#actually canonically its blink 182

[ncrosha]

i need ya'll to know when i have to pick josh's favorite anything, i look up what was popular in the 2000s and pick the worst / dumbest option.

[spoogster]

Tobias.

(This is literally just rambling, please don't get mad for any of this. Hes literally me (Im a fictive, but talking from a viewer point of view))

Headcanons and what not.

-Doesn't work for slenderman. Never wanted to. It was Slenders mind control, his heavy influence. The people he killed? Not as many as you think. But the people he did kill, it wasn't his fault.

-Hates Slenderman. Like absolutely despises him. The only thing Slender was good for was giving him a place to stay, even if it wasn't much.

-Slender mansion? Slender manor? No. Abandoned campsite? Log cabins in the woods? Yes. He shares a cabin with Cody (X-virus), and Jeff used to be there until he got kicked out (literally) for trying to cut a smile into Cody and Tobys masks and faces. They got Liu to replace Jeff.

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-Decent friends with: Cody (has to because they live together), Nina (she likes him more than he likes her but its okay), Natalie (they've always been chill), Liu (they're buddies, not like besties, but still friends), Helen (they do art together), Kate (guitar + mission buddies).

-Meh: E. J (has helped Toby recover(multiple times)), any of the animals (some of them bark too loud(one tried to bite his finger off)), Ben Drowned (gaming buddies), Jane (shes nice but doesn't really talk to him), Puppeteer (from their very few interactions, he's alright), Sally (forces him to have teapartys, though sometimes he enjoys it).

-Get away respectfully: Jeff (many reasons), Nurse Ann (shes pretty but too tall and scary seeming), Smile hd pinkie pie (sometimes fun but a little too murderous for him), Splendorman (a bit obnoxious sometimes).

-Get away. Like now.: 0ff3nd3rman (uhmm), Slenderman (ruined his life), Sully (no), Laughing Jack + Jill (too loud, annoying, jack gave him poisoned candy one time).

-No opinion: Sonic. Exe, BEN, Dina, Trendorman, Candypop, Jason, Lulu.

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-Music taste is The Front Bottoms, Mindless Self Indulgence, System Of A Down, Panic! At The Disco, Get Scared, Bring Me The Horizon, Greenday, Blink 182, Lincoln, Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance, Pierce The Veil, Lovejoy, TV Girl, Mitski.

-Clothing is usually whatever he has that still fits him. Some of it is from an emo era he went through and is still in. So like, band t-shirts, studded belts, raccon tail clips, chains, ect. But sometimes he goes for more casual which is usually sweaters and baggy pants.

-Appearance. He had a fringe at one point but grew it out. Never cuts his hair, so it gets in his way a lot (ponytail is the solution). Curly hair but straightens it a lot of the time. Piercings galore. Hazel eyes ((note: sometimes I give him heterochromia cause it's cool)). Pale skin but not like the original Toby kind of pale. Has always been tall for his age but stopped growing around 18-19 because he was going through a tough time and food was hard to come by, he was too scared to steal, the food Slender gave him could have been poisoned, who knows? So hes left as about 5'10-5'11. Hes pretty thin but is slowly building muscle as time goes on. Has some chub in the stomach but he isnt too worried about it.

-His mask is made of a thick fabric on the outside and has metal bars on the front of the mask to almost represent a mussel (canon).

-Doesnt actually like turtlenecks, they make his neck feel trapped and weird. But he wears them anyways because they hide his proxy symbol that was permanently engraved in his skin (by Slender).

-Fingerless gloves? Yessir. They help cover his scared hands. As well as they just look cool. And whenever he kills someone it's less likely he'll get his dna on the body.

-Raccoon person. Collects things he finds that others would consider trash. Like pop tabs, broken glass pieces, shiny things, rocks, ect. Messy hair. Just like his personality gives off raccon.

-Cheek gash is because he chewed the inside of his cheek so much that the skin tore. And he didn't really care so the hole kept getting bigger until eventually he got himself to stop chewing it. But now the gash is too big to heal.

|

-Has a couple guitars that he stole from music shops. The only one he didn't steal was one he got When he was first taken in. Slender gave it to him as "something to do" when he's bored. At first he didn't want it and never touched it. But he soon realised that it was really boring there. He tries to forget that Slender gave it to him. It's really beaten now, has worn down spots, and a bit of old blood dried onto the wood near the bottom of the strings because he strums too hard.

-Acoustic guitar: The really old musty beaten up one that Slender gave him. Almost turquoise in colour. Electric guitar: Black guitar that almost looks like something a rock star would have. Also kind of old. Doesn't use that one as much.

-Likes singing but gets nervous around people that arent in his cabin or Nat.

|

-Likes cuddles, hand kisses (platonically), head pats and pets, people playing with his hair. But he doesn't like asking for it because he finds it embarrassing.

-Not as childish as people think. Just clingy to people he enjoys.

-Drawing is something he really enjoys doing if he's not playing the guitar. He'll draw people from the other cabins, characters from movies and shows he likes, and even characters from the Slenderverse. Not really that good at drawing anything else.

-Always too nervous to show people his drawings or things he likes.

-Doesn't like being called "Ticci" Toby. He never liked it. Will probably get mad if you call him it more than once.

-Has terrible memory. Not even from Slenderman, he's just always had bad memory, and Slender didnt help at all. He will probably to get basic things like birthdays or people, even his own sometimes.

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-Has never met anyone from the Slenderverse. But wants to.

-Feels bad for the others affected by Slender and the Slender sickness. But also enjoys the series. Even if the people go through literal hell.

-Would like to meet:

Tim, Brian, and Skully

Evan, Steph, and Jeff

Patrick and Michael

Chris

Milo/Mr scars and the Observer

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-Things hes interested in include other muderers, weapons (has a journal for writing the information), horror (analog horror + args), music, art.

-He really enjoys watching the old slasher movies and he probably has them for cd and vhs. But also enjoys Tim burton movies. As well as Spider-man movies and series.

-As for shows. South Park (enjoys the humour), Superstore (enjoys the humour), and just any paranormal show (finds it interesting).

-His favourite weapon (axe) is a Tactical Axe or more widely known as a Tactical Tomakawk Axe. But theyre too expensive for him too buy. There was one time where he stole one. But someone from another cabin stole it and he hasnt gotten it back.

-Food. He likes pizza, usually cheese or pepperoni (or cheese with black olives, tehe). Also enjoys fruit, like watermelon, baby grapes, apples (galas or green apples), and pineapple.

-Smoking? Vape? Drugs? No. Alcohol? Sometimes. Its just for a relief sometimes or cause he needed it. But he's not an alcoholic and never will be.

-Knows how to use bow and arrow

(Im probably gonna hate this in like a day or two so yeah)

[gloster]

FAVORITE FANFICS OF 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I know I speak for all when I say....I cannot wait to toss 2020 out the door the way Uncle Phil constantly did with Jazz. One of the things that got me through this rough year, besides family & friends & BTS, were fanfics.

It’s that time of year again where I make a list of all the fanfics that I absolutely adored. Some are by veteran favs of mine, others are new to me who just knocked it out of the park. If you’re interested in past lists, here is 2019′s list and 2018′s. If y’all are interested in doing your own fanfic favs of the year, please do so and tag me. Always on the hunt for new favs. 

So without furhter ado, my fav fanfics of 2020:

1). Another Word for Forever series by stardropdream (sheith)

Summary: Shiro knows better than to expect love in an arranged marriage. This is all for the sake of universal peace, after all, and solidifying a Terran-Galran alliance. At the very least, Shiro can hope to make a friend out of this. Becoming friends would be much easier, though, if he and his husband could actually communicate. 

With a language barrier and a mountain of cultural differences between them, getting to know Keith proves to be a challenge. Luckily, Shiro's always worked well with challenges.

2020 shockingly became the year of sheith. I ended up rewatching the show w/my bestie @littlenightdragon​. Diving more deeply into it w/my other bestie @kila09​. She and I spent the better half of this year devouring so many fanfics of them in various AUs. I came across new fanfic authors, and stardropdream is among them. 

If I could describe this series & stardropdream, I’ll take a cue from Lady Gaga: “ talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it”

This series was just PERFECTION. I’ve gotten into arranged-marriage AUs and this has been one of the best I’ve read. It was just perfection. The language barrier definitely added an extra charm to it, in which Shiro finds his own ways to get to know his husband better: both creative and funny ways. So many cute moments, so many funny moments with Hunk being the translating middle man between them, and the smut. THE SMUT. THE SMUT. THE SMUT. Just *chef’s kiss* Incredible. It was just so so sweet, and such a comfort read. I reread this series 5 times already and hope Robin (the writer) does more stories in this AU.

Please read this series. You’re not gonna regret it. It will MELT your heart. 

Honorable Mentions:

If I Called You Mine

Sail Across the Sky Just to Get to You

Finding Shelter (The Alien Baby Remix)

Say You Do(n’t)

2). The Golden Hour by @goldentruth813​ (sheith)

Summary:  After a space mission failure, Shiro loses his arm and his career. Two years later he's settled into a quiet and simple new life on his farm, but when a beautiful alien crashes in his field, he discovers the answers to his questions—and possibly the keys to his future—will come from the stars.

I’m sure no one, least of all Janel the writer herself, is surprised to see this author featured on this list. For now the 3rd year in a row. WOOOW  👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 She is the reason I got into shieth, and she just continues to put out amazing conent with them. This story by far has been the best she’s done this year-possibly one of the best ever. 

We have Shiro trying to have a simple life at the farm with his dog and animals. A curious BOM Keith who shakes things up with his boldness/innocence-and questions bound to test blood pressure, especially Shiro’s. Loads of cute moments, loads of funny moments, and also loads of oreos. 

If summary and my thoughts don’t sell you, only one thing will: reading it for yourself.

Honorable mentions:

Two Hearts in Bloom

Mountain Men

Home is in Your Heart

3). Spun like Gold by Neyasochi (sheith)

Summary: Though Shiro is currently operating his fledgling bakery business out of a decrepit food truck he got for cheap in a repossession sale, he dreams of something more: a cozy bakery and cafe on a tree-lined street somewhere, filled with the smell of fresh coffee and sugar glaze instead of diesel. A little money could go a long way to helping him get off the ground-- and luckily, Keith has money to burn.

Or: Keith takes care of Shiro’s financial woes, in exchange for a little sugar.

OMG, OMG, OMG was this story so sweet. Neyasochi already sold me with the baking/baker Shiro trope, but went a step further throwing in sugar-daddy Keith who knows his way around his manic family and cars, but when it comes to asking a cute guy out? What better way to make an impression than becoming his best paying customer?  

Honorable mentions:

oh, devour me

Healing Touch

on your hand of gold 

4). The Destiny You Sold by @tryslora​ (drarry)

Summary: In which Draco knits, Harry makes wands, and things get very tangled up between them.

If there’s one thing I love about fanfics is how they introduce you to tropes you never would consider before. Draco and knitting was a combo I didn’t realize how much I needed until now. And I love the fact knitting played a big part of the accidental bonding. Also loved the fact everyone in their friend group shipped them like crazy. Highly, highly recommend 

5) What’s My Age Again? by @lazywonderlvnd​ (drarry)

Summary: Harry Potter has had enough of pleasing the public, and his reckless tendencies are finally getting out of hand.

The Quidditch World Cup is only a week away; as Captain of the English National Team, Hermione has assured him that his immaturity won’t be tolerated by the Ministry.

And then Malfoy shows up.

(Inspired by the blink-182 song of the same name.)

It’s no secret that I’m such a fangirl of @lazywonderlvnd​. Any drarry story I read, I always love. Last year, I ADORED The Changing Lights, which was one of my favorites last year, and her updating/finishing the story was a massive highlight for me. I thank ya for that. 

This story was honestly refreshing. I’ve grown so used to Harry being responsible, always doing what’s right, that seeing a story where Harry pretty much has his middle finger in the air to “good reputation”, “being responsible,” because as he brought up: “I’m 25. I’ve been fighting all my life. I’ve earned my life to have fun.”

Okay, granted, it wasn’t quite like that but it was along those lines. And I agree. After all he went through, Harry deserves to have fun. He deserves to be reckless and make stupid decisions.

Also, it was such a blast reading a story where Harry is the brat & Draco has to keep him in line. LOVED.

Honorable mentions: 

Inside Your Mind

Aletheia

6). Chocolate and Pastry by agentmoppet, anemonen (drarry)

Summary:  When Pansy bets Draco that there is no chance he and Harry could carry out a genuine romantic relationship, he and Harry form a plan. But as their fake relationship progresses, Draco sees a side of Harry he never expected. Harry is struggling with something, pushing it far down inside him where he doesn't have to acknowledge its existence. Draco starts to worry, and then he starts to care, and then... horribly... he starts to fall in love.

Do not let the title fool you like it did me. Title alone, I was thinking it was going to be a fun, fluffy story involving baking, maybe chocolate crafting. However....it was not that at all. It was more. A lot deeper. A lot more angsty. It explored mental health, PTSD and the dangers of loved ones ignoring the signs, and contained an important message:

You can’t love someone out of their illness/disease/ addiction. Which is true and this story showed that. 

7). i’m still here by owedbetter (zutara)

Summary: "You see me."

And somehow, that makes all the difference.

If there’s one of the few good things 2020 has brought, it was Netflix bringing back ATLA to their library. Which in turn ignited my love for zutara & had me drag @kila09​ into that ship. 

This story was just incredible. The way it was written, it really felt like it could have been canon. Deleted scenes that a certain creator didn’t want us to see. The way Zuko and Katara came together, starting from their peaceful friendship after the Southern Raiders episode up, becoming closer along the way. 

I dare y’all to read this and not think OMG...is this secret canon bonus material? I definitely plan to read more by owedbetter. 

8). all the what ifs i never said by rosegardenlake (sheith)

Summary:  Keith is nine when he first notices Shiro. Shiro is gentle and quiet, always keeping to himself. Keith is rough and loud, running wherever his feet will take him, screaming on the top of his lungs into the wind. But despite that, they're a constant throughout each other's lives...if only that could be enough. As they grow, Keith just wants them both to be happy, but instead, he's falling apart.

Rosegardenlake is another sheith writer who I adored last year & adore this year as well. This was a story that I read during the beginning of quarantine-life and when I tell you the number of times Keith’s emotions of loneliness got to me, it’s a big number. 

Keith’s struggle with life after high school, after peaking in school, and his mental health reminded me too much of where I was at 2018, which wasn’t a good year for me at all, especially mentally. So that was triggering but it was also helpful since I saw how far I came. And it was beautiful seeing how far Keith came. 

Also the relationship between Shiro and Keith was just beautiful. It’s very funny how Keith was Shiro’s protector growing up and Shiro became Keith’s later on in life. There’s a chance your heart may be heavy, but will also be so swelled up with feelings these two bring it. 

Honorable mentions:

Where the Light Doesn’t Reach 

9). When Night Comes by Oh_Hey_Tae (BTS; poly ot7)

Summary: Jungkook’s tipsy, but he’s not buzzed enough to miss that he doesn’t recognize any of the four dozen people here. And seeing as his friends aren’t ones to ditch and there’s no way they’d play a prank this mean on him, Jungkook reaches the conclusion that he just walked into a stranger’s very expensive home, uninvited, and started eating their food and petting their well-dressed dog.

(Or: Jungkook shows up to the wrong Halloween party and meets the most powerful family in Seoul.)

I can easily say Oh_Hey_Tae easily one of my favorite BTS fanfic favs. Always come through with the stories, and this one was just amazing. We have Jungkook stumbling into a Halloween story, and soon enters into a intense, insane relationship with all six guys, who are already in a relationship with each other. Oh, and supernatural creatures at that. 

You do see certain relationships are stronger, deeper. For example, a lot of moments between Jin and Jungkook. Vmin has their own story and moments. But it was just so amazing. 

Fair warning. Halfway through, things get darker and Oh_My_Tae really loves playing readers diirty with the angst, but it’s so good. 

10). peace-weaver by magisterpavus (sheith)

Summary: You will be the peace-weaver, his mother told him, smiling though her dark eyes welled with unshed grief. The one who brings two bitter enemies together and ends the bloodshed and death between us, once and for all.

But men will always crave war. The Galra, most of all.

Yet another arranged-marriage AU that I loved. This particular one is well-loved in the sheith fandom. I can definitely say it’s considered one of the classic fanfics that’s been read or shared at one point or another. 

The story itself reminded me a lot of Macbeth, involving murder and dark forces at bay. The dynamics between Shiro and Keith reminded me of Drogo and Daenerys from GOT, one of my fav couples there, which only made it all the more better for me. 

I do credit the author for the creative approach they took with quintessence and Shiro’s role/persona as the Champion

Honorable mentions:

The Boy in the Window 

Sheith Demon/Priest AU

A Matter of Scale

Directive 

Honorable mentions that I seriously wanted to add to the list but this post is already lengthy. All amazing, all greats reads by various writers y’all should check out:

Hold Me Tight, or Don’t by snowfallen (yoonmin with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith AU featuring assassins and hitmen, secret identities, fake marriage, and a lot of smut)

The Prince and Pirate by Maniacani, @nerdherderette​ (drarry with a splash of royalty and pirates. Perfect if you’re needing to fill in any Pirates of the Caribbean or Black Sails cravings)

First Kisses are the Best Ones by SashaDistan (sheith in a 50 First Dates Fusion heartfelt/heart-gutting story)

freely, as men strive for right by @bixgirl1​ (drarry w/Harry explaining the many ways why Draco’s the love of his life. we love to see it)

The Sacrificed by SasuNarufan13 (sasunaru w/ dark fairytale elements similar to Little Red Riding Hood & Beauty and the beast + feat. mpreg)

Chasing Treacle Tart (and Draco Malfoy) by xErised (drarry feat. lunch lady Draco + scheming Harry + loads of fun w/sweets & more)

Red Desert by @beatitudinembty​ (taekook in a unique sci-fi AU; hard to explain but so worth a read

one way ticket to another life by starboykeith (sheith Hades x Persephone background)

Even So by lewilder (zutara; arranged marriage+ language barrier +soft strangers to lovers)

Well, lovely people, there you have it. My top 10 favorite fanfics of the year. I do notice a certain ship shows up a lot on this list, but I wasn’t kidding when I said they took over this year. Still, I tried to mix the list up with other fav ships/fandoms of mine. To the writers who created these incredible stories. I applaud you. I thank you for creating and sharing these wonderful stories. Anyone interested in doing the tag, please do. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS

[leasboyfriend]

96 and 7!

💜💚💜💚

96 is Looking For Trouble by Animal Sun!

yeah this one isnt related to anyone i just rly like animal sun (there's another song by them that makes me think of chris redfield for some reason???? a character i dont like and probably never will. only game ive played that he was tolerable in was re5 bc we were looking for my wife)

7 is Paper Thin (Illenium Remix) by Angels and Airwaves!

the original version of this is also on my top 100 lmfao. this song is actually part of a weird depressing break up and get back together storyline i have with miguel thats entirely inspired by a few blink 182 songs. its not part of our canon, but it stills a very possible thing with our personalities

[lucas-koh]

Some Levi headcanons

for @crookedkittyperson

So I’m not too sure about these it’s been a hot minute since I played s1 and these are the first LITG headcanons I’ve done but here you go!

Definitely likes to give MC his jacket

He acts really cocky and confident but he’s actually really shy and is just putting it on.

He’s actually Olympic Swimming Pool deep

He can’t dance for shit but he loves to dance with MC

Probably was quite popular at school

He likes animals and would probably own dogs

He loves to spoil MC, take her to really fancy restaurants for dates and buy her lots of nice things

He gets MC tickets to all his polo games and is so happy when he sees her watching

Since he’s a professional polo player, its canon that he gets up really early to practice swimming every day, and I reckon he’ll bring MC breakfast afterwards. He’s not a very good cook, but he’ll always try with cereal or toast and coffee.

He secretly likes 2000s pop punk like Fall Out Boy, blink-182, Green Day, The All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance

He genuinely went on Love Island to find love and feels so lucky to have found MC

When he drives he puts his hand on MC’s thigh

And does that hand on back of her chair thing when he’s reversing

He loves comic book films like Marvel and DC

I think for that reason he roots for Ibrahim when he and MC watch s2 together

He likes to play with MC’s hair, and tries to plait it but is very bad

He likes to wear matching pyjamas with MC at Christmas

He’s quite bad at making friends, so he likes to have MC at his side being her confident friendly self

His favourite colour is red

His favourite food is chips

He got his tattoo as soon as he turned 18 as a nod to his love for water polo

[ckret2]

“You’re so vain” “Give em hell kid” And “I hope you die” I’d love to hear those explanations

Righto! Okay so recap for the people who might have missed it, this is about the radiosnake playlist I mentioned/linked a bit over a week ago, Serpentine & Demonswing. When I posted it I also added an “and if you wanna know why any songs are on the playlist you’re free to ask.” The playlist is a work in progress so some of my answers are gonna be “so here’s the explanation for why it was included but tbh I’m not 100% on keeping it.”

Important things to mention before getting into it: the playlist is build specifically off my headcanons from “Cold Day In Hell,” and so all of the songs act on the assumption that CDIH is “canon.” (tl;dr: they’re exes, because Alastor got scared of emotional intimacy, told Sir Pent he never actually liked him, and ran off after blowing up all his airships.) The first chunk of songs is from Sir Pent’s perspective, the second chunk is from Alastor’s, the third is from them both or about them both, and the last few songs are “I like the vibe but honestly am not sure this fits the playlist.”

Also, y’all are welcome to keep asking me about songs, because this is a lot of fun.

I’m absolutely sure that tumblr is going to delete this read more out of the post but I’m going to put one anyway, maybe it’ll let this one work just to be contrary. If it doesn’t, I apologize for the dash stretcher, that’s just how tumblr do.

So! Explanations:

You’re So Vain (Lyrics)

This one is on the Sir Pentious side, so, although it’s not directly/accurately about Alastor, it is about how Sir Pent sees him in light of their catastrophic breakup.

Verse 1 is less on the nose in its description of Alastor, but you get the impression of someone who is obsessed with how he comes across to other people, and who is far more interested in himself and the image he’s giving off than he is in any of the people he’s trying to impress. A great deal of Alastor’s personality is—or at the very least, comes off as—completely performative. As though to this day he’s still nothing but a radio host performing for a listening audience, even when he’s only talking to one person. The fact that he’s always wearing a fake smile and pointedly providing his own sound effects adds to that impression of a performer who never breaks character.

And the fact that the character in the song is still wholly self-absorbed even when he’s dancing with a partner gives a nice little glimpse into how Sir Pent’s retroactively reinterpreted his last evening with Alastor.

Verse 2 is the stanza that comes closest to completely accurately reflecting what went down between them. First, the alliance between them, the implicit promises that they the were going to conquer Hell and then Heaven as partners in crime—“Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair / And that you would never leave”—and then, the breakup—“But you gave away the things you loved / And one of them was me.” It’s the one line that acknowledges that the character in the song did, indeed, actually love the singer, and wasn’t just performing a role/playing at being in love.

It’s also a line that would ring false to Sir Pentious, because in the aftermath of CDIH, he genuinely doesn’t believe that Alastor ever loved him. He completely buys Alastor’s claim that he was just screwing around with Sir Pent’s emotions for his own entertainment. Words to the effect of “one of [the things you loved] was me” would never come out of Sir Pent’s mouth.

However. Of all the lines in all of the songs in Sir Pent’s portion of the playlist, that one line is the most accurate thing that could be said about Alastor, the blade that would stab into the core of who he is and the role that he played in this story. Because of his vanity—his selfishness, his pride, his obsession with his own independence, his fear of love, his fear of vulnerability, his fear of sharing his life with someone else, etc.—he didn’t just lose what he loved, he did very deliberately and intentionally give it away.

(I’ve always found that line to be the most interesting in the song, for the hint that this vain person did indeed truly feel for someone else, so I’m glad that line fits so well here.)

Verse 3 is just more “what Alastor is like as observed by Sir Pent,” except even more accurately than the first stanza. Constantly running around, constantly moving on from one brief source of entertainment to another (just stuff “threw his support behind the Happy Hotel” somewhere between “gambled on a horse race” and “watched an eclipse”), constantly socializing with dangerous people and people whom he’s going to hurt without caring in the slightest.

Okay so that’s the lyrics.

Making sure the aesthetics/styles/genres of the songs match the character they’re for is one of my high priorities on this fanmix—not to the extent that having the wrong style is an instant dealbreaker, but I’m going to be hesitant to include a song that doesn’t at all match the sound I’m going for. For Sir Pentious, I’m kind of running with two styles.

The first style is “sounds Victorian-ish enough to get a shrug and a nod from anybody who doesn’t actually know/care about Victorian-era music,” so that’s gonna be just about anything orchestral/symphonic that doesn’t clearly fall into a different genre, symphonic metal that sounds symphonic enough to satisfy me, instrumental covers of other songs (string quartets, piano, full orchestra...), things with harpsichords (LISTEN i know that harpsichords are more baroque but they’ve got the right Vibe, you know, they’ve got the Feeling), and things with organ—but like, it’s gotta sound like pipe organ (pipe organ—sounds like a church) and not like Hammond organ (Hammond organ—sounds like a baseball game). Also steampunk, except a lot of “steampunk” genre music sounds swingy/jazzy, so those songs get ruled out because that’s Alastor’s aesthetic. And also, like, actual classical music, but I’m not into a lot of actual classical music, so I don’t think any’s actually made it in yet, lmao.

The second style is based on what the creator herself said about Sir Pent’s music preferences: “Sir Pentious would listen to Blink-182. Pentious would literally listen to stuff like Linkin Park, Green Day, the emo stuff.” So I took "the emo stuff” as “oh okay cool so the stuff I listened to at 15 got it” and ran wild with that. I’ve been most heavily drawing from My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco, and Mindless Self Indulgence to represent that half of Sir Pent’s preferences. (MSI because I feel like that fits an in-your-face and morally jaded villain, P!ATD because their newer stuff fits his flamboyance and exuberance and egotism, and MCR because... because I know them best.) I haven’t yet made much time to carefully comb the discographies of the other bands listed or look into other more traditional emo-associated acts.

Carly Simon’s original “You’re So Vain” matches neither of these styles.

I combed through about 60 different versions of “You’re So Vain” on Spotify looking for ones that meet one of these aesthetics. Like 90% of them were, I’m pretty sure, just various singers adding their vocals directly over a karaoke version of Carly Simon’s original.

In the end, the only one that came close was Marilyn Manson’s cover. He’s a bit outside of the bounds I try to stick in for Sir Pent, but like, okay, he’s industrial metal, but in a particularly goth way, that’s close enough to emo. To my mind, “Sir Pent listens to emo” is like... Sir Pentious’s musical preferences are going to be, 1) counterculture, the kind of stuff that causes conservative Christian moms to go into moral panics, but also 2) mainstream counterculture, the kind of bands that produce huge hits & get featured in major blockbuster movies, but also also 3) slightly dated mainstream counterculture, i.e., at the end of the 2010s he’s listening to the bands that may still be popular but that peaked in the mid 2000s, in keeping with the way he’s trying to keep hip and modern but always seems a little bit behind.

So, in the 2010s, he’s listening to 2000s emo acts. In the 2000s, he was listening to the 1990s’ biggest metal acts (like Marilyn Manson) and possibly grunge acts (things like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins). In the 1990s, he was listening to the 1980s’ biggest post-punk and new wave acts (like The Cure, Joy Division/New Order, Depeche Mode). Always evolving his stylistic preferences, always trying to keep up, but always a little behind. So that’s how I justify putting Marilyn Manson in lmao.

Although that was the only version of “You’re So Vain” I thought fit well enough, I also found a version by Trash Pour 4, a version by Les Reed Orchestra, and a version by Giant Sand that were all very good. Trash Pour 4 is driving me crazy because I can’t quite figure out what genre they are, I just can’t place them—but they’ve got several other good covers that I’d like to take advantage of at some point.

I also found a song called “You’re So Vain (Christian Dior)” by The Energy Commission that’s not a cover of Carly Simon’s song, just a new song with the same name. I’m lowkey considering including on Alastor’s side of the playlist. It’d serve as a very sharp critique of how image obsessed Sir Pent is, there’s some snappy turns of phrase that seem like they’d appeal to Alastor’s sense of humor (my two favorites are “He went off the deep end ‘cause he’s so shallow” and “He’s got a timepiece on his wrist and it says ‘watch me’”), the fact that it’s a critique specifically of high class materialism fits with the fact that I headcanon Sir Pent as coming from British nobility while Alastor’s ancestry is both racially and socially mixed (including at least one close relative who was a slave, I’m thinking a grandparent but haven’t settled on my headcanons yet), and I love when there are parallels like that in playlists about the relationship between lovers/partners/rivals/siblings/any-combo-of-two-people.

The reason I haven’t added it yet is because, by the end of the song, it’s not just a critique of being a rich shallow image-obsessed douche, but specifically of how that culture ties in to exploitative capitalism that’s wrecking human lives and the world—which, in the context of the characters we’re talking about here, would translate into a criticism of Sir Pentious’s very-imperialist-sounding take-over-the-world villain ambitions. Which isn’t something I think Alastor cares about. He probably should, but like, he just doesn’t. He’s a villain himself. I’m sure he’s got his own morals and standards and hard limits but “take over the world” isn’t on his list of dealbreakers. What’s taking over the world include? Mass murder and subjugation? Yeah, he’s cool with that. So that’s why I’m still on the fence about adding it.

Give ‘Em Hell, Kid (Lyrics)

So remember how I said that My Chemical Romance is one of the bands I’ve drawn from most heavily so far in looking for emo Sir Pent songs? Yeah for about a day there were six different MCR songs sitting in Serpentine & Demonswing as I slowly whittled them down to the ones that I thought fit best. “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid” is one of the last three, and actually one that I’m constantly on the verge of cutting.

Lyrically, it’s an Alastor song. There’s mentions of the singer having come from New Orleans (listen... i am a sucker for songs that mention New Orleans, it automatically earns five points on the imaginary “is this an Alastor song?” rubric in my head). The singer is singing about a love interest who’s gone, and he’s making no moves to pursue/reclaim the love interest, wishing them well (“So go on, live your life”), but he’s a wreck and a lesser person without them (“If you were here, I'd never have a fear,” “Well I'm a total wreck and almost every day”), and it’s just getting worse with time, not better (“But I miss you more than I did yesterday”).

The line “Some might say we are made from the sharpest things you say” although directed toward “you,” i.e. the love interest, i.e. Sir Pentious, in my head actually reflects more on the things Alastor said to Sir Pentious: the cruel things he said to Pent—that he’s weak, ineffective, behind the times, a has-been, never going to conquer hell—ended up a self-fulfilling prophecy, because that’s exactly what Alastor’s rampage made happen. Today, as he is now, Sir Pentious is made from the sharpest things Alastor said.

“Your dreams and your hopeless hair” makes me think of Sir Pent’s wild efforts to conquer hell (and, of course, his ridiculous cobra hood), and “We never wanted it to be this way for all our lives” is a perfect expression of Alastor’s regrets/remorse over what his actions have done to both of their lives, but especially to Sir Pent’s life.

And all the references to violence—murder scenes, firing squads, sharpest things—fit with the fact that both of them chose to live lives soaked in blood.

So it’s a perfect Alastor song. The only problem is, it’s an MCR song, which is sooo far outside of my acceptable genres for him. (I’m not gonna get into Alastor’s genres now bc there are better songs to do that on, just know emo ain’t it.) And not only is it outside of his acceptable genres, it’s in the OTHER character’s acceptable genres, which is very messy. I can vibe with “lovers’ songs borrowing from each other’s aesthetic” a LITTLE bit when it’s used to represent, like, emotional synchronicity or the like (ex: both “Roustabout” and Vernian Process’s “Maple Leaf Rag” are on my “Alastor+Sir Pent style fusion songs” list). But MCR is a big departure from Alastor’s acceptable styles.

Plus, the playlist already has two MCR songs, and do I really need three songs from the same band? Unless there’s a really good reason, I try to avoid having repeats from the same band on one playlist—I feel like a good well-rounded fanmix oughta have a diversity of sources. (With “a really good reason” being something like “I’ve got the playlist divided into five sections detailing five phases of the character’s life and each section is introduced with a different track from the same band” or “I’ve got an instrumental version of the song to kick off the playlist to serve as ‘foreshadowing’ for when the version with lyrics shows up at the most dramatic moment” or something like that.)

If I was going to, like, make it a thing, I could. Justify it like “there’s one MCR song that represents them when they’re together, one MCR song from Sir Pent’s perspective, and one MCR song from Alastor’s perspective, like a little triangle,” but like... if I was going to do that I feel like I’d want to do it with a style that’s either representative of both of them or else independent of both of them, and MCR is so heavily a Sir Pent sound. Basically, having three songs from one band would be okay if it was a band that vibes with the overall tone I’m shooting for in the playlist—but it’s not. So I’m very torn on “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid.”

“El Tango De Roxanne” + “Overture” + “I Hope You Die”

Okay before I can talk about “I Hope You Die” by itself, I kind of have to explain its exact position in the playlist and its relationship with the other two songs I just listed.

While MOST of the playlist is chunked up into the four sections I mentioned earlier (Sir Pent, Alastor, both, undecided), within those sections the songs aren’t really in any particular order. The one exception is the very first three songs on the playlist/the very first three songs in Sir Pent’s section.

These three songs, presented in that order, all as Sir Pent songs, serve as Sir “in war, the side remembered is the side with the most style” Pentious the Super Villain making his big entrance like:

“El Tango De Roxanne” starts slow/quiet, and then (with a couple of brief dips) it gradually builds in volume and pain and intensity, getting faster and more emphatic, switching from mournful longing to nearly-angry anguish, until it ends with a pained scream, steampunkish percussion, howling background singers, and a wailing violin.

And then it pauses, for just a moment.

And then “Overture” hammers you with the most dramatic opening chord you will ever hear on an organ in your life, perfectly matching the energy at the end of “El Tango De Roxanne” and maintaining that level of energy throughout the song.

And then it stops so quickly it’s like someone gasped, holding its breath for a split second—and then some dude yells “You must die! I alone am best!” and the guitars kick in for “I Hope You Die,” leading into a depiction of the most intense, vitriolic, disgusting sort of loathing imaginable.

The build-up from “El Tango De Roxanne” and “Overture” really revs up “I Hope You Die,” the intensity of the organ in “Overture” highlights the intensity of the guitar in “I Hope You Die,” and all together it hypes up what could have been just a dark humor song about hating someone into something that sounds like a very genuine demonstration of hatred.

And taken all together, it makes for a fantastic intro for Sir Pent.

It also serves as a perfect intro to the current state of affairs between him and Alastor—sort of expressing his personal emotional journey on the morning Alastor betrayed him, as his reaction transforms over the course of three songs from grief/despair to fathomless fury.

There’s more I could say individually about “El Tango De Roxanne” and “Overture,” but I won’t, because it’s “I Hope You Die” time.

“I Hope You Die” (Lyrics - warning for a whole stanza dedicated to hoping someone gets raped in prison)

A small handful of the songs in my Hazbin playlists were discovered in and added from existing Hazbin character playlists I found on Spotify before I started making my own. “I Hope You Die” was one of them, found here. Which is why it was added even though it doesn’t fit my strict genre standards, it won me over before I narrowed down the styles I’m working with lmao.

(I feel like “El Tango De Roxanne” was one of those too, but I can’t now find a Spotify playlist containing it that added it before I did. Where did I grab it from? It’s not something I would’ve looked up on my own, something must have inspired me. IDK what though. None of the other songs mentioned in this post were found on other playlists.)

So this song is, obviously, just about how much some dude hates somebody else and wants extremely horrible things to happen to them. It’s sorta... *eyes lyrics uneasily* ... sorta tasteless; but, tasteless in a way that I feel like reflects back on the character singing the song. The feeling I come away from after finishing the song isn’t “the band wants you to think the person they’re singing about deserves this to happen to them,” because it doesn’t even give a reason why the singer hopes this person suffers; but rather, “the band wants you to think that this is the kind of hatred that the character/persona the singer is portraying is capable of, this is the kind of vile stuff that character wants to see done to their enemies, this is representative of the depths of that character’s rage.” Which is why I’m like “yeah... okay, sure, that fits” even though I’m real iffy about the last couple stanzas.

Because for a character who’s in Hell surrounded by people who have stomped on the last dredges of their civility and decency, and a character who’s patterned after a super villain (and, because the series creator dropped the idea that there are heroes/villains in the living world, the only super villain in this setting), and a character who gleefully boasts about being evil, and a character who we know demonstrates very rapid/extreme emotions and expressions of hate/outrage... Yes, I can absolutely see this song as the exact sort of hatred Sir Pentious would level at somebody who’s slighted him. And Alastor blew way the hell past “slighting” him. Alastor, without exaggeration, has ruined his life (afterlife?) and over fifty years later Sir Pent is still unsuccessfully struggling to get back up to the level he was at before he even met Alastor. Right now, Sir Pentious really and truly and deeply despises Alastor.

A song like this—sheer, frothing, unrestrained, vengeful contempt—tells you a whole lot about what kind of emotions Sir Pentious is capable; and it tells you a whole lot about the kind of effect Alastor’s actions have had on him, to inspire this level of reaction from someone who was very close to him for fifteen years and increasingly in love with him for probably a good amount of that time.

Plus, the “You must die! I alone am best!” is such a very, very Sir Pentious sentiment.

So that’s those songs! Again, y’all are free to ask me for my thoughts on more. Yes, most of them will probably be like this, lol.

[waitingtobelit]

Title: Place Your Hand In Mine

Characters/Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel

Rating: Adult. Nothing overly graphic/explicit but sex is sex.

Genre: Canon compliant canon AU - established relationship.

Summary: In the middle of fighting/figuring out how to fight Amara, Dean and Cas manage to steal some time away for themselves at a lake. 

Notes: This is fairly shamelessly sappy/fluffy and self-indulgent, but I needed something happy to cope with Supernatural ending so here we are. 

Disclaimer: I don't anything regarding Supernatural or any of its characters. This was written purely for recreational purposes, and no profit is being made from this. I also don't own "Feeling This" by Blink 182, some of the lyrics of which are the source of inspiration for this particular story.

You can also find this piece at AO3 here:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/20407789/chapters/48408475

”Fate fell short this time Your smile fades in the summer Place your hand in mine I’ll leave when I wanna.” - “Feeling This” by Blink 182

Sunflower yellow in the sky, surrounded by fluffy white clouds for petals and a sea of sky so perfectly blue, the sun seems to sprawl over them from straight out of Pixar movie. The murky water of the lake sparkles beneath it all, a darker kind of diamond, but no less treasured for the way it laps over their feet with just the right amount of cool reprieve.

July has proven a cruel mistress so far; today is no different, except for the fact that Dean and Cas are actually taking advantage of the weather instead of hiding away in the coolness of the bunker. (Sam thinks the pair of them of morons very likely to get sunburned. Dean thinks that whatever kind of burn he gets today, it will be well worth it.)

Cas’ tanned arms envelope him from behind, holding Dean to the angel’s lap with serene purpose. Both of them are shirtless, having tossed them aside the moment they arrived to this little nook of a beach on the lake, and both are wearing jeans, Cas having borrowed a pair of Dean’s for the occasion. Dean has his arm wrapped around Cas’ shoulder, fingers tangled in his hair, while Cas is smiling as he presses lazy, hot kisses to the side of Dean’s neck, occasionally biting down on heated flesh. He has one arm wrapped around Dean’s chest and one hand making its way slowly down Dean’s abdomen, kneading and pulling at freckled, flushed skin along the way. With each touch, Dean lets out a huff of hot air and a strangled moan, his hips undulating in time with Cas’ kisses.

They’re both still damp from the swim they took earlier, and their feet tangle together in the water. Dean shifts against Cas, his toes and fingers both curling at the angel’s ministrations. He can feel Cas pressing behind him, which draws another low, wanting noise from his heaving chest. The combination of arousal and heat is as intoxicating as the lemonades mixed with vodka they’d consumed earlier; Dean feels drunk in the best possible way in Cas’ company. This spark between them might be fairly new, and fairly fraught, given that they still have the threat of the Darkness to worry about, but goddamn Dean wouldn’t trade any of what he has with Cas now for the world, regardless of how obstinate he’s been in the past.

They have the summer sun, the seemingly endless lake before them, and all of today before they have to resume their responsibilities to the world. He’ll be damned (again) if they’re not going to savor this brief respite that they’ve stolen for themselves.

“How did you find this place?” He manages to ask, his voice husky and just barely above a gasp. Cas sucks a hickey into the side of his collarbone, and he groans, body arching into the angel, who presses his smile into Dean’s neck.

“Accidentally,” Cas admits, nuzzling at the side of Dean’s face as Dean clutches at Cas mop of messy hair and moves his other hand to stroke and grasp at what he can reach of the angel’s denim clad thigh. Cas moans at the touch, his feet brushing against Dean’s own with increased fervor. “I was looking for ingredients for a spell to use against Amara, and wound up here. It reminds me of that dream of yours by the water, with the fishing. I thought that you would like it.”

“This place is perfect,” Dean sighs, tilting his head to try and meet Cas’ gaze. “You’re perfect.” It slips out without Dean meaning to say it. He hesitates, but he doesn’t regret the words; words that mean so much more than Dean can bring himself to say out loud.

Cas pauses and fixes Dean with the bluest gaze the hunter has ever known, those blue eyes as bright as the sky above them piercing right into Dean’s soul. He sucks down a breath of air before Cas is leaning down to kiss him, softly and fervently all at once. Dean moans into the kiss, a long and low string of sounds that vaguely resembles Cas’ full name.

Cas makes sure Dean’s eyes are open and looking right at him before he speaks, deliberate and slow, voice full with the weight of everything he feels for Dean. And that weight? Dean is certain that weight could stop the Earth from turning. And he’s certain he bears the same exact weight himself.

“So are you.”

It’s enough to take Dean’s breath away as Cas leans down for another kiss, this one much more searing and deliberate than before. The pair of them grasp and clutch at one another beneath the sun, their feet stumbling in the water. Cas eventually maneuvers them into standing, hands moving to latch onto the belt buckles of Dean’s jeans as he steers him backwards, all the while unrelenting in the way he all but drinks Dean whole. Dean, meanwhile, clutches at Cas’ face, letting the pads of his fingers graze against every beautiful nook and cranny of Cas’ skin he can reach as he presses himself against Cas with an increasing desperation.

“I think my poor trench coat is feeling a little lonely,” Cas says when he finally pulls away to allow Dean to catch his breath. He gestures with his head to the discarded garment, sprawled out across the sand. He arches his eyebrows and smirks before pushing Dean right down onto it. “We should fix that.”

Dean laughs as he falls, letting his head fall back in the sand as Cas climbs over and onto him, shoving his jeans and underwear off in the process before moving to do the same to Dean, who lifts his hips and wriggles to help.

“This coat probably needs therapy after everything it’s seen,” he points out with a smirk of his own, green eyes glittering with obvious amusement as he recalls the numerous other times Cas’ coat served a very ulterior purpose than the one for which it was designed. To prove his point, he shakes his ass again, wriggling his eyebrows up at Cas in the process.

Cas beams, moving between Dean’s legs to wrap them around his own hips. Dean shudders and gasps, feeling like the sunscreen Cas helped spread over his shoulders and back earlier that morning in Cas’ hands. He lets out another mewl of a noise when Cas playfully reaches underneath him to smack his ass.

“We’re only just getting started,” the angel grins, wild and lovely as this whole day has turned out. He leans down to kiss Dean senseless as Dean leans up to meet up, grabbing and clutching at what he can reach of Cas’ shoulders and squeezing him between his legs. They both sigh and moan, a mixture of each other’s names that overwhelms the buzzing of the radio Dean set up upon their arrival.

Cas is gentle and insistent all at once with the lube and condoms they’d brought with them, his long, elegant fingers drawing the most delightful kind of music out of Dean. They both laugh and grin as they kiss, messy and lazy. There’s no rush; the sun shines above and the water shines next to them, and Dean and Cas both shine with sweat as Cas slides into Dean, melodic as the lapping of the water against the shore.

They become a part of nature, skin sliding against skin and lips pressing against lips. Hands grasp and mouths moan, and Dean can’t help but wonder if this is what it was like in the Garden of Eden. Cas thrusts into him with slow, deliberate movements, seeking out and pressing against every spot he knows that makes Dean writhe and arch off the ground. Dean shifts upwards to meet each thrust, moving his hands into the angel’s hair to pull in the way he knows makes Cas’ toes curl.

Yes, they will get sand in uncomfortable places, and yes, Dean can feel the way Cas’ coat bunches up beneath him. Neither of them gives a damn.

They are creation in and of itself, their own form of art; and as the angel and the hunter make love, hands and bodies and souls entwined, Dean can’t help but think that, if this is the only slice of heaven if ever gets, it will be enough. He doesn’t believe in fate; he believes that they all make their own choices. And this, all of this? This is the most important choice he’s made in his whole life. And no twist of fate is ever going to take this away from him.

[asexualkiba]

Kiba!!! For the heavanon meme

2-4 songs that are probably on their iPod

The Middle- Jimmy Eat World

Wild Fire- Dorothy

Superpower- X Ambassadors

80s Films- Jon Bellion

Idk why i was rlly feelin these songs. the middle always just reminds me of him for some reason plus i think he’d like that kinda 2000s stuff

the one place they sometimes end up falling asleep – where they’re not supposed to

Canon answer: Class

the game they’d destroy everyone else at

“chutes and ladders” -@kankuroari

anyway kiba probably rocks at retro games like pac man and space invaders. AND he’s a smug bitch who fuckin destroys at uno

the emoticon they’d use most often

🐶😤🖕🐾🔥💯😜

((Lmao actual student athlete kiba inuzuka)

what they act like when they haven’t had enough sleep

More irritable than usual about v minor things, wrong very often. akamaru nags him a lot more and they argue lmao

their preferred hot beverage on really cold nights. or mornings. or whenever.

“coffee? awful. tea? boring. hot-freakin-chocolate? sign me up every day”

pls just let kiba be a hot chocolate ho bc he WOULD be

how they like to comfort/care for themselves when they’re in a slump

facedown in DOG FUR (sign me tf up tbh)

but yea probably just more time w akamaru. either chillin alone at home or running around in the woods. he usually trains but oftentimes that makes him more frustrated so he quits that after a while

what they wanted to be when they grew up

;____; the hokage

their favorite kind of weather

sunny clear skies with a breeze! great days for running, hiking, being active and out and about. he likes days after rain, because everything smells like NATURE, but usually that leads to him and akamaru being super muddy by the days end which is kind of annoying. but whatever.

thoughts on their singing voice (decent? terrible? soprano? alto?)

“He’s a solid, like, blink 182 in the shower, probably bad but also not bad enough that you’d want him to stop” -@kankuroari

Anyway kiba 100% is a sing in the shower guy, and thats actually p much the only times he sings. or badly along w car radio. he’s got decent enough voice probably but nothing to consider as GREAT or even good but its like. listenable. he doesnt care that much tho

how/what they like to draw or doodle

dogs dogs dogs

kunai, ninja stars, rlly super generic stuff

he’s that asshole who doodles the village symbol everywhere in pen like on benches and bathroom stalls

[Send me a character!]

[gumshoeblog]

I bought all the Overwatch LEGO sets. These are the best.

I love Overwatch. I love LEGO. When the two combined, I couldn’t resist buying all of the themed sets that LEGO released at the start of 2019.

If you’re not quite as enamored with this geeky peanut butter-and-jelly combination as I am, or if you’re on a limited budget and you want to know which sets are the best, I’m here to break it down for you. The list follows from best to worst, with a particular emphasis on the quality of the sets compared to Overwatch’s fantastic character design. Here we go!

The Best: Big Bastion ($50)

If you only get one Overwatch LEGO set, make it this one. The only one of the bunch not at least attempting to build to minifig scale gets a lot of freedom in its design, and it’s a lot better for it. This guy stands about ten inches tall, from the top of his rotating turret gun to the bottom of his surprisingly stable feet. He transforms into turret mode, his head lights up with a special LED brick (no external batteries necessary), and he gets a little buildable Ganymede (that’s the bird) to keep him company.

Bastion’s robotic character design is ideal for a big, beefy LEGO set, and little touches like the decals on his shoulder plates and knobbly accents on his legs really stand out. It looks fantastic on a shelf. The transforming design means you get a lot of flexibility in posing him, too, which is a problem with the tank set below.

The turret mode isn’t all that exciting in and of itself---LEGO isn’t as flexible as polygonal models, after all--and they couldn’t squeeze in a tank mode. But posing Bastion in his standard mode is great fun, and the build is surprisingly simple for such a complex result. It’s the hardest set of the series, and even so, I’d say a ten-year-old would have no problem getting through it.

The Next Best: D.Va and Reinhardt ($40)

The set that probably has people most excited is the combination of two tanks in one box, the Korean mech pilot D.Va and the geriatric German knight Reinhardt. And they’re definitely some of the highlights of the series. If you’re a fan of either character you’ll love the way they’ve been modeled here. Both the MEKA and Reinhardt’s armor look fantastic posed.

Both six-inch tanks come with minifigs: D.Va in her “baby” mobile form and Reinhardt in a miniature version of his armor, which can also be accessorized with a tiny hammer. That said, the scaling is weird: while both match the rest of the minifigs in the other sets, the mech and the armor are about twice the size that they should be at minifig scale---though I appreciate this was the only way to get them both inside with any detail. I do like the inclusion of a sans-helmet Reinhardt option, complete with his flowing snowy locks. The character is so expressive in the game it would be a shame to hide him behind a helmet all the time.

The gamer decals on the MEKA and the bits of livery on the armor are fantastic. But both knight and mech are very unbalanced, and need to be posed in specific ways to keep from tipping over. I wish Reinhardt came with some kind of shield, and D.Va’s mech has only one canon on each arm, instead of the distinctive triple rotating guns in the game. It’s the one sore spot in an otherwise fantastic translation of the game model. I also wish there was some way to secure D.Va inside the mech---she just kind of sits in there, rattling around whenever you move the model.

Even so, both were great fun to build. They’re ideal for desktop companions if you’d like to show off your gaming habits in LEGO form.

The Rest: Dorado Showdown ($30), Tracer vs. Widowmaker ($15), Hanzo vs Genji ($20)

The smallest three sets with minifigs have a focus on the stages themselves: Dorado, Gibraltar, and Hanamura, respectively. They’re also good choices if you want quick, easy builds with a bit of Overwatch flavor, without having to dedicate an hour or more to setting them up.

Among the three, Dorado takes the definite lead. This set includes Soldier 76, Reaper, and McCree, plus the hovertruck payload and a stage-themed arch and market stall. The elements really come together nicely, with minifig scale working well between all of them. The truck is particularly nice as a translation of the game model, with plenty of places to stick the minifigs for posed battles.

Next comes Tracer vs Widowmaker, the cheapest set of the whole line. There’s no scenery to be had between these two rivals, but they can duke it out over a nice rendition of the Gibraltar spaceship payload. The Tracer minifig in particular is a highlight, with her dual-wield pistols, mop head hair, and translucent “blink” trail.

Genji and Hanzo get a minifig recreation of their battle from the Dragons animated short. The Japanese castle interior is nice, but the inclusion of action pieces that shoot dragon-themed discs is kind of forced, and the Yakuza lackey minifig (the only one in the series not of a playable character) is unnecessary. You’re buying this for the great Shimada brothers minifigs.

The Ones To Skip: Watchpoint Gibraltar ($90) and Omnic Crisis Bastion ($25)

The biggest and most expensive set is Watchpoint: Gibraltar, a recreation of the game stage with no less than four minifigs. And these minifigs are popular heroes that many will want: Mercy, Pharah, a wonderful BigFig Winston, and a repeat Reaper with a special smoky shadowstep bottom option.

Unfortunately these figures are saddled with a huge and underwhelming spaceship and launch tower. The ship itself actually has some cool elements, like a pop-out deployment module, crew quarters, and pilot cockpit. But the spaceship at the end of the Gibraltar stage is never part of the actual game, so the massive 15-inch long shuttle feels unnecessary at best, as if LEGO just needed a big set piece for the most expensive Overwatch box on the shelf. (The Overwatch team dropship, the starting point of many maps, would have been a better choice.) 

The launchpad and tower, while having some nice high spots to stick Mercy and Pharah, are likewise mostly unnecessary. Maybe this set would have been better if it had been combined with the Tracer vs Widowmaker set, which includes the themed payload, as the manual none-too-subtly reminds you.

The minifigs are a bit of a mixed bag as well. Winston looks fantastic, but Mercy and Pharah are a bit simple, and Reaper can be had in a much cheaper set, sans the admittedly cool shadowstep feature. All in all, this is one to skip unless you want another rather generic LEGO spaceship or you just have to have Mercy, Pharah, or Winston---its price just isn’t justified by its weak connection to the games.

There’s one last set you won’t find on store shelves: Omnic Crisis Bastion. This much smaller, orange-skinned version of the cheerful robot is exclusive to Blizzard’s online merch store, and it comes with its own placard stand and Ganymede in a matching cardinal skin. This one fits in well with the D.Va and Reinhardt tanks at five inches high, though it’s still way too big to match minifig scale.

With no mode transform option, only two decals on the shoulders, and a high $25 price tag for just 182 pieces, Omnic Crisis Bastion is only for those who love the character but can’t find a place for the much bigger, better Bastion. I have to assume that, since it came out in October, Blizzard wanted a LEGO Overwatch set for its store before Christmas.

Omnic Crisis Bastion is an “exclusive,” and unlike the other widely-distributed sets that can be found in most retail stores stocking LEGO, it may be hard to find later. But even if it is, it won’t be worth the effort.

Minifig Breakdown

Once again I’ll go from best to worst.

Tracer is the face of Overwatch, so it’s good that they nailed her minifig (especially since it appears on all the retail LEGO boxes). Her spiny pistols are faithfully depicted with a few translucent pieces, and the “blink” effect on her backpack looks great and lets her balance while holding the heavy guns. The custom spiky hair is spot-on. LEGO could have left her legs plain orange without much grumbling, but they added a few splashes of paint for straps.

The Winston BigFig is a close second. The Hulk-style figure is a natural fit for his gorilla frame, and both Winston’s torso and arms get custom moldings. His tesla gun and jetpack are both made from only stock pieces with decals, but they’re still very good approximations of the game models. Winston’s also the only tank that fits in with the scale of the other minifigs.

Genji and Hanzo are probably the best minifigs in terms of accessories. Genji’s iconic helmet is rendered well---no face underneath, so you can’t peek. Genji gets his sword and several shurikens, plus a scabbard. Hanzo gets his bow and a quiver for his back, with the single flesh toned arm and custom hair with bandanna insert being highlights.

For a character that’s little more than a cowboy with a few bits of armor, McCree looks great, with excellent painted patterns on both the chest and legs. I love the little detail of a grey left hand, since McCree’s arm is robotic. I just wish they’d given him a custom hat with his Blackwatch band...or painted a tiny “BAMF” on his belt buckle (though I can guess why they left it off).

The Reapers are pretty good: one included in the Dorado set, another in Gibraltar with an optional shadowstep bottom. Granted, it’s hard to get Reaper wrong. Even the oversized shotguns, much bigger than the game model, fit with Reaper’s ridiculous character design. But it is the start of a trend in overscaled guns with these figs.

The “baby” D.Va minifig is also simple, but effective. Her custom hair and headset work well---note the grey and pink paint. And while her gun isn’t custom, it’s all that’s needed to approximate her in-game pistol. A secondary face, complete with bubblegum, is a great inclusion.

Widowmaker’s minifig is serviceable, with a nice custom hair mold that includes paint for her visor. But I wish the visor could fold down---it’s not like LEGO hasn’t done this before. The sniper rifle made out of stock pieces is oversized and looks nothing like her curvy, expandable gun. I know toy guns aren’t a huge focus for LEGO, but it doesn’t even have a rifle stock, just a handle from a smaller gun piece. Widow gets a hook, but no line or separate piece for her to hang from, a la the Spider-Man LEGO sets. 

Soldier 76 suffers from some of the same problems. He’s painted well with good contrasting colors, but his multi-piece gun is ridiculously massive. It’s bigger than the sniper rifle or Pharah’s rocket, and again, looks nothing like Soldier’s intricate machine gun. This character really deserves a custom weapon.

Reinhardt’s minifig is almost unnecessary, since he’s always in his armor. But perhaps being aware of the odd scale of the tank set, LEGO painted a tiny version of his armor on the minifig and includes instructions for a scale-appropriate hammer. Still, seeing Rein as the same size as D.Va and Widow just looks odd. At least they included a hair piece for when you want to see his face outside of the helmet. The tank set also has a spare Overwatch team medallion, as seen in the Honor and Glory short.

Pharah is a let-down. The shoulder pads and attached “wings” don’t do a good job approximating her flight suit---these look like pieces recycled from a Nexo Knights set, with none of the fins or pieces her Iron Man-style getup really needs. The helmet looks good, but there’s no sign of Pharah’s hair or distinctive beads. And finally, there’s no way to elevate her, no jet effects. How can justice rain from above when she’s on the ground? At least her rocket is both correctly-sized and shoots a tiny capsule. 

Mercy is easily the most disappointing of the Overwatch minifigs. The wings attached to her backpack are stock “angel” wings, not the high-tech gliders from the game. Her caduceus staff is just a stick and a hook. And her skin tone face printed on an all-black head looks washed out and doesn’t match the colors of the rest of her outfit. Nice paint on the chest and leg pieces can’t save it. This figure is a big stumble for one of the game’s most visible characters.

If these complaints sound like nit-picks, well, they are. But in a game with an overwhelming amount of attention paid to character design, the Overwatch minifigs would inevitably be the focus of their LEGO sets. They range from great to embarrassing, so if you’re trying to buy a set with your favorite character included, choose accordingly.