#And it's really easy to find stuff in red compared to a lot of other colors

[solradguy]

Sol Guilty Gear Badguy, what is your favorite color?

There isn't a single shade of red that I don't like, so if I had to narrow it down to just one color I'd say like a dark-ish shade of red

But I love a bunch of colors. Here's a palette of my top 5 (not in any particular order):

[sl-vega]

✧It's a Date Then✧

Pairing: Itoshi Rin x Reader

Genre: fluff

Synopsis: Just Rin trying to ask his crush out last minute

The moment the bell rang, Rin sprang from his desk, grabbed his backpack, and burst into a sprint.

Fifteen minutes. He needed to leave for the game in fifteen minutes. That meant he had exactly fifteen minutes—well, more like ten, since he still needed to get his stuff from his locker—to find you, and ask you to the Spring Formal.

Of course I had to leave this for the last minute, he groaned silently, rushing through the hallway. The Spring Formal was tomorrow night. And he’d had so many chances to ask you. The assembly earlier this week where the two of you ended up sitting next to each other (and where your hands brushed his!). That time he saw you at a home game. All of those moments where he stole glances at you in the lunchroom or passed by you in the halls.

But each and every time, he could never seem to tell you

Rin wasn’t dense. He knew what people thought of him. He knew that he was always being compared to his oh-so-perfect older brother.

You, though… everyone adored you.

Not in the way where you were hot enough to get away with being obnoxious or some shit. People liked you because you were nice, kind, and selfless. You took his breath away sometimes. He thought you were incredible.

What am I even doing? He thought. There were probably loads of guys lining up to ask you out. Plus he didn’t even like dances, so what reason would you have to choose him?

He considered backing out, as he slowed himself down. If you said no, it would’ve been a waste of time trying to track you down. No, he told himself. He wasn’t quitting now. So what if you said no? He had the game to distract him later.

But God, if you said yes he thought. He’d finally have a chance with you. All those times where he's caught himself staring at you, all those times where he’d be grinning like an idiot when he thought about your smile… Maybe something could actually come from all that.

Rin picked up the pace again as he ran to your classroom, hoping that maybe you stayed back to help with cleanup, knowing you, you probably did. 

When he ran into the classroom, he didn’t see you, rather, he saw someone else.

“Hey Rin, looking for someone?”

Of course Isagi of all people had to be in here. But for you, he could resist wanting to wipe that smug-ass look off his face for now.

Of course Isagi knew what Rin thought of you, it was pretty easy to notice his ever-stoic teammate blushing and tripping over his words around you.

Snapping him out of his thoughts, Isagi said “She’s outside, she asked me if I knew where you’d be, she’s waiting for you by the bus.”

Rin was silent for a second, considering how to react.

“Thanks…”

“What was that?~”

“Shut up.”

Rin dashed out of the door rushing outside. When he got to the parking lot, he saw you. You were clearly looking for someone. At some point you stopped pacing around, you looked dejected, it was clear the person you were looking for wasn’t in there. He saw you turn around and when the two of you made eye contact, your face lit up. 

God you were so cute. He could’ve sworn his heart almost gave up on him.

“Hey Rin!” 

You smiled at him, beaming.

It was now or never

“H-hey” Fuck, of course he stuttered

“There’s something I want to ask you” the two of you said at the same time.

Rin turned bright red, and you giggled.

“You first,” you said with a chuckle.

He breathed in and out. God I probably look really pathetic right now he thought.

“So the Spring Formal is tomorrow, and I was wondering if you’d want to go with me?” he sped up the last bit, he felt his voice getting higher as he asked you the question.

You smiled. 

“Of course I’ll go with you Rin.”

He had to resist pumping his fist then and there, he already made a total fool of himself.

“So it’s a date then?” you asked.

“Totally” Rin responded, trying to sound casual. He heard your phone buzz. 

“Sorry I need to get going” you said as you looked down at your phone. Rin could’ve sworn he heard some disappointment in your voice. It gave him a small bit of hope that you felt the same way.

Before you turned around to leave, you gently pecked his cheek. “Good luck with your game by the way.” you said, with your face slightly flushed. You waved goodbye as you walked away.

It took him a second to register what happened. Then, it hit him. First of all, his crush agreed to go to the dance with him, second of all you kissed him. 

A date huh?

[greynvms]

Colour theory with the main cast

Basically, there are two main trios in Assassination Classroom, atleast that’s what I believe :

• Nagisa, Karma, and Kayano

• Nagisa, Karma, and Korosensei

And I just find it so ironic that they also have the most popular colours as their hair colour, but like, why not go into depth about it?

 

Nagisa, Karma, and Korosensei are obviously more well known; literally, most official art is based on them (excluding manga fanart in this).

Also, their main colours are the primary colours (red, yellow, and blue); it’s almost as if they were designed to be remembered like that. Most people learn the primary colours at a young age, and it’s a very easy concept, kind of like it’s easy to understand that these three are the main focus. Plus, Karma and Nagisa naturally have their hair coloured (wow, what a shocker). and Korosensei made himself that for reasons I genuinely forgot, but I think... it was so he could be more presentable looking to the class. Yeah, I really don’t know.

They have quite a bit of stuff focusing on the three of them (when they went to the cinema in Hawaii and how the whole class civil arc was focused on Nagisa and Karma fighting to get their opinion on how they should deal with Korosensei in the future). In addition to that, they’re the three characters with the most screen time and are ranked the most popular in the fandom:

Going back to the colors, they have almost the exact same traits as their main colour.

• Korosensei: inspires, optimistic, energetic, creative, kind of egotistical (?) and the list really goes on.

• Nagisa: loyal, relatively calm, reliable, pretty responsible, passive, etc. (also, the idiom "out of the blue" really does suit him).

• Karma: strength, attention (shown clearly in the class civil war), courage, confidence, and aggression (again, the idiom "seeing red" fits him when the class starts to argue about killing or saving Korosensei).

Now, in comparison to Nagisa, Karma, and Kayano, they're a completely different story. Although the three are known, Nagisa and Karma are obviously more popular (as shown before in the old ranking chart), and their scenes together as a trio isn't a lot, as well as official art (since Korosensei is in quite a lot of them), most I've seen is promotional material, like merch or the Blu-ray CD covers.

Clearly, they're not the primary colours—at least not for paint, that is. They are the main additive colours, which are basically the colours that produce white light and are used for laptop, phone, or iPad screens, so it's a bit trickier for people to get their heads around compared to red, blue, and yellow for paint. It's as if they're right there, but you can't see them; they're not obvious, but they are indeed there.

Now here's where the true comparison comes in: Kayano and Korosensei are not naturally their “colour”. Kayano dyed her hair from black to green, and Korosensei personally decided to become yellow when he could've very well picked any other color. With that, Korosensei is genuine about the traits he has that are shared with the colour yellow, while Kayano is not genuine and it's all an act (except negative traits like inexperience and possibly envy), but slowly she gains those green color traits throughout the show, especially after her whole arc (growth especially, encouragement, generosity, etc).

Overall, even though Nagisa, Karma and Korosensei are the main focus of the animanga, Nagisa, Karma and Kayano truly do drive the narrative forward and do play key roles (not saying Korosensei doesn’t he definitely does).

I just found this really interesting, and I live for colour analysis in characters, so yeah 😯

[yurislotusgarden]

Hii! could I request ranpo and chuuya with a fem s/o who makes cute bento boxes for their lunch at work? (I was curious on how this would go, feel free to add any details you want!)

My bento!

ʚїɞ Separately! Nakahara Chuuya, Ranpo Edogawa, Sigma x F!Reader

ʚїɞ Keep in mind English is not my first language, so you may find mistakes!

ʚїɞ word count: 1764 (Chuuya - 537, Ranpo - 664, Sigma - 561)

ʚїɞ Have Sigma as an extra bcs my ass forgot it was meant to be Ranpo instead of him after I was done with Chuuya's part

ʚїɞ Tw’s: None! Just pure fluff, pet names are used (barely), reader’s gender is not specified that much

Nakahara Chuuya!

ཐིཋྀ He loves the bentos so much, well more like the fact that you take time to make them for him

ཐིཋྀ Tries to always eat them

ཐིཋྀ Once, when you started making them, he didn’t eat the food because he was so busy that day, and when he had a little free time, Chuuya decided it was a better idea to go on a stress smoke break (He tries to limit smoking to the minimum he can if you don’t like smoking/the fact that he does it. He knows it’s because you care about his health)

ཐིཋྀ It ended with you fussing over him eating almost nothing that day and he doesn’t like causing you stress or making you worry so he makes sure to eat those bentos😭

ཐིཋྀ He may be an executive but this man is not embarrassed at all to eat those bentos in front of people, no matter how colorful or cutesy the food looks

ཐིཋྀ Food is food, he’s not gonna not eat cause you to worry just because the bento is one that doesn’t look like someone like him would eat

///////////////

“Lad, may I ask where do you get those bentos from?”

It was a long time since Kouyou noticed Chuuya’s bentos, and she tried to ignore just how much she wanted to try one. The only reason why she didn’t is because she doesn’t know where he is getting them from.

The young woman looked at many shops in Yokohama and saw a few places with similar bentos, but it was easy to see that none of the stores were the ones where Chuuya kept getting his lunch from.

…She really wanted one for herself, especially with how obvious it was that they were delicious, kept quiet about it tho.

Chuuya turned towards the older woman, whom he came to see as an older sister over the years.

“They’re not bought from a shop.”

“You don’t buy them?”

“Not a single one of them. Actually,-”

Kouyou was confused. Where did he get a bento from every single day? She knows the younger of the two probably wouldn’t bother spending his free time making food for lunch definitely a day before, even if he did, it wouldn’t be so colorful or detailed. There were even rice balls decorated as bears and stuff, it obviously took time to make one. But if he wasn’t buying them,  then the only other option that came to her mind was-

“- [Name] makes them for me.”

“She does?”

“Yeah, and she’s yet to make one I dislike.”

It all makes sense now to the red-haired woman. You have more free time most of the time compared to Chuuya, and you were probably aware of the eating habits he had before.

The fact that you take time, quite a lot it seems if Kouyou was to guess, the bentos are even detailed, in a very cute style if she was to say, made a smile appear on her face.

“Mhm, you wanna try?”

“How could I refuse such an offer?”

The food was even better than she thought. Kouyou made a mental note to ask you if you would have a problem with making two bentos from time to time.

Edogawa Ranpo!

ཐིཋྀ Another reason as to why he’s dating you -you give extra homemade sweets to the Bentos-

ཐིཋྀ He doesn’t even need to try to remember to eat it because he ends up eating it before lunch anyway -the reason behind you making more than one bento usually-

ཐིཋྀ He fucking boasts to everyone about the food😭

ཐིཋྀ “See what I have here? HAHA! Something you don’t and probably never will!” ← totally not Ranpo to anyone else -and totally not him to Dazai and Atsushi about the fact that they will probably never have homemade food like him-

ཐིཋྀ Don’t make the bentos with him in the kitchen unless you have prepared double the amount of food you plan to use. He uses any opportunity to snack on the not-ready-yet bentos

ཐིཋྀ BUT! He will share with you if he notices you’re hungry or just generally wanna eat it <3

///////////////

“C’mon give me just a little piece!”

“Nope! [Name] made it for me! Make your own if you want a bento at work, Yosano-san!”

“I can’t make such a bento Ranpo-san!”

“Not my problem!”

With a pout, the brunette turned his chair away, trying to eat his food in peace. It’s one of his favorite bentos! You put his favorites in this one! The only thing he doesn’t like in it is the veggies which Ranpo would ignore or throw out but he knows that he won’t get his favorite candy made by you anytime soon if he does (the others will snitch if he throws them out, especially Dazai and Yosano they did that the one and only time he did so. He learned a lesson from that after you didn’t cook his favorite like you said you would that morning)

Ranpo could practically feel the eye-roll done by Yosano. “It’s not like it’s the only bento you had today.” It’s true, he ate a similar one 2 hours earlier. “Doesn’t matter. It’s my bento either way.” A sigh came from the woman.

And right when one would think his problem was solved, another arrived. 

“Ranpo-san! What an interesting bento you have there!”

“Go away Dazai. I’m not giving you a single piece of my food!”

“Oh c’mon! You can spare a little!”

“Nope! Especially not when it’s [Name]’s cooking!”

Seriously, can’t they leave him alone? He knows your cooking is good, everyone at the agency knows that! But he wishes that you’d never let Dazai taste your food. The bandaged man has horrible eating habits, you both know that, and yet he always tries to get his hands on Ranpo’s bentos. The audacity!

Ranpo could tell that Dazai's annoying mouth was about to open again before someone interrupted him.

"I can make bentos for you too if you like them so much, Dazai-san"

Isn't that his angel who came to visit him at his oh-so-tiring job? Lovely timing, if Ranpo was to say, but there was one problem.

Among ‘hello’s and ‘hi’s from others upon noticing you, gasps could be heard, from 2 men specifically.

"You would do that for me?!"

"Excuse me?!"

What is this?! There's no way that you’re gracing anyone else with the perfection that are your his bentos!

“Hm?” It’s easy to see for anyone in the room that you were confused.

“[Name]-chan, if you could be so nice, could I ask for a bento with cra-”

“No no no! Shut up Dazai! She’s not making you any bentos! In your dreams!”

In the end, while Ranpo and Dazai at first thought that you wouldn’t make the taller brunette a bento after your conversation at that moment, you indeed did as a surprise. 

The best detective in the world didn’t like that but he allowed you to after bribing him and reminding him that if you can get Dazai to eat, you will, no matter if Ranpo will allow you to make a bento for him or not.

Dazai's happy scream the next day could probably be heard throughout the whole building.

Sigma!

ཐིཋྀ He didn’t think he’d be able to adore you more than he already does, and yet you found a way to make him do so

ཐིཋྀ He tries to eat the bentos every day but it isn’t that rare that he forgets about eating altogether when faced with a mountain of paperwork or problems in the casino

ཐིཋྀ He loves how they look and taste. He, at one point, will ask if you can teach him how to cook. Like not even necessarily a bento, just to learn since he doesn’t want the kitchen to end up in flames one day, he’s aware he sucks at cooking

ཐིཋྀ He probably would be a little embarrassed by eating it. Not because of how colorful or cutesy they are, but because of the looks he gets from people who see it. 

ཐིཋྀ The stares aren’t criticizing or anything, others just don’t expect that their boss/the manager of the casino would eat food that looks like that

ཐིཋྀ Someone was probably jealous because he has homemade bentos like that and they have some store-bought sandwiches 💀

///////////////

“It’s mine actually. Sorry, I forgot to take this from here earlier.”

The man standing in front of the bar was shocked.

He’s been sitting there and drinking not too much for some time now. At one point he noticed the bartender taking out a bento from under the bar, the lid see-through enough to see the food inside. He has to say, the detail and overall look were very cute, it definitely took time to make it look so.

The man had thought that the bento was made by someone for the bartender (In his mind it was a fair thought as he didn’t think that one could buy a bento like that anywhere close to a place like this. Especially if you work there).

The slightly shorter man changed his thought upon noticing that the bartender didn’t touch the food he had taken out (later on the lunch break he took out something else to eat)

Around 2 hours after the lunch break, -the bento still untouched, he noticed- the man decided to finally ask, curiosity winning over after all the time spent at the bar seat.

“Excuse me, who is the owner of the bento? I couldn’t help but notice that it hasn’t been touched at all.”

And he really chose the worst time to ask that question didn’t he? Right as the person to whom the bento belonged to, came.

“I-It’s yours sir?”

“Yes, why?”

How is he supposed to answer? That he didn’t think that such a cute-looking bento -that if he could he would consider stealing, it looks delicious and definitely better than his sandwich- can belong to the ever so stoic and calm manager of the sky casino?

“No reason! Was just that curious, that’s all! after all, the bento was lying here for the past, almost, 3 hours by now.”

“Ah, understandable then”

The bi-colored-haired man turned to the bartender, who was already giving the box over to him.

“Thank you for keeping it here for me, Shuichi-kun”

“no problem, Sigma-san. [Name]-san also told me to tell you-”

Yeah, the man needs a break from the confusion and shock for the next week.

And Sigma? He’s just happy you leave the bentos somewhere he can take them from when you know he’s busy.

Notes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated <3

Do not copy or translate my works on/to any site

[cutedice]

Luffy, Usopp + Buggy w/ an so (gn) who is SO INCREDIBLY SILLY

Like the so is basically a jester. a little fella. just mindless entertaining fun 24/7 with this guy.

((Anon. You are my new favorite anon ever.))

When the S/O is Silly!

Characters: Luffy, Usopp, Buggy Warnings: None, fluff.

Everything is GN!

LUFFY

- He's all for the goofy behavior.

- Seriously, if you can make him smile he's 100% already vibing with you and you make him smile constantly.

- He's always ready to play with you or just listen to you tell jokes.

- People already compare him to the sun, and he never really understood that until he met you.

- He also 100% has a prank war going with you. It's endearing at first but now it's an actual war and the other Strawhats have been picking sides.

- So far you're winning, much to his annoyance. But, he can't pout for too long when he hears your laugh and looks over to be met with such a warm expression on your face.

- If you want an easy way to get to him when he is in a mood, physical comedy gets him a lot. He's a sucker for slapstick. Slip on a banana peel for the man.

- He'll always make sure you aren't hurt afterwards, so no worries! He just... has to stop laughing first.

- You can pout at him all you want after, but it won't do much.

- "C'mon, (Y/N)! You just- and- and the noise you made--" and he's hunched right back over losing his mind.

- Come on, how could you stay mad at him? Well, you can't! Because he finds it so funny, he tries to replicate it so you can see what he saw.

- Ends with you both lying on the deck, cheeks red and heads fuzzy from the lack of air, but genuinely enjoying each others company so much.

- Luffy wouldn't trade the feeling for the world.

USOPP

- Let's be real, he appreciates comedy. And, while he loves childish jokes and acts he also enjoys most other forms (except Robin's).

- But he loves yours!

- He makes a lot of self deprecating jokes at himself, it's his fall back and, while he doesn't do it enough to be concerning, he also doesn't hold back.

- But, none of those jokes last long when you're around!

- Cheesy pickup lines always get him to laugh. Sometimes you might get a blush or a bashful turn-away, but he's always laughing and fighting back chuckles.

- He loves hearing you add onto his tall tales. Commit to this man's bits!! He will love you!

- Get's even more entertaining if you act it out with impressions, play it up with him! Be nerds! Drama kids!

- You can't play any acting game together because you just wind up laughing too much to participate.

- One of his secret favorite things you do to make him laugh is when you sit in his little corner with him and purposely put something together wrong.

- "Y/N, pfft, I- I asked you to make a cube! How- how'd you make a triangle? Where- where's the other piece?"

- This situation is a win all around because it makes him laugh, he gets an ego boost in helping you, and if you really don't know how to build stuff or don't want to then he'll never know!

BUGGY

- As a clown himself, Buggy has been known to appreciate the finer forms of comedy.

- So, needless to say if you throw a pie at someone you're already a star in his book.

- Okay, he might be a little more mature than that and the pie might have to be well timed, but a well time pie throw is still a win! Really, if your timing is pretty good you'll land most jokes with him.

- Not to say everything needs to be timed. Sometimes silly things just happen with him.

- He's a walking shenanigans magnet and if you can double down on that and make it a positive thing for him he'll adore you.

- Plus, you so graciously taking the butt of the captain's jokes and pranks has the rest of his crew and Alvida praising you (mostly due to their mild annoyances to them).

- Buggy does pull pranks by the way. Constantly. But, he always, without fail, get's flustered when you catch him trying to set one up or mid-lie.

- Full body, red faced, you swear you can hear steam coming out of his ears. But, he always ends up laughing with you afterwards. It's funny once he looks back on the scene after a few minutes of denial and he can admit that much at least.

- And, you never laugh at him. Well, not in a bad way. He gets defensive, he's got a sensitive ego and he's greedy; but you only see him as... well, your fun partner in crime!

- That's right. If you've got the confidence to go head-to-head with him then you're officially his partner in crime! You don't really get a choice in this, he'll drag you along with his plans.

- Of course, he takes all the credit for any joke he might pull on the crews. He doesn't want you to get in trouble. Plus, he gets mild entertainment watching them treat you like your innocent.

- It's like having a spy on the inside as you come back to him with everyone's plans and schedules, and you two have a late night planning session.

- "So, if Alvida and Mohji are on the island that leaves--" he turns to face you for some help only to see you mid air plane throw at his head.

- You maintain eye contact for a moment before he grins and suddenly a hand is on your side, tickling you into surrender. "Hah! Try and best me again I dare you!"

[chimerafeathers]

thinking about Frieren and Dungeon Meshi today and just remembered seeing a post/comment or two saying that people have no reason to compare the two stories since they have nothing in common except being non-isekai fantasy. different tones, different pacing, different themes, etc.

i don't know if whoever said that were dunmesh manga readers or not, but i kinda assume they were making judgments based purely on however much of the anime was released at the time, because i think about how similar these stories are a LOT, actually.

[spoilers for the dungeon meshi manga below, and a little bit of frieren manga]

i think that's a pretty fair assessment to make based JUST on the "prologue"/setup arc leading up to the red dragon. while some of the main themes are very in-your-face, others are still being woven into the characters and established much more subtly, and we don't get the full weight and payoff for that early work until later into the story.

Frieren establishes its identity within the first episodes and never drastically deviates from that first impression. on the other hand, dunmesh takes its time to build its foundation...but instead of using it as groundwork to build a house above, it then leads you into the depths of the dungeon below.

the stuff about conflicts between long-lived and short-lived races seem like just jokes/banter and a touch of political worldbuilding, in the beginning, but that tension is absolutely central to both Marcille and Kabru's arcs. both Frieren and dunmesh are about elves facing their (near) immortality in contrast with the brief mortality of their companions.

I think about the ways Frieren, with a thousand years of life behind her, carries the memories of those she's outlived along with her and all the ways she emulates them to preserve their lives and values. I think about the way Marcille, with a thousand years of life ahead of her, clings so tightly to the people she holds dear and fears the future she sees beyond their deaths.

I think about the way Serie talks about training Flamme on a whim, casually dismissive of short human lifespans. I think of the way Kabru resents the way elves treat short-lived species like children and fights so desperately for their agency and right to speak on the same level as the rest, fully informed of the dangers that threaten them all instead of being left in the dark.

beyond that, too--you can really feel that these series come from a place of love for the genres that inspired them. dunmeshi's speculative biology for the monsters and the ecosystem they're a part of, the exploration of how and why different races get different "stat" bonuses (dwarven constitution, half-foot perception, tall-man versatility, elven/gnomish magical affinity), the side comic about "Grease" as a starter spell--all obviously come from deep knowledge and affection for D&D and/or similar rpgs.

meanwhile, Himmel gives thoughtful weight to doing "side quests" for paltry rewards--they help because they're heroes, but they accept scraps and useless items for rewards because no one wants to feel pitied or indebted to anyone. he says they "went the wrong way" if they find the stairs to the next floor in a dungeon, because the "right" way is to explore every nook and cranny first before you progress. it would be very easy to mock how annoying fetch quests are, or make the dungeon bit a pure joke--but this is a story that relishes the process and the journey of it all, down to the smallest detail and silliest quest.

flashbacks to Falin being achingly kind and gentle, and also strange and awkward. flashbacks to Himmel being blindingly heroic and noble, and also vain and goofy.

these are both stories about the weight of death and loss and the things we'll do to see our loved ones one last time, when we are destined and doomed to outlive them. they're about the joy of the journey even when it's painful, thriving on silliness even when things are "serious," and loving the people in your life knowing you will lose them, and how you carry them with you when they're gone. dunmeshi is heavier on the comedy side of things, but both have their fair share of emotional gutpunches, and their themes and values mirror each other.

all this to say, these stories are holding hands.

[bots-and-cons]

Knockout has once again gone out to street race again, but finds a somewhat friendly rivalry with a fleshie. Maybe even more than just friendly competition as they peak his interest and continue to meet up after races (he uses his holoform to hang out with them). I’d like to think that their odd little relationship would start with Knockout being in the lead and then suddenly the reader zooms past em. After the race they drive up next to him and compliment his alt mode. Knockout thanks em and leaves, and then after that they start seeing each other very often during and after street races.

(Gn reader, can be platonic or romantic, any format, I don’t rlly have a pref)

Oooh, I like this, I hope I did your idea justice. I'm tired so this might not be very cohesive, but I wanted to post something today since I need to do school work tomorrow and I have an appointment with my psych-nurse as well

•Knockout was going to one of the races again, and he saw a car there he hadn’t seen before

•He of course ended up getting paired up with this newbie, and he figured it would be an easy win, maybe even a boring race

•In his experience the newbies weren’t very good at racing and were usually just some kids who wanted to show off to their friends

•But as it happens, you win and he’s pretty in awe at your driving skills, like the way you drifted around that one bend? Perfection

•You though the red sports car you had gone up against had a very cool look and the driver was very skilled, so you wanted to tell them that

•you drove up next to him and rolled down your window, telling him it was a good race and that you’d love to race him again

•Knockout of course loves getting compliments and he tells you you’re a very good driver also and he’s up for a rematch any time

•You start meeting at the races and eventually Knockout even uses his holoform, so he can hang out with you

•He doesn’t usually really take to humans, but your skills behind the wheel have impressed him and he wants to get to know you

•Also your car is super cool looking, not quite as good looking as his alt mode but close enough for him to consider it cool

•You were a bit weirded out at first since he would only speak to you from inside the car, not even scrolling down his window, but when you met him (well his holoform at least) you thought he was interesting and wanted to get to know him

•You ended up talking a lot after the races, sometimes sitting on the hood of your car until sunrise, just talking about anything and everything

•You end up racing a lot too, sometimes you win, sometimes he wins, and you always analyze your races afterwards, comparing your driving styles and stuff like that

•You find his sense of humor a bit odd, and he sometimes says some weird things, like “Oh Primus” which you’ve taken to mean something similar to “Oh god”

•He’s a funny guy, a bit odd and self centered for sure, but you find him interesting

[not-poignant]

hi pia how are you? im not a native english speaker and wanted to ask you, when you wrote that caleb is negging faber its not like flirting but manipulation? 😅 i tried looking up the definition. im rereading utr (my fav spin-off i am eagerly waiting for) and would an example of negging be when caleb comments on faber looking like an omega? i thought it was more him talking out loud tbh. or is it when he says about fabers sex toy, one that he didnt give up on? 😂 i really like him haha

Hi anon!

Yes! Your example is spot on - re: commenting on Faber looking like an omega. I'll give you (and others) some more examples, because I think it's definitely worth talking about in general!

I really like Caleb, but he doesn't always speak to Faber very encouragingly in Underline the Red, and some examples are here. He often gives back-handed compliments - things that make Faber feel 'lesser' while making it seem like a compliment at the same time.

It would be like if a guy said something like 'wow that's such a weird laugh, it's so brave of you to laugh like that in public.' It's not really a compliment.

While Caleb doesn't go that far, exactly, he definitely says some things that put Faber in an insecure headspace and keep him there:

‘You taste great,’ Caleb said. ‘But fine, shower then. You’re a prissy little thing, aren’t you?’ Faber had heard far worse his whole life. ‘Yes, I am.’

This happens early on, and Faber takes it as an insult that 'slides off him' (i.e. had heard far worse means he doesn't think it's great, but it's also not going to turn him off). Prissy is not a good thing to be called in general! It's a term for someone who is uptight, and annoyingly fussy - and usually effeminate in nature).

‘It’s pretty. That blond red, I like it. Pretty like all of you. It’s so easy to imagine you’re an omega.’ Faber didn’t tense, but the words slid through him uneasily. Was that what Caleb was doing? He couldn’t find an omega, so he settled for a slighter, leaner beta?

This - Caleb has no reason to bring up omegas as often as he does, and Faber already knows that alphas prefer omegas (and Caleb makes it clear that he prefers omegas). So he's already making it seem like in order to get through sleeping with Faber, he's going to pretend he is one -> This makes it sound like he's not really wanting to accept Faber for who he is.

He could say anything: 'I'm so excited to sleep with a beta' or 'it's my first time, you'll have to help me' or 'You're so pretty' but he adds on a little sting right at the end - it's so easy to imagine you're something you're not.

This kind of 'negging' implies that Faber isn't good enough as he is, while also praising him for being close to it.

And from Faber's reaction, we see he doesn't like it, and it makes him very insecure.

‘Your ass gives a whole new meaning to the word tight,’ Caleb said, sounding a little impatient. ‘It really is much easier with omegas.’ It was a criticism that Faber wasn’t prepared to handle...

Complaining/being impatient on this, and comparing Faber to omegas in an unfavourable way, while also using the compliment of 'tight' is another example of a back-handed compliment. It's not being 'tight' that Faber notices here, it's being told that sex for Caleb is easier with omegas.

There's a couple of other examples - Caleb complaining that it's going to take 'so long' to work open Faber (in comparison to omegas) etc. so the constant 'I'm comparing you to omegas and you're not always measuring up' is happening in the background.

Now don't get me wrong, Caleb also just straight up praises him! He calls him perfect, he actually says a lot of very complimentary stuff. But it's a lot harder to take those comments at face value, when some of his comments have been quite back-handed, or been the kind of compliments that aren't really just straightforward compliments.

This is combined with the fact that Faber wants to be an omega, and feels very insecure about not being one, so all those veiled kind of 'this is harder for me because you're not an omega' compliments hit Faber really hard. He's just pretty good at masking it!

I also think Caleb does some of this on purpose. I think while he's very nurturing with omegas, Faber's not an omega as far as he's concerned, he doesn't have to be as nice and attentive as he normally would for a one night stand.

Caleb and Faber have great chemistry, but they also have some stuff to work out between them. Caleb starts from a position of valuing Faber less because he's a beta, and Faber starts from a position of not valuing himself much, and so taking all of that very much to heart.

We'll see more of how this plays out in future chapters! But for all that their chemistry in the bedroom is really magical (like they are definitely a hot couple!), their relationship as it starts to unfold definitely has some areas that need communication.

They're one of my favourite pairings and the reason I've actually stopped posting chapters is so that when their story is ready (because it properly picks up after Underline the Black), I won't have to put it in hiatus during a really angsty part!! And I can write it more steadily :D

[rainisawriter]

Lassie 🎃⚔️ Pumpkin Spice

Genre: Fluff, comedy, romance, halloween

Word Count: 4,264

Pairing: Reader x Lassie

Group: White Rascals

World: High&Low

A/N: This was written for my Highloween set back in October of 2022.

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Autumn has always been your favorite time of year and you often wonder how anyone could hate it. It’s not cold like winter or hot like summer and everyone is getting ready for the spooky season. Pumpkins are literally everywhere, the leaves change into beautiful shades of orange and red, and everything just feels less serious and stressful. During Autumn, it was quite difficult to put you in a bad mood because of how much you enjoyed the season and everything that came with it. More than anything, though, you loved the taste of pumpkin spice. There was nothing more enjoyable than a fresh batch of pumpkin spice cookies with chocolate chips!

When you first moved to Japan, you had to adjust to a lot of things because of how different it was from your home country, but the thing you missed most was the overabundance of pumpkin spice during the spooky season. It’s true that you could find a handful of products with said spice, but it was nothing compared to back home where nearly everything had a pumpkin spice variant. People go nuts for it and, honestly, they put it into things that it really has no business being part of. No matter how much you love it, you simply can’t support those weirdos that think pumpkin spice belongs on pizza!

It’s even become a meme online with thousands of images cropping up each year. As with anything, once something becomes overhyped and popular, it starts to gain a bad reputation but that didn’t really bother you. The spice spoke for itself, in your opinion.

You hummed softly as you relaxed on the couch sitting atop Oya Koukou’s roof, scrolling through your phone as you looked for the perfect recipe. The problem is that there are hundreds of recipes, each with only slight variations to them. How are you supposed to know which one is the best? It’s not like you can try them all.

“You seem to be in high spirits today.”

You glanced over at Tsukasa who sat at the other end of the couch. “I am because my package finally arrived this morning, right as I was leaving the apartment. I was starting to get worried that it wouldn’t even arrive until after Halloween… damn customs.”

Fujio glanced up from where he sat atop several wooden pallets, his hand holding several playing cards. “What’s in it?”

Jamuo sat across from him, gaze focused on his own cards as he tried to figure out which one to set down. “It must be important to have worked you up so much.”

“My friend back home sent me a bunch of pumpkin spice.”

“Oh.” Fujio’s brow furrowed as if he were disappointed, but he was actually just concentrating on his next move. “Is it true that people are really obsessed with that stuff where you’re from?”

“Hm, I wouldn’t say obsessed, really,” you mused, tilting your head back to look at the baby blue sky above. “It’s become part of meme culture, so it’s easy to think that and we really do push the limits of what we can add it to. It’s usually only around during Autumn, though. No one really mentions it or uses it any other time of the year.”

“What are you gonna make with it?” Jamuo wondered, setting down the last card in his hand before jumping up, his arms in the air. “I win!”

“What? How?” Fujio scowled, glancing from his hand to the table and back again. “I was so close… ugh!”

You chuckled as you watched the pair, shifting on the couch. “Pumpkin spice cookies with chocolate chips. It’s my favorite Autumn snack so I wanted to make some for Lassie. I’m a bit nervous, though… I’ve never made them from scratch before. They usually come pre-made or ready to bake.”

“Are you worried that you’ll mess them up?” Tsukasa wondered, quirking a brow at you. “Or are you worried that he won’t like them?”

“Both. The first time you try a new food can really impact how you view that food in the future. I don’t want to be the reason he comes to hate pumpkin spice when he might actually like it if it’s made correctly…” You frowned, picking at a loose thread on your clothes.

“And?” he prompted, making you sigh.

“You read me too well, Tsukasa. It’s annoying.”

“Right?” Fujio scowled at the blonde.

Jamuo sat back down, turning on the empty oil drum he sat on top of so he could face you. “What else is bothering you, Y/N-chan?”

“Well…” you hesitated, biting your lip. “How do I say this… Lassie is from the White Rascals and you know how they are. They’re obsessed with never hurting women. More than him not liking it, I’m worried that he’ll lie to me and say he loves it just to spare my feelings. That’s way worse than not liking it, in my opinion.”

Fujio hummed, folding his arms over his chest. “Most people would be happy with that, right? It means he loves you enough to lie.”

“But lies can hurt more than the truth,” Jamuo added with a frown. “It’s like they’re saying you’re too weak for the truth.”

“Exactly, Jamjam,” you sighed. “He always treats me like I’m some fragile creature that will break at the slightest jolt. He never tells me the truth if he thinks it might hurt my feelings, it’s so frustrating!”

“Have you told him this?” Tsukasa inquired, sending you a look. Your silence was the only answer he needed. “How is he supposed to know how you feel if you don’t tell him?”

“I… may be a bit insecure. Lassie is the type that wants to take care of his partner completely. If I challenge that… he might move on to someone who won’t.”

“Then it’s his loss!” Fujio smacked his hand on the table, sending cards scattering across the rooftop. “Who breaks up with someone over something like that anyway? You’re worrying for nothing, Y/N!”

“Maybe.”

Tsukasa scooted closer, putting his arm around you. “No matter what happens, you’ll always have us.”

You glanced around at the smiling faces of your three best friends and chuckled. “What a terrible fate that is.”

“Oi!”

“That’s mean, Y/N-chan!”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Don’t agree with her!” The two boys chorused, glaring at the blonde who only chuckled in reply.

━━━━━━༻🎃⚔️༺━━━━━━

You fell onto the kitchen chair with a tired sigh, closing your eyes as the smell of pumpkin spice cookies filled the room. You had spent the past four hours trying out as many recipes as you could, hoping to make the perfect cookies to share with your boyfriend. There were many failures and the kitchen had been reduced to a baking warzone. Flour coated the counter and the wall, there was cinnamon stuck to your hair, sugar had made itself comfortable on the ceiling and your precious pumpkin spice had been knocked over, forming a small pile on the ground.

Several plates of cookies had been set out on the table and, while they looked almost identical, they varied in taste. Who knew a minor change in ingredients could change the flavor so drastically?

“Woah, what happened in here?”

You glanced to the side, seeing Fujio standing in the doorway with wide eyes. You grinned, giving him a thumbs up. “I won the war, Fuji.”

“You say that, but don’t you have to clean up the mess? Sounds like you lost to me.”

Your smile fell as you realized he was right. “Damn.”

He stepped farther into the kitchen, carefully stepping over an egg you had dropped. “You want me to taste them, right?”

“Only one from each plate.” You sent him a look, pointing your finger at him before approaching the oven to check on the last batch. “I want to choose the best tasting ones for Lassie. You can take the rest to Tsukasa and Jamjam.”

“I’ve never tried pumpkin spice before,” he hummed, picking up a cookie from plate one.

“Make sure you remember which cookie you’re eating!”

“Hai~” He took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened. “So good!”

“Which one?”

“The first one!” He tossed the rest of the cookie into his mouth, dropping crumbs onto the dirty floor.

“Oi, don’t make the mess worse.” You scowled, setting the sixth and final plate onto the table before falling back onto the chair, stretching your body out. You rested your chin in your palm, watching as the black-haired male scarfed down cookie after cookie. You wondered if he was even able to taste them. Once all cookies had been tried, he sat down at the other end of the table, eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest.

Several minutes passed by and you were just about to question him when his eyes finally opened.

“I’ve made my decision,” he told you, expression deadly serious.

You nodded, leaning forward. “Which one is it, Fujio? Tell me.”

He shot up, hands slamming on the table. “Number five…!”

Your gaze fell to plate number five before you reached out for it.

“Is the worst.”

“Eh~?” Your hand dropped to the table. “Oi, I told you to choose the best, not the worst!”

“You can’t have the best without the worst, Y/N-chan.” He wagged his finger at you with a grin. “That’s how they do it on those cooking competitions that my mom always watches.”

“I don’t care. Just tell me which one tastes the best before I kill you.”

“Fine, fine.” Fujio pointed at plate number three. “These taste the best, in my opinion, but all of them are really good.”

Your shoulders relaxed at the compliment and you smiled. “Thank you. I can always count on you.”

“Of course! That’s what friends are for, ne?” He grinned, grabbing a cookie from plate number six.

“I thought six is the worst.”

“It is.” He took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully before grinning again. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not good.”

“You’re so weird,” you chuckled, shaking your head at him as you got up to grab a plastic container for your boyfriend’s cookies. “Here, catch.” You tossed a plastic container at him and he caught it with ease. “Box up everything but plate three.”

“Hai~”

“And you better save some for Tsukasa and Jamjam or I’ll kill you!”

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You gripped the strap of your messenger bag tightly as you descended the stairs into club Heaven. You had never felt very comfortable because the club scene just wasn’t for you. You didn’t like the large crowd of sweaty bodies hitting against each other as they danced and you didn’t like the flashing lights that threatened to blind you. If you had your way, you’d never come here but this is where your boyfriend spent most of his time. It was basically his home.

Your eyes scanned the sea of people, searching for your brown-haired boyfriend. And there he was, sitting at the back of the room with two girls sitting on each side of him. He smiled at them politely as they showered him with compliments and praise, their hands touching any part of him that they could reach.

You frowned, turning around so you could sit at the bar and not have to look at such a scene. You knew deep down that those girls meant nothing to him on a personal level, he was just doing his job and trying to make some lonely women happy. Even so, how could it not bother you at least a little? You didn’t want to be the kind of partner that got all jealous and demanded that he not be with any other woman. Besides, you knew what you were in for when you started dating a White Rascal. You had no right to complain now.

“Good evening, Y/N-san.”

You glanced up at the bartender and smiled. His name is Naoki and he had a mess of hair that stuck up in all directions, defying gravity. It was split down the middle, the left side the color of a raven’s feather and the right side the color of fresh cream. Black eyeliner was thick around his eyes and he had various piercings in his ears and several tattoos that couldn’t be hidden from his open vest. Despite his appearance, he was one of the sweetest of the Rascals and seemed to always know when someone was feeling down.

“Hello, Naoki-san. How is work today?”

He hummed as he grabbed your favorite non-alcoholic beverage, setting it down in front of you. “Today seems to be dragging on for ages. I’m glad it’s almost over.”

“Don’t let Rocky hear you say that,” you chuckled, accepting the drink with a small thank you.

“Of course. I’m not a masochist, you know,” he grinned, leaning his arms across the counter. His eyes flickered over your shoulder to your boyfriend who had yet to notice your presence. “What brings you into the club today? Lassie didn’t say you were stopping by.”

“I didn’t tell him, though maybe I should have…” You frowned, rubbing the back of your neck. Usually, when he knows you’re stopping by, he does his best to avoid being surrounded by women though they always find him even when he avoids them. He’s one of the most popular males among the Rascals, second only to Rocky himself, so it made sense that there would always be women looking for him.

“Maybe so,” he replied softly before tapping the counter and straightening his back. “Ne, why don’t I escort you into the back? You can wait for him there. I know you don’t really like it out here.”

You nodded, giving him a grateful smile as you stood up. “Can I bring my drink?”

“Of course, Y/N-san.” He bowed, one arm across his chest and the other behind his back. With a smile, you picked up the glass, supporting it with your palm so you didn’t drop it as he led you through the crowd and into the back of the club. No one was supposed to be allowed back there except for the Rascals but you had become a bit of an exception. If Rocky or Koo found you, they would lightly scold you, telling you not to let it happen again, but they never made you leave or enforced it. For that, you were thankful.

Naoki led you to a small break room. “I’ll let Lassie know you’re here -“

“Don’t.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t want to bother him,” you smiled sheepishly. “Or take him away from his patrons… I’ll wait, I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” he questioned softly with a frown.

“Positive!” You forced a smile to put him at ease and he nodded.

“Very well, then. I’ll come check on you in a bit.”

“Sure.” You listened to the sound of his footsteps fading down the hall before you shut the door, glancing around the room.

Against the right wall was a comfortable, purple sofa that felt more like a cloud than a piece of furniture and there was an oak coffee table in front of it. Against the left wall and the wall beside the door was a line of vanity tables covered in makeup and hair products. The lights surrounding the mirrors were off since they weren’t being used and you could see your reflection in the glass. In the corner between the left and back wall was a TV sitting on a stand.

You carefully set your messenger bag on the coffee table, knowing that the container of cookies was inside before you settled down on the couch. You considered turning on the TV but decided against it, lying down on your back and tugging your phone from your pocket. You replied to unread messages from the trio, letting them know that you hadn’t given them to him yet but sparing the details as to why. Then you pulled up YouTube, watching videos to pass the time.

━━━━━━༻🎃⚔️༺━━━━━━

You felt fingers brushing against your cheek and your eyes fluttered open, blinking away sleep. It took you a minute for your brain to recall that you were still at the club.

“Did you sleep well?”

You glanced over, seeing Lassie kneeling beside the couch, his fingers resting softly against your cheek. “I fell asleep,” you muttered, pushing yourself up and rubbing at your eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” He pulled himself up so he could sit on the side of the couch, smiling warmly at you. “You’re so cute when you’re sleeping. You even mumbled my name~”

You sent him an embarrassed look. “Liar.”

“Am not! I’ll just have to film it next time~”

“Don’t you dare!” I scowled at him, making him chuckle. “What time is it?”

“It’s morning. The club closed about twenty minutes ago.”

You frowned. “I slept so long…”

He nodded, going quiet for a moment. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Eh?”

Lassie frowned at you, eyes meeting yours. “You always tell me when you’re coming to the club. Why didn’t you call me? And then you got here and still didn’t tell me. You sat back here alone for so long.”

“I wanted to surprise you and then I got here and saw you with…” You cleared your throat, glancing at your messenger bag. “I didn’t want to bother you while you were walking.”

“You could never bother me.” His hands gently cupped your face, bringing his forehead to rest against your own. “You’re the love of my life, Y/N. You are far more important than my job.”

“Rocky might kill you if he hears that,” you joked softly, unable to hold back your smile.

“Then I’ll die a happy man because I have you.”

“Idiot~” You smacked his shoulder. “You’re not allowed to die without me.”

“As you wish, my love.” Lassie pecked your lips but when he pulled away, you followed, tugging him closer by the front of his shirt. He obliged your silent request, pushing against your lips in a slow, sensual manner that had you feeling breathless.

“Lassie?” you whispered softly, lips brushing against his when you spoke.

“Yes?”

You glanced at your bag, biting your lip. Now that you were here in front of him, you weren’t sure you wanted to offer him the cookies. ‘No, I worked hard on them. I have to give them to him,’ you told yourself, shifting on the couch so that you could reach your bag. Lassie watched you curiously as you pulled a small plastic container from the bag, gripping it tightly.

“Will you promise me something?”

“Of course.”

You took a deep breath, turning to meet his gaze. “Promise me that when you try these cookies, you’ll be honest with me even if you hate them.”

His eyes widened at the request, gaze flickering to the container. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes. It hurts when you pretend to like something just to avoid upsetting me. I just want you to be honest.”

“Then I will be. From now on, I’ll be honest with you,” he smiled softly, resting his hand on your thigh.

“Good.” You nodded your head, holding the container out to him. “It’s my first time making these from scratch but I did my best.”

“You made these?” He took the container carefully, tugging the lid from it. The smell of cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin spice filled the room, making his mouth water. “It smells amazing. Are these sugar cookies?”

“No. They’re pumpkin spice.”

“Pumpkin spice?” Lassie blinked, picking up one of the cookies to inspect it.

“I know you’ve never tried it before and it’s okay if you don’t like it. It’s my favorite Autumn treat, so I wanted to share it with you.”

“Itadakimasu,” he said softly before taking a bite of the cookie, holding his other hand beneath it to catch the crumbs. You watched his face closely as he chewed, taking note of his furrowed brow as he considered the flavor. He swallowed, paused a moment, then took another bite, humming thoughtfully.

“Be honest,” you reminded him and he nodded, leaning back against the couch with one leg crossed over the other.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t hate it. It’s a strange taste,” he mused, eating the last of the cookie. “An acquired taste, perhaps.”

“Maybe.”

“I guess I’ll just have to eat the whole container.”

“Eh?” You blinked at him as he picked up another. “You’re not even gonna share with me?”

“You made them for me,” he pouted but it quickly bloomed into a smile as he held the cookie out to you. “Well, you did put in a lot of work. You’ve earned one.”

“Just one?” you chuckled, accepting the cookie. It was like pure bliss from the first bite and you found yourself sighing in contentment, unaware of the loving look your boyfriend was giving you as he watched you. “I guess I can live with that.”

“Thank you, Y/N.” Lassie softly kissed your cheek, sliding his hand into yours. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

“That’s my line.”

“Now you have to promise me something.”

You looked at him curiously, meeting those beautiful brown eyes that you had come to love so much. “What’s that?”

“The next time you come to the club, let me know. Even if I’m with other guests. Promise?”

“I promise.”

Lassie leaned in to kiss you but paused when your phone started to ring from the table. He grabbed it for you, glancing at the caller ID. “It’s your dad.”

“He must’ve just gotten home.” You exchanged the cookie for your phone, pressing it to your ear. “Hello -“

“I’m going to kill you, brat! This kitchen is a mess! Did you have a fight, huh? Were you raised in a barn? I work all night and come home to an absolute mess! How dare you leave the kitchen in this state! No child of mine would be so irresponsible, so stupid! Ah, I know! Someone must have broken in and trashed the kitchen, ne? The trash bandits, ne? Ne, brat?!“

You swallowed hard as you slowly lowered your hand, the sound of your father ranting and raving filling the room. You had completely forgotten about the kitchen because you wanted to get the cookies to Lassie as soon as possible. You hadn’t planned on falling asleep, you had planned to get home before he did and clean up the mess.

“He sounds really angry,” Lassie spoke quietly so your dad wouldn’t hear, a frown on his lips. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” you replied, your voice an octave higher. “I, uh… I might die today, though.”

“Hah? As if I’d let you. Here, let me talk to him.” Before you could react, he plucked the phone from your hand, pressing it to his ear. “Good morning, otou-san. Forgive me for interrupting, but may I ask what has you in such a foul mood?”

You leaned closer to try and hear what was being said, but your dad had started to speak at a normal volume as he often did when talking to anyone other than you so it was hard to make out the words.

“I see.” Lassie sent you a disappointed look. “I can explain, if you’ll allow me to. Y/N wanted to make cookies to thank you for working so hard, but the task proved to be a bit much. Such a mess would be hard to tackle alone, don’t you agree? I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t pick up my phone when Y/N called, so they came down to ask me for help. We were just about to return and clean up the mess when you called… hai, that’s right… We’ll be home soon, otou-san. The mess will be gone by the time you wake up, I assure you… hai. Sleep well.”

You blinked dumbly at your boyfriend as he hung up the phone, handing it back to you.

“Honestly, what were you thinking, leaving such a mess behind?”

“I wanted your cookies to be fresh,” you mumbled, staring at your phone. Your dad was often compared to an angry bear by Fujio, the only other person who had witnessed his true nature. He wasn’t quick to anger unless he was tired and his rage was hard to ease, so how the hell had your boyfriend talked his way out of disaster? It made no sense to you.

“Aw. You knew he would kill you but you still put me first!” He set the container on the table so he could turn toward you, cupping your face and bringing you into a passionate kiss. “What would I do without you?”

“Die, probably,” you joked, making him click his tongue.

“I’m pretty sure you just described yourself. Now, let’s get back to your apartment. We have a lot of cleaning to do.” He stood up and you jumped up after him, grabbing his hand.

“You don’t have to help, Lassie. It’s my mess and you worked all night at the club. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

“I’m never too tired to help you. That’s what being in a relationship means, right?”

You slid your hand into his with a smile. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I always am~” He winked playfully, giving your hand a squeeze.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Lassie. I might have to hit you.”

“You wouldn’t dare~”

He was right, of course, but he didn’t need to know that.

━━━━━━༻🎃⚔️༺━━━━━━

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

-> General Taglist: @asterhaze, @mrskenpachizaraki

[lets-try-some-writing]

🐢 anon is back!! ratchet/team or ratchet/cons dynamics?

thank you :]

Great to see you again anon! Ratchet and Con dynamics coming right up! (I also did a little sketch for this, hope you like it!)

Ratchet on the Nemesis

Ratchet hates just about everyone on the nemesis, but he hates some far more than others.

Megatron

Ratchet has and will continue to attempt to kill Megatron at every given opportunity. He can't be obvious about it, and more often than not his attempts just inconvenience the Warlord, but by Primus does Ratchet try.

Oil on the floor outside Megatron's quarters? How unfortunate for him, he should really watch his step. Welds too loose and open to rust infection? Well maybe Megatron just needs to stop being a pansy and grow up a little or get some better medical equipment. Poison in the Warlord's energon? Megatron should get better security, Starscream might be trying something after all.

Everything that Ratchet can get away with he will attempt. Even if it just means taking his sweet time on whatever Megatron is forcing him to do or purposefully botching up a project, Ratchet will do whatever he can to bother Megatron. In fact, he is nearly as bad a Starscream because while he knows his life hangs on a thread, he also knows his knowledge is too valuable to lose. As such he throws his weight around whenever he can.

So far he has caused Megatron the most grief by changing all of his passwords using what he learned from Optimus while he was still a data clerk. Soundwave eventually recovered all of them, but for a while Megatron couldn't access anything, including his books. Ratchet smiled evilly into his energon that day and did nothing to assist in the effort to fix the problem.

He is petty as Pit, and frag it all he is proud of it.

Knockout

Ratchet is neither particularly fond of Knockout or all that angry with him. The Decepticon medic has done nothing that Ratchet feels the need to hang over his helm, at least compared to every other participant in the war. However that does not mean he gives Knockout and easy time.

When possible, Ratchet does petty scrap just to be irritating. Changing the labels on Knockout's paint canisters and hiding his favorite buffer is one of his favorite ways to screw with the Decepticon medic. Other times he will add a little sour mixture into Knockout's energon when he isn't looking just to watch the red mech gag.

Despite being stuck on the nemesis and surrounded by the enemy, Ratchet feels more liberated than ever before. This is mainly because he can mess with everyone around him and get back at others in petty ways without seriously harming anyone he cares about.

But Ratchet doesn't go out of his way to torture Knockout, he can see that the mech is hurting and not all that fond of being a Decepticon. And so every now and then, mainly when he is feeling less grouchy, Ratchet will do nicer things for Knockout. Bringing him fresh rags, cleaning up the medical bay, and leaving a cube of energon on Knockout's workstation are Ratchet's small ways of being nice.

Breakdown

Ratchet isn't all that sure how to treat Breakdown. The mech is far too nice for his own good and reminds Ratchet a lot of Bulkhead. As such the Autobot medic often can't bring himself to go out of his way to be bothersome.

He tends to avoid Breakdown most of the time, but on occasion he will to petty but ultimately harmless things to the mech just because he can. Stuff like putting a sign on his back reading "kick me" or slapping an obnoxious sticker onto Breakdown somewhere he won't immediately notice are Ratchet's go-to methods of spicing up the mech's day. When Breakdown eventually notices what Ratchet has done to him, he usually isn't even upset and finds it funny. He has even kept several of the stickers Ratchet has put on him because he thinks they are neat.

Ratchet is rather unsure how to handle this behavior but has found no real reason to stop being a nuisance and so continues with his behavior unless Breakdown is not in the mood. On days where Breakdown is off, Ratchet notices and does his best to make the mech's day a little bit better. Ratchet may not like Decepticons, but he will not leave a hurting mech to suffer. And so Ratchet will do little things for him, like making energon goodies discreetly and putting colorful stickers over Breakdown's uglier scars to make him happy.

Breakdown appreciates it, but knows Ratchet's disposition well enough to keep his praise to himself.

Starscream

Frag. Starscream. Ratchet hates the flier with a seething passion, almost to the degree which he hates Megatron. His hatred stems partially from Starscream's ridiculous ego and partially from the many crimes he has committed against the Autobots. Ratchet has not yet forgotten the loss of Cliffjumper, nor does he ever intend to.

Ratchet doesn't try to kill the seeker, but he does do everything in his power to make Starscream miserable. He will go out of his way to botch Starscream's paintjob, a task Knockout does not mind assisting in. Ratchet will leave stickers with insults plastered to Starscream's back when he can get away with it. And he also makes it his duty to make the seeker's visits to the medical bay as uncomfortable as possible since can't outright hurt him.

After one visit to the medical bay where Starscream was left covered in blue paint, with his arms in casts, and several painful welds he has since avoided the medical bay like the plague unless he really needs aid. Knockout has been a much happier mech since then, and while still not fond of Knockout, his healthier mental state is something Ratchet takes pride in.

Soundwave

Ratchet plays a dangerous game with the Decepticon spymaster. Both of them a fully aware of what Ratchet is doing around the nemesis, and Ratchet's regular attempts on Megatron's life have not gone unnoticed. This far Soundwave has tolerated Ratchet's actions towards the Decepticons as he has produced valuable research. However the Autobot medic knows that the moment he ceases being useful, the truce between him and Soundwave will end.

Both avoid one another and only ever interact by chance. If given the opportunity though, Ratchet will mess with Soundwave a little bit by putting sticky notes on his security cameras with stupid doodles on them. He may or may not also give Lazerbeak goodies every now and then just to spite Soundwave but if it happens neither acknowledge it.

Shockwave

Pits no. Ratchet stays the frag away from Shockwave as much as he can. Shockwave is a terrifying force and Ratchet doesn't want any part in it.

The few times he has been forced to work with Shockwave have been awful. They both hate each other and can't agree on anything when it comes to science. Not only that, but when he is around the scientist Ratchet can't shake the feeling that Shockwave would prefer to dissect him rather than work with him.

The only thing Ratchet can do to mess with Shockwave is screw around with his animal documentaries and delete them or change to subtitles on them to something outrageous. He might also attempt to move Shockwave's tools and hide them somewhere but usually he refrains as Ratchet is rather fond of living.

[everybodyknows-everybodydies]

🖤🐷🍃 for kharish 🍎📚🎮 for hallie 💘🥯😞 for molly !!

Kharish:

🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?

killed/seriously wounded: not prior to Labyrinthian :'| it's fine don't worry about it we're not thinking about that and neither is she and there are no consequences from this whatsoever. broken a heart though yes... I've alluded before to the unfortunate thing with Murz she had in Shatul but: she was under the impression it was a casual thing, he was mentally picking out names for 2.5 kids and a dog. she was very literally packing to leave for Orsinium when he was like OR, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GET MARRIED and she laughed because she didn't think he was serious 😬 took several years to stop being horribly awkward, but it's all good now!! he got over it and married a nice gal who was NOT heading for the Big City and when she writes home she makes sure to check how he's doing.

🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal?

she's biased towards the majestic echatere of course, but also really likes rabbits! small and twitchy and very cute. which could mean nothing,

�� LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school?

unsurprisingly: AVID READER. learning how to read was The Point of schooling for baby Kharish; the other stuff was an exciting bonus. (Mom & Dad, who were very much hoping she'd have a head for numbers, aware how expensive books are: alright I know a guy who might know a guy who knows where to find some secondhand; does your cousin still keep in touch with that ex in-law who lived next door to a printing press -)

Hallie (books emoji answered here!):

🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

probably at least still near Chorrol, but she doesn't know for sure - Ma's had her since she was a baby, and while she's wondered occasionally where she came from, she already knows the only parent who really matters. but she likes Chorrol! she daydreams about travelling the world, but even in those she always ends back at home.

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

1: gardening! let her sit in the dirt for a while and make things grow that can be pretty, or helpful, or sometimes even both! 2: drawing! she mostly does portraiture because Ma mostly does landscapes and she gets self-conscious comparing her landscapes to Ma's (sweetheart she has several more years of experience than you do pls). in a modern AU she would have multiple sketchbooks full of bug-eyed anime people. 3: she's been trying to get into whittling, using one of her bound daggers instead of a regular knife. it is not going very well :(

Molly:

💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who does your oc consider the most important to them?

before: her brother Matty. after: Brother Martin. this is healthy and normal and involves no codependence at all for sure. (Agdis. being able to be proud of the work she did, making people leave feeling more like themselves than when they came in. and then: keeping Baurus alive. trying to give that wolf an ending it deserved. and then: oh, nothing.)

🥯 BAGEL — what does your oc's typical breakfast look like? do they usually eat breakfast?

during the Crisis it's just whenever and whatever she can find; she's largely disinterested in food and doesn't differentiate much on how it tastes, which means her most regularly scheduled breakfasts are at Cloud Ruler, where the Blades are furiously trying to one-up each other in their best imitations of royal chefs. (to Martin's chagrin. please just get him some toast or something. Molly agrees toast is both easy to accomplish and inoffensive.) prior to the Crisis she liked breakfast a lot because they got plenty of the "rejects" from the bakery. her favorite was a cheese pastry!

😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone?

THIS IS AN INTERESTING ONE. I'm interpreting "attract" here not necessarily in the romantic/sexual way but just like... attention? idk if that's right but that's how I'm reading it! I have to imagine she suffers from the Curse of the Redhead in the "strangers and little old ladies in particular have strong opinions about your hair" sense, but for the most part she's left alone! at least until she starts wearing the Kvatch armor everywhere, and then the attention is pretty inescapable.

[cabeswaterdrowned]

For the ship game: Aria/Alison and Aria/Alex Drake

Aria x Alison

Whether I ship it or not: I obviously do a lot! They’re one of my favorite pll pairings/dynamics. I’d say they’re my favorite Aria ship rn (sometimes Sparia ties with it depending on my mood) and in my top 2 Alison ships (with Monison).

Why I ship it or not: They’re just a very intriguing relationship, I love anytime pll creates a sort of homoerotic mirroring effect between the girls so things like Aria wearing the red coat, parallels between their home lives (their being groomed by Ezra, their home lives where one of their parents was unfaithful but even though that was Byron for the Montgomery’s and Jessica for the Dilaurentis’ the gendered dynamics in the marriage are similar imo, and both girls are kind of regarded as More Adult (the correlation between that and them being groomed Spencer is also a comparison there rather than Hanna and Emily who have comparatively more stable/supportive guardians but this isn’t about Sparia or Spalison I just had to mention it), and being kind of the vortex of controversy and attention (although those aren’t really positive) while their brothers are kind of sidelined. So in terms of that theirs a lot going on to dig into, and then Alison’s treatment of Aria in the flashbacks is very interesting because she treats her so much more like an equal than the other girls, I mean she does see Spencer as an equal in a way but that’s based on their rivalry and with an understanding that Alison wants the upper hand. With Aria she just seems like she wants her to be there in a way that’s .. simpler isn’t the right word. But I think Alison likes being reflected in Aria vs her conflicted feelings about being reflected in Spencer or Hanna and that’s interesting to me. I also think I enjoy when Aria’s forgiving nature and open mindedness is brought out in her dynamics with morally ambiguous women which I think is why aside from Spencer most of my ships I feel strongly about for her are with more morally duplicitous female chars, Alison Mona Jenna Alex in descending order tbh. (I also find Aria’s sharp edge / parts of her char that conflict with her “sweet/nice” image very interesting and those are also emphasized in these and by her finding Alison so compelling by). And all the liars visions of Alison are very interesting and more than a little gay, but Aria’s “you know why I picked you right” scene is especially ripe for analysis imo.

My opinion on their canon potential (chemistry, canon interactions, etc): Oh I think there’s quite a lot of canon basis for especially Alison’s side of it between the photographs she secretly took while Aria was sleeping, which when we think Jason took them were meant to assume is out of a warped sense of romance and then his words about Alison’s tendencies to hide things really sound like they’re about internalized biphobia and being in the closet, the cosplaying as an Aria look alike and then taking on aspects of an Aria persona with Ezra, a lot of her treatment of Aria being a lot more.. seeing her as an equal rather than a subject or rival. On Ali’s side it’s very easy to make the argument imo. On Aria’s side the relationship is super intriguing and I can read stuff romantically but in the way you can kind of read all the liars as at least a bit in love with Alison / they all kind of talk about her and imagine her in hallucinations in that way. In terms of chemistry I think theirs is good, it’s maybe not the most chemistry in any pairing between the girls like I think if you compared Sasha’s scenes with Janel or Troian with her scenes with Lucy she probably has a higher level of chemistry with the former two (but also that’s a bit unfair because Janel and Troian just have copious amounts of chemistry with like. Everyone (except Keenan in Troian’s case)). But there are plenty of scenes especially in the flashbacks (the first secret is crazy in this regard) where I’m like. Girlfriend behavior, maybe accompanied by close face watch (the scene where they wreck Byron’s office especially + all of the first secret especially).

My opinion on fanon interpretations/fandom around it (Favorite widespread hcs, pet-peeves, etc): Mostly that it’s massively underrated? Attribute that partially to I think a lot of fans are disdainful of Aria and don’t really think of her as a char Alison would be fascinated by or give a lot of thought to that, and Alison’s really polarizing as well, plus the fact the writers didn’t do much with the dynamic after Alison came back with the exception of 7.04. But I don’t remember a take about them I thought was *wrong* I just think they’re underrated/underexplored.

Aria x Alex

Whether I ship it or not: I ship it, not majorly because Alex as a concept isn’t super developed, but the things I like most about her are related to her fixation with Aria and the choices she made regarding her in 7b.

Why I ship it or not: I enjoy Aria’s whole 7b plot a lot and Alex is a contributing factor to it, and also like I said the Aria obsession piece made Alex more interesting to me and the Sparia compare/contrast is fun.

My opinion on their canon potential (chemistry, canon interactions, etc): well they don’t interact on screen a ton but Troian essentially plays Alex like Spencer but very British and more explicitly sapphic, “I’m so evil and skanky and I think I’m kind of gay”, so yeah I think they’re good on the chemistry front. And Alex Drake’s actions really only make sense if she was into Aria because why else would she kidnap Ezra of all people? Rather than idk, Peter Hastings? Too funny

My opinion on fanon interpretations/fandom around it (Favorite widespread hcs, pet-peeves, etc): n / a I haven’t seen that much and what I did see I mostly agreed with.

thank you!

(Send me a ship and I’ll answer these questions about them)

[spaceorphan18]

Scenes from December (4/24)

Written for the Klaine Advent 2022. Day Four : Bat

***

December, 2009

Kurt Hummel considered himself an introvert.  In his sixteen years of life, he had done everything that he could avoid the mall -- especially at Christmas time.  And here he was, at the biggest mall in town, packed in with a swarm of people.  And he was happy to be there.  

The brashness of the holiday was in full swing at the mall; every entrance covered in white and silver glittering lights, every lamppost decorated with green and red garland, every shop with an outward facing window lined with decals of presents and Christmas trees and big red signs marking sales.  Inside was just as festive; big green and gold wreaths hung from the ceiling, the sound system blared the old Christmas standards, and there were at least three large signs pointing the direction to pictures with Santa located in the Macy’s wing.  Everywhere legions of people pushed around each other in search of the perfect gift.  Old ladies clung to their mile long lists.  Middle-aged men struggled to figure out what their wives handwriting said.  And there were dozens of moms trying to corral their toddlers for just five minutes more, hoping the shrieking wouldn’t start until they got to the car.  

It was mass chaos.  

Any other time, Kurt might have turned right around and walked out.  But he had the delightful Mercedes Jones on his arm.  The same Mercedes Jones who didn’t bat an eyelash when he asked her to join him shopping.  The same Mercedes Jones who, unlike him, seemed to revel in the crowd.  She was an enigma to him. But a fascinating one.  

“Okay, so we have three hours before we’re meeting Artie and Tina for the movie,” Mercedes said, stepping slightly out of the way of a college student nearly toppling over trying to balance five boxes on his way out of the food court.  “Where do you want to go first?” 

“Well…” He took a long breath.  “We really should be smart about it.  Three hours may seem like a lot of time, but when you figure out lines and having to compare prices for good sales the time will go quickly.  I only have my dad to buy for, he’s so particular about everything - his taste leaves a lot to be desired.  I did, however, want to find a new pair of jeans, so there’s that… I’m thinking we should start at the big box stores - those will take us the longest.  Or maybe we should just take a left and work our way from store to store.  I’m not sure…” 

Mercedes let out an easy laugh.  There weren’t many people who went along with his eccentricities, but she was one of them.  She buried her head into his arm.  “You are ridiculous Kurt Hummel.  Let’s just head left and see where it takes us.” 

“Oh!” He said - eyes wide as she led the way.  Not having a plan wasn’t something he did.  But he could learn to.  He could try. 

“So, I’ve still got to pick up something for my mom.  And my grandma.  And a few of the ladies in my church choir.  And, I wanted to get everyone in glee club something small.” 

That made him stop in his tracks.  The thought hadn’t even occurred to him.  “You’re getting everyone in glee a present?” 

She gave a shrug, not understanding what the big deal was.  “I mean, nothing life shattering or anything.  But I always give my friends things.  It’s part of why I love this holiday.  And don’t worry - I’m coming up with something cute for you, too.” She reached up to boop him on the nose.  

He felt a warm tingle throughout his body.  It was a strange feeling.  Mercedes Jones was his friend.  Sure - she had been his friend for the past six months.  Sure - he had shared with her some of his darkest secrets, some of the things he kept inside, even from his dad.  Sure - Mercedes was the reason he was willing to go outside his comfort zone and come to malls during the holidays.  

It felt like he had been smacked upside the head.  He had a friend - who bought him stuff, who’s kind heart included him.  He had a friend group - a group of people who seemed to accept him and even want him to be there.  He had people in his life he cared about.  

It seemed - almost surreal.  

He had been quiet for too long, Mercedes looking at him funny, wondering what he was thinking.  Recovering, he said, “Even a gift for Rachel Berry?” His question was light, with an air of humor to it. 

Mercedes rolled her eyes, letting out that easy laugh again.  “Even Rachel Berry - though it might be a muzzle to shut her up unless it’s to sing.” 

Kurt let out a hearty laugh and squeezed her arm, adoring her, as they continued on their journey.  

[judgeanon]

Plastic Skies - Model 5: Su-37 Berkut

After that last, highly-demanding build, I made a conscious decision that my next kit would be something simple. No hyper complex camo schemes, no funky weird tools, just a cheap little palate cleanser. At first I thought about getting another of those baby models, but I was lucky enough to find something that not only checked all the boxes, but was also one of my all-time favorite weirdo planes. This, at last, was going to be just fun, dammit.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure, the Berkut is an experimental plane built around the idea of forward-swept wings and other technologies like thrust vectoring. The project was started in the 80s, but the plane itself first took flight in 1997, and while its test results were pretty impressive, it was eventually scrapped for more conventional airplanes. Still, the sole working prototype remained in use as a test bed for further technologies, and along the way, it gained a pretty strong following. Japan in particular seems to adore the Berkut, and it has appeared in pretty much every Ace Combat game since 3. In fact, an amusingly sizeable bunch of online articles about it just straight-up use game renders of the Berkut, even if they feature markings from Ace Combat’s various fictional countries.

But anyway! Beloved weirdo plane. 95% black fuselage. No missiles because it never saw actual combat. And according to online resources, the model had the simplest landing gear doors I’d seen yet. It was fate. Especially at the price the online reseller I bought it from was asking: less than half the price of the last model. Sure, I could tell it was an old kit, but how bad could it be?

The Berkut’s construction was every bit as easy as I imagined it to be. So easy, in fact, that I built it in literally a single day. Although I did make a few ugly mistakes along the way. The biggest one, which is hard to notice unless you see it very up close and/or with the light right over it, was the paint. Thinking I’d need a lot of black, I went overboard on the paint and ended up with some really ugly brush strokes covering most of the model. The glossy varnish I picked for the finish hid some of it, but it was a lesson I’m trying to keep at the forefront of my mind for next time: chill with the paint.

I did, for once, enjoy doing the landing gears. Not just because they were hilariously easy compared to pretty much every other one I’d built, but because it (and the thrusters) gave me a chance to break out the metallic paint. Seriously, I fucking love that stuff. I’m thinking about building another MiG-21 or a Sabre or even another P-51 Mustang just so I can give them the shiniest coat of metallic paint I can find.

The white details were a bit of a problem, but that’s because white paint in general kinda vexes me. For some reason I end up needing at least twice as many coats as any other paints. Maybe it’s a matter of priming, another thing I’ve yet to try with models. But in any case, before I knew it, the Berkut was complete, moving canards and all. It was time to get my decalling on.

I dunked one of the red stars that are supposed to go on the wings on warm water, took it out, removed the excess water, put it on the fuselage and gently poked at it with a toothpick like I’d done with dozens of other decals before. And then it happened. The star shattered completely inside the paper, its points snapping off like twigs. Grimacing, I tried to hold it together, but that just obliterated it further. Before I could do anything else, the star was just a mangle of red decal on a damp piece of paper.

So that sucked, but I knew I had five more stars to use. At worst, I could just not use one of the bottom ones. But I needed to do some testing. I wanted to check if this was a freak accident or if there was something worse going on. I picked a different decal and tried again. It disintegrated even faster than the star. And I gave up on the decals.

A quick online search confirmed my fear: this model kit was released in 2000. It is old enough to drink. Surely, the protective plastic coat around the decals was a hundred times weaker than the toothpicks I used. And while I did find a few ways to solve it, they all require products that I’m not entirely sure what their local equivalents would be. So while I’m definitely gonna be doing some more research about this to try and find a solution, for now, this poor Berkut is gonna remain un-decalled.

Also, one of its tailfins is a bit curved, but ehhhhh. I got what I paid for. It’s still a nice model, and it’ll probably get a little better once I find some gray panel line/wash to really bring the fuselage out, but as it stands, I’m just happy that a couple of sellers have more modern and bigger kits of this plane available.

Like in real life, this Berkut deserved better.

[thecommandertable]

Lost Caverns of Ixalan Artisan Set Review: Part 2

Find Part 1 here! Part 2 covers multicolor and artifact cards.

Multicolor

Akawalli takes the classic black-green self-mill strategy we see with commanders like Kagha and Uurg and adds a voltron twist. Expect to see Akwalli in creature-heavy decks with cards that can buff it equal to the number of creatures in the graveyard. Giving it menace once you're at Descend 8 makes it unblockable, so Criminal Past and Moodmark Painter are must-includes.

Bartolomé is a very powerful Magic card. They don't often give us free sacrifice outlets anymore. For white-black decks that want sac outlets, I expect this to be played alongside Viscera Seer, Fanatical Devotion, and Carrion Feeder.

Caparocti Sunborn looks like a sweet value card either in the 99 or in the command zone. It's large enough to attack someone and survive (usually) in the mid game; as the game goes longer you'll want to augment him with some sort of equipment (which you can tap to pay for his ability) so that you can continue attacking. I'll be adding Caparocti to my Commander Liara Portyr deck.

There have been a bevy of pirate creatures that make treasure tokens or care about artifacts: Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator; Dargo, the Shipwrecker; Fathom Fleet Swordjack, etc., and there are some pirates that carry +1/+1 counters very well, provided you can get up to 10 permanents, which isn't hard with all the treasure: Slippery Scoundrel, Storm Fleet Sprinter, and Storm Fleet Swashbuckler.

As I said in Part 1, I find this card a little underwhelming as a commander. It's an excellent card in limited, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't support a dinosaur deck in the way you'd want a commander to. From a purely mechanical perspective, I'd prefer to have something like Ruby or Tuya leading my red-green dino deck. Itzquinth is pretty cute, though.

This card's very good. This card is I'm-thinking-about-putting-it-into-my-cEDH-deck good. It's part Grand Abolisher, part Toski. It'll find a place in nearly any green-white Artisan deck, but especially Hamza. It protects your board as you Overrun or cast a big Hunter's Insight! It draws you cards! *chef's kiss*

Alas, not every color pair received a legendary creature for its signpost uncommon. This card is very slow, and making it work is going to be a tall order, but gosh darn it, I'm going to try. I really want to build a golem assembly line.

At first blush Nicanzil looks sweet, but if you go look at all the common/uncommon creatures that explore, it gets a lot less exciting; they're all french vanilla beaters like Merfolk Branchwalker. The other explore payoffs, Wildgrowth Walker, and the new Twists and Turns, don't seem strong enough to make up for it.

Uchenbak looks pretty unwieldy. A 5-mana 6/4 vigilance menace commander makes for a serviceable (not good, but serviceable) beater, and you could try to lean into that with a quasi-voltron build with stuff like Strider Harness (getting to seven power is a big deal with voltron commanders). Getting eight permanent cards into your graveyard is no easy feat, however, and in return for doing so you get to recast your commander for only one mana cheaper than it would be from the commander tax.

I don't think Zoyowa is that great either. It having deathtouch is nice, but its second ability requires you to descend, which again, seems like a thing that's difficult to do every turn. Furthermore, giving your opponent the choice between discarding a card, sacrificing a permanent, or taking 3 damage means that they get to choose the least impactful thing- they'll hold onto their extra lands to discard, they'll sacrifice their treasure tokens, they'll take 3 when they have a high life total, etc. If Zoyowa is a card that you're excited about, I implore you to try Loyal Subordinate if you haven't already.

Artifacts

Some people have been comparing this to Solemn Simulacrum and frankly that comparison isn't flattering. If Solemn were downshifted (which I believe it should be) I would put it into some of my non-green Artisan decks, but not all of them. This card is significantly worse. Consider it this way: what percentage of Solemn's total value is constituted by that card draw? I'd argue that it's somewhere between 35-40%. How much of that is recouped by the extra point of power? Maybe... 5%, if we're being generous. (In 20-life formats, and particularly Limited, the difference between a 2/2 and a 3/2 is a lot bigger than in 40-life formats)

That said, Scampering Surveyor might find a home in some blink deck like Oji that really likes having a creature with that etb ability, or a Cave deck- at least, once we have a 5-color commander and probably another set's worth of Cave support.

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

And that's all the cards I'm gonna talk about! Looking over them, the selection here feels a lot thinner than it was for Wilds of Eldraine. I'm not sure if that's because there are fewer interesting cards in the set for Artisan, or if it's because my bar for including them in the set review has risen. Time will tell.

[pooklet]

Hi Pooklet! :D I was wondering if you can point me in the right direction? I'm trying to make some makeup that can fit mutiple skintones but im having a hard time working with trappings actions? Like I need a base? How do I even go about using a base with the actions? I'm so lost and confused...

Hey anon! So, I'm not actually sure how helpful I can be with this, because I never use skintone actions. I find that they tend to be pretty limited in their selection of dark tones and that they make facial features really washed out and muddy the darker the color goes, since there's no easy way for an action to compensate for the loss of highlight and contrast. So I truly have no idea what sort of base is required by those actions.

Whenever I make natural makeup, I reference existing skins and do the colors by hand. I use Photoshop, so I'm not sure how to color stuff in other programs, but here are a couple tricks that I use:

Directly compare the makeup to the skin that you want it to work with by pasting the makeup over it and using the alpha as a layer mask. This is kind of hard to explain in text alone so I made a mini-tutorial on using alphas as layer masks to color-match makeup to skins.

Half tones. If I'm making lipstick and I have a red I like and a pink I like but no reddish-pinks that I like, I paste the pink over the red at 50% opacity and save a copy of the resulting color. I use this little cheat a lot, not just with makeup but with skins, to make sure there's no big jumps between shades.

For alien tones I do often just use my hair color actions and the Cosmic ones by @furbyq, because I know that the "base" those need is any texture has been colored with my Volatile action. The only thing that needs to be done by hand there is editing the initial texture to be around the same luminosity/brightness as one of my hair textures. If you run Volatile over a very dark texture, the colors won't come out the way they should. You'll need to brighten it up with something like Levels or Curves. Then run Volatile again. Then any of those actions will work on it!

Another anon asked me for a tutorial on making lip blends specifically and I'm not sure when I'll have a minute to sit down and do that but hopefully this is helpful in the interim!