#When Mara was still on trauma team

[medtech-mara]

[johanna-swann]

I actually have sooo many issues with 911 lately that haven't even got much to do with any ships.

Like. They wrote out almost all of the side characters. Chris is gone, Linda and Sue are gone, Athena's kids are gone (even though Harry just moved in with her and Bobby again? Seriously, where is Harry?), Ravi is gone, Carla is gone. I know the GA maybe don't care that much, casual viewers might not even have noticed that this many characters have just vanished from the show, but in my opinion this is one of the things that give a show running as long as 911 life. Having a big cast is a good thing. Otherwise things are going to get very monotonous very soon.

Actually, that's my second point. They keep repeating storylines! Every season Hen and Karen have to fight a custody battle over one of their kids.

Every season Eddie ends up realising he has a lot of repressed trauma and issues which keep him from leading a healthy happy and free life.

Every season Bathena realise that they have communication issues and they fight about it, but then something traumatic happens and they forgive each other without ever really talking things out.

Every season we are reminded that Maddie's most prominent character trait is "traumatised", the writers just alternatingly bring up Doug again and sometimes the ppd arc.

Every season we see Buck being somewhat restless, looking and searching for something that will bring him true happiness and cycling through love interests that never stick around and each time when you think "oh, there it is, he's getting somewhere now" the writers go "BEEEP! WRONG!" and we start all over again. [This is not just about recent events aka Tommy, the break-up and Buck potentially going back to his 1.0 ways, this also happened in season 6 when he had his "it doesn't matter what other people see in me, I'm enough" revelation only to suddenly be like "omg, Natalia just sees me".]

And Chimney- he had his moment last season with the wedding episode, Kenneth Choi really ate that episode up, but his most prominent character trait is "Maddie's supportive husband". There's really not that much going on with him otherwise.

Another point I briefly touched upon above is consistency. Like Harry moving back in with Athena and Bobby and then just vanishing. Or Gerrard being more like a slightly unfriendly grandpa than an actual antagonist in season 8 when he was still spouting slurs in season 7.

And the timeline! We talked about this before ("last March", Mara's fostering to adoption timeline, Tommy tranferring to harbour "5 years ago"), but the newest "Tommy was actually Abby's Tommy" twist just adds to that. Tommy was with Abby for over 2 years. They were engaged. This was at a time when he was still at the 118. Tommy dated Abby presumably because he was in denial or maybe because he was hiding. In either case, wouldn't his team at least have heard about his fiancée, Abby the dispatcher? Wouldn't that have rung a bell when Buck eventually brought her around only a year or two later? Tommy did talk about his private life at least a little at work, even under Gerrard. It just doesn't make sense. (Not to mention this seems wildly out of character for Tommy who around the same time also said about himself "being single is easier".)

Then there's the pacing. This was a huge issue in season 7. They jumped from one personal soap opera drama to the next without taking any breathers, had almost no procedural in their drama the whole season, still somehow decided to spend one third of the entire season just on the opening disaster and also squeezed in a "Bobby begins for the third time now" episode. But okay, it was a shortened season, there were strikes, they switched networks, they were under a lot of pressure - I'll cut them some slack. At least they set up a bunch of interesting stuff for the following season.

But we're in season 8 now. The renewal was announced very early, they had a lot of time to plan this time. Also they have almost double the episodes they had last season, there's really no need to rush any of the major plots. I am done cutting them slack.

They wanna do a 3 part opening disaster again? Okay fine, you have the time now. I feel like they could've easily done it in 2 episodes (especially 8x02 felt a little "eh"), but okay. Better than the breakneck speed you were going at befo- Oh, what's that? 8x04 flying in with a steel chair. You resolved 70% percent of the plots you set up last season in one single episode with no build up, no emotional pay off and no lasting consequences? And you also squeezed in multiple unrelated calls at the same time? Damn, okay then. Good-bye potentially interesting storylines. Fuck me for being invested I guess. I thought there would at least maybe be some follow up in 8x05, but no.

Now that Halloween episode wasn't bad, it was actually the best episode of this season imo, but instead of following up on previously established conflicts and developments they just hit us with new Wilson family trauma and conflict that was also immediately fixed again. And now 8x06 has speedrun and dumped another storyline that had potential to go to deeper and interesting places. Not gonna talk too much about that though because this post is about the show as a whole, not ships.

And I am not yet convinced that there will be much more to come on the only thing that's left from last season: Eddie's deep dive into his trauma and repression. It's totally possible at this point that being told "you deserve nice things" by a random stranger actually solved all of his problems, it would be very in tone with 911's new style.

What are they even gonna do with the rest of this season? Revisiting the Hotshots set sounds fun, but ultimately inconsequential. You know what's great about a regular old procedural drama with ~20 episodes per season that comes on weekly? You have time. You can let the viewers sit with their emotions and thoughts for a week and keep them engaged by stretching things out a little.

But why should I bother getting emotionally invested in problems the characters are gonna solve within the same episode anyway? Or rather, even if I wanted to, how am I supposed to care if you don't give me the time to develop any feelings about anything that's happening? "Henren lost in court and are now completely forbidden from seeing Mara at all!" Damn, that must be so har- "JUST KIDDING! Ortiz is exposed and everything is perfect again now." Oh. Okay then, I guess.

Bottom line: The characters are all stuck in their own hamster wheels, they keep cutting side characters that could bring a breeze of fresh air (I'm honestly surprised they even kept Josh until now), they rush through all the storylines a such a ridiculous speed that I don't even have time to feel any sort of way about it, they don't even try to keep a consistency or sensible timeline going and they seem to strongly prioritise random funny bits that'll entertain the very casual viewers right now in this moment (tiger call, Billy Boils, Bee-nado, the 'Stache tm, "wait, it's the same Abby?", Gerrard being a fangirl at heart) instead of playing the long game and catering to people who actually pay a little attention to the show.

[On that last remark: I'm not talking about hardcore fans who analyse every single frame here, I mean casual fans who've watched the show on and off again for a while and who may not be involved in fandom but genuinely care about the show.]

I mean. What am I even still doing here? The show is treading water and I end up disappointed more often than not. I'm still holding out a little hope that they actually will do something interesting with Eddie and his sea-monkeys, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

[prose-among-the-trees]

Another DissociaDID post because frankly I’m not done.

Soren can obviously do what he wants (using he/him for the current name because I really don’t feel like starting an argument about whether DD is trans or not. I don’t mind using someone’s preferred name or pronouns.) when it comes to his channel, that goes without saying.

That being said, every single video is the same fucking thing. I as a former fan am frustrated with the same few topics over the past few years. I want a return of his to be genuine, not promise new educational content and be the same horrifying misinformation combined with blaming everyone for his legitimate fuckups.

People cannot genuinely believe that his newest update video was anything but a recap of the entire channel plus a chance to mourn all the fused alters like they died. People cannot genuinely believe that his newest demon alter video wasn’t a ripoff of the videos he promotes constantly, Mara’s intro, Sally and Amira’s nonhuman talk, and the videos about types of alters.

He’s promoting Palestine on TikTok and YouTube shorts when YouTube videos themselves get the most money for them statistically. He could do videos where he isn’t constantly making shameless plugs to his patreon and begging people to watch his trauma and dissociation on there if they’re paying for a certain tier.

This is not fucking did, it’s a joke. The newest video about types of switches is just blatant misinformation, full stop. I’ve now seen didtok making their own switching terms and circulating those. These are not clinical representations of a disorder.

Can we cut the brainrot for a second and admit that DissociaDID is a one man army to dismantle legitimate medical resources and precedents on which DID is founded on?

DissociaDID is a grifter who should have stayed the fuck gone. In case anyone believes I’m being too harsh about this, let’s go over some of the more insidious things this person (single person) has done.

1. Dated Team Piñata, someone who was exposed for drawing and selling art of CP, and begged all the did YouTubers to sweep that little factoid under the rug for the sake of friendship.

2. Fucked up with misinformation SO BADLY that the entire did community believed the terms integration and fusion were interchangeable.

3. Treated fusion like it could be caused by trauma, like alters had fucking died, and encouraged fans to simp over while mourning Kyle.

4. Responded to comments flirting on Mara’s individual account and liked comments from MINORS along with using their main account to tell a 16-17 year old boy that they could work on his GAG REFLEX (he was doing a magic trick and pulling a flower out of his mouth).

5. Told all of YouTube that Reddit was a bunch of predatory sadists who wanted children hurt when we asked him to move mature content to mature platforms like OF so kids couldn’t see that shit.

6. Legitimately steals trauma stories from media (says there’s no introjection there), other YouTubers, and from people who first supported him starting the channel.

7. Is still extorting viewers for the Sergio Costa case that should have ended at least a year ago. He might have started the issue but Soren is continuing to gather legal funding in a cash pool for the next complaint about his channel (can’t sue me I’m anonymous).

8. Posts triggering content to TikTok and when asked to stop blames the viewers and implies they’re bad people or predators.

9. Sends his fans to dox and harass whoever he wants because he can’t take a little legitimate criticism.

10. Subjected viewers to fetish content without their informed consent bc TP had a sneezing fetish (TP also drew CP with this fetish).

11. Blamed the internet for essentially killing Nadia after people called him out on his racist caricature of an Indigenous person.

12. Gave HORRIFIC sex advice for minors to see on how to get into BDSM after trauma. If you can’t say no you can’t have sex. Fuck that entire video.

Defending this person without any critical thinking and doing it blindly is defending everything I’ve stated above.

Fuck DissociaDID and the harm he continuously causes.

Also tagging @tomcatyowls because I know my mutual gets it. You’re a real one.

[shes-a-badkid]

I finally finished season 7 of 911 and I have things that I need to happen in season 8.

I’m gonna go by character and then just things I want to happen so strap in if you want to read my nonsense-

•Bobby- has this man ever ACTUALLY gone to real therapy? We’ve seen him talk to his priest and go to his meetings and that’s great, but like go to see a certified therapist. Please. I am actually begging.

•Athena- speaking of therapy… I love mom and dad, but I think they may need some marriage counseling. Just a tune up. (Because I don’t think mom here has ever talked about all of her trauma either, maybe even less than captain dad over there)

•May- I just want to see more of May. I miss her

•Hen and Karen- I need Henren to team up and take down the bitch. I don’t know how, but I need it. My heart says they call up Taylor and help her expose her abuse of power. (I don’t care what anyone says- I love Taylor) And I need them to get Mara back.

•Eddie- THERAPY! So much therapy. Solo therapy, family therapy, therapy that specializes in ptsd, maybe even therapy that specializes in religious issues… also please, we are all begging you to come out of the closet. And once you do, I do want Buddie to happen, but I kind of want Eddie to have his gay hot boy summer.

•Chris- honestly, I want this boy to stay mad for a bit. He deserves it. But I also want him to realize that his grandparents are toxic. Like maybe he realizes that, comes home, but he’s still mad and it SHOWS. Then, Eddie and him go to therapy. Maybe he vents to Buck and Buck is like trying to be neutral.

•Buck- I want him to move in with Eddie to help him not totally spiral (maybe that’s the catalyst for Tommy and him breaking up), and maybe he lets Bobby and Athena stay in his loft until they find a place. Other than that, he is doing surprisingly well and that frightens me for him…. Ooohh maybe, while Eddie is having his gay hot boy summer he gets all flustered and jealous and finally realizes he’s in love with Eddie.

•Chimney and Maddie- They need to continue to be happy and beautiful and adorable. Maybe we get another Madney baby. But, they can just continue with the good, happy married vibes.

•Ravi- just give me Ravi main. I will pay you. PLEASE. Just give it to me. And a Ravi Begins episode

•Gerard- I, personally, would love to see the team drive this man into an insane asylum or a grave. Just saying

-NOW- general things I want to happen

•Bottle episode- full episode at the station, no calls. Just silly station antics. Maybe someone is keeping a secret and this is when it all comes out. I saw someone talk about this in regards to Buddie- like they just go together and are kind of just seeing how it goes still and keeping it on the down low and they keep almost getting caught like holding hands or stuff like that and they make it through the whole slow shift and JUST as they are leaving they think they make it and they go to get into like Bucks jeep or whatever and they just barely kiss thinking no one sees except like everyone of course sees they just don’t know it and that’s how the episode ends. I don’t remember who it was but I would love that episode. Plus I just love a bottle episode.

•another good Chimney/Karen bonding moment. Like it was so cute and funny when they got drunk together when they thought Hen was up to something

•any scene with Maddie and Eddie together actually speaking to one another. I would love it if Maddie straight up calls Eddie out about his crush on Buck, but that’s just me

•Bobby having a friend that isn’t his wife or team. I know why the actor playing Michael is gone and that whole issue, but I miss their friendship/chemistry. His team (especially Buck) are most like his kids. He needs someone he can get into shenanigans with again

•more Buck/Hen scenes. We deserve them. They always have such cute scenes and we need more

•Chimney making fun of Eddie’s mustache

[the-confessions-of-a-fangirl]

Buck Season 8 Storyline

Season 7 started off strong for Buck with the way his bisexual realization was written. The confusion, the 'overenthusiastic-ally-to-queer,' over-compensating with the heterosexual behavior because you're not ready to be out.

But after that Buck was, once again, shoved into a relationship with someone who wouldn't treat him well and was given no further storyline beyond that. Even Maddie and Chimney, who didn't get overarching storylines like Henren, Bathena ,and Eddie, at least had one episode storylines and made an impact in the story during the finale (fostering Mara till Henren could finally officially adopt her).

It got me thinking on what kind of storyline Buck could have in season 8. It has to be something that touches on his family (118) and romantic relationships (they can't be side-lined at this point) but it has to be something wholly about him.

Then I remembered season 4. In season 4, we see that Buck started seeing a Dr. Copeland because he had issues about feeling 'sad and lonely' and feeling like he can't trust it (4x03). Even after he got closure from Abby which was the only lingering relationship issue at the time, he still felt sad and lonely.

This means that it's an internal thing that is making him feel sad and lonely, not an external relationship. And afterwards we see that this loneliness stems from his childhood in a family with neglectful parents and a sister, who loved him so much, but was caught up in a terrible situation to be around.

But there was another aspect that we learned from his childhood. His 'reckless' , 'dive in head first' attitude was a learned behaviour. He taught himself that being in pain=getting attention from his parents and this escalated to a point where he got in a motorcycle accident. As these incidents escalated, he would have to do weigh the fact that he could get really hurt (or worse) and then go 'that's not as important as the possibility of surviving and his parents showing him a smidge of attention'

That is textbook self-destructive behaviour wrapped up in this need for attention and love. He needs this attention because otherwise he doesn't feel enough for his parent's affection. And how long can a kid grow up like that before he internalizes that?

This lack of self worth is seen in 4x05 when he calls himself 'defective parts' and when Eddie combats that by saying 'its not on you' he combats it not by saying he doesn't think that but that his parents do think of it like that. He isn't saying 'I know I'm not defective' but that 'this situation isn't about me' when it clearly is. It personally speaks to me about low self-worth, that even when he is talking about himself, its through the way other people describe him.

He also has a huge tendency to intellectualize his traumas rather than confront them. Refer to Buck 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. Instead of processing the fact that his parents lied to him for years, he just says he's a new person because his parent's agreed to family therapy with him. He hasn't even dealt with his emotions yet and he's already packing the trauma in a box to keep away. Even his bisexual arc follows this, he may logically understand that he is bisexual but then he immediately jumped into something without trying to process what that means to him because he just won't think about himself without a buffer of another person.

So we see that Buck tends to feel lonely even when he is surrounded by meaningful relationships (Taylor in 4x08), he has self destructive habits and a lack of self worth. We also see that whenever it comes to him processing or letting himself feel his emotions, he'd rather focus on something else (he finally realizes it is over with Abby; he worries about not being a manwhore like Buck 1.0, his family lied to him; he'd rather focus on the fact that he is getting family therapy and try to find someone romantic, when Eddie is shot and he's asked about it; he'd rather worry about the team and climb up a crane where chances are he could be shot)

I want to take all of this and put it in a storyline for Buck where he learns that he only looks for a romantic partner, no matter who they are, because he wants to avoid being alone with his negative thoughts about himself or what he has been through like the ladder, his parents, dying, being lied to by Maddie, seeing Eddie get shot. The sad and lonely part of him that he keeps trying to put away with any romantic partner that comes his way is not because he lacks romance or love of any kind, but because he is unable to be happy with just himself. Buck doesn't like himself, he's constantly looking for an external change for something internal to him that he doesn't even try to think about and that is self-destructive.

Because the only external change he can think of is tossing himself into any relationship he has the opportunity of being in without thinking about whether that person is good for him. Abby didn't want a serious relationship, he barely got a chance to be meaningful with Ali, Taylor has behaved poorly in regards to his family (118) and Tommy is overall very dismissive of Buck as a person.

And when these relationships end, he feels even more poorly about himself, because he has always thought of any issue in a relationship being his fault because why wouldn't it be?

Buck has serious self worth issues that he needs to learn how to process and learn to like who he is and I hope season 8 will do that.

[dallowaylovespink]

I think I will bring Oracle!Babs back, Steph angst, her relationship with crime, her mother and father, and how her past will forever change her way of looking at the world.

MORE DUKE!!! I would either make him appear in a bunch of random comics (bc I think it'll be hilarious for him to just be everywhere without an explanation) and I would give him his own solo.

I would bring back Danny Chase, and I would make him annoy Jason, because I think it'll be funny.

RAVENS OLD HAIRCUT BC I LOVED IT WITH MY WHOLE SOUL AND I HATE THE NEW ONE (IM SORRY).

Maybe not exactly good, but trying all she can Talia, I want to explore her change and the way that her morals were twisted and why (racism) and how at the end of the day she'll always be a loving person who loves equally humans and animals the same and the way that her family always comes first but it's a problem when her family is tearing each other into pieces, I want to explore her character outside of Damian and Bruce because her character is amazing even without them.

Also she should be a doctor, like, it should start with her being infiltrated for some reason and then ending with her working on there permanently.

AL GHUL FAMILY, THEIR BELIEFS AND MYTHS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH MAGIC.

Roy and Wally friendship

Roy and Dick friendship

Roy and Donna friendship

Roy and Kory FRIENDship

I would also enjoy writing about Damian, Jon, Maya and Suren's friendship, I want them to be a hero/vigilante team again, I'm pretty sure that Jon and Maya are closer in age rn so I would take advantage of that to make them really close (wlw & mlm solidarity if ykwim).

I would also make Mara part of the team, and to have her and Damian fighting all the time (affectionate) and also to talk about how actually complicated their relationship can be because even though Damian escaped a toxic and abusive environment he left to a new kind of toxic family (love the batfam but y'all need to understand they're toxic and bad to each other a lot of the times they're together) I want them to realize that they both need to heal and that it's going to be terrible and tiring and hard but they can (maybe) end the cycle, I would also love to talk about how what motivates Damian is love and not anger and how not even him knows that.

Maya angst but more in a comic type of way, like, her suit having a dysfunction, or someone wanting to kill her because of something her father did, or the way that she sometimes acts like if she had a normal childhood, I want her to realize that it's okay to be hurt by the past and for her to understand that her pain is important and that she can be weak, also for her to be that Dad friend (trying her best but low-key making everything worse ending with her feeling guilty and useless).

For Jon I think I would make him learn to fight without his powers bc like, he'll be the only one in the group that isn't (wasn't) an assassin so you can't tell me they wouldn't teach him to fight, and to use a sword, and a gun too probably, and to pick a lock and steal a car, I haven't been reading his issues lately so I'm not sure if he managed to be back to school, but if he isn't back to school I would bring him back to school and I would make him and Maya to be classmates, I would also explore the way that being surrounded by really traumatized people can make him think his trauma is nothing and I would make him understand that even though he is Superman he's still a human, a teenager human, and he deserves to be hurt, and to be dumb, and make bad decisions without it ending in the end of the world of something.

For Suren I would make him loose control over his magic in some way, like, maybe I would make him have his magic corrupted, also the whole concept of being a prophet and it corrupting the person is really interesting to me so I would make it part of his character, I would make Raven be his mentor to acknowledge the fact that Raven (mostly) knows how to control her power. I also think they would have a really cool type of relationship and more Titans deserve to me mentors.

And about mentors, a little list of the team and who should be their mentors:

Mara - Kory (how to learn to be human without forgetting where you come from, learning to forgive but not forget)

Maya - Steph (coming to terms with the fact that you're hurt and that your parents affect who you are but the decision of who you become is yours)

Suren - Raven (accepting that there are ugly parts of us that we can't control but we can accept them and make them better and we can make something beautiful out of something horrible)

Jon - Donna, Kory, Dick (understanding your pain, learning that you don't need to be completely human to have humanity in yourself, and learning that regardless of how powerful you are you always need help)

Damian - Talia, Dick (coming to terms with the fact that he's s victim, accepting that Bruce has hurt him and even if he didn't mean it it's not okay and Damian can feel hurt even when it's only about his feelings)

Also I don't think they would call themselves Little League or Tiny Titans, they're teenagers, emo/punk/Gothic teenagers, they'll probably name themselves something like Hunters, Crows or some edgy shit.

Also their missions should be super weird and stupid, like, it they loose this chess match the whole world will end, they have to deliver McDonald's to Buddha, they have to do a quest for different gods except the quests are really weird and dumb.

ALSO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE AN ACTUAL LIDER!!! All of them are bad at being the lider so they just take turns depending on who knows more of the villain.

They would have a band too.

I would bring Mar'i to the main continuity but not in the "Kory gets pregnant" way but more in the "a crazy woman made a clone using Dick's and Kory's DNA and now they have a children who neither of them know what to do with" type of way.

KORY AND DONNA ADVENTURES OF PROTECTING NY

Dick and his relationship with his ethnicity (I think that's what is called? I may be wrong though), the gilt of not being white enough but also not being Romani enough, him learning more about his own culture, etc.

DICK, KORY AND DONNA BEING MORE THAN SUNSHINE CHARACTERS, THEY'RE TRAUMATIZED, THEY HAVE PTSD

Roy being more than a support character and him being smart and capable of doing what he needs to do, he's not stupid y'all.

The original Titans and their trauma and PTSD of being crime vigilantes at 14 or something, like, grown ass adults were beating them, that's a little traumatic yk.

Roy mentioning his family casually.

Also Tim should move on from Robin, he deserves to grow up and Damian deserves to be the current Robin

I KNOW MOST OF THIS ARE REALLY BAD 😞💔 I just think these concepts are really interesting, however thankfully it'll never be canon bc I actually hate to write so 🥳

Also it's late to me so if this is badly writing let's say it's because of that 😋

This poses a common but never dull question... Tell me what the first thing YOU would do if you became a writer at DC with no editorial backlash? What would you make canon? What story would you write? What would you retcon?

[ao3feed-stevebucky]

A Woman Out of Time

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Z4NpzJf

by Aspen_the_tree

Esther Mary Alden was known for many things, fighting for SSR in the second world war, being friends with Peggy Carter and Steve Roger's themselves and later assisting in the establishment of the government organization SHIELD. She did many remarkable things before her confirmed death. But when Steve catches sight of her almost a century later, still looking the same like she did when he'd last seen her, he starts to suspect there is a lot more to the story other than a remarkable resume. Especially since she seems so hellbent on keeping him and Bucky at an arms length, despite not having seen them in so long.

Follow along as secrets of the past and twists of the heart are dug up after years of neglect, and their consequences confronted with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

{All chapters complete, Updates weekly}

Words: 3527, Chapters: 1/11, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America (Movies)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, Gen, M/M

Characters: Esther Mary Alden (Original Female Character), Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Avengers Team, Peggy Carter, Howard Stark

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s), Avengers Team & Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Lesbian Original Character, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Gay Bucky Barnes, Found Family, Post-Movie: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Canon Divergence from Movie: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Movie: Captain America: Civil War (2016), What if Peggy had a lesbian agent bestie in the SSR?, A third supersoldier, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) Lives, Fury is still director of SHIELD, Mara is still an agent for SHIELD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, Bittersweet Ending, America's Golden boy being queer? It's more likely than you think, Some slight Irondad & Spiderson, Trauma, Working through trauma with the homies, Howard Stark slander

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Z4NpzJf

[read-bi-lina]

My goal during pride month was to post solely about LGBTQ+ books throughout the month but that didn’t end up happening. Thankfully, pride isn’t for just a month so I still plan to share plenty of LGBTQ+ titles with you, starting now.

wlw historical fiction:

Carol (formerly titled The Price of Salt) by Patricia Highsmith: It’s not one of my favorites but I’m glad I read this book as it’s one of the classics for the LGBTQ genre and it’s based off the author’s own life. In the book, Therese begins to realize her lesbian identity when she meets Carol, who struggles to keep custody of her daughter as a queer woman in 1950s USA. TW: blackmail

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I expected to like this book but I underestimated just how much because when I finished it I literally gasped and said, “wow…that was such a good book… amazing”. I fell in love with it and I immediately knew I’d have to get my own physical copy for keeps. In the book, Monique struggles with her divorce and her career as a journalist. She wants to make a name for herself and the opportunity arises when Evelyn Hugo, an actress from Hollywood’s golden age, requests an interview with her and only her. Monique is confounded because until then, Evelyn’s had a reputation for being recluse and refusing to speak with the press. During the interview, Monique learns about Evelyn’s seven husbands, her bisexual awakening, and even something about herself. TW: domestic violence/domestic abuse, alcohol abuse/drug abuse, misogyny/sexism, sexual harassment/sexual assault, death/grief, homophobia/queermisia, threatened outing/forced outing, blackmail/manipulation

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: This book was real and beautiful. I had to buy a physical copy to add to my bookshelf. The story follows a Chinese American teenage girl living in 1950s Chinatown San Francisco as she discovers her lesbian identity and dreams of a future in the space program. It tackles family trauma, lost friendships, stereotypes, and the struggles of the queer community in 1950s USA. This book is a must-read, go check it out. TW: homophobia/lesbophobia, queermisia, racism/xenophobia, deportation/threat of deportation, death/loss

wlw sports fiction:

(Can someone pleaseee write a wlw romance centered around ice hockey??)

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen: I’m not crazy about this book (sorry, I had to). The story follows Scottie, a high school basketball player struggling to get over her ex, who she just loses the first game of the season to. When Scottie feels like things can’t get worse for her she gets into a fender bender with the head cheerleader, Irene, in the school parking lot. Now she must give Irene lifts until her car is repaired and, oh yeah, did I forget to mention they can’t stand each other? Despite the fact, Scottie comes up with a plan to make her ex jealous and get her back: pretend to date Irene. Warning: stop reading if you don’t want spoilers! This book was ok, I didn’t dislike it but I just couldn’t fall in love with it. It follows the enemies-to-lovers trope but I thought the enemies part lasted longer than the getting to know each other and fall for each other part. It just seemed like it didn’t take much for them to fall in love and yet I wasn’t convinced the chemistry was there. There were some cute parts in the book but I thought the grand gesture Scottie does for Irene at the end was cheesy. It was too much. What I think the author meant to be a cute scene for the readers to gush over was just cringeworthy to me.

Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin: I was a little worried I wasn’t going to like this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s about Mara, an athletic teenager who gets kicked off her high school basketball team after she hits her teammate. For her coach to reconsider her spot on the team Mara must prove she can be part of a team again. She tries out for the school’s volleyball team before she ultimately decides that volleyball is too “girly” for her and she tries out for the football team instead. Because, why not? She’s good at it, she enjoys it, and she likes being around guys better than girls. Little did she know the impact she would have for becoming the first girl on the team. I thought this book would be all about bashing femme girls, and it does start off that way. But let me tell you, I showed up for the character development and Mara (or Britta Lundin rather) delivered. Mara’s story also includes her struggle with her family’s acceptance (or lack thereof) of her identity and interests, as well as a disingenuous friendship. TW: sexual harassment, sexism and intolerance

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler: Author of Cool for the Summer, Dahlia Adler does it again. Amber is a closeted high school cheerleader who dreams of becoming head cheerleader and Jaq Jack, short for Jaqueline, is the out and proud new girl in school. Oh, and she’s also the new quarterback after the last QB passed away. Amber is one of two people accepting of the change and while she’s supposed to be helping her squad and the football team to sabotage Jack, the two of them get close. Amber then questions what she cares about more, being head cheerleader and keeping her identity a secret, or Jack. TW: death/grief, sexism, bullying, homophobia/queermisia, threatened outing/blackmail

Catch and Cradle by Katia Rose: After a messy breakup that somehow effected her whole lacrosse team, Becca comes up with an idea in order to prevent history from repeating itself; an unofficial rule that teammates can’t date. But then Hope joins the team and the two find it harder and harder to resist the notion that maybe rules are meant to be broken. I thought Hope and Becca had good chemistry and the representation in this book doesn’t stop at sexual orientation or gender identity, because Hope struggles with dyslexia. However, this book also has unnecessary drama and fondue level cheesiness.

Queer contemporary romance series:

Ashley Blake Herring vs Alexandria Bellefleur, whose work do I prefer?

Easy. Blake takes the cake with Delilah Green Doesn’t Care. Her next additions, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail and Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date haven’t been released yet but I’m immensely excited for them. I love Delilah Green Doesn’t Care so much I’m proud to have my own paperback copy sitting on my bookshelf. I plan to write more in-depth about the series as the next two books drop. They have big shoes to fill so hopefully I love them as much as (or better yet, even more than) the first in the series!

When reading Alexandria Bellefleur’s series, I accidentally skipped her second book, Hang the Moon. I got confused and I thought that was her third book but that’s actually Count Your Lucky Stars, which I did read. When I realized my mistake, I decided not to read Hang the Moon because I already knew how it ended after reading the books out of order. I also lost the desire to finish the series because I didn’t love the other two books. That’s not to say I disliked Written in the Stars or Count Your Lucky Stars. There were parts in both I enjoyed (more so in Count Your Lucky Stars, except for an unnecessary fight) and I did love the depicted friendships, but overall they didn’t leave me with the desire to add them to my bookshelf.

That’s it for now but I’ll be back to post more recommendations/reviews on other titles. In the meantime, please let me know if I’ve left out any important trigger warnings or if you have any recommendations for me in these genres. Thank you!

[yackers]

jobs I hc the hoa kids doing in the future

joy: events/wedding planner - for obvious reasons. in my head she doesn’t do it immediately though. she does hospitality at uni and then takes some job weekend managing a hotel that she doesn’t enjoy much. it’s only after the insane stress of planning patricia and eddie’s wedding that she decides it’s the creative thrill of it that she loves so much. everyone kinda thinks that’s a nuts way to decide to do what they think she should’ve done all along but she doubted her ability.

jerome: founder of a successful business/investment group - he’s so smart and if he put his mind to it I think he’d be very successful. he doesn’t go to uni and instead takes a degree apprenticeship with alfie’s dad and works his way into his own company. he’s got the kind of initiative that makes very powerful men say ‘I like this kid’ and help him.

mick: athlete until he retires and then a coach/manager - self explanatory. he plays for a decent football team in with Australia or the uk. I don’t think he’s the most well known or anything but he does well for himself. he also has the natural ability to encourage people that would make him a great coach

mara: investigative journalist/activist - the vera incident taught her a lot about sources but she doesn’t give up easily. uni teaches her a lot but her teacher recognises her potential. she’s very determined and has a need to do good. her parents were also olympians so she’d have connections

nina: successful mystery author/full time chosen one - the play did well and to be honest she just writes about things that happen to her. tales of her school years do well, and once she’s covered her own and sarah’s experiences, she writes the untold stories of the ghosts and gods she encounters and helps. her publisher definitely thinks she has a couple screws loose but she’s doing well so who are they to care?

fabian: historian/researcher - not only is he interested and good in it but it’s what his family does. he has the hoity toity attitude of a weathered expert down and he knows a suspicious amount about egyptian gods but he’s able to provide evidence for the most part.

patricia: in a high managerial/sales role in a big company - I don’t necessarily think she knows much about the actual business she works in but when people find a girl that good at talking and selling things and getting people to bend to her will however much it takes they give her a whole staff of people and she loves it. this is one of the most different takes to the general fandom consensus but idk this job gives her more independence and I think she’d also love to travel with work and idk it makes more sense to me personally

kt: events photographer that volunteers at an animal shelter in her free time - each day is different which she loves. after properly honing I’m on her artistic talents during college she works under another photographer until she’s able to freelance. she works with mara, fabian and joy whenever they need her

eddie: firefighter - this is the one I’m most happy with idc. after losing his osirian powers he’s still left with a strong desire to help people and it’s also athletic and competitive and rewarding and allows him to feel himself again. he does go to college though. idk what he would do but he would have a good time.

willow: primary school teacher who also volunteers in her free time - it would just really fit her personality. she really loves people and it allows her to feel young forever. she’s so good at reading the children and helping them through everything.

amber: fashion designer - another obvious one idc it’s who she’s born to be she has the money connections talent and will. she gets an internship right out of fashion school and works her way up until she can start her own brand. she would absolutely destroy the met gala

alfie: children’s trauma councillor - alfie was hard but this felt right. for someone who went through a lot and was scared of everything he was very good at coping with and pushing through it for the sake of the people he cares about. I also just think he’d be so good with kids and making them laugh and feel heard. he’s just a very approachable understanding person

[halloweennut]

Once Shattered, Now Whole: Chapter 2

oh heck, backstory. Mara, Chiro and Sprx go to a smuggler planet for supplies and Mara confronts some ghosts from her past. Skeleton King snoops. cw: almost murder. 

Mara told Antauri that meditation with him felt like it had when she was in limbo. It made sense: he and the Alchemist had been taught the same techniques by the Veron Mystics. Then there was the very fact of the Power Primate being present in her mind. That confused Antauri to no end. How had she never noticed it, how had no one picked up on the connection? The Veron Mystics should have welcomed her to their temple... unless their corruption began years ago. Perhaps it was because the presence was weak...but one would think they would have sought Chiro who was so strong- his spirit and connection burned so brightly. They may have taken a different approach to gain their initiates, waiting for them to grow into their own before finding them. 

Whatever the reason, it was still there. Faint and dim like an ember but warm. 

Regardless, meditation and Mara went together like a fish to water. She fell back into the habit, but now there was no other reason for it than for self-care. Since they had started, Antauri saw fewer instances of sleep disturbances, and the tension she carried was slowly unwound. She was still cautious, but that was more than understandable. Mara still held back from talking about some things. Her time on the prison planet was off-limits, as were some parts of her childhood. But she did admit to gaps in her memory - she just assumed they were due in part to a head injury or blocked out from some sort of trauma. Antauri knew that in time they would have to work on those, but not then. 

"How are you feeling?" Antauri asked after a few minutes. They were sitting in his quarters, being the quietest place on the ship. 

"Worried still, but that's mostly for the new blockades," Mara replied after a moment. "But that's for the Main Bridge."

"What else is worrying you?"

"Chiro is no longer on the sidelines," Mara replied. "I'm worried that I won't be able to protect him."

"He is a very capable young man," he said. "But I understand your worry. I also worry for him, as well as the rest of the team. But he has all of us - and now that he is back on the field, we're employing more protective formations." 

Mara sighed at that. "You all have been so protective of him...I know he's safe with you all."

Antauri hummed at that. "What else is on your mind?"

There was a pause. "Some little things...but I'm not sure if I can talk about them yet. Maybe next session?"

"Of course. Shall we continue in silence?" 

"Yes please."

-

The new blockades had been only sent up recently. The Skeleton King apparently wanted Shuggazoom to be completely blocked off from the universe, which, considering the dwindling supplies they had, would help put the city at his mercy if he went undefeated or the blockades were evaded. However, there was also the issue of no one wanting to come near Shuggazoom because of the war and the threat the Skeleton King posed, not wanting to risk their own home planets. 

"There has to be a way through or to at least destroy part of a blockade long enough to get supplies in and out," Sprx said as the team scanned a projection of the new blockade encircling their planet. 

"Any destructive measures would have to be extremely well planned, "Antauri said. "Debris could injure those on the ground, not to mention the other ships would attack immediately."

"Maybe we can do something to scramble their signals?" Gibson offered, watching out of the corner of his eye as Otto had already set to the task. "If we could block transmissions from the Black Spire and from between the ships, we may be able to create openings. We would just have to configure it to the rest of the Horde."

"And done! One modified signal jammer, courtesy of yours truly," Otto announced. "Tada!"

"Perfect!" Chiro said. "But the suppliers are another issue..."

"True," Nova replied. "We've been reaching out more and more, but less and fewer people come to help. Not to mention we need that iron alloy for ship repairs, and no one can get that in right now."

"Why don't you use smugglers?" Mara asked from across the room. The team looked up at her. "They're good at breaking blockades and are loyal if you pay them. Hell, I've cracked a few blockades of my own." 

"That's...not a bad idea," Nova replied. "Do you still have your old contacts?"

"I'm a bit out of the loop, honestly," Mara replied. "Not to mention most probably think I'm still in the clink or dead, so I doubt any communication I send would be answered. The only thing I can think of would be to go to the Vault..."

"The Vault? Isn't that the smuggler's den?" Sprx asked. "I thought that place was a myth!" 

"It's real. Just...very protected. You need a special access code to even get in and land, let alone get into the main city," Mara replied. 

"One of us can go," Chiro said. "That way-"

"Chiro, sweetie, it doesn't work like that," Mara interjected. "Only smugglers and a few guests, if they're clients, can go. The rules are strict, and we don't have time to establish ourselves as clients - too much paperwork, and too many mouths to feed." 

"So you...you would have to go," Chiro sounded distant. "I'm not sure that's a good plan."

"It's the only one we have, star sweeper," she said. "I have the access code and know how to get in and around the place. Not to mention I still might have some sway."

Her son sighed at that. "I know. But you aren't going alone."

"I volunteer, Chiro," Sprx replied. "I can fly the fastest - if something goes wrong we can make it back quickly."

"Chiro, I believe you should go as well," Antauri said.  Chiro looked shocked at that. 

"But, Antauri-"

"I believe this will be good for you both. You could also provide a voice for Shuggazoom if Mara cannot," Antauri explained. Chiro sighed - he was right. 

"Alright. How long will the trip take?" he asked. 

"If we leave now, we might be able to make it back home in the middle of the night," Mara replied. "Once we hit hyperspeed and catch a universal current, we'll be there in no time. But we need to grab one of my freighters. If we are able to come back with things, we'll need the room."

"As long as my ship fits, we're good," Sprx replied. "Meet you at the hangar!"

As he sped off, Mara and Antauri turned to Chiro. 

"Don't worry, Chiro, we'll be fine and back before you know it, okay?" Mara said, kissing his forehead. "Antauri and Nova will hold down the fort."

"Contact us immediately if anything is needed," Antauri added. 

"We will, and please let us know immediately if you need us," Chiro softly replied before quietly following his mother out of the robot.

-

It was odd to Mara to be in the captain's chair of one of her ships. It wasn't the Tomorrow's Destiny but it served its purpose well. A little smaller, but easily held Sprx's ship and would hold everything they needed. The new signal jammer was installed, and worked like a charm and a half, the Formless ships drifting out of formation long enough for them to pass through and then off like a shot. 

"Computer, assume auto-pilot. Navigation to the Vault. Access Code: 100526MD upon entry," Mara ordered the ship. "Enter hyperspeed."

The computer affirmed the commands, and immediately they were well on their way to the Vault.  She tried to settle into the chair, but couldn't. It had been a while since she had been to the smugglers' planet last. Mara hoped some of her old friends were still in the business, otherwise, she'd have to run on prestige alone. But it would be worth it. 

"So...smuggler planet," Sprx said slowly. "What's it like?"

"Part ritzy nightclub, part seedy underbelly," Mara replied. "With a lot more security."

"A lot of secrets, I bet," he replied. 

"Oh you don't know the half of it," she leaned forward in her seat. "There were markets I refused to touch. A lot of people keeping their identities hidden, a lot of stolen, rare items...the one thing no one I knew got into was slavery or otherwise. People aren't cargo but...a lot of rich people don't care about that. They see some pretty young alien and want to keep it as a pet." 

Mara's voice was a snarl at the end. "I may or may not have made a few enemies in that circle." 

"Damn," Sprx said after a moment. "You think Chiro should stay on the ship? This doesn't sound like the best place to bring a kid."

"I brought him here when he was one," she replied. "And I was mad about it."

"What? Why?" Chiro gasped. 

"So, there is some honor amongst thieves," Mara said. "All the head smugglers or captains meet at least once a year, but we have exceptions called 'parlays,' where tension or arguments are settled between captains. I was the mediator for a good share of them in my time, and hell, I was called upon to do them most of the time. That was the last parlay I did."

"Why's that? It sounds like a nice job," Sprx laughed. "Solving other people's problems."

"Oh, it was my last one because I was a mother and didn't want their nonsense. I had told them I was done, and still, I get an urgent summons to the Vault," Mara rolled her eyes. "So I stroll into the meeting chamber, mad as a bull, with Chiro on my hip, and I laid into them. Absolutely decimated them and told them I didn't want my son around this. They didn't know who to apologize to first, me or Chiro!"

Sprx and Chiro laughed at that. 

"And Chiro was none the wiser," Sprx replied. "More confused than anything."

"He was busy with a toy most of the time, babbling away all the while," Mara smiled.  "After that, they never called on my attendance. I sometimes consulted a mediator or two, but otherwise, that part was over." 

"Are you going to be alright going back?" Chiro asked. Mara thought about it for a moment but nodded. 

"I will be. We'll only have to see maybe two or three people at most," she replied. "I hope at least..." 

She knew that she'd have to talk more about her life as a smuggler soon enough. Mostly with Antauri - there were some things she didn't want Chiro to know yet, but she knew being here would bring up fresh memories. But that would be for later. Soon enough, they were orbiting the planet. 

"This is the Vault? It just looks like a garbage planet," Sprx scoffed. Mara smirked. 

"Good security system, eh? Computer, enter access code," Mara ordered. There was a series of beeps, and a small section of the projection on the planet faded away, revealing a sprawling cityscape, glowing in lights from golden to neon from the pitch black. "Where's the garbage planet now?"

"Wow...," Sprx said. "This is amazing!"

"It is beautiful," Chiro replied. Mara nodded, eyes scanning over the planet with some affection, some nostalgia, and a little anger if she would be honest. She pressed a few buttons on her console, and landing protocols engaged. The ship descended onto the planet's surface, veering away from the city to a large hangar. 

"It's a private hangar. I own space here," Mara said, watching as the ship came to a stop. "Heads up, the owner of the hangar is going to run out. He's probably confused. But Zorad is nice." 

True to her words, as soon as they walked down the platform to the hangar proper, a slim, worried-looking alien ran up to them. He wore a mechanic jumpsuit, somewhat greasy, but it was hard to tell what was oil and what was a hole as his skin was an iridescent dark gray that shone like oil. "Holy Zyzsgy...Mara! Mara you're alive? We heard you died!"

"Rumors of my death were exaggerated," Mara replied, calm, cool, and a little intimidating in how she straightened her spine and shoulders. "More of a...deep coma."

"Damn...and after you sprung out of jail? Talk about one thing after another!" Zorad replied. "The Guild will be pleased-"

"The Guild isn't to know," Mara said quickly. "Not yet."

"Of course," he replied with a bow of his head. "I won't tell anyone."

"I appreciate it. My friend, my son, and I should be back later with cargo," Mara replied. "We'll need a few hands with transport."

"Oh, little Chiro! I wondered what happened with him...I'll call in staff," Zorad said, pulling out a tablet. "How much cargo?"

Chiro cleared his throat. "Three tons of iron alloy, and enough provisions for a city, including medical supplies."

Zorad let out a low whistle. "The War on Shuggazoom, right? Didn't expect you to get involved, captain." 

Mara didn't respond to that. "Just have things ready, alright?"

Zorad nodded, running off to get the crew needed for the work. Mara gestured for Sprx and Chiro to follow her, leading them to a walking speedway that took them straight into the city. "We're going to head uptown. An old friend of mine is a huge supplier, more than likely we'll be able to make this a one-stop-shop." 

"What was that about you and wars?" Sprx said. 

"I kept my nose out of some warfronts when I could have made a pretty penny, let alone be an active participant," she replied. "Makes me an outlier, I guess." 

"Well, no time like the present to go right into the deep end," he laughed, elbowing her leg. She smiled at that, but as soon as the end of the speedway came to view, it faded, and with a single tap on her ear clasps, her facemask deployed, covering the entirety of her face. Safety first, Sprx thought, if she wants to stay low.  Would having a brightly colored monkey and a teen spark too much attention?

The answer was no. There were odder aliens with odder and more eye-catching companions and accessories walking past. Stores and stands were lit up, displaying wares from across the universe - Chiro thought for a moment he saw knock-off toys of him and the rest of the Hyperforce but decided to move past that as they wove through the crowds. It was an odd beauty about the place. The crowds, the noise, the lights, the smells of food stands...it was intoxicating! Mara smelled a few familiar stands and her stomach protested walking past them. But there were more important things at hand. 

 Going up an alley, they emerged into another street. It was quieter, a bit posher. Mara led them across the street to a tall, monolithic building, studded with windows displaying goods. It felt intimidating and out of budget for their needs. Regardless, Mara went to the buzzer on the door. 

A loud voice answered. "No walk-ins!"

"Ay, come on," Mara replied. "Tell Rufo that Destiny's here."

They grunted at that. 

"They were...pleasant," Chiro said. "Are you sure this Rufo will allow us in?"

"Oh, he will," Mara said, raising three fingers and slowly dropping them one by one. "Three, two, one-" 

The doors flew open. "There we go!"

The three were barely in the door when a large, humanoid flower ran to them. He had a large rose-like flower for a head, and his body seemed to be made of twisted green vines and petals, covered by a fine suit. "My Mara! My Captain!" 

The facemask dropped with a tap, and Mara extended her arms. "Rufo!"

Vines extended forward, grabbing her and pulling her close into the petals that made up Rufo's head. Rufo cooed in his mother tongue, a dozen worried-sounding phrases, clearly fussing over his friend. Mara only smiled as she endured the onslaught before Rufo carefully placed her back down. "I missed you too, pretty boy."

"You darling-darling sweet," Rufo replied, cradling her face with two gentle hands. "I worried I wouldn't see you again! Oh! And you brought friends!"

"Rufo, this is Sprx, and this is Chiro," Mara introduced proudly. Rufo gasped before rushing at Chiro. 

"Oh roots and bulbs, little Chiro!" Rufo exclaimed, scooping him up under his arms, despite the boy's cry of alarm. "I haven't seen you since you were a sprout! And look at you! So big and so handsome, just like your mama!"

"Very nice to meet you, Rufo," Chiro smiled as he was placed down. "Well, meeting you again, I guess?"

Mara pulled him close in a side hug. "Rufo gifted your entire nursery and was one of the first people you met outside of my crew. I had a little bassinet and dresser chosen, and he had to go and spoil us." 

"How could I not? Your mother was one of my closest friends and best business partners!" Rufo replied. "I was always trying to send more as you got older, and then..." 

He cleared his throat into a hand. 

"No matter! You're here again, safe and sound and alive!" Rufo cheered before looking at him and Sprx, who had barely managed a hello. "I'm going to assume you're the same Chiro that's protecting Shuggazoom with the Hyperforce."

"Yep, that's our Chiro," Sprx said, just as proud as Mara was. Rufo tsked. 

"Had I known I would have started sending supplies. Or come to Shuggazoom myself!" Rufo said. "I'm just so rooted here, and I didn't- I honestly assumed that one of your old crew would have taken him in. But I suppose I would have seen him ruling the roost here." 

"Well, you can make up for it now," Chiro said. "Shuggazoom needs supplies. The Skeleton King has a blockade that's preventing trade, and we're running low."

"Not to mention we need a lot of iron alloy to fix our robot and other defenses," Sprx added. 

"Consider it done," Rufo said with a snap of his fingers. A well-dressed violet came from the back of the store. "Viko will assist you. Tell her everything you need supply-wise, and I will have it sent to your ship. Same hangar as always?"

Mara nodded. "We need to get in contact with some other smugglers to see who would be willing to work with us. I'm just apprehensive about revealing my status as being alive."

"What about the iron alloy?" Chiro asked.

Rufo shook his head. "I'm afraid I sold my last shipment. But he might be willing to part with some! He was your mother's scout on Tomorrow's Destiny-" 

Mara immediately stiffened, face cold. "Rufo, can we speak privately?"

"Oh? Of course- Viko, take care of these two?" Rufo asked before maneuvering himself and Mara towards his office. "We'll be right back! And if you both see anything, please add it to the order! I have birthdays to make up for!" 

Chiro and Sprx paused, a bit put off by Mara's sudden shift. 

"Is she okay?" Sprx asked. 

"I don't know...I know someone on her old crew betrayed her...I think that was her scout," Chiro replied. Mara had explained everything but hadn't gone into detail about titles or job positions, just that he had been in charge of checking in on bounties and making sure the crew was safe. "Come on, I bet she's just going to talk about how we definitely can't go to him. Maybe there's another vendor."

"Yeah...come on, let's get the shopping done. And since he did say anything else we wanted," Sprx smirked, pulling the boy's attention from the direction of the office. "Maybe you can get something for Jinmay~"

"Hey!" Chiro flushed. "This is a mission for Shuggazoom - but you can go ahead and get something for Nova!"

Sprx sputtered, getting impossibly red. "H-hey!"

-

"That son of a rotted-," Rufo spat. Mara had divulged what had truly happened the day of her capture, how her scout had betrayed her and her crew. 

"I know," Mara said sourly. "If I ever see him again, I don't know what I would do. I want to expose him for what he did, but I know that won't happen anytime soon."

"You actually might," Rufo replied. "There's a parlay tonight. Everyone will be there. He has been called to mediate."

"So...he sold my life, only to take it over," she said. "After everything-"

Mara cursed under her breath. Rufo gently gripped her hand. "I know. But maybe this can get some vengeance for your crew. For you. He violated so much trust, so much honor."

She could only nod. "I'd be recognized in two seconds. I want them all to be shocked. I want them to think I'm a ghost for how they all let this slide, didn't look into any of it."

"And a ghost you shall be," Rufo replied, patting her hand. "I have had a gift for you, saved for years for when you came back - if you came back into the captain's seat."

"Rufo-," Mara sighed. "You sentimental thing."

"I have accessories too," she could hear the smile in his voice as he rooted through a grand chest of drawers for a large, white box. "Petals forbid I let you go looking so out of fashion."

He placed the box on her lap, and she opened it happily. "Oh...this is...it's lovely."

"I know."

"Think you can keep Chiro and Sprx occupied? I don't want them to see me go, and I definitely don't want them to see how I'll act there," Mara asked. Rufo nodded. 

"Easy. You get dressed, I'll distract them - just be back soon," he replied. As soon as he left the office, Mara unpacked the rest of the box, quickly changing, and slipped out the window, a sliver of white and gold heading uptown. Her feet led her quickly through the streets, old muscle memory taking over as she made her way uptown. The Guild building was one of the oldest and grandest buildings, demanding respect from the rest. She paused in front of it, and the world she had wanted to leave crept back in. Every cocky behavior, every backstabbing move, every silver-tongued word on the back of her teeth came flooding back. She needed them again. Mara took a breath, fixed her stance, and released the new golden mask over her features. Requiem-solemn bells rang from the impressive tower above her - the parlay was starting, and now, she had to lay and wait. 

The bells could be heard all over the city, hitting Rufo's shop in their echo. Chiro and Sprx looked up from the paperwork for the supplies in surprise. Chiro looked to Viko and Rufo curiously. "What was that?"

"Parlay meeting bells," Viko said pleasantly. "The Guild must have started the talk." 

"Think they could be louder?" Sprx asked sarcastically. 

Rufo shrugged. "It's to get all the captains together, and it certainly needs to reach the depths of the city considering some of their predilections. Hopefully, none of them show up sloshed - no decorum, truly." 

"So they all just have to sit there while two people shout it out?" Sprx asked. "Thrilling." 

"If your mother was mediating, it would be over in an hour. With this guy? I swear it just draws on," Rufo complained. "Stops trade for too long, but I guess that certainly doesn't bother him. Lets him get another vacuum of power to take advantage of."

"Like after he hurt my mom?" Chiro asked. Rufo stilled at that, then sighed.

"Yes. What hurts most is that we thought- he told us he was the only one who escaped, so we extended our contracts to him. We helped him after he did something so awful," Rufo replied. "Marsos, your mother's scout, was her closest friend too. She won't say anything to you, I know that much, but that betrayal cut her deep."

"I couldn't ever think of doing that willingly," Sprx said. "I don't want to think what Mara would say or do to the guy if they crossed paths."

"Probably shoot him out an airlock," Rufo shrugged. "Or drag him to the Guild and demand her pound of flesh."

He froze at that, realizing that: 1. That was certainly what Mara was doing right at that moment. 2. Chiro had definitely noticed that Mara hadn't emerged from the office. 3. He had given up the plot. "Forget I said that."

"Rufo. Where is my mom?" Chiro asked. 

"She asked me not to say-"

"Rufo. She's at the Guild building, isn't she?"

Before Rufo could confirm or deny, Chiro raced towards the door. "Chiro! You don't know where the building is!"

"I think we can figure it out," Sprx replied quickly, chasing after him. "We'll finish this up in a bit."

-

The Guild building was easy to find after asking a few people, but what was difficult was entering. The building was armed to the teeth with guards and defenses, but somehow, Mara had gotten in easily. All Chiro and Sprx had to do was figure out how without attracting attention. Flying up to the roof gained them access to a pried-open air duct and disabled cameras, undoubtedly his mother's handiwork. Chiro couldn't tell if he should be worried or angry at her - she had promised no more secrets, but there they were. But then again...if someone so close to him betrayed their team, Chiro guessed he wouldn't exactly stay in pocket. 

The air duct dropped and leveled out again, the thin grates looking out over an assembly of fifty or so people seated in front of a long table with three seated at it, two at either end and one in the middle - the captains with grievances and the mediator. Chiro now had a face for Marsos. He was a fellow humanoid, but with sharper, more animalistic teeth. He was finely dressed, looking polished and brilliant. 

'Traitor,' Chiro hissed in his mind. 

The parlay was in session by the time they settled in, one captian finishing his side of the argument, which the other stood up to shout his retort at, only ending in a shouting match. Marsos pinched his brow. "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. Getting angry never solved anything." 

The two captains seethed but sat down, backed only by the quiet muttering from the crowd. Marsos continued. "Now Captian Mobius, Captain Harmill, as we have demonstrated, you both have contracts with the same planet for the same goods and same services, both for the same payment. Why does sharing the market plague you both?"

"Because they're getting scammed." 

A new voice rang out. The doors to the meeting room slammed open, and a person dressed in pure white and gold strutted forward. The two guards in the hall lay unconscious behind her as she continued forward. The crowd looked on in shock and confusion at the sudden interruption...but something felt familiar about the new addition. Marsos looked at her in feigned politeness. "You must be a new captain, but this is not how a parlay works."

"Oh, I know how it works," she replied. "I've sadly been...indisposed of for the past eight years. But I see that you don't know how one works either."

Before he could say another word, she turned to the captains. "Your issue isn't with each other, it's with the person you have a contract with. He's using you to get more product out and more money in while only paying you a fraction of the cost." 

The two looked at each other. Harmill spoke up first. "I suppose a collaboration to renegotiate those contracts may be in order?"

Mobius nodded. "Just this once, then we go back to hating each other's guts. Deal?"

"Deal."

The new guest turned to Marsos. "That is how it is done. Now...I have come to demand satisfaction for a slight brought onto me and mine."

"I'm sure I can be of service-" Marsos tried to say, but the captain grabbed him by the lapel and pushed him down into his chair. He could feel her eyes boring into him. 

"You will, but first, let me tell you, all of you, a story," the captain said, voice booming. "There was a captain and her crew. Illustrious, powerful, could outfly half their league. Now, she had retired to raise her child, but was called in one. last. time. Sound familiar, Scout Marsos? It was your crew, afterall." 

Marsos gulped, and the murmur of the crowd grew louder. She continued. "The last mission was successful, lining their pockets. But someone had betrayed them. Someone that Captain Mara trusted above all others. Someone she called best friend. Her very own Scout!"

The captain turned and pointed at Marsos. "Marsos turned in her and her crew's bounties in exchange for his freedom and the money, leaving them all to rot on a prison planet for eternity."

The assembly grew into an outroar. Marsos stood, face red. "How can you even know this is true? You're lying?"

"How can I lie...when I was there?" the Captain replied. The golden mask folded back, revealing Captain Mara to the whole guild. Marsos looked fit to faint. She turned to the crowd. "Marsos has deceived you all. He betrayed his crew and his captain, and profited from it."

Mara looked at him in anger. "I want my pound of flesh, Marsos." 

"Mara- please, I beg you-," he begged, rushing to kneel in front of her. "Spare me, please- I loved you-"

There was a soft clatter above, unnoticed by all save Mara who glanced up to see her son and Sprx climb from the air ducts to the mezzanine, undoubtedly ready to stop her if she pulled her blaster. She sighed, moving her hand from the holster. "I know. If you had waited...only a few days, Marsos...things could have been different for the both of us. But now? All I feel is hatred for you. You ruined every good memory I have with you. I could kill you and be justified in doing so. But you know what? It doesn't take the years away, it doesn't absolve my pain. My crew is still there, part of me too, stuck in that prison cell. My son grew up without me. I can never forgive you for that. There is nothing you can do to make up for it, and I'm sure the Guild agrees."

There was a clamor of agreement, of anger, from the crowd. Marsos looked at the sea in front of him. "Please, Mara, take whatever you want from me - my ships, my money, my hands- just don't leave me to the Guild."

"Alright then. I want it all at my disposal then. Including the iron alloy you purchased today. The money can be used to get the rest of my crew free. Your ships? Belong to the Guild now," Mara decreed before turning to the rest of the members. "I, Captain Mara, declare satisfaction and depend on you to make sure it is kept. I want this man to live, just so he can live with the guilt of his actions with none of the luxuries he was afforded by them."

An older captain stepped forward. "We agree to those terms, Captain. We're relieved to know you lived."

Mara nodded. "Thank you. I have one more request of the Guild. Shuggazoom needs supplies - we're in the middle of a war and our people are starving. The money taken from our traitor may be used to counter costs."

"War with the Skeleton King and the army of the dead?" came one voice. "That's insanity."

"We don't want to join that fight, Mara," another called. 

"Then don't do it for Mara, do it for everyone!" Mara looked up to see Chiro shouting from the mezzanine. "If the Skeleton King is able to try and take over the universe again, he will be unstoppable once he has Shuggazoom, if he wins. No one would be safe - he's almost done it before, but even me and the Hyperforce need allies. We can provide signal jammers and security through our atmosphere. You aren't helping one planet, you're helping a galaxy!"

Mara smiled, proud, and turned back to the crowd. "Well, are you going to tell my son no?"

The older captain turned to the rest, and slowly turned his gaze back to Mara. "Shuggazoom and the Hyperforce have our aid. Consider it a gift for the past eight years of abandon." 

Mara nodded her head deeply. "Thank you."

She turned back to her son, and in an instant she knew they needed to talk. Once she evaded the rest of the Guild and their questions, she made it up to the mezzanine. "Sprx, maybe you could get back to Rufo? I need to talk to Chiro."

Sprx nodded and flew up and out through the main doors now that the need for secrecy was gone. Chiro didn't look up at her. Mara sighed, sitting down next to him. "I know I messed up."

"You think? You ran off to get revenge!" Chiro snapped. "You didn't even tell me."

"I didn't tell you because I....," Mara trailed off. "I don't like the person I have to be here. I don't want you seeing it." 

Chiro looked at her confused. She had commanded a whole room. 

"I know, I know, I was in control. I had power. But I don't really like how I have to put my head to be able to do that," she continued. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having the sway, but I don't like who I am when I do. I almost killed Marsos, I would have. I would have gotten my pound of flesh knowing that it would do nothing." 

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I saw you. And the last thing I want to be in front of you is that version of me. So...I was myself. It's less cocky, sure, less mean, absolutely, but it gets the job done and done right," Mara said. "Chiro, the minute I knew you existed, I wanted to be better. I am better. I fly off the handle still, but-" 

She stopped once she felt Chiro hug her. "Just tell me things, please? Especially this kind of thing."

"Okay, star sweeper I will...," she replied, pulling him close. "Where do you want me to start? You deserve to know who I was back then - just don't let it change how you see me."

"It won't, I promise."

"And I promise to not do this anymore." 

And until the ship was loaded, Mara told Chiro nearly everything about her days as a smuggler, continuing all the way back to Shuggazoom. But once he fell asleep, safe in his quarters, Mara made her way to Antauri's room with the simple phrase: "I'm ready to talk about everything." 

-

The blockade certainly did wonders for Shuggazoom's morale. But for the Skeleton King, it was an even better cover for him to take his personal ship off-planet, hidden amongst the horde. Corolla Dawn was set in his sights. While he could have easily done this through hologram, the situation called for a more personal approach. The ring sat warm in his fist still, almost bitingly so as if it was trying to sting him. Usually, the Verron Mystics were so protective of their artifacts, even under his control, so how this ended out of their grasp was truly a mystery. 

Landing on Verron, the bright sun of the planet system stung his eyes - the Power Primate undoubtedly trying to make him miserable while unable to attack him. It had, apparently, closed the inner sanctum, sealing itself shut and away from the Mystics who now could only extend their former gifts so far without its presence.  The Skeleton King couldn't care, as long as they obeyed, and certainly now without the Power Primate, what choice did they have?

The Mystics bowed as he entered the temple, walking past them with no acknowledgement until he reached the meditiation hall, where the Master Mystic stood waiting. He bowed deeply. "My king, what brings your emminence here today?"

The Skeleton King held up the ring. "How did this get to Shuggazoom?"

If the Mystic was surprised, it didn't show as he took the ring, gently holding it aloft in a soft glow of magic. "How curious...this ring disappeared more than 80 years ago."

"Who had claim over it?" the Skeleton King demanded. 

"I am unsure. Since I no longer have connection to the Power Primate, I can no longer see the memories of Master Mystics past. The records are also lacking for it," they replied. The ring seemed to glow and shine more than ever, probably in response to being home. "It has a match we have records for at least. This pair of rings is rare, not even because of their components. They're only used for special ceremonies, but we only have record of the match being given, but no ceremony." 

The ring floated back to the Skeleton King's hand. "But I'm sure you remember, due to the Alchemist's memories-"

"The Alchemist is dead. Watch yourself unless you want to be replaced," the Skeleton King hissed. "I shed those memories with his skin."

"My apologies, my King," the Master Mystic prostrated. "The rings are used for connubiality rites, worn for a few months and then returned to our halls." 

"This was found in the home of the Chosen One, with his mother," the Skeleton King replied. "Perhaps an ancestor."

"The Alchemist was the only human to come here," the Mystic replied. "He was the last person to wear the match as well, but there are no records in memory or our archives about why or how."

The Skeleton King paused at that. "Isn't that curious...bring the other ring here. I believe I would prefer to have the set. Perhaps I can fill some holes in this plot." 

[medtech-mara]

Said you love me but I don't care

I took a lot of inspiration from this music video by Post Malone and (you should already know) The Weeknd One right now

This song really struck a cord with Mara, because all she could think about was when Mark Hartly embarrassed her in front of her whole Flight crew, and the Heywood District Trauma * Team department.

It's more or less her own mental music video of how she'd have gladly killed both Mark and their Sgt. Elizabeth Kelly back then.

The still I took Inspo from if you don't want to watch the music video.

[tap-tap-tap-im-in]

Alright, so I made a post the other day about how my trauma response is in part surrounding myself in noise that I can't possibly be processing always.

And I just wanted to come back around to that. But fair warning, this is going to be a discussion of some things that have broken me, so choose for yourself if you can handle that. I don't think any of this is new for longtime readers, but part of dealing with things is talking them through over and over.

I've had intermittent insomnia since about puberty. It's the old joke about the times between when people go the sleep and when they wake up being free time for you to do whatever you want. When I was younger, what I wanted was to learn how real-time computer graphics were generated, to animate stick figures fighting stick figures, and to poke at my computer to make it do new and fantastical things. I don't really hate my insomnia, without it I wouldn't have developed the skills I've turned into a job that's given me the freedom to be a broken mess of a person while still making sure my wife isn't the only one putting food on our table.

But, in 2019 and 2020 Mara and I shared a wall with my sibling, and we knew even then that they were likely near the end of their life. One of the reasons life was hard was that they were in their early twenties and wanted to be independent. They wanted to do things for themselves, to not need a whole team of support operators to do something as simple as get up in the middle of the night. But they also had severe nerve damage, neurological damage that effected their balance, a number of conditions that were effecting their strength, and most complicated was that they were on an oxygen supply that they needed to switch between their bed and their wheelchair, or switch between two separate oxygen compressors.

I saved their life at least two times. Both times I heard them fall to the floor in the middle of the night, they were unconscious from lack of oxygen. They room was cold and I was in nothing but my underwear because I had heard the noise and bolted faster than I knew I could move. The first time I didn't know what to do but to call for help, the second time I could think enough to try to get them back on the oxygen while having Mara go get help. And both times I remember shivering, praying this isn't the night, and being so utterly powerless. And now sometimes in the middle of the night, even though they are gone, I wake up and I feel that same panic.

My wife had to go to the Emergency Department late last week (she seems to be fine and is back at work today). I got a call as she was on her way and I couldn't do anything but keep working while I waited for her boss to come pick me up (she was at work and we only have one car). I have this thing where when I get really anxious I get very flat and focus only on what I know needs to be done. Mara hates it sometimes, but I know every member of my family has it to some extent or another because of Elizabeth. So her boss is trying to talk to me, and he's being very kind so I'm trying to engage him back, but all I can think about is "okay, once I'm at the car, I need to put the hospital in the GPS, oh, I'd better tell her boss to expect that the car alarm is going to go off until I can get my key in the ignition, do I have my mask, do I have a book?". And I get there and there she is, sitting and in pain, and she's been sitting there for hours because it's the E.D. and she isn't in immediate danger, and they've put these plexiglass shields between all the chairs to help prevent the spread of Covid, so I have to lean forward and around it to talk to her, to hold her hand, and it's loud and I've spent too many nights in emergency rooms and I know I'm panicking but I want to be a calming rock for her to hold onto. And they call her back to get care, but they don't tell her that's what they're doing so I don't go with her and she doesn't know to ask until she hears someone else ask about their boyfriend and they say to this other person "oh, he can just walk back here and find you".

I dunno. Christmas was a sore point for my family last year. After Elizabeth died my parents were desperate for nostalgia, and that was fine, but because we lived with them at the time we didn't feel like we could walk away if things became too much, and they did, and I know my brother took that as an offense against him and my parents, so we decided to just take this year off from everyone. We're exchanging little gifts between the two of us and watching LoTR (it's the 20th anniversary), so that if it's too much again, it can be too much.

I dunno, I guess I just wanted to explain that I wasn't just saying it's a general trauma response (which is valid, and I think everyone is feeling after two years of pandemic), but a very specific I am currently trying to cope with overwhelming anxiety moment.

[readersguidetotheuniverse]

Beach Reads

When we reviewed Beach Read (by Emily Henry) we were highly disappointed by the little reading that was done at the beach, thus we thought to recommend our own favorites. Whether you read them at the beach, on a bus or sitting at your local coffee shop, we hope you enjoy them!

The Hating Game, by Sally Thorne

Alicia: Personally, one of the tropes I enjoy the most is 'enemies to lovers'. I find it so thrilling, I just can't get enough of it. If you're like me, this book may be for you. Sweet and sexy and perfect to take your mind off things. (Also, apparently there’s a movie adaptation in the making starring Lucy Hale and Robbie Amell, and I really hope it's not going to end up being cancelled because I’m really excited about it now)

Tweet Cute, by Emma Lord

Alicia: This one is more on the teen side, but it's still such a good option if you want something to read that won't make you use your brain too much. It's a really fresh and enjoyable story full of funny tweet wars and an 'enemies to friends to lovers' plot that is so cute and adorable. It's so light and quick to read and if you give it a chance, it may surprise you.

Did I Mention I Love You, by Estelle Maskame 

Alicia: This one is somewhat controversial. The main characters are step siblings (no blood relation whatsoever), and some people don't feel comfortable with that, so it's definitely not for everyone. If that's not a problem for you, you may enjoy this series a lot. It's so quick to read and almost addictive. There are three books and a 4th one with a different point of view, so you have a bunch of books to binge-read if you want something light.

 The rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson

Ariadna: If you are a fantasy reader, you sure have heard the name Sanderson at least once. He is one of the masters of the genre, known for his prolific, intertwined worlds and complex magic systems (they make such sense that sometimes you wonder how come they are not real). He usually writes long, rich books, but this one in particular, being directed to a younger audience, is supereasy, superfun to read. In a world where the chosen ones can invoke magic through chalk drawings, Joel, who knows everything that needs to be known about the Rithmatism but has no magic ability whatsoever, and Melody, a terrible Rithmatist student, to win a competition and solve some bigger mysteries. A must-read if you love a good fantasy novel with impeccable worldbuilding.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

Ariadna: Eleanor Oliphant follows the same exact routine everyday, the same sandwich for lunch, the same cup with the same tea, the same phone call from her mother ever Wednesday... She is so organised and thorough it is borderline sociopathic. But her life will turn upside down the moment she meets Raymond, her work colleague, an unapologetic opposite to her.

This novel is a ray of hope for those who feel weird and mildly left behind in society. I bought it without much expectations, and it surprised me how much you could empathise with such an eccentric character who, in the end, suffers as any of us do. It is full of delicate moments, daydreaming, kindness, pain and unconditional love — a fuzzy and heart-warming novel of self-discovery and overcoming of the past traumas which will leave you feeling optimistic and, somehow, sheltered.

If Only It Were True 1 and 2, by Marc Levy 

Ariadna: Lauren is a pretty and successful medical resident working in the Emergency Room of San Francisco Memorial Hospital who suffers a car accident. Arthur, a single, thirty-something architect rents a flat in San Francisco to the family of a girl who is in a coma... And starts seeing her! You may have guessed right, the ghost is none other than Lauren, and together they will go to unimaginable lengths to help Lauren go back to life.

This plot may ring a bell to some. Yes, the movie «Just like Heaven», starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, is based on the first book of this series, so I won’t spoil you the sequel. If you don’t feel like reading a book of a movie you have already seen, I recommend you to read any other book by Marc Levy —a French romance writer whose short novels are full of light-hearted, optimistic relationships and wondrous journeys (both literally and figuratively) to self-discovery. I personally enjoyed The first day and The first night as well as The strange journey of Mr. Daldry.

The Martian, by Andy Weir

Marina: If there’s something I enjoy doing at the beach more than escaping the scorching heat, it’s reading. The Martian is one of those books I could read a hundred times. It has science facts explained for us lesser humans that know nothing about space; whitty and dry humour that makes you put your book down because you’re laughing so hard; and a trip to Mars, what’s there not to like? This astronaut’s diary is the perfect companion for a day of reading at the beach.

If you think this reminds you of something that’s because there’s a movie adaptation starring Matt Damon, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara and Jessica Chastain (it even has a little cameo but I’m not going to spoil who it is) that’s also very entertaining. Though, folks, this is another one for team “The book was better than the movie”.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, by Joël Dicker

Marina: If you’d prefer a mystery for the ages with flashbacks to the time of the crime, here’s a book for you. Dicker’s debut novel, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, takes place in New Hampshire when a novell author takes refuge after a (too) long writer’s block to seek inspiration and visit his old mentor. Who so happens to be the main suspect of an old murder case that took place in 1975. A well crafted and fast-paced thriller you can enjoy while tanning ;)

What’s even better, after the success of his first book, Dicker has published more thrillers that have been very well received among fans of the genre. 

Stars of Fortune (The Guardians Trilogy #1), by Nora Roberts

Marina: Now, I know what you’re thinking: Nora Roberts only writes romance books, wrong! He has a couple of amazing urban-fantasy sagas that are amazing. One of them is The Guardians trilogy. It takes place in the Mediterranean (this first book begins in Greece) and Ireland. Six people are brought together by the stars to Corfu to find and protect the stars of fortune from evil. 

I have to warn you though, this is a Nora Roberts book and there is romance involved. Each book revolves around one of the couples (what, you thought destiny brought together six adults and they wouldn’t end up dating each other?) and their roles in the group.

[comicteaparty]

July 25th-July 31st, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from July 25th, 2020 to July 31st, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

Where can your comic be read, what is it about, and why should people read it?

carcarchu

last one

mariah (rainy day dreams)

You can read Rainy Day Dreams on it's homesite: http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/ Book 1 of RDD is also currently in pre-orders for both physical and digital books. This volume collects the newly redrawn and remastered first five charters. Currently not all of those pages are online so book buyers will get to see them first https://gumroad.com/mariahcurrey Rainy Day Dreams is a manga influenced, character driven supernatural story with dreamlike pacing. It follows the lives Tristin, an excitable and friendly human who becomes trapped in the Nameless World after a treasure hunt gone wrong, Mara, a reclusive retired knight belonging to an ancient lineage of psychics, and Michael, a sad vampire torn between his vampire instincts and being the soft boy he is deep down. Come for the compelling characters, interpersonal drama, and found family, stay for the underlying slow build of the cosmic machinations of the Nameless World's gods and a villain from the past bent on undoing the very fabric of reality. Reasons you should read it beyond the above pitch: - I've been told by frequently people find it's relaxing to read. We all need a little relaxation - Has a female driven narrative - I take every chance I get to put my characters in ball gowns or party dresses - Monsters! Cute monsters, scary monsters! Monsters that want to eat you, monsters that want to smooch you! - I make this comic traditionally with ink wash so enjoy all the beautiful ink blooms! - Chapter 18 starts this week

CoppertheCarutor

Oh wow, I missed out on A LOT! Dang! Well, here it goes I guess. To start off, please read with discretion, this project is rated R/17+ and for now contains: Abuse, discussion of suicide, blood, violence, queerphobia, trauma, mental illness, self-harm, mild body horror, substance abuse, profanity and full-frontal nudity. You can read my comic, The Guide to a Healthy Relationship, on it's main site: http://tgtahr.spiderforest.com/ I also have it posted on Tapas, Webtoons (nudity censored), Comicfury, FlowFo and Itch.io. The Guide to a Healthy Relationship is a slowburn character driven psychological drama about an emotionally immature alcoholic trying to make amends, and fix his friendship with his ex-childhood friend upon discovering they're not dead. Unfortunately the situation is much more complicated and serious than he can comprehend. Why you should check it out: - Possibly interesting if you enjoy non-fantastical character studies and/or Psychology. - May be cathartic if you like consuming heavy content in a controlled environment. - Has some light horror elements. - Contains an extremely flawed LGBT+ cast. - No romance. - This comic is drawn traditionally with pens and color pencils. - The story is a little over halfway finished. - Contains/will contain beaches if you like the beach. - Lots of sky shots.(edited)

Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§

(Ahhh this was hard to write out, i'll really miss this server) Ghost Junk Sickness is a free to read LGBTQ+ sci-fi that tackles themes of found family, accountability, and acceptance. It rated T for it's course language and violence, and can be read on it's official website, < https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/ > . Books 1-3 are available on the store (link on site) and we're currently on our way to wrap up and print vol 4! Ghost Junk Sickness is about two bounty hunters with an unstable dynamic who are pushed to pursue the elusive and deadly bounty dubbed The Ghost. It updates mondays and fridays, features an extensive cast with queer rep, topics about dealing with trauma, responsibility, and taking control. GJS has: -Space ships! -Lived in worlds/ extensive world building through illustrative backgrounds and characters - Slow burn character growth, expanding relationships, and new love -Drawn traditionally and worked on by a team of two! -Long run story that reached the halfway point, GJS has a huge buffer of over 800 pages now, so it's a time sinker! - hot lizard lady (best part)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

holy shit 800 page buffr

OH wait by buffer you mean archive omg

Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§

(oh YE we only have 70 page buffer now woohopps lol)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

holy shit 70 page buffer

that's like 10 months

eliushi [Keyspace]

KEYSPACE: A Winged Tale is a story about kids with wings for hair, and can be found at https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/keyspace-a-winged-tale/list?title_no=322364 https://tapas.io/series/KEYSPACE-A-Winged-Tale/ TW: Body Horror (comes with having wings sprouting from the head and more) Keyspace is my passion project about a world between portals that is dying. A Winged Tale is the first story of this series and touches upon the deeper magic that unites the work. It’s about a wingless girl trying to find her missing scientist mother in a laboratory beneath a forest, winged children discovering their origins and Machines that once ravaged the world, now lost. It’s a story for those who grew up with Studio Ghibli stories but want a little more complications and lore but still retain hope for the future. TL;DR: Come for winged hair, sad robots, possibly dragons, lots of science. The comic returns August 1

CoppertheCarutor

AH! Thank you for reminding about a couple content warnings I forgot to add.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Phantomarine is a story about a haunted ocean, a ghostly princess, and her journey to save her soul from a death god known as the Red Tide King. http://www.phantomarine.com/ TW: death, body horror, limb loss Princess Phaedra's untimely and mysterious death casts her out into the dark waters of the Candlelight Sea, forcing her to wander the world as an ethereal seaghost. Her journey toward resurrection quickly evolves into a grand maritime adventure on her ship, the Mantaluna, along with a crew of similarly-cursed friends and familiars. But Phaedra's mission has a dark undercurrent to it - a divine mystery that, when solved, will force her to question everything about her life, her death, and her world's long-dead past. If you like:

-THE COLOR BLUE (or just the ocean) -general spookiness that never gets too dark or gory -flamboyant villains of various kinds -swashbuckling pirate-y stories -fancy boats and pretty islands -big elemental animal gods fighting -friends and family fighting for each other -lots of hero-vs-villain salt and sass -DOGS

then heck yeah, this is your comic (edited)

Miranda (Into the Swell)

Into the Swell is about a Pirate with nothing left to lose but his life and a Wizard who wants more than a life of entertaining royals with party tricks being thrown together on the treasure hunt of their lives. The official blurb is: Ocean swells are remnants of storms hundreds of miles away. So do past actions cause swells of destiny on the shores of the present. Fate will always find a way. Given the choice between a one way trip to the gallows or a return to high sea adventure, imprisoned pirate Fletcher makes the obvious choice. With Court appointed wizard Kelwyn watching his every move, the two set off to reclaim a stolen treasure for King and Country. The ocean journey leads the duo through uncharted waters that hide dangers and secrets that could unravel the very fabric of their lives. Could this treasure hunt prove more adventure than they bargained for? TW: deaths? You can find it on https://tapas.io/series/into-the-swell or Webtoons It’s just starting out so there’s not much yet but you gotta start somewhere!

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

Heyo! For all you who don't yet know me, I work on Whispers of the Past, a fantasy comic about a farm girl and an amnesiac elf man going on a journey to learn who they really are. https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/whispers-of-the-past/list?title_no=191366 Age Rating: PG-13 or T+ TW: death and corpses, blood and violence, bladed weapons, profanity, depictions of racial discrimination, alcohol, miscarriage, suicide, suggestive content Magical powers can only come from the other side... When Aniya discovers a foreigner with amnesia, she sets out to help him find the answers to his nightmares. Along with their growing feelings for one another, they will uncover an identity riddled with magic, bloodlines, and betrayal. What WotP has to offer: - a unique painterly art style - in-depth world-building (including a conlang) - hurt/comfort themes - hella family drama - MAGIC - ace, bi, and POC representation - cute romance - If you like high fantasy like ATLA, this might be right up your alley

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I wanna say first of all that thank you for this server. Even if I couldn't participate often, it was a lovely place, love you all!! Court of Roses is in several places, but its main site on Spiderforest is a page ahead! Best place to read it is here: http://courtofroses.spiderforest.com/ As summer comes to an end in the kingdom of Prismal, the Bardic Festival is in full swing, bringing together musicians and minstrels from all over. But amidst the celebration, a sinister plot of murder unfolds... Follow a ragtag group of bards as they band together and travel the realm of Prismal; Merlow the Rose, half-elf, charismatic leader, bagpiper, and perpetual drunk; Diana the Fleetfoot Fletcher, human tidinit player with a heart of gold; Nocturne, brooding but classy Infernal and violinist; Sven Rockscreamer, goliath drummer and seeker of justice; and Feliks Halfdance, curious gnome who plays accordion and magically conjures their entire backup. And who knows! Mayhaps they'll solve a murder mystery together! The comic is greatly LGBTQ-friendly, and takes inspiration from both classic fantasy themes (Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings, The Elder Scrolls, etc.) as well as music across all genres. Specific pages and scenes might even include their own suggested theme songs in the author notes. Contains Fantasy Violence and Alcohol Use(edited)

AntiBunny

You can as always read my comic at http://AntiBunny.net/ and is a film noir inspired story about anthropomorphic rabbits and the difficulty with coexisting with humanity. Crime and conspiracies move the plot along, but in film noir there's rarely a clear black and white. Why should you read it? Do you like stories about crime and conspiracies? Do you like bunnies? Do you want to see a contrast of cute and grim, and see relatable characters who deal with mental health issues, and fight a struggle for acceptance? Do you ask yourself the question what is identity? Well then this is for you.

You can find my other comic at http://nailbat.AntiBunny.net/. Nailbat is part of the AntiBunny universe, and deals with many of the same issues, but using a more straightforward and action packed superhero story. If you love superheroes and action you'll enjoy it, and maybe along the way get into the deeper lore of the AntiBunny world.

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

Thanks everyone who I have chattet with in here, it has been a delight <3 Wayfinders: Off Course Can be read on Tapas or Webtoons (I prefer tapas ) https://linktr.ee/snackbagstudios Whats it about? You may ask. In a world where magic is as natural as breathing, and the gods are known to actually answer some prayers, a ship is sent to keep the fragile peace between 2 countries that has been at war for 60 years. But guess what? The ship crashes almost immediately. Now the 3 only survivors, a runaway monk, with unexplained powers, the noble son and peace advocate, and a chaos child with an affinity for magic washes ashore on an unknown island and is forced together by a magical compass. With navigation, and magic being broken, it is not an easy task to cross the ocean. If only they knew of the chaos which is unravelling outside their comfortable lives. If they thought this adventure was going to be uneventful, they are in for a surprise. Why should you read it? It is a mix between the Road to Eldorado, and Avatar the Last Airbender, and if that short pitch is not enough, I don't know how else to sell it. It has fun colors, anime reference, and a lot of ocean and sinister magics Thanks to all the admins for putting in so much work in this server

Feather J. Fern

Okay, I have like three comics, and the fourth one coming soon so.....Lets get the easy ones out of the way. On Webtoons, you can read Teasday or Don't you hate it when...(DYHIW) https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/dont-you-hate-it-when/list?title_no=486501 https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/teasday/list?title_no=169870&page=1 DYHIW is a gag comic, so if you want a little laugh to brighten your week, feel free to check it out. Teasday is a tea informative comic, but it's on a bit of a hiatus and ending soon. My current project is Gravitational Pull, a story about a depressed magical girl trying to save the world while also trying to get the energy to leave her bed that day. Read it if you like magical girls, space and representation of anxiety, depression, inferiority complex and learning to take each day slowly. http://gravitationalpull.featheryterrarium.com/ And when it comes out, Go Figure is my comedy action webtoon about someone who wants to use a powerful wish to cure their asthma and allergies over anything else.

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

JOE IS DEAD A band of pirates are visiting an island and they discover the dead body of their astronomer JOSEPH CINNABAR. He leaves behind a will with mysterious instructions that none of the pirates really feel like following. The crew decide to send the least-liked and least responsible pirate of them all on a solo mission to carry out Joe's final wishes. If you like: - Alternate historical timelines where the United States doesn't exist - Gay, lesbian, and transgender pirates - Morbid humor, death, dying - Biblical allusion - Warm colors - Alliteration - My handwriting - Birds or anything else, you will love to read JOE IS DEAD, a webcomic worked on entirely by me that will be at 150 pages within a week or so. My background is in marine biology and satirical writing, so I promise you this comic is funny and scientifically accurate. Rated PG 13, mild violence and swearing Where can I read it Read it on http://joeisdead.com/ (the main hosting website with some functional html) or on Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/JoeIsDead It's also on Webtoons but it's a couple chapters behind on there You can follow me on Twitter for information about updates https://twitter.com/sssfrs_

boogeymadam

Sink Your Hookteeth An LGBT+ Cosmic Horror/Love story about eldritch merfolk that fall for a pair of humans who are studying mermaids to cure a supernatural illness. CW: bodyhorror, gore, upperbody nudity, sickness, drowning, tryophobia, eye trauma, If you like:

-sea monsters

-big teeth

-painted comics

-nonbinary and binary transgender, lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual protagonists

-neurodivergent protagonists

-goofy friendship dynamics

-nasty and imperfect wlw couples

-enemies to lovers trope

-childhood friends to lovers trope

then this is a comic you might enjoy :D! It finished chapter 1 a few months ago with 195 pages, takes maybe an hour or two to read, and is currently on hiatus while I am building chapter 2's buffer. You can read it on Its own site https://hookteethcomic.com/ Webtoons https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/hookteeth/list?title_no=300709 Tapas https://tapas.io/series/Hookteeth/info

also i need to read more of these but joe is dead, wayfinders, keyspace: a winged tale, phantomarine, ghost junk sickness, the guide to a healthy relationship, and court of roses are all absolutely amazing and -chefs kiss- please give them all read if you aren't yet!

varethane

Comics!! Chirault A young half-demon named Teeko has been forced from her home, and to make matters worse, is now the size of a squirrel thanks to a wayward magic spell. Her only protection is the demon-hunter Kiran, who is a demon himself and lacks patience for children. Together, they must seek the help of a mage to reverse the spell on Teeko, but the journey is far from straightforward.. My first webcomic-- it's complete, it's a high fantasy adventure comic about finding family, fighting monsters, and also making friends with monsters (both outside and... inside). Check it out if you enjoy any of those things! http://chirault.sevensmith.net/ Wychwood Tiara is a delinquent who has been using a mysterious power to goof around for years without realizing the kind of attention it could attract. When a powerful organization finally tracks her down and attempts to recruit her, she has to decide what she really stands for. This is my new/current webcomic! It's a sci-fantasy genre-blender, with bits of post-apocalypse and urban fantasy thrown in as a treat just for fun. If you enjoy stories involving evil organizations, fire-flinging delinquents, and angsty supersoldiers, give it a look :U (Chapter 4 has just gotten started!) http://wychwood.sevensmith.net/

TaliePlume

Feather Cleanse (French: Nettoyage des plumes, Haitian Creole: Plim Geri) is a supernatural, sci-fi and military Shonen manga. Set in the year 2034 in the Haitian kingdom, Vérité Kindgom, the story follows 14 year old Soleil Andirans, her two older brothers and their cousin who joins their kingdom's military program to help Soleil find a wanted criminal and stopping a mad scientist from taking over the kingdom. This is a personal project that is very dear to me and I can't wait to share with you all hopefully around June of 2023. Why should you read it: -A positive Haitian representation -Strong female protagonist -Learning about a new culture - Family Bonds -Mad Scientists and experimentations - Criminal MasterMinds - Servant and Master relationships -Kings and Queens/Royalties -Dynamic and Impactful Fights Then, this is the comic for you.

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

Alrighty cracks knuckles SunnyxRain, a webcomic about monsters surviving college.....BY THE POWER OF FANFICTION. Follow Sunny Dupont, a gluttony demon as she navigates college life and fanfic writing with the help of her housemates Liam (a qilin she roped in as her beta/editor) and Aron (an ocean naga as a fan). A story of trauma recovery and learning lessons about life and love. If you like: -housemate shenanigans -fanfic/fandom culture exploration -kickass but seriously flawed protagonists recovering from trauma - VOID CAT -LGBTQ+ cast because I can -coffee gremlin cryptid dudes -sweet slow burn romance -lesser known mythological creature representation Then this webcomic is for you to read, and y'all can come read it here! https://tapas.io/series/SunnyxRain/info and HERE https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/sunnyxrain/list?title_no=409335(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

Well, Here we go ^^ I have 2 comics right now, so: Millennium: A sci fi adventure featuring two best friends as they seek to help anyone and everyone they can, where we put together a bit of a misfit crew who are all intent on bettering themselves and the world around them. It's a lighthearted, LGBT+ Slowburn The sci fi is soft and so are the characters It's got found family, hurt/comfort, and gentle handling of heavier themes. It's easy to read and shouldn't make you think too much, it's just an hour or two of simple adventure between friends! It can be read a lot of places! My personal site: https://millennium.spiderforest.com/ Webtoons: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/millennium/list?title_no=110866&page=1 Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/Millennium Comic Fury: http://millennium.thecomicseries.com/ and Tumblr!: https://millennium-comic.tumblr.com/ Time and Time Again: A noir mystery about time traveling vampires! We follow Adam, a vampire, and his subject of study, Steve, the first werewolf/vampire. The two of them are trapped in the 20's, looking to solve the mystery of a missing relic. It's a limited palette, scroll style comic if you're looking for a bit more action and higher stakes, and a more serious tone, then this one might be a better fit for you than Millennium ^^ I'm planning on finishing it up relatively soon, so get in on it now! (It's currently on a short hiatus while school is doing me in) It can only be read on tapas! https://tapas.io/series/Time-and-Time-again

kayotics

Ingress Adventuring Company You can read Ingress Adventuring Company at https://www.ingress-comic.com/ TW: some gore, blood, violence Saving the world is a pretty big deal, but what do you do once you’re done with that and no one needs you anymore? Do you become a magic professor? Do you study a convoluted thesis that no one understands? Maybe you relive the glory days by starting up a one-man adventuring party to gather mystical artifacts for people who may or may not pay you. Or, if you’re Toivo Kissa, you do all of those things. Reasons to check it out! - You like D&D or other stories inspired by it - It’s got bittersweet comedy - Very fun villains - Expressive art - Elves. Just a lot of elves. - Sad Dads and old men - LGBTQ+ cast

maxwestart

Poison Ivy Gulch is hosted on its own WordPress site: http://www.poisonivygulch.com/ Poison Ivy Gulch is a funny Western set in a frontier town in the 1870s. The protagonists are Lotta Doler, a gambler, and her kid sidekick Ace. Other characters include a marshal, an undertaker, a prospector and many extras. Poison Ivy Gulch is a spiritual successor to Tumbleweeds. If you like Blazing Saddles, you'll love this!

sagaholmgaard

Ahh dang, thanks for the heads up!! Here it is: https://tapas.io/series/_Reclaim_ My comic, Reclaim, is about a prince that has to deal with the aftermath of a successful coup. His father is imprisoned and sentenced to death, and he's in hiding with his dear bodyguard. Now he has to save his dad and reclaim the throne from the power-hungry witch warrior Irene, but how can the two of them hope to stand a chance against the entire force of the empire? And what was the real reason for the coup in the first place? This is for people who want a heartfelt fantasy story, with inspiration from Steven Universe and themes around being a better person than you were yesterday, and sticking together through hardships!

PiraPiranha

DEPARTURE is a story about dead brothers, hot guys and competent women! Lights! Camera! Action! The flaws of our predecessors are the burdens that we carry today! As galactic governance has been passed down from generation to generation of divine beings, the wars and insecurities of the previous pantheons are weighing down on our world. Whether it’s vanquishing your greatest enemies, or buying tomorrow’s cereal, keeping this flaming shipwreck of a universe together is going to require a little elbow grease, and a lot of flashy super powers! Follow Kovit, a space fighter turned part-time cook and his friends Casey (Cool, has a nice jacket) and Vermillion (Dumb, has stupid hair) as he tries to help the most powerful beings in the universe keep it together (Ostensibly by beating them up). Check it out here! http://departurecomic.cfw.me/(edited)

seetherabbit

Vulperra is an anthology comic featuring superheros, cowboys and regular common folk in the fantasy world of Vulperra. Most of the stories are about the hero Flash Gauntlet, who travels from place to place to solve problems with his magical gauntlets which were bestowed to him by the goddess of the land. https://vulperra.com/

NAAN

Legendary Beings Ara & Celi is about a young girl, Miyara, who is chosen to be the successor to a specific line of Angels – headed by none other than Ara–and with it, duties that extend beyond the physical world. Only one problem: Miyara has no desire to do the job! What will happen then, especially with Celi, Ara’s counterpart, is intent on causing chaos in her life?! You can read Ara & Celi at its main site: http://ac.jadinerhinestudios.com/ Here is the Webtoons mirror: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/legendary-beings-ara-celi/list?title_no=59422 Doesn't have any trigger warnings (maybe that (1) page in chapter 2 is too creepy-crawly for anyone?), and it's currently on hiatus because I'm working on chapter 4, will update again when I have completed it! So enjoy the 3 chapters so far! If you like: • MAGICAL GOILS • an old school b&w shoujo manga style (according to some people, and I don't even do it on purpose ) • on that note, since the 3rd chapter, the comic is drawn traditionally! (all covers are in color and traditional) • expressive comedy • language jokes and notes • angels and demons, yes, it's one of those but is anybody really the bad guy here • a lion and a jinn walk into a bar-- • slow worldbuilding and character development • heck if I know what else, you should just check it out and tell me what you think later like in the good ol' days

L Hornsby

Heyo, I haven't been very active. I'm not used to Discord. If anybody would like some silly comics about puppies that live in the clouds and enjoy parties (and also happen to be princesses) my comic Princess Pups has you covered. It's all ages friendly so if you have younger kids you want to get into comics, it's a swell read according to my 3 years old :) https://tapas.io/series/Princess-Pups/info

carcarchu

@L Hornsby oh i didn't know you were in this server! i actually read your comic because our comics have really similar names ahaha

L Hornsby

Oh wow hey there! :)

I usually lurk on Instagram and Twitter these days and have been crocheting more than comics lately

mathtans

What the heck, been on hiatus more than a year but there's an archive and it's not like there's any dangling plot points. I personify mathematics! Because equations are people too. The hairstyles are the graphs, and there are puns.

Main site: http://mathtans.ca/

Tapas mirror: https://tapas.io/series/Any-Q

It's called "Any ~Qs" because notQ is the symbol for irrational numbers. So anything irrational, in a sense. Very G rated - maybe PG, some discussion of biological sex and tangential politics. Enjoy, possibly.(edited)

Spring-heeled Jack

Hey all! My comic is a horror comic that features some LGBTQA+ characters in the main cast. Today is also my monthly update on public sites. I do four pages at the end of the month on Tapas, Webtoons, and my website. (Patreon gets weekly updates.) It is a story of a picturesque town with a dark secret and what will be done to keep that secret. I follow a few characters through the the twisting plot and show how the darker side of this town affects them. I think this would be PG13 mostly because there will be some blood, but there are no sexual situations. Currently Tapas has the most recent free pages as I will have to do Webtoon and the website manually later today. Happy reading and please do let me know what you think! <3 Website: https://www.iamfilledwithstatic.com/crocus Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/crocusheights Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/the-secret-of-crocus-heights/list?title_no=405820 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/iamfilledwithstatic

DanielHookerArt

I have a series of self published graphic novels. When all copies of the first volume sold out I posted it on Webtoon. It's sort of a Isekai Mystery Adventure, inspired by the 1980's movie Labyrinth.

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/line-of-ruin/list?title_no=232705

StickFreeks

Hi I'm Christy! I make the webcomic / graphic novel series EXTRA! It's about Extras in the backgrounds of a movie world escaping their fates of getting killed off... by going to go ask the Producer to stop killing them off. (Sort of like The Truman Show, but everyone is in on it.) You can read it at https://extra-comic.com/ I'm always looking to make new comic buddies! (edited)

Annausagi2

Hello! I joined right at the announcement of the channel shutting down, so bad timing. :,O I've been working on my webcomic Helix since 2012: Read from the start here: http://helixcomic.com/ Description/warnings: A street rat is given a second chance when he is dragged from the gutter and into a new life. Will he accept his position at the side of royalty, or fight every step of the way? -Rated M for sex (M/M, consensual), violence, nudity, language, and dark themes.- Warnings: -References to child abuse and sexual abuse.- If you can handle these subjects, I hope you'll enjoy the comic. :) Thanks for reading! UPDATES EVERY WEDNESDAY! ~ Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Annausagi2 ~ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Annausagi2

Kalli

I joined right when things were shutting down too :( Just my luck Anyway! I'm Kalli and I have a fully traditionally drawn webcomic, called World of Ruan! https://www.worldofruan.com/ It's a post apocalyptic, sci fi adventure type story, following Cait, a mutant mouse/human hybrid and Roxy, her robot companion! I update every Saturday~ And I'm always down for meeting new comic friends!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I make Children of Shadow: Ashes and Dark Wings: Eryl. Ashes is an urban fantasy / horror about teens with supernatural powers who have to team up with woodland critters to save the world from twisted monsters. It’s rated PG-13 and has mild language, graphic violence, and intense scenes. Eryl is a dark high fantasy about a fallen angel, a woman on a journey to find a dragon, and a wyvern who has been kidnapped. It’s rated 16+ and contains strong language, nonsexual nudity, and graphic violence. https://twitter.com/kickyourwrasse/status/1277315129793826816?s=21

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

Only In Your Dreams! is a rom-com Drama comic featuring shoujo and future LGBT+ elements. Also a mainly BIPOC cast! Rated: PG16+ There are some suggestive language & content, and partial nudity. “Cara Luong is tired of her failed dating attempts and settles for Richie, her imaginary lover every night in her sleep. When given a chance to meet him in person for the first time, she suddenly forgets their long-term romance! Now it’s up to Cara to decide if Richie can live as a real boyfriend. That is, if she wants him to exist in the first place!” What it contains: - Dumbassery moments between a dreamer and a dream boi - Expressions that you can feel it in your soul - Main romantic interest participating in healthy masculinity and embracing femmine traits - horror elements in a romance comic? huh-- - Himbo appreciation - A mixed-Black Vietnamese protag for this romantic rollercoaster lol If you're looking something self indulgent, read it why don't you? I release pages early on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/tuyetnhip Otherwise you can check out the site! It updates once bi-weekly on Wednesdays usually! http://oiydcomic.com/ Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/Only-In-Your-Dreams Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/only-in-your-dreams/list?title_no=115046 Other links: https://linktr.ee/oiydcomic

alizarin

I joined near the end of the server but I can't wait to participate in the reboot! So many interesting comics in here * _ * I make a comic called Patent the Sun, it basically reads like a big puzzle. It's about two characters who wake up without any memory, but slowly we learn about their whole universe and what happened to them. Oh and there's also magic, aliens, murder, and crossdressing https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/patent-the-sun/list?title_no=123560 https://tapas.io/series/Patent-the-Sun(edited)

Las Pinter

It is a pity that I was not so active here. I create the Tales From Somewhere comics, currently there are two of them: The Legend and The Secret. Both of them are high fantasy stories taking place in a fantasy world. The Legend is about three adventurers trying to survive in their realm. They are aware of being DnD like characters in a cruel world, where the DM wants to kill them as fast as he can... without luck so far. It has some comedy, action, horror and weird elements. This comic is ongoing since a long time, so expect to have big changes in the style and writing. The Secret is about an elf, who begins his journey from the world's end after an apocalyptic event. Accidentally meets a human thief girl, and now they are travelling together and figuring out what is happening to their world. This comic is currently being revamped and the story is continued parallelly. I would rate them R/17+ since they have some blood, violence, profanity and nudity. Website: https://www.talesfromsomewhere.com/ Tapas: - The Legend: https://tapas.io/series/Tales-From-Somewhere-The-Legend - The Secret: https://tapas.io/series/Tales-From-Somewhere-The-Secret Webtoons: - The Legend: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/tales-from-somewhere-the-legend/list?title_no=77159 - The Secret: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/tales-from-somewhere-the-secret/list?title_no=78355 And I'm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelaspinter

quietsnooze

Radio Silence is an award winning queer coming of age webcomic about a British rock band’s rise to fame. Hitting the road on a journey of self discovery and acceptance, this coming-of-age tale gives a backstage look at friendships and the plights of fame as experienced by a modern British rock band. On the fast track toward fame, the five members of the fictional British rock band, Radio Silence, enter into an exciting new life on the road with their best friends. As they tour across the United Kingdom, they excitedly embrace this new lifestyle and all the resulting challenges, including living in close quarters with each other with little privacy, and the overwhelming reaction of the public to their new-found success. Main site: http://radiosilencecomic.com/ Webtoons: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/radio-silence/list?title_no=35242 Twitter: http://twitter.com/quietsnooze

Tired Programmer

This is mine. There will be update tomorrow (in 10 hours). https://tapas.io/series/The-story-of-how-humanity-has-thrown-itself-into-the-scrapyard Civilization, technologically advanced in the past, is now in decline. Killer and hacker are trying to survive and find the answers to their questions among the ruins. What will they meet in this crazy and cruel world of misused technologies? WARNING: strong language, violence and nudity. Only for adults.

JUNK

If any creators or readers are looking for another webcomic server to hang out in, you can check out this one: https://discord.gg/qjWJt7

I'll post it in the general channel too. :3

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

I wish we could have had a bit more time, but thanks everyone for creating such a great space for webcomic creators!! I make HANS VOGEL IS DEAD: an antifascist fairy tale with elements of historical fantasy. A German fighter pilot is shot down and killed during the Battle of Britain. When he wakes up in a fairytale afterlife, he learns what the evil he served has destroyed, and must undo the damage of fascism to become a better person. The end of Volume 1 is coming in the next two weeks, and September will be the fifth anniversary! You can read it on Webtoons: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/hans-vogel-is-dead/list?title_no=62633 and find me on twitter! https://twitter.com/chjorniy_voron

Haruh2 (Colony Life)

This was such a great discord, hopefully we can keep in touch and still chat about comics and such my twitter is : https://twitter.com/Haruh2 Here is my comic Colony Life, ive been working on this for abit and will always love making this comic no matter what https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/colony-life/list?title_no=193784

boniae

I regret that I wasn't more active in here besides occasional lurking, but I always think back fondly to the CTP chat that my comic was discussed in, it was the first time I ever got to see so much in depth feedback and analysis on my comic and I will forever appreciate this server Four Corners is set in 1995, Yokohama, as the story follows Kazuhiro Tsuchiya who now leads his deceased brother's legendary gang, the Four Corners. Kazuhiro is approached by Hideki Yuhara, a schoolmate who claims to have vital information that Kazuhiro should be wary of. The two unlikely delinquents pair up to figure out the reason as to why gangs in the city are being brutally eliminated...though the unraveling of the mystery is darker than it appears. How far will Kazuhiro and Hideki go to rest their case? If you're looking for a slow burn lgbt romance, 90s manga nostalgia, drama, mystery, and a story with a general theme of: misfits who come together against dangerous odds to protect others, especially the ones they love—come check it out! https://tapas.io/series/four-corners/ http://fourcornerscomic.com/ https://twitter.com/boniaeart

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I'll really miss having a new comic to read every week! My comic is called Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R. It's a story of a small woman from a small town who goes on adventures across a strange kingdom. Action, comedy, and very, very slow burn romance... http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/ https://tapas.io/series/sgkdr https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/super-galaxy-knights-deluxe-r/list?title_no=41795

LeahVillart

I haven't done much work or anything in general these past months because they've been utter shit for me. This year had stuff breaking in my home, my grandma died from covid, family issues, found out my 9yo dog has lymphoma (blood cancer) and I got to a break point and I'm trying to recover from all the shit. Now it's late and I'm tired so I'm gonna make a super sleepy pitching~ I make Teach Me To Kill a horror-comedy webcomic about a school of villains and killers where a new seemingly innocent teacher arrives to help the worst class become the horror legends they are "destined" to become. [IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH] If you like contradicting/opposite genres or themes you'll find it here, violence, blood, kills, but all done with a cute colorful style where nothing is as it seems. With a cast made of crazy humans, detectives, monstergirls and guys like -our sexy looking hybrid vampire Daki who didn't ask for any of the cards she's been dealt and only wants to find true love and not something attracted by her vampiric aura. - Our lil raven kid Nayla who is a sugar bomb ready to explode, but can break a mountain in two. - Kyllian, a boy who's managed to make a personality out of each of his expressions, which sometimes is helpful and others a horrible mistake. - Q.Bee, an innocent looking girl who radiates sensuality in some weird way luring her victims into her trap. You never know what she's thinking or could do at any moment. the cast and world is really huge and don't want to spoil more, but it's filled with slice of life, mystery, action, dark humor, romance, fantasy, paranormal stuff. A total mix. If you give it a read, thanks for doing so and hope you like it! <3 http://teachmetokill.com/(edited)

Comic Tea Party

This concludes our final #creator_babble chat. Thank you so much to all the wonderful creators who have participated in this chat over its existence. It has been great to see your enthusiasm for the craft of webcomics, as well as learn your unique stories of how you pursue it. We are positive these conversations have helped many other creators out, so we appreciate you having them. For this conversation, and all past #creator_babble chats, you’ll be able to find them archived here: https://comicteaparty.com/creatorbabble

[cdfreak]

3? (but also i wanna hear about all of them)

sok 3 got answered already but. since u said u wanna hear abt all of them ill talk abt 2 for ya!!!

2 is Deryn!!! The first one I made, my princess oc!!

doll maker used https://meiker.io/play/11592/online.html

I’m gonna try and tell this in chronological order but i might get it switched up a lot oops

Alright lets stare at the Beginning, with Deryn’s kingdom

Deryn’s ancestors used to rule a kingdom that im too lazy to name. It was underground, in large caverns, protected from the unbearable heat of the Crimson Waste by like a mile of dirt and rocks and shit. Life was pretty epic, they were way too deep in the Crimson Waste for anybody to even think about attacking them, and their Princesses had the power to manipulate & create heat and fire so it was decently easy to keep people and goods cool if they had to travel to different kingdoms as long as they had a Princess with them. Unfortunately, Mara’s ship crash-landed like. right fucking on top of the kingdom and the entire place fucking collapsed. Most of the citizens and royalty died, but like 2 dozen citizens and a handful of royalty were traveling at the time, and survived! 

The royalty tried to lead the remaining citizens and rebuild their kingdom above ground but no one was used to living aboveground and it didn't work at all. Most of the citizens left to other kingdoms or adapted to live on their own in the Crimson Waste, but a handful of citizens remained loyal and a gang was formed. They did their best to lead peaceful lives, but its the Crimson Waste so they had to come to terms with doing bad things sometimes. Fast forward like a million years idk  i don't remember the timeline of spop at ALL. It’s the tail end of the (first) war between the Horde and the Rebellion, and this baby named Deryn is born. He grows up learning to use his princess powers (manipulation/creation of heat and fire, as well as being immune to burns) Deryn’s mother dies when he’s 12. Things are pretty uneventful after that for like 7 years until Sonya shows up and then Deryn starts falling madly in love like the gay bitch he is (Deryns a he/him lesbian). 2 years later, when Deryn’s 21, his dad Pyro dies, and he becomes the leader of his gang. He’s been leading the gang for the past 2 years and he's not actually half bad.

Ok I wanna talk abt his powers a bit. first off i have no fucking clue where his like. magic princess power crystal thing is and im too lazy to figure out an explanation so for now he's got a bag of holding and the crystals chilling in there. His powers make him immune to burns, BUT he can still suffer from dehydration and stuff so while he's better equipped to survive in the desert he's not like. untouchable. also his body heat is FUCKED UP. he can control it because heat manipulation but the default is like. 150 degrees F (65.5 C) he doesn't get sick often because of the high body heat but when he encounters some weird desert virus that's adapted to extreme heat and he gets a fever? he's sitting there like

(art credit)

i mentioned in this post that hes got MAJOR beef with the horde and with the rebellion, allow me to explain. he values freedom above almost everything else and is a bit of an anarchist so he fuckin HATES the horde. Hes got no problem with the original rebellion, in fact he admires them for trying to defeat the horde, but he hates the new rebellion because they're teaming up with she ra and the old she ra (mara) destroyed his kingdom and killed a fuck ton of his ancestors and his ancestors’ citizens so hes got major beef w/ she ra

he wears the horde belt as a trophy cause he got it off a horde soldier he defeated in battle, and he wears she ras colors as a “fuck you weird magic tall lady MY colors now” thing. also the horde belt makes sure people know he isn't part of the rebellion and the she ra colors make sure people know he isn't part of the horde

ok personality time. this is mostly me projecting. he gets mad a Lot and is not good at coping with anything so he deals with the incredible amounts of trauma he has by just kinda. Thinking Hard until he gets really pissed and then he goes off into the desert and shoots giant columns of flame everywhere. hes bad at expressing emotions so sonya thinks hes kind of a massive dick for a while but like once they get close enough he feels more comfortable joking around and shit and she realizes oh hes not an asshole he just needs intense therapy.

hes very close to everyone in the gang, since they're all either like a parent figure or a sibling figure or some shit. Lewis (camp cook) is like a father to him (lewis is just very dad like in general and also Pyro and him were kinda dating for a while up until pyro died), Cordelia and Kaz are like his moms. Zero and Zusk are his little bros!!! and Ziri’s (bird lady extraordinaire) a bit of an older sister yknow?

i cant think of anything else 2 put but if i do ill rb!!!

[kaceil]

(1/2) i can't stop thinking about the fact that i am almost certain shadow weaver knows about micah. (assuming that he was, in fact, going to tell angella he's alive, which is the most common theory i've seen.) shadow weaver directly said "i'm not the one who killed him", which was the Truth, because /he's not dead/. it wouldn't surprise me if sw kept him alive specifically, considering how a) she didn't hurt him at the end of the episode "light spinner", and b) we all know how much trouble she-

(2/2) -went through to get adora, her second protege, back - even AFTER she had clearly turned over to the side of the rebellion. it only cements the fact that sw is, Shockingly, still hiding things. (note sarcasm)

Yeah I hate to say it but Shadow Weaver is going to continue to play a major role in this series for a while yet >:/ I also really hate to say this, but I actually... really liked a lot of her scenes this season. She’s fucking horrible, but I’m really pumped to see Glimmer getting more power/complication? you know? 

She’s always been a really great character, but this season amped her up majorly thru Shadow Weaver (and through... fucking trauma i guess). I just hope it won’t ruin who she is and that she comes out of all of this Winning and Safe and Happy and that Shadow Weaver’s eventual betrayal (when it comes) is something She’s ready to face and overcome.

I would love for Micah to come back and teach Glimmer though God (Or Castaspella - I’m really wondering what her role is going to be in future episodes too). That would be a nice counterpoint to Shadow Weaver being horrible and Angella being gone. 

I mean... obviously it wouldn’t fill the void. Nothing except Angella coming back (which i still have hope for) will fill the void. But yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Micah came back!!! (Just like I wasn’t surprised Mara was good - I’ve been on team Mara from the get-go and I feel so justified)