#I'm finding that really weird and unsettling honestly

[ladyphlogiston]

Paul followed Eden through the interconnected clay-lined rooms of the Home, feeling the floor sway slightly below his feet.

"Is the floor moving, or is that dizziness or something?" he finally asked.

"That's real," Eden told him, "We're moving, and Home always rocks when we do that. It's the legs moving."

"Legs?" Paul asked, ducking through one last doorway and entering a wide room.

The room had several tables. At one end, a round table was set near a fireplace, covered in brightly woven cloth. At the other end, four long workbenches were covered in books, tools, fabric, and all sorts of creative detritus.

In the middle of the room, a young woman was standing on a platform that was set below the floor of the room, so that her head was level with the tables. Her clear similarity to Eden marked her as another of her sisters, though this one's hair was pulled back into a long braid. She appeared to be walking on the unseen platform.

She turned to smile up at Paul. "Legs!" she confirmed. "It's the simplest way to move Home. We keep the legs partially assembled when we're not using them."

Paul looked at her, puzzled. When he listened, he could hear thumps and creaks from below. "So...you're controlling legs on the house?"

She nodded. "I'm Hestia. Vesta and I have the Crafting Gift, so we manage the legs."

"So Eden has empathy or something, and she said Zillah knows where people should be, and now you and Vesta have a crafting gift. What does that do?" Paul asked. He crossed to one of the chairs at the round table, so he wouldn't tower about Hestia so much. Eden served him a slice of bread and some roasted vegetables, and then went to sit over by the benches.

"We make things - assemble them out of rocks and sticks and whatever else is on hand - and they become real," Hestia explained. "They only last as long as we're paying attention, but that's long enough. We have six legs for the Home, like an ant, and we make them work by walking or swinging when we need to move."

Paul nodded. He glanced over at Eden, who had wrapped an orange headband around her head and was turned away from them, but decided she didn't want to be bothered. He ate his food.

-----

A few minutes later, two more women entered. One was a mirror image of Hestia, and Paul realized she must be Vesta. She came over to the table and set down a sizzling pan, which promptly turned into a piece of flat slate rock with hot sausages on it. The other woman looked a little older, and her hair streamed straight down her back, well past her waist. She sat down and began slicing the rest of the loaf of bread.

"Any progress?" Hestia asked, looking up at them.

Vesta sighed. "We have the list for Lorton, of course, but no. Zillah still says Acoda Keep, and I don't see anything that will get us in." She turned to Paul. "I'm Vesta, by the way, and this is Zillah. Your name is Paul?"

Paul nodded. "What's Acoda Keep?"

Zillah sighed. "Acoda Keep is a fortress controlled by Brusha, the harbor city to the south. There's an herb, greenroot, that can be used for powerful healing. Brusha's army torched most of it, about a decade ago, and now the only greenroot is in Acoda Keep."

"I assume it's heavily defended?" Paul asked.

Vesta nodded. "We've dreamed of getting some for years, so it can be grown again, but there's no way we can get in."

"So why try?" Paul asked.

"Because that's what my gift says, and Giftings only work if you listen to them. And maybe we'll find something unexpected - you never know - but the point is obedience. If you aren't careful to listen to your gift, it'll seem to be working just fine, but it'll be less and less effective." Zillah stabbed her sausage and took a bite.

"Do you want to swing in a bit?" Hestia asked.

Zillah sighed. "I should. It'll help me sort out my thoughts. Unless you need a turn, Eden?" she called across.

Eden flapped a hand but didn't turn around.

"Okay," Zillah replied, and continued her meal.

"So you have the Crafting gift too, right?" Paul asked Vesta. "What sort of things do you make? I mean what do you like making?"

Vesta's eyes lit up. "I don't get much use out of them, but I love making weapons. Swords and spears in cool shapes, and especially powerful bows and arrows, and I like making armor too. Though temporary armor is ridiculous. Once in a while there's a use for the ranged weapons, but armor that falls apart if you're knocked unconscious is just dangerous."

"Do you see much fighting?" Paul asked, worried. He didn't have any background in weapons training!

"We mostly see the aftermath," Vesta explained. "The cities are all fighting each other, and there's bandits as well, but Zillah's gift keeps us where we can be useful, which means avoiding a lot of the fighting. Even if we were better at fighting, Eden's gift means she can be overwhelmed easily, so we have to be careful."

"Oh, okay."

Zillah had finished, so Hestia brought the house to a halt and climbed out of the hole in the floor. She lay on her stomach and stuck her head and arms into the hole, apparently rearranging the legs. Paul felt the house settle onto the ground, and then pick itself up again. Hestia got up and served herself at the table, and Zillah descended into the hole and disappeared from sight.

"Zillah likes to swing instead of walking," Vesta explained.

"How high are the legs?" Paul asked. The movements up and down had surprised him.

"The Home is usually around ten feet off the ground, but it varies a little," said Vesta, passing her sister the vegetables. "We need the legs to be long so they can take long steps."

I don't have a title for this yet. Also it is entirely unedited. Usually I make my husband edit my writing, but he's sick.

Anyway, this is the first part of my @inklings-challenge story. I have the next bit mostly written in my head and some of the rest sort of plotted? Honestly I don't know. It might be Terrible. We'll see.

"Where should we be next, Zillah?" Vesta asked.

Zillah straightened up, shook her long brown braid back, and surveyed the ruins of the village of Cubrickton. The survivors of the fire had been relocated to the remaining homes, and wounded were being treated in the Home's infirmary. Hestia was helping to rebuild some of the houses, but high summer meant there would be plenty of time and available hands to rebuild before the harvest. They could probably move on.

"How is Eden doing?" she asked.

Vesta shrugged. "She's okay. Getting tired, but everyone has been treated so the heavy triage is over."

Zillah nodded. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms together, focusing inwards on her Gift. She opened her eyes again. "We're still supposed to be here," she said, frowning.

Vesta looked around. "Why? Did we miss someone?"

Zillah shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe there's something else coming and they need our help building?"

"Might as well." Vesta moved towards the nearest burned-out shell. She picked up a half-burned board, tucked it under her arm, and began sifting through the rubble for others.

Zillah worked her way along the side of the ruined wall, collecting china plates that must have fallen from an interior shelf. Some of them were intact.

A purple light formed in the air between them, rippling oddly in the air. Both the sisters turned to look at it, then look at each other in consternation.

"Or maybe we're here for that?" Zillah suggested.

"Any idea what it is?" Vesta asked, backing away carefully.

"My Gift just says it's a portal, which is less helpful than you'd think," Zillah replied.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Don't know."

The sisters waited as it got larger and brighter. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it vanished, leaving a young man in strange clothing behind. He dropped hard against the stone and rolled over to slam against the foundation of the house, as if he'd fallen from a height.

"Well." Zillah looked at him, then bent over to check his pulse. "Still alive. Better make a stretcher for him, in case that fall rattled something."

"What's his name?" Vesta asked. She laid one of her boards on the street, then pulled a length of twine from her pocket and began tying shorter sticks to the top and bottom. Under her hands, the air shimmered as her Gift turned the boards into a full stretcher.

"Paul," Zillah replied. "I can't see his home. It's very far away. For now he belongs with us, I think."

They carefully loaded him onto the stretcher and carried him towards Home. The big egg-shaped structure, apparently woven from willow branches, was on the edge of the town, and they passed through a hole in the side into the clay-lined infirmary inside.

Eden looked up as they entered. She helped Zillah transfer the young man to an empty bed, then unwrapped the orange band that wrapped over her curls and covered her ears. "What's his name?" she asked.

"Paul," Zillah answered. "He was unconscious when he....appeared."

Kaylee looked Paul over, focusing intently with her hands hovering over his body. "Just bruised, I think," she said. Briskly she refastened her headband and grabbed a pot of salve from the workbench, then rolled him over and began peeling his short tunic away from his back so he could apply the salve to his back and shoulders.

Vesta allowed the stretcher to fall back into pieces of wood and twine, and put the twine back into her pocket. She headed back towards the entrance to throw the pieces of wood away, and met her twin sister coming in.

"Another?" Hestia asked, seeing Paul on the bed.

"He's not a villager. He just appeared. Like a Major Gift, but there wasn't anyone there to use it," Vesta explained.

Hestia raised her eyebrows. "A True Miracle, then?"

Zillah joined them. "I think so. He's from far away."

"Well, there's not much to do until he wakes up," Hestia decided. "Does he need to stay here or can we get moving?"

"He belongs with us, so probably we can go. Did you say our goodbyes?" Zillah asked

Hestia nodded.

"Good."

They made their way through the clay-lined rooms of Home to the driving bench at the front, where a woven window opened into the streaming sunlight. A map of Gasardia was pinned to the wall, covered with careful annotations in colored ink.

Hestia found Cubrickton, on the road between Thire and Philomel. She added a purple X and the date to the map, tracking their journey so far. Zillah would update the logbook with details of their work while they traveled.

Zillah sat on the bench, facing the map, and pressed her palms together. She allowed her eyes to unfocus, looking at what her Gift was saying rather than at the map itself.

Finally she looked up, puzzled. "We're supposed to be in Acoda Keep."

"We can't get to Acoda Keep!" Hestia objected.

"I know that and you know that," Zillah replied. "But apparently my Gift thinks we can."

Hestia sighed, and traced the road south. "Acoda Point is at least a three day journey," she said. "I guess we could start in that direction. If we end up having to stop, we'll figure it out from there."

Zillah nodded. "Thanks. We'll pass through Lorton tomorrow, so I'll check our stores. We can stop at the market."

[penguinspy2435]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

there are a lot of  things to scream about

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Idia Shroud - Tsumsitter Vignette

"A Moment with Idiatsum I"

[Main Street]

―Idia and Vil, immediately after encountering their look-alike tsums…

Vil: Honestly, what a handful they are… Idia, we must capture those tsums.

Idia: Eeh…!? Wh-why do I have to go with you…?

Vil: Are you content with having those peanuts outfox us? Quickly, now!

Idia: Urrgh, why is this happening to me…? I shouldn't've gone outside…

[Idia and Vil start searching]

Idia: Not like we even know where the tsums ran off too…

Vil: Oh! I found a tsum! Idia, help me capture it.

Idia: Eep…! As you wish…!

Vil: Good thing we were able to capture it fairly quickly. Be good, now, peanut.

Idia: Can't believe we found it posing under a lamp light… Fuheehee, Vil-shi, your tsum's real silly～

Vil: And do you think you have any time to be prattling away, still? Hurry and find your tsum already.

Vil: I'll be heading off to the Headmage's office now.

Idia: HUH!? Why…?

Vil: Well, why not? There's no reason for me to stay here longer than I need to.

Idia: B-But…! I came in as reinforcements to capture your tsum!

Vil: All you did was follow many paces behind me. So, goodbye.

Idia: W-Wait, wait, wait a moment! We just took our eyes off the tsums for a sec and they vanished, right!?

Idia: That means their speed stats are way too OP! There's no way I can catch them with my own weak skill set…

Idia: IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST!!!

Vil: I understand what you're trying to say, but… It would just be a waste of my time to go searching for it without any plan.

Idia: I-I think I can guess where Tsum-shi would be… And I have a strat forming.

Vil: What are you thinking?

Idia: J-Just hear me out.

[Interior Hallway]

Vil: If this tsum takes after the introverted Idia, of course it would run indoors… Makes perfect sense.

Vil: Now it comes down to whether your ace strategy will succeed…

Idia: And, here we go. Pretty good for something I just slapped together with what I had on hand.

Vil: All you did was lean a basket on a vertical stick and laid a tablet underneath it. What's "pretty good" about it?

～♪

Vil: And the tablet is just playing some weird music on loop. What an eerie noise.

Idia: Huh? You seriously doesn't get how good this BGM is? This is why I just can't with normies…

Vil: You're planning to lure the tsum here with this music, yes? We should go hide ourselves in the shadows now.

[Idia's tsum follows the sound to the tablet]

Idia: Ah…

Vil: I can't believe it actually appeared…

Idia: Perf, it's checking out the tablet. Now all I have to do is pull the string attached to the string, and…

[thunk!]

Idia: It's under the basket!

[the tsum starts running frantically]

Idia: Wait, it's trying to run away even with the basket over it! Vil-shi, help!

Vil: Fine. You owe me for this, Idia.

[the tsum continues running]

[the tsum slows and finally stops]

Vil: …Oh, it stopped running. Perhaps it's accepted defeat.

Idia: I-I bet… It's just out of energy. It's kind of unsettling to see that it lacks stamina like me, too...

Vil: Well, at least your plan worked. Now then, we should hurry on to the Headmage's office.

[Ignihyde Dorm – Idia's Room]

Idia: Whew～ …Finally got to escape. I can't deal being stuck in the Headmage's office with that many people.

Idia: But still…

Idia: Tsum-shi, you've just been trying to avoid looking at anything, huh. …I mean, I definitely get it, tho.

Idia: I'm just as uncomfortable as you, you know… Didn't think the day would come that I'd let anyone else other than Ortho in here.

Idia: I guess if you're really like me, then you won't try to go outside anytime soon, so… Just gotta chill for now.

Idia: Think I'll just jump back into grinding in my online game to get outta this funk. 'Specially since we're in the middle of a EXP UP event.

Idia: Ugh, I fell asleep in the middle of my game again… Oh, it's 4:00 already. Gotta snag my login bonuses.

Idia: Hmm, where's my tablet? …Huh? I swear I threw it on my bed when I got back to my room…

Idia: More importantly, what's with this cardboard box? It's just sitting in the middle of my room, getting in my way…

[thud…!]

Idia: EEK!? The box moved on its own!?

Idia: Oh… I think I see what's happening… But I think I'll take a peek inside just in case.

[Idiatsum is under the box playing with the tablet]

Idia: Yuup, that was a given. So, Tsum-shi, what 're you doing with my tablet…?

Idia: …You're just re-rolling tutorial banners in some game??

"A Moment with Idiatsum II"

[Ignihyde Dorm – Idia's Room]

Idia: I showed it Premo merch, and the computer I built myself… Even showed it a ton of my other prized stuff…

Idia: But after all that, it got mad over MMORPG class roles. I'm so over this Tsum-shi.

Idia: Ugggh～ I was dumb, thinkin' I could take care of it myself. I'm not gonna do anything for it anymore.

Ortho: But you have to, the Headmage gave it to you to look after.

Idia: It'll be fine on its own. Or what, you wanna look after it?

Ortho: Hmmm, I don't really mind, but… I have to get going to my Film Research Club after this.

Idia: Eh!? You're heading out!?

Ortho: It'll be alright! I'm sure you and the tsum'll patch things up! See you later!

Idia: Be safe…

[Ortho leaves]

[Idiatsum pings on the tablet…]

Idia: Ortho left… And now I'm stuck all alone with Tsum-shi, even though we're not getting along… THIS SUCKS!!!

Idia: Ughhh, I don't want to deal with it anymore, but I gotta at least get my tablet back from it…

Idia: U-Um… Think you could give my tablet back anytime soon?

Idia: Eeep!? N-Nevermind…

Idia: Wait, why am I backing off, anyway? That's my tablet, isn’t it?

[Idiatsum pings on the tablet…]

Idia: URRRGGH… THIS IS STRESSING ME OUT～～～!

Idia: At this rate, I'll lose my consecutive login streak… I have to get that tablet back somehow!

Idia: What can I do to grab its attention…? I've already shown every Premo thing I have, and my custom build computer…

Idia: What else would catch my eye…? Ah! I got it.

Idia: …Cool. Let's get it done.

[Idiatsum pings on the tablet…]

Idia: Hey, Tsum-shi～ can I bug you for a sec?

[Idiatsum gives Idia a grumpy stare]

Idia: It's still cranky, huh. Hey, come on, I'm the one that wants to be upset here… No, wait, I mean…

Idia: I made something pretty cool for you, Tsum-shi.

Idia: Think of it as a peace offering… This is for you.

[Idiatsum perks up]

Idia: Ohoo～ Do you like it? You see, this is…

[room door opens]

Ortho: I'm back! Were you two able to patch things up?

Idia: Perfect timing, Ortho～! We're just about to come to a compromise.

Ortho: What do you mean, compromise?

Idia: I built a super amazing multi-functional sofa to pull the Tsum-shi in… Or more aptly named, "Tsum-Melting Sofa"!

Ortho: You're going to… melt the tsum?

[the tsum happily hops]

Idia: Ooh. Looks like it gets just how awesome this sofa is.

Idia: Come on, Tsum-shi, sit, sit!

Idia: Time to show the features off ASAP. First... We have this!

[sofa shines brightly]

Ortho: Woah, the sofa lit up like a rainbow!

Idia: That's a must for gamers, you know. As for why it's gotta light up like that, no comment.

[the massage function is activated]

Idia: Then there's the massage function. Nerds like us tend to get tension all up in our shoulders and backs and such.

Idia: Next is this: Inside the sofa is a 7.1 surround sound system with an amp and woofer embedded with it.

～♪

[tsum hops to music]

Ortho: Nice, looks like the tsum is pretty into it!

Idia: Use this alongside the massager function and it'll sooth both your mind and body.

Idia: There's a bunch of other functions, too, like a monitor extension, unfolding footrest, easy reclining…

Idia: But that's not enough for you, right, Tsum-shi? Oh, I know.

Idia: Everything until now has just been the prologue. From here on out… We'll tackle the true face of this sofa!

"A Moment with Idiatsum III"

[Ignihyde Dorm – Idia's Room]

Idia: But that's not enough for you, right, Tsum-shi? Oh, I know.

Idia: Everything until now has just been the prologue. From here on out… We'll tackle the true face of this sofa!

Idia: Let's turn it… ON!

[whirr…]

Idia: Fhee hee hee hee! Looking at Tsum-shi's reaction, it's super effective!

Ortho: The tsum is really excited. Nii-san, what kind of function is that supposed to be?

Idia: Listen and be amazed, this sofa is integrated with MR… a Mixed Reality display!!

Ortho: Huh!? MR is that function that combines the real world with anchored virtual elements, right?

Ortho: The tsum doesn't even have a headset… You're amazing!!

Idia: I mean～ At first I thought about making it come with a headset, but I just kinda found my groove while making it.

Idia: This kind of tech is basically still in beta, but yeah, I rocked it… Oh man, that's a W for me. Heehee!

[the tsum hops happily]

Ortho: The tsum is overjoyed, too. I wonder what it's seeing.

Idia: The default setting is a live performance vide of Premo, so I bet Tsum-shi feels like its right there in the action.

Ortho: Makes sense. Hehe, it looks so happy.

Idia: Yeaaah, glad it's happy with it. Let me grab my tablet before anything else happens…

Idia: Perf, I finally got it back. Now I can keep my consecutive login streak going.

Ortho: Was that your goal here all along?

Idia: Obviously?

Ortho: Yeah, I definitely couldn't believe my eyes when it looked like you had made a real cool sofa to reconcile with the tsum, but…

Ortho: Now that I know it was for the sake of your games, it makes so much more sense!

Idia: See, you get me, Ortho～

Idia: Sides, that sofa is basically just a prototype. I adjusted a blueprint that I had made for myself down to Tsum-shi's size…

Idia: Then I just made it with whatever I had on hand, so there's a ton of functions still missing.

Idia: I'll make sure to collect as much data as possible before it heads back home.

[tsum hops off the sofa]

Ortho: Oh hey, the tsum jumped off the sofa.

Idia: HUH!?

Idia: T-TSUM-SHI... WAS THERE SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T LIKE?

Ortho: It's all smiles. Maybe it's trying to thank you?

Idia: Ah, is that it…?

Idia: Fuheehee! I knew you'd get how cool all those functions were, Tsum-shi.

Ortho: It's great that you and the tsum are getting along again!

Idia: …I guess so. We might've bumped heads, but we're both nerds in the end.

Idia: Guess it's not totally a bad thing that we'll part on good terms, especially since I got to meet someone just like me…

Requested by @farfalla049.

[the-s1lly-corner]

A bit of a specific idea, but I had a platonic idea for all of the characters in the Amazing Digital Circus—

Maybe all of them with a Wally Darling-like Reader? An example of such being Reader also speaking in a monotone voice that is both a little unsettling yet friendly at the same time, always making eye contact and never looking away, being able to eat things by blinking, being a lot more aware than they seem, greeting people individually anytime they enter a room, etc etc.

TADC cast x wally darling type! Reader !

Still stuck on mobile so this post may be a little short and whacky <\3 + I'll be relying on this ask for wallys personality since I cant open other tabs without risking deleting my progress on this <\3 + I've never touched welcome home 😭😭

CAINE:

Honestly, I don't know anything about welcome home as stated above, but I think Caine would have a lot of the same habits; namely the eye contact and I can also see him doing the blink eating...

The only difference is that hes way high energy

I think he would think that you're just a silly lil fella, an interesting little thang, wants to study you under a microscope..

Thinks its endearing how you greet everyone personally.. loves when you do it to him since it makes him feel special n appreciated

POMNI:

Overall pomni is going to need a lot of time to get used to the weirdness of the circus, and this applies to getting over the unnerving feeling she gets around you

Probably becomes speechless and does the face when you blink-eat

You know...

Just stares at where the food item once was... how did you do that...? What are you going to consume next? Why are you looking her in the eye like that?

..oh you're just telling her you enjoyed the snack you've brought

JAX:

As per usual I'm writing these all out of order, and I happen to be writing jax after I did zooble

I think jax wouldnt just think you're unsettling, I think he would think you're creepy

Now does he think you're a threat? Personally I don't think he would go as far as to classify you as such

Watches in horror as you blink and consume his sour gummy candies

Okay now this is war

You guys sometimes have unspoken staring contests, you usually tend to win them

Actually now that he thinks about it you dont seem to blink outside of eating...

RAGATHA:

"Oh, you're just a quirky lil fella!" Pretty much

Always thanks you when you greet her, she makes it a habit to greet you back when you enter a room

Tends to give you your favorite snacks, I think, but I think this can pass as a general hc rather than being specific to this post !

Little put off by the eye contact but does not turn away or show any discomfort; is able to push through it pretty well !

KINGER:

Okay so I know I mentioned some other characters being creeped out by the eye contact but I think kinger would be the most put off, asides gangle

But also I can totally see kinger having a staring problem; be it because hes lost in his thought and happens to be staring or some other thing

Accidental staring contests between you two/j

Feels like a real king when you personally greet him, probably bows a little and does a lil gesture with his hands before returning the greeting

Similar reaction as pomni when you blink-eat

Where did the food go??????

ZOOBLE:

I must admit, I think zooble would find you creepy, too <\3, or at least a little unsettling.. like sure they wont be mean to you unlike SOMEONE but they're a little put off by your odd behaviors

Though they would get accustomed to it in time, I think, especially since I have a whole "zooble ultimately doesnt care much about what's going as a means to cope w/ the digital circus as well as that just being their personality"

Does not like the eye contact, though; zooble seems like the type who wouldnt like eye contact... maybe I'm self projecting, though...

The eye contact definitely is what fed into the unsettling factor for them..

GANGLE:

The eye contact makes her so so nervous, she doesnt really have eyes the same way everyone else does but it still... makes her feel off

Similar to Caine she does feel nice when you greet her.. yes she knows out do it for everyone, but that doesnt dismiss the nice feeling she gets that someone is. Well being nice to her...

Shed like your voice, I think, oddly soothing and it's not too bold and out there.. not overwhelming, you know?

Not many ideas for gangle today <\3

[grumfield]

hi!. first of all, i'm absolutely obsessed with your blog, thank you for posting, i've never felt so validated reading someone's posts before. i'm currently falling deeply into the star wars abyss and i was wondering if you could recommend any books you personally liked (the angstier the better)? i'm a complete fandom newbie, so far I've only seen movies and clone wars season one, but id love to hear your opinion on what I should read next. if it's not a weird request. sorry if it is! have a nice day.

WAAAAH thank you so much!!! So glad you’re here and I’m SO HAPPY to recommend books to you because I was exactly in your position only a few months ago!

Okay. So the consensus within the fandom, especially if you’re an Obikin enjoyer (not sure if you are, but if you’re following me I suspect you at least find their platonic dynamic compelling), is that if you’re going to read one book it’s the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matt Stover, and I agree with this. I’m not someone who was ever interested in reading movie novelizations but this book single handedly changed my mind. It’s exceptionally well written and just has this pervasive sense of growing doom that’s super unsettling while also giving a lot of emotional dimension to all of the characters in ways that film really isn’t able to. There’s a lot of interesting choices that are made—Anakin’s fall feels explicitly like Palpatine is taking advantage of an oncoming mental health episode and pushing him to snap, Anakin’s perception of the Obi-Wan/Padmé affair is tied more to anxieties about the two people he loves most not wanting him around than infidelity…there’s a lot of scenes that are in the book that aren’t in the movie that really just hit like a gut punch.

It’s absolutely great for angst, it’s written in such a unique way and literally the last scene gave me full body chills when I first read it. Horrible, beautiful, highly recommend it. Also uses second person narration in ways that are very clever.

(Also, it like…portrays Obi-Wan as like. A repressed gay monk in love with his oblivious straight friend and it’s incredible)

Now for my more personal recommendations for after you read that, if you want more!

I am a massive Rogue Planet and Jedi Quest enjoyer. They are honestly the cornerstones of my characterizations for these characters. Despite being a singular book and a middle grade series respectively, I group them in the same category for their absolutely incredibly compelling way it portrays the foundation of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship—specifically how absolutely fucked it is in ways that aren’t super clear in the movies. They take place after the Phantom Menace and before AOTC, so cover Anakin’s time as Obi-Wan’s padawan.

Rogue Planet by Greg Bear follows Obi-Wan and Anakin on a mission when Anakin is 12 and there’s no way I can describe it other than it reading kind of like…what if the Virgin Mary was a permissive boymom who sucked at her job and the kid she’s raising has a 50/50 chance at being Jesus or Satan. Obi-Wan in this reads like the most 15 year old 28 year old ever, is still reeling from the death of Qui-Gon and has entered the motherhood phase of “my child is perfect and special and can do no wrong ever ever ever”. He’s extremely permissive and has hinged an unsettling amount of his hopes on Anakin’s role as the Chosen One because of his own personal issues. So when Anakin does shit like…oh I don’t know…accidentally explodes a man’s head with his mind…does things he isn’t supposed to Obi-Wan is like. Don’t Worry You Did Nothing Wrong I Will Ignore It.

And then hot on the tails of this is the Jedi Quest series by Jude Watson which follows their relationship after that on various missions as Anakin grow up. The series kind of focuses on the systemic ways in which Anakin leading up to AOTC was let down and what eventually drives his decisions later. Do not be fooled by it being a series for 12 year olds, it’s absolutely apeshit and additionally my favorite place for informing my perspective of their dynamic. Obi-Wan has gone from being boymom to being more emotionally distant as he tries to make Anakin be an “ideal jedi”. Jude Watson’s entire thesis is that like, Obi-Wan is not father brother or friend to Anakin, he is a Jedi, and does not have the tools to be anything else so his and Anakin needs and wants more. There’s this insane line at the end of book one where Anakin says like “Obi-Wan would come to love him. He would make him do so” which just acts as the through line for the entire series. the push and pull between someone who wants more and someone who consistently holds back creates this very unhealthy master-disciple dynamic that drives me insane. (I have kind of an uncharitable perspective of Obi-Wan because of this but it’s actually what made me love him even more, I prefer Jude Watson’s portrayal of him to almost any other author)

Anyways that’s my long drawn out first 3 recommendations to you lol! If you like them (or if you don’t!) feel free to come back and I’d be happy to chat with you more <33

[lady-bluebird-luv]

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

Thanks @ everyone who tagged me :) I'm counting everyone in my answers as tagged - if anyone hasn't added their own roundup yet and wants to.

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

20,833

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

Just 2!

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

Also 2

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

Definitely my exchange fic for @shadowisles-writes, Hind with Sharp Teeth. This is the first year in a while where I've been able to write semi-consistently, and it's been hard to scrape the rust off of some of my usual strengths (smut, banter, humor, weird shit). I'm really excited about this fic because it makes me feel like I'm finally back in the groove!

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

Probably my demon!Rhys oneshot, The darker the fruit, the sweeter. I love darkfic and have played with the idea of writing something unsettling for a while. This is the first time I've dipped my toes in.

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

I wasn't sure what to expect from No More Dreaming Like a Girl because it was my first posted ACOTAR fic, but it's gotten much less engagement than I thought it might. Maybe people are wary because the plot touches on a lot of info from ACOSF that has already been debated ad nauseam in the fandom. Or some people don't like extended angstfests, which... this may or may not become, depending on what happens once I get my shit together and finish my outline.

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Probably NMDLAG!

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

Right now I love @lucychanart's work, especially her tamsand, as well as @froggybogwitch, @witchlingsandwyverns, and @queercontrarian's work, especially her genderbends.

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

Oooooof, so so so many people! @mmvalentine, @quakeriders, @separatist-apologist and @the-lonelybarricade for how perfectly they capture Feysand's multifaceted dynamic across so many different AUs. @fourteentrout for how well they navigate angsty, complicated ships. @whatishowedyouinthedark and @starfall-spirit for their darkfic. @thesistersarcheron for her worldbuilding and for embracing funny and/or chaotic AUs. @popjunkie42 for how she writes Rhys and indoctrinating me into the glasses!Rhys agenda. @rosanna-writer, @littedidyouknow, and @climbthemountain2020 for really well-done long form fics. The amount of talented authors and artists in this fandom blows my mind every day.

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

I think I'm the new kid on the block this year - but that means everyone I mentioned above, as well as other awesome creators like @foundress0fnothing, @shadowriel, @secret-third-thing and many others feel new to me.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

I haven't! That's one of my goals for this upcoming year.

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

Honestly, just that I found something that inspired me again and committed to making more time to write than I have in the past couple of years. I became super active for a different fandom during the pandemic, and it wasn't sustainable. When I came back after a break, it just wasn't the same. Then I got distracted by life. It feels really good to be back and to remember what it feels like to scratch the creative itch.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

To let things take time and remember to get out of my head about my work.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

Find rituals and routines. Try to commit to them even when you don't feel particularly inspired. Writing is kind of like working out in that you have to condition those (mental) muscles if you want to perform well. Spontaneous inspiration can make for a really satisfying eureka! moment, but you can't rely on it if you want to get into a regular writing habit.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

I'm trying not to start too many longer, multichapter fics before I finish (or at least make good progress with) the ones I have at the moment. I also would love to do more collaborative work and build fandom friendships (I'm still strategizing about this bit because I'm too shy for my own good). I also plan to explore some new pairings!

[slashers-sister]

(This is something that happened, so I'm making a story, just imagine phones exist back then for the sake of this story)

Imagine you are on your phone on Pinterest, you found it fun, why?

Organizing, making cute and or deranged unsettling (Possibly ones about cannibalism people think are "AeStHeTiC!1! 😍🤪", you always did question which ones where and weren't actual cannibals..) moodboards.

Look, ya are quite lonely, and your brothers aren't always fun.

Actually you're in the barn hiding from your chores at the moment. You really didn't want to clean up all those knives :(

You like to keep random things, your room is FULL of stuff you've found around the farm. You got a lot of your personality from the twins, and Bubba. You spent most of your time with them.

..or stuff you've taken but that's besides the point!

You had bottles from 1947, your oldest glass bottle is from 1937! You also have old pins, which you and your brother Chop-Top do have a rivalry over who has the coolest.. Nubbins is the mediator, saying usually something along the lines of "Ya both tied, they are both equally cool." In reality he just can't choose who he likes more sometimes

You were on your phone, you heard Drayton calling. Oh no. You put it on a hay bale and immediately jump down from the hayloft. It's.. big but you fuck around and find out too often and have quite a high pain and heat tolerance.

"(Insert your full legal name), Get yer ass out here!"

To say your stomach filled with fear was definitely.. an understatement.

What did you do to piss off Drayton now? No idea but you went to go see what he needed. Hoping you weren't in for a beating on the head or back, why? He didn't whip you, he smacked your back so hard with a broom you heard a CRUNCH. Yes, you were fine. Well mostly, definitely traumatized a wee bit.

——————————————————————————

Meanwhile, guess who also had chores in the barn! The twins!

Guess who didn't lock, sign out, and brick their phone? You!!

Immediately they are nosey. What's their precious little-

..They didn't find porn, or anything like that.

Nah they just found the Spotify account, the notepad, which you definitely had a few issues. Specifically anger issues, you had some notepads you had to take 5 minutes to scroll through bottom too.

Your Pinterest was full of weird stuff. Odd animal pictures that look weirdly funny and distorted? Funny lil cannibalism boards, memes, a mountain of memes because you are either chronically yeehaw or chronically online, take that as you will.

They found a few moodboards about them, about our(? Your? Their? Ya get the point) Brother Drayton. Honestly it matched his personality.

Bubba's was cute and full of taxidermied roadkill, you had made both of theirs earlier, and rearranged it perfectly.

Then they found theirs.

When Nubbins saw it, you even had a picture of his knife and camera almost exactly, how cool!

You had Chop-Top's favorite band, maybe you do listen!

Then Chop-Top started hysterically laughing.

"W-w-what? What's s-so funny?"

Chop-Top gladly pointed it out.

Nubbins couldn't tell if he should laugh, cry, be offended, or plot your murder.

Meanwhile Chop-Top is dying (almost literally) of laughter. "That is the funniest shit I've ever seen her do, that takes the meat!" (You guys often don't say "take the cake", but "take the meat" as a joke.)

Fun fact, nobody actually went to school.. you guys were all homeschooled by big bro dray.

Chop-Top calmed his twin down after a while, still looking through the board, you had found many things you thought they would, it did like. You got almost everything right.

They are definitely plotting how they both can get you back tho.

——————————————————————————

No, Drayton wasn't too pissed off. You just forgot to tell him where you were, and scared the ever-loving shit out of this poor man.

Once you got back to the barn, you climbed to the hayloft.. and noticed your phone was moved. You immediately went through it, but surprisingly nothing was out of the ordinary.. except your notepad had a new note.

"you'll end up worse<3"

Cheeky little bi-

You silently live in fear waiting for what prank they'll do next :(

[bakersimmer]

Hanna was pacing around the lobby, her movements fluid yet purposeful. Fortunately, Martin was well accustomed to this kind of behavior. His business partner, Sawyer, was precisely the same way. The constant movement seemed to be their way of processing thoughts.

Hanna: I guess Laila might not have even noticed these things about herself before. Now that you're spending much more time apart, she probably feels a bit lost because she's out of her comfort zone. Wouldn't you act a bit strange when so much is changing in your life? And it's all happening at the same time! Martin: I've considered it, but why don't I have the same fears? I'm unaware of what she does at work or who she meets, yet somehow, I don't believe she's cheating. Hanna: Aren't you even a little bit curious? Martin: Sure, I ask how her day was and all that, but I don't obsess over it. But Laila questions me about my activities multiple times a day plus during dinner and in bed. She just won't let it go. Hanna: It sounds like you trust her way more than she trusts you…I don't want to doubt you, but are you sure you haven't given her any reason not to trust you?

Martin: Honestly, I don't know anymore. I've tried my best to prove that I'm trustworthy, maybe not right at the start, but ever since. Hanna: Hmm…Maybe there's something deeper going on within her that she's not sharing. It could be something from her past. Martin: And you think I haven't asked? Hanna: Okay, you've asked her about her past, but how specific were you in your questions? Martin: I mean, isn't “I don't understand where your insecurities come from. Please explain why you feel this way. I really want to understand you” specific enough?! Hanna: You could be even more specific, but it's a good start. Have you opened up about your own past issues? Martin: (sarcastically) Never tried that...Oh, wait, I have! Hanna: Okay, stupid question...

Hanna sensed Martin's growing frustration. So she decided to share her thoughts rather than ask questions.

Hanna: It could be something so deeply unsettling that revisiting it feels like reliving a nightmare. Or maybe, it's the fear of being judged. Martin: But why would she think I'd judge her? Hanna: Because she's weird like that? Maybe she's afraid that if you know everything about her, you might see her differently or you won't find her interesting anymore. Martin: What could make me see her differently? Hanna: (shrugs) I don't know; it depends on where you have drawn the line. Would you still see her the same way if she dropped the bombshell that you're husband number six? Martin: (frowns) Maybe it will pass without poking it too much... Hanna: (chuckles) You can bury your head in the sand, but your problems won't disappear.

Hanna: A thought. Don't ask what is bothering Laila; instead, ask what you can do. Martin: What do you mean by that? Hanna: I mean, sometimes understanding isn't about asking and knowing every little detail. It's more about just being there, being supportive. Martin: I think being supportive is one of the cornerstones of a relationship. Why should I state the obvious? Hanna: (with sorrow in her voice) Well, not everyone gets it that way. And after a while, you might forget what a normal relationship actually looks like. And perhaps she's never even seen a healthy relationship before, let alone been in one.

previous / beginning / next

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

When Maura opened her eyes, she didn't recognize the room she was standing in. It wasn't in the cottage or the palace. She was somewhere completely unknown to her. Where had she just been? Her brain scrambled, trying to piece together the last thing she remembered. She had been at the cottage, wasn't she? She had been talking to Adrian about parenting his strange little girl and laughing at how frustrated he felt. If one of her children could predict the future, Maura would be ecstatic instead of worried. Still, Rien was an unsettling child, even Maura could admit it. Honestly, she blamed that on Roman being her father. The poor girl was a Bellamy and even the Siew family genetics couldn't change that. There were Siews whose behaviour belonged in a horror movie, but they were never the haunted little girl that Adrianne appeared to be.

Speaking of horror movies, the decor of wherever Maura was seemed to fit right in a creepy movie. Skeletal figures and cloaked, robed beings were scattered across the room, making Maura feel like she was in some kind of evil cult building. Strangetown's coven had once worshiped and attempted to murder Death. Was this their second try? Had Edana lost her mind and followed her brother's path or was this the work of someone new? Why would Strangetown even care about the queen of Twikkii Island? This had better not be Claudia's idea of a joke. It would be just like Claudia to try to teach her cousin some misguided lesson about security or covens or whatever else Claudia had on her mind.

"Claudia? This isn't funny. You're not going to creep me out with some Gothic Halloween decorations. How did you even get me here? We promised to never use our security teams against each other, remember? Come on."

"I'm glad to hear that you and your cousin are still close. Our lives are lonely, and we need to keep our family near."

Maura spun around to face the voice coming from the next room. It was impossible. It couldn't be. It would have to be either a miracle or a tragedy for the owner of that voice to be standing behind her.

"M-Mom? Is that you?"

Impossibly, Cherry Siew, former queen of Twikkii Island, was standing in the same room as Maura for the first time in years. This wouldn't ordinarily be impossible, except for the fact that Cherry had died, leaving the throne to her daughter.

"Maura, I'm so sorry to see you here," the dead queen began. "It's so good to see you, though. I've missed you."

"Mom?"

Maura launched herself at her mother, wrapping her arms around the woman she missed every single day. She hadn't realized how much her mother had meant to her until she had been taken from her.

"You look so grown up and mature," Cherry said, holding her daughter just as tightly. "The crown hasn't crushed your spirit as I feared it might. You are carrying our family legacy well and making us all so happy."

Maura froze at these words, once again concerned about her location.

"Is this a dream? It has to be. I'm dreaming. You can't say things like this outside of dreams, you're gone. This is just me trying to rationalize the stress I've been under and fantasizing about parental acceptance. This is a weird dream though. I don't think I've ever dreamt of this place before."

"Honey, you're not dreaming. I know you're stubborn and strong-willed, but you need to accept this. You're not dreaming. You're between realms. You're dying."

Maura pulled away from her mother in an instant, suddenly taking notice of her surroundings and trying to guess where she was really being held.

"This is a trick! Who put you up to this? How did you find someone who looks so much like my mom? Tell me where I am!"

"Honey, you need to calm down. This is real and you need to listen to me. I'm here on behalf of our family. When someone dies, their soul is brought here to the office of the Grim Reaper, where they are greeted by their loved ones and introduced to eternity. Your grandmother wanted to come as well, but I overruled her. I know how you two always struggled to get along, and perhaps selfishly, I wanted you all to myself. I wanted to see the woman you've become in my absence."

All of the well reasoned arguments Maura tried to raise died under the withering glare of her mother. There was no denying that this was the same woman who could silence Maura’s childish antics while fidgeting during a royal speech with a single look. Too much evidence was piling up and it all appeared to be confirming Maura’s worst fears. If this wasn't a dream, Maura should still have a baby bump. She should be at the cottage. She wouldn't be seeing the very real ghost of her mother.

"I-I don't want to be dead," Maura whimpered. "I have so much to do still. I have a family. This has to be a mistake."

"None of that matters when it's your time," Cherry said softly. "We all had plans for how our lives would be, and being queen doesn't mean much against eternity. But honey, your life is still being written. You're dying, yes, but there is hope. You're not bound to this place yet. I'm speaking with you as a courtesy of the Grim Reaper."

"I...I'm not dead?"

Cherry shook her head. Maura had always struggled to pay attention growing up; it seemed like it was something she still struggled with.

"No, not yet at least. Your name hasn't been written in the lists of the Grim Reaper, but your body is damaged enough for your spirit to drift here. I was asked to greet you because your spirit wasn't the only one to travel here. Maura, I know this will come as an unwelcome shock, but there were casualties at the event where you were attacked. Alysiara and Spencer came to me earlier. Unlike you, their names are on the list of the lost. They wanted to say their goodbyes before joining our family in eternity."

"What? No. No, that's impossible. Those are my children. Children aren't supposed to die! Tell the Grim Reaper to fix it!"

"Mommy!"

Two familiar voices rang through the hall, breaking Maura’s heart. Those were undeniably her children, here in the realm of the dead. Her children were dead. How was she supposed to process this? How were her other children? Was Ulyssa safe? Were they at war in the living realm? She had to get back there and save her people, but she couldn't leave her children here.

"Spencer! You look so big! I love you so much." Maura wrapped her arms around her son, hugging him tightly. Behind him, Alysiara waited to do the same.

"You can look however you want here!" Spencer exclaimed. "I can look like a grown-up, but Grandma said it might be too much for you to see right now. Grandma's really nice."

"I know," Maura said numbly. "She's my mommy. She took great care of me, just like I'm sure she'll do for you."

It was all too surreal to process. Her mother, standing in front of her and two of her children, waiting to return to Cherry's side in what was apparently the world between life and death. She still half believed that this was all some kind of nightmare.

"Alysiara!" Maura hugged her oldest daughter fiercely. Alysiara remained the same as Maura remembered, with no sudden growth spouts like her brother. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you and-and that's the very first thing I promised to do as soon as I held both of you for the first time. This can't be happening! I...I just can't."

"We'll be okay," Alysiara promised her distraught mother. "Grandma has a lot of things to show us while we wait for you and Mommy to join us. I have a million people to meet, and they do parties here too. I can have a ball every day if I want and I don't even have to make a dress for it. You just think about what you want really hard, and it shows up. Spencer’s eaten a tub of ice cream already because he could. I'm going to ride a horse when you leave. No, actually, I think I'll ride a unicorn. I'm going to have my own castle now, filled with anything I want. You and Mommy can visit when you join us."

Cherry looked apologetically at her daughter.

"When children die, they assume an ageless consciousness, just like the rest of us," she explained, wrapping an arm around her grandson to keep him from running off. "It doesn't always kick in automatically. They'll be more mature once they get settled, but until then, there's no harm in unicorn racing. I promise that I'll take good care of them for you. I'll make sure that they're happy."

Maura wept for what felt like an eternity. She couldn't leave her children or accept their deaths. She also couldn't leave her living children and Ulyssa. She was torn between two realms, even if she knew where she truly belonged. She needed to guide her nation, at least until Adrion was able to succeed her, and she couldn't face a life without her remaining family that needed her in the living world. From the sound of it, the Grim Reaper didn't seem to expect her to die any time soon, so Maura prepared herself to leave her two children and her mother behind. She didn't want to, but it didn't seem like she was being given many options.

Maura thought of all the good times that she had shared with her mother and how often she longed to just sit down and chat with her about all the difficult things about being a queen and a mother. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed having her mother to bounce ideas off of until it was too late.

But wait. While Maura thought about losing her mother, she couldn't help but remember the difficulty of losing another parent.

"Where's Dad?" Maura blurted out. "I mean, if you're here and Grandma's here, then Dad has to be here too. Why didn't you invite him here? I want to see him too, even if it's only for a minute."

Cherry's posture immediately changed at the mention of her husband. She went from apologetic and soft to closed off.

"Your father's not here, Maura," Cherry said coldly.

"What? Where is he then? Is there anywhere else he could be? Could he be the in Void like Adrian was?"

"I don't know, and every reaper I've asked has refused to tell me. Dead people they can track, but living people? That's not their jurisdiction."

"Living people?" Maura repeated, horrified. "No, Grandma killed him. She didn't think he was right for a consort."

"My mother didn't kill my husband!" Cherry snapped. Her raised voice caused her grandchildren to flinch. "Your father was presumed dead and then declared dead so that I could remarry."

"Yeah, 'declared' dead so that you could find a new husband that Grandma approved of," Maura scoffed. "Convenient."

A darkness passed over Cherry's face that Maura had only seen when she was about to be grounded for a month as a child.

"Maura, I will not get into this while your children are here and still getting settled in. I have always told you the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not. Your father was declared dead after he left for a conference in Pleasantview and never arrived. We searched for months with the joined forces of Pleasantview and Twikkii Island. You were too young to remember that, but you can check the records yourself. My mother declared him dead after a year of searching to smooth things over with Pleasantview, seeing as he was en route there when he disappeared and some people were becoming suspicious. The Red Queen was also psychotic, Maura. We would have done anything to avoid a war with her, and you would have done the same. And yes, I wanted it to be over after months of searching. I wanted to marry the love of my life, and that wasn't your father. Iris and I were in love, and your father and I were planning to divorce. I'm sorry that I never told you that, Maura, but it's true. I never wanted to hurt you because you always spoke of your father like he was your hero and was special to you. You deserved closure and not the unhealable open wound of having a father who was missing. I tried to protect you. We all honestly thought that he was dead. The Red Queen wasn't known for keeping prisoners."

"Dad is still alive," Maura mumbled, her mind trying its hardest to piece together this new information but failing. "All these years. He could have come to my wedding and held my children when they were born. He could have walked me down the aisle. He could have called me up last week just to talk. Is he being held captive? He didn't abandon me if he's been a prisoner this whole time. I need to talk to Claudia. Maybe she has access to the Red Queen's secret diary where she confesses to kidnapping my dad!"

"Maura, don't pursue it," Cherry ordered. "Nothing good can come of this. Guide your people out of danger. Raise your children. Live your life. You can always talk to your father when you're both dead. He could be anywhere."

"How can I not?" Maura demanded. "He could be withering away in a prison cell somewhere. He could need my help. I'm sure he didn't leave us on purpose, even if you were going to divorce him. He wouldn't abandon me."

In a distant room, a large clock tolled, snapping Cherry's focus back to the matter she came to discuss.

"That's the end of your time here," she explained sadly. "I wish I could stay longer, but the kids need to get settled and you cannot stay forever in between realms. I love you. Never forget that. Don't worry about Alysiara and Spencer. They'll be happy with the family waiting for you here. I love you."

Within a blink of an eye, Maura’s mother and children vanished from sight, leaving Maura alone in this strange waiting room. She sobbed harder than she ever had in her life. For her two lost children. For the reminder of the hole in her life where her mother had been. For the cruel knowledge that her father was alive and yet absent from her life. Maura felt like curling up on the floor in the fetal position and never getting up again. Her entire life had been ruined over the course of an afternoon family barbecue, and there was no saving it. All she could do was what she always did in tough times: keep fighting until the painful knot in her stomach went away.

[blindmagdalena]

Yaaaaay, so glad asks are open again!

What do you think Homelander would have been like if he had never turned into a corporate toy? Do you think he could have turned into a good person or an actual hero?

I'm working on a story in which Homelander escapes the lab when he's 18 and goes on the live a (mostly) normal life.

I think he would have a desire to do good and even heroic things, mostly because that's what he was groomed to become from the moment of his conception. Also, he likes the attention heroes usually get, ofc, even if they are not sponsored by Vought.

I'm not sure how far I can take that, though, bc he still has so many issues to deal with - PTSD and a multitude of attachment disorders, for starters. Also, a skewed sense of morality and an extremely low mental age.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

yes! welcome back, darling!

ohhhhhh, this is a wicked premise! since he's 18, we do have some canon indicators of how he might behave at this stage of his life. when he was 5, Vogelbaum described him as a very sweet boy who liked to snuggle ( i want to cry every time i remember this ) but that he didn't need him to be sweet, he needed him to be strong. that is definitely a good lead on how he was raised from that point.

the next jump we have in his childhood is this deleted scene, where he honestly is very unsettling. i have a lot of gripes with the young Homelander we see in Diabolical because he's just not weird and off-putting enough for me. Homelander really needs that unsettling homeschooled kid energy.

(i very much say this as someone who WAS the weird homeschooled kid)

we also know he was shown off to a group of private investors when he was 16, and the anxiety he experienced was so severe he flew off and cried. Homelander's lack of real world experience and inability to navigate it is a weapon that Vought utilized to keep him under their thumb.

so i'd say something to keep in mind would just be his sheer inexperience. i'd treat him like an alien from another planet whose only understanding of earth is baseball, select american history trivia and the bible. any good he wanted to do in the world would require the very stressful ordeal of actually learning the world he lives in, which in this case would be America in 1999.

he would probably latch onto any kind of authority figure he could find and base his morality on theirs.

i definitely think you could do a lot of fun and interesting stuff with this! 🖤

[shelbgrey]

Omg you're one of the few people that write about bones. Can i request a bones fic with witchy squintern reader i want to see the interactions between them especially angela and bones since they have different opinions on the whole spiritual thing and maybe wendell can be the love interest. You can ignore this if you don't feel comfortable writing it.

Witchy Squintern HCs

Paring: Witch!Reader x Wendell Bray x Angela Montenegro(best Friend)

Summary: headcanons about being a little bit different(in the best way possible) and working at the jeffersonian.

A/n: sorry this took so long and thst is short. I don't know much other than Harry Potter and vampire diaries' witches, so it's gonna be based off that sorta

MasterList

I think you being a witch helps you think outside the box while working, it also helps you read the Bones better.

You often try and connect with the sprit of the victim, you feel it helps you find the killer and better understand the victim and their pain.

With your interest in the spirit of the victim your often cought talking to the Bones, the other squints find it weird and unsettling especially when you start to space out. Wendell and Fisher are the only ones that don't find it weird.

You are also very much respectful of the victims soul, this cause many debets between you and Bones. She has mentioned time and time again she doesn't believe in souls. You don't take it personal.

“tomato, tamto, Dr. B”

You don't flat out say your a witch until the case involving actual witches, at first one one believed you but when you explained your a long distance descendant of the Salim witch they start to believe you.

Angela is fascinated by you and is always asking questions, it honestly made your bond stronger.

“can you move things? Are wands in actual thing?”

You guys became best friends, in fact you, Angela, and Temperance become the labs 'golden trio'.

You come to them for advice and they're kinda like your over protective older sisters. Angela has scared off three dates thst didn't treat you right or called you a freak when they found out about you being a witch.

Angela introduced you to her psychic, Avalon Harmonia and you to immediately hit it off.

Temperance can't really wrap her head around it at first, but she uses her knowledge of other culters to try and understand.

She may not believe in the spiritual aspect of your life, but she doesn't try and degrad your heritage.

She might get too technical or scientific at times but you don't take things personal even if she basically says your kind isn't possible.

“we'll I'm standing right infront of ya Dr. B”

“I'm sorry Dr. L/n” she quickly says. “it's not big deal”

The one who was fascinated the most was the Jeffersonian's very own Wendell Bray, he couldn't help but fall for you. He loved that you were unapologetically yourself, you reminded you of Luna Lovegood or Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.

He didn't waste time asking you out. Tho you guys hit it off immediately, you both decided to take things slow and let your relationship grow.

He never shys away from who you are and he'll always ask questions to learn more about you and the lighter side of witches.

He'll get into tarot card reading with you and love learning what each card means. Unfortunately you scared Lance Sweets with one reading a couple of months prior.

“what doses thst mean? Oh God y/n” you chuckled. “it's not a bad reading Dude”

“the picture freaks me out” Lance said.

Wendell is the exact opposite and just let's you explain what each one means. His favorite one is the 'lovers' card, he asked you to be his girlfriend with one.

Jack Hodgins, one of your closer friends always makes harmless jokes. “so... What's your hogwarts house? And tell me... is it leviosa or Leviosra?”

It's all in fun and you know it, you'll always give him a smart ass awnser and you both will laugh it off.

When you actually do get agervated with him it's not because of the witch jokes, your emotions are easy to read and Hodgins will quickly catch on. Most of the time he'll through in a joke.

“please don't use avada kedavra on me” he said flinching away.

When Wendell got sick you want into a deep spiral trying trying to find somthing that could help. You even went to lengths of asking your great aunt that still practiced with spells if anything could help.

“i knew it would be a waste of time” you groaned and hang the phone up abruptly.

It killed you that you couldn't heal him or anything, you weren't powrful enough. And even if you were it would drang you of your power and probably be in a lot of pain, you wouldn't tell Wendell that though.

He didn't care, he just wanted your love and comfort through the hard times and that's exactly what you did.

You got through it like any other hard ship and you couldn't be happier when you found out he beat cancer in the ass.

And everyone knows Angela had been secretly planning your wedding as soon as you and Wendell started dating.

When you actually did the announcement of your engagement Angela pulled out a big, thick binder of ideas.

“how long have you been planning this?”

“around the time you guys started dating” you raised an eyebrow. “come on, I got excited and Avalon said it was gonna happen”

Temperance helped out alot too and the wedding was absolutely gorgeous. That was also the first time any of the Lab geeks and Squinterns saw so many witches in one place.

“would I get in trouble if I threw a bucket of water on your great aunt?” Angela asked. “go for it” you said, sipping your wine.

You never felt so excepted in one place, unlike other places the Jeffersonian welcomed you with open arms and embraced who you are as a person.

[amphiptere-art]

I'm starting to think I have the mild, irrational fear of being in... What I can only describe as boats or underwater structures?

It's weird because putting that into a search engine just gives me, submechanophobia, Thalassophobia, and for boats specifically, naviphobia. But the way they're explained just isn't quite it.

I do not fear the deep ocean. I find the intrigues of it amazing and I don't mind going on a wave or to the beach. I'm not afraid of underwater structures. I don't get all wigged up when I look at some underwater sculpture, or look at some underwater robotics. Again I have intrigue. I guess I might have more of the fear for boats? But I think that's just my general motion sickness. There's nothing scary physically about a boat to me. Looking at a boat is fine.

This weird fear. Is specifically being Inside of an underwater structure or boat. Which so far has no equivalent I can find online. Looking at any sort of underwater vehicle or structure is fine. It's the idea of going inside of it that actually creeps me out. I was genuinely creeped out going on to a boat that had been anchored into the goddamn bay for years. I could do it. But the sense of unease is murdering.

I am genuinely unsettled playing pressure. Not because of any monster inside of the game. But because we're in a giant underwater facility. I hate. I hate that metal on water noise. That groaning echo. Pressure has it all over and it mentally kills me. Other games of course use this in their underwater facility sections too. And it's a single noise that genuinely creeps me out no matter how many times I hear it. The Rusty echo of an old building just doesn't have the same feeling.

Idk why It's specifically going into things around water that scares me. I haven't honestly been in a lot of things underwater. I've only been on a boat in the open ocean once. I've been on two anchored ships. And I've only really played video games. But it's a strong sense of unease that I can't quite place. And it doesn't seem to have a known phobia attached.

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

I have 3 story ideas I really wanna do so Imma just talk about them here (and if I end up doing one and somehow someone recognizes it on ao3 no you don't <3) (JK I'll probably be elated)

Alien AU — I have this one started already. It is posted. This is also a possible "has this been read here" worry . It's not as romantic and more found family but does include plenty of platonic Virgil/Remus moments (though I do know this blog is otherwise, I felt it was important to mention). Virgil was kidnapped because "human scary lets make it fight other aliens to the death" and he's keeping himself alive because fight or flight. The others are aliens. They're there too. Kidnapped too. Yippee!! They'll eventually all get out and there's going to be a plot twist (not a super big one, just a little funny thing that makes the perspective of Virgil change). Anywho. Aliens <3.

Royalty AU — this is the one with spymaster Virgil and Prince/Knight Remus. This is .. honestly the one that's lacking a plot the most. I'm kinda dying over the fact I can't come up with a plot. Everyone will have their roles and I know for a fact there will be a scene where everyone is like "well shit this is really important. Hey Your Majesty (Thomas, the king), where are you getting all of this information?" and in waltzes dressed-in-rags Virgil with like a wet washcloth over his shoulder fresh outta doing dishes like "me and I got more" and everyone's like ⁉️⁉️⁉️ but thomas is just "yes Virgil what is it". Anyway Virgil starts banging the prince— /j I LOVE ROYALTY SO MUCH RAHHHH

Fae AU — HEY REMEMBER WHAT I SENT AN INFODUMP ABOUT THE FAE AU HEHEHEH I DECIDED!!! So this one will have a beginning of like— Virgil is a human child first. He's like 3 and he finds himself in a fae circle. Janus' fae circle. The fae pops in like "I'm gonna make a deal— oh. A child. Mine now" (plot twist virgils moms bad so it was a good decision). Then Janus raises this human child alongside the fae. It's a little difficult and they have their moments but Virgil is still under the protection of Fuck With Me And Die Janus so he's a little smug bitch. Kinda like a cat. Ever seen a smug cat? That's Virgil. And uh there's this one fae who's about equal his age at the time and that fae is a little unsettling and just reeeaaaaaally likes this human, okay? Nothing weird! Just. Just wants to smooch the human. Just a little crush. Anyway Virgil starts dating Remus and it's like "woah hold on wait I didn't teach you dating customs wait—" :D

Input? I genuinely cannot pick. Also ty for letting me infodump Dukexiety nation love y'all <3

— 👑

D E V O U R I N G this all 3 are S O fucking good!!! First things first

Alien AU: Found Family? D E L I C I O U S. Aliens, A N G S T, Plot twist, and badass Vee doing whatever it takes to survive? *chef's kiss*

Royalty AU: Cool and D E L I C I O U S has underrated roles the Spooky Beloveds and Character!Thomas have L O V E it (Remember to take your time with this one I know exactly what it's like to really wanna work on an AU/Fic but not figuring out a lot of plot to write it'll come to you trust me maybe planning and playing around with different scenarios can help or some thinking about some of the character's backstories)

Fae AU: L O V E L O V E L O V E it it's got smug Cat coded Vee, Jan being a healthier parental figure Vee always needed, Fae!Ree & Jan, Dukexiety of course, and Jan having his son grow up a liiittle too fast for him XD

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Top 20 songs of 2024 reviewed by yours truly

As a yearly tradition I review my most liked songs when Spotify Wrapped comes out. Since this year was full of bangers, I extend the list to 20 instead of 10. Rules:

One song per artist

Can only include song when the song itself came out this year (album doesn't count)

Enjoy and thanks if you read it through.

20. Windwaker - Tabula Rasa

This song took me by surprise and I have not nearly listened to this band enough. This song basically was unskippable for me the later half of the year with the rapping, the electro beats, the super catchy chorus or the high variety of screams. Also the song's title is an item name in my favorite game of all time helped a lot to keep this one in memory. Start this list with a clean slate.

19. Bad Omens X Poppy - V. A. N.

Violence Against Nature is a really unique song in a sense that even though the Bad Omens are playing the super industrial metalcore instrumentals, the vocals are provided none other than Poppy herself only. Some people would find the monotonous vocals really unsettling and boring, I think they are very charming in a weird way. The machine gun-like drums are just the cherry on top.

18. Nothing More - House on Sand (feat. Eric V of I Prevail)

This was also a song that I got addicted to in the latter half of the year. The guitars are very modern sounding and the verses kinda remind me of a Beastie Boys/RHCP kinda groove, I don't know why. It's a strange mixture that somehow works.

17. Green Day - Suzie Chapstick

Probably my favorite love song from this year that gives me strange warmth, especially 'cause I remember it coming out during wintertime and I always listened to it on the warm bus on the way to work. Very comforting song with a nostalgic hook, I would honestly even call it Whatsername 2.

16. Alpha Wolf - Sucks 2 Suck (feat. Ice-T)

This might be way lower than it should be but hear me out. The song is great, the Ice-T feature is a little questionable but the whole vibe of this "standing up against bullies" type of hardcore song is really speaking to me. I often caught myself listening to it in home office when someone pissed me off.

15. LANDMVRKS - Creature

What's a song that begins with french rapping then turns into a metalcore anthem with a really melodic chorus and great breakdowns? This song. I really can't say anything else about this other than it's a banger.

14. Sum 41 - Waiting On A Twist of Fate

I could have picked any single from Sum 41's last album and it would have fit. I chose this one because of the punk-ish nature, fast drums, screamy vocals just in good Sum 41 fashion. I'm sad that I won't be able to hear this band live again but I'm glad they went out on their own terms (also I kinda relate to that).

13. Boi What - Funeral of an Antihero

If there was a genre called I'm not okay-core, this song would be there along with Lost by BMTH. The similarities are crazy between these songs and the pacing, the melodies and even the vocal style is very similar (though this song has the Plankton AI filter over it). I got called out by my ex-girlfriend for liking literal Spongebobcore but hey, a good song is a good song.

12. Nightwish - The Day Of...

Apparently it's an unpopular take but I loooove this song. The key change in the last chorus with the choir singing and Floor's amazing vocals had me shook since I first heard it. Though I think Yesterwynde was a little underwhelming (the later half, the first half is pretty decent in my opinion), this song is well deservingly here on this list.

11. Billie Eilish - Birds of A Feather

A really chill pop song from a really chill pop album and a really chill pop artist. It's also adorable and dreamy and to be fair just a cute lovesong that gets stuck in your head. I only put this love song ahead of the Green Day one, because even though both singers are called Billie, this one made a more unique sounding song.

10. Bilmuri - TALKIN' 2 YOUR GHOST

I know, unexpectedly low for American Motor Sports being my AOTY, but I got into the Bilmuri hype really late this year. Johnny Frank's metalcore-country hybrid band did a great job with this song despite it being less than 3 minutes long. I can also relate to the meaning behind the lyrics, I just love the whole thing to be honest.

09. Sleep Theory - Stuck In My Head

Sleep Theory is a band that I rarely listen to but when I do, I binge a lot of their songs. They're very nu-metal adjacent modern metal/metalcore band that have a very good artistic direction and good sense of melody. Also in my opinion very underrated, I love their older EP Paper Hearts, as well as this song. And of course this one got stuck in my head all year, pun intended.

08. Spiritbox - Soft Spine

YOU ALL DESERVE EACH OTHER. This callout is probably the hardest of the year for me, the song is pure breakdowns and screams, being very faithful to Spiritbox' sound. I'm really looking forward to their new album. Similar to their song Cellar Door from last year, this one doesn't need any huge melodies or choruses either as long as the heaviness is there.

07. Ice Nine Kills - A Work of Art (feat. SHAVO)

Despite hating horror and gore, INK is one of my favorite bands right now. The melodic sensibilities of Spencer Charnas. musical genius of of the whole band, and the corny horror vibe that does not take itself very seriously always brings me to a good mood. For some reason the band got a lot of hate online for being "boring and cheesy" by most metalcore listeners and reviewers but I honestly cannot give less fucks about it. The breakdown with the clown noise just always makes me smile. A Work of Art is a banger (and the key change at the end is just perfect).

06. Knocked Loose - Suffocate (feat. Poppy)

I kind of lied at the beginning. Poppy is featured in multiple instances on this list, bringing her to my favorite artist for this year. Knocked Loose knocked it out of the park this year with their album, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, and even though I wasn't very keen on Bryan's vocals first, the pissed of vibe of the whole band got me through my worst days of this year. Her PR team must do a great job because wherever I looked this year I saw this girl who started out as a creepy internet sensation, making it to Jimmy Kimmel by screaming her lungs out and then releasing one of the biggest albums of 2024. Also the reggaeton breakdown got me jamming even though I absolutely despite the original genre. Great job, KL.

05. Poppy - they're all around us

Yeah... I know. I'm a liar. So the album of this unexpected banger came out on the same day as another anticipated album of mine, yet this song was still on repeat more times than that record as a whole. 2024 was undoubtedly Poppy's year for sure. Oh and about the song, well it's very angry, brutal at times, but still has a Britney chorus, do you want any more information?

04. twenty one pilots - Routines In The Night

A bit of a mood change as we get to my favorite pop song of the year, which is unexpected a little because all the singles from Clancy, the 2024 album of the band were very competitive. Routines In The Night got stuck in my head for days, and while I was trying to figure out why, I noticed that the melodies just like in the Billie Eilish song, were very comforting, but in a different way. It was more like meeting an old friend late at night because neither of you can sleep. Brought me back to the good old days.

03. Electric Callboy X BABYMETAL - RATATATA

Some unhinged commenters said that this collab is similar to WWII, since the germans and the japanese have united and dropped a bomb. While this might be a very dark joke, I think it's absolutely correct. Two of the most fun modern metal bands unite in this beautifully chaotic mess of a metalcore mixed with J-metal, I love this song so much and it always brings me to good mood.

02. Linkin Park - Two Faced

Welp. Linkin Park are back alright. Two Faced brought me back to the first time I listened to Hybrid Theory and Meteora in full. The breakdown, the rap parts, the screams, everything is perfect and I can honestly say I'm always fully immersed in nostalgia when playing this song. Sidenote: this was the only song this year that I always had to listen to twice because one time was never enough.

01. Bring Me The Horizon - n/A

Might be an unlikely pick but n/A was my most relatable song this year. Oli dealing with substance abuse and telling the story of his relapse, how he feels guilt over relapsing made me think of how much I fucked up this year. I could write a bunch of personal stuff here why I chose this as my song of the year but let me just say that the subject matter always hit very close to home, especially describing the intrusiveness of Oli's thoughts. I literally never skipped it, ever.

So these are all my favorite songs this year but of course the list could be even longer than this by at least 10-15 songs.

[doubleddenden]

Second review of the 3 anime finale on Toonami: Rick and Morty the Anime

I will preface this by saying (and I humbly ask for no personal attacks on this) that I honestly do not like normal Rick and Morty to begin with.

Don't read if you don't vibe with that. RnM fans tend to be very... extra, in some regards, taking too much after Rick- so that's the warning, you'll be in for a bad time if you like the base show and wanna read further.

The reasons I dislike regular RnM is because the art style is gross and ugly for the sake of being gross and ugly, and the writing reeks of depressed nihilistic cynicism that shits all over any character that dares to want something normal or even happy, and the comedy writing is just not really that funny beyond a couple of jokes. I hate Rick- I have seen episodes, multiple before, and I just can NOT stand him. "Oh great you didn't know this very impossible to know thing and now you fucked up, great, real classy, you should feel bad and or kys" or "I personally don't like you and I'm going to make it the multiverse's and my family's problem" are not traits I find admirable (and no, he doesn't really get much better, he's still an asshole no matter how much development he gets). The family isn't really much better tbh and all hate each other, something I hate about modern adult cartoons including the ugly art style and grossness just to be gross. That's just my opinion, I get that people like the show (it's been renewed for like a seasons 8, 9, 10, and 11 already), but I honestly cannot grasp it.

So why watch the anime? Well, it was on Toonami, may as well, and I thought with different writers it might be different too. I did mildly enjoy some of the tone shift from one of the other anime shorts, which made Rick vaguely less of an asshole and more like someone that actually cares about his family beyond how they personally benefit him- so I wanted to give it a shot.

Its............ it's uh..... well, it happened. I think I can say that. That's not good or bad. Just... yeah. Mid.

There's a severe tonal shift from (badly written) adult comedy with an ugly art style that thinks "Morty, we gotta fight the Dick Clenchers of Splotchulon 5, Morty, you'll never guess why they're called that, Morty, its- it's because they clench your dick, Morty. Now help me work on my shit machine that shits actual shit" is funny, to something that REALLY tries to take itself super seriously with a ton of angst and drama- like if Family Guy (also hate it) suddenly tried to make a live action season without its bad comedy and references and instead decided to make a dramatic, murder mystery plot line over a season without a SINGLE joke or flashback, played completely seriously. In other words, it is really unsettling to see a show so disingenuous try to be genuine, but just come across as weird and off putting.

And while I can say I didn't hate some of the aspects of it, I can't say I really enjoyed or understood most of it either. Elle is a pretty fun character for a bit, but doesn't really have much personality beyond being in love with Morty and being some kind of time perceiver. The other characters are also weirdly characterized to be less consistent with their regular counterparts- I mean there's still a couple of moments where Rick is an asshole to Morty or Jerry or where Summer is vaguely a bitch like usual, but otherwise they may as well be completely different characters. I guess the canon material would allow this as an AU in the multiverse, but it's still... weird. Very weird. I would prefer anime Rick over real Rick because again, he's LESS of an asshole and kind of mysterious- but mid overall.

The plot is also weird and overly complex for what it's supposed to be. I mean it's better than a plot device powered by an infinite wall of tortured Morties, but we're talking about some sections that confuse me so much, that Kingdom Hearts makes more sense to me.

I wish I could say the animation and art style were better, but this is like saying a piece of stained printer paper is better than a dirty toilet. The animation is just blocky, and the characters transition weirdly to this style- like it's an anime, but they want to maintain the gross art style of the original in a vague way. Elle is actually just fine and looks cute in both her versions, but she is also directly created for this series and isn't adapted for anything. Idk I know I'm an outsider and some RnM fan is really tempted to tell me to kms over that, but hear me out on this: if your thing is to make an ugly American cartoon into an anime, maybe try making it look genuine instead of weird and off putting. I mean, it worked for the Simpsons Death Note episode.

Personally, I feel like this anime was just made as a way to get around the Writer's Strike from last year. In fact, I half expected from this episode or a future one for the real series to look at this and be like "oh yeah, that'll show the writers to demand a fair wage. Good thing that's not canon, right? Looks like shit. " it does not feel like anybody's best work and serves more like a fan's overly angst filled AU.

Well anyway, a 5/10 feels fine. Mid as fuck.

[lacrimosathedark]

Hazbin Villain Appreciation Post

People can be so weird about people enjoying villains nowadays, so I think I'm gonna take a little step on the wild side and list some things I like about Hazbin villains whether I like the character or not.

Alastor

Yes, he counts until proven otherwise, but also we're easing into it. Alastor is easy to like for a serial killer. I love a lot about him if I'm honest. Him being a clueless asexual really hits home for me as that was me for about half of my life (and then first crush and hey what's this "demisexual" thing?). But I love how he can be so suave and sophisticated and intimidating while also being an utter goof.

Look at this man. He can be so threatening but he also does this shit. He's so dumb. I love him. Stupid fucking deer man.

It helps that how he interacts with other characters is almost always funny.

He's such a little shit. I love him.

Vox

The performance. Both in his voice and the animation. Christian Borle does some amazing work and it makes a character who is by all metrics incredibly unsettling into being funny and charming. But also some of my favorite moments are just him making funny faces.

His face looking at his hand after Val smashes his phone is one of my favorite little moments in the whole series thus far. The animators do a great job having fun with his dumb head. Vox is great. He's such a dweeb and honestly I can see how his powers are hypnotic in nature.

Valentino

You can't look at Val's design sans the bitchy demeanor and tell me it isn't pretty. Moths are great. And that he chirps/squeaks when he moves is a great touch.

He's also a very compelling villain in that he brings more depth and insight into other characters like Angel. But most of all, Joel's little riffs and just some of Val's lines are so funny.

Angel Dust: I'm coming! Valentino: Not off-camera, you're not!

Valentino: Yeah, I'm here all the time, they know me. You're gorgeous, do you need a job? How many dicks can you suck? Ooh, I could make you a star. Yeah, a star. Porn star. OK, yup, bring me another drink or I'll fucking kill you. I said I'll fucking kill you, and I will.

That the latter dialogue was in the background and how it was delivered? LMAO

Velvette

I love her design. How can you not? And all her different outfits she rotates through?

One of the things I love most about fashion-based characters is how fans run with it. Velvette may not be high up in my character tier list, but about a quarter of the fanart I've saved is her and she has her own designated folder. I'm beyond excited to see more of her if just to see her designs.

Adam

He's designed to be a hateable fuckboy, and they do it well, but it's also Alex Brightman so he gets a few really funny moments in there.

Adam: 275? Woah! Badass! Awesome job, danger tits! Pound it. ♫ Bow-now-now-nownow Guitar solo, fuck yeah! ♫ Adam: Uuughhh, "No one but the exorcists can know about the exterminations". I know, fine. *slurps drink* Don't fucking shush me, bitch. Adam: ♫ What up, baby? ♫ Saw that you went to my manager. Low blow, Karen. Adam: Objection, lame and unoriginal. Lute: Rip Vaggie's cunt mouth out her ass! Adam: Would you just-ju-chill, Lute. Fuck.

Adam: The fuck? Lute: They appear to have some kind of shield, sir! Adam: Oh, really? I didn't see this giant fucking shield in front of me, YOU DUMB BITCH! NO SHIT!

Adam: And you're...fuck-fuck you...you red piece of f-too much fucking red...fuck...shut up!

Not to mention Hell is Forever is a fuckin banger. He's horrible in a way that was really fun to watch. Even better was this misogynist pig was taken down by a tiny dainty little lady who can appear as the perfect little housewife type and goes fucking berserk mode for "bad boys". Niffty was really the best person to take him out.

Lute

Not gonna lie, I cannot find a single redeeming quality in Lute. She's only funny when Adam is being funny, she's an uptight unrepentant bitch who mutilated a co-worker for being merciful. I don't like her. That being said, her singing voice? GodDAMN. You Didn't Know blew me away in part because of Jessica Vosk's absolute killer performance. I need a Lute villain song yesterday.

Sera

We have so little of her it's hard to think of things that are unique to her, like wouldn't also apply to Emily like her design both humanoid and angelic. She sings well, but she also didn't blow me out of the water the way Lute did. Though, she does have one of the most intense shots in the show and it leaves a lot of space for interesting conflicted dichotomy in her.

I hope we get a lot more of her to love and hate next season.

Susan

What do yall like about Hazbin's villains?