#and i am always happy to hear design opinions and ideas

[fallencrowkarma]

My friend and I are trynna figure out ways to make the Harbingers' designs more slay than they were: Pantalone gets to have that one long ponytail with the purple orchid on the side. Assuming that he and Baizhu ARE related (and I hope they are cause UGH), his main outfit is very Liyuean but retains the Fatui aesthetic.

Sandrone abandons the whole maid getup because, even if she made the Catherines, it just would have been better if she looked like a mechanic of sorts or a steampunk-ish inventor. Not to mention she just looks so boring. I HC that she runs the technological industry in Snezhnaya, so, she deserves to have a more bombastic design. (Sorry if this was long! I was so interested in your art that I had to throw in my two cents!)

Do not apologize omg i love getting asks like this!! Actually thank you sm bcs you pulled me right out of artblock lol the brain was inspired!

I also need pantalone and baizhu to be related SO bad honestly😭 but You and Ur friend are so right about giving him a ponytail he’s so pretty :( thats such a big brain idea. as for the outfit…. I Tried LMAO i wanted something classy and seductive. I think it Ended Up with more liyue than fatui but i still think its an interesting first idea.

As for Sandrone… i’m Not very invested in her yet tbh she does look boring . While i Personally Like the maid aesthetic, i agree it doesnt really fit her all that much and it’s so bland. At least from what we have Seen so far. I think steampunk would be so cool for her! A Little fontaine inspired yk. I didnt wanna get rid of the headband so i made it similar to the flowers ruin guards have growing on them, though they Look better on the full outfit one. I dont know if i would keep that on a second Draft tbh but it was an idea. The elbow and thigh high parts also have a ruin guard Look but i think with Colors it would be more visible.

[cripplecharacters]

hello! feel free to ignore me if this is slightly outside the boundaries of this account, but i'm a tabletop roleplaying game (ttrpg) designer looking for opinions on mechanics for disability in games.

my game specifically covers a lot of themes that, while not about disability, would make me feel remiss to not include some explicit mention of how physically/mentally disabled characters fit into the greater picture of the game. it has a specific focus on telling stories of diverse characters, for one, and on fighting the unfair capitalist systems that harm these marginalized groups.

my issue lies in how, exactly, to both treat this topic respectfully and make the characters not feel out of place or unbalanced. i've considered several options, and was curious to hear from a physically disabled perspective how to proceed (i am mentally ill & neurodivergent, but to my knowledge not physically disabled).

option one: mention that disabled characters of all kinds are encouraged, and talk about roleplaying them or provide resources for how to handle them respectfully, but don't apply any specific rules with hard mechanics or numbers to them. this option is least likely to be inadvertently misconstrued or written poorly on my part, but may make disability feel like a "flavour" side note.

option two: provide examples for some common disabilities on the mechanical effects (such as a low vision character rolling less dice on rolls to notice visual details) without any "counteracting" mechanics. this one gives mechanical weight to disability, so it feels less like an afterthought, but may discourage people from playing disabled characters as they would be more likely to fail than other characters.

option three: the above, but with mechanical incentives for roleplaying in a way that acknowledges the character's disability. a "benefit", but less "giving a blind character echolocation" and more "gain XP for showing your characters disability and any aids they use" (similar mechanics exist for following your character's goals/personality traits). this would make disabled characters be more on par mechanically with other characters, but i fear it may come across as... viewing disabled characters as not worth it without some sort of benefit, i suppose?

apologies for the long rambling message, but i'd love to hear which of these options (or another suggestion) you'd be happiest to see in a game written by someone who isn't physically disabled! this is far from the focus of my game, but it's still an important part of the greater theme that i'd love to be able to get right. thanks! (similarly, if there are any groups not covered in the "underrepresented but common disabilities" post from your FAQ that you'd want to see in a game, i'd also be happy to hear those!)

Hello!

First things first, thank you so much for thinking about this! This isn't something that most TTRGs consider and, as a massive nerd who plays DND, Pathfinder, and other tabletop games, this has always been a big pet peeve of mine since making a disabled character is always unnecessarily hard to do with the game mechanics and rarely works out well.

Most of the time, I have to talk to my GM about how to make it work in their game and, unfortunately, I'm often told they won't allow it because it's "too much trouble".

This is all just to say, I really love the idea here and the fact that you're actually thinking about these things and wanting to do well by them is great!

Now, taking a look at the options:

Option One

One of the unfortunate things that I see a lot is people that are too scared to get something wrong with representation (Or social justice on a broader scale) that they don't try to do it at all. With this current era of cancel culture and people's reactions to what they deem 'offensive', it's understandable to be a bit apprehensive but if you're approaching the subject from a place of respect and you're receptive to learning and improving, most people will appreciate the effort.

While this option does sidestep the main issue you've identified, I do think it sidesteps the attempt at making disability part of your game as well. You can encourage people to make disabled characters all you want but without any real content for them in the game, it won't do much.

If you do go with this option, I'd strongly suggest including some information on the culture of your world and how it relates to disability, both to provide more substance to the content and to give players a bit to go off of when making a disabled character.

Option Two

I like this option much more than the first one, though I do agree that it may discourage people from choosing to play a disabled character.

Within the game mechanics, I think it makes a lot of sense to have these kinds of effects but I would encourage you to include more variety with it. Disability isn't 'one size fits all' and two disabled people can have different needs, strengths, and experiences -- even if they have the exact same disability. Instead, I'd suggest going for a slightly different model that includes more choices.

For example, a character with low vision may:

- Roll lower on perception checks involving vision

or

- Have disadvantage with ranged weapons/attacks

or

- Have lower rolls/less success in dim lighting

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Having more options for how the character's disability affects them allows players to make a choice for how they want to play the character while also encouraging them to think more about how their character's disability might affect them and impact their life.

The examples given are all reflections of how blindness can affect somebody. Blind spots or blurry vision can make it more difficult to notice certain visual changes, severe nearsightedness can make it difficult to aim/focus on things that are far away, night blindness can make it difficult to see in the dark or in dim lighting, etc. That being said, there are dozens of other ways to go about this (Though I'd advise sticking to five options per disability at most to avoid overwhelming people).

Option Three

Personally, I like this one and the second option the most. Although I understand where your concerns are coming from, it feels less like it's implying that disabled characters have to be 'worth it' and more like it's just balancing it out.

Like with the second option, I'd suggest going for more of a choice model here where the player can pick what 'benefit' (For lack of better word) that their character has -- or even to choose no benefit at all.

Many physically disabled people develop our own skills or tools to compensate for where we struggle, whether this is an intentional decision or just something that happens.

For example, my boyfriend is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair full time. As a result, he has kick-ass upper body strength from it.

Similarly, many deaf and hard of hearing people are more observant when it comes to visual cues and many blind people are more sensitive to other senses (Though, of course, the whole 'super senses' thing is a myth).

While this isn't true of all disabilities or all disabled people in general, it is something worth considering.

That being said, if you do decide to implement this option, make sure that the benefit makes sense for the disability or is related in some way and isn't just something random being tacked on -- that would make it seem more like a 'disabled characters need to be worthwhile' thing.

As a few extra notes:

If you go with the second or third option, I'd suggest separating the different stat effects into different types of disabilities. You don't need to go too into specifics with it but something like 'low vision/blindness/vision loss', 'deafness/hearing loss', 'limited mobility', and 'chronic illness' would work. While disabilities are more nuanced than this in real life, setting it up this way would keep it pretty simple and allow players to tweak the mechanics slightly for their own characters.

If you go with the first option, I'd probably avoid discussing how to roleplay disabled characters. Because roleplay and character development is much more open than stats and game mechanics are, showing one or two 'proper' ways to play a disabled character is more likely to reinforce stereotypes, dismiss certain experiences that disabled people have, or just come across as more of a 'lecture' than anything. The same goes for including information on what to avoid. I'd stick to providing information about your world and how disabilities are seen in them instead of giving instructions here.

I'd suggest including ways for players to bypass the mechanics of disability if they'd like to, even if their character is disabled. That would allow for a bit more freedom with how they portray their character and would also ensure that they aren't being 'penalized' (For lack of a better term) with their stats for playing a disabled character. As a bit of an example of what I mean: A character in DND could have been a criminal growing up without necessarily taking the Criminal/Spy background.

In general, I think as long as you're approaching this respectfully (Which you are!) and reaching out to physically disabled people for their input (Which you are!), you don't have to worry too much about misrepresenting it.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[celaenaeiln]

C: Hi there! Even if I've been reading dick Grayson(and in turn batfamily) fics for a few weeks now, I've never actually watched/read DC stuff because even if I liked superheroes, I'm not invested enough to read the actual comics. The most I watched was the Teen Titans 2003 cartoon(which I love). I was brought into interest cause I was brought in through crossovers of other fandoms (which may be hated by some/many😅)

To give myself context, I tried to read around for Robin, and imagine my surprise there's more than one? Which, okay mantle thing I guess. But in the end, Dick Grayson caught my attention(not rlly for his looks and design, but more of his heroism and entire personality and affect in the DC world). Which leads to looking at other tumblrs and I love reading yours and when you answer the asks cause it's so much easier for me to understand the kind of person Dick is and how he interacts with the world.

Sorry for this long context, but I just want maybe your opinion, what if your opinion in the combination of how Dick Grayson should be written for him to Thrive

- Should he stay in Gotham, being in with the batfamily more? Soloing in Bludhaven? Staying with the titans? Or others?

- what about his romantic relationships? Who should be is one true one(based on canon gfs), or maybe stay single? (Just gonna be biased, but I've only knew about dickbabs and dickkory (but I heard he has other girlfriends and I've remember reading he was almost married...a few times??) but dickkory had always been for me)

- What about mentally wise? (Of course, I do think Dick needs a long vacation because of all the trauma that he has to go through), but even if I like the idea of Dick being admired for his looks because he deserves it, but I do rmbr posts that he is uncomfy with this(sexualisation, Def only staying true to the person he loves (then there's the whole...Tarantula and more thing)

Tbf, I do think is a little bit of all is what makes Dick, Dick. Haha

Sorry for the long ask, feel free to not answer because i just needed to get this out😅. I know it's actually bad I'm reading fics without canon knowledge for personality, but your posts makes me understand him more that I understand what's real and what's fanon in fics (that makes me..ugh.. but I read anyway for plot cause i don't know better)

But thank you anyway for reading this and I love your content!

(last one for this ask I swear: I've been seeing stuff where Robin name is actually Dick's mom calling Dick that. Then it's passed down as a mantle starting from Jason without Dick consenting. I tried to read at wiki, maybe I missed out but I can't find anything. Is it true? Does the other bats (except Bruce and Alfred?) know the actual meaning? Because as much as I love Dami, the whole bloodson, birthright to take the mantle of Robin beside Batman give me ugh feelings if it's true) :C

First of all, thank you so much!! I'm so happy to hear you like my stuff <333!!

I think it's fine that you started in the fandom since I sort of started out that way too lol. I had only watched Teen Titans Animated show and Young Justice before I got into fanfics and my first comic I ever read was actually Teen Titans (2011) which was Tim's run. It's been a journey.

Dick's personality was also what captivated me so here I am!

"Should he stay in Gotham, being in with the batfamily more? Soloing in Bludhaven? Staying with the titans? Or others?"

That's a really good question and a complex one. Ironically, for being such a people person, Dick seems to be doing best when he's by himself. When he's soloing, he has a sense of freedom and independence that he's been craving for a long time. The whole reason he left Bruce was because he felt like Bruce was suddenly treating him like a kid, like someone to look after, when he had been treating Dick like a partner the whole time. When Dick feels like his independence is being stepped on, it unsettles him. This is another reason why the Tom Taylor run and Dick's relationship pisses me off but that's for another time. As much as he likes Gotham, he loves Bludhaven. He thinks it's a dirty, crime-filled city, sure, but he loves it there.

He's a little crazy like that.

He doesn't have the same attachment to Gotham that Bruce does. Instead he feels that for Bludhaven.

The only reason I'm saying Dick is better off staying alone than with the Titans is because of his leadership mentality. There's a comic that I forgot the name of but Dick teams up with members of the Justice League and they trapeze through a jungle under the orders of this corrupt military general. He teams up with Arthur and automatically starts commanding people to which Aquaman tells him off, saying this isn't the Titans. Dick is genuinely sorry and backs off. For a minute. But immediately goes right back into command mode but Arthur lets it go, realizing that Dick's not conscious of it and that his behaviour is automatic. "Too many leaders" he calls the situation in his head. For Dick, the Titans have become a responsibility now. He loves them like crazy but they look up at him automatically for directions and order and he's gotten so used to leading them that it's his go to mode.

He just likes doing stuff without someone hovering over his shoulder or having to take care of others.

"what about his romantic relationships? Who should be is one true one(based on canon gfs), or maybe stay single? (Just gonna be biased, but I've only knew about dickbabs and dickkory (but I heard he has other girlfriends and I've remember reading he was almost married…a few times??) but dickkory had always been for me)"

Yeah, I've actually loved almost all of his romantic relationships. I hate Dickbabs but every other one has been fantastic. Kori was great for him.

Action Comics (1938) Issue #618

Dick says it again here. He used to envy Roy's freedom. He's also said in another comic that he fell in love with Kori for her freedom.

Secret Origins (1986) Issue #13

You're right, he has gotten almost married a few times

The first time was with Kori

The New Titans (1988) Issue #100

But then

The New Titans (1988) Issue #100

their pastor gets vaporised and body-controlled Raven feeds the soul of one of Trigon's children into Kori and she goes crazy but she recovers but it's a whole ordeal. In the end they don't get a chance to complete their marriage. They were spectacular together though. The only reason their wedding didn't go through is because the Batfam writers wanted Dick back so they took him from the Titans' writers and they needed a big dramatic scene to cut him off from the Titans. Another reason why Barbara was deaged and created as a love interest- to gatekeep him in the family.

He's also gotten married to Barbara before the retcon though.

Batman Family Issue #11

But here they were forced to by Maze and they went along with it and tricked him. At the end though, they just grab a bite to eat.

Ngl I actually would've supported this marriage. I really love this Barbara. Yes the age difference is a bit much but whatever, I still like them.

Dick and Barbara have gotten married in an alternate timeline.

Convergence: Nightwing/Oracle Issue #2

yeah, definitely didn't like this one.

Dick's also gotten fake married to a woman because Batman and Dick thought she was killing her husbands after marrying them so Dick married her to see if it was true.

Nightwing (1996) Annual #1

I liked her. She wasn't the killer and Dick did a fantastic job raising her son but even though she loved him, he didn't love her and they divorced amicably. I wish I could see more of her and her son though.

To be completely honest, my favorites for Dick are Kori and Bea.

Bea was a fantastic partner. She was understanding, loving, caring, and responsible. She was there when he was Ric Grayson and just loved him for who he was.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #53

If Kori's truly out of the picture, then Dick really should've settled down with her.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #57

She and Kori, they don't tell Dick what to do or who to be. They let him be free which is why I loved them an extraordinary amount. I'm a sucker for soft moments and Bea and Dick are couple goals.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #62

They give him the freedom he craves.

"What about mentally wise? (Of course, I do think Dick needs a long vacation because of all the trauma that he has to go through), but even if I like the idea of Dick being admired for his looks because he deserves it, but I do rmbr posts that he is uncomfy with this(sexualisation, Def only staying true to the person he loves (then there's the whole...Tarantula and more thing)"

I think Dick does need a break. His life has been a series of unfortunate events but despite all that, I think he loves it that way. Dick loves the thrill of adventure. It's the heart of who he is and why he became robin. The excitement he gets when fighting or doing crazy stunts - he loves all of it and that is his coping mechanism. I guess in order for him to thrive, Bruce needs to stop dumping all his trauma and stop expecting him to be there for him at all times of the day. Dick keeps getting dragged back to Gotham to take care of Bruce and his problems and he would go in a heartbeat but he's much happier wacking his own goons in Bludhaven. But since Bruce is so codependent on Dick, this pattern's not gonna stop anytime soon.

Truth be told I also like Dick being admired for his looks. I don't like him being called out by it though. First of all why would you comment "hot booty" to someone? It's degrading and humiliating even if you think it's a compliment. Some things are better left untold. But regardless of what people think, Dick will always be pretty and everyone in the DC universe knows this. Heroes, civilians, villains - they're all attracted to him on some level because he's so beautiful. And honestly? I'm all for it! Because that boy is the prettiest human in existence and he deserves that recognition. Just not vocally or physically.

The best thing is that Dick's beauty has no bearing on his mentality toward people. This man will choose one person and stick with them forever. He values intimacy and trust and love in his relationships which is why he's so attached to each one. This plays a massive role in his relationship with Kori. He would never cheat. Actually in all the future comics, after his spouse passes away or leaves, he never remarries. The only one exception was Batman Beyond (2016). The only one and he remarries Barbara after his wife passes away. Aside from that he remains a single parent. That's how dedicated he is.

"I've been seeing stuff where Robin name is actually Dick's mom calling Dick that. Then it's passed down as a mantle starting from Jason without Dick consenting. I tried to read at wiki, maybe I missed out but I can't find anything. Is it true? Does the other bats (except Bruce and Alfred?) know the actual meaning? Because as much as I love Dami, the whole bloodson, birthright to take the mantle of Robin beside Batman give me ugh feelings if it's true)"

Yup Dick's mother called Dick Robin.

Nightwing (2011) Issue #0

Robin (1993) Annual #4

Here's a couple but there are more instances of his mom calling him Robin.

Dick had no idea Bruce passed on the Robin costume. He finds out through the newspaper because Bruce is pissed at Dick. Like he's so mad that when he told Dick to leave, Dick actually left.

You know how there's a saying about not being able to take back words of anger? Bruce is feeling that heavily. He already had suspicions that Dick wanted to leave but before Dick could tell him, he fired him so he wouldn't have to hear those words. But Bruce is super mad that Dick left anyway. So what does he do? He makes the first boy he sees Robin.

And Jason finds out Dick was Robin when he confronts Bruce why Nightwing knows Bruce's identity. And that gets Bruce more mad because he's now feeling guilty which is when Dick comes to confront Bruce.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But instead of meeting anger for anger, Dick expresses his hurt. About how they were partners and then talks about his life after leaving Bruce.

And Bruce loves Dick. His best friend, son, brother, and partner for nearly 11 years. They raised each other and despite his anger, he smiles in pride and love.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

Look at his smile!! He's so proud of his son.

And that's when Dick stops pulling his punches.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

Bruce looks so wrecked. The guilt and sorrow is tantamount to his pain.

Then Dick asks Bruce why he choose someone new.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

So Bruce tells him. But Dick and Bruce's relationship go way deeper than just friends or family. They know each other. They revolve around each other so Dick calls him out.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

And out comes the truth

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But Dick has always been the bigger man and instead of letting Jason become some sort of spite move, he turns Robin into a legacy.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

He passes it down like it was meant to be passed down. Because let's be honest here. The Robin name and costume is Dick's. If he wanted to, he could've taken it back, Bruce be damned. And that was one of Jason's fears.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But despite Bruce's words to Jason

Batman (1940) Issue #416

He's not sure himself.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But it's only with Dick's approval that he becomes Robin which is what Bruce is thanking at the end.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

And this has been a sort of tradition.

Dick approved of Jason being Robin, he endorsed Tim, and he made Damian Robin. The only exception being Stephanie. This is why Dick feels a heavy sense of responsibility over the robin predicament. He created the tradition. He approved, supported, and mentored every robin that walked in his colors and name. That's why he feels the burden of it.

I don't think any of the other robins know the meaning behind the name. Maybe they do. But ironically, the one who wasn't robin is the one who knows the meaning of it.

Duke.

[ducktracy]

I love Popeye so much— the franchise is my current special interest, but I love the 1980 movie in particular. I get really pleased whenever you post about Popeye (partially because you're the only one really active in the tag) so if you could continue to post Popeye loud and proud that would be cool as hell

THIS IS SO SWEET OH MY GOSHHHHH!!! i saw this yesterday when you sent it in and meant to answer earlier, but i have to say i’ve spent both yesterday and today thinking about it because THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO HEAR!! THANK YOUUUUUUUU!! i also had no idea i was really the only one active HAHA, amazing!! i assure you, the Popeye posting will always continue! i LOVE Popeye, and i’ve actually only seen a fraction of the shorts compared to those i haven’t. i’m so protective of the 1935-1938 sweet spot with Jack Mercer, Mae Questel and Gus Wicke that it’s really hard for me to move onto the shorts post-Miami move… but i gotta! because more great cartoons await! and so i’m sure i’ll be gushing about those when i discover them more and more :)

SPEAKING OF 1980 POPEYE!! i know i’ve had some followers curious about my opinion on it! I FINALLY WATCHED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME BACK IN JULY! i admittedly forget if i said my piece on it or not, but i will here anyway!

is it good? in an objective sense? probably not. did i absolutely love it and have an absolute blast watching it regardless? ABBBBBSOOOOLLLUUUUUUTELYYYYY!! i had so much fun watching it!! as a fan of physical slapstick, anything “cartoony” translated into live action, Popeye (of course), and many other specifics i’m forgetting but know the film included, i really enjoyed it. the almost obligatory physical slapstick and sheer amount of stupid pratfalls was giving me so much joy. i’m genuinely impressed at Robin Williams’ muttering and him keeping his one eye squinted the entirety of the film. Shelley Duvall is PERRERRRFECT as Olive Oyl! she was the best part of the film for me, she was so darling 🥺 and the songs were cute, VERY AMUSING, very campy, some i liked better than others but they were very catchy. the sound design was very baffling as well but i kinda loved it

i said this when streaming the film in a groupwatch and i still stand by it:

also, evidently copious amounts of cocaine were involved in the production of the film and i can absolutely believe it. SUCH A FUN WATCH THOUGH, very cheesy in the absolute best way! thank you to all who encouraged me to watch it, i’m really glad i did and will probably rewatch it again at some point :) but yes, that’s all to say that the Popeye posting will absolutely continue and i am SO GLAD to hear you enjoy it so much!! that seriously makes my day!! Popeye is really the cure for happiness in cartoon form

[bloodblanks]

creepypasta matchups

for anonymous ♡ thank you for commissioning me!

i barely hit 5’0” and have wavy dark brown (almost black) hair that reaches a little past my shoulders. i have brown eyes, and a few small sunspots on different parts of my face. as for my build, i’m a bit chubby and curvy. what i wear varies on the weather but no matter what, my outfit will always include at least one article of black clothing (my mom complains that everything i wear is black). i wear casual dresses or shorts with thin cardigans in the summer, but usually my go-to outfit is just a plain or graphic t-shirt tucked into jeans, with a cute belt on. people often mistake me for being 5’4” because i’m always wearing my platform boots. i also have a vast collection of cute earrings. i’m definitely introverted. i wouldn’t really call myself shy, just quiet and reserved if you don’t know me that well. i have anxiety, which can cause me to come across as awkward in my first few interactions with a person. however, once you get to know me and we’re close, i’m very chatty and am happy to joke around, talk about my interests or listen to yours, or hear you vent and give advice! i’m pretty social with my close group of friends, but i do still have days where i would prefer to have minimal interaction with people and just have some alone time. i’m a pushover, not gonna lie. i can’t stand conflict, so i’m a pretty big people pleaser, and will do almost anything i can to make things right, even if i’m not the one who made them wrong in the first place. however, this means i bottle things up and can be really passive aggressive. i canNOT hide my emotions and wear them all over my face. whether i’m super excited about something or pissed off, you’ll know, even if i don’t want you to. in my free time, i like to read, write, play video games, and watch anime! i’ve adored fantasy and sci-fi stuff since i was little, so those are my go-to genres whether i’m reading or writing. for video games, i mostly play RPGs like pokemon or kingdom hearts, or mobile gacha games, but i also play cod zombies a lot. i also have an absurd amount of hours in animal crossing. i enjoy decorating stationary, too, like notebooks or designing monthly calendars! some miscellaneous info: in college, i’m double majoring in creative writing and computer science. i can be VERY competitive in both board/party games and academics. i can pace and zone out while listening to music for HOURS if left alone. i also infodump a lot and for long periods of time if you don’t stop me.

author's note: this work will contain dark content. please read at your own discretion.

this is a paid commission. if you are interested in commissioning me for a creepypasta matchup, don’t hesitate to send me a dm!

eyeless jack

jack remembered you from back in college. the two of you never really talked, you weren’t even in the same department—he studied medical sciences—nor were you in the same year, but he had seen you around campus a few times and distinctly remembered you as attractive. he had always considered talking to you, but before he had the opportunity to, calamity struck, and he became a flesh-eating demon.

his memories of you soon faded into the distance, and he had nearly forgotten about your existence when he saw you again on an empty street at dusk. he instantly recognized you, and from there, he silently followed you home, watching you from afar.

it was just curiosity at first, a hint of nostalgia perhaps, but quickly it developed into something far darker, far more sinister.

the first thing he noticed was your looks, particularly your size. he liked how small you were. he’s grown quite a bit since college, what with being a demon and all, and he loved the idea of the size difference between the two of you. he didn’t have much of an opinion on your hair colour, though he liked the waves. he couldn’t see them too well from outside your window, but he did take note of your sunspots, finding them beautiful.

jack paid close attention to what you wore, and he had discovered a few things. namely, that platform boots looked good, and summer dresses with thin cardigans were exceptionally attractive on you. additionally, he liked that you wore earrings, and he’d remember all the different ones.

he was ecstatic to find out what you did in your spare time and just how much you had in common. he didn’t think the majority of people read anymore, let alone wrote, so it was a more than pleasant surprise to find out that you did. what was even better was that you liked the same genres as him. it was particularly delightful to him that you wrote, and he couldn’t help but read them in secret while you weren’t home.

he also quite liked video games and anime himself, especially kingdom hearts. he used to play a fair amount of cod zombies when he was younger, and even a bit of pokemon though he didn’t like it as much as other games. still, he found it relaxing to watch you play, in particular, animal crossing.

jack enjoyed watching you decorating stationary, but what he even liked more was taking them, having stolen one of your notebooks for himself, leaving you to wonder just how in the world you had lost it.

something jack really liked about you was that you were introverted. he, too, was an introverted person, not exactly shy either, but just not up for being around others constantly, and he found it relieving that you were the same way. still, he saw the way you interacted with your friends, and he longed for the day when you would act the same way with him.

he had mixed feelings about how passive you were. on the one hand, he hated how hard you tried to please others, especially how you’d act as a complete pushover for them when they clearly weren’t worth the effort or energy. on the other hand, that was exactly how he wanted you to be, just that he wanted it only for himself.

jack was good with being able to read people’s feelings, but he liked how obvious yours were; it made you all the more vulnerable to him. he also noticed that you could be passive-aggressive, though he didn’t think it’d be a problem for him.

he had also observed you pacing around, zoning out for lengthy periods of time, and it always made him curious as to what exactly you were doing or thinking about. he wanted so badly to know every thought on your mind.

sometimes the people around you would find out that you had much to say on certain topics. they wouldn’t always listen to everything, but jack would. he would mentally record each and every word you said. the majority of the time, he found the topic just as fascinating as you did. even if it was information he already knew, he realized that he liked it more after hearing you talk about it.

jack wanted you for himself; that much was clear. the only reason he hadn’t done it yet was because he wasn’t sure how to go about it.

he knew that you were in college, even double majoring, which he found rather impressive. however, he wasn’t well versed in terms of computer science himself. he admired the amount of effort you put into your studies and your dedication. he also found it cute how competitive you could be. as someone who went to college himself, though he didn’t finish it, he understood the value and importance of it to you.

and so he had a hard time deciding what to do with you. the monstrous side of him sought to simply rip you from your life, taking you away from everything that you’d known so that you could be his and his alone. however, he didn’t want you to be unhappy. he liked you so much partially because he thought the two of you would be good together, and forcing you into it would ruin the point.

ideally, you would be able to continue your studies while being with him, and so he decided that he would take you, bring you to him as gently as possible, carefully coax you into a life with him. hopefully, then, you will be able to resume your studying without a problem.

however, if nothing he did worked, or if you caused him to fear your escape, he’d give in to his impulses and decide your fate for you.

[storyteller-kara]

The Different God

"Human's can not have power. The mortal world we built for harmony, peace, a land where life can flourish and be happy with the content of their lives.” The Elder god seemed against all aspects that meant giving any more power to the mortal realm they had just created. Everyone was seeming to agree with him as well. Many other gods talked, offering their opinion and reasons as to why. “If we give them more power than we have, it could lead to corruption. Many would die and yet we would need to rebuild all we worked so hard for, it would be shameful to bring life into a world just to have it all destroyed by death in seconds.” “Their greed would control their minds before we know we even acknowledge it.” “I agree.” The meeting seemed to go on for hours and hours. A woman at the far end seemed rather not amused, as the white cobra which laid happily upon her seemed to keep her at bay. Her more clear blue eyes mixed with white seemed to hold a grudge against the words being spoken. Why make a race if you couldn’t give something you have within you to them. It seemed unfair, a moral to which the women didn’t like in the slightest. The Elder god seemed quite curious, all the gods were speaking, voicing, and yet one wasn’t. “Silence. Madelief?” The woman tapped her shoulder twice, a signal the cobra seemed to understand as it moved. Slithering from her lap, all the way to the designated area, her shoulder. The woman then stood up. Her hair seemed a bit longer than her shoulders as it was a bit fluffy and curly as the silver locks didn't move as much. Her black outfit seemed to outline some of her features, trims of gold seemed to contrast greatly to the obsidian color. “Yes Elder?” Her voice, although she looked intimidating, was soft and gentle, holding back any emotion of rage that so desperately wanted to seethe through like snake venom itself. “I want you to voice your opinion. You’re rather quiet for someone who is always so straight forward.” Madelief scoffed, she hated being mocked for her behavior not being as ‘God Like’ as the many who sat before her. The cobra on her shoulder hissed as if it felt Madelief’s pure intentions inside. “I find the idea of not giving them a bit of our power revolting.” The room was silent, no one dared to whisper. The Elder seemed more enraged by this answer, clearly not one he had hope to hear. “What is your reasoning? Clearly only you think otherwise, which is preposterous given who you are.” “My power and status as a god has nothing to do with whether or not I agree or disagree with your child-like behavior. I’m simply thinking and speaking for myself and like everyone else in here my statement should be accounted for. And for that I believe the mortals should be given a small fraction of our power. We do not know how they could use it to thrive and become functional, or burn everything ablaze in their path of destruction. If I am a God as you all say I believe we should take a risk.” “YOU ARE A MERE GOD! THIS SUCH IDEAS ARE FOOLISH! YOU MAKE A MOCKERY OF YOUR FAMILY AND THE ONES WHO CAME BEFORE YOU ON HOW THEY COULD LET A CHILD LIKE YOU TURN INTO A GOD.” The Elder pointed to the door. “Take you and that vermin out of my domain. As your Elder, you are the only one with that option out of us all therefore your ‘option’ has been demolished. We will not be giving the mortal realm our powers, that is not up for discussion.” Madelief walked out of the room, the bottom of her dress swayed elegantly as herself seemed unfazed by the slander she had taken. “If that is what you wish, then shall it be written. If those people suffer, because someone thought of the negatives, I'm glad I’m not to blame for being in charge.” With that she was gone, and no there uttered a word, standing by the Elder who still seemed to be fuming.

[myymi]

Hello, sorry this is a kind of random question haha!

I saw that you mentioned on a post you and @passionartx co made oc’s together (which I am intrigued to learn more about!!! :000) I always wonder this and with this being an example of it I thought nows the time to ask someone:

How do you both go about that and do you have any tips?

Me and a friend tried to co create characters and a story once but it was really hard to get anything flowing. It always impresses me when people can! It seems like it would be fun and I wish I had somebody I could do it with!

I wonder maybe it was just me and my friend weren’t close enough or just didn’t have similar enough ideas?? Would love to hear your process :)))

(Thank you and sorry if anything doesn’t make sense, I am getting better but English isn’t my first language)

ahhh hi!!

honestly, the ocs @passionartx and i made are entirely accidental. every last detail was made by accident

originally, we had just wanted a group of 4-6 people who were, like, really bad kidnappers just as an excuse for tails to be sassy but uhm. we kinda got carried away

i will admit, it's not easy to co-create a character/story with someone. you have to come to an end point you both agree with, or you're just not gonna be happy

i've found that a good way to start co-creating is to come up with the reason for your characters first. why do you want to make them? what purpose will they serve?

when you get an idea for their existence, it's easier to build up their personalities, style, design, etc.

i definitely don't recommend making the character first, because it's trickier to find a place for them that both you and your friend agree with. you may have a vivid idea for the character while your friend has one too that is the complete opposite. if you get into the swing of things with your friend then maybe try it out, but don't do it for the first handful of characters

i also would advise against immediately building a character together.

start with two characters that just simply co-exist in the same universe (not necessarily acquainted or anything) and look for any similarities between the two

when you use traits that you both gave your separate characters it's easier to build up one together

and if you or your friend have some ideas for a character you decide to not use, do not scrap it. save it for another character, never discard anything.

but, honestly, the most important thing is communication. and you may think that's just common sense, but i don't mean just talking to each other;

voice. your. opinions.

if your friend is pushing an idea for a character that you don't want to do, tell them. even if they seem really excited about it.

the character belongs to both of you, not one or the other. find common ground that you both are happy with. (like i said earlier, don't scrap that idea-save it for a future character.)

any decision, especially major ones, for any character you two create needs to be okayed by both of you.

do not keep quiet just because you want your friend to be happy. you both need to be happy or it'll fall apart. (and finding common ground is a lot easier then you think it would be)

of course, that^ works both ways.

if you're talking about an idea and your friend says they don't want to do it, back down and find something in the middle.

and if your friend pitches an idea for an oc at you, give suggestions!! don't just go "yeah, that works!" give additional personality traits or bits of backstory to implement into the character

if you pitch an idea for an oc, make sure to ask your friend if they have anything they want to add on if they don't offer suggestions. talk!!! it gives you SO many more ideas then you can imagine

co-creating isn't so much as having similar ideas, it's more so finding common ground. you take two ideas and meet in the middle, regardless of how insanely different they are

and don't be afraid to put something on hold because you can't think of a way to finish it yet. as you create more things together, it'll eventually complete itself. trust me, it happens way more often then you'd think. just, y'know, don't forget about it

i would also advise you to write down everything about your characters, even the little stuff. even if you're sure you'll remember it, write it. things happen, it's just easier to have it somewhere you can easily locate it in case you do forget

also, get attached to your characters. i don't care how 'cringe' it is, do it. you'll enjoy talking about them a lot more

now, this isn't me saying you can't create your own characters without your friend and add them in, but just make sure your friend is okay with that (and keep in mind that your character is going into a shared world. they are yours, but just check in with your friend before doing anything major with them. they may be your character, but their impact on the story still needs to be ran by your friend)

uhhh that is all of the advice i can think to give you

and hey, it's okay if it doesn't work out.

short message from passion;

Heyo! Just adding a lil bit on cause Myla asked if I wanted to drop my thoughts too! They pretty much covered it all so I’ll keep this as short as I can! (Given how much I ramble tho I make no promises)✨ The main thing I’d say is, everyone’s different!

Like they mentioned our silly spiral into ideas happened entirely by accident and honestly… I think that’s the best way for things to happen! Makes things so much more natural and fun!

How this may go with someone else might entirely depend on what ideas you have, shared interests, story ideas, tropes you enjoy etc. Every friendships different! What matters most is having fun. It’s like a constant stream of creating content with eachother and for eachother! For example Myla making designs on the oc generator, me making art, random ideas or things that crop up from the other and it’s like “OOO YOU GENIUS”. Sometimes things from months ago you’d least expect can make a comeback and it’s like things you didn’t even think about suddenly click!

Anyway like I said I’ll try and keep this short but yep I second everything they said and above all, just have fun!! 💛

p.s: if ever in doubt about any ideas or you’re like us and are too indecisive…. spin a wheel. ✨

[captain-astors]

if you’re still doing 003 reqs i’d LOVE to hear what you think of tatara! he’s one of my favorite characters so i’m biased </3

I am indeed still doing these, and still thriving. Here we go!

How I feel about this character: 

So cool looking, the white trench coat and mask combo is so stupid and pretentious but it works somehow, and the fact that it has emotional value actually leans to the silly side of it in my mind. I’m not sure why, I think I’ve just wired my own brain incorrectly enough to go “haha you have emotions.” But I’m going to tell that portion of my mind to be quiet for now, because he has an excellent design, though it could stand to have a few more defining traits, and he looks a bit like a pokemon gym leader.

Oh! Also, Hands down coolest Kakuja and I wish I’d seen it before the Kakuja polls, in which I so foolishly voted Uta or something, thinking there could be no better. How wrong I was, FLAMETHROWER KAKUJA. The mere combination of words invokes awe. I could roll it around in my mind for hours. Continuing the pokemon comments, it really feels like the evolution of his normal outfit because it is also pretentious and stupid but somehow works and it’s really cool anyways. I didn’t realize how… large it was supposed to be before I saw a screenshot of the anime’s portrayal. It always felt human-sized to me, perhaps a couple feet taller but no, it apparently has the dimensions of an 8-wheeler and I don’t know how to feel about that. He definitely doesn’t really have a grand plan he’s just chilling with these comparatively much worse people while doing nothing particularly remarkable himself, he’s mostly just a functional figurehead eating grapes and providing the method to the madness that is Aogori. Eto had plans but she’s not going to take the time to carefully direct them herself. It’s a thankless job but might as well have the pale beanstalk who was-a-mask-wearing–kakuja-before-it-was-cool do it. He doesn’t seem to mind, or at least he’s just going to be in the same bad mood regardless.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: 

Just secondhand HouTata. I observe it. Live in antagonism, die alone, perfect. The golden standard. Neither of them are happy. Be like them, fictional couples. Also I like the thought of Tatara being awful at cuddling but the natural warmth makes it nice anyways. 

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: 

Ayato. “I don’t care about him at all, not worth more than the dust beneath my feet without about the same usefulness- oh they grow up so fast.” Go put what can only be described as your awkward nephew to bed, I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to let this child into your terrorist organization Tartara, but congratulations he’s yours now.

My unpopular opinion about this character: 

I have few opinions on him and none of them are very strong so it’s difficult to find an unpopular one… his personality gives the profound impression of an undersalted pretzel stick standing upright inexplicably, and a shade of light green-grey. When lost I just spew a small piece of my constant stream of nonsensical, slightly unhinged simultaneous thought processes. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: 

More screentime. Yeah he existed to prove points about other characters but you’d think the debatable leader of Aogori would be a bit more fleshed out.

Favorite friendship for this character: 

Eto! Mutual respect, terrible decisions, fun times.

My crossover ship: 

Maybe Rem. Or Luida. These are just my end-of-ramble thoughts now. The song I listened to for most of this has several instances of very goatlike screams and they were never where I thought they were no matter how many times I looped it. 

[50cal-fullauto-astarion]

Your opinion on minimalism, your favourite notes in perfume, silly little walks, smudged khol eyeliner, what brand of cigarettes Soap smokes and the zombie Ghost skin and its broken jaw 💖💖

as far as interior design and western minimalism as a philosophy goes, i FUCKING HATE MINIMALISM. I HATE IT WITH ALL OF MY HEART. EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THAT FETID, FOUL FUCKING MUSCLE. oh god, and the fact that it's essentially a tool of rich white assholes who've not only thoroughly fucking warped principals of already existing philosophies--get this kez, you'll shit--including stoicism and buddhism, but has essentially come to subtle-signal wealth and elitism bc you do not need to stock pile possessions on the off chance of not being able to replace them. lose your $500 fountain pen? just go buy another one. and on that point, it feeds into useless consumerism. i hate it i hate it. other facets of minimalism i can't really comment on bc i'm not as familiar dslkjs.

my favorite notes in perfume are very silly and widespread, but they make me happy!! ((: i love rose, and cherry, and jasmine. i LOVE musk and patchouli. tobacco and leather and coffee!! my ALL TIME favorite scent i've gotten to wear is jo malone's blackberry and bay. one of my very very best friends, wards, bought it for me as a christmas present bc they read the description and it reminded them of my second dnd character, jakobi, and my heart broke in little pieces at the sweetness of it. i wore it until the bottle ran dry and i can't wait to get another one slkslk. the site description of it: "blackberry, bay leaves, cedarwood. Childhood memories of blackberry picking…A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. Vibrant and verdant"

silly little walks are HEALING, DAMMIT. oh they make my heart pleased. i like just wandering, and i wish i did more of it for the sake of doing it.

SMUDGED KHOL LINER IS SEXY AND I WILL HEAR NO NAYSAYERS ON THE TOPIC. god i've wanted to get into it so bad, but i always forget until i don't have money and then i don't remember dskjsdl. but good lord, throwing some smoke around some eyes is an instant way to get some stunning brightness, my achilles heel for real!!

oh god, soap is trouble when it comes to smoking, i feel it in my fucking bones lkjsds. i see him as a social smoker, where if the situation calls for it he'll grab a pack or bum a couple if he's hanging out with some ppl, and god help his lungs if he's drunk, CONSTANT chainsmoking with this boy, always lighting another before his current is even out.

oh dear GOD i just looked up what cigarette brands are popular in scotland, ALMOST FIFTEEN POUND FOR A PACK OF MARLBORO REDS?? MY CIGARETTES ARE 6.24 POUND CONVERTED. jesus christ. yeah, so that leans into my hc. he is going to always go for the cheapo lung shredders, and i'm thinking chesterfield menthol lights! i feel like maybe he picked it up from his granddad or some gaffer he got tossed at as a kid to work off extra energy helping him out. they're familiar and make him feel nostalgic, but he realizes that the memories he's missing aren't what he remembers.

i want to kiss and marry and love and take care of and wipe the face of broken jaw zombie ghost skin and i am in fact writing something about this or at the very least cooking ideas slkjla. i saw a theory that he broke his own jaw to keep himself from biting people and good god the idea of that level of brutal pragmatism taking him over with maybe his last moments of consciousness EATS ME ALIVE. AND HE'S DEAD. IT WILL NEVER HEAL. IT WILL NEVER BE WELL AGAIN.

[twotales]

I've been considering starting up writing SGA/SG-1 Fanfics recently and I was wondering if you had any advice for a (relatively) new author?

Hello, sweet anon! (Sorry for the late response, things have been a bit hectic over here.)

First, I want to say, whaaa, someone is asking me for advice!? 😳

Secondly, Dude! We would be so happy to have a new Stargate writer in our midst. I'd say our fandom is one of the more inclusive ones out there and we are all incredibly grateful for more content.

🤔 Hmm, advice for writing/posting, or interacting with our fandom? (I assume just writing/posting.) (If you are wondering about becoming a part of our fandom and the feel of it, just ask me that question as well.)

The best and most simple advice I think is: Read. Read. Read! Write. Write. Write!  Watch. Watch. Watch! But you probably want more xD

Writing:

Writing is the easiest part for me. I write every day. I'm kind of a freak like that.

If you're having trouble with writing, there are some things I do. (not in any order.)

I use a habit tracker, I love stats and this tracker has a lovely design and a sweet little overview. Plus you can have separate widgets on your home screen for each habit, you don't have to go into the app every time you do one, simple press. I love it. But I don't sweat it if I miss a day or a few or more. I just want to have the widgets as a reminder, it keeps me from forgetting, I do have a small goal of doing at least one of my habits by the end of each day. Writing happens to be my easiest habit to accomplish. (Hence the writing everyday xD)

You don't have to write a lot. Even if it's just a bit of editing, a paragraph, or a single word, that's enough. You opened up the document, you thought things, you tried.

Don't share all of your ideas with others. Some people can thrive on this, (if you do, just ignore this advice.) but I am not one of those people. I lose steam for an idea if I give too much away. I also cannot for the life of me write a long fic and post it as I write. SCHEDULED WRITING!? NOPE. I write the entirety of a long fic before I publish them. Sometimes I publish chapters and edit them as I publish, but the meat of everything is there.

So, take as much time as you need.

When you feel satisfied with a fic, sit on it, wait a couple of days, weeks, months, and reread it. New eyes, even if they are your own eyes can really help. (I don't always do this, but it can help with certain fics, esp long ones.)

Lay somewhere, chill and just daydream about your idea/story. This is working on your story too and I find that this makes me just type down thoughts as they come.

Make the time. It doesn't have to be a ton. My partner only writes for five, maybe ten minutes a day. He laments how little he writes but I always ALWAYS say.

“You do write though and that is the most important thing.

I also have a very specific writing system to keep myself from getting stuck, and disorganized, but that's a whole thing and this is already getting long. (If you do want to hear about it though, feel free to ask.)

Posting:

This is the hard part for me. No matter how many fics I have written, posts I have made, gifs, what have yous. I always get a bit overheated and my guts feel like bees are trying to escape them.

If you're having trouble posting there are a few things that I think can work depending on why you're worried about posting.

Mistakes: Misspelled words, flow, that sort of thing. Get a beta. They're several individuals in our community who are amazing betas. (I could contact them for you if you need a connection.) There are different kinds of betas as well so you can tailor your experience in that regard. But, sometimes you don't want a second opinion and that's okay too. You can always edit it whenever you read it again anyways (assuming you are going to reread your fanfics. Which I do.😊)  and remember, many of us don't care about that sort of thing, we will just enjoy the story despite mistakes. General anxiety? Well, I can't do much about that. (I suffer from it myself, see bees in my guts above). Just remember that this is supposed to be about something you love. Yes, writing is work, but writing fanfic should be fun. Should be for you! These are stories you want to tell, stories you want to read, and things you want to fix and expand on. Everyone else is just along for the ride, getting off at the next stop, or maybe they don't even want to come in the first place and that's okay. The destination is yours.

The main point is to just do it. If you need help, ask, (already ahead of some people just for asking me for advice, which I am still shocked about) if you're nervous about them saying no just ask anon and connect after you get a yes. If you're worried about your writing that's okay, It's a very personal thing, it's normal. Accepting this can lessen the worry. (I was terrified of posting fic for about idk eight years or something.) And remember you never have to keep up with or write the same as someone else, we are all different and have different processes, I think the best thing you can do is figure out what works for you.

If you're nervous about content though, again understandable, but honestly people rarely care, and in our fandom people are chill af. Ship and let ship. AUs, crack, ooc, obscure kinks, OCs. We accept them all.

Just make sure to tag correctly. People have guides to help with that.

Wow, this got long, whoops. Sorry, I can't help myself. I have Rodney word-vomit vibes.

[anekimochi]

Scarlet and Violet....

I'm...honestly trying not to be negative about Gen 9. I really am....but so far....

Here's my biggest issues with gen 9 (before playing):

1. The style they went for is not appealing compared to previous gens. The fact that they went towards the look of the new pokemon snap instead of slight changing the previous style was not a good idea in my opinion.

2. The graphics look worse than SwSh AND Legends: Arceus. The frame rate (based on what we've seen) is just bad and slightly laggy. This could pass for a 3ds game, not a mainline switch title. ((I DON’T WANT TO HEAR A SINGLE PERSON TALK SHIT ABOUT SWSH’S GRAPHICS EVER AGAIN AFTER THIS))

3. The protags look like they're 8. I understand that the Pokemon canon is that the protags are always 10 (or so) but the previous ones could easily pass as teens. These guys look more like the elementary npcs you'd fight in early game on route 1. Don't' even get me started on their outfits/uniforms.

4. The new mechanic looks....dumb. If they just turned crystal instead of having the stupid looking hats, it would have been much better!

5. The gym leaders so far are kind of ...bland compared to SwSh and even UsUm!!(Hell, even XY). I do like a the ice one so far, but no one really stands out.

6. The enemy team just looks dumb and basic. Plus their leader looks like a punk clown that Piers would bully. Legit hideous. Guzma looked better and that's saying something.

-------------------

Here’s what I do like tho:

1. The starters are fine. Sprigatito is adorable, though I do find it interesting that we're getting another cat starter (considering that we just got Litten in gen 7). But they're cute and different enough.

2. The customization so far looks really good! I do like all the new features and how much more detailed you can get. This is what they should have done in SwSh, but I'm very happy that they're doing it now in gen 9.

3. The legendaries aren't bad. They could be better, but over all, not bad. I like their designs better than palkia and dialga at least.

4. The open world and mini map feature are really cool and I can't wait to try it out!

----------------------

I'm going to go into the game with no bias and play it, then give it an honest review. But in all honesty, I'm not holding out hope It's like watching an old friend make you dinner, you know what it's gonna be but you see them using almost all ingredients that you don't like. Of course, it could taste great in the end! But....I'm not optimistic

I’ll post a formal review after I’ve played it. (Gotta wait till after work today ;-;)

[lyaenidae]

A well needed talk

Kenta's meeting his friends today on the slopes. After a few times down the mountain, they had a little food and chatted about what had been going on lately.

"So did you see Masami and Gabe are together now ?" asks Nanami, curious to know what the boys think of this new pairing. "Yeah" laughs Kenta "I'm actually the one that suggested it ! I knew how Gabe felt since we were teens..." "I can't believe it !" says Taku "Me neither, she told me she didn't think it was a good idea when I mentioned it to her. Said they never agreed on anything."

"Well you never know, sometimes, relationships need a bit of a spark I guess !" says Taku, a knowing smile on the lips, a wink for his girlfriend sitting besides him. "I don't really care, all I want is for them to be happy !" laughed Kenta.

A little while later, night is falling, and Kenta finds one of his friends a bit isolated, lost in thought.

"Hey Miki, what are you doing here all on your own ?" he asks, sitting beside her on the bench. "Trying to clear my head... I've got decisions to make, you see."

"Oh ? What kind of decisions ?" "You know, the life-changing kind... I've got things I'd like to do, but I'm not sure if I should follow my head or my heart." "What does your heart say ?" asks Kenta, their bodies getting closer.

She clears her throat and looks away, so he puts some distance back between them, making sure she doesn't get uncomfortable. "Truth is, I think I want to travel to Selvadorada, discover the jungle, live the adventure I've always dreamt of..."

"I've always been fascinated by the culture over there, and I wish I could explore, alone, away from everything I know. Discover who I am deep inside." Her enthusiasm is clear and Kenta can't help but share it. "It's so funny, I've been feeling very similar things ! My plan is to leave for Granite Falls just after graduation." "Really ? That's so amazing ! I wish I could just decide that without overthinking everything... But my parents are wanting me to go through with the job offer I've had from the lady I did my internship with, and I don't know if I can pass up on that opportunity..." "The interior designer ? You did like it a lot, that's true." he says, thoughtful. "I did. I think maybe I'll take the job, appease my parents and my own fears. It's only a 15 months contract. After that, I'll have money and confidence, and hopefully I can go into the Selvadoradian adventure with a smile." Miki explains, her mind seemingly more at peace after talking it through with him. "Sounds like a solid plan, to be honest !" Kenta can't help but want to hold her hand or get closer to her again. "Yeah, I wish I grew up with a parent as cool as yours, I probably wouldn't be afraid of anything !"

"Oh, you know, my dad's not always so cool, when you spend your whole life with him..." Kenta hears himself answer, his words feeling a bit foreign for some reason. "Really ? Why not ?" "He's the reason I couldn't complete the ascension of the Komorebi Peak before I aged up into an adult... That was one of my life goals, you know ? And he just decided it was too risky and we should go home without even trying." "Without even trying ? That doesn't sound like Itsuki..." admits Miki, looking a bit affected. "Well, we tried. I just think we could have done more, tried harder. Push the limits a bit..."

"Oh." her face is easy to read. Like she's holding something back. "What ?" asks Kenta, eager to hear her opinion. "I just think, he's your dad. He has a better Rock Climbing skill, more experience on the mountain, will try anything once and will always do his best at everything he tries. Don't you agree that if he thought you could do it, he would have kept going ?" her voice goes softer as she speaks. "Maybe..."

His mind runs very fast, trying to remember the expedition and to understand his father's choices instead of focusing on what he thinks. The thoughtful silence stretches, and a little while later, Miki looks at her watch, telling him she needs to go. His heart sinks a bit, but he gets up to thank her. "It always helps so much to talk to you Miki" he says offering her the most genuine smile. And without warning, she just puts her arms around him.

When he gets home, Kenta finds his dad in the backyard, lost in thoughts. Because he's had time to think about what's happening between them on the way home, he takes the opportunity to try and talk to him.

"Hey Dad, I need to ask you something." Itsuki seems a bit surprised but ready to hear whatever his son needs to ask. "Did we give up on the climb because I didn't have enough skill to make it to the top ?"

"Kenta, you're perfectly capable of doing anything you want to do." "No, Dad, I know that, I don't need a pep talk, I promise. I just want you to be honest and transparent. I'm a young adult now, I can take it, you know ? I need to know if it was because you thought I hadn't prepared well enough. We were supposed to at least reach one more level." "Okay, I'll tell you the truth. Why don't you sit with me for a minute ?"

"Truth is, I'm the one who got scared. I know you expect better from me, I'm your father and I should have been able to pull it together in that situation. But all I could think about was that if we got caught in the blizzard, not only was I putting myself in danger, but I was risking your life too." "But-" "Let me finish Kenta, please. Your sister's friend who lost their life in the Windenburg mountains, the stories I've heard about people getting badly injured or getting lost on Mt Komorebi, the threat of the snow reducing our visibility, it all got to me. I didn't feel confident enough to carry you through the next levels of the climb. I never doubted you, you see. It was myself I was doubting."

"Well I have the perfect solution, I am now sure this will never happen again. !" assured the young Takao with a large smile and trying to appear wise. "Oh you do ?" smiled his dad. "Yes. We were going on this climb with the wrong mindsets. We were both assuming that you would be the only one able to make decisions, the only one in charge, that you would take all the responsibilities on your shoulders. I think we need to try again, but this time, we'll both be in charge." "How-" "Your turn to let me finish, Dad" said Kenta with a wink.

"You will still be the leader. I simply think we should go into this with the idea that both of us can have opinions, that we can share the burden of decision making as well as risk taking. I don't know as much as you do about the mountain, I am aware, and that's why you'll always have veto power, but I think we can make a better team that way." "I raised you well, didn't I ?" is all that Itsuki answered, making his agreement show in his face, as well as his pride. "You did. Don't try and take all the credit though !" laughed Kenta.

[eucidianlyendless]

Okay so I don't have any art prepared, but basically

My project is something of a... Dystopian dark comedy? Or at least it's all of those traits combined into a singular thing. It said in the year 2047, and the premise being that a couple different things happened the previous years that resulted in a couple petty wars, the destruction of a large space object, the downfall of the government, and somehow people experienced mutations.

Also paranormal creatures just... Exist now. Or they're more acknowledged.

The story itself isn't completely solid (because I'm not exactly sure what some of the smaller parts of the story will look like rn) but it centers on a child who is not precisely human that lives in what is seemingly one of the last refuges on earth, being a semi underground megastructure called Colony 05 (set in Nevada); of course, not actually being the universal Chosen One, this child manages to obtain a notebook that was not meant for them, stringing them into a series of events that were not supposed to happen, which resulted in them eventually ending up outside and on the surface, with their home in flames.

And they're not happy. Uh, they frankly don't know what to do. Or how to feel. They actually experience the equivalent of being an NPC or background character that has no personality, so going forward, they are pretty much finding out what that personality even is.

There isn't really a set idea for what they want to do, again because they don't really know much, so they go on into the world, looking for something. What is that exactly? Many things. A place to call home, someone who can help them really understand what the notebook contains, understanding of who they are and what their role in the world is, and anywhere but wherever the stubborn, demented AI of the original colonies founder is, because they know he's following them. They don't see it but they know.

My current plan is to write a book, and possibly publish it. It's been a goal I've had for a long time now, second to the goal of wanting to adapt it into a game as soon as I have the software available for such a thing. In fact, I've already slowly been trying to create assets and designs for the game that I'm also probably going to include in the book in some way or another. I was an artist before I started trying to do writing, so it made sense to mix the two together.

I don't really have a set idea when it's going to be complete, but I do know I don't want to take forever on it. I do have other projects and goals I want to pursue along the way and after it.

I'm always open to ideas and people who want to work on the semi organized team of people I already have helping me with it. I also am open to critiquing and advice for certain aspects of it, since I'm only one person and hearing the opinions of other people help shape a proper world.

Who knows, once i publish things a little, maybe I'll open the opportunity to make this project open to multiple authors, so that they can enter their own ideas into a shared universe?

Anyway, you can find the account I'll do more actual posting about this project at my other blog, @project-root

Oh shit I haven't even posted about my pet project, have I??

[antisocialxconstruct]

So you made a neocities... now what?

Okay, here it is! So you’ve seen how web2 is becoming more and more corporatized and toxic, you know web3 will be a capitalist nightmare if it becomes reality, and people are rediscovering the nostalgic charm of the web1 era so you want in. You want to stake out your little corner of the internet, you made your neocities account, maybe a proboards to go with it...

Now what do you do with it?

This is a short(-ish) guide intended to give you some direction when populating your own site. This is not a technical guide for building a website, I am by no means qualified to teach you html or css, and besides those resources exist already. Think of this more as content inspiration, organized loosely based on what you already use social media for and what you’d be bringing with you to a new space.

If anyone has ideas I didn’t think of, feel free to add on!

you could start a blog if you:

write a lot of original twitter/tumblr posts

like aggregating other people’s content

This one might be the most obvious considering twitter and tumblr both advertise themselves mainly as “blogging platforms.” A personal blog is the simplest way to make use of a personal website, because the greatest demand on you once you have a template you like is to simply write posts. Publish your lore posts and metacommentary on your favorite media, write about your day and the weird things that happen to you at work, show off new recipes you learned, review your favorite bands’ new albums, point people toward cool artists you’ve discovered, hype up your friend’s new art... the list goes on. You can theme the blog around a specific topic or let it be broad and untargeted, you can write essays or a couple sentences. There are No Rules.

you could start a hobby website if you:

run a themed blog on tumblr

have a niche interest you’re passionate about

do a craft with a process people might find interesting

This would be sort of an offshoot of a basic blog. Do you make cosplay? Ceramics? Do you have a lot of opinions about 19th century interior design? Do you find yourself constantly wanting to correct common misconceptions about East Asian martial arts? You can make a whole website about that, if you really want to. Document your process, document the sources you’ve gone to for research, just gush or vent about the things you’re always aching to talk about but don’t think anyone else wants to hear. Organize it all however you want and make it look pretty.

* you could make a fandom site if you:

like collecting and/or creating fanworks

want to minimize fandom discourse

Back In The Day, before large-scale fanwork directories existed, people used to curate their own smaller fandom communities with their own rules about what could and couldn’t be posted or discussed. Yes, a lot of work from those eras was lost specifically because these were small, decentralized communities, and it’s always advisable to keep backups of everything you create, but the greater appeal of these communities was the avoidance of ���competing needs” issues when it came to people’s tastes and interests. If you want to post and collect fanfic for your favorite show but there are things you absolutely do not want to see in them, you can set those rules. The people who agree with you will be happy to have a space curated to their tastes. The people who don’t agree with you can make their own site.

you could build a portfolio/gallery if you:

are primarily a content creator who does art, fiction, music, etc

like posting photos/art on instagram

have a lot of original concepts/characters/projects

create raunchy art and are tired of being chased off other platforms

This one should also be pretty obvious. If you make creative work and you want a place to show off without worrying about algorithms, peak posting times, terms of service, etc., your best bet is to just make your own space. Post whatever you want, organize it however you want. If you’re concerned about reach, it’s still worth cross-posting to social media, but since no truly just-for-artists socmed has risen to the surface yet, a personal site is still going to be your freest and most flexible safe haven. (Look into Lightbox! It’s pretty easy to set up and it’s great for displaying a lot of images in one place.)

you could host a webcomic if you:

have a webcomic

What more is there to say? Once again, you don’t have the built-in traffic of hosting on a site like webtoons, but you do have freedom and flexibility.

* you could make a roleplay forum if you:

already enjoy roleplaying on discord, tumblr, google docs, etc

like the idea of tabletop gaming but not the scheduling challenges

want your stories to be better organized and preserved

This is another “back in the day” sort of suggestion, but most roleplaying that I remember used to be done on forums that were run and moderated by community members. As with a fandom site, you have a lot of control over who joins, and what people are permitted to do, meaning you can create exactly the kind of community you want to be a part of.

* a couple of these would obviously require some degree of management/moderation on your part if you’re planning to be the host of the space, so you should consider whether that’s a responsibility you want to take on.

At the end of the day, the simplest answer to “what do I do with a personal website?” is... anything you want :) But I know that can be a bit daunting. Hopefully this has pointed you roughly in the right direction, at least!

[getosboobies]

reasons i think matchablossom is or has been canon!

once again, i have become overly obsessive and have throughly analysed each and every kaoru & kojiro scene that we currently have. i indulged and created my own list of “ are they besties or are they banging or both “ but i have decided to share it all with you :))

( keep in mind, i’m a reacher and these are just my interpretations. i will go to any extent to prove myself correct - no matter how unlikely )

so first of all, we have the fact cherry is the only one we have yet to see at joe’s restaurant after hours. this immediately shows that they are extremely comfortable with each other and spend a lot of time together even when they’re not skating. it also potentially suggests cherry is waiting for joe to go home, maybe a habit they’ve developed over time. before these scenes, the producers always show an image of the restaurants front door which states closed. by showing this frame, it obviously gives the impression it’s important for us to know that it is closed and therefore showings us that joe and cherry’s relationship is more than just some rivalry banta and that they have an established friendship built on trust and time. the creators could have just not shown that it was closed and had us assume that’s they were just good friends who spent time together but they went a whole step further and showed us these two men’s personal lives are somewhat intertwined with one another, showing us that they don’t have large boundaries for each other which would be considered strange in contrast to the “ arguing “ we had previously seen between them. if this isn’t enough for you, in these scenes we also see joes uniform unbuttoned so i take this as even more evidence of how comfortable they are around each other. also ! restaurants tend to close quite late ( avg. 8pm-12pm ) and on all the shots of the closed door, it has been dark outside. why wouldn’t cherry be home at this time settling down or something??? or maybe cherry has a lot of love for joe if he’s willing to wait that long for him to finish work... just sayin’. more on this, i analysed the restaurants design and noticed that the plug in the wall is really low down to the ground. maybe this is just one of joes odd design techniques or maybe it was specifically placed for cherry to charge carla, the concept of which, makes me very happy

keeping on the point of joe’s restaurant, whenever we have seen cherry inside he always sits right in front of the kitchen, this is pretty normal unless you think about 1) how much time he spends there 2) how busy restaurants get 3) he came there while he was with a colleague. we’ve already seen that cherry doesn’t mind coming after hours so why did he come during the day if he knew joe would be busy? this is similar to the fact he came in with his colleague in episode 2 - he obviously wasn’t expecting to be able to talk with joe while he was out for a work meal, so why on earth would he sit right in front of where joe would be, which is situated in a considerably inconvenient table for work meal? what i’ve interpreted from this is that cherry’s must enjoy being in joes presence. cherry canonically having anxiety would explain why he likes being close to someone who he knows well, and that cares for him. being able to see and hear joe so close is perhaps very relaxing for cherry.

now when i watched sk8 for the first time, i gather the impression that joe was a forgive and forget kinda guy when it came to someone who did him wrong. when we’re introduced to adam it’s evident there is some hostility within joe but this does not nearly compare to the anger cherry showed. when suggesting a beef their intentions seem to be completely different. cherry outrightly admitting to his grudge and anger for adam whereas joe seems to just want to prove a point to adam by winning against him ( i mean look at the image above, their facial expressions show it all ). but i noticed that as cherry would speak about adam, joe’s intentions slowly shifted and became far more serious and full of anger. “ there’s someone i’d like to punch “ is a sentence said by joe in episode 8. this is quite different to what we had seen in earlier episodes of him just wanting to make a point. i think this shift was predominantly when joe found cherry at the ocean view. joe knew how cherry was feeling towards adam BEFORE this scene because he knew where to find him, but the realisation that cherry was standing there, alone, and reliving some of his saddest memories probably hit joe that cherry couldn’t do this alone. therefore stepped up his game and met cherry’s loathing so they could do it together. as far as things go, this is one of the most important things they have done for each other because it shows clearly how devoted they are to each other.

this is one of the most confusing lines in this show thus far. i’m sure it’ll make sense in the oncoming episodes but i have come to two conclusions. so either adam has created this false reality of what happened and has told himself his evil ways stemmed from joe and cherry or, the more likely in my opinion, adam always felt like he was in need of a partner, a rival but also someone to love. this is displayed in the show in his predatory ways, aka, he wants his own ‘eve’. now there’s no ruling whatsoever that a skater needs any sort of dedicated rival, or skate partner, so i believe adam probably got this want from his peers, for example, joe and cherry. adam seems to believe you need to love your ‘eve’ and it gives me the idea that maybe he saw joe and cherry -in love- and decided that was what he wanted, but then as we know he went about it in an extremely toxic way. the “was it so“ was really hard to interpret, he’s clearly quite smug by the way he shrugs and smiles and shows that he’s very confident about what he’s saying but the question is short and leaves a lot unknown, which suggests why cherry and joe don’t respond. either they are as confused as i am, or they have a slight idea what adam could be suggesting and they feel guilty. we all know cherry and joe aren’t bad hearted people but as adam is insinuating ‘no, you guys parted ways from me first’ it could suggest that joe and cherry had perhaps become closer in high school and had developed a stronger bond than they had with adam and this left adam feeling lost and alone. this is more of a canon compliant headcanon that would make sense rather than a fact but it’s certainly something to think about.

one of the most obvious factors in their relationship is how they always know what the other is thinking or planning. we’ve seen in recent episodes that when cherry was racing, joe knew exactly what his motive was even without discussing it, thats enough information to show how well they truly know each other and how connected they really are. it’s also shown with cherry. when joe is racing, and is going extremely fast towards the corner, we see a frame of miya and shadow being worried for him, but then it shifts to cherry watching and there’s not a spec of worry on his face because he KNOWS what joe is planning and knows he will be fine. they know each other’s techniques better than anyone and it shows they don’t doubt each other’s choices one bit.

we learn right from the beginning that cherry and joe like to argue and fight, at first we think this is because they dislike each other but we learn that they are best friends. so when watching back you notice that none of the insults are ever actually insulting. let’s think about it, the most common insults they use are gorilla, dimwit and four-eyes. now to me, none of these actually seem insulting whatsoever and even if they do like to argue a lot it’s obvious they never ever mean any harm to one another.

from analysing the scenes one of the things i’ve noticed the most is how cherry and joe turn up and leave together. when the cops came during the langa x adam skate they both started to run off together leaving everyone else behind. as we know, they spend a lot of their personal lives together but leaving and turning up together every single time we’ve see them there seems like they’re a bit more attached than i originally thought. there’s a chance they meet before hand but why always that late at night? why aren’t they ever at home alone? unless...they live together. i mean it’s a perfectly valid suspicion right now as we’ve never seen either of their homes and we’ve never seen either of them turn up anywhere alone but either way it confirms they spend an awful lot of time together in general life. going back to my original point of them not only turning up and leaving together but they also never leave each other’s sides. there’s a heap of frames that you can see them standing together watching a beef or even just them talking. they’re literally attached at the hip and nothing makes me happier.

the creators of the show have made countless points to show that joe and cherry have a lot of history. from the school references to the fact they have TRAVELLED THE WORLD TOGETHER. they could have just shown one or two so we know that as a general fact they’ve known each other a long time but they bring it up an awful lot for it to be just a general fact. this being shown so much let’s us know that this is important information and that they’ve obviously wanting to lay down a foundation to bring something crucial up. so far they have mentioned their social studies trip, a school excursion, joes love for haunted houses, holiday to La and the Paris bar they went to. now you might be thinking, oh they were in the same school they probably just went on a trip together nothing confirms they were close, well i am here to prove that statement false. joe said he found cherry’s wallet, this not only shows that joe was close to cherry when he lost it but also that he knew where to find it, showing how well he knew cherry. another point is that legal age to drink in Paris is 18 so unless they had fake ID it’s safe to say this is a trip they’ve done since becoming adults and leaving school. it’s also canon that have gone together, so the fact they’ve been travelling as adults together is quite interesting. same with the restaurant in LA, sounds kinda like a date.

over the course of the episodes we’ve seen so far there has been a few comments they have made to each other that suggest a little bit of jealousy. for cherry, these comments are made in episode 6 in the hot spring. cherry brings up joes love for haunted houses and then joe agrees and says it’s because “chicks get scared and grab onto me” * with a smirk *. now what’s interesting about this is cherry’s response. “you really are a scumbag” this insult feels a lot more insulting than usual and the response itself surprised me. at this moment cherry looks away from joe which is an action people tend to do when they’re hurt or pissed off. either works in this scenario but neither make much sense as we know cherry’s already aware of joes status with girls. so why was he mad? well this was obviously a fond memory of cherry’s and joe replying with a statement about girls probably made him a bit angry because that was supposed to be their memory. but joes smirk with the comment makes me rethink, did he state that on purpose to make cherry jealous? obviously we can’t be sure but the entire encounter left me a bit confused. now onto joes jealousy, in episode 2 dub joe says “dude, you’re talking to a machine?” now in context this seems like joe is partially bewildered by the fact cherry is casually talking to his AI skateboard but he also seems slightly jealous that cherry is talking to carla instead of talking to him. this is one of the only scenes where joes facial expressions actually seem insulted rather than just having a bit of fun. he follows this up with “figured you’d give your board a girls name seeing as you can’t get a real one!” why can’t he get a real one? we hear tonnes of girls screaming compliments at cherry when he turns up so he definitely could get a girlfriend if he wanted, and joe no doubt knows this too, so why would he use it as an insult? i’m not sure what to make of this but it’s got to be a factor somewhere.

more on the haunted mansion chit chat, the line about chicks grabbing onto joe is quite funny when you look at the entire scene, because as soon as they get jumped they grabbed onto each other in fear. seems a little ironic if i do say so myself.

they both seem very secluded about their personal lives. cherry more specifically does not like the use of his skate name in his personal life or vice versa. joe is the only one we have seen to be aware or use cherry’s real name. the way joe slips up and calls cherry ‘kaoru’ at “S” shows how close they are and how much time they spend together to be able to accidentally mix up the two parts of their lives. this is just an extra point on how conjoined their lives must really be. in the photo above we see how cherry easily calms joe down when he starts to get annoyed. joe is the only one who knows fully about cherry’s life as emotions and cherry is the same for joe.

now one of the most heart wrenching matcha blossom scenes is when joe finds cherry at the ocean view. i have a lot to say about this so let’s start at the beginning. first of all, joe noticed cherry was missing. it’s not like cherry was there for a massive amount of time, so joe noticing that cherry was gone for even as much as an hour or two really says a lot about the placement they have in each other’s lives. there was really no reason for joe to worry about where cherry was considering they’re grown adults but he continued to go out and find him anyways. this is also set in the late afternoon judging by the sky, whereas the previous scene had been set at night at “s”, so this is suggesting the ocean view scene is on a completely different normal day for them (another factor showing how much time they spend together). next, the fact joe knew exactly where to find cherry. this truly shows how much they know and how connected they are to each other but also how well they understand the others coping mechanisms. cherry was dwelling on memories from 7 years ago and yet joe still knew exactly what he was doing and what he was thinking about. plus cherry didn’t even seem surprised when joe turns up. but one thing i noticed is that in this scene is the way they (in this case, didn’t) hold eye contact. while cherry is faced away, joe is staring at him but as soon as cherry meets joes eyes, joe turns away. either joe didn’t want to be caught staring or joe realised something crucial in that moment. i’ll let your mind decide what that is.

obviously, miyas comment about joe and cherry being his parents is a light hearted joke just to ruin joes chances of flirting with girls but it also implies that the group can tell that joe and cherry are respectively closer than anyone originally thought and they perhaps have caught on that the tension between them is a little bit too gay to be just a bit of banta. obviously in this scene we then see joe looking at cherry’s legs while a blush clearly intensifies on his face. yeah no, this is self explanatory.

one of the things i like about joe and cherry’s relationship is the fact that within that joe also has a somewhat dynamic with carla. although carla is non-living, there has been several interactions between them. for example the beginning of episode 6 on the boat joe recognises carlas voice immediately. i mean straight off i think it’s suspicious as hell that they all happened to be going there at the same time but the fact joe realised cherry must be there because of the sound of an AI skateboard? that’s impressive. also, at the beginning of the series carla is aware of who joe is when calling joe an imbecile, this shows that cherry has obviously had this modified to specifically refer to joe as joe rather than just refer to him as a general person.

there was a popular tiktok i saw the other day (if anyone has the username of the person please tell me so i can credit them!!) and it showed the two images above. in these photos it shows joes skateboard and his odd looking wheels. the creator of this video further analysed that these reflect the general outlook of a cherry blossom flower. though the actual wheels in real life don’t look as similar to a flower as they do in the show. but now if this is what they’re meant to look like, this is a really sentimental fact and shows how highly joe thinks of cherry in his skating career. but what about his personal life? well that’s where my analysing comes in. i noticed in the dessert joe makes in episode 5 he had a range of fruits displayed on the top as well as a single flower. this flower looks identical to a cherry blossom. once again the reflection of cherry within joes life makes an appearance. we’ve seen that flowers actually mean something in this show (toxic example but adam’s red roses for langa) so it would make sense for this to actually mean something about their relationship. i studied a range of Japanese desserts and, although every chef works differently, most of the dishes tend to only have a display of fruits and no flowers. so i have come to the conclusion that this dish certainly had some symbolism to cherry in joes life, some way or another.

so overall, their dynamic already shows that they have a very thin and mistakable line between very close best friends and potential lovers. although some of this was based off personal interpretation the majority is cinematic displays and general facts. so take this and use it however you like. let me know your opinions and other factors you have! for all i know i could be completely disproven with the next few episodes but surely if this many people see a bit more than just a friendship there’s got to be a reason for it.

if we can have one lgbt+ character... why not two more?

[reidjumpers]

Here Comes the Sun: Blue and Pink

Spencer Reid x Reader

Warning/Includes: mention of eating, foods.

Series Summary: A journey of going through parenthood with Spencer.

Chapter Summary: In which you find the gender of your baby

Note: dad!spencer is a dear concept to me. I try to make sure all of the chapter could be read as a stand alone, but if you squint you can tell there's a string of connections to previous chapters. Enjoy!

previous chapter, next chapter, series masterlist

“What do you think about a gender reveal party?”

You stopped in your tracks as Penelope thought out loud. You rolled your chair to face her, and immediately your face scrunched up as you noticed the content displayed on her screen. It wasn’t work, or anything tech related that sometimes made your head a little fuzzy, it was a mood board filled with gender reveal party ideas.

Throughout your pregnancy, you have found yourself burrowed in Penelope’s lair more often than not. She was more than welcoming, all happy to have someone accompany her in her safe space. She even made an effort to make you feel comfortable, go all board to put all soft and fuzzy things to soothe your aching back and swollen feet. You had been crying for thirty minutes straight when she first presented it to you.

You liked it here a lot. The room is always at the right temperature that didn’t leave you shivering or grumpy with heat. But most of all, it smells really nice, and as much as you’d love to be in your desk and your own element, you couldn’t handle the wafting smell of everyone’s perfume in the air. You once lashed out at Morgan for having the audacity to wear his perfume that he had been wearing for years, and then proceed to cry for an hour profusely apologizing while he laughed his ass off.

“Gender reveal?” you hummed, not knowing what you feel with the idea. Your hand absentmindedly made its way to your bump, now more visible than ever, and you’re both delighted and terrified about it.

“Look at this!” Penelope eagerly made a gesture towards her computer screen. She scrolled slowly through all the well-put mood boards. You cocked an eyebrow at it, knowing fully she probably had spent weeks planning before even asking your opinion. “It’s cute, isn’t it? All fuzzy, blue and pink! So many cakes and happiness radiating from it all.”

“How long have you been planning for all of these, Pen?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered, uncharacteristically quiet.

“Three weeks? Four weeks?”

“Ugh!” she grunted, a pout appearing on her lips as she sent you a heatless glare. You pressed your lips together to bit back a triumph smile, proud of your achievement to be able to crack her up. “Fine! Three weeks.”

You snorted a laugh, “Thought so.”

“I hate profilers,” Penelope huffed. She pressed a key on her keyboard to reveal more pictures of her mood board. “So? What do you think?”

“I don’t know, I have to talk about it with Spencer.”

“Talk about what?” a voice appeared behind you nearly startled you to death. You whipped your head towards the source of sound, smiling when you caught the sight of your husband standing in the doorway.

Spencer quietly made his way to you, pressing a chaste kiss on your hairline as he gently placed your lunch on the desk. It had been a routine in the past four months that he would make his way to Penelope’s office during lunchtime, bringing food for three of you and he joined you and Penelope devouring lunch in her office.

“Lovely Boy Wonder! You always have the most perfect timing,” Penelope basically beamed at the sight of Spencer. He furrowed his eyebrows confusedly, but from years of befriending her, Spencer had learned not to question too many things about her. “What do you think about a gender reveal party?”

“Gender reveal party?” Spencer pulled his designated chair, the one that Penelope provided just for him to eat lunches. He scooted his chair close to you, hand absentmindedly finding its way to yours.

“You heard me.”

“I don’t know…” Spencer muttered, his thumb gently stroking your knuckles. He eyed the mood board displayed proudly on Penelope’s screen carefully, examining each picture. “Sounds like a lot of work.”

Penelope gasped, “Dr. Reid! I am honestly offended that you didn’t consider Penelope Garcia will handle everything and you and Lady Reid don’t have to lift a single finger!”

Now that caught your attention. “We don’t have to lift a single finger?”

“All you have to do is sit down and the next thing you know, we’re all huddled together in a happy space full of love.”

You glanced towards Spencer who shared the same look with yours. He shrugged and a small smile settled on his face, entrusting the decision fully into your hand. You pucker your lips, weighing all the pros and cons about throwing a party.

“Come on!” Penelope whined. “We see horror and gore almost every day. We need a sweet reminder of everything good in the world. It’s nice to have something good to look forward to.”

You glanced at Spencer once again who subtly nodded. “Okay. Make it small and private.”

“Yes!” Penelope squealed, startled both you and Spencer. “I love you both so much.”

***

The whole idea of preparing a gender reveal party alone made you tired, but one trip for your check up changed everything. Penelope joined you and Spencer for your routine check up, tearing up when the sound of your baby’s heartbeat echoed. At this point you would have thought you’d get used to hearing their heartbeat, but it had never lost its magic.

Penelope practically vibrated with excitement and squealing when the doctor slyly slid your ultrasound photo and the gender of the baby to her, wrapped in a cute envelope. Spencer tried to take a peek, but Penelope was quick to swat him away.

“Do you think we’re having a boy or a girl?” Spencer thought out loud. You glanced up from your book to meet him staring at you, a solemn expression painted on his face.

“Can’t wait until the weekend, can you?” you teased, eyes fell back into the string of words in your book again.

You felt his hand rubbing your feet, his fingers dutifully untangle all the tangled knots that made you sore. You let out a satisfied sigh, shifting slightly on your seat to positioned your feet better on his lap. You really started to think you were probably the luckiest pregnant wife in the whole wide world with a husband like him.

Spencer sighed. “I think we’re having a boy.”

“You think?” you turned the page on your book, already feeling your focus shifting fully into the conversation now. “I’d say we’re having a girl.”

“I’ll tell you what, if we turn out to have a girl, I’ll buy you that handbag you’ve been eyeing on in the past two weeks. And if we turn out to have a boy, you’ll tell me how you cheat on every single UNO game we have.”

You snorted a laugh. Spencer must have noticed you stopped reading minutes ago, for the way he wasn’t unfazed when you lowered down your book and stared at him with a questioning look. He shot you a challenging smirk, with one eyebrow shot up into his hairline.

“Spencer Reid, are you really betting on our children?” you hit his arm playfully with your book. He feigned a pain, frowning as he rubbed the sore spot where you hit him. “I love you, but there is no way in hell I’ll tell you how I play UNO.”

“Ha! So you admit you do cheat!”

“No I didn’t! I never said that!”

“Your words do imply otherwise. So you do cheat!”

“I don’t cheat! I am just really good at what I do!”

Spencer scrunched his nose, not exactly buying your words. “Morgan and Emily also think you do cheat, hon.”

You rolled your eyes at the mention of their name. Of course they would conspire with your husband about your amazing ability of kicking everyone’s asses in UNO. You pulled your book back into your line of sight, tried your best to pick up where you left off. “Just accept the fact that UNO and Mario Kart is my expertise, babe. And a magician never reveals their secret.”

Spencer squinted his eyes at you for using his words against him. You lifted your book up slightly to conceal your growing smile, doing your best to ignore his burning stares. Spencer shifted slightly on his seat, his hand ghosted just above your ankle.

“I beat you in Mario Kart already,” Spencer said smugly. His voice was soft, and if it wasn’t so quiet, you were sure you would miss it.

“It was one time!” you groaned. “Once, babe, once.”

Spencer laughed. “You’re just bitter I beat you up with Baby Peach in Rainbow Road.”

You sighed through your nose, pouting as he rubbed about your defeat a year ago that you were still slightly bitter about to your face. You had no idea how he managed to beat you in Mario Kart using Baby Peach out of all things, in Rainbow Road out of any places.

“Honestly, how did you do that?”

Spencer beamed up at the question. You regret asking once your eyes caught the look on his face almost immediately, already knowing the answer he was about to say before it left his mouth. He leaned closer, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “A magician never reveals their secret, sweetheart.”

***

“Garcia is one amazing crazy bitch, isn’t she?” Emily nudged your shoulder. She took a sip towards her drink, her eyes scanning through the room. “How the hell she managed to take care of this party alone, I have no idea.”

Penelope had outdone herself. But then again, she always managed to break her own records after records breezly like it was nothing. Rossi was more than happy to provide his backyard to host the small party. Penelope managed to turn it into the most colorful and cutest gender reveal venue you’ve ever seen.

You just snorted, turned around to steal a slice of cake from Emily’s hand. She groaned at you, but didn’t do a thing as you shove it into your mouth. “Once she has a goal, she’ll do everything in her power to achieve that one goal, Em. You know that.”

Emily grinned, raising her glass slightly. “Do you think it’s a girl or a boy?”

You hummed. “Honestly? I don’t know. But something tells me it’s a girl.”

“Good,” Emily grinned. She jerked her chin towards the direction where Spencer was sitting together with Jack and Henry, a big amused smile on his face as he showcased his newest magic trick. “JJ already has two boys, Hotch has Jack, I think it’ll be nice to have a cute little girl into our family.”

Your eyes settled on Spencer once again. A loud squeal and delighted laughter rang throughout the walls as Spencer pulled a string of cards from Jack’s ear. “We’ll see.”

The party had been, much to your delight, a beautiful one. It was a spur moment of excitement and laughter, Penelope had made sure to make everyone comfortable and happy. The small game she had creatively come out with had been nothing but fun. You nearly fell from your chair laughing as you watch Morgan and Hotch doing their best to put a pen into a bottle blindfolded.

Everyone was here for one thing, and you watched the atmosphere shift from excitement to anticipation and suspense as JJ placed the cake into the table almost immediately. You bite your lip, somehow nervous at the prospect of knowing the gender of your unborn baby and reveal it in front of your friends and families.

Spencer wasn’t doing any better either, he was visibly jittery. You squeezed his hand gently once. Two times. Three times. Sending him all the wordless immense love you hoard for him, and a reminder that you were there with him. A small smile appeared on his face and he squeezed your hand a little firmer than you did, before he lifted it up to plant a soft kiss against your knuckle.

“Okay! When I reach three, you’ll cut the cake!” Penelope instructed. “If anyone would love to record this very magical moment, I advise your camera is ready by now.”

You chuckled, glancing up from the blue and pink cake in front of you. You saw Rossi already recorded the whole thing.

“One!”

You gently gripped the knife, feeling Spencer’s hand covered your hand warmly. He sent you a nervous smile as he adjusted his hands, his fingers settled in between yours seamlessly.

“Two!”

Spencer gently guided your hand to place the knife just right above the cake. You held your breath, feeling your heart trumped inside your chest loudly.

“Three!”

Spencer a little too eagerly cut the cake, almost forgot that he squeezed your hand underneath his a little too tight. A soft gasp escaped your lips as you finally saw the inside of the cake, and Spencer was stopped in his track as he gawked at the cake.

“It’s a girl…” Spencer whispered, like he couldn’t believe what he saw. He blinked and took a sharp inhale, feeling the reality settling in a lot better. “It’s a girl!” He then pulled you into a chaste kiss, his lips pressing into yours raked with love and happiness that you couldn’t help but to smile.

“A girl!” Derek hollered from his spot, already made his way to steal Spencer away from your embrace and pulled him into a hug. Everyone followed not so long after, and you could feel Emily pulled you into a hug, followed by JJ, and then Penelope trapped you in the middle.

“Aw,” you heard Penelope cooed. You didn’t realize there were tears streaming down your face until you could feel her thumb gently wiped it away from your face. “Don’t cry!”

You just laugh, pulling your girl friends into another round of hug. Emily let out a soft chuckle, and muttered something about having a new member to your sacred girl’s night out. You didn’t say anything, but feeling a smile growing on your lips at the thought of having a little girl following you in tow during your night out.

=======================================

series tag list:

@measure-in-pain @wooya1224 @reidemandweep @manuosorioh @jswessie187 @starrfruit