Latest Posts by unhingedicedlatte - Page 2

"Ocean Nora" - a Rizzles story par excellence

Title of Fic: "Ocean Nora"

Author: KathleenDee

Fandom/Pairing: "Rizzoli & Isles", Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli ("Rizzles")

TW: /

Rating: M

Synopsis: Set in the canonical Rizzoli & Isles universe, this story is a Jane and Maura love story worth reading. Maura is the one here who finally makes a tentative move - and Jane finds herself wondering... When they finally acknowledge that there is more between them than "just friendship", they decide to take things slow but explore their romantic feelings for one another after years of not giving in to temptation.

"Ocean Nora" beautifully explores the main character's feelings, their thoughts, their actions. It is incredible how the author managed to get not only Jane and Maura just right, but also all the side characters that appear throughout the story. It is full of warmth, fluff, but also some slightly angsty moments. The slow-burn here is written exquisitely well, you find yourself rooting for the detective and the medical examiner so much it makes you forget everything else around you.

Also, the way the author writes about Jane's cases and Maura's autopsies is utterly brilliant, they're woven into the plot seamlessly, it's basically like watching Rizzoli & Isles on TV only better because we get the love story we're all pining for!

I found myself wishing more than once that KathleenDee could have been an actuall screenwriter for the show cuz "Ocean Nora" would actually be the perfect take on Rizzles!

I'm still a little speechless about the way the fic writer poured her heart and stoul into this story. The time and effort writing this gem of a story must have taken up - I'm in awe and I'll never cease to be madly in love with this brilliant, heartwarming piece of writing.

Please note that while this fic is currently not finished, you get 45 chapters of absolute quality content that will keep you up well into the night - I just could not tear myself away from it. No matter if this ever again gets updated or not, if you ship Rizzles, this should be one of the fics to not miss out on.

Rizzoli and Isles is actually a show about a Queerplatonic Relationship.

Okay hear me out.

So, I always have shipped Rizzles. There are many MANY ways in which these are queer coded characters with a heavy romantic subtext, that a lot of the time honestly bleeds into the maintext. A lot of the actions and dialogue that we would typically interpret as romantic, especially between a hetero pairing, certainly works for this show. 

But I did a re-watch of the show recently, and while I still ship them romantically, I actually think what is being portrayed between them is something else. They are DEFINITELY more than friends; I mean they are life partners in every sense of the word. But the kind of dynamic that is CANONICALLY portrayed between Maura and Jane, is in fact, a Queerplatonic Relationship.

So here’s a working definition of the term for those who aren’t familiar with it: 

Queerplatonic relationships and queerplatonic partnerships are committed intimate relationships which are not romantic in nature. They may differ from usual close friendships by having more explicit commitment, validation, status, structure, and norms, similar to a conventional romantic relationship

I have actually experienced something like this, (and yes I’m going to get a bit anecdotally personal here; I’ll try not to be too long winded, but it’s relevant, I promise lol): 

I had an (unspoken) kind of relationship like this with my best friend in my early/mid 20s. We have been best friends since I was 11, but something definitely shifted when we became adults, and I have to say, I ended up, quite unexpectedly, being deeply in love with my best friend…platonically. I didn’t want to date her. I didn’t want to sleep with her. But, I was totally devoted to her and we were each other’s person for years. We were each other’s assumed plus one for everything, we regularly did dinner dates, we gave each other super sentimental cards and specialized gifts on birthdays, we also regularly did domestic shit together like grocery shopping, errands, chores, house projects; you name it, we had it/did it. I mean we were even each other’s phone background for a while lmao. We never lived together, but we had keys to each other’s places. 

Now a lot of this shit can happen and does happen in standard friendships (maybe not the phone background thing; that was super gay ngl hahaha), but the thing that made this different was the level of assumed partnership going on between us. And the…energy. We would stare deeply into each other’s eyes. We had that magnetic kind of magic with each other, like no matter where the other is in the room, we find our way back to each other. And people literally perceived us as a couple. Hell, my other friends teased us about it. 

Any of this sound familiar?

Oh and I DO find her to be attractive and even sexy. And we flirted (still do lolol) a LOT. 

But I didn’t ever really…..actually want to have sex with her. Not that I would’ve even necessarily been opposed to it, because we were so close, but it just, wasn’t ever a desire for me.

This was interesting to experience, because I do identify as a lesbian, I have been romantically attracted to people, sexually attracted to people, and the two, as society expects, do usually go hand in hand for me. But with her, I honestly could’ve seen forever; like being exactly as we were, as life partners, I could’ve even seen myself raising kids with her, and I would have been TOTALLY, GENUINELY content with it, ‘cause my relationship with her filled me up in a way nothing else has. This was confusing as all hell to me for a long time, because I didn’t have a name for this until recently when I learned about the concept of Queerplatonic Relationships which again supersede friendship and often are life partnerships, but aren’t inherently romantic or sexual, even though they are quite deep. I actually think QPRs speak to that “limitless” “otherwise undefinable” kind of relationship dynamic. 

Sooo - and I promise I’m wrapping my story up - when my bff met her current boyfriend, which is her first super serious adult relationship, I didn’t quite experience jealousy, I mean I always envisioned a romantic partnership for her, and I still want that for me! Buuuut…my feelings were complicated because it’s like…I had to mourn what I lost, as our dynamic inherently changed, and the fact that I wasn’t her person anymore. Weird thing to process indeed. Also *ahem* SOUND FAMILIAR?

Without getting too carried away here (oh who am I kidding, I already have 😂) for comparison’s sake, I actually went through a crazy ass heartbreak with someone, also while I was in my mid 20s; someone to whom I WAS romantically, sexually, spiritually, connected and attracted. I mean I was IN LOVE with this woman and she broke my heart by not fully reciprocating my feelings and not wanting to be with me. I thought I was gonna die when we stopped talking. Hell, it’s been years and I still think about her. 

But if you were to ask me who the true love. of. my. life. has been so far…I’d pick my best friend! 

The funny thing is I think a LOT of women end up in these kinds of dynamics, ESPECIALLY queer women, maybe even more so queer women who form super close relationships to “straight” women (gotta put str8 in quotes ‘cause…this shit is inherently queer even though it’s not romantic/sexual). You all know what I’m talking about; You’d do anything for each other, there’s chemistry, connection, and care, yet it doesn’t quite fit into any box you try to give it. People read you as a couple. You know this about yourselves, and you just…accept it. Because what you have is actually beyond any label. You know?

Anyway, I think there’s actually something cool and radical about this and I know that queer people want and deserve romantic and sexual representation, but I think this IS an accurate kind of representation that happens all the time that isn’t appropriately covered or discussed in media.

In hindsight, I think that’s what really hooked me on R&I. I mean, I started watching ‘cause I thought they were lesbians, and I kept watching ‘cause I thought it would be canon! And yeah, I still think about what could’ve been with them: fanfiction is good for that. But why do I still watch the actual show? Well…I LIVED it. 

Now: do I think that Maura and Jane often tip the scales a lil’ TOOOOO far in the explicitly gay direction on this show? Oh hell yes! Do I think you can interpret them as two people who are madly in love, romantically, with each other, yet are too scared to do anything about it? Oh hell yes! Like I said I do ship Rizzles. BUT, if I’m honest about what is FULLY, CANONICALLY being portrayed, no subtext, ALL maintext: It’s 10000% a QPR. 

So no: Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli are certainly not JUST friends. They aren’t just colleagues, although their work relationship is just as powerful and awe inspiring as their personal one. They aren’t really like sisters, although they can quarrel like siblings at times. They aren’t truly romantic, although they are essentially life partners. They aren’t in a sexual relationship with each other; not that it couldn’t go there, but I also see how it wouldn’t need to go there, and how that doesn’t diminish the bond at all. They have something that I recognize -and something I think perhaps many of us recognize too- something beyond definition, because at the core of it they are true-blue soulmates who share a kind of unconditional love that is rarely found in ANY kind of relationship. If there is a definition that comes close to summing this kind of thing up: Queerplatonic Relationship is the answer!

Idk just felt like sharing this. Thanks for reading 🤓

Once again, I find myself thinking about that Cabenson kiss that was filmed, but never saw the light of the day. 

Season 2 ep 3: They just HAVE to continue calling each other "babe" plz 😭

Okay, but season 2 episode 2 of Rizzoli & Isles?! It's somehow so sweet and tender and desperately makes me want to write a fluffy Rizzles fic about them becoming parents together… I actually already have some ideas how this could go, now I just need days to be longer so I can write lol… In the meantime, I'll just continue to gush about them with the baby - I mean, Maura is defo looking at Jane and smiling to herself as if she's wondering what it would be like to have kids together with her..ugh, imagine how cute that would be^-^

Side note: Love how Maura is so kind with Jane's mom Angela, like the way she immediately buys the painting Angela had created herself and that she even sets her up as a kangaroo carer for premature newborns… it makes Jane go so soft for her, Maura is simply the best wife she could ever hope for * awwws*

I think it's a sign of good media when you have to reread or rewatch it to get the full experience. First time is for getting your brain blasted by the story and being confused second time is for knowing who's who and what's what and willingly getting your brain blasted again.

Just watched this movie a second time and yes. I am still 100%, utterly of the opinion that this is a masterpiece of rare intelligence, invention, creativity and wit. The actors are amazing and Blanchett's performance is a joy to watch, she's so so phenomenal.

I've read some pretty awesome analyses and explanations of the movie by now and will say more on that matter soon, but I find it so puzzling that some people immediately dismiss this gem as tedious and problematic and hard to get into ? I also understand why some people prefer not to watch a movie about a character as potentially unlikeable, power-hungry and selfish as Lydia Tár, but at the same time, I just - well, I personally do not think that movies that have this clear "good guys/bad guys"-seperation are typically the most stimulating and mesmerizing ones. I found the character of Lydia Tár complex and difficult and yeah, she's definitely abusing her power and status and she probably even had a large share in literally destroying young conductor Krista Taylor (first, her career, then, the woman herself...), but I also like the fact that this movie shows that people like Tár, as disgusting and horrifying as they are, are not merely monsters, but have, for example, a soft spot for someone (in Tár's case this is her daughter Petra), strong likes and dislikes, that they even sometimes do good deeds . Life would be so easy if it were all black and white, but it's not and most people have better and worse traits. Most people have done really, really bad, fucked-up shit, but have also done some really admirable and kind stuff, so... that's what basically makes us human and I think it makes exploring characters like Lydia so interesting to me - and no, I do not condone her actions and her reasoning, but some people seem to mistake greatly enjoying and being greatly fascinated/moved by a movie with automatically agreeing to the things its protagonist does and says?!

I could watch this movie many more times. I will probably even watch it again at some point in the nearer future! Yes, it's not an "easy to get into" movie. It does not answer every of the viewer's question. It also does not state that it has a definite, clear stance on anything; it merely raises questions and it's also extremely questionable (to me) whether it really is that much of a movie about Me Too, Cancel Culture, Power Dynamics ect. Yeah, these issues appear throughout the movie and are a part of it, but I just don't think that is what it's essentially about.

And I love these kind of movies, the kind that need time to be properly processed, the kind dthat spark conversation and make me want to go down a rabbit hole of information and research and exchange; the kind that are challenging and unruly and maybe not what they seem or so much more than that...

Phenomenal stuff. Beautifully made. Original, intelligent. Then when things went mad they went really mad. Blanchett extraordinary, as we know. Great support, great music, great build up, great ending. All films should be made with this level of intelligence, bravery, confidence. Amazing.

Please think before you comment on people's physical traits/appearance! There is NO NEED WHATSOEVER to shame, belittle or otherwise mess with someone's feelings because of something as superficial and unimportant than looks!! It's dumb, it's insensitive, it's unnecessary, uncalled for and oftentimes simply cruel.

Care for some examples?

I was walking my dogs once and stopped at a local dogpark where an elder woman started chatting to me. She was nice enough, but all of a sudden she asked why I didn't get my teeth fix. Yeah, I am 100% aware that I have crooked front teeth. I don't really care, I accept them the way they are, back then I also was not generally in a good mental state and such a comment felt downright mean and utterly out of place. Luckily, I was able to tell her as much by coolly stating that this was none of her business and that it's extremely impolite and rude to say something like that...

I've also had several occassions in my life where people told me negative things about my hair which is not only rude, but also plain racist. European, white people telling me, a PoC, that I should get another hairstyle 'cuz it would look "much better"?! I mean, do they even know what they are suggesting?! Yeah, get over it; not everybody needs to have fair, straight hair. I like my hair the way it is naturally: curly, sometimes a little messy, and whenever I dye it, I do it because I enjoy being colorful (I had it pink for quite some time), but that's my decision and no one else's business and maybe these people should take a long hard look at themselves and understand how utterly brainwashed they have been to believe that there is exactly ONE way of being beautiful/handsome/pretty.

Also, do not comment on people's weight!! Seriously?! Why is this even still a thing?! You know NOTHING about a person's history, about their eating habits, their routines, you don't know whether they are struggling with an eating disorder and you certainly don't get to decide what their body has to look like for them to like and celebrate themselves!! It's just not okay to tell someone "Oh, you used to be so thin, what happened?" or "You have lost way too much weight, it doesn't suit you at all!" or "You've grown fat since I last saw you" - CUT THAT SH*T!!

Also, you don't have to comment on other people's fashion preferences; if you don't want to wear skinny jeans or leoprints or bright neon colors or cheap shoes or wheaver, well, you are not obliged to do so, but let other people wear whatever they want and just LEAVE THEM ALONE.

what’s the point of it all?

does anyone else get that horrible feeling when ur watching a show that you like, but you can feel the heterosexual romance building up, u know the signs, and it’s like ur in a horror movie except instead of a monster it’s the protagonists annoying boyfriend to be

Me starting season 2 of Rizzoli & Isles: Well, surely this show can't get any more gay! Plot twist: It absolutely can :)

Just watched "The Banshees of Inisherin" and it's been such an emotional rollercoaster in the most satisfying way... go watch it, you won't regret it

So I just watched TÁR tonight and I'm SO SO obsessed and overwhelmed and going through A LOT right now because honestly?! This movie is a masterpiece of cinematography and I enjoyed every second immensely which is a huge achievement for a 2h 39 min long movie but this one was not one second too long! Honestly, I could have watched 2 more hours of Cate Blanchett acting like this. Her acting was PEAK PERFORMANCE, it was so vivid and authentic and nuanced and simply brilliant. My eyes were glued to the screen and I was hooked from minute one. Cate Blanchett really pulled this one of; the film is worth the watch in itself, but Cate Blanchett is what made it truly outstanding and remarkable. I can't think of any other actress that whould have been able to do this the way Cate did. I'm in awe. Sorry for fangirling but trust me, you should watch this one!

i love you happy endings i love you escapism i love you angst with a happy ending i love you major character death ignored i love you everything works out in the end i love you tooth rotting fluff i love you hurt/comfort i love you domestic au i love you fix-it fic i love you everybody lives/nobody dies i love you soft fics i love you fanfic writers who take a gritty and grey world and bring light to it i love you

Can we please normalize not asking people about their family, their origin, their ethnic background when doing small talk?! Not everybody wants to talk about their family. Not everybody with a "foreign"-sounding surname or first name cares to talk about their origin and, side note: Many people have been born in the country they live in now and do not enjoy constantly being reminded of their backstory! I am constantly being told that my German is perfect - well, guess what? It's perfect because it's my mother tongue, just because my father's from another country doesn't mean I personally grew up elsewhere!! For many people, these topics that are somehow deemed "small-talk appropriate" by others, are a constant source of stress and "othering", some might have had traumatic experiences in childhood/youth/have no contact to their biological family anymore/have been adopted ect. It's plain rude and nosy and unnecessary to ask such personal question - think before you talk for God's sake

Okay, but season 1 episode 09 of Rizzoli & Isles?! The way Jane soothingly touches Maura's arm and how Maura reacts with this very specific look, this precious combination of surprise and wonder and tenderness for Jane?! The way they sit at home and Jane reassures Maura she doesn't have one single evil bone in her body and how they hold hands so intimately?! And then the lighter scene at the very end, when they join some plumbing business with Jane's father and brother behind the bar, how Maura reaches out her hand to touch Jane,and how Jane reciprocates that gesture and it just looks so very domestic and sweet and natural?! I am going FERAL I ship them so hard it blocks the Suez canal

HOW IS THERE A HETEROSEXUAL EXPLANATION FOR THIS????!!!!!!

Maura & Jane | Rizzoli & Isles 2x02

Murphy’s law, applied to fanfics.

- The fic starts out great, nice style, language, captivating summary. It’s unfinished and has been abandoned since 2013.

- The fic is complete, nice style, language, tons of kudos speak for themselves. It’s about your NOTP.

- The fic is about your OTP,  it’s complete, it’s kinky as hell. The plot is absolutely dumbass.

- The plot sounds great, it’s about your OTP, it’s complete. The characters are horribly OOC.

 - Everything is perfect in this fic, starting from the first letter and ending with the last full stop. It’s exactly 800 words long.

- The fic’s word count is a six-figure number, it’s about your OTP, characters are compliant with your head-canon. It’s dull and boring as seven hells.

- The beginning is enthralling, everything’s great, the plot, the style, it’s long and it’s even about your OTP. It features something that makes you close the tab as soon as you open it, like father/daughter incest or mpreg or some other squicky thing. 

- Everything is perfect in this fic, the length, the characters, the language, the style, you forget you’re reading fanfic, thinking it’s a masterpiece of true literature, you cry tears of joy and write a huge review full of gushing love and then rush to the author’s profile to read every other thing they’ve written. It’s their only work.

'kay, so I said "There cannot possibly exist a gayer episode of Rizzles than the undercover in a lesbian bar one" and then this one has Maura going all protective over Jane and wanting to learn how to handle a gun to keep her safe?!?! And asking her "Jane...do I look badass?"?!?! C'mon, kiss already, pleeeaaazzzee

"done." I say through tears as I pick out yet another fanfic of the same people but this time they meet at a carnival.

"Warm Milk" - a Rizzles Fanfic that has it ALL: intimacy • growth • romance • fluff • sexy times

Title of Fic: "Warm Milk"

Author: YoDrDeath

Fandom/Pairing: "Rizzoli & Isles", Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli ("Rizzles")

TW: mentions of past abuse, r*pe, PTSD

Synopsis: This fic is based around season 1 & 2 and follows Jane and Maura on their journey from friends & co-workers to becoming a romantic couple. Jane Rizzoli was not only cruelly haunted by Hoyt, but also s*xually assaulted. Maura Isles wants to help the person who is becoming the best friend she's ever had, but she also can't deny her own attraction to Jane who is still suffering from nightmares, flashbacks and severe anxiety. When Maura gently suggests to aid Jane in the process of becoming more okay again with vulnerability - especially regarding sexual intimacy -, the detective is hesitant, maybe even appalled, at first. But she can't quite get Maura's idea out of her head and so, the two women find themselves in one of their bedroomes, talking about stuff Jane is scared of and Maura starts developing a plan to guide her dear friend. At first, all they do is talk. They talk about sexual encounters, about what Jane would like, what would feel good and why, it starts out harmless enough. But of course, their conversations turn a little more heated very soon, and then, slowly, the touching starts, too. And finally, both women realize that they want more which understandably is horribly frightening and confusing for Jane. But on the other hand, Maura is her safe place. She trusts the medical examiner more and more, she finds herself aching for her presence and aching for her touches.

This story beautifully explores their blossoming relationship and the difficultites they have to face. It is a heartwarming, clever, tender story about true love, and it deals with difficult but extremely important issues like consent, PTSD, boundaries and sexual epression. It is the story about Jane, the surivor of a horrific assault, that changes her life forever but that does not take away her personality and her ability to love fully and desire intimacy - physical and emotional. Somehow, this story delicately manages to walk the fine line between the really dark stuff, the beauty of love blossoming in the most unexpected places under the most unexpected circumstances and also captures this really passionate, intense moments between our two favorite ladies.

Rating: M

Hey you know what's super funny about the idea of "good bi rep"?

For a character to be canonically bi you have to make sure and establish that they're attracted to multiple genders. Not all mediums allow you to get inside every character's head or show what they're thinking. Flirting can be read ambiguously, and god forbid they flirt with a character who's not into them and be read as pushy or predatory. So it can be super handy to just mention an ex or two! But you better not mention too many exes because that would make them a slutty bisexual which is (checks notes) bad, and you definitely better be careful about making them poly, because that might make them, uh... greedy. Oh, and those exes? They better be perfectly amiable breakups with no conflict or drama, because it's bad to represent queer people in toxic or abusive relationships (especially queer women! very bad), and you definitely can't have them have lost a partner if the partner was queer because that's "bury your gays..." You should probably also eliminate all trauma from their backstory, just to be safe. You should probably also make sure they're not involved in crime, deception, or anything of the sort, because that would make them "deviant" and a stereotype.

But don't worry! Once you've carefully crafted your nice, monogamous, experienced-but-not-too-experienced Lawful Good bi character, you will be rewarded with your audience deeming them "boring" and quickly passing them over for other characters. :)

Dear Lord, watching season 1 episode 6 of Rizzoli and Isles is reaaally a lot to stomach for my little lesbian heart 😳 I mean, Maura and Jane basically being flirty and wifey all.the.time and going undercover together in a lesbian bar where Jane is just casually fake-dating WOMEN?! And I mean, that'sJane with her husky voice and overall gay demeanor - like gaaah how shall I be expected to cope?!

Something something drawing attention to the neck something hairtossing as mating something

Now with VeryAccurate™ image descriptions

When your colleague who is a bit too involved in your love life lies down on your bed

And you have to keep an eye on her

Not my gay ass becoming utterly obsessed with Rizzles in 2023 - I mean, this kind of queerbaiting is torturous 😭

Lesbians we gotta stop reading ao3 fanfics at 1:30 am n fix our sleep schedules

i love you fanfics with rabid intimacy. i love you long and intricate passages about lovers who love with such intensity they want to make a home in the bones of their beloved. i love you insatiable need to get impossibly closer. i love you winter love, cold and intense and all consuming. i love you inherent divinity of lovers who love with such ferocity they want to be the blood pumping in their beloveds veins.