#tenderlock

[seasons-serenade]

First Flight Together

••

After escaping the hunter’s camp and leaving behind that part of their lives forever, Ravynbile and Tenderlock got to feel the freedom of the wind on their faces together for the first time.

[evaksbinder]

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

This week, we’re reccing fics with Even’s POV set in canon. Today’s fic is a long oneshot. If you like it, please consider leaving it some love in the form of kudos/comments!

24 frames per second - teatrolley / @tenderlock (31k words)

Even wanted to be a director ever since he was a little child. Ever since he first loved a movie, at 12, and realised that making them was something you could do.

Even is eighteen when he realises that, however many movies he manages to direct, he won’t ever get to direct the one about himself.

_________

OR: It takes spring and Isak and a reconnecting but, eventually, Even starts doing the thing he never thought he could: recovering

OR: An Even season 4 story, taking place simultanously with the real season 4

Notes and ramblings:

This is a canon-compliant fic that does a brilliant job of giving us Even’s perspective on season 4. Honestly, this is the Even’s pov of canon that I was hoping for for a while, and there were so many parts where I thought, “Wow, this is the scene/dialogue/joke I’ve always wanted!”

The dialogue between Even and Isak is so beautifully done, a mix of banter and sweetness which moves organically between serious topics, teasing, and flirting, and feels so true to canon. They’ll transition from a discussion of moving in together to joking about Even’s episode to affirming their commitment to one another in the space of a few breaths, and it’s lovely.

Even’s observations and thoughts about Isak are threaded throughout the story, and show so much love, care, and attention for him. They’re done in such a way that they almost feel like a character sketch of Isak, all wrapped up in a character sketch of Even.

Mikael is fleshed out here in a way that fits so well with what little we know about him from canon. The Mikael in this story feels like the Mikael from the “Even’s best buddy” video, as he shows that he cares deeply about Even and was devastated at everything that happened. Season 4 didn’t offer us much, if any, insight into Even and Mikael’s friendship, so it’s great to see a more complete picture of their friendship here.

In addition to Even’s relationship with Mikael, this story also does a good job of showing us his relationships with his other friends and with his parents. Many of the dropped plot threads from season 4 are picked up here and deftly woven into the narrative.

Because the story centers primarily around Even coming to terms with his past and with how it affects his relationships, his suicide attempt and mental illness are prominent themes. But the potential heaviness of those topics is handled skillfully, and this story is primarily filled with a lot of tender moments, lightness and hope.

Favorite lines:

“Okay,” Mikael says, like he’s gearing up, “well,” and now his face has hardened again. “There’s the fact that apparently you wanted to kiss me enough to do it while manic. Which is not the bad part, because, contrary to what you were very willing to believe about me, I’m not actually homophobic. No. The bad part is that, not even a year earlier, you’d looked me straight into the eye, on camera, and said that love stories are only good if someone dies in the end. Flash forward a bit and you’re apparently in love with me and then you try to kill yourself and tell me, Even, in what world does that not leave me with the blame?”

[culverton]

Have I mentioned how much I love the good beans Olivi @gregoryhouse and Gemily @tenderlock because I do a lot 

[yelverton]

@tenderlock replied to your post “Doesn't "Kermit the frog is bisexual" sound like something gayle would...”

ive done and written a lot of things in my life but i did not write this ask so what does all the rest matter anyway? im nothing compared to this

this is honest to god the best ask i’ve ever received in my life everyone else take notes

[theburialofstrawberries]

you changed your url and your icon but i just read your tags on a post and instantly knew it was you asdfgh you have achieved brand recognisability

oh my gosh ajhgdsjhg [deep blushing] a compliment of the highest order coming from em

[seasons-serenade]

New oc!!! And their rider!

Intersex Shockjaw, goes by they/them prns. An uncommon species of migratory Shockjaw that returns to the freshwater rivers and lakes every summer to lay eggs. (Lol salmon)

They have some scarring and ripped up membrane after they were captured by dragon hunters, but I’ll draw that later.

[evaksbinder]

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

this week, we’re reccing outsider POVs. Today’s fic is a character study about Sonja. If you like it, please consider leaving it some love in the form of kudos/comments!

Have you any dreams you’d like to sell? - teatrolley / @tenderlock (6.5k words)

It's exactly the same pattern as it was last time

Or: Sonja's POV of her and Even's relationship, from it's birth to it's s3 end

Notes and ramblings:

This is a wonderfully comprehensive and well-thought out character study focusing on Sonja and her relationship with Even throughout the years

I love that this fic so effortlessly bridges all the gaps that canon leaves behind in a way that makes complete sense, adding depth both to their relationship and Sonja’s character itself

I also really like that Sonja is flawed and so is her relationship with Even by the end, but at the same time the fic just feels so real and human

The progression of this relationship itself, as well as her opinion about Isak, develops and shifts so naturally; it makes sense why it worked at the beginning, but it makes sense why it stops working, and it makes sense why she doesn’t trust Isak at first and it makes sense why she eventually grows to think he and Even are good for each other

And the writing in this is just gorgeous and this is just a really wonderful, beautifully developed and fascinating take on Sonja’s character!

Favorite lines:

It's funny, she thinks, how endings remind you of why you began, and it's funny, too, that this feels like the most intimate thing they've done in years. It's funny that they were doing badly long before they ended it, but that she misses him, now. Misses him even though he's right there. So:

"Although it wasn't all bad," she says. "Some of it was actually quite wonderful."

[evaksbinder]

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

this week, I’m reccing fics that have to do with parallel universes. Today’s fic is a recent fave. If you like it, please consider leaving it some love in the form of kudos/comments!

And you and you and you and you - Teatrolley / @tenderlock (4k words)

In some universes it goes like this:

Or: When it comes down to it, it's always them

Notes and ramblings:

Another beautiful take on Isak and Even through parallel universes, moving rapidly through each verse but in a very natural, organic way

Absolutely gorgeous writing with a certain flow and rhythm to it that feels quite magical, with a cinematic feel to it that’s unique and charming

the theme of details being different but the big picture (their love) being the same is one that i love and it’s very well done in this fic, practically radiating throughout the whole thing in its atmosphere

The parts where the fic lingers on moments and conversations between them adds weight to it in a very compelling way

Overall, a short but very beautiful read, with a very deep understanding of the characters and their relationship!

Favorite lines:

“I meant what I said before you left,” Isak goes on. “I don’t care if it’s not quite easy all of the time, because it’s not about never having any problems, it’s about wanting you so much I want to keep on trying to find you, and it’s about knowing that you’re the one I want to do that for.” And then: “With." A breath. "Want to do that with.”