#I think that also for her legacy figure

[myokk]

Eloise🥹💓

[bassicallymaestra]

Serena's conducting/magic lesson ✨

[leifyposting]

“i will be better than my mother” not as a declaration of spite but as an act of tribute. you know?

not simply “i will be better than my mother because she messed me up and i refuse to be like her”

but instead “i will be better than my mother because she taught me to be, because she instilled these values into me even though she sometimes failed to live up to them”

“i will be better than my mother because she laid the foundation for me, because she shed the wrongs of the past as best as she could even if she could not lose all of them”

“i will be better than my mother because she would want me to be”

[donatellaquato]

at some point i will draw something beautiful and compelling enough to maybe get 1000 notes but that time is probably not anytime soon bc i continue to only want to draw donatella and she's a 100 notes max subject. unless i draw her very very hot then she can squeeze like 300 notes

[kay9leo]

#MCtober2024 - Week 3 Amortentia Potion pt 1

Based on @lamieboo's #MCtober2024 event (click on #MCtober for more info).

Amortentia Potion To Sebastian, Iñaki smells like the following:

1: Freshly Brewed Coffee/ Hot Chocolate

Iñaki is known to drink some coffee -or as she likes to say it- café con leche in the morning. Not so much because of her American culture and using it to wake her up like her British peers like to assume, but more so because of her Latino upbringing. Her Latino-ness shows more when she is drinking coffee at night with a small roll of bread and cheese to eat. No one knows how she can sleep at night after drinking coffee in the evening. Sebastian is rather shock to hear she's been drinking coffee since she was a toddler. If Iñaki isn't drinking café con leche, she is mostly likely enjoying a cold Scottish morning or evening with chocolate caliente - not the American style of coco powder and hot milk, but from a chocolate tablet she brought from her parents' homeland and hot water.

When she is drink either café con leche or chocolate caliente it's one of the few times Sebastian catches Iñaki being still, content and happy at Hogwarts. The hot beverages' scents is something that makes Sebastian think of her. 2. Mellowsweet

If no one has what is the canon smell of mellowsweet, I would like to imagine it smells like a sweet citrus mint with a dash of chamomile...like a chamomile mojito. Iñaki is always up doing Merlin trials and sometimes drags Sebastian with her, so she always carries mellowsweet around with her. It's one of the smells Sebastian always associates Iñaki with since she always has it on her. Iñaki sometimes likes to chew on it for the minty citrus taste it leaves in her mouth so after the two do have their first kiss at some point in the future, all Sebastian could taste is mellowsweet.

3. The Beach/Sea Air

Iñaki misses home, especially the beaches she went to on Long Island. Often Sebastian would find her hanging out in the beach portion of the vivarium in the Room of Requirements and would sit next to her, just listening to the waves. Or she would ask Sebastian if he wanted to go to the coastal beach in Scotland, despite how cold it can get. The beach always makes her feel like at home and it's where she would spill whatever is bothering her or her life secrets to him without any pushing. There's just something about the beach that relaxes her. It's also where she is the most happiest whenever she feels down. Sometimes the two would just sit in the vivarium beach, listening to the waves splash, the seagulls flying and wheeling as they watch the sunset (this is one memory both would later use for their patronus - moreso Sebastian than Iñaki). The one constant all beaches have is the salty tangy air that reminds Sebastian of Iñaki

...

More on Iñaki "MC" Martinez Cariaga

[dokuhai]

@keikakudori // continued from here.

RANGIKU WAS HAVING AN INCREDIBLY HARD TIME HOLDING HERSELF BACK. Just the sound of Aizen Sōsuke's voice was setting her on edge —--- a nails on chalkboard, grating sort of thing it was. His reply to her mention of poisoned tea came across as snide, and thus, forced her eyebrows to knit together as she regarded him. A romantic cliché, he had said... and while he seemed so sure that such methods weren't his style, Rangiku wasn't convinced. For how many times had his words been laced with venom? The confessions shared by her comrades used against them when the moment had been just right... not to mention the way he had poisoned Hinamori Momo; a romantic cliché all on its own, though perhaps not quite as literal as a lethal drop mixed into a cup of hot liquid.

The blonde had been there to pick up the pieces of the gobantai fukutaichō, even as her own heart was left broken in the aftermath of their betrayal. Momo had worn her heart on her sleeve... RANGIKU KNEW EVERYTHING THAT AIZEN HAD SAID TO HER, HAD DONE TO HER —--- was this man even remotely self-aware?

❝ You know what, you're right —--- you'd much rather do the stabbing yourself. Twisting the knife and making sure they hurt in all the worst ways... nothing impolite about that, right? ❞ Rangiku couldn't control the way she spat out such hostility; seeing him again had truly brought out the worst in her. A raging sun, she was —--- her heat blazing and oppressive as it worked to snuff out everything in its path.

There would be no shadows, here. No secrets, or doubts... not anymore. Not if she could help it.

Rangiku took a moment to steady herself. She would never learn the truth if she kept villainizing him... after all, a cornered animal was never quite eager to place it's trust in the one hunting it. With a slow, deep breath, Rangiku prepared herself for the more difficult aspects of this conversation. The topic of Gin had never been an easy one for her to discuss, much less openly to the one who had attempted to kill him. So much of their affair had been private... words left unsaid, unspoken, as they had poured their trust in one another. A trust that was left utterly broken, now, but that was beside the point.

She did not miss the way Aizen flinched at her mere mention of Gin's name. It almost seemed like the man had grown hesitant in response —--- his confidence waning as he stumbled over his words. It was so unlike him, Rangiku thought to herself... and upsetting, at the same time.

Gin had meant something to him, hadn't he? He was more than just a blade at his side, ready to kill for him...

Rangiku suddenly felt sick. Anguish churned in her belly, alongside the scorching heat of her anger, making its way up her throat like bile. She pushed it down as best she could, and worked tirelessly to slacken the balled up fists at her side.

She had avoided these truths for so long. She had known something was off, from the very beginning... and yet she never asked Gin what was wrong, or what he was hiding from her. She was too afraid of what he might say. Even now, as she stood upon the precipice of the answers she sought, she was absolutely terrified of what she might hear. But these answers weren't just for her own sake... they were demanded by Central 46, and the sōtaichō himself.

Rangiku sank to the ground, knowing fully well that she needed to be seated in order to carry on with this conversation. She crisscrossed her legs and grasped her knees as her gaze fell from the crucified man, only to seek out imperfections within the floor. Rangiku listened intently to the words he spoke, and noticed the way pain bled into each one —--- Aizen's tone utterly wrought with grief. Perhaps he had been tormenting himself, all this time... though Rangiku was hard pressed to feel any sympathy towards him.

'Will you believe me?' he had asked. 'You must be willing to accept what you will hear.'

❝ I'm not willing to accept anything but the truth, ❞ she replied quietly, though still unable to meet his gaze. What she hadn't anticipated, however, was Aizen's version of the truth... and how corrupted it seemed to be. His claim that he was not himself when he struck Gin down made her want to burst out laughing. Who else was there to blame for all of this? Did it make him feel better, to blame it on the corrupt power of the Hōgyoku? The one he alone had chosen to merge with? This was a self-inflicted fate; one Aizen could have avoided entirely, had he not been so hungry for power. At least, as far as Rangiku was concerned.

❝ —---You're still not telling me why. What caused you to turn on him? You say you weren't yourself, but how am I supposed to know what that means when I don't trust that I EVER actually knew who you were? ❞

[justewil]

can't be trusted in public i physically have to say hello every time i see a layton game

[my-maehem]

Hemera Fotia Inspo—

Ellie from: last of us

Jade from: From

Dolores from: Westworld

Cid from: FFXVI

Claire from: Outlander

Elsa from: 1883

[myokk]

18, 22, and 23, for the MC ask!! Hehehhh 😈 dying to know what she’s like sleep deprived, because imaging a sleepover is going chaotic in my head right now XDD

Hi!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for the ask🥹💓😙😙😙 I LOVED THINKING ABOUT THESE ANSWERS💓💓💓

18) How they sleep

Eloise is a DEEP sleeper. Since arriving at Hogwarts, she spends too much time studying to catch up with the rest of her peers (like I’ve said before, she will NEVER be caught again in the humiliating situation of not knowing anything😤😤). When she crashes, there is NOTHING that can wake her up. When she’s sleeping by herself (all the time bc she’s a PROPER YOUNG LADY😳🤨) she tends to just sleep rigidly but if she were to hypothetically share her bed, she likes to cuddle🥹 only once she falls asleep though…

She also tends to have Eventful dreams, but doesn’t remember them when she wakes up. The harder she tries to remember them the faster they slip away…for some reason the intense feelings she feels upon waking just disappear as quickly as they came on.

22) What they’re like on 2 hours of sleep

Bahahahahahahahaha first I’ll do the sleepover part!!!!!! I wish I had time to draw her and Inger in a sleepover…SOME DAY I PROMISE😤😤💓💓🥹🥹 Eloise tends to hold herself super rigidly and is always aware of how she’s being perceived by others. But…when she is sleep deprived and with goofy friends, it’s like all of these inhibitions leave her. Everything seems HILARIOUS to her and she has a lot of fun💓💓 I feel like even Anne and Imelda can talk her into pulling her OWN pranks…trying to sneak into the boys’ dormitories just to bother them, playing endless games of exploding snap, having contests to see who can get the most ridiculous statement from Sir Cadagon…all until she passes out suddenly and NOTHING they can do will wake her up😇😇

If Eloise is sleep-deprived from studying too much (maybe a bit more likely let’s be honest😆) she is just a zombie. The scene I posted here of her playing chess and Sebastian causing chaos was during a particularly sleep-deprived time in her life. Her inhibitions are still lowered…she’s more likely to do things she’s wanted to do for a while and this scene was also while she was sleep deprived😇😇😇😇

23) How they act when they’re sick

Eloise is NEVER sick😤😤😤 if, in the hypothetical situation it COULD happen to her….she would have a hard time accepting help. Being that vulnerable in front of someone makes her deeply uncomfortable and it needs to be BAD for her to reach that point. Once she finally does accept help, though, I can see her LOVING all of the attention😇😇😇 it must be a relief to finally let go and just let someone else take care of her for a bit, let someone else in and realize she doesn’t have to do everything by herself🥹💓

[13eyond13]

omg I love fury road!!! I know next to nothing ab the lore but the movie is just so good at turning all of the boring stuffy history into the Actual Problems the characters face which. real. anyways ppl who r passionate ab fury road should be allowed to run for president.

YES anon exactly you get it I never get tired of admiring it hahaha

[starry-simming]

Florence and Isaac get along really well. They’re both pretty reserved, so for them just sitting in the same room doing their schoolwork is good social interaction. She’s also started taking over feeding the chickens.

Spring is coming to an end, and Caroline checks to make sure the garden will still be good for the autumn.

Jacob has decided to take up woodworking, which is much more difficult than his father made it look. His siblings still think he’s cool, at least! And Caroline uses his shoddy planter box, so there’s something. Befriending the cow, Rose, is slow going but at least she lets him milk her.

He spends another afternoon out with Altha, this time in the town square. Do they really ever think they’re being subtle? Really?

[fallout-lou-begas]

So I started playing Ace Attorney but I accidentally started with the third game, Trials and Tribulations, and played the first case (Turnabout Memories) before realizing my mistake – but I did think, at the time, that it was a brilliant and daring design choice to start you out as Mia Fey, Phoenix’s mentor, in flashback, and play has her against several condescending, infantilizing, or even outright sexist court personnel in a drama that just so happens to feature the cool lawyer guy on the box in the most pathetic and embarrassing state imaginable before you even get to play as him. But then that “first” mission dovetailed into the actual first mission from the first game (The First Turnabout) perfectly, because Turnabout Memories is more or less a fanservice recreation and expansion of that first case, but by playing them in opposite order and immediately in sequence, it comes off instead as seeing right away via timeskip just how well that blubbering idiot you helped can handle himself in a court of law now, thanks to Mia’s tutelage – which is itself a continuation of Grossberg’s, as experienced prior. And every note is there, right down to your mentor getting stressed out to the point of exacerbating a medical condition, and opposing the same loser prosecutor.

And then the second case from the first game (Turnabout Sisters), of course, is about the death of Mia Fey that was foreshadowed at the end of Turnabout Memories, making it the first case where you (the player, mechanically) and Pheonix Wright (the character, narratively) are effectively on your own. You (as Pheonix) finally meet Grossberg again, and his staunch refusal to assist in the case is only made more concerning and significant by your firsthand experience playing as Mia under his wing in Turnabout Memories as the “first’ case, and you wonder immediately about their falling out. Maya’s introduction also keeps Mia in the world (including somewhat literally) by revealing more about the Fey family and Mia’s history, relationships, and legacy, and the thing is that I do have to say that playing Turnabout Memories first and getting that experience as Mia, and seeing her as a flawed and insecure rookie fighting for the win before we see her as the effortlessly cool and confident mentor figure, made for a much more narratively satisfying death of a woman than I think it would have been otherwise. You even get a line from Edgeworth in Turnabout Sisters where he calls Pheonix out for using “Mia’s style” of cross-examination – what he calls cowardly nitpicking of perfectly fine testimonies isn’t just how Pheonix does it narratively, it’s how you (the player) do it as the core mechanic of the game, because it’s how Mia does it, and while she is your guide in The First Turnabout, playing as Mia before you play as Pheonix and doing the same thing shows you firsthand that she’s taught him so well that even the prosecution can see it.

This accidental play-order of Turnabout Memories before The First Turnabout and Turnabout Sisters shows off an invaluable amount of Mia Fey’s character, agency, and development that combine to make her feel like the main character for a perfect and holistic three-act introduction to the series, where it doesn’t feel like Pheonix truly “takes over” until Turnabout Samurai – in which he literally does, in fact, take over the law office with Maya as his assistant. It left such a massive impression on me – much more of an impression, I think, that the intended play-order would, which I don’t think does Mia Fey a total disservice at all, but definitely relegates her to a relatively more one-dimensional mentor figure in Pheonix’s shadow for almost the entirety of her short on-screen lifespan if you don’t have the experience of playing as her in Turnabout Memories first. You as the player develop a much richer relationship to Mia that makes her death in Turnabout Sisters feel so much more personal, and the stakes of cracking the case so much more significant. It just enhances her character, and her role in these two cases, immeasurably.

And I mentioned it earlier, but it can’t be said enough that the player’s relationship to Pheonix benefits from this play-order, too – it’s because of Mia that he goes from the sobbing idiot who ate a bottle of poison on the witness stand for a girl who tried frame him for murder into the hotshot rookie lawyer through which you (the player) get to ask Mia for help during the trial in the first place! And she gives you that help because she has been in this same position herself and understands completely! You (the player) were there! The First Turnabout is also, honestly, kind of an underhand toss after Turnabout Memories (it's literally the first ever case so of course it's easy), but it only benefits the pacing of this play-order to have it as a second act before the much more complicated Turnabout Sisters. And when you, the player, are on your own after Turnabout Sisters and have to start Turnabout Samurai without her help, the only way that I can describe it is that you feel ready to make Mia proud.

[vi-tamine]

Heyyyyy!!!

If you are up for it, I'd love to see you write a Silco x Reader Story🙏🏻

Reader was like an older Sibling to Powder, Vi, Mylo and Clagger, making sure the kids were always okay. So that day, when almost everyone died and Silco took in Powder/Jinx, Reader went with them to keep an eye on Jinx. They turn more into a Parental Figure over time for her. Reader and Silco hated each other at first but tried to remain civil for Jinx. Over time feelings developed and both are in denial. So basically Enemies to Lovers.

Also Reader takes care of like the Bar, since they have already worked there when Vander was still alive. [Either behind the counter as a Bartender or as like Security]

Idc if its Fluffy or Angsty or smutty or smth!

I just need more Silco x Reader🙏🏻😭

at home (silco x reader)

words: 1517

genre(s): fluff, angst (i think..)

warnings: none

n/a: im sooo happy!!! thank u so much for requesting me!! this is my first request and i'm kinda nervous about it! i hope you like it and enjoy it a little!! i did my best!! want to remember that english isn't my first language, so im sorry if there are spelling or grammar mistakes, but this also helps me to improve :]

You were twenty years old when it all happened. When Mylo and Claggor died and Vi ran away after all the tragedy trying to rescue Vander from Silco's hands. You were the oldest of the three sisters, always under your care, even though you allowed them some freedom for their “missions” you always kept an eye on your sisters, in case it was necessary to get them out of some trouble. 

That day, you went to help your brothers get Vander back, making Powder promise not to move from the basement. When the whole mess happened, you were barely aware of whatever was going on. One of your arms had been trapped under the rubble and you heard Powder's distant cries for Vi to come back for her. As best you could, you pulled yourself together, pushed away the debris over your arm and made your way to find the youngest of your sisters, the one that sounded closest. The crying seemed to be weaker, and when you looked up Silco had his arms around her as she hugged him, right next to Vander's lifeless body. You approached cautiously, brow furrowed at the whole unfamiliar situation. 

“Stay away from her” you addressed Silco with a firm voice and furrowed brows. He did so without complaint, looking at you, keeping his composure and probably waiting for a move on your part that never came.  Powder turned to look at you, her blue eyes brimming with tears. She hugged your legs, and before you knew it, you were both leaving with Silco and his people. 

Seven years later you decided to take Vander's place in “The Last Drop”. Silco “signed it over” to you while he took one of the rooms to be his office. You were a little grateful that he would let you carry on the legacy of the one he once considered his brother. 

You poured one last drink before Jinx sat down on one of the stools and rolled your eyes as you watched her turn in on herself. “Get your feet off the stool if you're going to be sitting here” you scolded her as you cleaned one of the glasses and poured her the juice she always asked for. “Thank you~” she thanked taking a sip from the straw. “I've been working on one of those grenades I showed you, and even though it explodes poorly, it's getting more and more powerful!” she explained somewhat excitedly as she looked at you with a slight smile. During all these years your sister had grown more than you would have liked. Sometimes nostalgia hit you, and all you could think about was how much older she had gotten and how rebellious and uncontrollable she had become.

 Mylo and Claggor's death and Vi's abandonment left some aftereffects on your sister. Jinx was the name she had decided to adopt after Vi called her that name before abandoning her to her fate without even knowing if you were alive. Together with Silco you had raised her, and although you always tried to take her on a healthy and untroubled path, she ended up paying more attention to Silco than to you. 

During all these years your vision of Silco was changing, and all the resentment and anger you had towards him, had been loosening when you saw the love and effort he put in wanting to take care of your sister. Your attitude towards him became more passive, and his attitude towards you became sweeter and more protective. You both had your sister, Jinx, as your priority. 

“Be careful with those gadgets or someday your finger will explode.” you joked with your sister as you leaned your elbows on the bar to look at her. “I do know how to build inventions, sis, not like you” she joked with you before getting a tap on her shoulder from you. You rolled your eyes letting out a light chuckle. “By the way, Silco wants to see you” he spoke as he rubbed his shoulder with a pout. You frowned and sighed. “You take care of the drinks for a while then” you stepped out from behind the bar, you watched out of the corner of your eye as Jinx hopped over the bar to tend to the customers and scolded her for it before walking up to Silco's office.

You felt your heart beating stronger and stronger as you got closer to Silco's office. Since a few days ago your vision of the man who had given (somehow) shelter to you and your sister, apart from starting to respect him, perhaps your feelings towards him had taken a different direction, a more romantic one. Every night you told yourself that it was wrong, if you thought about it, it was against your morals and principles to like Silco, so you tried to hold back that feeling as much as you could. 

You knocked on the door, and after hearing a low “Come in”, you entered the room, allowing you to see Silco in his chair as usual and Sevika next to him. They both looked at you, and with a slight gesture, Silco had Sevika leave the room, closing the door behind her. You sat down in the chair in front of the table, sighing and making yourself comfortable as you noticed how her gaze was fixed on you. 

“What is it this time, what has Jinx done to what-” you couldn't finish formulating the sentence Silco cut you off. “Your sister is out of jail” your back and your whole body started to bristle. “With the help of a Piltover enforcer.” You discovered that Vi had been arrested and sent to Stillwater. Seven years later she seemed to have gotten out. A confused feeling invaded your body. You were happy, your sister had been released. And at the same time you were filled with rage, she had abandoned you and your sister. Then came the feeling of guilt, you were the oldest, much older than them, and you had let your sister be arrested, you had not fought for her. You swallowed and immediately got up from the couch. “Don't let Jinx know. Not yet, at least.” you left the room without even looking or listening to what Silco would have to tell you.

. . . . . . 

Later that night, having just closed the bar and with only the music to keep you company, you finished putting the last chairs back on the tables and mopping the floor. Before you even went to sleep you decided to pour yourself a shot of whiskey. You sat on the freshly cleaned bar and, with your mother's favorite song playing in the background, you thought about everything. Your parents, your sisters, brothers, Vander, Silco, everything. The alcohol scratched your throat as you thought about how you were going to confront Vi at some point, what you would say to her, how she would be, how she would react to seeing who you were with. Maybe she would understand you if she realized you were doing it all for Jinx. Maybe she would martyr you if she knew about your feelings for Silco. 

“May I have some?” a voice from behind you shuddered. Turning slightly to grab a glass, you saw Silco planted behind you. You nodded wordlessly, pouring for him as well and watching as he took a long sip. He looked back at you. “Why the long face?” he asked. You laughed wryly. “As if you didn't know” you replied clicking your tongue. You didn't want to talk down to him, but your feelings at that moment were what they were. He seemed to understand, he didn't add a word.

 He set the glass down on the bar and one of your hands rested on your shoulder, lightly trailing down your arm. “She's going to understand.” he simply said. You shook your head, also dropping the glass and looking sideways at him. “She's not going to understand. She can't. I don't blame her. I'm a horrible sister.” you sighed. You felt like your eyes were going to release tears at any moment. You noticed Silco's rough hand touch yours, embrace yours with his fingers and with his thumb caress the back of your hand. You let yourself be touched. “We should have left, Silco. We don't belong here. It's not our place. I should have taken Pow-” you couldn't finish your sentence Silco had crashed his lips to yours. You couldn't even react when he broke away. You looked at him still dumbfounded. 

“If she doesn't understand, we're going to make her understand. But don't you ever, ever, ever say again that you don't belong here. You do. You belong by my side,” and when he finished speaking you couldn't help but kiss his lips back. Your heart had just exploded like a bomb, and Silco had detonated it. There were probably going to be repercussions, surely none of this was going to go well, but for the first time, when you were dancing in his arms, you felt at home again.

[yandere-wishes]

Currently obsessed with the Damian x stray writing and had a very angsty thought about it (not a request, not meaning any pressure just wanted to share)

Stray feels suffocated by his attention. Maybe one day she might want him back but it’s all too much. She fakes her death (as her vigilante persona) and Damian morns and rages and turns cold, all of that delicious stuff.

Only one day the Catfam/Selina end up in hot water and she has to come back. He freaks the hell out.

oooohhhh I really love this, there's something so progressively dark about it. About Making Damian suffer so deliciously until he finally snaps.

Damian's love for Stray/Catgirl is complicated or rather it's easy but Damian likes to make it complicated by tying it to fate and legacy. He practically sees reader as his destiny as an omen and a good luck charm, heavenly insurance of sorts.

But should his darling, his comfort be stripped from him.

Well, destiny will still play out, but it won't be as kind.

Damian's life, his legacy, will be marred in ebony and rage.

⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆🐾°⋆

The hands wrapped around your shoulders are suffocating. Same for the fingers currently squeezing your cheek, you angle your mouth right, trying to bite and gnaw at his flesh and bones. Damian just laughs, he still thinks the two of you are playing.

He always thinks you're playing. What can you expect from the little assassin boy whose first toy was a knife, who swung swords instead of playing catch. He loves the way your claws scratch at him, the tiny scars they leave. He likes to wrestle you along the harsh pavement, enjoys the punches he throws and receives. It's all just a game to him.

But you, you can't take it anymore, the sky itself is closing in. You can't breathe in his presence can't think when his arms are coiled like vines around your body.

The world is growing dark as his lips ghost across your lips...

Your mother notices your depression. The dark gloom that follows you across the rooms. The sharp snaps at your sisters, the endless screaming when someone gets too close.

She's already lost one daughter, she refuses to lose another.

Selina holds your funeral, pays for the coffin, and signs the invites.

She plays the role of grieving mother like an actress on the silver screen.

But despite the desperation in her action, her throat still hitches with fear when she sees the rage in the youngest Wayne's eyes.

She can't help but feel like she's doomed the world with her selfish little stunt.

In Star City you can breathe, see the sun as you walk across the dewy grass. There is hope here, sprinkled through the air.

You mind not the heroes that swing by. You even laugh at the stray arrows and masked family arguing on the rooftops.

In Star City, you can finally breathe...

Until the Gotham gloom creeps in once more.

He prowls the streets, cowl crown wrapped tightly around his head. Here he is vengeance he is law, Gotham bows at his feet.

He doesn't notice the family heirlooms shattered across the city streets,

The morals and legacy rotting away under the moon's mournful gaze.

Damian Wayne

Batman

The protector of Gotham.

And also it's jailer.

He doesn't have his father's mercy.

Doesn't carry his borthers' oaths.

He kills the monster that lurks between the shadows.

That fester in the darkness.

No crime goes unpunished.

There is no mercy for the wicked, no hope for rehabilitation.

There are only graves now.

His father would be disappointed...

Damian stalks towards the zoo,

He knows he's going to enjoy tonight's trifle.

Catwoman picks the lock on the new exhibit. She recoiled in disgust as her eyes scan the plaque by the cage.

*Lion cubs saved from the wild brought for restoration*

Lies she thinks bitterly. These little cubs were stolen, brought here from their homes across the sea. Imprisoned for the crule's amusement and the rich's greed. She sends her own kittens to rescue the lion cubs. But just as they go to make their escape. A dark figure descends from the sky, tearing through them and binding them.

Selina fights, but she's come to learn she is no match for the new bat. The vampire out for blood. He drags them back to the manor, once such a lively place now reeks of sorrow and mourning.

"This has nothing to do with crime and you know it! You know who's really guilty here. You just want an excuse to get rid of us. You still blame us, blame me for her death." Selina screams as the bat throws them into a dark chamber.

Damian says nothing he just locks the door and leaves.

After all the blood of the greatest detective still courses through his veins.

Your old suit feels too tight, cutting off your circulation. Still you jump from rooftop to rooftop vying for Wayne manner. You got the picture of your family tied up and starved, a few days ago. You hate how long it took you to gather the courage to return.

You shutter thinking of the image. Of the windowless cement room.

Your family may be infamous for breaking free.

But even a cat can't escape a cinderblock.

You crawl through the shadows. Sticking to the walls of the manner, the maze is endless, unrelenting. It refuses to be breached. The lights come on one by one as if catching a rat in a trap. You recoil at the blinding light when finally your eyes open once more you see Damian descending the stairs face painted in soft surprise, body covered in his father's suit.

"I knew you couldn't be dead." he's grown, face molded into a softer Bruce. But his rage still flickers relentlessly in his emerald eyes. Of couse he's finally cracked the case.

"Let them go" you beg tears cascading from your eyes "Please!".

"I see the civilian life has made you soft kitty. Not a difficult matter to resolve, I'm sure." You shake your head, stepping back trying to run away.

But the years have made him even stronger and Damian catches you before you can flee him again. His arms wrap around your waist, face buried in the crook of your neck, intoxicated by your scent.

He can't believe he's holding you once more. Your body is so solid within his grasp. He missed your sweet voice and even sweeter whimpers. He missed the erratic thump of your heart whenever he was near.

He'll never let you go, ever again.

Damian vows it on his father's grave.

He kisses your neck, your cheeks.

Finally reclaiming your lips.

You can't breathe...

[flawseer]

Became curious based on a Smaugust piece: What are your thoughts on everyone's favorite royal suck-up, Pike? (also ofc compliments to your writing and art)

Surprise, I am still kicking. And thus my Sisyphean quest to answer all the questions in my inbox continues.

I like Pike. I used to think moderately favorably of him, but pondering this question and then drawing a bunch of pictures of and about him made me realize that, yeah, I am rather fond of him. He is funny and cute in the same way a small, yappy dog is.

I remember once talking to my partner about Pike and I asked: "Do you think the JMA staff has to deal with Pike constantly trying to sleep in the hallway in front of Anemone's room?" Only to then realize, upon re-reading the books, that this actually happens in canon. I was thrilled.

Most of the time when people ask me what I think of a character, they want to hear what my take on them is, so I'll get into that.

Background

I don't think a lot is known about Pike's life, outside him having been assigned as Anemone's (questionably) covert bodyguard. He is one of those background characters that fill out the student roster at JMA but don't get a lot of development, though he is one of the more lucky ones as he gets comparatively more lines and scenes than, say, Barracuda, or Garnet.

We don't ever hear about his home life or familial situation, but I think he comes from a common military family. Not a particularly prestigious one, but rather one of middling significance. I imagine one of his ancestors--like his great grandmother--once made it to captain and ever since the whole family has prided themselves on their military legacy and loyalty to the Seawing throne, even though nobody else really knows who they are.

Pike's parents are both bottom rung palace guards; trusted enough to be stationed vaguely near the seat of government over a remote outpost, but nothing more. As is tradition in their family, they signed up as soon as they were old enough to hold a trident. Pike was expected to follow in their footsteps, and so did the same. He is naturally eager to please, doesn't ask many questions, and knows how to follow orders, so he took to this life relatively well.

One thing immediately apparent when observing Pike is that he is very blunt, headstrong, and reckless. He is prone to self-injury and mishaps, routinely making a tail end of himself during exercises. One day, I imagine, he was out in the courtyard, practicing his combat maneuvers, when he somehow managed to trap himself underneath a training dummy in a humiliating way. Unbeknownst to him, the Queen and Princess were walking past a window overlooking this scene, and the latter happened to spot him.

Princess Anemone, starved for normal social contact due to being permanently leashed to her overbearing mother, immediately took a liking to the clumsy guard and wished to take Pike into her service. The Queen though, hated the idea. Anything she couldn't control with 100% certainty was not to be let near her only living daughter. She didn't even let her own sons approach the Princess for this very reason. So she refused.

But Anemone, sensing an opportunity to finally snatch a tiny mote of control over her own life, didn't relent. She would never overtly defy her mother, but pushed back against her in the most passively aggressive way she could muster. She WOULD have this one thing that was hers, no matter how many times she had to sigh wistfully or forget to eat.

Coral meanwhile still disliked the idea, but after some pondering figured this could work to her advantage. Granting her daughter this favor would make her grateful, and thus easier to keep in check. It was not like the boy would be able to do anything undesirable since she would always be there to watch anyway. And if he ever displeased her, a random guard was easier to dispose of without turning heads, than if she let Anemone play with one of her brothers.

So eventually, she acquiesced, and extracted Pike from the palace guard to assign him to her daughter's protection.

The news hit Pike's family like lightning. Suddenly, after decades of being nobodies with delusions of grandeur, the whole palace was paying genuine attention to them, and the new recruit who, overnight, got assigned to be the Princess' personal retainer. Pike's parents took him aside and impressed on him how important of a task this was. If he did his job well and kept the Princess content and safe, not only would the current Queen think favorably of all of them, but Anemone would remember his service and reward him once she took the throne herself. For his sake and theirs, this was an opportunity not to be squandered.

And thus, Pike shouldered this great responsibility suddenly thrust onto his wings and embraced being Anemone's personal servant and protector. Pushed forward by his sense of honor and loyalty, a desire not to disappoint his family, and the knowledge that, if he were to fail and lose the only heir, Queen Coral would surely kill him.

Day-to-day life

Pike takes his duty very seriously, both out of loyalty to his liege, and because of how much is at stake for him personally. I picture him getting up during the small hours each morning and beginning his daily exercise routine, to stay in shape for his job. His roommate Flame often wakes up to him noisily doing squats in the middle of the sleeping cave and yells at him. "Am I cursed to be tormented by a diminutive idiot Seawing wherever I go!??!" Pike is lucky that his other roommate, Bigtail, is a heavy sleeper. Otherwise the training session would likely be cut short, with Pike tied to the ceiling lamp.

After wrecking Flame's sleep, Pike usually seeks out Anemone and attempts to stay near her at all times. Initially this caused friction between him and the teachers, as he would often skip his own classes to attend Anemone's. He only stopped doing this when Tsunami made it clear skipping classes would get him sent home, and thus away from Anemone permanently.

As they spent time at the Academy, the Princess began to get better and better at giving Pike the slip whenever she got fed up with his overprotectiveness. He freaks out whenever she vanishes, which is often. To help manage his stress, the JMA staff make him attend regular seminars on inner peace and meditation hosted by Fatespeaker. He is not very good at it, but enjoys the exercises that involve listening to running water.

He began to mellow out for a bit after initial growing pains, until the History cave incident occurred. The bombing shook him back into the bodyguard mindset and he began sleeping in the hallway outside of Anemone's sleeping cave. It weirds out Ostrich whenever she has to climb over him. Attempts to get him to stop this have been unfruitful. The current policy seems to be to let him do this until things calm down and he stops on his own.

Anything else

I believe Pike may have a thing for Rainwings. He is generally hyper-aggressive and rude towards everyone he talks to, with two notable exceptions. One of them is Anemone, whom he is sworn to serve and keep safe. The other is Tamarin, whom he is uncharacteristically kind to. My personal impression is that he may have a bit of a crush on her, but keeps himself from pursuing it as to not upset Anemone.

To my knowledge, Pike never really interacts with Turtle. That is a shame, because I would like to know how they would get along. Pike may be greatly disappointed at Turtle's general un-regal-ness, but still begrudgingly respect him out of obligation. I can picture a scene where he berates Turtle for his demeanor, only for someone else to chime in with an affirmative "Yeah Turtle, you suck", upon which Pike turns around and starts ripping into them about disrespecting Seawing royalty.

Concerningly, Pike's future is very uncertain. He is actually in grave danger right now. If Queen Coral ever finds out that he allowed a murderous, seawing-hating ancient wizard to abduct Anemone, she will have some opinions on that. If Coral has one consistent character trait, it is homicidal vengefulness against anyone who fails to protect her children, regardless of circumstance, regardless even if the perpetrator IS one of her children. That means there is a very real chance she will recall Pike from Jade Mountain and try to tear him apart.

I don't think Anemone would allow this to happen, mind you. She has been privy to her mother dragging poor sods out to the plaza to rip their teeth out, enough to recognize the signs of it coming. If she suspected Pike's life was in danger, I believe she would prevent him from leaving.

For now though, he remains at Jade Mountain, doing the best he can with the responsibility he was dealt, acting as Princess Anemone's retainer. It is a difficult, stressful, at times thankless job, but he would not have it any other way.

"Honor, and duty."

[whereispearlescentmoon]

Pearl’s Default Skin Evolution!

I’m making this post because since Wild Life I’ve seen a few times (genuinely I’m not just talking about the person I responded to earlier, I’ve seen it a lot) that people are confused about why Pearl is blonder in her Red Life skin! And then I started rambling when replying to someone and decided to just make my own post about it.

2016- May 2019

This first default skin is the one she wore in her OG build time lapses as well as Evo SMP (You can see it in her oldest ever Minecraft video, from 2016!)

She wore this skin until part of the way through Artisan SMP (I know people forget this but she was in two other SMPs between Evo and Hermitcraft), which you can only watch via streams saved on her YouTube channel in the Artisan SMP playlist!

Here are some skins she wore based on this one for events and holidays:

Also a fun fact, according to Pearl, the EVO murder mystery skin (dress) is the first one she ever made herself. Correction: Pearl made these skins herself, I just misheard something she said on stream a few weeks ago!

June 2019-Nov 2020

Her next default skin was this one:

The first video on her channel that she wore this was, as far as I can tell, “Transforming my Very FIRST Minecraft World | 2014 to 2019”. As you can probably tell, this was uploaded in 2019. She also wore it, as previously stated, during Artisan SMP, starting in Stream #23 which was in 2019.

Fun fact: it’s also her only default skin where she’s wearing a hat, and not a hoodie! Which is why her chibi drawings/emotes are wearing a hat, despite her hoodie being much more recognizable now. I believe she was using the chibi emotes first in 2020? She has one in the thumbnail of a vid from 2020 where she transformed one of Joel’s builds.

Here are some event (mostly MCC) and holiday skins she wore based on this one!

Nov 2020- Nov 2021

Pearl first wore this skin in Legacy SMP 2! She then wore it (or a version of it) until episode 14 of Hermitcraft season 8 and session 7 of Last Life. She actually has no episode 7 of Last Life uploaded, but you can see her wearing the Halloween version of it in other POVs. We are starting to get into familiar Pearl territory!

Here we see the start of some recognizable Pearl elements! The hoodie and jorts, for one, as well as having brown hair with blonde highlights. I lowkey like how chunky the blonde is, though I understand why it was changed. Pearl has actually said the original plan for this skin was to have the hair out, but her and the skin artist, Liv, decided against it in the end.

Here are her MCC/holiday/other SMP skins based on this one!

Yes I made Empires Pearl larger. This is because I want you to notice that shape of her loose hair is the same shape as her current loose hair!

Nov 10 2021- Nov 18 2021

This was the OG version of Pearl’s current default skin. The only difference is the hair, which was changed due to viewer feedback and to be closer to Pearl’s actual hair color.

Why is a skin she only wore for one week important then? Why, because of the only skin wore based on it during that week.

That’s right! The red pearl skin is based on a slightly blonder version of Pearl that only lasted a week! It just happens that during that one week, the final session of Last Life was filmed. This is why, when you see her gradient skins from Wild Life she seems to be getting blonder! Because it’s transitioning into her red skin she’s been using since Last Life.

Note: Her MCC 22/MCC Pride 24 skin as well as a Hogwarts (?) skin she wore at some point two years ago (I cannot figure out when so please tell me if you know) also have the blonder hair, but they were made after she had already switched to her current skin, so I think that whoever the skin artist was just decided they liked the blonder hair better for those looks.

Nov 18 2021- Current

Here we have our modern default Pearl skin, which I love deeply! Any MCC, event, or Hermitcraft skin that she’s worn since have been based on this one.