#<- I think I should tag that?? its a bit comedic in tone but it still does suck.

[contamination-zone]

When I was looking for the npd flag a while back to draw him over, I found this sign and laughed myself sick.

[timbrrwolfe]

Ok I didn't really go into it with the tags of that reblog but now I'm thinking about it again so I need to rant about why Cirque du Freak's movie adaptation is so awful.

First, a thing that I was maybe a little bit wrong about at the time. John C. Reilly's casting as Crepsley. It was /ridiculous/ to me to see him cast as that character. A very serious, sometimes haunted character. And it's played by some comedy actor? Nonsense. Of course since then I've reread the series and realized that Crepsley had more comedy to him than I remembered. And obviously actors can have range beyond their popular roles and such. So I might've honestly been wrong to be upset about that casting. But it's hard to tell because of the rest of that trainwreck of a movie.

The overall tone of the movie ended up being more comedic than the series. Not that there weren't funny moments in the books, but the books really dig much more into the horror and emotion that the movie completely lacked. I have to assume this was an intentional choice to make the movie more marketable to kids en masse. But I'll save the rant for that kind of decision for another day because it's its own whole problem. The point is that a lot of the soul that was in the books was cut out for the movie. For one example, in the first book there's a scene were Darren's death has to be faked so he can go off as he becomes a vampire. And he struggles with the fact that he has to leave his friends, parents, and his sister. And then we see him struggling through being paralyzed to appear dead but still being able to hear his family's pain both upon finding his body and at the funeral, and how he has to lay there for a few days, paralyzed in his coffin, thinking about it. In the movie he's playing a Gameboy in the coffin to pass the time.

So I might've been wrong about John C. Reilly but the overall tone of the movie was abysmal and that casting was probably symptomatic of that.

And you might think that a movie adaptation, if it was going to pull from more than the first book, would just take from the first few books. It probably shouldn't, because it's already losing space to go into things, but it's not the worst thing. The worst thing, is to not just pull from the first book, but to pull from the latter half of the series with a MASSIVE spoiler of a twist. Which is what the Cirque du Freak movie did. This awful movie took a spoiler from at least halfway into the series to pad the runtime. I have to assume they knew they were only going to make one movie for the whole series because there's 0 reason to pull this otherwise. I mean, there's 0 reason to do it at all, but I can at least see the logic there, even if it's dumb. So if anybody's first exposure to the series was the movie, or someone watched the movie before they got to that point in the series, they got spoiled. And for what? A marshmallow popcorn adaptation of a much more rich experience. Not to say that Cirque du Freak is like....a literary masterpiece. But there's /so/ much more heart and soul in the books than the movie.

Honestly I've probably forgotten a lot of what the movie did wrong (I wouldn't be surprised to find it pulled more from later in the series that slipped my mind, and mismanaged it). Maybe I should rewatch it just to see how bad it is with a fully developed brain (and then reread the series as a palate cleanser)

[terramythos]

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 28 of 26

Title: When Sorrows Come (October Daye #15) (2021)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Female Protagonist, First-Person 

Rating: 4/10 

Date Began: 10/28/2021

Date Finished: 11/12/2021

October “Toby” Daye is finally getting married to Tybalt, the love of her life. For the wedding, she and a retinue of friends and family travel to Toronto, the fae seat of power in North America. But Toby realizes something is very wrong in the High Court. Shortly after her arrival, she foils an assassination attempt on High King Aethlin. Now Toby and her companions have to root out the instigator of a coup before it overthrows the monarchy and destabilizes the Westlands. 

Blundering into trouble isn’t my superpower, but it might as well be. 

Review, content warnings, and series spoilers below the cut. 

Content warnings for the book: Depicted — Death, violence, self-harm. Mentioned— Incest (kinda), genocide, mind control, abuse. 

I’m sad to write this review, as I consider myself a fan of McGuire’s work. But this is the first October Daye book I’ve outright disliked. It’s got big problems, and highlights recent issues with the series that I can’t ignore anymore. 

Maybe it’s wrong to be critical of When Sorrows Come, because it’s clearly meant to be a fanservice book. Toby and Tybalt, after much teasing, are finally getting married. It’s got the most snarky tone of the series. There’s lots of discussion about the inevitable drama and bloodshed that’s bound to complicate things. Toby and friends do what they do best: solving problems and getting stabbed in the process. As a whole, it’s a semi-comedic romp with characters you’re doubtlessly familiar with by now. But the whole time I was reading it, I couldn’t help but notice all the filler and think, for the third time in recent books, “Wow, this should have been a novella.” 

Lower stakes adventures aren’t a bad thing; I’m not saying every entry needs to be an earth-shattering thrill ride. But in the latter half of the series, several books feel phoned in. Once Broken Faith (#10) and The Unkindest Tide (#13) have stock plots, throwaway villains, and conflicts that (seemingly) don’t impact the overarching story. I feel that both would have worked better as novellas, addressing the big Lore Stuff in each while avoiding the filler plots. Major developments aren’t necessarily tied to the main novels; just look at January’s resurrection. Unfortunately, When Sorrows Come fits into this category as well, featuring a generic assassination plot that feels tacked on at best. On its own, I probably wouldn’t care. But since it’s the third in a trend, and has additional problems, I’m apprehensive about where the series is headed. 

I do have some positive things to say about When Sorrows Come. The snarky tone and self-aware quips are pretty funny. There’s a joke early on about “working for a queen” that actually made me laugh out loud. Many beloved characters show up, and while some cameos are expected, others are honestly surprising. As always, The Luidaeg is wonderful. I’m happy that Walther continues to be important, as it’s rare to see good trans rep in media. While there’s side character bloat, I generally like the recurring ones, so it’s not so bad. Though I wish they got more individual attention. 

There’s a little character development with Quentin, exploring his complicated relationship with Aethlin and Maida. It makes sense that he’d be resentful toward his parents, since they literally abandoned him and cut off all social ties— even though we know mind control was to blame. So it’s nice to see that bit of extra depth. This also ties into “mother” vs “mom” and “father” vs “dad”, which is a running theme in the book. Aethlin himself fluctuates between the level-headed leader we’ve seen previously, an idiot for the sake of plot, and a complete asshole. But since this is the first book to really focus on him, I’ll chalk it up to “hidden depths” and move on.   

I did like some worldbuilding stuff. The concept of New York City being literally poisonous to Faerie is interesting. There’s mention of the few who manage to live in what is basically the fae version of nuclear fallout; that’s a great premise if we ever explore it in the future. I also like encountering a Library again, since they haven’t been relevant for a while. The one in Maples is atmospheric and much different than the one in the Mists. It’s a shame that this book retcons a major detail about Libraries, rendering the conflict in Chimes At Midnight (#7) nonsensical. 

When Sorrows Come genuinely gets good around Chapter 18. It was at this point, over 80% through the book, that it finally felt like the series I know and love. This is exactly why I think a novella would have worked better— because I had to trudge through hundreds of pages to get to the stuff that matters. This section features the lead-up to the wedding, the wedding itself (+ some series-appropriate complications), and finally the reception novella, “And With Reveling”. I liked the part where Toby has to pick one of three roads and discovers Simon is her escort to the wedding. While his appearance in When Sorrows Come is brief, his scene functions as a touching “how far we’ve come” found family thing. The bonus novella has minor problems, but I enjoyed it as a fluffy epilogue for the book. 

But the negatives outweigh the positives for me. I know I’ve been throwing the word “filler” around a lot, but it’s egregious. The plot feels shoehorned in because the book “needed” a conflict; it has no effect on the conclusion, except for an incident during the wedding that could easily be reworked. When Sorrows Come is full of filler on a micro scale, too. One example: we spend a solid two and a half chapters (1) identifying that a room is booby trapped, and (2) getting stuck in the booby trapped room and trying to get out of it. Despite there being an obvious way out, which was demonstrated in a previous chapter. Or Toby will summarize— in detail--something we literally just read. Or there’s the excessive amount of recap. I’m not kidding when I say the first 60 pages consist of series recap dumps and barebones setup. If we’re at the point where we need dozens of pages to summarize the story, wouldn’t it make more sense to have a skippable “story so far” section? Or limit the exposition to relevant information? I hate skimming stuff, but as someone familiar with the series, I was tempted. 

There’s emotional character moments I swear we get every single book now. Tybalt being upset that Toby put herself in danger followed by some touching make-up scene. Toby being sad that someday Quentin, who she considers her son, is going to leave her and become High King of the Westlands. Some lines about how the terrifying Luidaeg is somehow a merciful, even kind person despite her tragic backstory. I dunno, man. These were meaningful the first time I read them, but they get rehashed so often they’ve lost all impact. Other scenes feel melodramatic, like Tybalt giving a passionate speech to Maida about how Toby is the most amazing woman he knows and sacrifices so much to help the Divided Courts. All while Toby is just like, bleeding into a jar as a favor to the woman so she doesn’t die. Maybe that’s a big ask for a normal person, but Toby bounces back from so many horrific injuries each book that this over-the-top reaction to a blood donation borders on parody. 

Many plot points rely on idiocy. No one thinks to use readily available Tuatha portal magic to escape the booby trapped room. Early on, someone dies from contact poison… which everyone promptly forgets is a thing until it becomes relevant again. Toby and Aethlin go to interrogate a shapeshifting prisoner which can transform into anyone it sees, but bring Tybalt, whose hands are deadly weapons. These aren’t the only examples. The royal guards are incompetent, but at least that gets an explanation— though it’s weird that the most powerful court in North America is paralyzed without Toby’s intervention. 

Finally, When Sorrows Come has big editorial issues, exacerbating all its other problems. There are sentences that were clearly mid-edit, but never got completed, so you end up with something incomprehensible. Others are grammatically correct, but phrased in such a confusing way that I had to reread them several times. Sometimes known information is presented as a total mystery, or retconned, or stuff gets repeated verbatim. One of several continuity errors is Toby telling Tybalt, with heartfelt sincerity, that she didn’t run headlong into danger without him… a chapter after she did exactly that. It’s not presented as an intentional lie, and Toby isn’t a duplicitous character. It’s an error. Mistakes absolutely happen, but there are so many in this book that it feels like an early draft. I’m not sure if When Sorrows Come was rushed out the door, or the editor barely checked it, or what. 

I’m fond of this series; my frustrations come from a place of passion. October Daye is a daunting 15 books long, and I feel like it’s running out of steam. Toby is now so powerful and beloved that nothing feels like a real threat. 90+% of the bad things that happen in this series can be traced to Eira or Amandine… so what conflicts we get are rarely surprising. There’s still a few plot threads (the missing Queens, whatever is going on with Stacy’s bloodline, maybe Riordan?), but are they enough to hang another 5? 10? books on? We have at least 2 more confirmed with no end in sight. I’m concerned about future quality with this series, which is sad, because I know McGuire is passionate about it. Maybe there’s a Winter Long-style shakeup waiting in the wings that will make me eat my words. I genuinely hope that’s the case; I want October Daye to be the best it can be. But it’s hard not to feel discouraged.

[sienna-writes]

On the Border of Blinking | update 2

more poems ! yay :)

Writing poetry is so comparatively stress free than my other projects right now - so I can confirm that this anthology continues to be a joy to write! I am absolutely loving how it is coming along and it feels more naturalistic than my previous collection. There are hints of weirdness here and there because I’m Weird, nice to meet you - but overall it feels a lot more grounded and I love it! I think I hid, to a certain extent, my personal experiences behind a lot of nonsensical images previously so this feels more honest, a bit more scary... and also braver :)) [Having said that, nothing against my old poems I still really love some of them but I was definitely still finding my footing and experimenting so some were pretty messy. and that’s okay !! without the mess, the ‘mistakes’, etc, i wouldn’t have gotten to this current collection :) ].

One thing I'm noticing is that for an anthology i wanted to be about living presently, moment to moment, blink to blink — it's incredibly ?? nostalgic ? :")

it's definitely becoming a trend that i cannot stick to the concept i commit to but i'm honestly not too concerned about it at this point. I'm very proud of how it's shaping up to be and so glad that I'm still able to write poetry while my unfinished short stories and novel collect dust. [will get around to them ... am just ... so tired ......]

cw: abuse (only for the first one and not in depth)

the poems;

witness, weary

I wrote this the morning after a particularly ... heated night in my family and it explores the fatigue of living in an environment that can be violent at times, where you are gaslit, terrified and caught in the midst of it all, feeling trapped. It explores, in a paradoxically ~quiet~ (muted maybe ?? i am a writer but can't words) tone, the denial that follows afterward. How it is played down if you have the courage to bring it up again, or more realistically, ignored entirely and left un-talked about. How it hurts less if you pretend it didn't happen. It is gentle to mirror a house becoming still after its storm and people occupying less space when they are hurting, so as not to cause a bigger scene.

these are the moments i held my breath

this one is relatively self explanatory ! the most memorable moments I have held my breath in my life lmao :”) and then i cheated and added another in where I probably should have been holding my breath but was young and stupid and panicking and Did Not. 

infinite

i love this poem so, so much. It is honestly just a bunch of "maybes" that developed into something that just indescribably ✨aches✨ whenever i revisit it. I doubt anyone would feel that same ache, but it's cathartic for me at least. I don't think I had a plan going into this, it just spiralled out of me and then with editing it has become a new fav of the anthology. The lines all rely on each other, so above is the first line :) ^

I sat in the park and imagined

So this poem is about standing on the moon and imagining, clearly. :D

lol

i was sitting. in a park. imagining: hey what if a bomb exploded right now? and then started to write a poem about that situation. I kind of like it! It is unlike anything I've written before, and I'm learning to accept that kind of scenario as a positive. It was more comedic than i thought it would be, but then again my humour is often incredibly unfunny to everyone but myself and close friends so idK man. it's an amusing read to me. :")

unholdable

an incredibly short poem ! for me anyway ! I never thought I'd be able to write a poem under 500 words in the last anthology. (there were some big bois). then when writing this collection I was like huh ok my poems are pretty varied yay, and then b o o m this one was a mere 97 words and the lowest until then that i had written was 233. I think it's a good sign - I'm becoming a more economical writer and saying what I crucially want to say without diluting the meaning. also, it shows I'm experimenting more with structure and form and im ✨always✨ down for that.

measurements

human insignificance through the lens of blue whale facts !! no I'm not kidding :) yes that is genuinely this poem :)) pls end me :D <3

i jest, yet unironically love this concept even if im not ✨fully✨ comfortable with the execution yet. It's almost there it just needs some final tweaking I think.

snatched

a haiku about a deer eating grass in a graveyard in the snow :) cus that's a thing i witnessed and it was eerily beautiful :) and haiku's are a beautiful form :)

conclusion;

it's going ! good ! I could share lines this time because i am not yet submitting these poems. i plan to with some but again, I've only recently written them so haven't gotten around to it yet :"D not looking forward to it ahah submitting is painful and takes me way longer than it should.

tag list (ask to be added/removed!):

@alicewestwater @elaz-ivero @coffeeandcalligraphy @hanwatchingmovies @chloeswords @nev-953 @justahufflepuffnerd @writerschronicles @august-iswriting @jennawritesstories @jaydewritesfiction @avakrahn @chewingthescenery

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Misfit of Demon King Academy 1 | Healin’ Good PreCure 13 - 14 | Lapis Re:Lights 1 | God of High School 1 | Muhyo and Roji’s BSI s2 1

Misfit of Demon King Academy 1

This originally had the ecchi tag on its anime entry on AniList…or, at least, that’s how it was in my memory…but now that I see it doesn’t have that, it’s just another reincarnation isekai-type series. Let’s dig into it!

I…think this guy is meant to be portrayed as “hot” because he has the piercing eyes and he’s tall (against the girls in what will presumedly be his harem), but he kind of looks like your standard Potato-kun in a white outfit…so, uh…*shrugs*

Uh…is that guy meant to be Indian? You can’t get more obvious than the “Indu” family. Update: You see his brother later and Leorg has fairer skin, so maybe not.

LOL, “Flame of Darkness” makes someone nothing but a chuunibyou.

Uh…this is called The Misfit of Demon King Academy, y’know? Anos (Anoth?) is gonna get in, you bet your butts.

The owl is cute.

…guy, that 3 second rule thing was actually funny, but the more you think about the joke, the less funny it gets. Show: 1. Me: Infinity -1

Just from appearances, I wanna guess Misha is an ice or light magic user, or whatever equivalent the show has.

Is this what Assassin’s Pride could have been…?

How did the mother (Anoth’s) think her kid maturing that fast wasn’t weird?

Mushroom gratin? Is that an actual dish?...Yep, seems so. Sounds nice. I like mushrooms.

What’s up with young mothers in anime these days? Then again, the only other point of reference I have is Masamune-kun’s Revenge…

I thought it was the other Indu guy we saw earlier. This guy’s…not that bad-looking, though (LOL, my preferences ring out loud and clear…)…welp, spoke too soon. There he is. Update: Leorg kinda looks like Hakuto Kunai from Demon Lord, Retry!, come to think of it.

If Zepes died several times over the course of this episode…would one more death actually matter? (Not really, to be honest. Zepes is a scumbag.)

Come to think of it, this anime got postponed due to COVID, yeah? Was that why there was a sakuga spot earlier…?

Was that Sasha (Misha’s sister)? I found her name while checking if the anime was postponed.

I like the colour choices in this show, at least.

I don’t think this show has the best sense of comedic timing. Let your jokes breathe, dammit! That’s what comedic beats are for!

In a season with more offerings, I might get rid of this or pause it, but the season’s fairly sparse as it stands (darn virus!) so it stays.

Update: I didn’t notice, but an Anime News Network staff member wrote that Anoth’s surname is familiar…if you read Harry Potter.

Healin’ Good PreCure 13

Gotta start in the middle for this and work our way back. Note I did watch the 1st 2 eps without subs earlier this year when they were on the official PreCure YouTube, so I’m ahead of most people.

(From wandering the wiki and the news) I’ve seen nothing but pink/blue/yellow Cures these days, so I kind miss the more adventurous colours like green and orange…but then again, I never really liked green. It’s the colour of envy and…as petty as it sounds, I think I developed that bias because green is stereotypically the colour of rot, vomit (aside from anime’s rainbow vomit) and stinky things.

I didn’t notice this, but there’s a faint highlight on the Cures’ eyes (red for Grace, purple for Fontaine and blue for Sparkle).

It’s a drone! In PreCure! Yay! (It finally hit me exactly how much of a distant dream it’s been – from watching Suite and episodes of most of the other PreCure ‘til now – watching PreCure legally as a simulcast is! It’s crazy and it only took, what…5 years between Suite and this? 16 if you count from Futari wa to Healin’ Good.)

Is it that drone?

Hah? This is almost like the electricity-themed PreCure I came up with on the fan wiki. It’s not like I could sue Toei for it, though…they own that stuff, I only own what came out of my own imagination.

The subs say “Rate”, but “rate” has a meaning in English. No wonder the initial wiki translations say “Latte”, especially because the queen is “Teatine” to match.

Okay, so Mei is the sis and Yota is the brother. Got it.

Hey! What if there was a PreCure where the villains had devastated another world before? That would really raise the stakes.

“[T]hunders” (sic)? Thunder is the sound, lightning is the flash. Which one is it?

I see. As soon as they identified it as the Element of Lightning, I sort of guessed they could add it to their repertoire later, and I was right.

Its’s nice to see they put a woman in the moving company as well. Proves that girls can do anything they set their minds to, even what are supposedly “men’s jobs”.

I guess from the face I should’ve expected the element to talk, like the Fairy Tones from Suite, but I didn’t really figure that out until I saw it talk,

I feel like Hinata should’ve gone to see how Mei made her juice. That way, the two might be able to make similar-tasting juice…but that’s just an idea.

Healin’ Good PreCure 14

I feel like Byogens were responsible for Nodoka’s sickness, much like they are for Latte.

“Energy Source” seems to refer to a place where energy appears…I know that sounds a bit dumb if you don’t realise genki hakken means something like “appearance of energy (for a person)”, but…yeah, the PreCure series is like this. Unfortunately, that’s what you have to deal with.

I feel like this “teamwork overcomes all hardships” message is important in this time of COVID-19.

Guaiwaru = “condition is bad”, or ill health (guai ga warui).

Is that the element of air? I thought the PreCure would’ve used their element of lightning to fix the steamer, but hey, teamwork works too.

I’m a weeny bit peevy they translate minna to “girls”. It’s correct in context when it’s been translated that way, but minna means “everybody”.

I imagined Hinata saying “Watashi no smartphone ga!” instead of “Atarashii sumaho ga hoshii!”

Lapis Re:Lights 1

Eh…COVID-19 means I gotta sample things I’m not so crazy about.

Why is one of the first lines in this show “My behind hurts!”?

Bristol? Is this England?...Nope, it’s a place called “Mamkestell”.

I was thinking this girl…I think the reviews said her name was Tiara…was going to sing to the flower to make it perk up again, but nup, she whistled to it. That seems a bit irrelevant, to be honest. (I would prefer an all or nothing approach to a wish-washy approach like this…as in, if this is an idol show, then either go all in with the singing and dancing, or do something else that’ll catch my attention.)

Tiara’s face looks hella generic.

For some reason, I get this ominous feeling when the word “witch” is mentioned…must be the instinct from Madoka popping up again.

Lemme guess. Lynette is the bookworm?...*sigh* Just another method of showing a character is a bookworm without actually showing their reading a book, which I think is counterintuitive.

Get some protective gear, girls!

Rosetta keeps saying “Yes” (in English).

Lemme guess…people ship the dumb one and the smart one? They’re like a gender-flipped Dice and Gentaro, only the smart one is more uppity and the stupid one is more sporty.

The word appears to be noumei, but that exact word doesn’t seem to exist. Lavie seems to say the word is the opposite to something else, but I can’t tell what that is either…

Albino rabbit, eh?

…people probably ship Rosetta and Tiara too, right? *sigh*

So there’s…no singing in this fantasy/idol show. Whistling is how you invoke magic…so how is someone who can’t whistle supposed to invoke magic?!

Whose idea was it to put the OP in the middle of the episode?

It was “Neechan, daikirai!” “Forget you” is a fairly loose translation…

Little Miss Rosetta = Rosetta-chan.

I think Tiara called Rosetta “sensei” when the former wanted the latter to take care of her (i.e. take her to their dorm).

Titi = Tiara. I didn’t actually figure that out because I thought it referred to the rabbits.

Gah! These almost-real-world names (or real world names, in regards to “Bristol”) are gonna drive me NUTS!

*sigh* Boob jiggle.

*sighhhhhhhhh…* Lemme guess, there’s a potential expulsion on the horizon? Update: Yep. Dropped.

God of High School 1

First Webtoon series I’m covering here.

Oh, I checked out the first chapter of the webtoon because CR linked it to their anime page. The only difference I’ve seen from that, aside from fleshing out the backgrounds, is…that creepy skull (?) on the wall.

You can tell it’s Korean when I don’t understand what the text says. (I don’t know Korean, but I do know some Chinese and Japanese.) Update: This is Japanese-dubbed, but they left the Korean text in.

That intro is much more powerful now that the backgrounds are fleshed out.

Ooh, the colours in the OP are very nice!

Hmm? They’re starting with the grandpa, rather than starting with “I’m Mori Jin, 17 years old”? Good choice.

The expressions in this show are funny. I like them already.

Waittttttttt…I dunno how Korean names work. Is Mori Jin’s first name “Mori” or “Jin”? Update: I checked it up, and I got even more confused!

KORG Arena seems to be…from Marvel? Like BnHA references Star Wars???

*sigh* Moonbucks? Again?...and of course the girls only talk about “hotties”. We need a Bechdel test in this thing.

The comments on ch. 1 said “A new Luffy is born”, so now I agree with it…but they’re not going to show how Mori Jin was enlisted for GOH (as they seem to abbreviate it)?

There’s Japanese, English and Korean in the afro dude’s comments.

I’m amazed that tall dude with the spiky hair wasn’t more surprised about Mori Jin and the girl passing by…

Would those glasses on Mori Jin’s head be any help? Update: Turns out those aren’t “glasses”…they’re a sleeping mask.

Kamina glasses!

They put CR and Webtoon advertising over everything in this anime…geesh.

These red parts of people’s noses are gonna bug me, aren’t they…?

It should be battle royale, right? Update: Okay, so I checked and both are correct spellings.

This seems like the sort of thing that would never get funded because you need to pull off every battle scene right.

They cut the initial fight with “Blondie” out, but that actually makes things more interesting! Good choice.

Lemme guess – Mori Jin is going to have to fight this Kang Manseouk guy at full power one day? *shrugs* (Can I stop referring to people by their full names already??? I can’t stop until I know which is the first name and which is the last.) Update: So the wiki finally helped me out and Mori is the first name and Jin the last, meaning I can call him “Mori”. Got it.

*Mori suddenly pulls the prisoner’s pants down* - That was���random.

I liked it more than I thought I would! (Just for reference, the other protag dude is called Han Dae-wi and the girl is Yoo Mira.)

Muhyo and Roji’s BSI s2 1

(Update for the Tumblr fans: I finished s1 outside the seasonal format.) 

Kokkuri-san never goes well in anime…

Where does Nana work again…?

I don’t think Muhyo and Roji are legally (magically legally?) obligated to tell Nana anything about what they do.

Yay! Goryo is animted for the first time! He has such a beautiful voice~!

Notably, Roji wouldn’t have had a smartphone in 2004 (or whatever year close to that when the manga put this bit out).

Goryo (5) vs Muhyo (6). Didn’t figure this out at the time I read the manga.

I think the subbers misgendered Goryo. Goryo is a dude, as can be gathered from the name “Daranimaru”.

“Waka”? Does that stand for “young head [of the office]” or something?

Okay, whose bright idea was it to pair Now on Air (female vocalists) with Muhyo and Roji’s (a series dominated with dudes)…?

Ah, Funimation is on the production team of this anime. That would explain the dub rights.

[ae0nx]

FRUITS BASKET ‘19 EPISODE 23 VS FRUITS BASKET ‘01 EPISODE 19

Ok! We’re finally here! We’re at the beginning of the storm! I’m so nervous... I didn’t know how to do these comparisons especially the storyline in the 2001 version not syncing up completely with the 2019 version. But I’m just gonna try and puzzle piece my way through it, ‘kay? :)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Also, just some notes that I wanna state about the 2001 version so I don’t keep repeating myself for the next 2-3 weeks:

- I love love love the opening. It breaks my heart and heals it every time I hear it and the images of the characters by doorways/windows/alleyways looking outward and always to the side of the frame is a great artistic choice and metaphor. Also, the lyrics are just simply... everything. ‘Let’s stay together always...’

- Some of the colour choices in clothing (or even the hair) that the characters have are... interesting. I definitely find myself appreciating the newer version as you can tell they put more thought into it, even if I do think the power ranger assigned colours are kinda silly. But really? Kyo wearing pastels?! No way. ...But I kinda love it anyway. Outfit Appreciation: 2.5 stars.

- I adore the music box sounding background music. It really adds a lot of whimsy to the show and kinda reminds me that Fruits Basket in a lot of its elements takes inspiration from fairy tales. 

- The English dub voices obviously sound different and in comparison to the 2019 version, you can really tell how much they’ve all matured as VAs. ESPECIALLY Laura Bailey and Jerry Jewell.

- I also adore how ridiculous and mostly comedic the 2001 version is. Which makes the later turn in the anime so much more heartbreaking and tough to watch as it comes as such a shock compared to the tone of the rest of the anime. Unbalanced? Maybe so. But on a shallow kind of level without thinking too hard, I can enjoy it.

- I love 2001!Shigure. Again, it’s a shallow choice and I don’t deny he’s a lot more interesting and fleshed out in the manga/2019!anime. I just like 20-something year old, new-father-to-two-teens-but-he’s-not-like-a-FATHER-he’s-a-’cool-older-brother’ who likes to laze around the house in his kimono and ISN’T MENTALLY TRAUMATISING THEM. Well, without meaning to anyway... AND LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Right! Let’s get into it! 

This is me knowing the future trauma I’m going to have to go through with this anime.

But in all seriousness, the 2019 version really captured Tohru’s depression a lot better. Especially with the later scene where she breaks down in front of Kyo in the bedroom. A+ crying from Laura Bailey, I really felt it this time. As I said, the 2001 version seemed like it didn’t wanna deep dive too much so I’m glad we get a deeper in look to the complexities of Tohru this time.

It might be a translation ‘nothing’, but I find it interesting that Kyo felt like he jinxed her. Especially linked with his comments to Kagura later about how he feels ‘no one should want to hang around him’. I mean we’ll get into the reasoning for this most likely in the next two episodes but you can probably guess why... Poor kitty.

(Also side note: Do you think that’s why - out of everyone that has been bullied in this anime - Kyo seemed the least affected by school bullies? Is it cos of his experience within the Sohma family and his curse, that he almost expects that everyone he meets would treat him like that? It’s interesting because Hana had the same thought process towards her own bullying but she never fought back... But Kyo did. I might just conclude this thought as it just being in his nature to fight back, but we’ll see...)

Also, 2001 giving us Kyo freaking out in cat form about Tohru’s fever was pretty funny. Man, they really did do an overkill with the transformations back then...

2001 really was not good at showing the gradual progress of Kyo controlling his anger around Tohru as much as the 2019 version. Yes, in the 2019 ep, Kyo was still annoyed that Tohru wouldn’t just relax and concentrate on getting better but my God, Kyo is sooooo shout-y and yell-y in this version! And I don’t wike it lol.

However I shouldn’t shit on the moment too much. I do think 2001 wanted to show us that Kyo saw how receptive Tohru was to Shigure being calmer and nicer and it kind of influenced him to take more of a gentle approach to Tohru later. Kyo being influenced by Shigure is... questionable... but whatever, it’s got good intentions! (I still like the 2019 version better)

Momiji with the oversized work outfit! He’s so adorable I could cry.

- I’m kinda bummed that the 2019 version didn’t include the ‘Kyo stealing leeks from Yuki’s garden’ moment. It’s a hilarious moment (especially with Yuki’s reaction) and it is just PEAK ‘it’s not stealing if you’re taking it from family’ energy that I adoreeee and stand by lol

Really, 2001!Kyo... are you five years old?

‘ 🎵And at most... I’m sleeping all these demons away...’

‘ 🎵But your ghost... the ghost of you it keeps me awake’

Kyo seeing ghosts of Tohru is both unintentionally funny and dramatic in both versions to me, I’m sorry. I’m really just a child.

Where do I start? Kyo being ever so dramatic with the goggles and the face mask... Shigure with the all-knowing troll look. 2001 really gave us some gems and I think we all tend to forget that.

Plus...

I. LOVE. THIS. BROTHER. DYNAMIC. (I know it isn’t accurate don’t ruin the fanfic going on in my head)

- Tohru being depressed that she wasted Yuki’s time and didn’t fulfill her mother’s wishes makes me wish she was more so just concerned about herself and how she’s gonna pass for herself? But it is very much in her character to do so, so I guess I’ll let it slide. And I guess Kyo said what I said in well... his own unique way of giving advice.

- But when it came to the actual soup porridge scene, I lean more towards the 2019 version. There’s so much said in Kyo’s body language and Tohru’s own inner thoughts. She’s really falling in love with him and she doesn’t even know it!!! 

THAT PEEK FROM HIS ELBOW?! COME ON!!! STOP IT. MY HEART. these dumb fuckin kids...

I loveee the 2019 porridge moment so much more, but this moment right here just ELEVATED the whole moment. It says so muchhhh without saying much at alllll and ohhhh this poor boyyyy...!!!!! It really took a fluffy moment and just stabbed me in the heart and I guess I respect you for that? Thanks...?

I’m so glad the 2019 version is feeding us in stupid made up songs. *chef’s kiss* haha

- I’m really glad that Kisa calls Hatori ‘uncle’ in 2019 and not ‘grandpa’ like she did in 2001. Cos as someone in their mid-twenties that shit was straight up offensive lol

The Momiji and Kyo moments are always so heartwarming in this version. My faves. <3

- Also I dunno why but I really liked Hatori, The Doctor Who Smokes in the 2001 anime. It didn’t make sense but quite honestly if anyone in this anime chose to smoke to let off some steam, it should be him. (Not an advocate for smoking)

---- Right! No more 2001 comparisons cos the episode that is equivalent to this part of the episode is also riddled spoilers for the next 2019 episode so... just normal review from here. ---

Why is it that Yuki’s insults against Kyo always hurt so much more?! They are both terrible to each other but for some reason, I always feel it more when Yuki verbally backhands Kyo. Maybe it’s the way Eric Vale practically venomously spits out these words or maybe it’s cos Yuki kinda has more privilege than Kyo so it feels like he’s kicking a literal homeless cat.

- Also, my poor boy! Definitely felt myself sympathising a lot more this time around to how weak he was feeling.

Lol I felt that exasperated breath. At least this time, Kyo doesn’t call Tohru’s umbrella ‘a sissy girly pink umbrella’. A minor improvement? (So, I might of watched a bit of the 2001 version of episode 24...)

...Need I say anything? <3

- HEADLINE: Shigure ships Yuki/Tohru and Kyo/Kagura? What is he up to...

- Kyo shouting at Kagura in the middle of the supermarket was a shitty move but Kagura mooshing his head in response was great... what a terrible but very entertaining couple lol

- Kagura’s ‘If I told you, you’d cry...’ is giving me all the heart pain. How many times can I say that I’m not ready...

I’ve seen people in the tag compare this moment to his porridge moment with Tohru and while I agree, it does seem like Kyo just naturally wanted to help Tohru compared to Kyo feeling obligated to hold hands with Kagura. But errrrm.... I just think Kyo is a good kid haha. And while I do think he CLEARLY holds Tohru in a very treasured and locked away place in his heart, he just doesn’t like it when girls cry around him and will do anything to stop it. I also think he does care about Kagura, and that he’s more so annoyed that Kagura doesn’t seem to get that he won’t love her in the way she loves him (and well... her being a tsundere lol). But I could be wrong! I’m a walking manga amnesiac as always...

*HIGH PITCHED SCREAMING*

Talk about FINALLY. They really named the episode that and made us wait until the LAST SECOND OF THE EPISODE TO GIVE US THE WORDS: ‘You look well...’

What a tease.

And we’re not even gonna get into the preview for the next episode and how three words made me tear up minutes before I had to go to a party on Friday night.

Wow. This might be the longest review so far. I don’t doubt that next week’s will be longer lol. The reason why I wanted to do the 2001 comparisons will probably make more sense next week and I will also say my thoughts on the 2001 version of the events with the umbrella and Kagura and Kyo’s date next week before I go into the review.

Jeez, this took two hours to write. WHY DO I DO THIS?!

[comicteaparty]

April 18th-April 24th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble  chat that occurred from April 18th, 2020 to April 24th, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

What are your personal rules of thumb for determining whether a certain page needs a maturity or trigger warning?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i have no rule of thumb and i'm really curious to read what other people think about this

Deo101 [Millennium]

I usually ask people if they think it needs one, and I only ask if it is significantly different than what I've been doing.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I guess it depends on the subject and the severity. There are the basic ones, like rape, excessive gore, suicide, graphic sex, common phobias, etc. Things that can very easily trigger a large group of people or are generally not allowed in PG-13 movies. But there are other times I don't know if putting a warning or labeling it as mature is necessary. For example, profanity, suggestive material, violence (that doesn't involve gore), and again typically things that can make it into a PG-13 movie. Once it starts to be graphic enough to move into the realm of rated R, that's when you should start putting warnings. My problem with warnings as a creator is that the warnings can kind of spoil the contents of the chapter, so I try not to use them unless what happens in the comic could potentially harm a large number of people by not warning them.

RebelVampire

As a reader I do want to chime in say I agree with that last part. Whenever I see warnings, they are very spoilery so there's no surprise when I get to the warning part of the chapter/episode/page. I expected it so it loses some of its emotional value for me. Or, on the flipside, is so minor it shouldn't have had a warning that its ultimately underwhelming and disappointing.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Yeah, that's exactly why I'm wary about it

I am very sparing with my warnings, because I don't want the readers to lose any of that emotional impact.

carcarchu

my target audience for my webcomic is middle schoolers so the content i produce is never something i feel i need to put trigger warnings for. personally i think you don't really need to tag things unless the content is significantly different from what is expected from the comic. like if it starts out a lighthearted romp and then suddenly there's beserk levels of violence that probably ought to have some warning

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

I would probably put a CW for blood, gore etc. Of any level just to be safe. Different people have different sensitivities, and as a sex-averse ace I know I often would like CW on sexual/sex-adjacent content that others might not think was enough to need one so. I just err on the side of caution

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I specifically never put warnings in anything I write. If something I write deeply upsets someone or makes them extremely uncomfortable, that's a good thing. It means I've done my job in expressing and conveying the emotional context I set out to accomplish in most circumstances.

My background is poetry and I've only ever read a single book that had any warnings attached, and that was at the beginning of the book, not for each poem. Even then, it was from an author who was particularly, er, well a bit off their rocker.

Like, if you open a collection of poetry and you're surprised to see heavy topics covered...that's your own fault at that point.

If I had opened one of my favourite collections, The Flame by Leonard Cohen, and saw content warnings, I would have probably said in my head "Why the fuck is this here?" and "Well, no shit that's in here, this is Leonard Cohen."(edited)

My job is to convey and express regardless of what the reader might think. It's never my job to guide or warn them, it's my job to present to them.

Fiction, outside of that catered to younger audiences, tends to contain a lot of stuff that can be deeply uncomfortable to the reader (yes, even comedy). I've read stuff that's really gotten to me emotionally, and that's OK, that's a good thing, the author presented what they intended to (G-d knows they did). If you don't want that, then really, you just have to be cognizant of the fiction you're reading and remember that stories about life often have all aspects of life in them.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I have read things (though mostly non-fiction) that have made me want to cry or so sick that I felt the need to vomit. The author didn't warn me of that. They presented what they had without pretext nor excuse. They did their job. Those are very much extremes, but the point is that I consensually opened those texts knowing that might happen. I mean, it's not hard to look at the subject matter or what the reviews say and think "Hm, OK, this book isn't all sugar and roses". Frankly, though, I just feel that the content warnings and all tarnish the authenticity of a text that stands on its own.

Sorry for the rambling, but admittedly, I do include a content warning for that in my username!

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

I don‘t do content warnings, but I try to make sure to be upfront about the type of story people can expect.

Seen the results of someone springing a graphic, surprise character-gets-raped-to-death into until then fluffy childfriendly story for „trolololOLOL, I made you have a FEEL, I am an ARTISTE.“

It‘s disrespectful to the reader at best, after all they need to be able to make an informed decision if they opt in or not.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Alright, that's plain bad writing, but dramatic tone shifts can and are used effectively.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I thought about content warning because I have seen comics that was upsetting to me and readers, and there was no trigger warning. Just a side note in the first chapter that the author explain that 'their characters' weren't a representation of every trans experience. But still had backlash for it. So some content warning when it comes to sensitive stuff like trauma, gender disphoria should be stated somewhere? I wasn't Trans but effected, I assume it was worse for trans readers seeing uncomfortable scenes that remind them of bad experiences.(edited)

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

When I was younger, I used to be into a lot of animated stuff, and there was this one anime (don't judge, I was like fourteen) called Steins;Gate that, for the first half, is relatively comedic and lighthearted, before a very dramatic tone-shift in one episode where most of the main cast die on-screen and it becomes a conspiracy/time-travel thriller. It was actually very, very good, and it's an incredibly popular show because of it.

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Yeah. I think this is what content warnings are coming from: trying to enable the reader to make an informed decision of they wanna opt in to a story or not. It‘s a matter of consent.

They‘re not perfect, but better than nothing.

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

I agree with @chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa] here on the point that it's about being able to knowingly consent to a potentially unpleasant experience

Deo101 [Millennium]

Honestly I'd rather have a small spoiler at the end of the page before Something happens than potentially hurt someone

Again, only if it's really tonally dissonant

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

There's plenty of things I don't mind if I'm aware of it beforehand so I can make sure I'm in a good headspace, but the same things could totally put me off a story/creator and give me issues for months if I wasn't expecting them

Source: personal experience

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Webcomics are probably very different, but I'd find it would put me off a lot in poetry (and it's also something you don't see in it; it's just not a part of the industry culture). But people having negative emotions from reading is very commonplace and par for the course.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

But I also feel that content warning do give away bit of spoiler. I was taught the good way to protray an incoming dark topic is to give hints along the chapters, rather than 'spring it out of the blue'. I haven't written anything super dark/angst before though. It's uncomfortable for me and I haven't cross that threshold of feeling yet(edited)

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

Personally I feel like if your story or scene or whatever relies so heavily on the shock of specific content that it would be ruined by the "spoiler" potential of a content warning, it's bad writing

Deo101 [Millennium]

I feel like stories in general are not ruined by spoilers, though some people don't like them. But if we're in a scene and we're gonna see someone get cut in half and you say "hey this battle has extreme violence" that's hardly a spoiler

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Not always. Shock, if it's not in bad taste, can be used as a device to help set the emotional context for the rest of the passage. It's bad writing to use it bombastically and haphazardly, but in light touches, like a ghost pepper, it can help. On its own, though, yeah it's usually bad writing.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Since comics are visual there is more need for this kind of a thing because it can be more intense for readers

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Ah, yeah, that's true. My field doesn't have visuals.

I can imagine it may be different in that case.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Also, think like. Movies also have this, that's what the rating system is

A movie rated r for extreme violence isn't a spoiler

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Especially if it has Tom Cruise in it.

RebelVampire

Yes but imagine if the movie paused right before the worst parts to say "Hey this is gonna be a mature scene"

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Age ratings ARE content warnings.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Tv shows do it at the beginning of an episode

And, with comics you have natural pauses

Putting a small banner at the bottom of an update doesn't interrupt the flow the same way putting it at the top of one would, and it can prep people to know not to even open the next update kind of thing

I haven't done content warnings my content is only pg13 but I've thought a lot about it for future, more intense ideas

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

In Germany‘s there are no tv show content warnings, but certain stuff can only be aired after 20:30 or on dedicated channels.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I agree with @RebelVampire . In my favourite movie of all time by far which you 100% have to watch (IT'S REALLY GOOD!!!) On the Waterfront, there's one scene which really gut-punched me when I first watched it because it's, well, fairly disturbing, but if the movie stopped before it and some dude came up and said "B'ys, cover your children's eyes", that'd be ridiculous. Age warnings pre-screening are fine because it's an audiovisual form, but considering that text doesn't have that visual or audio component, I just don't see the need. I can understand why you would do it as a comic artist, though.

Deo101 [Millennium]

There are also, for movies and TV, sites like "does the dog die?" Which provide this kind of information for people with triggers. Comics don't have this kind of a site though so it's on the creator

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

That reminds me, I need to put Nyx+Nyssa‘s age rating note up. g

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

People with triggers are the sticking point for me. Even if most people would be okay, there's people who won't be and I don't want to act like they don't matter when I'm putting warnings on my content. I feel like it's my responsibility if I'm making that content.

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Yup. I know someone with cPTSD who cannot engage with media without content warnings; because disassociation is NOT fun and dangerous. „Does the dog die“ and similiar things mean she can engage with media without having to rope in others as betas.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yes, same here. Obviously you can't warn for everything, many people have obscure and specific triggers, but there are common ones that are generally sensitive subjects that I don't think it's bad to warn a bit about

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I don't think it is your responsibility, but rather those with triggers to be careful. I'm a trauma victim and I do have triggers, but you know, I can't expect everyone to know that (especially with how hilariously specific they are). If you're worried, do your research

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

There‘s a huge difference between being responsible of for someone and being mindful for someone.

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

As someone who has triggers as well - I'd prefer to be able to see at a glance. It's awful having to be on guard constantly and worried about what if you didn't do your research quite well enough

Deo101 [Millennium]

I personally only read comics on reccomendation because of mine

They're not common ones but I've never been annoyed by trigger warnings that aren't for me

It usually looks much different from the comic so you can just quick look and scroll past

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I really understand that and I can understand it in the context of your industry because it has that visual component, but in the context of mine it's not done because content warnings wouldn't really make much sense for my industry. What will annoy me is when trigger warnings are uploaded for every part of the webcomic. Like, that's a little extreme.

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

I understand it's very different context for poetry - but I'm talking about comics

Deo101 [Millennium]

I would agree that uploading for every page would be extreme, but I would think I'm that case it would be at the start of the comic or in the description

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

About pages! They exist for a reason.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

At the beginning of the entire comic, if you want to, that's fine. I think it does change the mindset of the reader and can be detrimental to the story in some cases, but if you know it's not, then that's fine! Of course, that problem can be solved just like @chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa] just suggested: put it on the About page.

Yeah, no, I could get behind that.

For webcomics, I think that would be a good solution.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Some sites don't offer about pages, though, and if it's not a major theme and only in a small part it's nice to put it in the comic itself too

Like my comic is generally very light-hearted but coming up I do have a scene that's significantly more violent than the rest of the comic has been, and I debated whether or not to warn my readers about it

I don't want to put a violence warning in my description though because it would draw the wrong audience

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I mean, it really depends. If it's suddenly looks like the notes of a medical student, then put a warning, but some light violence is probably fine.

Others could probably give a better opinion on that though.

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Yup. I liked how dumbing of age handled it‘s suicide warning - it was specific to that particular page because it dealt with specific details as opposed the more general discussion. So that page got a small note on top. Didn‘t remove the emotional impact, but allowed people to brace themselves or opt out.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Page the Poet refuses content warnings and enjoys their readers' suffering (/s).

All jokes aside, what do you mean about some sites not offering About pages? I'm not well-versed on hosting web-comics.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Well, for instance with webtoons you have a 500 (?) Character description, and that's it

Maybe it's 1500 or something idk it's been a while since I wrote mine. But it's not a seperate page like how I would have on my own site

On your own site it's awesome cause people can just, if they have triggers they can go there to see jf they're fine to read

But with webtoons, tapas, and other hosts you get one page and it's just your comic and description

So putting "violence warning" there is much different than on a seperate page

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I thought most web-comics had their own site?

Deo101 [Millennium]

I mean I do, but many don't

And most readers these days are on hosts I think

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Oh. Yeah, alright, I see the issue.

Deo101 [Millennium]

My description says pg13, LGBT, and slowburn and that's all it gets from me. I would be more descriptive in my about page which I do still need to code

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I'm curious, why specify the LGBT part?

Deo101 [Millennium]

But yeah so it's a very case by case basis depending on where you are and all that

Oh because I want lgbt people to know my comic has an LGBT cast and is catered to them

It's so my comic more likely finds my target audience

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

OH.

carcarchu

i think about stuff like school live and bokurano and consider that i'd be really upset if the sudden dramatic shift in tone was overtly warned beforehand because the shock factor was so important for those series in particular so i don't know how to handle warnings for stuff like that

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

That makes sense.

Please excuse my idiocy haha.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Not idiocy, it's a lot of potential to learn ;)

Carcarchu, it's really a personal choice of the author and what they want. If you don't wanna do it cause you think your story would suffer, that's totally fine. But personally and a lot of other creators agree, id rather potentially risk a slight decrease of my impact to protect some people.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

You see, in poetry, it works like this: you find a journal that suits your poetry, you submit it, you don't get published, and you cry yourself to sleep. Repeat twenty odd times until you get accepted somewhere. Then, you get published there and you tend not to worry about target audiences and stuff yourself. 'Tis a foreign world to me!

RebelVampire

Yeah I agree that I think at the end its a personal choice cause you'll never please everyone whether you do or don't use warnings

carcarchu

i'm thinking about my experience reading those two series and being blown away by the sudden tone shift and really liking one of those series because of it. but then i think about my experience with madoka where i actually started watching it BECAUSE i saw a spoiler about the twist and it piqued my interest. i still enjoyed madoka but i wonder how my experience with it would have been different if i went in blind

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

@carcarchu , I'm with you. It really depends on what you can do, I think. If it's available to those who need it without expressly being there for those who don't want spoilers (An optional CW of sorts), that could work.

carcarchu

i like the idea of optional cw

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I don't know if it's an idea that could work, though, as I'm not experienced with web-comics. @Deo101 [Millennium] , your thoughts?

Deo101 [Millennium]

On a personally coded site you could probably with a lot of effort make something like that work, but that's not really so much an option on hosts

Tapas has a mature toggle where that specific page says "this contains mature content" or something, but everyone sees it

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

If it's personally coded, it should be fairly easy with a small bit of javascript, right?

Deo101 [Millennium]

And for other sites it's not an option at all other than for the entire series as a before you enter sort of deal

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I personally would put warnings Because some chapters deal with traumatic subject matter and I’ve had friends see them and warn me about those However I wouldn’t just do content warnings for something like swearing

Deo101 [Millennium]

I don't think you could code it easily, at least not with the systems I'm using.

Again the best solution I've come up with is at the end of the previous update, so people can skip over it easier and it doesn't interrupt flow the same way

carcarchu

the easiest way to do it on smth like webtoons would just to put some text on ur page that says something like "optional content warning for the next page in description, read at your own risk" but again that would spoil a potential twist

Deo101 [Millennium]

Honestly like Doesn't the twist just happen at the warning then instead of at the panel

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I think the real solution is to just not write anything.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Like it's not spoiling it it's just moving it a few lines up

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Don't even write the webcomic. Best solution.

Deo101 [Millennium]

And content warnings don't say who or how

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Perfection.

carcarchu

i might be miffed if i read TWIST INCOMING and then had to wait a week to actually see it

Deo101 [Millennium]

Just a general, vague, "what"

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Say there's triggering content, but don't say where or what. Put it on the last page too.

carcarchu

but it could potentially drum up interest like WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT WEEK

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah that's what I mean

carcarchu

idk could go either way

Deo101 [Millennium]

Not like there's a twist!

Just hey things get intense

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I don't know, it could still be triggering. I think we should just write no webcomic at all.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmmmm I never thought of that

But what if people forget about the trigger and just jump right in

carcarchu

if they forget the trigger isn't that their fault and not the creator?

Deo101 [Millennium]

People who have the trigger will remember

carcarchu

they were given ample warning

Deo101 [Millennium]

And if they do not then I did what I could

Sorry but I have a specific trigger of people watching someone sleep, I've had two people warn me their comics include it, and I remember. And that was like a year ago

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

My stupid sense of humour aside, I do agree with Deo and Carcarchu. If you forget the trigger, that's your own fault. The author making that information available is one thing, but they aren't there to hold your hand.

carcarchu

oh man that's a super common trope deo that must be rough

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah but it's cool

Like I know it's a common trope and it's not really one you can see coming or anything :/ so it's cool

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I think warnings are helpful tho if u be general like it contains a thing but u dont kno what it is till u read it

Like doe me it was doki doki lit club i didn't took seriously till it hit me and im like O

carcarchu

with dokidoki i knew about there WAS a twist but i didn't know exactly what it is so i was still shocked by it when it happened

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah like "Graphic violence" isn't a spoiler especially if you're already like 3 pages into a fight scene

carcarchu

but again they warned about it pretty vigilantly in the beginning before u play dokidoki? i'm not really sure how you could miss it?

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Yeah.

In all seriousness, I like the About page option / optional CW, but I realize that might be impossible in a lot of scenarios.

Maybe put in the description of the first page "OPTIONAL CW BELOW" for example for those who want it?

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah, or the page before. Only concern is people not reading it, but then again that kind of falls under the "their responsibility" section

kayotics

I’ve put one warning in before, but I kept it to promo images (so like social media update images) and in the comic description a few pages before. My reasoning was: it was tonally different & darker from the rest of the comic, but I didn’t put the warning in the pages because of the reader is paying attention, the fact that its coming is pretty obvious. Who knows if I did the right thing it handled it correctly, but I really struggled with figuring out what to do

Deo101 [Millennium]

Another concern is that some comics will run for years, decades even, and so its sometimes impossible to know at the beginning what might need to be warned for.

I think that's good Kay.

It's unobtrusive and gives the people who need it what they need

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Optional warning on the page before, then?

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah that's what I said earlier I was kinda planning on doing if it ever became necessary

kayotics

That’s essentially what it was. I think I wrote a caveat that the warning was a spoiler

Deo101 [Millennium]

That makes sense

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmm if you’re doing it on the page before How specific should the warning be

kayotics

I know a lot of people don’t read page descriptions, especially when binging, so I’m banking on the context of the chapter being the biggest warning

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Like do you just say optional warning?

kayotics

What I did is I said something about the the content of the next page without getting into too much detail

Deo101 [Millennium]

I see things like "warning: graphic violence, sexual content, substance abuse," etc. Stuff like that

kayotics

Yeah. Mine was graphic violence or gore or something

Deo101 [Millennium]

Where it doesn't say who or how or anything, just a vague what

Which usually, the context of the scene is around that kind of a theme anyways where we can tell it's coming

So a content warning is more like "this does get turned up to an 8 here"

Though it can be a surprise where Something like what Kay did is really good

Like okay so spoilers but be warned

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

B'y, turn it up to at least eleven. Go big or go home.

Deo101 [Millennium]

I'm on a 1-8 scale

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

But what about the saying? Heresy!

kayotics

I think in the context of my comic it felt like, to me, that I was turning it up to 8 from a 1 or 2. It’s not the MOST GRAPHIC thing I’ve ever seen, but with the entirety of the rest of the work it’s tonally different, which is why I needed the warning

My comic, at its worst, usually just sees some curses and cartoon violence.

This was, like, full on blood and gore

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I jumped straight into 12 at one point for mine whoops

kayotics

So I think context of the work is important with a warning as well

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah, I'm usually around a 1-2 too. I've got pg-13 in my description and if I'm ever toeing the edge of it, I'm gonna warn about it

kayotics

If you have a violent or heavy comic already, warnings for each page is ridiculous. It’s when you turn it up that you should mention something

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah exactly

DanitheCarutor

Aaah you know, I don't put warnings on my pages, because practically half the comic would have CWs due to the focus on upsetting themes. There was one instance where I did put one up for a page containing a lot of queerphobic language presented in a way that was jarring, and potentially triggering for people who've experienced something like that. Although I've somewhat regretted singling out that one page since the comic from that point only gets worse, in hindsight that one instance isn't bad enough to warrant a warning. I'll probably take it down once I stop being lazy. In general I feel a page-by-page warning is best for comics that don't normally have heavy stuff, it makes sense to warning for violence if that's not a normal thing in your comic, it might shock readers too much otherwise. As far as content, everyone has different sensitivity levels (someone put a CW up once for a character being yelled at by his dad), personally I would only use CWs for excessive violence/abuse, blood, mental illness, suicide, rape, gore, slurs and/or substance abuse. I've gotten a lot of mixed reception on warnings, there are people who want them up, in detail, on every page with potentially upsetting content. People who want them chapter by chapter, some like detail, some want a general warning. Then there are people who don't want any warnings either due to them being too spoilery, or they feel it ruins the immersion. I went for a warning in a pop-up on my main site and leaving a list in my description on other sites, mostly for the non-spoiler crowd and because of what I said before about practically half my comic being potentially triggering.

There are two chapters coming up where I'll be putting up a general warning banner at the start of the chapter, with a hidden list of triggers in the author's notes and an option to read a safer summarized version at the end of each chapter, rather than forcing everyone to read the whole thing. Just because the content will be really difficult for some in presentation and/or subject matter, and I don't want to outright distress anyone... at least without them understanding what they're getting into.

Like, even compared to how my comic already is the next chapters will be really upsetting... for some people.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

It's not bad if people are upset or distressed. Like, full on disassociation from PTSD, obviously not, but I think these CWs are for them, not Alice Smith the average woman. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So, I feel like, because of that, the general approach is best. Adding a CW for someone getting yelled at by their father is too spoiler-y/specific in my mind.

carcarchu

i really like dani's approach with the summary at the end for people who want to know what happened but can't stomach actually seeing the nitty gritty

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Here’s the problem tho...my series literally deals with trauma healing

So there’s going to be mentions of...going to therapy, friends talking about it

Not the actual trauma itself

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Yeah, I wouldn't bother with CWs there.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

But I’m really worried that if I have to put up trigger warnings every time...a lot of pages will have that warning

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

People know what they're getting in for.

If you're going to read a comic about healing from trauma...don't be surprised at content that's not very fun.(edited)

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, my warnings are specifically for the mentally ill, people who've been in abusive situations and such. I don't want to end up bring back certain experiences, at least without them knowing what they're getting into.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmm in that case I might have to put it in the summary itself then

That there’s trauma healing Of course it’s also about humor and slice of life, but I’ll add it in just in case

Would it help to get sensitivity readers to take a gander look?

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I mean, in my mind, a general synopsis of the basic plot is a good idea for a lot of stories so long as you aren't spoiling anything.

DanitheCarutor

Me? Nah, I mean, I should but it wouldn't change my decisions since my story is really tight and changing stuff would end up changing everything.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

In this case, trauma-healing seems to be a part of that plot.

So, you know, if it's mentioned, I think that's blaringly obvious at that point to people that "B'ys, there may be some triggering shit here", y' know?

DanitheCarutor

Oh, I totally misread the convo. Lol I mean, you could get a sensitivity reader if you want to be on the safe side, but if you're writing from experience and you've done research I don't see a problem with not having one.

carcarchu

having read the first few chapters of shadow's comic trauma healing was not an aspect that i picked up from it(edited)

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Sensitivity reader?

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I agree, I get more light heart tone with Shadow's story, but I know stuff ahead of time(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Oh nooo

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

maybe the aspects will come up as the comic progresses shadow

:0

DanitheCarutor

My comic is also about trauma and healing, and while I haven't experienced all the things my characters have, I did do a ton of research and talked to people. Although my comic is a vent comic so most of it is based off my experiences.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I've just put general content warnings in the about page and appropriately rated my comic for its content. There will be things that are written thar i have no idea that could be triggering to people that exsist in a lot of media, it almost becomes impossible to sort through. And with the amount of content to sift through that would/wouldn't be sensitive to certain topics or just generally unaware, its tricky. If there is a reader with a potentially sensitive trigger, i would hope they could get a friend to do a read through if possible, but rarely have i seen comics go right into topics that would need such a hand to do so. Stories have descriptions and ratings for that reason, you're not going to find insane violence in Pokemon type stories, so the author has that responsibility of rating it correctly is what im getting at

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Sorry, what's a sensitivity reader?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

A sensitivity reader is like, a beta reader who specifically checks whether your work is offensive/ insensitive (e.g. when you're wondering "is my portrayal of this ethnic group offensive/ignorant?")

carcarchu

i think a sensitivity reader is for when ur writing a story that includes a particular cultural or ethnic group that ur NOT part of and u want to avoid making your story culturally insensitive

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Ooh Dani, is it Guide to Unhealthy Relationship? Your comic often stand out to me. I knew what I was getting into when I read it

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I was a sensitvity reader for someone who was writing a viet american and keii pretty much sums it up

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

That's a thing? Who does that? Ethnic Studies professors?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

And it's not just for ethnic groups

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I gave suggestions to add and avoid if ya writing a character from a certain ethnic group or marginalized group

like LGBT+, persons with disabilities etc

carcarchu

ethnic groups is the first thing i thought of but yes

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

No, not ethnic studies professors.

Members of the marginalized group.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yep

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

So if you're writing a trans character, you probably want a sensitivity reader who is trans

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yep!

carcarchu

example the mangaka of golden kamuy has an ainu consultant who is ainu but i'm not sure if having a consultant is quite the same thing?(edited)

DanitheCarutor

@Joichi [Hybrid Dolls] Yeah, it is. I'm glad you were able to know! I try to make it obvious since CWs are pretty much the main themes of my comic. xD

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

i think so

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

A consultant can apply to sensitivity readers, yes, but goes beyond that

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like the mangaka saught to reprsent ainus too

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I know an MMA comic with an MMA consultant, for example

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

But couldn't two members of that group, say, Jews, say completely different things? How can you guess the information to be reliable based on their simply being a part of that group? Surely, there are things people look for when hiring these people?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I have artist friends who are my sensitively reader and one friend who has had experience with abuse So they help me with what’s good and what’s not to write about

I have artist friends who are my sensitively reader and one friend who has had experience with abuse So they help me with what’s good and what’s not to write about

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It's still gonna be WAY better than not getting any, Page.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I mean yeah but in that instance hearing from another perspective at least one person helps

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

At least you can be aware of possible....differences

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

And people who have experience as sensitivity readers know some common issues to look for, as well.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Or cross reference

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yep

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

It could be worse if the information is unreliable. What sort of qualifications does one look for?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like for me, reping viet folks and telling that to those saught viet rep in their comics

I told them "don't you freaking dare add tropes about the vietnam war I'm gonna come over to your house"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Friend of mine was a trauma survivor that I witnessed first hand

I suppose that qualifies!

But I think it helps to ask around

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

This stems from writers writing what they think an experience/ person group is without doing research and just being ignorant and offensive and a call for ppl to do better

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah like those stories should be left to the group experienced it instead

imo

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

TBH even when you do a ton of research on your own, a sensitivity reader can help you catch things that you never even thought of researching because you were unaware It Was A Thing

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like I still read some stories then they throw like the nam joke

and i'm like "I'm droppin this"

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Yea I don't get cis ppl writing about the trans experience. Its not ur story

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

agreed ya

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmm a lot of artists write from experience

Perhaps if you need a sensitivity reader for say...being bi for example

Maybe find an artist who themselves is bi(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like don't write how they got there, but write the experience they gonna deal with in the comic

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Because you get double: you get someone who’s bi and also someone who knows how to work the medium

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like i doubt cis persons have the nuance for trans folk, same goes for non-poc thinking is okay to do weird nuance things with poc

like lmao idk that's a pet peeve of mine if someone is writing an asian character and really just

"yea he's asian, idk what nationality but its there."

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Im not into someone who isn't a minority writing about a minority experience as a personal preference, but the sensitivity readers aren't exclusive to that. There was an example in story help in this server where someone asked about writing for a certain group of ppl and wanted feedback

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I...remember that krispy

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah

carcarchu

i get what you're saying Tuyetnhi but i don't want authors to NOT include any representation just because they're scared of doing it wrong

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Several people warned him Including me

DanitheCarutor

A good example of sensitivity readers is Moana. The directors were old white guys, but they got Hawaiians to look over the script to make sure it wasn't disrespectful to the culture, or totally out of left field, since the tribe in the movie is based on Hawaiian tribes. Even though I didn't have sensitivity readers I still sought out people who experienced certain mental illnesses, medical professionals and mental health professionals willing the share their experiences and knowledge on the subjects I'm tackling before starting the comic.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ye and I get that, I mean like if they trying to do extreme nuance takes

leave that for folks who experienced that

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Asscreed games used to do the same too

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I ain't againist that kind of rep, but I have a paricular idea how to go about it that's all lol

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Tho i don't know if they were successful

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

What's wrong with someone writing a character who is transgender if they're not transgender? There's a lot of good research done on transgender issues both medical and societal as well as a lot of written record. I also don't see the issue with writing an ethnic minority as a non-minority. "Far Beyond the Stars" was written by white men and it speaks about racial issues brilliantly. Consultants on the intricacies of culture, I 100% understand, though, for your narratives; that does make sense. Professors are hired by filmmakers and writers for just that IIRC.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Sensitivity readers would not be a thing if people were not allowed to write characters outside of their own identity. Nobody's advocating that

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ya

carcarchu

white people can write on poc's issues fine. but i have a problem when they act like they know more than the people who have experienced it first-hand

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

Yep that's what I mean cara

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

As long as you’re respectful about it

And open to changing ideas

RebelVampire

Ok Im gonna step in here now and say we need to take a step back perhaps cause I feel this convo might be becoming too heated.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Heated?

I think you're misreading. I don't believe anybody here is heated over anything. I didn't know there was an argument, honestly. Is there? Am I losing my mind here?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Also these are instances that have been brought to light bc ppl want better rep from authours too. My last point on that!!

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't think anyone's angry, but this is an extremely sensitive/ heavy topic so we're all treading carefully!

carcarchu

i'm with page i thought it was all very civil

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Remarkably so, frankly.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

agreed

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Usually these things spawn a lot of arguments. It's refreshing to see people, well, not do that.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ye lol

RebelVampire

It is but this is the sort of topic where it can quickly hit the boiling point in a single message. And I've been seeing some warning signs in this convo. By all means if everyone can keep it civil, please continue. Consider this more a warning that right now, if you're getting angry, please step away from the convo cause I don't want to have to mute or ban anyway.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

aight

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Warning signs? I really am losing my mind.

DanitheCarutor

Let me know if I've said or will say something that might be insensitive. I try to be respectful, but I'm overly comfortable with uncomfortable topics and can be like a bull in a china shop sometimes.(edited)

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Its just a sensitive topic, page

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

same with me, but i'm also speaking from experience as sensitivity reader too.

so yea lol

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Oh yeah, on most servers, when this comes up, you have those who take the opportunity to say white people should die, then the ones who say the same about people of colour. It all devolves.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

what the

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Oh, b'ys, Discord is a wild place.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I agree with Keii, these are sensitive topics, I'm reading each one carefully without jumping into a fight

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I mean yeah, I been on discord since 2015 lol

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Gosh, I've been on it for years too! Seems so long ago I first came here!

Time flies, eh?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

still like, I find it kinda ridiculous someone is willing to jump like that

but yeah er, the topic at hand lol

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It doesn't need to go to that ridiculous extent to offend people, so I agree with Rebel on that we need to continue to be careful

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

(going to step out now but good convo y'all)

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Offer people a bit of the word "race" and soon it turns into Nuremberg.

Good talking to you, mate!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Goodnight Eilidh!

Also I’m actually new on discord

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I think that its a good practice that writers today are more sensitive to the readers. Not in a hand holding way, but in a responsible way where their work is properly tagged and rated and the consistency of such content is a warning as well (like danis comic) It's important to want to improve the reading experience for many and keeping in mind that some topics need to be handled with some more care

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ye agreed!

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

In my field, I think it's a contest on how much emotion you can get out in one breath with gleeful abandon to how the reader feels.

carcarchu

but a problem with that is sometimes it feels like writers are held up to impossibly high standards and that they can't have ANY inkling whatsoever of any content that might possibly be construed as "problematique" by the purity police. the degree to which some authors are scrutinized is unreasonable and i think it often stems from having to be seen as a "pure" representation of whatever it is they are representing

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Sometimes it's not even that the standards are "too high"

DanitheCarutor

@FeatherNotes(Krispy) Lol if the word limit allows it, every self-promo of my comic is plastered with age and content warnings, dang it!

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

There will ALWAYS be those standards, they were always there. Ppl just didn't have that voice. I would not be worried about writing however, as i def see a problem with the purity thingie going around.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I think carcarchu is talking about something very specific, Feather?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

there will be some rep be messy and rip that's part of being human and making mistakes

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

There was an article talking about the direction of art and the consumers of such that covered this topic about the purity thing that i wanna findd

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like everyone can't be a saint

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

like when an ownvoices writer gets pitchforks and torches because their portrayal wasn't wholesome enough, and you are only allowed to write happy and wholesome stories about that group(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like

keii omg

yeah i'll die in the torches that's ok

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Wait what

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah it's a thing

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Thats a thing

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

What...????

carcarchu

yes that's what i'm talking about keii

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

What

carcarchu

i also have a video about it

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

They're more upset at the story direction then

Not a purity thing

carcarchu

no it's a purity thing

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I agree with Carcarchu on this one. I feel like some people would be up in arms if I wrote a story where a white guy is the protagonist and a black guy is the antagonist. Some people just see race.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I know several LGBTQ peeps who are afraid to post their dark LGBTQ fiction because it might draw the attention of "only wholesome content allowed!!!" people

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

WhgtttattTTT

nooo

DanitheCarutor

Oooh yeah, the puritans/sanitizers out there, they're a scary bunch. I've had a run in with a few people who've said my comic shouldn't be allowed to exist due to the content... and I've been called queerphobic... and that my comic is queerphobic torture porn... and other fun stuff. It happens.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

WHHHHHHAAAAAAAT

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

You'd be surprised how common this is.

RebelVampire

Yeah I have to say I've seen it a lot too

carcarchu

where have u been krispy that you haven't seen this?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I have been in my silent cave apparently

I also haven't been in fandoms for years if that helps lol

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

You living like Patrick the Starfish?

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, we're kind of starting to get back into the olden days of demand for sanitizing art, people who work on darker content or horror get a lot of crap.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

This is patrick

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

All kidding aside, TL;DR: shit's kind of fucked in some ways.

carcarchu

i've even had run-ins with such people irl... hasnt been the most pleasant. i was once friends (note once) who tried to convince me that i should turn my het romance story into a lesbian one? for no reason other than she preferred to read that kind of content?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ohhbsee thats where im confused

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Imagine if the sexuality were flipped. It would be outrageous.(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

rip I had a comment a year ago that the main love interest is "too gay to be straight"

and i'm like "excuse u?"

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

"Yeah, make it straight. I don't like gay stuff."

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

How is the relationship dynamic purity in that case?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That's not purity police talk anymore, I think

carcarchu

not purity in that specific example feather but it's the same kind of person

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I’ve also had people come up to me and ask why I don’t write a more lighthearted story

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It's... a different issue

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

OB

MY GOSHHH

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Or “shadow, your shit is too dark why are you writing about this”

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

So ppl be telling u how to write ur chars now?

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

"Life can only be happy and stuff :(( art can literally only be happyyy"

carcarchu

yeah this same person was also PISSED that there was a gem in steven universe who was "black-coded" and portrayed as a villain even though there were black coded gems who were not portrayed as villains as well

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Sorry Krispy Life be like that

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Wthhhh

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Black coded?....what series have they been watching carcarchu lol

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ah dang

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

These ppl have 2 much time on their hands RIP They wanna rip apart media, go after something that deserves it (likethebig2incomicscough)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

They’re gate keeping(edited)

DanitheCarutor

Ah not too long ago I stumbled across an artist who drew more problematic stuff as a way to cope with trauma, which I guess was something their therapist suggested. Their stuff is pretty messed up, but someone started one of those "call out" videos on them, leading to thousands of people flooding their work with some of the most awful comments along with people trying to shut down their Patreon and social media accounts.

carcarchu

i later found out this person was also a terf so i ended the friendship right there when i found out

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Dani that’s...what the fuck

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Oh nasty

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

searches up terf Oh...

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I remember reading one person talking about how presenting "bad ideals" and whatnot in fiction had to be demonstrated to be bad ideals and not work and stuff and so on so forth.

carcarchu

i've seen that too dani

sadly more times than i can count

we all remember what happened to cucumber quest right?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It is terrible out there

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

What’s cucumber quest

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

What is cucumber

Quest oop

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

"What is cucumber?": An essay in being Socrates.

carcarchu

long story short cucumber quest was a children's webcomic that was pretty popular but the author got bullied off tumblr for being "problematic"

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh no

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Tumblr has a lot of crazies.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I like her work

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Oh noooooooooo

I still go on tumblr but I carefully choose my blogs

Because I don’t want this shit

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

(All this being said, I wanna reiterate that just because those terrible pitchforks and torches people exist, doesn't mean all "I find this offensive" voices are invalid. Some things could genuinely be improved!)

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Also def wanna say that even tho there will be these wolves waiting to tear 'non perfect' media apart, please dont feel like u have to stop writing, ever. Dont be afraid bc of these stories, yall have good heads on ur shoulders and obvs want to share ur experiences and that is something ur allowed to do

carcarchu

fyi she didnt stop making her comic because of the bullying thing, it was a separate, unrelated issue much later(edited)

i hear you keii

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I find it hilarious of the idea That there are people out there who tell someone not to write stuff like abuse even tho they’ve never experienced it

And the writers themselves have

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

There was someone who tried to boycott assassins creed 2 bc the main char reminder her of her ex bf

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omfg

DanitheCarutor

It's really sad and a little terrifying if your work doesn't fit the sanitization standards... Sometimes I think of that "what if" chance just the right person finding my comic and launching a take down campaign on it. Which is why I'm totally fine with staying as a smalltime person in the shadows. Also people don't usually want to even read through my comic, so that's a plus.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

why lmaoo

oh dang dani that's one fear

but i'm also like "I wonder how folks react to me dealing with that like I ignore them"

would that be a power move or I'd be burning harder?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Shit I never thought of a takedown campaign

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

It's a genuine fear for the creating community for sure, but ur voice is necessary. Ur story will resonate with ppl, and those who choose to use their time to tear it down obviously have nothing else better to do

DanitheCarutor

@keii’ii (Heart of Keol) Oh yeah, totally! People's feelings are super valid, and someone writing sensitive content should be open to listening to other people. I'm just talking about the extremists who think anything remotely uncomfortable shouldn't exist. Like, no.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Man, nowadays, people just throw shit and false accusations and all the rest at people because they don't like them and their stuff. They're truly pathetic.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I used to be so scared of a certain chapter in my comic bc its so violent at one point. It kept me up at night bc of these take down campaigns were a such a thing. But then i remember the content i enjoyed that inspired my own and im like Aint no one cancelling FMA for the niina part!

I mean unless its a topic that's super insensitive to a group or people/topic, which i know you're handling with sensitivity and grace, i wouldn't stop

carcarchu

this is a little bit sensitive so i'm going to put it in a spoiler there was another incident where an author received constant messages to kill themselves for writing gls when they did not at that time identify as a woman but then the author later did a whole comic about how how complicated her relationship with her own gender and sexuality was and that she de-transitioned and now once again considered herself to be both cis and lesbian and all those comments about her needing to kill herself for writing gl were so narrow-minded because you can never really know an author's situation if you aren't in their shoes

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

What's "gl"?

DanitheCarutor

Lol yeah, I do get worried a lot, especially about the upcoming chapters. Although that's not going to stop me from pushing forward, and telling the story how I want to tell it. If my online presence is murdered in the process, at least it will die for a good cause... at least good for me because I'll be venting everything out.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Whhhh!!! People just gettin into ppls business damn. That's horrible

carcarchu

girl's love

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

GIrl's love?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ye

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I def see ur story as a personal one with healing and building that will resonate with others Dani. And i think that's very important

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

What's that?

carcarchu

stories about girls loving girls

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it's a genre that focuses on romantic relationships between girls ye

carcarchu

i really got chills reading that author's comic about her identity especially having seen those comments numerous times on her other comics

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

There was a similar incident except it was with an artist by the name of Zamii for supposedly drawing Steven Universe characters too thin (Yes, she did attempt suicide in the end, though she didn't succeed in her attempt).

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Is...is she okay now?

oh my god Page

I remembered that

The SU writers had to step in

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh rip sadly I remember that as well

carcarchu

i think she's doing ok! i'm not sure if that particular comic is still up but i can dm u it if u want shadow

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Yep! Not just the writers, even an executive producer.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yes please carcarchu

And I think Rebecca sugar stepped in too? Not sure about that

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Hopefully this serves as a reminder for all of us to have each others backs in such situations wow

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Another incident was in the Undertale fandom I think. One person gave a cookie to an artist at a convention they didn't like because of the ships they were doing. They author was suspicious, so, they cracked open the cookie. It was filled with needles.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

WHHHHHHYYYYYYY

carcarchu

oh my god i remember that page, what a horror story

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

........what the FUCK

carcarchu

always be careful about accepting food from events like that

DanitheCarutor

Geez, the thing about the GL author is sad... yet not surprising, and it's sad that I'm not surprised. @FeatherNotes(Krispy) Thank you so much! I went into my comic expecting absolutely no one would like it, so if it resonates with even one person that would be the best surprise. TvT

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yee haw I love solidarity

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, never accept food/drinks from strangers, including "fans"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

As someone who bakes and deals with food....that is horrifying

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah rip that's horrifying

carcarchu

if it's packaged food like candy it should be safe, but still be careful if u have reason to be suspicious at all

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Remember, if you're suspicious, make them eat it too >:)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omgllol

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

And lace it with cyanide.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Gosh authours need content warning from readers it seems yikes

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Better safe than sorry.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Still not safe to have them eat it too lol

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I mean, hey, better second degree murder than dead.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I can think of some.... ways around that

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

"I'm alergic to needles"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Give it to their friend

>:)

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Give it to their spouse.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

And if it’s poison they’ll go down knowing they did it

Make a marvel villain

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

They're called "Widower".

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Page you and I have like minds

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Indeed we do.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I'm not comfortable with that -- like, what if their friend or spouse is being abused by them and is seeking to get out of that relationship

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

...This conversation is freaking amazing And I’ve never done individual page warnings for my comic - never felt it necessary. Maybe someday someone will yell at me about it, but... meh. The comic never goes into the really deep dark potentially-controversial stuff. So maybe it won’t be an issue. Back to catching up on all of this, WOW.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh god it would be a complicated meSS(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Oh god okay NO DONT GIVE IT TO THEIR SPOUSE

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

It doesn't matter. They must die for our agenda.

Morality? Pft.

If they're dead, they're no longer in the relationship.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I mean @LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) your story is really riveting But I’m not sure if you need warnings? I mean your story deals with...death

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

You see? Widower solves everything.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) I’m not sure! Someone tagged it with ‘limb loss’ elsewhere, which is debatable, haha. It’s something I would almost want others to tag. Sometimes I can’t stretch my mind far enough to imagine a page needing a trigger warning.(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Wow...the more you learn, huh.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Yes- those specific type tags are always going to be elusive to keep track of- ur general rating is just what ur story needs

Def wanna point out too that TV ratings and warnings are what i go by and the most helpful to me as a reader and creator. Also video game warnings too are good to look at if people ever need examples of how to rate comics!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Yep, ratings are all I need too. In my ‘about’ page I described my comic as “no darker than the darkest stuff in Harry Potter,” but I’m sure someone would still find something extremely dark in that, so... SHRUG

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Does anyone know of any of the big name comics that put trigger warnings or whatnot in their work? I dont read marvel/dc/etc so ive never seen if they took to rating their comics with any type of warnings?

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I do have kids reading so I want the parents to feel comfortable

DanitheCarutor

Is it weird that I rated my comic based on the level of nudity and lack of sex? Like, "Okay, these people are really naked but not in a sexy way, what is the rating for that?"

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'm thinking about snot girl rn and idk if their creators do that tbh other than marketed towards adults

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I read a couple of more-intense things from Image Comics and I’ve never seen any trigger warnings there either

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmm I’m not sure I remember reading Hellboy and not seeing any trigger warnings

carcarchu

krispy, the only time i can recall it is when i read Bradherley's Coach and that was actually put there by the translation team and not the author himself but i will say that the warning was extremely warranted with that one because i consider myself pretty desensitized to traumatic content but even this one really got me with each chapter being traumatic in it's own unique way

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Do they have ratings on the backs of the books like some manga?

Oh wow ty translation team

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Probably! I’m not sure if DarkHorse comics does it but they do have things like nudity and...portrayals of graphic death

carcarchu

if u read it on a website there is some degree of tagging for the content but i don't think that alone could have accurately prepared someone for what the comic explored

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I think its clear that by these examples we're all already doing better at being responsible for the content we share and produce.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I hope so I wonder if those big name comics received flak about not having trigger warnings

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I wonder about that too tbh

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Im sure to a degree? But no where near an indie creator would

Which is a whole other topic

carcarchu

i for one would love more tagging options for webcomics

makes it easier to find whatever niche content you're into!

genres alone just dont do it

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

That could work But there’s also a price to pay; less chance to get readers too

carcarchu

why is it less of a chance to get readers?

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I myself am looking at my Punisher comics, and there's no warnings anywhere, but i feel with an antihero like the Punisher, you go in expecting the gore and violence

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmmmm....I guess my fear is that it’s a double edged sword carcarchu On one hand you can attract the readers you want But on the other hand you can also...possibly drive away readers who are mildly curious Some people need time to get invested in a story

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I guess some people will just avoid some tags no-questions-asked. Hopefully it’s the small minority that the trigger warning will actually help (in terms of anxiety) and not someone who’s writing off the trigger as problematic and will go on a tirade warning other readers about it. I know it goes both ways

carcarchu

oh i wasn't talking about trigger content tagging specifically

i was talking about stuff like being able to tag for example "witches" or "animals" or "music" whatever is a theme in your comic(edited)

guess it wasnt a logical throughline made sense in my head

eli [a winged tale]

I was looking for a universal way to show trigger warnings and came across this article. https://medium.com/@UntoNuggan/trigger-warnings-101-a-beginners-guide-e9fc90c6ba0a I guess for mine I’m thinking to add body horror and violence the more we go through the story... I do like the part about putting the informed consent power back to the reader’s hands

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I put both Fantasy Violence and Alcohol Use as general warnings for my comic. Alcohol is treated in a complex manner in CoR, both in a humorous light and as a way to cope, but I know there are a lot of folks that are triggered by the presence of alcohol.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I will be putting trigger warning in my comic but Ive wanted to write about mental health allegories for a long time as a personal self reflection.

I started to feel braver after seeing other creators boldly write about mental health topics in their comics.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Whispers the webcomic library is an excellent source and tool to find/avoid tags in comics

Luma does an excellent job with archiving the stories there and i hope yall have applied to have ur comics there too!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Yes I watch Webcomic library on Twitter, Luma does such a good job curating comics(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Same! Highly recommended

carcarchu

i think i follow it on twitter but i don't keep up with it

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

They did these tags for my comic(edited)

carcarchu

maybe i should change that

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Super dedicated and a very great resource for webcomics!!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I got these! I originally only put down 'limb loss - leg' but 'limb loss - arm' popped up too, and I'm like "You know... that's kinda true." It's a really good resource!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

OOoh I should check it out

Webcomic library, right?

carcarchu

what's the difference between independent! and independent

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

...that's a good question and I don't know the answer, haha

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

“Eventual LGBTQ” yes

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I AGREE!! I'm on Webcomic Library too. Mine is tagged as Mobility Aids since Nocturne uses a cane to walk

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

hmmm how do you add your webcomic onto there?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I went thru the process like

you send an email to luma/webcomic libary with a submission form

and she'll add it for u with the tags that are relelated to your comic

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Luma always puts up submission posts too Check out their tumblr/twitter!

DanitheCarutor

I can't imagine how much time it takes Luma to go through all those webcomics! These are the tags they put for mine:(edited)

They've kept it up pretty well in spite of it not being their cup of tea. The only thing I was ever iffy on was the 'sexual nudity' tag since I didn't intend for that but for the nudity to be uncomfortable/awkward, and I don't like the idea of people going into my comic for sexual arousal, but on well. To each their own, also it may be a presentation mistake on my part.

It's funny because I didn't think about one of my MCs being disabled until seeing this, I had to think for a moment before realizing "Oh yeah, I guess ocular albinism is considered a disability."

Kind of an embarrassing realization on my part.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ooo that's a lot of tags

this from my comic

DanitheCarutor

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) Here is the submission template if you're interested. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q48tZquhmNoGY_lcsE8FkByF614EISk_Pf3YoQKXYWA/edit?usp=sharing

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

probably not much is tagged since lmao it's 2 chapters in

DanitheCarutor

Haaaah yeah, my comic has a lot of... stuff. It'll probably get even bigger once the next two chapters are finished, if Luma is willing to go through them.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

ahhh thank you Time to submit

honestly I don't think there'll be a lot for my webcomic, since I just started lol

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

All a good resource regardless! And a good place to find comics to read!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

fair enough! Also...uhh....

what's nsfw text?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

like, not safe for work things being talked about in the text of the comic typically sex stuff i imagine

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

or swearing lmao

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

oh god

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

get ready for a rideeeee

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

since someone saying "violence and gore" in the text wouldn't really count as NSFW lol

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

on my sailor ship lolol

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, NSFW text is swearing, slurs, discussion of NSFW subjects, sexual language I'm guessing. In my case it's the former three, at least I assume as much.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

..........ohhhh boy

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

mine is just my characters speaking without filter

lol

at least for the begining lolol

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

but yeah to me the limit for "what to warn people about" is generally dependent on the platform

those are my tags on archive binge

those are my tags on webcomic library (admittedly a bit out of date)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

lord almighty(edited)

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

on comic fury the only tag I have is high violence (with no nudity, sexual content, or swearing)

on tapas it's a page-by-page thing so I basically add the tag whenever there's blood on-screen

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Nsfw is not swearing like bitch, shit fuck Its more slurs i do believe

Also forgive me for swearing on main lol

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lol

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

OH DANI SAID IT ALREADY

So yes, what dani said

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Yeah I was wondering how deep into curse/slur territory it’d have to go

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Gjs has swearing in it but its sailor mouth stuff, not slurs

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I’ve got fantasy slurs and I drop those RARELY because they still make me feel weird, haha

Dunno if I could ever commit to IRL ones in anything I do

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, I imagine if swears did count it would be how they're used, like if they were said in a derogatory statement and/or bullying.

But yeah, slurs, definitely. Haaaah

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I don't think I could ever write about racial slurs either. The only touchy topics I will ever write are those I have experienced. Never experienced true racism so if I wrote about it I would feel like I'm faking knowledge of a huge and personal issue for other people

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Same. I leave that to people who can write about it better. Any discrimination I have in my stories is manufactured by the fantasy world and its own unique circumstances. I have some influence from real-world discrimination, but it's its own thing.

DanitheCarutor

Ah but slurs aren't just race, there are also slurs for gender and sexuality. (The -cough- 'T' and 'F' word.)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

yeah... racial slurs make me uncomfortable, but depends with the fantasy slurs, that could be creative if it's done to show the social issues of that world?(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I feel like even if you're only using fantasy slurs (speaking as someone whose comic has a use of a fantasy slur...), you need good understanding of what it's like to be on the receiving end of a slur IRL. This isn't to say "you need [this qualification] to be Allowed to use slurs in your fictional work!" but more like, how to make it resonate with the readers in the right ways, how to make it not gratuitous, etc.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ye

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I'm still learning myself. Like, I do have some experience dealing with racism toward me, but 1) it's nothing compared to the truly horrific stuff out there, and 2) even on comparable "levels" my experience could be very, very different from someone else's. All we can do is keep trying, keep learning.

Keep listening.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'd had a fair deal of racism and microagression being a native in the US for so long

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

exactly, like I experienced childhood racism about my cultural upbringing. But it's different for other people.(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it's something that lmao won't go away but ye we have some different perspectives on how we can go about handling it

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

When I read a work or watch a film, I can tell if the creator has researched well, if it's racism similar to my experiences. It doesn't matter their background. But it'd be a nicer bonus if this came from a POC creator.(edited)

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, based on that I'm probably not the best person to have characters using slurs. While the slur present is gender based, I have a complicated relationship with... everything that isn't white/cis/het. I'm a mixed race (mom's side(very white passing): German Jewish, black Irish, Scottish, Native American. Dad's side: Native American, Spanish, Mexican.), my mom was raised in a church in a tiny town that was totally against non-white people and race mixing, according to her when I was born people would come to the hospital to gawk at me. I've never been called a slur maliciously, but casually and I never noticed it until I was older after everyone naturally stopped. Every experience and memory I have of slurs has been of the "yikes!", "Woah, you really said that." variety, so I kind of project that energy a little bit in my comic. But in the form of a very yikes casually transphobic character.

For clarity on the cis/het thing, my family was also extremely bigoted but would hide it under casual language, so it never sounded queerphobic until you process what they said.

Not related to me, but I understand needing to experience racism to write it, although I think it can still be accomplished well if the person is empathetic and does a ton of research. Kinda like anything else sensitive, you just need to be really educated on the subject.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I agree with you Dani. Sadly some creators just don't have that empathy and want to write a fantasy token character. I had awkward story conversations before on race. "what do you think about this ambiguous Asian character? I'm thinking of a Japanese name, sounds Asian enough?" I always cringe inside(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

I usually bring in other people to write about those things I haven't experienced. Friends, generous volunteers, etc.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I think it's 100% OK to write about things you haven't experienced. I don't think J.K. Rowling experienced being an adolescent male chosen one in a magical college, but she still wrote about it...and made a Hell of a lot of money.

DanitheCarutor

Lol that's why I added in doing research, which I think brainstorming with experienced people counts, you're still educating yourself. I agree with everyone on experience being preferred, although I am on the anti-censorship side with art and storytelling, no matter how cringe it is.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ofc i think it's okay, but I personally don't feel comfortable doing it

i even feel a little weird writing male characters

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

If we can only write ourselves and our experiences, we're plain not good writers.

That's my view on the matter.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Again, I don't think any of us is advocating Necessary Qualifications To Even Attempt. This is a much more nuanced topic

I've never been a tall beefy dude, but that's what my MC is.

Never been a parent, but I write parents.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Yeah, "make the effort to write this well" is very different from "don't write this"

And there's plenty of people criticizing JKR for how she handles specific topics...

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

yeeeeah....

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Including me.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

JKR is probably not a good example to bring up as a positive example for this topic, simply because of the issues that can REALLY distract from why she's being used as an example.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I like writing male character more often since I'm less stressed about writing the opposite gender, I know it's my comfort zone. I based some of the boys on my guy friends and have fun with the story. Though I'm making a difference by insisting on adding women more and pushing for strength and vulnerability.(edited)

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

J.K. turned out to be lacking a few brain-cells, but my point is that you can very easily write foreign experiences; every good writer does that all the time (as you all do yourselves!) and I think that extends to writing characters no matter the colour of their skin, sexuality, or gender identity.

DanitheCarutor

True, I haven't seen gatekeeping here, I'm just giving my thoughts on it. A while back on another server I read a conversation where some people were dissing the person who made Magical Boy on Tapas because they're not trans, even though they did a lot of research beforehand. I was kind of reflecting that, but I also empathize with people who feel uncomfortable with people who've never experienced a certain form of oppression writing about it.

Pff I've never been a janitor, but dang it! You can't stop me from having a janitor character!

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Janitors are the coolest guys, I'm telling ye.

Most chill people in the land.

B'ys, they can get along with anyone, I swear.

DanitheCarutor

They're like real life superheroes.

Deo101 [Millennium]

We're not saying not to write other skin tones, gender, etc. Just to be sensitive about it and aware that you can't extrapolate someone else's life experiences from your own, you have to ask

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

there's a difference between writing a janitor and writing a touchy topic like racism. Anyways, even if I was writing a janitor I'd do a ton of research on the job

Deo101 [Millennium]

Sorry I use a cane and I can tell when people didn't ask someone who uses a cane what it's like. It goes the same for a lot of things

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I'm not saying you are saying that! Simply addressing something I've encountered before.

I've used a cane before, though temporarily. It was...a pain in the ass, honestly.

Well, more like a pain in my leg. And my arm.

DanitheCarutor

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) Sorry, I was joking since Keii was talking about writing muscular guys and parents. It would be sad if I didn't know the difference between racism and an occupation. Lol

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

In any case, I don't think that writing somebody of an ethnic minority necessitates much on its own. Delving into racial issues, sure, yeah that requires a lot, but I wouldn't say that of writing the character itself.

I'd say the same of sexuality and gender identity if you're not delving into the respective issues thereof. If you know what you're doing, i don't think there's too much to it.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

@Page, Rambler Extraordinaire! Yeah, I think that's what a lot of us are saying. There is a difference between writing a character who's [this identity] vs writing a story that's all about exploring that identity.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

The latter requires a lot more research, agreed.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

oh i know @DanitheCarutor , you write a lot of lgbt characters after all. just adding my thoughts, not diagreeing

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

"If you know what you're doing" is the tricky part though

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Well, that's not that difficult in most cases. There is a sea of available literature.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

There's.... the problem of marginalized folks pointing out concerns in a work, and non-marginalized people dismissing their concerns because they don't see the issue.

Deo101 [Millennium]

It's also really easy to ask a person for their real life experience

People are usually, in my experience, more than willing to take some time and answer a few questions.

DanitheCarutor

On the Magical Boy thing, like I said, it wasn't you all, it was people on a different server and I wanted to bring it up since it's related to the topic. To do a more serious comparison, I've never had psychosis or schizophrenia but I'm writing a character like that. I did a lot of research beforehand though, like, A LOT.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Like for disabilities it's very easily to find all kinds of Medical information, but almost no first hand experience is available. So what happens is people are very accurate medically, but then extrapolate what living like that is like and still end up with a disengenuous story

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Surely, there's available literature on the subject? I'm sure that I could find some.

Deo101 [Millennium]

And Dani, same with me and schizophrenia. It's for a future comic, but I've been researching it and interviewing people for years now to be sure I get a story that would at the very least not hurt them

I mean I would think a better resource would be YouTubers with those things, actually.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

For a lot of topics, it's easier to find a firsthand experiencer willing to talk to you than to find some existing literature on the exact thing you didn't know you needed

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah like My condition is very rare and the best you could find on it for firsthand experience is like. A forum that's super old and inactive

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I still remember one review where the person said "I have a certain disability, and I'm sure this author doesn't have it -- but they know someone who does -- because they're describing the visible symptoms with uncanny accuracy, but are guessing all wrong about how it feels/how it affects your life in invisible ways."

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That's a huge pitfall, I feel. There can be a big sensitive thing that you aren't even aware is a thing; therefore, you don't think to do any research on that facet.

Deo101 [Millennium]

It's really easy to make a post on social media like "hey can I interview people with ___ for a writing project?"

DanitheCarutor

Openness depends on the topic. It's really hard getting people's experiences with certain mental illnesses, also the small number of people suffering from it. I had a really hard time finding people willing to talk about certain things, especially professionals since they usually don't want to talk to you without paying money for it.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

^ That's also a good point.

Deo101 [Millennium]

That's true

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I think we're going back to the purity thing. You can't expect someone to truly represent the "invisible ways" it affects you very well considering they're...invisible.

Deo101 [Millennium]

You can ask

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

But I would definitely recommend trying to reach out to people with firsthand experience, and seeing if that's an option.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

I've been able to shoot emails off to professors before for questions. They're usually happy to answer a question or two.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

This is not at all like the purity thing IMO.

DanitheCarutor

A decent resource I found was a mental health forum, you have to get accepted to join, but it's basically everyone talking about their experiences with being mentally ill or being a volunteer for mental health care centers. Unfortunately there aren't any psychologists on the forum... Just nurses and caregivers on the non-ill side.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Again, there's a spectrum here...there's all kinds of possibilities between "how dare your extensive research have a single imperfection" and "wow, you didn't even try".

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, and it's not even a single lane spectrum! It's very complex and multifaceted/multilayered

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

And we're talking about this for marginalized people, but it can apply to any group/culture/situation you're not part of -- just look at any story where a European writer has an American character drive across the US in a couple hours

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

Lmaoooo

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Or americans write Germans getting lost in their woods.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Alright, multilayered? How so? It's a spectrum from "B'y, you're writing about a black man in the 1700s being exalted in America" to "Why am I reading this ethnic studies textbook?"

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Naw mate, pick a direction and you‘ll find a street or at least marked trail in half an hour.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Okay, I can't answer that without draining my energy reserve for the next 20 weeks

DanitheCarutor

Lmao! As dumb as it sounds, something like that can also apply to animals. Like the thing Disney did with lemmings, and how Jaws portrayed sharks which caused this spike in shark hunting because everyone thought they were these monsters.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Would it be possible to summarize?

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

We've talked about a bunch of different aspects already -- like, how well did you research the medical symptoms vs. how well did you represent the day-to-day experience

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

No (at least for me), precisely because it's so complex and multilayered.

RebelVampire

This is a good convo and I am happy everyone has remained civil. That being said, I kind of feel it's gone a bit off-topic for an extended time regarding this week's question

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it's hard to know what's worth a mature tag or not when even the websites themselves are vague. I started off with a character having the trait of cursing a lot, but then dropped that as i became paranoid of wts content guidelines

but i've gotten a decent audience since then and wts hasn't deleted my pages or anything so(edited)

i have no idea what the line is

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Webtoons is extra mysterious

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I host my own stuff, so I just put warnings up when a specific storyline is going to be more intense than the comic's average

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

because their comment system will auto censor words like "vague" (it becomes "***ue" or something like that) so you'd think they really don't want ANY cursing?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yes! that has happened to me

Deo101 [Millennium]

Su***ious

Is one I see a lot

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

someone commented "sperm" on my pages once so i know wt doesn't censor that at least

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

...is that why the kids these days are just saying "sus" now

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

******in's Creed

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i don't understand what is the swear in suspicious?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lmao

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

It's a racial slur in some regions

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ohhhh

i know what you mean

yeah rip

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

An auto-censor like that just makes a normal discussion forum seem 100x more scandalous/insulting than it actually is...

Deo101 [Millennium]

I got used to talking around then from mmo games ahahaha

Those chats that squelch you if you say one curse or something close to it by accident

But! On topic, I think asking whether something is too mature is a good idea, having a kind of beta audience or sensitivity reader kind of thing.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I think it's fine to make your own judgment calls as long as you're consistent, so readers know the same things will be reliably warned for

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

a beta reader wouldn't neccessarily know more about wt than me though

when it comes to blurry content guidelines that is

might help with mature or triggering content

because your tolerance might be different from other people's

Deo101 [Millennium]

Oh I mean like "hmmm I think this is a bit much. Do you think this is a bit much?"

And they go "na this seems like pg 13 to me." Or "hmmm I think it could probably freak someone out you might wanna lightly warn."

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it's a blurry line because sometimes an arm getting ripped off stylishly is less triggering than a realistic depiction of like, a fingernail being ripped off

just gotta go by feeling, i suppose

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yep

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I agree that this is a case where there's no reason to think a beta reader has better judgment than you have yourself

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yeah my friends are all like me

DanitheCarutor

WTs is weird. I used to have my comic up there totally uncensored, they featured it on the front page for about a month, but when someone flagged the nudity they wouldn't put the pages back up. Like... you think they would have known already? The nude scene is within the first 20 pages.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

and don't think much of gore and swearing and such

fuck dani don't say that you're making me paranoid again

RebelVampire

Classic it only takes one person to ruin something for everyone else

DanitheCarutor

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) From what I've seen of your nude scenes, I don't think anyone will really notice. I didn't even notice until you brought it up one time on here... or maybe it was in the Webcomic Updates server.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i hope so but as rebel said only takes one staff member

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Can i just chime in to say that the auto censoring with what y'all have said about WT really turns me off from that platform. Not into a site having that power, regardless of who uses it. It's like we said here, be responsible with your work with tags, but that extra hand in the pot makes me think of tumblr style censors and im not a fan.

Does tapas do that too?

Deo101 [Millennium]

Webtoon doesn't really have tags, it just has a toggle for a series being mature

They both do

So they don't get removed from app stores

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ye i guessed as much

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Tapas has this feature that lets creators tag individual episodes as mature. BUT there is an additional layer -- if your comic is too mature even with the mature tag, they're forced to hide it from their iOS app, due to Fruit Company regulations.

DanitheCarutor

WT is trash, and the reader base is made up of children, don't go there! Tapas is pretty alright, they're fine with my comic being uncensored there, and they don't censor comments.

Yeah, there's what Keii said about the Apple app too.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

And it's up to Fruit Company to determine whether it's too mature or not. (Mine is too mature because of body hair, and I was told they'd put it back on the app if I erased the body hair in a specific episode)

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Still not a fan of that kind of censorship. And i agree with dani

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ohh yeah i remember that body hair thing kei

DanitheCarutor

Oh crap, were we not supposed to name drop the app?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Excuse me body hair

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Webtoons on the other hand will straight up remove any too mature episodes across all of their platform...s (site, iOS, android) if Google says "this is too mature"

Deo101 [Millennium]

I don't think it's censorship, it's more not allowing certain things on your platform

They're not saying you can't make it just that you can't post it there

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

It is censorship U cant post ur piece in its intended form

Like....body hair Wtf

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I think that depends on how you define censorship

In any case, it's definitely not ideal.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

That is so .... Like Way to show what standards they want

DanitheCarutor

Gah the body hair thing. Thinking about it, I never got contacted by Tapas about my comic's mature content, but they probably knew trying to censor it would be a lost cause. Lol They probably just threw straight off the app.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

That's horrible Dani

DanitheCarutor

Naah, I don't mind. It's still allowed on the desktop site, and that's the only version I use so it's like nothing ever happened.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Still a gross move on their part. Not enthused with the passion to appease app stores with removing content that isn't 'suitable', but that is a diff convo.

DanitheCarutor

As one last derailing bit, if you're ever looking for a hosting site, Comicfury is the best for mature and adult work. They don't censor ANYTHING! Except hate-speech.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Oh i keep seeing more and more talk about that! Can i ask u more about it in shop talk?

DanitheCarutor

Sure, go ahead! I'll answer to the best of my abilities.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Wow

Just caught up

Back to the warnings thing...(edited)

In my experience, there are certain reasonable leaps in seriousness in comics, and other times when it appears jarring and out of nowhere, but in that case, I think it's simply bad writing, unless of course, it's a genre like horror.

But I think an author deciding to put content warnings should be up to the author on a case by case basis.

There are simply too many variables to come up with specific ground rules

As an example, I have a scene later on in my comic where a child dies. I don't show how it happens, but I was planning on showing the body afterwards. Nothing too gruesome, but definitely some broken bones. And I have been told completely opposite things, that it should be okay because I'm not showing the actual death, and on the other side, that showing the body at all is terrible, and I shouldn't do it. My concern is... If I don't show the body, how will the readers know that the child is dead? And how will I show the reactions of the other characters? It's just too complicated and specific of an issue to rely on general guidelines.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

B'ys, the real answer is to stop writing webcomics altogether! I'm telling ye! no webcomic, no problem!

I mean, sure, we'll be bereft of artistic output and dreams will be crushed...but hey, less stuff to do. Silver lining.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

what you mean most of us has made somewhat a living doing comics lol(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Lol, I want to make comics so uhhhhh???

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Aw...That sounds sad but depends how the body is presented? I mean I've seen mystery games with afew dead characters? Not a child yet.(edited)

Sometimes I've seen Anime do a light censorship by showing a bloodied child's shoe or gloves, or an arm but it can be disturbing(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

It's just that... dead children is a sensitive topic

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, a limp arm is what I often see

DanitheCarutor

I think it's because showing dead children is considered taboo? Like some games where you can kill other characters won't give you the ability to kill children, as well as movies that show character deaths won't show a child's death. It might be too insensitive for some people because children are innocent, and many people have had/are having kids, so showing them might be extra upsetting? At least that's what I assume is the reason behind someone saying not to show the child's death.

Ah, didn't notice Cronaj already said it in much fewer words.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Ah yes, that reminds me that there are places where I put up different warnings than what the comic has - my side stories. Since my side stories are often ways for me to explore different styles of storytelling than the comic proper, they can often have different themes. Off the top of my head - one side story I wrote had a warning for cussing, one had a warning for descriptions of violence against a child, and one had a warning for getting in a bit deep into a character's PTSD. (oddly enough, both of those latter warnings were in reference to the same character, just with a time gap of a few years. though the PTSD in the one story involved a completely different event than the violence depicted in the other story. pejiba's had it rough)

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

@Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!) , @Cronaj (Whispers of the Past) , I was making a joke. :p

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

I think the worst thing I'm going to show visually is a dead body and the whole story is about there being a dead body so I don't feel the need for any additional internal content warnings. I think my rule of thumb is just not to show anything that would be more shocking or upsetting than the premise of the comic would have you expect, and to have all warnings at the outset.

I agree with snuffysam's approach to separating darker and scarier content into side stories with their own content warnings or at least I would take a similar approach myself. It's okay to make stories that depict difficult topics but I think it's better not to disrupt the flow of a more lighthearted story if it can be avoided. Exploring difficult topics outside of the main story is a good solution to that

sagaholmgaard

I put a content warning the first time there was some violence and blood in my comic, since the previous pages had been mostly cute so I figured it was warranted. I'm coming up to the second time something potentially triggering happens- a guy gets killed 'on screen', but I don't think it's rendered in a worse way than the first time so I'm considering whether it's good to warn every time a scene like this comes up or if the first warning is enough to readers to have opted out if they dont want that sort of content

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

I had a read-up on age ratings and found out Nyx+Nyssa would fall under PEGI-16 due to realistic violence towards human characters, and will simply stick a 16+ sign into the corner of my page, which links to a conscience explanation why.

Desnik

So recently I've joined a writer's group and they ask people to stick warnings upfront so that readers can opt out of reading something that will upset them. I've found that it's helpful to warn for things that cause certain phobias, religious criticism, and minority experiences depicted w/o a sensitivity reader's guidance. I would also warn for drugs/alcohol usage since reading about that kind of experience can be a trigger for addictions.

I don't tend to write about anything super visceral but when reading I know I appreciate warnings about certain types of gore or violence

I think it's beneficial to be extremely specific with tags because for some reason YA-rated stuff can be very violent (so that makes age-based ratings completely nonsensical). Also not every story is going to treat serious issues with the same gravity so I think it's helpful to mention if some aspect is being treated in a melodramatic/unrealistic manner on purpose.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Like a standard comic might take say... 10 pages or more. Webtoon tends to shorten this roughly by half. Or by the 3rd or 4th episode, that major plot point happens.(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I feel "have a natural flow" is easier said than done, and also can mean very different things for different stories, and even different readers responding to one story.

(Maybe we should move this to shop talk as it's not relevant to this week's topic?)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

oh this is in shop talk? ok, I thought creator babble was relevant to this.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Nah, creator babble, if I understand it correctly, is specifically for weekly questions. This week's question is about content warnings

AntiBunny

My story is heavily inspired by film noir, so I think the occasional burst of violence should be expected.

[prince-claremont-diaz]

Whatever We Become

Summary: In Lucas’ final year of high school before he has to face the real world, he comes across the new identical twins, Eliott and Leo. Needless to say, Lucas falls head over heels for both of them.

Or The twin au absolutely no one asked for Word Count: 2.9k

Warning(s): description of a panic attack, alcohol use Reposting it again because it wasn’t showing up in the tags Chapter Four: What kind of friend would I be? Manon and Lucas were on their way to the bus stop together, walking in comfortable silence, feet marching in sync. Lucas was clutching the straps of his bag, eyebrows furrowed as he continued to worry about the Demaury brothers.

What on earth had Leo been fighting about? Was it actually related to Eliott? Perhaps someone was messing with Eliott and Leo and Charles tried to help him. Or Eliott was hiding a secret temper. What if he was the one who punched them? At the party, he hadn’t seemed particularly strange or aggressive, but Lucas had already been pretty intoxicated when they met. Had he missed something?

“Isn’t that Leo Demaury?”

Lucas’ thought spiral was abruptly interrupted by Manon’s voice, a hand going out to keep him from walking. Lucas felt a joint crack in his haste to look up from his shoelaces, face going scarlet and jaw slack.

None other than one of the subjects of his thoughts, Leo Demaury, was in fact standing next to their bus stop. He looked undoubtedly grim, staring lasers into the concrete. His fists were clutching onto his bag’s straps, the hood of his blue hoodie pulled up to obscure half his face. But even from here, Lucas was absolutely certain who he was looking at.

As if sensing their watchful eyes, Leo looked up from his staring contest with the floor and looked straight at them. Unlike usual, his face didn’t split into a grin at the sight of his friend; his frown actually deepened and he turned away from them, crossing the street and heading straight into a liquor store.

“What the fuck?” Lucas blurted, staring across the street. He exchanged a glance with Manon, who could only offer an equally confused frown and a dismayed shake of her head. “Did he seem angry with us or am I just going crazy?”

Manon shook her head, sighing heavily. “Maybe it wasn’t targeted at you or me in particular. He could just be embarrassed about the fight,” Manon suggested. As their bus began to pull up to the station, Manon linked her arm with him and tugged him gently away from the curb. He stumbled slightly, as though he had been glued to the floor as soon as Leo looked at him like that.

Lucas dropped hopelessly into a seat by the window, leaning his head against the glass and looking longingly across the street. His eyes stung as they began to water, vision blurring. As the bus pulled away from the curb and away from Leo, Lucas had to bite down on his lip to keep from making a sound.

◇

Lucas stood by his locker with the boys, laughing at something Yann was telling them. Yann was full on acting out every single person in the situation, jumping around the corridor and almost knocking down a poor first year, much to the delight of the boys even more. Lucas rolled his eyes, leaning against the lockers and smiling fondly at his friend’s antics.

“He was an idiot, essentially,” Yann said, slightly out of breath from his pantomiming.

Lucas started to say something teasing before promptly cutting himself off when he saw none other than Leo Demaury walking right up to him, grey eyes staring intensely, jaw set. Wide eyed, Lucas looked around at his friends hopelessly before the other boy stopped right in front of him.

“Hey, Lucas, can I please talk to you?” He eyed the other boys. “Alone.”

Lucas nodded robotically, choking out, “Uh, okay. We can go out into the courtyard?” He gestured vaguely towards the front doors with his head, pulling his bottom lip in between his teeth nervously.

Leo shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

Lucas shot one last terrified look over his shoulder and followed Leo outside. It was surprisingly cold out, a bitter breeze hitting him in the face and causing him to shiver and pull his jumper closer. Lucas followed Leo swiftly across the courtyard, feeling awfully like a puppy following its owner on a walk. Finally, they stopped by a low wall near one of the other buildings and Leo clambered up, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. Cautiously, keeping plenty of space between them, Lucas sat down beside him, chewing on his nails.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. People walked past laughing and talking or looking through phones and books, bags of varying shades and colours over their shoulders.

Lucas was the first to break the silence. “So, you wanted to talk to me?” He glanced sideways at the other boy. His bruise was starting to heal more, beginning to turn a horrid puke green around the edges and the cut on his nose had almost completely disappeared.

“Yeah,” Leo replied quietly, keeping his eyes on the ground, “I wanted to apologise for yesterday. I was still messed up about the fight and…” Leo turned to Lucas, looking at him sincerely. “I’ll admit I was a little embarrassed for you to see me like, well, this.” He gestured towards his face, sighing.

“Oh. It's–it’s okay. I get it now,” Lucas replied, nodding, “You don’t have to be embarrassed or anything, by the way. I was more… worried about you. I didn’t know what to think when I saw your face, but I’m guessing you had good reason, so.” Lucas’ cheeks burned and he forced himself to look away, running a hand through his messy locks and ruining it even more so that it stuck up in every direction.

Leo looked back at Lucas, smiling lightly at him, eyes twinkling fondly. “I swear it was for good reason, Lucas. I’m not a violent person usually. I just get a bit…protective of my brother,” Leo explained, tone serious and devoid of any lies. Lucas’ heartstrings tugged fiercely, picking up the pace of their soft thudding, pounding against his chest cavity.

The bell for next period went off again and Leo groaned, hopping off the wall. “I should get going, but I’ll see you next period, yeah?” Leo said, already making his way towards the school building, walking backwards with a smile coming back to his face.

Lucas nodded, returning the smile. “Yeah.”

◇

“You coming to the party at Alex’s tonight? I heard it’s supposed to be pretty wild,” Arthur asked Lucas during their last class of the day, Literature. They were supposed to be reading Antigone silently at their desks, but most people were taking advantage of the rather lax control from their teacher, Miss Moreau and talking quietly with their friends.

Lucas looked up from attempting to read the book, shrugging at his friend’s question. “I don’t know if I’m up for a party to be honest. This week has been hell enough,” Lucas admitted.

Arthur groaned exasperatedly, earning a few glances from those around them. He ignored them, leaning closer to whisper, “Come on, man. It’ll cheer you up. Maybe you can find another boy. A rebound, as they say.”

Lucas elbowed him sharply in the ribs, making Arthur flinch away. Miss Moreau looked over at them, telling them both to be quiet. Arthur apologised, rolling his eyes and looking back at Lucas. “Shut up, Arthur. For anyone to be a ‘rebound’ I would have to date someone first.”

Arthur shrugged, making a comedic face and picking up Antigone again. He skimmed through in search of his bookmark and whispered, “You sure I can’t convince you? I really wanna go but not if we’re not all there having a great time and getting blackout drunk. Mainly the latter.”

Lucas sighed, turning the page of his book and emphatically keeping from looking at him. “Fine. But you’re paying for me the next time we all go out.” As soon as Lucas agreed, Arthur’s whole face lit up and he punched Lucas “lovingly” on the shoulder. Lucas rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t lie that he was always happy to see his friends happy just because of something he had done.

“I promise you won’t regret a thing, Lucas dear.”

“Arthur, Lucas, I don’t want to tell you to be quiet again,” Miss Moreau chastised, frowning at them from behind her desk.

“Sorry, miss!” Arthur called. Then he mouthed to Lucas: “This is gonna be great.”

Lucas sure hoped so.

◇

Of all the things Arthur said earlier, he was certainly right about the party being wild. Only two hours in, Lucas had already seen one of Alex’s friends fall down the stairs, watched a girl vomit in some guy’s hat and seen multiple straight girls drunkenly making out with each other. The latter still confused him to this day.

Lucas was currently settled on the floor of what appeared to be an ornate dining room with a full on chandelier. He was squashed between Arthur, who was very drunk and practically half on top of Lucas, and Yann who was only slightly more sober. Basile was nowhere to be seen, having disappeared shortly into their arrival at Alex’s house. Arthur, who was nursing a fifth bottle of beer, belched in Lucas’s ear, causing the short boy to yelp and elbow him in the face.

“Fuck! Get off me, Arthur! Fuck, you’re disgusting,” Lucas gritted, pushing Arthur off of his shoulder.

Yann snorted, pointing childishly at Arthur. “Nice one, Arthur!” he said, holding his hand up for a high five. Arthur tried to hit Yann’s hand, somehow hitting Lucas in the eye with his thumb.

“Fuck! Arthur!” he whined, covering his eye with his hand and pouting.

“Oh so now you do it!” Basile, who had finally appeared from his adventure around the house looked betrayed as he watched Arthur and Yann try to high five each other. “Every time I try to get one, you guys just ignore me!”

Yann laughed, shaking his head. “That’s cause we’re usually sober, Bas. Right now we’re not,” Yann explained, snorting halfway through his own explanation.

“Yeah, we can tell,” Lucas mumbled, though everyone else ignored him.

Basile held up his two hands in the air, clearly waiting for his moment to finally be fulfilled. He looked like an excited toddler awaiting the toys his mother promised him.

Arthur shook his head and replied, “No, Bas, it’s weird now. We can’t do it now.”

“OH, COME ON,” Basile whined, dropping his hands dejectedly.

Lucas flinched under Basile’s sudden outburst, nearly dropping his drink in his lap.

The party was becoming overwhelming with every second. The lights were too bright, the sounds were too loud and even the feeling of his friends leaning against him felt too tight, like he had a rope slowly tying tighter around his body.

Head swimming, Lucas carefully maneuvered his way out from under his friends, stumbling up onto his feet by using the wall as a leverage. Rather breathlessly he choked out, “I’m gonna go outside for a bit. See you guys later.” And before any of them could protest or talk him out of it, Lucas was shoving his way through the other partygoers and searching around for the door to the back garden. He knew it was around there somewhere…

In his hurry to find the exit, Lucas somehow didn’t see quite where he was going and rammed straight into the back of someone. With a pathetic strangled noise, Lucas landed on his ass in the middle of the floor, covered in his own beer.

“Watch where you’re going, weirdo,” the boy Lucas had run into snapped at him, scowling like he was ready to spit fire. Lucas sputtered for some remark in retaliation but came up short and then the guy was slipping away from view.

Lucas got up on his feet again, feeling thoroughly lightheaded and clumsy, like a newborn horse trying to walk for the first time. He took a shuddering breath as he leaned down to pick up his spilled drink, biting back tears. Blinking rapidly to keep from bursting, Lucas surveyed his way around the crowded room, breathing rate increasing every second as the walls closed in around him.

Which way had he just come from? Was the back door that way or the other way? Was that a closet or a bathroom? Where the fuck was he? Where was the back garden? He’d been here multiple times now, so why couldn’t he find the door?

“Hey, are you okay?” Lucas’s head snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice just in front of him. Eliott Demaury, dressed all in black again, was standing right in front of him, eyebrows knitted together in concern. “Lucas? Are you okay? Do you want to go outside?” Eliott asked gently. It was oddly calming listening to his voice, like an auditory hug of sorts. Lucas nodded stiffly, taking a step forward and feeling every individual point that the ground touched his foot. Right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left… all the way through the crowd. Lucas focused on his steps, following just behind Eliott so he could act as a barrier that parted the crowd with his immense height.

Once they finally got outside, the cool air filled Lucas’s lungs as if that was the first oxygen he came across since he got to the party. Lucas gulped down the refreshing air as much as he could, desperate for some proper oxygen. “Lucas. Lucas, you have to calm down or you’re going to pass out,” Eliott insisted, holding onto Lucas’s sleeve and carefully guiding him over to a bench near the far end of the garden.

A few minutes passed of Eliott gently coaxing Lucas out of his panic attack, speaking softly and reassuringly as he helped him breathe properly. Lucas followed Eliott down the end of a long dark tunnel, easily guiding him back into the light with feather light touches and calming tones. Slowly, second by second, Lucas began to come back to his senses until he was left completely exhausted and tingly all over. He was sticky with the drying beer which began to soak into his clothes, making him reek of the thick scent like an awful cologne.

Lucas released a long breath, letting his body go limp and leaning back against the bench. He shut his eyes tightly as tears pricked his eyes. “Hey, you’re okay. No more people or noises, yeah?” Eliott whispered, letting Lucas drop his cheek against Eliott’s shoulder. Lucas knew he’d probably regret that tomorrow, but for now he revelled in the feeling of being close to someone and not feeling utterly overwhelmed.

“Thank you,” Lucas mumbled under his breath, half hoping Eliott wouldn’t hear him.

But he did. Eliott laughed breathily, patting Lucas’ knee and replying, “Don’t worry. I couldn’t just let you hyperventilate yourself into oblivion or get trampled by the house guests. What kind of friend would I be?”

Friend.

Lucas tilted his head sideways to try to look up at Eliott, smirking sheepishly at him. “Oh yeah?” he asked, eyes wide and twinkling under the fairylights set up around the fence that encircled the garden. He hadn’t noticed it previously in his spiral a few minutes ago, but Eliott looked gorgeous in this lighting. His saxe eyes reflected the yellow lights like stars in an evening sky and his hair was sticking up in every which way, just waiting to be messed up even more by wandering fingers.

Looking at him properly up close now, Lucas realised how much less he looked like his brother. He was much softer in a way, eyes scrunching slightly when he smiled and a comforting, sweet aura surrounding him. Whereas Leo was startling and vibrant and in your face, Eliott was gentle and comforting and safe. While Leo radiated confidence and certainty, Eliott seemed much more unsure and cautious. Both boys looked almost identical, but they carried themselves so differently, presented themselves so distinctly, they might as well have been from completely alternate universes.

“LUCAS! Lucas, there you are! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” From the door leading out into the garden, Lucas recognised the voice of Yann, albeit much more slurred than normal. Yann and Arthur started making their way across the grass towards them, both stumbling comedically over each other.

Eliott pulled away from Lucas and only then did he notice that he hadn’t actually removed his hand from Lucas’s knee a few minutes ago. Lucas glanced sideways at Eliott and turned back to his friends. “I literally told you guys I was going outside.”

“Oh! You’re talking to Leo again! Hello!” Arthur exclaimed, waving.

Lucas slapped his forehead, groaning and leaning his head back up to the night sky. “Fuck’s sake, Arthur. This is Eliott. I don’t know where Leo is,” Lucas replied, looking apologetically at Eliott who simply shrugged in response.

“Leo didn’t actually come tonight. I’m the only Demaury here.”

“Aww, damn,” Yann blurted, a hint of a whining tone. Lucas’s eyes widened dangerously, scowling at his closest friend like he was close to murdering him. “I just meant it’s always great to have both! Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you guys in the same room. Are you sure there’s two of you?”

Lucas leaped onto his feet, taking Yann by the shoulders. “OKAY! I think that’s our cue to leave before you say anything else idiotic!” Lucas exclaimed, beginning to turn the other two around and guiding them towards the house. “See you later, Eliott!” Out of the other two’s sight, Lucas mouthed, “I’m so sorry” to Eliott, shaking his head exasperatedly and then turned to follow his friends inside. Lucas swore he was friends with toddlers sometimes.

[obsessivestar]

Steamy Love (A Tom Hiddleston x Reader) Part 20: ~Together~

Summary: Now that you're sleeping in Tom's room, the guest room is open. Time to see a good friend, but not before Tom gets his fix.

Warnings: *Slight lemon thrown in at the beginning.

Read it on my Wattpad: @/HiddlesStar

Word count: 1'920

Tags: @theoneanna @midnightdragonzero @drakesfiance @kcd15 @ihthr @deviantsendbyreallife @bookgirlunicorn

The first week of you and Tom publically being together was a rather amusing, yet positive one. Tumblr was still not over the public kiss, and your best friend certainly wasn't over the fact that you were in the same house as him, never mind sharing a bed.

"How long have you been sleeping in his room?" Your friend asked through your headphones, currently in a Discord call with them.

"Couple weeks now, really.." You smiled somewhat. "The other room is just kind of the guest room now.."

"Well, now I have a reason to visit for a week!" Your friend spoke in a happy tone. You'd really like for them to come down, actually. While you enjoyed the friends you were making here, you missed (BF/N).

"I can talk to Tom about it when he gets home, if you really want to come down." You gave a soft smile. Tom had gone out for Betrayal related business, so you were home alone.

"Does it feel weird referring to him?" Your friend asked curiously.

"Kind of, even after the last couple days.." You chuckled. "I don't even like using his last name. It feels to official and professional, like its a stage name.."

"It's his real last name, right?" They asked.

"Yes, of course it's his real last name. It's just, like...I call him Tom or Thomas or Big Dog, but if I use his full name, it's like I'm talking to a completely different person."

"It's like you're one of those female interviewers that just endlessly hit on him throughout the whole interview." Your friend joked, immedietly getting you to laugh.

"That's so accurate!" You laughed.

"Right?" Your friend laughed along with you.

After the long chat with your friend, Tom returned home with a couple pages of paper and some groceries he had decided to grab while he was out. You met him in the kitchen and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before helping him put some stuff away.

"How was the meeting?" You asked him, seeing the little smile on his face.

"We've made quite a big decision, but I'm excited for it." Tom admitted, his smile growing. "We'll be performing at the Harold Pinter for a couple months."

"Ooh, starting when?" You asked, getting his help with some of the top shelf stuff in the cupboards.

"March." He replied. That was rather convenient. You and Tom are supposed to wrap up filming just before Feburary for this film, so that gives him a nice little break before going back to work. That'll also give you two a chance to spend some real, quality time together. It already sounded wonderful.

"The theatre is back at home.." Tom smiled. "Will be nice, being able to sleep in my own bed."

"Bet you miss your dog, eh?" You smiled, getting a soft smile returned from him.

"I do." Tom nodded. "He's a good boy."

It didn't really occur to you now what him going back home meant. While you've come together now, your real homes are in different countries. Different timezones. When the time comes for you both to return home, would the relationship really last?

"Speaking of missing, I was wondering if my friend could come down for a couple days next week?" You asked, sitting up on the counter once all of the groceries had been put away.

"That's...(BF/N), right?" Tom asked, leaning against the counter somewhat beside you.

"Yeah! It's just...I haven't seen them in a while. They're super chill. They're not gonna freak out when they see you." You smiled, making Tom chuckle slightly.

"I'm not against it. This is your home, as well as mine.." He replied, moving more to be in between your slight open legs. "Though, it may be hard to keep my hands off you while they're here.."

You smirked, wrapping your arms loosely around his neck. "That just sounds like something you'll have to deal with, big dog." You teased, getting a grin from Tom.

"Then you won't mind if I take you up against this very counter, right now?" He offered, your smirk turning into a rather surprised, and nervous gaze.

"Ah--" You chuckled nervously. "Th-That's s-so sudden."

"Mm. Maybe.." Tom hummed. "But if I won't get to ravish you for nearly a week, I should...feed my cravings while I still can.."

You liked the tone in his voice. He was rather friskier than you imagined.

*************Lemon lol****************

Next thing you knew, you were up against the kitchen counter, facing away from the much taller male with your trousers and your panties in between your legs, Tom's body pressed up against you from behind. His hips grinded up against yours with his length sliding in and out of you at the perfect pace, his low moans let out in your left ear. You never thought this position could be done well, but Tom definitely knew what he was doing. You could feel his pleasant heavy breathing on your neck, feeling him nip at your ear and cling onto your neck, his strong hands holding you up some.

In just a few moments, he finished deep inside you, a sudden loud moan escaping him as he tensed up against you. The warm feeling made you release a bit as well, a weak whimper leaving your lips. He carefully pulled out of you, somewhat relaxing against you. A little snicker escaped him. "F-Fuck, I can't get enough of you.." He panted, carefully helping him turn you so he could pull you into a deep kiss. You gave a warm little smile, cupping his cheeks and kissing him back. God, this relationship was both like a porn video and a genuine rom-com romance rolled in together.

************K ur good it's done************

You made sure to mention it to your friend the next day that they would be able to come visit, definitely not mentioning what had happened in the kitchen. In the next couple days, you helped them find the perfect driving route and entertained them as best as you could as they updated you on they're little road trip to you. Eventually, near the end of the weekend, your friend arrived at your front door. You greeted them with a big hug. You really missed them. You haven't seen them in months.

"Hey!" You smiled happily, pulling them into a big hug. "What's uuuuuuppp?"

"Heeeyyyyy!" Your friend chuckled, pulling back after a moment. "It's been too long, girl!"

You heard Tom come around the corner to see who had arrived, seeing you and your friend greet each other. When your friend pulled back from you, they noticed Tom, kind of taking a moment.

"Oh God, hi." They chuckled, placing a hand on their chest.

"You promised not to freak out." You pointed at your friend, giving them a disapproving, but playful look. That got a little chuckle from Tom.

"I'm not freaking out." Your friend gave a slight nervous smile. "You cannot get mad at me for needing a moment. Do you see who's in your living room?"

"Yes. My boyfriend." You chuckled, looking back at Tom. "My scruffy little man."

"He is getting a little scruffy, actually." Your friend pointed out, pointing at him with a friendly smile.

"Ah. Thank you for noticing." Tom smiled, stroking the facial hair that had begun to grown around his mouth and along his jaw. His hair was even starting to grow and curl up at the back of his head. It looked really nice.

Tom walked up to meet your friend as they got their shoes off, holding his hand out.

"Hello, I'm Tom.." He greeted them, though they already knew his name.

"I'm (BF/N)!" They chirped, politely shaking Tom's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Tom smiled. "A good friend of (Y/N)'s is a good friend of mine.."

Your friend couldn't help but smile brightly. They were probably a bigger fan of Tom than you were, before you became close with him. I mean, you didn't even recognize him when you first met.

"Let me show you your room!" You spoke to your friend, helping them with their bags as you led them to the guest room. Once you were both inside, your friend closed the door

"Girl, you get to wake up to that?" Your friend spoke in a soft tone, wanting to stay quiet.

You chuckled. "I know. He's so hot.." You agreed. "I still can't believe it sometimes.."

"Holy shit.." Your friend fanned themselves comedically, making you laugh. "Is he growing all that hair out? For real?"

"He said he wanted to change up his style. I really like it." You nodded, helping your friend go through their luggage so they could take out anything they needed later without having to go digging for it.

One of your friend's favourite hobbies is photography. In fact, Another reason why they came down was to find some nice sight seeing areas. Maybe she'd even take some pictures of you. Or, better yet, of Tom.

"I really wonder how long it'll all grow." You spoke, still talking about his hair.

"He kinda likes to change it up every now and then, eh?" Your friend smiles, getting up to help you with their photography equipment. You gave a soft nod. "He's been getting a lot of compliments whenever he joins my streams. He really likes the chat."

"I watched a video that were, like, stream highlights of you two. Y'all are cute."

"We really are.." You nodded with a big smile. "He's great. I honestly feel like he makes me feel things that I've never really expected to feel in my whole life..."

In more ways than one.

"Oooh, think you're falling for him?" Your friend asked with a playful little push. You gave a soft, bashful laugh.

While you knew they were being playful, hearing the question aloud actually gave you a strange feeling in your stomach.

You haven't thought about it much, but you've been with Tom for nearly 2 months now. You spend plenty of time together on and off set, you make mad amounts of love nearly every day and you feel genuinely cared for. He's treated you like royalty lately, and you've truly never felt or seen this level of devotion and passion in a relationship before. Not Ever. Not until now.

"I'm..." You paused for a minute, giving a soft smile. "We haven't really gotten there yet, but...I really care about him."

Your friend returned the smile. "Well, y'all are cute. That's all that matters right now." Your friend replied, focusing all of the attention on their luggage for a little longer.

"Yo, (Y/N)?" Your friend suddenly spoke up again after a couple minutes.

"Yeah?" You looked at them, raising a brow.

"What the hell is 'Leg Day'?" They asked, looking rather confused.

Your cheeks immedietly got a little pink. You had remembered in the last live stream you did with Tom, he mentioned the infamous High-Rise 'Leg Day' inside joke you two had created in regards to the first love scene where Laing lifts Charlotte's legs up. He had referenced the joke while talking about how Zero Suit Samus fights in Smash Bros. Ultimate. He didn't explain it, though, keeping the inside joke as an inside joke.

"Umm.." You paused again. You really weren't sure how to explain it, or even if you should explain it. It was a bit...personal.

"Well...it's..."

[boogiewrites]

Reports and Repertoire Pt. 2

Characters: Eddie Brock x Candace Miller (OFC)

Word Count:  7800+

Summary: Eddie and Candace meet face to face. Agreeing to work together, they find themselves falling into an easy back and forth with each other given their similarities in morals and interests. This chapter follows the beginning stages of their relationship, figuring each other out and working together. A clear chemistry builds between them, and neither put very much thought into where it will go. Not yet anyway.

Warnings/Tags: Language.Fluffy, getting to know you.

Positive feedback is MUCH appreciated! Reblogs, likes, asks and comments feed me to write more! Let me know if you’d like tagged in my work.

My Masterlist.

It's only a few minutes until her office hours are over. Candace is in the ladies bathroom with the best lighting, touching up her hair and makeup before catching an uber to a part of town she's familiar with. She volunteered at a homeless shelter in the area, a particular cause she'd felt drawn to once she moved to San Francisco. She'd taken people to eat on more than a few occasions, some frequenters of the shelter becoming friends, some acting as extra eyes and ears for her in the city.

What she'd been working on, and what she would be sharing with Eddie in about an hour was about these people. She straightens her white v-neck t-shirt over her fitted jeans. Boots to guard against the off and on all day rain are now resting under rolled-up hems of her pants, the slightly heeled black faux-suede looking a bit more put together this way. Digging through her purse she finds some lipstick and a necklace that she adds to the outfit. Her medium brown hair is in loose waves, luckily it was cooperating with the weather today and not frizzing completely. Her hip length, lightweight army green jacket with its many pockets and hood rests on the dark speckled bathroom sink counter as she tries to spruce herself up a bit. She didn't look fancy, but this didn't call for that. She looked...yeah she looked normal she concluded with an approving nod, letting her arms fall heavy to her sides as she rolls her eyes with getting caught up on how she looks. 'But you know he'll look good.' her inner voice says as she raises her eyebrows to herself in the mirror as to scold the thought. She looked good, she looked like she was grabbing some casual meal with a friend, and except for the friend part, which she hoped would change eventually, she was hitting the mark for what was needed.

She adjusts the grey faux leather crossbody bag on her shoulder as she stands fifteen minutes early in front of the pizza place. Her finger picks at the large press button on the front flap on her bag before she pulls her phone out of her pocket. She watches the mixed bag of locals, being too far inland for tourists in this part of town. There was a breeze as usual, the rain had cleared for now, the cracked concrete still damp.

"I'm here. I don't think he'll try to murder me so...just letting you know." she sends to Steph.

"If you go missing I'll know who to blame. Have fun. ;) " Candace smirks rolls her eyes, putting her phone back into her pocket. After growing tired of standing in the constant flow of people on the street, she decides to go in and get a table outside before the rush comes. If she waited too long, they'd be stuck inside where it was too hot and loud, she could watch for him from the covered patio.

Getting a small two-seater table on the edge of the awning she scrolls through her phone to recall details of what she'd been working on. The white noise of the city is disrupted by the rumbling of a motorcycle coming to a stop down the street. Her fingers that had been absentmindedly tapping her chin pause as she watches the man remove his helmet, revealing a handsome, familiar face. She figures if she's going to oogle, now would be the time to as she takes in the tightness in the thighs of his dark jeans, the neutral colored sneakers that complimented a dark t-shirt underneath a black leather moto jacket.

He ruffled the longer hair at the top of his head as he puts the helmet in the saddle bag of the bike. He adjusts the collar of the jacket, giving it a fluff before thumbing his nose and with a distinctly masculine, shoulder swaying saunter, he crosses the street. As he gets closer she puts her phone face down on the glass table top, instead of its usual place of the pocket of her coat that hung over the back of the chair, as it would be needed it to show him photos and give him names and addresses. He looks a little tired, a little shabby, but it still works with the whole vibe after coming in on a motorcycle. He looked more like a bad boy with a devil may care attitude than the journalist she'd watched that passionately defended the rights of others. As soon as his feet hit the curb her body reacts and stands and he looks around, it only takes him a moment to recognize her from her pictures and he's thankful she seems just as personable and dare he think even prettier in person. He gives a head tilt and a questions glance of 'that you?' much like a puppy, a pointed finger accompanying the expression.

Her appearance puts him at ease, he'd worried about a t-shirt and jeans coming off as this not being important to him but when he saw the same combination on her, although wearing it in a much more flattering, feminine way, he hides his exhale of relief as he approaches. With his hands still in his pockets, he nods and mutters 'excuse me' to people on the street as he's beckoned by her wave to him. His manners do not go unnoticed by Candace's watchful eye.

So she stands, two feet away from Eddie Brock. Inside her, a part of her was squealing with delight. He was just as attractive as he looked on the screen, well, actually more so once he opened his mouth. Instead of the more articulate and annunciated, projected masculine tone, she was used to hearing from him, his voice was quiet and raspy, a twitch of his lip and a slight stutter shows his uncertainty as he says her name.

"Hey, uh-Candace. Hi." he says with a nod of his head.

Her hand extends to meet his, a slight squeeze to test the waters between the two of them, she notices he wears rings, notes the typical finger an engagement ring would be on to be bare and she wonders how she never noticed the jewelry before on camera.

"Hey Eddie," she says in a sweet, smooth voice. Her voice was softer in person, a small hint of a smile stayed on her face as their hands shook before she motions to the chair across the table from her. "Thanks for meeting me on such short notice."

"Nah, don't mention it. Thank you for meeting me. You're the one helpin' me out." he says with a half smile and a much heavier New York accent.

"You've exposed serial killers and I write pieces on local bakeries trying to make the world's biggest cookie I think I'm the one indebted to you." she says with a full smile, a chuckle that shakes her shoulders slightly, the long silver necklace with a tiny looking glass pendant shakes and shifts over her chest.

"Ehh." he says dismissively in a dragging way. Before he can compliment her work, both trying to feel each other out. the waiter brings the menus. "Oh, thank you." he says in a genuine way, making eye contact and nodding in acknowledgment to the woman. He'd passed the first test, being nice to the staff. Look's like Eddie Brock acting like a dick wouldn't be a problem she'd have to navigate.

"You wanna split a pizza?" she asks casually, eyes on the menu.

"Yeah, sure." he shrugs, his head nodding in a show of cooperation.

"The Margherita is good. Classic. Can't really go wrong with it." her finger taps the menu and she purses her lips.

"Sounds good." he says, looking back up at her, watching her face.

"But the real question I suppose is where do you stand on pineapple on pizza?" she subdues a smile as he realizes she's making comedic banter to clear the air.

"Oh, I don't care either way. Pineapple's good, pizza's good, who cares?" he says with a purse of his lips.

"A lot of people. Surprisingly." she shuts the menu and he sees her shoulders relax. "Perhaps we should do a report on the oppression of fruit on pizza. Get to the bottom of that conspiracy." her brows are high and her face is warm and friendly and it eases any jitters that were left.

"Gotta be careful. Who knows which fruit is behind the takedown of pineapple. Don't wanna end up messin' with "big cherry" or somethin', they're nasty people." he grins and they both share a laugh.

With the tension broken they both fall into an easy back and forth. After ordering they cover the basics, talk about beer, about the city and each other. As the steaming pizza is placed on the pedestal in the middle of the table, he decides to start to talk shop after as they mumble with mouthfuls about how they made a good decision.

"So I've noticed you have a lot of pieces about the homeless population in the city." he says as she finishes taking an indulgent bite of gooey cheese.

A muffled "Mmm Hmm." before she swallows and nods enthusiastically. "Yeah, I volunteer at a shelter a few blocks down." she motions behind her with her thumb out. "When I first moved here I had nothing, and I mean, here it's just a few bad decisions and you'll find yourself homeless at any given time," she says with a slight frown. "But I know you've done lots of coverage too. So you're familiar with how the causes of being out on the street. From simple bad decisions, things totally out of their control, to more complex problems like mental health or the young LGBT community, veterans with PTSD that our system has failed." she pauses for a moment and sighs. "I mean I've met every sort of person working at that shelter. And none of them bad." she shows a sad smile that says a lot on it's own. He gives a small upturning of one side of his mouth in support of the notion. Her face is more serious now, she meets his eyes and he sees that spark that caught his attention in the first place. "I know I can't fix everything. But people are all people have." she bites her lip for a moment, looking down. "So I figured I would try to focus my efforts and I was drawn to this one specifically." her voice is quieter, he leans forward to hear her better in the bustle of the restaurant and street. "I figure starting with trying to give people the basic things they need to survive is a good start. Shelter, food, clothing, care. A little bit of kindness can go a long way. Especially to someone who isn't used to receiving it."

"Yeah it's...it's very important to know where your passion lies. And y'know, I can tell you're passionate about this, it's a big reason I wanted to work with you." he admits.

"Thanks," she says with a sincere huff of breath. "What's your passion then? What've you been working on?" she asks innocently enough.

Oh shit, here we go, he thinks. Here's where he tells her the truth and she leaves and he's back to square one. "Uh well, nothing as of late." he admits his nose wrinkles slightly as she tilts her head, showing the confusion on her face.

"I noticed you hadn't been uploading anything but, I thought you might've been working on something big." her brow is heavier, wanting to know more without being rude.

He lets out a sigh and licks his lips, leaning forward on the table on his elbows. "I'll be honest with you Candace." he begins, finding holding her gaze easier than he expected. "I made an enemy out of a very powerful man by asking the wrong things in an interview trying to get to the truth." his voice is more steady, a little deeper and self-assured than it had been earlier in the night. "I went for it and he blacklisted me a few months back." he says with a slow nod, lips tucked into his mouth.

"Oh." she says with wide batting eyes. So THAT'S why he'd reached out to her. It was starting to make sense now. “Can I ask who?” she adds softly. 

It was a perfectly logical follow-up question. "Carlton Drake." he says with a frown.

"Oh shit," she whispers, her chin pushing into her chest. "That's...yeah I bet that guy has a lot of secrets." she says looking away, he could see the wheels turning in her head.

"I get it if you don't wanna work with me now, Candace I do-" he begins with slumped shoulders.

"No!" she insists, her brow heavy and a shake of her head. Her hand reaches out unexpectedly and rests on top of his. The sudden touch makes his face turns towards their hands a little too quickly to go unnoticed. "No that's...that's not fair," she says quietly. "What kind of asshole would I be if I'm preaching kindness one breath and then turning you away the next?" with one brow raised she retreats her hand. "I mean that's...that's heavy man. Not going to lie. But, I get it." her voice is slow and low, thoughtful and far nicer than he ever expected. "It's hard to know where to draw the line when trying to expose something that doesn't want to be exposed. Especially when it's covered by a man with a far reach and deep pockets like Drake." she shrugs, giving a closed mouth, sympathetic smile.

"Yeah. It was." he says with a slight snarl of his lip and a flash of sadness in his eyes.

"Even if we can get what we'd need to make an expose' and get a station to buy it, it's not gonna be the sort of money you're used to. I'm afraid I don't have anything that would bring that much attention."

"Those sorts of stories are really rare, I wasn't expectin' nothin' like that." he shakes his head. "I just miss the work. Y'know?" his nose wrinkles slightly in earnest.

"Yeah, I'd feel lost if I suddenly couldn't work anymore. But then again my eyes and ears are mostly homeless people so...not a high chance of that happening. Guess that's smart looking out on my behalf." she gives him a supportive smile.

"Not the most credible witnesses in some people eye's but, you're right about that. You seem to utilize your resources that you have really well."

"Having you help me will make it more credible I think, blacklisted or not. You can't have sources, video evidence, and eyewitnesses and be ignored by everyone forever."

"You already have those things?" his voice inflects upwards, sounding impressed.

"No." she frowns for a moment. "But I do know how we can get them." her smiles turns sly and it's infectious. "Here," she says, picking up her phone, scooting her chair closer to him and he meets her halfway. They sit arm to arm as she flips through her phone. "I've got a bunch of notes I can send you. Some audio recordings from witnesses and victims too. I'll send you these address and names..." she continues her thumb moving fast. "Apparently the police have been targeting certain homeless camps. They'll go in, push people around and make them fight to not get taken to jail over bullshit charges."

He nods as his eyes move over her picture of a map with doodled on circles and notes of locations and dates. "These are instances?"

"Yeah. I have all the names of the people I've talked to, of course, all but a few come to the shelter, so most aren't hard to find and they're more than willing to talk to someone who will listen. The problem is getting it on video. I need structured, on-camera interviews. I need written and signed witness statements and those people preferably need to be able to appear in court or at least appear reliable in some way if this does go to a legal level. I need to get it on video, pictures too of course but nothing is going to sell this like video will. And being in the right place on the right night is really tricky as I've found no real pattern between where they go and when."

"You've been working on this awhile haven't you?" he says with an impressed tone, seeing the dates go back for months.

"Yeah. Those that can remember, I have the dates of arrest and the charges they were filed with...have their mug shots saved from the booking website to document injuries, which there certainly are." she moves her face to look to his not even a foot away. "My personal problem is it's not safe for me to go to these camps alone at night. I've wanted to go deeper on this for a while now but I have to be smart about it. I won't be of use to anyone if I'm in jail or in a hospital." she explains with a pouty frown.

"You're definitely right about that." he nods, wishing he had her sense of patience and self-preservation.

"That's where I thought you might come in." she smiles sheepishly. "I thought maybe if we both went...maybe we would be okay."

"Man...it's been so long since I've done work like this." he almost whispers, face showing his consideration.

"I mean, I get it if you don't want to, it's dangerous so I'd understand if you didn't want to do it."

"Oh, no Candance, I definitely want to. Didn't mean to come off like I was gonna say no."

"Oh thank God." she exhales with a laugh. "I don't have anyone else to help me with this. We can go to the shelter and I can introduce you so they'll know who you are. That way there won't be any confusion. We'll take all the precautions we can. But getting video of a cop not only isolating them but threatening them AND making them fight then taking them in..." she shakes her head with a tired look on her face. "That's gonna take a lot of nights out there, and it'll just get more dangerous each time if the cops get wind of what we're doing."

"You're not wrong there." the same supportive nod. "But the reward would be worth the risk." he says with a gravelly tone and shrug. "I mean, this is a direct, unprovoked attack on at-risk people. Doesn't get much lower than that."

"It's been bothering me, honestly. I try to compartmentalize this sort of work but it's hard when you get to know these people."

"Yeah." his voice soft and higher pitched. "I understand that too well."

"I was really hoping you would." he notices how breathy her voice sounds so close. She sounded so genuinely relieved that he would help her, when she's the one helping him in his opinion. He gets caught up in that fire in her eyes again, seeing now the yellow flecks that exist in the pools of brown.

The waitress interrupts with the check and they both snap upright.

"What's your email? I'll send you all this and the rest tonight." she says, thumbs already moving.

"Oh, it's easy just eddiebrock at Gmail." he shakes his head dismissively.

"Keep it simple. I like it." she smiles and nods, noting it anyway. She moves and reaches for her wallet as he's already reached for his. "Nope. Put it away Eddie, I invited you out, I got it." she insists.

"You not even gonna let me pay for my own?" he asks with a high pitched boyish laugh.

"Nope. We could've met somewhere without food and I brought you out here and I'm not gonna have you spend money just because I was hungry." she says with a shake of her head, standing and placing the small booklet back on the table.

"Well maybe I was hungry too." he says playfully.

"Either way, I'm really grateful for the help so stop fighting me. You won't win." she grins and an almost goofy smile comes across his face.

"Whatever you say." he says with a firm nod and a charming smile.

They both stand at the curb, the sun having set, the neon lights from building signs now playing across the still wet splotches on the asphalt and making the oil rainbows shine across the road.

"Hey," he says to get her attention, one hand in his pocket, the other motioning towards his bike. "If you won't let me buy my own dinner, how about I save you the cost of a ride and I can take you home?" his voice was chivalrous and not suggestive.

He sees her considering it, thumb hovering over the lit up screen, lip twitching as she looked over to the bike. "I don't want you to have to go too far out of your way or anything." she says with a shake of her head.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's the least I can do. Where do you live?"

"In the mission district." she says softly, noticing the scruff of his face as his hand rubbed his chin.

"That's in the middle of everything, what're you talkin' about out the way?" he says with a charming laugh that moves his chest. He notices the smile grow from a twitch at the corner of her mouth to a full smile up to her eyes. "Unless you know..." he smirks, "You're afraid of the bike or somethin'." he says hunching his shoulders towards her, the mischievousness in his eyes to tease her make her scoff at him, her head tilting to the side and her mouth open as if she were offended.

She blinks slowly a few times, he can't tell what she's thinking as her eyes narrow, but with a tilt of her head she answers, "Did you really just call me a chicken?" she asks with laughter in her voice "That's some grade school bullshit Brock." she says, no actual anger in her face. She makes a point to show her defiantly putting her phone in her pocket, she zips her jacket up dramatically. "And if you think I'm gonna fall for that..." she says with attitude, her head moving back and forth. "You'd be right." she says with a straight face before a smile that reaches her eyes comes across her face. "You got an extra helmet?" she asks with a quirked brow.

"Just so happens I do." he grins proudly at the fact his mischief paid off. His cheeks high and making his eyes smaller in his first showing of genuine excitement in months. "So that's a yes?" he leans in and tilts his head playfully.

"Yes, that's a yes you big bully." she rolls her eyes and laughs.

"C'mon ya bad ass." he says with a gritty laugh, walking across the street with her. "Let's get ya home Candace." he says with a sharp jerk of his head in the direction of the motorcycle.

She likes how he says he her name, like his accent makes it sound more fun or something. She glances over his face, noting how good he looks in the low light of the street lamps as he puts the helmet on her and straps it under her chin.

"There now, that isn't gonna go nowhere." he says, patting the top of the helmet. She then gets the treat of watching him throw his leg over the bike, jeans strained in all the right places as she holds back a gulp. She follows his lead before he has to ask, she knew how this worked. She just wasn't sure how she was going to handle being pressed up against him with her arms around him for the entire ride. She wasn't scared, he hadn't flown in on the bike like a bat out of hell or anything, but she'd be lying if she hadn't thought this was some girlish fantasy come to fruition for her.

He looks at his phone to remember the address before he starts the bike, she notices he saves it into her contact information. She supposes he would have to come to her place eventually, she wonders if she'll ever get to go to his.

"Alright. Grab tight, we're all friends here." she can feel his laugh as she wraps her arms around his waist, feeling small against the broad expanse of his shoulders. He shields her completely from the biting wind except for her hands, but the warmth from his skin coming from under his shirt was distracting enough to make her not notice.

So she closes out the night with her arms around Eddie Brock and a promise to see each other again. And not just once, but many times, for many hours at a time. It was the most eventful Friday she'd had in what was probably years. But then again, she wasn't much one for things like clubs and going out all night. Her best Fridays were spent with someone she liked, food and a good movie, a video game or a book. She'd had everything but the latter, and she expects she'll be curling up with one after she gets home. She tries to remember everything she can, because when she tells Steph that she rode bitch on Eddie Brock's bike with him taking her home she was going to be the one demanding details for once. ------------------- The next time Eddie and Candace see each other is four days later. But the next time they talk was that same night. Staying up late, her emailing all her work to him, and him eager and having nothing better to do with his time on a Friday, he sat up a workstation of sorts on his coffee table and got to reading.

He was impressed with how thorough she'd been. She had a storyboard of how she wanted the final video to look, she had the name, date and time down for every little note. He'd had people that had worked with him at the network that didn't have their shit together to this degree. He knew she'd be good, he'd seen her work, seen her editing and her delivery but getting into her notes was like getting to see how her mind worked and he found he liked what he found there.

It had been easy to feel less than enthusiastic at times when working for a network. It wasn't as heartfelt or passionate, there was less danger to it and it certainly hadn't made him as genuinely excited about doing something like this was. At the network, he'd been wrangled, censored and directed. But this time he was totally free. Of course, he would work within the frame that Candace wanted to, it was her baby after all, her idea in the first place. He hadn't thought he'd find himself so...what was that feeling he'd almost forgotten? Oh yeah, happy. He'd never been one to play second fiddle to anyone, in his work life he wanted to be aggressive and self-assured, but those traits didn't follow him in pretty much any other aspect of his life. It was nice to feel those things again after feeling like he'd been on an endless losing streak.

They stay up with each other on speaker for almost two hours, organizing, making plans, discussing options and open hours. Even though it was work it didn't feel like it. She seemed genuinely excited about working with him, and in turn that made him even more excited about working with her. When was the last time someone had been happy to see him? He stopped to think about as they ended their phone call. He recalls it had been about four months since Anne left him, and when it did end she certainly hadn't been happy to see him.

The biggest laughs they both experiences in the next few days come from their interactions with each other. She put down acronyms in her notes. They hung there unexplained and eventually Eddie snaps pictures of them sending her the photo with "???" in question. She explained her shorthand, and every now and then he would guess one right, her sending him a gif that would congratulate him. But most of the time he was clueless, and when he found himself stuck, he'd snap another pic and send it with some nonsensical words. Once they were comfortable, telling jokes to each other after feeling out each others sense of humor, the suggestions got more ridiculous and risque. They were the highlight of Candace's work hours. "BTA-RG" Bring The Atlas Right Gear, meaning the GPS didn't work well in that part of town and she needed to bring her gear bag for that bit of work. But when Eddie sent "Big Titties Are Really Great?" out of nowhere she snorted loudly and everyone in the office turned to look at her. She blushed just slightly, hunkering back down and explaining herself. She was more than happy to learn what a total dork he was turning out to be. ------ He sits at the counter at a small hole in the wall diner. He's halfway through a greasy burger when the slam of a heavy bag on the counter breaks his enjoyment. Luckily for him, the sight before him was something that he was enjoying even more than the burger.

It was Tuesday, and since her shift at the shelter on Saturday had been spent talking to people once again, she had more notes to discuss.

"Sorry I'm late." she sighs out, unbuttoning the top clasp of her dress shirt because she was feeling particularly stuffy in the suit she was wearing.

"Oh. Wow." he says with a funny little smile.

"What?" she says freezing, asking him with the move of her brow and her hesitant smile.

"You uh-" 'You look really nice.' is what came to mind but, he takes a detour at the last minute, chickening out. "You have a meeting or somethin'?" he asks, wiping his mouth with a thin napkin from the beaten up metal dispenser that matched the rest of the interior of the greasy spoon location.

"Ugh yeah," she says with a frown. "Had the owners of the paper come in today." she explains.

She turns to look at the pegboard menu on the wall for a moment and he takes in the sight before him. Her navy suit is well fitted, a white button up under it, a pair of heels peek out from the slightly flared bottoms of her pants. He did love it when an attractive person wore a suit well. He liked it even better when he was close to that person, who also happened to be very nice and smart, so that he could get a good look. He hears her order of a double stack burger, onion rings, and a milkshake. He liked that she'd never been light about eating around him, made him feel comfortable like if she wasn't hiding anything, he might not have to either. She had yet to make him feel like anything other than a friend.

"I ran copies of my notes, hope you don't mind going old school." she says with a pleasant smile, reaching into her bag.

"Nah." he says wiping his hands on his jeans and taking the stack from her. "Been a long time since I've got to sit back and have a nice, long threesome with a pen, a highlighter, and some notes." he smirks.

She laughs, something he's pleased to hear instead of reading 'lol' or 'haha' on a screen. "I'm like that with books. I know my tablet can hold a library's worth but there's just something about having that physically in your hands." she says with pouted lips in understanding. She takes a long drink from her milkshake. "Ah, I needed that." she slumps and takes another long drink. "Those meetings are such a pain in the ass. I feel like I deserve a good dirty meal as a reward." she sighs. "I wouldn't mind them if my boss didn't get so worked up over them. Like, just let me do my thing, I got my shit handled like I do every time. Just unclench your butthole and breathe." she rolls her eyes and he lets out a little chuckle.

"I would agree that you have your shit together." he nods supportively.

"Thank you. I do." she says in agreement, but not in an overly cocky way. "So much so it seems I will be taking over the online division for local events as well."

"Oh! Congrats on that." he says with a friendly smack to her arm.

"Thanks. But that also means I'll have less time to work on this. Unfortunately." her face shows genuine disappointment. "But I still wanna do it with you, we're still doing this. You're not gonna get out of it that easy." she leans in in a teasing way, raising her brows at him.

"I don't want out, don't gotta threaten a man, geez." he says playfully.

"Good." she says with a strong nod. "I might need you to do some interviews that I had planned on doing myself though. Would that be okay with you?" she asks before taking a huge bite of her burger, both hands around it, her cheeks puffed like a chipmunk and he found it incredibly endearing.

"No, no problem." he says, half smile still growing as he mirrors her and takes another bite of his.

"I'm down for Saturday again at the shelter. I let the ones I talked to," she points at the stack of papers on the counter. "...the ones in there, know about you and that you'd be working with me. Could you come Saturday afternoon and I'll introduce you, show you around?" she suggests before taking another bite.

"Consider me all yours on Saturday, Candace. I'm ready to get my hands dirty on this with you. Whatever you need help with, just let me know and I'll earn my share alright?" His warm tone and charming smile catch her off guard. She hadn't expected him to be so nice, so willing to roll up his sleeves with her, but she couldn't have been happier about it.

"Great." she says with a relaxing of her posture, elbows moving to the countertop. "We'll go check out some campsites, get a feel for them and the people there. I'll know quite a few, and the more that know both of us the better chance we'll have at them looking out for us when the time comes." she takes a noisy sip of her milkshake. "We can go around the surrounding areas, know the routes in case we have to make a run for it." she let's out a little huff of a laugh but she's serious.

"Sounds good. Been too long since I've had a good stakeout." he nods and grins. "How much area we talkin'?"

"In all Tenderloin's about fifty blocks. We won't be covering all of it but, if we wanna be thorough. And you know I do." she says with a big smile that he returns. "We're talkin' about twenty-five blocks I'm guessing." she nods thoughtfully. "So wear comfortable shoes." she chuckles.

"Well, uh...what about my bike? I can get us around a lot faster that way. I mean we'll have to do the perimeters on foot but it'd really cut down on the time in between."

"I don't have a car so that sounds good to me," she says with a shrug. Her response was casual but the thought of being snuggled up to him on that bike again made her feel like her light reaction was a lie. "We'll be walking a lot so you wanna plan on grabbing something afterward together? We seem to have similar tastes." she smiles, giving a nod to the burger in the red plastic basket in front of him.

The suggestion catches him off guard. It wasn't work, but it didn't feel like anything beyond that either. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll be starving after all that anyway." he purses his full lips and slowly nods.

"Maybe this time you can pick the place? I've picked twice now, it's your turn."

"I don't...know nothin' in the area really." he says slowly like he was thinking while we was still speaking.

"Well, it doesn't have to be in Tenderloin. Where do you live? We can go somewhere you like instead." she says as if that was obvious.

He didn't know that he could take her somewhere farther away, he wasn't sure of the rules of hanging out after work together when all the usual lines of working with someone weren't there. There wasn't a hierarchy from working in an office, no handbook for relationships for two people out trying to enact their own forms of justice. "I live in Fillmore," he says looking out the window behind her. "Honestly Candace, I have a bar I go to and the rest is take out. Unless you want something from the Chen's corner store." she sees his smile seems to be covering something. Like he's embarrassed maybe, which she didn't understand exactly but she wasn't about to let him feel that way.

"Well does the bar have food?" she says in an interesting way.

He lowers his head and does his high pitched short laugh. "Nothing worth eating." he shakes his head.

"We have until Saturday to figure it out. No rush." she shrugs. "Although takeout might really hit the spot after all that work." she side-eyes him, eating her food but keeping an eye out for his reaction. He seems comforted by her words, he didn't need to be sheepish about these sorts of things with her she hoped he'd come to realize. "We could always get some beers, some Chinese or Thai or something and look over the footage we got. Carbo-load after all that walking." her face is forward, now chewing away at an onion ring.

"Yeah you're probably right about that." he wanted to ask where she intended on eating that take out exactly. But 'my place or yours' didn't exactly feel right. He needed an excuse to clean his apartment anyway, and if on Saturday she meant her place, at least he wouldn't be coming home to a depressing bachelor pad. --------------------- Saturday comes and it goes swimmingly. He was personable and gentle with the people she introduced him to. It seemed he was aware he could come off as a little intimidating physically. She couldn't help but notice the way he would get on the other person's level, his voice a soft and considerate and he didn't even laugh loudly so he didn't come off as abrasive. He did most of the talking after the initial introductions. She could tell he'd been researching and paying attention and she was impressed and grateful for the time and consideration he was putting into the work. He made eye contact and touched to connect with people when appropriate, he was good at communicating and she could see how he could get information out of someone if he wanted. A good looking guy like him with emotional intelligence and cleverness to back it up? She really couldn't have found a better partner to work with.

He seemed really knowledgeable about legal matters, able to explain things about prosecution and evidence and trials when people would ask what we wanted out of this work, or what to expect if we did end up being successful. He always stated first he expected us to be successful, and that we were doing it because we wanted to help first and foremost, not to exploit anyone or for the money. She comes to find that she was correct about him dating a successful lawyer, or rather he was engaged to one. Apparently, when he'd gone rogue on Drake, she was also fired from her job and left him. She could hear and see the sadness in his voice and eyes when he would talk about Anne. Candace felt bad for him, but she didn't pity him. If anything she was a bit jealous that he could find anyone at all in this city worth marrying.

She'd deleted tinder ages ago after reaching her limit on immature people who wanted too much from her. After so many failed dates, getting ghosted and even catfished once she'd just given up on actively seeking out someone. She wanted a partner, not someone who depended on her or got intimidated by her own ambitions. But as she liked to remind herself when she started to feel lonely, her career wouldn't wake up one morning and tell her it didn't love her anymore. So she went about her life and stayed sane with the occasional hookup, letting the cards fall where they may.

As they sat on a bench, watching and timing the police patrols of the areas, he got more inquisitive about her with his questions. He learned she came from Kansas, which would explain the strange middle of the road accent she now had. He tells her he's from New York and she does a dramatic expression of faux surprise at the news, which makes him laugh, realizing the obviousness after the fact. His instincts have him pry a little further as she seems willing to answer anything he's sought after so far. He finds out that she left Kansas after dealing with her own blacklisting of sorts. She'd exposed the mayor to pocketing all the vending machine money in all of the government buildings in the city. In her inexperience, she expected some big show of support for her efforts, a dramatic kicking out of the man in question and a public shunning afterward. But she soon learned that life isn't like the movies. The good guys don't always win and get to ride off into the sunset. Sometimes the bad guy gets reelected after a city-wide audit and the good guy gets blacklisted from working in the town. This had pushed her to move away, knowing she still wanted to find the truth and expose it and found she wanted to do that for people who couldn't do it for themselves. That how she found herself doing what she did now. He admired her work ethic and ambitiousness that apparently were deeply ingrained her. She was clearly someone who spoke with both actions and words, never shying from hard work and willing to face failure in the name of the greater good.

Once the sun starts setting they take everything they've gotten and stroll through a lovely, green park to get back to his bike. Eddie actually makes a suggestion of a Chinese place they can get food from. They stop and grab a six-pack before picking up the food and heading back her place. A locked front door and an elevator show the security of the place and he's thankful she found such a good spot since she lived alone. As soon as he walks in the studio apartment he can see her in the decor. It wasn't loud or overdone, pieces she'd written, landscapes and artistic typography hang on the light colored walls. She tells him to make himself comfortable as she grabs some clothes out a chest of drawers.

"I'll be right back, gotta peel off this outer layer I put on for the public." she jokes, already brushing her hair up with her fingers before she shuts the bathroom door behind her.

Eddie takes it upon himself to get the food out onto the small bar with stools in the kitchen. He grabs a box and sits on the soft grey couch placing a beer on a diy tiled mosaic coaster that rest on the coffee table in front of him. He looks around and finds the similarities between their places; a bed blocked off by a bookcase, although hers was much more organized and full of books, kitschy knick-knacks, and collectible toys. A blue desk with a fuzzy white chair in front and stacked boxes with scribbled names and places all full of papers. She had tall stacks of colorful books, titles telling him her wide range of interests from autobiographies to fashion and space. It looked lived in, comfortable but calm and he felt like he could move about the space without disrupting it too much. It felt warm and welcoming and a touch offbeat just like she did.

She comes out of the bathroom with a fresh face, pajama pants with a feminine floral pattern on them under a plain white shirt, her hair pulled up into a pile on top of her head. The act of her letting him see her like this seems like a statement in itself he thinks. She sits next to him, switching on the tv and plugging in the camera to her laptop before putting on a pair of black framed glasses. They clink their beers as they dig in with chopsticks and watch the news as the footage uploads to her computer.

He tells her about which newscasters are dicks in person, sharing a few stories of rubbing elbows at network parties that make her laugh. For the next few hours, they sit side by side, hunched over and watching what they'd gotten over the span of the day. She makes notes and marks time stamps for editing later, something he didn't have as much hands-on experience with as her and was taken back by how fast her brain and fingers would work in tandem to create something coherent out of him simply talking to another person. He compliments her skills, and she compliments his interpersonal skills for making it so easy to capture the right sound bites. This back and forth of praise becomes the norm for them while when work together, and it's something they both needed to hear from someone else whether they knew it or not.

Neither of them said it, but they both felt a sort of ease with each other. This was more rare for Eddie than Candace. She seemed confident no matter where she was. A trait she'd had to learn early, being a young woman in the city. Eddie, on the other hand, was outwardly charismatic but inside feeling totally comfortable was rarer. He'd tried to ignore his worries of things getting awkward with such long spans of time being spent with a stranger and an attractive one at that. The awkward silences never came and the stall in conversations were never long or spent with an inner panic trying to figure out how to get it going again. She never made him feel anything but welcome and appreciated and he'd been going home feeling better about himself every day they'd spent together.

Candace kept being pleasantly surprised by how he was just so nice. He had an animated face that spoke expressive words that never came off condescending, but always charming and usually funny. They'd grown quite fond of each other, and the chains of texts sent back and forth about things that weren't the case between the times when they'd see each other were proof of that.

Pt. 3

@raceylacy​ @emerald-bijou​ @negansdirtygirl22​ @brianaisasongbird​ @vale0413 @izzy-the-ginger

[thegreatwhiteferret]

Late Night When You Need My Love

Summary: SEXTING- v: the act of text messaging someone in the hopes of having a sexual encounter with them later; initially casual, transitioning into highly suggestive and even sexually explicit.

Pairing: Reddie

Rating: Explicit

A/N: This was for an Anon who requested some Reddie sexting action, a long ass time ago, I am so sorry that it took so long. Fair warning, I am not sure how I feel about this...it’s not my usual format, and definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I hope it isn’t too awful and that y’all enjoy Reddie getting a little a lot frisky. I also had to add in some action with the other Losers because comedic relief is a wonderful thing! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

NSFW Under the Cut...

Richie was bored and slightly tipsy. The combination of these things made it so he also couldn’t just fall asleep. He twisted around in his sheets for a few more minutes, before he gave up on trying. He grabbed his phone off of his bedside table, he thumbed through Tumblr for a few minutes, he considered slipping into the NSFW tag, but it was always more fun to actually interact with someone when he got off. An idea popped into his head. He had six friends, surely one of them would help him get off.

He decided to try Stan first. They had been best friends since preschool, that had to count for something. His thumb hovered above the screen before he decided on a plan of attack.

Richie frowned as he read the last message from Stan, maybe his plan wasn’t all that great to start with. Maybe he needed a softer approach. He pulled his sweat pants down slightly, and hiked his sweatshirt up, leaving a suggestive sliver of skin exposed. He quickly snapped a picture to use for his next attempt. He pulled up a new message and selected his next target, Bill Denbrough.

“Well that’s just...I hardly think that that deserved a ‘beep beep’. That’s just rude.” Richie said to himself. Okay, two down, four to go. Those were good odds. Mike Hanlon was the most solid and stand up guy that he knew, he would lend a helping texting hand.

Richie’s chances of finding someone to provide him sexual stimulation through text were getting smaller and smaller. It was time to pull out the big guns. There was a time when he considered this person to be his ultimate soulmate, and they were still best friends. Beverly Marsh would be the one to save him, they had history.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” He chanted as he paced the length of his room, he tried calling Bev a few times, but she was ignoring his calls. He was going to have to do major groveling tomorrow to get back in her good graces. He would just go and get her some of her favorite tea and scones from the coffee shop in town, she would love that. He made a mental note to wake up early enough to do that before school.

He looked back through his messages, trying to decide where he went wrong. Maybe he came on too strong, he needed to ease into the sexual side of it. He could make some nice small talk, he genuinely cared about all of his friends, and he figured that Ben really was his last shot.

Ben was too pure for this world, Richie should have known better. Also, there was no way that Ben wasn’t going to show Bev those messages...tea, scones, and chocolate. He added that to his list.

Richie bit his lip, trying to decide if he still really wanted to get off. He had just been rejected by five of his friends, and the last one on his list was also the one that he was desperately in love with. He also knew that Eddie would never go for it, that texting him would only result in Eddie being pissed off at him, and tea and scones wouldn’t be enough to fix things with Eddie.

He waited another few minutes before he gave in to his mind, he had to try. Maybe Eddie would be into it. He typed out a message like the ones he would usually send to Eddie anyway, making sure to scroll through the emoji keyboard to find the perfect option. He smiled as he typed it out and pressed send.

HOLY FUCK! Did that actually just happen? Richie stared at the picture of Eddie palming himself through his briefs for a few more seconds before his brain woke up enough to realize that Eddie wanted him to call him. He dialed Eddie’s number quickly and waited anxiously for the other boy to pick up.

“Richie?” Eddie asked breathlessly from the other end of the line. Richie could picture him, laying on his bed legs spread wide apart, chest heaving...Richie groaned.

“Yeah, Baby Boy. I’m here.” Richie answered, clamping his phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could push his boxer briefs off. Eddie let out a little moan from the nickname that Richie had used. “Are you touching yourself, Baby? Tell me what you’re doing.” Richie instructed, squeezing some lube into his palm before wrapping his hand around his cock.

“I’m...rubbing myself...through my underwear.” Eddie choked out, he sounded like he was on the verge of tears, and Richie gripped the base of his cock to calm himself down.

“You still have your underwear on, Baby?” He asked and Eddie hummed in response. “Take them off, Sweetheart. Let your cock out for me.”

“But...Rich...I don’t...I’ve never…” Eddie let out with a huff, and Richie’s hand stilled. He could sense the uneasiness in his voice.

“Eddie, have you never fully jerked off before? Do you always leave your underwear on?” Richie asked carefully, he didn’t want to make Eddie feel ashamed. He knew that Eddie suffered with his sexuality, he had been taught that any sexual stimulation outside of marriage was a sin.That it was dirty. Richie knew that he didn’t believe that anymore, but he didn’t realize that he was still struggling with some aspects of it.

“Ugh. No. I’m...just a little...I don’t know. It works just fine by just rubbing, I don’t need to…” Eddie sighed, and Richie’s heart hurt a little bit from the sound. “Can you...can you teach me how?” Richie sucked in a deep breath, Eddie’s words making him incredibly hard.

“Shit. Yes, okay, Baby. I will tell you what to do. Just listen to me and follow along. I’ve got you.” Richie soothed, and Eddie let out a small noise to let Richie know to continue. “Okay, Baby, did you take your underwear off?”

“Yes. They’re off now.” Eddie told him, and Richie could hear the nerves in his voice. Jerking off was supposed to be pleasurable, and that was his goal. He was going to help Eddie feel good.

“Alright, so go ahead and take some lotion...yes you need lotion or lube. You have lube? Well shit, Eds use that. Squeeze a good amount in your hand.” Richie instructed, listening to the sound of Eddie popping a cap off of something, he would have to ask Eddie why he had lube later. “Okay, now wrap your hand around your cock gently, form a circle with your fingers.” Richie did the same thing that he was telling Eddie to do, and wrapped his hand around himself.

“Okay...oh ahhhh...okay, do I move my hand...oh shit.” Eddie let out, and Richie could faintly hear the wet sounds of Eddie’s hand moving up and down his cock, become more confident with every stroke.

“Good job, Baby Boy, I think you’ve got the hang of it. Keep going, grip a little bit tighter as you stroke. Does it feel good?” Richie asked, biting his own lip from the pleasure. The feeling of his own hand on his cock and the knowledge of what Eddie was doing and experiencing had his nerves set on fire.

“Mmmmm, yeah, Richie. It feels so good.”Eddie told him over the line, breath hitching as he stroked. Richie put his phone on speaker and let it drop on the bed next to him. He switched hands on his cock, and let his lubed up fingers creep past his balls, and rubbed a finger around his hole growling at the sensation. “What was...what are you doing?” Eddie asked, curiosity peaking.

“I’m...uhhh…” Richie let out as he pushed his first finger into his hole, carefully thrusting in and out. The position was a bit difficult, but Richie was lost in the moment and the feeling. “I’m fucking...myself open with my fingers.”

“YOU’RE WHAT?” Eddie squeaked in surprise, and Richie couldn’t stop the chuckle that made its way out of his mouth. He thrusted a second finger into himself.

“I’m fingering myself. Sticking my fingers...oh shit...up my ass.” Richie explained in a drawn out tone, Eddie scoffed at him on the other side of the line, but Richie kept thrusting his fingers in and out. “Mmmmmm. Feels so good.”

“S-so so you just push a finger in?” Eddie asked in a small voice, just as Richie had managed to graze his fingers across his prostate and let out a long moan.

“Y-yeah, Eds. That’s what you do...oh fuck, Baby Boy. You want to try it?” Richie asked in disbelief, catching what exactly Eddie was saying. Eddie whimpered softly. “Okay, okay. Make sure you have lots of lube on your finger and push it in slowly.” He waited a few moments, slowing down his thrusts to focus on Eddie’s needs, and heard him let out a grunt. “Relax your ass, Baby. You have to relax for it to feel good. Are you on your back?”

“I am relaxing, Richard. As much as I can with my finger up my ass!” Eddie snarked in reply. “And I’m on my knees, I can’t reach any other way.” He confessed.

“It’s okay, Baby, that’s fine. Push your finger in and out a little bit, go faster when you feel like you can take it.” Richie said, and he could hear Eddie’s breathing picking up, like he had already started moving faster. “Okay, Baby. Add another finger.”

“Mmmmm, fuck, it feels...good. Oh, I like it, Richie. I like it a lot. Ohhhhhh fuck. What was that?” Eddie asked panic mixing with his arousal, and Richie smirked, he knew that Eddie had just hit his own prostate.

“You hit your p-spot, Baby Boy. You’re such a good boy, taking your fingers like that. Think you might be able to take something more than fingers?” Richie teased and Eddie let out a groan. “That’s right, Baby. I know you want something bigger in there, you think you could take my cock? I’d have to work you open, with my tongue and fingers first, make you fall apart and cum before I can even get inside.”

“Ahhhhhh, fuck, yeah. I want your cock inside of me. I want it really bad.” Eddie moaned out. Richie started stroking his cock again, hard and fast, he could feel himself getting close from allowing himself to think about all of the things he wanted to do to Eddie. “I think...I think I want your cock in my mouth too, Rich...I can’t believe I just said that.”

“Mmmm, I love it when you talk dirty, Baby. My cock is yours to do with what you wish whenever you want.” He moaned out the last part, he could feel his orgasm approaching, he needed to cum.

“Ahhhh, I’m going to cum. Oh fuck, Richie.” Eddie let out and then he let out a muffled scream as he came, the sound made Richie speed up his movements until his toes curled and he found his own release, thick squirts of cum landing all over his chest and fist.

“Fuck, Eddie. You are so amazing.” Richie breathed out as he let the aftershocks of his orgasm wash over him. When Eddie didn’t say anything for another moment, Richie began to worry. “Eddie, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Better than okay actually.” Eddie said, and a smile crossed Richie’s face. Maybe he wasn’t completely useless, he helped Eddie feel good, that had to count for something. “Thank you, Richie. I...I really needed this.” Richie could hear genuine gratitude in his voice.

“Anytime, Spaghetti Man, you just have to say the word.” Richie replied, trying to bite his tongue to prevent himself from confessing his love for Eddie in his post orgasm bliss.

“Yeah...Did you mean what all you were saying there towards the end...or was that just you trying to get off?” Eddie asked, voice tight like he was holding back.

“I meant everything I said, Eddie. I wouldn’t play with your emotions like that just to get off.” Richie promised, it was the truth. He would never do something to hurt Eddie, he loved him more than anything in the world.

“I...I don’t know if I’m ready for all of...THAT yet, but…” He paused briefly, trying to collect his thoughts, Richie waited anxiously for what Eddie was about to say next. “Would you maybe like to go out with me...like on a date?”

“YES!” Richie screamed, a huge grin spreading across his face. Eddie laughed at his reaction. “I would love to, God you have no idea how long I’ve wanted that, Kaspbrak.” He confessed.

“Well, you should have told me you dumb idiot instead of pulling all that bullshit about fucking my mom!” Eddie chided, and Richie smiled even brighter, that was his Eddie. A spitfire like always. “I’ve got to go now, Rich. My mom will be back early in the morning and she’s going to drag me to church with her...if only she knew.” Eddie shuddered at that.

“Alright. Goodnight, Eddie Spaghetti. Sweet dreams.” Richie said sweetly and Eddie giggled slightly in response before returning the sentiment and hanging up.

Richie laid in his bed, hand held over his chest, his heart fluttering. He was going to go on a date with Eddie. Hell, he had just gotten off to the sound of Eddie getting off. Richie fell asleep with a smile on his face and not a care in the world.

That feeling continued until Bev punched his so hard the next morning that he couldn’t feel his arm until well after lunch. Eddie had held an ice pack to his arm and smiled up at him, it was all worth it.

[edsbrak]

sixteen weeks (chapter 4)

pairing: reddie chapters: 4/? rating: explicit tags: college AU, FWB

read on Ao3

Summary: Eddie and Richie are roommates in college, and after the events of one drunken confession they both agree it wouldn’t hurt to start casually hooking-up. Things go about as well as expected.

warnings: nsfw content

a/n: sorry for the long wait guys! holidays and whatnot, but i hope you enjoy this one, the plot thickens oooo

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

*

In the weeks following since their helping-hand-sex-agreement, Eddie was actually feeling pretty good about where things were going. Maybe it had something to do with the factor of he and Richie not being close that allowed them both to feel as cavalier as one can about suddenly bedding your roommate several times a week. Therapeutic, some might say, because you weren’t necessarily obligated to get to know this person as you share these intimate moments with them.

That’s not to say Eddie had made a stance on keeping their lives separate; that idea seemed to be becoming harder to ignore as the days passed, but to no real shock.

Mostly everything Eddie had observed about Richie’s habits and personality traits in the beginning of the school year still remained true. He did seem to hang around their room a bit more now, though – perhaps after having someone’s dick in your mouth any previous hesitancy went out the window. But Eddie still had trouble reading him from time to time.

He had also hung out with Richie’s friends several more times since their gig that night. Eddie liked to watch them all bounce topics off each other, to see how well they all blended so fluidly and how welcoming they were to have Eddie join them. It was nice, and most often Eddie would wonder how it took him this long to actually find decent people to hang out with.

Richie was quite different around his friends, and more specifically, with each of them individually.

Around Stan, he seemed to enjoy spouting any nonsense that came to mind, but it was clear he held Stan’s opinion higher than the others. Stan seemed to laugh the most around him.

With Bev, he grew louder. She seemed to challenge him socially and politically. Occasionally they would drag the others into their heated discussions as well, and Eddie could see the amount of respect he held for her in the smiles Richie would try to conceal.

And Ben’s Richie appeared mostly the same, only with an ease of familiarity, like two friends finding each other again and again in each new lifetime.

So Eddie pushed himself to join in, throwing around opinions and titbits and instantly welcoming the pleasant rush of people actually caring about what he contributed to the table. There was no special treatment to atone his new-kid status in the group. He’d just slipped in, like it was nothing.

“Hey, Eddie, you hang out with anyone else here at school?” Bev had asked one afternoon in the library. They’d started meeting up for study sessions together now that finals were coming up.

Eddie had shrugged. “No. My best friends went to another college, so.”

“That sucks,” Bev had smiled sadly and tilted her head. She never said things like oh, I’m sorry or I know how you feel, and it was strangely refreshing to Eddie. “Well, hey, you should invite them out with us one night. We’d love to meet them.”

Stan, who was sitting with them also, had given Eddie a small nod from behind the extraordinarily large book he had in front of his face.

Eddie had made a surprised noise, but took the offer in stride. Typically, trying to blend friend groups together was impossible, but for some bizarre reason Eddie felt as if this time it might actually work. And even if it didn’t, he would be gone from this school in a year, anyway, and none of this would matter.

It was now Saturday again, and Eddie had work in two hours. All morning he wondered if anything with Richie was going to happen today, finally landing on a no, but then the guy had walked into their room as he whistled aimlessly, his drum sticks in his back pocket and a Redbull in hand.

“Well, if it isn’t Jeff Porcaro reincarnate,” Eddie says lazily from where he sat on his bed.

Richie quirks his brows and chugs the rest of his drink. Eddie watches the movement of his throat. “What are you up to?”

Eddie looks down at his lap. “I really should be studying, but I’m watching Parks and Rec instead,” he pushes the nagging guilt down with a stick until it eventually wins over, so he shuts his laptop with a sigh.

“So, nothing important then?” Richie asks.

Eddie squints at him. “I’m curious to know what you think is important,” he says, thinking about Richie’s non-existent study life.

“Saving the polar bears,” Richie clicks his tongue as he begins removing his shirt. “Bees. The postal system.”

Eddie bites his lip. “Sure, reasonable. Anything else?”

“Dicking-down ‘n dirty,” Richie shimmies off his pants unceremoniously. He looks down at himself when he’s done. “Yep, my dick definitely has importance.”

“You think very highly of yourself,” Eddie muses, following Richie’s dark happy trail until it disappears below the waistband of his boxers.

Richie shrugs. “Someone has too.”

“So, you’ve got a package for me, then?”

“That was bad,” Richie tells him, but his tone is clearly proud.

“Fine,” Eddie fakes disinterest and picks up a book near him and starts reading at a random part. “I guess I won’t sign for it.”

“Ah, see now…” and then the book is being lifted out of his fingers and Eddie’s face is now dangerously close to Richie’s crotch, so he angles up to find Richie’s gaze. “When I said that was bad, what I really meant was you’re a comedic genius and also signing the package is required by law.”

“That’s so not true.”

“Whatever, I don’t get lawyer stuff,” Richie says flippantly, and then he’s leaning down to place each hand behind Eddie’s head along the wall. Eddie smiles coyly, gesturing expectantly for Richie to act first.

“Eds, c’mon, you gotta meet me halfway,” he practically whines.

Eddie sighs dramatically. “Fine, you insatiable horndog.” It had been a great night when he’d discovered how fun it was to tease Richie with the metaphorical carrot.

So he grips his hands in the curls at the back of Richie’s neck and hauls him down for a deep kiss. Richie fumbles along the wall briefly before he finds his balance, and soon he’s tugging at the clothes still on Eddie’s body, like they were personally offending him. Eddie swallows down his laughter and pushes himself up, their lips still attached as he shrugs off the first layer with some difficulty.

Richie helps by undoing the buttons of Eddie’s jeans, and Eddie jerks slightly when Richie’s hand dips into his underwear.

“Fuck, dude, your hand is freezing,” Eddie scolds and slaps his hand away.

“Sorry, Redbull can,” Richie offers before he makes an effort to warm them up.

As he does, Eddie’s chest is now bare and he hops down from the bed to strip completely. It strikes him sometimes how easy this all has been since that first day. Sure, Eddie has his off days, not quite feeling the mood or liking how he looks – he’s only human. But Richie always seems to understand. He’s never pushy, and seems to read the vibes Eddie puts out quite well.

The hands are now back and circle around his waist, and there’s no temperature shock this time, and soon Eddie finds himself relaxing back onto Richie’s chest. It had the capacity to appear as a sweet moment, maybe, if Richie’s dick wasn’t currently fitting in the cleft of Eddie’s ass as he whispers “Time to put the mail in its slot,” into Eddie’s ear.

“Dude, the ear,” Eddie grouses. “Also, really?”

“Eh, seemed fitting,” Richie laughs. “In more ways than one.”

“No.”

Richie laughs again. As much as Eddie hates his stupid as shit voices, his laugh is actually quite nice. They move over to the bed, and this time Richie lays down on his back while Eddie settles nicely on top of him. Eddie likes this position, for reasons previously stated in the beginning, but it has its bonuses when he gets to stare Richie down into sexually charged silence.

They end up going slow for a while. Eddie remembers how he’d said foreplay was a hit and miss for him, and as it turned out, Richie was a surprising hit. Something about his touch, the care he must put into for his partners sparked something in Eddie he was glad to greet.

Eddie keeps up a rhythm as he grinds their dicks together. It was a nice build up, but never enough to come close. Richie was growing restless, trying to speed things up by manoeuvring Eddie around faster with his hands.

“C’mon, I’m gonna die of old age here,” Richie groans pitifully.

“Oh, so when you stall that’s okay? You can only dish it out?” Eddie badgers him.

“Okay, fine,” Richie huffs. “But that’s only when I—” Eddie silences him with his tongue, shoving it so far in Richie’s mouth he can lick the roof. He snaps his hips forward roughly, relishing the choked sound from Richie that gets stuck between their lips. Just as Eddie is about to give Richie exactly what he wants, his phone beeps on the table next to them.

He pulls back and eyes it for a moment. Richie’s hands grip at Eddie’s thighs desperately as he groans again.

“I feel like God is punishing me somehow…”

Eddie ignores him and stretches out to pick it up. It’s work, and they want him in an hour earlier. Eddie hates to say no to more money. He throws Richie a sheepish look once he’s done typing.

“We’re gonna have to speed things up, shift got changed,” Eddie says.

“That I can do,” Richie challenges, or at least, it sounds challenging. He flips them, so Eddie is lying on his side with Richie lined up along his back, chest sticky with sweat. Eddie had planned to shower after work, but he might have to have one before, instead.

“I’m not sure we have much time…” Eddie starts.

“I’m pretty worked up, don’t worry,” Richie assures him, reaching over to grab the bottle of lube out of his bedside drawer. Richie nips along Eddie’s back as he slicks himself up.

Eddie’s about to say he hasn’t prepped, but then Richie is murmuring “Squeeze your legs really tight.”

Eddie does, and catches on quick. Richie lines up and fucks between his thighs as he works hurriedly with Eddie’s own foreskin. Eddie’s only ever done this once before, and it wasn’t exactly a success, but Richie has enough determination for the both of them. It works Eddie up, has him panting wetly into the pillow in minutes, and Richie bites into the junctures of Eddie’s back. Nails dig into Eddie’s skin, and Eddie reaches back blindly to grip Richie’s hair. Richie begins to rut faster and Eddie feels hot all over from the force of it, the slick sound of Richie slapping against him doing wonders.

“A-ahh, fuck—”

His release catches him off guard this time. Richie pumps him through it, still going himself, and Eddie tries to centre his energy into squeezing impossibly tighter around Richie. Finally his roommate follows, grunting lowly and hips spasming, and Eddie slowly drops his hand as he waits for his breathing to calm down.

“Customer feedback means a lot to us,” Richie rasps, and Eddie can feel his grin pressing into his skin like a carving. “Our promise to deliver packages on time is what we aim to achieve. We hope you’ll use our service again in the future.” Eddie full on hates him.

“Shut. Up.”

*

Eddie had ended up taking a shower after their little impromptu round of fun.

He’d then rushed out of their dorm building with a half-eaten muesli bar in his mouth, forever thankful he didn’t have to take public transport to get to his work. He speeds walks the few blocks there and circles the building to walk in the back way instead. He throws his loose items in an available locker before tying off an apron at his back.

He spots his manager first who tells him to take orders at the register. Eddie holds back his scowl. He both hates it when his manager works the floor with them and when he has to type in all of the ridiculous ways people can think of when it comes to ordering coffee.

There’s already a line waiting for him when he walks over, so Eddie plasters on his best greeting face and calls the next customer over.

The small café was packed out, so Eddie could understand why they needed him to come in sooner. Although, he also blames how hopeless his management were at planning out decent rosters for everyone.

Greta was busy pumping out coffees to his left. She was arguably their best at it. Eddie likes to steer clear of her whenever she got into her ‘zone’.

Eddie steps out from behind the counter when there was a break to clear away the empty mugs on the tables. There were mostly people his age occupying seats, in groups or alone. At one table sat a guy by himself, books open in front of him and glass empty, so Eddie walks over to collect it. Typically, Eddie prefers to avoid attention and just go about his job, but with a slip on the floor he unwillingly catches the eye of the – admittedly – attractive guy with striking green eyes.

“Thank you,” he says with a smile.

Eddie fumbles momentarily. He clears his throat once. “No worries.”

He’s still smiling and Eddie is still staring awkwardly, and then a distraction presents itself when a customer approaches the register.

When he has their order done with and passes it along to Greta, Eddie looks up to see Bev step inside the café. Her hair is done up in a high bun, and Eddie watches as she wipes her combat boots on the mat by the door. She walks over immediately after, and a grin stretches out her lips when she spies Eddie.

“Eddie, hey!” she says once she’s close enough. Luckily there’s no line now, so Eddie doesn’t have to push her along in a rush. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Yeah, hey,” Eddie smiles kindly. “Just here weekends, mostly. Gotta pay these loans somehow.”

“I hear ya,” Bev nods as she grabs her purse. “Man, I just love the caramel lattes here. But now’s the only time I can get them.”

“Really, why?” Eddie frowns. He presses some buttons randomly when his manager eyes him off for slacking.

“I get so hyped up on coffee. I try to only have it around finals,” she laughs whimsically. “Kinda like a reward, I guess.”

“Smart…” Eddie hums, and punches in her order. He also adds an extra free pump of caramel for her. “Did you want something else?”

“No, no,” she says, holding up a hand. “If I come back for more I’ll need you to escort me off the premises.”

Eddie gives her a look. She laughs again. “I’m kidding. No, but really. Don’t let me have more than one.”

“Okay,” Eddie says, eyeing her warily. He’s sure she’s kidding. Almost.

Bev steps off to the side as she waits for her order to be made, and Eddie busies himself for a moment with restocking the sugars and napkins at the milk station. He’s only been here for an hour and already he wants to finish up. Of course he had to pick a job in a 24 hour café. Bev takes a sip of her coffee when it’s done and makes an appreciative noise before whipping out her phone. Eddie makes to go back to his post, but is stopped short when a throat clears behind him.

“Uh, hi again.”

Eddie turns to see the same guy from before. He was even taller than Eddie pictured he was; broad shouldered, arms almost as big as Eddie’s head. There was a scar than ran from his ear down underneath his shirt. Normally not Eddie’s type, but somehow it works?

“Hi. Sorry, did you need help with something?” Eddie asks, basic protocol.

“Um, maybe?” It was striking to see a guy of this size sound so nervous. “I was just wondering – and I hope it’s not too forward… but, would you be interested in maybe… going out sometime?”

Eddie blinks rapidly. He’s sure Bev has lowered her phone and is now not-so-subtly listening in. This had quite honestly been the last thing he was expecting to hear. What was happening?

“Oh,” he says, his hand gripping tighter on the sugar bag. Eddie tries to recall the last time he was asked out like this. “That’s… really nice of you to ask. Um…”

The guy’s look turns a touch disappointed. “Ah, I’m sorry. You’re not…?”

“Oh, no, I—” Eddie waits a second for his nerves to settle. “I am. I… sorry, I was just caught off guard for a second there.” He smiles encouragingly.

“Okay,” the guy chuckles lightly, relieved, before extending a hand. “I’m Jacob.”

Eddie watches his hand almost disappear in the strangers own. “Eddie.” When the touch lingers, Eddie hears Bev cough loudly off to the side, so he pulls back hastily. “Right, so… yes. To answer your question.”

Jacob practically beams. His eyes crinkle up, and Eddie is endeared. “That’s great. Really. Um, okay, so. How about tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, that works with me,” Eddie smiles.

“Alright,” Jacob nods several times. “How about we meet here. At eight? We can find some other place to eat.”

“Sounds nice.” Eddie hopes this isn’t all some elaborate punk’d situation.

“Cool, well,” Jacob says and backs away slowly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Yeah,” Eddie bites his lip. “Bye. For now.”

Jacob grins and turns to leave, but not before giving Eddie one last look as the door closes behind him. All at once Bev is sliding up next to him to sling an arm around his shoulders. Eddie is aware he should be working, but, fuck, he really couldn’t care less right now.

“Damn, he was a looker,” Bev whistles unabashedly. Eddie is instantly reminded of Richie.

“I didn’t think stuff like that still happened,” Eddie says honestly.

“Really?” Bev looks at him. “You’re a catch, Eddie. I don’t blame him for not resisting.”

Eddie tingles from the compliment. Suddenly Greta is yelling at Eddie in the most professional way possible to get him back to work. Funny, Greta should really take over as manager.

“I have to get back,” Eddie says. Bev pats his shoulder and steps away to leave like Jacob had.

“Sure, sure. I might see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Eddie nods, remembering the looming mountain of paperwork that is finals week.

“Thanks for this!” she jingles her coffee by the door, and then she too is gone.

Eddie stands still for a moment longer, mind processing. A bone chilling voice finds him eventually.

“Eddie, I swear if you don’t move that little ass of yours I’m gonna wear it like a hat.”

Eddie moves his little ass immediately.

*

It had been along shift, so Eddie was glad to finally return to his room to fall face down on his bed. But he thinks of Jacob and his delighted smile, and figures it was worth it.

Stan is in their room when he walks in. He’s the one actually doing homework while Richie appears to be talking his ear off about something as he lies on his bed throwing a ball in the air.

“Hey,” Eddie says through a yawn.

“Hey Eddie,” Stan waves. Richie bounces the ball off Eddie’s arm in greeting. “I’ll finish up soon so you can sleep.”

Eddie waves Stan off. “Nah, it’s fine. I think I can sleep through anything right now.”

“Ah Eds, doing the lords work by giving the people what they want,” Richie pauses his rambling to say.

“What do they want?”

“That sweet, sweet cocaine. I mean – caffeine.”

Eddie snorts. He leaves to go and brush his teeth down the hall, and when he comes back, Richie has fallen into discussion of what would be considered the perfect superpower to have. Eddie wonders if Stan is capable of writing out his work and listening to Richie simultaneously, or if he’s simply just ignoring his friend entirely. It’s hard to tell.

Eddie settles into bed, and as he’s considering putting in his earphones, Stan turns to him.

“Eddie, we’re seeing a movie tomorrow night. Wanna come?”

Eddie hums tiredly and closes his eyes. “Can’t. Got a date, actually.”

“Oh?”

Eddie isn’t sure if that was Stan or Richie, his mind is too tired to differentiate the two.

“Well, well. Look at ol’ Eds getting some.” That was definitely Richie. Eddie peaks open an eye to see Richie now sitting up in bed, and he gives Eddie a seductive wink. “So, who asked who?”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Eddie tries to put energy into glaring. “But he did. Seemed nice.”

“Oh, I bet,” Richie brings his hand up to make a blowjob gesture. Eddie scowls.

“Alright then,” Stan, apparently not bothering to catch any of their exchange, says with a shrug. “I hope you have a good time.”

Eddie hopes so too.

He ends up falling asleep to the sounds of Richie describing, in perfect detail, the death scene of Tony Montana, to which Stan eventually began hitting Richie repeatedly with his book.

*

*

Tag list!: <3 (lemme know if u wanna be added!) xx

@sleepykaspbrak @richietoaster @reddietofall @michiyo-onosaka @hufflepuffkaspbrak @babybyelers @alrightbluer @wintersember @lolahood @r-richie @s-s-georgie @multishippinghoe @richie-kaspbrakk @colorful-dodie @not-reddie @80sdenbrough @jem-carstairs-is-perfection @musicalsaftermusicals @lonewolfhard @edstozler @nintxndos @loverboykaspbrak @s-s-stutteringbill @tozier-boy @its-stranger-than-you-think @welctothelosersclub @hemmotional--wreck @eddierichietozier @theemilyxx @spacedouthomo @burymestanding @youvegotdirtonyournosebytheway @im-reddie @ineedreddieformylife

[ba1bphoebeowen]

Writing your way into animation - Notes

Write Your Way into Animation & Games – Christy Marx

I have heard that a very important part of getting into animation, especially when it comes to being a showrunner, is comedic timing. For this reason, I decided to look into some material that talks about this topic to gain a better understanding of it. This book also helps with basic script writing and narrative, which is part of this unit. 

Script terms:

Slugline: Typed in CAPITALS. Immediately informs the reader that this is a new scene or shot. Needed for every shot in an animation. Shouldn’t be more than a few words, just needs to establish who, where and what. Includes transitions between locations (e.g. EXT or INT). 

Action: Occurs immediately below the slugline. Describes the setting, character actions in the shot, sets the mood or tone, indicates sounds, camera movements. Needed to establish a scene. 

Angle on, Angle: Calls out an individual shot that indicates to the storyboard artist what to focus on in a shot / who is in the shot. 

Beat, A beat: Set in () to indicate a pause in dialogue to convey hesitation, a moment of thought, a point of emphasis etc.

Close up, Close on:  Used in the slugline to indicate to a story boarder that in this shot the camera should be on a close to the person or object. 

Cont’d (Continued): - Used at the bottom of a shooting script to show that it continues. - When a long bit of dialogue is broken across 2 pages (Centred in the middle of the dialogue column at the bottom of the page). - After a character’s name in () to indicate the character is continuing speech begun in another piece of dialogue. 

Transitions: Positioned along the right margin and is followed by a colon. - Dissolve to: Indicated when a scene ends & we’re cutting to a new scene with some time passing between them. - Cut to: Indicates a scene has ended and that we are cutting to a new location or setting. - Fade in / Fade out: Used to start or end a script / each act. Fade in is in the left margin, fade out in the right – fade in has a colon but fade out doesn’t. Fade in leads directly into the slugline.

Favouring: A way of calling out an individual shot in a script once a setting is established, would be at the start of the slugline followed by an emphasised character or object. 

O.C and O.S: Off camera and off stage. Used to the right of someone’s name in the dialogue when they speak but aren’t in shot. 

Parentheticals: - Indicated a specific tone, emotion or inflection for a voice actor. Discouraged in live action scripts but commonly used in animation ones. - Indicated a voice needs filters or modifications in editing. - Describes a sound for a voice actor to make. 

Sotto voice / under their breath: Latin for ‘low voice’. Something a character says that they don’t want others to hear. 

WALLA: Written in (), indicates basic background noise. 

Bumpers: Short pieces of animation that are inserted at the ends and starts of acts in between adverts to indicate the difference between it and the adverts. 

Character Arc: How the character begins and develops over time. Ending an arc too soon before the end of the show can lead to them becoming useless, unless you give them something else to do. 

High Concept: The underlying concept being pitched has a strong/ quirky/ good enough hook that can be summed up in a sentence. 

Sides: Sample dialogue for casting a character that captures the personality and speech patterns for the character. 

Tag: A short scene used to wrap up the end of a TV episode. Occurs after the final set of adverts, before the closing credits. 

In animation, background is different from location – each shot, if from a different angle, will require a new drawing for the background. 

Creating the story

Act 1: Introduce the problem (25% of the script) Act 2: Conflict due to the problem (50% of the script) Act 3: Resolution (25% of the script)

Who’s the protagonist? What do they learn by the end of the episode? At the beginning, what do they want? Who is going to stop them? What’s the catalyst for their wants and how are they planning to achieve them? The hero can fail time and time again, and they hit a crisis moment where they could be faced with a hard choice. 

Sometimes you won’t yet know the characters, and in this case, you start with the theme / lesson and create a hero that is best to learn that lesson. 

Longer stories might also have b-plot or in some cases, c-plots. One could be action-y and the other character driven, but both must advance the story.

The lesson the protagonist learns is used to recognise our own flaws, problems and needs. A theme could be thought of as a value meeting another and winning, such as forgiveness being better than revenge. The character might have a few that gets in the way of their happiness, and the story changes the way they look at life – their arc. 

“A theme is felt, not indoctrinated or preached”

Values should be expressed through action. 

Springboard: No more than a few sentences, very basic concept idea. Quick episode concepts that introduce a quick premise and conflict. All written in the present tense. 

Premise: Contains the beginning, middle and end of a story concisely but with enough detail to make it interesting – to sell it. For a pitch, unless told otherwise, you should come with 3-6 premises to submit. For a 30-minute show, a premise shouldn’t be more than a single-spaced page. 

Outline: A beat by beat description of the script, broken into acts with sluglines. You might need to write descriptive prose, depending on what the story editor wants. Should involve everything needed for production, like locations and backgrounds. Outline for a 30-minute show by be 5-8 pages and doesn’t have dialogue. 

Script: 

Sluglines / scene headings

Action description

Dialogue

Parentheticals

Transitions

Double spaced for everything except for dialogue and action description. 

12-point courier font, only underline for emphasis, don’t use bold or italics. 

Margins 1.5” on the left for binding, 1” for the right, top and bottom. 

Sluglines and action on the left margin, character name is 2” from the left, parentheticals are 1.5” from the left. Dialogue is 1” from left. Transitions are lined up to the right margin, numbering is in the top right. 

When working on a show, the cover page will have the name of the series, your name, the title of the episode and its production number. 

“In animation, the artist only knows what to draw when you tell them”

Dialogue in animation is expected to be minimal, concise, strong and punchy. Each piece should be 1 or 2 sentences at the most. Characters shouldn’t need to converse a tonne to get to a point (loads of back and forth can make for ‘soft’ dialogue). Utilize visuals in place of dialogue as much as possible. 

Live action script: 1 page = 1 minute

Animation script: 1.5 pages = 1 minute

Writing Characters

Fantasy characters are more realistic, despite their magical world. Usually have a limited number of traits, and their physical differences can play into their character. 

Nonhuman character usually represent certain human traits, such as hunger, fear etc. 

Symbolic characters are used in basic stories, such as myths and fairy tales where they represent basic traits and qualities. 

Does the character remind you of a real-world person that you know? Could this relation help to develop the character more, to make them more funny or realistic? Avoid characters that have been done before, make the character unique. Juxtaposing traits gives interesting results, and this can be done by merging traits from two different people. Characters should have some inconsistencies (they’re this, but also that!) even if it’s illogical. 

Exaggerate the character once you ‘get’ them. 

Use behavioural tags – what do they do repeatedly? (e.g. Tai Lee from Avatar would look for the perfect describing word for an action (poof!))

Make relationships believable, how they bounce off each other, whether they would want to be around each other realistically. 

Keep the character’s choices consistent with their core values. 

Characters need a story function or there's no point in them being there. What part of them affects the plot? They should always be motivated by their essential characteristic. 

“What event/ circumstance/ decision in the past is still affecting the hero today, making them who they are and driving the plot of the story?” anything not relating to this doesn't belong in the story. 

Writing for comedy

The stereotypical comedic character saves time as it allows you to know how a character is going to act without having to develop it much. 

“Comedy stemming from character allows for sustained humour, and it’s remembered long after the gags and situations.”

Comedy Types

The Blockhead – A “dumb” character. 

The Naif – The kid that always gets into trouble. 

The Fish out of Water – A misfit, a character in a situation where they don’t fit in. 

The Naïve – A character that’s oblivious to mature themes, ‘forever innocent’.

The Conniver 

The Zany

The Poor Soul – An underdog, works best when it’s a child or an animal. 

The Coward

Avoid negative stereotypes when designing a comedic character as it will need to have mass appeal. Consider what you write when you write about things that you’re not experiencing, such as about another sex, age, someone with a disability etc. Think about these characters as characters, such as what do they do in their spare time?

To make a comedic character memorable, they will need to be more complex than the basic comedy types. 

A comedic character needs to have a flaw to make them funny – human mistakes that make us laugh. Animated comedic characters should be loveable and larger than life, and they participate in slapstick. 

In comedy you set up a situation, increase tension and it's stopped by something unelected,  relieving tension. You twist a stereotype, drawing a contrast between two consistent frames of reference and linking them in an unexpected way. 

Comedy has a link to fear and aggression, fear might be combined with affection. Shock works well to demonstrate this.  Repression is another link,  referring to things that society looks down on that we find funny (like kids liking fart jokes because it's something they've been told to not do).

Kids naturally laugh at boasting and cruelty, but characters should still be good role models. 

Comedy in animation: must focus on the visual aspect, timing is important. Comedy is exaggerated and may be illogical. Never write down to kids! What jokes can appeal both to adults and children? 

Use a characters mannerisms, attitude and dialogue to increase the comedy of the character. When writing a scene, think about what would really happen, how does the character feel realistically and how can it be made funnier? 

Pinpoint what the comedy aims for in the product, and how it's gotten (through visuals or smart writing?)

Make the script fun and fresh, put a spin on a classic idea. Juxtapose ideas and sprinkle gags throughout. 

Misuse props for gags.

Set up gags with the basic information of the joke, maybe mislead them With a false setup, but keep this short. Exaggerate everything, build the gags. 

C's and K's sound funnier?

Let the audience bridge the gap to understand the joke, you don't need to explain it all. 

Pitching

Know the company your pitching to, and whether they’re looking for your product and will like your idea. 

If you call a company, set up a meeting with ‘Animation Development’, and have a logline prepared. Have a good relationship with people you speak to, including the assistant. 

Rehearse your pitch, but don’t memorise it.  Start with the title, genre, brief concept and pitch the goal of the hero. Pitches should stay short, 2 minutes ish. 

Have back up ideas for episodes.

Make the pitch fun - make eye contact, use hand gestures etc. 

What’s the basic concept, who’s the star, who’s the main villain, why is this series different, how does this relate to the child viewer etc. 

Another way to break into the industry is to write for pre-existing shows, and to apply for this you would write a spec script - speculative script that might not be used (you don’t expect it to). For these scripts you want to make sure you’re familiar with the characters and the show’s concept - don’t contradict past episodes. You shouldn’t make a script that details a major plot or character point either, and you shouldn’t introduce new characters. 

[thedogcouch]

Watch Dogs 2 review

Game Information SystemPS4, Xbox One, Get WriterUbisoft CreatorUbisoft Montreal Releasedate2016-11-15 Cost at StartD/A

Most importantly otherwise, Watchdogs 2 is just a sport about being youthful, furious in the program and sure that do you know whatis greatest for that globe.

On just how much you are able to relate solely to that situation, just how much you prefer it might depend.

As within the first sport, Watchdogs 2 spots you within the part of an undercover vigilante, a hacker harming safety defects in telephones and personal computers in a mission to reveal corporate problem. And such as the first sport, Watchdogs 2 collides headfirst using the same ethical problems confronted by hackers in-real-life: in the event you manipulate a damaged program simply because you are able to? Who’s it ok for you really to pursue? How far is much?

Unlike its precursor, nevertheless, Watchdogs 2 ditches the deadly importance, even while it challenges having a few large problems. The irritable vengeance story of the very first sport hasbeen changed in cheek firmly having a tongue, skewering the technology business and also Valley most importantly. This tone that is fresh feels as though a far more organic match to both tradition and also the open world style, also it results in a sequel that is clearly a much more enjoyment — even when it gives a few of the defects of the unique sport.

Marcus is just a more down-to-planet, definitely more pleasant major personality

Following a occasions of the very first — where a criminal hacker totally required along a personal protection system grounded within the structure of Detroit — technology organization Blume reconstructed its omniscient computer program, ctOS, and distribute it to towns over the Usa. Watchdogs 2 is placed within the Bay Region in Florida, wherever an Oakland-centered hacker called Marcus Holloway ties up using the blackhat combined DedSec to once more face-off against ctOS and Blume.

Where Watchdogs protagonist Aiden Pearce was a gruff, lone-wolf vigilante out for vengeance, Marcus is just a more down-to-planet, definitely more pleasant main figure. He and his pals that are DedSec are — eliminate me — millennials that are they ‘ve got design, they create enjoyment of every additional.

They invest lots of period equivocating about whether or not theyare hipsters.

Watchdogs 2 isn’t a sport. Marcus reaches least in continuous conversation together while he is no longer working alongside his teammates straight. Entire hours of the overall game receive to creating these figures out, to the stage where I did sonot actually recognize I started to truly enjoy them. Figures like Sitara, a DJ who offers the graphic-design sensibilities of DedSec, grew me as normally of friends like a real life number. Face-mask, I actually discovered to adore Wrench -worthy, loud mouthed basketball of power who wears a Silly Punk-impressed that flashes emoticons through its glasses.

The goals you handle in Watchdogs 2 are about as diverse and wacky whilst the throw of figures. From infiltrating an in-sport Google clone’s pretentious university to hiking your tag to be left by the Goldengate Link about the town, side-missions and primary missions period through set-piece occasions in a speed that is breathless. You are seldom requested to review a place and small space is left by the sport for duplication in its strategy.

Significantly, Watchdogs 2 draws back only a teensy bit in the “load the chart with symbols” method of openworld gameplay that’s arrived at determine writer Ubisoftis steady of openworld games. There is still lots to complete lots of methods you are able to shed oneself discovering the planet all night, within the sport. However it what is there mostly entails operating the right path through skillfully created areas that sense less universal than almost anything within the first sport, and is never frustrating.

Alongside its clean method of globe and objective style, Watchdogs 2 additionally starts its planet up instantly. Irrespective of two or one little updates which you’ll uncover briefly in to the sport, you may generate anyplace about the chart and access something in the start. From Sausalito to Oakland Mateo, you are able to go-anywhere within the Bay Region immediately, and should you feel like playing around each area is saturated in unlockables and identifiable attractions to discover. As somebody whois existed in Bay Area for five decades, I got lots of pleasure in tracking accustomed websites down. Watchdogs 2is digital edition of the town is reduced, without doubt, however it definitely catches the taste of the location I really like.

Marcus’ toolset interact and to discover with that globe has developed mainly, and from Aidenis for that greater. The tool inside your combat ctOS is the telephone, that allows one to crack into something attached to the structure in the town — that will be to express, almost anything. Want to get? Crack a technology cell that is regional, contain it create a sound that attracts the shieldis interest, till they distribute after which make the guard. Require a diversion that is larger? Make use of the computer gear of a regional vehicle . Through anyone experience, you are able to discover a large number of paths with a few digging, whenever a wise technique comes and it is excessively gratifying.

Beyond these accustomed hacking resources, Marcus has two unique improvements within a quadcopter to get a bird’s-eye view along with the type of drones: an vehicle for floor pursuit. Coughing the right path through tasks in Watchdogs usually thought just like a problem; the drones permit Watchdogs 2 to accept this notion much more, placing you in circumstances where battle abilities are totally eliminated and also the only method through is cautious navigation and adjustment of issues within the atmosphere together with your drones. They truly are excellent resources that drive to achievement for actually wiser degree style with increased pathways.

Watchdogs 2 additionally becomes a far more literal problem in a commonly used coughing mini game. To manage machines that are more complex, tracks must be connected by Marcus to one another, flipping around “bones” to make sure that the ability moves within the path that is correct. These are simple but function between your tenser sneaking of the primary sport like a good change of speed. The overall game periodically attempts to then add trouble by producing these mini games timed, but they never really questioned me.

What I did so discover difficult — and never for that correct factors — was Watchdogs 2is firing. As the game centers around going stealthily through places and coughing, Marcus may also bring lots of effective weaponry by 3D publishing numerous weapons (among the more laughable items of the overall gameis undertake today’s technology, although it will occur in-real-life to some restricted degree). Outside two or of one factors, I had been never pressured to make use of weapons. Nevertheless, as issues improvement, I had been positioned into progressively difficult circumstances where the overall game prodded me begin firing and to provide in. “You Are within an adversary compound’s center, encased by a large number of pads,” it appeared to state. “Would Not it’s more straightforward to simply break the weapons? out “

In a game title saturated in intelligent turns on open world and stealth gameplay, weapons in Watchdogs 2 really are a total disappointment of creativity. The address-centered firing functions fine it’s really a dull utilization of period in a global with a lot of more fascinating methods to communicate. Additionally, it seems totally at-odds using the tone of the number of hackers of this sport. Once a disease is being uploaded by the team to fake installing or a well known social-network documents to reveal a politician, they run into like there of would-be a pleasant group Hoods. Once theyare firing along a large number of FBI agents police and universal team members it becomes only a little tougher to obtain behind the trigger, sotospeak. The cutscenes more often than not paint DedSec being an Unknown-esque number of tranquil hacktivists, which suggests the question are weapons at all, beyond the stun-gun that the overall game is started by you with?

That isn’t the only real location where Watchdogs 2is tone falters. Most of the tasks Marcus assumes are far more difficult compared to sport cares to notice. Right into an adolescent womanis webcam to frighten her, you crack in one single, to “train her a training” that himself should n’t be streamed by her online.

DedSecis major, target-accusing thinking: Operating your cam is vulnerable, and she might be stalked by somebody.

In another unpleasant number of side-missions, you get almost all their cash removed and an arrest warrant or crack ATMs and choose whether each arbitrary civilian attempting to make use of the ATM warrants to get a lot of cash. These options are made by you centered off some moments of conversation and small thoughts of info.

Watchdogs 2 gives some lip-service towards the indisputable fact that these hackers should find it difficult to prevent getting the things they dislike. By utilizing all-powerful application that is to control the planet, might they be poor whilst the companies they truly are battling against? However in the finish, lips support is all it’s. Again and again, DedSec holds the part of judge, court and (whenever you choose weapons) executioner, with small actual self awareness.

In a strictly comedic tale — plus one with less focus on killing people — this may function, but each time Watchdogs 2 attempted to become more severe, I acquired cut from the sportis foolish alternative reality.

from Welcome to the Dog couch http://www.thedogcouch.com/watch-dogs-2-review/

[maczazind]

FILM DIARY 2017: March - "Another Slow Month"

Spring has sprung and with the changing of the seasons comes a plethora of new films arriving everywhere. A busy month in theaters for sure, it seems to be just the start as we gear up for the blockbuster season ahead. But with a few notable tentpoles of the year arriving in the past four weeks, which did I add to my list? And what did I think of them?

As always, the following reflects MY OWN OPINION. If you’d like to see these entries in full as the year progresses, each installment is given the tag “Film Diary 2017” so feel free to follow along!

Each entry includes how every feature was primarily seen and an asterisk which denotes that viewing was the first time I’ve seen that movie in its entirety, despite possibly having seen pieces of the film previously or having a general knowledge of it. Numbering reflects the year’s overall total, not the monthly total.

March 3rd: 34) Mother’s Day* - DVD (Rental - Library); What turned out to be Garry Marshall’s final directorial effort, Mother’s Day closes out a loose trilogy known for a rotating cast of big stars. And while I find all three simply harmless, this final entry isn’t even the best of THAT group. Scenes that feel they should naturally go one way pivot into a different direction and jump elsewhere or sometimes even linger a bit too long before they cut. While the other holiday entries had some decent connected twists at the end, this one lacks that and you can see everything coming from a mile away. Its heart can be in the right place sometimes and some of the cast does have great chemistry with each other, but I just found it mostly falling flat.

March 4th: 35) Logan* - Theater; In the current state of superhero features, Logan felt like something fantastically different: unflinchingly violent and emotionally raw. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the MCU or the DC slate of films, but this goodbye to a character embedded into pop culture for the past 17 years was something that felt right in so many ways. For those who grew up with the character, we received a more adult tale that at the same time feels truer to the comic book character with no restrictions in place to appeal to a PG-13 rating. He is every bit the previously tortured soul, even more so now given events that unfold, with an additional desire to avoid any new loyalties or attachments to newcomers, and the western-like tone drives home that personality even more. You feel for every relationship in the film, whether it be one that has developed for years or one with a young mutant he just became responsible for. Every bit of action is hard hitting. The central plot even has ties to Wolverine at his beginning that feels fitting, while also introducing us to a new central character Laura that shines just as brightly as he does – hell she even steals the show at various points. All of this combines into a farewell to Jackman’s portrayal that is as memorable as it is touching.

36) Woman In Gold* - Streaming (Netflix); You could probably lose track of how many “based on a true story” films there are in a year and this 2015 release fell through the cracks for myself. It starts off rather slow as the movie establishes how the story is going to be told, which frequently jumps back and forth between main storylines that start in the 1940s and the late 1990s while also visiting the 1920s as well. But once things settle and the characters start to actually grow close, an emotionally driven plot takes form and brings out fantastic performances from Ryan Reynolds, Helen Mirren and Tatiana Maslany. It never escapes some cliches nor its delayed start, but the backstory of Mirren’s character demands attention as the flashbacks unfold. It is a mixed effort, but one that has some impressive elements difficult to ignore.

March 11th: 37) Kong: Skull Island* - Theater; It’s been 12 years since King Kong’s last cinematic endeavor and the iconic movie creature is back on the big screen. I went in expecting a fun action movie and that’s exactly what I received. It’s not perfect; I do wish some characters were fleshed out better than their archetypes. But there was something about the fantastic visuals from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the strong war movie atmosphere battling the action-adventure aspects and the reinvention of the classic Kong story that left me feeling impressed. For a character around for the better part of a century, of course it can’t shake some familiar beats from previous installments. But for everything it tries to do and can do, I left the theater satisfied.

38) Hands of Stone* - Streaming (Netflix); In the decent handful of great boxing movies, this one doesn’t exactly touch the classics. Hands of Stone certainly tells an intriguing tale about a big name in boxing with a solid cast, but there is a number of times the film doesn’t know how it wants to tell the events. Often, we change perspectives from our central character of Roberto Duran to that of trainer Ray Arcel and to a smaller degree Sugar Ray Leonard, which crowds up the man under the magnifying glass. While we start from Ray’s point of view, we then shift to Duran’s while volleying back and forth for nearly two hours. This can leave the movie feeling out of focus from the career it wants to tell, while at the same time never quite shedding the typical story skeleton this genre tends to follow. As a whole, the feature doesn’t tend to hit as hard as it wants to even if it does have its moments.

March 16th: 39) Pete’s Dragon* (2016) - Streaming (Netflix); I was raised as a Disney loving child from an early age and yet the original Pete’s Dragon was never a staple in my household. I’ve always tended to shy away from its weirdness (for which I shall leave Practical Folks’ Drunk Disney to highlight here) but was drawn to the live action/animation blend. However, with Disney knocking it out of the park in regards to remakes lately, I was intrigued by this retelling of the cult classic despite just an okay box office opening stateside. And what transpires is a solid, kid-friendly adventure film that shines brightest when focusing on the friendship of Pete and Elliot. There’s something wonderfully heartfelt between the two throughout that David Lowery captures beautifully, evoking similar tones to that of Hiccup and Toothless’ bond in How To Train Your Dragon. The adults serve well and the fish out of water story is fun, but the true weight of the story is best felt with the aforementioned. While not my favorite entry in the remake era, Lowery does an admirable effort of turning a zany musical comedy into an emotional mix of fantasy, comedy and character-driven drama.

March 23rd: 40) Burnt* - DVD (Rental - Library); A comforting watch for those versed in the world of cooking entertainment. Burnt explores the art of fine dining and the passion behind it, even if it’s not a completely riveting journey along the way. Boasting an all-star cast, don’t completely buy into everyone who is on the box art; Lily James and Alicia Vikander, for example, show up for all of two scenes. Once you get past its eccentricities, there is a central cast of about four or five characters that can really shine - with Bradley Cooper giving it his all as lead. Whether or not you can get into the movie, however, lies on your interest about Cooper’s main pursuit. Perhaps a bit too clean of a story in the end and definitely quite crowded, it was still a valid viewing that simply did not come close to my favorites this month.

March 27th: 41) Independence Day: Resurgence* - Streaming (HBO Go); People tried to warn me, didn’t they? What I didn’t expect was to like the first part of the movie ,though. It sets up an interesting introduction and I was actually into it. But the most ironic thing is that once the aliens attack again is where I found the movie to lose itself. It makes dumb decision after dumb decision, killing off people you were surprised made it out of the first film. The mix of practical and computer effects are gone, drowning you in a sea of special effects and CGI sets that really feel out of place the closer you reach the end credits. Add in some unnecessary subplots and characters, and I finally understand why many were complaining last summer. Sure the first one is a popcorn film, but it manages to find a find balance of its premise, campiness and action. This one simply makes too many bad choices, with a majority of the invasion tactic being “do what we did last time” and scrambling/failing to bounce back when it inevitably doesn’t work. Though it was intriguing to see what became of this world, the end result takes a steep nosedive.

March 31st: 42) Anastasia - Streaming (Netflix); It’s been at least a decade since I’ve seen Anastasia and between the upcoming Broadway adaptation and my friend Lily’s long standing love for the film, on a whim I decided to check it out again. From what I recall, I saw the feature in theaters when I was really young, owned it on VHS, but it never hit home as an all-time favorite of mine. Revisiting it now, it was more of a pleasant surprise as the fairy tale motif really focuses more on our characters than anything. There are the kid-friendly cliches of a comedic relief animal, songs and even some magic but all of it tends to fall to the wayside when comparing to the central stories and relationships. Upon the big reunion the film leads up to, I actually got goosebumps despite knowing it was bound to happen. There’s something fantastic in the deliveries of Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Angela Lansbury and others that boost what could have been a basic tale. The only fault I tend to have is that the villain of Rasputin feels incredibly tacked on, being kept at an arm’s length for the entire plot and creating hurdles that could honestly exist without him. And while the CGI does not hold up nor is the high definition transfer as crisp, the animation has something to admire in the fact that it’s incredibly fluid as there is rarely a moment where the characters’ lines or mannerism are resting. All in all, I’m really happy to have rediscovered Anastasia at an older age as it helped give perspective and appreciation for various elements that I really believe went over my head as a child.

And that was my month of movies for March. April is already starting to look up with a handful of first viewings, with much to share next month. See you then!

What movies did you see in March 2017? Are there any movies you’d highly recommend that I should add to my watchlist? Feel free to drop me an ask or a reply!