages Yoh's amae. And with every episode, Yoh becomes a little more confident of his place with Segasaki, a little more willing to believe that maybe Segasaki might really return his feelings. It's easy to look at Yoh in Ep 2, see him push Segasaki away, and think that the same Yoh appears in Ep 5, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Because in Ep 2, a drunk Yoh barely drops to rough speech, whereas in Ep 5, a sober Yoh feels safe enough to even "curse" a little (well, as far as cursing goes in Japan at least, which admittedly is not far). In both word and action, they have both grown, and have both contributed to the strengthening of their relationship.

So! In conclusion (omg we made it to the end) we have established that:

Segasaki has a clear, predictable pattern in his shifts - he switches up to formal when establishing or reinforcing his role in Yoh's life, but when he's serious, or angry with Yoh, he drops all the way down.

Yoh is less consistent, because his shifts tend to be more subconscious and reflective of his emotional state. He's more inclined to switch up when he's in a vulnerable state, eg, feeling insecure or dejected, or when he wants to express his sincerity in apologizing or showing gratitude. When he's nervous, or in response to Segasaki either being direct with him or upset with him, he'll sort of switch up too (ie, he'll mix polite forms with informal forms, or he'll try to say things in an indirect way).

Through the use of speech level shifts, both Segasaki and Yoh indirectly reinforce and acknowledge their individual roles in each other's life, and by observing the changes in these shifts over time, we the audience are able to track the progression of their relationship as well.

In the next part, we'll look at the differences in the way they speak to others versus between themselves - looking specifically at examples from Ep 4, 6 and 7.

As always, thank you for reading, and feel free to ask any questions! (*ˊᗜˋ*)/

[somecoolpigeon]

COMMS ARE NOW OPEN!!

Orders are through ko-fi, please read my terms of service first before ordering!!

Link to both can be found on my carrd!! (also in bio!!)

More info under the read more:

Full body: $90

Additional character -> $20

Half body: $55

Additional character -> $15

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Chibi's: $12

Additional character -> $5

(Choose between style A or B in the comments when ordering!!)

Plain color/gradient/pattern backgrounds

DM first if you would like a simple background!! (only applicable for Full and half body commissions)

Do’s: fanart, original characters, yumeships/oc x canon, blood, simple armor designs, simple robotic designs

Don’ts: NSFW, Furry (kemonomimi’s are ok!!), hardcore gore, heavy mecha, problematic ships, fetish art

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[heartstringsduet]

heartstringduet's fall reads. 🍂

(this list by no means is encompassing all the wonderful fics I read and that deserve everyone's thoughtful comments. I will do more lists soon though. You peeps are so amazing 😭.)

Currently WIPs 💕 i closed my eyes inside of your darkness (and found your glow) by falloutmars S: After losing his mom and moving states, TK finds comfort in a stranger who may need the comfort just as much. A story of loss, love, and learning to live again. I love how careful and tender the different ways of coping with grief are portrayed. Plus, Andrea runs a café, Carlos runs a book club and TK finds his way into being a paramedic.

You Keep Coming Back With A Bird In Your Teeth by vaguenotion S: When a gesture of goodwill is misinterpreted, a patient begins to develop a dangerous attachment to TK. The whole point of the job is to save patients, not to have to be saved FROM them. what can I say but that I chew my arm off each time this is updated. Absolutely love the characterizations, the dialogues and the goddamn tension.

your gentle hands are stained with the blood of anothers by @birdclowns S: Denton Miller was Carlos' first case after being promoted to detective. The serial killer has escaped, throwing Carlos and his loved ones into his game as the next unwilling participants. The stakes are impossibly higher and the rules have changed - it's his husband on the other side of the screen. Such a sucker for a kidnapping story and a cat-and-mouse game and Jasper masterfully strikes a line between scary and intimate i language and plot.

see a friend (see a ghost) by @ambiguouspenny S: TK would always come home to him. It was a dinner table promise wrapped in explicit truth; a vow Carlos would bet his life on. A choice made at the edge of tragedy leaves Carlos living in the aftermath. TK tries to make it right. Weeping, letting the vivid details and the mystery and punchy dialogue keep me up at night.

Where All This Love Comes From by @carlos-in-glasses

S: Six months after Gabriel Reyes’ death, TK grows concerned about Carlos’ drinking and brings him to a meeting at the Y. TK reflects on meeting Carlos after years of addiction and self-destruction, while Carlos has continued to seek closure by uncovering two unknowns: The identity of his father’s killer, and how his father truly felt about Carlos as his son. I recommend anyyything cig writes, because I'm hopelessly devoted to her writing. Anything I read by her is nuanced, poetic, so insightful and heart-wrenching. This only has one chapter but a dialogue that punched me right in the heart.

a long time ago (we used to be friends) by @welcometololaland

S: The exes to lovers, college sweethearts, murder mystery fic where the motto is: be gay, solve crime. I can always count on anything Lola writes to make me laugh and to have me in the throws and woes of my emotions. And this one is one of my favorites of her because I love how she writes them finding their way back into each others life.

Teach You How Forever Feels by @three-drink-amy

S: TK is left with custody of his five-year-old brother, Jonah. With Owen's encouragement, TK moves to Austin for a fresh start, questioning every move he makes as he's thrust into the role of parenthood. But it all leads him to Jonah's new school where he meets Carlos Reyes, the kindergarten teacher. It reads like a warm hug to see TK growing into the role of a parental figure and Carlos be a teacher and read both of them so gone over the other.

Finished Stories 💗 for if i'm going down, i'm taking you with me by @mooshkat and @thebumblecee S: For years now, the rivalry between the Reyes and Strand families has run strong. Since they were young, Carlos and TK have been warned to stay away from the other family and never trust each other, but what happens when a job forces them together? Two contract killers in an enemy-to-lovers scenario? Absolutely loved the journey of this (and the hot smut scenes let's be honest)

The Knave of Hearts . . . brought back the tarts by @liminalmemories21 S: TK exhales and picks up his glass. “The mind boggles. What did Matt want?” “Wanted to ask if I’d heard any rumors about a new art thief nosing around town for targets.” This entire universe of art lover (and former art thief) TK and detective Carlos is so intricate and never forgets to highlight their love even in in well-constructed plot!

to build a home by @freneticfloetry

S: Twenty-five years of chasing hope and happiness and the place where he belongs. Or: Carlos begins, and ends, and begins again, until he gets it right. My heart? Gone. This fic took it and ran with it. Seriously, one of the best character deep-dives I've ever read.

Under A Star Spell by @orchidscript

S: In which Carlos practices folk magic and TK, needing to rekindle something, finds himself on his doorstep. In which two people cross-paths, hope for one thing, and find something else altogether thanks to coffee, vanilla, hyssop, and mint.

The descriptions of Carlos practicing magic is seriously making me weep with jealousy. And the growing love between them in this and the sequel is magic itself.

When I’m Like This by @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut

S: TK Strand hasn’t known Carlos Reyes for very long. He’s slept with him, run out on his attempt at getting to know him better, and been processed by him after an arrest. Despite all of that, TK can’t get over Carlos. When TK gets bad news at an NA meeting, he quickly starts to spiral, and there’s only one person he feels safe enough to run to. The absolute tenderness of this and the rawness of emotions just rubs me open in the best way on each re-read.

Love From the Other Side by @lightningboltreader S: It's Exes to Lovers in One Bed! After two years apart, TK & Carlos find themselves face to face at a three-day training event for Texas first responders. Flirting leads to passion, then misunderstanding and ultimately the heart to heart they've each been craving. The exes in a single bed fic we all need in our life! This has so much tension and made me so emotional at the same time.

Sunshine On My Body, Rainbows Bloomin' In My Skies by @lemonlyman-dotcom S: After Carlos’s bold claim about hiking the Great Wall, TK reveals he’d been an avid hiker before moving to Austin. TK & Carlos go for their first hike together, and maybe learn some new things about each other along the way. Such a beautifully written, funny and heartfelt story that feels like you're overgrown with ivy and the feeeels. A Helping Hand by @rmd-writes

S: When TK’s bathroom sink is flooding and he needs help, pronto, he turns to Grindr to find someone close by. But what happens when the best one night stand of his life walks in the door? Or, the Grindr meet-cute AU

I can always count on Rae to give me grade-a smut with a heap of unbound joy and this is no exception. 29 going 30 by @alrightbuckaroo

S: During a trip to New York City to celebrate TK turning 30, TK and Carlos stumble upon a list of things TK always wanted to do before he turned 30, all of them being references to romantic comedies he loved so much growing up.

Just a biiiig old love letter to both TK and Carlos, to New York and to turning older and making your old wished come true. The night before Halloween by @ladytessa74 S: Carlos and TK have faced many fears in their lives. But has that prepared them for everything? As they get ready to celebrate Halloween with five year old Elijah, monsters lurk in the shadows. The only way to overcome fear is to face it. Tarlos as parents aren't always for me but Tessa has changed my mind! Plus, a little spooky and wonderuflly plotted halloween story never hurt anybody - or would it? come what may, I'll still stay by @strandnreyes

S: Nearly one year into their marriage and TK finds that life looks a little different these days with Carlos working as a detective. He knows change happens, but when the missed dinners start to pile up and the change begins to feel like too much change, TK struggles with how to remind Carlos that life exists beyond his badge.

One of my all time favorites by Jen which is saying a LOT with how many she has blessed us with.

The Firehouse by @paperstorm S: In 2002, TK and Carlos meet in a third grade classroom in Manhattan. 21 years later they meet again, at a nightclub in Austin called The Firehouse. Split between their friendship in childhood and the path that should set them up as enemies, this is such a beautiful story of kinship and eternal love to me. I just adore how Andie writes TK and Carlos - in love in any and all universes.

[gomzdrawfr]

[random stuff]

One of these is not like the other

[thatsrightice]

Elliot Warren and Louis Greatorex on the set of Masters of the Air