#I can’t say enough about how amazing these folks art is

[blackberrysummerblog]

Oh my goddd how is it already Sunday?! I’m leaving for a really big trip on Tuesday and so naturally my house is not ready for the dog-sitters to stay over, and I am not packed. No worries, I’m sure I’ve got this covered 😒

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been tagging me! There’s so much good reading out there, and the art this week for Simon’s birthday—I’m blown away by the talent in this fandom.

I haven’t done as MUCH writing as I would like—I’m at that stage in my life where I no longer handily remember huge swathes of my “internal” writing, so if I don’t get it down right away or get called off to do something in the middle, it’s lost, and that has been my entire week, folks. I did get some done though! Here’s a little bit from my COBB that I fully expect to get some blowback over, because…well. You’ll see:

I bend down to admire some perfectly iced cinnamon buns, and above me hear someone chuckle. “You’re a Pitch, aren’t you?”

I glance up. And up. I rise to my full height and…I’m still looking up. It’s not often that I find myself craning my neck to look someone in the face, but the cheerful-looking man behind the counter must stand 6’5”, at least. He has short dark hair, square-shaped glasses, and a curious glint in his deep brown eyes. There’s nothing unusual about him other than his height, and yet I find myself staring. After a moment, I realise he’d asked me a question. “I am,” I say, keeping my voice even.

He smiles, and something feels like it’s cracked inside me. “Yeah, well, I’m Adam,” Adam says, extending a floury paw. “Adam Price. Your ancestor relieved mine of a herd of goats 500 years ago.”

Long enough ago that a grudge isn’t worth bearing, but then again, this is Watford. I ignore his hand. “If your ancestor had paid mine her due, perhaps he wouldn’t have been so wracked with guilt that he thoughtlessly left his pen open one night. Goats are wont to wandering.”

“…wont to wandering…” Adam repeats, tilting his head as his hand drops reluctantly back to his apron. He narrows his eyes. “Your family raises goats now, doesn’t it?”

“They’re hardly 500 years old,” I scoff, then pause. “The goats or my aunts.”

So yeah, there’s that 🤣 By the way, the art for this fic is SO gorgeous—my partner has been absolutely amazing and I can’t wait for everyone to see it when we post!

This snippet is from the one where Simon cleans up the room after blowing up Baz’s bed, and meanwhile has to sleep on the floor. For the first couple of days, anyway. Ahem:

“Snow.” I’m standing in the middle of the room in my pyjamas, waving my arms. He drives me up a wall. “Take the bed. You’re walking like you’re a hundred and three.” I’ve been spelling the floor soft for him every night after he goes to sleep, but it doesn’t seem to have helped.

Simon is in his school-issued pyjama bottoms and a thin cotton t-shirt, standing mere inches in front of me on top of his blanket heap. He presses his lips together and shakes his head. The motion apparently triggers a crick in his neck, making him wince in pain. “The bed is big enough for two,” he allows.

Absolutely not. “Absolutely not,” I tell him firmly.

“It is!” he objects, misunderstanding.

“Snow.”

“If you don’t want to share, then it’s all yours,” he says stubbornly, sticking his chin up at me. He always has to look up at me. “Is it because you’re a vampire? I won’t stake you,” he adds.

Crowley below. I can’t think too much about that statement, but it’s the last straw. “Sleep on the floor, then. The hard, cold, stone floor.”

And that’s it! I may not be heard from for a couple of weeks, other than posting COBB should the schedule place us on early. I will be traipsing around Scotland, then Paris, and I think it’s going to be a pretty good time! I hope all of you have good things happening for you too. No pressure tags to:

@palimpsessed @rimeswithpurple @valeffelees @cutestkilla @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @youarenevertooold @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @bookish-bogwitch @orange-peony @j-nipper-95 @letraspal @roomwithanopenfire @asocialpessimist @aristocratic-otter @aceumbrellaheroes @drowninginships @thehoneyedhufflepuff @monbons @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @forabeatofadrum @c0nsumemy5oul @nausikaaa @alexalexinii @ileadacharmedlife @iamamythologicalcreature @tender-ministrations @fiend-for-culture @larkral @arthurkko @skee3000 @stitchy-queerista @ic3-que3n @raenestee @facewithoutheart @supercutedinosaurs @beastmonstertitan @mooncello @cows4247 @harrie-leithillustration @prettygoododds @sailorblossoms and anyone else with things to share!

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! I am currently so so sick. Audio drama is a great comfort. Love my stories ❤️

🐱Kakos Industries is always good, and this episode was a pretty typical episode of it, but I just need you all to understand how much i love Kakos Industries. If you need a new lowkey comedy podcast, I can’t recommend it enough.

📱 @worldgonewrongpod never misses. This episode was about bureaucracy, the real horror, and was equal parts funny and infuriating, but it hit so hard on a real truth, the way real people’s everyday lives are affected by sloppy civic design. This is the first week of Disability Pride Month, and I can’t help but think about how police brutality disproportionally affects disabled folks—how much worse would it be in this world affected by aliens and mythology and monsters? People already associate disability with evil. It’s a good reminder.

👼 Literally what do you even say about the Silt Verses? I am amazed in this episode at the parallels between Rane and Faulkner on the one hand and, way back in season two (maybe?), Elgin and Paige on the other hand. They approached the weird strained relationship they had with honestly and now they are working together; Rane and Faulkner were backstabbing and power-hungry from the start and now? Well. This is all to say nothing about the freakin sound design this episode. Can't wait to see how this story ends.

�� The Deposition is a new show from Hug House, a dramatized nonfiction podcast where actors like Josh Rubino (Kingmaker Histories, Valence, etc) read, word-for-word, the record of a deposition of Famed Internet Idiot Elon Musk. It is. INCREDIBLE. It’s hard to even describe it. Please listen to it, I need to talk to someone about it.

🤖 HELLO, LISTEN TO ASK YOUR FATHER. I just got to episode seven and no spoilers. But I knew it, I frikkin knew it.

No Hannah news this week, I’m too tired, I’m gonna nap. Go listen to Inn Between and make me some fan art to speed my recovery, i love you, have a good week

[iightbringer]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀𝓲. ︱ introduction.

hello all, thank you for taking the time to read this silly little blog intro!  my name is lucifer and you may use any pronouns you feel fit for me, i’m not picky in the least. i am twenty this year and a proud virgin— i mean .. virgo. i’m terrible at writing bio’s, so here’s just a few things to know about me — i come from a land down unda, i sow chaos, confusion and mild amounts of concern in the hearts of everyone i meet and oh, did i mention how much i fucking love frogs? like, i can’t get enough of those funky little guys. that muppet has inexplicably and irreparably ruined me. and now, moving right along with a word from our sponsor, who just so happens to be the most beautiful, amazing girl in the entire world — my darling girlfriend! love you, boo <3

❝⠀⠀ hi. i'm lucifer's 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖉 &. today i'm here 2 talk abt the one nd the only: lucifer. first, they vvv friendly. it's almost scary bc who tf is that nice. well i have news for u. they are. i'm still shy to approach them even if we're tgt bc they like. rly talented. they modest asf but they're rly good at everything they do. esp writing. nd art. like girl i can't even begin to tell u. u hve to see for yourself. also: charming. so playful but in endearing way. and. that dumbass never fails to make me smile. 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭: so. protective. their loyalty is absolutely. shocking. nd they dn't just give that away. next slide: observant. and so focused on details &. ideas. constantly thinking abt smth. seeing them brainstorm or voice their opinion will never not be fascinating. furthermore: they genuine &. best believe they'll keep it 𝟏𝟎𝟎 w u. they dn't play w bs yk. it took a lot for me to understand they hve good intentions. they're good to me, &. they treat me so well. but now ik it's bc they truly love me. to close: i'm not the type to say sappy things. even tho that's all i did. but meeting them would be so worth it. it was for me. but u better not hurt them. or i'll hve a nice chat with u. anyway. ty for reading this far. if u need me, i'll be busy planning lucifer's demise. farewell.⠀⠀❞

⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀— ⠀⠀⠀ signed, 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖆. ⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀𝓲𝓲. ︱ interests.

  ⠀⠀⠀these are the things i enjoy doing⠀…

★ ⠀⠀writing. cosplaying. crafting. roleplaying. drawing. gardening. painting. gaming. singing (badly).

  ⠀⠀⠀and these are a few of my favourite things⠀…

★ ⠀⠀horror movies. fizzy drinks. the colour white. jensen ackles. stuffed animals. religious imagery. vintage music. zombies. andrew scott. musical theatre. mod fashion. imagine dragons. aussie representation. theology. gore. trixie mattel. rainbows. mental stability. pokemon. cats. shopping. crime shows.

  ⠀⠀⠀shows i’m into ⠀…

★ ⠀⠀house m.d. supernatural. the walking dead⁺. banshee. you. hannibal. dexter. sherlock. american horror story⁺. criminal minds. scream queens. lucifer. squid game. the boys. the last of us. hazbin hotel. fallout.

  ⠀⠀⠀games i’ve played ⠀…

★ ⠀⠀bioshock⁺. mass effect. resident evil⁺. outlast. beyond: two souls. telltales the walking dead⁺. undertale. alice: madness returns. the quarry. detroit: become human. baldurs gate 3. batman: the telltale series⁺. heavy rain. alien: isolation. we happy few⁺. the last of us. until dawn. death stranding. corpse party.

and for a comprehensive list of horror & marvel movies i’ve seen, click here. 

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀𝓲𝓲𝓲. ︱ information.

if you’re interested in a roleplay with me, please do feel free to send me a message and i’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible. i do not & will not roleplay with anyone under the age of eighteen.

  ⠀⠀⠀ do not follow this account if you ⠀…

⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀— ⠀⠀⠀ are sexist, any sort of phobic, racist, etc. 

⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀— ⠀⠀⠀ promote/post about drugs, alcohol or smoking oorp.

⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀— ⠀⠀⠀ are a nsfw blog or frequently post nsfw content.

and i think that’s all, folks. thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day, wherever you are. peace!

[omegafan101]

You know what? It’s been a while since I shared my thoughts on the IDW comics, and I wanna get back into that. Let’s talk about Issue 55!

Right away this cover art is fucking GREAT! Might be some of the best in the series. I’m a big fan.

First off, the Egg Walkers back! Cool! The Egg Mobile is nice and all back Eggman tromping around in a big legged version of the thing has always been fun.

Secondly, love that Metal just rushed in to attack Sonic immediately without Eggman’s orders. Weather it’s just Metal’s prime programming to kill Sonic, or his own free will beginning to creep through is up in the air. And I like that.

Really faked me out here, thought for sure we’d have the classic horror trope with Surge jumping down right before Eggman fully realizes where she is. But Eggman being quick witted enough to realize where she is and shooting that close to her is way better!

Also Eggman having a gun will never not be funny to me. Sure it just shoots lasers but god the image of Eggman holding a pistol is metal and hilarious at the same time.

I’m so god damn happy with what Ian and Evan have been doing with Eggman this arc. The fact that this is the second time in 6 issues that he has grabbed and attacked a character with his bare hands is amazing and really paints him as the threat he’s meant to be. Eggman being physically stronger than he looks, while still needing to rely more on his machines, is just a fantasic bit of characterization.

God I love the way the ENTIRE panel is washed in color whenever Surge uses the wisp powers. It’s absolutely stunning and is a FANTASTIC showcase of her power.

HOT DAMN CHAOS DRIVES ARE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED!

You know after two mini-series of “Starline manipulates people for his plan, they find out, he almost dies, Starline manipulates people for his plan, they found out, he DOES die,” it’s great to be reminded, post-mortem, Starline is an absolute genius and could have been a genuine terrible threat to the world had he not been so focused on one upping Eggman.

I love how Sonic and Eggman aren’t working together yet here, but are smart enough to know that both of them are enemies to Surge and coming at her from both sides like this before confronting each other is a good play. Also Metal looks AWESOME!

I continue to feel so bad for Surge it hurts. The crippling paranoia and anxiety over both her own safety and Kit’s is heart breaking and really makes me want to see her come out okay in the end, which unfortunately I don’t think will happen at this point.

I have nothing of value to say here i just like the image of Eggman drinking water like a professional athlete.

I gotta say it’s a little jarring to see Eggman so quickly accept Sonic’s help after he was so stubbornly against it in Sonic Frontiers, but I guess he just knows that he’s in a completely modified base that he’s unfamiliar with, has no form of transport anymore, and his only form of defense is Metal Sonic who would probably struggle against Sonic and Tails at the same time.

Plus I really can’t blame the writing team for it since they were almost certainly writing this before Frontiers came out and only Ian knew what was going on in that story and he didn’t work on this issue.

And there it is folks, that sweet, horrid realization that Surge isn’t just some brute who Starline hired, but a horrific creation of Starline who doesn’t know anything else than to hate Sonic. God this arc is creepy.

And once again a reminder that Starline is an evil genius on the same level as Eggman, just blinded by his own ego. Eggman admitting himself that Starline was brilliant but only AFTER he’s dead is great to see. I adore a villain who respects their enemies abilities and Eggman is prime for that.

Kit continues to look creepy and Sure is doing the Vegeta pose.

But enough about that I wanna talk about how calm Surge looks in those first couple panels. Or at the very least not angry like she usually is. Surge has been fighting running around and fighting non stop since Issue 50 and she’s clearly scared of the fact that Sonic and Eggman are working together. She’s tired, she’s scared, and she doesn’t know what else to do but to fight Sonic.

And oh BOY this last page is pretty!!! I cannot stress enough how amazing the art of this series is, it’s astounding!

Conclusion

Surge and Kit continue to be really fun and compelling villains and I’m so glad they’ve been added. Feels like we’re getting close to the end of this first major arc involving them, but whatever happens next issue I hope that the two of them can continue to appear in later comics down the line. Giving Sonic more of a rogues gallery is always neat to me, even if Eggman deserves more of the spotlight.

8/10

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

Ramble#9

My main focus here is on samurai manga…

top 5 samurai manga read this month:

#5. Kurozuka by Baku Yumemakura on story and Takashi Noguchi on art

This is a story that takes samurai, crosses it with vampires and kind of just illustrates how far those two can go, It’s based on real 2 life guys, maybe even considered legends in Japan with a bridge and statue dedicated to them and everything, Yoshitsune Minamoto and Saito Benkei

Basically, the story starts with them trying to escape some pursuers in the mountains and in doing so they end up unwittingly shacking up with a vampire, a lady vampire,,, and shit just gets crazy from there…

Don’t wanna get too into it cause 1 it’s number 5 and 2 tbh the story wasn’t all that outside the romanticism and dark sides of immortality, but what I can say is that the illustration over the eras that pass and how a dude with a sword, a samurai, changes over the millenia was pretty cool to see…

Pretty rad action, decent enough story wrapped up in just 40 chapters, kind of a mid cast but i loved the concept and its illustration..

For all you anime folks it does have a 12 episode anime but I can’t speak on that adaptation and its quality, differences etc. at all.

#4. Gintama by Hideaki Sorachi

Super popular in hella anime and manga circles, in a lot of top 10s n 5s and If you haven’t heard of it well don’t worry the world’s full of information you don't know so continue to enjoy the journey...

Anyways… Gintama… is a story… that unfortunately I can’t speak on too confidently as I haven’t finished but despite a valiant attempt to in one month while reading a bunch of other stuff, I got to 200sumthn out of 709… but yh…

Gintama is set in futuristic japan but still somehow having a shadow of the edo period mixed in, meant to give a new take on the real life events of japan’s borders opening, foreigners coming in and that essentially leading to the downfall of the samurai, except the foreigners here are literal aliens. The story follows a samurai that previously fought in the war to keep japan alien free who’s now a dead beat, sakata gintoki, a young aspiring samurai whose dad died and left him a dojo in a world where swords are banned, shimura shinpachi, and a pretty much orphaned humanoid teen alien named kagura, all just barely scraping by with doing a bunch of very odd jobs.

VERY HILARIOUS, and so far largely a gag manga but it flips the serious switch very well and what I really like about it is that unlike a lot of other samurai mcs and characters, these guys, especially the central mc of the trio, sakata gintoki, have zero ambition, but constantly stress and fight to the death with swords to rubber chickens to protect their simple way of life. This is exemplified by the words shinpachi’s dying father left him in the very first chapter “Even if there comes a time when you must throw away your sword, never throw away the sword you have resting in your soul.”

I know it builds into an amazing story where almost every character they ever interact with pitches in and I'm probably underselling like crazy but if you want something samurai but samurai like you've never seen, check it out, I hear it’s worth the time and so far that’s proving to be so over the top gags and all.

Anime peps the anime is complete with 201 episodes.

#3. Sengoku Youko by Satoshi Mizukami (mangaka of spirit circle, Lucifer and the biscuit hammer and more)

Technically not a samurai story, leaning more into fantasy but it's in that era and a ronin is in the main cast so bite me and my list ig…

Anyways this is an epic that somehow does an incredible extensive story in 100 chapters and it's not too surprising given the mangaka (seriously check out spirit circle, i’ll never stop talking about it, my favourite manga ever at just 46 chapters and Lucifer at the biscuit hammer which is pretty up there as well, which finally got an anime adaptation this year with 65 chapters).

The story follows a demon named Tama trying to bring peace to the world traveling the land with a human named Jinka who's trying to become a demon and hates humans, but because of his love for demons does whatever Tama tells him to. Further than the usual “what is strength?” question that you could say the way of the sword tends to boil down to, this story looks at the question of “what is a human?”, as the duo run into other humans and demons with their own perspectives and characteristics.

Unfortunately it’s pretty hard to sell it more without getting excited and blabbing it all but brilliant story (admittedly with a little bit of a choppy start), great cast and cast dynamic, dope action, average but fitting art, highly recommended.

Side note, this had one of the coolest, if not THE coolest dragon depictions and fights I've ever seen in manga.

#2. Ichigeki aka one hit kill by Jiro Matsumoto

This was honestly an unexpected banger, as in, my firm philosophy is that by definition the average manga is average so you gotta just be thankful for bangers when they come but even so, especially for how short it was I was blown away.

The basic premise is that some peasants are brought in from the countryside to get some quick training in the sword and used as a throwaway one time hit squad but after they survive and show some promise, they're trained more seriously and sent on increasingly important but increasingly dangerous missions.

What I really love is how this story really highlights the caste system of the time, sounds weird to say but a lot of samurai manga mainly focus on the samurai class and up which I think paints this picture that some people just chose to pick up swords and others didn't, when really for the most part a lot of that was predetermined by birth. There were organized schools that only accepted certain families and it was only in extreme off chance cases that a peasant could even get their hands on a sword much less get formal training.

But yh, story and pacing was great and would even call it phenomenal (especially relative to the length), brilliant cast and cast dynamic, really loved the way the peasants viewed themselves and were viewed by others over time as they became more established, great action and pretty dope art, absolute banger in only 49 chapters, highly recommend.

#1. Kozure Ookami aka Lone wolf and cub by Kazuo Koike on story and Goseki Kojima on art

This is a actually apparently a classic samurai epic and when I say epic I'm not using it loosely just to say it's good which it is, but when I say epic I mean to think along the lines of the Iliad or dante’s inferno.

The story follows a famed samurai, ogami itto, official executioner appointed by the shogun (really big fukn deal), framed, defamed and now turned assassin traveling the land on the path of revenge with his son daigoro.

Now if you're familiar with epics you'll know they're quite long and tbh when I started I was a bit confused like why is this dude out here carrying out assassinations with an infant? and is every chapter just gonna be him killing randoms? do I really need to know the name and history of EVERY prefecture like fr???? (really reminded me of that one chapter of the Iliad where they just listed everybody and their moms from athens)

A little bit of a slow start for me especially as the mc was just super stoic, the ideal samurai if you will but it's through that we see his character and what a true bushi/samurai is. Through any danger and challenge he sees his duty through to the end. Even the decision not to kill in the face of certain death. Wildly enough his kid is not a prop at all as watching his father over time he picks up his habits and has his own adventures.

The action isn't the smoothest but it perfectly captures that old samurai flick vibe, phenomenal aesthetic that becomes even more exceptional in the final few arcs and some of the greatest dialogue around the meaning of Bushido I've ever seen. A small example I'll give is in a duel he has with another fallen samurai, he’s asked what the right thing to do would be when caught in an ambush. Standing by his lord’s side and defending them or leaving his lord’s side to take the initiative in battle, both with equal chances of success.

It's 142 chapters but because almost every chapter, especially early on, is isolated and almost feels like a movie, it can be a bit of a rough read but definitely worth it. (actually started last year and read the second half this month).

hm: tenkaichi, elusive samurai, gantz:e, sengoku strays

top 5 samurai manga before this year

#5. Gamaran by Yousuke Nakamaru

I almost want to say hunter x hunter but for samurai but the only real similarity is the mc trying to find his dad + in this he's trying to kill him cause they basically pulled an itachi and killed his squad.

I love this manga but again number 5 so I'm not trying get too into it plus it's really for the most part a battle tourney, nothing against tourneys but fight fi*azP_Qzght fight gets a litlle tired over the years yk?

Now why this is top5 is that along with really great art I really loved the detail put into the choreography and technique of the fights, as in alot of times sword fights, if they're not basically pokemon battles can be bland despite the contextual meaning and weight of it all. Like it's hard to really differentiate one swordsman from another midfight because outside of their stances they all just look like they're swinging swords pretty much the same way and on occasion shouting random stuff, especially in manga, but maybe that’s just me idk… But gamaran takes the time to illustrate the characteristics of each style, strengths, weaknesses, body motions, etc, to really give almost every fight a real definitive feel

solid story despite what I said about tourneys, great art, pretty dope cast, amazing action and only 194 chapters

There’s also an ongoing sequel called Gamaran: Shura but that only has 25 chapters so far and hasn’t really gotten anywhere yet

4. Sidooh by Tsutomu Takahashi

This story follows two brothers whose mother dies in front of them as kids, leaving them with the last words "It is the fate of the weak to die", giving them an obsession with strength that leads them to claw their way up into the ranks of society

Really great pacing, great story and amazing aesthetic, an interesting art style that's a bit inky for lack of a better word but goes really well with sword strokes and stuff like that + some of the hardest drip I've ever seen on folks in that period and some of the meanest stare downs I’ve ever seen.

It's complete with 269 chapter but only 250 are translated to English, if you've been listening for awhile this is where I usually say fuck the french cause they usually have more manga chapters translated than others in general but hate is lame and all I need to do is step up and translate shit myself if I really want to yk so yh, sorry France, all my hate towards you will solely because of colonialism and especially what you've done to Haiti. fuck France and fuck imperialism

3. Vagabond by tajehiko inoue ( mangaka of slam dunk and real)

This is something I'm always hesitant to mention because it's so good but is almost certainly never going to be completed and there's so much other great works to see but this is a definitive work of art and it'd be criminal to leave it off the list.

This story is based on the life of miyamoto musashi, a legendary swordsman, legendary, as his feats for a self taught peasant are just incredible, in real life this eventually culminated in him founding his own sword school, the Niten ichi Ryu (roughly translated to two heavens as one) but the manga doesn't really get to that bit.

Probably by far the greatest art in this list, Inoue is a master of the craft, and the investigation of the way of the sword and what it means to be unrivaled under heaven via musashi's travels and encounters with other known legends like the yagyu and itto ryu is truly enlightening.

Brilliant characters and character dynamics, stunning art that can never be understated, brilliant dialogue, very engaging fights, just an all round brilliant manga…

Besides the fact that a chapter hasn't come out in about 7yrs… I cry… 327 chapters out and translated if you can handle it…

2. Shigurui aka death frenzy by Takayuki Yamaguchi

This was only 84 chapters but in case the name didn't give it away it gets pretty wild

The story revolves around the participants in the first fight of a deathmatch tournament, one being blind and limp while the other only has one arm. We're shown the events that led to them being chosen to fight and what they continue to swing their swords for in spite of their condition, and both having started out as students of the same sword school.

Lots of tragedy packed in here, lots of gore, very clean art, pretty dope fights, solid cast, and a brilliant story that really illustrates the sometimes unbecoming struggle that is being samurai.

1. Blade of the immortal by Hiroaki Samura

bro... just trust me on this one....

I Know this is about manga but 3 Anime movies I gotta mention are: sword of the stranger, Lupin the IIIrd: The Blood Spray of Goemon Ishikawa and ninja scroll

listen in to hear my top 5 swordsmen

[gible-love-nibles-archive]

Eternal Diva Fic (Part 13)

This is where all the Softness (tm) is folks; this is the "Clare is indulging" part lmao. Then again, this entire section of the story is me indulging. This entire fic is me indulging. You signed up for this at this point.

No warnings here, pretty sure! Just a nice soft penultimate chapter :]

Word Count: 1.6k / Previous / Next

“What are you up to?”

I jerked in surprise. It was Descole again, leaning on the doorway.

It had been a couple of days.  At least that was what I guessed.  Time was hard to gauge when there weren’t any windows, and I was lousy at keeping track of time anyway.  

Despite Descole’s advice, I had barely gotten any sleep.  Believe me, I tried.  But my eyes wouldn’t stay closed or I couldn’t settle down.  So most of the time, I took out my notebook and just doodled away, hoping that would help.

“Drawing,” I said simply. “Can’t sleep.”

"Again?" was all he said as he came in. It didn't sound accusatory, but I took it that way.

"I've been trying to sleep, alright? It's just been with... everything! All of this!" I let out a short sigh. "I know that's not your fault, but..." I trailed off.

The masked man just stared at me. I might've been seeing things... but he looked a bit sullen.

"I'm not going to force you to sleep. If you can't, you can't. Simple as that."

There was a stretch of silence. Neither of us moved (not that I could move much anyway).

I could tell Descole didn't want to leave just yet. He had been doing that quite a bit, finding random things to talk about to stretch out these visiting times. I didn't really get why; none of it seemed useful to him at all.

“Could I see what you’re drawing?” He finally settled on that as he sat and settled on the other side of the bed.

I blinked. "You actually wanna see my art?"

"It's something you're passionate about, no? You carried a notebook with you to an opera house of all places, and you're fast at it. How long have you been drawing?"

"All my life, basically? It's just something I've always done."

"Fascinating..."

“…I… guess you can look. If you really want to.” I passed the notebook over to him.  I didn't have anything to hide; it wasn’t like there was anything embarrassing or weird in there. “Just don’t expect to be amazed or anything.”

He thumbed through my notebook quietly.  He just made quirky little expressions at my work and didn't say anything. After a little while of flipping back and forth— enough to almost make me nervous— he handed it back.

“Hm.  You were right.  I wasn’t amazed.”

“Gee, thanks—”

“Because there was nothing of me in there.”

I gawked at him for a moment. “Really? That's your only takeaway?”

“The only negative takeaway. Your style is charming and extremely expressive, your linework and handwriting is neat, and you somehow do it so quickly. I'm very impressed, dear."

"Wait, you... like it? Like, really you like it? You're not pulling my leg here?"

His smile softened. "Absolutely." But that softness went away fast for slyness. "But! If you want my opinion, your posing could use improvement."

"And drawing you will help with that. Totally not because you want free art of yourself." I couldn’t help but snort. “No thanks.  Your hat looks awful to draw.” I pushed it down over his mask so it would cover his eyes.  He chuckled as he fixed it.

“I could model for you, if that would help.” His smile may have been smug, but he was serious.

“I’m sure you have better things to do than be my model.”

“No, my schedule’s all free now with Ambrosia discovered. I'm very open and very available.”

“Well, I heard there’s another lost city out there that I’m sure would be a real head-scratcher for you.  They’re calling it Atlantis.”

“You--!” He playfully shoved me a bit (though it was more of a nudge), and we both couldn’t stop from cracking up.

~

Another random day, I couldn’t sleep again and Descole visited again.

“Is there anything that will help you sleep better?  You’re really starting to worry me.”

Asking the masked man why he was fretting over me so much never got me a straight answer.  I just dropped it after a while.  

“I dunno.  Time’s just… weird down here.” I was about to say it wasn’t that bad, but I swallowed it.  Of course it was bad; if I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t healing (or at least healing with nothing else happening).

He hummed for a bit, then seemed to get an idea. “When I was a boy, my mother used to read me a bedtime story every night she could.  I was out cold right as she finished.  Maybe the same will work for you.  Besides, it must be dreadfully boring here with only one thing to do.”

“...You have got to have something better to do than read me a bedtime story.”

"Please, dash your concerns.  You’re my guest; of course you’re going to take up my time. I'm not going to just leave you alone like some caged animal.  And besides… I want to.  So, do you want to hear a story or not?"

I was taken aback a bit.  He wanted to, genuinely? “Um… sure.  Why not?”

A warm smile slid onto his face. “Thank you, dear.”

I liked seeing that smile. Certainly better than... all that on top of the robot.

He went over to a little bookshelf I hadn’t noticed in the room before.  He dragged his finger across the spines, looking for just the right one. He gingerly pulled out a smaller book. “Ah, here it is.”

The cover was mainly blue with a blonde boy standing on the moon with yellow stars in the night sky.  The title:

“The Little Prince?”

“Have you read it before?”

“I’ve heard of it.  I’ve always wanted to read it, but I could never find it anywhere.”

Descole’s smile grew wider. “Well then, I’m honored to be the one introducing it to you.”

And that was how the next few days went: Descole would sit on my bed, reading The Little Prince.  He had a voice ready for every character, and it always got a laugh out of me. 

Eventually, I’d always fall asleep (most likely leaning on him because I peered over his shoulder to read the words or look at the pictures).  He didn’t leave me settled there forever (or maybe even very long), as every time I woke up, he was gone.

~

"Hey, Descole?"

"Hm? Yes?"

We had just finished a reading of The Little Prince, and the masked man looked exhausted. From context clues, it seemed like he was working on another plan for some ancient site or city or what-have-you.

I figured he wasn't going to tell me anything about it, so I didn't say a word. I was probably going to get roped into it somehow anyway, knowing my luck.

But something had been nagging at me this whole time, nibbling at me. I felt like if I didn't get it out soon, I was going to explode. So... might as well while we were both still awake.

"...How do I say this...?"

"Really, is it that bad?"

Ok sir, this attitude was not helping. "N-No, it's not bad! It's-- the opposite of bad actually."

"And you're having this much trouble getting it out?"

I sighed, and then steeled myself, gripping my blanket. "I just... wanted to say: your voice on top of the Detragan was... really nice...?"

Silence. You could've heard a pin drop.

...Why had I said that? Why did I say that?

Augh god, he was going to be just insufferable now! He was never going to let me hear the end of it!

But, to my surprise... it was still quiet. I hazarded a look at him.

Descole looked stunned. He was staring right through me, all sorts of gears and cogs turning in his head. The great mastermind Jean Descole looked... flustered.

Once he noticed me staring, he puffed up like a startled cat and pretended to cough into his sleeve. For a split second, it looked like his cheeks were flushed. But I wasn't sure.

He stammered. "Yours was... as well."

Silence once more. After a few seconds that felt like a few hours, Descole suddenly darted for the door, not saying a word.

"H-Hey!" was all I could get out before the door shut. I let out a short sigh. "Bad idea. Of course it was."

~

I settled into some kind of rhythm eventually: eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner; find some way to pass the time in between meals with or without Descole around; and once night came along, listen to him read. 

Every meal was cooked by Raymond, though Descole sometimes told me that I ate some of his cooking offhandedly.  I always told Descole that I could tell which parts he cooked: the worst-tasting part.  It was just me teasing him, and he recognized that.  Honestly, I couldn’t tell which parts he cooked, if any at all.

The masked man and I had pretty easy conversations at the start, but things started to get more… awkward as time went on.  Genuine compliments that caught either of us off-guard, and then Descole would hurriedly excuse himself and leave.  Words way too sweet for their own good.  Eventually, we started talking less and less. 

After we finished The Little Prince, he didn’t pick up another book for us to read. He'd just hand me one he'd thought I liked and hurried off again.

It felt… hollowing.  I wanted to say something about it, but I couldn’t just force him to talk if he didn’t want to.

Raymond reassured me during all this. “He’s… lost a lot, lass.  I suppose he’s just steeling himself for when you leave.  He’s enjoyed your company, and he’s preparing himself for when it’s all over.”

It… didn’t make me feel better.

Eventually, I was finally feeling better and could move about the sub.  Which of course, meant it was time for me to leave.

[studioahead]

Artist Spotlight: John Gnorski

When we asked John Gnorski what on earth are EARTH BABIES, he took us on a subterranean journey to meet them. Or at least that's how it felt. Hearing John speak about his creative process certainly takes you all over, even into your subconsciousness, about which he has a lot to say. His art is full of strange landscapes, strange portraits, strange figures. Our current fave is one from his Clouds Roll By Like A Train In The Sky series not because of its great title, or because the clouds might actually be birds or blossoms, but because peeking through the print's ink is the grain of the woodblock, reminding us of the materiality that grounds all our work, no matter how wildly dreamt.

Studio AHEAD: John, your bio is mysteriously pithy: “Born in Alexandria, Virginia, living/ working in Point Reyes Station, CA.” What brought you to the other side of the country? 

John Gnorski: I moved from the East Coast more or less on a whim in 2007, picking up and leaving the Hudson Valley, which had been my home for 6 years at that point, and ending up in Portland, OR. Luckily it was still a pretty affordable town at the time so I was able to piece together a nice existence doing carpentry for a day job (which would indelibly inform my art practice) and making art and music every other waking hour. I found a great community, fell in love with the truly epic landscape of the West, and at some point the West Coast just became home. 

After many happy years up in Oregon, my partner Katie, who is a filmmaker, decided to get a master’s degree and that instigated our (truly auspicious) move to the Bay. One thing led to another, and we were lucky enough to find a house to rent in Pt. Reyes Station. Before long we found a great community out here and we hope to stay for as long as we can. 

I do miss the East sometimes, especially the sort of archetypal procession of seasons there with crisp autumn days, deep winters, and summer thunderstorms and lighting bugs. That said, I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live than here on the Northern California coast. I’m grateful every day to be here and I often think to myself how did I even end up here in this incredible place? 

Studio AHEAD: Has Northern California come to influence the materiality of your work? 

John Gnorski: Absolutely. In a very literal sense I tend to use native wood in my work whenever I can, but the influence goes beyond the physical material to a particular sensibility that seems to be shared by a lot of Northern California artists across generations and styles. I find that, at least in my experience, there’s less concern out here about the whole (false) binary of art vs. craft than I experienced as a young artist on the East Coast (particularly in the vicinity of New York). 

I think that this attitude has, thankfully, changed quite a bit pretty much everywhere in the years since I moved west, but nevertheless California has a long history of breaking down established conventions and categories. Ceramics and wood sculpture, for instance, have been taken seriously out here for generations in a way that hasn’t historically been the case out east. 

This anti-hierarchical spirit famously permeates a lot of the culture out here. A nice example is the great DIY building tradition of the “hippies” and other folks who took to the rural areas of the coast, starting in the middle of the last century, and made truly beautiful, strange, and inspired homes out here that flout both architectural convention and often the laws of physics. I’ve had the pleasure of helping to restore some buildings like this up in Mendocino and, to bring this full circle, some of the little scraps and bits I’ve taken with me from those projects have become pieces of my own work, along with the lessons of those often anonymous artist/builders who made, intentionally or not, amazing sculpture-houses. 

There’s also a very strong Japanese influence on the aesthetics of so much California art/craft/design that’s found its way into my work. Would I be making these very Japanese/Noguchi-inspired lanterns if I hadn’t ended up here? I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing this place has informed them quite a bit. 

Studio AHEAD: Don't get Homan started on Noguchi. He's obsessed. What is your relation to abstraction? Many of your sculptures and drawings almost seem to form recognizable figures, but not quite. 

John Gnorski: With very few exceptions everything I make is representational even if it’s hard to decipher the image in the finished piece. I’m looking at a little watercolor painting right now that would almost certainly appear totally abstract to anyone but me, but I know that I made it in the Mojave desert and I can see the particular landscape that I was trying to depict—the horizon, the heat ripples, little constellations of scrubby desert plants—though it’s basically reduced to visual symbols. 

It’s not necessarily a formal decision I’ve made to avoid pure abstraction, it’s more of a narrative one. Having concrete subject matter is an important starting point for me, one method of avoiding the potentially paralyzing experience of confronting the blank page. So even if the finished picture or object ends up miles away from where it began, I still start by saying to myself, for instance: I’m going to draw a lizard sunning itself on a stump or, as in one of the pictures I’m working on now, I’m going to draw a bather in Tomales Bay stooping down to look at a bat ray. One might end up a pretty faithful manifestation of the concept while another might go through the ringer of some process and turn out as a loopy line drawing that barely hints at its source material. 

I sometimes do the same thing when I write songs, coming up with a title first and then writing into that. The two even intersect as in my continuing series of cloud pictures all of which are titled “Clouds Roll By Like A Train In The Sky” which is also the name of a song I wrote. Without the title those pictures read as geometric abstraction, but with the title they become clouds. Context is so important! 

Studio AHEAD: Those cloud pictures, and also your Rorschach-like quarantine notebooks/bird and butterfly prints, give room to the subconscious. How do you get into that mental space when creating that allows for the subconscious to take over? 

John Gnorski: Allowing room for the subconscious is really important to me because at the end of the day it’s very often the accidental/unintentional things that really resonate with me. To clarify, when I say subconscious in this context what I’m really talking about is allowing forces outside of my control to work in the picture/object. I try to maintain a decent level of competence when it comes to the basics of art-making, but I also try to use whatever “technique” I’ve developed to allow chance and accident to do their wonderful work. I know that nothing I could map out perfectly from start to finish will be nearly as interesting as something that transforms in ways I never could have anticipated through the process of the making. 

This sensibility is very visibly present in the Rorschach-style pieces and a lot of my sketchbooks and works on paper, but it’s there in less obvious ways in all of my work. The lanterns, for instance, might appear as though each little bit of joinery was carefully plotted out, but in reality they are built based on pretty simple line drawings and constructed in an organic manner. I’ll have a basic shape I want to achieve, but the way everything is put together is done on the fly. Sometimes a connection might become redundant structurally as a piece grows, but I’ll keep it in there as a remnant of the process. All the little false steps and unintentional gestures become a part of the piece and give it a complexity I wouldn’t have achieved if I’d set out with a dialed-in plan and done things in the most elegant and minimal way possible. 

The same is true of the ink on paper pieces which begin life as charcoal drawings and allow chance to seep in throughout the process. I rub the drawings onto plywood “plates” which transfers them in an imperfect but legible manner. I’m also using multiple plates and pieces of paper to allow for misalignments, and the plates themselves are of a type of plywood that tends to have an active grain that sometimes splinters or “runs”—interrupting the carved line in often surprising ways. I hand print the plates, which produces unexpected textures, and then go back into the image with more ink or sometimes collage or pastel. So in the end what began as a pretty clear and maybe even graceful line drawing becomes, through the welcoming-in of chance, something a bit more nuanced and awkward, full of special little moments on its physical surface that come out of that totally not conscious place of process. 

Studio AHEAD: Tell us about EARTH BABIES, your collaboration with Kate Bernstein. We are particularly interested in how collaboration impacts the creative process—we have many ideas about this at Studio AHEAD and those ideas are constantly evolving. Do you find it easier to work alone or with a partner? 

John Gnorski: EARTH BABIES is the conceptual tent that shelters all the collaborative work that Katie and I do together. It started as a music/installation performance at an amazing event called Spaceness that friends of ours organized for 5 years on the coast of Washington at a place called the Sou’wester. 

Spaceness was a very free-form community art-making event that revolved around the concept of the unknown, and often featured work relating to outer space or unexplored worlds. It was held annually in early spring—the very darkest and dreariest time of the year in the Pacific Northwest—and it featured music, dance, video, radio, you name it. Folks would work for months on their contributions, and it was so beautiful: community coming together to make their own entertainment and help each other through dark days. For me, this is the best case scenario for art-making. I like to think of it as subsistence art—art for fun and joy and also for survival. It honestly makes me tear up thinking about it, and I often cried during the performances there. It just moves me so much to see what people can make with little to no budget out of the simplest materials like cardboard, scrap wood, clip lights, fabric, words: whole worlds that can really put you under a spell, transport you, communicate a message, and make time and space for our imaginations to nourish one another. 

Anyway (and forgive me, this is going to get maybe a little esoteric) Katie and I, inspired by a trip to Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, came up with this idea of a whole culture of beings living deep under the surface of our Earth called “Earth Babies.” We first wrote and recorded songs based on this imaginary world, and over the years we made various installations: the “Healing Machine” which was a sound bath in a hand-built A-frame in the woods and the “Hopler Archive,” a fictional natural history museum. 

At this point, EARTH BABIES is the name we use whenever we want to make something creative without the burden of our “actual” identities getting in the way. It’s our shared alter ego that allows for maximum creative expression. 

As for collaboration generally, as much as I love spending time alone in my studio, my ideal art making ratio would be 25% solitary practice, and 75% collaboration. I love the energy of working with other artists, performers, thinkers, etc., and I think that collaboration leads to amazing things no one ever could have come up with on their own. I also think that community events like DIY music shows, theater, potlucks and ephemeral art exhibits in informal spaces are the most heartfelt and wonderful forms of art —purely collaborative and collectively authored. Again, it’s that idea of “subsistence art”. If none of us had to worry about selling our work I think there would naturally be a lot less emphasis on individual style and a lot less concern about authorship. Maybe collaboration would be the new norm and we could all contribute a verse to the big song we sing to sustain ourselves. 

Studio AHEAD: What's your favorite music to listen to while making art? You are also a DJ and musician.

John Gnorski: Katie and I host a radio show on West Marin’s community radio station KWMR every other Sunday morning, which has really made us feel connected to the community out here. 

I listen to a huge variety of music in my studio from atmospheric/ambient music like Brian Eno and Hiroshi Yoshimura to soul to Neil Young to Terry Riley to Alice Coltrane to Lucinda Williams. I’ll often just rely on my cassette library to take a break from the digital realm, which features a lot of mixtapes from Mississippi Records, my favorite record store/label. But if I had to choose only one thing to listen to while making art it would be Ornette Coleman. I’ve listened to a collection of his recordings called Beauty Is A Rare Thing many thousands of times over the years in every studio, basement, garage, and shed I’ve worked in. His music has every color and emotion and gesture in it, and it radiates compassion and energy and love. It’s also difficult at times and can go from soothing to jarring pretty quickly, much like life. When I listen to a song like “I Heard It Over The Radio” I hear everything from voices harmonizing singing a folk song to animals making raucous calls to wind in the trees and rattling subway cars. 

Studio AHEAD: What can you do in music that you can’t do in the plastic arts? And vice versa? 

John Gnorski: For me the boundaries are pretty porous. As I alluded to earlier with the titling of my work, there’s a lot of crossover and dialogue between disciplines in my practice. It’s easier for me to come up with analogies. A skittering, hesitant line in a drawing conveys something similar to a thin, airy flute or a tentative phrase on a piano. Take a lyric like this one by Leonard Cohen: 

Nancy was alone

looking at the late, late show

through a semi-precious stone. 

It conjures all kinds of atmospheres and emotional states like a Rothko or an Alice Neel portrait. Whenever I hear Alice Coltrane play the harp I think of someone painting with absolutely every color on their palette. 

Music, however—live music—does have the wonderful quality of being ephemeral that most plastic arts don’t possess. It allows you to really inhabit the moment if you choose to. As a performer you’re also able to collaborate with an audience in a way that’s much harder to do with visual art. If you can engage an audience, or are part of an engaged audience, it can really make the experience special, with everyone kind of rooting for the performers and contributing their attention and energy to make the whole experience really lovely. 

Then I suppose there are some stories that can be more eloquently told in pictures or gestures than in sound. Light can be captured really evocatively in a drawing or a painting and used to make form in the realm of sculpture. There are some feelings you can only get, some ideas that can only be conveyed, when you’re in the presence of a physical thing. 

Studio AHEAD: I want to end on the very first photo posted on your Instagram. It’s a poster that says: “Now is the time to do your life’s work.” How do you or how do you try to live this mantra? 

John Gnorski: I made this picture as a kind of personal affirmation to hang on my studio wall many years ago. A lot of people who came through commented on it and it seemed like most everyone appreciated the reminder. 

My idea of my “life’s work” changes all the time, but the constant is a commitment to making things that I hope will tell a story or convey a feeling clearly and with heart. At times it can seem like art is some kind of luxury or commodity, but then I remember how it has truly illuminated and influenced and given hope and shape to my life and the lives of a lot of other people over the entire course of human existence. I think that being an artist is as noble a vocation as any, and more helpful to humanity than a lot of things I could be doing with my time. 

I’m in the fortunate position of being able to primarily make a living by making art and other art-adjacent objects these days, but in the recent past when I would be laboring away at a carpentry gig, I would think of that image and that mantra and remember that I had some kind of calling beyond the job that paid the bills—a “life’s work” that couldn’t be defined by an hourly rate—and that the artist work deserved and demanded my commitment. I still believe that if I show up for the muse or universe or whatever you want to call it everyday, ready and willing to work, that I’ll be able to somehow keep doing this as my life’s work and hopefully make things that help other people see life or hear it or survive and take joy in it. 

Studio AHEAD: We love that. We always start with asking our clients how they live. It's so important. Can you give us three creative people/places/cultural forces based in Northern California that we should take note of?

John Gnorski: Cole Pulice is a musician/composer living in the East Bay whose music often keeps me company in the studio. We also listen to a piece of theirs almost every day on the short drive from our house to the trail that we walk to check on the animal neighbors and greet the day. 

Bolinas/Pt.Reyes/Inverness DIY art/music scene This is an acknowledgement of the type of creative community vitality that to me is the heart of sustaining art-making—artists, musicians, writers—we can also get specific and talk about it in terms of two spaces where most of this stuff takes place: the Gospel Flat Farm Stand and the hardware store in Bolinas. Both are DIY spaces of the highest caliber that provide the setting and the energy for art to happen. 

Ido Yoshimoto. I know that everyone reading this probably already knows Ido’s work [if not, we interviewed him here —SA] but I feel compelled to shout him out because he so generously invited me into the community here when we landed a few years back. He’s also shared knowledge and food and time. The people who make their lives here and share their talents and have profound respect for the land are the soul of this place, and Ido is one of those people.

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva

[danganronpa-21]

Makoto Naegi Birthday Headcanons

Today is Makoto Naegi’s birthday, and I made some headcanons! They’re a small set, about eight — and I think I might have shared one of them before, although maybe not for his birthday, more of a fankids headcanon thing — but hopefully you will enjoy them nonetheless!

• Unlike a lot of kids you hear about, Makoto was actually pretty excited to be a big brother. And I’m sure you’re thinking — how could a one year old be excited? And I’m here to tell you that Komaru and Makoto’s age gap is a translation error, and that while that art book does say a year, I haven’t seen Komaru’s UDG conversations where she says otherwise retranslated to confirm that it actually WAS an error, ergo… It’s a set of headcanons and I’m doing what I want, don’t overthink it.

Anyway — he wanted to be helpful with Komaru if he could, and generally liked spending time around her even if she was just laying there being all wiggly like babies are. It was almost like fascination. Depending on how young you think he was, I could probably even see him trying to offer her his own pacifier when she cried. All around, Makoto was just very cute when it came to Komaru, and their parents were constantly melting over their adorable perfect babies.

• Given the nature of Makoto’s luck, it’s actually quite rare that he even notices its effects. He doesn’t think that bad things happen to him all that much more than other people, but given that his luck is so related to injury and life-or-death situations, he doesn’t always notice how good it can be. Like if he cuts himself with a large knife and it’s not that deep, he’ll just bandage himself up and be glad that it’s not worse, not really considering WHY it’s not worse. Living a relatively normal life, the close calls are way less noticeable to him, so it’s only after the Killing Game that he kind of goes, “Huh. I am kind of lucky.”

• Has a strangely difficult time gaining weight and keeping it on. It drives him crazy. He keeps up a decent diet for someone of his age and gets some exercise (probably more as an adult than as a teen, because THH has him mention his favourite sport in school was “going home”), but he has trouble building up muscle and just overall making himself more sturdy. Given that he’s perfectly healthy, he can’t quite complain, but sometimes he can’t help but feel kind of scrawny when he hangs around some of his other friends.

• Favourite type of video game are beat ‘em ups. Especially kind people tend to have their outlets for their anger, whether it be sports or horror movies or whatever, and for Makoto, it’s beat ‘em up video games. If he’s had a rough day at school or work, maybe Byakuya has been a real jerk to him or he wasn’t able to perform to Hope’s Peak standards, he loves to go home and just let loose on the video game system until he feels better. It’s just a special kind of catharsis for him that keeps him from exploding at people, which is something that he loathes doing.

• Speaking of which, as we see from his internal monologue, Makoto is actually quite capable of being snarky and sarcastic like Hajime, but he chooses not to. He knows the feelings are only human, especially when surrounded by a bunch of folks as quirky as his classmates, but his attitude is generally that if it’s not nice, it’s not likely to be something that needs to be said, so he tends to bite his tongue on such matters. However, if the person is enough of a jerk, he might mutter to himself — and if any of his loved ones catch what he says, they usually burst out laughing because of how out of character it is.

• Good at public speaking, but doesn’t actually think he’s that good at it. He gets a little nervous every time he goes up to do it, not knowing if he’s going to say the right thing, but as soon as he’s up there and doing it, it becomes as naturally to him as breathing. It mesmerizes and amazes everyone who watches him, and he’s been asked by others for tips before… and has not entirely known how to respond. Most of the time, he surprises even himself with what he can do. If you record him and have him watch it back, he’ll often say that it’s like watching someone else who looks exactly like him.

• Makoto’s pet name from his mother was “Sunbeam” because of his cheerful attitude. As an adult, Makoto uses the same pet name with his own kids. It has a new meaning for him, being the light of his life and his ray of sunshine for the future. Plus, it’s a nice way for him to help keep the memory of his mom around, and all the effort and love she and his father put into raising their family.

• A long-standing debate between him and Kyoko is whether or not pineapple pizza is good. Makoto is adamant, ADAMANT, that it is delicious and Kyoko doesn’t know what she is talking about. Kyoko, on the other hand, is almost angry as she insists that it is not and he is blinded by tastebuds that accept the mediocre. She even likens it to Komaru’s tastes for kangaroo meat. They never go too far in their debating about it of course, but there is a running joke where they go on pestering each other about their respective opinions whenever they get the opportunity. Which is funny, because being Japanese… there are some more unusual choices for pizza that they could be fighting over!

[amagicdoctor]

Hey everyone!

As we move into 2023, I wanted to reflect about the past year and talk about my plans for the upcoming months. Overall, I think 2022 went off better than I expected. Several great things happened, but I’ll mention a few that really impacted me:

✨I got into the monthly theme mode. This kept the blog well organized, and allowed me to tackle important blog lore. Also, you guys really got into it too, which is what I originally wanted! I received plenty of asks to keep me busy and for the most part I was able to answer them in time if they connected to a certain month’s theme. 

✨Blog interaction increased exponentially. This was a big one that I did not expect. I have to give a special shout-out to the X-Men side of my followers. I have never received this much attention before, and it was thanks to you guys that more of my followers felt confident sending in asks/comments/DMs. Besides the asks sent in to me, I’ve also got a big backlog of asks for the blog. Seriously, blog interaction really popped off cause of the X-Men fans. I think this thing started off because I was super curious about the Krakoa situation, and a few of my followers actually responded and spent part of their time to educate me. This has been going on for months and it makes me feel REALLY happy that you guys care enough to talk to me about this stuff.

I’ve mentioned this before, but knowing that there’s a section of my followers who are X-Men fans is very important for content creation. Now I know I have a certain audience and can personalize my content for them! This is not to say I’m gravitating all my future content toward Doctor Strange’s relationship toward the X-Men, these are just things I keep in mind. Asks are the driving point of this blog, and right now the X-Men fans are the most vocal. But we’ll see what happens with that in the future 😉. 

I’m very thankful to all of you (not just the X-Men folks!), and I hope we can continue this relationship. If there’s any crazy incident happening on another side of the Marvel universe that you think may interest me as a Doctor Strange blog, let me know! I'm mostly partial to the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. My asks/DMs are always open. This goes double for any DC comic fans out there too!

✨Art improvement. My art is the biggest selling point of this blog. Comic book illustration is such an amazing subsection of the art field. I grew up making comics, and I love seeing my progress in this year alone. I’m becoming more confident with drawing bodies and hairstyles. Faces are a work in progress, and I’m even experimenting with color schemes! I’m not an art student, so there are things that I have to learn all by myself. I don’t make art with improvement in mind, I just think of an idea I want to execute and then go for it. If I happen to draw something better than I did before, then yay me! But I literally draw everyday, and practicing overtime does show change. I’m super proud of myself and I’m amazed at how far I’ve grown from the end of 2021 to now. I hope you too have enjoyed seeing my progress. I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish next year, I hope you’ll join me on that journey as well!

Looking forward, I have some wishlist plans for next year, this includes:

Monthly themes featuring: the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch. Asks sometimes do drive the themes, so if I get an influx of asks about a certain character or situation, I’ll dedicate a month or so to it.

Speaking of certain characters, because I will be quickly moving this blog to match canon’s current timeline, I will not have a month dedicated to Clea’s time as a Sorcerer Supreme. Disappointingly, I have not enjoyed her run as much as I have wanted to. Maybe this feeling will change by the end of the Strange (2022) series, but this conflicts with the blog timeline that I have planned (this does not mean you cannot send asks to her and co. about her experience). I also won’t speak about the blog’s posting schedule in a separate post like I usually do. This is because there will be no “monthly themes” until further notice. Doctor Strange’s new series starts in March of 2023, and the blog will be just about caught up by then. My current plans for the next few months are going to be hitting major plot points like Krakoa, Doctor Strange’s death arc, and Clea’s Supreme arc. You'll actually start to see a bit of a... shift starting in February (hint hint, wink wink). I hope you will follow along as the plot thickens and send in asks when needed!

I also want to know what other types of content I should cover. The art on my blog always comes first, but there are more things that I can get into. I can make more graphics, gifs, and even commentate on some parts of the series. For example, one thing I tried to set up is my new Character Design mini-series, so I could play around with ideas like those.

I would also be interested in any collabs. While I am an artist first, I’m also open to writing and any other ideas you may come up with. Actually, it’s one of my biggest dreams as an ask blog to interact with other (art) ask blogs. Please DM me at any time if this sounds like something you would want to be a part of!

Finally, I wanted to end this off with a big THANK YOU, to my followers, and everyone else who pops by the blog. I have loved reading your asks, your comments, and connecting with you in the DMs. The comics fandom is small, and the blog’s growth is a work in progress, but we have good moments here. Your continuous support means SO much to me. It really has been a good year, and I’m looking forward to what the future may bring! Have a good New Year!

See you in 2023!

[maxdurden]

get to know me

i was tagged by the amazing @johaerys-writes, thank you so much!!! 

Share your wallpaper: my phone background is really dope artwork of arthur morgan from red dead redemption 2. the art is sooo pretty and i’m sooo lazy so i haven’t changed it even though i haven’t played the game in months lmao. my desktop wallpaper is just,,, a black screen. which is really messed up, but it glitched out and deleted my old wallpaper (which i don’t even remember rip) and,,, ya know, the aforementioned laziness

The last song you listened to: Morbid Stuff by PUP

Currently Reading:  i just finished the v1 titans run of comics (1999-2003)!!!! i literally can’t recommend it more, it was so fun ough. but i’m currently in that phase after reading something really good where you can’t read anything else because of the misery of finishing a good read. it’s rough. honorable mentions go to the copy of the great gatsby that my coworker has been trying to make me read,,, (i’ve gotten through an entire one (1) page of it, sorry steve), and buy back the secrets, which is an incredible fanfic that everyone who likes timkon should go read immediately or i’ll kneecap your closest friends and relatives <3 (also also also in the family of things by @deadchannelradio which is so incredibly amazing and even tho i finished it a while ago i think it should still count for this because everyone should also read it immediately, the kneecapping threat still withstanding ofc)

Last Movie: Batman: Year One (with @darkravenstag, can you sense a pattern in the media i’ve been consuming jesus christ)

Craving: tattoo, tattoo, tattoo, tattoo, tattoo!!! (i’m broke)

What are you wearing right now: white soft sweatpants, my fluffy housecoat, and a shirt that says “i ❤️my gay cat” which was a birthday gift from @darkravenstag

How tall are you: last time i checked i was 5’4 but god knows if that’s changed by now (i doubt it), apparently that’s 162 ish centimeters 

Piercings: i have piercings in my ear that i got when i was like,,, four years old that are somehow still around god bless them. and i have a septum piercing. i really desperately want an industrial next

Tattoos: only one!!!!!!!!! it’s a neat little ouroboros but by god do i need more desperately

Glasses? Contacts?: nope, got that 20/20 vision, babey

Last drink: water (i honestly rarely drink anything but water)

Last show: i guess probably technically the mandalorian? it���s in the middle of its new season and @darkravenstag and i are watching it when it releases weekly :3

Last thing you ate: ice cream sandwiches,,, 

Favourite colour: i’m really bad at making decisions like this lmao. i don’t know myself well enough to know my own favorite color, if i’m tbhing. but a lot of different shades of blue are nice, and i like burnt orange and mustard yellow type vibes. green is also nice! so who knows

Current obsession: god i wish it weren’t obvious. to all the folks who started following me because of my greek myths stuff (and that includes you jo lmao) uhhhh sorry. greek myths were THE hyperfixation for like,,,, three or four years but dc comics is back in a big way. i simply cannot stop thinking about these little superhero guys,,,,

Unrelated Obsession: right now??? i’m not kidding when i say that dc comics has left me with literally no other computing space in my brain. like i’m at the stage of brain rot where having a conversation about something that isn’t dc related is a little bit hard,,,, it’s abysmal out here guys. but i’ll give a shout out to greek myths,,, when will my interest in the iliad and odyssey return from the war??? my brain basically works in two modes, which are dc comics nerd and pretentious classics obsessive, so eventually the classics hyperfixation will return but i couldn’t tell you when that’ll be 

Any pets: i have two cats!! their names are achilles and briseis and they are the worst little creechers but also god’s greatest gift to humanity (achilles is currently curled up in my lap purring his stupid little head off). they turn six this april!!! 

Do you have a crush on anyone: lol uhhh sure

Favourite fictional character: this is an incredibly mean question actually. you want me to pick a favorite son??? i am holding my hands over jason todd’s ears while whispering dick grayson,,, but also if we’re allowed to include ocs then rn everyone can get fucked because my baby wes is having a renaissance (in my head)

The last place you traveled: lmao the last place i traveled was back to my hometown (a small town in northern indiana) for the county fair this summer. the ice cream at the local ice cream stand is still the best in the country and i’ll die on that hill but yeah i’d kill to travel a bit more soon but probably won’t really travel until my sister’s wedding happens in georgia in october

tagging @darkravenstag @thrustin-timberlake @deadchannelradio @sarcasticbeanie and any other beloved mutuals (or followers!!) who wanna do this! it's fun, have fun!

[erictanart]

I can’t thank everyone enough who stopped by yesterday to say hi! Hearing what the art means to you means everything to me. From meeting folks who have just discovered my art, to others who have followed it for 20 years, I can’t even put into words how amazing that feels as an artist. Many of us work alone behind a desk pretty much all of our lives and rarely see how folks like you perceive the art once we let it out into the world. Social media has definitely helped but seeing and hearing the emotion in your faces and voices in person as you talk about your love for the art can never be replaced. For those visiting the festival, I feel bad that prints and postcards have been difficult to come by. Thanks for being patient with the Cast Members & I’ve been told that they’ve restocked a couple of times through the week. I’ll be there 4 more more days and even if they don’t have what you’re looking for, stop by and say hi. If you like bad sketches or wanna talk favorite rides that no one else seems to like, I’m your guy!! #artfulepcot #epcot #epcotfestivalofthearts #fota #epcotinternationalfestivalofthearts #disney #disneyparks #disneysanimalkimgdom #magickingdom #disneyshollywoodstudios #waltdisneyworld (at EPCOT) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnuAlapu6CH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Game Night: Mega Man Phantom of Network

It’s truly amazing what fans can accomplish.  Even with some of the biggest series out there, it’s easy for one or two installments to simply fall through the cracks, never to be seen again.  Video game preservation has only recently become a significant topic of conversation, and still faces more than its fair share of pushback; even games from only a few decades ago have vanished without a trace.  But time and again, fans lead the charge in preserving more media than most of us thought possible, and there’s a recent major victory on that front involving a series that’s near and dear to my heart.

Mega Man Battle Network was pushed HARD by Capcom during the early 00s, rapid-firing installments left and right at all sorts of platforms…including mobile phones.  Keep in mind this was a pre-iPhone world: mobile phone games of this era had far less power to work with, smaller screens, fewer keys, less reliable internet connections, slower download speeds.  It was an exercise in pushing extremely tight boundaries, and it didn’t always pay off.  But despite the risk, Capcom decided to put two Battle Network spin-offs into these uncharted waters: Phantom of Network and Legend of Network.  While they seemed to be remembered fondly enough, and were notably included in the OCW artbook and Legacy Collection gallery, the games always proved somewhat elusive (at least from an American POV, as they were never localized) with little to no hope of us ever seeing anything more than all that concept art.

Enter fan preservation group SciLab Secrets, who managed to procure and dump both of these BN spin-offs as well as a few other Mega Man mobile games.  The Rockman EXE Zone, another prominent fan group, then began work on an English translation patch…and, for good measure I suppose, added a couple quality of life changes to create a truly definitive way to play these long-lost games.  Thanks to all these fine folks, I’ve now gotten the chance to experience these games, and after beating Phantom of Network I can’t help but want to talk about how it exceeded my expectations.

Spoiler-free tl;dr: PoN is far more ambitious than I thought an early mobile game could be, and all in all I have to say it sticks the landing.  It feels (almost) just like any other BN!  It takes a little finagling to get started, and the controls may take some getting used to, but once you hit cruising altitude it’s a fun and nostalgic ride, especially since the patch adds Buster MAX Mode to deal with some series-wide aspects that have come to show their age. (There is a lot of flashing, though!) If you like Battle Network, I urge you to try it for yourself!  It took a while, but BN 3.5 is finally here!

That’s right, PoN is set some time between BN 3 and 4, and leans moreso towards the former in terms of gameplay.  Believe it or not, the combat is actually a very faithful recreation of combat in the GBA games!  There’s some obvious visual differences, some changes to timing and whatnot, but there’s no denying that this plays like BN.  Outside of combat, things are noticeably scaled back: the Real World functions more as a visual novel, and the Cyber World abandons the main series’ isometric perspective for a simpler, vaguely RPG Maker look. (I might just be saying that because an RPG Maker BN fangame was a shockingly huge part of my childhood and this reminded me of that.  Who knows.) It’s all perfectly serviceable, and taking into account hardware limitations, I’m inclined to say that focusing the game’s resources on combat above all else was undoubtedly the right call.  While you can’t run around mashing R to find jack-in points (each area has a “Jack-In” menu option), sometimes new comps will be added to previous areas, and new Mystery Data will spawn in comps you’ve already cleaned out—there are no random GMDs in this game, just fixed BMDs, and if you don’t take time to backtrack you just might miss some.  I think these are interesting ways to emulate that incentive to explore, though the former only occurred a few times and the latter can be difficult to track.  Jacking-in is also how you access the Chip Trader and Request BBS at Higsby’s.  The BBS here works more like those from BN 2 and 3 than the one in 6: new batches of requests are added with each chapter you clear, and you can mostly tackle them in whatever order you want.  I say “mostly” because there are a handful of quest chains that you have to unlock one step at a time, including the classic quiz givers and (my personal favorite) an old man who sends you on treasure hunts with cryptic hints.  There’s one in particular that, uh…might need a content warning; I won’t go into detail but the job is titled “Please delete me”.  Things do work out, I promise.

One system change that sounds small but makes a huge impact is in the way battle rewards work.  In the GBA games, at the end of battle you get one random reward.  In PoN, you have separate chances to get zenny, a chip, and Bug Frags, often all three at once!  There’s still some randomness, obviously, but I remember being frustrated by the choice of focusing on grinding either zenny OR chips, and like this so much more.  Now I can accumulate ALL the resources at the same time!  And you still have ways to affect your drops: Collect to ensure you get a chip if your busting level is 6+, and MoneyMaker to double the amount of zenny you get.  Very handy, especially for the post-game grind.

Now, you’re probably thinking “Collect?  Does that mean this game has a Navi Customizer?”  No, but it has something very similar: the Skill Editor!  Opening the Editor will show you MegaMan’s Skill Slots—you start with 3 and can expand up to 12—and then a list of the Skills you’ve obtained, with each Skill requiring a certain number of Slots to be equipped.  Skills can include various abilities like SuperArmor, HP boosts, and level-ups for your buster’s Attack and Charge (there’s no Rapid for some reason).  Very simplified, right? (Reminds me of Star Force’s Ability Waves to a degree.) Well, there’s one other wrinkle in the system: each Skill has an Element assigned to it, out of Null, Fire, Aqua, Wood, and Elec.  The Element that takes up the most Slots then becomes MegaMan’s Element, bestowing the familiar weaknesses, panel interactions, and Style Change Charge Shots.  So, the Skill Editor is not only a NaviCust stand-in, it’s also an interesting mix of Style Change and BN1’s elemental armors, letting you swap your affinity on the fly to have a greater degree of control over it.  Of course, aside from Skills bought from shops, what Element each Skill gets assigned is randomized…buuut, there’s an NPC you encounter not long after getting the Skill Editor who, for the reasonable price of 100 BugFrags, can change the Element of one of your Skills to whatever Element you want.  Including Null!  The randomness of Elements has always been my biggest gripe about Style Change, so having an option here to circumvent that randomness feels so, so good.  And speaking of things about the Skill Editor that should’ve become series mainstays, you can (easily) acquire a Skill that dramatically raises your chances of encountering Navi Ghosts! (Ghosts also work differently: V2s are random encounters rather than fixed, the next tier ghost can be encountered immediately without needing to jack-out, and they go up to “SP” which is essentially V4.) These are real innovations to the established systems here, in an early mobile game spin-off of all things!  Wild!

I think that about covers the mechanical side of things.  As for the story…I’d say I enjoyed it.  I don’t think it’s a contender for best in the series, but it works well enough and does have some really interesting ideas.  The gist is that “phantom” copies of deleted Navis are appearing and wreaking havoc, and Lan and MegaMan need to figure out what’s causing this strange phenomenon in addition to dealing with the more immediate threats.  There’s a sub-plot involving a new transfer student in Lan’s class, Shuichi, and his Navi HatMan (he got Classic Magic Man’s aesthetic while MagicMan.EXE got the name); they get tricked into causing some chaos due to Shuichi feeling ignored by his dad, but things work out, he and Lan become friends, and he contributes what he can to solving the mystery of the Phantom Navis.  Pretty standard stuff.  What stands out to me, though, is that when Shuichi admits his involvement to his dad, Lan stands up for him saying that he also knows what it’s like to never have any time with your father.  As I’ve said before, playing the Legacy Collection made me realize there was a deeper nuance to the relationship between Lan and his dad that I felt tapered off as the series went on, so I really enjoyed seeing that incorporated here.  Back at the main plot, it turns out that the Phantom Navis are made from cache data; an old cache server was left running unsupervised in an abandoned lab (courtesy of a certain ex-SciLab scientist because of course), which has given rise to a sentient amalgam of cache data that calls himself…well, Cache.  Being thus abandoned, and having access to essentially a library of humanity’s mistakes in the cache data, Cache grows to hate humans and seeks a way to wipe them out.  As edgy as he can be, there is a tragic element to Cache that I think lends him a bit more presence: if someone had been there to monitor and properly care for the cache server, then even if the data had still become sentient, the resulting being at least wouldn’t have been all alone, would’ve known something other than loneliness and hate.  While not discussed, I think it’s telling that Cache not only keeps surrounding himself with Phantom Navis, he even creates an entirely new Navi to help him, JammingMan (who has a SUPER cool design I love him).  Especially taking into consideration JammingMan’s ability to disrupt the connection between Navis and NetOps.  Regardless, you can probably see where this is going: if someone tries to separate Lan and MegaMan, they’ll blow them away with the power of their bond, and that’s exactly what lets them finish off Cache before he can destroy critical networks all around the world.  BN is nothing if not consistent with its theming, and I do appreciate that.

I guess my takeaway on Cache is that he’s a great idea that leaves a little untapped potential, but in a good way.  Also it’s morbidly hilarious that a personification of lonely abandoned data is the villain of a game that was actually considered lost media for a time.  On a related note, the concept of cache data has some fascinating worldbuilding implications: it can be used to explain things like “image data”, Mega Chips, Navi Ghosts, maybe even how some Navis are able to return despite being deleted in previous games.  How much of this was intentional, it’s hard to say, but it’s a fun idea to think about.  Maybe if I ever write a BN fic I’ll get to play around with it myself, hah.

There is indeed a post-game area sectioned off by gates that require you to reach certain milestones of Library completion, as per series tradition, but only a few easy milestones, nothing too extreme.  Something I find interesting is that, while the secret areas in 2 and 3 prevent you from jacking-out, this one uses one-way paths to prevent you from returning to the entrance, meaning you HAVE to jack-out.  There are secret bosses here as well, and after defeating them they can be re-challenged at any time just like NetBattling friends, no ghost hunting required; it’s from these fights you can get the game’s 4 Giga Chips, along with a certain special Skill.  I’ve made it to the final gate—complete all BBS requests—but it may be a while before I can get past it because one of the requests wants a rare drop from Secret Area, which feels…excessive.

I would’ve valued the chance to experience Phantom of Network even if it was bad, but I’m far happier knowing it’s actually pretty good.  Part of that is definitely down to the patch, though: Buster MAX was essential to keeping my sanity during the “backtrack the whole internet” segment, as well as the area that reduces the size of your starting hand of Battle Chips.  Don’t be afraid to use it is what I’m saying.  But with that (mostly) done, Legend of Network is next, and I’m very excited to see what it has in store!

[dr-lemurr]

Seeing new fanart on my dash is my favorite, so today for @roswellnewmexicocreate…

Fan Artists!

We have some truly talented folks creating art in the RNM fandom. It has been awesome to watch how each has tried new ideas and grown, both in terms of artistic styles and the emotional impact of their work.

I am inspired every day by:

@beanmeup

@bydayornight

@djchika

@greentealycheejelly

@mcqraw

@ mythras_fire (on AO3)

@slynella

[lady-starbind]

So the Your Boyfriend Fandom seems to be resurfacing?

...or maybe not, but I still wanna say my lil piece before going on with my day: As little to zero of you guys know, I used to be interested in Your Boyfriend. (A Christian, into a EROTIC horror dating sim?! ...Look, Fuboo was promising a SFW version of the game, I was looking forward to that)

Sometimes, a deranged, creepy yandere guy wanting you and only you can be very enticing... BUT that enticement turned into rage when a good Samaritan on this very website pointed out the true nature of Fuboo and her hubby.

But just being told “X person is a groomer and her husband is a rapist” is not enough to get me to fully believe you... but it wasn’t just HEARSAY either, there were like what... a couple of docs? With some very compelling evidence. Reading those docs was enough for me to be like “Screw this crap, I’m not supporting a groomer and her rapist hubby!” ...I went from wanting Peter on my wall, to wanting to burn the pictures of him that I had printed out. That being said, I don’t believe one should support the creator and her crew that works on “Your Boyfriend”. If you want to enjoy Peter and crew, that’s fine I guess... Just remember to separate Artist from art. And since Fuboo isn’t as big time as other gaming companies such as Nintendo, Sega or Cheritz, I highly recommend that you keep your YB stuff more private among yourselves, as displaying your amazing art talent may get other people into the fandom... And honestly? That’s not really a good thing. I have my own fanon version of Peter known as “Seater”, he’s going to be used for a private RP between me and a couple of my friends. (Our Ingening RP to be exact, he’s one of the antagonists!) ...The point is, I’m not going to draw my fanon Peter and post him to my blog here or anything like that, because I don’t want Fuboo to get more exposure and therefore more support. My art talent is NOT for supporting groomers and rapists. ...And please, do not donate to the Patreon of Your Boyfriend or Black Shepherd Games. These shady people do NOT deserve any support whatsoever. Was thinking about posting this potential small tweet on my Twitter, but refrained bc I have baby minors who follow me and I don’t want them to get an interest in the game. By the way, if you’re a minor and you’re reading this PLEASE DO NOT GET INTO YOUR BOYFRIEND. Firstly, it’s highly NSFW. Secondly, the people who make the game are highly shady and dangerous. You’re far better off playing Pokemon, Zelda, Splatoon or heck even Fall Guys! ...Can’t go wrong with good old fashioned Among us either~

(I have made retweets and mentions on my Twitter not to support YB and to spread awareness though.)

Which now I’ll state my second point: I find it very disgusting how there are people who are blindly supporting Fuboo bc they “Want the game to release so they can leap into Peter senpai’s pants UwU” ...There’s actually a whole doc explaining how the Black Shepherd Games server was like this cult, and they were encouraging folks on the server to talk crap about the victim and anyone who dared to stand up for someone speaking out against their rapist. If they did that. they’d get server perks or something to that effect. Now with me just telling you all this, I don’t expect you to blindly believe me. Good on you, BUT: I have a link to a thread on Twitter as to why I believe Melissa and her hubby Jake are such awful people and why they and Black Shepherd Games as a whole should NEVER be trusted. >>> Proof that backs up the claims made in this post. Now... If you still believe that Fuboo and them are innocent after going through all of this proof, please do me a favor and block me. My blog, Ingo Simping and my silly antics are not for your enjoyment. We do NOT allow Fuboo Apologists here!

But: If you just enjoy the content, separating art from artist and adamant about not supporting Fuboo and Black Shepherd Games whatsoever, then your cool. Please feel free to interact with me if you want, as long as you don’t fall into and of my other DNI criteria.

God bless and have a lovely day, and Fuboo and BSG if any of y’all are reading this, just know one thing: You may escape the law, and you may escape punishment for your actions for now... BUT MARK MY WORD, Karma has your name and when she comes to your doorstep with a piping hot plate of justice, y’all WILL NOT ESCAPE.

You guys don’t fool me, I hope you guys rot in prison!

[be-gay-do-heists]

hardison/parker || masc day for parker, potentially while on date with hardison

i think it ended up a little more the dysphoria route with this one but i hope this at least touches on what u were looking for!! had a spark of an idea and had to write it :V

---

If it was just the dress, maybe Parker could stand it.

Hardison had won choosing date night this time around, and he had suggested a new restaurant that recently opened up on the other side of town. A nicer restaurant. Which meant fancier clothes and Hardison had said the dress code recommended dresses so. The dress. It had been fine, leaving the brewpub in it to go meet Hardison at the restaurant. It was comfy enough, the fabric had a nice texture, and it was the same kind of green that you could see if you looked sideways at a professionally cut emerald, which was one of their favorite colors.

It was only upon arriving at the restaurant that they realized they really, really, really did not want to be wearing it.

And if it was just the dress, maybe it would be fine. But they were out in public, and Parker had come to understand over the years that if people in public thought they had your gender clocked, you had to act, walk, and talk a certain way if you didn’t want weird stares, unwelcome attention. A performance that they didn’t particularly have the energy for if there wasn’t a con and the promise of a payout at the end of it. The first “miss” they got from the hostess made them twitch, but they made sure to keep their mask up as they saw Hardison, already at the table, who smiled sunnily as they approached and stood to help with their chair. He was wearing his purple suit, the deep plum colored one that reminded them of a bottle full of red wine.

“Wow. You look amazing, I can’t believe you’ve been hiding that dress for so long,” he said as they both sat down. “It’s not one of Sophie’s?” There was a trace of playfulness in his voice.

“No, it’s mine, I didn’t steal it,” Parker replied, latching onto his good mood for stability. They fidgeted, hyperaware of their bare shoulders and the cut of the dress around their torso. “Well, not from her anyways.”

Hardison snorted in that fond way of his. “Hey, it’s not stealing if it looks that good on you. That’s just proper re-appropriation. Anyways, you’re gonna love this place, the whole idea is normal fancy food, boring boring et cetera, but! They change the colors around so it messes with your senses and makes you experience it differently, you get me? I’m talking like green steaks, purple mashed potatoes. Cool, right?”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Parker agreed absently, discreetly hunching a little and hoping Hardison wouldn’t notice. They fiddled with the utensils on the table, which had little chameleons etched on them. That was fun. This was supposed to be fun, they reminded themselves.

“Hey, you ok?” Hardison asked, brows furrowed.

A waiter came up before he could say more. “Welcome, folks, pleasure to have you with us this evening. Can I start you with drinks?” After Hardison, concern still showing in his face ordered a fruity-sounding cocktail, the waiter turned to Parker. “And for the lady?”

They couldn’t help their flinch, knowing that Hardison saw it, and pulled out their most flawless grifting voice to respond. They deflated a little again once the waiter left.

“Shit. I shouldn’t have said dress. I should have specified that you could have worn anything you wanted, who even cares about restaurant dress codes,” the hacker said, rubbing his hands over his face. Parker had to give it to him, sometimes his brain worked faster than his computers, and he was always twice as perceptive. “Is it a they night? A he night?”

Parker shrugged a little apologetically. “I’m not sure. It’s just really, really not a she night.”

“I’m really sorry Parker, I should have checked in before we came,” Hardison sighed, and having him in the loop did actually make Parker feel a little better. “Do you wanna get out of here? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable for any longer than you have to.”

Parker immediately felt bad again. “No, you won date night, you were so excited about this place.”

“Man, don’t even sweat it,” Hardison reassured them, waving a hand. “We can come back some other time when we’re actually feeling it. Or if it’s never the date vibes, I can ask Sophie if she wants to try it sometime. You know she gets a kick out of dressing up and I’m sure she would call this place ‘an exercise in creative expression and reaction’ or something.” He smiled at Parker’s bark of laughter following his terrible impression of Sophie, which made a couple other patrons startle in their seats.

“I don’t really want to be in this dress anymore,” Parker admitted. “Maybe we could go back to the brewpub and do something there?”

“Hey, if I ever refuse a quiet night in, know that I’ve been replaced with a clone or maybe a mind-eating fungus,” Hardison beamed at them, and flagged down the waiter to pay for their drinks with a tip that made the man’s jaw drop, letting Parker lead the way out.

On the ride home, Hardison gave Parker his suit jacket, pretending he was too hot even though it was damp and cold out. It was far too big for the thief and they thought it was kind of ridiculous how it came down to almost their knees, but the broad shoulders on it made them feel good. And the wine color purple was fantastic, even though they thought it looked far better on Hardison. They said as much, and took a silent satisfaction in the way Hardison ducked his chin to hide his face.

Entering back into the safety of the brewpub and the upstairs apartment took a weight off Parker, and they sighed, kicking off their shoes and slipping off Hardison’s jacket to cast onto the back of the couch. Hardison picked up to carefully keep it from creasing with a “heaven help me” kind of look. “You got everything you wanna wear here? Need anything of mine?”

“Mostly, but…” Parker thought aloud. “Could I borrow one of your shirts? The soft ones?”

Hardison nodded fondly. “Sure thing, lemme grab one.” While he was in the bedroom, Parker stripped off their dress like it was burning them, shaking the feeling of it away once it was off. They spotted their good jeans on the chair by the hallway that Hardison liked to call “Parker’s wardrobe,” where all the clothes they had left while over lived, and rushed to put them on. They were comfy and boxy and had a button-up fly. More buttons felt good.

“Incoming,” Hardison’s voice called, and he entered with his eyes covered, tossing a shirt in their direction. Parker jumped to catch it, and quietly approved of his selection, a wooly flannel type. They wiggled it on, tucking it in slightly, and exhaled in relief on how delightfully big it was, draping off the prominent muscles in their shoulders, leaving enough room on their torso so that the fabric wouldn’t cling to them. They rolled up the sleeves to expose their strong forearms, looked down at their broad hands. Yeah, this was much better, they thought, tying up their hair high.

“I’ve still got those canvases from last time, and the same paints, if you wanna do that. Ooh, I just got some good charcoal too if you’d rather sketch,” Hardison was saying, sifting through his art supplies. Parker bounded over and pressed up against his side. He jumped slightly but turned to look at them. “Feeling better?”

“Lots,” Parker hummed.

The hacker took in their outfit change. “And looking damn handsome too. Real suave, James Dean kinda look.” When Parker wryly grinned and crossed their arms, squaring their shoulders and standing tall, he mimed a swoon (Parker could see the slight, genuine flush that rose to his face). “So what do you wanna do tonight?”

“Dunno, it’s still your date night,” Parker replied, putting a little more husk in their voice and enjoying the way they could see Hardison’s thoughts stutter slightly.

He recovered quickly. “Well, all I want is a nice night in with my fella, whatever we do is gonna be more than alright with me.”

Parker felt another glow of joy at the endearment, and moved to wrap their arms tightly around him, one hand coming up to grip the back of the hacker’s neck. “Thanks Hardison. I really mean it.”

Hardison softened a little against their firm embrace. “Of course, I never want you to be uncomfortable. I love you.”

“I know,” Parker responded, and smiled mischievously into Hardison’s shoulder as he sputtered.

“Oh no you did not—“

[starlight-loki]

Headcanon of the day: Loki x Mystic!Reader

This sort of acts as context for a fic I have coming out in the next day or two. I thought I'd release this first as a kind of shittily-written backstory for it, so that the relationship dynamics make sense :) Enjoy!

UPDATE: the fic is all done! you can read it here

(this is quite long and the Keep Reading option won't work, dammit. my apologies 😅)

You know something's wrong as soon as Stephen bursts into your room, a troubled look in his eyes

"They're here."

Stephen had been talking about this for a while -- it was just a matter of time before Thor and Loki arrived in New York looking for their father

He told you from the start that they were going to need help; your help

At first you protested because you were still in the midst of learning everything there was to know about the mystic arts.

you weren't a beginner by any means, but you definitely didn't feel you were at a level where you could just... fight the goddess of death

Now, you realized as Stephen rushed out of your room as quickly as he came, you were out of time to prepare: you had to use what you knew and hope it was enough

You stepped down the stairs into the main entrance of the Sanctum just as Stephen brought Loki back from the void with a thud

"Right, I'm sending Y/N with you. The two of you are going to need help with this whole... situation."

"We don't need help, especially not from a mortal, you second-rate-"

Stephen sends all three of you through a portal before Loki can even finish pulling out his knives

at first, you really can't stand either of them

Thor is... too much muscle, not enough brain

while Loki on the other hand is half part brain, half part whining weasel

You honestly feel like you got stuck babysitting the two of them, and there's a part of you that hopes this mission Stephen sent you on won't be so bad after all

Of course, everything sort of went to shit when you found yourself on Sakaar

You were the first to arrive, and were admittedly terrified when you came face to face with the Grandmaster

you had powers and were strong enough to defend yourself, sure, but this seemed like a whole other ball of wax entirely

You chucked a few illusions here, as well as a couple fancy tricks you learned from Stephen there, and soon enough you became the Grandmaster's... magic show.

It was disappointing really, to know that your powers were being used to amaze three headed ogres and other folks who looked like they walked straight out of the Capitol from The Hunger Games, but at least you weren't fighting in the arena

or worse... dead.

to your surprise, Loki showed up a week later -- escorted to your room by none other than the Grandmaster himself

"Y/N, I've got another wizard for you!"

(you swear you can see Loki's jaw clench at the Grandmaster's term, and it takes all you can not to laugh)

"He can do illusions too. Maybe you two can, y'know, think up a big show for us tonight."

Loki's surprised to see you (and also relieved to see a familiar face, finally), but he quickly disguises his relief as disgust before you can think anything more of it

"I'm not sharing my bed." You say tightly, and Loki shoots you a glare before settling down on the couch in the corner of the room

At first, the two of you barely talk to each other despite sharing a room

You really just throw some illusions together during your show, and then head back to the room to sulk in silence

It honestly starts to feel like you're living the same day over and over, that is until you wake up to the sound of screaming

You rush over to Loki, to find he was having a violent nightmare

When he finally wakes up, terror in his eyes and not fully registering his surroundings, you place a hand over his forehead gently

You remembered an incantation you read once while at the Sanctum, one that could calm even the most restless mind, and you mumbled the words to the best of your ability

To your relief, Loki's breathing slowed as the last of his nightmare faded away

"You okay?"

You don't know why, but you find yourself reaching to hold Loki's hand in both of your own

His fear, his memories... you could almost feel them physically reverberate in you

maybe your initial conceptions about Loki were wrong, after all. Maybe he wasn't nearly as bad as you thought

you go out of your way to try and be a little nicer to him, sneaking in drinks and other treats you managed to grab on your way out of the Grandmaster's parties for him to try

sometimes, the two of you would even stay up until the early hours of morning, sharing stories and laughing together and actually feeling happy

for a garbage planet, maybe things weren't quite so bad.

until the night you had a nightmare. you could've sworn it was real, the way everyone in your dream seemed to dissolve into ash right in front of your eyes

you didn't realize you were crying out in your sleep until Loki woke you up, the entire situation reminiscent of when you first caught him having a nightmare of his own

you see the worry in his eyes, and you can't stop yourself from crying as the events from your dream played through your mind

"It's alright. It's not real. You're safe, Y/N. You're safe."

Loki repeats those words quietly like a lullaby until your breathing calms, and you grab his wrist before he can retreat back over to the couch

"Please stay."

the two of you don't realize just how touchstarved you are until you're both lying together, holding each other as if the world were about to end

(i'm getting Pompeii-esque visuals, am i crying??? maybe)

as your relationship progresses into purgatory-type territory -- somewhere between friendship and romance -- you realize the connection between the two of you grows stronger

specifically, the telepathic connection

before you know it, you can hear Loki's thoughts, and he can hear yours

you suspect it has something to do with the incantation you used to heal him after his nightmare

(you never did read the warnings on that one. oops.)

after a while, the two of you managed to control your telepathic abilities, to the point where you didn't hear the other's each and every thought

there was only a soft buzzing noise in the background of your mind, as if Loki's energy was gently reminding you he was there

Loki found your thoughts incredibly irritating at first

especially how you never seemed to shut up when you were nervous

there was a certain comfort in knowing you were only a thought away, though. especially when the day finally comes when you have to battle Hela

there's a moment when you're convinced Loki had died -- when he ran back into the palace to summon Surtur -- and your breath stops all together in your throat

for a few seconds, you couldn't hear his thoughts anymore. the constant white noise in the back of your mind was gone

when it suddenly resumes out of nowhere as you flew away from the remains of Asgard with Thor and everyone else, you couldn't help but make a run for Loki

you found him in one of the sleeping quarters on the ship, and before you could think twice, you kissed him. hard.

"You idiot! You could've died!"

You can't stop the tears of relief and the smile that lights up your face as you take him in

"I didn't die, however. I'm still here."

All you can do is laugh, and to your utmost delight, Loki pulls you in for another kiss

except this time, you freeze.

"Do you have the Tesseract?"

the way Loki's hands tense around your waist tells you everything

"...why would you think that?"

"I'm a mystic, you idiot! I practically pick up on energy for a living!"

Realizing he really can't hide anything from you, Loki materializes the Tesseract and holds it out to you carefully

"What were you hoping to achieve with this?" You ask, your voice nothing more than a horrified whisper

the lost look in his eyes tells you everything: he wasn't really sure, himself.

you conjure a portal and send the Tesseract far, far away from the two of you, and you can almost see the relief visibly fill Loki's eyes as that temptation disappeared

You realized as you landed back on Earth that the two of you were finally safe. You were home, and you had Loki now, too.

Things were going to be okay.

Until of course, the day your visions started.