#I would kill for see more desings

[nastybuckybarnes]

In the Ring

Pairing: dbf!bucky x reader

Summary: Bucky takes your dad out boxing.

Warnings: Violence, Language, minor angst, fluff, age gap relationship and all that goes along with that, minor injuries

Word Count: 1.7K

A/n: Here's a little thingy thing for this series... im open to asks for this one as well as my inspiration for it is starting to fizzzzzzle up

~*~

Bucky steps into the ring, his heart hammering in his chest as he cracks his neck.

"Interesting choice for today," your dad says, securing his boxing gloves then bouncing up on the balls of his feet.

"Figured it's about time we got back into the ring."

In truth, there are a few things he wants to talk to your dad about, and he's expecting a good beating for them anyway. Might as well make sure they're wearing the proper protection.

"Glad you finally got a break from work, house's been real empty without you there. Think even (Y/n)'s startin to miss your ugly mug," your dad jokes.

Bucky swallows hard and nods, holding the pads tightly as your dad starts swinging slow and controlled.

"Yeah, that's uh… kinda one of the things I wanted to talk to you about."

Your dad pauses, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"You know how for the past few months I've been… well… happy?"

Your dad says nothing, only eyes him warily.

"It's because I've been seeing this woman. She's… gorgeous and fun and smart and an absolute spitfire."

He eases up a bit and starts throwing loose punches again.

"Yeah, when are you going to let me meet this chick, anyway?"

Bucky winces and takes a deep breath before finally spilling the beans.

"You already have."

Your dad's brows draw together as he tries to remember ever being introduced to his best friend's mystery woman.

"What's her name again?"

Here it is.

"(Y/n)."

He doesn't see the punch, only recognizes it when he stumbles to the ground with the side of his face throbbing.

"Are you serious right now?!" Your dad's chest is heaving, fury filling him as Bucky pushes to his feet, dodging another swing.

"That's my daughter! My baby girl! You're fucking sick!"

He swings again, chasing Bucky around the ring while the brunet tries to reason with him, holding his hands up in surrender.

"No! Hear me out! Please!"

"No!"

This time when your dad swings, Bucky ducks under his arm and kicks his legs out from under him, giving him a moment to try and defend himself.

"I love her!"

"Bullshit!" Your dad spits, pushing to his feet. "You have a new girl every week! I've had toothaches with more commitment than you!"

If the man wasn't actively trying to kill him, Bucky might laugh at that comment.

"When was the last time you heard me talk about another woman? Hmm? All this time it's been her! For the past year, the only person I've been talking about has been her! I tried going on a date with someone more… my age, and the whole time I couldn't get your daughter out of my head."

They stand on opposite sides of the ring, Bucky with his hands out ready to thwart another attack while your father slowly lowers his hands.

Has it really been a year? His daughter and his best friend have been having a secret relationship for a year?

"What are you saying?" He asks, panting hard.

"I'm in love with her, with your daughter. I love her with my entire heart to the point where I would bring you here to beat the shit out of me because I can't keep it from you anymore. You're my best friend, but you're also the father of the woman I love. I have a lot of respect for you, but even more for her, and I need you to know that your daughter… she's a woman that I could see myself marrying."

Your dad's fist is connecting with Bucky's face once more and the brunet curses, jumping out of reach again.

"In due time! I'm not asking for your blessing, fuck!"

Your dad stands there silently, glaring at Bucky for a long moment before sighing and rubbing the back of his glove over his forehead.

"That's my baby girl," he whispers, heart aching. Sure, he knew one day you'd find some jackass that doesn't deserve a fraction of your heart, but he never thought that jackass would be Bucky.

The same Bucky who was there when your mother died.

The same man who's been a rock throughout your and your father's lives.

"I know, believe me, I do. But you know me. I would never do anything to hurt her, not on purpose. All I want is for her to be happy, and for there to be no more secrets between us. I can see how much it hurts her to keep this from you and… it's not her responsibility to tell you. It's mine."

Slowly, Bucky lowers his hands and takes a step toward your dad, huffing out a sigh.

"If you want to hit me again, I understand. Fuck, I'd hit me too. And… I understand that my history… I haven't exactly been the type of man a woman's excited to tell her dad about. But the way your daughter… she makes me want to be that man. Be a better man than I've ever been. And this is where it starts."

Your dad groans, his face screwing up in disgust.

"So over the summer when you would check up on her while I was away on work… oh God, I don't even wanna know."

Bucky tries hard to bite back a grin at the memories, he really does, but his lips twitch upward regardless.

"Like I said, I love her with my whole heart. And I fucked up, so all I want is to try and fix this."

This catches your dad's interest.

"What did you do?"

Puffing out another breath, Bucky shakes his head and jumps on the balls of his feet to keep himself warm.

"I guess now's as good a time as ever to come clean."

Your dad rolls his eyes and raises his fists once more.

~*~

You touch up your makeup, looking over your appearance once more before heaving a sigh.

You've spent the last week or so locked up in your room like a hermit, and today it seems like your dad has finally had enough.

"Put on a nice dress - I'm tired of seeing you rot."

"We going out?" You asked, pushing yourself out of your bed and shoving your hair out of your face.

"Get dressed."

Adorning your body is a lovely deep blue dress, with a slit in the left leg and delicate straps criss-cross across your exposed back.

Finally satisfied with the way you've done yourself up, you exit your bedroom and carefully descend the stairs.

"You look gorgeous, kiddo," your dad says, a proud smile on his face.

You can't help but smile back, the smile fading when you notice he's still wearing his pyjamas.

A throat clears behind you and you whirl around, your throat tightening when you see the man behind you.

Bucky stands, tall and dashing in a tux, his hair slicked back and his beard neatly trimmed. He's got a nasty bruise on his right cheekbone that wraps to his eye, and for a moment you're concerned.

"You look stunning," he says softly, his eyes gentle.

You swallow hard and look between him and your dad as your heart begins to race.

"What's going on?"

Your dad wraps you tightly in his arms, sighing shakily.

"Have fun tonight, kiddo." He pulls away and cups your cheek, nothing but pride (and a few tears) in his eyes.

"And you," he points to Bucky, "Don't have her out too late."

He pulls you into one more tight hug, bringing his lips to your ear.

"We've got a lot to talk about tomorrow," he whispers.

You pull away and look between the two men rapidly, still not fully comprehending what's going on.

Bucky comes up behind you, gently taking your hand and spinning you to face him

"I'll take good care of her," he whispers. The words are said to your dad, but his eyes are focused on yours the whole time.

"You'd better."

You're all but walking around with your mouth agape as Bucky leads you outside.

"What… what's going on?" You finally ask when the door closes behind you.

"Your dad didn't want you to miss out on the banquet just because I fucked up. And if you don't want to go with me, I'll understand and so will he. I just… I miss you and I know how excited you were to go."

You feel a little breathless, and you're glad he's got your hand held tightly in his.

"You told him about it?" You ask quietly.

He gives you a soft smile and squeezes your hands tightly.

"Babygirl, I told him everything."

Your breath hitches and you feel tears well up in your eyes at his words.

"You… he knows…?"

Bucky nods.

Your fingers tug from his and he feels his stomach drop, only to settle when you trace over the bruise on his face.

"Is that where you got this?" You ask softly.

He chuckles and leans into your touch.

"Your dad's quick, I'll give him that. It took a while and a few punches but… he knows about us. About how I feel about you, how you make me want to be a better man. I want to take care of you and provide for you and I never want to hurt you the way I did. And he… he understands."

You stare up at him, eyes full of wonder and awe.

"You did all of that... for me?"

He presses a sweet kiss to the back of your hand and nods.

"I did. I did it for us. Because I'm tired of keeping you a secret. I'm tired of other guys lookin' at you like they can have you, and I'm tired of not being able to show you off. You're not an object, but you're mine. And, more, importantly, I'm yours. I always will be. You may not know it, but my heart is entirely yours. And if you want to throw it on the ground and give it a stomp, I wouldn't blame you."

You're shaking your head at him before he's finished speaking.

"I would never..." You trail off, looking into his eyes as tears well up in your own.

"I love you, sweetheart. I really do. And I'm sorry I've been so shit at showing it. But, if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life tryin' to prove it to you."

You can't help the small shy smile that pulls at your lips, and you duck your head to nod.

"Well, I guess I can't stop you from trying."

[paaelle]

Since I finally got some time and motivation for this, today is yapping session day!!

Talking about fop:anw concept art for no motive at all!

I'll be presenting mostly if not all works made by Mayuko Watson, Chris Battle and Eirik Paye.

First of all I want to take a look on concept art of our beloved protagonist Hazel Wells!

Art by Chris Battle (coloring by Jojo Aguilar)

I find it so interesting how Hazels concept art fluctuates between completely different from what we got and resemblance of the final desing. I read something about them focusing on making the characters desings fun, I think that translates very well on those.

Also theres was a chance of Hazel using glasses?! Just think about it!

Talking about concept art, I NEED PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTERS EXPRESSION SHEETS!!

Art by Mayuko Watson

Those are SO COOL!! It's always fun to take a look on characters reactions and general vibe. I must say I love those so much, every single pose and action they are doing.

I think Winn holding a bat and the 6 Dev are one of my favorites from those.

Also they are so silly, I love all of them so much 🥰

Going to characters turn around refs

Art by Mayuko Watson

Can't believe somehow Dale is taking the most space here, greedy mf 🙄

Anyways I just need y'all to look at them! Cosmo and Wanda are cutiepies, I would kill to also see their fairy models refs. For some reason it doesn't matter the angle Wanda swirl stays in the left (I wonder if its like that in the show, I didn't really pay attention to that). Marcus looks scary without his glasses, keep those on pls 😦

Also sorry Dale fans but this man has NO ASS at all.

Also 2 : I need yall to look at Dev's wet cat face.

I'll need to split this in two bc image limit, BUT THE YAPPING NEVER STOPS

I'll put the link here

Part 2

Linked the artists names to theirs Instagram profiles, even though I know they have Tumblr accounts, I think Instagram is easier to look though the art and they seem more active there.

Feel like I need to say that I posted this accidentally 3 time and got super frustrated, don't know how I didn't gave up on doing this post.

[super-paper]

How do you think AFO would be taken out?

Hard to say! All the heroes uniting against him as ~the ultimate evil~ might seem satisfying on some level, but it also plays directly into AFO's toxic comic book narrative and it doesn’t really "engage" with his character in a totally satisfying way, if that makes sense. I'm firmly on team "afo shouldn't get what he wants, Ever" so I'm not a fan of any ending that merrily sends him off into his next life as a "demon lord" instead of actively trying to rip that mask from him. Hori hasn't really let me down on this front, yet-- and as I suspected, it does seem as though chapter 419's AFO is more or less picking up where body!AFO's character arc left off. AFO's core desires as a human and the immensely fragile "heart" he's hidden away are both things that are being directly challenged in the most recent chapter, too:

Izuku, the hero, constantly inspires others to come to his aid because he doesn't hide his humanity, his identity, or his struggles from others-- people see him fighting for his life and realize that he is "just like them," and that motivates them to rush to his side and offer help. Meanwhile, AFO finds himself completely alone because he wont let go of the demon lord role and accept his own humanity. Something something We Still Need To Know His Name smthing sm.

With all of that in mind, I still think the most appropriate way of defeating him involves forcing him to confront his own humanity + weakness in all its ugliness (which Hori has already been doing at a pretty steady rate this arc!) and ultimately forcing him to take responsibility for Yoichi's death. This might seem like a massive leap from the person AFO is right now, but depending on how things go, I do think Hori could pull it off.

Anyway, as for what I would like to see:

Personally, I would like an end where he willingly lets Yoichi go (and by proxy, finally lets Tenko go). Not because I think this would redeem him (it wont) or because I want him redeemed (i don't), but because I do feel like something along these lines would be the natural conclusion to his character arc and the best way to symbolize him accepting death/his mistakes. He came into the world desperately gripping onto Yoichi, and was unable to ever truly live or truly die due to his obsession-- so it makes sense to me that AFO will only be able to leave this world when he finally lets Yoichi go. Like.... even now, we see him stubbornly persisting with the idea of conquering the world even though he feels it's totally pointless-- with the implication that he's doing this because the demon lord role and the captain hero comics are literally the only thing he has atp that still connect him to Yoichi in some capacity.

If I end up being right and the OFA embers now exist within Tenko's body, then ideally, I still want some sort of conversation + resolution between the brothers before Yoichi finally passes on with the rest of the OFA embers. I'll admit that I've never been 100% fond of the idea of reading Izuku & Tenko's story as Yoichi/AFO's "good ending", simply because so much of Tenko's story is about reclaiming his own identity (+ detangling himself from his abusers) and so much of Izuku's story is about finding his own identity-- which is why I feel the final resolution to the OFAFO plot needs to be between AFO and Yoichi, not Izuku and Tenko.

I actually don't want Tenko to kill him! I think I've said this before, but I feel this outcome would be only satisfying to folks who want Tenko to have very surface-level revenge on his abuser w/o thinking about the effect this act would have on Tenko himself. I personally feel it wouldn't do Tenko any favors, mentally, since the crux of AFO's abuse involved convincing Tenko that he only exists to destroy. And people really hate to admit it, but-- Tenko sincerely loved AFO and I don't want him to have to repeat the tragedy of being forced to kill someone he loved all over again (even if they don't deserve that love by any stretch of the word). Like, a lot of people want Tenko to take AFO out the same way he took Kotaro out, but I feel this would only emphasize how Tenko and AFO are trapped in an endlessly repeating cycle.

side note: Kotaro coming directly from AFO's stomach/womb during the 270's vestige realm sequence feels extremely intentional now, what with the constant cannibalism and pregnancy imagery surrounding AFO and Tenko. MHA continues to be a masterful example of visual storytelling and Horikoshi continues to be a straight up freak for no real reason /positive!

A big part of Tenko's healing was always going to involve him confronting his feelings for Kotaro, specifically-- all of his love and disappointment and wishes and anger. And with that in mind, it feels like Hori is setting AFO up to act as a sort of Kotaro proxy for this next stretch of Tenko's character arc (even TomurAFO's current hairstyle and facial structure reminds me of a mix of Kotaro x AFO x Toshi.... Hori really said "Tomura's final character design is gonna be a mish-mash of every potential father-figure who has ever let him down byeeeeee :)" and he was sooooo sick for doing that wtf). Anyway, I know people like to joke about AFOtaro, but honestly, the narrative itself really does justify the read of Tenko being AFO and Kotaro's traumababy lmfao...., 😭

Also worth mentioning is that this iteration of AFO/TomurAFO has pupils, despite there being no Tenko component to his personality at this time. AFO's lack of pupils are textually/canonically meant to convey his inability to "see" others as people, so I'm very interested to see where Hori intends to take things from here.

[lilisouless]

"Wylan and Kaz would have becoming each other" controversy, opening.

"Should we been doing this?"

"Controversy" just to make it more dramatic cause it´s not really a big deal.

I want to thank everyone who responded to the post

It got more responses that i expected, some of you put way better explained arguments that i could have said, and i think we are all actually on the same chanel. So, instead of a long argument that just will repeat what everyone said i will include pieces of the essays and divide the huge deal for parts cause i think it´s a bigger study than we think. This is just the opening so it´s going to be a short one.

like the title said, the very first section will be "should we be doing this" so i´ll add this sample of @savethegrishaverse, who had a bigger response, i will probably use the rest of the argument in later sections:

To me, Kaz & Wylan aren´t that similar, to me there´s a diference between kid!Wylan and kid!Kaz, but thats a story for another section. The important here is that the narrative wants us to see the similarities.

Cause sure, you can always compare two characters, it´s a harmless practice. The question here is, is it deliberate? or did people took the dynamic out of a fandom sentiment?

To me, yes , it´s pretty much deliberate. And my response may be a bit shallow but stay with me here: The desing choices

For those who don't know, in book canon Kaz has dark hair and brown eyes. Wylan has blue eyes and light red-gold curly hair. This is because it may be confusing to people that only know Jack!Wolfe´s Wylan for this argument, since he was hired out of talent instead of a comparision to his features with Freddy Carter´s

Now what i mean? Both Kaz and Wyan are from Kerch but their features are opposite. Kaz has dark eyes (with some warmt,but thats another subject) Wylan has bright blue eyes, Kaz has dark straight hair, Wylan has blonde curls, Kaz is all edges, Wyan has round features.

This may be just to separate the phenotype of the high born kerch from the Ketterdam outsiders, but to me it´s clear that regardless, Wylan is described to be the opposite of him (Kaz is most likely the first Soc character conceived)

Now, does this mean they are mirrors or that they would have become each other? Not exactly, the next sections with treat that so we could say it for sure. The reason i don't want to make the conclusion quite yet is

-Like i said, the desing may be just to stablish the diferences between Kerch´s sites

-To me , Wylan´s mirror (maybe not "who he would have become" but this perfect parallel) it´s probably Jesper. Not sure about Kaz, it may be Nikolai or Inej but not sure yet

-The soc characters are so tridimensional and rich in characterization that many of their traits can be used for a study. The point is if the Wyan-Kaz parallel is just some traits or their whole character.

So, was this for nothing? No, cause we can't say the conception of Wylan-Kaz becoming each other comes out of nowhere, there is some narrative choices that invites the reader to compare them and hey, maybe as we go, the conclusion may actually be that the theory is right. And if its not, why not.

I actually HAVE a reason on why not, but i do want to put everything on the table

[rosencatholic]

Maxdibert was once good, now she is on a downhill slope. When I said in an anon that liking JK or not, you got to agree that Lily Tino - the person that talks about their genitals around children on Disney (because even trans activists are against Lily Tino - anyone with a brain is against that creep) and that trans should gatekeep their community better (because is full of creeps they keep protecting, even so far as saying that not using your transwoman-rapist's she/her pronouns makes you bad because you wouldn’t do the same to a "cis" one) she said I was a TERF and that "dead terf in fertilizer for my garden" in the same post she says she was raised right because she is against terf.

And I went... WHAT?

How is wishing for someone’s death because of their opinions a thing people "raised right" do?

Then, to take that apple out of my troat out I argued about how can someone support that creep and even sent links about men using the disguise of trans (like that dude that after graping 2 woman, claimed to be trans to be sent to the womans prison - the place his preferred victims are) and how can she claim that man won’t protect woman anymore in the same breath she says man in dresses should be protected from the evil terfs opnions, we must protect their precious feelings (because that is certainly more important that woman's physical health from the creeps that use the trans umbrella of infinite protection to get into woman's only safe spaces and harm them) and she ignored everything and went on a tirade about how just because of some bad people doesn't mean that trans shouldn't exist (neither me nor JK said that) and that man hurt woman way more than transwoman do, and blah blah blah. Like we fearing the bad ones is a bad thing (and we can’t know who are the bad ones because they like to protect the monsters to their grave), like that old man that claimed to be a little girl in Canada to compete in a swimming competition against little girls - of course they had to share a locker room or it would transphobic - no, we should totally open our arms to all of them when any one can be anything nowdays, let them with our children, like they are all saints and can do no wrong.

She also said the bad examples are just few and a way JK uses to her evil terf agenda. This is coming from someone that claims to be smart, a lawyer - but can't see the underlying context that if there are bad apples, that they always protect - Lily Tino was the first, that I know, that they went against and that took forever - how can they expect us to trust all of them? To lower our heads and accept when they invent some new shit everyday (for example: slug/slugs are pronouns some of these people use), because they are all-knowing overlords and are always right - detransitioners, who? Chloe Cole, who? - Jeffrey Marsh wants to talk with your children online without you there, activists say: let him, what an icon! Alok said little girls are kinky! Dylan Mulvaney says a woman can have a bulge and we should ignore it! They protect MONSTERS that sing for our blood on the floor and clowns making fun of woman and we are the bad guys for being afraid and angry?

Hello Anon!

I agree that Lily Tino is a creep and that he (I don't respect that "woman") needs to be banned from women's spaces, but oh my goodness I didn't know it was THAT bad. The pro-trans community will defend anyone and everything, even to the detriment of real women. As if being called a TERF is insulting, like no that's an honor at this point in time. Though I am sorry she said that gross line.

Truly, they screech about peace, justice, and love, but then have no qualms with basically saying that anyone that doesn't agree with them are better off dead. Yikes.

They have a certain disconnect between people not agreeing with them and thinking that the same people wish them dead. Absolutely no one thinks that they should be dead or killed because they're trans. Like no. That's a human being and they deserve the right to live, but that does not mean that they should freak out on people who do not share the same beliefs as them. It's bonkers that they've convinced themselves that people like JKR want them dead or see her as the most evil of evil, like honey I'm sure there are worse things out there than a woman who stands up for real women.

We do not have to bend true reality just to smooth their hurt feelings when we tell them that men cannot be women and women cannot be men or all that other crazy stuff they've been shouting about for the past decade is not the opinion the general population holds.

Some people who claim to be smart and studied may be book smart, yet they do not hold true wisdom in real life.

There's no reasoning with them, no matter how logical your arguments may be or how plentiful and convincing your examples and proof may be. Best to let them be in their echo chamber (that's why I don't argue with people on this site about this because I just know they're not going to change their minds and it's a waste of energy and time).

Perhaps one day in their old age they will realize how foolish they behaved for the sake of mentally ill men playing dress up who all of a sudden want to force their way into women's spaces.

[rosehippiefield]

I saw somebody has done Yttd cast in Undertale before but I want to share some ideas about which Yttd character could act as which Undertale character. Of course, there's too many monsters so this is mainly about bosses and minibosses. Also this is long and yttd characters are sometimes repeated as they can serve several roles.

Sara is great for the role of Frisk simply because she has capacity both for sparing and killing. Goddess of Victory or Angel of Death, who will she choose to be? And without a doubt Sara is DETERMINED (Or there's another variant, Kanna, a kind child that will find approach to everybody. However, I don't see anybody trying to kill her there, as well as her even having a thought about killing.)

Kai can be Toriel for several reasons: he is housemaker, he is tied to Sara, so in this AU he can become her guardian for some time. Moreover, Kai has notable bond with Q-Taro and Gashu, both of which could fit Asgore. Imagine him betraying Asunaro and making sure humans survive. Or arguing with Q-Taro about morals.

Depending on the story Shin could match Napstablook when he's being his meek shy self. Just listening to music, not feeling up to anything, creating akward situations and lying on the floor. I can picture him doing it. Additionally, Ranmaru has similar vibe. Not the type to communicate with many, true introvert with deep insecurities... Why not?

Keiji is definitely Sans and I can't see it otherwise (well there could be other options but still I love Keiji as Sans). He is constantly tired, a bit lazy, has a fair share of mysteries, same ambience I would say. Keiji loves pushing responsibility onto Sara due to his trauma and consequent self-hate, Sans does nothing in genocide until the very end wheт majority is dead. Plus who is better to judge our protagonist than a policeman?

Joe is Papyrus, I don't make the rules... Well, Gin could act as Papurus as well, but let's at first talk about Joe. He is nice and funny, he befriends Sara easily, he literally can't kill her. He can have a brotherly relationship with Keiji considering "Mr. Policeman is Joe's dad" theory. The only downside is Papyrus can be killed and I don't see Sara killing her bestie in any way, even for survival. Maybe he is a doll and no longer a human?..

As to Gin, he is better as Monster kid in my mind. Curious, energetic teenager that admires strong, reliable and absolutely cool Reko (who's Undyne). Gin really trusts Sara, he is naїve to the point of believing her even in genocide route. Or maybe an annoing dog is also appliable, as Gin's stims include barking (and his desing, his Meow chan that is allegedly a dog) and the dogsong is perfect theme for Gin.

So, Reko as Undyne. Strong in every sense, fighting for her people's sake, brave, plays piano... Not to mention her relationship with Nao-the-Alphys. The thing is, would Reko kill a human for her people? Maybe not, she is quite kind. Especially if said human is Sara. Unless there is some misunderstanding... (I actually would argue Sara is a better fit for Undyne as she is samurai woman fighter type and she can be colder).

I haven't mention dummies before, but I totally picture Anzu as Temmie. Cute, sweet, funny, just good old Temmie.

I nerly forgot about Mad Dummy! In my book Ranger fits the bill here: an artifitial being that is really jealous of humans and hates them for it. He's sarcastic, extremelly rude, ready to kill. Also imagine that in the Ruins we encounter Dummy of Sei that Kai is keeping due to grief and memories, but now it ends up here as Ranger with consciousness but no soul.

Then we move to Hotland. Nao is a good Alphys in my book: a bit dependent, insecure, still striving to become better. Plus I want to give Mishima a Gaster role, so they share connection. (On the second thought, Safalin would make a compelling Alphys as well: she is actually a scientist, she has far more self-deprication as crying doll, she has many sceletons in the closet with questionable experiments).

There's little info on Gaster as well as on Mishima. Royal scientist whose genuis was unparalleled and that fell in lava (burning again?). Though Meister, whose role is still unclear, may look more like Gaster and have the same air of mystery.

For Muffet there are two worthy candidates: Mai and Maple. Both are acquainted with cuisine, both are extra sweet with their words, I think both can be persuasive about the product (it's Mai's profession, and you can't refuse to drink tea in disscussion room so Maple's capable of it as well). And of course you should never underestimate either of girls.

Mettaton... the star of the show, daring, flashy, attractive... Alice was in the band, his desing (in usual sprites just hair) is quite colorful, not to mention his physique, so why not? That would mean interesting relationship with Reko, who's his neighbor. Plus he could be a doll as Mettaton is an artifitially created robot. Maybe Nao/Safalin/whoever's Alphys created him to help Reko, they reconciled and Alice found his own path.

We are nearing the end. Asgore is morally gray character who killed children, regrets it but ready to repeat the deed for the sake of his country. As was mentioned previosly, either Q-Taro or Gashu could fit his role: Q-Taro because of appearance, kindhearted nature but ability to commit not the most ethical actions. I can also insert joke about killing kids (no matter how you interpret Q-Taro's words in the first main game, part of fandom will bring it up). Gashu had done even more morally reprehensible things for his "community" Asunaro. Plus, Gashu literally had a foster child that died (Sei, Ranger's inspiration).

I didn't mention Flowey because his story blossoms only in the end and depending on the person I replace him with the story becomes drastically different. The first one is Shin because firstly, I am biased toward him, secondly, Asriel essentially is bound to return to his flower form (kind of 0% to be truly happy), thirdly, they were both inicially kinder and due to horrible circumstances became worse. But yet they can become better. Moreover, roses. Maybe Kanna here was killed, and from sheer grief Shin turned into a rose? Alternatively, Ranger matches as well: he can't feel positive emotions just as Flowey doesn't feel them (I don't remember specifics but something along these lines). Plus, Sei was killed being a small kid just like Asriel and he has familial connections to Kai-the-Toriel and Gashu-the-Asgore (this sounds extra weird, nobody here is shipped of course. Just in case).

What about the souls and remaining dead people? I think some of the dead could be these souls: Kurumada as Bravery (he is boxer and this soul has gloves), Megumi or Mr. Policeman as Justice (police is supposed to make sure justice prevails), Hayasaka as Perseverance (he looks a bit nerdy and has glasses), Hinako as... Patience? (the real one), Kanna if dead can definitely be Kindness, Kugie as Integrity? Honestly, we know little about these guys so the arrangement can vary a lot.

Finaly, Chara. Maybe I'll do their character an injustice, but imagine them as Midori. When Frisk Sara is in the end of genocide, she sees Midori, a demon that is resurrected by her cruelty. He enjoyed every bit of it. Plus, then dynamic Chara Midori and Asriel Shin becomes quite intriguing (and messed up). Or maybe Kanna could be Chara as well, a kid that met a friend (or foster brother. Oh even a real one) in the underground and then died.

[rib-rabbitmask]

So... I was rewatching Xtale and reading a few pages about the universe itself, and I realized that I've never seen an animal, whether urban or wild, in the Xtale universe.

Of course there are Spiders, butterflies and Monsters that walk or act like animals... So, still, I didn't see any animals that appear where more or less Xtale would take place.

(as far as I saw)

Well, since a Xtale fan, i know that most of the background on the Xtale animation and Comic is mostly based on Colombia, we're Jakei live before, so knowing it.

i think: What if i do some animals from the Americas in- XTALE?!

So i did those desings 💖

(Click on image for better quality!)

- "The jaguar is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. " [...] " it is the biggest cat species in the Americas and the third largest in the world. Its distinctively marked coat features pale yellow to tan colored fur covered by spots that transition to rosettes on the sides, although a melanistic black coat appears in some individuals. The jaguar's powerful bite allows it to pierce the carapaces of turtles and tortoises, and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of mammalian prey between the ears to deliver a fatal blow to the brain."

- "The spectacled bear is the only bear native to South America and is the largest land carnivore in that part of the world, although as little as 5% of its diet is composed of meat. Among South America's extant, native land animals, only the Baird's tapir, South American tapir and mountain tapir are heavier than the bear." (Also, The spectacled bear can be found from western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina, along the Andes Mountains. Its ideal habitat is humid high-altitude forests that occupy a range between 1,000 and 2,700 m.)

I got all those informations from the: Wikipedia!

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it! I can do more in the future 👀!!

X-tale by: Jakei95

( desings by me!! )

[kotikaleo]

Also with Michael and William being brought back, I almost wonder if I should just bring the Evan/David and Elizabeth from their timeline back as well. Cause Mike could get to properly apologize for unintentionally killing him and how poorly he treated him. But then again, maybe that's not the best idea. Or it could be that Michael gets to see him again one last time before he moves on. Either before Mike gets sent to the other timeline, or during a dream. Actually, yeah I think that feels like a better idea. He gets to treat the other one a lot better. Though more in a kinda-brother-kinda-uncle way. Cause I can totally see Future!Mike being seen as either an uncle or just a much older brother figure to this family he gets adopted into.

Oh but Future!William will almost definitely either be extremely awkward around Henry and Charlie, or trying to avoid any chance of running into them.

Which also leads into whether or not Future!Mike told him(or anyone) the details of who Future!William hurt and killed. Cause I think he wouldn't want to ruin the friendship of this timeline's William and Henry, not with the potential for the two to start avoiding each other or Henry starting to become distrustful of William because of something that hasn't and will not happen anyway. But they could also understand that it only happened in Future!Mike's time, not theirs. I think they'd most likely be smart enough to know that, but emotions can definitely cloud people's view on things.

👌

I like that, I don't have much to add other than just my thoughts on the way i think of Mike and David's relationship when they are kids

So... Yeah we see that he bullied him in forth game, but I also think that this narrative is very biased and distorted, maybe because of all the death and suffering and hauntedness of it all, or by the desing of the gam'es creator (in game's creator, I believe in game theory which is basically all the minigame are ACTUAL minigames in universe and are played by both haynted spirits in a way, and kids in universe and were mayde by in universe character (maybe Henry)

And I think from the cutscenes (the anime ones about the rivaly of freddy and foxy) I am talking about this -> article and one of the episodes, It seems to me that their relationship was more of a brotherly rivaly, like... Sometimes Mike would get David, sometime Dave would get his brother, and sure they would scare and upset eachother sometimes, but that's just siblings, and we all know sibling relationship is "noone can bully my sibling but me, i hate that piece of shit but I would die for them"

What happened in last few days befor ethe bite was just prank went too far. Mike found new thing to get under his brother skin, but he didn't realize how deep it cut his sibling, and when he finally did it was too late. But after that he did all he could to reach his brother, and in his final moments all he was thinking about is back to how he saw his realtionship with him, and since it is his perspective, his final moments, and all we know about him is him liking tv shows, it is all in format of a tv show. This is both his perspective and manifestation of his soul in a way

HERE. ENJOY XD

I also enjoyed reading your thoughts please send me more

[bluegekk0]

woe. character building question be upon ye

so how much does Lurien show up in public spaces? also did it change from pre-infection to post-infection? I imagine he'd need to show his face (or mask. idk I think you get my point) and leave his house to be, y'know, trusted to run the city

also as soon as I saw your Lurien desing I started to draw him. I failed horribly. he just kept looking wrong lmao

Not as much as you'd expect. Being the head of the city dead set on culling the criminal population, he's painted quite a target on his back. He does show up to events and can even occasionally be found walking the city streets, accompanied by his bodyguards, of course. He wants to see the state the city is in from the perspective of its inhabitants.

Though it's definirely a much rarer occurence now. He used to show his face (well, he does wear his one eyed Watcher mask most of the time, but you get the idea) a lot more often before becoming the Watcher - he was the nerd type, yes, and would spend most of his free time in the library, but he was quite well known among the wealthy and important. It's how he first got Vyrm's attention and why he eventually became the Watcher. The city residents trusted him, and so did the king, and so he was offered the role.

That trust is the main reason why he runs the city now. The infection killed most of the city's population, and out of all options, he was the most suited for the role. Of course, it took a lot of organizing before he achieved the seat of the head of the city, perhaps there was a vote that would choose the leader, and he unanimously won. Even in his time as the Dreamer, he never lost his good reputation, partially thanks to his Butler. These days he's still respected, but his new position also made him quite an intimidating figure (his unusual appearance certainly plays a part here). His presence commands a lot of respect, and his resolute (and at times ruthless) decision making is not to be messed with - he'll do anything for the city, and any threat to its well being will be dealt with.

So in short, while he does show up on the city streets from time to time, your best bet at meeting him would be visiting his office. Though even then you'd need an invitation, unless you're Vyrm or Grimm, who get his permission to enter by default. They're always welcome at his residence.

[skierisa]

I don’t believe I’m familiar with your ocs so feel free to choose any but 🐉🗡️🧠

I think I could briefly talk about the three of them!

🐉 - Valerie is the only elemental master in her family, neither Nessa or Kenichi have any elemental powers. However, Kenichi taught himself how to use magic once the realms merged. The only power Vanessa has is the shape shifting ability shared by the people of her realm (is just a bit different than the Formlings).

🗡️ - Valerie is very good in combat, but she tends to forget she doesn't need to block and face every attack. Her chosen weapon are iron war fans. Kenichi mostly uses magic and does some sort of jiujitsu style of fight. Vanessa is the "weakest" among them, but knows some capoeira moves and learned how to use the naginata as a hobby (later she would take these more seriously).

🧠 - okay, this might be too long, so sorry in advance

Valerie and Kenichi were first created in 2017 because I wanted werewolf edgy OC's. Valerie used to use an axe instead of war fans, but her overall werewolf thingy and appearance were always the same. She also always had an "alt" aesthetic, or as alt as I could go as a 12 yo in the late 2010's thinking emo was very hardcore (ah, 12yo me was so dumb). I tried my best for her not to be a Mary Sue as well, so her outspoken and impulsive personality was always there. She was also created to be paired with Lloyd and they also always had this "haters to friends to lovers" dynamic. Again, as time went by, I needed to add good personality traita for her as well and I thought that her explosive/impulsive personality would contrast well with her being super nice and patient with kids and actually enjoying to be around them. 2017 Valerie could never! One cool detail about her desing is that her lighter brown locks were inspired by my hair when I was 12. It had lighter, slightly blonde locks because I used to be under the sun a lot (if I try doing this nowadays I'll turn to ashes lol)

Kenichi only started to get a personality once I reworked him like I year ago. He was very different, but things that are still the same is that he has black hair and he smokes (also knows how to use a gun). He started as a comedic relief character, but as time went by I hugged the idea of him being morally grey, yet funny, but always with a card in his sleeve, wishing nothing but the best for the world (he's literally chaotic good rn). The scar on his eye was originally present as a "future self" thing, like, he'd get it during Valerie's fan season, but I liked the idea so I made it part of him from the start of the story.

Nessa was created randomly when I was 12 because I wanted to give Valerie some drama that wasn't "her parents are dead" kind of drama, so I thought adding a surprise twin sister would be nice. Well it wasn't, and I knew that, so I killed Nessa off and she became a vangeful spirit only Valerie could see. When I decided to rework Valerie, I revisited Vanessa's concept, whose personality seemed to never be right. Having recently watched C09 gameplays and Scott Pilgrim movies (plus reading the comics) I thought mixing Jecka and Julie Powers with a character from Teen Monica's Gang (Denise) would be funny. I did this because Nessa's personality would always end up as "too shy to live" or "too superficial to be interesting", so I gave her this "she's an asshole" kind of personality, except it's just because she's harsh and likes to take care of others, so her harshness is because of her wish to see others doing well. Like she has redeemable qualities that's what I mean ldhdkdjfi

Anyway, that's it! Thank you very much for the ask, I love talking about my OC's and thought this game would be a fun way to talk about them without doing 100s of random posts fhjdhdjd

[some-overlyrandom-stuff]

So, Penacony.

It's been quite a rollercoaster, but unfortunately with, mostly lows a few small ups.

The ups are that I really enjoy the care they've put into the level desing and all the small minigames around the map, I had a blast exploring the map. Also I really didn't care for Acheron before seeing her in game, and now that I know she's a dork (and all around the best character introduced with Penacony, along with my boy Misha) I love her and will probably go all put on her banner.

Now for the elephant in the room: Firefly's death.

So this is probably an hot take on this, but I think her death, or more specifically, when her death happens, kind of diminished the whole update. Before jumping at my throat, let me explain: this is the updated when we are introduced to Penacony and the new cast of characters, but all is crammed and at the same time slowed because we have like, and hour and a half, to create an emotional connection with her, so that her death will have an impact on us. Whether Firefly comes back or no after pulling a Tingyun (please stop killing off characters that are introduced as a guide it's will lose impact) is irrelevant. It would have been better to stage her death at the start of the next update in my opinion, give us really the time to start to know her and care for her, instead of forcedly pushing her on us and then kill her.

The second thing I dislike is Robin: she's completely useless, and then gets killed so now Sunday is angry and wants vengeance. Literally the definition of fridging, and a very cheap way of using her character (I will not change my mind on this)

Then there's the thing with Duke Inferno, but I'll attribute that to Adventurine being completely full of shit and will not trust any words coming out of his mouth (if that's true, however, it's the worst choice they could ever make)

Last but not least, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIMEKO'S TIME TO SHINE! WHERE IS SHE? WHY ISN'T SHE GRACING US WITH HER PRESENCE? All the teasing on her possible death and then she's given less screen time than SAMPO FUCKING KOSKI

Of course all of this will be forgiven if in the next update I'm given the option to bash Adventurine's head in with my baseball

[fableworld]

How I imagine Ryou Bakura would look in his thirties/forties. 

same goes for Yami Bakira/Thief king Bakura

Ryou's desing is based after both pictures I could find on his father(DM and DsoD) and just went from there. Bakura's design is based after men design I could find of Kul Elna men. 

in my story(Rise the Sun), Ryou managed to resurrect Bakura and now he is the ward of the once evil spirit since he is under a new spell which does that when Ryou dies, so does he. this means Bakura have sworn to protect Ryou's life and they just slowly turn familiar with each other from there. Bakura is still an snarky bastard but a lot of his violence tendency have been mellowed out. he will still beat people if they threaten Ryou's life but he prefer to live instead of survive for once. 

Ryou decided go full in with his fascination with the occult. he learned to summon his own Ka and he can also do a handful of magic tricks such as summoning spirits. making warding  spells and banish certain types of monsters(he more than once threaten to do the same to Bakura when he is too annoying. they both know he wouldn't do it). most of it is done by help of the necklace and bracelet he wore. he also decided to live a little and is traveling all around the world to study the occult which does make him go the same path as his father, but he is a bit better to avoid more dangerous objects since he is fully aware what dark objects can do to the mind.

as you can see, he have collected a few scars over the years. all of them are from his search of the occult. he would have been killed or seriously hurt by some of his trips, if not Bakura have saved his hide. Bakura have taken most of the injuries since he can pretty much not die by them. only Ryou can kill him, actually. 

Ryou still lives in his apartment in Domino City, and he is the go-to guy for the rest of the group if they need insights into Myths, Gods, monsters, or, of course, the occult. 

[val-the-protoss-simp]

Yeah Ihave a few difvbduhfvdv. I'm glad you enjoy my traumatised purple bean! I see this as a pretty tall order because it feels like there’s a million of them fvhidbfvkd but yeah okay, I’ll do what I can to somewhat introduce them. If anything, it might help with the crushing, overwhelming feeling of not knowing what and when to start uploading shit because of the literal *hundreds* pieces of art I accumulated over the past few years. I’ll also divide this into three parts because otherwise this post would be way too long.

Part 1/3 the Tal'darim <- you're here

Part 2/3 the Khalai

Part 3/3 the Nerazim

The Tal’darim

Dal’ranak is probably the most developed Taldy I have and also the oldest, dating to maybe 2016 or 2017. He remains mostly unchanged from how I imagined him back then, only receiving desing tweeks last year because I wanted him to look more spiky. He was kind of a foil to Zhakul (who we will talk about later) and a “looks into the camera like he's on the Office” moment that showed you can’t solve your problems by getting angry at them and beating them up. He has a really mean mommy and makes it everyone’s problem for like the first eighty, ninety years of his life before he goes “Ah, maybe I shouldn’t be an asshole. Maybe the problems I deal with are my own to deal with and I shouldn’t take my mommy issues on everyone else.” 

So as any sane person would, he then decides to kill his mother in a Rak’Shir as revenge for making him that way in the first place. You know. As you do. A completely normal reaction imo. Anyway, while he’s climbing the Chain to get to Y’rash’s Ascendant position just to kill her, he realises how deeply flawed and messed up his society is and after he yeets her, decides to attempt to become the Highlord just so he can break the cycle and free his people from their self-imposed misery.

I haven’t yet decided if he will succeed. Like, he 100% yeets Y’rash (Rest In Piss) but idk if he makes it to Highlord yet, mostly because I’m not sure if he’s both physically and mentally strong enough to get on the very top of the Chain of Ascension and then survive Tal’darim cutthroat politics while he essentially forces his entire race to do a 180 of their entire culture.

(Dal's story also used to be veeeeery different back in like 2017 when I came up with him, in a sense that him and Zhakul became a ThingTM down the centuries. But as I grew older, I realised how incredibly fucked up and toxic this would be and decided that this just isn't the kind of story I want to write about, especially not for Zhakul. So Dal's was changed in about 2021/2022 to what it is now.)

Nerus. I keep scrapping and reviving this character over and over again because I cannot decide whether his story is good/interesting enough to go with (Also because it’d be strongly tied to yet another character and I’m not sure *this* is the best path for her to take) I think he’s from, like, early 2022?? Anyway, it was from a time I still HCd that protoss crests never stopped growing and since this bitch was supposed to be like 800 years old, his was fucking massive. 

(Also from a time I HCd that the older a protoss is, the more bony and spiky they look until they essentially resemble a mummified body. Which ended up being a double edged sword for me because it meant drawing him with a really thin face and I don’t particularly like protoss with very thin, almost beak-like faces because they then remind me too much of a Tesla logo ifhbvkdfvdgb)

I love the kind of stories where, like, a god that was killed didn’t actually die. That thing is too divine and too powerful to truly be killed, something too incomprehensible for mortal minds to ever understand. The idea that the corpse of a god still radiates some kind of energy or magic that can be harnessed for whatever reason, that it still seeps out of the carcass and influences the world it died in is very very interesting to me, and also whether this residual energy could  be harnessed in whatever way to bring that divine being back to life. The Xel'naga are born of the Void and can shape it to their will, it's a part of them, forever and always. Amon already came back once, so why not again? 

The way I see it, Nerus was a powerful priest of some Amon-centred religion/cult for a looooooong time and was completely dedicated to his god and the duties his position enticed. His only goal in life would be to serve him, whatever it meant, even if the will of his god was the eradication of Nerus’s own people and the universe as a whole. 

He greatly disliked Alarak from the moment he defeated Nuroka in a Rak'shir because he saw him as a potential threat to his religion and his god's great plan, which would only escalate when Alarak actually became the Highlord and was like "Lmfaoooo, Amon fucked us over, guys, time to yeet him" Nerus then saw his life’s work collapse all around him as nearly all Tal’darim turned their backs on Amon and instead joined Alarak in his quest to kill him. The ultimate heresy. He then went into voluntary exile and set himself on a path of finding out how to revive his dead god, because he wants nothing more but to serve him. He doesn't care how many people die on his quest, or even if he personally is successful. He only cares about figuring out if it's possible and either doing it himself or preparing someone else to do it in his stead.

And, as if this bitch wasn’t creepy enough, he was like 11ft tall and VERY spindly as additional contrast to the character he was supposed to share the story with, who was barely 5ft artist challenge: draw your OC in a way Vivziepop would draw them-*gunshot*

Y’rash, formerly Ulzea, because her original name sounded Nerazim-y instead of something a Taldy would be called. I fucking hate this character, mostly because I can’t get her design to look the way I want to. She’s on her *fourth* redesign now and I am STILL not satisfied with the way she looks. The black and white sketch of her is the most recent one and the one that’s most accurate to how I imagine her but it’s still not a 100%

Anyway, this is Dal’s mommy that was mentioned earlier (whether she’s his biological mother or just someone who stole a child and brainwashed them into thinking she’s their parent is left for interpretation. Probably the latter, who knows. I know.) She only ever saw him as a meatshield to use for her own gain and protection. Y’rash was a fairly highly positioned Ascendant but also unlike many others who climb the Chain because of ambition, power or just to hone their skills, she was comfortable where she was in the link because of the power it offered her, also being low enough to escape most political attention and not be deemed a big threat. The problem was that the only way she could stay where she was meant she had to beat anyone who challenged her for her position, and she didn’t particularly want to risk someone stronger than her climbing up and usurping her (read: kill her to get her job)

So, as any sane person would do, she decided to bring up her own child in a way that would assure her place in the Chain, meaning that Dal was supposed to hone his combat skills, become *stronger* than her and eventually climb, only to then position himself directly under her, so any potential challenger goes after him and not her, all while he’s completely brainwashed into blind loyalty towards her. He was one of many, but was her absolute favourite (read: he was the strongest) and for a while, he enjoyed the kind of twisted attention she “showered” him in because it was the closest thing to love he experienced so far. 

That all ended when he got gravely injured on Endion, losing a whole limb, while the rest of his "siblings" made it out of the war with lesser injuries. This catapulted him from the position of the faavourite child to the very bottom of the family hierarchy, which he wasn't coping with at all. He was desperate for Y'rash's approval and as such was agreed to everything his mother wanted of him to win it back, something that eventually got him on Shakuras where he met Zhakul. Bla bla bla some shenanigans ensue, he gets a taste of what real love and kindness is, then it's all ripped away from him again because of his own hubris. He decides to blame Y'rash for this and the rest can be found in his section ifbvifjhnbf

(Story is subject to change tho. This was made up around 2016/2017 when I was still a teenager and I now see this as something very outdated with about as many plotholes as a cobweb has. I started rewriting this in early 2023 but because I only have such raw, early concepts for this story, I still see this as the more coherent of the two plotlines so for now this one is canon for the AU. So. Subject to change)

ANYWAY. Her plan kinda falls apart when her son decides that he’s had enough of her bullshit , comes back to Slayn and starts climbing the Chain with the intention to kill her instead of just taking a secure place right beneath her. She sees this as the ultimate betrayal, of course, but oh well. Maybe next time take your son to Disneyland once a decade or so to better make him believe your bullshit.

[punisheye]

Wolfwood and his shadow mirror each other's wounds— bullet to the gut, bullet to the shoulder, a slice on the cheek, but lacking the broken, bruised ribs. And the Shadow still handles it much better. If Wolfwood were at his full strength, unhindered, he'd still be standing tall and fighting without flinching.

But now he feels more human than ever, with blood in his mouth, an arm around his ribs, his breathing hard and uneven, pain shooting through him with each movement. Even when he died in the face of the younger Stampede, he wasn't in as rough of shape as this. It'd be so easy to reach into his jacket for the thing that would heal him in an instant, wouldn't it?

Especially now, with Vash pinning it to the sand, gun to its head. It gives him time. His heart jackrabbits.

The acrid stench of that blue liquid is thick in his nose; it's drying in his hair, on the skin of his neck. It burns there, too. Always burned worse than alcohol going down. Wolfwood, with one arm braced on the Punisher, dips his fingers beneath his jacket. They brush over the pouch there, five vials tucked away neatly just beneath his gun holster. Temptation.

But what Vash is saying makes him pause, and clearly rattles the Shadow, too, because it's gawking at him, eyes wide. It's the same as Wolfwood's own.

"I—"

Both the Shadow and Wolfwood speak at the same time, which makes them both shut up. The monster's eyes cut to him, then back to Vash, and its teeth bare in an ugly snarl as it twists under Vash, using its full weight to flip them over. The opposing cross is held over its shoulder, angled down so Vash has to stare up the length of it. Fingers twitch, prepared to turn the dial—

And another bullet tears into the Shadow's firing arm, then another. Adrenaline has Wolfwood stumbling forward, his own Punisher forgotten in the sand, only his Grader held close, and he full-body tackles his twisted doppelganger, sending them both sprawling into the sand. The other Punisher skids to a stop a few feet away. Wolfwood shoves the Grader under the Shadow's chin.

It looks up at him, stunned. The gun nuzzles into its chin, pushing its head back. Its eyes blaze with rage, and Wolfwood's finger is on the trigger when he sees it, something flash there, just beneath the anger.

Fear.

He pulls his finger from the trigger before he can even think about it. The gun is pulled back. The Shadow trembles with fury and something else and its breath is coming out in short gasps. It isn't trying to fling him off.

Wolfwood hunches over it, his hand pressed to the sand. Their eyes meet and he says, voice hoarse, "I see you."

"You coulda shot me then, ended all this—" It rasps out in response. "I'll kill ya, both of ya, as many times as I have to, y'know that?"

"Well, I'm still sittin' here, alive. You haven't tossed me off even though we both know you can."

It swallows. Its fingers twitch as its hands raise, coming up to hold Wolfwood's face. Its hands are cold. Its nails dig in.

"I killed our friends," it mumbles.

"...I know."

"They still trusted me."

They believed in him. In Wolfwood. Despite all these awful, ugly things bared to the world. They saw him— not a monster, but him, and it makes Wolfwood dizzy.

"I know."

"I don't know why," its voice is weaker now. Those nails don't dig any deeper. "Why they'd still love me. Look."

"I'm lookin'. I see you. Are you scared?"

Silence, save for the wind that blows over them. Wolfwood swallows hard. The Shadow is still looking at him, red eyes wide. And so, so afraid.

It— he doesn't respond. It's enough of an answer.

"You don't gotta be scared," Wolfwood says, and he feels a little like he's back at the orphanage, consoling one of the younger children. "No one's gonna hurt you anymore."

The hands on his face are warm, now. The Shadow makes a choked sound. His arms fall to the ground again. Wolfwood slumps down, his cheek pressed to dark hair, his hand coming to the back of his skull. He closes his eyes.

"Yer safe, Nico."

In the freezing desert night he holds the manifestation of his self-loathing and he doesn't let go. No other words are exchanged. There is nothing else to say.

He doesn't know how long the three of them are there before a stronger gust of wind passes through, where the shadows melt away and Wolfwood is left holding nothing, his forehead pressed to the sand.

★ --;; Dual crosses swing up to aim and fire and Vash is out from behind Wolfwood again in a flash; it won't do much good to stay at his back when there's only one target, right there in front of him. Especially not with a rain of gunfire crossing the gap between them as though it were a terrible bridge between them both. It at least gives Vash enough of an opening to duck and weave himself through one of the crumbling sections of the wall that blocks off the city. To take aim and fire once then twice and again all in rapid succession, though it does worryingly little to the shadow's grip as bullets ricochet against his Punisher's side, as one more embeds itself in his shoulder. It doesn't even flinch.

Wolfwood's rushing him before Vash has the chance to move again. Instinct dictates him to take up the rear, to take moving cover for what it was, just like the countless times before metal shield had left the path open for his own precision. Despite whatever handicaps the Stars may have put on him though Wolfwood' still fast, all trained muscle and honed reflexes, and even as Vash is hauling himself back up and over with his own regained speed the clang of metal against metal still reaches his ears before he makes it.

On fleet feet Vash circles, gun raised and trying to get a clear shot between flailing weaponry and limbs alike so as not to catch Wolfwood in the crossfire-- but it's too late, and the sickening crunch of barrel against rib send that nauseous feeling in his gut back into overdrive as Wolfwood skids across the sand.

"Nick!"

How quickly nearly every emotion in Vash's chest is replaced with protective rage. One foot goes flying in front of the other only to be cut off by another round of machine gun fire warding him off, sending him dancing sideways and perpendicular away from where they so desperately want to carry him. A hiss punches through bared teeth as pain blossoms in his thigh, dark leather painted even darker with bloodstain. The ease with which the doppelganger strides over to where Wolfwood is pushing himself up sends another flare of anger up his throat.

Vash isn't stupid enough to think that the shadow is completely distracted by bared teeth and blood spit up against the sand; the Punisher's too far away, in too close of a position to them for him to run and grab hold of it. The scent of the vial feels as though it singes his nose, even as far away as he is, and it sends him reeling. Makes every nerve in his body light up, because he'd sworn if he'd ever seen one of those cursed things again he'd shoot it right out from between the holder's fingers.

His body moves and everything's a blur. White noise had begun blaring in his ears as soon as the chemical scent had scorched his nostrils, and before he's even entirely aware of where he is there's the distinct bang of the Grader radiating in his ears. The shadow staggers backwards on unsteady feet just as he's on top of the both of them, just in time for Vash to ram his shoulder into his back.

It's stupid. It's so, so, stupid, but he knows how poor the cross does in close quarters, and in a rare flex of his own strength Vash has one knee dug into firing wrist, pinned at what's got to be a painful angle as it attempts to keep its hold on the dial, regardless of whatever angle the Punisher is left with, the other knee dug tightly into punctured gut. The barrel of the Colt sits square between his eyes.

His finger sits long against the barrel.

The sand settles quickly from the brief altercations, having been kicked up so violently. Harsh pants push their way past his lips as the angry buzzing in the back of his head dies. Even with his own strength Vash knows for a fact it would be nothing for the shadow to throw him off again, just as he had sent him sprawling in the dirt, but he's at least got to try.

"Stop this," he manages, voice a low growl and eyebrows furrowed. "You loved those kids before I ever even showed up. Are you deaf? I said you're bad at playing. You were never a monster. This isn't ever what your heart would be. I couldn't change something if it wasn't already there. So let it go."

[pixelchills]

I just wanted to say two things:

1: I’m glad I’m not the only one who wanted more fluff than what tsams is offering (gosh, stop breaking them, give us joy gdi). I stopped for a similar reason. I want happy lord not all this depressing angst.

2: I’m so sorry people kept comparing your work to tsams, it’s not alike at all! I’m also sad we won’t get to see your lunar eclipse character. I would’ve been very interested to know how he turned out. People don’t realize how hurtful comparisons can be. (I almost killed Roth because someone called him a magical girl because of how he shapeshifts.) Is there any chance you could give a summary of what the Lunar Eclipse would’ve been like? Or is he just gone for good and you don’t want to mention him?

Sorry if this is annoying. Just wanted to say, I’m with you on fluff (which is why I love your work. Perfect balance of angst and fluff! We learn about something painful, and then there are hugs. Something scary happens, and then there are plushies. Well balanced), and I’m sorry you felt you had to remove your lunar eclipse.

Thank you for the nice message!

I know I'm an angst writer myself but depression with no fluff to make up for any of it is not enjoyable. I just think they should've continued with mostly gaming stuff and funnier lore videos after Eclipse was defeated.

But that's just my opinion and I am allowed to stop watching/enjoying content when it doesn't tickle my fancy anymore. If they ever happen to start doing happier and fluffier videos again I might start watching them again, but as of now I feel like the story has gone a bit downhill from what it used to be; too many universes, too many characters, it gets confusing and I don't particularly like how some of the characters are written, like Moon being the OP emo genius, but again, that's just my opinion 😂

What comes to the Lunar Eclipse character I was going to have, here's the deal;

The Lunar Eclipse character is still technically there, but the desing and name have been changed from what I originally had in mind. Lunar would have been a girl.

A big spoiler for "Lunar" to the far future of ANSSW:

"Lunar" was going to be Sun and Moon's adopted daughter. A baby stage Animutant who had to be taken out of the incubator tank too early because of the Apocalypse.

She is still sleeping because she hasn't developed fully. There's a 10% chance that she'll wake up before she is fully grown, but the 90% chance is that it will now take about 200 years since she is no longer in the incubator liquid.

Her new name is Dawn.

[lawliet-ryuzaki-ryuga]

chapter 3

word count: 2631

TW: none

Go figures, I didn’t get much sleep, maybe around 2 hours. I put on my usual outing outfit, a pair of black jeans with a black tank top. I was never one for dressing up, but it’s not like I also had many choices to pick from. I walked out mentally preparing to see all of them but before I could mentally prepare I heard Misa. 

“Y/N/N Good morning are you ready to have the best day of your life and see the wonders of being a female!” She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the elevator to head down stairs.

“Surprisingly I am, I guess it would be nice to see what i’ve been missing out on.”

“ Since we’re now friends we can tell each other all our darkest secrets and talk boys! Or girls if you want!”

“Yay fun.”

Once we both made it to the main office, all the men were facing either screens or looking at papers. Once they heard our footsteps they turned around, everyone besides Light and L. 

“Hey Light! Y/N/N and I are going to be out all day, so don’t miss me too much! Y/N/N has never had a girls day and I’m going to show her all the pleasures of shopping!” She hugs Light and he squirms in place. 

“I don’t think that’s a good ide–” Light is cut off by Misa. 

“ Of course it’s a good idea! L don’t you think it’s a good idea for your girlfriend to go shopping!”

“ Y/N/N is not my girlfriend, I don’t particularly want nor have the time for one. But if you must, then please do go, i wouldn’t want to stop you two from bonding.” L not giving much attention to anyone. 

Misa lets go of Light and comes to me and pulls my hand and leads me away from everyone and back into the elevator. 

—-

We are now walking around going from shop to shop, and i do have to say that shopping is very fun. I don’t think I’ve tried so many different things! Misa was right, dresses are amazing! Of course I love my sweat pants, and leggings for the most part, but I feel a lot more confident and prettier in a dress. 

“ Misa, what do you think of this dress?”

“ Y/N/N! I love it! Oh my gosh you need to wear that when we go back! If L didn’t call you his girlfriend before, he will now! Oh how I wish I was like you!”

“ Like me, why? I wish I was more like you! You’re so outgoing, and pretty and you know how to dress and everyone loves you. I’m nothing without my skills.”

“ Are you kidding me! You're so smart and you’re pretty too! Maybe yes I know how to look the part but with these new clothing, and once we get your hair and nails done! And I will teach you how to wear makeup, You will be better than me, just stay away from Light, or I will kill you.”

I turned my head at that statement so quickly, I’m pretty sure I got whiplash. “ you would kill me?”

“Um yeahh, if you start talking to my boyfriend! If you talk to anyone’s boyfriend, the girl will want to kill you. You’ll understand one day!”

“I don’t think I’ll understand, I don’t see myself being with anyone.”

“ Ugh Y/N/N do you not like anyone!”

“ I suppose not.”

“ Not even L?”

“Why do you insist that L and I are together? I hardly know him.”

“ Well I mean you’re always around him, do you not talk with each other?”

“ No, not unless it’s about the case, besides that not really. He’s busy with his own thoughts about the case and I’m too busy analyzing everyone’s actions and patterns.” 

“You’re no fun! Light was the same with me, but now he loves me! You just have to keep talking with them! And do whatever they say, that way you can show that you’re faithful to them!”

“I don’t think I want to do whatever someone says, people who are submissive to those all the time means they have no direction in life, or know how to rule their own life. And wouldn’t talking to someone all the time make them annoyed?”

“ Well not if they love you, if they love you they will always want you around!”

“But Light doesn’t always want you around, He always tries to pull himself away, or freezes and never hugs you back when you hug him.. I think you deserve someone better Misa, someone who will want to take you out like you deserve.”

“ Light Loves me, he just has a weird way of expressing it! Imagine Ryuzaki, if you think Light is so bad of a boyfriend, just wait till you see ryuzaki! He would probably accuse you of being kira and your dates with him will be him kidnapping you and talking to you through a speaker.”

With that i laugh, probably one of the loudest laughs i have ever experienced. 

“ I guess you’re right! But I’m not really interested.”

“ Not really? So there's a possibility!”

I look at Misa, this has to be the most attention she’s ever given a conversation, not to mention she’s paying attention to every single word I’m saying. If she kept trying and practicing she could end up taking my job.

-4 hours later-

We had finally finished with getting our nails and hair done, both of which were my first time. When I looked at the new me in the mirror, I didn't know how to react.  

“ Y/N/N you look amazing! Wow I just know while we’re walking back to headquarters everyone with eyes will be looking at you!”

Misa wasn’t wrong, when as we walked back, i felt everyone looking at me, today was filled with new things. First it was the dresses, my nails and hair, now I have experienced so much attention. 

We finally made it inside and I could drop the heavy bags on the floor. 

“ Hey guys! I hope you didn’t miss us too much!”

The Task forces all had looked up and Mr.Matsuda was the first to speak as always. 

“ WOW- Y/N/N you look so different, you look so beautiful- I mean you were always beautiful, but You look so feminin.. I’m not saying you looked like a guy bef–”

“ Thank you Matsuda, I know what you mean.”

“ That’s what I said Matsuda, doesn’t she look amazing! Come on Ryuzaki, you're not even going to tell her that she looks great?” Misa jumps in speaking to L.

L turns around slowly and looks in my direction, though it was subtle, I noticed that his eyes widened. He doesn’t say anything and just stares at me.. The room gets quiet as the tension in the room becomes worse. Before L turns back around he speaks; “ Yes you look different, I much prefer your old self.”

“Ryuzaki you can’t just tell a girl that! Tell her that she’s beautiful and that she looks nice! This was her first time doing any of this and you ruined it for her!” Misa yells as she stomps towards L’s chair to spin him around. 

“ If you don’t tell Y/N/N that she looks pretty, I will Gouge your eyes out so you never see such beauty again, do you understand me?”

“I’m sure Ms. Y/N/N is aware of her own beauty and doesn’t need me saying it. Light, please tell Misa to leave me alone, we have work to do.” He spins back towards the desk without another word.

Light tells Misa to leave and she does with huff, she tells me “ lets go” as she pulls me back towards the elevators. For some reason I felt upset, was it because I hoped L would say something? No. Maybe I’m upset because I think Misa and Matsuda were lying to me, but their tone of voice sounded like they meant it.. They didn’t break eye contact nor did they blink a lot when they spoke, now I’m  just overthinking everything. My thoughts are interrupted by Misa speaking. 

“ I can’t believe he did that, Ugh i think you should go for Matsuda, he talks too much but at least he appreciates your beauty!”

“ I’m not bothered much by his comment, he’s right, he doesn’t have to tell me about my beauty. As for Matsuda, I will pass. He is very kind but I feel like he’s too gullible for my liking, and again I don't see myself being with anyone.”

The night had finally come to an end, and I was getting ready for bed. Now I’m actually exhausted and think I will actually sleep. I already showered, and put my hair up so i don’t ruin the salon blowout, and washed the new clothing, so i could wear one of the new pairs of pajamas. 

Just as I was about to shut the lights off, I saw a small paper slide under my door. I got up quick in hopes to catch the person, but by the time I opened the door my hallway was empty. I pick up the note and read over the words. 

“ You looked beautiful. - L”

I read over the note over and over, looking at every letter, seeing how every letter was written trying to see if this was really L, or if it was someone else who was just trying to play with me..

Once I was able to confirm that it was in fact L, based on the note from yesterday. I knew that he could possibly be watching me through the Cameras to see my reaction… So, I threw the note away. 

—-

L (POV):

When I saw Y/N I was left speechless. I had never really been left without words, the only times of which that has happened was when there was a sudden change of behavior when Light and Misa were in confinement.. 

when Misa had mentioned they’d be going out, I just thought it was Y/N way of trying to find something out about Misa. But when I saw her come back a completely different person .. I didn’t know what to say. 

For some reason after I saw her, I remembered Matsuda’s reaction. It had annoyed me? Nothing he said was false, but for some reason I didn’t like what he said.. and I can’t put my finger on it.. 

After Misa had threatened me I thought what I said was good enough. I didn’t call her ugly, Quite the opposite. I said I didn’t need to tell her she’s pretty since I’m sure she’s aware of it.

Once the girls had left, Chief Yagami spoke, “ L I know you don’t have much experience with women. But Misa was correct, you tell them they’re beautiful. Just because we think that they know they’re pretty, doesn’t mean that they actually think they are.” 

Mochi jumps in as well: “ I’m not one to diverge from the case, but i agree. Every girl wants to be told she’s beautiful.”

“ yeahhh, especially when they’re like Y/N/N, I would definitely shoot my shot with her, but I think she thinks I’m an idiot.” Matsuda interjects with a blush creeping onto his cheeks. 

There it goes again.. this.. this anger or irritation when he talks about her. Is it jealousy, I don’t think so. I’ve never been jealous. 

“ she isn’t wrong to think that Mr.Matsuda.”

Matsuda stops and looks at me with a look of discontent. 

—-

It’s finally night and I have been staring at the note that I had written for Y/N, debating if I should give it to her. It’s just 3 words.. nothing more or less, yet somehow I’m more nervous than when I speak with important people. 

I call Watari to come and pick up the note and instruct him to slide the note under Y/N door. I didn’t need light knowing about this, he’s currently asleep on the chair beside me. So he doesn’t know what the note is even about. 

I watch from my laptop as Watari makes it to her room, he slides the note under the door. And Is quick to hide into the shadows. It was seconds after the note was slid under that Y/N opened the door. She looks around as she holds the note in her hand, she finally closes the door and flips the note over . 

She looks at it for a while and finally gets another paper.. what is she doing? She looks back and forth between the two papers and that’s when it hits me. She’s trying to see if it’s actually from me. Just as I think she’s going to keep it like the last note, she does the opposite. She throws the note away. 

Was I not supposed to say that, did I upset her before and now the note made it worse? Am I supposed to call her or someone beautiful in person and not over paper? Should I speak with her tomorrow, no, it will be awkward. But I’ll need to work with her, maybe if I don’t bring it up she won’t. 

What if she brings it up and says she’s mad, what do I say back? Why are women so complicated? I had no problems with any of this until she came along. 

Until Elies brings her and decides to ruin my focus. I should be focused on this case and catching Kira, not focusing on if I was wrong in calling a girl beautiful over paper. 

… what if she never speaks to me again? Lawliet, stop over thinking this and get back to the case. I will just keep my distance from her, I do not need whatever little emotions to get in the way. If she becomes an issue, she will have to go. 

—--

The next day rolled in and I had not gone to sleep, i was too preoccupied by all of the things in front of me. I’m sure that Light is getting fed up with having to always sleep on the chair since I refuse to move from the desk. But this is the only place where I can stay focused.

Y/N came in but hadn’t spoken a word to me besides a good morning and looking over video tapes all morning. I debated if i should speak with her in private but went against that thought and stayed put. We are currently looking at all the files and seeing how the numbers of companies and how Yotsuba’s competitors are somehow dying..

“ Ryuzaki didn’t Chief Yagami mention the last couple of deaths being on Saturday and Friday? It looks like the deaths of many of the competitors happen during the weekends… Offices are usually closed, meaning there is a less likelihood of the police or anyone connecting their death to any prior meetings.. Making the deaths seem random or unrelated. ”

I turned to look at Y/N surprised to see she even addressed me,” Yes that’s true.. I’ll have Watari get us more information on the people who work in the office.”

“ No need to do that, Y/N/N had already asked me to get all of the files on every person in the company. “ Mochi comes in putting the papers between Y/N/N and I

“ Thank you Mr.Mochi, I knew I would be needing this at one point.”

I’m left unsure what to say, she was a step ahead of me, we came to the same assumptions yet, she was faster at it.. What's going on.