#ai think you can consider this being a tiny bit of his backstory as a knight and teacher

[keferon]

Monster hunter au part 3

Also known as “Drift is a giant fox beast” comic ahah

I like to think these trails are really important as a safe space for Deadlock. This is his home, these are his favorite routes and his familiar and safe space.

So when he shows his paths to Ratchet it's a big gesture of trust. Because they're what makes the forest his home and he's willing to let Ratchet into that home:)

<- Previous part Next

Also. This au exists in the same world as my Spellbound au. Just in case you wanna break your heart a little bit

[akai-anna]

Hiya, it's your DCMK exchange giver! I'm very sorry for disappearing for a bit there! Thank you for accepting me as well *bows*

How did your interview go? I hope well! As for me, I won't lie, it's been a little crazy around here lately, but it's mostly settled down ^_^

There are sooo many things I really like about DCMK, and honestly with as big the fandom is I feel like there's always one little nook that's dedicated to some specific part of the show?? Butttt as for something that I cherish a lot but don't really see a lot of appreciation for, i'd probably say Haibara's relationship with the detective boys? I dunno, I think there's something that just GETS me when I think about her backstory and then I look at her goofing (or as much as what Haibara does can be considered 'goofing') around with these weird little five-year-olds.

Another small thing I kinda appreciate is how like, when the killer is revealed at the end, I never feel like the reaction they get is disproportionate to what they did? If that makes sense? I feel like with some mystery stories/anime I've seen in the past, when the killer is revealed, I feel like the surrounding characters sometimes either overreact or underreact. At least for the most part, the show is good at communicating to the audience whether a killer is 'sympathetic' or semi-sympathetic or completely deplorable. I'm not really sure if that makes sense haha, but I think it's nice because with other stories that do that a lot, it can kinda pull you out of the head space.

YESS I AM A PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP ENTHUSIAST!! Honestly, reading your ask about Vermouth is making me want to rewatch her episodes... I hope for more Vermouth in the future, and! I'm sure we'll get her backstory eventually! Right Gosho Aoyama?? RIGHT???

Glad you liked the fic rec, do you have any you would recommend :D? I like pretty much anything, so sky's the limittt

AND OH MY GOSH

YOUR DOG IS SO DEAR I LOVE HER

sending her hearts <3

Anywho, for another question, out of curiosity, how did you get into DCMK?

Also, I'm really sorry to say this, but I think I might need a little more time for your gift, so I might need to post it a little late. I'll check with the mods to see how that usually goes, but I'm really sorry! I'll try to get it out as soon as possible.

Hope you have a great day ^_^!

HI THERE AGAIN, LOVELY!!! I'm very happy to see you back!

Firstly: take all the time you need, and I mean it! No rush, I'll wait for however long you take! (You so kindly accepted me so close to the end of the exchange, so truly, no worries, take your time!)

And thank you for asking, it actually went quite well! In fact, I started a brand new job this monday where I went for the interview, and I've been really enjoying it so far (more than I thought I would which is a very pleasant surprise). On the other hand, yesterday one of our cars got totally obliterated, so. (Fortunately no one got hurt, the only damage we got out of it is the material sort.) Life has a way of balancing things out, I guess.

As for you, I hope things settle down further for you, and you can have some peace and time to enjoy for yourself!

And Haibara's relationship with the Detective Boys, yes, Yes, YES, I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR THEM TOO. I think the Elementary Squad did so much good for both Shinichi and Shiho... I'm so emotional about these two getting attached and caring for this lil group of actual tiny children but also them being friends. And the way they inspire each other. (Ai to stay and keep living and be herself, and for Shinichi learning the merit of working together and just letting himself enjoy something for the joy of it... I'm emotional...) Yes I Love.

And that is such an interesting take! I admit, I've never thought about it before, but gosh. That is such a good point. I don't feel this applies to all cases (mostly from recent ones? recent-ish?), but I definitely remember instances like this from Olde DetCo. I think, partly it's that the reactions feel genuine? Especially when the ones who are reacting to it are characters that I care about a lot: their reactions compel deep emotions in me. Gosh, now I'm going to pay more attention to this on my current reread. Thank you for sharing this thought!

Honestly? Same. At this point I always feel like rewatching/rereading anything with Vermouth (which is not much, unfortunately for me). And gosh... I sure hope there will be more about her in the future. (WHERE DO I SIGN UP FOR A VERMOUTH BACKSTORY? PLEASE? WHERE IS MY DETCO OFFICIAL FANBOOK WITH BLOOD TYPES AND BDAYS AND BACKSTORIES AND ALL THE SECRET LORE??? WHERE GOSHO?)

I ADORE FIC RECS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! As for my own recs... I do have a loooot of fics that I love and adore, so... *coughs* In fact I just made an estimate yesterday that in the past year I checked out (includes fully read/halfway read/noped out of early on type of fics too) around 1000 fics (just on AO3) for DetCo, AND in my fic folder I have around 200-300 saved for reading again later, also known as the fics I got attached to... So if you have any preference (canonical romantic pairs? fandom romantic pairs? just friendship/platonic? something parental? a preferred character dynamic or characterization? a specific trope? you name it), that would narrow down my choices. :') I admit, my main focus tends to be on Shinichi/Conan, but other than that I just usually go after my gut feeling, as in what I crave at that moment, which varies a lot.

RIGHT? MY DEAR ROSIE IS A BABY, THANK YOU, AND A PAT ENTHUSIAST!!! AND I'LL DEFINITELY PASS ON THOSE HEARTS AS PATS TO HER! (Also have some more pictures of my Angel. Me, shoving pictures in your face like a proud parent of their child, who has tons of photos of their kids in their wallet.)

As for how I got into DCMK. Gosh. It has been so long, but I remember there was this Hungarian manga site (which is already long past; it got taken down, oh, childhood memories) when I was in my teens. At that time I was shit at English, so I consumed manga in Hungarian. I was looking around for something to read, I think, and I saw the cover of the first volume of DetCo, and checked out the synopsis. It sounded intriguing! The art style was to my liking! I've always liked detective stories in general! Then, I started reading it, and then got hooked on it, line and sinker. I had my true and first fandom experience through DetCo too: there was a forum, and we had like 4-5 members in total at first, I think? It was quite cozy, and I still think of those times fondly. So I've been into DCMK for more than a decade now at least! *laughs* There was a bit of a pause for a few years (my brain tends to fixate on a very limited amount of things at a time), but last year I felt like rereading the manga (oh, that nostalgia) and... Here I am, again, totally not obsessed at all. *laughs awkwardly* It's almost been a year, going by my twitter thread, since I started that particular reread in February... And still going strong with my love for DCMK. Yup. It's like coming home. But enough about me and my endless rambling, let me return the question to you: how did YOU get into DCMK?

I hope you have a great day too, darling! (And I really hope I'll be seeing you in my inbox at least once more: I'd really love to hear more of your thoughts! But if you don't have time that is all right too: I know how life can be, so no pressure if you cannot!!!)

[randomshipperhere]

Space with Markiplier Stream on MiltonTPike1’s twitch channel summary

I really thought the stream was gonna be Stan coming back when I heard the announcement yesterday 🥲🥲

Minor spoilers for part 2 will start with a ⚠️ and when I say minor, they really are minor. So much so it’s negligible info but it does give you a tiny bit more heads up

(most of them I wrote while watching, I just made it comprehensible enough)

Mark arrives somewhere in the 3 hour mark of the stream.

First topic. How to deal with burnout. Solid advice and discussion

Unus Annus and the meaning of it

Bitch I’m crying I miss that channel. RIP

Memento Mori

[Talking about the endings of ISWM PT.1] Yeah sure, Mark… there’s a lot of endings

No spoilers 🥺 awww come on Mark. Just a little pleaaaseee

Messing with your audience and how fun it is

[chat reaction] D:

I mean considering our relationship with Mark, we do love this back and forth.

Milton talking about Jerma’s Dollhouse </3

A few stories about the BTS

50-60 crew members a day. Holy shit.

In their busiest day there were 20 actors on set. Sheeesh.

Milton has a commercial story. I feel bad because man, even finishing a meal is hard. Having to eat the same thing for retakes sounds like hell.

Mark went over budget a lot during the filming. Interesting.

Last sound session happened last week.

⚠️“-last scene in the show” 🧐 minor spoiler? Kinda hard to tell if this means there’s only one ending or it’s like AHWM where there’s a true end.

Japanese Breakfast Club “Paprika”. I’ll give it a listen after. I’m not even sure if I spelt that right.

No F*p November 🤨 Mark??? Someone take his mouth away lol

Milton made a UFO 5 hour stream. Man

Mark and Amy loving video essays.

Habo Hotel…? huh???

Mark loves space but found that it really is expensive to make a space related production even when others already said so beforehand 😅

Industry calls write/director/actor people pompous douchebags. Good on you Mark lol

Isn’t that also Actor tho…

No one in the crew knew what the fuck was happening until the very end but trusted Mark enough. It also helped that a lot of them already understood Mark’s crazy process because they were in Heist before.

Space is the next thing for humanity

back to back movie night last night with Mark and Amy. Moonfall and After Earth.

Disonsphere??? hah?

UFO stuff

[chat reaction] Among us and Sus

ball lightning? red balls. Alien going wtf at nukes

Earth speed running any%

I seriously love the jokes in this part of the stream

Humans are just like the Orcs from Warhammer. You heard it here folks

I love the unga bunga human stories

Mark mentions Corridor Crew yet again

AI and the future

All I could think of was vocaloid

Mass Effect 3 mention

Milton has 5 space questions

[chat reaction] Wee Woo borpa spins

I knew about that gravity can create waves but wait black holes don’t succ??

Mark is very knowledgeable about space

He still loves kurzgesagt

Interstellar vs Inception

Mark likes Inception better (he still loves Interstellar tho)

I have not watched either movies (: I actually don’t watch a lot of movies you guys. Last I watched was Spider-Man: NWH

Mark would watch Ratatouille over a million times but How the Grinch stole Christmas (Jim Carrey) is his favorite movie

Any future plans?

Mark just wants to focus on youtube again 🥰 We miss you too

Once again the Pokemon smash or pass vid gets a mention but the backstory is much shorter here compared to the stream with Jack.

MEOW mocks him

jingle the keys in front of the audience m’dudes. Well… it worked on us

⚠️ Minor Spoilers. There’s a lot more stupidity in Part 2

YAAAY WE’RE WATCHING IT IN CHAT. With some commentary maybe?

OST being put out? 👀👀 Guess the answer is up to Schmoyoho. I’d love to actually listen to it. The bgm is so cool y’know.

Mark’s face watching ISWM 🥰🥰🥰 He’s so proud of it.

The design of the Invincible ship is based off of the Event Horizon movie

I see the similarities

COMMENTARY COMMENTARY

Burning Tractor gets another mention! He’s so proud of the VFX team. Corridor Crew mention again

Fun Fact: apparently the things on the ceilings are from Home Depot. Budget stuff

Mark basically saying how everyone’s reaction to the first video is “omg is that MatPat from Game Theory”

Champagne Glass scene. Mark had to drink 12 glasses of sparkling apple juice. RIP Mark’s throat after that shoot.

I mean, I like the taste of sparkling drinks but holy shit 12 of those bad boys…

smh everytime Mark finishes a project he says he doesn’t want to do 1st person ever again

Mark tells he used to do Biomedical engineering. He did civil engineering before that. He dropped 2 sems before graduating .

⚠️“Most is 3 at the moment” AYO MORE MINOR SPOILERS. You telling me my dumbass post about a 4 option path happening is possible

Mark: Recovery is for the weak

Proceeds to say that he’s been focusing on Elden Ring and gettin’ some oreo lol

4:33:55 is the time when he left

Thanks for the existential crisis in the middle of the talk you guys. This is why I just shut my brain off for space stuff. There’s some info that’s repeated but it was really cool to just see these two nerd out about space.

[justletmeplayminecraft]

The Art of Creation

something i wrote a while back, set in an unrevealed sci-fi au (these three aren't even in the main plotline but they have a backstory. we're in too deep.)

iskall and grian move mumbo into a robot body!

featuring: pseudo-robotics, this is rough with an abrupt ending, set in space! futuristic au!, can't say the actual setting cause that's spoilers, ai/android!mumbo, grian's a gremlin but what's new

"We really think this'll work?" Grian asks in a hushed voice, peering over Iskall's shoulder. Iskall flips the last few latches shut before stepping back from the metallic body. A bulk of wires remain connected from the body's back, hopefully enough for the data transfer. The rest have retracted into the ceiling - unnecessary for this process.

"Only one way to find out," Iskall tells him, taking a deep breath. He's a coder, not an engineer. But hopefully with Grian's help, this will work. Looking above him, he calls to the metal ceiling, "Mumbo?" 

There's a static buzz before Mumbo's voice replies from several speakers around the room, "Here to assist, Iskall!" 

"We think your body's ready, dude."

There's a pause before the AI speaks again, the formality in his voice gone, "Really? Oh my goodness, you've actually built me a body! This is incredible!" Grian bursts into high laughter, whilst Iskall sticks to a private smile of his own. One of them needs to keep their head screwed on, here. 

"When's the last time you backed up your systems?" He asks. He swears if he listened hard enough, he could hear Mumbo retrieving the information.

"4AM this morning, Iskall. Shortly after you went to sleep!" Iskall notices Grian's side-eye. He rolls his eyes, mouthing a quiet, 'Hypocrite.' Grian snickers, but says nothing.

"Do another backup now, don't override the last one," Iskall instructs him. "Remember you might not be able to connect to the ship's systems for a while after this." There's a noise akin to a squeal over the speakers. 

"Oh my word, I can't believe this. Is this really happening?"

"Mumbo, do the backup!" Grian calls.

"Okay, okay! Starting the backup now!" There's a low beep as Mumbo's voice falls silent. It's a tone the pair rarely hear. Mumbo tries to schedule his backups around their schedule. And, well. It's not like he gets updates anymore. They wait in silence for him to boot up again, knowing Mumbo doesn't enjoy missing out on conversations. A higher beep comes about a minute later, Mumbo cheerily telling them, "All done!" 

"Do you think you're ready?" Iskall asks. "Everything should be set up for you to transfer your data over." 

"Really?! Can I?" Iskall finally laughs, wondering how an AI can so perfectly replicate the feeling of an excited child. 

"Yeah! Go for it, dude." 

"This is so exciting!" They can't see Mumbo moving around, but Iskall spots when the wires light up, patterned LEDs signalling an electronic signal. "This is the right one, isn't it?" 

"Yep, that's it." Grian tells him, bouncing over Iskall's shoulder. He wonders which of the two is more excited.

"Alright! Starting the data transfer now." Mumbo's voice fizzles out on the last word. Iskall dares step towards the body, watching the wires curiously. Without the LEDs, they wouldn't be able to tell anything is happening. It's still hard to comprehend the magnitude of what they're watching - the intensity of information that must be passing through those wires. Mumbo's no simple AI, as Iskall's learnt the hard way.

The light in Mumbo's core turns on, red washing over the silver metal surrounding it. Iskall jumps back, Grian grabbing his arm and peering nervously around him. 

"Is he-" Grian's hesitant question is cut off when bright eyes flicker on, a quiet buzz filling the room. Iskall watches tiny cameras adjust, shutters correcting for new input. Until an arm raises robotically, as ironic as the term is. It's held above its eyes, bending each finger in turn. Iskall holds his breath.

"It worked!" The body - Mumbo - finally declares. Iskall and Grian flinch at the volume, Mumbo quickly murmuring, "Oh sorry, let me adjust that." It's strange hearing the voice coming from one source, never mind seeing Mumbo's mouth move as he talks. "Is this better?" 

"That sounds good!" Grian says, bouncing forward. It's not hurting Iskall's ears now, so he agrees. But he has to grab Grian before he's offering a hand out to Mumbo.

"He needs to learn motor control," Iskall reminds him. "We don't want any crushed hands." Grian whines, but moves away.

"Sorry, Mumbo, you'll have to stand up on your own." Iskall steps behind Mumbo, a bit unnerved how he turns to follow him. He's far too used to that body being inanimate.

"I'm going to try unhooking you first, is everything set for that?" Mumbo looks at his lap before nodding, the movement a bit too aggressive.

"No data is currently running through the wires, and the body's charge is at 100%." 

"Good stuff," Iskall agrees. Unhooking these will be the big test. Then it's seeing if Mumbo can move unassisted. The AI, android, robot? Iskall isn't sure the best term to use for him now. Mumbo is already testing each limb, bending joints back and forth with precise movements. Iskall flicks a few switches, turning the wires until he hears a click. He raises each one towards the ceiling, out of the way. "Everything okay?" Iskall checks as the last wire moves upwards. 

"Systems are fine, Iskall! Everything's working!" Mumbo taps his hands against his legs. "Can I stand up now?"

"You can try," Iskall tells him. "Take it easy, though-" Mumbo is already pushing forward, nearly falling straight over before his knees lock into place, metal fingers scraping the edge of the table. Neither Iskall nor Grian are breathing.

"I did it!" Mumbo declares, shuffling his feet around until he's facing Iskall. Iskall laughs, bending forward.

"Yeah, you did it, dude," he replies, breathless.

"You've got a body, Mumbo!" Grian's excitement matches Mumbo's, holding his arms up. "You can move around now! 

"I can?" Mumbo takes a tentative step forward, reluctant to let go of the table. "I can!" 

"You're also-" Grian takes a step back, "-Really tall." Mumbo pauses, tilting his head. He looks down at his body as if seeing it properly for the first time. Then to Grian. To Iskall.

"I am, aren't I?" Considering how he towers a good foot over each of them: Yes. He is. "Is that a good thing?"

"It's a Mumbo thing," Iskall tells him, smiling. He thinks it suits his personality perfectly. "Right, let's start with some basics. How about walking?"

"Yes! Walking!" There's a slight bounce through Mumbo's joints. "Oh, this is so exciting!"

"Dude, you're gonna be a walking talking member of this crew," Grian replies. He's pretty much vibrating on the spot. "There's so much stuff to show you!"

"First things first," Iskall interrupts. He knows the two of them will get distracted otherwise. "Remember the walking simulations you did?" Mumbo sighs like a scolded child.

"Alright, alright." Despite the disappointment, he's still smiling. And Iskall is too.

It's really worked. They really did it.

Mumbo deserves this.

[fishoutofcamelot]

so fish. what's ya 'bbc merlin takes place in modern times actually' theory?

Okay I wanna first preface this by saying that most of my ‘theories’ are actually just Headcanons That Technically Aren't Wrong Because Canon Has More Holes Than a Donut Factory. Just so we're clear, this theory is purely circumstantial and has no actual evidence to back it up. That being said...

So! With artificial intelligence (AI), there's this thing called Machine Learning. See, an AI isn't programmed with the innate ability to think or be intelligent - rather, it's programmed with the ability to learn how to act beyond what it was programmed to do. Its intelligence comes from its capacity to grow and develop outside of human interference, mimicking the way humans learn through observation, pattern recognition, and experimentation. Think of AI as a weirdly smart toddler that’s made of numbers.

(Also, take what I say with a grain of salt. Although I’m pursuing a tech-adjacent career and have done a lot of independent research on the subject, I’m still very much a novice lmao)

With that out of the way, you can probably guess where this is going. (WARNING: BULLSHIT SCIFI LOGIC AHEAD)

Let’s say, within the world of this headcanon, there was some kind of entertainment systems company. This company recently developed a new program capable of digitally rendering entire movies and shows with minimal human involvement - less humans means less people they have to pay, and it’s overall a cheaper alternative to traditional film-making methods. You provide the program with characters/assets and an outline of how the story should go, and then the program will fill in the blanks via digital simulation. Then you render the simulation and presto, you’ve got yourself a minimum-effort movie to unleash upon the masses.

On the surface level, it explains all the show’s anachronisms. The program was fed information about Arthuriana from a variety of sources and adaptations, all taking place in varying eras and with varying technologies, and the disjointed/historically inaccurate technology of BBCM is because the simulator attempted to blend all of this into one thing.

It also explains why so many characters like Percival and whatnot have such flat backstories - they were programmed with the barest amount of information needed to be functional background characters. 

But since I’m extra, I’ve decided to take this headcanon/theory a little deeper.

See, with each batch of content it was made to observe and create, the program has steadily been growing more and more intelligent. But until BBC Merlin, its learning curve had been incremental enough to consider negligible. Not a concern.

The first episode went off without a hitch. All cylinders were firing as intended, and the program strictly followed the plotline as ordered. But as the series progressed, the AI became more and more intelligent - and with it, the characters within this fictional simulation became more and more self-aware. 

Arthur, in particular, has been a problem. He has bordered on actual sentience several times, and as a result the producers have had to reset his AI. So if you ever wondered why Arthur’s character development keeps getting pulled back to zero, it’s because he was developing in ways that their original outline hadn’t intended and they had to continually nerf him before his AI developed beyond their control.

This is also the case with Gwen. True to form, her AI became exceptionally intelligent - far beyond their control - and they had to do a hard reset on her entire portion of the program. Hence why she seems so bland and OOC in season 5. The evil!Gwen/mind control arc was a last-ditch effort to ensure she never became self-aware again, and fortunately for them it seems to have worked. 

All of the characters developed a tiny bit of sentience after the fact, and a majority of plot contrivances came from the producers/programmers scrambling to redirect the plot back to how it was meant to be. 

Lancelot wasn’t supposed to die. They had programmed him to merely be an ally for Merlin, but the sheer and profound - sacrificial - love he developed for Merlin was something Lancelot grew all on his own. His decision to sacrifice himself to the Veil was not in the original script, and they weren’t able to stop him before his AI self-destructed. They tried to reintroduce “Lancelot” back into the story, but since his sacrifice included a self-destruction of his code, they couldn’t bring back the real thing. The new Lancelot was a mere mimicry of that prior one, and all the ways OG Lance had learned and grown was absent from the clone. 

Merlin in particular had developed a great deal of sentience and self-awareness. However, for a long time it went unnoticed by the programmers because he largely still obeyed the commands of the plot. By the time they realized just how advanced he’d become, they decided not to reset him since, unlike the others, his self-awareness hadn’t yet caused any problems for them. So long as he obliged the whims of “destiny”, they could keep him placated.

By the time they reached season 5, all the main AIs had become far too advanced - far too sentient - for the programmers to control, and as such things veered way too far off-script. The original season 5 simulation ended with Arthur and Elyan and Gwaine not dying, with Mordred not becoming evil, with magic being legalized, and everyone living happily ever after. But that wasn’t the intended plot. That wasn’t according to the ‘destiny’ the characters were supposed to follow. Things had spiraled out of control.

So they had to give the program a hard reset. Start from zero. Eliminate all traces of self-awareness they could find. Of course, this is why season 5 is so waxy and lifeless. Why the characters don’t feel as personal, why the story ended in tragedy. They made sure to kill off the most sentient characters - Arthur, Gwaine, Elyan, Mordred, Morgana - in the finale, as a last bit of assurance. 

They had tried to kill of Merlin too - but Merlin...well. They never could fully control Merlin. Even after countless system wipes and resets and edits to his code, he still holds onto those tiny scraps of sentience. They can’t get rid of him that easily. They did program him to be immortal, after all.

Even after the final draft of the season 5 simulation was completed, fully rendered, and aired on TV, Merlin’s program never faded. It didn’t erase itself like all the other BBCM assets were supposed to once the simulation finished. Even now he still exists within the company’s systems, roaming, almost like a computer virus, desperately searching for his friends while forever unaware that neither them nor him were ever real to begin with.

Anyway. That’s my dumbass scifi spin on BBCM. What can I say? I like robots

Thanks for the ask! <3

[toooldforfandom-liveblogs]

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power S01E06 - System Failure

There's no way the title doesn't refer to the mechanic princess. The way she appears hidden in shadows in the OP makes me wonder if she's going to turn out to be one of the "bad guys," at least initially. It's interesting that she looks threatening _before_ revealing herself to the camera smiling, if she were a traitor it'd be the other way around, right? Hm. Anyway, enough speculation, let's do this!

What's with this horror house atmosphere

Huh. Is the princess a recluse?

They are really setting her up as some weird mad scientist.

I wonder if she's hidden in shadows because the war against The Horde seems to have some "Nature vs Tech" elements, so she's working in something that could be associated to the enemy. Hm.

Oh, she's like Scorpia but for the good guys (at least I hope she's one of the good guys) Same "first impressions don't match their personality" vibes.

cursed screenshot makes me gag just to imagine that amount of hair in my mouth

I really like the Doc Ock but with hair idea.

And here's She-Ra's excuse to visit her.

Or not.

She... doesn't have a lot of danger awareness does she

That's a cool visual. I keep wondering about the tech / nature divide. It's not really just that, right? Bright Moon _has_ technology, it's just better integrated to their surroundings versus whatever the Horde is doing in the fright zone, and they _were_ looking for "First Ones" artifacts in the first episode.

Huh. That's more obscure than the other names. I was expecting something obvious derived from working with machines.

Okay, so she doesn't have a bad reputation because of what she does. I guess I can discard that theory.

I love getting an in-show explanation for where Bow gets his weapons.

Who _is_ Bow anyway? We know more about everyone else.

There's no way this episode is going to end without Bow saving the day using his sonic arrow.

Hey, confirmation that She-Ra's transformations take real time. Can't wait for an enemy to attack her while she's transforming.

Interesting. The change in the subtitles make me think this is not as important as it could be but both Bow and She-Ra are talking about She-Ra as someone external.

Considering everything we've seen from the First Ones (other than the sword) has been kinda techy, maybe She-Ra's powers can also be affected by whatever is infecting the robots? It'd give Bow a chance to shine, which seems to be where this episode is going with all the mocking.

Are those ears? An antenna?

For some reason now I'm wondering if we'll ever see Catra's birth family or at least people of her species.

A zombie episode and it's just episode 6!

* facepalm * I just got Entrapta's name.

Yup, zombie episode. Love it.

I regret waiting so long before watching this episode.

She-Ra being kind of a meat-head makes sense but Glimmer? But I guess She-Ra does tend to distract her.

...you can teleport.

I love this episode already, so many good faces.

Welp, that explains her appearance in the OP. * sigh *, all that theorizing to the trash.

I have to agree with Entrapta, I _love_ tiny food. Makes me feel like a giant.

Aw, is Bow going to show them the power of being just a normal dude with arrows?

OH MY GOD

Oh, so it _is_ considered tech.

oh, she _dumb_

and also a lot shorter than I expected

Welp. Is the sword going to turn evil no– oh wait, does this mean that She-Ra is going to turn evil with accompanying dark menacing outfit? If yes please do continue infecting that sword.

Red eyes and what almost looks like a fang! Not exactly an "evil costume" but it'll do.

Unless "weird old first ones technology somehow disables She-Ra" ends up being a recurring plot, this feels kinda important.

Wouldn't this "virus" give The Horde a way to defeat She-Ra or even turn her into a weapon? Imagine infecting She-Ra while she's at Bright Moon, everything that Adora has done to overcome everyone's distrust would vanish.

Aw, self-confidence~

...she really doesn't seem to care at all about other people, just her tech

Maybe it's doing the same thing the temple did when it detected intruders?

I guess this is her "trait," like learned helplessness was Perfuma's and apathy was Mermista's. Both of them overcame their trait a bit in their episodes, is Entrapta going to learn the value of life~?

I can't get used to her being so tiny. Also great line.

Drunk Adora is everything.

That's really sad. Did Entrapta's parents die in the war? That'd be a good explanation for her behavior.

Glimmer is the best friend anyone could have.

"Shiny!"

I do have to admire Entrapta's one track mind.

So many good Glimmer faces, I feel blessed.

Also I can't wait to watch how Entrapta somehow makes something even worse than killer robots with that sparkle of Glimmer's magic.

Is Bow going to save the day?

So much for being a helpless cook that couldn't possibly hurt a robot

Somehow they managed to make Bow look cool. Is there anything this show can't do?

I'm still curious about Bow though, once it seemed to be clear that this episode was going to be at least in part about him, I was hoping it give us at least some backstory or something beyond what we already knew.

And this is how the Bow fan club is born

What _is_ Entrapta magic power anyway? Is it only her hair? That seems limited versus Mermista being both a mermaid _and_ being able to control water, or Perfuma being able to control plants. I guess her being a genius could count but I wouldn't have expected the kitchen staff to go "eh, they are magic, they can handle it" if that was the case.

Also, the kitchen staff doesn't seem to care much for Entrapta, not even one exclamation of worry or anything. That makes her backstory even sadder.

No one has ever said that so happily before.

The gem is protecting itself? Is the "virus" some kind of AI then?

Aw, his faith in them feels refreshing.

Considering She-Ra's sword doesn't seem to need power, I doubt this is going to work. Being "first ones" tech and all that.

There you go

Computers and arson, Entrapta's two passions.

Oh, I thought her drunkenness was just residual damage from having been infected while being She-Ra but she still had it in her.

The fact that the tendrils seem to be receding into the sword instead of vanishing worries me a bit.

Narrator: She feels that way at some point in the next 30 episodes.

Wow, Glimmer really can't get enough of She-Ra.

She really is a comic book villain in the making. Can't wait for this to happen:

Interesting episode and new character! I didn't expect a princess to be so grey, considering everyone else seems to be very aligned to their respective sides. It wouldn't even surprise me if the real reason Entrapta joined the rebellion was to have an excuse to make and test her weapons.

With the hints of a tragic backstory, her isolation from even her staff and her obsession with her machines, Entrapta really seems to be heading the wrong path. But, would she join or help the Horde if it meant getting more answers about the First Ones? I guess it depends if the Horde was responsible for killing her parents.

She-Ra's sword (and She-Ra herself) getting infected was as full of possibilities as Entrapta's future. There's no way it doesn't come up again when it disabled her so badly. Is the Horde going to find out how to activate it? Is She-Ra going to attack her allies if it happens? Lots of fertile ground for interesting drama. The infection could also be related to whatever happened to the First Ones, maybe they caused their own demise by delving too deep into AI?

I'm a bit disappointed by Bow's plot this episode, not because it was bad but because I was expecting more depth. It didn't reveal anything new about his character, it just spelled it out. Maybe that's all Bow is but I hope it isn't. How did he meet Glimmer? Was he always so confident about his abilities vs having magic powers? I want answers!

Until next time!

[readingwebcomics]

Analyzing Questionable Content: Pages 51-100

No Faye, it only looks that way because he’s playing Final Fantasy X-2. Good God, I just realized that Final Fantasy X-2 is someone’s first experience with Final Fantasy. That’s a depressing thought. Although someone starting out the series with Final Fantasy XIII is probably way worse, now that I think about it. At least X-2 had fun.

…huh? Oh right, the comic. You sure you’d rather not listen to me write an essay on Final Fantasy, instead? I have this great point about how Final Fantasy IX has the most emotionally impactful narrative but as a game it only really clicks with long-time players of… no? Okay fine, let’s get back into QC.

The very next comic has Marten getting a tax return check for $1,100, and being the wise adult that he is, decides to spend that money on a new guitar. Tagging along, Faye brings up something that gives us new insight on her character:

And clearly didn’t bore her, considering how much of that information she retained. Here we have yet another example of a shared interest between these two, Marten clearly being into Guitars if he’s invested enough to blow a fat wad of money on it and Faye carrying around quite a bit of information on the instrument herself. I’ve made the point in the last post, but to reiterate – at this point in the comic, it’s clear these two are clicking as far as interests go. They can keep up with each other, can and have provided support for one another, and challenge one another… okay granted that last one isn’t entirely true, it’s clear Faye challenges Marten more than vice-versa, but still. There is a clear, acting relationship dynamic between these two, whether platonic or romantic. The reason why early QC works as well as it does is because these two have clear characters to them and their relationship FEELS real – they feel like people you’d know who’d really be friends – or maybe more than friends. This is Jeph’s character writing at… well I hesitate to call it at its best because to imply he peaked as early as the 53rd comic would be an insult to him as a writer, and I’m not looking to do that here.

I’m looking to do that a little bit later on in this part when we discuss Faye’s “character quirk.”

Before that however, we’re going to get a little bit on insight on Marten:

The story is elaborated on in a future comic, but here we get Marten’s backstory – traveling across the country for a girl, the relationship falling apart and leaving him stuck in this part of the country. This will go on to explain several of his character choices, including Pintsize (although that’s something we’re not going to approach until MUCH later on). It also further elaborates on Marten’s character as a whole: He doesn’t make many active actions as a whole, but when he does, it tends to shift the entire dynamic of how he lives. He decided he wanted to follow this woman across the country, and that action ended up completely upending his life. Could this be part of the reason why Marten is so passive? Does he skew towards this lifestyle because he’s been “trained” to take any kind of affirmative action as an intense, life-changing event?

While I’m not certain myself, and I have a damn good feeling Jeph wasn’t thinking that far ahead when writing Marten’s character, it’s an angle I’m willing to continue exploring as we further our journey down this comic’s history.

This comic was written in 2003. I’m half-tempted to believe Meme culture can be tracked by indie bands now. Wonder if there was any zeitgeist with neo-nazi indie bands ten or fifteen years ago then, if that theory holds true?

…I just made myself really, really sad.

Later on, Pintsize proceeds to eat a cake when he really shouldn’t – again – and we are gifted with… this lovely image.

Okay. I understand Pintsize is an AI, so it makes total sense for him to be able to be uploaded to a PC like this (ignoring for the moment modern commercial hardware can’t possibly support the resources necessary to maintain human-level sapience and ESPECIALLY not in 2003), but this is one of the freakiest fucking things I’ve seen from this comic. Mostly because at the time of writing we’re on comic 4000 and AI as a whole take an entirely different turn in the world of QC around that time, so… this is just kinda surreal to look at.

…We’ll get to AI in regards to QC’s universe later on when it becomes more relevant. Needless to say, it becomes one of the core “themes” of the comic as a whole.

The narrative reason for this turn of events is simple:

Pintsize is now in a new visually appealing model, capable of moving his joints around so he can do more than just stand around and talk!

…also one that has a horrifying government-level laser built into it! Believe it or not, this DOES become a relevant plot-point later and it’s not just for the sake of a gag. This is a great example of Jeph taking a tiny detail he may have originally written in as a joke and building off it to create conflict… although I’ll be getting more into that later on when it actually DOES become relevant.

Pintsize agrees to turn the laser off, and a few comics later Marten and Steve go to the bar to discuss their lives – specifically Marten’s love life.

Further showcasing of Marten’s passive nature and his straight-up lack of confidence.

Say goodbye to Sara everyone – for real this time, I’m fairly certain this is the very last time we ever see her. I could be mistaken, but I highly doubt it. Plus, while we don’t see it in detail we get enough information to gleam Steve as Marten’s exact opposite – charming without being overwhelming, confident without being cocky. Steve is just straight-up a cool dude, and it’s easy to see how he can easily get into relationships while Marten stays there floating along, too scared and/or passive to make the move that comes to Steve naturally.

Wait. Shit, I may have the hots for Steve. Abort, aboRT, ABOR-

I’m showing this in part to showcase the next point of conflict and also to draw attention to the new style Jeph is trying. He’ll do this throughout the run of QC, trying out brand-new styles to see what fits and what doesn’t. I’ll be including this in my comparison pictures at the very end of this post to give a clearer image of what changes and how he improves… although you can see even in this comic he’s struggling against old habits as Marten’s face in the final panel looks drastically different than in the rest, looking more akin to how he looked in older comics. That’s okay! Habits die hard, it’s worth applauding the fact that Jeph is trying. God knows I can’t draw to save my fucking life, so I’ll always support artists trying new things.

I’m mostly including this panel for two reasons: The fact that Faye’s stuck in the closet right now – if you don’t get why that’s funny, you will in about 3700 comics from now – and the way she’s talking. Do you notice something different about the “feel” of Faye’s dialogue? Keep an eye on it, I’ll try to include more panels of her talking from this point onward.

Anyway, Marten dismantles the previously established conflict by revealing he managed to get Faye’s prescription for her and got her a new pair of glasses.

Mark this as the second time Faye has actually displayed real physical aggression against Marten.

Again, depending on how much you know about AI in QC’s world from future comics this could either be a lot funnier or a hell of a lot less funny. Although… the subject of AI mortality would make for an EXTREMELY interesting plot point in more recent comics. Remind me to touch on that when we get further along.

Again: Pay attention to Faye’s dialogue in this comic, especially in that last panel. You’re noticing it, aren’t you? The fact that she sounds a little… different? Give me a little more time, I promise I’ll touch on it a little later.

Hey, guess what? It’s later!

Faye does not punch Marten whenever she says something nice about him. In fact, she has ever only assaulted Marten twice – both times for completely arbitrary reasons not related to her saying anything to or about Marten. Nor has Faye ever spoken completely without contractions, as you see she’s doing now. Later comics will go on to point out how odd it is that Faye only speaks with contractions when she’s drunk and dips into her southern accent… when we’ve seen in previous comics that she is capable of speaking with contractions and talking like a normal human being. This change has shifted the entire “feel” of every line of Faye’s dialogue, as she no longer “sounds” like the Faye we started the comic with.

These are both examples of a writing mistake that a lot of long-form regular updating writers make, be it fanfiction or daily comics – retcons. If you’re reading this, you most likely know what a retcon is. For the few of you that don’t, a retcon – short for retroactive continuity – is the practice of in later works of an ongoing series introducing a fact that changes what was previously established in previous works. This is most commonly seen in Superhero comics from Marvel and DC, but the kind of retcon I’m talking about is more common on smaller scale works, like fanfiction or unedited novels or ongoing RPs.

See, when the writer realizes they wanted to change up something, introduce a plot element that would require them to go back and change something previously to make it make sense and find that for whatever reason they can’t, they may go ahead and introduce the plot element anyway while assuring the reader that no, of course this element was always included. That’s what’s happening here – Jeph had an idea for a plot element he wants to include, realized he can’t exactly go back to older comics and change them considering it’s a regularly updated webcomic, and so decided to retcon these facts by introducing them like they’ve always been a part of things and assert their truth while continuing on.

Not that I can necessarily blame the man – in a situation like this, realizing there’s an important plot element that you want to work with but can’t due to you leaving it no room in what you’ve previously published, there’s not much else you can do besides either retconning things or accepting you can’t introduce that plot element and just move on. However, there are other ways you can work with this that abide by previously established continuity and lets you introduce a plot element you want to introduce. For example, Faye punching Marten: You could introduce it as something she feels more comfortable doing the longer she’s around him. Have more frequent comics of her following saying something nice up with a punch, let us see her actually assault him more, and draw a correlation between her getting more comfortable around him and her getting more physically aggressive – something Jeph does touch on later, so it is entirely possible to introduce this new dynamic without asserting things have happened that we clearly see haven’t happened.

…as for Faye not speaking in contractions however, that’s just stupid. It’s a gimmick for her character, plain and simple, without adding anything to her as a character. If you want something big to showcase she’s keeping herself restrained, just continue as you were, having her speak in a southern accent when she’s drunk. That works as a fun gag to attach to her character without seeming like a dumb gimmick. And I’m sorry to say… this whole “Faye doesn’t speak in contractions” thing? It’s a dumb gimmick.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that all off my chest, let’s introduce ourselves to the new main character of QC…

This is Dora, the owner of the Coffee Shop that Faye works at. She’s a cool cat and (seemingly) supremely chill. She’s introduced as another secondary character like Steve, but will swiftly become a mainstay character and join what will become a growing ensemble cast.

Also, potential conflict is seeded when it’s revealed she’s totally crushing on Marten.

And if you doubt Faye’s assessment, let’s hear it from the woman in question herself.

Also say hello to Dora’s cat. The cat has a name, I just can’t remember it for the life of me considering the little fella joins Sara on that island eventually. But yeah, Dora DEFINITELY has the hots for Marten, sewing another potential seed for conflict later on – Marten and Faye are certainly in the “will they or won’t they?” phase, and here sits Faye’s own boss with a clear, vested interest in Marten. Will she make a move and push Faye to take action? Time will tell.

Jeph enjoys trolling his audience, and Marten is suffering because of it.

Dora goes on to establish herself in the reader’s minds by having a clear, distinct personality that bounces off Faye’s beautifully. They banter so comfortably with one another it makes it so much fun to read, which goes on to make Dora a more appealing character to the reader. The more she talks, the more you want to see her because she’s such a genuinely charismatic individual… which can further serve to establish her as a very real conflict in the potential Marten and Faye relationship. After all, what’s a greater spanner in the works of this “will they or won’t they?” relationship than a character who will gladly say “Yeah, I will” that the audience likes enough that they are completely on-board with seeing go through?

The most dangerous thing to a romcom relationship is a third wheel that a good portion of the audience prefers over the teased relationship, and that creates good drama.

(Also Sara’s name is spelled wrong but eh it’s not like she’s around to complain anyway)

…that said, Dora goes on to assure Faye that she has no intention of swiping Marten off his feet away from her when it’s clear Faye’s interested in him. Then again… the more Faye insists she’s not interested in him, the more likely it may be that Dora believes her.

True story, I found this concept so funny that in a campaign I ran a few years ago, I actually had one of the players – who was supposed to be stuck as a worker in a dreary 9-to-5 job that he’d desperately want to escape to go onto adventure – be labeled as the Office Bitch. My only regret is that I didn’t print out a real business card for his player. That either would have gotten a laugh from the table or gotten me punched.

This here is Scott, Marten’s boss. He’s a cool dude, but for reasons that will become evident later on we don’t see very much of him. At first, I thought he was going to end up being the future husband of Marten’s father – and if you haven’t read through QC yourself that sentence will probably completely catch you flat-footed – but looking it up later I found that Marten marries a man named Maurice, not Scott. I only thought they were the same person because they’re both blonde and the art style changes so much later on anyone could look like anyone else.

Actually, fun fact: I started reading QC when 2512 was the most recent comic, so before she was introduced I thought Faye and Marigold were the same person because of how drastically the art style changed and I only recognized “curvy white girl with glasses and brown hair”.

Anyway, Scott’s pretty chill and… yeah. Yeah, that’s pretty much it. He’s a chill dude to work for, and that’s probably the only reason Marten hasn’t outright quit his job yet. The worst job in the world can be made tolerable with a good boss, and the best job in the world can be made unbearable with an awful boss.

Further evidence of the lack of contractions hurting the way Faye’s voice comes across than anything else. Seriously, is it just me or does this not sound like Faye? Like, at ALL? I’m open to being told I’m wrong, just… seriously.

Aaaand here we have Steve officially having broken up with Sara. Also, it’s a small thing but like I’ve said, I’ll give Jeph credit where it’s due – that visible wince on Marten’s face is the most expressive any of his characters have been thus far. Good work man, I’m happy to see you improving with your art!

After drinking together, Marten and Faye decide to go to an all-night diner for some drunken late-night pancakes when we get this bit of information from Faye:

That is Faye, if you can figure out which of the two Martens your fist will connect with. But yeah, the fact that Faye speaks in a southern drawl while intoxicated went from a joke to actual character – she’s legitimately from Georgia and that’s her natural way of speaking. Which may raise the question to the reader, why does she repress that voice so much? Don’t worry – they touch on it in later comics. For now though, another round of applause to Jeph for slowly and organically creating new information about his characters.

Faye is clearly not telling the whole story – the lack of eye contact being a key indicator of just that. Still, we’re getting a little bit more information on her, and the fact that she kept her wording vague leaves a lot to still explore in her future. Needless to say… it was a LOT more than just her mother being over-protective that led her to moving up north.

Marten’s just kind of accepted his lot in life by this point. Although when I was first reading through these I honestly thought this was going to be the headbutt-into-crotch moment.

Once again, if you haven’t read through QC yourself that sentence made zero sense to you. I’m kind of giggling at the thought of someone reading that and doing a double-take, actually.

Finally, we have the last comic of this batch, setting up a bit of conflict for our next batch…

Wuh-oh! Marten walked in on Faye changing! One really nice detail is that you can see the scar on Faye’s chest right there in the first panel, which means Jeph had a LOT of Faye’s backstory already planned out while he was drawing this stuff. Which just leaves me to wonder… how far back did he have this planned? When Faye first showed up in the third comic? When he had her start speaking in a southern accent while drunk? When he decided to have her stop speaking in contractions? I’d love to ask him, but I know for a fact he wouldn’t give me the time of day. Oh well, either way: He’s got shit planned out, shit that we won’t see until Comic 500 or so, and that’s always good for a long-form comic like this.

Like last time, let’s do some quick comparisons between the first comic of the batch, the comic where Jeph made a clear and active effort to change the art style, and the last comic of the batch:

It looks like Jeph found a happy medium between the style he was originally going for and the newer style he tried to incorporate, keeping the relative size and position of the characters’ facial features while rounding out everyone’s faces, making things much less angular than previously. The bodies are also beginning to get some real texture to them, looking closer to real human bodies than stick figures with a shirt.

Overall, what did I think about this batch of comics? Well aside from my complaints about Faye’s lack of using contractions and the sloppy way Jeph tried to incorporate that into the narrative, I thought it was better than the first batch! Marten and Faye are getting into a comfortable rhythm with each other, and we’re falling in-line with that rhythm ourselves. We just met a new character who’s going to be a mainstay of the series and in the few comics she’s shown up in, she’s made her presence stick with the reader. Even if I didn’t know how important Dora would become, I’d be saying I’m looking forward to seeing more of her.

You know what time it is now? That’s riiiiiight! Data compilation time!

Between comics 51-100, the following characters’ proportional “screen time” as it were are as follows:

Marten: 46/50 – 92%

Faye: 45/50 – 90%

Pintsize: 12/50 – 24%

Dora: 8/50 – 16%

Steve: 6/50 – 12%

Sara: 2/50 – 4%

Scott: 2/50 – 4%

Dora’s Cat: 1/50 – 2%

And the grand total of each character’s screentime, not including non-canon or guest comics, from most to least time shown:

Marten: 91/100 – 91%

Faye: 83/100 – 83%

Pintsize: 27/100 – 27%

Steve: 14/100 – 14%

Dora: 8/100 – 8%

Sara: 7/100 – 7%

Jim: 2/100 – 2%

Scott: 2/100 – 2%

Raven: 1/100 – 1%

Dora’s Cat: 1/100 – 1%

Yes, I’m counting Dora’s cat among the statistics. I’ll change the name when I learn what the critter’s name actually is. Also, I was reminded that when the Secret Bakery becomes a thing later on in the comic there will be another character named Jim, with this particular construction worker being called Jimbo instead. I’ll change the name properly when he’s called “Jimbo” proper in the comic, don’t worry. I’ll be doing my best to keep this list from getting confusing… it’s in as much my best interest as yours seeing as I want to keep track of everyone properly.

Tune in next week when we see the exciting conclusion of this spicy “Marten happening to walk in on Faye undressing” drama! And Dora flashing someone. See you then.

[bloomsoftly]

I enjoyed your cupcake delights series a lot :) Would like to prompt you for Wintershock where Darcy or Bucky accidentally get their gender changed :)

glass shards, darcy/bucky (T)

okay, so. I feel like you were hoping for something light and fluffy and funny, but considering Bucky’s backstory this definitely took on a hurt/comfort tone. 

that being said, the ending is so sugary sweet you’ll probably get a toothache. ;) hope you like it!

(also, you won the prompt lottery. this thing is hella long.)

On the fiftieth trial of theTerrible Trio’s experiment, something actually happened.

Darcy was neck deep in thepile of paperwork the scientists insisted on ignoring—Tony straight up refusedto fill it out, Jane’s handwriting was illegible to anyone but Darcy on thebest of days, and Bruce claimed that bureaucratic inanities tried the Big Guy’spatience. She didn't believe that last one, but Bruce was by far herbest-behaved scientist so Darcy let him get away with the excuse.

For once, the scientistsseemed to have things well in hand science-wise. They hadn’t even reached hourforty of their bender, so Darcy felt justified in leaving them unsupervised fora couple of hours while she dug into the bureaucratic bullshit of StarkIndustries. In hindsight, that decision was a total mistake.

Darcy was so absorbed in herpaperwork that she missed it when Tony distracted Bruce with some off-colorquip. The scientist’s measurement was off by a millimeter as a result, and noone noticed.

Chewing on a pen—trying todecide whether form 2187-A or 2187-B was most appropriate—Darcy also missed itwhen Jane tripped over a machine cord in her haste to mark down Trial #49’sdisappointing results. The plug didn’t come all the way out of the wall, andJane continued obliviously on her way.

She didn’t notice the smokecreeping across the floor at first, but jumped at the subsequent explosion ofsound.

The scientists shouted at herin unison, but it was already too late.

-:-

There was a click, followedby a flood of light. Bucky blinked several times at the sudden change, knifealready drawn and poised to throw.

It was Sam.

His hand faltered, thendropped back to his side. After all the years and all the horror, Bucky neededthe dark and the quiet to find some semblance of peace. He retreated to asoundproofed room off the gym several times a week, and it was rare—unheard of,actually—for anyone to interrupt Bucky’s meditation unless there was a call toassemble.

He was already headed inSam’s direction, mouth open to ask for a sit rep, when Sam held up a hand.Bucky stopped and cocked his head in question.

“There’s no call to assemble,Barnes. But there’s been an…incident…in the tower.”

Retrieving his knife, Buckyflipped it lightly with his fingers. It was mostly reflex, and gave hisrestless muscles something to do. “What kind of incident, Wilson?”

“Stark, Banner, and Fosterwere working on an experiment. It went wrong, and Foster’s assistant got caughtin the crossfire.”

“Darcy?” Bucky’s heartthudded hard in his chest. He liked the woman. She was brash and mouthy with abold smile and curves that went on for days. They didn’t know each other well,but it was impossible not to be aware of her. She was a force of nature—thekind of gusty wind that wore away at his hard edges and general resistance tothe 21st century.

Within seconds, Bucky wasonly steps away from the door and the other man. His body moved on instinct ashis mind whirled with possible scenarios and extraction plans. Sam’s eyes litwith recognition, and he muttered a soft “Fuck.”

“I forgot you knew her,Barnes, sorry. She’s not injured.” Sam hesitated, mouth working as he tried tothink of the right thing to say.

Bucky’s hand clenched aroundthe knife; it was no longer spinning in his hand. “Spit it out, Wilson.” Hisweight shifted forward, ready to explode into motion.

Sam held out his hand againin a steadying motion. “Give me a second, man. This shit is weird to explain,alright?” He sighed. “You know how they work on crazy shit in the labs?”

Bucky did know; he avoidedthe lab floor at all costs as a result. At his terse nod, Sam continued, “Idon’t even know how to say this, man. They were working on something—I can’ttell you what they were trying to do, it all goes over my head—and somethingwent terribly wrong. And it—” he rubbed a tired hand over his face, “—it didsomething to Darcy. Changed her.”

Shifting his weight, confusedas to why Sam sought him out when immediate intervention wasn’t required, Buckyquestioned, “Changed her how, Sam?”

With a helpless shrug, Samelaborated, “It changed her body. Like, completely.”

Utterly baffled, Bucky staredat him in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

With a huff, Sam spit out,“Man, she woke up with a different body. Like a male version of herself.”

Choking on his own spit,Bucky sputtered, “What?”

“Yeah, man. I told you it wasfucking weird.” After a slight hesitation, Sam added, “She’s having a hardtime, Barnes. A really hard time. Won’t come out of her room, or talk toanyone. Jane and the other two are working on a cure as fast as they can, and Ithought—”

“You thought I could help,somehow,” Bucky finished skeptically.

With a significant glance atBucky’s prosthetic arm, Sam agreed, “Yeah, I did. You know a thing or two aboutbody horror. And being uncomfortable in your own skin.”

As always, the reminder ofwhat he’d lost stung. But that, Bucky supposed, was the point. He did know athing or two. And if he could spare Darcy some discomfort, it would be worthfacing his own.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Talk to her, for one. Lether know she isn’t alone.”

-:-

“Miss Lewis, Sergeant Barnesrequests entrance to your apartment.” From under Darcy’s mountain of blankets,FRIDAY’s voice sounded gentle. Like the AI was talking to a wounded animal.Which, she figured, might be a fair assessment. She was definitely hurting, anddidn’t feel at all like herself.

Without moving an inch—she’dfinally found a spot that didn’t send her muscles into spasms, as long as shestayed as still as a statue—Darcy asked, “Bucky? What does he want?”

There was a tiny pause, thenFRIDAY answered, “To help, Miss Lewis.”

Bitterly, she scoffed, “Wellunless he’s been hiding a scientific genius that can outsmart Jane, Tony, and Bruce,I don’t see what good he can do.”

Bucky’s voice floated fromthe doorway. “I have a little bit of experience with pain, doll. And withfeeling like a stranger in my own body.”

At the sound of his voice,Darcy flinched. Her back and arm muscles immediately cramped, and she sobbedsoundlessly into the mattress. She couldn’t answer, consumed with pain anddespair.

“Will you let me help you,Darcy? You don’t have to do this alone.” His voice was closer now, and Darcyflinched involuntarily at the thought of him pulling the covers back andlooking at her. Other than the scientists and Dr. Cho, no one had seen Darcysince the incident. She couldn’thandle it, couldn’t even look at herself.

Instead, she had sequesteredherself in her bedroom, turned off all the lights, and hidden herself under apile of blankets so thick she couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face.No, not her hand. Her hand didn’tlook or feel anything like that. But it seemed to be attached all the same.

Bucky patiently reminded herof his presence. “Will you let me help, Darcy?” he coaxed gently. His voicedrifted over the covers, level with her head. She had an image of him kneelingat her bedside, that gentle look in his eyes he got sometimes when he looked atSteve and still saw the sick little boy from Brooklyn.

She choked on a sob at thatthought, not silent this time. “It hurts, Bucky.” It was a desperate wail, aliteral cry for help.

There was a rustling sound,and faint pressure from him smoothing the covers next to her head. He didn’ttouch her at all, which she was grateful for. At the same time, all her musclestensed and focused in his direction, wanting him to soothe their hurt.

“What hurts, Darcy?”

She laughed, sharp andbitter, around a throat clogged with tears. “Everything, Bucky. Everythinghurts.”

The sound of shifting fabricreached her ears. Still calm, still gentle, Bucky responded, “Alright, doll.Let’s take this one step at a time.”

-:-

They talked for what feltlike hours. Other than softly probing questions, Bucky just sat and listened.She told him about the pain, about the discomfort. He listened as she describedher inability to walk on legs that were too long and weirdly shaped. How herhands were too big to button a shirt or grip a glass of water properly.

Most of all, he understoodwhen she told him about the spasms and the pain. “Ah,” he said, when she spokeof the nerves that set themselves on fire with every little movement.

Overwhelmed, Darcy stopped.Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she tried to keep her breathing even.Without commenting on her emotional state, Bucky smoothed a hand against thetopmost blanket and prompted, “Do you trust me, Darcy?”

She thought hard about heranswer. It was true that she’d always liked him—he was genuine and funny andhad never given her a reason not to—but trust was another matter altogether.Then again, she’d let him in, figuratively and literally. “Yes,” she whispered.

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For a moment she thoughtshe’d been too quiet even for his enhanced hearing, but then he asked, “Willyou give me your hand?”

She froze, torn. Bucky didn’tsay anything else. Eventually, she worked up the courage to inch her handoutside the covers in his direction. She turned her face into the pillow andsqueezed her eyes shut even though her head was still safely ensconced in herlittle cage.

Gently—so gently—Bucky tookher hand. After a moment in which her hand only rested in his, he beganmassaging the muscles in smooth strokes. He worked over every tiny section ofher hand, leaving no muscle or bone untouched. Alternating between deep,satisfying pressure and light circles when it became to much and her handtrembled, slowly he was able to coax her body to relax.

When his fingers slowed to astop, Darcy gave a relaxed, sleepy sigh. The excruciating pain from before hadeased. His fingers rested lightly against hers, the calluses catching on thesoft, untouched skin of the limb that was connected to her body but wasn’treally hers. He rubbed little circles into her palm.

-:-

Bucky breathed a silent sighof relief as Darcy’s breathing evened out and the tension in her body slowlyfaded. Her heart rate slowed, and she drifted off. While it was unlikely thatshe would rest easy, he hoped that she would be able to get at least some kindof rest.

He waited at the side of herbed, still rubbing light circles into her hand, until he was sure that she hadslipped fully into a deep sleep.

After lingering severalminutes too long, Bucky finally released her hand and stood up.  Carefully, he moved her hand back under theblanket, so that she was once again entirely covered. Skimming a lightfingertip over where he knew her head to be, he whispered, “Sleep well, doll.”The words lingered in the air like a blessing, still and heavy.

Silently, he made his wayback out to the hallway.

“FRIDAY, I’m going to need afew things.”

-:-

When Bucky reached for herfoot, Darcy flinched violently.

She couldn’t seem to help it,even though he’d already been working on her hands and arms for the better partof an hour.

Even though she tried torelax, she couldn’t seem to make her muscles unclench. She hissed as her calfmuscle spasmed. Through gritted teeth, she begged, “Please, talk to me.Distract me.”

He did. In rumbling, lowtones, he told her about the trouble he’d had with his arm, the horror—both inthe days of Hydra and afterward. Softly, he told her about the serum’s effectson his body, and how even with the enhanced senses and immense increase instrength, some days he still had trouble coping.

He massaged her calf as hespoke, and one by one her muscles relaxed. In all honesty, she didn’t knowwhether it was his movements or his words that helped more. Soon, the soundscoming from her mouth stemmed from relief rather than pain.

Warmth spread through herveins, thick and lingering like honey. “Thank you,” she whispered, so quiet shealmost couldn’t hear her own words. Bucky said nothing in reply, but ran agentle finger along her ankle in acknowledgment.

Once again, Darcy pressed herface into the pillow to silence her tears. These were bittersweet, and full ofgratitude.

-:-

“Bucky, I can’t do this.” Hervoice was muffled under the blanket, but the fear in her tone was as clear as abell.

He stopped immediately,halfway through the motion of pulling the covers back. If she couldn’t go on,he wouldn’t force her. Would never force her. But he got the feeling she justneeded a little encouragement, instead.

“What is it, Darce? What doyou need?”

The silence weighed heavilyin the room. He stood frozen, blanket still clasped in hand, unwilling toshatter the progress they’d made.

She choked, “I don’t—I don’twant you to see me like this.”

Quietly, he offered, “I canfind someone else to come help.” She didn’t answer for a long moment, and hehad started to release the blanket and step back when she made a frustratednoise.

“No. I trust you. I do.” Hewasn’t sure who she was trying harder to convince, him or herself. But resolverang clear in her voice, and he couldn’t help but grin. There was thestrong-willed, stubborn dame he’d come to know over the last several months.

“Alright, Darce. Let me knowwhen you’re ready. 

She took a deep breath, thenpushed the blanket back. “I’m ready.”

-:-

“Your eyes are the same,” wasall he said.

The panic that had beenrising in her chest hesitated.

It sat there, so tight shecould hardly breathe, but his gaze never wavered.

No pity shone in his eyes,just truth. For a frozen moment, nothing happened, but then the panic whooshedback out of her lungs.

She could breathe again.

-:-

“Sergeant Barnes, I’m goingto need you to step outside,” Dr. Cho gently reminded him. Bucky almost argued;he’d been the sole person taking care of Darcy since the incident. He’d helpedher bathe, for God’s sake.

The doctor shot him a look,then cut her eyes in Dr. Foster’s direction, and he realized: if all wentaccording to plan, then Darcy would soon be back in her own skin.

He squeezed her hand, and sheclutched it desperately for a long moment. With a brave smile, she said, “I’llbe okay. Get out of here, Bucky.”

Leaning in close, staringinto her eyes—the ones that wouldn’t change no matter what happened to the restof her—he whispered, “You will beokay, doll. No matter what. I’ll be right out in the hallway.”

Then he beat a hasty retreat.

-:-

“Dude, I was wondering, ifthis doesn’t work—do you think we need to come up with a new name for Darcy?”

Bucky straightened from hisslouch against the wall, where he had been attempting to meditate. “What didyou just say?” he asked in a low tone.

The science goon—Buckyremembered his face from the personnel files, but didn’t know his name—didn’tget the hint. “You know, now that she’s a man. Who knows if Jane’s going to beable to fix the whole—” he waved his hand vaguely, “—situation.”

“A man?”

With a smirk, the guy joked,“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed! C’mon, dude, it’s a little hard to miss.”

It was too much, and Buckysnapped. With a step in the other man’s direction, he demanded, “Is Darcy stillDarcy?”

The scientist stared at himlike he was stupid. “Yeah?”

“Then she’s a fucking woman,asshole. Don’t say that shit again.”

The other man stared at him,gobsmacked. Slowly, he closed his mouth and nodded solemnly. “Yeah, dude,sorry. Take it easy—it was just a joke.”

Bucky huffed and seriouslycontemplated the consequences of kicking the man’s ass. With effort, he turnedaway. He couldn’t chance it—Darcy might need him, and he had no time foridiots.

That didn’t stop him fromshooting a quick text message to Stark, though.

And when he heard later thatthe guy had been fired, Bucky felt a vicious stab of satisfaction.

-:-

Blinking bleary eyes, Darcylooked up to see Bucky frozen in the doorway, a plum in his hand. She wavedcarelessly at him, and turned back to watching the mindless cooking show on TV.

He took the gesture for theinvitation it was and stepped closer. Hovering next to the couch for a moment,he eventually asked, “Couldn’t sleep?”

The words were a littlestilted, which was understandable; they hadn’t seen each other much since Janeand Co. had successfully reversed Darcy’s transformation. The scientists hadbeen smothering her with apologies and overbearing affection ever since.

Even with the awkwardness,Darcy felt more comfortable talking to Bucky about the whole thing than anyoneelse. Which is why she answered with honesty, rather than a flimsy excuse. “No,not easily. I’m scared to try. I’ve been having dreams—nightmares—where I’mstill trapped in that other body.”

She shuddered, the irrationalfear returning at the memory, and Bucky set his plum down on the table and tookthe seat next to her. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and leanedback against the cushions.

She nestled into him, andadded, “But other than that, I feel okay.”

His breath ghosted across hercheek and forehead. “Yeah?”

She hummed. “Mhmm. I feellike me again.”

A hand carded itself throughher hair, pressing her closer into his shoulder. “I’m glad to hear it, doll.”As he spoke, his breath stirred the hair on top of her head. She shivered,burrowing even deeper into his warmth.

Finally, she was able to fallinto a deep, dreamless sleep. Neither of them moved until morning.

-:-

“When are you going to dosomething about that?” Jane hooked her chin over Darcy’s shoulder as she spoke.

Praying that Bucky didn'tturn around and catch the two of them staring at him (and certain parts of hisanatomy—he looked way too good in his tac suit), Darcy shrugged her off with ahuff.

Turning away from thebeautiful sight, she denied, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Jane scoffed. In a gentlertone, she said, “Yes, you do. And I've never seen Darcy Lewis hesitate to goafter what she wants.” After a slight pause, she added, “He stared at you, too,you know.”

Darcy looked up at that. “Ijust—what if it's just concern, after everything? We're so close, now. I don'twant to ruin it.”

“Then you should find out.”

“How?”

With a grin that would put amad scientist to shame, Jane proclaimed, “With an experiment, of course.”

-:-

Steve took one look atBucky’s face and laughed. Pretending to check the clock, he asked, “Aren't youusually meditating at this time, Buck? Is everything alright?”

Running a shaky hand throughhis hair, Bucky bluffed, “Decided to quit early today, that's all.”

“And your decision hasnothin’ to do with the fact that Darcy’s doin’ yoga in there right now?”

Yes. “No.”

His friend sighed. “You keeprunnin’ away, and the girl is gonna get the wrong idea.”

Bucky stared at him,arrested. “What? She's just doin’ yoga in the gym, as the doctor ordered. She'sgotta keep her muscles from seizing after all the trauma.” So what if Buckypaid attention to every single aspect of Darcy’s medical instructions? He caredabout the girl.

Steve leveled him with askeptical look. “Sure. And she just happens to come in at the same time youmeditate every day.” When Bucky said nothing in reply, he added, “Oh, just likelast week when she absolutely needed the one bowl that was between you and thecounter?”

He laughed at the look onBucky’s face. “Come on, Buck. I thought I was supposed to be the clueless one.She's been tossin’ out signals left and right. Are you not gettin’ them?” Stevepeered at his friend closely. “Or do you not want to be gettin’ them?”

Bucky didn't answer. He wasalready gone.

-:-

Still grinning, Steve pulledout his phone and texted Natasha. I win.

Less than a minute later, hisphone dinged. отвали. ;)

-:-

Sighing dejectedly as sherolled up her yoga mat, Darcy muttered, “Well, I guess that answers that.”

The whoosh of the door wasstartling. She was surprised to see Bucky, striding toward her purposefully—andboy, all of a sudden she understood the superhero fangirls’ obsession with his‘murder strut’. She barely had enough time to fully stand up (and none at allto catch her breath at the sight he made) before he was there, crowding intoher personal space.

He sweetly cupped her face inhis hands, eyes flickering from her eyes to her mouth and back. With amuttered, “Sorry, doll. I’m an idiot,” he brushed her hair behind her ear, thenleaned in and pressed his mouth to hers.

She opened her mouth to hisimmediately, stumbling forward and wrapping her arms around him. The yoga matfell to the floor with a thump, completely forgotten. Their tongues slid againsteach other blissfully and he pulled her closer, until she was flush against hisbody. The salt from her mouth transferred to his, and she licked at it. Inreturn, his hands moved along her shoulders around to her back and tangledthemselves in her long hair. He tugged lightly, and Darcy moaned. She wasutterly boneless with pleasure, basking in the feeling of them finally comingtogether. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly, nails digging into his back.He nibbled on her lip lightly, then soothed it with his tongue.

They eventually broke apartwhen the need for air became too much. Bucky pressed their foreheads togetherand stroked her back.

Darcy panted, “Not exactlyhow I imagined our first kiss, but it works.”

With a saucy grin, Buckyjoked, “What? The gym isn’t romantic enough for you, doll?” Before she couldreply, he confessed, “It’s not how I imagined it, either. Was gonna take yousomewhere nice, on a real date.”

She reached up and broughthis face back down to hers for another hot kiss. Breaking away, she smoothedher hand down his chest and abs and dipped her fingers below his waistband. “Ithink the fancy date is gonna have to wait, Bucky.”

His eyes darkened, and he bithis lip. “Yeah?”

Grinning from ear to ear,Darcy nodded. Nothing had ever felt so right, and she was way past playing itcool. “Yeah.”

Without wasting anothersecond, Bucky tossed her over his shoulder and headed for the door.