#NO the lighting does not make sense YES it looks cool so I'm paying it no mind

[hubbleablubble]

Some 'painting' practice with Venny!

[bored-trans-orchidsexual]

"Evan is the protagonist of Mismag"

I saw a post complaining about this, and apparently it's a pervasive thought in the fandom, that Brennan being Brennan and giving Evan a sizable backstory makes him the 'protagonist' of a 4-player game, and he hogs the spotlight. I can't believe this needs to be said, but...

HAVING A LONG BACKSTORY ≠ BEING THE PROTAGONIST

what the fuck stories have 'yall been reading. If there is a protagonist, which there isn't, it would be *Sam black* and yes I will explain that later, but first off, no. Having a lengthy backstory that comes back to haunt a character is *classic* rival or detailed support character biz. The question you need to ask yourself here, is 'does Evan's backstory dominate/make up the main plot or the main conflicts of the series' and, for those who answered yes to that... I'm sorry I just can't help you. Evan's shadow, the demons that claimed him, even the various wizards looking to him as the arrival of a dark lord are *not* the main villains of this story and if you thought they were you WERE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

The *Villains* of this story are Boudica, Tallulah, and the system they represent/seek to maintain. The Wizarding society here knows they hold power and control secretly, that equality could be a thing but that would take away their power, so they want to keep it all to themselves. They play pretend at making peace and working together with the group they have othered (a group that outpopulates them so massively they can't even conceive of the size) but in bad faith, never intending to actually share power, they set up a group to fail because they eternally underestimate those they see as lesser. and you fuckers think the *White boy* is the main character? Seriously?

Evan is a *loud* character narratively but he doesn't lead. He's a potential villain in the making, someone who's life experiences have been hard and could grow quite dangerous, but not only does he not want to be that he has *Jammer.* He has *Sam.* I understand the dynamic between him and Kay is cute and all but honestly, they are kinda worse for him than better a lot of the time. Rewatch the show, really watch who he looks to when things are tough, or see his expressions wen Jammer and Sam help take care of him, offer support. He *instantly* develops an attachment to Jammer, any approval or support Jammer gives him goes leagues in that boy's head. That's his *best friend* and he's so cool. And Sam? Sam's so competent and social, she's a shining light for all her friends but she without a beat is on his side too and he can't believe it. If there is a "protagonist" in this group, it's Sam. She's a leader, not in the sense that Jammer is, but in her own very important way. Jammer makes the calls like a coach but Sam keeps everyone together. She sees everything for how it is, calls out what's wrong (Like the iconic "and we don't know you") And her influence spreads *quickly* wherever she goes. When the break between seasons happened she didn't leave, she remade herself and used her talents to spread magic and her view as best she could, as Sam Britan. She thrived, and continues to, and her very presence is a healing balm on everyone she cares about. But sure, the confused white guy is the protagonist. Fuck off with that shit, Sam Britan is narratively the most important character in this show and her friends are the most important thing to her in the world.

[lil-frenchfri77]

Begin Again Chapter 2

Summary: Ever since Bella came back to Forks things between y/n and her boys have been different. Embry and Quil stopped answering phone calls and texts, they’ve even been avoiding her everytime she shows up at their house. So y/n does the only thing she can think to do, she latches onto Jacob just like Bella, and when he starts acting like Embry and Quil did, she makes the decision to not put so much effort into a friendship that is clearly one sided. But what happens one day when Sam’s pack is in town at the same time as y/n and her new friends and two certain boys imprint on their former best friend? And what happens when a former best friend doesn’t feel the same way?

Authors note: Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! I am actually so freaking excited that so many people liked the first chapter. When I posted this I never thought that I would be getting any kind of traction or reads but the 20 people that liked my first chapter are really making me feel good about myself and my writing skills. I don't know how consistent my chapter updating will be I have a really hard time with sticking to things but the enthusiasm i'm feeling after posting for the first time is really making my productivity flow.

Not beta read, lemme know If there are any egregious spelling or grammar errors and I will 100% go back and fix it

Word count: 1.8k

Embry Call x Fem!Swan!Reader x Quil Ateara

Slight Stiles Stlinski x Reader

Chapter 1 | Master list | Chapter 3

For the next two weeks your routine is almost exactly the same. You meet Scott and Stiles by your locker every morning and sit with their friends at lunch. It is such a crazy thing to think that if you had gotten to school any later that day then you would have never met them. And looking back, you can’t imagine not being friends with them now. They were filling the void that Embry and Quil had left in your heart. 

Your life was looking up and you were doing great, even Bella seemed to be doing better. She was hanging out with you and Jacob, and had even started going out with some of the kids from school. You and Stiles were getting closer to each other too. You spent most of your time in class, the ones you shared, talking to him and goofing off. You both had gotten in trouble a few times but that didn't deter you from talking. Like now. 

“Hey, so I was thinking about going into town this weekend, I need to do some clothes shopping and I was wondering, if perhaps, you’re free?” You had been meaning to ask him for the past few days but you had only now just worked up the courage. It was the first time you would be spending any time together outside of school and you were nervous. 

“Oh, uhh. Yeah totally!” His response was almost instant and the way that his cheeks turned a light pink told you that he didn't mean to answer you that fast. “Um, I mean, Yeah. I’m down to go with you.” Stiles blushed even harder and then turned forward to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. 

“Okay, cool. I’ll come pick you up around noon on Saturday?” 

“That’s good.” That was the end of the conversation. It seemed he was too caught up in the fact that you had asked him out to remember to talk to you for the rest of class. 

After school that day Jacob was leaning on your car, waiting for you to come out. He had been doing this a lot lately, waiting for you to get out of school so he could get a ride from you back to the reservation. Which didn’t really make sense to you but you figured if he liked doing this then why change it. 

“You will never guess what I did today.” It was the first thing that came out of your mouth when you got close enough to him. You couldn't wait to tell him about your hang out with Stiles on Saturday. “I asked Stiles on a date and he said yes!” You couldn't contain your excitement.  It was too hard to give him the time to guess what you did so you decided to just tell him. 

“Wow, that's a big step for you.” Jacob smiled, glad to see you happy. He knew that after the last few months you had that you deserved all the happiness you could get. “When are you going? Your sister asked me to go to the movies with her and this Mike guy on Sunday night and I really don't want to have to deal with it all alone.” 

“Well, we’re hanging out Saturday afternoon so I'm totally free to go with you guys on Sunday.” Jacob had had a crush on Bella for as long as you could remember, but you knew that he didn't want to be stuck in an awkward situation with her and some other guy. 

“Sooooo?” Stiles drawled, “what exactly are we looking for? Or what exactly are you looking for?” You two had been out for about 2 hours now and so far all you had found was a puffy green jacket and a pair of fluffy brown socks, which you only bought because they matched Stiles eyes. 

“I don’t know yet. I guess I'll know when I see it.” Your reply was nonchalant but you knew exactly what you were looking for. You just didn't want to let him know before you actually found it. Last week when you and your dad were in town you had seen a book that Stiles had been talking about religiously and with his birthday coming up you thought it would be the perfect gift. 

“Do you want to grab lunch too or do you want to just eat at my house?” you ask him, not seeing the way he turns to look at you with heart eyes. 

“We can go to the diner after you're done shopping.” He suggests. 

“Yea totally.” 

That’s when you heard it, the loud rumble of laughter from a group of boys at the other end of the street. You both looked up to where the noise came from. A slight gasp came from your parted lips as you saw Quil and Embry play fighting with the other boys from Sam’s group. Your face dropped as the two boys seemed to look up in unison and lock eyes with you. 

“Do you know them? They look like they know you.” Stiles asked, looking over at you to see you in some kind of trance staring at them. “Hey, y/n/n? Are you okay?” 

That seemed to snap you out of whatever daze you were stuck in. You looked away from them and back to Stiles before nodding and grabbing his hand to drag him into the nearest building. Which happened to be the bookstore you were looking for in the first place. 

“Sorry about that, they were just some old friends of mine. We don't really talk anymore and I haven’t seen them in some time so it was kind of shocking.” The apology spilled out of your mouth before you could stop it but that make it untrue. It was hard seeing them like that, happy and having fun when they left you feeling the way that they did. But you also couldn't help feeling a sort of resentment at them. 

“Nah it’s alright.” He dismissed taking a look around the bookstore. You had completely forgotten why you were in this store for a second, but when you remembered you had to hurry and spot the book before he could. 

Luckily you were able to find it and discreetly buy it while he looked around the store and grabbed a few things off the shelfs. When he was done checking out you slipped your hand into his, locked fingers, and led him out of the store. 

They had never felt like this before. As they locked eyes with you they saw their future flash before their eyes. You, Embry, Quil, and a happy little family. The euphoria and sense of calm that washed over them as they saw all of this was the most exquisite feeling either of the boys had ever felt. It was like nothing they had ever experienced and they had an inkling that they would never feel it again without you. 

When they watched you grab that boy's hand and run off it was like their entire world came crashing down. Their hearts, now beating in unison, felt like they were cracking. Before they could ever have you, you were gone and with someone else. Embry looked away first, face crumbling under the weight of these newfound emotions. He had never felt anything so fast, and to have it all ripped away from him so suddenly felt like a knife right into his soul. 

Quill was no better. The two boys had always shared everything growing up, they were the closest to each other of all the pack members. So it made sense that they would imprint on the same girl. And of course that girl would be their childhood best friend. The same girl they pinned after for years before turning for the first time and never speaking to her again. It was the hardest thing they ever had to do, and now, because of their actions, they were reaping the consequences. 

The dejection and rejection they were feeling was amplified by each other, every emotion coursing through their veins heightened by what the other was feeling. They wanted to whine and curl up into a ball at your feet and beg you to forgive them for the rest of their lives if that's what it took to make it up to you. 

It seemed as though the other boys around them knew not to say anything. No teasing remarks or mocking jabs were taken at the expense of the boys. All of them could sense that Embry and Quil had just imprinted on you. Everyone saw the way that you ran off like the sight of them would burn you if you looked for too long. 

“Come on, I think it’s time to head back.” it was Sam who spoke up. Always the one to take charge and take the lead in situations where no one knew what to do. But even now, he was struggling to find the right words to say or the right actions to take that could help these boys. He had never heard of an imprintee rejecting their mate. 

“No, but, we should go talk to her.” Embry whined out. Just the thought of leaving you behind after just finding out that he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with you sounded like agony. He would rather never be able to shift again than leave without you. 

“I think it's pretty clear that she doesn’t want to talk to either of you right now. Give it time. Think about how you want to approach her, what you’ll say. Right now is not the time or place for any of this, especially after that reaction.” Sam reasoned. He knew that getting everyone back to the pack house right now was his only option. He couldn't let Quil or Embry do something stupid and impulsive that could put people in danger. 

Everyone could see the way that the two boys hesitated to do what Sam asked. The longing and desire to be with you, so present in their eyes that they were waiting for something to happen. So Sam did the only reasonable thing he could think to do in that moment, and he commanded everyone to head back to the pack house at that instant. 

Begrudgingly Embry and Quil did as they were told and turned around to head back to the house. Looking back every so often, while the shop you had disappeared into was still in sight, to see if they could catch another glimpse of you through the windows or see you leaving. Just as the shop was about to disappear from their view the door gently swung open and you walked out laughing, head thrown back and a hand on your stomach as you full body cackled at whatever the mystery boy you were with voiced. Said boy, who was holding your other hand as he exited the building after you.

It tore their hearts even further in two. So with their tails, real and figurative, tucked between their legs they made their way back. Heads hung low and spirits completely drained.

What had started out as a normal Saturday had officially become one of the worst days of their lives.

[feelingpure]

Fellow Travelers | The Orange Elephant in the Room

Alright, let's talk about it.

For those who've watched the available episodes of FT so far; I'm sure we've all noticed the citrus haze they all seem to be living in.

Especially if you've attempted to edit/GIF any portion of it. The struggle is real and I'm sure has inspired many colouring dilemmas.

And we're all asking "WHY?!".

Now, I'm writing this having not looked up anything about it. So I dunno if anyone responsible has made a formal confession.

One of my initial thoughts around it was; okay... so is this just a 1950s thing? But after watching (and rewatching) episode 2, I feel like it's part of the story in a different way; It's clearly a stylistic choice, yes (I should hope that doesn't just happen by accident). But it also seems to double as a narrative choice.

Putting the rest, with image examples, under a cut because it's kinda long.

Warm vs Cool

The conclusion I've come to is pretty simply, one that we've seen used across media in a lot of movies and shows. Warm tones used to colour scenes that are meant to literally be 'warm'; a loving environment or somewhere where the character(s) feel like they can be themselves. Cool tones used for scenes where it's quite the opposite; a cold hostile environment where the character(s) does not feel welcome. Gradients in between for all the neutral/'greyarea' spaces.

Consider

Cool/neutral outdoor bench scene (with park spies around):

Maybe it's an indoor/outdoor thing? No...

Indoors (even with the mandatory orange lamps nearby) they stay pretty neutral:

Night time/day time thing? No...

Night time vs day time in Tim's apartment:

Compare it to day time neutral alone Tim in the same room before. The difference is that he's with Hawk, out of sight of any would be naysayers.

So yeah, while I am mad about the colouring for giffing needs, I do think what they're doing is pretty neat, and the POC in the show look glorious in the warm tones.

The warm/cool motif is dialled up even more in episode 2, with the contrast of Mary's warm welcoming party and Hawk's cold af family gathering (even though they still have the orange lamps/sconces around, they add nothing to the warmth):

🥺 Ugh, Tim at Mary's party. Might be my favourite part of the episode, alongside the kissing n spooning. Anyway...

The transition of Mary from the same living room where she hosted that party, to the kitchen they were just questioned in:

That transition made me start paying more attention and go back to rewatch previous scenes just for colour themes.

Interestingly Hawk's apartment seems to live in this neutral/warmish space. It was more warm earlier in the episode, especially when they were in the bedroom the morning Tim left his glasses. But in general it's a lot less warm than Tim's apartment when compared; still their skin glows with a hint of tangerine:

Of course, not only the lighting/colouring but their outfit choices say a lot. Tim is usually in the warm browns with his dress, while Hawk pretty much sticks to black, white, grey (hints of a cool toned blues and reds in his ties). This coupled with the differences in their own living space probably reflects a lot about the character and how 'welcoming' they are to others. Idk... or I could just be thinking too much about it.

This is another really interesting transition in episode 2. As Hawk hangs up the phone in that cool toned side room, opens the door to the main room of a gay bar, the warm tones literally seem to absorb him in. Which makes sense, this is obviously a gay friendly place in San Francisco. He doesn't have to try to hide any part of himself, like he probably was still trying to do on that voicemail to Lucy just before.

Now, I could go through and screenshot a load more examples (some scenes with Lucy are interesting, and that lounge/club), but you probably get the gist, you see the pattern. If not before, on your next watch, you'll certainly see it.

This has got longer than intended; I'd be surprised if anyone got this far, I did NOT fully organise my thoughts before I started this, I just began rambling and I feel like it could've been more organised and laid out better. But if you have thoughts about the colouring, I'd really like to see those too. 🤗

[fletchysohot]

Bonus fic

The big move

Lil cheeky anon request: Hey a request for mason falling in love with reader who’s from London and him not wanting to go it can angst fluff anything

This one is gonna hurt like a mf

Words: 1.4k

Mason's living room is warm, windows open to the warm summer showers outside drowning out the world around the two of you. The two of you have spent the last hour or so lazily making out on his couch having nowhere to be. Both of you feel the comfortable heaviness in your limbs from the lengthy laying on the couch and doing nothing. 

“I could just stay.” Mason runs his fingers through your hair murmuring softly against your neck.

“You have somewhere to go?” You chuckle softly.

“I meant in London…” his voice muffled against your skin, making the spot where his lips meet your throat tickle lightly.

“Masey…” you breathe mindlessly as you run circles with your thumb against the light stubble on his jaw.

“At Chelsea…” he finishes, the words coming out soft and quiet almost like a whisper told under street lights and starlight. “You could do none of that! I'm not letting you throw away your future in Manchester or Liverpool just because of me.” You lean back, looking him in the eyes, anger and annoyance evident. “But my future is where you are…” he coos again, making his voice seem sweet as honey. You see him reposition himself trying to get you back against his chest. “Your future is where you have the best option to be yourself, to play football and to feel appreciated.” You don't waver, your words short and serious. Your body now rigid and unwavering like a marble statue.

“But Chelsea loves me and I love Chelsea.” You can hear the annoyance in his voice grow with each syllable. “You and Chelsea have become a toxic relationship, Mase.” You say, now softer, with more care. Maybe he will listen if you coddle him, maybe being this way will make this conversation easier. Maybe it will hurt less. Maybe the two of you will get through this unscathed if you just keep your cool. He looks at you,his eyes big and glistening with tears threatening to spill at any moment, taken aback by your statement. You watched the cracks appear in the facade that Mason had crafted over the years inch by excruciating inch. He would never let anyone see the stoic image waver even for a second, and now here you were making it fall and crumble, exposing Mason bare. Forget getting through this unscathed, this will be painful.

“Oh, don't dare look at me like that! You know I'm right!” You say almost helplessly, still trying and hoping to make this as painless as possible  “You are so ready to just throw away your happiness and career, to sign away your soul, be payed less-” “It's not about the money,” he interrupts you, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Painless? Painstaking. “It's always about the money Mason." You almost plead for him to understand where you are coming from, “there is never such a thing as it's not about the money for a person in your situation. You can't tell me it's not something that played a huge impact when you decided to leave and explore other options!”

“Yes but things change!” His eyes are full of fury, voice loud like a clap of thunder. This isn't your Mason anymore.  

“Yes! But I refuse to be the catalyst of you blowing up your life by staying!” You scream, trying your best to keep your voice from breaking. You know better than anyone that if he even for a second saw you were hurting like he was, he would sense your weakness. Mason would call your bluff. He was trained to see weak spots his whole life. You have to stay strong.

“What are you saying?” He asks, not believing what you are implying. Of course. He wants to hear the words leave your mouth.

“Mason you know what I'm saying,” your voice is small, pleading. You know you don't want to say it and you know he does not want to hear the words.

“I want you to say it out loud." Each word comes out slow, calculated, cold.

You swallow hard, looking at him. Begging him to let you not say it out loud. Nausea crawls up your throat like the cold hand of death. 

“If you're telling me you have to choose between your career and me…” it feels like a high speed train coming to an instant stop, the air in the room freezes as you mull the last words in your mouth. The moment they will leave your mouth everything will change.  “I'm taking myself out of the equation.”

“So it's that easy for you?” He says coldly. You can see how much it hurts to hear those words. You feel as if you have dug a knife in his chest.

“You know it's not.” You finally let the tears escape your eyes, screaming. 

“I think it is!” He screams back.

“I'm doing this because you are about to ruin your life for me!” How does he not get it! How does he not see you are right?

“Because I love you!” The way his voice breaks as he confesses his love for you makes something in your chest shift, like a shard pressing against your lungs.

“Mason, that is not love! That is not something you do to a person you love! You cannot expect me to live with the knowledge that I'm to blame for you staying at Chelsea!”

“I want to stay.” You are not sure who he's trying to convince more - you or himself.

“You don't! Stop!” 

“I love you!” You see him break, his body threatening to give out. 

“I love you too but I have to do this!” you try to say it as calmly as you can, but you know you sound like a banshee. 

“You mean walk away?” he asks calmly, hiding the tremble of his voice. You know mason well enough to see the way his eyes dart around the room as if to ground himself. You hate being the reason for the panic in his body.

“I mean make sure you make the decision best for you.” As the words leave your mouth you know there is no way back. You can't backtrack anymore. Your hands twitch, ready to fly to your lips as if able to catch the words you've spoken.

“Then leave! Go!” he shrieks. Tears finally spill down his cheeks. Suddenly he's a child again, helpless and hopeless.

“I'm sorry," you plead. Part of you wants to fall to your knees, tell him you didn't mean it. Maybe part of you didn't. But you know you have to carry it through. You and Mason are gonna get through this. It's just a fight. He's going to forgive you. 

“GO AWAY I SAID!” he pushes you lightly, to put distance between the two of you. It's not like Mason to get physical, you know he didn't mean to hurt you by the way his movements are still careful. You hate yourself for putting him in a place where he reacts like this..

“Mason-” you look at him shaking your head in disbelief. 

“If you walk out that door I never want to hear from you again." His voice shakes as he gives you the ultimatum. He points a shaking hand to the door. You know he doesn't mean it. He can't mean it. But you love him and you have no choice.

You are laying on your couch when the announcement drops on your phone. Mason is grinning at the camera holding up his shiny new red shirt and the text above talks about how excited both player and club are to have made the deal happen and how they cannot wait to have a fruitful future ahead. A mix of pride and sadness fills your chest seeing him happy at a new club, but the knowledge of the price the two of you paid still feels like a shard of glass you will always carry in your heart. 

You consider texting him, to congratulate him on the move, but something in the back of your mind tells you to stop in your tracks. You know the pain that the change came with, it would not be fair to either of you to open up the wound again. There is no sense in prying it open and seeing what is left. So you slide your phone back in your pocket and try to bite back the tears.  Even though you miss him like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky, but you know he's not yours to miss anymore. And again you tell yourself you did the right thing, hoping one day you will believe it yourself.

[livingobserver]

How it is....

For those who might be interested in an update on my recovery from the one-two punch I received from Nature, (Gillian Barre Syndrome followed shortly by a Massive Stroke), a little over a year ago now. I'm doing as well, or better than expected, thank you. But there is a condition that goes along with the recovery that most won't identify without asking. On the inside, in my head, I am still agile, quick witted, strong and confident. I am still who I was before the punches. But to the outside world I am slow to react, sometimes easily confused, I move like I've had one too many drinks, nerve damage to the left side of my body (GBS damage), Grey and White matter damage to the right side of the brain(stroke). I drop things from my left hand almost constantly if I'm not paying attention to my left hand and more. In short if you are just meeting me for the first time, you wouldn't know who I am on the inside. Who I was. It would surprise you to learn of all I was capable of just 3 years ago and you couldn't be blamed for misjudging me. I wanted to bring this part of it to light, because there are so many of us and those who have suffered far worse punches than I. But perhaps those folks, because their injuries are so traumatic and obvious..., well, it might be a bit easier for them because it is difficult to misunderstand their condition. I use a cane ( a really cool cane with my primary totem animal The Owl engraved into it. Made in Poland), not because I need it to walk..., though it helps to steady the walk, but as an indicator that I am not drunk, but only pretty deeply winged. I grew tired of the looks. A seemingly healthy guy stumbling for no other apparent reason, does draw stares and looks of disapproval. For me, a guy whom till just 3 years ago Free climbed, it makes the recovery that much more challenging. Just wanted you to understand, for the sake of others..., go easy on your first impressions and resulting judgements. Oh right, the status of my recovery. I am walking talking and still typing this with one finger. I am fully "Stabilized" according to the neurologist's. But still disabled in that the things I used to do are for the most part behind me, or so "They" say. I'm still trying to get it back. I do not accept my condition. I never will. But I will admit that if someone or something really wanted to hurt me, it would have to have been those two sucker punches. Yes I am angry and frustrated but depression doesn't enter into it. You just gotta have a sense of humor equal to that of Natures. Especially when you are dealing with the Medical and Insurance Industry. :P Thanks to all my Followers for their interest and wishes for a quick and full recovery. It does mean a lot to this once Alpha Male, toxic in fact. Just not so toxic anymore. I can't beat up bullies anymore. Once a favorite sport of mine. Anyway... thank you so very much. I don't usually droll on like this. Maybe I'll have to practice my finger at writing from now on, or just stick to the the canvas. Either way, to excel in all that I can..., remains the unchanged goal in my life. It has always been the best medicine.

[quaddmgd]

Now that CyberHanami23 is over, I figured I'll clear my head and do a wrap-up on stuff I posted throughout the week. I went into it encouraged by my partner, without a clue about what I'll post and how long will it take me to break a streak. Turns out, I managed to post every day, which is something I'm very proud of.

I'm kinda new to this fandom, so during this week I managed to meet some beautiful people and see their jaw-dropping posts, made with love to their OCs and the franchise. Furthermore, I received an overwhelming amount of kind words towards my pics and characters in them. I can't find words to describe how grateful I am for that. It might sound cheesy, but for the lack of better words - thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to anyone that decided to even take a look at my stuff. It means a lot <3

So, how about some trivia about my cyberhanami23 posts? <3

I wanted to share more about Crystal and have a running theme - "Moving On" - but lack of any prior planning didn't do it a service. The theme is there, except it wasn't portrayed well at all. No one would ever guess what I had in mind. I wonder if I should write a post on how this theme relates to C.

For each day, I aimed to include a different character Crystal met at some point - and I almost managed to do that, apart from Day 7. There are many characters I'd like to include, but I wasn't able to come up with stories that would do them justice.

In Day 2, other than changing time of day, I didn't mess with the lighting. Yes, the last shot just came out like that, with no sun or any additional light sources. I didn't know how to do lighting yet.

I don't know what would be the deal between Crystal and Hanako, nor how does she know Meredith (Day 2 and Day 5). When I was initially developing her and listing every person she'll come in contact with, I figured she has to meet Hanako once. There are multiple reasons why their dynamic would be fantastic. Regarding Meredith, it's something I came up with the day before posting her. It'd be quite interesting if Stout had led a different life before becoming a corpo. And I wanted to pay her respect, as she ended up at the bottom of the ocean, wearing cement shoes, following my actions in the game.

Excluding blonde Crystal from Day 4, every picture from this week was shot the same day it was posted. Screenshots with blonde C are part of an upcoming post about her last day as a nomad. She's indeed a natural blonde and these pics are supposed to show that day.

The red Shion Targa MZT visible in some of the days is canonically Crystal's. She got it during a gig in the city. I love this car and it pisses me off that I can't buy it on console.

Elegy mentioned in Day 6 is @oranzuwu's OC and that Kusanagi in the last picture belongs to her. We know so much about each other's characters and figured out how they would meet and what kind of relationship they would have. Fun fact: Crystal knows Judy through Elegy.

I didn't know what to post on Day 7, so I started writing down songs I like with cool names, fitting for a title of the day. It didn't help, so my s/o came up with an idea to shoot pics of Crystal getting ready for bed - it's the 7th day after all, a time to rest. I started messing around and ended up snapping pictures of Crystal drinking beer with E3 2019 Fem V. It didn't fit any song, so I ditched the idea and went for back-alley Japantown tech-noir, also partially influenced by my s/o. Even though the original idea was scrapped, I'll probably post it in the next few days.

Originally I wanted to name Day 7 "Shadow Lady" or "Dark Paradise", but I settled on a song with lyrics that would fit the photos... and I felt the need to show my love for Ladytron - they're great. Although Dark Paradise doesn't fit the Day 7, it kinda makes sense as a theme song for the entire week.

I had a lot of fun and learned even more, especially regarding AMM. I never modded Cyberpunk before, as I mainly play the Xbox version. It didn't reach an acceptable level of performance on my rig and I switched to console. For the most part, I'm gonna stay there, at least until I run out of ways to creatively work around the constraints of its photo mode. Occasionally, I'll shoot something on PC, sure, but my GPU, even with FSR 2.1, doesn't produce satisfactory results - the internal res needed for playable framerates is just too low for it to look good. You don't wanna know what it takes for my PC to render these 1440p ultra settings images. Believe me, it's not used to do anything beyond running Linux, PS2 games and compiling code.

Anyway, it was cool to be a part of such event and I'm looking forward to participate in more of them, if the opportunity arises! For now, I'll continue posting my drafted screenshots and maybe even talk about something different than Cyberpunk to diversify a bit.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Tilting at Windmills

🎶 "Such a fine and natural sight...everybody's dancing in the lab light." 🎶

It can't be the moon or Bonney would get worse, pay attention. This one's a trip. Because it's 95% of what I expected...then takes a wild last turn I'm still lost on. We fill in pretty much the stuff we kinda knew about Kuma. I like how Kizaru folds in and reinforces his maudlin attitude about his mission. The weight of self sacrifice is on display here and that is naturally something that's bled over from Wano. That concept of willingly giving up free will, individuality for another...you know what I'd say about that. But we're past the point it's worth the time to point out every example of that.

This chapter also takes us on a whirlwind tour of old faces and things that are reminiscent of our own experience with this story. Panel reminds you of the wolves on Upper Yard right? Very cool, it's like seeing a different angle of Luffy's journey which I'm big into. Since this appears to be going longer I hope we see Kuma watching the Moria fight from the sidelines. Speaking of...

I love this panel of Moria and Perona. When we see so many cameos this time it doesn't feel right to say hey, look at them creeping back in, but it's a very cool panel of the pair to be sure. Warlord Jinbei & Miss Allsunday were excellent additions. What I do like is how it slips in Sabo/Ace in a way that'll subtly help out with putting this at the right point of the timeline. Like I said, a lot of this was just connecting dots we knew about it, it's cool but we sorta got what I was expecting? Most of the chapter was just that, then the last panel threw us a big curveball...

Okay...we're not back to Egghead but this is 1000x weirder. No one saw this one coming. All of a sudden, Kuma's grand flashback just met the #1 most interesting character to cross paths with in a flashback. The fuck? This is such a wild proposition, if Ace is part of Whitebeard's crew Luffy is less than a year from setting out to sea. He cannot have a significant moment with Kuma directly. We smartly kept him unconscious during Thriller Bark yes but resolved that at Sabaody. That doesn't mean they can't interact. The tone of that or even if they never do but Kuma has say, some impact on Goa is a total toss-up and the answer can take the story so many ways. It also does not have to be a super big deal.

I'll say my first thought for sure. If we started this flashback with Ginny showcasing the role and end it with Kuma providing a vignette into the one core person Luffy has here, Makino, I'm gonna get very invested from a certain perspective. If he's in that stretch between Ace leaving and setting off himself, running down to Party's Bar frequently makes plenty of sense. Get what I'm saying? Luffy would never remember a big guy that stopped in for a drink one day when he went to go see her.

Like, if you wanted to drop the subtlety...have Kuma stop in and ask her for information. He comes in as Makino is being Makino, humoring Luffy and asking what kind of crew he wants when he sets off soon. To which Luffy rattles off nine ideas you recognize and caps it off by saying he wants someone like her to keep him in line. Maybe reinforce it with Kuma watching the Moria fight, chuckling about how he only needs two more. Show us the last notes of Bonney escaping and Kuma protecting the Sunny.

That's one way you could do it. Still do the same thing getting us back. Or maybe there's a whole fuckin untold story of Goa waiting in the wings that made Luffy the man he is. The playbook is straight out the window now and nothing makes sense anymore.

[turtlefern]

Rooftop

(tw: suicide)

They shivered, so he took off his sweatshirt and threaded it over them.

It was a summer night, a good night to watch the stars.  There was a slight breeze, and the dark green of the trees was lost to the darkness, but they could be heard swaying.  The concrete of the roof of the hospital was quickly losing its daytime heat, though it wasn't exactly cold.

"How long do you think it will take someone to find us?" They were looking at the roof. "Tomorrow morning I'll wave to someone coming in, if not earlier for whatever reason." He was looking at the horizon. They tried to give his sweatshirt back, but he insisted they keep it for now.

"I'm sorry that you're here." They were running their hands on the roof, picking at nothing. "Sorry for what exactly?" He looked at them then.  There were tears running down their face silently.  It seemed like maybe even they hadn't noticed them.

"Sorry we're stuck on the roof.  Sorry you had to spend your day off like this.  Sorry that you're probably going to remember this forever.  Sorry you found me….Sorry ..I'm …like this."  They were barely blinking with all the tears.

He looked at the locked door to the roof and thought. "Did you think I wouldn't care?"  When they looked up at his face, it looked profoundly sorrowful. "No." "Then why would you--" "It's not worth it to me."  He looked confused at their words.

"What do you mean?" They looked out over the parking lot then, away from him.  "It's not worth it.  It might not make sense to you." "Explain it to me." "N-no…I don't want to--" "What? Bring down the mood?" He smiled, "Stop it, turn that off."  They turned to meet his eyes. "You should take your sweatshirt back, it's cool up here." "Don't change the subject.  You didn't eat today, did you?" "…no" "That’s what I thought.  Explain it to me." He pulled them close as their breath got more shaky.  They were still shivering.

"It's just that, in the end, I'll statistically outlive you.  I'll outlive most of them." "Who?" "My people." "And what about me outliving you?" "You're stronger than me." "You know how selfish that is?" "I'm so tired of spending my days catering myself to others." They closed their eyes then, so he hugged them closer.

"I can't keep living just for others who love me, yknow?"  They shifted to sit closer to him. "What do you want then?" They pulled away from the hug and looked up at him, bewildered. "If you wanted to…stick around.  What would you want?" They looked down.  In the dark it was hard to make out expressions.  The only light was from near the locked door.

"I want a small house, with a lot of land.  And wooden plates," They fell back into his hug. "What's stopping that?" "Everything," They said, it held the weight of the world.  It fell from their lips so heavy, it didn't need explaining.

"What if you were here for me instead?" he asked. "You wouldn't be." "Why's that?" "You're not like me.  Plus you have me paying attention to you." The way they said it, he didn't doubt their assessment that he wouldn't make it this far.

"But what if it was me." "Then I would stop you." "Then you know why I'm here." "You're stronger than me," they repeated.

"It's not fair to me," he tried. "What's fair to me then?" They weren't angry with him, he could tell.

"Does this mean therapy isn't working?" They took a deep breath. "I don't know.  It's nice to talk to her.  But I've already thought of everything she tells me." "Really?" He could feel them relaxing, even though they continued to shake.  He bet they were getting tired.

"I have done a lot of research into this kind of stuff." "Before therapy?" "No, not for me.  Well, yes before therapy, and after too, but not for me." "Why then?" "For you, for my mum, for anyone." "But I'm okay, your mum is okay." "No one is always okay. "That’s true.  But that’s not your responsibility." They inhaled deeply, "It's what I do," they said simply.

He thought about it.  They were always so calm.

"Do you tell your therapist when it gets bad?" "I don't tell her all of it." "Why?" "She'll call someone on me or something.  Might tell me to focus on the good or just remind me of all the people that love me.  I know all the arguments." "Don't you need reminding?" "No.  I know it already." "You know then how much this hurts me?" They flinched hard.  He got worried he said something wrong. "Do you mean to make me feel worse right now?" "I didn't mean-- no." They brought their knees up to their chin, "It's okay, it's what they teach you."

They didn't have a partner, he thought.  He knew how much they wanted one.  He wondered when was the last time they had been held.  He wrapped them up in his arms, tight, to settle in for the night. They shook even harder, but hugged him back.

The softest he'd ever heard, they whispered, "I'm sorry." He took a shaky breath himself, "It is what it is."

Their eyes were closed now.  He thought it must have been a big day for them.  He ran his fingers back and forth over their hand.

"Why here?" he asked. Their voice was slow, "They've all seen blood before, know the best how to clean me up the fastest.  Usually not a lot of kids.  If I somehow made it, I'd be in the right place too.  I couldn't find a proper tree."

He nodded, and put their hood up.

"What do we do tomorrow?" "You go back to work, I go back to mine." "Are you going to do this again?" "No." "Are you lying?" "Maybe."

He felt their shoulders relaxing and their head resting more into his chest.

"Why didn't you call me?" "Didn't…want…to bother...you." "You are never a bother to me.  Especially not for this." "Roof…at night…not a…bother?"  Their voice was getting more quiet.

"Not for this it's not." "Liar."  It was barely a word, and he felt the last of their strength give out against him as he considered the stars.

[s0fars0perfect]

vent post about this whole brand thing because i'm spiraling about it

disclaimer: i don't know shit about brand deals, this is just an average person's perspective on the whole deal

disclaimer no. 2: i'm generally pretty anti-"designer" brand so there's also that.

so fucking crazy to me that hybe decided to send enha to fucking milan for a prada event only to turn around and have sunghoon do a shoot with l'oreal paris of all things.

taking into consideration the fact that it's pretty common for idols and other celebrities to work with designer brands for brand deals because... obvi. it makes them look cool and chic and it's expensive and it brings in a lot of money to both companies so it just makes sense. it's just shocking and surprising to me that they then turned around and posted photos of sunghoon (who has all the makings of being kpop's next fucking it boy) doing a brand shoot with l'oreal paris, a drugstore brand.

and really, it's not even that i'm angry about the whole thing they're playing both sides of the market. of course they are, it's just good business dealings, i just think that anyone who's paying attention can see how fucking silly it is that they're doing deals with both brands.

and i say this because prada recently released a product that's color changing lip balm that does the same thing as every other fucking color changing lip balm on the market in that it reacts to your lips ph and then turns pink. yes, okay, great, you're getting in on the market but they're also charging 50 fucking USD for it. when i own a color changing lip balm that i bought, from the brand winky lux, for 14 USD.

that is almost 4x the upcharge for the fucking name PRADA being slapped on the outside of the tube. in all actuality, it's probably almost the exact same formula.

i bring this up because enha actually promoted this product. they promoted it on their insta w/ prada, the brand. meanwhile you have l'oreal paris, that while it doesn't sell a color changing lip balm it Does sell a balm-in-lipstick, which is a lightweight color lipstick that has a balm-like formula (think tinted lip balm, i suppose) and guess how much it fucking costs?

10.99 USD. 11 Dollars. less than a quarter of the price of the fucking prada color changing lip balm that you can get from any other fucking brand.

i'm not angry they're promoting a brand that is basically gouging it's clientele for it's brand name. pay whatever you want for whatever you want. if the brand matters that much to you, it's your money you're wasting not mine. i just think it's fucking hilarious that enha promoted a product that cost 50 USD only for hybe to turn around and have a member Of The Same Group promote a brand that sells basically the same products for less than a quarter of the price. it makes them look silly.

now don't get me wrong. i think it's great that idols are promoting drug store products. they're way more accessible to a much larger group of their demographic, it makes them look more relatable, it generally put them in a better light but i AM curious to see how this affects the trends in the industry as well as the sales of the brand in question.

will this cause more companies and groups to start promoting drugstore brands? i don't know, it's not super likely, but at the same time, enha is nothing if not trendsetting. unfortunately, money talks and as enha brings in more cash and more notoriety to their company, more companies are going to want their groups to be like them. that can include following in the trend and having their groups promote more inexpensive and accessible brands. it could make them look good by doing such a thing.

and as for brand sales, you have to take into consideration the fact that because the brands are more accessible, it's more likely that they'll see a real change in their sales in comparison to a designer brand.

prada probably has not seen a huge difference in their sales since doing brand dealings with enhypen because not a whole lot of enha's demo can afford prada products. there are a few here and there, trust fund kids, rich kids, older fans that make their own money, etc, etc, but far less than people who could afford l'oreal paris products.

take for instance, i own l'oreal paris products. my own mom owns l'oreal paris products. there are some people who swear by l'oreal paris' make up or skin products, and that makes sense. they're super accessible, you can buy them at wal*mart, for goodness' sake! the added promotion from a kpop idol could genuinely boost their sales a decent amount because it's not out of reach for the average person. a high school student, a college student, a minimum wage employee, you see the big picture.

the fact is, in comparison to prada, l'oreal paris could see real change in their sales and product counts, but what does that mean for their price points? what does it mean for the brand as a whole? only time will tell.

this whole brand thing is just so crazy to me, the fact that hybe has decided to have enha play both ends of the spectrum makes them look, to me, lowkey silly.

[natewriteslol]

Hey! Could i request the dorm leaders with an esper MC? Kinda like Mob psycho or Saiki k :) and maybe they don't really use this ability of theirs that much since in their world they're literally a teen who's trying to live a normal life(like Mob basically), so nobody knew about their psychic powers except Grim since the mirror said that he couldnt sense any magic in them(i'm pretty sure that psychic powers don't really count as magic but idk lol).

Feel free to ignore if you don't wanna write it! :)

 A/N: Ooh this was a fun one! I haven't watched Mob Psycho (I know about that fine ass blonde man-) but I have watched Saiki k and I loved it, still need to finish it tho jlafljhdas 

Characters: Kalim Al-Asim, Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Vil Schoenheit, Azul Ashengrotto, Idia Shroud, Malleus Draconia

P.S: I’m so sorry this is so long omg but I guess this is a strong comeback-

Warnings: none except for language

Riddle:

-You wanted to stay as far away as possible from him

-Riddle was part of the trio of people you wanted to stay away from: Riddle, Vil, and Azul

-Riddle paid so much attention to fine details that if something was up, he'd definitely notice it

-But unfortunately you were best friends with the two goobers of Heartslabyul: Ace and Deuce

-And Riddle had started to pay attention to you and your habits, and something was off with you

-It's almost as though you tried too hard to be normal, like Jamil

-And he could never let something like that happen again, so yes he was watching you

-One day you accidently slipped up and was irresponsible with your powers

-Grim was bothering you since he got into a deal with Azul for tuna and they were standing outside with the twins, since Grim lost

-You told him to fend for himself and teleported, however you didn’t plan where you would go

-And you teleported into the Heartslabyul dorm

-What sucks is that your teleportation power was literally flashy with a bright ass green light every time you popped in somewhere

-Just when you thought you were lucky since the whole dorm was uninhabited...except for Riddle who watched the whole thing

-He was completely shocked, he didn’t know what to say other than “What did you just do?!” 

-You explained to him, and that just pieced everything together

-How you solved overblots with such ease, and that one day you had a “strength potion to test for Azul” was such bs!

-Riddle ends up keeping your secret, since he values your privacy but if you do something major and mess up then he will tell!

-”I understand but please be more careful with your powers. I need to institute discipline and you are no exception, Y/N.”

-He really does care about you and doesn’t want you to be found out 

-Goes the extra mile to cover for you often, and in exchange you help him out with things :)

Leona:

-He didn't really care about you at first but as you started to hang Jack and Ruggie, Leona started to get more suspicious

-Your scent had proven that you had some trace of magic, but Leona just couldn't put his finger on it

-So he sent Ruggie after you for a couple of days

-If you were a threat to Savanaclaw, Leona would crush you

-But Ruggie had only reported back that everything with you was perfectly normal

-"Just give it up Leona, they're just an ordinary human. The scent is probably weird because they're from a completely different world."

-But Leona still had that feeling, so he was keeping an eye on you

-You had made a deal with Crowley to keep your powers secret to solve problems on campus (it did cut repair costs and handymen costs in half so-)

-Your new quest was to rid the forest of the Angolo fungus that was manifesting into living fungus blobs 

-The one thing that gave you away was Grim, as you both had to stop by the Greenhouse to read some info about the fungus

-The cat beast was being far too loud, not understanding why he had to go and mess around with the icky fungus

-You simply replied “It’ll be quick, I’ll just use Hydrokinesis and dry out the fungus since they’re mainly filled with water. They become fertilizer once dried so we can just leave them there.”

-And there Leona was, ears perked up once he heard your voice

-Hydrokinesis? What are you talking about?

-So he set off, following you to the forest

-You started to fly, turning the once green and lively fungus to brown dust while Grim napped against a tree

-Leona for the first time in the while, was left speechless

-Once you noticed him, you realized you had to talk to him

-Confronting him later on, luckily Leona didn’t spill to anyone 

-He promised to never tell anyone about what he saw, and had no clapbacks for what you had to say 

- Leona doesn’t even benefit from this secret...besides mayyybee one day asking for your help if his pride lets him

-By the Great Seven why does everything have to not be in his favor-

Azul:

-Another one who you have got to be careful around, since he’s incredibly observant

-More observant than Riddle

-Azul noticed that you’re an incredibly average person, and were incredibly relaxed even during the most stressful situations

-And almost every single time whenever you were in a tight spot, it works in your favor

-Just how is that possible? Solving overblots left and right? Every single time you disappeared the infestation of magical beasts are gone? 

-One day, you were getting picked on by a three guys, their stature far above yours and incredibly strong. How could you possibly win?

-Just as he was about to scoop in a save you, you slammed one of the men into the concrete, taking on the other two by electrocuting them, the blue lightning buzzing in your palms

-They were completely knocked out, dusting off your palms and picking up your things only to face Azul’s eyes

-After giving an explanation of what that was, he was still speechless

-Azul at first was incredibly shocked and then since Azul is Azul... later on realized this had benefits

-He could just blackmail you to be his new bodyguard!

-Oh how he always manages to bend life to his will-!

-So you could just wipe his memory... or turn him into stone...nvm

-You’re now Azul’s arch nemesis since you end up saving people from his scamming and you’re basically untouchable and there’s nothing he can do about it

-But he does find your great strength admirable (and a lil hot, I mean what can u say seeing someone floating in the air with electricity flowing through them is a nice look okay Nate shut up)

Kalim: 

-Oh Kalim my beloved

-He just thinks that you’re incredibly talented and a little mysterious

-You have your little quirks and he has his! Who is he to judge?

-Until one day you wanted to make the load lighter on Jamil, since the berries that Kalim had requested for were only in season in one country

-You decided to just teleport and then come back with the berries so Kalim wouldn’t be pouty 

-You were outside the door ready to teleport when last minute you felt a hand on your shoulder

- “Oh Y/N you forgot-!”

-And there both you and Kalim were, in a berry field thousands of miles away from the Scarabia dorm

-Kalim screams, falling to the lush green of the field

-What happened?! Where are we?! How did you do that?!

-You quickly gathered all the berries at light speed, making sure that you got back before Jamil realized that you were gone

-Kalim wasn’t scared of you, rather impressed that you were able to keep a secret for that long, he could never!

-You’re already super cool, and on top of this you have otherwordly powers!

- “It must’ve been stressful living your life like this! But don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret!”

-Yes he sometimes asks you to perform some of your powers for him, sorry Y/N-

Vil:

-While you were his friend, he was incredibly suspicious of you

-Even though you wiped everyone’s memory, he still had the faint memory of when he was in overblot mode of you blasting him with a beam of light

-Vil was incredibly upset as one of his assistants had mixed up his items, and left one of his vital skincare items on the set of where they were filming a new commercial

-It was being shipped and would take 3 days to reach NRC

-His mood was horrible and you had to do something about it to give grace to the Pomefiore dorm

-So you went to the second story of the Pomefiore dorm, ready to use Apport (the power to pull anything before you) 

-However, Vil felt incredibly guilty

-He was acting like a child and he shouldn’t have taken it out on the people who he loves and values

- “Y/N, how I was acting was incredibly inappropriate and- is that my moisturizer? How did you get it?”

-Starts freaking out as this was impossible as it was on it’s way from being shipped from another country

-This was the last straw for him ther was no justification for this that wasn't done by some form of magic

-He takes you to his room to make you sit down and give him an explanation for this

-Once you finished, Vil understood but was still freaked out

-He cares alot about keeping your powers a secret and will cover for you

-"So my aport powers need to exchange something of equal value so... I exchanged it with that Scucci purse over there-

-"MY LIMITED EDITION SCUCCI PURSE?!"

-He loves you, but you're dead to him, Y/N dear

Idia:

-Before he knew you, he didn't really notice anything off with you

-A little quiet sure but he minded his own business, he had bigger things to focus on

-Until you hung around Ignihyde more often for a project, fixing a huge generator by yourself for one of your partners for a project

-They took a break only after you told them that they could and apprehensive went to go get food and water

-Anyone with eyes could see that there's an overbearing amount of energy flowing through the fairly large sized cube

-Wait, you were wearing no gloves, you could get electrocuted! Why would have your bare hands on something like that?!

-Just as he was able to yell, it was too late, your whole body was flowing with the bright blue energy... and then you let go

-You were walking completely fine, you went and held a random wire on the ground, placing the electricity inside

-The static from your hair was gone, and you looked completely normal. . .

-Just what the hell are you?

-He did hours of research trying to figure you out, even sending Ortho to monitor you

-Yet there was nothing, you were just a “regular teen” 

-Was ready to get S.T.Y.X.S on your ass- (is that too soon to joke abt my bad overblot boys-)

-Until one day he caught you again bending electricity to your will

-Is incredibly impressed with your power (lowkey wanting to experiment on you)

-After he realizes that you can read minds Idia is so damn frightened

- “O-Okay I promise not to say anything, just don’t tell anyone what I’m thinking a-alright?!”

Malleus:

-You were one of the only people who he trusted

-Malleus had always detected some form of magical aura that was otherworldly from you and it never seemed to fade

-And it wasn’t often, but it was almost like you knew what he was thinking

-Whenever he was deeply upset he felt a twinge of energy from you, and then you would insist and help him out with his problems

-And he flat out says “Are you reading my mind, Y/N?”

-You had never been directly outed like this before, you felt horrible 

-You never read people’s minds unless it was very necessary

-whenever Malleus felt deeply gloomy you felt like it was important to just read his mind and help him with the problem

-You explained it to him and apologized, but he wasn’t upset

-In fact, he was smiling?

- “It seems like we have alot of things that we’re hiding from each other. But... you always had the best intentions whenever you used your abilities”

-He let out a sigh and reluctantly admitted, “And, I know that I’m quite stubborn with revealing my feelings.” 

- “I will keep your secret as long as you keep mine, Child of Man,” the dragon fae said, you both shaking on it

- “I always had a feeling that you were special, but I never thought it would be something of this caliber...” 

[tempobrucera]

NSFW Alphabet - B

Pairing: Thomas x Fem!Reader Word Count: 2915 Warnings: For this one? Still kinda somewhat sweet (the next one isn't .....). Pretty sure this probably already counts as body worship, masturbation (on Thomas' part). I might have a slight nose kink, I don't have under control as well. And terrible sense of humour. A/N: Well, did I kinda write a whole fic in itself for this? And a blurb? Yes, maybe I did. Maybe this is the time where I should say that I already wrote 15k or more for this? Additionally I did write another blurb for this ages ago, it included a lot of hair combing, stroking and so on but maybe I gonna post it as a regular blurb at one point. Parts: A Taglist: @teenyweenynightghost, @findaqueenwithoutaking

Special thanks to @teenyweenynightghost for asking to be on a tag list 🥺💕 If anyone wants to be added, let me know. My asks and so on are open. And as someone asked, yes, it's okay to reblog even if you've never talked to me or have no clue who I am. Thanks for all the tags and the nice words!

If you use anything out of my writing or feel inspired by it, you ask or you link back to the fic. Thank you. If you don't, you're blocked from now on.

NSFW Alphabet - B B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

.__________.

When you ask him what he likes about himself, he would probably answer with several character traits, without thinking about looks first. When you ask him specifically what he likes about his body? He probably wouldn't give you the answer you expect to hear. He would tell you that he likes his hair, even though or just because people asked him what's that mob of hair on his head and why he's calling that birds nest a hair cut. How much he likes his eyes, because he thinks they're just cool. But definitely not what would you expect at all.

.__________.

"Thomas?"

"Hmmm?" He's looking up from his phone for not even five seconds to look at you and is going back to typing without paying more attention to anything around him.

Tracing the MÅ on his hip with one of your fingers, you get at least a pleased but surpressed noise out of him: "What are you even doing?"

"Working", he looks at you sheepishly, "Just had this idea, don't want to forget it."

"Thomas?"

"Hmmm?" Still typing, guiltily avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"I told you, you can come here whenever and however long you want to", you poke your finger into his tattoo, as if it's a dagger, it's a thread, "But no work in bed."

"Just two minutes, please!"

Knowing that you can only lose this fight, you lay your head on his hip without saying anything. Waking up feels strange, slowly coming to your senses again. It feels like you were only out for five minutes but there's no natural light coming through the windows anymore, a tell tale sign that you slept a lot longer than five minutes or the two minutes Thomas wanted to have. Thomas' hand is in your hair, slowly stroking over your scalp, still on his phone. Only when you press your lips against his hip, moving slowly, does he pay attention to you: "Oh, you're awake!?"

"Yes, why didn't you wake me up?" Before he has even a chance to answer there's a dull noise coming from next to him when Thomas is moving his arm. "Thomas."

"Couldn't just wake you up and ... I got a bit lost, perhaps?" Guilt is dropping from his voice and you can see it in his eyes as well. Mixed with a glint of I really wasn't planning on getting caught. "For the last, uhm, two hours?"

"Two hours, oh god." All you can do is sigh while Thomas is beating the devil's tattoo on the pick guard of his guitar. Which somehow made it into your bed without you waking up. Somehow he had managed to get up and getting into bed again without you hearing a thing. Which means that he really paid attention to not make any noise, to really not wake you up. "I'm not angry, just ... please don't get another Fender in my bed. It's gonna end with another guitar and another Fender and another one and I don't know if I'm ready to take care of them or to wake up because I'm laying on guitar strings."

"But we could have made such a great family, all of us together." Thomas has to laugh at his own silly joke and you can't stop yourself from giggling as well. "I'm weird, sorry."

"I know that, I like that!" You smile at him. "Which actually reminds of the question I was about to ask before you had me playing sleeping beauty."

"What's the question?"

"Tell me what you like about yourself?" Pressing a last kiss to his hip, you slowly get out of your curled up position at Thomas' side, going over to straddling his hips.

Thomas presses his lips to your neck, pulling you in closer with his hands on your hips: "I'm fun! I'm definitely not boring! I know what I want, mostly."

"True! Can't complain." Teeth are carefully scraping over your skin. "Maybe I should've been more precise. No character traits."

Only after slowly licking over your collarbone, slowly kissing back up to your chin, does he answer you. "I like my hair, I really do. Don't care what other's say about it."

"Hmm, okay, I like it too, it looks good on you and it's soft. That's really it?", he looks at you questioningly. It's not a lie, it's just not what you expected. Maybe you love it even more than he does, it's soft and you love to get your hands in it. Knowing that he loves it when you do it, just makes it better. "Just not what I expected."

"Can I say something other than that as well?"

You give him a quick peck on the lips: "Sure. You can name three, you have two to go."

"I like my eyes as well, does that count?", he asks. Not breaking eye contact."They look a bit weird and they change colour which is pretty cool if you ask me."

For a while he just stares into your eyes. Pulling you in closer until your noses touch. At the same time he's slightly bucking his hips into you. Definitely this was not your plan but you can feel that he's getting hard in his jeans. "You've got one more, babe."

"My legs, I like them as well. They're long and ...", Thomas moves under you, freeing them a little bit before he wraps them around you, drawing you in closer. So close that not even tissue paper could fit between your bodies, he's putting force behind it. It makes your head spin and you almost forget to breath for a second. "Yeah, and I can do that with them."

You try to catch your breath again, while Thomas is slightly moaning against your neck: "Thomas, you're tall and lanky, everything on you is long."

Even before you said the last word, you're already regretting your choice of words. Thomas on the other hand is gleefully laughing: "Well."

"God, why did I say that", you get out before he can grab the possibility to say anything else. "Pleeease, no dick jokes. That's not what I meant."

"Hmmmm, tell me more", he mumbles into your hair.

"You also have a long neck, and long arms, and ..." Can you sound more stupid? You're not short of actually facepalming but Thomas is still holding you so close, pressing his crotch against you and straight up giggling that you can't bring yourself to the point to be embarrassed.

"I guess, you're right. Vic called them pool noodles lately, so I guess you all have a point. You're in love with a human pool noodle, any regrets?"

"Absolutely not, no! No regrets at all! I just ... I just want to know why you didn't pick your hands, wouldn't that make the most sense?"

"I... it's not that I hate them but. They do their job? A really good job and I like that they're the reason I can do what I love", he looks at you, "But ... they're completely bumped and fucked up, no? My knuckles are huge, I crack my fingers all the time, they get jammed and I know they feel way too rough. Honestly, what's there not to love? They play the guitar though."

"Thom? I love them, okay? I don't care how fucked up you think they are." A grumpy noise is the only thing you get. You know it's not insecurity but some weird disconnected pride speaking out of him. He's still pressing close though, still half hard, using every tiny bit of friction he can get. "C'mon, you love your guitar and playing. You should love them too."

"Hmmm, you like them, that's good as well."

"Yes, and I'm gonna show you what else I like." You stroke the fringe out of his face. "You're right, your hair is great. And this."

Kissing next to his ear, you kiss over his cheeks, leaving a trail of them under his eye. You can hear a muffled "What are you doing?" from Thomas. You move to his nose, kissing exactly that one spot of the bridge of his nose.

"Oh. You can't kiss them all though."

You smile at him: "I can kiss all the freckles I want, Thomas. Watch me." You kiss a few more of them on his face before moving back to his nose. Licking from the bridge to the tip of his nose, leaving a kiss there. "But I like that as well."

Getting one of his hands into your hair, he pulls you down a little bit. Leaving a few closed mouthed kisses on your lips before lightly brushing over them with his tongue. Deepening it when you let him. He's gently pulling your bottom lip with his teeth which makes you moan in response. Still kissing you afterwards, moving his tongue with yours. Only breaking the kiss when he needs some more air. You use the opportunity to move on. Kissing down his neck, kissing his bobbing adam's apple which makes him slightly shudder, then his shoulders where his collarbones stick out slightly, a tiny mole on his arm. You bury your nose in his chest hair for a bit before moving on to kiss both his nipples and another few stray freckles and another mole further down. A low moan comes from Thomas when you breath against his navel, just slightly. Just slightly kissing it afterwards. His hand buried into your hair, bucking his hips again. If anyone of you would have more patience this second, you would explore this further, for now you're just storing it away for another time, and move on. You kiss down his happy trail to the button of his jeans, you can feel him strain against the fabric.

"I forgot something", you whisper against his skin. You kiss a few more spots on his stomach before moving up again. The tiny growl you get makes you smile. You kiss the tattoo on his ribs first, moving on to the cobra on his arm, kissing your way up to the skull. Just to kiss your way down again to the dagger there. "I love this one."

Thomas is getting one of his hands of your body, sneaking it between you two. You can feel that he's struggling with the button of his jeans but then you hear the zipper being opened as well.

"I like this one as well." Giving the Rock 'И Roll tattoo on his other arm a kiss as well.

"Don't tell Damia. It'll go straight to his head." It comes out breathless, you know it's partly because he has his hand down his jeans and probably even in his briefs, partly because your lips are all over his body. "But I like it and the other one he gave me as well."

"And this ...", you scrap your teeth carefully over the red ink on his hip. "... I like this one as well."

"No bi-"

"No biting. I know", you scrap your teeth over it again, looking up to him afterwards, "Someone has to play half naked rockstar on stage, I know. Let me help you out of your jeans."

When you move back to his stomach, he still got his hand down his jeans and as suspected down his briefs. You free him of his jeans first, followed by his briefs. Thomas still has his hand on his dick when both pieces of clothing are off him and out of the bed. Lazily and slowly stroking himself, spreading pre-cum over the tip. You kiss is inner upper thigh, then slowly licking it, biting down, licking the spot apologetically afterwards and sucking a love bite into the skin there. You move again, leave a few kisses in his pubes but before you can move down further, Thomas pulls you of him by your hair. It is pleasurable hurt and you can't stop the silent whimper falling from your lips.

One hand still in your hair, he puts two fingers of his other hand to your lips. You look up to him, licking over his fingers before sucking on them, you can see how he's biting his lip. You're trailing after them when Thomas pulls them out of your mouth, however he's holding his open palm in front of your mouth right after. You lick his palm, leaving wet trails of spit on it. All while Thomas is looking into your eyes. When he pulls of this time, you want to move with him but he holds you back another time.

"Oh, no! No touching me, no touching you!" Only now are you realising that you didn't lose any clothes during this. There was no jeans on you to begin with but while Thomas got out of his jeans and underwear, you're still in your bra and shirt and your panties, which definitely have a wet spot on them. "I said no biting and you still did it. That's the price you pay."

Thomas is still looking down at you, not breaking eye contact the slightest. Neither are you. "You gonna show that part of your body off as well now?"

"You should be happy that I let you watch, really."

He moves your head slightly. You bite your lip while you watch how he moves his hand. Palming and pulling himself off, while making noises that should be illegal. Moaning, moving his hips and all you can do is watch. You know, he said no touching but you can't help yourself and kiss his abdomen, he doesn't seem to mind. His movements slow down before he gets faster again. You can feel his muscles contract, hear how his breathing is going over into panting, letting out a choked up noise when he cums over his hand. Thomas is still catching his breath when you're getting up to his face again. You're straddling one of his thighs, kissing the corner of his mouth, before he presses a kiss to your lips.

He presses his tigh against you: "You're wet."

"Thomas, fuck. What did you think would happen? That was hot, you're hot."

"You're still not getting anything though." He chuckles.

And in this moment you hate that pretty man under you.

.__________.

Thomas loves almost everything about you and he would tell you so.

He loves your face but he thinks that's a given, so it doesn't count, is what he's saying. He would still pepper it with kisses every chance he gets. Would press kisses to your forhead and to your cheek when you had a long day.

He loves your hands. These hands touch him, stroke his hair, are drawing patterns on his back when he can't sleep and he knows when he really really really wants to and puts effort into it he can teach those pretty hands how to play the guitar.

But he also loves your thighs. Loves to leave hickeys and bite marks there while you're playing with his hair. Has no problem falling asleep on them and your hip.

.__________.

The frustration in his eyes is undeniably there. There's no way around it. What makes it even worse is, that you know yourself that it sounds shit. And it does every damn time you try. Thomas showing you a billion times and explaining it a billion times more doesn't help. You don't understand anything except the basics that Thomas has drilled into you. It's Thomas though, it's his guitar you're clinging to as if it's a lifeline, and both of them don't seem to accept or even to know the word basic when it comes to music. It's not in their vocabulary. Neither in Thomas' nor his old guitars'. Actually you feel quite sorry for what you just did to that poor fretboard. Maybe that's a step in the right direction?

You let out a frustrated sigh: "Sorry!", you say more to the guitar than to him. Thomas raises an eyebrow but then smiles at you, taking the guitar from you and placing it carefully next to the living room table.

"We're going to try that again", he says, "You'll see it's going to work at one point."

Just as carefully does he take one of your hands in his. You have to laugh when he starts kissing your fingers one after the other. "What are you doing, Thom?"

"I love them, a lot, okay? I'm just putting them through a lot, I'm an ass", he looks at you, "Maybe I'm just a miserable teacher."

"You're not!" He takes your other hand and does the same, kissing every finger one after the other. "Maybe, I'm just a terrible and lazy student. I didn't even look at it the last one and a half weeks."

"Hmm. I get it, you have a life as well." Letting go of one hand, he grabs the other one again. Flipping it over and kissing fingertip after fingertip. "We don't have to do this. I just ..."

There's no way in heaven or in hell, that you can say no to those big eyes looking at you.

"Ouch!" You pull your hand slightly out of his grip. "That stings."

"Shit! Sorry. I should've known better, been there. We really don't have to do this."

"No, we're doing this! You're right, we're gonna get there at one point."

The sparkle these words put to his eyes is worth it, even though it's painful and frustrating.

[rottingsparrow]

Part 4! Of rereading Lore Olympus. Ep 31-40

Gotta be real I keep forgetting to post these even tho I'm reading them but it's fine. Obviously I won't finish before the end of the 2 week break (this Saturday) but after this I may start reviewing episodes as they come out, who knows. Last part:

Ep 31

Theres so many other reasons you shouldnt work together but ok

Also shes literally so smart right like thats canon

Artemis is cool hera,,,sometimes

Which two sons i wish i knew the lo family tree as opposed to the real one yknow

How do heras powers work she felt her pain but doesnt know who??

I would kill for a comprehensive list of family tree and powers, dont even have to spoil powers just please i get so confused

Ep 32

Train ur fuckin dogs hades i think ive said that before

He changed skin color again but like not just light vs dark thats a whole diff shade of blue

Hehe threaten low class workers so cute and quirky hades

Why is uh psyche/whatever her nymph name is wearing more traditional clothes while not in the mortal realm

Love the dog

Hades has a point, even tho it makes no sense for him to have said that

Ok also point out in the like future episode he wants persephone to call him Aidoneus but doesnt like when others do it why

Thats my same thing with him calling her Kore like i know in the future its like explained or whatever but idk

Aphrodite has a point it was a favor in a way

A dumb way but yknow

I remember everyone losing it over the “im only interested in the dead ones” panel but looking at it its so lame LMAO changed his entire face shape for a panel

Ep 33

HECATE HECATE WOOOO

Im but a simple man

Hades texts like an old man i know he is one but

Also i am dying to know how his business works including as the god of the underworld like. Give me something

Then again, maybe i am a lil dumb when it comes to this

I always thought he was giving the little elevator friend a sugarcube lmao

I like how minthes ears react to her emotions

Stop fighting at work omg this would be the worst place to work at

“Hey can u do ur job”

Ep 34

Why this subplot ugh

The crown floats yet is sideways after she hits him

Also haha hitting

Also their relationship does confuse me just a tad bit yknow

All the clues were there hades you dumbass

“Cancel all my meetings” DO YOUR JOB

“This doesnt affect you in the same way” cause hes a man or a king or both but also kings seemed to get treated the same by their subjects until they are dicks and excute their power

From what ive seen

Then again we havent seen poseidon do that but that brings me to the point of I wanna see poseidon realm

thats . so creepy hades ew

“Smth must be done about this” like fair legal action right?....right?

Who reads newspapers these days anyways wait a second

Ep 35

See the laptop having news makes more sense like sure we make newspapers but ppl dont use em as often

“Biochemistry Theory” fun fact I switched majors to specifically avoid taking chemistry

What are they typing he just started speaking

What type of nymph is thetis bc i know minthe is a river nymph but thetis has fancy ears

They are so mean to each other lmao

The financial situation and the fact that they both are like sleeping with the kings confuse me why do both of them do it.

Like retrospectively i understand it but when i first read it i was like “are nymphs supposed to be like hookers??” so i was lost for a bit

“Hades micromanages computer usage” oh what a shit boss

Also the meal ticket she has a job sure hades gave it to her but

Idk maybe im slow

What an awful way to do a heart shape i just tried it wtf

“Crying is for wives” damn

Yes body issues that dont get brought up again right? Like she all of a sudden gets bigger boobs and i dont think hades pays ppl enough for cosmetic surgery

You guys know this is a work setting

Has rachel ever had a job bc this feels like a comical trope seen on tv the workplace drama yknow

LMAO IN THE LAST PANEL RACHEL FORGOT TO GIVE HER NYMPH EARS

Like fully normal ears i know its a mistake but its funny

Ep 36

“Not my circus not my monkeys” queen

Hades is it not your circus how dont involve hecate in this

“Stop starin at me with them big ol eyes”

Oof that does not look good on you, i mean why didnt you give her the coat

“I thought you didnt get jealous” ok she may have said that but literally everything about her contradicts that

And i love this part bc he doesnt call her crazy and they talk, i mean he hides some of the truth which like fuck him, and then they try to talk about the party and

Ugh i know minthe is supposed to be an antagonist but rachel does this weird thing where she tries to flesh her out, then realizes it would be an easy set up for a redemption arc and screws her over again

I know the ppl in the mortal realm are generally frightened of hades but why are ppl in olympus

“I wouldnt expect anything less from a goddess” so we are going to bring in the racism/speciesism that occurs in this story right

Its the middle of the day isnt he supposed to be in the mortal realm moving the sun or some shit

Ep 37

“Last night” Rachel its ok to space things out sweetie

Ok ok so one thing i hate about her characterization of apollo is he goes from being delusional to knowing what he did was at least slightly wrong and i hate both are fine stories but pick one he either is so infatuated with persephone that he thinks that they had a great time or he wants her for her power

And! A transition from one to the other would be fine, but she goes back in forth in his characterization

Little red vines look cool

Hehe cerberus

How did he escape tho

I love that dog

Ep 38

Oh its the greenhouse again

But this time it represents the evil feeling?

Idk but i like eye symbolism im lame lol

Why was she sleeping in the chair

When did she get those clothes i dunno if eros would buy her business casual

Artemis really sees all the signs and then goes “meh”

Like points out the possible crush on persephone just connect the dots they are so close

Why is there not more than one door

Why is no one getting off

How does rachel think train stops work

Ep 39

Also not thatanos with an undercut lmao

Ope its thanatos i mixed it up

Also minthe you just actively arent doing a good job like lmao how are you not getting fired

Hades smoking a cigar is so old and gross tbh

What an awful boss

That man has a point dont stand infront of the door

She gave her a little flower nice

Minthe i know ur being spiteful, weird bc hades explained shes just the daughter of a friend( i know its a lie but still) but just do your job

“It says restricted access but that lady says it was fine” i would just wait until someone came out theres no reason to go inside

Ep 40

Why would they not have a lock on this place actually

Why wouldnt she just leave the way she came

When did hades put on his glasses

How is it hades fault what

So many questions yknow for such a short episode

Also does this place not have security cameras in places that are tartarus

[lostjulys]

Good morning!! Do you have any tips for planning out decorating a jacket? I’ve got ideas but don’t know what to do with them

good MORNING HI YES I DO YES!! ok i'm gonna be assuming you're not planning on making like. an actual punk jacket (as in like. black jacket + mostly black & white stencil patches) but lmk if u are! anyway

^five second sketch of my jacket that i'm working on right now. the most important thing imo is balancing the stuff you're putting on it. you don't want five patches of the same shape right next to each other, or they'll be visually confusing and kind of. weigh down the area where they are? if that makes sense? and it's easy for eyes to just skim over similar shapes and go Okay not paying attention to either of those they're all the same. (on my jacket, i had two square patches from the same shop, the x files one & the atomic bomb one. i wanted them Both to be noticeable, so i put them in different places (sleeve & back) so you don't see both of them Immediately At The Same Time.)

another thing you want to balance is light & dark areas! the most important part of composition is positive and negative space. on the back of my jacket, i have a big black back patch with cretaceous guys on it & i also wanted to put the x files one somewhere cool. if i had put it like, somewhere else, maybe where 'luck' is, it would have broken up the composition into like. [big dark patch] [smaller dark patch] [third one over here] [looks like messy soup.]

third piece of advice is to maybe try to pick a theme or idea and stick to it. doesn't have to be like!! rigid or anything! but it rlly rlly helps with figuring out what you Want yr jacket to look like, & it also helps with the pressure to Use Every Patch You Have & making it look like a cohesive whole, rather than just pieces of fabric on a jacket. (i use these words very loosely. my favorite jacket is my mollymauk jacket (in storage rn sadge :( )& that one's color scheme is just. fucking covered with every color & sparkly thing & gemstone possible. it's got like at least thirty different thrift store brooches sewn on the front & different colors of embroidery thread around the cuffs & collar & so much stuff on it.) <- anyway that's all my advice for planning out Where stuff goes.

for actually Putting Stuff On, PLEASE pin it first. pin the patch on first put the jacket on look at yourself in the mirror say Okay is this where i want it to be? move it around, see what you like best, try and pin all your stuff on at once and see if you like how it looks. just rearrange stuff until it makes yr brain go brr! (learned this the hard way by sewing stuff on without trying it on first and realizing that sometimes things that look cool while yr jacket is on a hanger is very underwhelming when you're wearing it.) ALSO sew things on. don't just iron on patches 1) they fall off 2) it looks worse. if u have a sewing machine that does zigzag stitch use that if u don't sew by hand a lot i can give u tips. but pls pls sew things. anyway good luck it will look fucking awesome!!! send me pictures when yr done!!! >:3

[whosjunglejim4322]

Cobra Hybrid! Yukhei/ fighter AU

Warnings: pussy eating, breeding kink, competitive fighting, bl**d, mentions of open wounds, eagle hybrid Xiaojun, scorpion hybrid Hendery, minor mentions of getting high, angst, mentions of near death experiences, fluff bc Xuxi loves u an unhealthy amount

The sky outside of your bedrooms hopper window is scattered with rich hues of deep violet and burgundy, a sight that is too captivating to not sit and admire for at least a moment while your food cools off on your beside table.

You've always been particular about the temperature, needing it hot enough to burn your palms but not the surface of your tongue.

You smile warmly to yourself as you think of Yukhei, the way he can practically scarf anything down no matter the heat. You've had to physically stop him from inhaling piping hot ramen quite a few times, though he never listens. "Its okay, promise!I like when it's hot!"

Stubborn boy.

The colors above seem to dissipate by the second into shades that better suit the nighttime hour, not even a quarter of the sun peeking from below the horizon as the city below continues to buzz with work commutes, or perhaps lovers that are eager to be in the same space their partners occupy.

You sigh ruefully, knowing that it's just your suboncious missing a certain doe eyed, raven haired boy.

It hasn't even been two days since you last saw eachother, the navy blue sweatshirt that he wore over still hanging off the corner of your dresser, the scent of patchouli and cedarwood clinging to the fabric.

Your fingers reach out to undo the latch that keeps your window closed, the cool, dusk air gentle against your cheeks.

You know you shouldn't worry about him, he's with Hendery and Xiaojun and the others and they're all celebrating YangYang's birthday in his uncles house near Shenzhen.

At least that's what his last message said, and truly, you're not one to be overly nosey or obsessive. But the thought of Yukhei, your Yukhei, back in that poisonous red ring with barbarous eyes latched onto his body, eager for his blood to spill across the white floor-

You feel your throat tighten at the thought, eyes closing as you inhale through your nose, the air not as thick with smog this time of year and allowing for at least somewhat of a peace of mind. 

You find the juxtaposition to the outside world, and the world that lies below the boutiques and indie music shops and niche cafes, to be sardonically humorous.

It makes sense, strangely, that the evil and greed that people possess would no doubt be thrumming with a life of its own in the hybrid world, even more so than that of the human world, sometimes.

And for hybrids like Yukhei, the ones with a little more strength, a little more aggression once the animal that coexists with their dna is provoked, for a king cobra; merchants practically frothed at the mouth when your boyfriend put himself up for rivalry.

It was the last thing he ever wanted to do, and not just because the clubs usually smelled of dry blood and spit among other noxious substances, or because of the fact that his body felt as if it had been hit by a train every morning when he awoke.

It's because of how you sobbed when you found out. Your eyes and nose raw with the fury in which you had rubbed them, your body shaking. It hurt more than anything, more than a fierce kick to the jaw or a pair of canines ripping into the flesh of his shoulder.

It was agoninzing, almost more so than the fact that he had to do it in order to pay off some stupid, futile debt that he owed.

It was a nefarious fox hybrid who helped him out of an almost brawl at a club downtown during the time he worked there, fixing drinks sometimes, or lending a hand in securing the canvas and apron that was needed for the fighting ring.

It was easy work for him, and he needed the money if he wanted to get through school by even a little, but the people who occupy spaces like that, they weren't too keen on a snake hybrid being allowed in during daytime hours; helping or not.

It was just a bigheaded bull, a new bartender who caught a glimpse of the few iridescent scales that gleamed acrosss the expanse of his shoulder blade, and before he could even smell the unprompted vexation wafting off of the hulking man- he was thrown across the room.

He was nearly impaled on the bar top, nearly. Though the fox jumped in almost too eagerly after the bull busted your boyfriend's top lip open, introducing himself as the owner and kicking the aggressor off of Yukhei after professing his status.

As far as the story goes, the owner was still quite upset at the fact that two bottles of expensive liquor had been busted and wasted in the whole debacle, news to Yukhei since he had been, well, fearing for the safety of his face due to the close proximity of six inch horns.

So, it was lose a decent job and have no other options left as such a reclusive breed, or use his strengths to his advantage.

You shudder everytime you think of the ladder. Nothing prepared you for hearing that from Xiaojun's mouth, for seeing him look so weak, so close to the brink of deterioration. He looked broken.

Your noodles are cold now, and you curse yourself for allowing your thoughts to wander off to a place so unnecessary to revisit.

You're too tired to heat them back up, moving from your window sill to your quaint, welcoming bed. You peel the thick comforter back and nestle yourself into the warmth, grabbing your old (but still functioning) laptop in hopes of finding something new to watch on netflix. You have too much of a habitual personality to start a new t.v. show, but a movie might suffice.

It's hard to focus your attention elsewhere, to not to think of him. He's the type of person that you can't ever get used to seeing upclose, so effortlessly beautiful it's almost painful, an ache in the pit of your chest.

Maybe that's silly to say, but it's not jusy because you're sickeningly in love with him. It's this force that he carries with him, like he's made of pure, raw sunlight.

You close your eyes for a moment, picturing the way his plush lips feel against yours when he smiles into a kiss, noses touching and giggles resonating in his throat as you play with the wild strands of his perpetually fluffy hair.

You think of all the things that make him inherently him. His hands, the way they always seem to be steady and gentle, elegant, despite their size. Even when he caresses your cheek with the back of his knuckles, it's featherlight.

It's in his nature to be so agile, so stealthy in his movements. You sometimes forget he's a snake hybrid at all, his outside appearance similar to a lion shifter, or a wolf.

It's probably the most unobvious thing about him, unless he were to take his clothes off and reveal the miscellaneous littering of scales across his broad back and shoulders.

They're similar to his eyes in the way that they're usually onyx until they glimmer under light, ranging from shades of dazzling silver to veridian. You think of the way he hums in satisfaction everytime you run your fingertips along the surface, eyes captivated with wonder.

You jolt in surprise as your phone rings obnoxiously loud, your eyebrows furrowed in annoyance at the prospect of your pleasant thoughts being so rudely interrupted. Your indignation vanishes when you see the caller ID.

Hendery 🦂 is calling...

"Hello?" Your voice is neutral for the most part, the rational side of your mind trying not to panick so suddenly.

That doesn't last long once you hear the troubled pang in the hybrids voice, the hairs on the back of your neck standing straight up.

"Hey, uh- I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry to have to- look Yukhei is hurt-" You're sure all the blood in your body has suddenly been drained, stomach twisting as the words fly from Hendery's mouth. "We can't go to the hospital, Yangyang isn't with us and-"

This can't be happening. Not again. Who lied? Did they all lie?

"Is it the same club?" The stillness in your voice is unsettling, though you're pretty sure you might be going into shock at this point. You can't feel your limbs properly.

"Yes." He replies bleakly, and your fingers tremble as they end the call.

It's like you knew, you always know. There's something about being with Yukhei that has given you a sort of second sense, it's like knowing when a step is missing and you're about to trip.

You know you're going well over the speed limit, skin pulled fiercly over your knuckles with the force in which you're gripping the steering wheel. You're only aware you're crying when streaks of warmth cascade down your cheeks and soak into Yukhei's sweatshirt that you threw on before leaving.

You never wanted to be back here, navigating the slim dark streets to find that familiar, seemingly abandoned building with a simple red logo spray painted on the side. It can only be understood by hybrids, humans not able to translate.

The building is tucked so far back behind the city, it makes for an incredibly unpleasant journey, along with an already unpleasant destination. It's a dark corner in a place full of light. It's the door to a shadow world, to the creatures that find comfort in malice and anguish.

You're surprised you've arrived so fast, not even aware of the strange, curious glances you've been getting by passerbys. No doubt wondering what a little human girl is doing in one of the most dangerous, underground parts of the city.

But they can't touch you, not legally anyways. It's forbidden for hybrids to harm humans, and none of them would dare risk exposing their little side show for a taste of a mundane.

It's Xiaojun you spot first, his conspicuous head of nearly white hair sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the darkness of the alleyway. It's only as you approach that you can see he's slumped under the weight of Yukhei, who's figure is akin to a wilting flower.

You feel your stomach lurch, though adrenaline is what drives you to throw yourself out of the car like a madman, leaving the door open and all to run to his side. You share a brief glance with a wide eyed Hendery, gesturing towards the car as your knees scrape fiercly against the pavement.

You almost don't want to look at him completely, gaze set on Xiaojun as you round to the other side and slip yourself underneath Yukhei's heavy arm. You can't, however, ignore the blood that sticks to your skin, nor the scent of it clinging to him. He murmurs your name with a strained cry, your knees wobbling.

It's a complete blur, happening in what you guess is only about two to three minutes. Yukhei slurs his words as you and the blonde haired hybrid hoist him up with all your strength, agonized groans bellowing from his throat while you move him to the back seat.

You help to manuever his long legs into the car, every bruised, wounded, and bloody part of him visible now underneath the light above your heads. It's even worse than before. How can it be worse?

You throw yourself in beside him, Xiaojun slamming the door shut before he sprints to the passengers seat, Hendery hitting the throttle as soon as everyone is secure inside the vehicle.

You turn to your boyfriend, your love. You have to resist the urge to reach out and touch him, terrified to accidentally skim past a laceration. You whisper his name into the darkness, hoping that he'll answer and that he won't disappear before your very eyes.

Getting him inside of their apartment complex isn't easy. And not just because it takes two of you to carry him, his body too weak to do much of anything; it's mostly because carrying a half dead looking hybrid to an elevator isn't really the most optimal option.

Luckily Hendery knows how to pick the lock to the fire escape hatch in the back of the complex, allowing the four of you to somewhat subliminally carry him up two flights of stairs before finally arriving at apartment 236.

Not the essiest thing you've ever done. But none of that matters, nothing matters right now except for him.

"Couch!" Xiaojun yells, Hendery two steps ahead of him, pushing the old coffee table in the center of the livingroom to the far right corner.

Yukhei stammers before you both set him onto the piece of furniture as gently as you can, a choked whimper being the only sound he can make. It's even worse in this light, all the shared meals and nights binge watching movies suddenly lightyears away. Now this room is tainted with the sight of him falling apart.

"What do we do? Oh god, what do we do?" You speak through a broken sob, on your knees next to your boyfriends limp figure, his long limbs hanging off the side of the couch while his head struggles to stay upright.

You don't even realize Hendery has ran off until he is jogging back with a first aid kit that probably won't do any good, not in this situation. He reads the uncertainty and disbelief in your expression, quickly rebuttling.

"Venom, we need his venom," He and Xiaojun share a look that you don't quite understand, but you're too overwhemled to question it right now. "We just need to clean him up first, as best as we can."

He hands you a warm, damp washcloth and you are quick to bring it to Yukhei's face, the only place that isn't too damaged to touch and somewhat tamper with. His swollen eyes struggle to stay open, but once your hand caresses his sweltering cheek, he uses all of the strength he has to mutter your name.

"I'm so- sorry, you don't...you don't under..understand."

You place a gentle finger to his busted lips, pulling back immediately as his eyebrows furrow and he winces, not yet aware of the two others pouring some sort of unfamiliar disinfectant onto the open wounds.

"Shh, not right now. We gotta get you fixed up, okay? It's gonna be alright."

The words are probably more comforting to yourself, though nothing is comfortable at a time like this. Everything is happening so fast, Hendery gently pushing you to the side and whispering something to Yukhei that is inaudible to your human ears.

He nods weakly, and you can't hide your horror nor contain the frightening gasp that escapes your throat when Xiaojun approaches and bares his claws, shoving them into your boyfriends side.

You're frozen in place, time stopping for a an infinite moment as you sit and watch what's unfolding. Hendery muffles Yukhei's agonized shout initially, removing his hand when he realizes that the cobras fangs have been ejected.

He holds a vile up to his mouth, puncturing the top open with the sharp edge of his tooth, allowing the sticky clear venom to drip down into the glass container. You've never seen Yukhei's fangs before, mostly because snake hybrids and cobras alike aren't one to use them unless absolutely necessary.

Life or death.

It happens quick, Xiaojun with a needle inbetween his deft fingers, likely from the inconspicuous looking first aid kit, pulling the venom through the syringe before handing it to Hendery to inject into your boyfriends carotid artery.

His body stiffens as if he's gone into shock, veins protruding from his skin and pulsing like his heart beat has gone past the safe amount of BPM.

And then, he's still, so still it feels like you're getting a glimpse of what it's like to lose him, and you still can't find the strength of the willpower to move.

"He'll be okay, I promise,"

Hendery is by your side in an instant, panting as perspiration drips from his forehead. "He just needs to rest, he's the only type of hybrid who can use his own venom as a healing agent."

It feels like you've stepped into a different dimension, like somehow now is the time that your brain finally begins to over process the fact that none of these boys are human and that monsters really do exist.

They're not the monsters. You're not bothered by their otherworldy state of being in the slightest, but there's something in the way that they speak that makes it seem as though you're missing a vital detail, like a page ripped straight from the spine of a book. A page that could very well determine the entire stories fate.

"Where's Yangyang? And the birthday?" Your voice is barely above a whisper, incredulity in your tone.

He and the blonde haired eagle look guilty beyond belief, hesitancy in their eyes. The anger that boils inside of you, starting from your toes and rising to your ears, pushes you to stand to your feet and move past them to where Yukhei lies.

Theur admittance to whatever the fuck is going on, can come later. You don't trust yourself right now anyways, too angry, too overcome with grief to yell or shout or throw things in the way you wish to.

You sit by his side, and reach out to brush his tousled hair out from in front of his scraped forehead, examining the violet and burgundy hues that blooms from underneath his honey colored skin.

"I love you, I'll always be here."

You whisper, lying your head against the cushion next to his, exhaustion suddenly clouding your brain and allowing you to forget, just for a second, that you almost lost him.

The sunlight burns red from behind your eyelids, last nights events not yet in the forefront of your brain until you hear the low timbre of voices from the other room, haunting images forcing you awake.

You sit up too fast, head pounding from the restless sleep you've endured. You realize you're in someones bed when you kick off a familiar pair of black sheets from your feet, the setting around you like a second home. Yukhei's room. Someone must have carried you here during the night.

You're quicker and more eager than you've ever been in the morning, feet carrying you towsrds the half open door as you practically sprint into the livingroom, expecting to see him lying there as immobile as he was last night; preparing yourself for the worst.

But you don't see anyone on the couch, in fact. It takes you a moment to register that everyone is in the kitchen, huddled around the island. You're too beside yourself to realize that the broad, tan back that's facing you belongs to him, until he turns around.

You don't get a good look at his face, already smashing yourself against his chest with a force that doesn't even budge him. You gasp suddenly, recoiling in fear as you step away, terrified that you've hurt him.

His long arms are still open expectantly, doe eyes glossy as he stares back at you in confusion, your expression as shocked as it is dubious. He's healed. Well, not completely. Your fingers trace over the scabs that have formed where gashes and lacerations once were just hours before.

He pulls you to him again by your elbows, and you look up at him through wet lashes to see that the bruises are no longer a severe shade of purple and blue, only slightly yellow.

It doesn't take many more glances before you're forcing yourself up onto your tippytoes, grasping his cheeks in your palms and pressing your mouth against his.

His arms enclasp you fiercly, nearly making it hard to breathe but you don't care, not at all. Not when he's whole and alive and smells like himself again, not when he's kissing you like it's been years since you've last seen eachother.

When you part you realize that Yangyang and Kun are here, and the confusion that you harbored last night for their actions and secret glances, has you reluctantly pulling away from the embrace of your lover.

You see it now, the fear and worry that colors his expression. All of their expressions. Your eyes are suddenly fierce, fists clenching by your sides as your nails form crescents into the flesh of your palms.

"Someone better tell me what the everliving fuck is going on and why this happened again," You've never been so furious, have never lashed out as anyone as angrily as you are right now.

"A birthday party? Really? That's the excuse you came up with?!" Yukhei hangs his head in shame, knowing that it's in all of their best interest to let you finish. It's only fair.

"And you all knew, every single one of you let him walk into that ring again, every single one of you were okay with letting him die!" Your voice rises an octave, fresh tears now springing from your tired eyes.

"And I know there's something more, you're all shit liars. I just don't know what's going on and I dont know why, I just need to know why?" You sound defeated this time, covering your face in your hands as the cobra cradles your head against his chest.

You're too weak to pull away, too run dry to sob any longer.

Kun is the first to speak.

"His venom, it's-" You can only guess that someone glares at him, Hendery murmuring to his elder to let Yukhei tell you himself.

You finally glance up, meeting the teary eyed gaze of the man you love, who looks as terrified as he does stricken with unidentifiable emotions. He's silent as he deliberates with himself mentally, looking over his shoulder and nodding to the group in a silent understanding, before gently guiding you towards his room.

Venom, money, high.

These words echo in your brain as you sit across from Yukhei on his bed, his eyes too scared to meet yours as he finally finishes his explanation.

It's the whole hearted truth, as painful as it is to admit to the one person in this world who he so desperately wants to protect. But it had to be done, for your sake and for his.

"So the drinks you were making, they were filled with your venom...and people drank it willingly?"

You're still struggling to understand, no anger or shame laced in your voice as he expected, though it still doesn't lighten the indescribable weight that sits on his chest. He swallows.

"It's like...it's like a high for some people, or like being drunk but to an extreme, euphoric level," He anxiously picks at the skin beside his nail beds.

"The fox knew he could profit off of it, but it's still taboo. He was my employer and could easily pass me off as a crooked cobra hybrid who was sneaking my venom into drinks for secret cash. So he told me if I wanted to stop, for good, I had the chance to get my get out of jail free card during the upcoming fight,"

Your heart feels as if it might rip through your shirt, the pain and obvious regret in his voice tangible. It all makes since bow, though, in hindsight. Though you still don't understand why the others were so involved.

As if he read your mind, he continues.

"And Hendery, Xiaojun...they were just protecting me. They'd wait and make sure that I left the club everynight unharmed, and they knew the cost of confronting the fox. Hendery's venom as a scorpion is lethal, so he couldn't get involved for obvious reasons. They weren't happy or okay with any of it, I just didn't have a choice."

You suddenly feel like the guilty one now, chest heavy as the pieces of the gigantic, horrifying, and confusing puzzle finally come together.

It's alot to take it, more than you were prepared for. And your anger isn't directed at them anymore, in fact wvery ounce of fire that had been raging inside of you burns at the idea of that stupid fucking fox doing all of this for cash.

Sensing that he's still worried you're upset, you reach out to grab his fidgeting hands, his chin lifting only slightly as to peer at you through his dark lashes.

When you crawl over to him and on his lap, he looks dumbfounded. Even more so as you kiss him gently, softer than a rose petal as your thumb caresses the apple of his cheek.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, I'm so so sorry." Tears slip past your waterline before you can contain them and he kisses them away just as quickly, voice incredulous.

"Baby no, don't apologize, ever," He lifts your face to his, eyes wide and full of reverie. "I'm okay, I'm okay because you were there and I promise with my entire heart and soul to never get wrapped up in that shit ever again, ever."

You kiss him again, the taste of tears not bothering either of you. You just need to feel him, to remind yourself that he's not going anywhere. You can't shake the thought of how he looked last night.

"I almost lost you, Yukhei you...I thought I'd wake up and you'd be gone and I'd never get to kiss you again or hear your laugh," He's crying now, too, silently as he closes his eyes and you bury your face against his neck. His hands cradle you as if he has the entire world in his grasp.

"Shh I'm here, m'not going anywhere baby. I'll stay forever with you."

And he means it to his very core, feels it in his bones, solidifed as you kiss him again and again like he suplies the air in your lungs. You're both so in love with every fiber of your being, so enraptured in the feeling of one another.

When you push at his chest to silently ask him to lie down, he's quick to assert who's taking care of who, eagerly gripping your soft waist and letting your back fall against his mattress.

"My sweet angel," You arch into his touch as his plush mouth nibbles the soft skin underneath your jaw, traveling across the expanse of your throat and to the sides of your neck. "Let me make you feel good, been so patient with me."

It dawns om him that you're wearing his hoodie and he swears his heart throbs in his chest, quick fingers pulling the garment over your head and tossing it to the side with your shirt underneath, before continuing his descent.

He's shamless in the way he cups your breasts in his wide palms, gazing up at you through slitted eyes as his pink tongue flicks over one of the hardening buds. You reach out to touch any part of him you can, whining as he repeats the action on the opposite breast.

He wanders even further down, across every inch of your tummy, humming all the while in satisfaction at how sweet you smell between your legs, at how needily you whine for him.

He's all too excited now, pulling the shorts from your body with a force that should've ripped them in half, kissing your inner thighs sweetly but not as earnestly as he'd like. He's just too focused on the enticing sight of your glistening sex, mouth practically watering.

He doesn't wait for you to prepare yourself, digging in immediately. Your hands fly to his hair, fingers tangling themselves in the strands as his mouth encloses around your throbbing clit, suckling before he licks a broad stripe over your folds.

"Yu-yukhei...oh!" Your thighs threaten to close around his head but he holds them open with an inescapable grip, endulging himself wholeheartedly as he slurps and licks at every drop of juice that flows from you.

It's a maddening sort of pleasure, your toes curling and belly tightening. His nose is pressed against your pubic mound as he keeps his mouth over your center, wriggling his head back and forth as his tongue flicks over your clit at an inhuman pace.

"Ah, I can't- oh fuck." You're blabbering incoherently, though it only drives him further. He relishes in the way you're writhing underneath him, the way you're so wet just for him and him only.

"Want you to cum on my tongue, can you do that for me?"

All you can do is cry out in response, bucking your hips against his mouth as he prods at your entrance with the tip of his tongue. You're so close it's humiliating, but he's elated, already sensing your orgasm in the way your walls throb and pulse with every lick to your bud.

The sounds are so nasty, so lewd in the way your wetness combined with his saliva is so audible in the small room.

You cum without a warning, not being able to speak or do much of anything except jerk and twitch as he keeps his mouth on you, unrelenting in his determination to taste your release.

You whimper.

"Fuck me, please Xuxi p-please."

You beg softly, with half lidded eyes and he reluctantly lifts himself from your center with dark yet gentle eyes, mouth saturated in your juices. He can't resist you.

He kisses you like this, and you don't complain one bit. Not when he's got his pants down faster than you can blink, gripping his thick shaft and rubbing the ruby hued tip of his cock against your sensitive clit.

"Want me to fill you up, huh? Want me to make you mine forever and ever."

You're unable to verbally respond when he pushes himself in, not even an ounce of friction due to a mixture of your cum and his spit coating your walls as well as the inside of your thighs. He buries himself to the hilt, your hands on his broad back.

His pace is determined but not frantic, body held up by his forearms so he can continue to kiss you while his dick spears into you. Your lips are one of his favorite parts about you, so soft, the perfect size to slot right against his.

"Yes Xuxi, want you to give me all your cum, pretty p-please."

He supresses a hiss, burying his face in the crook of your neck as you wrap your thighs around his middle, heels pressing into his lower back.

"Mm, gonna give you my babies," He doesn't miss the way your walls flutter around him, as he pulls himself almost all the way out before sheathing himself inside of you once more. "Want you to be leaking with my cum for a w-whole week."

You whimper, and it drives him mad. His hips are agile and precise as he fucks into you now, controlled and skilled. He knows exactly where your sweet spot is, exactly what has you clinging onto him for dear life.

"You're s-so big, missed your dick, missed you."

He's the one whining now, scattering wet kisses under your jaw, nibbling your earlobe. It's like no other sensation, being together like this. You can't tell where he ends and you begin, all you can do is feel.

"You like my big dick, hmm? Want me to stuff that pretty pussy full." His words are filthy, but his candence is sweet like honey, earnest in the way his voice trembles. He's just as high on pleasure as you are.

"Please, please, yes."

His thrusts become harsher in the way he fucks back into you, reaching past your cervix. Your fingers bury themselves into the dark strands of his hair as quiet whimpers bubble from your throat, senses overwhelmed with Yukhei Yukhei Yukhei.

It doesn't help that he's so vocal in your ear, the deep timber of his groans sending chills down your spine and causing your belly to fill with heat, spreading throughout your limbs like wildfire.

It's not just fucking, this feels like what making love really is. It's a reunion in more ways than one, a solidification of your bond. You wish it could last forever, the scent of his skin, the softness of it. You can feel every muscle in his body strained with the strength he uses to please you, to reach depths that have your toes curling.

When you turn your head to kiss the skin just below his ear, his hips falter.

"Oooooh, shit baby m'gonna cum, fuck."

You pull his face from your shoulder to smash his lips against yours, cradling his face as he cups the back of your neck. His tongue slips inside your mouth, and you purposely squeeze your walls around his length.

He mewls, cursing under his breath. "Cum for me, please Yukhei," He's looking right into your eyes, lips kiss bitten, skin flushed. "Make sure you give me every last drop."

He's done for, hair sticking to his forehead, a broken groan straining to leave his throat as he pushes himself as deep as possible, both of you watching each others expression in the process.

"I love you I love you I love you." He chants, while spurts of his cum paint your walls white. You unravel when you look down between your bodies for a fleeting moment, catching a glimpse of the amount he's released as he disappears inside of you over and over again.

He kisses your face as you struggle to grasp onto him, the pleasure too much to handle, physically and emotionally. It has tears springing from your eyes, nails digging into his biceps as he continues to fuck you through it.

"I love you too, I love you so much." You finally reply, finding the strength to speak no matter how slurred and sleepy it might sound.

He smiles warmly with irrevocable adoration, eyes crinkling at the corners. He strokes your cheek with the soft pad of his thumb, leaning down to peck your nose, and then your forehead, and then your eyelids.

"You have my entire heart," He professes. "I'll always be here."

"Guess I saw that cumming."

Xiajun glares at Hendery.

[fireintheflames]

OOH OOH OOH for the salty asks: 4, 27, 44 and 51 please?

4. Worst decision for [x]’s “new direction”?

I'm gonna go with Maxwell Lord becoming a Wonder Woman villain here.

Am I a fan of Max becoming a villain at all? No, but other people could explain why that's an issue itself much more eloquently than I can. And comic book characters hell-turn all the time, so not inherently a bad concept for a morally grey character to go in.

But he does not make sense as a Wonder Woman villain! They pretty much have no history (up until she kills him)! Max has so many heroes he was actually friends with before he went bad, and any one of them would make for a compelling foil. Booster Gold would be a good option, but honestly, I think he'd be really interesting as a Martian Manhunter villain. There's history, both have mind powers, both act as surrogate parents for superhero teams, lot's of potential there! Could go for a sort of dark mirror approach, lot's a questions about the morality of their powers, what constitutes "the greater good", the betrayal of someone you thought you could trust implicitly, it could have been great!

27. What comic book trope do you hate the most?

I forgive a lot for rule-of-cool purposes (looking at you, combat high heels), but I really hate what would be what good old TVtropes would refer to as "Superman Stays Out of Gotham". Basically, I hate the concept that super heroes don't ask eachother for help when something is outside of their scope, especially when said super hero is a member of some established team. I recognize it's one of the standards of the industry because otherwise solo books are a lot harder to justify, but it just makes me yell at the page, "You have Superman on speed dial, you idiot, time to call him!"! It can be handled well, but not a fan.

44. I used to like a lot of Batman's rouges, but not so much anymore. Especially Joker, big fan when I was a kid. I think the combined darker/edgier direction and over use sort of killed it for me. He's not even funny anymore.

In an inverse, I used to hate Guy Gardner, but now I love him! Sometimes reading comics helps!

51. Who’s the most misunderstood character?

I'd say Ted Kord. A lot of people seem to see him as either "funny Batman" or "Spider-man ripoff", when he really isn't either of those things. He's a man of layers! You peel back one aspect of the character, and find another one underneath!

In the funny Batman boxes:

1. Is he rich?

Yes, sometimes.

But it's shown that a lot of Ted's money came from him earning it, as opposed to inheriting it. He is an active CEO, and when he isn't (because he gets a bit caught up in the whole "superheroes" thing and stops paying attention to the business), the company tends to flounder! He does the majority of Kord Industries R&D work himself! Whenever he is shown to shift into "CEO" mode, Kord Industries rises from the ashes and does very well! Up until he decides to put on tights again.

Also unlike Bruce, Ted spends by far the majority of his time as a superhero broke! He doesn't have a safety net to fall back on, so when his gadgets and equipment get wrecked or used up that's it until he can get some funding.

2. Does he have cool gadgets?

Yes, but also no.

Ted has the Bug (which is like all the Bat-vehicles rolled into one), a small handful of tracker drones he hardly uses, and a strobe-light/air cannon pistol. He will have the occasional 1-off gadget, but distinctly no utility belt of handy beetle themed items. His costume is notably lacking in pockets to carry them as well.

For other people, though, Ted can crank out gadgets galore. He's made gear for Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Fire, and the Birds of Prey, as well as the JLI and Extreme Justice HQs. He just doesn't seem to keep any for himself.

3. Are his parents dead?

His mom is, of a medical issue unrelated to superheros/crime/Ted. He misses her greatly.

His dad is not. He misses him very little. They really don't get along.

4. Is he smart?

Absolutely, but he really only seems to be able to focus on 1 or 2 things at a time. Unlike Batman, Ted is much more specialized in what he applies his knowledge to. He fits better into the role of "tactician", "hacker", "tech support", or "mission control" than "detective". He also relies on people underestimating him, so tends to do his best work when not observed. Many a day has been saved by Ted getting into an alien ship's vents, finding the engine bay, fiddling a bit, and leaving.

5. Is he funny?

Unarguably yes. But it's shown that a lot of it is a cover for how out of his depth and terrified he is. He is a delightfully chubby man in a bug costume fighting gods. He's allowed to cope however he needs to.

In the Spider-man ripoff boxes:

1. Is he a Spider-man ripoff?

Technically yes, originally. But he has evolved beyond those humble beginnings, and aside from a tendency to hang upside down when not entirely appropriate really doesn't have that much in common with Peter Parker, though parallels exist.

2. Does he have a dead uncle, whose death motivated him into super-heroing?

Yes, but by being evil. His uncle wanted to take over the world using an army of robots he had Ted help him build, Ted asked the previous Blue Beetle Dan Garrett to help him stop him. Dan and Ted's uncle were killed in the confrontation, and Dan asked Ted to take up the mantle of the Blue Beetle.

3. So is it a "great power=great responsibility" type of situation?

Actually, it's the inverse. Ted was handed the responsibility, and that is the source of his power. He is the Blue Beetle because Dan Garrett asked him to be. Does he have any super powers? No. But he doesn't need them, because a man he cared about entrusted the job to him. Ted tried to quit a few times throughout the comics, but always ends up circling back when people are in trouble.

Plus, he's an adrenaline junkie. Which helps when running around in spandex.