#I still have the art stuff too so I’m looking forward to working on those�� just… again ;;; ;;; trying to get started first.

[hyaciiintho]

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Sorry to everyone I owe things to. It’s been extremely hard trying to get myself to start working on any replies and remaining starters. Been losing focus and zoning out more frequently these work shifts, so it’s been difficult to do much of anything ;; ;; I’m hoping soon I can kick myself back into gear, but right now my brain is just not having a good time.

Sending good vibes to everyone and well wishes. Hopefully the creative drive keeps strong with y’all ♡

[jamminvroomvroom]

4 with lando :)))

flashing lights - kanye west (respect the art not the artist!)

LN4 x reader

tysm for the request xoxo!! finally continuing my requests (sorry it took ages whoops) flipped my list and went from the bottom for this bc otherwise we were gonna have some repeats lol

images below from pinterest - i claim no ownership 🙃

warnings: none! some swearing, some fluff, lando being a funny little camera shy pr machine - but fr minors pls just dni with my work okay tysm!!!

lando was frantically pacing your apartment when you walked in, eyes wild, as if he hadn’t slept, and hair an absolute disheveled state. his usually sun-kissed skin seemed to get even paler when he heard the door shut behind you, coming to a halt in your kitchen and staring at you as though he’d seen a ghost.

“lando?” you questioned, confused as to, a) why he was here so early, and b) why he looked like he was about to confess that he had killed your entire bloodline.

“baby, i’m so sorry.” your blood ran cold. what had he done? he closed the space between you, tentatively taking your hands.

“lando… what’s going on?” you tilted your head, starting to sweat in your oversized leather jacket. you’d just been out running errands, picking up bits for the dinner you were supposed to be sharing with the mclaren driver, much later in the day.

“i didn’t think anyone had seen us but then i had my assistant, the entire pr department and my mother phoning me, and then max called and said that him and pietra wanted to see if we were okay, before i could call anyone else back which confused the fuck outta me, so i finally checked twitter and there it was and i just got in the car and came here but god, i’m so sorry.” lando finally exhaled, looking like he was about to pass out, with creases so deep on his forehead that you thought they’d stay there permanently.

“okay, lando? sweetheart? yeah, okay i’m gonna need a bit more info.” you over enunciated each word, stressing that you were still in the absolute dark about whatever was on the verge of sending him into cardiac arrest.

“there’s photos. of us. kissing.” he finally said, quietly, and after a good ten seconds of staring at you in utter fear.

“fucking hell, i thought something terrible had happened. jesus christ, lando.” you exhaled, eyes wide. he stared at you like you’d grown a second head, stepping forward to mockingly rest his hand against your forehead as if he was checking your temperature.

“are you… are you… okay?” lando asked, eyebrow quirked. he was shocked at how calm you were.

you’d both agreed to keep your relationship private, and over the last five months, that had gone swimmingly well. but some low quality photos taken, as you waited for some friends outside a restaurant in the outskirts of london, had fucking launched the cat out of the bag.

“how bad are the pictures? are we naked or something?” you scoffed at him and now lando was truly confused.

“no, but- but i thought we were gonna keep this quiet.” he murmured.

“i know, baby, but okay, it’s out. is that really so bad? it was bound to happen eventually.” you reasoned, and lando finally saw your point.

“i just want to protect you, from all of the lights and the flashing cameras. love you too much to lose you to those vultures.” lando dipped his forehead against yours as he spoke, eyes locked on yours. you couldn’t help but smile at him, the loveliest man you could have wished for.

“oh, my sweet, sweet boy,” you crooned, pecking his lips. “you know i love to show off.” he laughed at that, a low rumbling in his chest.

you pulled away, stepping around him and walking further into your apartment, dropping all of your stuff down in your kitchen.

“anyways, i already saw the pictures. we look hot.” you ignored his incredulous ‘what?’, waving him off. “now, come here and help me make dinner.”

[e-vay]

Hi E-Vay! I was wondering...I'm currently teaching myself art and how to draw and stuff, and since you're such a master and youre the one that inspired me, I was wondering...you got any advice? And I don't mean the generic "practice makes perfect" and "tutorials available" and "look at your references" kinda advice, (which is nice and helpful too) but like "oh jeez I REALLY WISH I'd known THIS" kinda advice.

K thanks all the love and kisses bye! 💋

That is so kind of you to say, thank you! I’m really excited to see what you come up with!

I know those tips are repeated by artists a lot, but that’s because they work! You really do just have to keep at it and use references and you’re guaranteed to improve.

I do have two “tricks” I learned late in life that I wish I had known sooner. These won’t be a cure-all but it has made a difference for me:

1 - If you do digital drawings, FLIP YOUR CANVAS! Flip it REPEATEDLY! Our eyes have a habit of correcting things, so we can’t always tell that the faces are askew or that your character is leaning very far forward. So every so often, mirror your canvas and you’ll be shocked to see how weird it looks! Make those corrections. And then flip it back. If you don’t draw digitally, you can still do this with traditional art by rotating your paper or canvas upside down. You’ll see errors in your work and you should be able to fix it.

2 - DO WARM UP SKETCHES! I thought this was so stupid when I first heard it, but ever since I started doing it holy moly it’s made a difference. Creating art is like exercising: you really need to warm those muscles up first to get the best results. So if you do a sketch or two before you jump into your big project, it really helps.

Happy drawing! 🥰

[oneatlatime]

A Precariously Stacked Pile of Random Season 2 Thoughts

These are notes I took as I watched the season. Usually after I’d already posted about the episode in question, and I thought of something I would have added to the post. Rather than edit them into my posts, I’m rounding them up and posting them all at once. As such, they are vaguely chronological. Unfortunately, because I made the notes legible to me and me only, I didn't bother to write down what episode I was referring to. I've also added some notes in as I was editing these notes. So this is also a bit of a scavenger hunt. Enjoy!

Iroh poisoning himself: dumbass moment or 5D chess?

My autocorrect corrects “Sokka” to Sock, and “Sokka’s” to socks. This causes double takes when editing.

Badgermoles have excellent eyeliner. Is that where the Kyoshi Warriors get their jaw dropping cat eye?

Why is Ty Lee spelled Ty Lee and not Tai Li? Why is Dai Li spelled Dai Li and not Dy Lee?

Sometimes Sokka makes me think of Mulan. Am I crazy?

Are the swampbenders’ moves based on a real martial art style too?

Why didn’t Aang use his swamp sense to locate Appa post-appanapping?

Where did Toph, who spent her whole life as a prisoner of her parents’ house and a moonlighting WWE wrestler until Team Avatar busted her out, get such emotional intelligence?

Why did Zuko’s dad put forward the plan to disinherit Iron in favour of him less than 24 hours after Lu Ten’s death? Why did he think that moving quickly was the right approach? Does the Fire Nation not do grieving periods? In what world was 'strike while the iron is hot' the correct course of action here?

Looking back, I’m amazed that season 2 didn’t end in Zuko’s redemption. I didn’t much like Zuko Alone, but I was sure that a season that included that much set up for a Zuko redemption arc would prioritise finishing that arc.

I haven’t even met this Firelord guy yet, but I am peeved that that twerp has a name as cool as Ozai.

Why haven't I met that Firelord guy yet?

I really thought that the older brother character in Zuko Alone would make an appearance later on in the season, giving Zuko a chance to flex some newly acquired morals. But the parallel to Lu Ten and the general message about the evils of war lands better if we never hear of him again.

Zuko in the first half of season 2 had me so annoyed that I was incredibly uncharitable to him in my write ups. Reading through some of the stuff I wrote while watching episodes, I kind of wince now. Zuko in the second half of the season was much less annoying. Which I feel bad for saying, because he’s clearly not in a good place in the second half of the season.

I would love to know why the writers decided to have Toph and Iroh meet in the wilderness. I think it’s a good choice, but I want to know how they came up with it, and why those characters? Is there anything about Toph (especially at that point, when we’ve known her for 1 episode) that suggests that she and Iroh should meet? Or would get along if they did?

Zuko has so many rock bottom fake outs this season: Zuko Alone? Nope, he gets worse in The Chase. The Chase? Nope, he gets worse in Bitter Work. Bitter Work? Nope, he gets worse in the finale.

I’m still peeved that Azula won a 6 on 1 showdown. Sorry, but that breaks immersion.

I bet the Blue Spirit could make lightning.

If water is the element of change, why does the Northern Water Tribe have such strictly defined traditions? I get that it's literally the element of change, in that water can exist in different physical states, but shouldn't the metaphorical interpretation also be true?

I like that Toph can think like an Airbender sooner than Aang can think like an earthbender.

What is Sokka’s boomerang made of? Is it metal? Because if it’s metal, does that mean that there’s a blacksmith somewhere in the South Pole? With a forge?

I still can’t get over how dumb the whole eclipse plot was.

Suki is TINY!!!

I mocked this guy’s 80s aerobics video leotard aesthetic, and I stand by that mockery, because this guy is ugly. Those colours are awful. But do you know who else has those colours?

Jet this season fascinates me. He’s positioned as genuinely repentant and legitimately seeking a second chance and I don’t believe him for one minute. Why don’t I believe him? This show has a theme of learning from mistakes and doing better, so shouldn’t Jet be a perfect fit for this show’s themes? I should be primed to believe him. And yet I don’t.

I have to applaud Iron’s enthusiasm for their new life in Ba Sing Se. A lot of that cheer (at least before the tea shop) is put on for Zuko’s sake. I don’t know where Iroh gets the energy to keep trying with Zuko after years of minimal results, but I’m glad he does.

I think Aang and Ty Lee should hang out. They have similar circus energy. Or maybe it’s that they’re the only two characters in the show so far who are remotely playful.

Aang = surface silliness, core of calm. Not that the silliness doesn't run deep, but he seems to have an untouchable anchor of calm deep within that rarely gets disturbed. Gyatso raised him well.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~Poetry bouncer ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

I need next season to have more Appa & Mono subplots à la their escapades in The Swamp. Not à la Momo’s Tale.

Tales of Ba Sing Se definitive ranking: Momo Aang Sokka Zuko Iroh Katara & Toph

I love that Momo still sleeps in the Momo bag from The Blind Bandit

Are Suki and her warriors sitting in the middle of some Earth Kingdom forest in their underwear?

So are Smellerbee and Longshot just done? Will they be back in season 3? What happens to their life now? They are known associates of an enemy of the state who was just executed. It doesn't look good.

Everyone on this show has big ears. Zuko has the smallest ears simply because he has the least amount of ears remaining. But everyone else? Big ears.

Can I have more Gyatso? I forgot how cool he was. More Guru too please.

Hakodilf.

Everyone in the SWT has such wonderfully fluffy hair.

I like Sokka’s boots. Southern Water Tribe boots in general.

If this is the grand total of the SWT, I have some bad news about population dynamics.

Is there a proper naval term for what the SWT are doing? They’re a stealth strike force that seems to be going after individual enemy ships, using both direct and indirect tactics. Not pirates, because as far as we know they aren't going for FN supplies. They're doing what submarines do, but above water. There’s got to be a proper name for that.

Is there a raft of FN corpses chilling in the waters in front of the NWT's big wall?

I saw ATLA described as a show where all the characters are Asian-inspired people of colour, but isn’t Suki a blue-eyed redhead?

I had no idea that you could decline an Agni Kai. Zuko should have done that.

Why are the Dai Li so in love with Azula? I get that they're pissed with Long Feng for getting arrested, but wouldn't the logical choice be to direct their loyalties to the Earth King rather than a wildcard princess? I'm not going to pretend for a minute that the Dai Li are loyal to the Earth Kingdom or to Ba Sing Se, but the Earth King is a known quantity. Seems to me that it would be easier for them to re-puppetify him, rather than a FN princess.

Katara & Zuko bonding over their missing mothers is the same “makes sense until you think about it for five seconds” as Song & Zuko bonding over losing their fathers to war. Technically the same, sort of, on paper, but actually kind of rude to equate them once you know the full story. Same with the parallel between Lu Ten and the older brother in Zuko Alone. The proper dead mom parallel is Katara and Jet. Although Katara doesn’t object to the Zuko comparison, so I have no grounds to do so.

I’m really glad that Katara didn’t remove Zuko’s scar with her spirit oasis water. Both because she kind of really needed that water, but also because one thing this show has always done right is permanence. No quick fixes, no fake outs, no take backs. Lu Ten is dead, and he stays that way. Princess Yue is the moon, and she stays that way. Half a dozen people’s moms are dead, and they stay that way. Aang is the last Airbender, and he stays that way. Zuko is scarred, and he stays that way. There are no hand waves, no easy fixes. All the characters can do is learn to live with it, and go forward. And I’m grateful the show is like that, because that permanence, as well as being a good lesson to learn, functions as a reward for audience investment.

Aang did come to a crossroads of destiny in the finale, chose his duties to the world over his friends, and got aggressively slapped down for it. I have a feeling that he’ll take the wrong lesson from that, since he was already inclined to shun that path.

Overall Season 1 was prettier.

Ty Lee was the cause of more than one Beat Up Sokka Quota fulfillment this season. Make of that what you will.

Will Zuko & Azula spend season 3 bouncing between the FN and Ba Sing Se? They could be heavily involved with establishing the FN governance over Ba Sing Se, since the city is already inclined towards royalty.

Favourite episode this season? The Guru. The Blind Bandit and The Swamp are tied for second place.

[dragunflies]

⤯ 𝐈𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 -> 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐢

Ellie Williams X Fem Reader

(tlou concept art from pt 2 art book) part 2! lmk if I should add anything specific next part, I'll work on it tonight and it should be up by tmr, I hope, maybe, I dunno. AND I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF WORLD-BUILDING I JUST NEVER LIKE READING ANYTHING THAT IS JUST SMUT I NEED WORLD-BUILDING. TRUST THE FUN STUFF WILL BE SOON I SWEAR. Ok bye wash your hands and be safe ok love you! <3

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You walk up to her, expecting to be ignored or just simply brushed off. But no, Ellie peered from the small crowd in the alleyway and turned her gaze to you. Her sight lingered on the conversation until turning her full attention to you. It almost startled you how much she suddenly cared. 

“Hey Y/n,” Ellie stated from the small collection of people, causing them all to pause their conversation. She turned her gaze to the figure approaching the small clique. “You’re the girl I have patrol with, right?”

You stood confused, “Yea?” You state, looking at the rest of her group, standing beside her, annoyed.

“Oh.” A couple of people scoffed. 

Meanwhile, Ellie looked you up and down. Her hard gaze; you could feel it looking at you. Her judgmental stare was harsh but still slight. What was she looking at you like that for?

“Uhuh,” she rolled her tongue over her teeth as she looked back up to your face, connecting her gaze to your line of sight again. “So-”

“How come Maria only chose you?” One of the crowd folk interrupted.

You froze, not necessarily knowing what to say. “Because I’m stronger than I look” No, who the fuck would say that. Going through the possible responses you could return with, Ellie speaks yet again,

“We’ll be fine.” She states, hesitantly, but still confidently.

“We?” One of the side-kicks replied the rest of the small crowd whispered to each other in response, “I know you can survive on your own, not too sure about Nurse Joy over here…” 

You scoff, your quick tongue getting the best of you, “I know what the fuck I’m doing.” You snap, stepping forward once, your pupils contracted. Don’t make this weird. 

They collectively look at each other, laughing under their breaths, Ellie, looking at them with a stone-cold stare as the collectively contain their side conversations.

“Alright, listen,” She stated, rolling her eyes and shooting the remainder of the group beside her a stern look, shutting them up. She pulled you aside for a moment, lowering her voice for a split second. Her auburn hair fell from being held behind her ear and swept into her face, she lowered her gaze, tilted her head down, and looked at you with those damned green eyes. Although you were taller than her, her personality alone made her seem like the bigger person, always, “I’ll meet you at the gate around 10:00 so we can get all of our shit together, I’ll see you then.” 

You look at her and back at the people behind her, making comments to themselves. 

“See you then.” You respond, walking off immediately. 

Ellie watched you completely cold shoulder her, leaving with honestly the lack of a response. She huffed a slight laugh before then turning back to the conversion she originally had running, returning like they weren’t even on pause.

You made your way back to your house so you could gather some loose ends before the patrol. With such a long trip it’s bound to take more than a day. The two of them should be back by morning tomorrow, but it’s best to be safe than sorry. So, you packed your bag with the necessities. Your gun, your medications (ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc), lighters, notebook, knife, ammo, all the loose ends and needs for a trip like this. 

 But as you pack more and more, you just think about those green eyes. How her hair complimented her warm skin and freckles that lingered from last summer, suited her so well. The look she gave you when speaking to you privately suddenly made you feel like butterflies were dancing in your gut. So much so that you felt nauseous. Like you were going to throw up your feelings, yet you reached for a water bottle nearby and inhaled a swig of water. You shook your head forcefully and threw your hair into a low ponytail. Your long dark brown hair swept your shirt as it fell from your shoulder. 

With the final zip up from your shoulder, you refill your water bottle, throw it into the side pocket, and grab your coat as you leave your front room. With the door locked behind you now, you have no choice but to head to the gate, to see the green-eyed girl for your excursion north. 

-

Upon arrival, it was now 10:15 am. 15 minutes past the agreed time. Of course, you were late, why wouldn’t you be? You overheard the calling for attendance of patrols for the day.

“Matthew,” says one voice. “Chris,” says the same monotone voice, “Ellie” continued the attendance, each name followed by a “Here.”

Shit, you were late. Immediately and without a second to spare, you grab your horse. It was a black bay mare you had named Challenger. So you lay your saddle on the horse, swung your back on top, and walked yourself and Challenger to the meeting circle. Grabbing your assigned rifle and scurrying to the meeting area, you begin to look around instantly at the patrols trying to spot Ellie. Then you found her build instantly. Her short and lean structure was quickly recognizable.  The way you saw her standing there looked like she was fully prepared to go out all by herself. Her body language was fed up, and her eyes fell heavy as she already appeared to be ready to be home.

“Hey.” You approached her whispering your acknowledgment. She turned her head to you but not her eyes, they were fixed on the details being played out by Jesse. 

“Why are you so late?” She asked, her gaze still fixed on Jesse.

“I was busy.” You replied curtly.

No reply.

“I want Y/n and Ellie to go to the outlook in Kelly like Maria said before.” Jesse announced, “You two will need to check up on the farm and lake over there as well, it’s another 2-hour trip from the center of Kelly.”

You both rolled your eyes. Ellie held her neck as she rolled her head and closed her eyes, groaning in anticipation of traveling such a far distance. You look over, Ellie biting her lower lip as she awaits her next task handed to her or the signal of send-off. You looked down from her green eyes and watched her soft pink lips roll around. Your face became flushed, getting blushed pink cheeks that contrasted with your pale skin. 

Fuck.          

Then, without paying attention, the announcement of the gate opening and hooves galloping away snapped you out of your trance. 

Ellie jumped onto her horse and you jumped onto Challenger. 

“Ready?” Ellie asked, looking over to you. Those exact eyes you were dreaming about earlier, looking back at you again.

Your face matched hers, “Ready enough.”

With a nod, you two were off. The galloping of hooves brought up loose dirt behind the two of you as you headed north and the rest of the patrols headed west. Soon enough the gate was nothing more than a checkpoint now, and off to Kelly, you guys went.

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Taglist!:

@boobdrug , @ariariarr

Comment to be on the next tag list! xx

[aporeticelenchus]

While struck down by Covid (alas, alack, etc), I’ve been watching operas on my mom’s Met Opera account. So far we’ve gotten through:

Barber of Seville (2007, Peter Mattei and Joyce DiDonato):

Charming! A delight! I want to spend more time with the music later to get a better sense of individual movements. Largo Al Factotum looms large and is as good as promised. I enjoyed Peter Mattei as Figaro and Joyce DiDonato as Rosina a lot too! Bartolo’s patter songs are fun. Looking forward to hearing those again.

Marriage of Figaro (1998; Bryn Terfel and Cecilia Bartoli as Figaro and Susanna; Renee Fleming and Dwayne Croft as Countess and Count):

Finally watched a Figaro production after listening to it a million times! Also a delight! For some reason they switched out Susanna’s two solo arias, which threw me. I saw some reviewers thought Cecilia Bartoli did a little too much physical comedy, but I really liked her. Renee Fleming was a great countess; Porgi Amor is still a dead bore to me but that’s not her fault. Cherubino was adorable, but seemed to struggle a bit with Non So Piu.

This continues to be my favorite opera, and I enjoyed this as a production. I plan to watch the other two productions available on the Met on Demand later.

Don Giovanni (2000; Bryn Terfel, Renee Fleming, Solveig Kringelborn, Hei-Kyung Hong):

I’ve now spent enough time with Don Giovanni to have an opinion: it’s good, but I don’t like it nearly as much as Figaro. The plot flow and pacing frustrate me. There are some standout musical moments, but also some parts that drag (hi act 2 Donna Anna). I do love La Ci Darem and Hei-Kyung Hong’s Zerlina was charming. Finch’Han Dal Vino and Deh Vieni A La Finestra are songs I enjoy from Don G, and of course Lepprello’s little list is fun. Donna Elivra generally has good music behind her, as does Act 1 Donna Anna.

Does Don Ottavio need to be in this opera? I’m just…not sure he does….

Every time I hear the Statue sing “Don Giovaaaaaaaannnnniiii” at the end, my brain fills in “from thy dark exile thou art suuuuuuumoned”, and it took me a bit to realize I was pulling that from Iolanthe. I like to think it’s a deliberate musical homage by Sullivan.

I definitely want to watch some more stagings of Don Giovanni; overall I enjoy the opera and I can imagine it changing a lot with different directorial choices.

Die Fledermaus (1986, Kiri Te Kanawa, Judith Blegan, Tatiana Troyanos, and some men probably)

I love an operatta. I love a dumb musical comedy. I love a catchy waltz I can’t get out of my head. Two thumbs up; great use of my time listening, bad use of my time trying to follow the details of the plot because it did not really matter. Special shout out to the Overture for being a jam. It almost renders the rest of the operetta superfluous.

A+ joke having an opera singer character who won’t stop singing during the talky bits. Love that the prince is a trouser role; that helped me through some of the dumb gender stuff elsewhere.

Total blast. I plan to listen to some more recording, including two English-language adaptations. (The POP Opera project did their English-language adaptation set in 1920s Hollywood; that’s on my short list to watch) I think I like J Strauss II!

Carmen (2014; Anita Rachvelishvili and Aleksanders Antonenko)

I’ve seen Carmen before, but it’s been awhile. My mom loves Carmen; I…struggle with it. Maybe it’s just my pro-comedy bias.

The music is very good, of course; the Habañera and Toreador song are some of the most recognizable music today for a reason. The Act 1 overture is great! Short and punchy! I think the opera might be growing on me musically as I listen to it more; I’ve found the group numbers initially overwhelming, but with a little more time i can better parse the music and find parts I really like.

But anyway, I liked most of this production! I thought the Carmen was compelling, and Don Jose was a good singer (I just hate his character a lot). The set deign (1930s Spain vibes) worked for me, which was a pleasant surprise.

Going to see La Boheme tonight! Wish me luck.

[skyler10fic]

WonderGirls Ch.2

Summary: The Meetcute Chapter

Read of Ao3

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

Daisy tried to keep it together. Carol was here, not just on the lot but assigned to the same makeup trailer. She hadn’t actually met her yet with all the makeup artists, assistants, other actors, and various others needing her attention. But Daisy’s stomach still flipped knowing Carol was this close and could walk in at any minute. 

“Have you met her yet?” her makeup artist whispered. “I heard she doesn’t talk to anyone.”

“Really?” Daisy picked at her lip nervously and the makeup artist batted her hand away and applied another layer of lipstick. 

“She could just be quiet.” The makeup artist’s assistant shrugged. “I would be too if I had people posting my every move on the internet.” 

The makeup artist rolled her eyes. “Sure, but that doesn’t mean she gets to be a bitch to everyone else about it.” 

Daisy didn’t like where this was going. “I guess we’ll find out today. I just hope I don’t say something stupid, like ‘Hey, Carol Danvers, I’ve been obsessed with you since the Emmys two years ago. How’s your cat? Do you really drive the Subaru in the commercials? No, we haven’t met, but you’re just—”

“A big ol’ lesbian?” The question sent a chill down Daisy’s spine. She knew that voice. She’d imagined that voice saying that word so many times, in so many more sexy scenarios. But looking into the mirror now to meet the eyes of Carol Danvers made her ill. Not sexy. Not sexy at all. 

“Hi.” Daisy turned in her chair. The makeup artist and assistant had vanished. 

“I thought I’d come introduce myself.” Carol stuck out a hand. “But it seems you’ve already got punchlines prepared.” 

Daisy shook her hand, stumbling for words for very different reasons than she assumed. “I’m Daisy. Daisy Johnson.” 

“I know.” Carol shrugged with a tinge of sadness in her expression. “I loved your show.” 

“Really?” Daisy raised an eyebrow. She probably said that to everyone. 

“Yeah, I was actually really excited to meet you today, but it’s okay, I know all the things people say. And most of them are true.” Carol winked and Daisy could see why everyone who knew her ended up charmed and everyone who didn’t was so jealous. 

Daisy softened and decided brutal, soul-baring honesty was the only way forward. 

“You don’t have to do that, you know. Pretend to be chill with all the gossip about you. But I wasn’t making fun of you. I was making fun of myself. I was going to say, ‘No, we haven’t met, you’re just my celebrity crush,’ which is how I know those weirdly specific details about your life.” Daisy shrugged and blushed. There. The truth was revealed. As if offering her credentials, Daisy rushed to pull out her phone with a bi heart sticker on the case. It was the lock screen on the other side that caught Carol’s attention though. 

Daisy explained, “Oh, that’s a picture of art a fan gave me at Comic-Con. It meant a lot.” 

The adorable cartoon showed Daisy as her spy character and a young girl in the same costume. They were both holding opposite ends of a rainbow. Carol’s defenses dropped and her cool girl smile melted into a genuine, smaller one. 

“That’s beautiful. Are you… If it’s okay to ask... You don’t have to answer. Are you out?”

Daisy let out an involuntary laugh. “Yeah, but I guess the news didn’t really travel. I don’t talk about it much, outside of panels and fan stuff, and the press didn’t care when I first came out on Instagram before the show hit it big. But these moments make it worth it.” She looked at the art again before pocketing her phone. 

“I think,” Carol hesitated, “I think word might get out. Did they pitch our characters to you the way they pitched them to me?”

Daisy tried to read between Carol’s vague lines. “As love interests?” 

“Yeah, but with room for interpretation.” 

With their shooting schedule for the day, Daisy knew they didn’t have much longer so she cut through the hints. 

“Did it factor into my decision? Absolutely. I want to work with you. And who better to bring more queer rep with? You’re kind of a big deal in the sapphic world. I mean, hello.” Daisy gestured broadly to all of Carol’s body as if it were obvious every girl would be in love with her. “But don’t worry, I’m all business. You don’t have to like me; Dani just has to like Skye.” 

Daisy winked, using their characters’ names. 

The trailer door opened. “WonderGirls to set!” 

“Here we go.” Daisy grabbed her stuff and greeted the two other main actresses outside, whom she’d met the day before.

Carol steeled herself against the show biz machine awaiting her and joined them. Time to shine. 

—------------------- 

“You don’t have to like me; Dani just has to like Skye.” 

Daisy’s words, so casual and matter of fact, played on repeat in Carol’s head. All the male actors she’d been paired with thought the chemistry of their characters would be more authentic if they were seen together themselves. A PR faux relationship or enough to get the gossip mill churning was good for business. And it took the pressure off the well-circulated and completely factual rumors that she had slept with exactly zero of these men and at least five of her female costars or crew.  

But Daisy wasn’t trying to look authentic for the box office numbers; she just was. As if she couldn’t be any other way. As they worked, it was clear to Carol that Daisy was not only talented and capable as an actress, but unpretentious about it. After a decade with the same cast and crew, she hadn’t had a reason to develop the Hollywood Fake Nice attitude to manipulate the system and land role after role through connections and favors. 

And the longer they worked throughout the day, Carol’s unspoken comeback formed a lump in her throat: “But what if I do like you?” 

Obviously, Daisy was attractive in the conventional sense, but there was much more to it than that. Carol watched the way Daisy interacted with the child actors, the stunt doubles, and the crew, and even joked around with the shy interns asking her how to make it big. She was friendly enough with everyone to get shushed when the cameras started to roll on scenes she wasn’t in. 

She was free in a way Carol hadn’t been since she was a teenager: America’s Sweetheart on the outside but awkward nerd on the inside. Carol had shot to fame too fast and hadn’t really had a life of her own since. 

She shook off the Poor Little Rich Girl self-pity and returned to set so her character could argue with the mother character that she was breaking free and learning to use her powers instead of being afraid of them. The fourth take in particular hit hard as the repetition of the heartfelt lines released a wave of genuine emotion in her. Just as Dani needed to become Captain Wonder and fly off to save the world with the WonderGirls, so Carol needed to own her power and liberate herself from the controllable teen idol everyone still saw.

“YES!” director Maria Hill shouted. “That’s it. That’s the one. Dani, take five. Denise, Bob, Lucas, and waitress number 1, let’s pick up at the diner scene.” 

As the actors and crew reset at the nearby three-walled diner set, Daisy surprised a jumpy Carol with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“No, not at all.” Carol brushed off. “I was just, you know. In that mental place.” 

Daisy nodded. “Yeah. That was incredible though. I wanted to clap and cheer, but the sound guys would have murdered me.” 

Carol laughed. “Thank you. That was really good too, when Skye kicked the yard sign down in anger at Bob earlier.” 

Daisy whispered. “Can you keep a secret?” 

Carol knew Daisy was teasing, possibly flirting, but the question took her aback. No one in Hollywood asks that question because everyone knows the answer. 

“Of course.” 

Daisy giggled. “That wasn’t in the script, I just felt like she would and couldn’t stop myself. I honestly tripped into it more than anything.” 

Carol giggled too. “That’s crazy. It looked completely planned. I was right there with her. Screw that guy.” 

“Dumb Bob,” Daisy sighed. “Never mess with a WonderGirl.” 

They were brought into the next scene, bursting into the diner with their powers and hunting down an enemy, but these little moments between them continued to break the ice, even warming to tentative friendship as the days and nights of long hours wore on. 

[strafepanzer]

fangs | g.jaegerjaquez

chapter one: shit | chapter two (tba) | chapter three (tba)

▸ ▸ ▸ warnings: dark content, 18+! a/b/o stuff (pheromones, fangs, alpha-omega, animalistic tendencies), blood (a LOT), biting, drugs, gangs, fighting, (more to be added as chapters progress)

▸ ▸ ▸ wordcount: 3k+

▸ ▸ ▸ a/n: this has been in the works for a while but i finally have a bit of energy to put into it, so that's fun! also ive taken parts of omegaverse lore and made it my own, so if things get confusing, feel free to ask questions! thanks for reading!! ♡

“Shit,” he hisses, tongue running over the split in his lower lip. His glare intensifies as he shoots it over his shoulder, landing on the little turd shaking in his boots, wooden baseball bat held tight in two white-knuckled fists.

“I didn’t even do that! Y-you bit your lip with those freakish fricken fangs!” The kid argues, blue eyes wide with terror, that distinct childish whine caught in his throat.

“Right, so you swinging that bat at me had no impact on the state of my face at all?” He turns his body towards the boy, cracks his neck as he rolls his shoulders. “Sounds like a crock a’ shit, squirt.”

“Uncle will be mad if you hit me!” He reasons, knees knocking together.

“Oh, but you can hit me?” Grimmjow raises his brows, wiping the blood with a knuckle as he stalks towards the kid.

“You’re the gang’s Mad Dog! You’re supposed to be too good for me to hit!” He frowns, stepping back as the predator steps forward.

Grimmjow grins then, his hulking canines pressing uncomfortably into his lower lip, the one on the left shining with blood. “Maybe I wanted a reason to discipline the young master.”

“Jaegerjaquez,” Tousen appears out of nowhere, like usual. “Boss has a job for you.” Is all he says before turning to the kid. “You know how your mother feels about you using that bat for violence, young master.”

The kid’s pouting, obviously happy to have been spared, but upset that he’s being scolded and losing his babysitter-slash-impromptu-martial-arts-instructor all in one fell swoop.

“Where’s he want me?” Grimmjow straightens, rubs the sweat from his hands down the thighs of his faded blue jeans, re-pops the collar of his barely buttoned Hawaiian shirt. Tousen regards him coldly through the lenses of ridiculously priced glasses, as usual, like Grimmjow is worse than the dirt beneath his stupid black leather loafers.

“The usual place.” Tousen turns his nose up at Grimmjow, and gestures back to the kid. “You need to stop sneaking out of the house when Starrk falls asleep; let’s go.” He orders, heading towards the winding forest path that leads back to the main house.

“We were training.” The kid argues back, pouting. “Everyone always talks about how strong the Mad Dog is, and I’m gonna be stronger.”

“Strength isn’t necessarily how hard you hit, or how many bones you break, Kaiden. Remember that.” Tousen sends Grimmjow one last look before the pair disappear behind the yellowing Japanese Maples, the young master waving frantically and promising to return.

This makes Grimmjow grin, smirk elongating as he heads back into his shack, imagining how Aizen’s prissy bitch of a left hand man has to listen to the kid praise him. What makes the young master’s idolisation of him that much sweeter is the fact that the little brat hasn’t presented yet; Tousen can’t blame the kid on being affected by Grimmjow’s Ridiculously Potent Dominant Alpha Pheromones, has to accept that he just likes the way he is. Thinks he’s fucking cool.

Betas, as a rule, tend to harbour a little bit of hatred towards alphas or omegas, especially in their line of work, but Tousen takes the goddamn cake.

With a spring in his step, Grimmjow packs a duffel. His little house— if you can call it that— is a bit of a mess, so finding what he needs is a pain in the ass, but he manages. Ten year old Motorola Razr (in ice blue), wallet, and switchblade are all on his bed, still there from being dumped out early this morning when he got home from a job. His first aid kit, pheromone patches, and inhibitors are all in the stall he calls a bathroom, and— he checks the package— he’s running low on patches. The last thing on his mental list— his knuckle dusters— are in the kitchen sink, still caked in dried blood, but he throws them in the bag anyway.

He leaves his leather jacket and just opts for his keys; the summer’s been long and hot, and he loves the way the air feels on his skin as he speeds the streets of Karakura.

+

Ichimaru’s Ikeman Fantasy is a front that even the blind can see, yet it’s been untouched by the law for years. Grimmjow parks his bike in its usual spot, holds the duffle by the handle and tosses it over his shoulder, before strolling past Yammy and the other bouncers, and in through the front door.

Smells like easy omega in here.

“Afternoon, Jaegerjaquez!” Nel hollers, tits bouncing as she waves from her spot behind the bar. They never used to get along, but the years of living and working in close proximity forced them into a friendship of sorts. Now they dye each other’s hair.

“Nel,” he nods, duffle landing on the bar with a thud. “Aizen here?”

“‘Course he is,” she rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “He’s always here.”

“Like you.” He grins. “You’re part of the furniture, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she sighs, nodding back towards the kitchen. “Someone’s gotta keep Nnoitra in place. I do miss you being here, though.” Her nose scrunches up. “All the new boys are boring.” There’s a bit of bite behind her bark, and usually that’s what he looks for in a woman, but she’s never affected him. He can’t get hard for other alphas; all part and parcel of being a dominant himself. Omegas or nothing.

“Maybe if I was better at lip service.” He shrugs, tossing his feline stare over his shoulder to sus out the place.

“Or if you were worse at brawling,” she leans on the bar, those too big breasts pushing up and together in a way that makes them look like they might pop out of her shirt. “They’ve started calling you The Grim around here, you know? You come and go, then someone shows up dead.”

“That’s dramatic; I don’t kill people.” Always.

“Keep your secrets, Jaegerjaquez, I don’t want them.” Nel shakes her head, perks up a bit when someone else comes in.

It’s too early to open, and Grimmjow has no idea who this girl is. She’s cute, nervous-looking. Undoubtedly omega with her candy-apple scent.

“You’re getting girls in here now?” He asks when the candy apple omega is escorted through the lounge and into the back rooms.

“Yeah, Gin’s wanting to expand with the beauties.” She whispers, leaning close. “But you know Aizen: don't fix it if it ain’t broke.”

“Fox face wants to bring girls in here?” Grimmjow balks, a little too loud. “To work?” He questions, voice dropping.

“Yeah, for the back room stuff.” Nel looks undoubtedly uncomfortable. The main draw for the club is that it’s catered to women; less violent outbursts, less brawling, less police attention.

“Huh, never would’a picked it.” Grimmjow sighs, brows raising. “Matsumoto’s surely against it.”

“Yeah, so’s Ai—“

“You’re here,” Aizen’s voice isn’t loud, but it's commanding. There’s a quiet cruelty there that keeps people on their toes, a suppressed dominance that he’s master at concealing. “Come, Grimmjow, I have a task for you.” He’s across the lounge, standing in front of his office, the door right next to the one the candy apple omega disappeared behind.

“Sure thing,” he nods, suddenly professional. He gives Nel one last look before grabbing his duffel and slinking off towards his boss— The Boss.

+

Aizen’s office is the epitome of old European money; velvet chaise, dark filigree wallpaper, gold accents, cherry stained hardwood. Grimmjow feels like a stray dog attempting domestication each time he stalks into the room, can’t bear to sit lest he destroy or dirty something. The Boss doesn’t even offer him a seat anymore, just places a lowball of whiskey in his hand and starts on the task at hand.

“There’s a small motorcycle gang that’s started to sell on our turf,” he says, opening a beige folder and tossing its contents on his desk. “Need you to rough ‘em up a bit before they get too big for their boots.”

“Kids?” Grimmjow scowls, picking up the pile of photos and tossing them back to the desk as he looks at them. They’re in their late teens to early twenties, with their black leather jackets and little white baggies. “You’re sending me to deal with kids?”

Aizen sighs and sits down in his polished leather chair, taking a sip of his own whiskey. “You’re right.” He nods, leaning over the table and picking up one of the photos Grimmjow’s tossed down. “Normally, I’d send Yammy, or even Tousen— if I wanted to deal with it diplomatically— but this kid,” he holds up the picture of a blonde, his head tossed back in laughter, canine-like fangs protruding out of his mouth. “Is a dominant like you.”

He takes the photo from Aizen and looks it over, then goes through the ones he tossed and picks up a clearer one of his face. “He’s not even wearing patches,” Grimmjow shakes his head, glaring at the glossy photos. “Just swinging his dick around like he owns the place.”

“Exactly,” Aizen stands and gathers the photos, holds his hand out for the ones Grimmjow’s still scrutinising. “I’ll send the lot of them to your phone.”

“Boss, I can’t see shit on my phone,”

“I told you to buy a new one.”

“Why fix something if it ain’t broke? Besides, I got the little fucker’s face memorised, don’t sweat it.”

“They hang around by the train station at the end of the street most nights. Rough them up a bit, feel free to knock some teeth out.” Aizen smiles then, golden eyes shining as he shows his own fangs.

To the naked eye, he looks like a beta or omega with his average-sized canines, but Grimmjow knows better. Knows he’s had them filed down; that he does so on the regular.

Dangerous fucker he is.

+

After sticking around for a couple more drinks with Nel, he pockets a knuckleduster and leaves her with the rest of his shit. "I'll come get it when I'm done with the job." He drawls, tapping his scent blockers to test their saying power— excellent, considering he replaced them after Aizen dismissed him.

"Don't kill too many, Grim." She calls a little too loud, smiles a little too broadly. It draws attention from the other patrons, the few older women sitting at and around the bar suddenly interested in him.

"Don't lose my shit." He glares back, fang grinding on the still fresh wound from this morning when he tenses his jaw.

Undeterred, she waves him off with a smile, before undoubtedly weaving tales about his murderous escapades to the nosey hags asking too many questions. He doesn’t stick around long enough to confirm or deny his own suspicions.

The damp heat of early summer clings to Grimmjow like a second skin; seeing others unaffected— still dressing in light layers and boots, some with scarves and gloves— makes him feel a little claustrophobic, even outside in the streets. He knows it’s him who’s wrong, knows his medication has side effects and his second gender has drawbacks as well as perks, but still it’s enough to plaster that scowl to his face. At least it makes people avoid him, gives him a little bubble when it’s crowded, even in rush hour.

Hands shoved deep in his pockets, that glare is set straight ahead. He’s on a mission, and it’s something he’s not too happy about. Sure, he’s used to cleaning up Aizen’s messes, used to brawling, bleeding, biting, and bitching; but dealing with pups never ends well. These kids probably think they’re kings, think that their blonde ringleader is gonna make them rich or famous, or both.

Probably both.

Flashing fangs like that around here, though… that’s gonna get you killed.

Grimmjow’s nothing if not morally grey, however, so seeing the little posse down an alley on the way to his destination brings a rush of excitement. The sooner he can get this over with, the better.

“Oi,” he calls, entering the alley. “Heard you’re selling.”

“Who’s askin’?” One steps away from the wall— not the blonde— and tilts his chin up at Grimmjow. It takes all the willpower in the world not to match that snarl with one of his own, but he just shrugs and tries to act innocent, keeps his shoulders hunched so he seems smaller than his six-four frame.

“Just some guy,” he drawls, keeping his fangs concealed. “Why, you discriminate?”

The kid snarls at him again, infuriated, “Discrimin—”

“Cool it, Tetsu,” the blonde finally steps forward, and his pheromones are no joke. It’s been a hot minute since Grimmjow’s come across a dominant who doesn’t conceal what he is, and he has to physically stop the warning growl that wants to vibrate up his throat. “This old man just needs a hit, don’tcha grandpa?” He grins, condescending lilt to his brow.

“Nah, you got me all wrong, kiddo,” Grimmjow stands tall— taller than the blonde by at least five inches— and cracks his knuckles, apathetic grin turned evil. “I just need to relay a message to you little fuckers about who’s turf you’re selling on.”

The blonde postures, baring his fangs as his pupils blow wide, “Bring it on, old man!” He yells, pheromones turning the alley sour and crippling his friends.

Grimmjow says nothing, just mirrors the young alpha, and roars.

His pals throw up, one passes out, and the blonde’s pupils revert before his fight or flight kicks in, and he launches himself at Grimmjow. He knows the fight would be over if he just removed his scent patches, but where’s the fun in that? What kind of Grim Reaper would he be if he let it end at that?

Blondie lands a hit to Grimmjow’s jaw, and he feels it crack his bone. Adrenaline and anger mask the pain, and in an instant he’s above the kid, landing blow after blow after blow to his face with his bare knuckles, colouring his face crimson in a matter of seconds.

“Old man?” Grimmjow grunts sarcastically, the adrenaline subsiding with each moment of non-resistance. “This old man better not see you on this side of the tracks with intent to sell again, or I’ll rip those useless canines straight outta your face, got it?” He finishes, holding the blonde up by the front of his bloodied leather jacket and glaring down at his swollen, weepy face. Blondie can only groan in pain before going limp in Grimmjow’s grasp.

He drops him to the cement and glances up at the rest of the gang. With both alphas done with their brawl, the pheromones in the air have thinned, and the rest of the kids are in the process of regaining their composure.

“I fucking mean it,” Grimmjow continues with his warning. “I know you think you’re fucking invinci—”

He’s frozen by a sharp stinging sensation in the side of his neck, and when he swipes at it, something small, cylindrical, and plastic hits the ground next to his knee and rolls away from him.

A syringe.

They’ve drugged him.

“Run!” Someone screams from behind him, lurching with speed and strength Grimmjow knows wouldn’t be possible from anyone other than another dominant alpha. He grabs for Blondie, tosses his limp body over his shoulder and takes off down the alley as the rest of the gang scatters.

Grimmjow stumbles as he attempts to give chase, his vision swimming and heart pounding. He stops and crouches there in the alley behind a dumpster, closing his eyes and trying his goddamn hardest to regulate himself, to pinpoint the problem. His limbs are fine, and there’s no numbness, so that’s a plus, but he’s dizzy as all hell, and—

Slap.

He opens his eyes to see one of his scent blockers— a shriveled-looking skin-toned bandaid— lying there on the cement like it’d been used more than a few times. But he knows that’s not the case, knows that was a brand new fucking blocker and that it should’ve lasted him until at least tomorrow morning even if he wanted to sleep with it on.

He reaches for the one at the other side of his neck, and that one, too, slides off, looking a little more than worse for wear.

His pheromones have sweat the patches off.

This hasn’t happened to Grimmjow since he was going through goddamn puberty and the doctors couldn’t find the right dosage of inhibitors for him. He’s early thirties now, has been on the same goddamn pills since, and has never missed a dose. If there’s one thing Grimmjow cannot fucking stand, it’s an alpha who can’t control his fucking ruts.

And now he’s one of them.

Those shifty little fuckers have thrown him into rut.

“Motherfuckers!” He roars, knuckles meeting cement out of pure frustration, the pain that’s supposed to come with maiming oneself simply not present.

Grimmjow gets up and braces himself against the wall, breathing heavily and glancing between the mouth of the alley and the direction in which those little shits ran off. It’d be absolutely insane for them to want to stick around and try jump him, especially considering Blondie wasn’t using blockers, so there’s no doubt the end of the alley isn’t a completely dead end. Heading towards the street would only end in mayhem, so he stumbles deeper into the alley, using the brick wall for support when the cramping takes over and he needs a moment to breathe.

Fuck, he’s forgotten how this felt; forgotten just how base he goes when his hormones are running rampant, forgot how primal he is. He’s hungry. For food, for sex, for a good fucking fight.

His cock aches.

Still, he fights it. He’s not completely gone yet, but he can feel it pulling at him, irritating him, can feel it tickling his brain like a loose thread; one tug of it, and he’ll be feral. He’s exhausted, fighting the urge to pull the string, finds himself panting as he clutches at the spray paint covered brick with a bloodied hand, sweat dripping into his eyes, plastering powder blue hair to his forehead.

He briefly wonders if Aizen knew that they had this little ace up their sleeve, before deciding— with a baleful chuckle he didn’t know he still had in him— that he doesn’t even wanna know.

The last thing he sees before the world goes black is his own reflection in a shiny metal baseball bat

[dis0rderly-cl0wn-nerd]

So before I start OC-TOBER I want to give some background on the OC I picked. Below are some drawings of her and a face claim (basically Heath Ledger but genderbent). Some of the drawings are recent and some are up to two years old. I did the reference sheet for art fight this year. I don’t like it because it’s super rushed and I could’ve done better but it gives you an idea.

The oc I picked is Hailey, (my absolute favorite oc). She is from an AU I have where Batman rogues have kids. Here’s some info about her:

Her full name is Jacqueline Hailey Quinzel. She was named after her grandmother 🥺 (if you’ve read my fic you’ll get this) She goes by Hailey because when she was little Jacqueline was hard for her to say/spell/write out. She is Joker and Harley Quinn’s youngest of three kids. The oldest is Jeremy and the middle is Hannah. (I know they wouldn’t ever canonically or realistically have that many but let’s just pretend!) 

They have Quinzel as their last name because Joker’s identity wasn’t revealed yet when they were born. It finally was when Hailey was about 16. Joker came forward and told the police everything because he was tired of carrying around that burden for so long and he felt his family deserved to know who he was. (His story in this AU is a little different from my headcanon/the current fanfic I’m writing so it fits the timeline better. For example he’s a 70s baby instead of 80s and fought in Desert Storm instead of Afghanistan) 

Anyway back to Hailey, as you can see she looks a lot like her father. She is the most like him out of his kids and also secretly his favorite lol. Her personality is a lot like J’s, except she’s not as silly as he is. Jeremy is more like that. Hailey has his seriousness, sarcasm, and overall badassery. Sadly she makes an effort to not smile as much because she looks so much like her dad. She loves J a lot but she’s self conscious about her smile, it freaks people out, and it’s been pointed out to her before. As she gets older she doesn’t care about it as much because what does it even matter? But in school it really bothered her. 

Her hobbies are art (she’s very artsy like J!), aerial dance (silks, lyra, etc), singing, and playing a little guitar. She can do gymnastics and stuff but she’s not as into that and regular dance as her sister is. 

Hailey is 5’11 and very muscular. She’s naturally bigger and leaner, again like her father. Basically she can kick ass. J definitely taught her a thing or two. 

She has a similar music taste to her dad. He passed down his favorites to her and then she added to it. She’s into grunge, metal, nu metal, alternative, indie, etc. things along those lines. 

When she’s an adult she becomes a full time artist doing commissions and murals in Gotham. They pay her pretty well for it! She also has YT, Tik Tok, and Instagram accounts for her art with decent followings.

Her bf and later husband is a random character I made up named Laine. He is a photographer. They went to the same schools but she didn’t actually meet him until after they graduated. He wanted to photograph one of her murals for the blog he runs. They really liked each other and Hailey let him take photos anytime he wanted. Then it grew from there. 

One of her best friends is Delilah, which is Frost’s daughter. J thinks it funny how history repeats itself. 

...

About the AU, when I was younger I loved Descendants and I really loved Batman so I decided to combine those two and make my own AU. Years later I still hold onto it. I’ve just tweaked it to make it more realistic (and less cringe lmao). 

So basically! Gotham got tired of dealing with the rogues over and over again. Arkham (Blackgate too in some cases) was like a revolving door and nothing was working. So the government/city decided to put them on a strip of land just outside of Gotham near the harbor. I still haven't come up with a name for it yet. I just think of it as a ‘Badlands’ type thing.

The land is fenced in and the rogues are not allowed to leave. Unless it’s like worst case scenario and they need serious medical attention or something. They are supervised and have meetings with officials once a month to make sure things are going okay or make town decisions. 

Everything they have is government provided. That's who pays for the water and electricity. They have food and supplies sent to them every month. Sometimes things are donated, especially when the kids came along. When the rogues were preparing to leave they were allowed to take belongings with them, just nothing illegal or guns obviously.

The rogues were all proven competent enough to take care of their kids so the state didn't take them away. Much to everyone's surprise the rogues were really trying to turn over a new leaf and live out the rest of their lives right. They had officially given up on crime. What was the point? They had a chance to start over. Why ruin it?

The children were homeschooled for most of their childhood. They were all like siblings to each other. It wasn't until 10 years later when it was finally decided that they could start going to public school. It was a huge adjustment but eventually the kids got settled in. There was of course teasing and bullying but as tight knit and close as they were, they were able to pick each other up and it rarely bothered them.

Batman, Batgirl, and Gotham socialites also have kids. Batman and Julie Madison have a son. They later get divorced because as we all know, Bruce can't stay in a relationship to save his life. Barbara has a daughter with somebody (idk who the dad is). He's pretty much nonexistent in her life. The other important people in Gotham that have kids are Vikki Vale, Veronica Vreeland, and that rich girl from my Harley fic that stole Harley's job.

Jonny Frost doesn't live with the rogues. Frost is out on parole, also retired from crime, and working multiple jobs to be able to pay child support and take care of Delilah on the days he has custody of her. When she gets older, he has a connection to Joker again through Delilah's friendship with Hailey.

Batman, the rogues, and the story line are a mix of the Nolanverse and my own version.

Here's the majority of my OCs from this AU. I think there's like two missing because they wouldn't fit on the page but they're side characters and not that important.

All my ocs (there’s over 20 lmao) from this AU have a special place in my heart but Hailey is my favorite 💜

I may do a fanfic or comic with this AU one day and I really want to. I have for years. But I have so much on plate right now so if I ever do, it won’t be for a long time. I may post some art that goes along with it though ☺️

Okay I think that’s enough rambling!

Bonus drawing I forgot to add:

[avocadoraisin]

Hi! I’m sure you’ve answered this question before but what or who got you into saw?

this is actually kind of a long and funny one. to me

part one

so, eeeeons ago.. when I was, what, 16? 17? There was someone I followed on tumblr that for some reason I used as my barometer of coolness. I just thought they were so rad, and I don't remember why. Their art, maybe?

I was, and to some extent still am, very easily influenced by peer pressure. So, whatever they got into, I heavily debated checking out myself. (Because, they're so cool and all. And I want to understand their art!)

i think i watched walkthroughs of all the Assassin's Creed games (up to 3, at the time) just to admire their art lmao

then they got into Saw and I was torn lmao. I was so scared of the franchise (because of the reputation and all) but they made it seem so interesting? They were a chainshipper I think. And by god, do i WISH i could find their old art again... or even their blog at all, so I can find those vintage Saw memes again...

i was fascinated that this "super gory torture franchise" had a fandom and people were shipping characters that were heeella dead

but also i was a HUGE baby and didn't watch anything that wasn't anime violence until uhhhhhhhhhhhh............................................................. college

so i was always curious about Saw, but as someone who hadn't even seen the most basic of basic horror films at the time, or a single rated R film, I was sssooooo not ready

part two

fast forward to 2022

So, I have a "list" of films I want to see. I'm mostly fascinated by films with pop culture significance, cult classics, or films that otherwise helped define a genre in some way. my inner film history nerd. Many of those are horror, because horror in itself is a very fascinating genre with so many iconic characters and films that change the rules of the game every few years. (horror games also do this)

Saw was always in the back of my mind as this franchise i never really understood, because of the reputation, but the first one always fell under the category as one of those iconic genre-challenging films I should try to check out at least once

in 2022, i watched the first film and I really liked it!! I was curious about the rest of the franchise because I also knew there was some kind of fandom for it, thanks to that person i followed ~13 years ago, but I heard the gore gets a lot more gruesome............. and i don't really like gore, actually..........

and i started noticing more and more really funny Saw jokes and stuff now that I at least knew the first movie, and i was like "hey, people seem to really love this franchise despite its gory reputation" I told myself I'd work my way up to it, watching other horror films and slowly training myself to be able to handle more and more gore. with the SOLE purpose of trying to build up the stomach to enjoy the rest of Saw

so last year in 2023, Saw X came out. and it was getting really good reviews. and i love going to the movies, and i was getting FOMO like you wouldnt believe

so, i let Saw skip the line on my horror list. i was like "I'll just put on Saw II and if its too much, ill just stop. If I'm not ready for this franchise, then that's fine. I don't need to see Saw X in theaters"

anyway yeah then i binged them all in a week or two because i was hooked immediately. and i got to see Saw X twice in theaters and had the time of my life

(and yes, in hindsight, i was SOOO not ready to watch this franchise as a teen LMAO. I can still barely look at gore. I think it would have sickened me. and yes, my parents are shocked I like these horror franchises so much now after being such a weenie kid)

[frodo-with-glasses]

So, what’s next?

We’ve reached the end of the book, but the fun is just getting started! Here’s what to expect going forward.

Phase One: Reblog Marathon

First things first, I’m taking a short break from the daily doodles. For a couple weeks, this blog will be all reblogs of meta posts and gifsets; I’ve been storing them up for the past year and a half, and I’m taking the opportunity to share them all now!

At the same time, I’ll be running a BRAND NEW ASK GAME that I’m calling the “Artist Commentary Game”! Keep an eye out in about three hours for a post explaining it!

Phase Two: The Epilogue

This phase will be much slower-paced than the previous ones. This past year and a half has really helped me hone my ability to keep a schedule and be creative on demand (without burning out, amazingly!), but there’s only so much time in the day; and I want to focus those skills primarily on my original writing for a little while.

But that doesn’t mean I’m abandoning this blog! I’ll try to have something new posted here at least once a week, including:

A review of the epilogue found in The End of the Third Age (this one’s for you, @lady-merian!)

Any art inspired by that epilogue (watch me try not to draw the whole chapter haha)

Some bonus “after the war” comics (mostly featuring my two favorite families, Sam’s and Beregond’s, to nobody’s surprise)

Some Magnolia AU stuff

More lyric comics set to Hamilton songs

And more!

I still have a few of the Word Asks left over, so I might answer those as well. (To the anon who sent me a bunch of words for Frodo and Sam: I love you, I haven’t forgotten you, and I’m just saving the best for last ;-3)

Phase Three: The Digital Age

This one will run congruently with Phase Two, but it might outlast it.

As many of you know, I plan to set up a Redbubble store (by popular demand), and part of that process is turning my doodles into digital art in full color. As each of those new digital pieces is finished, you’ll see them posted here! I’ll try to have at least one published every week as well.

Phase Four: Deja Vu

At some point—perhaps September 22nd, because Important Dates—I want to start the book over again. There’s a lot of things I’d want to draw for, say, the Mines of Moria that I feel I could do a lot better now that my art has grown.

Again, I don’t know when this will start—between my original writing and setting up the store I already have a LOT of work on my plate—but I intend to do it at some point!

Phase Five: Bilbo-With-Glasses

Depending on the workload of Phase Four, I might run this one at the same time; but in any case, one day I will create a separate blog giving the patented Lady Glasses treatment to The Hobbit!

In conclusion…

This past year and a half has been really fun, and the future of the blog looks bright! I’m excited, and I hope you are too. ^-^ See you there!

[georgiapeach30513]

Acting has so many aspects and there are actors who grew up in the industry and some have improved, others still get jobs but not good ones. To know those who have been in this industry from childhood, teenage or young adulthood, as a majority don’t understand just because you had previous success doesn’t mean it’ll last forever, especially of you don’t work on your skillset.

There are new upcoming actors who have legit studied their craft, went to prestigious universities and come from performing arts backgrounds and that’s their life. They are hungry and coming into the business so well known actors are competing against various things. Child stars and others have to worry about being typecast and their audience.

Chris is competing with all of that on top of his internal stuff, that’s a lot. Fortunately he’s still getting roles which is more than some can say, so at this rate it’s up to him.

Looking forward to him surprising us in a good way!

Here’s the thing with entertainment, especially in Hollywood, it’s extremely fickle. If you’re able to have a longstanding career, you’re doing well. There’s so many actors that have fallen by the wayside, and so much potential. Talent isn’t enough anymore. You have to have the looks, the marketability, the drive, the work ethic, pleasure on set, willing to learn, you have to sell yourself to the public. Once you’re established, it is what it is, but entertainment is hard. People’s attention spans are so short, and so many don’t fully watch and engage in the movie. We have all these distractions, and you can have a subpar performance be good enough.

Not to mention you also have the aspect of there will always be someone younger, better looking, cheaper, and more talented coming up behind you. Staying relevant in an ever changing industry is not for the weak. Typecasting unfortunately happens a lot, and @nancydrewwouldnever explained that beautifully.

I think we’re, hopefully, seeing a shift in Chris’ career. I’m sure he and his team are aware that his audience is growing older and changing, just like he is. And it appears that they’re trying interesting roles, more adult and mature (again, I hope). And I still think it’s too early to say anything about Honey Don’t, Materialists, and obviously Sacrifice.

[clothyume]

The Whereabouts of the Missing Book Episode 8

(A short while later…)

Tori: Haa… I get seriously depressed in the morning. Why are we meeting in the morning in the first place, Tsukasa…

Tsukasa: That’s my line. Even I don’t want to see your slovenly face this early in the morning…

Oh? 

Mika: T-that’s… Um, have ya been contacted about the book yet?  

Hajime: Yes. I heard from Hasumi-senpai that no one has come forward yet

Tsukasa: Oh, if it isn’t Hajime-kun and Kagehira-senpai, good morning 

Tori: Good morning. Why do you two look so depressed? 

Mika: Tori-kun, Tsukasa-kun. I dunno what t’ do, the book I lost ain’t been found yet

Tori: Eh, it’s still not been found!? It’s been ages since we asked Hasumi-senpai to contact everyone, hasn’t it? 

Hajime: Yes. I double checked with Hasumi-senpai this morning, but no one’s contacted him…

Tsukasa: It’s really taking its time. If that’s the case, maybe someone in the dorms borrowed it by mistake? 

Mika: Uuu… No, I made a big mistake and lost it somewhere!

I’m real sorry… It’s all ma fault that we can’t return such an important book 

Tsukasa: In any case, let’s talk more at the end of the day. We still have to go to school, after all

Kagehira-senpai too, don’t give up on looking for the book until we’re home!

Mika: Yeah. Sorry t’ coller ya so early in the morning 

(After school, at Seisoukan)

Mika: …Sorry fer all the trouble today, guys

Makoto: Don’t worry about it, I was really curious about that book anyways  

Nagisa: …I’m also curious about the book’s whereabouts. It’s a splendid book, so it’ll be a pity of it disappears forever 

Tsukasa: Thank you for waiting. School has finally let out

Tori: So, did you find the book? 

Mika: Nope. Mako-kun and Ran-senpai, and Ritsu-kun who has work now, all helped out, but…

Maybe I really lost it somewhere else?  

Makoto: Ye~ah, but wouldn’t the missing book stand out more? 

Hajime: Exactly. The binding is unique, so it wouldn’t be mistaken for a different book 

Makoto: Then someone really did check it out by accident 

Hey, Kagehira-kun said he finished reading the book, right? I think it’s pretty strange to be carrying about a book for any other reason than returning it after reading it… 

So even if it’s lost, I think it’s either as Seisoukan or Yumenosaki 

Tori: Exactly. If you’re in the middle of reading it, it just ends up as extra baggage if you take it out of the academy 

Makoto: Since it happened in the book room, then I think there’s a high possibility it’s somewhere in Seisoukan. Of course it could possibly be in Yumenosaki too but…

Hajime: We had a little look round Yumenosaki, but couldn’t find it 

It’s a conspicuous book, so if it were anywhere other than the library or the art room, I’m sure someone would notice it immediately  

Tori: And, I had a peek in the handicrafts club room since that’s a place that Kagehira-senpai might go, but it wasn’t there. That’s why I don’t think it’s at the academy 

Mika: Ngah~ In that case someone really did check it out by mistake? 

Tsukasa: It’s likely. But if that’s the case, why has no one come forward? 

Nagisa: …They probably don’t want to come forward

Mika: Ngah? Why don’t they wanna come forward? 

Nagisa: …I don’t know.  But that person probably doesn’t want to return the book 

Tsukasa: …That does seem like the most likely reason 

There are some scoundrels who don’t show any intention to return things even after being contacted. How horribly vexing 

You have to return whatever you borrowed regardless of the reason. That’s the rule

As someone who loves reading, as a student at Yumenosaki Academy, and above all, as a member of the student council who should serve as a role model for everyone—

I will bring judgment upon those villains who fail to comply with the rules! 

Tori: Judgement… Are you still saying that anachronistic stuff, Tsukasa

Tsukasa: I’m serious this time! I’ll wage war to get that book back! 

Hajime: W-wage war.. But Suou-kun, what are you planning to do?  

Tsukasa: I’m still deciding. As of right now, we need to scour these dorms top to bottom. A house search, so to speak 

Hajime: A house search… Isn’t that a bit invasive?  

If you hear everyone out, we might be able to get the book back, and in the meantime there’s the possibility that they might finish the book and return it…

Tsukasa: If you take things at such a leisurely pace we’ll never get the book back! 

Are you okay with that!? Hajime-kun, aren’t you frustrated!? 

Hajime: Eh? F-Frustrated…

Tsukasa: I’m saying it plainly. Hajime-kun, you’re being looked down on

You said it first. It’s not uncommon for people to miss the deadline to return books 

That's because even if someone is late, they often laugh and ask for forgiveness, making a fool of you 

Hajime: Th-that’s…

Tsukasa: I’m sure the culprit this time is doing the same thing. People think that no matter how late they are, there isn’t a problem

There’s no issue if they delay returning the library books. If they just laugh and ask for forgiveness

You’re being looked down on like that, and you’re not even frustrated! 

Hajime: ………

Tsukasa: I’m frustrated… But, Hajime-kun won’t say the same

The librarian’s job is to ensure that everyone who uses the library can enjoy reading 

I think Hajime-kun’s way of thinking is wonderful. I don’t want those feelings to be trampled on 

That’s why, you simply shouldn’t forgive overdue books 

Not just because there are others who want to read the books, but because it’s a horrible thing to do that degrades a person like Hajime-kun 

Hajime: …You really are amazing, Suou-kun. You’re courageous, admirable, and good-looking

I understand. Let’s do this house search! 

Makoto: E-Eeh!? Are you serious, Shino-kun?  

Hajime: Yes, I’m serious. Thanks to Suou-kun, it’s been decided!  

Thank you so much, Suou-kun. For getting angry on my behalf 

Tsukasa: If you’re grateful, let’s find the book first. More importantly, let’s get on with the house search 

Is that okay with everyone else? 

Tori: Y~up, I wanna know why Tsukasa is in charge, but I guess it can’t be helped if we want to find this book~ 

Mika: Eh, we’re really doin’ a house search? I feel bad about gettin’ in everyone’s way just fer me…

Tsukasa: What are you talking about, Kagehira-senpai! You’re the reason we’re looking for the book in the first place! 

Mika: Ngah~ When ya say that I can’t argue back! 

Nagisa: …Somehow things have gotten more serious 

Makoto: Right. For now, let’s keep an eye on everyone so things don’t get out of hand

Suou-kun. It’s a good idea, but first we should contact the dorm supervisor, Hasumi-senpai

Then we can investigate smoothly♪ At least I think so♪ 

Tsukasa: I suppose. It’s a good idea to let everyone know beforehand 

Hajime: Then, I’ll report to Hasumi-senpai 

Tsukasa: Please do. Well then, everyone, let’s split up and find that book! 

Previous | Next

[bvannn]

Weekly update June 14 2024

I was extremely busy this week and I’m extremely tired tonight. I got a bunch of life things tidied up but didn’t do as much as I would’ve liked but still got some stuff done.

Artfight prep is the main thing, Josh’s thumbnail is done and his refsheet is also almost done, Romeo’s thumbnail is also almost done. I was going to finish it tonight but I’m very tired. Maybe after I eat and shower I might get a burst of energy and finish it up but seems unlikely. Now that I’ve figured out the trick to overcoming adobe’s shitty drawing tools I’m making good stride on animation stuff, and while the OEB video is not a high priority at all right now, I’m looking forward to how it’ll look. Fwiw the puppet I’m building for that is going pretty well as a low priority task, and building it was much faster than what it used to be so I’m pretty sure the animation itself will also go a lot quicker. Again no progress made on that this week, though.

Music: I’m learning a bunch of new mixing and sound balancing strategies and I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll have the energy to unleash them all. I’m going to re-mix OEB for sure, already redid instruments and set up instrument channels. Also hoping tomorrow will put me in enough of a music kick to finish up the other projects I’ve been sitting on. Everything I’m sitting on could use the new plugin chain, plus BMBO has lyrics done and needs a VPR, WOTW could use some VPR tweaking, RR also has finished lyrics now so I can get going on it’s instruments and VPR (and also pick out what voice to use), plus the ambient quickie could needs a melody recorded plus mixing, the pop quickie needs that too and lyrics, BATB lyrics are close to done but I keep procrastinating, the SOS medley needs some more instrument selections plus mixing, and a couple other miscellaneous songs, there’s a lot. I’m hoping I can get to bed early today and just unload on a bunch of those tomorrow, so I think I’ll try.

Other news: that AC game I’ve been on and off writing: finally sat down and started like, actual coherent notes. This is a good step because I do want to turn it into a prewritten module for other people to run. Main thing I did this week in the way of that was a proper description of the setting, to help character creation. Any of these other times I’m too tired to do anything I’ll try to pour into that, which should in turn motivate me to get visual stuff for that done too. I have done a few character tokens that haven’t been posted because again, I’d like the module to be free and any extras to be paid, rather than the whole thing being paid.

Comic: it’s going, albeit slowly. This whole week at work I tried to sketch out stuff while I was working, but for whatever reason the comic wasn’t cooperating. Probably because the poses and layouts are more dynamic than my splash art, so drawing them with a pen doesn’t really work out well. Once I import and fix the panels I did sketch, the comic will be around 24% done. I will attempt to smuggle in pencils next week, in order to get more done. Like all things considered being able to sketch while at work is definitely a help for my confidence in my projects, and I hope to continue it wherever I can.

Plan for next week is: tonight I go to bed early, tomorrow I go buckwild on music and get a bunch of stuff finished up, maybe finish up Romeo’s AF thumbnail or get the assets for someone else’s done. Sunday, I’ll try to finish up Josh’s AF ref and redo Romeo’s, and get as many assets for the other AF thumbnails done as I can. Monday at work I’ll try to sneak in a pencil, and I’ll get more comic sketching or OEB storyboards done, then Monday night I’ll continue making and/or animating those AF thumbnails. I’ll continue sketches at work where I can and animations during lunch as best I can, Tuesday night I’m introducing another friend to epithet erased, so good chance I’ll get writing for TTRPG done that night too, Wednesday night have a pathfinder game so I should be able to get some digital art done during that, more AF thumbnail assets or maybe comic work, and the rest of the week I should be able to continue sketches at work, and digital stuff in the evening. I might swap out some of that digital drawing with more music if I have the energy but at the moment seems unlikely. I’m getting stuff done, but tonight I’m taking a rest. I’ll try to post something tomorrow, worst case it’ll be a WIP, but really hoping I’ll have something good! Thanks again to everyone for being patient with me!

[uncannysam]

PARTIES: @saithebatguy, @uncannysam TIMING: Mid-June SUMMARY: Sai returns to further discuss Bat Week with Sam! WARNINGS: None!

Sai walked up to Escape Your Fate Comics, this time with a set of posters in hand. They were all bat week branded, featuring bat photos and fun facts along with calls to action that sent people to the conservation society website. He’d have to make a Bat Week page for the occasion. Maybe detailing the local business, and the ways to participate or support the animals. 

He was looking forward to talking about Sam again and hearing more of her ideas. He had plenty of his own, but it was always good to breathe some fresh life into projects. The only thing he wasn’t sure on was what to tell her about the comic she’d so kindly gifted him. Fiction never really interested him. The real world was always more interesting, to him at least. The comic hadn’t been much of an exception. He made about half-way through before giving up and skimming the rest and confirming there weren’t really any bats in the comic. The branding was a bit misleading. He probably wasn’t the first one to be thrown off by the batman name. 

He was stopping by a little before closing this time, but the store was still pretty empty when he got in, except for one person browsing through comics in the back. Seeing Sam up by the front counter, he walked up. “Sam?” Sai said to catch her attention, and then held up the pile of posters he brought with me. “I’m back to talk more about Bat Week. And I brought a few posters with me too.”

—

Things had been going rather well with someone in town, until they hadn’t, and the relationship just ended without any notice. And while her heart ached, Sam figured there was no sense in dwelling on it all and to just continue one with life one day at a time. Luckily, today hadn’t been so bad, and when she heard the bell over the door and saw it was Sai coming back, a smile came over her face, “Hey Sai!” She had honestly forgotten about Bat Week, even though she had started working on poster and flyer ideas herself not too long after their first meeting, and when he held up his own pile, it had reminded her.

“Right! Bat Week. Hold on.” Running to the back office, Sam rifled through the papers on her desk, until she had found what she was looking for. It was a sketchbook filled with some ideas and layouts she had in mind for him. Nothing finalized, but maybe a start to something that could help.

Coming back out to the front, she laid the sketchbook down on the counter, “You reminded me that I had some of my own stuff I had started working on, and I wanted to get your thoughts.” She smiled warmly at the man, just grateful to have another distraction to take her mind off of another failed attempt at a relationship.

—

Sai flipped through the sketchbook that Sam had brought out. They were good. Better than anything he could come up with. He wasn’t so much for the drawing parts of design. Moving photos and text in Word, he felt more comfortable with. “Wow,” he said. “These are pretty incredible.” He’d expected her to just come up with a few activities for her store, but she’d really taken the idea and run with it. “I’m thrilled you’ve gotten so excited about this, honestly.” He laid the posters he’d brought on the counter. “Not to discount my own work or anything, but I’m thinking maybe we don’t need these, then. If you’d be open to finishing some of those, at least. I could get them printed, and they could be the official materials. I’d be happy to put the credit to your art and all of that.” 

“Do you do this art professionally? In addition to,” Sai gestured to the store around them, “all of this.” It would make sense to have a couple of income streams, after all. He’d read that having physical businesses with storefronts could be a risky endeavor. The costs were higher. And the work she was showing him did seem professional caliber to him. 

—

Sam was flattered by his compliments. Almost embarrassed. She didn’t know why it was so hard to take a compliment on her art. It was one of her passions after all. And she did do self-published comic books on the side for fun, but not in the hopes of making more money. It was just a hobby. Plus, she had found a little more muse lately in her budding relationship, until it had just abruptly ended. But the art had still been there, and even in her saddest moments, it was something she could get lost in. Just like the pages of a comic book.

“Thank you, and I would be more than happy to finish these up. They’ve been fun, and they’ll be a nice distraction.” Sam looked down at the sketches, before looking back up at Sai, “It’s more of a hobby. I took some art classes in college, and I love sketching, but my heart veered towards owning my own shop, so I could share other people’s work. Like my friend, Maggie’s.” She motioned to one of Maggie’s comics on the counter. 

—

Sai glanced over at the comic, but didn’t bother to pick it up. His foray into Batman had been enough to convince him comics weren’t for him, as much as novels weren’t. But he appreciated the sentiment behind what she was saying. He’d seen for himself how generous she was, with ideas and with her work. “That’s nice of you, to support your friends,” he said. “And other artists too. Although with your talent, I’m sure people interested in comics would love to look at your stuff.” 

“I did read the Batman comic, by the way,” he said, deciding he might as well rip the band-aid off. “It was… not bad. Not my thing, really. I’m not so much of a fiction person, and I guess the comics are no exception. To be honest, with the name, I did expect a couple more bats.” He glanced around the store. It amazed him that so many people would get this excited about comics. Adults, even. But to each their own, right? “But it was interesting to see what this all is about,” Sai said, nodding back to the store. “So, thank you again, for that.” 

—

Sam blushed softly and looked down. Thinking back to the night she first met Sai, the young woman had been glad she had given him a chance. He was a nice guy, and she loved the idea of supporting the bats, and getting the community on board. For as long as Sam had lived in Wicked’s Rest, there were still times when she felt so distant from her neighbors and the people she had grown up around. They all seemed nice enough, but community was supposed to be about closeness and helping each other out. And while she had gotten that from the people her parents knew, the day her store was wrecked, no one nearby had offered to come over and help. It took a passerby to come in, and she would forever be in his debt, “I actually do have a few self-published things stuck around here somewhere. I don’t advertise it, but if people want to buy it, I’m more than happy to sell it to them.”

Sam wasn’t surprised by his answer. In fact, it was refreshing to hear his honest opinion. Comic books weren’t for everyone, and she understood that, “Well I appreciate you being honest with me. I get that they’re not for everyone, and I could see where the title could be misleading.” She laughed softly, “But if I ever do come across one that’s purely educational about bats…” Sam paused, an idea coming to mind. “Actually, what if that’s what I contribute? A comic book about bats. The animal. Not the superhero.” She was curious to know Sai’s opinion.

—

The polite thing might be to offer to buy a couple of Sam’s comics too. Although since Sai already mentioned he wasn’t into them, it would clearly be an empty offer, so he didn’t bother. But he was surprised to hear she made people go looking for them. “I mean, you are the owner of the store,” he pointed out. “I’m sure people would be excited to see your work if they knew about it. It might not seem humble, but a display or something like that could help add local character. There’s nothing wrong with a little self-promotion.” It seemed like maybe she didn’t want the spotlight, but from what he’d seen, she definitely deserved it. 

And her idea for a bat comic was a stroke of genius. Sai might not like comics, but plenty of people did. What better way to bring those people into bat conservation? “I think that’s an amazing idea, if it’s something you’re willing to do. I’m always looking for new ways to engage people. Something like that could really get people excited about Bat Week and our local bats. What are you thinking the comic would be about, exactly? I’m happy to contribute any factual information.” 

—

Sam liked that Sai understood where she was coming from with her not wanting to display her art, and maybe one day she would get there. Self-promotion was definitely a thing these days. Just ask any social media influencer, “You’re right. I might consider it. Maybe the next time I have an in-store event or something.” She had contemplated displaying it before, but hadn’t gotten into the business of selling her own work. Still it would be a big boost in the area of self-confidence, and Sam knew she could always use more of that.

“I was thinking the comic could be just about bats in general. Interesting facts and figures. More educational than anything. Help you to spread the word about your conservation efforts. If you want to email me a list of facts, I could pull from that?” Sam was already having character ideas in her head and couldn’t wait to sketch them out. Her comic book that was an ongoing project for her may not have been center spotlight for this event, but a fun bat comic would be, and it made this whole Bat Week thing look even more fun. Life may have been crappy lately, but Sai and his beloved bats were easily making it a lot more interesting. “Was there anything in particular you wanted included?”

—

“Well bat week might make a good reason for an in-store event,” Sai pointed out. “And at this point, the whole thing’s going to be a big feature of your work, between the flyers and the comic. Which is not a bad thing at all or anything. I think this all is really going to help it succeed.” The posters were the perfect thing to make people stop and go what is that about. And the comic would be the push they needed to engage further. Publicity was the least he could offer Sam, since he wasn’t paying her. “I’m sure people would want to see more of the artistic talent behind the campaign.” 

Sai drummed his fingers along the counter, thinking. Of course, there were endless possibilities of what he wanted to include, but he wouldn’t want to overwhelm Sam or the readers with too much. “I think it would be great to include some key takeaways for readers in there somewhere. Building bat houses, not using pesticides, advocating for bat-friendly policies, that sort of thing. But other than that, I’d really defer to your discretion on how to engage people,” he said. “I can provide you information about the local species, hibernation and migration habits, diet, anything really, that you think might be good to include.” 

—

Sai did have a very solid point. Maybe Sam could showcase her comic during Bat Week. Kind of a segway for people who might’ve been interested in her work. She’d consider it, “You do have a very valid point. I’ll consider it, but this is about Bat Week and all the good your idea is going to generate. So you, too, should be proud. Have you gotten any other businesses on-board with the idea?” Sam mindlessly picked up a nearby pencil and began sketching out more ideas as she listened.

“I think that’s a great idea. Thinking maybe getting people to fall in love with the bats with facts and then include towards the end all the information about how people can help out. And send me all of that. You’re the expert at bats. And I’m an expert at drawing.” It felt weird calling herself an expert. Sam had been drawing most of her life, but to say it outloud was just different. But also a small boost to her self-confidence and something that made her smile. “I’ll get a rough comic worked out and then I can send it to you to see what you think, and we can go from there?”

—

“Some,” Sai said. “I’m working on it, but I’m sure I’ll be able to get a good number.” It had been a mixed bag really, of interest and flat nos. And there were, of course, establishments with community bulletin boards, who would be supporting it one way or another. Getting the bulk of businesses in town to participate would really come down to persistence in Sai’s eyes. That he had plenty of. “No one who’s matched your enthusiasm yet, though. But I think that’s a pretty high bar.” Besides, with new and improved materials, it would be an even easier sell. Sam work’s captured the vision of the event well, he thought.  

“Really, I think whatever you come up with will be perfect,” Sam had a knack for this sort of thing, Sai could tell from the way she talked about it. He didn’t feel any hesitation about leaving the project in her hands. “But I’m happy to take a look partway through, if you like. You already have my email, right?” 

—

Sam could only imagine how hard it must have been getting businesses on board, but she admired his dedication, “Well thank you for considering me and coming in that night. I’ve really enjoyed this side project so far. It’s given me a chance to really flex my drawing skills.” She laughed. “But I will keep trying to send more people your way. I know this is probably a pretty daunting task to be taking on alone for the most part.” She really wanted to help him as best she could.

Finishing up a rough sketch of something, she put her pencil down and shut the sketchbook, seeing that it was getting close to closing and there was still one customer remaining, “Thanks for putting that kind of trust in me. And yeah, I’ve got it from our last meeting.” Peaking around Sai, she spoke to the other customer, “Hey Nicky, I’m closing up in ten. Final selection time, yeah?” Sam turned her attention back to the man in front of her, “He’s a regular. He knows the drill. But yeah, I’ll start working on that and get it emailed to you soon. And if I have any other leads or ideas I’ll let you know.”

—

“Oh, I’m not alone or anything,” Sai said. “I have my co-founder of the Bat Conservation Society, who’s helping some, and I’d consider you pretty much an equal partner in this project at this point too, if you don’t mind me saying so. Considering how much you’re contributing. But the more people the better. And a personal touch can really make all the difference for getting people involved. So if you know anyone, definitely let them know about it.” 

At the mention of closing, Sai started gathering back up the materials he’d brought. She wouldn’t need those anymore, not with the new ones they’d be making, and he got the sense that the meeting was wrapping up. It might just be the start of his night, but it was probably coming up on the end of hers. “No problem, I look forward to hearing more from you. And I’m always open to more ideas. That’s half the fun, right? But I’ll get out of your hair for today,” he said to her, nodding to Nicky too on his way out. “Have a nice night, both of you.” 

[beccichu]

Between those Flowers 🎨🌺

A Painter Steve/Gardener Eddie Oneshot

Rating T | Word count: 893 | microfic/Twitter thread

It was one of these shitty days, Steve had an art block. He had been sitting in front of that canvas for hours and hours now and nothing. Not the slightest idea, not a single stroke. And it bugged him.

He had put on his comfy clothes, turned up his favorite music, even called Robin, maybe she could help but nothing had worked.

Steve wasn’t much of a canvas painting guy anyway. He loved it, yes, from time to time but only if he had an inspiration, a muse he could follow. He loved to do it at weddings though as he did for Robin when she and Chrissy got married.

But this was not a wedding. Some arts collector had called him to paint something for his collection. And of course Steve had said yes because money and he had had so many ideas floating around in his brain. Which one by one went bye bye.

After staring at the blank canvas for another 20 minutes he decided to go to the park. He hoped sketching some flowers or people walking by would help bring back those ideas. And he had to go with his dog anyway. So he grabbed his stuff and some dog treats and off he went.

Steve had his own little bench by now. It wasn’t specifically his (his name wasn’t engraved or something) but this was his usual spot to sit and study his surroundings.

From this bench he could see everything. The perfect overview. The people passing by, the wonderful flowers blooming majestically in an even more beautiful pattern, the handsome gardener between those flowers doing his job…

Wait. Steve had to adjust his glasses. Did he see it right? He’s 100% sure he had never seen this man in his life at this place. And Steve came here on a daily basis.

Steve flipped his sketchbook open. He started with a rough sketch to get the man’s position.

The gardener was standing, stretching slightly. He had a long day for sure, Steve thought.

Long, brown, curly strands fell into his face. He wore a green overall with a black tank top underneath which exposed his arms to the fullest. He was full of tattoos. Bats, skulls, some weird monster on a string and many more Steve could not recognize from his spot. The man was muscular, but not too much. Just the right amount for Steve’s liking.

Steve was captured by this man’s beauty and grace. The dedication he put into his job was remarkable. He looked the man up and down, catching every little detail he could.

Steve was absorbed by his work, too mesmerized by this heavenly looking man.

He finished his new favorite piece pretty quickly. Steve held it up to look at it in its full beauty. He really outdid himself this time. Every single stroke was perfect .

“Come Buddy, let’s go ho-“ Steve was about to put his sketchbook back into his bag when he realized his dog was missing. And the handsome gardener too.

“Do you mean him?”

Steve turned around, almost falling from the bench in his movement.

“Woah, keep it slow. No need to hurry”

The gardener was, kneeling beside his dog, petting him, smirking.

“How did you-?”

“Oh I saw you two from over there” The gardener pointed to where he was standing a few minutes earlier. “I’m Eddie by the way”

“Steve. And thank you” Steve replied, taking the leash from Eddie.

“No problem” Eddie smirk turned into a wide grin. “Maybe you should look after him a bit more instead of stalking strangers”

Steve blushed slightly. He was caught red handed, when Eddie had noticed that Steve had been painting him?

“I have eyes, handsome” Eddie leaned forward right into Steve’s personal space. “Can I see it?”

Steve didn’t even have time to more turn red because confusion hit him first. “What?”

“The drawing.”Eddie pointed to Steve’s sketchbook still laying on the bench. “I saw you drawing something into that book of yours”

Now Steve turned bright red. First he got caught lurking and now Eddie wanted to see the piece of him Steve had painted without Eddie's consent and which was totally Eddie's right to see because, well, he was on it.

So Steve turned around, opening the page with the sketch to show it to Eddie.

Eddie's eyes got big. He grabbed the book from Steve to take a closer look at the drawing.

He had beautiful doe eyes, Steve realized. Dark like the night sky.

Steve instantly felt warmth spreading through his chest looking at Eddie full of excitement.

“Can I have it?” Eddie asked, eyes big, smiling softly with a tiny bit of pink blush on his cheek.

“Y-yeah… sure” Steve stuttered. “Can I just... sign it? I normally sign all my drawings. So others know who drew it”

“Absolutely,” Eddie handed the paper back to Steve for him to write his name on it.

“I’m honored to own a Steve H. original”

“It’s nothing really” Steve looked up meeting Eddies beautiful eyes.

“Do.. do you wanna grab a coffee with me sometime?”

Eddie smiled brightly “I would love to”

Big thank you to @transmascsteveharrington for beta reading🩷