#lostinadmiration

[toburnup]

I’m still fucked up about misinterpreting Steve saying “didn’t know if you thought of me as your boyfriend” to him fishing around for Eddie to claim him, to prove he wanted him around. He was always pointing out that he couldn’t tell if Eddie wanted him there and I thought he was looking for Eddie to say something, stop him going off to find someone else to date. But he was just trying to downplay what they had, make it not real bc of his internalized homophobia, Vio I’m unwelllll. No wonder Eddie’s low key relishing in torturing him lol. Oh is it tomorrow yet? I’m rereading the last two chapters so everything is fresh in my mind again 🥰

OOOOOH okay, that's like. very interesting!! that original interpretation is definitely more sympathetic to steve, which 😭 i get. but i'll get into it a bit —

it was definitely a cruel comment. below-the-belt. like, not only downplaying their relationship, but putting eddie in the position where he'd be stupid to see it as anything more (and honestly, what can eddie say to it other than 'no i didn't').

more iylo meta below:

if you consider the exchange that directly precedes it - steve tells him he wants to start dating, and then:

Steve waits for Eddie to say yes, because that would help in some way. Eddie doesn't say anything at all. Just smokes and rubs his knuckle against the seam of the couch. Acts like Steve isn't there. Talking to him.

and we know that steve hates being ignored, lol.

"Why would it bother me?" Eddie finally says, and Steve frowns.

steve is kinda pissed because he's not in control of the situation, and eddie turned the question back on him. so steve whips out the boyfriend comment. he was trying to hurt eddie - i don't think he'd put too much thought into the boyfriend thing before this conversation.

it's one of his meaner moments 💙

[evaksbinder]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

We’re doing a Christmas in July feature! Today’s fic is a short wintery oneshot. If you like it, please consider leaving it some love in the form of kudos/comments!

You’re such a heavenly view - lostinadmiration / @call-this-a-mask (1.5k words)

Even loved nights with this, after a good party with his close friends, and he and Isak getting to go back to their home together. It was an indescribable sort of joy, and Even was revelling in it.

Notes & Ramblings:

A short and very sweet oneshot documenting a late-night conversation between Even and Isak as they walk home from a party

The tone is gorgeously created, all these little sensory details coming together to give the fic really lovely winter vibes that’s easy to visualize

I love that things just seem to slow down for them in this moment, like they’re really just enjoying each other’s company

The conversation is silly on the surface but really shows a strong grasp of the characters in their differing perspectives but also how easy it is to accept each other’s point of view

Just a gem of a fic, honestly!

Favorite lines:

Even thought about a pale white sky instead of a dark one, a sea of diamonds all glittering together, illuminating the world below. Then he thought of the sky above him and Isak, with the moonlight glowing down on their faces and the clusters of stars creating intricate patterns over the dark.

“That would be beautiful, but I think I like this universe better,” Even said eventually with a small nod.

[readingficthings]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“That’s because she doesn’t know you like I do,” Even mumbled into Isak’s skin.

“No?” Isak sighed back as Even pressed a kiss onto his temple, before moving down to his cheek, and then even further, peppering kisses all along his jaw.

“Nope. You’re kind, and you’re smart, and handsome too. And you deserve much better than her.” Even punctuated each word with a kiss, as if he could press each compliment into Isak’s skin, so that it could bury itself inside of Isak, and always be there as a reminder of just how wonderful Even knew he was.

[evaksbinder]

Friday Fic Recs - Week 5

Hey friends, it’s Sarah! Yes yes i know it’s not Friday anymore anywhere in the world but like time is a construct and nothing is real so what does it REALLY matter

Anyway, i’m here with a handful of fics I love with all my heart! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did - and if you do, be sure to show them some kudos/comments love! <3

snow and dirty rain - grinsekaetzchen / @hotchocolatenthusiast (Even/Isak; 23k words; book club AU)

First of all i just have such a soft spot for the premise, where instead of kosegruppa Vilde decides to host a book club and that’s where Even and Isak meet

Really spot on characterization of Isak and Even, with a lot of attention paid to Isak’s headspace and the complexity of their interactions

I like that the plot has a similar structure to canon but still feels very much its own thing thanks to the richness that the texts they read in the book club adds to the fic

Speaking of which that’s one of my favorite things of this fic, how well-integrated all the literary references are! They’re very present and important to the text and the boys’ relationship, permeating throughout the fic, but not in a heavy-handed way, it just feels like a natural part of the narrative, plus you don’t have to have read them to understand their significance

Also i like that a lot of characterization is drawn out of the characters’ relationships to these texts; for example Even and Isak have important relationships with Richard Siken’s work, but they’re quite different and what those relationships are tells us a lot about these characters

Builds to a really sweet and heartfelt payoff of an ending; will probably leave your insides feeling all soft and warm and gross

in the rain, give you sunshine - cynical_optimist / @boxesfullofthoughts (Yousef/Sana; 6k words; missing moment/fix it)

The premise of this fic is that Sana helps Yousef and Even reconcile, and it’s done in a way that feels so emotional and real

Sana’s headspace is stunningly well drawn, capturing all her complexities from the strength of her character to her vulnerabilities

i love the relationship between Sana and Elias here, it feels so true to them while providing us with a more emotional side of their relationship that we saw maybe only briefly in canon

And the relationship between Sana and Yousef is so nice too! I love how easy-going their dynamic is and the quickness of their banter

The reconciliation between Yousef and Even is really, really well done. I especially like that this moment in the fic, their conversation, is a thing that happens solely between them; no one else is going to know what they talked about, and that’s okay, that’s the point

Keep in mind this was written just a few episodes into S4 so a lot of it is no longer canon compliant, but overall it’s a really touching look into what it might have looked like if the story had taken a different direction with regards to Even repairing his relationship with Balloon Squad

Come and paint the world with me tonight - LostInAdmiration / @call-this-a-mask (Even/Isak; 11k words; Isak crashes a wedding/fake dating)

Isak is dared by boy squad to crash a random wedding and in the process meets Even; Even helps establish his cover at the wedding by pretending to be his boyfriend

This is such a sweet and adorable read, if you’re anything like me you’ll probably be smiling the whole time you’re reading it

Extremely well paced; even though the boys’ relationship develops over the course of just a few hours, it feels entirely natural and not rushed at all, and the payoff the story develops to is just so well-earned

Isak’s characterization is so well done; i love that his backstory is used to explain his reactions to the wedding he crashes, and his development is really well done despite again only happening over the span of a few hours

Even and balloon squad are also really well characterized in this fic!! Even’s quirky charm especially, and even though balloon squad appears somewhat briefly everyone still manages to feel like their own characters, which is super impressive, plus their friendships with each other is just such a delight to read

[evaksbinder]

Friday Fic Recs - Week 3

Hey y’all, Sarah again! I’m finally feeling okay enough to crank out some recs, hooray! So here are some recent-ish faves I think you need to check out =]

A Bridge of Magpies - junkshopdisco / @junkshop-disco (Even/Isak; 13k words; Harry Potter AU)

A fascinating exploration of how mental illness might be treated and understood in the wizarding world, particularly as it affects Even’s life and relationships

Gets into Even’s headspace devastatingly well in a painfully immersive way; seriously, this is one of the most nuanced portrayals of Even’s perspective I’ve encountered in fandom thus far

Isak’s characterization is also incredibly spot on; even though we don’t see the story through his eyes, we still get a very strong sense of the things he’s going through

World building is wonderfully thought through and feels very true to the spirit of Harry Potter canon; all the new details fit in perfectly

Gorgeous, gorgeous writing. Seriously. i have no words

Next to you, is where I call home - LostInAdmiration / @call-this-a-mask (Even/Isak; WIP; childhood friends/track and field AU)

Even and Isak are childhood friends who met through running track and field in this incredibly well-imagined AU that explores their relationship in this new context beautifully and realistically

Style and descriptions are so beautiful and atmospheric; you can really feel what Isak feels, both emotionally and physically

Despite the incredibly different context, the characters feel immensely true to themselves, and their relationship feels exactly like how it would feel if you took canon Even/Isak and had them meet much earlier in their lives

I just love how warm and heartfelt this fic is; it gets a little heavy emotionally wise in some places, but again in a very true-to-life way that ultimately feels hopeful more than anything else

theory of mind - toneelspeler / @toneelspeler (series of character studies set in canon; WIP; POV of multiple characters)

This is a series of character studies, each of which focus on different relationships in Isak’s life

Every single one feels incredibly in character and true to the relationship it’s trying to portray, exploring the nuance of that relationship in a soul satisfying way as well as the POV character themselves, digging into complexities that you don’t often see explored in fandom

I really love the writing style!! It’s second person so might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if it is this is probably the best second person voice i’ve encountered in fandom so far

Just so much thought put into each word and each character, and will probably give you feelings about canon all over again

[evaksbinder]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

This week’s theme is fluff. Today’s post is a oneshot. If you like this fic, please consider leaving it a comment/kudos!

It’s easy come, never go - lostinadmiration / @call-this-a-mask (4k words)

Being a parent was terrifying. It was exhausting and stressful and Isak hadn’t slept properly in weeks. He barely felt like he could take care of himself, so taking care of such a small thing that totally relied on him was truly nerve-wracking.

Isak relayed all of this to Jonas during their weekly meet up. It had become more like monthly, since Jonas lived a few hours away from their home town now, and Isak was always so busy. Still, every time they reunited it was like no time had passed at all.

Jonas snorted and rolled his eyes as Isak complained.

“He’s a dog, Isak, not a baby.”

Our ramblings:

Absolutely lovely premise that makes you fall in love with the puppy Isak and Even adopt in a heartbeat!

Offers a great insight into Isak and Even’s lives and how a puppy brings them even closer together (if that’s possible)

Feels both realistic and extremely cute without being over the top or sappy!

Amazing characterisations all around (including the puppy)

Sarah’s favorite lines:

This was it, Isak thought, this was the place he’d always wanted to be, the place that finally filled that empty space inside of him that he’d never quite understood. This was his present and his future, and everything he’d always wanted in the shape of Even and the home they’d built together.

Kathi’s favorite lines:

“He loves you too, see?” said Even, holding the puppy up to Isak’s face so that Isak got a mouthful of slobber and fur as Duckie licked Isak’s face, his little legs paddling the air. Isak couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up in his chest as he reached out and held the squirming puppy to his chest, before leaning forward to kiss the tip of Even’s nose, making him grin.

[evaksbinder]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

This week’s theme is fake dating AU’s. Today’s post is a multichaptered fic. If you like this fic, please consider leaving it a comment/kudos!

You’re a different kind of new - LostInAdmiration / @call-this-a-mask (23k words)

"But that still didn’t explain why Even was currently standing in a crowded house with the boy of his dreams pressed up against his side and a girl stood in front of them, looking bewildered as Isak told the girl excitedly how he and Even had met." (Even has had a hopeless crush on Isak for months now, but has never been brave enough to talk to him. Luckily, Isak decides to make the first move by rescuing Even from unwanted attention at a party.)

Our Ramblings:

A sweet and unique take on the fake dating premise; this time it’s Isak to the rescue!

Feelings are well balanced and well portrayed in this fic, and make sense with their characters; they’re both so into each other, it’s very endearing

Well thought out world building that makes the verse feel bigger than the story itself

Note: Only the first chapter deals directly with the fake dating premise but the entire fic is definitely worth a read!

Sarah’s favorite lines:

“I know who you are, Even,” Isak retorted, imitating Even’s voice and making Even burst into a fit of laughter. “I don’t just pretend to be anyone’s boyfriend.”

Even held his hand over his heart with a grin, nodding solemnly at Isak.

“I’m honoured.”

Kathi’s favorite lines:

He just knew that Isak did matter more, for some reason. There was something about him that made Even’s heart glow and and his hands shake, and he hadn’t felt this way about anyone before ever. This was something different and new and completely terrifying.

[sol-el]

Lmfaoooo I love all the tags you put on my art😂 you should go to my oage and read the beginning of the comic, it’s about how my Durge reacts to the Elminster message delivery 🤭 I’m really stoked that with zero context you picked up one everything I was trying to convey though, I must be doing something right 🤣♥️♥️

OMG YES, WILL DO!!! It's absolutely a testament to your skills so I hope you're proud of your work!! I'll have to take a look at some point, I really adore how you've drawn him 🤍🤍🤍 and OMG A DURGE YOU SAY.... I am intrigued 👀