#also I find that first panel intriguing
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Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider (Vol. 1/2017), #5.
Writer: Peter David; Penciler: Mark Bagely; Inker: John Dell; Colorist: Jason Keith; Letterer: Joe Caramagna
#Marvel#Marvel comics#Marvel 616#Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider#Scarlet Spider#Kaine#Kaine Parker#Ben Reilly#Ben might be speaking some truth here but this also feels especially crafted to tic Kaine off#(which is corroborated by the fact that Ben baits Kaine into a trap after this)#between the comment on Kaine’s historical lack of identity/not knowing what (and isn’t that dehumanizing) he is#the clinical language (dissection; discussing Kaine as a proof of concept; etc.)#definitely isn’t the endearing sort of language#also I find that first panel intriguing#both as commentary on how far Kaine feels he (and now Ben too) is separated from Peter morally#as well as the potential alternative interpretation of didn’t both Kaine and Ben decide a long time ago that they were their own men#with their own equally worthy lives to be lived (as much as they struggle with that second point)?
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BATMAN AND ROBIN (2023) #14 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernandez! rambling about the new team and arc!! a jumping-on point for anyone wanting to read recent Bruce and Damian comics 🦇🐥
setting the stage with action!! mystery and intrigue!! expectations for further character exploration for Damian!!
if that's not enough to pique interest, here's a rendition of one of the many cute grumpy Damian panels
first of all THE OPENING ACTION SCENE OH MY GOD (this splash page hello!!)
i love...the collaborative effort in comics...it shines through right from the start, especially when it involves traditional inks 😭
using this single panel as an example from Fernandez’s ig:
Fernandez lays out most of the groundwork in his inks - the fully inked silhouette of the driver in the foreground, the shading suggesting the lighting, the white ink/paint lined and splattered for the rain!!
then off to colors with Marcelo Maiolo!! he elevates the panel to emphasize how it's a shot from within the vehicle looking out the windshield - the lightly tinted inks, the bright lighting from headlights, and the slight window sheen + bokeh!!
one more similar example, with comparison by the man himself - Fernandez already implying the glare, scraping white against Batman and Robin's silhouettes. then punched up with Maiolo's colors/lighting!! WOW!!
OKAY SORRY ONE MORE along with Steve Wands’ consistently lovely lettering, Fernandez included his own sfx in his inks of this page!! not sure how often he does it past this, but SO cool!! ever since seeing Juni Ba's sfx lettering in his inks, it's such a sick extra detail to me 😭
ANYWAY i can go on about what i love about each panel for this scene but gotta move on from the explosive intro of Batman and Robin to the more grounded side of Bruce and Damian (which ends up being just as explosive)!! 🥺
there's small details carrying over from Williamson's run like Bruce making Damian vegan meals and Damian creating comics; otherwise, we have a much more engaging writing of the two almost reminiscent to Tomasi and Gleason's run!
one example being his attitude towards a fancy event interrupting his and Dick's patrol in Batman and Robin (2009) #20
the first line from Bruce and Damian's disregard for a fundraising event is a bit of head scratcher to me when Damian is plenty compassionate, BUT for the sake of a jumping-on arc for new readers it’s a clear point of reference for Damian���s character - a kid who believes more in Batman and Robin work than what could be done outside of those masks. it becomes a matter of how Damian's perspective might change around this subject and how he'll take action in helping outside of Robin 🤔
another similar Tomasi-esque moment is Damian's snark about his grandfather lol, a sentiment that carries over from Batman and Robin (2011) #1
PKJ references his Ra's al Ghul story from Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant! especially curious when the final line by Talia is "...you will see my father again", when Ra's is currently dead. a fun lil callback or also a convenient nod to future plans? 👀
NOW THE MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE OF IT ALL...
Bruce's attention is caught by this man shouting "You sit atop the wheel" which i'm guessing is in reference to the Wheel of Fortune, especially if we're going by a literal interpretation of the rich and poor (depicting the group among tents and carts).
i'm really reaching here, but wondering if Bruce calling himself “Jack” at some point is also related to the arcana. the only relation i could find is the Page of Wands, and the Jack once being referred to as a "knave"
EDIT: an anon reached out to inform me that Bruce called himself “Jack” during his training! seems to be first introduced in Batman: The Knight (2022) #4
THE REVEAL OF THE NEW VILLAIN, MEMENTO...the first page opens on a deceased person's face, and the last dialogue is "We will see your face again." AND OH BOY WE CERTAINLY DO! 😭
the flames casting a harsh light against the plaster (or stone??) of Memento's mask, and how he looms over Bruce...SO EERIE...
FINAL RAMBLY THOUGHTS
Damian being colored with noticeable melanin...🥺 i can only assume this was a deliberate choice made by PKJ since the editors haven't changed, and for the past issues Damian's colors have been independent to the colorists - the only edit being after Rex Lokus gave him green eyes in #5 but were returned to blue in #6 (for consistency ig). along with the classic teen asian haircut, this feels intentional on PKJ's part and i hope Damian will continue to be colored brown here and other books 🥺👉👈
one of the things PKJ teased in an interview was the idea of Damian wondering if he even wants to still be Robin, much less Batman (begging this is where main canon Damian gives the Batman mantle up lol). so presenting Damian here as someone absorbed in that life makes me wonder what triggers those thoughts - is it going to be this incident or later? more currently, will Damian be able to protect the civilians that Bruce entrusted him with? especially after getting familiar with a few, however reluctantly?
anyway, a banger first issue that leaves you with just enough crumbs to know what you're expecting but still beg for more: what's the mysterious new group/villain, and their connection to Bruce? will Dr. Bashar and the Wayne grandparents have more to do with the story? how will this all affect Damian outside of being Robin? Talia and Ra’s?? so many questions!!
#rambling#damian wayne#i'm hilariously busy now but really wanted to give some attention to the new arc!! it's new reader friendly!!#this is ofc a Damian focused ramble but Bruce SHINES in this!!#there’s a scene of him in action that screams Bruce and Batman being one and the same + a reminder how badass he is 😭#anyway not sure if i’ll have the bandwidth for rambles past this…staring at my final two boy wonder ramble drafts…#but i hope people take the chance to pick this up!
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Hello! I wanted to request since I saw your box was open. I would like to request a Alastor x husk's sister!overlord!reader and Alastor does not own her soul. She appears in the hotel one day to find Husk on episode 7, when they were building defenses in the hotel before Charlie, Veggie and Alastor returns, she lectures him and later says something like, 'At least, there's something merciful about Alastor. He never broadcasted your screams, that I don't need to hear or to have nightmares about' and 'I'm just glad to see your alive and safe', and Alastor is in love with her. I don't want it to be angst much just some fluff. Thank you! ^^
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The Cat and the Radio Demon - Part 1
Pairings: Alastor x Fem!Overlord!Reader / Reader is Husk’s sister
Warnings/Tags: female reader, reader is Husk’s sister, reader is an overlord, use of alcohol, fluff (?), mutual pining, mention of toxic ex, Husk does NOT approve, English is not my first language! (Tags might change with upcoming parts but there’s no 18+ content planned for this fic.)
Summary: As Husk’s sister, you visit him the day before the upcoming extermination and find the hotel in a surprisingly chaotic state. During a deep conversation with your brother, you not only learn that heaven has specifically targeted the hotel this time but you also discover that an old acquaintance, whom you haven’t seen for seven years, is currently residing at the hotel. You decide to support the residents in their battle against the angels, hoping to also reconnect with the overlord who has intrigued you for decades – unaware that he shares your complicated feelings.
Wordcount: 4.6k
A/N: This will be a multi-part fic! It took me so long to write because I just couldn’t decide which way I wanted the story to go. This part is set during season 1 episode 7 and doesn’t feature much fluff yet because it mostly focuses on the relationship between Husk and the reader as well as the past between the reader and Alastor. I promise there will be a lot more fluff in the upcoming chapters! Comment if you like to get tagged in part two and I’ll add you to the list :D
Masterlist
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Your thoughts race as you walk up the hill towards the Hazbin Hotel. Since the next extermination is about to happen tomorrow, you want to visit your brother just in case things don’t end well for any of you. With a deep sigh you raise your hand to knock on the huge double door as loud rumbling noises catch your attention. Voices mixed with clatter and hammering make the hotel sound like a building site and you furrow your eyebrows in confusion. Knowing well that no one would hear your knocks under this turmoil you decide to just open the door and step inside.
The noises get louder when you enter the lobby and you freeze at the unexpected sight. The whole entrance area looks in fact like a building site. Little egg demons rush back and forth, carrying long wooden slats that must be at least triple as heavy as them. Most of the windows are bolded with messy wood paneling scattered across the window frames to shield the hotel from outside, letting almost no light through. The whole establishment looks like a lost place and you would've described it as one if there weren't the rumbling of woodwork and the scatter of voices echoing through the room.
“Uhm, hello?” you announce your arrival, calling over the loud noises. You turn on your heels, letting your gaze wander around the gallery as you search for a familiar face – or at least for someone who isn’t an egg.
When you tilt your head back, your eyes trail along the balcony that's surrounding the lobby on the first floor until your gaze gets stuck on three figures barricading the upper windows.
“Hello?” you call again, this time louder. One of the figures stops hammering and turns around. A huge grin spreads across their face as they approach the balcony, leaning over the railing to look down at you. You immediately wave as you recognize Angel.
“Oh hey, toots!” he greets you with an excited voice and waves back, holding a hammer in each set of his hands.
You open your mouth to ask him for your brother as Angel already turns around and disappears so far behind the railing that you can only see the upper tufts of his fluffy hair. He moves his head back and forth, unintelligible voices, then it gets quiet until the pointy ears and huge wings of your brother appear in your sight.
“Oh, hello, Y/N!” he shouts over the railing, “Give me a moment, I’ll come down!” He raises his hand to silently signal you to wait and walks over to the stairs. He approaches you with widely spread arms and a welcoming smile on his typically grumpy face, and pulls you in a tight embrace.
Returning his smile you lean into his familiar hug and a comfortable warmth spreads through your body.
“Hey there, sis. I haven’t seen you in what feels like ages! What are you doing here?” Husk squeezes you for a short moment before he lets go and musters your appearance with furrowed eyebrows, checking if something has changed since your last encounter. But you still look the same: a few inches shorter than him, your hair cut into a messy shoulder-length bob with loose curls falling in your face and tickling your nose and cheeks. In comparison to your brother’s appearance your sinner form looks mostly human – your pointy ears and fluffy tail are the only feline features that suggest a kinship with your brother. Other than that, you couldn't look more different from each other.
You clear your throat and your voice runs deeper as you explain, “I wanted to see you before the next extermination. You know, in case something happens to one of us.” It has always been your personal ritual to meet a few days before an extermination happens but since this one is about to happen much earlier than normally, Husk didn't expect to see you this time – thus making him even more excited about your visit.
“You want a drink?” he points with his chin at the bar and you nod, following over to the swampy-looking structure.
“But please none of those throat-burning hellfire liquids. You know I prefer the lighter ones,” you laugh.
Husk chuckles at your comment and slips behind the bar, his eyes searching the shelf before he takes two bottles and mixes you a light daiquiri with lots of ice to dissolve the taste of the alcohol a little.
“Thank you.” Husk places the drink on the counter and you pull it closer but not intending to take a sip until at least one of the ice cubes has completely melted.
Husk opens himself a bottle of cheap booze and places his elbows on the counter, resting his chin in one of his hands while holding the bottle in the other. “So… How are things going?” he asks curiously between two sips, a sly smile on his face.
“Nothing too exciting,” you reply, twirling the straw in your drink, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. For a moment, you're lost in thought, recalling the events of the past six months. Then, something clicks in your mind, and your eyebrows shoot up. “Ah, that bastard Visco finally got what he deserved!”
“Oh, really? T’was about time something happens,” Husk mumbles with a grunt and his eyes narrow. Visco, your ex, has been loathed by Husk ever since you introduced them. And honestly, Husk's feelings are completely justified. Visco isn't just a scumbag; he's also a cheater and a terrible liar. He's always tried to shift blame onto you for his mistakes. Even though you ended things with him years ago, he hasn't let go and continues to shadow your every move, denying you peace. If it were possible in hell, you'd have already obtained a restraining order against him. Not even your overlord powers can keep this jerk at bay. Despite your formidable reputation, he sees you as harmless, like a kitten, which is infuriating.
“Yeah, he lost his home and all of the assets after fucking with the wrong demon. Eventually lost his soul to some drug overlord who now keeps him on a tight leash. And well… I might have involved myself a little to make that happen.” You feel a sense of satisfaction as you explain, wearing a proud and mischievous grin on your face. You can feel your eyes change their color for a quick second, before taking the first sip of your drink. The strong flavor of rum is mellowed by the melting ice, allowing the tang of lime and the hint of elderflower to dominate the drink with a subtle sweetness.
“It would surprise me if you hadn't had at least a little influence on it. Took you long enough,” Husk grumbles and you roll your eyes.
“You know very well that despite my status I’m not one of those who prefer to resolve their problems with violence. I like to let my intellect play the game and make up my own rules. And this time, the circumstances had aligned well enough for the best possible revenge!”
The cat demon chuckles and shakes his head in amusement. He knows you well enough to understand how important it is for you to gain your power through subliminal actions.
He clears his throat and looks over to his comrades who are still busy with covering the windows in wood panels. “Well, even though I’m glad you’re here, Y/N, we shouldn’t spend too much time just chatting. We have to prepare a lot ‘cause things will get dirty tomorrow. Even dirtier than normally.” Your brother’s voice turns into a growl at his last words and you frown in concern.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well,” Husk clears his throat and takes a long sip from his bottle, “the angels are specifically coming for the hotel.”
Silence.
You just stare at your brother in disbelief and you could swear your heart stopped beating. Holding your breath you blink a few times, processing the wave of shock. “What?” You exhale. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We just found out recently. Charlie had tried another audience with heaven but that fucker Adam sees the hotel as a threat.”
“Oh Husk…” you raise your hand and cover your mouth in shock, your ears planing under the surge of pity. “That’s horrible. I–I can’t believe it.” Your eyes observe your brother. He seems surprisingly calm despite the news he just revealed to you. But before you can say something he continues, “Did you know that angels can be killed?”
“E–excuse me?” you inquire, cocking your head in surprise, your ears flicking back up into their normal position. You observe a slight but smug smile playing at the corners of his lips.
“Ya heard me right. They can be killed. Vaggie’s out getting some angel weapons ‘cause those are supposed to be the only thing that can harm them.”
You hum and bite your lips in fascination, then your voice drops even lower as you mumble, “Interesting…”
“Yes, but please keep it to yourself. At least for now. I don’t wanna get in trouble for telling you this,” Husk murmurs and shoots you a pleading glance before you nod in agreement. When there is one thing you don’t want, then it is your brother getting in trouble because he told you something he isn’t supposed to. Which doesn’t mean that it would be okay for you if he gets in trouble for any other reason. You want him to be as safe as he wants you to be. You are glad he is okay, still alive and unharmed. And hopefully his condition stays the same after tomorrow.
“What about the princess?” you ask, increasing the bite on your lip in curiosity, “Is she accompanying Vaggie?”
Husk shakes his head. “No, she’s currently out with my boss, tryna gather some support from his acquaintances over in Cannibal Town. I’m sure she’ll return soon.”
Your ears twitch in excitement. “Alastor’s here too?” you ask and try to hide your excitement. You know well enough about your brother's apathy for him. ‘Being done with his shit’ is how he once described it to you and you couldn’t blame him. You’d probably be sick of him too if you were on his leash. Honestly, the fact that Alastor owns your brother’s soul should be enough to despise the overlord but you couldn’t because you somehow had found yourself intrigued by him the moment you had met him for the first time. But this was not the only reason you’re surprisingly fond of him.
You can hear Husk growl in disapproval, proving your thought. His voice is raspy and full of annoyance when he says, “You know damn well that he’s forcing me to be here. So yes, he’s obviously residing in this hotel as well. Haven’t you seen him the last time you were here?”
You shake your head. No, you didn't. You had visited the hotel only once and that was almost half a year ago – and Alastor definitely wasn’t present that day. In fact, you hadn't seen Alastor in years, ever since he vanished from the surface, leading many to believe he didn't survive the last extermination – or that he had crossed paths with the wrong overlord by accident. You hadn't even been aware of his return until his clash with Vox dominated hell's media. Furthermore, your brother hadn't mentioned him during your last visit, which isn’t surprising, but bothers you the longer you think about it. You would’ve liked to get in touch with the Radio Demon again. The last opportunity you might have had to encounter Alastor was at the last overlord meeting, but you had skipped it for personal reasons. But hearing that he’s residing in this hotel fills you with a jolt of anticipation that makes your heartbeat go faster. You start to wonder why he even bothers to find interest in this hotel…
Husk shrugs his shoulders. “I think it’s better this way.”
You hum and roll your eyes as you raise your glass to your lips, taking a few sips. Of course he would say that. “He’s not that awful, Husk,” you respond with a defensive tone, earning a low growl from your brother which you choose to ignore. “I think you can call yourself lucky that you lost your soul to him and not any other overlord.”
You look at Husk over the rim of your glass as you take another sip, then you put it down, shrugging your shoulders at his gritted teeth.
“Please, Y/N, don’t start this again…” He mumbles and shakes his head in disappointment. The both of you had this discussion way too often over the course of a few decades.
“What I mean is that your situation could be worse if a different overlord held your leash. Okay, yes, he might’ve a very feared reputation and such but at least there’s something merciful about Alastor.”
“Are you fucking kidding me, Y/N?” Husk asks and his eyes open wide in disbelief. He obviously can’t fathom what you just said. “He literally used to broadcast the screams of the souls he tore apart.”
You let out a deep sigh. Of course you know about all the horrible actions that made Alastor gain his infamous reputation as The Radio Demon. But honestly, you are in hell. Is there anything else to expect? Almost every sinner is somehow a psychopath in their own way so you can’t really blame him for doing questionable things to work himself up to the top. It’s not that you’ve never done it yourself. You haven’t become an overlord by just deciding to call yourself one on a random day. You had worked hard for it, often in crucial and unfair ways, overpowering the weaker with your manipulative tactics. That is just how the food chain works in hell. And your brother was no saint either. He had dealt in souls as well, betrayed other sinners with a second deck of cards up his sleeve while he kept them believing he was an honest opponent... He had been a cheater through and through when it came to gambling and the fact that he had used his skills to trick other sinners into giving him their souls made him no better. Actually, you had laughed your brother in the face when you had found out that he, the gambling overlord and master of manipulative games, had accidentally sold his soul by messing up his cheating performance during a game of poker against The Radio Demon. You hadn't even bothered to offer him a shred of sympathy for his newly acquired role, as you found yourself relishing the karma that had struck his furry ass. The only one Husk could blame for his predicament was himself. And truth be told, you're somewhat relieved that your brother has been chained with Alastor's leash. After all, he used to be a ruthlessly manipulative and disrespectful drunkard with a self-destructive gambling addiction, who never cared for you even half as much as he does now. Since he had lost his status as an overlord he had changed become a much better person.
Considering how much of an asshole your brother used to be, it is quite surprising that Alastor never treated him the way he supposedly treated other overlords he had tricked into a deal. To your knowledge, Alastor has never harmed or mistreated your brother in any way, nor has he wronged you.When you initially encountered The Radio Demon, he presented himself as a charming and sophisticated gentleman, with impeccable manners and a refined way of speaking. Over time, he maintained this facade, consistently treating you with the utmost respect, prompting you to wonder if it was merely a facade or if he had been raised exceptionally well by his mother. Except, of course, for his psychopathic tendencies. You and Alastor have been acquainted for at least two decades now, and from the very beginning, you found him immensely intriguing. One could even say you were drawn to his charismatic personality. He had even invited you out once, though you still keep that detail hidden from your brother. If he ever discovers that you and his boss had shared a private dinner, he'd undoubtedly throw a tantrum. Or much more. Of course, it had been nothing more than a professional meeting between the two of you…
You take a deep breath. “Don’t act as if you had been any better, Husk,” you respond to his comment in annoyance, reminding him of his once shitty personality, and he flinches at your words. Oh yeah, Husk has always been a master at dishing out but not being able to take it on the chin… “And to be honest, I’m glad to see that you’re still alive and safe. I don’t need to hear your screams on the radio and then have nightmares about it.” You laugh dismissively at your sarcastic comment and take another sip from your drink. You notice the tension in Husk’s expression and reach out your finger, booping his nose.
He flinches back in surprise and his stern face turns a little softer at your silly gesture. “I think I should continue my work. I feel bad that I’m sharing a drink with you while my comrades are working their asses off.”
One sentence the old Husk would’ve never brought over his lips, you think. With one long sip you empty your glass and slide it over to Husk who places it in the sink. “Let me support you. I would’ve come days earlier if I knew that the circumstances were this bad…” you exclaim, your tone more of a demand than a request.
Husk nods without hesitation. "Fine. We need any help we can get!”
With that you and Husk leave the bar and approach Sir Pentious and Angel.
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You support the three men in building defenses, laughing and chatting here and there. Time passes quickly and the other residents return from their missions.
You turn around when you hear the door open and go straight up to the railing, looking down at the entrance right under you. You chuckle in joy as Charlie and Vaggie come into sight and you clear your throat.
“Well, if that ain't the princess of hell and her girlfriend!” you call out and turn over to your male comrades, “Look, guys, who decided to show up!”
Angel, Husk and Sir Pentious stop their work and step next to you, a sly smirk on Angel’s face and his hands rested on his hips. “We thought we were fightin’ by ourselves!” he lets out with a laugh.
Charlie and Vaggie look up. “You’re… you’re still here?” Vaggie asks, her voice relieved and trembling in amazement. Tears well up in Charlie’s eyes.
. “Y/N, what are you doing here?” The princess shouts up to your floor and you shoot a grin at her, revealing your pointy fangs.
“I’m supporting you, of course!” you exclaim in excitement and Charlie’s expression turns thankful. But before you can add something, the door opens again and a bunch of people enter, dragging huge wooden crates with warning labels in the lobby. You cock your head in amazement. Looks like they were successful in their missions…
Vaggie immediately turns around and starts to shout clear instructions through the lobby, leaving her girlfriend behind. So you decide to head downstairs.
“Are they all weapons?” you ask with wide eyes as you glance around, counting at least a dozen of wooden crates.
Charlie, who you stands just a few feet away, turns around immediately and nods, her already bright face turning even brighter when her gaze falls on you.
“Are you really here to support us?” she asks in an enthusiastic tone, forgetting your question completely. A sparkle of joy flickers in her eyes and you can’t help but smile back.
“Well…” you take a deep breath, pondering the best way to explain your presence without it sounding wrong because you originally came here for a chat, not expecting the hotel and its residents to be preoccupied by such drastic preparations. “Honestly, I had just planned to visit my brother but now that I’ve found out about your situation I decided that you could need my help. I will fight with you all, tomorrow.”
“Oh my god, thank you!” Charlie screams enthusiastically, raising her hand above her head before she pulls you in a tight embrace.
You stiffen at the sudden proximity but relax after a couple of seconds, wrapping one of your arms around her shoulder. Three quick pets on the pad of her suit, then you slowly pull away. You are so focused on the princess that you don’t notice the shadow forming behind you.
“Charlie, I didn’t know you invented a guest!” a voice, distorted by radio static, cuts through the babble in the room.
You instinctively hold your breath and Charlie moves her head to look behind you. “Oh Alastor!” she exclaims, her arm tucking at your shoulder to signal you to turn around.
You do as the princess silently demands and face the new arrival: a tall and slim man dressed in a red pinstripe coat, a black bowtie and black slacks. His red and black hair frames the sharp features of his handsome face, deep red eyes glowing surprise as they lock on you, his huge smile widening into a well-knowing grin that reveals his sharp yellow canines. The fluffy ears on his head twitch the same way yours do when you get excited. Is he excited to see you? Because you are definitely excited to see him…
Charlie reaches out her hand, gesturing between you and the other demon as if she wants to introduce you to each other. “This is Y/N! She’s Husk's sister, and–.”
A chuckle escapes Alastor’s throat. “Oh, there’s no need to introduce us, dear,” he interrupts her with a dismissive gesture of his clawed hand and approaches you. His voice turns softer, deepening in tone and the radio static is just a buzzing background noise as he mumbles, “How could I forget about such a lovely lady…?” With those words he bows his head in a classy manner and leans down to take your hand in his. With a sly smile he places a soft kiss on your knuckles, resting his lips on your skin a little longer than necessary.
Your cheeks flush instantly at his gesture, and you find yourself locking eyes with him, meeting his crimson gaze. Your body tenses under his touch, sending shivers down your spine, and you only realize you've been holding your breath when he releases your hand and straightens his posture.
“Alastor, long time no see,” you greet him in return, a sly smile tucked on your lips as you eye him from head to toes and back to his head. After all those years he still wears this everlasting smile on his face…
“You… both know each other?” Charlie involves herself, interrupting the quick greeting between you and the Radio Demon.
Alastor lets out a laugh. “Oh, Charlie… Of course we do!” he responds with a raspy voice, the radio effect on his voice increasing. Then his attention falls back on you. “You didn’t show up at the last overlord meeting, Y/N.”
You shrug your shoulders at his indirect question. “And you didn’t show up for seven years,” you countered teasingly with raised eyebrows.
“Touché, ma chère.”
Charlie bites her lip and switches her gaze between the both of you, when suddenly, Vaggie calls her name and she excuses herself, leaving you and Alastor alone.
You tilt your head to the side, now finally able to ask one of the questions that are burning on your mind for quite a while now. “So, tell me, where have you been all those years?”
Alastor releases a chuckle and waves his hand dismissively. “This is a long story, dear…” Though his expression stays the same his eyes darken a bit as you bring up his absence. You bite yourself on the lip, feeling a surge of nervosity rise and churning your insided. Immediately understanding that this must be a difficult topic for him, you push your thoughts away, dismissing the topic.
As fast as Alastor’s eyes darkened they return to their usual glow. He twists his cane in his hand and leans closer. “Enough about me, Y/N. May I ask what gives us the honor of your company?”
There he is again. The witty demon you had found yourself way too fond of. You give him the same answer you gave Charlie and look around the room, scanning the tumult around you, the lobby a bit less crowded than just minutes before. Your eyes stay on a young woman in a lab coat who writes something on a clipboard, probably checkmarking all the delivered supplies and weapons.
“Another overlord would surely be a great support,” you hear Alastor respond, interrupting your mental absence and pulling you back into reality. “Voices say that you are remarkable at fighting.”
You close your eyes and release a chuckle before you open them again and face Alastor with raised eyebrows. His gaze lingers on yours, his smile a little softer than normally. Your stomach flutters at this sight and you turn your gaze away, sensing his eyes still staring at you. “Is that so?”
Leaning on his cane, he regards you in silence, his proximity feeling closer than before. Is that his breath you sense against your skin? You swallow hard, hesitant to direct your focus back to him. Instead, you fix your gaze on a random person in the room, feigning interest in their actions to avoid catching Alastor's attention. Although, he likely notices your avoidance regardless. He's far too skilled at discerning others' behavior to overlook such a detail.
“Don’t play ignorant, Y/N. Everyone knows that your combat skills are as formidable as your intellect,” he suddenly interrupts the silence between you and you chuckle at his compliment.
Satisfied by your response, Alastor tucks his cane back under his arm and places his hand on your shoulder. "I believe you'd serve as an excellent mentor for all the Cannibals outside," he says. With light pressure he turns you around to force you to look at him.
“Uhm.. what?” you ask, way too surprised by his words to be affected by his face right in front of yours. Cannibals…?
Alastor doesn’t respond but you could swear that his eyes shine in amusement. With a nod of his head he points in the direction where two huge double doors mark the hotel’s main entrance.
Holding your breath you follow him towards the exit, a jumble of voices coming through the door causes your ears to perk up.
Alastor chuckles at your reaction, obviously amused by your confusion and the closer you get to the door the louder the voices get. Alastor conjures a shadow tendril to open the door for you and you both step outside, walking side by side.
You stop as your eyes fall on a huge crowd of pale faces with black eyes and sharp canines. “Uhm… Are those your acquaintances you were supposed to sign up for support?” you wonder, completely stunned by the amount of people Alastor and the princess had managed to gather.
"Do you believe you could handle instructing some of them in combat?" he asks, both answering and ignoring your question at the same time. He looks down at you, though the distance between you is more appropriate than before.
You press your lips into a straight line and tilt your head back to return his gaze, your expression clouded by overwhelm and a tad of uncertainty until it quickly switches to determination. “We’ll see,” you smirk at him.
#alastor x reader#hazbin hotel x reader#alastor#alastor the radio demon#alastor x y/n#alastor x you#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel alastor#alastor hazbin hotel x reader#alastor hazbin hotel#reader fic#alastor x oc#alastor x husks sister#overlord reader#female reader#fem!reader#fluff#multi part fic#radio demon#alastor oneshot#radio demon x reader#hazbin hotel x you#hazbin hotel x y/n#hazbin hotel x oc#reader insert#x reader#husks sister reader#oneshot#hazbin hotel oneshots#part 1
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the way it follows you home, the stories i never told
My guy Vox once again graced us with lovely Goyuu fanfics, and the way it follows you home, the stories i never told, made me go FERAL.
Time travel? Two Gojou Satorus? Double affection for our sunshine Yuuji? Yuuji sandwich? What feels like possible continuation of (you'll whisper, serpent tongue) what you fear you have become???
FUCK.
I need to stop indulging my imagination too much. I should’ve been content with writing long-ass comments but noooooo, my brain goes “you gotta draw it”. DAMMIT VOX, YOU AND YOUR DELICIOUS WRITINGS HHHHHH
So… usually I should’ve picked a favourite scene that is within my drawing capability, but I just… love all three chapters??? So I made a questionable time investment? I can’t stop??? Help???
This is probably the most ambitious fanart project I’ve ever done so far. Fair enough, considering I might combust if I keep these welled-up emotions inside from reading Vox’s Goyuu fics. Fuck.
Fic info:
Title: the way it follows you home, the stories i never told
Author: @voxofthevoid
Pairing: YuuGoGo. Future!Yuuji, Future!Gojou, Teen!Gojou
(idk why I laugh writing YuuGoGo. I’m beyond help)
Currently, it is 3 chapters out of 8. And it’s gonna be NSFW chapter 4 onwards, so don’t forget to read the tags first, folks!
The drawings are under Read More, because I have lots of thoughts surrounding each chapter and drawings. It’ll be hella long if I didn’t hide it here. It was a mess down there. A combination of hours before, during, and after I read said fic. I’d say good luck finding the art among the sea of jumbled words but… you’ll find them easily. Don’t worry about it haha
SPOILERS FOR ALL 3 CHAPTERS! I highly recommend reading those first before diving into these drawings!
Also for the comics, read from right to left please!
From here on, I will be referring to the Future!Gojou as Gojou and the teenage one as Satoru.
Overall, drawing all these is fun! Really fun! This project pushed me quite hard, forcing me to test my limit (because I rarely draw this much back to back). Since this is a combination of drawings and comics, the coloring style will not be consistent. In a way, I want to try some brushes I never get to use, as well as try out my new graphic tablet. Drawing these got me giggling because I was finally able to let loose during line art. It's much easier to do so, and sometimes I just get to reread the fic and giggle to myself for the nth time.
CHAPTER 1:
Whooo. Whooooooooo—
Ok, ok, the premise is just that good. It intrigued me, fascinated me, and I just… oomph. I cannot refuse a Time Travel Yuuji Sandwich. Sign me up.
Honestly, there are two scenes that are just… a bit too clear in my mind when reading this chapter. That would be the one I drew above, and the other is when Yaga called Gojou to come outside of the class. I love, loooove how Vox wrote Satoru’s POV. And when Yuuji fucking giggles?
I lost it.
Can you imagine, drawing Yuuji grins, with shiny stuff, maybe some sunlight, just purely happy and indulging Gojou?
Help me, for I am drowning in my love and adoration for Yuuji.
Page 2 is an experiment on using harsh black as shading (kind of?). I really enjoyed colouring Yuuji, and drawing those buffalo skulls! I wish I can grasp the concept of contrast a bit better tho :v
CHAPTER 2:
This is probably the only chapter where I picture still images instead of comic panels. A bit like those cool chapter covers in mangas. The one I really, really want to draw is the scene with Satoru on the table. Can’t pass the opportunity to highlight Satoru being a brat, albeit a really cool brat.
Cool idea drawing always proves to be a challenge, because of course my artistic skill just so happens to be below the requirement. Thank you, Sketchfab, for the chair and desk’s perspective otherwise I’m screwed lmao
The second scene that I want to draw the most is this:
Gojou is one step away from climbing Yuuji. Also, I have a bit of a problem picturing a man pouting that makes him look crazy instead, so please have Gojou pouting adorably instead. Because, as Yuuji said (with love), Gojou is (also) a brat.
This is possibly my favorite art in this project, after Yuuji's in Chapter 1 page 2. It's clean because I don't have to draw background, and I was having a fun time drawing Yuuji. And Gojou's squishy cheek as well.
Oh, actually, there is a “manga” scene in this chapter. It’s when Yuuji said, “I love Satoru.”
I just—
AAAAAHHHHH YUUJIIIIIII YOU AND VOX ARE GONNA BE THE DEATH OF ME. That secure relationship between Yuuji and Gojou? Satoru’s description of how Yuuji’s smile could blot out the sun??? Not me screaming 💀 I also see bits of hints of possible co-dependency, though I could be reading those wrong, but either way I’m good. Secure and possessive relationships are fun to consume hhhhhh
But yeah. There are too many wholesome Yuuji smiles in this fic, and I… I am not confident enough to draw genuine happiness. It’s too much for me ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_
For this chapter, another reason why I chose these two scenes is just because I want to try and draw cover-worthy pictures of Yuuji and Satoru, and Yuuji and Gojou (cough)
CHAPTER 3:
We start the chapter with Nanamin. Ah, Nanamin. I forgot what his teen self looked like and was surprised to see his design again lmao
I want to draw Yuuji and Nanami scene because… I just want to, I guess. I have never drawn him before (Yaga as well) so that's an interesting challenge. I got two ideas on how I want to draw it. One is a bit painting-esque, and the other one is like another chapter cover. In the end, I chose the cover one because I want to emphasise the difference between teen!Nanami and the Nanami from Yuuji’s original timeline, and how the watch feels like a connection between the same (yet not) person. It’s a bittersweet feeling? In a way?
I’m not really good at explaining my intention ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_
I love Yuuji’s answer to Nanami's question.
AND FINALLY.
A Yuuji SandwichTM scene.
And oh B O I do I love it. Have I told you I like every chapter? I probably have. But this one? Satoru’s curiosity, Yuuji’s on-brand self-deprecation, and Gojou come strolling down to show more of Yuuji to his mini-self. I want to draw this whole scene, from Gojou finding them, feeding Yuuji snacks, bitch-slapping Satoru into the backroom, to Yuuji growling. Them trying to hide a boner from Yuuji’s growl got me cackling so hard I LOVE IT 😭
I love it all. Please love Yuuji in my stead, Satoru and Satonyan :3
Oh! Also! 40-finger Yuuji sounds really, really cool! I’ll be happy with whatever Vox will give us in future chapters, but 40-finger Yuuji… possible scene with this timeline’s Sukuna… my god. The action! The drama! The bloodshed! One can only hope.
However, as much as I love that whole scene, it’s still too much for me :”) I’m still not yet confident in delivering the humour and action. Also my already-long drawing plan had my brain groaning in protest so I can’t push my luck :'D
When Gojou said "He looks sweet, but he's a bit of a beast", I kept picturing Yuuji staring innocently, but there was an edge to his look. As if the moment Satoru looks away, he will pounce. But in the end I just stick with innocent-looking Yuuji because I accidentally drew his eyes that way and I want to keep it in lol
Since Satoru points out how soft and cuddly Yuuji is, I also want to draw soft Yuuji :v
And the last one… is the last scene. For some reason, I read that both Gojou and Satoru share Yuuji’s lap and was having a frustrating yet fun time figuring out how it’s… physically possible, without having their butts on the ground because they both are not small at all. As I lined the art, I reread it again and… perhaps I read it wrong? Satoru is beside Yuuji, and not on his lap? So yeah, this one might be the least accurate, but hey, at least you can view it as a crack drawing or something :v
AAAANNNDDD I HAVE EXCEEDED TODAY’S BRAIN CAPACITY OF FORMING WORDS
Have I told you I love this fic?
…I probably have.
Have an amazing week (❁´▽`❁)*✲゚*
#yuu's art#jjk-fic-fanart#jjk ship#jjk-ship#五悠#goyuu#goyu#5u#gojou x yuuji#speedrun this bad boy of a project in 3 days#from planning#now I can sleep in peace
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Original vs New RAINBOW! comic comparison!! It's not completely exhaustive but I've given some insight on the original version, just because it's fun to compare and they actually still have a lot of similarities despite it all! There's going to be a lot of jumping around though as some things happen in a different order. This will be long too, so it's under the cut!
I will preface this by saying that even the newer pages are still a few years old and have been edited for the book release, but I couldn't be bothered to find where I saved them, so these versions are a little out of date. The most obvious difference is that Boo has pink eyes in them, where as now they are green. So, enjoy that tidbit I suppose.
Boo recalls why she was demoted from waitressing
She was demoted for the same reason, though in the original, Boo is explaining this to the audience as she talks about her job. The original version had much, much more internal dialogue from Boo. The way that our comics work is that Sunny writes them in a novel form and I adapt them into a comic, rather than them being comic scripts from the get-go. This allows us to both work our own creative muscles in the process. So originally, I had not yet learned that different mediums call for different means of storytelling and I just copied a lot of her thoughts outright and put them directly into the comic, where as in the new version, I add in her internal dialogue pretty sparingly. So get used to lots of Boo's thoughts in the original.
Also, fun fact, in the original Boo has spilled coffee on me, Sunny, and one of my friends @mxbloodybooart on the left.
Boo daydreams of dancing with a prince
Her daydream is much shorter and less immersive in the original version, only lasting a single panel. A lot of telling and not showing in the original due to getting so much of Boo's direct thoughts. She also bumps into Milo, but doesn't cause him to drop anything as she does in the new version.
Mimi shows up at the cafe
In the original, this is Mimi's first appearance, where as now, Boo has already seen Mimi punch someone and her imagination has gone completely haywire over her, so she is pretty nervous to interact with her. Since Boo doesn't have any of this context in the original, she is merely intrigued by someone who has a style that stands out as much as she does, even if it's in a different way.
Drunk Debbie sleeping on the couch
Our first style change in the original version! Really a style evolution though.
Technically this page is pretty similar, but with a much more devastating line from Boo in the new version along with several cans around to imply Debbie probably passed out drunk, where as in the original you really only see her asleep on the couch. Boo also still has the same cute little teddy bear backpack in the original.
Boo takes the bus to school
Boo is implied to be bullied in the new version and utilizes her imagination to drown it out, while in the original she merely talks about feeling different. The bunny head on her shirt is a callback to the bunny shirt she's wearing in the original. Sunny and I are cameoing in both versions as the students sitting in the seat in front of Boo, featuring egg!me in the original version as I was probably 15 when I drew it. It also still apparently rains on her way to work in the original version, although this is never seen because she takes the bus to work rather than bike as she does now, so who knows why she called that out.
Boo daydreams in class
Boo daydreams that her classmates are monsters, though in the original, she also dreams that she is a princess. Some of the monster designs were kept. She doesn't get in trouble for calling her teacher a witch (even though she does still say that, it's only in her imagination) but for laughing and spacing out during class instead.
Boo sees Mimi at school
Originally Boo does not see Mimi punch another student, but rather hears her arguing with the principal after the fact about why she did it and then sees her leave the office. This is also not the first time she's seen Mimi, so she recognizes her, where as this is Mimi's first appearance in the new version.
Boo meets with Mr Dahl
Since she was not a witness to the altercation between Mimi and the other student in the original, her visit with Mr Dahl is much shorter, only concerning her getting in trouble in math class. Mr Dahl is the same character, but in the original he was the principal, and now he's the dean. Also Mimi apparently KNOCKED SOMEONE'S TEETH OUT in the original, where as now she just gave him a bloody nose, so let's just hope Boo is exaggerating here.
Boo mistakes another student in the hall for Mimi
Pretty similar, though the student she bumps into is more of a jerk in the original.
Boo is plagued by daydreams of Mimi
Pretty good example of how the over reliance on internal dialogue diminished the actual story. Originally there is only one shot of Boo seeing Mimi at school, which very well could have been the real Mimi, and Boo simply saying she was seeing her when she wasn't there, so we have to take her word for it. In the new version, she might plausibly think she is seeing her at first, only to start seeing more and more of her to the point of seeing multiple Mimi's in the same place, making it clear that they can't all be real, or that possibly none of them are real. The only dialogue is Boo expressing confusion.
and oh, look at that! another cameo of egg!me and Sunny in the original, waving at each other in the hallway! I am also cameoing in the new version as a student sleeping at the desk in the fourth period panel, but Sunny is not.
Milo tries to cover for Boo
Art style change again! You might notice this one is finally starting to look more similar to my current style than the previous ones, as it all evolved from here...
Originally, Milo accidentally scares Boo and causes her to drop some plates, where as now, Boo bumped into Milo while having her princely dancing daydream and made him drop the plates. Clarice was originally pretty eager to accept Milo's lie and allow Boo a second chance at waitressing while now, Clarice asks Boo to admit the truth before she is willing to give her any chances. Clarice now is also dressed in green to differentiate her as the owner/manager.
Boo gets to be a waitress again
An obvious homage to the original version, the layout is almost exactly the same, and even some of the customers are the same. Another really good example of how much internal dialogue there was in the original compared to now.
Boo serves Mimi her coffee
This one is not all that different aside from the fact that originally, Boo was already delivering the coffee before she knew who it was for, just which table, where as now, Boo knows beforehand that it's for Mimi and is nervous the whole time. This is the final page in the original version, so I made the final panel in the new one as an homage to it. The color scheme was also finally really starting to expand on this last page compared to the colors in the beginning.
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ok. just read batman and robin: year one (2024) #1 and my initial takeaways:
this was thing that surprised me the most. it's only been three weeks since mary and john fell? and dick's out as robin already? he seems to have limited training but that could just be how he's being written as an eager and somewhat impulsive kid.
there's a part of me that is wondering if there is an element to this where dick is putting on an act, because we get a couple of references to the mask versus person debate:
bruce's narration is extremely well written, especially this part, where you can see just how much he understands the grief of being orphaned and how much of that grief and rage still drives you:
sidenote: the art is stellar!!! like just look at how beautiful gotham looks here. chris samnee killed it. it's exactly what i want out of a robin!dick comic.
like this is soooo good, even when it's just shadow and light contrast. truly outstanding art.
love the element of dick flipping around as he talks— it is very true to his character. also love how you can see the beginnings of how sharp and intuitive dick is.
beginnings of bruce and dick banter!! big fan of bruce already being aware and impressed with dick's comfort and ease at heights. a little bit of uncertainty about how much of this is dick's relative crime-fighting inexperience and how much of it is the unfamiliarity of fighting alongside bruce. like it has only been three weeks!!! very accelerated timeline. has he warmed up to bruce that fast?
waid's definitely not shying away from how they're new as a crime-fighting duo and it's going to take them a while to get to that seamless partnership we all know and love. just look at these:
bruce being so effusive with his praise for dick... yeah that's that good shit. plus, we're getting some insight into how much they're still learning each other. also the colour palette here is amazing. the tone complements the events itself soooo well. love how they're being juxtaposed against the light like that.
it'll take a while for them to find their footing! but you can already see how much bruce worries. the panel in caps, with that overt and expressive body language... yeah, i love it. listen, i love a bruce wayne who has only known dick grayson for three weeks and is already beginning to show signs that he's never going to be normal about him:
mixed feelings on two-face as their first rogue but i do trust waid to do it right. there's a bigger evil at play so i'm definitely intrigued. the art for harvey was amazing as well.
bruce smiling here... hmm. some mixed feelings about this too mostly bc of how the accelerated the timeline is. like dick has seen his parents killed, apprehended the killer, probably been updated about gotham and what kind of city it is... so for him to have this much optimism about the stakes. but at the same, he did meet bruce, a good man who took him in and brought him justice. and ultimately, he is a child so maybe that optimism isn't out of place.
possibly, waid is building up to the dark and light element of batman and robin? also, look at dick's sad n droopy lil face aw man
anyway, this seems like a really good expository issue. i'm definitely invested. there is a bit of tonal dissonance (between what is said and what is being depicted) but i'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt here. good, true-to-character writing (although the art is the biggest selling point for me)
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the time of your life
actor!eren x f!reader
**part of my method acting fic, masterlist here
content: character death (LOL), very immature fifteen year old humor (that was cross confirmed with real fifteen year olds), idk reader and eren being mad corny
an: tried my best to make this chapter fun but I will just POST WHAT I HAVE BUT THE NEXT ONE IS ONE OF MY FAVS IM SO EXCITED
previous part linked here
--
Things settle down after the panel, and Eren convinces you to put all your energy into finishing the season. Because you’re going to prove them wrong and now you just have to do it. And as much effort as you put in, the rest of them all make it fun too.
And Eren’s right.
They really are great - funny, charismatic, and idiotic in their own ways.
The inside jokes start one week after filming when you’ve finally learned everyone’s names. And, of course, it starts with Reiner. You and Historia are so tired after filming that you quickly run back to the townhouse just to get snacks from the main kitchen. With the mention of food, Sasha’s following, and then Connie, suddenly, everyone’s marching back together.
Except when you get there, Reiner is in the kitchen. Not only is he shirtless, but he’s also doing some next-level opera singing. For some reason, he’s trying to sing both parts of the Phantom of the Opera and… actually succeeding?
Connie leans over, whispering.
“Look at those mommy milkers.”
You all burst out laughing, which stops Reiner in his tracks. And he momentarily stops and scratches his head before he keeps singing, this time serenading all of you. He’s taking Ymir by the hand and swinging her around and holding hands with Jean as they rock back and forth that even Mikasa’s snorting at the sight of him. You're all sold after that.
Speaking of Mikasa, as solemn and quiet as she can be, she’s gotten you into quite a bit of trouble. Trouble meaning severe back pain. When she first moved into your room, she mentioned that she was a bit of an early riser. She likes to work out to get her blood moving before shooting, claiming that “it gets her in the zone.”
Somehow, she convinces you and Sasha to join her one morning, and by the end of it, Jean and Marco are dragging you both back to the house by your legs, having to shove the two of you in an ice bath.
You just didn’t realize that an early riser meant four in the morning, and working out means an all-intensive full-body press. Levi’s pissed at you and Sasha for being stupid enough to think you could keep up and you’re both mad at Levi for having such little faith in you.
In true dad fashion, Levi’s always lecturing you guys. More like pretending to be mad, berating you around the set. But you know that he cares because the second that you guys ask him for something, no matter how stupid it is, he’ll be the first to give in.
Exhibit A? Marco and Jean recently find out that Levi became a triple threat from doing his own stunts on Bond - including a quadruple flip. They’re both so intrigued by it that every time they see Levi, they force him to do it.
“Levi.”
“No, Marco. I’m not going to do a flip.”
“Do a flip! Levi, please please please please please do a flip. It’s just so fucking cool.”
“Watch your language, Jean. You need to wash your mouth out with soap.”
“I won’t say fuck for a week if you flip, Levi. Please!” Jean says, shaking Levi’s hands as he talks.
Levi begrudgingly rolls his eyes and then backflips in the living room, earning half hearted cheers. It was cool the first eleven times, but Jean literally asks him to do it daily. It gets old fast.
“That was so fucking cool, Levi! Thanks.” Jean says, running off. He bumps into Sasha, who's clearly going to throw up as she runs past.
Levi’s sick and tired of Jean. And Hange too. And himself for thinking that filming with a bunch of teenagers was going to be a good idea.
After finding out that Sasha will quite literally eat anything you put in front of her, Hange’s started a dangerously horrible game of seeing what Sasha will eat without paying attention to it.
Ketchup on watermelon, ice cream with salt in it, cake with mayo. It’s become so disgusting that you can’t tell who people are more grossed out with - Hange for making the concoction or Sasha for eating it. (It’s Sasha)
Armin’s taken maybe twenty before and after pictures of Sasha during these “experiments” that Hange runs and then sticks them onto the kitchen wall - perfectly labeled with the food Sasha ate underneath them.
And he loves taking pictures so much that there’s now a big wall at the front of the set of just individual and group pictures, Armin’s little pictures and commentary tacked to the wall.
One of Jean and Sasha playing video games, labeled “the great war”
Another one of Ymir and Bertholdt tackling each other, labeled “ice cream gate”
And one of Eren pinching your cheek, labeled “the l/n-jaegers”
Right. In another life, you’re all convinced that Connie was destined to work for the paparazzi. Because every time you and Eren are together, he somehow manages to capture a picture at the worst time - making something innocent look like totally not.
Like when you and Eren share a blanket on set because there’s only one left. Or when he helps you put the harnesses on and his hands are around your waist for two seconds . When you guys share the breakfast burritos on set because they’re too big to eat alone. With context, they’re not that bad.
But Connie always catches it at the worst time and then posts it to his fucking TikTok account. His stupid series has garnered millions of views, and you’ve both tried to convince him to stop, to which he refuses
And when you tried to get Erwin involved, he only supported Connie more - stating it was good press for the show. He’s named the series “the l/n-jaegers” hence the label on the polaroid.
There’s currently 32 different parts.
But you know you can’t stop him even if you tried because Connie proves to be the most menacing idiot on set. Him and Annie have developed a horrible habit of pranking everyone on around - Levi, Hange, and Erwin specifically. It’s not that Annie loves pranks, she’s just the only one who can keep a straight face.
“Hey Hange.”
“What’s up, Annie?”
“There’s this guy who works in hair and makeup. He has a few ideas for the Female Titan costume design. He wants to talk to you.”
“Oh. What’s his name?”
“Ben Dover.” responds Connie, the look on his and Annie’s faces blank.
“Ben Dover?” Hange repeats the rest of you, trying you shoving your faces into the script to stop laughing as they respond.
“Yeah. They said they’ve talked to Erwin before. He’s been working with Hugh Jass, on the makeup team.” says Annie.
Erwin walks over, the look on his face confused. And it just gets worse.
“Who is Hugh Jass? I’ve never seen him before.”
“Oh, he’s hard to miss. Really big guy,” responds Connie, his face breaking a little.
Levi walks over, and when Annie talks again, it’s the final nail in the coffin. You and Eren are literally smacking your hands over each other's mouths, the tears spilling out of your eyes to not give them away.
“Okay, we’ll go over there now. Thanks for telling us Annie, Connie.”
“Cool! They’re waiting with Ben Overbich.”
“What?”
“Ben Overbich. It’s Swedish, sir.” Annie responds.
Levi shrugs as he, Hange, and Erwin walk off to go to talk to the costume designers. And when they all walk away, you’re all panting on the floor, gasping for breath. Connie keeps mimicking Erwin, saying Hugh Jass, and Berholdt keeps quoting it’s Swedish sir, which doesn’t make it any better.
When they return, Levi and Erwin are all yanking you by the ears onto the set since the costume team told them what the jokes actually meant. And there’s something so presidential about Erwin naturally that when he starts lecturing you, it starts feeling like he’s giving a sermon.
“You guys are premier faces in the industry. Imagine how people would feel if they found out you were making crude jokes like you were fifteen years old.”
“Sir.”
“Yes, Ymir.”
“We are fifteen years old.”
You’re all snickering as Erwin continues, Hange rolling their eyes as he goes on.
“You should know better. Ben Dover is not a funny joke. Huge asses are nothing to laugh about. You should wish to have that type of issue.”
Jean leans over, whispering in yours and Eren’s ear.
“The divine truths of humanity.”
You laugh and Erwin stares you down, Eren smacking you for laughing out loud.
“Y/N. Up.”
You groan as stand next to him, the lot of them laughing at you, as Erwin stares you down.
“Erwin.”
“Y/N. What did you learn in class yesterday?”
“Uh. States and capitals?”
“Perfect. Name them all.”
You groan. Of course, you get stuck with Erwin and his weird punishments. He always quizzes you guys on random stuff from your classes when you take too long on set or are late to a table read. And you’re usually free from that, but Jean’s stupid comment got you.
“Uh. Okay. California is Los Angeles.”
“Wrong. It’s Sacramento.”
“I’m Canadian, Erwin. This isn’t even fair.”
He shakes his head dismissively as you keep going, literally getting every single one wrong. And when you reach the fifth incorrect state, Eren takes his stand, helping you with the rest of them.
“Eren. No one asked you if you knew the states and capitals.” Erwin says, pinching both of your ears as they all laugh.
“Can’t leave my girl hanging here.”
“Your girl?” repeats Connie and the rest of them widen their eyes, leaving you and Eren to be met with a bunch of “oohs” and “aahs”
Which only flusters Eren even more. And makes your cheeks burn.
“That’s-that’s not what I meant! It’s because we’re co-stars! Like the leads, that’s why she’s my girl! Not any weird reason.” Eren stammers, the tips of his ears pink and his eyes not meeting yours.
No one believes him.
-
“Eren.”
“Hm.”
“Hot sauce.”
He leans over in the chair, opening the packet of hot sauce and handing it to you. The crew got breakfast burritos again , meaning you and Eren were slouched up in your chairs eating. The scene that was being filmed was primarily a scene for Jean and Marco, but you and Eren always love to watch everyone else act.
There’s something about the energy on set - Levi directing everyone around, everyone getting in the zone that gets you excited. All jittery and nervous and thrilled that people are going to see this amazing thing that is airing in a few weeks.
You hand Eren the burrito and he instinctively reaches forward, swiping his thumb across your bottom lip. His green eyes focused on your lips and you can feel your heart rising into your throat.
“Eren.”
He looks up, right into your eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, my bad. You had some sauce on your lip.”
And then he takes the excess sauce and licks it off his finger.
“Did you just-”
“Y/N, be quiet. They’re starting.”
You try your best to focus on the scene but all you can think about is yours and Eren’s knees bumping against each other, your fingers brushing across as you share the food, and Eren licking the sauce off of his finger. You try to brush it off as you lean over and whisper into his space.
“What scene is this, Eren?”
“Don’t remember. I was so busy trying to check my own lines I forgot to read ahead.”
You nod as Eren scoots closer, the two of you leaning forward as you start paying attention to the scene. Jeans walks closer and that’s when you realize it - Marco leaning against the wall, all charred and slumped over.
“Hey. Are you…. Marco?” Jean whispers, his voice shaking.
Eren instinctively reaches for your hand, crushing it in his hold. You look over to find Sasha and Bertholdt giving you the same confused looks as you all keep watching, Jean acting on. It seems like no one read the scene before watching it.
Jean’s a good actor. Such a good actor that you think he’s actually crying, that his voice is actually wavering. And that’s when you realize it.
Marco just died.
Your mind is running at a million miles per hour. Does that mean he’s leaving? He’s not going to be in the show anymore? You guys were all supposed to spend four or five years together filming together, but how is that fair if he’s already dead? That isn’t even an entire season-
Eren’s squeezing your hand into oblivion as the tears are falling out of his eyes, his face looking all types of broken as you glance over.
“Member of the 104th Cadet Corps and Captain of Squad 19… Marco Bodt.”
The director calls cut and the crew starts moving around, Jean helping Marco up from the ground as he brushes the tears out of his eyes. And when you catch sight of Erwin, you’re blazing fire angry. And it seems like you’re not the only one, because Ymir and Mikasa are following your suit.
“Erwin. What the hell?” you say.
Erwin and Levi look down at the three of you, confused.
“You can’t just kill Marco! That’s not fair, the show hasn’t even started yet and you already killed him off.” Reiner says, crossing his arms.
“Erwin. Cut it out of the show. You can’t do this.” Mikasa responds, glaring at him.
Levi pinches the bridge of his nose as he bends down, Erwin joining him so you’re all level heights. For some reason, angry tears are building in your eyes and your chest is burning, because…you miss Marco. And he’s not even gone yet. And it’s not fair that he died so soon and his character is all but sweet, so why does he have to die and-
Levi places his hands on yours and Reiner’s shoulders as he talks, his voice soft.
“Are you guys upset that he’s going to be leaving?”
You all nod, the tears finally flowing out of your eyes and streaming down. You can see that Reiner’s crying too, Mikasa swallowing her own tears.
“Yeah. Erwin, Levi he’s our friend. And I’ve never really had friends like this and I don’t want him to go away and-” you choke out, stammering on your words.
Levi squeezes your shoulder as you hiccup and Erwin leans forward to press all three of you in a hug. Levi’s hands are in your hair, whispering something under his breath about how you’re all sweet kids.
They both let you go and you look over to find Marco, still in his death makeup, hugging Eren, who has tears streaming down his eyes too. And when you walk over, Marco opens up his other arm, you and Eren and Jean and almost everyone crushing him into a hug, the discomfort sitting in your chest.
As you all trail back to the townhouse after set, quiet for once, you’re all milling around the main room, aimlessly. You and Armin are playing a very underwhelming game of Uno, Reiner and Marco half-assedly playing Mario Kart, and Mikasa’s teaching Ymir how to braid her hair.
Hange walks in and plops down between you and Armin, the polaroid camera in her hand.
“Hey, you guys.”
“Hi Hange.” you both mutter, flipping the cards down.
“Got an idea. You know, this shows kind of… dramatic . A lot more of the characters are going to die, but it doesn’t have to be a sad thing.”
“It is sad. That means Marco’s leaving and we won’t see him anymore.” you say, boring your eyes into Hange’s.
They lean forward to pinch your cheek, softly laughing as they continue talking.
“You’re so sweet. He’ll be back to film other scenes, yeah? And you’ll definitely see him again.”
You both nod, agreeing with Hange. They hand the camera to Armin, whispering the plan in his ears and then duck out of the hallway. And when you and Armin have everything you need - the industrial box of Rocky Road ice cream and the camera - you head to the center of the room, Armin standing on the couch to get everyone’s attention.
“When you fall off, I’m going to fucking laugh at you, Arlert.” says Ymir, looking up from braiding Sasha’s hair.
“Shut up, Ymir. Listen, we should make a deal. Every time a character dies, we all eat ice cream. Play games, stay up late, and then at the end of the night we’ll add their picture to the wall. So we don’t forget them . Like, one last hurrah or whatever. ” Armin says.
“You sound like Hange.” Annie mutters, flicking Reiner in the forehead.
“It was their idea. But we should. If Marco’s leaving in a few days, I want to spend all the time I can with him, having fun and-”
“Yeah. I want to.” says Marco, which has almost all of you agreeing.
You and Armin start by opening the tub of ice cream, all eleven of you refusing to get bowls and instead leaning over, bumping heads as you eat.
“Eren. Move your big head.”
“Shut the fuck up Connie. Your bald head is bigger than mine.”
You all start snickering as the two of them argue, smacking each other and rolling off the couch. And when Marco suggests that you play truth or dare, you all start nervously giggling as you go around the circle, all jittery from the sugar in the ice cream.
Reiner asks Connie to share the last dream that he had, which he begrudgingly shares is that he kissed Ymir. Ymir is thoroughly disgusted. Historia gets dared to call Erwin dad by accident, which just leads to Erwin giving Historia a lecture about how he appreciates that she can see him as a father figure and that he is already very proud of all of the work Historia has put in.
Bertholdt has to eat a spoonful of mayo, which he consequently throws up and Armin gets dared to steal something from the set. He takes Levi’s coffee cup and hides it in the storage room, which he is sure to get an earful for later.
“Eren. Truth or Dare?” Connie asks.
“Dare.”
“Kiss your favorite person in the room on the cheek.”
They all start giggling as they stare you down, your cheeks burning at the thought of Eren pressing his lips to yours. Connie and Bertholdt are making kissy faces at you, Ymir and Annie leaning over to pinch your cheeks.
And you brace yourself, for when Eren’s going to press his lips into your skin. Except he doesn’t. He leans over and kisses Armin on the cheek and you try your best to hide your…disappointment? Sadness? But that’s on you.
Why would you assume you’re Eren’s favorite person on set?
Everyone boos at Eren for picking a copout answer and you pretend not to be offended as you keep playing the game. And on hour two of playing, Levi comes and yells at you all to shut the fuck up and go to bed , which leads to Armin taking the picture of Marco - all cheesing and smiley and tacking it to the wall. Connie takes a sharpie and labels the wall “fly high angel” to mark the occasion.
Except his dumbass writes angle instead of angel.
You all shuffle back to your rooms, giggling and laughing, and you and Eren giving each other a smile as you switch into your respective rooms.
-
You hear a knock on your door and instantly jump up, ready to duck out of set to go get slushies with Eren. Except when you swing the door open, Jean’s standing at your store instead of Eren.
“Oh. Hi Jean.”
“Hi…is-”
“She’s in the shower. You’re welcome to wait for her here if you’d like?”
You swing the door open and he flops onto Mikasa’s bed, watching your fan spin around on the ceiling.
You’re not sure what it is or why Jean and Mikasa are assuaged from the barrage of teasing and cooing that you and Eren get whenever you’re around each other, because you’re almost a thousand percent sure that the two of them are worse than you and Eren.
Because they actually like each other. You’ve often come home from filming or playing games with Bertholdt and Historia to find the two of them sitting on the floor, holding hands while watching a movie. Or Jean giving Mikasa bracelets or telling her that he thinks she’s really pretty.
Maybe they’re not paying attention and that the only person who knows is you. Or maybe it’s because they don’t turn red or deny their feelings, because they actually like each other. You and Eren aren’t like that, because in earnest, you two really are just friends.
“You okay? Your room must be pretty empty.”
Marco moved out earlier today. Not a single dry eye in the room.
“Yeah, that’s kinda why I came. Sometimes it just feels kind of lonely, but I think Levi and Erwin might move someone in with me or put me with Connie or something.”
“That’s nice. It’ll be fun to have a roommate.”
He nods, cracking his fingers as the shower runs behind the two of you.
“Hey Jean.”
“Hm.”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
You sit up, hopping off your desk chair and onto the bed where Jean was sitting. He’s leaned back against Mikasa’s perfectly propped pillows, lazily swinging the charm of his necklace back and forth on the chain.
“How do you know you like Mikasa?”
He looks up from his chain, giving you an inquisitive look, before answering.
“Dunno. I like being around her. Like, whenever I’m in a room, the person I want to be next to is her. Or the first person I tell good news to and I want her to know like…random things about me. My moms name, my first pet, how I hate my first grade teacher. I just like to share things with her. Like how it feels when I'm with her you know - like...like that's Mikasa. She's my girlfriend."
“Oh. Okay, that makes sense.”
He nods, plopping back down on her pillows and twisting the chain in his hands again.
You halfheartedly nod as Mikasa rolls out of the bathroom, giving you two smiles as she takes the seat next to Jean. You give the two of them a smile as you pad out of the room and straight into Eren and Armin’s across.
“Hi. Mind if I sit? Jean and Mika are-”
“Sure.” Eren says, scooting over on his bed and patting on the sheets.
“Where’s Min?”
“Ah. With Erwin. I think he’s taking the Marco thing kind of hard.”
You nod, shuffling on the bed as Eren shuts his laptop, leaning back onto the headboard.
“Are you okay, Eren? With him being gone?”
“Feels weird. It kind of just makes me nervous for who else will leave us, you know?”
Us.
“Yeah.”
Eren tangles his hand with yours at your side, taking turns cracking each of the knuckles on your fingers.
“Do you ever wonder why they tease us so much? For being friends?”
He angles his head over, the wisps of his brown hair tickling on your forehead.
“Like. Mikasa and Jean really like each other. They’re always holding hands in my room and-”
“What? They like each other?”
“I think so. I don’t know, they’ve never really hid it from me.”
“Well, you’re sweet. You’d never make fun of them for that. I had no idea that they liked each other. They’re probably just not outward with it in front of everyone else.”
“And we aren’t outward with anything. I don’t know, we just act normal and they’re always like saying this stuff about how you and I-”
“Y/N.”
You stop talking as he squeezes your hand three times, almost like a little knock signaling you to stop talking.
“I think they just… don’t get us. You and I are special. I just feel like I’ve known you forever and that we really fit together and I think they can sense that or something. And they think it’s romantic even if it’s not, you know?”
“Yeah.”
He squeezes your hand three more times, the words knocking through your head. Special. Fit together. Not romantic. He leans over, green eyes staring into yours.
“You and me. Always?”
You nod, swallowing hard as you lean back.
“Plus. They can’t kill us off. We’re the main characters.”
-
You shuffle in your seat as the director yells action, as you look down at Eren, tied up against the post in the middle of the set. You’re filming the scene where Levi is supposed to just kick Eren’s ass in the middle of the court, to prove to the other characters that they can control him and his titan powers.
Except you’re on your fifth take of this scene, Eren getting increasingly frustrated because Levi’s been yelling at him all morning, claiming that he isn’t acting good enough for the scene. Levi’s a bit of a perfectionist, meaning he won’t let anyone leave until the scene is perfect the way he wants it.
Eren especially. You could always tell that Levi was always more fond of Eren than everyone else, but you never thought that would mean Levi would be extra harsh on him. Which is clearly just pissing Eren off today.
“Maybe we should dissect her just in case!”
“Wait. Maybe I am a monster, but she has nothing to do with that! Nothing at all!” Eren screams, his voice straining and his eyes pinching shut as he wrestles against the handcuffs.
“As if we could believe you!”
“It’s a fact!”
“You’re defending her? She must be one of you!”
“No!”
Levi stomps into the middle of the set, leaning down and getting level with Eren. And then he starts yelling at him.
“Eren. You can do so much better than that. You have to give it your all or this isn’t going to work.”
“I am giving it my all. You’ve had me working for five hours now and I-”
“So? You have to get used to that type of time commitment if you want to be the best like you said you did and-”
Eren and Levi keep going back and forth, Hange signaling at you from the back of the set as you both arise from your chairs, leaning down to meet them.
“Levi. Go easy on him, we’ve been-” Hange starts,
“No. He can do better than this and I know he can. He just doesn’t want to. If he would just put in a little effort, it would be better.”
“Levi, maybe you’re being too harsh on him-” you start.
Levi rolls his eyes as he stands up, calling for a break as you unhook Eren from the post. The second you unlock him, he storms off straight off of the set.
“Hange.”
“Yeah?”
“Can you take a longer break from us? I’ll talk to him.”
“I’ll talk to Levi. He just…he knows Eren can be really good. That he has potential. He’s just trying to get him there faster because he wants Eren to do well.”
“I know, Hange.”
You shoot them a smile as you run into the storage closet, yanking out the tandem bike and heading to find Eren.
-
You kick the rocks in front of you as you hand Eren the slushie, anxiously looking over at him. He’s still radiating anger, from the way his shoulders are tense and how his knuckles are nearly white against the cup. The two of you biked in silence and even the cashier could tell Eren was having some type of fit today.
“Eren.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He sighs as he leans into your touch, resting his head against your shoulder.
“I just-I’m trying really hard to get it. And Levi’s always just so hard on me, I can’t even tell if I’m doing a good job or if I can do this or-”
You reach down, crushing his hand in your hold, as you respond.
“Eren. You’re doing a really great job. Even Levi thinks that. He just… he knows you’re great and he’s trying to tap into that.”
“I know, it just makes me wonder sometimes if I’m cut out for this. Or that Best Actor savant that I-”
“Eren. You’re going to get it. I know that for a fact. It might not be this season or the next, but you will get it. You’re- you’re literally amazing, I just know you’ll be one of the best of our generation and-”
“You’re just saying that because-”
“I’m not! I really do think that, I- I’d even bet on it for you. You’re the best person for this role and you’re perfect for it and in general too and I just think you should be more confid-”
“Y/N, I-”
“Like really, I think you have the chops to be great. I can’t even believe I have to be your costar because I am infinitely mediocre next to you when you’re just so amazing and already have so many credits and-”
You’re cut off by Eren’s lips on your cheek, pressing a soft kiss to your skin. You reach up to the skin as you look over at him, positively bug eyed.
“You-why would y-”
“The other day. You are my favorite person on set. I just didn’t want them to make fun of us for it.”
“Oh. Right, I-”
“Finish the slushie. We’ll go back after.”
When you return, Eren finishes the scene in one take. And gets Levi’s golden stamp of approval.
-
When you and Eren film the last scene of the season, on your last day of shooting for a few months, you can’t help but feel a despair in your chest. Everyone else was already long gone, having given your wistful goodbyes and promises of keeping in touch until you come back to (hopefully) film the second season.
Which leaves you, Eren, Erwin, Levi, Hange, and the crew to film the last scene. The backstory of how you and Eren came to be, where he wraps the scarf around your neck.
While you love having everyone else around, it was nice to have a few days of just you and Eren, where you can soak in his company before you have to be apart for a few days. You make ramen together in the mornings, he teaches you how to play video games, and you talk about almost anything and everything in those three days.
And when you go to film the scene, the despair of being apart from him…from your best friend really settles in. You’re sure it makes the scene all the more better.
“It’s cold…. I don’t have anywhere to go home to.” you say.
Eren walks over, his voice uncharacteristically soft, so gentle when he wraps the scarf around your neck that it makes your cheeks burn.
“You can have this. It’s warm, right?”
Grisha walks forward, placing a hand on Eren’s shoulder as he says his line.
“Y/N. You should come live with us. You’ve been through plenty.”
And when you look at Eren, you can feel your heart beating as he says the next lines. And for some reason, this version of Eren feels less like the character Eren and more like the real Eren.
Your Eren. Tandem bikes, slushies, squeezing hands three times Eren.
He reaches forward, squeezing your hand three times like he was reading your fucking mind, as he says the next line. While he acts dismissive, you can see the warmth in his eyes, and it feels like something else. Like he’s trying to hint something at you, tell you something you can’t exactly pick up on.
“Come on. Let’s go back already. To our home.”
And when you squeeze Eren’s hand three times back and trail off out of the shot of the camera, you both smile at each other, Eren turning to face you.
“See you in a few months?”
“Yeah.”
“Call me every day?”
You roll your eyes as you reach over to flick his forehead, to which he pinches the sides of your waist. You squirm out of his hold, the feel of his fingers ticklish as you both laugh.
“Yes, Eren. I’ll call you every day.”
“Okay, good. Don’t forget me when you become famous overnight.”
“You’re so full of shit, Eren. That’s not going to happen.”
You’re totally wrong, for what it’s worth. The first episode of Attack on Titan airs on Friday. You and Eren start trending on Saturday.
--
next part linked here
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#method acting#seeingivywrites!#eren x you#eren x reader#eren x y/n#actor eren#actor eren x you#actor eren x reader#actor eren x y/n#eren fluff#aot x you#aot x reader#aot x y/n#snk#aot#snk x reader#snk x y/n#snk x you#eren jeager x you#eren jeager x reader#eren jeager x y/n#eren jeager fluff#eren jeager#eren yeager#eren aot#eren jaeger#attack on titan#attack on titan fluff#attack on titan x reader#read more break
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Hi, it's me again, flightyalrighty! (๑•̀ㅁ•́ฅ✧
Anyway, about the whole Sonic versus the Police thing, yknow, punk era Sonic. I don't think Shadow had ever seen that punk side of Sonic? He's more exposed to his heroic side, so will it affect his perception towards Sonic? It's been so long since I've read Archie Sonic and Shadow seems to have little screen time as far as I could remember, I'm just picking up the IDW comics since it's starting to intrigue me. Plus, he was busy trying to destroy or save the world in the games (SonicA2 of his first appearance and with 06 where Sonic keeps running around with the princess from Eggman) to even properly notice Sonic's rebellious spirit. Is your comics going to have some panels about Sonic exposing his hidden distaste towards the authority to Shadow and others(?) I would love to see punk era Sonic in action again ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ
Btw, I've seen some clips from TikTok n YouTube of your panels and they intrigued me, glad I managed to find you on Tumblr! Been waiting patiently for your updates ٩( ᐛ )و
Hi! While I've allowed some people to dub my comic on Youtube, I've most certainly not allowed for anyone to post my comic on TikTok, and it sucks to hear about that, though it's unsurprising. Now, on to the question:
I wouldn't necessarily say Shadow got very little screen time in Archie! In the main book, sure, he wouldn't pop up as often as, say, Knuckles (I think?) but the guy did have like six arcs in Sonic Universe (seven if we count Worlds Collide) where he was one of the main characters (or at least showed up a bunch again if we're counting Worlds Collide), and 24-28 issues of Shadow is nothing to sneeze at! That's about a fourth of that series's run if I'm doing my math right!
In the early Flynn days of Archie, he was also showing up seemingly at random. He appeared in issue 160 for seemingly no reason (was he really just there to wish Sonic a happy birthday) iirc, and shows up in that Enerjak Knuckles arc to get his ass kicked, to name two off the top of my head.
Remember, Shadow is the second most popular character in the franchise, and Archie was well aware of this. They were absolutely using him to sell books.
To be honest, though, and now I promise I really am answering your question, I think Shadow's already seen Sonic's rebellious spirit plenty within SA2. Busy destroying the world or not, Sonic was rebelling against him, and he was doing that successfully. That is, I believe a part of what made Sonic so intriguing to Shadow.
Now, at this point in Infested, Shadow considers himself an extension of G.U.N. Sonic rebelling against them is, in a way, rebelling against him once again. That said, it's different now. Sonic wasn't just being annoying and getting in his way, he was wasting time and looking to run off and put more people in danger. His rebellious spirit, the thing that Shadow once found admirable in him, is now a threat to the world he's currently trying to protect.
This version of Shadow, based on Archie Sonic with events from the games as part of the canon, is also willing to believe that whatever mistreatment he takes from the military is justified. He's already done plenty of harm. He knows what he's capable of.
That comment, though, from Sonic. That comment about how those special handcuffs were already built and ready for Shadow. How far in advance did they begin work on that thing? How long had it been in storage, waiting for him? Was it right when he had joined them? After the incident with Black Death and Eclipse? Were those handcuffs born from a cruel pragmatism and paranoia from an organization he'd already sworn total loyalty to, or simply in response to what has already occurred?
This will haunt Shadow.
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Sukuna and Kenjaku's Relationship
Diving into Sukuken's relationship - there’s plenty of mystery that surrounds the relationship between Sukuna and Kenjaku and I wanted to explore their interactions + some points of interest.
First starting with some of the early moments between Sukuna and Kenjaku.
The first sort of interaction we get between both is Ch. 136, with Kenjaku calling out to Sukuna:
The second interaction (which is also the first time we see Kenjaku and Sukuna talking face to face) happens a bit later when Sukuna takes over Megumi's body, in Ch. 216. There’s a lovely panel of Kenjaku inquiring about Sukuna’s interest in Yoruzu:
(Perhaps a bit like a jealous girlfriend, jk jk but I do love Kenjaku’s expression there haha.)
Next up, we have some of my absolute favorite interactions! From chapter 221 & 222:
1) Gojo's mommy comment and Gojo himself thinking that Sukuna and Kenjaku look to have a close relationship or at least a binding vow and 2) Ch. 222 reveals that Kenjaku stayed by Sukuna's side for a month, (since Gojo would have come after Kenjaku if he left Sukuna’s side for even an instant).
And with that I want to segue into why their relationship is so intriguing to me.
First off - why does Sukuna /the/ king of curses, who does whatever he wants when he wants, tolerate so many of Kenjaku’s whims?
It doesn’t just stop with spending a month together, starting with the obvious:
Yuji - a vessel that can keep Sukuna sealed and is said by Gojo to be a "once in a thousand years occurrence". Sukuna himself refers to Yuji as a cage. And yet despite Yuji being a prison and general nuisance to Sukuna, there’s not really any animosity directed at Kenjaku from Sukuna for creating Yuji.
At most Sukuna comments that Kenjaku is always doing gross things [2] , but again, no negative feelings on Sukuna's part. (For Yuji on the other hand…)
And that seems to be a recurring theme for them: Kenjaku involving Sukuna in his whims and Sukuna going along with it. This continues even after Kenjaku’s death, with him leaving the merger in the hands of Sukuna. Which, in my opinion, is also noteworthy because this is the culmination of at least several centuries of work from Kenjaku. His life’s work, if you will, that Kenjaku is entrusting to Sukuna.
What does Sukuna gain from it? Or, what has Kenjaku done to earn a favor from Sukuna? You could say that there’s some sort of binding vow in place between them, like Gojo (and also what Yuji & Megumi theorize), however…
Unlike other reincarnated sorcerers who needed to make a vow with Kenjaku in order to acquire a vessel/because they did not know how to turn themselves into cursed objects (like Uro), Angel states that Sukuna had already known how to split his soul into a cursed object, and then follows up in Ch. 228 by stating that Kenjaku was the one who taught Sukuna this and Sukuna only needed to see it once to replicate it.
This method is what Sukuna has used to exist throughout the ages, so unlike other reincarnated sorcerers that needed Kenjaku’s help, Sukuna didn't need it and I highly doubt that Kenjaku teaching Sukuna one thing would be enough for him to put up with as much of Kenjaku’s plans as he does.
So what keeps Sukuna and Kenjaku working together in the current timeline and what has their past been like? (Even Kusukabe is wondering…) Can’t answer that, but what I can say is that it is again so intriguing to me to see just how much Sukuna takes in stride, when it comes to Kenjaku, who he has to have known at least for 1000 years. [3]
Before I close this out - I do want to add a couple of little tidbits that aren’t necessarily direct interactions between Sukuna and Kenjaku but that some might find to be of note:
Ch. 209 - Kenjaku accompanying Uruame to scout out the place for Sukuna's bath.
Ch. 220 - Kenjaku bringing Tengen's mummified remains to Sukuna as a souvenir.
Ch. 239 - Kenjaku talks about his requirements for friendship: 1) Never bore him. 2) Must be his equal. While the manga doesn't explicitly confirm if Sukuna fits in this category... I do want to ask, who can stand by the side of the "evilest sorcerer in history" if not the "strongest sorcerer in history"?
Ch. 206 - Kenjaku uses his domain by opening it and activating a technique without closing the barrier and in the following chapter Tengen states that it is an amazing feat and that Sukuna also used the same type of domain in Shibuya. (Battle Couple vibes anyone? lol... i wish... ;; w ;; )
Alright and that’s a wrap! If anyone feels like there’s moments I might have missed or other connections they noticed between Sukuna and Kenjaku feel free to say!
-
[1] Very big thank you to @xluna-reclipse for looking over this and helping me make sure it made sense! <3
[2] I originally wrote this before Jin’s reveal so the specifics of what Sukuna is referring to aren’t added in the main text but I will add a note about it here: Kenjaku tracking down Sukuna’s twin soul and making a baby with said twin? Just what is going on with all that!
[3] Yuki theorizes Sukuna and Kenjaku have known each other for at least 1000 years and we know that Sukuna, Kenjaku and Tengen all know each other.
[4] This has been cross posted to my JJK twitter as well: https://x.com/sphenoidfeast/status/1797463887635448244?s=46&t=FKi8j4rxOlIqGltirgeySQ
[5] Full list of chapters referenced:
Ch. 2 Ch. 119 Ch. 134 Ch.136 Ch. 145 Ch. 158 Ch. 176 Ch. 187 Ch. 206 Ch. 207 Ch. 213 Ch. 214 Ch. 215 Ch. 216 Ch. 220 Ch. 221 Ch. 222 Ch. 228 Ch. 239 Ch. 243 Ch. 248
#SukuKen#Kenjaku#宿羂#Sukuna x Kenjaku#Sukuna Ryomen#Jujutsu Kaisen#trying to find any fellow 宿羂 sisters around tumblr... ;;w;;#writings
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Batman Europa #3 lemme just inform everyone that i did not feel like making this one, and It's only because I have to do two parts to Batman Europa #3. there's so many wonderful moments in this issue. It'd be illegal for me not to show all of them. Alright let's talk about the first cutout panel from Batman Europa'#3 I would like to elaborate on Batman's patience here. I've already said this before, however Batman has so much patience with the Joker. He literally just sighs and ask the Joker can he stop his babbling. Batman here is obviously just trying to start a fight. He's once again grabbing the Joker recklessly. Batman you can just ask him you know? Plus he already mention he told you, so this just let's me know you want to argue a little, or even chat a little, but I do think he's also making sure the Joker isn't setting him up. The Joker telling Batman is hypocritical question is so funny to me, and Batman responds with 'heh that's funny' I swear theses two are so married. Batman doesn't tell the Joker to shut up until he talks about them murdering each other. I wonder why? What I really wanted to point out that the Joker listens to the Batman and be quiet for a whole hour? I'm in awe to be honest. The fact that Batman is complimenting the Joker again, and chucking too. It gives me life. Batman is so free around him.
Batman's over here thinking. 'What heart?' Nah, I'm just joking around. I have no doubt that he's just flabbergasted by the Joker right now. He is finding out something new about him, and he's just surprise by it, but I love how his mouth slightly hangs open in befuddle way, like is this really happening too.
I can't entirely believe that Batman just stands by, watching the Joker. He so fascinated with this man!!! Batman also refers to the Joker as his closet enemy. What he really meant is his closest friend. It's in disguise. I'm telling you. I mean but why did he choose those words though? He could've have said my greatest enemy. Bruce please stop playing with us here.
Like Bruce are you saying that the Joker has charm? I actually love this page, because Batman's aware of the Joker's charm. The Joker doesn't need to look amazing in appearance. What makes up for his appearance is his charm itself. It's why Batman can be so intrigue by the Joker, and find him attractive. Batman also wanted to know how it feels to be the Joker, and again Batman's kind of complimenting the Joker here.
I just can't with Batman always trying to start a fight here. The Joker refuses to fight with the Batman while they're working together, but Batman continue to try to go back with the usually routine. Let's fight a little. Batman looks like he misses it more than the Joker here to be honest, but here's a theory. I believe Batman desires the touches from the Joker. He's not fighting with him, which involves a lot of touching. This is Batman way of getting that from the Joker, without making it obvious, and the reason I believe this is because after the Joker's touches Batman arm to call him down He relaxes and doesn't seem the littlest mad to be honest. Batman also grabs the Joker constantly, and even chokes him throughout the comic run. The Joker on the other hand isn't trying to fight with Batman, because he feels free touching Batman whatever way he pleases. Batman's the one who has to stop him. I mean Batman can clearly see no one's laughing. The Joker isn't laughing neither. Batman just find a reason to grab the Joker. He waits for the Joker to say anything about him to attack, that's the only way to touch him without him feeling wrong about it. Now this is just a theory. It definitely might not be true, or maybe it's something I deeply want. Lmao
And the way Batman willingly let's the Joker push him away says a whole lot, and not Bruce raising his hand to ask a question. Oh my god! I'm dying. The Joker just over here like 'bats shut up' and Batman is raising his hand like can I ask something. I can't even think of another villain Batman has done this with? It's so funny to me. I just love, love how the Joker speaks to Batman like he's a child, and Bruce takes it. It's just my opinion.
#batjokes#batman and joker#batman#comics#batman x joker#comic books#dc comics#the joker#batmm#dcedit#word's#theories
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why you should read Mystic Prince if you enjoyed ORV
Mystic Prince / Prince of Myolyeong (묘령의 황자) is a fantasy and action-adventure manhwa with art & story by Aheuredal (아흐레달) and in my humble opinion, an absolute hidden gem. it's literally one the best manhwas i've ever read (among the top 2) and i've finally gathered my thoughts enough to try to articulate why i love it so much, and hopefully convince you to give it a chance!
here's the official summary on webtoon:
An immortal emperor rules the Kingdom of Yeol, a divine country blessed by gods with awesome powers. After a thousand years of peaceful rule, the time has come for a new emperor to be chosen. This is determined by a series of trials, in which twenty princes with special powers who have trained since birth must compete. As all princes of varying personalities and agendas gather to partake in the trials, intrigue and possibly even bloodshed seem all but certain. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the other princes, the Fourth Prince Jeok-yeon Ryu hides a secret he must guard with his life.
anyway i literally made a carrd for this, that's how much i care about this manhwa and i worked very hard on it!! you can find the carrd here*
(* also if you hate daily pass like me pls note that there's a fan translation as well! just keep in mind that some episodes have ost but you can find the links to youtube on the carrd as well. but if you enjoy it please do try to leave likes, comments, and a good rating on webtoon to support the creator!)
Mystic Prince is incredibly unique in terms of story and execution that i can't really compare it to anything else but here's why i think you'll enjoy it, especially if you also liked orv:
strong-willed MC who's not naturally skilled but works extremely hard
said MC is willing to suffer and hurt themselves to achieve their goals (aka kim dokja-esque tendencies)
seemingly cold and aloof ML with yoo joonghyuk vibes at first, naturally gifted and seems to look down on everyone
...but is actually head over heels for MC and just doesn't know how to express his feelings
ensemble cast of incredibly complex and well-developed characters with different personalities and motivations
MC seems a little dense at times but they have a tragic backstory that explains why they're Like That
incredibly bisexual vibes !! like literally off the charts
slowburn romance that is cooking up such a great meal
MC and ML have actually known each other for centuries
characters go through trials that involve risking death
extremely unique lore and world-building
i said ML before but there are actually multiple potential MLs with how much complexity all the character dynamics have
beautiful character designs (literally over 10+ within the main cast and they're all so unique)
evocative writing and heartfelt monologues that seem taken out of a book of pure poetry
narratively significant motifs of fire and water (à la orv's black/white and reader/protagonist)
profound and realistic depiction of the inner feelings and troubles that the characters go through
incredibly heart-wrenching original soundtrack! (actually made me cry)
some of the most gorgeous art i've seen in any manhwa (seriously pls just open the 1st episode and look at the first few panels)
[spoilers below for chapter ~10]
delicious gender fuckery
MC is actually cross-dressing afab (i personally hc them as genderqueer; korean doesn't have gendered pronouns but the official tl uses she/her pronouns)
bonus: they're built like a fucking tank (as seen here) like hello??? which is so refreshing to see for an afab MC
plus they're also canonically lacking in empathy but still deeply compassionate which again is really refreshing
i'm sure there's even more stuff i'm forgetting but these are just some reasons off the top of my head why i think this manhwa is so amazing
please do give Mystic Prince a chance, it's an absolute delight!! there are multiple beautiful covers but here's a couple of them, BE ART BAITED <3
and finally some of my personal reactions to Mystic Prince and also a note regarding the content warnings under the cut!
feel free to skip this part lol but personally when i look for recs, i love when people tell me their emotional reactions and how passionate they are about it! so if this tells you anything,
this is the ONLY manhwa to have made me cry so far (yes that includes the orv webtoon, but not the novel ofc) like actually ugly sobbing with snot and tears and everything lmao
(it's not all sad though! this manhwa will have you clutching your heart one moment and then cackling out loud the next)
and it's also the ONLY manhwa i've ever spent actual money on before the fan tl picked it up just so i could read the advanced chapters (i'm notoriously cheap so this says a lot imo)
and i'm not alone in this, every other comment on webtoon is people saying the exact same thing. the general consensus is that this is 100% a hidden gem (webtoon DP my behated why'd you have to shoot yourself in the foot like that)
also regarding the content warnings on the carrd: this was my first time making a list of cws (i don't think anyone else has made one yet?) and i was a little hesitant to add them, so i sincerely apologize if i missed anything!! if anyone else has anything else to add (cws or otherwise) then please feel free to send me a message and i'll be happy to edit it!!
(btw this was inspired by this post which is also a great summary for why u should read a cnovel called mist unlimited)
#mystic prince#prince of myolyeong#orv#omniscient reader's viewpoint#webtoon#manhwa#manhwa recommendation#묘령의 황자#gabby speaks
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i want to see people to be talking about this panel in the promised neverland
tpn theory type stuff below cut
google search and stuff has gotten pretty bad so that might be why i'm struggling so much to find theories on this but omg it's a little frustrating because this is the coolest panel.
for anyone that doesn't remember, this was at the demon temple that showed them how to reach the seven walls.
there's one specific thing here that interests me the most, and it's the main reason i think this panel is so interesting, but there's so many other significant things to discuss here so i'll just get through some quickly.
at the top we see what i think is almost definitely the night and day, and the demon god. there're then lines pointing to the beginning of the evolution tree with the small bacteria-like first demons. i think this is telling us that the demon god is the originator of all of the demons. that's pretty huge?? i haven't heard anyone ever talk about that. i don't think this is far-fetched at all too. i strongly believe in this theory.
under the bacteria-like demons are these bipedal, horned, almost human-like demons. i'm less sure about what these are and i think this is more up for debate but i'm guessing these are a slightly evolved form of the first demons from eating lots of small things and slowly working their way a little up the food chain. with slight variations probably from slightly different diets.
under that, we see the demon evolution that we are familiar with.
they eat a fish, they become a fish-like demon. they eat a human, they become the familiar human-like demon. they eat bugs or other small wild creatures, they become the also familiar wild demon. (side note: we know humanoid demons also eat bugs alongside humans which is interesting. what unique affect to bugs have on them?)
it's showing us what the demons will evolve into after eating certain organisms. it all seems to align with what we know from normans research so far.
except for one thing. this is the thing that interests me more than anything else.
UNDER THE SNAKE CREATURE THERE'S JUST AN X.
WHY TF CANT THEY EAT SNAKES.
i don't think we ever get even a hint towards what this could mean in the manga.
gonna be real, i think even if i tried to look for patterns myself, i wouldn't know enough about biology to find much. i don't know much of anything about biology. i think the only thing i take away from this is that for some reason they can't eat snakes.
this stuff intrigues me so much and i just wish i could find more theories out there on this. rahhhh it's so cool. i just want an answer.
oh wait also what is this thing i dunno
honestly i can't make it out
anyway thanks for reading, i don't post about TPN but i just finished rereading all 20 volumes. i probably won't post about it again i just want to get this out
#tpn manga spoilers#my post#the promised neverland#TPN#tpn theories#tpn manga#demons#snakes#cuvitidala
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Where is the recent infinity comic with William & Thomas (?) or Billy & Tommy (?) supposed to fit into canon? Like is it an au or something? Bc I’ve only seen one panel of it but it doesn’t seem to actually fit anywhere into canon since Billy & Tommy didn’t know that eachother existed at that age and William & Thomas were William & Thomas not Billy & Tommy, Thomas didn’t have white hair and they were both toddlers when they died??
So, the comic you're asking about is this week's issue of Marvel Voices: Avengers Academy on Marvel Unlimited. The issue ends with a scene of a very young Billy and Tommy fleeing from Mephisto and hiding out in a spooky chapel on Academy grounds. There is an editor's note in the issue which explains this, but these versions of Billy and Tommy first appeared in the Young Avengers run of the Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic back in 2022. Both comics are written by Anthony Oliveira, who's previously several one-shot and event tie-ins with Billy, Teddy, and sometimes Tommy.
And yes, this is taking place in present day, Earth-616 continuity.
In the Young Avengers series, Iron Lad is fighting an evil future version of Kristoff Vernard-- you know, Doctor Doom's son?-- over a shard of the M'Kraan crystal. The crystal flies off and passes through a series of time- and space-rifts, visiting each of the Young Avengers before arriving at its final destination.
Like I said, there's a lot of time-warping going on. Teddy is reunitied with a past version of his mom, and America encounters these weird little-kid versions of Billy and Tommy. These are, apparently, the souls of Wanda's sons, from after they were taken by Mephisto in Avengers West Coast. They escaped from his Hell when the crystal passed through, opening a rift which leads them to America in the present day. America defends them from Mephisto, and the kids flee through another rift with the crystal in tow, but they don't show up again for the rest of the series.
In Avengers Academy, the school campus is built in a pocket-dimension that was created using the same M'kraan crystal shard. Presumably, the rift that Billy and Tommy escaped through led them there.
My assumption is that this storyline is meant to bridge the gap between the twins' death and reincarnation. I've always felt that the retcon in Children's Crusade explained it just fine-- Wanda attempted to resurrect them using Earth's Life Force, and it worked, just not how she expected. There is room to build on top of that, though, and here, we're seeing how their souls escaped from Mephisto in order to make that reincarnation possible. The fact that time travel is explicitly involved also accounts for the timeline discrepancies around their reincarnation, although, again, that was easy enough to justify with Wanda’s heightened reality-warping.
There are also some very touching moments with Billy and America, who's really struggling in this story after finding out that everything she believed about the Utopian Parallel is a lie. There is potential here to fix some of the damage that was done to her character by threading their storylines back together Billy appears to be inspired to someday create the Parallel himself, and comments that he and Tommy might do it together, which is is interesting. Turning Billy's Demiurge destiny into a shared role makes a lot more sense after Scarlet Witch (2024) did something similar with Wanda and Pietro.
Overall, I like this storyline, but I will say that there are a number of small continuity errors, and Oliveira makes it seem as if Wanda abandoned her sons and doesn't have a good relationship with them in the present, neither of which is true. It left a bad taste in my mouth, so I am intrigued, but nervous.
The twins' ages feel very arbitrary-- they were barely toddlers when they died-- but this isn't the first time they've been retroactively aged up. Vision (2016) made them appear older in flashbacks. Tommy's hair color doesn't really bother me, because the twins weren't originally intended to have Wanda and Pietro's powers/coloring. Applying it retroactively is fine, especially since, again, this is a slightly older version, and Pietro's always canonically had white hair from a young age.
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✨4KOTA 141✨
I have a lot of things to say about this Chapter.
First things first. Sixtus. Love him.
His entrance. Great. 10/10
I also find it so funny how Sixtus' magic is casually dropped on us like this with no explanation, it's frustrating when it comes to analyzing the lore but it's hilarious how casual it was, like yeah Sixtus can do this, this is normal, no need to think about it too much lol. In a sense, this makes sense actually since in the lens of someone who hasn't read 7ds this is just showing what Sixtus can do and will be further explained later.
A little detail I noticed is this.
Apparently, the place they're in currently is the Fairy Kings Forest that was burned years ago. It's quite nice to see how the trees and plants around are starting to grow back and in the distant future it'll grow back to a forest again. It's also intriguing how this place doesn't seem to be affected by Arthur taking chucks of land off Britannia, at least it looks that way.
I also made a previous post that these Chaos mages may just be after the ancient medicine, I'm right on that one and it's called the Drug of Yore and as explained by Sixtus
This very well is the same elixir that King used to cure Elizabeth in Grudge of Edinburgh and after hearing this Mertyl contemplated that it may just be what he needs to essentially "cure" his body.
As established, Sixtus can read minds and it's quite nice to see his reaction when Mertyl thought of this. Sixtus must have known that Mertyl is not really his brother but he still views him as his big bro, he's concerned for him and he knows that that drug won't have any effect because the reason why Mertyl is sickly is because he's a human in the Fairy Realm.
Now, why Arthur's minions are after the Drug of Yore is quite interesting. The Drug of Yore is actually the perfect cure for Diodra and I wonder if Arthur is after it for Ironside's sake (probably not lol)
I also want to take a moment and talk about this panel. King started off outright saying that Nasiens is his long lost son and he's been searching for him this entire time then he backtracks and changes the subject. This is a good moment to note that King wants to tell him the truth but just doesn't know how to discuss it to him. To be fair, it's a hard topic to start.
King went on to discuss Spirit lore and that the tunnel of whispers is a quiet place where you can hear the voices of spirits. This could be the primary reason why he decided to put Percival there. King then added that he has a gift for Nasiens, this could very well be the Drug of Yore that they can use to bring Percival back once they get into contact with his Spirit.
Also, I wanna know whose idea it was to bring Percy to the Fairy Realm, cause sure the Fairy Realm has a place like this but no one could have known unless they asked King about it.
Now, a lot of people speculate on how Mertyl can be manipulated into joining Camelot because of his desire to get the Drug of Yore and King's inevitable decision to give it to Nasiens. Which is a cute plotline but not anything major.
A lot of people also want the pace to speed up a bit and focus on the knights. Which to be fair, yeah we should. But this arc does a few things for the plot, this arc is basically showing us the way to bring Percival back and introducing new characters that will be relevant later on, also we gotta remember that Lancelot is King's nephew and he could pop up at any time.
I can see the Drug of Yore and Percival's revival to be center stage for this arc, as all plot points are connected to it. King seems to know a whole lot about Life Spirits and Spirits in general so he could be Percy's guide into understanding himself better.
Overall, a great Chapter can't wait for the next one.
#4kota 141#four knights of the apocalypse#nanatsu no taizai#seven deadly sins#nnt#4kota#mokushiroku no yon kishi#mokushiroku no yonkishi#seven deadly sins sequel#nanatsu no taizai mokushiroku no yonkishi
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Love in Chaos
The way chapter 393 seized me from the inside out, brought me to my knees, smiling with fierce glee—it was all the proof I needed. All at once, a checklist I didn’t even know I was keeping started getting all its boxes ticked. I’ll admit that for some time, I haven’t been sure exactly how Toga’s story should be handled for her to get the care, nuance, and dignity she deserves. So I’ve been resigned, waiting to see what Horikoshi has to say about it. I didn’t know until I saw it, but I can tell we’re on exactly the same page.
This fight between Ochako and Toga—or should I say Himiko, since ya know, they’re both on a first name basis now—it’s a kind of breaking point for the overarching narrative and its themes. Here is where the big questions about hero/villain society are not only asked, but answered. Himiko, more than any of the other main villains, was branded with that label as far back as she can remember, without her having done anything except exist. Thus, she carries the weight of their society’s problems and becomes a symbol of the injustice in prejudice and fear, the brutal agony of being rejected by the world. I’ve maintained this resolve about the story for a long time: I will not be satisfied with an ending that constitutes a return to normal, or even a slightly amended normal. I know that it would be a disservice to Himiko if she were made to fit into society again, whether that be in death or reform or containment. Society has to change for her. After 393, I can tell that Horikoshi knows this too.
It’s the way Ochako steps up to this conversation so boldly and positions herself on Himiko’s side. When Himiko dismisses her words as fickle, claims she’ll go back on them and do horrible things to punish her according to hero society, Ochako comes right back and says no, this isn’t about what you’ve done, this is about you. I see you. I see your beautiful smile and I want to protect it.
Throughout her life, Himiko has not been treated like a real person, so of course this is what she needs. No lecture on morals could disarm her the way acceptance can. It’s also extremely refreshing and reassuring to see Himiko being taken seriously. I’m so incredibly excited for Ochako to accomplish such a completely transgressive act of unconditional love against this harsh world. I could stare in awe of the panels in this chapter for hours, how they’re drawn at the exact intersection of beauty, pain, and honesty. Grotesque violence and elegance. Power and vulnerability. I was so overcome that, for a while, I failed to register a crucial implication.
Enter: The Female Vampire Carmilla
She is referenced merely in passing, but as a rejected villain name for Himiko, speaks volumes. It’s difficult for me to find the words to summarize… perhaps you’ve heard by now that Carmilla is a gothic horror novella about a lesbian vampire. THE lesbian vampire, in fact—the one who popularized the trope. Knowing this, it is simple enough to apply the story of Laura and Carmilla in parallel to Ochako and Himiko, and register it as direct proof of the dynamic’s sapphic undertones being acknowledged and intentional. I mean. Look at them.
Yeah. But that’s not all. That isn’t what really makes it noteworthy. Put in context: Himiko has been called a soulless inhuman vampire since childhood, and shunned for it. To her, this or any villain name would be a reminder of her lack of agency in identity. Add to this the overall themes of 393 I just described, and suddenly it becomes clear that Himiko is set in contrast against much of what Carmilla, as a fearful narrative about the supernatural, represents.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me provide some details about Carmilla for those who aren’t familiar. The story was written in 1872 by Sheridan Le Fanu, and belongs to a genre characterized by a revival of Gothic aesthetics in service of providing mystery, intrigue, and suspense to a very Victorian expression of fear. On top of that, Carmilla directly influenced Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and set the precedent for many vampire portrayals to come. Many female vampire characters reference her at least in their name, and the novella has been adapted and reinterpreted countless times. Because of this, it is admittedly difficult to be sure of Horikoshi’s familiarity with the original, or pinpoint any other potential influence he may have picked up from another adaptation. One could quite literally write a whole book about the many iterations and widespread impact of Carmilla. This is why, however, I believe I can confidently say that Himiko being compared to a female vampire has implications that are felt no matter one’s familiarity with the origin of the trope. Certain things are baked into the definition through generations of media. The female (lesbian) vampire implies predation, deception, lust, a danger to innocent young women. She represents an inhuman desire that must be vanquished.
In the novella, the main character Laura becomes a fast, intimate friend to Carmilla, a strikingly beautiful and captivating young lady who has suddenly appeared in her life. Laura admires and loves Carmilla dearly, but feels conflicted in moments where Carmilla is overcome by a desire that is explicitly compared to that of a lover. She talks of blood, death, sacrifice, and unity all while holding her close and kissing her. Whether or not this is hot, or whether Laura reciprocates any desire is, I guess, up to interpretation. But one thing is for sure: the ending of the story is not in Carmilla’s favor. I’d argue it’s not in Laura��s favor either. Look, I was an English major. I’m very familiar with discussions along the lines of “is ___ gay?” and “is ___ a sympathetic portrayal of ___ ?” It’s definitely gay, but the rest is unclear. There might be a tangent to go on about how Le Fanu’s complicated relationship with religion may have informed his characterization of General Spielsdorf and the other men who hunted down Carmilla’s grave and destroyed her. Regardless, there is narrative injustice in the way Laura is removed from these events, sent home and only told about what happened later. She loses agency. Her narrations become distant and clinical. In the very end, she describes being plagued by visions of Carmilla, sometimes as her beloved companion, and sometimes as a fearful monster. To me, this represents the lack of closure she has, either to reconcile these two sides of her, or mourn her loss.
There is also so much we’ll never know about Carmilla herself. The finality of her condemnation silences the multifaceted character that was only partially revealed to us. There is an inferred humanity to her, a self-awareness, a true romanticism, that gets dismissed by the people’s understanding of what a vampire is: a deception.
Keep in mind this tragedy. Fast forward through countless vampire portrayals to the present, to Himiko. What a contrast indeed. Remember, she does not want to be called “Carmilla,” or “Vampire.” To make such a reference in a chapter that is showcasing Ochako’s acceptance of Himiko implies that the trope is being broken. It is as if Laura were to go running to Carmilla’s grave herself, throw her own body over her in protection, and shun everyone else’s superstition and desire for vengeance.
(footnote: the above is supposed to say “Himiko-chan” but you know who is a buttface)
Here’s the kicker: since female vampires are so closely tied to negative and predatory portrayals of lesbians, this humanization of Himiko also suggests that her queerness will likewise be treated openly and sympathetically, because there no longer exists an allegory that could be used for dismissing it. Ochako has already made monumental assertions in this chapter. By saying she admires her openness and envies her beautiful smile, and by presenting complete vulnerability in offering her blood, she swiftly separates herself from the lifetime of persecution Himiko has dealt with. It all represents so much more than those who mistakenly call it “yuri pandering” could hope to understand. This is the real deal.
So what is this talk about romance they’re supposed to have? I firmly believe whatever Ochako says, it has to be a very surprising revelation, for both Himiko as well as us, the audience. Otherwise all the hype and mystery makes no sense. If Ochako has something so important to say, it can’t be to confirm Himiko’s assumptions. Whenever I try to dissect the exact possibilities, I get hopelessly tangled up in semantics, but ultimately I just hope to get Ochako’s perspective in full, especially as it relates to what other people think of her.
Actually, I had an idea while writing this. I saw someone on twitter (I think jokingly) bring up the All Might doll, like oh god, what if it comes up again. Ok but listen. There’s a LOT of potential symbolism in the token from Izuku that Ochako has kept being a doll of All Might specifically. We all know it calls to mind Izuku’s emulation of All Might, which resulted in the aspects of Izuku that Ochako herself admired. We can also easily infer that during the mission to rescue Izuku, Ochako saw the darker side of these traits. Okay, so here’s another wrinkle: All Might, as a near mythical figure, represents hero society. He’s the hero archetype, an upholder of the status quo, “peace,” and his weakening under all the pressure implies a flawed system.
Nighteye predicted All Might’s death, but also admitted that a strong enough collective will can change the course of his predictions. Ochako sites Nighteye’s own death as an origin for her beginning to question who exactly in this world needs saving. If you know my meta, you know that I believe All Might needs to die in symbol only. Right now, Ochako is throwing out an awful lot of things heroes take for granted. Things everyone takes for granted. The outcome of this fight could be a turning point in the war that completely changes the tone. If Ochako is to accomplish this by way of an intimate talk of romance, well…
Bye-bye, All Might!
#for the record I love toshinori so much#bnha 393#bnha manga#mha#toga himiko#uraraka ochako#togachako#meta#lin speaks#boku no hero academia#my hero academia
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[ID: An edit by @redroseworks advertising Duke Thomas Week 2023. The background consists of two panel edits of Duke in his Signal costume facing outwardly from the left and right side respectively, and a third Duke in the center in his civilian clothes facing the viewer straight on. There is a dot overlay on these panels and they are broken up into triangular comic panels. The dates and themes for Duke Week are listed in text boxes spread throughout, & are listed in further detail in the post below.]
Once again, it’s
Duke Week 2023!
Further info for this year’s Themes, Rules & Guidelines are under the cut! Be sure to spread the word!
Themes for 2023 (Sept 24th-30th):
Day 1 - Rebellion
From his rough start with Dr. Thompkins, to his rocky team-up with Black Lightning & the Outsiders, Duke’s always been quite the Rebel! Here’s a day to commemorate our Rebellious Rockin’ Robin!
Day 2 - Civilian Life
Duke’s time as a vigilante is full of intrigue & adventure, but what about his time outside of the mask? This day is all about exploring Duke’s civilian identity!
Day 3 - Fav Quote
From his introduction in Batman (2011) all the way up through his more recent appearances in Batman: Urban Legends, there’s plenty of quotes to pull from Duke. But which ones stand out among the crowd? Which ones have resonated the most with you? (And here’s a link to our Duke Reading guide in case you want a refresher!)
Day 4 - What is… Normal? (Meme/Free Day)
A free day for folks to share general Duke work, or of course, memes! This past year I’ve seen an influx as well with more general batfam fans questioning just how ‘normal’ or ‘sane’ our favorite bat is. And to that, I want to invite y’all to come on over and find out!
Day 5 - DnD, Wizards & Knights (oh my!)
One of Duke’s oldest special interests! He’s always been a bit of a fantasy nerd. This day is all about celebrating Duke’s hobbies of fantasy gaming and reading!
Day 6 - We Are Robins (Of the Future)
We’ve celebrated the We Are Robins of the Middletown collective before, but this year we’re predicting where they could go! Duke’s first team will always be an important part of his past, but how could they fit into his future?
Day 7 - Sun vs Moon
And to finish out this year’s Duke Week, we end on another note of duality. Duke’s a bat who operates mainly during the day, and occasionally is called upon at night. The bright sunlight of day may reveal something different about our hero compared to the cool moonlight of night.
Rules & Guidelines:
Tag your posts with “#dukeweek2023” &/or “#duke week 2023” for the event. For Best results use it as one of the first five tags & “@” this blog too. If the work is not reblogged here w/in 24 hrs, feel free to send it directly my way by DMing it to me!
Any medium of fanwork is allowed! Whether it’s fic, art, edits, mixes, meta, or more! In this same vein, multiple works for the same day are also allowed, provided they’re on-theme!
HOWEVER, No NSFW! The character is a minor at this point in canon and we want this week to be as inclusive to fans of all ages as possible.
Fics & ficlets that are posted on tumblr will also need a Read More cut to be up for reblogging. Use the : read more : function (no spaces before the colons) & press enter/return to add a cut to your fic! If linked through Ao3 or other fic websites, no cut is needed. Please provide adequate warnings as they apply to your fic, thank you!
Reposted/stolen art or edits will not be accepted or tolerated.
Got any questions about the event? The ask box is always open! (& remember to reblog & spread the word! Let’s have a GREAT DUKE WEEK!)
#duke thomas#dukeweek2023#batfamily#batman and robin#batman and the outsiders#batman and the signal#we are robin#let’s goooooooooooooooo!!!!
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